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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84337	The axe, against sin and error; and the truth conquering. A sermon on Matthew 3. 10. Now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees, therefore every tree, that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. At which, a Christian confessed, she was converted; and because it did good to her, desired it might be preached again at her funerall, that it might do good to others, ... wherein are shewed the causes of the sword upon England, and on the Lutherans, and the remedies that must be used, before the judgements cease. / Written by John Eachard, M. A. of Trin. Col. Camb. and pastor of Darsham in Suffolke. Published according to order.	Eachard, John, 17th cent.	1646 (1646)	Wing E46; Thomason E322_26; ESTC R200585	51,668	51

26. Now such as doe not abide in Christ indeed such saith Bullenger not onely shall be but are cast out already from the societie and inheritance of Christ and his Saints as he saith of the faithfull not that they shall have eternall life but they have it already as Joh. 3. 36. because Christ is possessed which brings with him righteousnesse and the fruit of eternall life as Calvin and Bullenger that he saith not he shall have eternall life for now as his own he possesseth it already and hath it and by hope expecting that which he knoweth most certainly shall be i. He is freed from death from malediction and condemnation and hath justification absolution felicitie and eternall happinesse And so he saith of the incredulous that beleeve not they are in the Sonne he saith not they shall have the wrath of God upon them hereafter when they die but the wrath of God abideth upon them i. now for all men by the sin of Adam are fallen under the wrath of God as Augustine and Eph. 2. 3. They have with them by naturall birth the wrath of God upon them and that for the sin of Adam But the Sonne of God came not having sin and clad with flesh that he might turne away the wrath of God if men receive the Sonne of God in Baptisme as all the Elect and grace offered by him otherwise wrath abides upon them I heare the Anabaptists brag they have a Church but I would know of them whether the witches of England can make a Church No why because they have denied their Baptisme no more can Anabaptists because they have denied their baptisme that made them of the Church Because where Baptisme is refused there grace is refused as is plaine Luk. 7. 30. The Pharisees and the Expounders of the Law despised the counsell of God against themselves and were not baptized of him but the people that heard and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John ver. 29. for the remission of sinnes So that you see that they that despise baptisme for their Infants despise the counsell of God against their owne children that will not suffer little children to come to him And all they justifie God that receive and beleeve baptisme for the remission of sins and put on Christ to make them everlastingly righteous before God Gal. 3. 27. they which believe it not are as with an ax cut down by the roots before God as all Heathens all Jews all Turks and Tartars and all Anabaptists and all Papists and Protestants that do not justifie God by baptisme for the remission of sins and righteousnesse are cut down in conscience and have no assurance of their salvation because they will have remission of sins and free righteousnesse by some other way then God hath appointed This is the most mournfull and lamentable thing in the world as our Saviour wept over Jerusalem saying O if thou hadst even known at least in this thy day the things that concern thy peace how often would I have gathered thy children together as the Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not I would have gathered your children by baptisme and faith in me under the wing● of the Father and of the sun of righteousnes and of the holy Ghost Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate Here is the cause why many places shall be left desolate now Christ is come as a thiefe by the judgement of a civill war because they believe not their baptisme the axe is laid to the root of the trees they bring forth sin they are hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Now this will appear more plain by the second Doctrine which is this That all men by nature are evill trees and can bring forth nothing but evill fruit all men now that baptisme is preached and administred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that are now out of Christ and bring forth evill fruits before God of sin he is hewn down by the ax of Gods Decree and cast into the fire of Gods wrath that is every man that will not receive or believe his baptisme into Christ that he hath an eternall redemption through Christs blood the forgivenesse of his sins and in him he hath everlasting righteousnesse his person or his conscience is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath This is proved not only by the doctrine of John by the Text but also by our Saviour Christ himself Mat. 7. 17 18. So every good tree bringeth forth good fruit i. that is made good by baptisme and faith in Christ before God and a corrupt tree bringeth forth evill fruit A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can a corrupt tree as all that are in Adam are bring forth good fruit Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire So Luke 6 43 44. For it is not a good tree that bringeth forth evill fruit i. of sin before God 't is not in Christ by baptisme it hath no benefit of Christs blood or righteousnesse that brings forth sin before God neither is it an evill tree that bringeth forth good fruit i. before God For every tree is known by his own fruit if it say it bringeth forth before God righteousnesse by faith in his baptisme it is a good tree but if it bring forth sin before God it is an evill tree for neither of Thorns gather men figs nor of bushes or Thistles gather they grapes neither doth God of naturall men which are but Thornes and Thistles gather any fruits of righteousnesse for they that are servants of sin are freed from righteousnesse Rom. 6. 20. i. they are evill trees that are out of Christ that can bring forth no righteousnesse before God but being made free from sin i. by baptisme and faith they are made servants of righteousnesse and to bring forth fruits of holinesse before God for he that is made an holy tree shall bring forth holy fruit Reasons why For all men are evill trees by generation all conceived in sin and born in iniquity all the parts of soul and body are corrupted by that sin of Adam so that their throat is become an open sepulchre which sends forth stinking smels before God their feet are bloody yea swift to shed blood their tongues are deceitfull their lips poysonable for the poyson of Aspes is under them their lips their mouths are full of cursing and bitternesse destruction and calamity are in their wayes and the way of peace have they not known there is no fear of God before their eyes thus all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God Rom. 3. 13 14 15 16 17 18. 23. and so all men by generation are evill trees bearing nothing but evill fruit A Crab-tree bears nothing but Crabs and as the

in sin and pollute thy self more and more Well make haste to believe thy baptisme for the world will not hold thee long nor God indure thee to behold the light of this Son that will walk in darknesse of infidelity out of Christ for the ax is laid to the root of the trees every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire but thou dost bring forth bad fruit of sin Ergo thou art hewn down and cast into the fire In the second place we gather that all that are made good trees by Baptism into Christ to bring forth fruit before God shall be saved and not be cut down and cast into the fire All men have now the ax of Baptism laid to their roots except Jews and Heathens and Anabaptists which despise the counsell of God to their damnation to cut them out of the old Adam to graffe them into the new for it is certain that in Baptisme we put off the old man and put on the new for thereby the Father Son and Holy Ghost do graffe us into Christ and make us trees of righteousnesse trees of his own planting that the Lord may be glorified Isai. 61. 3. Now should Gods good trees of righteousnesse bring forth bad fruit of sin before God He saith no Mat. 7. 17. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit for by the remission of all sins in the blood of Christ in Baptisme the actions are made good by the eternall redemption and the everlasting righteousnesse which few men understand for by an eternall redemption by Christs blood in Baptisme we have remission of all sins past present and to come for ever before the Throne of God though we cannot yet believe it and we have an everlasting righteousnesse given unto us freely which makes us righteous for ever before God Hence saith Calvin is to be noted that men cannot do well before they be made good and therefore Christ saith to the Pharisees O generation of Vipers how can you speak good things when your selves are evill i. not graffed in Christ by Baptisme and Faith in him For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh i. from the abundance of good or evill in the heart and in Luke 6. 44. for every tree is known by his fruit for it is not a good tree that bringeth forth evill fruit i. of sin before God neither an evill tree that bringeth forth good fruit signifying that the good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit and hereupon the trees of the Lord are said to be full of sap i. full of the Spirit of Christ which cause them to bring forth good fruit for the seed remaineth in him saith St. John for whosoever is born of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sin because he is born of God i. though he do sin before men yet he cannot fall out of Christs blood and righteousnesse that he need a new sacrifice before God For with one sacrifice he is made perfect before God for ever Heb. 10. 14. For Davids blessed man is campared to the tree planted by the rivers of water in infancy yea into Jesus that came by water and blood not by water only but by water and blood 't is that Spirit that beareth witnesse and that Spirit is trtuh 1 John 5. 6. that bringeth forth fruit in due season for they that are planted in the House of God in their youth or infancy planted into Christ by Baptisme shall bring forth much fruit in their age for herein is my Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit and be made my Disciples And how shall any bring forth much fruit before God except the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart and all the works of his hands be made acceptable unto God but through Christs work in Baptisme for we cannot make them good by all the devices that mans brain can imagine but Christ must make them all good by his blood and righteousnesse freely without any works of man and give us faith to believe it But how is any man made a good tree before God that were all such evill trees by Adam First as trees are made good before men by planting or graffing before they can bring forth good fruit before men so must all men be planted or graffed into Jesus Christ by Baptisme before they can bring forth good fruit before God this is plain Rom. 11. 17. and 24. and though some of the branches be broken off and thou being a wilde Olive tree wast graffed in for them and made partaker of the root and fatnesse of the Olive tree for if thou wast cut out of the Olive tree which was wilde by nature i. by Baptisme wast cut out of Adam and wast graffed contrary to nature in the right Olive tree how much more shall they which are by nature be graffed in their own Olive tree for if we be planted with him into the similitude of his death even so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection Rom. 6. 5. And how is that that we are graffed or planted into the similitude of his death The Answer is in the 4th verse We are buried with him by baptisme into his death that as they buried a man in the Sepulchre of Elisha that when the man was down and touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood upon his feet 2 King 13. 21. so the elect that were dead in sins in trespasses when they are cast into the grave of Christ when they are down and touch the vertue of Christs death by Baptism they revive and stand upon their feet before God We are made good trees because we are made branches of the Vine Christ as John 15. 5. I am the Vine ye are the branches Adam and Christ are compared to two trees Adam a wilde Olive the root of all men by nature Christ a sweet Olive or a Vine the root of all men by grace that are graffed into Christ by baptisme he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing i. he that abideth by faith in Christ by baptisme he bringeth forth much fruit of righteousnesse before God but he that abideth not in Christ to bring forth good fruit but in such a dead faith that he bringeth forth sin he is cast forth as a branch i. unprofitable by the judgement of God and withereth in the assurance of salvation and men gather them and cast into the fire of Gods wrath and they burn as they that turn Jews Turks Heathens Papists Witches and Anabaptists all these are justly excommunicated out of the true Church of God and judged to be under wrath because they have denied or forsaken or forgotten their Baptisme into Christ Why because by Baptisme

his houshold after Baptisme rejoyced And I can testifie that my God shall fill you full of joy and peace in believing i. that you are in him that is true in that his Son Jesus Christ the same is very God and eternall life and this I know by faith in my baptisme into that Jesus that came by water and blood not by water of Baptisme only but by water and blood 't is that Spirit that beareth witnesse i. unto our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. that Spirit is true and those Christians that hold the true faith in their baptisme that by it and by the blood we know we are in him that is true and by the Spirit that beareth witnesse by both these they are the right joyfull Christians in all the world the Devill and the world are mad at them for their joy and are the citizens of the new Jerusalem the street of it paved with pure gold like transparent glasse signifie the lively faith of our Baptisme And this John had his garment of Camels hair he was no velvet or silken Preacher with long Camels hair on his head no his garment was hairy like Elias free from softnesse or pride and a lethern girdle about his loynes not broydered with silver or gold but like Elias in his lether girdle 2 King 1. and his meat was Locusts and wilde Honey to shew Humble-Bees honey and Locusts could content him as the Pulse did Daniel and the three children Daniel he did not desire delicate fare but he was in his apparel and diet far from pride or luxury There went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan and they were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins They went out into the Wildernesse to see a Prophet he was not a Reed shaken with the wind to run after every wind of doctrine but he taught that doctrine and baptisme that he was sent to teach from God for so he testified he that sent me to baptize with water said unto me Joh. 1. 33. But when they came to see him he so preached the Law and the wrath of God to come upon them for sin they confessed their sins i. they humbly confessed they were sinners before God by the Law and had deserved eternall damnation and prayed to God to forgive them their sins and took the Sacrament of Baptisme unto repentance for the remission of sins and bad them believe in Christ that should baptize them with the Holy Ghost which Johns baptisme could not do as the twelve men Acts 19. For by our baptisme now we are made clean from all our sins before God and regenerate that of the children of Adam we might be made the sons of God and as Ananias said to Paul Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins in calling on the name of the Lord Acts 22. And Paul testifieth that Christ doth cleanse his Church in the laver of water through the Word Eph. 5. and Christ saith Except ye be regenerate of water and the Holy Ghost ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Joh. 3. And Paul saith that Baptisme is the laver of regeneration Tit. 3. that we might have this ground of consolation in all afflictions that we are baptized and so regenerate and are adopted to be the sons of God And seeing Baptisme is a means saith the Expositor whereby we obtain remission of sins and the benefit of regeneration let us beware of that doctrine of Devils that through malice or foolishnesse we deprive not our children to come unto Christ to obtain remission of sins and the benefit of regeneration in infancy For if Christ say Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heaven then they must be baptized for they can come no other way to Christ but by Baptisme nor any other way be of the kingdome of Heaven as Joh. 3. 5. but by that of themselves or of their parents if they die in the womb for Baptisme is as the Ark for a man and his houshold 1 Pet. 3. 21. When he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces come to his baptisme he said unto them O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come What you Pharisees that think your selves good and contemne others you that trust to your own righteousnesse you that say stand apart I am holier then thou you that think your selves better then other folks the Law doth declare you are a cursed generation for you are a poysonable generation and desirous of hurting you are the generation of Vipers for your fathers slew the Prophets and you are of the same viperous mind to kill them that discover your hypocrisie for all your plots are against them that discover you And you Sadduces What are you come to my baptisme What need you be baptized as if he should say you believe no resurrection nor Angel nor Spirit you are all cursed by the Law for you have not continued in all things you shall go cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels you shall finde a Devill in Hell that will not believe there are Angels in Heaven Well both of you are come to my baptisme look you be both of one faith to believe in the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the Pharisees and the sins of the Sadduces and of the whole world and thus he reconciled these Sects to be all one in their baptisme So the only way to reconcile all the Sects in the world is to shew them their abominable estate by Adam the generation of Vipers and how cursed they are by the Law and the wrath of God hangs over them and bring them all to faith in baptisme to obtain remission of all sins past present and to come and how they put on Christ in baptisme to make them everlastingly righteous For here is the cause of all the sects and divisions in Christendome for when men have lost baptisme then one sect will devise to get remission of sins one way as by a Popes pardon by pilgrimage or in Purgatory The Anabaptists by a new baptisme and by a new Church-way not appointed by Christ but invented of themselves to make them more righteous and holy and clean then others that are not of their way and therfore will not communicate with others for they think they are more holy then others by strictnesse of their order and thus all sects imagine that in that way they walk in they are lesse sinners then others and more righteous then others and therefore will not communicate with others and you will be a Church by your selves But I say unto you O generation of Vipers all you sects in Christendom come home to the faith in your baptism into Christ there is wrath coming upon all

Christendome Christ is come as a thief by the judgement of a plundering robbing spoyling stealing pillaging civill war upon all sects Here is an Ark for you to be saved in come unto your baptisme what foolery have you professed Can you get a better remission of sins then Christ hath procured for you in his own blood in your baptisme If you should wash your selves an hundred yeers with all your tears and mortification and holy walking though these may give some satisfaction to the conscience yet you cannot wash your selves more clean from sin before God then Christ hath made you in baptisme and by his blood And seeing Christ hath made you everlastingly righteous in baptisme by putting on of Christ you cannot make your selves more righteous before God by all the works in the world then the wedding garment hath made you already and if you go about to make your selves more righteous by works before God you defile his garments you may make your selves more righteous before men but you cannot make your selves more righteous or more holy then Christ hath made you in baptisme and therefore all you sects come to your baptisme into this Ark and be saved from the blood of Gods wrath coming upon Christendome for the contempt of Christs counsell And all you Sadduces that are prophane and loose livers that believe not your resurrection for you purifie not your selves as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. Come home to believe your baptisme and you shall have your part in the first resurrection for blessed and holy is he which hath part in the first resurrection and the second death shall have no power over you The first resurrection before God is in baptisme as Col. 2. 12. though before men it be at conversion and faith Bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life i. bring forth fruits in Christ believe you are in him that is true in that his Son Jesus Christ and let this faith cause you to bring forth fruits of piety and charity And think not to say we have Abraham to our father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham He told them of their thoughts nourish not such proud thoughts as these that you have Abraham to your father you have a Church you have the Word and you have Sacraments you are the children of the martyrs for I tell you all you are cursed by the Law for not continuing in all things written in the book of the Law to do them and therefore come and believe your baptisme or else you are cursed for ever For God is able of these stones yea stony hearted people by baptisme to raise up children unto Abraham and give them faith to believe it Gal. 3. 9. and to take away the stony heart and give them hearts of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. For Now the ax is laid to the root of the trees every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into he fire Now Christ is come by baptisme and faith to make you good trees to bring forth none but good fruit every tree every church or sect or particular man that bringeth forth sin before God is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Every man or church that will not believe his baptisme that by it he is baptized into Christ and ingraffed into him and made a good tree in Christ and bring forth good fruit before God he is hewn down by the Law and cast into the fire of Gods wrath for he believeth not that he hath the Son that he hath his blood that hath washed him from all his sins before God nor Christs righteousnesse to make him everlastingly righteous therfore the wrath of God abideth upon him John 3. vers. last What is meant by the Ax It is taken materially for an●…strument to cut down trees So Deut. 20. 19. Thou shalt not cut down the fruit trees with an ax when thou besiegest a city for thou mayest eat of them for the tree of the field is mans life but it is taken metaphorically for Gods Decree and Judgement as in this place Now is the decree of God come forth that every one that is not made a good tree by baptisme into Christ is hewn down and cast into wrath In the time of the Law there was sacrifice for wrath but now baptisme for men to get into Christ now no more sacrifice for wrath So Dan. 4. 11. 14. 21. Hew him down is the Decree of the most High So Zeph. 2. 1 2. Gather your selves together gather your selves together O nation not worthy to be beloved before the decree come forth for Gods decrees are never to be recalled The ax at the root is baptisme What is meant by trees Metaphorically by trees are meant men as is plain by Jothams Parable Judg. 9. 8. The trees went forth to anoint a king over them and they said to the Olive Come thou raigne over us but the Olive said Should I leave my fatnesse whereby by me they honour God and man and go to advance me above the trees No I am content with my estate to honour God in that estate I am created I will be content with my calling to honour God and man in that I must forsake my fatnesse and by taking of an higher calling of a King I may so dishonour God and man and the Fig-tree would not forsake his sweetnesse and good fruit to be a King nor the Vine would not forsake his wine whereby he cheered God and man to be King to which he was not called of God he should displease God and man but the Bramble would be King though most unfit for it that would do no good to them but scratch and fire them Also where the tree falleth there it lieth whether towards the South or the North Eccles. 11. 3. i. in what estate men die whether in a good estate or bad to heaven-ward or to hell so they lie So the persecutors of Jeremiah said Let us destroy the tree with the fruit i. let us destroy Jeremiah and his Prophesie Let us destroy the Preacher and his preaching but thou Lord God of Sabaoth that judgest right let me see thy vengeance upon them Jer. 11. 19. declaring the destiny of all such as plot to destroy a faithfull Pastor and the tree to be hewn down was Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 21. So Jude 12. Corrupt trees whose fruit withereth twice dead and plucked up by the roots are men that are dead by originall sin and then dead by actuall sin Reprobates that cannot repent are cast into the fire of Gods wrath and then heap up wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the just judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. What is meant by hewn down i. They are cut down before God that refuse or will not believe baptisme by Gods Law and Decree for as Samuel hewed

Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal 1 Sam. 15. 33. so are all men that will not receive Christ by baptisme hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Joh. 3. 36. as Jews Turks and Heathens Sometimes it is taken for hewing by degrees as Exod. 31. 4. Hew thee two tables of stone Metaphorically it is taken for the preaching of the Law by the Prophets So Hos. 6. 5. Therefore I have hewn them by my Prophets and slain them with the words of my mouth by punishments and plagues and curses of the Law for their sins Therefore the Law and the Prophets indured untill John i. hewing them and slaying them as in Hosea for their sins and since that time the kingdome of Heaven is preached and every man presseth unto it How is the Kingdome of Heaven to be preached By faith and baptisme for remission of sins is preached by baptisme and the righteousnesse of Christ without which no kingdome of Heaven but by baptisme we come into the large heaven of remission of sins as Luther calls it in which we have remission of all sins past present and to come for the doctrine and work of Baptisme it came down from heaven as Christ posed the Pharisees The baptisme of John was it from heaven or of men intimating it was from Heaven But why did he call it the baptisme of John not the doctrine or ministery of John Answ To shew that his baptisme was the most heavenly thing For there was a man sent from God whose name was John Job 1. 6. And what was he sent to do Answ. To baptize He that sent me to baptize with water said unto me Vpon whom thou seest the Spirit of God come down and tarrying still upon him that is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost By all which you see that where baptisme is truly preached and administred there the Kingdome of Heaven is preached and is at hand and in it the Kingdome of Heaven is set open to all the elect and according to the established doctrine of the Church of England which all that have taken the Protestation are sworn to maintain that in my baptisme I was made a member of Christ a childe of God and an inheritor of the Kingdome of Heaven which is a heavenly point of doctrine that agrees with the reformed Churches and Scriptures for if any be made an inheritor of that Kingdome it must be by baptisme For Verily verily I s●y unto thee saith Christ Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. 5. For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and unclean and unfit for the Kingdome of heaven untill it be new born What is meant by good fruit All the fruit that man brings forth before God is sin or righteousnesse every evill man brings forth evill fruit of sin and every good man bringeth forth good fruits of righteousnesse A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit neither can a bad tree bring forth good fruit namely before God Matth. 7. 17. So that every man Church or Nation that will not now receive baptisme or believe by baptisme into Christ he is made a good tree and brings forth nothing but good fruit before God through remission of sins and Christs righteousnesse he is hewn down and cast into the fire What is meant by fire By fire in this place is not meant hell fire though they shall go afterward into hell fire that do not escape but they are cast into the fire of Gods wrath signifying that every man that bringeth forth evill fruit of sin before God that believes not by baptisme his sins are all forgiven and that in Christ he bringeth forth fruit of righteousnesse before God he is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath as is plain Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth in the Son which none can do before he be baptized into him bath everlasting life he that obeyeth not the Son i. to let him wash him Joh. 13. 8. shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him For fire is kindled in my wrath and it shall burn to the bottome of hell and set on fire the foundation of the mountains Deut. 32 22. Now in that he saith Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit we gather that all men now baptisme is offered are good trees or bad there are none indifferent or partly good and partly bad This is proved Matth. 12. 33. Either make the tree good and his fruit good or the tree evill and the fruit evill Augustine saith he commanded the Jews that they should be good trees and to bring forth good fruit and in that he saith make the tree evill he admonisheth them that they should not be evill for the Pharisees declared themselves to be evill trees by their evill fruit Others take it that Christ spake of himself as of a tree Thus the tree is known by the fruit and the fruit is like the tree The casting out devills is a good fruit as you grant in your children therefore if you in your words and judgements make the fruit good then also make the tree good for an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7. 18. Say of him that cast out devils he is a good tree not the prince of devils but if you make the tree evill and say I am an evill man and have the devill Beelzebub do not attribute the casting out of devils which is good fruit to an evill tree for an evill tree as Beelzebub is cannot bring forth good fruit nor an evill man by Adam cannot bring forth good fruit before God This you may see Matth. 7. 17. So every good tree that is made good by baptisme into Christ bringeth forth good fruit before God and a corrupt tree by Adam as all are by generation bringeth forth evill fruit i. before God Calvin noteth that this was the opinion of the Pharisees that they were partly good trees and partly bad and that they brought forth some good fruit before God and some bad for which they did sacrifice as some say now they are partly flesh and partly spirit and therefore do bring forth some fruits good and some bad and this was the opinion of the old Pharisees for their fained sanctimony was such that the people perceived them not Now Christ puts away this vizird and uncaseth all Hypocrites and tels them that all men are good or bad before God a good tree bringeth nothing but good fruit before God and a bad tree nothing but bad as Matth. 7. 18. for there is nothing such an enemy to true Christianity as to counterfeit a man in a twofold estate before God but they do in vain think themselves righteous that are not made good trees by baptisme into Christ for such justifie themselves before men and think to make themselves righteous in whole or

in part which is the abomination of Antichrist but God knows their hearts i. to be evill trees Luke 16. 15. Now they bear themselves in hand that they were good and righteous men though they brought forth some fruit that was evill before God they should sacrifice for that and take it away well enough but they were deceived for John telleth them now baptisme is instituted to wash away all sins now you must make the tree good and the fruit good i. the person and the actions all good through the remission of sins in baptisme or the tree evill and the fruit evill i. the person evill by Adam for every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit i. if it bring forth any evill fruit before God now baptisme is administred it is hewn down and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Christ hath done nothing for them For all men now that baptisme is administred are in Adam or in Christ either they are regenerate of water and the Spirit or else they are not either they are ingraffed into Christ by baptisme and made good trees or else they are not ingraffed but are stil in Adam This the Lord shewed in a vision to Jeremiah by the two baskets of Figs the one had exceeding good Figs even like the first that are first ripe the other had exceeding naughty Figs they were so evill the Lord in this place saith the Expositor hath respect unto the Kingdome of Christ in which both Jews and Gentiles being ingraffed by faith and baptisme they are made good trees of the celestiall Paradise to bring forth good fruit and the other that are evill by Adam should have all the curses and plagues of God to seise upon them and be under wrath For thus saith the Lord of the men of Jerusalem that have obeyed me I will know them to be good but the evill I will give them for a terrible plague So now the ax is laid to the root of the trees every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Erasmus in the old Latine translation It is hewn down in this present time 't is laid to the root of all bad trees that bear evill fruit and of such as bear no fruit as the unprofitable Fig-tree that bare nothing but leaves was cursed and the tree the Lord came three yeers seeking for fruit and finding none he saith Hew it down why combreth it the ground it hath been digged by the Law and dunged these three yeers of Q. Elizabeths King James and King Charles and I find no fruits of faith in this lukewarm Hierarchie and people the sword is come to cut thee down that combred the ground For seeing now Christ is come and appointed Baptisme which is the righteous branch of the root of David every one that is not by baptisme and faith ingraffed into him and made a good tree bearing good fruit is hewne downe by the Law and cursed of God and cast into the fire of Gods wrath that will burne to the bottome of hell but to so many as received him he gave prerogative to become the sonnes of God So many as beleeve in his Name And what are they Ans. Such as are borne of God Joh. 1. 12. Whereby we see how men are made good trees by receiving Christ by baptisme and by beleeving but all others have the wrath of God abiding upon them because they are evill trees and the axe of the curses of the Law will cut them downe or the sword or famine or pestilence For though God let many trees alone in the time of the Law that bare some fruit good and some bad as Moses Miriam David Jehosaphat for which they did sacrifice and God was appeased and some branches of the Israelites were hewne off by the axe of the Law because they bare bad fruits before God of Idolatry as the Danites and the Ephraimites yet Judah bare good fruit as Hosea 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithfull with the Saints But now seeing Christ is come and appointed baptisme to graff all men into Christ to be made branches of the vine Christ .i. to be taken out of Adam and of the Law to be graffed into Christ Now if any man abide not in me or will not be graffed into me by baptisme and faith for baptisme is the foundation of the lively faith baptisme that is the worke of the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost wherein is not onely water but water and bloud and the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost if any branch of man abide not in Christ by faith in his baptisme into Christ that he is made a good tree of righteousnesse to beare good fruit before God he is cast forth as a branch and withereth .i. in the assurance of salvation and bring forth no fruits of righteousnesse before God and men gather them and by Excommunication or in the judgement of men are judged none of the Church and they cast them into the fire of Gods wrath and they burne Now men are cut off from Christ three wayes First When a man forsakes his baptisme and turnes Turke and will be circumcised or turnes Witch that will make a Covenant with the Devill to deny her baptisme and deny God and Christ or turne Anabaptist to be rebaptized he doth not abide in his baptisme into Christ these will have a new baptisme which is not of God for he hath but one the second must be of the Devill these are gathered in the judgement of all Churches and justly excommunicated and cast into the fire of Gods wrath Such as turne Turkes Witches or Anabaptists have denied their first baptisme because they have trod underfoot the bloud wherewith they were sanctified and done despight to the Spirit of Grace and withdrawne themselves to perdition Heb. 10. Secondly Men are cut off that by hypocrisie fall from Grace given of God in baptisme to seek for remission of sinnes in whole or in part or to make himselfe righteous in whole or in part before God and will not beleeve he hath free remission of all his sinnes by the bloud of Christ in baptisme and an everlasting righteousnesse given of God freely in his baptisme when he puts on Christ that man is cut off to his faith that he does not abide in Christ and then seekes for remission of sinnes and righteousnesse in some of mans invention these abide not in Christ Thirdly Men wither in this faith and are cut off to their apprehension which have forgotten they were washed from their old sinnes i. in baptisme 2 Pet. 1. 9. and fall to a beastly life and Epicurisme which by repentance and faith in their Baptisme may get out of this snare of the Devill of whom they are taken prisoners to doe his will 2 Tim. 2.

peny-worth of bread or drink thou art guilty of his death for he that taketh away a mans living killeth him Thou that hast oppressed or defrauded thy brother in any thing God is the avenger of all such things thou hast slain thy brother wo unto thee thou manslayer as Luther saith to the objection of the Usurer that said he lent his money to usury not to the poor but only to the rich I thank you Master man-slayer you will kill no poor men but only those that are rich but you will make them poor by usury and so kill them if a peny be so much what shall become of you that have defrauded cozened spoyled and plundred your brethren of many shillings and pounds wo unto you let this scourge of small cords or sins driye out all these sins out of thy conscience by contrition confession mortification vivification prayer against sin love of righteousnesse that Christ may dwell in the Temple that was made good by Baptisme but you have made it a den of thieves by your sins and it will remain an house of Prayer for which it was built of God for the Temple of God is holy which are ye And for you that will not believe it is so because you cannot see it it shewes you are not dead unto reason you have not slain the beast reason you are nor resolved to believe whatsoever God sayes though it be never so contrary to reason you will believe no more then you can mould up with sight and reason you are but Dunses in Christs School Do not you know that the Kingdome of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise up night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he not knowing how for the earth bringeth forth fruit of it self first the blade then the eare and after the full corn in the eare and as soon as the fruit sheweth it self anon he putteth in his sickle because the harvest is come What will you say there was no seed sown because you see none for many dayes The Kingdome of heaven is sown in Baptisme wherein the seed is sown into the ground and men sleep and rise up night and day and walk in their calling the seed grow and spring downward first with a feare of hell and grow to some knowledge of a way of salvation he not knowing how yet by thundring and lightening hail the law and rain of the Gospel the ground of mans heart bringeth forth fruit of it self by the Sun of righteousnesse first the blade of godly sorrow then the eare of faith after the full corne in the eare fruits of righteousnesse and holinesse and anon he putteth in the sickle and reaps men unto Heaven because the harvest of such a man is come Are we graffed into Christ by Baptisme and made good trees because we are made partakers of the fatnesse of the stock See that ye abide in Christ for though ye be wilde Olive branches by Adam yet such is the nature of the sweet Olive Christ as Psal. 52. Christ is this true Olive tree that is both fat and sweet and we are graffed into him by Baptisme to bring forth fruit in the stock Christ know that it is the nature of a fat and sweet Olive stock to change the nature of a wild Olive branch and contrary to our manner of graffing to make it bring forth sweet Olives So Christ the sweet Olive will change the nature of thy person and actions before God and make them all good that abide in him by this faith in thy Baptisme Is it so Christ is a Vine and are we the branches and how were you made branches but by Baptisme look you bring not forth evill fruit before God for he that bringeth not forth fruit in Christ but evill fruit of sin God taketh it away cuts it off it withers in faith and men gather them together and they burn such are hewn down and cast into the fire Are we members of his body flesh and bones For he can say as Adam did to Evab and so may we say Ephes. 5. 30. Then are any of Christs members in a twofold estate before God partly Adam and partly Christ what do any of Christs members hands feet legs arms fingers toes bring forth good fruit and bad too before God no all Christs members are good trees and a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit before God here is comfort for thee if thou abide in this faith no man shall take thy joy from thee many lose their joy by believing they are in a twofold estate before God Again are you members of Christ by Baptisme where is your love to the members of Christ that are baptized into Christ as well as you Here is the reason of all the sects and divisions and wars in Christendome and no more love because they have forgotten their Baptisme as 2 Pet. 1. 9. they have forgotten they are members of Christ and children of God and inheritors of the Kingdome of heaven they say not why do we wrong one to another for we are brethren they have forgotten they were washed from their sins saith Peter and therefore if they have not put off the old man must needs live in old hatred malice envie and lying wherefore labour to bring all men to the faith of their Baptisme that in it they were made members of Christ for this faith would teach them to say Should one hand fight with another though the children of the Devill fight and could never agree should not the members of Christ love one another O quam iniquum est ut ii dissideant in terris qui in omnem aeternitatem una victuri sunt in coelis O! how unfit is it for those to disagree fight and hate one another on earth which shall live together for ever in heaven So that he that forgets his baptisme i. his washing from his old sins i. from originall and actuall sins that man cannot make his calling and election sure that hath forgot his Baptisme for he hath forgot the true faith i. that he is in him that is true and he hath forgot to adde to faith vertue i. of Christs death and resurrection and he hath forgot to adde to vertue knowledge i. of salvation by the remission of sins which was in baptisme and he hath forgot to adde to knowledge temperance for want of the knowledge of salvation by remission of sin cause men to fall to intemperance and he hath forgot to adde to temperance patience and thus they wrangle and fight with his comembers and he hath forgot to adde brotherly kindnesse he believes not his own sins are forgiven he forgives not his brother and he addes not love for he hath forgot Christ hath loved him and washed him from his sins in his own blood he covers not a multitude of offences in his brother so that you see the