On the Baptism of the Children of Adherents

An adherent is someone who professes Christianity in some measure, possibly simply by showing up regularly to Church, but, for whatever reason (and there may be numerous), the person is not a member of the Church and possibly does not come to the Lord's Table. It also includes the following categories of persons, who:  Were baptized as a child, have grown, married, and have had children, but do not profess personal faith, and they desire their children to be raised in the church.  Persons who have been baptized as children, but who struggle with assurance of faith and are hence reluctant to come to the Lord’s Table.  New converts to Christianity who are not yet ready to partake of the Lord’s Supper.  Professing believers who are under the discipline of the church and have been barred from the Table. Should their children be baptized?  The answer depends largely on Covenant Theology. If such baptized church members who do not communicate at the Lord’s Table are externally in the Covenant, then their children are too, and should be baptized. If such church members are not externally in the Covenant, then neither are their children, and their children should not be baptized.  The older view of the Reformation and puritan era was nearly universally: Yes, baptized church members who do not partake at the Lord’s Supper are still externally in Covenant with God, and hence their children should be baptized, baptism being the sign and seal of being externally in Covenant with God.  This work is a cleaned up version of Samuel Rutherford, A Peaceable & Temperate Plea for Paul's Presbytery in Scotland ...  (London, 1642), ch. 12. For more resources on this topic, see the webpage: https://reformedbooksonline.com/topics/topics-by-subject/baptism/the-baptism-of-the-children-of-adherents/