Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	church_n	infant_n	visible_a	1,818	5	10.0471	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79560	The divine warrant of infant-baptism. Or VI. arguments for baptism of infants of Christians. viz. I. Infants of Christians are rightly judged in the promise of propriety in God. p.1. II. Infants of Christians are rightly judged to be of the church. p.20. III. Infants of Christians are rightly judged meet for baptisme. p.25. IV. The sealing of the promise to infants of visible professors, hath been the practise of the universal church ever since God added seals to the covenant. p.30 V. The profit of baptism is great to the infants of Christians. p.36. VI. The promise was sealed by the initiall sacrament aforetime to infants of visible professors, both Jews and of the Gentiles. p.38. / By John Church, M.A. minister of Seachurch, in the county of Essex.	Church, Josiah.	1648 (1648)	Wing C3987; Thomason E441_9	42,925	58

judged to be in that promise The Consequence I prove by four Arguments Argum. 1. That promise of proprietie in God was not a specialtie which I prove by seven Arguments 1. It was not peculiar to Abraham and visible professors for it was sealed by the initiall Sacrament to the infants of such neither was it peculiar to Abraham and his naturall seed for it was sealed by the initiall Sacrament to the infants of visible professors of the Gentiles no less then to them no difference was to be made the stranger was as one home-born Exod. 12 48 49 and there was one Law for both Nor yet was it peculiar to that church-Church-State it being a Nationall Church 1. Promises of proprietie in God are not to any in reference to a particular Church onely either Nationall or Congregationall but in reference to the Catholick Church to which they appertain 2. Visible professors and their Infants were judged in that promise before the existence of a Nationall Church 3. Visible professors and their Infants which were of other Nations were judged in that promise 4 Since the dissolution of that church-Church-State Christians are said to be Children of the Promise after the manner of Isaac Gal. 4.28 who was in that promise as an infant of beleeving Parents before he was in it as an actuall beleever 2. That promise was a Catholick promise the most eminent promise of the Covenant of Grace which was a Catholick Covenant therefore it was no specialty but the blessing of Abraham which was to come on the Gentiles by Christ Gal. 3.14 Rom. 11.17 Rom. 15.8 9 and the fatness of the Olive tree in which they were to pertake and the promise which Christ came to confirm that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy 3. Promises of proprietie in God are no specialties for God is a God to his in every age upon the same terms during the Covenant by which he gives proprietie in himself 4. That promise was given to Abraham as father of all the faithfull of every Nation Gen 17 5. and a publick person representing them in every age and not onely as father of the Jewish Nation onely and therefore no specialty 5. That promise was an everlasting promise and not to end with the dispensation and some temporarie promises of it Gen. 17.7 1. This is expresly affirmed of it 2. God is a God to his in every age upon the same terms Mal. 3.6 he changes not 3. Visible professors and their Infants are alike in every age and there is nothing in them Iam. 1.17 inconsistent with proprietie in God in one age more than in another 4. That promise is not taken away by the comming of Christ for since he finished the work he came to do Rom. 11.28 the Apostle saith the Children are beloved for the Fathers and parents becomming visible professors their children were judged by the Apostles to be in the promise with them and denominated holy Act. 2.39 1 Cor. 7.14 Esa 61.8 9 Ier. 30.20 as aforetime and it was prophesied that when the Jews shall be graffed in again which shall be by vertue of that promise the off-spring shall be accounted blessed with the parent and that the children shall be as aforetime 6. Though a priority in God may be yeelded to the Jews and their seed yet a sole propriety may not The Jew was the elder sister and Christs first bride and they had the first hand-sell of Free-grace in a Church-way but they and their seed never had the sole propriety in God Gentiles becomming visible professors did partake in it and their Infants whosoever feared God Psal 128.1.3 his Children were Olive plants as well as theirs 7. The former part of that promise I will be a God to thee is undenyably common to all beleevers Therefore that Promise being not a specialty the Infants of Christians are rightly judged to be in it as the Infants of the Jews were for Christians and their Infants have the same priviledges specialties excepted Eph. 2.14 1. The Partition wall is broken down and they are made one 2. The breaking off was of incorrigible Apostates and their seed and not of visible professors and theirs these suffered no losse by the breaking off Rom. 11.1 Eph. 4. 3. Christians have like precious faith and their Infants are no more Infidels then theirs were 4. Christians in this dispensation are children of Abraham Luc. 19.9 1 Pet. 3 Rom. 8.17 Zacheus becomming a Christian is called a son of Abraham and Christian women daughters of Sarah and therefore heirs of his priviledges which were not specialties in Abrahami successimus haereditatem quae de illo dicta sunt in nobis liberis nostris quadrant Pet. Martyr 5. Christians are in this dispensation as Jews were in the former they are called as they were An holy Nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.9 Tit. 2.14 a Royall priesthood c. And every Nation receiving the faith as the Nation of the Jews did and in which there is a nationall agreement in doctrine worship and discipline as was in the Nation of the Jews is to be accounted to the Lord in every age Psal 22.30 even Aegypt and Assyria with Israel Isai 19.25 Gen. 17.5 Posita causa ponitur Causatum and may call Abraham Father who obtained the father-hood of many Nations and may be accounted a nationall Church no lesse then that nation was 6. That promise of proprietie in God was to Abraham and the Jews as Beleevers and promises to believers as such if they be not specialties appertain to all beleevers as they do to any Iosh 1.5 Heb 13 5 The promise of Gods presence with Joshua is applyed to all beleevers Argum. 2. As much love is manifested to the Infants of Christians in this dispensation as was to the Infants of Jews in the former Christ in this dispensation became one of them the Infants of Jews had the promise and of Christians the performance Christ on earth commanded the Infants of such as honoured him to be brought to him and with anger rebuked his Disciples for despising the day of those small things he imbraced them blessed them Mark 10 14 16 affirmed that his kingdome was of them numbred them with beleevers Mat. 18 and taught that his Angels were their Guardians and admonished those of riper years to be like them in innocencie humilitie Ephes 6.4 c. commanded by his Apostles that they should be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord c. Therefore it is not to be beleeved that the promise of propriety in God is rent away from the Infants of visible professors and that they are without God Eph. 2.12 and without hope in this dispensation as the children of Infidels are Argum. 3. The Infants of Christians are as capable of the promise of propriety in God as the Infants of the Jews were

since God added seals to the Covenant of grace Ergo THat it was the practise of the Church in the time of the old Testament notwithstanding some omissions and intermissions cannot be denyed And that it hath been the practise of the Catholick Church in the present dispensation of the Covenant I conclude from two Propositions which I will prove Propos 1. The sealing of the Covenant to the infants of Christians by baptism the initial Sacrament of the present dispensation was the practise of the Church in the Apostles times This I prove by four Arguments Argum. 1 I. Sealing the Covenant by an initial Sacrament to infants of Gods people aforetime was not peculiar to that church-Church-state For 1. The promise of propriety in God sealed to such infants was not peculiar to the infants of that time for it was part of the most eminent Promise of the Catholick Covenant of Grace with the universal Church 2 Sealing the Promise by an initial Sacrament is not only in reference to a particular Church either National or Congregational but principally in reference to the Catholick Church for initial Sacraments primarily respect it this is evident in that Baptism is mentioned as a Sacrament of initiation into that body 3. 1 Cor. 12 13. The dissolution of that Church state did not dissolve the sealing of that Promise by an initial Sacrament to all Infants Rom. 21 17. for there was a breaking off only of some branches and not of all and therefore some are in statu quo prius and of right to enjoy such priviledges as were not specialties but common to the species therefore the method used aforetime was observed in their days Argum. 2 II. In this dispensation the Apostles judged the same of Infants of Christians that was judged in the former of the Infants of Gods people They affirmed the children in the Promise with the parents denominated the Children of Christians holy taught that the blessing of Abraham was come on the Gentiles by Christ Acts 2.39 1 Cor 7 14. Gal 3.14 Rom 11 17. and that Christians were graffed in for Jews broken off c. therefore the Promise was sealed by the initial Sacrament to Infants with their Parents as afore time in their days for such as they judged such things of the initiated by Baptism Argum. 3 III. Where the heads of families became Christians the Apostles baptized them and all theirs Acts 16.15 33 1 Cor. 1.16 even their whole housholds at their request of which divers instances as sufficient witnesses that it was their practise are left upon the sacred file of the Word which was the method used aforetime in the initial Sacrament Gen 17. Objection By housholds must be understood the discipled of them by preaching of the Gospel and not every individual Exod. 12.48 for in those times there were in Christian Families oft Infidels which ought not to be baptized Answer The Apostl●s practise is best interpreted by practises in like cases Gen. 17.12 13 Exo 12.48 49 Abraham was required to circumcise all his males born in his house and bought with his money likewise the Converts of the Gentiles in whose families some doubtless were Infidels and refused Circumcision such might depart the family and were to be cut off from it Gen. 17.14 and all the rest having a natural capacity great and small were circumcised The like was the practise of the Apostles in baptizing households for the order that they gave concerning Infidels in Christian families was that they should have liberty to depart the family 1 Cor. 7.13 though tyed to it by the strongest relation and there is great reason to conclude that they baptized the rest great and small For 1. it was an ancient known custom in the Church for religious Parents to devote their Infants with themselves to the Lord and to undertake the bringing them up in the fear of God 1 Cor. 11 16. and ancient pious customs of the Church they honored and followed 2. They judged the Children with the Parents in the Promise and foederally holy 3. They had been sharply rebuked by Christ for despising the day of those small things and sent to learn of them innocency humility c. and taught that the kingdom of God was of such as well as of actual professors 4. There is nothing in the Apostles Commission inconsistent with sealing the Promise to Infants of Christians by Baptism the initial Sacrament For that which was given them in Commission Mat. 28.19 20 was that they should Disciple the Nations which were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptizing and teaching them to do all that Christ had commanded which was the method used in the former dispensation Abraham and all of riper years were Discipled before the sealing of the Covenant by the initial Sacrament yet was the Covenant sealed to Infants of visibl● professors by the initial Sacrament which was a seal of the righteousness of faith 5. Isai 22.24 Infants are essential and most innocent parts of the family the off-spring is the glory of the house Argum. 4 IV. The most ancient credible Writers refer the original of Baptism of Infants to the Apostles times Calvin affirms that there is no Writer so ancient which doth not refer the original of Baptism of Infants to the Apostles days Nullus est scriptor tam vetustus qui ejus originem ad Apostolorum seculum pro certo non refert Calv. instit l. 4. c. 16. § 8. Origen affirms that the Church received instruction to baptize Infants from the Apostles Ecclesia traditionem baptizandi parvulos ab Apostolis accepit Orig. l. 2. in Roman c. 6. Dionysius saith that it was delivered by the Apostles that Infants should be baptized Ab Apostolis traditum fuit ut Infantes baptizarentur Dionys Augustine mentions it as a custom of the universal Church received from the Apostles and saith it were not to be received if it were not Apostolical Consuetudo matris ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis non esset omnino credenda nisi Apostolica traditio esset August Propos 2. Baptizing Infants of Christians hath been the practise of the universal Church from the times immediately following the Apostles days and it hath been held by the same a divine institution long before the man of sin was revealed Zanchy whose testimony is honored by all of sound judgment witnesses that the Catholick Church never doubted of Baptism of Infants of those that might be judged of the Church De Infantibus eorum qui de Ecclesia esse judicentur Ecclesia Catholica nunquam dubitavit Zanch. in Eph. p. 226. In the second Century about the year 143. Higinus Bishop of Rome appointed god-fathers and god-mothers to undertake for Infants in Baptism Willet in Rom. c. 6. controv 6. which argues that Baptism of Infants was in use then and before Augustine lived in the fourth Century and he called it the custom of the mother Church Origen living