Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
cause_n faith_n grace_n instrumental_a 1,802 5 11.6254 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A26886 Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending them against several sorts of opponents, especially against the second assault of that pious, reverend and dear brother Mr. Thomas Blake / by Richard Baxter ... Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1658 (1658) Wing B1212; ESTC R39868 418,313 558

There are 27 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

subjects as to their age against the Anabaptists nor the Agents against the Papists or others Nor are we now to enquire who are those Ministers that are authorized hereto or what is necessary to their calling and authority But supposing these matters already determined our present business is to enquire what that faith is that qualifieth persons to be the just subjects of Baptism or to be such whose Children may receive it upon the account of their faith or Profession I shall not needlesly spend time in seeking to make plain those terms that are already as plain as I can make them 1. What Professing is I have shewed in another Determination of the like nature and I think all understand that it is as much as palam vel publicè fateor 2. By Faith we mean not the Object of faith the doctrine believed only or primarily but the persons own Belief of the doctrine and reception o● Christ. 3. By saving faith we mean not to intimate that any faith of its own nature can procure our salvation nor that it doth of its own nature in specie as the nearest reason justifie a sinner nor is any way a proper efficient cause natural or political instrumental or meritorious or any other of a sinners justification but that it is that which the Donor of Christ and Life hath made the condition of our participation of his free-Gift and so doth morally qualifie the subject to be an apt recipient 4. Because there are many other Competitors we comprehend them all under the next words upon the Profession of any other faith that comes short of it 5. We enquire whether we either must or may Baptize such and suppose that the licet and the oportet do here go together so that what we may do we must do supposing our own call as no doubt what we must do we may do But yet that I be not mistaken which is a danger not easily escaped when I have done the best I can to be understood I shall further tell you what I mean by saving faith that is what I take it to be 2. What I mean by profession and what I take that to be 3. What are those other sorts that stand up in Competition with this as a sufficient qualification 4. And then I shall adjoyn some necessary distinctions 5. And so lay down my thoughts in some propositions 6. And then prove that which determineth the question 7. And lastly I shall answer the Arguments that are brought against it and for the contrary Claim And note through the whole that if I do at any time call this profession a Ttile it is in compliance with other mens language it being my own sence that neither the ●aith nor the profession is properly a Title which is fundamentum juris and so an efficient cause but only a condition of a Title 2. That if I say it giveth Right or Title I mean not efficiently as if we could give a Right to our selves but only that it is the condition which performed by us doth morally qualifie us to receive it as freely given 1. By saving Faith I mean an unfeigned Belief of the truth of the Gospel with an unfeigned acceptance of Christ who is there of●ered to be our sufficient and only Saviour from the guilt of sin by his blood and merits and from the power of it by his spirit also and to bring us to glory in the fruition of God Or it is a sinners assent to the truth of the Gospel in the essentials and a sincere consent that God be immediately our only God and Christ our only Saviour and the Holy Ghost our only Sanctifier and we his people in these Relations I say immediately that is at present because if it be only a consent to be such hereafter it is not saving Or as the Assembly say it is the embracing of Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel Or it is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon Jesus Christ alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel It is in those respects that are essential to the Office o the Redeemer and Saviour 2. By Profession I mean in the proper sense that which hath something present for its Object or subject professed and difference it from a Promise which is onely of something future For it is a present Assent and consent that is to be professed though withal the object of this professed consent must be both the present and future relation to Christ viz that he be our Saviour and we his saved people from this time forth and for ever So that a certain Promise de futuro in the strength of grace may be said to be made in that a man must profess his consent both de presente et de futuro But still though it be to a future Relation to Christ as well as a presen● yet is it ever to a preesent as well as a future It is a present consent that Christ be presently my only Saviour or a present acceptance of him to be presently my only Saviour that I must Profess Note also that it is not a Profession that this faith of mine is indeed sincere justifying or saving faith that I speak of but it is a Profession of such a faith as indeed is justifying For many a thousand Profess that faith which is justifying and yet know it not to be justifying while they Profess it nor know not that they do with a saving sincerity believe Not one Godly person I think of ten thousand would deny consent that Christ shall be presently their Saviour and yet most of them know not that this consent is saving If you ask them Are you heartily willing to have Christ to save you both from the guilt and reign of sin and to glorifie you and they will say yea withal their hearts or at least yea if I know my own heart And yet at the same time may doubt whether they be true believers But as it is the having of saving faith that is necessary to salvation and not the knowledge that we have it so a man may Profess that faith which is saving and yet not Profess that he knows it to be saving and it is not the latter but the former that the Minister must expect from people in Baptism 3. We are next to consider what are the Competitors which we now exclude There are divers qualifications that are pleadded as necessary to those that must be Baptized and our question is which of all these is it indeed that may warrant a claim or warrant our Practice 1. The condition that some require in all that must be baptized is Assurance or firm perswasion that they are true Believers or have their sins pardoned by Christ by his promise which they now come to have sealed 2. Another condition pretended as necessary is not such Assurance it self because we know it not but a Profession of such Assurance to the
the Gift of the Holy Ghost to it as to Infants And yet as long as they put all duly baptized both Infants and Adult into a state of salvation it matters not as to our question whether Infants had habitual Grace And yet Mr. Graker hath brought so many proofs out of the mounments of Antiquity even for this also that the Fathers uno ore took all the Baptized to be regenerate or renewed by inherent grace that when his Amanuensis had transcribed them he f●und them near four times as big as his whole Book besides and the very naming of the Au●hors and Books and Pages takes up near ten or eleven Pages St●i●tur in Davena●● Epist. pa. 53. to the end of 63. He begins with Justin ●arry Irenaeu c. I will not so much as trouble the R●ader to name the Authors seeing he may there have them with the places together And lest M● Blake should say that it is but common sanctification which they assert he may there see the place● q●o●ed where ●hey a●cribe to all the dul● baptized peccatorum remissionem mentis illumi●ationem v●ii sordiumque ablutionem expurgationem animae purgationem purificatinem emaculationem totius hominis verant integram Circumcisionem refectionem renovationem recreatio●ē●nnov●tionem anim●tionem emundationem sanctificationem internam reformationē ad divinā imaginē similitudinē restitutionē regenerationē ge●erationis nativae correctio●ē ac●reparationē veteri● hominis mortem sepulturam novi●nativitatem vetustatis abstersionem exutum despoliatio●em d●positionem vitii omnis evomitionem peccati interfectionem criminum mortem sepulturam vi●tutis vitam Spiritus sancti infusionem gratiae coelestis consecutionem hominis mentis immutationem in melius transformationem Hinc Baptismum appellant Vndam genitalem aquam salutarem rorem purificum sanativum vivificum sanctificumq lavacrum Et Sacramentum hoc asserunt peccatis exuere peccata expurgare spiritualem lepram auferre gratiae ac virtutum Spiritus sancti donis atque primitiis induere vim generativam habere Dei siitos generare corpus peccuti destruere vertutem vitalem indere gratiam spiritualem conferre atque infundere divinam imaginem instaurare novam facere massam condere creaturam dealbare nive candidiorem facere purum justum sanctum novum facere hominem peccatum radicitus evellere justitiam sanctitamque tribuere animae sordes maculasque abluere ulcera morbosque sanare aestus sedare febres extinguere putredines exuere vitia exinanire oculos aperire aures reserare vigorem dare vires addere formam floremq Deo dignum conciliare in vitam primordialem animam restituere textum novum contexere animas reparare viventes spiritu informatas utì aqua olim reptilia producere esse baptiz● to quod matrix Embryoni eo modo effigiare quo infans in utero essingitur pari modo ex aqua resingere reficere quo ex terra primó fingebatur refundere refingere prout statua solet tingere ut lanum purpurâ purgare emollire fulgidum facere ut ignis ferrum characterē effigiemque impr●mere●ut cerae sigillum vitium solvere absumere peccata exurere ut ignis ceram hominē terreum ut terrā metallicā in aurū transmutare crassos animales in coelestes spirituales transformare infantiam juventutem revocare puritati originali restituere vel eâ etiam praestantiorem splendidiorem reddere Typos baptismatis affirmant fuisse Naaminis purgationem Pharaonis submersionem Cataclysum Noathicum piscinā Bethesdicā aquatilium creationem formationem protoplasti I have recited all these terms Mr. Gataker telleth you where to find them all least Mr. Blake should not be able to find any one that certainly signifieth saving Grace if we named not all For though he abhorreth to impute equivocation to the Scripture as I do yet he sticks not to do it much more where it serveth his turn Regeneration Renovation Adoption Sanctification Disciples and I doubt Justification and what not are all equivocal terms with him in Scripture if I can understand him and so is the Church the body of Christ and many such like Perhaps therefore it will not move him that Mr. Gataker nexe addeth pag. 63. De baptismo denique exponunt illas sacras Scripturea Periochas Psal. 34.5 juxta Graec. Ver. Psal. 103.5 Isa. 1.16 Ezek. 36.25 26. Psal. 51.10 Joh. 1.13 3.5 6. Rom. 6.3 6. 1 Cor. 6.11 Gal. 3.27 Ephe. 4.22 24. 5.26 Col. 2.11 13. Tit. 3.5 Heb. 6 4 10.22 Quae loca Illuminationē purificationem renascentiam regenerationem refectionem sanctificationem mortificationem vivisicationem cordis renovationem imaginis restaurationem spiritus infusionem hominem veterem exutum crucifixum abolitum hominem novum Christum ipsum indutum loquuntur nec aut ad solam reatus amotionem possunt accommodari aut de ea sola saltem ab ullo opinor unquam interprete sunt exposita Constat itaque Patres antiquos tam Regenerationem propriè dictam quae in hominis renovatione interná consistit quàm peccati sive originalis sive actualis remissionem sacramento isti tribuisse Constat ex iis quae suprà indicavimus aevi itidē inferioris Scriptores plerosque cùm in eadem sententia fuisse tum in candē mentē patrū priscorum dicta cepisse So far Gataker If all these terms be equivocal and none of them signifying saving Grace we must even give up the use or certainty of Language But it may possibly be Objected that this was the Fathers error who ascribed too much to Baptism Answ. What ever they did in that it proveth the point in hand and sheweth us what persons the baptized and the visible Church were taken for by the Fathers Object But doth it not rather shew that saving Faith was not presupposed because they supposed that Baptism did give the spirit and sanctification and therefore found not men sanctified before Answ. 1. It is undeniable that they took all that were duly baptized to be presently in a state of salvation without any delay and therefore they did not take Baptism as a common Ordinance to lead men up to the use of other Church Ordinances as the Supper c. which is also common to the notoriously ungodly and so to saving grace 2. And if the ●atholike Church hath in all ages thus annexed saving Grace to Baptism and made any common faith the condition qualifying the person for this Baptism then it would be plain that they all affixed saving Grace to the preparation of common Grace and so the Catholike Church hath been Pelagian which he that shall affirm will do that for the Pelagian Cause which will better please the Jesuites than any considerate Reformed Divines It is therefore not to be doubted o● but that it was some Antecedent special Grace to which they thus confidently affixed other saving Grace Which will the more appear in that Austine himself and those that followed him against the
to give up his name to Christ as his servant and souldier and to fight manfully against the World the Flesh and the Devil c. we need add no more Mr Blake 's mistake lies in this that the ground of Baptism is either a Dogmatical faith or a true justifying faith which because no Minister can certainly know he must only require a Dogmatical faith But we conceive neither of them to be the ground of Baptism but the profession of a true justifying faith or Acceptance of the Covenant So far these Brethren And whether it be not the Promise of a justifying faith that Mr Blake takes up with besides his faith short of justifying read his Books and censure as you find cause But yet if Mr Blake be really of my mind I have no mind to perswade the world that he is not nor reason so to do but when I know it from himself I shall heartily rejoyce in the closure For I am confident it is in love of Truth that both of us do dispute and therefore if Truth get by it we have our ends For my part I must still say that if I took a Dogmatical faith it self or any short of justifying for the Title and necessary qualifications of them that I must admit I would baptize none because I cannot know who hath that Dogmatical faith and who not And I still find that even wise and pious men are oft as far to seek for the truth of their Assent as of their Consent and would give a world that they were but certain that they truly Believe the truth of the Gospel And I am sure that I am as far to seek for assurance of the one as of the other in those that I examine in order to the baptizing of their Infants There is newly come forth a Book of William Morrice Esquire which seems by the Title page to plead for the sufficiency of this Dogmatical faith When I saw the Book made up of so much reading and expressing so much industry and learning I much rejoyced that England had such a Gentleman and I look on the Book as a shaming reprehension of the idleness and ignorance of the multitude of the Gentry that spend that time in hawking and hunting and complementing which if better spent might make a blessing and not a burden to the Land But out of that learned Volume I am not able to find any clear discovery what the Author means by a Dogmatical faith But I conjecture that it is somewhat that must be conjunct with the Profession of a saving faith For pag. 215. he saith because it is not only probable to Charity they may have found faith but And pag. 2●4 He that receives the Seals of the Covenant seals back a Counter-part to God accepts of the Terms and assents to the Condition which as Mr Vines before shews is justifying faith And I desire it may be observed what he saith p. 247. to prove Baptism and the Lords Supper to be administred on the like grounds And what he saith in p. 248 249. against Baptizing the children of the Excommunicate and what he citeth out of Rich. Hooker Eccl. Pol. l. 3. p. 87. to that end and that the Child 's right is rooted in the immediate parents And that which he citeth out of Goodwins Mos. Aar l. 5. c. 2. p. 223. that Among the Iews the male-children of those that were but under Niddui were not circumcised And if any think that this learned Gentleman would have Ministers feed the humors of the carnal unruly multitude by giving them the Lords Supper while they obstinately refuse to be ruled or to live a godly life let them observe that it is only Church-members not living scandalously and still professing the Christian faith that he pleads for And no doubt but he will confess that our Parishioners cannot by us be made Church-members against their wils he distinguisheth between the Universal and a Particular Church and well knows that all the Christian world belongs not to my pastoral charge and that I am not bound to deliver the Sacraments to all that have a right to them And therefore if upon just reasons I desire of the whole Parish to know whether they own their membership in that particular Church or not and take me for their Pastor and consent to the duty of members and some deny it and others will give me no answer by word or writing no not after I have waited a year or two and I told them that I must take their silence for a denial but they will continue silently to hear and will not once say they own the relation nor will submit to the unquestionable acts of Discipline I am confident that it is not in the thoughts of this learned Gentleman that I must needs take these persons for part of my charge that will not tell me they take themselves for such or take me for their Pastor no more then he will think himself bound to take a woman for his wife and estate her in his Lands and perform conjugal offices to her that will not once say She consenteth that he shall be her husband And this is the case of most of our people The most Godly Ministers about us that gather not new Churches but on sufficient reasons and joint agreement do only call the whole Parish to know whether they own their membership and them for their Pastors do find almost none but a few Godly that will own it for fear of being troubled by Discipline If all the Parish therefore be our Church it must be against their wils And if any think that several passages in that Learned Volumn do make against the power and consequently the labor of the Ministry and the Edification of the Church I propound to their consideration 1. That all the applicatory passages of the Discourse must be expounded as they relate to that controversie which occasioned them which must be understood by the help of former writings 2. It s not unusual with wise men in length and heat of Disputation to make the face of Truth it self to seem sometimes to look awry in the application 3. And other passages in the same Book may help you to a fair exposition of the offensive As e.g. p. 85. he saith Were a Pastor so familiarly conversant with his flock as he ought to be and is some think implyed not only in Paul 's preaching from house to house but also by those alike used idioms the Church in or among you and you in the Church or did not deem the feeding of the Lambs by Catechizing to be beneath his magistery and greatness he would need no other marks or signs to know his sheep by then such as he might take from common conversation And you need not question but this Learned Author would reckon them among the scandalous that would not speak with a Minister if he desire it but get away when they know he will come to
take it for granted that the aged are admitted upon their own profession and the Infants upon the profession of the Parent by whom he hath his Title to the Covenant even as he is the seed of a believer The Question then that we have now to discuss is only concerning the sufficiency of this Profession as to the satisfaction of the Baptizer without any further Evidences of sincerity For the explaining and resolving whereof I shall first shew you what that Profession is which we require and shall be satisfied in and secondly I shall prove the Affirmative of the Question And for the first I shall first shew you what Profession is in general and the formal nature of the thing and the requisites thereto Secondly I shall shew you what this Profession must be in specie as it is specified from the subject matter of it And first Profiteor is but palam fateor in the common acception of the word In civil cases prositeri est publice apud acta aliquid ultro denunciate ut Calv. More especially professio is sometimes ad interrogata responsio and sometimes sponsio and in military affairs it is nomen dare Ours in question hath something of all these conjunct It is a solemn voluntary declaration expression or confession of our faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in answer usually to the Interrogation of the Minister with a giving up our name to God by solemn sponsion and renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil or in general all inconsistent wayes Profession is a relative action and hath in it somewhat Material viz. the Action and somewhat Formal viz. the Relation which must be distinctly considered of For Profession is a signification of a mans mind concerning the thing professed The Action which is the Matter of the sign is not necessarily one and the same thing in all and at all times The common action is by word of mouth Where that cannot be had as from the dumb it sufficeth that they express by writing where that cannot be had the lifting up of the hand or motion of other part of the body or any thing that is apt to signifie what is in the mind may be a just Profession And if word writing and corporal motion be all joyned together it is but the matter of the same Profession God hath tyed us to no one particular sign as necessary nor restrained us from any by his Word but only as the general Directions of doing all things Orderly decently to edification c. may be an Obligation or restraint but the more particular Direction must be fetcht by Christian prudence from the Light and Law of Nature it self The nature of the thing with concurrent circumstances will teach us which is the fittest sign And sometime the commands of our Teachers or Governours may determine that case it being a matter within their power to determine according to Gods general Rules The formal Reason of a Profession is that it be signum mentis aut verum aut et si ementitum tamen apparens if it be only a seeming sign or counterfeit it is truly a Profession but not a true Profession I mean it hath a Metaphysical verity inasmuch as it is an action apt to signifie the mind and doth signifie that which the man would have you think to be his mind but it is not morally true but false because it doth not signifie that which is his mind indeed All words are to be signa mentis but when a man lyeth his words are truly words though not true words and he doth speak that which he would have you take to be his mind though not that which is so c. he useth a sign that is apt and appointed for the expression of the mind though he abuse it to the concealing of his mind and the deceiving of the Hearer Yet if any will insist upon it that it hath not the formal Reason of a Profession unless it be true and agreeable to the mind let such know that we take the word in a larger and commoner and I think fitter sense even for that which a pretended to be a true sign of the mind whether it be indeed true or not Yet still pretended it must be to be a true Discovery of the mind and to that use it is that the Minister must receive it and thence it comes to pass that there are besides the bare words writings and some modifications which are of necessity to the very cons●i●ution of a real Profession and without which it cannot properly be called a Profession or may not by a Minister be taken for such Concerning which 1. I shall enqure further Whether this be so or not 2. What those Modes or concomitant Acts must be 1. And for the first the reason of the doubt is because some conceive that Profession is so far required for it self or for some other end I know not what as that it is not to be lookt at or required as a seeming or probable evidence of the thing professed Mr. Blake Treat of Sacr. p. 129. saith of me His Grand Rule is That a serious Professor of the Faith is to be taken for a true believer If this Proposition were a Scripture Maxime then it would have born a further superstruction but being neither found there nor any proof made that it is any way deduced thence mother and daughters may all justly be called into question I do yield that charity is to hope the best but that we should put our charity to it or our reason either for probability or certainty when we are nowhere so taught and have a more sure Rule for our proceeding I see no Reason I can scarce meet with a Minister that saith and I have put the question to many of the most Eminent that I know that he baptizeth any Infant upon this ground of hope that the Parent is Regenerate but still with earnest vehemence professeth the contrary Answ. 1. That serious Profession of true faith is to be taken by us as a probable Evidence of the thing Profest till men forfeit their credit I shall God willing prove anon from Scripture And if I did not before stand to prove it from Scripture I desire Mr. Blake as he findeth cause by the following evidence to impute it either to my disability or my modesty If he find that I now prove it not let him tell the world that I could not but let him not thence conclude that it is not true for another may prove it if I cannot but if I now prove it let him impute the former omission to my charity which provoked me to hope that with such as he and so many as he here intimateth it had not been necessary nay I thought it had been out of controversie with us 2. If he yield that charity is to hope the best Why not then to be put to it Is it not put to it when it must hope
the best Or is not this a contradiction 3. What kind of holy Ordinance is this wherein neither Charity nor Reason must be put to it when the state of another is presented to our consideration 4. What is the more sure Rule for our proceeding which is here mentioned I must profess that upon my most diligent search with a willingness to discover it I am not yet able to know what Mr. Blakes Rule is sure or not sure I mean what that qualification is which he saith doth entitle to Baptism Though he call it a Dogmatical Faith yet he requireth the will's consent but to what I am not able to discern he doth so vary his Phrase and contradict himself Onle by his Title on the top of the Leaf I know that it is A Faith short of Justifying which he meaneth which telleth me what faith it is not though not what it is 5. Either he will require a Profession of true Faith or not If not then we are not yet fit to dispute about the ends to which that Profession is requisite seeing we are not agreed whether the Profession it self be requisite in those whom we must admit If the Profession it self be acknowledged necessary then either for it self or for another thing Not for it self For 1. There is nothing in the thing 2. Nor in Scripture to intimate any such thing But on the contrary 1. It is signum mentis and therefore is required to signifie what is in the mind 2. Else a false Profession should be requisite and acceptable as well as a true if it were Profession quâ talis and propter se that were requisite If it be not for the signification of what is in the mind then though it signifie not the mind it is acceptable But that cannot be for God hath forbidden lying and never accepteth it nor maketh it a condition of our Title to his benefits as given to us by him 3. It is not any one sign that God tyeth us to Not speaking for then the dumb could not profess Not writing for then none could be Professors that cannot write But it s any thing that may signifie the mind which plainly shews that it is required to this end that it may signifie the mind God never encouraged any to speak the bare words be they true or false but only to speak the truth 6. Suppose it were only another species of Faith which is necessary to be professed in order to Baptism would not Mr. Blake put either his Charity or Reason to it to judge whether the person do in probability mean as he speaks If not 1. Then he will not sanctifie God in his Ordinances but abuse them and wrong his Neighbour by laying by Charity and Reason so much in the administration 2. And then if he knew that they came in scorn or learn the word as a Parrot he would accept them which I will not imagine But if he will put his Charity and Reason to it to judge of the truth of a common Profession let him shew us his warrant and it shall serve us to prove that we must do so also in case of a special Profession What ever the Faith professed be If you say your Profession is required propter se for the matter of the sign and not for the formality and use of signifying it were not only groundless but a reproachful ascribing that to God which we would not ascribe to the silliest man or woman about us that hath the free use of Reason And if the Profession be given and taken and so required not propter se materially but ut signum mentis for the signifying of our minds then sure I need not dig deep into Scripture or Reason to prove that both the Reason and Charity of the minister is here to be Imployed to judge whether indeed it do signifie the mans mind according to his pretences or not It grieveth me for the Churches sake to read Mr. Blake's words of the Ministers he meets with for if they do scarce any of them so much regard the probability of the Parents Regeneration in the administration of that Sacrament then they either Baptize upon an apparent Lye if the Parent profess saving Faith when he hath not the least probability of it or else they take up with the Profession of another species of Faith as Mr. Blake doth And I crave their patient sober enquiry Whether that be not to make another species of Baptism and of visible Christianity and also whether they have yet well discerned and determined what that Faith is that must be profest and whether the world have ever yet seen an exact or satisfactory definition or description of it and where and in what words and also whether they have not the same uncertainty of the sincerity of that lower Faith in the Professors as of true saving Faith and consequently Whether Mr. Blakes doctrine have delivered them from difficulties or ensnared them I crave of all those Reverend Brethren whom Mr. Black meets with and are guilty of what he chargeth them with that they would once more consider the matter 2. Having thus shewed that a Profession is necessary and that in its formal nature and to its proper end as it is a signification of a man's mind and in order to the discovery of the mind and not barely for the very terms or signs of Profession I am next to shew what things are necessary besides the bare words or other signs to the Being of a Profession or what properties or requisites are sine quibus non to the validity of it to its End that it may be indeed taken by us to be signum mentis and not be accounted Null and vain And in General it is necessary that the Profession seem true for a Profession that is notoriously fals is uncapable of the Ends atd use that it is required for for such a one will not signifie a mans mind but the contrary More particularly 1. The Professon which we must take as valid must seem to be made in a competent understanding of the Matter which is Professed It 's a known rule in Law that Consensus non est ignorantis If a Parrot be taugh to repeat the Creed it is not to be called a Profession of Faith The same we may say of any such Ideot or child or persons at age who are notoriously ignorant of the matter which they speak therefore it is the duty of those that require such Professions to endeavor to discern whether the person understand what he professeth before he do it and therefore in the ancient Churches their Catechists or other Teachers did first see to their understanding the sum of the Christian Faith before they baptized any at age and so should the Parents themselves be examined before we baptize their children upon the account of their Profession except it be when we have just cause to presume that the person understandeth the matter professed Yet if
signs is truly a ●hristian 7. The Essentials primary in the Matter are to all the same but the Terms of Necessity for expressing them are not the same to all either for number of words or sentences seeing one can receive that in ten words ano●her cannot in twenty And hence is it that if twenty men be set to draw up the Essentials of Christianity they may do it in twenty several forms of words and yet all express the same ess●ntial Matter and one Confession may be in ten lines and another in more pages and yet both speak the same Fundamental Tru●hs one more concisely or generally and the other more copiously and plainly 8. Whatever other words may be necessary to some besides those that directly express the above-said Matter of Belief in God the Father Son and Ghost they are not to this end necessary that we may have more matter of Faith than is there contained as if it were not all that is essential but that this may by the ignorant be better understood so that those other particular Articles which some call Fundamentals are but expositions of those three Fundamentals that indeed we may receive them 6. In point of duty a Minister must require a more full and large expression of his Faith from one man than from another viz. From those that he hath apparent cause to suspect of not understanding or not believing what the more Comprehensive Concise Terms do express but yet if either he neglect that duty or his previous inquiry and examination though sinfully or if the party that gave no cause of suspition be yet ignorant or an unbeliever it doth not follow that the Concise Profession was a Nullity for want of larger Explication He that professeth to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost hath made a Profession of saving Faith in all the Essentials as to the sense of the words and it is to be taken as valid in foro Ecclesiastico in the Judgement of the Church if there be not some of the above-named particulars apparent to invalidate it as Contradiction apparent Ignorance Derision c. May it not be the safest way to imitate the Scripture examples in such cases where we alway find Profession in order to Baptism made but in few comprehensive terms for as by this way we follow the surest Guid so are we most likely to comprehend all the Essentials and leave none out when spinning out a Profession to a Volumn in more particular Explicatory termes if these same generals be not among them may leave out much of the Essence of Religion which these do comprehend Not that I would have the people hear no longer discourses for Explication but it is one thing to put them into a Sermon or Discourse and another thing to put them into the Profession of Faith If notwithstanding all that is said any shall still be prejuced against the requiring of a Professon of saving Faith because of the difficulty of discerning when it is that all the Fundamentals are professed let such consider that it doth as much concern those that differ from us to untye this knot if they can as us We have long shewed the Papists that themselves must be forced to distinguish between those points of Faith which some may be saved without and those which none can be saved without and so indeed Bellarmine and others of them confess And those that say it is a Dogmatical Faith that must be professed must needs comprehend all the aforesaid Essentials in their Dogmatical faith or else they cannot call it the Christian Faith So that as to the Object of Assent they are equally concerned in the difficulties 2. And then for the second part of Faith which is the Wills consent or Affiance or Entertainment Receiving Acceptance Embracing or what other term to that purpose you will use of the Good proposed in the Gospel the same forementioned words do also comprehend all that is Essential to the Object of this Act for the Will as well as the Intellect to Believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is all our Faith that is To receive God as our God our Creator our Soveveraign and Felicity and Jesus Christ our Saviour from the guilt and power of Sin and to bring us to everlasting Glory and this by Ransoming us by his death and merits By Rising Interceding Teaching Ruling us and at last Raising and Judging us and to receive the Holy Ghost as the witness of Christ the inspirer of the writers of his Word and as our Sanct●fier Thus is the Object of true Christian faith expressed as containing the Objects of the Will To conclude in a doubtfull case it is safe to be as express and particular as we can in our Instructions and Examinations and not barely to keep to the meer Essentials because there are many of the Adjacent truths or superstructures which are of so great use as that the fundamentals are hardly and seldom well entertained without them And yet when we play not the part of Instructors and preparers but of Administrators of Gods Ordinances then we must take heed of exacting more as necessary then is indeed necessary and in difficult Cases when the difficulty lyeth in the Darkness of the persons heart and you doubt by reason of the scantness of his expressions whether he believe as he speaketh we must give credit to his own words as far as reason will permit and to judge the best though we may fear the worst and this will be our Duty and if we should be deceived it will not prove our sin but his that makes the false profession And this leadeth me up to the next part of my Task which is having thus explained the Nature of the requisite Profession to prove the Affi●mative of the Question THESIS Mi●isters m●y admit pers●ns into the visible Church of Christ by B●ptism upon the bare Verbal Profession of the true Christian saving faith such as before described without staying for or searching after any further Evidences of sincerity ordinarily and as of necessity to this end This Proposition I prove in short by these Arguments following Argum. 1. We have the warrant of their approved Example in Scripture whom we are to eye as our Pattern in Administrations for the administring of Baptism upon a bare Verbal Profession therefore we may so Administer it I here suppose the Practice of the Church before Christs Incarnation which is out of all doubt Moses took the Verbal profession of all Israel to be a Covenant between God and them wherein they avouched the Lord to be their God and God avouched them to be his people On the like terms did Joshua Asa and others renew the Covenant of God with that people and on the same terms was circumcision administred On these terms did John Baptize multitudes whose lives he knew not before and of whom he required no further Evidence than these present Professions to sati●fie him of their
sed justificatis h. e. non infidelibus sed conversis Non igitur nisi conversione fide sumi debent secus sigilla justitiae esse cessant Quid enim non hathentibus fidem justitiam obsignarem Yet following Calvin he next sheweth that sometime Righteousness doth follow after and not precede instancing in Isaac which none denieth For Infants are baptized on the account of their Parents faith and not their own and the adult oft profess the faith which they have not Note also here besides Paraeus his express decision of the main controversie how he takes the converted justified and believers for the same and the unconverted unjustified and Infidels for the same Ragerus a little quarrels with Paraeus and as many Lutherans do would make Abrahams example no standing Rule that the Sacrament begets not the first Grace sed non sequitur in hoc subjecto Circumcisio non habuit virtutem operativam gratiae primitus conferendae ergò in nullo habuit imò vero aliis gratiae divinae adhuc destitutis medium esse potuit gratiae primitus conferendae so others of that way But as we distinguish between what God may do by Baptism and what he hath Instituted it to do so the very judgement of these Lutherans and many Papists who will have Sacraments to confer Grace where it is not is against the opinion that we now resist For it is not any lower effect only but saving Justification or Remission which these make to be the present effect of it Dr. Willet in loc saith Circumcision then did not confer upon him that Grace which he had not but did confirm and stablish him in the grace and faith received the Sacraments then non Instituta sunt justificandis sed justificatis are not Instituted for those which are to be justified but for them which are already justifyed Parae Peter Martyr is larger and makes these words of Paul to be the definition of a Sacrament to be a Seal of the Righteousness of faith Much out of them might be cited for the cause in hand but that I must avoid prolixity So much shall serve for that Argument Argum. 7. We must Baptize none but those that are first professed Disciples of Christ and their children who are also Disciples but none are professed Disciples of Christ that profess not saving faith in Christ therefore we may not Baptize any that profess not saving faith in Christ. The Major is proved from Matth 38.19 Go Disciple me all Nations batizing them As for those that say they are Discipled by baptizing and not before baptizing 1. They speak not the sense of that Text. 2. Nor that which is true or rational if they mean it absolutely as so spoken else why should one be baptized more then another 3. But if they mean that by heart-covenant or Gods Accep●ance and promise they are Disciples before but not so compleatly till the covenant be sealed and solemnized as a souldier is not so signally a souldier till he be listed nor a King till he be crowned so fully a King or a man or woman so fully married till it be solemnized in the Congregation in this sense they say the same that I am proving Men must be first Disciples by the professed consent before they are declared such by the Seals or publike sacramental solemnization And that only the professors of saving Faith and their Infants are Disciples may appear by a perusal of the Texts of Scripture that use this word and it w●ll not only be found that this which I maintain is the ordinary use of the Word which should make it so also with us but that no Text can be cited where any others are called the Disciples of Christ. For the Major and Minor both observe Piscators Definition of Baptism on Mat. 28.19 Baptismus est sacramentum novi Testamenti quo homines ad Ecclesiam pertinentes ex mandato Christi cultui veri Dei qui est Pater Filius Spiritus Sanctus per ministros verbi consecrantur in fide Remissionis peccatorum spe vitae aeternae confirmantur And he proveth this Description per partes 1. That its a Sacrament 2. That it belongeth to those that pertain to that Church and that they only must be baptized qui ecclesiam fuerint ingressi ac fidem evangelii professi which he proveth from Mark 16.16 he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Vult Ergò saith he ut prius constet de alicuius fide quam baptizetur Vnde Acts 8. Philippus Evangelista non prius baptizare voluit Eunuchum illum Aethiopem quam is professus esset fidem Christi And by the proof from Mar. 16.16 It is apparent that he speaks of saving faith Then he proves the last part of his description Postremo per Baptismum homines in fide spe confirmari liquet ex verbis Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit salvabitur sic Petrus Act 2.38 resipiscentes Judaeos jubet baptizari in remissionem pe●catorum hoc est ad confirmandam fidem remissionie peccatorum Item Act. 22.16 Ananias dicit Paulo recens converso Baptizare ablue peccata tua hoc est Baptizare ad confirmandam fidem remissionis peccatorum quod abluta sint peccata tua sanguine Christi Calvin in loc saith Baptizari jubet Christus eos qui nomen evangelio dederint seque professi fuerint Discipulos p●rtim ut illis Baptismus sit vitae aeternae tessera coram Deo partim apud homines externum fidei signum Scimus enim Deum nobis testari Adoptionis suae gratiam hoc signo quia nos inserit in corpus filii sui ut nos in grege suo censeat Ideo spirituale nostrum lavacrum quo nos sibi reconciliat ut nova justitia illic representatur Sed quemadmodum gratiam suam Deus hoc sigillo nobis confirmat ita quicunque se ad Baptismum offerunt vicissim quasi data syngrapha obstringunt suam fidem And after verum quia docere prius jubet Christus quam baptizare tantum credentes ad Baptismum vult recipi videtur non ritè administrari baptismus nisi fides precesserit On this pretence he shews that the Anabaptists oppose Infant-Baptism To which he answers not by receding from what is said before but by shewing that eos qui fide in ecclesiam Dei ingressi sunt videmus cum sua sobole censeri in Christi membris in salutis haereditatem simul vocari Nec vero separatur hoc modo Baptismus à fide vel doctrina quia licèt pueri infantes nondam per aetatem side percipiant Dei gratiam Deus tamen eorum parentes compellans ipsus etiam complectitur So that it is Calvins judgement that this very Text which is the most notable Copy of the Apostolical commission for the Baptizing of the discipled Nations doth appoint that saving faith be professed before men be baptized and lie makes these to be
the Disciples with their Infants and that it is Reconciliation Adoption and the Inheritance of salvation that are sealed up to Parents and children by Baptism Paraeus in loc saith Cum Baptismus sit signum faederis testificans baptizatos recipi a Deo in gratiam haud dubiè Pater filius spiritus sanctus sunt unus verus Deus baptizatos in gratiam foedus recipiens And he expoundeth this from Mar. 16.16 shewing that as the order is credere baptizari so that this is a true saving faith l●st autem credere Evangelio non solum assentiri doctrinae quod vera sit sed fiducia certa sibi applicare promissionem gratiae nos recipi in gratiam nobis remissa esse peccata propter Christum Commendat vero nobis fidem baptismum duabus rationibus una ab utili salvabitur h. e. vitam aeternam consequetur For my own part I have before entered my dissent to such descriptions of justifying faith as make it to be a Believing that our sins are pardoned but yet I agree with him and the rest in the main that it must be an Act of the will embracing or accepting an offered Christ as well as of the understanding and that the Profession of it must go before Baptism But I shall further prove the Minor from some other Texts of Scripture viz. that they are not Christs Disciples that Profess not saving faith or are not the Infants of such Luke 14.26 27 33. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brothers and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple This is spoken of true Disciples in heart the first significatum by him that knew the heart From whence I argue thus If none are Christs Disciples in heart nor can be but those that value him above all and will forsake all for him if he require it then none can be his Disciples by external Profession but those that Profess to esteem him above all and to be willing to forsake all rather then forsake him But the former is proved by the Text The consequence is clear in that the world hath hitherto been acquainted but with two sorts of Christians or Disciples of Christ the one such sincerely in heart and the other such by Profession and the latter are so called because they profess to be what the other are indeed and what themselves are if they sincerely so profess And it is the same thing Professed which makes a man a Professed Christian which being found in the heart doth make a man a hearty Christian. Of these two sorts of Disciples people of God I spake as plain as I could speak pag. 4. of the Saints Rest But Mr. Blake never sticks when he meets with such passages to perswade the world that they are my self-contradictions and that they make for him as if it were all one to Profess a saving faith even the Acceptance of Christ and to Profess a faith short of saving But I perceive by this how he is like to use other Authors that cannot speak for themselves that would perswade men that I speak for him even where I expresly speak for the same cause which I now maintain against him John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Here Christ giveth a certain badg by which his true Disciples may be known If only those that love one another are true Disciples in heart then only those that Profess to love one another are Disciples by Profession But c. And that this Love is a special Grace and Inseparable concomitant of saving faith is manifest in that By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 Joh. 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye that is you will approve your selves my Disciples indeed If only those are Christs Disciples indeed as to the heart that have the Resolution of perseverance and those only his Practical conquering Disciples who actually persevere then only those are his Professed Disciples that Profess a Resolution to persevere But c. Ergo c. All this that I have said is no more then we have ever practised when in Baptism we renounced the World Flesh and Devil and promised to fight under Christs Banner to our lives end Saith Piscator on John 13.35 Si pro Christianis id est Christs discipulis haberi volumus oportet ut nos mutuò quàm ardentissimè diligamus c. Object Joh. 6. ●0 61 66. Those are called his Disciples that were offended at his word and went back Answ. 1. That 's none of our question whether Professed Disciples may not forsake Christ we easily acknowledge it But let it be proved that these did not before Profess a saving faith 2. This makes as much against the Opponent as me for it was the very want of a Dogmatical faith that they here manifested being offended that Christ should tell them that they must eat his flesh Object Act. 19.1 They are called Disciples that had not heard whether there be a Holy Ghost or not Answ. If they had not heard then it was not an article of necessity to their Justification They had been baptized and professed that faith which was saving when John baptized 2. This is spoken only of that extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost Obj. Any one is a Disciple that is willing to learn of Christ. Answ. No such matter In an improper sence you may so call them but not in Scripture sense where 1. A Disciple and a Christian are all one Acts 11.26 But every one that is willing to learn of Christ is not a Christian therefore not a disciple 2. A Disciple of Christ is one that will take him for the great Prophet of the Church which whosoever heareth not shall be cut off from Gods people and will learn of him as of the Christ. But so wil not all that will learn of him for a man that taketh Christ but for a common wise man as Socrates or Plato may be willing to learn of him and so may be his Disciple in another sense but not in the Christian sense as a Christian. 3. He that is sincerely a Disciple of Christ in heart doth take him for one that by redemption also hath Propitiated the offended Majesty and as King hath authority to rule him and submitteth to him in his whole office as he is the Christ For he cannot be truly a Christian that taketh not Christ as Christ and believeth not in him in all that is essential to his office and so to the object of our faith As he that believeth that Christ is God only or Man only is no Christian so he
was in them that must judge Angels ver 3. was a special saving sanctification But such did this seem to Paul which he speaketh of as is exprest in the Text therefore there must needs be at least a Profession of this And because Mr. Blake tells me pag. 14● how well I know that he hath proved his assertion I shall peruse all those Texts which he citeth to that end in his Book of the Covenants p●g 207 208. And first we must observe that the persons that he there himself speaketh of are Visible Professors as distinct from the Elect and Regenerate yea from those that are really Saints and shall be for heaven And he calleth them men separate for God and Dedicated to him But this is unedifying slippery dealing to confound two distinct causes to●●ther He that is professedly Dedicated to God is a Professor of saving Faith He that is really and heartily Dedicated to ●od shall certainly be saved Here Mr. Blake pleadeth the cause that I do maintain and not that which he hath undertaken against me and the common truth I confess as well as he that Profession maketh Saints visible or by profession as hearty Dedication to God by faith maketh real or heart-Saints But how angry is he himself afterwards at this distinction of Real and Professed Saints as if that none but the justified were real Saints But what is all this to a Saint-ship consisting in the Profession of a faith short of that which is Justifying I shall take these last to be Mr. Blake's Saints and no Scripture Saints I mean Saints of his denomination till he have better proved that ever Scripture so calleth them The Texts cited by him are these Frst Psal. 16.3 Saints on earth And I yield to him that there are Saints on earth Then 1 Cor. 16.1 Heb. 16.10 where we read of Collections for the Saints and Administration to the Saints By these I doubt not but he may prove that more than the heart-Saints are called Saints but that is because they profess and seem to be heart-Saints These Texts are far from proving that there are any Saints that profess not saving sanctity I shall anon tell Mr. Blake who they were that Calvin and other Protestants do expound the word Saints of in such Passages as these though he hath already told us that he abhorreth the Doctrine which they maintain But this is a Practical case that Mr. Blake hath here put us upon the Communion of Saints doth not only consist in Conjunction in God's Worship but also in mutual relief and free communication of outward things as the Text which he here citeth doth declare Those therefore that are of his mind must communicate as well to the Professors of a common Faith as of a saving Faith But hear who they be that Pareus supposeth Paul to mean in loc Docemur vero ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctorum quam credimus etiam huc pertinere ut necessitatibus fratrum mutuò tangamur pro virili succurramus prompte fideliter sumus enim unius Corporis membra c. Nam Fidei charitatis unitas omnes in Christo Capite conjungit It is then the Members of Christ united in him and joyned in Faith and Love And those that Profess to be such are so to us Acts 26.10 Acts 9.2 When Paul shut up many of the Saints in prison and did much evil against them he knew no other way of distinction than an outward Profession c. saith Mr Blake Answ. Nor do we know means hearts nor think that Paul knew them But the Question is What they professed Whether saving Sanctity or a common Sanctity and Faith short of it He addeth We read of Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 and they were taken in to be Church-Members as soon as they made profession as they ceased to be Jews or Pagans and took them to the way of Christianity as we see Act. 2. Act. 8.12 13 38. Ans. 1. They renounced the way of ungodliness and wickedness in general by a Profession of repentance as well as the way of Paganism and Judaiism in particular There were no Christians that Professed not Repentance towards God from dead works 2. We believe that there were Churches of the Saints and therefore that none should be of the Church that Profess not to be true Saints But prove if you can that there was ever either Church or Church-member called Saints in Scripture that had no either special Sanctity or a Profession of it You say nothing to prove that any were called Saints upon the Profession of a Faith short of saving Faith Emphaticum est saith Calvin in loc quod exprimit sanctorum acsi Ecclesias rite compositas à sinistra nota subduceret Of which see him fully on 1 Cor. 1.2 And as for those Acts 8. you cannot prove that any of them were either called Saints or Baptized without a Profession of a Justifying faith as shall further be shewed afterward M. Blake addeth The Epistles wrote to particular visible Churches are inscribed to Saints among which what some are read both the Epistles to the Corinthians yea what almost all are in some Churches read the Epistle to the Church of Sardis Answ. 1. No man in any of these Churches is called a Saint upon the Profession of any lower kind of faith but only on the presence or profession of saving faith 2. I have not heard a proof that the worst of these Church●s had many members if any that were impenitent and obstin●te in any error or sin after admonition and so that were visibly destitute of the saving Sanctity which they did Profess 3. If such there were the Churches are commanded to cast them out and then they will be no longer numbred with the Saints 4. The Apostles may well call the whole Society Saints when part are really so in heart and the rest Profess it We commonly tell both Papists and Separatists that the Scripture thus denominateth the whole from the better part as a field is called a Corn-field though theree be more Tares then Corn and yet you will not call the Tares Corn No more will I call the ungodly Saints when I know them though I will call the Church Saints where they are and them while they Profess themselves Saints and I know not but they are so 5. If you can with patience but read what Clavin saith on 1 Cor. 1.2 and Peter Martyr to name no more now you will see that Doctrine which you abhor maintained by the Protestants and in what current it is that your opinion floweth Mr. Blake adds The Apostle tells us of the faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. the doctrine of Faith as is agreed on all hands all that profess that Doctrine are Saints Answ. All that cordially entertain that Doctrine are Saints in Heart All that profess so to entertain it are Saints by Profession while that Profession hath any validity But all that barely
two sorts of Teaching are confounded which Christ distinguisheth Mat. 28.19 20. That teaching which draweth men to Christ and maketh them Disciples and that which instructeth them when they are his Disciples that which perswadeth them to receive Christ Jesus the Lord and that which perswadeth them accordingly to walk in him For they take him for a Disciple that is but learning to be a Disciple meerly because he submitteth to learn and hath learned before some preparatory truths though yet he be not made a Disciple indeed nor profess so to be Mr. Blake is deeply offended with me for saying that Hypocrites that seem not only to be found Believers and profess a Justifying faith when they have it not are only equivocally or analogically Christians or members of the Church c. But I shall say somewhat more concerning those Believers that are described by him who do not so much as profess a saving faith viz. that they are no members of the Church at all if notorious and are not so much as to be named Christians nor to be admitted into the visible Church No man can prove that ever one man was admitted a Church-member in all the New Testament upon the Profession of any lower kind of faith than that which is the condition of Justification Otherwise we should have two distinct Churches specifically different or two sorts of Christianity and Christians differing totâ specie because the faith which is here made their qualification doth specifically differ by a moral specification When the Jaylor Act. 16 30 31 32 33 34. was admitted into the Church by Baptism with his houshold it was upon the Professing of such a believing by which both he and his houshold might be saved as is before shewed And so of all others in those times Argum. 19. If we once admit men to baptism or the Lords Supper upon the Profession of any other than Justifying faith we shall be utterly confounded and not be able to give any satisfactory Description of that Faith and so never be able to Practise our Doctrine as being utterly uncertain whom to baptize That I may the better manifest this I shall examine all the considerable Descriptions of that faith which I can meet with The Papists themselves are not agreed in this business sometime they speak as if a bare Assent would serve the turn but commonly they add that there is a Necessity also of consent 1. To be subject to the Church 2. To live under the Ordinances And if they take the Intention of the party or Parents or their Godfathers and Godmothers to be necessary as they do the Intention of the Priest then a bare Profession with them will not serve nor can they tell when any one is baptized Mr. Blake doth speak so much and purposely of this Point that one would think we may expect an exact Description of this faith from him if from any man especially in his last Book when I had so earnestly Intreated him before to do it because of the omission of it in his former Book And yet even in this hath he done nothing but involve and obscure his meaning more than before though I had purposely urged him to a plain discovery of his sense even somewhat beyond the bounds of modesty as it is esteemed of in common cases For I perceived that the stress of our differences did rest much in this because no wise man will leave his grounds till he see where he may have better unless he mean to be for nothing or of no Religion there 's no reason a man should upon every opposed difficulty relinquish that he hath And here that I may do Mr. Blake no wrong I shall cite his mind in his own words and gather as many of his disclosures of it as I can find For what he hath said in his Book of the Covenants I have spoken to it already in my Apologie And I write nor for those lazy Readers that had rather err than be at the pains of reading what is already written I shall therefore suppose that and gather what he saith in his Treatise of the Sacraments Pag. 109. he saith I confess as much of Repentance in them as was required in any to the acceptation of Baptism namely A Renunciation of their false way and a professed Acceptation of the tender of the Gospel And after to renounce his way of Paganism Judaism and to profess and engage to a Christian faith conversation Here I understand not Mr. Blake's english if he do not plainly renounce his cause and say the same that I do and so make vain his industrious opposition The tender of the Gospel is the tender of Christ and pardon and life to all true Acceptors of it If the professed Accep●a●ion of this tender be not professed saving faith beyond all common faith I must despair of knowing what faith is and consequently being sure that I have it and that I may be saved by it And if professing a true Christian faith and conversation and engaging thereto be not a professing of that which is proper to the sanctified I mean in the special sense then Mr. Blake hath made a new Christian Faith and Conversation which Scripture never prescribed nor described Pag. 172. He gives another but the most express answer which is likest to be his mind For a direct answer I say it it not profession to say we have this faith but a profession of our assent to the necessity of it with engagement to it that gives this little so P. 173. I say do profess of those that have those secret reservations wrapt up in their breasts not yet from under the power of lusts yet convinced of their duty and acknowledging the Necessity that it is the mind of God that they should be Baptized and have admission to Ordinances in order to bring them more sincerely and unreservedly to God And this being the will of God as you seem to yield when you say we are bound to Baptize them I say they have right in the sight of God to Baptism I shall begin my Reply with his last passage and I must needs say that Mr. Blake doth unworthily abuse me and my words in saying that I seem to yield that we are bound to baptize them Them What them My own words which he citeth to prove this by me are these Vocation which is effectual only to bring men to an outward Profession of saving faith is larger then Election that makes men such whom we are bound to baptize Forsooth in these words I contradict my self I seem to give Mr. Blake the cause I cannot but say that it is pity the Church should be troubled with such an undigested undistinguishing management of controversies for men to write so learnedly and industriously before they observe what they say Is the outward Profession of a saving faith which I say makes men such as we are bound to baptize the same thing with the
Profession of a common faith short of saving or with that common faith it self What should a man say to such a confuter but advise him to joyn with us his weak Brethren in desiring God to pardon us for such troubling and abusing the Church 1. As to his Description of the persons to be Baptized I shall add 1. That his last Description pag. 173. containeth nothing but what may stand with First an open refusal of God and Christ. 2. And that which is commonly taken for the sin against the Holy Ghost For its past doubt that men may both be convinced of Duty and confess the Necessity of it and yet may openly profess that the world and their lusts are yet so dear to them that they will not yet have God to be their God Christ to be their Saviour on the Gospel terms And I think a man that openly refuseth Christ at the present should not be baptized at the present though he be convinced of Duty and acknowledge the necessity of it As to his other Description pag. 172. the word Engagement to it either signifieth an engagement savingly to believe from that very instant forward and this doth Necessarily import a present Profession of consent and so of present saving faith For man can so engage that doth not Profess such consent and believe And this destroyeth Mr. Blakes cause Or else it signifieth such an engagement to believe for some distant future time which is consistent with a non-profession of present consent to have Christ as offered And this is the same with that before confuted If such may be Baptized then they may say we are convinced that we must savingly believe in Christ and we do engage our selves to do it as soon as we can spare the world and forsake the Flesh and the Devil but yet we cannot and will not do this Baptize such who dare for me But for a further search of Mr. Blakes mind observe his words pag. 175. Where he answers to what I now object And first he citeth these words of mine Where you say that an acknowledgement of the Necessity of such faith with engagement to it is sufficient for a Title to the state I reply Then those that at present renounce Christ so it be against their knowledge and Conscience and will engage to own him sincerely for the future have a Title to Baptism To which he replyeth How comes I pray you that future in you manifest much reading in the Law and I have heard this as a Maxim In obligationibus ubi nullus certus statuitur dies quovis die debetur There is no day overtaken but engagement is for present c. To this I rejoine 1. It is the first time that ever I heard of an engagement that was not de futuro as to the performance We are agreed that the Engagement is present but the question is whether it be to a present or future performance And it is by Covenant or Promise that Mr. Blake supposeth this engagement made And is there any which is not de futuro If the Church cannot hit the Right way of Baptizing till such elucidations as these direct them to it If you Promise to believe de praesenti either you do at that present believe or you do not If you do your Promise as to that present act which you already perform is vain as if I Promise to give you that which I have given you already or in that instant give you which were no promise but a donation or profession If you do not then believe then your promise as you call it is a falshood And to tell a lie is no such a duty as can give right to Baptism No man should say he believeth when he doth not 2. But if it may be he means not futurum remotius but futurum proximum That cannot well be neither because he saith the engagement is for present But suppose he do mean by present the futurum proximum either this importeth a profession of saving faith as well as an engagement to believe the next instant or it doth not If it do I have the thing I seek and Mr. Blakes cause is given away If not then Mr. Blake doth feign God to require such a kind of promise or engagement as our titile to baptism which I believe the common vote of reason will pronounce to be vain ridiculous if not impossible by most Vain it must needs be to make so solemn a promise of performing that in the next instant which he may actually perform save all that ado Should I cause covenants to be solemnly drawn up and witnesses called and seals affixed that I will give such a thing in the next Minute after the sealing why then may I not as well give the thing it self The Minister may stay one minute longer before he go to Church to baptize the person or he may use one word or two more in prayer and exhortation and by that time the instant would be come And Ridiculous it seems to me that any man should be admitted upon such a promise as this I will not yet leave my sin for God nor renounce the world the Flesh and the Devill for Christ or take him for my only Lord and Saviour but I engage my self to do it or I will do it as soon as the word is out of my mouth or I am not yet willing to have Christ as he is offered but I will be willing the next instant If any say so to me I will hold my hand from baptizing one minute and ask him whether now he be willing For certainly the man must break his promise between the making and the sealing of it if he be not a sound Believer already For there must go more then one instant between his promise and the Act of baptizing unless we had greater velocity of action If therefore Mr. Blake's professor shall say I promise to believe savingly the next instant then if he do not the promise is broke before it is sealed If he do I know no reason but why I may require him to profess that which he hath And is it not a kind of impossibility for any unregenerate man rationally and soberly to promise to be regenerate the next minute or instant Or for any that is destitute of saving faith to promise to believe savingly the next instant If he hath grace of such command and can believe the next moment why not now And doth not that man shew his heart unfound that can believe the next moment and will not do it at the present If it be so in his power let him not stand promising but do it But perhaps some will say that Mr. Blake meaneth not the next instant or hour or day or any determinate time but only an indeterminate time some time hereafter To which I answer 1. He expresseth himself by the terms present and quovis die debetur therefore it expresly includeth the next instant or day
determinately 2. And if it were otherwise either there is some future determinate time of the Debt and Obligation or none If none it s no covenant or Promise and then it cannot be said quovis die debetur If any what is it and when Then a Promise to be a Christian so long hence may give right to Baptism And who can tell how long it must be If any time before death then thousands of Infidels or persecutors of Christianity may say We will be Christians before we die and therefore will be baptised though now we hate them for crossing us in our courses But this cannot be Mr. Blakes meaning for he speaks of a determinate time de praesenti quovis die debetur And it is not debitum ex praecepto that he speaks of for that lieth upon Infidels but ex promissione and therefore if quovis die debetur then proximo die debetur and if proximo die then also proximo instanti for none can shew a reason why its due to morrow and not to day or the next moment and if proximo instanti vel hora vel die then the Promise was made for the next instant hour or day or else the Obligation could not have arisen from that Promise as to that time But faith Mr. Blake bring me a man that in his heart is convinced that Jesus is the Christ with his mouth professeth him and engageth for him and in the mean space actually renounceth him and I will do what you would have me with him that is a man that is falling headlong down a ladder at the same instant he is climbing up it To which I say 1. If you mean an Absolute Renouncing him or for the same time when he determineth to begin his Accepting of him I confess it were a contradiction but of your own feigning and nothing to our business 2. And therefore if you suppose the man to promise to believe savingly the next minute then I confess it will not stand with a future Renouncing him But then it is as true that such a promise containeth importeth or supposeth a present profession of saving faith or it is absurd and vain as is aforesaid 3. But if it be a promise to believe only at such a distance of futurity then it not only may stand with a renouncing Christ till that time come but seemeth to imply that so it is if you suppose faith to be so far in the unregenerate mans power that he can make such promises of it I told you before which made you angry where a renouncing of Christ did stand with your two first qualifications Conviction and Verbal acknowledgement viz. Mat. 21.38 This is the Heir come let us kill him and seize on the Inheritance And for your lust of Engaging to him such an Engagement as you describe to believe savingly as I have said if it be to believe at present it is inseparable from a profession of saving faith If only to believe at such a distant time it is possible to renounce all actuall union and special communion with him till that time and to say I will not have Christ as offered til such a time or till I can better spare my lusts can you shew us here such contradictory work as your tumbler is supposed to make Again in Pag. 176. he reciteth the like Our profession qualifying for Baptism is not a profession that we have such faith which cannot be done without an eminence of faith to assurance but a profession of the necessity of it to salvation an engagement to it To which I say 1. For your reason in the Parenthesis we shall silence it anon 2. Again One that openly refuseth Christ at present may profess that necessity of Faith and engage to it for the future at a distance that is to be a Christian so long hence But he that promiseth it the next instant if soberly doth profess it at this instant For he professeth his consent or willingness to have Christ as offered which is saving Faith For no man breathing can say with any such credibility as a sober man should regard I will be willing or consent the next moment or hour but he that is willing and doth consent or professeth so to do at this present when he saith so Again p. 177. he saith to the citation of the foresaid Text I am sorry that such things should be mentioned where enquiry after truth is contended and contention not studied It is well known that I speak to a faith of profession which is theirs that take so that party which is for that Christ and not with those that professedly go in a full opposition against him and are in a high rode any such conviction of spirit supposed of sin against the Holy Ghost Ans. It is your expressed opinion that I argue against and not your heart nor any thing that is well known by other means and to other men If the faith or profession which you make a sufficient Title to Baptism be consistent with such persecution or sin against the Holy Ghost as you speak then it behooved me to manifest the consistency though it make you sorry I do it to shew the face of your doctrine and not otherwise to contend your sorrow is but a sorry defence 2. What you do mean by a faith of Profession This was not in the former descriptions which I examined or met with Do you put the wrong end forward and indeed mean a profession of faith or a faith conjunct with a profession If not I know not what you mean If you do then what profession is it and of what faith Not of a saving faith for that you before disclaimed and if that were it that you mean must be professed you yield the Cause It is therefore the profession of some common faith and that is it which you call Dogmatical And if it be indeed a profession of a meer Dogmatical faith or Assent it is consistent with that renouncing Christ which I mentioned and is no more than theirs This is the Heir come let us kill him But if it be more than Dogmatical and have the Wills consent why will no intreaty prevail with you to describe it and tell us what it is that is consented to and so prove that to you to be the title to Baptism and the Lord's Supper In part or in whole I know not whether you tell me of their consent in the next words They take to that party which is for Christ and not with those that professedly go in a full opposition against him But I dare not say that now I have all your sense 1. Where do you find in Scripture that such a faith is the Title to Sacraments or that ever man was admitted to them upon such a profession 2. If they may be so admitted then let us see the consequence By taking to that party which is for Christ either you mean 1. That they profess themselves
to be of those that are sincerely Christians or 2. That they profess themselves willing to be under Church Rulers and Ordinances as Bellarmine speaks or 3. That they will take part with Christians in pleading defending c. If the first be your meaning then they profess themselves true Christians and so to have saving faith For there is but two sorts of Christians Those that are really so having saving faith and those that are Analogically Christians professing saving faith when they have it not 2. If you mean the second with the Papists then consider that it is not into the Pope nor Church Rulers nor Ordinances that we are baptized but into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And suppose that a man truly understand on what terms Christ is offered in the Gospel that man may say I am content to be in the Church under teaching and to receive the Sacraments and to accompany Christians and fight for them but yet I will not yet be a Christian my self For I am not willing that Christ should sanctifie me and save me from my sins And who that dependeth on the mouth of Christ would baptize this man It is no more than belongeth to a Seeker or a Catechumne to be willing to hear And God never made it a Title to Sacraments meerly to bee willing to receive them Else all may receive them that will At least I must profess that I can hardly believe but that all that will receive them must profess that they receive them to the ends which they are appointed to And that no man can do that doth not eodem actu profess himself a true believer If the third be your sense then no doubt but many Christians in the Indies have had Moors and Indian serva●ts who were willing to associate with Christians and loved them and would live and die with them that yet were no Christians themselves But the fullest declaration of Mr. Blake's mind I find pag. 147. upon my earnest provocation of him to describe that faith which entitleth to Baptism The words are these Seeing Mr. Baxter calls upon me to declare my self further in this thing I do believe and profess to hold that he that upon hearing the Gospel preacht and the truth of it published and opened shall professedly abjure all other opposite wayes whatsoever and choose the Christian way for salvation promising to follow the Rules of it is to be baptized and his seed c. To which I reply If this be not a profession of saving faith I despair of ever being saved 1. No man but a sanctified man can truly desire salvation it self as it is indeed consisting in the blessed fruition of God in Intuition Love Praise and there is no other salvation No man but the Regenerate can truly renounce all opposite wayes One opposite way is the way of the flesh and carnal reason and the way of worldliness c. No man can live out of action nor out of moral action which tendeth to an end and that end is his own felicity He therefore that renounceth all other ways must turn to Christ the only way or else cut his own throat or some way murther himself that he may cease action or else must attain to a perfect desperation 3. No man but the Regenerate doth heartily choose the Christian way for salvation For what is that but to choose Christ for salvation and what is that but supposing assent the true description of saving faith 4. No man but the Regenerate can sincerely follow or resolve and promise to follow the Rules of that way For what is that but to follow the rules of Christ and Scripture And what is that but sincerely to obey So that he that professeth these four Points or any one of them doth profess that which is proper to the regenerate So that if Mr. Blake do not here give up his Cause and say as I do understand English that can for me If Mr. Blake dare adjudge all those to damnation that go not further than this faith which he here describeth to be professed as he must if he suppose this to be the profession of a faith short of saving he shall never have my vote in approbation of his censure If those who perform that which is here said to be professed be not saved I know not who will Therefore I doubt not but it is the profession of a saving faith But what need we make any further enquiry or dispute against a man that professedly yields the cause Hear his foregoing words pag. 147. His two first Arguments drawn from authority the first of the Assembly of Divines and others of a number of Fathers are brought to prove that the profession of a just●fying faith is required to Baptism And what is that to me who never denied it but in plain words have often affirmed it It sufficiently implyed where I require a Dogmatical faith to Baptism A Dogmatical faith assents to that of Apollo's Jesus is the Christ and when I say that this entitles I cannot mean concealed or denyed but openly professed Reader canst thou tell what to make of this is not here a plain concession that a profession of justifying faith is requisite to Baptism and doth he not averr that he never denied it Perhaps we have disputed all this while without an adversary as to Mr. Blake let it be so and let us see the truth prevail and I shall not be industrious to prove to Mr. Blake that he hath said the contrary But yet me thinks its a marvellous thing that a man should so frequently express his mind against the necessity of the presence profession of a justifying faith as to Baptism and for the sufficiency of a faith short of justifying and the profession thereof as a title to that Ordinance and now say that he never denyed the Profession of a justifying faith to Baptism but in plain words hath oft affirmed it Read the words that I before cited out of him read both his books and see how much of the scope of them is this way And let the Reader when he hath done tell us if he can what Mr. Blake talk't for By the words an English man would think that he had at large argued for the sufficiency of a faith short of justifying in re professione as to entitle to Baptism But here he seems most expresly to deny it I say he seems for I must profess that I dare not presume that I understand him here neither For the rest of his book which I thought I understood seemed as plain as this I began once of think that a fraud lay under these words and that it is here necessity of Precept only which he means when he saith that a Profession of saving faith is necessary to Baptism and not a necessity to means or that it is sine qua non But though I know no other way to reconcile him here to his books yet
this cannot be his sense For the man is not fradulent and besides his following arguing sheweth the contrary But then I confess that arguing amazeth me again He will prove that he is for the necessity of the profession of a justifying faith to Baptism because he is for the necessity of a Dogmatical faith and that faith must be profess Wonderful Doth he make a justifying and a Dogmatical faith all one No he constantly distinguisheth and opposeth them How then doth he prove that he asserteth the necessity of the profession of a justifying faith because he asserteth the necessity of a professed Dogmatical faith Reader I am at a loss I dare not say Mr. Blake is so perhaps he understands himself make thy best on 't for I can make nothing on 't or worse then nothing But if really he will be of this mind that the Reality of a dogmatical faith is necessary and the profession of a justifying faith I shall not only thank him for giving quiet profession to the truth but I will give him some back again and will come my self a beg lower then he and will affirm that we must give them the Sacraments that profess a saving faith though they have not so much as the Reality of a Dogmatical faith Yet Reader if thou think that there is any parcel of the cause which Mr. Blake doth not expresly give up after all his labour adjoin his words p. 124. and rest satisfied so that I conceit no promise of these Ordinances made to such a faith but an actual investiture of every such believer in them I have made the best enquiry I can into Mr. Blake's sense and I cannot find any reasonable footing for a man to fix upon if we once forsake our present hold and say that it is a profession of some other faith short of that which justifyeth which is the title to the Sacraments For as no man can prove out of Scripture then what faith it must be but we shall there be at a loss so whatever he assert we have evidence enough to prove it insufficient A Real Dogmatical faith cannot be the title For then the Baptizer must know the heart The profession of a bare Dogmatical faith or assent cannot be it For then he that hath the faith of Devils persecutors of Christ and such as are supposed to sin against the Holy Ghost should have title Some consent therefore of the will there must be But to what if not to have Christ as he is offered who can tell A consent to be externally Baptized will not serve A consent to Baptism as Baptism comprizeth saving faith A consent to be a named Christian and to live among them may be without any profession of Christianity No man can tell where to fix nor what we must consent to to procure a Title if once we forsake the present ground If any man will give us yet a more exact Description of a faith short of justifying entitling to Baptism and the Lords Supper I shall be willing to examine it For hitherto I cannot see where I should set my foot if I should leave the ground I stand on I now come to examine the Arguments that are brought for the contrary opinion And I shall begin with Mr. Blake's and then proceed to some which others insist upon In his Tre●t of Sacr. pag. 161. Mr. Blake beginneth some as he calleth them Additional Arguments that a faith short of that which justifieth gives title to Baptism ARGUMENT I. Mr. Blake They that have right in the sight of God to many and great Priviledges of his gift have a right in his sight to the first and leading Priviledges this I think cannot be denied having a right to those that follow they have right to those that lead If any had in the time of the Law right to the Passeover they had right to Circumcision and if any now have right to the Lords Supper they have right to Baptism But those of a faith that is short of that which ●ustifies have right to many and great Priviledges in the sight of God This is clear from the Apostle Rom. 3.1 The Jew outwardly where Circumcision of heart was wanting had every way much benefit and advantage he had therefore right to Circumcision and those with him that are short of a faith that justifies have right in the sight of God to Baptism ANSWER I. The question is not in the conclusion If all be granted it s nothing for Mr. Blake's cause or against mine It is not all one to conclude those that are short of a faith that ●ustifies have right and such a faith gives right or is the qualification condition or evidence of right either A man that is a Burgess of such a Corporation hath right to be Major But his Burgesship gives him not that right but his election A Frenchman hath right to the Crown of France but not because he is a Frenchman The Jew outwardly Rom. 3. had not his right by a faith short of justifying But he had first an actual abode among Ordinances and the offers of Grace and helps to salvation by free providentiall disposal of mercy 2. The claim that he made to Church-priviledges before men must be upon his Professing of saving faith viz. That he took the Lord only for his God and believed in him according to the tenor of the Promise and not upon the having or Professing of a faith of another Species This answer sufficeth as to the present controversie But because Mr. Blake doth seem also to intend these Arguments to the following controversie I shall briefly enervate them as to both that I may not be put to go over them again when I come to that controversie 2. I deny that Baptism is the first and leading Priviledge of Gods gifts It is a great Priviledge to have the Gospel preached to them to have pardon conditionally offered them that is if they will accept of Christ to be converted and made a true believer to be born of Christian Parents c. These and more are Priviledges and before baptism 3. I distinguish at large of the term Right in my Apologie Here let it suffice to say 1. Right is properly so called which in this case must arise from a promise or proper gift 2. Or it is Analogically so called which ariseth 1. indirectly from Gods command to the Parent Priest Pastor c. to do this for all that require it upon a profession of true faith 2. Or from bare permission or providential disposal 4. I distinguish also the Jews case from ours They had some promise of a continuance of Ordinances among them though not for perpetuity yet for a long time which no Church on earth hath now 5. And now I answer to the Minor 1. An Analogical improper right resulting from permission and a command to Ministers to Baptize all that upon such a profession require Baptism this I ever granted to all that profess saving
that faith to be the qualifying condition of Visibility of Member-ship But your other kind of Faith to be neither ARGUMENT XII Mr. Blake The Children of God have right in the sight of God to be admitted to Baptism this is clear enough but men short of Justifying faith are Children of God even those that drew down judgements on the old world as Gen 6.2 The whole body of the children of Israel Deut. 14.1 ANSWER The same Error continued requireth the same Answer ARGUMENT XIII Mr. Blake Those whom God ingraff's by his power into the true Olive and makes partakers of the fatness of the Olive they have right in the sight of God to be admitted This is plain God ingraffing right must not be denied but he ingraff's by his power those that are short of that faith that justifies even the whole body of the Church of the Gentiles and we expect the like of the Church of the Jews as appears from the Apostle Rom. 11. Therefore those that are short of a justifying faith have right in the sight of God to Baptism ANSWER Again the same Error Therefore accept the same Answer ARGUMENT XIV Mr. Blake All of those that professedly embrace a Gospel-tender in which there is a conditional Promise of Justification Adoption Glorification have right in the sight of God to all Ordinances ordinarily necessary and requisite to bring them up to these conditions and to the fruition of these glorious Priviledges and consequently to baptism the leading priviledge This none can deny that know the readiness of Christ in imparting saving ordinances to a People But those that are short of faith which is justifying may embrace a Gospel-tender in which there is a conditional Promise of Justification Adoption Glorification Those therefore that are short of faith which is justifying have right in the sight of God to all such Ordinances and consequently to Baptism ANSWER Embracing is a Metaphor and can signifie nothing here but their Wills Consent and Use. The words Gospel tender signifie either the thing tendered or the act of the tenderer To consent to and so embrace the latter is no more than to be willing to hear or to consent tha● God and his Messengers shall make the render This an Hea●hen or Infidel may do To consent to and embrace the thing tendered upon the terms that it is tendered is saving faith In that sense therefore I deny the Minor and in the former the Major as extending to Baptism All that consent that Christ shall be offered to them ought not to be baptized nor any on that account None that consent to have Christ offered Christ as Christ can be truly said to be short of saving faith If by embracing you mean Metonymically the profession of embracing Christ then you say as I say give up your Cause It s that Profession and not his short faith nay that without any faith that will warrant us to baptize him ARGUMENT XV. Mr. Blake If the Apostle argue for a right to Baptism from gifts that are common to the justified and unjustified then faith which is short of justifying gives right in the sight of God to Baptism This none can deny unless they will call the Apostles Logick into question and deny his Consequence But the Apostle thus argues for a right to Baptism from those gifts that are common to the justified and unjustified This is plain Act. 10.47 Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we The Holy Ghost there is the gift of the Holy Ghost then poured out the gift of tongues as in the 45 46. verses is held forth which is a gift not only inferiour to Charity but such as may be served from it 1 Cor. 13.1 A gift of that kind that men of a miraculous faith ordinarily did as in an instant conferr They are therefore gifts common to the justified and unjustified Those therefore of faith short of that which is justifying have right to Baptism ANSWER This is the only Argument of all the seventeen that doth so much as speak to the question A strange way of arguing To the Major 1. I deny the Consequence The Argument will not hold from one common gift to any common gifts nor to this common faith Prove this Consequence 2. I distinguish in the Antecedent between arguing from gifts as a Title or the condition of a Title and arguing from them as satisfactory evidences of a Title such as profession it self is To the proof from Acts 10.47 I say further It followeth not he that hath received the Holy Ghost may be baptized therefore he that hath your common faith may be baptized For that 's no evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost 2. The Holy Ghost was promised only to be true Believers Mark 16.17 and not to any others Yet God did not hereby restrain his own power from giving it to others Seeing therefore God had promised it to true believers though he did give it to some others it followeth that it was a probable evidence of saving faith though not a certain And therefore it might warrant us to baptize them as Profession it self might do Especially when it accompanied that Profession seeing that both Evidences are more full than one and yet one is sufficient as to us 3. You cannot prove that ever God gave the holy Ghost to any that professed not saving faith Nor yet that any man was baptized upon any such gift of Miracles without the profession of saving faith Those Acts 10. confessed Christ and professed faith before they were baptized 4. You cannot prove that it was only common gifts of the Spirit that is meant in Acts 10.47 For ordinarily the Holy Ghost was given at once for Sanctification and such extraordinary works And anologum per se positum stat pro significato famosiori And their praising God doth intimate their love to God and honour of him and sense of his goodness which proceed from the sanctifying Spirit ARGUMENT XVI Mr. Blake If the promise be to others besides Believers then so is the seal for to whom God promiseth to them he engageth himself to perform But the Promise is to others therefore the seal is to others This will be evident if it be once understood that it is only the conditional Covenant which God sealeth by the Sacraments for this promise is made to unbelievers though the good promised is not to be enjoyed by any but those that perform the condition ANSWER The 16th Argument Mr. Blake fetcheth from my words to Mr. Tombs that he may prove me a self-contradicter But I do not contradict my self every time Mr. Blake understandeth me not I confess still that the Seal is to others besides Believers but though the promise be conditional we must not seal to any but those that profess consent to the Conditions And therefore not to any but those that profess to be true believers ARGUMENT XVII
I have no true faith I cannot believe Faith is a perswasion of Gods love to me or a resting on him for salvation and I cannot be perswaded of his love to me nor can I rest upon him And when I have convinced them that the Gospel is 1. a Narrative of what Christ is and what he hath done and suffered for us and 2. an offer of Christ and life to all that will accept the offer And therefore that faith is 1. an Assent to the truth of his Report and 2. a Consent to be Christs and that he shall be ours And when I have asked them whether they do these two things or not whether they believe the Gospel to be true and are willing that Christ and Life be theirs and that they be Christs they profess very cheerfully both this Assent and Consent they are w●lling to have Christ if they know their own hearts and yet they dare not say that they are true believers partly through general fears and partly because they know not that this which they profess is saving faith Now in such a case we are to let them know that it is the thing and not their Certainty of the thing that God hath m●de necessary And therefore we do not nor must not ask them in Sacramental Administrations whether they have saving faith by meer name without description but whether they believe in God the Father Son and the Holy Ghost and renounce the World Flesh and Devil and whether they are willing to have God for their only God and Christ for their only Saviour and the Holy Ghost their Sanctifier And he that saith yea doth profess a saving faith though he know it not so to be And what would Mr. Blake do with him if he say neither Yea nor Nay Having thus vindicated the Proposition against their Objections and shewed the van●ty of all other waies and that we can have no certainty what Profession to expect if we expect not a Profession of saving Faith I may well sum up all and still insist on the 19th Argument that we must expect the profession of a saving Faith seeing if we take up with any other we are utterly at a loss Mr. Blake cannot agree with himself what faith to require nor hath given any certain description of it when he hath so voluminously talkt for it and what he or others seem to require as a thing distinct from saving faith we see sufficient Reason to reject as being wholly unproved and by us proved insufficient to this use I shall now therefore proceed to my 20th and last Argument for the Proposition which is drawn from the constant practice of the Universal Church of Christ. It hath been the constant practice of the Catholike Church since the Apostles daies till now to require that Profession of saving Faith and Repentance as necessary before they would bapt●ze and not to baptize any upon the Profession of any lower kind of Faith Therefore it must be our practice also And here I must confess my self in as great an admiration at the words and dealings of Mr. Blake and some godly learned Divines that go with him in this Cause as ever I was brought to by the groundless confidence of such men He must shut his eyes against the fullest Evidence of Historie and Church-practice that will deny that it hath been the practice of the Universal Church of Christ to baptize upon the profession of a saving faith and not otherwise Insomuch that I must profess that I am not for my own part able to prove that ever any one person since the daies of the Apostles was baptized upon the profession of any other faith by any save the gross Hereticks even those whose Baptism was accounted invalid I desire Mr. Blake or his Neighbours of his mind to help me to an instance of any one approved Baptism since Christs time or his Apostles upon the account of a faith that was short of justifying and not upon the Profession of a justifying Faith Hitherto this is not done by them the contrary is fully done by others and yet to my admiration they as confidently affirm that all the Church of Christ hath gone their way or that it hath been their constant practice and that they should forsake the example of the Church if they should do otherwise and they except against my Opinion as novelty I must confess that such Experience hath brought me to lower thoughts of the credit even of good men than formerly I have had and to resolve to try before I trust One would think that the matter of fact in such a point as Baptism which we all pass through should have been out of question before this day For the proof of the Churches practice 1. I have already said enough about the Apostles own practice and the Church in their daies Even when they describe the faith which they require expresly by assent alone yet they shew that it is a saving Assent which they require and the promise of pardon and salvation is in the same or other Scriptures affixed to that Assent But this I shall not recite now 2. The constant practice of the Church since the ●postles to this day is undoubtedly known 1. by the very form of words in Baptism and 2. be the historie of their proceedings therein 1. It is certain that the Church did ever Baptize into the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost And as I have proved before the voluntary seeking and reception of that Baptism containeth the actual profession of a saving Faith 2. It is certain that the persons to be baptized if at age did profess to believe in the Father Son and holy Ghost wh●ch as is shewed is saving faith 3. It is also certain that they did profess to renounce the Flesh the World and the Devil which is a profession of saving Repentance 4. And it is certain that they promised for the future to live in new obedience which is the consequent of saving faith and thus they publikely entered the three stipulations Credi● Credo Abronuncias Abrenuncio Spondes Spondeo And no man can do this that hath not saving faith therefore the professing of it is not without the professing of a saving faith Nay indeed it containeth the profession of that faith 5. Moreover it is a known case that the ancient Churches commonly took all those that were duly baptized to be in a state of salvation That they supposed them to have the pardon of all their sins I think none doubteth that ever read much of their writings Davenant in his Epistle of Baptism giveth many proofs and many hundred more may be given if any be so blind as to deny it All the doubt is Whether they also ascribe Regenerating Renewing Grace to all the rightly baptized And though Davenant deny that they ascribe the infusing of habits to it as to infants yer 1. he denieth it not as to the Adult nor 2. that they ascribed
docet Baptismum Acts 15.9.2 Rationi experientiae dictanti eâdem plane fide recipi Baptismum quâ recipitur fructus Baptismi 3. Confessioni ipsius Bellarmini quae extat lib. 2. de Effect Sacr. cap. 13. Adulti per fidem contritionem veram Justificantur antequam reipsa ad Sacramentum accedant Dr. Willet on Rom. 4 Contr. 6 pag. 224. saith The Sacraments then non institut sunt Justificandis s●d Justicatis are not instituted for those that are to be Justified but are for them which are already Justified as Paraeus Musculus Loc. Commun de Baptis Artic. 2 pag. mihi 728. Propter hanc nondum debet baptizari qui gratiam Christi praedicatam tam sibi per incredulitatem aversatur tantisper dum in eà tergiversatione incredulitate perseverat cor impoenitens retinet Hâc de causâ Apostoli poenitentiam sidei in Christum confessionem requirebant ab adultis priusquam eos baptizarent Sic Petrus Act. 2. c. His locis patet requiri ab adultis cor poenitens sermonem gratiae recipient in Christum credens ità ut impoenitentes sermonem gratiae recusantes increduli baptismi hujus capaces nondum esse qutant etianisi sint de Electis donec convertantur Scharpius Curs Theolog. de Baptis loc 24. col 1228. Baptismus est primum Novi Testamenti sacramentum à Deo institutum quo Remissio peccatorum Regeneratio initiatio in Ecclesiam significatur in fidelibus obsignatur ut obligatio nostr● ad obedientiam Col. 1254.1255 Arg. 2. Qui sunt in foedere gratiae illi necessario servantur licèt non habuerint signum foederis quia foedus ejus signum non sunt ejusdem necessitatis c. Arg. 3. Infantes sine Baptismo dicuntur sancti 1 Cor. 7.14 quia Baptismus infantes sidelium non facit filios Dei sed illis obsignat foedus gratiae illósque in foedere contineri certos reddit Col. 1193. Quid recipiunt Impii in Sacramentis R. Nuda tantùm signa idque ad condemnationem 1. Qua beneficia in Sacramentis oblata tantùm de fide percipiuntur at Impii non habent fidem ergo 2. Nihil spirituale conserunt aut obsignant Sacramenta nisi iis quibus in Verbo hoc promissum extat At in Verbo nihil Impis promittitur sed solis fidelibus quia omnes promissiones habent annexam conditionem fidei ergò 3. Christi beneficia tantùm in legitimo Sacramentorum usu percipiuntur at nulli Impii legitimè Sacramentis utuntur sed indignè participant 1 Cor. 11.27 ergò Lèg Col. 1202 1203. Resp ad Bellarm. Object 5. Cartwright against the Rhemists on Mat. 3.6 pag. 15 saith So that we bring not our children to the end that they should thereby have Remission of sins but because we are by the promise induced to believe that as being the Elect of God they have already received it Otherwise it were as much as to put the Seal to a blank wherein nothing is written nor nothing is given Dr. Fulk against the Rhemists on Rom. 6. § 5. saith The Apostle by express words excludeth Circumcision from being a cause of Justification because Abraham was justified before he was circumcised who is the form of Justification of all men as St. Ambrose saith Com. on Gal. cap. 3. And Baptism succeeding in the place of Circumcision is a seal of Justification by faith in all Christians as Circumcision was in Abraham not a cause thereof See him on 1 Pet. 3.21 The Divines of the Assembly that wrote the Anotat on the Bible say on Act. 8.27 If thou believest c. With a sincere and perfect heart without which Ephraim cannot save he had here to do with a man of years and yet an alien and therefore might not admit him into the Church of Christ untill he had made profession of his faith You see here that it is a saving faith which they think necessary to admittance of which also they speak on ver 12. Faith ought to precede Baptism in men and women of years when they who were aliens and strangers come to be baptized For it is necessary that they should confess their faith and testifie their Conversion before they be admitted by Baptism Ambrosi de Poenit. l. 2. c. 5. And the Repentance that was to precede Baptism in the Jews Act. 2.38 they expound thus This Repentance is not only in knowing or acknowledging our sins or saying God be mercifull but in the change of our minds purposes and evil c●urses of our Lives As Austin de Eccl. Dogm cap. 58. saith very well Poenitentia vera est poenitenda non admittere admissa destere See also Tertul. advers Marc lib. 2. cap. 24. And on Mat. 3.6 Confessing their sins In words professing their detestation of them and Repentance for them Deodate on Acts 8.12 Were baptized Renouncing by the same means all manner of Impiety and Superstition c. Verse 13. Simon believed made an outward profession of believing or gave some assent to the doctrine but hypocritically and without giving way to the inward operation of the Holy Ghost to a true conversion and lively Regeneration On Mat. 3.6 Were baptized confessing c. viz. to God in the person of John his Minister though not with a particular enumeration but yet with a true feeling of compunction shame humble acknowledgement and with hate and disturbance of sin for to implore divine mercy Act. 19.18 So on Rom. 6.3 Namely for a Sacrament that we are Christian not only by profession but l●kewise in spiritual truth receiving the grace and Spirit of God and then co-operating thereto by faith voluntary obedience and newness of life Many other passages to the same purpose I omit Rob. Bodius in Eph. 5.25 26 pag. Opus operatum Papistarum in alio gravissimo errore fundatum est quo nempe statuunt illi Baptizandos priusquā hoc signaculo obsignentur Christi membra non esse c. p. 756.757 Et sicut Abrabamo jam per fidem justificato impressus est Des mandato novus ille circumcisionis Character non ad Justiti●m primitus illi conferendam sed ad eandem visibili illo signo obsignandam sic etiam in Christum credentibus adultis jámque per eam fidem coram Deo justificatis confertur ex Christi mandato Baptismi sigillum non ut per illud tum primùm Justitiam accipiant ut absurdè docent Adversarii sed ut illa fidei Justitia quâ jam in Christo doncti sunt hoc externo Baptismi sigillo eorum cordibus obsignetur Et pag. 760. col 2. Supponit quod falsum est à nobis constanter negatum suprà refutatum viz. Baptismum esse solum nos Justificandi Sanctificandi instrumentum nec ante mentes conscientias nostras à peccatis ablui quàm externè baptizemur Atque nos hucusque
docuimus non primúm baptismo nos justificari sanctificari sed hoc sigillo Remissionem peccatorum Christique Justitiam jam per sidem nobis imputatam ut Sanctificationem nostrā●am per Spiritum sanctum in nobis inchoatā in cordibus credentiū obsignari Et pag 762. col 2. He expoundeth 1 Cor. 7.14 sanctitatem esse Jus illud quod habent ad Deifoedus gratuitum bona spiritualia in Foederis promissione comprehensa nempe ut Ecclesiae membra censeantur remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam in per semen illud benedictū nempe Jesum Christum Mediatorem unà cum-Piis parentibus vel saltem eorum altero consequantur Jus inquam quod ex gratuita Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dependet qui non tanùum cum ipsis parentibus sed cum ipsorū semine foedus suum pacisci bona in eo promissa usque ad fidelium parentū posteros extendere dignatus est ut norint se non sibi tantū credere ad Deum converti sed instrumēta esse divinitùs ordinata ad eandem Foederis Gratiā in liberos posteròsque suos derivandā donec ipsi in eam aetatem adoleverint quâ possint actu ad Deum toto corde converti Christum mediatorem vivâ veráque fide amplecti eáque ipsi praestare quae parentes susceptores pro ipssis eorum nomine sposponderunt Nec tamen Dei gratiā erga infantes fidelium sic parentū fidei alligamus ut ullum liberae arcanae ejus electioni praejudiciū faciamus c. sed hoc tantum asserimus ex Dei voluntate nobis in foe●ere suo gratiose patefactâ nobis const●re i●fantibus ad hoc ut ad Baptismum admittantur Ecclesiae Christi membra censcantur donec in annos maturiores adoleverint idem prorsus esse ac valere ad nostrum judicium quod attinet è Piis p●rentibus nosci vel natos esse quod adultis fideique capacibus fidem hanc proficeri Nam sicut ex his Deus solus novit qui verâ salutae●i in Christum praediti sunt side vel non sunt ac proinde quinam ad suam electionem pertineant nostrum tantùm est Charitatis judicium secundum quod eos omnes qui Christo fidem obedientiam profitentur pro sidelibus electis habere debemus nisi sese factis reapse alios ostenderi●t ita etiam ex illis novit D●minus solus quosuam elegerit nostrum autem est ex eâdem Charitatis regulâ eos omnes pro Dei foederatis Christi membris habere quos videmus esse piorū fidelium semen sobolem sive baptismo fuerint obsignati sive c. See more there So that he takes it to be a profession of a saving faith that is necessary in the adult which must give us ground in the Judgement of Charity to judge them true believers and elect and that we suppose the like of their Infants in the same judgement and therefore suppose them justified before we baptize them Perkins Order of Causes of Salv pag. 71. c. 32. A Sacrament is that whereby Christ and his saving Graces are by certain external rites signified exhibited and sealed to a Christian man pag. 72. The holy use of a Sacrament is when such as are truly converted do use those rites which God hath prescribed to the true ends of the Sacrament Therefore 1. the Reprobate though God offer the whole Sacrament to them yet they receive the signs alone without the things signified by the sign because the sign without the right use thereof is not a Sacrament to the receiver of it Rom. 2.25.2 The Sacrament received before a mans conversion is afterward to the Penitent both ratified becometh profitable and that use of the Sacrament which before was utterly unlawful doth then become very lawful Leg p 74. The action of the party to be baptized is twofold the first is To offer himself to be baptized before the Minister c. This signifieth that he doth consecrate himself to the Lord and th●t he utterly renounceth the Flesh the World and the Devil 1 Pet. 3.21 And pag. 73. Within the Covenant are all the seed of Abraham or the seed of the faithful These are either of riper years or Infants Those of riper years are all such as adjoyning themselves to the Visible Church do both testifie their Repentance of their sins and hold the foundation of Religion taught in the Church Anton. Fayus in Rom 4.11 pag. 239. saith Fides ergò praecedit Sacramenta quae absque side sunt tantùm inania signa eandem sidem Sacramenta fov●nt augent And he fully shews that he speaks of Justifying Faith Et in Rom 6.3 pag. 3●1 Baptismus non facit nos Christianos Filios Dei peccato mortuos sed tales nos esse indicat Lud. de Dieu in Rom 4.11 saith Nisi Abrahami praeputio praeextitisset sides vanum fuisset signum Circumcisionis Itaque vel eo quòd signum ei fuit datum colligitur jam ante habuisse fidem Et in Hebr. 6. pag. 305. Adde quòd ablutio Baptismi repurgatae à tenebris peccati adeòque illuminatae mentis sit indicium obsignaculum ut reipsâ illuminationem profiteatur qui baptismum suscipit that is such illumination as hath mentem à tenebris peccati repurgatam Michaël Ragerus though of that party that give too much to Sacraments saith in Rom. 4.11 pag. 104. Obsignatio confirmatio praesupponit gratiam vel collatam jam vel mediante sacramento conferendam quibus verò gratia non confertur illis non obsignatur per sacramentum Ità igitur gratia Regenerationis hypocritae adulto per baptismum neque confertur neque obsignatur Et in Rom 6.3 Vide plura Hemmingius in Rom. 4.11 putteth true faith into the Definition of a Sacrament Sacramentum est visible signum mandatum institutum à Deo quo ut Deus hominibus suam gratiam testatur obsignat ità homines vicissim suam in Deum sidem profitentur càmque usu Sacramentorum confirmat The Context shews that its Justifying faith which he means Hinc etiam apparet quis sit principalis finis Sacramentorum videlicet obsignare promissam gratiam quae fide accipitur possidetur Vide plura in Rom. 6.3.4 ex Ambrosio pag. 142. Yates Model of Divin pag. 330 331. Christ in the Sacrament profiteth not except he be eaten by faith A Reprobate may receive bread but the sign seal and thing signified are none of his for he hath no experience of this mysterie that wants the first part of Divinity without which the second cannot work So Christ with all his benefits being received and the fruits thereof being truly received by faith is our happy communion with the body and blood of Christ Otherwise we communicate no more with Christ in the Sacrament than we
nothing of mine that can be so plausibly objected to me as a Contradiction to the present assertion as these last words but yet there is no just ground for that objection if I be rightly understood These words are plainly bent against their opinion that make Election or saving Grace to be the Title to Sacraments which the Church must judge of and that not by the Profession of the Claimer but as distrusting his word upon other evidences of Grace as discoveries of the time and manner of Conversion or the practise of those Duties wherein a stricter profession is manifested or the like The men that I oppose hold these Assertions 1. We must give the Sacrament to none but the godly in sincerity 2. We must not believe a mans Verbal Profession though not contradicted 3. But we must require the visible proofs of his godliness 4. At least such as make it probable to us that he is godly To these men I answer 1. That it is false that we must give the Sacraments to none but the truly godly though its true that none else should require them 2. That we must give them to those that profess saving faith though they have it not For it is the Foundation of all humane Converse that we give credit to mens words when we have no just cause to dis-credit them especially in matters out of our reach and within theirs such as are the secrets of their own hearts We must therefore take their Profession unless it be contradicted by such palpable Evidences as Nullifieth it or maketh it invalid 3. That we have no other grounds to proceed on but this and that on their grounds they must profane Gods Ordinance every time they mistake in the judgement of Charity and apply it to ungodly men But not so on ours who must apply it to Professors And therefore they have no warrant to make any further scrutiny into the sincerity of a mans grace as sine qua non to their administration of the Sacrament seeing that a Verbal profession not evidently contradicted and invalidated by words or life is the means of discovery by which we must be satisfied But yet I never dreamed that we must not require profession it self of saving faith and that as a probable sign of the thing professed but that we must look after another kind of faith And if Mr. Blake will not take up with bare profession of his dogmatical faith he will oft profane the Ordinance too For he knoweth not when it is in sincerity in any man And we know by their Ignorance that multitudes are without it He addeth my Confession That the Ignorance of this point hindered me long from administring the Lords Supper But he tels not what point it was Not that the ungodly might lawfully and rightfully claim it nor that I might lawfully give it to the professedly ungodly or to any that profess not saving faith it was no such point But that the Sacrament sealed not as from God that This or that man is a Believer or that he is actually pardoned but only sealeth the conditional promise with such application to the person as is first to be made by his own Receiving and therefore if there be an error and falshood it is committed only by himself and the Minister is not guilty nor the Ordinance wholly in vain And what 's this to the advantage of Mr. Blake's Cause Yet he addeth And I confess as ingeniously that if he can work me to this opinion I am resolved for present to baptize no Infant as being unable to know the Parents faith to justification Answ. 1. But if you be brought to my opinion this Resolution will be changed 2. Are you resolved never to baptize more on the grounds that the Church of Christ hath alwayes baptized on 3. I here propound to you and the world the Reasons of my opinion And then I shall leave to the judgement of wiser men then my self whether your rejection of this opinion be a greater disgrace to it or to you 4. What if you cannot know the Parents justifying faith Will it follow that you may not know a Profession of it 5. You would do the world a curtesie to tell them by what means you are more certain of the sincerity of a Dogmatical Faith than we can be of a Justifying Faith Or will you upon consideration resolve yet never to baptize any more not administer the Lords Supper because you can never be certain that your Receivers have a Dogmatical Faith The next place where I am cited against my self is pag. 150. because I speak of Saints that shall not be saved Answ. And so I do still But yet I still say that Analogum per se positum stat pro famosiore significato And therefore the words Saints Believers c. must ordinarily be understood of such as are justified where there is no limitation or special reason to the contrary The next place where I observe my self cited against my self is p. 158. Because I maintain that it is an Error in Mr. Tombes to say That the Covenant whereof baptism is the Seal is only the the absolute covenant made only to the Elect Therefore Mr. Blake infers And if men in the state of nature be in that covenant that baptism sealeth viz. the conditional Covenant then men in the state of nature and short of justifying faith have right to baptism To which I reply 1. I have shewed you at large how far men unsanctified are or are not in covenant with God and in what sense they have or have not right to baptism And yet must we still use the undistinguished terms as if I simply denyed without distinction Yea before you confess that you tell it abroad in your discourse that I say none have right to baptism but they that have saving faith and that you can hardly gain credit to your words The way to gain credit were to speak truer and specially in your discourse of other men behind their backs A Right by any promise or mortal grant from God to them I denied but I affirmed Hypocrites to be the rightfull objects of the Ministers Act or that we may lawfully give it them and that thus far they have such an improper right And yet still you would make me believe that I simply deny them right 2. Your Consequence here is wholly groundless It is one thing to say as I do That the conditional covenant is made to the non-Elect And another thing to say as you term it that they are in the covenant For that word is very ambiguous If your consequence be good from my Assertion then you may as well prove that Turks Jews and Heathen may have the Sacraments given them For I affirm that the conditional Covenant is made to them 3. The thing that I maintain against Mr. Tombes is that the Sacrament sealeth not only the absolute Promise to the Elect but the conditional Promise and
question I plead not for any Error of the Antients in keeping men from Baptism that were fit for it but only mention such as were but in preparation to such fitness Argum. 23. That Doctrine is at least much to be suspected which by contradicting the very Natural Principles of Religion doth tend strongly to disgrace Jesus Christ and tempt the world to Infidelity But such is the Doctrine which we oppose Ergo. For the proof of the Minor Note 1. That it is a natural certain Verity that the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness and that he is a hater of sin in whomsoever and delighteth in that Holiness which is his very Image and that God is no Accepter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him 2. Note That the Doctrine which we oppose holdeth that Jesus Christ doth set so much by the bare believing that He is the Son of God yea the verbal profession of it and so little by Holiness that if men will but make that profession let them live how they will let them be Adulterers Murderers of Fathers or Mothers perjured to God and Man c. yet they lose not their Right to this Priviledge that even the children of their bodies shall be of the family of Christ upon their Interest or Account yea though themselves will not so much as soberly promise to amend yea though they be Persecutors of any that would reform them or any other way notoriously ungodly Doth not this strongly tempt men to imagine that Jesus Christ came not to cure souls and bring men back to God and save them from sin but to seek himself and his own honor and that he preferred the acknowledgement of his dignity before the Interest of God and mens souls Doth it not tempt men to think that Christianity is no better than the other Religions of the world when it owneth such Monsters as the Children of the Church When we justly condemn a Seneca Cicero Fabrit●us Socrates c. as miserable for not believing in Christ whom they never heard of most of them and priviledge the children of one worse than Nero Surdanapalus Machiavel and that for the sake of such a Parent and as a member of him to be in Covenant with Christ and of the beloved Society and Houshold of Faith In my opinion this will he a horrid stumbling block to those without and give them such cause to blaspheme our holy profession as our Lord never gave them who came purposely into the world to destroy the works of the Devil and to bring back revolted man to the Holy Image and obedience of his Maker and who professed himself but the Way to the Father and therefore established and valued faith in himself but in order to the acknowledgement and love of God and so of Godliness and Holiness as its end and a greater good yea that hath purchased us by his blood to a glory which doth consist in the fruition of God in the perfection of Holiness and hath sent forth his spirit into the souls of men to be in office their Sanctifier and to make such wondrous changes on mens hearts as shameth all the rest of the Religions of the world yea who hath made his Kingdom to consist in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and the heavenly wisdom to be first Pure then Peaceable Gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits and who hath sanctified to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works and makes so strict and holy a Law to guide them as he hath done In my opinion so loose a doctrine should not be pinned on the sleeve of so Holy a Saviour Argum. 24. That doctrine and practice is not by good Christians to be received which besides the forementioned evidence of Scripture contradicteth the doctrine and practice of all the Primitive Church But such is this Ergo. I admire that grave men among us and Godly who will stretch their wits to the uttermost to defend that which is the more common opinion of Divines of best repute among whom they live before they will differ from them can yet make so small a matter of differing from the Fathers and universal consent of the Primitive Churches as far as we have any means to disprove it That it was their Judgement and practice to refuse to baptize any Notorious ungodly person while such appears past all doubt 1. By their requiring a profession of Repentance 2. And a profession of Believing in the Father Son and Holy Ghost and renouncing the world the flesh and the Devil and promising a new life 3. By their Judging the Baptized to be in a state of salvation which was on supposition of their true sanctification 4. By their too much care in delaying the Catechumeni in later times lest they should be unmeet Let me recite the testimonies of one or two of our own and one of those Antients each of the highest Authority in the present case 1. Mr. Gilespie Aarons Rod. l. 3. ch 15 pag. 544. saith It were a Profanation of the Sacrament of Baptism to Baptize a Catechumene a Jew or a Pagan professing a Resolution to turn Christian he being manifestly under the power of abominable Reigning sins and being still a prophane and wicked liver although he were able to give a sound and orthodox Confession of Faith From whence he argueth that therefore the same men are not to be admitted to the Lords Supper 2. Spanhemius Epist. ad D. Buch. pa. 14. gives three reasons to prove that Athrists Epicures Profane men qui vitam inter flagitia traducunt aperte ostendunt se non habere fidem quâ creditur nec spiritum sanctificationis secundum ullum ejus gradum quamdiu in ista impietate perstant nec poenitentiam tum profitentur tum spondent may not lawfully be baptized And our Divines commonly say In Baptism we engage our selves to a holy Life those therefore which live not holily are covenant-Breakers and herefore have not Right to the benefits of the covenant See Piscat in Mat. 3. Obser. ex v. 6 8.10 in Mat. 28. v. 19. Davenane is Col. 2.12 Peter Martyr in Rom. 6.3 Zanch. in Ephes. 5. loc de Bapt. cap. 3 Thes. 37. many more I omit 3. The Doctrine of the Antients I have given a touch of elsewhere as to these points All that I shall now say is to desire the learned Reader that hath not done it to peruse all over that book of Augustine de fide operibus which is wholly written on this subject There were then some Christians whose opinion was that if a Heathen lived in whoredom when he turned Christian he was not to be refused Baptism till he would promise Reformation and would put away his whore but because that the Apostles baptized upon believing and required obedience afterward and works are to be the consequent fruit of Faith therefore the Pastor
him by a living faith that is to offer him to all that he may be so accepted and on condition of such Acceptance may be theirs But if some unsound Professors shall in their way lay hold of him and say he is theirs it is they that make the false application and not either God or we So if we are to comfort any afflicted conscience we are no heart-searchers and therefore cannot say to any Thou art a Believer and therefore this comfort belongs to thee but we can only deliver them this Major Proposition This Comfort belongeth to all true Believers and this conditional conclusion If thou be a true Believer it belongs to thee But it is the person himself that must affirm I am a true believer and so must make the conclusion absolute And then if the Assumption be untrue it is his own and not Gods or ours So we are to offer the Sacraments and Christ in the Sacraments to all true penitent Believers This is our Duty If any now will step forth and take the Lords Supper among the faithful it is himself that maketh the sinful application And if any will say Baptize me for I do heartily repent and believe If this be false it is he that makes the false Application And therefore here is no Divine donation can be proved nor any consent of God to his claim though we are justifiable for the actual giving it upon that claim So that here is no such Investiture that can be proved which conveyeth any Title or warranteth any claim There is only a command to us to offer it to true Believers and to give it by actual delivery to such Believers and to believe them that say they are such Believers till we have just cause to discredit them or can sufficiently disprove them So that actual delivery upon such a false profession of theirs is morally no Gift nor Investiure but only such as is meerly Physical as to any collation of Right the application being by themselves who can give themselves no Right and not by God who never gave consent to the claim And thus I have proved and vindicated the first part of my first Proposition concerning the Sacraments considered as Benefits that God hath not made any gift of them to any but true Believers The two next I need to say less to because enough is said on the by in vindicating the former The second was that seeing God hath given no Title therefore they may not lawfully claim them And this is clear from the common Laws of Propriety that no man may lay claim to that which he hath no Title to He that would not be questioned as an Usurper must look to his Right before he take possession or use Object What another is commanded to give me that I may lawfully claim as my Right Answ. He is commanded to give it Believers and to you if you will profess that you are a Believer but withall you are forbidden to profess it if it be false and therefore that is a sufficient Bar against your claim Coram Deo in the Judgement of God though its true that Ecclesia Judice your claim is such even upon a false profession which they cannot deny If they be commanded to give it you if you claim and you not commanded and warranted to claim it then their duty of giving it upon such claim will prove no title in you before God The next part of my Proposition doth so clearly follow from what is said that I need not say any more to prove it It is your sin to claim and receive that Sacrament which the Minister may deliver to you upon your claim without sin because you must judge by heart-evidence but the Minister cannot But whereas Mr. Blake doth make it so strange that a Minister may lawfully administer that Sacraments to a man which Coram Deo he hath no right to against which he is so confident I would demand of him whether Coram Deo or Deo Judice a man have true title to Sacraments without any faith at all I mean a downright Infidel or Heathen If he say No then he yieldeth all the cause For if this Heathen will so far play the Hypocrite as to profess a Dogmatical Faith as he saith or a saving faith as the Church saith then he will confess that it is the Ministers duty to give him the Sacrament upon his claim and so he must give it to a man that Deo Judice hath no true right to it But if he say that such an Heathen hath right to it Deo Judice I shall not stand now any further to confute him then 1. to challenge him to prove his Title And 2. to advise him to be cautelous how he undertaketh to justifie his title and claim at the barr of God when the reckoning comes and these matters must be reviewed And thus I have done with the first Proposition which speaks of Sacraments ut Beneficia and proved that God hath not given by Promise Testament or any Deed of Gift a proper title to Sacraments to any but sound believers and their seed which will warrant them to claim and receive them 2. The next thing to be done is to speak of the Receiving of Sacraments as it is Officium a Duty constituted by some command of God and the Proposition is that God hath not commanded or allowed any that have not saving faith to claim and receive the Sacraments in that condition but hath made it the necessary order of their duty first to repent and believe and then to claim and receive the Sacraments Arg. 1. If no man is commanded or warranted to receive the Sacraments without a Profession of true faith and repentance then not without that faith and repentance it self But the antecedent is true therefore so is the consequent The Antecedent is proved in the other Disputations The Consequence is plain For no man is commanded or warranted to lye or make a false profession But to profess that Faith and Repentance which they have not is to lye or make a false profession at least if it be not a profession limited Therefore c. I have proved before that such a Profession is not only pre-requisite to Sacraments but also that the very reception of them doth contain it Arg. 2. No command can be produced in Scripture which will warrant a man to seek and receive the Sacraments without a saving faith Therefore there is no such command I shall pass by all other Arguments because they may be gathered from what I have said already and shall only enquire into the commands which are pretended because the proof lieth on them Obj. Every Jew and his children were commanded to be circumcised Therefore the impenitent hypocrites c. are commanded to receive the Sacraments As Gen. 17.14 Answ. 1. They were not commanded to be circumcised whether they consented to the Covenant or not but Circumcision was the token of the Covenant and a
as the Jews were so many of the Gentiles as profess Christianitie And because it is no more it is nothing to their purpose To the Third I Answer There 's no doubt but the promise belongs to all that God shall call that is the bare offer belongs to all them that are called uneffectually and still remain in unbelief And the worst of them are invited to Repent and Believe which when they do they have Title in that same promise to Remission and the Seals of it And when they profess to Repent and Believe and so require the Seals they have such a Right Coram Ecclesiâ as that we must admit of them But more than this here is yet no proof of To the Fourth The Called some of them obey not at all some of them obey ore tenus and as to some faith short of justifying and some of them obey the Call sincerely You mean the Second Of whom I say 1. Prove if you can that any called ones may have the Sacraments that profess not saving Faith 2. And prove that they who barely profess it have the Title which is in controversie between us which will justifie their claim as well as our giving it on that claim The saying that they are called is no proof As for your phrase of an outward being in Covenant you know I affirmed it long ago ex parte hominis they outwardly covenant with God and oblige themselves But if you mean it ex parte Dei that he hath any such meer outside promises when he meaneth not as he speaks or that he is actually obliged as a Covenanter to them yea but for outward things I have long waited from others for the proof in vain As to the phrase Equivocal you shall have more of it God willing in due place To the Fifth There 's difference between the Jews then and the World 1. In that one part of the Jews were sincere in the Covenant and that in great numbers in whom as it were the life of the Church did abide 2. In that the rest of them as to the main body professed that true faith which others had 3. And in that such bare professors were thereupon admitted into that Societie and into those Ordinances which tended to help them to that sinceritie which they wanted some of which Ordinances they were immediately bound to use and others of them but in order after their Conversion and though they used them unjustly before Conversion the thing was a mercy in it self though mis-received by them 4. And then they had many temporal promises which no other Nation had nor have we I think here 's a difference from the Gentile world Prove more if you affirm it To the Sixth I have answered it over and over before They are commanded to be circumcised but as a sign and seal of the Covenant Therefore they are bound first in order to consent in heart to the Covenant And if they do the former without the later it may shew that they have by outward covenanting obliged themselves to God and so are annumerated with his listed souldiers by the Church But it proveth not that God is in actual obligation to them except only as to any of those mercies that were absolutely promised to the Israelites and belong not to us To the Seventh The weak unworthy Author of the book of Infant Baptism whom you are pleased to load with a Title which his conscience doth disown doth heartily persist in believing that the conditional Covenant is made to more than the Elect even to all at least that hear it and that this is the effect of Christs blood and that the entrance into covenant and accepting the terms of it ore tenus or not sincerely and unreservedly is common to Elect and Reprobate But all this is nothing to the present business To the Eighth It is a strange consequence that such Must renounce their profession and never come to ordinances c. Must importeth Duty And their duty is sincerely to Repent and Believe and Profess and not to renounce profession but only to lament the falshood and hypocrisie in professing what they did not do Nor is any bound to stay from Ordinances simply but to repent believe and so come as Peter hid Simon Magus Repent and Pray c. But if he will profess falsly and come without Repentance let him do it at his peril and not think God is obliged to bless him in it which would lead hard up to the Papists Opus operatum though I know how much this is disclaimed by Mr. Blake For when you liberally give such men a a Title Coram Deo to the Seals what can be that Title but the Opus operatum of a verbal profession For though a Faith short of Justifying be talkt of none of you all can tell who hath it and who hath it not and yet I find not so much openness as to speak out and tell us whether indeed all the Hypocrites that have not so much as the Dogmatical Faith which they profess have indeed a Title before God to the Seals on the Opus operatum of profession or not Though by consequence it appeareth that you must say so or cast all your cause away To the ninth I Answer If you know him not a dissembler he is to you what he professeth to be If therefore he profess that the Foundation is laid when it is not you must endeavour to build him up But if you know him to dissemble I suppose you will rather help to lay the Foundation before you go any further But 2. If you can say as much to prove that I may not teach any but Disciples the observable commands of Christ in sensu activo that is do my best to teach them as I have done to prove that wicked men have no Title to the Sacraments which will warrant them Coram Deo to claim them you will do much towards the changing of my minde To the Tenth I answer This confusion marrs all I have oft told you unregenerate men are really in covenant as to their external engaging act and this they may break But doth it follow that they cannot violate their own promise unless God be actually obliged by promise to them To the Eleventh I will not stand now to search whether Judas was one of them that was bid Eat and Drink But supposing it granted it is most certain that he was commanded as much to take and feed on Christ by faith and that he was offered the Sacrament as a Sacrament that is a sealing and professing sign as I have before explained Now if he had so received it as it was offered and in the nature of a Sacrament as Christ bid him Take Eat Drink then certainly he had done it in faith And if he did not so as he did not he did not what he was commanded And therefore you cannot hence prove a Right in Judas by any grant to the separated sign
while he was destitute of the faith which by his action was professed Receiving the Sacrament as a Sacrament is an actual profession o● faith And you can never prove that Christ commanded Juda to lye by professing the faith which he had not but only that he commanded him at once to Believe and thus profess it He that will have men compelled to come in to the Church intendeth that they must bring a wedding garment or else they shall hear how camest thou hither You apprehend John Timpsons words to be apposite which imply a contradiction or touch not the point If the right Object be really believed even that which is the full Object of saving faith that very belief is saving and proveth the holiness of the person To the Twelfth I answer General and special Grace I resolvedly maintain But when will you prove that it is a part of General Grace to have a proper Title given by God to the Sacraments which seal up the pardon of sin actually where there is such Title To have the universal conditional promise or covenant ex parte Dei enacted and promulgate and offered the world with many incitements to entertain it is General Grace But so is not either our actual heart-covenanting the Remission of our sin nor such a proper Title to the sign of both When you tell us of the Worlds Potential and the visible Churches actual Interest in General Grace you give us pardon the truth a meer sound of words that signifie nothing or nothing to purpose You cannot call it General Grace Objectively as if the Saints had a particular Objective Grace the rest a General For Generals exist not but in the individuals It is therefore the General conditional promise or gift which you must mean by General Grace This is to the world without indeed but an offer But is it any more to any of the unbelievers or unregenerate within what can be the meaning of an actual Interest in a conditional promise which all the hearers have not and yet is short of the true actual Interest of them that perform the condition I feel no substance in this notion nor see any light in it I confess there is a certain possession that one such man may have more then others but as that is nothing to proper Title so it is not the thing that Sacraments are to seal I have not Mr. Hudsons book now by me but your solution by the two sives had need of some sifting It s one thing to ask what is the end of Sacraments quoad intentionem praecepti and another thing to tell what eventually they produce I do not believe that the sive that brings men into a state of Grace is in the hands of God only so as if he used not Ministers thereto Ministers are said in Scripture to convert and heal and deliver and save men To your 13th and 14th and last I answer That we easily confess that the covenant under the new Testament is better than the old but this makes nothing for you nor do you prove that it doth the force of the first section of your book as it may be the matter of an Objection I have answered before As to your Authorities I say 1. Mr. Vines saith nothing which proveth any approbation of your opinion whether Mr. Burgess do I leave to himself for I know not certainly All that I know of since Dr. Ward is Mr. Blake Mr. Humphrey and John Timpson and John Timpson Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Blake Your 3d and 4th Sections need no more answer I think than what is already given You needed not these pillars to support that point which is the design of your Treatise To these I find you add another the greatest of all pag. 611. which you say sinks deep into you but if reason will do it I will pluck it up by the roots partly by desiring you to peruse what I have twice or thrice before answered to it and partly by adding as followeth That 1. If a man by mistaken doubtings shall keep himself away from a Sacrament that doth not destroy his Title to it or the Grace signified nor is it any ones fault but his own I therefore deny your Minor It is not this doctrine that cuts off doubting Christians from the Sacrament but themselves that do culpably withdraw To your Prosyllogism I deny the Major that doctrine which concludes it sin in the doubtful Christian to Receive doth not cut him off For it concludeth it not his sin to Receive in it self but to Receive doubtingly so that it is not Receiving but Doubting that is properly his sin and withall we say that it is his Duty to Receive and his greater Sin not to Receive than to Receive And though an erring Conscience doth alwaies ensnare and so create a necessity of sinning which way soever we go till it be rectified yet it s a greater sin to trespass against a plain precept than against an erring Conscience in many cases But the main stress lyeth on your proof which is from Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin But I could wish you would consider it better before you press home that Text to the same sence against all other duties as you do against this lest you leave God but little service from the Church 1. It is one thing to doubt about indifferent matters such as Paul speaks of as eating c. For there he is condemned if he eat because he is sure it is lawful to forbear but not sure that it is lawful to eat But press not this upon us in case of necessary duty If God command me to pray praise or communicate my doubt will not justifie my forbearance and though it entangle me in sin it cannot disoblige me from duty but I shall sin more if I forbear You say If it be sin for the unregenerate to Receive then cannot the doubting Christian be perswaded and consequently sinneth Ans. True but that 's not long of the doctrine but of his error and it is the case of all practical errors which will not therefore justifie you in blaming the doctrine it s the unavoidable effect of an erring Conscience And again I say he sinneth more in forbearing Whereas you conclude this Argument to be convincing I have told you before why it convinceth not me but to your selves I would ask whether it do not also convince you that your own doctrine is as unsufferable For I am past doubt that not only most Christians but even most doubting Christians have more knowledge that they have true justifying faith than the rest of the world have that they have true Dogmatical faith Though the wicked doubt less because they believe and regard it less yet indeed they have not only far more cause to doubt of the truth of their Dogmatical faith but have less true knowledge of it At least many of them it s thus with when so many true Christians do as much
without so great sin or offence as shall cast so Reverend a man into trembling and tears no doubt in compassion of me I think its time to lay by this kinde of work I have been it seems also a temptation to him to tell the world such stories of my self as I little thought such a man would have reported As Mr. Robertson talks so confidently of his discourses with Mr. Hothkis who professes he never saw him or spoke a word to him so doth my dear friend Mr. Blake tell the world as truly once on the credit of his Informer but again absolutely without such limitation that I have given out that I have made some body my Convert who professeth now to be satisfied in his Book Whereas he might as truly have told them that I take my self to be King of France or Spain If he will bring his tale-carriers face to face and prove by any faithful witness that I ever boasted of any man as my Convert or ever said of one man living that I had made him my Convert in any matter of such opinions I will give you leave to spit in my face and call me lyar As fairly doth he cast his censures on the credit of his Informers at the Wocestershire combination as he termeth it that the most prophane where the Minister carries any Authority are as forward as any with more of the like whereas if he had been unsatisfied in their proceedings there are many Reverend Brethren there that would have readily given him an account of them and a better information And he was publickly told by them and me that we were not gathering Churches or taking in members and therefore not discerning who were meet but only discerning who did account themselves as such and profess themselves such already And as fairly doth he report that he hears I bring in the name of Reverend Mr. Ball to give honor to this that the Doctrine of the Church of Rome and the reformed Churches is one and the same or inconsiderably differing in this of justification And then tels us that he heard it himself and told Mr. Ball of it and that he disclaimed it Whereas 1. It was not half this much that I spake 2. And do not know that ever I spake it to three men or more 3. And I must profess to the world that the man I had it from was Mr. Blake himself and only him and that at too several times once mentioning the Papists doctrine and the other time the Arminians about justification and that he reported the neerness of us to them as Mr. Ball 's saying but never told me with it one word of his disowning it 4. And I never spake this my self as approving the conceit that the Papists and we did so inconsiderably differ herein And now let the equity of Mr. Blakes dealing be judged of whether he were a fit man publickly to accuse me of this crime who was my only Author I would never have mentioned these things if he had not thus necessitated me Though I am in doubt that he will take it ill that in all these things I deny his Accusations and do not by my silence interpretatively belye my self And as to the main bulk of his Disputes against me I must needs say that there is such ordinary mistaking the sence or quite overlooking the drift of my Arguments and Answers and obscuring the matter with meer shifts and confusions that if I should give a punctual answer to such a book I think the perusal of it would be ungratefull to the Reader For what profit can it be to any man to be convinced at so dear a rate how much Mr. Blake hath miscaried in his arguing I know my censures of his labors are like to be provoking But who can help that Had I thought him in the right I had never contradicted him Or could I yet see that I have erred I must needs approve that light which did reveal it And if I be in the wrong it is no news for an erring man to think that he doth not err and if he think not so he doth not err in minde but in word But if I prove in the right if it will not excuse me that I do but ward off the blow that he giveth me not that I plead for Gods truth at least let it excuse me that some evidence is cogent and some light so constraining that I cannot chuse but think as I do think till I have better evidence to the contrary than doth appear in Mr. Blakes Reply And so little is my understanding at the disposal of my will that if my life lay on it I could not choose but be perswaded in my heart that Mr. Blakes Reply is so full of mistakes and built upon such misunderstanding of the words that he Replyeth to that it tendeth more to darken the truth than to clear it and to pervert the inconsiderate that will take things on trust or think his cause best that hath the last word to colour it and put a gloss upon it and that there needs no more with the judicious Reader that is willing to try before he trust and thinks the truth is worth his labour than impartially to read over the words that Mr. Blake doth Reply to for the manifesting of the insufficiency of his Reply as to the main of the cause He will think this is great confidence but what Remedy I think he is neer as confident though both be not in the right And I doubt not but Dr. Owen can see the height of my Pride in this confidence But certainly when ever I come to be so humble as to believe all that such Reverend Brethren say I must needs be so Proud as to disbelieve those that contradict them For I see it a matter not to hoped for that ever they that are so offended with me should come to an agreement among themselves As Dr. Owen and Mr. Blake are against me so Mr. Blake and I are against Dr. Owen and so its runs round And if I should be so humible as to agree with one of them what shall I do for another inconsistent humilitie to make me of the others minde that is against him I must confess that there is one part of the contest between Mr. Blake and me at least that I think well worthy a review and that is the question about the nature of that faith which gives Right to Sacraments For as it is a matter that comes so frequently into practice and of such moment to particular persons to Ministers and to the welfare of the Church so I do not know of any that hath said so much for that cause which I yet account so bad as Mr. Blake hath done and indeed he hath put a fairer gloss on this than on any of the rest And yet in my judgement he hath left it so naked that a little diligence and impartially may do much to discover his opinions
to be inconsistent if reduced into practice with the Purity of the Church and such as is unworthy the patronage of Godly learned men Yet in this I perceive his writings have success For I hear that some Reverend Godly men of his acquaintance are so confident that he is in the right that they marvel that ever I should hold the contrary and blame me as defending a principal point in the Independent cause The Lord enlighten us and pardon it to us which soever of us it be that is mistaken and doth wrong the Church of God There are four several Titles that are or may be produced to Baptism The first is sincere Saving Faith The second is the profession of such sincere Faith The third is a Dogmatical Faith short of Justifying Faith The fourth is a profession of that Dogmatical Faith I say that only they that have the Justifying Faith have a Promise-Right to Baptism properly so called which I called a Right Coram Deo but that the professors of such a Faith and their seed have an Analogical Consequential Right which followeth on Gods Precept to a Minister to Baptize them This I called Right Coram Ecclesiâ and is less properly a Right And that the bare word Right might be no occasion of quarrel I distinguished of Right and shewed how far I affirmed or denyed it But such distinctions and conclusions are nothing to the business with Mr. Blake but fittest to be passed by I conclude in a word that every professor of a Justifying Faith that doth not invalidate his own profession hath such a claim to Baptism for himself if unbaptized and his seed as the Church must admit But only the sincere Believer hath a Right from the Promise and shall be taken by God for one to whom he is actually as it were obliged by his Covenant But for the two later pretended Titles viz. A Dogmatical Faith not Justifying and the Profession of such a Faith I say they are no just Titles at all Not but that a man who hath meerly a Dogmatical Faith within may have a Title in Foro Ecclesiae but this Faith is not his Title but the profession of a Saving Faith so that if he profess only his Dogmatical Faith and not a Saving Faith the Minister ought not to Baptize him This is the brief of the state of the Controversie between Master Blake and me And did I think that any such Reverend Brethren would ever have approved his Judgement in such a cause Yea and some of them plead from the same effectual mediums which are alone sufficient to prove the contrary It s the course of Hilary and others against the Arrians Hierome Augustine and many more against the Pelagians and other hereticks to call them to the constant practice of the Church in Baptizing for the proving of the nature of that Belief that we are Baptized into and the quality of the subject I appeal to Christs institution of Baptism and the uninterrupted practice of all Churches that ever I read of on the face of the earth to this day and to the continued practice of the Churches in England and all the Reformed parties and all the rest of the Christian world If they do not generally Ethiopians Greeks Papists Protestants with one consent require the profession of a Justifying Faith I will quit this cause and tell Mr. Blake that I have been mistaken and cry him mercy Nay if Mr. Blake himself do not require the profession of a Justifying Faith in the Parent of all that he admits to Baptism I shall think him the only singular man I know alive in this business But if he practice contrary to all his confident Argumentations which shall we have respect to his opinion or his practice Where is the Church on earth that doth not Baptize into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and require in the adult or the Parent of Infants that they profess themselves at present to Believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil And therefore they commonly cause them to profess the Articles of the ancient Creed before they do Baptize them which though it hath been lately disused by some I gladly heard some Reverend Ministers in London yet use which Creed as Parker de Descensu hath learnedly shewed is the exposition of the words of the Baptismal Institution and the sum of it is I Believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost I think not only Perkins but our Divines commonly against the Papists have proved sufficiently that the words I Believe in God the Father in Jesus Christ in the Holy Ghost do signifie Affiance as well as Assent And I should hope that I need not be put to maintain it that to Believe with Assent and Affiance in God the Father Christ the Redeemer the Holy Ghost the witness and Sanctifier renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh is certainly Justifying Faith at least If they that say they thus Believe do so indeed I dare not be he that shall tell them they are yet condemned and deny them to be the justifyed members of Christ. If they will not so much as profess thus to Believe yea and to Repent I will never Baptize them or theirs upon the●r account Will Mr. Blake himself Baptize them that will not thus profess would ever the Church of Christ Baptize any but such and yet some Reverend Brethren tell us that the Church universally hath gone Mr. Blakes way against that which I insist on Now the Lord have mercy upon all our infirmities and pity his poor Church and bring his servants to so much Unity that the universal practice of the Church in all ages and Nations even among our selves which we daily hear and see and our own selves practise may not be among us a matter of controversie for then what are we likely to be agreed in Again I must crave pardon of this confidence but if it seem to them to come from self-conceitedness and pride of my own judgement or a loathness to let go what I have once received as I willingly confess that I find such sins within me and am no Christian if I blame them not and hate them not in my self so I will be bold to tell Mr. Blake and the world the very truth in this business which is that the partiality that I have felt in the study of this point hath been for Mr. Blakes opinion against my own and I had rather a great while till the light convinced me have found his opinion true than my own As I knew I should be taken for a defender of the Independants which is a censure that I little regard so I thought that I should the better comply with some Texts of the old Testament which Mr. Blake much urgeth and some other reasons did cause Mr. Blakes opinion sometime so far to smile upon me that I strove against the contrary truth and studied
all that I could to have confuted the Arguments for it and was very willing to have found the truth on Mr. Blakes side but it was too hard for me and overcame me after some such reluctancy For besides many other Reasons which I have mentioned I find that there is no footing for a man in his way He that will not take up with the bare name of a Dogmatical Faith knows not for ought I can find what to take up with I despair of ever prevailing with Mr. Blake let him write never so much more on the subject to give us a true Definition or Description of that Faith short of Justifying which entitleth to Baptism and to prove it from Gods word or to agree with himself Commonly he calls it a Dogmatical Faith one would think now you might know the truth by this plain Name but when I tell him that if it be meerly Dogmatical then it is only in the understandings Assent and importeth no consent of the Will and that this is in the Devils and may be in those that say We will not have this man reign over us nor be our Saviour because he will not let us have our lusts And would he Baptize those that should say so Hereupon Mr. Blake will take some consent of the Will or else it cannot become a covenanting but sometime he only describes it negatively that it is not such as comes up to Justifying Faith but who knows by this what it is though he tell us what it is not sometime he makes the expression of it to contain those two parts 1. Confession of the necessity of justifying Faith 2. An engagement or promise to Believe with a Justifying Faith But when I interpret this promise to be that he will so believe de futuro he asketh me how comes de futuro in as if every promise were not de futuro Is it de praesenti Doth he promise that he doth at the present so believe why this is not to promise but to profess and is the thing that I plead for as necessary which Mr. Blake resisteth sure then it is de futuro or it is not intelligible by common capacities Well if it must be de futuro either it s at the next moment or some time at longer distance To say I consent not now but I will the next moment or tomorrow is ridiculous partly because as I have proved to him such a person is not capable of making such a promise so as should be rationally accepted in a covenant and partly because we may end the controversie by forbearing his Baptizing one moment longer or one day till he do indeed Believe and consent as he promiseth But what time soever it be as I told him upon these terms a man may say I believe the Creed and Scripture to be true but because I know that I cannot serve God and Mammon nor have Christ to justifie me and live in my sins I will not yet have God for my God or Christ for my Lord and Saviour nor the Holy Ghost for my Sanctifier because I will not yet leave my sins but hereafter I will would Mr. Blake Baptize such a man as this In answer to such a question he saith pag. 133. I think it will be nothing hard for any honest Christian to say that a man not justified may believe every fundamental Article as to Assent and that he may be convinced of the necessity of such Repentance and accordingly to make profession of it as Johns Converts were Baptized into c. And pag. 147. he saith Seeing Mr. Baxter calls upon me further to declare my self further in this thing I do believe and profess to hold that he that upon hearing the Gospel preach't and the truth of it published and opened shall professedly abjure all other opposite waies whatsoever and choose the Christian way for Salvation promising to follow the Rules of it is to be Baptized and his seed c. And are these Descrptions of his Dogmatical faith the same with the former Is not Repentance ever concomitant with Faith John's Baptism was the Baptism of Repentance for Remission of sins and if our Divines mistake not when they maintain to be the same with Christs sure Faith was to go with that Repentance and that Repentance which is for Remission of sins is not common but saving and special If therefore saving Repentance must not only be promised de futuro but professed de praesenti then doubtless so must that Faith which is inseparable 2. And would Mr. Blake have us so Censorious as to say that those men that Abjure all other waies whatsoever and choose the Christian way for Salvation promising to follow the Rules of it if they do this sincerely are not yet justified or have not justifying faith and that if they do it not sincerely that is not yet justifying faith which they profess For my part I am past doubt of it If this be Mr. Blakes Dogmatical Faith he and I are not much at distance about the Qualification of the Baptized but about the nature of justifying Faith For that 's justifying in my judgement which is but Dogmatical in his Christ is the way to Salvation the Sanctifying work of the Spirit and the holy Love and Obedience of the Saints in this way in subserviency to Christ all these are the Gospel way to Salvation the false belief of Erroneous men and the many by-paths of the unregenerate are the contrary which Satan perswades them to and makes them believe may serve the turn That man that Abjureth all other waies than that are opposite to the Christian way and doth choose the Christian way for Salvation is certainly a true Penitent and believeth to justification or else I can have no hopes of being saved Election is that term by which Amesius will needs express the proper formal act of justifying Faith Not one of all these acts that Mr. Blake mentions either 1. To Abjure all other opposite waies whatsoever 2. To choose the Christian way of Salvation 3. To promise to follow the Rules thereof I say not one of these can be uprightly and unfeignedly done by the unregenerate by any that hath not true Repentance and justifying saith Much less altogether Judge then whether the profession of this be not the profession of saving faith and whether Mr. Blake know where to fix himself and how to describe his Dogmatical faith and whether he do not yield the cause that I am maintaining And whereas he takes it for an egregious piece of affected nonsence to say that Justifying faith is a promise and still saith that Justifying faith with him is the thing promised or the thing whereto we do restipulate pag. 171. I say that he can never prove that the Church of Christ did know such a Baptismal covenant wherein the first justifying faith was the thing promised though the continuance may And should I so Baptize any person at age or an Infant in
Church which is no more for him than for me but only that it is the profession of a Dogmatical Faith and not the Faith it self that is necessary to give this Right But a man would think that if it be not enough for an evidence in our case of an Analogical Right Coram Ecclesiâ that a man subscribe the Covenant of God of which Mr. Blake pag. 143. then it can be no good evidence in his cause of a Right Coram Deo Ecclesiâ that a man subscribe or speak that which he never understood or if his Profession of Dogmatical Faith without the Faith itself be a good Title then the Profession of a justifying Faith without the Faith it self may so far serve turn as to justifie the Baptizing and to prohibite rebaptizing 4. And to Mr. Blakes censure which I will not censure as it deserves of the Major part by far of the Worcestershire combination as he speakes whether it be that he know them better than I which is unlikely when he professeth to conjecture on reports or whether I be more charitable or less rigorous in judging of mens sincerity or what ever else makes the difference of our censures I will be bold to say that I know not one person of all the Worcestershire combination as he calls them whom I know to be an unjustified unsanctified person that I can remember though I confess I have no small doubts and fears of many Nay more I have more hopes than fears I mean I rather think that they are truly Godly than that they are not of the far greatest part of them that I know even of many to one and more comparatively then I will now mention And whereas Mr. Blake doth instead of answering cast aside above twenty of my Arguments as not concerning him and so put them off with a wet finger I say that 's too easie a way of answering to satisfie me how ever it may do by those that are more easily satisfied and with a word I shall restore and reenforce them as with a word he puts them by It is one thing to ask whether the profession of justifying Faith be a duty to all that come to be Baptized Another whether it be so necessary that they ought not to come nor we to admit them without it and a third whether Baptism without it be a Nullity Mr. Blakes general assertion did in the proper sence express the first And thereupon because I took his words as he spoke them he better expoundeth them and confesseth that justifying Faith is a duty prerequisite to Baptism but not such a duty without which Baptism is Null or we may not Baptize and therefore he puts off above twenty Arguments at once and saith that they make nothing against him But I restore them all or most at once though one is enough by telling him that they prove that the profession of a Faith that is justifying must be expected by the Church and found in all that are admitted to Baptism and that none ought to be Baptized upon the profession of any lower Faith This they prove and this is the controversie In conclusion I will add but these two things and I should think such two might serve the turn 1. Consider when the Right that I denyed is a Promise-right whether Mr. Blake after all his pains do not yield up the cause when he expresly saith pag. 124. So that I conceit no promise of these ordinances made to such a faith but an actual investiture of every such believer in them What means this if it yield not the cause and unsay not the rest if no promise then no Right by promise and I seek no more What is the actual investiture but actual Baptizing and Receiving the Lords Supper and he knows that I did not deny that they actually received it 2. Me thinks Mr. Blake and my Reverend Brethren of his minde that marvail at my maintaining of this cause should bear some reverence to Augustine who so diligently defendeth it Besides what he saith in Enchirid. ad Laurent cap. 67 68. he hath a well known treatise purposely on this very subject or on that doth not considerably differ There were some voluptuous persons especially at Rome that kept concubines and yet professed to be Believers and would have been baptized but would not yet put away their concubines whereupon when the Ministers denyed them baptism some lay-men that desired the increase of the Church and misunderstood the doctrine of justification by faith only did plead that because by faith only we are justified and works are to follow as the fruits of faith therefore these persons upon their believing might be baptized and afterward they should be dealt with for the reforming of their lives Whereupon Augustine writes that Treatise de fide operibus to prove the contrary that they cannot be justified or saved by any faith but that which works by love and that they must not be baptized till they actually put away their Concubines and other the like sins and promise also to forsake them for the future so that as it was not any presbyters but lay-men that raised this doubt so both they and Agustine seem agreed that the same faith that is saving is requisite to baptism or as to the Church the Profession of it And therefore Austin thus repeats the occasion in his Retractions lib. 2. cap. 38. pag. Edit Paris Missa sunt mihi nonnulla quae ità distinguerent à bonis operibus Christianorum fidem ut sine hâc non posse sine illis autem perveniri suaderetur ad aeternam vitam Quibus respondens librum scripsi cujus nomen est de Fide Operibus in quo disputavi non solùm quemadmodum vivere debeant gratiâ Dei regenerati verùm etiam quales ad lavacrum regenerationis admitti If I cited but a line or leaf you might say I dismembered it and left behind me the sence but when the whole book is to this very purpose no such thing can be said see especially cap. 21. so that if I err I have no worse a man then Augustine to lead me the way As for Mr. Blak's impotent accusations of my owning the cause of the Papists against the Protestant cause in the matter of Justification because I misliked the by extream opinions of some men as if all had agreed in these opinions or the Protestant difference with the Papists in the matter of Justification did lye either only or principally in these I look upon it as such dealing as must be expected from angry men and as Children of the same Father do sometime use against one another when they fall out It was doubtless my sin that I was no more cancelor● of provoking him as it is his to be carryed to such injustice by his passions as that and many other passages do contain But I am confident he forgiveth me and I am certain I forgive him and I am perswaded