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The "colorized" portions were not inserted by me but are part of the actual form. Let's get that point in our minds first.
Well I don’t know what modernized version of the form you have but the two Psalters that I have are printed it black and white.


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Secondly, I have not charged the Dutch Reformed Churches in general with holding to BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, but rather PRESUMPTIVE REGENERATION. The former is held by both Roman Catholics and Lutherans, i.e., baptism has some inherent salvific qualities.
Sorry

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Thirdly, what the first part of the form says is true, i.e., taught in Scripture. However, the form then goes on to say that this necessity of being born again INHERENTLY belongs to all the children of believers. This is PRESUMPTIVE REGENERATION... get it?
No need for sarcasm. One of the primary ways God builds his church is thru covenant families. Not the hear today gone tomorrow type churches that are antagonistic against paedobaptists. No regenerated creature (some congregations have over 1500 members) would ever believe that every one is presumably regenerated. The form says “Whereas in all covenants, there are contained two parts: therefore are we by God through baptism, admonished of, and obliged unto new obedience, namely, that we cleave to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that we trust in him, and love him with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our mind, and with all our strength; that we forsake the world, crucify our old nature, and walk in a new and holy life” therefore those who are not born again and do not show forth fruits of being changed by God are still dead in their sins.

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The form is indisputably clear in its teaching that covenant children are "in Christ".
Obviously this is speaking of the covenant of grace as opposed to being within the realm of the covenant.

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Now, perhaps you weren't a member here when the debate with Dr(s). McMahon took place over this heresy. But if you were then let me remind you that this is exactly what is believed among those who believe covenant children are "to be considered Christians unless they repudiate "the faith", i.e., deny the fundamental tents of Christianity.
Dr. WHO. So YOU deny that there are some whom the seed of regeneration has been implanted by God between conception or dying in infancy and IF----> you believe that then all children who die in infancy go to Eternal Hell. Again the form says “First. That we with our children are conceived and born in sin, and therefore are children of wrath, in so much that we cannot enter into the kingdom of God, except we are born again. This, the dipping in, or sprinkling with water teaches us, whereby the impurity of our souls is signified, and we admonished to loathe, and humble ourselves before God, and seek for our purification and salvation without ourselves also”.

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Again, in the New Testament, the term "in Christ" refers to and only refers to that union with Christ which is established by faith. And only those who have been "born again" by the Spirit of God, i.e., those elected to salvation by God from all eternity are given faith at regeneration. Thus, to state that the baptized infant is "in Christ" is de facto to also state that the child is regenerate... NOT due to baptism but due to the infant's relationship to a believing parent, aka: covenant child.

Again the form is speaking about the covenant of Grace, any regenerated person knows that there a two seeds. As it is written, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated". Also this is clearly and beautifully taught in the Three Forms of Unity and summarize the Bible's doctrine of the covenant. It's thru these confessions the "The Dutch Reformed Churches" must look at the Form. Any other way is apostasy. Again it's not typical of the "Dutch Refomed Tradition".


William,