Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	baptize_v	child_n	infant_n	1,168	5	9.1746	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45244	A treatise concerning the covenant and baptism dialogue-wise, between a Baptist & a Poedo-Baptist wherein is shewed, that believers only are the spirituall seed of Abraham, fully discovering the fallacy of the argument drawn from the birth priviledge : with some animadversions upon a book intituled Infant-baptism from heaven and not of men, defending the practise of baptizing only believers against the exceptions of M. Whiston / by Edward Hutchinson.	Hutchinson, E. M. (Edward Moss)	1676 (1676)	Wing H3829; ESTC R40518	127,506	243

their loyns 2. It did inright them to the land of Canaan none of which we can expect 3. By Circumcision you say they were accounted Gods people and this is the only thing you mean But Is it so great a priviledge to have the name without the nature the shadow without the substance We use to count that a misery rather then a mercy and Sardis is blamed for having a name to live and was dead Is it any benefit for a man to be counted rich when he is poor we see Naomies modesty is commended who would not own the shadow without the substance call me no more Naomi but call me Marah But in the next place you say infants unbaptiz'd lose some priviledge I say some things that were counted priviledges are lost for it was a priviledge that all the sons of the priests were born Priests but it is not so now But further It s you your selves make your children lose a priviledge since the coming of Christ and so make the new Covenant narrower then the old And that because the faith of a believing parent as you say admits only your immediate children to Church membership and Baptism but as to your childrens children they have no benefit by your faith no admittance to Ordinances upon your account but it was otherwise of old the Covenant of circumcision and the priviledges of Church membership was not only to the next generation flowing from Abraham but to his seed after him in their generations Gen. 17.7 and that not only to the third and fourth generation but to Christs time they enjoyed the priviledges of the Covenant by vertue of Abrahams faith But now you have narrowed the Gospel dispensation for you allow Baptism to none but your immediate seed by vertue of the parents faith your childrens children must come in upon another account their parents must be actual believers or else no admittance But what reason you have for so doing I know not yea I chalenge any man to give me a substantial ground why the faith of a believer may not now as well inright his childrens children to the 3d 4th generation to Church-membership and Baptism as the faith of Abraham did inright his seed in their generations to the priviledges of the old Covenant Will you say Abraham was a famous believer and therefore had this priviledge above others These are indeed your sayings but must we believe it therefore where is it so said or what necessary consequence is there from any Scripture to enforce belief that Abrahams personal faith shall inright him and his seed in their generations But a believers faith in the days of the Gospel though in some respect more excellent then that of Abraham viz. in reference to the Messiah already come and Redemption compleated shall inright only his immediate children such as are born of his loynes so that you make the Gospel dispensation narrower then that of the law And whereas you say if believers children are not baptized they have no priviledge above the children of heathens I answer That had God so appointed that believers children should have been baptized and unbelievers children should not you had ground then to consider it as a priviledge but seeing there is no institution you cannot say they are denyed a priviledge but if it be a priviledge then according to your practise you run a great hazard of denying Baptism to such to whom it doth belong For if I should ask you what sort of believers they are whose children have a right to Baptism here you would be at a losse and must needs say such only whom you count believers as your practise evidently proves but it was not so of old it was certainly known what children had a right to Circumcision and what had not but if you do as you do baptize the children only of such parents as you count believers then you may leave out many thousands of children that have as great a right to it as yours For there are no persons called by the name of Christians but do count themselves believers yea doubtlesse there are many believers amongst them to whose children you deny Baptism for Let it be considered how many sorts there are who count themselves believers 1. The Papists have their believers and they are such as own Christ to be the son of God and believe all the Articles of the Church of Rome c. amongst whom surely God hath some people for it is said come out of her my people 2. The Episcopalians have their believers that is such whom they count so and they are such that believe that Christ is the son of God that he dyed for sinners and that whoever believes in him shall be saved and so the whole nation owning and professing the faith of Christ they baptize all their children amongst whom there are many thousand real believers and so their children have as much right to Baptism as yours 3. The Presbyterians have their believers and they are such that is so accounted who own the faith of Christ professe regeneration and are morally righteous in their lives and conversations 4. The Independents have their believers and they are such who own the faith of Christ make a personal manifestation of their faith and repentance and so are enchurcht and become members by a Covenant of some particular congregations Now pray tell me which of all these sorts of believers have right to have their children baptized If you say all of them then you contradict your own practise it being famously known that some of you will baptize none but them of your own party But if you say those children only have right to Baptism whose parents we count believers then you run a hazard of denying Baptism to the children of diverse whose parents are as true believers as your selves and so deny them the priviledges of the Covenant and in as much as in you lyes occasion their damnation as you use to tell the Baptist And if you say so the Baptists themselves may keep persons from Baptism to whom of right it doth belong and so are equally guilty I answer that cannot be for our principles are that no person hath right to Baptism but he that desires it upon the profession of his faith and repentance to such a person we do not deny it unlesse his profession be contradicted by an unholy life By all which it appears 1. That you practically deny the priviledge of Baptism to many that have as real a right to it as your selves 2. That you count the children of diverse true believers to be in no better condition then heathens 3. You do extreamly narrow the Gospel dispensation a fault you use though unjustly to charge the Baptists with and so make the priviledges of the Gospel lesse then the priviledges of the law for whereas of old all the seed of Abraham all his numerous posterity were circumcis'd and that whether their parents believed or not there

all consulted these Rules or Mr. Baxter before him and Mr. Whiston since or whether there has been any thing of tenderness to their Opponents names and persons any thing of compassion charity meekness whether any serious examination of the absolute certainty and verity of their own Opinion lest themselves should be mistaken as Mr. Baxter confesses it is easie for Wise and Good men to be mistaken in it the point is so dark and dubious or whether they have enquired into the sincerity of their ends whether their heat has been an holy heat purely for Gods Glory and the Salvation of their Brothers Soul all this is now left at the Bar of the Readers Judgement and will shortly be brought before a greater and more impartial Tribunal And truly Sir I must tell you that your dirty Language your extream slighting and contemning your Opponents loading them with Scandals and Reproaches sometimes charging them with ignorance and insufficiency proudly and vainly boasting and trampling over them in your own conceit has not a little spoil'd your cause and given the Anabaptists a great advantage against you in the Consciences of sober and pious Christians I have heard my self some persons of Quality and Piety to say alas what difference is there between Mr. Danvers and Mr. Will 's their Books the later is stuffed with ride rage and passion the first with meekness tenderness and humility And I suppose were the Books searcht that have been Written of late Years on the subject of Baptism as Mr. Baxter Sydenham Cragg Wills and Whiston c. on the one part and Mr. Tombes Blackwood Byfield Den Danvers Patient Norcot c. on the other part it would seem to be discovered by what Spirit they Wrote and men would see in the first party a proud magisterial scurrilous abusive and scornful Spirit in the other a more humble gracious meek and charitable temper If any Question it the Books are Extant and the matter may soon be brought to an issue but Sir you have out-done them all not only in shooting your invenomed Arrows against the whole party but especially against Mr. Danvers as appears by your Appeal to the Baptist Churches against him it seems you have arraigned condemned and executed him already and have said implicitely though audaciously as Paul to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5. for though I am absent in the Body yet have judged him already that that he be delivered to Satan But stay a while Sir and give Wiser men leave to search out the matter Will nothing serve your turn but present Repentance or Excommunication What Scripture-rule have you taken to convince him or must he Repent before any Conviction hath past upon him Surely Illumination is the first work and the same Organ that is for Weeping is for Seeing but a man must see first as Zach. 12. They shall look and then mourn But Sir there are as Wise men as your self and none of his party neither that judge that what Mr. Danver's has Writ was in the simplicity and sincerity of his heart according to his knowledg and as he apprehended the meaning of those Ancients he has quoted and that he had no intention to prevaricate as you charge him with or abuse the Fathers to patronize his Opinion If otherwise you may think him non compos mentis considering he could not be ignorant of the prejudice and sedulity of the Opponents who might have advantage enough against him from the Libraries in the Universities and else-where It 's true indeed some of his Friends wish he had not concerned himself with the Arguments from the Fathers they say they can spare it you very well are content with Father Paul Father Peter and the rest of those Scripture Fathers what can be drawn from the three First Centuries is rather for than against them And in regard the mystery of Iniquity began to work in the Apostles dayes and the Apostacy soon came on they do not value the following Centuries though others think the most part of his Collections justifiable were the matter brought before impartial and indifferent Judges And though you have so concerned your self and serued your Wits to maintain Infant-Baptism and some of you as Mr. B. and Mr. Whiston c. by such strange absurdities and ridiculous Mediums altogether unknown to the Fathers yet wise men judge you have been all this while bringing Brick and Mortar towards the repairing of Babel which else perhaps would have fallen long since for they do not think that the more immediate Ministers and Factors for Babylon would have been able to have brought a stone at this day had not you and others stept in and took the anti-Anti-christian party by the hand and said Be strong and in this matter have say'd as the Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin Ezra 4.2 Let us build with you for we seek your God as ye do so we Baptize Infants as ye do and though we differ in some Circumstances touching the ground of their Baptism yet we all agree in the subject and so you have proved the greatest Enemies to Reformation though it is strange that men who have Covenanted to reform Religion according to the Word of God and have pretended to cast out all the dirt of Romish Superstitions and Traditions of men in the Worship of God should be the greatest upholders of that Babylonish Building But what shall we say The Carpenter encourageth the Goldsmith Isai 41.7 and it seems Gods time is not yet come when Babylon the Great shall be thrown as a Mill-stone into the Sea and rise no more But Sir in the mean time what way is there left but for Christians diligently to search the Scriptures to pray for the Holy Spirit the promise of the Father and wherein they differ modestly to examine the Opinions of one another and where God reveals more light to endeavour to convince their Brethren with a spirit of meekness concealing the Infirmities and covering the Imperfections of one another But those thunder-claps that came from you of late make your Enemies to rejoyce and your Friends mourn and standers by cannot hold their peace but like Craesus his dumb Son are compelled to speak when they see the point of Infant-Baptism so provoke and enrage your Spirits against a people who practice the contrary according to that light and knowledg they have received and profess they would be convinced did they see any solid Arguments from the Scriptures in the mean time it seems they must be exposed to all the calumnies and reproaches a numerous and prevailing party of their Opponents can cast upon them But Brethren is not the Devil our common Enemy and surely could we unite amongst our selves his Kingdom should soon be divided and then and not till then shall we see Satan fall like Lightning and what glorious times might we then expect I desire these Lines may be received in the same Spirit and for the same end for which they were Written which was not to increase our Divisions but to allay them for the effecting of which we shall still pray and till God removes from us every thing that offends and supplants every Plant that his own right hand hath not planted Sir I Rest Your Soul-Friend T. B. BOOKS Treating about the Subject of Baptism Printed for and Sold by Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle near the Royal Exchange in Cornhill A Treatise of BAPTISM wherein that of Believers and that of Infants is examined by the Scriptures with the History of both out of Antiquity making it appear that Infant-baptism was not practised for near 300 Years after Christ nor enjoyned as necessary till 400 Years after Christ c. With the History of Christianity amongst the Ancient Brittains and Waldensians c. By H. D. Innocency and Truth vindicated or a Sober Reply to Mr. Ws. Answer wherein the Authorities and Antiquities for Believers and against Infant-Baptism are defended and the mis-representations and Forgeries he boasts of are returned upon himself With a brief Answer to Mr. Blinman's Essay by the same Author A Second Reply in Defence of the Treatise of Baptism wherein Mr. Baxter's More Proofs are found no Proof in two parts the First defending the Antiquities against his charge of Forgery The Second justifying the charge of Slander Contradiction and Popery against his Writings As also an Admonition to Mr. B. by the same Author and some Reflections by Mr. Tombs upon Mr. B's More Proofs With a Rejoynder to Mr. W. his Vindiciae and an Answer to his Appeal by the same Author Together with the Baptists Answer to the said Appeal The Book-seller further signifies to the Impartial Reader desiring information into that Principle of Baptizing Believers that he can furnish him with The Learned Treatises of Mr. John Tombs The Works of Mr. Samuel Fisher in Folio A Pious and Learned Piece by Henry Lawrence Esq A judicious Piece by Mr. Christopher Blackwood Intituled the Storming of Antichrist c. ERRATA Candid Reader Literal Escapes and Mis-pointings are left to thine Ingenuity to Correct or Pardon the most material Errors correct thus Last page of the Preface line 20. after endeavours read to remove the absurdities charged upon their practice and. p. 3. l. 9. r. never p. 8. l. 2. dele thereby l. 29. r. legitur p. 12. l. 29. r. lotus p. 13. l. 4. r. illusorium p. 18. l. 2. for there r. that p. 19. l. 1. r. included p. 22. l. 10. dele not There should be a spiritus asper over some Greek words which thou wilt note