A41334:52
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.
3. Would you have Ruling Elders to join with me? I observe divers §3of the Classical Divines question, whether there be any such Officer distinct from the Preaching Elder. But though I have not Elders actually ordained [I perceive also here you do not ordain your Elders, which is strange, if Deacons were] yet I have those whom I look upon to be Elders, and without whom I do nothing that concerns Discipline. That which hath hindered us, is […] uncertainty of my maintenance, being cut off from a •o•• put which I […], from a Sequestration, when I was first called; The maintenance their if from the place being not sufficient to maintain my charge, I am uncertain of my abode here.
3. Would you have Ruling Elders to joyne with me? I observe divers §3of the Classicall Divines question, whether there be any such Officer distinct from the Preaching Elder. But though I have not Elders actually ordained [I perceive also here you doe not ordaine your Elders, which is strange, if Deacons were] yet I have those whom I looke upon to be Elders, and without whom I do nothing that concerns Discipline. That which hath hindred us, is 〈…〉 uncertainty of my maintenance, being cut off from a •o•• put which I 〈…〉, from a Sequestration, when I was first called; The maintenance their if from the place being not sufficient to maintaine my charge, I am uncertaine of my abode here.
4. When I was ordained by the Presbytery, I thought I had the power ⟨p. 8⟩§4of a Pastor conveyed to me: now one part is to Rule, I think, but to say I cannot put forth that power alone, but I must have more Elders to join with before I can do any thing; I desire to see a Scripture for that, because Discipline was carried on by more then one in the Examples we have in the Scripture, there being more then one Officer in those Churches, must this needs conclude; Therefore the power of a Pastor must lie dormant, if he have no other Elders to join with him, though his people do as I said before, I should deny this consequence.