Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	apostle_n	believe_v	faith_n	1,843	5	5.6906	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65671	Infant baptism plainly proved a discourse wherein certain select arguments for infant baptism, formerly syllogyistically handled, are now reviewed, abbreviated, and reduced to a plain method, for the benefit of the unlearned, and persons of weaker capacity / by Joseph Whiston ; with a large epistle to the pious and learned among the anti-pædobaptists, especially the authors of the late confession of their faith.	Whiston, Joseph, d. 1690.	1678 (1678)	Wing W1694; ESTC R1322	72,861	137

Housholds may be rationally supposed to be considerably great These Phrases of Housholds all his and the like are a sufficient Ground for such a Supposition 3. That not only Infants new born but Children as arrived to a higher state of Childhood or Youth must be supposed to be baptized upon the account of their Fathers Faith supposing there were any such in those Housholds And the reason of this is evident because it cannot with any shew of reason be supposed that such Children though arrived to some use of Reason could yet attain to such a measure of Knowledg in the Mysteries of the Gospel as would have been necessary to qualify them for Baptism had they been to be baptized on their own account in so short a time as did intervene between the Conversion of Parents and the Application of Baptism Children though past meer Infancy yet while in their Youth or Childhood cannot be supposed to attain to the Knowledg of Gospel-Mysteries in the same space of time that Persons come up to their full maturity may do So that it must be either granted that some in or of these Housholds were baptized as the Children of believing Parents on the account of their Parents Faith or we must either deny not only that there were any pure Infants but any Children in their Childhood or Youth in these Houses or else we must contradict the express Letter of the Scriptures But now to deny the former is at least to say no more somewhat unusual that so many Houses and these considerably great should not only have no meer Infants but no Children yet in their Childhood or Youth is utterly improbable and to depart from the Letter of the Scriptures where there is no reason why we should so do is not only unreasonable but in a sence impious So that these Instances made it at least exceeding probable that some were baptized as the Children of believing Parents without consideration had to any personal Qualifications of their own Housholds were baptized and it can hardly be supposed that so many Families and these considerably great should have neither any new born Babes nor yet any as yet in their Childhood or Youth and if any such there were they must be baptized upon the account of their Parents Faith This will more clearly appear if we take a particular account of Lydia's House said to be baptized with her Acts 16.14 15. For 1. It is evident her Houshold was with her at that Assembly to whom the Apostle preached as appears from ver 15. 2dly It 's evident that this was an Assembly of Women vers 13. 3dly There 's no mention made of the conversion of any excepting Lydia her self Now that Lydia should have an Houshold all of Women as so they must be in case she had no Children and these grown up and all converted at one and the same Sermon when not one in the whole Assembly besides was converted and yet that the Holy Ghost should take no notice of any of their Conversions but only of Lydia's her self seems utterly improbable That such a thing is possible cannot be denied but sure that it is improbable must be granted As for those Brethren mentioned vers 40. there is no rational ground to suppose that they were of Lydia's Houshold said to be baptized It is certain they were not for they were all at the Assembly with her which is expresly said to have been an Assembly of Women But 2. Let it be considered that it doth not appear from Scripture that my one in or of those Housholds said to be baptized were converted before their Baptism excepting only the Persons whose Housholds they were This is evident past all Contradiction in respect of Lydia's Houshold And as for the Jailor's though it be said that Paul and Silas spake to him to Words of the Lord and to all that were in his House yet 1. From this it cannot be concluded that any said to be baptized were converted before their Baptism Acts 16.33 seems to intimate that it was after and besides all things are not recorded in the Scriptures exactly in the order in which they were done 2. It doth not appear that those to whom the Word was spoken were the same individual Persons said to be his who were baptized they seem rather to be the Prisoners and those that appertained to the Prison as Under-keepers and such like 3. Though some of them might be the same Persons yet it doth not appear that they were converted by the Word So that from these Passages it cannot be proved that any of his said to be baptized with him were converted before their Baptism And as for what is said concerning his rejoicing be with his Houshold believing in God if the words were rightly translated they are so far from proving the Conversion of his Houshold before their Baptism that they rather intimate the contrary they should be translated He rejoiced with his Houshold he believing in God And the Apostle laying the Ground of his Housholds rejoicing in his personal Faith seems plainly to imply that the Good that was the matter of their Joy did arise from his Faith And as for Stephen's Houshold there is nothing evidencing that any of them were converted before their Baptism although it is said they addicted themselves to the Ministry of the Saints yet that they were the same Persons intended in that Term Houshold said to be baptized is uncertain or suppose some of them might be yet whether they were converted before their Baptism is uncertain how long this Epistle was written after he and his Houshold were baptized we cannot say some then in their Childhood might be grown up to a capability of ministring to the Saints when this Epistle was written 3. Let it be considered in the last place that though it should be granted that some in or of those Housholds might be converted before their Baptism yet from thence it cannot be concluded that all intended in these Terms Houses or Housholds were so Suppose some in the Jailor's House might be concerted before their Baptism yet it will not follow from thence that all were so and much less will it follow that there were none in Lydia's House baptized but such as did personally believe Now if there be but a probability that any one in or of these Housholds said to be baptized were baptized on the account of their personal Faith that gives as full an evidence to the Truth pleaded for as the probability of all in those Houses being baptized on the same account would do So that sure it cannot be denied but that all these Instances do at least make it probable that some were baptized in Primitive Times as the Children of believing Parents without Consideration had to any thing in themselves and a Probability added to those foregoing Arguments may greatly establish us in the Truth pleaded for But as a Close of all let these two things be considered 1.

answerably were admitted and incorporated thereinto this way viz. by Baptism That Baptism was appointed for this end and purpose is plainly exprest 1 Cor. 12.13 And that there is any other way appointed for that end and purpose is not neither can be affirmed by any Now that Infants as under or as the Subjects of the Promise do appertain to the visible Church Kingdom or Body of Christ and were owned and look'd upon so to do both by Christ and his Apostles is plain 1. Because as under the Promise and in Covenant with God they are as personally and particularly considered the actual Subjects of the Promise of Salvation Now whosoever is as personally and particularly considered an actual Subject of the Promise they must needs appertain to the visible Church Kingdom or Body of Christ Christ is only the Saviour of his Body Eph. 5.23 Though it is true Christ in a large sence may be and is in Scripture said to be the Saviour of all Men and the Saviour of the World yet none but such as are Members of his Mystical Body at least do appertain thereunto and have a right of Admission thereinto are under the Promise of Salvation by him as personally and particularly considered Hence all others are said to be Strangers to the Covenants of Promise Eph. 2.12 So that the Infant-Seed of Believers being under the Promise of Salvation by Christ and that as personally and particularly considered and he being only the Saviour of his Body they must needs appertain to his Body and answerably ought to be admitted and incorporated into it which can be no other way but by Baptism 2. That the Infant-Seed of Believers do appertain to the visible Church Kingdom or Body of Christ and were owned and looked upon so to do by our Lord Christ and his Apostles is evident because the Apostle expresly tells us that the Promise was made unto Christ meaning it of Christ Mystical that is the Mystical Body of Christ And that the Apostle here speaks of the Mystical Body of Christ as visible is sufficiently evident because particular and individual Persons might be ordinarily known to appertain to the Body of Christ as here spoken of Hence saith the Apostle vers 28. speaking to the Galatians as visible Members of the Church Ye are all one in Christ Now it cannot be supposed that every individual Person among the Galatians were really of the invisible Body of Christ The Apostle sufficiently implieth his Fears of the contrary Gal. 3.4 so again chap. 4. vers 11 20. But yet not being so far apostatized as to disanull their Membership in the Body of Christ he tells them they were all one in Christ which undeniably shews the Apostle speaks of the Mystical Body of Christ as visible Now we evidently see he owns all to whom the Promise appertains to appertain to the visible Body of Christ or as the Promise constitutes of the Body so it appertains to them as Members of it Now I say they appertaining to and being owned by Christ and his Apostles so to do to the visible Church Kingdom and Body of Christ they undoubtedly may and ought to be and answerably were by Christ and his Apostles or by others by their allowance and direction admitted and incorporated thereinto by Baptism 3. That Infants as under this Promise may an ought to be and answerably were in Primitive Times baptized is yet further evident because the Apostle Peter plainly declares that Interest in this Promise is alone by it self a sufficient Ground for the application of Baptism Hence he exhorts those awakened Jews to be baptized upon this Ground or for this Reason that the Promise did belong unto them Acts 2.39 saith he Be baptized for the remission of Sin for the Promise is to you It is true he exhorts them to Repentance with which Faith must be conjoin'd as necessary to their Interest in the Promise but it was their Interest in the Promise that he grounds his Exhortation to them to be baptized upon Hence however Persons come to have an Interest in the Promise whether it be by their descent from Covenant-Parents or by their own personal Faith and Repentance it is all one as to our present purpose 'T is their Interest in the Promise that is the proper Ground and that alone is a sufficient Ground for the application of Baptism Be baptized for the Promise is to you not be baptized because you have repented but because the Promise is to you And this is agreeable to the first Command to keep the Covenant that is the Token of the Covenant the Command is grounded upon Interest in the Promise Gen. 17.9 Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore that is upon this Ground because the Promise is unto thee and having the Promise thou shalt upon thy Interest therein keep my Covenant So that Interest in the Promise is a sufficient Ground for the application of Baptism and Infants having an Interest in the Promise they have a sufficient Ground for the application of Baptism to them and answerably may and ought to be baptized And that which may yet further assure us that it is Interest in the Promise that is the alone Ground and that that is a sufficient Ground for the application of Baptism is the Reference that Baptism hath to the Promise It hath no necessary reference to Repentance nor Repentance any necessary reference unto it and hence Baptism may be applied where Repentance goes not before as is evident in the case of John Baptist and our Lord Christ himself 'T is the Promise alone that Baptism hath a necessary reference unto Hence whoever have an Interest in the Promise they are the true and proper Subjects of Baptism and answerably ought as in Primitive Times they had to have it applied to them IV. For the further Confirmation of this last Proposition namely That the Seed of Believers as being under the Promises of the Covenant may and ought to be baptized let the several Instances of Housholds being baptized be duly weighed That whole Housholds together with the Heads or Governours of them respectively were frequently baptized is expresly declared in Scripture Acts 16.14 15 33. So 1 Cor. 16.16 Now that we may see what Evidence these Instances give to the Truth pleaded for let three things be considered 1. That there is a very great Probability if not an absolute Certainty that if not all yet some in or of these Housholds were baptized as the Seed of believing Parents without respect had to any personal Qualifications of their own And the Probability if not Certainty of this will appear if we first consider that we must comprehend all the natural Seed in those Housholds said to be baptized Whoever were comprehended yet none of the Children ought to be excluded We must take the words of the Holy Ghost according to their proper sence and signification Now the words do necessarily include their Children 2. These House or