have impressed the minds of the adult members of the Church, especially the Jewish believers, very sensibly. It must have been a source of commotion, of objection, at least of solicitous enquiry; and it seems impossible that very much should not be found in the scriptures respecting it. Such a change could hardly have failed to be a subject of prophecy; and of history, after it had taken place. Infant membership had existed about two thousand years; and all the habits of opinion and practice, in Israel, had become conformed to it. Changes of far less moment, and calculated to affect the feelings of individuals, and the economy of the Church, far less sensibly, were subjects of prophecy, and of particular record. If a small Podobaptist Church in these days, becomes Antipodobaptist, or even a majority of them, it is noised all over the country, and becomes a matter of public agitation; of exultation on the one hand, and of regret on the other. But not a lisp of any such thing do we find in the scripture history.

4. If such a revocation has been given out, it is not lost. It is certainly somewhere in the scripture, and can be produced. But the opposers of infant membership have not been able, they have not even attempted to produce such a revocation; though'urgently and publicly called upon to do it. And now they are once more challenged to produce such a revocation. A recourse to the miserable pretence, that the Sinai covenant was a political compact, and the Jewish Church a worldly commonwealth, will not be accepted in the room of it.

5. There are several prophecies and promises, in the Old Testament, which looked forward to the Gospel day, and which could not possibly be fulfilled, but upon the principle of the continuity of the membership of infants. Such, for example, is the promise, of making a new covenant with the house of Israel; on which we have so particularly commented in the course of this work. That clause only, will be here quoted, which respects the present point. "And they shall teach no more, every man his neighbor, and every man

his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all
know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of
them, saith the Lord." This prophecy had ultimate
respect to a period yet future. It embraces the infant
part of Israel as subjects of the salvation promised.
But can they be subjects of this salvation, and yet have
po covenant connexion with the people of God?

In the 46th chapter of Isaiah, the 3d and 4th yerses, we have this gracious declaration, addressed to Israel. "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb. And even to your old age, I am he; and even to hoar hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear, even I will carry, and deliver you." This declaration is not merely descriptive of God's providence, which extends to the world as much as to the Church; but it is Covenant language. It expresses God's covenant care over the individuals of Israel, from their birth, and extends to all future, as well as to past time. But this language cannot apply, if infant membership is + discontinued. It will apply as long as i cont of grains is cortin. y In the 30th chapter of Jeremiah, at the 18th verse, is the following gracious promise. "Thus saith the Lord, behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of them that make merry; and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few. I will glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as aforetime." This promise, as is the case with the most of the promises of the Old Testament, had undoubtedly, immediate respect to the return from the Babylonian captivity; but ultimate respect to a period yet future, when the Jews shall be brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles, and so all Israel shall be saved. But how is it possible the promise should be fulfilled, if there be a revocation of infant member # By covena covenant relation with 7. Juople of God our Autor meases. Camembers of y visible Est. the and to his question in &. form is, Yos y. Its before Abrations day were Julijuhti vation without being

of

ship? Such a revocation must place the infant part of Israel, out of the gates of Zion, abroad, in the midst of the uncovenanted world; a condition just the opposite of what they were aforetime. itio principia

6. The membership of infants, instead of being annulled, is fopenly recognized and confirmed, by our Savior. Matth. xix. 13. "Then were there brought unto him, little children, (waldia; in Luke it is, ßgεon, infants) that he should put his hands on them, and pray and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The Baptist writers are undoubtedly correct, in saying, that these infants were not brought to Christ for baptism. Nothing of this kind appears. Infant baptism was not probably now in use; because infant circumcision was. But, whatever some of this sort of writers may indis. éreetly insinuate to the contrary, the best informed, are generally constrained to acknowledge, that infants in years are meant. The circumstance of their being brought of those being rebuked who brought them; and not the children for coming; and their being taken into the Redeemer's arms, decide, that they were infants, literally. Dr. Gale freely concedes this. Reflections, page 431. They could not have been brought, this writer contends, for spiritual blessings; because, being without sin, and not moral agents, they were incapable of such blessings. He says they were brought to have their diseases healed. This he says without one word of evidence. He says it even against evidence. For why should the disciples interpose to prevent the miraculous works of Christ, in healing the diseases of infants, any more than those of adults? The text says, they were brought to have the Savior "lay his hands on them, and pray." For what should he, could he pray in their behalf, but for spiritual blessings? And was he not always heard, so that his prayers were as efficacious as absolute promises, to se cure to the subjects of them, the blessings of the covenant? If this be the just construction, and no other pounded

and others were pe

in attrahians family. Cornelises pebjects of y. Salvation, beson terations they were members of y. rehable Buzau had such connection with y. people of God.

66

seems at all admissible, then our Savior's order, tờ
have these infants come to him, argreeably to the aim
of those who brought them, will imply, that they were
capable of receiving spiritual blessings, and of course,
of being members of his kingdom. But not to dwell
on the reason of their being brought, which is rather
circumstantial, the weight of evidence is in the last
clause of the passage.
Of such is the kingdom of
heaven." This is a positive assertion; and one would
think sufficiently clear and unambiguous. It teaches
expressly, that of such the kingdom of the Messiah,
in the glorious day of the Gospel, does consist. Sup-
pose a magistrate, who was correctly informed, and
whose province it was to decide, should say of several:
infants, and especially upon an occasion of their being
brought to receive some civil franchise, of such is the
community; would any one be in danger of misappre-
hending his meaning, who had not some interest to
secure by the perversion of his words? But the oppos
ers of infant membership, have two evasions, to get rid
of the force of this declaration. One is, that by the
kingdom of heaven, is meant, the kingdom of glory.
So Dr. Gale contends. But this is mere assertion,
and contrary to evidence. For the phrase, the king-
dom of heaven, as has been shewn, and as he himself
is constrained to concede, generally means the king-
dom of the Messiah, in its rise, under the Gospel dis-
pensation. In this sense, it was a good reason why
the Savior should allow, these children to come to
him for his blessing. For he was sent to the lost.
sheep of the house of Israel, without distinction of
age or rank. But suppose the kingdom of glory is,
intended; it will really amount to the same thing. For
that is but the Messiah's kingdom, in its ultimate
state of exaltation. And none are admitted there,
who have not union to him here. "He who hath
Christ, hath life; but he who hath not Christ, hath
not life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

It is objected, that this construction makes the Sa-, vior say, what it was altogether needless he should Could mot they be blessed wett out er before yo members of 2. achable Aut? Could you not belong to of Mesiach, Imai, is not of our words with. ut being members of is visible Bute?

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of

say. For if infant membership did exist; if this was a part of the plan of the Messiah's kingdom, and then in operation, it was perfectly well understood; and therefore need not be declared. But the Messiah was now ordering and establishing his kingdom forever. And it might not be known by all, how he was ordering it in this respect. There might be, and probably were many contrary appearances. Those who actualfollowed Jesus, were generally beyond the period of infancy. This might suggest sufficient reason for Christ to take this opportunity openly to confirm the memberhip of infants in his kingdom. What thousands now confidently believe, might have been then a matter of question.

The other evasion is, that by the terms, of such, wę are to understand persons who are spiritually formed after such a model; i. e. of such persons as are like these infants in the temper of their minds. But there is not a word said of these infants, as subjects of real sanctification. And if there were, it does not appear, that they would be any better models of piety than sanctified adults. Neither is it the object of the Savior to exhibit them in that light. The idea is, besides, far fetched, and inapt. It is a bad reason, unworthy of the Savior of the world to assign. "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of characters like these little children, the kingdom of heaven is composed. It is well observed by Dr. Hemmenway, that upon this understanding of the declaration, lambs and doves might have been ordered by the Savior, to be brought to him with as much propriety; and to them the declaration would as pertinently apply. If these children are spoken of merely as children, without respect to their sanctification, the parallel, which is made by this supposition, will not hold, and the reason is as bad as possible. If with respect to a sanctification, of which they really were subjects, the reason is far better, as confined to them; and the original (En ToioUTwv) favors the con. fining of it to them. The fact however is, member

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