The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-01-10

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Piled to the infant is the seal of coyenan
offered to the parent as embracing also th'
child. In every administration of the ordi
nance there are present four parties interest
ed-God, the parent, the child, and thu
Church. Each of these is involved in the
cove lant, while only two, God and the child
are directly and personally contracting.
God promises, on condition of the parents
faith, and the faithful discharge of the obi.
cations he assumed, that the child shall be
placed in the best possible conditions to pro.
mote, under the supreme condition of per-
sonal will, his spiritual prosperity, and that,
as general law, the faith of the parent shall
be blessed in securing, instrumentally, the
faith of the child.
The parent promises two distinct things I:
(a.) He cordially accepts the covenant of sal,
vation as offered to him, and to his child in
him; and as constituted by God the federal
head and representative of the child, he SOL
emnly promises in it's behalf, and binds it
to exercise faith and yield obedience as soon
as it becomes an independent moral agent.
.P.) He recognizes his own responsibility as
the divinely constituted guardian and educa-
tor of his child, and that his own faith and
spiritual life are the real basis of his child's
covenant relation to God. He therefore SOL
emnly promises for himself that he will live
near to God for his child's sake; that he
will, in dependence upon divine grace, faith
fully teach it divine truth spray with and
for it" set an example Of godliness before
it, and endeavor, by all means of Gods ap-
pointment to bring it up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord. The faith of the
parent is the basis upon which the whole en-
gagement rests. Where this is obviously and
confessedly wanting, the whole action is an
empty, and therefore profane form. From
the very nature of the ordinance, therefore,
three things are evident:
(a.) The qualifications upon the part of
the parent, essential for the honest assump.
ton of these obligations, are precisely iden.
tical with the qualifications requisite to ad-
mission to the communion, and consequently
none other than communicates should be ad.
mitted to the privilege of having their chill
dren baptized, excepting only those peculiar
cases wherein, from providential hindrances,
or perhaps from some mere idiosyncrasy of
the party, the qualifications for full commun-
ion are possessed, while the outward and
regular profession has not been made.
Of such exceptional cases exceptional as
to the outward, but not as to the inward and
essential conditions) the pastor and session
are the only judges.
~ If the faith of the parent upon which
all rests, is wanting, the " SEAL" to use the
words of the General Synod, sis set to
blank"
(c) If these essential qualifications on the
part of the parent are evidently and confess
edly wanting, then, if we baptize his child,
we become conscious and acting party to
his sin of ignorantly or purposely assuming
obligations, and making promises he has no
intention to fulfill.
8. The truth of this general proposition is
confirmed by the example of the apostles,
who in every case baptized the family as
whole on the profession of faith of its head.
4. The rightfulness and moral propriety
of our practice appear evident also from con.
sideration of the errors out of which the
practice springs, and the greet evils with
which it is associated. Nearly all the church
es which uniformly practice the indscrimi-
nate baptiem of the children of all the bsp-
tized, also hold the ruinous error of baptis-
NAL regeneration. Believing this (the doc
trine of baptiSmal regeneration they natu-
rally baptize the children of all who render
an outward obedience to the ritual Of the
church, irrespective of all other considera-
tions.
Even those churches wb;on re, adiste the
error of bsptismal regeneration, az yet bap-
tie promiscuously the children OF all them
selves baptized, practice also the almost pro-
mi8cuous admission of all baptized persons
to the communion as soon as they come to
years of discretion, provided they are not
openly scandalous in their lives. 1t is noto-
rious that their sentiment and practice differ
widely from ours in respect to the less prom
inence they give to the necessity Of the new
birth as an experience essentially prerequi.
site to the proper and safe attendance upon
the Lords Supper. It's also notorious that
the pressure that is brough to bear upor
many of our pastors to baptize the children
of parents themselves baptized, but destitute
of credible profession of living faith
comes from those who are in great darkness
as to the fundamentals of spiritual religion
either regarding baptism as saving ordi
nance, or not regarding deep, personal re
lieious experience as necessary either fol
their own, or their children's acceptance will
God. 1t is evident that if we yield to thi
pressure we confuse our testimony as to thes
vital matters, and lend countenance to thos
grievous heresies, and to that dead spiritua
iudiferentism which pleads for this indul
gence, and is at once gratifed and justife'
by such practice.
1t is evident that if every one baptized il