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

3. God who is our Paternal Beneficent Ruler doth give some of his benefits by his Law or Covenant absolutely and antecedently to mans conditions, and some consequently as Rewards: And Gods Laws having first a Preceptive part, as well as a Donative or Premiant, a Right may accrue in foro ecclesiae to an hypocrite from that precept: As e. g. God antecedently doth by his Covenant give the world an Impunity as to the punishment of Drowning it: And so by his common Law of Grace he giveth the world many common mercies by a Redeemer, and perhaps many by that you call a physical act, immediately. And by his Law he (having given a conditional pardon and life to all) commandeth his Ministers to offer it, and All men to Accept it, ⟨p. 178⟩and his Ministers to judge by mens profession, and to use professed Accepters as real; because we cannot see the heart. This being so, when the hypocrite professeth his consent, the Law obligeth the Minister and Church to receive it, by which in foro ecclesiae he hath a right to his Church station. And Christ himself called Judas, and sent him out to Preach, and his mandates were as Laws. So that the Right that an hypocrite hath, he hath by the Law which obligeth the Church to use him as a true believer, upon his professing to be such. None of this can be denied. But Judas was called immediately by Christ himself; and his [follow me] was a precept which gave him a Right to his Relation.

3. God who is our Paternal Beneficient Ruler doth give some of his benefits by his Law or Covenant absolutely and antecedently to mans conditions, and some consequently as Rewards: And Gods Laws having first a Preceptive part, as well as a Donative or Premiant, a Right may accrue in foro ecclesiae to an hypocrite from that precept: As e. g. God antecedently doth by his Covenant give the world an Impunity as to the punishment of Drowning it: And so by his common Law of Grace he giveth the world many common mercies by a Redeemer, and perhaps many by that you call a physical act, immediately. And by his Law he (having given a conditional pardon and life to all) commandeth his Ministers to offer it, and All men to Accept it, ⟨p. 178⟩and his Ministers to judge by mens profession, and to use professed Accepters as real; because we cannot see the heart. This being so, when the hypocrite professeth his consent, the Law obligeth the Minister and Church to receive it, by which in foro ecclesiae he hath a right to his Church station. And Christ himself called Judas, and sent him out to Preach, and his mandates were as Laws. So that the Right that an hypocrite hath, he hath by the Law which obligeth the Church to use him as a true believer, upon his professing to be such. None of this can be denyed. But Judas was called immediately by Christ himself; and his [follow me] was a precept which gave him a Right to his Relation.