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How The practice of "Owning The Covenant"
Relates to the
Heresy of Decisional Regeneration

The practice of "Owning The Covenant" began when Puritan church leaders agreed to the Half-way Covenant.

The Anglican Church regarded Christian piety more as a habit of life, formed under the training of childhood, and less as a marked spiritual change in experience. This was the main reason the Puritans and Pilgrims left the Church of England. This was also the main reason the Pilgrims and Puritans were persecuted by the Church of England. They did not believe salvation was assured if one made a "confession of faith" at the conclusion of Church of England catechism. They also did not believe supernatural regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was likely to happen by using the "means of grace" available in the established church. They saw the Church of England as a daughter harlot of the harlot Romish church, so they felt called to "come out from among them" (2 Corinthians 6:17). THIS WAS WHY THEY WERE PERSECUTED AS DISSENTERS.

"Owning the Covenant" was a practice of Halfway Members that enabled them to baptize their children in the local Congregational Church. "Owning the Covenant" was a verbal assent to the truths of the Bible and a statement of intention to keep the requirements of the local Congregational Church. It could be done without the person completing a catechism course. It enabled the Halfway Member to baptize babies, but not partake of the lord's Supper. This compromise was a repudiation of the reason Congregational Churches thought they were fundamentally different from the Church of England and other state churches. State churches, including the Presbyterian Church (state church of Scottland) all use a catechism system whereby people baptized as a baby could be officially recognized as a full member if they say a prayer after a course of catechism. While Congregational churches practiced infant baptism, they did not recognize anyone as a member unless God regenerated them. The Halfway Covenant suspended the regeneration requirement so unregenerate persons could baptize their babies.

Previous to the Halfway Covenant, only persons that God had supernaturally regenerated and were indwelt with the Holy Spirit were allowed to baptize their babies Here is a typical view of the regenerate person given by John Bunyan, who was a popular minister with Puritans and Pilgrims:

"He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, — whose praise is not of men, but of God' (Rom 2:28,29: Phil 3:1-4). Now a confession of this by word and life, makes this inward circumcision visible...The rule by which men are proved new creatures: The word of faith, and the moral precept. Wherefore Paul exhorteth the Ephesians not to walk, 'as other Gentiles, in the vanity of their mind'; seeing they had received Christ, and had 'heard him, and had been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus.' That they would put off the old man; what is that? Why, 'the former conversation,' which is 'corrupt according to the deceitful lusts'; lying, anger, sin, giving place to the devil, corrupt communication, all bitterness, wrath, clamour, evil-speaking, with all malice.

And that they would 'put on the new man.' What is that? That which is 'created in righteousness and true holiness'; a being 'renewed in the spirit' of their mind, and a putting away all these things (Eph 4). 'For in Christ Jesus'; these words are put in, on purpose to shew us the nature of New Testament administrations, and how they differ from the old ... The new creature hath a rule by himself to walk by; and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Paul to the Philippians commandeth as much; where treating of his own practice in the doctrine of faith and holiness, requireth them to walk by the same rule, to mind the same thing. I desire to be found in Christ, saith he, I reach forward toward the things that are before; my conversation is in heaven, and flatly opposite to them whose God is their belly, who glory in their shame, and who mind earthly things. Brethren, saith he, 'be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so' (Phil 3:17). Mark them; for what?

For persons that are to be received into fellowship, and the choicest communion of saints. And indeed this is the safest way to judge of the meetness of persons by: for take away the confession of faith and holiness; and what can distinguish a Christian from a Turk? He that indeed receiveth faith, and that squareth his life by the royal, perfect, moral precept; and that walketh therein, in the joy and peace of the Holy Ghost, no man can reject him … if their greatest excellency, as to the visibility of their saintship, lieth in an outward conformity to an outward circumstance in religion, their profession is not worth two mites".

For an exhaustive criticism of "owning the covenant", please read Jonathan Edwards' treatise on admitting only saints.