Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its…

Some Infants, though baptized, are not in their infancy in union with Christ; but the work of Grace comes afterwards; both Baptisms are not always together, the Spirit doth not always cleanse in the same moment as the Water doth: The virtue of Baptism is not always immediately, but it follows us, as the waters of the Rock did the Israelites; in some the effect is earlier, in some later; these Infants are sealed from the moment of Faith, not of Baptism; their Baptism doth point at a future union, but it seals not an actual one where it is not, but where it is.

Some Infants, though baptized, never are in union with Christ; some Divines conceive that all baptized Infants are regenerate, but common observation opposes this; multitudes there are of Infants baptized, who at years of understanding show forth nothing at all of a Divine principle; Reason and Will appear, but nothing of Grace. It may be reasonably expected in regenerate persons, that the Seed of God should spring up, that the supernatural principles should come forth into act in some measure; but when there is no print or footstep of Grace, no dye or tincture of it in the life, it cannot well be imagined, that there is any such thing as regeneration in them: To such Infants as these, Baptism doth not seal union. I conclude with the Learned Bishop Abbot, ¹In Christo baptizantur omnes qui baptizati sunt, in Christum non baptizantur nisi qui transeunt in Christum, corpusque ejus & membra fiunt. All that are baptized, are baptized in Christ; but none are baptized into Christ, but those who pass into him, and are made his body and members.

Some Infants, though baptized, never are in union with Christ; some Divines conceive that all baptized Infants are regenerate, but common observation opposes this; multitudes there are of Infants baptized, who at years of understanding shew forth nothing at all of a Divine principle; Reason and Will appear, but nothing of Grace. It may be reasonably expected in regenerate persons, that the Seed of God should spring up, that the supernatural principles should come forth into act in some measure; but when there is no print or footstep of Grace, no dye or tincture of it in the life, it cannot well be imagined, that there is any such thing as regeneration in them: To such Infants as these, Baptism doth not seal union. I conclude with the Learned Bishop Abbot,