A80622:515
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.
Let men beware (say you) how they fight against the God of Order, lest in stead of finding the breast to feed, before the womb to bear, they meet with a curse upon the single emptiness of Christ, with a double barrenness, that will admit of no spiritual birth to succeed the Natural.
Let men beware (say you) how they fight against the God of Order, lest in stead of finding the brest to feed, before the womb to bear, they meet with a curse upon the single emptinesse of Christ, with a double barrennesse, that will admit of no spirituall birth to succeed the Naturall.
If you will needs have Baptism to be the breast of the Church, I will not contend with you: for there is in it also some milk for babes, as well as there is much strong meat in it for men of riper years. But when we do bring Infants to Baptism, we do not first find the breast to feed them, before we find the womb to bear them. For the Apostle maketh the two Covenants the two Mothers, of which all the children of the Church are born, whether in the Old or New Testament, Gal. 4.22, 23, 24. If then we have found Infants to be in the Covenant, we have found a Mother, and in her, a womb to bear them. And if we bring none to Baptism, but such as are the children of the Covenant, then we do not find a breast to feed them, before a womb to breed and bear them. But we proceed Orderly (even according to the wisdom of God, and the ancient Order, which he hath set in his ⟨p. 151⟩Church) we first find a womb to breed and bear them, and then a breast to nourish and feed them. The curse therefore which you threaten, is causeless, and being causeless will not come, Prov. 26.2.
If you will needs have Baptisme to bee the brest of the Church, I will not contend with you: for there is in it also some milk for babes, as well as there is much strong meat in it for men of riper yeers. But when wee doe bring Infants to Baptisme, wee doe not first finde the brest to feed them, before wee finde the wombe to bear them. For the Apostle maketh the two Covenants the two Mothers, of which all the children of the Church are born, whether in the Old or New Testament,