264 AComment-arin'Pon Chap+ ' Church of G;d,y~t is th;"Ch,m~God A hidden in the papJcie,amJ eo be gathered out ofu: & for th1scaufc, bapnfrne rcmames(bJJ in the church of Rome. For this cau(e I thinke, that Infants ofprofctfcd Papifls n>ay bebaptized, twoc::&utions ob.(crucJ:che firfi, that the fordaid p.~tenrs ddire this bap· tt!i1Jc:che fccondJthac there be(mctics which proru_tfcthe cJucauon of the children in the rruc faith. Thirdly,it may be dcmaundcd, \Vhethcr thcchddrcnof ••ickcd Chrillians, tha<Js, of fuch as hold 111 iudgcment true religion, and deny it in tbctr Jiuc~,may bebapti[ed ~ Anfw, They may: for o;~.il without cxceprion, that were borne of clrcumclfcd lewcs, (whereof many wcrewicked)wCrccircurnclfed.And we B rDuft hot onely r<>gard thencxc .parcncs, but !aifo the <uncellours:ofwhom uis{a~d, Jfrl" rootebc.ho!y, the6Jm;ches arc 1nl]. Rom, I I. V p6 this ground, children born~ tn fornica– rion, may be bapttzcd,fo be 1t, there bcfon1c eo anlwcr for rhcm,bdiJc the parents. And there is no rca[on,tbat rhcYJtck(·(joctfe of chc parent, fhouldprctudicr the cbtld in things per.raining toltfc eternal!. LaUiy,u may he Jer.aaunded,wbechcr tht! children ofparents excommunicare, may be baprifcci? Anfiv,t Yca,if'there be an;•bcliJc tbcp,uem.sro anfwct for the chtiJ. For the parents after cxCOfl!muoic.trion rctn;ttnefhll .– (forlllghr)memb~rs of theChurch, hauing iblla r~ghtto thckingdomeof beauen:outof C wtiich they arc notcatt abt..:.d~ttel,v, but wah conclition, vnlctfcthey repent: and fn pare; th:ttrn,m rc(ped: of communion, or vfe of theirlibcrtie,burhotin_r<.:fpetl of righror ti– tk:euen as afreeman ota corpoiariolumpri– (onctl,·remaincsa freeman, though for the time he bath nov(e ofhis libert>c. ·~ The third circumfhncc conccrncs the rime. .Here one qucflion may bcmooucd: Hmvoft baptilmc os to be admmiClred I An{. Buconce : for the cfficacic of bapt1fmc ex– tends i~ (clfe tothc'"'l10le ltfc ofman: and we .are butoue.eborne againe, and once ingraf– ted into Chrili.Herc let it !>cobferued, that the-gtfrof regeneration iCJ neucr vttcrly ex· tingui.fhcd: forifa man be tbc fecond time D borneagaine, he tllull bebapr1zcd againc & ag.ime: bccaufc baptifme isrhe Sacrament ofmGrion. It may be loud,that a man may re· ·main !bll mgrafrcd mtoChnCI,& by his own wickcdnetTc make himfclfc a dead member. l~nfwer,tbat a! thc.mcmbcrs ofthe myllical . body ofChnO:,arc liuing, mcmbcrs.Thfjpiri– tllalliemple ismadeoflifling{lones, 1. Pet. z. 5. And marke \V hat l'•ul faith, All rhe bod1 oj Chri/1 incrM(eth1ttitb the incrMfitt~ ~fC"d,Col. 2. 19. & Epl1. 2.21 .Belccucrsare of rhe bone 'land Aclh ofCiirdl:now rht•rcls no part ofthe bone and Aelh otCflri(l thar d~eth. ., ;The laG circuul(lance is touching the place:& that is,the publikcolfcmblyor con· lorc"atlon ofthe people of Gou.Bccaufe bap· tifmc is a part ofthe publike mimll"'e, and a dependance vpnn the preaching of the word ofGod.Secondly,the whole congrega– tion is ro makeprofite by the enarratton of the inllttutionofbapti[me: and Ja(!Jy, the (:udcongrcgatlon is by praier to prefent the infant baptlfcd vnto God, and to mrreatefor the faluuion thereof,thcpraier ofmany be<· mg mo(\ ctfeCluaU, The E1ght and la(\ point follo\VCS, con– cerning thevfc ofbaptifme. And firll ofall, .our baptdinc muCl putvs in rnindc, that we are admmerl and rcceiucd Into rhe t3mily of God: and conCequcntiy,thatwcmull carrie our fe!ues as rhc !eruants of God. And that we m~ydoe Co indeede, we mufi dcmde o.ur hucsmtotwop.trts, thcllfepall, and life to come.Touch111g rhchfcthat is paU. we mull perfurme three thtngs.The firfi is E."l:Amina– IIIJ1:, wherebywe muflcall our fclues to :mac– ::oum for all onr finncs,cuen from the cradle: the fccond is Coif,Jiion,whercby w< mufhvirh forrowfull hearts pcwa~fe and acknowledge che f01me finnes, in rhe prcfcncc of God, .tc~-.ufiog & condemningour (clues for them. Tl1e third is, 'Drprecation. wflercbywcare ro ,nucat rhc Lord, in the namcofChrtft , and that moll inllantly from day to tlay till we rccciue acomForrabl..: .1uCwer, in the peace of confcienco and ioy of the holy Gholl. And for the He to come, there mufl be two things in vs/ thefirflis, thcpurpofc of oot linning; and 1t mull be almelyand di– ibnct purpofc,daily renewed in vs.cuen as we renue mu daics: fo as we may fay, j( wee finne tt is agamH our purpofe and refoJuci– on. The fecond is)an lndeauour ro performe new (:lbcd1encc, <tccordmg to all the: com· maunderuenrsof God. Thefc things if we doe, \\.'C (hall 01ew ourfelucs tobe the fer– uants ofGod. And of all thcfcthings ,bap· tl(mc mu(! be(as it were) a daily fcrmon vn· eovs: and fo ofr ro chinke on them, as oft as we tbinkeor (pcakeofour nameS giucn vs m bapttfme. This is the doctrine of Paul, who tcachcthvs thatwe mun be conforrna– hie to tile death and rafurreClion ofChrill, oecaufe we haue beenc baptifed , Rom, 6. 3·4· • Againe,our baptifmc into rhe name ofthe father,&c. moll reach vs,tbat we mufilcarne to kno\V and acknowledgeGod aright; that is,to acknowledge htm to be our God, and farher in ChriCI:to acknowledge hi• prrfcnce and therefore to walke before htm; to ac· Knowledge his proutdence 1 and thereforer~ ea Cl: our care on him; ro acknowledge hts goodnetTeand merc!L" 1 Jn rhe pardon and free forgtuenetfe ofour hones. Th~rdly, Our baptirme muCl bevntovs a rlorc.houfeof all comfort mthe time of our ;Jecde. If'thou be tempted by thediUell, op– pofe ugainll h1m thy baptl(me, in which God hath pronufed aod fealcd vnto thee the pardon ofchy finncs,:md lifecuerlatling. If •
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