IV.

by the Spirit and the Water, or the Teftimony CHAP. given by St. John at his Baptism, This is be who cometh after me, who was before me. All these befides the Blood, bore Record to the fame Truth, that Chrift himself fays he came to bear witness to, John xvii. 37. that he was the Son of God, the appointed King, Prince of Life, Saviour, Mediator in the mediatorial Kingdom of Reconciliation between God and Man.

It appears then in Conclufion, 1. That they, who reject Water Baptifm altogether, are guilty not only of difobeying Revelation, but the Reafon of Things, by neglecting a moral fitting Means of Righteoufnefs, as well as contemning and fuperfeding a pofitive Inftitution of Christ.

2. THAT Problem or Query*, Whether there be any Neceffity (even upon the Principles of Mr. Wall's Hift. Infant Baptifm) for the continual Ufe of Baptifm among the Pofterity of baptized Christians? may be easily folved. For, if Baptifm has a moral Operation of very great Advantage to the baptized, as the Perfon once folemnly enters into the Chriftian, or fecond Covenant, it ought to be perpetual to all Generations, perfonally obliging every Individual, capable of Obligation; and yet it will not follow, that it ought therefore to be repeated on that Account; because a folemn Entrance into a Covenant, founded upon the Death of the Mediator of it, into which Death Baptifm is the prescribed Initiation, ought to be but once; efpecially fince there are, as is acMr. Emlyn's Tracts, who feems defirous to have it folv'd,

pag. 456.

+ The Abyffine Chriftians of Ethiopia have a very abfurd Cuftom of repeating their Baptifm every Year, upon the Feaft of Epiphany. Varen. de diverfis Religionibus, pag. 246.

knowledged

142

IV.

CHAP. knowledged by the Querift, "other fufficient
Ways to revive the Senfe of our Duty to God,
"and of our religious Bonds," viz. by the other
religious Duties of our Profeffion, and in parti-
cular by the Lord's-Supper *. It does not follow,
by Parity of Reason, because the Pofterity of Pro-
felytes among the Jews, (whofe Ancestors upon
their becoming Profelytes having been baptiz'd,
the whole Family, Children with their Parents)
were counted boly, not needing afterwards any
Initiation by Baptifm, according to the current
Maxim, If the Root is holy, fo are the Branches
that therefore Chriftian Baptifm was only intend-
ed for those who became Profelytes to Chri-
ftianity from an Infidel State; and not for the
Defcendants from Chriftian Parents born in the
Church. For there is this manifest Disparity in
the Cafes; the Privileges of the Mofaic Cove-
nant were chiefly temporal, and confequently in-
heritable, and therefore Children were initiated
at the fame time with their profelyted Parents,
that the whole Stock of the prefent Family being
made holy, their Pofterity might be holy, and
inherit the Bleffing they were incorporated into,
fo much at leaft, as Baptifm without Circum-
cifion admitted the Profelyte of the Gate into; for
if they were Profelytes of Justice, Circumcifion
was added to Baptifm; and though Baptifm was
omitted to their Off-fpring and Defcendants, Cir-
cumcifion was not..

BUT the Privileges of the Chriftian Covenant, which God promis'd the Jews to make in the After-Days under their Meffiah, were fpiritual, as the Remiffion of Sins, &c. and confequently

not inheritable at all; though young Children, CHAP, before they knew the Difference between Good, IV. and Evil, inherited the Name holy, if either Parent was Chriftian*: If not inheritable, it follows, that the Pofterity of baptized Chriftians ought to be likewife baptized. The ascertaining the Remiffion of Sins by washing and baptizing into the Death of Chrift, and the Adoption of Children by Renewal of the Holy Ghoft, and other Privileges of the new Covenant, and making the Conditions of it perfonal to every one's Engagement and Practice, is the Perfonal, permanent Ufe and Advantage of Baptifm.

3. As to the Time of baptizing in Infancy, that is affifted and reliev'd by the due Ufe of its Appendage, Confirmation, which fhould rather be look'd upon, where Infant-Baptifm wholly prevails, a finifhing Part of Baptifm, in order either to preserve the true Nature of Things, or recover the primitive Practice. Much Good may come of that charitable Work, as well as great Comfort to the Parents, in bringing little Children, to Baptifm and to Chrift, who are certainly capable of his Blessing; moft undoubtedly a Blef fing to them, when they are afterwards at the Years of Difcretion and Choice, brought on to be perfected at Confirmation! At which Solemnity, all the Ends and Purposes of Baptifm are recogniz'd, and become perfonally binding in Dif

1 Cor. vii. 14. Elfe were your Children unclean; but now are they boly. In the Reasoning of Men, conclufio femper fequitur deteriorem partem: But it is otherwife in the Reasoning of God towards little Children; for if one of the Parents is Infidel, the other Chriftian, the Child is of the Family of those that are fanctified, is, as to its Root and Stock, of the Family of the Saints, or holy, the primitive Name of Chriftians.

4

charge

CHAP. charge of Proxy's Engagements. Guardians, fuch IV. Nature has made Parents and other Affiftants

call'd in at their Choice, are wifely allow'd by all Laws to do every Thing tending to the certain Benefit and Advantage of Minors; at the fame time what is tranfacted to their Prejudice, is voidable by them at the Years of Difcretion. They promife and engage, not what the Infant fhall do, but what be fhall be taught, call'd upon, and reminded to do; what at the Years of Difcretion the Perfon would be obliged to do, whether any Body had undertaken and promised for him, or not. For that Obligation and Engagement, in its own Nature, becomes Perfonal, as foon as the Youth becomes a Perfon, i.e. has the Ufe of Reason to understand Religion.

4. IT follows, that if any have ignorantly receiv'd the Lord's Supper before Baptifm, they ought nevertheless to be baptized.

5. Ir feems that the principal Sealing of the new Covenant in either of the Sacraments, is by the Blood of the Mediator only, flain, and feal'd from the Foundation of the World, equally in Truft, and devoted in Intereft to both Parties, God, and Man. God ratifies the Covenant, and recognizes the Seal in his Oracles to Man. The Foundation or Covennat of God ftandeth fure, baving this Seal of mutual Confent between the Parties: God knoweth, approveth in Bleffings and Privileges, who are bis, in the calling to eternal Life in Chrift; and let every one that nameth the Name of Chrift, in that Calling, and enters into that Covenant by Faith in the Mediator, depart from all Iniquity. And Man, in his Sacramental Promifes to God, ratifies and recognizes it on his

Part,

Part, by fo endeavouring to undertake, and then CHAP. confirm his facramental, perfonal Purpofe of IV. fulfilling the Terms of it. The mutual Stipulations of both Parties of the Covenant in the Mediator thereof, follows the fealing by his Blood, and are the mutual Ratification and Confirmation of it, to the World's End.

VOL. I.

L

СНАР,