A26892:6716
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. And the same is to be said of the Infant-title of the children of believers: They have but an initial right before baptism, and not the badge of visible Christians. For there are three distinct gradations to make up their visible Christianity. 1. Because they are their own, (and as it were parts of themselves) therefore Believers have power and obligation to dedicate their children in Covenant with God. 2. Because every believer is himself dedicated to God, with all that is his own, (according to its capacity) therefore a Believers child is supposed to be Virtually (not actually) dedicated to God in his own dedication or Covenant, as soon as his child hath a being. 3. Being thus Virtually and Implicitly first dedicated, he is after Actually and regularly dedicated in Baptism and Sacramentally receiveth the badge of the Church; And this maketh him a visible member or Christian, to which the two first were but introductory, as Conception is to humane Nativity.
Object. 2. But the seed of Believers as such are in the Covenant; and therefore Church-members.
Answ. The word Covenant here is ambiguous: Either it signifieth Gods Law of Grace, or prescribed terms for salvation, with his immediate offer of the benefits to accepters, called the single Covenant of God; or it signifieth this with mans Consent, called the Mutual Covenant where both parties Covenant. In the former sense, the Covenant only offereth Church-membership, but maketh no man a Church-member, till Consent. It is but Gods conditional promise, If thou believe thou shalt be saved, &c. If thou give up thy self and children to me, I will be your God, and you shall be my people. But it is only the Mutual Covenant that maketh a Christian or Church-member.