A80622:128
The grounds and ends of the baptism of the children of the faithful. Opened…The grounds and ends of the baptisme of the children of the faithfull. Opened…
The grounds and ends of the baptism of the children of the faithful. Opened in a familiar discourse by way of a dialogue, or brotherly conference. / By the learned and faithful minister of Christ, John Cotton, teacher of the Church of Boston in New-England.The grounds and ends of the baptisme of the children of the faithfull. Opened in a familiar discourse by way of a dialogue, or brotherly conference. / By the learned and faithfull minister of Christ, John Cotton, teacher of the Church of Boston in New-England.
London: printed by R.C. for Andrew Crooke, 1646
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.
1In this your long answer, some things are impertinent, some things false, some fraudulent, and some confused; but one thing only alleged out of the Context that may seem to the purpose, and that also misapplied. 1. It is impertinent to put a difference between the promise and the Covenant. As it was before curious to put a difference between seed and children. For though every promise be not a Covenant: yet there is no such large difference (as you speak of) between the promise of God and his Covenant, but that they are ordinarily put one for another. The Covenant of not drowning the world any more with a flood, was no more then a promise: yet it is called a Covenant, Gen. 9.11. and the Promise that God gave to Abraham of the inheritance of the world (Rom. 4.13.) was by the Covenant, confirmed by the sacrifices of beasts, divided asunder, Gen. 15.5.9, 10.17. And that which God calleth the promises, Gal. 3.16. he calleth the Covenant in the next verse, verse, 17. Besides, whatsoever difference there may be between the promise and the Covenant, it is here pleaded altogether impertinently. For if it were granted you which you plead for (though there be no mention of it in the Text) That by the promise is here meant the promise of sending the Messiah: yet that promise is either given by the Covenant of grace, or by the Covenant of works. If Christ be given and sent by the Covenant of grace, then the promise that giveth him is the Covenant of grace. So that if the promise of sending Christ be to them and their children, (as the Text speaketh) then the Covenant in which that promise is given, is to them and their children. And so indeed the same Apostle telleth them in his next Sermon. Acts 3.25, 26. Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers, &c. Unto you first God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you &c. the promise ⟨p. 33⟩therefore of sending Christ, was given by Covenant. And then what difference is there between promise and Covenant, in this case?