A Christian Directory

IV. I believe not that it is the Universal Church that giveth the Infant title to baptism: For, 1. He that giveth title to the Covenant and baptism, doth it as a performer of the Moral Condition of that title. But God hath no where made the Churches faith, to be the condition of baptism or salvation, either •o Infidels or their seed. 2. Because the Universal Church is a body that cannot be consulted with to give their Vote and Consent: Nor have they any Deputies to do it by. For there is no Universal Visible Governor: And if you will pretend every Priest to be commissioned to act and judge in the name of the Universal Church, you will want proof, and that's before confuted. 3. If all have right that the Universal Church offereth up to God, or any Minister or Bishop be counted its Deputy or Agent to that end, it is in the power of that Minister (as is said) to level all, and to baptize and save all; which is contrary to the Word of God.

IV. I believe not that it is the Universal Church that giveth the Infant title to baptism: For, 1. He that giveth title to the Covenant and baptism, doth it as a performer of the Moral Condition of that title. But God hath no where made the Churches faith, to be the condition of baptism or salvation, either •o Infidels or their seed. 2. Because the Universal Church is a body that cannot be consulted with to give their Vote and Consent: Nor have they any Deputies to do it by. For there is no Universal Visible Governour: And if you will pretend every Priest to be commissioned to act and judge in the name of the Universal Church, you will want proof, and thats before confuted. 3. If all have right that the Universal Church offereth up to God, or any Minister or Bishop be counted its Deputy or Agent to that end, it is in the power of that Minister (as is said) to levell all, and to baptize and save all; which is contrary to the Word of God.

V. I believe that God-fathers as such, being no Adopters or Proprietors, are not the performers of the condition of salvation for the Infant, nor give him right to be baptized. 1. Because he is not their Own, and therefore their will or act cannot go for his: Because there is no Word of God for it that all shall be baptized or saved that any Christians will be Sponsors for. Gods Church blessings be not tied o such inventions, that were not in being when Gods Laws were made. Where here is no promise or word, there is no faith. 3. No Sponsors are so much as lawful (as is showed before) who are not Owners, or their Deputies, or mere secondary subservient parties, who suppose the principal Covenanting party. 4. And as to the Infants salvation, the Sponsors may (too oft) be ignorant Infidels and Hypocrites themselves, that have no true faith for themselves; and therefore not enough to save another. 5. And it were strange if God should make no promise to a wicked Parent for his own child, and yet should promise to save by baptism all that some wicked and hypocrite God-fathers will offer him. 6. And that thus the seed of Heathens and Christians should be levelled, and yet an ignorant bold undertaker to carry away the privilege of saving persons from them both. All this is but mens unproved imaginations. He that never commandeth God-fathers; but forbiddeth the Usurping sort, and only alloweth humane prudence to use the Lawful sort, did never put the souls of all children, Christians and Heathens into their hands, (no more than into the hands of the Priest that baptizeth them.)