444 The Birth-Priviledge and Covenant- holine Ch.47 They were mingled among the heathen, and learned their Works, and they ferved their Idols , which were a mare unto them , yea they fa> crificed their forts and daughters unto devils. /and jhed innocent blood, even the blood of their fondes and of their daughters, whom they fa- crificed unto the Idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their oWn W orks an dwent a who- ring With their oWn inventions. Thefe in this apoftatized from God in Covenant , yet God looks upon them as a Covenant- people, verf. 45. And he remembered for them his Covenant, &c. But this feemes to be but a partiall Apoftafy, taking in the worship of Idols, they did not totally raft off the worfhip of God. A line of profeflion was fäll (it feemes) held up, God was not whol- ly raft off in ?udah. Theyfeem to be of thofe, that (wore by the Lord and Malcham, Zeph. i. 5. keeping up the worship of the trye God , and yet take in the worfhip of a falfe god with him. As for thofe in whom MáfterFirmin inftanceth; our Englithmen now in Turkey, apof atized from the Faith to that Religion; it may feem equal, that as a man comes into Covenant, and his po- fterity with him ; So, totally rejeâing the. Covenant, denying God as well in profefi'ion,as in his works;that he and his poflerity are out of Covenant ; being before an holy root, to tranfmit ho- lineffe to his feed , now he becomes unholy, and put out of fuch capacity , and is difabled from making over any fuch priviledge to them. But here we need not to trouble our felveswith the Ba- ptifme of fuch, having renounced Chrift, they baptize not their Infants in his name. A Minifter ¡hall have none of thefe tendered to him, and to baptize them into this body, when he well knows they mull be never fuffered to be of it,were an high taking of Gods name in vaine, and à mockery of fo facred an Ordinance. Now in cafe a grandfather (hall take one of thefe children, and offer it unto Baptifine; and being a Progenitor, shall undertake the e- ducation in the Chriftian Faith, and not in the Turkith abomina- tion, whether in this cafe there be right to Baptifme, is the que- flión. Now thefe may be looked upon, either as meere Heathens, in the fame condition, as if they never had an Anceftorin the Faith or elfe as iffuing out of the loynes of mediate Anceflors, believing, ant fo coming from a root that bath been holy. If confidered in the former way , they may have a title to Baptifme according to many, eminent Divines, by vertue of their Adoption. Reverend
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