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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76157	Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of the corruptions and divisions of the churches: submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the soveraigne powers, magistrates, ministers, and people, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much, as appeareth to be necessary as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others souls, and to the peace and wellfare of the nations; and as they will answer the neglect to Christ, at their peril. / By Richard Baxter, an unworthy minister of Christ, that longeth to see the healing of the churches.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1232; Thomason E2111_1; ESTC R209487	172,368	411

Profess their own Faith and promise to be obedient to the Will of God This with what was before cited shews that in this main Point we are agreed with the Brethren of the Episcopal Judgment and therefore may expect their concurrence and to that end we desire them to promote the Practice of their own Principles and let us not leave the Work of God undone while we strive who shall do it or rather who shall not do it If the Canons allow the Bishops suffragane to do it you may beare with others of the same order to do it rather then leave it undone 2. And for the Presbyterians I intreat them to Consider 1. H●w much the faithfull practise of this duty will put by all the offence and mistaking-reasons of the Erastians who ask them so earnestly how they can prove that people must be examined by the Minister in order to the Lords Supper any more then in order to a day of thanksgiving I know it is an easy matter to prove that a Pastour may call his People to private personal Instruction at any fit season and therefore before a Sacrament when he sees just cause and they are bound to obey him ordinarily by virtue of the general precept Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that Rule over you c. But if you make this the season and use of your Examination to admit men out of a state either of Catechumens or Infant-members into the number of Adult-members and never trouble them afterward with Examinations unless upon some special occasion or in your ordinary course of personal Instruction this would put by the opposition of gainlayers and I think satisfie all of them that have any sober considerations and love to the prosperity of the Church 2. And consider also how much this way would facilitate your course of Discipline you would be much more clearly satisfied who are your Church-members and of your special charge and on whom you are specially bound to exercise Discipline and to whom you owe your special care and labour and your people will be better satisfied then now they are both of the quality and regular reception of members and who they be to whom they owe the special Duty of members and whom they are more specially bound to communicate their worldly goods in their necessity How much uncertainty confusion dissatisfiedness and neglect of duty remaineth in those Congregations where this work is quite ommitted is obvious to common observations 3. And if any should have a jealousie of this designe as seeming to set up the Congregational way of Covenanting I intreat such to remember 1. What an enemy to the Unity of the Church and how unbeseeming a charitable Christian a spirit of causeless jealousie is 2. That it should be the more gratefull to you because it is acceptable to your Brethren If you are Lovers of Unity and Peace you will be far from avoiding a Practice because those hold it with whom you would be united that is because it tends to Unity but rather you will be glad of such a healing means 3. Consider that it is no more the Congregational mens Principle then the Episcopal Presbyterians and the Erastians It is our common Principle let us therefore make it our common Practice an easy a reasonable way of Agreement The not Practising of this hath cast us into confusions and the Practise of it must be it that must restore our Church Order and heale most of our Divisions I know it is agreeable to your Judgments I move you not to forsake your Principles but to Practice them Do but enrol those only for your Adult Church-members that are Confirmed or Approve upon a personal credible Profession of true Christianity and consent to live under your Ministerial Discipline and it will do more then you can easily now apprehend for an Union with your Brethren and for the closing of the sad and long-continued divisions of the Churches 3. And to the Congregational Brethren I may boldly say it is a Practice so suitable to your own Practice already though I think it is a more Regular performance of it that I propound then most have used that in reason we may expect your approbation and concurrence Perhaps you 'l feare that some of your Brethren may slubber over the work and make but a Ceremony of it But so may some of your Own mind if they be personally remiss and negligent as well as others And perhaps others will feare lest you shonld use it over rigorously and make it a pretence for excluding many that are not to be excluded But this will be according to the Prudence and Charity of particular Pastours and is nothing to those Principles in which we are all agreed Only I beseech you in the feare of God take heed of giving just occasion of this offence Be not Righteous overmuch Remember how tender Christ is of his litle ones and how he is displeased with those that keep them from him and will not break the bruised Reed If he carry the Lambs in his armes and gently drive those that are with-young it beseemes not us to turn them out of the fold or to disowne them We are commanded to Receive him that is weak in the Faith though not to doubtfull disputations Rom. 15. 1. It 's a conjunction of impiety injustice and uncharitableness to thrust back those that Christ would have admitted It 's Impiety to rob Christ of his Church-members and diminish his Visible Flock and wrong those whom he values as his Jewels and is tender of as the apple of his eye It is great Injustice to defraud men of their Due in so great a matter as his Church-priviledges and helps to Heaven It 's greater Injustice then to turn them out of their houses and lands for the Benefits are greater It 's Vncharitableness to deale so cruelly with us in matters of such Consequence And it 's the greater 1. Because it is none of our own but our Masters treasure which we deny them 2. And because we are Conscious if we are Christians indeed of so much sinne and unworthyness our selves as should provoke us to deale the more tenderly and compassionately with others I would not have you blind under pretence of Charity nor to let in known swine for feare of keeping out the sheep But remember that when the case is but so doubtfull and difficult that you cannot know certainly the tares from the wheat or cannot make a separation without a danger of pulling up the wheate with the tares it 's better let both alone till harvest We will not be wilfully guilty of mens Lying or Hypocritical Professions but if they be guilty of them we may yet believe that God hath much service for Hypocrites in his Church And the number shall be some honour to him and some encouragement to some that are yet without to draw neerer us Though it be the Intention of Christ in Instituting his Ordinances and the Intention

washt with Christ's Blood how can they deny to wash them with that water that is appointed to signifie and invest Moreover Infants are capable of many other Priveledges and of being the Adopted Sonnes of God the Members of Christ the Heirs of Heaven as having Right thereto and being the members of the Church and being under the Special Protection and Provision of God and in a special sort partakers of the Prayers of the Church with divers more As in the Commonwealth an Infant is capable of having Honour and Inheritance in Right though not Actally to use them and of the protection of the Laws for Life Reputation and estate and of being Tenant and obliged to pay a certain Rent and Homage when he comes to age and in the mean time to have Provisions from the Estate that he hath Title to But all this I have fuller exprest elsewhere And I have altely read Mr Tombes's last and large Reply to part of my Book and many others and must needs say that it leaves me still perswaded that it is the will of Christ that the Infants of his Servants should be Dedicated to him in Baptism and members of his visible Church and though upon the review of my Arguments I find that I have used too many provoaking words for which I am heartily sorry and desire pardon of God and him yet I must say that I am left more confident then before that the cause is Gods which Mr Tombes opposeth Of which if God will I intend yet to give some further account In the mean time I deal with this but as a Supposition that is already sufficiently proved though all men yea all good men see not the sufficiency of the proofe Prop. 2. There are many Priveledges belonging to the Adult Members of the Church which Infant members are not capable of THis is true both of Natural and Moral Capacities The Priviledges which I mean are the pardon of many actual sinnes committed since they are Adult the exercise of all Holy Graces Knowing God Loving him Trusting him Serving him the Communion that we have with God herein as particularly in Prayer in holy Praises and Thanksgivings in Heavenly Meditations The Peace and Joy that followeth Believing and the Hopes of Everlasting Life the Communion which we have with the Church of Christ in hearing praying Praises the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ in distribution by giving and receiving and an endearing holy Love within These and many more Priveledges are proper to the Adult That Infants are not Naturally capable of these is as needless to prove as that they are Infants And then that they are not Morally capable is an inseparable consequent For though Natural Capacity may be without Moral yet Moral cannot be without Natural In point of Duty Infants are not bound to the work as to Hear Pray Prayse c. beyond the Natural Capacity of their Intellects and bodies And so in point of Benefit we must have more sobriety then to suppose God to make over any Benefit to them which they are not capable of All this is plain Prop. 3. The Continuation of Priveledges received in Infancy is part of the Priveledges of the Adult or the Restoration of them if they be lost IF the cause discontinue the effect will cease Adult Priveledges comprehend the Infant Priviledges partly as that which is Perfect comprehendeth the Imperfect and partly as the whole comprehendeth the parts and partly as the thing Continued is the same with the thing Begun Infant Priviledges would all cease with Infancy if the Causes or Conditions cease and there be no other Cause for their continuance God never took Infants into his Church and Covenant with a purpose so to continue them without any other Condition then that upon which they were admitted This is past denyal and will be more cleared in the next Prop. 4. The Title-Condition of Infant Church-membership and Priviledges is not the same with the Title-Condition of the Church-membership and Priviledges of the Adult so that if this new Condition be not performed when men come to Age their former Title ceaseth and there is no other that ariseth in his stead 1. WE are agreed I think that our Title which is Fundamentum Juris is Gods Covenant Graunt or Guift As it is his Precept that constituteth our Duty so it is his Promise or Deed of Gift which is our title to the Benefit 2. And we are agreed I hope that this Promise or Grant from God is Conditional For if Church-membership and Priviledges he Absolutly Given then it is to All or but to Some Not to All for then the Church and the world are all one and then it is not Ecclesia caetus evocatus and then Heathens and Infidels have right which are things that no Christian I think will grant If it be but Some that have Title then there must be some Note to know them by or else the some will be equal to All or to None And if they be Marked out then it must be by Name or by Description Not by Name for we find the contrary Scripture doth not Name all that have Title to Church Priviledges If it be by Description it is either by meer Physical or by Moral Qualifications that they are described The former none doth imagine that I hear of If they are Moral Qualifications then either they are such as are prerequisite to our Right and Priviledges or not That they are prerequisite all must confess that read the Promise and all do confess that they are prerequisite to all the following Priviledges And if Prerequisite then either as Means or no Means The later none can affirm without going against so much light as ordinary Christians have still ready at hand to confute them with And if they are required as Means then either as Causes or Conditions And I think you will sooner yield them to be Conditions then Causes though either Concession sufficeth to the end that is before us But of this we need to say no more both because it is commonly confessed and because that the words of the Promises are so plaine and undenyable being uttered in Conditional terms Nor is this either inconsistent with or any way unsuitable to an Absolute Decree For as a Threatning so the Conditionality of a Promise are Instruments admirably suited to the accomplishment of an Absolute Purpose or Decree He that is fully Resolved to save us or to give us the Priviledges of his Church will deal with us as men in bringing us to the possession of the intended benefits and therefore will by Threats and Conditional promises excite us to a careful performance of the Condition and that Grace which is resolved to effect the very Condition in us is also resolved to make a Conditional Promise yea and a Threatening the Instrument of effecting it 3. Note that the great Question whether all the Infants of true Believers are certainly Justified or

are to rest in Obedience to their Pastours for that 's undoubtedly their duty the work being the Pastours and not theirs 2. But if the case be plainly contrary to the Scripture as if he would admit an Impenitent Drunkard Fornicatour c. they must disown his sinne that it lie not upon them and refuse private familiarity with that person but not withdraw from publick Ordinances because of his presence For when they have done their duty and rid themselves of the guilt by a dissent the person is to them as Morrally absent though Locally and Physically present and the Ordinance is not defiled to them by his Corporal presence but the guilt will lie on the Rulers of the Church otherwise all Churches should be broken in pieces if the people must seperate when every one that they are confident is unworthy is Introduced and the Governed will become the Governours 3. But if it be not a few that the Pastours thus introduce against the certain Word of God but so many and such as will corrupt the substance of the Church and make it an uncapable matter for the form and so to become another thing and destroy the very Ends of Church-association so that it is no longer a Communion of Saints then the people fearing God are bound to stop this before it have quite corrupted the Church by admonishing the Pastours and advising with neighbour Churches to admonish them and if that prevail not by rejecting them and if they cannot do so by reason of a Major Vote of uncapable persons they ought to withdraw themselves and worship God in such a Church as is truly capable of the Name and Ends And this is a Lawfull and Necessary separation of which as it is a duty God is the Cause and as it is a forsaking of the rest the culpable cause is only in themselves I can easily prove all this but that I think it needless tediousness 4. And indeed it would be very hard measure if at the corrupt administration of a carnal or carless or erroneous Pastour all the Church must be under an Obligation to give their estates by way of relief to every one that he will put the name of a Christian and Church member upon unworthily Then may he force them to maintaine all the beggars and rogues about them though they were Infidels and impious men I speak not of the common relief of the needy for that I know they owe to an Infidel but of the special Community which Charity must make among the Disciples of Christ It 's against all Reason that an erring or careless Pastour shall thus Command all the Peoples estates by introducing such without their consent whom they are bound thus to maintaine 5. Yea indeed the Spirit of God is in the Saints a Spirit of discerning so that it is not Possible that all the Church should in their Affections obey such a corrupt Administratour by Loving all the notorious ungodly men as Saints with the special Love of brethren whom he will carelesly or erroneously put in the place of Saints I cannot possibly Love that man as a Saint or Disciple of Christ that I am certain is his enemy and none such I conclude therefore that though the people be not Church-governours by a Vote that 's a great errour yet they have a Judgment of Discerning according to which they must obey or reject their Pastours administrations And he that denyeth this and would have them yield an Absolute obedience without trying choosing and refusing would not only make the Pastours to be of a Papal streine but would give them a Jesuitical Obedience above what the moderate Papists give the Pope And therefore seeing that ad finem there is a Necessity that the People consent or else they cannot Obey nor hold communion with the person therefore there is also the same Necesity ad finem that they have satisfaction offered them and have either the cognisance of the Profession and admission of the person or that they be satisfied in the fidelity of their Pastours in Administration and that he seek their consent or which is best that some chosen persons do Represent them and be present at such Professions with the Pastours and the Pastours and their own Delegates together do acquaint the Congregation of all that are Admitted and of their Satisfactory Prfession that they may hold Communion with them This I speak of those which are very many that are fit for Church-communion and yet through bashfullness or want of utterance are unable to make a Publike Profession before all The choisest Christians that I have known have been such But those that are able should rather in Publike make their own Profession Object But what if one part of the Congregation approve of the Person and Profession and the other disallow it Answ 1. They are to be governed by the Pastours 2. And consult with the Pastours of Neighbour Church●● in rules of great weight aed danger 3. And the lesser part of the Church in doubtfull cases and tollerable differences is to yield to the greater part Not as if a Major Vote had the Government of the rest much less of their Governours but in Order to Vnity the fewer must submit Quest But what if the people would have the Pastour Baptize Confirm or introduce an open hereticke or wicked person in his impenitency Answ The Pastour must obey God and refuse to obey them Quest And what if the People think a man unfit whom the Pastour would Approve and Introduce Answ 1. He may admit him into the Universal Church notwithstanding their unjust refusall 2. He hath power to Admit him into that particular Church against their unjust dissent as he is the Ruler of the Church and the Administratour of the Ordinances 3. He hath Authority to perswade and command them from Christ to hold communion with the person and do their duty to him which if they do not they commit a double sinne one of unjustice and uncharitableness in a causless rejecting of a member of Christ and another of disobedience against the fifth Commandement 4. But yet the Pastours cannot force the people to obey their advice and command nor effectually procure it perhaps 5. And therefore their forementioned Power is not alwaies to be exercised For it is in vaine to use a means that will rather hinder the End then attain to it and so is at that time no means Sometimes the Pastour may see just cause to exercise all this Power and execute his part of Church communion with the person in administring the Ordinances to him and leave the people answerable to God for refusing their part But this is not an usual case Usually if he see the People resolve against Communion with that person how fit soever he is publickly to cleare himself by disallowing them in their sinne and reproving them for it and leaving the blame on them and then in Prudence to forbear the Intruding

accepted What is the Tongue made for but to express the mind Indeed if a man be dumb and can neither speak not write it is more tollerable to take an uncertaine signe from such a man then from another that hath the use of Tongue or pen. 5. It is a very Implicite denying of Christ which many call an Implicite Profession If a man that hath a Tongue in his mouth shall refuse to Profess the Christian Faith and quarrel with the Minister that calls him to it and say we shall have no other Profession from him then to come to Church and put the bread and wine into his mouth and not to deny Christ expresly I leave it to any reasonable man whether there be not so much of an Implicite denying Christ in this refusing to confess him when they are called to it by their Pastours whom God hath commanded them to obey and that in a case and season when all the Church hath required it or taught it to be due 6. It is contrary to the honour of Christ and the very Nature of Christianity for men to take up with Implicite uncertaine Professions when we have opportunity of more open free Professions He is not a Master to be ashamed of And he will have no servants that will not confess him before men even in the hazzard of life much more in daies of the freedom of the Gospel As with the heart men must believe to Righteousness so with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10. 10. What reason have we to whisper or draw back in a cause of such a nature and weight as this 7. Shall we thus teach our people to esteem Christianity as an unobservable thing by no more observing it The Solemnity of mens Transition into the Adult-state of actual Believers doth make it more Observable in the eyes of men and they will see that there is more in it then commonly is now esteemed I find by experience that our people hate no preaching more then Differencing Preaching which leaves or shuts them out from the number of the Sanctified and sets them as one the left-hand in the face of the Congregation and judgeth them before the time but faine they would have Ministry confound and jumble all together And then you may make them as great sinners as you will so you will make them no worse then the Justified that are forgiven and shall be saved And so in Practice they love no differencing waies But shall we so far gratifie the Devil and the flesh No we must labour to make the difference between Christs Servants and the world as conspicuous as we can that the Consciences of poor sinners may rather be wakened then cheated by us And therefore we should choose the most solemn Transition and Record the names of the Confirmed and let the people be brought to a publike Observation of the Necessity of Faith and Holiness while the Covenant and Profession of it is made so Necessary 8. That is the best means that is fittest to attain the End The End of a Covenant is to Oblige and the End of a Profession to declare the mind And I pray you which is fittest for these Ends An Express Profession and Covenant or a dumbe uncertain signe by coming to Church paying Tithes c. 9. Such dumb Professions are less tolerable now because we have many in our Assemblies that we know to be no Christians I know of many that will heare that believe no life to come and secretly make a scorne of Christ and Scripture and many more that know not what Christianity is as is aforesaid Now shall we take up with such signes of Christianity as we see and know are commonly used by Infidels when we may have better 10. It is essential to a Profession to be in some measure explicit for Profiteri is but palàm vel publicè fateri It is no Profession if it be not or pretend not to be an Expression of the mind And therefore to be Implicite and not Express is so far to be against the very Nature of the Profession in that measure as your Profession is Implicite as it 's called and not Express in that measure it is no Profession at all Object 7. But when you have the most express Covenant or Profession you are not sure that it is true and that the man is a believer at the heart Answ 1. I am sure that it 's Truly a Profession that is a Pretended signe of the mind tho●gh I am not sure that it 's True Profession that is a True infallible signe of the mind I can know the metaphysical though not the Morall Truth of it And then I can be sure that I do my duty and take up according to the Directions of Christ It is his work to judge the heart immediatly as being his prerogative to know it but it 's my work to judge of the Credibility of the Profession 2. And what if I have no infallible Certainty Must I therefore throw up all and make the Pastoral Church-government to be void and cast open the Vineyard of Christ to the wilderness and not so much as require a Credibility because we cannot have an Infallibility This may not be Object 8. But this will encourage tbe Anabaptists and Congregational in their Express Covenantings by our coming so neer them Answ 1. I may better say you will make men Anabaptists and drive them too far by your loosness and willfully shunning plaine duty How can weake professours be drawn to think well of that party which they see do shun so needfull a Work of God 2. Love and Peace will teach all Christians to say that it 's the best for Unity and healing of our breaches to come as neare dissenting Brethren as we may and no● to fly the further from them At least we may not run from truth and duty that we may be unlike our dissenting Brethren 3. And I take it to be my duty to tell this alowd to the Christian world that after long contest with the Anabaptists and opposition of their waies I am grown as I confidently think to this discovery of the mind of God in suffering them among us that he had this great truth and duty to which he saw it necessary to awake us the Church having been so lamentably defiled Discipline made an impossible thing and mens Salvation grievously hindred by the common secret unobserved transition of all people into the name and number and Priviledges of Adult-Christians therefore did God permit these men to step too far on the other side that the noise might be the greater and his call the more observable so that they are his messengers calling aloud to England and all other Christian Churches in Europe to keep the doore and repaire the hedge and no more to take an Infant-baptism and Profession of our Parents as a sufficient Evidence of the Title of the Adult to the Name or Place or Priveledges of

family by which you may the better know them and prepare them for Church-Communion and have opportunity to quiet them and answer their Objections and they may see that you cast them not off as Heathens but only prepare them for the state and Priviledges which they are yet unfit for And especially let us by all possible condescension meekness loving carriage blameless lives and charitable contribution to the utmost of our abilities endeavour to win them and take off that Offence or at least abate it or hinder the success of the reproaches of those that will undoubtedly be offended by our Reformation and Discipline And let us have a vigilant eye upon any Seducers especially Infidels and Papists that may creep in among them to take advantage of their discontents that we may prudently and effectually counterwork them This much faithfully done by Ministers might be an admirable mercy to the Church 2. THe Peoples duty in order to this Reformation before mentioned is 1. Of the godly and such as are fit for Church-Communion 2. Of the grosly ignorant and ungodly that are unfit 1. The duty of the first sort lyeth in these Particulars 1. They must highly value the benefit of Pastorall oversight and Church-Communion and therefore be ready to promote any work of Reformation that is necessary to their more fruitfull and comfortable enjoyment of them 2. They must so behave themselves as may honour and further the work and take heed of that by which it may be hindered least they weaken our hands and be a stumbling block to others For what can a Minister do himself if the Church assist him not much less if they hinder him Especially 1. They must take heed of scandalous sinnes which may be a shame to their Profession and open the mouthes of the enemies of the Church 2. They must take heed of Sects and Div●sions and quarrellings among themselves which will break them in pieces or hinder their Edification and make them a stumbling block to the weak and a laughing stock to the wicked 3. They must take heed of sur●yness and pride and domineering carriage towards those that are yet without And must be as eminent in meekness and humility and patience and forbearance and self-denyal as they are in the Profession of Religion For a proud domineering spirit or strangeness and unnecessary distance doth lose the ungodly whom you should be means to win 4. They must study to do all the good they can to those without be as little as may be in executing penalties on them and as much as may be possibly in speaking kindly and familiarly to them and relieving them in wants and visiting them in sickness and think it not much to purchase their love in order to their Salvation with the loss of your right or with the price of much of your worldly goods For all men love those or at least will less dislike them that do no hurt to any but do good to all or as many as they can To be the servants of all is the highest Christian dignity and the way to winne them 5. Take heed of falling out or contending with any of them or of giving them any harsh provoking words to their faces or behind their backs But put up any wrong that is meerly your own and is in your power to forgive for the sake of Peace and your own neighbours good 6. Be not men of common spirits or common speech or a common conversation but as we must make a difference between you and others in our communion and Church-administrations so let the rest see that it is not without cause For if you be but like other men we shall seeme to be partial in making a difference between you and other men Let your Light therefore shine before men to the Glory of your Heavenly Father Let them see that you despise the world and live above it and can easily part with it that you can forgive and bear a wrong that your heart is in Heaven and your treasure there and that you are the heires of another world Let all men heare and see by you that you have a higher designe in your eye then the ungodly and that you are driving on another trade then the men that have their portion in this life Heaven is your Reall Glory and to be Heavenly is your true Reputative Glory not only in the eies of the wi●e but of the common earth-worms of the world 7. Set your selves in the most diligent and faithfull improvement of all your parts and Interests to help on the Work of God on mens Souls Though you preach not you have work enough in your own places to do to further the Preachers work Speake to poore people prudently seasonably and seriously about the state of their Souls and Everlasting Life and consult with the Ministers how to deale with them Tell them in what state you find the people and take their advice in further dealing with them O if our neighbours would but helpe us in private and do their parts and not cast all the burden on the Minister there would much more be done then is Nay alas to our grief and hindrance some of our Professing people are so hot and self-conceited and proud that unless we will outrunne our own understandings and be ruled by them and shut out abundance that the Word of God allows us not to shut out and be Righteous overmuch and shut up the Church of Christ as in a nut-shell they presently murmure and rebell and separate and must betake themselvel to a stricter Congregation And others of them must have us cast off Discipline and cut up the hedge and admit all to the Communion and Priviledges of the Church and all under a blind pretense of Charity and some Learned Gentlemen by words and writings do enrage our ignorant and ungodly neighbours against us and make them believe that we do them some grievous wrong because we will not indeed deceive them and undo them and set up new Church-orders or disorders now in the end of the world so contrary to all the ancient Canons and Orders of the Church I honour and deerly love the names of many of these studious pious Gentlemen But seriously I must tell them that they want humility and in their good meanings do the Church a world of wrong And though they may be more learned even in Theology then we yet it is a great matter to have or to want experience They have not been so much in Church-administrations as we nor had so much to do with ignorant Souls And verily I must say againe that the bare Theory maketh but a bungler in this work I must much suspect the Judgment of that man in matters of Church-government or dealing with poor Souls that wants experience Let these Gentlemen but turn Ministers be it known to their faces there 's none of them too good for it nor too great and let them but try our life

sufficient condition of their Title thereunto 13. A Covenant breaker can claim no right to the benefits of the Covenant supposing him to violate the main conditions on which the benefits are suspended But all those at capable age that have nothing but their Infant condition to shew are Covenant breakers therefore they have no right to the benefits of the Covenant They therefore were engaged personally to be●ieve in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost when they came to the use of reason we have cause therefore to see whether they have broke or kept this Covenant and if they have broke it they can at present claim no Title to the benefits 14. He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Therefore those that profess not this belief cannot come to God and consequently not have Communion with the Church Without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 5 6. Therefore without a profession of Faith it is impossible to have right to just Communion which is purposely for the pleasing of God Object But its said Infants have Faith that is a Relative Faith and a Faderall Faith as well as a Relative Faederall Holiness Their right is not only in their Parents but in themselves and therefore their Faith is in themselves and this continueth with the aged till Heresie and Schisme cut it off Answ Call any thing under Heaven by the name of Faith so you will but explain your meaning and we will quarrell as little as may be with you about words But little know we what you mean by Relative or Faederall Faith unless it be plainly to be semen fidelium the seed of believers that there is a Relative and Faederall Holiness is Scripture Doctrine and good sense For the formall nature of the thing is a relation which commonly is expressed by the name of Holiness and which in that phrase is implyed But I remember not that Scripture ever speaks of a Relative or Faederall Faith For I believe not that it was Infants that Christ calls the little o●es that believe in him And Faith being an act or habit you must mean some other species of Faith which consisteth in relation I know it not nor will I use your Language though I think it more tolerable to call the Infant Relatively a Believer then to say he hath Relative Faith for in so saying no more is meant but that he is a Disciple of Christ or belongs to him as he is the Seed of a Believer in Covenant But let this word of Faederall Relative Faith be used by you as you please If the thing signified by it be any more then I have expressed you should tell us what you mean If it be no more but to be the Seed of a Believer then we doubt not but thi● continueth when they come to age but it doth them no good at age as to the continuing of their Title to Church-membership before God without a Faith of their own nor before the Church without a profession of it That the Infant himself is the Subject of h●s own Right is a thing that no man that I know makes doubt of that believeth him to have any Right But the active main condition of that right is not to be performed by himself but by the Parent and only the Passive Condition is to be found in himself that he be the Seed of that Parent If he must be a Believers Seed it s the Parent that must Believe But that will not serve his turne at age if he do not also believe himself 15. It is granted by the Dissenters that the ignorant for all their Infant Title have no Immediate right to the Communion of the Church And we will not contend about names this satisfieth us in the maine It is not Actuall right if it be not immediate plenary right that which they call a remote right is properly no actuall right but a term of Diminution as to it when right hath two Conditions you may call it right when the first and greatest is performed but actually it is none till all be performed For it is still but Conditionall while any part of the Condition is unperformed saith Learned Mr Fullwood page 274. The rule to give all their due is of indispensable Obligation but seeing ignorant persons have no such immediate right in the Supper what injury or wrong is there done them Object But ignorance doth not wholly cut a man off from the Church For such a knowledge goeth not to the ●ssence of the Church for ●●s fo●m is society or Community Answer 1. It s sufficient to our present purpose that it excludeth men meritoriously from immediate right to the Communion of the Adult 2. Ignorance qua talis materially is no sin as in Ideots Paralyticks c. and therfore cuts not off But ignorance in a Subject where knowledg should be found is culpable and complicate alwaies with Infidelity or not believing and therefore doth declare the person to be matter uncapable If you choose to say it cuts not off I easily can prove that it manifesteth that he is not in the Invisible and ought not to be esteemed of the visible Church by reason of his incapacity his former Title ceasing for want of the condition of its continuation 3. Knowledge in the capable Adult is an essentiall to the Church as a society A Church is a society of Christians As it is a society Christianity is not essentiall to it and so not Knowledge For there are societies of Heathens and Infidels enow But as it is a Christian Society Knowledge is essentiall to it and therefore as it is a Church It 's essentiall to a field of wheat that there be wheat in it Or to a heape of wheat that it be of wheat And yet not as a field or as a heap for there are heaps of dirt also The aggregation of a number of individuals makes it a Community and the form of the body aggregated as to the mutuall relation of the parts makes it a Body politick or society But the essentiall qualification of the Individuals viz Christianity is essentiall to that society in specie as a Christian Church And Faith in the Adult is essentiall to Christianity and Knowledge is essentiall to Faith or inseparable from it Object Then one should not take another to be a Church-member till he is satisfied of his Knowledge which were a stranger thing Answ Not so strange as true supposing him an Adult Person capable of Knowledg For he cannot be satisfied of his Faith without being satisfied of Knowledg nor of his Christianity without his Faith For we are yet unacquainted with the Christian Infidels But then Consider what must be satisfactory to other men concerning their Brothers knowledg It must satisfie them that he is by the Pastours of the Church who are to judge approved and annumerated with Believers and that he