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…

But for my part, I will not stick with you in this point altogether; let it be granted that children begotten in uncleanness (that is, as you expound your self) begotten in adultery and fornication, are not in Gods holy Covenant, nor any way holy (for ought we can discern, leaving Gods election of them unto holiness, to himself) either by Law or Gospel; what then? Why then say you, how could this tend to remove the Corinthians scruple, to tell them they might lawfully continue together as man and wife, because their children were in the Covenant of grace and life, and so were holy; when as the scruple lay in matter of uncleanness upon which they were to part; which scruple must first be cleared in respect of themselves, before ever they could believe the holiness of their children in Covenant; seeing the children of adultery and fornication are debarred the holy Covenant both in the Law and the Gospel?

But for my part, I will not stick with you in this point altogether; let it be granted that children begotten in uncleannesse (that is, as you expound your selfe) begotten in adultery and fornication, are not in Gods holy Covenant, nor any way holy (for ought we can discerne, leaving Gods election of them unto holinesse, to himselfe) either by Law or Gospel; what then? Why then say you, how could this tend to remove the Corinthians scruple, to tell them they might lawfully continue together as man and wife, because their children were in the Covenant of grace and life, and so were holy; when as the scruple lay in matter of uncleannesse upon which they were to part; which scruple must first be cleared in respect of themselves, before ever they could believe the holinesse of their children in Covenant; seeing the children of adultery and fornication are debarred the holy Covenant both in the Law and the Gospel?

But this is more unsound then the former, to conceive that the matter of uncleanness upon which they were to part, was the uncleanness of adultery and fornication. For if that were the uncleanness in which those Corinthian yoke-fellows lived before either of them were converted to the faith, surely the Apostle would never have given them advice, not to depart one from another, v. r. 12, 13. Such as live in the uncleanness of adultery and fornication ought not to abide together, but speedily to depart one from another. Yea, methinks in case of adultery, the Corinthians would of themselves discern what was meet, to wit, speedily and utterly to abandon such wickedness, or at least have lurked in it secretly, and never have consulted with the Apostle about it in a public Church-letter. It is true, it was matter of uncleanness upon which they doubted they must part, and thereupon scrupled cohabitation. But the uncleanness which they suspected, was not adultery or fornication, but disparity of Religion,