A41334:19
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.
A SOBER REPLY TO A SOBER ANSWER, &c.
A SOBER REPLY TO A SOBER ANSVVER, &c.
IF Baptism were a means of Regeneration, as is the Preaching of the Word, then I should not dare to refuse the Baptizing of any person, what ever: or if Baptism were so necessary to Salvation, that all those Children which are Baptized, and die in their Infancy shall be saved, and those which are not Baptized, and die in their Infancy shall perish [as Augustine affirms (I think) ten times in one Epistle] then Mr. Cawdrey did justly tax me with rigidness [as be doth P. 28. and if he had said worse I should have submitted] for non-admitting of some Children to Baptism. But neither the first(a) nor the second(b) do our Orthodox Divines affirm. Baptism then being not appointed to bring persons into union with Christ, but suppose union, or to bring persons into the Covenant, but suppose a person already within the Covenant, being a Scale of it, and of all those glorious privileges contained in the Covenant, certainly this is not an Ordinance that is lightly to be regarded, [nor shall be I am confident when Christ comes to reform his Church indeed] but those who do Administer this (being stewards of it) had need look to whom they give out this sacred privilege. Had God tied up Ministers so, that we should administer it only to real Believers, then we had a hard task. he hath left us a greater latitude, but whether such a latitude as now the question mentions, is that we are searching out. Reverend Mr. Cawdrey hath yielded P. 16. That such a person as the question mentions is not sufficiently qualified to be a Church member. Also P. 17. he saith thus, when we say a Profession of the Faith is sufficient to qualify a Man to be made or ⟨p. 2⟩continued a Member: we do not mean a bare profession with his mouth, that be believes in Jesus Christ, though visibly he lives like an infidel: but thus at least, when nothing in his life appears to the contrary, though there be yet no great positive signs of his holiness. Let there be little positive signs added to a competent measure of Knowledge, and Conversation as you say, and we shall agree in that point. Also in his Review of Mr. Hooker, P. 89. he affirmeth; That, wicked Men are no fit materials of a visible Church. And p. 94. 95.