HoiN t/:e Seed of 13eliellers are in tbe Co)Jenant. l have f.tid {Q much more of this in my Appendix to the .Trcatife of Infam Baptijin, to Mr. 'Ecd· fard, in defence of Dr. Davena11ts judgement, as that l ,mufl refer the Reader thither. 8. 1 think it vuy probable that this afcertaining promife belongeth not only to the natural feed of believers, but to all whom they have a true power and right todedicate in Covn1ant to God: which fecmeth to be all rhat are properly their Onn:, whether AdOpted or bougln; But there is more darkntfS -.nd doubt about this than the former, bccautC the Scripture hath fa id lcfs ot it. 9· I am not able to prove, nor fee any probable realon for it, that any bur found believers have fuch a prornifc for their children: nor that any hypocrite Chall certainly fave his child, if hedo but dedicate him to God in baprifm. F'or, 1. I find no promife in Scripture made to fuch. 2 , He that doth not finccrcly believe bim[tlf, nor confcnr to Gods Covenant, cannot fincerely believe for his cbild, nor confent for him. 3• And that faith which will not favc the owner, as being not the condition of the promife, cannot fave another. .Much more might be faid of this. 1 confcfs, that the Church is to receive the children of hypocrites as well as themfclves : And their baptifm is valid in [9ro txtcrlJo Ecc/c{t.e; and is not to be reiterated~ But it goeth no further for his child, than for himfclf. 10. Therefore l think that all that are Rightfully baptized by the MiQificr, that is, baptized fo as that its well done of him, are not urtoinly {oved by baptifm, unlefs they be alfo rightfully baJ>– tized, in regard of their right to claim and rrccive it. Let them that arc able to prove more do it, for I am not able. 1 I· Ylhereas fome miC:interpret the words of the old Rubrick ofConfirmation in the Engliil1 Litut~ gy,as if it fpake of all that are baptized,whether they had Right or not, the words themfelves may ftrve to rdlifie that millake, [ A11d that IU! mo11 jhaU thi~lz. ••y detriment jhoU come to children by deftrring of thtir Conjirmatio11, bt jhall k,.now for trHtb, tbaJ :t H certainby God1 Word, that cbildrtn being bapJi:;:.eel have'aU thiug1 ntcr.J{Jry for thrir falvation, andbt u11doubudly[aved,] Where it is plain thu they means they. have all ~hings necdfary ex parte Eec/efi.e, or all Gods applying Ordinances necelfuy, though they fhould cfye unconfirmed, fuppofing that they have all things necelfuy to jull baptifm on their own part. Which is but what the amients were wont to fay of the Baptized .Adult; But they ne– ver meant that the Infidel an.d Hypocrite and lmpenitentperfon was in a Hate of life, becaufe he was baptized ; But that all that truly confent to the Covenant, and fignific this by being baptized are favcd. So the Church ofEnglo11d faith, that they receive no detriment by delaying Confirmation, but it never fa id, that they receive no detriment by their Parents or Sponfors Infidelity and Hypocrifie, or by their want of true Right C9ram Deo to be baptized. 12· But yet before th,fe Quefiions (either ofthem) be taken as refolved by me, I rnufi firfi take in fame othC'r qucfiions which arc concerned in the fame Caufc ; as Quell:. 16. W/,at is meant by this fpeecl:, tl>at IBeliewrs and their feed are m the [Ollenant of God ; which gilleth then}. rigf,t to 13aptijm ~ Anfw. THough this was op•ncd on the by before, l add, I. The meaning is not that they are in thH Abfolutc prornife of the firfi and all followmg grace, {uppofed ordinarily to be ltlide of 1heElect as {uch ( unknown) viz. [I r:t~iU give them_ Faith, Rtpmtanc.. , Crm11erjion, Jufiifica– tion and Salvation and alltbe Condition/ of the Condition&! promife, without any Cmdirion on theirpart J which many take to be the meaning of [I n>iU to~e the hard heart vut of thtm, &c. J For 1 , This promifc is not now to be firfi performed to the adult who Repent •nd believe already : And no other arc to be baptized at age.: If that Abfolute promife be fealed by baptifm, either it rnufi be fo fcaled as a promi{C brfure it be performed, or after : If before, eirher to aU, bccaufc fome are eleCt, or only to fome that are elect. Not to all: for it is not common to Infidels; N1r to {ome as elect; for 1. They arc unknown, 2· If they were known, they are yet fuppofed to bo Infidels. Not after per– formance, for then it is too late. 2· The meaning is not only rhat the Conditional Covenant of Grace is made and offered to ,thtm .~ ftir fo it may be faid of Heathens and Infidels and all the world that hear the Gofpel, But 1. The Covenant meant is indeed this Conditional Covenant onl)l, Mark 16. 1 6. He tbat beJit;J– ub and if baptized, jhaU be {ovrd. 2. T o be in thH Covwant is, to be a Csn{tnting believer, and fo to be one that hath by Inward Heart Conjent, the true Conditions of right to the benefits of the Covenant, and is thereby prepared folemn– Iy by baptifrn to Profefs this Cnnfent, and to receive an lnvdliture and feal of Gods part, by his Minifl.er giv,en in his name. 3• Infants arc thus in Covenant with their P•renrs, bc'caufe Reputatively their Parents Wills are th >rs, to difpofe of them for their good. And therefore they Confen.t by their Parents, who Con· fent for them. Q.uell,
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