Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	baptism_n	baptize_v	infant_n	3,255	5	9.3290	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75851	A modest reply humbly offer'd, as an answer to, and confutation of seven arguments collected and deliver'd by Mr. Samuel Lawrence, in a sermon preach'd at his meeting-house in Namptwich, Octob. 16th, 1691, whereby he would shew, that the infants of professing Christians ought to be baptized : with a seasonable word to my brethren of the baptized church / presented by the most unworthiest of her servants, S.A.	Acton, Samuel, d. 1740?; Lawrence, Samuel.	1692 (1692)	Wing A452aA; ESTC R203313	36,660	49

is thus 1. Our Lord Jesus commands them to go to all Nations 2. To teach all Nations or Disciple them 3. That they baptize such so taught or Discipled 4. That they shall further Teach and Instruct such baptized Disciples to observe all other things that Christ hath commanded Now that this and no less than this is intended here will appear with great Evidence from the Consent of such as dissent from us And therefore Mr. Baxter speaking of this Text shews the several Work and Duty of the Apostles in their several Places and Orders who tells us in his second Disputation of Right to Sacraments Pag. 149 150 Their 1. Task is to make Disciples which Mark calls Believers 2. Their work is to baptize them whereunto is annexed the Promise of Salvation 3. Their work is to teach them all other things which are after to be learned in the School of Christ Further saith he To contemn this Order is to contemn all Rules of Order for where can we expect to find it if not here I profess my Conscience is fully satisfied from this Text that it is one sort of Faith even Saving-Faith that must go before Baptism the profession whereof the Minister must expect And in his Poor Man's Family-Book pag. 168. saith The Church never knew any Baptism but such as was joyned with a present profession of present Faith Repentance and Renunciation of the Devil the World and the Flesh and a total devotedness to God and Christ with more to this purpose And the Author of the Annotations began by Mr. Poole upon this Text expresly saith I cannot be of their mind who think persons may be baptized before they be taught we want Presidents of any such Baptisms in the Scripture tho' indeed we find Presidents of persons baptized who had but a small degree of knowledge of the Gospel but it should seem that they were all taught and then baptized Now what this Author saith farther with reference to infant-Infant-Baptism because they are a part of all Nations I leave as that which may justly evidence him guilty of Self-Contradiction and Inconsistence You add further That Christ is here prescribing a way to gather his Church and of preserving it to the Worlds end and That the Church consists of Infants as well as grown persons Answ As to the first we grant that Christ here is prescribing a way of gathering his Church but that his Church was made up of Infants as well as grown persons professing Believers is a bold Assertion and a meer Imposition upon your Auditory having not the least Light or Evidence nor being able to give so much as one Instance of any one Infant that was ever admitted by any of the Apostles a Member of any Church by Baptism in their days Could you do this you would do something to purpose but to undertake this Task would be to labour under an utter Impossibility knowing the old Maxim that says That which appears not is not You further say Had Christ said Go circumcise all Nations the Disciples would have understood what and whom he meant Answ It seems then in your Apprehension the Apostles were ignorant of what Christ meant and what they did in pursuance to his Command they did at a venture Is not this peevish Reasoning and a manifest impeaching Christ and his Disciples Was Christ so dark and unintelligible in what he commanded them that they could not apprehend him Is not Go teach and baptize all Nations as easie to be understood as Go circumcise every Male at eight days old Surely they did understand Christ and you may if you will not put out your own Eyes which I entreat you to have a care of lest continuing to preach up and practise things contrary too or at least not agreeable with the Doctrin of Christ and his Apostles you become culpable and so liable to that Anathema pronounc'd against all tho' an Angel from Heaven that shall preach another Gospel Gal. 1.8 And Maimonides tells you no more than what we allow you That the Jews of old did baptize the Proselyte and little Stranger but in that they did not use Baptism as a Sacrament as you your self acknowledge is a Tradition of the superstitious Jews an Authority sufficient to warrant you in your sprinkling Infants as a Gospel Ordinance Sure Sir this your Practice as well as some of their Traditions bespeaks Christ's Command to be void and of none effect and in plain terms gives the Lye to Mr. Baxter and more in their Comments upon the Commission of Christ For Mr. G. Lawson in his Magna Charta dedicated to Hen. B. of London pag. 27 28. tells us That the word Teach before baptizing imports a teaching with success so as to cause the persons taught to learn i. e. to receive their Doctrin understand it approve it be convinced of the Truth of it and be converted by it so far as to be made Christians And so the Apostles understood Christ as is evident by their whole practise and if you dare not say that they were mistaken in the mind of Christ I am sorry you give me occasion to tell you that you are and as a Friend I advise you to correct the mistake you are under and act for time to come more conformably to Christ's Doct●in and his Apostles Practice But you further urge The practice of the Apostles in baptizing whole Housholds for your practice in baptizing Infants Answ That Housholds was baptized we grant but that Infants was in those Houses is more than you can prove and the best ground you have for your Practice here is Probability there may be and may not be is too slight a Ground to build so great an Ordinance upon as Baptism We could give you an account of as many Housholds in this County if not in this Town that are baptized and that have no Children in them as you read of in the Gospel but admit there were Children which remains for you to prove yet it follows not that they were baptized it being usual in Scripture to take a part for the whole as 1 Sam. 1.21 saith All the House went up to offer the yearly Sacrifice yea the 22 23. Verses say expresly That Hannah and her Child Samuel went not up yet all the House So Luke 2.1 In those days went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed yet who will understand any other part of the World than that within his own Dominions and within the bounds of his own Territories yet all the world And so in many other places But to speak of these Housholds in particular will if I mistake not turn your own Artillery against you which we shall do in a few words and 1. To the Houshold of Lydia 'T is said she and her Household was baptized Acts 16.15 but no ground to conclude that there were any Infants there but a fair ground to suspect the contrary and that she might

enough is granted and that you need not make them worse believing you will never be able to prove the difference so great between the Issue of Jews and Gentiles that had an equal advantage of being born of Parents that were lawfully married what degree of Sanctity descended upon the Jews in lawful Marriage more then upon the Off-spring of the Gentiles under the same Circumstance I know not and yet I believe Israel was a People blest with an Eminent Holiness above the Gentile Nations in common But then that peculiar Holiness streamed to them from another Fountain than meerly being born of the Jews in holy Matrimony to wit the Grace and Love of God in that he was pleased to choose them before any other Nation to make them his People and accordingly blest them with holy Laws and Ordinances as Psalm 147.19 20. That every one born of Jewish Parents was a Jew is not doubted but that the Jews were Church Members by their Birth is not so easie for if they were Church Members so soon as born they had a right I conceive to the Priviledges thereof But with respect to the Passover we are expresly told that no uncircumcised Person shall eat thereof Exod. 12.48 And that such as are born to you English men are English men and so accounted though born in France Spain or Ireland where such born of English Parents even disdain to be accounted but English but that such as are born of Christians are Christians is a Paradox and absurd with a witness considering that no less then a believing the Doctrine and an imitation of the Life and Manners of Christ can truly denominate a Man to be a Christian At this rate a Man that is an Idolater begets an Idolater and an Hypocrite begets an Hypocrite Strange Divinity And as to the Text you cite Rom. 11.16 it favours not your Conclusion at all for if by First-fruits and Root you will understand those holy Persons Abraham Isaac and Jacob yet its evident the whole Lump and Branches were not so by their manifest rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ for amongst whom did he meet with more notorious Enemies then amongst the Jews Did their tempting belying betraying accusing condemning and executing the Lord of Life bespeak them to be a holy Lump which in your sence they must be as they proceeded from a holy Root to wit Abraham notwithstanding the many Insolencies and Indignities wherewith they treated the Lord Jesus How directly opposite is this to what Christ saith of the Jews the natural Seed of Abraham who notwithstanding that tells them That they were of their Father the Devil John 8.44 But by that Scripture we may understand that as God did look favourably on Abraham the Root of that People so also he doth favour the Branches of that whole Nation that sprang from him and therefore as some of the Jews had received Christ and were thereby interested in the Divine Favour so the words rightly understood are an Incouragement to the Unbelieving Jews that stand of to come into Christ assuring them thereupon that he would not reject them but take them into his Favour as Branches that proceeded from so holy a Root they also contain an Argument to take off the Gentiles that were come in from judging and censuring the Jews upon their Rejection and being Cast off for though God in Justice hath cut off the obdurate Jew and graciously taken in the Gentiles through believing yet from that favour he anciently bore towards that People he will not have the Gentiles to despise them who is ready to receive them into favour as Branches springing from so holy a Root if they continued not in Infidelity which is evident in this and the following Verses so that all the Scripture speaks of Infants right to Baptism whether more or less or nothing at all it 's evident you have said nothing to purpose from it I pass to your Sixth ARGUMENT What hinders but that the Children of professing Believers may be baptized Nothing on God's part who hath declared himself ready to receive them and take them into Covenant together with their Parents and said That of such is the Kingdom of Heaven nothing in the Sacrament they may have all that is essential unto Baptism given unto them as well as to Adult grown Persons nothing on the Ministers part but they may baptize Infants as well as grown Persons and nothing on the Childrens part as hath been shewn they are capable of it and have a right unto it as they were capable of Circumcision and had a right to it Sixth ANSWER As to the first of what is contain'd in this Argument of their being taken into Covenant and belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven is sufficiently spoke to already in my Answers to your Second and Fourth Arguments A word or two to the Querest demanding what hinders Methinks this Question is so fully resolved by the Holy Ghost in that Eighth of the Acts verses 36 37. that no thinking Man could without blushing have so interrogated However if you are willing to know I will tell you and amongst many things there is one that may warrantably hinder and that is a total want of Command from God for your Authority could you once preface your practice with a Thus saith the Lord every Mouth would be stopped but till then we humbly desire who hath required this at your hands it may be worthy your search for sure that which God never had a will to require he will never have a heart to accept if things but half done in pursuance to his Command be a rejecting his Authority as in the Case of Saul how much more a doing things in his Name to which he never directed If the Lord delights not in the Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices he once required comparatively to an obeying his Voice how much less will he delight in Works of Supererogation in things done over and above in what he hath commanded See 1 Sam. 15.22 23. But if you assign the Commission of Christ for your warrant is it not plain from thence that you have broke his Law and changed his Ordinances and that at best you do but one thing for another which is not one jot the better for this cause the Earth is defiled and the Land mourneth for truly may the Lord say as Isaiah 24 5. They have transgressed my Laws and changed my Ordinances Sir That an express Command is necessary for the warranting your practice is no more then what you have acknowledged viz. That it is the Command of God only that can constitute an Ordinance of God which you affirm your sprinkling of Infants to be therefore assign your Command as you would the Lord should not say of you as of others in another Case They have done that which I commanded them not neither came it into my heart Jer. 7.31 Neither will you ever be able to quit your selves from the Guilt of Will-worship which we justly

because there is no light in them Isai 8.20 To do more then he hath required or to do one thing that is not required for another that is will be found in a Day of Tryal equally Abominable with a not doing his Requirements at all It 's certain all Persons and Things shall be pronounced good or bad as they have or have not agreed with this perfect Law of GOD's Word all Decrees of Councils all Doctrines of Men all Controversies in Religion must be brought to the Test and abide the Award and Determination thereof Now that I may not detain you here let me humbly and earnestly beg three things of you 1. That you will pass Judgment upon what is commended to your view in the Arguments for with the Answer and Arguments against Infant-Baptism according as they bear proportion to GOD's Sacred Word and not as they accord with far-fetcht Consequences and doubtful Conclusions which at best in Matters of Worship can prove but one uncertain Medium and forged Warrant which through the unwearied Industry of some skilful Artificers is made fatal to many even such who do either affect Art above Truth or such who have not skill to discern and so become no less deceived then certain Country Peasants in some former Troubles in France of whose Folly * Epistle to Jesephus one tell us They attempting and entring into a City not far from them and lighting into an Apothecary's Shop furnisht with all kind of Drugs and Dainties and being allured by the pleasant Odours and delight of the Confections they tasted and supposing all to be of the same kind took and swallow'd down every thing whereupon some fell sick of Feavers some grew Frenzy and many lost their Lives to please their Appetites at least he that scap'd best gave occasion of Laughter to the Lookers on What use I shall make of this shall be only to put you in mind that it is recorded for the eternal Commendation of the noble Bereans That they would not receive any thing though offered by a Paul until by searching the Scriptures they had found whether those things he taught were so or no. 2. In reading of these Lines that you would lay aside all Prejudice that may possess your Minds either against the Person or Subject else the Mind by it will be rendred utterly uncapable of making right Judgment or receiving Truth though it presents itself with never so much Plainness and Evidence Prejudice was one if not the principal Cause why the Jews rejected CHRIST 3. Having thus discharg'd your Minds of what may hinder your Profit be earnest with GOD in Prayer to help you rightly to discern between the Mystery of Godliness the Iniquity that is contain'd and detected in the Scriptures and then I trust the Plainness of Dress in which these Lines appear will not be of considerable Disadvantages to the Truths contain'd therein for the more false any thing is the more artificially it had need to be set off and adorned A blear'd Eye loves not to look on the Sun Art and Humane Eloquence may tickle the Ear and well-pollish'd Discourses may affect the Fancy and yet prove but a mear Sound of Words and empty Husks remembring it's said of Lacon Hearing a Nightingale sing by the briskness of its Warbling and delicate Notes and the clearness and quavering Cadency of its Voyce judg'd it a good Prey but when he found and saw it to be of so small a Size he disdainfully left it and said Thou art a Voyce and nothing else Therefore where the Evidence of Truth appears refuse it not because offer'd in and presented under the Disadvantage of an unpollish'd Style but let the Reason of what is said be considered And that the LORD may give you Vnderstanding shall be the Prayer of him that wisheth you present and eternal Peace from GOD the Father through our LORD JESVS CHRIST in whom though the Vnworthiest of his Servants I am yours S. A. A Modest Reply TO Mr SAMVEL LAWRENCE HIS Seven Arguments FOR Admitting the Infants of Professing Christians into the CHURCH of CHRIST by Baptism deliver'd in a SERMON by him preach'd in Namptwich Octob. 18th 1691. AS it may be safely concluded that the great Interest of Man's present Peace and eternal Felicity is eminently concern'd in Religion and Godliness even so all true Religion is taught and takes its Being only from Divine Revelation which God in former Ages and divers manners gave out until the Knowledge of his Will was most perfectly reveal'd in and by his Son and our Saviour Heb. 1.1 2. who in Faithfulness to his Church discharged the Trust committed to him ceasing not to make known to the least Jot and Tittle every thing which he receiv'd or heard of the Father Joh. 15.15 He alone being found worthy to set up a Standard and to become a Law-giver and Statute-maker unto all Generations in things partaining to the Worship of God who no sooner had transmitted the Mind of Heaven to the Children of Men by a sure and perfect Law but it passes the Royal Assent he fixes the Seal of his own most precious Blood unto it for its Confirmation and then by the Father is advanced to the highest Dignity and Glory as a convincing Evidence not only of his Son's Faithfulness but the Purity and Perfection of that Law which he hath enacted as the only Mediator to the end Man should be perfect in the whole Will of God And in further Testimony thereof how great hath Heaven's care been throughout all Ages in preserving the Scriptures clean from those Corruptions and Errours which the Heart of Man tho' learn'd if unsanctied is too apt to dote on and cleave unto it is no less then wonderful to consider in whose hands the Sacred Scriptures in past Ages have been lodged and by whom they have been handed down to us that they have yet strength so loudly to bear Witness against Errours entertained with such Fondness and maintain'd with such Heat as of late hath appeared particularly in the Defence of that Unscriptural Practice of Infant Baptism and that there is not yet so much as one Word to be produced as their Warrant in doing what they have so earnestly contended for strongly argue that God hath marvelously over-ruled the Heart and Hands of all heretofore concern'd in that blessed Work of Translating the Scriptures into a Language known and understood by every one of us And as to the Sufficiency of Scripture as it contains all things necessary to be believed known or done either for Salvation or Church Communion I know not that what is said in the sixth Article of the Church of England is forreign to the Judgment of any Professing Christian saving those of the Papal Communion and some few of late sprung up who through Temptation and the Delusion of their own Hearts have rejected the Word as it is contain'd in the Scriptures of Truth as Useless the one accounts it insufficient to

much as one Infant Fourth Argument If Infants ought to be Baptized then Infant Baptism is a part of Divine Worship either natural or positive but Infant Baptism is no part of Divine Worship either natural or positive therefore they ought not to be baptized The Major is true by your own grant that Infant Baptism is an Ordinance of Christ The Minor appears thus If it be any part of Natural Worship it is to be found either among the Heathen that have not the Law or certainly among the Patriarchs who were before the Law But it hath not been known to either of them 2 If it be a part of Positive Worship then it becomes so by Precept and Command but there is no Command if there be assign it Note All Commands are either Express or Implicite An Express Command requires the performance of it an Implicite Command shews that some have been commended in the practice of it or blamed in the neglect of it but you can shew neither I shall take leave to wave a term and so turn the edge of Mr. Baxter's Sword against you in my fifth and sixth Arguments which I find in his Plain Scripture Proof falsly so called p. 130. Fifth Argument That practice which goeth upon meer uncertainty and hath no Scripture Rule to guide it is not according to the will of Christ but the practice of baptizing Infants goes upon mear uncertainty and hath no Rule in Scripture to guide it therefore it s not according to the will of Christ nor ought Infants to be baptized Sixth Argument That practice which doth necessarily fill the Church with perpetual Contention as being about a matter that cannot be determined by any known Rule is not according to the mind of Christ But the practice of baptizing Infants is such as will necessarily fill the Church with perpetual Contention as that which cannot be determined by any known Rule therefore it is not according to the mind of Christ nor ought Infants to be baptized Seventh Argument That practice which renders the practice of Christ and his true Followers who were baptized in Rivers or much water superfluous or ridiculous and which agreeth not with the word Baptize when used in the New Testament to express the act done in that Ordinance is contrary to the Command of Christ But the sprinkling of Infants now used by you renders the practice of Christ and his true Followers who were baptized in Rivers or much Water superfluous or ridiculous and agreeth not with the signification of the word Baptize when used to express according to the New Testament the act done in that Ordinance therefore Infant Baptism is contrary to the Command of Christ and ought not to be The Major is true because Christ hath Commanded nothing that reflects dishonour upon his own practice The T.G. Minor is true because if Sprinkling a little Water upon the Face only be sufficient then Immersion or Dipping in the River must needs be superfluous c. Neither can the word Baptize and Rantise with any equity of Speech or good Sense be used to express the same Action Now how poor and paultry soever our Arguments against your practice as you term them may be I leave to consideration judging these sufficient to justifie all in refusing Infant Baptism and if possible to perswade you more effectually to endeavour the restoration of this Ordinance to its pristine Purity in which you will do well And so Farewel The CONCLUSION Being a Word to my Brethren of the Baptized CHVRCHES INto whose of your hands soever these Lines may come with them I greet you in the Lord through whom from God the Father I sincerely wish you an increase of all Grace and Peace praying that you may keep your selves in the love of God and in a patient waiting for the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And that we may be without blame in that day let us in this day Brethren consider our Calling and the Obligation we are laid for ever under by that Grace which God through Christ hath so freely and fully imparted unto us so as that every one of us may fill up our places in the Church of God adorning the Truth which we profess as it is in Jesus ordering the affairs of our whole Conversations with circumspection expressing Piety flowing from hearts sincere towards God and Humility Love and Reverence towards all Men in all things a defect in either of these may justly make way for a What do ye more then others Without controversie if any People in the World have the true Form of Godliness you have and in holding fast the Form of sound words ye do well but better in making manifest the Power of Godliness without which the true Form will not avail but turn to our detriment I design not to impeach any of you though I would to God there were no cause but earnestly perswade to a more compleat and constant Conformity to Christ our Head not only in Doctrine but in Imitation that Holiness with the Fear and Favour of God may fill our Assemblies and Houses to their utmost Borders and our Hearts being fill'd with Love thereto we may at all times by good Conversations shew forth our works with meekness of Wisdom James 3.13 This would certainly render Arguments for Truth more powerful and convincing and atract and win upon the hearts of the more considerate and wise though not one with us in holy Baptism whenas Prophaneness Folly and Uncharitableness in Israel will dis-ingage and harden more than a whole Volume of the most pregnant and invincible Arguments will make to yield Therefore Brethren as we are called to Holiness let us expressively evidence that what we know of God in Christ is more than speculative And to that end 1. Be ready unto every good Work that refers to your Duty to God in that relation you stand in to the Church of God 2. Be truly generous and wise in your deportment towards all Men especially the more Sober and Religious avoid Censoriousness and Unwarrantable Judging of such treat them in love as Brethren and occasionally as you have opportunity contend earnestly for the Truth yet without heat and passion Maintain your Communion intire and Separation compleat from all whose fear more or less in the Worship of God is taught by the Traditions of Men and not after the Traditions given us by Christ and his Apostles yet in all things wherein we are agreed let us walk uniting in Affection till God shall reveal the rest unto them praying earnestly that God would cause the Beams of Gospel Light powerfully to dart into the Minds of all helping them by Divine Illumination to discern Truth 's shining Beauty and Excellency that all Error may fall before it as Dagon did before the Ark and that none may find either heart or hand to support it that Christ's own Fold may be filled with his own Sheep in this our day yea through the Increase of Knowledge and Righteousness let Honour and Glory be given to the Lamb and all the Earth know that the Lord alone is God Amen FINIS

Evidence against you which speaks in the Nineteenth Article as follows The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful Men in the which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same which strongly bespeaks the Church of Christ to be exclusive of Infants Further your grant that Children before Baptism belong to the Kingdom of Heaven doth call into question that part of the Church Catechism which teacheth her Catticuminies to say That in their Baptism they were made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritors or Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and if they are Members of the Church as you confess they belong to the Kingdom of Heaven is not your own practice as forreign when as in your baptizing any do tell the People that thereby that Child becomes a Member of the Church of God a goodly favour you do 'em indeed by Baptism you make them what it seems they were before and no more by your own Grant Again That your Conclusion is not true that saith Because little Children are of the Kingdom of Heaven therefore they are of the Church and ought to be admitted by Baptism is further evident in that there are many that shall be saved as have not the least shew of Right to a Place in and to the Priviledges of the Church of Christ of which Infants are some who have not fin'd actually against the Law of Nature and the rest are those Heathens who do live and walk up to that Light and Law of Nature which God hath placed in them who are not blest with the Gospel Light nor any Divine Revelation over and above the Light of Natural Conscience and surely some such there may be of whom the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.14 who do by Nature the things contain'd in the Law and with reference to such in all probability Christ spake saying Many shall come from the East and from the West meaning the most remote parts of the Earth and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out Matth. 8.11 12. If it be granted that there may be any such it 's evident the Kingdom of Heaven will be a Receptacle for them but who in the least can imagine that they have any right to Gospel Priviledges so that your Conclusion must needs fall A right to Heaven from this Text is granted them but it yields them not the least Evidence of a Right to a Church Relation and Priviledge So that I conceive all your pains in pleading from this Text vain and in all that you have said to be but like one that beateth the Air. A gallant Vapour brandishing a Sword that hath no Enemy to strike at 1 Cor. 9.26 You say the same Objections lye against their being saved as against their being baptized if they cannot actually believe Mark 16.16 Answer That Faith in Jesus Christ is made the Condition on which all Men must be saved to whom the Gospel either was is or ever shall be preached is certain yet as the Gospel never was appointed to be preached to Infants as such neither is it by you nor any Man in this day so it is not required any where of them to believe in order to their bring saved If it be who required it and where And since their natural Capacities is such as renders the work of Believing impossible to them without a Miracle whose Faith shall save them their immediate Parents nay rather the Faith of our remote Father to wit Adam as his Unbelief at first destroyed them so in likelyhood his Faith should interess them in the Grace of Eternal Life but we say the Faith of neither for the Faith and Righteousness of all believing Parents in the World considered in one will not be of Merit sufficient to save one Victim Ezek. 14.14 No this Benefit flows purely from the Fountain of all Grace and is conveyed to them by another Stream to wit God's free and full imputing the Righteousness of Christ the second Adam by whose Righteousness Life and Meritorious Death they are inverted with a Justification unto Life Eternal Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Were it so that the Faith of Parents did intitle their Children to Salvation how unworthily would it reflect upon our Lord Jesus as if he could not save Innocent Babes without their Parents believing and strongly conclude God to be more prone to Severity then Mercy in saving a very few i. e. the Children of believing Parents and Eternally damns all the rest from their Mothers Womb for what they could not help viz. a remote Fathers sinning and an immediate Fathers not believing but how contrary is this to that God whose Mercies are over all his Works Psalm 145.8 9. So that it 's evident the Salvation of dying Infants is sure though they believe not in the sence of that Text Mark 16.16 or with that Faith which alone qualifies a Person for Baptism So I come to your Fifth ARGUMENT The Children of Believers are said to be holy this is plainly set down in the Text which cannot be meant are Legitimate not Bastards for that could not be accounted if both the Parents had been Unbelievers neither was that the Question which the Apostle here handles Neither can it be understood absolutely of real holiness for then Parents could convey Grace to their Children and a gracious Man could not have graceless Children but it must be meant of foederal Holiness as they who were born of the Jews were Jews not common and unclean as Heathen but accounted as in the Church and within the Covenant so that you that are born of Christians are to be accounted Christians therefore have a right to the Priviledges of Christians 2. Scripture doth explain and confirm this Acts 10.15 28. and Rom. 11.16 if the Root be holy so are the Branches And it 's very observable that of the little that 's spoke of the case of Children in the New Testament all is for it and not one word against it Fifth ANSWER That the Children of Believers are holy we believe and that their Holiness is founded upon a better Basis than the Faith of their immediate Parents and also that it is different from that of their Parents and such a Holiness as is so far from inrighting them to Baptism as that till they come to sin it doth much rather exempt them For if Baptism be a Sign that signifies to all that submit to it the Remission of Sins as Scripture sufficiently shews Acts 2.38 and Mark 1.4 c. then I pray of what use can Baptism be to those who are under no actual Commission of Sin and as such