A41330:26
The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner,…
The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner, The friendly debate &c., examined and answered : together with a discourse about separation, and some animadversions upon Dr. Stillingfleet's book entitled, The unreasonableness of separation : observations upon Dr. Templars sermon preached at a visitation in Cambridge : a brief vindication of Mr. Stephen Marshal.The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner, The friendly debate &c., examined and answered : together with a discourse about separation, and some animadversions upon Dr. Stillingfleet's book entituled, The unreasonableness of separation : observations upon Dr. Templers sermon preached at a visitation in Cambridge : a brief vindication of Mr. Stephen Marshal.
London: printed for Tho. Cockerill, 1681
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Dedication: To the Reverend, and my much Honoured Brother, Dr. Edward Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Pa…
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.
We read of the Apostles admitting of many believers, God added to the Church, Act. 2. ult. but never that they used this rite of admission, the sign of the Cross; only this is our happiness, we are more wife, more holy, greater lovers of Christ, than ever the Apostles were, (though we profess we are built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Ephes. 2.20.) that their examples are too low for us.
Besides, Sir, is it not meet that when children come to years of discretion they should then be called before the Church to declare whether they own their Baptismal Covenant, and also their admission into the Church they are reputed members of, as you say, the Independents require their Children to own the Church-Covenant? let them now be members of the Church by their own consent. Truly, Sir, if it come to that, since we read what your Canons say of the Cross, and how it is abused in Popery, and how strange this is to the Apostolical admission, we should not like it.
But are not children members of the same Churches with their Parents? though we think so, yet this is nothing to the practise of your Church. For as in your administration of Baptism, the Parental Covenant, (Abraham and his seed) which is the ground of the Administration, is wholly omitted; so the Parent he must stand by as if he were a Heathen; the business is only with the God fathers, and Godmothers, an invention of Higinus Bishop of Rome, about 144 years after Christ, who first added these to Baptism; a person of no great worth, of whom it is said, Nihil praclari, de gubernatione, & factis ejus commemorari potest. So much cause have I to beg pardon for my defects in the education of my own Children, that I would not be Sponsor for the child of the best friend I have in England. But however this is not it, but the sign of the Cross, with such words, that makes the admission into your Church.