Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	faith_n	good_a	unfeigned_a	2,823	5	11.0408	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26886	Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending them against several sorts of opponents, especially against the second assault of that pious, reverend and dear brother Mr. Thomas Blake / by Richard Baxter ...	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1658 (1658)	Wing B1212; ESTC R39868	418,313	558

as in the body natural there are hairs nails evil humors and many other things which yet belong not integrally thereunto as proper members So if we regard not the inward and invisible Essence but the visible state or outward manner of the Churches being there adhere unto her many uncalled unjustified and unsanctified persons but it is only as excrements or ulcers For every true member of the Church is a part of Christs fulness and therefore must receive of his fulness grace for grace must be endowed with all saving and sanctifying graces otherwise how can it concur to the making of Christ full and compleat Vse 2. Refut Whence secondly may be inferred the gross Error of the Papists in avouching that external profession and conformitie outward subjection to the Pope of Rome are sufficient to constitute one a true member of the Catholick Church although he be a Reprobate an unbeliever an hypocrite so gross as Judas or Simon Magus a professed and notorious impious wretch that is utterly devoid of all spiritual life and grace whatsoever If he take up a room in the Church it matters not with them though he neither do nor can perform vital actions yet he shall pass for a true part thereof Pag. 19. He confesseth that they are united to the Church but by an outward Conjunction And was ever any man so deprived of common sense and understanding as to call a woodden leg a part of the body to which it was annexed as to term wens warts and moles sores and botches members of the body in which they were 33. The other is Mr. Perkins in whom the Judgement of other English Protestants of his time may be discerned Expos. on the Creed in Vol. 1. pag. 308. Hence we learn 1. That the Church of Rome erreth in teaching that a wicked man yea such a one as shall never be saved may be a true member of the Catholick Church c. But lest you should say that he speaks this only of the Invisible Church though our Divines say that there is but one Church which is Visible and Invisible in several respects I shall desire you to consider what he saith of the Visible Chuhch expresly pag. 303 304. The visible Church may be thus described It is a mixt company of men professing the faith assembled together by the preaching of the word It is called a Church of the better part namely the elect whereof it consisteth though they be in number few As for the ungodly though they be in the church yet they are no more parts of it indeed than the superfluous humors in the veins are parts of the body Again because the profession of faith is otherwhiles true and sincere and otherwhiles only in shew Therefore there be also two sorts of Members of the visible Church Members before God and members before men A member of the Church before God is he that beside the outward profession of the Faith hath inwardly a pure heart good conscience and Faith unfeigned whereby he is indeed a true member of the Church Members before men whom we may call reputed members are such as have nothing els but the outward Profession wanting the good conscience and the Faith unfeigned the Reason why they are to be esteemed members of us is because we are bound by the Rule of Charity to think of Men as they appear unto us leaving secret judgement unto God so far Perkins And so much for these testimonies By what hath been said it is evident that it is the judgement of the Protestants that reprobates and wicked men are not properly members of the Church but only Equivocally and that the Church is but one which in some respect is visible and some invisible and that it is denominated Invisible because its Essential form is Invisible and denominated visible only from an External Accidental form and therefore that those members that are only visible or have only the Accidental form of Members or are only of the Church as visible are but Equivocally members of the Church properly so called as from its essential form This they commonly maintain against the Papists I confess I think that somewhat more should be said for the explication of this point which is fullyest done by the Thes. Salmuriens vol. 3. but though I am not now delivering my own apprehensions but the words of others yet that the true Church as also Holynes Faith Christianity Adoption are Equivocal as applied to the Regenerate and unregenerate I wholly agree with the common judgement and am past doubt of it though Mr. Blake contradict it with Abhorence Bellarmine confesseth that many of their own as Johan de Turre cremata Alexander Hales Hugo Thomas c. did take the wicked to be but Equivocally called members of the Church And our Divines as Dr. Sutlive pag. 23.24 mention also Peter à Soto Melchior Canus and divers others et p. 29. And Bellarmine himself saith they are but Membra Mortua And for the judgement of the Fathers herein other Divines against the Papists have produced them at large See Dr. Sutlive de Eccles lib. 1. c. 7. fol. 28. c. 6. fol. 22.23 Now let us hear Mr. Blake Mr. Blake p. 150. Then it seems there is no Reality in such separations Camero tells us otherwise that there is a Reality in this Saintship by separation Ans. This is the first time that ever I heard that Equivocal terms express not Realityes Is there no Reality in a picture or a corps It sufficeth that the Reality is not the same that in a man and a corps is expressed by the same word Man Camero's judgement of our controversie is declared before in his own words Mr. Blake And it seems the Scripture is still under the charge of Equivocal speeches all over Ans. This anger flyes too high I beseech you make not the undeniable Equivocal terms which you finde in Scripture the Matter of a Charge It s is ill judging the Law that must Judge us Is there a Divine on earth that will deny that there are Equivocal terms in Scripture or that there are hundreds if not thousand numerical words that are such And do you not fear to make these the Grounds of a charge Scripture shall not go uncharged except it speak so as to please us In the highest matters about the Attributes and Works of God how common are Equivocal terms But do you indeed think that all Equivocal terms are Culpable yea or unnecessary or not intelligible I pray you distinguish between Jesuitical dissembling Equivocation and the laudable yea necessary use of Equivocal words when either the transcendencie of the matter the incapacity of men the paucity of terms the custom of speech c. hath made them fit or needfull Let God have the forbearance and justice in your interpretations as every writer and Speaker is allowed without any accusation the Scripture hath accusers enow already Mr. Blake I would know

by reading Dr Twiss and meditating of it and had in print so long ago professed these things whether this Learned man should after all this publish to the world that I am Amyraldus proselyte I speak but as to the truth of the report for as to the reputation of the thing I should think it a great benefit if I had the opportunity of sitting at the feet of so judicious a man as I perceive Amyraldus to be 10. Whether is Calovius a competent witness of the judgement of the Lutherans in general or a witness capable of dishonouring Amyraldus when he so unpeaceably and voluminously poureth out his fiery indignation against the moderate Lutherans themselves that are but willing of Peace under the name of Calixtians seeking to make them odious from the honorable name of Georgius Calixtus who went with them in that peaceable way 11. If it be David Blondell that he means when he saith of Daile's Book Obstetricante magno illìc Viro sed Armimianorum cultore and Blondell only prefaceth to it Whether any that hath read the Writings of Blondell and heard of his fame should believe this accusation or rather 12. Is it a certain Truth or a Calumny that is thus expressed of Dallaeus Certum est tamen hâc Apologiâ maluisse Arminianorum ordinibus inseri quàm sedem inter contrà-remonstrantes tenere And is it certain that Dr Molin knows the mind of Dallaeus better then he doth his own or is sooner then himself to be believed in the report of it 13. Whether the desire which he expresseth that Camero had been expelled and the words that he poureth forth against him do more dishonour Camero or himself And if that Article of Justification were sufficient ground of his condemnation and expulsion and consequently Olevian Scultetus Vrsinus Paraeus Piscator Alstedius Wendeline Gataker and abundance more should have tasted of the same sauce Whether these persecuting principles savour not of too high an esteem of their own judgements and tend not either to force an implicite faith in the Ministery or to depopulate the Church and break all in pieces And whether more credit is to be given to the judgement of this Learned man against Camero or to the general applause of the Learned Pious and Peaceable Divines of most Protestant Churches For instance such as B p Hall's who in his Peace-maker p. 49. saith of him that he was the Learnedst Divine be it spoken without envy that the Church of Scotland hath afforded in this last age 14. Whether this Learned man had not forgotten his former Triumph in the supposed unsuccessfulness of Amyralds Method and the paucity of his partakers or approvers when he wrote this in deep sorrow for the Churches of France Seriò ingemisco Patriae Ecclesiis in ea reformatis quod jam totos viginti annos Methodus Amyraldi impunè regna verit nemine intrà Galliam hiscere audente aut ullo vindice veritatis ibi exurgente do these words shew his desire of Peace or Contention in the Church 15. Whether it be truth that he saith that all the Divines of the Assembly at Westminster were against Amyraldus Method when Mr Vines hath often and openly owned Davenant's way of Universal Redemption and others yet living are known to be for it 16. Whether it be proved from the cited words of their Confession c. 8. § 5. that such was their judgement when they express no such thing And I have spoken with an eminent Divine yet living that was of the Assembly who assured me that they purposely avoided determining that Controversie and some of them profest themselves for the middle way of Universal Redemption 17. Is there one man in Oxford or Cambridge besides himself that believes his next words pari obelo confodiunt hanc Methodum quotquot sunt bodie Doctores Professores Oxoniae Cantabrigiae except on supposition that the foregoing words be untrue which pari relateth to 18. Is it probable that Dr Twiss was an enemy to that doctrine of Redemption which he hath so often asserted viz That Christ dyed for all men so far as to purchase them pardon and salvation on condition they would repent and believe and for the Elect so far further as to procure them faith and repentance it self which he hath oft in many Writings as to Mr Cranford's charge concerning his severe accusation of Dallaeus and judging his very heart to be guilty of such dissimulation as that he wrote not seriously but contrary to what he thought and that nothing could be more illiterate I shall not put the question whether it be probable that these words could pass from such a man because he is alive to vindicate himself if the report be false or to own it if true 19. Do all the contemptuous expressions of a Dissenter so much dishonour the judgement of Dallaeus as this Dissenters own praise of his former Writings doth honour it when he saith of him A quo nihil hactenus prodii● quod non esset judicii acerrimi eruditionis reconditissimae dostrinae sanctissimae aut candidissimum pectus non referret in quo nulla suspicio malignitatis insideret multò minùs eâ aetate seriâ serâ erupturae cùm lenit albescens animos capillus This is enough to make a stranger conjecture that the man is not grown either such a fool as to err so grosly as is pretended or such a knave as to write in the matters of God against his own judgement And indeed he that will prove himself a wiser a much wiser man in these matters then Dallaeus Blondel Amyrald c. must bring another kind of evidence for the honor of his Wisdom then Dr Molin's Preface or Paraenesis is 20. Is it not an indignity to the dead which the living should hear with a pious indignation for this Learned man to feign that B p Vsher thought so contemptuously of Amyraldus Method Whatever he might say of him in any other respect it s well known that he owned the substance of his doctrine of Redemption The high praises therefore which Dr Molin doth give to this reverend Bishop do dishonour his own judgement that makes the Bishops doctrine so contemptible and gross The like dealing I understand some Arminian Divines I am loath to name them have used against this reverend man One of them of great note hath given out that he heard him preach for universal Redemption and afterwards spoke to him and found him owning it therefore he was an Arminian and I hear a Northamptonshire Arminian hath so published him in print O the unfaithfulness of men seeming pious The good Bishop must be what every one will say of him Though one feigneth him to be of one extream and the other of the other extream when alas his judgement hath been commonly known in the world about this 30 years to be neither for the one nor the other but for the middle way Do you call for proof If

profess the pure Religion and make it appear at least to the judgment of man that they are Godly in Christ Iesus this is an inseparable Mark of a true Church as we may see 1 Cor. 14.33 See further Mr Vines in his Treatise of the Sacrament p. 150 151. saith That the Separatists laid the foundation viz. That only Visible Saints are fit Communicants which is true as to the Churches Admission That real Saints only are worthy Communicants which is true too as to the inward Grace or Benefit And 151. There is a great difference between Christs real Members and Guests at this Table and as I may say the Visible Churches Members or Guests If he be a visible Professor of Faith unshipwrakt of capacity to discern the Lords Body of Life without Scandal he is a Guest of the Church And p. 205. Though I should rest in serious Professsion of Faith and Repentance which is not pulled down again by a wicked Life or scandalous Sin yet when a man lieth under the charge of our censure for some scandalous sin the case is otherwise c. Read the rest And p. 324 329. The Covenant of God with us is that all that believe in Christ that died and receive him for their Lord and Saviour shall have remission of sins c. Answerable to this act of God the Believer accepts of and submits to this Covenant and the Conditions of it viz. to believe and to have God for our God and thereof makes a solemn profession in this Sacrament giving up himself to Christ as Lord and Saviour restipulating and striking hands with him to be his and so binds himself and doth as it were seal a Counterpart to God again and not only so but comes into a claim of all the riches and legacies of the Will or Covenant because he hath accepted and here declares his acceptance of the Covenant The Seal is indeed properly of that which is Gods part of the Covenant to perform and give and is no more but offered until we subscribe and set our hands to it and then its compleat and the Benefits may be claimed as the benefit of any conditional promise may be when the condition is performed And lest you should stumble at that word I must let you know that the Will accepting and submitting to the Conditions is the performance of the Conditions required NB. And pag. 249 250 c. Though as to admittance which is the Churches part to the outward Ordinance he make Profession as I do sufficient yet to the question whether the Sacrament be a Converting Ordinance he concludes that It is not an Ordinance appointed for Conversion His Arguments are 1. Because no effect can be ascribed to this Ordinance which fals not under the signification of it c. as Vasquez 2. This Sacrament by the institution of it appears to praesuppose those that reap the sweet and benefit of it to be Converts and in grace namely to have faith in Christ and to be living members and if this be presupposed by this Ordinance then it is not first wrought by it 3. The Word is the only Instrument of God to beget Faith or work Conversion c. And he answereth the Objections of the contrary minded and to them that argue that the Lords Supper is a Converting Ordinance because its possible a man may be then converted he saith they may as well make Ordination or Marriage Converting Ordinances because by the words then uttered a man may be converted He citeth the words of learned Rich. Hooker Eccles. Pol. l. 5. pag. 5●6 The grace which we have by it doth not begin but continue grace or life no man therefore receives this Sacrament before Baptism because no dead thing is capable of nourishment that which groweth must of necessity first live And for further Authority he addeth And to this purpose all our Learned Divines have given their suffrage And the Papists though they differ from us in denying remission of sins in this Sacrament in favour to their Sacrament of Penance yet they hold it to be an Ordinance of Nutrition and so do all their Schoolmen and so doth the Church of England The strengthening and refreshing of our souls c I need not number Authors or Churches It is so plain a case that I wonder they that have stood up in defence of it as a converting Ordinance have not taken notice of it There is an Army to a man against them and the antient Christian Churches are so clear in it So far Mr Vines Hooker in him Concerning the Distinction of Forum Dei Ecclesiae and its sense see that judicious Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Cumberlan● and Westmerland pag. 47. where they take notice of Mr. Blakes questioning it Since these Papers were in the Press I was told by a Reverend Brother that Mr Blake professeth to hold the Necessity of the Profession of a saving Faith as well as I and by one of his special acquaintance in the Ministry who heard me express my mind that Mr Blake's was the same I durst not omit the mention of this lest it should be injurious to him And yet how far the reporters are in the right and understand his meaning I am no further able to tell you but that they are credible persons For my part I defended my own Doctrine against the charge which in two Volumes he brought against it And I supposed he would not write so much of two Volumes against a Doctrine which he judged the same with his own And I medled only with his books and not his secret thoughts Whether I have been guilty of feigning an Adversary that took himself for none I am contented to stand to the judgment of any impartial man on earth that will read our books Surely I found it over each page that a Faith short of Iustifying entitleth to Baptism and I never met with any such explication in him as that by A faith short of Iustifying he meant A Profession of Iustifying faith And sure Faith and Profession be not all one nor Iustifying and Short of justifying all one Nor do others that read his books understand him any otherwise then I do so far as I can learn sure the Ministers that were Authors of the Propositions for Reformation of Parish Congregations Printed for the Norwich Bookseller understood him as I do p. 17. where they say thus Obj. 3. But a dogmatical Faith may entitle to Baptism as Mr Blake Treat on Con. speaks though there be no profession of a justifying faith repentance Answ. We cannot think so seeing the faith required to be professed before Baptism is such a Faith as hath salvation annexed to it Mar. 16.16 It is a Faith of the whole heart Acts 8.38 Repentance is also required to Baptism as well as Faith Acts 2.38 and the Church in the usual form of Baptism enjoyned the baptized person not only to profess the doctrine of Faith but

Reason for Doctor Owen's Indignation and less for his gross mis-reports and Socinian parallel to pag. 488 The causlesness of Mr. Blake's tears and trembling pag. 489 His untrue reports of my self of the profaneness of the Worcestershire Combinations p. 500 His untrue and dis-ingenuous report of my abusing Mr. Ball p. 500 The complexion of the rest of his Dispute not yet answered p. 501 A brief discussion of his doctrine of the Faith that entituleth to Baptism pag. 502 to 513 The impotency of more of his Accusations pag. 513 514 The substance and quality of Mr. Robertson's Epistolary Disputation pag. 515 516 His implacable kindeness and dreadful Protestation pag. 517 Of Punishment and mental Remisson pag. 518 519 Of a creeping MS. p. 520 Of the triumphing Dream of Dr Owen and Mr Blake of the terrible Conditions which I impose on my Answerers in the Preface of my Confession p. 521 The first Disputation Quest. Whether Ministers may admit persons into the Church of Christ by Baptism upon the bare verbal Profession of the true Christian saving faith without staying for or requiring any further Evidences of sincerity Aff. IN almost all our controverted Cases the Church still findeth the mischief of Extremes and among the rest in this about the due qualification of those whom we must admit to the Sacraments Some will not look after saving Faith at all but have found out a Faith of another species which they call Dogmatical which they take to be the Title to both the Sacraments Others while they look after saving faith will not take up with that Evidence of it a bare Profession which God in Scripture hath directed them to accept but they must either pretend to search the heart or stay for some better Evidences of Regeneration The confuting of these last shall be the business of this Disputation and the confuting of the former shall be the matter of the rest We here suppose that Baptism is a standing Ordinance of Christ and that the use of it is to be the sign of our Entrance into the Church of Christ not only solemnizing our Covenant with God in which upon our consent we were before secretly entred but also investing us in our Church honours and priviledges For as the Prince doth by a sword conferr the order and honour of Knighthood which he might do before by private Grant or as a man doth by a Key deliver to a Tenant the possession of a House or by a twig and turf the possession of Lands so doth God by Baptism deliver to the true Believer the honorable order of Christianity and power to be a member of Christ and his Church and a son of God and therewith he delivereth him the pardon of his sins and other Priviledges of his people Though to them that come without this saving faith there is only an Offer of the Internal Benefits from God and no Delivery of possession and only a Ministerial delivery of the possession of the external priviledges without that Title which before God will warrant their Claim anh Reception though there be enough in the Ministers Commission to warrant his delivery upon that Claim It is here also supposed that it belongeth to the Ministerial Office to Baptize and by Baptizing to admit persons into the visible Church And this is not the smallest part of their Trust and Duty and Honour nor the least of the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven which is committed to their care Ordinarily none can be admitted into the visible Church or made a visible Christian as thus listed among such but by the Office of the Ministry And therefore the Minister is made the Judge of mens aptitude to this honour for no man must act against or without the conduct of his own Judgement And therefore to whomsoever it belongeth to Baptize ordinarily to them it doth belong to judge who is fit to be baptized It may be thought that it is a very great power that Christ hath herein conferred on his Officers and that it may be easily abused to tyranny while every Minister shall have power to refuse persons their visible Christianity or the badge of it and so to make Christians as they please But first they are tyed up themselves by certain Rules as we are further to shew in this Dispute and second●y if one should tyrannize there are enow more to relieve us thirdly there is no power but may be abused but yet it must be trusted somewhere and into what hands should Christ have fitlier put it than into theirs that are by Gifts and Offices fitted for the trust I have marvelled sometime when I have heard secular Rulers on one side and the People on the other side cry down the Ministerial power of excommunicating or so much as keeping from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper that they did not as much or more contend against their Power of Baptizing and Judging who should be admitted into the Church But I think the reason is because Ministers admitted all so generally that they were not awakened to the observation of their power herein nor to any jealousie of them left they should as they call it tyrannize But undoubtedly they might as fairly say that it belongeth either to the Magistrate or to the Bishop alone or to the Major Vote of the Congregation to Baptize or Judge who shall or shall not be baptized and so admitted into the honour of visible Christianity and Church-membership as to say that it belongeth to the Magistrate or the Bishop alone or the people to excommunicate or to judge who shall be excommunicated For the Power of taking into the Church Universal is as great as that of putting out of a particular Congregation And Christ gave the Keyes conjunctly and not dividedly and therefore he that hath the admitting Key hath the Excluding Key Had our people but well considered what Interest the Ministerial Office hath in their very Baptism and Christianity and that they cannot be New-born into the Kingdom of God without the help of these Midwives at least and Scripture gives them also the Title of Parentage they would then have discerned that by their very Baptism they are engaged to the Ministery subserviently to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom they are principally engaged For as the Liturgie speaks they are Dedicated to God by our Office and Ministery and they have their visible state in the Christian Church and Possession of its Priviledges delivered to them by our Office and Ministery and therefore me thinks they should well bethink themselves before they renounce it and despise it till they dare renounce and despise their Baptism and those that do that I do not much wonder if they renounce our Ministery Furthermore It is here supposed that a Profession is necessary before we may admit men to Baptism and that this must be a profession of the true Christian saving faith and not only of some other sort of faith And we

others have no such thoughts of 2. More particularly I cannot yet see that I can be excused or disobliged from having a positive Hope taking Hope in the vulgar sense of the saving estate of that man that professeth seriously and soberly that he truly Repenteth and Believeth in Christ and hath not yet utterly forfeited the Credit of his word Charity thinketh no evil believeth all things hopeth al things 1 Cor. 13.5 7. I think the very Maxims of Nature cleared and enforced by Christ in the Gospel do teach me to believe that my brother is not a Lyar till I see convincing evidence of the contrary I confess I judge my self to owe this charitable construction and judgement of his serious Profession especially in so so great a cause to my Neighbour who hath not evidently disobliged me even as much as I owe my bread to the hungry and clothes to the naked yea or the liberty of the common Ayr or earth if it were in my power to restrain it 3. And I do not find myself at least ordinarily and easily capable of suspending my judgement of the truth or falshood of a mans Profession and being wholly neutral in it 4. Yea I perceive that it is the judgement of this Reverend Brother that we should no● be Neutral nor suspend our judgement about the Truth of the Profession which we require but that we should seek after that which he calleth a Moral Sincerity herein yea and sometime delay and try them further who offer a suspicious Profession 5. And I must confess that I take it for a great sin to censure my Brother positively to be a Lyar and to be a child of the Devil ●nd in a state of Damnation without clear convincing Evidence 6. And it seems to me a thing utterly Improbable if not certainly un●rue that God should require any man as sine qua non to his Church-entrance or admittance that he profess true Faith and Repentance to the Minister and Church as before them and yet that both Minister and people are bound to receive this Profession abstractively as to the Faith and Repentance so professed God knoweth the heart without Prof●ssion it is therefore because of us that know not mens hearts that profession is required And must we then receive such a profession abstractively from the thing profess●d Every word i● ordain●d to be a sign of the mind and a profession is formally a Relative Being The Matter of the Sign viz. The Word or the like a Bruit a Parrot may possibl● have And if the very Essence of a profession qua talis contein its Rel●tion to the thing professed and the mind of the Professor then is it destructive to the very ends and Use of a Profes●ion to abstract the material Sign from the thing professed If you s●y that it is not Regeneration which they are supposed to profess I answer it is true Repentance and Faith in Christ which they are supposed to profess and that is Regeneration or the principal part of it in sensu passivo To what purpose should we imagine that men should be obliged by God to make so solemn a profession which none of the hearers are in the least obliged to believe to be true 7. We are certainly bound to believe a sober credible person of proved fidelity in other things when he solemnly professeth to Repent and believe else we must deny credit to that which beareth plain Evidence of Credibility therefore we must believe all others according to the proportion of their Credibility and not deny them credit without just cause 8. I never yet heard any assign any other cause why God should require an open profession than the revealing of the thing professed and the consequents thereof therefore till we hear a proof of some other Reason we have cause to adhere to this 9. All men are bound to judge that God would have no man to tell a lye therefore they are bound to judge that God would have no man to profess that he Repenteth when he doth not therefore he that is to judge my Profession to be by Gods commanding and approving Will is also to judge it to be a true Profession But the Ministers and the Church are judicio charitatis fide humana to judge that the Profession of the person is such as God doth require and accept as to the main substance before they baptize him and receive him into Communion upon the account of that Profession 10. I conceive that this Reverend Brother granteth in effect the thing which I dispute for while he affirmeth that such a Moral Sincerity may be lookt after as that All Circumstances considered by which Ingenuity is estimate among men there appears no reason why the man may not and ought not to be esteemed as to the matter to think and purpose as he speaketh For I plead for no more then this Object But this is nothing to the Principle that it proceedeth from special or common Grace Answ. A true Repentance and saving faith can come from none but a supernatural Principle of special Grace and therefore he that professeth this Repentance and Faith doth thereby profess that supernatural Principle therefore if am bound to believe that he speaks as he thinks then I am bound to believe that he is a truly penitent Believer if he know his own heart and he is liker to know it better then I. Moreover he saith that To ground a positive Act of Judgement that a man is Regenerate in foro exteriori there is requisite some seemingness of spiritual sincerity that is that he doth it from a spiritual principle motives c. To which I say that a serious Profession of Faith and Repentance is a Credible seemingness of Faith and Repentance And he that professeth true Faith and Repentance must needs profess them as from a spiritual Principle and Motives and to a spiritual End for they cannot be from any other principle or motives principally nor to any other ultimate End I am therefore forced to dissent from the main reason of this Reverend Brothers judgement herein viz. That there cannot be had a p●sit●ve p●ob●ble Evidence of this ordinarily without observation of a m●ns way after Profession for a time c. For though c●nf●ss this is fuller Evidence which he pleadeth for yet still I judge that a sober s●rious Profession is a credible Evidence of the thing professed till the person have quite forfeited the Credit of his word And ou●ward Reformation may be forced or counterfeit as well though not easily a● words 〈◊〉 it was a saving faith and Repentance which Peter invited the I●ws to Act. 2 and Paul the Ja●lor Act 16. c. So doubt not but they took the following profession of these men as a credible Ev●dence of the same saving Faith which they profest Argum. 4. That which hath Evidence of Credibili●y ought to be believed But the profession of men or their bare words who have not forfeited

we believe divers persons who are to us of divers degrees of Credibility And if after all this we be deceived in the most the sin is only in the deceiver And as for us 1. We proceeded upon that evidence which Nature it self directeth us to take even a mans words as the sign of his mind 2. And upon that Evidence which the holy Examples of the Apostles of Christ have directed us to take who were not rashly venturous nor prophaners of Gods Ordinances 3. And if we be indeed deceived in the most or in many it s rather a sign that we are in Gods way than out of it for as Charity believeth all things credible so Christ hath told us that the tares and wheat must grow together and that many are called and few chosen and that in the end he will take out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that work Iniquity therefore such there will be Object 2. But it is now the custom of the Countrey and a matter of credit to be Christians in Name and therefore all will be so and if you ask them whether they Repent or Believe they will say Yea Therefore this is no credible Profession though theirs was in the dayes of the Apostles when it hazarded their lives Answ. 1. The hazard that attendeth a mans words is not necessary to make them simply credible though as to the Degrees it makes them more credible else we must believe no man but he that speaks to the hazard of his life 2. The Prosperity of the Gospel will not warrant us to alter the Rule of Nature and Scripture else the Church must Incurre greater difficulties in prosperity than in Adversity if prosperity forfeit all mens credit and so men should be kept out in prosperity who may be admi●ted in adversity when the Church had peace and were edified Act 9 31. the Apostles altered not their practice 3. We have great cause to rejoyce when Christianity is in so good credit as that all profess it and so respectively we may be glad when there are so many Hypocrites that is when persecutors befriend the truth which they persecuted and when the Gospel is in so much honour And though I am not of their mind that think it the first prescribed End of the Institution that Sacraments and Church-state should be the means of Conversion yet I doubt not but God foreknowing that many hypocrites would unjustly Intrude hath so fitted his Ordinances as to be advantagious to their Conversion when they have Intruded He calleth not any to come into his Church without saving Faith and Repentance nor is he consenting to any mans lying Profession nor unworthy approach to Baptism or the Lords Supper but yet they that do come unworthily and unwarrantably do find that there which tendeth to their Conversion and frequently effecteth it and this I think is the true mean between their Doctrine who maintain that the Sacrament is prescribed as a converting Ordinance and the unconverted are called to it and theirs that say simply it is not a converting Ordinance Object 3. This is the way to fill the Church with hypocrites and ungodly ones and that breeds all our stir while they scandadalize their Profession and will not be ruled Answ. 1. It is Gods way and then no Inconvenience will disgrace it 2. We are foretold as is said that many are called and few chosen and the Church will have many unfound Professors to the end of the world 3. When they are in the Church they are under teaching and Discipline to inform them or if they be o●stinate in gross evil to reject them 4. God will have a wide difference between the Church in heaven and on earth Object 4. Then we must admit a drunkard or whoremonger that still lyeth in his sin if a bare Verbal Profession will serve the turn Answ. No. You must see that with his Profession of Repentance he do forsake the sin repented of or else he contradicteth and invalidateth his Profession If a man in his drunkenness come to be baptized and profess to hate drunkenness he actually giveth his tongue the Lye If a man swear that he hateth swearing he contradicteth himself and we have no reason to believe him If a Whoremonger keep his Concubine while he professeth to repent he doth one thing and saith another so that this doth not follow Object 5. It was believing with all the heart that Philip required of the Eunuch and such a believing a● had the Promise of Salvation as Paul and Silas required of the Jaylor Answ. True and it s such that we require But Philip and Paul took a bare present Profession as the Evidence of that faith which they must accept and so must we Object 6. But then we shall apply the Seal to a Blank Answ. By a Blank if you mean One that you ought not to apply it to and that hath no right in foro Ecclesiae I deny it but if you mean one that is not actually the subject of Gods promise and to whom God is not actually obliged but conditionally as he is to Heathens and one that hath no proper right coram Deo or Deo judice as shall justifie his claim and receiving before God so I grant that we set the seal to a Blank But that 's not our sin but his And here I desire the Objectors carefully to note that it is Gods design in the Gospel so to order things that the actual Application shall first be the act of the sinner himself God by his Ministers indeed will be the first offerer and the Spirit in the Elect shall be the first Exciter But the first actual apprehender must be the sinner and then the Ministers application by the seals is in order to come after mens own application For man is to be the chooser or refuser of his own salvation which Clemens Alexandrinus giveth as a reason why in those times of the Church When some as the custom is have divided the Eucharist they permit every one of the people to take his own part For every mans own conscience is best fitted to the act of choosing or refusing Stromat lib 1. pag. 2. so that we are but to follow them with the seal and therefore the applying or refusing act must be first theirs and theirs as professed is the Director of ours And therefore as it is their sin and not ours if they reject Christ and their faith and not ours by which he is chosen to be theirs so it is their sin and not ours if a misapplication be made of the External Ordinance by them and so we take not an invalid profession we are bound to follow their profession for God never appointed heart searchers to administer his seals Object 7. But wicked men know not their own hearts and therefore are uncapable of making a credible profession Answ. They may know them better them I can The Intellect hath naturally a power of knowing it self

sequitur pontificem malum non esse c●put ecclesiae alios episcopos si m●li sunt non esse capita suarum ecclesiarum Caput enim non est humor aut pilus sed membrum quidem praecipuum This put him on distinguishing and yet at last he could bring it but to this Dico episcopum malum presbyterum malum Doctorem malum esse mēbra mortua perinde non vera corporis Christi quantū attinet ad rationem mēbri ut est pars quaedam vivi corporis tamen esse verissima membra in ratione instrumenti id est pap●m episcopos esse vera capita c. ratio est quia membra viva constituuntur per charitatē qua imp●i carent at instrumenta operativa constituuntur per potestatem sive ordinis sive jurisdictionis And what is this more then the wooden leg or silver teeth which our Divines compare them to But the new Papists since Bellarmine do see a necessity of a further distinguishing the Church as a visible political society from the Church as truly sanctified But that which we and all the ancients do make to be but the Profession distinct from the thing professed the body distinct from the soul the chaff distinct from the wheat the shell distinct from the kernel they make to be as the lower order which is the way to a higher as the Alphabet or lower Rudiments which are the way to Grammar as an apprentiship to a trade I mean as a state of preparation to a state of infallible salvation And because it favoureth their main design they seem to draw near to the same conceit which they were wont falsly to fasten on the Protestants viz. that there are two ●hurches one Political and visible the other regenerate Invisible And Bellarmine confesseth that some of them were of this mind in his time And all this stir is that they may advance their visible Church in the estimation of men thereby the more easily keep the rule in their own hands and exalt themselves above Scripture and draw as many as may be into their society and therefore they drive the poor ignorant Americans by hundreds to be baptized as we drive our beasts to watering or our sheep to be washed and in stead of staying till they make Profession of a saving faith with any seeming seriousness they make Baptism an entrance into the state of the Catechumeni which was wont to be the passage thence into the state of Christians that per fas aut nefas they may engage people to themselves under pretence of engaging them to Christ therefore it is that they so over extoll the visible Political state of the Church as Dr. Prideaux saith Lect. de visibil eccles pag. 128. Experti demum perciperunt externam ecclesiae pompam speciosos titulos apud instabiles plus lucrari quam non lectam vel saltem non intellectam scripturae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc ecclesiam ad ravint usque crepant Catholicam quam admissam statim restringunt ad Romae synagogam suco quidem veteratorio sed conspicuo satis ridiculo ut ex conficta ecclesia formeiur doctrina non ex veritate doctrinae reformetur firmetur ecclesia The chief adversaries therefore we have here to deal with are the Papists who over-magnifie the visible face of the Church make the faith of men unjustified to be true faith though not formatacharitate and make Hypocrites and and wicked Professors to be truly and properly fideles and members of the Church whom the Protestants affirm to be but secundum quid materially analogically yea equivocally called members or fideles and therefore they make Baptism to be an appointed means to admit men into this visible Political Church as into the ordinary way and passage to the state of saving grace or justification but not ordinarily into the present possession of it And therefore in conformity to all this they maintain that we must admit persons to Baptism upon the bare Profession of faith that is Assent with consent to be under the Government of the Church and the use of ordinances in order to be a better state For saith Bellarmine it is not Charity but Faith which makes a Christian which our divines admit as true in our sense of the word Faith which includeth the will and is proper to the truly regenerate but they deny it in his sense of it who maketh faith to be the only Assent of the intellect Against this adversary therefore I shall principally bend the force of my Arguments though to my great trouble I must be forced to deal also with a Reverend Brother of our own especially in answering his many fallacious arguments which he hath lately heaped up for that part which I must oppose 4. Before I can positively answer the question in hand I must premise these few necessary Distinctions 1. We must distinguish between a Profession of faith according to the Ministers sense of the words and a Profession according to the speakers sense 2. Between the Children of those that profess not saving faith as theirs and claiming Baptism on the account of some lower Profession and the same Children as owned by some other that do profess saving faith 3. Between the unlawfulness of Baptizing and the Nullity of the Baptism Those distinctions that are necessary for the answering of the objections will come in their places Upon these few I answer the question negatively explained in the following Propositions 1. It is not a Profession of saving Faith in the real intention of the Professor that we affi●m necessary but in the Apprehension of the Minister judging of the words according to their common use and acception For we know not the heart of the Professor and therefore know not certainly whether he intend those words as a Profession or not I do not mean whether he be sincere in his Profession and intend the thing Professed for that 's no part of the Profession it self but I mean whether he use the words which he speaks in the sense which they seem to us to import and which they are used in by those that best understand their common signification For example a Papist presenteth a Child to be Baptized Professing to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost I know that these words according to the Scripture use of them signifie a true saving fa●th but I am not sure whether the speaker do understand any more by them then a lower faith of meer Assent If I knew he meant no more I would require him to express a saving faith before I would Baptize his Child on his account but if I know it not nor have just reason to question it I must take the words as they are commonly used and seem to be intended by him and so if it appear to me to be a Profession of saving faith though I err and my errour be innocent it is my duty

to Baptize the Child I have known a man of eighty years of age that took God the Son to be the sun in the firmament If before I had understood him this man had professed to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and presented his child to baptism with this profession and I had no ground before to suspect his error or to examine him about his faith it had been my duty to baptize his child For though in the intended sense of the speaker here was not so much as the Profession of an Historical faith much less of a saving faith yet I know not his heart and the common use of those words as to another signification than he intended and therefore I was Innocent in being deceived 2. I meddle not here with the claim that is laid upon the account of the Ancestors Adopters or undertakers that profess saving faith but only with the claim laid on the account of Parents or any others that profess not saving faith 3. When I assert the unlawfulness I do not intend thereby to assert the Nullity of all such baptism when performed though unlawfully For though it may be Null or vain as to the special uses and benefits yet it followeth not that therefore it is Null as to the true form and being of the Externall Ordinance nor that this is to be re-iterated And with these explications I affirm that Ministers may not Baptize the children of those that Profess not saving faith upon the Profession of any other faith that comes short of it And here you must remember that our question supposeth the determination of the controversie whether the same faith that is necessary in the aged themselves if they were to be baptized be necessary to their childrens baptism on their account For it seems strange to me that any should imagine that a lower belief in the Parent will help his child to a Title than that which is necessary to his own baptism But if any will insist on such a conceit because we will not now make more controversies then that in hand let such all along suppose our dispute to be about the aged themselves whether we might baptize the aged upon the Profession of any faith short of saving And I thus prove the contrary Argum. 1. If we must not baptize any who profess not true Repentance then must we not baptize any that profess not saving faith But the Antecedent is true speaking of the Adult Concerning whom as the more noble subject we shall carry on the Argumentation for brevity still implying the l●ke necessity of their professing saving faith for their childrens baptism as for their own therefore c. The Consequence of the Major I prove thus 1. True repentance and saving faith are inseparable therefore if one be of necessity so is the other and the profession of true Repentance cannot be separated from the profession of saving faith therefore if one be necessary so is the other Some learned Divines take repentance and faith to be all one some take repentance to be part of faith but all take it to be as inseparable from it It were easie by describing the requisite Professions of both to shew that they are so interwoven that no man can profess the one w●thout the other but I think it is needless because few will deny it By Repentance here I mean that true Evangelical Repentance which is a special grace of God accompanying salvation and not any common preparatory Repentance The Antecedent is easily proved from Scripture and I know not whether any Protestant deny it many Papists indeed distinguish of Repentance and Faith and say that it is only a profession of a preparatory Repentance and sides informis a faith without love that is necessarily to be expected from them before Baptism But I prove the contrary 1. That Repentance 2. And such as is proper to the effectually called is necessary to be professed by all that we may Baptize I will joyn the proof of both together Argum. 1. If John Baptist required the Profession of true Repentance in men before he would baptize them then so must we But John did so therefore the Consequence is clear 1. For either Johns Baptism and Christs were the same as most of our Divines against the Papists do maintain though Zanchy and some few more follow the Judgement of the ancient Doctors in this or as Calvin Institut saith the difference seems to be but this that John baptized them into the Messiah to come and the Apostles into the name of the Messiah already come 2. Or if the difference be greater we may argue à fortiori If Johns Baptism required a Profession of Repentance then much more Christs for certainly Christ required not less then John nor did he take the impenitent into his Kingdom whom John excluded The Antecedent I prove 1. From Mark 1 34. He preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And doubtless that Repentance which is in Remissionem peccatorum is true special Repentance One of our Divines and many of the Papists have found out another evasion that is that John did engage them to repent but not requiring a Profession or Repentance as foregoing baptism But 1. this is against the whole current of expositors ancient and modern and 2. against the plain scope of the text The words in Mat. 3.6 are They were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins This confession was with yea before their baptism and this Confession was the Profession of the Repentance that John required Maldonate on the text having first railed at Calvin and slandered him as turning baptism into preaching as if he had expounded Johns baptizing not of water-baptism but preaching when he only shews that both should go together doth tell the Protestants that they cannot prove by this text that confession went before baptism because it is named after but that he might not seem utterly impudent he confesseth that the thing is true and that it is the sense of the text and that this he confesseth because he must rather be a faithfull expositor then a subtile adversary And if any should say that it 's only confession that 's required which is no certain sign of true Repentance I answer when John saith If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins he took that confession to be a sign of true Repentance And our Expositors and the Ancients before them agree that it was such a confession as was conjunct with a detestation and renouncing of the sin And it is expounded by that of Acts 19.18 as Grotius noteth to have a special detestation of the sin accompaneing it where to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it may sufficy that the baptism to which this Confession was required is the baptisme of Repentance But it is objected that in the 11. vers of Mat. 3. it is said by Iohn I Baptize you

for our consent 3. It is this same Covenant that is offered to us and not another that we are called to consent to or enter in And we cannot be truly said to enter into the covenant of God if we make a new one of our own and lay by his for that 's none of the Covenant of God he never offered it nor will he ever enter it 4. It is confessed by all that there is an internal covenanting with God by the heart and an External covenanting or engaging our selves by words or other outward signs and that this last is the Profession of the former 5. And it is confessed by all the world that internal Covenanting is an Act of the Will and never of the understanding only or chiefly 6. And this Act of the Will is commonly by the custom of Nations called consent so that consenting to Gods offered Covenant is the very formal Act or our Internal covenanting with him and professing this consent is the Signal or External Covenanting with him 7. We are I hope agreed what the Covenant of Grace is as offered on Gods part or else its great pity viz. that on the Title of Creation first and Redemption after we being absolutely his own it is offered to us that God will be our God our chief Good and Reconciled Father in Christ that Christ will be our Saviour by Propitiation Teaching and Ruling us even from the guilt and filth or power of sin that the Holy Ghost will be our indwelling Sanctifier if we heartily or sincerely accept the Gift and Offer That God will consent to be our God Christ to be our Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to be our indwelling Sanctifier if we will but consent This is no doubt the Gift or Covenant as offered These things being premised I come to prove not only the inseparability which is enough to my purpose but even the Identity of Heart-covenanting and saving faith and of signal external covenanting and the Profession of saving faith To enter the Covenant of God unfeignedly in heart is to accept God for my God Jesus Christ for my Saviour and the Holy Ghost for my Sanctifier upon the Gospel offer To believe savingly is to accept of God for my God Jesus Christ for my Saviour and the Holy Ghost for my sanctifier upon the Gospel offer therefore to enter the Covenant of God heartily and to believe savingly are the same Moreover to Covenant with God Externally is to profess our Consent that God be our God Christ our Saviour and the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier on the Gospel offer To profess saving faith is to profess the same consent therefore external entering into the Covenant and profession of saving faith are the same thing That this is the only true Covenant-entrance with God is proved thus It is only this Covenant of Grace that God calleth us to consent to and offereth himself to enter with us therefore it is only this covenant of Grace whose acceptance or consent to it is our entrance into the Covenant of God There can be no covenanting in the present sense but by two parties But God doth not offer himself to us in any other Covenant but this nor offer his consent to any other And it s confessed that God is the leading Party prescribing to man and imposing on him the terms of the Covenant or Conditions which he must perform There is no possibility therefore of our entering into Gods covenant when it is none of his Covenant or when it is against his Will or without his consent And that this is the nature of saving faith is manifest For 1. It is not a meer act of the Intellect Though Assent be the Initial Act from which it hath oft its name yet it is not the whole nor the perfecting Act Our Divines most commonly consent except Camero and some few more that faith is in the Will as well as the Understanding And its first Act in the Will must needs be velle Christum oblatum or a consent to the Gospel-offer of God Christ and the Holy Ghost or an Acceptance of the Redeeming Trinity in the Relation as they are offered to to be ours in the Gospel After which followeth Affiance as Assent precedes it Our Assembly of Divines in their Catechisms say That Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving Grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel Or as elswhere to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel And the Wills receiving is by Accepting or Consenting Dr. Preston hath at large shewed in many of his writings as I have elswhere shewed that Faith and Heart-covenanting with Christ is all one The Scripture calleth Saving faith A receiving Christ Jesus the Lord John 1.12 Col. 2.5 6 This therefore with almost all Protestant Writers is past controversie But if any will yet be stiff in it that Faith is only in the Intellect upon that common poor reason that one Grace cannot be in two faculties it may suffice to them that I prove the Inseparability of saving faith and sincere Heart-covenanting and so of the profession of each though I had not proved the Identity And these same men do most earnestly plead for the Inseparability themselves maintaining at large that Assent which only they call Faith if true is Inseparable from true consent which is the Heart-covenanting Of which you may see Dr. Downame in his Treatise of Justification and in his Appendix against Mr. Pemble at large But here we are quite off with the Papists for they stifly maintain that Faith is only the Understandings Assent only the Schoolmen and others of them confess that it is a willing Assent but it is one thing to will the Assent and another thing to will or Accept the Good that is contained in the promise which we Assent to This last is the thing in Question And they tell us that this is not Faith but Love To which Maccovius and Chamier answer them that Faith and Love to Christ are all one though Faith and Love to a distinct object be not so 2. Hereupon we proceed to a further difference which is that the Papists say that Faith may be separated from Love that Faith without Love doth not Justifie but only that Faith which is informed by Love How far this supposed great disagreement is meerly Verball or Reall I leave to the judicious Reader to judge when he hath considered that what we call Faith simply they call Fides formata Charitate That the Act of Faith which is in the Will the Papists call by the name of Love and not of Faith yet both agree de re ipsa that this is the thing which is necessary to Justification and we confess as well as they that meer Assent of some sort is separable from Love But then the mischief is that the Papists by false wording or naming these Graces are carried to the misinterpreting of

expounds the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus Id est praed cabat baptisma resipiscentiae quod ad Remissionem peccatorum pertinet seu destinatum est ut Act. 2.38 sed hoc est rectè intelligendū viz ad Remissionem peccatorū testificandam sive obsignandam non autem ad illam consequendam hoc opere And on Mal. 3.11 Observe he shews that Christs Baptism and Johns are the same in that both have the same end and use viz. Obsignatio Remissionis peccatorum Resipiscentiae that is as already extant as his Judgement is oft delivered As in his Schol. on ver 11. he expresly saith In resipiscenti●m id est in testimonium Resipiscentiae ut nimirum susceptione baptismi testatum faciatis vos resipuisse indies magis ac magis resipiscere velle sed simul hìc intelligendum Joannem baptizasse quoque in remissionem peccatorum hoc est in remissionem peccatorum ut nimirum nomine Dei testatum faceret resipiscentibus in Christum credentibus peccata ipsis remissa esse propter Christum agnum Dei. And I pray mark his observation on Mat. 3.6 8 10. concluding our present Question Baptismus nulli adulto conferendus est nisi prius ediderit confessionem peccatorū fidei in Christū ac praeterea promissionem sanctae vitae which he proves And as he shews that it is Saving Faith and Repentance that he means which hath the promise of remission so the promise of a holy Life cannot be sincerely made by any till he have a Regenerate heart See Doctor Hammond on Mark 1.4 Calvin on Mat. 3.6 saith ergò ut se ritè ad Baptismum offerant homines peccatorum Confessio ab illis requiritur alioqui enim quàm inane esset ludicrum tota actio If I had charged the guilty so of making the whole work of Baptism ludicrous they would have been highly offended Calvin shews his judgement that it is a true special Repentance which he would require this Confession to manifest And he addeth Notandum est de adultis hic verba fieri quos scimus non promiscuè in Ecclesiam esse admittendos nec Baptismo initiandos esse in corpus Christi nisi examine prius habito viz. about the said Repentance and Faith Paraeus on Mat. 3.5 shews that the order was that Confession as a testimony of true Repentance go first and then Baptism for Remission of sins confessio post ponitur sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constructionis Confesii baptizabantur pro Cum confessi essent peccata baptismum accipiebant Sacramentum remissionis peccatorum Non prius baptizabantur postea confitebantur Auditores igitur primò in testimonium Resip●scentiae confitebantur sua peccata deinde baptizabātur tertiò fide Baptismi fructum suscipiebant Remissionē peccatorum Docet hic locus varia 1. Quod Baptismus sit sacramentū Remissionis peccatorum ex parte Dei spondet enim Deus ceu jurejurando baptizatis remissionem gratuitam peccatorum propter Christum 2. Quod sit etiam sacramentum Resipiscentiae ex parte nostra Restipulamur enim Deo fidem poenitentiam pro tanto beneficio That is both profess it at present and engage to continue in it answering the interrogation Credis with a Credo and not only a Credam 3. Ad Sacramenta non esse admittendos Impoenitentes He speaks of the Repentance which had the promise of Remission Hoc enim damus Anabaptistis in Ecclesiam suscipiendos baptizandos non esse nisi praevia confessione Fidei Poenitentiae by the adult quem morem vetus servavit Ecclesia nostrae hodie observant si vel Judaeus vel Turca adultus baptismo sit ini●i indus And on verse 7. he saith which will be harsh to our Opponents Ex concione ipsa datur intelligi multos illerum simulata poenitentia etiam baptismū petivisse Horum hypocrisin cùm non ignoraret non passus eos latere in turba nec ad baptismum indignos admisit sed acri objurgatione hortatione comminatione ad seriam resipiscentiam extimulat ad baptismum praeparat where he goeth three steps beyond our Opposers who 1. will not have us require as necessary so much as a shew of this Repentance 2. Much less the sincerity of it 3. nor to deny them Baptism as unworthy till they are prepared After he shews that Hypocrits will creep in among the good partly such as we cannot discern and those are to be left to the judgement of God partim manifesti quos Pastores admittere non debent sine examine nè Sacramenta prost●tuant sibi Ecclesiae reatum attrahant How little do our confident opposers fear this Facite fructus dignos Poenitentiae Pro Cavete mihi vel Deo hypocrisi illudere sed videte ut veram poenitentiam agatis ab erroribus peccatis vestris si● baptismum Novae Ecclesiae sacramentum suscipiatis Fructus poenitentiae vocat ut palam erroribus sectis vitiis suis renuncient emendatione vitae se novos homines deinceps testentur Non enim satis est foris poenitētiā simulare quod etiā hypocritae solent c. And p. 56. against Maldonate he proveth the Baptism of Christ and John all one and when Maldonate saith that John baptized in poenitentium baptismus praecedebat poenitentia sequebatur confessing that in Christs Baptism Repentance precedes he answereth that it is false Nam etiam in Joannis baptismo praecedebat poenitentia sequebatur baptismus If then it be certain that Johns Baptism was for present Remission of sins even the obsignation of a Remission already conferred by the promise it will be at least as evident that Christs Baptism is so to and accordingly to be administred Hence it is that the Faith which the Apostles before they baptized men did perswade them to was still a Justifying Faith as Act. 13.38 39. passim as that which they were to annex the Seal of Baptism to or to Gods promise on mens believing 2 Pet. 1.9 It is said of the barren ungodly Professor that he hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins where I take it for a clear case that it is the Baptismal Washing which the Apostle there intendeth wherein all profess to put off the Old Man and to be washed from their former filthiness For I suppose we shall be loth to yield that it was an actual cleansing either of Remission or Mortification which the Apostle meaneth left we grant that men may fall from such a state And therefore it must be a Sacramental washing or Cleansing wherein the matter was appearingly and sacramentally transacted From whence it is plain that the Apostle took it for granted that as all the Baptized were visibly Church-Members so were they all visibly washed from their old sins which sheweth both what was their own Profession and what was the stated end and use of the Ordinance The Apostle saith

that believeth in him as a Teacher only for that is no more then to believe in him as in Moses or Elias 4. He that is sincerely a Disciple in heart must take Christ for his only Teacher in the way to everlasting life renouncing all other except as they stand under him and must be willing to be taught and guided by him in all things therefore he that is a professed Disciple must profess all this And that is to profess saving Faith For without saving faith no man can so believe in him or be heartily willing to be taught by him The lessons that they are to learn of him are self-denial and the contempt of this world and the love of one another and to be meek and lowly in heart that they may find rest to their souls Mat. 11.27 28. And these he proclaimeth when he inviteth men to his school But no ungodly man is willing to learn any of these and therefore unwilling are they to be his Disciples Argum. 8. We ought not to baptize those persons or their Infants as theirs who are visible members of the Kingdom of the Devil and his children or that do not so much as profess their forsaking of the child-hood and Kingdom of the devil But such are all that profess not a saving faith Ergo. The Major is proved thus If we must Baptize none but for present admission into the Kingdom of Christ then we must baptize none but those that profess a present departure from the Kingdom of the devil But the former is true therefore so is the latter The Antecedent is granted by those that I have to do with The reason of the consequence is evident in that all the world is divided into these two Kingdoms and they are so opposite that there is no passing into one but from the other The Minor of the first Argument I prove thus All they are visibly in the Kingdom of the Devil or not so much as by Profession removed out of it who Profess not a removal from that condition● in which the wrath of God abideth on them and they are excluded by the Gospel from everlasting life But such are all that profess not a justifying faith Therefore I express the Major two waies disjunctively lest any should run to instances of men that are converted have not yet had a cal or opportunity to profess it If such are not visibly in the Kingdom of the Devil at least they are not visibly out of it The Major is proved in that it is the condition of the covenant of grace performed that differenceth the members of Christs Kingdom from Satans and so it is that condition profest to be performed that visibly differenceth them before men It is the promise of grace that bringeth them out of Satans Kingdom therefore it is only done invisibly to those that profess the performance of the condition Moreover to be out of Satans Kingdom visibly is to be visibly from under his Government but those that profess not saving faith are not visibly from under his Government Lastly to be visibly out of Satans Kingdom is to be visibly freed from his power as the Executioner of Gods eternal vengeance But so are none that profess not saving faith The Minor is proved from John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son or obeyeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him where it is plain 1. That the unbelief spoken of is that which is opposed to saving faith even to that faith which hath here the promise of everlasting life 2. And that this leaves them visibly under the wrath of God So in Mar. 16.16 compared with Mat. 28.19 In the later Christ bids them make him Disciples and in the former he describeth those that are such and those that remain still in the Kingdom of Satan He that blieveth and is Baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Here it is evident that the unbelief threatned is that which is contrary to and even the privation of the faith that Salvation is expresly promised to and that all that profess not this saving fa●th are not so much as professedly escaped a state of Damnation and that this is the differencing Character of Christs Disciples to be baptized of which yet more afterward so Acts 26.18 It is the opening of mens eyes and the turning them from darkness to light and the power of Satan to God that they may receive Remission of sins c. which is the true state of them that are Christians in heart and the Profession of this that proveth them professed Christians and they that do not profess to be thus enlightned and converted do not profess to be brought from under the power of Satan for that is here made the terminus à quo So Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Here the passing into the Kingdom of Christ is by passing from the Kingdom of darkness so that he is not Cordially in one that is Cordially in the other and consequently he is not by Profession in the one who is not by Profession past from the other He that professeth not such a faith as proveth men in Christs Kingdom professeth not so much as may prove him out of Satans And expresly it is said 1 John 3.8 10. He that committeth sin is of the Devil In this the Children of God are manifest the Children of the Devil he that doth not righteousness is not of God c. These passages will be further touched when we come to the Argument from the true visible Church Argum. 9. If it be the appointed use of all Christian Baptism to solemnize our marriage with Christ or to seal or confirm our union with him or ingraffing into him then must we baptize none that profess not justifying faith Because this is necessarily prerequisite and no others can protend to union marriage or ingraffing into Christ But the Antecedent is true Both Antecedent and consequence are evident in Gal. 3.27 28 29. For as many of you as have been baptized into Chr●st have put on Chr●st Ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if ye be Chr●sts then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs acccoding to promise Here 1 We see that it is not an accidental or separable thing for baptism to be our visible entrance into Christ our putting him on our admittance by solemnization into the state of Gods Children and heirs acording to promise For this is affirmed of all he baptized with true Christian Baptism If we be truely baptized we are baptized into Christ. If we we are baptized into Christ then are we Christ's and have put on Christ and are all one in Christ and are Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise If any object that the Apostle speaks this but of some of them even of the

Regenerate because he saith as many of you I answer it is manifest that he speaks of all 1 Because it was all of them that were baptized into Christ. 2. He expresly saith as much in the next foregoing words vers 26. For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus To which the words following are annexed as the proof For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. The assumption is implied But you have all bin baptized into Christ therefore ye have all put on Christ and so in him are all the Children of God 2. Note that they are the special gifts of saving grace that are here ascribed to all the Baptized 3. Note also that all this is said and proved to be by faith 4. Note also that it is expresly said to be a ●ustifying faith before vers 24. That we we might be justifyed by faith Indeed this Text affordeth us divers Arguments 1. The Apostle supposeth all the Baptized to profess a justifying faith among the Galathians therefore so must we suppose of others and expect that they do it The Antecedent is proved from vers 24 25. and 27. compared 2. All the Baptized are said to have put on Christ therefore they are supposed to profess that faith by which Christ is put on But that is only justifying faith 3. All that are duly Baptized are baptized into Christ therefore they are supposed to profess that faith by which men are united or ingraffed into Christ but that is only justifying faith But the rest of the Arguments here will be further touched on anon Mr. Blake saith p. 152. Whether all union with Christ imply Regeneration let John 15.2 be consulted where an union with Christ is clearly held out Yet Mr. Baxter brings that text among others to prove that there are some saints that shall never be saved Answ. 1. But I told you that by Saints I meant only those that profess an Acceptance of Christ and not your Saints that only profess a lower faith In this you do by me as you use 1. Union with Christ in the primary and proper sense is proper to the sound believer or else no Title or benefit on earth is proper to him But as those are believers in profession that are not so in heart so those are united to or ingraffed into the Church and so to Christ by an outward Profession who are not so in heart And this is called a Union because they profess that inward Union which they have not which is the famosius significatum Whether these be only equivocally said to be united to Christ we shall enquire in season But tell me where any man was ever said in scripture to be united to Christ without saving faith or the Profession of it 3. I suppose you know how many of our Divines do expound Iohn 15 of a saving Union and take the cautions about unfruitfulness and Apostacy to be de rebus nunquam futuris purposely given that they might not be future But this I stick not on Next he citeth Mr. Cobbet Mr. Hudson and Mr. Ames to shew that Christ is the head of the visible Church and hath many unfruitful members c. Answ. As pertinent as most Citations that I there have met with that is utterly impertinent It 's yielded that as they have a Profession of saving faith so by profession they are members of the visible Church But prove if you can that ever any are such visible members but the professors of a saving faith and their Children I conclude then that Christ hath appointed no Baptism but what is for a visible marriage of the soul to himself as the Protestants ordinarily confess therefore he hath appointed no Baptism but for those that profess to take Jesus Christ for their Husband and to give up themselves to him as his Espouse But this is a Profession of Justifying faith For heartily to take Christ for our Head and Husband is true saving faith and proper to his own Regenerate people if any thing in the world be so And no man can profess to be married to Christ that doth no● profess to take him for a Husband Therefore for my part I never intend to baptize any without profession of saving faith As for Mr. Blakes answer that we are oftener said here to be espoused to Christ then married I think that this and many hundred such passages do need no answer But yet I shall say 1. Either will serve my turn No unregenerate man is truly espoused to Christ. 2. Though the whole Church in one be solemnly to be married to Christ at judgement that is presented perfect justified and glorified yet that particular believers are married to Christ here I am resolved by Gods assistance to believe while I believe Isa. 54.5 Eph. 5. and many other Texts of scripture Arg. 10. If Paul account all the Baptized Saints or sanctified men dead with Christ and risen with him such as have put on Christ sons of God by Adoption Abraham seed Heirs according to promise and justified then did they all profess a true justifying faith But the Antecedent is certain ergò so is the consequent The Antecedent Mr. Blake confesseth And I shall prove it by parts The consequence is that which lieth chiefly on me to prove and I shall do both together The Apostle in the beginning of his Epistle to the Corinthians and in may other places calls the whole Church Saints 1 Cor 6.11 He saith to them But ye are washed ye are sanctified c That part of the Antecedent then is certain The consequence I prove thus There are none called Saints in all the new Testament but only such as where in heart Devoted to Christ by a saving faith or Professed so much therefore the word Saints in this case must signifie only such If any will prove a third sort of Saints viz. such as profess a faith not saving they must do that which I never yet saw done 2. The first and most famous signification of the word Saints or Sanctified in the new Testament is only of them that are in heart devoted to Christ by true faith therefore the borrowed or Analogical or less proper signification call it what you list must be of that which hath the likeness or appearance of this and that is only the profession of it and not the profession of another thing 3. Let us peruse the texts and see whether it be not a special Saint-ship which Paul ascribeth to these and therefore as to appearance and Profession they had 1 Cor. 6.11 such were some of you but ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God and that sanctification wh●ch is joyned with justification which is wrought by the spirit of God cleansing men from their former reigning sins which else would have kept them out of the Kingdom of God and which

was in them that must judge Angels ver 3. was a special saving sanctification But such did this seem to Paul which he speaketh of as is exprest in the Text therefore there must needs be at least a Profession of this And because Mr. Blake tells me pag. 14● how well I know that he hath proved his assertion I shall peruse all those Texts which he citeth to that end in his Book of the Covenants p●g 207 208. And first we must observe that the persons that he there himself speaketh of are Visible Professors as distinct from the Elect and Regenerate yea from those that are really Saints and shall be for heaven And he calleth them men separate for God and Dedicated to him But this is unedifying slippery dealing to confound two distinct causes to●●ther He that is professedly Dedicated to God is a Professor of saving Faith He that is really and heartily Dedicated to ●od shall certainly be saved Here Mr. Blake pleadeth the cause that I do maintain and not that which he hath undertaken against me and the common truth I confess as well as he that Profession maketh Saints visible or by profession as hearty Dedication to God by faith maketh real or heart-Saints But how angry is he himself afterwards at this distinction of Real and Professed Saints as if that none but the justified were real Saints But what is all this to a Saint-ship consisting in the Profession of a faith short of that which is Justifying I shall take these last to be Mr. Blake's Saints and no Scripture Saints I mean Saints of his denomination till he have better proved that ever Scripture so calleth them The Texts cited by him are these Frst Psal. 16.3 Saints on earth And I yield to him that there are Saints on earth Then 1 Cor. 16.1 Heb. 16.10 where we read of Collections for the Saints and Administration to the Saints By these I doubt not but he may prove that more than the heart-Saints are called Saints but that is because they profess and seem to be heart-Saints These Texts are far from proving that there are any Saints that profess not saving sanctity I shall anon tell Mr. Blake who they were that Calvin and other Protestants do expound the word Saints of in such Passages as these though he hath already told us that he abhorreth the Doctrine which they maintain But this is a Practical case that Mr. Blake hath here put us upon the Communion of Saints doth not only consist in Conjunction in God's Worship but also in mutual relief and free communication of outward things as the Text which he here citeth doth declare Those therefore that are of his mind must communicate as well to the Professors of a common Faith as of a saving Faith But hear who they be that Pareus supposeth Paul to mean in loc Docemur vero ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctorum quam credimus etiam huc pertinere ut necessitatibus fratrum mutuò tangamur pro virili succurramus prompte fideliter sumus enim unius Corporis membra c. Nam Fidei charitatis unitas omnes in Christo Capite conjungit It is then the Members of Christ united in him and joyned in Faith and Love And those that Profess to be such are so to us Acts 26.10 Acts 9.2 When Paul shut up many of the Saints in prison and did much evil against them he knew no other way of distinction than an outward Profession c. saith Mr Blake Answ. Nor do we know means hearts nor think that Paul knew them But the Question is What they professed Whether saving Sanctity or a common Sanctity and Faith short of it He addeth We read of Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 and they were taken in to be Church-Members as soon as they made profession as they ceased to be Jews or Pagans and took them to the way of Christianity as we see Act. 2. Act. 8.12 13 38. Ans. 1. They renounced the way of ungodliness and wickedness in general by a Profession of repentance as well as the way of Paganism and Judaiism in particular There were no Christians that Professed not Repentance towards God from dead works 2. We believe that there were Churches of the Saints and therefore that none should be of the Church that Profess not to be true Saints But prove if you can that there was ever either Church or Church-member called Saints in Scripture that had no either special Sanctity or a Profession of it You say nothing to prove that any were called Saints upon the Profession of a Faith short of saving Faith Emphaticum est saith Calvin in loc quod exprimit sanctorum acsi Ecclesias rite compositas à sinistra nota subduceret Of which see him fully on 1 Cor. 1.2 And as for those Acts 8. you cannot prove that any of them were either called Saints or Baptized without a Profession of a Justifying faith as shall further be shewed afterward M. Blake addeth The Epistles wrote to particular visible Churches are inscribed to Saints among which what some are read both the Epistles to the Corinthians yea what almost all are in some Churches read the Epistle to the Church of Sardis Answ. 1. No man in any of these Churches is called a Saint upon the Profession of any lower kind of faith but only on the presence or profession of saving faith 2. I have not heard a proof that the worst of these Church●s had many members if any that were impenitent and obstin●te in any error or sin after admonition and so that were visibly destitute of the saving Sanctity which they did Profess 3. If such there were the Churches are commanded to cast them out and then they will be no longer numbred with the Saints 4. The Apostles may well call the whole Society Saints when part are really so in heart and the rest Profess it We commonly tell both Papists and Separatists that the Scripture thus denominateth the whole from the better part as a field is called a Corn-field though theree be more Tares then Corn and yet you will not call the Tares Corn No more will I call the ungodly Saints when I know them though I will call the Church Saints where they are and them while they Profess themselves Saints and I know not but they are so 5. If you can with patience but read what Clavin saith on 1 Cor. 1.2 and Peter Martyr to name no more now you will see that Doctrine which you abhor maintained by the Protestants and in what current it is that your opinion floweth Mr. Blake adds The Apostle tells us of the faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. the doctrine of Faith as is agreed on all hands all that profess that Doctrine are Saints Answ. All that cordially entertain that Doctrine are Saints in Heart All that profess so to entertain it are Saints by Profession while that Profession hath any validity But all that barely

profess to assent to the truth of that Doctrine and no mo●e unless as that Assent may imply the Consent of the Will are not Saints But let us peruse some other Texts besides these that Mr. Blake citeth The Congregations of the Saints are mentioned in the Old Testament as Psal. 89 5 7. and 149 1. But what Saints these were may appear by the Promises made to them Ps. 149.5 9 4 16.3 37.28 97.10 132.9 16. 145 10. The Children of Israel a people neer unto him are called Saints Psal. 148.14 but it is because they are a part of them his people in heart and the rest profess themselves to be his People in a saving sense And if there were any that did not so he was not an Israelite by Religion nor to be of that Common-wealth but to be cut off from his People Acts 9.13 The Saints at Jerusalem that Paul persecuted were such as not only professed saving Faith but also had the witness of Martyrdom and Persecutions to testifie their Sincerity They that continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and breaking bread and prayers having all things common selling their possessions and goods and parting them to all men as every man had need praising God c. did profess more then a Faith and Repentance short of that by which we are saved But so did the Church at Jerusalem Act. 2.41 42. to the end yea the multitude of them that Believed were of one heart one soul and great grace was upon them all c. Acts 4.32 to 36. so that we may see what Saints the Church at Jerusalem were And if all were not such we see evidently that the whole was denominated from such The Church of Rome were all called Saints Rom. 1.7 True But what was meant by that word and what Saints did they appear to Paul by their Profession to be Even such as were beloved of God whose Faith was spoken of throughout the world that were dead to sin but alive to God that had obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine delivered to them and being made free from sin became the servants of Righteousness and of God having their fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 1.7 8. and 6 11 14 17 18 21. whose obedience was come abroad to all men Rom. 16.19 Here is more then the Profession of a common Faith The Corinthians are called Saints True But what is meant by Saints such as called on the name of the Lord Iesus Christ having much of his grace enriched by him in all things coming behind in no Gift waiting for the coming ●f our Lord Iesus Christ who shall confirm them to the end that they may be blameless at his coming 1 Cor. 1.2 to ver 10. all was theirs 1. Cor. 3.22 23. They were such Saints as were washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of God and such as were to ●udge the World and the Angels Chap. 6.3 11. delivered from that unrighteousness that would have kept from Heaven ver 9.10 11. such as had no temptation but what was common to man whom the faithful God would not suffer to be tempted above their strength c. Chap. 10.13 such as were not so much as to eat with the notoriously wicked Chap. 5 11. and therefore doubtless Professed Godliness themselves in whom godly sorrow had wrought carefulness clearing of themselves zeal c. 2 Cor. 7.11 in whom the Apostle had confidence in all things ver 16. Object But Paul saith they were carnal and taxeth them with some gross Errors and Sins Answ. 1. So are all the Regenerate carnal in part and guilty of too many sins And it is not Impenitency after admonition that he chargeth them with Their sin was no worse to our eye than David's or Solomon's 2. If any were so bad as to be notoriously ungodly those are not of that number whom he calleth Saints as they are not of them that have the following Descriptions of Saints which I have cited but only were among them but not of them The Galathians I find not called Saints but to call them a Church of Christ or Believers is Equipollent And what Saints were they Why they were all the Sons of God by Faith in Christ Jesus having been baptized into Christ and put him on and were all one in him and were Abraham's seed and heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.26 27 29. And because they were sons God sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts by which they cryed Abba Father and therefore were no more servants but sons and if sons then heirs of God through Christ. Object But Paul was afraid of them lest he bestowed upon them labour in vain Answ. 1. It appeareth by what is said that it was not such a fear as made him take them for ungodly 2. This confirmeth what I maintain that the Apostles judgement of them proceeded according to the Evidences of probability He took himself bound to believe their Profession so far as they contradicted it not and according to the prevalency of their Errors which were against it he was jealous of their condition and if they had proceeded so far as to have declared themselves certainly ungodly Paul would have denominated them a Church no more The Church of Ephesus are called Saints Eph. 1.1 But what Saints such as were blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before him in love p●edestinated to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he made them accepted in the beloved in whom they had redemption through his blood the remission of sins and have obtained an Inheritance being predestinated c. Who trusted in Christ and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of their Inheritance they were such as believed in the Lord Jesus and loved all the saints and were quickened who had been dead in trespasses and sins were raised up together and made to sit in heavenly places If Mr. Blake while he abhorreth the name of a Saint or Church equivocally so called would not make all words equivocal that in Scripture are used to denominate or describe a Church or Saint we might easily be resolved by such passages as these what Paul meaneth by a Church or Saint See further Eph. 3.18 All Saints comprehend what is the breadth and length depth height and Christ dwelleth in their hearts by faith and they rooted and grounded in love Eph. 3.17 18. But Mr. Blakes Saints do none of this therefore they are no Saints in Scripture sense With this text compare Eph. 2.19 and see what a Church is and what it is to be fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and

neer Learned Friends have done for more than I will speak of It s like he will hardly exact a Profession of saving Repentance from the lapsed for their Restoration to the communion of the Church if he will not do it of the Church themselves in their Sacramental communion Argum. 4. Furthermore they that will not profess true Love to Christ as a Redeemer are not to be admitted to the Lords Supper But no man can Profess true Love that will not Profess true faith Ergo c. The Major is proved in that it is a Sacrament of communion in Love We receive the highest expressions of Christs love and are to receive them with gratitude which hath alwaies love in it Argum. 5. They that profess not true Pope of Christs coming in Glory are not to be admitted to the Lords Supper But none can do that but the Professors of a saving faith Therefore the Major is proved because it is the very end and use of the Sacrament to exercise Hope of Christs coming Do this in remembrance of me till I come which Implyeth Expectation or Hope Argum. 6. No man is to be admitted to the Lords Supper that Professeth not a sincere love to the Saints as Saints But so can none do that Profess not a saving faith without contradicting himself Ergo. The Major is proved in that the very business of that Church there next their communion with Christ is to have communion with the Saints in Love and if they be at variance but with one they must leave their gift at the Altar and go first and be reconciled to their Brother and then come and offer their gift But Mr. Blake is so far from excluding the ungodly that he would not have us so much as disswade them from coming Pag. 196. he saith to that 1. It is as I suppose without all Scripture Precedent to warn men upon account of want of a new life by the Spirit wholly to keep off from this or any other Ordinances of Christ that we should warn men upon this account upon this very ground to hold off from all address to Ordinances I have not learnt Answ. That we should disswade them to come till they have that Faith and Repentance and Love to the Brethren which is the fruit of a new life I have proved and more have done it than you will ever well answer And it will not follow as you pretend that then none must come that have not the certainty of their sincerity in the Faith as I shall further shew when I come purposely to your Objections And where you talk of unregenerate mens being incapable of examining themselves it s a great mistake else no wicked man could despair if he be not able to find himself to be wicked And then it would be a sufficient Evidence of Grace for a man to find himself graceless which is a contradiction And it s an unhappy confusion that Mr. Blake is guilty of almost all along while he pleadeth against the Interest of the Regenerate only in the Sacraments that he confoundeth most commonly the Professors of Justifying Faith and holiness with his Professors of a faith short of Justifying and thus in his arguing against Mr. Hooker and Galaspie and others carrieth on the matter in the dark as if these were all one or the arguments will serve for the one that will serve for the other which is meerly to lose his own and his Readers labour or leave him deceived which is worse How many leaves of that volumn and his former of the covenants are guilty of this dark misleading work I could willingly here answer his Arguments for unregenerate mens right to this Sacrament but 1. I shall meet with much more about their pretended right to baptism anon and the answer of those will serve for both 2. And he hath so mixt the two Cases of Professors of saving faith and of not saving together that if I deal with him on the later he may say he speaks of the former The first Argument of Galaspies 201 which he answereth is from the Nature of Sacraments which are to signifie that we have already Faith in Christ Remission of sin by him and Union with him The sense of the Argument is That seeing Sacraments according to Christs institution are confirming signs presupposing the thing signified both on our part and on Gods therefore none should use them that have not first the thing signified by them at least those at age To this Master Blake answereth This to me is as strange as new that Sacramental signs declare shew that we have Faith remission of sins The Sacrament now in question is a sign of the body blood of Christ in whom by faith remission of sins may be obtained I know but that it is a sign either that we do believe or that we have remission of sin otherwise than upon believing to which this engages but not presupposes I know not Repl. Though I undertake not to defend all the Arguments that other men use in this Case yet this doth so much concern the cause of baptism which I am now debating that I shall give you this reply to it 1. The sacramental Actions are signs as well as the substance of bread and wine The Offer with Take eat signifieth the offer of Christ to us to be received and applyed the Taking and Eating and Drinking signifieth our Acceptance Application of him With himself is offered the pardon of sin and given to all that Accept him which by Taking Eating and Drinking we profess to do It is my duty to tell you that it is sad that a Treatise of Sacraments should profess not to know that our believing and Remission is here signified It s pity but this had been known before you had written of them at least Controversally What Divines are there that deny the Sacraments to be mutual signs and seals signifying and sealing our part as well as Gods and how ill do you to wrong the Church of God by seeking to make men believe that these things are new and strange If it be so to you its pity that it is so But sure you have seen Mr. Gatakers Books against Doct. Word and Davenant wherein you have multitudes of sentences recited of our Protestant Divines that affirm this which you call new It is indeed their most common doctrine that the Sacrament doth pre-suppose Remission of sin and our faith and that they are instituted to signifie these as in being though through infancy or error some may not have some benefits of them till after it is the common Protestant Doctrine that Sacraments do solemnize and publikely own and confirm the mutual Covenant already entered in heart as a King is crowned a Souldier listed a Man and Woman married after professed consent so that the sign is Causal as to the Consummation and Delivery as a Key a Twig and Turff in giving possession but consequential to the Contract

give it to men that Profess a Dogmatical faith whether they have it or not or else we must give it to no man because we know not the heart The conclusion therefore is unavoidable that according to Mr. Blake's Principles it is the end of the Lords Supper to convert Heathens to Christ by receiving it so they will but lye and say they are Christians first I profess I see no way of Mr. Blake's avoiding this but by renouncing his dangerous Doctrine The 3. Argument is The Law and the Gospel in their joynt strength may convert c. But in the Lords Supper there is Law and Gospel c. Ergo. Answ. 1. What may possibly fall out is nothing to the Question of Lawful Demanding or Giving 2. There 's neither Law nor Gospel in a wicked mans unjust Demand and Reception and Lying signal professing to take Christ when he doth not but Law and Gospel is against it 3. The Law and Gospel which you mention as annexed to the reception are separable and all you can thence prove is that a wicked man may be converted by seeing and hearing and therefore may see and hear but that 's nothing to receiving 4. Nor will it prove that he may see and hear because its possible he may be converted by it because the same Gospel is in its season with due application to himself to be preached to that end and Christ hath not appointed his beholding the Application to another to be the commanded means for such ends The 4. Argument is from the Heart breaking use of the Sacrament by aggravating sin c. Where the London Ministers are cited c. Answ. The same answer as to the last may serve And 1. A wicked mans Demand and reception hath no humbling use but as any Lye or other sin hath though his Beholding may 2. It s an exalting use that this humbling use prepareth for to the Receiver seeing therefore the wicked are uncapable at present of the exalting use they must have that humbling word delivered by it self which they are capable of and not conjunct with that which they are uncapable of 3. The London Ministers speak not of the first humiliation in the passage of the New Birth but of subsequential at least as to the first Intention of the work and if of conversion it is but upon supposition that unjust Demanders do intrude 4. By the like Argument from the signification of the signs connext with the word which declare Christ crucified and risen again you might prove as well that it is for converting heathens The 5 Argument is That which is annexed to the word to second it in that very thing which works the soul to conversion to God may bring c. Answ. 1. To the Major if it may convert it followeth not that it may be demanded to that end 2. To be added in that very thing is not to be added to that very use For the same word which confirmeth doth convert but the Sacrament is not added to it for the converting use as commanded but for the confirming use To the Minor I answer by denying it as to the end The Sacrament is not annexed to that use or end though to that th●ng because this is a use which the word hath without the Sacrament and the Sacrament added to the same word is added for higher in●eparable uses which the unconverted are uncapable of It s added to be a professing sign on our part that we take Christ and Remission of sin by him and a seal applicatory on ●hrists part And because the wicked are uncapable of these special uses they are uncapable of a lawful receiving of the Sacrament 2. You may as well by this Argument too prove that it is for conversion of Infidels Jews Turks For the Sacrament is annexed to the word in those very things that are for their conversion The 6. Argument is from experience To which I answer All the experiences which Mr. Blake mentioneth are not only nothing for his cause but abundantly destructive to it Many have been unwakened by fears of receiving unworthily to their condemnation as wicked men do will it follow that therefore they may receive it who are wicked and unworthy or that there is no such danger to them if they do Or rather that they should not receive while they are such and that there is danger if they do sure it is some danger that is the matter of their fear some threatning which is the ground if it be their du●y to receive it even while they know themselves to be wicked because it is an appointed means to their conversion what need they so to fear it unless they fear the means of their own good If they say it is the unworthy receiving which they fear It s true but that is to receive it in state of wickedness Impenitence and unbelief as all the unregenerate do surely it is the wrath of God and eternal damnation which they fear therefore they fear least it should fix them in that state But your worthy communicant is in state of damnation when only our unworthy communicant is such Moreover will it follow that because other mens doctrine which are against you doth put men into these fears which occasion their conversion that therefore your doctrine which abateth such fears is sound 2. Or will it follow that Receiving converteth because the fears of unworthy Receiving do convert or conduce thereto surely preparations and fears of unworthy Receiving are one thing and the wicked mans unworthy Receiving it self is another thing The former may do much good when the later is like to do much hurt The thing that such fear is least they should have no saving part in Christ or pardon or eternal life which you confess your pretended worthy Receiver hath not at all The 7. Argument is from the Confession of eminent Divines of an opposite judgement who will have all admitted present at the consecration to see the bread broken and divided Ans 1. Had you named those Divines you had been the more capable of an answer I know some that have told men of your judgement that all their reasonings do prove no more than thus that the seeing and hearing and not the taking may be fit to convert But I never knew any that said they will have all admitted present to see c. 2. But what if they had or did say so What 's your consequence How prove you that therefore they should be admitted to receive or that receiving is a means ordained and enjoyned for conversion because seeing and hearing is so much for that Argument My 12. Argument is from Mat 22.12 Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment and he was speechless To come in hither is To come into the Church of Christ. By the wedding garment is undoubtedly meant sincerity of true faith and repentance so that I may hence argue If God will accuse and

Scripture either of Precept or example where any person in baptism or the Lords Supper doth engage or is required to engage to begin to believe with a saving faith or to believe with a faith which at the present he hath not Shew but one word of Scripture to prove this if you can if you cannot I may conclude that therefore we must not require that which we have no Scripture ground to require 2. This Engagement to believe savingly is either for a remote distant time or for the next instant ●ut no unbeliever as to that faith is called to promise in Baptism such a saving faith either at a distant time or the next instant therefore not at all 1. Not at a distant time For first that were to resolve to serve the Devil and be an unbeliever till that time 2. And no man is sure to live any longer time 2. Not at the next instant For first that instant cometh as soon as the word of Promise is out of his mouth even before Baptism and therefore by that Rule he must believe savingly before 2. We may as well stay one minute or instant to see whether he will perform his Promise as to baptize him upon that bare Promise of believing the next minute 3. It is a ridiculous unreasonable conceit that any man should say I believe not savingly yet but within a minute of an hour I will and that this should be required in baptism and the Lords Supper 3. God makes it not the condition or qualification of them that are to be admitted to Baptism or the Lords Supper that they should Promise to do that which they have no Moral Power to do I mean such as the seed or habit of Grace containeth as to the act But the unregenerate have no Moral Power to believe with a saving faith Ergo c. The Major is proved thus 1. To promise to believe savingly is to Profess that they are truly willing to believe savingly but no wicked men are truly willing so to believe therefore they are not called to promise it for that were to be called to profess an untruth and so to lye Unless as they are called to be really willing and promise both and that is but to be sincerely faithful and to promise to continue so 2. It is not found any where in Scripture that I know of that God doth call any wicked man to promise to be a godly man or true believer before he is so but only commandeth him to be so And if God never call such men to such a promise at all then is it not the condition or qualification of persons to be admitted to the Sacraments We still speak of the aged The Minor is proved from many Scriptures and is the common Doctrine of all Antipelagians at least We are dead in trespasses and sins and must we baptize and give the Lords Supper to such dead men upon a Promise that they will be alive Out of Christ we can do nothing Without faith it is impossible to please God It is God that giveth to will and to do of his good pleasure And no wicked man can tell whether God will give him the grace of saving faith therefore he cannot promise to have it But I shall speak more to this under the last Argument Argum. 16. If there can be no example given in Scripture of any one that was baptized without the Profession of a saving faith nor any Precept for so doing then must not we baptize any without it But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent What is pretended this way we shall examine anon among the Objections In the mean time let us review the Scripture examples of Baptism which might afford us so many several Arguments but that I shall put them together for brevity 1. I have already shewed that John required the Profession of true Repentance and that his Baptism was for Remission of sin 2. When Christ layeth down in the Apostolical Commission the Nature and Order of his Apostles work it is first to make Disciples and then to Baptize them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And as it is a making D●sciples which is first expressed in Matthew so Mark expoundeth who these Disciples are as to the aged by pu●ting Believing before Baptism and that we may know that it is Justifying faith that he meaneth he annexeth first Baptism and then the Promise of salvation Matth. 28.19 Mar. 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved This is not like some occasional Historical mention of Baptism but it s the very Commission of Christ to his Apostles for Preaching and Baptism and purposely expresseth their several works in their several places and Order Their first task is by teaching to make Disciples which are by Mark called Believers The second work is to Baptize them whereto is annexed the Promise of their Salvation The third work is to teach them all other things which are afterward to be learnt in the School of Christ. To contemn this Order is to renounce all Rules of Order For where can we expect to find it if not here I profess my conscience is fully satisfied from this Text that it is one sort of faith even saving that must go before Baptism and the Profession whereof the Minister must expect Of which see what is before cited out of Calvin and Piscator That it was saving faith that was required of the Jews and professed by them Acts 2.38 41 42. is shewed already and is plain in the Text. Acts 8. The Samaritans believed and had great joy and were baptized into the name of Jesus Christ ver 8 12. Whereby it appeareth that it was both the understanding and will that were changed and that it was not a meer Dogmatical faith and that they had the Profession of a saving faith even Simon himself we shall shew anon when we answer their objections Acts 8.37 The condition on which the Eunuch must be baptized was if he believe with all his heart which he Professed to do and that was the Evidence that Philip did expect Paul was baptized after true conversion Act. 9.18 The Holy Ghost fell on the Gentiles Acts 10.44 before they were baptized and they magnified God And this Holy Ghost was the like gift as was given to the Apostles who believed on the Lord Iesus and it was accompanied with Repentance unto life Act. 11.17 18. Acts 16.14.15 Lydia's heart was opened before she was baptized and she was one that the Apostles judged faithful to the Lord and offered to them the evidence of her faith Acts 16.30 31 33 34. The example of the Jaylor is very full to the resolution of the question in hand He first asketh what he should do to be saved The Apostle answereth him believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house so that it was a saving faith that here is mentioned He rejoyced and believed with all

Profession of a common faith short of saving or with that common faith it self What should a man say to such a confuter but advise him to joyn with us his weak Brethren in desiring God to pardon us for such troubling and abusing the Church 1. As to his Description of the persons to be Baptized I shall add 1. That his last Description pag. 173. containeth nothing but what may stand with First an open refusal of God and Christ. 2. And that which is commonly taken for the sin against the Holy Ghost For its past doubt that men may both be convinced of Duty and confess the Necessity of it and yet may openly profess that the world and their lusts are yet so dear to them that they will not yet have God to be their God Christ to be their Saviour on the Gospel terms And I think a man that openly refuseth Christ at the present should not be baptized at the present though he be convinced of Duty and acknowledge the necessity of it As to his other Description pag. 172. the word Engagement to it either signifieth an engagement savingly to believe from that very instant forward and this doth Necessarily import a present Profession of consent and so of present saving faith For man can so engage that doth not Profess such consent and believe And this destroyeth Mr. Blakes cause Or else it signifieth such an engagement to believe for some distant future time which is consistent with a non-profession of present consent to have Christ as offered And this is the same with that before confuted If such may be Baptized then they may say we are convinced that we must savingly believe in Christ and we do engage our selves to do it as soon as we can spare the world and forsake the Flesh and the Devil but yet we cannot and will not do this Baptize such who dare for me But for a further search of Mr. Blakes mind observe his words pag. 175. Where he answers to what I now object And first he citeth these words of mine Where you say that an acknowledgement of the Necessity of such faith with engagement to it is sufficient for a Title to the state I reply Then those that at present renounce Christ so it be against their knowledge and Conscience and will engage to own him sincerely for the future have a Title to Baptism To which he replyeth How comes I pray you that future in you manifest much reading in the Law and I have heard this as a Maxim In obligationibus ubi nullus certus statuitur dies quovis die debetur There is no day overtaken but engagement is for present c. To this I rejoine 1. It is the first time that ever I heard of an engagement that was not de futuro as to the performance We are agreed that the Engagement is present but the question is whether it be to a present or future performance And it is by Covenant or Promise that Mr. Blake supposeth this engagement made And is there any which is not de futuro If the Church cannot hit the Right way of Baptizing till such elucidations as these direct them to it If you Promise to believe de praesenti either you do at that present believe or you do not If you do your Promise as to that present act which you already perform is vain as if I Promise to give you that which I have given you already or in that instant give you which were no promise but a donation or profession If you do not then believe then your promise as you call it is a falshood And to tell a lie is no such a duty as can give right to Baptism No man should say he believeth when he doth not 2. But if it may be he means not futurum remotius but futurum proximum That cannot well be neither because he saith the engagement is for present But suppose he do mean by present the futurum proximum either this importeth a profession of saving faith as well as an engagement to believe the next instant or it doth not If it do I have the thing I seek and Mr. Blakes cause is given away If not then Mr. Blake doth feign God to require such a kind of promise or engagement as our titile to baptism which I believe the common vote of reason will pronounce to be vain ridiculous if not impossible by most Vain it must needs be to make so solemn a promise of performing that in the next instant which he may actually perform save all that ado Should I cause covenants to be solemnly drawn up and witnesses called and seals affixed that I will give such a thing in the next Minute after the sealing why then may I not as well give the thing it self The Minister may stay one minute longer before he go to Church to baptize the person or he may use one word or two more in prayer and exhortation and by that time the instant would be come And Ridiculous it seems to me that any man should be admitted upon such a promise as this I will not yet leave my sin for God nor renounce the world the Flesh and the Devill for Christ or take him for my only Lord and Saviour but I engage my self to do it or I will do it as soon as the word is out of my mouth or I am not yet willing to have Christ as he is offered but I will be willing the next instant If any say so to me I will hold my hand from baptizing one minute and ask him whether now he be willing For certainly the man must break his promise between the making and the sealing of it if he be not a sound Believer already For there must go more then one instant between his promise and the Act of baptizing unless we had greater velocity of action If therefore Mr. Blake's professor shall say I promise to believe savingly the next instant then if he do not the promise is broke before it is sealed If he do I know no reason but why I may require him to profess that which he hath And is it not a kind of impossibility for any unregenerate man rationally and soberly to promise to be regenerate the next minute or instant Or for any that is destitute of saving faith to promise to believe savingly the next instant If he hath grace of such command and can believe the next moment why not now And doth not that man shew his heart unfound that can believe the next moment and will not do it at the present If it be so in his power let him not stand promising but do it But perhaps some will say that Mr. Blake meaneth not the next instant or hour or day or any determinate time but only an indeterminate time some time hereafter To which I answer 1. He expresseth himself by the terms present and quovis die debetur therefore it expresly includeth the next instant or day

determinately 2. And if it were otherwise either there is some future determinate time of the Debt and Obligation or none If none it s no covenant or Promise and then it cannot be said quovis die debetur If any what is it and when Then a Promise to be a Christian so long hence may give right to Baptism And who can tell how long it must be If any time before death then thousands of Infidels or persecutors of Christianity may say We will be Christians before we die and therefore will be baptised though now we hate them for crossing us in our courses But this cannot be Mr. Blakes meaning for he speaks of a determinate time de praesenti quovis die debetur And it is not debitum ex praecepto that he speaks of for that lieth upon Infidels but ex promissione and therefore if quovis die debetur then proximo die debetur and if proximo die then also proximo instanti for none can shew a reason why its due to morrow and not to day or the next moment and if proximo instanti vel hora vel die then the Promise was made for the next instant hour or day or else the Obligation could not have arisen from that Promise as to that time But faith Mr. Blake bring me a man that in his heart is convinced that Jesus is the Christ with his mouth professeth him and engageth for him and in the mean space actually renounceth him and I will do what you would have me with him that is a man that is falling headlong down a ladder at the same instant he is climbing up it To which I say 1. If you mean an Absolute Renouncing him or for the same time when he determineth to begin his Accepting of him I confess it were a contradiction but of your own feigning and nothing to our business 2. And therefore if you suppose the man to promise to believe savingly the next minute then I confess it will not stand with a future Renouncing him But then it is as true that such a promise containeth importeth or supposeth a present profession of saving faith or it is absurd and vain as is aforesaid 3. But if it be a promise to believe only at such a distance of futurity then it not only may stand with a renouncing Christ till that time come but seemeth to imply that so it is if you suppose faith to be so far in the unregenerate mans power that he can make such promises of it I told you before which made you angry where a renouncing of Christ did stand with your two first qualifications Conviction and Verbal acknowledgement viz. Mat. 21.38 This is the Heir come let us kill him and seize on the Inheritance And for your lust of Engaging to him such an Engagement as you describe to believe savingly as I have said if it be to believe at present it is inseparable from a profession of saving faith If only to believe at such a distant time it is possible to renounce all actuall union and special communion with him till that time and to say I will not have Christ as offered til such a time or till I can better spare my lusts can you shew us here such contradictory work as your tumbler is supposed to make Again in Pag. 176. he reciteth the like Our profession qualifying for Baptism is not a profession that we have such faith which cannot be done without an eminence of faith to assurance but a profession of the necessity of it to salvation an engagement to it To which I say 1. For your reason in the Parenthesis we shall silence it anon 2. Again One that openly refuseth Christ at present may profess that necessity of Faith and engage to it for the future at a distance that is to be a Christian so long hence But he that promiseth it the next instant if soberly doth profess it at this instant For he professeth his consent or willingness to have Christ as offered which is saving Faith For no man breathing can say with any such credibility as a sober man should regard I will be willing or consent the next moment or hour but he that is willing and doth consent or professeth so to do at this present when he saith so Again p. 177. he saith to the citation of the foresaid Text I am sorry that such things should be mentioned where enquiry after truth is contended and contention not studied It is well known that I speak to a faith of profession which is theirs that take so that party which is for that Christ and not with those that professedly go in a full opposition against him and are in a high rode any such conviction of spirit supposed of sin against the Holy Ghost Ans. It is your expressed opinion that I argue against and not your heart nor any thing that is well known by other means and to other men If the faith or profession which you make a sufficient Title to Baptism be consistent with such persecution or sin against the Holy Ghost as you speak then it behooved me to manifest the consistency though it make you sorry I do it to shew the face of your doctrine and not otherwise to contend your sorrow is but a sorry defence 2. What you do mean by a faith of Profession This was not in the former descriptions which I examined or met with Do you put the wrong end forward and indeed mean a profession of faith or a faith conjunct with a profession If not I know not what you mean If you do then what profession is it and of what faith Not of a saving faith for that you before disclaimed and if that were it that you mean must be professed you yield the Cause It is therefore the profession of some common faith and that is it which you call Dogmatical And if it be indeed a profession of a meer Dogmatical faith or Assent it is consistent with that renouncing Christ which I mentioned and is no more than theirs This is the Heir come let us kill him But if it be more than Dogmatical and have the Wills consent why will no intreaty prevail with you to describe it and tell us what it is that is consented to and so prove that to you to be the title to Baptism and the Lord's Supper In part or in whole I know not whether you tell me of their consent in the next words They take to that party which is for Christ and not with those that professedly go in a full opposition against him But I dare not say that now I have all your sense 1. Where do you find in Scripture that such a faith is the Title to Sacraments or that ever man was admitted to them upon such a profession 2. If they may be so admitted then let us see the consequence By taking to that party which is for Christ either you mean 1. That they profess themselves

this cannot be his sense For the man is not fradulent and besides his following arguing sheweth the contrary But then I confess that arguing amazeth me again He will prove that he is for the necessity of the profession of a justifying faith to Baptism because he is for the necessity of a Dogmatical faith and that faith must be profess Wonderful Doth he make a justifying and a Dogmatical faith all one No he constantly distinguisheth and opposeth them How then doth he prove that he asserteth the necessity of the profession of a justifying faith because he asserteth the necessity of a professed Dogmatical faith Reader I am at a loss I dare not say Mr. Blake is so perhaps he understands himself make thy best on 't for I can make nothing on 't or worse then nothing But if really he will be of this mind that the Reality of a dogmatical faith is necessary and the profession of a justifying faith I shall not only thank him for giving quiet profession to the truth but I will give him some back again and will come my self a beg lower then he and will affirm that we must give them the Sacraments that profess a saving faith though they have not so much as the Reality of a Dogmatical faith Yet Reader if thou think that there is any parcel of the cause which Mr. Blake doth not expresly give up after all his labour adjoin his words p. 124. and rest satisfied so that I conceit no promise of these Ordinances made to such a faith but an actual investiture of every such believer in them I have made the best enquiry I can into Mr. Blake's sense and I cannot find any reasonable footing for a man to fix upon if we once forsake our present hold and say that it is a profession of some other faith short of that which justifyeth which is the title to the Sacraments For as no man can prove out of Scripture then what faith it must be but we shall there be at a loss so whatever he assert we have evidence enough to prove it insufficient A Real Dogmatical faith cannot be the title For then the Baptizer must know the heart The profession of a bare Dogmatical faith or assent cannot be it For then he that hath the faith of Devils persecutors of Christ and such as are supposed to sin against the Holy Ghost should have title Some consent therefore of the will there must be But to what if not to have Christ as he is offered who can tell A consent to be externally Baptized will not serve A consent to Baptism as Baptism comprizeth saving faith A consent to be a named Christian and to live among them may be without any profession of Christianity No man can tell where to fix nor what we must consent to to procure a Title if once we forsake the present ground If any man will give us yet a more exact Description of a faith short of justifying entitling to Baptism and the Lords Supper I shall be willing to examine it For hitherto I cannot see where I should set my foot if I should leave the ground I stand on I now come to examine the Arguments that are brought for the contrary opinion And I shall begin with Mr. Blake's and then proceed to some which others insist upon In his Tre●t of Sacr. pag. 161. Mr. Blake beginneth some as he calleth them Additional Arguments that a faith short of that which justifieth gives title to Baptism ARGUMENT I. Mr. Blake They that have right in the sight of God to many and great Priviledges of his gift have a right in his sight to the first and leading Priviledges this I think cannot be denied having a right to those that follow they have right to those that lead If any had in the time of the Law right to the Passeover they had right to Circumcision and if any now have right to the Lords Supper they have right to Baptism But those of a faith that is short of that which ●ustifies have right to many and great Priviledges in the sight of God This is clear from the Apostle Rom. 3.1 The Jew outwardly where Circumcision of heart was wanting had every way much benefit and advantage he had therefore right to Circumcision and those with him that are short of a faith that justifies have right in the sight of God to Baptism ANSWER I. The question is not in the conclusion If all be granted it s nothing for Mr. Blake's cause or against mine It is not all one to conclude those that are short of a faith that ●ustifies have right and such a faith gives right or is the qualification condition or evidence of right either A man that is a Burgess of such a Corporation hath right to be Major But his Burgesship gives him not that right but his election A Frenchman hath right to the Crown of France but not because he is a Frenchman The Jew outwardly Rom. 3. had not his right by a faith short of justifying But he had first an actual abode among Ordinances and the offers of Grace and helps to salvation by free providentiall disposal of mercy 2. The claim that he made to Church-priviledges before men must be upon his Professing of saving faith viz. That he took the Lord only for his God and believed in him according to the tenor of the Promise and not upon the having or Professing of a faith of another Species This answer sufficeth as to the present controversie But because Mr. Blake doth seem also to intend these Arguments to the following controversie I shall briefly enervate them as to both that I may not be put to go over them again when I come to that controversie 2. I deny that Baptism is the first and leading Priviledge of Gods gifts It is a great Priviledge to have the Gospel preached to them to have pardon conditionally offered them that is if they will accept of Christ to be converted and made a true believer to be born of Christian Parents c. These and more are Priviledges and before baptism 3. I distinguish at large of the term Right in my Apologie Here let it suffice to say 1. Right is properly so called which in this case must arise from a promise or proper gift 2. Or it is Analogically so called which ariseth 1. indirectly from Gods command to the Parent Priest Pastor c. to do this for all that require it upon a profession of true faith 2. Or from bare permission or providential disposal 4. I distinguish also the Jews case from ours They had some promise of a continuance of Ordinances among them though not for perpetuity yet for a long time which no Church on earth hath now 5. And now I answer to the Minor 1. An Analogical improper right resulting from permission and a command to Ministers to Baptize all that upon such a profession require Baptism this I ever granted to all that profess saving

which Justifies have right in the sight of God to be thus received This Argument me thinks might be of force with Mr. Baxter When he had urged it for proof that infants are servants and ought to be baptized he add● pag. 18. is not here direction enough to help us to judge of the mind of God whether infants are his Disciples and Servants or no Doth not God call them his servants himself What more should a man expect to warrant him to do so Men call for plain Scripture and when they have it they will not receive it so hard is it to inform a forestalled mind If God took such care upon that account that they should not be held in bondage under any of his People he takes like care that they should not be kept from the Society of his People ANSWER 1. The Major is true 1. distinguishing of Right as before 2. and of Servants and taking the word Servants in a peculiar sense as Lev. 25.41 doth The Minor also and the Conclusion is thus granted But Mr. Blake's Conclusions have a common unhappiness to be strangers to the question Doth it follow because I must baptize those that profess sincere Covenanting or Fai●h though they have but a faith of another sort that therefore I must baptize them on the account of that other faith By such an Argument I may as well prove that Infidelity or Heathenism gives right to Baptism thus Many Infidels or Heathens have right to baptism that is those that in heart are such have such a Right as yours pleaded for upon the account of an external Profession of Christianity Therefore infidelity or Heathenism gives them right If this Consequence must be denyed so must yours ARGUMENT VI. Mr. Blake Those that bring forth Children to God have a right in the sight of God to be of his houshold and to be taken into it This is plain especially to those that know the Law of servants in families that all the Children in right were the Masters and had their relation to him But those that are short of Justifying faith bring forth Children to God Ezek. 16.20 21. ANSWER This Argument is sick of the common disease of the rest the Conclusion is a stranger to the question Quâ tales they bring not forth Children to God in any Church sense ARGUMENT VII Mr. Blake Children of the Kingdom of God or those that are Subjects of his Kingdom have right in the sight of God to be received into his Kingdom This Proposition Mr. Baxter hath proved pag. 21. therefore I may save my pains But those that are short of faith that Justifies are Children or Subjects of this Kingdom Mat. 8.12 The Children of the Kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness Those therefore that are short of Justifying faith have right in the sight of God to be thus received ANSWER This Argument also hath the same distemper It s nothing to the Que●●ion They are Children of the Kingdom visibly in regard of the profession of a saving faith and not of any common faith tha● is short of it Prove that or you say nothing ARGUMENT VIII Mr. Blake The Children of the Covenant have right in the sight of God to the Seal of the Covenant This is evident the seal is an affix to the Covenant Where a Covenant is made and a seal appointed there it is not of right to be denied But those that are short of faith that Justifies are the children of the Covenant Act. 3 25. The Apostle speaking to the People of the Jews saith Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers ANSWER Still the Question is wanting in the conclusion The same Answer serves to all It s a sad case that the Church of God should be thus used by its Friends to have such gross mistakes presented to the unskilfull which to use your own phrase to me pa. 145. do serve only to blind the Reader ARGUMENT IX Mr. Blake Disciples of Christ have right in the sight of God to Baptism as appears in Christs commissiion Mat. 28.19 But many are Disciples of Christ that are short of a Faith that justifies therefore those that are short of a Faith that justifies have right in the sight of God to Baptism If all that I have said pa. 208. of the Treatise of the Covenant to prove this assumption be too weak as I think it is not Mr. Baxters proof pag. 21. of his Treatise hath sure strength sufficient there he proves that Infants are Disciples because they are subjects of Christs Kingdom and what Kingdom he means he there explains himself I speak not here saith he of his Kingdom in the largest sense as it containeth all the world nor yet in the strictest as it containeth only his Elect but in the middle sense as it containeth the Church visible as it is most commonly used And therefore by the way not equivocally used Those then of this middle posture non-elect are Disciples ANSWER Still the same Error None are Disciples upon the account of your other faith but of either saving faith or the profession of it And as this and all the rest do look to the Other Controversies the foresaid distinction of Right applyed as is often done before is all that need to be said in answer to them ARGUMENT X. Mr. Blake Christians have right in the sight of God to Baptism This is Mr. Baxter's Proposition in the page before quoted and in reason is plain Christians must not be kept out of Christian fellowship This is Mr. Baxter's likewise in the place quoted he makes Disciples Christians and subjects of Christs visible Kingdom to be one and the same Therefore those that are short of Justifying faith have Right c. ANSWER Still the same disease You should have concluded that your lower faith gives Right None are Christians on the account of your lower kind of faith but only of saving faith or the profession of it ARGUMENT XI Mr. Blake All that ought to be admitted visible Church-m●mbers ought to be admitted in the sight of God to baptism This none can question unless they charge it as Tautological and it is Mr. Baxter's pa. 2.3 and the medium of that Argument which he makes the chief of all he useth But those that are short of Justifying faith are members of the Church visible Therefore those that are short of justifying faith are to be admitted to baptism The assumption is his likewise where he distinguisheth the visible Kingdom from the Elect and no man can deny it that grants the distinction of a Church into visible and invisible ANSWER The same disease still None short of saving faith ought to be admitted member but on the Profession of it What if I distinguish the visible Kingdom from the Elect Once for all I let you know that I take saving faith to be the constitutive or necessary qualification of a real or mystical member and Profession of

necessarily as the other And I would fain know of him how meer Dogmatical believers are sure that they have a Dogmaticall faith 1. Many of them know not what that faith is nor what the essentials of Christianity are nor know not those essentials themselves as I before said from sad experience They might therefore be sure that they have not a true Dogmatical faith but not that they have it and yet they are as confident they have it as other men 2. Many that believe the same truths as others believe them but side humanâ and not divinâ and therefore have no true Dogmatical faith 3. Many do but half believe them and think they may be true they may be false and cannot tell whether they may believe them or not but indeed do not their unbelief being more predominant and therefore from it must be denominated 4. Many true saving believers are sorely tempted about the Truth of the Gospel and troubled with doubts and their Dogmatical or Historical faith is but weak and mixed with much unbelief so that they cannot tell whether their belief or unbelief be predominant and consequently whether they believe or not And for my part I see no reason but that it should be as hard to a true Christian to know whether he truly believe the Dogmata Christiana the Articles of Faith the truth of the Gospel as to know whether he truly rest upon Christ or love God above all And I know many learned wise and godly men to all appearance that are in doubt and long have been of the truth of their assent to the Gospel and are troubled with no other doubtings of their sincerity in any great measure but only as the doubts of this doth cause them Some of the ablest men that ever I knew have groaned out many a complaint O I am afraid I am an Infidel I cannot believe the Word of God! I know not whether I believe it or not A Turk may have some thoughts or motions that it may be true but if he be more perswaded of the falsness than of the Truth he is not to be denominated a believer Now if Mr. Blake will but tell us plainly how he would deal with these that doubt of their very historical faith and what he would have them do then I will tell him the like by them that doubt of their saving faith 5. Nay see what a desperate plunge he puts his believers to He requireth them to perform impossibilities They must engage to believe savingly that is they must profess a consent so to do And this they must know that they do sincerely or else they cannot do it in faith as the Objection saith when as it is a thing that no unregenerate man can do sincerely If he engage to believe savingly he doth it not sincerely but ignorantly or dissemblingly At least few of them know that they do it sincerely as themselves will here confess what then must these do in such a case 6 At least let the heart and light of a godly man and an ungodly be compared and I will appeal to Mr. Blakes own judgement whether a Godly man be not as likely to know his sincerity in saving faith as an ungodly man to know that he ha●h truly a Dogmatical faith and doth truly engage to believe savingly I could soon shew such disadvantages that a wicked man hath to know his own heart even in this point that me thinks might easily determine this Controversie if it were needfull to stand upon it 7. It is the duty of the godly to give God thanks for his saving Grace for converting them giving them the Holy Ghost Justifying Adopting them c. Must none perform this duty but they that have attained Assurance of their Conversion Justification Adoption c Then it is not many that must perform it But if others may and must do this on the same ground they may and must perform the other It is the duty of every child of God to pray and praise God in the relation of a child in a special sense and to call God Father in a special sense and to plead those Promises with him that are the proper portion of his Children And must all omit this that have no assurance or subjective Certainty It it the duty of each member of the mystical body of Christ to love the Saints and assist them as fellow-members Must none do this that is not certain of his own member-ship If I should instance in all the particulars of Christian Duty that this case extendeth to you would see that this your principle reduced to practice would make bu● unhappy work in the Church and would do much to the extirpation of a very great part if not the far greatest of the service of God 8. In all such Cases our Actions must follow the smallest prevalent perswasions of our Judgement though far short of full Assurance If a true Believer do think himself to be such he may profess himself such When so far as he knoweth his own heart he doth believe and repent he may profess that he doth believe and repent implying or expressing that he speaketh according to the knowledge he hath of his own heart We are so strange to our selves that if only Certainty must move us to Action I think we should sleep out the most of our lives He speaks sincerely that speaks according to his perswasion and as he thinks though he be not certain 9. In such cases it condemneth not to act in doubting but the same man that doubteth may act in faith Indeed if the doubting be so predominant that a man is more perswaded that he doth not believe than that he doth whether dogmatically or savingly then he may not profess that he doth believe that is he may not think one thing and speak another and speak or do against his Conscience And also if it be in an indifferent thing as about meats or drinks or indifferent daies where he is certain to be innocent if he forbear and uncertain to be innocent if he act then he must take the safer side and therefore forbear And the Apostles words will reach no further than to these two points He that hath unbelief and therefore doubing may say Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief 10. The thing that is necessarily required to the Sacramental participation is not an Assurance that our faith is sincere and saving but that it be really that Faith which is sincere and saving whether we know it so to be or not Many a man knoweth that he hath that faith which is saving and yet knoweth not that it is saving And many one knoweth that he performeth the saving act but through vain scruples understandeth not whether he do it sincerely And many think or hope they are sincere that yet doubt of it I have met with many that have lived in deep distress for want of perceiving the truth of their faith that have cried out

docet Baptismum Acts 15.9.2 Rationi experientiae dictanti eâdem plane fide recipi Baptismum quâ recipitur fructus Baptismi 3. Confessioni ipsius Bellarmini quae extat lib. 2. de Effect Sacr. cap. 13. Adulti per fidem contritionem veram Justificantur antequam reipsa ad Sacramentum accedant Dr. Willet on Rom. 4 Contr. 6 pag. 224. saith The Sacraments then non institut sunt Justificandis s●d Justicatis are not instituted for those that are to be Justified but are for them which are already Justified as Paraeus Musculus Loc. Commun de Baptis Artic. 2 pag. mihi 728. Propter hanc nondum debet baptizari qui gratiam Christi praedicatam tam sibi per incredulitatem aversatur tantisper dum in eà tergiversatione incredulitate perseverat cor impoenitens retinet Hâc de causâ Apostoli poenitentiam sidei in Christum confessionem requirebant ab adultis priusquam eos baptizarent Sic Petrus Act. 2. c. His locis patet requiri ab adultis cor poenitens sermonem gratiae recipient in Christum credens ità ut impoenitentes sermonem gratiae recusantes increduli baptismi hujus capaces nondum esse qutant etianisi sint de Electis donec convertantur Scharpius Curs Theolog. de Baptis loc 24. col 1228. Baptismus est primum Novi Testamenti sacramentum à Deo institutum quo Remissio peccatorum Regeneratio initiatio in Ecclesiam significatur in fidelibus obsignatur ut obligatio nostr● ad obedientiam Col. 1254.1255 Arg. 2. Qui sunt in foedere gratiae illi necessario servantur licèt non habuerint signum foederis quia foedus ejus signum non sunt ejusdem necessitatis c. Arg. 3. Infantes sine Baptismo dicuntur sancti 1 Cor. 7.14 quia Baptismus infantes sidelium non facit filios Dei sed illis obsignat foedus gratiae illósque in foedere contineri certos reddit Col. 1193. Quid recipiunt Impii in Sacramentis R. Nuda tantùm signa idque ad condemnationem 1. Qua beneficia in Sacramentis oblata tantùm de fide percipiuntur at Impii non habent fidem ergo 2. Nihil spirituale conserunt aut obsignant Sacramenta nisi iis quibus in Verbo hoc promissum extat At in Verbo nihil Impis promittitur sed solis fidelibus quia omnes promissiones habent annexam conditionem fidei ergò 3. Christi beneficia tantùm in legitimo Sacramentorum usu percipiuntur at nulli Impii legitimè Sacramentis utuntur sed indignè participant 1 Cor. 11.27 ergò Lèg Col. 1202 1203. Resp ad Bellarm. Object 5. Cartwright against the Rhemists on Mat. 3.6 pag. 15 saith So that we bring not our children to the end that they should thereby have Remission of sins but because we are by the promise induced to believe that as being the Elect of God they have already received it Otherwise it were as much as to put the Seal to a blank wherein nothing is written nor nothing is given Dr. Fulk against the Rhemists on Rom. 6. § 5. saith The Apostle by express words excludeth Circumcision from being a cause of Justification because Abraham was justified before he was circumcised who is the form of Justification of all men as St. Ambrose saith Com. on Gal. cap. 3. And Baptism succeeding in the place of Circumcision is a seal of Justification by faith in all Christians as Circumcision was in Abraham not a cause thereof See him on 1 Pet. 3.21 The Divines of the Assembly that wrote the Anotat on the Bible say on Act. 8.27 If thou believest c. With a sincere and perfect heart without which Ephraim cannot save he had here to do with a man of years and yet an alien and therefore might not admit him into the Church of Christ untill he had made profession of his faith You see here that it is a saving faith which they think necessary to admittance of which also they speak on ver 12. Faith ought to precede Baptism in men and women of years when they who were aliens and strangers come to be baptized For it is necessary that they should confess their faith and testifie their Conversion before they be admitted by Baptism Ambrosi de Poenit. l. 2. c. 5. And the Repentance that was to precede Baptism in the Jews Act. 2.38 they expound thus This Repentance is not only in knowing or acknowledging our sins or saying God be mercifull but in the change of our minds purposes and evil c●urses of our Lives As Austin de Eccl. Dogm cap. 58. saith very well Poenitentia vera est poenitenda non admittere admissa destere See also Tertul. advers Marc lib. 2. cap. 24. And on Mat. 3.6 Confessing their sins In words professing their detestation of them and Repentance for them Deodate on Acts 8.12 Were baptized Renouncing by the same means all manner of Impiety and Superstition c. Verse 13. Simon believed made an outward profession of believing or gave some assent to the doctrine but hypocritically and without giving way to the inward operation of the Holy Ghost to a true conversion and lively Regeneration On Mat. 3.6 Were baptized confessing c. viz. to God in the person of John his Minister though not with a particular enumeration but yet with a true feeling of compunction shame humble acknowledgement and with hate and disturbance of sin for to implore divine mercy Act. 19.18 So on Rom. 6.3 Namely for a Sacrament that we are Christian not only by profession but l●kewise in spiritual truth receiving the grace and Spirit of God and then co-operating thereto by faith voluntary obedience and newness of life Many other passages to the same purpose I omit Rob. Bodius in Eph. 5.25 26 pag. Opus operatum Papistarum in alio gravissimo errore fundatum est quo nempe statuunt illi Baptizandos priusquā hoc signaculo obsignentur Christi membra non esse c. p. 756.757 Et sicut Abrabamo jam per fidem justificato impressus est Des mandato novus ille circumcisionis Character non ad Justiti●m primitus illi conferendam sed ad eandem visibili illo signo obsignandam sic etiam in Christum credentibus adultis jámque per eam fidem coram Deo justificatis confertur ex Christi mandato Baptismi sigillum non ut per illud tum primùm Justitiam accipiant ut absurdè docent Adversarii sed ut illa fidei Justitia quâ jam in Christo doncti sunt hoc externo Baptismi sigillo eorum cordibus obsignetur Et pag. 760. col 2. Supponit quod falsum est à nobis constanter negatum suprà refutatum viz. Baptismum esse solum nos Justificandi Sanctificandi instrumentum nec ante mentes conscientias nostras à peccatis ablui quàm externè baptizemur Atque nos hucusque

nothing of mine that can be so plausibly objected to me as a Contradiction to the present assertion as these last words but yet there is no just ground for that objection if I be rightly understood These words are plainly bent against their opinion that make Election or saving Grace to be the Title to Sacraments which the Church must judge of and that not by the Profession of the Claimer but as distrusting his word upon other evidences of Grace as discoveries of the time and manner of Conversion or the practise of those Duties wherein a stricter profession is manifested or the like The men that I oppose hold these Assertions 1. We must give the Sacrament to none but the godly in sincerity 2. We must not believe a mans Verbal Profession though not contradicted 3. But we must require the visible proofs of his godliness 4. At least such as make it probable to us that he is godly To these men I answer 1. That it is false that we must give the Sacraments to none but the truly godly though its true that none else should require them 2. That we must give them to those that profess saving faith though they have it not For it is the Foundation of all humane Converse that we give credit to mens words when we have no just cause to dis-credit them especially in matters out of our reach and within theirs such as are the secrets of their own hearts We must therefore take their Profession unless it be contradicted by such palpable Evidences as Nullifieth it or maketh it invalid 3. That we have no other grounds to proceed on but this and that on their grounds they must profane Gods Ordinance every time they mistake in the judgement of Charity and apply it to ungodly men But not so on ours who must apply it to Professors And therefore they have no warrant to make any further scrutiny into the sincerity of a mans grace as sine qua non to their administration of the Sacrament seeing that a Verbal profession not evidently contradicted and invalidated by words or life is the means of discovery by which we must be satisfied But yet I never dreamed that we must not require profession it self of saving faith and that as a probable sign of the thing professed but that we must look after another kind of faith And if Mr. Blake will not take up with bare profession of his dogmatical faith he will oft profane the Ordinance too For he knoweth not when it is in sincerity in any man And we know by their Ignorance that multitudes are without it He addeth my Confession That the Ignorance of this point hindered me long from administring the Lords Supper But he tels not what point it was Not that the ungodly might lawfully and rightfully claim it nor that I might lawfully give it to the professedly ungodly or to any that profess not saving faith it was no such point But that the Sacrament sealed not as from God that This or that man is a Believer or that he is actually pardoned but only sealeth the conditional promise with such application to the person as is first to be made by his own Receiving and therefore if there be an error and falshood it is committed only by himself and the Minister is not guilty nor the Ordinance wholly in vain And what 's this to the advantage of Mr. Blake's Cause Yet he addeth And I confess as ingeniously that if he can work me to this opinion I am resolved for present to baptize no Infant as being unable to know the Parents faith to justification Answ. 1. But if you be brought to my opinion this Resolution will be changed 2. Are you resolved never to baptize more on the grounds that the Church of Christ hath alwayes baptized on 3. I here propound to you and the world the Reasons of my opinion And then I shall leave to the judgement of wiser men then my self whether your rejection of this opinion be a greater disgrace to it or to you 4. What if you cannot know the Parents justifying faith Will it follow that you may not know a Profession of it 5. You would do the world a curtesie to tell them by what means you are more certain of the sincerity of a Dogmatical Faith than we can be of a Justifying Faith Or will you upon consideration resolve yet never to baptize any more not administer the Lords Supper because you can never be certain that your Receivers have a Dogmatical Faith The next place where I am cited against my self is pag. 150. because I speak of Saints that shall not be saved Answ. And so I do still But yet I still say that Analogum per se positum stat pro famosiore significato And therefore the words Saints Believers c. must ordinarily be understood of such as are justified where there is no limitation or special reason to the contrary The next place where I observe my self cited against my self is p. 158. Because I maintain that it is an Error in Mr. Tombes to say That the Covenant whereof baptism is the Seal is only the the absolute covenant made only to the Elect Therefore Mr. Blake infers And if men in the state of nature be in that covenant that baptism sealeth viz. the conditional Covenant then men in the state of nature and short of justifying faith have right to baptism To which I reply 1. I have shewed you at large how far men unsanctified are or are not in covenant with God and in what sense they have or have not right to baptism And yet must we still use the undistinguished terms as if I simply denyed without distinction Yea before you confess that you tell it abroad in your discourse that I say none have right to baptism but they that have saving faith and that you can hardly gain credit to your words The way to gain credit were to speak truer and specially in your discourse of other men behind their backs A Right by any promise or mortal grant from God to them I denied but I affirmed Hypocrites to be the rightfull objects of the Ministers Act or that we may lawfully give it them and that thus far they have such an improper right And yet still you would make me believe that I simply deny them right 2. Your Consequence here is wholly groundless It is one thing to say as I do That the conditional covenant is made to the non-Elect And another thing to say as you term it that they are in the covenant For that word is very ambiguous If your consequence be good from my Assertion then you may as well prove that Turks Jews and Heathen may have the Sacraments given them For I affirm that the conditional Covenant is made to them 3. The thing that I maintain against Mr. Tombes is that the Sacrament sealeth not only the absolute Promise to the Elect but the conditional Promise and

if as some suppose the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alo to nourish for so men may do by children that are any way their own But it is only the immediate Parents that we here mean though Festus saith that Juris prudentes avos proavos avias proavias parentum nomine appellari dicunt And though the word Parens be sometime taken pro Consanguineo And Hierom saith advers Ruffin lib. 2. That militari vulgaríque consuetudine cognati assines nominantur Parentes But of this more anon The term Ungodly is it that needeth the most wary and exact Explication as on which the greatest stress of the Controversie doth depend It is not one only sense in which the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pius Impius Godly and Ungodly are used Some think that Pius comes from an obsolete Greek word now difused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do refer and so that the primary signification is of one that worships God wi●h the Fat of Sacrifice as Abel did with the best of his service and not the refuse or lean Meliùs ad rem fuerit saith Mertinius Pius derivare à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod Cretensibus est Deus ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia pius est qui Deo addictus est devotus eumque sequitur ut Angli Pium Godly tanquam Divinum Ità Objectum Pii indicaretur Si ad actum respiciamus idonra originatio erit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quippe quae est vox religiosae operationis Vide plura ibid. Our English word Godly is the most clear for Etymology and sense And for the right understanding of it we must consider 1. What God is and in what Relationn to Man he stands 2. What is required from Man towards God 1. As God is in himself most perfectly Good from whence some think in English he is called God so is he to Man 1. The Principal efficient Cause of all his Good 2. And the chief Objective matter and ultimate end so that in him alone can we be happy He is our α and ω our very All. he stands Related to Man as his Creator Governour Redeemer and Preserver 2. From whence Man is obliged to acknowledge God in these Relations whether Naturally or Supernaturally made known and to consent to them and to love and honour him as God though it be not perfectly which is now above his strength yet must it be sincerely even comparatively and superlatively above any Creature whatsoever He that doth thus is a Godly man that is a man that doth sincerely believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and is devoted to God Besides this principal sense there are some others common both in the defect and in the excess 1. Among Heathens he is called Pious 1. who is a devout honourer of their Gods though Idols 2. or who is merciful to people in misery 3. or who is an Honourer of Parents and Superiors or who is conscientious according to their insufficient light 2. Among Christians 1. Some call any man Godly that is zealous in Religious matters though so unsound in the fundamentals that he worshippeth he knows not what or so ignorant about Gods very nature and his relations to him that it is not God indeed as God that he worshippeth and though he be actually incapable of true Love and Devotedness to God for want of right conceivings of him even in those respects that are essential to the Object of the Christian faith 2. Some call a man Godly that makes a sound Confession and knows the Christian Doctrine and saith he believeth it though he notoriously manifest that his Will doth not consent that the God whom he confesseth shall be his God his Ruler and Felicity nor the Christ whom he confesseth shall be his Saviour on his own terms nor the Holy Ghost his Guide and Sanctifier 3. On the other side Many will call no Man Godly that is not noted for some eminent difference in Parts and Zeal from others that live about him If they see him neglect some Duties that he is bound to as not to come to some private Meetings that are used regularly and to Edification or not to Read or Hear so frequently or diligently as he should or not to Pray in his family which in some Cases its possible a Godly man may neglect or if he commit some sins which yet its possible a Godly man may commit they account him ungodly though possibly it may be otherwise in the main so that no man is by them esteemed Godly unless he go beyond the weakest sort of true Christians As for them that call none Godly but their own parties or sect-fellows I will pass them as not worthy our further mention Among all these senses it is the first in which we here take the word Godly so that it is only Christian Godliness that we mean which is a sincere believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost even with true intellectual Assent and hearty Consent from which heart-Godliness there follows that sincere Obedience to the will of God to first and second Table which is the proper fruit of it and Repentance after disobedience known It is therefore such a Godliness as is proper to them that have the promise of Justification and Salvation that we mean comprehending Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Of the contrary to this only is the Question 4. By Notoriously ungodly we mean such as do evidently manifest their ungodly hearts 1. either by verbal professing it 2. or by their rebellious ungodly lives that they leave to those that converse with them no just reasonable ground to judge them in probability to be Godly but are certainly known by those that live about them yea by the Church if they are members of any particular Church who have an ordinary competent ability to discern to be ungodly persons that is not to believe in God as aforesaid but to be indeed contemners of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as all are that are not Godly though not all in a like degree They that are notoriously known to be thus ungodly or unholy or unbelievers are those here intended 5. By Baptized Parents we mean only such as have had the external sign joyned to a Profession of the Christian faith and Dedication to God and so have covenanted ore tenus with God by themselves or parents and not those that have been sincerely Dedicated to him and so have God re-engaged unto them For it is a contradiction for to call such at the time of such Devotedness notoriously ungodly and to say that they fall from it is contrary to the judgement of those whom we now deal with and therefore not to be expected Some do so define Baptism as to make it essentially to be Gods actual sealing and exhibiting

God the Father Son and Holy Ghost be such to us as we profess them to be as aforesaid which is included in believing in God and in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost And therefore the sum of the Covenant is I will be your God upon Redempition by Christ and you shall be my people Now the Notoriously Vngodly do either profess to believe and consent to all this or but to part If to All then they lye of which more anon If but to part then 1. it is not the Christian Faith no more then a heart or a l●ver is a man it is but part of it 2. and our Divines wil● say that he that doth not believe and consent to the whole Essence of Christianity doth not truly believe or consent to any Essential though for that I determine it not But were their Faith never so firm in any one part it is not Christianity or the Christian Faith without the whole If it be the Christian Faith to believe in God the Father only then those that deny Christ are Christians If it be the Christian Faith to believe only in Christ though they deny the Father or the Holy Ghost then men worse then Infid●ls or most Heathens are Christians Indeed there is so necessary a connexion that it is not possible truly to believe in God the Son without believing in the Father and the Holy Ghost and believing the Eternal Glory to which he hath Redeemed us and will lead us If it be Christianity to believe all the Creed by meer Assent then first the Devils are Christians for they believe and tremble Secondly and then it would be a Profession of Christianity to say I do believe Christ to be my Lord by right of Redemption but his Laws are so strict and cross to my pleasures that I am resolved he shall not rule me and I will venture all rather than I will take him for my Ruler on such terms Or to say I believe the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of Gods Elect but I will not consent that he shall Sanctifie me Or to say I believe that Christ dyed to save his people from their sins but he shall not save me from mine because I cannot spare them Who dare say that any of these were a Profession of Christianity We must believe with the heart if we be Christians Christianity is not a bare Opinion It lyeth in the covenant of the soul with God and it is the consent of the Will that is that covenanting It is therefore sometime expressed by loving Christ above all They that said This is the Heir believed in a sort with the Assent of the brain but when they add Come let us kill him that the Inheritance may be ours I think they shewed that they professed not Christianity He that saith I will not have this man to raign or rule over me disclaimeth Christianity He that disclaimeth an Essential part disclaimeth the whole It is not the Being without these part All this laid together shews us that Christianity or the Christian Faith truly and properly so called which denominateth a man properly a Christian is specifically distinct as to a moral specification from the faith of the highest unregenerate man When Mr. K. wrote a digression against me on a mistake that I had denyed this I did not think that others would so call me out to the defence of it And seeing that they differ by a moral specification it is clear that they admit not of the same Definition and that the term Faith or Christianity applyed to both these cannot mean the same thing but must here be an equivocal Thus I have cleared it that to profess the belief of one part of the Christian faith only is not to profess the Christian faith or to profess to be a Christian and therefore such are not to be baptized seeing we must baptize them into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if we will baptize them with Christian Baptism 2. Next I shall shew that if any Notorious ungodly person do say he believes the whole even in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost such saying is not a true Profession nor valid to its uses To this end let us enquire what it is to Profess Profiteor is publicè fateor Fateor inquit Perottus est à fando quasi vehementer loquor affirmo Fateri enim est sponte aliquid affirmare Confiteri aliquo modo coactum Profiteri ad Gloriam aliquid prae se ferre Martinius rather a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicendus fandus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fatenda so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est sermo Now the natural use of speech is to signifie our mind to others And the very essence of a Profession lyeth in the open declaring of the mind in the very signifying use of the words or actions For it containeth as other signs do 1. The thing signifying or the matter of the sign and that is either words writings or other Actions capable of this use of which there are divers 2. the thing signified which is our Internal Assent and consent 3. The party to whom we signifie it 4. The actual signification or Aptitudinal that is that it be a sign Aptitudinal in it self and actual when rightly observed by others in which Aptitude lyeth the very formal nature of the sign This being so it is most evident that if it have not an Aptitude to signifie our mind it is not a sign You may say if he dissemble yet he may make profession yet profession is no sign of his mind I answer it is no true sign of the thing professed but the end which he pretendeth to use it for is to be a sign and as a sign we expect and receive it and did we know the heart as God doth we need not ask men whether they believe but presently go to their hearts and see and so baptize them or refuse them or their Children It being then the very use that the Church makes of mens profession to signifie mens minds it is clear 1. that where there is nothing that we can justly take as the signification of a mans mind that he believeth as a Christian there is no moral profession of it and where a man signifieth his mind that he doth not so believe there he professeth not to believe And if he make two contrary professions one that he doth believe and the other that he doth not if we know one to be certain and undissembled and the other to be false the later is Null and the former to be received All this being evident it next followeth that we shew that no Notorious ungodly man doth make true profession of Christianity For 1. If it be evident that he useth words not understood as a Parrat then is it not a profession For Ignorantis non est consensus and so nec Professio else a Parrat may be a Professor 2. He maketh openly the contrary Profession

yet have their Disciples a form of Godliness And doubtless Reprobates concerning the faith if so known are not to be numbred with Christians Those from whom we are to be separated here and hereafter are stiled oft The Vngodly Psal. 1. And as in some places the distinction is between Believers and Vnbelievers so in others between the righteous and wicked or ungodly 1 Pet. 4.17 18. where all these are descriptions of the same men ungodly and sinners such as are not of the house of God men that know not God And it was the world of the Vngodly that God brought the Flood upon and to be an example to those that after should live ungodly was Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed 1 Pet. 2.5 6. And John tell us that in this the children of God are known from the children of the Devil he that doth wickedness is not of God Note well the description of these Jude 4. On one side they pretended to be Christians for they are said to be crept in among them to turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness they were spots in their Feasts clouds without water carried about of winds without fruit twice dead vers 12. It is apparent then that they were Baptized ones Yet the Apostle excludeth them from the very number of Christians calling them twice dead plucked up by the roots men that denyed the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ ver 4.12 And the Desciption of them is that they are ungodly Hereticks that taught and practised ungodliness as you may see ver 8 9 10 11 12 13 17 18. walking after their own ungodly lusts sensual having not the spirit of whom Enoch prophesied saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgement on all and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed And the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who imprison the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 If Rom. 1 2. speak of Baptized persons turned Hereticks as some Expositors judge then they are put in as vile a character and as distant from Christians as Heathens are It is the world as distinct from the Church that lie in wickedness 1 Jo. 5.19 Psal. 50.16 To the wicked saith God What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest Instruction and castest my word behind thee The Sacrifice of the wicked is an Abomination to the Lord Prov. 21.27 so then must his false promising in Baptism So Prov. 15.8 9.26 whatever they may say with their mouths for God and Christ and the Faith yet The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God b●fore his e●s Ps. 36.1 And David could see by the life of the fool that he saith in his heart There is no God even when they do evil and not good and hate the people of God and call not upon God Psa. 14. See Mal. 3.18 Church censures are as Tertul. speaks praejudiciū futuri judicii and therefore must go on the grounds of Gods judgment which is to sever the wicked from the just Mat. 13.49 and that according to works not meer words as was said before Eccl. 3.17 Prov. 15.29 We are not to gather those into the Church whom we know to be far from God and he putteth away but such are wicked Psal. 119.119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross 155. ver Salvation is far from the wicked They are estranged from the womb Psal 58.3 Acts 3.23 every soul that wil not hear that prophet shal be destroyed frō among the people All these passages with multitudes more shew that the name of a Christian unworthily usurped maketh not a notorious ungodly man to be in any capacity of a better esteem with God or the Church or any good men therein than are openly professed Infidels especially that want the means which they enjoy For all this pretence of theirs can give us no probability of any more then a superficial Assent less then that of the Devils and this is but knowing their Masters will which prepareth these Rebels to be beaten with many stripes And should that which makes them the greater sinners give them right of admittance into the Church It is Agustines Argument lib de fide oper 3. The case is yet more clear that such are excommunicated ipso jure when we consider that it is far more usual for Gods Law to serve without a sentence then mans most of the matters of our lives are there determined to our hand and we must obey the Law whether there be any judgement of man to intervene or not God hath not left so much to the judicial Decision of man as humane Laws do It is a great doubt whether there be any power properly Decisive-judicial in the Church-Guides or not but doubtless it is more limitedly and imperfectly Decisive than is the power of Judges in the matters of the Commonwealth So that if all the Rulers in the Church should forbear to Censure Notorious Apostates Hereticks Ungodly ones yea if they all command us to hold communion with them because they call themselves Christians we are nevertheless bound to disobey them and to avoid such as to Religious communion For else we should obey man against God who hath directed many of these precepts to all Christians and not only to the Governours of the Church If the Guides will suffer the woman Jezabel to teach and seduce and the Nicolaitans to abide among them whom for their filthiness God did hate it is the peoples duty for all that to avoid them if they will be Guiltless Yea Cyprian tels the people that it belongs to them to forsake and to reject an unworthy Minister that is by others set over them or doth intrude I conclude therefore that as all Christians must beyond dispute use an open Infidel as such though it belong not to the Church to judge them that are without because the Law here serves turn without a judgement the case being past controversie so also a Notorious ungodly man though pretending to Christianity and entertained by the Church is to be avoided by every good Christian as being ipso jure excommunicated by God Most of the Objections that I have heard against this are from men that not understanding this phrase of Excommunication ipso jure through their unacquaintedness with Law-terms have supposed that we meant no more but de jure or that they merited Excommuication or it was their due But ipso jure means ex vi solius Legis sine sententia Judicis Its common for Legislators in several Cases either where Judges or other Officers are needless or cannot be had or may not be staid for to enable the subject to do execution without any more judgement And so we are bound to avoid such Notorious

Godly may both scorn in press and pulpit persecute and kill each other As one Godly man may persecute another for some Truths and Duties which he knows not to be such so in particular it is possible that such may imagine that private Meetings tend to schism or proud singularity and so may deride them Or he may by strangeness to them entertain some false report of the stricter Professors of Religion as if they were proud humorous schismaticks disobedient and differed only in these things and not in true piety from others And I believe I have known some in former times that were such who had such thoughts as these of all the Godly that were not conformable and of others that used any private Meetings living where they had little acquaintance with any of them save two or three that by scandals increased their prejudice and hearing no better language of them these persons would reproach them as bitterly as most that ever I heard and yet themselves lived not only uprightly to men but so piously that they seemed to hate all profaness and spent more time in secret prayer and reading then most I have known It is not therefore all scorn or persecution of Godly persons Doctrines or Duties that will prove a man to be Notoriously Graceless or Ungodly But again left any Ungodly person take occasion of presumption from all this let me add this much more 1. Though another cannot know such to be certainly ungodly yet they may know it by themselves who know their own ends and reasons better then we can do And alas the souls of such are never the safer because we are bound to judge charitably of them This is but to prevent our wronging them but it will not prevent their damnation 2. Though we know them not to be certainly ungodly yet God doth and it is he that must judge them And therefore he will put many a thousand out of heaven whom we may not put out of the Church When the Tares and Wheat are so mixed that we cannot pluck up the Tares without plucking up the Wheat that is in doubtfull inevident cases there we must let both grow till the time of harvest both in forbearing persecution by the sword and Excommunication but then God will sever the wicked from the just and gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that work iniquity and cast them out into the lake of fire 3. And our selves may see cause enough to bewail the misery of many as too probable whom yet we cannot certainly conclude to be miserable yea we have cause to call them out of our communion of which more anon I must therefore intreat two sorts of Readers that they do not mis-interpret these foregoing passages First The Vngodly are desired to beware that they pervert not this to their own delusion nor to the opening of their mouths against the teachings and censures of the Church I cannot but fore-see that such will be prone to draw venom out of necessary truths and to say I may be godly and be saved though I pray not in my family though I swear or be drunk c. But such must know 1. That they cannot be saved if in the bent of their lives they live after the flesh and if God be not dearer to them than all the world and if their hearts be not more on heaven than on earth and if the main aim and business of their lives be not for God and the life to come nor can they be Godly or saved unless they truly hate their sin and long to be rid of it and are willing to be at the cost and labour of using Gods means by which they may be rid of it unless in the bent of their lives they overcome gross sin and live not in it and groan under their infirmities desiring to be rid of them feeling the need of a Saviour and flying to his blood for pardon and to his word and spirit for cure All this must be in every one at age that will be saved Now though we may be uncertain of a mans ungodliness by one or more such fals as Peters or Davids were when the bent of his life appeareth to be holy yet if the bent of your lives be carnal and you have not all this that I have now mentioned then you may be sure that you are Graceless though you never commit any scandalous sin much more when you live in them 2. And remember that you may know your own hearts and secret lives when we cannot It s no comfort to you therefore that a Minister is not certain of your Gracelesness if you be indeed Graceless what if we must hope the best who know not the worst alas this will be no relief to your souls Nor should you be offended if Ministers in preaching and personal reproof do speak terror to you for all this For 1. they preach to you as described in a graceless state and not named 2. They must tell you what every sin deserves and whither it leads and tell you of the sad probabilites of your damnable state though they have not a certainty 2. I foresee also that some Godly people will think that these passages though true may accidentally harden the wicked in their sin and therefore that this will do more harm than good To whom I say 1. That the wicked will draw evil from the most certain truths and all must not be concealed which they will abuse 2. Yet I must confess that my own heart made this Objection which caused me to think this Paper my self unfit to be published and so I did this two years lay it by And had I not understood that from the Coppy which I sent one friend so many are communicated and at such a distance into the hands of strangers and that somewhat defective and had I not been acquainted that they will print it if I will not it might have yielded still to this Objection for ought I know for had I been left to my own choice I should have laid it in the dark Now for the Affirmative I will shew you whom we may take for Notoriously ungodly and then I will shew you whom we must judge probably to be godly and whether we must not exclude some persons and refuse their Infants who yet are not Notoriously ungodly 1. A man that not inconsiderately or in a Temptation but deliberately and obstinately denieth any fundamental Article of the Christian faith is notoriously ungodly for he cannot have a godly heart that excludeth the necessary principles of Godliness from his head I mean those Truths without which there is no salvation for surely without them there can be no Grace He that denieth thus the God head or the Goodness Wisdom or Power of God or the Incarnation Holiness Death Ransom of man thereby Resurrection Rule or Judgement of Jesus Christ or the everlasting life that he giveth to Believers or the

worthy a man to abound with so many passages of this nature that are such strangers and enemies not only to truth and common equity but even to that Ingenuity that should be manifested to an enemy But this on the by His second answer is That therefore before mentioned which he cals the great Question between him and me is no question at all It were madness to affirm that which with those limits he thus denies See Reader though I was so Mad as to prove the Affirmative of this Question which I deny yet Mr. Blake is not And may I not now venture to conclude that thus far we are agreed Well then if Mr. Blake never dreamed of a promise of God made to a dogmatical faith giving them right to Sacraments nor thus actually engaging God to them let us stay a little here to enquire what it is then that in his Judgement gives them Title and Right pag. 141. he brings me in saying But if you speak only of Covenant Right to Baptism coram Deo by his gift of Covenant then I make them of the same extent And he answereth I cannot tell what other Covenant-Right to speak of c. So oft-times he saith that they have a Right or Title from God by his Covenant What should the sence of this mysterie be Doth Gods Covenant give it them and yet is there no Promise of it to such as they Nor is God actually obliged to give them the blessings of the Covenant Certainly this cannot be For 1. God hath no Covenant-act on his own part but that which we commonly call his Promise or Testament He saith he that believeth shall be saved c. and If thou believe thou shalt be saved If thou receive Christ thou shalt have power to be the Son of God And when the Soul consenteth it is a mutual Covenant without any further deed of Gift from God so that it is this same Promise which is conditional and whose condition is our acceptance of the gift which gives right to the Benefit when the condition our acceptance is performed that is when our hearts consent And so God hath no Covenant act on his part to convey a Title but his Promise therefore if there be no Promise of Title to Sacraments there is sure no Covenant-gift from God of such a Title when they are the same Can Mr. Blake shew a Covenant of God ex parte sui distinct from this Promise Why then is it not done But p. 122. Did ever a man speak of an absolute tie in a conditional covenant whether the conditions are performed or no It seems then that it is but a conditional tie that he speaks of all this while But what 's that to the conveying of Right The efficacy is suspended while the condition is unperformed or else it were not a Condition If God had conditionally by his Covenant given Title to Sacraments that Covenant could give no Title till the condition were performed So that it is not a conditional Promise or covenant till performance of the condition that can give right And yet Mr. Blake oft saith that God giveth a Covenant-Right to such as he seems to maintain himself perform not the condition 2. But for all this I still say our very faith or acceptance of Christ in the Covenant of God is our performing the condition And therefore which its sad should be an egregious affected piece of nonsence in the eyes of any Divines our very heart covenanting is our performance of the condition of the covenant of God that is God offereth to be our God and Christ our Saviour if we will accept him by consent Our hearts consent and say Lord I am willing And this is our heart covenanting that ties the marriage knot and this was the condition of Gods Promise or part in the Covenant And therefore every true sincere Covenanter or Believer as he performeth by consenting the condition of his first right and Possession so he hath immediately the said Right and Possession A marriage Covenant is such a performance also as giveth present Title and Right We are members of Christ Pardoned Adopted as soon as ever we consent to the terms of the Covenant that is do believe It s a poor put off for Mr. Blake to tell me that we are ofter said to be espoused to Christ then married to him For what although the solemnization of the Nuptials with all the Church in one body be reserved to the last day doth it follow that each particular soul is not married to Christ before Doth not Scripture expresly affirm it Do any Divines deny to question it What matter is it then which is oftner mentioned wh●le both are mentioned and both true But yet it cannot be his meaning that a conditional promise gives Right to Baptism At least to men of his inferior faith For he expresly saith that he conceits no Promise of these Ordinances made to such a faith He doth therefore sure conceive for all the former words that there is some other way of giving Title by Gods Covenant or by God another way than by Covenant And pag. 124. He expresseth it thus But an actual investiture of every such Believer in them Surely if we can but understand these words we have his sence I would not fall a racking this word Investiture to make it confess its signification if I knew where or which way else besides in this one poor word in all his two Volums to find his meaning But if it must lie in one word and that not obvious to all understandings it concerneth us to enquire what that word doth signifie The word Investiture applyed to meer Physical subjects signifieth but a meerly Physical alteration and that can give no Title or Right and therefore no doubt that is none of his meaning When the word is taken in a civil sense it is usually forma concedendi feudi but sometime applied to other benefits and it is commonly distinguished into that which is Ceremonial Abusive or Improper and that which is Natural and Proper The former is preparatory to Actual Possession of the Benefit and is said by Lawyers to be equal to or much like to the Judges Decreeing a mans Possession which is not a corporal putting him into possession and the form usually runs thus Investio te hoc annulo ense c. Here the thing that he is invested by is the ring sword c. but the thing that he is invested of is not them but the Benefit which they signifie and that but preparatorily as to corporal possession of the thing it self and this is used to be done in the face of a Court or some eminent witnesses This is Investiture abusivè sic dicta 2. The latter Investitura vera propriè dicta is the very delivery of Possession of the Benefit it self which is done say the Civilians many wayes As 1. When the foresaid Ceremonial Investiture is not at a distance as before but in

seal of the righteousness of that faith which they had or professed to have being yet uncircumcised Gen. 17.11 12. Rom. 4.11 That is the Parent for himself and his child professed a true consent to the Covenant And this Consent I have before proved to be saving faith or inseparable from it And so Covenanting was then as strictly required as Circumcision Object But every male was to be cut off that was not circumcised Answ. I shall not now stand to enquire into the meaning of that cutting off But whatever it was it is certain that there is as much threatned to them that did not covenant with the Lord. Obj. But that cannot import a sincere Covenanting in saving Faith For then how great a part of the people must be cut off Answ. It plainly speaks of the profession of sincerity in Covenanting 2. Chron. 15.12 13. And they entred into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman Obj. But saith Mr. Blake though they covenant to believe savingly yet they do not profess that they do so and it is not covenanting that proves men in a state of justification and salvation but keeping the Covenant Answ. He that covenanteth from that time forward to take the Lord for his God sincerely doth by that Covenant at present express that he consenteth to have the Lord for his God upon the Covenant terms but he that professeth such a Consent doth eo nomine profess saving faith which is nothing else but Assent and that consent producing affiance There is no act proper to saving faith if Consent be not 2. As therefore faith which is or is inseparably joyned with as others confess the hearts consent doth justifie a man before he express it in works of actual obedience so it is but the same thing which we say that heart-covenanting or consent doth justifie or prove a man justified before he do any further keep that Covenant by any positive effects of it For it is the performance of the conditions of Gods promise that first prove us justified and God promiseth Christ and Justification with him to all that believe or receive Christ or accept him as offered And this receiving or accepting is the same thing with consent or heart-covenanting So that all that we oblige our selves to for the future in our sincere covenanting with Christ are not any means of our Justification as begun but only of the continuance or not losing of it 3. Yet still we easily grant that or all covenanting without the hearts consent will save none Ob. Is it credible that all Israel must be forced to profess themselves true believers when many were not Answ. God required them first to be such and upon pain of damnation and then to profess themselves such and seal it by his Sacrament He warranteth no man to profess a falshood but that they truly consent and then profess it Though Asa and the other Rulers could search no deeper then an External Profession or Covenant and their practice in seeking God because they did not know the heart And that it was indeed no other then that which then was saving faith which was professed and so required in that Covenant doth appear in the terms of it It was to take God to be their only God and to give up themselves to be his people and the mention of their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage and the nature of Circumcision shew that it was in Deum Misericordem Redemptorem they that professed to believe with such respect to the blood of the Messiah as those darker times required The terms in Deut. 26.16 17 18. do plainly express that faith which then was proper to the saved The Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgements thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart and with all thy soul Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgements and to hearken to his voice And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee c. Sincerely to take the Lord for our God is the sum of all Religion and the very nature of Sanctification For it is not the bare Name of God but God himself that is here meant And this can be no less in any tolerable sense then to take him by Assent and Consent for our absolute Lord and Soveraign and chief Good or End And that the Jews themselves thus understood the Covenant of Circumcision Ainsworth on Gen 17. sheweth out of their Rabbies in these words Ex lib. Zohar At what time a man is sealed with this blessed seal of this sign thenceforth he seeth the holy blessed God properly and the holy soul is united with him If he be not worthy that he keepeth not this sign what is written By the breath of God they perish Job 4.9 For that this seal of the holy blessed God was not kept but if he be worthy and keep it the Holy Ghost is not separated from him And after v. 12. ex Maimonid By three things did Israel enter into the Covenant by Circumcision and Baptism and Sacrifice c. And so in all ages when an Ethnick is willing to enter into the Covenant and gather himself under the wing of the Majesty of God and take upon him the yoke of the Law he must be circumcised and baptized and bring a Sacrifice c. When a man or woman cometh to joyn a Proselite they make diligent enquiry after such lest they come to get themselves under the Law for some riches that they should receive or for dignity that they should obtain or for fear If he be a man they enquire whether he have not set his affection on some Jewish woman or a woman her affection on some young man of Israel If no such like occasion be found in them they make known unto them the weightiness of the yoke of the Law and the toil that is in the doing of it above that which people of other Lands have to see if they will leave off If they take them upon them and withdraw not and they see them that they come of love then they receive them as it is written When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her then she left speaking unto her Ruth 1.18 Therefore the Judges received no Proselites all the dayes of David and Solomon Not in David's dayes left they should have come of fear Nor in Solomon's lest they should have come because of the Kingdom and great prosperity which Israel then had For who so cometh from the Heathens for any thing of the vanities of this world he is no righteous Proselite Notwithstanding there were

may receive without recourse to the Law of God in Specie Without Scripture it may be known that a Precept is not the same thing with a Promise or Deed of Gift and that a Power of Administring to one that demandeth is different from a Power to demand it or any just Title that may warrant a claim 4. If this will not serve you I add Lex distinguit ergò distinguendum est 1. You confess that a Dogmatical Faith is necessary to our Title And what is that equally Coram Deo Exclesiâ If a Jew say I will go and deride Mr. Blake I will tell him to day that I believe in Christ and I will be Baptized by him and tomorrow I will scorn Christ to his face will you say that this man hath equall Right Deo judice as he hath Ecclesia judice I will not be too confident of my understanding your minde but upon consideration I think you will not 2. Matth. 22. and Luke 14. The servants had power to bring in by perswasion that person that had not on the wedding garment though they were to perswade him to come as a meet guest and so with that garment yet the performance they left to himself But yet he had no warrant for his access in that condition and he meets there with a judgement of God which was distinct from that of the Church which with a Friend how camest thou in hither c. left him speechless Nor would it have saved him to have said Lord I was taught by learned Divines that there is no Forum Dei to judge of my Right to Sacraments besides the Forum Ecclesiae and I had Right in the judgement of the Church and therefore so I have in thine And thousands will finde this Plea prove uneffectual if they shall be encouraged to use and trust to it 3. 1. Cor. 11.31 32. I think there is a judgement of the Lord mentioned against unworthy receivers that is not the same with the judgement of the Church Nor is it my opinion that it was the Churches judgement which laid some of them in sickness some in weakness and some asleep God took cognisance of mens not examining themselves and eating and drinking unworthily which was an eating and drinking damnation to themselves and of their not discerning the Lords Body and that further then the Church did 4. It hath till now been taken for granted that there is a twofold forum or judgement exprest in Mat. 16.19 and Mat. 18.18 Where binding on earth and binding in heaven are distinguished and loosing on earth and loosing in heaven The Treatisers that have wrote of the power of the Keyes and the Expositors upon this Text have not thought that these two were but one nor did offer so injuriously that I say not reproachfully to expound Christs words If you say that though they be not the same yet they agree for that shall be bound or loosed in heaven which is bound or loosed on earth I answer that is quando clavis non errat When the Church judgeth justly as the truth is For God will not judge erroneously or unjustly because man doth so Yea though the Churches error be inculpable as if they absolve or excommunicate a man upon the full testimony of false witness c. yet God will not therefore judge as they Though he will justifie their act of judging yet he will not censure the true Title of the person to communion accordingly nor binde or loose in heaven according to any mistaking sentence Many other Texts do sufficiently evidence this distinction But because Mr. Blake doth pag. 187. and often so peremptorily renounce this distinction in this controversie I shall yet add one or two Reasons to shew the necessity of it Arg. 1. If the judgment of God the judgment of the Church concerning mens Right and claim here be all one then either the Churches judgement is infallible in this matter or Gods judgement is fallible But neither is the Churches judgement infallible nor Gods judgement fallible Therefore they are not both one The force of the consequence is evident And for the Minor 1. To say Gods judgement is fallible even that which he doth himself immediately exercise of which we speak is to Blaspheme 2. To say that mans judgement here is infallible is to speak 1. That which cannot be proved 2. More than the Papists yea more than the Italian Papists say of the Popes For Bellarmine himself will confess him fallible about such personal causes as these whether such a mans cause be good or bad c. 3. If the judgement of man be in this case infallible then no man was ever wrongfully admitted by the Church and so the argument would hold à facto ad jus such a one was admitted therefore he had Right to claim and Receive But the consequent is intolerable For 1. It hindereth all hypocrites in the world that should believe it from repenting of their unjust claim and Receiving and justifieth them all Coram Deo but sure it will prove an uneffectual justification 2. The same it doth by all Ministers that ever administred the Sacraments It teacheth them to justifie themselves as infallible and to disclaim Repentance for any mistake He that dare tell all the Ministers in the world that they never gave a man a Sacrament without Right Coram Deo or all the Receivers in the world that they never received it without such Right as will warrant their claim and Receiving will shew whether the weakness even of good mens arguings may seduce Moreover if the Minister be infallible in this case then either by an ordinary ability of discerning or by extraordinary priviledge The latter is not pretended by any Protestants or Papists that I know of The former cannot be said unless it be also said 1. That all other men as wise be Infallible as well as they 2. And that therefore the case hath such evidence that no Minister can possibly be mistaken in it But this cannot reasonably be said For 1. If an Infidel or Pagan come in scorn to be Baptized and profess a Dogmatical faith when he hath it not the Minister cannot know his heart 2. And if Mr. Blake will say that the very scornful words of such a Professing Pagan are a sufficient title coram Deo yet the Minister may possibly mistake his words and think he saith I do believe when he saith I do not believe 3. Or the Minister may easily mistake the extent and nature of Mr. Blakes Dogmatical faith and think that the Infidel doth profess that Dogmatical faith when it is but some faith yet lower than it or but part of it Furthermore if Ministers be thus infallible then none of their Acts can be Nullities but the contrary is true and hath been the Judgement of the Church expressed in many Councils de rebaptizandis non legitime baptizatis quoad essentiam baptismi And this would put us hard to the

the Disciples with their Infants and that it is Reconciliation Adoption and the Inheritance of salvation that are sealed up to Parents and children by Baptism Paraeus in loc saith Cum Baptismus sit signum faederis testificans baptizatos recipi a Deo in gratiam haud dubiè Pater filius spiritus sanctus sunt unus verus Deus baptizatos in gratiam foedus recipiens And he expoundeth this from Mar. 16.16 shewing that as the order is credere baptizari so that this is a true saving faith l●st autem credere Evangelio non solum assentiri doctrinae quod vera sit sed fiducia certa sibi applicare promissionem gratiae nos recipi in gratiam nobis remissa esse peccata propter Christum Commendat vero nobis fidem baptismum duabus rationibus una ab utili salvabitur h. e. vitam aeternam consequetur For my own part I have before entered my dissent to such descriptions of justifying faith as make it to be a Believing that our sins are pardoned but yet I agree with him and the rest in the main that it must be an Act of the will embracing or accepting an offered Christ as well as of the understanding and that the Profession of it must go before Baptism But I shall further prove the Minor from some other Texts of Scripture viz. that they are not Christs Disciples that Profess not saving faith or are not the Infants of such Luke 14.26 27 33. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brothers and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple This is spoken of true Disciples in heart the first significatum by him that knew the heart From whence I argue thus If none are Christs Disciples in heart nor can be but those that value him above all and will forsake all for him if he require it then none can be his Disciples by external Profession but those that Profess to esteem him above all and to be willing to forsake all rather then forsake him But the former is proved by the Text The consequence is clear in that the world hath hitherto been acquainted but with two sorts of Christians or Disciples of Christ the one such sincerely in heart and the other such by Profession and the latter are so called because they profess to be what the other are indeed and what themselves are if they sincerely so profess And it is the same thing Professed which makes a man a Professed Christian which being found in the heart doth make a man a hearty Christian. Of these two sorts of Disciples people of God I spake as plain as I could speak pag. 4. of the Saints Rest But Mr. Blake never sticks when he meets with such passages to perswade the world that they are my self-contradictions and that they make for him as if it were all one to Profess a saving faith even the Acceptance of Christ and to Profess a faith short of saving But I perceive by this how he is like to use other Authors that cannot speak for themselves that would perswade men that I speak for him even where I expresly speak for the same cause which I now maintain against him John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Here Christ giveth a certain badg by which his true Disciples may be known If only those that love one another are true Disciples in heart then only those that Profess to love one another are Disciples by Profession But c. And that this Love is a special Grace and Inseparable concomitant of saving faith is manifest in that By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 Joh. 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye that is you will approve your selves my Disciples indeed If only those are Christs Disciples indeed as to the heart that have the Resolution of perseverance and those only his Practical conquering Disciples who actually persevere then only those are his Professed Disciples that Profess a Resolution to persevere But c. Ergo c. All this that I have said is no more then we have ever practised when in Baptism we renounced the World Flesh and Devil and promised to fight under Christs Banner to our lives end Saith Piscator on John 13.35 Si pro Christianis id est Christs discipulis haberi volumus oportet ut nos mutuò quàm ardentissimè diligamus c. Object Joh. 6. ●0 61 66. Those are called his Disciples that were offended at his word and went back Answ. 1. That 's none of our question whether Professed Disciples may not forsake Christ we easily acknowledge it But let it be proved that these did not before Profess a saving faith 2. This makes as much against the Opponent as me for it was the very want of a Dogmatical faith that they here manifested being offended that Christ should tell them that they must eat his flesh Object Act. 19.1 They are called Disciples that had not heard whether there be a Holy Ghost or not Answ. If they had not heard then it was not an article of necessity to their Justification They had been baptized and professed that faith which was saving when John baptized 2. This is spoken only of that extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost Obj. Any one is a Disciple that is willing to learn of Christ. Answ. No such matter In an improper sence you may so call them but not in Scripture sense where 1. A Disciple and a Christian are all one Acts 11.26 But every one that is willing to learn of Christ is not a Christian therefore not a disciple 2. A Disciple of Christ is one that will take him for the great Prophet of the Church which whosoever heareth not shall be cut off from Gods people and will learn of him as of the Christ. But so wil not all that will learn of him for a man that taketh Christ but for a common wise man as Socrates or Plato may be willing to learn of him and so may be his Disciple in another sense but not in the Christian sense as a Christian. 3. He that is sincerely a Disciple of Christ in heart doth take him for one that by redemption also hath Propitiated the offended Majesty and as King hath authority to rule him and submitteth to him in his whole office as he is the Christ For he cannot be truly a Christian that taketh not Christ as Christ and believeth not in him in all that is essential to his office and so to the object of our faith As he that believeth that Christ is God only or Man only is no Christian so he