The covenant of life opened, or, A treatise of the covenant of grace

But to return: Calvin on Matth▪ 19.14. We hence gather that the grace of Christ is extended to Infant age, ¹for whole mankind had perished. Beza, Infants are also comprehended in the free Covenant. Pareus, its unlawful to ••barre these from baptism and the Church, whom Christ ••ds come to him, &c. Obj. But Christ commands not they be baptized. Answ. Nor doth Christ in this place command the Parents to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: Nor speak the Evangelists of any Parental duty; shall we from that conclude, it was not Christs mind that the Parents take care of the fourth & fifth Command? Pareus saith, it was neither time nor place. Mat. 28.19. he bids baptize all. 3. He who prayed for them, blessed them, laid his hands upon them, invited them to bring Infants to him (of all which Infants were as uncapable,² as of the use and ends of Baptism and of actual confession of sin and of believing) judged they ought be Baptized. 4. Its never to be found where any are Baptized, but the Head of the Family is Baptized: And when we read that houses were Baptized, 1 Cor. 1.16. Acts 16.33. There is no more ground to say Infants are not Baptized, then to say when the Lord saith to Abraham, Gen. 12.2. I will bless thee, ³and make thy name great. And 22.17. in blessing I will bless thee. And when the Lord saith, Isai. 19.25. blessed be Egypt my people; he should mean, he would bless Abraham, not his seed, and that he minds to bless the aged of Egypt, and of Assyria, but not their seed and infants, because they understand no• what a blessing of God means; and yet the fruit of the womb and the seed are said to be blessed,