24. The Inf itution and Gávernment 2. They are not born Church-Members. If they are', then all Children are fo born, or the Children of Believers only : But all Children are not fo born, nor yet the Chil- dren of Believer's ; therefore Children are not bora Church - Members. Firft, All Children are not fo born, that is granted by all that pretend to any thing of Religion. None do look on the Children of Turks, yews, and Pagans to be born Church- Members. The firft Part then is granted. Secondly, The Children of Believers are not fo born. If the Children of Believers are born Church - Members, it mull be by Virtue of the Faith of the Parent: But there is not Virtue enough in the Faith of the Parent to make the Child aMember; therefore theChildren ofBelievers are not fo born. That which makes not the Parent a Member of an in- flituted Church, makes not the Child a Member of an in- ftituted Church : But the Faith of the Parent makes him not aMember; therefore it makes not his Child aMember. There are two Steps that muff be taken before a Man can corne regularly to be a Member of an inflituted Church, Fill, He mutt believe. Secondly, He mull be baptized. Neither of which, nor both, make him a Member of fuch a Church. He cannot be a Member before he offereth himfelf, nor is he a Member before he is received. t. He mutt believe before he is baptized ; for this we have both Precept and Precedent. Firft, Precept : Matt. xxviii. 19. Go difciple ±te to all Nations, baptizing them, &c. He that is here called a Difciple, is in Mark xvi. 16. called a Believer. A Difciple and a Believer is the fame Thing: For it is the fame Commiffion, differing only in Terms, not in Things. Precedents there are enough. Alts xviii. S. 9-hen Crifpus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue, believed in Gcd with all his Houle, and many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized. If whole Houfholds believe, then whole Houfholds are baptized ; if a Part believe, then a Part are baptized. Alts viii. 1 a. When they believed Philip, preach- ing the 9 -hings concerning the Kingdom of God, and the Name of refus Chrifl, they were baptized both Men and Woman. Ver. 37. If thou believefl with all thy Heart, thou may ji (that is, thou mayell be baptized) otherwife not. When 5
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