Samuel Hopkins · 22 of 48

Section III. On the Public Institutions y Ordinances and Worship oj the Church. · Part 4

Corruptions and practices have taken place in churches, especially in the church of Rome, which are contrary to the institutions of Christ, and were not practised by the primitive churches; but we have an account when most of those were introduced, and of great opposition made to them by many; and they have never been universally received by the churches. If the baptism of children be not a divine institution, it is a great error indeed; a great corruption and abuse of the ordinance of baptism, and an utter perversion of it, to a purpose for which it was not instituted. And it is perfectly unaccountable (and may we not say impossible) that it should so universally take place in the church of Christ, and that so soon after the death of the apostles, without any opposition by any one person, for many centuries, and no account be handed down, of the time when it was introduced, and by whom, if it were not universally practised from the days of the apostles, but is an innovation, contrary to the original institution and practice of the churches?

But if the baptism of the children of believers be a divine institution, and universally practised by the churches in the apostles’ days, agreeable to the foregoing arguments, and was handed down from them in the christian churches; then its taking place so generally, and even universally, from the earliest times, for so many ages, can be well accounted for, and appears perfectly consistent. This fact, therefore, increases the evidence, and serves to strengthen and confirm other arguments, which are thought to be in themselves fully conclusive, that the baptism of infants is a divine institution, and was practised by the apostolic churches.

THE NATURE AND DESIGN OF INFANT BAPTISM.

II. The next thing proposed on the subject of infant baptism, is, to consider the import and design of it, and what good ends it may answer to the parents and their children.

If it be evident and certain, that this is a divine institution, it ought to be punctually attended and practised, though the reason, design, and end of it were not to be discovered, and none could tell or see of what benefit it can be to the parents or children. But if this were in fact the case, and it should appear to us only an unmeaning, useless ceremony, and really of a bad tendency; this would greatly tend to blind us to the evidence, that it is indeed an institution of Christ; and to prejudice our minds, and shut our eyes, so as not to see it, however clear it may be. It is therefore no wonder that persons, who have imbibed this notion of infant baptism, and look into the Bible, and attend to the arguments which are brought in favour of it, and what is said against it, with this prejudice on their minds, should not be convinced that it is a divine institution; but reject it with a great degree of confidence, and religious zeal. In this view, the inquiry now before us is very important and interesting. And if a rational arid consistent account can be given of this institution, and the ground and design of it be discovered by the help of the scripture; and it can be shown in what respect it is suited to promote the good of parents and their children, and of the church; it will tend to remove prejudices, and to confirm the arguments which have been offered from the scripture, in favour of infant baptism.

This will be now attempted by offering the following observations and conclusions to the candid consideration, and careful examination of those who are willing to attend to this subject, and desirous to form right conceptions of it, and to know what is the reason, design and advantage of this institution.

1. The baptism of the children of believers is a covenant transaction, by which, in some sense or other, and in some degree, at least, the children are visibly taken into covenant, so as to be included in it; and are to be considered as sharing in the blessings of it, with their parents. No less than this can be made of the transaction with Abraham; and the covenant made with him and his seed, in which the seal of the covenant was applied to them. And the same constitution takes place in the christian church, with respect to children; and the appointed seal of the gospel covenant is therefore applied to them. If this were not a covenant transaction, which has respect to the children, and they were in no sense included in the covenant, the application of the seal of the covenant to them, by baptizing them, would be an unmeaning transaction indeed; or rather would be a signification of that which is not true, and does not really take place. Nor would it answer to what was intended, and actually took place in the circumcision of children in the Abrahamic church, which was expressly called the token of the covenant, and the covenant itself, which God made, and established between himself, and Abraham and his seed. “I will make a covenant between me and thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee; and thy seed after thee; to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee: Every man child among you shall be circumcised; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And the uncircumcised man child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” What can be more plain and certain, than those words make it, that the children of Abraham were as really included in the covenant made with him, of which circumcision was the appointed token and seal, as he himself was; and consequently that all the parents in Israel, and their circumcised children, were equally included in the same covenant? And who that believes in infant baptism, will deny that this is as much a covenant transaction as was the circumcision of the children of Abraham; and that the baptized children of believers are as really and as much in covenant, as the circumcised children of Abraham? Therefore, they who believe the baptism of infants to be a christian institution, have generally, if not universally, considered it as a covenant transaction, importing the children of believers to be included in the same covenant with their believing parents; though they may have differed in their notion of this covenant, as it respects children.

2. This covenant transaction in baptizing the children of believers, is between God and the parents. It respects the children indeed, which are baptized, but they are incapable of acting in the affair, so as to enter into covenant, by any act of theirs. If they be brought into covenant, and the seal of it set upon them, it must be by what is done for them, and determined and acted with respect to them, in which they are the subjects, and not the agents; and all this takes place previous to their knowing any thing of the matter. In this, all are agreed.

3. A covenant is commonly understood to imply mutual engagements and promises, on some condition expressed or understood, between two parties, so covenanting. Thus when God enters into covenant with men, or a covenant takes place between them, he proposes and promises to grant some good thing to them, on some condition to he performed on their part; which they engage and promise to perform, approving of the proposal, and complying with it. But the condition on which the divine promises are made in the covenant which he proposes, and into which he enters with man, is all implied in a cordial approbation of the promise, and acceptance of the thing promised; and perseverance in this, and expressing it in a proper and answerable conduct; for this is to love God, and keep his commandments.

The absolute, unconditional promises of God, are indeed called a covenant, and he is said to make a covenant with those to whom he makes such promises. Thus he is said to establish his covenant with Noah and his seed, in which all mankind, who were to exist after that, are comprehended; and with every living creature. Which covenant consisted in an absolute, unconditional promise, that he would not destroy the world again by a flood.—Of the same kind are many of the promises made to the church; that God will never forsake it; but that it shall continue to the end of the world, and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it; and that it shall yet prosper and flourish, and fill the world, &c.

The covenant of grace, which is called the new covenant, is in a sense unconditional. As it is established with the redeemed, the church as a body, it is called a promise and testament, in which are contained all the good things which are implied in the complete, eternal redemption of the redeemed church: and whatever is necessary on their part, is comprised in the promise, in which God engages that it shall take place, and be wrought in them, so that they shall will and do the things necessary to their being in covenant with God, and sharing in all the blessings of it. This is evident from the particular description which the apostle Paul gives of this covenant, in a quotation from the prophet Jeremiah. “Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. This is the covenant that I will make with the housie of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws in their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying. Know the Lord: For all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Here God promises to do all that is to be done; and if there be any condition necessary on the part of the church, it is included in the promise, and God engages that it shall take place. “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and they shall be to me a people.” This is to be considered as a condition which must take place in all of the redeemed church, and implies saving faith, or love to God, and obedience to him, in keeping his commandments. But in this covenant of grace, this condition of salvation, and all that is implied in eternal redemption, is promised to the church. This is the legacy, the testament, or promise which Christ has left to his church.

But this does not exclude, but necessarily includes, a condition, or something which must take place in every individual, in order to his being interested in the blessings of this covenant, or being properly in covenant with God. This may properly be called a condition, the condition of the covenant, on man’s part, as necessary in order to his being in covenant.

How the children of believers are visibly included in this covenant, and may really be so, having the condition of it wrought in them, will be shown in what follows. But the observation in this particular, under which some digression has been made, that it might not be misunderstood, is, that in the covenant transaction between God and the parents in the baptism of their children, there are mutually promises and engagements between them, which do particularly respect the children. What they are will be considered under the following particulars.

4. The parent, who offers his child to baptism, does expressly or implicitly renew his covenant with God, and dedicates himself to him, to love him and keep his commandments; and does renewedly lay hold of the covenant, acting for himself and child. He brings his child to Christ, for his blessing, and dedicates, and gives it away to him; and promises to bring it up for him, “In the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” as one of Christ’s children. All this is professed, and promised in this visible, external transaction: And if this be done understandingly and heartily, or is a true expression of the heart of the parent, it is really done in the sight of God. This is true, in the view of the church, who look only on the outward appearance, and cannot see the heart. The parent is considered by them as sincere and hearty in making his profession and promises; that he does really dedicate his child to Christ, and will do all that is implied in bringing it up for him, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

What is implied in this engagement and promise will be move particularly considered hereafter. Whatever this may be, all who believe the baptism of the children of believing parents is a divine institution will grant, that all, which has been now expressed, is implied in the profession and promise made by the parent in offering his child in baptism.

5. Jesus Christ does, in this transaction, receive the child into the same visible standing and character with the parent, as a visible saint, or holy person, and orders the church to consider and look upon it in this light, as being one in their view, and so far as they are to judge, really holy, and among the number of the saved, Of this holiness, the child is as capable as the parent; and by the command of Christ, who has put this character upon all such children, and said, they are holy; they are to be considered and received by the church as such; that is, in appearance, to their view, really holy. He has commanded his church to receive all those adult persons who make a proper profession and appearance of real holiness, and to look upon them as being really holy; that is, to consider and treat them as being really what they appear to be, though they may not, in fact, be really what they appear to men to be; though they may not be really holy, and there be no reason to believe that they are all such; and how great the number is of those who are visible saints, that is, who appear to the church to be real saints, and whom they are commanded to receive and treat as such, and yet are not really saints, none can tell. In like manner, he has commanded his people to receive their children, whom they bring to the church, in the same character with their parents, as really holy; that is, as appearing to them to be really holy, which is the same with being visibly holy; because he has put this character upon them, which he has put upon their parents, and ordered them to be called saints, or holy, though they may not be really so; and there may be as many, among such children, not really holy, as there are among their parents, or the adult members of the church, or more. Their connexion with their parents, and having the same character put upon them by Christ, by saying, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God,” and calling them saints, or holy, is a good warrant to the church to receive them, with their parents, into the visible, holy covenant, and apply the seal of the covenant to them, as the children of the parents of the ancient church were, and were called holy, and the holy seed.

Two reasons may be given, why the Redeemer has affixed the same character to the children of believing, visibly covenanting parents, as he has to the parents themselves, and ordered them to be taken into the same covenant, and to have the seal of the covenant applied to them, and to be numbered among the redeemed, both in his ancient church, and in that under the gospel.

1. Because he has ordered that those who are made really holy, and are saved, should be chiefly taken from, and found among visible believers and their children. Therefore, he has directed us to look there, for really holy persons that shall be saved, and no where else. He has, for wise reasons, determined, that real holiness and salvation shall briefly and ordinarily descend in this line, from believing parents to their children. Therefore, he has ordered them all to be looked upon by the church to be holy, and to be numbered among the saved; for the same reason that all adult professing believers are to be received by the church, as really holy, viz. because they who are really holy and shall be saved are to be found among those who have this appearance, and are to be looked for among them; and one cannot be distinguished from another, so as to be known to be really holy, and the other not; therefore, all such must be considered as really holy, and have this character put upon them.

That it is God’s common way, to convey saving blessings down from godly parents to their children, and to bless the children for the sake of their parents, may be argued from many passages of scripture; some of which have been mentioned heretofore. “The righteous is ever merciful and lendeth: and his seed is blessed. The just man walketh in his integrity; his children are blessed after him. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, and delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth. The generation of the upright shall be blessed.” God promises his church, which has a special respect to the gospel church, that he will bless them and their children with spiritual blessings, and the promise is made as much to their offspring as to them. “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty; and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” And still speaking of the church, he says, “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble: For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.” “And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one wav, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them.” Thus the children are connected with their parents, and the good, the blessing, is represented as descending from parents to children; and the latter are included in the promises of good to the former. To the same purpose are the following words, which have reference to the gospel day, “And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” And the covenant which God makes with his church and people is represented as conveying blessings from parents to children, to a thousand generations. Thus piety and spiritual blessings are represented as descending down in a line from parents to children, in the church; and there we are to look, and expect to find holiness, if any where: And the children of visibly pious, holy parents, are to be considered and looked upon as of the same character with their parents, and as the blessed of the Lord, and holy with them, so long as they do not discover the contrary. Therefore, they are to be considered and treated as in the same covenant with their parents, and heirs of the same blessings with them, so long as they are incapable of acting for themselves; which cannot be done without applying the seal of the covenant to them, by baptizing them.

Agreeably to the representation of scripture, which has now been brought into view, this appears to be true in fact, from what has taken place in the visible church in all ages. Ever since there has been a visible church in the world, those who have been saved have generally been members of that, and this salvation has been handed down from parents to children, until, by apostasy and open breach of covenant, they have been destroyed, or cast off by God, and ceased to be a visible church—When the church was erected in the family of Abraham, and was enlarged, as his posterity multiplied, which continued down to the crucifixion of Christ, and even to the destruction of the temple and nation of the Jews by the Romans, before it was wholly abandoned and destroyed, true religion, real holiness, and salvation were chiefly confined to that church, and handed down from parents to children. The most of the truly pious and holy people in the world were to be found in that church, during all that time, from generation to generation.—This church was therefore called the inheritance of the Lord, and his heritage. And is represented by the apostle Paul, by an olive tree, which had flourished along time, a holy tree; but when the branches were broken off by unbelief, and an open breach of covenant, the Gentiles were inserted in their place, into the holy root of this olive tree; and then the Gentile and christian church, being in the foundation and essence of it, the same with the church which had subsisted in the family and posterity of Abraham, was the visible holy society, including parents and children. And as Christ says, salvation was of the Jews, while they continued branches in the holy olive tree; so when they were broken off, as a nation, and agreeable to the ancient prediction, the law went forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, unto the Gentile nations; and many people heard and said, “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” From that time, salvation was of the christian church, and has been handed down from parents to children, to this day. And though some particular churches or branches of the christian visible church, and however many and great, have been broken off by apostasy; yet still the true visible christian church subsists, and will continue from parents to children, to the end of the world. And the parents and children of which it consists, are visibly holy, and heirs of salvation: and no others are or can be so.

2. Another reason why the same character is affixed to the children of believers, which the latter sustain; and why they are received into covenant with them, and have the seal of the covenant applied to them, and which may be considered as the foundation of what is observed as a reason of this, in the foregoing particular, is this, That real holiness, and salvation, are secured to the children of believers, by the covenant into which the parents enter with God, as it respects their children, if the parents faithfully keep covenant, and fulfil what they profess and promise, respecting their children, when they offer them in baptism.

It has been observed, that parents offering their children in baptism, is a covenant transaction, between God and them, with regard to the children, to whom the seal of the covenant is administered; and that there are mutual promises and engagements between the parties covenanting, without which it would not be a covenant transaction: And it has been also observed, that the baptism of children has been generally considered in this light by those who have believed it to be a divine institution, and have vindicated it as such. The parent, in this transaction, professes to devote his child to Christ, and give it away to him, asking his blessing on it, as the greatest and only portion he wishes for his child; and promises, that if he and the child shall live, to bring it up for Christ, as belonging to him, as one of his lambs in his flock, and bearing his mark and name, to train it up in the way in which he should go, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

And Jesus Christ, as the other party in this covenant transaction, visibly receives the child as belonging to him; and on the condition which the parent professes and promises to perform, he promises to bless the child, and bestow salvation upon it. Therefore, such children are visibly saints, and numbered among the saved: For the profession and engagements of the parents are to be relied upon by the church; and that they will fulfil their promises respecting their children; upon which the promise of Christ will be made good to them.

That this is the tenor of the covenant between God and believing parents, respecting their children, seems to be evident from the transaction itself in baptism, as it has been now stated and explained: And this will fully account for the children of believers belonging to the visible kingdom of God, and their being called holy, or saints. But this may be farther confirmed by those passages of scripture, which contain promises of saving grace, or of salvation, to the children of those parents who are faithful in keeping covenant with God.

The covenant with Abraham, which has been mentioned, by which a visible church was formed in his house and family, who is the father and pattern of all believers; and which covenant and church was handed down in his posterity, and is not essentially different, but really the same covenant and church, which still exists, since the natural posterity of Abraham have been broken off or cast out, by their unbelief and open breach of covenant, as has been shown: This covenant with Abraham included his children; and the promise it contained was made as much to his children as to him. The words of the promise are, “To be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” The promise to be a God unto Abraham included the blessings of the covenant of grace, even saving mercies, and it must imply the same when made to his seed. This promise was made on a condition on Abraham’s part, which is implied, and is expressed in the context. “The Lord appeared unto Abraham and said. Walk before me, and be thou perfect: And I will make my covenant between me and thee.” The condition of the covenant, which was required of Abraham, is here expressed in these words, “Walk before me, and be thou perfect.” And the condition of the covenant or promise is again expressed in the following words, “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you, and thy seed after thee: Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.” The external rite of circumcision is not here intended, as the only condition of the covenant; but this implies the things signified by circumcision, the sign being mentioned, as including what was the import and signification of it. Therefore, it is here called the token of the covenant. When Abraham circumcised his children, he devoted them to God, and promised to treat them as God’s children, and educate them for God, which implied praying for them, and with them; instructing them in the things of this covenant, and directing and watching over them, and exercising parental care and government of them, and using all proper means, to lead them to know and do their duty to God and man, as soon as they should be capable of acting for themselves; at the same time, setting a good example before them in all his conduct, both of true piety towards God, and righteousness and benevolence towards men. This was the covenant between God and Abraham, on Abraham’s part, with respect to his children, of which circumcision was the sign, token, and seal; and though he circumcised his children, if he did not in heart dedicate them to God, and faithfully perform the duties signified and promised in this transaction, he did not keep the covenant of circumcision, but would break it, in the most important and essential part of it. Upon this condition, implied, professed and engaged, in Abraham’s circumcising his children, God promised to be their God, to bless them with the blessings of the covenant, or that they should be holy and happy forever. Thus God entered into covenant with Abraham and with his seed: and the promise was to him and his children, upon condition he would keep the covenant of circumcision, which was a token and seal of the covenant, by both the parties covenanting.

This is here said to be an everlasting covenant. “And my covenant shall be in your flesh tor an everlasting covenant.” True religion and salvation would be transmitted to a thousand generations, even without end, or to the end of the world, from parents to children, if parents were faithful in the covenant, as it respects their children. But this covenant may be broken, by the parent’s not keeping covenant, and not acting up to his obligations, profession and promises, with regard to his children, and being guilty of great and persevering neglect of his duty, and by his unfaithfulness. This is evident from the words which follow, and is plainly expressed in them. “And the uncircumcised man child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people: He hath broken my covenant.” Upon these words the following observations may be made.