1. Baptism maketh a visible member of the universal church; and the baptized (as to entrance, unless they go out again) are to be accounted such.[246]
2. By baptism we mean, open devotion or dedication to God by the baptismal covenant, in which the adult for themselves, and parents for their infants, do profess consent to the covenant of grace; which includeth a belief of all the essential articles of the faith, and a resolution for sincere obedience; and a consent to the relations between God and us, viz. that he be our reconciled Father, our Saviour, and our Sanctifier.
3. The continuance of this consent is necessary to the continuance of our visible membership.
4. He that through ignorance, or incapacity for want of water, or a minister, is not baptized, and yet is solemnly or notoriously dedicated and devoted to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the same covenant, though without the outward sign, and professeth openly the same religion, is a visible christian, though not by a complete and regular visibility; as a soldier not listed nor taking his colours, or a marriage not regularly solemnized, &c.
5. He that forsaketh his covenant by apostasy, or is totally and duly excommunicated, ceaseth to be a visible member of the church.
[246] Matt. xxviii. 19; Mark xvi. 16.
Quest. XV. Whether besides the profession of christianity, either testimony or evidence of conversion, or practical godliness, be necessary to prove a man a member of the universal visible church?
1. As the Mediator is the way to the Father, sent to recover us to God, so christianity includeth godliness; and he professeth not christianity, who professeth not godliness.[247]
2. He that professeth the baptismal covenant, professeth christianity, and godliness, and true conversion. And therefore cannot be rejected for want of a profession of conversion or godliness.
3. But he that is justly suspected not to understand his own profession, but to speak general words, without the sense, may and ought to be examined by him that is to baptize him; and therefore though the apostles among the Jews who had been bred up among the oracles of God, did justly presume of so much understanding, as that they baptized men the same day that they professed to believe in Christ; yet when they baptized converted gentiles, we have reason to think, that they first received a particular account of their converts, that they understood the three essential articles of the covenant.[248] 1. Because the creed is fitted to that use, and hath been ever used thereunto by the churches, as by tradition from the apostles' practice. 2. Because the church in all ages, as far as church history leadeth us upward, hath used catechising before baptizing; yea, and to keep men as catechumens some time for preparation. 3. Because common experience telleth us, that multitudes can say the creed that understand it not.