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	church_n	infant_n	1,299	5	9.4082	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96712	The summe of diverse sermons preached in Dublin, before the L. Deputie Fleetwood, and the Commissioners of Parliament for the affairs of Ireland. wherein the doctrine of infant-baptism is asserted, and the main objections of Mr. Tombs, Mr. Fisher, Mr. Blackwood, and others, answered / by Samuel Winter ...	Winter, Samuel, 1603-1666.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3089; ESTC R43829	127,074	209

9. In renouncing their baptism they act Satans part who will not make a league or Covenant with any soul till he have renounced his Covenant with Christ first 10. The Churches of Christ have no such custom 1 Cor. 11. It cannot be proved that ever the whole Church of God erred though Councils have it 's true we grant that as Nullum tempus accurrit Regi So no prescription will ly in force against God and his truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius Rev. 2.24 Hold fast i. such doctrines rules ordinances as those primitive and Apostolical Churches then had and did enjoy this injunction was in opposition to those who had begun to decline and degenerate to corrupt principles and practices which will appear by the testimonies of the antient and the practice of the churches til these later times Justin Martyr who lived in all likelihood in John's days as Mr Baxter well observeth for he was converted to christianitie in the year of our Lord 128. and wrote his first Apologie in the year 150. as Helvicus from his own testimonie gathereth saith Post quam veró per Christum aditum ad deum nacti sumus non carnalem suscepimus circumcisionem sed spiritualem quam Enoch similes custodierunt eam verò nos per baptismum quandoquidem peccatores fuerimus propter misericordiam ipsius dei accepimus omnibusque adeo illam accipere integrum est Thus Irenaeus who lived within some 43 years of Iohn Omnes venit per semetipsum salvare omnes inquam qui per eum renascuntur id est baptizantur in deum infantes parvulos pueros juvenes seniores ideo per omnem venit aetatem infantibus infans factus sanctificans infantes et in parvulis parvulus c. Observe by the way that renasci is an ordinary term among the fathers signifying as much as baptizari Tertullian is clear in this point so is Origen who saith Quid causae est cum baptisma ecclesia in remissionem peccatorum detur secundum ecclesiae observantiam etiam parvulis baptismus non detur lib. 5 cap. 6 ad Rom. Cyprian who lived within near an hundred years of Iohn with 66 Bishops in Council determine that children may be baptized before the eighth day Higinus Bishop of Rome did first ordain Godfathers and Godmothers at the baptizing of infants This Higinus was near the Apostle Iohn's time Austin tells us it is such a Church custom and withall it 's an Apostolical tradition Accordingly the Magdeburgenses in their Centuries observe that in the first hundred years after Christ infants were baptized Lucius King of Brittain and the first christian King in the world who was converted by the prayers of the Saints as Matthew Paris relates was baptized with his house and whole people therefore Brittish children also Which Balaeus more fully cleareth Cent. 1. cap. 27. Lucius saith he sent to Rome the more speedily because he heard that many of the nobilitie especially at Rome together with their wives and children were baptized Learned Doctor Ussher in his book of he Religion of the antient Irish ch 5. saith That t●●t Irish did baptize their infants without crism I could never find saith the Lord Brooks the beginning and rise of this practice namely baptizing of children whereas it is very easie to track heresies to their first rising up The Waldenses saith Flac. Illyr Semper baptizarunt infantes Catal testium verit p. 434. Therefore we may conclude with Calvin Nullus est scriptor tam vetustus qui non ejus originem ad Apostolorum saecula referat Cal. in Rom. 4.11 Whereas some insist much upon the testimonie of Grotius against infant baptism who pleads the Canon of the Neocaesarean Synod Art 315. The words of the Council are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning her that is with child That she may be enlightened or baptized when she will for she that bringeth forth doth not communicate in this with the birth that is brought forth because every one manifests his own free choice in confession Whence Grotius observeth Proles baptizari non solebat nisi propriâ voluntate professione That the child useth not to be baptized but of its own proper will and profession I answer that Grotius contradicts himself in his Annotations on Mat. 19.14 For first he quotes that saying of Irenaeus to confirm the custom of baptizing infants Ideo per omnem venit aetatem infantibus infans factus sanctificans infantes in parvulis parvulus sanctificans hanc ipsam habentes aetatem c. Huic Christi dicto inter caetera innititur mos etiam infantes baptismo tingendi quem Augustini temporibus per omnes ecclesias fuisse receptum hoc ipso satis constat quod Pelagiani cum eo argumento ab Augustino aliis premerentur nega●e id ipsum nunquam ausi fuerint sic in epistolâ Cypriani ad Fidum an rectè baptizentur infantes né dubitatum quidem sed an possint baptizari etiam ante octavum diem quosdam haesitasse But afterwards this reconciler of Protestants and Papists unsays what formerly he had said alledging the sixt Canon of the aforesaid Council that so he might unbottom this institution of God and put it upon the authoritie of the Church which he so much admired as appears by his Examen ad Rivet ad Art 9. p. 47. De baptismo infantium quid responderi possit disc●t qui volet ex Cardinali Peronio responsione ad epistolam Casauboni cap. 8. Ego in ecclesia authoritate cui deus sacramenta aliquod in ea jus dedit acquiesco 2. I answer Theodore Balsamon in his Scholia upon that Canon saith Some in the Council said That women with child which came from the infidels as Mr C. well observeth to joyn with the Church ought not to be baptized but to stay till the babe they went with was brought forth least that when she was baptized it might seem that the child in her womb was baptized with her as being altogether united to her whence it will come to pass that after the babe is born either it may be left unenlightened or unbaptized or if it be baptized it may be thought that it is rebaptized This he maketh the occasion of that antient Canon and it 's very observable what was the occasion of it 1. That they might avoid that mischief of leaving babes unbaptized 2. That they might avoid the other extream of rebaptization But let us see what Balsamon addeth farther speaking of such infants that they could not make promises c. F●r how it is with the babe in the womb none can enquire nor be suretie for saith he but infants sc that are born do affirm by those that are their susceptors and are accounted to be actually enlightened or baptized with divine illumination or divine baptism They then accounted baptism of infants no antichristian baptism but divine baptism Therefore I conclude the testimonie of Grotius is altogether

several ages in which infant baptism was opposed it was by such as were grossly erroneous in o●her things Now what probability is there that the Lord should conceal his truth from his faithful servants in all ages being eminent for pietie in their generation and reveal it to such as were for the most part his enemies and opposers of the crown and dignities of his son Jesus Seeing then the Church hath been possessed of this divine institution for these fifteen hundred years and upwards and their possession not questioned till of late let us contend earnestly for it and not suffer our little ones to be cast out of their Church-membership till our dissenting brethren come with their ejectione firmâ according to the Law of Christ which they neve● will Obj. If this be not the way of God how comes i● to pass that so many go that way Ans Universalitie is no sign of the truth for all the trees said to the bramble Come thou and rule over us but they said not so to the rest of the trees The ground of the mistake is 1. Because this truth is not so clear truth lies as we say at bottom and is not easily found out but by diligent search and enquirie made The essentials to salvation are clear and evident but other truths not so 2. Many have not found that benefit by their baptism they might have had because they have not endeavored to improve it for their spiritual advantage therefore it 's no marvel though with profane Esau they say What profit shall this birth-priviledge do to me Gen. 25.32 I shall never forget thy word saith David for hereby thou hast quickened me that word that humbles the soul and that word that raises and quickens the soul will not easily be forgotten even so those Ordinances which christians have reaped good by they will not suddenly cast off and renounce But if they reap no fruit by them it 's no wonder if they forsake the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assembling themselves together which the Apostle holds forth as the high rode to the great transgression Heb. 10. Not forsasaking the assembling of our selves together into the Synagog for if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sin 3. Many have not been so rooted and grounded in the principles of religion in the doctrine of the beginning of Christ Heb. 6.1 in the present truth of this age i the truth that is so much opposed Hence it is that they being but children are tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrin by the slight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cogging of the die of men and cunning craftiness whereby 〈◊〉 they lie in weight to deceive Eph. 4.14 It was the complaint of Gildas that the Arrian heresie and other poisonous errors infected the antient Britains because they were a people always desirous of novelties 4. The politie and industrie of the adversarie they will compass sea and land to make one proselyte to themselves and their way rather than win one soul to Christ 5. The not receiving the truth in the love thereof therefore God hath given them up to strong delusions to believe a lie When the wrath of God is kindled against a people there is no error so absurd but Satan can persuade it as we may see in the doctrine of Mahomet that great Quaker and the first of that sect since Christ who was raised to scourge the Church for her apostasies Rev. 9. ult especially the Church of Rome 6. Their affections bribe their judgment Esa 7. Nisi credideritis non intelligetis As the old translation renders it which is done several ways the hearts of many I fear being engaged to that way for carnal and by respects Rom. 1.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In thei● lust● he delivered them up to a reprobate mind that is a mind not approving of the things of God therefore not to be approved of that they may rise in the world therfore it 's no wonder that their judgments are captivated and they brought under the power of error Rom. 1.24 28. So much for the first Argument namely Anabaptism is not the way of God I shall be brief in the rest Secondly Consider the neglect of this Ordinance of Christ doth argue the Church is still in the Wilderness and for this and other Wilderness sins may continue long in that state for their rebellions of old the Lord was angry with Israel and seemingly did discovenant them and cast them off as none of his people making them like the residue of the heathen who all then died uncircumcised as the prophet Ezekiel speaks and is not the Lord angry with many of this generation on whose seed he hath set no visible sign of his favor but suffers every man to do whatsoever is right in his own eys which Moses makes a sign of the Wilderness state of the Church of God Deut. 12.8 Ye shall not do after all the things that ye do here this day every man whatsoever is right in his own eys 3. Consider how angry the Lord was with Moses for deferring the circumcision of his child Moses was now going to be a reformer of others and had not reformed his own familie therefore the Lord would have slain him and is not the Lord angry with not onely private christians but some publick persons for their neglecting of this great Ordinance of infant baptism I fear he is which sooner or later they will experience for in the sanction of the second commandment God threatens to visit the neglect of this Ordinance of God upon the fathers to the children to the third and fourth generation 4. The contempt of this Ordinance argues profaneness of spirit that many do so undervalue nay despise this birth priviledge Esau for a little red pottage sells his birth-right i. e. promises the land of Canaan the Ordinances with the seals of the Covenant and after he had so done he left the Church of Israel as those do that renounce their baptism and went to Mount Seir being not troubled for what he had done therefore he was branded with that black cole of infamie as a profane person Esau that is Edom which words compared with chap. 12.14 do argue that the birth-right was not merely a civil thing but typically did represent those sure mercies or holy things of David Isa 55.3 held forth to us in the Covenant of grace This example of Esau the Apostle applies to the Church of the Jews in the new Testament Let there be no profane person among you as was Esau as if he should say Do not part with your birth-right priviledges upon such easie terms as many now adays do for it seems they were apostatizing and falling back from the Ordinances of the new Testament unto their former beggerly rudiments least there be hereafter no place left for repentance though you should seek it