A41329:81
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 see my Author hath named Master D. Rogers, as if he did favour his Opinion, when as living in the next Town to him, and having intimate acquaintance with him, I knew him to be a smart Enemy to the Anabaptists.
2. The second thing I would say to them, is this, That ancient Father, pious, humble, and learned Austin flourished above twelve hundred years before my Author, or any Anabaptist in England was born; then he lived so many years nearer the Primitive Churches, than my Author, or any of our Anabaptists: Whether then B. Austin, or those Anabaptists should best know the practice of the Primitive Churches as to Baptizing of Infants, let any sober man judge: He being a person so learned and so famous, no question had all those Authors which my Author quotes, that wrote before him, if not many more which we have not: And did not that learned pious Father understand them as well as my Author, or any Anabaptist now in England? And though he was no Christian himself, yet was not he acquainted with the practice of the Greek Churches in his time better than our Anabaptists? Now he saith, the practice of Infant-baptism was so universal in the Church, 1that it could not but come from the Apostles. Ecclesia semper habuit, &c. The Church ever heard it, saith he.
- 1Austin. l. 1. de peccat. mer. & renis. c. 26. De baptis. contra. Denat. l. 2. c. 7. & l. 4. c. 24.
Had not Austin spoke true, there was one did watch him [Pelagius] ⟨p. 25⟩who would have told him of it to purpose, for that Practice stood in Pelagius's way, but Pelagius did not deny it.