A41329:38
The plea of the children of believing-parents for their interest in Abraham's covenant, their…
The plea of the children of believing-parents for their interest in Abraham's covenant, their right to church-member-ship with their parents, and consequently their title to baptism. The cause of publishing this discourse after so many learned men have laboured in this province, is declared in the preface to the reader. By Giles Firmin.
London: printed for Tho. Simons, 1683
THE PLEA OF THE CHILDREN OF Believing-Parents, &c.THE PLEA OF THE CHILDREN OF Beleiving-Parents, &c.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
When God made that Covenant with Abraham, to be the God of him and his Seed, and appointed the seal of his Covenant to be Administered to the Infant on the eighth day. Might not? ought not all the Jews, and did not many of them when they came to years of discretion, and were taught the meaning of them, improve them to their Souls advantage? why then may not we as well improve the same Covenant, and our Infant-Baptism, when we are come to years of discretion, to our Spiritual advantage, ⟨p. 10⟩when we understand them by our Pastors and Parents teaching?
When God made that Covenant with Abraham, to be the God of him and his Seed, and appointed the seal of his Covenant to be Administred to the Infant on the eigth day. Might not? ought not all the Jews, and did not many of them when they came to years of discretion, and were taught the meaning of them, improve them to their Souls advantage? why then may not we as well improve the same Covenant, and our Infant-Baptism, when we are come to years of discretion, to our Spititual advantage, ⟨p. 10⟩when we understand them by our Pastors and Parents teaching?
If there be such an advantage in Adult-Baptism, over there is in Infant-Baptism, what is the matter that some of them could say, they found no such good by it? and I do believe them by their Conversation; but especially, what is the reason that so many hundreds of them cast off both Infant and Adult-Baptism, and deny Baptism altogether, for which they were sometime so zealous? if there had been such advantage in it, they would not have done so wickedly to cast away such an Institution of Christ.
Secondly, A second thing which might occasion this, is, That so many Children of Godly Parents, who were Dedicated to God in Baptism in their Infancy, and Parents have bestowed great pains in their Education, yet prove wicked.