is a like execration to intermedele with the little ones of Sion by reason of the holinesse of such a people 2 King 8.12 their Covenant-relations in which they stand interested Much is spoken in Scripture against the enemies of the righteous the haters of them shall be destroyed he that offends against them shall not be innocent God observes every cariage of the adversary towards them in misery they speake not a word but God hath it against them when Ammonites Eze. 26.2.36.2 Obad. 12. Ibid. Psal 137.7 Obad. 13.14 Deut. 25.17 Tyrians cry Aha against the people of the Lord they are twitted with it and threatned for it Not a proud word that they utter but it is brought in to fill up the charge against them yea every eye that is cast with approbation of the adversary every encouraging word they speake and every act they doe against such a people yea injuries of elder times are kept in the decke and laid to them And all because that they stand in this relation to God as His in Covenant which you cannot limit onely to the personally righteous but all that are of a societie and fellowship that is such that are interested in a righteous cause The holy anointing oyle did make sacred when yet too often the man was wicked and therefore David looked upon Saul as the Lords anointed It holds in analogy and proportion unto all that have any Unction from God as all the called of God have When they were but a few in number Psal 105.12 13 14 15. yea very few and strangers When they went from one Nation to another from one kingdome to another people He suffered no man to doe them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine Anointed All the people of God have that anointing from God that none may dare to intermeddle to their harme God promises his people that dwell in Sion that the burden of Assyria shall be taken away from off their shoulder and his yoke from off their necke and that the yoke shall be destroyed because of the Anointing Isa 10.27 Object Some will say as this is carried The danger of intermedling with any is with us alike Even Papists and the worst of men that are called Protestants are thus of a people that are called Gods people and go by the name of Christians For answer I shall not enter upon that controversie Answ what there is of the being of a Church under the Papacy The Papacy itselfe is none of it but only a botch bred in it and cleaving to it Onely this I say That he that shall oppose a Papist under the notion of a Christian shall beare his sinne and that upon the grounds that have been given Though a Papists damnable errours in the faith shut him out from the happinesse of Christians yet such an adversaries persecution renders him guilty of opposing the faith of Christ Iesus And he that followes with injuries a carnall Protestant because of Profession of the sinceritie of Religion in opposition to Antichristianisme is formally guilty of persecution The hearers resembled to the rocky ground suffer persecution for the Word as doth the good ground that brings forth fruit with patience But to come home with more cleare satisfaction A people of a fouly-polluted Ordinance standing in opposition to a people of a pure and untainted way are as a people void of Ordinances are as a people without God in comparison The opposition of the puritie of his service God accounts as the opposition of his great Name though it be by a people that goe under that name of His people And therefore though Elijah take so much to heart the pulling down of Altars set up by Ieroboam as Gods Altars 3 Kings 19.10 when it was done by Israel apostatizing and turned to Baal and in opposition to the worship of Baal makes that way of worship at Dan and Bethel a following of God 1 Kings 18.21 Those two opinions that the ten Tribes halted between were the worship of the false god Baal and the false way of worship set up by Ieroboam which corruption of worship being now to draw them from Baalisme he is for the present contented to wave Yet we well know the brand that lies on Ieroboam in bringing in that worship of his 1 Kings 15.9 scarce the like on any man in Scripture the man of sin only excepted the high phrases also in which this worship of his is set out making Priests for the high places 2 Chro. 11.15 and devils with the height of guilt to which he rose in casting the Levites out from executing the Priests office Vers 14. And howsoever God often cals that people of the ten tribes by the name of his people as having Ordinances Hos 4.6 though miserably polluted yet in opposition to Iudah where more pure Ordinances were injoyed they are said to be without God without a teaching Priest and without the Law And sighting against Iudah who could reckon up the particulars of the Ordinances of God in their puritie 2 Chron. 15.3 they are charged to sight against the Lord God of their fathers 2 Chron. 13.12 To come neerer home in an Instance If the Turkish power should fall upon a Popish State under the name and notion of Christians they were guilty with Saul of persecuting the Lord Iesus If this Popish State fall upon a reformed nation they are much more guilty A fouler sinne for a people of God in name and title to persecute his people in truth then for a people strangers to God to persecute a people only in name and title Scripture prayers against heathens we may fitly apply in our sufferings under the hands of Papists Pilate might have been guilty in persecution of a Pharisee as a Jew yet that nation was much more guilty being Iewes by nature in delivering Christ Iesus into Pilate's hands Ioh. 18.35 though Christ had been no greater then one of his Disciples A Papist persecuting a formall carnall Protestant under the notion of a man protesting against idolatrous wayes is a man blaspheming the faith This man thus persecuted persecuting another for the power of Godlinesse professing the same truth is equally yea more guilty The very sin of Cain against his brother 1 Ioh. 2.12 Their Religions were both one but Cain's in form and Abel's in power The result of the whole is to let us see what it is to oppose a people under any notion of Gods people under any notion of belonging to him A man may have his reward giving in the name of a Disciple Matth. 10.4 though he to whom hee gives be such as God will never own for a Disciple And answerably may incurre vengeance in opposition of one under such a name though with those on the rocky ground he be nothing lesse in deed and truth Abundance of sweet consolations yet flow from
text is such a Call and therefore it is the call of a people into Covenant 4. If there yet remaine in the bosome of the Church children born after the flesh so that the distinction of births as applyed to Abrahams seed still hath place among beleeving Christians And that which fully answers to Circumcision of the flesh remaineth among Christians likewise then it must needs follow that there is in the Church that priviledge of birth-holinesse still continuing The consequence is evident seeing the birth of the flesh where this birth-priviledge is denyed gives no Church-interest or title at all neither doth Circumcision of the flesh or that which is paralell with it evidence any such Interest or Title All such are excluded according to this Tenent who are of carnall descent only and can claime no other Interest This must needs be of force with them who affirme that Infants who formerly were members by vertue of birth-priviledge then were deprived and cast out when the Iewes Church and State was abrogated by the comming of Christ and planting other Churches farre different from that of the Iewes in many respects That constituted upon nature they say and the naturall seed of Abraham This upon grace and the spirituall seed of Abraham That therefore termed Israel according to the flesh and circumcision of the flesh This Israel according to the Spirit and circumcision of the heart If then there yet remaine those that are so stiled infants of Christians by their own argument are not rejected and no such difference between Iew and Christian between the State of the Church then and the State of the Church now is to be admitted But there yet remaines in the bosome of the Church of Christians those that have no other title or interest then by vertue of birth after the flesh This distinction of births which they say is abrogated is of the same force and use now as it was when Abraham was alive and that which is full paralell with circumcision of the flesh still remaines The former namely distinction of births we have from St Paul But as then he that was born after the flesh Gal. 4.29 persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit even so it is now How is there truth in this assertion of the Apostle that so it is now if this distinction of births be now abrogated and abolished if there be not in the Church of Christians those that have the same title and no other or more noble then had Ishmael of whom the Apostle is there to be understood I see the exception that will be taken by some at the phrase born of the flesh which some will interpret not by naturall descent but corruption of nature Object But this can be the exception but of a few of those who are herein adversaries seeing they beleeve no such corruption of birth in Ishmael nor any other Neither indeed were Abrahams children ever so distinguished by a birth in corruption and a birth in grace being all borne in corruption Birth of the flesh here is the same as kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9.3 and children of the flesh Rom. 9.8 But there no birth in corruption but a birth of nature and naturall descent is only understood Men of no other then a carnall title persecuted then men that are thus and no otherwise intitled to the number of the people of God take the same wayes now Both branches of the distinction are therefore still with Christians For the latter namely that which fully answers to the circumcision of the flesh we have from St Peter who speaking of salvation by Baptisme puts by way of parenthesis this distinction 1 Pet. 3.21 Not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God where putting away the filth of the flesh is the same with the Circumcision of the flesh and the answer of a good conscien e towards Gods is the same with the circumcision of the heart This distinction is therefore ill applyed when that which is outward and of the flesh is only applied to Iewes and that which is inward and of the heart only unto Christians Deut. 30.6 Ier. 9.26 The Jewes had that which was inward and of the heart as well as we and we have that which is outward and of the flesh as well as they Such doctrine will conclude the whole body of the Jewes without exception under condemnation as having no holinesse inward or spirituall and all Christians in a like generality in the state of salvation as being all inwardly holy and spirituall we shall have neither high way rocky nor thorny ground but only good ground good and honest hearts among us if it be circumcision of the heart and Israel according to the Spirit that alone denominates us Christians 5. The seed of beleeving parents under the Gospell must be lookt upon under one member of this division in the text the Apostles distinction is full and compleate either they must be accounted of the people of God who are relatively and soederally holy as were Jewes or else out of the number and under the second head of unholy and out of Covenant as were sinners of the Gentiles a third cannot be assigned the Apostles distribution may not be challenged If it be under the first head that they are lookt upon we have what we contend for If under the second then the heavy doome of sinners Ephes 2.12 Gentiles Aliens is theirs they are then without Christ without hope without God in the world which will be heavy and unwelcome tidings to tender parents that they bring not forth children as the Jewes did to God but to the god of this world that God doth not say of them but Satan may my children leaving them in no better condition then the seed of the Heathen Pagans Turks Infidels as is freely confessed by some And what condition that is we may learne from the Prophets David and Ieremy Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not Ier 10.25 Psal 79.6 and the families that call not upon thy name The whole of their flocke for ought in Scripture appeares have no other portion 6. We have the Apostles authority expressely affirming that this birthright priviledge of Covenant-holinesse still appertaines to the seed of beleevers where either of the parents are beleeving The unbeleeving husband is sanctified in the wife 1 Co. 7.14 and the unbeleeving wise is sanctified in the husband else were your children uncleane but now are they holy The whole seed therefore is to be accounted in the number of those that are holy which in the text is the condition of the Jewes and not among uncleane which here the Apostle calleth sinners of the Gentiles A birth-priviledge of holinesse therefore still remaines Here it is replyed that by holinesse in this place is meant legitimation Object by uncleanenesse is understood bastardy so that the meaning
they were to be excluded from Baptisme Accordingly when an housholder was baptized all the houshold were baptized Vers 33. He and all his Acts 16.15 ver 33. 1 Cor. 1.16 Object Will it be said that this promise in this latitude is there tendered onely to the Jewes To this I reply First Answ that then Iewes receiving Christ as these now did and were here encouraged still enjoy this birth-priviledge which being yeelded to them cannot be denied to the Gentiles receiving the faith without a singular schisme between Iew and Gentile They that murmured that their widowes were neglected Acts 6.1 would soone have murmured when their seed had been excluded And secondly I affirme that the Gentiles are equally there included with the Jewes in the promise as concerning the seed as the Copulative particle and fully evinceth it couples not one peece onely but the whole of the promise There is yet an objection that seemes to take with more colour Object That this promise had reference to the gift of the holy Ghost promised by Ioel the Prophet here by the Apostle ver 17. c. mentioned and the Apostle here speaking of the promise to his Converts and their children onely makes good what he had said that they should receive the holy Ghost and that by authoririe of the Prophet Ioel promises that their sonnes and their daughters shall prophecie and this is that promise which is here tendered by the Apostle to them and their children I answer First Answ the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost in this visible way cannot be the promise here by St Peter mentioned seeing it is enlarged to all that are afarre off even to as many as the Lord shall call But all these have not the holy Ghost in that way extraordinary nor any promise of it That is a Baptisme proper to those primitive Saints Matt. 3.11 that Baptisme with the holy Ghost and with fire wherewith they were told that they should be baptized not many dayes after Acts 1.5 Secondly however the promise be interpreted so as to belong to all that are beleevers and call on the Name of the Lord as there followes yet that promise is on condition of their Baptisme The meanes are to be used in reference to the end Baptisme is the meanes receiving of the holy Ghost there specified is the end And the Apostle confirming them in the promise of the end doth likewise encourage them to the use of the meanes in Baptisme to expect the gift of the Spirit and so according to this interpretation that place is an encouragement to Baptisme The promise is the fittest encouragement to the signe and seale of the promise Baptisme is the signe and seale to which they are here encouraged and in that latitude as they had formerly known the command of Circumcision And the Evasion is too weake to say that children here are the same with sonnes and daughters mentioned from the Prophet Object and therefore to be meant of none but such that are of growth and capable of the gift of prophecy The Apostle urgeth the promise in the way as in the Scriptures it is delivered Answ which is to men and their posterity to them and theirs so God promises to be a God in Covenant to His and their seed which people in Covenant have a promise also from him of the Spirit and this the Apostle holds out to draw them on to this seale of the Covenant to accept Baptisme on the same termes that Abraham did circumcision Secondly it is without reason to beleeve that the Apostle should instance in one peece of the distribution of the Prophet there and to leave out the rest to put in alone sonnes and daughters when we have in the text young men old men servants and hand-maids Thirdly Children here are mentioned under a promise to the parents To you and your children is the promise made but not so in Ioel nor in the quotation of the Apostle That Scripture hath onely an Enumeration of the severall sorts and conditions of people in any nation on all which the Spirit is promised without any addresse made to the parents of those sonnes and daughters more then to the Masters of those servants and hand-maids not the sonnes and daughters of their flesh but the sonnes and daughters of the Nation a language usuall in our ordinary expressions speaking of men of any sort or condition as your Lawyers your Merchants c. so here your sonnes your daughters your old men your young men c. For further confirmation Those whom Christ receives the Church may not refuse Matth. 19.4 Matth. 19.14 Mar. 10.14 Luk. 18.16 The Church consists of those that visibly appeare to be Christs But Christ admits children little children in their infancy such that he takes into his armes Suffer little children to come to me and forbid them not who dare be so rigid when Christ is thus candid The Kingdome of Heaven receives them the Church therefore may not exclude them The Church receives those whom glory receives There were daily added to the Church such as should be saved Acts 2.47 But the Kingdome of Heaven receives little children Of such is the Kingdome of Heaven Let none say that the Kingdome of Heaven is of such that is of those that are graced with such qualities Object that are humble and meeke as little children That may be elsewhere Christs way of instruction it cannot be here his argumentation First there is no manner of consequence in the argument thus pressed Let little ones in infancie come to me for though not they yet such as they others qualified like them in some select properties resembling them shall go to Heaven Secondly Upon the same ground Sheepe Doves Vine-branches might have been brought to him for such as resemble them in like select properties shall be received into the kingdom of Heaven And Christ might have drawne as apt a similitude from them Thirdly that which the Disciples took to be an impediment of force to hinder infants and a just ground of rebuke of those that brought them is that which Christ understands in this reproofe of the Disciples and admission of their infants But it was their want of growth their littlenesse which the Disciples took to be a just impediment and which occasioned their reproofe So that the particle such hath direct reference to the quantity as I may say not to the quality of these infants to their infant stature not to their meekeesse or humility And so it is referred elsewhere expressely by our Saviour himselfe Who so shall receive one such little child Mat. 18.5 The word is the same here and there it respects littlenesse therefore and not meekenesse The whole text may be thus fitly paraphrased Trouble not our Master with such as these say the Disciples there is no use of their comming they need not his cure and they are not capable