man: not infants, in virtue of their descent from believers; for this the scripture no where affirms, nor is it consistent with reason."*. -Abp. Leighton: "That it is the parents' faith gives the child a right to it [baptism,] is neither clear from scripture, nor any sound reason." t To this triumvirate, I will add that excellent author, Dr. Owen, who speaks in the following manner: "Two privileges did God grant unto Abraham, upon his separation to a special interest in the old promise and covenant. First, that according to the flesh he should be the father of the Messiah, the promised seed, who was the very life of the covenant, the fountain and cause of all the blessings contained in it. That this privilege was temporary,the thing itself doth demonstrate.... Secondly; Together with this, he had also another privilege granted unto him; namely, that his faith, whereby he was personally interested in the covenant, should be the pattern of the faith of the church in all generations; and that none should ever come to be a member of it, or a sharer in its blessings, but by the same faith that he had fixed on the Seed that was in the promise, to be brought forth from him in the world. On the account of this privilege, he became the father of all them that do believe. For they that are of the faith, the same are the children of Abraham, (Gal. iii. 7; Rom. iv. 11;) as also heirs of the world, (Rom. iv. 13;) in that all that should believe throughout the world, being thereby implanted into the covenant made with him, should become his spiritual children. Answerable unto this twofold end of the separation of Abraham, there was a double seed allotted unto him. A seed according to the flesh, separated to the bringing forth of the Messiah, according to the flesh; and a seed according to the promise, that is, such as by * Dissert. Sac. 1. iii. c. i. § 11. faith should have interest in the promise, or all the elect of God....Multitudes afterwards were of the carnal seed of Abraham, and of the number of the people separated to bring forth the Messiah in the flesh; and yet were not of the seed according to the promise, nor interested in the spiritual blessings of the covenant, because they did not personally believe, as our apostle declares, Heb. iv. And many afterwards, who were not of the carnal seed of Abraham, nor interested in the privilege of bringing forth the Messiah in the flesh, were yet designed to be made his spiritual seed by faith, that in them he might become heir of the world, and all nations of the earth be blessed in him. Now it is evident, that it is the second privilege and spiritual seed, wherein the church, to whom the promises are made, is founded, and whereof it doth consist; namely, in them, who by faith are interested in the covenant of Abraham, whether they be of the carnal seed or not. And herein lay the great mistake of the Jews of old, wherein they are followed by their posterity unto this day. They thought no more was needful to interest them in the covenant of Abraham, but that they were HIS SEED according to the flesh; and they constantly pleaded the latter privilege, as the ground and reason of the former. It is true, they were the children of Abraham according to the flesh; but on that account, they can have no other privilege than Abraham had in the flesh himself: and this was, as we have showed, that he should be set apart as a special channel, through whose loins God would derive the promised seed into the world....The former carnal privilege of Abraham and his posterity expiring on the grounds before mentioned, the ordinances of worship, which were suited thereunto, did necessarily cease also. And this cast the Jews into great perplexities, and proved the last trial that God made of them. For whereas both these, namely, the carnal and spiritual privileges of Abraham's covenant, had been carried on together in a mixed way for many generations, coming now to be separated, and a trial to. be made who of the Jews had interest in both, who in one only; those who had only the carnal privilege of being children of Abraham according to the flesh, contended for a share on that single account in the other also, that is, in all the promises annexed to the covenant. But the foundation of their plea was taken away, and the church, unto which the promises belong, remained with them that were heirs of Abraham's faith only....The church unto whom all the promises belong, are only those who are heirs of Abraham's faith; believing as he did, and thereby interested in his covenant.' Thus far the doctor; and were it not evident beyond a doubt that he approved of infant baptism, I should certainly have considered him here, as intending to oppose it: for, to render his reasoning consistent with various arguments commonly adduced in favour of that hypothesis, no small share of critical legerdemain is required. I will now produce the words of an illustrious Baptist-yes, of a BAPTIST, whose judgment in this case is of more worth than that of all the doctors, professors, and archbishops in Europe. The venerable son of Zacharias, who, observing many of the Jews coming to his baptism, and well knowing their plea of interest in Abraham's covenant by virtue of carnal descent, with great solemnity said; "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruits meet for repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, WE HAVE ABRAHAM TO OUR FATHER; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."† A caveat this against every similar plea, respecting a positive institution of the New Testament, to the end of time. * Exercitat. on Epist. to Heb. vol. i. p. 55, 56, 57. $.3.-Ezekiel xvi. 20, 21. "Thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast born unto me... .Thou hast slain my children." Calvin." "Thou,' says God, 'hast slain thy sons and thy daughters;' but they were also mine, for thou hast begotten them to me. Here God puts himself in the place of a father, because he had adopted that people to himself. The body of the people therefore was, as it were, a spouse or wife. Whoever thence arose, were sons; because, if the covenant of God with the people was a marriage contract, those who drew their origin from that people ought to be reckoned among his children. God, therefore, asserts that they were his sons who were so slain: like as if a husband should object to his wife, that the children common to them both were forced away for her own pleasure." In loc. 2. Dr. Erskine." The Sinai covenant was made, not only with those who came out of Egypt, but with all succeeding generations that were to spring from them. Descent from Israel gave any one a right to the benefits of this covenant; for which reason the children even of unregenerate Israelites were circumcised the eighth day, and were said to be born unto God,' (Ezek. xvi. 20.)" Theolog. Dissertat. p. 8. 3. Assembly of Divines." Whom thou: who at their birth were mine, by virtue of my covenant, whereby the whole body of the nation was a wife to me, and the particular persons as children; wherefore thou shouldst have consecrated them to me." Annotations on the place. Reflect. I. REFLECTIONS. Hence it appears quite futile to plead this passage as a proof, that the infants of Christian parents are interested in the covenant of grace, and that they are the Lord's children in a peculiar sense be cause, as the judicious and learned Venema justly observes, the Sinai covenant is plainly represented in this chapter, under the idea of an external conjugal contract. For though it is expressly called a covenant,* yet it is manifestly distinguished from the everlasting covenant of grace; † which farther appears from its being made with the whole people. The beauty of Israel was also an external thing; seeing they placed their confidence in it, and committed whoredom because of it. Having apostatized from God to detestable idolatry, they not only communicated of their good things and ornaments, bestowed upon them by the Lord, to Pagan idols, but they also sacrificed their children, that are called Jehovah's children, to idols.§-With reference to the same covenant between God and Israel, Jehovah speaks as follows; "I was a husband to them, saith the Lord." Hence the chosen tribes in general are called the sons and daughters of the Lord, for to them "pertained the adoption."¶ "They are denominated the "Lord's people, a holy people to the Lord," and the congregation of Jehovah."** The country possessed by them is called Immanuel's land, and the Lord's land: nay, their silver and gold, their aromatics and oil, are claimed by Jehovah as being his in a peculiar sense.†† Agreeable to this view of the ancient Israel are the apostle's words, when speaking to unconverted Jews: "Ye are the CHILDREN of the prophets, and of the COVENANT which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." Now here we have children of the cove * Verse 8. + Verse 60, 61, 62. See verse 15. § Dissertat. Sac. 1. ii. c. iii. § 12. || Jer. xxxi. 32. Vid. Lampium, Comment. in Evang. Joan. ad cap. viii. 41. ¶Deut. xxxii. 19; Rom. ix. 4. Vid. Hulsii Comment. in Israel. Prisc. Prærog. p. 304, 305. ** Numb. xi. 29; 4, 5, 18, 41. xxxi. 16; Deut. xiv. 2, 21; Ezek. xxiii. ++ Isa. viii. 8; Ezek. xvi. 17, 18; xxiii. 41; Acts iii. 12-26. |