faith in the same as Isaac was And therefore such are said to be as Isaac was children of the free-woman the true seed of Abraham after the Spirit so heires according to promise as Gal. 4.28 29 30 31. Gal. 3.29 Rom 9 8. Now the promise in the letter the land of Canaan an earthly possession answerable to the heire naturall and Circumcision in the flesh as a seale to confirme the same upon condition of the like faith and obedience and so to walke as such circumcised in heart So God would be their God to blesse increase and to bring them into their promised inheritance as Deut. 1. But in the substance the heavenly Canaan a spirituall inheritance answerable to the heire spirituall and Circumcision in the heart as the seale of the Spirit to confirme faith in the free and absolute promise of life and faith required not of man as a condition but in man as the work of the Spirit of grace in the heart by which the same is made capable to joyne in covenant with God by faith And though that Infants were in the first yet not at all in the last as visibly to appeare in the covenant aforesaid untill their faith so declares them And further 〈…〉 consider of it thus first that no beleever now can so stand to his seed as Abraham of old did unto his seed except he assumes the place of Abraham and also his fatherhood over all the faithfull But if any beleever should so farre presume as to assume Abrahams place and fatherhood upon him yet another cannot doe so Except we make may Abrahams and so all fathers and no children And if it be said that every beleever in his owne familie is an Abraham If it be so then he is the same unto his servants as well as to his children for so was Abraham But some will say that a beleever is an Abraham onely to his own personall seed as Abraham was Then a beleever would have a greater priviledge then ever Abraham had for the covenant was not founded upon Abrahams personall seed for had it been so then the priviledges thereof would have reached to all Abrahams personall seed as well as to Isaac But this it did not for Abraham begot many children of his own body besides Isaac who shared not with him neither in the covenant or priviledges thereof as Gen. 25.1 to 6. The like it is with the beleevers seed to which the covenant lyes not in any respect as to a particular seed but joyntly considered together as a body and so the Church of Christ and their off-spring seed or children as aforesaid considered are the generation of the righteous succeeding them in the faith not in the flesh And this is the seed that God so highly exalteth in Scripture and promises so many blessings unto And secondly 〈…〉 it was not Abrahams personall being in the covenaÌ„t nor yet his faith that brought in his seed or admitted the same to the seale thereof but onely Gods speciall commandement for both Abraham and many others were in the covenant of grace long before Circumcision was administred and the reason why such were not sealed with circumcision before that time was be cause that God no where had commanded the same No more can a beleevers being in the covenant now bring in his seed nor admit of the same to Baptisme without Gods speciall command for the same now as Abraham had then otherwise they proudly assume a priviledge above their father Abraham And though that beleevers are in some sense under the same covenant now as then yet in no sense under the same command for then they must circumcise and not baptize and that Males onely and not females also But as there is a new King so there must be a new Law and as a new covenant so a new subject a new Church must have a new state a new ordinance a new commandement so that as all things are become new even so must all be of God whose will is to be obeyed in whatsoever he commands which is the only ground of all mans obedience for no man can be said to obey God in doing that which he hath not commanded therefore seeing there is no command from the Lord for the Baptizing of Infants as was for the circumcising of Infants though by Abraham they were circumcised yet by Christ they shall not be baptized And so I come to the second Argument thus If in the whole body of Israel 〈…〉 as well Infants as mon of yâ—ares were baptized and with the same Baptisme as ours is then Infants are now to be baptized as then thy were But in the whole body of the IsrAelites Infants were baptized and that with the same baptisme spiritually that ours is therefore Infants are now to be baptized as then they were That it was the same baptisme with ours spiritually is evident the other Ordinances there mentioned were the same spiritually with ours for they eate the same spirituall meate and dranke the same spirituall drinke with us 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Therefore they were baptized with the same spirituall baptisme Otherwise the Apostles argument were not of force against the Corinthians if they were not the same Sacraments with ours nor the conclusion contained that the Corinthians should be pun shed with the like punishment if they committed the like sins therfore the argument is firme In answer to this I shall endeavour to be briefe therefore let the Reader consider well these particulars First here God took unto himselfe the whole body of these people the Jewes who were his own people before by covenant for they were the seed of Abraham and the family of Jacob that came into Aegypt to sojourne there as Gen. 46. Act. 7. Now let the like be made to appeare that God ever took unto himselfe the whole body of the Gentiles as he did the Jewes and then it will be somewhat the same with the Gentils and their seed as it was with the Jews and their seed But if the one cannot be proved then the other will not be granted and so this argument falls already Secondly here was no ordinance of the new Testament much lesse Baptisme administred upon any of the Israelites at their departing out of Aegypt but onely Gods great power goodnesse declared by leading of his people through the maine Sea in and by the which God did preserve them and so delivered them up as it were to Moses and to his Government and direction as a people preserved in death As in and by Baptisme the partie being by the grace and power of God preserved he is delivered up to Christ to his Government and direction as one risen from death with a new life to God as Rom. 6. Col. 2. Gal. 3. The Israelites Baptisme in the Cloud and in the Sea was onely in the type or shadow and so in the Letter of the old Testament opposed to the Ministration of
offers himself freely to save you notwithstanding your crucifying of him yet now repent and beleeve for his promise is upon the same freely to forgive and to save you from all your sins Thus the promise is applied to saith which is the way of preaching the Gospel and not an absolute conclusion of persons to be in the covenant of grace and life whether they have faith or not What is this but to keep the wicked from leaving of his way by promising him life This God did not in making of his Covenant at the first nor the Apostle by his applying of the same at the last Otherwise to bring the personall or naturall seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and so of all beleevers into the Covenant of grace and that by Gods appointment whose word i◠like himself both true and stable as a word of faith purely tried as gold seven times in the fire Hence observe the evils that attend this doctrine unavoidably First it makes void the stability of Gods Covenant of grace it self thus If the Covenant of grace be absolute and stable then all within the same must be saved But all within the said Covenant were not saved ergo the Covenant of grace is not absolute and stable The major is confessed that a beleevers seed is in the Covenant of grace without exception The minor is proved from Ishmael Esau and the rejected Jews all which were the seed of beleevers and yet not all saved 2. It s a ground of falling from grace thus All that God took into his Covenant of grace were in an estate of grace But all that God took into his Covenant of grace did not there continue Ergo such fell from an estate of grace I prove this the same way with the former 3. It s a ground of universall redemption for it makes the death of Christ equall as well to such as perish as to such as are saved thus All that are in the Covenant of grace Christ died for But all that were in the Covenant of grace were not saved Ergo Christ died for such as are not saved The proof of this is the same with the former if God took Abraham and his seed into his Covenant of grace without exception 4. It makes God the author of mans beleeving untruth by injoyning him to beleeve the salvation of such as he himself knows and reveals the contrary as Ishmael Esau and but a remnant among the Jews nay none at all but such as beleeve Gen 17. Gen. 25. Gen. 48. Rom. 9.27 Against which opinion and evils aforesaid I argue thus The Covenant of grace is absolute and saving unto all once with in the same But all the personall seed of beleevers are not saved therefore all beleevers seed are not in the Covenant of grace The Proposition is clear from these Scriptures Jer. 32.40 Isa 49.21 Jer. 31.3 Joh. 13.1 Mal. 3.6 Joh. 10.28.29 The Assumption from these Gen. 21.10 with Gal. 4 29.30 Gen. 25.23 with Rom. 9.11 12 13.27 God requires no man to beleeve untruth But for a beleever to beleeve that all his seed is in the Covenant of grace is to beleeve untruth Therefore God requires no such thing This Argument is sully proved in the former And so much for the promise Act. 2.39 which being well understood men would never go about to build the baptising of the Gentiles infants upon that Scripture But it is said that Christ admits of little children to come unto him blessing them and acknowledging their right unto the kingdom of God Mark 10.14 therefore such may be baptised To which I answer briefly thus That the blessing of Christ upon these children was for bodily cures as is manifest by the desires of those that brought them to Christ which was not that he should baptise them but that he would touch them and lay his hands upon them and pray as Mark 5.23 Matth. 19.13.15 This was the ordinary way of healing in the time of the Law by such as were inabled by God thereunto as is clear by these Scriptures compared together 2. King 5.11 with Matth. 19.13 Matth. 8.3 Matth. 9 18. Luk. 4.38.40 Never were any so brought to Christ but for some cure and for his blessing of them that was in respect of that temporall mercie he bestowed upon them according to that they came to him for and to shew his bountie and humilitie that he was no respecter of persons as such might seem to be that suffered others to come and would have kept back children And for such to belong unto the kingdom so those children did and therefore they ought to come as well as any other For they were children of the Jews and at that time members of that Church and so of that kingdome and had as much interest in Christ for outward blessings as any else And further Christ is pleased to make use of childrens humilitie and innocencie to reprove the high mindednesse of his disciples and to draw them forth a pattern from the same As Mat. 18.1 2 3 4. with Mark 10.5 〈…〉 So that all this makes nothing for the baptizing of Infants they being not brought to Christ for baptisme But it s further objected that the Apostles baptized whole housholds as the houshold of Stephanas Lydia and the Jayler 1 Cor. 1.16 Act. 16.15 33. and infants being a part of the houshold therefore infants were baptized Answer Though that Infants are a part of the family when there be infants in the same yet this makes nothing for the baptizing of Infants except it be first proved that infants were there in those housholds And also upon the same ground we may prove that the Jayler had a wife and Lydia an husband because that husbands and wives are commonly in a houshold or family and being there they are a part of the same and that the Jaylers wife and Lydias husband and servants though never so wicked were all baptised But if it be said that faith was to be required of them being of yeers Hence it will follow that no infants were then baptised because that one and the same condition is required of all that are baptised and so it is said of the Jayler that the Word was preached to him and to all that were in his house and that he beleeved and all his house and these are said to be baptised Act. 16.32.34 and thus the Apostle preached and they beleeved and such onely were baptised and none else And what the Apostles order and practise was in this family it was the same in all other housholds and families for they walked alwayes by one rule and therefore their order was not to baptise infants It is said that Christ sent out his Apostles to teach and to baptize all Nations Matth. 28.19 in which Nations there were infants as well as men of yeers and so commanded to be baptized Ans In a word briefly to this for this Scripture being well considered and rightly understood
and received the seale thereof even so are Infants now in the Covenant and ought to receive the seale thereof Three things are to be cleared in this Argument First That the Covenant made with Abraham and his posteritie in the flesh before Christ and that now under Christ is the same Secondly As Infants were in that Covenant so are Infants now Thirdly as Infants were sealed then so they ought to be now Now for the proving of these aforesaid there are 3. other grounds laid down as follow First That Gospel is the doctrine of the Covenant but this being one was preached to Abraham as Gal. 3.8.17.18 Rom 4.11 and so to the end and to the Jewes in the Wildernesse Heb. 4.1.2 Heb. 3.7 and so in Davids time Heb. 4.7 c. Therefore the Covenant is the same Secondly If Abraham be the Father of the Jewes and Gentiles and equally as he beleeved the righteousnesse of faith and they his children equally as so beleeving and no otherwise then the Covenant is the same But Abraham is the father of the Jewes and Gentiles and equally as he beleeves as aforesaid Rom. 4.11 12.16 17.23 24. Gal. 3.3.9.26.29 Therefore the Covenant is the same Thirdly The standing of the Jewes in the Grace of God was the same with Abraham as is cleare from Gods often expressing of himselfe to be the God of Abraham and his seed and praying to God for to remember the Covenant he made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and acknowledging the accomplishing of the same to them as Luk. 1.73 74. Luk 1.54 55. and ours in the same with the Jewes as is cleare from Mat. 21.41.43 22.1 Therefore the Covenant is the same Thus lies the Argument Ans and the grounds to back it and all to prove the Covenant God made with Abraham and his seed to be the same now to the beleeving Gentiles and their seed and Infants to be in this now as they were in that then In answer to which I shall onely touch at the three last grounds briefly in a word as I come to the Covenant it selfe The first is because the Gospel is the doctrine of the Covenant and was preached to Abraham and to the Jewes c. therefore the Covenant is the same For the first if the preaching of the Gospel being the doctrine of the Covenant can prove the Covenant to be the same to them as to us then all to whom the Gospel was and is preached are in the same Covenant But I think it is the effectuall beleeving of that which the Gospel holds forth in the doctrine of it that proves persons in the Covenant and not the preaching of it because many may have the Gospel preached among them and yet not be in the Covenant And for the second that Abraham is the equall father both of the Jewes and Gentiles onely as he did beleeve and they his children onely so beleeving as their father Abraham did and not else In respect of which the covenant is the same to the one as it is to the other This in a sense I confesse is a truth that none are accounted children of Abraham but onely as they beleeve as their father Abraham did and iâ— this be true as the ground affirmes it is then let the Reader judge how Infants can be said to be the children of Abraham and in the Covenant and so to have right to Baptisme as the scale to confirme their saith and whether they doe beleeve as Abraham did But that Abraham may be said to be an equall father both of the Jewes and Gentiles I thinke not so in all respects the Jewes were the seed of Abraham as they descended from his loynes as well as from his faith But for the Gentiles they are called the seed or children of Abraham onely as they walke in the steppes of his faith and not else as 1 Pet. 3 6. And lastly Obj. that the standing of the Jewes in the grace of God was the same with Abrahams and ours the same with the Jewes therefore the Covenant is the same This doctrine so generally laid downe without distinction or exception holds forth a mans falling from grace Ans or out of Gods gracious Covenant of life eternall A doctrine to be testified against by all that truely feare the Lord. For Abrahams standing was true and firme in Gods gracious Covenant and if the Jewes was the same without exception then the Jewes that did oppose Christ and were cut off for the same fell out of this Covenant of grace But I shall further cleare this in that which follows and so I come to the Covenant it selfe and to see how that God made with Abraham and this under Christ will agree In the handling of which in the first place this must be well observed A double â—eed in Abraham that there was in Abraham a double secd when God made his covenant with him and his seed and confirmed the same by the seale of Circumcision There was in Abraham at that time a spirituall seed and a fleshly seed Between which seeds God ever distinguished through all their Generations And as there was a distinction thus made by God in Abrahams seed before they were circumcised and yet admitted to the seale of the Covenant by Gods speciall command For Ishmael and Esau were by God commanded to be circumcised as well as any of the rest of Abrahams seed Gen 17.10.13 Even so there must be the same respect observed also in the Covenant and that because the Covenant comprehends divers things and Circumcision was a seale unto them all Some of which were proper unto both the seeds and some not as may be gathered from the severall branches of the Covenant expressed by God Gen 17. As first for the multiplication of Abrahams seed Gen. 17.2 this was proper as well to his fieshly seed as his spirituall as Gen. 21.13 Deut. 10.22 Isa 48.19 Secondly The land of Canaan Gen. 17.8 This was proper also to both the seeds of Abraham And as it was onely a temporall inheritance the same was conditionall as Heb. 3. And so confirmed by circumcision upon both the seeds of Abraham as Gen. 21.9 10. Deut. 30.18 19 20. And as it pointed at a spirituall inheritance shadowed out under it Now thus considered it was absolute and confirmed onely upon the spirituall seed as Gen. 17.19.21 Gen. 21.12 Gal. 3.17 Thirdly That from Abrahams loynes should come a seed in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed as Gen. 17.16.19 18.10.18 21.2 This blessed branch of the Covenant was proper onely to the spirituall seed considered either in the cause or in the effect as Act. 3.25 26. Gal. 3.7 8.9 16. Fourthly Abrahams fatherhood of the faithfull as Gen. 17.4 5. This was onely proper to faithfull Abraham and his seed as they are found walking in the steppes of his faith as Rom. 4.11 12 13 16. Rom. 9.7 8. Gal. 3.6 7 9 29. 1 Pet. 3. Lastly To be a
God to Abraham and to his seed after him in their generations as Gen. 17.7 That was faithfully to performe all that he had promised either to Abraham in particular or his seed in generall as Neh. 9.8 Psal 105 9.10 11 12 13 14.42 Luke 1.72 73 74. In token of which God annexed Circumcision as a seale to confirme the same as Gen. 17.11 These are the severall parts and branches of the Covenant that God made with Abraham and his seed and Circumcision in the flesh as a seale to confirme every part to each seed as was proper to the same But if any shall say the Scriptures deny many seeds Obj. and approve onely of one seed in Abraham with whom the promise was made as Gal. 3.16 To this I answer and say that this place well considered will help forward the truth Ans for the Apostle here speaks of the Covenant so as comprehending Christ the substance of the same and the Elect in him for eternall life In which sense the covenant of grace was not made to Abraham and to all his seed without exception for then all his seed must either be saved or else such as are not but perish must fall out of the said covenant of Grace for I suppose no man will say that all the seed of Abraham without exception were saved And if not then there was some of Abrahams seed comprehended in the Covenant in one sense and admitted to the seale thereof whom God excepted against in another some of which was Ishmael and Esau signifying in Abrahams generation a fleshly seed as well as a spirituall between which seeds God ever held forth a distinction through all their generations from Abraham untill Christ who put an end to the type and the flesh and all priviledges of that nature thereunto belonging Col. 2. as 2 Cor. 5.16 Phil. 3.3 4 5. So that now all is laid up in Christ as Gods store-house and treasury and in him only for such as beleeve and therefore now first in Christ by faith and then to the Covenant and the priviledges thereof as Gal. 3.29 And none by the Gospel approved of now to be the children of Abraham but onely such as walke in the steps of his saith For as none invisible before God are by him at all approved to have right to any priviledge of grace but onely as he lookes upon them in his Sonne No more are there any visibly before men to be approved of so as to have right to the same but as they appeare to be in Christ by some effect of faith declaring the same And so much the more in that God excludes all from his holy Covenant is to have right in the outward dispensation thereof but onely such as beleeve Rom. 11.20 Heb. 3.18 19. Heb. 4.1 2 3. Heb. 11.5 6. Rom. 9.7 8. Gal. 3.22.26.29 Let all this be well considered and I doubt not but the difference between the Covenant God made with Abraham before Christ and this under Christ will appeare very great though in some respect for substance the same Yet in the outward profession of them the difference is great both in respect of persons and things Wherein our descent chiefly lyes that covenant admitted of a fleshly seed but this only of a spirituall Gen. 17. with Rom. 9. That in the flesh and this in the heart Gen. 17.13 with Jer. 31.33 Rom. 2.28 29. The seale and ordinances of that Covenant confirmed faith in things to come but the seale and ordinances of this confirme faith in things already done That Covenant was nationall and admitted all of the same to the seales thereof but this personall and admits of none but such as beleeve That Covenant begot children after the flesh as all Abrahams naturall posteritie But this onely begets children after the Spirit and onely approves of such as are begotten and borne from above in whose hearts God writes his Law Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. Joh. 3.5 6. That covenant with Abraham and his posteritie before Christ comprehended a civill State and a worldly Government with the like carnall Subjects for the service of the same But this covenant now under Christ comprehends onely a spirituall State and a heavenly Government with the like spirituall Subjects for the service of this also That covenant held forth Christ in the flesh to a heart vailed this holds him forth after the Spirit to a face open 2 Cor. 3. In all understand the visible profession of the Covenant in the out ward dispensation of the priviledges thereof And now I come to the consequence gathered from the Covenants Obj. being one and the same as aforesaid That as Infants were in that covenant then and circumcised so are Infants in this now and to be baptized In answer to which Ans I shall commit in the first place to the Readers consideration these particulars for the further clearing of the aforesaid truth First What the Covenant is Secondly What is that which admits into the said Covenant Thirdly Who are the true approved Subjects of this Covenant And lastly Whether all have not one and the same way of entrance into the said Covenant and to each of these a word First the Covenant it selfe is a Covenant of grace and salvation by which God of his grace takes a person or a people to himselfe for his own above all others and to be their God and to manâ—â—est upon them the riches of his grace and glory and the manner of which is in effect but onely thus much Gods calling of a man to an agreement with himselfe in his Sonne wherein he promises to be his God and to give him life and happines and all things in Christ and that he shall beleeve and rest upon his faithfulnes and truth and so take him for his God c. And thus I say God and man come to an agreement in Christ upon something passing between them wherein they both agree and this is called a Coveannt and I call it a covenant of grace when the thing agreed upon is a subject of grace as Gods giving of man life and peace and all things in Jesus Christ and that he will be his God upon whom he shall relie and beleeve the accomplishment of all things in his due time and that he shall heare and know his will by his Sonne and obey him in the same and mans free consent to God againe that he likes of all this well and concludes with God that it shall be so For a Covenant presupposeth two persons at least and also something to agree or covenant upon thus did God with Abraham and so he doth with every beleever and chiefely when God takes any into a Church-fellowship So that the covenant consisteth of these essentials First the persons disposed to agree Secondly something to agree upon And lastly their mutuall consent which is the agreement it selfe And so much for the Covenant and what the same is Secondly What it is that gives right
to enter or admits any into the said Covenant What inrights into the covenant and that is the promise of God in Christ and faith in the same that gives right of entrance and onely admits into Covenant with God as Neh. 9.8 The Covenant aforesaid hath these essentiall parts and visible branches First Grace in the agent God Secondly faith in the Subject Man Thirdly a uniting or closing of these together which is that mutuall consent agreement by faith in the same grace revealed by the Gospel which is the word of Reconciliation So that it is the blessed word of life and faith in the same that gives right and admits into Covenant with God Thirdly Who are the true approved Subjects of this Covenant and they are onely such as beleeve for God approves of none in covenant with him by his Word out of Christ nor of any in Christ without faith Nay God denies his approving of any in fellowship or communion with him that doe not beleeve as John 3.5 6 36. Heb. 11.6 Rom. 8.9 Thus God approves of none as Subjects of his gracious covenant but onely such as he hath elected and chosen in Christ and so appearing by some fruit and effects of the same as these Scriptures with many other witnes Rom. 8.29 30. Rom. 11.7 Ephes 1.4 5 6. 2 Thes 2.13 14. 1 Pet. 1.2 Act. 2.47 Act. 13.48 So that such as are the chosen and called of the Lord are the onely approved Subjects by him in his saving and ever-blessed Covenant of life The fourth and last is this Whether that all persons now under the Gospel have not one and the same way of entrance into the foresaid Covenant For answer to this the holy Word of God must be Judge and I finds the Gospel of Christ to approve of none in the Lords holy Covenant of grace but such as beleeve neither any approved of as to be in the way of life but such as are in Christ by faith and therefore no other way to come into the Covenant of grace and salvation as the Scriptures reveale but only by Jesus Christ For in him are all the promises confirmed made over only unto such as beleeve as 2 Cor. 1.20 Rom. 10 4 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Rom. 8.9 The holy Covenant of life consisteth of these three essentialls for entrance thereinto The essentials of the covenant First the word of God to reveale the same Secondly Christ to open the way and to inright the partie therein And lastly faith without which none can enter thereinto So that as there is but onely one way of entrance into Covenant with God that the Scripture reveals now under the Gospel that is by Jesus Christ and faith in his name Then all must enter this way that can be approved in covenant with God for none can come to the Father but by the Sonne nor any to the Sonne but by faith as John 14.6 with John 6.44.45 Heb. 11.6 Let all this be well considered and then see how Infants are discovered to be in this Covenant what way of entrance hath God by his word appointed for them to come in and denied the same unto others except they be naturally begotten born in the covenant and so were never out of the same which thing indeed the opposite doctrine affirmes for if Infants be in the covenant of grace and that by vertue of their being borne of beleeving parents who are in the same then such Infants are borne in a saving estate of grace and were never out of the same which doctrine makes voyd many heavenly and divine truths that speak to the contrary which lay all under sin and wrath for the same as conceived in sin borne children of wrath and so under the curse untill Christ by his bloud and death redeemes them and by his heavenly voice calls them and by his holy Spirit of grace begets them unto a lively hope working faith in their hearts to lay hold upon Christ Gods arme of salvation that carries them up to glory and therefore all are said to be borne againe from above of water and of the Spirit before they can enter into the Kingdome of God Now for such as are begotten and borne in the covenant being the seed of beleevers as is affirmed then such were never out of the same which doctrine disables them of any of the former priviledges by Christ for none can be under grace wrath the curse at one and the same time in the outward dispensation of the same the which all out discourse intends for invisible things belong to God and so I come to some other grounds tending to prove Infants to be in the covenant now as they were of old and they are these First Obj. If it were not so then this Covenant would not be the same with that And for answer to this Ans I shall referre the Reader to what hath been aforesaid concerning the differencebetween the Covenant then and this now not the same in a typicall way nor the same in a fleshly seed nor the same in the outward priviledges nor the same in the visible profession thereof c. All which I have already spoken to and shall adde more here after Another ground is this Obj. else the state of the grace of God should be straitned and made of lesse extent by Christs coming then it was before whereas it is more inlarged and of greater extent there being nothing more required in the state of the persons to interesse Infants into the covenant then then is now This particular consists of two parts Ans and the first is to this effect if Infants be not in the covenant now as they were at the first then is the covenant of lesse extent since Christs coming then it was before the answer is that indeed it is of lesse extent in respect of the flesh by Christs coming then it was before because that by him is taken away all fleshly respects either in regard of persons or priviledges in matters of grace which is a further inlarging of the covenant in a spirituall sense for the neerer the covenant comes to perfection the larger it is and the perfection of the covenant in one sense is this to have nothing contained in it but what is truely of it and the contrary is a straitning of the same and a bondage unto the true Subjects thereof Againe It can not properly be said that the covenant in the full accomplishment of the same in glory will be more straite of lesse extent then now in grace and yet there shall be none but onely such as truely appeare to be of the same The second part of the Proposition lies to this effect Obj. There was no more required in Infants then to interesse them into the Covenant then there is required of Infants now For answer to this in a word Ans let the Reader consider well what was required to interesse Infants into the covenant
God did sanctifie all the rest of the same lump so beleeving parents sanctifie all their seed that proceeds from their loyns And so as the first fruits and the root being beleeving parents are holy even so the lump and branches being their Infants are holy also and so to be baptised as their parents are which is a meer fallacie and farre from the intent of the Apostle in those words And for our better understanding of the same let us a little examine the Scriptures alledged and first for Rom. 11.16 The generall scope of the Apostles discourse in this Chapter is concerning the Jews breaking off and the occasion of it as also their calling by the Gospel who were the people of God in a two fold consideration First as they were a nationall people according to the flesh with many outward priviledges sutable to the same by which God declared himself to be their God and they his people above all others in the world Secondly some of them God owned in a more speciall manner with reference to his gracious covenant made with Abraham and established with Isaac and his seed after him for an everlasting covenant As Gen. 17. which consideration cannot be of the Jews nationally considered as I have formerly proved For if so then all the whole nation must have been in a true and saving estate of grace and so all of them to have been saved or else to fall from an estate of grace So that as God had then a nationall Church and people even so had he for the same also nationall priviledges both for order ordinances and government Which order cannot now be expected for us Gentiles under the new Testament and though that God admitted them all alike to the outward priviledges in the type yet God had another consideration of them in respect of the substance as not to approve of them all in his holy Covenant of grace Yet of that whole body in generall Abraham according to the flesh was the stock or root from whom they sprong as naturall branches as Joh. 8. Which nationall people must be considered in a two-fold respect First a civill state or common-wealth under a civill government as Kings Judges and other the like Governers of that nature Secondly a Church consisting of an holy Assembly of worship and worshippers and so a spirituall state with the like government and governors as Priests prophets and the like of that nature All which held fellowship and communion together because God took into one body that whole Nation for his own people Or rather one head comprehending them all which was Abraham from whom they descended as children springing from the loyns of a father All which so springing out of his loyns did assume to themselves an equall right and priviledge in Gods gracious covenant made with Abraham and his seed supposing God had bound his covenant generally upon him and his seed in his naturall generation after the flesh But God respecting in the same onely his chosen in Christ with whom he confirmed his Covenant with Isaac in reference to Christ Gen. 17. Gal. 3. Who in Gods own time he cals them to the faith that they might appear to whom they belong Rom. 8 28.29 30. Gal. 4.4 6. These the Apostle ever defends against the generall rejection of that nation For though such were rejected as were not elected this made not the promise of God of none effect to those who stood firm in the covenant by grace in Christ Jesus as branches in their root Which grace the rest opposed and were cast off for their unbeleef and when the fulnesse of Gods time is come to call them to belief they shall be received again into their former estate as alive from the dead as Rom. 11.23 24. Luke 15.24 Therefore the Apostle after he hath proved the rejection of the Jews he labours to make good the faithfulnesse of God in his promise of grace and the effectuall power of the Gospel in the saving effects thereof in such as beleeved through grace though the Jews in their nationall respect were rejected and so few of them gained to the truth as Rom. 3.3 4. Rom. 9.6 Rom. 11. And he gives a reason of it thus though that the Jews were all under an outward form of profession of Gods name and truth and so his people in that respect yet there was but a remnant that he approved of in the Covenant according to his election of grace unto whom the promise of life did belong As Rom. 9.6 7 8. Rom. 11.5.7 Now to these Gods speciall care is to perform his Covenant and all that he promised to them in their father Abraham with reference to Christ in whom as the root God established his holy Covenant for these his holy branches Rom. 9.11.12.23 Rom. 11.1.2 Rom. 8.28 29 30. Rom. 11.26.2 Pet. 3.9 Now the lump generally considered comprehends all both the first fruits and the latter for except the first fruits were part of the lump it could not give testimonie that the lump was holy which lump so considered is Gods elect and chosen in Christ with reference to their beleeving in him and so the approved subjects of Gods gracious Covenant and heirs apparent to the kingdom of Christ In which sence God had one and the same respect unto all and every part of the same lump and that was as he considered the same in a conformitie to his Son as the end of his election Rom. 8.28.29 30. Ephes 1.8.4.5 6.1 Pet. 1.1 2. So that there is in the substance of truth one and the same consideration in the first fruits and the lump according to what is laid down in the proposition the lump being as aforesaid a remnant according to Gods election with reference to faith and so approved subiects in his holy covenant appearing in Abrahams Isaacs and Jacobs beleeving as the first fruits of the same Now as those first fruits of that blessed crop in Gods holy Covenant were holy onely so appearing for we speak of visible things so is the lump out of which these first appeared by faith as a part of the same also holy in the same consideration Again the lump which the Apostle spake of is to be understood of the Jews and not of the Gentiles as he here applies it For though he speaks to the Gentiles yet here he speaks of the Jews For in the Chapter before labours to provoke the Jews to receive the Gospel as vers 14. Therefore he intends the Jews by the first fruits of the lump The first fruits the beleeving fathers as aforesaid that first appeared in the Covenant of grace in such a way by faith and so holy was that remnant which God had still among them with reference to the same state the first fruits were in and so holy the same consideration is to be had of the lump with reference to that state which God in his time shall call them unto by his Gospel and so are
because commonly to one that is borne of the spirit there is twenty borne of the flesh Thirdly It is a practise that overthrows and destroys the body of Christ or holy temple of God for in time it will come to consist of naturall and so a nation and so a nationall Generation carnall members amongst whom if any godly be they will be brought in bondage and become subjects of scorn contempt and the power of government rest in the hands of the wicked Fourthly because it is a ground both of ignorance and errour for it holds people in blindnes that they cannot come to know the nature of that holy ordinance nor what the same requires in the subjects thereof also it causes the simple to conceive that Baptisme is of necessity to salvatiō Fifthly it keeps up the State of Antichrist by granting him this so chiefe a corner-stone of the Lords house to lie in his foundation for that church where Baptisme is the true ordinance of God in the administration thereof is by the Rules of the Gospel a true Church so that if Antichrists Baptisme which he administers be Gods ordinance then that Church wherein he doth so administer the same must be also the Church of God and in sin that refuseth communion with it Sixtly Because it builds faith upon humane testimony in matters fundamentall for such as are baptized in their infancy have no other way to satisfie either themselves or others but the bare word of man that must stand in the place of the word of God for such to beleeve their true receiving of so holy ordinance of God Seventhly To Baptize Infants makes the holy ordinance of God a lying signe because none of those things can be expected in an Infant which the said ordinance holds forth or signifies in the administration thereof which is the parties regeneration and spirituall new birth a dying and burying with Christ in respect of sin and a rising with him in a new life to God and a confirmation of faith in the death and resurrection of Christ and a free remission of sinne by the same as Rom. 6.3 4. Col. 2.12 1 Pet. 3.21 Act. 2.38 〈…〉 None of all which can be expected in an Infant Eightly Because the subject of Baptisme is to be passive but an Infant is no way passive as that ordinance requires 〈…〉 I meane a passive subject threefold 1. a thing uncapable and thus is a stone 2. a thing forced and thus is an Infant who opposeth its Baptisme to the utmost of its abilitie so farre is it from being passive in the same 3. A thing is passive by a subjecting power producing the same in the subject by bringing it to a free and voluntary subjection and thus is the true subject of Baptisme None can be passive to receive grace but by grace because it consists of selfe-deniall And lastly this doctrine of Infants Baptisme opposes directly the expresse word of God by teaching that Infants are in the covenant of grace being borne of beleeving parents and so an holy seed by vertue of which they have right to Baptisme as a priviledge of grace Against which the holy Ghost affirmes that all are conceived in sinne brought forth in iniquitie and so by nature children of wrath and under the curse and except they be borne againe from above they cannot see the Kingdome of God Psal 51.5 Eph. 2.1 2 3. Rom. 3 9. Gal. 3 10.13 14. Job 3.3.5 6. Job 1.12 13. Here man saith that Infants are cleane and holy in and from the wombe and so are subjects of grace and glory but God saith that all Infants as well one as another are first in sinne and unholy and so are subjects of wrath untill the second birth makes the difference as Joh. 3.5.6 And now which to beleeve let the upright heart to God judge But it is said that as the Covenant was made to the Jews and their seed under the old Testament so in the same manner doth the Apostle apply the said Covenant to beleevers and their seed in the new Testament as Act. 2.39 Ans The words are not unto your seed but unto your children wherein there is great difference For by seed in the Scripture is very often put for a naturall generation begotten and born after the flesh And by children a spirituall generation walking in the steps of the faith of such as have gone before them as Act. 3.25 Act. 13.26.33 and so Job 8.37.39 with Rim. 9.7 8. and so the words import as much which is to you and to your children and to all afarre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call So that the promise is onely to such as God shall call and to none else Again it s called the promise and not the Covenant and we know that every promise is not a covenant there being a large difference between a promise and a covenant And now let it be well considered what is here meant by the promise and that is Gods sending of the Messias or the seed in whom the Nations should be blessed and so the sending of a Saviour or Redeemer unto Israel as these Scriptures manifest compared together Isa 11.1 Jer. 23.5 6. with Luke 1.68.74 Act. 13.23 Act. 3.25.26 This was performed by Christs coming first in the flesh in which respect he came both of and to the Jews onely by promise as Joh 4.22 Rom. 9.5 Matth 10.5 6. Matth. 15.24 Joh. 1.11 Secondly in the preaching of the Gospel by which he was held forth as a Saviour to all that by faith laid hold upon him as the arm of Gods grace stretched out unto them And this way also Christ was first tendered to the Jews for a Saviour to save them from their fins Act. 4.12 and for to be their King as to save them so unto whose state and government they were to submit as Luk. 19.14.27 Act. 2.36 In which sense the Apostle speaks when he saith the promise is to you and to your children and to all farre and neer as God shall call that is the promise or promised Saviour is come and is now according to Gods promise tendered to you by the Gospel calling you and your children and all else where the word of grace shall come to beleeve and receive him by saith who is now come to save you and all that beleeve from their sins Act. 3.25 26. And therefore it s said as many as gladly received or beleeved this glad tidings the same was sealed or confirmed unto them by baptisme Act. 2.41 according to Joh. 1.11 12 13. By all which it is manifest that the promise Act. 2.39 is meant the sending of the Messias or a Saviour to the house of Israel to call them to repentance and to save such as beleeve from their sins as is clear also by these Scriptures Isa 59.20 Act. 13.23.26 32.38.39 And thus the promise is unto you and your children that is the promised Saviour is offered and
A TREATISE CONCERNING THE LAWFVLL SVBIECT OF BAPTISME Wherein are handled these Particulars The Baptizing of Infants confuted and the Grounds to prove the same answered The Covenant God made with Abraham and his seed handled how the same agrees with the Gentiles their seed The Baptisme administred by an Antichristian Power confuted as no Ordinance of God and the Grounds to prove the same answered If either Church or Ordinance be wanting where they are to be found and how recovered The Covenant and not Baptisme formes the Church and the manner how There is no succession under the New Testament but what is spiritually by faith in the Word of God With some other things examined and briefly discoursed By me J. S. Goe teach all Nations Baptizing them Mat. 28.19 He that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.16 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 Prove all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 Lord God the strength of my salvation cover thou my head in the day of battell Psal 140.7 LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1643. The Epistle to the Reader CHristian Reader have a favourable construction of my so bold attempt of so great a worke upon such weake abilitie which may possibly seeme to savour as deeply of pride to some as Davids undertaking the challenge of Goliah did to his brother Eliab 1 Sam 17.28 But I am contented to walke naked before the world and to under goe the censure of men to performe any service to God or his people The occasion that pressed me on chiefly to this worke was by reason of some godly persons whose consciences were scrupled about the baptizing of children before they came to know what they doe in the same and others coming to heare of it did much insult upon them in a reproachfull manner with much reviling and despising of them as I understood by a Letter received from them and did as it were make a challenge upon them with certaine Reasons and Arguments gathered up against them Vpon which occasion the said Reasons and Arguments were sent to me from beyond the Seas to be answered and pressed me with Letter after Letter to the same which at length I intended to doe onely in a private way untill some here at home had published their evill affections in a reproachfull manner casting such unseemly aspersions upon the truth of God and godly persons for the truths sake to make the same hatefull in the eyes of all men in what them lieth And others also in resemblance of the truth going on in such a confused way both in respect of corrupt doctrine and as bad order by reason of which disorder the blessed name of God and his holy truth are exposed unto much suffiring And thus the glory of God and the honour of the Gospel of Jesus Christ lying as it were at the stake and his people grieving and suffering together with the same I thought in such a case that I was bound in conscience to come forth to the helpe of the Lord against the mightie and to free my selfe from the sinne of withholding the truth in unrighteousnesse and according to that abilitie Christ bath given to speake a word in the defence of his blessed truth against those ungodly aspersions cast upon the same And thus having shewed my courteous Reader the grounds forcing me to attempt so great a worke with so weake meanâ—â— I trust he will sparingly consider rather then rashly censure as the manner of too many is And to judge as he would be judged remembering there is a righteous Judge before whom we must all appeare and give account every one for himselfe as Rom. 14.10.12 2 Cor. 5.10 The subject controverted in the following Treatise one part of it is about Infants Baptisme And wheras I oppose the same as an unwritten tradition yet I would not be understood that I oppose Infants in respect of either their persons or age or salvation it selfe between God and them invisibly but honour them with all naturall respects desiring their safety and well-being here and glory here after but what their estate is in respect of grace that I doe not know but as the same appeares by some effect of faith untill which time as I condemne none no more dare I justifie all but leave them all unto the good pleasure of God that onely knows who are his And this I beleeve that God of his meere grace before the world was did elect and choose a number in Christ to salvation All which shall unavoydably come to glory as Ephes 1. Rom. 8.30 But who these be that I doe not know untill God reveales the same by some effect of his grace appearing in them And all that I intend by opposing Infants Baptisme is but onely to forbeare a while and waite upon God in the use of meanes untill faith appeares to meet with God in his holy Ordinance without which the same is voyd and of no effect but prophaned God provoked and the party indangered Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment take him c. Mat. 22.12 13. And also that Baptisme administred in an Antichristian Church and by the same power is no ordinance of God so that all such so baptized are to submit to the Lords ordinance of Baptisme whensoever God calls them to beleeve and receive the Gospel And yet not holding any rebaptizing for he that is once baptized with the Lords true Baptisme he needs no more Nor yet a new way of baptizing as some to please themselves so call it but onely that good old way which John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles walked in before us and left the same as a Rule under command in the holy Scriptures for such as will be followers of them to walke by And as it is recorded by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures of God even so it is the judgement of the most and best learned in the Land so farre as I have seene or can come by any of their writings As in all the common Dictionaries which with one joynt consent affirme that the word Baptisme or Baptiâ—o being the originall word signifies to dipp wash or to plunge one into the water though some please to mock and deride by calling it a new found way Yet truth was before error and what they please Indeed it is a new found truth in opposition to an old growne errour and so it is a new thing to such as the Apostles Doctrine was to the Athenians Act. 17.19 But this being no part of the following Discourse I shall leave it and turne such so mocking over to consider of these Scriptures Isa 28.22 Pro. 17.5 Isa 57.4 Act. 17.32 Heb. 11.36 Jude 18. Gen. 21.9 with Gal. 4.29 and I doubt not but the wise hearted Reader will thy and examine things of so high a nature by the Word of God and not to build upon darke
the same And to affirme this to be Gods way to brings persons to the faith by working so upon them by his Spirit in their infancy argues some ignorance of the true nature and worke of grace as the Gospell holds it forth And to be capable of the grace of the Covenant which must be understood of the promise containing the blessings and priviledges thereof in the holy dispensations of the same We shall finde in the Scriptures of God all the sweet promises of Grace under the New Testament holding forth their blessings and blessed priviledges onely to such as beleeve And that to the Elect themselves as they are considered in Christ and appeare so by some effect of grace declaring their faith and they to be such as God approves of in his Sonne and so to have visible right to those priviledges they are visibly justified by and possessed in as such that have a visible right unto the same Which can come to us Gentiles no other way then by Christ and faith in his Name And if any shall object from the testimony of John the Baptist Obj. that he is said to be filled with the holy Ghost from his Mothers wombe Luk. 1.15 c. and hence conclude that Infants may have faith To this I answer in a word Ans first what Infants may have is one thing and what Infants can from this Scripture be proved to have is another For if any thing from this Text can be proved for Infants it will be that they are filled with the holy Ghost from the Mothers wombe as John is said to be which is another thing then to beleeve as Act. 6 5. 4 31. Secondly All such so testified of by God as he did of John I shall acknowledge as much as is here meant to be in him to be also in them so testified of by the holy Ghost But to affirme because God so testified of John the Baptist in the wombe therefore the same holds true upon all other Infants likewise This is indeed weaker then infancy so to affirme Job 31.18 and grosser then ignorance for any to beleeve Job is said to be a Guide to the distressed from his Mothers wombe Shall it be concluded thence that he was a Guide to such when he was an Infant or if he were so must it needs follow that all Infants are capable Guides because it is said so of him And lastly I am not against any that have faith but absolutely for all that beleeve whether Infants or others so that their faith appeares by such effects as the Word of God approves of Otherwise what have I or any man to doe to meddle with the secret and unrevealed things of God either to justifie or condemne And whereas in the former Proposition there seemes a restraint made of the worke of grace in an Infant over there is in other persons by saying onely so farre as is necessary to union with Christ and justification to life thereby Now for answer to this we shall first consider what in this sense is to be understood by Christ and secondly what by union with Christ so as to be justified thereby By Christ here I understand him so as the Gospel holds him forth in the work of mans Redemption in reference to his death resurrection and the onely righteousnesse that commends such to God as beleeve in the same And so Christ thus considered is the onely subject of life to every soule that shall be united unto him by faith To which union with Christ these three things must be minded as essentiall to the same First Gods revealing tendering of Christ as the alsufficient onely way to life Secondly A heart fitly disposed by faith to apprehend and receive Christ so tendered And lastly The Spirit of grace uniting and knitting of the heart and Christ togegether as aforesaid And this I understand to be that effectuall and substantiall union with Christ to justification of life which the Word of God approves of that most decide all differences in matters of Religion For justification to life ever presupposeth apprehension of Christ as the subject of life and a true application of the same by faith as aforesaid The Gospel holds forth no other justification to salvation but what is or faith and faith ever presupposes the parties knowledge of the thing beleeved Rom. 10.14 Heb. 11.6 Now let this be well examined by the rule of truth then let the Reader judge how capable Infants are of union with Christ and justification to life thereby Now for to darken and obscure this truth there are these evill consequences as absurdities brought in as to follow upon the same First If Infants should not be capable of those graces aforesaid then they were not elected Obj. Secondly Then their bodies should not be raised againe to life And lastly We have not infallible judgement but may be mistaken as in the case of Simon Magus c. To this in a word and first I would know of such Ans whether Infants with referrence to their non-age were the subjects of Gods Election Secondly If Infants so considered are capable subjects of glory And if not as I suppose none will affirme then why any more in Grace then in Glory And for any to appoint God a way how to save Infants or to draw out to themselves a way how the holy Spirit of Grace must sanctifie them to salvation above what is written I thinke it is somewhat too much boldnesse God will have his creature to keepe onely to his Word as the Rule by which man must judge all things and the Word of God shews that he hath elected persons to the meanes as well as to the end being the way unto the same And that was the Adoption of Sonnes and to be called and justified by beleeving in Jesus Christ as Ephes 1.4 5. Rom. 8.29 30. 1 Pet. 1.2 2 Thes 2.13 14. And therefore the ground of Gods calling us and our beleeving is attributed unto out Election Act. 2.47 Act. 13.48 Rom. 8.28 Rom. 11.7 And to the glory of God as the cause of all by the dispensation of his grace upon his chosen in Christ and their free obedience unto him againe as Rom 9.23 24. Ephes 1.6.12 These things God hath revealed in his Word and further I dare not goe but leaving the secret things to God who gives not account of all his wayes And for the raising of Infants bodies doth none rise but such as are in visible union with Christ as for invisible things we meddle not with It is the power of God that raiseth the dead and not union with Christ 1 Thes 4.16 And when any of Gods Elect can by the Scriptures be shewed to die in their infancy then it will be granted that their bodies are raised to life eternall onely as they are Infants Nor that I hold all that dye in their infancy to be damned but being a secret thing I leave the
grafted in againe to their owne roote or Olive tree as at the first which is union and communion with God in his holy way of worship under the Gospel as of old under the Law And so much for the roote or Olive tree which must be understood of Christ mystically considered and not of beleeving parents as aforesaid Now a word of the branches which cannot be meant of Infants but beleevers onely in the Apostles sense being holy First They are branches onely in the same consideration as they subsist and grow in the roote or Vine and so beare the true nature of the same by which they appeare to be holy by the fruits thereof Christ as aforesaid being the roote or vine the branches can no way be said to subsist and to grow in him as their roote but onely by saith and he in them by his spirit without which there is no holines in the Apostles sence who speaks of such as holines as is produced in the branch by the holy roote in which ingrowes and so partakes of the nature of the roote by vertue of the union and communion it hath with the same all which is by saith as the Word reveales Secondly There is no branch that is alive in the Vine but partakes of the life and sap of the same by vertue of which the branch though never so young and small is discovered to be alive and inabled to bring forth in its season such fruit as by which the same may be discerned so it is here by these spirituall branches they cannot properly be called branches in the Apostles sence but as they partake of the life and grace of Christ their true vine and olive tree by which they appeare at the least to be alive in him by faith and inabled by the same to bring forth such fruits as may discover them to be in the Covenant of grace and so to be admitted unto the priviledges thereof as Joh. 15.1.7 Nature it selfe teaches as much for no man will admit of dead plants to be set in his vineyard or grafted into a stock but onely such as are capable to comply with the same in the sap and nourishment thereof to the end it may grow and bring forth fruit and so it is with Christ who comes not short of nature and therefore he admits not of any dead plants to be set in his spirituall vineyard or dead members to be joyned to his mysticall body but onely such as by faith capable to comply with the head Neither took he for himself a compounded body consisting of both living and dead members which all are that have not a living principle of grace faith in him which all beleevers Infants have not nor any at all untill they are borne againe of the Spirit as Job 3.5 6. The Church of God which is the mysticall body of Christ is not a mixt company but onely one substantiall and royall substance sutable to her head matter by which shee was produced being the immortall seed of the Word and therefore one holy spirituall uniforme compacted body both for nature and forme Cant. 6.9 Mal. 2.15 Eph. 2.14 to 22. Joh. 4.23 All which considered proves the body of Christ or Church of God under the new Testament not to consist of Infants neither in whole nor in part and so the branches aforesaid not to be understood of Infants but beleevers And if any object from the words of Christ Mat. 18.6 speaking there of some little ones that beleeved in him and from thence gather that Infants have faith c. The answer in a word is this That I am for all that beleeve and onely for them whether they be Infants or others so that their faith be visible as it may be discerned otherwise it concerns nothing the point in hand for we are upon visible things such as may be judged of by the Word of God Againe little children that beleeve in the Scripture sense are such as be little and weake in the faith and so babes in Christ as 1 Joh. 2.12 1 Cor. 3.1.3 Heb. 5.12 13. But it is said that the Church of the Jewes of old and the Church of the Gentiles now are one in nature as they are both the Church of God and so Infants in the one as they were in the other and the same priviledges to the one as to the other c. I have before shewed the large difference between the Jewes and the Gentiles in respect of their outward priviledges but a word or two more and so end The Church of God under the old Testament and that now under the new for nature are one in reference to the Elect of God called to the faith and by the spirit of grace united to Christ as the branches to their vine and so an holy plant of Gods planting of which indeed the true Church of Christ consists and therefore God did ever put a distinction in Abrahams seed even from Abraham to Christ as in Abraham between Isaac and Ishmael Gen. 17.20 21. Gen. 21.11 12 13. in Isaac between Jacob and Esau Gen. 25.23 Rom. 9.11 12. in Jacob between Ephraim and Manasse Gen. 48.13 14.16 17 18 19. And thus the holy Ghost figuratively pointed at a difference in Abrahams seed between the children of the flesh the children of God Rom. 9.6 7 8. and though God did thus distinguish in Abrahams posteritie yet there could not be the like dividing in the same they being nationall people consisting both of a Church and so spirituall and of a common wealth and so all under a civill worldly government Which nation God crowned with many outward priviledges as he never did any people in the earth they being the first people that God ever tooke into covenant with himselfe in such a way by whom he raised himselfe a name and same in all the world and so his peculiar treasure to whom he committed great matters of trust as Psal 135.4 Rom. 3.1 2. 9.4 Eph. 2.12 Of whom came Christ the Saviour of man and therefore salvation is said to be of the Jewes as Rom. 9.5 Joh. 4.22 In respect of which there was a blessed promise passed upon the Jews for the bringing forth of the Messias and the promised seed in whom all Nations should be blessed And therefore all of that nation were admitted to the outward priviledges as figures of him which that Nation was to bring forth so that a fruitfull wombe was counted a great blessing among the Jews not knowing who might be so honoured as to bring forth that blessed and all blessing seed And therefore God honoured the naturall birth among the Jews with such outward blessings and priviledges that belongs not to the Gentiles at all The Gentiles now are to look for their bringing forth of Christ according to the Spirit as the Jews did then according to the flesh and likewise their birth and their seed in all things sutable to the same As Joh. 3.3.5 6. Joh. 1.12
13. and therefore we are said now to know no man after the flesh no nor Christ himself as the Jews did not Christ himself after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 and Circumcision was one priviledge of the flesh as Phil. 3.4 5. Therefore though that the Jews infants were admitted to all those outward priviledges being a nationall people and so a nationall bodie with a naturall birth and the like seed in generall yet the Gentiles infants cannot be admitted to their spirituall priviledges they being a personall people called by the Word of grace and so a spirituall body with a spirituall birth and the like seed And so much for the meaning of the Apostle Rom. 11.16 which makes nothing for the baptising of Infants but altogether against the same the words not being well considered and therefore misapplied the first fruits being such as first so appeared of Gods elect by faith in such a way of grace by gods receiving and approving of them in his holy covenant under so many gracious promises The lump such a remnant in the election of grace chiefly of the Jews with reference to the same state of grace and faith in Christ as the first fruits were in when God so approved of them And so a second fruits following the first fruits of the same kind which first fruits did ever presuppose the same And so for the root and branches the root Christ mystically considered as aforesaid as the Scriptures hold him forth The branches such as grow in him by faith and he in them by his Spirit by which they are alive in their vine All which are understood of beleevers and not of Infants and so with respect to their calling and not to their infancy as Act. 2.39 which promise is in no other sence to the children then to the parents and that is either to turn them from their sins by calling them to repentance As Act. 3.19 20.25 26. or to comfort them so turned or repenting by tendring and applying to them the promised Saviour Christ Jesus as Act. 13.23.26 32 33.38 39. And as God hath not grounded his election of grace in the seed of beleevers but in the good pleasure of his will no more hath he the dispensation of the same in his gracious Covenant but in his free and effectuall call to beleeve in his Son in whom they were elected to the same which call to the faith makes the onely difference between them and others and not their being the seed of beleevers by a naturall birth For we are alike by nature children of wrath as well the seed of beleevers as any others considered in any personall respect as Rom. 3.9 Eph. 2 3. Whose happinesse depends upon that blessed change and spirituall birth by which they are born again and called to beleeve in the Lord of life and not their being the seed of a beleeving parent for so one may be and perish as soon as any others And now for the other Scriptures 1 Cor. 7.14 if this be of the same consideration with the former then the same is answered with that and so they are both void in respect of the end for which they are alledged namely to prove the holinesse of infants being in the Covenant of grace and life by vertue of their being the children of beleeving parents and so to have right to Baptisme But I do not understood this Scripture to be of the same consideration with the former and therefore a word or two of this also And for the understanding of the Apostle in the same its good first to consider what that holinesse is which inrights persons to the priviledges of grace and that is one of these two at the least Either the holinesse of Christ in whom God looks upon his children and approves of them holy in him and so to have right through his Son to all things both in grace and glory 〈…〉 generation appearing in the holy fruits and effects thereof by which such persons appear to to have right to the aforesaid priviledges before men who must judge of the tree by the fruit and of both by the Word of God Ephes 4.24 Tit. 3.5 1. Pet. 1.15 16. Hebr. 12.14 There is no other holinesse that proceeds from Gods holy Covenant or that can inright to any priviledge of grace now under the Gospel For whatsoever can truly inright any person to the priviledges of grace the same inrights to glory For no lesse can inright to grace then what inrights to glory So that if this be such a holinesse then look how many it inrights to Baptisme it also inrights to glory and so all that are baptised being children of beleevers and so holy must be saved or else fall from grace But neither of these d◠I beleeve for truth and therefore this holinesse must be some other holinesse then that which tends to life eternall It is said the unbeleeving wife is holy or sanctified which is all one by the husband and the unbeleeving husband by the wife and if it were not so your children would be unclean also but in that the unbeleeving husband and wife is holy by the beleevers so are your children by the same means holy likewise For the same way the children would be unclean by the same rule of contraries they are holy But if unbeleeving husband were not sanctified by the wife and the unbeleeving wife by the beleeving husband now if they were not thus sanctified the one to the other that so they might lawfully continue together as husband and wife their children would be unclean in that they were begotten in an unlawfull way for here the uncleannesse of the unbeleeving and unsanctified parents if in case they were so and the uncleannes of the children is the same even so on the contrary the unbeleeving husband being sanctified by the beleeving wife that so they may lawfully continue together in that honourable way of marriage and the bed undefiled hence your children are holy Which holinesse of the children and the sanctitie of the unbeleeving parents is the same opposed to the uncleannesse in opposition to the same So that as the one is uncleannesse of the flesh so is the other the holinesse of the flesh compared with these together Ezra 10.2.3 1. Sam. 21.4 5. 1 Cor. 6.18 and 7.1 2. 1 Thes 4.3 4. And for the two-fold holinesse that is noted in the Argument to be considered in the Apostles words the one not in the thing it self but to another use and the other of the thing it self and therefore sin to confound them This is in part true for the holinesse of the children is not onely such a relative holinesse as to another use as the unbeleever to the beleevers use and no more but the holinesse of the children rests in themselves as the subjects thereof by nature being begotten and born in that lawfull and honourable way of marriage by Gods appointment and so holy and clean in opposition to such as are
All the whole houshold of every familie among the Israelites in Aegypt as well children as others were to eate the Passeover Exod. 12.3 4. And the Lords Supper succeeds that 〈…〉 and yet Infants are not approved as fit Communicants in the Lords Supper because they are not capable subjects But it is a double mystery how persons are fit and capable of union in a State that are not fit and capable of communion in the ordinances of the same State And more mysticall how one should be a capable subject of Baptisme and noâ— of the Supper 〈…〉 I can see no Rule for such a practise in all the booke of God and it s against the Rule of nature that when a childe is borne to keep it from food The Church of the new Testament succeeds the old but it will not follow that the like order and subjects succeed each other also for no rejected Ishmaelite or Esau are to be admitted either to union or communion in the Church under the new Testament by Christs appointment therefore though that Baptisme succeed circumcision yet the same subjects doe not so The two Testaments are as Wills containing certaine Legacies given and bequeathed to such onely as whose names are expresly set downe in the same as Rev. 21.27 In the old Testament as the first Will a Male of eight dayes old or a Prosolyte Exod. 12.48.49 Gen. 17 10-44.23.25 Joâ— 8. Phil. 3.4 5. So in the new Testament as the last Will of Christ the Legacies therein contained as the priviledges and blessing of Abraham are given onely to such as beleeve and to none else Gal. 3.14 22 29. Rom. 8 17. 4.11 12. 9.7 8. Gal. 3.6 7. These are such as are begotten againe by the immortall seed of the Word borne of the Spirit and so children of God and the onely true â—eiâ—es of the Kingdome of Christ with the priviledges thereof as Jam. 1.18 1 Pet. 2.23 Joh. 1 12 13. Joh. 3.5 6 1 Joh. 3.9 10. Rom. 8.17 These are the holy seed which God so approves of in the Scriptures as subjects of grace heires of life and being in the covenant they onely have right to the priviledges thereof and their children or of-spring are such as succeed them in the same saith and truth and so are called the Generation of the righteous as succeeding each other in the way of righteousnesse and not their Infants or personall seed proceeding from their loyns by carnall generation as Esa 43.5 44 3. 54.3 59.21 66.22 61.9 65.23 compare Rev 12.17 Gal. 4.26 to 31. These and the like Scriptures shew what is the right and true approved seed unto which the priviledges of grace belong so that although Baptisme succeeds Circumcision yet the difference is great both in matter and manner in persons and things Circumcision sealed to things temporall and carnall as well as spirituall and so were the subjects and things to come as under types and shadows and so in a cloud and darknesse Whereas Baptisme hath for its subjects children of the light in the cleare evidence of the Spirit with the face open and confirmes faith in things come and already done for Baptisme seals onely to faith in Christ and grace in the new birth which cannot be where there is not first a begetting by the immortall seed of the Word of life for which end God hath ordained in the Gospel preaching beleeving to goe before baptizing as Mat. 28.19 with Mark â—6 15 16. And that way or order which hath not God for its Author and found in the Records of Christ with his image and superscription upon it let us say as sometime he did Give to Caesar that which is Caesars and to God that which is Gods so say I Give to Antichrist his baptizing of Infants to Christ his baptizing of beleevers What advantage will it be to Infants to come before they are called to have a name to live and yet dead for ought any one knows and to come to the marriage-Supper without a wedding Garment shall the holy things of God be forced upon such as neither beleeve know or once desires them will men set a seale to a blanke are children capable to receive meate before they be borne except we make Baptisme the wombe of regeneration as many doe who teach that Infants are regenerated borne againe of the Spirit of grace in Baptisme whose doctrine is of the same stampe and authoritie as he that sent them so to preach What can be more naturall then begetting and bringing forth of the Infant before feeding of it at the Mothers breasts Is it not sacriledge to presse such upon the wise of Christ the Church for her Paps with whom she never travelled or beare of her body Christ will deny himselfe to be food and nourishment to any where he hath not beene first seed to beget Let men take heed how they impute such folly to the wisdome of god as to give the milke of his breasts unto any that are still borne or to set dead twigs in his heavenly and divine stocke or naturall branches in his holy and spirituall vine Let such beware how they fight against the God of order least in stead of finding the breast to feed before the wombe to beare they meet with a curse upon the single emptinesse of Christ with a double barrennesse that will admit of no conception or spirituall birth to succeed the naturall Not that I intend the least to deny salvation unto Infants no I am so far from this that I testifie against all such doctrine nor yet affirme all Infants to be saved neither doe I know among Infants which shall be saved and which not therefore I leave it as a secret thing to God untill he makes the same appeare by some visible effect of faith which onely gives a visible right unto any ordinance of the new Testament and therefore I cannot see by the Gospel how Infants voyde of visible faith should have visible right unto the priviledges of grace neither ought they to be admitted thereunto as hath been proved and also for these and the like reasons following First 〈…〉 because there is neither command nor example for the baptizing of Infants in all the new Testament the order and government of which in the administrations thereof is no way inferiour to the old but in the old Testament there was an expresse Rule by command from God what communicants were to be admitted to circumcision and other ordinances of that nature and what not but this order is no where found in the new Testament for the baptizing of Infants and therefore the same is not to be practised Secondly It is a high contempt and injury to Christ as he is the husband of the Church his holy Spouse to force upon him an naturall wife himselfe being spirituall and desires the like associate as such a Church is founded upon the naturall birth namely Infants
Commission the subjects of Baptisme are expressely set downe who they should baptize and they are onely such as first were to be taught and had faith to beleeve the same as I have sufficiently proved And now having these expresse commands so fully held forth by Christ himselfe to gether with the whole practicall order of the Apostles others following the same in their administracions and to goe about to bring authoritie or command from the commandement of circumcision for the baptizing of Infants in more then ignorance and for to plead the baptizing of Infants because that command is not repealed which injoyned Infants to be circumcised is too weake for faith to build upon But now I hope the removall of the same appears in that there is not onely a command in the new Testament directly against the same but also a new command and so a law from Christ the King of Saints and Lord of the new Testament for the ordinance of Baptisme and all the circumstances of the same And yet for the further repealing of that law which injoyned Infants naturally borne and so from the wombe to be circumcised without minding any other sprituall birth but onely that which brought forth the childe in the world for 8 dayes after it must be circumcised by command from God which order is opposed by the Gospel as Joh. 3.3 5 6. Where Christ opposeth the two births the spirituall to the naturall birth and excludes the naturall from any admittance into the Kingdom of God without the spirituall birth And that he might not be mistaken he further explains himself saying That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit And further to know Christs meaning in these births which he opposeth the one to the other he fully holds forth Joh. 1.13 in these words of such as received him which were borne not of blond nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God This way and order the commandement of circumcision speaks nothing of neither required the same but onely the first birth for no childe of 8 dayes old was capable to be borne againe of the Spirit in our Saviours sense And thus the Gospel excludes that which the law of circumcision commanded even the first birth which is naturall without the second birth which is spirituall And it is in vaine for any to say that Christ speakes here of men of yeares for he opposeth the two births as aforesaid and not the age of any and so the whole universe of mankinde for this place is generally taken for the doctrine of regeneration from whence many hold that children are regenerated in Baptisme But generally those that baptize their Infants hold that they are regenerated before for they baptize them as being holy before And if any shall say that the Kingdome Christ speaks of is meant the Kingdome of glory and not of grace and therefore though he excludes such out of the one yet not out of the other The answer is that it is no where found in the Gospel that any are excluded the kingdome of glory and yet are admitted into the kingdome of grace The doore of grace in this sense is no wider then the gate of glory by Gods appointment and what men doe through ignorance that alters not the truth of God as Rom. 8.30 And if any say that Christ at this time had opposed Gods ordinance of circumcision if such a truth had been put in execution as is gathered from his words to exclude and put by an Infant of 〈…〉 To this I answer and say that Christ speaks of many things before his death which did not concerne the time present but of the order and government of his Church under the new Testament And so he speaks here of the qualification of his subjects and worshippers in his new kingdome that was at hand all which was to be spirituall and therefore to be borne of the spirit as Christ affirmed In which sense circumcision in the flesh ceased and that of the heart onely remaines as Rom. 2. Adde to this the words of the Apostle Eph. 2.3 We are saith he all by nature children of wrath Now if this be true then so long as nothing else appears how can we judge otherwise without gainsaying the holy Ghost and by the words of Christ we are first borne of the flesh and so in an estate of nature untill grace recover us and the effects of Christs redemption takes hold upon us Untill which time we are judged of the Apostle to be children of wrath and of the flesh and so uncleane and no uncleane thing must come into the holy Citie of grace and glory Rev. 21. All which being well considered I thinke will put a stop to the commandement of circumcision from having any footing in the ordinance of Baptisme or for any to take a ground from thence to justisie their Infants in their Baptisme untill some evidence appeares of their being inwardly washed in the bloud of Christ that so the same may be confirmed unto them by that outward washing with water otherwise the ordinance is no way availeable to them but sinne in such as impose the same upon them who doe neither desire it nor know what is done unto them which is to set a seale to a blanke a thing condemned in nature And so I passe from this subject of Infants Baptisme desiring the Lord abundantly to extend his saving grace unto as many as belongs to him that the praise may ever abound to his glory and their everlasting comfort in all happines and safetie here and glory hereafter We know no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. We are the circumcision that worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3. Marvell not that I say a man must be borne againe before he can enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. And thus I desire to have Infants ever in honourable and reverent respect so farre as honour and reverence belongs unto them and so leave them to the grace and good pleasure of the God of all grace who onely knows who are his and hath the disposing of them and all his creatures to his own glory so be it Amen And now having examined the visible right that infants have to baptisme and finding none by the Word of God but the contrary I come now to a second sort and they are such as have been baptized in a false Antichristian estate as they say and so challenge right to enter upon or assume a true Church with the same baptisme they received of the man of sin So that the thing I deal with now is onely that opinion which holds a state to be false and Antichristian and yet Baptisme there administred by an Antichristian power to be the true ordinance of God and so leave the state as false and retain their baptisme