Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	1,732	5	3.5963	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23673	A serious and friendly address to the non-conformists, beginning with the Anabaptists, or, An addition to the perswasive to peace and vnity by W.A.	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1676 (1676)	Wing A1072; ESTC R9363	75,150	222

Christians who contended with the believing Gentiles for not observing the Law of Moses in Circumcision meats and days never that we find quarrelled with them for not entering their Children into the Church as by the Law of Moses they were to do when they themselves were received as Proselytes nor for not baptizing them according to the custom of the Jews both in reference to their own Children and the Children of Proselytes Nor do we find that the unbelieving Jews ever contested with them for any such thing though otherwise they were forward enough to lay hold of any thing they could to object against them All which still renders it probable that there was no such thing wanting in the believing Gentiles as might give either the Judaizing Christians or unbelieving Jews any occasion for such a quarrel which otherwise we may well think would have risen among them But leaving these things suppose it were granted you which yet will not be that the Scripture were wholly silent as to matter of fact touching the baptizing of Infants in the Apostles days yet when we find in Scripture sufficient reason why they might and should have been then baptized it may well induce belief that they then were and now may We do not find as to matter of fact that any of six of the seven Churches of Asia were baptized nor of some other Churches of the Apostles planting but yet that 's no good argument that there was none so long as there is ground enough to conclude that they ought to have been baptized for that they were a part of that one universal Church that hath one baptism belonging to it for the solemn incorporation and initiation of all its members of all that are qualified for Church membership We do not read in Scripture that the Jews baptized the Proselytes both Fathers and Children when they received them into the Church and yet we are otherwise satisfied that they did So that you see it can be no good argument that Infants were not baptized in the Apostles days though it should be supposed and granted that we have no record in Scripture that they were I have told you before that if this way of arguing were good it would oppose and run down your own practice as much and more than Infant Baptism Because there is nothing at all recorded in Scripture as to matter of fact that gives the least hint that any were baptized at age whose Parents were Christian at their birth So that either the baptism of Children is recorded in the recording of the baptism of Housholds or else the baptism of none is recorded in Scripture but of such who immediately before their being baptized were converted from Judaism or Paganism I mean as to what was done after Christs Resurrection This argument from matter of fact I know hath taken much with people of weak minds who cannot see a far off as St. Peter speaks in another case and hath furnished your Congregations with Proselytes to your way but doth indeed wound your cause and gratifieth none but Socinians in their opinion that none ought to be baptized but such as are newly converted to Christianity from another Religion And it is not a thing to be slighted in reference to this matter of fact That Authors of good credit in the antient Church who lived in times not far distant from the age in which the Apostles or one of them lived did assert Infant Baptism to be an Apostolical Tradition and to have been received from them and practised in the Church from their times downwards as many Books before you have made it appear And that which yet adds the more credit to their testimony is in that they were never contradicted in this their report and testimony by any that lived in the same age with them or near to it no not by Tertullian himself though otherwise in reference to his opinion of all sin past being wash'd away by Baptism he would have had it deferred except in case of danger of death in Infants not only till persons were past Childhood but till after Marriage and the heat of youth was over if not till old age or towards the time of death Neither could ever any Advocate of your cause so far as I can learn give any account short of the Apostles times of the first rise of Infant Baptism But not example in matter of fact but the reason and ground on which they stand or do depend is our rule And therefore the reason and ground from Scripture why some Infants may be baptized I reckon is more to be attended to than the evidence of fact And these I have laid before you already and shewed That the reason of allowing the visible Church-membership of some Infants is the same now as it was in old Testament times such as is Gods chusing them to it sanctifying and setting them apart for it and calling them to it That Gods gift in granting this priviledge in the days of the Patriarchs and his calling them to it is without repentance and unrepealed That they are as much qualified for the Church initiating Ordinance now as ever heretofore and as capable of the ends thereof That our Saviour hath owned their special relation to him by appointing them to be received in his name That he hath acknowledged them to be of the number of those that believe in him And that our Saviour and his Apostle hath put them into the number of Disciples That they are in a sense in a regenerate state All which together plainly show them to be qualified for Baptism according to the very Letter of Christs Commission And if there be substance in these reasons as I doubt not but there is Then Infant Baptism is far from being a Nullity And whatever I have said heretofore in times long since contrary to the tenour of these reasons I hereby Revoke and do think I have given you sufficient reason for my so doing and for every one of you to do so likewise Considering then what lies in your way you will find it a difficult task to satisfie your selves or to give others any tolerable account that you can satisfie your selves that Infant Baptism is a Nullity And it is so much the more unreasonable for you to think that it is when yet those who have been baptized in their Infancy do agree with you in the doctrine of baptism touching the nature and necessity of it and the reasons and ends of it and hold themselves as much obliged by it as you do by yours and the sincere of them do as well and as much perform their obligation as those among you do who are sincere AND if these things be so as I have endeavoured to represent them from the Scriptures and if Infant Baptism be indeed no Nullity Then so many of you must needs be under a dangerous mistake and guilty of the odious sin of Schism who think it a sufficient ground to