45+ The Birth-Friviledge and Covenant-holineshre Ch.47 pray, when they baptize the childe of fuch a one, they cannot but have force eye to Cods Covenant, and do We not mention to much to the Lord, that he having taken the parent into Covenant with himfelfe, he doth alto the feed of the parent, and fo The plead the Covenant, añd a bleffng, &c. but when a godly Minifter(hall carry the parent in his heart thus, doth not his heart check, him, trouble him, in the thought of the parent ? They may well pray that God will make his Ordinances : "through his Spirit) of power, that the Infant of a Covenant. breaking father may be a Covenant- keeping childe, that fuch an Ahaz in Covenant, and breaking Covenant, may have an Hezekiah keeping Covenant ; fuch an Ammon, a ]o iah, and this without the leap check of confcience. This is frequently heard of God, and prayers for the children of godly parents frequently denied : David hath an Ammon and Abfolom, 3ehofaphat a Pe- horam,and ?ofiah a 7ehoaz ; Their confcience would infinitely more check them, (if the word regulate their confciences) when providence conferees priviledges of Ordinances on fuch an Infant to be received where falvation is, upon fo weak , and as to Scri- pture unheard of plea, as his fathers tranfgreflion to keep it out. The fifth Argument. Matter Fermin hints two things which he would have feriou[ly taken into examination, though he faies he will not put them into forme. r. HoW exceedingly this Ordinance is fleighted, abufed through this heedleIe adminifiring of the Ordinance; for we fee perfons never minde the Ordinance before -hand, nor after: But come let us have our children baptized, and tbatis all; f they can make a feaft; and drink after it,that it Well. This is Matter Tombes his argument againft Infant-Baptifme; becaufe force Reverend Di- vines complaine that few improve their Baptifine received in in- fancy, to any fpiritual advantage to their fouls, therefore it is in vaine to Baptize Infants. One is like the other, in Ordinances of God, to reafon from the abufe, to the calling of them afide. Non- fingers of Pfalmes (which Mailer Firmin profeffes himfelf really to oppofe) may reafon in this fort. And upon like ground Come have warned men out of Chriít not to pray, they ought to forbear till they are in Chrift. And when a naturall man bleifes God for a good croppe that it were as good that he curled him, If men were difpofed`o wrangle, here doubtlefe were more colour a- gainl:l fuch mens performances of duties, in which only themfelves are
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