Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	child_n	covenant_n	seal_n	2,756	5	9.5397	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78132	A defence of the lavvfulnesse of baptizing infants. As also of the present baptisme, as it hath continued in the severall ages of the world, from John Baptist the first beginner thereof. In way of answer to something written by Iohn Spilsberie against the same.	Barbon, Praisegod, 1596?-1679.	1645 (1645)	Wing B749; Thomason E270_12; ESTC R212355	60,304	74

be as indeed it is lying and false for none of those things which he is pleased to set downe as held forth in Baptisme or else it is a lying signe could be expected much lesse be in Christ And yet he fulfilled righteousnesse in being D. Sclater baptized as is righteousnesse fulfilled in Infants Baptisme even as it was in their Circumcision of old For we may know that there are other ends in Baptisme as there was in Circumcision of old besides those specified by J. S. as namely the subjecting the creature and dedicating of him to God outwardly in a way of service The marking of him for God by such a Character The differencing of him from the rest of the World and instructing in inward sanctification by the outward washing And here it may be observed that at length J. S. quoteth a Scripture or two but to little purpose surely it is about dipping for that is new and pleaseth him and so in his seventh Reason at length he commeth out with it So he concludeth None of all which can be expected in an Infant And why not but only because he saith so but his words are no Oracles for those or some of those may be found in Infants notwithstanding what he saith God that works those in an elder can work them in a Infant he hath done it as in the case of Jeremy John Baptist he hath promised to do it Deut. 30. 6. And all Gods promises are yea Amen in Christ 1 Cor. 1. 10. Which when J. S. hath considered of he may repent of his error and lying accusation as indeed he hath great cause for to do I suppose the indifferent Reader will be able to see how false and unworthy an accusation this is which makes Christ himself an unlawfull subject and Baptisme a lying signe to him if J. S. his accusation were true in as much as those things could not be expected or be at all in Christ which he specifies as necessary or else it is so Reason 8 Because the subject of Baptisme is to be passive but a Infant is no way passive as that Ordinance requires I mean a passive subject in a threefold way First a thing uncapable and so is a stone Secondly a thing forced and thus is a Infant that opposeth it Baptisme what it can so far is it from being passive in the same Thirdly a thing is passive by a subjecting power producing the same in the subject by bringing of it into a free and voluntary subjection and thus is the true subject of Baptisme none can be capable to receive grace but by grace because it consists of self-denyall Answ First it is marvelous to see how contrary and different these men are in their Tenents A. R. in his Treatise of Childish Baptisme maketh Children to be uncapable Subjects because they are meer passive as he is pleased to say whereas the right subjects of Baptisme he saies ought to be more then passive J. S. he maketh them uncapable because they are not passive at all as contrary as these men are one to another even so contrary is their opinion to the truth Namely their denying Baptisme to Infants as untrue also is that which he further addeth that an Infant is no way passive as that Ordinance requires What that Ordinance requires in a passive way that is not or cannot be in an Infant in a passive way sure J. S. cannot shew Infants were passive in Circumcision of old so were persons of years and there was no reall difference in passivenesse or being patients in that Ordinance of Circumcision as there is none now in Baptisme betwixt Infants and men of years though J. S. would by a foolish distinction of the divers kindes of passivenesse seek to make it appear otherwise He first speaketh of a stones being passive but this he saith is uncapable of what is it uncapable not of totall dipping no not in a passive way J. S. may please to remember what is written of such like subjects namely The baptizing of cups and pots c. which sure he Mark 7. 4. forgot else he would not have distinguished so Secondly for an Infant which he saith opposeth its Baptisme what it can I say it opposeth its Baptisme no more then it did in Circumcision of old But how knoweth he they oppose their Baptisme because happily they shrine and cry a waighty reason sure did not Infants nay did not persons of years in Circumcision do the like yea more do not persons of years shrinke and shew an unwillingnesse to be totally dipped in J. S. his way Thirdly For passivenesse by a subjecting power bringing a thing to a free and voluntary subjection which is as he saith the true subject It may be observed how he rubbeth upon the old sore there is somthing in Infants wanting some Faith some Repentance some Freenesse some willingnesse of submission which he is pleased to make passive qualifications with little reason surely for any man may see what the disease is they bring nothing to Christ therefore they must have no acceptance of him nor grace from him Indeed it is works and not grace that here lets For certainly Infants are as capable of grace and grace as free to them as to persons of years As both old and young are meer passive in regard of inward grace and God giveth freely so both are also alike passive in regard of outward grace to wit that of the * Gen. 17. Covenant and this in question in particular namely Baptisme the Seale of it even as in Circumcision of old But he hath a kinde of reason although no Scripture to prove either his distinction or that children are not passive and that is That none can be capable to receive grace but hy grace because it consists of self-denyall Truly this had need of some explaining surely our being sinners and miserable maketh us meet subjects for mercy I reckon that there is nothing in us as of our own of grace that can make us capable I suppose he holdeth not with the Papists foreseen works or any preparatives that maketh persons capable of grace If he mean thus that none can be capable of the grace of Baptisme in an orderly way but by being within the grace of the Covenant first I should agree with him and do think that nothing can be more clear but that Infants being within the Covenant and interessed in the grace of God that way they are capable of further grace namely to be sealed with the Seale thereof Baptisme But what he meaneth I I know not because he saith It consists of self-denyall If he be able to apply it to the purpose now in hand I shall be willing to acknowledge my want of judgement for to me it is as if he had spake of a man in the Moon and how far this eight reason is from effecting any thing against the lawfulnesse of Infants Baptisme I leave it to the Reader to judge

Reason 9 This Doctrine of Infants Baptisme opposeth directly the expresse Word of God by teaching that Infants are in the Covenant of Grace being borne of believing parents and so a holy seed by vertue of which they have right to Baptisme as a priviledge of grace Against which the holy Ghost affirms that all are conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity and so by nature the children of wrath and under the curse and except they be horne againe they cannoe see the Kingdome of God Psal 51. 5. c. Here man saith that Infants are clear and holy from the wombe and so are subjects of grace But God saith all Infants as well one as other are first in sin and unholy and subjects of wrath untill the second birth makes the difference John 3. Answ At the length I. S. hath attayned to the full number of his Reasons which are far more by number then by weight and surely this last is not in the least behinde the other for shallownesse for either he was very ignorant of what he set down or else perversenesse of spirit carryed him headlong to the multiplying of words without councell against the truth For First I would ask of I. S. whether Isaac and Jacob and the Infants of Israel were not in the Covenant of Grace whether he and they were not a holy seed by vertue of which they had right to Circumcision and priviledge of Grace Rom. 2. 29. That the Covenant to Abraham was a Covenant of Grace I suppose he denyeth not that Circumcision was a priviledge of Grace the Seale of that Covenant the Apostle testifieth in the case of Abraham He received it as the Seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. Secondly I would know whether Isaac the particular Son of Promise Heb. 11. 9. with Jacob fellow-heire were not borne in sin and whether he or they in Infancy were under wrath so as he could not be in the Covenant of Grace Thirdly I would ask him whether children being out of the Covenant of Grace and born in sin and so under wrath according to his sense can possibly be converted so as to see heaven if they John 3. Rom. 10. 15. die in Infancy seeing by outward means they cannot come to believe till they be able to hear and may not be judged within the Covenant nor baptized till they manifest faith sure according to his opinion to our notion they are all debarred Heaven at a blow But truly as the opinion is so is the consequences that attend it erroneous and false but in as much as this stone is much stumbled at by some of that way I shall indeavour to remove it in shewing that the Doctrine of Infants Baptisme agreeth fully with the Word of God The Infants of the faithfull being within the Covenant of grace externally Gen. 17. 7. That this Covenant is to a thousand Generations Psal 105. 8. That God is not the God of the Jews only but of the Gentiles Rom. 4. 29. That the Gentiles are fellow heires of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Eph. 3. 6. That there is no Rom. 10. 12. difference but that he that is Lord of all is rich to all Rom. 10. 12. His grace and mercy being not lessened but inlarged All his promises of grace being to the Gentiles yea and amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 24. Act. 15. 18. Touching inward Sanctity and inward right in the Covenant as it is Gods worke and interessing of whom it pleaseth him so it is only known to him To whom all his works are known from the Mar. 22. 14. foundation of the World A thing not within our Spheare wee being to meddle with things revealed and to proceed according to that Secondly this Covenant of grace externally of which we treat it is extended more largely then according to J. S. his narrow Deu. 29. 29. minding of it that seemeth as if he would thrust himselfe into the room of God medling with things secret and proceeding in his measuring of things that way making the Covenant of grace externally to be with the invisible Elect and not with the called in Jesus Mat. 22. 14. Christ of whom many are called but few chosen so as he is not able I am sure as infallible to shew one person of that Covenant whereas it is and may be known that the Covenant of grace is made with Christs Kingdome his Church and that consists of Virgins five wise and five foolish and Israel though as the sand of the Mat. 25. 2. Sea yet but a remnant shall be saved If J. S. would but be pleased to Rom. 9. 27. take notice of the outwardnesse of the Covenant of grace as before as well as the inwardnesse of it the outwardnesse of the matter to which the Covenant is made as well as the inwardnesse of the matter known only to God he would surely be of another minde and would not say it crosseth the Word of God to hold children within the Covenant of Grace for truly if they be not neither inwardly nor outwardly in the same they are in a sad case being wonderfull losers by the comming of Christ into the world with grace and Joh. 1. 17. truth by whom so many gaine But it is evident by what before is declared that they are in that Covenant and so are to be sealed as others with the Seale of it and that so doing is fully according to the Word of God But saith he the Holy Ghost affirmes that all are conceived in sinne children of wrath and under the curse so as they cannot see the Kingdome Grosse ignorance of God unlesse born again To which I say Isaack and Jacob heires of the promise were borne in sinne and yet in the Covenant of grace so soon and before they were born J. S. is yet beside the matter and much to seeke A little to unfold this matter so hidden to J. S. and those of his way There is a different consideration to be had of this matter even as there is of a person of yeeres who may truly bee said to be a Saint and also a sinner in a different sense So the infants of the faithfull may be said to be born in sin and brought forth in iniquity and so in that consideration under wrath and yet in another minding born the holy seed of promise even as Isaack and the Israelites of old as witnesseth the Apostle ye are the Children of the promise and again the promise is to you and your children Act. 3. 25. Act. 2. 19. let it but be considered in the case of Isaack in particular who was in a speciall manner the childe of promise yet he was born in sinne c. Let J. S. and those of his way use their wit and reason in stead of faith to find out this matter some other way and they shall but tire themselves in vain It will appeare

a truth fully held forth in the holy Scriptures that though all men since their fall in Adam Christ the new or second Adam excepted have been and are born in sinne and so under wrath that way yet a number have obtained such free grace as that though in another consideration they are and have been by generation the seed of promise holy and such as God hath and doth owne for his children even as hee did Isaack and the seed of Israel of old and the seed of the beleeving Gentiles who are under mercie and grace by promise as they are under sinne and wrath the other way And were and are high in the account of God what ever meane account J. S. hath of them of all which and who and what to beleeve let the upright heart to God judge as J. S. in the end of his Reason setteth down thinking belike he had said something that had concluded all But alas how farre these weak and inconsiderate reasons are from effecting what the Author of them intendeth any one that is not of a very childish understanding may be able to discerne for sure men must be childish indeed that in a matter of such weight and concernment as is their outward Christianity and relation to Christ that way shall by such reasons be so swayed as to renounce and reject the same CHAP. II. Containing a discovery of the vaine pretence of J. S. of finding Baptisme now lost and fallen out of the world as hee holdeth in the holy Scriptures of God I. S. At the end of pag. 37. saith That the substance of his former discourse had been about the subjects of Baptisme in which if any please to beleeve his own witnesse in his owne cause hee hath disproved the Baptisme of two sorts of persons First of beleevers infants Secondly the Baptisme in the defection of Antichrist being Baptisme in infancie also So as like a work-man indeed he hath overthrown the outward Christianity and relation to Christ that way priviledges of grace and Saintship and what not all which are of much concernment every manner of way unto men and that of all persons in the world onely those few so of late baptized by totall dipping Is not this Goliah like and can any marvell that we poore Israelites thus stripped and left naked are offended and complain being such losers and turned out of all Had he any great reason to complain as he doth in his Epistle and elsewhere in his book again and againe as pag. 40. Some have so wide mouthes open against them that wished them ever well Well indeed to unchristian them and to strip them of all relation to Christ externally quit them of all interest in the Covenant of God yea making them as without God in the world so casting them out that Ephes 2. 12. 1 Sam. 26. 19. they may goe and serve other gods And can he think much that they complaine of wrong What have they more He saith he will leave them to God to whom they must be accomptable for all their hard words But what are those hard words surely such as these that they say their way and course is erroneous a new invention having evill consequences attending of it that they are light and mutable in their courses and very censorious and is all this so great a matter and hard to be born Are not his words or those of his way farre more easie that condemns all the people and servants of Jesus Christ in the world for unbaptized the course and way of all Churches reformed or separate as Idolatrous and not of God only those of his way excepted though the said persons or Churches be endued with never so lively graces and walk never so sincerely and uprightly with good conscience in the way God hath made known to them But saith he I leave them to God to whom they shall give account for all their hard words Surely he forgetteth and doth not think of the hard censures and grievous condemnations that he and those of his way give and lay upon all that follow not their erroneous way and course In way of further complaint he saith Men doe as the Tyrants did of old And old story indeed and ill applyed but though he be not he saith certain of the truth of it he is certain that some are little better minded that labour to cover the godly with such filth as they vomit out of their self-sick stomacks To all which I say its more easie to see a moat in anothers eye then a beam in their own how doth J. S. and those of his way cover the godly and the Churches of Christ with the filth of their vomit which they cast forth and yet he wipeth his mouth as innocent and wonderfully as we see complaineth of others that have more cause to complaine of him for he can lay heavie burthens and grievous to be born making men no Christiant no Churches of Christ but Synagogues of Satan of the world Antichristians Idolaters and what not all which men must bear though never so innocent but now the least of these he will not indure to touch with his finger but he cryeth out bitterly but as their dealing is unequall in this even so it is in other things But now to return and leave this digression In pag. 38. he telleth us That this falling out so How is that That that the Baptisme of all persons and Churches in the world those few of his way excepted being void and null an Idoll and none of Christs It followeth saith he that we are now to seek for the Lords true Baptisme This is sure a wonderfull case indeed that the Baptisme of Christ should be thus lost and fallen out of the world Now saith he in a case so difficult as some would make it two things in speciall are to be inquired into First How or where to finde it Secondly how it may be obtained being found For the first If any Ordinance be so deceased and lost as we do not know where it is afoot in Gods way in the world a rare case Baptisme is thus lost and deceased in his opinion so as those that find themselves unbaptized may be made partakers of it What are they to do They are to go to Christ and his Apostles as the godly then did But I say Christ his Apostles have left the world and are in heaven I but saith he That is to the Scriptures which are the lively Oracles of God Ans And so they were when Christ and the Apostles were on the earth The spirit saith he speaking in them to a beleever Answ They stand in the place of Christ for advice and counsell and so they did then for both our Lord and the Apostles sent us to them and spake nothing but according to them But what of this Truly nothing to the purpose nor yet that which is added Namely That they have ability to furnish a man of faith