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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50609	Vindiciæ fœderis, or, A vindication of the interest that the children of believers as such have in the covenant of grace with their parents under the Gospel-dispensation being the substance of two sermons, with additions preached to a congregation in Wapping : also some seasonable reflections upon various unsound and cruel passages taken forth of two furious books of Mr. H. Collins printed against infant-baptism / by Fran. Mence.	Mence, Francis, 1639?-1696?	1694 (1694)	Wing M1703; ESTC R27509	104,587	170

how without a Covenant of Grace we can be made partakers of either of them but here is an incomparable man that can divide these great blessings and can make Infants happy with one tho' they are not capable of the other ay and that notwithstanding they be not in the Covenant of Grace with their Parents I wonder where my good neighbour learnt this Doctrine he is such a Professor of Divinity as that he hath made a Catechism which he hath dispers'd among his Disciples I have not yet seen it but fear when I shall obtain a sight of it as now I do intend I shall scarce find him more excellent and sound than what was the product of that judicious Assembly that sat at Westminster alas they could find out no such way as here is presented unto us of condemning and absolving Infants to mention this Mountebank Divinity with caution and tenderness was all that I did presume to do for many years I thought at this no well temper'd and sober mind could suffer a recoil considering my long and many provocations But what a noise did this make What a dust did this raise Nay into what a frisk did this put our admir'd Author How was he nettled that any of his Doctrine should that was much admir'd by such that were just as able to judge as he to write be call'd into question Notwithstanding all that was said neither his venerable name nor either of his Books was so much as mention'd that which was spoke did not carry any direct opposition to his Believers Baptism as he calls it yet he as if he was the only Soveraign upon this Spot and was invested with a despotick power taking upon him to rule as with an absolute Authority was put into a terrible commotion and convulsion and many of his Devotaries were prejudicially possest as if some great Treason had been committed against their Ruler and Guide Why but what is the matter A poor man that lay bury'd for six or seven years in the Grave of patience and silence upon whom they had long trampled and over whom they had long insulted the top-mould of his Grave did a little discernibly move and what shall we do provided there should be a Resurrection Oh! how were all hands tongues called to help How must the mouth of the grave be diligently watch'd that he creep not forth lest our tottering foundation be disquieted our hightower'd magnificent Structure be shaken our direful Principles about dying Infants be detected and disprov'd and the fatal Sentence that we have pronounc'd be revers'd Little can any one suppose or conceive what a tumult was rais'd from so small an alarm all must be upon the defence but with what Weapons must that be made Out of what Porge or Mint must they come Surely out of that Infernal One of Hell that which I must be accosted withal at the first Onset must be Lyes as if nothing else was their Armour of Proof and Weapons of Desence It is wonderful that so many of those that would be thought the most Excellent if not the only People of God amongst us should themselves give us their true Erymology and discover what Lineage and Stock they be of the Lord help them to consider who is the Father of Lyers and whose Children they are that make Lyes Is this consonant with the description that is given of Gods Children Isa 63.8 For he said Surely they are my people children that will not lie Let those that would be thought the greatest Inhabitants of the New Jerusalem and to have their Names wrote in the Lamb's Book of Life be careful they do not deceive and expose themselves by this Sin to a fearful Exclusion Rev. 21.27 I have a Black Catalogue of Lyes committed to Writing which I had thought at this Time to have presented you withall but forbear till another season I should have been very glad not to have been concern'd in this controversie but since I have suffer'd such a violent arrest out of my grave of durance and silence where I should have been glad to have rested all my dayes and finding my Pillow to be extreamly uneasie being stufft with piercing and pricking thorns I could not but offer this little Testimony for the Truth I am contending for When I did discourse in my Pulpit about the Covenant state of Infants with their Parents I did not intend that what was deliver'd should ever fall under the weight of the Press what hath been spoken hath not been altogether destitute of a Blessing through grace unto many that heard it the next Sabbath after my undertaking in this affair my good neighbour that he might shew the rancour of his Spirit produc'd in his Pulpit a Paper against me which he read in his Congregation at the tail of which he discover'd his sting which was an open challenge that he pronounc'd against me to dispute me openly either in his or my Meeting House thus the Gantlet I do not say the Club was cast the same week he did disperse abroad that upon the next Lords day he would preach upon my Text and confute me I had thought to have acquainted you what an excellent confitter he is having his confutation Sermons by me taken from his mouth by the Pen of a ready Writer but upon second thoughts I shall suspend that until another occasion be offer'd This Champion that he might triumph in his most triumphant and stately Chariot hath published another Challenge against me in his Pulpit after he had as he judg'd confuted my Doctrine about the Covenant If it had been any of my Brethren that he had thus confuted and challenged I should have wondered what manner of Spirit this Man had been of one would have thought that if he had had any True Call to the Ministry which many question the consideration of his Education might have something suppressed the proud Elation of his Mind which in these Things doth eminently and too apparently discover it self and that he might not have thought himself to have been a Star of the First Magnitude I remember I have read of a King that was advanced to the Throne from a mean Descent and Calling being a Potter by Trade that the Canker of Pride might not approach nor corrupt the Royal Diadem would have all his Provisions for his Table serv'd with Earthen Vessels that so he might frequently have such an Object in his Eye that might keep him humble I shall leave my good Friend and Antagonist to make the Application I have oftentimes thought in my grieved and sorrowful silence that if it had pleased the Divine Providence to have placed some of my Anabaptist Brethren whom my Soul loveth dearly in this Mans Post we might have dwelt like Brethren might have taken sweet Counsel and have walked unto the House of God together yea might have carried on the Work of the Lord with one Hand one Shoulder and one Heart I can Christian Readers truly

upon the Word of the Lord and his Ministry but also blasphemy upon the Spirit Let men take heed of being too bold in fathering their passionate Sallies and Invectives against their Betters upon the Holy Ghost Oh! that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for these things To compleat all the high place in the Congregation is not sufficient to discharge the conception of the stomach against us but the Press must also groan to bring forth that there may nothing appear but dung and filth upon our faces and all the beauty of Religion and Evangelical Order of the Gospel we walk in may be totally defac'd From the Press hath been sent into the midst of us two Pamphlets like unto Sampson's Foxes that were join'd in the Tail with fire-brands betwixt them to burn down all our Field as if nothing less than the total destruction of our Vineyard could suffice With what care must these Prints immediately be disperst into all quarters not only at the publick Meeting House the Booksellers Shops but some of them must be sent up and down in blank Papers to several Persons by the Penny-Post and others carry'd to Coffee-Houses and openly laid upon the Tables that every one that comes to take a Pipe and drink a Dish might feast upon and admire this none-such Author and not only the sober but the wet Drinkers should be baptized into his opinion These Books such as they are must be diligently in all places scatter'd that if it be possible every hand might be furnisht with a tool and weapon to beat and cut us all into pieces what a spirit is this man possest withal as if he would be a common troublesome Ghost to haunt every house and heart near unto him Surely we are greatly ingag'd for our peace and quiet by all lawful means to do all that we can to lay him for it is he that hath been the great troubles of our Israel I do sincerely desire him in the cool time of his spirit provided when his eyes are opened he doth ever enjoy such a season solemnly to consider the description that the wisest of men doth give of a publick annoyer Prov. 26.18 When I first cast mine eyes upon his Books I could not but admire them for Pride Ignorance and Confidence never yet saw I any thing since I was able to hold a book in my hand for these qualifications so excellent this hath been the opinion of many that have been much more able to judge than ever he will be to write I shall briefly tell you what was my vehement provocation and prevailing inducement to preach the following Sermons vid. his audacious cruelty in his Book offer'd to our Children to the Seed of all that have the singular priviledge of being in Covenant with the Lord. He could not in his writings content himself as many of his Brethren do only to exclude them from their right to Baptism but must proceed upon such wayes and means that do inevitably shut them out of the Kingdom of Heaven if so be they expire in their infancy Hinc illae Lachrymae What pious and tender Parent that hath a serious concernment upon his heart for the eternal state of his Child can hear such Doctrine and his ears not to tingle and his heart not to tremble I confess to have such wild and cruel Doctrine to be not only deliver'd but lick'd up and admir'd amongst us as if it was one of the choicest Truths of Grace that our Lord and Master sends his Ambassadors to proclaim did cause a little zeal for Truth to wax warm within me and engaged me to draw up some cautions against and make some mild reflections upon such Infant-destroying matter therefore when I preach'd as the Lord did inable me concerning a sound and saving knowledge of Christ in the use of this truth I did blame some that were chiefly concern'd about other knowledge little respecting this adding That there was such a knowledge of Christ as to the object of it but was not that which was most necessary to Salvation as for instance that of Baptism as to the subject of it Thus I gently deliver'd my self saying that there be some Pulpits that reek with a blind Zeal against Infant-baptism but pray take notice that what I am going to speak is neither for nor against the baptizing of Infants only I cannot but take notice of a Pamphlet lately risen up in the midst of us that in its decrying Infants-baptism does proceed upon such Mediums that must unavoidably shut those that dye in their Infancy out of Heaven and so a terrible sentence of condemnation is denounc'd against them all this bold Writer doth presume to lay it down as one of his infallible positions that no Infants are in Covenant with their Parents that are Believers nor capable of habitual Faith one great branch of Sanctification and the new Creature indispensably necessary to Salvation This he is so confident of that in a scornful way he doth rank that odious Doctrine of Antichrist Transubstantiation with Infants being in Covenant with their Parents and their being capable of habitual Faith it seems they be all of the same import with him He being sensible what a foundation he hath laid to build the perdition of Infants upon that he might lick this ill-shapen Monster into some pleasing shape acquaints us that he hath found out a way to save Children notwithstanding One would wonder what this curious invention should be it is this vid. those Children that shall be saved shall so be by an imputed righteousness thus we see what it is to be a sagacious Divine I believe all the brains of the dull Schoolmen could never find out such an exquisite notion as this topping Preacher hath not only to send our poor Infants by swarms to Hell but also can recall them and reverse the doom that he hath denounc'd against them as if the power of Life and Death were in his hands The worst of it is here is nothing to prevail upon us to imbibe his new invented way but his own Authority his ipse dixit will not satisfie thinking men tho' it may go smoothly down with his own admirers That Caution given to us about false Teachers Gal. 1.8 cannot but stick with me I am certain here is another Gospel and that in a substantial point of our Religion and Articles of Faith I confess in the hearing of many of you I did say upon this unscriptural Notion what I see no reason as yet to retract that to talk of an imputed Righteousness without a Covenant of Grace without an imparted Righteousness was but Mountebank Divinity I understand it to be the judgment of all our Divines that Justification and Sanctification tho' different in their Nature and use yet are never separate as to their subject for those whom God doth justifie them also he doth sanctifie neither do I understand