The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in…

1. Papists, Socinians and other Heretics are Professed Christians. But their Children ought not to be Baptised. For that is to declare their Religion to be the true Religion. When the Children of Israel were Baptised unto Moses in the Cloud, it was thereby signified that the Religion taught by Moses, was the true Religion. 1 Cor. 10 2. But Papists have corrupted the very Essentials of the true Christian Religion, not by one but by many Heresies by them maintained, besides their Idolatry. Nor does it follow, ⟨p. 55⟩that if the Children of Papists had no right to Baptism, that then their Baptism was a Nullity and must be Iterated. For they baptise in the same Name, and use the same outward Element (though with Superstitio•s Additions of their own) which is of Divine Institution; in which respects although Fieri non debuit, factum valet. Now if the Children of Papists notwithstanding their being Professed Christians, have no right to Baptism, if any such should engage to see a Child Educated in the Christian Religion, that could not Entitle him to this Sacred Ordinance. Who can believe that if a Papist will undertake to be the God-Father of the Spurious Children of Negroes or Indians, then those Children ought to be Baptised? But they ought to be so, if this be a true Position, That Baptism ought to be Administered to all Children whom any Professed Christian shall engage to see Educated in the Christian Religions Our first Reformers were large enough in their Principles and Practice as to the Subject of Baptism Nevertheless, they taught that the Children of Papists had no right to Baptism. So ^(a)Calvin, Farel, Beza. Yea, the ^(b)Reformed Churches in France will not admit the Children of Papists to Baptism, although Protestant God-fathers would engage for their Education in the true Religion. Our famous Mr. Cartwright ⟨p. 56⟩has ^(e)proved that such Children have no right to Baptism because they are cut off from the Covenant, and do not belong to the Visible Church. We must of necessity own the Church of Rome to be a true Church, if we own the Members of it to have right to Baptism. But the contrary has been evinced by Dr. Whitaker, Alting, Turretin, and many others who have made it appear that Papists only retain the words of that which is called the Apostles Creed, but not the true sense of it.