Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	call_v	child_n	parent_n	2,421	5	8.5646	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64230	Paidobaptismos orthobaptismos: or, The baptism of infants vindicated by scriptures and reasons Humbly offered in order to a composure of differences at this juncture of time. By Nath. Taylor, M.A.	Taylor, Nathanael, d. 1702.	1683 (1683)	Wing T544A; ESTC R222422	45,201	106

the Sacrament of Baptism nor doth Scripture afford any tittle against it Therefore surely it may be Lawfully Practised Enq. 2 If Children be received to Baptism why are they not also received to the Lords Supper I Answer Answ 1. The Children of the Jews were admitted to Circumcision but not to the Passeover 2. Children though capable of having Baptism Administred to them yet are not capable of Manducation or eating Bread 3. Baptism precedes the Lords Supper as Regeneration doth our growth in Grace and in a Natural state a Child is first Born before he can be Nourished externally in order to his Growth 4. Though Children are capable of Baptism and the Sealing the Blessings of the Covenant of Grace to them thereby yet are they not capable of performing the Duties requisite to be Acted by any Communicant as self-examination and discerning the Lords Body Enq. 3 If Infants are capable of being engaged in Covenant with God by Baptism what need have they of God-fathers and God-mothers Answ 1. I Answer The Jews had at the Circumcision of their Children several Persons by Godwin Antiq. lib. 6. Buxtorf Jud. Syn. c. 2. p. 82. Gen. 17. Isa 8.25 Luke 1.58 Platina in vita Hygini Isaackson Chr. An. 153. as Witnesses to Testifie the Childs Circumcision and thereby its Reception as a Member of Gods Church and to remind the Child Circumcised when it came at Age of what a Covenant it was concerned in between God and its Soul 2. We find this Practice Recorded in Scripture as Witnesses at the first Institution of Circumcision and afterwards continued even to the Circumcision of St. John 3. The rise of God-fathers and God-mothers in the Christian Church was taken from the Practice of the Jews before Christ and was of an early Institution Especially Eyginus Bishop of Rome about 153 Years after Christ who considering the frequent Persecutions attending the Church of Christ whereby the Christian Parents often were taken away and the Children brought up in Heathen Idolatry or Jewish Superstition did Prudently order in the Church Persons to be engaged at Baptism with the Parents to take care of the Childs Education that if the Natural Parents dyed or were taken away by Persecution or else if they Apostatized from the Faith or were Ignorant and could not or wicked and would not bring up the Child in the Principles and Practice of the true Religion these might endeavour their being so Educated that Christianity might be propagated and Children brought up in the fear of God 4. Nor is this contrary to Gods pleasure Ephes 6.1 Deut. 29.10 11. Deut. 6.6 Gen. 18.19 Josh 24.15 who Commands and Commends the Parents and Friends engaging their Children in Covenant with him yea their Saves and Servant were to be engaged by them to be God Servants And we find Godly Parents and Masters Practising this Duty in their Families in their several Ages 5. Children are in the Power of their Parents or Guardians to engage in Civil Contracts and to be Invested with any Priviledge or Estate Therefore our Churches Prudence is Commendable in taking care that with the Child Baptized there should be Persons who should stand in the behalf of the Child engaged to God and the Church of Christ 1. As Witnesses to take notice of the Childs Reception into the Church as a Member of it and to Witness to the Child the tenor of that Covenant it was engaged in when it grows up and that thereby it stands obliged to be a true Christian And also to satisfie the Child that it hath been Baptized and may proceed to other Ordinances 2. As Sureties to engage as much as in them lies to see the Child brought up Vertuously to lead a Godly and a Christian Life in Principle and Practice 3. As God-fathers and God-mothers to engage themselves as it were to God and for his sake and cause to endeavour his Religion may be promoted in the Pious Education of those Children that the succeeding Age as well as the present may serve him 6. Sureties God-fathers and God-mothers are now as necessary as ever for though through Gods goodness we are not under Persecution for the Cause of Christ yet the sad Schisms and Divisions amongst us in Principles and the lamentable Debauchery and Profanenets in Practice of Professing Christians plead it necessary to retain this Commendable Order of our Church and they call aloud on all who stand thus engaged to God and the Church for any Child or Persons Education that they speedily and diligently labour after a discharge of their Duties in a diligent endeavour that those they are engaged for may be reclaimed from Impiety to Holiness and reduced from Error and Heresie to the true Faith For the neglect of those who are thus engaged renders the Order though it be in it self so good to be accounted as a meer Ceremony and as a burdensome Circumstance rather to be laid aside than continued But were the Persons engaged for Children thus Conscientious in the discharge of that great Trust they have undertaken the great good that would thence flow to the Church of Christ would make even its Enemies to be in Love with this Order and Constitution Enq. 4 Are Infants Obliged to perform that Covenant wherein they were by Baptism engaged since it was not their act but the act of other Persons in their behalf to which they gave no Consent Answ I Answer Yes They are obliged to perform it and that for these Reasons 1. Nothing was then engaged but what is Christian and Reasonable to be done 1 Pet. 5.8 Tit. 2.11 1 Pet. 2.11 1 John 5 4. If we would be Happy we must be Holy which is the sum of that Covenant then entred for Holiness will engage our Mortifying the Flesh Crucifying the World and Renouncing the Devil and all his Works So that these Duties of our Baptismal Vow are Commanded by God in Scripture as well as their observance is engaged by us in Baptism 2. Every one hath care of his own Soul and therefore what was in our Childhood engaged for 〈…〉 and every of us when we come to Years of 〈…〉 standing and retain the Christian Religion 2 Tim. 2.19 Tit. 2.14 are obliged to perform and we oguht to endeavour it if we expect Salvation nothing being promised but what our Religion obligeth to A ceasing from sin and a living the Life of Godliness And here how may the desires of all Christians be for the Christian Practice of that Solemn Ordinance of Confirmation of Persons of Ripe Years That they being instructed in the Vow of Baptism engaged in their Childhood may Publickly in the Congregation own that Religion they were Baptized into and be Solemnly in their own Persons engaged to the performance of it This certainly would much dis-engage the engaged God-fathers and Mothers and much Oblige the Catecheumen to abstain from all sin and to perform all Duties when as every Person in the Congregation is a several Witness of his Solemn Engagement it will shame him out of Sin nor will he dare wilfully to act contrary to the Gospel-Rules But 3. A Child is frequently obliged in Civil Contracts to perform what the Parent or Guardian engaged for it as in a Bond Lease or the like or else he is lyable to the Law and debarred from receiving any Profit or Advantage by any such Contract made for him So in Spirituals The Child is doubtless engaged by the Covenant made in his Name and behalf in Baptism to be Holy or else he will be deprived of the Benefits of this Covenant which is Eternal Happiness and be exposed to the Law and Curse of God for as the Commands of God obliging the Parents to engage their Children in Covenant with God are not impertinent So since the Duties they were then engaged in are but what God by Precept to the Children when at Age expects from them Their non-performance of that Covenant incurs Gods Anger and Forfeits Heaven and Happiness 〈◊〉 If they Labour not to perform the Duties of 〈◊〉 Covenant which is their Reasonable Service their Parents and Friends Care for the engaging them in Covenant with God and their devoting of them to God and their Labour in Educating them in true Christianity will Witness against them aggravate their Sin and add to their Torment FINIS