William Eoye's Dialogue betweeu a Christian Father and his etiibborn Son. 457 



grownded in brorherly i love and charite, as Chr- [fol. 33'.] ist 

 sayth hym silfe in the xiij. c. of. S. Jhon. Sonne. What hoape 

 hast thou then of litell babes, which nether are able to confesse 

 their belet'e, nor yett to brynge forthe the tViites of love? are 

 they belong-ynge to this churche, and pertaynynge to the pro- 

 mes of mercy, or notV Fa. Loke as Abraams childien were 

 not excluded froin the comnaiint - made bitwene hym and the 

 sed of Israhel, no more are oui-e children, beynge in Gen. xvij. 

 dedde the true posterite of Abraham (havynge also vnto thejTn 

 specially the promeses of mercy promesed) excluded Rom. ix. 

 froni it. wherfore we beleue theym to be members of Christis 

 body, vntil that they come to age and shewe the con- Joan j. 

 trary in their livynge. and declare by the workes of derckues 

 theym selfes to flye, aud to hate the lyght. For this cause 

 Christ wolde and commaunded children to be brought vnto h-ym, 

 blyssed theym, and sayde, vnto soche belongeth the kyngdom 

 of heven. Oure baptem is no better then Christis blissynge. 

 For as moche then as Christ declared theim (thus dojTige) to 

 be parte takers of his fathers promes, we also ought ta •' hoape 

 that the kyngdom of heven belongeth vnto theym. Wherefore 

 we receave theym unto the congregacion of Christis churche 

 with this out- [fol. 33''.] warde token of baptem. Lyke exo. süj. 

 as oure forfathers did their children with their circumcision in 

 the lawe. So. I wolde gladly heare one precepte or commaund- 

 ment geven in scripture, that we shulde baptyse theym, as the 

 lawe compelleth to circumcyse mens children the eyght Ex. xxij. 

 daye of their birthe. Fa. We have nowe obtayned the daye 

 sprynge, delivered by christ oute pf ^ the cloud (wherein they 

 wandred blyn[d]folded with the vayle of the lawe j. Cor. i. 

 and ceremoniesj and walk in the cleare lyght of the newe 

 lawe, that is to saye the bonde of love, which is in the herte, 

 and consisteth in none outwarde ceremony. wherefore we have 

 no nother commaundement geven vnto vs, savynge alonly this 

 which directeth every member of Christis boddy in this con- 

 gregacion to do all thynges to the honoure of god for the well 

 and proffet of oure neghboure, and that wyth a good mynde, 

 and a fervent love, where as oure fore fathers did all thynges 



1 hrother-ly, - comnant. Siehe Anm. zu Bl. -'1». S. 444. 3 fo. * of. 



