themselves against the general Current of Antiquity, and oppofe one of the most antient and receiv'd Customs of the Church.

But befide the Authority of Cuftom, which ought to sway much in fuch Matters, we have many weighty, and cogent Reasons to ground this Cuftom upon, and warrant this Practice among us. I fhall mention fome of them, the 'better to confirm you in the Reasonableness of this Ufage. As,

First, No Body or Society whatever, will admit any as Members of it, without engaging to be faithful to it, and obfervant of the Laws of it: for 'tis unreasonable for any to expect the Benefits and Privileges of a Society, without promifing to keep the Rules and Cuftoms of it. The vifible Church of Chrift is a fpiritual Society of Chriftians incorporated into one Body under Chrift the Head: Which Body, as it hath many Privileges, fo hath it many Rules and Precepts to live by; and he that will have the one, muft engage to obferve the other.

Now Infants being capable of Admiffion into this Society, as appears by their Initiation by Circumcifion under the Law, and by Baptifm under the Gofpel; 'tis fit that others fhould promife that for them, which they cannot for themfelves, that they may receive this Benefit, of which, without fuch an Engagement, they must be utterly incapable. 'Tis (you know) a Matter of great Confequence and Advantage, that Children' be receiv'd as early as poffi'ble into this Chriftian Society; that fo if they be taken away in their Infancy or tender Years, they may die in the Church, and depart as the Members of Chrift's Body; and being entred betimes into this facred Community, which is the ordinary way of Salvation, they may be the more fafe and prepar'd to live or die in it. And because Infants cannot make that Engagement in their own Perfons, which is neceffary to thefe ends, the Mercy of God, and the Charity of the Church, allows this to be done by others in their behalf; which tends fo much to their Security and Advantage.

Again, The very Nature of this Ordinance (as one hath well obferv'd) requires fome fuch Perfons in the folemnizing of it: for as Circumcifion was a Covenant of old, whereby the Jews were to keep the whole Law; fo is Baptifm a Covenant now, whereby Chriftians promife to obferve the Gospel.

Now

Part I. Now because Infants cannot promise this for themfelves, nor be admitted into Covenant without fuch an Engagement; the Church very fitly requires and accepts the doing of this by others in their behalf.

Befides, Faith and Repentance are the neceffary Terms and Conditions of this Covenant, which because Children cannot perform, they are admitted into it by the Faith of their Parents, and the Promifes of their Sureties; which Promifes, when they come to Age, themselves are bound to perform.

Moreover, All Nations allow Children Guardians to contract for them in temporal Matters; which Contracts being for their Benefit, they are to make good when they come to riper Years: In like manner, the Church allows them fpiritual Guardians to take care of their Souls, and to promife thofe things in their Name, that are neceffary to bring them into a State of Salvation; which is an Office of higher Charity, and grounded upon better Reason than the other and will be fo esteem'd by all that think the Soul of more Worth than the Body, and prefer the weightier Matters of Eternity before the perifhing Concerns of this

Life.

In fhort, Children are undone out of the Covenant, into which they have no way to enter but by the Engagement of these Sureties; for tho they want not the Grace of Baptifm, yet they are unable to exercise or exprefs that Faith and Repentance which are the neceffary Conditions of it: For which reason, the Church, not without the Allowance or Approbation of God, fupplies this by others that undertake for them; which fhews both the Reason and Ufe of God-fathers and God-mothers. And this will lead me to confider,

;

Thirdly, The Usefulness and Benefit of this fpiritual Relation, which may be feen in many Particulars. As,

:

(1.) 'Tis very much for the Benefit of Infants, in cafe of the Parents Death; for fo it may, and often does happen, that Parents are taken away in the Infancy or Minority of their Children in which cafe, they are left to the wide World; and if they have none to undertake for them, muft be abandon'd to Ignorance, and all manner of Loofenefs. Now, is it not much for the Advantage of fuch Orphans, to have three Perfons (at least) folemnly engag'd, before God and the Congregation, to look after their Education, and to see them brought up in the Nurture and Admonition

of

of the Lord? The Law, we know, allows them Guardians' if the Parents die, to take care of their worldly Goods and Estate; and the Church hath as fitly appointed fpiritual Sureties to take care of their Souls, and to mind and promote their spiritual State.

(2.) Thefe Sureties, or Undertakers, are of great Ufe and Benefit to Children, in cafe of the Remiffness and Negligence of Parents; for it fometimes may, and too frequently does come to pass, that Parents are but too unmindful of the Welfare and Education of their Children; fome thro' Inadvertence, others thro' Poverty, others again thro' too much Fondnefs, leaving their Children to their own Will and Ways, whereby they become headstrong and untractable; and instead of improving in Virtue, become Proficients only in Vice and Immorality.

Now to prevent thefe Evils, the Church hath thought fit to join others with them, to promote their Welfare and Inftruction; requiring thefe God-fathers and God-mothers to have an Eye and tender Regard of them, to call upon and encourage them to learn, to quicken Parents in their Duty, and to affift and join with them for their spiritual Good and Welfare. And what a great Benefit and Security is it for Children, to have thofe, who in cafe of the Death or Negligence of Parents, ftand bound thus to take care of them? Who, that confiders the Weakness of Children, and the many Dangers they are expos'd to, can blame the Prudence of this Cuftom? or call in question the Ufefulness of so charitable and laudable a Practice?

(3.) This is a Means of promoting mutual Love and Kindness among Neighbours, by performing this good Office one for another, and concerning themselves in the Good of each other's Children. The Love and good Agreement of Neighbours is fo much for the Credit of Religion, and the Convenience of Mankind, that 'tis well worth our while to embrace every thing that may tend to beget or increase it. Now, what greater Endearment, or mutual Obligation, can pass between Neighbours, than this of undertaking for the good of one another's Children, and fhewing Kindness to thefe dearest Parts and Pledges of themfelves? By this they efpoufe one another's Interest, and mutually concern themfelves for what is most dear to each other: which is one of the ftrongeft, Bonds of Love and Affection to hold them together. And we cannot but know fome, who, by this Spiritual Relation of God-fathers VOL. I.

D

and

Part I. and God-mothers to each other's Children, have ty'd fuch a firm knot of Love and Friendship, that no time or Accident have been able to unloofe.

Laftly, This way of undertaking for the Education of Children, tends not only to the good of private Perfons and Families, but is of great ufe and benefit likewife to the Publick; for the well inftructing of Youth, and training them up in all divine and human Knowledge, conduces much to the Peace and Profperity of a whole Church and Kingdom. A good Man is a Prop and Pillar of his Country: yea, he is the true Atlas that bears up and fupports the World: whereas the idle and profligate Perfon is the Bane and Burden of the Earth, and lives only on the Spoils and Ruin of his Country. Now the After-course of Men's Lives depends much on the well-principling and training 'em up in the Beginning: they that fet out well at first, commonly keep on in the way they fhould go; but they that are neglected, or ill taught in the beginning, feldom act or go aright ever after. So that the well educating of Children betimes, is a matter of fuch great confequence, both to the private and publick Welfare, that we cannot take too great care about it.

In a word; the Benefit that Infants receive by these Undertakers, of being admitted into the Church; the Security they have of being preferv'd from Apoftafy, by these Sureties; the good Counsel and Admonitions they have, or fhould have, from thefe Monitors; the lively Reprefentation of the new Birth, by the new and fpiritual Relations of God-fathers and God mothers; fhew the Use of them in Baptifm to be a pious, wholefom and commendable Practice. And this will lead us,

Thirdly, To confider the Reafon why the giving of the Name is ufually committed to thefe fpiritual Relations, and not to the natural Parents; the ground whereof may be briefly this. Befide the natural Birth we receive from our Parents, by virtue whereof we bear their Name, there is a new Birth we receive in Baptifm, by virtue whereof we have a new Name prefix'd to it. Now this latter being deriv'd not from our Parents, but from the Grace and Favour of Chrift, called therefore the Chriftian Name; the giving of it fitly belongs to thofe who undertake for our Christianity, and engage that we fhall be bred up and live like Chriftians; which being confirm'd by the Custom and Authority of the Church in all Ages, is abundantly.

.

enough

enough to justify the Practice, and fatisfy us of the Reasonableness of it.

Thus we fee the Antiquity and Ufefulness of God-fathers and God-mothers. But because the Ufe of them hath been impugn'd of late, either thro' the Ignorance or Negligence of fuch as take this Office upon them, 'twill be requifite to add fomething touching the Duty of thefe Sureties, and to ftir them up to a faithful Difcharge of it; which fhall be done in the next Difcourse. In the mean time, from what hath been faid, we may infer thefe two things:

ift, The great Goodness of God towards tender Infants, in admitting them fo early into Covenant with himself; and because they cannot promife or perform the Conditions in their own Perfons, he is pleas'd to admit them upon the Faith of their Parents, and the Engagements of their Sureties. Our Saviour commanded young Children to be brought to him, and blam'd thofe that would have kept them from him; yea, he took them in his Arms, laid his Hands upon them, and bleffed them, declaring that theirs was the Kingdom of Heaven. So that the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings, without uttering any thing, fhew forth his Praife; fince the Mercy that was of old hid from the wife and prudent, is now extended unto Babes.

adly, We learn hence the Piety and Charity of our Church, in taking Infants into her Bofom, by the Promises of others; and, according to our Saviour's Command and Example, receiving them to the Grace and Mercy of the Gofpel.

DISCOURSE V.

LUKE i. 59.

And it came to pass, that on the eighth Day they came to circumcife the Child, and call'd him Za charias, after the Name of his Father.

I

Have already obferv'd from thefe Words, the antient and pious Ufe of God-fathers and God-mothers, who were wont to give the Chriftian Name to the Infants they brought to Baptifm; and likewife to undertake for their breeding up, and living anfwerable thereunto. I proceed now