A41329:388
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
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.
I wish the Anabaptists, before they had Condemned, and wrote against Infant-baptism, had well studied, and well improved their Parental, and Infant-baptismal Covenant, followed God close for the benefits, and waited, though they found temptations, and did not meet with all they would, and reproved others for neglecting, and vigorously stirred up people to the serious improvement of them; Then had they ⟨p. 181⟩done good service to Christ and his Church: Whereas by the course they have taken, they have increased our Divisions, (a thing deeply to be lamented) which I shall never live to see healed.
I wish the Anabaptists, before they had Condemned, and wrote against Infant-baptism, had well studyed, and well improved their Parental, and Infant-baptismal Covenant, followed God close for the benefits, and waited, though they found temptations, and did not meet with all they would, and reproved others for neglecting, and vigorously stirred up people to the serious improvement of them; Then had they ⟨p. 181⟩done good service to Christ and his Church: Whereas by the course they have taken, they have increased our Divisions, (a thing deeply to be lamented) which I shall never live to see healed.
I shall only desire the Anabaptists to give me answer to these two Questions, clearly from Scripture.
Quest. 1. Since God was so Gracious to make a Covenant with Abraham and his Seed, and it did then consist with his Wisdom, to Constitute his Church of Parents and Children, while the Parents did believe in the Messiah to come, why may it not consist with his Grace to continue that Covenant, and with his Wisdom, still to Constitute his Gospel-Church of Parents and Children, the Jews now believing in Christ come?