A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

Hence the fourth and last Interpretation, which is justly deemed most genuine and orthodox, is to expound this holiness of a Covenant and federal holiness, of a Church-privilege, That being born, though but of one believing parent, yet they are not unclean, as Heathens and their children, who have no right or claim to any Church-Ordinance, but are holy by the gracious favour and Covenant of God, who taketh in believers and their seed. When parents are taken into the Church, their children also, or Infants are received in with them, not that all are made internally holy, only they have a right to Church-membership; and therefore the initial sign ought not to be denied to them: So that the hope of godly education, or to be candidates of the true faith, is not enough, but both are requisite, as Tertullian of old mentioned, both seminis praerogativa, and institutionis disciplina: Though therefore children of both, or one believing parent, are in this sense clean and holy, yet by nature they are unclean; neither doth this external holiness deliver them from inward contagion; Yea, suppose some should be regenerated in the very womb, as John Baptist was, yet this Text holdeth true in him; for he was by nature unclean, he had not the holy Ghost by natural descension from his parents, for then all children should be so sanctified, but it was Gods grace and power that made him clean of unclean; John Baptist therefore was conceived in sin, and by nature a child of wrath, but the grace of God made him clean, yet not totally and perfectly, as if no uncleanness was in him; for even Job, though in so high a degree sanctified, yet speaks this truth in the Text, to himself as then, and at that time considered, not to what he was once before his conversion, but even in that renewed estate he was in, if God should cast his eyes upon him, and judge him with severity, he would find much uncleanness adhering unto him.

Hence the fourth and last Interpretation, which is justly deemed most genuine and orthodox, is to expound this holiness of a Covenant and foederal holiness, of a Church-priviledge, That being born, though but of one believing parent, yet they are not unclean, as Heathens and their children, who have no right or claim to any Church-Ordinance, but are holy by the gracious favour and Covenant of God, who taketh in believers and their seed. When parents are taken into the Church, their children also, or Infants are received in with them, not that all are made internally holy, only they have a right to Church-membership; and therefore the initial sign ought not to be denied to them: So that the hope of godly education, or to be candidates of the true faith, is not enough, but both are requisite, as Tertullian of old mentioned, both seminis praerogativa, and institutionis disciplina: Though therefore children of both, or one believing parent, are in this sense clean and holy, yet by nature they are unclean; neither doth this external holiness deliver them from inward contagion; Yea, suppose some should be regenerated in the very womb, as John Baptist was, yet this Text holdeth true in him; for he was by nature unclean, he had not the holy Ghost by natural descension from his parents, for then all children should be so sanctified, but it was Gods grace and power that made him clean of unclean; John Baptist therefore was conceived in sinne, and by nature a child of wrath, but the grace of God made him clean, yet not totally and perfectly, as if no uncleanness was in him; for even Job, though in so high a degree sanctified, yet speaks this truth in the Text, to himself as then, and at that time considered, not to what he was once before his conversion, but even in that renewed estate he was in, if God should cast his eyes upon him, and judge him with severity, he would find much uncleanness adhering unto him.