Covenant you bring your poor Babes under being wholly without Divine Authority it is therefore voluntary and so forbid and sinful Secondly It is also directly repugnant to those Precepts Add not to his Word lest he reprove thee c. Thirdly Consider that Infants Baptismal Covenant is also directly repugnant to the nature of the Covenant of Grace rendring the Covenant of Grace to be of the same nature of the Covenant of Peculiarity God made with Abraham and his Natural Seed as such and so sutes only with the Baxterian Errors and Mr. William's New Scheme which renders the Covenant of Grace conditional according to the Covenant of Works Take Mr. Baxter's words viz. The Condition of the Covenant of Grace by which we have right to the Benefits of it is our Faith mark it or Christianity as it is meant by Christ in the Baptismal Covenant viz. to give up our selves in Covenant believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Contraries and that through this consent to the Christian Covenant called Faith alone is the full condition of our first right to the Benefits of that Covenant of which Justification is one Baxter's Fourth Proposit in his Preface to Dr. Tully 1. From hence note as Mr. Troughton observes Mr. Baxter doth not say that Christ's Righteousness apprehended by Faith doth justify us but Faith in a comprehensive Sense as it includeth Obedience to God according to this Covenant It appears that the Belief and Practice of the Christian Religion upon performance of their Infant Baptismal-Covenant is that Righteousness by which they are justified as the purport of Mr. Baxter's Sense 2. From hence also it appears that the Spring or Rise of this grand Baxterian Error is from Infants-Baptismal Covenant therefore Brethren 't is time to consider the danger of this unwarrantable Practice and evil Innovation D. Williams confirms Mr. Baxter's Notion Take his words What doth the Covenant bind thee to speaking of Infants Baptismal-Covenant His Answer is To be the Lord's in sincere Care to know love believe obey worship and serve him all my days and to depend on God thro Christ for all Happiness Rom. 6. 4. Quest What if a Child thro the love of Sin or vanity of Mind will not agree to this Covenant I answer saith he He then rejecteth Christ our Saviour and renounceth the Blessings of the Gospel Quest Is it a great Sin to refuse to agree to the Covenant to which thy Baptism engaged thee He answers It is the damning Sin and the Heart of all Sin Mr. Williams's Book called The Vanity of Youth pag. 131. 1 Reply From hence it appears that Mr. Baxter and Mr. Williams plainly declare that the terms and condition of the Covenant of Grace which must be performed by such that would be justified is to perform this Infant Baptismal-Covenant viz. sincerely to love believe obey worship and serve the Lord not Faith only whereby we receive Christ rely on Christ but the whole of that Obedience to which they were obliged by their Infant-Baptism 2. Observe also that it appears according to these Men that Unbelief is not the condemning Sin but the non-performance of this Baptismal-Covenant 3. How are these Men left of God to darkness of their own Minds not only to affirm the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace rendering it no better than a new Covenant of Works but also to make this devised and voluntary Infant Baptismal-Covenant to be the only Condition of it and of our Justification in the sight of God 4. Moreover They bring their poor Babes without any Authority from Christ under a Covenant and charge them with Perjury if they break it when grown up it they perform it they shall be pardoned justified and saved but they must be damn'd if they answer not the Rule of the Promise or Baptismal-Covenant which is to repent to be regenerated and so answer their new Law of Faith and sincere Obedience So that in this Covenant lies the Conditionality of their Covenant of Grace For no other formal Covenant is proposed by them to the People unless they are for Mr. Joseph Allen's voluntary Covenant contrived out of his own Head and proposed to all devout Adult Persons to enter into which no doubt is forbid by our Saviour as sinful he was a well-meaning Man And the Truth is his devised Covenant seems more plausible and reasonable than Infants Baptismal-Covenant because he would have none but such enter into his Covenant who are Adult Persons besides it must be with their own free Consent whereas Children are brought into theirs without their knowledg or consent and are obliged to do those things which they have no power to perform And as it is not required by the Lord so God hath made no Promise to them of Grace and Assistance to discharge the Obligation thereof Fourthly To conclude It is easy to gather from whence their Mistake doth arise about this Baptismal-Covenant which evidently appears to be from their applying it to false Subjects and so to bind such to perform those things which Christ never ordained Baptism to do viz. such that are in their Natural State or who when baptized believed not nor were capable so to do for your Brethren the Pedo-Baptists tell you that Baptism obligeth such as are baptized to believe and to become new Creatures not that they were such that then did believe c. And from hence it followeth that it is one of those Works or Acts of Obedience that go before Faith and therefore a dead Work and pleaseth not God as well as not required of him for all Works before Faith or Union with Christ are dead Works they not proceeding from a Spiritual Vital Principle It therefore appears from hence that Infant 's Baptismal-Covenant is directly also repugnant to Christ's true Baptismal-Covenant For evident it is that Christ's Baptism only belongs to Believers who are renewed regenerated and have Union with Christ and so in a justified State before baptized Our Baptism doth not oblige us to believe and to be regenerated or to die to Sin as such that were not dead before but it is a sign of that Faith and Death unto Sin we had when we were baptized or to shew that we were then dead to Sin c. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Or as being dead with him Therefore we are buried with him into Death Rom. 6. 2 3 4. Not buried alive or whilst dead in Sin No but as being dead to Sin Not to oblige us to be regenerated but as Persons who are regenerated before buried in Baptism And the Covenant of Baptism is to walk in newness of Life as being before quickned That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father so we should walk in newness of Life I find Mr. Richard Baxter
whereof Christ is the Mediator But the Covenant of Circumcision was in its nature and quality as much a Covenant of Works as that Covenant made with Adam or the Sinai-Covenant Ergo The Covenant of Circumcision was not a Covenant of Grace or Gospel-Covenant Read Reverend Mr. Philip Cary's Defence and Proof of the Substance of this Argument in his just Reply to Mr. John Flavel p. 59 60. Thus he says and doubtless speaks the Truth viz. That Adam's Covenant was a Covenant of Works cannot rationally be denied for as much as Life was implicitly promised to him on his Obedience and Death was explicitly threatned in case of Disobedience upon these Terms he was to stand or fall And that the Sinai-Covenant was of the same nature he hath in the said Treatise clearly proved both of them requiring perfect Obedience and neither of them admitting of Faith in a Redeemer The Sinai Covenant commanded perfect Obedience under the pain of a Curse Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. It accepted as he shews of no short Endeavours nor gave any Strength and is called a Ministration of Death and of Condemnation 2 Cor. 3. And moreover 't is called in express Terms the old Covenant which God made with the Children of Israel when he brought them up out of the Land of Egypt Heb. 8. 9. Also the new Covenant is said to be directly contrary unto it or not according to it but opposed thereto and that there was no Righteousness by it nor Life for as the Apostle shews if there had Christ is dead in vain and besides the Apostle says 't is done away Now all these things being considered Mr. Flavel 't is evident doth but beat the Air and darken Counsel and all that he hath said in his last Book in Answer to that worthy Gentleman Mr. Cary deserves no farther Answer Now saith he that the Covenant of Circumcision is of the same stamp is evident for tho God promised to be a God to Abraham and to his Seed Gen. 17. 7 8. as he did also in the Sinai-Covenant to the same People in the Wilderness yet still it was on condition of Obedience with an answerable Threatning in case of Disobedience Ver. 9 10. Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore thou and thy Seed after thee in their Generations This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy Seed after thee Every Man-Child shall be circumcised Ver. 14. The uncircumcised Male Child whose Flesh of his Foreskin is not circumcised that Soul shall be cut off from his People he hath broken my Covenant The same Terms saith he with the former Besides 't is evident that Circumcision indispensably oblig'd all that were under it to a perfect universal Obedience to the whole revealed Will oâ— God a â—…ed before Gal. 5. 3. And as the Term were the same so were the Promises that which was the great Promise of the Covenant of Circumcision was the Land of Canaan and God to be their God in fulfilling that Earthly Promise to Abraham's Natural Seed upon the Condition of keeping that Covenant on their parts That which Mr. Flavel hath said in his last Reply in his Book called A succinct and seasonable Discourse to Mr. Cary is mainly to prove that there is but one Covenant of Works p 217 218 c. To which I answer by way of Concession yet you must say that Covenant had several Ministrations and Additions as had also the Covenant of Grace because the Covenant of Works was made with Adam by which he stood in the time of his innocency justified and accepted by virtue thereof Could not God give such a second Ministration or Transcript of his righteous and holy Law tho not to Justification yet to aggravate his Sin and to his just Condemnation And doth not St. Paul assert the same thing Rom. 3 1â— 20 compared with Rom. 7. 13. That Sin by the Commandment or Law might become exceeding sinful So Gal. 3. 19. Nay I will 〈◊〉 always when the Scriptures of the New Testament speak of the old Covenant or first Covenant or Covenant of Works it passes by in silence the Covenant made with Adam and more immediately and directly applies to the Sinai Covenant and to the Covenant of Circumcision as all careful Readers who read the Epistles to the Romans Galatians and to the Hebrews may clearly find But to proceed Tho we say there is but one Covenant of Grace yet it is evident there were several distinct Ministrations of it or Additions to it and we say the Promise of the Gospel or Gospel-Covenant was the same in all Ages in respect of things promised with the nature and quality thereof which is a â—…ree and absolute Covenant without Works or any Conditions or foreseen Aâ—â—s of Righteousness or any thing to be done by the Creature Rom. 4. 5. The Substance and Essential Part of this Covenant is Christ Faith a new Heart Regeneration Remission of Sins Sanctification Preservation and Everlasting Life Yet this Evangelical Covenant had divers Forms or Transcripts of it which â—…ified those things and various Sanctions by which it was given forth and confirmed To Adam the Promise was made under the Name of the Seed of the Women bruising the Head of the Serpent to Enoch Noah c. in other Forms to Abraham under the Name of his Seed in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed to Moses by the Name of a great Prophet of his Brethren like unto him and it was also signified to him under dark Shadows and Sacrifices unto David under the Name of a Successor in his Kingdom In the New Testament in plain words We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. But now because there were so many Additions of the Gospel-Promise and new Covenant are there so many new Covenants This being so Mr. Flavel hath done nothing to remove Mr. Cary's Arguments but they stand as a Rock Take another of them Arg. 7. That Covenant in which Faith was not reckoned to Abraham or Righteousness could not be a Gospel-Covenant or a Covenant of Grace But the Scripture is express that Faith was not reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness when he was circumcised but in Uncircumcision Rom. 4. 9 10. Ergo The Covenant of Circumcision was not a Gospel-Covenant or a Covenant of Grace Arg. 8 That Law or Covenant which is contradistinguished or opposed to the Righteousness of Faith could not be a Covenant of Faith or a Gospel-Covenant But the Law or Covenant of Circumcision is by the Apostle plainly opposed to or contradistinguished unto the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4. 13. Ergo The Law or Covenant of Circumcision was not a Gospel-Covenant And from hence Mr. Cary argues thus By the way saith he let it be observed in reference to the two foregoing Arguments
dying Infants from Original Sin by virtue of his Blood in a way unknown unto us Must we deny Original Sin or own Infant-Baptism does cleanse from it Strange Divinity you prove nothing 4. You say all were not regenerated in Circumcision but God blessed his own Ordinance in his own time for the Regeneration of his Elect c. So say you not that all are regenerated in Baptism but because Baptism sheweth the necessity of Regeneration and being effectual in time unto all those that are elected for working Regeneration in them Answ 1. You say all were not regenerated in Circumcision and so not that all are say you regenerated in Baptism c. Sir take heed you do not deceive the Souls of People I deny that ever any one Soul was regenerated in Infancy either in Circumcision or Baptism nor did God ever ordain either of those external Ordinances to regenerate young or old 2. I know the Scripture and worthy Divines hold forth that Baptism is a Sign of present Regeneration they that ought to be baptized i. e. Believers do rise out of the watery Grave as Dr. Sherlock asserts new born Creatures but thus do not Infants whom you baptize or rather rantize 3. Prove if you can that God ever blessed Circumcision or Baptism to the Regeneration of any Elect Infants when grown up But if none but Elect Infants are the Subjects of Baptism why do you baptize as you call it all the Infants of Believers Are all their Children elected and none but theirs Are not many Children of Unbelievers elected Why then are such not to be baptized as well as the Children of the Faithful Sir we know not who are elected till called and Baptism belongs to none but such who can make a Profession of their Faith and give Evidence of effectual Calling and present Regeneration You write but your own Phantasie not God's unerring and certain Truth 4. You say Abraham's Heart was circumcised before the Flesh of his Fore-skin but you intimate his Childrens Flesh was circumcised before their Hearts were circumcised In the same manner you say our Ancestors the Gentiles were first Fruits unto Christ and were regenerated before baptized but their Seed are baptized before they are regenerated To Abraham you say it was a Seal of the Covenant of Grace he had and of the Righteousness of his Faith before circumcised but to his Seed it was a Sign of the Righteousness of Faith they were bound to receive for Justification after they were circumcised and so you speak of Believers Seed in respect of Baptism Answ 1. I answer Abraham only received Circumcision as a Seal of the Righteousness of his Faith c. But prove that Circumcision did bind all his Children to receive by Faith Justification 't is a bold Assertion I have proved that Circumcision did not appertain to the Covenant of Grace but to the external or fleshly Covenant God made with Abraham and in him with the whole Nation of the Jews and therefore 't is positively affirmed by the Apostle That such that were circumcised were bound to keep the whole Law Gal. 5. 3. not to receive by Faith Justification Your Parallel between Circumcision and Baptism 't is true well futes with the Human Contrivance of those that first invented Infant-Baptism who would thereby fain make the Gospel-Church National as the Jewish Church was and confirm the old Church-Right and Church-Membership which is taken away and a new Church-state erected which doth not consist of Believers and their Carnal Seed as such but only of the Spiritual Seed of Abraham who are Believers or living Stones who are built up a Spiritual House 1 Pet. 2. 5 6. The Gospel-Church is not National but Congregational say what you please to the contrary 2. Therefore as the Faithful at first among the Gentiles and Jews too received Baptism as Believers being regenerated before baptized so must we unless you have a new Gospel or fresh Authority to change the Administration of Gospel-Ordinances and the Gospel-Church I thought the Water as it just came forth of the Fountain was most pure you do but plead for the muddy Water that has run through the Popish Stream You say Circumcision was a Sign of Admission into the Church of God every Male did come in through that Door the uncircumcised had no right to the Privileges of the visible Church So you would have Baptism to run Answ 1. 'T is not true what you say Circumcision was not the Door into the Jewish Church they were all born Members of that National Church and therefore their Females were as truly Members that were not required to be circumcised as their Males 2. Tho we grant Baptism is the initiating Ordinance into the Gospel-Church yet it admits of no Members but Believers only if any others upon a false Faith get into it they have no just Right thereto and when discovered are to be put out 3. Sir tremble at the Thoughts of what you say It is not we but Christ in his Blessed Gospel that excludes Infants or the Natural Seed of Believers as such from being Members of the Gospel-Church he hath shut up that Door viz. by Generation i. e. being the Seed of Abraham or Seed of Believers as such and hath opened the Door of Regeneration 'T is we that believe and our Children that the Lord our God shall call and none else 4. Sir Circumcision was so far from being any such a Privilege as you intimate that the Apostle calls it such a Yoke of Bondage that neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15. And in Answer to what you say p. It was not for their Sin nor the Sin of their Parents that Infants are excluded or not received into the Gospel-Church but because it was the good Pleasure of God to erect another and more spiritual Church-state and to remove the old Way and Typical Church-state of Israel 5. Therefore for you to intimate as if we were so unnatural as to cast our Children out of God's House is not to be indured it doth but reflect on the Wisdom of God we are more faithful to our Children and not like the Ostritch than you for we would not allow them that Right which God hath not nor make them think in Baptism they were regenerated and made Members of God's Church and so deceive and put them upon a Temptation not to seek out for any other Regeneration and Gospel-Right to Church-Membership You say Circumcision was an Obligation to put off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh and say you Baptism putteth us under the same Obligation c. Answ Baptism can oblige none to put off the Body of Sin but such that are the true Subjects of it by virtue of Christ's holy Institution which are only Believers such who before baptized have received the Spirit of God so to do But you without any Warrant from Christ would put this hard Obligation on your poor Infants whereas
Bodies of your Vows O shew them the Mercy of God! the Church of God is willing to receive them O rent them not from the Mystical Body of which they are Members See pag. Answ You Godly Parents take heed what Doctrine you receive you cannot cast your Infants out of the Invisible and Mystical Body of Christ if they are in it nor cast them out of the Covenant of Salvation No no that 's not in the Power of Mortals We cannot receive them or bring them into the Covenant of Salvation nor make them Members of Christ's Invisible and Mystical Body None can do that but God himself Christ himself 't is preposterous Stuff strange Doctrine this poor Man troubles you with Good Men may in some things be blinded and misled Try his Doctrine search the Scriptures take nothing upon trust without trial As to your bringing of your Children into the Visible Church so as to be Members thereof and to have right to the holy Sacraments they must come in at the Door of Regeneration not by Generation even at the same Door you came in at if you are true Members thereof and O therefore pray for your Children they are dear to you bring them up in the Fear of God command them to seek after the Knowledg of their Natural State and to know and believe in Jesus Christ and set them a good Example I know not what better Counsel to give you concerning your Children Secondly To you that are Unbelievers who have Children Do not fear the State of those dear Babes of yours that die in Infancy you have no cause to doubt of their Happiness but your Children may be saved that die in their Infancy as well as the Infants of faithful and godly Parents Also the Infants of Godly People are no more holy than yours if your Marriage was good and lawful for Marriage is honourable in all it belongs to Unbelievers and is God's holy Ordinance to them as well as 't is to Believers But O let it be your Care and chief Business to get true Faith in Jesus Christ for Matrimonial Sanctification in your selves or the Holiness of Legitimation in your Children will add nothing to yours or their Salvation but till you and your Off-spring do believe and are spiritually holy and sanctified by the Blood of Christ through Faith of the Operation of God neither you nor they have any right to the Sign which is Baptism for as we deny the Infants of Believers as such have any right to Baptism so be sure your Children have no right thereto yet the Promise is to you and your Children or Off-spring whenever the Lord is pleased to call either you or your Children by the preaching of the Word c. CHAP. X. Proving in Opposition to what Mr. James Owen saith that Children have no right to be baptized altho Christ blessed them MR. Owen quotes Mark 10. 13 14 15 16. And 〈◊〉 brought little Children to him that he should touch them that he would put his Hand upon them and pray Mat. 19. 13. And his Disciples rebuked those that brought them but when Jesus saw it he was displeased and said Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven c. Saith Mr. Owen Let us consider in this remarkable Scripture who were those that were brought to the Lord Jesus the Text says they were little Children suchas were taken up in Arms as we translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore saith he it being evident that those Children brought as it is probable by the Godly Parents unto Christ were very little they themselves were not of Age to come unto him nor profess Faith in him 2. Why were they brought to Christ that he should put his Hands on them and pray They that brought them to Christ did believe they could receive a Blessing by laying of Hands and Prayers of Christ altho the little Children understood not at present what Christ had done to them As saith he Parents brought their Children to â—hrist to bless them so do we bring them to Christ by Baptism to receive a Blessing Why cannot they receive a Blessing from him now as in the days of his Flesh Are his Bowels straitned towards them Answ What doth this prove touching the Lawfulness of Infant-Baptism we acknowledg and readily grant that they were little Children that were brought to Christ and that he 〈◊〉 his Hands upon them and blessed them but is this a Warrant for us to Baptize our little Children You say As those Parents brought their Children to Christ to bless them so do you bring them to Christ by Baptism Answ. And with shame you may speak it unless you had Authority to Christ so to do Who hath required this thing 〈◊〉 our Hands May you not as the Ancient Fathers did by the sâ—me Argument bring little Children to the Lord Jeâ—us by bringing them to the holy Sacrament of the Lord's â—upper Also you have as much ground from God's Word to do that as to bring them to the Sacrament of Baptism No doubt they were brought to Christ to be healed of some Bodily Distemper for the Lord blessed and healed Diseases by laying his Hand on the Sick and we all know that they are capable of that Blessing 〈◊〉 not of the holy Sacraments which alâ—ne belong to Adult Persons that believe and are able to examine themselves True Christ's Bowels are not straitnâ—d now he is in Heavan to young or old but what oâ— thâ—… Wisdom did not lead him to baptize little Children and he knows how to let out his Bowels towards them without your reaching him Will you direct the Almighty or have Christ to bless an Human Invention Were iâ— his Appointment he would no doubt bless it to little Children but that you will never be able to prove and it argues you have a bad Caâ—se in hand in that you make use of such Childish Arguments to prove it and bring Texts so remote from the Business You say Christ prayed for them whom the Father had given him John 17. 9. and if the Children of the Faithful not of the World but are Christ's we should suffer them to come to him and receive his Mark which is Baptism Answ 1. Are all the Infants of Believers given unto Christ and so not of this World Do you believe it Sir all that the Father hath given to Christ shall come unto him and every Soul of them shall be saved Now do all the Children of the Faithful come to Christ and shall they all be saved or are you not to be rebuked and sharply reproved for what you write to blind the Eyes and deceive the Children of the Faithful to make them think their State is good and safe when perhaps they are in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity Had not Abraham an Ishmael Isaac an Esau and David an Absalom O and what ungodly Persons do daily