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B08272 Animadversions upon the Antisynodalia americana, a treatise printed in old England; in the name of the dissenting brethren in the synod held at Boston in New England 1662. Tending to clear the elders and churches of New England from those evils and declinings charged upon many of them in the two prefaces before the said book. Together with an answer unto the reasons alledged for the opinion of the dissenters, and a reply to such answers as are given to the arguments of the synod. / by John Allin, pastor of the Church of Christ at Dedham in N. England. Allin, John, 1596-1671. 1664 (1664) Wing A1035; ESTC W19760 64,983 88

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So Acts 2.38 39. The Promise is to you and your children 2. Faith is the Condition of the Covenant yet the outward Seal had reference to the outward Covenant it self for Lo and other Believers could not partake of Circumcision but by entring into that visible Covenant with Abraham And our Brethren afterward do grant That the Church-covenant is the next ground of the dispensation of the Seals Now they that have the next ground are supposed to have the more remote Ans 2. More particularly they say the Covenant is not the main ground of Baptism For 1. though they had Abraham for their father yet John 's Baptism takes away that Plea Mat. 3.8 9. and calls for Repentance Reply John took away their vain confidence in Abraham's Covenant for Righteousness and Life as the Prophets also frequently did Isa 1. 58. Jer. 7. Mic. 6. But he took not away the outward Priviledges of Abraham's Covenant as Circumcision Sacrifices c. 2. John indeed calls for Repentance in a people so corrupt to fit them for a more Gospel-dispensation to make them a People prepared for the Lord. But that is not the case of these in the fifth Proposition who are in the Gospel covenant and have the Seal of Baptism 2. We must distinguish say they between the Covenant of Grace and the Church-covenant which differ very much for the Covenant of Grace belongeth onely to the Elect and true Believers which the Church cannot infallibly judge who they are But the Church-covenant which is the next ground of the dispensation of the Seal● requireth mutuall consent of them that are admitted into communion to walk with God according to the Gospel The Covenant of Grace is made to the children in the Parents but is established onely by the restipulation of Faith and Repentance Gen. 17.7 9. Rom. 11.20 Thou standest by Faith Reply 1. I cannot see how these things can consist one with another For if the Covenant of Grace belongeth onely to the Elect and true Believers and this Covenant of Grace be made with the childe in the Parents then the childe and Parents must be Elect and true Believers which will not be granted Again if the difference of the Church-covenant stands in this That it requrreth mutuall consent to walk with God how shall Infants partake of the Church-covenant and Baptism whereof it is the next ground 2. This Distinction as here laid down doth not prove the thing it was brought for but rather yield the same For 1. It is yielded that the Church-covenant is the next ground of Baptism and that which is the next ground and immediate is the chief for it supposeth the remote and the remote grounds without the next could not give right to Baptism and therefore this is the chief ground Besides when it is said that the Covenant of Grace is made to the childe in the Parents then still the Covenant even of Grace also is the ground of Baptism But say they the establishment is upon the restipulation of Faith Thou standest by Faith Rom. 11.20 Be it so in respect of the Covenant of Grace and the saving Benefits thereof yet the visible Covenant and Dispensation of the Ordinances and Means of Grace remains to such in the Covenant as do continue in the visible Profession thereof as hath been oft proved That Faith by which the Gentile-Churches stand Rom. 11.20 is such a Faith as is opposed to that Unbelief for which the Jews were broken off but they were not broken off for want of holding forth positive Saving Faith to the judgement of Charity but for positive Unbelief whereby they obstinately rejected Christ Rom. 10.21 They were a disobedient and gainsaying people Acts 13.45 The Apostle turned from them to the Gentiles because they contradicted and blasphemed Mat. 21.42 43. The Kingdome of God was taken from them because they rejected Christ the Corner stone See also Acts 18.5 6. 19.8 9. And therefore so long as the Gentile Churches do profess Jesus Christ and his Gospel and Ordinances they may stand in the visible Covenant through the patience of God though they or many of their Members do not hold out such a Profession of Saving Faith visibly to the judgement of Charity otherwiser we must Unchurch many such Societies of Christians whom the Lord hath not Unchurched but continueth to them the Means and Ordinances of Grace 3. I deny that there is such a difference between the Church-covenant and that of Grace for as was said in the second Proposition premised Chap. 2. there is indeed a differing dispensation of the Covenant of Grace in the Church viz. Outwardly in the Priviledges Ordinances and Means of Grace to the whole visible Church or Inwardly in the Saving Benefits thereof to true Believers Now that the Dispensation of the Covenant of God to the whole visible Church is the Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace is proved 1. Because God giveth himself to be the God of all the visible Church Gen. 17. I will be thy God and he avoucheth them to be His People and they avouch him to be Their God Deut. 26.17 18. Now this is the first and chief Benefit of the Covenant of Grace and containeth all the rest as Mr. Cotton noteth upon that Covenant 2. Because the Means of Grace and Life and the offer of Christ and Grace is given to all in the visible Church Rom. 3.1 2 3. 9.4 3. Because all in Church-covenant stand bound thereby to Believe Repent and perform the conditions of the Covenant of Grace and this our Brethren confess that Church-covenant requires they should walk with God according to the Gospel which is the Covenant of Grace I have the more insisted on this Passage because the right understanding hereof is of much use to the main Question in debate That these in the fifth Proposition are still in Covenant the Synod proveth Because they were once in Covenant and never cut off from it Ans To this our Brethren Answer The Lord himself discovenants them Mat. 3. Joh. 8.39 40 41 42. where the Lord takes away their Plea of the Covenant and tells them they have the Devil for their Father And that without any act of Church-discipline c. They may reject the counsel of God against themselves as the Pharisees Luke 7. They may be Felones de se as Mr. Cotton speaks c. There are other grounds of breaking off the Covenant besides notorious sins and incorrigibleness therein as Not standing by Faith Not bringing forth f●uit Mat. 3.10 Not doing Righteousness 1 Joh. 3.10 Reply I have many things to Reply here 1. Did the Lord himself discovenant all those out of his visible Church spoken of M●● 3 Joh. 8 Were their seed thereby cut off from Circu●cision Were they excluded from the Sacrifices and Temple-worship Who can believe this when we see the Lord Jesus so oft communicated with them in the Worship of God when he calleth them still The lost sheep of