Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	5,240	5	9.4416	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28341	The birth-priviledge, or, Covenant-holinesse of beleevers and their issue in the time of the Gospel together with the right of infants to baptisme / by Thomas Blake ...	Blake, Thomas, 1597?-1657.	1644 (1644)	Wing B3142; ESTC R12167	41,905	40

the parent be no member but out of such Church-Covenant 2. They who have themselves title to baptisme they have power to intitle their Infants likewise this can be denied by none that deny not Infants baptisme But men never entring any such Church-Covenant in a Congregationall way were baptized upon just title The Converts of Peter the Eunuch the Iaylor c. No one that we reade was first made a member and then baptized but were by Baptisme made members not respectively of any one particular Congregation but of the Church of Christ in generall 3. It would then be in the power of man of three or foure whom they say make a bottome Church to keep an Infant at their pleasure out of Gods Covenant to be reputed at their courtesie either of the dogs or of the children This may not be denied These or the greater number of them have power of admission of members at pleasure And some singularly eminent that way have affirmed that it is not enough that a man have grace to render him capable of being admitted but he must have expressions A fathers slow tongue shall now exclude his seed from this glory of admittance into the fellowship of the Saints And when those are not judged worthy of fellowship who are not of abilities to sit in judgement with the Congregation to admit members to passe sentence upon delinquents to judge of doctrines not only to elect but ordaine Pastors and Church-officers we may easily guesse how many they exclude as without whom Christ receives Such a way had it been taken had deprived the Church of an Hezekiah Iosiah and many others in their age renowned How great a provocation to such children when once of growth to joyne with them with whom the Church rankes them and to oppose with the uttermost of fury such that after the revolution of so many generations inheriting that priviledge now doe debarre them And how great an incouragement to joyne with such in all holinesse with whom they were honoured with these priviledges Some there be that subscribe these truths yet will have some caution used The children of parents of loose life yea of excommunicate persons children of illegitimate birth they say are to be baptised but with condition that the education of such be undertaken by men pious and godly two reasons one gives 1. Distinctio aliqua inter puros impuros debet in sacris omnibus observavari ad bonorum consolationem correctionem malorum omnium aedisicationem that is Some difference ought to be put in all divine ordinances between the cleane and uncleane for the comfort of the godly the censure of the wicked and the edification of all To which I answer The personall impurity of the father is nor transmitted to the child and therefore the distinction of clean and uncleane which holds betweene the parents fals to the ground when it is applied to the Issue Both of them have a Covenant-holinesse from their parents neither of both have holinesse qualitative and inherent and the children standing equally interested in the promises we have no rule that the child should beare the fathers sin 2. Instituta Dei non possunt aliter ab omni pollutione conservari The ordinances of God can no other way be kept from blot and pollution I answer Our care in the preservation of any ordinance of God may not exceed the care of God himselfe least under that colour we make our wisedome to correct Gods wisedome and when he admits without such limits why should we then put barres A raise about the Communion table for that which is taken away one hath well motioned such a one that would not nourish superstition but keepe back the prophane But I know not any use of such a one about the Font-stone in a Nation professedly Christian and enjoying ordinances that are saving where Infants for ought that the Church is able to discerne are all equall all equally holy all equally impure Christians in name transmit a Covenant-holinesse Christians in truth cannot transmit holinesse inherent If these thus borne have no right at all I suppose they should not be admitted with any caution whatsoever If they have any such birthright-priviledge notwithstanding their sad discomfort in such parents why should it be thus suspended on the curtesie of such undertakers I would more care were taken for education of youth of which more anon but this I only say that I see not how the Infants right should be deteyned their birth-priviledge denied till such caution be given I conclude then that right of baptisme is as large as in any good sense the name Christian The right of Infants is as large as is the name of Christian in the parents A vaine dispute there hath been among Schoolemen how the child is saved or justified by the faith of the parent whether by the habit of the parents faith or the act of beleeving applied by the parent to the Infant at the time and in the instant of baptisme And whether it must be a faith formed as they speake with charity or whether a faith informed a dead faith would serve to the justification and salvation of the seed whether a parent in mortall sinne may apply faith to his child to salvation And I would know whether there be not some such thing now agitated when such enquiry is made into the personall qualification of the parent before the child may have admittance But all these are meere niceties The faith of the parent availes not directly to justification or salvation of the Infant neither is it considered as applied to this or that child in baptisme the parent may be dead before the child be baptized But it is considered only as accepting the Covenant of Gods free grant for him and his posterity which entitles posterity to saving ordinances but doth not necessarily qualifie for salvation A subject accepts a Patent of honour from his Prince for himselfe and posterity this Grant of the Prince and acceptance in the subject entitles to Nobility And the like we say of Christianity which evident truth takes off all difficulties and prevents all absurdities which follow upon these Quaeres It yet further here followes that the seed of beleevers thus by birth-right-priviledge baptized 2. Consectary Title to all Ordinances have a large and full right to all the Ordinances of God and priviledges of the Church appertaining to members as they shall be capable of their use wheresoever by the providence of God they are cast only so farre excepted as the just censures of the Church upon their personall defects and misdemeanours shall disable them and give Church-officers just cause to refuse them The consequence is evident They now visibly belong to Christ they through him are dedicated to God they have therefore title to all his visible ordinances They are now of the household of God and of the Citizens of the Saints orderly admitted Scripture knowes no other admission then