436 The Birth- Frtvrledge and Covenant- holinef Ch,47 in Scripture appears to be fo clear, ever came to be made a qu e- Rion: and though I fee no reafon that Mailer Firmins adverfaries íhould fly hither, in hope of help from it ; yet it is strange to me that he should Rand for the immediate parent,-excluding all me- diate predeceffours , who bath faid enough for their power in giving of this interefl to the children. He (ayes, 1 do adminifler l therefore the Seale of the Covenant unto this child by vertue of this pa_' rent , according to that Command given to Abraham the father of Beleevers with whom when the Lord entered into 6- ovenant,and' laid the foundation of the Church vifible in his family,he tookhis feed into Covenant with him,and commanded that with him they fhould' k,eepe that Seale of his Covenant, pag. 3. When God took A6ra -1 ham into Covenant and his feed with him, it was not onely his immediate feed but the iffue of his flefh at the greateft diftance, Gods Covenant with Abraham,Ifaac and Jacob , is mentioned in Gods apparition to 4iofes Exact. 3.6. and was pleaded by Mo- (es in his interceífion with God for Ifrael , Exod. 32. 13. Mofes then, and all 'Traci were in this confederation of Abraham, yea all Ifrael in fucceeding ages, Levit. z6. 4z. When the worft of Jewes make that plea, that they are Abrahams feed, the Lord Chrifl yields it, John 8. 37. and the Apoflle concludes a holi neffe in the whole body upon that account, that the root at filch a diftance, Abraham, Ifaac and 7.:tcob, were holy, Rom. u. 16. I know not how we can bottom any thing upon the grand Char- ter of God, made to Abraham, and exclude the mediate parent from all power to conferre this interefl upon pofterity. When Ja- cob calls Ephraim and Afana ff'eh by the name of fonnes, Gen. 48.9. as a father gives his bleffing to them, putting his name, and the names of his fathers, Abraham and Ifaac upon them,ver. 16. and zo. were they not to be reckoned for the fonnes and feed of Jacob? doth not their mediate Parent, as well as 7ofcph their immediate father, conferre an intereft on them ? Mr. tlooi¿er was before Mr. Firmin in this tenent,and his grounds are fully anfwer- ed by Mr. Caudrey, -in his `Diatribe concerning Infantbaptifine. I íháll only take into confìderation Mr. Firmins Reafons. Firft, Mailer Firmin yields that England had Chriflians in Pri- mitive times. i,Thoufands of Martyrs wader Diocletian but after the waters grew brackj 1h at Rome and brings it to us in England; we held (faith he) the name Chriflianity under the Romifh yoke:, till'. Mr. Fvmtns reafons and his replies to them i.,
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