the Text I may seem to exclude Infants from Baptism and this place is alledged by divers against their admission yet nothing in the Text nor any thing in my Discourse doth debar them from this Sacrament For the Apostles were sent to preach the Gospel both to the unbelieving Jew and also to the Gentiles neither of these much less their Children were inclosed in the pale of the Christian Church as believing in Christ already come and not only the Gentile but the proselyte and native Jew must repent and profess their faith before they were baptized and this is evident out of the history of the new Testament And can any man infer from hence that because those who were adult and at age out of the Church might not be baptized before they were taught and confessed the faith therefore the Infants of Christian parents who are actual members of the Church may not be baptized It s evident the sequel is not good Some doubt might be made of Infants born of Parents before they were made Christians and yet we find no question made of them in the Scriptures But of such as are born in the Church of Christian parents after they were Christians there is less doubt for these are part of their parents not only as their parents by nature but as Christians and were always so accounted as born under the Covenant and in their parents bound to the condition thereof and so far as they were bound so far they had right to the priviledges and promises which might be sealed unto them God did not require any profession or promise personal from them because they had not the use of reason and all the duty for the present lay upon the parents and the Church till the Infant came to age and was capable of instruction for then being taught they were bound in their own persons to make their confession and vow and so own their Baptism and this was the end of Confirmation which is an act performed by the Bishop with imposition of hands certain words according to a certain form prescribed in the ritual part of our Liturgy The covenant of Righteousness by Faith was sealed to infants by circumcision from the times of Abraham untill this commission was granted by Jesus Christ who neither by himself nor his Apostles except them or exclude them but of this see more in my Theopolitica lib. 2. cap. 15. Sect. 19 20. CHAP. 7. Of touching persons baptized to observe Christs Commandments Sect. 1. THE fourth proposition is Christ commanded the Apostles to teach all persons baptized to observe whatsoever Christ commands them This implies that the parties to be baptâ—zed must not only profess their faith but promise obedience to Christs commands In the words we may observe a two-fold duty 1. Of the people which was the observation of Christs commandments 2. Of the Minister who must teach the people to observe these commandments In the first we have 1. Christs laws and precepts 2. The peoples obedience 1. Laws are moral acts of a superiour power which bind the parties subject to obedience or upon disobedience to penalty The sovereign and universal Monerch is God who by creation preservation and redemption hath a total and absolute power over man and especially in respect of his piritual capacity as he is a subject ordinable to an eternal estate After Christ was risen from the dead God communicates a transcendent power unto him especially as redeemer of man therefore as Christ had received this glorious power so he did exercise the same by making laws and binding all the subjects of his spiritual and eternal kingdom to the observation of the same For these laws are not only a rule to direct them what to do but of a binding force and the obligation is so strict that whosoever shall refuse to obey shall be liable to eternal punishments for those Laws being written in the Scripture are far more excellent then any humane decrees and statutes not only because they are the Laws of God and the other of men but also because they are made in exact wisdom are most fitted for man so as to direct all acts and operations of soul and body bind the conscience and immortal soul promise eternal rewards and threaten eternal punishments and aree very way so perfect that upon obedience eternal peace and happiness will certainly follow The ignorance of these things and want of consideration is the cause why these laws are so little regarded so much neglected and disobeyed though they shall be the rule according to which Christ shall judge the world and determine of mens final and eternal estate Sect. 2. There are divers laws therefore of Christ as is here implyed and the same published not only by word but writing and that long ago and if so it 's the duty of all to whom these laws are made known especially of persons baptized to obey these and because this duty concerns us all and that very much therefore I will first inform you of the duty more particularly that you may know what it is and secondly stir you up unto performance by certain reasons and motives This obedience doth presuppose our submission unto Christ as our superiour Lord upon our acknowledgment of his power and this is the condition of admission into his kingdom and is the foundation of all obedience for we may do many things which another wills us to do and yet the doing of them is no obedience because he hath no power over us neither do we acknowledg him as our superiour 2. As it presupposeth submission to his legal power so it doth the promulgation of his Laws for where there is no law as there can be no sin so there can be no obedience 3. These Laws must be known to us before we can observe them for the laws of Christ as in our understanding and known by us are the immediate rule of our obedience yet when they are sufficiently published it may be our own fault to be ignorant of them as through our own negligence it may so come to pass 4. This obedience is properly an act of the will of man freely conforming to the will of Christ and is required in the first Commandment 5. The matter of this obedience is the law and command of God the proper and formal object is Christ as our supreme Law-giver 6. When the will of Christ is once made known unto us our liberty is so far restrained nay altogether taken away in those things that are commanded and we must have no will of our own but his will must be ours These things observed we must know 1. That this obedience must be yeilded out of love unto our Sovereign yet with humble reverence to his Majesty and joyned with a fear to offend him and the more we love him the more willingly and freely we shall obey and it will be our joy and delight to do his Commandments 2. This obedience
Commandments of Christ whatsoever Christ had commanded his Apostles 4 As these and as these alone and all these must be taught so they must be taught and represented unto them as to be observed and that freely constantly and with delight out of love unto their dearest Saviour If they teach any other Commandments but these the knowledg of them will be in vain if they teach some and not all their knowledg will be imperfect if they teach all these so that their knowledg should be perfect and yet not effectually stir them up to obedience their knowledg will be in vain if they exhort them to observe some and not all their obedience will be short and not reach the end for which these Laws and Commandments were given Sect. 5. But because many may be ignorant oâ— these Laws I will 1. Premise some general observations 2. Note some places of Scripture where the morals are contracted 3. Shew how Love is the performance and fulfilling of them all 4. Deliver the Doctrine of the Eucharist 5. Reduce the matter of these Commandments into the form of a vow 1. The observations are these 1. That the Commandments of Christ are either moral as the precepts and the prohibitions of the moral Law or ceremonial as the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist which we call the Communion of the Lords Supper 2. That the morals are to be understood Evangelically in which respect they admit of divers additions whereby they differ much from the morals as given to Adam in innocency or to Israel in the Wilderness for they were given to Adam by God as Creator to Israel by God as choosing them and bringing them out of Egypt but they are given in the Gospel especially since the exhibition of Christ by God as redeeming us by Christ already come therefore called Christ's Commandments and so obedience in them must be performed unto God not only as Creator but as Redeemer 3. The blood of Christ's death made the transgressions against these morals pardonable and the punishment due unto the transgressors avoidable upon certain terms but according to the Covenant made with Israel and the Law of Works neither was transgression once past remissible nor the punishment possible to be avoided 4. According to the Law and Covenant of Works perfect personal perpetual Obedience was the only condition of life according to the Gospel Faith in Christ is the condition so that though the sins of man against this Law may be many heinous yet upon Faith in Christ they are noâ— only pardonable but shall be pardoned 5. Obedience to this Law was to be perform'd by Adam according to that sufficient power which he had received in his creation and lost by his transgression buâ— obedience of Believers is performed according to the power of the Spirit restored in regeneration 6. Tho' our obedience under the Gospel be imperfect and therefore by it we cannot be justified yet it 's accepted of God and rewarded ugon the account of Christ's Merit and Intercession 7. We are strictly bound under the Gospel unto these morals and therefore the sincere and constant obedience unto them is so much urged and professed by Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament For Christ died not to free us from obedience to these Laws but to sanctifie us that we may keep them better and that upon our transgressions we should renew our Repentance and Faith 8. Though these moral Laws are more at large expressed and made known unto us by Moses the Prophets the Evangelists both in the Old and New Testament yet in many places they are contracted in a few words and reduced to a few heads Sect. 6. These things premised I will in the second place observe some places where they are contracted 1. We are informed thaâ— in the Decalogue published upon Mouâ— Sinai all moral Duties are reduced to towords or heads and that in an excelleâ— method and manner And indeed upoâ— due consideration it will appear that thâ— model of the Law was from God as beinâ—â—ar above the wisdom of men and Angeâ—â—â— Because every Commandment hatâ—â—egative and an affirmative consideratioâ— and consists of a Precept requiring gooâ— and a prohibition of the contrary ev 〈…〉 erefore we find this moral Law contrâ—câ—ed divers times to two Heads the 〈…〉 ewing of evil and doing good Psal. 14. Isa. 1. 16 17. 3. Because that maâ— whom this Law is given hath relation God and man his Neighbour thereâ—â— the whole is reduced to two parts the Ouâ— duty towards God 2. Our duty tow 〈…〉 Neighbour therefore the whole bâ— of the Law is reduced to these two heads according to that of the Prophet He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6. 8. Where to do justly and love mercy is our whole duty to man to walk humbly with God is our whole duty to God 4. But that contraction of the whole to one head which is Love is most excellent yet this Love is two-fold 1. The Love of God 2. Of our Neighbour For our blessed Saviour determined the first and great Commandment to be the Love of the Lord our God and the second which is like unto it is to love our Neighbour as our selves Yet though this latter be like unto yet it 's not equal with the first for there is so great an inequality between the love we owe to God and that which we owe unto man that if the love of man come in competition with our love to God so that they cannot consist together we must hate Father and Mother and nearest Relations for Christ's sake Our Saviour further adds that upon these two Commandments hang the Law and the Prophets that is all the moral Duties mentioned in the Law and the Prophets are comprized in these two Mat. 22. 37 38 39 40. The Apostle tells us that love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 10. that is of the second Table 5. Because man is indebted to himself to his Neighbour to his God therefore some think the Law is contracted in the words of the Gospel which teacheth us to live soberly in respect of our selves righteously towards man and godly towards God Tit. 2. 12. 6. The Divine Apostle Disciple whom Christ loved comprehends all in two Commandments Faith and Love saying And this is his Commandment That we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he hath commanded us 1 3. 23. 7. And here we must observe that prohibitions reproofs threatnings examples exhortations dehortations promises denuntiations and executions of judgments belong and are to be referred to the Law of God 8. Repenâ—â—nce Faith in Christ Self-denial bearing Christ's Cross are duties not naturally but supernaturally moral and may be reduced to the first Commandment Evangelically understood Repentance as it hath God Creator
our Saviour Jesus Christ and do his Commandments and never suffer our Baptism to be brought as a witness against us in the great day of our final Trial and Account 2. Let us consider the nature and qualities of these Commandments for there are no penal Statutes imposed by an arbitrary Power intending to oppress us and undo us There is no injustice can be charged upon them they are no ways defective but perfect every way in respect of the end for which they were given they are holy just and good Laws of Equity Wisdom and given out of dearest love directing us to Heaven and everlasting happiness and in keeping them there is great content Nothing is so grievous to Gods Saints as to transgress them and to keep them is the joy and delight of their hearts 3. The reward which Christ doth promise is excellent and far greater than man could expect or hope for rich prizes high preferments glorious rewards work strangely upon the hearts of mortal men and cause them to venture life and limb and many times Soul and all yet if any man could gain the Kingdom of the World and all the Glory thereof yet this is nothing to the reward of this obedience the least work of obedience shall be rewarded a cup of cold water shall not be forgotten and this reward is certain most certain as depending upon the promise of an Almighty Lord who can do what he will and will do what he hath promised and the time will not be long before it shall be rendred and received For he that shall come will come and will not tarry and it shall be eternal and eternally enjoyed and let all those who are obedient rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is their reward in Heaven 4. Yet if reward should not move us so much yet love should even constrain us and we should have no power to resist it Christ loved us and gave himself for us and greater love greater gifts there cannot be Therefore let us consider whose commandments these are which we must observe Are they not the commands of Christ our dearest Saviour who hath redeemed us with his precious blood is the propitiation for our sins and pleads his blood for us in Heaven and shall he love us so much and shall not we love him again O let us love him love him so much as nothing more and if we love him we will keep his Commandments and the more we love him the more obedient we shall be to the laying down of our liveâ— Though we love him much yet he loveâ— us more and though we should perform the obedience of Angels yet we canno◠〈◊〉 him seeing therefore that we ha 〈…〉 so solemnly engaged our selves by our Baptism to this obedience the Laws are so just and tending effectually to our eternal good the reward which God hath promised is so glorious and it is our Saviour who loved us so much who commands us therefore let us be obedient in all things to the end and let this be our great business Sect. 4. The second part of the Proposition is concerning the Ministers duty which is to teach the persons baptized to do whatsoever Christ hath commanded them In this we must consider 1. The persons teaching 2. The persons to be taught 3. The act and work of teaching 4. The matter to be taught or the heads of the Doctrine First The persons teaching are first the Apostles and after them their successors whose duty is not only to disciple the Nations and baptize them but also to inform them of the Laws of Christ for they must not only begin the work of Grace but must go on and finish they must not only lay the foundation but build on and consummate the work The business of Pastors and Teachers is not only to bring men to the amity of Faith but to perfection in Christ. Seconly The persons to be taught are such as having professed their Faith and premised obedience were baptized already and so admitted into the Church The former teaching respected them as out of the Church and tended to prepare them for Baptism and Admission This latter considers them as in the Church and tends to the further edification The end of the former was regeneration and conversion and the end of the latter is spiritual nutrition and confirmation For the subject of this teaching are such as as had promised but as yet not performed obedience such as were but babes and children whose condition required a tender and continual care in their teachers And though they know some of the Commandments by a general and imperfect knowledge yet they had not so clear and distinct knowledge of many of them in particular and did need not only instruction but exhortation 3. Therefore this teaching was not a bare instruction for to inform their understandding but also exhortation to stir them up diligently constantly and zealously to observe the Commandments made known unto them and besides with exhortation sometimes must be some admonition and reproof with directions in particular cases First knowledge was necessary for how can they obey when they know not the particular commands to be obey'd and to what purpose is knowledge though never so clear and distinct if they do them not When our Saviour had given his Apostles a commandment and improved it by his own example he adds If you know these things blessed are ye if ye do them 13. 17. So that it 's plain that the end of this teaching is the doing and observation of Christ's Commandments and therefore as they must represent them clearly to their understanding so they must press the obedience upon the strongest motives and let them know that though their knowledge should be sufficient and they should have perfect directions yet without the continual supply of God's Grace they will not be able to perform any thing and from all this we may observe that profession and knowledge will not be sufficient to Salvation This is the reason why the Apostles do labour so much not only to confirm their Disciples and Conâ—â—rts but also exhort them to obedience profession and practice must go hand in hand and never part assunder profession and knowledge without obedience is but hypocrisie an outward form and shadow of Christianity without the soul and power but where obedience accompanies profession it will be an evidence of the sincerity of their Faith and of their happy condition that they are passed from death to life 4. The principal thing in this Proposition is the matter of this teaching and that is the observation of all Christ's Commandments The matter of the former Doctrine was Truths to be believed and professed the matter of this latter is Commandments to be known and obeyed 2. These Commandments must not be the Traditions Superstitions and inventions of men nor the Laws and Edicts of Temporal Princes but they must be the Commandments of Christ. 3. They must be all the