The Estate of Children of Church Members and their Right to Baptism, Treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 5
SE…T. V.
4. A Fourth Concluſion is, that the Church in diſpenſing an enjoyned Initiatory ſeale of the Covenant of grace, looketh unto viſibilitie of intereſt in the Covenant to guide her in the application thereof. Nor is it the ſaving intereſt of the perſons in view which is her rule by which ſhee is therein to proceed. The matter to bee diſpenced is not an Initiatory ſeale of the Covenant before it bee commanded, as before Circumciſion or baptiſme bee commanded: but ſuppoſing that de facto they are commanded, the rule of judging of the jus of perſons propounded to the Church, with deſire of her admiſſion by her officers, to the fellowſhip of the initiatory ſeale of the Covenant; it is not the internall and ſaving ſtate of the partie, or parties, but the viſibility of covenant right and eſtate; ſaving right, conſiſting in Gods electing act which is a very ſecret: in ſaving intereſt in Chriſt and his death: in ſaving influences and operations of his ſpirit and the like, all which incurre not to outward diſcerning, nor can be infallibly known by man being things per ſe inviſible to others, John 3. 8. John Baptiſt did and might lawfully baptize thoſe multitudes, albeit in the generall hee knew that many, yea moſt of them would prove falſe and frothy, Matth. 3. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. It ſufficeth that albeit hee were perſwaded in the generall, that many were unworthy members of that floore, and Church of Chriſt amongſt them all; yet they having appearances of a better eſtate, and hee not being able to ſay in the particular perſons preſented to baptiſme, which of them notwithſtanding would prove chaffie and vile, hee baptized them. Albeit wee may think in the generall that to bee ſure in all viſible Churches there will bee ſome veſſells of diſhonour ſometimes, and yet Miniſters which are the Churches, as well as Chriſts ſervants, they are not therefore to refuſe, to diſpenſe Church-Ordinances; ſince they are in the face of the Church, ſuch utenſils, as the Lord may have and hath need of. Hence the Apoſtles which as extraordinary perſons, knew the guile of perſons ſecret from the Church, witneſſe that act againſt Ananias and Saphira, Act. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. to 11. Yet in adminiſtring the Church-ſeale of Baptiſme they refuſed not Ananias and Saphira, no nor Simon Magus, Act. 8. nor thouſands of others of the Jewes, amongſt whom, how many proved falſe, let Acts 2. 41. and 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. compared, 21. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. 28. 30, 31. 36. and 22. 20. 22. and 23. 12, 13. witneſſe. Nor could the Apoſtles imagine otherwiſe in the generall, but many of them would prove ſuch. Yea Chriſt himſelfe, who by his divine knowledge, knew Judas to bee a devill, John 6. 70, 71. and 13. 18. yet hee miniſtred to him that Supper; whether the Paſcall Lambe or the Lords Supper, Verſe 1. 2. 26. and 21. compared with Luke 22. 19, 20, 21. I determine not; one of them it appeares it was; Auſtin and others thinke Judas was admitted to the Lords Supper, and that he did partake of the bread of the Lord, albeit, not of the Lord that ſpirituall bread: ſo thinkes Mr. Cartwright from that connexion, Luke 23. 19, 20, 21. but if admitted by Chriſt to the Paſſeover which Chriſt adminiſtred to him formerly, and at that time, it ſufficeth to our purpoſe. Chriſt miniſtring as man, dealeth with Judas in his miniſtration of the Sacrament as man, and as Judas was according to man, and to the reſt of that family to which hee then in ſpeciall ſort miniſtred. Iſhmael God diſcovered by a divine revelation to Abraham, Eſau to Rebeckah, not to bee Gods elect ſeed of the Covenant; yet Abraham and Iſaac as Prophets and Prieſts at that time to the Church in their families, circumciſe them; extraordinary caſes brake not ordinary rules. If Peter kill bodily any perſons, or Phinehas or Elias; It's not a warrant for Miniſters to bee executioners, or orderers of civill juſtice: It's the Magiſtrate is to do that by ordinary rule. Rom. 13. If Ananias a private Diſciple by extraordinary call in a viſion, baptize Paul, yet it's no croſſe to that ordinary rule of miniſtring baptiſme onelyonly by preaching miniſters, Matth. 28. 19, 20. So here in extraordinary caſes perſons to bee admitted to the ſeales of the old or new Teſtament, may bee diſcovered to bee falſe hearted as was Iſhmael, Eſau and Judas: yet that hinders not, but being in facie Eccleſiae viſibly intereſted in the Covenant, the ſeales are to bee adminiſtred unto them. The Church in Abraham and Iſaacs houſe had not that revealed to them touching Iſhmael and Eſau; as neither the family of Chriſt knew that of Judas: therefore as to them they had viſible right to thoſe ſeales, ſo were they adminiſtred to them. A Miniſter may ſee much good or evill in perſons which are to partake of the ſeales: yet if this bee not as well viſible to the Church, as to himſelfe, hee cannot of himſelfe admit or reject them regularly; hee is not the Church, but acteth in admiſſion & rejections to or from the fellowſhip of Church-Ordinances ſuch as the ſeales are, by and with their conſent. A perſon Eccleſiaſtically holy is admittable, and hee may not refuſe them upon his owne private ſurmiſes. It were to breed confuſions in Churches, and lay foundations of enthuſiaſmes. The ordinary Elders of that viſible Church of Epheſus muſt feede the Church in the diſpenſation of the word or ſeales occaſionally. Albeit, many admitted to that fellowſhip, many among themſelves will prove Apoſtates, Acts 20. 28, 29, 30. If particular perſons ſaving intereſt in Gods promiſe and Covenant of grace were the rule, it were either to neceſſitate miniſters to come under guilt of ſinne or Anomie, breach of rule or for avoiding of that, which they muſt needs doe with ſuch breach of rule, never to adminiſter any Church-ordinances; ſince they ſometimes ſhall breake that rule in adminiſtring the ſame to hypocrites, and albeit they doe ſometimes adminiſter them to elect ones, yet not being able to know that ſecret infallibly, they obſerve not that rule in faith, but doubtingly, and ſo can have little comfort of any ſuch of their adminiſtrations.
If this therfore bee not the rule of Church adminiſtration of the Initiatory injoyned ſeale of the Covenant; then the other of viſibility of intereſt is that which wee muſt goe by therein. Which may ſuffice for anſwer to what A. R. ſuggeſted to the contrary. And I ſay, viſibility of the parties intereſt in the Covenant, I ſay not meere viſibilitie of faith or repentance. The Initiatory ſeale is not primarily and properly the ſeale of mans faith, or repentance or obedience, but of Gods Covenant rather; the ſeale is to the covenant, even Abrahams Circumciſion was not primarily a ſeale to his faith of righteouſneſſe; but to the righteouſneſſe of faith exhibited and offered in the covenant; yea to the Covenant it ſelfe or promiſe, which hee had beleeved unto righteouſneſſe; hence the covenant of grace is called the righteouſneſſe of faith, Rom. 10. 6, 7, 8. The righteouſneſſe of faith ſpeaketh on this wiſe, verſe 8. and it's called the word of faith: hence albeit Abraham muſt walke before God, who is now about to enlarge the Covenant to his, as well as to make it to him, in a Church reference, Gen. 17. 1. &c. yet the Initiatory ſeale in his as well as in their fleſh is Gods Covenant, verſe 13. or a Sacramentall ſigne firſtly and expreſly of Gods Covenant, Verſe 11. and 7. compared; albeit, it implicitly oblige him and them to other duties formerly mentioned. Hence Act. 2. 38, 39. the ſeale of baptiſme is put to the promiſe, as the choyſe matter and foundation in view, and as that was a ground of repentance it ſelfe. Repent and bee baptized, for the promiſe is to you: Not, for you have repented, as if that were the thing to bee firſtly ſealed by baptiſme, but the promiſe rather: and when wee ſpeake of viſibilitie of Covenant right, as ſuch a rule to goe by, wee exclude not the loweſt and leaſt degree of viſibilitie, ſince degrees doe not vary the ſpecies of any thing; if we propound a higher degree where ſhall wee ſtay and pitch? Why not a higher degree as well as that? wee muſt looke to it, that not the leaſt of Gods Covenant little ones bee left out unfolded in the Church viſible. Wee were better ſeeme to bee remiſſe in reſpect of Church care of 99. which are but ſeemingly juſt ones, then neglect any, and leave out any which poſſibly is ſavingly as well as ſeemingly of the flock of the covenant Church; the leaſt of Gods viſible family or Church muſt have their portion as of the family; if Miniſters bee faithful in their office; the leaſt viſible meaſure of grace muſt occaſion our judgement of charitie to judge them gratious, ſo the leaſt degree of viſibilitie of covenant right may challenge the like charitie; not in word and in tongue but in deed and act of expreſſion, Wee put a difference betwixt thoſe in Heb. 6. 4. and Infants in degrees of viſibilitie of this right, but in the nature of the viſibilitie wee ſay they are all one, all are viſibly in covenant, albeit that viſibilitie in point of degree bee not in all equall. God putteth a difference in point of degree of faith in juſtifyed perſons, but in his act of juſtifying of perſons hee puts no difference, the leaſt ſparke in Flax is enough that way: For if it were more it would flame as well as make a ſmoake, and yet if but ſo much it's not ſleighted by the Lord. I might apply the ſame in point of degrees of viſibilitie of Covenant right, in reference to the Churches act of approbation; It's a higher degree indeed of viſibility of intereſt in the Covenant to make perſonall profeſſion and confeſſion of faith in the Covenant, as it is in Adultis, then to have onelyonly the viſible teſtimony of God in his word of Covenant expreſſing his mind of grace, touching the ſeed of Abraham to bee a God to them. And to adde the… …ſible teſtimony of his providence, that theſe children are of th… race and parentage▪ to which alſo Abraham and other inchurched parents, by viſible owning of the covenant in the Latitude upon the termes of it, and as now Chriſtian Parents doe make profeſſion of their parentall faith in the Covenant as made to them and their children, and this profeſſion of theirs may not bee (poſſibly) ſincere, yet it's viſibly a federall confeſſion, and ſuch an avouching of God to bee their Covenant God as taketh in their children, as that did, Deut. 26. 17. and that Deut. 29. 10, 11, 12, &c. And this is to the Church a degree of their childrens viſibilitie of covenant right and Church right; albeit, not ſo high as the former, and not varying the ſpecies of viſibilitie, it ſufficeth, not to vary the ſpecies of Church admiſſion to fellowſhip of the initiatory Church-ſeale. Judgement of charitie reacheth further then to judge of perſons eſtates by their own perſonall words or workes: Charitie beleeveth all things in way of teſtimony if they give any teſtimony; as that of God who teſtifyeth more abſolutely for that ſpecies of beleevers children, that they are ſuch as hee doth covenant to bee a God to them. And the parents teſtifie alſ… for them in the profeſſion of their faith in that covenant of God for their ſeed. The Churches alſo owne them as viſibly ſuch, leaving ſecrets to God; which particular Infant is not the elect ſeed principally intended; here charitie as it beleeveth all things witneſſed, ſo it hopeth all things of the particular perſons which are themſelves dumbe, but are included in the teſtimony of others mouths opened for them, nothing being of counter-force to the contrary touching this point of viſibilitie of their covenant and Church intereſt. And I the more wonder that any which confeſſe that it's not to be denyed, that God would have Infants of beleevers in ſome ſenſe to bee accounted his, to belong to his Church and family, and not to the devills, as true in facie eccleſi… viſibilis, &c. yet doe oppoſe us in this particular now in queſtion.