Awful state

 Ans. 3. Concerning the tendency of this way of confining baptism to professors of godliness and their children, to promote irreligion and profaneness; I would observe, first, that Christ is best able to judge of the tendency of his own institutions. Secondly, I am bold to say, that the

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supposing this principle and practice to have such a tendency, is a great mistake, contrary to Scripture and plain reason and experience. Indeed such a tendency it would have, to shut men out from having any part in the Lord (in the sense of the two tribes and half, Joshua 22:25) or to fence them out by such a partition wall as formerly was between Jews and gentiles; and so to shut them out as to tell 'em, if they were never much so disposed to serve God, he was not ready to accept 'em; according to that notion the Jews seem to have had of the uncircumcised gentiles. But only to forbear giving men honors they have no title to, and not to compliment them with the name and badge of God's people and children, while they pretend to nothing but what is consistent with their being his enemies, this has no such tendency: but rather the contrary has very much this tendency. For is it not found by constant experience through all ages, that blind corrupt mankind, in matters of religion, are strongly disposed to rest in a name, instead of the thing; in the shadow, instead of the substance; and to make themselves easy with the former, in the neglect of the latter? This overvaluing of common grace, and moral sincerity, as it is called; this building so much upon them, making them the conditions of enjoying the seals of God's covenant, and the appointed privileges, and honorable and sacred badges of God's children; this, I can't but think, naturally tends to sooth and flatter the pride of vain man, while it tends to aggrandize those things in men's eyes, which they, of themselves, are strongly disposed to magnify and trust in, without such encouragements, to prompt 'em to it, yea, against all discouragements and dissuasives that can possibly be used with them.

This way of proceeding greatly tends to establish the negligence of parents, and to confirm the stupidity and security of wicked children. If baptism were denied to all children, whose parents did not profess godliness, and in a judgment of rational charity appear real saints, it would tend to excite pious heads of families to more thorough care and pains in the religious education of their children, and to more fervent prayer for them, that they might be converted in youth, before they enter into a married state; and so if they have children, the entail of the covenant be secured. And it would tend to awaken young people themselves, as yet unconverted, especially when about to settle in the world. Their having no right to Christian privileges for their children, in case they should become parents, would tend to lead 'em at such a time seriously to reflect on their own awful state; which, if they don't get out of it, must lay a foundation for so much calamity and reproach

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to their families. And if after their becoming parents, they still remain unconverted, the melancholy thought of their children's going about without so much as the external mark of Christians, would have a continual tendency to put 'em in mind of, and affect 'em with their own sin and folly in neglecting to turn to God, by which they bring such visible calamity and disgrace on themselves and families; they would have this additional motive continually to stir 'em up to seek grace for themselves and their children: whereas, the contrary practice has a natural tendency to quiet the minds of persons, both in their own and their children's unregeneracy. Yea, may it not be suspected, that the way of baptizing the children of such as never make any proper profession of godliness, is an expedient originally invented for that very end, to give ease to ancestors with respect to their posterity, in times of general declension and degeneracy?

This way of proceeding greatly tends to establish the stupidity and irreligion of children, as well as negligence of parents. 'Tis certain, that unconverted parents do never truly give up their children to God; since they don't truly give up themselves to him. And if neither of the parents appear truly pious, in the judgment of rational charity, there is not in this case any ground to expect that the children will be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, or that they will have anything worthy the name of a Christian education, how solemnly soever the parents may promise it.