Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	child_n	covenant_n	seal_n	2,756	5	9.5397	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A38578	Anabaptism considered Wherein the chief objections of that sect against infant-baptism, and the manner of baptizing by aspersion, or sprinkling, are fairly stated and answered; and reasons given why dipping is not to be taken as the essential or necessary mode of administration. In a familiar letter of advice to a parishioner inclining that way. By William Eratt, M.A. and minister of Hatfield near Doncaster.	Eratt, William, 1655 or 6-1702.	1700 (1700)	Wing E3220; ESTC R200374	28,824	40

admitted visible Members of Christ's Church Children of believing Parents have a Right and Privilege to the Seal of the Covenant above those of Unbelievers namely to Baptism which the Apostle calls the Laver of Regeneration and this new Birth must suppose a great advantage redounding to them by receiving this Sacrament and for this I refer you to our Church's Explanation herein touching Baptism That it is an outward visible Sign of an inward spiritual Grace given unto us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and as a Pledge to assure us thereof and that being by Nature born in Sin and the Children of Wrath we are hereby made the Children of Grace To this add the Common usage in the Church of executing this our Lord's Commission ever since the Apostles days in all Nations and Countries where the Gospel hath spread it self and whether the baptizing of Infants has not been the received Doctrine and Practice of all the Churches in general whether Eastern or Western I appeal herein to the unanimous consent of the Ancient Fathers and the same is yet for any thing I have either read or heard the Custom of all National Churches in the whole Christian World to this very day and if we should speak of single Christians on which I lay no other stress than to discover the presumptuous Confidence of our Adversaries the Number of those who are for Pedobaptism in comparison of the Anabaptists is as much disparity I believe I may affirm as ten thousand Men are to one And so much as to matter of Fact In the next place we come to matter of Right and I hope Neighbour we need not stand long upon this for where matter of Fact is by divine injunction in the same or in a parallel Case matter of Right cannot be disputed without reflecting upon the Authority of the Lawgiver or Commander To come then to an issue in this Point you have heard that the command is general Go Baptize all Nations and that Children must be taken as part of that All and in general Laws the relating of particulars is not required because Laws always pass on the whole kind and a part must necessarily be supposed to be included in the whole as a particular in an Universal Besides I judge the Anabaptists themselves are of this opinion in the case of the other Sacrament the Lord's Supper else why do they admit Women to it We own 't is true that all ought to celebrate the Lord's Death but I ask Where is it particularly commanded that Women are to receive as well as Men Our Adversaries in this case must clear it thus They are part of Mankind Persons for whom Christ died as well as Men and so are within our Lord 's general Precept Do this in remembrance of me I take this as a good Answer But then I ask them Why is not the Command in the initiating Seal to be lookt upon as extensive as it is they being Judges in the confirming Pledge or Seal It must needs be as general with regard to the Precept else some Persons might receive the Lord's Supper before they 're baptized and so their Confirmation in the Christian Faith might in order of Time precede their Initiation and those might be admitted Guests at the Lord's Table who never were really his Disciples which none I think will allow that own the Sacraments And thus it seems plain to me that it must needs follow if Children are included in the general Precept of Baptism then they ought of right to be baptized for in every Law of God there must be supposed a Reasonableness and Equity in the Performance because every such Law is the Sanction of Truth and Justice in as much as the same is enacted by an all-wise Lawgiver But here is another Objection thrown in my way and I fear Neighbour you 'll not let me go on till 't is removed and 't is this Obj. Say our Adversaries Now we 'll fight you with your own Weapons If the Law of the two Sacraments be general and the one as extensive as the other why is not the Lord's Supper given to Infants as well as to Men and Women I answer For very good Reasons 't is most convenient and necessary that Children as well as adult Persons be baptized that so Christ's Flock may be distinguisht from Jews Heathens and Pagans and it shews a wonderful kind Love in our Saviour in bringing those Infants in whom there is no actual let or hinderance of their own nearer unto him by his gracious Ordinance● of Baptism wherein he sets his Seal that of such is the Kingdom of Heaven And I the rather believe this for that when our Saviour was on Earth he manifested such Love and personal Tenderness for them even as a Father his Words and Actions were both full of Affections towards them He took them up in his arms Mark 10.16 put his hands upon them and blessed them Add to this That we are all conceived and born in Sin and that as in Adam all dy'd how then Psal 51.5 so in Christ all should be made alive that is Salvabiles savable 1 Cor. 15 22. and without all doubt Children are a part of this All for whom Christ dyed and rose again Now this being so and there being no other means that we know of in an ordinary way but Baptism whereby Children have the Grace of the Covenant convey'd unto them that being the outward Seal thereof and that being also the Laver of Regeneration wherein the Stain of Original Sin is washed away This then implies a necessity of their being baptized and this Doctrine our Saviour himself confirms when he saith John 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Except a Man here must be meant all the Kind of Man else may Women be excluded as well as Infants Thus 't is most reasonable Children should be baptized But then As to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper the case is far different the Reason of the thing shews that there is a great distinction to be made 'twixt a Disciple or one that is newly entred a Scholar in Christ's School and those who are come to some growth and stature in the Christian Profession in young Beginners a tractable Disposition or Inclination to learn is accepted whereas in adult Persons because more is given so more is required of them they come to the Lord's Table to renew their baptismal Vow and to set forth the Lord's Death they are Guests invited bid to prepare themselves and therefore 't is expected they put on the Wedding-garment they must go thither with actual Faith and Obedience they must call themselves to account and as our Church piously admonishes such They are to examine themselves whether they truly repent them of their former Sins stedfastly purposing to lead a new Life having a lively ●aith in God's mercy

is no Original Sin and this takes away the Merit of our Saviour's Intercession and the Satisfaction that he made on our behalf They excluded Infants out of the Grace of the Covenant contrary to our Lord's command denying them Baptism which is a Means whereby we receive the same and a Pledge to assure us thereof They held it lawful for a Man to have more Wives than one and this shews their Continence and Chastity that the godly was to inherit the Earth and Oaths not to be kept with the Magistrate and this discovers their Principles of Civil Government That any Person might take upon him the Ministerial Office and this invades our Saviour's Authority he left with the Apostles and their lawful Successours in this behalf But enough of the Doctrines of this new way I went on 3dly And shewed that the present Methods our Adversaries usually take in managing their Cause argues that the same is naught for that they are always inveighing against the Doctrines or Practice of others instead of proving from Scripture and Reason the Truth and Goodness of their own way To this add the great Confidence without Reason they have of their Cause and that being buoy'd-up with Ignorance and Prejudice what a noise and pother they make in promoting it as if they were so many Goliath's in arguing that none could stand before them Witness the late confident and presumptuous Challenge they made at Epworth to enter into a publick Dispute with the Reverend Mr. Wesly the present Minister thereof who is indeed the Effect of his good Nature too civil to them and too much forbearing of their insolent Behaviour in confronting the establish'd Religion in Opposition and open Defiance to the wholsome Laws of the Land made and provided for the Honour and Security of the same But let me tell them They who do not value the Peace of the Church will never regard the Peace of the State But we desire no more of their Munster-broyls occasioned by their seditious Disputations therefore 't is good for them not to use their liberty for a cloak of Maliciousness for if they will so far tread in the steps of their first Reformers as to intrench upon the Authority and kind Indulgence of the Magistrate they must be let understand that he beareth not the Sword in vain And as for their Goliath's Arguments let them not produce them as is their common usage in a seditious and tumultuous manner where noise shall prevail above Truth and Reason but in a manly and christian way and we fear them not for I do not doubt but when their Locks of Pride and Ignorance where their boasted Strength lies are lop'd off they 'll be found in Argument like other Men and those of the meanest Rank too Thus Neighbour if you will but seriously consider the Men or their Principles or their manner of spreading and abetting of them I hope you will think it most adviseable to keep to your old way until a better than this before us is shewn you to walk in and thus we might as I told you stand our ground and act only defensively But being 't is the Cause of God and Truth and the design of this Letter being not so much to assail our Adversaries as to satisfie your Scruples which if not solid are at least I believe well meant I put the Cause still to a fairer Issue and laid before you the Strength of our Adversaries in the two main Objections 1st As to the Objects of Baptism 2dly As to the manner of its Administration As to the first Objection I shew'd you the Stress of it lay in this That Faith and Repentance shou'd precede Baptism which Children not being capable of are not to be baptized and that none of the force of the Objection should be lost in the handling of it I took it in pieces and spoke severally to the Branches of it And first as to Faith I shew'd you by way of parallel that Circumcision in the old Testament being a Seal of the righteousness of Faith of which Infants were then capable it must needs follow by parity of Reason that Children of Believers under the Gospel must be also capable of Baptism which is the Seal of the New Testament unless they will suppose that the first Seal of the Covenant given to Abraham was more privilegial and extensive in favour than the second Seal given by Christ I shew'd farther as matter of Fact That Children as well as Men and Women were always discipled by Baptism in the Jewish Church and that Children were included in our Lord 's general Commission they being part of all Nations And that the manner of executing this Commission in all Nations wherever the Christian Faith hath spread it self ever since the Apostles Days and in all probability in their time also doth ascertain the matter of Fact as to the baptizing of Infants beyond all denial For matter of Right I shew'd you that Infants have an unquestionable Title to the thing signified of such being as our Saviour saith the Kingdom of Heaven who can question their having a right to the sign besides that the Promise is to you and your Children and that the promissory Grace in the Sacrament is no ways letted by the personal Incapacity of the Recipient for that a King may be crown'd in a Cradle and become really King though he knows not of it and many Kindnesses may be actually done to Infants by their Parents Friends or Guardians though they are not privy to it and however at the least Children now of believing Parents are every whit as capable of the Seal of Baptism as the Children of the Jews were of the Seal of Circumcision as was before declar'd and for the Reasons there alledged As to the second branch of their first Exception Repentance I shew'd you very plainly that it concerns adult Persons only for Infants having not been guilty of actual Sins there is no occasion for their actual Repentance and as for Persons of riper Years if they 're not baptized till then we do agree they ought first to believe for it would be most unreasonable to admit an adult Person Christ's Disciple who did not first believe in him and acknowledge him for his Saviour and that there is also in these a necessity of Repentance for such having been also guilty of actual Sins they ought and must repent of them before they are capable of this Sacrament which is the Laver of Regeneration and he that puts on Christ must become a New Creature I came then To the second general Objection relating to the Mode of Baptism and did so far agree that Dipping was probably the manner of baptizing in the Jewish Church and that the same was likely so too in John's Baptism but then I shew'd you there was at that time a particular Reason for this Mode of baptizing for that the Persons then to be baptized had as it were a visible or outward