administered to infants on their parents' account, which all must grant; then the point is settled; the doctrine of infant baptism is unanswerably proved.

To increase, if need be, the weight of evidence, by which this doctrine is supported, we may observe, that it was one of the precious blessings of the covenant of grace, that it contained promises respecting the children and households of the faithful. Is it probable, that when Christ came to accomplish the promises made to the Patriarchs, one of his first acts would be to blot out and obliterate a most interesting and glorious part of the blessings promised in the covenant? It is absurd to suppose such a thing. To settle this point, little children, even infants, were by their parents brought to Christ for his blessing; well knowing, that if infants were no longer to be dedicated to God for his blessing, they should be rejected. But he readily embraced them, "took them up in his arms and blessed them; and said, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Of such, as well as adults, is the visible church. This is a clear proof, that the infants of believers are regarded in the same light now, as in the days of Abraham; and have the same standing in, or relation to the visible church; and of course, the same right to the seal of the covenant of grace. Nor do we find, in any instance, that the cavilling Jews ever alleged, that the gospel cut off infants and households from their long standing in the visible church of God. The reason was, There was no ground of caviling. When a question arose among the Corinthians, whether it was lawful for a believer and an unbeliever to live together in the marriage relation; the Apostle decided in these words, that," The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." Whatever this holiness may be, it is in consequence of being connected with a believing parent; on whose account they are doubtless, proper subjects of the christian baptism. Comparing the church of God to an olive tree, Paul taught most distinctly, that

the ancient Jewish church was the good olive tree, the root of which was Abraham. And, that the present, gentile church was graffed into the very stock, from which the Jewish branches were broken off by unbelief. And that they received of the root and fatness of this good olive tree. To cut off all boasting, on the part of gentile christians, they were given to understand, that this graffing is contrary to nature. The scion bears not its own fruit, according to natural graffing; but the fruit of the stock. The preeminence therefore is in the Jewish or Abrahamic stock. To the gentile christian he says, "Thou bearest not the root; but the root thee." Despise not, therefore, the Abrahamic church.

The doctrine of infant baptism, and of the connection of children and households with their parents, in the covenant of grace, may be further confirmed, by a consideration of the state in which man was at first created; and of the constituted connection of parents and children, from the beginning. It was a current idea from the beginning of the world, that parents must, by divine appointment, stand or fall, not only for themselves, but for their children. The fate of the child must be somehow involved in the fate of the parent. Adam was the federal head of all his posterity. So that when he fell, he invol ved all his posterity in a state of sin and guilt. And this divine constitution was perfectly reasonable. For all will grant, that infants can exhibit no character, nor can they act for themselves. All will also grant, that they may belong to the family of God, and be the heirs of salvation; but they can sustain no visible relation to God's kingdom, but only through the medium of their parents. And this relation has been visible, in all ages. Godly parents, imperfect and unfaithful as they are, are, generally speaking, blessed with a godly posterity; and ungodly parents are followed with an ungodly posterity. The posterity of pious Seth were blessed; and called the sons of God. The posterity of Cain were cursed; and in time, filled the earth with violence. Noah, by his faith, saved all his family in the ark. He believed God's threatening of a flood, and, in obedience to his divine

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command, he labored a hundred and twenty years to “build an ark, to the saving of his house." When the great work was completed, God said to Noah, "Come thou, and all thine house into the ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me, in this generation." The whole family were saved from the deluge, only for their father's sake. "The like figure whereunto," says Peter, even baptism, doth also now save us. The salvation of Noah's family, by his faith, was a figure, or a type of household baptism; by which whole familes are brought into the ark, meaning the visible church, by the faith of their parents. Thus the doctrine of infant baptism is confirmed by the earliest institutions, and events; and by the views and practices of all the Patriarchs, both before and after the flood.

If

Finally; The visible, and imperfect church of Christ is essentially the same, in every age, and under every dispensation of the gospel. And, in every age of the world, the infants of believers have borne one and the same relation to the visible church of the Redeemer. they ever could, with any propriety, receive the token of the covenant of grace; as they, in fact did, when they received the sign of circumcision; they are as clearly entitled to the present token of the covenant, which is baptism.

The discussion and proof of the doctrine of infant baptism leads to the following enquiries.

1. What is the relation, in which the baptized children of believers stand to the visible church ? It is easier to say what this relation is not, than what it is. It will be granted, that the households of believers are not regenerated, by the christian baptism. Baptism, of itself, is not the putting away of the sins of the flesh. It has neither a physical nor moral influence upon the character of those who receive it. Having the seal of the covenant in infancy does not, therefore, constitute the same relation to the church in childhood, which exists in their believing parents. Believing parents actually embrace Jesus Christ, and walk in his commandments and ordinances. But those who are by them devoted to Christ in infancy,

even by the most pious parents; and brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; may live to advanced age, before they manifest any compliance with the terms of salvation. No one can claim an actual brotherhood with the church, till he possesses the character of a brother. Circumcision was nothing, under the law of Moses, unless to those who kept the law. "If thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumeision." The same is true respecting baptism. It constitutes no one a christian; and is of no avail, without the christian faith. "Thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear." We observe further;

Baptism in infancy, or on account of the parent's faith, gives no right or title to any privilege or ordinance in the church. No unbeliever, no ungodly person, can bring a claim, on the ground of infant baptism, to the sacrament of the Lord's supper. No unconverted parent has a right to baptism for his children, on the ground of his having been himself a subject of infant baptism. No one has a standing in the church, so as to enjoy christian privileges, except those who stand by faith. When an infant is baptized, the transaction is between God and the parent. The promise respecting the child, in the covenant of grace, is made to the parent and through the parent, to his seed. "I will be a God to thee [parent] and to thy seed after thee." This promise is on very strict conditions, conditions to be performed, only by the parent. The child, is unable to determine, whether the parent has performed the conditions of the covenant, so as to secure the promised blessings. But even admitting, that the child has assurance of the promised blessings, sooner or later; yet so long as he considers himself in an unconverted state, he ought to feel excluded from gospel ordinances. He ought to lay no claim to promises, which are not made to himself, but to his parents.

Further; The relation to the church, which is constituted by infant baptism, is not such as renders it proper, for the church to receive any, as members, merely on the ground of their baptism. Nothing short of personal holi.

ness, or a vital union to Christ, is admitted, by the scriptures, as a qualification for admission, as members of the church.

What then is the relation to the church, which is constituted by infant baptism? The answer, in short, is this; They who are faithfully dedicated to the Lord, in the ordinance of baptism; and who are by a pious education, trained up in the way they should go; are those to whom respect is had, in the great and precious promise of God. "I will be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee." The covenant which God made with Abraham, of which baptism is now the seal, is emphatically, the covenant of promise. If christian parents were as faithful, and as confident in God, as our father Abraham was, they night doubtless take hold of this glorious promise. That such a faith is attainable, as will secure saving mercy to the most numerous household, is evident from God's testimony concerning Abraham; "I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken." This idea is current in the holy scriptures. "The just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after him." "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." "A good man," a man of faith and hope, such as Abraham was, "Leaveth an inheritance to his children's children." But the inheritance exists in promise; the condition of which, depends on the parent. Could all believing parents be persuaded to walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham; we should soon realize a difference, generally, between the children of the faithful, and the children of infidels, as respects their relation to the christian church. The baptized families would be viewed as children of promise, as ISAAC WAS; and in early life, they would be coming forward to the christian profession, and to the participation of promised blessings; "but the seed of evil doers would never be renowned." How early, or how late in life,