A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
9. All this set together maketh it plain, 1. That God never promiseth
the adult in baptism, though true believers, that he will work in them
all graces further by his sanctifying Spirit, let them never so much
neglect or resist him; or that he will absolutely see that they never
shall resist him: nor that the Spirit shall still help them, though
they neglect all his means; or that he will keep them from neglecting
the means (election may secure this to the elect as such; but the
baptismal covenant as such, secureth it not to the baptized, nor to
believers as such). 2. And consequently that infants are in covenant
with the Holy Ghost still conditionally as their parents are; and that
the meaning of it is that the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier will
afford you all necessary help, in the use of those means which he hath
appointed you to receive his help in.[289]
_Object._ Infants have no means to use.
_Answ._ While infants stand on their parents' account, or wills, the
parents have means to use for the continuance of their grace, as well
as for the beginning of it.
10. Therefore I cannot see but that if a believer should apostatize,
(whether any do so is not the question) and his infant not to be made
another's child, he forfeiteth the benefits of the covenant to his
infant. But if the propriety in the infant be transferred to another,
it may alter the case.
11. And how dangerously parents may make partial forfeitures of the
Spirit's assistance to their children, and operations on them, by
their own sinful lives, and neglect of prayer, and of prudent and holy
education, even in particular acts, I fear many believing parents
never well considered.
12. Yet is not this forfeiture such as obligeth God to deny his
Spirit; for he may do with his own, as a free benefactor, as he list;
and may have mercy freely, beyond his promise, (though not against his
word,) on whom he will have mercy. But I say that he that considereth
the woeful unfaithfulness and neglect of most parents, even the
religious, in the great work of holy educating their children, may
take the blame of their ungodliness on themselves, and not lay it on
Christ or the Spirit who was in covenant with them as their
Sanctifier, seeing he promised but conditionally to give them the
sanctifying heavenly influences of his life, light, and love, in their
just use of his appointed means, according to their abilities.[290]
13. Also as soon as children come to a little use of reason, they
stand conjunctly on their parents' wills and on their own. As their
parents are bound to teach and rule them, so they are bound to learn
of them and be ruled by them for their good. And though every sin of a
parent or a child be not a total forfeiture of grace, yet both their
notable actual sins may justly be punished, with a denial of some
further help of the Spirit which they grieve and quench.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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