Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	baptism_n	circumcision_n	infant_n	1,521	5	9.8764	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87828	Seven questions about the controversie betweene the Church of England, and the Separatists and Anabaptists, breifely [sic] discussed. 1. Whether is the Church of England as it now stands a true church? 2. Whether the Church of England be a right nationall church? 3. Whether are the ministers in the Church of England sent of God, and so are true ministers or not? 4. Whether is the baptisme of infants a true and lawfull baptisme or no? 5. Whether it be lawfull to be rebaptized or not? 6. Whether it is lawfull to separate from all the publike ordinances and Christian assemblies in our English church, because there are some defects in discipline, and in other things amongst us? 7. Whether is it necessarie to demolish our churches (steeple-houses as the Separatists call them,) and to build them in other places, because they were built by idolators for idolatrous worship, were abused with images, and dedicated to saints? By Immanuel Knutton, preacher of Gods word at Beeston in Nottingham shire [sic].	Knutton, Immanuel, d. 1655.	1645 (1645)	Wing K744; Thomason E25_20; ESTC R4217	31,540	40

Acts 2.45 Acts. 4 34 35 36 37. this course continued about 200. yeares during which time no marvell though they required not tithes that which was given them being a farre greater proportion such as oppose the morality of tithes now would not bee willing to deale so with us Ministers of the Gospel QVEST. IIII. Whether is the Baptisme of Infants a true and lawfull Baptisme or not Answer I Affirme it is a true right lawfull and fit Baptisme and ought to be used in a Christian Church professing Gods truth Reas 1 Because excepting the difference of the visible ceremony there is the same analogie of reason of Baptisme as of circumcision the same internall spirituall thing signified viz. remission of sins mortification of the flesh Deut. 10.16 Jer. 4.4.6 Act. 2.38 Act. 22.16 Rom. 6.4 both of them are Symballs of our Adoption into Gods family and so our imitation into the Divine Covenant Gen. 17.7.10 1 Cor. 12 13. Gal. 3.26 27. besides Baptisme succeedes Circumcision Col. 2.11.12 or else the conditon of Christian infants under the Gospel were worse then the condition of Jewish Infants under the Law in regard of their age if Baptisme might not bee conferred upon them now as Circumcision upon the Jewish children if Baptisme belong not to Infants then the grace and favour of God by Christs comming is more obscure and straight and lesse testified then it was to the Jewes which to affirme is an horrible indignity offered to Christ Object But there was an expresse commandement for circumcising of Infants Gen. 17. but no such for Baptizing of Infants now Answ 1 There is a generall command Mat. 28.19 20. all that beleeve of any condition whatsoever should be Baptized under which Infants borne of Christian parents are comprehended for in Lawes and Precepts that be generall an enumeration of singulars and perticulars is not required because lawes doe command concerning the whole Kind Secondly the Baptisme of Christian Infants hath descended and continued from the Apostles dayes to us Origen who lived in the yeare 213. said that the Church received the tradition from the Apostles to give Baptisme to Infants Augustine who lived in the yeare 420. said that Baptisme of Infants the Church univerfall held it not instituted by Councells but alwaies retained it and most rightly beleeved it to be delivered by Apostolike Authority Now such examples are aequivalent to expresse commands Thirdly The New Testament doth not literally command remember to keepe holy the Sabbath not to say grace before and after meales not to pray with our families morning and evening not women to receive the Lords Supper many other such like things I might instance yet we hold this to be morall duties and ought of necssiety to be performed and may be proved sufficiently by consequence out of the New Testament Reas 2 Because Christian Infants are in the Covenant of grace as well as the children of Israelites Gen. 17.7 Act. 2.39 for this blessed Covenant is exceedingly extended and enlarged by Christ good reason then the seale of this Covenant should not be straightned nor made narrower then Circumcision was now Christian Infants being within the Covenant of Grace Baptisme the Seale of it is their right for as much as they are Christians belonging to the Church of God 1 Cor. 7.14 here he saith your children are holy if but one of the persons married be a beleever some by holy understand legetimate as if he had said your children are not bastards but lawfully begotten and borne But the Apostle speakes not of civill legitimation for the children of Infidells may be and are legitimate others construe the words thus that your children are holy viz. by education in Christianity others interpret them thus your Children are holy viz. by the secret operation and illumination of the spirit which begets in them new inclinations towards God as in John Baptist and the Prophet Jeremy Others say thus your children are holy viz. They are Christians belonging to the Covenant and to the Church this I chuse holy here is not understood civill but legally the Law called things uncleane prophane as vessells and living creatures and men without the Church and so the Law called things dedicated to God holy therefore as the children of the Jewes in the old Testament were not uncleane but holy that is they were not Gentiles but Jewes in Covenant with God from the wombe by the vigour and vertue of that promise Gen. 17.7 though by nature they were children of wrath so here Christians with their children who are adopted into the place of the Jewes now in the new Testament the Apostle calls holy that is they are not Heathens but Christians though by reason of originall sin they are borne children of wrath so according to faederall grace wee are borne Christians though according to nationall generation wee are borne sinners by vertue of which faederall sanctity Christian Infants have as cleare a right to Baptisme as Jewish Infants had to Circumcision such then who oppose faederall sanctity and teach that the custom or Baptizing Infants hath continued in the Church not from example or command in Scripture but from the degrees of the Church take part with the Papists who stifly seeke to maintaine theirs against us Reas 3 Because Infants are capeable of the thing signified therefore they may be Baptized they may have grace secretly bestowed as Jeremy and John Baptist many such belong to heaven Mat. 19.14 as if he had said of such little ones and of others affected like them doth the Kingdome of God consist Marke 10.14 Christ blessed them then we may bestow the Sacrament and seale of blessing on them Object If wee could certainely know which Infants had grace wrought in them and did belong to Heaven then we might baptize them but this we know not therefore it s the best not to baptize them til they come to riper yeares to make a profession and a confession of the Christian faith Answer First know that wee cannot infallibly discerne which man hath true grace and is elected this God only knowes we may and ought to judge very charitably upon an exact profession so upon a bare profession Phillip Baptized Simon Magus Act. 8.13 We must never Baptize any if we stay for infallible knowledge of any particular mans Election and particular Sanctification Secondly the faith of Parents may warrant their infants Baptisme yea though they have a bare historicall faith not a justifying faith if they can credere ad baptismum though not ad salutem this faith makes their children fit for Baptisme there were many in the Apostles times who were Baptized having only an historicall faith as Magus and others Object But the new Testament runnes much upon these speeches beleeve and bee baptized repent and be baptized teach and baptize now Infants are not capeable of the exercise of any of these graces nor capeable of teaching and what good can the Parents faith doe to

the Infaint in Baptisme seeing every one must live and be saved by his owne faith Ans Those phrases Teach and Baptize Repent and Beleeve and bee Baptized c. are meant of such who were of riper yeares and made profession of the Christian faith whom they gathered out of the Heathens by the preaching of the Gospel In like manner if we were to preach the Word amongst the Pagans and Infidells who knew not Christ beleeve not in him heard not of him wee ought not to Baptize them nor their children till they professe faith in Christ and come to know him But now in this Church of England all our people professe themselves Christians and say they beleeve in Christ and hope to be saved by him though in their workes many prophane Protestants and licentious Christians deny Christ opposing the power of godlinesse yet having a temporary faith they are intituled and called Christians and have right to Baptisme as well as the Children of many prophane Jewes had to Circumcision Secondly I say the Parents faith may benefit the Infant so much as to bring it under the compasse of the Covenant and to make it a partaker of the signe and seale of the Covenant Rom. 4.11 He saith Circumcision was a Seale of the righteousnesse of the faith children we know were circumcised what faith could they expresse therefore the faith of their parents applying the righteousnesse of Christ to themselves by their Circumcision it made their children to bee borne Jewes by nature Gal. 2.15 Next this their faith assured them that God would be a God to their seede according to that promise Gen. 17.7 In as good stead doth faith stand Christian Parents in now about the Baptisme of their children for Baptisme is a clearer seale of righteousnesse then Circumcision was Thirdly We reade the Apostles Baptized whole families Acts 16.15.33 Acts 18.8 1 Cor. 1.16 and it is probable there were children amongst them Reas 4 Because 1 Cor. 10.2 The Apostle making their passing under the cloude and through the red sea a tipe of Baptisme he saith they were all Baptized through the conduct or Ministery of Moses in the cloud and sea now there were sixe hundred thousand footmen Exod. 12.37 besides very many young infants and small children and they were all baptized tipically very well yea much more may Infants of Christian Parents now under the Gospel have Baptisme conferred upon them in the Truth and Antitipe for the Truth or Antitipe is larger and of greater consequence then the Type The Israelites their passing into the bottome of the sea signified our buriall with Christ in Baptime their comming out of the sea our rising up to newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 So the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.21 Makes Noahs Arke a type of our Baptisme for saith he the like figure whereunto even baptisme c. as if he had said Answerable unto which preservation of the eight persons in Noahs family by water is the benefit which we receive by baptisme which doth also now save us by and in applying unto us the power of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and become effectuall unto us not in respect of the outward element which onely washeth off the filth of the flesh but in respect of the inward efficasie of the grace thereby represented and exhibited whereby the conscience is both quieted assured of pardon and favour and is there upon enabled to treate for and expect mercy from God and reconciliation with him Object But Christ was not Baptized untill he was thirty yeares of age Luke 3.21 22 23. Ans True he was baptized 1 to fulfill all righteousnesse Mat. 3.15 that is to accomplish in all due obedience all that part of Gods will which concerne him 2 To confirme Johns baptisme doctrine ministry to commend and confirme to us the use of baptisme by his example 3. That he might sanctifie our baptisme to us and seale up this fellowship with us 4 To signifie that he was sent to be baptized namely to die and to wash away our sins with his blood Luke 12.50 5 That the truth might answer the type or figure for as the high Priest at his inauguration had his whole body washt with water the sacerdotall garment was put upon him he was set in the sight of all the people and oyle was powred upon his head Exod. 29.4 5 6 so Christ being to enter upon the publike function of the Ministry to preach the Gospel he would be baptized that he might be ordained and confirmed by the publike testimony of the whole Deity But this example binds not us in respect of the time of his baptisme for if it did then Ministers must be baptized at their entrance into the Ministry then none might enter into the Ministry till they be thirty yeares old nor bee baptized till they come to that age so then Christ entring upon his publike function at that age did answer the legall type of the Priests and Levites who ordinarily were chosen to the publike service of the tabernacle at thirty yeares of age Numb 4.3.23.30 c. He did not by his example binde us to receive baptisme at that age Reas 5 Because Baptisme hath beene effectuall to produce mortification and vivificate in many as divers good people can witnesse which it should not have done if God had not approved of Paedobaptisme QVEST. V. Whether is it lawfull to be rebaptized or not I Answer that if one were Baptized in the name of God in generall without particular explication and recitation of the three persons be not mentioned but omitted in Baptisme it s not right and lawfull baptisme or if one was baptized of those heretickes who delivered not the right doctrine of the Trinity such as were the Marcianites Arrians and Pneumatomachi it s not right and lawfull Baptisme because the essentiall forme of Baptisme is not observed which according to Christs institution must be in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost but if Baptisme be rightly administred according to the institution of Christ and the forme prescribed of him then rebaptization is unlawfull for these reasons Reas 1 First because there is no command for rebaptization as there is for the frequent receiving of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 and the Apostle saith there is but one Baptisme Eph. 4.5 Reas 2 2. Because Circumcision was not iterated to which Baptisme succeeded Reas 3 3. Because Baptisme is a Sacrament of Regeneration but it s enough to be once borne againe and to bee entered into the Church of God as one is borne naturally but once so the spirituall birth is but once Object But many who were baptized in their infancy were never truly borne againe Ans Likewise many who are baptized in their elder yeares are never truly regenerate but are notorious Hypocrites as Simon Magus and others Reas 4 4. Because the strength and fruit of baptisme lasteth all the life of a true Christian and a Christian may yea