Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	church_n	member_n	visible_a	4,197	5	9.3868	5	true

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

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

Believer but as the Father of and answerably was in his receiving of it the Pattern to all that should be received into the same Covenant with himself and of the same use is Baptism as is evident 1 Pet. 3.21 with Acts 2.38 3. The use and end of Circumcision was to engage those to whom it was applied to keep exactly to the Articles of the Covenant Hence they are said to be circumcised to the Lord Jer. 4.4 And for the same end again Baptism is appointed hence the Baptized are said to be baptized into or unto the Name of the Father the Son and Holy-Ghost and into or unto Christ Mat. 28.19 with Gal. 3.27 4. Circumcision was appointed a visible Badge whereby the People of God were distinguished from the rest of the World And of the same use is Baptism Gal. 3.27 afore cited Now from the Uses and Ends that the Scriptures declare Circumcision was appointed for and did serve unto we may see what were the Uses and Ends in general for or with reference unto which a Token was annexed to the Covenant And from the agreement of Baptism with Circumcision in respect of the Ends and Uses the one or the other were appointed for it evidently appears that Baptism is the present Token of the Covenant and answerably is that Ordinance appointed and substituted in the room and stead of Circumcision And as a Close to this let it be observed that though it should be granted that there were some Uses and Ends for and with reference unto which Circumcision was instituted in respect of which Baptism agrees not with it yet that hinders not but that Baptism may be and is the present Token of the Covenant seeing it serves to and performs all those Uses and Ends that a Token of the Covenant under the New-Testament can be supposed to serve to and perform But 5. That this Command doth equally and alike concern Believers and their Seed as it did concern the People of God and their Seed under the first Testament As it obliged them to be circumcised themselves and to take care that their Infant-Seed were circumcised with them so it still obligeth Believers to be baptized themselves and to take care that their Infant-Seed be baptized with them And this is evident from the Consideration of two things in the Command 1. That the Command as firstly and more generally laid down did not determine what the Token of the Covenant should be and hence was applicable and did oblige to whatever Token God should institute The words are plain and express Thou shalt keep my Covenant thou and thy Seed after thee in their Generations nor thou shalt be circumcised or be baptized but thou shalt keep my Covenant that is as afore the Token of the Covenant Hence as this Command as thus generally laid down no more obliged to Circumcision than to Baptism all that it obliged to was to keep the Covenant So when Circumcision was instituted it obliged to that but when Circumcision was laid aside and another Token instituted which is Baptism it now obligeth to that seeing the Command in the general is not revoked only the Token altered but the Command is still the same and obligeth to keep the Covenant still and answerably it obligeth Parents to have the Token applied to themselves and take care that it be applied to their Children 2. Consider the Extensiveness of the Command It is laid upon Abraham's Seed in their Generations without any limitation and hence reacheth to and lies upon Abraham's Seed under the New-Testament as well as it did upon his Natural Seed under the first Testament So that the Command not determining what the Token should be only enjoining the keeping of it whatever it should be and consequently being applicable to Baptism as well as to Circumcision and extending to and reaching all Abraham's Seed and consequently believing Gentiles as well as the Jews it is all one as if God had said Thou shalt keep my Covenant thou and thy Seed after thee their Generations Circumcision under the First-Testament and Baptism under the second these being the Covenants successively the one after the other to be kept So that here is an express Command for the Baptism of Infants though not in the very Term Baptism yet under this general Notion as it is the Token of the Covenant That Baptism is the present Token of the Covenant is before proved That this Command requires all Abraham's Seed and that in their Generation including both Parents and Children to keep the Covenant that is the Token of it is according to the express Letter of the Command And that believing Gentiles as Abraham's Seed and that under that Phrase thy Seed in their Generations are included both Parents and Children hath been abundantly proved So that still to require a Command for Infant-Baptism is little less than to reject the Scriptures What though it be not commanded under that precise Term of Baptism seeing it is commanded under that Notion as the Token of the Covenant And what though Infants are not expresly mentioned so long as they are undeniably included in the Command in that Phrase thy Seed in their Generations Surely it is all one as if they had been expresly mentioned Now that this is the true sence of this Command might be further shewn from the Lords varying the Phrase when he institutes Circumcision the then Token of the Covenant and from the necessity of interpreting other Commands as the prohibiting the making of graven Images so the requiring the Observation of the Sabbath after the same manner But that 's for the first way how this last Proposition may be proved and so I say it may be proved from the Command lying upon all that are the Subjects of this Promise to keep the Token of the Covenant that is to receive and bear it which Token to be kept is at present Baptism II. That the Infant-Seed of Believers as under or as the Subjects of the Promise may and ought to be and answerably in Primitive Times and that from the very first Institution of Baptism were baptized may be proved thus viz. Because they as the Subjects of the Promise do appertain and were owned and looked upon both by our Lord Christ and his Apostles as appertaining to his visible Church Kingdom and Body Now all that do appertain and answerably were owned and look'd upon by Christ and his Apostles as appertaining to his visible Church Kingdom and Body may and ought to be and answerably were baptized cannot be rationally questioned because Baptism was instituted for this very end solemnly to admit and incorporate into the visible Church Kingdom or Body of Christ all that do appertain thereunto and there was no other way or means appointed for that end and purpose Hence all that do appertain or were owned and look'd upon either by Christ or his Apostles as appertaining to his visible Church Kingdom or Body may and ought to be and