yong as old which proueth that as the curse and punishment for the sinne so the sinne it selfe claue vnto them and continueth from generation to generation in them else the manifold misseries which were vpon children as well as vpon men of yeares were vniust Why should God shut them out of Paradice and not restore them thither againe so soone as they were borne there to haue the same free liberty to eate of the tree of life as Adam had before he fell why should God exact at their hands first so soone as they haue any capacitie the perfect righteousnesse of the Law vpon paine of death as ye confesse if they had eaten with Adam of the tree of knowledge of good and euill why should that fiery two edged sword be set to keepe from them also the way of the tree of life and why are they subiect to all the calamities that came vpon the earth by the sin of Adam if they fell not with him why should God consume them all with their parents in the dayes of Noah by the floud some in the wombe some in the birth and some newly borne if they had beene cleane from all pollutions of sinne would not God haue spared them and the world for their sakes And why did God then destroy the cities of Sodome and Gomorha and not spare them as he promised Abraham to doe if he found ten righteous their If children be free from all pollution of sinne they are not vnrighteous and wicked and if they may be called holy they may be called righteous Else were your children vncleane saith Paul but now are they holy As also if vnclean then polluted as were the children of the Sodomites doubtlesse aboue all the cities of the world And so did God the Iudge of all the world doe right in rooting out that wicked generation as he did also the other of the old world When Adam fell he did not only commit a fault but by the same his fault he not only brought vpon himselfe death and wrath but fell into a gulfe of pollution and wickednesse both soule and bodie Nay when he receiued grace it did not rid and free him of that naturall corruption whereinto the whole man was plunged insomuch as he could not increase and multiply but all the increase that came of him must necessarily be of the same nature that he was both bodies and spirits For to what did God say Increase and multiply and replemish the earth c was it to a senceles body not hauing the breath of life or was it to the whole man in whom God had breathed the breath of life who was thereby made a liuing soule It is true the Spirit is from heauen of God that gaue it and therefore especially is Adam called The Son of God and all mankind are said to be the ofspring of God not that God doth breath in euery perticular child of man in the wombe the breath of life immediately from himselfe in the same maner as he did vnto Adam Nay he did it then once for all insomuch as if God had executed his iustice on Adam immediately vpon his transgression we all had beene hid and had perisht in him both spirits and bodies whereas he being spared brought forth and replenisht the earth else man were inferior to all creatures We reade that God created euery thing to haue seede in it selfe according to his kind and all creatures do we see produce and bring forth their like by the word and prouidence of God when God said bring forth he gaue power by the same his word to the creatures he had made through the meanes he had ordained to doe their office he had set them in Euery tree hath it seed in it selfe the seed being sowne in the earth increaseth to roote and then to branches and afterward bringeth forth fruit or seed againe nothing differing from the seed that was first sowne And as an euill tree bringeth forth seed as euill as it selfe so doth man beget and bring forth as euill and corrupt as himselfe For so saith Iob For how can a cleane thing come out of that which is vncleane And Dauid saith of himselfe that he was shaped in iniquitie and in sinne his mother conceiued him If the fountaine from whence Dauid came was vncleane how could he be cleane That which moued Dauid to call this to minde was not so much any thing concerning his mother as himselfe the apprehension of his owne present sinne he was faln into which he was now lamenting and confessing before God vrged him to call to mind his first beginning and in his confession to charge himselfe with sin euen from the time that his mother first conceiued him and confesseth the same also to his owne shame and confusion thereby to cut off all good opinion of himselfe as touching his originall first estate which he had by his naturall conception and first birth the more to confirme vnto his soule the necessitie of the second new-birth from aboue For he knew that Adam by his sinne had not only polluted himselfe in soule and bodie and was fallen from his first integritie of nature and blessed estate he was in but that the same euill seed which then was sowne in the heart of Adam hath brought forth so great increase that it hath polluted and made vncleane the hearts and natures of all that come of him As also another testifieth saying The graine of euill seed was sowne in the heart of Adam from the beginning and how much vngodlinesse hath it brought vp vnto this time and how much shall it yet bring forth vntill the time of threshing come Ponder now with thy selfe how great fruit of wickednesse the graine of euill seed hath brought forth and when the eares shall be cut downe how great a floore shall they fill In which words this holy Prophet plainly sheweth that their first graine namely the sin which was first sowne in Adams heart was and is the original root and first ground of all sin that hath sprung vp shall spring vp in the hearts of all his posteritie to the worlds end and so of all their misery and therefore he saith againe Oh thou Adam what hast thou done for though it was thou that hast sinned thou art not falne alone but we all that come of thee The very same also doth Saint Paul affirme hauing spoken and being speaking of the reconciliation grace and life eternall which is by the death and life of Christ onely attainable wherefore saith he As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed vpon all men in whom all men haue sinned and so forward setting it downe not as a thing in question but as wel known shewing that as by one euen Adam sinne entred into the hearts of all men and death is passed vpon them for that all by that meanes haue sinned so grace and
the diuell deluding them through pride vnder pretence of some excellent way of truth which he makes them beleeue is reuealed vnto them As first for the Church of Rome all the world seeth what confusion what fearfull delusions are therein what multitudes of sects of new deuised orders of Priests of Friers each drawing a traine after him and now since the light of the truth hath broken forth what strange contentions haue beene raised in the Church of God about things of no moment when great and weightie matters haue been neglected and what emulations diuisions and separations haue bred thereupon and then how after this people being in distraction haue runne from one sect and error to another from separation to separatioÌ„ diuiding themselues into many seuerall sects to Anabaptistry wherein a-againe are diuided into fiue or six sundry sects each hatefully condemning other holding also many dangerous errors some to expect new Apostles some to the heresie of Arius and some others who being as it were distracted with these things haue fallen to another the most blasphemous and erronious sect this day in the world commonly called by the name of the Family of loue whose author was one Henrie Nicolas or H. N. for so they will haue him called that is as they expound it Homo Nouus the new man or the holy nature or holinesse which they make to be Christ and sin they will haue to be Antichrist because it is opposite to Christ They say that when Adam sinned then Christ was killed and Antichrist came to liue They teach that the same perfection of holinesse which Adam before he fell is to be attained here in this life and affirme that all their Family of loue are as perfect and innocent as he And that the resurrection of the dead spoken of by Saint Paul in the 1. Cor. 15. and this prophesie Then shall be fulfilled the saying which is written O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory is fulfilled in them and denie all other resurrection of the body to be after this life They will haue this blasphemer H. N. to be the sonne of God Christ which was to come in the end of the world to iudge the world and say that the day of iudgement is already come and that H. N. iudgeth the world now by his doctrine so that whosoeuer doth not obey his Gospel shall in time be rooted out of the world and that his Family of loue shall inherite and inhabite the earth for euer world without end only they say they shall die in the bodie as now men do and their soules go to heauen but their posterities shall continue for euer This deceiuer describeth eight through breakings of the light as he termeth them to haue beene in eight seueral times from Adam to the time that now is which as he saith haue each exceeded other the seuenth he alloweth Iesus Christ to be the publisher of and his light to be the greatest of all that euer were before him and he maketh his owne to be the eighth and last and greatest and the perfection of all in and by which Christ is perfected meaning holinesse He maketh euery one of his Family of loue to be Christ yea and God and himselfe God and Christ in a more excellent maner saying that he is Godded with God and codeified with him and that God is hominified with him These horrible blasphemies with diuers others doth this H. N. and his Family teach to be the euerlasting Gospel which the Angell is said to preach in Reuelation 14. 6. and himselfe to be the Angell yea and the Archangell which is said to sound the great and last trump Reuel 11. 15. They professe greater loue to the Church of Rome and to all her idolatries and superstitions then they do to any Church else whatsoeuer except themselues They wickedly abuse these words of Christ I must walke to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected and say that by to day is meant the time of Iesus Christ and his Apostles and by to morrow all the time of the religion of the Church of Rome and by the third day this their day of H. N. and his Family wherein they wil haue Christ to be perfected And they doe compare all the whole religion of the Church of Rome to the law of Moses affirming that as God did teach his people by those shadowes and types till Iesus Christ came so he hath taught the world euer since by the images sacrifices and filthy heathenisme of the Church of Rome till this wretch H. N. came and now he must be the onely chiefe teacher Gods obedient man yea his sonne as they blasphemously call him he by his Gospell must make all perfect They will outwardly submit to any kind of religion and to any idolatrous seruice whatsoeuer pretending it is not the bodie that can sinne but the soule They will be Priests in the Church of Rome and act their Seruice after their maner of deuotion and as Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angell or light so they can thrust themselues likewise â—o be publike Ministers and Preachers in the Church of England yea into the Kings Chappell and to be of his officers and messengers so bold they are euen at this present and so close and cunningly they can carry themselues being directed thereto by their Master H. N. that yee shall hardly euer find them out They will professe to agree in all points with the Church of England as also with the Church of Rome if they should be examined by them onely this they will not lightly deny their Master H. N. nor speake euill of him or his writings if they should be put to it and there is no way but this whereby to discouer them I say to put them to the deniall and abiuring of him and his writings and to pronounce him a blasphemer and his doctrine blasphemous this they will hardly doe vnlesse they be not yet his full disciples These horrible blasphemies wicked actions which I hate to describe but that I desire Christians should take notice of them and beware doth this blasphemer and his blasphemous sect teach and practise But I cease sighing and sorowing in my heart God doth know to see that the deuill should worke such mischeife now in this last time wherein I know God will haue his truth to prosper and most of all because many silly soules are taken in their snares like poore vnwary birds in time of winter when foode is scarse seeking for releife Alas what may be the cause of this Is there not some great fault in those that should giue light to the world who sit in the places of the starres of God Doth not their negligence coldnes driue the people into these extreames or are the violent courses and carnall contentions of some other the cause thereof or is it both doubtles they are both great causes
beleeue and acknowledge him and submit themselues to be informed by his word though they had not yet either true repentance or iustifying faith For they knew that such a beliefe and profession as made men meet for outward baptisme might be where iustifying faith was not and that both that beliefe profession and baptisme did but make a Christian outwardly as the outward profession and circumcision of the Iewes did but make a Iew outwardly and no better did they iudge or conclude of any but when they saw better cause Now concerning the baptizing of children which they say is no baptisme at all but do call it the marke of the Beast we affirme that the children of all such beleeuers as may themselues be baptized may also be baptized and that it is not nor can be the marke of the Beast spoken of but is true outward baptisme First to auoid many of their vaine and idle obiections and that we may come the more cleerer to the point let vs remember that it is sufficiently proued already that all haue sinned in Adam and that death is passed on all for that all haue sinned in him being polluted from their very conceptions and that therefore there is a necessitie of a new birth from aboue of water and of the Spirit as wel to the yongest man of dayes or houres as to the eldest man of yeares So that whosoeuer is borne of the flesh he must be borne again from aboue of the Spirit either sooner or later if he be saued and that although repentance and faith be the parts of this new birth and that repentance hath these parts whereby it is exprest in men of yeares sorrow for sinne confession of sinne and desire of pardon as we haue before defined and that iustifying faith which is the other part of this new birth be an assurance or full perswasion wrought in the repentant heart by the Spirit of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and reconciliation with God in Iesus Christ as we haue also defined it I say in men of yeares who also do confesse with the mouth as it is written With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation yet neuerthelesse the true nature of both these parts of the new birth may be in another maner defined and still remaine the same in substance as the first part is called in Scripture A heart of flesh an humble and contrite heart a broken heart and Saint Paul calleth it the fleshly tables of the heart in which regard it is called the baptisme of water and the birth of water which we define thus namely that it is a speciall effect or working of the holy Ghost whereby the heart which is naturally hard and stubburne euen from the birth is made soft and tender as water or as flesh is in comparison of a stone that so it may receiue the impression of the grace and loue of God The second part which is called the baptisme of the holy Ghost and the birth of the Spirit we define to be a speciall gift of the Spirit also but more excellent which writeth and sealeth in the soft and tender heart of flesh grace and peace from God in Christ and filleth it with heauenly comfort and ioy like vnto that which is said of Iohn being in his mothers womb when the voice of the salutation of Mary sounded in the eares of Elizabeth The babe leaped in her womb for ioy which doubtlesse was caused by the Spirit of Christ in the soule of the child Now in this sort children are capable of both the parts and so of the whole new birth which in them is no other in nature but the very same which is in men of yeares though it be not outwardly so exprest as we may perceiue by the words of Paul to the faithfull of the Church of Corinth Forasmuch saith he as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by vs written not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart For as the law of death was written in tables of stone and all the hard and stonie hearts of the whole posteritie of Adam not onely might but also did and doe receiue euen in their very conceptions a deepe impression thereof so on the contrary the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus euer was is and is to be written in hearts of flesh soft and tender hearts and in no other And therefore it was that God did promise to take away from his elect the hard and stonie heart and to giue them a heart of flesh an humble and broken heart because his pleasure and promise is to dwell with such to reuiue and comfort them and no other And to speake plainly howsoeuer perhaps some doe otherwise conceiue it is not our act of beleeuing that doth iustifie vs but it is the free gift of grace sealed in our hearts by the Spirit of Christ whereby God iustifieth vs which grace and Spirit is the cause of our act of beleeuing or faith by which we are so often said in Scripture to be iustified where the effect is named for the cause by reason it is thereby made apparent vnto vs as also in another sense we are said to be iustified by works because works do demonstrate and make manifest our faith to others as it is said of the primitiue Church of Rome that their faith had shined throughout the world meaning by works which are the effects of faith So that Saint Paul calleth the faithfull the Epistle of Christ not so much for their act of beleeuing as in respect of the grace of God which was written in their hearts by the Spirit of Christ by which they did now beleeue and crie Abba Father as it is written He hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts which crieth Abba Father And for this cause the grace of the Gospell is called The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus These things being so what should now let that children may not be baptized Are they capable as we see of regeneration and are they not capable of the signe thereof May their hearts be sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and may not the filth of their flesh be washed off with water for the baptisme of water is bnt the doing away of the filth of the flesh as Saint Peter speaketh euen as outward circumcision was but the cutting off the fore-skin of the flesh representing the cutting off the sinnes of the flesh the circumcision of the heart as also baptisme doth For the circumcision which was the cutting off part of the fore-skin of the flesh and that baptisme or washing away the filth of the flesh we doe not say that the one was a type of the other but were both types of one truth namely the baptisme or purification of
if they should doe the least mischiefe any kind of way either against Christ or against any of his brethren the children of God which shall then reigne for euer with him how is it then said that al powers shal serue and obey the most High how are all things then subdued to Christ and put vnder his feet how hath he loosed the works of the diuell as the Scriptures speake If the last enemy be death and that death be once swallowed vp in victorie and it be fulfilled which is written O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory what is the thing then left that can doe the least euill against God against Christ against Sion or against any of her children which are now redeemed from all those former captiuities nay none shall euer hurt or destroy in all that holy mountaine and for that old Serpent vpon his belly shall he go and dust shall be his meate When Satan that Serpent went first about to seduce mankind by sowing sinne the sting of death in his heart he aimed not at his owne perpetuall torments neither did he intend to come to praise glorifie God for euer and euer as he shall one day be compelled to do these were no part of his thoughts nay but his aime purpose was to bring all men in subiectiō to himself to do him homage and seruice and so to depriue God of all his honour on earth for euer that he and his wickednesse might haue the rule this was his plot hee litle thought of a seed to come to bruise his head nay after the Seed was promised he ceased not for all this but stroue still to effect his purpose and he preuailed much therein chiefly by presenting riches honor and the glorie of this world vnto men so that when the Seed himselfe in person came he spared not to tempt him with the like baites but he ouercame him and hath in part and shall ere long fully vndoe his whole plot and cast him where he shall receiue that which he aimed not at and force him to doe that which he neuer intended and Sion which had been so long desolate and waste shall be set vp the praise of the whole earth and be established in righteousnesse and safetie for euer according to the Prophets She shall be farre from oppression for she shall not feare and from terror for it shall not come neare to her violence shall be no more heard within her land nor wasting destruction within her borders she shal call her walls saluation and her gates praise her gouernment shall be peace and her exacters righteousnesse all those that formerly despised her and the sons of them that did afflict her shall come bending vnto her and worship at the soles of her feete and shall call her the Citie of the Lord Sion of the holy one of Israel her Sunne shall no more go downe neither shall her Moone withdraw it selfe for the Lord shall be her euerlasting light and the dayes of her mourning shall be ended Reuelat. 15 4. Who shall not feare thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy iudgements are made manifest FINIS ERRATA Pag. 9 lin 13. 14. iust vpon reade iust vpon them p. 24. l. 23. principall reade principle p. 33. l. 34. braken read broken p. 34. l. 3 consideration read considence l. 30. perfection read protection p. 47. l. 5. points r. point l. 10. read Paradise l. 24. had eaten read had not eaten l 37. they r. there p. 51. l. 33. reade considerations p. 53. l. 37. proue read proues p 69. l. 2. that Church read that the Church l. 5. put out the. l. 32. be reade being p. 71. l. 33. read such as come in by the doore pag. 72. l. 23. successed reade succeeded p. 81 l. 26. he read her p. 86. l. 21. or read of p. 87. l. 24. leaue out a. l. 25 those read these Prou. 8. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. Reuel 5. 9. Rom. 8. 29 30. Prou. 1. 31. Hosea 13. 9. Ephes 1. 3 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Rom 9. 11 12 13. Math. 24. 22. Dan. 9. 27. Reu. 19. 11 12 13. 2. Thessal 2. 8. Math. 24. ver 22. Rom. 8. 30. Ephes 1. 4. Rom. 1. 16. Rom. 9. 7. Rom. 4 17. Rom. 9. 8. Gal. 3. 29. and 4. 28. Rom. 9. 10 11. ver 12. Ephes 1. 3. Rom. 5. 12 14 18. Psal 51 5. ver 7. Iohn 3. 6. Iob 14. 4. Rom. 3. 9. 5. 12 14 18. Philip. 2. 13. Rom. 9. 16. Deut. 29. 4. Ioh. 6. 44 65. 15. 16. Ier. 10. 23. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Math. 22. 5 14. Luk. 14. 16 17 18 19 20 21. Rom 8. 28 29. 1 16. 1. Cor. 1. 24. 26. Luk 4. 18. Esay 61. 1. Ezek 36. 27. Math. 15. 24. Ezek. 11. 19. Ier. 32 39. 2. Cor. 3. 3 4. Gal. 3. 26 27. Obiect Answ Mat 20. 10 11 12 13 14 15. Obiect Answ Ioh. 3. 5. Iam. 1 17 18. Rom. 9. 16. Reuel 13. 8. 1. Pet. 1. 5. Rom. 5. 10. Ephes 1. 4 5 6. Rom. 8. 29. 30. Acts 15. 9. 10. 43. Rom. 8. 15 16. 〈◊〉 29. Col. 3. 1 2 3. 1. Pet. 1. 5. Psal 62. 2 6 7. Esay 40. 11. Psal 23. 1. Ioh. 15 1 2. Ioh. 10. 29. 17. 6. 10 12 10. 14. 4. ver 28 29 30. Luk 22. 31. Psal 62. 7. 2. Pet. 2. 4. 5 6. Ioh. 15. 5. Luk. 22. 32. Math. 16. 18. Psal 16. 11. Ioh. 13. 1. Ioh. 6. 56 57. Ioh. 6. 47. Rom. 5. 8 9 10. Rom. 8. 35 36 37 38 39. Obiect Ezek. 18. 24. Answ 2. Cor. 2. 15 16 Rom. 16. 15. 16. Col. 1. 23. Mark 10. 15. Math 28. 19. Psal 19. Rom. 10. 18. Rom. 1. 20. Act. 14. 16 17. Act. 17. 27. Heb. 1. 1. 2. 2. Pet. 1. 19. 10 21. Heb. 4. 1. 2. Rom. 10 7 8 ver 6. Heb 1. 2. Rom. 2. 14. Luk 12. 47. Math. 23. 24 24 25 26 27 28. Mat. 5. 20. Ioh. 12. 6. Luk. 6. 43. Iam. 3. 11. 12. Luk. 6. 44. ver 45. Acts. 8 13. Ioh. 6. 66. Mat. 13. 20. Iam. 1. 8. Gal. 5. 6. 1. Cor. 13. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Mat. 13. 4. 5. 6. 7. ver 8. Heb. 6. 8. Mark 11. 13. 14. Luk. 4. 18. Act. 10. 36. 37. Act. 26. 18. Mat. 3. 11. Esa 40. 20. 2. Cor. 1. 21. 22. Eph. 1. 13. Math. 11. 28. Esa 61. 1. 2. 3. Luk. 4. 18. 19. Luk. 7. 22. Mat. 11. 5. Mat. 21. 26. Mark 1. 4. Ioh 3. 5. Eph. 6. 15. Heb. 6. 1. Ioh. 3. 5. Mat. 11. 28. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ier. 31. 34. Heb. 10. 17. Ier. 31. 38 39. 40. Math. 3. 2. Math. 4. 17. Mat. 3. 11. Ioh 3 5. Tit. 3. 5. Rom. 8. 5. Gal. 4. 6. Rom 8 15. Rom. 8. 2. Iob. 16. 13. Ioh. 16.