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A brief answer to a small book writtenA brief ansvver to a small book written
A brief answer to a small book written by John Norcot against infant-baptism. This answer is written by John Eliot for the sake of some of the flock of Jesus Christ who are ready to be staggered in point of infant-baptism by reading his book.A brief ansvver to a small book written by John Norcot against infant-baptisme. This answer is written by John Eliot for the sake of some of the flock of Jesus Christ who are ready to be staggered in point of infant-baptisme by reading his book.
Boston: printed by John Foster, 1679
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.
For our parental Interest in the Covenant, our spiritual ⟨p. 12⟩Patrimony is a great & sanctified means of conversion, though not the only means, for strangers (as our Indians) are converted by the Gospel without that means, so far as we know. But in the Churches of Christ all our converts are converted by their improvement of their Patrimony, their parental Interest in the Covenant as one means which doth plainly appear in their confessions, when they come into the full communion of the Church, and therefore in this respect they deal very uncharitably, (to say no worse of it) with their children, to deny them their Patrimony of Covenant Interest.
Prov. 13.22. A good man leaveth an Inheritance to his Children's Children, that is, by bringing up his children so well, that he seeth his Patrimony secured to his second Generation. So it is in our spiritual Estate, a good man will (through grace) so improve the Patrimony, the Covenant Interest which he doth convey to his children, as to bring them to take hold on the Covenant themselves, by their own act, and free consent willingly, Deut. 29.10, &c. Nehem. 10.28. and hereby is the progress of their Covenant Interest secured and conveyed over to his second Generation. Sometimes Parents are put so hard to it in pleading with God for their children, (or for some of them at least) as that they have nothing to plead on their behalf but the Covenant Interest, their Patrimony, they may be so profligate that they have nothing else to plead upon, and blessed be God, that will hold to the last, this was Davids case and so he pleadeth, 2 Sam. 23.5. although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow. Now the Anabaptists cut themselves and their children off from this plea, by denying them their Patrimony, Covenant Interest in God. Sometimes a Christian may be so low brought by desertion and distress of Soul, as that they may be