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B08272 Animadversions upon the Antisynodalia americana, a treatise printed in old England; in the name of the dissenting brethren in the synod held at Boston in New England 1662. Tending to clear the elders and churches of New England from those evils and declinings charged upon many of them in the two prefaces before the said book. Together with an answer unto the reasons alledged for the opinion of the dissenters, and a reply to such answers as are given to the arguments of the synod. / by John Allin, pastor of the Church of Christ at Dedham in N. England. Allin, John, 1596-1671. 1664 (1664) Wing A1035; ESTC W19760 64,983 88

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case of these in question who were in Covenant with God and his Church and had the Seal of Baptism set thereto before Genes 17.7 1 Cor. 12.13 and therefore this Owning of the Covenant is onely a manifestation of their continuance in it And hence this is not the Form of their Membership but a Duty of their Covenant and doth not in it self fit them for full Communion except withall they hold out such Qualifications as the Word of God r●quireth thereunto A Youth that hath the const●tuent causes of a Man Soul and Body with some Understanding and Reason is not thereby capable of all Priviledges of a man as To Marry Give good Assurances of Lands and the like An adult person received into the Church by personal Covenant is not fit for the Lords Supper meerly because he hath Covenanted for except he hath suitable qualifications he will Eat judgement to himself Reas 2. Because those that were admitted by personal Covenant in the Primitive Church continued in full Communion Acts 2.41 Ans There is not the same reason for they were admitted in adult age and also indued with eminent Gifts of the Holy Ghost These being admitted in Infancy do onely by Owning the Covenant manif●st their continuance therein The Indians newly converted and holding forth so much Faith and Repentance as may admit them into the Church and Baptism might yet need further Preparation to the Lords Supper not having such eminent gifts Reas 3. Because this Doctrine presupposeth that what Knowledge Faith and Repentance is required in adult persons coming to Baptism is not sufficient to the Lords Supper Ans This Doctrine doth not suppose it for it speaketh onely of such adult persons as were Baptized in infancy not to be Baptized in adult age It supposeth onely that persons Baptized in infancy and continuing in the Covenant and visible Church may yet be unable to Examine themselves and discern the Lords Body And hence the Reasons which here follow touch not this case And it is well if some of them do not argue Against the Baptizing of In●ants or That Infants Baptized may partake of the Lords Supper CHAP. VI. Concerning the fifth Proposition Propos 5. CHurch-members who were admitted in minority understanding the Doctrine of Faith and publickly professing their Assent thereto not scandalous in life and solemnly owning the Covenant before the Church wherein they give up themselves and their children to the Lord and subject themselves to the Government of Christ in the Church their children are to be Baptized This Proposition say our Brethren doth stumble us most Their Reasons are Reas 1. Because there being three Expressions propounded this swerveth further then the other from the Scripture Ans Be it granted that several terms and expressions of these Qualifications were propounded these onely in conclusion were Assented unto But if our Brethren judge That they all swerved from the Scripture what matter is it which swerved most from it If this swerveth most they have the more advantage of Dispute against it But seeing they stumble so much at this I shall easily remove this Block out of their way Obj. First say they in the former Expressions it was required they should understand the Grounds of Religion here no more then the Doctrine of Faith So that they may be ignorant of the Doctrine of the Moral Law and so have no knowledge of Sin of the Duties of Holiness Righteousness Sabbaths c. Ans As if the Doctrine of Faith were not as large as all the Grounds of Religion both in the acceptation of Scripture and of Orthodox Divines Phil. 1.27 when the Apostle exhorts them to strive for the Faith of the Gospel might they let go the Doctrine of the Moral Law or any other Grounds of Religion 2 Tim. 4.7 when Paul saith He had kept the Faith did he let go the Doctrine of the Moral Law and other Grounds of Religion Jude ver 3. Contend for the Faith was not that Faith opposed to the fi●●●y Dreamers that sinned against the Moral Law and therefore surely the Doctrine of Faith comprehends the Doctrine of the Moral Law When our Synod at Cambridge 1648. declared their Consent with the Assembly of Divines in England in The Doctrine of Faith and the Assembly at the Savoy calleth that Book A Declaration of their Faith and Order do they not mean by the word Faith all the Grounds of Religion excepting onely matters of Order But what need more Instances when the Preface to this Book telleth the world of A few Names that are stedfast in the Faith and Order of the Gospel I dare not be so uncharitable to think that such persons do not hold fast The Doctrine of the Moral Law and all The Grounds of Religion Surely the Synod intended it so Obj. 2. In the second Expression it was required that they should be Examined of their sense of their need of Christ and desires after him here only of their Assent to the Doctrine of Faith which the Devils may have A●s But if such sense of their need of Christ and desires after him should not upon such Examination appear but this Assent to the Doctrine of Faith with all the other Qualifications Might not this suffice to shew their Continuance in the visible Church What if the Devils may give an Assent to the Truth it is not free but inforced and they want all the other Qualifications that these have Obj. 3. The former required that they should give Satisfaction for any Offence they had fallen into here onely that they are not Scandalous in life The former viz. Offences comprehend Original Sin or any other committed against God or man Jam. 3 2. Scandal in lif● noteth onely Notorious sins and a course therein Ans That they stumble at this must needs arise from a very rigid Principle whereof this Treatise hath too many For who ever took up that of Original Sin as matter of offence to deal with his Brother for it Or what Rule have we to call for Satisfaction for that or for all such Words or Actions as are Offences to God or man A practice that the Apostle condemneth in that very place alledged Jam. 3 1. Be not many masters for in many things we offend all and therefore pity and bear with one another and be not so rigid to require Satisfaction for every Offence If this were not so what use were there of those Rules of Love 1 Cor. 13.7 Love beareth all things Gal. 6.2 Bear one anothers burthens Col. 3.13 Forbearing one another 2. It is evident Luke 17.1 2 3. that Offences to be dealt with are Scandals Woe to him that scandalizeth one of these little ones and Impenitency in any such Scandal deserveth the highest Censure but repented of ceaseth to be a Scandal or Offence Mat. 18. yea although such a Scandal should not be a notorious sin nor continued in but in one act So that Not to be scandalous in life is full as large
to God by Christ according to it not destroying their Profession by Errours everting the Foundation or unholiness of Conversation are Members of the visible Church Now it cannot be denied that the persons described in the fifth Proposition of the Synod are such for they profess their Assent to the Doctrine of Faith and subjection to the Rules and Discipline of Christ they give up themselves to God own the Covenant do not destroy their Profession by Errours nor unholiness of life holding the Doctrine of Faith and not being scandalous in life So that for ought that appears that Assembly agreeth rather with the Synod then with the Dissenters 2. In that our Brother maketh such a distinction between the third part of the Stars of New-England swept down and A few Names in New-England that hold fast the Name of God and are stedfast in the Faith and Order of the Gospel How well this Comparison a●reeth with the Rules of Charity Humility and Modesty I shall leave to the judgement of others 3. I must enquire into the Truth and Grounds of so deep a Charge laid upon more then the third part of the Stars the Lights set up in the Churches of New-England Is it the present Doctrine of this Synod inlarging the Subject of Baptism beyond the Opinion of the Dissenters that is their fall from Heaven And the more strict Opinion of our Brethren the Character of those few Names remaining that hold fast the Faith and Order of the Gospel as indeed it seemeth to be so For 1. This is the occasion taken up to make this Comparison And 2. Those other Imputations of Forsaking former P●actices Recanting of Elders New Conversion of New-England in reference to this Doctrine seem to intimate as much 3. And that Expression of a few Names holding fast the Faith and Order of the Gospel doth plainly intimate that not only more then a third part of the Stars but also the generality of New England are greatly departed from the Faith and Order of the Gospel and that at the present in the judgement of this Author which is so high a strain that I am loth to say what might be spoken of it Now if this be our Fall from Heaven it is our comfort that we are not yet faln so farre as many bright Stars of the first Magnitude that have shined gloriously in the Churches such as Calvin Cartwright Perkins Ames and hundreds more whose judgement is well known to be larger in this Point then the Synod doth hold forth And we are faln no further then blessed C●ton Th●lip Shepard Ro●ers and others of the Bay Churches Famous Hooker and Stone of Connectico● Prudden of New-Haven Partridge and Newman of Plimouth with divers other Lights in N●w-England of whom I am perswaded that they are gotten to Heaven in that Opinion whereby we are supposed to be swept down from Heaven But let this Brother beware lest himself and his few Names be not judged by some to be swept down from Heaven also who hold an Opinion That Infants of the Church are to be Baptized which is not so strict a Tenent as they would have 4. But if this so great a Charge be laid upon more then the third part of the Stars upon any other ground let it be considered whether the Rules of Charity and Gospel-Order would not require that he should first have Convinced his Brethren of their Fa● yea indeed of their supposed Errour about the Subject of Baptism before he should cast so great a Scandal upon them before the face of the world even an Heretick may have two Admonitions before rejection However whether it be this or that ground surely this course doth not a little darken that loud Profession of our Brother's holding fast to the Order of the Gospel It hath been our portion all along to go through evil Reports from the mouthes of many discontented persons and corrupt Opinionists Familists Anabaptists Quakers and the like but I little expected such things as these from so near a Friend and Brother I will not deny or excuse the Declining of many Professors to corrupt Opinions to the World Loose Wayes and the like Neither will I justifie all things in all the Elders of New-England failings may be found in Judgement and Practice and perhaps some may be larger in their Judgement concerning The Subject of Baptism then the Synod doth hold forth But God forbid we should judge them to be swept down from Heaven that differ from us in greater matters then these or for such Blemishes as are incident to good men But whether the generality of the Stars in New-England Churches be not yet in the right hand of Christ shining in their Orbs with the light of Heavenly Doctrine and Christian Conversation I appeal to the Consciences of all the sober-minded People of God in the Country yea and also to the Conscience of the Author of this Preface himself who gives this Testimony of the Elders in the Synod being more then half the Elders of all the Churches of New-England pag. 5. viz. That they were able learned and godly and again Eminent in Learning and Piety However it be it is a very little thing to be judged of men whether approved or condemned Concerning that which is said of Mr. Parker by name for Publishing a Book in favour of Episcopacy our Brother doth or might know that the Book is distastful also to his Brethren as well as to himself yet the approved Learning and Piety of the person might have called for better language As for that Imputation That the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book findeth some Advocates in New-England who can finde Stakes and Materials to edifie Gods People in a Congregational Church as is said I wonder that a man of Piety and Gravity should venture to publish such things to the world upon As is said and to what end is it except to cast dirt upon his Brethren Much more then is true is said of that and other things The Lord help such as profess such stedfastness in the Faith and Order of the Gospel to walk up to the Rules of Gospel-Order and Charity more then this Brother hath done Thus much to the first Preface Concerning the second To the General Court I shall Animadvert onely upon two or three Passages of it And 1. Whereas pag. 8. they tell the Honoured Court That they have yielded and voted with the rest so farre that rightly considered and practised it would silence all sad Complaints against the many great and prevailing corruptions of Youth amongst us Ans It is true that one of the chief of our Dissenting Brethren did propound and earnestly promote the third Proposition viz. That the Infant-seed of the Church are Members of the same Church with their Parents and when they are grown up are personally under the Watch and Government of the Church and this rightly practised would indeed tend much to the end aforesaid for so the Church by an Ordinance of Christ