faith in the same as Isaac was And therefore such are said to be as Isaac was children of the free-woman the true seed of Abraham after the Spirit so heires according to promise as Gal. 4.28 29 30 31. Gal. 3.29 Rom 9 8. Now the promise in the letter the land of Canaan an earthly possession answerable to the heire naturall and Circumcision in the flesh as a seale to confirme the same upon condition of the like faith and obedience and so to walke as such circumcised in heart So God would be their God to blesse increase and to bring them into their promised inheritance as Deut. 1. But in the substance the heavenly Canaan a spirituall inheritance answerable to the heire spirituall and Circumcision in the heart as the seale of the Spirit to confirme faith in the free and absolute promise of life and faith required not of man as a condition but in man as the work of the Spirit of grace in the heart by which the same is made capable to joyne in covenant with God by faith And though that Infants were in the first yet not at all in the last as visibly to appeare in the covenant aforesaid untill their faith so declares them And further 〈…〉 consider of it thus first that no beleever now can so stand to his seed as Abraham of old did unto his seed except he assumes the place of Abraham and also his fatherhood over all the faithfull But if any beleever should so farre presume as to assume Abrahams place and fatherhood upon him yet another cannot doe so Except we make may Abrahams and so all fathers and no children And if it be said that every beleever in his owne familie is an Abraham If it be so then he is the same unto his servants as well as to his children for so was Abraham But some will say that a beleever is an Abraham onely to his own personall seed as Abraham was Then a beleever would have a greater priviledge then ever Abraham had for the covenant was not founded upon Abrahams personall seed for had it been so then the priviledges thereof would have reached to all Abrahams personall seed as well as to Isaac But this it did not for Abraham begot many children of his own body besides Isaac who shared not with him neither in the covenant or priviledges thereof as Gen. 25.1 to 6. The like it is with the beleevers seed to which the covenant lyes not in any respect as to a particular seed but joyntly considered together as a body and so the Church of Christ and their off-spring seed or children as aforesaid considered are the generation of the righteous succeeding them in the faith not in the flesh And this is the seed that God so highly exalteth in Scripture and promises so many blessings unto And secondly 〈…〉 it was not Abrahams personall being in the covenaÌ„t nor yet his faith that brought in his seed or admitted the same to the seale thereof but onely Gods speciall commandement for both Abraham and many others were in the covenant of grace long before Circumcision was administred and the reason why such were not sealed with circumcision before that time was be cause that God no where had commanded the same No more can a beleevers being in the covenant now bring in his seed nor admit of the same to Baptisme without Gods speciall command for the same now as Abraham had then otherwise they proudly assume a priviledge above their father Abraham And though that beleevers are in some sense under the same covenant now as then yet in no sense under the same command for then they must circumcise and not baptize and that Males onely and not females also But as there is a new King so there must be a new Law and as a new covenant so a new subject a new Church must have a new state a new ordinance a new commandement so that as all things are become new even so must all be of God whose will is to be obeyed in whatsoever he commands which is the only ground of all mans obedience for no man can be said to obey God in doing that which he hath not commanded therefore seeing there is no command from the Lord for the Baptizing of Infants as was for the circumcising of Infants though by Abraham they were circumcised yet by Christ they shall not be baptized And so I come to the second Argument thus If in the whole body of Israel 〈…〉 as well Infants as mon of yâ—ares were baptized and with the same Baptisme as ours is then Infants are now to be baptized as then thy were But in the whole body of the IsrAelites Infants were baptized and that with the same baptisme spiritually that ours is therefore Infants are now to be baptized as then they were That it was the same baptisme with ours spiritually is evident the other Ordinances there mentioned were the same spiritually with ours for they eate the same spirituall meate and dranke the same spirituall drinke with us 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Therefore they were baptized with the same spirituall baptisme Otherwise the Apostles argument were not of force against the Corinthians if they were not the same Sacraments with ours nor the conclusion contained that the Corinthians should be pun shed with the like punishment if they committed the like sins therfore the argument is firme In answer to this I shall endeavour to be briefe therefore let the Reader consider well these particulars First here God took unto himselfe the whole body of these people the Jewes who were his own people before by covenant for they were the seed of Abraham and the family of Jacob that came into Aegypt to sojourne there as Gen. 46. Act. 7. Now let the like be made to appeare that God ever took unto himselfe the whole body of the Gentiles as he did the Jewes and then it will be somewhat the same with the Gentils and their seed as it was with the Jews and their seed But if the one cannot be proved then the other will not be granted and so this argument falls already Secondly here was no ordinance of the new Testament much lesse Baptisme administred upon any of the Israelites at their departing out of Aegypt but onely Gods great power goodnesse declared by leading of his people through the maine Sea in and by the which God did preserve them and so delivered them up as it were to Moses and to his Government and direction as a people preserved in death As in and by Baptisme the partie being by the grace and power of God preserved he is delivered up to Christ to his Government and direction as one risen from death with a new life to God as Rom. 6. Col. 2. Gal. 3. The Israelites Baptisme in the Cloud and in the Sea was onely in the type or shadow and so in the Letter of the old Testament opposed to the Ministration of
same to God And though that we have not infallible knowledge to judge aright of the hearts of men which thing is proper to God alone shall we not judge at all therefore we are to goe on as neere as we can by the Rule of Gods Word and in so doing we discharge our dutie which binds us to judge of the tree by his fruit And though we are not infallible Judges but may be mistaken yet this will not follow that we should justifie a tree upon which no fruit at all appeares but rather to goe on by the rule of judgement and if we doe misse to be humbled for our weaknesse rather then leave all undone because we are not sure to doe it infallibly But I would not be understood to oppose Infants so as to exclude them from salvation no I am so farre from this that I doe not so much as impose any such worke of grace upon them as essentiall to life in this or that way as many doe but leave all in respect of them as a secret thing to the wisdome and grace of God in Christ by whom the sinne of all the Elect are for ever done away at once And for faith that I presse for in all that challenge right to any priviledge of grace is onely to have some warrantable ground to judge by and so to know who God doth approve of as those unto whom such priviledges belong Seeing he hath proclaimed that all by nature are children of wrath Ephes 2. And I cannot beleeve that any are naturally borne in grace and so beleevers from the wombe though the opposite doctrine teacheth and affirmes the same And so I come to another Proposition laid downe thus That Baptisme is not the first graâ—e Obj. but the second neither doth it conferre grace but is given to confirme the former which therefore must be presupposed or else not to be administred And it is the sealâ— of the new Testament or of the righteousnesse of faith now to all that are partakâ—rs thereof as of old Circumcision was unto them Rom 4 11. Onely understand by Baptisme the outward part Administred by a lawfull Minister of the Church which may and too often isâ— sâ—parated from the inward though it ought not to be so and yet remaines true Baptisme so administred â—r else Simon Magus and those false brethren Gal 2. being not baptized and if they had repented must have been baptized a new I shall not say much to this particular Ans because our chiefest worke lies yet behind onely thus much let the Reader observe that here Baptisme is said to be given of God as an Ordinance to confirme saith in the subject baptized and so to be presupposed or else not to be administred Now of God give it to that end for to confirme faith then he never intended the same to be administred upon any but onely such as have faith And so much the next words affirme which say That it must be presupposed or else not administred Now I suppose it is meant that faith in such is to be presupposed from some ground or visible effect of faith in appearance at the lest For no man can properly presuppose a thing without some appearing ground from whence his supposition must arise and specially in waightie matters But what ground any man can have to presuppose of childe in the wombe or one that is newly borne to have faith and so capable of a seale as to be confirmed by Baptisme I cannot conceive but rather thinke it to be great weaknesse in such that shall so presuppose or affirme For it is a doctrine that confirmes the opinion of such as hold faith to be naturall and in a man from the wombe and as some say they have been beâ—eevers ever since they were borne And so it is here for when an Infant is once baptized it goes ever afterwards for a beleever as well as any that are never so cleare in the faith unlesse he comes to commit such sinne as to be excommunicated untill which time he was ever a beleever before But I passe from this to the next particular thus That as of old more was required of Abraham and men of yeares when they were Circumcised Obj. then of Ishmael and Isaac or of other Infants continually circumcised afterwards so now in the adminsstring of Baptisme more is required of men of yeares then is of Infants of Abraham God required faith in the blessed seed but not the same of Isaac Of men of yeares faith is to be required and must be that a man may be baptized but not the same of Infants The substance of this particular lies thus That more is required of men of yeares Ans for their receiving of Baptisme then is of Infants and all the proofe is from the example of Abraham Ishmael and Isaac and others in like manner after them in the order of Circumcision I shall give a briefe answer to this by an Argument drawne from the same thus Upon the same condition that Abraham Ishmael and all the rest of his houshold received Circumeision so are all now to receive Baptisme But Abraham Ishmael and all the rest of his houshold were circumcised upon one and the same condition without requiring any thing more of one then of another as Gen. 17.10 11 12 13 14.23.25 26 27. Therefore all are to be baptized upon one and the same condition without requiring any thing more in one then in another which is faith repentance in all alike Mar. 28.19 Mark 16.15 16. Act. 16.31 32 33 34. Act. 2.38 Act. 8.12 13 37. Act. 10.47 And whereas it is said that faith in the blessed seed was required in Abraham but not in Isaac who was to be circumcised at eight dayes old It is more then I finde the Scriptures reveale that such a faith was required of Abraham at the time of his circumcision or else he must not have been circumcised Or that the same faith in the blessed seed Jesus Christ was so required of all his houshold at the time of their circumcision is more then yet appeares to me And as it is said that the same faith was not required of Isaac as aforesaid no more was it required of Ishmael who was 13. yeares old when he was circumcised Gen. 17.25 not of the Shechemites being men of yeares Gen. 34. So that this Proposition falls in it selfe and so I leave it come to the reasons Arguments themselves The first Argument lies thus If the Covenant now under Christ 1. Argu. be the same that was before Christ with Abraham and his posteritie in the flesh then as Infants were partakers of the Covenant then and received the seale thereof Circumcision so are Infants now partakers of the Covenant and ought to receive the seale thereof Baptisme But the Covenant now under Christ is the same that was before Christ with Abraham and his posteritie in the flesh Therefore as Infants were then in the Covenant
God to Abraham and to his seed after him in their generations as Gen. 17.7 That was faithfully to performe all that he had promised either to Abraham in particular or his seed in generall as Neh. 9.8 Psal 105 9.10 11 12 13 14.42 Luke 1.72 73 74. In token of which God annexed Circumcision as a seale to confirme the same as Gen. 17.11 These are the severall parts and branches of the Covenant that God made with Abraham and his seed and Circumcision in the flesh as a seale to confirme every part to each seed as was proper to the same But if any shall say the Scriptures deny many seeds Obj. and approve onely of one seed in Abraham with whom the promise was made as Gal. 3.16 To this I answer and say that this place well considered will help forward the truth Ans for the Apostle here speaks of the Covenant so as comprehending Christ the substance of the same and the Elect in him for eternall life In which sense the covenant of grace was not made to Abraham and to all his seed without exception for then all his seed must either be saved or else such as are not but perish must fall out of the said covenant of Grace for I suppose no man will say that all the seed of Abraham without exception were saved And if not then there was some of Abrahams seed comprehended in the Covenant in one sense and admitted to the seale thereof whom God excepted against in another some of which was Ishmael and Esau signifying in Abrahams generation a fleshly seed as well as a spirituall between which seeds God ever held forth a distinction through all their generations from Abraham untill Christ who put an end to the type and the flesh and all priviledges of that nature thereunto belonging Col. 2. as 2 Cor. 5.16 Phil. 3.3 4 5. So that now all is laid up in Christ as Gods store-house and treasury and in him only for such as beleeve and therefore now first in Christ by faith and then to the Covenant and the priviledges thereof as Gal. 3.29 And none by the Gospel approved of now to be the children of Abraham but onely such as walke in the steps of his saith For as none invisible before God are by him at all approved to have right to any priviledge of grace but onely as he lookes upon them in his Sonne No more are there any visibly before men to be approved of so as to have right to the same but as they appeare to be in Christ by some effect of faith declaring the same And so much the more in that God excludes all from his holy Covenant is to have right in the outward dispensation thereof but onely such as beleeve Rom. 11.20 Heb. 3.18 19. Heb. 4.1 2 3. Heb. 11.5 6. Rom. 9.7 8. Gal. 3.22.26.29 Let all this be well considered and I doubt not but the difference between the Covenant God made with Abraham before Christ and this under Christ will appeare very great though in some respect for substance the same Yet in the outward profession of them the difference is great both in respect of persons and things Wherein our descent chiefly lyes that covenant admitted of a fleshly seed but this only of a spirituall Gen. 17. with Rom. 9. That in the flesh and this in the heart Gen. 17.13 with Jer. 31.33 Rom. 2.28 29. The seale and ordinances of that Covenant confirmed faith in things to come but the seale and ordinances of this confirme faith in things already done That Covenant was nationall and admitted all of the same to the seales thereof but this personall and admits of none but such as beleeve That Covenant begot children after the flesh as all Abrahams naturall posteritie But this onely begets children after the Spirit and onely approves of such as are begotten and borne from above in whose hearts God writes his Law Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. Joh. 3.5 6. That covenant with Abraham and his posteritie before Christ comprehended a civill State and a worldly Government with the like carnall Subjects for the service of the same But this covenant now under Christ comprehends onely a spirituall State and a heavenly Government with the like spirituall Subjects for the service of this also That covenant held forth Christ in the flesh to a heart vailed this holds him forth after the Spirit to a face open 2 Cor. 3. In all understand the visible profession of the Covenant in the out ward dispensation of the priviledges thereof And now I come to the consequence gathered from the Covenants Obj. being one and the same as aforesaid That as Infants were in that covenant then and circumcised so are Infants in this now and to be baptized In answer to which Ans I shall commit in the first place to the Readers consideration these particulars for the further clearing of the aforesaid truth First What the Covenant is Secondly What is that which admits into the said Covenant Thirdly Who are the true approved Subjects of this Covenant And lastly Whether all have not one and the same way of entrance into the said Covenant and to each of these a word First the Covenant it selfe is a Covenant of grace and salvation by which God of his grace takes a person or a people to himselfe for his own above all others and to be their God and to manâ—â—est upon them the riches of his grace and glory and the manner of which is in effect but onely thus much Gods calling of a man to an agreement with himselfe in his Sonne wherein he promises to be his God and to give him life and happines and all things in Christ and that he shall beleeve and rest upon his faithfulnes and truth and so take him for his God c. And thus I say God and man come to an agreement in Christ upon something passing between them wherein they both agree and this is called a Coveannt and I call it a covenant of grace when the thing agreed upon is a subject of grace as Gods giving of man life and peace and all things in Jesus Christ and that he will be his God upon whom he shall relie and beleeve the accomplishment of all things in his due time and that he shall heare and know his will by his Sonne and obey him in the same and mans free consent to God againe that he likes of all this well and concludes with God that it shall be so For a Covenant presupposeth two persons at least and also something to agree or covenant upon thus did God with Abraham and so he doth with every beleever and chiefely when God takes any into a Church-fellowship So that the covenant consisteth of these essentials First the persons disposed to agree Secondly something to agree upon And lastly their mutuall consent which is the agreement it selfe And so much for the Covenant and what the same is Secondly What it is that gives right
would establish his covenant for an everlasting covenant and so he would be a God to his seed after him in doing for them all that he had promised to multiply them to give them that fruitfull Land of Canaan and so to blesse them with great prosperitie And also I will be their God that is their God whom they shall beleeve and obey upon whom they shall depend for the performance of all that I have promised unto them by which faith and obedience they shall acknowledge me to be their God Now these being the particular expressions of the covenant and as they lie barely in the letter they art figurative speeches and so considered onely as they were temporall for so was Canaan a temporall inheritance and so were the other outward blessings under which were figured our spirituall substances onely to the like Subjects And as they were outward or temporall so considered they were both generall and conditionall for as the people did then beleeve God and obey him so they did enjoy them and not else as Heb. 3. Unto which covenant circumcision was added as a token to put the people alwayes in minde of the said covenant as Gen. 17.11 and a seale to confirme the covenant on both the sides God to be a God unto them as aforesaid and they for his own people above all others and so to performe the same condition of faith and obedience as Abraham their father did And to walke as such circumcised in heart unto which they were ingaged by that Ordinance as Rom. 2.25 26 27 28 29. otherwise the covenant stood not in force for their outward prosper it is that was the glory of that people in generall In which respect onely the covenant the seale and the inheritance are all of a like extent as Gen. 17.7.8.13 and so ended in Christ in whom all stands firme onely to such as beleeve as Gal. 3. This covenant was accomplished by God upon the Jewes at three severall times as they were Abrahams seed First in bringing them from Aegypt to Canaan Secondly from Babylon to Jerusalem And lastly Christs coming in the flesh as the seed in whom all Nations should be blessed This blessed seed according to the covenant God made with Abraham was sent first to Abraham seed the Jews in generall as Mat. 10.5 6. Mat. 15.24 Joh. 11.11 To blesse them by calling them to repentance and so to turne them from their sins as Act. 2.38 39. Act. 3.25 26. Act. 13 23.26 32 33. Thus the King of heaven offered his Sonne first in marriage to the Jews as Mat. 22. and being refused by them he sought him a wife among the Gentiles as Act. 13.46 Act. 15.14 Rom. 11. And so much for the promise or covenant God made with Abraham and his seed which for the right understanding of it must be considered in a severall respect according to the seed but not so to the Gentiles and their seed the Covenant lies not to them in a figurative way not in any fleshly or temporall respect as it did to Abrahams seed in the flesh but to the Gentiles in substance onely as they are in Christ by faith and so upright as Abraham was when God made covenant with him and if otherwise that the Gentiles must be considered as the Jews then they must have a fleshly seed under the same conditionall respect as Abraham had have onely one publike head as Abrahams was to bring them in all stand in the same relation as children to a father to that one head as Abrahams seed did unto him and come in the same way both for covenant and command as Abraham and his seed did All which the Scriptures deny the Gentiles for coming in such a way And so I come now to the seed and first to begin in the fountaine and head-spring of all at Abraham and Sarah and see the Gospels discovery of heir seed compared with the Law by which it will appeare what the seed of Abraham is that God approves of to be in the covenant with him and so to have right to the seale there of There was under the old Testament a generall stated people in an outward forme of profession among whom God owned but a remnant to belong unto him in his gracious covenant of life as Isa 10.21 22. Rom. 9.27 Against some of which in the generall God excepted as not so approved of in his covenant and yet admit them lawfull members of that body and so to the priviledges thereof they being the seed of Abraham after the flesh 〈…〉 as Gen. 17.10.20 21.23 Gen. 21.12 13. Gen. 25.23 with Rom. 9.11 12 13. So likewise under the new Testament there is also a stated people 〈…〉 whom God approves of for his own chosen and true spirituall worshippers against whom he layes no exception but owns them as such whom he hath purchased with his own bloud and so approved Subjects in his gracious covenant of life as such who are called chosen and faithfull Joh. 4.23 1 Pet. 2.5.9 Eph. 2.19 20 21 22. 4.16 1 Cor. 12.12 13.25 26 27. Eph. 5.25 26 27. Act. 20.28 Rev. 17.14 Now unto these two stated or bodyed people there is in the Scriptures two typicall heads namely Hagar and Sarah as Gal. 4.22 23 24 25. Here Hagar and Sarah as the two Mothers type out the two Testaments even so their two sons IshmAel and Isaac type out the subjects of the same the one by the bond-woman born after the flesh but he of the free-woman was by promise v. 23. Now as Hagar the Mother signified the old state in generall so IshmAel her son signified the children of the same state borne after the flesh as he was for though that he was of the seed of Abraham yet he was no childe of promise Now for Sarah she was the lawfull wife of Abraham and so a free-woman with whom the Apostle compares the state of the Church of the new Testament the true spouse and wife of Christ who is free from all servitude and bondage stands onely in subjection to Christ her husband as Sarah did to Abraham And Isaac her son signifying the true holy and blessed seed Of this holy stocke according to the Spirit and so as Isaac was true heire according to promise for the Gospel approves of none as true heires of the blessing so the right seed and truely in the covenant but onely such as the promise produceth brings forth as it did Isaac for Isaac came not by an ordinary course of nature but by vertue of the promise of God and faith in the same which raised nature above it selfe to bring him forth as Gen. 18.10 11 12. Gen. 21.1 2. Rom. 9.9 Heb. 11.11 12. By this the wisdome of God in the Apostle holds forth as in a figure who are Abrahams seed approved of in the Gospel they are such as are brought forth by a power above nature which is by the promise of God
would stop mens mouthes for ever having a word to say for the baptizing of infants This blessed commission of Christ to his Apostâ—es was chiefly for us Gentiles saying All power is given me in heaven and in earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost c. As if Christ had said Go now into all Nations and preach the Gospel freely 〈…〉 6. as well to one nation as to another for the Gospel shall not now be confined any more to one place or people then to another God is now a God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews go therefore as well to the Gentiles as to the Jews even unto all Nations and there preach the Gospel 〈…〉 29 and so make Disciples by teaching them and such so taught them baptize in the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost that is into the true and orderly profession of that which they have been taught and beleeved So that here teaching goes before baptizing and presupposeth understanding and faith in that which is taught this being the onely place of Christs instituting the ordinance of baptisme And further explained Mark 16.15.16 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved So that from these Scriptures brought to prove the baptizing of infants it is clearly manifest that infants are not the subjects of baptisme appointed by Christ for all the externall benefits and priviledges of the Gospel are given onely to externall and visible faith And so the sealing and confirming ordinances of Christ ever presuppose faith in the subject to seale unto and to be confirmed So that here is no ground for the baptizing of Infants but the contrary But it is affirmed by some that as God commanded Infants to be circumcised and the same command remaining still unrepealed stands in force for Infants to be baptized To which I answer and say if that commandement must serve now without alteration then we must circumcise and not baptize and that males onely and not females but if it be altered then it hath not the same way to hold Infants forth in Baptisme as it had in Circumcision but that command which injoyned circumcision is repealed by a direct command to the contrary as Gal. 5.2 1 Cor. 7.18 Rom. 2.28 29. If any object from the second Commandement injoyning the worship of God though the said worship of God be changed in respect of the manner and outward forme yet the same commandement continues still in force for the worship of God now as it did then The answer is These two commandements will no way agree so be compared the second commandement directly injoyned Gods worship as the substance thereof and so still remaines and also retaines the same thing it first commanded being the worship of God But now for the command that injoyned circumcision which was the substance of that command is now cleane made voyde for circumcision in the flesh is now abolished that in the heart come in the place as Rom. 2.28 29. Col. 2. Againe as the old outward forme of Gods holy worship under the old Testament was abolished and done away so likewise the new order and forme of Gods worship was erected and set up againe by speciall command and when the manner of it is once set downe â—hen the commandement comes on againe and not before and binds onely to that order and manner so erected and set up and to none else so that now the new state of the Church and worship of God being established and the subject of Baptisme in the same expressed to be a beleever Now if that commandement comes on upon this state then it binds to this subject onely and to none other And to hold the subject of Baptisme by the same command that injoyned circumcision without the said subject being expressely set downe and so confirmed and established by the New Testament this is more then will be granted in any other part of Gods worship injoyned or comprehended in the second commandement All which say we is so farre approved of by God as is expressely set downe in the New Testament or everlasting Gospel of Christ But let us examine a little wherein the authoritie of that commandement of circumcision may be that is brought to beare out the baptizing of Infants Circumcision it doth not for all agres that we are now to baptize and not to circumcise the parties circumcising it doth not then the Master of the family to circumcise but now one authorized by Christ in his body the Church to baptize the same part of the body it doth not that the foreskin Baptisme the whole man the age it doth not that the eight day and this any day the subject it doth not that a male onely this both male and female Now in that it doth not injoyne none of all these wherein then can the authoritie of that command consist now in Baptisme so as to injoyne Infants to be baptized for either it must be a thing indifferent or else it must injoyne something And whereas men cry out from that command Infants Infants Infants must be baptized as they were commanded to be circumcised why this command if it should be so serves for none but onely males so that if they will have the female to be baptized they must look out for another coÌ„mandement for them and so there must be two commandements meet in one ordinance But I would demand of such as hold the baptizing of Infants from the command that injoyned circumcision that if in case there had been no word or command given for baptizing of any whether that they or any other might have baptized either Infants or any others from that commandement but I suppose they will not so affirme and if not what doe man wander under the clouds of their own ignorance when as the light shines so clearely for what is more cleare then this that the New Testament hath sufficient expresse commands and rules for the administration of Baptisme both for matter and manner with out any reference much lesse dependency upon the law of Circumcision they being two distinct institutions At two severall times there is given command for Baptisme the first was John the Baptist who received his authoritie not from the command of Circumcision but had his Commission expressely from God who sent him to baptize as Joh. 1.32 33. And those that he baptized are said by the holy Ghost to be such as manifested their faith and repentance as Mat. 3.6 The second Commission which serves for us Gentiles is that which Christ gave to his Apostles Mat. 28.18 19. Which hath no reference to the command of circumcision but by vertue of that power and authoritie given him of the Father for the ordering and disposing of all things in heaven earth for his own glory and his peoples good In which
was come to Ierusalem be assayed to joyne himselfe to the disciples Act. 9 26. And the whole body fitly joyned together c. Eph. 4 16. And a fitly framing of matter together for a house or habitation of God as Eph. 2.21 22. All which is the Saints entering covenant with God which covenant is their forme that gives them a being in such a relation or fellowship Isa 43.21 1 Pet. 2.9 And so much in briefe of the constitution of a Church or of the Saints entering into Church-fellowship and the causes producing the same And now being come into her own land as of old was signified Ezek. 36.24 25. which is into a visible covenant with God or union with Christ and so become his own shee is now to be washed with water in Baptisme as Ezek. 16.8 9. Mat. 28.19 Eph. 4 5. And thus being in covenant with God by faith in Jesus Christ in which their state consists and so the agreement made the covenant passed between them now the seale is see to which is the outward ordinance of Baptisme to confirme the same which being done she is then to enter upon her holy communion in all the rest of Gods holy ordinances thereunto belonging for her comfort and well-being And thus I have by Gods gracious assistance done with this subject charged upon me partly by such as feare the Lord in a far Countrey beyond the Seas and partly by my own conscience for the truths sake at home And good Reader confider well before you judge and what I see not teach thou me c. Job 34.31 But let not my unweary Readâ—â— be offended with me though I speake a word or two more It may be some will aske me if I condemne all Churches but onely such as I have here described To which I answer that I condemne no Church which God approves of in his word secondly I condemne no Church at all for I goe not about to shew who are false but what is true and it is enough for me if such a Church as hath been spoken of be granted to be true and let all others alone to stand and fall to their own Master and in regard of those reproachfull clamours cast upon all without exception that seem to be of my judgement about Baptisme I shall yet make bold with my Reader briefly to declare a word of my faith what I beleeve and hold to be truth and desire to practise the same and so leave all to God for the godly Reader to judge what difference there is between him and me in the maine that men should be so incensed against me as to seeke my life as some have done the Lord in mercy forgive them and lay it not to their charge And now for my faith First I doe beleeve that there is onely one God who is distinguished in three persons God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost yet but one in nature or essence without division and uncommunicable who made the world and all things therein by the word of his power and governes them all by his wise providence Secondly I beleeve that God made man in his own Image an upright and a perfect creature consisting of soule and body which body God framed of the earth and breathed a soul into the same To whom God gave a law upon his keeping of which depended all his happinesse and upon the contrary attended his misery which soon took effect for he breaking that Law he fell under the curse and the wrath of God lay upon him all his posterity By which fall Man lost the knowledge of God utterly disabled himself of all ability ever to recover the same againe Thirdly I beleeve God out of the counsell of his own will did before he made the world elect and choose some certain number of his foreseen fallen creatures and appointed them to eternall life in his Sonne for the glory of his grace which number so elected shall unavoydably be saved and come to glory and the rest left to themselves in their sinne to glorifie his justice Fourthly I beleeve that God in the fulnesse of his owne time did send his Sonne the second person who in the wombe of the Virgin Mary assumed mans nature and in the same he suffered death upon the Crosse onely as he was man to satisfie his Fathers justice for the sinnes of all his elect and them onely and that he lay three dayes three nights in his grave from whence he arose the third day by the power of his Godhead for the justification of all for whose sinnes be dyed and that in the same body Christ dyed be arose from tho dead and afterwards ascended into heaven the place of glory where he was before and there to remaine untill he comes at the last day to judge the world in righteousnesse Fifthly I beleeve that God of his grace in his own time effectually calls such as shall be saved to the knowledge sive as a childe in the parents begetting of it and so God by his Spirit works faith in the hearts of all such to beleeve in Christ and his righteousnes only for justification And thus they are made righteous before God in Christ and so conformable to the will of the Father through the Sonne and also made holy through the worke of regeneration and the holy Spirit of grace dwelling in them yet all such have still as long as they live here in the flesh remaining in them an old man that originall corruption the flesh that warres against the Spirit which hinders them in their obedience both to God and man and many times draws them to that which is evill and contrary to their intentions yet all of them shall through Christ overcome and safely be brought to glory at last Sixthly I beleeve the holy Scriptures to be the word of God and have the onely authoritie to binde the conscience to the obedience of all therein contained and are the allsufficient Rule by the Spirit of God to guide a man in all his obedience both to God and man Seventhly As for the absence of originall sin and power in the will to receive and refuse grace and salvation being generally offered by the Gospel and Christs dying for all persons universally to take away sinne that stood between them and salvation and so laid downe his life a ransome for all without exception and for such as have been once in Gods love so as approved of by him in Christ for salvation and in the covenant of grace and for such to fall so as to be damned eternally and all of the like nature I doe beleeve is a doctrine from beneath and not from above and the teachers of it from Satan and not from God and to be rejected as such that oppose Christ and his Gospel Eightly I doe beleeve the resurrection of the dead that all shall rise and come to judgement and every one give account of himselfe
unsound consequences and false inferences and lay by the plaine testimony of Scripture that must decide all doubts and controversies in matters of Religion For sure I am there is neither command nor example in all the New Testament for any such practise as I know and whatsoever is done in the worship of God or obedience to Christ without his command or apparant example approved of by Christ is of man as a voluntary will worship Col. 2 20 21 22. Mark 7.7 8. after the commandements and doctrines of men the which Christ testifies against as a vaine thing This way the Gentiles are more forward in then ever the Jewes were and more bitter against such that doe oppose their traditions then ever they were And therefore I beseech thee Good Reader beware of opposing the Gospell and Christs holy order in the same Rom. 11. For which thing God fell out with his ancient people the Jewes and threatens to make the Gentiles drinke of the same cup if they oppose the power and authoritie of his Sonne Jesus Christ as they did and doe not the Gentiles this Yea and much more then ever the Jewes did The Gentiles are set forth in Scripture to be the greatest enemies that Christ and his Gospell hath in the world Psal 2. Ezek. 38. Rev. 20.8 9. Rev. 9 1-11 Rev. 12.4 Rev. 13.1 2. Rev. 17.13 14.17 Rev 11.2 Rev. 11.8 Rev. 17.17 Rev. 11.2 Luk. 21 24 Rom â— 11.20 21 22. for they rage and bend up their forces against Christ and his people and the Gentiles they compasse the Campe of the Saints to devoure them Of them is the bottomlesse pit out of which come the Locusts with a King over them and of them is the blouddie Dragon that stands against the Church to suppresse and devour Christs holy order and Government and her subjection to the same Of the Gentiles rises that beastly State with which the Kings of the earth joyne their powers against Christs Kingly power and Subjects and they tread underfoote the holy Citie Not the earthly Citie Jerusalem as some weakly affirme but the holy heavenly order of the Gospell and the true Subjects thereof The Gentiles Crucifie Christ in his mysticall body which is more then to slay him in his humane body There is a time set for the long suffering of God towards the Gentiles Which time being once expired God will have as strict account of the Gentiles as ever he tooke of the Jewes Which day shall be as blacke and darke over the Gentiles as ever it hath been to the Jewes And more in that their sinne hath been greater against grace Christ and his members by many degrees then ever the Jewes were And therefore woe woe unto the Gentiles because the day of their account draws neere Therefore good Christian Reader be well advised and doe not take part with any that shall oppose Christ in his sweet and comely order among his Saints and kingly Government over his Subjects Wee see by apparant example how dangerous a thing it is to oppose Kings but Christ is the King of Kings therefore kisse the Sonne least he be angry Psal 2.12 JOHN SPILSBERY A TREATISE CONCERNING THE SVBIECT OF BAPTISME VVherein is handled and also disproved Infants Baptisme The Covenant God made with Abraham and his seed Gen. 17. And how the same agrees with Beleevers and their seed under the New Testament with the Priviledges thereof The Baptisme administred by a false Antichristian Power no Ordinance of GOD. The orderly constitution of both Church and Ordinance With many other things briefely handled FOR a more orderly proceeding in the following Discourse I shall first lay downe the Arguments and Objections and then give Answer to the same And for some things in the beginning I shall passe over briefely they not much concerning the point in hand As the Scriptures being a perfect rule of all things both for faith and order this I confesse is a truth And for the just and true consequence of Scripture I doe not deny and the covenant of life lying between God and Christ for all his Elect I doe not oppose and that the outward profession of the said Covenant hath differed under severall Periods I shall not deny and of the Scriptures speaking of the disanulling and abolishing the old Covenant and making a new is to be understood of the Period from Moses to Christ and not of that from Abraham to Moses This also in part I confesse but not the whole because that the abolishing of the old Covenant or Testament reached unto all that outward for me of worship under any type or shadow by which the people professed their faith and obedience to God So that the abolishing of types and shadows must reach so farre as any types and shadows were and that was unto Circumcision it selfe unto Abrahams Period and beyond even to all those sacrifices in any part of the old Testament wherein God testified his pleasure unto his people in any darke and typicall way or they their faith and obedience to him by the same So that the opposition the Scripture holds forth between Covenant Covenant is between Testament and Testament with reference to the order and forme of profession thereof But I leave this as little concerning the matter in hand and come to that which follows And the first to any purpose is layd downe thus That children are capable of the Spirit of God and of the grace of the Covenant Obj. and whatsoever men of yeares are capable of though not wrought in the same way and by the same meanes yet the same things and by the same Spirit so farre as is necessary to union with Christ and justification to life thereby else children were not elected or raised up againe in their bodies and be saved nor yet the judgement we can have of men of yeares be infallible but we may be mistaken as in the case of Simon Magus and others in the like nature In answer to this Ans let it be in the first place considered what may be here meant by children because the Scriptures speake of children in a severall respect If such children as the Scriptures call so through weaknesse in the faith as Mar. 18.6 1 Joh. 2.12 13. 1 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.13 Now if such children as these then I confesse that such are capable of the Spirit of God and so of the rest as aforesaid But if by children be meant of infants then we are to consider what is meant by capablenesse of the Spirit the grace of the Covenant and the rest If capable of the Spirit so as opposed to the power of the Spirit to worke upon them so is a stone as well as a man as Mat. 3.9 But if capable to comply with the Spirit in hearing receiving and beleeving the Spirits testimony and so of Regeneration faith and repentance c. This I shall deny untill some proofe be produced from the Word of God for
Commission the subjects of Baptisme are expressely set downe who they should baptize and they are onely such as first were to be taught and had faith to beleeve the same as I have sufficiently proved And now having these expresse commands so fully held forth by Christ himselfe to gether with the whole practicall order of the Apostles others following the same in their administracions and to goe about to bring authoritie or command from the commandement of circumcision for the baptizing of Infants in more then ignorance and for to plead the baptizing of Infants because that command is not repealed which injoyned Infants to be circumcised is too weake for faith to build upon But now I hope the removall of the same appears in that there is not onely a command in the new Testament directly against the same but also a new command and so a law from Christ the King of Saints and Lord of the new Testament for the ordinance of Baptisme and all the circumstances of the same And yet for the further repealing of that law which injoyned Infants naturally borne and so from the wombe to be circumcised without minding any other sprituall birth but onely that which brought forth the childe in the world for 8 dayes after it must be circumcised by command from God which order is opposed by the Gospel as Joh. 3.3 5 6. Where Christ opposeth the two births the spirituall to the naturall birth and excludes the naturall from any admittance into the Kingdom of God without the spirituall birth And that he might not be mistaken he further explains himself saying That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit And further to know Christs meaning in these births which he opposeth the one to the other he fully holds forth Joh. 1.13 in these words of such as received him which were borne not of blond nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God This way and order the commandement of circumcision speaks nothing of neither required the same but onely the first birth for no childe of 8 dayes old was capable to be borne againe of the Spirit in our Saviours sense And thus the Gospel excludes that which the law of circumcision commanded even the first birth which is naturall without the second birth which is spirituall And it is in vaine for any to say that Christ speakes here of men of yeares for he opposeth the two births as aforesaid and not the age of any and so the whole universe of mankinde for this place is generally taken for the doctrine of regeneration from whence many hold that children are regenerated in Baptisme But generally those that baptize their Infants hold that they are regenerated before for they baptize them as being holy before And if any shall say that the Kingdome Christ speaks of is meant the Kingdome of glory and not of grace and therefore though he excludes such out of the one yet not out of the other The answer is that it is no where found in the Gospel that any are excluded the kingdome of glory and yet are admitted into the kingdome of grace The doore of grace in this sense is no wider then the gate of glory by Gods appointment and what men doe through ignorance that alters not the truth of God as Rom. 8.30 And if any say that Christ at this time had opposed Gods ordinance of circumcision if such a truth had been put in execution as is gathered from his words to exclude and put by an Infant of 〈…〉 To this I answer and say that Christ speaks of many things before his death which did not concerne the time present but of the order and government of his Church under the new Testament And so he speaks here of the qualification of his subjects and worshippers in his new kingdome that was at hand all which was to be spirituall and therefore to be borne of the spirit as Christ affirmed In which sense circumcision in the flesh ceased and that of the heart onely remaines as Rom. 2. Adde to this the words of the Apostle Eph. 2.3 We are saith he all by nature children of wrath Now if this be true then so long as nothing else appears how can we judge otherwise without gainsaying the holy Ghost and by the words of Christ we are first borne of the flesh and so in an estate of nature untill grace recover us and the effects of Christs redemption takes hold upon us Untill which time we are judged of the Apostle to be children of wrath and of the flesh and so uncleane and no uncleane thing must come into the holy Citie of grace and glory Rev. 21. All which being well considered I thinke will put a stop to the commandement of circumcision from having any footing in the ordinance of Baptisme or for any to take a ground from thence to justisie their Infants in their Baptisme untill some evidence appeares of their being inwardly washed in the bloud of Christ that so the same may be confirmed unto them by that outward washing with water otherwise the ordinance is no way availeable to them but sinne in such as impose the same upon them who doe neither desire it nor know what is done unto them which is to set a seale to a blanke a thing condemned in nature And so I passe from this subject of Infants Baptisme desiring the Lord abundantly to extend his saving grace unto as many as belongs to him that the praise may ever abound to his glory and their everlasting comfort in all happines and safetie here and glory hereafter We know no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. We are the circumcision that worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. Marvell not that I say a man must be borne againe before he can enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. And thus I desire to have Infants ever in honourable and reverent respect so farre as honour and reverence belongs unto them and so leave them to the grace and good pleasure of the God of all grace who onely knows who are his and hath the disposing of them and all his creatures to his own glory so be it Amen And now having examined the visible right that infants have to baptisme and finding none by the Word of God but the contrary I come now to a second sort and they are such as have been baptized in a false Antichristian estate as they say and so challenge right to enter upon or assume a true Church with the same baptisme they received of the man of sin So that the thing I deal with now is onely that opinion which holds a state to be false and Antichristian and yet Baptisme there administred by an Antichristian power to be the true ordinance of God and so leave the state as false and retain their baptisme