This promise of Eternall life was made to Adam and all the members of Gods visible Church then d See Gen. 3. compared with Cap 4.16 Cap. 5. and established with Abraham and his seed in their Generations e Gen. 17.7 and this heavenly and Evangelicall promise is here repeated by Peter f Act. 2.21 and applyed to all beleevers and their seed g Ver. 39. And though wee should be furnished with the externall gifts of the holy Ghâ—st and evidently perceive the devills to be subject unto us through the name of Christ and see Sathan fall downe as lightning from heaven at the sight whereof we might have cause to rejoyce yet wee have more cause of joy that our names are written in the Lambs book of life h Luk. 10.17 18 19 20. This eternall life is a life above all lives and to be desired above all things in the world and the promise of this eternall life Peter applyeth to beleeving men and women and their holy seed And though in the same promise is included divers things which God distributeth unto some of his Saints and not to other some yet the chiefe thing promised is life and salvation through Jesus Christ whereof all Saints are partakers without which all the prophecies and tongues in the world will availe us nothing And though the infants of beleevers be not capable to prophecie or speake with tongues yet I doubt not but they are holy i 1 Cor. 7.14 Jeremiah k Ier. 1.5 and John Baptist were sanctified by the holy Spirit in the wombe l Luke 1.15 and seeing that beleevers have the like precious faith m 2 Pet. 1.1 they have also the like precious priviledges n Rev. 22.14 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Eph. 2.13 3.6.8 Rom 10.12 Whereas you say o Pag. 2. lin 24. So then by this time wee may see what is meant by the promise to wit the gift of the holy Ghost I answer It cannot appeare any thing at all the more for this your exposition neither doth it yet appeare that you understand the meaning of the holy Ghost in this place for if you did I thinke you could distinguish between the externall gifts of the holy Ghost and the promise of eternall life Consider therefore how that Peters application of the promise is a reason which he yeeldeth of his former speech and you saith he shall recâ—ive the gift of the holy Ghost for or because the promise is to you and to your Childrens c. What promise is that Even the promise of salvation and redemption spoken of in Joel 2.32 And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call Compare with this the words of Peter â—ct 2.21.39 and it will evidently appeare that this promise spoken of in Act. 2. ver 39. is the promise of salvation Joel sayth And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered * Ioel 2.32 And Peter rehearsing this promise sayth Act. 2. ver 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2.39 Joel in application of the promise sayth For in mount Zion Rom. 10.13 and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call Peter in application of the promise sayth to those Converts which were pricked in their hearts and asked counsell of the Apostles what they should doe The promise sayth he is to you and to your Children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call I beseech you weigh the Sentences He doth not say Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall prophecie and speak with tongues This is not the medicine which was applyed to heale the wounded-broken-hearted-soules converted at his Sermon But he speaketh of that which is of a higher nature he applyeth a more effectuall and speciall medicine unto them a more singular cordiall Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved And this is that which the Apostle Paul so much insisteth upon Rom. 10. where in the relation interpretation application and prosecution of his text in Deut. 30.12 13 14. he sheweth wherein the weight of the Saints glory and happines consisteth Rom. 10. ver 6. Rom. 10. ver 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. The righteousnes of faith sayth he speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart Who shall aâ—cend into heaven that is to bring Christ downe from above ver 7. Or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring up Christ againe from the dead ver 8. But what sayth it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thine heart that is the word of faith which wee preach ver 9. That if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved ver 10. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnes and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation ver 11. For the Scripture sayth Whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed 1 Pet. 2.6 7. Isa 28.16 ver 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greeke for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him And in ver 13. he sheweth further wherein this riches consisteth For sayth he whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved In consideration of these things we may safely conclude that the promise mentioned in Act. 2.39 is the same promise mentioned in Joel 2.32 Act. 2.21 Rom. 10.13 Even the promise of eternall life and salvation by Jesus Christ our Lord. But peradventure it will seeme strange unto some that the infants of beleevers should be thought to be in the state of salvation or to have the righteousnes of faith or to be confessors of Jesus Christ or beleevers or invocaters of his name considering that they cannot manifest the same actually in their own persons But wee ought to note that all these things are theirs by imputation it is imputed unto them as if they had done the same in their own persons Wherefore the Lord gave them the signe a Gen. 17.11 and seale b Rom. 4.11 of the righteousnesse of faith which doth really demonstrate unto us that the infants of beleevers have the righteousnes of faith imputatively otherwise the Lord would not have given them such a signe whereby to distinguish them from those who were not in Covenant with him and had not this righteousnes upon them And touching their confession of Christ all the Jewes infants as they grew up to be capable
hath said as he liveth that he desireth not the deâ—th of a sinner neither shall the sonne die for the fathers iniquitie but every one shall beare his own iniquitie q Ezek. 18. Shall every one beare his owne iniquitie Then the iniquitie of the righteous parents that is remitted is not visibly imputed to any of their children in their infancie Therefore those infants are to be accounted righteous For the m râ—y of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him and his righteousnes unto childrens children to such as keep his Covenant c. Psal 103.17 18. For to say that the sinne of the parent that is remitted is imputed to his childe that never sinned actually is an arguing that the sonne shall die for the father yea and for the sinnes of the righteous father A flat contradiction both of the Scripture and Reason it selfe But it may be some will say that the best beleevers on earth doe sin daily yea and that in their best actions Shall all these sinnes be remitted and not be imputed considering that sinne is daily committed by them Ans If they sinne they have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Chrâ—st the righteous r 1 Ioh. 2.1 2. and through him the beleeving parents who die dâ—iâ—y unto sâ—nne have their sinnes so quelled and crushed that there is no power in the same whereby to condemne them for as the Brazen Serpent was lifted up in the Wildernes so is Jâ—sus Christ lifted up for them Å¿ Ioh. 3.14 15. so that the fiery Messengers of Sathan though they sting them yet cannot destroy their soules and this being remitted to the parâ—nts to all beleevers shall not be imputed to them because still upon the renewing of sinne they renew their repentance and so doe cut the cords of sinne by godly sorrow t 2 Cor 7.10 11. But a wicked person that is not penitent hath the iniquities of his fathers imputed unto him and his mothers sinne is not blotted out all this is remembred with the Lord continually u Psal 109 14 15. and laid upon the sinner that is not justified by Jesus Christ But the infants of beleevers as hath been observed before are from under the guilt of originall sinne their parents sinne is not imputed unto them but both the originall sinne and actuall sinne is fully remitted and the infants cannot be taxed with actuall sinne they are cleare they never acted sinne Wherefore by all this it appeareth that the Lord spake not in vaine when he bid the parents choose life that both they and their seed might live for though God visiteth the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those that â—â—te him yet he sheweth mercy to thousands of those that love him and keep his Commandements * Exod. 20.5 6 Seeing then it is so apparent that the infants of beleevers are freely justified and saved by Jâ—sus Christ through his righteousnesse they are under this promise mentioned by Peter Act. 2.39 And therefore are to have Baptisme the seale of the same promise administred upon them And this conclusion is agreeable to your own position * A. R. second part pag. 6. lin 37 38 39. which is that that which availeth to justification doth according to the rule availe to Baptisme c. Whereas you further say * Pag. 2. lin â—0 that by children are meant sonnes and daughters which should prophecie This I denie not But that it is onely meant of them I doe deny for all are not Prophets x 1 Cor. 12.29 Jeremia was not a Prophet till God called him And though he was not set about the work till he was capable to understand and apprehend y Ier. 1.6.10 11 12 17 18. yet he was sanctified in the wombe and therefore the promise appertained unto him then before he could prophecie even so the promise is really made to the infants of the faithfull though they can neither prophecie nor speake with tongues Wherefore it appeareth by what hath been said in answer unto you that your argument is quite overthrowne and the drift thereof hath no weight in it to edifie the soule nor any strength to prove what you undertooke * Pag. 2. lin 21. namely that by children no infants are meant in this place of Acts 2.39 And although it be said that the promise is to their children yet you deny that the Text speaketh of their children in Covenant * Line 41. by saying that this objection that these children were in Covenant hath no colour of footing in the Text for proofe whereof you bring your own former speeches * Line 42. and adde for further demonstration saying * Pag. 3. lin 1.2 3 4 5. that first the promise is made equally to them and to their children and to them that are afar off But these which are afar off are not within the Covenant by the promise untill they beleeve the same To which I answer that if it be not meant of their children in Covenant then is it meant of their children out of Covenant But you should know that those who are out of Covenant are not within the promise of life and salvation None have right unto the tree of Life but those that are in Covenant with God z Rev. 21.7 8. 22.14 15. and those that abide not in Christ they have no part in him or his * Ioh. 15.6 But the infants of beleevers are in Christ and in the promise and God is faithfull a 1 Thes 5.24 and therefore will not breake his promise with those whom he hath effectually called to the fellowship of his Sonne Jesus Christ And it appeareth by the Apostle Peters words that these children mentioned in Act. 2.39 were such whom in visibilitie the Lord had so called in Christ Jesus for the Apostle speaketh of them in the time present The promise is to you sayth he and to your children but when he speaketh of those afar off he hath relation wholly to the future time saying and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call And so by this he shewed that God would be a God unto all those whom he so calleth Now this calling I doe not understand to be a bare publication of the Gospel or generall invitation which appertaineth unto all b Mar. 15.15 2 Tim. 1.9 but such a calling which is appropriated unto those whom the Lord accepteth in the Covenant of the Gospel and fellowship with his Sonne Jesus Christ That the infants of beleevers have fellowship with Jesus Christ is evident Suffer them sayth Christ to come unto mee and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heaven c Luk. 18.15 16 17. Seeing then that they are declared to be in Jesus Christ who is made a d Isa 42 6 7. Covenant to the people they are not out of
doth he direct his speech unto any unbeleever but unto beleevers wherefore this principally concerneth beleevers that they might know the privioidges which appertaine unto them and their seed according to the covenant of God Gâ—n 17.7 8. which declareth that God will be their God Secondly The Apostle doth not say that the unbeleâ—viâ—â— â—â—â—band or wife sanctifieth the beleeving husband or wife but the â—â—â—â—leeving wife is sanctified in the beleeving husband and the unbeleeving husband in the beleeving wife that is to say in consideration that â—â—e is hâ— sanctified yoak-fellow Where wee are to note that though the unbeleeving wife have a priviledge to be sanctified in her beleeving husband yet not to sanctifie her beleeving husband nor hath the unbeleeving husband any priviledge to sanctified is beleeving wife Nor doth it need in this case for beleevers are holy without them though their unbeleeving yoak-fellowes are not sanctified without them Thirdly Wee are to note from the Apostles words Else were your children uncleane but now are they holy That because the unbeleeving wife is sanctified to the beleeving husband or the unbeleeving husband to the beleeving wife therefore the children are holy else not Fourthly We are to take notice that the cause of the sanctification of the unbeleeving wives or that which made them to be so sanctified was two things Frist Their abiding And Secondly Because their yoak-fellowes were beleevers if her yoak-fellow be a beleever else she cannot be so sanctified to the beleever for that that is not cannot be said to be Fifthly The Apâ—stle treateth of holinesse which wee are to take for that excellent spirituall holinesse which becometh the Lords House even such a holinesse which Abraham and his infants had Which holinesse giveth the persons who have it visible right to the covenant of Grace and scales thereof The Apostle speaketh of holinesse and doth no way lesson it and therefore considering what the infants of bel evers have been what Christ hath done for them wee may well understand that the holinesse which they have now is a holinâ—ssâ— in relation to the covenant and Church of God Sixthly It evidently appeareth from the Apostles words that wee may safely coÌ„clude that such children spoken of here are different from heathens for the unbeleeving wife had not that priviledge to bring forth such a holy seed unto a heathen And so the like may be said for the unbeleeving husband that he could not beget a holy seed of her that was an unbeleeving wife but it is peculiarly bound up in the beleeving yokâ—fellow Therfore the childeren of one or both beleeving parents are hâ—ly indeed taking the Scripture in the largest extent Seventhly If the Apostle had said to the beleevers that their children were unholy neverthelesse you might still have made suâ—h a collection as you have here to wit that he meaneth tâ—at they are no Bastards but legitimate for the legitimate children whose parents are neither of them beleevers are unholy and yet they have your holinesse to wit that which evidenceth them to be no Bastards Wherefore that the Apostle Paul meâ—neth such a holinesse which you speake of we may not in reason conclude but the contrarie as hath been observed before naâ—ely that the Apâ—stlâ— meaneth a holinesse directly opposite to thâ—◠〈…〉 spoken of 2 Cor. 6.17 And also in this place 1 Câ—â— 7.14 When he saith Else were your children unclean but now are 〈…〉 But you in giving the sence according to your sence or understanding say it is thus Else were your children Bastards but now are they no Bastards And further you say And that this is the genuine sence of this place A. R. Pag. 10. lin 33. may further and clearly appeare by the generall scope of the Apostle in the 20 21 22 23. verses following in the same Chapter where he after he had resolved the married Beleevers not to depart from their lawfull yoke-mates he then in these verses exhorts Servants and all others to abide likewise in the lawfull callings wherein they were before their Conversion and seemeth to tell them in effect thus much That their being converted to the faith did in no wise release them from any lawfull Covenants and civill duties in their severall relations wherein they stood before but bound them to a more due performance of all such obligements towards all men but in poynt of Religion and worship of God therein they were not to be in subjection to any save onely to Jesus Christ who had therefore bought them with a price Ans All which you have sayd here maketh nothing for your purpose for vindication illustration or confirmation of your strange restriction of the Apostles words but rather maketh against you for as much as the Apostle desireth every beleever to abide in the same calling wherein he was called So that the beleeving married persons had no need to put away their unbeleeving yoak-fellowes for as much as the Lord allowed them to abide together and that the unbeleeving yoak-fellowes were so sanctified for producing a holy seed Else were your children uncleane sayth the Apostle but now are they holy But you pretend that you gathered your interpretation Else were your children Bastards c. from the generall scope of the Apostle in the 20 21 22 23. verses following of the same Chapter The words therefore I will repeat at large because you shall see that here is nothing in these verses which you pretend or by which you have any occasion to urge what you doe Ver. 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Ver. 21. Art thou called being a servant care not for it but if thou mayest be made free use it rather Ver. 22. For he that is called in the Lord being a servant is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs servant Ver. 23. Yee are bought with a price be not yee the servants of men Now consider what ground you had to build such an affirmation that the Apostle in speaking of holinesse 1 Cor. 7.14 doth not meane a holinesse in relation to faith and that where he sayth Else were your children uncleane but now are they holy he meaneth else were your children bastards but now are they no bastards What title of Scripture is here to warrant these your vaine conceipts in thus opposing holy infants Or upon what reason doe you ground these unreasonable collections Is it because the Apostle sayth that the called of the Lord are the Lords freemen the Lords servants are bought with a price Surely this maketh nothing against holy infants being in Covenant for they are bought with the same price Christ came not to damnifie them but to dignifie them not to make them loosers but gainers And all this is wrought by him in whom is all fullnesse and no emptinesse riches and no povertie life and no death He it is that came to give himselfe a ransome for them But you
were to confesse Christ according to this saying of the righteousnes of faith which spake on this wise c Rom. 10.6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Say not who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ downe from above c. And seeing God usually giveth names unto persons according to their nature state and condition d Gen. 22.28 Rev. 3.12 11.8 the infants of the beleeving Jewes having the name of Jewes rightly attributed unto them they were Jewes that is Confessors though they could not actually confesse and the like may be sayd for their invocation or calling upon the name of God So it appeareth that the infants of the Jewes had such a holy state and condition upon them that the visible imputation e Heb. 7.9 10. of holy actions was conferred upon them though they could not act the same And the very like may be said concerning the infants of beleeving parents now And seeing that salvation appertaineth to the infants of beleevers f Luk. 18.15 16 17. the righteousnes of faith is imputed unto them g Mat. 16.16 and therefore they ought to receive the signe and seale of the same righteousnes for we are to account that Jesus Christ our righteousnes is a Saviour in a speciall manner unto all those who ought to be judged righteous persons in Covenant with him and ought not to be accounted to have the guilt of originall sinne but that they have it pardoned and done away through him But the infants of beleeving parents ought to be judged righteous persons in Covenant with Christ and ought not to be esteemed to have the guilt of originall sinne but that they have it pardoned and done away through him as hath been proved before Therefore wee are to account that Jesus Christ our righteousnes is a Saviour unto them in a speciall manner See Mat. 1.21 as well as to their parents It is certaine that the rarest Saint in the world though he professe and confesse never so much yet he being one of Adams posteritie hath originall sinne from the houre of his birth to the time of his death yea and before his birth he was conceived in sinne So David sayth of himselfe Loe in iniquitie was I painfully brought forth and in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51.5 But herein consisteth the Saints happines that all their sinnes are remitted h Psal 32.1 2. Rom. 4.6 through Jesus Christ so that the Lord will not remember their sins nor impute the same unto them he counteth them not guiltie he saveth his people from their sinnes therefore is he called Jesus * Mat. 1.21 So David sayth that with Jehovah is bountifull mercy and plentifull redemption And he will redeem Israel out of all his iniquities Psal 130.7 8. Now whereas it is said He shall save his people from their sinnes He will redeem Israel out of all his iniquities Hereby is meant all the sinnes of all his people in Covenant with him both young and old both great and small So David sayth Psal 115.12 13 14 15. The Lord hath been mindfull of us he will blesse us he will blesse the house of Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron He will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children You are blessed of the Lord which hath made Heaven and Earth And so in Isa 44.3 the Lord sayth to Israel I will powre my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring And in Isa 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory By all the seed of Israel he doth not mean Apostates for they are not counted for the seed k Rom. 9.8 but this justification and glorifiâ—ation is promised onely to those that abide in the Lord Jesus l Joh. 15.4 5.6.10 and so continue in his Church But the seed of the faithfull in their infancie cannot justly be sayd to depart from Christ to aberate from his Commandements to Apostate or degenerate from that h avenly state wherein the Lord of his mercy hath planted them therefore they are as well in infancie as after to be accounted holy â—pâ—â—iâ—uall and iâ— the new Covenant in the very promise of Eternall life and freed from the wrath of God and curses of the law and under grace and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord therefore it is apparent that the Lord imputeth them righteous though him so then they are righteous by imputation they are believers and Coâ—fessors imputatively yea and all the graces of God are theirs by imputation and this favour and benediction is not onely extended to the infants of the beleeving Jewes m Jer. 30.20 but also â—o the infants of the bâ—leeving Gentiles There is no d fference a Rom. 10 12. sayth the Apostle Paul their riches are equall they are all on in Christ b Gal. 3.28 God is their God and Christ is their Saviour in a speciall manner He justifieth the circumcision and uncircumcision by his righteousnes c Rom. 4.8 This righteous servant justifieth many d Isa 53.11 He pardoneth the iniquities of all that abide e 1 Ioh. 3 5 6. in his Covenant And seeing that the beleeving Jewes and the beleeving Gentiles have equall priviledges f Isa 56. As the infants of the beleeving Jâ—wes were and are in the Covenant of God with their parents g Gen. 17.7 Psal 11. â— so are the infants of beleeving Gentiles h Exod. 12.48 Rom. 11.12.15 16.17 20.23 24. for Jesus Christ is the same to day as he was yesterday and so is he for ever i Heb. 13.8 God is the same God over all and therefore rich unto all that call upon him * Rom. 10 12 And seeing he is the same God rich unto all that call upon him Beleeving Gentiles have the same priviledges for their seed as the beleeving Jewes had and have for their seed so that though their infants are all sinners k Rom 5.12.13 14. c. originally yet by the free grace of God they are justifica l Ver. 20.21 their transgression is forgiven and their sinne is covered and therefore they are all blessed both small and great m Psal 115.13 buds n Isa 65.23 and blossoms Blessed o Jer. 1. Psal 22.10 11 71.6.17.18 Mar. 10.13 14.15 16. Rev. 14. â—3 Psal 100.5 2 Sam 12.23 in their conception blessed in their birth blessed in their life and blessed at their death remaining still in the Covenant branches p Psal 80 1.1â— of Gods holy Vine In the Lord shall all this blessed seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Note he doth not limit it to some onely but extendeth it to all not one person of them is exempted for though they be all sinners by nature yet by grace they are saved not of themselves but it is the gift of God who