they so their children the same sinne in their nature but they had an interest in the meanes to help them and God had ingaged himselfe to them in Church-promises I will cause them to walk in my wayes that is the Church should not grow wild because they had meanes and God had ingaged himselfe to them Hence they were free Burgesses and hence comes it that the posterity of the Jewes are called the Naturall Branches so as the child of a Jew though sinfull and have no beliefe by birth yet he was within the compasse of the Church and so God was ingaged to doe him good as he sees fit by nature and goneration because he came of Abraham he falls under God and God takes him in his naturall condition and so he comes under the means to be brought home to God Thus we see the Gentiles are wild because they were not under Gods tilling nor was he ingaged to doe them good and so he ran wild Now to the true Olive in way of opposition they were the Jewes not by way of sinne but because they were under the hand of God and so they had an interest in the meanes of grace Now the Jewes though they were wicked yet they were not wild but they were under Gods hand ordering them and hence they were preserved under his hand This is the meaning of the Prophets you may referre them to this Isai 5.1 2. The Lord had a Vineyard and he planted it and fenced it and made a wine-presse in it And in the seventh verse And what could I have done more for my Vineyard Here you may see what care and skill God did use towards them 1. He secures his Vineyard and therefore he hedges it and makes a wall about it and uses all the wayes of preservation he can 2. By way of prevention and therefore he removes those things that might anoy it by gathering out the stones and bryers out of it 3. He laies in provision he plants it with choice plants and built a Wine-presse in it and what could he have done more in outward means Now he did not thus to the Gentiles they grew wilde he did not take that pains with them so Jeremiah 2.21 Yea I planted thee a noble Vine whose plants were all naturall c. That is as a Vine planted on purpose by the gardiner it was not a wilde one in regard of God and his promises as he had made them a Church so all should before their good Rom. 11.24 They were ingrafted into the true Olive and originally planted by the dresser that as the wilde Olive grows in the wildernesse so the good Olives are planted by the Vine-dresser therefore you may see what he speaks further of the Vine Esay 5 7. Surely the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the men of Israel and the men of Iudah are his pleasant plants or as the word signifies the people of Gods imbracements that is to apply a mans self pleasingly to another with loving imbracements that is the word the Lord out of his good pleasure and tender pitty did take the people of the Jews into his imbracements he took them into the Arms of his imbracements of the covenants and into the arms of his compassion so he doth to every Congregation to this day in this regard they are planted into the true Olive Deut 7.7 The Lord did not choose you because you were more in number but because he loved you and Ezekiel 24.23 24.29 I will raise up for them a plant of renown c. See what affection he carried to them then what they are called thus shall they know that I am with them he will make them glorious the sum is when God is pleased out of his love to take a people to himself and ingage himself to them for their good that people is a true Olive and so of a person or children of such parents under them are said to be naturall branches so we may see their excellency above others 4. How holinesse is derived from the root to the branches the words themselves carry it privily if the one then other for the root hath a cause and means to carry holinesse to the branches now the grace of sanctification is not conveyed what sap is in the root the same is in the branches the things whence the comparison is taken is from the first fruits in the time of the Law Levit 23.17 It was unlawfull for them to take the fruits of the ground untill they had first brought the two loaves to offer them a Wave-Offering unto the Lord but when they had done that then the whole lump was sanctified he had a sanctified use of it and it did signifie peace and purity of Conscience that was the means by Gods Institution the root in nature is the cause of the sap that is conveyed to the branches the scope is one so that in that is signified Abraham was the root and first fruits if he were good and walked in fear and love and so became holy to the Lord so were his posterity by a covenant made with Abraham here let me vary with you Abraham is taken into covenant with God and so to be consecrated to God and therefore federally holy his children are in covenant as well as he so they in the same set apart they partake of the same thus the holinesse does not issue from hence as they are born the sons of Adam nor that they were born Jews no further then a bate Jew or the Propagation of a Jew if God had not taken them into covenant and engaged himself unto them no more then the Gentiles he engaged himself to them and they to him or else they had not been holy Hence it is because they renounce the promises of God they lost their federall holines Now mark hence is the ground of this holines it is federall God took him into covenant and his children and that of free-favour therefore he may choose and leave Hence they become holy the lump of them because of their father being in the covenant and he chose him because he loved him their parents did covenant Abraham entred into covenant and that he did because he chose them and he chose them because he loved them and he loved them because he would love them and therefore he did chose them and because he chose them therefore he did enter into covenant with them their parents were holy because he chose them and entred into a covenant with them and with their children by their fathers covenants now you see how it is communicated being boâ—â— of parents that are in covenant with God and God with them this is the pedigree of the text now you may see what is said to the contrary by Mr. Spilâ—bery First He sayes by first fruits and lumps the elect are to be considered in believing it set forth such as are in Christ according to which you may see 17. page 9 lines from
infants into the congregation they bring them under the meanes and God ingages himselfe unto them The reason the Gentiles grew wild they wanted meanes Pagans of Pagans God takes no care of them And besides will any say circumcision of infants was the cause to make gracelesse members our baptisme is the same 4 Because it is a ground of ignorance and error to hold people in blindnesse and make people thinke Baptisme is necessary to salvation The Argument is this That which is the cause of ignorance and error and to hold the people in blindnesse that is unlawfull But the baptizing of infants is the cause of all this and therefore it is unlawfull A thing may be said to be a cause of a thing two wayes 1 When out of its own nature or out of the action from it intending or as corrupt counsell to lead them to evill are the cause of sinne thus to doe out of intendment to give bad counsell is the cause of sinne 2 Though of themselves they be good and the intendment be good yet meeting with a corrupt heart it makes him doe contrary this is beyond the scope of the thing it causes evill without a cause the Gospel is the cause of contention thus as Luke 12.51 I came not to send peace but rather debate c. It is a cause of conversion to one but meeting with a corrupt heart it causes contention but that is beyond the scope of the Gospel And so Rom. 7.15 For I allow not of what I do for what I would do I do not but what I would not do that I doe c. And therefore as I have said formerly a wicked servant will be worse in the best family for it inrages corruption because it meets with a corrupt heart so the baptizing of infants may be a cause of stumbling to some because they do not see and so it may be a cause of evill to such 2 Because it is a cause of error and keeps men in blindnee These are meer words if men by ignorance or carelesnes cannot or will not see if the Pastor be carelesse and there be thousands doe not know it the fault is their blindnesse For looke at the nature of this Ordinance where it is taught they shall not be kept in blindnesse that appeares thus The laying forth of the extent of this ordinance is not to keep men from the understanding of it or to keep them in blindnesse but to inform them by this being taught it layes forth the nature of baptisme it containes all that men of years have taught them and no more what they teach men of yeares that are to be baptized they say all that and more then that they teach according to God I may appeale whether the opening of the nature of this Ordinance have not let in light to this ordinance 2 That it keeps them in error and makes them simply perswaded of the necessity of baptisme to salvation it is their own fault if it be so and not in the ordinance that leads them to it Circumcision in the old Law was to be on the eighth day can any body say there lay a necessity of salvation upon circumcision God did enjoyn them to circumcise them then the parents shall see it and the nature of the thing and therefore we should keep from such conceits It is a seale and does suppose the party is in covenant they not having or having does not make it that it cannot be deceived Lastly I know no judicious Divine that teaches of Baptisme but will teach Baptisme is not necessary to salvation if any wilfully mistake his blood be upon his own head 5 It lifts up the state of Antichrist by granting him this so chief a Corner-stone and makes the Church of Rome a true Church for where true Baptisme is there is a true Church This is the substance of the Argument That practice that upholds the state of Antichrist is sinfull But the baptising of infants upholds the state of Antichrist and makes the church of Rome a true church therefore the baptizing of infants is sinfull I answer in the generall this reaches not the cause in hand For our question is not whether baptisme in the church of Rome be true or not but whether it belawfull in a church that is gathered and well ordered according to Christ and therefore that he speakes here reaches not the cause If hee condemn baptizing of Infants upon that ground he must condemne men of yeares also For doe but turn the Tables that practice does uphold Antichrist by the baptizing of men of yeares in Rome for where true baptisme is there is a true church that does confirme Antichrist as well as this for it is equall the one as well as the other if the baptizing of men of yeares then infants one is as well to be looked at as the other and one makes a true Church as well as the other So as if that be an Argument there must be no baptizing at all neither of the one nor the other and so there come in many absurdities 3. The argument prevailes not at all neither for the baptising of men of years nor children for to prove Rome to be a true Church for Rome being a true Church does not depend on this cause but this conclusion is because baptisme in Rome is true whether it be of men of years or Infants for where true baptisme is there is a true Church take it as they use it but whether it be according to God that they should be baptised or not then it does not make that a true Church there is no man can inferre it from that if it be lawfull to baptize Infants in Rome is it therefore a true Church Baptisme may be true in a true Church but it may be so abused that it may not be lawfull after that manner the fault is not that they are baptized but it is done by an heretick or a man not approved Thus imagine a Priest in Rome or Germany should baptize one I the name of the Father and not the Son or Holy Ghost that baptisme is unlawfull And now suppose that it were lawful for any to baptize then it is lawfull for a Midwife to baptize but it is not lawfull for her to baptize although she baptize right for the matter In the name of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost because she hath no true call to it she is not in Office so to do but the question is whether it be lawfull to be done in a lawfull manner 4. Many have held one of these opinions and have denyed the other children men of years may be baptized so it be not in an hereticall Church but if it be it is unlawfull say some so says Cyprian and some others were of this opinion that baptisme was lawfull for men of years if it were not done by a Heretick if this be granted that Cyprian faith that it is unlawfull for an Heretick
unto it by allowance from God 4 According to a right rule from God and right Reason persons may have faith in the course of charity that have not the use of reason they in Abrahams time had grace and that was the grace of Faith if it seale up some may have it but that some children are thus fitted and faith is sealed unto them in circumcision if any will deny it they must deny the Text and that is impudency it selfe If so why not in Baptisme as well as Circumcision for Circumcision must have faith so must they in Baptisme 5 There is more required of some persons then there is of other in receving of the same sacrament in the alowance of God according to right Reason there is more required of men then there is of children Take a man that is to joyn in the covenant of the people he is bound to stoop to the Ordinance Esay 56.67 The strangers that were to joyne they must keep the Sabbath and embrace the Covenant c. This is to make a proselyte Matth. 23.15 they are made of the same profession Men of yeares must approve of the things of God and walk accordingly all this is required of men of yeares and then to offer themselves to the ordinances for they did never force them but in children this is not required if the Father had embraced the Faith So as you may see these things are plain wkich if they be observed it will make you cast away Anabaptisme The third Scripture is in Coloss 2.11 12. if the effects of the Sacraments of the old Testament and the new be the same then they are the same the effect done by the thing shewes the thing if the things wrought be the same then it is alike but the things done are the same The Apostle in the Text shewes it is the same in Circumcision as in Baptisme both seale up the death of Christ there was decaying both were for the mastering or lessening and decaying of sin so doth circumcision by cutting off the fore-skin in the same operation Now there are two objections to be answered from severall Texts it appeares they are the same with ours The first is that in 1 Corinth 7.19 Circumcision is nothing nor uncircumcision but the keeping of the command of God The Apostle speaking to persons to keep in the same Calling God had called them he saith Circumcision is nothing c. The next is Galat 6.13 they make nothing of it Galat. 5.6 For in Christ Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but faith that worketh by love that is say they it is weake and can doe nothing Galat. 5.2 Christ shall profit them nothing if they be circumcised and the Apostle sayes Beware of Circumcision by way of Irony so as he accounts it as nothing All these places are of the same nature and may receive the same answer to them all God lookes upon all these Sacraments to be attended according to a double time and consideration First in the first institution they had an eye to and did seale up Christ to come in the flesh when they were first ordained by God 2ly God lookes at them as having attained their end and appointment which was Christ to come therefore when he was come they had an end Therefore now they were of no use being out of date and now they could not be used without sinne he appoints now therefore to abrogate them they were to cease because Christ was come though they were alike at the first now they were out of date now they were not to be used To this purpose are all these places of Scripture 1 Cor 7.19 If thou be called being uncircumcised be not circumcised if you were circumcised when it was in date then seek not to be uncircumcised if you be uncircumcised be not circumcised now it is out of date It cannot be taken the Apostle for bad circumcision when it was in date for then he had spoken against the command of God Gen. 17. He commanded them to be circumcised So Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision c. availeth any thing but a new creature For though they were given to the Jewes yet now they were gone out of the world and so now they availed not And besides to set them up now was to set up that which God had destroyed So that now nothing availed but faith and a new creature And Gal 5.4 He is fallen from Grace but now he doth not attend the first institution if he doe hee nullifies the nature of Christ because when Christ is come it is to deny Christ to be come in the flesh This is a heynous thing Christ shall doe him no good Christ will not save him In the last place he speakes this to false Apostles that would have men partly saved by Christ and partly by workes and so they nullifie Christ and the work of grace for he must have all or none you cannot joyne works and grace together Objection 2. From the witnesse of the word Coloss 2.17 Which were but a shadow of things to come but the body is Christ And in Heb. 7.18 they are said to be weak And Heb. 9.10 13. called a carnall covenant And if it be so then they are not alike with ours in the new Testament they are of another nature the spirituall work of the soule For answer the Sacraments are apprehended in a double sense as included or as separate from the thing signified but the Apostle lookes at them as carnall now as Heb 7.18 19. he saith The Law was weake and made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope c. that is Christ he accomplâ—sheth all and brings in a better hope of the pardon of our sinnes So 1 Pet. 3.21 22. it is not the water but the thing signified by the water So the signe is weak but the thing signified is strong So the case is cleare 3 Conclusion The spirituall efficacy of the Sacraments in the old and new Testament proceed not from themselves immediatly used in the working of any good but as they are used by the holy Ghost The consideration whereof will help in the main point to shew the manner of the working of the Sacrament for it is a great secret and the want of the knowledge hereof is the cause persons get so little good by the Sacrament This proposition hath two parts First the spirituall influence the Sacraments put forth is not from themselves immediatly but as they are used by the Spirit For the better understanding of this first part consider it in some things 1 The Sacrament is not a principall but an instrumental cause in any spirituall work they doe not set themselves a work but they worke under the principall agent as a toole in the hand of a man so in the work of the Sacrament it is by the mediation of the Spirit and the meanes of faith Mark 10.16 Hee that beleeves and
the Law of God cannot be a cause of the work of the spirit but sin and self cannot be subject and therefore they cannot be the cause of the working of the spirit nay the nature of man cannot be nay they cannot suffer the work upon them they are not able to bear it Rom. 8.7 It is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be 3. That which is wholy beyond the power of corrupt nature that corrupt nature cannot bee the cause of but to put off sin and self is wholy beyond the power of corrupt nature for nothing can work beyond the power of its own principle and of our selves we are not able to think a good thought So it must be given us so we have gained this that therefore we are all meer patients in the work of conversion both men and children 4. Here lies the life of the answer in these severall works where the hearts are sufferers the soules of Infants are as much fit as the soules of any man and not so much unfit as the soules of many men to receive grace and they have as great a capability as men have and in some measure a greater capabilitic then some men have here is two things to be considered 1. That they are as fit as any but not so unfit as many and therefore all are meet sufferers in the work of the spirit to have sin and self subdued the soules of children are as fit and have as great a capability in the world 1. You must remember heretofore we have made it good that all the sonnes of Adam are tainted with Originall sin equally no man have lesse of Adams sin nor lesse of Originall sin one then another but all men and children are equall here and men of years have contracted many actuall sins nay whatever they doe before they are converted is sin all their thoughts words and deeds so as they grow more proud and more witty to commit sin and to doe wickedly because of actuall transgression some grow more sturdy in their sinfull courses which is drawn and contracted by actuall sin and infants are free from those now those that have acted them are more fit to commit them nay many are habituated in commiting of sin so as they have gotten a habit of drunkennes and a habit of uncleanes c. so as it is plain children are as fit as any and not so unfit as many are for if children have as little opposition as any and lesse then some then it must needes be true For where lesse opposition against a thing is there is lesse trouble to receive it for they are contrary for where lesse opposition is there is a greater disposition to receive it but that children doe as little oppose grace as any man of years all opposition comes from the sinne of Adam and Originall sin came from that and here wee see all are equall in men of years and children and this is the first kinde of opposition 2d Sort of opposition arise from sinfull habits and this comes by actuall sin and by this we come to bee more self-confident and all these infants are free of a man that hath lived many years in sin is come to be habituated in sin as a man that dotes upon the world gets a habit of covetousnes and a man gets a habit of frowardnes these infants are freed from Acts 7.28 Wilt thou kill me c and Acts 18.6 And when they resisted and blasphemed c. Children are dead in sin but some men are twice dead as Jude speaks at the 12th verse Twice dead and plucked up by the roots and as Christ sayd of the Pharisees they made men twofold more the childe of Hell take the most men living and there is Sin and Selfe to be subdued and in regard of Adam sin and originall sin they are all alike But by actuall sin men are full of carnall confidence and therfore the Spirit must have much to do here because men do harden their own hearts and so make themselves twenty times more the child of hell so they are twice dead and pulled up by the root so that they are lesse fit then some naturall men in the world and many men in the world that are but men of the world are more fit then they so that children are more capable then any man The place in Jude is spoken against false Prophets they were twice dead they were dead by originall sin actuall sin there is a sort that hath received a seeming light and get a little of the Word and that he is provoked that a man thinks he is a living man There is another sort that persecute the Word now these are dead again so they are twice dead he is provoked by the work of the Law and now he is more proud and is as athing pulled up by the roots so as nothing can recover him no possibility to come neere him so as it is so farre from being harder for the Spirit to work upon infants that there is an easinesse in this kind The 3d Proposition Beleeving Parents when they enter into a visible covenant to walk in Gods wayes they enter not for themselves alone but for all that come of them and God does ingage himselfe by their meanes to worke grace in their hearts as he sees fit hee counts them to have federall holinesse God accepts of both and he will doe good to them as he sees fit In this Proposition there are foure things to be considered 1 Believing Parents enter into a visible covenant for themselves and their posterity 2 God expects it at the hands of them both 3 God ingages himselfe to use them as instruments to doe good to them as he sees fit God wil give grace to his children he will use them to his own mind God will use them as instruments but he will doe them good as he sees fit not that parents can give grace or worke grace in their children and therefore speak not so for that is as if when God works upon the heart by the preaching of the word you should say the Minister gives grace 4 God accounts children as having federall holinesse 1 When believing Parents enter into a visible covenant they doe enter into it for themselves and children But they must enter into a visible covenant the reason of it is because communication of them that doe so enter into covenant doe in reason belong to them that be in a community of other according to rationall charity because God gives the priviledges of his holy things to a community of men and they must judge according to a rule of charity and passe sentence as things appeare according to that rule For if it be left to every privat man to judge that every man may judge himself fit and be his owne Judge to partake of the ordinances then these two evils will follow 1 An abusing and prophaning Gods holy things for he would carve all
three or foure women for one man but â—â—at he would learn to keep one to one therefore he did it When Christ had to deal with the Sadduces he tels them They erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22 31. He proves the resurrection by this God is the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob he is not the God of the dead but of the living Now if you look on the words of the promise To be their God there is no word of the resurrection spoken of but only it is necessarily included in the covenant with Abraham when they were dead they lived with him and because whole Abraham had the promise therefore Abrahams body must live again Therefore this is Scripture although the letter be not there at must be so there from the strength of dispute The body must rise and every one that believes shall be saved Sarah and Thomas and John believing shall be saved though it be not sâ—â—d so in the letter their names are not named yet it followes that Sarah or Thomas or John believing shall be saved But some of them deny this and he doth seem to deny it also but that he dare not in plain words do it because that would be so grosse men would stop their noses at it But he hath some such expressiâ— for he saith The old Testament hath it commanded and so the ten commandoments forbid all sin and command all duties although they be not named the second commandement forbids all false worship that is spoken of in the Scriptures Now to apply our selves to the baptizing of Infants there be texts that it is to be inferred from although it be not expressed in so many words For we may as well reason that no woman should receive the Sacrament because there is no expresse word for it but in the Rules of the Gospel it is inferred I will make it appeare if there be as sure grounds for the title of children to the Sacrament as to the parents then they may be made partakers of it as well as the parents but so there is and therefore they may Are the parents in covenant So are the children 1 Corinth 7.14 and Rom. 11.16 of which we have formerly spoken and shewed the title is the same to the seales and so we see both the parts of his Argument are false Argument 2. It is a high contempt put upon Christ to force an unnaturall wife upon him one that is impure he being a pure and spirituall husband for where there is one in the Spirit there is twenty in the flesh This is the frame of the Argument To force a Spouse upon Christ that is naturall he being spirituall is a contempt But to baptize infants is to force a Spouse upon Christ that is naturall and therefore it is a contempt to him because that in the Church children are founded upon naturall birth The first part is granted the second part is false To force a naturall spouse upon Christ is unlawfull that is granted But the second part is false and the Argument is worse that the baptizing of Infants make a godlesse Church For first that children are gracelesse none can prove if they be gracelesse if they die in their infancy they must perish for they are out of Christ but they dare not affirm that themselves it hath been proved that God hath provided a portion of glory for infants and it is certain that all that are elect infants that die in their infancy God doth work faith in their hearts and therefore it is grosly false and the weaknesse of it appeares thus Our children in the time of the Gospel are the same with them among the Jewes and God did joyn them to Christ as he does now there is the same reason now as then 2 The baptizing of Infants doth not make them members of the Church for they are members before they be baptized and baptisme doth but seale up the covenant unto them for baptisme supposes they if in the body first and the proof of it is more grosse then the other he he will dispute it he must prove it because such a Church is founded upon naturall birth all children of believers are by nature the children of wrath that they come to have an interest in the covenant it is not by birth but by their parents covenanting with God he does it as he sees fit it doth not come by birth or propagation but by vertue of the covenant with the parents and God does it as hee sees fit so it is a grosse mistake Now gather it up children are federally holy because they come of holy parents they are holy because of the covenant which they receive God brought them in because he loved them and he loved them because he loved them and because he loved them he chose them and because he chose them he brought them into covenant and therefore meerly of grace So that men are or will be blind if they doe not see this 3 It is a practice that doth overthrow the body of Christ or the Temple of God and so a Nation may be corrupted and may make the godly a scorn and contempt The Argument lies thus That which destroyes the Body or Church of Christ that is unlawfull But the baptizing of infants does destroy the Body or Church of Christ and therefore it is unlawfull for it will make a nationall and carnall Church He sayes so we may say it is not so and our saying is as good as his But I say the first part is true but that baptizing of infants makes a nationall Church that I deny for it will not follow but the prerogative of a nationall Church did belong onely to the Jewes and there fore it had nationall ordinances they were to meet three times a yeare before the Lord and they had nationall Officers the High Priest and all the males were bound to appeare three times a yeare so all was nationall but now it is not so but they are particular to particular churches and particular ordinances and particular officers the Pastor and Teacher is or ought to be in their own congregation and though children are baptized they are made members of a particular congregation And besides a Nationall church in it selfe does not destroy the body of Christ For that which God hath appointed for his church that doth not destroy the church for then God may be said to destroy the church but that were blasphemy to say so But now all are in a particular church And the second part is as false that it brings in gracelesse members into the church for the baptizing of infants is no cause of it for that does not make them but seales up the meanes of grace to them as God sayes they are under his wing What could I have done more for them Deut. 6.18 God brings them into manuring he hath them in his hands as plants of his embracing in the means of grace if they bring