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…

2. The case of the Jews who married strange wives in Ezra, was not the like case with that of the Corinthians, though the Corinthians might conceive the case to be the same. For the Corinthians had married their Idolatrous yoke-fellows, when both of them were Pagans. But the Jews married their strange wives, when themselves were an holy people. Now though the Jews were therefore bound to put away their strange wives, when they had thus polluted the holy Covenant, and the holy seed: Yet even in the times of the Law, if a Gentile Proselyte (especially of a remote Country) were converted to the Jewish Religion, he was not bound to put away his children which he had by his Pagan wife (whom he had married in the days of his ignorance) but he was bound to circumcise them as well as himself, Exod. 12.48. And therefore he was not bound to put them away, but to account them holy, and within the Covenant, and so capable of the seal of the Covenant. And since this believing Proselyte was holy, and his seed also holy, he might therefore have a sanctified use of his wife, though she still continued unbelieving. And therefore if she consented to dwell with him, he ought not (no not then) to have put her away, but to abide with her, which is the very case of the Corinthians here; and the one of them doth fitly and fully illustrate the other.

2. The case of the Jewes who married strange wives in Ezra, was not the like case with that of the Corinthians, though the Corinthians might conceive the case to be the same. For the Corinthians had married their Idolatrous yoke-fellows, when both of them were Pagans. But the Jews married their strange wives, when themselves were an holy people. Now though the Jewes were therefore bound to put away their strange wives, when they had thus polluted the holy Covenant, and the holy seed: Yet even in the times of the Law, if a Gentile Proselyte (especially of a remote Countrey) were converted to the Jewish Religion, hee was not bound to put away his children which he had by his Pagan wife (whom hee had married in the dayes of his ignorance) but he was bound to circumcise them as well as himselfe, Exod. 12.48. And therefore hee was not bound to put them away, but to account them holy, and within the Covenant, and so capable of the seale of the Covenant. And since this believing Proselyte was holy, and his seed also holy, hee might therefore have a sanctified use of his wife, though she still continued unbelieving. And therefore if shee consented to dwell with him, hee ought not (no not then) to have put her away, but to abide with her, which is the very case of the Corinthians here; and the one of them doth fitly and fully illustrate the other.