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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50249	A disputation concerning church-members and their children in answer to XXI questions wherein the state of such children when adult, together with their duty towards the church, and the churches duty towards them is discussed by an assembly of divines meeting at Boston in New England, June 4th, 1657 / now published by a lover of truth.	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.	1659 (1659)	Wing M1271A; ESTC R3585	21,931	42

A DISPUTATION CONCERNING Church-Members AND THEIR CHILDREN IN ANSWER TO XXI QUESTIONS Wherein the State of such Children when Adult Together with their Duty towards the Church And the Churches Duty towards them is DISCUSSED BY AN ASSEMBLY of DIVINES meeting at BOSTON in NEW ENGLAND Iune 4th 1657. Now Published by a Lover of Truth London Printed by I. Hayes for Samuel Thomson at the Bishops Head in Pauls Church-yard 1659. To the READER IT is justly accounted one of the glories of the English Nation that God hath honoured them with special light in some momentous Truths above what he hath other Protestant Churches round about them The morality of the Christian Sabbath deep and spiritual insight into those secret transactions between the Lord and the soules of his elect at their first conversion also in their after walking in communion with God are usually observed as instances hereof And of the same kind though perhaps in a lower rank are those Truths about the instituted Worship of God which have been now for some years a considerable part of those disquisitions which do also at this day exercise the most searching thoughts and ablest pens that are amongst us And truly the dealing of God in his Providence towards the people of this Land in bringing out the light and glory of these Truths hath been observable and different from the way that he hath walked in to other Churches For whereas they rose up from Antichristian apostasie in Doctrine and Discipline both at once together with his abominations in Faith rejecting also his inventions in Church Order insomuch as neither the Head the Pope nor his Body in the principal Members of it the Arch-Bishops and Bishops with the rest of that Hierarchical frame have at all been to be found exercising the usurpations of the man of sin in most of the Reformed Protestant Churches since the first day of their rejecting Popery In England it was far otherwise the head of Antichrist being indeed here cut off by Henry the eighth who justled him from his usurped supremacy within his Territories but yet as is observed of him he left his body the Hierarchy continuing which for many years not only stood but exercised in a great measure the authority of the Dragon and made an image of the Beast and caused as many as would not worship it to be killed And in this the Lord had doubtlesse a design more fully to lay open the loathsomnesse of the abominations of the mystery of iniquity in this part of it which by his infinite wisdom he effectually carried on all along and hath in a good part accomplished in these daies wherein we live For even from the first Reformation here begun the Lord shone in upon the understandings of some of his precious servants with such an evidence of light in these things as overpowred their Consciences and constrained them to bear a publick testimony against the remainders of Antichrist in the Land Insomuch as from that time till the day of the downfal of all the Hierarchical brood God never suffered himself to be without his witnesses in this cause of his whom he raised up and whose right hand he held to plead and preach and pray and weep and beleeve and print and contend and resist and suffer for the institutions of Christ not only to silencing and reproach but to banishment and blood it self some of them And verily the number of the Martyrs of Iesus Christ who have had his testimony and kept the Word of the patience of the Saints in this Land since the first Reformation will be found not to be few and their sufferings neither few nor light whenever that dying wish of judicious and blessed Ames shall be accomplished as it deserves viz. that a Martyrologie in this cause of Church-Discipline under the Bishops should be compiled and published to the world And hence it is come to passe that amongst the English Divines and Christians there is as was said more light in these points and in sundry of their Church Assemblies and administrations more purity then is so ordinarily to be met withal in others Amongst all that have suffered for and searched into these Truths they of New-England justly deserve and will have a name and a glory as long as the earth shall have any remembrance of an English Nation not only for their sufferings here under the iniquity of those bloody Fathers of the Church as they loved to be stiled the Bishops though they bore as great if not a greater share therein than most of their brethren that staied behind them But more especially will after ages honour them for that great and high adventure of theirs in transporting themselves their wives and little ones upon the rude waves of the vast Ocean into a remote desolate and howling wildernesse and there encountring by Faith and patience with a world of temptations and streights and pressing wants and difficulties and this upon no other inducements but that they might meet with him whom their souls loved in the midst of his Golden Candlesticks and see him as they have there seen-him in his Sanctuary An undertaking hardly to be parallell'd unlesse perhaps by that of their Father Abraham from Ur of the Caldees or that of his seed from the Land of Egypt And these are the men Christian Reader who are the Authors of this disputation now put into thy hands which deserves esteem and acceptance somwhat the rather on this account because it comes from such as it doth and is about such a Subject even from men holy and learned and is about that which they have searched into as seriously impartially and unprejudicedly as any men are ever like to do in this world Besides that being themselves Officers to Instituted Churches of Saints and this work of theirs being nextly and especially for the service of the Churches they did therein lie under as direct and full an influence of the Spirit of Christ and were on all accounts as compleatly wrapt within the promise for their guidance as men can on this side Heaven Yea 't is about those Truths which they have and at this day do suffer for and therefore they are as likely as most others to be the instruments in the hand of Christ by whom he will communicate further light in these points God is never behind hand with men and as some special exercise of any particular Grace strengthens and encreaseth it and establisheth the heart in it and with it so the obedience and faithfulnesse of his servants to any truth of Christ especially if in an eminent degree and manner engageth God to make known more of his counsel and will in that truth to such persons and as under such an engagement the Lord looks upon himself It is true indeed the Civil Magistrates of that Jurisdiction of the English in New-England that lies upon the River Connectiquot sent these Questions to the Magistrates of the Massachusets and they mutually

Scriptures from the subject thereof viz. A Believer Rom. 10. 10. Every believer is a confessor From the matter the greatest Truth i. e. The Doctrine of Christ Jesus Heb. 3. 1. The Apostle of our confession From the manner others not being excluded as we are called thereunto 1 Pet. 3. 15. In a Church way Mat. 16. 16 19. Paul 2 Cor. 9. 13. in a special manner commends the subjection of the obedience of the Church astipulation of the Corinthians From its excellency a good Profession 1 Tim. 6. 12. A good confession v. 13. It s giving glory unto God 2 Cor. 9. 13. It s victorious exemplarinesse in respect of men Rev. 12. 11. The blessing upon the sincere performance thereof Heb. 11. 13 16. Mat. 10. 32. With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Quest 7. Whether as large Qualifications be not required of a Members child to the participation of the Lords Supper and the priviledges of votes and censures as were requirable of his Parents at their first entrance Ans. The holding forth of Faith and Repentance with an ability to examine themselves by way of confession to the judgment of Charity were all requirable in the Parent for admission into the Church to full communion and the same is requisite for the regular admission of the Parents child being grown adult unto his full communion with the Church For the clearing of this Proposition two things are to be proved 1. That they are to have Faith and Repentance 2. That this Faith and Repentance must appear to others First They are to have Faith Repentance 1. Because Examination is the duty and Faith and Repentance are the matter of their Examination without both the being and exercise of which they cannot come worthily to the Lords Supper which is the end of their examination 2. From the end of the Lords Supper which is instituted not for regeneration but for nourishment and confirmation 'T is a Supper and a Seal That their Faith and Repentance ought to appear to others is manifest thus The Officers ought to be wise and faithful stewards now to such it belongs not only to dispense a portion in reason but to see also that those to whom it is dispensed are meet to receive their portion Luke 12. 42. 1 Cor. 4. 2. The Lords Supper cannot regularly be administred to any receiver concerning whom personally according to Truth in the judgment of charity the Minister cannot say Take and eat this is the body of the Lord Jesus which was given for you But this the Minister cannot say with good Conscience to any one upon his meer having of Faith and Repentance without a visible holding forth of the same to others in their own persons because both the exercise of reason and the exercise of Grace are requisite to the taking and eating here required As this proves the assertion concerning the Officers so 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. proveth the same concerning the whole body because in a regular celebration of the Lords Supper the whole Church doth judge all the partakers thereof to have spiritual communion with Christ crucified and one with another as one body in him It is the duty of the Church and Officers respectively as the keepers of the holy things so to discern between the holy and prophane the clean and the unclean as that the Sacrament may onely be administred unto worthy receivers Ezek. 44. 7 8 23. But this cannot be except the premised essentiall requisites be made appear to them in judgment of Charity Concerning the power of voting it is not rational that they should exercise a Church-power as to the administration of Church-Ordinances which voting implies who themselves are unfit for all Ordinances They who are thus unfit will abuse the Ordinances themselves and admit and retain unworthy Officers and Members and discourage the worthy and therefore power in the hands of such is not for edification but for destruction contrary to the mind of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 8. Quest 8. Whether by Covenant seed is meant the seed of immediate Parents onely or of remote also Ans. The Gospel by Covenant seed intends only the seed of immediate Parents in Church Covenant as appears from 1 Cor. 7. 14. The Parents there spoken of are immediate Parents their Progenitors were Heathens The Gospel extends not the external Covenant beyond the immediate Parents If neither of the immediate Parents be in Covenant their children are unclean see the Text The next Parent may bring in his seed though his Progenitors be unbelievers and the next Parents may cut off their seed though the progenitors be believers witnesse the instances of Ishmael and Esau Ier. 9. 25 26. Ezek. 32. 29. Psal. 83. 6. Mal. 1. 4. Gen. 21. 10. Otherwise there can no generation be given where the Covenant Interest of posterity can expediently be bounded Depinge ubi sistam Shew us where we shall make our stand The contrary exposeth the Churches to inevitable and intollerable impurities Quest 9. Whether adopted Children and bond servants be Covenant-seed Ans. Adopted children and Infant-servants regularly and absolutely subjected to the Government and dispose of such heads of Families as are in Church-covenant though they cannot be said to be their natural seed yet in regard the Scriptures according to the judgment of many Godly Learned extend to them the same Covenant priviledges with their natural seed we judge not any Churches who are like-minded with them for their practise herein All which notwithstanding yet we desire at present to leave this Question without all prejudice on our parts to after free disquisition Quest 10. Whether the child admitted by his Fathers Covenant be also a Deputy for his seed without or before personal Covenanting or without before like personal qualifications in kind as his Father was to enjoy when he became a Deputy Ans. The meaning of this Question in other terms we conceive to be this whether the child of a person joyned in Church-Covenant by means of his or her immediate Parents Covenant though such a Parent be not admitted to nor qualified for full communion nor have covenanted in their own person whether we say the child of such a person is to be baptized Whereunto we answer in these following propositions Propos. 1. Infants either of whose immediate Parents are in Church-Covenant do confaederate with their Parents and are therefore Church-members with them See Ans. to Quest 1. Propos. 2. It is the duty of those Infants when grown up to years of discretion though not yet fit for the Lords Supper to own the Covenant they made with their Parents by entring thereinto in their own persons and it is the duty of the Church to call upon them for the performance thereof as appeareth by Scripture examples of persons both called to and entring into Covenant many of whom could not be looked upon as personally Gracious and therefore not fit for

all Ordinances and full communion Deut. 29. 12 14. 2 Chron. 15. 12. 2 Chron. 34. 31 32. Where it is mentioned as the performance of a duty whereto they stand obliged by the Covenant made in their Infancy Propos. 3. Being accordingly called thereunto if after Church-admonition and other due means with patience used they shall refuse the performance of this great duty or in case they shall notwithstanding like means applied any otherwise continue scandalous it is the part of the Church to proceed with them to the censure of excommunication because the Facts mentioned deserve excommunication 2 Chron. 15. 13. Mat. 18. 17. 2 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Thes. 3. 6 14. And the persons are Church-members being confederate with their Parents and the Church as the matter requireth administreth Discipline to the Members thereof without respect of persons according to their capacity 1 Cor. 5. 12. 1 Tim. 5. 21. Add hereunto the instance of those who are separated from the Congregation for their non-observance of that Covenant Ezr. 10. 3 7 8. Together with the examples of Cain Ishmael and Esau not a little contributing to the truth of this assertion by way of proportion Propos. 4. In case they understand the grounds of Religion are not scandalous and solemnly own the Covenant in their own persons wherein they give up both themselves and their children unto the Lord and desire Baptism for them we with due reverence to any Godly Learned that may dissent see not sufficient cause to deny Baptism unto their children these reasons for the affirmative being proposed to consideration 1. Church-Members without offence and not baptized are to be baptized The children in Question are Church-Members without offence and not baptized Therefore the children in Question are to be baptized 2. Children in the covenant of Abraham as to the substance thereof i. e. To whom the promise made to Abraham as to the substance thereof doth belong are to be baptized The children in Question are children in the covenant of Abraham as to the substance thereof Therefore the children in Question are to be baptized 3. Children in the same estate with those children under the Law unto whom the seal of the righteousnesse of Faith because in that estate was by Institution Divine to be applied the Precept for so doing not repealed and the reason for so doing still remaining are to be baptized But the children in Question are children in the same estate viz. regularly in Church-covenant with those children under the Law unto whom the seal of the righteousnesse of Faith because in that estate was by Institution Divine to be applied the Precept for so doing not repealed and the reason for so doing still remaining Therefore the children in Question are to be baptized 4. Either the children in question are to be baptized or the Gospel dispensation forbids the application of the seal unto children regularly in Church-covenant unto whom the Mosaical dispensation commanded it to be applied But the Gospel despensation forbids not the application of the seal unto children regularly in Church-covenant unto whom the Mosaical dispensation commanded it to be applied Therefore the children in question are to be baptized The contrary opinion infers that the Gospel bereaveth the children mentioned at least in a considerable degree of their glory advantage mercy blessing and that in this respect it casts reproach yea brings disadvantage a judgment a curse upon them Iosh. 5. 9. Rom. 3. 1 2. 9. 4 5. This seems to be a lesse Evangelicall Tenent the nature of the Gospel being to enlarge and better not to contract and diminish the external dispensation of Grace 5. Children unto whom the Gospel testifieth both the promise and baptisme by vertue of that promise to belong ought to be baptized The children in question are children unto whom the Gospel testifieth both the promise and baptism by vertue of that to promise to belong Acts 2. 39. Therefore the children in Question ought to be baptized Obj. The Parent though a Church-member owning the Covenant in his own person and qualified according to the premises is not admitted to full communion therefore the child ought not to be baptized Ans. The Church-act onely and not any other act much lesse defect of the Parent is by Divine Institution accounted to the child The membership of the child is a distinct membership from the membership of the Parent In case the Parents membership ceaseth by death or censure the membership of the child remaineth still The membership of the child is the same in kind with and not inferiour to the membership of the Parent Membership is a Relation and therefore admits not of magìs and minùs more or lesse Members are better or worse and communion is more or lesse but membership admits not of degrees Benjamin an Infant but of an hour old is as truly a son as Reuben a man of twenty two years of age The child is baptized by vertue of his own membership and not by vertue of his Parents membership The Parents death is not with us an obstacle of the Childs Baptism Propos. 5. The same may be said concerning the children of such persons in question who being dead or necessarily absent either did or do give the Churches cause in judgment of charity to look at them as thus qualified and such as had they been called thereunto would so acted For in Charity that is here done interpretatively which is mentioned in the fourth Proposition expresly Propos. 6. Though the persons forementioned own the Covenant according to the premises yet before they are admitted to full communion i. e. To the Lords Supper and voting they must so hold forth their Faith and Repentance unto the judgment of Charity by way of confession in the congregation as it may appear unto the Church that they are able to examine themselves and to discern the Lords body See the proof hereof in Ans. to Quest 7th Quest 11. Whether children begotten by an excommunicate person are to be baptized he so remaining Ans. We cannot for the present answer the following Arguments for the Negative 1. Persons excommunicate are not members and the promise made to the seed belongs under the Gospel onely to the seed of immediate Parents in Covenant 2. Excommunicate Parents are to be looked at in Church account as Heathens and Publicans now the Church ought not to baptize the children of those which she is to account as Heathens Publicans because their children are unclean 1 Cor. 7. 14. 3. To baptize the children of the excommunicate is to have Church-communion with the excommunicate But those that we are forbidden to have civil communion with 1 Cor. 5. 11. We are much more forbidden to have Church Communion with Quest 12. Whether a Child born of a justly censurable person yet not actually excommunicate be to be baptized Ans. We answer affirmatively 1. Because the child is a Church-member by vertue of his covenanting with his Parents 2.