Baxter - BX1763 B28

(6) zedPerron i Chriffian ? Andwas it then as hard a mat- ter as you make it, to knowwhat Faith ma neceffary to a ptifna, (in thePerlon at age, or the Parent of Infants ? ) Surely then theScripture, that mentioneth the Hiffory of fo many thoufands baptized, would have told us of that . grand Controverfie , and how it was decided. But no f uchControverfie was then debated, for ought we there find. If Baptifnal Covenanting with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghol`f, as our God and Father reconciled' in Chrift, our Saviour, and our Sanäifier, be not the Symbol or Badge of Çhriflians, and that whichvifibly ma- keth them fuch ; your own Church, and all the Chriffian World is deceived. And we know that it was not the Cullom of the Apoffles and Paffors of the ancient Churches, to make a meer Ceremony and dead Forma- lity of Baptifm, by baptizing thole that would but fay the words [ I believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghofl, ] without underffanding what they faid: And therefore their ordinary Preaching was the Expofition of there three Articles : And theCreed calledThe Apoffles, is the Expofition of there three Articles ; which though fume Claufes were lince added,.and though the Churches tyed not themfelves juif to thevery fame words, (as we find by the various forms of this Creed in Irene us) rer- ttillian, Marcella"s in Epipbani q, Rujanw, t-c.) yet for the fubffance and fenfe, and moft of the verywords, all Churches ufed the fame. And when the Council of Nice taught them theway of making new Creeds, (whichHi- lary Fic7ay. fo fadly complaineth of,) yet frill the matter of the old Creed was the fubfrance of them all. And the Eaffern Creed, which was ufed before the Nicene Council, (for that fucha one there was, the moff Learned Antiquaries give us. fufficient proof,) was but the fame in fenfe

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