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
A43045	The ministers office, the infants inheritance By James Harwood, B.D.	Harwood, James.	1659 (1659)	Wing H1099; ESTC R221283	28,474	108

at armes the Doctors of our Church take up the cudgels against Infants whose right to Baptisme is of so long a standing that I find it practised before any Council did decree it and yet to support the Pillars of this Divine Truth the Council of Carthage and the Milevitine Council even both of them accurse for Hereticks all such as detaine Infants from Baptisme The third Argument And now I come to the third Argument which though I have made some use of it amongst my answers to some objections yet it is no spiritual cowardice to draw out the same sword so I wound the adversary more deeply Notum est omnibus it is notoriously known how we have Baptisme instead of Circumcision but very young children at eight dayes old under the Law were circumcised therefore children under the Gospel may be baptized such an Argument that as before I hinted at either must the Anabaptist quarrell with God for circumcising those young children or lese beshrew himself for blaming us who baptize these The fourth Argument God calls on them to come unto him it is an unmannerly part of those Ministers who will not by that door Baptisme let these young ones into their masters house the Church whom himself calls upon would you see who these are turn to the Christning Gospel Mark 10.14 Suffer saith he little children to come unto me and forbid them not It seems even in our Saviours dayes there were some a little too sawcy and burstling against this Doctrine of baptizing Infants The fifth Argument Young children are comprehended within the covenant of Grace witness Gen. 17.7 where said Ero Deus tuus Seminis tut Nay famous is that place Acts 2.39 There sayes St. Peter the promise is to you and your seed and to your children If God be thus open-handed unto us and to our young ones as to pass his promise to them that he will be their God ashamed then may they be who will not let our young ones have the cogniscence how they are his people The sixth Argument Children may be inspired with the Holy Ghost even in utero in the womb and it is a Scripture Argument since these have received the Holy Ghost as well as we what hinders meaning they must not be hindered Baptisme and that a childe may be thus inspired witness that first of Luke where said of Iohn the Baptist how he leaped for joy in his mothers womb and that joy is a fruit of the spirit Gal. 5.22 puts it out of all doubt But replied that was miraculous and so it was yet since children may have Faith I see not in my judgement but how they may receive Baptisme and let me tell you that as children are counted guilty of sin and reputed sinners who never commit any one actual sin so all our children may by counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 believers who yet have no faith of their own but of their parents And hereupon saith St. Augustin Absit ut ego di●am non credentes Infantes God forbid bid that I should say how Infants are no Believers Credit in altero qui peccavit in altero He believes by a Proxie who sinned by a Deputy and is reputed for a true believer and this reputative faith as a reverend Doctor of our Church well observes is accepted of by the Church on the Infants behalf and the rather because it is evidenced by the Baptisme of Simon Magus and all other Hypocrites how it is the profession of faith not the possession of it which is required as the qualification which authorizes the Church to admit the baptized to this Sacrament and since they cannot speak and make this profession because they have not as yet the use of their tongue for this cause it hath been the practice of the Catholick Church to admit of their seconds to profess in their name which well they may since as you know I have proved the promise is made to you and-to your seed and to many that are afar off To conclude it is an unchristian part for a word speaking to make our little ones want their Charter for Heaven The seventh Argument Heaven belongs to young children Matth. 19.14 Are they reckoned among owners of heaven and shall we keep them out of Gods Church on earth shall Christ tell us unto them belongeth the kingdom of Heaven he is an Heretick then that will not by this Sacrament grant them admittance into the kingdom of grace what are our young children for heaven and dare any hinder them for coming into the way which leads unto the kingdome This Sacrament receiving sets you into the very first way for heaven till then we are out of the Church way the streight way to a life everlasting whither God for his mercies send all of us The eighth Argument My last Argument to convince the Anabaptists is taken out of Acts the 16. read the 15. and 33. verses There is mention made of two whole families that were baptized the one Lydea's the other the Jaylors from the example of the blessed Apostles we have liberty to baptize all in the family men women and children And now to give you the colle●… of all since the Apostles baptized whole families old and young 2. Since heaven belongs to young children 3. Since it is not the possession onely but profession of Faith makes the baptized capable of Baptisme 4. Since children are comprehended within the Covenant of Grace 5. Since Christ calls on them to come unto him and saith forbid them not 6. Since we have Baptisme left instead of Circumcision and that at eight dayes old that Seal of Grace was in print upon the Infants flesh 7. Since we have the practice of all National Churches Christian to justifie our practice both Greek and Latin old and modern yea all the Fathers which lived in the Primitive Church declaring for us Lastly Since there is no place in Scripture that in the least stands in opposition against baptizing young children but many divine Texts leading us to this business All these reasons seriously weighed in the ballance of an impartial Reader I hope this will give good satisfaction and encourage us to Anathematize that damnable Doctrine of the Anabaptists as also to look upon them as Hereticks and murtherers of the Souls of Infants And now that you may for ever bear in your remembrance how odious were these Heretiques to all Christian Nations for this cause I shall present to the view of the Judicious Reader those heavy Punishments by godly Princes inflicted upon those who were obstinate Anabaptists 1. To begin at Home They have been judged to be burned to death and have suffered by Fire in this famous City of LONDON And let me tell you that if these Fire-locks of the Devil had not now of late by this present Power been suppressed they were a blowing that Coal which would have kindled that Fire which might have consumed Suburbs and City to hot ashes 2. Justinian

and by such bloody Saints who will either force us to lose our estates if not lives or else put in peril our Infants souls hard chap-men who would force upon us so hard a bargain I need not recount unto you the several forts of Anabaptists fourteen in all Alstedius hath saved me this labour nor will I blur my paper with their abominable Opinions lest my making them too publickly known might move the spiders to suck in poison whence the laborious Bees might gather honey yet since our Land is infested with these Locusts who contumeliously against the Tenet of the Church Catholick maintain it is unlawfull to baptize children for this cause give me leave to shew you the weapons they fight against us with and then disarm them what are these weapons but so many Arguments which they use wherewith to abuse us Cassander pag. 740. hath quoted their champion reason this they say Non sunt capaces Baptismi quod doceri profiteri nequeant Children are not capable of Baptism that are not capable to learn and believe To this we answer that the ground of their Argument is taken out of Matthew 28.19 20. where it is said Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you Upon this foundation they reer up this building that teaching must go before baptizing my answer The words in the Original are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say make Disciples which infants in their swadling belts may attain to by being by Baptisme admitted into Christs School while their Sureties give in their names and by this Sacrament record them amongst Christs Disciples And again it is plain from the Text that baptizing ushers in teaching as appears verse 20. Teaching them to observe all things to which they have several conducts their Christian Parents instructing the Bishops Confirmation with prayers for them and their growth in the mystery of the faith of our Lord Jesus 2. We might answer that all the world but a few were Jews and Gentiles ignorant generally of Christ and Christianity and denying the Saviour of our souls now if we were to go to such as are now the Indians teaching must precede baptizing but you know what is said The Covenant is made to you and to your seed 3. The Anabaptists might as well say that since it is said Mark 1.25 Repent and believe that repentance goeth before faith which is as known an untruth as that preaching to Infants must necessarily precede baptizing of them And thus since the setting repentance before faith bindes me not to believe how faith is not before repentance Secondly since these words Mat. 28. were spoke concerning people unconverted and therefore first to be taught Thirdly since all enjoyned is first make disciples then baptize and after teach This considered makes the Anabaptists Argument weak and invalid The Anabaptists 2. Objection Signum frustrae datur non intelligenti say they it is a vain and footlish custom to give the Sacrament to ignorant Infants that know nothing of the vertue of it nor what it means Give me leave to tell these Anabaptists what answer a late Reverend Doctor of our Church gave to this saith he These gyant-like fight with God for if this Argument were in force it would be available to overthrow the circumcising of Children instituted in the Old Law by God himself as Infants Baptisme in the New For they then knew no more what Circumcision meant then these now what Baptisme Secondly These bold Hereticks by this Argument do seem to condemn our Lord and Saviour as if in vain he laid his Hands upon children and blessed them seeing they knew not what he meant Thirdly Physick is given to the Patient sometimes when senseless and doth him good so though children perceive not what they receive yet may get good by receiving this Seal of Grace And thus since health may be restored by administred physick when the Patient is senseless since Christ blessed those whose young years did impede their present cognition of a Blessing Lastly since God ordained circumcision for children of eight dayes old and not in vain this considered makes invalid this second Argument unless these Anabaptists will condemn all Physicians who give physick to Patients in a trance or will inveigh against the Lord who ordered circumcision on the eight day or else conclude our Savivors blessing yong children was in vain Their third Objection Christ was not baptized till thirty years of age ergo Infants ought not to be baptized To this I answer Baptisme was not in esse at Christs Birth but no sooner instituted but he was baptized though not as one saith in his infancy yet in the infancy of Baptism and because he lived in the time of the Law he was circumcised the eighth day and so soon as the New Law was proclaimed baptized according to the Gospel Again the example of Christ bindes not without a precept for then we should as Christ did onely receive the Lords Supper at the closure of our life and all our life time till then abstain from the Blessed Communion And now all considered the Anabaptists Argument is invalid And since our Saviour binds us not for all his example from Communion till our dying Secondly since he received this Sacrament so soon as it was instituted Thirdly since it was impossible for him to receive a Sacrament before ordained These seriously considered blunt the edge of the Anabaptists argument And though they would seem to give us a great down-right Blow yet have drawn from us no Blood Fourth Objection Their fourth Objection in this You have no express place in Scripture that injoyns Ministers to Baptize Children and man ought not to have a Mouth to speak for that which God alloweth not a Pen to write for Answ This Gordian knot long since hath been unloosed I mean divers Doctors of our Church have resolved this doubt it is almost impossible for me to adde one mite into their Treasury yet to recollect in short what hath been said at large is neither dishonourable to the Writer not will be unsatisfactory to the Reader I answer then though we finde it not set down totidem verbis in so many words Go and Baptize Infants yet Mark 10. ver 14. tells how unto little children belong the Kingdome of Heaven which must be understood of Infants because as followes Chirst tooke them up in his armes and blessed them And it is a sound Argument à majori ad minus that if heaven belong to them then the means to be assoiled of their sin which otherwise would obstruct their going to heaven into which no uncleane thing can enter and the means at their Age in viacognita can be no other but Baptism And of this judgement were the Primitive Fathers and are our now Modern Writers as