be found in the Great Day to be but as Hay Wood Stubble or if possible some more Cumbustible Matter Notwithstanding I have thus clearly stated and proved this to be a Truth from Scripture that none can or ought to come to Christ in their Sins yet I doubt not but many who never were led into the Knowledge of their own Hearts to see their Natural Enmity against Christ and Utter Inability to perform any Duty Spiritually will be so far from setting to their Seal that this is true that they will be but the more exasperated We read in Acts 7.54 that when the Apostle had reproved those Jews for their Sin in Crucifying Christ to the end it might not be their ruin they were cut to the Heart but instead of Blessing God for such a Faithful Reprover 't is said they gnashed on him with their Teeth Man is Naturally prone to set up himself and when he cannot make himself the Purchaser of his Salvation he would have a Hand in the Application and how unwelcome shall a Faithful Minister be to such when they come to beat down their Carnal Confidence and to spoil their Glorying in the Flesh And how hard for a Minister who shuns not to declare the whole Counsel of God and whose design is that Christ alone may be exalted to Preach such Doctrine as this but by and by some will be offended Such Doctrine as this would not be received from Christ himself by some was he now on Earth John 6.65,66 And he said Therefore said I unto you that no Man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Mind no sooner had he told them in plain words what I have been proving but from that time many went back and walked no more with him Now if I am judged Erroneous yet I hope such as differ from me in this Point will not judge Christ so yet why Christ should be judged a true Witness and I a false Witness for relating his very Words I see not but if I am yet it more encourages me that Christ is on my side than it shall discourage me though all the Devils in Hell wore against me being fully satisfied that he will be the Judge at the Great Day not only of our Lives but of our Doctrines nor will any Doctrines pass for Truth then if they have not a Divine Stamp upon them and sure I am this Doctrine I oppose hath none I am satisfied if those search the Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation they can find no Text written to prove that Sinners can or ought to come to Christ in their Sins though many Texts prove it the Duty of Sinners to come But to take a review of the forecited Text and to see who they were that forsook Christ for delivering such Doctrine you may see Verse 64. Such as believed not none else Christ turns him to the Twelve Will ye also go away Peter on the behalf of the rest replies Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life As if he had said Lord dost thou think we are so unacquainted with our own Hearts as to go from thee for delivering that Truth that 〈◊〉 who have but tasted thou art Gracious have experienced These are the Words of Eternal Life and therefore thou mayest as well ask us whether we are willing to miss of Life as forsake thee for these Truths sake Thus you see however contemptible this Doctrine was then to those that believed not or may be to such whose Eyes are not yet opened or at least who see no clearer into Divine Mysteries than he who saw Men as Trees yet this was judged such a Fundamental Truth to the Twelve that it behoved them as they tendred the Salvation of their Souls to receive it In a word and I shall close Tho' those that differ from me in this Point may for my good-will become my Enemies because I tell them the Truth yet in love to their Souls I would have them consider whether this Doctrine they defend doth not exclude the Spirit of God from having any hand in the Application of the Benefits purchased by Christ to the Soul And if it doth I hope you will see it to be an Error indeed Now I think none dare deny but that upon our coming to Christ his Benefits are applied to all Now the Question is how or by what power the Soul is enabled to come Say I as renewed and born of the Spirit Tit. 3.3,5 say they though without one Syllable in Scripture to prove it no the Soul comes wreeking in all his Sins unchanged unrenewed and if so then judge if this is not to exclude the Spirit wholly from having any hand in this Work For if such as come to Christ have the Spirit then they do not come as they are in their Sins Let me close all with a Word to you my Auditors and especially to you my Brethren I chiefly designed what is contained in this Book for you that you may be established in the Truth as it is in Jesus Take you heed of rejecting Sound Doctrine lest God give you over to believe a Lie 'T is the Truth must make you free Stand you therefore and Enquire for the good Old Way and walk therein and you shall find rest to your Souls Contend you earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Beware of such pretended Lights as do not shine forth in God's Word In a word if I have delivered nothing in this Book but what I have proved from Scripture then I hope you will see it your Duty to receive these Truths 'T is sad when any Love Darkness rather than Light But if any of you after all my Labour for your sakes should reject these Truths I leave this Book not as a Legacy but as a Witness against you at the Great Day FINIS
is more easily eradicated than a Grown Tree so in this Case Sin by Custom and Continuance gets root and though all things are equally possible to God yet to change an Old Sinner is most difficult in it self We may conceive a greater opposition in the Heart of Grown Persons to a Work of Grace than in Infants The longer we have been wedded to Sin the more unwilling we shall be to give it a Bill of Divorce and put it away So that Infants are as capable of Grace as Adult and more capable as to the Humane Conception of any unless Arminians And though 't is said Faith comes by hearing yet that only points out the ordinary way of God's Working Faith in Adult This directs us to our Duty but sets no bounds or limits to his Power God can work Faith other ways than by the hearing of the Ear if he will Thus having cleared my Proposition that Infants are capable of Faith I now come to confirm the Minor Proposition of my Argument which was this That the Infant Seed of Believers are such as we have good ground from Scripture to hope are Believers Before I proved Infants were capable of Faith now I come to prove some Infants have Faith which I prove thus Argument If some Infants get to Heaven then some Infants have Faith But some Infants do get to Heaven therefore some Infants have Faith 'T is possible that the Anabapatists may say That there is no necessity for Infants to have Faith in order to their getting to Heaven but I am loth to resign up such a Gospel Truth meerly because they have said it I shall lay down nothing but what I shall prove from plain Scripture and I shall expect the same of them especially in Matters of such grand Import And sure I am the Scripture no where affirms any such thing that any can get to Heaven without Faith-Nay Nay I am certain the whole Currant of Scripture doth in most express terms run directly contrary thereunto as I shall shew anon So that we cannot open our Mouths in Defence of such a Notion unless we dare even fight against God I grant indeed there are some Secrets in God's working in Infants yet this makes nothing against the Truth of the thing because we cannot comprehend it We cannot conceive the manner how God works Grace in Adult unless very imperfectly As John 3.8 the Wind Bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the Sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth so is every one that is Born of the Spirit Mind every one Adult as well as Infants where Christ himself makes it as hard to know how God Regenerates as to give Account of the Wind which hath puzzled our wisest Philosophers We may feel the Wind refresh us and see the effects of it but cannot tell exactly how it is caused So in this Case we may find and feel the refreshing Influence of the Spirit in our selves and may see the effects of it in others yet can no more comprehend the manner of his working than we can conceive how the Body is formed in the Womb of her that is with Child Eccles 11.5 There you have these two compared Why then should it be thought incredible that God should Work Faith in Infants Though we cannot fully comprehend his way of Working God can make use of various ways to effect one and the same thing though in the mean time he gives us no account of his Matters His ways are in the deep Waters and his Footsteps are not known And sure I am if we must believe nothing but what we can fully comprehend the Articles of our Faith may stand in less room for what can we say as to the Trinity we are bound to believe such a thing because God hath revealed it but alas how little can we comprehend of Three in One or to the Hypostatical Union of Two Natures Personally united What shall we say as to the Resurrection of the Dead Of the Joys of Heaven or the Torments of Hell If nothing must be Believed but what we can comprehend we must blot out these and many more Articles of our Creed Is not this the way to Atheism if we must not believe God to be unless we can comprehend him since 't is but a little portion we have heard of him Job 26.14 and since none can by searching find out God to Perfection This is to prefer the Light within or Carnal Reason above the Word of God if we must not believe God's Word unless we can comprehend it Nay this is to make a Man worse than a Beast while he must not believe that which he sees Hence we must not believe such a thing as the Tide or Sun since though it is easie to see both yet we cannot fully comprehend either Nay at this rate we must not believe our selves to be Creatures since we cannot tell how we were formed in the dark Recesses of the Womb for we are said to be wonderfully made In a word by this Rule we must believe nothing because there is nothing but what doth in some respect or other exceed our shallow Understandings This is a Rule to be observed among all that profess themselves Christians whatever God reveals we are to believe though it be as far above the reach of our Reason as the Heavens are above the Earth since 't is impossible for God to Lie and Blasphemous for us to suppose he should and worse to suppose God to Lie than to suppose him not to be As once Plutarch said Malo de me dici nullum esse Plutarchum quam malum Plutarchum I had rather said he Man should say I am not than say I am wicked And therefore since God hath in his Word set forth the necessity of Grace and Faith in order to our getting to Glory we ought to Believe the one or to Despair of the other Some time since I was reading a Book put out by one of the most Learned of the Anabaptists and in that he owns the Sins of Children are done away and that some such if not all such do go to Heaven but most boldly affirms they are not done away in Regeneration But sure that Gentleman would have done well to have told us which way they are cleansed and not to leave so many tender-hearted Parents mourning for their deceased Infants as those without hope as they must needs do if they are not capable of Regeneration or if they cannot tell some others way how they may be fitted for Heaven But I perceive that Gentleman was resolved none should know his new-found way but himself let the effects be what they will But though he is thus unkind his Dear Brother Mr. C. seems to be a Man of a better Spirit and though he seems to agree with him in the former yet he tells us if we will believe him how Sin comes to be destroyed in Infants and that is saith he
of Baptism for since Baptism comes in the room of Circumcision the Subjects of that Ordinance were so well known they needed not to be again mentioned if an express Command is so necessary I would know what Command the Anabaptists can produce or instance either for to Baptize by Dipping I am certain they can produce no such Command in Scripture but they will reply Tho' they have neither Precept or President yet because the Word signifies so therefore they do it so say I to say nothing now how variously that Word is used as to Baptizing Infants Tho' we have no express Precept in so many Words or President yet because we have many Words and great part of some Chapters too in Scripture that signifie to us that some Infants have been and ought to be Baptized therefore I do it and why Significations and Meanings in Scripture may not be allowed to us as well as them I see not And thus having produced plain Scripture for Infant Baptism since nothing less will do or at least I conceive as plain as can be produced to Baptize Adult I shall conclude this Point touching the Subject with a reasonable Request to my Christian Friend the Anabaptists which is that either they would receive the Doctrine laid down or give some plain Scripture to prove something of what I have laid down to be falfe and if they will not comply with my Request that which I have often feared will too evidently appear to be a Truth that it is Love to a Party more than to the Truth that hath made them so earnestly contend I have often observed 't is no easie Matter to convince some Men of Truth when they have been accustomed to Error they scorn to be informed by others the Pride of their Hearts makes them shut their Eyes that they will not see and we say none are so blind as they that will not see and if this Spirit or Ignorance do not prevail with my Reader I hope he and I shall be both of one Mind for the time to come which will be the Joy of my Heart yet not so much that I have gained the Cause I have been contending for as that this unhappy Controversie is like to be ended and my Friends the Anabaptists brought to the Acknowledgment of the Truth as it is in Jesus Having finished my Discourse as to the Subject of Baptism I designed at first to proceed no further but to the end that nothing may be wanting for the full Satisfaction of such as desire it about the whole of Baptism I shall make some brief Enquiry as to the manner how this Ordinance ought to be Administred whether by Dipping only or otherwise for I never expect that the Anabaptists should resignup their beloved Errors so long as they have any thing which looks like a Strong Hold to shelter them And therefore knowing how earnestly they contend about the Manner how as well as the Subject who I shall a little insist on that also And though perhaps my Reader may cry Victory before he read any further yet I would desire him to forbear Boasting at least till he put off the Harness lest all that hear him in the end Laugh at him Now the Grand Plea of the Anabaptists for Dipping is the word in the Original signifies so But what if the only Reply to them in this Case should be the same they give to us in other Cases Give me a plain Scripture since Significations and doubtful Meanings are of no force with them But referring my Reader to the late Portsmouth Disputation about the Signification of the word by Mr. Chandler c. not being willing to trouble my Reader with any thing of this Nature in my Book which he may read in another I shall keep to plain Scripture since that is most like to convince the common sort of Readers and shall consider if the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is used by Christ and his Apostles whom we must suppose well knew how to use proper words to express their meaning can with any shew of reason always signifies Dipping under Water but to prevent all mistakes and that the difference may not be by any supposed to be greater than it is if it be enquired whether it may not in some case be lawful to Baptize by Dipping I grant it may but the Question is whether we may not as lawfully Baptize some other way This the Anabaptists deny and I affirm and hope I shall prove by these following Texts Acts 1.5 John Baptized with Water Now while 't is said with Water not in Water it seems to imply he did not Dip them only made use of Water in that Ordinance for how improper would it be to say I Dipped such a thing with Water But not at all to say I wash'd such a thing with Water when we only sprinkle it or throw Water upon it See another Text Mark 7.4 And when they come from the Market unless they wash they Eat not Those words unless they wash are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless they Baptize and the Words of Tables in the end of the Verse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Beds Now it is scarce consistent with Reason to suppose that they should so frequently dip their Beds If they did we may suppose them very unfit to lye on for some time The Pharisees had such a proud conceit of themselves that they thought if they did but deal with others they are defiled by so doing and therefore after they came from the Market they were to wash their Hands with which they had delivered any thing to or received any thing from others but that they should on all such occasions Dip themselves wholly under Water seems to be both incredible and ridiculous and yet this is in the Original called a Baptizing as you have heard All I have found answered to this is that in washing they Dipped their Hands and so it was Dipping still though not the whole Body To which I answer In washing our Hands we are not wont to Dip them unless some part of them So that all they can from hence inferr is that some little part of the Body ought to be Dipped in Baptism as much as the Hands or Fingers end why then do the Anabaptists impose Dipping the whole Body and hazard the Life by so doing when it might as well be some little Part of the Body only If they love Peace why do they not shew themselves willing to comply with us as far as they can with a good Conscience since they are forced from this Scripture to own there is no necessity from the signification of the Word to Dip or Plung the whole Body under Water Another Text to be considered is 1 Cor. 10.2 And where all Baptized into Moses in the Clouds and in the Sea But can we suppose they were dipped in the Cloud On the other hand doth not the falling of the Rain from