Selected quad for the lemma: nation_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	baptize_v	command_v	infant_n	2,401	5	11.0217	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09383	A commentarie or exposition, vpon the fiue first chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians: penned by the godly, learned, and iudiciall diuine, Mr. W. Perkins. Now published for the benefit of the Church, and continued with a supplement vpon the sixt chapter, by Rafe Cudworth Bachelour of Diuinitie	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Cudworth, Ralph, 1617-1688.	1604 (1604)	STC 19680; ESTC S114465	595,047	756

parents are likewise to be baptised The grounds of their baptisme are these First the commandement of God Matth. 28. 18. Baptize all nations c. in which wordes the baptisme of infants is prescribed For the Apostles by vertue of this commission baptised whole families Act. 16. 31. and 38. Againe circumcision of Infants was commanded by God Gen. 17. 14. and Baptisme in the new Testament succeedes in the roome of Circumcision Col. 2. 11. therefore baptisme of infants is likewise commanded The second ground is this Infants of beleeuing parents are in the couenant of grace for this is the tenour of the couenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seede Gen. 17. 7. It may be said that this promise was made in this sort onely to Abraham because he was to be the father of the faithfull Ans. It pertaines to all beleeuing parents Exod 20. God promiseth to shew mercie to thousands of them that loue him Act. 2. 39. Peter saith to the Iewes that heard him preach The promises belong to you and to your children Paul saith If the parents beleeue the children are holy 1. Cor. 7. 14. If holy then are they in the Couenant now they are holy because we are in the iudgement of Christian charitie to esteeme them all as regenerate and sanctified secret iudgements in the meane season left to God Now then because infants are in the couenant they are to be baptised For this is the reason of S. Peter To whome the promises belong to them belongeth baptisme but to you and your children belong the promises therefore you and your children are to be baptised Act. 2. 38 39. It may be obiected that we cannot tell whether infants be indeede the children of God or no and if they be not children of God we may not baptize them Answer The same may be said of men of yeares for we knowe not whether they be indeede the children of And therefore we may by the like reason exclude them from all sacraments Againe we are to presume in all likelihood that infants of beleeuing parents are the children of God because in their conception and birth God begins to manifest his election shewing himselfe a God not onely to the parents but also to their seed Secondly it is obiected that infants haue no faith and consequently that baptisme is vnprofitable vnto them Ans. Some thinke they haue faith as they haue regeneration that is the inclination or seede of faith Others say that the faith of the parents is also the faith of their children because the parents by their faith receiue the promise of God both for themselues their children And thus to be borne in the Church of beleeuing parents is in stead of the profession of faith To this second opinion I rather incline because it is the auncient and receiued doctrine of the Church Thirdly it is alleadged that infants know not what is done when they are baptized Ans. For all this baptisme hath his vse in them for it is a seale of the couenant and a meanes to admit them into the fellowship of the visible Church whereof for right they are members A father makes a Purchasse for himselfe and his children at the time of the sealing the children know not what is done and yet the purchasse is not made in vaine for them It may be demanded whether the children of Turkes and Iewes are to be baptized Answ. No because the parents are forth of the couenant Secondly it is demanded whether the children of professed Papists are to be baptized Answ. The parents are persons baptized in the name of the father sonne and holy Ghost And though the Papacie be not the church of God yet is the church of God hidden in the papacie and to be gathered out of it and for this cause baptisme remaines still in the Church of Rome For this cause I thinke that infants of professed Papists may be baptized two cautions obserued the first that the foresaid parents desire this baptisme the second that there be sureties which promise the education of the child in the true faith Thirdly it may be demanded whether the children of wicked Christians that is of such as hold in iudgement true religion and denie it in their liues may be baptized Ans. They may for all without exceptiō that were borne of circumcized lews whereof many were wicked were circumcised And we must not onely regard the next parents but also the auncestours of whome it is said If the roote be holy the branches are holy Rom. 11. Vpon this ground children borne in fornication may be baptized so be it there be some to answer for them beside the parents And there is no reason that the wickednesse of the parent should preiudice the childe in things pertaining to life eternall Lastly it may be demanded whether the children of parents excommunicate may be baptized Answ. Yea if there be any beside the parents to answer for the child For the parents after excommunication remaine still for Right members of the Church hauing still a right to the kingdome of heauen out of which they are not cast absolutely but with condition vnlesse they repent and in part that is in respect of communion or vse of their libertie but not in respect of right or title euen as a freeman of a corporation imprisoned remaines a freeman though for the time he hath no vse of his libertie The third Circumstance concernes the time Here one question may be mooued How oft baptisme is to be administred Answ. but once for the efficacie of baptisme extends it selfe to the whole life of man and we are but once borne againe and once ingrafted into Christ. Here let it be obserued that the gift of regeneration is neuer vtterly extinguished for if a man be the second time borne againe he must be baptized againe and againe because baptisme is the sacrament of insition It may be said that a man may remain stil ingrafted into Christ by his own wickednesse make himselfe a dead member I answer that all the members of the mysticall bodie of Christ are liuing mēbers The spirituall temple is made of liuing stones 1. Pet. 2. 5. And marke what Paul saith all the bodie of Christ increaseth with the increasing of God Col. 2. 19. and Eph. 2. 21. Beleeuers are of the bone and flesh of Christ nowe there is no part of the bone and flesh of Christ that dieth The last Circumstance is touching the place that is the publike assemblie or congregation of the people of God Because baptisme is a part of the publike Ministerie and a dependance vpon the preaching of the word of God Secondly the whole congregation is to make profit by the enarration of the institution of baptisme and lastly the said congregation is by praier to present the infant baptized vnto God and to intreat for the saluation thereof the praier of many beeing most effectuall The eight and last point followes concerning the vse

borne anew by the holy Ghost Againe I answer that if the words be meant of baptisme they carrie this sense The kingdome of heauen doth not signifie life eternall but the Church of the new Testament and that in his visible estate Mark 9. 1. and baptisme makes men visible members of the Church and regeneration by the spirit makes them true and liuely members Here then baptisme is made necessarie not in respect of eternall life but in respect of our admission and entrance into the Church whereof it is now the onely meanes The seauenth point is touching the Circumstances of baptisme which are fiue The first concernes the persons which are to administer baptisme of whome I propound foure questions The first is whether not onely Ministers of the word but also lay-persons as they are called or meere priuate men may administer baptisme Ans. Ministers of the word onely For to baptize is a part of the publike Ministerie Matth. 28. 18. Goe teach all nations baptizing them And marke how preaching and baptising are ioyned together and things which God hath ioyned no man may separate Againe he that must performe any part of the publike Ministerie must haue a calling Rom. 10. 14. Hebr. 3. 5. but meere priuate persons haue no calling to this busines And whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne now the Administration of baptisme by priuate persons is without faith For there is neither precept nor fit example for it in the word of God The example of Zippora is alleadged Exod. 4. 28. who circumcised her child Ans. The example is many waies discommendable For shee did it in the presence of her husband when there was no neede shee did it in hast that shee might haue preuented her husband shee did it in anger for shee cast the foreskin at the feete of Moses And it seemes shee was no beleeuer but a meere Madianite For shee contemned circumcision when shee called her husband a man of blood by reason of the circumcision of the child v. 26. and in this respect it seemes Moses either put her away or shee went away when he went downe to Egypt Againe it is obiected that priuate persons may teach and therefore baptize Ans. Priuate teaching and Ministeriall teaching are distinct in kind as the authoritie of a master of a familie is distinct in kind from the authoritie of a Magistrate A priuate person as a father or master when he teacheth the word of God he doth it by right of a master or father and he is mooued to doe it by the law of charitie but Ministers when they teach are mooued to teach by speciall calling and they doe it with authoritie as Embassadours in the roome and stead of Christ. 2. Cor. 5. 21. Againe though a priuate man might dispense the word alone yet doth it not follow that he may administer both the word and the seale thereof both which are ioyned in baptisme and ioyntly administred The second question is whether baptisme administred by a wicked man or an here●●ke be indeede true baptisme Ans. If the said partie be admitted to stand in the roome of a true pastour or minister and keepe the right forme in baptising according to the institution it is true baptisme The Scribes and Pharisies the chiesest doctours of the Iewes were not of the tribe of Levi but of other tribes and they were indeede euen the best of them but herelikes and Apostataes and consequently to be deposed and excommunicate neuertheles because they were in the place of good teachers and fate in Moses chaire that is taught sundrie points of Moses doctrine therefore Christ saith heare them Math. 23. 1. And to this effect was the conclusion of the Churches in Africa against Cyprian Vpon the same ground the same answer is to be made if it be demanded whether baptisme administred by him that cannot preach be of force or no It were indeede to be wished that all Ministers of holy things were preachers of the word neuerthelesse if such as preach not stand in the roome of lawfull pastours and keepe the forme of baptisme it is baptisme indeede The third question is whether an Intention to baptise be necessarie in him that baptiseth Ans. If the word of Institution come to the Element it is a sacrament whatsoeuer the minister intend Paul reioyced that Christ was preached though many preached him of enuie or contention intending no good Phil. 1. 16. And the Priest in the Masse pronouncing the words of consecration if he intend not to consecrate in Popish learning there is no consecration and thus the bread eleuated is meere bread and not the bodie of Christ and consequently the people adore not Christ but an idol The intention therefore of the minde is not necessarie so be it the Institution be obserued And the efficacse of the sacrament depends not on the will of man but on the will of God The last question is what is the dutie of the Minister in baptising Ans. He stands in the roome of God and what he doth according to the Institution it is as much as if God himselfe had done it with his owne hand from heauen And therefore whē the Minister applieth water which is the signe pledge of grace to the body he doth withall applie the Promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to the partie baptised And that is as much as if God should say to the partie calling him by his name I freely giue vnto thee the pardon of thy sinnes and life euerlasting vpon condition thou keepe the order set downe in baptisme which is to turne vnto me and to beleeue in Christ. Here we see a ground of speciall faith for if God for his part by the hand of the Minister applie the promise of mercie vnto euery particular beleeuer euery particular beleeuer is againe by a speciall faith to receiue the promise Againe the consideration of this which God hath done for vs in baptisme must mooue vs seriously to turne vnto him according to all his lawes and by faith of our hearts to apprehend his mercifull promises and to rest on them For when God shall speake vnto vs particularly and as it were assure vs of his mercies with his owne hand and seale we must needs be much mooued and affected therewith The second circumstance is concerning the persons to be baptised and they are all such as be in the Couenant in likelihood or in the iudgement of charitie For the seale may not be denied to them that bring the tables of the couenant And they are of two sorts Men of yeares and Infants Men of yeares that ioyne themselues to the true Church are to be baptised yet before their baptisme they are to make confession of their faith and to promise amendment of life Act. 2. 38. and 10. 38. And thus places of Scripture that require actuall faith and Amendment of life in them that are baptised are to be vnderstood of men of yeares Infants of beleeuing