Of tl.'e mceJSity of owning otlr (ownant made in Infancy. Qyeil:. 5'· Whether it be necejfarY_ tb<lt tbey tha: art b.,pti;<Jd i11 Infancy , Jg folemnly at a!e remJV and OJVIl thetr 13aptifmal (ownant, before tl1ey ha1>e right to the ftate ,md pnl!!ledges of adult members ? A1!d if they do 110t Whether they are tQ be numbered 1vith (hrijtiaiJS or _.1pofl.ate; ? . ~ Anfw. I· CH'uch-membe~O,ip is thcf•me thing in Infants and in the Adult. 2· Infants are natuully uncapabic of doing all that in baptifm which the adult rr.ufi. do: As to underHand, profcfsl &c. thcrnfc:lvcs. 'l · The baptifm of the Adult, being the moU compleat, becaufe of the maturity of the r<ccivers is made the Handing pattern in Scripture: For God forrncth his Ordinances to the mofi perfect or: dinuy receivers. +·Though an Infant be devoted acceptably to God by his Parents will, yet when he is at age it mutt be done by his own will. ' S· Therefore a bare Infant title ceafcth .when we come to age, and the pcrfons title ccafeth, unfcfs it be renewed by himfdf, or his own Confent. The reafon is, be,aufc the Conditions of his Infant Title then 'eafe. t~or his Parents will, fhall 'go for his no longer. S:.e th: p•oofs 6. Regularly and ad hme effi the tranfidon out of the Clare of lnfant-membcdhip into the flare of of >11 m my Adult-mcmberlhip 0\0uld be very folcmn ; and by an undcdla~dirig, pcifonal owning of the BapTreaufe .of tifmal Covenant. Ct1 firrtMito i. 7· There nce~eth no other proof,.. of this, than I· That God in Scripture neVer gave adult per'- fon? title to his Covenant, but by their own ~erfonal confe~t : And at the firfl: infiitution of bap~ tifm, both went together, ( Perfonal profeffwn and bapufm ) hccaufe the receivers were adulr. >·And that Infants arc capabie of b•ptifm, but not of perfonal profcllion. 3. Therefore though they are not to repeat baptifm, which was done befoiC, yet they are bound to make that profif!ion it age which they never madt hf{ort. 8. Where this folemn Ow'ning of their Covenant cannot be had ( by reafon of Church corrupti– ons, and Magifirates prohibition ) there the perfons ordinary joyning with the Cbureb, in the publick profiJJio~t and r~orjhip, is to be taken for an owNing it. . 9• He that being baptized in infancy, doth no ''"Y at full age own his Baptifmal Covenant, is to be taken for an Apojlate: 1. B01:aufe his Infant title ceafeth : 2· And he nororioufly viobteth his Co– venant: 3· Bccaufc: he can be no adult Chrifiian that no way owneth Chrill. 10. But lhis is to be undcrfiood of thofe that have opportunity : For on~ in a Wildernefs among Hc 3 thms only, cannot joyn in publick Wodhip, nor give tcfiimo!ly of his ChriHianity to the Church. . 11 . Though the S.cramcnt of the Lords Supper be appointed ·for the renewing of our Covenant at age, yet is it not the.[irft owning of the Co~cnant,. by the aged : For that Sacrament bc:longeth. neither w ]nfants nor Infidels: And he rhar claJmc.th Jt, mull: be an adult Church~member or ChrifU.. · an; which thofc arc not, who at full age no way ever owned their baptifmal Covenant, nor made any pcrfonal profeffion ofChriftianicy. But of this 1 have written purpolely in a Trcatife ofConfirmation long ago. ~eft. P· Whetl1er the Uniw1al Clmrch conftft only of partimlar [ht!rfhes and t l1eir members ? A>~fn>· NO : Particular Churches arc the moll Regular and noble parts of the Univcrfal Church ; but not: the whole : no more rhan Cities and Corporations be aU the King~ Attss. 17 ,&c. darn· I. Some n1ay be as the Eunuch baptized before they c•h come to any puticular Church ; or as Aa ( 9.17,18, Paul, before they can be 1~ceivcd. . . . r!t,,o,16, 17, 2 Some may Jive where Church-tyranny hmdercth them, by finful 1mpofittons; As all that .live 28 • among the Papilis. . . . 3 . Some may live in times of doubtmg,. d1fintl10n and .confufion, and not know wh~t Church ordmarily to joyn with, and may providently go promtfcuoufly to many, and keep m an un~ fixed fi•te for a time. 4 . Some may be Wives, Children or Servants, who may be violently hindered. 5 . SOme may live where no pnticulat Churches arc : As Merchants and Embaffadours among Mahometans and Htathens. Q!!el\.
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