2. Booke. Cafes of Confcience. 79 bond ofconiundior. with Chriil, though the A fenfethcrcof beloli,vntillthey repent, In this cafc,cheparriccxcommunic~te is, as afrccm~n in bonds ,whovntlH he gerour ofprifon, bath _no "fo of his freedorue, and yerconrinuc• ntree-man l!tll, though he re– maine in prifon.So alfothe children of God, may llill be thechildren ofGod, though ex– cluded from the congregationofrhe Church, for fome offences. From thisthar haue beone faid, uifeth the Anfwer to the ~~Uionpropounded ;name– ly,rhatthe cl11hlren offuch perfons,as arc ex– comrnun:cared, arc (notwithllanding their excommumcation) to be baptized, be~au(e they are indeed, and in therudgement otcha- B ritic, truemembersofthebodie of ChriU, thoughinfomeotherregards, they arc not in prefcnt holden fo to be. . Yer further, befidcs the former grounds, confider rhefe rea(ons. F~rli,childrcn ofparents, that are profef. fed members ofthe Church, (though cut off fora rime, vpon fome offence committed) hane rightto bapttfme,becaufeir isnot in the power ofman, to cut them off from ChrHl, though they be excommunicated. Secondly, the pcrfonall Gnnebf the parent may not keepe thebl~(fing from the child :and there– fore not depriue him of participation ofthe erdinance of God. Thirdly,weemullalway put a'dilfcrence betweene them,which do not C make feparation from the Church, and yet arc grieuous offenders: and open ApoCla– iacs, that ioyne themfelucs with the enemies ofrheChurch,to the ruineandoucnhrow of the truth of the Gofpel. Fourthly,weemufl pur a difference betwecne thofe, that haue giuenvp their names to Chril!,though fallen gricuoufly;and Turkcs, and Infidels, that arc forth ofthe Couenant, & neucr belonged to the Church. Laflly ,ifthe mercie ofGod en– large it felfe lu rhoufands,yeato infinite gene– rattans: why Owuld man be fo hardhearted, asro make queflion,whethcrfuch Infanrsbc– long to the Couenanr,andconfequenrlykeep th~m fmm the SacramcntofBaprlfme 1 Out ofchis ~eflion,ariferh a fecond; D Whether chtldren borne in fornication, haue right to bapti!ine1 Anf, They are not to be kept from it. For che~vickedncllc ofthe parent , ought notto preiudice the childe,in things that belong to his faluation. Yet in thiscafc,fome Cautionsare careful. ly to bcobfcJued; as firll,that theparent hold the true faith and religton: fccondly,that bee be by the MiniUcr exhorted,to atrue humili– ation ofbimfclfe, and to earne!l repentance forhis Gnnccommitted, and that before the child bee baptized. Thirdly,thatthercbcc fomc appomted, to anfwer for the Infant, be– fidesrhc parents; and to make folemne pro– '·'llfwpcnly to the Church, that idhall bee carefully broughtvp, and inUrudcd in the fairh.And thefame is to be obferucd and pra– difed, before the baptizing ofthechildren of parents excommunicate. IV. ~eilion. Howmenareto makfaright 'lJje o[their bapti{rne]wbenthey become toyeares? The not obferuinghereof, isthecaufeof m:my finnes and corwptions in the Iiues of men. It is commonly holden agrcarfaultin ciuil1 matters/or a man nor eo keep his coue· nants,Much more is it ahainous finne before God,not to keepe the promifes, and pay che vowcs made vnto him. Foraofwer therefore to the~eflion,wee mufl firl! take this for a ground ;Tl:arbap– cifme borhfor fi,5mficaricn/orcc, vfc,& frmr, continues nor for a moment of time;but for the whole courfe of a mans life; Irdothnot refpcdonly the time pall or prefcnt,but rhat whtch is to come, yea, thatwholetime that a man hath to fpend, from thevery aCl ofhis baptJfme to his death. Againe, Bapr1fme is tbe true Sacrament ofRepenra"cc,for remif– Gon of finnes: which beeing once receiued, remaineth a perpetual teflimonie and pledge ofthe euerlalling couenant ofGod, & ofthe continual! waOtingaway offinnein the blood ofChril!. This Ground premi(cd, I come to the vfe ofBaptifme,which is two-fold. The firl! is,thatirferues to bea token, and pledge ofGods fauourcowards vs, and that principally threew>ies. Firfl, in that itfealcrh and confirmeth to vs, the free pardon and forgiuenelfe of our tinnes. Thus Cornelius was baprizedofPe– rer,after heebad heard theGofpcl preached, and rcceiucd the holy Gllofl,thatit might be vnro him apledge oftheremtffion ofhislin•, Ad,ro.48. And in like manner dothPeter exhort the conuerted lel~r·es, to.repcnt them oftheir tinncs ,and roreceiuerhc Sacrament ofBaptifi11c, as a fealc and pledge ofGods mcrcie,in che forgiuenelfc rhctcofby Chrifl, Act.:. 3 s. · In r<gard ofthisvfc, baptifme isofgreat force, to rele<"ue the hca.n in dHlrclfe. For when any child ofGod,fecles himCtlfe lodm with the burden of his linnes: theconfidcra– tion and remembrance therof,thatGod hath pardoned them all, andgiuenhim afpeciall, & certaine pledge ofhiopardcn in bapufme, willf<ruetollayand fuprorr hisfoule, Yea, though his finneswere offorce, to makea fe~ paration betweeh God and him :yet remem– briog,that his name is writteninthcCou~~ nant ofGod, and that hebarb by Gods mer– cic rcceiued the fcale ofthe Couenant ,hee lhall not need to be much difmaied. When G 4 ~atan
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