Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	church_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	15,184	5	9.5685	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61842	The indecency and unlawfulness of baptizing children in private, without necessity, and with the publick form seriously recommended to the consideration of both the clergy and laity of the Church of England : to which is added, a brief exhortation to the constant receiving of the Lords Supper.	Strong, Martin, b. 1663 or 4.	1692 (1692)	Wing S5995; ESTC R15237	25,798	32

from the 5th to the 16th page will find it undeniably proved that St. John and the Apostles themselves baptized in Public That both the Greek and Latin Churches do the same at this day and that several of the Antient Fathers Justini Martyr Tertullian St. Athanasius Greg. Nazianzen St. Ambrose and Chrysostom St. Cyril and most learned Writers of the Primitive Church whose Names are in the Margin do all contend for Baptism in Public He will find it proved that the Baptizing in Private houses Concilium Constans Meldense Vernense Cassander Hospinian Chamier Vasquez c. Rel. Assemblys p. 294. has been often condemned and prohibited by whole Councils of Bishops And all this abundantly strengthned by the Testimonies of several other learned Writers Men of great esteem in their times After all which I presume we may very justly conclude with the learned Dr. Sherlock That the Primitive Christians always administred Baptism in Public places and in the presence of the Congregation and never that the Custom thus continued in all the following Ages Now the force of this Argument amounts to this That in all cases not positively determined by the Scripture The Practice of the Primitive Church is the surest way for us to understand the Mind of Christ and his Apostles For we cannot but think that those who convers'd with the Apostles and with the Apostolical men of the next ages are the safest guides for us to be directed by who live so remote from those times The Authority of Antient and Vniversal Tradition has always been esteemed sacred and venerable and whatever men may think now yet to contradict the concurring Testimony and Practice of the Universal Church was heretofore always thought one of the greatest Sins and Follies that a Man could be guilty of The Fathers themselves do often confute Heretics of their times from prescription or the constant Traditionary Faith and Practice of the Church For tho we do not make Tradition to be a Primary and Infallible Rule as the Holy Oracles are Yet where the thing is doubtful or disputable where the Scripture is silent there certainly the received Practice of the ancient Vniversal Church is the surest guide for us to follow There is an Obligation upon us of the present times to conform as much as may be to the Practice of the Universal Church and to avoid Novelty and Singularity in all things relating to the Worship of God And therefore when we have so many plain Testimonies of Antiquity for baptizing in Public and can find no one Church in the Christian World that ever practised otherwise when we have so many Ancient Fathers Councils and learned Writers condemning Private Baptism and pleading for that which is Public and not any one single Author produced of a contrary persuasion There is certainly so much respect due to this Vnanimous Consent of all our Pious Ancestors as proves it to be very rude indecent and immodest for us of the present age to contradict the general sense of Christianity to affront and condemn the Holy Catholic Church of Christ by our contrary Practices and to think our selves wiser than all the Christians that went before us who for 1600 years together have always Baptized in Public and no doubt for good reasons Thirdly The Administration of Baptism in Private houses without just Necessity and with the Public Form is contrary to the Express Laws and Rubrick of our own National established Church of England This is so plain and undeniable a Truth that a modest man would think it needless to go about to prove it to any man who has got a Common-prayer book and is but able to read the Rubrick without coloured Spectacles which is as plain and express in this particular as words can make it For 1st The very appointing of two distinct Offices and the calling one of them by the Name of Public and the other by the Name of Private Baptism is a plain demonstration of the mind of the Church in this respect For to what purpose has the Church composed a distinct Form of Baptism for cases of sickness and extreme Necessity if she had ever thought that the Public Form might have been then used as well But let us examine the several Titles of those two Offices And the first we find is called The Public Baptism of Infants to be used in the Church Now the very word Public proves that 't was never intended to be used Privately And the addition of that Clause To be used in the Church is an unanswerable Argument that it ought not to be used in Private houses But let us proceed from the Title to the Rubrick for Public Baptism And the first thing we meet with is This. The People are to be admonished that 't is most convenient that Baptism should not be administred but upon Sundays and other Holy-days when the most number of People come together And this our Church requires for two very good reasons which immediately follow both which reasons conclude strongly for Public and against Private Baptism The first is That the Congregation there present may testify the receiving of them that be newly baptized into the number of Christs Church The second is That by the Baptism of the Infant in the Church every Person present may be put in mind of his own solemn vow and profession made to God in his own Baptism To this purpose the learned Dr. Comber tells us That Infants ougut to be brought to the Church Discourse upon the whole Common Prayer p. 338. that there may be many Witnesses of this solemn act and that others may be put in mind of their Vow as also because they may be admitted Members of our Religious Assemblies in the proper place And he that has a mind to see farther how much Public Baptism tends to the Edification of the Church Let him read Dr. Sherlocks Rel. Assemblies p. 293. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consider withal how the Custom of Baptizing in Private can be reconciled with that Precept of St. Paul 1 Cor. 14.26 Let all things be done to Edifying that is in all acts of Public Worship let every thing be so performed as may tend most to the benefit and advantage of others Dr. Hammond in locum and Dr. Beveridge his Sermons on this Text. which is the Paraphrase of a very learned man on the words In the third Section or Paragraph of the Rubrick before Public Baptism The Godfathers and Godmothers and the People with the Children are required to be ready at the Font Now I hope this may pass for a plain Command for the bringing of Children to the Church for where else is the Font Are there any in Private houses Or how can Children be brought to the Font if they are not first brought to the Church where alone the Font is placed But this is not all the time is also specified as well as the Place The Children are to be

the force of the strongest Arguments and of the most convincing Reasons in the World Nothing but This could possibly have prevailed with so many members even of our own Communion to persevere so obstinately in Baptizing their Children in Private houses without any just Necessity and with the Publick Form a Custom confessedly Indecent and undeniably Vnlawful That it is so is the design of this following Treatise to evince and I hope to do it Vnanswerably by insisting on these several Arguments 1. That the Baptizing Children in Private houses is contrary to the nature and design of Christian Baptism 2. 'T is contrary to the constant and universal Practice of the Catholick Christian Church in all ages 3. 'T is contrary to the express Laws and Rubrick of our own established National Church of England 4. 'T is contrary to every Ministers solemn Promises and Subscriptions And 5. 'T is Absurd and Irrational If I can prove beyond denial these several Assertions I hope it will be granted that I have sufficiently performed my promised Undertaking and that I had good reason for refusing to comply with this Illegal Custom But to prevent all mistakes it must be remembred that Exception and Allowance is still to be made for the Case of invincible Necessity of extreme Sickness and danger of Death at which time the Church admits of Private Baptism and has composed a particular Form for that purpose of which I shall say more in its proper place This being premised I assert First That the Administration of Baptism in Private houses is contrary to the Nature and Designs of Baptism for Baptism is a great and most solemn part of Gods Publick Worship 'T is that Divine Sacrament by which we are entred and admitted into the Christian Church and Covenant by which we are made members of that Holy Catholick Church and united to that Communion of Saints and common Society of Christians which makes one fundamental Article of our Creed Baptism is also an open and solemn profession of our belief in the Sacred Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost in whose names we are Baptized but especially 't is a Publick declaration of our Faith in Jesus the Mediator an open acknowledgment to all the Woald that we heartily embrace that Gospel and Religion which Christ reveal'd from his Father to mankind and which distinguishes us from Jews and Mahometans and all other Religions in the World For this reason 't was that the Font was always placed near the door or entrance into the Church Vid. Dr. Patricks Aqua Genitalis to signifie to us that 't is by Baptism we are first entred into the Christian Faith into the Religion and Church of Christ Now all this evidently proves that Baptism is not of a Private but of a Publick Nature and that its ends and designs are Publick And from hence it as evidently follows that it ought to be administred according to its Nature See Dr. Sherlocks Rel. Assemb p. 291. that is not Privately but in the Publick Assembly and Congregation of Christians The force and reason of this Argument is plainly founded upon that Apostolical precept 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in order If this be Scripture and the word of God it certainly obliges us to perform all the Sacred and Publick offices of our Religion with all that Decency and Solemnity that the Nature of the things and the Majesty of God requires In this sense the most learned Commentators understand the words Nor can any other interpretation be put upon them without offering a manifest violence to the design of the Apostle throughout that whole Chapter which was to correct abuses and indecencies in the service of God and to give such standing rules and general directions as he thought necessary to be observed in Gods Publick worship by all Christian Congregations This being granted I now appeal to the sense and reason of all the world whether it be not more for the Decency and Solemnity of Christian Baptism to be administred in the Church and House of God than in a Private room of common and ordinary use The Sacraments of our Religion are certainly the most solemn parts of it We admit but two of these and Baptism is one And does it not best agree with the solemn Nature of this Sacrament that it should be Administred in the solemn place of Gods worship Since Baptism is an open profession of our Faith in Christ how can this be duly performed in Private or any where out of the Publick Assemblies of Christians And since Baptism is designed to enter and admit us into the Church what place can be so decent for its Administration as the Church To this purpose we have Dr. Burnet telling us Hist Reform Abridged Lib. 2. p. 63. That Baptism being the Admission of a New Member to the Church 't is most suitable to the design of Baptism to do it before the whole Congregation and withal adds that the Liberty of baptizing in Private which was at first indulged by the Church only as a provision for Weakness is since become a Mark of Vanity and a piece of affected State If Baptism be designed to make us members of the Christian Church I would willingly be satisfied how this can be decently performed out of the Church and out of the presence of the Church or can any other place be so fit and convenient for so sacred a thing as the Place that is dedicated and devoted to the service of God These are plain Questions I know but I believe they are unanswerable and I leave them to the Conscience of all Unprejudiced Readers with this serious and earnest Exhortation viz. That they would not look on Baptism to be a trifling or inconsiderable thing as if it were only the giving a Name to the Child and no more but that they would consider it as a most solemn part of Gods Worship as that Divine Sacrament by which their Children are dedicated to God and to the Religon of Christ The want of which Consideration I am convinced is the cause why so many otherwise good and well meaning Persons are so regardless provided it be done at all how or where in what place or after what manner this sacred duty is performed I do not say that there is any Positive Holiness in one place above another or that the place alone can sanctify the worship performed in it without other due Qualifications but this I do affirm and all the sober part of Mankind did ever yet grant that as there is a Relative Holiness in the Lords day above other days of the Week so there is at least a Relative Holiness in the Church above other places both as 't is set apart and consecrated to the service and worship of God and as Almighty God is more especially and immediately present in it Upon this account it was that the pious and Primitive Christians