ldren they freely call members of the Christian
church; and, in catechisms and confessions of faith, the church of
Christ is declared to consist of such as are in covenant relations with
God, and their offspring."

The sermon being finished, Mr. R. was first called upon by the chairman,
Mr. C., for his remarks. The question, as stated by the chairman, was,
Are the children of believers, in any sense, members of the church? If
so, what is it? and, if not, what relation to the church do they
sustain?

_Mr. R._ I presume that brother A. does not wish us to take up time with
criticisms upon his style. He seeks to know our views with regard to the
subject of the sermon. I am compelled to say, at once, that I differ
from the views expressed by the reader, if he means by the terms,
_members_ and _membership_, which he employs, all which they would
convey to the majority of hearers. But I noticed that when he, and those
excellent men whom he quotes, come to define what they mean by members,
and membership, in this connection, they make explanations, and
qualifications, and also protestations, showing that no one can be, in
their view, a member of the spiritual, or, what is called the invisible,
church of Christ, without repentance and faith. Rightly understood,
therefore, they are free from any just imputation of making unscriptural
terms of membership in the kingdom of Christ. And, perhaps, when those
of us who dissent from some of their propositions, fully understand the
limitations which the writers themselves affix to their use of terms, no
great discrepancy will be found to exist.

It admits of a question, therefore, in my view, whether the terms
_members_ and _membership_, as applied to children, really mean that
which these writers themselves intend to convey by them; for certainly
they do not mean all which their readers at first suppose. The terms in
question require a great deal of explanation, which a term, if possible,
ought never to need. And, after all has been said, a wrong impression is
conveyed to the minds of many, while opponents gain undue advantage in
arguing against that which, for substance, all the friends of infant
baptism cordially maintain.

If Br. A. is asked, "In what sense are children members of the church,"
he resorts, for illustration, to citizenship, and to the sisterhood in
the church itself, to show how children and females may be members of
the community, and, in the case of females, may