A41334:174
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.
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. 1that Mr Hooker deny all Churches where there is not an explicit Covenant?
This Mr. R. cannot be ignorant of as our opinion and professed apprehension: and I would intreat the Reader to observe once for all: that if he meet (with such accusations [such an accuser is Mr. Cawdrey] that we nullifie all Churches besides our owne; 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 shewes that Implicite and Explicite are but Adjuncts of the Covenant: and in some cases an Implicite Covenant may be sully sufficient: could any man living speak more clearly then Mr. Hooker? and could any man living speak more perversly then Mr. Caw. 1that Mr Hooker deny all Churches where there is not an explicite Covvenant?
- 1Epistle to Sob. Answ.
To return to his question: Two things I desire the Reader to observe in it: