the faithful and their seed unto a thousand generations if the successive parents do but in the least degree shew themselves to be lovers of God and keepers of his Covenant and Commandments so as that the Lord will never reject them till they reject him Exod 20.6 Deut. 7.9 Psal 105.8 9. Rom. 11 16-22 Hence we dare not with the Antipaedobaptist exclude the Infant-children of the faithful from the Covenant or from Membership in the visible Church and consequently not from Baptism the Seal thereof Neither dare we exclude the same children from Membership or put them out of the Church when they are grown up while they so walk and act as to keep their standing in the Covenant and doe not reject the same God owns them still and they doe in some measure own him God rejects them not and therefore neither may we and consequently their children also are not to be rejected Should we reject or exclude any of these we should shorten and straiten the grace of God's Covenant more then God himself doth and be injurious to the Souls of men by putting them from under those Dispensations of Grace which are stated upon the visible Church whereby the children of God's visible people are successively in their Generations to be trained up for the Kingdome of Heaven whither the Elect number shall still be brought in the way of such means and wherein he hath given unto Officers and Churches a solemn charge to take care of and train up such as a part of his flock to that end saying to them as sometimes to Peter If you love me feed my lambs In obedience to which charge we hope it is the we are willing and desirous though with the inference of no small labour and burthen to our selves to commend these Truths to the Churches of Christ that all the Flock even the Lambs thereof being duly stated under Pastoral Power we might after a faithfull discharge of our Duty to them be able to give up our account another day with joy and not with grief How hard it is to finde and keep the right middle way of Truth in these things is known to all that are ought acquainted with the Controversies there-about As we have learned and believed we have spoken but not without remembrance that we are poor feeble frail men and therefore desire to be conversant herein with much humility and fear before God and men We are not ignorant of variety of judgements concerning this Subject which notwithstanding with all due reverence to Dissenters after Religious search of the Scriptures we have here offered what seems to us to have the fullest Evidence of Light from thence if more may be added and may be found contained in the Word of God this shall be no prejudice thereunto Hence also we are farre from desiring that there should be any rigorous imposition of these things especially as to what is more narrow therein and more controversal among godly men If the Honoured Court see meet so farre to adde their countetenance and concurrence as to commend a serious consideration hereof to the Churches and to secure those that can with clearness of judgement practise accordingly from disturbance that in this case may be sufficient To tolerate or to desire a Toleration of damnable Heresies or of Subverters of the Fundamenta's of Faith or Order were an irreligious inconsistency with the love of true Religion But to bear one with another in lesser differences about matters of a more difficult and controversal nature and more remote from the Foundation and wherein the godly-wise are not like-minded is a Duty necessary to the peace and welfare of Religion while we are in the state of infirmity In such things let not him that practiseth despise him that forbeareth and let not him that forbeareth judge him that practiseth for God hath received him But as we do not thus speak from doubting of the Truth here delivered Paul knows where the Truth lyes and is perswaded of it Rom. 14.14 yet he can lovingly bear a Dissenter and in like manner should we So we do in the bowels of Christ Jesus command the consideration of these things unto our Brethren in the several Churches What is here offered is farre from being any declining from former Principles it is rather a pursuance thereof for it is all included in or deducible from what we unanimously professed and owned in the fore-mentioned Platform of Discipline many years since There it is asserted that Children are Church-members That they have many priviledges which others not Church-members have not and that they are under Discipline in the Church chap. 12. sect 7. and that will infer the right of their children they continuing to walk orderly And the other matter of Consociation or exercise of Communion of Churches is largely held forth Chap. 15. 16. It may be an Objection lying in the mindes of some and which many may desire a fuller Answer unto That these things or some of them are Innovations in our Church-wayes and things which the Lord 's Worthies in New-England who are now with God did never teach not hold and therefore why should we now after so many years fall upon new Opinions and Practises Is not this a declining from our first Purity and a blameable Alteration To this Although it were a sufficient Answer to say That in matters of Religion not so much what hath been held or practised as what should be and what the Word of God prescribes ought to be our Enquiry and our Rule The people in Nehemiah's time are commended for doing as they found written in the Law though from the dayes of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day the children of Israel had not done so Nehem. 8.14 17. See the like 2 Chron. 30.5 26. 2 Kings 23.21 22. they did not tye themselves to former use and custome but to the Rule of Gods written Word and so should we It was Thyatira's praise that their good works were more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 The Lord 's humble and faithfull Servants are not went to be forward to think themselves perfect in their attainments but desirous rather to make a progress in the knowledge and practise of God's holy Will If therefore the things here poopounded concerning the children of Church-members and the Consociation of Churches be a part of the Will of God contained in the Scriptures as we hope the Discourse ensuing will shew them to be that doth sufficiently bespeak their entertainment although they had not formerly been held or heard of amongst us Yet this must not be granted the contrary being the Truth viz. that the Points herein which may be most scrupled by some are known to have been the judgement of the generality of the Elders of these Churches for many years and of those that have been of most eminent esteem among us As besides what was before mentioned from the Platform of Discipline may appear by the
following Testimonies from sundry Eminent and Worthy Ministers of Christ in New-England who are now with God First Touching the children of Church-members Mr. Cotton hath this saying The Covenant and Blessing of Abraham is that which we plead for which the Apostle saith is come upon us Gentiles Gal. 3.14 which admitteth the faithful and their Infant-seed not during their lives in case their lives should grow up to Apostacy or open Scandal but during their infancy and so long after as they shall continue in a visible profession of the Covenant and Faith and Religion of their fathers otherwise if the children of the faithful grow up to Apostacy or any open Scandal as Ishmael and Esau did as they were then so such like now are to be cast out of the fellowship of the Covenant and of the Seals thereof Grounds and Ends of Baptism of Children p. 106. see also p. â—â— 3â—.34 Again The seed of the Israelites though many of them were not sincerely godly yet whilest they held forth the publick profession of God's people Deut. 26 3-11 and continued under the wing of the Covenant and subjection to the Ordinances they were still accounted an holy seed Ezra 9.2 and so their children were partakers of Circumcision Yea further though themselves were sometimes kept from the Lords Supper the Passeover for some or other uncleanness yet that debarred not their children from Circumcision Against this may it not seem vain to stand upon a difference between the Church of Israel and our Churches of the New-Testament For the same Covenant which God made with the National Church of Israel and their seed it is the very same for substance and none other which the Lord makes with any Congregational Church and our seed Quaery 9th of Accommodation and Communion of Presbyt and Congregal Churches And the same for substance with those Quaeries was delivered by him in 12. Propositions as Mr. Tho Allen witnesseth in Epist to the Reader before Treat of Covenant and those Quaeries Now in the 8th of those Propositions he hath these words The children of Church-members with us though baptized in their infancy yet when they come to age they are not received to the Lords Supper nor admitted to fellowship of Voting in Admissions Elections Censures till they come to profess their Faith and Repentance and to lay hold of the Covenant of their parents before the Church and yet they being not cast out of the Church nor from the Covenant thereof their children as well as themselves being within the Covenant they may be partakers of the first Seal of the Covenant Lastly speaking to that Objection That the Baptism of Infants overthrows and destroys the Body of Christ the holy Temple of God and that in time it will come to consist of natural and carnal Members and the power of Goverment rest in the hands of the wicked He Answers That this puts a fear where no fear is or a causless fear And in prosecution of his Answer he hath these words Let the Primitive Practise be restored to its purity viz. that due care be taken of baptized members of the Church for their fitting for the Lords Table and then there will be no more fear of pestering Churches with a carnal generation of members baptized in their infancy then of admitting a carnal company of hypocrites confessing their Faith and Repentance in the face of the Congregation Either the Lord in the faithfulness of his Covenant will sanctifie the hearts of the baptized Infants to prepare them for his Table or else he will discover their hypocrisie and profaneness in the presence of his Church before men and Angels and so prevent the pollution of the Lords Table and corruption of the Discipline of the Church by their partaking in them Grounds and Ends of Baptism c. p. 161 163. See also Holiness of Church-members p. 41 51 56 57 63 87. Bloody Tenent washed p. 44 78. Mr. Hooker saith Suppose a whole Congregation should consist of such who were children to Parents now deceased who were confederate their children were true members according to the Rules of the Gospel by the profession of their fathers Covenant though they should not make any personal and vocal expression of their engagement as the fathers did Survey part 1. p. 48. Again We maintain according to truth that the believing parent covenants and confesseth for himself and his posterity and this covenanting then and now is the same for the kinde of it Part 3. p. 25. See p. 17 18. part 1. p. 69 76 77. And in the Preface fetting down sundry things wherein he consents with Mr. R. he expresseth this for one that Infants of visible Churches born of wicked parents being members of the Church ought to be baptized In these saith he and several other particulars we fally accord with Mr. R. And Part 3. p. 11. It is not then the Question whether wicked members while they are tolerated sinfully in the Church they and their children may partake of the Priviledges for this is beyond question nor do I know nor yet ever heard it denied by any of ours Mr. Philips speaking of a people made partakers of Gods Covenant and all the priviledges outwardly belonging thereto he saith Themselves and all that ever proceed from them continue in the same state parents and children successively so long as the Lord continues the course of his Dispensation nor can any alteration befall them whereby this estate is dissolved but some apparent act of God breaking them off from him Reply p. 126. Again speaking of that Holiness 1 Cor. 7.14 he saith I take it of foederal holiness whereby the children are with the believing parents taken by God to be his and by him put under his covenant and so they continue when men of years though they never have any further grace wrought in them nor have any other state upon them then what they had when they were born Ibid. p 131. Again a company become or are a Church either by conversion and initial constitution or by continuance of the same constituted Churches successively by propagation of members who all are born in the Church-state and under the covenant of God and belong unto the Church and are a Church successively so long as God shall continue his begun dispensation even as well as fully as the first Ibid. p. 145. Mr. Shepard in Defence of the Nine Positions p 143. hath the expression Concerning the Infants of Church-members they are subject to Censures whensoever they offend the Church as others are though so long as they live innocently they need them not And in the year 1649. not three moneths before his Death he wrots unto a friend a large Letter yet extant under his own Hand concerning the Membership of Children wherein he proveth by sundry Arguments that they are Members and answereth sundry Objections against it and sheweth at large what great good there is in children's Membership In which
cause for it many of the Elders in these Churches both such as are now living and sundry who are now deceased did declare their judgements as aforesaid and this many years ago Secondly Touching Consociation of Churches take these few Testimonies in stead of many more that might be alledged Mr. Cotton Keyes p. 54 55. It is a safe and wholsome and holy Ordinance of Christ for particular Churches to joyn together in holy Covenant or Communion Consociation among themselves to administer all their Church-affairs which are of weighty and difficult and common concernment not without common consultation and consent of other Churches about them And how it is so he there sheweth in all the particulars See also p. 24 25 47 59. Mr. Hooker Survey see part 4. p. 1 2. p. 45. And in the Preface he professeth his consent with Mr. R. That Consociation of Churches is not only lawful but in some cases necessary That when causes are difficult and particular Churches want light and help they should crave the assistance of such a Consociation That Churches so meeting have right to Counsel Rebuke c. as the case doth require And in case any particular Church shall walk pertinaciously either in the profession of Errour or sinful Practise and will not hear their counsel they may and should renounce the right hand of fellowship with them And after he sets down this of Consociation of Churches amongst other things wherein he had leave to profess the joynt Judgement of all the Elders upon the River of New-haven Guilford Milford Stratford Fairfield and most of the Elders in the Bay By which it is clear that this point of Consociation of Churches is no new invention of these times but was taught and professed in New-England many years agoe for so it was we see in Mr. Hooker's time and it is now above fifteen years since he departed this life To these of our own Ministers we shall only adde a passage in the Apologetical Narration of Dr. Goodwyn Mr. Nye Mr. Sidrach Simpson Mr. Burroughes and Mr. Bridge wherein besides much more to this purpose touching the Remedy provided in the Congregational-way for mal-Administrations or other miscarriages in Churches p. 16-21 They set it down in p. 27. as their past and present Profession That it is the most to be abhorred Maxime that any Religion hath ever made profession of and therefore of all other the most contradictory and dishonourable unto that of Christianity that a single and particular Society of men professing the Name of Christ and pretending to be endowed with a Power from Christ to judge them that are of the same Body and Society within themselves should further arrogate unto themselves an exemption from giving account or being censurable by any other either Christian Magistrate above them or Neighbour-Churches about them See also Mr. Burroughes Heart-Divis pag 43 47. Brethren bear with us Were it for our own Sakes or Names or Interests we should not be sollicitous to beg Charity of you With us it is a small thing to be judged of man's day But it is for your sakes for your children's sake and for the Lord's sake that we intreat for a charitable candid and considerate Acceptation of our labour herein It is that the Congregations of the Lord might be established before Him in Truth and Peace and that they might have one heart and one way in the fear of God for the good of them and of their children after them Do we herein seek our selves our own advantage ease or glory Surely we feel the contrary What is it we desire but that we might do our utmost to carry your poor Children to Heaven and that we might see these Churches bound up together in the Bonds of Truth and Peace Forgive us this wrong But should the Church-education of your children be by the want of your hearty concurrence rendred either unfeizible or ineffectual should they live as Lambs in a large place for want of your agreement to own them of the Flock we beseech you to consider how uncomfortable the account hereof would be another day We pray with the Apostle that you do no evil not that we should appear approved but that you should do that which is good and right though we be rejected For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth and this also we wish even your perfection 2 Cor. 13.7 8 9. However we hope after-ages will bear witness that we have been in some measure faithful to the Truth in these things and to this part of Christs Kingdome also in our generation But we may not let pass this opportunity without a word of Caution and Exhortation to the Youth of the Country the children of our Churches whose Interest we have here assorted Be not you puffed up with Priviledges but humbled rather in the awful sense of the Engagement Duty and Danger that doth attend them It is an high favour to have a place in Bethel in the house of God and in the gate of Heaven but it is a Dreadful place God will be sanctified in all that come nigh him A place nigh unto God or among his people who are near to him Ps 148.14 is a place of great fear Psa 89.7 Take heed therefore unto your selves when owned as the people of the Lord your God Deut. 27.9 10. lest there should be among you any root that beareth gall and wormwood Take heed that you do not with a spirit of pride and haughtiness or of vanity and slightness either challenge or use any of your Priviledges Think not to bear the Name of Christians without bearing the Yoke of Christ Remember that all Relations to God and to his people do come loaden with Duty and all Gospel-duty must be done in humility The wayes of the Lord are right and the humble and serious shall walk in them but proud Transgressors shall fall therein Be not sons of Belial that can bear no yoke Learn subjection to Christs holy Government in all the parts and wayes thereof Be subject to your godly Parents Be subject to your spirtiual Fathers and Pastors and to all their instructions Admonitions and Exhortations Be subject unto faithful Brethren and to words of counsel and help from them Ye younger submit your selves unto the elder and to that end be clothed with humility Lye under the Word and Will of Christ as dispensed and conveyed to you by all his appointed Instruments in their respective places Break not in upon the Lord's Table or upon the Priviledges of full Communion without due qualification and orderly admission thereunto lest you eat and drink your own damnation Be ordered and take not upon you to order the affairs of Gods Family that is not the place of those who are yet but in the state of Initiation and Education in the Châ—rch of God Carry it in all things with a spirit of humility modesty sobriety and fear that our soules may not
weep in secret for your pride and that God may not resist reject you as a generation of his wrath Oh that the Lord would pour out a spirit of Humiliation Repentance upon all the younger sort in the Country yea upon elder too for our neglects from Dan to Beersheba Oh that we might meet at Bochim because so many Canaanues of unsubdued yea growing corruptions are found among us Let it not be said that when the first best generation in New-England were gathered to their fathers there arose another generation after them that knew not the Lord. Behold the Lord had a delight in your fathers to love them and he hath chosen you their seed after them to enjoy these Liberties Opportunities as it is this day Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your hearts and be no more stiff-necked but yield your selves to the Lord and to the Order of His Sanctuary to seek him and wait on him in all his wayes with holy fear and trembling for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if you return unto him if you seek him he will be found of you but if you forsake him he will cast you off for ever We shall conclude when we have given the Reader a short account of the Work ensuing The Propositions in Answer to the first Question were after much discussion and consideration from the Word of God Voted and Concluded by the Assembly in the particular terms as they are here expressed The Arguments then used for their Confirmation being drawn up by some deputed thereunto after they had been several times read and considered in the Assembly were Voted and Consented to as to the summe and substance thereof The Answer to the second Question is here given with great brevity partly because so much is already said there-about in the foresaid Platform of Discipline and partly by reason of great straits of time But what is here presented was the joynt conclusion of the Synod A Preface was desired by the Assembly to be prefixed by some appointed thereunto which is here accordingly by them performed Now the God of truth peace guide us all his people in the wayes give us the fruits thereof help us to feed his flock and his lambs to be fed by him as the sheep of his pasture that when the chief-Shepherd shall appear we may receive together a Crown of glory that fadeth not away may enter into the joy of our Lord as those that have neither despised his little ones nor denied to be our Brother's keeper But having faithfully endevoured to promote the continuation of his Kingdom Communion of his people may Rest Reign with all Saints in the kingdom of his glory Unto whom be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end THE ANSWER OF THE ELDERS AND OTHER MESSENGERS of the Churches Assembled at Boston in the Year 1662. TO The Questions Propounded to them by ORDER of the Honoured GENERAL COURT Quest 1. WHo are the Subjects of Baptism Answ The Answer may be given in the following propositions briefly confirmed from the Scriptures 1 They that according to Scripture are Members of the Visible Church are the subjects of Baptisme 2 The Members of the Visible Church according to scripture are Confederate visible Believers in particular Churches and their infant-seed i. e. children in minority whose next parents one or both are in Covenant 3 The Infant-seed of confederate visible Believers are members of the same Church with their parents and when grown up are personally under the watch discipline and Government of that Church 4 These Adult persons are not therefore to be admitted to full Communion meerly because they are and continue members without such further qualifications as the Word of God requireth therunto 5 Church-members who were admitted in minority understanding the Doctrine of Faith and publickly professing their assent thereto not scandalous in life and solemnly owning the Covenant before the Church wherin they give up themselves and their children to the Lord and subject themselves to the Government of Christ in the Church their children are to be Baptised 6 Such Church-members who either by death or some other extraordinary Providence have been inevitably hindred from publick acting as aforesaid yet have given the Church cause in judgment of charity to look at them as so qualified and such as had they been called thereunto would have so acted their children are to be Baptised 7 The members of Orthodox Churches being found in the Faith and not scandalous in life and presenting due testimony thereof these occasionally comming from one Church to another may have their children Baptised in the church wither they come by virtue of communion of churches but if they remove their habitation they ought orderly to covenant and subject themselves to the Government of Christ in the church where they settle their abode and so their children to be Baptised It being the churches duty to receive such unto communion so farr as they are regularly fit for the same The Confirmation of these Propositions from the Scripture followeth Proposition First They that according to Scripture are members of the visible Church are the subjects of Baptisme The trueth hereof may appear by the following evidences from the word of God 1. When Christ saith Go ye therefore and teach or as the Greek is disciple all Nations Baptising them Mat. 28.19 he expresseth the adequate subject of Baptisme to be disciples or discipled ones But disciples there is the same with members of the visible church For the visible Church is Christs school wherein all the members stand related and subjected to him as their Master and Teacher and so are his scholars or disciples and under his teaching as verse 20. And it is that visible spiritual Kingdome of Christ which he there from his Kingly power ver 18. sendeth them to set up and administer in ver 19. the subjects whereof are under his Lawes and Government verse 20. Which subjects or members of that Kingdome i.e. of the visible church are termed disciples verse 19. Also in the Acts of the Apostles the story of their accomplishment of that commission disciples are usually put for members of the visible church Acts 1.15 In the mids of the disciples who with others added to them are called the church Acts 2 47 The members whereof are again called disciples Acts 6 1 2. Acts 9 1 against the disciples of the Lord i. e against the church of God 1 Cor. 15 9 Gal. 1.13 Acts 9 26 He assayed to joyn himself to the disciples The disciples at Lystra Iconiem and Antioch Acts 14 21 22 are called the church in each of those places verse 23 So the church verse 27 the disciples verse 28. Acts 18.22 the church at Cesarea Acts 21.16 the disciples of Cesarea So Acts 18 23 with chap. 15.41 and Gal. 1.2 Acts 18.27 and
chap. 20 1 with verse 17.28 From all which it appeareth that disciples in Mat. 28.19 and members of the visible church are termes equivalent and disciples being there by Christ himselfe made the subjects of Baptism it follows that the members of the visible Church are the subjects of baptisme 2. Baptism is the seal of first entrance or admission into the visible church as appeareth from those texts 1 Cor 12 13. Baptised into one body i e. our entrance into the body or church of Christ is sealed by Baptisme and Rom 6 3 5 Gal. 3 27. where it is shewed that Baptisme is the Sacrament of union or of ingrafting into Christ the head and consequently into the church his body from the Apostles cōstant practise in baptising persons upon their first comming in or first giving up themselves to the Lord and them Acts 8.12 16.15 33. 18.8 and in Acts 2.41 42. they were baptized at their first adding to the church or admission into the Apostles fellowship wherin they afterward continued And from its answering unto circumcision which was a seal of initiation or admission into the church Hence it belongs to all and onely those that are entred into that are within or that are members of the visible church 3. They that according to Scripture are members of the visible Church they are in Corenant For it is the Covenant that constituteth the Church Deut 29.12 13. They must enter into covenant that they might be established the people or Church of God Now the initiatory seal is affixed to the Covenant and appointed to run parallel therewith Gen. 17.7 9 10 11. so circumcision was and hence called the covenant Gen. 17.13 Acts 7.8 and so Baptisme is being in like manner annexed to the promise or Covenant Acts 2.38 39. and being the seal that answereth to circumcision Col 2.11 12. 4. Christ doth Sanctifie and cleanse the Church by the washing of water i e by Baptisme Eph. 5.25.26 Therefore the whole Church and so all the members thereof who are also said in Scripture to be Sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor 1.2 are the subjects of Baptisme And although it is the invisible church unto the spiritual and eternall good whereof this and all other Ordinances lastly have respect and which the place mentioned in Eph 5. may in a special man̄er look unto yet it is the visible Church that is the next and immediate subject of the administration thereof For the subject of visible external ordinances to be administred by men must needs be visible And so the Apostles Baptized sundry persons who were of the visible but not of the invisible Church as Simon Magus Anamias and Sapphira and others And these are visibly Purchased and Sanctified by the bloud of Christ the Bloud of the covenant Acts 2◠28 Heb 10.29 Therefore the visible seal of the covenant and of cleansing by Christs bloud belongs to them 5. The Circumcision is often put for the whole Jewish Church or for the members of the visible Church under the Old Testament Those within are expressed by the circumcised and those without by the uncircumcised Rom 15.8 3.30 Eph 2 11. Judg 14.3 15.18 1 San 14.6 17.26 36. Jer 9 25 26. Hence by proportion Baptisme which is our Gospel circumcision Col 2.11.12 belongs to the whole visible Church under the new Testament Actual and personal circumcision was indeed proper to the males of old females being but inclusively and virtually circumcised and so counted of the circumcision but the Lord hath taken away that difference now and appointed Baptisme to be personally applied to both sexes Act 8.12 16.15 Gal 3 28. So that every particular member of the visible Church is now a subject of Baptisme We conclude therefore that Baptisme pertaines to the whole visible Church and to all and every one therein and to no other Proposition 2d The members of the visible Church according to Scripture are confederate visible believers in particular Churches and their infant-seed i e children in minority whose next parents one or both are in Covenant Sundry particulars are comprised in this proposition which wee may consider and confirme distinctly Adult persons who are members of the visible Church Partic 1 are by rule confederate visible beleevers Acts 5.14 believers were added to the Lord The believing Corinthians were members of the Church there Acts 18 8 with 1 Cor 1.2 12.27 The inscriptions of the Epistles written to Churches and calling the members thereof Sants and faithfull shew the same thing Eph 1.1 Phi 1.1 Col 1.2 And that consederation i e. covenanting explicite or implicite the latter preserveth the essence of confederation the former is duety and most desireable is necessary to make one a member of the visible Church appears 1. Because the Church is constituted by Covenant for there is between Christ and the Church the mutuall engagement and relation of King and subjects husband and spouse this cannot be but by Covenant internall if you speak of the invisible Church external of the visible a church is a company that can say God is our God and we are his people this is from the covenant between God and them Deut 29 12 13 Ezek 16 8. 3. The church of the old Testament was the church of God by covenant Gen 17 Deut 29 and was reformed still by renewing of the covenant 2 chron 15 12. 23 16 34 31 32 Neh 9 38 Now the churches of the Gentiles under the new Testament stand upon the same basis or root with the church of the Old Testament therefore are constituted by Covenant as that was Rom 11.17.18 Eph 2 11 12 19 3 6. Heb 8 10 3. Baptisme enters us into the Church Sacramentally i e by sealing the Covenant The Covenant therefore is that which constitutes the Church and inferrs membership and is the Vow in Baptisme commonly spoken of The members of the visible Church are such as are confederate in Particular Churches Partic 2 It may be minded that we are here speaking of Members so stated in the visible Church as that they are Subjects to whom Church ordinances may regularly be administred and that according to ordinary dispensation For were it graunted that the Apostles and Evangelists did sometimes Baptize such as were not Members of any Particular Church yet their extraordinary office large Power and commission renders them not imitable therein by ordinary Officers For then they might Baptize in private without the presence of a Christian assemblie as Philip did the Eunuch But that in ordinary dispensation the Members of the visible Church according to Scripture are such as are Members of some particular Church appeares 1. Because the visible beleever that professedly Covenants with God doth therein give up himselfe to wait on God in all his ordinances Deut 26 17 18. Math 28 19 20. But all the Ordinances of God are to be enjoyed onely in a particular Church For how often do
in some particular Church 3. The same covenant-act is accounted the act of parent and-childe but the parents covenanting rendred himself a member of this particular Church Therefore so it renders the childe also How can children come in with and by their parents and yet come into a Church wherein and whereof their parents are not so as that they should be of one Church and the parents of another 4. Children are in an orderly and regular state for they are in that state wherein the order of Gods Covenant and his institution therein hath placed them they being members by vertue of the Covenant of God To say their standing is disorderly would be to impute disorder to the order of Gods Covenant or irregularity to the Rule Now all will grant it to be most orderly and regular that every Christian be a member in some particular Church and in that particular Church where his regular habitation is which to children usually is where their parents are If the Rule call them to remove then their membership ought orderly to be translated to the Church whither they remove Again order requires that the childe and the power of government over the childe should go together It would bring shame and confusion for the childe to be from under government Prov. 29.15 and Parental and Ecclesiastical government concurring do mutually help and strengthen each other Hence the parent and the childe must be members of the same Church unless the childe be by some special providence so removed as that some other person hath the power over him 2. That when these children are grown up they are personally under the Watch Discipline and Government of that Church is manifest for 1. Children were under Patriarchal and Mosaical discipline of old Gen. 18 19. 21.9 10 12. Gal. 5.3 and therefore under Congregational discipline now 2. They are within the Church or members thereof as hath been and after will be further proved and therefore subject to Church-judicature 1 Cor. 5.12 3. They are disciples and therefore under discipline in Christ's school Matth. 28.19 20. 4. They are in Church-covenant therefore subject to Church-power Gen 17.7 with Chap. 18.19 5. They are subjects of the kingdome of Christ and therefore under the laws and government of his Kingdome Ezek. 37.25 26. 6. Baptism leaves the baptized of which number these children are in a state of subjection to the authoritative teaching of Christ's Ministers and to the observation of all his commandments Mat. 28.19 20. and therefore in a state of subjection unto Discipline 7. Elders are charged to take heed unto and to feed i. e. both to teach and rule compare Ezek. 34.3 4. all the flock or Church over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers Acts 20.28 That children are a part of the flock was before proved and so Paul accounts them writing to the same flock or Church of Ephesus Eph 6.1 8. Otherwise Irreligion and Apostacy would inevitably break into Churches and no Church-way left by Christ to prevent or heal the same which would also bring many Church-members under that dreadful judgement of being let alone in their wickedness Hosea 4.16 17. Proposition 4 th These Adult persons are not therefore to be admitted to full Communion meerly because they are and continue members without such further qualifications as the Word of God requireth thereunto The truth hereof is plain 1. From 1 Cor. 11.28 29. where it is required that such as come to the Lords Supper be able to examine themselves and to discern the Lords body else they will eat and drink unworthily and eat and drink damnation or judgement to themselves when they partake of this Ordinance But meer membership is separable from such ability to examine one's self and discern the Lords body as in the children of the covenant that grow up to years is too often seen 2. In the Old Testament though men did continue members of the Church yet for ceremonial uncleanness they were to be kept from full communion in the holy things Levit. 7 20 21. Numb 9.6 7. 19.13 20. yea and the Priests and Porters in the Old Testament had special charge committed to them that men should not partake in all the holy things unless duely qualified for the same notwithstanding their membership 2 Chron. 23.19 Ezekiel 22.26 44.7 8 9 23. and therefore much more in these times where moral funess and spiritual qualifications are wanting membership alone is not sufficient for full communion More was required to adult persons eating the Passeover then meer membership therefore so there is now to the Lords Supper For they were to eat to the Lord Exodus 12.14 which is expounded in 2 Chron. 30. where keeping the Passeover to the Lord verse 5. imports and requires exercising Repentance verse 6 7. their actual giving up themselves to the Lord verse 8. heart-preparation for it verse 19. and holy rejoycing before the Lord verse 21 25. See the like in Ezra 6.21 22. 3. Though all members of the Church are subjects of Baptism they and their children yet all members may not partake of the Lords Supper as is further manifest from the different nature of Baptism and the Lords Supper Baptism firstly and properly seals covenant-holiness as circumcision did Gen. 17. Church-membership Rom 15.8 planting into Christ Rom. 6. and so members as such are the subjects of Baptism Matth. 28.19 But the Lords Supper is the Sacrament of growth in Christ and of special communion with him 1 Cor. 10.16 which supposeth a special renewing and exercise of Faith and Repentance in those that partake of that Ordinance Now if persons even when adult may be and continue members and yet be debarred from the Lords Supper until meet qualifications for the same do appear in them then may they also until like qualifications be debarred from that power of Voting in the Church which pertains to Males in full communion It seems not rational that those who are not themselves fit for all Ordinances should have such an influence referring to all Ordinances as Voting in Election of Officers Admission and Censures of Members doth import For how can they who are not able to examine and judge themselves be thought able and fit to discern and judge in the weighty affairs of the house of God 1 Cor. 11.28 31. with 1 Cor. 5. 12. Proposition 5 th Church-members who were admitted in minority understanding the Doctrine of Faith and publickly professing their assent thereto not scandalous in life and solemnly owning the Covenant before the Church wherein they give up themselves and their children to the Lord and subject themselves to the Government of Christ in the Church their children are to be Baptized This is evident from the Arguments following These children are partakers of that which is the main ground of baptizing any children whatsoever Argum 1 and neither the parents nor the children do put in any barre to hinder it 1. That they