The grounds and ends of the baptism of the children of the faithful. Opened…The grounds and ends of the baptisme of the children of the faithfull. Opened…

First, they are branches only, as they subsist and grow in the root or vine, and so bear the true nature of the same, by which they appear to be holy by the fruits thereof. Christ being the root or vine as aforesaid, the branches can no way be said to subsist and grow in him as their root but only by faith, and he in them by his Spirit, without which there is no holiness in the Apostles sense, who speaketh of such an holiness as is produced in the branch by the holy root, in which it ingrows, and so partakes of the nature of the root, by virtue of union and communion which it hath with the same. All which is by faith, as the word revealeth.

First, they are branches onely, as they subsist and grow in the root or vine, and so beare the true nature of the same, by which they appear to be holy by the fruits therof. Christ being the root or vine as aforesaid, the branches can no way be said to subsist and grow in him as their root but onely by faith, and hee in them by his Spirit, without which there is no holinesse in the Apostles sense, who speaketh of such an holinesse as is produced in the branch by the holy root, in which it ingrows, and so partakes of the nature of the root, by vertue of union and communion which it hath with the same. All which is by faith, as the word revealeth.

Secondly, there is no branch that is alive in the vine, but partakes of the sap and life of the same: by virtue of which the branch, though never so young and small, is discovered to be alive, and enabled to bring forth (in its season) such fruit, as whereby the same may be discerned. So it is hereby the spiritual branches, they cannot properly be called branches in the Apostles sense, but as they partake of the life and grace of Christ, (their true vine and olive tree) by which they appear (at the least) to be alive in him by faith, and enabled by the same to bring forth such fruits as may discover them to be in Covenant of grace, and so to be admitted ••to the privileges thereof; as, John 15.1, 7. Nature it self teacheth as much; for no man will admit of dead plants to be set in his vineyard, or grafted into a stock, but only such as are capable to comply with the same in the sap, and nourishment thereof, to the end it may grow and bring forth fruit; and so it is with Christ, who cometh not short of nature. And therefore he admits not of any dead plants to be set in his spiritual vineyard, nor dead members to be joined in his mystical body, but only such as are capable by faith to comply with the head. Neither took he for himself a compound body, consisting both of living and dead members, which all are that have not a living principle of grace and faith in him, which unbelievers have not, no nor all the Infants of believers, nor any at all, until they are born again of the Spirit,