164 Qefiions,andCafes ofCon f iene Chape_l be baptized Its faid indeed, He that believes, and isbo.ptiz,ed, Pall befaved: But its nowhere Paid, He chat believes not may not be baptized : Chrift ex- cludes Infants, neither from Baptifme, nor from Salvation, for want of faith, but pofitive unbelievers , fuch as refufe the `Gofpel , he excludes from both. Ob. Butfuppófing them to be capable of the inwardgrace ofBaptifre ; yet this "1 is nowarrant for our Baptizing of allInfants, becaufe we know not upon whom God dorh,this work? Anfv. Our knowledge that G od.,hath effectually wroughtthe thing í gnified, is not the condition' upon which weare to apply the figne: God no where requires that we (bowel know that men are 'converted becore we baptize them. The Apoltles themfelves knew it not,as we fee inSimon Magus , Alexander , Hyrnenam, Ananias, and S.phira : but he requires that., we _fhould know that they have in them that condition which mutt warrant us toadmi- nifter the fi..ne : Fallible conje&ure muff not be our rule in adminiftring the Sacraments either to Infants, or grown men : but a known rule of the Word: the Apoftles baptized grown men, not becaufe they judged them inwardly fan- Ctified, but becaufe they made a profeffion of faith and holineffe , and fuch Chrift would have to be received into the Communion ofthe Church : though it may be theywere never received into communion ith himfelf:. Andin this the rule todire& our knowiedge,which isbut the judgement ofcharity, is asplain forInfants as for gro,tinmen. Obje&. But ail that enter into Covenant , and receive the feale of it nxfl flipxlate for their parts , as well as Cjod doth for his, which Infants ?cannot do ? I. esinfw. Firlt, the Infants ofthe Jews were as much tied to this as the Infants 40 L ofChriftians are Every one that was circumcifed was bound to keep the Law, Gal. 5. 5. II. Secondly, God feales to them prefently, their names are put into the Deed, and when they are grown up, they in their own perfons ,ftandobliged to the performanceos it. In themean time Jefus Chrift ivho is the Mediatour of the Covenant, andthe Surety ofall Covenanters , is pleafed to be their Surety. We know that perfons (landing ob ig-d in the fame bond, may real at feveral times, and yet be in force afterwards to.,ether: So here , God of his infinite mercy is pleafed to Peal to Infants whileïfi they are fach , and accepts of fuch a teal on their parts as they are thenab.e todive, expe&ìng a further ratificati- on on their part when they come to riper yeares , in the mean timeaffording them the favour., and priviledge of being inCovenant with hi:e of being reckoned to be of his Kingdom,andnot of the Devils : If they refute toftand to this Covenant when they are grown men, there is no hurt done on Gods part , they muff take their lot for the time to come. Obje&. But if the felling be bat conditional on Gods part, that they own and ratifie it when they cosine to ripe, age, were it not better to deferre it till then, to fee whether they will then make it their voluntary aft, yea, or no? I. Anfw, Firft, This obje &ion lay as ftrongly againft Gods wifdome in re- quiring the Jews Ínfants to be circumcifed, and therefore argues no great wifdome, and modefty in thofe who thus reafon with God againft his admi- niftrations, II Secondly, God bathother ends, andufes of applying the Peal of the Cove - nant to them, who are inCovenant with him , then their prefent gainer IrS anhomage, wor(bip and honour to himfelf and it behooves us even in that refpe& to fulfill all righteoufnefle : when Chriff was baptized and circumcifed , he was as unfit for the Ordinance through hisperfc&ton , as children
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=