The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-09-15

not, as Congregationalists teach, cred'6lt
profession, based upon personal profession
of saving faith in Christ.
l affirm that on this vital point Presbyte
rianism and Congregationalism are separated
by gulf which cannot be passed.
[ affirm further, that the children Of all
parents who by baptism have been constitu-
ted members of the visible Church, and who
continue to make VISIBLE and external
profession of the true religion and of faith
in Christ and obedience to Him, by attend.
ance upon the public services of the church,
and by requesting that their children shall
be baptized, and by their willingness that
their children shall be brought up under the
instruction and discipline of the Church,
care to be baptized
l affirm that to say otherwise, as this AS
sembly does, is to deny the fundamental
doctrines, 1st, of the visible Church, I'd,
of Gods covenant in baptism as given to
the visible Church, and not to a particular
congregation; Sd, that every one who pro-
fesses the true religion and faith in Christ,
and obedience to him by Visible (not cred
i5le) profession, is a member of the visible
Church; 4th, denies that Gods covenant
of baptism is made with the child just as
much and as certainly as with the parent
81 will be God to thee, and Il will be a
God also to) thy child" 5th, denies that
this covenant is to be administered through
and by the visible Church, and not, as Con-
gregationalists teach, through and by par
ticular church 9th, denies that the cov-
enant is made by the minister as represen-
tative of the visible Church, and not by him
as representative of particular church, as
Congregationalists teach; 7th, denies that
children of parents who by baptism are ac-
tually members of the visible Church, are
also by their very birth-relation to such pa.
rents themselves within the covenant, and
are members of the visible Church; 8th,
denies that such children are by birth within
the covenant, and members of the visible
Church, whether they are baptized or not ;
9th, denies that the covenant of baptism is
made by God, through the representative Of
the visible Church, with the child on its own
behalf, and not with the parent on behalf of
the child, as Congregationalists teach; 10th,
denies therefore every thing that Presbyte-
rians hold to be fundamental in regard to the
doctrine of the visible Church, and to the
covenant of baptism, as given to the visible
Church, and the unspeakable privileges and
blessings of those who are born within the
visible Church
In proof of the unconstitutionality of the
teaching of our Assembly that children of
baptized parents are not to be baptized un-
less one or both parents have, in the present
popularized meaning of the words, made a
personal, credible profession of faith in
Christ, and are communicates, is unconstitu
tional, 1 affirm 1st, that the passages given
for its support do on the contrary, teach
that the children of parents, one or both of
whom are within the visible Church, are to
be baptized. In their first proof from the
Confession of Faith, chapter %, sec. 4,
the words believing parents are to be
necessarily explained by sec. l., in which it
is taught, that baptism is * x x So
lemn admission of the party baptized into
the visible Church, and also unto him sign
and SEAL" that is a Visible covenant pro-
fession,) "of his migrating into
Christ, * and of his giving up unto
God," &c. Such baptized parents, there
fore, have, it is taught in sec. a, "actualy
pretessea faith IN, and obedience unto
Christ" and are believing parents y
since according to section first only such
persons are to be baptized. 1t follows,
therefore, that when the visible Church has
administered baptism to one or both the pa
rents OF child, they are in that respect
within the covenant, and members of the
visible Church, and enthusiastically visible
and external professors and believers. The
children of such parents are therefore to be
baptized.
In the second proof from the Larger Cat
echism this conclusion is still more obvious.
In the first place it is taught, that as "bap-
tism as not to be administered to any one that
is out of the visible Church and so stran-
gers from the covenant of promise, till they
profess their faith in Christ and obedience
to Him. such profession and obedience
having been made IN the case Of all those to
aOhOm baptism has been administered, their
children are to be baptized. In the second
place, in answer to the previous question,
165, page 341, it is taught that "baptism
is sacrament of the New Testament,
" whereby the parties baptized are
solemnly admitted into the visible Church,
and enter into an open and pretessed en-
gagement to be wholly and only the Lords"
Baptized parents therefore are not out Of
the Visible Church.; and are not strangers
from the covenant of promise; but haze en-.
tered into an open and prOfessea engage
ment to be whOly and only the Lords.
The children of such parents, therefore, are
according to this second proof to be bap-
tized.
The third proof from the Shorter Cate