confederate with him in Covenant and was upon that account to be circumcised which engaged to actual faith and upon actual believing it sealed this righteousness of faith to him This precedency of faith is a separable adjunct and comes not into the definition To make the definition full and clear the whole text of the Apostle is to be taken into consideration with the context and all that in the History Gen. 17. to which it relates hath relation to it all which is vertually in the words comprized where we may observe 1. The Person receiving or by right interessed 2. The thing received 3. The end or use 4. The thing signified or sealed The Person receiving or by right interessed is Abraham and giving and receiving being relatives as Pareus on the words observes if Abraham received it it is necessarily implyed that there is some one that gave it Christ sayes Joh. 7.22 Moses gave Circumcision to the Jewes because he delivered unto them a Law concerning it Levit. 12.3 but God gave it in charge to Moses as we may see there vers 1. as Gen. 17.9 10. he had before given it in charge to Abraham And therefore Christ saith that Circumcision was of the Fathers God is then the author as Abraham the receiver of Circumcision Abraham that thus received Circumcision from the hand of God may be considered 1. As a man so he stood in no other relation to God then barely as his creature and with others in the world was without God and not within the verge of his Covenant and for seventy and five years he thus continued 2. As a professor of the faith and worshipper of the true God renouncing the gods that he had worshipped in Charran and professedly serving the Lord Jehovah onely 3. As a man upright and sincere in the Covenant comming up to the termes proposed of God and walking perfect before him In all of these capacities Abraham may be considered as any other of the sons of Abraham that are sincere and faithful In the first capacity he had no right to Circumcision all that are in that condition are called by the Apostle Circumcision yet it was not of necessity to his interest in the Covenant or Circumcision the signe and seale of it to be sincere in Covenant though it be necessary to the attainment of the grace of the Covenant and mercy sealed in the Sacrament As others came into Covenant and were intitled to the initiating sign and seale so might Abraham but others came in upon a bare profession as those multitudes of Proselytes that joyned themselves to Israel One of which was Doeg an Edomite 1 Sam. 21.9 had he not been of Israel by profession he had not been detained in the Sanctuary before the Lord upon any religious account as we find he was ver 7. And had he been right in the Covenant he had not had so many things in charge against him neither had the Psalmist spoken in that language that we read of him The Eunuch as we have cause to think had an heart right with God but it was not so with Simon Magus as Peter expresly tells him Act. 8.21 Abraham then is considered as a man professedly in Covenant when he received this sign of Circumcision The thing received is here Circumcision which I shall speak to onely as of a Sacramental kind and not consider it in the individual nature of it as the initiating Sacrament of the Old Covenant held out under that external rite of cutting off the foreskin of the flesh The use of it is to be a sign and seal for signification and ratification to those that received it The thing signified and sealed is the righteousnesse of faith so it is also called Heb. 11. Elsewhere it is called the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10.3 being freely given to us of God and onely able to justifie us in his sight but chiefly because it is wrought by Christ who was not meer man nor barely a creature but the true God as St. John stiles him 1 Joh. 5.20 This righteousness of God is applyed to us and made ours by faith Phil. 3.9 and therefore as it is called the righteousnesse of God so also here and elsewhere the righteousnesse of faith This text being thus cleared a full and compleat definition of a Sacrament may be found The definition of a Sacrament A Sacrament is a sign appointed of God to be received of his Covenant-people to seal the righteousnesse of faith unto them I know there is somewhat put into the definition of a Sacrament by some that treat of this subject which is not here in words exprest and therefore upon that account this definition may be challenged as defective as 1. The Minister by whom it is to be dispensed from God to man But whether this be essential in a Sacrament or otherwise as afterwards is to be enquired into it is sufficiently implyed In case it must be received from God by his people in that way and from that hand that he himself in his Word hath appointed 2. The Sacraments contain as well a profession of our duty towards God as Gods tender and seal to man of which here is nothing said But this we shall find both in the sign and seal which are both mentioned necessarily included and as it appears that it is comprized so to make it more clear and explicite it may by the Reader be added CHAP. V. Sect. I. Of Sacramental signes I shall here purposely wave several Schoole-niceties as in what predicament a Sacrament is to be placed Taking it in the whole nature of it as consisting of a twofold matter the one outward and earthly which is the visible signe the other inward and heavenly which is the thing signified and of a twofold forme one outward which is the due participation of it according to the way prescribed of God the other inward consisting in the analogy between the signe and the thing signified it must needs be an Ens aggregatum and so not capable of any place in that series of being And signe and seale being clearly relatives I shall leave the Reader to informe himself from learned Keckerman in the third Book and eighth Chapter of his Systeme of Philosophy what is the Relatum the Correlatum the relation it self the foundation and the terminus in this Sacramental consideration and shall go on to lay open the several parts of this definition The whole of it being comprized in this text of the Apostle every part affords some doctrinal Observation In the first place I shall observe that Sacraments are signes The truth of this observation is so clear of it self that it needs no proof Taking the word Sacrament in the largest sense that we can speak of it in which it falls short of these Gospel-Ordinances known by that name it is yet Sacrae rei Signum the sign of an holy thing And might be made good by a particular induction not only in those
baptized the Reader can scarce imagine this I impute to haste or passion preventing or obstructing the use of reason He must then blot out Christian nomine tenus and insert instead of it an Heathen Jew or Pagan otherwise he is already a baptized person and in incapacity for baptisme by the power of the Word preached brought to renounce his way of Paganisme Judaisme and to professe and engage to a Christian faith and conversation These are the men that I would have baptized and if we must account them to be dogs and swine all Scripture-baptizers are within the lash they have given baptisme to them That repentance as well as faith was required in baptisme appeares saith he by the ages following the Apostles yea and in the Apostles time likewise A profession of both was indeed required they that renounced heathen worship renounced heathen conversation with it They engaged to a Christian faith and they engaged to a Christian conversation Mr. F. addes For those who would live in their lusts they deferred their baptisme knowing what that required I have read of the deferring of baptisme in those times and the reasons assigned why they put it off But I have not met with this reason Mr. Marshall in his defence of Infant-Baptisme hath given many reasons why some put off baptisme Some to be baptized at the age that Christ was baptized Some to be baptized in the river where he was baptized Some to be baptized by some special Bishop of eminent place Some which it seems was most common because they conceived that it takes away all sin and therefore they would have it delayed till sin was well over for which he quotes many authorities Tertullian it appears would have it delayed upon this ground seeing he would not have unmarried persons baptized but to stay till lust were extinguished and disswading from baptisme in younger years he hath these words Quid festinat innocens aetas ad remissionem peccatorum de baptis cap. 18. Yet perhaps some might delay it upon the account that he mentions though he quotes no authority for it but that Tertullian and Nazianzen intimate it one of whom was for delaying of baptisme in the place quoted the other against it as I find him cited But in case any did delay it upon the grounds by him mentioned might it not be their fault that did administer it in keeping the door too narrow as well as their sin who put off the time of it seeing Mr. F. himself complains of the rigour of some in New-England in holding men off from entrance into Church-fellowship by that door which is set up in the room and place of baptisme Mr. Firmin as well in his Serious question stated as in his Appendix against me vouches many authorities first Presbyterians instancing in his margine Lond. Min. Jus Div pag. 115. But in my book that page hath no such thing Gillespies Aarons Rod quoting many pages I can recompence him in setting up some of the Congregational way against him Mr. Gillesp will not have a known unregenerate man baptized But Mr. Cobbet saith John did and might lawfully baptize those multitudes albeit in the general he knew that many yea most of them would prove false and frothy And makes visibility of interest in the Covenant the Churches guide in application of Baptisme pag. 52. And how large a visibility of interest is is cleer and I have already shewen Let his words before quoted be considered and to these adde that which he hath pag. 54 55. The initiatory seal is not primarily and properly the seal of mans faith or repentance or obedience but of Gods Covenant rather The seal is to the Covenant even Abrahams Circumcision was not primarily a seal to his faith of righteousnesse but to the righteousnesse of faith exhibited and offered in the Covenant yea to the Covenant it self or promise which he had believed unto righteousnesse hence the Covenant of grace is called the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 10. Hence Acts 2.38 39. the seal of baptisme is put to the promise as the choyce matter and foundation in view and as that was a ground of repentance it self Repent and be baptized for the promise is to you Not for you have repented as if that were the thing to be firstly sealed by baptisme but the promise rather Appendix pag. 57. Mr. Firmin quotes in the Lump the Fathers Councels School-men out of Gregory de Val. as if all were of that mind In his Serious question he quotes Austin Alexander Hales Aquinas Gregory de Valen. In his appendix Justin Martyr Concil Naeocesar Concil Nic. Concil Elib as strict in admission of their Catechumeni concerning which I might have much to say First How would he like it in other things to leave the clear rode and track of Scriptures to hunt after humane authorities If we can but say From the beginning it was not so In case the authorities were more in number more eminent in honour we have sufficient The Scripture-way taking in those that the Word had brought to a profession of Christianity upon engagement to it is as clear as though it were written with a ray of the Sun Secondly For Fathers and Schoolmen their opinion about Baptisme on which they ground the necessity of praerequisites to it is known and as he may quote them against me so I can quote them against him and those of his party They maintain and as unanimously as they do the thing in debate that Sacraments confer grace on the receiver in case he put no obstacle on which account they expect not grace in the person for baptisme which they believe not to be possible seeing the Sacrament is to work it but a convenient disposition to grace which they call merit ex congruo Let Suarez speak in the name of the rest having laid down this Proposition d Ut alicui digne detur baptismus praeter voluntatem suscipiendi Sacramentum necessaria est dispositio conveniens sanctitati Sacramenti That Baptisme may be worthily administred besides a willingnesse to receive the Sacrament a disposition suitable to the holinesse of the Sacrament is required And then answering the question What this disposition is he answers e Resp Eam sufficere necessariam esse quae ad consequendum effectum Baptismi fuerit sufficiens ac necessaria quia cum per baptismum detur gratia si aliquis est recte dispositus ad effectum baptismi consequendum in instanti quo receperit baptismum perfectum recipiet gratiam Ergo cum sufficienti dignitate sanctitate recipit Sacramentum Quia cum hoc sit Sacramentum mortuorum non est ad illud digne suscipiâ—ndum prae exigenda gratia ad quam conferendam ipsum est constitutum Ergo sufficiet illa dispositio cum qua Sacramentum conferet talem effectum That is necessary and sufficient which is necessary and sufficient to attain the effect of the Sacrament and gives
and received by a Whale and after three dayes and three nights cast safe upon the shore Satan must set up his Arion and make him famous in his Historians and Poets A skilfull Harper of Greece having by excellency in musick gained a great summe of money in Italy and Sicilia returning to his own Countrey with his treasure Mariners with whom he agreed for his Fare greedy of his money cast him into the Sea a Dolphin delighted with his musick carries him safe and landed him at Taenarus See the relation and application elegantly brought home to this purpose by Dr. Abbot Lect. 15. on Jonah making notable observations of Satans policy In case the Narrative carry any truth in it by his wonders so far as his art and power can reach Satan then makes it his business to disgrace Gods miracles and cast dishonour upon them by his imitation though he falls farre short of the Originall as he there shewes and followes him as little Ascanius his Father with very unequal steps And in case we take it for a meer fiction which is his judgement upon it his art is no lesse observable to discredit as farre as in him lyes the writings of Scriptures When this miracle of Jonahs shall be Preached and published in the world Arions fable shall be produced that like faith may be yeelded to either of both See Mr. Burges Spiritual Refining Pag. 131 132. Where this thing in many particulars is enlarged And the more high the wayes of Religion are raised of God in a Spiritual way the more easie it is for Satan who is a spirit to delude The Spirit is the great Gospel-promise to be poured out on all flesh that is on men of all sorts Joel 2.28 God will be served in types and shadowes no longer but in Spirit and truth Joh. 4.23 When the Jewes gloried of Circumcision as that which did denominate them a people of God and distinguished them from all other Nations and urged the necessity of it to salvation the Apostle tells us that they are the Circumcision that worship God in Spirit Phil. 3.3 Satan now on the other hand can take the hint and heighten his way in a destructive manner to Gospel wayes All outward Ordinances shall now be decryed as formes and beggarly rudiments and with Circumcision in the letter laid aside though they be Ordinances of the Spirit it self in which the Spirit expresses its power and efficacy 1. The written Word which was dictated by the Spirit 2 Pet. 1.19 is the sword of the Spirit by which it exercises his power on the soul must be laid aside as a dead letter and over carnal The Ministers of the Word that great gift from the Fathers right hand Ephes 4.11 set over the flocks by the holy Ghost Act. 20.28 on this pretence are to be cast off with Moses and Aaron taking too much upon them when all the Congregation is holy notwithstanding for a real confutation when this Spirit was first given in glory it came upon the heads of his Ministers in forme of tongues fiery cloven Act. 2.3 To let all know is that great appearance that was there that their tongues are sanctified of God to Preach the Word in power and life to all Nations And as the gifts of the Spirit encreased so the Ministers of the Spirit were multiplyed and that very title and name given Ministers of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 And the mind of Jesus Christ made known that these in a peculiar order distinct from other men are set apart to preach the Gospel as the Priests under the Law in a peculiar order were to wait at the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 14. Upon the same pretence Sacraments must be laid aside the Baptisme of the Spirit is pleaded for the overthrow of the Baptisme of water Though the Apostle that first spake by the Spirit after it was given in glory doth argue the clean contrary Act. 10.47 Who can forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we They that have the Spirit will be raised in zeal for the honour and establishment of every Ordinance of God by the Spirit the more spiritual men are the more care they will take to advance the Word the Ministers of the Word Sabbaths Sacraments Let us then observe his imitations his falsifications He vents doctrine of his own sets up wayes of his own that carry a resemblance of Gods wayes And similitude is mater erroris we shall never heed them as long as we know they are the Devils but when he transformes himself into an Angel of light and puts the stamp of God upon his own coyn we must not be ignorant of his sleights but to have our senses exercised to discern between good and evill CHAP. III. Whether there were any Sacraments from the fall to the institution of Circumcision THe next consideration of Sacraments is in mans fallen condition under a Covenant not of works but grace not for mans preservation in life but his restitution to life A further distribution of Sacâ—aments And these are to be distinguished according to Gods way of dispensation of us Covenant to his people which is wont to be done into three periods The first is from the fall till Abraham or unto the time that God entered Covenant with him and his seed which Suarez saith according to the common account doth end at the giving of the Law by Moses when the old Law began yet Circumcision which was in use long before the Law continuing the same under the Law he determines the law of nature at that time when Circucision began The second from Abraham till Christ The third from the first comming of Christ in the flesh till the second comming of his to judgement The first juncture of time hath usually been known by the time of the Law of nature The second the time of the Old And the last the time of the New Covenant Why the first of these should bear the name of the Law of nature I can read of none that have given satisfaction The phrase should seem to imply that then men had no more light then that of nature for their guide in the wayes of God But this is evidently false God did not then begin by way of supernatural revelation to speak to men in the world Suarez in tertiam partem Thomae Tom. 3. Disput 4. Sect. 1. taking upon him to answer the question hath much to amuse the Reader nothing to satisfie him he sayes a Lex naturae intelligitur dictamen rationis non solum ex naturali sed etiam ex supernaturali lumine ortum The law of nature is the dictate of reason arising not onely out of natural but supernatural light And in ihat sense the Gospel is the Law of nature Concerning this space of time whatsoever is the period of it much enquiry is made whether there were any Sacraments at all instituted of God and enjoyed
the one hand as it puts upon profession on the other And in case any such thing be though the Covenant is perfidiously broke yet as I conceive not totally cast off as long as any open profession is continued What shall we say of those that take their sons and daughters to give them to Moloch this can be no low crime and an high departure from the true God yet these bring forth children unto God and they are his children that they thus sacrifice Ezek. 16.20 21. So also Psal 106.35 c. Israel was mingled among the Heathen and learned their works and they served their Idols which were a snare to them yea they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto Devils and shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and daughters Yet this as appears casts them not out of Covenant God notwithstanding remembred with them his Covenant ver 45. This was therefore doubtlesse but a partial apostasie taking in the worship of Idols they did not totally cast off the worship of God God was not totally cast off in Judah neither did cast off Judah Ahaz was of the worst of Kings and yet his posterity was reckoned among the people of the Lord. Had the Jews then been as severe disputants against a Covenant-state as are risen up now the Church of God had wanted an Hezekiah he had never lived much lesse wrought so happy a Reformation in the Church of God Propos 2 2. Those that are look'd upon by men as in Covenant with God and so ordinarily judged as the people of Israel were by the name that they bear their abode in the Church and profession that they make and so accordingly styled they are truly and really in Covenant A man may know a man to appertain to such or such a person because he sees him in his family hears him call him Master sees him sometimes at least in his work and knowes him to have the repute of his servant Though to know him to be a faithful servant requires more diligence of enquiry and a stricter scrutiny So a man may be as easily known to appertain to Jesus Christ The same Characters make him known For all that is required to being in Covenant is visible open evident but sincerity of heart in covenanting is invisible and secret And therefore the Jew outwardly Rom. 2.28 is called by the Vulgar Vatablus Tremelius Arias Montanus and Castalio Judaeus in manifesto by Calvin Judaeus in aperto by Beza Judaeus in propatulo the Jew inwardly Judaeus in abscondito or occulto Their Church or Covenant-station giving them those great advantages after mentioned was open and manifest Those that say Lord Lord as Matth. 7.21 are of those that avouch God to be their God and God avoucheth them to be his people And therefore when they come with their sacrifices though in their sins and God upon that account testifies against them yet he sayes I am God even thy God It is confess'd by Mr. Baxter that we must judge those that make profession to be in Covenant with God we must give them the name of Christians and men in Covenant with God and we must use them as Christians in works of charity and Ordinances and Church-communion and so must use their Children as Christians children And seeing reason to judge so according to Scripture-character of men in Covenant they are so Either in this we judge right or else we proceed upon mistake If we judge aright then all is well If we mistake then all in these proceedings is null Water hath been applyed to the child of such an one but no Sacrament dispens'd And according to a mans hopes thoughts or fears of his fathers regeneration are his hopes thoughts and fears of his own baptisme and consequently of his interest in Church-communion for this stands or falls according to his fathers interest or non-interest in the Covenant When Mr. Baxter is urged with this he uses to refer to his Treatise of Infant-Baptisme where he layes us down a grand Rule or Maxime and out of that extracts many others His grand Rule is That a serious Professor of the faith is to be taken for a true Believer and this being laid down he proceeds on If this Proposition were a Scripture-Maxime then it would have born a farther superstruction but being neither found there nor any proof made that it is any way deduced thence mother and daughters may all justly be called into question and seeing he cannot but know that very many as to the thing for which it is produc'd which is in order to admission to Ordinances will utterly deny it he might have done well to have made some essay to have proved it I do yield that charity is to hope the best but that we should put our charity to it or our reason either for probability or certainty when we are no where so taught and have a more sure rule for our preceeding I see no reason I can scarce meet with a Minister that sayes and I have put the question to many of the most eminent that I know that he baptizeth any Infant upon this ground of hope that the Parent is regenerate but still with earnest vehemence professes the contrary I desire the Reader to consider Mr. Cobbets third and fourth Conclusions in his just Vindication pag. 46 52. There is a bare external being in the Covenant of Grace saith he of persons who possibly never shall be saved Concl. 3d. The Church in dispensing an enjoyned initiatory seal of the Covenant of Grace looketh unto visibility of interest in the Covenant to guide her in the application thereof Concl. 4th Visibility of interest and saving interest are there oppos'd See also Mr. Hudson pag. 249. John Baptist did not in his conscience think they had all actually really and compleatly repented and reformed themselves whom he baptized but he baptized them unto Repentance Matth. 3.11 and they by receiving the same bound themselves to endeavour the practice thereof It were a sad case for Ministers if they were bound to admit none or administer the Lords Supper to none but such as were truly godly or that they judged in their conscience to be so or were bound to eject all that they judged were not so Propos 3 3. Mans obligation of himself in Covenant unto God upon the terms by him proposed necessarily implies Gods obligation to man Where God makes tenders of the Gospel by his Ministers to any one out of Covenant there he makes tender of the Covenant and where a person or people professedly accept that is engage themselves as myriads of thousands did through the Acts of the Apostles this person this people each man of them is in Covenant As Scripture calls them by the name of Saints Disciples Believers Christians so we may call them Covenanters They have all a sanctity of separation which Camero sayes is reall and Mr. Baxter disputed from thence to a right in Baptisme from that Text 1
and the bruised reed broke There have not been a few hungry sad souls that I have known that have born the terror of the Lord separate themselves for this reason But it will be replyed by those that give this warning that they mean not these they are not at all intended in their speech these they would tender and with all endeared affection of love encourage as those that have most need and are most fit to receive food for their strength But all of this helps not when this Proposition is laid down That no man in whom justifying faith and a new life by the Spirit is not wrought may dare otherwise then on the peril of his soul to draw nigh hither will not such a soul necessarily assume A new life through the Spirit is not wrought in my soul I am conscious to my self that I am carnal whatsoever endeavours I have used to believe yet how far am I from faith in strength and truth I find my self all over doubts and fears and plunged in unbelief And though I have made it my businesse to keep off from sin yet how far am I from a true change by repentance I find my heart hard obdurate even as an adamant yea the poor deserted soul will take to it self the state of Cain the condition of Judas If there be any other high in wickednesse they have matched yea they have exceeded them They are to put it to the question whether they are in grace or no whether they have a new life wrought or as yet are short of it This they must either determine in the affirmative that they are in grace at least there are those hopeful signs in present that they cannot but conclude it and then they safely may come upon sight of this they may with cheerfulnesse make their addresse or else they must carrie it in the negative all that is yet wrought is not life is not grace is not faith in its power is not repentance in truth as they can do no other that walk in darknesse and see no light that say God hath forgotten to be gracious and so they must keep off from the Ordinance and debar themselves from those cordials those apples those flagons that are there tendered and sick of love yet dare not intermeddle with the Lords tokens that are tendered to them or in the third place suspend and so sit down in doubtful fears whether they have grace or no and then that of the Apostle Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin will soon come into their thoughts and so all that are short of fulnesse of assurance must in dreadful horror separate themselves Secondly This Sacrament in that it is a Sacrament hath the name and nature of a seal as we see in the text and God willing shall be shewn a visible seal intrusted in the hands of man and therefore must needs be of a more different latitude and large extent then that seal which God reserves in his own keeping the seal of the Spirit The Lord knowes them that are his 2 Tim. 2.19 But man is to seek who are the Lords God knowes how to put to his seal to his own man who hath not this knowledg must needs be here allowed a greater latitude either men entrusted with it must have the knowledge of God as to this particular who they are in whom a new life is and grace wrought or else they must be allowed a greater latitude to take in men that make profession of God and as members in Church-Communion may be edified by it I know this argument is carried another way and that we conclude the contrary upon a double account 1. These seales of God outward and inward should answer each to other Those that have the outward seal they are to have the inward those that take into their hand the seal of the Sacrament should have the impresse of the Spirit on their soules To which I answer That the writing of the Word with Inke and Paper in the Bible and the writing in the heart by the Spirit should answer each the other that is every Christian should make it his businesse to hide that Word in his heart that by the Ministery sounds in his ears and yet Christians are not warned not to take a Bible into their hands till the impresse of that which is there is put on their hearts The Word is delivered in a greater latitude and so also must the Sacrament 2. Some say this Sacrament seales Gospel-promises onely they therefore that can claime the promise and have their interest in it can claime the seal otherwise the seal is put to a blank there is a seal where there is no Covenant-promise 1. I answer this argument thus carried speaks sadly to the hearts of all dispensers of the Sacraments they must see there is a Covenant-promise or else they must not dare to put to a seal To put any mans seal to a blank paper where nothing is written is a vain use of that seal It stands there as a cypher Now to put Gods seal to a blank where nothing is written doubtlesse is as vain and an high taking of Gods Name in vain according to these the Covenant is written in non-legible and invisible characters This inward work is that white stone with a new name written which no man knoweth save he that receives it Revel 2.17 and so the dispensers too often against convictions of conscience allwayes at hap-hazard must deliver them any thing written or not written whether a blank or filled up they cannot tells but are all at uncertainties 2. I answer as is the seal so is the Covenant both of them external and one must answer to the other Now these in question as hath been demonstrated at large are in Covenant An outward Covenant is by few questioned and so the seal is put to no blank but given to one interested in Covenant It seals the grace of the Covenant and mercy tendred in the promise on Gods termes and propositions So that the different latitude of the seal of the Spirit and of the seal of the Sacrament do conclude that men of no more then visible Church-interest may partake of it 3. The Church de facto hath injoyed it in this latitude not to instance in some ages following the times of the Apostles in which the Pastors called all their people to daily Sacraments and the use of it in Austins time when wicked ones in the Church were so numerous that they durst not deal with Church-censures but look into the Scripture though we are kept much in the dark concerning their practice little mention being made of the administration after the institution yet we know that this Sacrament was the priviledge of visible members then in being and it is clear enough how far many even then were short of sincerity If that of 1 Cor. 11. be
and how great an odium lyes upon that opinion what those be that maintain it and what interest they drive is very well known To this I answer The expression of a Converting Ordinance may be taken two wayes First As having power of it self In what sense and with what limit the Lords Supper may be called a converting Ordinance as a single instrument in the hand of God in his ordinary way to work a change in the heart or life In this sense the converting power of it is to be denyed Secondly As having some influence for that work as seconding and working with the Word so I doubt not but that it may safely be owned and easily justified I shall lay down my whole thoughts of it in some Propositions Explicatory Propositions Affirmat First In the Affirmative First This Sacrament carries the soul on towards conversion in doing the same thing as the Word does for conversion in holding forth Christ crucified in holding him out as our sin and as our Saviour made a curse for us and delivering us from the curse Secondly In further engaging the soul or the soul upon receiving the Sacrament engaging it self to that which the Word requires and calls for If Covenants in Israel entred by reforming Princes were judged to be of that force for obligation of the soul to a change in their wayes putting stronger tyes on their slippery hearts much more may we believe that the Sacraments in a due order received may have this efficacious power They serve saith Mr. Hooker as bonds of obedience to God strict obligations to the mutual exercise of Christian charity provocations to godlinesse preservations from sin memorials of the principal benefits of Christ Thirdly The Sacrament doth this in an ordinary way according to the revealed will of God in his Word as the proper intention of the work and not as any thing extraordinary Fourthly The Sacrament it self doth it in that relation in which it stands to the Word in its being and operation and not the Sacramentals onely as they have been called as the Word preached and prayer which yet have a mighty influence on the Sacraments for this work Fifthly It works as a second to the Word for habitual conversion as well as actual In the way that the Word doth work for the infusion of the first grace and not barely for the exciting and stirring up of grace in the soul Their way of working I shall God willing in due place further enquire into Negat Secondly In the Negative First The Sacrament converts none by the bare work done There is no such power by receiving to change the soul as Papists believe there is by consecration to change the elements There is neither reason for it nor promise of it I cannot believe for I see no proof of it any regenerating power in the water in Infants Baptisme much lesse can I have reason to believe such a converting power of grown persons in the Lords Supper He shall be alone for me that will appear in such Paradoxes Secondly The command given to take and eat of the bread to drink of the cup hath no such power to convert None can see the reason of the change of their wayes in any such injunction Conversion were an easie work in case this could do it Thirdly The Sacrament of the Lords Supper must by no means be parallelled with the Word in the work of conversion but the Word many wayes must have the preeminence 1. The Word may work to conversion without the Lords Supper There are many in saving grace that did never partake of this Ordinance Gods engagement by word and oath holds up the faith and is the ground of strong consolation to those that never enjoyed this seal But the Sacrament cannot convert or do any thing towards it without the Word A Covenant may convey an interest without a seal when a seal can never do it without a Covenant 2. The Sacrament does nothing of its own strength but by vertue from the Word It hath its dependance on the Word for being as a seal on a Covenant and also for the operation The Word may go alone in the work of conversion yet may have assistance from the Sacrament the Sacrament can never work alone without the Word but as an assistant to it 3. The Word must qualifie the soul for the Sacrament in laying open the nature and use of it and the soul must attend what the Sacrament holds out otherwise there can be no improvement of it for any spiritual benefit And these things being premised I wonder how any that seem to appear most on the contrary part can justly be offended that I affirm and as I think with so good reason prove that the Lords Supper may be assistant towards conversion in some and may work with the Word to carry the soul professing Christ up to it especially when it shall appear that I would have the door of admission to stand at least little more wide then they themselves And perhaps not so wide as according to the practice of many of their judgment it stands already Most of these acknowledge that knowing persons free from grosse errors and scandals may be admitted others say none but they that in the judgment of charity appear to be indeed in Christ may be received in which they yet confesse that men may be easily deceived Either of these confesse that many unconverted partake with them even when rules of admission according to their own mind are most tenaciously held And in case it appear that these may receive benefit by the Sacrament and their conversion possibly holpen on especially if well followed on by the Word why should they be troubled I confesse it is to me no small trouble to see godly Ministers of the opposite way so much ensnared in their own principles and necessitated to let in such where most of order is held and discipline exercised that of necessity further their damnation and are in impossibility according to their tenents to improve it towards salvation Thirdly It is yet further objected That in this doctrine we oppose the unanimous judgment of Protestant Divines who generally teach that the Sacraments are appointed of God and delivered to the Church as sealing Ordinances not to give but to testifie what is given not to make but confirm Saints simply denying the instrumentality of Sacraments that they are appointed of God for working or giving grace where it is not And that we concur with Papists who hold that the Sacraments are instruments to confer give or work grace ex opere operato But how unjust this charge is in both the parts of it might easily be made manifest In this we Symbolize not with Papists First For that charge of joyning with the Papists let any judge who comes nearest to their doctrine of the efficacy of this Sacrament Not to mention the opus operatum which is alike detested of both
are likewise seals where there are like Sacramental expressions notwithstanding they have no such name in Scripture And as the Apostle infers from the institution of Circumcision and Abrahams acceptation of it that Circumcision was a seal so may we infer in like manner that other Sacraments are signs and seals Compare that which the Apostle here deduceth from Gen. 17. concerning Abrahams Circumcision with that which may be deduced from Acts 8.34 35. concerning the Eunuchs Baptisme Abraham believed and was justified upon believing and then received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousnesse of faith which he had being uncircumcised And the Eunuch did believe on Philips preaching and afterwards received Baptisme May we not well then say He received the sign of Baptisme a seal of the righteousnesse that he had being yet unbaptized so we may say of Pauls Baptisme and the Jaylours upon their miraculous conversion to the faith they received the sign of Baptisme for the same reason Secondly It is demanded whether the Covenant of grace and promises of salvation be compleat valid and firm in themselves Object without these things annexed to them or whether they be meerly void and null in Law as Kings and mens Deeds and Charters without a seal to confirm them If incompleat infirm and invalid this is extreamly derogatory to the Covenant and therefore they are not properly seals Answ 1. Sol. If there be some dissimilitude between civill seals used by men in Charters and conveyances and seals of God put to his Covenant will it then follow that upon that account they are no seals There are dissimilitudes between the Ambassadors of Princes and the Ministers of Christ respective to their functions are Ministers then no Ambassadors There is difference between servants of men and servants of God are Christians then no servants Sacraments are seals by way of metaphor because they do the office that seals do among men and if they do not per omnia quadrare as no metaphors do yet in case they agree in the main for which that serves from whence the metaphor is borrowed it is sufficient Ministers are fitly called Ambassadors being sent of God to treat from him with a people as Ambassadors are sent of Princes notwithstanding that those to whom Ambassadours come may treat or not treat at pleasure may give in Propositions as well as receive them when they to whom Gods Ministers are sent must give audience must take the Propositions delivered and not stand to Capitulate If Sacraments ratifie to us the promises of the Covenant That is enough to denominate them seales though wit could devise twenty differences And yet I read some differences assigned which I confesse I do not understand to be any differences at all 2. I know not that it is absolutely true in Law that mens grants are void altogether without a seal I have heard of Leases parol and Wills nuncupative which I am sure have no seal And seales sometimes by the injury of time are utterly broke and lost and in this case I suppose the Covenant may yet stand 3. What is objected against this office of Sacraments as seales may also be objected against the oath of God made to Abraham for confirmation of his Word That will admit the dilemma Either his Word of Promise was true and firm without it or else which I am loath to speak subject to change The application is easie The same thing was revealed to Pharaoh in a dream for seven years plenty and seven years famine by a double sign If there was truth in one we may argue the second needs not if untrue neither have cause to be heeded or regarded If we will undertake such kind of reasonings we should make no end 4. The Covenant is compleat full firm and valid in case we should never more then once hear it or never have any seal put to it nor any oath for confirmation yet our unbelief and distrust is such that we need ingeminations inculcations oaths seals and all from God to uphold us Object Thirdly It is yet demanded whether these seales are inseparably annexed to the Covenant and promises of grace in the Old or New Testament as parts or parcels of them as seales are annexed To the Charter If yea then shew us to what Covenants and Promises and in and by what Texts they are thus inseparably annexed and how any can be saved or made partakers of the benefit of the Covenant and promises of grace who do not actually receive these seales of grace when as your selves with all Orthodox Divines must grant that many who were never baptized and infinite who never received the Lords Supper are and may be saved and are made partakers of the Covenant and promises of grace without receiving or enjoying these seales of grace If no then how can these be termed seales of the Covenant and promises of grace which are not inseparably affixed to them as seales are to Charters since many receive the Covenant and promises of grace without these seales and other receive these seales without the Covenant or promises the benefit whereof they never enjoy Answ They are inseparably joyned respectu praecepti Sol. as being enjoyned of God and here all the Texts brought to prove the Sacraments not arbitrary but necessary may be brought in to witnesse though not so respectu medii The Covenant may have its effect without them The Covenant is intire in it self without them They are not inseparable quoad esse yet they have their necessity though not simple and absolute quoad operari for the Covenant to have its due work on our hearts God saw them necessary helpful and useful and therefore gave them in charge as many Scriptures witnesse and we of necessity must submit to them in order to obtain the end to which they serve and for which they are designed and appointed SECT II. Rules for a right understanding of Sacramental Seales FIrst These are outward visible seales Explicatory Propositions touching the sealing of Sacraments and priviledges of visible Churches and Church-membership committed to the Stewards of God in his house to dispense and apply to their people And so different from that other seal of God frequently mentioned the seal of the Spirit which is internal invisible proper onely to the elect regenerate reserved in the hand of God according to prerogative to give That these are external and visible needs no more then our eyes and that they are the priviledg of visible Churches and Church-members sufficient hath been spoken And therefore they both agree in the general nature of a seal both are for ratification and confirmation of the truth of Gods promises yet in a different way and different latitude They have the former that never reacht the latter and the former is serviceable to attain to the latter Secondly They are seales not to confirm any truth of God in it self or to work in us any assent to general Scripture-Propositions But
as general truths are brought home by particular application so they seal mens particular interest in the Covenant He that hath the Son hath life He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life These are Scripture-Propositions and he that is to seek here hath no cure in the Sacraments They can give no direct remedy These signs and seals take this for granted and cannot make proof of it But when this is assented to in the general He that hath the Son hath life and he that feeds upon him shall live for ever Here soules are confirmed in their particular interests that the Son is theirs and that they feed upon him for life eternal Thirdly we must distinguish the outward sign in the Sacrament together with that which is done about them or any of them and the Communicants act in the bare beholding of them from our act of receiving of them In the former sense they are no more then signes The Lords Supper thus considered is no more then a remembrance memorial or representation of Christs death and passion In the latter it is a seal pledge or earnest And therefore to say that Christ ordained it to be a remembrance memorial and representation of his death is a truth But to say that therefore he did not ordain it to be a seal is a manifest error If Christ had taken bread and broken it taken the cup and poured out wine and had said This is my body this is my blood here had been a sign a memorial a representation and no more But when he saies Take eat this is my body This is my blood in the New Testament drink ye all of this it is as Circumcision was both a sign and seal As a sign remembrance or representation the beholding is sufficient as the Israelites did the brazen Serpent and as Papists look on their Images for which if they had an institution as they have a prohibition they might be defended and if we were to do no more it would be no more then a sign memorial and representation But being to receive it It is a seal and pledge of that which it represents and brings to our minds Fourthly They are not absolute seals but conditional They do not make it good to all that Christ is theirs but upon Gods terms which is exprest by St. Peter to be the answer of a good conscience towards God Of this I spake largely Treatise of the Covenant pag. 34 35 c. which by Mr. Baxter in his Apology hath been examined Sect. 60 to Sect. 82. which here must briefly be taken into consideration A digression for vindication of chap. 7. of the Treatise of the Covenant from Mr. Baxters exceptions touching conditional sealing in Sacraments HAving in my Treatise of the Covenant shewed at large that the Covenant of grace is conditional In my seventh Chapter I inferr'd that the seals of the Covenant are as the Covenant it self conditional making it good with six several arguments as I had before asserted it in my answer of Mr. T. chap. 15. p. 100. This reverend Mr. Baxter is pleased to take notice of in his Apology and to put the question in opposition to me in these words Sect. 60. Whether the Sacraments seal the conditional promise absolutely or the conclusion conditionally when onely one of the premises is of Divine revelation and whether this conclusion be de fide I am justified and shall be saved Which terms I leave to the intelligent Reader to consider He is not pleased to take notice of any one of my arguments whether it is because he judges them unworthy of his answer or for any other reason I cannot tell I produce likewise the testimony of many of our Divines speaking the same thing and he takes as little notice of any of their authorities As I then spake what reason inforced me to believe so I have the same reason still to believe what I have spoke and when all is examined which may be found in that apology from p. 115 to p. 144. I think more is spoken for me then against me He is pleased pag. 139. to say The difference is so small that were it not for some scattered by-passages I would scarce have replyed to you I therefore shall return no other rejoynder but onely to observe such passages as may best serve to clear the truth in question He goes about to take away the subject of the question and saies I never heard of nor knew a conditional sealing in the world which to me is very strange Besides what I have spoken of it he hath doubtlesse read Mr. Marshalls answer to Mr. T. and pag. 224. of his Treatise of Infant-Baptisme he makes us know that he hath read it and he expresly calls it a conditional seal of the receivers interest in the Covenant He confesses the possibility but asserts the vanity of such sealing As if a man saith he Sect. 77. pag. 140. should set the wax and material Seal to a deed of gift with this addition I hereby seal to this or own it as my deed if such a man be now living in France or if such a ship be safe arrived or if such a man shall do such a thing otherwise this shall be no seal Here I think an impossibility is found out Is an actual Seal made no Seal upon any condition in the World Hath he never heard of that Maxime Quicquid est quando est necesse est esse or that other Quod factum est infectum reddi nequit And we are wont to say that this is not within an omnipotence to make a thing that is whilest it is not to be unlesse Mr. Baxter means that such wax with impression made is formally no seal before the time that in law it hath its efficacy as he seems to say Sect. 72. where he hath these words To say I conditionally seal is to say It shall be no seal till the performance of the condition So a bond sealed and delivered in presence of witnesses is unsealed till it be forfeited which is a manifest absurdity And I speak not of a conditional seal as opposed to actual I should call such a seal not conditional but potential I speak to conditional sealing as it is in the question that is when a man ties himself by seal to such or such a thing not absolutely but upon condition and such sealings I think are common in the world A Master seals to his Apprentice and binds himself at the end of his term to apparel him to make him free of his mystery c. but all this upon terms and condition of true and faithful service If Philemon in his way had sealed to Onesimus his seal had not tyed him to make good such engagements I have alwaies thought As is the obligation so is the seal and if there be no such conditional obligations we have been long abused with such forms The condition of this obligation is such
farre as I could learn that it did succeed and spread as little as almost any error that ever I knew spring up in the Church Plain Scripture proof of Infants c. pag. 294. so inconsiderable was the party that stood for it And Vorstius speaking in the name of Protestant Divines in general saith b Id potissimum quaeritur an Sacramenta sint signa tantum sigilla foederis gratiae sive externa symbola signacula foederi gratiae appensa divinitus ad hoc institura ut gratiam Dei salutarem in foedere promissam nobis significent atque ita fidem nostram suo modo confirment simul publice testaram reddant quae quidem communis est Evangelicorum sententia an vero preaterea sint causae efficientes hujus salutaris justificantis gratiae sive an sint effectiva gratiae ejusdem organa nempe ad hoc divinitus institura ut gratiam istam realiter instar vasorum in se contineant omnibus illa percipientibus candem vi sua imprimant reipsa conferant quae Bellarmini Pontificiorum omnium opinio est It is disputed whether Sacraments are onely signes and seales of the Covenant of grace or outward signes annext the Covenant and appointed for this of God that they should signify saving grace of God promised in the Covenant and signifying seal and after their manner confirm our faith and give publick testimony of it which saith he is the common opinion of Protestants or whether they be further efficient causes of this saving and justifying grace or whether they be effective instruments of this grace appointed of God for this thing that they should indeed containe it in them and convey it which is the opinion of all Papists Vorstius Anti. Bellar. ad Contro 1 Gen. And our men further judge that opinion of the opus operatum or of the outward Sacramental action as though without the faith and pious motion of those that use it it could justifie any to be evidently false and pernicious And they teach that all Sacraments by the ordination of God himself have onely a power to signifie and seal and not to conferre the grace of the Gospel it self And whereas several passages in the Liturgy of this Church did seem to favour the opposite opinion affixing adoption membership of Christ and inheritance of the Kingdom of heaven and regeneration to Baptisme we know how great offence it gave to many eminently Learned and pious putting them upon omission of those passages And also what Interpretation as with a grain of salt others put upon them that they were onely Sacramentally such And doubtlesse these either hit upon the meaning of the Church which was held to these phrases in imitation of many hyperbolical speeches in the Fathers or else the Church had mist the meaning of Scriptures so loth were the sons of the Church to be quarrelling with their mother and yet more loth with her to run into errors The Observation it self if heeded hath a caution or limit in it Affirming that Sacraments work no otherwise then as signs and seals and that they conferre no inward graces or priviledges further then they work upon the understanding and faith of those that receive them it implyes that they do conferre what an outward symbole or sign is apt to and of powder to convey and that outward priviledges in Sacraments are either conferred of infallibly evidenced This is clear the Apostle having so far undervalued Circumcision in the flesh as to make it Parallell with uncircumcision so that a circumcised Jew and an uncircumcised Gentile differed nothing as to their Spiritual state and condition inferres by way of objection What advantage then hath the Jew and what profit is there of circumcision And answers not that outward circumcision is altogether unprofitable but that it hath much profit and instances in one eminent one To them are committed the Oracles of God This is the inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob Deut. 33.4 as Moses speaks and carrying with it this great priviledge it conveyes with it all other inferiour Church-priviledges right to the Passeover upon this account was theirs Exod. 12.48 and not otherwise So it is with Baptisme men are taken into the Church at this door according to the Commission given to the Apostles Disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. Whatsoever they were and whomsoever they professedly served before they are this way taken in as the consecrate servants of the whole Trinity and added to the Church Act 2.47 When they had by the Covenant a precedent title in Baptisme they have a solemn inauguration By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 It is the Spirits work to shape the heart of unbelieving Corinthians to enter into one visible Church-body as that work of Gods power whereby he did perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9.27 And therefore when c Durandus docet characterem esse ens rationis id est respectum advenientem ex deputatione ad certum officium qualis est relatio in Doctoribus Praetoribus c. Quae sententia vix distinguitur ab haeresi hujus temporis Durand denyed that the Character which the Church of Rome speaks of was any quality in the soul but meerly a relation comming as by way of deputation to an office or duty exemplifying it by the relation that is seen in Doctors Praetors c Bellar. lib. 2. de Sacramen effectu cap. 14. saith That this opinion can scarcely be distinguished from the Heresie of this time d Haeretici non negant neque negare possunt quin sit aliqua relatio rationis in Ministris quae non est in aliis qui non sunt deputati ad ministrandum And further saith That Heretiques do not deny nor can deny but that there is some relation in Ministers which is not in others who are not deputed to the Ministery We do confesse indeed that there is that relation in Christians to Christ by the work done in the Sacrament of Baptisme which is not in Heathens And though we deny Orders to be any Sacrament yet we confesse there is that relation in Ministers to Christ by vertue of their Ordination that is not in those that are not called to the work of the Ministery There are those indeed that do deny it But those that Bellarmine had to deal with and that he charges for Heretiques as Luther Melancthon Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Chemnitius willingly yeeld it And in case this were all the character that they talke of to be imprinted in Baptisme yea in Ordination we should never contend about it And as these priviledges are conferred as to actual interest in the initiatory Sacacraments both of Baptisme and Circumcision so the same priviledges in the following Sacraments are infallibly evidenced as appears in that text 1 Cor. 10.17 The Apostle there making it
seal and confirm in this that we have grace Answ Not to dispute the absolute Covenant in this place as many call it The Covenant to which Sacraments are annext as seales properly promises priviledges upon condition of graces and requires the graces though God in his elect ever graciously works what it is respective to grace that Sacraments do we have now heard that is to shew us our want of it and point us out the fountain of it engaging us to it and upon our making good our engagements through Grace they ratify these promised priviledges to us 7. Scriptures of two sorts are brought by those that would advance Sacraments above that which they work as signs and seales Seventhly The texts of Scripture brought by those that would raise the work of Sacraments above all that they do as signes and seales and to evince that they have an absolute work on the soul without respect had either to the understanding or faith of the receivers are of two sorts The first are such where no Sacrament at all is mentioned neither can it by any good argument be proved that Sacraments in those texts are directly intended Others are such wherein Baptisme indeed is mentioned but faith is evidently required to the attainment of the effect there specified when these two are proved a full answer is given to all the Scriptures which by the Adversaries in this behalf are objected Scriptures of the first rank are 1. Such wherein no Sacrament is mentioned nor can be proved that any is intended Titus 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration Ephes 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word 1. Cor. 6.12 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Though the thing signified in Baptisme is here evidently spoken to and some allusion may be conceived to be here made to Baptisme yet I suppose that it can by no good argument be proved that the Sacrament of Baptisme in any of these Scriptures is intended First Arguments evincing that Baptisme is not intended in the Sacramental work of it The Lords Supper may be as fairely evidenced out of Christ words John 6.53 54 55. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed as Baptisme may be evinced out of any of those texts alleadged when yet Protestant Writers unanimously conclude and severall learned Papists yield that no Sacramentall eating is there intended To clear this they say there is a meer Sacramentall eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ when the outward signs are received and no more a meer spirituall eating and drinking when Christ is applyed by faith without any Sacramentall sign and an eating and drinking both Sacramental and Spirituall when the Sacrament is received by sincere believers and the text in John is understood as they conclude of bare spiritual eating and drinking The same we may apply to washing and conclude that it is meerly spiritual washing that in these texts alleadged is understood Secondly There are the same phrases or those that are parallell with them in Old Testament-Scriptures when no Sacrament of this kind was instituted and therefore could not be intended Psal 51.7 Purge me with Hyssope and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinckle cleane water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthinesse And it must needs be that meer Spiritual and not Sacramentall washing for the reason alleadged must in these texts be understood Thirdly If outward Baptisme were there intended why should not the word Baptisme be there as in other places used when we see it is yet omitted when other words are in the stead of it industriously chosen when common washing is intended we know that the word Baptisme is frequently used as Mar. 7.8 Luk. 11.38 and so also when legall cleansing is spoken to as Heb. 9.20 And in case Baptisme it self were here purposely intended it is marvel that other words should by the Spirit of God be chose and this laid aside Fourthly This Interpreters of eminent note have seen Mr. Gataker disceptatio de Baptis Infant vi efficacia pag 51. saith It g Dubitari potest non immerito baptismine Sacramentum an interna ablutio hoc nomine eo loci designetur may justly be doubted whether the Sacrament of Baptisme or inward washing in that place of Titus 3.5 be understood then adds h Atque ego certe etiamsi ad baptismi ritum externum respectum aliquem haberi nullus negaverim de interna tamen ab lutione diserte dictum existimo quae externa illa lotione corporis designatur ut ex clausula mox sequente verba illa exponantur per lavacrum regenerationis non videtur apostolus significare baptismum sed ipsam regenerationem quam lavacro comparat Though I am not he that will deny that some respect is had in those words to the outward rite of Baptisme yet I believe that they are expressely spoken of the inward washing and that the words may be interpreted by the clause immediately following the renewing by the Holy Ghost quoting Piscator for his opinion Thes theol vol. 1. loc 25. Sect. 20. who saith By the laver of regeneration the Apostle seems not to intend baptisme but regeneration it self which he compares to a laver and also Dr. Slater on Rom. 2.25 affirming That it is doubtful whether in Titus 3.5 there be any speech of the Sacrament or onely of the blood of Christ and of the Spirit and in his words as the Reader that pleases to consult him may see he takes in Ephes 5.26 likewise Vorstius speaks most fully of all to these Texts mentioning the Argument drawn from Ephes 5. Titus 3. for the opus operatum in Sacraments he sayes Our Divines answer i Aliena testimonia citari viz. quae res quidem in Sacramentis significatas metaphorice declarant attamen de Sacramentis proprie dictis non agunt That impertinent testimonies are urged which hold forth the thing signified in Sacraments by way of metaphor but do not speak of Sacraments properly so called Antibel Tom. 3. Contro 1. Thes 1. 2. And whereas Calvin is produced by some as interpreting Titus 3.5 of outward baptisme his authority will but little help them k Non dubito quin saltem ad baptismum alludat imo facile patior de baptismo locum exponi I do not doubt saith he but that the Apostle doth at least allude to baptisme and further saith I can easily bear
that conquered should take away his part and he that was conquered should leave his with the Priest according to Varro was called a Sacrament They collected therefore that the Sacrament signifies our depositing of our selves as I may say with God or our yielding up of our selves to him As they that strive for mastery did leave for a pledge a summe of money so we leave our selves as a pledge with God But this use of the word Sacrament I suppose is more obscure and the analogy not so clear and therefore Divines in ancient times would scarce borrow this word from thence so few understanding the allusion or the application of it Secondly The oath which anciently Souldiers took when they listed themselves to the Emperour for faith and obedience was called by the name of Sacrament Therefore others judge it very probable that these Ordinances are called Sacraments in that in them every Christian Souldier doth tye himself to his Captain Christ Jesus This is far more probable for three Reasons 1. The use of the word in this sense was more common and received and therefore more apt to give occasion to the like use of it in these Sacred Ordinances 2. The application is more clear seeing our Sacraments as God willing shall be shewn are engagements 3. Heathen Writers make such allusion d Deo oportebat nos jurare milites Caesar It behoves us saith one of them to swear to God and Souldiers to Caesar And the Fathers used the word Sacrament with this allusion as Vossius out of Tertullian quotes two passages e Vocati sumus ad militiam Dei vivi jam tunc cum in Sacramenti verba respondimus We are at that instant called to the warfare of the true God when we answer in the words of the Sacrament and elsewhere f Ut Sacramento benedictionis exauctoretur nunquam in castra Ecclesiae reversuâ—us That he may be disbanded and shut out from the blessings of the Sacraments never more to return into the tents of the Church To which may be added a third quoted by Bellarmine The Devil imitates the very things of Divine Sacraments in idol-Mysteries he washes some and signes other of his Souldiers in their foreheads And Austine in his Preface to the 181 Sermon De tempore saith g Notum est dilectissimi quod beneficia temporalia a temporalibus Dominis accepturi prius Sacramentis militaribus obligantur Dominis suis fidem se servaturos profitentur Quanto magis ergo aeterno Regi militaturi aeterna praemia percepturi debent Sacramentis coelestibus oligari fidem per quam ei placituri sunt publicè profiteri It is known Beloved that the Souldiers being to receive temporal rewards from their temporal Masters do first tye themselves with military Sacraments and professe faithful service to their Lords How much more should those that war under an Eternal King and are to receive rewards from him bind themselves with heavenly Sacraments and publickly professe that faith whereby they may please him In this Rivet rests satisfied as appears in his Cathol Orthodox Tract 3. Quaest 2. h Vox Latina Sacramentum deducta est à verbo Sacrare à Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis Latinis à militia desumpta fuit in qua juramentum quo milites duci obstringebantur vocabatur Sacramentum Refert Claris Ed. Leigh Crit. Sac. pag. 270. The Latine word Sacrament saith he is borrowed from the verb Sacrare and by Ecclesiastical Latine Writers is taken from proceedings in war in which the Oath wherewith Souldiers were tyed to their Captain was called a Sacrament Thirdly There being so great affinity between Mystery among the Greeks and Sacrament among the Latines Mystery signifying that which is secret of any kind whether sacred or prophane of which there are many instances given and Sacrament signifying that which is made sacred or consecrate words seldome long holding their signification Mystery began to be taken more strictly for holy secrets and so Sacraments for Sacred secrets afterwards the word Mystery and with it Sacrament began to be used for sacred things held forth in outward signes The vision of the seven Candlesticks setting out seven Churches are called Mysteries Revel 1.20 The conjunction in marriage of man and wife setting forth the union between Christ and his Church is called a Mystery Ephes 5.32 And when Divines found no word in Scripture to set out these Ordinances of the Old and New Testament Circumcision Passeover Baptisme the Lords Supper they gave them the name of Sacraments further restraining their signification to holy secrets held forth in outward signes and sealing spiritual grace to us This Vossius takes to be most satisfactory Though I professe my self scarce satisfied with the reason that he gives Thes 16. and comparing it with what he hath said in his 6th Thesis it may seem to speak as much in favour of the second opinion which he rejects as this third which he followes The reason that he assignes as taking with him is i Latinos in variis Sacramenti notionibus secutos esse Graecos qui ipsi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc rem arcanam appellant nunc rem arcanam sacram nunc rem arcanam symbolicam nunc denique rem arcanam sacram symbolicam gratiae spiritualis significativam That the Latine Fathers in the use of the word Sacrament had much respect to the use of the Greek word Mystery And so in several places by him produced they had respect unto the military use of it in like manner Here it is not for me to interpose I suppose none is able to speak any more then conjecture In which I leave the Reader to use his own liberty assenting to Vossius that those are weak arguments that are drawn from the use of the word either in the first or second acceptation and concluding that they are as weak that are drawn from the use of it according to the third opinion There must be a better bottom for an argument then the bare denotation of the word especially when it is of humane not of Divine imposition And the use of the word being thus taken up by man the acceptation or use of it upon that account hath been very various and ambiguous insomuch that when Writers speak of Sacraments the Reader is often at a stand what they mean by them The various acceptation of the word Sometimes every thing that is secret is called by the name of Sacrament therefore the vulgar Latine which appears to be more ancient than their number of seven Sacraments doth not onely render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacramentum in Eph. 5.32 upon which they take advantage to bring in marriage into the number but frequently elsewhere when nothing towards a Sacrament by their own confession is intended Having made known to us the Sacrament of his will Eph. 1.9 By revelation he made known to me the Sacrament Eph. 3.3
To make all men see what is the fellowship of the Sacrament Eph. 3.9 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Sacrament among the Gentiles Col. 1.27 Great is the Sacrament of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 The Sacrament of the seven starres Rev. 1.20 I will tell thee the Sacrament of the woman and the beast that carries her Rev. 17.7 And Tertullian speaking of Christianity calls it k Religionis Christianae Sacramentum The Sacrament of Christian Religion and Jerom saith l Sacramenta Dei sunt praedicare benedicere confirmare communionem reddere visitare infirmos orare Refert Gerardus de Sacram. cap. 1. The Sacraments of God are to preach to blesse to strengthen and establish to hold communion to visit the sick and pray Allegorical interpretations of Scripture also are called by the Ancients by the name of Sacraments Sometimes every outward sign of any thing that is holy is called by the name of Sacrament And as they began to borrow rites from the Jews in Baptisme they called them by the name of Sacraments Their Ointments and Chrismes yea the Crosse it self which the Church of Rome makes no more then a ceremony in Sacraments are called by the name of Sacraments But these acceptations of the word are grown obsolete and are so far from holding out the nature of those Ordinances which now passe under the name of Sacraments that men cannot be brought to any mistake in reading of them The word Sacrament is ordinarily now taken in that sense as Austine doth define it An outward visible sign of an inward spiritual grace that is a sign instituted of God to hold out and seal saving grace to the soul as afterward God willing may be more largely held forth Now in every Ordinance of this nature there is first an outward sign open to the senses secondly there is a spiritual grace thirdly an order established and declared between the sign and the thing signified and some of these still give the denomination Sometimes the outward sign is taken for the Sacrament and therefore the distinction is ordinary between Sacramentum and rem Sacramenti And it can be no more than a bare sign when the thing signified is apart considered and put in opposition to it Sometimes the outward sign and the thing signified considered joyntly are called by the name of a Sacrament and this Gerard sayes is the most proper and most usual acceptation Sometimes the order or analogy that is betwixt the sign and the thing signified is called by the name of Sacrament and therefore Keckerman defines a Sacrament to be m Sacramentum est ordo sanctus inter rem externam in sensus incurrentem et visus imprimis objectum tanquam â—â—gnum et inter rem spiritualem tanquam signatum à Christo Mediatore institutus ad obsignandam fidelibus redemptionis certitudinem et simul beneficia quae ex redemptione fluunt tum significanda tum confirmanda an holy order between the outward element obvious to the sense especially to the sight and the spirituall grace as the thing signified instituted of Christ the Mediatour to seal to Believers the assurance of redemption and with it all benefits that flow from redemption So that he makes neither the outward sign nor yet the thing signified apart considered to be the Sacrament in that definition nor yet the outward sign and thing signified joyntly considered but the order or analogy that is held between them Lastly the word Sacrament is taken for the outward sign with relation had to the thing signified leading to it and by way of seal confirming it and in this sense it is taken by Divines when they treat exactly about it And in that sense the Apostle takes circumcision when he defines it to be A sign and seal of the righteousnesse of Faith Rom. 4.11 The use and office of the cutting off the foreskin of the flesh as by way of sign and seal it stands in relation to the righteousnesse of faith is there held forth This therefore we may well judge to be the most proper acceptation of it Keckerman therefore as soon as he had defined a Sacrament as before presently tells us that n Sacramenti vox per se concreta est et significat rem sive subjectum cum modo rei id est cum rel tione rei additâ interim tamen potest etiam usurpari pro Ipso abstracto id est pro relatione ut nos quidem in definitione usurpavimus the word of it self is a concrete and signifies the thing or subject with the manner of it that is saith he with the relation added to it yet it may be taken for the abstract that is for the relation as saith he we have put into the definition But seeing the word of it self by our Authors confession is no abstract but a concrete and the Apostle in his definition doth so consider it we have just reason in that sense to speak to it and so in this whole Treatise I shall take it And before I proceed in any further Enquiry the Reader may justly expect such a definition as may serve as a thred through the whole Discourse But my intention being to enquire something into the nature of Sacraments in mans integrity that so the Work may answer the Title A Treatise of the Sacraments but mainly to insist on those that are appointed by God for his people in the Covenant of Grace I am necessitated to put off the enquiry after such a definition that may give satisfaction till I come to that which I intend as my principal Subject Yet that by the way he may not be wholly left unsatisfied I shall here offer such a definition that may comprehend all Sacraments as well in the Covenant of Works as in the Covenant of Grace intreating him to forbear any strict enquiry into the reasons of it untill he come into the full Body of the Discourse where by the definition which God willing shall be given of Sacraments in the Covenant of Grace and from Scripture at large confirmed he may easily judge of the definition of Sacraments in general and thus I suppose it may be held out A Sacrament is a sign instituted of God for the use of his people in Covenant to signifie and seal his Promises upon Terms and Propositions by himself prescribed and appointed CHAP. II. Sect. I. Of Sacraments in mans state of integrity I shall leave the word which is of least moment being not of divine original and come to enquire after the thing which must be distinguished before it can be defined either in the general what a Sacrament is or what this or that Sacrament viz. Baptisme or the Supper of the Lord is in particular Now Sacraments being instituted of God for the use of men in tendency towards their happinesse must be considered according to the several states of man and dispensations in which God hath
to make use of some one according to their own will when this assertion of his is as inconsistent with his own doctrine as Austins can be that upon a manifold account as might be shewen 1. He scarce knowes how to make it out that Circumcision was any remedy at all against Original sin seeing that Sacrament did not conferre grace by the work done but by the merit or disposition of the doer which is not found in infants 2. He himself confesses that many infants dye in their mothers wombe and yet have no remedy provided either in the law of nature or the old Law or Law of grace that is neither before the Law under the Law or in Gospel-times 3. Water is not alwayes at hand as he not absurdly hints though a Minister with them is scarce wanting who set up Midwives for the work and then the infant dyes remedilesse All this he thinks to help with a distinction c Quanquam enim non de singulis in particulari provideret ut eis efficaciter applicaretur romedium generaliter omnibus provisum tamen quantum in ipso est omnibus providet Though saith he God hath not provided for each one in particular that the remedy provided in general for all should be applyed to them yet he hath provided such a remedy as far as in him lyes But foreseeing that there would be some impediment to hinder the application of this Sacramental remedy to some this he permits This is a speech beseeming a Jesuit that God provided quantum in se a remedy as though it had been above him to have avoyded these impediments If the Jesuites position must stand that God is so tyed up with these limits that he cannot take away Original sin from infants without application of somewhat that is sensible He could have made such provision as he forbade Sampsons mother whilest with child the drinking of wine or strong drink or eating any unclean thing and that respective to the infant because he should be a Nazarite to God from the wombe to the day of his death Judg. 13.7 so he could have enjoyned the mother to have taken that which might through grace annext have had that efficacy in the infant in the wombe to take away Original sin as they conceive water hath on an infant new-born yea God is so far from doing what in him lyes respective to many infants for provision of a remedy of this nature that he orders that such a supposed remedy shall not be applyed He with much ado makes Circumcision a remedy to deliver from Original sin Pag. 51. Yet God took order in his Law that it should not be administred before the eighth day and in that interim between the birth and the eighth day it must needs be that many dyed and so by the law of Heaven they were debarred of a remedy through grace provided But here he is opposed by divers of his own party who hold that the faith of the Parent is sufficient to take away Original sin from the infant for which opinion he quotes Bonaventure Dist 1. Art 2. Quest 2. Rich. art 1. 5. 9. 1. 2. And Chamier lib. 1. cap. 8. de Sacramentis in genere Sect. 6. quotes also Vasquez for the same opinion These place merit in the Parents faith to work to the justification of the infant a merit not ex condiguo but ex congruo and for merit of this nature a faith informed void of Charity is sufficient say they Here our Author takes two exceptions against his friends 1. saith he d Sed hi authores in hoc falsum supponunt quia revera ad meritum de congruo non sufficit fides informis praesertim ad merendam alteri gratiam sanctitatem praeterea non satis explicant vim radicem hujus remedii quia ut esset infallibile quod necessarium est ut esset verum remedium non satis erat meritum de congruo quia non semper infallibiliter effectum habet sed necessaria erat divina promiscio hanc oportet ostendere They argue from a false ground for faith informed will not serve for this kind of merits especially to merit grace for another And secondly they do not as he saith sufficiently set forth the force and efficacy of this remedy To make it infallible as it must be if it be a true remedy merit de congruo is not sufficient seeing it hath not alwayes infallibly its effects But a Divine promise is necessary and this promise saith he they ought to shew that maintain it So that one part gives too much to the application of a sensible sign to the infant and the other over much to the merit of the Parent Abuleusis on Matth. 25. Quest 677. comes nearer to Bonaventure Richard Vasquez then to Suarez holding that infants before Circumcision were delivered from Original sin in that they were born of believers not requiring as Rivet observes Exer. 88. in Genes any application of faith in the Parents to the infants in any Sacrament for that work who might be dead before the Sacrament was administred to them The same opinion is undertaken of late in behalf of the infants of Christians to prove the infallibility of their salvation whether dying before or after Baptisme I have enough on my hands already and am not willing to launch out into this controversie I onely say 1. I find infants of believers not onely of the faith of the Elect but of visible profession in Covenant the Scripture is cleare for a Covenant in this latitude 2. That salvation according to Scripture wayes is within the verge of the Covenant and doth not go beyond it The Scripture leaves men out of Covenant in an hopeless condition 3. As there is salvation for all sorts and degrees of persons of age in Covenant but not to be extended to all of those sorts and degrees to reach every individual person so in a parallell way we may think of infants I know no text giving us universal assurance of their happiness in case there were I suppose there were much mare cause for believers to begge of God their infants death then with David in prayer to seek their life there being full assurance of their happiness dying and so much fear of their condemnation living to see the temptations to which in their growth they are subject We find salvation entailed upon qualifications of grace but not upon any age or period of life 4. There is as much found in Scripture giving us hopes of the salvation of the infants of all in Covenant as to their infant-state as to the infants of those that are most exact in keeping of Covenant As much is said for the honour of infants of Parents of a faith barely dogmatical as of the infants of those that are actually in grace and justified by faith The infants of all such yea of the worst of such are the servants of God
the understanding or actions that are past and called into the thoughts Matth. 12.39 An evill and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the Prophet Jonas Though some Popish Writers have affirmed that this sensibility of the outward signes is not of the essence of the Sacraments seeing God might if he had pleased have instituted Sacraments with signes meerly spirituall yet they are disliked in this by their own party and themselves also confesse that the signes that God hath instituted are external and sensible and we enquire not after such as God might have given had he pleased but such that he hath pleased to give to his people Secondly They are visible signes 2. Visible It is not enough that they are the objects of other senses as such that may be heard felt tasted but Sacramentall signes must be the object of sight This is cleer by the induction of particulars The foreskin in Circumcision the lamb in the Passeover water in Baptisme bread and wine in the Lords Supper with all the actions of each of these are visible And thus a Sacrament by the Ancients hath still been defined An outward and visible sign of an inward and Spirituall grace which hath never been excepted against as unsound but only as insufficient It is too short but in no part erroneous And Austin lib. 19. Contra Faust Cap. 25. as he is quoted by Bellarmine demands what are all corporall Sacraments but certain visible words Other senses may accompany the sight but nothing can be a Sacramentall sign that excludes the sight nothing that is not in nature visible And therefore sounds or words are no Sacramental signes which being no object of sight nor of any other sense but of that of hearing they are not in any such capacity Here a man might think that Bellarmine and we were agreed Seeing he so often gives Sacramentall signes that Epithete of visible and lib. 1. de Sacramen Cap. 18. putting it to the question whether Sacraments consist of things as their matter and words as their forme he determines affirmatively and laies this down for his second proposition that b In Sacramentis omnibus novae legis inveniuntur res ut materia verba ut forma In all Sacraments of the New Testament things are found as the matter and wordes as the forme and none can doubt but things put in opposition to words as the matter of Sacraments are visible But he hath his art to come off by distinction or rather contradiction To the first he saies that c Prima particula vel accipit elementum visibile tractabile pro qualibet re sensibili ut accipiant Catholicic Catholiques take the word visible and tractable element for any thing that is any way sensible that may be perceived by the eare and not for that onely which by the sight and touch onely can be perceived lib. 1. de Sacramentis in genere Cap. 14. And so a sound will make up his visible and tractable sign which is of necessity in Sacraments And he can explain that second proposition with a fourth which is * Ut Sacramenta constare dicantur rebus verbis non est necesse ut res non sint verba verba non sint res sed sat est si aâ—quid fungaâ—ur vice rei aliud vice verbi That Sacraments may be said to consist of things and words but it is not necessary that things be not words nor words be not things But it is enough that somewhat supply the place of thinges or words Cap. 18. And all this wild stuffe which scarce I think can be parallelled in the most unlearned Writer to make it good that their Penance and Marriage are Sacraments in both which we must take words which he saies are the form of those Sacraments for visible signes which also constitute the matter of them or else we have no visible sign at all and consequently no Sacrament Some here question the case of blind people by whom no sign can be seen but it is one thing to be visible and the proper object of sight and another thing to be actually seen visible and visum differre one from another It is in it self visible though through defect in the organ it is not seen of some Such are at a losse in receiving though not equall to the losse of deaf people in the Word which is to be heard seeing when the Word is not heard it affects no other of the senses but when bread and wine are not seen they are touched and tasted and where blindnesse is not from the birth there is some supply from the memory likewise Thirdly they are Analogicall signes 3. Analogicall such as carry Analogy and proportion with the thing signified they have ever an aptnesse in them for resemblance That of Austin is famous If d Si enim Sacramenta quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum sunt Sacramenta non haberent omnino Sacramenta non essent Sacraments carry no resemblance of the things whereof they are Sacraments they are no Sacraments at all Gerrard de Sacramentis Cap. 3. Sect. 3. in the name of the Lutherane party doth confesse e Non negamus signa Sacramentalia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quandam cum fructu Sacramenti habere Sed analogia illa significativa est secundarium rei terrenae sive elementi in Sacramentis Novi T. officium primarium officium est ut sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vehiculum medium per quod res coelestis exhibetur that there is such Analogy in Sacraments but he saith that this Analogy in the Sacraments of the New Testament is but the secondary office of it The primary and chief office is to be a medium or vehicalum a means for exhibition of the grace of the Sacrament to the person But gives us no reason And Suarez as Chamier observes denyes this Analogy between sign and thing signified to be necessary yet confesses that in all Sacraments there is such Analogy found But as Chamier demands how shall an universall necessity be concluded but by particular experiments and what is found in every one we conclude to be of necessity in all finding upon observation this Analogy in every Sacrament we conclude it necessary in all Sacraments There are some signs have their signification wholly from their institution and of themselves carry no proportion As the sound of a trumpet which is the sign of a troop of horse the sound of a Bell which is the sign of an Assembly whether for civill or for sacred things An Ivy bush the sign of wine to be fold Distribution of Analogicall signes There are other signes that of themselves declare their own signification as the print of the foot on the ground whether of horse or man is a sign of the foot that made the impression A shadow is a sign of
it never came into the heart of any that is either grave A position by the Author disavowed and detested or godly to utter it and that there is scarce any so witlesse or gracelesse as to beleeve it and so Mr. Brs. volume of 31. Reasons five pag. 84 85 86. Twenty six pag. 94 to 107. are almost at one breath answered Few of them tending to oppose any thing that I hold but in the farre greatest part brought against his own conceit and no assertion or opinion of mine I suppose I could easily furnish him with a large addition of reasons to deny this fancy Faith is commanded in the morall Law Reasons evincing that a man unbaptized is bound to beleeve in Jesus Christ to justification as I have asserted Treat of the Covenant pag. 18. and I think no man believes that Baptisme doth first put a man under such obligation Some Papists do charge upon us that we maintain that Baptism delivers us from the morall Law and therefore the Councel of Trent anathematizeth those that hold it but never any I think were charged to say that Baptisme is our first obligation to it 2. An unbaptized man is bound to endeavour to avoid damnation but he that believeth not shall be damned 3. He is bound to endeavour to obtain Salvation but we must believe with the heart and confesse with the mouth to Salvation 4. Baptisme presupposeth the Covenant but the Covenant as I have often said engages to believing 5. None can be exempted from believing but they are withall exempted from repentance but unbaptised persons are to repent Act. 17.30 6. Faith in Christ hath been actually required of the unbaptized Act. 16.30 And therefore it is marvell that when Mr. Br. judgeth me to be overtaken in this folly he would spend so much time with me or so many words upon me transgressing the wise mans advice Prov. 26.4 Answer not a fool according to his folly When he thought I had no more wit than to think that no man is bound to accept Christ for justification before he be baptized I marvel that he would set his wit to mine But what is it that I have said to induce him to think that I am in that opinion I have said The great condition to which Baptisme engages is not a prerequisite in Baptisme and can any man imagine that I meant any more than that it is not required to the being of Baptisme Can any man think that I ever meant that it is not required of the person that is for Baptisme till after he be baptized and have I not in the next page cleared mine own meaning where I say that there is no necessity that justifying faith go before but a necessity that it must follow after Baptisme further explaining my self It is true that in men of years justifying faith sometimes goes before Baptisme as in Abraham it went before Circumcision but it is not of necessity required to interest us into a rite either of baptisme or Circumcision and doubtlesse I never thought that either Abraham or any other was justified by that work that was never required at their hand I say justifying faith or grace in the truth of it is no prerequisite in marriage and I further say that a Minister in times past might and a Magistrate at this time may lawfully marry persons void of justifying faith or grace and yet he is no better than a gracelesse man that thinks that persons unmarried are not tyed to faith and godlinesse Grace is no prerequisite to buying and selling A bargain of sail stands firm though there be no grace in them that make the bargain Men without grace may go to Kidderminster to buy hangings and curtains and those of that place may lawfully trade with them and yet both parties are before hand bound to grace and godlinesse But though my assertion is clear enough yet some may say my similitude darkens it I say No servant is tyed to do his work before he hath received his earnest no Souldier to fight before he be listed The Authors meaning in some mistaken expressions cleared or hath given in his name To this I say If my expressions which I thought were clear well knowing my own meaning yet to others seemed dark no candid man would draw them further then the proposition which my argument was brought to confirm which is That a faith dogmaticall or as I explain it a faith short of justifying entitles to Baptisme In my similitude I looked at the resemblance that is between a Souldiers listing a servants entertainment into his Masters service and a Christians Baptisme And as a Souldier is not bound in order to listing first to fight nor a servant in order to his entertainment first to work so a Christian is not bound in order to Baptisme first to believe to justification And thus I fully explained my self in the next page but one That faith which is the condition of the promise is not the condition in foro Dei of title to the seal an acknowledgement of the necessity of such faith with engagement to it is sufficient for a title to the seales and the performance of the condition of like necessity to attain the thing sealed To promise service and fidelity in warre is enough to get listed as to do service is of necessity to be rewarded So that any Reader I think might clearly have seen and I hope now will more fully understand my meaning Having taken notice of Mr. Baxters great mistake and upon it his injurious charge I think it most meet in this place to take notice of another though under another head that so at once I may vindicate my self from things of this nature I say in my Treatise of the Covenant chap. 16. pag. 111. Sincerity is said to be the new rule or the rule of the New Covenant To this Mr. Baxter is pleased to reply When I first read these words which you write in a different character and father on me I was ashamed of my nonsense for they are no better but it came not into my thoughts once to suspect a forgery in your charge Farre was I from imagining that so reverend pious and dear a friend would tell the world in print that I said that which never came into my thoughts and confute that soberly and deliberately as mine that I never wrote After many other words added If when we are dead men should read Mr. Bl. book that never read mine and there see it written that I said sincerity is the new rule or the rule of the New Covenant can any man blame them to believe it and report of me as from him and say what shall I not believe such and such a man that reports it in expresse words Can any man now think but that I father this upon him Mr. Baxter not injured by the Author as he is injuriously charged and that I report it to the world in print in
That may be easily said but I think hardly proved It is no empty sign if in the right use of it it may prove serviceable to it I am sure the Jew outwardly had right to the Oracles of God and yet no immediate certain right to their end which is to be the power of God to salvation It will be an hard task to prove the certainty of all their salvation that in the right of God stand entitled to any Ordinance of his the reason will hold of all as well as one they are not empty and vain The Jewes had right to Circumcision in the flesh and none that was a Jew outwardly might neglect it and yet were void of Circumcision of the heart or forgiveness of sin The conclusion is That it will be no hard matter to prove that it is some special grace that is the end of Baptisme at least remission of sin And so upon the right use of common grace God should be in Covenant obliged to give them special grace which is taken for Pelagianisme It will far rather follow from that opinion that a common and special grace differ onely gradually not specifically According to that promise of our Saviour Matth. 13.12 To him that hath shall be given which our Divines have still understood of graces of the same and not of a different kind he that hath common graces and improves them shall have a larger measure of those graces and he that hath spiritual graces and improves them shall have a more large measure of spiritual gifts And if they be both of one kind then Christs promise holds from the one to the other It will be an hard matter I think to prove that all that have right in Ordinances though they make no right use shall attain to the end of them Argument 5. vindicated My fifth Argument was An enquiry into Simon Maegus his Baptisme That faith upon which Simon Magus was in the Primitive times baptized is that which admitteth to Baptisme Simon himself believed and was baptized Acts 8.13 But Simons faith fell short of saving and justifying To which a sudden answer is given Concedo totum sed desideratur Conclusic He is certainly much to seek both in Syllogismes and Common reason that could not infer and could not know that I left the Reader to infer that Ergo a faith that is short of justifying entitles to Baptisme And so I have the whole in question yielded and that which was once said would make foul work in the Church if once granted But as soon as it is yielded me a Means is unkindly used to take it away from me And it is further answered That may be said to admit to Baptisme which so qualifieth the person as that we are bound to baptize him as being one that seemeth sound in believing as Simon did If such liberty of interpretation be yielded who may not easily elude the sense of any Scripture-Text the Text saith that Simon believed and was baptized Is it now enough for us to say he seemed to believe and therefore those whom he thus deceived were bound to baptize him Let the whole Text be viewed and the former Verse taken in and then let us see whether such a Glosse be fair When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the Name of Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Then Simon himself believed also That faith upon which all the other Samaritans were admitted to Baptisme Simon was admitted upon also But it was not a seeming to believe but a believing that admitted the other Samaritans Therefore it was believing not a seeming to believe that admitted Simon When the Holy Ghost saith Simon believed as he saith other Samaritans believed and his faith satisfied Philip full of the Holy Ghost to give him admittance How may we that stand at this distance dare to call it into question If the Seal were put to a meer blank paper why is not all reversed upon discovery of a Misprision in proceeding So any man would do that had put a Seal where no name was written Why was not all ipso facto made null what reason could be given but that Peter had he been of that mind should have said Repent of this thy wickednesse that upon testimony given of thine integrity thou mayest yet be baptized But when the Text sayes he did believe and Philip upon that account thus proceeded and no retractation upon such discovery was made I believe no such Glosse is to be suffered My sixth and last Argument was In case onely justifying faith give admission to Baptisme then none is able to baptize seeing this by none is discerned To which Mr. Baxter sayes very little but onely refers to what he hath said to Mr. Tombs and I having had occasion before and may have occasion hereafter to speak of it shall here make no further defence of it Additional Arguments that a faith short of that which justifies gives title to Baptisme SEeing these Arguments have given Mr. Baxter so little satisfaction I shall endeavour to make some addition onely premising this That Baptisme is our door of Entrance or way of admission into the Church visible which I shall take for granted seeing Mr. T. pag. 54. of his Apology as Mr. Baxter observes hath yielded it and Mr. Baxter to my hand Treatise of Infant-Baptisme pag. 24. by Arguments hath proved it If then I shall prove that such are to be received into the Church I shall take the Conclusion to be the same as if they said they were to be baptized and proving their right to be taken into the Church I prove their right to be baptized 1. They that have right in the sight of God to many and Arg. 1 great Priviledges of his gift have right in his sight to the first and leading priviledge this I think cannot be denyed Having a right to those that follow they have right to those that lead If any had in the time of the Law right to the Passeover they had right to Circumcision and if any now have right to the Lords Supper they have right to Baptisme But those of a faith that is short of that which justifies have right to many and great priviledges in the sight of God This is clear from the Apostle Rom. 3.1 The Jew outwardly where Circumcision of heart was wanting had every way much profit and advantage he had therefore right to Circumcision and those with him that are short of a faith that justifies have right in the sight of God to Baptisme 2. Those that are a people by Gods gracious dispensations Arg. 2 nigh unto God comparative to others have right in the sight of God to visible admittance to this more near relation This I think is clear Men have right to be admitted to their right But those that come short of justifying faith are a people by Gods gracious dispensation nigh unto God comparative to others this is
regenerate or unregenerate which is an undiscernable work and accordingly to admit or refuse SECT XIII Proposition 11. The Lords Supper with the Word as an appendant to it may be serviceable to bring a man of Covenant interest up to the terms of the Covenant THere is nothing hinders but that the Lords Supper with the Word as an appendant to it may be serviceable to bring up those of Covenant interest to the terms and propositions of the Covenant may serve to work a man of profession of faith unto faith saving and justifying a man in name the Lords to turn unfeignedly and sincerely to the Lord. This I shall endeavour by Arguments to confirm First Men of that interest that baptisme receives as the intention of the work in order to salvation these the Lords Supper serves to carry on by sanctification to salvation as the end of the work likewise But Baptisme receives men of visible profession onely and visible interest as the intention of the work into the visible Church in order to salvation Therefore the Lords Supper carries on these by sanctification as the intention of the work to salvation The Proposition cannot be denyed unlesse we will without reason bring in that vast difference between these two outward vâ—â—â—ble Ordinances both intrusted in the hands of man as that the one shall be of that latitude to receive men of visible interest and the other restrained to invisible members The one according to the mind of God shall let many into the Church for salvation the other shall be in capacity to nourish and bring on very few The Assumption cannot be denyed That Baptisme receives men of visible profession and visible interest in order to salvation and hath been abundantly proved we baptize infants upon the bare account of Covenant-holiness which is onely a visible interest men of years were baptized and by just warrant yet may in case not baptized upon a visible profession The conclusion then followes that the Lords Supper carries on those as the intention of the work that Baptisme receives to salvation Secondly If it be the mind of God in the Gospel revealed that men of visible interest having not yet attained to the grace of sanctification should have admittance to the Lords Table then it must needs follow that it serves as an instrument with the Word to raise them up by faith and sanctification to salvation But it is the mind of God in the Gospell revealed that men of visible interest having not yet reached unto sanctification should have admittance to the Lords Supper The Lords Supper then serves to raise up men of visible interest by faith and sanctification for salvation The Proposition is clear unlesse we will make mens admission most mens admission meerly vain having no power nor any capacity to advance their happinesse but being wholly in a tendency to increase their judgement Whatsoever the secret will of God to us unknown is that in the event it shall prove yet the work it self must have a tendency and power respective to those for whom it is appointed for edification not for destruction The Assumption is evident that those of visible interest having not attained sanctification according to the mind of God revealed in his Word should have admittance by the barres that are assigned for mens exclusion The alone barres that are ordinarily assigned to hold men in Covenant-interest off from the Lords Table are ignorance Error and Scandal But many that cannot be charged with ignorance error or scandall are yet short of sanctification Many short of sanctification then have no barre to their admission Either visible interest with capacity to improve it or saving interest in the Covenant must be the rule for admission But saving interest in â—he Covenant cannot then to use Mr Cobbets words Vindication pag. 54. it would either necessitate Ministers to come under guilt of sin or anomie breach of rule or for avoiding of that which they must needs do with such breach of rule never to administer any Church ordinances since they sometimes shall break that rule in administring it to hypocrites and albeit they do sometimes administer them to elect ones yet not being able to know that secret infallibly they observe not the rule in faith but doubtingly and so can have little comfort of any such of their administrations If any reply that saving interest in the Covenant is the rule but we are not tied infallibly to come up to the rule but as farre as our charity can judge men to be in grace we must admit them to this seal of grace To this I have several things to reply 1. God never puts mens charity to this work as respective to admission to ordinances to judge whether in grace or not whether regenerate or in unregeneration And indeed charity which is assigned by some to that place is most unfit to judge A Judge or Umpire in a businesse must be impartial and have nothing to byasse him on any hand But charity would be ready to cover a multitude of sins which is no blemish of the grace but a demonstration that this is none of its office If then man must judge as he is most unmeet his reason and not his love must take the chair for it and go as high as conjecture can reach 2. If charity or reason thus set up mistake then the rule is broke which though these will say is not the admitters sin seeing the thing is not so scibile or of possibility to be known and by the way we observe that he is therefore no competent Judge yet a seal is by this meanes put to a blank which is no small prophanation and the ordinance administred solely and necessarily for the receivers judgement 3. Though we infallibly know a mans unsanctified condition and were able to charge it yet whilest it is not open and breakes not into scandal we cannot upon this account as is confest exclude him from the Sacrament That Judas received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper most of the Ancient held as Maldonate on Matth. 7.6 observes we have large lists brought to our hands of names that go that way The greater part of late Writers are of the same mind Ravanellus as the last man in verb. Sacrament is peremptory in it and there concludes also the interest of all in Covenant yet Judas was known to Christ to be a thief a Devil and yet he receives him Christ had doubtlesse power vested in him for his exclusion The non-suspition of the Apostles nor the close carriage of his treachery could not then have excusâ—d his receiving in case it had not been the mind of God that a man of visible interest though unsanctified might be admitted And to say that Christ acted here as a Minister and it was not fit that he should be both Judge and witnesse though it be a truth yet it serves not to take off the Argument Had it not been the mind of God that
condescend to our weaknesse to answer what infirmity can expect or feeblenesse crave We might think that Gideon was exceeding bold with God to ask a double sign for the strengthening of his faith in the promise of God to save Israel by his hand yet we see God is pleased to gratify him Judg 6.39 40. yet God deales more abundantly with us not onely in a double but a multiplied confirmation to make good every truth which he hath been pleased to manifest And as he teacheth us by similitudes drawn from earthly things as we see in the Prophets and parables from our Saviours mouth so also to speak to our eyes in these signes and seales ratifying and confirming heavenly things unto us Those great mercies which no thought can reach are set out in so obvious a way that every eye doth behold and see That water which we employ for our common use and among other necessary services cleanses all filth that cleaves to us serves to set out that great mystery of the blood and Spirit of Christ taking away both guilt and filth of sin The bread which we have at our table the wine which we drink for our food and repast that sets out both the attonement and divine nourishment which our soules find in the flesh and blood of Christ crucified and dying for us There is abundant weaknesse and tottering in our faith that needs in this manner to be strengthened Abundance of sweet mercies in our God that will vouchsafe this to strengthen and support us Secondly If Christ thus condescends to our weaknesse Christs compassion towards us should move us to compassionate our selves in making provision of these helps let us learn to have compassion of our selves and not neglect or despise so great favours If Christ had judged us to have been of strength he had never tendred us this crutch and when he sees that we need it and therefore hath provided it let us see that we do not reject or despise it Is it not to imitate Ahaz in his obstinacy who when he could not believe the promise that God would deliver him and his people from the combined power of Israel and Syria that were then before Jerusalem and having a sign tendred him of God either in the depth beneath or the height above for his assurance in the thing he answers he will not desire a sign Isa 7.11 12. he will rather dwell in his unbelief and perish As that sign was to that promise so all Sacraments are to Gods great promise He that casts away Sacraments indulges unbelief and we may well fear that he shall dwell in it to destruction CHAP. XI SECT I. The whole of the work of Sacraments is by way of sign and seal THe next observation followes The whole office and use of Sacraments All that the Sacraments work on the soules of receivers is by way of sign and seal They have no immediate effects for the working of any inward graces or priviledges but as our understanding is exercised by them as Indicative signes and our faith as ratifications and seales of the promises The text that we have under our hand is abundantly full to his purpose Scarce any text holds out a truth I may say more clear and full then this text doth that which is here delivered if we take in the context with it The Context opened to which the copulative And leads The Apostle having in the former Chapter delivered the doctrine of justification by faith goes on here to make it good by the Example of Abraham and his argument rendred in syllogistical form appears to be this As Abraham the father of the faithful was justified so must all the faithful This is taken for granted as needing no proof But Abraham the father of the faithful was justified not by works but by faith The Assumption consists of two parts and the Apostle proves both 1. The negative that he was not justified by works this he proves by two arguments 1. If he were justified by works then he hath whereof to glory ver 2. But he hath not whereof to glory before God Ergo he was not justified by works 2. If he were justified by works the reward were reckoned not of grace but of debt ver 4. But the reward is not of debt but of grace Ergo. Which he further confirmes by the testimony of David describing the blessednesse of man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin ver 7 8. As David describes blessednesse that way man is blessed But David describes it to be by imputation of righteousnesse and not by works Ergo. The affirmative that Abraham was justified by faith he proves by a full testimony of Scripture Gen. 15.6 He believed in the Lord and he counted it to for him for righteousnesse Now it might be objected that this justification of Abraham and blessednesse that David speaks of was nothing to the Gentiles uncircumcised but to the Jewes in the state of Circumcision and so Circumcision may yet have an hand in justitification This the Apostle denies ver 10. and proves the contrary by the time of Abrahams justification which was in uncircumcision not in Circumcision If Abraham were justified in uncircumcision then Circumcision hath no hand in justification But Abraham was justified in uncircumcision Ergo But then the greatest question is to what end or purpose he was circumcised having already that righteousnesse which doth justify what needs more Circumcision then might have been let alone The Apostle answers that he was circumcised on a twofold account for a double reason The first is in reference to his own estate in faith which equally concerns all in his state of believing He received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the faith which he had being yet uncircumcised The second in reference to the whole Church that he might be the Father of all that believe in Circumcision or in uncircumcision so that we have both the Apostles authority and his argumentative discourse for confirmation of our point That the work and efficacy of Sacraments is by way of sign and seal We shall find Peter giving his vote with Paul in this thing where he enters a dispute about Baptisme as Paul here doth about Circumcision as you may find 1 Pet. 3.20 21. having mentioned Gods long suffering towards disobedient ones in the daies of Noah while the Ark was a preparing he saies Few that is eight soules were saved by water That element which as an executioner of divine vengeance destroyed the world of the ungodly as an instrument in the hand of God preserved Noah and his family It destroyed the world by overwhelming of them as after it did Pharaoh and his host It saved Noah and his household by keeping the Ark above trees rocks mountaines buildings or whatsoever might have been
his businesse to take off Christians from their resort to the Idols temples to eat there of that which had been offered in sacrifice which they judged to be within the verge of their liberty An Idol being nothing in the world tells them that as joyning with Jewes in their sacrifice offered on the Altar did declare them to be one body with the Jewes and eating of the Sacramental bread did make them one body Christian so also going to the Heathens sacrifices did evidence them to be one body Heathen The Apostle as we see Rom. 1.5 thought no understanding man would question it we must therefore readily yeeld it which holds true of the Passeover seeing onely the circumcised who were in saith Jewes were to be admitted do it Exod. 12.48 And this I suppose is that which Reverend Gataker means opposing that tenent that the Sacraments conferre grace by the work done where there is no barre put and having quoted testimonies of Bishop Abbot Calvin and Whitaker sharpely enough declaring themselves against it adds That for the axiome it self I will not contend about it if that effect of the Sacraments be understood for which they were instituted of God and the Word be taken in a more large sense for all that whatsoever it be that may be any impediment that the Sacraments cannot have their effect Though perhaps in these words of his he had some other intentions It were an endlesse labour to lanch out into the controversie and to gather up the various opinions of those of a contrary judgment and their different thoughts to make good their tenents whether of those that deny Sacraments to be Seales as generally the Papists whom Anabaptists in this follow at the heels as in most other things both about the Covenant and Sacraments Or Lutherans who yeelding them to be seales as well as signes yet affirim that these are lesse principal offices and uses of Sacraments the chief end is to be instruments of conveyance of grace to the soul Or dissenting brethren among Protestants some of them falling in with Popish Schoolmen wholly closing with their tenent that Sacraments conferre grace where no bar is put to hinder their working or others that hold it with limit onely to Baptisme and that to elect children not daring to put reprobates into a state of regeneration or remission of sin nor yet to assert that the elect are alwayes thus regenerate in Baptisme But that it holds so in ordinary Or of some that I have met with in discourse that suppose that Baptisme hath his work in those elect infants where God foresees that death will prevent their regeneration by the Word or others that say that God works by Baptisme to regeneration and forgivenesse of sin but according to pleasure they dare not assign to whom Some of these I judge to be more evidently opposite to the Scripture then others yet I confesse I see not foundation in the Word for any of them These that are thus agreed that the Sacraments as instruments conferre grace without respect had to the receivers faith yet are at odds among themselves what manner of instruments they are He that pleases may read in Suarez disput 9. quaest 62. art 4. Sect. 2. six several opinions about it some will have them to be no efficient but material causes onely as a dish conveying a medicine is no cause of health but a material instrument onely of conveyance Others hold that they conferre grace per modum impetrationis because the Minister and the Church obtaines of God by prayer grace by them Others say that they are conditions without which God gives not grace Others yet say that the Sacraments are causes of grace because when they are applyed they move God to conferre it As we say they work by way of sign on our understanding so they say they work by way of sign with God moving him to remember his promise Others say they conferre grace because God in a more special manner appears in them as a principal agent or efficient which my Authour complaines is very obscure But he that will consult the Authour of this opinion which is Henricus à Gandavo Quod. quart quaest 37. may find much against any power in the Sacraments to conferre or to speak in his language to create grace in the soul creation being solely the prerogative of God and above the power of any creature to be assistent in it yet lest he should run upon an heresy against the determination of the Catholick Church in making them no more then signs and seals he is put upon it to come off thus blewly that Suarez with all his high wit cannot find out his meaning Suarez himself concludes that they are Physical instruments in the conveyance of grace and that they are causes of grace because by a true Physical action they concur to the sanctification of men Having with much adoe endeavoured to prove a possibility of their working of grace in a Physicall way he concludes that this is their way of working and that not barely in working some disposition towards grace not reaching grace it self nor yet in working an union only of grace with the soul But in the most proper and rigorous sense Sacraments Physically work grace the very Physicall action by which Grace is wrought and drawn out of the obediential power of the soul truly really and Physically depending on the Sacraments which he judges to be most agreeable to the dignity of the Sacraments the phrases of Scripture and Councels and Fathers about them But it might pitty the Reader to see how miserably he comes off with this assertion of his only telling us that the Scripture sayes we are cleansed sanctified or regenerate of water or the laver of regeneration and washing of water in the Word of life without the least light given us to let us understand that these phrases must be taken in his Physical sense meaning adding some sentences of Fathers who ordinarily give that in their writings to the sign which is proper to the thing signified finding yet opposite sentences in them that much troubles him in which in an orthodox way they explain themselves sufficiently against his position In case in this position of his of the Physicall working of Sacraments he had only understood that they work according to the nature of the office and place assigned unto them there might have been just cause to have subscribed to his judgment It is of the nature of a sign to hold forth to us the thing signified of a relative symbole to ingage to the filling up of such a relation It is of the nature of a seal to confirm every grant past in Covenant but to give a Physicall power to those elementary substances to create Grace in or confer grace upon the soul is a monstrous tenent A little Philosophy will accquaint us with the natural properties of water and as applyed in washing experience will soon discover it The
them making them to think that this is all that can be said for them Mr. Fuller in his history of holy warre lib 3. cap. 20. quoting out of Reinerius a charge against the Albigenses that they gave no reverence to holy places answers It is true And then gives in this for a reason because most in that age ran riot in adoring of Churches as if some inherent holinesse was ceiled to their roof or plaistered to their walls yea such as might more ingratiate with God the persons and prayers of people there assembled Let men take heed that they raise not Sacraments above the honour that Scripture gives them with like successe as these did places of publick holy assemblies a good cause hath not a greater adversary then a weak argument taken up in the defence of it This argument I confesse had it ground to stand upon might be of force for the battery of Anabaptisme but having no Scripture-bottome it presently falls before any adversary and Anabaptisme gathers strength by the fall of it 3. As to the argument it self tending to evince the uselessenesse of infant-Baptisme it may very fitly be parallelled with that Objection made against Pauls doctrine Rom. 3.1 when he had made it his great businesse to set circumcision on its right bottom and declared that it was not efficacious in the way that they expected and that it was without use for salvation unlesse it were answered with the Circumcision of the heart an objection presently is raised What profit is there then of Circumcision so these likewise when Sacraments are not raised to that height as the Schoolmen have advanced them to be instruments of conveyance of grace by the work done and as they expect from them they presently demand what profit And affirm as to infants at least that they are uselesse 4. That answer which Paul gives to his Questionists that demanded what profit is there of Circumcision I give to those that demand what profit is there of infant-Baptisme Having asserted in general Much every way he answers more punctually instancing in one eminent priviledge that virtually comprized all the external priviledges enjoyned by Israel as Church-members chiefly that to them were committed the Oracles of God It was said before that these priviledges in all Sacraments are either actually conferred or infallibly evidenced In Baptisme a true title is legally conferred Upon account of our baptisme we have an orderly and legall right and title to all succeeding Church-priviledges as the Jewes had done upon account of their Circumcision though there be not alwayes an aptitude for actual admission to them or improvement of them Upon this ground infants have 1. Their share and interest in all the prayers made for the Church collectively even in all that are preferred to God by his people for Zion and Jerusalem This was the duty of every son of Zion Psal 122.6 This was the faithfulls practice Psal 51.18 and in these infants as Church-members had their interest on this account infants were brought to Christ Priviledges following upon infant-baptisme That he might put his hands upon them and pray Matth. 19.13 2. They have their share in the blessings of the Church we see with what solemnity it was to be done Num. 6.22 c. The Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons saying On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee c. and they shall put my Name upon the children of Israel and I will blesse them Infants had their share here and upon this account infants were blessed of Christ Mar. 10.16 3. Their relation to God by virtue of Covenant-interest is hereby evidenced and ratified How transcendent a priviledge this is to have the Lord for our God we see Psal 144.15 having reckoned up several mercies the Psalmist concludes Happy is the people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord This is the priviledge of every infant that upon Covenant title is baptized God will not suffer their enemies to passe without vengeance As it was an acceptable work to dash the infants of Babylon against the stones Psal 137.9 being a seed growing up against God so it is as displeasing and provoking to harme these that are a seed dedicated unto and growing up for God 4. Baptisme teaches them to know as soon as they are of capacity to learn to whom they belong what Master they are to serve and in what School they are to be trained 5. A necessity is seen to get the knowledge of Christ and timely to walk in his wayes 6. A delight is wrought in them towards those in whose communion they are bred and that own them as theirs whereas being debarred in childhood from this society and denyed this badge it is the way to bring them to maligne them each one is apt to love those of his owne fraternity and on the contrary to study the opposition of others 7. The aggravation of their sin presently rings in their ears by reason of the favour they receive from God the society into which they are incorporated when their conversation doth not in some measure answer their profession 8. Parents here see a strong engagement to bring them up for Christ whom they have thus dedicated to him and put into the fellowship of those who are his Saints and members When they have brought forth children unto God they see their sin heightned in giving them to Moloch or any other besides God and there is no example of any believing parent in all the Scripture bringing up a child for Covenant but in Covenant with the Lord. These alone though more might be added might stop the mouthes of all that insultingly move this question 5. That which in present does not but hereafter may work upon the understanding is not vain and uselesse when it is done That was not vain which Christ did to Peter Joh. 13.17 when he said unto him What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter 6. Seals of purchases taken in infants names are of use to infants though during infancy they know not how to make actual improvement themselves of them If Baptisme hath its actual use in behalf of infants whilest infants as hath been shewed and remains with them to be improved by their understanding and faith when they come to maturity it cannot be thought to be vain and uselesse SECT IV. A Corollary from the former doctrine THen it followes by way of necessary Corollary from that which hath been said Answer to Sacramental engagementsâ— ncessary to salvation that unlesse the soul answer to Sacramental engagements Sacraments are not efficacious for salvation to the receivers This is a clear result from that which hath been said and is fully delivered by the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.21 speaking of the Arke of Noah wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water he
visible people of God and those that are strangers to him work no otherwise as to vitall and saving grace than hath been spoke let us take heed lest these dissimilitudes do not draw us to imbrace a cloud instead of Juno when it shall appear that they have not so much of elegancy but are answered with equal incongruity If they be such marks as these instances seem to hold out to us how are they then conditional means to communicate these blessings Upon what condition I marvel was it that Moses knew that God was in the bush Or the Inhabitants of Jerusalem that the Angel was in the water Or the Apostles that the Spirit was come down upon them These were undoubtedly to be lookt upon as unconditionate communications of the respective presence of God his Angel and his Spirit And how this stands with that which presently after we find in our Authour I know not unlesse many grains be allowed to abate the height of them that Sacraments are not Physical but moral instruments of salvation duties of service and worship which unlesse we perform as the Authour of grace requireth they are unprofitable For all receive not the grace of God which receive the Sacraments of his grace Moses undoubtedly did enjoy the presence of the Angel and the Apostles the presence of the Holy Ghost Let us then learn to use them as the Authour of grace requireth and that is as signs and seales as his chosen vessel to convey his grace here teaches I shall onely adde in this place If Sacraments work as signes and seales then they must be allowed to have that whole work on all that are Communicants which as signes and seales they can possibly effect either for the bettering of their understanding or farther engagements in wayes of godlinesse and that by the help of the Word they may help the understanding even of unregenerate persons and make discovery of strong engagements to wayes of godlinesse can scarce be questioned If the Word can teach the unregenerate by hearing then the Sacraments being appointed for visible teaching-signes by the help of the Word may also teach them by seeing and unregenerate men making profession of their relation to God may here see further engagements and provocations to godlinesse This effect cannot be denyed to be possible in Sacraments as signs at least upon some persons in unregeneration and when they further see all the glorious priviledges of the Covenant upon the terms propounded of God to be attainable may they not be of singular use as seales to put them on and stirre them up in all consciencious use of means to rise up to the answer of conscience And so as the Word as an instrument in Gods hand by instructions motives exhortations and other provocations is a means for conversion so may the Sacraments as appendents to the Word and by the help of it be herein serviceable likewise which is the whole that I do or ever did attribute to Sacraments so much as in a possible way of conversion CHAP. XII SECT I. The thing signified and sealed in Sacraments THe whole use and office of Sacraments we have seen Sacraments are suitable to Covenants which is to seal the gift and grant of God in Covenant as well as to signifie The thing sealed in them here comes to be spoken to which is the righteousnesse of faith There being a double Covenant given of God to man one in mans integrity whilest he was in spiritual life for preservation in life the other in mans fallen condition when dead for restitution to life There is a double righteousnesse answering to this double Covenant The one inherent in man to be wrought by himself and called our own righteousnesse The other wrought by a Mediatour in our stead and made ours by Faith and therefore called the righteousnesse of faith and sometimes the righteousnesse of God being wrought by Christ who is God And answerably to this double Covenant and double righteousnesse Sacraments of a double kind were instituted The first without respect had to any Mediatour confirming Gods engagements on the terms of perfect obedience The other with respect to a Mediatour and Faith in him confirming happinesse to believers The Sacraments of the Covenant of grace are of this latter sort They are signs and seales as were the trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil and seales of righteousnesse as they were also but of righteousnesse of another kind The former were seales of the righteousnesse of works These are seales of the righteousnesse of faith Those were seales to assure a reward to our own righteousnesse These are seales to assure us of anothers righteousnesse made ours by faith From hence these two Observations follow one implyed the other in the words exprest The first which is implyed in the words is The righteousnesse of Faith is the great Promise of the Covenant of Grace The Apostle tells us of blindnesse that in part happened to Israel Rom. 11.25 and the blindnesse was this that they would not be brought to an acknowledgment of this righteousnesse But in an high zeal made it their businesse to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10.2 3. It do's not appear that they wholly denyed the concurrence of all grace for the work of this righteousnesse in which they confided The Pharisee who is brought in to personate those of this opinion saith God I thank thee I am not like other men He therefore did acknowledge some kind of discriminating grace But it was his own act thorow grace a righteousnesse inherent and not through grace imputed wrought by himself and not by another in his stead in which he confided This observation might have been pertinently and properly spoken to in this place being that on which the Sacraments are bottomed A flaw here must needs be the undoing of all The Jew mistaking here was at losse of all his pains in sacrifices Sacraments and all other personal performances When he had carried on this with the greatest vigour and alacrity he was still too short and this held him back that he look't not after any other righteousnesse and so perished without any such righteousnesse as was able to justifie I should not therefore have wholly past this by but that a long expected and greatly desir'd Treatise on this subject is sent to the Presse and will for a good space of time prevent this piece where the Reader I doubt not will find full satisfaction I shall therefore wholly passe it by and come to the Observation which the words expresly hold out The righteousnesse of faith is sealed in the Sacraments of the Covenant of grace This enters we see the definition a Sacra-ment Propositions holding forth this righteousnesse and is expressely laid down in the text of the Apostle and for a right understanding of this great priviledge here sealed some Positions or explicatory Propositions must be laid Proposition 1 down 1. This is called the
sets himself professedly against this use of Sacraments and will not have them to serve by way of seal for confirmation of our faith in particular And this he endeavours with five several Arguments SECT II. Objections against the former doctrine 1. IF Sacraments confirm our faith by way of seal or after the Object 1 manner of miracles then Sacraments must be better known and more efficacious to perswade to Faith than the Word But nothing can be more efficacious for perswasion than the Word of God and experience tells us that words are better understood than dumb signes and Sacraments compared to the Word are as dumb signes Answ 1. The assumption here should have been Nohting is Answ 1 either more easily known or more eminently efficacious than the Word But the former is left out lest it should give check to their doctrine of obscurity of Scriptures and instead of making the Word easily intelligible he contents himself to say that it is more intelligible than nods or dumb shews when yet dumb signs or such nods are better known and more easily understood as we have experience sufficient than the Word of God or any other word whatsoever in an unknown language 2. If this Argument be of force then nothing else in the Answ 2 world but the bare Word of promise revealed in Scripture is any way serviceable for more full assurance of the thing given in promise Not onely Gideons Ezekiah's and Ahaz his signs but the oath also made to Abraham was superfluous All these had the Word of God and unlesse the signs given them and the oath made to them were more efficacious then the Word which as he sayes nothing is according to him they are all superfluous 3. Comparison is not to be made between the Word and Answ 3 Sacraments whether of those considered apart is more efficacious Then the preheminence is to be given to the Word as Bellarmine sayes Luther acknowledgeth but enquiry is to be made whether the Word together with Sacraments annext to it be not more efficacious by reason of our weaknesse and inclinations to diffidence than the Word without any such visible ratification Nothing can be more firm than the promise of God seeing God cannot lye Tit. 1.2 His Oath is no more valid then his Word yet God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsel confirm'd it by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation Object 2 2. The nature of Sacraments cannot any where be better understood than from his words that is the authour of them But in the Holy Scriptures they are no where called seales of Promises but instruments of Justification Ergo. Answ 1 Answ 1. If this Proposition stand then some at least of the Sacraments of Rome and most of their Sacramentals must fall seeing by Thomas Aquinas his acknowledgment they are not to be found in Scriptures Answ 2 2. There is nothing more false then this assumption as abundantly hath been declared and the Text in hand is a sufficient witnesse Object 3 3. If Sacraments be onely seales of the promise of grace then either they are superfluous or else of very slender use and benefit for we have more Testimonies far more efficacious Good works are better signes and testimonies of righteousnesse obtained then washing with water or taking of the Eucharist which may be received Hypocritically Answ 1 Answ 1. If this Argument be of any force then wheresoever there is one witnesse to speak in any cause all the other are vain and superfluous and so that of the Apostle will fall to the ground At the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established Answ 2 2. It is well that works are made a witnesse of assurance then this way at least assurance may be had which he and his party are wont to deny Answ 3 3. Works are not Testimonies instituted of God for this end as Amesius observes but of their own nature they evidence our fitnesse for glory and as fruits of our faith as Whitaker speaks And those which Bellarmine uses to make the best of works Almes Fasting and Prayer may be hypocritically performed likewise Answ 4 4. This witnesse or seal of Sacraments is not a distinct witnesse or seal from that which the Jesuit here produces but stands in co-ordination with it or rather in subordination to it It is upon the answer of a good conscience not otherwise that Sacraments give this witnesse 4. If Sacraments seal by way of particular application for support Object 4 Faith then it is in vain to baptize Infants But Lutherans are wholly for Infant-baptisme Ans 1. We may learn of Bellarmine that Protestants at least Answ 1 think that this doctrine and Infant-baptisme will well stand together 2. The Apostle was certainly able to have given a satisfying Answ 2 answer to this Objection seeing he tells us that Circumcision was a seal of the righteousnesse of Faith and yet himself was circumcised the eighth day Phil. 3.5 It is of equal strength against Infant-circumcision as against baptisme 5. If Sacraments be seales of grace which in particular is conferred Object 5 upon any then oftentimes they are false viz. when the Sacrament is given to a man who pretends to believe and indeed doth not believe and so it were unlawful to baptize any lest we should cause God to give witnesse to a lye for we certainly know of none whether they believe truly or onely pretend it Ans Our Adversary here prevents us Answ and puts an answer into our mouthes Perhaps saith he they will say That the Sacrament is a seal or testimony of grace not absolutely but if he that doth receive the Sacrament do believe the promise And this indeed is their Answer as out of Amesius Whitaker Vorstius Pareus Dr. Reynolds Mr. Rutherford I have shewn to which may be added that full Testimony out of Dr. Slater before mentioned As for those that will have the Covenant to be absolute and the seales to be put without any respect had to any condition against the full stream of Protestant Writers I shall desire them to help us to any other satisfying answer to this Argument I must confesse that in case I be once convinced that the work of Sacraments is to ratifie Gods promise in an absolute way as the Rainbowe do's that God will no more destroy the World by water without respect had to any condition at all And that a seal is put to a blank in case any unregenerate person be baptized or admitted to the Lords Table I must either be holpen with further light than I can yet see or else I think I shall never more adventure upon Baptisme or the Lords Supper And Bellarmine supposing that this will be our answer can bring nothing more to avoid 〈◊〉 then two speeches of Luther and one of Melancton nothing at all to
faith is not Sanctification Sanctification is inherent the righteousnesse of faith is imputed but circumcision is a sign and seal of the righteousnesse of faith And that Baptisme signifies and seals the same thing we find expressely in Peters words Ast. 2.38 Be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins Remission of sins is by blood Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood there is no remission Baptisme is for remission of sins and therefore the water in Baptisme holds out the blood of Christ And I doubt not but Ananias had respect to this in his speech to Paul Act. 22.16 Rise and be baptized and wash away thy sins Somewhat it is to which these signs engage and that is all unto which a Christian in duty as duty stands engaged whether for his change in heart or life or in order to the pardon of his sin Baptisme engages to the first work of regeneration and to the first work of making all new within To this circumcision did tye as it signified it so it engaged to it Deut. 10.16 Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiffenecked If by vertue of their circumcision in the flesh God did not require it why is the want of it charged on Judah as their sin or how could it lay them open with other Nations to punishment Jer. 9.25 26. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that are in the uttermost corners that dwell in the wildernesse for all these Nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncicumcised in the heart And that the first work is required as well as a further degree and progresse both in circumcision and baptisme is clear In baptisme we are explicitly dedicated as the Jewes were implicitly in circumcision to Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore engaged to be sincerely his in Covenant But this cannot be till a change be wrought and we be born again from above To this therefore we are engaged We are engaged to love the Lord with all our heart with all our strength but this cannot be while our hearts are in an unchanged condition and therefore the circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 is mentioned in order to this of the love of the Lord The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul what is it but the first work that is called for in that of the Prophet Make ye a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 10.31 And in those texts of the Apostle Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead Ephes 5.14 Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds Rom. 12.2 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man And be renewed in the spirit of your minds Ephes 4.22 23. Howsoever some of these Scriptures may be conceived to be directed to men in a state of Regeneration and therefore that they call not for the first work but for a further progresse in grace yet all of them cannot be so Interpreted And there is not any of them but implyes that where the first work is not done it must be done where the old man is not put off it must be put off and where the new man is not put on it must be put on where the spirit is not renewed it must be renewed Neither is it of force against this to say that the first work is out of our power and that in it we are wholly passive and therefore we do not in baptisme engage to it but God rather engages for it To which I answer Though it be out of our power yet it is within the command of God and is matter of our duty Gods command is no rule of our strength neither is it brought down to answer our weaknesse so a carnall man should be under no spiritual command but it is a rule of our duty what we once were and still ought to be it commands us for to be And though we be passive in the first work yet we are alwaies concerned to be active and assoon as we do receive power we are to act Dead Lazarus was commanded to rise and having power communicated from God he did actually rise and come out of the grave There is not any promise of God for inherent Grace nor any work of Grace but it comes within our duty and a command lies on us as instance might be given and consequently there is an obligation and engagement to it Gods command and his promises stand not in opposition but in subordination and to say that God is engaged and not man is dangerous then all that are baptized must be regenerate or else God fails in his engagement Somewhat it is that these signs seal and in sealing ratify and confirm and that is as the text shewes the righteousnesse of Faith and consequently all other priviledges whatsoever of like nature that are annexed to it Remission Justification Adoption Glorification Sacraments as seals have not as I conceive at least immediately and directly reference to graces or inherent habits but priviledges They are as Mr. Baxter hath well observed seales of the conditional Covenant and so they must seal whatsoever they do seal on Gods terms and conditions they ratifie mercies promised on those termes that the Covenant doth promise now graces are the conditions and termes of the Covenant and mercies are promised upon those termes and therefore the Covenant requires them but the Sacraments do not ratifie and seal them The Sacraments as signs shew us our wants of or wants in grace by the help of the Word and light received from it they point us out where supply may be found they engage us to this change to the whole of duty required from the people of God and upon answer of our conscience in this work they seal and confirm all promised priviledges to us The nature efficacy and operation of Sacraments would be better understood if that which is proper to each part or the particular office in each relation were better known The seal in a Lease as from the Lessor doth not ratifie the homage that is to be done by the Lessee or the service from him due but the inheritance or benefit whatsoever which upon condition of such homage or service is conveyed Graces are the homage and priviledges are the benefit or the inheritance the priviledges then and not the graces are directly in Sacraments sealed to us It is not sealed up to us either in Baptisme or the Lords Supper that we do believe or repent but that believing and repenting we have forgivenesse of sin and salvation But some say that the Sacraments seal all that the Covenant promises but the Covenant promises Grace and therefore the Sacraments
I desire Mr. Baxter to take into consideration that Text of the Apostle Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not do in that it was weakned through the flesh c. And whether he understand it respective to sanctification which is not agreed upon among Interpreters to give his Reader satisfaction Quomodo patitur Lex in hac debilitatione Quid patitur ut fi at impotens et inefficax Quomodo haec impotentia inefficacia fuit in carne utrum eminenter an formaliter Quomodo agit Caro in hoc influxu debilitativo in legem And I doubt not but I may as easily answer his Queries in order to the vindication of my assertion as he may mine in vindication of that which the Apostle delivers Answering the last all is indeed answered Caro agit injiciendo obices remoras Quo minus Lex operatur in corde hominis Spiritus agit per fidem ut causa removens impedimentum E medio tollens obices remoras istas Incitando potenter inclinando animam in amplexum promissionis divinae I desire also his full Comment on the Apostles words 2 Cor. 3.6 Who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life with a satisfying answer to all like Quaeries that thence may be made I suppose he will grant that they are able Ministers of the New Testament no otherwise then in preaching the Gospel and when the bare Scripture as Tremelius reads it is of power onely to kill we may demand how the Gospel suffers in receiving any such quickening power from the Spirit And indeed the Gospel suffers not but the soul in receiving power to answer the Gospels call whether to Justification oâ— sanctification And that the Spirit makes use of faith in this quickening power I think will not be denyed seeing the Apostle tells us The life that I live in the flesh is by faith in the Son of God Faith therefore hath its hand in the Spirits quickening work and he addes Sure you do not take the foregoing words for proof adding What though onely believers are justified by the Covenant doth it follow that faith gives efficacy and power to the Covenant to justifie then either there are no conditions or causae sine quibus non or else they are all efficients and give efficacy and power to other efficients I confesse those words taken by themselves in that sense as he may fancy and the words in themselves may bear will not come up to a full proof Justification may be restrained onely to believers and yet faith have no hand in it but seeing other Scriptures give an efficiency to faith in this work some of them speaking of it as Gods instrument Rom. 3.30 most of them as mans we may well then know that Scripture holds it not out as any such naked condition To others the Gospel-grant lyes dead to these through faith it is effectuall There is added Your terms of faiths giving power through the Spirit tell me that sure you still look at the wrong act of the Gospel not at its moral act of conveyance or donation but at its reall operation on mans heart I do look at the act of the Gospel as its real operation on mans heart and yet I look at the right act of it The Gospel is an instrument to justifie by the intervening act of faith according to Protestants and by the intervening work of sanctification according to Papists and according to both there is a real work on the soul necessary to put into a posture for Justification All know that Divines distinguish between redemption wrought by Christ and the application of it Redemption is the proper work of the Son but Application they ascribe to the Spirit a Hinc Pater Filius mittere dicuntur Spiritum ad applicationem istam perficiendam The Father and the Son are said saith Amesius to send the Spirit to perfect this application Medull Theol. Cap. 24. Sect. 5. And whereas I am told that neither Scripture nor Divines use to say that the Gospel remitteth sin or justifieth by the Spirit nor doth the Spirit otherwise do it then by inditing the Gospel c. Though I own not this phrase that is here put upon me and I might expect so much priviledge as to be Master of my own words yet I would have it taken into further consideration whether Divines use his language or mine or whether they judge not that tâ—â—e the right act of the Gospel for pardon of sin which I mention The Leyden Divines having spoke of the application of the righteousnesse of Christ Disp 33. Sect. 21. have these words Sect 24. b Haec applicatio in nobis fit à Spiritu sancto 1 Cor. 6.11 dono scilicet fidei Ipse enim eam per Ministerium Evangelii Quod Ministerium Spiritûs dicitur 2 Cor. 3.8 ingenerat ac verbo suo ac Sacramentis confirmat auget Phil. 1.29 Gal. 5.5 Unde Spiritus fidei dicitur 2 Cor. 4.13 quâ Deum ut gratiosum Christum ut redemptorem ejusque justitiam ex eâ vitam aeternam apprehendimus Joan. 1.12 Rom. 9.30 This application in us is made by the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 viz. by the gift of faith For he works it by the Ministery of the Gospel which is called the Ministery of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 and encreases it by his Word and Sacraments Phil. 1.29 Gal. 5 5. From whence it is called the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 whereby we apprehend God as gracious Christ as Redeemer and his righteousnesse and from it everlasting life Joh. 1.12 Rom. 9.30 And Sect. 25. This application on our part is made by faith Rom. 5.1 Acts 26.18 A parte nostrâ fide Rom. 5.2 Actor 26.18 ex fide per fidem Ro. 3.30 Justistficamur justificat nos Deus By faith and through faith Rom. 3.30 We are justified and God justified us with much more to that purpose And Ravanellus in verbum justificatio speaking of the instrument of justification saith it is either outward or inward c Causa instrumentalis externa verbum Dei Sâ—cramenta ut patet ex Rom. 4.11 ubi circumcisio appellatur s gillum justitiae fidei nam verbum Dei Sacramenta sunt organa per quae Deus nos vocat per quae operatur conservat ac auget in nobis fidem obsignatque in cordibus nostris gratiam justificationis atque adeo Ministri Ecclesiae alii qui docent nos viam salutis Dan. 12.3 The outward instrumental cause he saith is the Word of God and the Sacraments as appears from Rom. 4.11 where circumcision is called the seal of the righteousnesse of faith for saith he the Word of God and Sacraments are instruments by which God doth call and by which he works preserves and encreases faith in us and seals in
our heart the grace of justification and so also the Ministers of the Church and others which teach us the way of salvation Dan. 12.3 Gomarus Matth 5.4 pag. 46. denying any affections or work of man preceding faith to be the procuring cause of justification and affirming that faith it self is no such cause but an instrument onely gives this reason e Nullae hominum affectiones ac praeparationes nullaque opera fidem antecedentia justificationis causae nedum proreantes esse possunt imo nec fides ipsa causa illius est procreans cum ealaus soli gratiae Dei ac merito Christi efficaciae Spiritus sancti comperat Rom. 3.24 28. Ephes 2 8. sed tantum instrumentalis That honour belongs onely to the grace of God and merit of Christ and efficacy of the holy Ghost so far are these Divines from excluding the Spirit from having any hand in this work such a Gospel instrumeâ—â—ality as that it should do nothing at all on the souls of men I have not before read or heard of As it tenders conditions so it is employed to work the conditions that it tenders It makes known the mind of God that men believing have right to Christ and in him to justification and it works faith for justification onely believers saved by it and it is the power of God and not nudè signùm voluntatis divinae to salvation And as the Simile brought by Mr. Baxter of a Fathers bequeathing by his testament an hundred pound a peece to each of his sons To one on condition he will aske it of his elder Brother and thanke him for it to a second and third upon conditions at pleasure with this demand upon it Do any of these conditions give power to the testament No yet the testament doth not efficaciter agere till they are performed why is that saith he because all such instruments work morally onely by expressing ut signa the will of the agent and therefore they work both when and how he will and it is his will that they shall not work till such a time and but upon such termes c. He might easily see how little this serves to our present purpose 1. That which he speaks of is a bare testament and no more but the Gospel as elsewhere I have shewed is a Covenant truly so called and not barely a testament 2. Those Legacies are such gifts that each son would be apt to imbrace being ready to put a sufficiently high estimate upon them But this Gospel-gift if nothing further be done will for ever lye contemned and neglected 3. The will is a meer instrument of donation leaving the Legatee to himself to accept or refuse The Gospel is the instrument of Gods power by the Spirit to change the heart and work upon the will for acceptance 4. These testament-legacies presuppose the condition not yet performed and so the Legatee without all right upon Testament-termes But Mr. Baxters Gospel-donation supposes the conditions already done and the soul upon that account in full possession before this Gospel-donation comes It conveyes right to a believer and if he be a believer as hath been abundantly shewed he is in present possest of Christ his righteousnesse and justification by him And whether or no I have acquit my self from the double charge brought against me I shall leave to the Readers consideration 1. If there be an instrumental efficiency ascribed to faith in Scripture in a work in which there is as much of God and as little of man seen as in the work of justification then there is no reason but that faith also hath an instrumental efficacy in the work of justification This is clear The reason given why faith should have no instrumental efficacy is because this takes from God who alone is the efficient and ascribes to man who is justified and doth not justifie himself But an instrumental efficiency is ascribed in Scripture to faith in a work on which there is as much of God and as little of man as in the work of justification This is clear in miraculous cures wrought upon diseased persons The work upon them was Gods not mans They were cured and did not cure themselves yet an instrumentall efficiency is ascribed to their faith If those words spoke to the two blind men Matth. 9.29 According to your faith be it unto you nor that of Paul concerning the creeple at Lystra That he had faith to be healed Act. 14.9 nor yet that of Christ to the Canaanitish woman Matth. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee as thou wilt will not hold it out which yet seem to speak very much this way other graces were qualifications yet none but this is taken notice of yet that to the woman with the bloody issue is full Matth. 9.22 Mark 5.34 Thy faith hath made thee whole not onely made whole by faith which is an exception against faiths justifying but faith made her whole Quemadmodum fidei ascribit Christus quod mulier soluta est à morbo corporis ita certum est fide nos consequi remissionem peccatorum adoptionem filiorum Dei juxta doctrinam Evangelii words speaking as much of instrumental efficacy as may be The conclusion then followes That faith hath its instrumental efficiency in justification likewise Pareus his notes upon the words are worthy observation As Christ ascribes it to faith that the woman is healed of the disease of her body so it is certain that by faith we obtain remission of sins and adoption of children of God according to the doctrine of the Gospel 2. If there be an instrumental efficiency ascribed to faith in Scripture respective to salvation then there is an instrumental efficacy ascribed to faith respective to justification This is plain nothing can instrumentally work to salvation that takes not in justification But an instrumental efficacy is ascribed to faith respective to salvation Luk. 7.59 He said to the woman Thy faith hath saved thee In the context there is a full proof of the Major The great priviledge which she of grace received there is the forgivenesse of her many sins and this is acribed to her faith The Minor is fully proved Her great love is mentioned as a consequent of this grace received But it is ascribed to her faith as that which had its alone efficacy Thy faith hath saved thee As we are saved by faith or through faith Ephes 2.8 so faith saves The conclusion then followes that faith hath its instrumental efficacy in justification 3. That which puts a man into possession of that from which justification necessarily and inevitably followes that is either a principal efficient or an instrument in justification This cannot be denyed He that puts me into a place to which a plentiful livelihood is necessarily annexed is either the efficient or an instrument of my livelihood But faith puts into possession of Christ from whom justification necessarily followes