A brief answer to a small book writtenA brief ansvver to a small book written

To the question the Apostle answereth, that if either of the Parents be a believer, their children are accepted by God into the Gospel Covenant, and the Church ought to receive them, because in such a case the unbelieving husband or wife is sanctified by God unto the believing, to bring forth an holy Seed. If they were not so, then all such children of a believing Parent should be unholy, but saith the Apostle, that is not so, for all the children of a believer are holy, though their yoke-fellow were unholy. God received such children into his Gospel Covenant, with the believing Parent and all the Churches did receive such children, and now the question is stated and settled by divine Authority, viz. that all such children that had but one Parent a believer, were received by the Church as an holy Seed.

To the question the Apostle answereth, that if either of the Parents be a believer, their children are accepted by God into the Gospel Covenant, and the Church ought to receive them, because in such a case the unbelieving husband or wife is sanctified by God unto the believing, to bring forth an holy Seed. If they were not so, then all such children of a believing Parent should be unholy, but saith the Apostle, that is not so, for all the children of a believer are holy, though their yoke-fellow were unholy. God received such children into his Gospel Covenant, with the believing Parent and all the Churches did receive such children, and now the question is stated and setled by divine Authority, viz. that all such children that had but one Parent a believer, were received by the Church as an holy Seed.

One Rule of judging of the soundness of a Doctrine is by its tendency to holiness, charity, and unity among the Saints. The opinion of the Anabaptists hath not such a tendency, it is a most uncharitable opinion, and therefore contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel of Christ, love and charity is a peculiar character of a disciple of Christ, Joh. 13.35. by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, censoriousness of others, especially when better then themselves is exceeding contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel, and such doth their opinion expose them to be, what their inward state is, I do not meddle with it, but if they follow their opinion, as this book of John Norcot doth thoroughly, it leadeth them to the highest excess of censorious uncharitableness, (to say no worse,) and that against men much better then themselves.