The controversie about infants church-membership and baptism, epitomized in two treatises the first, shewing the certainty of the salvation of all dying infants, against the doctrine of the Pædo-baptists, who deny salvation to all infants that die unbaptized, either directly, or by the natural consequence of their arguments : the second, being a plain confutation of Mr. J.B. his second book of more than 60 queries, about infants church-membership and baptism, by a proportionable number of antiqueries : being an essay towards a more Christian accomodation between the Pædo-baptists, and the baptized believers, published for that happy end / by Thomas Grantham.

SECT. II.

And this I shall demonstrate, by shewing, That all Infants are in a visible state of Salvation, and so of the Ʋniversal Church of God, and cannot be put out of that blessed state, till by their voluntary departure from God, by choosing sinful ways, they destroy themselves. And here we will make our entrance by a passage out of Mr. Baxter himself, who saith▪ All Mankind is brought by Christ under a Covenant of Grace, which is not vain nor repealed by God; But as their abuse of the Grace of the Covenant may cast them out. For as a Covenant of in∣tire Nature was made with all Mankind in innocent Adam, so a Covenant of Grace was made with all Mankind in lapsed Adam, Gen. 3. 15. in the promised Seed, and renewed again with all Mankind in Noah.

Now this Doctrine being no more than plain truth, we shall ap∣ply it to the case in hand, by shewing, First, That this Covenant of Grace, was a visible Church-Covenant. 2. That it was made with all Mankind, and takes place in their Infancy. 3. That it was never repeal∣ed by God. 4. That no Infant did ever abuse the Grace of this Co∣venant. And therefore, no Infant was ever cast out of this Covenant. And then fifthly, They all stand visible Members of the Catholick Church by virtue of this Covenant, however their Parents do abuse, or neg∣lect it; and hence it will follow, no dying Infant is Damned, but are all in a visible state of Salvation.

1. That this Covenant of Grace, first expressed Gen. 3. 15. was either a Church-Covenant, or else there was no Church-Covenant in the World, that we read of, from Adam to Noah, this being in∣deed all the Covenant that is named, during these Times, besides that Covenant of Intire Nature made before the Fall. And that Covenant of Nature being broken by Adam, and in him by all his Posterity, it being not a Covenant of Grace, could not justifie the Offenders in the ••ight of God. There must therefore be some su∣pervening Act of Grace, or Mercy from God, else Adam (even whole Mankind who were then in his Loins) must have stood under Con∣demnation for ever, seeing no Man could by any means redeem his Bro∣ther, nor give to God a Ransom for him.

It is the received Doctrine of Christians that the Visible Church began in Adam, and that his Family was the Church, wherefore the whole World being then the Church, and that Church-Cove∣nant being made with the whole World, that was to proceed from Adam, and this Covenant yet remaining; it follows against all con∣tradiction, that whole Mankind, considered as they come into the World in all the several Ages of it, are in a visible state of Salvation, and so of the Catholick Church of God.

But whereas many did Apostatize from the Grace of God's Cove∣nant, by corrupting his way, Gen. 6. 12. It was necessary that they should be ejected, and therefore was the Covenant accommodated, and appropriated to those who had not sinned themselves out of it; but still the Innocent must not be ejected with the Nocent: for it is he only that sinneth, whose Name shall be blotted out of the Book which God hath written, Gen. 32. 32, 33. And therefore neither the Me∣thod which God took with Noah, in settling the Covenant of his Grace, nor yet that Order which he observed with Abraham, was exclusive of any Infant in the World, as to the Grace of God in or∣der to Eternal Life, no more than the establishment of it by Christ in the Gospel, in a far more excellent order for distinguishing the Precious from the Vile, is in any wise exclusive of any dying Infant; for of such is the Kingdom of God. Nor can any Man shew either by Scripture or Reason, that God will shut out all the dying Infants of wicked Men, from Life and Salvation by Christ, no nor so much as any one of them; for we are sure that the Judgment of God is accord∣ing to truth, that the Judge of all the Earth will do right. That the

Condemned shall be judged according to the deeds done in the Body; but alas, as for poor Infants, what have they done?

2. That this Covenant was made with all Mankind, is thus cleared, because it was made with Adam, without the least intima∣tion of the exclusion of any part of his Posterity (as they proceed from him) to the end of the World; neither hath God himself explained the Covenant of Grace to be Exclusive of any, but for the cause of their own iniquity; and this was evident first in the case of Cain, who not being faithful in his offering was not accepted. Yet God was pleased to shew him the cause, Gen. 4. 7. If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? It should seem God never rejected him till this time, neither did he now delight to reject him, but graciously expostulates with Cain, to convince him of his evil, and assures him of acceptation if he did well. If then Cain had an interest in the Grace of God, who can we suppose to be shut out, till they with Cain shut themselves out of it?

Evident it is that the Covenant of Grace extended to those Rebels in the Old World, because we read the long suffering of God waited on them, and he gave them time of Repentance, and sent a Preacher of Righteousness (even the Righteousness of Faith) among them, Heb. 11. 7. 2 Pet. 2. 5. therefore it is said, Christ went by his Spirit and preached to them, 1 Pet. 3. though none of them believed his Word. Now such Acts on God's part are great Evidences of his Graciousness towards Men, and shews that he remembers his Cove∣nant, made in Christ with them, even for them that rebel against him, and so perish. And then how shall we think that he should not be gracious to poor Infants, who never rebelled against him?

3. The Covenant of Grace was never repealed by God; for if it be, there is now no Covenant at all; nor can it be repealed to one Man, but it must be repealed to all Men. 'Tis true, Men may forfeit the Mercy held forth in that Covenant, but the Covenant cannot be re∣pealed, for then there can be no certainty of any Mercy for Sinners; Christ himself may as soon be made Null, as this Covenant. For what if some Apostatize, or do not believe, shall this make the Grace of God without effect? God forbid. When we continually see that Covenant of God's Grace displayed, making overtures of kindness to Sinners (even to the chief of Sinners) what shall we say, if any Infant be without a part in that Covenant? Is he not

then the chief of Sinners? It is not then the Sin of Parents that can repeal the Covenant of Grace with respect to Infants.

4. No Infants did ever abuse the Grace of the Covenant made with them in Adam, Gen. 3. 15. therefore no Infant was cast out of it.

Although it is most true, that Original Sin is come upon Infants, and Death by Sin; yet this is as true, that Original Sin was not committed against the Covenant of Grace, and therefore Infants are not guilty of any Sin committed against the Covenant of Grace, and consequently are not deprived of the benefit of it. Otherwise if the Sin of Subsequent Parents should make void the Grace of the second Covenant to their Infants, as the Sin of Adam made his Po∣sterity guilty of the breach of the first Covenant; we may then just∣ly cry out, Who then can be saved? And therefore was our Saviour the Mediator of the New Testament, for the Redemption of the Transgres∣sions that were under the first Testament, Heb. 9. 15. Wherefore seeing Infants stand acquitted from the Trespasses against the First Testa∣ment, and having not sinned against the Grace of the Second Te∣stament, they cannot come into the Condemnation of Hellish Tor∣ments. The Papists themselves, as Cruel as they sometimes are to the Bodies of Infants, yet are more merciful to their Souls than the Presbyterians: For they say, That Infants shall only suffer the punish∣ment of Loss, but not of Torment. Whilst the other tells the World, Infants of a Span long are yelling in the flames of Hell.

5. That all dying Infants (or Infants in general) are to be ac∣counted Members of the vast Body (or Catholick Church) of which Christ is the Saviour finally, is evident, because they are all in a visible state of Salvation: And I think no Man will deny the Ca∣tholick Church to contain the whole number of the saved; I have nothing more to do therefore but to prove all Infants are in a visible state of Salvation, which I shall further clear, by answering what is objected against their Salvation, by Mr. J. B. my present Adversary, who saith, Page 9.

Notes

• Mr. Baxter's more Reasons, pag. 8. 6.
• Witness the Massacre in Ire∣land.