Selected quad for the lemma: act_n
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A94739
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A short catechism about Baptism. By John Tombes, B.D.
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Tombes, John, 1603?-1676.
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1659
(1659)
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Wing T1820; Thomason E1854_1; ESTC R210349
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5,653
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21
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the whole house is said to do that which Infants could not do Acts 18. 8. Acts 10. 2. 1 Cor. 16. 15. compared with 1 Cor. 1. 16. John 4. 53. Quest 14. Is not Christs speech and action to little children Matth. 19. 14 15. Mark 10. 14 15 16. Luke 18. 16 17. a warrant to Baptize Infants Answ No but an argument against it sith Christ did neither Baptize nor appoint those little children to be Baptized Quest 15. Why should not Infants be Baptized sith they were Circumcised Answ The reason why Male Infants were to be Circumcised was a particular command of God to Abrahams house for special ends belonging to the time before Christ which Baptism hath not nor is there any command to use Baptism according to the rule of Circumcision Quest 16. Did not Baptism come in the room of Circumcision Col. 2. 11 12. and so to be used as it was Answ The Apostles words import not that our Baptism came in the room of the Jews Circumcision there is no mention of any bodily Circumcision but Christs which our Baptism cannot be said to succeed to as there it is made the cause of Spiritual Circumcision without arrogating that to it which belongs to Christ alone and Baptism is mentioned with faith as the means whereby we are in Christ and compleat in him Quest 17. May we be said to be compleat as the Jews without infant baptism Answ Our compleatness is in that we have not ordinances as the Jews had but we are compleat in that we have all in Christ without them Col. 2. 8 9 10. Quest 18. Have not our children then less priviledge then the Jews had Answ No for circumcision was a priviledge onely for a time and comparatively to the estate of the Gentiles who knew not God but of it self was a heavy yoke Acts 15. 10. Gal. 5. 1. 2. 3. Quest 19. Why did the Jews then so much contend for it Acts 15. 1. 5. Answ Because they too much esteemed the Law and knew not their liberty by the gospel Quest 20. Had it not been a discomfort to the believing Jews to have their children unbaptized and so out of Covenant Answ The want of Baptism to Infants was never any grievance to believers in the New Testament nor were they thereby put out of the Covenant of grace Quest 21. Was not the proper reason of Circumcising the Infants of the Jews the interest which they had in the Covenant to Abraham Gen. 17. 7. to be a God to him and his seed Answ The end of Circumcision was indeed to be a token of the whole Covenant made with Abraham Gen. 17. 4 5 6 7 8. not onely the promise ver. 7. But the formal proper distinguishing reason why some were to be Circumcised and others not was Gods command alone not the interest in the Covenant sith Ishmael who was not a child of promise Gen. 17. 20 21. Rom. 9. 6 7 8 9. and those who were in Abrahams house though not of his seed were Circumcised but no Females nor Males under eight dayes old Quest 22. Was not the Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17. the Covenant of grace Answ It was according to the hidden meaning of the Holy Ghost the Evangelical Covenant Gal. 3. 16. But according to the open sense of the words a Covenant of Special benefits to Abrahams inheriting natural posterity and therefore not a pure gospel Covenant Quest 23. Are not believers children comprehended under the promise to be a God to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. 7. Answ No unless they become Abrahams seed according to Election of grace by faith Quest 24. Did Circumcision seal the Gospel covenant Rom. 4. 11. Answ That text speaks not of any ones Circumcision but Abrahams which sealed the righteousness of faith he had before Circumcision and assured thereby righteousness to all though uncircumcised who should believe as he did Quest 25. Are not the Sacraments of the Christian Church in their nature seals of the Covenant of grace Answ The Scripture doth no where so call them nor doth it mention this as their end and use Quest 26. Doth not Peter Acts 2. 38 39. exhort the Jews to Baptize themselves and their children because the promise of grace is to believers and their children Answ Those he then spake to were not then believers and therefore the words Acts 2. 39. cannot be understood of a promise to believers and their children as such but the promises to all fathers and children as called of God nor are any exhorted to Baptism without fore-going repentance nor is the promise alledged as conferring right to Baptism but as a motive to encourage them to hope for pardon though they wished Christs blood to be on them and their children Matth. 27. 25. In like sort as Joseph did Gen. 50. 19 20 21. Quest 27. Are not the children of believers holy with Covenant-holiness and so to be Baptized 1 Cor. 7. 14. Answ There is nothing there ascribed to the faith of the believer but to the mariage relation which was the onely reason of their lawfull living together and of which alone it is true that all the children of those parents whereof one is sanctified to the other are holy the rest unclean that is illegitimate Quest 28. Are not the Gentile believers children to be ingraffed by Baptism with their Parents as the Jews children were by Circumcision Rom. 11. 16 17. Answ The ingraffing there is by giving Faith according to Election and therefore not meant of parents and children by an outward Ordinance into the visible Church Quest 29. Are not Infants of believers Disciples by their Parents faith to be Baptized Matth. 28. 19. Acts 15. 10. Answ No For the Disciples there are onely such as are made by preaching the Gospel to them nor are any termed Disciples but those who heard and learned and the putting the yoke Acts 15. 10. was by teaching brethren ver. 1. and therefore the Disciples vers. 10. not Infants Quest 30. Are not the Infants of believers visible members of the Christian Church by a law and ordinance by Gods promise to be God to them and their seed and precept to dedicate them to God unrepealed Answ There is no such ordinance or law extant in Scripture or deducible from the law of nature nor are Infants anywhere reckoned as visible members of the Christian Church in the New Testament Quest 31. Hath not God promised Gen. 22. 16 17 18. to make every believer a blessing so as to cast ordinarily Elect children on Elect parents and thereby warranted Infant Baptism Answ The promise doth not pertain to any believers seed but Abrahams who are Heb. 6. 12 13 14. Gal. 3. 8 9. Acts 3. 25. expounded to be Christ and true believers onely who are to be Baptized not their Infants till they themselves believe in their own persons Quest 32. Did not Christ appoint Matth. 28. 19. the Disciples to Baptize children with parents as the Jews did Proselytes Answ If the Jewish Baptism had been the pattern for Christian the Apostles would have so practised but their not so doing shews they understood not it to be Christs mind Quest 33. Is not the Infant Baptism sufficient if it be avouched at age Answ It is not a sufficient discharge of their obedience to Christs command which requires each person to be Baptized after his own repentance and believing in Christ Mark 16. 16. Matth. 28. 19. Acts 2. 38. Ephes. 4. 5. Quest 34. What is the chief end of Baptism Answ To testifie the Repentance Faith Hope Love and Resolution of the Baptized to follow Christ Gal. 3. 27. Rom. 6. 3 4. 1 Cor. 15. 29. calling upon the name of the Lord Acts 22. 16. Quest 35. How came Infant Baptism to be common in the Christian Churches Answ As Infant communion came from mistake of John 6. 53. So Infant Baptism began about the third age of the Christian Church from mistake of John 3. 5. the opinion of its giving grace and the necessity of it to save the Infant dying from perishing and after Augustins time became common which before was not so frequent Quest 36. Is there any evil in it Answ Infant Baptism tends much to harden people in presumption as if they were Christians afore they know Christ and hinders much the reformation of Christian Churches by filling them with ignorant and scandalous members besides the great sin of profaning Gods ordinance Quest 37. Have not opposers of Infant Baptism been wicked in the end Answ Blessed be God experience proves the contrary though some heretofore proved seditious and entertained great errors Quest 38. Is there any good by Baptizing persons at age which might not be though Infant Baptism were continued Answ Yes For thereby they would be solemnly engaged to adhere to Christ which is a strong tie on the Consciences when it is done by a person understandingly according to Christs mind besides the assurance thereby of union and conformity to Christ and righteousness and life by him Rom. 6. 3 4. Gal. 3. 26. 1 Pet. 3. 2. 1. Quest 39. What are Christians to do when they are Baptized Answ. To associate together in Church Communion and to walk according to their engagement in obedience to them who are over them in the Lord Quest 40. Are persons so joyned to separate from those they have joyned to upon defect in outward order and ordinances or variation from the rule therein by pastors or people Answ No Unless the evil be such in Faith Worship or Discipline as is not consistent with Christianity or the state of a visible Church or is intolerable oppression maintained with obstinacy after endeavors to cure them to which end each member should keep and act in his station FINIS