A REPLICATION TO A Late BOOK Written By Mr. Benjamin Keach AGAINST Infants-Baptism INTITULED A Counter-Antidote c. By Gyles Shute of Lime-house LONDON Printed for the Author Published and Sold by Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall and Nath. Hiller in Leaden-hall-street 1694. Price Three Pence A REPLICATION TO A Late BOOK Written By Mr. Benjamin Keach AGAINST Infants-Baptism SIR I have carefully perused your Book and I find that you have dealt very disingenuously by me and have made several unkind Steps upon my Credit and Reputation which is not at all becoming a Christian especially one of your Figure Secondly Your whole Book is reducible to five General Heads The First is against our Mode of Baptism viz. sprinkling or pouring water in Baptism and to prove that Dipping or Immersion is the only Mode in Baptism Secondly To invalid the Notion of Habitual Faith in Elect dying Infants and to prove they are saved without it Thirdly To prove the Dissolution of the Everlasting Covenant God made with Abraham and all his Seed calling it a Covenant of Circumcision only Fourthly To prove that none but Adult Believers are the Subjects of Baptism Fifthly and Lastly To prove that the Church-State before the coming in of the Gospel was only a carnal Legal Church-State and therefore destroyed and dissolved by the coming in of the Gospel Now upon these Five Pillars your Opinion is built and from these five Topicks are all your Arguments raised and deduced against us Paedo-baptists wherefore to confute these five Heads is to Answer all your Book But before I enter upon the controversie I must acquaint the Reader with some of Mr. Keach's unkind Steps he hath made upon my Credit and Reputation which I conceive was to render me as black and odious in the Eye of the World as possibly he could So that what I have written in Vindication of Infant-baptism and the Everlasting Covenant God made with Abraham might meet with the less esteem among People of all Perswasions But however Truth will be Truth still notwithstanding all the opposition that is made against it by Men of corrupt Principles 1. Saith Mr. B. K. This Man hath come too near to the Expressions and bitter Reflections John Child uttered against us falsely called Anabaptists who soon after fell under fearful horrour of Conscience and Desperation c. And pray observe how his Reverend Brother 〈◊〉 as he calls him and he are agreed for In pag. 11. of his late Book he saith Is not this the Man David spake of that travelled with Iniquity conceived Mischief and brought forth Falsehood Remember remember John Child whose chief cause of desperation was his speaking and writing against those very People of God you now do Here you see these two Reverend Brethren are both agreed in their Verdict against me wherefore in Answer unto it I will lay down some of the chief things which were the cause of his Desperation and it may be we may find one Mr. H. C. among the Witnesses unto it in Print and then I will leave it to all those who have read my Book to judge whether I am not most horribly abused by these two Gentlemen And for the full clearing up of this Matter I have procured their own Parties Testimony to witness against them in that Book which was written and attested by Mr. Thomas Plant and Mr. Benj. Dennis concerning the cause of Mr. John Child's Desperation First Mr. Dennis in pag. 10. saith He freely discoursed the Grief of his Mind expressing and setting forth his Condition to be most deplorable as having no hope of Salvation I laid before him with the greatest tenderness the Freeness and Riches of Gods Grace chusing to argue from his own former declared Opinion against Limiting of it but could fasten no word of consolation or hope upon him Secondly Here is the Testimony of Mr. H. C. himself in pag. 18. Mr. Child I am informed your Trouble arises from the Publishing a Book Intituled The Second Argument c. What part of that Book troubles you most Mr. Child taking up the Book began to read where he saith The greatest number of Dissenters do hold Principles dangerously Heretical and most abominably abusing the most Holy and Blessed God c. But before he could end that Paragraph being under extream agony of mind and weeping bitterly put the Book from him and spake to this effect viz. I have represented those of Calvin's Principles beyond what ever they conceived strained their Opinions beyond their Intentions and drawn such Consequences as never were in their Mind and striking his Breast with much anguish said These words lie close I shall never get over this I writ in prejudice against them calling them a Villainous Body of People which was unjust Thirdly and Lastly to name no more in pag. 26. said one of the Company that was with him It may be your Endeavours heretofore too much to advance Free-will and the Power of the Creature may be one reason why the Lord hath permitted you thus to fall Mr. Child replied You have hit it Sir I once thought there was a power in Man but now I find it otherwise for I cannot pray the Lord hath taken away the Gift of Prayer from me I have no desire after any thing that is good I cannot repent Mr. Child did not write against the Anabaptists as such but he writ against the Calvinists among all perswasions that hold Election and Predestination therefore how could these Men declare to the World in Print contrary to their own Testimony that Mr. Child's chiefest cause of Desperation was his speaking and writing against those very People of God I now do Pray who is the Man David spake of they or I Did I ever write against the Free Grace of God Pray do me the Justice as to read the Vindication of the Antidote pag. 167 to 173. and see whether I am an Arminian or not as both these Gentlemen slily insinuate for Mr. Child was so to whom they have compared me 2. In pag. 2. saith Mr. K. I think few men who have had to do with us in this Controversie shewed a more sour Spirit than Mr. Baxter And yet did he ever deny us to be True Churches or call our Baptism counterfeit To which I Answer He hath called it worse Let any Man read Mr. Baxter's Book of Plain Scripture-proof of Infants Church-membership and Baptism in chap. 13. pag. 136 and 137. there Mr. Baxter hath charged the Anabaptists with being guilty of breaking the Seventh Commandment in their Dipping Women and Maids as he Phrases it either naked or as the Modestest of them do next to naked and he calls their Baptism it self Intolerable Wickedness and not Gods Ordinance and if your Baptism be Intollerable Wickedness then your Congregations cannot be True Churches So that in this Mr. Baxter denies your Churches to be True Churches and affirms your Baptism to be worse than counterfeit 3. In pag. 23. saith
and their children are the Members of it under the Gospel Mat. 19. But Jesus said Suffer the little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven Eph. 3.6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel Which Promise you have in Acts 2.39 which is to Believers and their children 3. And Lastly The Church under the Law did live and feed upon the same Spiritual Food as the Church now doth and was a baptized Church 1 Cor. 10. And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea And did all eat the same spiritual meat c. Mr. K. pray tell me how was it possible that a carnal legal Church could live upon Spiritual Food Sir you should think before you write I am sorry you can distinguish no better of those Profound Mysteries of the Gospel Thus you see your carnal Conception of the Church State utterly confuted and the Church proved to be the same now as it was from the Beginning and ever will be while there is a Saint upon Earth and if you do write again bring better Arguments to Town with you or else you had as good say nothing And so Farewell POSTSCRIPT MR. B. K. in pag. 35. hath made a Collection of my Words in Answer to Mr. H. C's late Book which he calls unseemly scoffing opprobrious Language therefore I have made a Collection of Mr. H. C's Language to me and let any Man judge whether I have not been moderate for Evil Communication corrupts Good Manners In pag. 1. saith Mr. H. C. What is this Man resolved to set himself in a posture of war against God and his Word An Advocate against the Truth blinded with prejudice These are in the room of an Oculist to open his eyes to behold his Errour in Judgment Pag. 2. He makes a Man of Straw and fights with it or his own Shadow If it be not from Ignorance then it is from a worse Root he deserves Austin's Title The hard Father of Infants Page 3. What would this Man make a new Bible Had he the Notion by Inspiration I do not wonder the Man is so well pleased with an unscriptural Baptism when he Asserts an unscriptural way of saving Infants He is almost at his wits-end and famished for want of Arguments and so will catch at any thing Page 4. You are in the Pound Sir get out if you can His Arguments are so feeble that it is a tottering Fence Would any Man but one void of common sense urge such Scriptures for Infants Inherent Faith Page 6. When will you cease to pervert the right Word of the Lord. Page 7. Get out of this Prison as well as you can Page 8. Pray Sir go to School again and learn better Logick Page 10. Did ever Man speak more impertinently These Lines of his must be written through ignorance inadvertency or worse Pag. 11. Who labours all he can to blacken the Ways of God and render the Professors of it as odious as possible Doth he not acquire the Name of an exquisite Calumniator Is not this the Man David speaks of that travelleth with iniquity conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood Remember remember John Child whose chief cause of desperation was his speaking and writing against those very people of God you now do Page 14. Here you have brought your self again into a Noose and I cannot help it In his former Book before ever I writ against their Opinion he said Infants Baptism of Earth and Humane Invention and Rantizing and a Relique of Antichrist So much for Mr. B. K's Reverend Brother Mr. H. C. whom he hath so highly vindicated in his Book but in point of Justice and common honesty he ought to have laid down this opprobrious Language of Mr. H. C. against me Now in the second place I shall compare what Mr. B. K. charges me with in the 5 Chap. of his Book against Mr. H. C. and let us see which maketh the blackest Figure Saith Mr. K. I shall begin with Mr. Shutes unbecoming scoffing Expressions as they lie here and there in his Book In page 4. he saith He will not render Railing for Railing yet in page 5. you will find these Expressions speaking to Mr. C. You have charged me falsely you boggled and juggled with the Scripture yet he has not made either of these things appear In page 5. he saith Here thou hast the Cavils of the Adversary answered This Man matters not what he saith to promote his Opinion just like the Papists who hold that The End sanctifieth the Means for if you look into my Book in page aforesaid you will find it to be only a Repetition of what is said against me in the Preface of Mr. H. C's Book and let any Man read where I have charged Mr. H. C. with perverting the Scriptures and look into his Book and see if it be not true Again Saith Mr. K. of me Mr. C. doth as little Boys that make a thing of Rags in imitation of a Cock and when they have set it up c. This was only to Illustrate an abominable Falsehood Mr. C. hath fixed upon me and then raised an Argument from it In page 46. he saith Mr. C. is troubled with the Grumbling in his Gizzard But this is false I did not say his Gizzard but the Gizzard But you are very subject to mistakes but I find it is always in favour of your own Opinion which looks as if it were wilful He saith in page 57. that Mr. C. is pleased to mock at Habitual Faith This is true and I wonder how you dare deny it Saith Mr. K. He renders me worse than the Devil pag. 116. The Devil left out part of a Scripture once to tempt our Saviour with but in my weak Judgment saith Mr. Shute this Authour hath done it three times c. In page 82. he saith speaking of Mr. C. Was there ever such Legerdemain played with the Sacred Scriptures In page 23. he cries out O for shame cease from bringing your carnal Reason c. In page 24. Where are you now with your humane invented lame decrepit Salvation c. In page 56. he abuses Mr. Danvers who is dead Here is all the scoffing Expressions or opprobrious Language as Mr. K. calls it as he picked together as they lie up and down in my Book Now let any Man of sense or common honesty but consider the Provocations that Mr. Collins gave me and then judge whether I have not been moderate but Mr. K. the wise Man telleth us that to acquit the Guilty and condemn the Innocent are alike Abomination And as for this Book of Mr. Benjamin Keaches I will only say this of it to wit Had I written it People would have been prone to say that there was much of the Malice of Satan in it and but little of the Subtilty of the Serpent and nothing of the Innocency of the Dove to be found therein and that there was neither Parts nor Good Manners but a complication of ignorant Zeal Embelished with Errours and false Doctrines and Positions FINIS London Printed for the Authour and Sold by Nathaniel Hiller Where you may also have his other Books Viz. An Antidote to prevent the Prevalency of Anabaptism 4to Price stitcht 6 d. The Vindication of the Antidote 12mo bound One Shilling An Answer to Mr. Hercules Collins Last Shift 12mo Price stitcht in Blew Paper One Penny
Mr. K. One that read Mr. Shute 's Book observed and told me he hath writ near 20 Leaves to no purpose to prove that which No body denies viz. That the Covenant of Grace God promised to Abraham is not Dissolved c. This looks as if Mr. K. had not read my Book himself but did answer it by hear-say because he saith that one told him so Indeed Mr. H. C. did say so in his half-sheet he printed against me and my Answer to him shall serve for an Answer to you which was as followeth Mr. C. saith That I spent 20 Leaves in proving that which No body denies c. These 20 Leaves they speak of begin at pag. 74. which I spent in proving that all the Infant-Seed of Believers now under the Gospel are all in the same Covenant with their Parents which God made with Abraham and his Seed both spiritual and carnal in Gen. 17.7 And therefore they have a Right to the Ordinance of Baptism Now if No body denies this How comes it to pass that there is any such thing as an Anabaptist in England So that Anabaptism it self hath resigned up the ghost and this may serve for its Funeral Sermon As in pag. 20. of my Replication to Mr. H. C's half sheet 4. Saith Mr. K. Mr. Shute hath lest part of the Words in some Texts and added words in other he hath quoted See pag. 120. where he mentions the words of that Text 1 Cor. 15.22 For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive he has wrote thus For as in Adam all the Elect die so in Christ they shall all be made alive I have not mentioned the Text at all in that place but I said by way of deduction thus For as in Adam all the Elect died and not die as he saith so in Christ they shall all be made alive These were my words exactly no more nor no less Now let any Man of Sence judge whether this be any addition to or detraction from the Text when I did not so much as name it nor intend any perversion of the Sence of it for will any Man say that all the Elect did not die in the first Adam And will any one deny that they shall not all be made alive in Christ Jesus the second Adam Did I say that none but the Elect died in Adam and that none but such shall be raised up at the Day of Judgment This is a most unworthy Prevarication 5. Saith Mr. K. in pag. 37 So in pag. 133. mentioning Mark 16.16 viz. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned He hath wrote it thus viz. He that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Pray Reader mark He said I mentioned Mark 16.16 which is abominable false also I refer you to my Book and pag. 133. aforesaid where you will find it thus written viz. 15th That there were two Covenants from Adam to the coming of Christ and from thence to the Conversion of the Jews at Christs Second Coming and to the End of the World I do own and they are the same from the making of them as with Adam only that of Works was then broken though they have passed through various Dispensations and Declarations but the State of both is the same He that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned So it was from Adam to this Day and ever will be to the End of the World These were my very words without mentioning any Text at all for it had been Non-sence for me to mention Baptism in the first Declaration of the Covenant with Adam 4000 Years before that Ordinance was Instituted 6. In pag. 30. saith Mr. K. I promised to forbear hard words but a man that argueth thus should be severely dealt with one way or another It is well for me that this Man hath not an Inquisition at his beck and command for if he had I could promise my self but little favour at his hands Pray Sir give me leave to tell you you have broken your promise over and over many times already in these few things instead of many that I have here cited for if Calumnies are not hard words I do not know what are 7. Saith Mr. K. quoting part of my words in pag. 4. viz. I will not render Railing for Railing c. I shall labour to declare in the Spirit of meekness c. Hath he been as good as his word c. I have been as good as my word but it is a very great fault in you that you quote Authors so as to pervert the sense of their Words And therefore I will lay down the words fairly as they lie in my Book in their full Latitude and Extent which had a Reference to Mr. H. C's abusive opprobrious Language which is in his Book against me Pag. 4 5. But I bless God I can bear all your Reproaches and Calumnies chearfully and it shall no ways discourage me nor hinder me from vindicating the Truth and contending earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and I will not render Railing for Railing but what I have to offer in Vindication of Infants Baptism and the Everlasting Covenant God declared and made with Abraham I shall labour to declare in the Spirit of Meekness only sometimes you must expect a gentle Touch to put you in mind how grosly you have abused me and in some things where it cannot be avoided but I must grate a little smartly upon you there you must bear with me although I should accost you in the most sensible parts because otherwise I cannot Vindicate the Honour and Glory of the Grace of God nor my own Credit and Reputation Now let any Man read Mr. Collins's Book and mine also and see if I have not been as good as my word 8. And Lastly Whereas it is said in the Preface of Mr. H. C's Book viz. Here thou hast the Cavils and Objections of the Adversary answered 2. Infants or little children proved to have no Habitual Faith 3. The Dissolution of the Old Covenant-State demonstrated 4. And the Infants of Believers to have no right as the Seed of such to holy Baptism The Cavils and Objections of the Adversary are placed to my Account by Mr. K. which is very unfair Thus you see by these Eight unkind Steps what kind of Spirit this man is of and you may measure not only Hercules but also Benjamin by his Foot Thus having premised and taken a view of these things I now proceed to the matter in hand And in the first place I shall begin with the Mode of Baptism Mr. B. K. hath spent his first Chapter wholly in labouring to prove That Baptism is onely by Dipping or Immersion of the Subject all under Water and that any other Mode is no Baptism and to prove it to be so he hath quoted several Eminent Paedobaptists
holy Children nay if there be but one of their Parents that is a Believer it intituleth them to this Great Honour and Priviledge of being holy Children 2. All the Children of Israel were called holiness unto the Lord Jer. 2.3 And they are called Gods Son in Exod. 4. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord Israel is my son even my first born And I say unto thee Let my son go c. 3. Here you see all Israel as one Man are called Gods Son and Holiness to the Lord also and yet it is no breach of Charity to conclude that all Israel were not saved though they were all a part one of another as Members of one Body are so neither will all the Children of Believers be saved though they are a part of their believing Parents as Members of a Body are and called holy Children So that this Argument is clearly pluckt up by the Roots Thus you see I have clearly proved that there is no Justification nor Sanctification nor Salvation for dying Infants without the Grace Habit or Spirit of Faith and also that there is but one way of sanctifying and saving all the Elect of God both Old and Young therefore all the Arguments which are raised against it are utterly destroyed III. In the third place I will prove that the Covenant which God made with Abraham and his Seed in Gen. 17. was but one Covenant and that it was the same God made with Adam after the Fall Gen. 3.15 and with Noah after the Flood Gen. 9. And it is the same now and all Believers and all their Seed both Spiritual and Carnal are in it in the full substantial Latitude of it notwithstanding all that can be said against it But saith Mr. K. in pag. 23. 'T is evident there was two Covenants contained in those Transactings of God with Abraham one peculiar respecting onely his natural Seed or Off-spring as such for the Covenant of Grace promised to him did not peculiarly relate to Abraham's Natural Seed that were Elected Persons but to all the Gentiles also who believed in Christ 1. There is no such declared distinction in the Covenant God made with Abraham in Gen. 17.2 7. For though the Elect Jews and Gentiles are principally intended yet all the Seed of Believers both Spiritual and Carnal are included and ought to partake of the External Benefits and Blessings thereof But it may be objected The Seed of believing Gentiles are not to be circumcised neither have they a Right to the Land of Canaan therefore they cannot be in Abraham's Covenant Pray what Part or Lot had the Seed of Adam and Noah in either of these and yet they were in the same Covenant which God confirmed and ratified with Abraham Nay Multitudes of the Seed of Abraham never saw the Land of Canaan for the Seed of Abraham were not possessed of that till 430. Years after the Covenant was made with Abraham Gal. 3.17 2. The Covenant which God made with Abraham was out one and that is an Everlasting Covenant but if it had been two it should have been Everlasting Covenants therefore I will lay down the Terms of it fairly and let us see if any such Deduction can be made Gen. 17.2 7 10 11. And I will make my covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee Every man-child among you shall be cirunmcised And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you Here you see it is but one Covenant and Circumcision is only the Token thereof but not the Covenant 2. Saith Mr. K. in pag. 25. Observe also that as these things peculiarly appertained to his Natural Seed as such so Circumcision is expresly called Gods Covenant Gen. 17. If this be so then Ishmael was in the Covenant and yet Mr. K. doth own in his Book that Ishmael was not in the Covenant nor his Seed but if Circumcision be the Covenant then he was in it because he was circumcised Gen. 17.20 21 23. So that this Text with his own Argument do utterly destroy that Notion of his That there were Two Covenants made with Abraham and that one of them was Circumcision because then Ishmael must have been in it Indeed it is expresly called the Token of the Covenant but it is no where expresly called the Covenant in all the Holy Scriptures as I know of and if it be he should have done well to have cited it that others might have seen it as well as himself Thus having premised these things I shall proceed 1. In the first place I will begin with that Text in Acts 2.39 For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Here in the first part of this Verse the Apostle informs these Jews that had a hand in crucifying our Saviour of their Covenant Priviledge and their Children also for the Promise which the Apostle here speaks of that did belong to them and their Children is no other then that which God made with Abraham and his Seed therefore the Covenant was not repealed at the coming in of the Gospel nor dissolved like an old useless Act of Parliament neither were it two Covenants 2. If we mind the latter part of the Verse we shall find that whatever the Extent of that Promise was to the Jews and all their Children it is the same to all believing Gentiles and all their Children for it is not said To you Jews and your Children and to as many Adult Gentiles which are afar off c. No but the latter part of the Verse is an exact Counterpane to the former part thereof so that whatever the Promise was to the Jews and all their Children is the same to all believing Gentiles and their Children for the latter part of the Verse is to be measured by the former part thereof 2. This Promise is Christ who was first declared and promised unto Adam and his Seed in the new Covenant God made with him when the old one was broken Gen. 3.15 Which Promise or Covenant hath been a Standing-Dish for Believers and all their Seed to feed upon in all Ages and ever will be while the World stands 3. There ever hath and ever will be a gracious Entail in this Covenant unto all Believers and their Seed from Generation to Generation Psal 105.8 He hath remembred his covenant for ever the word which he commanded to a thousand generations It runs in a Line from Parents to Children until any of them sinned themselves out of it personally as Cain and Judas and Multitudes of