they were lineally descended of Abraham then Esau Ishmael the Iewes Rom. 11.20 could never have been cast off from being Members of the Church because they were alway the natural off-spring posterity of Abraham Hence therfore it follow 's that if they were ingraffed in the Church as Believers the Fathers as actually believing the Children as sett apart by promise of God to be made to believe and in their Parents Faith accounted believers then all believers at this day have the same priviledg and the Covenant then being made only in respect of Faith must needs be Gospel Covenant the same with God's Covenant at this day And hence also it follow 's that if they were Members as Believers then not as Members of that nation They were not therefore members of the Church because they were descended of Abraham and were in a national Church and were by generation Jews Circumcision was a Seal of Righteousness by Faith Rom. 4. 11. therefore they were sealed as believers Thus much for the first argument wherein I have been the larger because much light is let in by it to answer divers mistakes I shall name the rest with morerbrevity Argum 2. If it was the curse of Gentiles to be strangers to the Covenants of promise made with the Iews before they became the Churches of God then by being Churches this Curse is removed and hence Ephe. 2.12 13. The Apostle saith they were strangers to the Covenant and Common-wealth of Israel but are not so now If you lay that the Ephesians were in Covenant but not their seed and so they were not strangers I Answer that the Apostle doth not set out their cursed estate meerly because they were without any Covenant but because they were strangers to that Covenant of promise which the Israelites had for if their children had it not they were then as without Covenant so without God and without hope as Pagans are which is notoriously cross to the current of all Scripture as may afterward appear Argum 3. The Apostle expresly saith Your children are holy 1 Cor. 7.14 and if federally holy then of the Church for reall holyness cannot be here meant and in the Covenant of it even as 't is said Deut. 7.6 thou art an Holy people unto the Lord thy God few of which number were really and savingly holy but they were all so fedâ—rally or by Covenant and so became Gods special Church or people If you say That this holiness is meant of matrimonial holiness viz. that your children are not bastards but legitimate The answer is easy for upon this interpretation the Apostle's Answer should be false for then if one of the parents had not been a Believer and so by his Believing Sanctifyed his unbelieving Wife their Children must have been Bastards whereas you know that their Children had not been in that sence unclean or illegitimate although neither of them were Believers for the Apostle's dispute is plain viz. that if the Believing Husband did not Sanctify his unbelieving Wife then were your Children unclean â—â—e say you Bastards but it 's evident tâ—at Children may be in this sense clean and yet no Faith in either Parent to Sanctify one another to their particular use unless you will say that all Children of heathens are Bastards because neither of the parents Believe Argum. 4. Rom. 11.17 The Iews are cut off from the fatness of the Olive tree and the Gentiles put in or ingraffed in their room Now this Ingraffing is not into Christ by saving faith for it is impossible that such should ever be broken off who are once in it must therefore he meant of their ingraffing into the external state of the visible Church and the fatness and priviledges thereof of which Church Christ is the external and political head into whom in this respect they are ingraffed by external visible Faâ—â—h 〈◊〉 Covenant Hence thus I reason That if the Iews and their 〈◊〉 were ingraffed members of the Church then the Gentile 〈…〉 into the same state and comming in their 〈…〉 with their Children members of the Church when the Jews hereafter shall be 〈◊〉 they shall be ingraffâ—d in as they were before them and their 〈◊〉 verse 23. In 〈◊〉 mean while the Apostle put 's no difference between the present ingraffing of the Gentiles now and of tâ—eâ—s past or to come and therfore they and their seed are ingraffed Members now Argum. 5. Because there is â—he same inward cause moving God to take in the Children 〈◊〉 believing Church-members into the Church and Covenant now to be of the number of his people as there was for â—aking the Iews and their children for the only cause why the Lord took in the Jews and their Children thus was 〈◊〉 Love and fâ—â—e gracâ— and mercy Deâ— 4.37 becaus◠〈◊〉 Lâ—ved thy fathers tâ—erfore â—â— crose tâ—â—ir seed which choosing is not by eternal Election or choosing to glâ—â—y for many of their â—â—ed never came to Glory but unto this priviledg to be his people above all others in outward Covenant with him which is exceeding great Love if you Remember what hath been said of the bâ—anches of this outward Covenant and visible Church estate And hence â—eu 10.15 â—e uâ— the Lord had â—â—â—light in thy fathers hence he chose their seed above all people as at that day viz. to be his people â—â— so that I do from hence fully believe that either God's love is in these dayes of his Gospel less unto his people and servants then in the dayes of the old Testament or if it be as great that then the same Love respects the seed of his people now as then it did And therefore if then because he loved them he chose their seed to be of his Church so in these dayes because he loveth us he chooseth our seed to be of his Church also Argum 6. Because our Saviour speak's plainely of all Children who are brought to him that of such is the Kingdom of heaven and none are ordinarily heires of the Kingdom of Glory but such as are of God's visible Church and Kingdom here The objections against this place I think not worth confuting because I hope enough is said to clear up this first particular to prove the children of confederate believers to be in Covenant and Church-members I now proceed to the second thing viz to answer your objectioÌ„s Object 1. If Children say you be members as it was in Abraham's Covenant then wives and servants and all the houshold are to be taken in for so it was Gen. 17. Gen. 3â— 2.3 and then what Churches shall we have but such as you fear God will be weary of angry waâ— Answ. Churches at first by your own confession were in families where therfoâ—e God's grace did the more abound by how much the less it did abound abroadâ— And hence Abraham's family and houshold was a Church of God but yet consider withall that all were not of this Family church meerly
suffering that woman Iezebel verse 20. 3. Because this notion of Felo de se takes away the use of a Ministerial Judge in the Church in case of the offences and Scandals of this or that particular Member of the Church to determine of the same Supposing a person could ecclesiastically cut himself off from the Church by his very act of sin there would then he no room left for a competent Judg to enquire into the crime whereof he is accused and to make particular application of the Rule to the case of the sâ—nning brother and pass sentence according to the true desert and nature of the offence That God hath ordained a ministerial judge is plain Mâ—tth 18.17 if he neglect to hear the Church the Church is to be heard the phrase of our Saviour Christ implies judicial superiority on the Churches part and the inferiority and subjection of a part or member to that whole c. but now this Felonie denieth this order which Christ hath established Though a person deserve excommunication perhaps yet it must appear that he do deserve it neither doth his wickedness for which he deserves excoÌ„munication render him a non-Member till he be excommunicated and hence in this case is very considerable what is asserted by that deservedly famous divine Mr. Cotton in his book intituled the keyes of the kingdom of heaven viz. Though the Iury have given up their judgment and verdict yet the Malefactor is not thereupon legally condemned much less executed but upon the sentence of the judge in lâ—ke sort here saith he though the Brethren of the Church do with one accord give up their vote and judgment for the censure of an offender yet he is not thereby censured till upon the Sentence of the Presbyterie 4. Because the binding and loosing mentioned Mat. 16.19 the opening and shutting of the doors of the Church by the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven belong to the same power or subject hence therefore as none may intrude himselfe or can regularly be admitted or let into this or that particular Church without a Church-act intervening so none can be shut out and deprived of that Membership therein as abovesaid without an act of the same power intervening Ejusdem potestatis est ligare solvere claudere aperire Mr. Cottons keyes cap. 7. pag. 45. 5. Taken from Mat. 18.15 16 17 18. Which command and institution leaves Churches under a solemn obligation of duty that when this offending Brother or Church-Member deserveth excommunication that censure be duly inflicted on him so as that thereby viz. the sentence or censure past against him in case he will not hear the Church he must be to the Church as an He then Man and a Publican so that it is not a matter of indâ—fferency to be observed or not to be observed but after the steps taken mentioned in verses 15 16. and the brother remain obstinate 't is Christ's Charge that then that publick process verse 17. be attended whereby the offender become's ecclesiastically bound according to verse 18. Christ therefore requires a Church-act to intervene as abovesaid and so the offender is not felo de se. 6. Because a scandalous Member of a Church by virtue of Christs Institution Mat. 18.17 is to be accounted not as an Heathen and Publican but stil a Church-Brother if he will hear the Church this is clearly intimated in those words If he neglect to hear the Church runing conditionally which suppose that if he will hear he is not to be as an Heathen i. e. his Membership shall not cease notwithstanding the Scandalous sin Committed Therefore by his wickedness and offence he is not felo de se. 7. Because this felonie objected tend's to render that Ordinance of Church-Censure and Admâ—nition laid down Mat. 18.15 c. vain and useless for the felo de sâ— by his sin becomeing a non-Member and so no Church-Brother hence let a private Member of the Church go to tell him his fault in the sence of the text which is in order to more solemn Church-proceeding and Iudicature in case he will not hear or let the Church require him in thâ— name of Christ to hear in such a Church-way as is there spoken of he may tell them that he is no Brother of the Church for he hath by his offence cut off himselfe and therefore they have nothing to do with him that that rule of Christ concernes only the Brother or the Church-Member not one that is out of the Church as he is being felo de se and therefore may say according to 1 Cor. 5.12 what have you to do to Iudge me that am without If his sin be not yet great enough to render him felo de se he suspect that therefore the Church may have power over him is going about to bind him on earth so that being thereupon also bound in heaven he shall become bound from an orderly entrance in at the doores of other Sister-Churches without Repentance first held forth to the acceptance of the Church which he offended 't is then but to commit another fault whereby he may be sure he shall be felo de se and so he is beyond the Churches reach and this frustrates Church-discipline and renders vain that ordinance of Christ above mentioned 8. To deny the intervening of this Church-act of Excommunication is to deny unto and withold from a person deserving to be cast out of the Church an ordinance and meanes which may be for the saving of his soul 1 Cor 5.4 5. It is not enough to say that the felo de se makes himself no member and so the Church is freed from his communion which would pollute it as fully as if he were excoÌ„municated for God's meanes are not empty or vain meanes and to think to reach the full end but not in Gods way and by observing his meanes ordained is neither Christian wisdome nor Gospel policy yea to deny the application of this ordinaÌ„ce of excoÌ„munication to the offending Brother is to deny a means for the Salvation of his Soule and to deny a remedy for his Repentance and the healing and gaining of our Brother again 9. Because the Holy Ghost command's the Church to Iudge them that are within 1 Cor. 5.12 Do you not judge them that are within All that are within are subject to Ecclesiasticall judicature and therefore cannot by Scripture-Warrant be felones de se. 10. Because this notion of felones de se evacuate's that power given of Rebukeing before all 1 Tim. 5.20 which is to be done without partiality whether they be young or old rich or poor c. ver 21 and so likewise takes away that Authority given of reproving with all long-suffering 2 Tim. 4.2 leaves no room for obedience to that command 2 Thes. 3.15 of Admonishing the offender as a Brother c. add thereto that this notion of the felo de se supposeth some disobedience in a Church-member of
an open scandalous nature against which God hath not provided the remedy of spiritual revenge in an ecclesiastical way contrary to that 2 Cor. 10.6 where the Apostle saith we have in readiness to revenge all disobedience c. that this is spoken of Church discipliâ—e is well cleared by that expression of worthy Mr. Cotton viz. the Apostles revenge of Dâ—sobedience by way of reproofe in preaching doth not follow the Peoples Obedience but proceedeth whether the people obey it or no it was therefore their revenge of disobedience by way of Censure in discipline c. 11. The Notion of felo de se asserts the lawfulness of exclusion or shâ—tâ—ing a Church-Member out of the kingdome of Heaven by none of the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven viz. by the sin of this felon or gives the managing of these keyes in a case which concernes the whole to act in for such is the non-Communion of a Member with the Churchâ— into the hands solely of a private person both whâ—ch right reason doth plainly condemn 12. Because were the sin of a Church-Member of as hâ—gh and heinous a nature as Hâ—resie nay which is more though the Brother of a Church should turn Heretick yet he is not immediately thereby a non-Member or felo de se he is not presently to be rejected but a first and second Admonition must be applyed and in case of incorrigibleness then follows the Ecclesiastical rejection spoken of Tit. 3.10 he must be rejected but according to Gods Order even the order of the Gospel for all things are to be done in order 1 Cor. 14.40 so when the Apostle required the Corinthians to put away from among themselves that wicked person it is to be understood of putting such away and avoiding such and withdrawing themselves from such and haveing no company with such c. All in due season and all according to the order of Christ even accordâ—ng to that rule of delivering such an one unto Sathan as is exprest 1 Cor. 5 and suiting with that other command of Christ Mat. 18. according as the nature of the offence is more or less heinous proportionably is the admonition to be applyed either in case the offence be at first private but growes publick and notorious by the impenitency and obstinacy of the offender or in case the offence be at first rise of it publick and notorious still we have no allowance from Scripture to entertain or admit of the Opinion of this Ecclesiastical felonie Having thus finished this Discourse I shall now very briefly acquaint the Reader in a word or two further touching the following treatise viz. that it was written by the Authors own hand and not three months before the time of his Dissolution and sent to one who before the receipt thereof was not so clear in the point of Infant-Baptisme but was hereby recovered and stablished in the truth and dyed in the same Faith as the letter did perswade him to use M r. Fox his Phrase in hâ—s Book of Martyrs touching that excellent letter which Philpot that Glorious Martyr a little before his death also wrote to a friend of hâ—s that was then a Prisoner upon this very subject of Infant-Baptisme who was thereby converted from the errour of his way as is there to be seen A leâ—ter exceeding wel worth the reading serious perusal by any such especially as hesitate in this matter The Reader may please further to mind that â—his was not intended by the Reverend Author for the publâ—ck view but was only a private Answer sent to a speciall friend for his particular satisfaction relating to some doubts mentioned in a letter of his to my Father concerning this subject Had he purposed to have Written and Printed off his thoughts to the World touching this article of Baptisme I question not but he would have been more polite and curious and the expectations of those who knew him throughly satisfied therein I would not detain the Reader by any further Preface of mine and therefore to conclude May this from one who is now in Heaven unto such as may have too farr engaged against God's Covenant-meries toward his and our poor Children sent indeed in a special manner unto such have a rich and effectual blessing from the Fatâ—er of lights â—â— mercies a better effect upon their hearts then that famous Letter had of Elijah the Prophet upon Jehoram to whom it was sent 2 Chron. 21.12 written 't is thought by divers before his Traâ—slation to Heaven but concealed untill there was so fit a season for the presenting of it May this Writing I say and in such a season also have a better effect and fruit even to bring them from the errour of their way into the paths of Truth and peace and settle them and others more and more therein That is the sincere desire of the publisher thereof who is thinâ— to serve thee in our Lord Jesus Thomas Shepard I. THOMAS SHEPARDIVS Anagr Paradisus hostem HEâ— Paradisus alit Sanctis infantibus hostem Qâ—os Baptizarâ— praecipâ—â— ipse Deus Qâ—os Deus ambabus clemens amplectitur ulnis Non sinet in gremio Tingur Ille suo Annon pro Sanctis Ecclesia mater habebit Quos sancti Sanctos vox ait esse Dei Hoc Deus avâ—â—iaâ— Non sic Shepardius olim Non sic quae moriens Scripta reâ—iquit aiunt Non sic Doctores celebrat quos sanclior atas Anglia quos celebrat Prisca simulque nova His uâ—â—nam Sanctis Deus ipse laboribus abnam E superis clemens suppeditaret opem Quá sine Doctores non ulli scripta nec ulla Errores possunt carnificare malos Ius confirmabas puerorum Christe tuorum A gremio vellent cum revocare tâ—o Sâ—rgito Lactentesque tuos defendito ab hoste Qâ—i vellet lundes cunque perire tuas Amen Johannes Wilsonus senior II. THOMAS SHEPARD Anagr ô a map's thresh'd LOe her 's a map where we may see Well thresh'd an heap of corn to be By Thomas Shepard's happy hand Which from the chaffe pure wheat hath fan'd The wheat is the Church-members right Both great and little ones to witt Unto the seal of Baptisme all That are within the Gospel call I mean Believers and their seed To whom the Lord hath Promised To be their God and doth reveal Their right to 's Covenant and the seal On whom through Grace the Blessing came Of his dear servant Abraham Be they or Iewes or Gentiles now No difference the Lord doth know The promise is to us and ours As large or larger and God pour's His Spirit now as much or more Then e're he did on them before And if that they were Circumcis'd Then we are now to be Baptiz'd Our Babes must now no less then theirs Be seal'd as of his Kingdome heires Christ calleth them his little ones And as his darlings He them owne's Denouncing against them a woe That are despisers of them who Offeâ—d the least