The institutions of Christian religion, written by the reverend father, M. John Calvin, compendiously…The institutions of Christian religion, written by the reuerend father, M. Iohn Caluin, compendiously…

6 He urgeth the same with the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham,¹ because at the coming of Christ it would not be brought to pass, that the grace of God should be darker and less approved to us, than it was before to the Jews.

6 Hée vrgeth the same with the couenant which the Lord made with Abraham,¹ because at the comming of Christ it woulde not be brought to passe, that the grace of God shoulde be darker and lesse approoued to vs, than it was before to the Iewes.

1. 1Gen. 17.1•

7 He draweth another argument (to confirm the former also) from the example of Christ,¹ courteously embracing infants, & muniteth the same against the gainsayers, that say, that it maketh nothing for baptism. But the place diligently weighed, must needs condemn them, when Christ commanded infants to be brought to him, he added a reason why, because of such is the kingdom of heaven, & ⟨image 252⟩[…] ⟨p. 242⟩[…] ⟨image 253⟩after he witnesseth his will with deed when he embracing them, he commendeth them to his father with his prayer, and blessing: if it be they be brought to Christ, then is it meet for them to be received to Baptism, the sign of our communion & fellowship with Christ. If the kingdom of heaven be theirs, then the sign shall not be denied them: whereby there is as it were an entry opened into the Church, that being admitted to it, they may be numbered among the heirs of the heavenly kingdom. Their argument to prove they were good big children, because Christ said, Let little ones come to me is to small purpose, for the Evangelist calleth them Brephe and Paidia, which doth signify Babes, yet hanging upon their mothers breasts: Therefore this word to (Come) is simply to have access.