in this view, namely, as visibly subsisting between God and his Church, considered as a visible society, a public body separated and distinguished from the world, and dedicated to God, that the sacraments are annexed as visible signs and seals thereof." *
A man, therefore, in coming to the Lord's table, or in present- ing himself or his children for baptism, does not profess to be a member of the invisible, but only of the visible Church. God has commanded men not to steal, and not to neglect their religious duties ; He commands them to pray ; to hear his word ; to attend the assemblies of his saints gathered for his worship ; to be bap- tized ; and to commemorate the Redeemer's death in the way of his appointment. All these duties are obligatory ; and they are all to be performed in a right spirit. But a man, argues Mr. Blair, is not to wait until he thinks himself regenerate and is so regarded by the Church, before he attempts to obey them. The sacraments, he says,2 " are not instituted to be visible signs of persons' opinion or judgment concerning the exercises of their own hearts." He no more professes to be regenerated when he comes to be baptized than when he prays. His prayer is from its nature a profession of faith in the divine existence and perfec- tions, in the power of God to hear and answer his requests ; it is a confession of his necessities and of his dependence. And this profession and confession are sincere ; so sincere that it is not only his duty, but his right to pray — a right which no man may take from him. In like manner a man may be, in the same sense, sincere in his belief of the truth of the Gospel ; sincere in his desire to obey the command of Christ, and secure the benefits of his salvation. " When the sons of the stranger," says Mr. Blair, " are instructed in the doctrines of the Gospel, are con- vinced in their judgment and conscience, they are true and ex- hibit the true religion ; that they are bound by the authority of God to embrace it, and yield obedience to the divine laws ; it is their immediate duty to embrace it, and that publicly and avowedly by joining themselves to the Lord, and his Church, in the sacrament of baptism ; and thus make a public profession of the true religion, come under solemn obligations to walk in the ways of God's commandments, and under the care and discipline
1 Essays on, I. The Nature, Uses, and Subjects of the Sacraments of the New Testament ; II. On Regeneration, wherein the principle of Spiritual Life thereby implanted is particu- larly considered ; III. On the Nature and Use of the Means of Grace. By John Blair, A. M., Pastor of the Church of Good- Will (alias Wallkill), in the Province of New York. New York : printed by John Holt, at the Exchange, 1771. Essay i. pp. 13-15.
2 Ibid. p. 35.
566 PART IE. Ch. XX. — the means of grace.
of the Church." * Such persons " are brought under the bond of the covenant. This should be early laid before them, to let them see that by this dedication to God, they are bound to per- form all duties of religion for which they have capacity, to receive instruction and appear for religion as the professors thereof. As soon as they have a competency of knowledge, and are capable of the discipline of the Church, they are bound to commemorate the death of Christ, and renew their engagements to Him at his table, unless debarred by discipline for unchristian conduct. When they shall become parents, they are bound to dedicate their children to God in baptism." 2
Such were the views on this subject entertained by some of the most evangelical ministers of our Church during the last century and long afterwards. The same views prevailed, to some extent, also in New England.
A third theory on which the baptism of children, whose par- ents are not communicants, is contended for, makes a distinction between baptism and the Lord's Supper. More is required for the latter than for the former ; and, therefore, adults who are entitled to baptism for themselves and for their children, may not be entitled to admission to the Lord's table. This is one of the views on this general subject referred to by Vitringa and De Moor in the works above mentioned. The advocates of this theory appeal to the fact that the Apostles, who were no more able than other men to read the heart, baptized thousands on the spot, on a simple external profession of faith. So Paul baptized the jailer at Philippi and his family " straightway," that is, as would appear, at midnight in the prison. Philip baptized the eunuch of Ethiopia as soon as he confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, although he knew nothing, so far as appears in the nar- rative, of his conduct either before or after. On the other hand, it is urged that these same Apostles required all who came to the Lord's Supper to examine themselves, and see whether they were in the faith, or whether Christ dwelt in them. This seems to have been the ground taken by Mr. Blair in the earlier part of his ministry ; for he says in his preface 8 to his Essays : " Many of my friends will, probably, be surprised, to find I have changed my sentiments with respect to some subjects of one of the sacraments ; for they know it was formerly my opinion, that the unregenerate ought not, by any means, to adventure to the Lord's table ; though they ought to dedicate their children to God in baptism."
1 Blair, Essays, ut supra, p. 28. I Ibid. p. 43. » Ibid. p. 4.