THE COVENANT OF GRACE OPENED WHEREIN These particulars are handled viz. 1. What the Covenant of GRACE is 2. What the Seales of the Covenant are 3. Who are the Parties and Subjects fit to receive these Seales From all which Particulars Infants Baptisme is fully proved and vindicated Being severall Sermons preached at Hartford in New-England By that Reverend and faithfull Minister of the Gospel Mr THOMAS HOOKER LONDON Printed by G. Dawson and are to be sold at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1649. THE Covenant of Grace opened in severall Sermons Gâ—nes 17.23 And Abraham took Ishmael his sonne and all that were born in his house and all that were bought with his money every male among the men of Abrahams house and Circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the self-same day as God had said unto him THe scope of this Chapter is to shew the establishment of the Covenant with Abraham by adding the seal of Circumcision and it 's instituted by the cutting off the fore-skin of every male in his house where we may see the obedience of Abraham he does it without any neglect upon all the males in his house The occasion of this is because there are a generation of Anabaptists that do go about secretly to seduce persons and lead them into errour and sâ—â—resie is a mark they are known by Ephes 4.14 That we be no more children carryed about with every winde of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive the word is taken from Cheators that by cunning deceive men and therefore to clear the coast and so prove the lawfulnesse of the Baptizing of children against such deceivers Doctr. There is no weaknes of Faith in persons received into the Church nor want of years in those that are born of them that should hinder them from receiving the â—â—â—l of the Covenant of grace You may see here Abraham and all his family circumcised now you may judge in your selves whether in such 〈…〉 Abraham had it be not likely there were some weal so 〈◊〉 and some if not many doubting being clouded bâ— reason of fâ—â— and were â—â—â—lesse in which regard they might have bin hindred also it may be thought there were many children in the family being so large for he had 300. when he went to rescue Lot and this was some good space of time after and the text saith All were circumcised none were hindred and what was said of Abraham in this truth the same way be said of all truths of the same kinde this is the point Now for the opening of it 1. what this Covenant of Grace is whether it be the same that Abraham had that we have now in the times of the Gospel 2. What are the seals of this Covenant or are they of the same nature now as they were then 3. The Parties and subjects fit to receive these seals all the men and children in a family whether they are not the same at this day 4. In case some should be unworthy yet if they walk so as in the judgement of charity there do nothing appear that make them unworthy whether may not the Church in that case give them the Seals 5. We will shew you the reasons of the point First What is meant by the Covenant of Grace this Covenant of Grace so much as serves my turn at this time it is the 〈…〉 â—â—â—munication of God to a people that he will choose such whereby 〈◊〉 ingages himself to be their God and to make them to 〈◊〉 people I adde that to make them to be his people because that is it that bears up the Covenant and confirms it Secondly When God gave a covenant to Adam it was doe and live and if he had improved that he and his posterity might have had life thereby but now in the covenant of grace it is otherwise now God gives himself freely to his and makes them to be his people so that he will be our God and make us to be his people this is the covenant of grace and it may be considered in a double notion I finde a double covenant an inward and an outward 1. Inward standing in a spirituall institution of it between God and man wherein God cals a people and makes them answer his call and makes himself really their God by Faith and so they have uninterest in God and he performs it in them and makes himself theirs by Faith so that the work is his and those 〈◊〉 are partakers of this covenant shall never â—all but this is to his 〈…〉 2. There is an outward covenant and this is thoâ—e large the dispensation of this God gives on his part to Christians and then ingagement on their part is subjection to him and by this God does advance a people by outward dispensation he declares himself to be their God and thereby takes them to be his people in a choice manner and peculiar to himself Exodus 19 5â—â— Now a handfore if you will hear my voice indeed and keep my covenant◠〈◊〉 you shall bee my chiefe treasure above all people though all the 〈◊〉 mine He will discover himself to them and impropriate them unto himself hence they are called the lot of his inheritance Deutr. 32.9 and God is said to know them above all the Nations in the world Amos 3.2 He doth ingage himself unto them and if they answâ—â— the outward priviledge he will make them a choice people and own them in that ingagement and improve himself for their good if they yeeld their Allegiance to him he will enlarge himself to them in his dispensations to them and doth avouch himself to be theirs as they avouch the Lord to be their God Deutr. 26.17.118 This is done by the outward covenant and it is if they keep his commandâ—â—tents hence when they imbrace the ordinances God is said to draw neer to them Deutr. 4.78 and they neer to him all nations may be said to be farr from God that want these outward covenants and he from them and therefore he is said to dwel among them and they to dwel with him Ps 84.10 A day in thy Courts is better then a thousand God takes speciall notice of them and he wâ—ere 〈◊〉 every moment and keeps them night and day hence they are said to come under the wing of God that is under the speciall expressions of his favour The former of these covenants should alway be between God and his people and where it is it never fails if they receive the spirit working of it in them But this outward is more large the inward is more sure the outward is larger and may issue from false grounds and may aym at false ends sometime yeeld in conviction thus Dâ—utr 5.27 God neare and hear all that God shall say and 〈◊〉 it unto us and we will heare it and 〈◊〉 it 3. So they were convinced for the Lord saith in the following verse they have
same I proved that the possession of Christ is the stablishment of the heart in it there lies the power of the Sacrament 2. The manner of it as theirs did in the old so ours in the new it lies in three things 1. It signifies God and grace 2. it conveyes And 3. it exhibits grace the same spirituall efficacy in those in the law and of ours and of the like vertue Gen. 17. compared with Rom. 4 12 And the Father of Circumcision not unto them onely that were of the Circumcision c. it was the seale of the covenant of Faith it exhibits the meaning there in the law and so theirs and ours are alike insignifying sealing exhibiting to the party an interest in Christ as in the Law so in the Gospel Here they are alike in degree they differ but for the kinde they are the same This I proved to you I will cleare it by reason In 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. I would not have you ignorant that all our fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea c. I wil shew you the scope of the Apostle His aim is to pull a way the carnall confidence which they placed in their priviledges which they thought would preserve them from plagues They could say we have Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord we eate the flesh of Christ and drink his blood and are advanced so that we shall be preserved from such plagues No saith the Apostle these will not doe it for I can shew you a people had these as well as you which were overthrowne and destroyed in the wildernesse they were as eminent as you and yet they were destroyed they had the Cloud and the Sea as well as you have Baptisme and they had Manna and the water out of the Rock as well as you have bread and wine in the Supper of the Lord yet their priviledges would not preserve them no more will yours preserve you This is the meaning of God in the words so as it is a folly for us to think if we sin as they did that we should not be plagued as they were They that are truly said to be truly baptized in the right use of their Sacraments their Sacraments are the like with ours but so they are said to be by the Spirit of God Thry were baptized are the words of the Text and therefore if we should deny it we deny the words of the Spirit of God which is blasphemy to doe The reason lies in the phrase not because the signes are the same though the same thing be signified instead of Baptisme is the Cloud and Sea the red Sea held forth the like good to them as ours to us the force is the same there is the like vertue in the one as in the other They are the flesh of Christ and drank the blood of Christ as we do The Manna and the Water out of the Rock was the same with our Supper of the Lord for the good of the Suuper is Christ he is there and our spirits feast His flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed the whole does signifie and exhibit CHRIST it is like ours the elements are not the same but there is the same spirituall food and they seale up the same Christ to them as to us Christ is presented as spirituall refreshing to them and us It is a dream of Bellarmine they were not the same with ours for though theirs were extraordinary yet that hinders not the Argument we look at it as a Sacrament not at the extraordinarinesse of it The third Argument That sense that overthrowes the sense of the Apostle that is to be rejected But to say that Israel did not enjoy the same priviledges in the kind of them is to make the sense of the Apostle void and therefore it is to be rejected The Jewes provoking God shall be punished so shall you It had been easie to have answered they are not of that excellency that ours be and therefore though theirs could not preserve them ours may But now if yee attend the mind of God it is cleare theirs are the same with outs in the kinde of them And this is the first thing that may prevent all cavils The second is from that Rom 4 11. Abraham received the signe of Circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of faith c. that is the righteousnesse of Christ received by faith sealed by circumcision that was the seale of the righteousnesle of faith by Gods appointment so as they have spirituall efficacy with baptisme they have the utmost power a Sacrament hath to signifie seale and exhibite the spirituall good of the covenant of Grace it is a seale God appointed and it doth exhibit When a man hath set to his Seale he stands ingaged this promise he doe accomplish Every promise a man makes if he perform it not it is because he is feeble and cannot or because he is unfaithfull and will not but these cannot befall God so there is exhibition where there is sealing if it be appointed for the same and baptisme can doe no more but signifie seale and exhibit so is circumcision a covenant of Faith so there is no gainsaying but the Argument is plain in the Text. I will make some collections 1. Hence it is plain that Abraham had was the covenant of the Gospel and Grace It is proved thus That which was the Covenant of the righteousnesss of faith is the covenant of the Gospel that this is so we may see it by the Apostle If it be of workes it is not of faith if it be of faith it is not of workes Rom. 3 But Abrahams covenant is a covenant of the righteousnesse of faith That which circumcision sealed was a covenant to Abraham to say it was a carnall covenant is grosse and to say it was not a covenant of Faith is to deny the text and dig it up by the roots So we see that it was a covenant of grace 2. The Sacraments in the old Testament require and presume and presuppose in the right use of them Faith in the receiver as being the righteousnesse of God I know not how any can deny it it is so clear theirs did require faith as well as ours doe The efficacie of a Sacrament rightly used is to seale up our salvation but abused it sealts up our condemnation The right use of it is to establish our hearts but the abuse of it doth hasten our condemnation 3. Some persons my rightly use a Sacrament with allowance from God and may receive the good thereof that have not the exercise of reason as Infants as we may see in Abrahams time And this will give an answer to all them that shall say How can infants get good by Baptisme when they have not the use of reason Abrahams children had the good of the Sacrament sealed up unto them and yet they had not the use of reason yet they had a right
within us without us as well as work within us without us without any opposition there is the same reason for the one as the other I know nothing to oppose but if he doe the one he may doe the other 4 Hence we may see if this be true that he can seale within us without us it may be conceived that though there be no saving quality comes from the Sacrament the Spirit may worke in himselfe and from himselfe without the work of the child This makes it easie to a mans apprehension it is indeed secret first in God in baptisme this is wrought and the Spirit can seale as well as work it in the soul The third Position There is no quality in the Sacrament as a Sacrament but meetly an instrument a ministeriall worke but the Spirit can work it with ease that way he did work in the old and new Testament in the very same he worketh now Now to the third Head where the main stresse lies and that is in the persons that are capable of the covenant of Grace and that we heard was no weaknesse of faith nor want of yeares Who be they then that be capable subjects For the opening the point 1 We will explicate the point 2 We will answer the objections of the adversaries those that would destroy the comforts of the faithfull 1 Who be the subjects capable for this Covenant and we will speak of it 1 In generall 2ly in particular And this generall shall bee as a Torch set on the top of a paire of staires that gives light almost to all the roomes in the house for passage The first conclusion is That the Seales doâ— not give the first grace but doe presuppose that such as doe receive them are within the covenant of Grace which covenant hath ever in the old and now in like manner in the new sealed up the covenant to them that are partakers of it in which we must consider three things 1 The seales of the covenant doe not give the first grace I will not look at grace as it is in God but as it is communicated unto us it presumes a former favour that they bring in them and being in the covenant they receive God by it Ezek. 16.8 I looked upon thee and thy time was the time of love and I spred my skirt over thee and made a covenant with thee and thou becamest mine First it was a time of love and then he takes them into covenant Psal 106.4.5 Remember me with the favour of thy people c. And if the Sacrament give the first grace then it should be given to all people the Church could hinder none because then they should hinder their comming to God and the Apostle affirmes the contrary by saying 1 Corinth 5 12 13. What have I to doe to judge them that are without c. The preaching of the Gospel must be to every creature because that is a meanes to bring men to Christ but the Seals are to be given to them that are within When any of the Heathen came to joyn with the Jewes it was lawfull for them to become Proselytes they were to turn Jewes that was to professe the same faith with the Jewes And when they were joyned then it was lawfull to circumcise them but else it was not lawfull First they must have a being in the Covenant and then they might have the seales The second part of the Proposition is the Seale presupposes all those to be in the covenant of grace that have the Seals for the Seals doe not make the Covenant but establish the Covenant it is onely given to them that be in the Covenant there is no seal put to a blank so a seale here is taken for granted they are in the covenant Hence baptisme Coloss 2.11 In whom you were circumcised c. Hence we are said to put on Christ Galat. 3.27 so as all our incision and adoption is sealed up by baptisme and it stablisheth the heart Acts 8.37 If thou believe with all thy heart thou mayest c. It is not therefore a carnall covenant it supposes how after ward they ought to carry themselves Rom. 4.11 12. It is the seale of the righteousnesse of Faith so as by faith they receive it They take it for granted Abraham had faith how could it be sealed up and therefore I wonder at the speech of the Authour of a booke come lately to my hand It is in the fifth page I doe not finde the word 〈◊〉 that he did believe in the sâ—â—â— or that it was required he should so doe when the words are so plain Rom. 4.11 By the word which he had being uncircumcised every part of the sentence shews it forth that faith that did make Abraham a father of the faithfull and a patterne did look to Christ as the Object of it and it looks mainly there but Abraham was a pattern and therefore we look at Christ as the blessed seed that faith which he had being uncircumcised by which he was a father to them that were uncircumcised that faith is supposed to be the faith of the seed I know not how any body is able to avoid it Philip. 3.9 That I might be found in him not having my own righteousnes c. that faith of Abraham did look at the blessed seed That man speaks doubtfully which makes me feare he would have said it was a carnall Covenant but that he durst not seeing what was comming down the Hill upon him which he was not able to avoid but the case is cleare that which is presupposed to be in Abraham before he was circumcised is presupposed to be in all that are allowed to receive as Abraham did he being a pattern if circumcision did presuppose faith in Abraham it doth so to all that are to receive the reason is if the same covenant and the same seal was to the rest as was to Abraham the same is required that was in Abraham the same thing seal up one and the same it never differed the same seale it did seale to all alike so as the second part is plain in the text Gen. 17 10 11.12 This shall bee a token of my Covenant c. there was not one covenant for him and another for them but all is one and the same Here it is objected it was a seale to Abraham hee had saith but how was it to his family Answer is The scope of God in the place is to discover a standing rule how sacraments were to be not how they were to be to unworthy persons but how they were to be to persons that receive them aright look at Gods appointing of them in regard of the nature of the seals they doe seal up the same covenant of grace to all that receive them if some pretend they had grace and yet they crept in and had no grace inwardly they deprived themselves of the benefit of the Ordinance yet in the nature of it it aymes at
this but if the receiver hinder and stop the benefit it is his fault the sacrament is the same for Children wee must look at them as God allows us and then they were within the covenant for none could say the contrary if there be any inconveniency against Baptisme in this I say if they had it according to their own desire to men of years I will say as much for children as they for them it is a seal of remission of sins suppose hypocrites offer themselves to it as Symâ—n Magus did how did it seale up him when he was still in the gaâ—le of bitternesse so as there is the same inconveniency in men professing faith if we say therefore baptisme is not a seal of our incision it is blasphemy if we look at baptism as from God it intends it the unworthines of it doth hinder but God intends it As the Gospel it is the favour of life unto life if it be worthily received but if it be abused then it is the savour of death unto death If men creep into the Church that are unworthy and hinder the benefit yet it hinders not the seal As the Charter of a City is all that serve out their years and sue out their libertie shall be made free a man comes out of his time and gets out this freedome if after the Master come in and shew how he dealt basely with him in his service and he forfeit all his freedome will you say such a Cities Charter is broken No but his bare carriage was the cause so the ordinance of God is the same and is not to be blamed although the receiver be unworthy So in the Supper of the Lord He that receives it unworthily eates and drinks his own damnation and is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and it is sealed up to him and yet the fault is not in the Seale 2. Conclusion is this being in the covenant of grace is to be judged according to rationall charity and accordingly it is to be discerned and determined according to the rule of rationall charity and this liberty God hath deligated to the Church for the dispensation of it God gave it to the father of the family in the wildernesse in the time of the New Testament it is given to the Ministers the seale is outward because it is impossible for man to search into the heart and to discover it really it is the Prerogative of God to search the heart Jer. 17.10 The heart is deceitfull above measure who can know it I the Lord search the heart c. God knows the heart many a man judges highly of the things that are naught God hath commended these to his Church and it is impossible to search the heart to finde out a close hypocrite God allows his Church to go to rationall charity to the rule of reason and love by the bounds of love inlightned by the rule of reason and Religion and according to the rule the Church may judge men thus John took a taste of the men that came to him in Jordan by confessing their sins thus we must proceed according to the bounds of love enlightned by Religion and rationall charity 3. This judgement according to the rules of rationall charity is lyable to mistakes Paul was long with Demas and Peter was mistaken by Symon Magus and it is said they went out from us because they were not of us for if they had been of us c. a man may deceive himself Galas 6.3 If a man think he is somewhat c. yet the Church is bound to go according to Religion we must judge and may pâ—â—â—tice without sin when we are mistaken because it is our ruâ—â— if subtiltie of heart go beyond us it is not the Churches fault God doth require it if he deceive himself and me in the judgement of charity and verity charity may be out-bid therefore covenant grace is one thing and saving grace is another according to the eye of man and the Church such a man is fit Now federall grace is such as all false hypocrites have federall grace they have enough to shew and may receive the seals Now it is possible hypocrites may be in the Church that the Church are not able to condemn nay suppose there were a thousand Churches in England and they receive the best according to the rules of charity in reason there may be many hypocrites come into the Church for it is as a draw net it hath bad as well as good and it is a barn flâ—ore that hath câ—affe as well as Wheat if all were admitted there are millions of persons wee cannot say this man is one sealed for salvation and here is one sealed for perdition no man can say this child or this man shall be damned I cannot say this or that man is a reprobate if all the Churches on earth were together there are many that shall be damned yet I cannot say this man or that shall be damned 4. Conclusion this judgement of charity must proceed on divers grounds according to the divers conditions of the men we have to deale withall of necessity for instance in the Old Law no heathen might be made partaker of the priviledges Esay 56.4 Thus saith the Lord to the Eunuches that keep my Sabbaoth and take hold of my Covenant c. before wee receive him wee must heare him expresse himselfe as they did not receive him nor would not untill he exprest himself Ephes 2 12. They must renounce their Idolatry and imbrace the Law the childe of this man is made partaker of the seal I must judge him in covenant how shall I have reasonable charity here is no profession there are divers wayes of proceedings so that we must proceed upon severall grounds Hence you may observe men of years must be received by profession and confession and practice and therefore they must be divers from Children how must it be done on Children thus in reference to the covenant of their fathers from the reference the Childe hath to the covenant of the father it is made partaker of the covenant with the father and by the father God hath promised that should be a means not that the father conveyes grace to the childe that is a dream but he uses the father as a means and he will communicate himself to the childe as he sees fit here is my ground thou art a means to do good to the childe hence again observe that if according to the judgement of reasonable charity they did judge in Abrahams dayes upon the self-same ground men may and ought to judge children to have right to the covenant if they might we may our grounds are the same the covenant and seal are the same then and now this for the generall 5. Now to the speciall the subjects capable and they are men of years and children First What makes men of years capable Secondly What does make Children capable of this seal
others those that carry it so cunningly that no eye â—â—n see them they are so cunning their sin is inward so secretly conveyed so cunningly from the eye of the Brethren or the Officers of the Church in this case they cannot know it and therefore they cannot consure it nor proceed against them but they are unblameable in the Churches eye In this case the Church hath warrant from God to dispence them to such though they doe sinfully in receiving yet the Church doth warrantably in giving it unto them as the Apostle said For this cause many are sicke among you and weak c. They may be secret and come cat and drink their own damnation and the Church in no fault because she proceeds not against them because she knowes them not But now the difficulty growes and for this cause I speake it They say this is to abuse Gods Ordinance and set the seale to a blanke in Baptisme Here may be comfort in both but thus they argue They are not in Christ therefore they abuse the ordinance and set the seale to a blank for Baptisme is a seale and therefore they abuse God and them The argument they may think strong but it is weak and false 1 It is exceeding weak for it doth not hurt the cause of baptizing of children it is of no value to hurt the baptizing of children For if it must not be administred to Infants because it is the putting of a seale to a blank then it must not be administred to men of yeares for there are hundreds of those that are men of yeares that are close and grosâ—e hypocrites that never had any communion with Christ and yet they are in the Church and the Church cannot hold them back For instance Rev. 3.1.4 in the first it is said They had a name to live and are dead and in the fourth verse There were but a few names which had not defiled their garments and yet they were all baptized for they came in and were all baptized and yet they were most of them nought Now they set a seale to a blank the Apostles themselves there were but a few did walk with Christ they were dead in sin the most of them the most were so when the Apostles planted the Church outwardly they appeared to have some good in them but many were naught that the Apostles themselves did baptize and it must be so of necessity because in the Church there are many hypocrites although they be Saints in the appearance of men so as the Church cannot discern them and in this case it is warrantable to give them the Sacrament and Christ gives allowance so to doe and therefore if that be to abuse the Sacrament then we must say Christ gave us allowance so to doe provided they be close hearted and keep themselves so and the like may be said of the Supper of the Lord there bee thousands of hypocrites in the church on earth that the church doth not know those that appeare holy prove to be rotten When we baptize men of yeares we must goe by the judgement of charity and so there is hope in children it is by charity and yet it is no abuse of the Sacrament it may be so and so the argument comes to nothing So for setting of the seal to a blank Simon Magus was baptized and yet he was in the gall of bitternesse and therefore upon this ground there must be no Sacrament given at all to any and so it is weak 2 We say it is false that it is the abuse of a Sacrament if we give it to them if they be secret that the Church cannot perceive them they have warrant to give it them and therefore they doe not abuse it we will make this clear 1. It is false for the Church is bound to give it to such for the Church must judge of the persons fitnes or else she goes blindefold the Church in her officers and the rest must judge and then she is in her way they should pray the Lord to purge out the old leaven that she may be a pure lump and those that be unworthy the congregation must remove them but they must first judge thâ—m 2. The judgement of the Church must passâ— according to those things that come into view according to experience and practice as our Saviour saith by their fruits you shall know them it is the royalty of God to try the heart of man but man is to see the working as it appears outwardly Matth. 7.16 By their fruits you shall know them the sap is seen in the fruit of the tree of things seen we judge but secret things belong to God Deutr. 29.29 3. Those that are secret that are received by the judgement of the Church directed by a rule of discerning the Church hath free and full warant from God if she go as far as she can she hath full warrant from God to dispence the ordinances to them suppose hypocrites be there and such as be counterfeit yet if she go as far as a rule will allow her she is not bound to know the heart but by the expressions in life and conversation if there be nothing against them she hath full warrant men may abuse the ordinance but she doth not abuse it for it is her duty Christ saith he had chosen twelve and one is a Devill he knew it as God that he was a Devill and should betray him he was acted by Satan and he know it as God yet John 13 14.18 he cates the Passover with Judas and it is thought he did cat the Supper but if he did not he tâ—lls what the Church may doe nay what she must doe in that behalf according to a rule if he had appeared before Christ would have dealt with him accordingly but because it did not appear therefore he was received 4. The seals so administred unto such persons if they look at Gods institution or the scope of the administration of the Church it is the end of the sacrament or seale and according to the proper work â—hat proceeds from the nature of it for the nature of it is onely to the worthy receiver it doth and will seal up the covenant of grace to them that worthily receive it if we look at it in it self it is to seale up and confirme to the worthy receiver it doth and will seal up the covenant of grace and it doth it and not failes to them that are fit Gods means used in Gods manner never faile of Gods end 5. No unworthy receiver may so farr crosse the end of a sacrament as that which is a seal of confirmation being rightly used through his sin may be a means to agravate his condemnation by reason of his abuse of it he may so harden himself as he may increase his sin and so his curse mark this the sacrament in the end and work of the nature of it as a sacrament it onely does seale and it intends
to seal and confirme the Covenant to them that believe but this does not hinder but an unworthy receiver may crosse the end and make it poâ—son to himself He may eat and drinke his own damnation but this does not alter the course of the seal in it self considered if we look at it in the end God and the Church aym at in it for that is to seale to the worthy receiver but by reason of their own sin they alter it and so set a seale to a blank thus it carryes a double sence with it 1. To say it is the end in God or the Church or the work of the sacrament in its own nature to seal up the covenant to unbelievers is a grosse errour the Church of Christ never thinks so but as God and the Church and the sacrament it self ayms it doth not seal to an unbeliever but if this be their meaning to administer the seale to such as are unworthy receivers and if we abuse the sacrament by putting the seal to a blank this God warrants and this the Church does if that be the meaning it is ordinary to themselves to doe it the Anabaptiste doe so themselves and the Church doe warrantably in so doing Carry this with you the Sacrament look what it doth of it self it alwayes seals up the covenant of grace to believers hypocrites receive it to their peril but that the sacrament intends is the same for instance Take a Prentice that is bound for so many years it may be he in his Masters absence gets his Indenture and brings it forth and goes and sets up his trade within two years at last it comes to light and although he have the seal of the Corporation that will doe him no good because he dealt not faithfully nor sincerely in the getting of his Indenture he deprived himself of the benefit so it is here the scope of the Sacrament in the end of it is to seal up the covenant the Church cannot discerne a man may come in a counterfeit manner they put to the seale and give the sacrament to him as to a believer yet he deprives himself of the nature of it and the seal not altered they never set the seal to ablank Now having intrenched our selves by making the doctrine plain we now prepare to meet the Adversary We will now therefore shew Mr. Spilsberyes reasons they be nine in number and because we will not mistake we will read them as they are in the book First There is neither command nor example in the New Testament for the baptising of Infants the summe of his argument is this if there be no command nor example in the New Testament then it is unlawfull Both the parts are false for if there be warrant in the Old Testamâ—nt there is ground enough to setle any mans conscience to doe it for it is too narrow to tie men onely to the New Testament neither have we ground so to doe if we have a warrant in the Old Testament we may be incouraged to doe any thing for the whole rule of God is to be attended and the Old and New are both equall and therefore both together and either of them alone is enough to bear us up in doing any thing we have to performe to God there are many things in the Old Testament that are not so in the New God having regard to the people and time of the Jews that they lived in for they were in their nonage and ready to be taken aside God deals with them as with children new come to schoole he would have them spell out his worship he doth point them with the fescue he builds up the partition wall they were in their weaknes and for this God does it that they might not be led aside therefore in the generall it is false Exod. 12.3 4 When they were to passe out of Egypt see how exact God was to shew them his mind Let every man take unto him a Lamb according to the house of his fathers if the houshâ—ld be to little for the Lamb he shall take his next neighbour c. See how God leads them for the lamb and the number and the persons that must cate which was next his neighbour this God did because the people were raw thus God spels out every tyllable to them and tels them point by point but in the New Testament when he speaks of the Supper of the Lord when the people were able to understand how to come he is not so exact neither is there any example neither is there precept or example in the New Testament that ever a woman should receive the Supper of the Lord yet I hope none will be so void of sence as to say therefore it is unlawfull for women to receive the Supper of the Lord it would be weaknesse of brain and to be forsaken of common sence to say so so although God did so in the time of the Law as to speak to the number of the persons and who they should be yet it is not so in the times of the Gospel but the way is plain in the New Testament and therefore it is miserable weaknesse and so in Leviticus 18. There the Lord speaks of unlawfull marriages for number and nature of them in a large manner but it is not mentioned in the New Testament but when men come to dispute of them they goe to the old Testament Is any such a wiseaker as to say those degrees of marriages are not forbidden now in the new Testament when they be condemned in the old although the new Testament sayes nothing of them when as it is said the land spued out those nations that were before them because of that and God tels them so that they might not be taken aside therewith and God doth not speak of them at all in the new Testament and therefore to say it is unlawfull because it is not commanded or have some example for it in the new Testament it is notoriously false for it is though if we have a warrant out of the old 2 The second part also is false But faith he there is no command nor example in the new Testament For the understanding of it take a case and we will prove that it is false Now to open the thing we must understand in the word we shall find a thing may be said to be found two wayes Either in the letter or included in the sense it is included when what ever by the strength of the Rule or rationall inference can be brought out of the Scripture by necessary circumstance that is Scripture Gen. 2 24. And they shall be one flâ—sh and when Christ speakes of it he saith They two shall be one flesh But it is not so in Genesis Matth. 19 5. And they two shall be one flesh And so Mal. 2 15. And did he not make one And why did he make but one seeing he had abundance of the Spirit He could have made
he will partake of the Ordinances of the Jewes So in the Church of Christ repentance is not the ground of the Apostles dispate but repentance is the conclusion The covenant is to your use this is Gods way for you to partake of the Seale it is the way both for you and yours for the covenant was before the seale The promise is there made and that gives an interest into the seale of the covenant it is not the preaching of the Gospel that gives right to the seales of the covenant but those that are in the covenant have right to the seales thereof 2 It is confessed by Mr Spilsbery that all whom God shall call that have answered the call of the Gospel and make profession of their faith they have a title to the seales Those that are here understood they pertain to such as are visibly called But the promise of the word is made to them that doe not answer the word it belongs to them that are called The promise that Christ is come in the flesh is made known to many that never were called but those that are in the covenant of the Church the promise is made for the good of them and their feed 3 If by children we should take men of yeares that follow the faith of their parents we should crosse the letter of the Text and the Apostle who makes three degrees To you your children and those that are far off If the Text run thus The promise is made to you and to all that God shall call that answer the call it crosses the scope of the Text for it is you and your children and as many as are afarre off all three and therefore that interpretation cannot stand If a man have but an humble heart the words are so plain it will carry away the heart it goes from parents to children to those that shall be called hereafter when they come in as you and your children are then they and their children shall have it as you and your children have it and not before Now we will cleare this from all gain-sayers They say Infants of believing Parents may not receive it because they have not ability to receive that spirituall good of the Seale or if they be able God would not have them receive it But neither of them are true or can begranted therefore they have a right to it 1. They are capable to receive the spirituall good of the seale and that appeares thus If children in Abrahams time were able then children are able now But the children were able then and so they are now The second part of the reason is most questionable Mr Spilsbery sayes the seale of baptisme is the seale of the covenant of grace but that to Abraham was but of outward priviledges But consider what hath been said before if the children now be as able as before if there be the same vâ—râ—ue of the seal of the covenant as then as much required then as now for it was to receive the good of the righteousnesse of faith then it must be the same now but it was Christ that the hand of the child did receive and the covenant of Abraham sealed it the seale is one to them that did not believe as to them that did believe as it was to Simon Magus and if they abuse it it is their sin if they refist I know not how to avoid it But they had as much as we and they were as able to improve it God did now appoint it but to say God would not have them have it were to impeach his care to bring them into covenant and not be willing they should receive the grace of the covenant and if not he should be willing to crosse his fatherly love in Christ but Christ he blessâ—th his children and brings them to heaven and therefore he will deny them no ordinance that may serve to that end If it be unlawfull for children to be baptized now then the grace of Christ is of lesse force then it was before or of lesse extent but that is sinfull and therefore it is an error to say so either that it is of lesse force or of lesse extent or to say that now it is to men onely the two parts are plain that it is not of lesse force or of lesse extent then it was before 2 ' Pet. 1.19 We have also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which you doe well that ye take beed as to a light shining in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in your bearts They were before in the shadow in comparison but now the day-starre arises that is the Ordinances according as they are called better promises If Mr Spilsbery says the grace of Christ is straitned for all that was before was fleshly it was a fleshly and carnall covenant I answer It is the same now in the time of the Gospel the seale is the same the covenant is the same the interest is the same as in circumcision If he say Ishmael was circumcised I say so was Simon Magus baptized and some other and yet were naught So as to deny it is to deny the Sun to shine or to deny the incarnation of Christ The Use is three-fold 1 Of Instruction Here we may see and for ever magnifie the bounty compassion of the fatherly love of God in stooping to the necessities of his people so that no weaknes of faith or want of years can hinder the compassion of God towards them but he takes measure of all our wants Art thou weak in faith It may be some heavinesse to thy selfe because thou canst not conceive of thy estate so as others can but although thou beest weake yet this hinders not the love of God to thee For he loveth the little ones and therefore the little ones may be comforted for God denies no good to children but even those little ones are deare to him God and Christ are carefull over them as a good Shepheard who will be carefull over the young and tender of the flock to feed them by the budding grasse the weak ones they shall feed by the tender budding grasse by the running waters This is the great indulgence of God to his and his marvellous care over his and therefore let not the weak in faith or a child say God is not carefull of me for God will gather his out-casts he hath mercy compassion for you God is in the Reer-ward nay he is in the Front and Reere too he hath an eye to the sick weak poor dead creatures for he doth not only go before his to incourage them and inable them but he is with them in the Reere and he will gather them up also he will hearken to them wil gather them as the good Shepheard will take the little ones in his armes and carry them tenderly you that are little in your owne eyes you that are in covenant with
a type of his calling and chusing his elect from out of the men of the world Deut. 7.6 7. The Lord hath chosen you because he loved you c. And therefore be you separate from all other nations though they rebell yet be you separate from them And they might not make any marriages with them that were of the Gentiles Jacob shall dwel alone in ordinances priviledges and separation Ezra 10.11 12. Give praises unto the God of your Fathers and doe his will and separate your selves from the people of the land and from the strange wives And the people answered We will doe according to thy words And Acts 10.28 it was unlawfull for a Jew to keep company with a Gentile And therefore God prepared Peter by letting down asheet to goe to Cornelius by which he made it clearly appeare the difference was taken away And not onely so but the Land of Canaan was a type of the Kingdom of Heaven because God chose that land for them and gave it them as their proper right and therefore when they shall be called they may fight for it again by divine right it differs not now for they are a peculiar people and a choyce people and that is a choyce and peculiar Land and separate from all other Ephes 2.11 12. The Jewes call them Vncirumcision and without the covenant in an externall manner but look wee at the substance of the covenant and there is no alteration the Jew iâ— saved by faith and the Gentile through faith so as the case is cleare the covenant is the same If any dispute and say that is nothing here for all is from a covenant of grace it was the same with Abraham when he lived 2. Whether the seales of the covenant with Abraham be of the like efficacy with ours in the times of the Gospel The answer is in three things 1. Their Sacraments and ours are not alike in the degrees of efficacy but ours exceed theirs in the efficacy of them for ours seale 1. more clearly 2. more largely 3. more lively 1. In the Clearnesse they shewed Christ to come in the flesh but ours manifest Christ is come and is dead and is risen and ascended and sits in heaven and will not leave till he have wrought it in us so as it is more cleare to us then the law could set it forth and therefore they were called shadowes so it shewes there is a body but when the body is come the shadowes goe away But in the Gospel Christ represents things more neere and things that are more neere are more clearly seen All the Sacraments in the law are said to be dark 1 Pet. 1 1â— We have a more sure word to which you do well to attend unto as to a light that shineth in a dark place untill the Day-starre arise c. where the Law is compared to night and the Gospel to the Day-star Hence Numbers 24 17. I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not neere c. The Law endured till John but now the Star-light is gone Hence our Saviour saith Hâ—â— that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then he that is in the times of the Gospel So as by all this it is plain the light is more cleare now then in the time of the Law Hence all the types of the Law led people about John 16.23 24. I say unto you whatsoever you shall ask in my Name he will give it to you Hitherto you have asked nothing in my Name c. Hence Interpreters say he alludes to the Law that led men about but not directly to Christ but we are led directly to Christ they led not to Christ nextly but in types Some think he meanes they have asked no great maâ—ters but the minde of God is in that day that 〈◊〉 when I shall see you again after my death you shall ask nothing but it shall be given you that is when he was dead and risen again they did question it before about seeing him again but they shall never question it more after his resurrection for then they shall see it clearly they shall look at Christ as come into the world and dead and risen again you have asked nothing in the name of a Saviour that hath satisfied And some thinke and I think they have the truth but after they shall ask in the name of a Saviour that hath satisfied and fitting at the right hand of God hence they are called better promises Hâ—â—r â— 6 because now it is not what should be done but now he hath performed it and therefore it is better in that regard This is the ground of the Sacraments in the Gospel and so it is more clearly 2. Ours in the time of the Gospel is of a larger measure more abundant then in Abrahams time they were after the great work of our redemption was accomplished then was the season for the ful accomplishment of a larger measure of grace to be declared By death Christ did conquer by his resurrection he did triumph and by his ascending he went into his own countrey and then was a full time for the large communication of all grace to his Church therefore it is said the Spirit was not given because Christ was not yet glorified Ephes 4.8 When he ascended upon high c. Hence Paul saith The Law made nothing perfect but when Christ came he perfected all things Heb. 11.40 The Saints under the Law had imitiation but not perfection they heard of Christ to come but if hee had not come they had not been perfect but we are in the time of perfection now in the time of the Gospel 3. They are now more lively and more vigorous then they were then Heb. 8.13 In that he saith a New Testament hee hath abrogated the Old c The Old is decayed but now it is New and fresh Hence we see the measure of it I will put my law in your heart and all shall know me We need not say know me for all shall know me they shall all know the things of God and grace Thus ours exceed theirs in the time of the Law in the degrees of efficacy The 2d proposition wherein the pinch lieth the Sacraments in the old Testament and ours agree they have the like spirituall efficacy in the kind though in the degree ours exceed theirs The opening of this will scatter the cavils of Papists and Anabaptists What is meant by spirituall kind two things First the things of the covenant that were to be sealed Secondly the manner of the conveyance 1. Christ interest in him and participation of the fruit and benefit of his merits and obedience by consequence all outward benefits are consequences of the covenant of grace life and peace Malac 2.5 My covenant was with him of life and peace c. The covenant of Grace being conveyed unto them Christ is now the Prince of peace the pith of all the covenant of grace the
the end in Christ they are proved subjects of the kingdom of Heaven what is meant by root Christ mysticall Christ conveys living grace to his living members of his body and the branches are those that are planted in Christ by faith and the spirit for faith he mysticall Christ is the Church for the Church are not a mixt company in the 20 23 24. lines I will answer in two things to clear the place 1. It is unfound and does not suite the Apostles meaning 2. If we grant it it will not help his cause to hinder from the baptising of Infants 1. It is unfound were Gods elect of a visible covenant if that onely were the first fruits then Abraham could not Adam Abell Noah and Shem were the elect of God and these were before Abraham therefore this will not hold out that he faith but as the covenant of grace was set upon Abraham so he is the first fruits 2. It hath been proved out of the text as holinesse to the lump so God intends it as a means not that elect people are able to convey saving grace to the lump of all the Jewes in any case 3. If the elect were onely the members he contradicts his own course for those that have a right to baptism are invested into all the priviledges but Gods elect people are not the onely subjects of baptisme for when Iohn Baptist did baptise all those that came to him in the judgement of Iohn they were approved subjects of Gods grace Yet I suppose no man will say though they were men of yeâ—res that were baptised that they were all the elect of God and that they were approved subjects and yet they did not onely apply the seale to themselves for their good but they did abuse the seals and yet they were approved of Iohn to be made partakers of it although some of them were Apostates and Reprobates in a word those that are in the covenant of Gods grace that are elected are really partakers of the work of the spirit inwardly but for the outward we see they are approved which is that of which we now speak not the elect onely but others in the federall holinesse and Abraham was the first fruits by way of covenant 2. That the root here is not Christ mistically conveying grace to his branches and sending nourishment from the head as it is the visible covenant against this I say 1. The Root here meant is that from whom the Branches ingrafted may be broken off that is the Jewes they were broken off from the Church and are at this day but no Branch that is ingrasted into Christ by faith can be broken off First we may see it in the Text Secondly we may see it in Reason he that is in Christ cannot be broken off For whom he called he justified and whom he justified he will glorifie And those that come to Christ he will not cast them away for it is the will of the Father to give them eternall life and no man can take them out of his hand so as the case is cleare 2. The Root is meant the body ingrafted as in the 15. verse If the casting away of the Iews shall be restored the body of the Gentiles 24. 25. verses all the body shall be saved but the body of the Gentiles are not ingrafted into Christ mystically to be belivers so the root is not here and this shews the unfoundnes 3. The reason Mr. Spilsbery uses is against his cause in his 17. page and the last and the beginning of the 18. they carry not the weight of a feather that Christ is the Olive and the Jews are cast out and the Gentiles are grafted in I desire no better reason against him for the Jews are not cast out of Christ mysticall out of this root because it is the Church of Christ where many hypocrites are because they may be cast out 1. In that the Apostle charges the Gentiles for boasting the root bears thee and yet thou have no saving grace but a naked profession and expression in the 17. verse it is a false mistake out of that place boasting is not saving grace for it is a pang of pride God hath no people but have their weaknes of grace Josephs brethren they sold him and would see what would become of his dreams and the Corinthians they did boast one was of Paul another of Apollo but did all these want saving grace No but it is as a caveat given them to pull it down it is not to say they all want saving grace it is false 2. In that the Apostle charges the Gentiles for boasting it is against the argument 3. Thus if the Gentiles be ingrafted in want of grace therefore Christ must be the head the consequence destroyes the conclusion the root is meant as he faith the ingrafted and the want of grace the body butso is no member that is in Christ mystically therfore the root is not meant Christ for the want of grace cannot be in Christ mystically so he destroyes his cause now we shew you the meaning of the text the scope is they should not list up themselves for the Jews were cut off he reasons thus It is groundlesse to boast against the Jew because they receive all from the Jew therefore they should sit down for if they have any right they have it from him for Abraham is the root how by covenant with him Abraham bare by a visible covenant therefore the Gentiles may thank Abraham for it and therefore they have no cause to boast for it was said to him in thee shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed so the truth is cleared the children are holy but not by a spirituall holinesse but a federall holinesse 4. If we grant him his interpretation it will be no help to his cause if the first fruits and lump be the elect the children are elect also if they be vessels of glory upon the same ground children are elected as well as they and let Christ be the head of those that be ingrafted then children and infants are the branches of this head and so to be judged in charity and if they shall be saved they are members Ephes 5.26 Children shall be saved by Christ they he his body he hath gotten nothing here but we have gained that children have federall holinesse against all opposition The 4th Proposition is Although the ground be not the same yet there is as sure a ground to evidence to judicious charity that children are in covenant as well as parents if they be believers the ground is â—t good to the one as it is to the other to a Rule of judicious charity it is alike to both There is not the same ground altogether because the parents are of yeares of discretion and so they are able to expresse the speciall or common good and therefore they can give a reason of the hope that is in them and ingâ—ge themselves to walk
three or foure women for one man but â—â—at he would learn to keep one to one therefore he did it When Christ had to deal with the Sadduces he tels them They erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22 31. He proves the resurrection by this God is the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob he is not the God of the dead but of the living Now if you look on the words of the promise To be their God there is no word of the resurrection spoken of but only it is necessarily included in the covenant with Abraham when they were dead they lived with him and because whole Abraham had the promise therefore Abrahams body must live again Therefore this is Scripture although the letter be not there at must be so there from the strength of dispute The body must rise and every one that believes shall be saved Sarah and Thomas and John believing shall be saved though it be not sâ—â—d so in the letter their names are not named yet it followes that Sarah or Thomas or John believing shall be saved But some of them deny this and he doth seem to deny it also but that he dare not in plain words do it because that would be so grosse men would stop their noses at it But he hath some such expressiâ— for he saith The old Testament hath it commanded and so the ten commandoments forbid all sin and command all duties although they be not named the second commandement forbids all false worship that is spoken of in the Scriptures Now to apply our selves to the baptizing of Infants there be texts that it is to be inferred from although it be not expressed in so many words For we may as well reason that no woman should receive the Sacrament because there is no expresse word for it but in the Rules of the Gospel it is inferred I will make it appeare if there be as sure grounds for the title of children to the Sacrament as to the parents then they may be made partakers of it as well as the parents but so there is and therefore they may Are the parents in covenant So are the children 1 Corinth 7.14 and Rom. 11.16 of which we have formerly spoken and shewed the title is the same to the seales and so we see both the parts of his Argument are false Argument 2. It is a high contempt put upon Christ to force an unnaturall wife upon him one that is impure he being a pure and spirituall husband for where there is one in the Spirit there is twenty in the flesh This is the frame of the Argument To force a Spouse upon Christ that is naturall he being spirituall is a contempt But to baptize infants is to force a Spouse upon Christ that is naturall and therefore it is a contempt to him because that in the Church children are founded upon naturall birth The first part is granted the second part is false To force a naturall spouse upon Christ is unlawfull that is granted But the second part is false and the Argument is worse that the baptizing of Infants make a godlesse Church For first that children are gracelesse none can prove if they be gracelesse if they die in their infancy they must perish for they are out of Christ but they dare not affirm that themselves it hath been proved that God hath provided a portion of glory for infants and it is certain that all that are elect infants that die in their infancy God doth work faith in their hearts and therefore it is grosly false and the weaknesse of it appeares thus Our children in the time of the Gospel are the same with them among the Jewes and God did joyn them to Christ as he does now there is the same reason now as then 2 The baptizing of Infants doth not make them members of the Church for they are members before they be baptized and baptisme doth but seale up the covenant unto them for baptisme supposes they if in the body first and the proof of it is more grosse then the other he he will dispute it he must prove it because such a Church is founded upon naturall birth all children of believers are by nature the children of wrath that they come to have an interest in the covenant it is not by birth but by their parents covenanting with God he does it as he sees fit it doth not come by birth or propagation but by vertue of the covenant with the parents and God does it as hee sees fit so it is a grosse mistake Now gather it up children are federally holy because they come of holy parents they are holy because of the covenant which they receive God brought them in because he loved them and he loved them because he loved them and because he loved them he chose them and because he chose them he brought them into covenant and therefore meerly of grace So that men are or will be blind if they doe not see this 3 It is a practice that doth overthrow the body of Christ or the Temple of God and so a Nation may be corrupted and may make the godly a scorn and contempt The Argument lies thus That which destroyes the Body or Church of Christ that is unlawfull But the baptizing of infants does destroy the Body or Church of Christ and therefore it is unlawfull for it will make a nationall and carnall Church He sayes so we may say it is not so and our saying is as good as his But I say the first part is true but that baptizing of infants makes a nationall Church that I deny for it will not follow but the prerogative of a nationall Church did belong onely to the Jewes and there fore it had nationall ordinances they were to meet three times a yeare before the Lord and they had nationall Officers the High Priest and all the males were bound to appeare three times a yeare so all was nationall but now it is not so but they are particular to particular churches and particular ordinances and particular officers the Pastor and Teacher is or ought to be in their own congregation and though children are baptized they are made members of a particular congregation And besides a Nationall church in it selfe does not destroy the body of Christ For that which God hath appointed for his church that doth not destroy the church for then God may be said to destroy the church but that were blasphemy to say so But now all are in a particular church And the second part is as false that it brings in gracelesse members into the church for the baptizing of infants is no cause of it for that does not make them but seales up the meanes of grace to them as God sayes they are under his wing What could I have done more for them Deut. 6.18 God brings them into manuring he hath them in his hands as plants of his embracing in the means of grace if they bring
God shall call So as we see both hold out the same thing First The Command of it Secondly The Application of it so Peter speaks here so as we see it is not onely commanded in Gen. 17.11 but inferred from that covenant made to Abraham Therefore thou shale keep my covenant as 12. verse All the males of eight dayes old shall be circumcised It is by inferrence from the covenant applâ—â—d in reason it is true it is proper to God to appoint sacramenâ—s and seals who can give the grace signified it is he that may doe it but wâ—â—â— it is appointed those that are interesled in the covenant by vertue of the covenant they have an interest and a right to the use of the seal or elâ—â— the sâ—ale hath not the end for which it is appointed Oâ—â—fâ—â—◠〈◊〉 not the use of iâ— that have right to it then no man must use 〈◊〉 or â—â—â—â—y must have an interest in the seale for the seal shews the covâ—â—â—â—t and shewed in the reason thus That which is infeâ—â—ed from the words and contained in them that is included but so is the seale and therefore it must be included in the text The first part none question The second part rests in the Text and it is included in the Text therefore you shall finde it thus Those that are instated in the Covenant have a right to thâ—sâ—â—le into the entrance and therefore to whâ—â—â—vâ—r they belong it is to them and their seed it is forced from the covenant as if God had said the â—ame you have an interest in the Covenant and you shall have the benefit of it I have given it to take away the sin that is conveyed and brought to the soule and the soule is made partaker of it untill Christ repeale it they that shall receive the seale of the covenant what circumcision shews to them the same does baptisme hold forth to us this is so as nothing is more plain so as you have it because you are in covenant Now you may ask why God doth appoint a seal of the covenant is it for God No for he is faithfull and in him there is no shaddow of change but it is for our end that we may know whom to rest our faith upon for we are ready to stagger and therefore to shore up our faith the Lord gives it to strengthen our faith withall Agam you may say to whom or for whose good doth God appoint the seals of the covenant for those that are within the covenant or those that are without Not for them that are without but for those that be within and to all of them for there is the same reason for all that are in covenant the reason is the same and the right is the same to all to the children of Abraham as to himself the covenant is I will be thy God and the God of thy seed so as this is plain Because they have received the greater which is the covenant therefore they may be partaker of the lesser which is the seale of the entrance the other sacrament he passes that according to their eating for it is a sacrament of growth and there must be examination of our selves we see Gods command for this he appoints and infers it by the covenant and as it is made for them so it is applyed Acts 2.38 Then Peter said unto them amend your lives and be baptized every one of you In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receives the gift of the Holy Ghost For the promise is made to you and your children and to all that are afarre off oven as many as the Lord our God shall call For the use of it he alledges the promise and applics it When they were pricked at the heart then he bids them Repent and be Baptized and then he tells them the promise is made to them and to their children and to as many as the Lord our God shall call even that promise I will be thy God and the Gad of thy seed if God will be a God to you and your children then doe you by the power of faith receive the seale of the covenant to you and to your children the time that was before Christ they sâ—aled up Christ to come but he is now come doe you therefore by faith make it sore and the exhortation is made to parents that receive it to them and theirs Esa 56.34 And let not the Son of the stranger which is joyned to the Lord speake and say the Lord hath surely separated me from his people Neither let the Eunuch say behold I am a dry tree For thus saith the Lord to the Eunuches that keep my Sabbaths and chuse the thing that pleaseth me and take hold of my covenant God comforts them from this those that chose his covenant those that are made partakers of the priviledges of the church that is by joyning them selves to the church of the Jewes they shall partake of the Ordinances of Christ that the Jewes partake of and that is the same that is acted now This is the strength of the Apostles dispute If the promise be made to you and your children then you may partake of the seale you and your children The Apostles Argument runs thus Because Abraham and his children were circumcised as a seale of the covenant so all those that take hold of the covenant have right to the Seale for them and their children it carries weight for weight The Anabaptists are troubled with this and quarrell much at it and say By children here is not meant infants but children by imitation meaning such as follow the steps of their godly parents As John 8.39 They answered and said unto him Abraham is our Father Jesus said unto them If you were Abrahams children you would doe the works of Abraham So as there it is taken in a spirituall sense But this makes nothing to their purpose For this promise makes nothing to that The promise is made to you and to your children that promise is not the covenant but it is another promise the raising of Christ to be a Redeemer it is Christ to the Jewes is meant here so that promise will not abide it This is that they alledge It is true children sometimes are taken for imitation but if it had been so in this place he should have proved it But here is a deep silence and no proofe We further reply the promise cannot be here meant nor can it be the sense of it 1 That promise that is here meant is that promise that gives evidence and interest to the seale of the covenant For they that have the one have right to the other If the promise be to you and to your seed therefore be baptized so as it is not from repentance not bee baptized because you repent that crosses the dispute For Job did repent and yet he had not an interest in circumcision but he must be Jew if
well said all that they have said When they 〈◊〉 the mountain burning their consciences began to be awakned and this made them speak wall but oh that there were such a heart in them but their heart would not hear to submit sometimes men hear for novelties and that prevailes But we sâ—e Joshua when he was to take his leave of the world and to draw near to his death Jâ—sh 〈◊〉 15â— he saith If it seem evill unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve c. the answer is the Lord sorbid that wee should serve other Gods for he brought us out of the land of Egypt c. So heâ—e was a convicting conscience and sometime God honouring of them makes them say we will serve the Lord but yet they would not doe what they said Thus we see this outward covenant is more large and may arise from false grounds Hosea 2.13 though she was marryed to God yet her heart was not with him so in Deutr. 29.4 Yet the Lord hath not given an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear unto this day Here may be a question whether the Covenant of grace be the same in the time of the Gospel with that in the time of the Law Answer In regard of the substance it is the same though it may differ in some outward ceremonies or circumstances yet there is no difference in the substance of it Now the Anabaptists to overthrow it call it a carnall covenant in regard of this that is now but as one hath said it is a carnall conceit in them that think so but this is too fulsome and therefore the wisest of them will not own it but doe it mincingly because they would avoid the dint of it they stoope because they have not power to make good the ground 1. That the covenant made with Abraham and with us is the same we may see the text for it is plain if we look Galat. 38. The scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through Faith preached the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thy seed c. so it was Gospel he preached to Abraham therefore it is a Gospel covenant and not a carnall covenant God did foresee the frailty of poor ignorant men that would call the gospel a new covenant and therefore he having declared this to be gospel in thy seed shalt all the nations of the earth be blessed the same that is now with the gospel that covenant abides for ever Thus the scripture foreseeing of their folly hath made this plain 2. This is the main scope of that in the 4 of the Romans and in the beginning he makes good this doctrine the Apostle in the three former châ—pâ—ers he had indeâ—voured to prove justification by Faith here he brings in the example of Abraham he proves it to be in the same manner as to Abraham he is called the father of the faithfull not by naturall generation for so he was not a father to the Gentiles but by imitation as is said of the Jews their father was an Amorite and their mother was an Hittite so all the faith full may be said to be justified as he was all the Saints of God may say so it is cutious in the 11 and 12 verses he disputes the reason why he did receive it that he might be the father of all them that believe the question was when Abraham did receive it it was before hee was circumcised Genes 17. This was the reason he is called the father of them that believe though they were not circumcised and after he received circumcision the scope and aym of God was not to hinder any but he that was circumcised was saved by Faith and he that was uncircumcisied should be saved by Faith all should be saved one way there is one way to all in Christ if we atend the 22 23 24. verses we shall see there is no hole unstopped it was not imputed to him alone but for us also so that the scope of God is one to all that believe for that it is imputed to us also as to him in the same way so that what was to him is to me there is the same way of justification to all that is clear here 3. If the summe of the Gospel be contained in the Law and the Prophets then it is the same to us as it is to them but that it is so the proof is Acts 26.22 Paul did preach what Moses and the Prophets did say should come that Christ should suffer and rise from the dead c. so as this was the summe of Pauls preaching that they had spoken 4. If there be one Mediator then there is one covenant he in whom the covenant is made and he by whom the covenant is performed but so it is we have one Mediator also Rom. 3. â—9 Is God the God of the Jews onely is he not the God of the Gentiles so as all is of God so he will save the Jews by Faith and the Gentiles also by Faith so they are all saved by one and the same manner and Isa 49.6 It is asmal thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and raise up the desolatioâ—â— of Israel I will also give thee a light for the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the end of the world so that we see it is through him it is performed so that as it is the same God and Christ so there is but one covenant with them And now 5. The covenant of Abraham dos contain the perfection of all spirituall and saving grace that belongs to the Saints of God Matt. 23.32 Christ disputes about the Resurrection of the dead he saith He is the God of Abraham he is not the God of the dead but of the living he disputes from the perfection of the covenant it includes 〈◊〉 the rest This may suffice to shâ—w the covenant of grace is the same 2. Difference is in the manner of the dispensation therein it differs in regard of the circumstances of it 1 In regard of the Ordinance it is divers from Baptisme in that there was cutting away here is washing away that was to the male this is to all that was to be done on the eighth day this may be on any day But these things doe not make another Sacrament though the manner be divers in administration of them that lookâ— at Christ to come that he should be incarnate was sealed by that but by baptisme is sealed that Christ is come and hath suffered and is raised and set at the right hand of God 2 Hence the outward dispensation was in many types and ceremonies Christ being to come the ordinances went before in types and in their ordinances they had many types nay the very nation and their land was typicall the nation of the Jewes was a type of Gods elect and Gods calling and chusing them from among other nations was
the Law of God cannot be a cause of the work of the spirit but sin and self cannot be subject and therefore they cannot be the cause of the working of the spirit nay the nature of man cannot be nay they cannot suffer the work upon them they are not able to bear it Rom. 8.7 It is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be 3. That which is wholy beyond the power of corrupt nature that corrupt nature cannot bee the cause of but to put off sin and self is wholy beyond the power of corrupt nature for nothing can work beyond the power of its own principle and of our selves we are not able to think a good thought So it must be given us so we have gained this that therefore we are all meer patients in the work of conversion both men and children 4. Here lies the life of the answer in these severall works where the hearts are sufferers the soules of Infants are as much fit as the soules of any man and not so much unfit as the soules of many men to receive grace and they have as great a capability as men have and in some measure a greater capabilitic then some men have here is two things to be considered 1. That they are as fit as any but not so unfit as many and therefore all are meet sufferers in the work of the spirit to have sin and self subdued the soules of children are as fit and have as great a capability in the world 1. You must remember heretofore we have made it good that all the sonnes of Adam are tainted with Originall sin equally no man have lesse of Adams sin nor lesse of Originall sin one then another but all men and children are equall here and men of years have contracted many actuall sins nay whatever they doe before they are converted is sin all their thoughts words and deeds so as they grow more proud and more witty to commit sin and to doe wickedly because of actuall transgression some grow more sturdy in their sinfull courses which is drawn and contracted by actuall sin and infants are free from those now those that have acted them are more fit to commit them nay many are habituated in commiting of sin so as they have gotten a habit of drunkennes and a habit of uncleanes c. so as it is plain children are as fit as any and not so unfit as many are for if children have as little opposition as any and lesse then some then it must needes be true For where lesse opposition against a thing is there is lesse trouble to receive it for they are contrary for where lesse opposition is there is a greater disposition to receive it but that children doe as little oppose grace as any man of years all opposition comes from the sinne of Adam and Originall sin came from that and here wee see all are equall in men of years and children and this is the first kinde of opposition 2d Sort of opposition arise from sinfull habits and this comes by actuall sin and by this we come to bee more self-confident and all these infants are free of a man that hath lived many years in sin is come to be habituated in sin as a man that dotes upon the world gets a habit of covetousnes and a man gets a habit of frowardnes these infants are freed from Acts 7.28 Wilt thou kill me c and Acts 18.6 And when they resisted and blasphemed c. Children are dead in sin but some men are twice dead as Jude speaks at the 12th verse Twice dead and plucked up by the roots and as Christ sayd of the Pharisees they made men twofold more the childe of Hell take the most men living and there is Sin and Selfe to be subdued and in regard of Adam sin and originall sin they are all alike But by actuall sin men are full of carnall confidence and therfore the Spirit must have much to do here because men do harden their own hearts and so make themselves twenty times more the child of hell so they are twice dead and pulled up by the root so that they are lesse fit then some naturall men in the world and many men in the world that are but men of the world are more fit then they so that children are more capable then any man The place in Jude is spoken against false Prophets they were twice dead they were dead by originall sin actuall sin there is a sort that hath received a seeming light and get a little of the Word and that he is provoked that a man thinks he is a living man There is another sort that persecute the Word now these are dead again so they are twice dead he is provoked by the work of the Law and now he is more proud and is as athing pulled up by the roots so as nothing can recover him no possibility to come neere him so as it is so farre from being harder for the Spirit to work upon infants that there is an easinesse in this kind The 3d Proposition Beleeving Parents when they enter into a visible covenant to walk in Gods wayes they enter not for themselves alone but for all that come of them and God does ingage himselfe by their meanes to worke grace in their hearts as he sees fit hee counts them to have federall holinesse God accepts of both and he will doe good to them as he sees fit In this Proposition there are foure things to be considered 1 Believing Parents enter into a visible covenant for themselves and their posterity 2 God expects it at the hands of them both 3 God ingages himselfe to use them as instruments to doe good to them as he sees fit God wil give grace to his children he will use them to his own mind God will use them as instruments but he will doe them good as he sees fit not that parents can give grace or worke grace in their children and therefore speak not so for that is as if when God works upon the heart by the preaching of the word you should say the Minister gives grace 4 God accounts children as having federall holinesse 1 When believing Parents enter into a visible covenant they doe enter into it for themselves and children But they must enter into a visible covenant the reason of it is because communication of them that doe so enter into covenant doe in reason belong to them that be in a community of other according to rationall charity because God gives the priviledges of his holy things to a community of men and they must judge according to a rule of charity and passe sentence as things appeare according to that rule For if it be left to every privat man to judge that every man may judge himself fit and be his owne Judge to partake of the ordinances then these two evils will follow 1 An abusing and prophaning Gods holy things for he would carve all
Ishmael according to God and it is his glory If Ishmael have right to the seale why not the children of Keturah And we cannot thinke otherwise in charity if no man have right to the seale but those that are in the visible covenant why then may we not believe the sonnes of Keturah were as well as Ishmael If you say Ishmael was not because he was banished otherwise Abraham must goe against his light and conscience in his practice for he must know and doe contrary to his knowledge therefore we may say they shared in the covenant and seales as well as Ishmael But if you say He was banished afterward I answer that was when his evill appeared but before he was not but was made partaker of the seales and so in the visible covenant And so it was with Simon Magus he was visibly in the covenant and shared in the seales and Philip did right according to the Rules of Charity but if it appeare otherwise after they may be cast out Many men have been baptized and afterward their wickednesse hath appeared 2 God accepteth of both parents children Deu. 265. And thou shalt say before the Lord thy God A Syrian was my father who being ready to perish went ' down into Egypt He speakes of all parents children and when they were to bring their first fruits he saith Thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God he hath avouched thee to be his people So Deu. 29.10 11 13. You stand before the Lord your God your Heads of your Tribes your Elders your Officers even all the men of Israel your children your wives c. that thou shoulest passe into the covenant of the Lord thy God and into his oath which the Lord thy God makes with thee this day for to establish thee this day a people to himself c. Whom God doth establish his covenant unto they have right to it that is to them their wives and their little ones Let no man bogell and say God enters covenant with wicked ones For all their daily washings and offerings did shew forth this that they were sinners in reason we may see it You may ask whether the Apostles did not rightly gather the Churches of Ephesus and Smyrna and the rest of the seven Churches of Asia and ask if that all that were so gathered were not bapt zed according to God and yet it is said of Sardis there were but a few names and of Laodicea it was poore and blind and naked and faults in other of the Churches shall any man say therefore they were not in covenant God deals and dispenses his Ordinances by men and he proceeds according to the rules of Religion and rationall Charity by the ministery of men and goes by the judgements of men according to those rules 3 God does ingage himselfe to communicate spirituall good to children by meanes of their parents as he sees fit reserving secret things to himselfe when and in what manner he will doe it he ingages himselfe to communicate spirituall good to children and he will use the parents as meanes of that good and that he will doe two wayes 1 The parent covenanting with God the Covenant is improved as a meanes that God will work spirituall good in the child As when a Minister or a Friend doth give counsel that a person gets good by God uses them as meanes of that good so hee doth parents for by their meanes the children are brought into covenant and so God communicates good to them which before God had stirred up and by the parents they come into covenant and so God communicates good to the children Hence we may come to see the right understanding of that which David saith And thou Solomon my sonne know the God of thy Fathers remember I have ingaged my selfe in covenant and know thou that God that hath ingaged himself to thy father hath ingaged himself by the father to do good unto thee and that is the best sence of those words 2 Chron. 33 12. spoken of Manasses When he was in tribulation he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers I take the meaning to be this when he was in affliction he besought God but how came hee to be his God to have a title in him he being so vile as he had been he having made a league with the Devill and destroyed all the worship of God he was mindefull of the covenant God had made with his fathers as if he should have said I am and have been a vile sinfull wretch and am not worthy to beg the least mercy from thee but remember the covenant with my fathers thou hast engaged thy self to doe good to them and so David I am thy servant and the son of thy hand-maide he had a very good mother and he pleaded the covenant of his mother she had given him many councels and wept many tears for him and therefore he pleades the engagement of the covenant of his mother and by his mother to himself for the patents engage themselves for themselves and children and God engages himself to them and to their children that he will be a God to them reserving secret things to himself Here beware you mistake not Parents doe not communicate grace to their children for that is an errour to say so for they are the children of wrath as well as others and they are void of grace for generation does not convey grace but by vertue of the covenant God hath engaged himself to doe good unto them when they are propagated by vertue of the covenant God does covenant to doe good to all their children reserving secret things to himself whereas it may be said if children have grace how can sin be propagated to them no but when children are propagated by vertue of a covenant God does use the parents as he sees fit as a means of good to their children and this is of speciall consequence to think that God will use the parents as a means to doe good to the children it is an extraordinary benefit to believing parents 2. God engages himself to use the Covenant as a means to doe good to them as he sees fit for all Gods ordinances are the propriety of the Church God leaves them to them God covenants to leave his word to them and those that come of them this is the meaning of all those places I will take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh When Parents engage themselves to him then he engages himself to them and theirs And I will circumcise their hearts and the hearts of their seed and I will power clean water upon them When believing parents wait upon God for their children he will give a blessing as he sees fit leaving secret things to God 4. God accounts them as having federall holinesse such as may fit them for a people in that relation here is the stick of all
is a threefold holinesse 1. Imputative in Christ to his servants 2. Inherent in his servants 3. There is a relative holinesse which is that I have disputed off therefore his exposition is short and his reason is short and worse the 22. page and the 4. line What ever does truly inright a man to God inrights him to holinesse all must be saved or fall away I wonder such things should fall from a mans pen but that God hath some speciall hand in it For had not Israel right to the Ordinances and had not Judas right to the Passeover and Symon Magus to Baptism and had not all the Nation of the Jews the Apostle tels us they were all Baptised in the Cloud and in the Sea did they not partake of such priviledgesfor the kinde as the Church of Corinth had not better the Apostle bids them take heed for the Israelites had the same priviledges for kinde as they had and were made partakers of them and yet they had no right to heaven but many of them were shut out I say therefore have not all the Jews right to the priviledges The seven Churches of Asia they were baptized and as they had it in all Churches so they had right to Baptisme and all the holy things that were in any Church and the Church was bound to give them to them Now whether all these had not right common sense will tell us and yet among these there might be many that had not true saving grace We may ask a question concerning that in Matth. 3.6 when Jerusalem and all Judea sent to John to be baptized there came the Scribes and Pharisecs and Publicans and Souldiers and Luke 3. it is said they were baptized confâ—ssing their sinnes Whether Mr Spilsbery think all these had right to glory if he be put to it I am perswaded his heart would faile him to say they had and yet they were baptized of him that was the fore-runner of Christ and the Disciple of Christ and was sent of Christ In a word there is a federall holinesse men may have that shall never have glory But those that have an inward right those have right to glory Nay a man cannot have an inward right but he hath right to glory And here you may learn to see those reasons carry not common sense with them Carry this along with you I will learn you to make use of this that federall holinesse is not saving grace offensive and defensive 1 If this be saving grace a man may fall away from this but saving and covenanting grace cannot be lost He that beleeves shall be saved It doth not suppose that he that hath this federall grace hath right alway to the blood of Christ infallibly Hence it followes a man is not bound to beleeve that every man that hath it shall be saved This will answer a fourfold cavill of Mr Spilsbery in page 27. line 17. Hence followes a foure-fold absurdity to say Infants have right to Baptisme 1 If Infants have an interest to grace then men may fall from grace 2 Then the covenant of grace may be to vile persons and a man may have the outward covenant and not be ingrafred into Christ 3 This will bring in universall redemption no federall grace does make a man redeemed it dashes this 4 It makes us believe an untruth for Ishmael he did perish but he may have federall grace and this is the holinesse meant here Now to the second thing what is the explication of the words there are three things to be considered in the place 1 Of whom the Apostle speaks 2 Of what he speaks 3 What is the fittest sense of the Argument And when we have this we shall see the plain meaning 1. Of whom the Apostle speakes If you look into the 12th verse he saith To the rest speak I and not the Lord c. What are these Rest you will find in the tenth verse you may observe two things 1. To them that are married Let not the wife be put away except it be for adultery And those the Lord speakes to Matth. 19. as if the Apostle had said that case hath already been opened and spoken unto by the Lord Christ in that place If a man take a distast against his wife he may not give her a bill of divorce nor put her away for that although formerly they might doe it but it is unlawfull now Christ had spoken plainly to that therefore I will not speak to it But to the rest that is those that were married Infidels he takes that for granted that they were not converted before they were married but they were both Infidels and the one is converted and the other left to these I speak in the 13 14 15. verses concerning these Christ hath not spoken he hath not expressed himself in this case but I speake to that I have the Spirit of God these are the parties both unbelievers and one of them is converted 2. Of what hee speakes the state of the question the one is converted the other is not the unbelieving party hinders the work of the believing party the question is whether they should continue that commerce between them there being so much opposition whether they may doe it without prejudice to the conscience of the believing party in that ordinance of God or may they have the pure use of marriage His answer is It is a matter of duty if she will yet remain it is a duty enjoyned of God Mark the Apostles question not whether they may marry an unbeliever that is not here spoken of but it is taken for granted they were both unbelievers and now one is converted whether he or she may continue the answer is Yes he may must Thus you see of what he speaks not of making marriages but of coÌ„tinuing of theÌ„ This he proves he reasons froÌ„ the effect If the unbelieving party be sanctified by the believing party in that which belongs to the use of Marriage then they may coÌ„tinue but so they are and that is no prejudice to that ordinance of marriage If a believer may have a sanctified use of an unbeliever then they may abide but so they may the unbelever is sanctified to that use by the believer the meaning is that the unbeliefe of the party cannot so out-bid the faith of the believer as to pollute the conscience or faith of the party but that faith the believer hath through Christ he shall have a sanctified use of to his own conscience and the spirituall use of marriage for that was to beget a holy seed to God and it is made holy in the believer not in himselfe But the unbelieving husband he hath not a sanctified use of marriage neither in his own conscience nor in his faith but in the believing wife in vertue of that power closing with Christ they have a sanctified use of marriage and in marriage and may attain the right end of marriage The
two things 1 Open the meaning of the Text. 2 Propound the reasons 1 What is meant here by holinesse The Answer is Federall holinesse not the holinesse of sanctification but confederation that holinesse which is part of sanctification is that which is spoken of Epehes 4.24 And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse But so it is not here used but for arelative holinesse whereby they were knit ' to God and he to them they avouch him to be their God and he avouches them to be his people One place he complaines Ezra 9.2 They have mixed the holy seed with the people of the Lands c. The holy seed is the Jews they mingled with the common people that is such as were not free Burgesses in the Church that is they were mingled among the heathen all the people of the land were not sanctisted but they were holy in this way that it is federall holinesse appeares sanctification is never conveyed by the Father to the Child this is from the Spirit of God he workes as he sees fit therefore two in one bed one taken and another left so two in one belly one taken and another left but this is by succession If the root be holy so are the branches if the first fruits be holy so is the whole lump the root and first fruits and from him is the conveyance Abraham did covenant for his as well as for himself wee may scoin the 17 verse sanctification cannot be lost but the branches are broken off that came of Abraham and proved a vagabond people they may be cut off but sanctification cannot be lost they lost their confederate holines but they that are sanctified shall be glorified Hence we may see the growing of these branches is not the growing of saving faith but federall holines it is not the growing to Christ by faith for then they should never be broken off from faith to say so is a falshood for if a man be called he shall be glorified we are made one spirit Eph. 5.32 This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church if Christ should lose one he should be unperfect Eph. 1.23 The fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Christ is compleat but if he want one member he should not be compleat This is cleare saving grace cannot be lost 3 That holines agrees with the body of the Gentiles they are brought into a visible covenant as in the 17 verse they are brought into a covenant of grace that is the root and the fatnes is the priviledges the body of the Gentiles had not sanctification Secondly what is meant by first Fruits and Lump one is from the Ceremoniall Law among the Jewes Lovit 23.14.17 You shall eat neither bread nor parched Corn nor green eares untill the selfe same day you have brought an offering to the Lord your God This shall be a law for ever in all your dwellings And in the 17. verse you shall bring out of your dwellings for a shake offering two loaves of two tenth deals of fine flower c. When they had received in their Corne it was unlawfull to spend it till they had first offered the two loaves for a shake offering and then all the whole lump was sanctified for their use according to the allowance of God So by way of resemblane Abraham is the first fruits he being in covenant with God all his posterity are in the covenant God accepts of both him and his posterity the Father being in covenant with God they become a holy people You your wives and little ones so their federall holines is to all that come of Abraham as his seed and this is the meaning 2 If the Root be holy so are the Branches What is meant by Root and Branches We shall find out the root by the true Olive here is the Church of the Jewes the Root was Abraham because the first covenant was made with him all came from him it was made to him and from him it came to his posterity they are the naturall branches the posterity born of him so he is as the head of the covenant to them Abraham being holy to God he brings forth a holy seed and Nation having federall holinesse Abrahams posterity by birth are all a holy seed but the Gentiles are ingrafted by profession and subjection the priviledges and the fatnesse comes to them by being ingrafted the place is spirituall I will describe the wilde Olive and the Branches and then you may know the true Olive it will help you to understand it the better The Gentiles the body of them are wild not by originall sinne for so the Jewes were as bad as they and had as much of that as they Whence is their wildnesse then because God left them in their naturall corruption without the help of those meanes that might help them and therefore they grew wild as a tree in the wildernesse growes wild so they were left without any interest in any means of help and so they grew wild for God had not ingaged himselfe to them Acts 17.30 In the times of ignorance God regarded not but now he admonisheth all men every where to repent that is now all the nations of the earth ran riot it is the same with that in Acts 6.1 the Widowes were neglected that is God left them as Trees in the Wildernesse God did not care for the Gentiles in giving them meanes for their good therefore now they grow wild Acts 14.16 who in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walk in their own wayes Israel had lawes to walk by but it was not so with other Nations and therefore they were wild and strangers from the common-wealth of Israel Ephes 2.12 they had not an interest in the covenant of the Jewes but were wild sinners and not under the dressing of God for their good and so were all those that came of them Pagans of Pagans such Children of such Parents under the curse of God in sinne and not looked after having no meanes the Fathers ignorant and so were the Children And this is the meaning of that Rom. 11.24 For if thou were cut out of the Olive Tree which was wild by nature and were grasred contrary to nature into the right Olive Tree c. What nature is meant corrupt nature No for the Jewes were corrupt as well as they the Jewes were as deep in originall sinne as they not onely contrary to corrupt nature but they were wild by nature that is they were under such a dispensation that God was not ingaged to them and so the children of them were under the like condition they were in such a course as they had not the meanes to mend them nay they had no ingagement of God but they were under the curse of God without meanes but now the true Olive that grew not wild not that they had not as many sinnes by nature and as