and not cover it he was to pay the owner for the losse of those his cattel which fell into it Parents having opened a pit of original corruption by the sinfulnesse of their nature if they labour not to cover it again as much as in them lies by using the ordinance God hath appointed for the same shall not the souls of their children if finally falling into that pit be heavily required at their hands Yea shall man be carelesse and cruel where God hath been so kind and careful in his instituting of Baptism Rom. 6. 3. That we may be Baptized into Jesus Christ his death as it followeth vers 6. that the body of sin may be destroyed To conclude Infants having the body of sin as well as adult persons and Baptism being appointed for the destruction thereof such parents are wanting to their own duty undervalue Gods ordinance and are cruel to the souls of the flesh of their body that deny Baptism unto Infants CHAP. XIV The Sixth Reason drawn from the constant Practice of Christian Churches in all Ages what credit is to be given to a Primitive Custome I Shall now be challenged by such who herein dissent in judgement from me for breach of promise starting from my own principles that having promised Reasons out of Scripture I flie now to Church-Practice and Ancient Tradition Wherefore to vindicate my self which is far more considerable the Truth herein I will first prove by Gods assistance by Reason out of Scripture that the Practice of the Catholique Church in all Places and at all Times especially in such matters wherein nothing appears contrary in Gods Word obligeth all conscientious Christians to the observation thereof And in the next Chapter we wil shew that the Baptizing of Infants hath been the uninterrupted Custome of the Church Be it premised that if we look on Customes simply in themselves we shall find them generally like the men of Sodom not ten good ones amongst the many thousands of them For what is Custome but the practice of most men time out of mind Now seeing most men yea all men by Nature Gen. 6. 5. have the imaginations of their hearts evil and that not for a day week or year but as the Text saith continually no wonder if Customes be commonly wicked Yea such errours and vices which at the first are soft and supple pliable to Reproof and sensible of Refutation contract an hardnesse by custome in continuance of time yea get an incrustation and such scales over them that they become impenetrable to Scripture and Reason brought against them And as Lahan deceived plain-dealing Jacob in his Marriage Gen. 29. 26. by pleading the custome of the Country so it is confessed that too many in all Ages in matters both of faith and fact have alledged Custome to Patronize their erroneous opinions and injurious practises But all this ought not to beget in us a neglect of such Customes which like Melchisedec are Heb. 7. 3. without father without mother without discent whose first original cannot be found out as practised in the Church time out of mind no remembrance or record extant to the contrary Now as Melchisedec in the same place is said to have neither beginning of dayes and what necessarily followeth thence nor end of life so it is but just and equal that such Ancient Customes in the Church which never had memorable Rise should never have Fall therein but that such which probably began at the first should constantly be continued till the last coming of our Saviour Here I plead not for such mis-shapen Customes which either run up all in length narrow and slender which though long in use never extended to any wideness in the Christian World or else so low and thick they only spread in bredth as many Popish Customes generally but not anciently used but never shot up to the just stature of Primitive Antiquity We only defend such wel-grown Customes which I call square ones the form of firmness and stability whose height and bredth are well proportioned put in ure by Christians at all times and in all places conceiving we can demonstrate it by reason from Scripture that such Customes must be presumed grounded on the word and will of God For proof whereof we produce Gods promise and Lo I am with you always unto the end of the world Amen Mat. 28. 20. Every operative word herein deserves our serious consideration I am with you unto the end I am A verb of the present joyned with words of the future tense to shew Gods Instantaneous assistance in every moment of extremity Psal 46. 1. God is our strength and refuge a very present help in trouble With you This cannot be meant only of the Disciples personally none of them living to the end of the world seeing John himself the surviver of the whole Jury died about the year of our Lord 102. It is therefore meant extensively of the Disciples as they were an immortal corporation With you Selves and successours persons and posterity As Christ John 17. 20. Did not pray for these alone so here he did not promise to these alone but to them also which should believe on him through their word These words To be with you import not only a promise of protecting them from all dangers but also of directing them in all doctrines necessary to be believed and practised for their salvation And this promise being made not so much to the particular persons as to the collective body of the Church is not so effectually performed to every individual Christian as to the Universal Church which amounteth from them all We confesse that notwithstanding the foresaid promise of protection and direction many good men have been guilty of great errours and have also fallen by Gods permission and just punishment of their sins into grievous dangers However Divine goodnesse so doubleth his Files about his Church in general that he will not suffer the same to be universally infected in all Ages with any one dangerous Errour And therefore a Church Custome in all times and places must be presumed conformable to the will of God because were it erroneous it were utterly inconsistent with that solemn promise which God hath passed to his Church to be with them unto the worlds end Such who on the contrary side are highly opinioned of their private Judgements and will not confide in the Universal Customes of the Church I know not whether therein they do shew more want of Charity in condemning so many Christians at once or plenty of pride in over-prizing their own judgements or store of profanenesse in doubting yea denying the performance of Gods promise so solemnly made of his protecting presence in the Church who surely will dispatch and destroy an errour therein before it grow up to be so long liv'd as to become a Custome What a high valuation S. Paul set on Church Customes appears by his expression 1 Cor. 11. 16. But if any man
the resurrection as that Job 19. 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shal I see God For first it is presumption for any to teach Christ which stone out of the brook to chuse as the smoothest and fittest when he is to encounter the Goliath of any errour Secondly the Sadduces only allowing the Pentateuch or five books of Moses Christ worsted them at their own weapons out of that Scripture which they acknowledged for Canonical setting us an example by reason out of the Word to prove those points which are not expresly contained therein To conclude this point when Eve was brought to Adam newly awaked out of his deep sleep Gen. 2. 23. he gazed not on her as a stranger but welcomed and entertained her with this cheerful and courteous expression This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man So should Scripture behold those legitimate deductions which by right reason and lawful rules of Logick are thence drawn and derived it would instantly own and acknowledge them for its undoubted issue and off-spring commanding them to be called Derivative Scripture because taken out of the body and bowels thereof Here I pleade not for such violent and forced consequences bastards of mens brains which some unjustly father on the Scripture wresting it 2 Pet. 3. 16. and not reasoning but wrangling from it Natural and necessary deductions are by me alone intended by which we proceed to prove that Baptism is bottomed on Reasons out of Scripture Here make we this motion to the Reader and may he resent it according to the equity thereof Though we propound and he peruse these our reasons out of Scripture severally our desire is they should all be compounded together and joyntly presented to his judgement This desire proceeds not from any jealousie and suspition we have of their invalidity as taken single but out of a confidence that though they may be cavilled at and endeavoured to be broken as single arrows they will be unbreakable to him who here may have his Quiver full of them For as in a regular Fort though single flankers thereof may be assaulted yet the whole will be impregnable wherein each part receiveth strength from and returneth strength to another so we conceiv though each reason severally may be subject to captious exceptions against it yet the total sum of them all besides many more which Godly Divines have and may adde unto them amount to the convincing of such as do not wilfully boult their eyes against the beams of truth CHAP. IX The first Reason for the Baptizing of Infants taken from the Analogie of Circumcision THe first Reason for Infants Baptism is grounded on proportion of Circumcision in this manner If that the children of Jews were admitted to Circumcision and thereby made members of the Church the children of Christians ought to be admitted to Baptism and thereby be made members of the same But the children of the Jews were admitted to Circumcision c. therefore the children of Christians ought to be admitted to Baptism Herein the Major which alone is subject to doubt and debate may be proved by what formerly was explained in Baptisms succeeding to all essentials of Circumcision Object To this your arguing from proportion of Circumcision is of no validity yea and of very dangerous consequence For on the same account you may extend the Analogie to the reviving of all the Jewish Ceremonies long since dead and rotten in the grave of our Saviour Such Necromancy in Conjuring up the Ghosts of dead Judaism is unlawful of it self and prejudicial to Christian liberty should we be put under the Gospel to such slavish conformity as to practice something parallel to each Ceremony in the old Testament Answ We confesse this exception true and just had Circumcision been but a bare Ceremony and no more But Circumcision had in it more of what was Sacramental then Ceremonious The Ceremonious part thereof is utterly extinct and dyed Issueless But the Sacramental or Gospel part thereof as it contained an everlasting Covenant made with Abrahams seed that is all true believers may be said to survive in Baptism the true heir thereof Sacramenta non moriuntur Sacraments die not whilest the Church Militant is alive nor is there any intervals betwixt them Baptism immediately succeeding Circumcision as is before declared Proceed we to prove the former Argument with a new Syllogism They who once in Circumcision were made members of the Church and never since were solemnly outed of the same remain still in the state of their membership But Circumcised Children under the Jews were made members of the Church and never since were solemnly outed of that condition Therefore they still remain members Here the Minor alone is exposed to suspition of falshood and that only in the later part thereof Now let the denyers of it assign the time place manner and persons when where how and by whom they were cast out of that membership Sure I am seeing the old Testament leaves them in peaceable possession thereof And no firm ejection of them appears in the new Testament it must needs be some Apocrypha writing or forged deed which depriveth them of their true title thereunto and tenure thereof For the further clearing hereof Let us suppose a Jew about the time of S. Paul converted into a Christian and soon after made father to a son If this child in his infancy may not be admitted to Baptism what cause had it no lesse justly then Grievously to complain Might it but borrow a tongue from the standers by how pathetically would it expostulate his condition Alas how sad is my estate My father being but a Jew was at eight days old made a member of the Church by Circumcision His infancy was no bar and obstacle unto him to render him uncapable of the Covenant I had thought now my Father is turned Christian that the Child should not be impaired because his father is improved Is a Christians son found in a worse case then a Jews son was left I thought the alteration of our condition by Christs coming was to perfect not diminish what we had before Christianity may be a good Religion for men to die in but Judaism was better for Children to be born in We Infants who signified some thing under the Law are made cyphers under the Gospel no notice being taken of us until we are arrived unto years of discretion This complaint might be largely prosecuted with more earnestnesse but a word is enough the rather if we consider what S. Paul saith Heb. 8. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is a mediator of a better covenant which was established upon better promises What a Scale of melioration have we here better and better excellent and more excellent But if Children since Christs coming are excluded the Covenant
seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God For the better understanding whereof know that the Corinthians were guilty of an innovation wherein they were an exception from the rule of the general practice in all Christian Churches The Innovation was this that their women used to pray uncovered the men covered that is as it is generally interpreted the women with short the men with long hair This ill fashion S. Paul confutes with several reasons drawn from the power of man over his wife appealing also to natural decencie therein And at last concludes all with this close But if any seem to be contentious we have no such Custome nor yet the Churches of God As if he had said could you Corinthians prescribe any custome that in Gods Churches grave and godly men and women have prayed as you do the former covered the latter uncovered Then should you alledge much in your own justification But I am confident on the contrary that no such custome can be produced and therefore your singularity is condemned by the joynt practice of all Gods Churches against them Object These words But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God Import only that Gods Churches have no custome to be contentious Christians ought to be of a quiet and peaceable mind and not to delight in vain janglings and dissentions Answ This cannot be the meaning of the words For was ever man so silly as to suppose and conceive that Gods Churches should be so irrational as to have a ridiculous custome of being contentious The Church is so far from having such custome which is a habit resulting from many acts that it condemneth each single act of causelesse contention as wicked and ungodly Yea no civilized estate though consisting of meer Pagans ever had any custome to be contentious or did ever delight in Barrettors More then must be meant herein that Gods Churches had never any such Custome for the two Sexes so to pray as the Corinthians did who herein ran counter to the Universal practice of Christianity the Apostle naming Churches in the Plural which are the single instruments as the whole Church is the consort all of them harmoniously agreeing in this custome save only the jarring Corinthians who are out of tune by themselves If a Church custome carried weight with it in S. Pauls time when amongst Christians it could not be above fourty years standing what a reverence is due to those customes which have continued in Gods Church above sixteen hundred years amongst which the Baptizing of Infants is a principal and if S. Pauls argument followed negatively women ought not pray uncovered because the Church hath no such custome the consequence is no lesse strong from the affirmative Children ought to be Baptized because the Church in all ages hath had such a Custome The proving whereof is the subject of the ensuing Chapter CHAP. XV. The Antiquity and generallity of Baptizing of Infants proved by the confession of Pelagius DIvers Learned and Godly Divines have undertaken and performed this task to prove the constant practice of Infants Baptism in the Primitive Church by the induction of the Authorities of several Fathers to that purpose And as the Angels in Jacobs Ladder Gen. 28. 12. Some ascended others descended upon it so in this scale of authorities some have deduced the practice downwards from Christs time to our dayes others by an inverted method have raised it upwards from our days to Christs time both by different motions meeting in the same point It is our hap like Ahimaaz to be sent last on the same errand the proof of this point And although far be such arrogance from me as to hope with him to come first to our journeys end and to do better then my betters have done before me yet thus far wil I follow the example of Ahimaaz 2 Sam. 18. 23. To run by the way of the plain Having to deal with people who generally are unlearned therefore the heaping of Quotations in unknown tongues were probable to offend and incense rather then to edifie and inform them we will imbrace the plainest way to make the Baptizing of Infants appear an Antient and general Church Custome unto them This will be proved by the confession of Pelagius when first we have given an account to the Reader what he was when and where he lived and what opinions he maintained He was a Britan by birth flourishing about the year of our Lord four hundred ten a man of great learning and greater parts had the same been sanctified unto him In the time of this Pelagius only three parts of the world were known Europe Asia and Africa all which were traced with the feet of Pelagius who though born in a corner of the World quickly quitted his native soyl and enriched himself with the experience of Church-practice in all parts In Europe where he was born in Britain and where he lived a long time in Rome it self gaining there great acquaintance with Ruffinus which may passe for the Epitome of the then Christian world Asia where in the Island of Rhodes or thereabouts he first scattered his dangerous Doctrine Afterwards he went to Hierusalem Africa where for some times he continued in Egypt working himself into the familiarity of the learned men therein Yea it is laid to the charge of Pelagius that to disperse his poysonous opinions with the more advantage saepius mutavit loca he often purposely changed the place of his habitation Amongst the many dangerous doctrines which Pelagius maintained we will insist on that alone the confutation whereof makes mainly for our present purpose He defended that Infants were conceived and born without original sin which came unto them when growing in years not from an inward principal of corruption but from their imitation of outward ill examples presented unto them S. Augustine undertakes his confutation and amongst many other solid Arguments to that purpose principally insisteth upon this that it was the custome of the Church in all ages to Baptize Infants which plainly proves that they were conceived in original sin For that which is clean needs not to be washed This Argument is often inculcated by S. Austin in several places as namely in his 150 Epistle unto Sixtus Likewise in his second book of Marriage and concupiscence in the eighteenth chapter Likewise in his four books to Bonifacius and every where in his six books against Julian one of Pelagius his schollers Likewise in his first book of imperfect work against the same chapter 48. 54. and 115. Lastly in his second book of imperfect work chapter 120. and 180. To spare making more instances the matter being notoriously known to any who have the least skill in the works of that worthy Father Now how easie had it been for Pelagius to answer this argument by denying childrens Baptism to be a Church custome had not his
Church amongst the Jews Now none will deny but that wil-worship or adding to Gods Word and his Service was as utterly unlawful amongst them as amongst us Christians Yet the most religious amongst them used that as their bounden duty and necessary to Gods service which hath no original expresly in the word of God For proof hereof we shall offer three things to the readers consideration 1. Repairing to Synagogues amongst the Jews was a necessary part of Gods service 2. The same was not grounded on any expresse of Scripture 3. But consequentially on several places prudentially joyned together For the first It plainly appeareth by Christs constant practice Luke 4. 16. And as his custome was he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day As sure as a seventh day return'd every week so certainly did our Saviour visit the synagogue It is also evident by the continual custome of all pious Jews Acts 15. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the synagogues every sabbath day To destroy these synagogues was accounted a wicked work witnesse Gods servants their passionate complaint Psal 74. 8. And again to erect them was an acceptible act alledged by the Pharisees as an argument to endeer the Centurion unto our Saviour Mat. 8. he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue Lastly it was esteemed a heavy punishment equivalent to our excommunication John 9. 2â— to be put out of the synagogue Yet repairing to synagogues or the erecting of them was not founded on any positive precept in Gods word Indeed the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple were of Divine institution where all males were commanded to present themselves thrice a year namely at the Passeover the feast of Trumpets and Tabernaclos But these synagogues which I may terme Chappels of ease to the mother-Temple no written law obliged men either to the founding or frequenting of them Yet that the same was grounded on rational deductions from Scripture may infallibly be evinced The text saith Exod. 20. Remember thou keep holy the sabbath day And reason dictated unto them First that peoples presence at publick service was a principal part of sanctifying the sabbath Secondly that it was impossible for them to repair to the Temple and return to their houses such their distance betwixt them Thirdly therefore it was necessary some room of receipt should be provided sequestred from common uses wherein people should meet together Lastly another text affirming That the Priests lips should preserve knowledge It was proper for them and the Levites dispersed in all Israel on the sabbath in the synagogue to read Moses to the people Thus we find the first foundation of synagagues not on the floating sands of humane fancy but firm rock of Gods Word Though not directly yet by consequence collected from the same In a word as chambers and houses were for mens personal family devotions every day or as oft as they pleased as the Temple was for the national service of the Jews thrice every year so Synagogues were interposed in the middle betwixt both for Towns and Cities to serve God on the Sabbath day the whole nation meeting thrice a year every City once a week as private persons every day and as oft as they pleased Suppose now that a Priest amongst the Jews should presse an obstinate Jew to repair to the Synagogue how might he have returned this answer according to the Principles of our Anti-pedo-baptists I will go up to the Temple thrice every year and there I will not appear empty-handed But I will not on the sabbath present my self in the Synagogue which meeting is not JURE DIVINO a meer civil institution groundless on Gods word shew me a place of Scripture injoyning my attendance in a Synagogue and I will become your convert Till which time I will not only my self refrain my appearance there but wil also account it wil-worship in all such as there assemble themselves I believe not one of our Adversaries in our present Controversie which are ingenuous but will condemn such a recusant amongst the Jews for refractory and obstinate Yea they will conceive him if persisting herein to deserve Church-censure for his schismatical singularity Yet give me leave with love grief and anger to say unto him as once Nathan to David thou art the man in denying Infants Baptism which though not in so many words expressed is by necessary consequence infallibly founded on Gods Word Now although I freely confesse no litteral precedent of Pedo-baptism in Scripture yet such an one therein is presented unto us which although it will not confute our opposites it will confirm us in our judgements and though it be not able Titus 1. 9. to convince the gainsayers yet it will strengthen us in the Truth When the principal is known of him self to be sufficient any security with him will be accepted and the following instance may be cast in as over-weight to such minds who already have their full measure of perswasion in this point Namely when it is said Acts 16. 15. Lydia was Baptized and her houshold And again Acts 16. 33. of the Jaylor was baptized he and all his straight way Also 1 Cor. 1. 16. I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas For the Jaylor That Children if he had any were comprised under the expression of all his is sufficiently known by Satans interpretation Job 1. 12. of Gods commission Behold all that he hath is in thy power and Gods consenting thereunto when permitting him by vertue thereof to destroy all Jobs children And whereas in the other two instances the baptizing of whole housholds are exprest we must rationally conceive that some infants were amongst them I must confesse I can tell the time when there were three housholds of young folk in the world and then but three housholds of young folk in the world namely the three sons of Noah and his daughters in law in the Ark and yet not one Infant betwixt them all But this was a rare and mystical accident Again to hold the ballance even I can tell the time when in a large Country every familâ— offered a first-born namely in Egypt Exod. 12. 3. There was not a house where there was not one dead Which S. Austin accounts miraculous God purposely making every family fruitful that it might yield a fit object for his own justice But to wave these instances of extraordinary dispensation take three houses together indifferently numerous such as those of Lydia the Jaylor and Stephanas must be presumed to be considering the garbe of that age wherein most of mens moveable wealth consisted in men and maid servants with the children begotten by them and it is utterly improbable but some infants will be amongst them For a great family is like unto an Orenge tree which at the same time hath buds and blossoms and knobs and green and half ripe and full ripe Orenges on it all together I mean
it is 1. Baptize 2. Teach and teach What is wanting in the precedent Teach let it be supplied over and above in the consequent Teach to make amends for the preparatory Teach before baptism whereof infants age is incapable let there be a duplicate double your endeavours in the confirming Teach so soon as they shal be able to learn Line upon line Precept upon precept here a little and there a little dropping in instruction as the vessel is able to receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture as we have formerly observed always signifieth a sucking child Now it is said of Timothy 2 Tim. 3. 15. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a childe he had known the holy Scriptures Not when a childe but from a child Infancy was the terminus à quo from whence his learning of Scripture bears date How timely did he start in the race of Religion by the direction of his devout parents who herein may be exemplary unto all others Now let parents think to cast off their care on those who are Sponsores or Susceptores Godfathers to their children as I deny not an ancient and useful institution of them in the Primitive times so can I not but bemoan that our age hath turned the same into a formality or Christian complement Judah said to Simeon Judg. 1. ◠Come up with me into my lot and I likewise will go up with thee into thy lot So men exchange and barter this office betwixt them answer thou for my child to day and I on like occasion will answer for thine the civility is discharged by both when the christianity too oft is performed by neither I look therfore on Godfathers generally as on brasse Andirons standing more for sight then service ornament then use whiles the main weight and stresse in performing the promise must lie on the parents themselves do discharge in teaching and teaching their Baptized Infants Object The deaf and dumb are not to be admitted to Baptism though adult and full grown because of their inability to give an account of their faith But children are ranked in the same form with the deaf and dumb therefore they ought not to be admitted unto Baptism This is the thirty sixth and last argument amongst many frivolous ones alledged by the Transilvanian Anabaptists against the baptizing of infants placing belike much confidence therein to hem and conclude all the rest Answ Both propositions are false First If the dumb and deaf can with signs and gestures which nature hath made in them marvelously expressive evidence and testifie their faith they must be admitted to Baptism as the third Councel of Carthage did decide Secondly Children are not in the same but a better condition Those Mutes after maturity can never recover their hearing and speech but by miracle whereas Infants naturally are capable of both in due season We read Mark 7. 32. that they brought one to our Saviour that was deaf and had an impediment in his speech not that he was only troubled with a lisping or stamering but that he was directly dumb as appears by the peoples acclamations vers 37. when the miracle was wrought upon him he maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak and generally those infirmities are twins going both together yet Christ discovered in him a sufficiency of faith such as he was pleased to accept for his bodily cure How more comfortably then may Christian parents presume that God will graciously behold their Infants who though deaf that is not hearing to understand and dumb not able to speak may in processe of time arrive to the use of both That God I say who when with a favourable eye he looks for goodnesse in any heart findeth and fixeth it there by his favourable looking for it Besides such persons defective in their senses though full in age may ponere obicem by their prave dispositions put a bar or obstacle wilfully to defeat the effect of Baptism and their right thereunto This cannot be done by infants their very worst enemies who deny them actual faith yea any dispositive degree thereunto dare not charge them with what I may terme positive infidelity As for original sin that can be no bar because Baptism was designed by God for the washing away thereof God is no Mountebank his receipts do the deed for which they were prescribed Indeed if the patient besides that disease for the cure whereof Gods receipt is given him shall by his own intemperance wilfully contract a new malady no wonder if this Physick fall short of the cure for which it was intended But infants not being able to draw on themselves any other sin we cannot but in charity believe their undoubted right unto and benefit by baptism CHAP. XIX Whether the Children of Profane Parents Bastards Exposed Children and the Captive Infants of Pagans are to be Baptized SOme maintain that infancy alone is the requisite to qualifie Infants to be Baptized Others upon just grounds conceive a choice must be made of the infants admitted thereunto and those most scrupled at fall under the following Quaternion The first are the Children of Profane Parents living within the pale of the Church such as I may sorrowfully terme Pagan Christians Christians by their profession Pagans by their notorious visible debauched conversation Otherwise I confesse the words pious and profane in our modern Religious Canting made by many words of party and interest to cry up or decry such who in private opinions or civil concernments agree with or dissent from them The question is if such profane Parents alone tender their children to baptism and desire the same whether or no ought they to be admitted thereunto I say alone for if a good Grandfather or Grand-mother the mediate Parent survive conjoyn with them in such a tender the case is sufficiently clear that Baptism cannot be denied unto it I answer If any one related as kinred or friend to this childe will undertake conditionally viz. if he himself live and God blesse his endeavours farther then which parents themselves ought not to promise and cannot perform for the education thereof as Judah in another case for the bringing up of his brother Benjamin out of Egypt Gen. 43. 9. I will be surety for him at my hands shalt thou require him baptism ought not to be denied unto it Quest But suppose such an undertaker cannot be found seeing he who hateth especially Spiritual suretiship is sure Prov. 11. 15. and one may justly suspect according to the proverb Ezek. 16. 44. As is the mother so is the daughter that such a childe will follow the vicious examples and dispositions of his parents Answ Here I desire the Reader to call to mind to spare my repetition thereof what formerly Chap. 4. we have written of wicked mens sharing in the foederal right to Circumcision Let him also consider the Apostles words Rom. 11. 16. If the root be holy so are the branches Now the root we
this unity was too fine ware to have much measure thereof The virginity of it was first lost Acts 6. 1. about a money-matter and money we know parteth the dearest friends many differences arising about the question what should be jure divino and what jure humano but more about meum and tuum the unequal conceived distribution of the collection-money for the Poor The Heathen Philosopher bitterly inveighed against the Schismatical Number of Two which durst make the first defection and departure from the intireness of One But we have too just cause to bemoan this unhappy difference which first brake the Ranks made the first jarring in the musick of the Primitive Church 4. The second sad difference was Acts 15. 1. about the unseasonable and unreasonable pressing of Circumcision by some as absolutely necessary to salvation Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved 5. The third dolefull falling out we finde in the same Chapter v. 39. being so much the sadder than either of the former because happening not btwixt infirm and ignorant though pious people but those who for grace and knowledg were most eminent and formerly had been familiar and intimate bosom-friends Paul and Barnabas Then the Devil endeavoured to deal with Gods Church as Sampson served the Temple of Dagon Judg. 16. 29. He took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood and on which it was born up and no doubt by shaking and clashing them together had shattered the whole Fabrick had not divine providence prevented it sanctifying their division into the multiplication of the Gospel 6. It is enough to satisfie if not to surfet us to insist onely on this first three these original dissentions in the Primitive Church which ever since have too truly been copied out As lately in the Acts of the Apostles we often met with one accord with one accord with one accord so looking into their Acts who though no Apostles are Christians we more frequently finde with many discords with many discords with many discords such their dissenting in opinions and disagreeing in affections It will therefore be a seasonable subject for us to treat of how we ought to behave our selves to such Brethren as for the present dissent from us in judgment and what hope we may justly conceive of their future agreement with us Hearken herein to my Text out of which we may extract not onely counsel what to do but also comfort what to hope in this kinde And if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you 7. The words though short in themselves contain the Uuhappiness and the happiness of the Servants of God And know to your comfort the Unhappiness is first and the Happiness comes after to close and conclude all and and all is well that ends well yea the unhappiness is but suppositive what may be the happiness positive what shall be The unhappiness is this a possibility of good men in matters of religion to be otherwise minded one from another The Happiness is a gracious Promise that such who erroniously dissent from their Brethren shall in due time agree when the Truth shall be revealed to them In the supposition the Emphasis of two words must be examined And if in ANY thing YE 8. Ye that is literally ye Philippians in the pale of Gods Church However let us give this Ye the true dimensions thereof Let us not extend it too far as to include Pagans or such pretended Christians as willingly overturn all the foundations of Religion Nor let us contract this Ye too small as to confine it to the Philippians alone which reacheth all Christians though dissenting in the superstructures consenting in the Fundamentalls of Religion If there be a Ye or a Your in all this Epistle to the Philippians as Chap 4. 5. Let your moderation be made known to all men which enjoyneth any precept certainly all Christians as well as the Philippians are obliged and engaged to the performance of it at their own pain and perill of the neglect thereof Wherefore by the same rule of proportion Every Christian may justly claim a right and interest in all promises made to the Philippians and this among the rest the Revelation hereafter of truths unto them hitherto concealed from them 9. And if in any thing Any thing Far be it from us to shrink a larg Text with a narrow comment S. Paul sayeth any thing let not us say somthing Be they otherwise minded in matter of Fact or of Faith or of Doctrine or of Discipline what ever it be for it needs must be nothing which comes not with the reach or compass of any thing God will reveal it unto them Here let us take notice what was the last matter which immediately moved S. Paul to fall on this expression In the foregoing verses S. Paul had propounded a Riddle or seeming contradiction to flesh and bloud for he had said Vers 12. Not as though I were already perfect c. Vers 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect c. That perfection which first he denyed in himself presently he avoweth both in himself and many others This Riddle it seems it would not sink into the Heads of some of the weaker Philippians how the same Person at the same time should be imperfect in deed execution performance yet perfect in desire intention endeavour But well it is for us that some amongst the Philippians through ignorance were otherwise minded whose error herein gave the happy occasion to S. Paul from Gods mouth to pronounce this comfortable promise both to them and us and all dissenters that if any be otherwise minded God will reveal even this unto them 10. DOCT. Godly men as long as they live in this world will dissent in many matters of religion The reason is because none know either Perfectly or Equally in this life Not perfectly 1 Cor. 13. 12. Now we know in part Not equally for though men understood imperfectly in this life yet if all understood equally imperfectly upon the supposition of equal ingenuousness to their Ingenuity that is that they would readily embrace what appears true unto them all would be of the same judgment But alas as none sees clearly so scarce any two see equally some are thick-sighted some short-sighted some pur-blind some sand-blind some half-blind and the worst of them blessed be God better then stark-blind These different degrees of sight cause the difference of judgment amongst Christians 11. A sad instance hereof we have in the differences about the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper What by divine goodness was intended and instituted to unite and conjoyn Christians hath by mans frailty and Satans subtilty been abused to make many Rents and divisions About the time when the Parties on whom the manner how Baptism is to be administred But where Baptism hath divided her Thousands the Lords Supper hath divided her Ten Thousands 12.