A just vindication of the covenant and church-estate of children of church-members as also of their right unto bastisme : wherein such things as have been brought by divers to the contrary, especially by Ioh. Spilsbury, A.R. Ch. Blackwood, and H. Den are revised and answered : hereunto is annexed a refutation of a certain pamphlet styled The plain and wel-grounded treatise touching baptism / by Thomas Cobbet.

SECT. IIII.

BUt to returne to that first consideration, let it bee weighed ••hat as Austin long agoe said of it, Nullus Christianorum, &c. No Christians (orthodox and godly) had ever denyed Paedobap∣tisme, l. 4. Con. Donat. c. 13. Secondly, adde also this, that if it had been any way justly suspicious, why did not the Messalians whol∣ly deny it, and the Pelagians also? what need had they to use that shift of Infants to bee baptized to the kingdome of God, but not to the remission of sinnes? this argument Austin useth Serm. 14. de verb. Apost. Yea but they were affraid of the authoritie of the Church being great therein, that is strange that Heretiques that regarded not so directly to goe against, in their opinions, as well expresse letter of Scripture, as the doctrine of the Church in fun∣damentall matters, should yet bee affraid of the Church in a mat∣ter circa fundamentalia, and not so expresse in so many words as Paedobaptisme was, who will imagine such an unlikelihood? A have done with this dispute for present, onely I could advise that Mr. Blackwood, and others would bee more sparing of such printed blaspheming of the name and tabernacle of the Lord, as to stile this (which to all the Saints (in a manner) of old, and to the most that now live is of precious esteeme and use) an Antichristian Garrison, and the doctrine of the man of sinne, or of Antichrist. Mr. Blackwood I am sure doth know what is the judgement of all Orthodox Divines touching Antichrist, and who, or what it is that is so; and where hee hath his seat, and when hee had his rise. And cannot bee ignorant wholly that Paedobaptisme was of universall esteeme, and use (in a manner) long before those prophesyings and pointings out of Antichrist by many of the ancients; the Greeke Church which had not what doctrine and worship they had, and held from the Latin Church, but the La∣tine Church had it rather from them (as in the Councell of Trent was before acknowledged) and which was averse from Romish cu∣stomes; yet they held Paedobaptisme, as before was proved. It is dangerous speaking a word against the Sonne, (much more wri∣ting) albeit not so irrecoverably as to speake against the Holy Ghost; hee had need bee on good, sure and cleare grounds (if it were supposable hee could bee so) that assayes to charge God foo∣lishly

with the reasons of his covenantings, or dispensations, and so palpably as to deny that God made a Covenant of Grace with Abraham, Gen. 17. and such like inaudita. It's dangerous preten∣ding an imaginary Garrison, and in fighting against that as a supposed Garrison of Antichrist, whereon a man hazards the name and doth the worke of one which will bee found a fighter against God: wee know who would not bring a rayling accusa∣tion against the Devill, and how dare any so boldly revile such a received and ratified truth, as that of Gods exhibition, and dis∣pensation of his grace in a preventing way to those whose seed af∣ter them in Scripture Language are counted blessed. The Saints of old were very tender of speaking any thing in such a sort as tended to the condemnation of the just.