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
A76088	The storming of the Anabaptists garrisons, vvith a brief discovery of the weaknesse of the same, & of the inconsiderableness of the sconces and forts of all the other sectaries, in despight and contempt of all the which, any Christian souldier may safely march to Heaven, without the least danger; ... In a word, in the insuing discourse, the vanity of all novell opinions is discovered, the ignorance of all the which can no way hinder any mans happinesse: and the baptisme of little children borne of Christian parents, whether Iewes or Gentiles, is proved by the word of God to be lawfull, ... / By Iohn Bastwick, Doctor in Physick.	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.; Smart, Richard, fl. 1647.	1647 (1647)	Wing B1071; Thomason E390_23; ESTC R201542	43,659	52

be Papists and without any injury done unto them may so be called if their own practice and the practice of all times and Nations may be an authentick rule to goe by who from the holding of any one principall point of any Religion or Sect makes them to bee denominated from that Sect either Papists Presbyterians Independents or Anabaptists c. But now Master Smart to the matter in hand for farther satisfaction to you and all men as I have according to your desire declared unto you that I was never any Sectary or Anabaptist and what my opinion and judgement is concerning them So at this time I will briefly make known my opinion unto you concerning that point of difference passing by the rest betweene us and the Anabaptists who as you well know hold the baptizing of Infants borne of Christian Parents unlawfull upon these suppositions that there is neither Precept nor President for it in all Gods word and in regard as they say there is no manifestation of faith and repentance in Infants and in regard also that the children of Christian parents as they affirme are no more within the Covenant then the children of Turkes and Infidels and therefore in all these regards they assert they have no more right to Baptisme then Colts and Dogs c. In which their assertions I differ from them as in all their other tenents wherein they declare themselves divers from the doctrine received in all the reformed Protestant Churches And as for the Baptism of Infants born of Christian Parents I not only believe that they have as much as good right to it as the children of the Jewes had to Circumcision but that they being once baptized by our Ministers ought not to be rebaptized being better Christians then any Anabaptists and I not only believe that children of Christian Parents ought to be baptized but hope to prove that there is both Precept and Presidents and most excellent grounds for it in the word of God notwithstanding all the cavills of the Anabaptists and that not only under the Ministry of John the Baptist and the Apostles and Christs seventy Disciples before Christs death and Ascention but after and that they are all within the Covenant as well as the children of the Jewes were Which if I can by the word of God make good I am confident that those that will be guided by that rule will be satisfied and for such as will follow their wilde opinions I shall leave them to the righteous Judge But before I come to dispute this question I will take the liberty to say something by way of Preface to the following Discourse which will give some light to the whole businesse Therefore I shall desire you seriously to consider the Covenant that God made with Abraham and his seed and not only with Abraham but with all such strangers as should embrace the faith and doctrine of Abraham And to begin with Abraham in the seventeenth of Genesis God there established his Covenant with Abraham and with his seed after him in their generations to be a God unto him and his seed after him ver 7. and in the ninth ver he charges Abraham to keep his Covenant both he and his seed after him and in ver 10. he declareth what that Covenant is viz. that every man-child amongst them should be circumcised which the Lord ver 11. calls a token of the Covenant betwixt him and Abraham which Saint Paul Rom. 4. ver 11. calls the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had being yet uncircumcised c. And in the 12. 13. 15. verses God commands that every male child at eight dayes old should be circumcised he that is borne in the house or ●ought with money of any stranger which was not of his seed and that the soule should be cut off that brake that Covenant And in the eighteenth chapter speaking of him he saith Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I now do for I know that Abraham will command his children and his houshold after him to keepe the way of the Lord c. God knew well that Abraham would command his children and family to observe his Covenant and would not leave it to their owne wills whether they will keep it or not And in the twelfth of Exodus we shall find that God gave the same law to strangers and those that should become Proselites and embrace the Jewish Religion that he gave to Abraham himselfe the words are these ver 48. And when a stranger shall sojourne with thee and will keep the Passeover to the Lord let all his males be circumcised and then let him come neere and keep it and he shall be as one that is borne in the land for no uncircumcised person shall ●ate thereof One law shall be to him that is homeborne and unto the stranger that sojourneth amongst you By which it is apparantly evident that the same way of admission into the Church that was used for the ingraffing of those that were growne men ●nd converted from the heathenish religion should be used to those that were their children and of their houshold and under their command which lesson the people of God had well learned as wee may see in Joshua 24. who for himselfe and his family promised that he and his house would serve the Lord ver 15. Yea God made many lawes unto all Parents and Masters of Families to looke unto their children and those that were under them that they kept the commands of the Lord and did as he had b●d them as in the twentieth of Exodus where hee enjoynes all in authority that they and their sonnes and daughters and men servants and maid servants should keepe the commandements of God And in the fourth of Deut. and in the sixth Chapter of the same book and in the eleventh chapter and in many other places he commands all parents that they should teach their children at their rising up and lying downe and upon all occasions the statutes and ordinances of the Lord And this was practised not only by men and people of inferiour ranke but by Kings themselves as wee may see in David Prov. 4. ver 3. Who taught Salomon his son when he was tender and young And Salomon likewise carefully instructed his son and family as we may see through all the Proverbs And in the 22 chapter ver 6. he gives this law to all Israel to traine up their children in the way they should walke shewing the benefit of such education for the future saying that when they were old they would not depart from it Yea in many places he commands them if their children be refractory stubborne and disobedient to good counsell not to spare the rod. Yea God made a speciall law to all Israel Exod. 34. ver 23. and Deut. 16. ver 16. saying Three times in a yeare shall all thy males appeare before the Lord thy God in

meeke and lowly of heart And here he so dignifieth little children that he sends his Disciples to schoole to them which I affirme is as eminent a favour as he shewed to any men when he was up●n eatth and therefore doubtlesse those that Christ so graced in all respects are worthy of Baptisme and have a right unto it and all such as despise little children borne of Christian parents and count them Infidels highly offend Yea there are other passages yet not to be passed by concerning little children It is related Math. 21. ver 14. 15. 16. That the blind and the lame came unto Christ in the Temple and he healed them And when the chiefe Priests and Scribes saw the wonderfull things that hee did and the children crying in the Temple and saying Hosanna to the Sonne of David they were sore displeased and sayd unto Christ hearest thou what they say And Jesus sayth unto them yea have ye not read out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise Here we see that when Christs enemies were offended at the acclamation of the children Christ allowed of their witnesse and confirmes it by Scripture teaching all men that they did well and their duty and that God was honoured by it and that in all ages God would be glorified by the very mouthes of babes and sucklings who should set forth his praises as they did so that by the words of Christ it is sufficiently manifest that they confessed him before men and were not ashamed of him and hee had taught his Disciples and all men that they that confesse him before men hee would confesse them before his Father in heaven and here hee approved of them and owned them as his witnesses which is also as high a dignity as is conferred upon any of Christs followers and therefore I will never doubt to conclude that those children had right to Baptism that Christ so honours and that they were baptized by John and Christs Disciples amongst the other people and world that followed Christ for Jerusalem and all Iudea and all the regions round about Iordan were baptized and Christs Disciples baptized more then Iohn and children by Christs testimony beleeved in him and confessed him as well as others Ergo they were baptized And therefore in all these regards I may use the same words to all the Anabaptists that Saint Peter used when the Holy Ghost fell on them in Cornelius his house Can any man saith he forbid water that these should not bee baptized that have received the holy Ghost as well as we Acts 10th 47. I say in all these regard I may say unto the Anabaptists Who can forbid water that the children of those that are borne of such parents as are in covenant with God as the Jewes children then were and Christians children now are should not bee baptized God having graced them with such eminent significations of his favour and owning them so often to be his children and having put no difference between the Christian Jewes and their children and Christian Gentiles and their children yea they being now under a better Covenant and more surer promises Surely all those that doe forbid water that the children of Christian Parents should not be baptized are such as withstand God which Saint Peter durst not doe Acts 11. ver 16. and for my part I never will doe who by Gods assistance shall live and dye in this faith that children as well as women and men amongst the Jewes had not only right to Baptisme as well as their Parents but that they were really Baptized and that the children of the Christian Gentiles were as well baptized in their severall families as their Parents and that they ought still to be till the comming of Christ and in this faith by the grace of God I will live and dye This Mr. Smart to gratifie your desire I thought fit to write unto you whom I truly love in the Lord that you may know not only my opinion concerning this point of controversie but have by you my reasons for the same All that I have now to say unto you is this The times in which wee live are perilous times in respect of the many dangerous and desperate opinions that are now abroad destructive to the life of godlinesse which our Baptisme tyes unto and tending to the ruine of Christian Religion and disturbing of Church and State if the Lord from heaven by his mighty power doth not rebuke this spirit of errour that is now gone out into the world yea it is sad presage that great Judgements hang yet over this Land for the preventing of the which we ought cortinually to be put upon the duties of fasting and prayer and all watchfulnesse in them the meanes that God himselfe hath appointed for the diverting of his wrath and to these duties we ought to the uttermost of our power to joyne a godly life and a holy conversation as we have covenanted by our baptisme that so wee may set forth the praises of him that hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light knowing that the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ which that you and I and all such as feare his Name may doe and for ever persevere with all constancy in the truth is the daily prayer of him Aprill this 27. 1647. That loves you for our Masters sake JOHN BASTVVICK Errata PAge 6. line 33. for Mountaine read Mountague P. 7. l. 32. for which incertaine freemen and bonds r. within certaine Precincts and bounds P. 8. li. 16. for forced r. fed P. 8. l. 24. for and r nor P. 14. l. 24. for a man this r. this man a. P. 20 l. 27. for in Ierusalem r. Ierusalem P. 20. line ult for the concerning c. read the places above quoted all the doubt is concerning the Major which being FINIS