A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
IV. I believe not that it is the universal church that giveth the
infant title to baptism: for, 1. He that giveth title to the covenant
and baptism, doth it as a performer of the moral condition of that
title. But God hath no where made the church's faith to be the
condition of baptism or salvation, either to infidels or their seed.
2. Because the universal church is a body that cannot be consulted
with to give their vote and consent: nor have they any deputies to do
it by. For there is no universal, visible governor: and if you will
pretend every priest to be commissioned to act and judge in the name
of the universal church, you will want proof, and that is before
confuted. 3. If all have right that the universal church offereth up
to God, or any minister or bishop be counted its deputy or agent to
that end, it is in the power of that minister (as is said) to level
all, and to baptize and save all; which is contrary to the word of
God.
V. I believe that godfathers as such, being no adopters or
proprietors, are not the performers of the condition of salvation for
the infant, nor give him right to be baptized. 1. Because he is not
their own, and therefore their will or act cannot go for his; because
there is no word of God for it that all shall be baptized or saved
that any christians will be sponsors for. God's church blessings are
not tied to such inventions, that were not in being when God's laws
were made. Where there is no promise or word, there is no faith. 3. No
sponsors are so much as lawful (as is showed before) who are not
owners or their deputies, or mere secondary subservient parties, who
suppose the principal covenanting party. 4. And as to the infant's
salvation, the sponsors may (too oft) be ignorant infidels and
hypocrites themselves, that have no true faith for themselves; and
therefore not enough to save another. 5. And it were strange if God
should make no promise to a wicked parent for his own child, and yet
should promise to save by baptism all that some wicked and hypocrite
godfathers will offer him. And that thus the seed of heathens and
christians should be levelled, and yet an ignorant, bold undertaker to
carry away the privilege of saving persons from them both. All this is
but men's unproved imaginations. He that never commandeth godfathers,
but forbiddeth the usurping sort, and only alloweth human prudence to
use the lawful sort, did never put the souls of all children,
christians and heathens, into their hands (any more than into the
hands of the priest that baptizeth them).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account