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…

Neither hath it any ground at all from the Apostles words, or meaning, to gather (as you do) from the holiness of children an argument from the less to the greater, That if the children be holy, and so, lawful to be retained, then much more the unbelieving Parents that bare them (because if the effect be holy, then must the cause also be holy:) for the unbelieving Parents are no cause at all of the holiness of their children: neither are they holy themselves by the holy Ordinance of marriage. For though marriage it self be holy in respect of the holy institution of it: yet not in respect of the holy efficacy in it, to make all them holy, that enter into marriage estate; yea as to believers all things are pure, so to the unbeliever nothing is pure, no not his marriage, nor his yoke-fellow, nor his children. Though the unbelieving yoke-fellow (Paul saith) be sanctified to the believer: yet Paul never said, that the believer is sanctified to the unbelieving yoke-fellow. Unbelievers are neither holy themselves, nor is any thing else sanctified to them, much less can they be the cause of producing sanctification and holiness in others. And therefore Paul doth infer the holiness of children, not from the holy Ordinance of marriage, but from the holy Covenant of grace.

Neither hath it any ground at all from the Apostles words, or meaning, to gather (as you doe) from the holinesse of children an argument from the lesse to the greater, That if the children bee holy, and so, lawfull to bee retained, then much more the unbeleeving Parents that bare them (because if the effect bee holy, then must the cause also bee holy:) for the unbeleeving Parents are no cause at all of the holinesse of their children: neither are they holy themselves by the holy Ordinance of marriage. For though marriage it selfe bee holy in respect of the holy institution of it: yet not in respect of the holy efficacy in it, to make all them holy, that enter into marriage estate; yea as to beleevers all things are pure, so to the unbeleever nothing is pure, no not his marriage, nor his yoak-fellow, nor his children. Though the unbeleeving yoak-fellow (Paul saith) bee sanctified to the beleever: yet Paul never said, that the beleever is sanctified to the unbeleeving yoak-fellow. Unbeleevers are neither holy themselves, nor is any thing else sanctified to them, much lesse can they bee the cause of producing sanctification and holinesse in others. And therefore Paul doth inferre the holinesse of children, not from the holy Ordinance of marriage, but from the holy Covenant of grace.