with themselves, should further arrogate unto themselves an exemption from giving account, or being censurable by any other, either Christian magistrate above them, or neighbour churches about them."

Under the influence of these concernments, the elders and messengers of the churches assembled at Boston, in the year 1662; who, under the conduct of several successive moderators, at length agreed upon certain propositions; which being tendered unto the General Court, there was an order there passed on October 8, 1662, for the publication and commendation thereof unto all the churches in the jurisdiction. They were as followeth:

THE ANSWER OF THE ELDERS AND OTHER MESSENGERS OF THE CHURCHES,

ASSEMBLED AT BOSTON, IN THE YEAR 1662,

TO THE QUESTIONS PROPOUNDED TO THEM, BY ORDER OF THE HONOURED GENERAL COURT.

QUESTION I-Who are the Subjects of Baptism?

ANSWER. The answer may be given in the following propositions, briefly confirmed from the Scriptures:

1. "They that, according to Scripture, are members of the visible church, are the subjects of baptism.

2. "The members of the visible church, according to Scripture, are confederate visible believers, in particular churches, and their infant seed, i. e. children in minority, whose next parents, one or both, are in covenant.

3. "The infant seed of confederate visible believers, are members of the same church with their parents, and when grown up are personally under the watch, discipline and government of that church.

4. "These adult persons are not therefore to be admitted to full communion, merely because they are, and continue members, without such further qualifications as the word of God requireth thereunto.

5. "Church members who were admitted in minority, understanding the doctrine of faith, and publickly professing their assent thereto, not scandalous in life, and solemnly owning the covenant before the church, wherein they give up themselves and their children to the Lord, and subject themselves to the government of Christ in the church, their children are to be baptised.

6. "Such church members, who either by death, or some other extraordinary providence, have been inevitably hindred from publick acting as aforesaid, yet have given the church cause, in judgment of charity, to look at them as so qualified, and such as, had they been called thereunto, would have so acted, their children are to be baptised.

7. "The members of orthodox churches, being sound in the faith and not scandalous in life, and presenting due testimony thereof; these occasionally coming from one church to another may have their children baptised in the church, whither they come, by virtue of communion of churches. But if they remove their habitation, they ought orderly to covenant and subject themselves to the government of Christ in the church where they settle their abode, and so their children to be baptised. It being the churches duty to receive such into communion, so far as they are regularly fit for the same."

The confirmation of these propositions from the Scripture, followeth:

PROPOSITION I.-They that, according to Scripture, are Members of the Visible Church, are the Subjects of Baptism.

THE truth hereof may appear by the following evidences from the word of God:

1. When Christ saith, "Go ye therefore and teach," or (as the Greek is) "disciple all nations, baptizing them," (Matth. xxviii. 19,) he expresseth the adequate subjects of baptism to be disciples or discipled ones. But "disciples" there, is the same with "members of the visible church." For the visible church is Christ's school, wherein all the members stand related and subjected to him, as their master and teacher, and so are his scholars or disciples, and under his teaching, as ver. 20. And it is that visible spiritual kingdom of Christ which he, there, from his kingly power (ver. 18) sendeth them to set up and administer, in ver. 19; the subjects whereof are under his laws and government, ver. 20; which subjects (or members of that kingdom, i. e. of the visible church) are termed disciples, ver. 19. Also, in the Acts of the Apostles (the story of their accomplishment of that commission) disciples are usually put for members of the visi ble church-Acts i. 15. "In the midst of the disciples," who, with others added to them, are called the Church (Acts ii. 47); the members whereof are again called disciples, (Acts vi. 1, 2; Acts ix. 1.) "Against the disc ples of the Lord;" i. e. against the church of God, (1 Cor. xv. 9; Galat. i. 13; Acts ix. 26.) "He assayed to join himself to the disciples." The disciples of Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, (Acts xiv. 21, 22) are called the church in each of those places, ver. 23; so the church, ver. 27; the disciples, ver. 28. Acts xviii. 22: "The church at Cesarea;" Acts xxi. 16: "The disciples of Cesarea:" So Acts xviii. 23, with chap. xv. 41, and Gal. i. 2; Acts xviii. 27, and chap. xx. 1. From all which it appeareth, that "disciples" in Matth. xxviii. 19, and "members of the visible church," are terms equivalent; and disciples being, there, by Christ himself made the subjects of baptism, it followeth that the members of the visible church are the subjects of baptism.

2. Baptism is "the seal of the first entrance or admission into the vis ible church:" as appeareth from those texts, (1. Cor. xii. 13,) "Baptised into one body," i. e. our entrance into the body or church of Christ, is sealed by baptism; and Rom. vi. 3. 5; Gal. iii. 27; where 'tis shewed that baptism is the sacrament of union, or of ingrafting into Christ the head, and consequently into the church his body, and from the Apostle's constant practice of baptising persons upon their first coming in, or first giving up themselves to the Lord and them. Acts viii. 12, and xvi. 15. 33, and xviii. 8, and Acts ii. 41, 42, they were baptised at their first adding to the church, or admission into the Apostle's fellowship, wherein they afterward continued. And from its answering unto circumcision, which was a seal of initiation or admission into the church, hence it belongs to all, and

only those that are entred into, that are within or that are members of the visible church.

3. "They that according to Scripture are members of the visible church, are in covenant: for it is the covenant that constituteth the church-Deut. xxviii. 12, 13. They must "enter into covenant," that they might be "established the people" or church of God. Now, the initiatory seal is affixed to the covenant, and appointed to run parallel therewith: Gen. xvii. 7. 9, 10, 11; so circumcision was, and hence called "the covenant:" Gen. xvii. 13; Acts vii. 8. And so baptism is, being in like manner annexed to the promise or covenant: Acts ii. 38, 39; and being the seal that answereth to circumcision: Col. ii. 11, 12.

4. "Christ doth sanctifie and cleanse the church by the washing of water;" i. e. by baptism-Eph. v. 25, 26. Therefore the whole church, and all the members thereof (who are also said in Scripture to be "sanctified in Christ Jesus," 1 Cor. i. 2) are the subjects of baptism. And altho' it is the "invisible church," unto the spiritual and eternal good whereof this and all other ordinances lastly have respect, and which the place mentioned in Eph. v. may in a special manner look unto, yet it is the "visible church" that is the next and immediate subject of the administration thereof. For the subject of visible external ordinances, to be administered by men, must needs be visible. And so the apostle baptized sundry persons who were of the visible, but not of the invisible church— as Simon Magus, Ananias and Saphira, and others. And these are visibly purchased and sanctified by the blood of Christ, "the blood of the covenant"-Acts xx. 28; Heb. x. 29. Therefore the visible seal of the covenant and of cleansing by Christ's blood belongs to them.

5. "The circumcision is often put for the whole Jewish church, or for the members of the visible church under the Old Testament. Those within are expressed by "the circumcised"-and those without by "the uncircumcised"-Rom. xv. 8, and iii. 30; Eph. ii. 11; Judges xiv. 3, and xv. 18; 1 Sam. xiv. 6, and xvii. 26. 36; Jer. ix. 25, 26. Hence by proportion baptism (which is our gospel circumcision, Col. ii. 11, 12,) belongs to the whole visible church under the New Testament. Actual and personal circumcision was indeed proper to the males of old, females being but inclusively and virtually circumcised, and so counted of the circumcision. But the Lord has taken away that difference now, and appointed baptism to be personally applied to both sexes-Acts viii. 12, and xvi. 15; Gal. iii. 28-so that every particular member of the visible church is now a subject of baptism. We conclude, therefore, that baptism pertains to the whole visible church, and to all and every one therein, and to no other.

PROPOSITION II.-The Members of the Visible Church, according to Scripture, are Confederate Visible Believers, in Particular Churches, and their Infant-seed, i. e. Children in minority, whose next Parents, one or both, are in covenant.

Sundry particulars are comprised in this proposition, which we may consider and confirm distinctly:

Partic. 1. ADULT PERSONS, who are members of the visible church, are by rule confederate visible believers-Acts v. 14: "Believers were added to the Lord." The believing Corinthians were members of the church there: Acts xviii. 8, with 1 Cor. i. 2, and xii. 27. The inscription of the Epistles written to churches, and calling the members thereof saints and faithful, shew the same thing: Eph. i. 1; Phil. i. 1; Col. i. 2. And that consider ation, i. e. covenanting explicite or implicite (the latter preserveth the essence of confederation, the former is duty and most desirable) is neces sary to make one a member of the visible church, appears-1, Because the church is constituted by covenant; for there is between Christ and the church the mutual engagement and relation of king and subjects, husband and spouse; this cannot be but by covenant (internal, if you speak of the invisible church, external of the visible); a church is a company that can say, God is our God, and we are his people, this is from the covenant between God and them: Deut. xxix. 13; Ezek. xvi. 8. 2, The church of the Old Testament was the church of God by covenant-Gen. xvii.; Deut. xxix.—and was reformed still by the renewing of the covenant: 2 Chron. xv. 16, and xxiii. 12, and xxxiv. 31, 32; Neh. ix. 38. Now, the churches of the Gentiles, under the New Testament, stand upon the same basis or root with the church of the Old Testament, and therefore are constituted by covenant, as that was: Rom. xi. 17, 18; Eph. ii. 11, 12. 19, and iii. 6; Heb. viii. 10. 3, Baptism enters us into the church sacramentally, i. e. by sealing the covenant. The covenant, therefore, is that which constitutes the church, and infers membership, and is the vow in baptism commonly spoken of.

Partic. 2. The members of the visible church are such as are confederatz in particular churches. It may be minded that we are here speaking of members, so stated in the visible church, as that they are subjects to whom church ordinances may regularly be administered, and that according to ordinary dispensation. For were it granted, that "the Apostles and Evangelists" did sometimes baptise such as were not members of any particular church, yet their extraordinary office, large power and commission renders them not imitable therein by ordinary officers; for then they might baptise in private, without the presence of a Christian assembly, as Philip did the Eunuch. But that, in ordinary dispensation, the members of the visible church, according to the Scripture, are such as are members of some particular, church, appears-1, Because the visible believer that professedly covenants with God doth therein give up himself to wait on God in all his ordinances: Deut. xxvi. 17, 18; Matt. xxviii.

19. 20. But all the ordinances of God are to be enjoyed only in a particlr church. For how often do we find in the Scripture that they came *together into one place," (or met as a Congregational particular church) for the observation and enjoyment of the ordinances?-Acts ii. 1. 44. 46, and iv. 31, and xi. 26, and xx. 7; 1 Cor. v. 4, and xi. 18, and xx. 33, and xiv. 23. 2, The Apostle in his Epistles, writing to saints or believers, writes to them as in particular churches: 1 Cor. i. 2; Eph. i. 1; Phil. i 1; Col. i. 2. And when the story of the Acts speaks of disciples, other places show that those are understood to be members of partic

churches: Acts xviii. 23, with Gal. i. 2; Acts xxi. 16, with xviii. 22. and xi. 26, and xiv. 22, 23. 27, 28. All which shows that the Scripture acknowledgeth no settled orderly estate of visible believers in venant with God, but only in particular churches. 3, The members of the visible church are disciples, as was above cleared. Now, disciples are under discipline, and liable to church censures; for they are stated shjects of Christ's laws and governments: Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; but Carch government and censures are extant now in ordinary dispensaonly in a particular church: Matt. xviii. 17; 1 Cor. v. 4. Partic. 3. The infant-seed of confederate visible believers are also members the visible church. The truth of this is also evident from the Scriptures and the reasons following:

ARGUM. 1. The covenant of Abraham, as to the substance thereof, viz: that whereby God declares himself to be the God of the faithful and their seed, Jen. xvii. 7,) continues under the Gospel, as appears-1, Because the elieving inchurched Gentiles, under the New Testament, do stand upon the same root of covenanting Abraham; which the Jews were broken off m: (Rom. xi. 16, 17, 18.) 2, Because Abraham in regard of that evenant was made "a father of many nations," (Gen. xvii. 4, 5,) even of rentiles as well as Jews, under New Testament as well as Old; (Rom. iv. 1, 17; Gal. iii. 29,) i. e. in Abraham as a Pattern and root, God not only weth how he justifies the believer, (Gal. iii. 6. 9; Rom. iv.) but also COLveyed that covenant to the faith, and their seed in all nations: (Luke x. 9.) If a son of Abraham, then salvation-i, e. the covenant-dispensaof salvation-is "come to this house." 3, As that covenant was mmunicated to proselyte Gentiles under the New Testament, so its mmunication to the inchurched Gentiles under the New Testament is early held forth in diverse places: (Gal. iii. 14.) The blessing of Abralam compriseth both the internal benefits of justification by faith, &c., which the Apostle is there treating of, and the external dispensation of race in the visible church to the faithful and their seed, (Gen. xxviii. 4,) it the whole blessing of Abraham (and so the whole covenant) is come on the Gentiles thro' Jesus Christ: Eph. ii. 12. 19. They had been strangers, but now were no more strangers from the covenants of grace, Lich had often been renewed, especially with Abraham and the house