Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	child_n	neglect_v	parent_n	3,017	5	9.3090	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50206	The first principles of New-England concerning the subject of baptisme & communion of churches : collected partly out of the printed books, but chiefly out of the original manuscripts of the first and chiefe fathers in the New-English churches : with the judgment of sundry learned divines of the congregational way in England, concerning the said questions : published for the benefit of those who are of the rising generation in New-England / by Increase Mather ...	Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.; Mitchel, Jonathan, 1624-1668.	1675 (1675)	Wing M1211; ESTC W35680	45,581	56

who ought to be baptized Answ Infidel● Converted to the Faith and the Infants of one or both Christian Parents Catechisme And the Assembly of Divines at Westminster speak thus Quest Vnto whom is Baptisme to be admin st●ed Answ Baptisme is not to be administred to any that are out of the Visivie Church and so strangers from the Covenant of Promise till they profess their Faith in Christ and obedience to him But Infants descending from parents either both or but one of them professing Faith in Christ and obedience to him are in that respect within the Covenant and to be baptized Larger Catechisme These words we see are not farre unlike to those in the Catechisme before mentioned and yet it were a Collection farr from their meaning to gather from these words that none should have Baptisme for their Children except themselves were fit for the Lords Supper Sure such an Apprehension was never taught nor intended by them why then should it be thought to be Contained in the words of the aforesaid Catechisme or deducted from them when as the words there and in these Reverend Authors are so very like even so very like that the Collection or deduction mentioned is either sound and just from both or from neither 5 ly If the Parents spoken of may notwithstanding their unfitness for that Ordinance of the Lords Supper yet be truly said to be Converted to the Faith and joyned to the Church then the appearance of Contradiction is at an end Now for the one of these Qualifications viz. That they be Converted to the Faith if Faith be taken as it often is for the Doctrine of Faith as Act. 6.7 Iud. 3. then it is evident that the Parents spoken of are not destitute of this Faith because it is required of them that they understand the Doctrine of Faith and publickly profess their Assent thereto And if Faith be taken for the grace of Faith in the heart why may they not be said to have Faith in this Sense also seeing it is required of them that besides their understanding the Doctrine of Faith and their professing their Assent thereto that they must also not be Scandalous in Life but solemnly own the Covenant and therein give up themselves and their Children to the Lord. And does not this imply some beginning of Faith Can persons have all these Qualifications and yet for all this be utterly destitute of the grace of Faith It seems not suitable to Charity to judge so And in as much as men have neither Faith nor any thing that good is by Nature therefore they that have it may be said to be converted to it and so the Parents the baptizing of whose Children is in Question are not without the one of the Qualifications mentioned in the Catechisme viz. of being Converted to the Faith And for the other viz. of being joyned to the Church this cannot be denyed touching these Parents for as much as by means of the Covenant which takes in Parents and Children they have been either born in the Church or taken in in their Infancy and so they were joyned to the Church If so they continue still being neither Cast out nor deserving so to be and therefore their Infants are the Children of Parents joyned to the Church And lest it should be said that though they were in the Church in their Infancy and minority yet now being Adult they fall out or go out by their own default in neglecting the duty pertaining to the Adult therefore for the preventing of this it is here said that they solemnly owned the Covenant before the Church and therein give up themselves and their Children to the Lord c. So that here is a personal and publick act of their own in respect of the Covenant and giving up themselves and their Children to the Lord by their own act with a Subjection of themselves to the Government of Christ in his Church whereby it appears that as these Parents were in the Church in their minority and were never since Cast out so neither are they fallen out by their own neglect But do manifest their Continuance in the Church and in the Covenant by their own personal act And so the other Qualification of Parents whose Children are to be baptized which the Catechisme mentioned is found in the Parents spoken of viz that they are persons joyned to the Church and therefore he that affirms than these may have their Children baptized does not Contradict the fore-mentioned Catechisme at all nor is there any thing in the Catechisme against the baptizing of these Children This which ha's been expressed may be sufficient for the vindication of that Reverend and Honoured person We proceed ●herefore to Mr. Nortons Iudgement concerning the present Controversy and that the Apprehensions of that Iudicious and Eagle eyed Seer did Concur with those Servants of the Lord which have been mentioned is apparent both from what himself did often publickly teach not only in Boston but in Ipswich and from a Script composed Anno 1654. by that learned band which because it is acute clear and distinct according to the wonted manner of that great Author and because it was never yet published we shall therefore here Insert it It is that which follows Quest Whether the Children of Parents in Church Covenant are Church members and ought to be baptized Answ Children of Parents in Church Covenant are Church members and ought to be baptized This Answer stands upon the proof of these five propositions 1. Children are capable of Confederating in a publick p●●● 2. Children by divine Institution have Confederated and do still Confederate in their Parents as publick persons 3. By virtue of this Confederation Children are made Church members 4. The membership of Children Confederating in their Parents is a distinct membership from the membership of their Parents 5. This distinct membership gives them a proper right unto Baptisme so as they are baptized by their own right and not by the right of their Parents Proposition I. 1. Children are capable of Confederating in a publick person A publick person is when some one of a Society doth by the Law in such an Act stand for the whole Society So he that is but one person Physically is Politically as many persons as the Law makes him Since Religion and Reason both allow and require humane Laws to create such publick persons for the good of the Community much more may we see Cause why they may be constituted by the divine Law of him whose Sole Prerogative it is that he may do whatsoever he pleaseth 2. That Children though they are uncepable of Confederating in their proper Persons yet are Capable of Confederating in a publick person appeareth 1. From the nature of God whose will is the Rule of Rules and Reason of all Reasons Bradward de Causa Dei l. 1 Corol. 32 Polan Synt. l. 6. c. ● none cuilibet Christiano imo prophane pro demonst●atione s●fficere