Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever beareth not his Cross and commeth after me he cannot be my Disciple twice repeated as if our Saviour had foreseen how men would boldly assert Infants Disciples who were wholly uncapable of it Let this put you to everlasting Silence from mentioning Matt 28.18 your great Bulwark you always run unto now you may plainly see our Saviour did not mean Children when he said go Disciple all Nations if he had intended Infants to have been Disciples also he would have made that exception but our Lord knew they were in no wise capable of being taught taking up Christ's Cross and following him without which it's impossible saith our blessed Lord you should be my Disciples Thus you see that Children are excluded the Commission because they cannot be Disciples being wholly uncapable to take up the Cross and so consequently not Visibly in Covenant nor Church Members therefore that Covenant of Peculiarity with Abraham and his Natural Seed is Repealed Arg. 3. The Promise of Remission of Sin and the gift of the Holy Ghost unto the Children of Believers is upon the terms of Repentance and Obedience Ergo the Promise is not to the Fleshly and Natural Seed of Believers as such The Antecedent is proved from Gods word Acts 2.38.39 where the Jews upon Conviction by St. Peter's Sermon of their being the Murtherers of the Messiah cries out unto the Apostle Men and Brethren what shall we do Peter Answers them Repent and be Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for this Promise is to you and your Children also yea to the very Gentiles afar off if they are called Repent Believe and Obey the Messiah for tho you called for the Guilt of Christs Blood to be upon your Heads and your Childrens yet for your Comfort it shall not be upon either If both have these Qualifications before mentioned therefore the consequent roundly follows that the Promise is not made to the Natural Seed of Believers as such therefore the Covenant of peculiarity made with Abraham and his Seed is Repealed But if you will not yet comply with this plain sense of the Words but that the Promise of God in this Text is to the Infant Seed of Believers as such consider your task if God hath made such a Promise as Sins Remission and the Gift of the Holy Ghost to all the Natural Seed of Believers as such then you are to make this appear that the Believers Infant Seed as such are indeed Partakers of these Promises which God hath here made or else you Reflect unfaithfulness on God for non-performance of his Covenant so that unavoidably all the Infant Seed of Believers as such must be Saved since God hath made the promise of Sins Remission and the Gift of the Holy Ghost unto them unless you suppose some may Eternally Perish which have these Gifts but if you will add and say we never believed they should be the better for the Promise without an Actual taking Hold of the Covenant then shew us what Promise and Priviledg the Child of a Believer hath more than the Child of an Unbeliever or Gentile afar off if they do also actually take hold by Faith of God's Covenant Thus you see that the Promise is not to the Fleshly Seed of Believers as such but upon the terms of Faith and Obedience therefore the Covenant of Peculiarity made with Abraham and his Natural Seed is Repealed Arg. 4. Abraham's Seed under the Gospel Dispensation are only Actual true Believers Ergo the Covenant of Peculiarity made with Abraham and his Infant Seed as such is Repealed The Antecedent is clear from Gal. 3.29 If ye are Christs then are ye Abraham's Seed you boast saith Christ Abraham is your Father but you are the Children of the Devil for ye seek to kill me so did not Abraham boast not of your Birth Priviledges it signifieth nothing except you are born again for the Children of the Flesh tho the Children of Abraham are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise viz. The Children of Faith are counted for the seed Rom. 9.8 The consequent follows naturally That the old way of Infants Visible Incovenanting is Repealed unless you think Infants do believe so that whatsoever was comprehended in that Promise made to Abraham and his Seed Gen. 17.7 can no ways affect the Seed of Believing Gentiles as such for my Seed as a Gentile cannot be the Natural Seed of Abraham a Jew nor the Spiritual Seed of Abraham because such are reckoned according to the Spirit and Faith So that that Text Gen. 17.7 hath been very improperly applied all along to the Seed of Believing Gentiles as such being neither the Natural nor Spiritual Seed of Abraham And to advance a little further know this that no particular Believer can infer they are a Holy Root to their Posterity because Abraham is called the Father of the Faithful for Abraham is accounted a Spiritual Father but we are accounted Natural So that the Covenant of Peculiarity made with Abraham and his Natural Seed as such must be Abolished because we are not accounted Abraham's Seed now but as we believe in the Messiah and for a Gentile Believers Natural Seed as such cannot be the Seed of Abraham neither in a natural nor Spiritural Sence therefore cannot in any wise affect them Here you have brought your self again into a Noose and I cannot help it Now seeing the Seed of Abraham are Actual Believers therefore the Covenant of Peculiarity made with Abraham and his Natural Seed is Repealed Arg. 5. Infants are not capable of the Qualifications of Gospel Church Membership Ergo Infants Incovenanting and Church Membership is Repealed THE Antecedent is clear from their being wholly uncapable of being Taught and made Disciples by taking up Christs Cross and following him also of Self-Examination In the Covenant of Peculiarity made with Abraham the Infant Church Members were wholly Passive in suffering the sign of the Covenant under the Legal Oeconomy But Members of a Gospel Church are Active the Corinthians gave themselves first to God and then to the Apostles by the Will of God in a Church State in a Gospel Church they are Innitiated after Conversion or a least a Profession of it It 's said of such They that gladly received the Word were Baptised and they eat their Meat with gladness and singleness of Heart and went to their own Company lift up their Voice in Prayer and were Obedient to the Faith but Infant Church Membership no ways agree to a Gospel Church State who are said to be Sanctified in Christ Jesus Saints by calling Holy Brethren Living Stones Christ's Spiritual Temple and House of God Church Members now are to be Active they are not to go as Austin absurdly saith of Infants going to Baptism with
others Feet believe with others Faith Covenant with others Tongues I am sure Christ went upon his own Feet to Baptism near forty Mile and the Eunuch also and believed with his own Faith and Covenanted with his own Tongue Now for the Conclusion I say Infants are not now Visibly in covenant it not being within my Sphere what they are as to Gods Decrees yet conclude well of all that Die in their Infant State But seeing there are so many Qualifications required individually to Gospel Church Membership your task is to prove that Infants have them or give up the Cause according to your Promise and confess the Covenant of Peculiarity made unto Abraham and his Seed is Repealed Whereas you mention Jeremiah and John Baptist Sanctified from the Womb on Jeremiah our Annotators say I have Appointed and Approved thee as a fit Minister for the Work I have Prepared and Ordained thee for Publick Service viz. not with Saving Grace tho that need not to be excluded and of John the Baptist they say being filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Momb this is true both as to Prophecy which is an extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost and also of the Holy Ghost considered as a Sanctifying Spirit Now consider our Annotators lay the great stress of those two Men Sanctified from the Womb upon their being fitted for publick Work for as much as they had insuperable Difficulties which in those degenerate and corrupt Times they must unavoidably Encounter with but what if it should be granted those two Men were not only Sanctified from the Womb That is set a-part to publick Work which the word Sanctified sometimes imports but that also they were Savingly Sanctified in their Hearts Is this a good Argument to prove that all the Infant Seed of believers have Habitual Faith from their Mothers Womb If so how comes it to pass that so many of them Die unsanctified Logicians will tell you its unsafe Arguing from particuliar Instances to general is this a good Argument Solomon was a very Wise man ergo all men are very Wise Sampson was a Strong Man therefore all Men have Sampson's Strength Abraham was a great believerâ— therefore all Men have great Faith Moses was a Meek Man therefore all Men are Meek and all Men Patient because Job was such I hope we shall never have these instances urged any more of John Baptist and Jeremiah for to prove that all the Infant Seed of believers have Habitual Faith SEEING some have queried where you find that Children are forbidden to be Baptised tho you know it is rather your work to prove the Positive That there is a Command for the Baptising of Infants than for me to prove the Negative That there is none for if you would but prove the former you would save me the Labour from proving the latter however I shall attempt it for once TO prove the Baptism of Infants Forbidden ALL positive Commands Prohibit whatever is repugnant thereunto but the Baptism of Infants is repugnant to the positive command of Christ for that Ordinance ergo the baptism of Infants is prohibited The Major is undeniable the Minor I thus prove Iâ— Ignorance be opposed to understanding the want of an act of Repentance Faith and Obedience be opposed to the Act and Teaching be opposed to them not capable of it If a few drops of Water be opposed to a burial in Water In a word if a wrong Subject and a wrong manner of Administration be opposite to a right Subject and manner of Administration then Infants Baptism is repugnant to Christ's Command for that Ordinance and therefore roundly Prohibited for no man of Sense can imagin that our Lord can allow of any Practice repugnant to his own Commission the word all Nations in Matt 28. is referable only to the Teaching of all Nations all positive Commands prohibit whatever is repugnant thereunto We might Illustrate when we are commanded to Worship God in Spirit and Truth it forbids all Ignorant Devotion Formallity and Hypocrisy and when commanded to Worship God all Idols and Idolaty is forbidden to eat bread and drink Wine in remembrance of Christ forbids a belief of his Corporal Presence what need I do any act to put me in remembrance of him who is Corporally Present when God's Word asserts we are saved by Grace it forbids Works as Meritorious so when God Commands Persons that Profess Faith and Repentance to to be baptised it Prohibits all that are uncapable of those Qualifications Take heed of incurring Divine Displeasure by commanding that in the Name of the Lord which he never commanded Oh! what a dreadful Judgment did God threaten against Jerusalem for doing those things which God Commanded them not In offering their Children to Molech in the Valley of Ben Hinnom which I commanded them not saith God neither came it into my mind Jer. 19.5 The Geneva Note on that place saith Whatsoever is not Commanded by God touching his Service is against God's word because not commanded Was not Nadab and Abihu prohibited false Fire when commanded to take Fire from the Altar Is not Tertullian's Notion true every positive Command of Christ includes a Negative by this Argument you may set up a great part of the false Worship in Rome by Interrogating where it is forbidden read Matt. 28.18 Acts 2.37 Mark 16.16 Rom. 6.4 Acts 8.36 37. Acts 10. All which Scriptures shew that Infant Baptism must be Repugnant unto that Baptism which is from Heaven therefore is Prohibited Syllogistical Arguments against Pedo and for Believers Baptism Arg. 1. THAT which hath no Divine Command nor Example none Commended for its Observation nor Reprehended for its neglect cannot be of God or Divine Authority but the Baptising of Infants hath no Divine Command nor Example none Commended for its Observation nor reproved for its Neglect ergo the Baptising of Infants is not of God or Divine Authority Arg. 2. THAT which hath a Divine Command and Example some commended for its Observation and others reproved for its neglect must be of God and Divine Authority but the Baptism of Believers hath a Livine Command and Example some commended for its Observation others Reprehended for its neglect ergo the Baptism of Believers is of God and Divine Authority Mark 16.15 16. Luke 7.29 30. Arg. 3 THAT which was the Practice of the pure Primitive and Apostolick Times about Initiating persons into the Church ought to be the same unto the Second Coming of Christ But to Initiate persons into the Church by Baptism upon a profession of Faith was the Practice of the pure Primitive and Apostolick times ergo to Initiate persons into the Church by Baptism upon a profession of Faith ought to be the same unto the Second Coming of Christ This Argument doth stand Immovable against the Churches for Pedo-Baptism unless they can assign the time and place where Christ altered the Constitution of his Churches and changed the manner of Initiation into them or
they cannot bring forth good Fruit must be cut down by the Ax of Divine Wrath and cast into Eternal Fire and saith I and my party are for saving Infants by and for good Works Did ever man speak more impertinently and wrong his Antagonist more unreasonably What cannot I speak to the Adult and say Vnless you Repent you shall all perish but I must intend Infants who are not capable of it and except you believe you shall be damned And when I say He that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but must intend Infants Surely the Doctrine of the Gospel was never Calculated for Infants these Lines of his must be Written through Ignorance Inadvertency or worse however it was he ought to do his Neighbour right by a publick Recantation and also of that in page 24. where he saith I smell rank of Rome Popery and Free Will because in my Book I give a reproof to the Seekers who put a slight upon the Blessed Ordinances See page 60 61 62. I little thought he would have been an Advocate for them As to my Judgment about Justifying Faith it is well known both from the Pulpit and from the Press but this is like the rest of his Writing who labours all he can to blacken the ways of God and render the Professors of it as odious as possible or else he would never have raked into the Grave of one Godly Minister who hath been Dead almost twenty Years He mentions several who have Apostatized from the Truth Judas being one of them Accumulates the Errors of some in Principles and others in Practice and jumbles them all together to make the name of a Baptist Odious nay Publisheth one particular passage of a Faithful Minister of Christ wherein he supposed some Weakness tho there was none who is now Living and an Honourable Person in the Church of God whom he calls a Pastor of a Congregation page 49. And because we with hold from Infants what Christ would not have given them he tells the World we make no better of Infants than Dogs page 11. That we have Crafty Positions uncouth Glosses that we mince and limit the Fundamental Doctrine of Mans Salvation page 48. Doth he not acquire the name of an Exquisite Calumniator when he tells the World Some of them are Arminians some Socinians some gone back to Judaism others of them Gormandizers page 51. Now Courteous Reader consider what dreadful work should we make in the Church of God if we should Preach and Publish in Print the Errors of some of the Pedo-Baptists both in Principle and Practice but while we are Mourning under the Evil of others I hope we shall not fall into the same our selves He endeavours to make those Hearts sad God would not have made sad by Misrepresenting our Opinion to the World as if we held no Baptism no Salvation and that we account all Babylon and none of the New Jerusalem but them of our Opinion and very streight in our Love and Affection Is not this the Man David speaks of That Travelleth with Iniquity Conceived Mischief and brought forth Falshood Remember remember John Child whose chief cause of Desparation was his speaking and writing against those very People of God you now do NOW I come to your Challenge in your Book page 12. I Challenge all the Anabaptists in the World to produce but one plain Text of Scripture either in the Old or New Testament from Gen. 17. to the very last of the Revelations to prove that ever the Children of Believing Parents were cast out of Covenant by any Authority from God and then I will Submit unto them MY fear is this person is so prepossest that all a Man can say tho never so much to the purpose it will not be regarded however because he hath made so fair a promise we will try if we can make him submit but pray Sir do not Answer this Book and these Arguments as my first Book for I expect a full Answer if you Write YOUR demand is That we prove Infants In-covenanting and the priviledges Children once had with their Parents repealed THEREFORE that the Covenant of Peculiarity made to Abraham and his Natural Seed as such is Abolished I prove from these four or five Arguments following laid down in so many Enthymems Argum 1. THE Natural Branches are broken off Ergo Childrens visible Incovenanting is Repealed the Antecedent of this Enthymem is cleared from the Apostles Assertion Rom. 11.19 20 21. The Branches are broken off By the Natural Branches without Controversy is to be understood the Natural Seed of Abraham and the breaking off must either be meant from a Visible Church Membership and External Priviledges thereunto belonging or the everlasting Covenant of Grace it cannot be the latter because that Covenant is Immutable therefore it must be the former God shewed Zachariah the Prophet Chap 11.10 14. upon a Prospect of the Jews Unbelief in the Messiah and their putting him to Death that he would take his staff of Beauty and his staff of Bands and break it to signify he would break the Covenant he had made with Israel and Judah who until this time were accounted the only Visible People of God in the World tho now the Partition Wall is broken down and all the Gentile Nations in the World are with the Believing Jews all one in Christ Hear worthy Mr. Cotton on the Covenant page 15. John Baptist's Ministry saith he did burn like an Oven against all the Scribes and Pharises and left them neither the Root of Abraham's Covenant nor the Branches of their own good Works Matt. 3.9 In the Preface to Dr. Owen's True Nature of Gospel Church he saith God took that numerous Progeny which came from Abraham's Loyns to himself in one Visible Body and Visible Church Membership The whole Nation being the same Politick Ecclesiastical Body saith Mr. Tombes which Church state was only Carnal as their Ordinances were but saith the Preface when God had divorced that People Abolished their Mosaical Constitution by breaking their Staff of Beauty and Bands then he erects his Gospel Church calls in Disciples by his Ministry forms them into a Body and furnisheth them with Officers so that this Covenant is taken up by the Roots and the Natural Branches broken off none excepted but the Natural Branches which remain so by Faith in the Messiah and so they broken off may be Grafted in again but until then they remain broken off ergo the Visible Incovenanting of Infants is Repealed for they could not be broken off the Everlasting Covenant of Grace therefore it must be the Covenant of Pecularity made with Abraham Arg. 2. NONE are Christ's Disciples but such as take up his Cross and follow him ergo Infants are not Disciples and so no Visible Members of a Gospel Church The Antecedent is fully proved from our Saviours Assertion Luke 14.26 27. If any man come unto me and hate not his Father and
eâ—se to their Peril be it who Constitute Churches any other way or Initiate Members contrary to the Apostolick Practice Arg. 4. THAT which is contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of John Christ and his Apostles is of Human Invention BUT the Baptism of Infants is contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of John Christ and his Apostles ergo the Baptism of Infants is of Human Invention FOR the Minor That the Baptism of Infants is contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of John Christ and his Apostles the whole New Testament Witnesseth That the Subjects of this Ordinance were Understanding Believers not Ignorant Infants and Dipping not Sprinkling the manner of Administration and therefore the consequence of the Major is true That Infant Baptism is of Human Invention Arg. 5. That Practice which hath no Promise Annexed unto it either of Sins Remissâ—on Divine Presenâ—e the Gift of the Holy Ghost nor Salvation cannot be of God or Divine Appointment BUT Pedo-Baptism hath no Promise annexed unto it either of Sins Remission Divine Presence the Gift of the Holy Ghost nor Salvation ergo Pedo Baptism cannot be of God or Divine Appointment Arg. 6. That Practice in the Church which hath the Promise of sins Remission Divine Presence the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Salvation annexed unto it is of God and Divine Authority BUT the Baptism of Believers upon Profession of Faith hath the Promise of Sins Remission Divine Presence the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Salvation annexed unto it Mat. 28.18 Acts 2.38 Mark 16.16 Ergo The Baptism of Believers upon Profession of Faith is of God and Divine Authority Arg. 7. THAT manner of Administration of Baptism which no way answers the Commission nor Intention of Christ the Law-maker cannot be Authentick BUT the Administration of Baptism by Sprinkling Pouring or Dropping doth no way answer the Commission nor Intention of Christ the Law-maker ergo the Administration of Baptism by Sprinkling Pouring or Dropping is not Authentick The Minor is clear That the Administration of Baptism by Sprinkling Dropping or Pouring doth no way answer Christ the Law maker's Commission because he Commands the Subject to be Dipt Immersed Buried in pursuance of which Command the Apostles did always so Practice Secondly It can no way answer the intention of Christ the Law-giver because his Intention was That it should be a lively representation of the Death Burial and Resurrection of Christ together with the Believers Death to Sin and a Resurrection to a new Life all which appears Rom. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6. Colos 2 12. Now what Similitude or likeness is between Sprinkling and Christ's Death Burial and Resurrection I leave to all the Judicious to consider would Christ take such care to have his Death set forth in Lively Figures at the Lord's Table in breaking Bread and pouring out Wine And would Christ appoint a Dead Figure in Baptism No no. Arâ— 8. THAT Baptism which hath manifest Absurdities cannot be of God But the Baptism of Infants hath manifold Absurdities ergo the Baptism of Infants cannot be of God The Minor is thus proved It 's full of Absurdities because asserted by some That persons have Regeneration in their Baptism before Vocation and may be visible Church Members before Conversion moreover that persons may be baptised by anothers Faith and making a National gospel-Gospel-Church instead of a Congregational and bringing in a Carnal Fleshly Seed into Christ's Church in the room of a Spiritual Seed That Faith and Repentance is required of persons before baptised yet confess that Children unto whom they apply it have neither Again They profess that Baptism is a Demonstration of a Spiritual Marriage between God and the Believer and yet Assign it unto One as uncapable of such a thing as a Stock or Stone Moreover that the Baptismal Covenant enters into the Visible Church yet deny Church Members the Lord's Supper Arg. 9. That Baptism that Introduceth Gross Errors into the Church cannot be Divine but Human. But the Baptism of Infants introduceth gross Errors into the Church ergo the Baptism of Infants cannot be Divine but Humane The Minor thus appears of its introducing Errors It was first used to wash away Original Sin which nothing but Christ's Blood could do Again It 's used to work Grace and Regeneration and Effect Salvation by the Work done and against all sence some say It is an Apostolical Tradition and that Children have Faith are Disciples of Christ that all Children of believers are in the Covenant of Grace defiling and polluting the Church with false matter and confounding the Church and the World together introducing many Traditions and Inventions of Anti-christ with it as Gossips or Sureties Bishoping or Confirmation Chrism Exorcism Consignation finally it hath made a great deal of Contention in the World and filled many with prejudice Arg. 10. The proper Subjects of Baptism are such who are capable of hearing the Word and Teaching of Repenting Confessing of Sin believing in Christ and doing it as Christ's Commission a part of Gospel Righteousness as Gods Councel and as the Answer of a good Conscience and ought to do it as a Symbol of Christ's Death and Resurrection together with our own Death unto Sin and Resurrectito a New Life ergo Infants are not the proper Subjects of Baptism Mr. Perkins saith The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interrogation 1 Pet. 3.21 of a good Conscience signifieth a Stipulation or Promise which the person Baptised makes in Baptism and further saith He hath a double Interrogation one from the Minister which he Conscientiously Answers to perform the things Covenanted and the other Interrogation is of his Conscience unto God whether he will accept him if he Dedicate himself as his Faithful Servant tho a poor miserable sinner But how can these things affect Little Infants How doth it appear they have the Answer of a good Conscience in Baptism To Conclude Courteous Reader I pray grant me one request and that is That you would be pleased to take my book of Baptism and consider my Antagonist's Answer unto it I also desire you would seriously compare my Answer with his Book and I hope you will find noâ—hing material left unanswered tho he hath not spoken to the Matter contain'd in three pages of one Hundred Thirty and Nine of my Book of Baptism pray consider if he doth give any Answer to my Answer or whether he saith any thing to the Arguments or Argumentative part of my Books and be not put off with Shadows instead of Substance nor with a Shell instead of a Kernel for you have Reasonable Souls do not therefore suffer your selves to be imposed upon to take Brass for Gold Non-sence for Reason nor mens Inventions for Gods Institutions but like the Noble Beraeans search the Scriptures to see whether those things be so or no and believe nothing because I or any other Man saith it but because Divine Writ affirms it In so doing you shall profit your self and oblige him who wisheth you Everlasting Prosperity FINIS Advertisement CHrist alone Exalted being the compleat Works of Tobias Crisp D.D. containing XLII Sermons on several Select Texts of Scriptures Which were formerly Printed in Three small Volumes by that late Eminent and Faithful Dispenser of God's Word Who was sometime Minister at Brinkworth in Wiltshire and afterward many of the Sermons were Preached in and about London To which is added Ten Sermons whereof Eight were never before Printed faithfully transcribed from his own Notes Which is all that ever will be Printed of the said Doctor 's The Texts of Scripture of the late Addition are as follow viz. Serm. I. John xx 19 Blessed are they that haâ—e not seen and yet have believed Serm. II. Rom. viij 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall be not with him also freely give us all things Serm. III. IV V VI. the Matter being undivided Titus ij 11 12 For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Serm. VII Amos iv 12. Because I will do this unto thee prepare thy self to meet thy God O Israel Serm. VIII Matt. xvi 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself Serm. IX Gal. iij. 5. Wherefore then serveth the Law it was added because of transgression till the seed should come to whom the promise was made Serm. X. Mr. Brunsel's Funeral Sermon on Gal. i. 8. Mollificium Chirurgie or the Marrow of Chirurgery An Anatomical Treatise Institutions of Physick with Hippocrates's Aphorisms largely Commented upon The Marrow of Physick shewing the Causes Signs and Cures of most Diseases incident to humane Bodies Choice experienced Receipts for the Cure of several Distempers The Fourth Edition enlarged with many Additioâ—s and purged from many saults that escaped in the former Impressions Illustrated in its several parts with twelve Brass Cuts By James Cooke of Warwick Practitioner in Physick and Chirurgery Both Printed for William Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-Street