A41334:173
A sober reply to the sober answer of Reverend Mr. Cawdrey, to A serious…
A sober reply to the sober answer of Reverend Mr. Cawdrey, to A serious question propounded viz. whether the ministers of England are bound by the word of God to baptise the children of all such parents, which say they believe in Jesus Christ, but are grossly ignorant, scandalous in their conversations, scoffers at godliness, and refuse to submit to church discipline ... : also, the question of Reverend Mr. Hooker concerning the baptism of infants : with a post-script to Reverend Mr. Blake / by G.I. Firmin ...A sober reply to the sober answer of Reverend Mr. Cawdrey, to A serious question propounded viz. whether the ministers of England are bound by the word of God to baptise the children of all such parents, which say they believe in Jesus Christ, but are grosly ignorant, scandalous in their conversations, scoffers at godliness, and refuse to submit to church dicipline ... : also, the question of Reverend Mr. Hooker concerning the baptisme of infants : with a post-script to Reverend Mr. Blake / by G.I. Firmin ...
London: printed by J.G., 1653
A SOBER REPLY TO A SOBER ANSWER, &c.A SOBER REPLY TO A SOBER ANSVVER, &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.
You make very great use of these words, that persons non. Confederate are in his sense no Members of a Church: now Sir, let me move one question, Whether only persons that are in explicit Confederacy, are to be esteemed in M Hookers sense Members of a Church? if M. Hooker have expressed the contrary, as he hath most fully, pag. 47, 48. of his first part, and in Preface, pag. 11. where he saith expressly, The Faithful Congregations in England are true Churches, then that cannot be M. Hooker's sense. In pag. 47, 48. he shows how the Covenant is acted after a double manner, Explicitly, and Implicitly, and there shows how it is acted in the Churches of England. Then adds,
You make very great use of these words, that persons non. Confederate are in his sense no Members of a Church: now Sir, let me move one question, Whether only persons that are in explicite Consederacy, are to be esteemed in M Hookers sense Members of a Church? if M. Hooker have expressed the contrary, as he hath most fully, pag. 47, 48. of his first part, and in Preface, pag. 11. where he saith expresly, The Faithfull Congregations in England are true Churches, then that cannot be M. Hokers sense. In pag. 47, 48. he shewes how the Covenant is acted after a double manner, Explicitely, and Implicitely, and there shewes how it is acted in the Churches of England. Then adds,
This Mr. R. cannot be ignorant of as our opinion and professed apprehension: and I would entreat the Reader to observe once for all: that if he meet (with such accusations [such an accuser is Mr. Cawdrey] that we nullify all Churches besides our own; that upon our grounds received there must be no Churches in the world, but in New-England, or some few (observe this) set up lately in Old: that we are rigid Separatists, &c. such bitter clamours, a wise meek spirit passeth by them, as an unworthy and ungrounded aspersion, &c. then shows that Implicit and Explicit are but Adjuncts of the Covenant: and in some cases an Implicit Covenant may be sully sufficient: could any man living speak more clearly then Mr. Hooker? and could any man living speak more perversely then Mr. Caw. 1