A41329:89
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.
But that the old Britons were against Infant-Baptism, is very false, wch I thus prove.
But that the old Britains were against Infant-Baptism, is very false, wch I thus prove.
What year God first sent the Gospel into England, the Learned do not agree; there seem to be strong grounds to believe, that it was before King Lucius sent to Eleutherius B. of Rome; some say it was, An. 156, others 169, others 170, others 180. The Contest between Austin and Pelagius, was about 417, in the 63 year of Austins life, as Bucolcerus gathers. Pelagius denied Original Sin; upon that denied Infant-Baptism as being superfluous: not because Infants cannot believe, which is the sole Argument of our Anabaptists, Pelagius a learned man would have slighted such an Argument as this. Austin proves Infants to be guilty of Original Sin, from the universal practice of the Church to take away Original Sin, they did baptize Infants: Now this Infant-baptism ⟨p. 27⟩saith Austin, The Church ever had it, ever held it, 1they received this from the faith of their Ancestors, and this will it keep with perseverance to the end. Let Pelagius who was a Britain, answer this: Britain had received the Gospel 240 years before this Contest. Pelagius knew the practice of his own Country, and if it had been true, that the old Britons did not baptize Infants, as my Author saith, why did not Pelagius Confute Austin, charge him with falsehood; the Britons do not baptize Infants, ergo, it is not the practice of the Universal Church: This being an Argument Austin did so urge, and put so much stress upon it, Pelagius would have removed it if he could.
What year God first sent the Gospel into England, the Learned do not agree; there seem to be strong grounds to believe, that it was before King Lucius sent to Eleutherius B. of Rome; some say it was, An. 156, others 169, others 170, others 180. The Contest between Austin and Pelagius, was about 417, in the 63 year of Austins life, as Bucolcerus gathers. Pelagius denied Original Sin; upon that denied Infant-Baptism as being superfluous: not because Infants cannot believe, which is the sole Argument of our Anabaptists, Pelagius a learned man would have slighted such an Argument as this. Austin proves Infants to be guilty of Original Sin, from the universal practice of the Church to take away Original Sin, they did baptize Infants: Now this Infant-baptism