Ch47 of the file of Beleevers. gument ad rem. No fin but that of nature defcends to pofterity; man tranfmits not his perfonall vices, neither fault nor guilt, no more then his graces. And for the fentence that cannot reach the childe, I never read that Church.cenfures were like that plague laid upon cehaz.i, to cleave to him and to his feed. In any legali proceeding, the childe is not to be punned for the fathers fault; there was a Law againft it, Deut. z-1. 16. The fathers (hall not be put to death for the children neither fball the children be put to death for the fathers ; every man (hall be put to death for his own fin ; and ,lmaziah King of 7udah is commended for obfervation of it, and (in his a&s of juftice) proceeding according to it, 2 Chron. 25.3.f. and we read not that any Ecclefiaftical cenfure fhould tranícend it. r`he childe of a thief is not committed with him to prifon, and I fee no reafon that he should be committed with him to Satan : ifay then there is right to Baptifme in the childe of an excommunicate perfon. I with our Brethren would flick here, and not refufe thofe children, whole parents are under no Ex- communication. 443 SECT. III. The intereft of the Infants of Apofates difcuft.. 1 Or the next, the Baptifme of children of Apoftates which Mr. Firmin argues. There is greater difficulty. r. Some of re- verent worth fay , They fie not how juftly a Parents Apo flat fhould deprive the childe of Baptifine and force Texts of Scripture feem ftrongly to favour that opinion, Ezelz;16,20,21. Moreover,thots haft tak.enthy foss and thy daughters whom thou haft borne unto me, and thefe haft thou facrificed unto them to be devoured; Is this of thy whoredomes afmall matter, that thou haft flain my children and delivoredthem, tocau/e them to paffe through the fire for them ? There could not b= an higher evidence of Apoftafy , then to give their children in facrifice to a falfe god. It was one of the highefl a &s of obedience that Abraham could teftifie to the Lord , and yet thefe yield it to Idol -gods ; They `ring forth chil- dren to God, and give them to Moloch , Pfal. 1o6. 35,36,37,3 '3,39. L 11 a. They
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