Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	argument_n	circumcision_n	covenant_n	4,685	5	10.4381	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

Children to wit Pardon Regeneration and the Kingdom of Heaven if the greater then the less Ans That the Grace of Pardon belongs to Children we believe flowing purely from the Grace of God in Christ to them and not by vertue of any Act of Faith in their immediate Parents That the Kingdom of Heaven also belongs to Children we fully consent to with you but that Regeneration doth belong to Children or the Duties of it is any where required of them I profess my self a Stranger and that this may issue I do sincerely promise that when you can by good warrant prove it the Duty of Infants to be regenerated and that such are regenerated according to the true sence of that word to be one with you in the baptizing of them As to the Objection formed in the close of your Argument I judge it stands strong against you till you have given us a more convincing Answer than telling us it's weakly argued amounts to appealing to your own Conscience whether Infants with respect to Spirituals are any more fit for Milk than strong Meat whilst capable of neither and whether the Prerequisites necessary to Baptism be not superiour to the Capacity of Children as those necessary to the Lord's Supper whether an actual Dying to Sin can be any more the work of an Infant than Self-examination I now come to your Third ARGUMENT I argue from Circumcision Baptism comes in the room of Circumcision Col. 2.11 12. they belong to the same Covenant they have the same Nature the same Ends and Vses there is no essential Difference therefore there is the same reason why Children should be baptized now as that they should be circumcised then and had it not been so doubtless the believing Jews would have made a scruple of it and debated with the Apostles about it as they do of other matters and that would have occasion'd a more full Decision of the Point but there was no occasion given them to raise Scruples and therefore we hear nothing of it Objection But there is no Command Answ A general Command there is for the making it an Ordinance a particular Command there did not need as to the determining the proper Subjects of it because it is what might easily be gathered from the foregoing practice of the Church And that there is no particular Command is an Argument to me that though Christ changed the outward Signs yet not the Subjects for if it had been so he would have told us And that there is no little weight in these three Scripture-Arguments and over that which is equivalent to an express Command I spake to wise men judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10.15 Third ANSWER If Circumcision be the best Authority you have for Infant-Baptism as I think it may be or at least as good as any in another Case I should mightily pity you to think how poor a shift you make to prove a New-Testament-Ordinance by an Old-Testament-Writ and an abolish'd Ceremony Is not this as good Arguing The Lord's Supper comes in the room of the Passover the Children eat of the Passover why not of the Lord's Supper But that Baptism comes in the room of Circumcision is not in the least proved nor can be from Col. 2.11 12. for there the Apostle is speaking of a Circumcision then and to this day in force to wit the cutting of the fore-skin of the Heart a putting off the Body of Sin in token whereof the believing Colossians are said to be buried with Christ in Baptism Besides that Baptism comes not in the room of Circumcision is further evident as they were both in force together from the time of Baptisms institution to the end of our Saviour's Life whereas if Circumcision had been a Type of Baptism the Shadow must have vanish'd when the Substance was come but no man will say that Circumcision was abolish'd until Christ by Death nail'd it with other Ordinances that was against us to his Cross You add They belong to the same Covenant Ans That they may appertain to the Covenant as annexed thereto by positive Institution we believe but as we told you before neither of them as Signs and Tokens proper and peculiar to the Covenant of Grace and therefore can belong only to them to whom they are assigned You say They are of the same nature Ans Is not this to say the Ministration of Christ is as legal as the Mosaical contrary to Heb. 8.6 7. and so on If Flesh and Spirit Legal and Evangelical be one in Nature then Baptism is the same with Circumcision You add further They have the same Ends and Vses Ans How that appears I know not Was not this one end of Circumcision to confirm unto Abraham and the Jews in their successive Generations that Christ the Promised Seed should come of the Line of Abraham according to the Flesh whereas Baptism hath no such End therefore the Analogy betwixt them are not the same as you imagine However from what you have said you conclude there is the same Reason that Children should be baptized now as circumcised then if you have the same warrant for the one as for the other I confess the Reason is the same else not for the tryal hereof I will briefly enquire 1. what it was that made Circumcision the Duty of Children 2. the Qualifications that gave Children a Right thereunto But 1. That which made Circumcision the Duty of Children was not their Covenant-Interest as we have before shewed Had that the Patriarchs Melchisedeck Lot and Job had had an undoubted Right thereto and their Posterity as they were of the same condition with them as before you have argued but it was the positive Command of God given out to Abraham in Gen. 17.10 Every Man-child amongst you saith the Lord shall be circumcised Here Circumcision is introduced by Divine Institution and Appointment and that you may assuredly know who are the Subjects hereof the Lord plainly tells them every male Child amongst them shall be circumcised the time when is expresly set down viz. at eight days old v. 12. They were not to do it sooner nor deferr it longer And as the Law is thus express for the Male Children through their Generations even so it is as positive for those born in their Houses that are not of their Seed and the Stranger that is bought with their Money v. 13. and also for the Proselyte Exod. 12.48 49. And to oblige all to the due observance of this Law the Lord joyns a severe Threatning of disinheriting or cutting off every uncircumcised Male Child amongst them or rather every man amongst them that circumcised not his Males else the Commination would turn its edge against the Child for the Parents Fault knowing the Child could only be passive in the thing Thus you see by what Authority Circumcision was practised 2. The Qualification that gave Children a Right thereto was not their Covenant-Interest for then their Females had the

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