More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

Answ. This is fully answered already. It is most usual to ascribe that to a Church or other Society which is done only by the most considerable part. As I said before, when rational Consent, Contract, Intention, are ascribed to a Kingdom; which is constituted by the consent of King and Subjects: and yet Infants are members who consent not, save by their Parents. The Church meeteth to choose a Pastor, when yet the women meet not: The Church admonisheth a faulty member, when every woman doth not admonish him: Our Churches meet all to hear, when Children meet not, whom we take for members: These are not satisfactory allegations, being contrary to common use of words, and to many texts of Scripture.

Mr. T. The Minor is proved, Matth. 16.18. On this Rock will I build my Church, viz. by Preaching.

Answ. When Preaching converted the Parents, they devoted themselves to God, and all that were in their trust and power; and that Preaching brought in by consequence the Infants that did not hear. I prove it, 1. Christ commandeth the discipling of Nations and baptizing them (that is, as much as in the Preacher lieth:) But Infants are part of those Nations: Therefore he commandeth the discipling and baptizing of Infants, (as much as in the Preacher lay,) which could be done but by the success of preaching on the Parents. 2. The Kingdoms of the world are made the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ: But Infants are members of all those Kingdoms: But this is done at large elsewhere.

Answ. I will not weary the Reader with repeating the same answers to the like things.

Mr. T. 5. They who are not reckoned Christs Disciples were not visible Church-members: But Infants are no where reckoned as Christs Disciples: ergo. —

Answ. 1. What is said before to the other Texts answereth all these. The Actions of adult Disciples only were in mention. 2. Infants are called Disciples, Acts 15. as I have elsewhere proved, on whose neck the yoke of Circumcision was laid; And in Matth. 28.19. when Nations are to be discipled. 3. Mr. T. himself confesseth that Christ was habitually and by designation a ⟨p. 168⟩Prophet in Infancy, and that so may Infants be Disciples.

Answ. 1. What is said before to the other Texts answereth all these. The Actions of adult Disciples only were in mention. 2. Infants are called Disciples, Acts 15. as I have elsewhere proved, on whose neck the yoak of Circumcision was laid; And in Matth. 28.19. when Nations are to be discipled. 3. Mr. T. himself confesseth that Christ was habitually and by designation a ⟨p. 168⟩Prophet in Infancy, and that so may Infants be Disciples.

Mr. T. 6. If in the distribution of the members of the Church then, Infants are not comprehended, then Infants were not visible Church-members — But, &c.

Answ. 1. Here he instanceth in 1. The sex, Men and Women, 2. Jews and Gentiles, 3. Circumcision and uncircumcision, mentioned, but not Infants. But if Infants be of neither sex, male nor female, nor of Jews or Gentiles, nor circumcision nor uncircumcision, I plead not for them.

2. If those Texts cited by you mention not Infants, others do, as I have elsewhere proved: Our children are called Holy, and a blessed seed, and received by Christ, and of such is the Kingdom of God, &c. And you confess it of Christ himself in his Infancy, and yet now forget it, or contradict your self.

2. If those Texts cited by you mention not Infants, others do, as I have elsewhere proved: Our children are called Holy, and a blessed seed, and received by Christ, and of such is the Kingdom of God, &c. And you confess it of Christ himself in his Infancie, and yet now forget it, or contradict your self.

Mr. T. 2. I argue from the common received definitions of the visible Church, Acts 19. of the Church of England: A congregation of faithful men — &c.

Answ. And so Kingdoms and all Societies that Infants are members of, are accordingly defined, as is aforesaid. You cannot deny it. And was not the Church before Christs incarnation a society of faithful men, when yet you confess that Infants were visible parts of is?

Mr. T. 3. I argue, They are no visible members of the Christian Church, to whom no note whereby a visible Christian Church or Church-membership is discernible, doth agree: But, &c. ergo—

Mr. T. 3. I argue, They are no visible members of the Christian Church, to whom no note whereby a visible Christian Church or Church-membership is discernable, doth agree: But, &c. ergo—

Answ. When a man thinks only what to say for his cause, and never thinks what can be said against it, his judgement is of little value. 1. All that agreeth to Infants which was requisite to a visible Infant member before Christs coming; And do you not confess that they were members then among the Jews? 2. Did nothing in Christ himself in Infancy agree with visible membership? Yes; the open Revelations of God as to a visible person: You confess before as much as I need. 3. The essentiating qualification of a Church-member, is Covenant-consent, such as God according to the sense of his offered Covenant will accept as such: But Infants have this Covenant-consent, seeing they consent by their Parents who are entrusted to do it for them, as if they were parts of themselves: As the Jews Infants did. Mutual consent of God and themselves by their Parents is it that maketh them members. I have oft wondered to read in orthodox Divines, that the Word purely preached, Sacraments and Discipline, are the marks of the true Church. No doubt but Heart-consent to the Baptismal Covenant of Grace maketh a sincere member of the true Church (which the Infant doth by the Parent,) and professed consent to the same Covenant maketh a visible member (which regularly must be by Baptism for investiture.) But a true Church may long by persecution be hindered from public assemblies, Preaching, Sacraments and Discipline; And may have much corruption in all these.

Answ. When a man thinks only what to say for his cause, and never thinks what can be said against it, his judgement is of little value. 1. All that agreeth to Infants which was requisite to a visible Infant member before Christs coming; And do you not confess that they were members then among the Jews? 2. Did nothing in Christ himself in Infancy agree with visible membership? Yes; the open Revelations of God as to a visible person: You confess before as much as I need. 3. The essentiating qualification of a Church-member, is Covenant-consent, such as God according to the sense of his offered Covenant will accept as such: But Infants have this Covenant-consent, seeing they consent by their Parents who are entrusted to do it for them, as if they were parts of themselves: As the Jews Infants did. Mutual consent of God and themselves by their Parents is it that maketh them members. I have oft wondered to read in orthodox Divines, that the Word purely preached, Sacraments and Discipline, are the marks of the true Church. No doubt but Heart-consent to the Baptismal Covenant of Grace maketh a sincere member of the true Church (which the Infant doth by the Parent,) and professed consent to the same Covenant maketh a visible member (which regularly must be by Baptism for investiture.) But a true Church may long by persecution be hindred from publick assemblies, Preaching, Sacraments and Discipline; And may have much corruption in all these.

Mr. T. maketh this mutual consent as two distinct pretended Notes, denying either of them to be true marks.

Answ. Neither the Princes consent alone, nor the Subjects alone maketh a Common-wealth: Neither the Husbands consent alone, or the Wives maketh a marriage; but both conjunct: So here: Mutual consent maketh a Church-member: But so, that Gods Consent is the Donative efficient cause, and mans consent is the receptive cause, which is conditio sine qua non. They that will not impartially think of plain cases cannot understand them. Your unthankful denying that God hath made any such Promise, Covenant or Consent, is elsewhere confuted: And if I shall say with Davenant and the Synod of Dort that this Covenant being the same that is made with Parents themselves, giveth the Children the same Right to Pardon and Life eternal according to their capacity, so that faithful Parents should not doubt of the Salvation of their Children dying in Infancy (ut Synod. Dort. Art. 1. c. 17.) I could better with them bear the consequence (of the loss of Gratia Infantilis in some at age) than the consequents of […] turning them all out of the visible Church. The former I know no Christian that ever opposed for many and many hundred years after Christ; and the latter the universal Church as long opposed: And yet I will not subscribe that [It is certain by the word of God that baptized Infants dying before actual sin, are certainly saved,] without excepting the Infants of Heathens or Infidels, wrongfully baptized.

Answ. Neither the Princes consent alone, nor the Subjects alone maketh a Common-wealth: Neither the Husbands consent alone, or the Wives maketh a marriage; but both conjunct: So here: Mutual consent maketh a Church-member: But so, that Gods Consent is the Donative efficient cause, and mans consent is the receptive cause, which is conditio sine qua non. They that will not impartially think of plain cases cannot understand them. Your unthankful denying that God hath made any such Promise, Covenant or Consent, is elsewhere confuted: And if I shall say with Davenant and the Synod of Dort that this Covenant being the same that is made with Parents themselves, giveth the Children the same Right to Pardon and Life eternal according to their capacity, so that faithful Parents should not doubt of the Salvation of their Children dying in Infancy (ut Synod. Dort. Art. 1. c. 17.) I could better with them bear the consequence (of the loss of Gratia Infantilis in some at age) than the consequents of 〈…〉 turning them all out of the visible Church. The former I know no Christian that ever opposed for many and many hundred years after Christ; and the latter the universal Church as long opposed: And yet I will not subscribe that [It is certain by the word of God that baptized Infants dying before actual sin, are certainly saved,] without excepting the Infants of Heathens or Infidels, wrongfully baptized.