!146 Is there a middle [lafu of ClmrciJ•IIlfllihers betwee11 Infants and [01mmmicar1ts! but nor otherwift. Bdic:ving 1s not only bare Alftnting, bur Confin:ing to the Covenant, and ddi~ vering up your felvcs ro ChriH: Ar.d if you do not ton{tnt rhat your child Oull be in the Covcnil.nt and ddiver him ro God alfo, )'OU cannot expect acccpunce of him, againfi your wills; nor i~det:d are ycu to be taken for trut: believers your fdvts, if you dtdicatc not your [elves ro him 3nd aH rhu are in your power. • Object. 11Ji, offer or Conditfonal uJVtnant btlongcth alfo to Infidetl· . Anfw. ~he oH(r ~!I to t~cm, but th~y a~ept it not. But every bt{itvtr acctptetb it for him[el[,and h~<, or dcvot<th to God h1mfdf and h1S ch1ldren when he lh•ll have thtm : And by that viuual de– dication or Conftnf, his children are Virtual[y in the Mutual Covenant; And .AlJNally tlpon ad:t.td Confent and dedication. Object. Bus it is Profrf!ioHaml uol Bapti[m, that mak,ft a vifble mtmhtr. A•fiv. That's anfwmd b,fore ; It is proft!Jion by Baptifm: t'or B•ptifm is that pccqliar a[l of pr~>frffion, which-God hath chofen to this ufr, when a perfon is abfolutely devoted, rcligncd and ,.,_ gaged to God in a folemn Sacrament, this is our rrgu1ar initiating profiffion : And it is but an inc.. 1\ular Embrio of a profcllion, which goeth before bap:ifm ordinarily. Prop. 3· The time of Infant rnemberOlip, in which we fh.nd in Covenant by our Parents Confent cannm be determined by duration, but by the infufti,icncy of Rcafon through immaturity of age, (or conoinuing idrots) 10 choofc for ones fdf. . Prop. 4• lt is not necdfuy that the dollrinc of the Lords Supper be taught Catcchumcns be– fore Baptifm ; nor was it uf~>~l with the anticnts fo to ,do ( though it may very well be done ), ' Prop. 5• It is nctdful tbat the nature of the Lords Supper be taught all the baptized before they receive it (As was opened before, ) elfe they mu£\ do they know not what. . . Prop. 6. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper lea! not another, but the fame Covenant tb.r bapti£m feaieth ; yet are there fomc further truths therein eXprdfcd. and fome more particular ex... ercifes of f.Jitb in ChriOs Sicrificc and coming, &c. and of Hope, and Love, and Gratitude, &c• .rc– quilite. Therefore the fame qualifications which will ferve for Baptifm, Jufiificatjon, and Adoption and Salvation, arc not enough for the right ufe ofChurch communion in the Lords Supper, the~ being the Sicnmcnt of ini.riation and our new birth; the other of our Confirmation, Ex.erc\fe and .' Growth in Grace. f • 7• Whether perfons be bapuzed in Infancy or at age, if they do not before underfiand thefe higher . mylletics, they mufi £\ay from the exercifc of them till they under£\and them : And fo with moll there mult be a fpace of time between their Baptilin and fuller Communion. 8. But the fame thatwcfayof theLordiSHppermufl be faid of other parts ofWorlhip; Si•ging Pfalm,,.P,.iji, 7'ban~Jgiving, &c. meri mH}i !torn them, before they can pra{Ji[t them : And ufually rhefe as Euchariftical ach concur with the Lords Supper. 9• Whether you will call men in this £\ate, Church·.members of a middle ran~ and ordtr, bett~>em the Bsptiztd, a~d the Commt~nictJntl, is but a lis dt nomine, a verbal Controverfie. It is granted that fuch a middle fort of men there are in the Church. · 10. It is to be maintained that thcfc are in a flare of falvation, tven before they thus communi– , eau:. And that they are not kept away for want of aftattd Rtl.ttion·tislt, but of an immtJiatt ct~p.,.. ..;ty, as is aforcfaid. 11. There is no necdlity, but upon fuch unfitnefs; that there lhould be one daycs time bctwcm baptifm ana the Sacrament of the Lords Supper : nor is it defirablc : For if the baptized under£\aud rhofe myfietics the firfi day, they may communicate in them. 12· Therefore as men arc prepared, fame may fuddenly communicate and fame £\ay longer, 13· When perfons are at age, ifPa£\on, Parents and thcm(clvcs be not grolly negligent, they may and ought to learn thefcthings in a very little time; fo that they need not be fetled in a lower Learning ftate, for any confiderablc rime, unlefs their own negligence be thnaufe. 1 4· And in order to their Learning, they have right to be Spethtors and Auditors at the Eucha– rifi, and not to be driven away wirh the Catechum\P'• as if they had no right robe there. For it is a thing befi taught by the pratlice to beholders. , •5· But if any !hall by fcand•l or gro[t neglect o( piety, and not only by fgaorancc sive caufc of que£\ioning their title, and fufpcnding their potfdlion of thofc faaed priviledgcs, rhefe are to be reckoned in another rank, even among thofe whofe t;tlc to Church·mcmberlhip it fclf, becomcthc:on-: trovcrt<d, and mu£\ undergo a rryal in the Church. And this muoh I think may ~rvc ro refolve this coofidcrable qucftion.
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