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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35308	A solemn call unto all that would be owned as Christ's faithful witnesses, speedily and seriously, to attend unto the primitive purity of the Gospel doctrine and worship, or, A discourse concerning baptism wherein that of infants is disproved as having no footing nor foundation at all in the Word of God, by way of answer to the arguments made use of by Mr. William Allen, Mr. Sidenham, Mr. Baxter, Dr. Burthogge, and others for the support of that practice : wherein the covenant made with Israel at Mount Sinai ... : together with a description of that truly evangelical covenant God was pleased to make with believing Abraham ... / by Philip Carey ...	Cary, Philip.	1690 (1690)	Wing C742; ESTC R31291	244,449	284

it is strange that all Flesh should so soon have corrupted its way that God saw Cause to bring the Flood upon the World of the Vngodly And surely if there had been any such Covenant Holiness as is imagined before the Flood there would have been some Godly Society some greater Number of Believers to have been preserved beside Noah and his Family Who were not all Godly neither there was a Cham even among them which would not have been if there had been such a Lineal Conveyance of Grace and Covenant Holiness from the Father to the Son as is affirmed § 5. Fourthly Though Infant Church-membership did indeed take place as an Ordinance of God before the Ceremonial Law was instituted It doth not therefore follow that it was a Moral Institution and therefore not to be Repealed For so did Sacrifices also and the building of Altars for the Worship of God as is evident in what is related concerning Abel and Noah and yet there is none but take it for granted that they are now abolished Nay even Circumcision it self was in use in the Church of God 400 years before the Proclaiming of the Law to that People in the Wilderness and yet there is none that reckons it therefore to be a Moral Institution or that questions the Repeal thereof together with the rest of those Ceremonies which were imposed on them till the time of Reformation § And whereas we are told that if Infant Church-membership be Repealed it must be either in Justice or in Mercy It may be neither in Judiciary Justice nor in Favourable Mercy but from a pure Act of God's Soveraignty who as he is highest Lord of all may do with his own what he listeth having an Unlimitted and Boundless Right to Bestow or Revoke what he pleaseth according to the Counsel of his own Will For though the Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentance in respect of Inward and Spiritual Blessings yet not so in respect of outward Priviledges But that the Repeal in question is not to the Loss but rather to the Spiritual Advantage of Parents and Children and consequently in Mercy to both hath been already sufficiently manifested in the foregoing parts of this Discourse § 7. So that it clearly appears that the Novel Opinion which hath been lately started concerning the Morality of Infants Church-membership hath no Scripture Foundation for the support thereof it being evident that as it came in with the Law of Circumcision so it went out and was Repealed with it For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law Heb. 7. 12. Which must needs include Circumcision with all the Appurtenances and Priviledges thereunto belonging as hath been before abundantly proved SECT XVII § 1. FOR a Conclusion therefore unto the whole of what hath been offered on this Subject in this and the foregoing parts of this Discourse It is now at last with all Humility presented unto God's People to consider whether it be not their high Concernment Speedily and Effectually to endeavour a thorow Reformation of so great an Abuse in the Divine Service as the Practice of Infant-Sprinkling hath been now proved to be It being no other than the Change of a Divine Institution and that not only in respect of the Subject Infants being substituted in the Room of Professed Repenting Believers But also in respect of the due Form or Manner of its Administration Sprinkling being used instead of Dipping And so in both Respects making void the Commandment of Christ It was the Commendation that Paul gave the Corinthians 1 Corinth 11. 1 2. That they had kept the Ordinances as they were delivered unto them Certainly Jesus Christ is very Punctual in things of this Nature and he will one day call men to an account for their Deviations in matters of such importance If men are careful to see that their Laws be strictly obeyed without which they reckon their Authority slighted What may we think of the Laws of the Great King And whether or no will he not reckon his Authority slighted in our present case when he cometh to make Inquisition concerning such as have not demeaned themselves according to the Divine Prescript We know with what severity God proceeded against Nadab and Abihu for their presuming to Change his Ordinance of Old by Offering up Strange Fire which he had not Commanded Lev. 10. 1 2. We know also what befel David and the People of Israel who had made a New Cart for the Carriage of the Ark which was to have been born on the Priests shoulders only They might have pleaded as well as you that this was not expresly forbidden But yet nevertheless For this Cause the Lord made a Breach upon them for that they did not seek him after the due Order 1 Chron. 15. 13. In reference whereunto let that Scripture also be duly considered Isa 24. 5 6. Because they have transgressed the Laws changed the Ordinance broken the Everlasting Covenant therefore hath the Curse devoured the Earth and they that dwell therein are desolate therefore the Inhabitants of the Earth are burned and few men left § 2. That Infants Baptism hath no Footing nor Foundation at all in the Word of God hath been already at large demonstrated And that it is made use of to the Justling out and making void the Commandment of Christ in reference to the Baptism of Believers hath been also evinced and all the most Material Arguments which are usually urged for the support thereof have been with Scripture Evidence Refuted The Lord grant a hearing Ear and an understanding Heart and an obedient Mind that the present Testimony rise not up at last as a Witness against you For the Lord the God of gods even the Lord the God of gods he knoweth and Israel at length also shall know if it be in Rebellion or if it be in Transgression against the Lord that the present Witness is born and if it hath not rather been done with his Approbation and at his Commandment in order to the stirring up all that truly love and fear God's Name to a sincere endeavour after the Primitive Purity and that both in respect of Doctrine and Worship § 3. Certain it is that these things will be found at length to have been of Highest concernment unto us and must therefore be our most Serious Practise and Faithful Endeavour as BOOKS Printed for John Harris at the Harrow against the Church in the Poultrey 1. A Discourse of Divine Providence 1. In General That there is a Providence Exercised by GOD in the World 2. In Particular How all Gods Providences in the World are in order to the good of his People By the late Learned Divine Stephen Charnock B. D. sometimes Fellow of New Colledge in Oxon. Price bound Three Shillings 2. THe Balm of the Covenant Applied to the Bleeding Wounds of Afflicted Saints First Composed for the Relief of a Pious Worthy Family Mourning over the Deaths

without sufficient Experience of the Gracious Presence and Blessing of Christ with and upon you in your present way I will not deny but take it for granted that so it is Yet this I will say that we are under no Promise of having thc Golden Oyl conveyed unto us but through the Golden Pipes Teach them says Christ to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World If therefore we step out of Christ's way we cannot rationally suppose our selves to be at least so immediately under the Influence of Christ's Blessing What Christ may graciously afford unto his People that sincerely seek unto him according to the best light they have though the Sanctuary Preparation may in some Points be Defective is one thing and what we may justly expect by vertue of a standing Promise is another Certainly the nearer we come to him and the more Exact and Punctual we are in the Expressions of our Love and Friendship to him the more groundedly may we Expect the Answerable Discoveries of his Loving Favour unto us and we can no otherwise demonstrate our Friendship than by being obedient to him in the Observation of all those things which he hath commanded us and that both whatsoever they are and howsoever he hath injoyned the Performance of them That the Baptism of Believers is appointed by Christ as a Golden Pipe among the rest of the Golden Pipes of the New Testament Church for the Conveyance of the Golden Oyl or the Heavenly Unction from himself to his Members is an undeniable Truth and cannot with any Justness of Pretence be contradicted That the Baptism of Infants deserves that Character is more than what the Scriptures do declare unto us and peradventure at long run you also may see Cause to say the same Indeed if a thorow Reformation in this Point might once be obtained that is if Ministers Teach First and then Baptize such only as Profess Faith in the Lord Jesus and newness of Life evidenced by a Holy Conversation that being the only Practice warrantable by and Exemplified in the Word of God We might then justly hope to see the Accomplishment of the forementioned Divine Prediction A Candlestick all of Gold A Candlestick that hath a Golden Bowl Golden Lamps and Golden Pipes that is a Pure Church-State wholly Constituted and Regulated according to the Divine Prescription and Pattern And then also it would inevitably follow that the Papal Antichristian Church must of Necessity Vanish and Expire Since the Matter of that Synagogue is the Collective Body of the Nations who having been sprinkled in their Infant State are thence beguiled into a Blind and Soul-cheating Delusion that they are good Christians and true Members of the Catholick Church whom yet because of their Unbelief and Prophaneness the Word of God Excludes from the Gospel Church and consequently from Baptism till Converted And I make no question but it will be at last found that to uphold the present Practice of Infant Sprinkling is no other than to uphold and support the main Pillar of that Apostate and Adulterous Church that is by bringing the Church into the World and the World into the Church And when the World is once brought into the Church let us shew any difference if we can betwixt that and the World which yet our Saviour tells us are distinct having chosen his Church out of the World John 15. 19. 'T is true the time will be when the Kingdoms of this World shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ But that cannot be pretended unto in the present Administration of things in the Heavens and Earth that now are wherein we cannot say that one of a Thousand much less that the whole World is subject unto Christ's Scepter and consequently far from the true Characters of Church-Membership according to the Gospel Rule All of Gold Indeed 't is great pity but that every Plant which our Heavenly Father hath not planted should be Rooted up and the present Corrupt Practice of Infant sprinkling among the rest since there is nothing that can be more evident than this that were but this corner Stone that supports the Antichristian Fabrick quite removed the whole Building must of necessity totter and then we might justly hope for a pure Church-State Till which as we cannot groundedly expect true Peace or Settlement in the World so neither can we justly expect that the Name of the City should be called Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there The Occasion of the present Discourse was from a late Treatise of Mr. William Allen Entituled A Serious and Friendly Address to the Nonconformists Beginning with the Anabaptists Or an Addition to a former Treatise of his Entituled a Perswasive to Peace and Unity Wherein he doth Labour with utmost Strength and force of Argument to induce those of a contrary Perswasion from himself to a Conformity and Compliance with the Church Discipline and Government then Established in these Nations and particularly in Respect of the present Practice of Infants Baptism An Answer to which you will find in the Ensuing Sheets together with Answers to all other the most considerable Arguments which are urged by others also to the same purpose As for Mr. Allen he is a Person altogether unknown to me But though his Apprehensions and mine are different in the present point And though he hath endeavoured to whet up his Arguments with utmost keeness and lays them on with greatest force condemning us as guilty of the greatest Schism and of all those Direful Evils that are the Natural Consequents of a Schismatical Separation from a true Church yet to give him his due his Language is fair and his Discourse free from those Fiery and Passionate Heats that usually attend Discourses of this Nature from other Pens I suppose he will have no Cause to complain of being otherwise dealt with in the present Answer Sure it is That the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God I pray God that the present Reply may be made Instrumental to the opening his Eyes that he may see from whence he is fallen and Repent and do his first Works Since the Writing of this I am informed of Mr. Allen's Decease I make no question but that he and others also will sooner or latter be convinc'd that the horrible guilt of Schism and the consequent Evils attendant thereon were so far from being justly Chargeable on us because of our present Practice that these things do rather lie at the Doors of those that thus condemn us I have endeavoured indeed to speak with as much Advantage as I could to the Conviction of him and others that I cannot but apprehend to walk in a corrupt Path in this Respect And having so done I know no Reason any have to be offended if they be in Love exhorted also to their Duty Exhort one another dayly saith the Holy Spirit lest any of

Decency of the Practice will find Cause sufficiently to Vindicate it from the Reproach of Unseemliness and be able to convince Gainsayers of their Unchristian Slauders in that Respect So as for the hazarding of Health to the Weak the constant and known Experience of Thousands doth amply refute it as a groundless Suggestion THE THIRD PART Containing some Animadversions on Mr. Sidenham 's Treatise of Baptism wherein that of Infants is further Disproved Together with some further Reflections on Mr. Allen 's forementioned Discourse to the same Purpose Whereunto is Annexed an Answer at large unto Mr. Baxter 's chief Argument for the Church-membership of Infants from the Nature of the Covenant made with Israel in the Land of Moab Deut. 29. where Children are Represented as Fellow-Covenanters with their Parents which saith he was a Covenant of Grace or Gospel Covenant And therefore neither it nor the Church-membership of Infants which was built thereon Repealed SECT I. WE shall begin with Mr. Sidenham's Treatise And First Whereas Mr. Sidenham pretending to Answer that Argument of ours That there is no express Command nor any positive Example in all the New Testament concerning the Baptism of Infants For the Refutation thereof He tells us That this Argument is built on this false Principle That no direct Consequences from Scripture are Mandatory and so obliging and of Divine Authority Whereas we affirm no such thing but only say That in all Positive or Instituted Worship such as Baptism is which hath no other Rule nor Reason than the meer will of the Law-giver there must be either an express Command or an express Example to enforce it In all other Respects we justly allow such proper Consequences as are deducible from the Scriptures for the enforcing of Duty or for the Comfort of God's People For therefore is Preaching Expounding and Searching the Scripture appointed unto us But as it would have been a Sin for Abraham upon bare Consequences only and without an express Warrant to have Circumcised his Children So it would be no less to us without the same Divine Warrant in respect of Baptism And therefore Mr. Sidenham doth not well to say That we may as well argue That because Abraham was Circumcised when 99 Years old Therefore old Persons are to be Circumcised and none else As because grown Persons were Baptized therefore not Infants Whereas he knew Abraham had an express Command as for the Circumcision of himself so for his Infants also Which is that which we justly affirm to be wanting under the Gospel in respect of Baptism SECT II. § 1. BUT then Mr. Sidenham doth also tell us That it is to be considered that there is nothing in all the New Testament against the Baptizing of Infants no hint from any express Word dropt from Christ or his Apostles nor any Phrase which doth forbid such an Act. p. 1. And this Argument both he and others do lay very much stress upon But then Mr. Sidenham should have considered That it is the Opinion of divers able and godly Divines That what is not commanded in the Worship of God is forbidden And that every Affirmative command of Christ includes a Negative For saith Tertullian This is a certain Rule if it be said 't is lawful because the Scripture doth not forbid it It may equally be Retorted It is therefore not lawful because the Scripture doth not command it And herein therefore consisted the Sin of Nadab and Abihu Lev. 10. who were destroyed for offering strange Fire which God had not Commanded They might have said Lord 't is true Thou hast not commanded this strange Fire But as thou hast not Commanded it so neither hast thou Forbidden it And by the same Reason might Abraham have Circumcised his Children on the seventh day as well as on the eighth because God had not forbidden it For though God had commanded it to be done on the eighth day yet he had no where expresly forbidden the seventh But since the eighth day was expresly appointed and not the seventh though the seventh was no where expresly forbidden therefore Abraham was bound to the former and not to the latter and it would have been his Sin to have varied from the Rule prescribed him In like manner we say The Baptism of Believers is expresly commanded That of Infants is not commanded and therefore though it be not forbidden yet since 't is not commanded it would be our Sin to practise it And so in the Passeover Whereas God commanded a Lamb a Male of the first year to be eaten they might as well have made use of an Ewe or a Ram of the second or third Year because not forbidden no express Word of God had forbidden it So when David and the People of Israel had made a new Cart for the Carriage of the Ark which was to have been born on the Priests Shoulders only and when God smote Vzzah for holding the Ark they might as well have Pleaded that neither of these was expresly forbidden But yet nevertheless For this Cause the Lord made a Breach upon them for that they did not seek him after the due order that he had expresly appointed 1 Chron. 15. 13. § 2. We find no where in all the Scriptures That ever any express Word dropt from Christ or his Apostles to the Prohibiting or Forbidding of Crucifixes Beads Altars Praying to Saints Pictures in Churches Pilgrimages Which things are still in use among Papists but disowned by Protestants because not commanded though not expresly forbidden The like may be said concerning Bowing at the Name of Jesus the Cross in Baptism Surplices in Preaching Kneeling at the Sacrament set Forms of Prayer In respect of which it is no proper Argument that therefore these things are lawful to be used in the Divine Service because not forbidden For as they are not forbidden so neither are they commanded Which is the very Argument made use of by the Generality of Dissenters for their Justification in Opposition to Prelatical Incroachments And therefore thou art Inexcusable O Man For wherein thou Judgest another thou Condemnest thy self Rom. 2. 1. There is no express Word of God against the Communicating of Infants in the Lord's Supper And yet you your selves do not therefore count it lawful to admit them to that Ordinance without an express Word to that purpose And lastly Bells are not expresly forbidden to be Baptized and yet we do not reckon that a sufficient Argument for such a Practise And whereas it is Objected as to this That Bells are not Subjectum Capax A fit or capable Subject for such an Ordinance we would then ask wherein lies their Incapacity Cannot a Minister sprinkle a little Water upon a Bell and use the Words of the Institution in as solemn a manner as he does when he Baptizes a Child Or are they incapable for want of an Institution We say the same of Infants And if you say they are not capable of the uses and ends of