To Whom Is Baptism to Be Administered?

Answ. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.

Qj May Heathens, or their children, be baptized?

A, No ‘, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, Acts viii. 36, 37.

Q. Have those who, in Christian countries, are as ignorant and as profane as Heathens, or their chilaren, any right to baptism? A. No j their guilt is greater than if

they had lived in Pagan countries*, and local situation can never ihtitle to spiritual privileges, John iii. 19.

Q. To whom then is baptism to be administered?

A. To all such as profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, and their children, Acts ii. 38, 39.

Qj. When have children a right to baptism?

A. The infants who have one or both parents visible saints, have a right to it before men j and the infants of real believers have a right to it before God, 1 Cor, vii. 14.

(J. How prove you, that the infants of visible saints ought to be baptized? A. The scripture represents

them as holy, as members of the kingdom of heaven, as interested in God*s covenant and promise *, and of old required that they should be circumcised, 1 Cor. vii. 14. Mark x. 14. Acts ii. 39. Gen. xvii. 7, — 12.

(J. How prove you, that the holiness of children, mentioned 1 Cor. vii. 14. is not the being begotten in lawful marriage? A. Because there it is required mat one

of the parents be a Christian, which is not necessary to the lawful begetting of children.

Q. How doth the circumcision of ir.fantts under the law prove that they should be baptized under the gospel? A. The covenant confirmed by circumcision, (of God’s t Ec

being the God of his people and their seed,) is called an .everlasting covenant, and Christ cannot be supposed to diminish the privileges of his people by his coming, which would be the case., if circumcision of infants were taken away, and nothing put into its place, Gen. xvii. 10, 17.

O. Kow doth the relation of believers children to the kingdom of God, and interest in his covenant and promise, prove their title to baptism?

A. As they have a right lo these things, they must necessarily have a title to the sea! of that right, when capable of it.

Q. How are infants capable of receiving baptism?

A. Their parents can dedicate them to the Lord, and he can regenerate, justify, and adopt them, Mark x. 14..

Q. Kow have parents a right to dedicate their infants to God? A. Infants are part of their property.

Q. May parents dedicate their infants to any but God?

A. No j for God has the original and principal right to our infants, Ezek. xvi. 20, 21.

Q. If infants may be baptized, why doth Christ require Ins apostles to teach, and then baptize. persons?

A. That order only related to adult persons.

Q. Why then was not Christ b iptized till about thirty years of age? A. Because baptism was not instituted till he was about that age, Luke Hi. 23.

Q. Have we any scripture examples of the baptism of infants? A. There are probable instances of it •, as

when Cornelius, Lydia, the jailor, &c. their households were baptized, Acts x. and xvi. 15, 33.

Q. Why is not the warrant for infant baptism more express in scripture? A. Because before baptism was clothed with the form of a sacrament, it was applied to infants as well astoot’ers; and in the apostles time no doubt was made of infants right to receive it.

Q. Through whom have infants a right to baptism?

A. Through their IMMEDIATE parents only.

‘O. How prove you that? A. The immediate seed

of wicked parents are accursed of Gcd, Deut. xxviii. IS.; and if children derive their right to baptism from mediate parents, we ought to baptize all Pagans and Mahometans since they are descended from godly Noah, &c.

Q. Why then are thechHdren of profane idolaters callec God’s children, Ezek. xvi. 20 21.?

A. Not because they had any visible interest in his nei

covenant 5 but because they were his by creation and pre* servation •, or perhaps were the first-born of Israel.

Q. May not the infants of profane parents be truly gra — cious? A. It is possible they may, but are not to be.

esteemed as such by men till they evidence their grace.

Q. How are we to judge of the children of visible be* lievers? A. We are to judge them to be within

God’s covenant, till by their practice they shew themselves strangers to it, Gen. xvii. Acts ii. 3S, 39.

Q. Is it not unjust to make children want baptism on account of their parents ignorance and profaneness?

A. No; no more than to make the children of Heathens want it j or to let children want an inheritance, when their parents had none to leave to them: nay, the baptism of such children would be hurtful both to the parents and children, Matth. vii. 6. Ezek. xiiv. 7.

Q^, How would it be hurtful to the ignorant and profane parents? A. It would encourage them to believe

themselves good christians and to continue in their ignorance and profaneness, Ezek. xiii. 22. John viii. 41.

Q. How would it be hurtful to their children?

A. Their receiving baptism without any title to it, tends to bring on them a curse rather than a blessing j and the view of their baptism as regular, encourageth and hardens them in their sin, Matth. vii. 6. John viii. 39, 41.

O. Would not the number of church-members be small

•V.

if none but visible believers and their children were baptized? A. Better it were so, than that men, who have no evidence of union to, or communion with Christ, should be obtruded as members of his church, by a solemn profanation of baptism, to the reproach of his name;- and discredit of the gospel, Phil. iii. 18, 19.

Qj, Do hypocrites profane baptism* by bringing their children. to it? A. Yes; in the sight of God,

though not in the sight of men, Psalm lxxviii. 36.

Q. How do hypocrites dedicate their children in baptism?

A. They outwardly surrender them to God, while their heart inwardly refuses them -y for no man can sincerely devote his child to any other than his own God, Tit. i. 16.

Q. Are the duties relative to baptism very numerous and. important? A. Yes, Psal. cxix. 96. 1 Pet. iii. 21.

Q. What is the duty of parents before the baptism ot their children? A. Secretly to examine themselves j

solemnly dedicate their child to God; consider what they are to vow in baptism -y and to pray for grace to vow and pray aright, Jer. iv. 2.

Q. What is the duty of parents when offering their children in baptism? A. To exercise faith in a livelymanner on that promise,. I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, or the like; and to give up themselves and children to be the Lord’s, Gen. xvii. 7. Josh. xxiv. 15.

Qj What is the duty of parents after the baptism of their children? A. To remember and pay their vows

by instructing- and correcting them? and seriously putting them in mind of their baptismal engagements, as soon as they co ee to age, Prov. xxii. 6, 15.

Q. How should spectators improve the administration of baptism? A. In admiring the love of God towards

men y renewing their baptismal vows remembering, and mourning over Che breaches thereof; and pleading for grace to the children baptized, and their parents.

(^. How are we to improve our baptism after we come to age? A. A.3 a glass to discover our sinfulness, a reason against yielding to temptations, a spur to duties, and an encouragement to plead the promises of God’s covenant.

Qj May one, by an improvement of his baptism, have it afterwards become an effectual seal of God’s covenant to him? A. Y-es, the efficacy of baptism is not confined to the time of administration •, and whenever one believes, his baptism then begins to seal the covenant to him.

Qj. Is it so with respect to the Lord’s supper?

A. No -y if we communicate in a graceless state, that act can never be a means of sealing God’s covenant to us.