A80622:50
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.
An. 2. There is not one word in the Text, nor any circumstance of the place, that maketh any mention, or giveth any notice of any bodily disease, which these children were subject to; or that their parents come to Christ for the healing thereof. And to give that for the meaning of a Text, which neither the words of the Text, nor the circumstance of the place doth hold forth, is to set up an Image in our own heart, and to bow the Text to our own Imagination.
An. 2. There is not one word in the Text, nor any circumstance of the place, that maketh any mention, or giveth any notice of any bodily disease, which these children were subject to; or that their parents come to Christ for the healing thereof. And to give that for the meaning of a Text, which neither the words of the Text, nor the circumstance of the place doth hold forth, is to set up an Image in our owne heart, and to bow the Text to our owne Imagination.
An. 3. It is not credible that if these children had come with any disease about them, or if their Parents had brought them for healing thereof, that the Disciples would have been so inhumane, unnatural, and barbarous, as to have rebuked them that brought them. The diseases of little children do affect all men (that have but the bowels of humanity) with as much compassion as the diseases of Elder persons, or rather more. And withal the Disciples knew that the Lord Jesus was wont before that time to vouchsafe ⟨p. 10⟩to cure the diseases of young children, as well as the diseases of Elder persons, Joh. 4.49, 50. Mar. 5.41, 42. and therefore they would never have rebuked their Parents, if they had brought them to such an end. But say you, Never were any so brought to Christ, but for some cure and for his blessing of them: which was in respect of that temporal mercy, which they came for, and he bestowed upon them.