was dark and so hard to find 12. As Beleivers Baptisme agreeth to particular Churches gathered out of the world by the Word so doth Infant-baptisme agree to the National Church and Communion therein which you have renounced because by Baptisme they are immembred into the Church and so capable of Church Communion yea 't is their right if their Baptisme be reckoned valid because according to Scripture Acts 2.42 All baptised persons were added to the Church and continued in the Apostles fellowship breaking bread and prayer by what rule then can the Parishes be withdrawn from when they are esteemed duly baptised persons till legally proceeded against for disorderly walking If then you will reject their Church state as good as you do by withdrawing from them you must not allow their Baptisme because their Baptisme if good giveth right to it Indepency then rejecteth the fruit but letteth the tree stand that beareth it If it be objected that some though not all of the Independents disallow the Baptisme of some children namely such whose Parents beleive not T is true in words but not deeds where is there one man in all the Independent Churches the truth of whose Baptisme was ever called in question 13. Infant-baptisme agreeth to the carnal interest of those men who take up preaching for filthy lucre whereas Beleivers Baptisme altogether frowneth on it Infant-baptisme taking in high and low rich and poor into the Church maketh both more and richer Customers to the Minister Beleivers both fewer and poorer because they are but few that beleive comparitively and for the most part of the poorer sort so that which way soever I looked on Infant-baptisme I found the signes of a plant which the heavenly Father never planted and on the contrary Beleivers Baptisme every way answering the breathings of the Spirit of God in Scripture and consequently that it became me as a friend to Truth and for the honour of Jesus Christ not onely to obey Christ by submitting to the Ordinance my self but to strive the restoring it to its primitive puritity to which I take my self obliged 1. By the Scripture Jude 3. It was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith ONCE delivered to the Saints 2. By the example of holy men of old that when they set upon reformation in the worship of God Neh. 10.19 2 Kings 23 25. Jer. 6.16 Mal. 4.4 2 Châ—on 33.8 had respect to ALL the Law in reforming both before and after the Captivity which also was according to the express Command of God 3. By Gods high approbation of such his Servants who did accordingly as you may see in the instance of Josiah 2 Kings 27.25 David is called a man after Gods own heart Acts 13.22 because a fulfiller of all his will and Caleb so highly dignified Josh 14. from 8. to the 14. because he fully followed the Lord his God Solomon is disparaged by this 1 Kings 11.6 That he went not FVLLY after the Lord as did David his Father 4. By the Covenant that the whole Church entered into with the rest of the Nation to reform both in doctrine and discipline according to the Word of God But you cannot think Baptisme any part of Christs Law and so the practise rather a piece of will-worship than fully following of Christ To which I answer When the doctrine of universal Redemption first sounded in your ear it was as hard to bear as Beleivers Baptisme is now and as farre from your thoughts to be the mind of Christ but that which was hard then is easie now that which was darkness then is light now and that which was wood hay and stubble then is gold and silver and pretious stones now yea those doctrines that when time was in your hast you were ready to say he deserved to loose his eyes that preacht them now for your joy could almost be content to pluck out your own eyes in gratitude to him that brought them Is it not true And again concerning the Church way mind Mr. Goodwins words to Mr. Thomas Goodwin when he was in Holland Your authority graces learning parts judgement and example have made the stone of separation amongst us so massie and heavie that we are constrained to be at double paines and labour in removing and rouling it from the consciences of men A great part of our imployment is to stanch the issue of that fountain of bloud which you have opened in the womb of our Churches here But yet since Mr. Goodwin hath found cause to build up that which then he threw down with so much zeal and industry and I verily beleive if a man should have said to Mr. Goodwin at that time Sir the time may come when you may find cause to separate from the national Church and gather a particular he would have said Am I a Dog that I should do this great thing Oh how he sweat at it then to roul that heavy stone of separation from the consciences of men at last found it too heavy to be done at all and so thought fit rather to lie under the weight of it than heave any longer at it I write not these things to shame Mr. Goodwin it is no shame to a man that he knoweth but in part and that he is not Master of all knowledge at one and the same time The path of the just being as the shining light Prov. 4 18. which shineth more and more to the perfect day If more spiritual light shine not into the judgement if it not a sore sign that the path of such men is not the path of the just And if when it is come into the judgement if it shall not appear in practise then it is a sign of a heart glued to some carnal worldly interest or other which causeth the person to withhold the truth in unrighteousness T is not changing simply that the Scriptures find fault with but being GIVEN to change Changing as the case may be is so farre from being a fault Prov. 24.21 that it is a sign of a growing soul in grace of walking after the Spirit of a self denying upright soul that lieth naked before the truth unmarried to any secular interest Truths faithful friend that so truth may get up careth not though it self go down This therefore is the glory not the shaâ—e of Mr. Goodwin that when the truth came into his judgement as it is in Jesus he consulted not with flesh and bloud but with Paul preacheth the faith which once he destroyed for which many glorified God in him I beseech you therefore let no man mis-judge me in the ground of tâ—is relation as if I intended hereby to cast the least disparagement upon him whom for the good I have received from God by his hand I am bound above many to love and honour But if you ask wherefore then serveth this story I answer that you should not think of
because his opinion cannot look them in the face without blushing there being no sign of Death Buriall or Resurrection or any such like thing in sprinkling Oh that Mr. Baxster would lay to heart this one consideration and consider once again the high and holy design of Christ in Baptisme which considered evinceth against all contradiction that the form can be no other but by dipping or burying the body in water his design what is it but to make the Gospel word and the Gospel figure to answer one another as face answereth face in the water and to be brother Preachers of the same doctrine 1 Cor. 15 3 Rom. 4.25 Compared with Rom. 6.2 3 4. Col. 2.12 Col. 3.1 namely the death of Christ for sinners and the sinners duly to die to sin and to suffer for and with Christ Christs resurrection for the sinners justification the sinners duly to rise to Christs life here because of the blessed assurance of a glorious resuâ—rection to eternal blisse with Christ hereafter all which holy doctrine which is the substance of the Gospel is preached in baptisme P. 177. Cases of Conscience as well as the Word which maketh Mr. Perkins say thus The preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments are all one in substance for in the one the will of God is SEEN and in the other HEARD Now where is the will of God touching Christs Death Buriall and Resurrection and our death buriall and resurrection with him seen in the sprinkling of childrens faces Oh that we had an impartiall Judge The Apostle affirmeth of the Gospel 2 Coriâ—â—h 3.18 That we all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord. And doth not the Apostle chiefly intend the Sacraments of the Gospel by the metaphor of a glass because they respect the eye as a glass doth whereas the Word preached respecteth the care And if we do but consider why Christ would have the Gospel preached namely to affect the hearts and soules of men with the goodness thereof It will easily appear that the form of baptisme can be no other but by dipping because in any other way the sign will no way answer the thing signified and so the glass being defaced the heart is not affected by the eye for want of a resemblance whereas otherwise the Ordinances being administred according to the last will of Christ where there is a full correspondence between sign and thing signified they goe hand in hand with the Word excellently aiding and assisting the holy design of the Word preached when administred upon the right Gospel subject namely a converted Disciple to Christ which Mr. Baxster p. 301. of plain Scripture proof calleth the most fully capabâ—e subjects the most eminent subjects the most excellent subiects and of whom the Scripture fully speaketh In the same place complaineth of Infant baptisme as dark in Scripture and hard to find notwithstanding his flourish of plain Scripture proof for it Be astonisht therefore oh ye heavens and horribly afraid oh earth that such a silly Worm as Man is such a thimble full of dust should dare to change Christs Ordinances and deface that glasse which representeth Christs glory and blurre the last will of him before whose judgement seat they must all appear to be judged 2 Cor. 5.10 and receive according to all the deeds done in the body Are ye stronger than he Your sixth Consideration being the very self same in substance with the first I referre the Reader to my Answer to that in which thou shalt find the Answer to this also onely there is a remarkable passage in the beginning of it which I shall have occasion to speak to when I come to answer the 18th Consideration Your seventh Consideration for substance this THat in the 6. of Hebr. 2. the word Baptismes which is there reckoned amongst the foundations or beginning doctrines of Christ being in the plurall number it is not easie to determine whether by it be not meant variety of formes in baptising or a variety of subjects of Baptisme rather than a variety of Baptismes To which I answer why should that be hard to you or any man else which the Scripture hath made easie As for variety of subjects the Scripture is silent we read of no subjects but discipled persons made so by teaching For variety of formes of baptising Disciples where is there any such thing so much as whispered But as for variety of Baptismes that the Scripture speaketh fully too though but one proper reall Baptisme namely that with water Math. 3.11 Luke 12 5â— which is the Ordinance of the Church the other namely that of the Spirit and afflictions being metaphorical and by way of Analogy to that which is reall and proper is called Baptisme yet Dr. Lusâ—ington upon the place saith that the Siriac Translation rendreth the word Baptisme in the singular number but be it otherwise why should we take hedge and ditch when the Kings high-way lieth just before us Your eighth Consideration for substance this THat with-drawing upon this accompt is a schismatical practise and a sin of a high nature I confess with all my heart that Scripture Schisme is a sin of a high nature and of deep demerit and that for the reason you give but that ours is that which the Scripture condemneth I utterly deny Where ever Schisme is there is separation but it doth not follow where ever separation is that there is Schisme 2 Corinth 6.17 Come out from amongst them and be ye separate saith the Lord God and I will be a Father unto you No body will say this separation of the Text is sinfull Schisme Sinful separation cannot be but from a body regularly united according to the direction of Christ and the example of the Primitive Churches because we have a positive Command to with-draw from every brother that walketh disorderly in the Church 2 Thes 3.6 much more every Society that is not built upon the principles of the doctrine of Christ I mean those which by Christs order concern orderly joyning but yours is such a one and therefore separation can be no schisme which onely respecteth Churches of a regular constitution such as the Church of Corinth was and the rest of the Churches mentioned in Scripture Sir when you can shew us a rule from Christ to gather Churches without Baptisme in all the new Testament then what you say corcerning us will come home to us and we shall be found guilty of that hainous sin But Sir if no such rule appear from Christ nor any such Church appear in all the Word of God then will not our separation from you be found that which the Scripture calleth Schisme but a conscientious with-drawing to perfect the work of reformation according to our solemn vow to the most High which yet would have been our duty whether we had vowed it or no. But 2. Why should our separating from you be counted Schisme more
into with hands lift up to the most high God wherein we vowed to go one before another in the work of reformation mark well TO GO ONE BEFORE ANOTHER not to stay one for another till all were satisfied and that both in doctrine and discipline according to the Word of God Now that it was Mr. Goodwins own sense as well as ours that every man was to judge for himself what was according to the Word of God and not another for him appeareth by his own practise upon it shortly after for notwithstanding all the obligations of love and friendship which the Parish of Coleman-street had put upon him to continue fellowship with them in that old way and notwithstanding all the promises of service on his part made to them upon their fetching him from Norfolk to Coleman street yet because of this solemn Vow to the most high God with other reasons in conjunction he thought himself bound in conscience to withdraw from them and actually did so and made this solemn Vow and Covenant one argument that induced him thereunto And did this solemn Oath before the most High justifie him in the like practise and will it fail us Or will Mr. Goodwin be so monstrously disingenious as to construe any after promise to walk with the Church in contradiction to this solemn Oath And yet thus he dealeth with us for which God forgive him that we may look like normous transgressors Our after promise to walk with the Church in the way we then was must either be understood conditionally that we found not the Word of God reproving it or else we supposed to make promises that should disable us from performing the matter of our solemn Vow attended with so many dreadful circumstances which a very little before we entred into which surely no ingenious man that considereth will ever imagine either that we did so or that it was the sense of the body we should do so And how unreasonable a thing it is and destructive to the honour and glory of God that any such engagement should be understood absolutely appeareth by the grosse absurdities that follow upon it for then Men should be locked up from any further progress in the work of reformation let the light shine never so bright and the call of the Scriptures be never so loud and that upon the penalty of promise breaking Nay if Mr. Goodwin himself hath not at another time said enough and more than enough to justifie our practise and condemn himself in this rash and hasty charge of us let the world judge In his fifth caution for Reformation according to the Word of God he hath this passage They who would have this golden Motto written as well in the heart as in the face of their Reformation must be FREE from all collaterall engagements unto other patterus besides the Word of God Mark Mr. Goodwin saith they must be free and yet calleth us faith breakers trust betrayers promise breakers because we use our liberty against a collateral engament to another pattern He addeth further in these words They meaning hearty reformers must not encline not so much as a dust in the ballance amounteth unto to any Reformation of any Church whatsoever further than they are reformed according to the same Word Further thus Doubtless no man ever covenanted to reform according to the example of any Church whatsoever in opposition to the Word of God or if they did they have cause to abhorre themselves in dust and ashes for it Why then do you force upon us such a sense of promising which standeth in such direct opposition to it Nay in the Margin thus To violate an abominable and accursed Oath out of conscience to God as surely that would be that kept persons from following Christ fully and held them in a half reformation is a holy and blessed perjury Good Reader this is Mr. Goodwins Text I leave thee to make the interpretation and give judgement whether we by his own principles deserve to bear the heavy burthen of faith and trust betrayers which he loadeth us with not onely in the beginning of his book but very frequently almost to the end thereof as if he took a kind of secret delight to mention us with dishonour Or whether Mr. Goodwin by making the charge proveth not himself inexcusable altogether both in the sight of God and Men and guilty to a high degree of breaking the royall Law of love to his Neighbour yea his friends and brethren of like pretious faith that ever had him in double honour and sought his good and comfort as their own and that too while he passionately complaineth of us for breaking the morrall Law His second Consideration for substance this THat supposing our way to be the sole Baptisme Ordinance of Christ the Churches which are not actually baptised with our very Baptisme are yet according to the estimate of God baptized our way with our very Baptisme and ought so to be estemed by us because they have a willing mind so to be To which I answer First it is a great and clear mistake that the Churches which are not actually baptised with our Baptism are yet notwithstanding esteemed to have been so baptised by God upon the accompt of a willing mind so to be Doth the righteous God of heaven and earth judge contrary to the truth doth he judge men to have actually done that which they never did 'T is one thing for God to deal gratiously by men as if they had been obedient because of a willing mind another thing for him to judge them actual obeyers of that command which they never did obey because thereof Though God accept the will in some cases for the deed where doth he judge the will to be the deed In the 2 Corinth 8.12 It is indeed thus written as Mr. Goodwin alleadgeth If there be first a willing mind a man is accepted according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not But what then Doth Gods accepting a man according to that he hath prove him judging a man to have actually done that which he never did which yet is the conclusion Mr. Goodwin maketh to follow these premises For his other instance Math. 5.12 where he saith VVho so looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery Christ saith it is onely in his heart that is desire Yet because there wanteth nothing but opportunities for actual adultery the demerit of that sin may be imputed to him but the sin of actual adultery in a formal proper sense is not imputed to him In the Phil. 2 11. he saith God worketh in you both to will and to do therefore to will is one thing and to do is another and are they two things in themselves and doth God esteem them to be but one But secondly Though it should be granted that a through desire to obey a Command which yet is not obeyed for want of conviction that it is a
and that it doth not commend us to God or Men more than other Ordinances To which I answer Mr. Goodwin hath put his Considerations into many parts so that they go for twenty three as if he had abundance of reason on his side in this matter wherein he argueth against us whereas many of them run into one and for substance are the same so that a particular answer to every one must needs cause abundance of repetition and going over and over the same thing That Baptisme of it self is a Church-maker I am as farre from thinking so as you are no men must repent from dead works and beleive towards God or else no fit matter for the Church though baptised but that there can be any orderly joyn'd Church without Baptisme though men doe repent and beleive is that I argue against and have given a large account in my Answer to your third Consideration and twelfth and as for the other part of it that it doth not commend us to God nor men more than other duties in my Answer to your eleventh Consideration you have a full answer to this plea also Your sixteenth Consideration for substance this THat you have no need of Baptisme after Repentance and Faith which you call new Baptisme because your old sprinkling in infancy is as effectual to all ends and purposes of Baptisme which you reduce to three heads 1. For declaring persons the professed Disciples of Christ. 2. For obliging persons to be the loyall Disciples of Christ in which they covenant so to be 3. For matter of edification and comfort to the inner man To which I answer by denying utterly that Infant-sprinkling is as effectual to all or any of the ends and purposes of Baptisme as the true baptisme of persons after faith and repentance neither is there any weight in your Argument to that purpose 1. You say it declareth you with more advantage than ours to be the professed Disciples of Christ to the world And that 1. Because yours the world knoweth ours is a kind of Barbarian to the world 2. The generality of men doe not look upon it as any thing more significative of owning the Name and Faith of Jesus Christ To both which Arguments I answer 1. To that plea that the world is better acquainted with your way than ours 'T is most true that yours being from the world the world must needs know and love it better than ours because it is her own and ours being from heaven to which the Spirit of the world is a stranger no marvell if it be a barbarian to them but whether the worlds natural liking and greedy falling in with yours be not an Argument of its carnal earthly original and on the contrary its disliking ours be not on the contrary a probable though not demonstrative Argument of the heavenly pedegree of it let the Scriptures judge John 15.19 The world loveth her own because ye are not of the world therefore the world hateth you Of this onely by the by But how cometh Mr. Goodwin to conclude from the dear acquaintaince the world hath with Infant-sprinkling above what it hath with Beleivers baptisme that therefore Infant-sprinkling is more efficacious to declare persons the professed followers of Jesus Christ then Baptisme after faith since in the baptisme of Infants there is no profession made at all by which the world should take any cognizance of the parties belonging to Christ neither is the poor creature capable of making any 'T is true the Bishops being ashamed of Baptisme without profession of faith devised a remedy by allowing Sureties who they called God-fathers and God-mothers which being a piece of superstition too gross for the light of this day it is gone off the stage without much regret Whereas in the true Baptisme of the New Testament sealed in Christs heart bloud the party himself and not another for him being a beleiver made a disciple by Teaching maketh publick profession of his faith in Christ as you see the Eunuch did Acts 8 in his own person and declareth his willingness to accept of Christ on his own terms and to be listed in his army Gal. 3.27 and voluntarily putteth on Christ thereby which is the Sctipture expression as a servant putteth on his Masters Livery Who then that is not bespoke but will judge that Baptisme into Christ after faith at a mans own request in the presence of God Angels and men is more to declare ones relation to Christ than the passive ignorant reception of it in infancy But to come closer and to take light from the Scripture what it is that both maketh a man called Christs Disciple and what it is declareth him so now 't is plain by the Scripture that as following the instructions and examples of Christ maketh a man called his Disciple Luke 9.23 John 8.31 So also doth it most significantly declare our discipleship to Christ The Scripture is as expresse for this as for the other By this shall ALL men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another AS I have loved you If they would take his counsell to love one another especially if after his own example AS he had loved them then he saith By that ALL MEN shall know they shall not onely be his Disciples but ALL MEN should know that they are his disciples So that we have a plain rule laid down in Scripture to guide us what it is that doth with advantage declare men the professed disciples of Christ and that is the walking after him according to his word what made the Jews known to be the disciples of Moses but the following of his doctrine and example Have we then any thing more to do to determine this but onely to lay the two waies to the rule for how can any one imagine with any shew of reason that walking contrary to Christ should declare persons his disciples If then believers baptisme and that by burying the body in water be that the Scripture speaks of as that wherein we follow Christ and are one with him which I have proved already and as for Infants sprinkling not a word of it in all the New Testament then out of all controversie the way to declare men the disciples of Christ Col. 2 1â— is to go our way because Christ walked this way as we have proved already and therefore all that will be called Christs Disciples by Baptisme must go this way and no other But you say the world looketh not upon beleivers Baptisme by dipping as any thing more significative of owning Christ but the contrary even disobliging them rather from what their first baptisme obliged them unto than otherwise To that I answer how willing you are to affirm things loosely that is like to reproach this cause is much more plain then the truth of your affirmation and whether it be not so I leave the world to judge Further to this cruel insinuation against the poor people and
institution So that from the words of the institution in conjunction with the end of the Ordinance Vrsin gathereth and that according to pure reason that it ought often to be celebrated But to put it out of all doubt to the godly Reader that these words AS OFT as ye doe it doth not imply any liberty to neglect it without sin but the just contrary Consider that known general rule to judge of all doctrines The true doctrine of the Gospel is a doctrine according to godliness that is out of all dispute Now then bring that interpretation to the standard which saith that those words of the institution As oft as ye doe it imply it s not being imposed upon any man as of necessity but much like the free-will Offering under the Law Is this interpretation according to godliness or rather ungodliness may not Mr. Goodwin as well say it is a doctrine according to health for a man to neglect the food by which he liveth The design of Christ in this Ordinance is to keep alive the memories of Christs death and passion for us with all the benefits thereof 1 Corinth 11. to confirm faith to convey succouring vertue from Christ to releive the soul against temptation to quicken affection to Christ and one another as all agree and would it be according to godliness to be under a liberty to disuse it without sin may not Mr. Goodwin as well say we are under a liberty not to honour Christ or doe our selves or the world good And as for any similitude between the Ordinances of the Gospel in particular this and the free-will Offering under the Law Surely Sir you are under a wonderful mistake because the free-will Offerings were not positively commanded and therefore have the name of free-will Offerings whereas the Lord Supper is positively commanded 1 Corinth 11.24 25. And when he had given thanks he said take eat this is my body THIS DOE in remembrance c. After the same manner also he took the cup and said THIS DOE So that though there be not a determinate time how oft they should doe it yet here is a positive order to the Churches to doe it and therefore could not be neglected without sin but for the free-will Offerings under the Law they were not bound to offer them at all 't is therefore true as you say this kind of Offering was imposed upon no man by way of necessity but it is because there was no Law positively enjoyning them and consequently no sin at all to neglect them What a vast difference then is there between external Ordinances under the Gospel and the free-will Offering under the Law even as much as between a matter commanded and that which is not Sir you say our way hath a face of godliness but a heart of errour and prophaneness But Sir should you live to these principles which I am perswaded you are a better man than ever to do our way would be before yours though what you say were true of it ours you say hath a face of godliness though it hath a heart of error but yours would have neither face nor heart And though you your self never practise that looseness that these pleadings directly tend to the Lord knoweth how many others may be ensnared by them which in my apprehension you ought sadly to lay to heart Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Rom. 14.13 A seventh Scripture which in my apprehension is a brother in the same complaint with those which are past is Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love From hence you say That the Apostle by shutting out Circumcision instance wise with Vncircumcision and letting in onely Faith the new Creature P. 81. Of Water dip with keeping the Commandments of God as available he shut out BAPTISME also and all ceremonial practications whatsoever This consequence is an absolute stranger to the premises for though the Apostle shut out Circumcision and uncircumcision and let in onely Faith the new Creature and keeping the Commands of God as available it followeth not from hence that he shut out Baptisme as available If onely such things are shut out as available which are no commands of God then Baptisme is not shut out because Baptisme is the command of God But onely such things are shut out as available that are no commands of God That onely such things are shut out as unavailable that are no commands of God appeareth by their being opposed to those that are Mark the Text Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth BUT KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. To inferre therefore from Circumcisions unavailableness which is none of the Commandment of God to Baptisme its being so which is the Command of God and that serving the grand interest of the Creature even that of remission of sins and salvation in some sense which must either be acknowledged or the Scriptures renounced Acts 2.38 Mark 16.16 I say to make such inferences is rather to say what one would have than what is and to intreat the Scripture to look towards what YOU would have rather than in humility to be subject to what THEY would have Reader judge else But 2. If the Apostles intention was to shut out nothing at all by those words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION then your apprehension of Baptisme its being shut out as available falleth to the ground because you suppose its exclusion lieth wrapt up in those words But the Apostle shut out nothing at all nor intended the shutting out of any thing by those words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION That he intended not the shutting out of any thing at all one thing or other by those words nor Vncircumcision but onely the notifying that being uncircumcised would not hinder the Gentiles acceptation with God now under the Gospel no more than circumcision would further it It appeareth first by comparing this Scripture with the 1 Corinth 7.18 19. the words as followeth Is any man called being circumcised that is is any Jew converted to the Gospel let him not become uncircumcised On the other hand Is any called in uncircumcision let him not be circumcised that is is any Gentile converted to the Gospel let him not make conscience of circumcision The next words which are the same with these in the Text are the reason why a converted Jew should not be troubled that he was circumcised nor the converted Gentile that he wanted it Mark CIRCUMCISION is nothing and UNCIRCUMCISION is nothing meaning that now since the Orders of the great Prophet came forth which all the world are bound to hear upon pain of death Acts 3.22 by which the state of the Church is altered now Circumcision is nothing that is availeth nothing to any mans acceptation with God whatever it did heretofore non Vncircumcision is nothing that is
the want of circumcision or being uncircumcised is nothing to hinder the Gentiles acceptation with God but now under the Gospel or in Christ Jesus as we have it in this Galat. 5.6 that which now heareth sway is FAITH Gal. 6.15 THE NEW CREATURE And in this 1 Corinth 7.19 THE KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD meaning the Commandments of the Gospel now in being which is the character of the new Creature in that 6. Galat. 16. As many as WALK ACCORDING TO THIS RVLE peace be on them So then of the doctrine of these Scriptures this is the sum That however Circumcision was a great priviledge heretofore and a matter acceptable to God and the want of Circumcision did debarre men from many priviledges which the Jewes enjoyed yet now neither will the one doe the Jew any good nor the want of it doe the Gentile any hurt but now Jew and Gentile meeting in faith the new Creature and keeping the Commandments of God now in being shall both meet in the self same priviledges and respects from God according to the 3 Galat. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither mal nor female mark for ye are ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESVS Upon the whole matter then I conclude that by those words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION in all these three places Galat. 5 6. Galat. 6.15 1 Corinth 7.19 the Apostle intendeth not the exclusion of any thing but onely to note that being uncircumcised or the want of circumcision would doe the Gentile no dammage no more than the presence of circumcision would doe the Jew no good now under the Gospel and my reason for this apprehension is grounded upon the 19. verse of the 1 Corinth 7. where those words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION are given for the reason why if any Gentile was converted to the faith they should not be circumcised which words could be no reason why converted Gentiles should not be circumcised but upon supposition that being uncircumcised would not prejudice them 2 To understand the words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION of the shutting out of any thing as it must be of some priviledge of the Gentiles so it must be of some they had in distinction from the Jewes because he includeth all belonging to the Jewes under the word Circumcision but they had none in distinction from the Jewes therefore none to shut out as for the Ordinances of the Gospel they had them in common with the Jewes upon beleiving and before the Gospel they had none at all but lived without God in the world Ephes 2.12 To the Jewes onely were committed the Oracles of God not any to the Gentiles Romans 3.2 3. The scope and drift of the Apostle in this Epistle is to inveigh against the standing of the Jewish religion ONELY and that because the converted Jewes were very apt to be intangled with a conceit of the old Religion its being of force under the Gospel Galat. 5.1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not entangled again with the yoak of bondage meaning the Jewish Ordinances to which they were inclinable he was not troubled with their over esteem but their under esteem rather of the Ordinances of the new Testament therefore farre enough from offering any thing to their disparagement but on the contrary every thing to encrease their esteem of them that they might the more easily be brought off the old 4. The words as they lie doe not enforce us by those words Nor UNCIRCUMCISION to understand the shutting out of any thing consider them In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision He doth not affirm the same thing of uncircumcision that it doth not avail any thing as he doth of circumcision He saith indeed nor uncircumcision after his affirming that circumcision did not avail which at first sight doth tempt to that understanding of them but by comparing this Text with that other mentioned namely 1 Corinth 7.18 19. where we have the same words used by the Apostle to another Church and by a narrow inspection into them it appeareth plainly enough that his mind is not to suppose the Gentiles possess'd of any thing to exclude as available but onely to affirm that as Ciroumcision now under the Gospel would not avail so neither on the other hand would being uncircumcised unavail as hath been proved already If any one think that the supplying of these words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION in the Text with the addition of these DOTH NOT UNAVAIL OR HINDER to compleat the sense that this is harsh To such I answer it is a most frequent thing in Scripture for the holy Spirit to express himself so that there is an absolute necessity of making such supplies which notwithstanding the scope context and clear reason of the thing leadeth to but I shall instance onely in these words in the 1 Corinth 7.19 Circumcision is nothing here is the same reason indeed necessity of supply to compleat the sense by these words DOTH NOT AVAIL as there is to supply the next words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION with these DOTH NOT UNAVAIL He then that complaineth of harshness in the one may as well complain of it in the other But if it be objected No because the 5. Galat. 6. giveth the sense of the words IS NOTHING in the 1 Corinth 7. to be availeth nothing or doth not avail any thing I answer so doth the Apostle his making those words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION in the 1 Corinth 7.19 the reason why converted Gentiles should not be circumcised clearly give the sense of the words in the 5. Galat. 6. to be DOTH NOT VNAVAIL because thereby is a full reason given why new Converts should not be circumcised to which we have spoken at large already By all which it appeareth the Apostle intended not the exclusion of any thing by those words NOR UNCIRCUMCISION so farre was he from shutting out any of the Commands of Christ by them or setting some of them against others but this untrue supposition being the foundation of Mr. Goodwins Argument from the Text his whole building falleth to the ground with all his scoffes at the end of it The eighth and last Scripture that complaineth of the service P. 81. Of Water dip is Galat. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ You say questionless the Apostles meaning plainly and directly by the particle As many As is to part the Beleivers amongst themselves and consequently noteth a mixture of baptised with unbaptised persons in full Church communion This cannot be the meaning of the place that the words As many As doth not import All because such a construction of them spoileth the sense they being given as an account why he presumeth them ALL the children of God by faith Now for him to go about to prove them ALL the children of God by faith because of what was done but to a part of them had been to fall short