who shall embrace the Son of God by Faith and their Infant-Seed if any they have That this is the true sense and meaning of Christ in that place is clear to any who do not wilfully shut their Eyes for evident it is and none can deny that he there commands to Baptize all Nations not excepting against or forbidding the Disciples to Baptize little Infants He knew that he spake to Men who after the sending of the Holy Ghost should know and consider that Abrahams Covenant with Believers and their Infant-Seed was to remain and continue the same to the end of the World And this together with the sharp rebuke he gave to his Apostles for offering to hinder Little Ones being brought to him and his laying before them such a convincing reason wherefore such should not be kept from coming to him Mar. 10.14 was the principal if not the only reason wherefore his infinite Wisdom saw it not needful to mention Infants in particular they being most certainly included in the general term all Nations All Men who know any thing of Learning understand that Omne majus continet in se minus every greater includes or contains in it the lesser is a sure and standing Rule both in Logick and Divinity Agreeing with this sense I have given off the Grand Commission is that of Peter Acts 2.39 For the Promise is to you and to your Children c. which affords an invincible Argument to prove that there is now under the Gospel no change of Abrahams Covenant any other than in the external administration of it The Covenant in its substance abides the same for ever By the Grace thereof all Gods Elect both of the Jewish and Gentile Race are to be Saved Rom. 3.29 What I have said will yet receive farther confirmation by what is laid down by Paul in Gal. 3.14 That the Blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ c. The places now quoted out of Acts 2.39 and Gal. 3.14 presuppose a command to all whether Jew or Gentile who by Faith receives Jesus Christ for a Saviour that they shall be Signed with the Seal of Abrahams Covenant according to Gen. 17.9 For if the Gentiles who believe in Abrahams Saviour do expect that they and their Infants should be made actual Partakers of the Blessings of Abrahams Covenant they must be sure to observe and keep Gods Covenant with Abraham throughout their Generations Secondly seeing that Christ himself words the Commission so in general terms which undoubtedly includes the particular not excepting against Infants It must necessarily follow that if Infants be a part of those Nations which the Apostles c. are commanded to Baptize that Christ commands them to Baptize Infants as well as any others Reader observe the Words of the Commission Go and Teach all Nations c. Here is no more mention of grown Persons Men or Women than there is of Infants If then Anabaptists cannot deny that Infants are a part of Nations and that they can no way prove how Abrahams Blessing can come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus any other way than by and through the Covenant of Abraham It will unavoidably follow all the Wit in Man cannot oppose it with success that Infants as well as adult Persons are as the proper Subjects of Baptism intended by Christ in the Grand Commission Object 2. None are the proper Subjects of Baptism but such as are first taught Go and Teach c. Infants are not capable of Mans Teaching therefore they are not the proper Subjects of Baptism Answ This with the Objection already spoken to seems to weak and injudicious People to be unanswerable for excluding Infants from Baptism but he that looks into it with a Spiritual Eye will find nothing in it against Infants In order to discover the weakness and mistake of the Objector let it be observed with care that the Word Teach is twice mentioned in the Words of the Commission Go and Teach all Nations Baptizing them c. And in Ver. 20 Teaching them to observe c. The first Teach is in the Original Matheteusate and the other is Didaskontes which I choose to set down in the English rather than in the Greek Character to the end the Unlearned may Read them and in Reading observe the great difference which is between the two Words and that both in the Letters and Sound of the Words if this be taken notice of it will afford to the Unlearned who would not be impos'd upon ground to suspect not only the Skill in Tongues but also the Honesty and Faithfulness of those Guides whom they Judge come nearer to Infalibility in what they Teach than do the other eminent Servants of Christ who differ from them and at whose Labours the ablest Preachers of that Party are glad to Light their Candles As these two Words differ in Letters and Sound as the Unlearned themselves will find if they be but Faithful to themselves so they differ also in their Sense and Signification as the Orthodox and Learned well know I begin with the first viz. Matheteusate which signifies properly to Disciple or to make Disciples in all Nations where the Gospel shall be gladly received How is this to be done Answ Even as God Taught Abraham when he Instructed him in the great Mystery of the Covenant The which when Abraham Embrac'd for himself and his Infant-Seed he received gladly the Visible Token or Seal of that Covenant of Grace viz. Circumcision and marks out his Infant-Seed by putting the same Seal of the Covenant on them and that in compliance with God's Command It is but Rational to suppose and grant that the first Subjects of an Ordinance should be Persons Adult and Grown up to the use of Reason that they may be capable of Acting for not only themselves but for their Off spring and Posterity also who are not while Infants capable of Acting for themselves This was God's Way and Method with Abraham his Friend he Propounds his Covenant of Grace to him and in him to his Seed as their Stipulating and Covenanting Head and Representative In Instructing Abraham God in Abraham's Person Instructs his Infants so as by that Instruction his Infant-Seed became Disciples and were accordingly Sign'd with the Seal of their Stipulating Father's Covenant This undoubtedly was the Method which the Apostles went in when they were sent forth to make Disciples to Christ in every Nation They Instructed Adult and Grown Persons in the Mystery of God's Grace by Christ and when such laid hold on Christ in the Covenant by an External Profession of Faith in him they were Baptized with their Infants if any they had Hence we Read of the Jaylor in Acts 16.33 who on his Believing was Baptized he and all that were of him viz. His own Personal Off-spring so the Greek Word signifies Hence also we Read of whole Families who were Baptized by the Apostles on the Faith of such as were
A Brief and Plain DISCOVERY OF THE Falseness and Unscripturalness OF ANABAPTISM As the same is now Practised by those of that Perswasion Wâ—â—â—â—in are plainly Proved from God's Word the Five Particulars here Handled I. That God's Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17.7 is the Covenant of Grace whereby all God's Elect are Saved II. That Circumcision was the Initiatory Seal of that Covenant to Abraham and his Church-Seed during that Dispensation III. That Water-Baptism is now under the Gospel succeeded in the room thereof IV. That the Gentile Believers and their Infant-Seed have as Real a Right to the same Covenant of Grace and the Seal thereof as had Abraham and his Infant-Seed V. That Sprinkling or Pouring-out Water on the Subject of Baptism is the Undoubted Right Way of Administring Baptism under the Gospel By Ja. Barry an Unworthy Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for the Author 1699. TO THE Impartial and Unprejudiced READER Who desires to be Rightly Inform'd in the Nature and Design of God's Covenant with Abraham his Friend in the behalf of Himself and all his Ecclesiastical or Church Seed both among Jews and Gentiles to the End of the World Courteous Reader IF the Spirit of Grace Reigns in thy Heart thou wilt I doubt not readily believe me especially when I most Solemnly Profess as if I were immediately to be call'd to the Bar of the Great Judge that no Prejudice ' or Hatred against the Persons of the People who without any Warrant from God's Word Style themselves Baptists and Baptiz'd Churches of Christ hath stirr'd me up to appear in Print in Opposing those Pernicious Principles which the Men of that Perswasion do with so much Violence and unscriptural Zeal Teach and Maintain I sincerely Bless God that his good Spirit hath taught me to distinguish between Persons and the Errors which they hold and maintain Their Persons I love and am really griev'd that I love them no more than I do And I hope neither they nor any others will be Angry with me for so doing But their Errors in Religion I do from my Heart abominate and loath because hateful to God and all good Men who know and understand them so to be And for thus doing I neither fear a Frown from God nor yet Blame from any Man truly-wise who is able to distinguish Truth from Error That I shall be Censur'd and uncharitably Reflected on for what I have done in Printing this small Tract I am not Insensible I am very sure none will thus do but such as eitheir know not or care not what they say These kind of Blows I am taught to ward off with a Religious Scorn and a Holy Contempt resoluing in Christ's Strength to pursue and hold fast the Truth of God let who will Bark and Cavil against it It was the saying of Valerius Maximus Aequo Animo ferenda sunt Imperitorum Convitia ad Honesta vadenti Contemnendus est Iste Contemplus The Reproaches saith he of the Ignorant and Unskilful are to be born with an even or patient Mind And he that intends to advance towards Good and Honest things must Contemn their Contempt That somewhat will come out in answer hereto I question not if the Men of that Principle have not lost their old Wont but my Comfort and Confidence being built on the Rock of Ages I never fear a Confutation from any nay all of that Perswasion who Breath on the Earth until they procure from Heaven another Gospel which is Diametrically opposit to the Gospel delivered by the Son of God which I am sure will never be I have made no Deviation from the good old Way chalkt out by Abraham's God wherein the Prophets and Apostles with all the Primitive Churches who are gon to Heaven walkt in that I know of If I have I do faithfully promise that upon the discovery of my Error I will own my self therein mistaken I have been for several Years past importun'd by many Serious and Godly Christians to Print what now I expect to be Blam'd for but never found my self thereto inclin'd till of late not that I Question any part of what I have Printed being God's Truth but indeed the variety of Tryals and sharp Afflictions which haâ—e Incessantly followed me since call'd to the Sacred Office both in my Native City Dublin and also in England have kept me back together with my own great Aversion to appear in Print in any Matters Controversal But observing of late how strangely Anabaptism spreads both in City and Country and being fully convinc'd that Ignorance of and Vnacquaintedness with the Covenant of Grace was and still is that which hath given advantage to the Preachers of that Way in drawing Proselites after them I have in Conscience of my Duty both to God and Men Improv'd my poor Talent in Explaining and Opening up the Nature and Design of the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham in Gen. 17.7 in hopes that God will Bless the Plainness and Brevity therein us'd to inform poor Ignorant and Vnthinking Souls how wretchedly they are imposed upon by Preachers of that Perswasion who have themselves as great need to be Instructed and Taught what the deep Mysteries of the Covenant of Grace be as the poor Tongue-ty'd Bades whom they in vain Labour to exclude and shut out from the Benefits and Seal of that Covenant in the Visible Churches of Christ As their denying Abraham's Covenant to be the Covenant of Grace administers just ground of suspecting whether they have any other than dark and confus'd Notions about the Doctrine of God's Free Grace so much spoken of in Pulpit and Print So their Vnmercifulness and Hard-heartedness to the Infants of Believing Parents in not allowing such to be accounted of the number of God's Elect meerly because of the Incapacity of such to make an open Profession of Faith and Repentance themselves administers just ground of suspecting whether they be Orthodox in the Doctrine of Election I am very sure the State of Infancy can neither null or make void the Electing Decree of God nor yet render the Elect Infant any way uncapable of that Grace of God's Covenant to which he is Elected or of the Seal of that Covenant of Grace in the Church Visible for any to hold or say it doth is to Reflect on the most High God and to make him a mutable Agent like to a Fickle Man contrary to Mal. 3.6 Rom. 11.29 and unavoidably to send all Elect Infants to Hell who Die Infants contrary to Mar. 10 14. Jo. 6.39 Rom. 11.7 All that I shall farther say is only to â—eg and Pray thee for the Lord's sake for thy own Souls sake and for that Love and Tenderness which the Law of Nature especially that of Grace obliges thee to have for poor Infants if thou be a Parent consider well and weigh Judiciously in the Ballance of God's Sanctuary the Arguments laid down in this small Tract to prove what I have therein undertaken If
present thee Blameless before the Throne of my Glorious Holiness in the Third Heaven is Subjectively Inherent in the Person of God-Man thy Mediator and Surety to this Mediatorial Righteousness of his thou shalt add nothing neither thy own Personal qualifications nor yet the Holiness of Saints or Angels as if thereby thou couldest be made more Acceptable than that Righteousness of his doth make thee Thou shalt keep my Covenant both thou and all thy Ecclesiastical or Church Seed throughout your Generations till my Son comes to Judge the World at the last day Thou and all thy Church Seed which Springs from thee by Fleshly Generation shall observe to have all your Males mark'd with Circumcision the visible Token and Seal of this my Gracious Covenant which I have now entred into with thee for thy self a stipulating Father and for all thy Children who are to be the Members of my Sons Mediatorial Kingdom or Visible Church on the Earth And when Christ my Son shall come in the Flesh and shall enter upon his Mediatorial Kingdom whatever visible Token or Seal he shal appoint to Succed in the Room of Circumcision thy Gentile Church Seed as well as Jews who are to believe in him shall carefully observe to be Sealed therewith both they and their Infants And that by Virtue of this my Covenant I now make with thee for thy self and them And to the end that neither thou nor thy Children in succeeding Ages may Be Ignorant of what my Will and Pleasure is concerning the Non-Elect who are to come and spring from Believing and Holy Parents in my visible Church or Churches I notifie to thee and thy Church Seed after thee throughout their Generations that my Soveraign Will and Pleasure is that all the Infants of my Believing Professing Church Membrs shall be markt with the Visible Token or Seal of this my Covenant in the Church whereof the Professing Parent or Parents are Members and that without any regard had to the Elect or Non-Elect For seeing that the Secrets of my Decrees and Counsels are known to my self alone I Will that thou and thy Church Seed after thee to the end of the World do in the Judgmâ—nt of rational Charity Judge all the Seed and Infant Posterity of my Professing People who have laid hold on my Covenant by an Eternal Visible Profession to belong to the Election and to own them for such untill they by open Apostacy and final Impenitency do manifest the contrary For albeit my Visible Churches do consist of Elect and Non Elect and the one as well as the other do partake of the Seal of my Covenant and are partakers of all Church Priviledges yet none shall ever partake internally and savingly of the inward Grace and Mercy Signified and Sealed by the Token and Seal of my Covenant in the Church Visible but the Elect only whose Names are particularly Registred in the Lamb's Book of Life And altho' the Non-Elect in my Church do fall short of the saving Benefits of my Covenant of Grace yet shall they find that I am no way behind with them for altho' I the Absolute Soveraign of the World be no way obliged to the Creature especially fallen Rebels yet seeing it is my Pleasure to Employ the Non-Elect in the Service of my Church while it is in a Militant State that those common Gifts of my Spirit wherewith they are to be endowed might be laid out and improved for the good and wellfare of my Elect and Chosen I will give them a Place in my Church that they shall be called by my Name and shall have an equal Right with mine Elect to the Seal of my Covenant and all outward helps and means of Salvation in the Church Visible whereby it shall plainly appear in the day of Judgment that their missing Heaven and falling short of Eternal Life was of their own Procurement Notwithstanding As is the Service wherein they are Employ'd in my Church I will give them a plentiful Recompence viz. a Temperal Reward in Lieu of a Temporal Service Such as Bodily Health Worldly Wealth Pleasures and Honours c. which are every way more suitable to their Spirit and are more sought and delighted in by them than are the things laid up for my Chosen Plain Instances hereof I have seen fit to leave on Record in the Persons of Ishmael and Isaac both born of Abraham according to the Flesh the one a Reprobate the other Elect both must be of the Church Visible and Sealed with the Visible Token and Seal of Gods Covenant with Abraham Of the same Nature is that of Esau and Jacob both born of Isaac according to Fleshly Generation yet the one a Reprobate and the other Elect both must be of the Visible Church and Sealed with the Seal of the Covenant and pass currant for Church Members before men untill they themselves make the contrary to appear As did Ishmael Esau c. And thus having as plainly and as briefly as I could for the information of those who are yet Ignorant of Abrahams Covenant Explained and shewn the Substance and Tenure of Gods Covenant with Abraham for himself and all his Ecclesiastical or Church Seed both Jews and Gentiles to the end of the World I come now to lay down some Scriptural Arguments to Prove that Gods Covenant with Abraham as now Explained is the Covenant of Grace which God Propounded to Abraham in Gen. 17.7 And not a Covenant of Works as the Anabaptists Teach it is That it is the Covenant of Grace and no other will evidently appear to any who look not asquint on the Arguments following Arg. 1. The first Argument is this If God never yet made a Covenant of Works with any meeâ— Man but that which he made with sinless Adam the Natural and Federal Head of all Mankind in the State of Innocency before the Fall Then God's Covenant with Abraham is the Covn ant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works But God never yet made a Covenant of Works with any meer Man but that which he made with sinless Adam the Natural and Federal Head of all Mankind in the State of Innocency before the Fall Therefore Gods Covenant with Abraham in Gen. 17.7 is the Covenant of Grace and no other Plain it is and none without Lying against God can deny it that God made a Covenant of Works with Adam and in him with all Mankind The Condition whereof was do and Live sin and Dye And as plain it is that Adam Fell by Transgressing that Covenant by which Fall he lost the Blessed Image of God to himself and all his Posterity whereby he and his Posterity became utterly uncapable of Life and Salvation by that Covenant Now Abraham being by natural Birth a Son of the first Adam and as such born under the Curse of Adam's Covenant and partaker of a sinful and polluted Nature which rendred him as uncapable of performing any Work which as a condition can Answer
the Laws demand as a man naturally dead is uncapable of raising or quickening himself or as a Sparrow is uncapable to remove or carry on its Back the greatest Mountain in the World To what end should the only Wise God make a Covenant of Works with such a fallen sinner Arg. 2. If to hold and Teach that God's Covenant with Abraham in Gen. 17.7 is a Covenant of Works and not a Covenant of Grace be a high Reflection on God and also destructive to the Souls of Men then is God's Covenant with Abraham in Gen. 17.7 the Covenant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works But to hold and Teach that God's Covenant with Abraham in Gen. 17.7 is a Covenant of Works and not a Covenant of Grace is a High Reflection on God and destructive to the Souls of Men. Therefore God's Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17.7 is the Covenant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works For rendring this Argument Unanswerable Two things want confirmation First That to hold and Teach that God's Covenant with Abraham is a Covenant of Works is a high Reflection on God And Secondly That the same is Destructive to the Soules of Men. The First of these will evidently appear to the unprejudic'd and Impartial Reader if he seriously consider how Inconsistent it is with the Divine Attributes of God to make a Covenant of Works with a Lapsed Polluted Sinner whom he knows to be altogether Dead in Trespasses and Sins and every way as unable to will or do any Work that is Spiritually good as a Dead Man is able to quicken and raise himself For Illustration sake let it be considered How unbecoming a Wise and Prudent Man it would be to strike a Covenant or Bargain for ten or twenty thousand Pounds with an Insolvent Person who is well known not to be worth ten Farthings in the World and which is yet worse who hath neither Wit to contrive nor Health or Limbs to Work to get a Penny towards paying such a vast Sum. I cannot so much as doubt of any worldly Wise Mans unwillingness to be guilty of such an oversight as this And shall the Unerringly Wise God be guilty of so great an Absurdity Sâ—condly As this Principle Reflects on God so it is Destructive to the Souls of Men. This appears beyond all contradiction in that it raseth the very Foundation of Men's Salvation by denying that Covenant to be a Covenant of Grace which Abraham and Isaac with Jacob and all the Old-Testament Believers depended on for Eternal Salvation and by which we Gentile Believers hope to go to Heaven For most plain it is that by this pernicious Principle Abraham is lost with all who died trusting to the Grace exhibited in that Covenant And if Abraham the Father of the Faithful be trusting to a Covenant of Works I cannot see how any of his Eccelsiastical Church Seed can be Saved any more than he is For by a Covenant of Works no meer Man ever was or shâ—ll be justified and Saved Arg. 3 If the Scripture no where either directly or by consequence calls God's Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17.7 a Covenant of Works then it is a Covenant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works But the Scripture no where either directly or by consequence calls God's Covenant with Abraham a Covenant of Works Therefore the Covenant of God with Abraham is the Covenant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works If it cannot be Demonstrated from the written Word or by Arguments Deducible therefrom that Abraham's Covenant Gen. 17.7 is called or can be proved a Covenant of Works They who so hold and Teach will be found ranked among those who call good evil and evil good and who put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light Esa 5.10 For Men to take on them to term Abraham's Covenant a Covenant of Works without any Warrant Divine is to me an Argument of an ignorant rash and presumptuous Spirit from which Charge let such Men see how they can Acquit and free themselves Arg. 4. If Abraham was Justified by Faith and not by Works then the Covenant which God made with him is the Covenant of Grace and not of Works But Abraham was Justified by Faith and not by Works Therefore the Covenant which God made with him is the Covenant of Grace and not the Covenant of Works That Abraham was Justified by Faith and not by works the Scripture is express and clear Rom. 4.2 3 4. Gal. 2.5 6 7. Arg. 5. If God hath made no other Covenant of Grace with Abraham distinct from that in Gen. 17.7 then that Covenant in Gen. 17.7 is the Covenant of Grace but God made no Covenant of Grace with Abraham distinct from that in Gen. 17.7 Therefore that Covenant in Gen. 17.7 is the Covenant of Grace and not the Covenant of Works That which will determin the Point in Controversie is this let those who herein oppose me lay down a Scriptural definition of the Covenant of Grace and that in such Terms as best please themselves and in Case their own definition do not agree at least for Substance with Gen. 17.7 if it be according to God's Word then am I freely willing to own my self herein mistaken If they refuse to comply with so fair a Proposal let the Judicious and Impartial Reader Judge who is at the Loss herein they or I I conclude this Chapter with this Dilemma viz. Abraham the Father of the Faithful he is eâ—ther Sav'd or else he is Damn'd one of these two the Adversaries I now oppose must grant for there is no middle State for Souls Departed If they say he is Damn'd then is there no ground left us to hope that any of Adam's Posterity ever were or shall be Sav'd for we have no other Covenant whereby to expect Salvation but that of Abraham And if he Perished under that Covenant so must we If they grant that Abraham is in a State of Salvation as they must if they speak by the Spirit of Christ then Abraham was Justified and Saved by a Covenant of Grace and if by a Covenant of Grace then that Covenant mention'd in Gen. 17.7 must needs be the Covenant of Grace for besides that Covenant the Scriptures know no other Against what I have said and all Orthodox Protestants constantly â—old and affâ—â—m conceâ—ning Abraham's Covenant being a Covenant of pure and absolute Grace this is Objâ—cted by the Adversaries Object The Land of Canaan was a Temporal Blessing therefore such was the Covenant of which Circumcision was a Temporary Seal I Answer in two Particulars First The Promise of the Land of Canaan is no Essential part of the Covenant of Abraham Let the Words in the 7th Verse be Read without prejudice The last Clause of the Verse doth fully comprehend the sum and substance of the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham The Promise of the Land of Canaan is only by way of Addition or Overplus No Essential part of the Covenant
it self The Covenant is briefly comprehended in these Words I will be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee For in these Words God Engages himself by free and absolute Promise to Abraham and to his Elect Church-Seed that he will be a God to him and them to do all things for them which are needful to compleat their Happiness both here and hereafter Secondly The Land of Canaan was promised not as it was any Essential part of the Covenant of Grace or as if real Blessedness consisted in the actual Enjoyment thereof But as the same was a Temporary Type of Heaven And for want of understanding and considering this very thing many who have thought themselves Wiser in the Mysteries of the Gospel than their Neighbours have prov'd themselves short of true Wisdom in this Particular at least To convince of this Mistake let that of our Saviour in Mat. 6.33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and the righteousness there of and all these things shall be added to you be weighed in the Ballance of an unprejudiced Consideration and to an Impartial Eye that looks not Asquint at these two places of Holy Scripture Gen. 17.7 and Mat. 6.33 it will most plainly appear that Temporal Blessings are held forth in one as well as in the other And if it must needs be granted that because God made the Promise of the Land of Canaan to Abraham c. that therefore God's Covenant with him and his was a Covenant of Works It will as necessarily follow that Believers to whom Christ directs his Speech in Mat. 6.33 are now under a Covenant of Works as well as Abraham was And so neither Abraham the Father of the Faithful nor any of his Seed the Elect I mean either of the Jewish or Gentile Race are like to be Saved or Enjoy God for their Portion And by this way of Arguing it will evidently appear to any seeing Man who shuts not his Eyes for fear of being convinced that while the Adversaries I now Oppose in this Controversy were employed in devising this Shift to prove God's Covenant with Abraham to be a Covenant of Works and that on purpose to exclude poor Infants from that Covenant and from Baptism the now Seal thereof they have insensibly shut both Abraham and themselves too out from being Saved And what advantage will hereby accrew to their Cause let it be improved to the utmost Object 2. It is again Objected If the Covenant in Gen. 17.7 be a Covenant of pure Grace and not a Covenant of Works and that all Abraham 's Children be alike Interested therein then doth Grace come by natural Generation contrary both to Scripture and Reason Answ The ground of the Objectors mistake Lyes in two things First His not distinguishing or considering that the Children of Believing Abraham are said to be in Covenant two Ways or in a twofold Respect First Internally by Virtue of God's Election And thus none are or ever shall be in Covenant but Abraham's Seed viz The Elect who are in Scripture by way of distinction styled the Children of Promise Typ'd out in the Person of Jsaac Gal. 4 28. These and they alone Partake in the saving benefits of the Covenant and have also a right to the visible Sign or Seal of the Covenant in the visible Churches of Christ under the Gospel Dispensation Secondly Externally by Virtue of the External Profession made in the Church And thus the Non-Elect as well as the Elect are said to be in Covenant with God in his Churches Visible here on Earth These Albeit they never partake in the saving Blessings of the Covenant yet by Virtue of the External Profession made they and their Infant-Seed though not Elect have an External Right in the Church Visible to the Token or Seal of Abraham's Covenant and to all other Priviledges and Ordinances in the Church whereof they are capable according to the Revealed Will of God By Virtue hereof it is that God calls such his People and he will have his Church to call and own them for such too until they manifest themselves to be otherwise and that by a voluntary Defection and final Apostacy Plain Instances hereof are Graphically set down in God's Word in the Persons of Ishmael and Esau in whose Persons the Reprobate Seed of Abraham were Allegorically typ'd out as the Elect Seed were Allegorically and Typically represented in the Persons of Isaac and Jacob The former of these Sprang from the Flesh of Abraham as well as the latter And on this account they had a place in the Visible Church and were marked with the Seal of God's Covenant as well as the latter They were esteemed and reckoned as God's Children and true Members of the Church until by Defection and Apostacy they discovered themselves to be otherwise If this Distinction be not allowed I cannot see how God can be orderly Worship't by any Visible Church on Earth This is the Summ and Substance of God's Covenant made with Abraham in Gen. 17.7 and with his Elect Seed c. And by Virtue of this Promise Abraham and with him all his Elect Seed would have been most Happy and eternally Blest had no Promise been made of the Land of Canaan So in like manner shall all true Believers with their Elect Seed be eternally Happy and Blest being made Partakers of the Righteousness of Christ intended in Mat. 6.33 Albeit such Believers and their Elect Seed should with Lazarus Die on a Dunghil for want of those Temporal Blessings held forth by Christ in the above-mentioned Promise which plainly demonstrates that the Promise which God made to Abraham of giving to him and to his Seed the Land of Canaan was no more an Essential part of the Covenant made with him and his Seed than the Promise held forth by Christ in the place above-named proves that Believers and their Elect Seed are now under a Covenant of Works All the difference which I can find between these two places is that the Promise in Gen. 17.7 was Typical of the Kingdom of Heaven The other is not so Were this Covenant of God made with Abraham the Father of the Faithful as he was a Stipulating and a Covenanting Representative in a Church Visible but rightly understood and believ'd with Application to Mens own Souls I am perswaded there would be neither Anabaptists nor Arminian in the World The Church of Rome Holds and Teaches that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion I am not ashamed to say it is the Mother of all Errors in Religion Neither am I afraid to affirm it to be both the Mother and Nurse of Anabaptism and Arminianism CHAP. II. Proving that Circumcision was a Seal of Gods Covenant of Grace made with Abraham and his Seed Arg. 1. EIther Circumcision was the external Token or Seal of Abraham's Covenant of Grace mentioned G. 1â— 7. Or else that Covenant had no Seal at all The Adversary cannot avoid here H must either Grant or Deny
if he granâ— that Circumcision was the Seal of Abrahams Covenant I have what I was to prove if he deny it to be the Seal of that Covenant then it lyes at his Door to demonstrate what was the Seal of that Covenant If he say that that Covenant had no Seal at all He will thereby not only gainsay the Word of God but also speak against reason for all Men know it is an essential property of a Covenant to have a Seal to confirm the matter contained in the Covenant Arg. 2. If Circumcision is by God himself called the Seal of the Covenant then is it beyond all Controversy the Seal of the Covenant But Circumcision is by God himself called the Seal of the Covenant Therefore Circumcision is beyond all controversy the Seal of the Covenant For Proof of the Argument compare Acts 7 8 with Gen. 17 10. To which I will only add Rom. 4 11 which will put the matter in Dispute beyond the reach of all Dispute The Words are plain and express in calling Circumcision the Seal of the Righteousness of Faith which plainly proves two things First That Circumcision is a Seal of the Covenant made with Abraham Secondly That the Covenant of which Circumcision was the Seal was the Covenant of Grace and no other CHAP. III. That Water-Baptism succeeded or came in the room of Circumcision under the Gospel Dispensation I prove by 3 convincing Arguments Arg. 1. IF there be no other Initiatory Seal appointed by Christ â—nder the Gospel but Water-Baptism then is Water-Baptism come or suceeeded in the room of Circumcision to be the initiating Seal under the Gospel But there is no other initiatory Seal appointed by Christ under the Gospel but Water-Baptism Therefore Water-Baptism is come or succeeded in the room of Circumcision to be the initiatory Seal under the Gospel The truth and strength of this Argument will the more clearly appear by duly considering that Circumcision was under the dark Dispensation of the Law the initiating Seal of the Covenant which will not cannot be denyed unless by Men who understand or care not what they say That Water-Baptism is and must be so now must of necessity be acknowledged by all who own that the Lords Supper succeeded or came in the room of the Passeover I humbly conceive no Wise Man will oppose me in saying that the Churches of the New-Testament have as great need of an initiating Seal of the Covenant of Grace as had the Church of the Jews under the Old And if Baptism be not that Seal I know not what is for that Circumcision is now abrogated and abolished under the Gospel none can deny and that some other visible sign must succeed or come in its room must be granted by them who acknowledge that the Lords Supper succeeded or came in the room of the Passeover Arg. 2. If the Adversaries themselves do practically own Baptism to be the initiating Seal of the Gospel Covenant then Baptism is the initiating Seal of the Gospel Covenant But the Adversaries themselves do â—ractically own Baptism to be the initiating Seal of the Gospel Covenant Therefore Baptism is the initiating Seal of the Gospel Covenant Those I here dispute against before they can overthrow this Argument must abandon their own practice in making Baptism by Dipping the Door of Entrance into their Churches by which Practice they Unchurch all other Churches who are not of their own Perswasion It is well known in London and else where where Anabaptism is practised that they make Baptism by Dipping the form of a right Gospel Church on which account it is they refuse Communion in the Lords Supper with the most Sanctified Believers if they are not Dipt after their Mode 'T is true that some of that Perswasion would seem more moderate and charitable than others of that way while they make Saintship the only term of Church Communion These seem not to lay such stress on Baptism as the rest of that Perswasion do they will admit to the Lords Supper with them those of other Perswasions though not Baptized in their way but how such will be able to justify their practice in admitting Unbaptized Persons to the Lords Supper I cannot understand to me it is plain that there is the same parity of reason for keeping back an Unbaptized Person from the Lords Table as there was for keeping back an Uncircumcised Person from the Passover of Old The first of these viz. Baptism is the visible Badge of our Union with Christ in Regeneration as Circumcision was to the Believing Jews The other viz. the Lords Supper is the visible Badge of our Communion and Fellowship with Christ as the Passover of Old was to the Believing Circumcised Jews Now as Communion is a fruit of Union and follows after it so no Person ought to be admitted to the second that is not actually a visible Partaker of the first It is not to be doubted that these who in Charity invite us to the Lords Table with them do account us as Unbaptized Persons while they reckon our Baptism received in Infancy and by Sprinkling but a meer nullity that is no Baptism at all Arg. 3. If Water Baptism have the same end and use assigned it by God as Circumcision had of old viz. to signifie and Seal to Believers and their Infants Elect the truth of their Regeneration c Then Water Baptism hath Succeeded in the room of Circumcision But Water Baptism hath the same end and use Assign'd it by God as Circumcision had of old viz. to signifie and Seal to Believers and their Elect Infants the truth of their Regeneration c. Therefore Water Baptism hath Succeeded in the room of Circumcision This Argument depends on the Right and Genuine Explication of that Text in Colos 2.11 In whom also ye are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without Hands in puting off the Body of the sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ Buried with him in Baptism wherein also you are Risen with him through the Faith of the Operation of God who hath raised him from the Dead I shall not here meddle with Explaining this because I shall have occasion to speak to it when I come to Answer the Objections brought against Baptism being come in the room of Circumcision whereto I refer my Reader Against what hath been said concerning Circumcision being the Seal of the Covenant of Grace c. it is Objected thus Object Circumcision was only a Seal of a Temporal Carnal Covenant Sealing only Earthly and Temporal Blessings to the Carnal Church of the Jews Ans To this Objection I Answer in three Particulars 1. I have already proved that God's Covenant with Abraham of which Circumcision was the Seal was and still is the Covenant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works as some Ignorant and Injudicious Teachers would fain have it to be And that meerly on the account of keeping Poor Infants from Baptism which they know could never
be Justified by God's Word should they Judiciously acknowledge that Abraham's Covenant is the Covenant of Grace and that Circumcision was the Seal thereof and that Water Baptism is now come in the room thereof 2. In that some have reflected on that Covenant calling it a carnal Covenant of Works and the Church which was to Observe and Practice Circumcision the Seal thereof a carnal Church all I need to say by way of Reply is to bewail the carnallity of their Uncircumcised Hearts and Lips who have no better or higher Apprehensions of God's Holy Covenant the Grace whereof must bring them to Heaven if ever they come thither and of his so highly Honoured Friends Abraham Isaac and Jacob with all the rest of the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Godly Believers of that Day than to call it a carnal Covenant and them a carnal Church 3. If Abraham's Covenant was a Covenant of Works to him and his Children then it must needs he so to us Gentile Believers and to our Children now And if so let the Adversary Demonstrate if he can how Abraham or any of that carnal Church as they falsely term it can be supposed to be now in a Saved State Or what ground of hope we Gentile Believers and our Children have that we or any of ours shall go to Heaven when we Die seeing that we are still under the very same Covenant with Abraham which Covenant if it be a Covenant of Works and not of Grace no Salvation can be expected and if the Believers under that dark Dispensation were Carnal and not Spiritual how comes the unerring Wisdom of God to Propound them to Believers under the Gospel for Examples and Patterns of Faith Patience c. Heb. 11. Heb. 12.1 Ja. 5.10 Let it be farther considered that Albeit the Seal of Circumcision Sealed no saving Blessings to the Non-Elect it doth not hence follow that it Sealed no other than Temporal Blessings to the Elect seeing that to them the Heavenly were Typically included in the Earthly As touching the Earthly Blessings which Circumcision Sealed to the Non-Elect they were greater and better than God was any way obliged to give them I am sure than they savingly improved Object We utterly deny that Water-Baptism did succeed and come in the room of Circumcision Answ For confirmation of the Affirmative let the three Arguments already laid down under this Head be seriously and without prejudice considered To which I will only add the Explication of Colos 2.11 12. whereon I have grounded a fourth Argument to prove that Water-Baptism succeeded and came in the room of Circumcision In the place above quoted the Apostle plainly sets forth to the believing Colossians and in them to all believing Gentiles to the Worlds end two things necessary to be known and believed by all true Believers First That they who by a true lively Faith have Embrac'd the Lord Jesus Christ as held forth in the Gospel evidencing their Faith by the Truth of Gospel-Sanctification They and none else who are Adult are made actual Partakers of the true and saving Circumcision effected in the Soul by the Spirit of Christ And which was Externally signified by the outward Circumcision These Believers having now obtained the Spiritual Circumcision are not at all to be Concerned or Troubled that they are not outwardly Circumcised with the Circumcision made with Man's Hands Forasmuch as that which was Externally Signified and Seaâ—ed to the believing Jews by the outward Circumcision is now Internally and Powerfully wrought in their Hearts by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Secondly The Apostle sets forth in this place that Water-Baptism is Instituted and Appointed by Christ under the Gospel Dispensation to be to believing Gentiles the same that Circumcision was to the Jews viz. A Visible Sign and Seal of Abraham's Covenant to all his Ecclesiastical Church-Seed among the Gentiles viz. All of that Race who on God's calling them Believe in and Obey the Lord Jesus Christ To these and their Infant-Seed and none else among the Gentiles Baptism doth now under the Gospel Signify and Seal the very same Spiritual Blessings and Church-Priviledges which Circumcision of old did Signify and Seal to the believing Jews and their Infant-Seed This I take to be the Sense and Meaning of the Apostle in that so much controverted place In this Sense I hope I shall Die satisfied And herein I humbly conceive none of the Orthodox will differ from me which Sense being granted it is beyond the reach of all Scriptural contradiction that Water-Baptism was Instituted and Appointed by Christ on purpose to succeed in the room of Circumcision CHAP. IV. Shewing and proving that the Infants of Believing Gentiles now under the Gospel have as real a Right to the Covenant of Grace and to Baptism the now Visible Sign and Seal thereof as had the Children of Abraham according to the Flesh to it and to Circumcision the then Seal of the Covenant of Grace And that they are as capable of the Grace and outward Seal of the Covenant as are the most Adult grown Believers I shall lay down Four Arguments to evince and make good against all Opposition what I now assert Arg. 1. THE first Argument is thus fram'd If God himself did by absolute Soveraign Grace comprehend Abraham's Church-Seed in the Covenant of Grace he made with believing Abraham their Stipulating and Covenanting Father and never since Repeal'd that Gracious Act of his Then the Infants of Abraham's Church-Seed are still Interested in the Covenant of Grace and have as great Right to and are as capable of the Grace and Seal of that Covenant as ever But God himself did by absolute Soveraign Grace comprehend Abraham's Church-Seed in the Covenant of Grace he made with believing Abraham their Stipulating and Covenanting Father which Gracious Act of his was never since Repealed Therefore the Infants of Abraham's Church-Seed are still Interessed in the Covenant of Grace and have as great a Right to and are as capable of the Grace and Seal of that Covenant as ever I cannot see how this Argument can possibly be overthrown but by proving that God did alter and change that Covenant he made with Abraham his Friend for himself and for his Church-Seed The which when the Adversary doth by Evidence of Scripture not abused and perverted I shall then yield the Cause and bewail my Mistake But two things cause in me an unshaken Confidence that this can never be done First The Immutability and Unchangableness of God on which very account he is styled a Covenant-keeping God who never yet cast off any poor Sinner until that Sinner did first actually cast God off the which I think the Adversary dares not deny Secondly The Impossibility of poor Infants actually casting God off and that because of their Incapacity in respect of Age. Arg. 2. If Infants be at all Saved they are Saved by the Grace of God's Covenant made with Abraham which Covenant and the External
Seal thereof in the Visible Church must belong to them also But Infants are Saved by the Grace of God's Covenant made with Abraham and in no other way Therefore the Covenant of God's Grace by which they are Saved and the Seal thereof in the Visible Church must belong to them also This Argument hath been constantly maintained by the Orthodox against the Enemies of Infant-Baptism with such success that I never yet heard the Man's Name who was able to answer or overthrow the same by sound or solid Argument To deny Salvation to Infants is a Principle so monstrously Cruel and Uncharitable exposing to the Judgment of God and to the deserved Frowns of all Tender-hearted Parents that some who account it a point of great Skill and Wisdom in the Mystery of the Gospel to Decry and Witness against Infant-Baptism have declared themselves strongly inclin'd to believe that all Infants are Saved and that without distinguishing between Elect and Reprobate or between the Seed of Professing Godly Believers and that of Mahometans c. a Principle altogether as silly and groundless as that of denying the Right of Believers Infant-Seed to the Covenant of Grace and the Visible Token or Seal thereof in the Church And at what Door this Heterodox Dream should enter or from what Root or Principle it should spring I know not unless from that Popish Arminian Principle of general Redemption and universal Grace Here by the Concession or Grant of the very Adversaries Infants are Saved but how or in what way whether by a Covenant or without a Covenant Here they are profoundly silent not daring to mention any Covenant at all fearing an Advantage may be thereby given to discover or prove the Right of Infants to the Covenant It is sufficient such Dreamers Judge to leave poor Infants to the general Mercy and Grace of God as those do who Dream and Conceit that the very Damned in Hell shall at length be delivered from the Torments of that Place For which Chymerical Whym there is as much to be said from the Word of God As there is to prove that God will extend the Grace of his Covenant to all Infants Dying so The Adversary I dispute against knows very well that should it be granted in Terminis in plain Terms that Infants are Saved by the Grace of the Covenant it can no way be avoided but that Infants must be in that Covenant and must have an Indisputable Right in foro Ecclesiae to the outward Seal thereof But this must be deny'd and its contrary asserted for the most Glorious Gospel-Truth viz. That Believers only excluding their Infants are Interested in the Covenant and have a Right to the Seal thereof and that in the Right of the Profession they make before Men. Now how absurd and contrary to the very Tenure and Design of God's Covenant with Christ in the behalf of the Elect this Principle of Anabaptism is I leave to every Unprejudiced Reader who understands any thing in Religion to Judge And whether to restrain the Promise of God's Covenant which equally extends to all the Elect to that part of the Elect which are Adult and Grown up to make a Profession and to extend the Grace of God beyond the bounds of his own Covenant be not equally to Rase the Foundation of Gospel-Truth and to Usurp the Throne of God or to Invade his Prerogative in the Church I leave to Wise Men to determine If thus to do falls not under that dreadful Commination or Woe threatned in Rev. 22.18 I am greatly mistaken Arg. 3. If Infants do stand in as real need of the Grace of God's Covenant as the Adult do and be every way as capable thereof as the Adult are then must they of necessity be allow'd the Seal thereof in the Church But Infants do stand in as real need of the Grace of God's Covenant and are every way as capable thereof as the Adult are Therefore the Seal of God's Covenant in the Church must of necessity be allow'd them That Infants are Partakers of Adam's Guilt and also of that Pravity and Pollution of Nature which came by Adam's Fall I am confident will be deny'd by none unless by downright Dreamers now to own this And at the same time to Teach and Hold that Infants are because not Grown up to the use of Reason and actual Faith uncapable of Regeneration is to deny Salvation to all Infants who Die Infants And how well this Principle accords with all Infants being Saved who Die Infants is not difficult to understand If this be not Contradictio in Terminis viz. A Contradiction in plain Terms I know not what a Contradiction means The Lord Christ who can neither lye nor be deceived in what he saith assures us that except one be Born again he cannot possibly see the Kingdom of God Jo. 3.8 wherein the absolute need of Regeneration is discovered and asserted and the Subject of which this is predicated in that Text being indefinitely and universally exprest we are taught that neither Adult nor Infant shall ever enter Heaven till that work of Regeneration pass on the guilty polluted Soul And to say that an Adult or grown Person by reason of his Age is capable of this great Change but that an Infant because he wants the use of reason c. is uncapable of it What is this but interpretatively to hold and say that the Creatures own will and reason must concurr to the producing the New Creature in a Dead Soul And how advantageous this Principle is to Papists Arminians Pelagians and Socinians the Learned and Orthodox well know The Enemies themselves do with us acknowledge that Water-Baptism is a Passive Ordinance and strange it is that those of that Party who are concerned to deck and adorn the Frontispiece of their Books against Infant-Baptism with such Ornate Florishes of Greek Hebrew and Latin Sentences do not in their way of arguing about this matter give us to understand that they understand and know the meaning and proper signification of the word Passive better than it appears they do certain it is and the Learned know it that the term Passive signifies and imports a Non-agency in the Subject when a change is passing on it or a work producing in it to the effecting of which change or work the Subject Recipient neither wills nor acts any thing towards the production of such a change If I understand any thing of Gods Mind revealed in the Sacred Scripture or was ever experimentally acquainted with the Spirits method in passing that great change on a Sinner in effectual Calling The work consists of two parts First Gods Gracious Acts in freely Pardoning all the Rebels Sins and Transgressions committed against the Law imputing to him that spotless Righteousness of Christ his Son the Sinners Sponsor or Surety as truly and really as if that spotless Righteousness had been acted performed by the Sinner himself Personally This is the first part wherein that great
change lyes or consists which in Divinity is called Justification The Second is Goâ—s quickening and renewing the inward Powers and Faculties of the Soul by communicating a principle of Spiritual Life to the Sinner in every of the Souls faculties within I do not mean or intend that in this work of Regenerating the Sinner the Natural faculties concreated with the Nature of Adam are destroyed or annihilated but that the Predominancy of those vitious qualities inhering in the Souls faculties is overpowered by the Sanctification of the Spirit and a contrary Principle of saving and unloosable Grace is communicated to every of these faculties in the Soul whereby the new Principle communicated maintains its own Being in those respective Faculties and this through the continual supply of the Spirit which produced the change and making continual resistance against that Vice and Corruption as yet remaining in the same Faculties where the new Creature is appointed to War and Combat until that Sinless Perfection promised in the Covenant of Grace supersede and dispossess that indwelling Corruption in the Soul under which the new Creature continues to groan until a perfect release come This is called Sanctification and when the set time prefixt in Gods Decree for calling an Elect Sinner is come what produceth this great change I will suppose the Sinner to be come to the Years of Manhood capable of acting or exercising his natural Faculties doth his will or his reason help the Almighty in producing so miraculous a change can the Eye of this Sinners blind reason and understanding see into or comprehend the hidden Mystery of that Wisdom manifested and set forth in that stupendious and astonishing contrivance of Gods justifying and reconciling to himself an Apostate Rebel Sinner by the imputed Righteousness of another can the Eye of blind reason be capable of this can the Will of this dead Sinner incline or move it self towards the Sinners own Conversion to be a Coadjutor or Fellow-helper to forward or help the Almighty in effecting this strange and miraculous change can it possibly be that Spiritual or Corporal Blindness can cure it self or that Enmity and Rebellion can change its own Nature Let the experience of every rightly assured Believer speak to this If then nothing in the poor dead Sinner neither the use of his natural reason nor yet any activity in his unrenewed Will doth contribute any help to produce so wonderful a change the work must needs be entirely Gods own work From which I argue in the behalf of poor Infants if God can and doth freely pardon and blot out the Millions of actual Sins added to the original guilt of an adult Sinner if he can and doth freely and most graciously impute the Righteousness of his Son and by thus doing justifies an adult Sinner If God can and doth by the irresistable efficacy of his own Holy Spirit renew the faculties of the Soul of an adult Sinner which is as I may say steeped and even soaked in Vitiosity and actual Pollution cannot the same Almighty Just Wise and Gracious God do and effect the like change in and upon a poor helpless Infant though that Infant understand not what is done to it neither is capable of contributing any help towards so great a change From what hath been here offered to consideration to me it is evident and plain that when Men cry out and say Infants while Infants are uncapable of Regeneration because they want the use of reason c. they speak most injuriously and ignorantly against God himself as if he could not or would not effect that in and for an Elect Infant which he doth for an adult Sinner as the justifying and renewing an adult Sinner hath no dependence on the reason will or speech of a grown Sinner even so the want of actual reason activity of Will or Speech in an Infant cannot possibly hinder God from effecting this great and gracious work in and upon an Elect Infant though the poor Infant can do nothing towards so great a change The Subject Recipient of this work of Regeneration is every way Passive the adult as well as the Infant Agreeable to this Act of Gods in changing a Sinner is that Ordinance of Water-Baptism whose principal use is twofold First to signifie and represent his own gracious dealing with the Sinner Baptized in Pardoning all his Sins for Christs sake whose Blood represented by the Water in Baptism was shed for the Remission of the Sins of all comprehended in that Covenant of Grace whereof Baptism is a Seal And Secondly that it may be a Seal to confirm to the Baptized if Elect all the gracious Promises of the same Covenant of Grace as Gods work upon the Soul of a true Convert is in respect of the Sinner wholly Passive so Baptism the outward Sign and Seal of Gods Covenant of Grace is altogether Passive And as the Wisdom of Christ saw fit to appoint the Element of material Water to be used in Baptism as above all the other Elements most suited to the design of that Ordinance because of the Analogie and resemblance which is between Water and the Blood of Christ so no mode or way of administring this Water-Baptism doth so exactly and to the life set forth the freeness of Gods Grace and Mercy exhibited in the Covenant of Grace then the act of Sprinkling or pouring out the Water on the Party Baptized By this way of Sprinkling under the Gospel there is a sweet and orderly Harmony kept between the Pen-men of Gods Word both under the Old and New-Testament Dispensation with whom whoever studys to agree in applying the Water of Holy Baptism they will be at length found to be in the right how many and black Censures soever are heapt on them by injudicious Spirits The Spirit of God in the work of Regeneration applys the Spiritual Baptism by Sprinkling or pouring out of his Graces on the Soul There must be an Analogie kept between the thing signified and the outward Sign Against what hath been laid down to prove Infants right to Baptism the Seal of Gods Covenant many things are objected I will for brevity sake contract the Objections with my Answers to as few particulars as possibly I can Object 1. In the Words of the Grand Commission there is not one word concerning Infants Mat. 28.19 Go ye and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name c. This seems too weak though well meaning Minds to be unanswerable But in the strength of him who gave out this Grand Commission I hope to shew how wretchedly the Objector is mistaken herein In order whereto let two things be seriously and warily considered First that albeit Christ the Lord doth not mention Infants in particular yet he includes them in the Words of the general Commissionâ— Go Teach all Nations Baptizing them c. Here the Lord commands expresly that all such as belong to Gods Covenant with Abraham Gen. 7.7 shall be Baptized Namely all
the Heads of such Families It was no more necessary that Infants should be made mention of as being in such Families when Baptized than it was that they should be nam'd in the Grand Commission the Spirit which gave out the Grand Commission was in and with the Apostles when they Baptized and it is to me convincing that Infants are intended in both seeing they are excepted against in neither which the Adversary must needs be convinc'd of unless he be able to prove that Infants are neither a part of Nations or of Families The other Word Teach in the Commission is Didaskontes which properly signifies a Teaching or Instructing Doctrinally those who are already made Disciples by the former way of Teaching Neither can it without Lying be said to be Nonsense and folly to term Infants who are by the first Teaching made Disciples Schollars or Disciples seeing that Infants in Age are by the Spirit of Truth so styl'd witness Acts 15.10 where such are called Disciples who were made so by the Initiating Ordinance of Circumcision who afterwards when grown up were taught Doctrinally what they were to know and practice neither is this any whit repugnant to the Method God took with Abraham but rather agreeing with it as appears by Gen. 18.19 and even among Men nothing more common and frequent than to call our little Children Schollars or Disciples and that from the very first day of their being entred into a School And as in Mens Schools there are sundry Ranks or Classes of Schollars some lower and some higher so in the School of Christ the great Prophet of his Church there are several Ranks or Degrees of Church Members It is well known how ignorant in the Mysteries of the Gospel the very Apostles themselves were when they first entred into Christs School yet Christ calls them his Disciples for all that The Apostle Paul could not write or speak unto the Corinthians but as unto Babes as unto Carnal Men yet they were Church Members for all that These things duly considered forces me to conclude those Men profoundly ignorant in the Mystery of Gods Holy Covenant who because Infants are uncapable of being taught and instructed Doctrinally as adult and grown Men are peremptorily deny that Infants are capable of being made Disciples to Christ by the Ministry of Men. This Principle came no doubt from the same Spirit which teaches that Infants while Infants are uncapable of Regeneration which are both manifestly false because contrary to Gods revealed Will. Object 3. Baptism is a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith to which none have a right but he or she who is a real true Believer Answ I answer in three particulars First If Baptism be a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith then must it needs succeed and come in the room of Circumcision And so the truth is here granted which else where is denied that Circumcision is a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith is most plain from Rom. 4.11 Now if Baptism be a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith as the Objector grants and as I believe and affirm it is then Baptism did undeniably come in the room of Circumcision that the same might be to Believing Gentiles under the Gospel what Circumcision was of Old to Abraham viz. a Seal of the Covenant of Grace Secondly If none but actual Believers have a Right to that Righteousness of wâ—ich Baptism is a Seal then must it follow unavoidably that all Infants who Dye in Infancy are Eternally lost And how cruel this Doctrine is and how inconsistâ—nt with the Doctrine which teacheth that all Infants Dying Infants are saved all Men may see Thirdly If none but real true Believers have a Right to Baptism I would gladly see how those I Dispute against can justify their own practices in admitting so many poor ignorant Folk to that Ordinance in their way who with some who admit them are as ignorant of the Mystery of Regeneration and of Baptism the external Seal thereof as was Nicodemus Can they without a Divine Revelation know that those whom they admit to Baptism are infallibly real true Believers Object 4. To apply Baptism the Seal of the Covenant to an unintelligent Subject who neither knows what is done to him nor yields consent thereto It is all one as to present a Picture to a Blind Man which to do is most absurd and ridiculous Answ To this I shall reply in four particulars And first I say with a Learned Man this is at best but a blind Comparison and which is far worse a high and fancy Reflection on the infinite Wisdom and uncontroulable Soveraignty of the most high God for most certain it is that nothing can be offered as an Argument to keep Infants from Baptism meerly on the account of their being unintelligent Subjects and uncapable of yielding their consent to what is done to them in Baptism But what will be of as great force to keep them back from Circumcision And so the Objector may see plainly how herein he arraigns the Wisdom and Soveraignty of God at the Bar of a shallow and corrupt Creatures Reason which demonstrates him to be more Brutish I am sure more proud end wicked than those Non-intelligent Subjects which the Objection is levelled against This will appear by considering Gods dealing with Abraham in that he commanded him to Mark or Seal his Son Isaac with the Seal of Circumcision at Eight Days old Had Isaac the use of reason at that Age Had he actual Faith or Speech to express his consent to what was then done to him No sure what then must God be charged with weakness or unreasonableness for applying the Seal of his Covenant to an unintelligent Subject By these kind of Objectors Gods Act herein stands charged with weakness and folly but I conclude with Paul Rom. 3.4 Yea let God be true but every Man a Lyar. God commands nothing in vain and the reason is because his Ordinance hath no kind of dependence on the Creature to give it power or to make it effectual to accomplish what he hath appointed it to but on his own free Spirit which works most powerfully yea irresistably where he himself hath purposed to confer the Spiritual Good signified by the outward Ordinance Object 5. The Promise of Gods Covenant is made to the Elect and none but they have a Right to the Seal No Man can affirm that an Infant brought to Baptism is Elect. Answ I Answer to this in two things First I grant that none shall ever reap any saving Benefit by the Covenant but the Elect and that in the right of Election yet doth it not hence follow that none but they have a right to the Seal of the Covenant in the Church Visible seeing that by the very Constitution of Gods Covenant with Abraham the Ecclesiastical Father and pub ick Visible Head of all the Seed of Believing Church-Members God commands that the Seal of his Covenant shall be equally apply'd to
takes on him to Usurp the Seat of Judgment in passing Sentence on all the Holy Learned and Orthodox Divines and Protestant Martyrs and Churches who are gone to Glory in the unshaken Belief that the Infants of Believing Parents have an unquestionable right to Baptism and that they are as capable of the Seal of Baptism as they are of the Grace of Gods Covenant signified thereby But that the Lords Supper belongs to none but to Adult and actual Believers who are capable of those qualifications required in a worthy Communicant such as Self-examination with reference to his State Godward his faith in Christ his progress in a Holy Life his discerning the Lords Body his keeping up a lively Communion with Father Son and Spirit in that Ordinance and judging ones self in case of short coming in Holy Duties These are the qualifications required to be in one who comes to the Lords Supper of which any not in a Dream may judge an Infant cannot be capable while an Infant I humbly hope no judicious Christian will censure me as rash and uncharitable if I judge those Preachers fitter for a Shop-board than a Pulpit who are not able or willing to discern or distinguish between Milk and strong Meat and who will deny to Infants the Milk of Holy Baptism whereof they are capable and whereto by Gods Covenant they have right because they are uncapable of receiving and digesting the strong Meat of the Lords Supper Object 8. If Infant-Baptism were God's Ordinance and were accompanied with his Blessing to the Infant how comes it to pass that so many Baptized in Infancy prove so Carnal and loose in their Lives and Conversations Answ Hereto I reply in three Particulars wherewith I shall shut up the present Dispute First It is with many Believers Infants now under the Gospel as it was with Abraham and his Infants of old Some are their Children by fleshly Generation only who Ishmael-like prove Mockers and Scoffers at Holiness and Haters of God and good Men These notwithstanding the Relation they stand in to the Church by Virtue of their Baptismal Vow and the External Profession they make in the Visible Church for a time being left to the darkness and folly lodged in their corrupted Nature they give themselves over to all kind of Looseness Baptism now is no more to be faulted on this account than Circumcision was formerly When the Children of believing Gentiles do actually violate God's Covenant and depart from him then will God do with them as he did with Abraham's Carnal Seed c. Secondly As some of the Children of believing Parents who were Baptiz'd in Infant State prove loose and vain so Blessed be God a great many prove Holy and Upright Walkers with God manifesting in their Lives and Conversations the lively Coppy of that Spiritual Circumcision wrought by the Spirit in their Hearts when Converted which was Signified and Sealed by that Baptism which they were made Partakers of when Infants Thirdly and lastly If from the vain and sinful Practise of some Baptiz'd in Infancy Infant-Baptism must be disallow'd as no Institution of God how strong an Argument will this prove to overthrow the Baptizing grown Professors For if I mistake not the Opposers of Infant-Baptism must own will they nill they that many of those Baptiz'd in their way have notwithstanding their shining Profession and their high Pretensions to the Work of the Spirit within fallen most foully and never recover'd again And thus I have according to the Wisdom given from above endeavoured to clear up from God's Word that Abraham's Covenant Gen. 17.7 is most certainly the Covenant of Grace I have also prov'd from the same Word that Circumcision was the Seal of that Covenant And that Baptism under the Gospel is now succeeded or come in the room thereof I have endeavoured to prove that the Infants of believing Gentiles have as real a Right to Baptism as Abraham's Seed had to Circumcision under that dark Dispensation And whether the Answers I have given to the most material Objections I find brought against Infant-Baptism be pertinent and convincing I leave to the Judicious and Unprejudic'd to Judge CHAP. V. AMong all the Rash and Presumptuous Assertors of Dipping the whole Body under Water being the only right Mode or Manner of Baptizing none hath made a greater noise or a fairer shew of being herein Infalible than one William Russel who styles himself Medicinae Doctor Accademiae Cantabrigiensis This Author with a more than ordinary Confidence hath boldly asserted that Dipping c. is the only right Mode of Baptizing commanded by Christ in the New Testament and practised by John the Baptist and all the Apostles and Primitive Christians This crude or raw Assertion of his he labours to support and make good by a fourfold Medium First The Etymologie of the Greek word the Holy Ghost useth to express Dipping by Secondly Those Metaphors used in Holy Scriptures to represent it to our Understanding Thirdly The Practise of the first Baptizers Fourthly The words of the Grand Commission given by our Saviour in Mat. 28.19 To demonstrate the falseness of his Assertion and to discover to Weak and Injudicious People the great Mistakes whereon he bottoms his Assertion is the design of my present Undertaking But before I attack this Goliah in examining what he can get from the four Particulars above mentioned which may cause Simple and empty Brains to think and conceit this Accademical Doctor Invincible and Unanswerable in what he hath so Peremptorily asserted for the Truth of God I will lay down two things by way of Premise whereof I desire the Reader who is unwilling to be deceiv'd to take notice The first is That not so much the bare Letter of Scripture as the sense and meaning of the Spirit therein is the Word of God by which Truth and Error are to be Try'd and Judg'd I have often said and I am very bold in affirming that that Sense or Interpretation which any Man or Men give of any Text of God's Word which thwarts and contradicts the Analogie of Faith that Sense or Interpretation is from the Spirit of Satan not from God be the same never so plausible and pleasing to the Sons of Men and be the Authors never so highly esteem'd of for both their Piety and Learning There is a sweet and an harmonious Concord and Agreement between all the parts of God's Revealed Religion though but few Comparatively can see it to be so The Doctrine and Institutions of God in all the particulars of his Instituted Worship are plain easy and obvious to the Eye which the Spirit of Christ hath Anointed But to such Men and Women who are Destitute of the Spirit of Christ nothing in Religion appears to them but Nonsense and seeming Contradictions which is the Reason why so many thousands in England c. Stagger and Reel with a Spiritual Vertigo in the Principles of the Protestant Religion wherein both they and their
are said to do and perform the same and all the Effects and Saving Benefits thereof do undoubtedly redound to all the Elect and all this is Signified and Sealed in Baptism to every Elected Sinner whether Infant or Adult And I cannot but reckon it a strange Infatuation on those who lay such stress on the Dutch Translators in the point of John the Dooper wherein silly and weak People do not a little Glory and Brag that they should put such Sleights and Contempt on the Dutch Annotators those great Lights of the World in matter of Infants right to Baptism of Abraham's Covenant being a Covenant of absolute Grace of Circumcision being the Initial Seal thereof and Baptism succeeding in the room thereof with sundry other material points in Gospel Religion wherein they are Sound and Orthodox Yet in nothing must our Dr. and his Adherents make use of the Dutch only John the Dooper John the Dooper And in this Commission de Salve Dopende Dipping them And what ground hath our Dr. to conclude that had our English Translators turned the words about Baptism into Dipping as the Dutch Translators have done If it be as he saith that therefore it must necessarily be so in the Original or how will he prove the Dutch Translators nearer to Infallibility than our English Translators were or that our English Translators would have been more Infallible than they were in case they had Translated John the Baptist Johannes de Dooper and in the Commission Baptizing them de Salve Dopende Dipping them Secondly if to imitate and set forth Christs Burial be the design of the Apostle then must it necessarily follow that it is Mens duty to imitate it in all the Circumstances of a Burial as well as in some Christ when he was Buried he was wholly Passive he did not go into the Grave himself but was laid in by others so must Persons be in Baptism they must be wholly Passive they must not go into the Water â—hemselves but must be laid under the Water by the Administrator of Baptism Christ when Buried was left in the Grave so must the Person in Baptism he must be left under the Water as long as Christ continued in the Grave which was three Days and three Nights If any shall say it is absurd and ridiculous to think or say that these Circumstances should be attended or imitated by Believers in Water-Baptism I say so too ad do farther say and affirm that it is altogether as absurd and ridiculous for any to affirm and teach that for Believers to set forth and imitate Christs Burial is the Apostles design in the above-mentioned Scriptures If Anabaptists will be peremptory in asserting and teaching that to set forth and imitate Christs Burial in those places is the scope and design of the Apostle they must give me leave to be as peremptory as they in affirming that unless they imitate Christs Burial in the Circumstances now mentioned their Baptism about which so great and confused a noise is made in the World is but a meer ludicrous or mock Baptism for that they do not imitate Christ in their Baptism in those Circumstances which are so essentially necessary to sâ—t forth and represent his Death and Burial in case it be as they hold it is To which I add that our Baptizing by pouring out or sprinkling Water on the Subject doth every way more exactly represent and set forth a Burial than that of Dipping and Plunging the whole Body under Water The truth of this will appear if the Particulars following be seriously and without prejudice considered First In Dipping and Plunging into the Water the Party Baptized is Active in going himself into the Water which indeed ought not to be the Ordinance of Water-Baptism being in all respects a Passive Ordinance wherein the Subject is to be wholly Passive as the Soul is in the Work of Regeneration The Work of Conversion or Regeneration is the Inward and Spiritual Baptism Administred by Christ In this wonderful Work the Dead Sinner hath no hand in effecting or producing the same it is wholly done by Christ the Administrator thereof So in the outward Ordinance of Water-Baptism which is no more than the outward Sign or Seal of the Inward the Minister of the Gospel in Administring Baptism must only be Active the Subject must put forth no Act at all The Party going himself into the Water doth not represent and set forth a Dead Man in Pouring out or Sprinkling Water on the Subject the Party is wholly Passive as is a Dead Man when Buried Again in Dipping and Plunging the Party Baptized is applyed to the Water not the Water to the Party which is contrary to the manner of Burials which all Men know is to lay the Corps on its Back in the Grave and to Pour out or Sprinkle the Earth on it In Baptizing by Sprinkling or Pouring out Water the Party is laid on his Back and the Water poured out or sprinkled on him The Party Dead is never thrust into the Earth but the Earth or Mould is poured out on him Now whether of these two ways of Baptizing by Dipping and Plunging or that of Pouring out or Sprinkling Water upon do more lively and exactly set forth and represent a Burial let any who have not lost their Senses Judge As to the second Metaphor viz. A Resurrection I humbly conceive that what here follows may suffice to shew that as Anabaptists do not at all hold forth or â—epresent the Death and Burial of Christ in â—â—eir going into the Water in their way so neither do they set forth and represent his Resurrection as they fancy they do First It is most certain that when the time determined by God's Decree for Christ's remaining in a State of Death was accomplisht according to the Holy Scriptures he raised up himself from the Grave No Hand of Men or Angels helpt to raise him So that plain it is if the Scriptures they alledge for this be to be taken in a literal Sense then must it needs follow that as he that Administers Baptism by Dipping or Burying the whole Body under Water doth Administer Baptism in that way of Burying under the Water to the end the Party so Baptized might lively set forth the Death and Burial of Christ so he must leave the Party Buried in the Water to raise up himself that so he might represent Christ in his raising up himself from the Grave If this were practised it would not be hard to guess how many Proselites they would get to join with them in this their Fantastical new Mode of Baptizing And truly for my part I cannot see how they can be excused from doing the one as well as the other seeing that the Metaphor must be Prosecuted in all its parts as well as in some And thus they may see what they are like to get by building their Confidence on misunderstood and wrested Metaphors I come now to the Doctor 's third
tender thing which is to be informed not violently impell'd or forced I hope you have the same Charity for me as to believe that what I do act in Baptizing the Infant-Seed of encovenanted Parents and Pleading for such I do the same from my Conscience being fully perswaded that what I do herein is according to the Word of God But though I do not take on me to force or Lord it over your Conscience I hope you will without offence give me leave to use the freedom of a Pastor with you in doing two things in order to recover you The first is to reprove you for going out of the way of Duty in exposing your Conscience to those Soul deluding entanglements which hath occasioned your present disturbance and unsettledness in your Principles by deluding entanglements I mean your going out of the way of your Calling to stare and gaze out of curiosity at the plunging of Persons under the Water which albeit you and others may think may be done without either offence to your Brethren or any kind of danger to your self hath in it an infatuating charming Energie to allure and draw into a liking of it Your frequent discoursing with Men of that Principle who you very well know glory not a little in Proselyting People to that way And your so much delighting to Read their Books being not able to grapple with such subtle Enemies the Deceipt of whose Arguments lyes covered under a false Vizzard By these your Practises you have filled the Eyes of your Conscience so full of that dust and smoak which is always raised by doubtful Disputations that for want of your Monitor your Conscience I mean you are now at an apparent stand in those ways of Truth wherein you ought to run swiftly and well it were if you had been at a stand before you had so far advanced in these unscriptural Tenents But however seeing you are not ascended so high in these Errors as to be Seated in the Scorners-Chair to laugh at and deride Baby-sprinkling as a piece of Will-worship and meer Popery as the Anabaptists are well known to term and account Infant-Baptism Not for want of ignorance and prejudice the Lord knows I shall now in the second place endeavour to help you out of this Quagmire into which your own incautelousness and sinful curiosity hath by the Art of a subtle Adversary involved you in order then to a speedy helping you herein I desire you will reduce those things wherein you desire to be satisfied about Infant-Baptism to as few Heads and in as plain a method as you possibly can and then I shall endeavour to Answer your Objections wherein I faithfully promise you I shall most freely refer my self to the Word of God and to the Writings of those Divines now in Glory At whose Writings the Wisest of Anabaptists are glad to light their Candle though in the point of Baptism they are accounted neither able nor worthy to teach them And when you and I are come to Conclusion You in Objecting and I in Answering it will then appear whether Infant-Baptism be any part of Will-worship or meer Popery as it is represented by its Adversarys Church Memb. Sir I like your Proposal very well and in complyance with your reasonable Request as also in order to my own satisfaction I shall reduce those particulars wherein I desire to be satisfied to 3 General Heads under each of which I hope you will give me liberty to Propose by way of Objection what I think convenient and fit to start Minist I like very well to hear you name but 3 General Heads I hope you will observe Order and Method in what you intend to Object under those 3 Heads Church Memb. I will observe Order and Method as well as I can and shall I hope with becoming Candor weigh in the Ballance of an impartial and unprejudicate consideration and judgment what strength appears to be in your Answer and in case I find my Conscience satisfied by the strength of your Answer I shall readily own it and give Glory to God Minist I desire you to name the 3 General Heads for fear we should forget them when we come to be earnest in our Dispute Church Memb. The 3 General Heads which I propose to be satisfied in are as follows 1. The Covenant which God made with Abraham mentioned in Gen. 17.7 2. The Seal of that Covenant And 3. The Subjects who have a visible Right to that Covenant and the Seal thereof Under these 3 Heads I suppose may be brought in all that I need to say Minist As touching your first General Head viz. The Covenant which God made with Abraham What would you be at about it Church Memb. I would pray you to clear it up from the Word of God that that Covenant is a Covenant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works for the apprehension I always had till of late that that Covenant was the Covenant of Grace was the foundation whereon my former Principle viz. Infant-Baptism was founded but being informed and taught otherwise both by Mens Preaching and also by their Books I am much in doubt as touching the lawfulness of Infant-Baptism Minist I perceive then you apprehend that Infant-Baptism is like to stand or fall as the Covenant of God with Abraham is proved to be either a Covenant of Grace or otherwise what if it be made good from the Word of God that the Covenant of God with Abraham is a Covenant of meer Grace Church Memb. Truly to be plain and ingenious I cannot see how Infant-Baptism can stand if that Covenant be a Covenant of Works as I am sensible the Baptists hold and teach it is and which I am inclined under my present light to judge it must be as they say But in case it be proved otherwise I plainly see the Anabaptists are like to suffer a miserable Shipwrack for their holding and teaching that Gods Covenant with Abraham is a Covenant of Works is the principal Pillar on which almost all their Arguments against Infant-Baptism lean If that Pillar then be shaken and overthrown by Scriptural Arguments the whole structure will tumble of course Minist I am very glad that You and I do in any measure agree in our Sentiments about this matter To let you see then how Sandy a foundation the Anabaptists Build on I shall bgin to lay down some Scriptural Arguments to prove them most heterodox and unsound in this point of Abraham's Covenant wherein they do most evidently rase the very foundation of Life and Salvation to Abraham himself and all his Seed CHAP. I. Of God's Covenant with Abraham wherein is plainly proved that that Covenant in Gen. 17.7 is the Covenant of Grace THat God's Covenant with Abraham in Gen. 17.7 was and still is the Covenant of Grace dispensed in a Church way None of the Orthodox ever did or do deny that I can find That the taking that Covenant in this Sense is the Foundation
Principle on which all sound Protestants do maintain and justifie the Right of Believers Infants to Baptism is beyond contradiction When the Most High and Soveraigne Lord God saw fit to make known his Will and Pleasure to be that his Covenant of Grace agreed on between himself and his Son Christ in Eternity should be Dispensed in an Ecclesiastical or Church way he singles out above all other men Abraham his Friend on whom he Confers the Honourable Title of the Father of the Faithful Rom. 4.11 Not that Abraham did or could possibly Beget a Believer as such or could convey into the Children he Begat according to Fleshly Generation that Noble Grace of Faith wherewith God's Free-Gift had Blessed himself But God opens and propounds his Everlasting Covenant of Grace and Salvation to him as a Publick Person who was to Personate all true Believers who in after Ages were to be Members of his Visible Churches to the second coming of Christ The Sum and Substance of that Covenant is briefly comprehended in the Words of Gen. 17.7 I will Establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an Everlasting Covenant to be a God to thee and to thy Seed after thee This Covenant hath Two Essential Parts as all Right Covenants have 1. God's part held forth in the Words I will be a God to thee c. The meaning whereof according to the Analogie of Faith must be thus understood Tho' thou Abraham whom I now call to become my Friend and Favoright and a Publick Head or Representative of all believing Church Members to the end of the World be'st an undon and guilty sinner polluted in thy Nature and born under Adam's Covenant of Works liable and obnoxious to its Curse and to the Wrath to come unable to recover or help thy self out of that deplorable Condition into which thy natural Birth as Adam's Child hath put thee And albeit thou be no way worthy of any Favour yet I think fit to let thee know what thoughts and purposes of Mercy and Kindness I have in store for thee Abraham And for the Rest of mine Elect whom I have Chosen to my self in Christ the Promised Messiah of whom that Son which I have Promised thee is to be a Type And in whose Person all mine Elect are to be Allegorically or Typically Represented and that as thy Son is to be a Type of mine in whom I have Elected and Chosen them I frankly and freely Pardon and Forgive thee all those Transgressions and Sins wherewith as Adam's Child thou standest Chargeable for breaking that Covenant of Works I made with Adam thy and all Mankinds Natural and Faederal Head I Account thee perfectly Just and Righteous in my sight not by or for that Principal of Inherent Holiness which the Spirit of Grace in effectual Calling hath wrought in thee which Inherent Holiness is ever the fruit and effect of a Justified State but never the Procuring or Meriting Cause But I account and esteem thee as Just and Righteous as if thou hadst in thy own Person exactly performed that Legal Righteousness which the Law Moral requires on the alone account of my Sons righteousness which as the Mediator and surety of this my Covenant of Grace he is to perform in the behalf of thee and all mine Elect I most freely impute to thee I Sanctifie and Renew thy vitiated and poluted Nature by my Sanctifying Spirit that thou maiest be capable of Communion and Fellowship with me both here in my Church Militant And here after in my Church Triumphant I Adopt thee to be my Son by Grace and by virtue hereof thou art restored to all the Blessings Rights and Priviledges which Adam thy Natural and Federal Head lost and forfeited by his Apostacy and Defection Hereby thou art Admitted as a Free Denizon into the Family and Houshold of God from whence thou wast cast out in Adam when he was ejected and cast out for his Rebellion witness his expulsion out of Earthly Paradice a lively Type of the Heavenly I Promise to Establish thee in Grace so as thou shalt never more be in danger of loosing thy self or forfeiting my Love and Favour any more For ever I will be a Sun and a Shield to furnish and supply thee with all necessary Accomodations for Life in this World I will Protect and Defend thee from all adverse Powers Spiritually and Bodily which shall contrive and seek thy Ruin And finally I will receive thee into Heaven when by Death thou goest hence where thou shalt Live and Reign with me Eternally And the very same Mercy and Favour which I have now expressed and shewn to thee I do oblige my self by the promise of this my Covenant that I will do to all mine Elect who are to spring from thy Loyns As also to all mine Elect who are to come of the Gentile Race to the end of the World 2. Man's Part As for thee Abraham this thou must do on thy part thou must walk Humbly and Uprightly before me thou must make the Moral Law Engraven by the Finger of my Spirit on the heart of Adam thy Natural and Federal Head the standing Rule of thy Obedience both Negatively and Positively In all the parts of thy Obedience thou must look exactly to three things 1. To the Subject Matter of thy Obedience let it be what I Command and Require not what Creatures Devise or Enjoyn 2. To the manner See that thou do it in Faith keeping thine Eye on Christ my Son for Acceptance and Acting all by Strength derived from him 3. To the end See that my Glory be that thou aimest at and designest in all thou goest about Thou shalt not do my Work and Service in a Mercenary way as a Servant that Works for Wages but thou must obey my Command as a Son with freedom of Spirit and from a Principle of Love and Gratitude knowing and considering that my Grace and Love hath made Provision of all that is needful to make thee every way Eternally happy both here and hereafter The dreadful Curse and Eternal Death to which by Sin thou becamest obnoxious My Son Christ Typ'd out by the Ram hath set thee for ever Free from it And that by his being made a Curse and undergoing Death for thee as being thy Sponsor or Surety at his Hands I have Received the full of that Debt whereto thou becamest liable by breaking my Law there remains not the least Mite for thee to pay so that now thou hast no cause to fear my Vindicative Justice the many and sharp Afflictions wherewith thou shalt meet in thy way to Glory shall be but the gentle Chastisements of thy dearly Loving and Reconciled Father who by them will Purge out the remains of thy indwelling Corruption and sweetly wean thee from the enticing Objects of the vain and bewitching World thou Livest in That Perfect and Spotless Righteousness which must Recommend thee to me and
all the Male-Seed of the Believer and that without any regard to the Election which is a Secret known only to God about which he would not have us to trouble our Spirits any farther than to give all becoming diligence to make our own Pe sonal Election sure to our sâ—lves As touchiâ—g the Infants of Church Membâ—rs about whom all the Dispute is We are not â—nxiously to be concerned about them whether they be in the Election of God yea or no. It is ground sufficient for us to Bless and thank God for his dealing so Graciously with our Infants in that they with us are taken into the same Covenant and Sealed with the Seal thereof for by Gods dealing thus with Believers Infant-Seed Believers have a good foundation laid whereon to bottom their Hope and Comfort with reference to theiâ— Dying or Deceased Infants and also of wrestling with God in Prayer for their Conversion and Eternal Welfare the which the Enemies to Infant-Baptism do by denying that Infants belong to the Covenâ—nt or have any right to the Promisâ—s thereof till they themselves Bâ—lieve deprive and insensibly sâ—oil themselves of This is most evidently true as will appear if it be sâ—riously consiâ—ered thaâ— all right Prayer is a Plâ—â—â—iâ—g the Promises of Gods Covenant in the Name and Merit of Christ his own Soâ— in and through whom the said Promisâ—s are intail'd on all the Children of Promise Now if my Infant be Sick or Ailing If he be going on in Sin c. how can I by the Anabaptist Principle put up a Prayer to God for him seeing there is no promise of Gods Covenant belongs to him Or how can I comfort my sorrowful Spirit with reference to my Deceased Children if I must look on my dear Babes as Strangers and Enemies to God the which they are by Nature and must remain so for ever in case they be not Partakers of the Grace of Gods Covenant Secondly If none but the Elect have right to Baptism this Objection will fall like a Mill-stone on them who Baptize whole droves of Men and Women of whose Election to Eternal Life neither Baptizer nor Baptized know any more than they know how many Stars in the Firmament so that by thus arguing against poor Tongue-ty'd Infants they may see how they deny Salvation to their own as wâ—ll as others Infants and render themselves uncapable of discharging a good Conscience to their poor Children in putting up daily Petitions to God for them Object 6. We have an open Profession from those we Baptize and that warrants our Baptizing such as offer themselves to join to the Churches You have not the like from Infants Answ I Answer hereto in three particulars First it were well for both Baptizers and Baptized if both the one and the other were better acquainted with the Nature of right Conversion than they are and that they were better grounded in the sound and experimental knowledge of the Covenant of Grace the which if they were I dare boldly say they would not be so precipitant and rash in condemning and despising those poor Infants who are set forth by the Wisdom of God as Patterns and Examples by which grown Persons are to be moulded and sitted for Heaven Neither would they be so forward to offer themselves to Baptism on such slight and evanid Motions as falls short in too many of common Convictions Secondly poor Infants never yet broke or transgressed the Moral Law Personally and that is one great reason why an actual confession of Faith and Repentance is not required of them to qualifie them for Baptism As the Sin of Infants lyes in the imputation of Adams Disobedience and the Pollution of Nature derived by fleshly Generation so their help and remedy lyes in the imputation of Christs Spotless Righteousness to their Persons and his Spirits renewing their inward Faculties in Regenerating them And this twofold work of the Spirit in Justifying and Sanctifying the Elect Infant is plainly signifiâ—d and Sealed in that Ordinance of Baptism to the Infant as well as to a grown â—eliever Thirdly albeit Infants be not able to speâ—k for themselves and to claim that right to the Seal of Gods Covenant which the Covenant it self hath entail'd on them as they are the Church Seed of Believing Parents yet there is one who speaks for them whose Judgment and Testimony of them is more sure and infallible than all other Testimonies of Men and Angels the Lord Jesus I mean who with his Father and God the Holy Ghost contrived and made the Covenant of Grace wherein they are comprehended I will lay down in six Particulars what is the Judgment of Christ concerning Infants as they are concerned in the Covenant First he propounds them as Patterns by which grown Persons must be moulded and fitted for Heaven Mat. 18.3 Secondly declares their right to the Kingdom of God Mar 10.14 For of such is the Kingdom of God Thirdly rebukes most severely his Disciples for hindering Infants being brought to him Mar. 10.14 But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased c. In the Greek it is Eganaktese which signifies to have the Bowels inwardly moved or affected with Grief to be filled with Indignation as Beza renders it Indignatus est to be Stomackt at a Person or a thing which is greatly or highly displeasing A Word which judicious Sydenham observes was never used by Christ in any case or on any occasion besides this of poor Infants to instruct and teach Men No doubt how greatly he was concerned for helpless Infants and how displeased he was at the hardness of his Disciples Hearts against them Oh! that the consideration of this might melt the hard Hearts of such into a Christ like tenderness towards poor Infants Fourthly commands Infants to be brought to him Mar. 10.14 Suffer little Children to come unto me c. Fifthly pronounces them Holy Rom. 11.16 1. Cor. 7.14 Sixthly Blesseth them Mar. 10.16 And he took them up in his Arms laid his Hands upon them and Blessed them These six Particulars laid together and weighed in the Ballance of Gods Sanctuary I leave it to any Man of Sense in Spiritual matters to judge whether is safer to credit this infallible Testimony of the Son of God concerning Infants than to rely on the bare Testimony of a meer Man concerning himself who may in all he pretends to be but a Painted Sepulchre Object 7. If Infants must needs have a right to Baptism because it is a Seal of the Covenant then of necessity they must have a right to the Lords Supper also for that is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace as well as Baptism The Wine in the Supper might as well be poured down the Infants mouth with a Spoon as to sprinkle Water on his face Answ This Objection better becomes a Superannuated Man who borders on perfect Dotage than one who pretends to be a Teacher of ignorant and misguided Souls and not only so but who