# "Interest in the covenant" by birth



## nwink (Apr 7, 2011)

What does the Westminster Directory of Public Worship mean when it says regarding baptism, "That the promise is made to believers and their seed; and that the seed and posterity of the faithful, born within the church, _have, by their birth, interest in the covenant_, and right to the seal of it, and to the outward privileges of the church, under the gospel..."

What does it mean that children of believers have an "interest in the covenant" by their birth? Thanks.


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## Peairtach (Apr 7, 2011)

There are biblical - and hence by definition covenantal - promises, priviledges and responsiblities that apply to the children of believers.


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## MW (Apr 7, 2011)

nwink said:


> What does it mean that children of believers have an "interest in the covenant" by their birth? Thanks.


 
There is disagreement over the meaning -- some importing a minimal, others a maximal interpretation. Much of the difficulty on these kinds of questions arises because God is pleased to bless the outward means of grace for the salvation of the elect, thus making it difficult at times to distinguish the means of salvation with salvation itself. At a bare minimum it means that God has His elect among the infants brought up within the church, that they are blessed with the outward and ordinary means of grace, are engaged to be the Lord's, and at some point must make a personal profession of faith in order to become full members and partakers of the Lord's table. All would agree with this (barring paedocommunionists, who really should not be regarded as reformed at all). The consciousness that God is their God, together with the conditionality of faith and repentance, are points of disagreement. I think all would at least agree that some infants are converted in infancy and do not necessarily have a consciousness of a conversion experience. The dispute is whether this should be set forth as normal.


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