Afterthought
Puritan Board Senior
Rutherford argues that circumcised adults in the Old Testament are the same as baptized adults in the NT. Hence, children born in the visible church of wicked parents are to be baptized because children born of wicked circumcised adults were to be circumcised. His "known unbelievers" in the quoted section is referring to those in the NT who are not to be admitted to the Lord's Supper. Rutherford elsewhere argues in Due Right of Presbyteries that the right partaking of the Passover required the same self-examination that is required in the Lord's Supper, including heart preparation.Rutherford makes it clear that what is required for participation in the Lord's Supper today was not required by circumcised adults in the Old Covenant. They were not put out for lack of faith. He says they were "known unbelievers" and retained every right to Old Covenant membership.