THe Book speaketh with the voice of a Lamb, and I think the Author is a godly though erring Brother; but he acteth the cause of the roaring Lyon, who by all crafty wayes seeketh to devour the poor Lambs of the flock of Christ. The chief hinge that the whole discourse hangeth upon is, that there is no place of Scripture for baptizing Infants.

I will therefore begin there, to stop the gain-saying mouth of this Book.

The baptizing of Believers and their Infants was one of the first Gospel Apostolical Institutions com­manded in the Gospel politie, Acts 2.37, 38, 39. when those heart pricked penitent Jews solemnly asked touch­ing the great change of Church Polity that was now in motion, what shall we do? or how shall we engage our selves into this new Polity? this is one part of their question, as it appeareth by the Answer. The Apostle answereth them, ver. 38, 39. the substance and sense of which words in respect of our question is thus formed.

Every one of you to whom the promise belongeth, we do order and appoint you to be baptized.

But the promise belongeth to all you penitent belie­vers and to your Children.

[Page 2]Therefore we order and appoint all you penitent Be­lievers and your Children to be baptized, consider the words.

Some Gentile Believers, or the Apostle himself on their behalf, further promoteth the same question, touch­ing them that were afar off, viz. in respect of Church state, and Interest in the promise. What shall they do that have no Interest in the promise? being afar off, in respect of the Covenant, and afar off in place also, as th [...] Gentile Nations [...]ere.

The Apo [...]tle answereth, that we order the same Law and [...]n [...]titution to all, viz. whom the Lord our God shall call; when the Lord our God shall call any of the Gen­tiles to be penitent Believers, as now you Jews be, then the promise doth belong unto them, and unto rheir In­fants; and we do order, that they and their Infants shall be baptized, and marked for the Lambs of Christ, that do belong to his Fold.

Behold here a clear Gospel Institution of baptizing Belie [...]ers and their Infants, in all the Gospel Churches, be they Jews or Gentiles. All endeavours of an Answer to this Text do only mud the waters to hinder a clear sight of the Truth that shineth in the words.

As we see a clear precept for Infant Baptism, so I shall shew a clear practice and example of it, Act. 2.41. then they that gladly received his Word were baptized, viz, they and their Children were baptized. For I ask, did they receive the whole Word of Apostolical Institution? or only a part of the Word? sure you will say, they re­ceived the whole Word of Institution, therefore these Believers and their Children at first or at last were bapti­zed. Had the believing parents only been baptized, and left out their Children, then they had received but part of the Word of In [...]titution. So then, here we be­hold a famous example, according to which all the Gos­pel Churches have walked ever since unto this day, and [Page 3] that without interruption, saving that sometime some small interruption hath been made by the Anabaptists that deny or have questioned Infant Baptisme.

Baptisme is the seal of the Covenant, whomsoever therefore God doth receive into Covenant with him, they have a fundamental right in due order to receive the Seal, the Seal is so annexed to the Covenant, that it is called the Covenant, Gen. 17.13. now God doth re­ceive the Children of Believers into Covenant, Acts 2.38, 39. the promise doth belong to you and to your Children, and therefore the Seal doth belong unto them.

Math. 3.15. So it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness, saith Christ, who are meant by [us] of whom Christ speaketh? Answ. He speaketh firstly of himself, and John, then of all his Church and members thereof. Therefore as it was meet and righteous for Christ the Head to fulfil that Law and Institution of God in being baptized; so it is meet that every member of the Church of Christ should in due order do the same, it is righte­ous that it should be so. Now Infants of Believers are members of the Church of Christ, the Covenant com­prehends them, the promise belongeth unto them, and therefore they ought in due order to be baptized.

Mark. 10.14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, suffer the little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the King­dome of God, Christ saith that the Kingdome of God both Militant & Triumphant doth consist of many such mem­bers, how come they into the Church?

Answ. God doth admit them by his Institution into his Covenant, Ge. 17.7. a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee and the Church doth solemnly receive them by Baptism.

Quest. How can the Church receive them, when they do not know them to be fit matter for the Church?

Answ. The Church may lawfully admit unto Com­munion in all the Ordinances upon sufficient Testimony, [Page 4] as Acts 9 26, 27, 28. The Primitive Church admitted Saul upon the Testimony of Barnabas. Now for the ad­mitting of Infants we have the best and greatest Testi­mony in the World, that they are fit matter for the Church, and that they are duly and acceptibly qualified: for we have the Testimony of God, the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. I have more boldness of Faith in receiving Infants into the Communion of the Church, then up-grown persons, whom we have most accurately tryed, because our Infants are received upon divine Testimony, others though we admit them accord­ing ro divine Institution, yet upon more inferior Testi­mony.

Rom. 11.16. If the first fruits be holy, the lump is also ho­ly, if the Root be holy, so are the branches also. A Believer and his Children are but one lump, in his Church stati­on, the believing Parents sanctifie the whole houshold, who are under the Parents tuition, a Believer and his Children are but one Tree in the Church or Vineyard of the Lord, and when the Root is holy, the whole Tree, all the branches are holy, this is the Ecclesiastical state of all believers. Hence therefore we ought to receive all the Infants of believers unto Communion in the Church, according to their Capacities. Now Infants are capable of Communion with the Church in Bap­tisme: which doth most evidently appear in the Church of the Jews, where they were capable of Circumcision, and were ever admitted into the Communion of the Church therein, and the Apostles were wont to baptize all the Houshold, when the Parents believed. The Lord doth account them visible Believers that are branches of a believing Root, and giveth that Testimony of them. And God who appointed it, best knoweth what is accep­tible to himself. The present administration of Bap­tisme to Infants is a present exercise of Faith, love and duty in all the Church, and especially in the Parents, and [Page 5] it is an after exercise of Faith, love, and duty in the Child, when he is grown up to years of capacity, and as long as he liveth his Baptismal Covenant christianly im­proved upon him, doth very powerfully by the assistance of the Spirit oblige him to walk as becometh a child of the Lord, and prepareth him for confirmation, in laying hold on the Covenant of God by his own choice, consent, and act. There is a passive reception of Christ and his Kingdome, which Infants are capable of: in which act of grace adult up grown persons must hum­ble themselves to become like Infants, Mark. 10.15. whosoever shall not receive the Kingdome of God as a little child shall not enter thereinto. If then God knoweth how to have, and exercise such spiritual Communion with Infants, who are we that we should keep them from him when he calleth for them? and hath instituted an Ordi­nance for that use and end, Mark. 10.14. I return to this Text where Christ saith, suffer little Children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdome of God. The instituted ordinary way of little chil­drens coming to Christ is by Baptisme, there coming at this time, instanced in this Text was for his blessing, that was their end at that time, but on that occasion Christ treateth upon the doctrine of Infants coming to Christ, and Christ commandeth that it should be so, and hath instituted an ordinary means whereby they may come unto him, and that is by Baptisme, as in the old Church they did by Circumcision. This command of Christ, for Childrens coming to him is of force to this day, and will be to the worlds end, and therefore it doth not in­tend only a personal coming to the bodily presence of Christ, as at that time, but Christ intends the visible, ex­ternal instituted way of Infants coming to Christ, this we are commanded to suffer, the Elders and the Church are commanded by Christ to suffer Infants to come to him, the means of their coming to Christ is by Baptisme [Page 6] Christ is so serious and earnest in this matter, as that he expresseth this precept both affirmatively [suffer them] and negatively, forbid them not. This word speaketh di­rectly and home unto the opposers of Infant Baptisme, Christ hath forbidden you to be an hindrance to them, by word, speech, writing, power, or any other way, for­bid them not.

And the Lord is so full in the stream of this Command to suffer them, and of his forbidding us, to forbid or hinder them, that he doth urge it with a great Reason, viz. of such is the Kingdome of God; the militant Church consisteth of many such members, half our Churches are Infants, and what? will you not suffer Christ to have Communion with them, nor them to have Commu­nion with Christ by the Ordinance which Christ hath appointed for it? the Kingdome of Heaven hath many Infants in it, and shall Christ have Communion with them in Heaven, and will you not suffer him to have Communion with them on Earth in the visible Church when he requireth it?

Yea, this point is several times instanced and repeated in the Gospel, to shew, how much the heart of Christ is upon this point. Yea, this Text saith that Christ was very much displeased with his Disciples upon this occa­sion, it is very seldome that Christ expressed himself dis­pleased with them (about twice) and this was one of the times, and the occasion of it.

Job· 21.15. Christ hath appointed it as one great part of our Ministerial charge to feed the little Lambs, so the word signifieth, the Infants being part of them, how can we feed Infants? surely by administring Baptisme unto them, for Infants are capable of this instituted way of feeding, this Text is a strong evidence, Christ hath made the little Lambs the Subjects of Ecclesiastical Ministerial feeding, therefore no doubt the Lord hath instituted some publick Ordinance, that they are capable to be fed [Page 7] withal, and that is Baptisme, Infants are secondarily fed by f [...]eding their Parents, but they are personally fed by Baptisme, and constantly.

From the first Creation of man God hath transacted with man by a Covenant, and hath alwayes comprehend­ed the Parents and children together in his Covenant, thus it was with Adam in innocency, the children of Ad­am were comprehended with him in the Covenant of works, as we know by woful Experience. After the fall, God brought Adam under the Covenant of grace in Christ, and in that Covenant he comprehended his Seed with him. When God called Abraham, he brought him un­der a Covenant, and comprehended his Seed with him, I am thy God, and thy Childrens God. And that was our Gospel Covenant, touching which the Apostle saith, the promise belongeth to you and to your Children, and thus it is with all the Gospel Churches, both Jews and Gentiles, even with all Believers, whom the Lord our God shall call. And it is the Infinite mercy of God to bind himself to us by Covenant, both to strengthen our weak Faith, and that his Covenant mercy might bind and stay the reveng­ing hand of Justice from destroying us for our iniquities. God remembreth his Covenant and therefore spareth us and our children, as we may see, Psal. 105.8, 9, 10. and ver. 40, 41, 42. and Psal. 106.43, 44, 45. and Psal. 89.30 31, 32, 33, 34. be thankful therefore to God for his Co­venant with us, and with our children, exclude them not from this great mercy.

1 Cor. 7.14. It seemeth some in Corinth doubted whe­ther the children of such Parents were in Covenant with God, and to be received by the Church, when only one of the Parents was a believer, the other wicked, a Pa­gan, and it is like it was a frequent case, sometimes the husband was converted and not the wife, sometimes the wife converted, and not the husband: and this case might well come into question, by reason of that ancient fa­mous [Page 8] practice of Ezra, and the Jewish Church.

To the question the Apostle answereth, that if either of the Parents be a believer, their children are accepted by God into the Gospel Covenant, and the Church ought to receive them, because in such a case the unbelieving husband or wife is sanctified by God unto the believing, to bring forth an holy Seed. If they were not so, then all such children of a believing Parent should be unholy, but saith the Apostle, that is not so, for all the children of a believer are holy, though their yoke-fellow were un­holy. God received such children into his Gospel Co­venant, with the believing Parent and all the Churches did receive such children, and now the question is stated and setled by divine Authority, viz. that all such chil­dren that had but one Parent a believer, were received by the Church as an holy Seed.

One Rule of judging of the soundness of a Doctrine is by its tendency to holiness, charity, and unity among the Saints. The opinion of the Anabaptists hath not such a tendency, it is a most uncharitable opinion, and therefore contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel of Christ, love and charity is a peculiar character of a disciple of Christ, Joh. 13.35. by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, censoriousness of others, especially when better then themselves is exceeding contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel, and such doth their opinion expose them to be, what their inward state is, I do not meddle with it, but if they follow their opinion, as this book of John Norcot doth thoroughly, it leadeth them to the highest excess of censorious uncharitableness, (to say no worse,) and that against men much better then themselves.

Though there be so clear an Instance of circumcision of Infants, and Christ himself was circumcised when he was an Infant, Luk. 2.21. though there be so clear an institution of Baptisme to seal the Covenant, as circum­cision did unto believers and their Seed, and though there [Page 9] be so clear a Testimony that the primitive Church did so practice, and all the Gospel Churches ever since have so walked: yet because they do not see these things to be so, they do think that the primitive Church had not so much light as to practice so, and whereas all the Gospel Churches in the world have ever since so practised, they judge they have walked in sin, and their Baptisme is null, all the world are unbaptized persons, saving themselves, and they now call themselves Baptists, and all the rest of the christian world baptized in their Infancy are unbap­tized persons, Churches, Ministry, Sacraments, all are nullified, &c.

What an horrible degree of uncharitableness is this; to say no worse of it.

Again, because if they grant Infants of believers to be comprehended in the Covenant, they cannot deny them the Seal of Baptisme, therefore they do rather exclude (in their opinion) all the world of Infants of believers from the Covenant of God and the Church, then to grant them subjects to be baptized. They rob the Lambs of their interest in the Church, in the communion of Saints, and in the Covenant of God, which is a wicked injury done against the Lambs of Christ, who are not able to help themselves, therefore Christ will help them, and wo to those that do them this injury.

Math. 18.5, 6, 10. Who so shall receive one such little child in my Name receiveth me, but who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea. Christ doth account the children of believers to be believers, the Root and bran­ches make but one Tree, ver. 10. Take heed that ye de­spise not one of these little ones, for Isay unto you, (and Christ doth know it perfectly) that in Heaven there Angels do al­wayes behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven.

Again, the uncharitableness of this opinion doth sadly [Page 10] appear in this, that they teach men to be without natural affection, which is one of the gross sins of these latter & pe­rilous times, 2 Tim. 3.3. & this they do, in one of the high­est points in the world, viz that Parents should exclude their own children from sharing with them in Christ, & from Church Interest with Christ, yea, to put them away, & say, you have no portion with me in this great matter.

Christ was displeased with his Disciples when upon occasion of much business in teaching the people, they forbad Parents to bring their children to Christ to have his blessing. What think you, he will say to the Anabap­tists, who teach and cause their very Parents themselves to put away their children from Christ? not only not to bring them, but to exclude them, never since the world began was there more unnatural affection then this is. Parents alwayes endeavour to interest their children with themselves in their Religion, and in their God, as being the best thing they have in the world.

Again, it is great uncharitableness in respect of such Infants of believers, as dye in their Infancy, to judge them to dye without interest in the Covenant of God, thereby depriving both Parents and the Church of the comfort of that hope, that they dyed in Gods Covenant.

Again, it is great uncharitableness to hinder (as much as in them lyeth) the Church from opportunity of emi­nent exercise of Faith in communion with the Father & with the Son, for when we receive little children into communion with the Church, we have communion with Christ, and with the Father, Math. 18.5. who so shall re­ceive one such little child in my Name receiveth me, Mark. 9.36, 37. and he took a child and set in the midst of them, and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, whoso­ever shall receive one of such children in my Name, receiveth one, and whoso shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me, Luk. 9.47, 48. Jesus took a child, and set him by him, and said unto them, whosoever shall receive this child in my [Page 11] Name, receiveth me, and whosoever shall receive me, receiv­eth him that sent me. We see here is eminent communion with the Father and with the Son, in receiving Infants into our communion, and how do we receive Infants in­to our communion? the instituted way is, by owning them to be comprehended in the Covenant of God, with the Church, and visibly receiving them into the commu­nion of the Church by Baptisme, if there be any other way of receiving Infants in the Name of Christ, Instance in it: this way is clear in the Scripture our receiving them in Baptism, our communion with the Lambs of Christ, in the Name of Christ which is very well pleasing to him. Never to do this, yea, to refuse to do it, is a sinful and offensive gap in our communion with Christ, to reject Infants from this communion is an o [...]ence against Christ of a provoking nature, and especi­ally to glory in our so doing.

Psal. 127.3. children are the heritage of the Lord, and how come they to be so interested? it is by virtue of their parental Covenant: our Covenant Interest is our spiritual Patrimony, our Estate in Religion which our Parents conveigh unto us, it is an Estate of good use un­to us all the dayes of our life, especially at some difficult times a Christian hath two stocks to live and spend upon.

1. His Patrimony, or Covenant Interest which his Pa­rents left him, 2dly. His acquired state in grace which he hath got and gained, by the good improvement of his Patrimony, a Christian liveth and spendeth upon both these stocks, and we need them both, and all little enough sometimes, as we shall see anon.

The Anabaptists deny this spiritual Patrimony, the Covenant Interest by Parents, and live only upon an ac­quired state of grace, which they have gained without improvement of their parental Covenant, if we may be­lieve them, but they are deceived.

For our parental Interest in the Covenant, our spiri­tual [Page 12] Patrimony is a great & sanctified means of conver­sion, though not the only means, for strangers (as our Indians) are converted by the Gospel without that means, so far as we know. But in the Churches of Christ all our converts are converted by their improvement of their Patrimony, their parental Interest in the Covenant as one means which doth plainly appear in their confessi­ons, when they come into the full communion of the Church, and therefore in this respect they deal very un­charitably, (to say no worse of it) with their children, to deny them their Patrimony of Covenant Interest.

Prov. 13.22. A good man leaveth an Inheritance to his Childrens Children, that is, by bringing up his children so well, that he seeth his Patrimony secured to his second Generation. So it is in our spiritual Estate, a good man will (through grace) so improve the Patrimony, the Covenant Interest which he doth conveigh to his chil­dren, as to bring them to take hold on the Covenant themselves, by their own act, and free consent willingly, Deut. 29.10, &c. Nehem. 10.28. and hereby is the pro­gress of their Covenant Interest secured and conveigh­ed over to his second Generation. Sometimes Parents are put so hard to it in pleading with God for their chil­dren, (or for some of them at least) as that they have nothing to plead on their behalf but the Covenant Inte­rest, their Patrimony, they may be so prostigate that they have nothing else to plead upon, and blessed be God, that will hold to the last, this was Davids case and so he plead­eth, 2 Sam. 23.5. although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow. Now the Anabaptists cut themselves and their children off from this plea, by denying them their Patrimony, Covenant Interest in God. Sometimes a Christian may be so low brought by desertion and distress of Soul, as that they may be [Page 13] glad to fly to their Patrimony and Covenant Interest to help their Faith. Sometimes David was so hard beset, that he was caused to plead and spend upon his Patrimo­ny, Psal. 86.16. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me, give thy strength unto thy Servant, & save the Son of thy Hand­maid. And sometimes in his Thanksgiving, he doth ac­knowledg that his Covenant Interest, his parental Pa­trimony was one spring of his mercyes which he has re­ceived, Psal. 116.16. Truly I am thy Servant, I am thy Ser­vant, the Son of thy Handmaid, thou hast loosed my Bonds. Sometimes Gods Children may be sunk so low, as that they can see no acquisite grace or Interest to plead, no­thing to plead or improve for themselves but their Pa­trimony, their Covenant Interest, Isai. 93.17. Why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes, and hardened our hearts from thy fear, return for thy Servants sake the Tribes of thine Inheritance. How ill do the Anabaptists provide for their own comforts, when they cut off (so far as in them lyeth, if an opinion could do it,) themselves and their children from this plea and succour of Faith. God in his wisdome and mercy saw that we are weak, and have need of a Patrimony, a Covenant Interest by our Pa­rents, and sometimes to live upon a Talent of his pro­viding, when our own good Husbandry would fail us; and when it is so he directeth and commandeth us to improve our Covenant Interest, our Patrimony, Isai. 51.2. look unto Abraham your Father, and Sarah that bare you, 1 Chron. 16.12, 13. Remember his marvellous works that he had done, his wonders, and the Judgements of his mouth, O Seed of Israel his Servant, ye Children of Jacob his chosen, but such as reject their own Patrimony, and refuse to provide one for their children, must live only upon their own Trade and gains. What are they so strong in grace as that they need not to improve that Patrimony which God hath provided for our relief? Sometimes Gods people are fallen so low that God hath no ground [Page 14] of shewing them mercy, but only because of their Patri­mony, their Parental Covenant, 2 King. 13.22, 23, Hazael oppressed Israel and the Lord was gracious to them and bad compassion on them; and had respect unto them, because of his Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his pre­sence as yet. And God hath promised thus to deal with his children and people, Psal. 89.28, ad 35. My Covenant shall stand fast with him, if his Children forsake my Law, and walk not in my Judgements, if they break my statutes, and keep not my Commandments, then will I visit their transgres­sions with the Rod, and their iniquity with stripes, neverthe­less my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail, my Covenant will I not break, &c. and what a blessed Patrimony is Gods Covenant, yet the Anabaptists cut off their Children from this bles­sed priviledge. Sometimes Gods people may be so apostate that they have nothing acquired lest for their re­covery, onl [...] their Patrimony, only the Covenant, as it is at this day in that dreadful Apostacy of Israel and Judah, yet we have Faith for their recovery by their Patrimo­ny, their Interest in the Covenant of Abraham, for the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance, and the riches of Gods Covenant! how contrary to the Spirit and chari [...]y of the Gospel is that opinion, that cutteth off the children of the Church from this blessed Patrimony! the more I experience the charity of the Gospel, (which God knoweth is but a little) the more doth my Soul loath that uncharitable opinion of the Anabaptists.

Furthermore, this opinion is pernicious and destructive unto the Churches of Jesus Christ, it killeth the Church in the bud, it robbeth them of their Lambs, and will soon make the Churches and Kingdome of Jesus Christ thin and poor, but the world and Satans Kingdome will be full and rich, if this opinion should prevail, which God forbid! when Laban hired Jacob to serve him for wa­ges, [Page 15] Jacob bargained for no other wages but Lambs, and though Laban liked it well at first, yet he soon found that Jacob grew rich, and he grew poor, the same issue will all the Churches find, that the excluding of the Lambs as the Anabaptists do, or the neglecting them as other Churches do, will in a few years make the Churches thin and poor, there is an hurtful bird in some countryes, that spoyleth Orchards, and maketh them barren, by feed­ing upon, and devouring the buds in the spring time, it is very needful to keep a diligent watch against such evil birds, least our Churches become barren Vineyards, and empty Vines.

It may be some will say, that notwithstanding all that is here said, I do not yet see that there is either precept, institution or Example of baptizing Infants. Ans. what? is it not so, because you see it not? if you be dark, blind, ignorant in so great a point as this is, are all the Church­es in the world mistaken, who do see both precept, In­stitution, and Example for it? are your dark minds and blind eyes the standard by which every bodies light and understanding must be regulated? must all men light their candles at your dim light? what bottom doth that flag grow in? consider this, that all they that oppose In­fant Baptisme, they do not bring any positive evidence against it, only a negative, and that negative is ground­ed in their own darkness; and ignorance it is not so, say they, because I see it not.

We agree with the Anabaptists in the general pro­position which is this, nothing is to be received in Divine worship, but that which hath a Divine Institution.

We agree to it, but the parcicular proposition, the minor, the assumption; there we differ, which is this.

But the baptizing of believers and their Infants hath a Divine Institution, this we affirm, and prove, and therefore we conclude that believers and their Infants ought to be baptized.

[Page 16]They deny this proposition, and what proof bring they? nothing at all that I know off, but this, I do not see it, therefore I do not believe it, therefore I oppose it. Their chief discourses are cavillations against our proofs, whereby Satan doth effectually keep their eyes shut, so that they cannot see the Truth, but are puffed up with their own ignorance.

I shall now take a brief consideration of the Book And I will give one direction to such as read it, which being observed it will quite enervate the whole Book, viz. when the Book mentioneth baptizing of believers, do you add in your mind [and their Seed] which if you hold unto, the Book hath nothing in it, that I remember, that will hurt you in that point. Nor is this a begging of the question, because I have proved, that when Bap­tisme of Believers was first instituted in the Gospel Churches by the Apostles, the baptizing of their Infants was also instituted. And I have proved that God doth account the Children of believers to be believers, they may be (for ought we know) actual believers, as John Baptist was, and if they dye in their Infancy (as many do) we ought to believe that they are saved by the pow­er and grace of Gods Covenant, under which they are comprehended, if they are not actual believers, and live to shew it, yet they are under Gods instituted means and Ordinances, to be trained up to become believers, and therefore all such God doth account (as to Ecclesiasti­cal respects) to be believers, and Subjects capable to be baptized. The believing Parent the Root, and his In­fants the branches, make but one Tree in Gods Vine­yard, therefore those things which God hath put together, let not us put asunder. And for this Reason I give the Rea­der this direction, alwayes, when the baptizing of be­lievers is mentioned, add in your mind [and their In­fants]