Title:                 Mr. Blake’s Answer, to Mr. Tombes’ His Letter: in vindication of the birth-priviledge, or covenant holiness of beleevers, and their issue, in the time of the Gospel: together with the right of infants to baptisme.

Author:             Thomas Blake (1597-1657)

Publisher:          Printed by R.L. for Abel Roper

Origin:              London

Date:                1646

Description:      Pamphlet

Thomas Blake was a Puritan minister in the Church of England, who wrote and published a number of works in the middle of the 17^th century. Blake was also closely connected to the Westminster Assembly, involved with the debates arising out of the committee that examined the issue of infant baptism. Moreover, his writings on baptism carried the endorsement of several members of the Assembly. Thomas Lamb was a General Baptist.

The title of Blake’s work tells the reader that Blake is going to attempt to vindicate the idea of birth privilege, or covenant holiness of believers and their children during the time of the gospel. In the process of vindicating this idea Blake also attempts to assert the right of infants to be baptized. This idea of birth privilege, or covenant holiness is the idea that infants can legitimately be said to be in covenant with God even though they are not said to be born again believers. According to Blake, baptism is the sign of the covenant and therefore it is legitimate for infants to be baptized. Blake confesses that regeneration is necessary for the believer to fully participate in the promises of God, but Blake contends that regeneration is part of the promise which has been given even to the children of believers in the form of the covenant.

Developed from review by Billy Puckett