28 The brftitution and Coverntnent then Children in an Infant State are not meet Matter for inch a Church : but a particular inilituted Church confills only of vifible Saints ; therefore Children in an Infant State are not meet Matter, &c. That fuch a Church con - lifts only of vifible Saints, I have already proved. That Children in an L:fant State are not vifible Saints, lies plain enough in the Word, John iii, That z.vhicb is born of the Flefh is Flefh, putrid Flefh. We know that Children are fo born : SanEtity comes not by Generation, but by Regeneration ; and if the new Birth hath paffed on any of them, it is not vifible to us. Objet?. But force may fay that the Children of Believers are holy, i, e. they are federally holy : t Cor. vii. 14. E je <were your Children unclean, but now are they holy. And if they are holy, then they are meet Matter for an inftitutedChurch. To this I have feveral Things to reply. s. If it were granted (as it is not) that the Children of Believers were federally holy, that would not do : It is not federal Holi- nefs that renders a Perlon a meet Subje& for Communion in an inflituted Church. Under the legal Difpenfation federal Holinefs did ferve turn, but it will not be fufficient under the Gofpel- Difpenfation : It is inherent Holinefs that is now to be eyed: A Perfon muff in the Judgment of Charity be concluded truly gracious, or elfe he is not fit to be received a Member. It is meet for me, faith the Apoflle, to think fo of you all, Phil. iii. that is, that there was a Work of Grace begun in them. The Holinefs of Churches is fuch, that they are faid to be fanE.ified in Chrift jefus, called to be Saints; but fuch as had no other but federal Holinefs were never faid to be fanEtified in Chrift jefus. 2/y. There is not a Word of Believers in the Text, nor are they fo to be confidered in their Sanaification each to other, but as Hufband and Wife ; their San&.ification was by the Ordinance of God, being in a married State, and it was when both were Unbelievers. Marriage is honour- able among all, and the Bed undefiled. 31y. It is not federal Holinefs that is intended in the Text, but Ligitimation : for (1.) It arifeth from the Santi- fication of the Unbeliever; and fueh as the Root is, fuch ís
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