to keep it it is said to be weake It was weake through the flesh Rom. 8. 3. and unprofitable Heb. 7. 18. It was disanulled for the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse thereof But now the condition of that Covenant made with Abraham was Evangelicall viz. Faith and Evangelicall obedience Faith Circumcision the seale of that Covenant was to Abraham a seale of the righteousnesse of Faith sealing up unto him righteousnesse and life not upon the condition of doing working but beleeving which was accounted to him for Righteousnesse as the Apostle sets it forth Rom. 4. Obedience not exactnesse but uprightnesse Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be upright or sincere 5. Againe fifthly they differ in the end and use of them That legall Covenant it was given chiefly because of transgressions So the Apostle tells us Gal. 3. 19. wherefore then serveth the Law it was added because of transgressions viz. to discover them to bridle and restrain men from them to denounce punishments for them for that is a threefold use of the Law 1. Detegit 2. Fraenat 3. Punit to convince men of sinne and of their misery by reason of sinne that so they might come to see the need they have of Christ and be driven to him according to that of the Apostle Gal. 3. 24. The Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ But that other Covenant made with Abraham it was to assure him and his seed of their interest in the Messiah and the promise of life through him Sixtly and lastly They differ in their duration and continuance That legall Covenant it was but temporary to continue but till Christ should come So saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 19. The law was added because of transgressions untill the seed should come to whom the promise was made i. e. untill Christ should come Then that legall Covenant as a Covenant with the Church ceased But the Covenant made with Abraham it was an everlasting Covenant So the Lord tells him Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee for an everlasting Covenant c. So then you see that these Covenants were two distinet Covenants That Covenant which God made with Israel at Mount Sina it was not the same with that which he had made with Abraham before And of that Covenant it is that the Apostle there speaketh in the 7. and 8. chap. of the Hebrewes Not of the Covenant made with Abraham which was an Evangelicall Covenant and for substance the same with that which we are now under But of the Covenant made at Mount Sina that legall Covenant That is the Covenant which the Apostle there compareth with the new Covenant and of which he telleth us that it is now disanulled and abolished Q. Why but saith our Adversary how could that be called the old Covenant and the first Covenant when as it was 430. years after the Covenant made with Abraham This was rather the first Covenant and old Covenant A. To this it is answered That legall Covenant is called the old Covenant 1. In opposition to the Covenant of the Gospell under the new Testament which because it was revived and renewed and confirmed by the comming of Christ the promised seed it is therefore peculiarly called the new Covenant and that legall Covenant in opposition to it is called the old Covenant 2. The old Covenant because it waxed old and through age decayed So saith the Apostle of it in the place last named Heb. 8. last In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old new that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish awâ—y 3. The old Covenant and the first Covenant because for substance it was partly the same with that first Covenant which God made with Adam in state of innocencie The Law the morall part of it published upon Mount Sina it was no other but the same Law that was given to Adam at the first What was there written in Tables of stone was but a counterpane of what was written in the fleshy Tables of the heart of man at the beginning And being so well might it be called the old Covenant and the first Covenant being before the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham I or with Adam either You see then what the old Covenant is that legall Covenant whereof Moses was the Mediatour And of this Covenant it is true it is disanulled abrogated so as there is now no more use of the Law as a Covenant to the Church Marke that as a Covenant Other uses there are of it many which are still in force as much as ever But it is no longer a Covenant This Covenant is disanulled But so is not that Evangelicall Covenant made with Abraham which is as I told you an Everlasting Covenant and for substance the very same with that which Beleevers are now under viz. the Covenant of Grace promising life and salvation upon the condition of beleeving So much the Apostle tells us expressely Gal. 3. v. 8. The Scripture i. e. the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen the Gentiles through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed Marke it When God made this Covenant with Abraham declaring and promising that in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed he then preached the Gospel to him making a Covenant with him concerning Christ and salvation by Christ So much Zacharias in his song acknowledgeth Luke 1. 72 73. where speaking of the exhibiting and sending of Christ into the world he calls it An holy Covenant the oath which God sware unto our father Abraham The Covenant made with Abraham then was no other but the Covenant of Grace even the same Covenant that we are now under All the difference is the Covenant now is new drawne and so put into another forme set forth and expressed more clearly and fully then that with Abraham was even as our evidences and conveyances now they are more large and full then they were wont to be in the dayes of our forefathers though in effect the same but for substance they are one and the same And being so to close up this second Argument that Covenant is an everlasting Covenant I will make an everlasting Covenant with them saith the Lord speaking of the renewing of the Covenant of Grace with them Ier. 32. 40. A Covenant that is not waxed old as that legall Covenant did that is not nor ever shall be disanulled but is in force still as much as ever And consequently children of Beleevers being once in Covenant they are still in Covenant And being in Covenant they have a right to this seale of the Covenant Arg. 3. I passe now to a third Argument to prove children of Beleevers to be within the Covenant I take it from that known place of the
and all his family were circumcised In the selfe same day was Abraham circumcised and all the men of his house And the like we read of Baptisme As it came in the roâ—me of Circumcision being the initiall seal of the Covenant as Circumcision was so it was administred after the same manner to the whole family Where the head of the family believed presently we read that they and all theirs were baptized Thus we read in that 16. of the Acts first of Lydia v. 15. God having opened her heart she was baptized and her houshold Then of the Iaylour v. 33. being wrought upon by the Apostles Ministery he came and was baptized he and all his Thus be they what they will being once in Covenant they may and ought to be baptized So runs the Apostles Commission Go teach all Nations Mat. 28. 19. And will you have the ground and reason of it why the administration of this Ordinance should be so universall consider but these two things 1. The universality of mans sin and misery and secondly The universality of Gods offer of grace and mercy 1. Mans misery is universall All have sinned Rom. 3. 23. And sinning died Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. Such is the condition of all the sonnes of men by nature They are all concluded and shut up under sinne and death so shut up as without the free grace of God in Christ pardoning their sinnes and healing their natures they cannot possibly be saved Even Infants that never sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression viz. by committing actuall sinne yet being sinners by nature by nature children of wrath they stand in need of Christ as well as any other And consequently they stand in need of this laver of regeneration this Sacrament of initiation whereby their spirituall washing from the guilt and spot of sinne and their ingrafting into Christ may be sealed up unto them and declared unto others All sorts of persons stand in need of Christ and consequently of this Sacrament which sealeth up their interest in Christ 2. And secondly as mans misery is universall so is the tender of Gods grace and mercy held forth to all men Goe teach all Nations Mat. 28. Goe preach the Gospel to every creature Mark 16. 15. Thus Christ sent forth his Apostles and thus he now sendeth forth his Ministers with Commission to offer Christ and salvation by Christ to all that will receive him beleeve on him submit to him And reaching forth the thing signified hee also reacheth forth the signe even this Sacrament of Baptisme which is therefore to be administred alike unto all because Christ is offered alike unto all I meane all sorts of persons and is alike to all There is neither Iew nor Greeke i. e. Gentile there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus Being all alike in Christ they ought alike to be baptised into him By one spirit we are all baptised into one body whether we be Iewes or Gentiles c. Thus all that are in Covenant ought to be baptised 2. And in the second place Onely they This being a seale of the Covenant ought not to be administred unto any but unto those which are or in the judgement of charity may be thought to be within the Covenant By this rule must the Church proceed in dispencing of this Ordinance not by the judgement of Infallibility and Certainty but of Charity To know infallibly who is within the Covenant this none can doe but God and a mans owne soule The Churches rule is the rule of charity Those who by the law of charity may bee thought and are to be reputed within the Covenant of Grace they all they and only they may and ought to partake of this Ordinance Q. Here then the great Question now falls in Who they are that in the judgement of charity are to bee thought to be within the Covenant A. Hereunto we answer All that professe the faith of Christ and their children Both these the eye of charity looketh upon as Christians and being such it cannot deny them the badge of their Christianity the seale of that Covenant wherein they are presumed to be As for the former of these we shall meet with no great difference about them Persons professing the faith of Christ may and ought to be baptised For this Scripture is expresse when the Eunuch put the question to Philip See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptised Philip returnes him this answer If thou beleevest with all thine heart thou mayest Those three thousand Converts Act. 2. 41. upon the receiving of Peters word his doctrine they were baptised Thus Simon Magus and the rest of Samaria upon their beleeving i. e. making a profession of faith they were baptised both men and women Thus all that professe the faith of Christ professing it with their mouthes and not denying it in their lives they have a right unto Baptisme And why Because in judgement of charity they are to be reputed Christians and to be within the Covenant True it is if we speake of Christians in truth in reality then they only are Christians who have received Christ into their hearts by faith and love in whose hearts Christ is formed He is not a Iew saith the Apostle which is one outwardly And so may we say He is not a Christian that is one outwardly that hath only the name and profession of a Christian Yet in a large sense they which make so much as a generall profession of Christ of faith in Christ and subjection to Christ they are to be accounted Christians And by vertue therof they may and ought to be baptised Upon this profession Iohn the Baptist baptized those that came unto him And so did the Apostles those which came unto them however in some of them that profession was hypocriticall and unsound as in Simon Magus Ananias Saphira c. yet the Apostles looking upon them with an eye of charity and judging of them according to their profession they admitted them unto this Ordinance Neither doe we read of any whom they refused or yet brought to an exacter scrutiny and tryall touching the inward worke of grace in their hearts who did make such a profession and confession And thus ought all those who are come to yeares of discretion before they are baptised be admitted to it As viz. Pagans and Infidels such as are borne and brought up without the pale of the Church not descended from Christian parents Before they be admitted to this Sacrament they ought first to be instructed in the faith of Christ in the principles and rudiments of Christian Religion Being thus instructed then they are to declare and testifie their voluntary imbracing of that faith together with their repentance
this means that sacred Ordinance might be freed and kept pure from that pollution so much and that not without cause complained of through a promiscuous participation and so this scandall being removed we might hope that many who are upon this ground departed from the unity of the Church at least have broke off communion with it might in a little time be reduced and brought home againe and others who are staggering might bee confirmed and established 6. And lastly by this meanes also that difference of the times about the formality of a Church-Covenant in receiving in of members as they call them would soone be compremized and taken up There being here the substance of what is there desired and contended for and that better bottomed as I conceive then the former In all which regards besides many other for my owne part I cannot but joyne with Calvin and Chemnitius and divers other of our Divines in desiring the restitution and restoring of this Ordinance to the Church which through the grosse corruption of it in the Church of Rome and too apparent abuse of it amongst our selves it being generally turned into a meer formality hath growne into great dislike and distaste Certainly what ever any through prejudice may think of it were this Ordinance stripped of those rags which superstition hath put upon it and restored to naked purity and simplicity the Church of God should have no cause to bee ashamed to owne it specially seeing the Apostle himselfe in the words of the Text sâ—emeth to give such countenance to it laying it downe for one of those first principles concerning the nature and use whereof children should be instructed and taught Q. But all this while what is this to the purpose in hand what maketh this for Pâ—dâ—baptisme the baptisme of Infants A. Surely yes very much This being granted that there was such an Ordinance in use in the Apostles times practised after the manner that you have heard it may from thence be demonstratively inferred that some children were then baptized in their Infancy To what purpose else should this subsequent act serve wherefore should there be such a publicke confession and such a solemne restipulation and ingagement after Baptisme were it not that Baptisme was administred unto them in their Infancy before they came to yeares of discretion Otherwise had they been able to anser for themselves and to stipulate in their owne persons when they were baptized as those that were adulti did what need would there have beene of such a subsequent solemnity to bring them actum agere to doe that againe which they had once done before But I will not dwell any longer upon it You see now what Precept and what Presidents the Spirit of God in the New Testament will afford us for the countenancing and bearing out of this practice the baptizing of Infants True it is expresse and particular they are not nor yet so demonstrative and convincing but that the Adversary may take up some cavills against them Yet are they such evidences as may give satisfaction to those who are willing to receive it However sure we are they make more for the warrant blenesse of this practice then ought that the Adversary can produce will against it Not so say they for as for Infants they are not subjects capable of Baptisme And why not Why because they are not capable of those qualifications which should dispose them to the receiving of this Sacrament And what are they why Repentance and Faith These are the conditions which the Spirit of God requireth in all persons that are to bee baptized Repentance Repent yee therefore and be baptized saith â—eter to the Iewes Faith if thou beleevest with all thine heart thou mayest saith Philip to the Eunuch concerning his Baptisme A. To these Texts of Scripture it is soon answered that here both Peter and Philip had to deale with persons of yeares and those such as had no other title to the Covenant but such as their owne actuall repentance and faith conferred upon them Now had we to deale with such we should runne the same course not admitting them unto this Sacrament but upon the testification of their Repentance and Faith But in the meane time this is ill applyed to Infants the children of believing parents who have a title to and interest in the Covenant and consequently a right to the seale of the Covenant by vertue of their fathers charter Repl. But it will be replyed This is a generall universall condition required of all that are to be baptized They must first believe Our Saviours owne words say the are expresse for it He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. So that it seemeth faith is a condition absolutely requisite in persons to be baptized and must goe before Baptisme Here is one of the great arguments which the Adversarie putteth a great deale of confidence in But what strength or rather weaknesse is in it will soone appeare A. In the 1. place it is truly answered by P. Martyr and others that Ordo verborum non necessario infert ordinem rerum The order of words doth not necessarily infer the same order in things For instance Mark 1. 4. it is said Iohn did baptize and preach the baptisme of Repentance Here is baptizing put before preaching which may serve to ballance that in the last of Matth. 19. Go teach all Nations baptizing them where teaching is put before baptizing yet will it not thence follow that Iohn baptized before he preached So here in those words of our Saviour believing is put before baptizing in the order of the words Yet it will not thence follow that faith must alwayes goe before baptisme in the reality of the thing Should wee thus precisely stand upon the order of words what should we say to that of our Saviour Ioh. 3. 5. Except a man be borne of water and of the Spirit c. a Text which is brought to ballance that other where water is put before the spirit A. 2. In the second place wee grant it Faith and actuall faith is requisite in persons capable of it before they be admitted to Baptisme And of such only such is that place to be understood He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Which cannot extend unto Infants as the latter part of the verse will sufficiently evidence Hee that believeth not shall bee damned Which to apply to Infants and so for want of actuall faith which they are not capable of to exclude them from all hopes of salvation I presume it were greater cruelty then the Anabaptists will willingly owne The place it selfe being consulted with maketh it cleare shewing that this is spoken of all and only such as were capable of the Gospel preached to them and consequently capable of faith as the verse foregoing explaines it v. 15. Goe yee into all the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature And what Gospel should they preach Why even this He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved c. Which must be restrained to those who were capable of hearing and receiving that Gospell not extended to Infants who though they bee not capable of actuall faith yet are they capable of salvation and consequently of Baptisme This place I finde paralleld and compared with that of the Apostle to the Thessalonians 2 Thes 3. 10. where he giveth order that those which would not work should not bee relieved We commanded you that if any man would not worke he should not eat What then shall become of Infants and sicke and impotent persons must they be starved Not so That place must be restrained to such as are able to worke but will not So here He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but hee that believeth not shall be damned What then shall become of Infants may they not be baptized and so must be damned Not so The place is to be restrained to such persons as are capable of faith may believe but will not A. 3. In the third place it is answered by some that Infants though they have no faith of their owne yet the faith of their parents may be sufficient for them Even as the sinne of another their first parent was enough to make them sinners reputed such by a just imputation so the faith of another of their next parents may be enough to make them beleevers reputed such by a gracious acceptation Of this opinion was Augustine and the ancient Church And not without some truth in as much as the faith of the parent is sufficient to bring the childe within the compasse of the Covenant and so to make it baptizeable However as P. Martyr states it rightly in point of salvation every one who is capable of it must be saved by his owne faith The just shall live by his faith Not the faith of another A. 4. But in the fourth place it may be truly affirmed concerning Infants that they are not wholly uncapable of faith True of the outward profession and inward exercise of it they are But not altogether of the grace it selfe This at least the seed and root of it may be infused and implanted in the soule even in Infancie by the secret worke of the Spirit regenerating and sanctifying of it So as though Infants have not faith actually by way of manifestation or exercise yet vertually they may by way of inchâ—ation and inclination Thus may Infants have a gracious disposition which in time will come to be fides formata formed in the habit and act of faith A truth which is well illustrated by some by comparing faith and reason together which Infants may be conceived to bee both alike Infants have not the use of reason they cannot reason and discourse c. yet a principle of reason they have being indued with a reasonable soule which hath an inclination to discourse and afterwards actually doth it And from hence they are called reasonable creatures though for present they have no more understanding then the bruit creatures nay seemingly not so much as some of them of like age seeme to have A young Lambe will sooner know the damme then a childe the mother Even so is it with faith Infants have not the use and exercise of faith yet may they have an inward principle of faith the seed and beginning of faith wrought in the heart by the secret worke of the Spirit an inclination to believe and to shew forth their faith when they come to yeares of maturity And from hence may they be called Beleevers A. 5. However in the fifth place Infants of believing parents though they have neither actuall nor yet habituall faith yet are they not to be looked upon as Infidels and unbeleevers For the opening and clearing of which we must know that there is a twofold infidelity viz. positive and negative positive or privative the habit of Infidelity when men being capable of faith and having meanes of faith offered to them yet will not believe but continue in unbeliefe Negative Carentia fidei a meere absence of faith but without any contrary habit of infidelity Now the former of these are properly called Infidels and unbelievers Not so the other As for Infants though they may be called nonbelievers yet properly unbelievers they are not Neither doth this simple absence of faith beeing in a subject as yet not capable of it exclude them either from salvation or from baptisme True the former doth both That positive or privitive Infidelity the habit of unbeliefe shutteth men out of the Kingdome both of Grace and Glory The Israelites could not enter into Canaan a type of both because of their unbeliefe Not so this negative unbeliefe Infants of believing parents though for the present they bee destitute of faith yet are they not thereby shut out of the Kingdome of Glory nor yet to be debarred from the priviledge of the Kingdome of Grace which are agreeable to their condition Neither are they to be reckoned or reputed as Infidels Being born of believing parents they are an holy seed members of the Church within the Covenant which is all that is to be looked at in the dispencing of this Ordinance Not the inward sanctification of the heart whether present or future but the outward state and condition of the person This is that which the Ministers of the Gospell are to be regulated by in the administration of this Sacrament Which by the way let it be taken notice of against some more moderate Anabaptists who will not stick to indulge thus much unto us that did they know what Infants doe belong to Gods election of grace or were after that manner indued with the spirit they would not be against the baptizing of them For this let them know that this is not the rule which we are to walke by Not the inward but the outward state Suppose a Minister had the spirit of discerning and could discerne the inward state of men as certainly our Saviour did Iudas his and possibly the Apostles did some of those who were baptized of them yet were he not to with-hold the outward priviledge from any for want of inward grace they having right and title thereunto by vertue of their visible state their being under the Covenant outwardly But I hasten to a conclusion of this point One or two objections more and I have done Obj. Infants are not subjects capable of any benefit by baptisme and therefore why should they be baptized Answ To this I have in part answered heretofore Let me now doe it a little more fully yet briefly 1. Demanding of the Adversaries what benefit Infants under the Old Testament had by Circumcision Let them shew mee the one I will shew them the other 2. Though Baptisme at present should not bee beneficiall unto
that were in the first Adam dyed in him so all that are in the second Adam Christ shall bee quickned in him Or all that are made alive they are made alive in Christ and by Christ Freed from eternall death by his merit from spirituall death by his Spirit from temporall death by his Power I am the Way the Truth and the Life No life but in by and through the second Adam Christ So as if Infants ever come to eternall life they must come by and through Christ as well as others There being no name by which Salvation can be expected but only the name of Iesus Christ But how can Infants have any interest in Christ or receive any benefit by him when as they cannot come unto him This our blessed Saviour saith all that his Father hath given him must do and shall do All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me c. Now what is it to come unto Christ Why to believe on him So our Saviour himselfe explaineth it vers 35. He that commeth unto mee shall never hunger and he that believeth on mee shall never thirst The latter explaines the former To come unto Christ is to believe on him Now this Infants cannot doe How then can they be said to have any interest in Christ or receive any benefit by him Answ To this it is answered diversly Some in the first place conceive that in this case the faith of the Parents is sufficient Hereby the children of believers say they are brought unto Christ even as these children here they were brought unto Christ in the armes of their Parents so are Infants say they brought home unto Christ in the armes of their Parents faith laying hold upon the Covenant of grace both for themselves and their children Secondly Others conceive that even Infants are subjects capable of faith if not of actuall yet of habiâ—â—all faith Germen fidei a seed of faith the Spirit of God working in them promodulo according to their capacities Hereof I have spoken more fully heretofore Thirdly For the present in the third place let it bee sufficient that some of them are given unto Christ in Gods eternall Election And being given unto him they shall come unto him one way or other All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me If they live to yeares of discretion they shall come unto him as I may say upon their owne feet by an actuall faith In the meane time they are brought unto him by a secret worke of the Spirit working upon their natures in a hidden and mysterious way for the changing and renâ—wâ—â—g of them Herein if we know not the way yet let not us question the thing seeing we have so plaine an expression from the mouth of truth it selfe Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not Applic. A Charge and a Prohibition both so direct against the Anabaptists of the times as if they had been purposely intended against them Whether our blessed Saviour did foresee what errors would spring up in these last times and so intended to make this as a Provision against them I will not say But sure I am a more direct Provision could not have beene made In denying Baptisme unto Infants what doe Anabaptists lesse than the Disciples here did even as much as in them lyeth forbid children to come unto Christ Which act of theirs how distastefull it was to him the first words of this verse expresse Hee was displeased And how contrary to his minde the like practise is in any other the latter words explaine Suffer little children to come unto me forbid them not For of such is the Kingdome of God Passe we now to our Saviours Reason whereby hee convinceth his Disciples of their errour in repulsing these Infants keeping them backe from comming unto him and consequently as much as in them lay debarring them from entring into that Kingdome to which they have as good a right and title as any others For of such is the Kingdome of God The Kingdome of God by way of Explication in phrase of Scripture is three-fold his Kingdome of Power Grace Glory You have them all three put together in that pithy doxologie the close of the Lords Prayer Thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory First Gods Kingdome is his Kingdome of Power even the powerfull government which God exerciseth in and over the world and all the Creatures in it all which are subject to his Providence even the least and most contemptible amongst them The Sparrow upon the house top the hayre of our head both of them numbered and ordered This universall Government is Gods Kingdome The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and in his Kingdome ruleth over all Psal 103. viz. his Kingdome of Power Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome saith the Psalmist Psal 148. What Kingdome why his Kingdome of power So he explaines himselfe vers 11. They shall speake of the glory of thy Kingdome and talke of thy Power Secondly Gods Kingdome is his Kingdome of Grace even that speciall gracious government which hee exerciseth over his Elect whom having Predestinated to Grace and Glory he calleth out of the world to have union aad communion with Jesus Christ the head of this Kingdome guiding and governing them by his Word and Spirit Of this Kingdome we finde frequent mention in the new Testament Seeke first the Kingdome of God saith our blessed Saviour viz. his Kingdome of Grace So the following words explaine it The K ngdome of God and his Righteousnesse viz. Righteousnesse of Iustification and Sanctification wherein this Kingdome of Grace consisteth The Kingdome of God is Righteousnesse saith the Apostle The Kingdome of God is within you faith our Saviour His Kingdome of Grace Thirdly Gods Kingdome is his Kingdome of Glory even that glorious and blessed estate wherin himselfe reigneth and shall reigne with millions of Saints and Angels unto all eternity full of heavenly glory and felicity Of this speaketh our Saviour Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingdome viz. the Kingdome of Heaven which is the Kingdome of God Know ye not saith the Apostle that the un-righteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God A three-fold Kingdome Quest Now of which of these shall we understand our Saviour here in the Text Answ To this I might answer not of one but of all Take it which way we will we shall finde a truth in it Of such is the Kingdome of God First His Kingdome of power Infants they are subjects of this Kingdome Over them God exerciseth a Providence a speciall providence and that both in the wombe and from the wombe David acknowledgeth both as touching himselfe Thou hast covered mee in my mothers wombe Psal 139. Thou art hee that tooke
could doe having authority to blesse and having all power in his hands to conferre not onely temporall but spirituall and heavenly blessings Thou hast given him power over all flesh that hee should give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him Quest But the question is what blessing it was that Christ here bestowed upon these Infants Christ hath many blessings saith the Anabaptist right-hand and left-hand blessings In the dayes of his flesh hee healed the sicke cleansed the leapers made the dumbe to speake the blinde to see c. And who knoweth say they but some such blessing it might bee that Christ here bestowed upon them some temporall blessing Answ To this wee answer that possibly it might be so Hee might possibly and probably prav that they might live and grow in stature in wisedome and favour and the like But surely this blessing of his imports more The Text telleth us here that Christ layd his hands on them Not one hand but both Christs blessings when hee was upon earth seldome went single Seldome did he bestow a left-hand without a right-hand blessing Seldome did hee cure any in their bodies but hee cured them also in their soules And surely such was his blessing here More than a bare temporall blessing chiefly and principally a spirituall and heavenly blessing even the blessing of Gods Kingdome This hee had before avowed to belong unto them Of such is the Kingdome of God and the blessing of this Kingdome hee here conferred upon them Hee blessed them And what could hee have done more for them or for any This was the best thing that Isaac could doe to or for his sonne Jacob to blesse him And what could Christ have done better for these Infants Hee blessing them they were blessed I have blessed him and hee shall bee blessed saith Isaac concerning his sonne And those whom Christ blesseth they shall bee blessed Applic. O seeke we after this blessing the root of all blessings Seeke it for our selves and seeke it for our Children Without this our blessing of them our providing for them will be little worth Let it be our care and endeavour to bring them to Christ to know him to believe on him that hee may blesse them If he blesse them they shall be blessed And thus I have as briefly as I could run over this portion of Scripture both in a Doctrinall and Practicall way shewing you still by the way what it maketh for that end to which it hath beene ordinarily made use of amongst us viz. the Baptisme of Infants Such they were that were here brought to Christ. Such they were whom the Disciples here out of no ill intent attempt to keepe backe from â—â—ming tâ— Christ Such they were whom Christ here inviteth to come unto him prohibiting his Disciples or any other to hinder them Such they were to whom hee avoweth the Kingdome of God both of Grace and Glory to belong Such they were whom he here embraceth luyâ—â—h his hands on blesseth Object But saith the Anabaptist what is all this to the point in hand All this while wee doe not read that Christ Baptized these Infants Answ True No more did he any others Iesus himselfe baptized not Iohn 4. 2. But yet hee expressed a singular and peculiar affection to them Invites them to communion with himselfe avowes the Kingdome of God to bee theirs and conferres upon them the blessing of that Kingdome And hath Christ thus honoured some of this tender age What shall new bee done to them whom the King of Heaven delighteth to honour Doth hee invite them to communion with himselfe Who shall keepe them backe by debarring them of the meanes of that communion Doth hee avow and conferre the thing signified who shall then deny them the signe FINIS Col. 4. 14. Lucas de Medico corporum factus jam erat Medicus animarum Hieron in ep ad Phil. The healing of Israels breaches An. 1642 Church-Reformation An. Church-Remedy An. 1644 M. Marshals Sermon M. Cooke Dâ— Featly c. Gen. 38. 30. 31 a Non inficior in co nonnihil hallucinari Hieronymum quod Apostolicam esse observationem dicit viz. Confiâ—mationem Calv instit l. 4 c. 19. S. 4. b Hieron contra Lucif c Heb. 6. 2. Hic unus locus abundè testatur hujus Ceremoniae sc Impositionis manuum in Confirmatione originem fluxisse ab Apostolis Cat. Com. in ep ad Heb. ca. 6. v. 2. d Rev. 1. 16. 20. e Joh. 5. 35. The Subject of Baptisme Q. Who may and ought to be baptized A. Such as are in Covenant with God Gen. 17. 13. 14 Baptisme a seale of the Covenant already made Gen. 17. 1. 2. Vers 9. 10. Act. 2. 38. All such as are in Covenant may and ought â—o be baptized â—en 17. 26. 27 R. 1. Mans sinne and misery universall Gal. 3. 22. Rom. 5. 14. Eph. 2. 3. Tit. 3. 5. 2. The tender of Gods grace and mercy universall Gal. 3. 28. 1 Cor. 12. 13. 2. Only such as are in Covenant may be baptised The Churches rule the rule of charity Q Who may be thought to be within the Covenant A. All that professe the faith of Christ and their children Professours of the faith baptiseable Act. 8. 36. Vers 37. Act. 12. 1â— Generall profession makes a Christian Rom. 2. Gal. 4. 19. Act. 11 26. Mat. 3. Act 5. and 8. Persons come to years of discretion how they ought to be admitted to Baptisme Mat. 3. 6. Act. 19. 4. The answer of a good conscience in Baptisme what Beza Annot. in 1 Pet. 3. 21. Baptisme of Infants Anabaptisme a dangerous errour Q. Whether Infants be baptizeable or no. The Question stated Infanâ—s of beleeving parents are subjects capable of Baptisme Proved by arguments 〈…〉 Children may be baptized because within the Covenant Infants of beleeving parents are to be reputed in Covenant Rom. 3. 22. 23. Proved by 3 Arguments Arg. 1. Taken from Act. 2. 38. 39. Explication Q 1. What meant by the Promise Vers 38. A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Q. 2. What by children Calv. ad loâ— Not children by Regeneration Or Succession But children in Age. Vid. Robinson Bap. of Infants Arg. 5. The Promise said to belong to three sorts of persons Q. Who were those a far off Calvin Piscator A Lapide Not the Gentiles as it is usually expounded Ephes 2 17. vers 13. Beza ad loc Proved by two reasons Peter was not yet fully instructed in this mystery touching the calling of the Gentiles Act. 10. Vers 13. 28. 34. No fit time to preach this doctrine But the posterity of the Iewes a far off in time What meant by Children Object As many as the Lord our God shall call how to be understood Arg. 2. Some Infants were in Covenant under the Old Testament Gen. 17. 10 11 Therefore some are in covenant now Proved by 3 Arguments Otherwise Infants should be losers by the comming of Christ Nisi
them in the great businesse of salvation but to promote and further it 2. Again secondly if Infants should be in Covenant under the Old Testament and not under the New then the grace of God under the Old Testament should be more large then under the New and under the New more straite then under the Old Under the Old Testament the Covenant was I will be thy God and the God of thy seed The grace of God then extended not to the Parent only but to the Childe Now if this grace should now be restrained only to the Parent not reaching unto the Child then the grace of the New Testament should be more straite then of the Old which cannot be imagined without great wrong and injury to Christ himself and his Gospel As for Christ we know he brought grace along with him as the Sun doth his beames Grace and Truth came by and with Iesus Christ Grace and that ample grace Such is the grace of the New Testament reaching and spreading further then that of the Old The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men saith the Apostle i. e. to all sorts ages and conditions of men Therein is this grace more ample then it was under the Law There the grace of God in an ordinary dispensation it was appropriated to the Iews They were then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods favourites to whom his grace in Christ was manifested But now that grace hath appeared to all men The grace of the Gospel is more ample and every wayes greater grace then that before or under the Law God having provided some better thing for us saith the Apostle The priviledges of the Gospel are more and greater and better then those under the Law Surely therefore Infants being in Covenant then they are not excluded now Which if they be 3. Let it be shewed in the third place by what act they are excluded If once they were in Covenant let it be shewed when and how they came to be ejected how this Magna Charta this Great Charter granted first to Abraham came to be forfeited or when it was called in How they who were once of Gods family and wore his livery came to be cashiered How they who were once members of the mysticall Body came to be cut off If our adversaries can shew us a speciall warrant for the calling in of this act of grace towards them as they must before we can give way to it a speciall and expresse order to prohibit Infants from laying any further claime to that priviledge under the Gospel which for so many ages they had beene peaceably possessed of under the Law then we will hearken to them Otherwise we must hold Infants to be in statu quo in the same or in a better state and condition now then they were in under the Old Testament Being in Covenant with God then they are in Covenant with him now And being in Covenant they have right to this initiall seale of the Covenant I know what the Anabaptist will here reply to this Argument Give me leave to meet with it that I may cleare the way as I goe That Infants should be in Covenant under the New Testament because they were so under the old it followeth not say they why In as much as these are two distinct Covenants not the same For this say they Scripture is expresse calling this Covenant which we have under the Gospel a New Covenant and a better Covenant established upon better promises c. As for that old Covenant it is antiquated and abrogated being as the Apostle tells us disanulled by reason of the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse thereof That Covenant then is now determined neither have we any thing to doe with it under the Gospel This is a new Covenant nor like the former A. For answer to this in as much as it will make much to the clearing of this doctrine and tend greatly to the satisfaction of those who desire it give me leave briefly to shew you what the old Covenant was which is there opposed to this new Covenant and said to bee abrogated and abolished c. Where let God himselfe be his owne Interpreter In that 31. of Ieremy v. 32. cited by the Apostle Heb. 8. v. 9. the words are expresse Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel c. What Covenant why marke what followes Not according to the Covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt c. Marke it This was the old Covenant so much spoken of in that Epistle to the Hebrewes Not that Covenant which God made with Abraham Gen. 17. But that Covenant which he made with Israel at their comming out of Egypt Exod. 19. These were two distinct Covenants distinct I say whether in kinde or only in manner of administration I will not contend A point worthy to be observed as letting in much light to the controversie now in hand Many remarkable differences there are betwixt them To glean some of the handfulls that others have let fall 1. In the first place they differ in time The Covenant made with Abraham was long before that other Covenant even foure hundred and thirty yeares So the Apostle tells us expressely Gal. 3. 17. The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was foure hundred and thirty yeares after cannot disanull So long was this Covenant after that Covenant made with Abraham 2. As they differ in time so in place The one made at Mount Sina Exod. 19. the other first made with Abraham in Vr of the Caldees Gen. 12. after renewed and confirmed in Canaan Gen. 15. and 17. 3. They differ in the manner both of their making and dispensing The Law was given after a terrible manner to declare the Iustice of God against the violaters and transgressours of that Covenant But the Covenant made with Abraham was made with all sweetnes of love and mercy breathing forth nothing but free grace And for the manner of their dispensation that legall Covenant it was dispensed under types and figures and ceremoniall observances It had Ordinances of divine service and a wordly Sanctuary c. as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9. 1. But the Covenant made with Abraham was more plainely and simply dispensed having no other Ceremony annexed to it but only Circumcision which was a seale of that Covenant 4. Againe they differ in their Conditions The condition of that legall Covenant at Mount Sina was even the same for substance with that which God made with Adam in Paradise Doe this and live A legall condition promising life all earthly and heavenly blessings upon the condition of perfect obedience to all the Commandements Whereupon this Covenant through mans corruption and inability