The Life of Faith. 53T O 1tft. But what then (hall we think of the children of godly Anabaptifts, whofe judgement is againft fuck dedication? Anfw. Many whofe Judgement is againft baptizing them, is not againft anoffering or dedicating them to God. And thofe who think that they arc not allowedfilar/illy to enter them into Covenant with God, yet really do that which is the fame thing: For they cannot be imagined, to be unwilling, to dedicate them to God, to the utmoil of that intareft and power, which they underhand that God hath given them : and doubticCs they molt earneftly dcfìre that according to their capacity, they may be the children of God, and God will be their God in Chriff. And this vertual dedication feemeth to be the principal requiftccon- dition. But yet as the unbaptizedare (ordinarily) without the vi- tbleChurch and its priviledges ; Co if any be fo blind, as nei- ther explicitely nor vertualy to dedicate theirfeed to God ; I know no promife of their childrens falvation, any onore than of the Iced of Infidels. Direct. 3. If the children of true Cbri ? =;ts dedicated by the Parents will to God, through Cbrtft, (hall die before they come to the ufe of reafon, she Parents have no caufe to doubt of their fat- nation. It is the conclufion of the Synod of Dort in Attic. r; And thereafon is this. If the Parent and childbe in thefame Covenant, then if that Covenant pardon and adopt the Parent, it doth pardon and adopt the child: But the Parent and child are in the fame Covenant : Therefore, &c. God hathbut one Covenant on his part, which is foaled by baptifm (as I have proved at large toMr. Blake.) Indeed tome areonly externally in Covenant with him on their parr, that is, they did covenant only with the tongue, and not the heart And confequently God is no further in covenant with them, than to allow and command his Minifiers to receive them into theVifìble Church, and give them its priviledges; and is not as aPromiferin Covenant with them at all himfelf, either for inward, or for outward bit Rings. He hath not one Covenant which givcth outward, and another which giveth inward bleflings. X x x z And
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