The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-02-23

4
Principal Hill in his Lectures on Divinity,
Vol. H. page 891. "On Baptism" says,
cit is understood that all the external priv
ileges and means of Improvement which be-
long to members of the Christian Church are
enjoyed by every person who has been bap-
tized according to the institution of Christ. y
And again, on page 395. "With US, the
parents do not make any promise for the
ehild, but they promise for themselves that
nothing shall be wanting on their part to en-
gage the child to undertake at some future
time, that obligation which he cannot then
understand. The practice of our Church
then leads us to regard the baptism of in
fants, as an instrumentality for perpetuating
the Church of Christ, and transmitting His
religion to the latest generations. f"
In that Standard sition of the Short
er Catechism, prer liees, and
called from its pl
the~Catechism,
Publications it is 4fch
membership is constl the covenant,
and not by baptism. (See page 1856, ques-
ton 35.) 2. That the membership ratified
by baptism is in the Visible Church. (See
ditto, question 37.) 3. That the promise of
the covenant gives the right to baptism. (See
page 191, question 44;45) 4. That this
promise of the covenant sis endorsed to
children as well as to parents" &c. See
page 191, question 45) 5. It's taught that
by those who are out of the Visible Church
and whose children are not to baptized are
''ln6dels, or such as are Jews or heather"
See page 1913, question 49, 6. The infants
of such as are members of the Visible
Church are to be baptized. See Larger
Catechism, question 62) 7. 1t is taught
that the declaration of Peter, Acts ii: 80
and 80 is the foundation of church member
ship and consequently of baptism, and that
the ''call is the external call of the Word"
(Se pages 194-195, questions 26-34.)
In Shaw's Exposition of the Confession
of Faith (Edin. ed, } it is taught ''that the
infants of 6szieving parents oughtto be bap-
tized and that it is sufficient if one of the
parents be member of the Visible Church, -
who is therefore on that account 'believing"
parent.
In Vincent's Explanation of the Shorter
Catechism, (see edition of Board of Publica-
tion,) which the Synods of New York and
Philadelphia in 1772 ordered to be with
other books procured and distributed; it is
taught (see page 323, question 81 that (1)
''No infants of heathens and infdels, while
such, may be baptized. z The in
fants of Christians and believing parents,
being Visible church members may and ought
to be baptized
Once more in Flavel's Exposition of the
Shorter Catechism (see Carter edition. in
answer to the question (see page, 2O2, ques-
tions and s., show does it appear that the
right of believers infants is still the same as
in Abraham's time ?" and that, 'though
infants were then members of Gods Visible
Church among the Jews, how does it appear
that they are so now?" cit appears the
membership and privileges are as sure and
complete to them now, that are children of
Gentle believers, as ever they were to the
Jewish infants" Proved by Acts ii: SO,
and Rom. XII It.
On this subject, as well as on the Elder,
and similar questions, according to the testi
mony of Hetherington in his "History of
the Westminster Assembly of Divines -
Though the contrary is affirmed by the
Southern Presbyterian Reviee0) )-"the Scot
tish Commissioners and the English Presby-
terians were in all important matters COM
pletely identified" (see Carter's edition,
page 124, ''none would have been more
ready than the Scottish Commissioners them
selves to have repudiated the idea of any
other kind of influence than that of instruc-
ton from a church already formed, to one in
process of formation" It's also to be borne
in mind that it was through the united re-
commendation of the Scottish Commission
ers in the Westminster Assembly that its
form of government, and discipline, as well
as its confession and catechisms were taken
up by the General Assembly of the Kirk of
Scotland in February, 1915, (which having
thrice read and diligently examined the
same; after mature deliberation, and
timeou8 calling upon, and warning to all who
had any exception to the same, did agree to
and approve of the he discussion of
this question of 'ster
Assembly, Mr.. Y. !, together
with Mr. Seaman spie and others, ar
gued against the Independents, "That mem
bers are baptized, not into one particular
congregation, but into the general body
and that this general body is cast into socie-
ties, which are called by divines instituted
churches, and that cit was impossible for
the congregational theory to be realized, p"
which was that ''of admitting none to be
members Of their churches ercept those aO1Om
they belieus to hare been thoroughly and IN
the highest sense regeneratsd, " or an the lam
guage Of the times ''hue saints. (See
Hetherington, pages 167-171.
1t will thus be evident that the terms pro-
fessors, and believers, and saints, and also
the phrase processing faith IN Christ and
obedience to HIM was understood by the
Westminster Assembly, the Scottish Com
missioners in it, the General Assembly of