such as them in age or understanding but of others who are such as them in humilitie and such like qualifications So that you tying your self unto this restriction * In Pag. 13. lin 26 27. 38 39 40 41. have indeed lost the marrow and gnawne upon the bone bitten on the barke in stead of the pith the shell in stead of the kernell And thus you have done not onely in these Texts but in many more as doth evidently appeare in these your Childish Treatises of Baptisme And if your humane Authors have made you childish and brutish be no more so If you have followed them in stead of the Word as it so appeareth by your citing them in your Childish Treatises and building upon their mistakings Repent then and sinne no more Open your eyes see the truth Take hold of the promises if it be possible that you may be saved out of this your quick-sand of delusions As for the objections which you call scattering objections * Pag 14. lin 24 25. which you say you have met withall As they are set downe by you some of them may well be said to be scattering In the first objection in the inference you speak of ordinances * Lin. 29. in generall which must be esteemed the Ordinances of Jesus Christ by whom soever or on whom soever they are administred But heer you have not told us what Ordinances are to be esteemed so But in answering * Lin. 33. it you labour to discover the weaknesse of the Objection which is without distinction and you would inferre as though the objecters meant by ordinances acts meerly for so you say * Pag. 15. lin 9. this objection imports that had but the Idolatrous Corinthians taken bread and wine and broken it and divided it among their dogs and swine yet this should have been the ordinance of Christ if it must remaine his by whom soever or on whom soever it is administred And so you demand * Lin. 15. upon this whether the Apostle received any such ordinance c And at length you deny it to be the minde commandement or ordinance of Christ at all and therefore you conclude That for any to call such actions his ordinances can be no lesse then blasphemie against the Son of God To which I say that if he who framed this objection meaneth that the ordinances of Christ are the ordinances of Christ then we are not to understand that he meaneth heer by ordinances meer naturall acts as giving bread and wine to dogs and swine he hath not so expressed it and therefore though you denied your own inference or swinish insinuation yet you could not justly charge him with blasphemie against the Son of God in this particular But rather those may be charged with blasphemie who denie the ordinances of Christ to be the ordinances of Christ And indeed I thinke reason should teach you that the ordinances of Christ are the ordinances of Christ for as every thing is the same with it selfe so every ordinance of Christ is the same with it selfe But next you say Obj. They will reply that bread and wine received by any in such a manner and water sprinkled in the Name of the Father c. are his ordinances and therefore whosoever hath these hath his ordinance Ans I thinke this your accusation is a meer surmise or groundlesse supposition You say They will thus reply Who are they that will thus reply I thinke you have no opposite in withstanding this except it be such as your selfe This may well be called scattering for it is the nature of chaffe and stubble to be scattered by the winde and indeed I thinke that this objection which you make to be a reply of others is your owne if the truth were knowne And you might have saved your labour in bringing such frivolous toyes For you know that our poynt is not cōcerning eating bread or drinking wine or sprinkling water as they are meerly naturall acts but as they are divine ordinances Now to say that the eating of bread and drinking wine and sprinkling water as they are meerly naturall acts are divine ordinances and that therefore whosoever hath these hath his ordinances is very absurd I never did heare it proceed out of any ones mouth nor read in any book besides your own I conceive then that you might have saved your labour and not made answer where there is no opposition but have kept your Bartholomew-babies for Bartholomew-faire unless you could have proved them to be the Kings Subjects as the children of six moneths old are whom you have familiarly a Pag 16. lin 1. by a Supposition b Lin. 2. equalized c Lin. 15. with them in your answer But herein also you are deceived in your judgement it being a very childish and babish comparison For you might know if you have the use of your senses that Bartholomew-babies of the best sort are unsensible but the meanest children of six moneths old are reasonable creatures and therefore it appeareth that your unsensible comparisons are unseasonable at this time But the next objection being sound you cannot answer but in labouring to turne it away discover how deeply you are drenched in deceivable errours and vaine conceits The objection or position is that It is said 1 Cor. 10.1 2. of the children of Israel that they were all baptized in the cloud and in the sea there being young children as well as men of yeares Your answer unto this is as followeth The Text is that they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud A. R. Pag. 16. li. 23. and in the sea But our question is not of baptizing unto Moses but of baptizing unto Christ by being dipped or buried in water by the similitude of his death according to the institution of Christ Thus were not these Israelites baptized for they were in the cloud and in the sea dry nor was baptisme then instituted Thus then is the sence of the place That no enjoying of any outward priviledge as Baptisme or the Lords Supper without true faith companied with obedience will now save us any more then the many outward priviledges visible signes of Gods presence and the great outward deliverances which the Lord by the hand of Moses afforded and wrought for the Israelites in bringing them through the sea in defending and guiding them in the Wildernesse by the cloud did exempt and save them from Gods Judgements for notwithstanding their enjoying all these outward favours many of them perished in the Wildernesse for their sinnes and disobedience which St Paul sets out as examples unto us and therefore here by way of allusion compareth their outward priviledges to the outward priviledges and ordinances of the New Testament Even as St Peter in like manner figuratively speaketh of the Arke 1 Pet. 3.20 21. When once the long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was preparing wherein few
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
Esayâ—s sayth There shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reigne oâ—er the Gentiles and in him shall the Gentiles trust And David saith in Psal 22 28 29 31. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turne to Jehovah and all families of the Heathens shall do worship before thâ—e for to Jehoâ—ah partaines the kingdâ—me and he is Ruler among the Naâ—ions c. A sâ—ed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord fâ—r a generation Observe how the Scriptures here doe set forth the excellent benâ—fits which appertain to aâ—â— the Saints in generall and to the holy families in particular under the flourishing time of the Gospel Here is great occasion for the â—aints to glorifiâ— to magnifie to confesse to praise and to laud the great God of heaven and earth who hath so far magnified his word so strongly confirmed his promises made unto the fathers and hath so largely extended his Gospel-priâ—iledges unto them and to their seed Their seed are in the blessing It shall sayth David be accounted unto the Lord for a generation Weigh these sentences and compare the same with Gen. 17 10 where the Lord sayd unto Abraham Thou shalt keepe my Covenant thou and thy seed after thee in their generations And so it is sayd here in Psal 22. that a seed shall serve him Now to serve him indeed is to keep his Covenant and those that keep his Covenant are obedient to his lawes and ordinances which he prescribeth And as Abraham and his seed then were accounted of before the Lord so are the beleeving Gentiles their seed now they are counted before the Lord for a generation for time was when they were not accounted before the Lord for a generation no reckoning was made of the Nations they were without Christ Eph. 2.11 12. being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world mistake me not I doe not say that the beleeving Gentiles or Proselytes or their infants were without Christ or without God in the world when God took them in his Covenant be it far from me so to thinke for these visible Saints were no further off then the beleeving Jewes * See Gen. 17.10 11 12 13 14. Exod. 12.48 But the Apostle declareth that such aliens as were then without God in the world Now God of his rich mercy hath called them unto him by repentance and now God calling them his people who were not his people and mâ—king them of Lyons Lambs bringing them into subjection to his lawes and to the obedience of his faith they are holy and spirituall 1 Cor. 7.14 and accounted as precious as Abraham and his infants were for these Gentiles who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Eph. 2.13 14. And he hath accepted of them joyntly into his service giving them the blessing of Abraham a Gen. 12.3 Gal. 3.8.14 and his posteritie accounting of them before him as a holy generation b Psal 22.30 1 Cor. 7.14 1 Pet. 2.9 Rev. 1.5 6. Isa 19.18 c. Whereas before they were visibly of no account of no estimation in the sight of God or his people But God of his rich mercy made them rich yea in generall equally rich with the Jewes in respect both of externall and internall precious priviledges The same God over all sayth the Apostle is rich unto all that call upon him c Rom 20.12 Rev. 22.14 their riches are not lessened or diminished one jot they are equailized with the riches of the Jewes let them be bond or free male or female they are all one in Christ d Gal. 3.28 Abrahams seed like Zacheus e Ver. 29. Luk. 19. and heires according to promise f Gal. 3.29 fellow-heires and of the same body and partakers of his promise by the Gospel g Eph 3.6 The children of the promisâ— as Isaac was h Gal 4 28. Blessed with their faithfull father Abraham i Gal. 3.9 grafted into the same stocke and olive tree and root from whence the unbeleeving Jewes for unbeliefe were cut off k Rom. 11.19 20 21 22 23 24. and these beleevers the Apostle concludeth are blessed by God the Father with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ l Eph. 1.3 and therefore I see no reason why the beleeving parents now though Gentiles should not have the like precious priviledges for their seed in infancie as their brethren and Countrimen had in former time for their seed m Gen. 17.11 12 13. Exod. 12.48 in infancie Yea considering that the infants of beleevers now are able to doe as good great faithfull and acceptable service as the infants of beleevers in the time of the Law and that these are as capable of Baptisme this passive Ordinance as those were of Circumcisioâ— that passive Ordinance which was no more passive then this and was the forerunner of this and both that and this being in one generalâ— institution and one and the same in effect n Col. 2 11 12 we may safely beleeve and justly conclude that the Saints infants ought to be baptized as formerly they were Circumcised yea and for as much as the Apostles themselves speaking generally of baptizing whole housholds o Act. 16.15 1 Cor 1 16.33 never once make mention of the exempting of any of their infants though it be a matter of so great concernment how then shall we reject them And considering that in the Scripture by the speech of an house familie or houshold infants are also implyed therein * Gen. 17.23.9 10.12 30.25.30 45.10 11.18 19 46 5 6 7. Exod. 1.1 Num. 3.15.39 Psal 115.12 13 14. Luk. 19.9 Prov 31.15 1 Tim. 5.8 and seeing Baptisme is come in the roome of Circumcision If infants should not have been baptized as formerly they were circumâ—ised sure the Apostles in speaking generally of baptizing housholds would not without exception of infants have used such tearmes as are set downe in the old and new Testament to include infants Considering that then the Apostles had a just occasion to exclude their infants in expresse words if any such thing should have been done If holy infants should have been thrust out from being members of the visible Church and from having their spirituall priviledges as they have had heretofore Surely we should have found some tittle of it in the New Testament but there is not the least shew of it from whence wee may draw any just consequence for dismissing them from being members of the visible Church of Christ * Mr Spilsbery saith it is a truth that the Church of the New Testament consisteth both of Jewes and Gentiles and admits of all that beleeve and rejects none And for the Gentiles Infants being in the same body as well as the Jews infants this saith he I beleeve both alike For
6.5 In death there is no remembrance of God in the grave who shall praise him But the Comforter which would not have beleeving parents mourne 1 Thes 4.13 as those which have no hope hath informed them that he is the Circumciser of their heart and of the heart of their seed * Deut. 30.6 a plain evidence that they love and know him or rather are beloved and knowne of him He that loved them in their life will not forsake them in their death For the dead which die in the Lord are fully blessed yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them * Rev. 14.13 But by your words it appeareth that you judge the infants of beleevers and Infidells all alike Yea the Infidell servants which serve beleevers if these your words be true have a greater priviledge then the Infants of beleevers for the servants are capable of instruction in respect of a naturall capabilitie but the Infants are not Now if you will still grant that the Infants of beleevers though they die in their infancie have a greater priviledge then the infants of unbeleevâ—rs then you must also grant that that their priviledge resteth in something else besides the bare publication of the Gospel which they are not in their infancie capable of And you should not have over-topped them so far as to say that because beleeving parents may be a means to bring their children to the knowledge and faith of Jesus Christ that therefore they have no more priviledges then the unbeleeving wife As if this were the greatest priviledge which beleevers infants have which unbeleevers themselves may have Mark 16.15 But you should rather have reasoned thus Beleeving parents may publish the Gospel to their unbeleeving servants unbeleeving wives to all other unbeleevers but they may yea ought to apply it to their infants * See Mar. 16.16 Luk. 1.76 77 78 79. as well as to themselves also to all those whom they are to esteem in the state of salvation he that hath faith thus to do is a Christian he that hath not so much faith but refuseth to apply the Gospel so the Lord be mercifull to his soule by giving him repentance and remission of his sinne All godly parents â—ike faithfull Abraham were to teach their children the way of life both what things were and what things signified Gen. 19.17.19 Josh 4.21.24 and to declare unto them the goodnesse of God in the land of the living yea to hide nothing from them which might be profitable to them or beneficiaâ—l for them But as they grew up to be capable of knowledge the parents were as before mentally so now verbally to apply the promises unto themselves and their children c. Psal 78.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. And surely this is one cause why the Land mourns why the Lord smiteth the earth with cursing Mal. 4.5 6. because the heart of the parents are not linked to their Infants This part of good Elias and John Baptists ministâ—ry doth not worke upon them And how can it worke upon them so long as they continue in their sinnes and so wrap themselves and their off-spring in many mischiefes and miseries and doe not choose life the thing that pleaseth God but refuse it and follow the wayes of the strange woman whose wayes are wayes of death and whose steps reach downe to hell And surely I may well say unto you that those are Physicians of no value who in stead of curing them doe kill them and in stead of preserving them doe poysen harden corrupt and pervert them with such damnable doctrine which so violently possesseth them that they thinke the Infants of beleevers have no priviledge at all in respect of the Covenant of grace no more then the children of Turkes and Heathens who are unholy A dangerous doctrine and to be abhorred detested and witnessed against by those that feare the God of heaven and desire to make a difference between the precious and the vile against all such Mongrell opposites who by speech and writing contrary to the Tenour of the whole Scripture do labour to rank all infants in one condition Thus coupling light and darknesse God and Belial the beleever and the Infidell together But woe unto them may we say as sayth the Prophet Isaiah Isa 10.1 which decreâ— unrighteous decrees and write grievousnesse which they have prescribed Thus drawing * Isa 5.18 iniquitie with the cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Woe ** Ver. 20. unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Psal 73.1 Yet surely God is good unto Israel may wee say to those that are pure in heart The Lord hath been mindfull of us He will blesse us He will blesse the house of Israel saith that sweet singer of Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron Psal 115.12 13 14 15. He will blesse those that feare the Lord with small and great The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children You are blessed of the Lord who hath made the heaven and the earth NExt * See A. R. Pag. 12. lin 40. Pag. 13. li. 1 2. Pag. 13. l. 3. you say The fourth Scripture is That which speakes of Christs commanding little Children to be brought unto him and sayd That of such is the kingdome of God Hence you say therefore some reason The kingdome of God belongeth to little Children why not the Seales I Ans If by these some you mean the people of the Seperation then I say you have not set it downe according to our expression It is too generally laid downe We say the kingdome of heaven belongeth to the Infants of beleevers and we doe not barely question why not the seales But we set it downe affirmatively that the seales doe belong to the infants of beleeving parents But for as much as our poynt is particularly concerning the Baptisme of infants I intend to proceed directly to the matter in hand and answer your trifling objections by the way as I trace you Mat. 28.19 Mat. 16.16 First It is to be minded that Baptisme is one of the priviledges of Christs Church which is his house and kingdome Secondly It is also to be minded that Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God and Lord of Glory and of all administrations and giver of every good and perfect gift when he sayth Suffer the little Children to come unto me Mar. 10.14 Mat. 19.14 c. For of such is the kingdome of heaven He doth hereby apply the Gospel unto them I say It is Gospel which he speaketh here Where the kingdome is ther 's the Gospel Get the kingdome thou hast God and Gospel and all And so wee are to understand that with the kingdome the infants of beleevers have the Gospel of the
13.12 a reviving unto them Look upon the first Church that was on earth Adam and Eve see whether they were not comforted in bringing forth children to God and what hope had they of the continuance of the Church on earth if it were not by promulgation of children to their celestiall Father After Abel was slain and Cain cast out God sent Seth in stead of Abel Gen. 4.25 26. and this thing Eve did acknowledge and this was a great comfort unto them And thus Eve the mother of us all was like unto Rachel and Leah who built the house of Israel And how was this Even by bringing forth a holy seed unto God and bringing them up in his feare And this made all the People and the Elders of Israel Ruth 4.11 12. to say unto Boze upon his wedding day The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah which two did build the house of Israel And doe thou worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlem And let thy house be like the house of Pharez whom Tamar bare unto Judah of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman Note here that the holy seed the off-spring the issue are materialls for building the Lords house they are the comfort of Israel the glorie of Gods holy house and kingdome But where there is no off-spring no issue then there is not that joy that gladnesse that glory that expectation of succession as would be if there were children Wherefore the Lord for comforting his people Israel Isa 29.22 23. sayth in the 29th of Isaiah ver 22 23. Thus sayth the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the house of Jacob Jacob shall not now be ashamed neither shall his face now wax pale Ver. 23. But when he seeth his children the work of mine hands in the middest of him they shall sanctifie my Name and sanctifie the holy One of Jacob and shall feare the God of Israel Ver. 24. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured Jer. 30.20 shall learne doctrine And in the 30th Chapter of Jeremiah Ver. 20. God sayth their children shall be as aforetime and their Congregation shall be established before me c. And in the 31. Chapter of Jeremiah Jer. 31.15 16 17. Ver. 15 16 17. Thus sayth the Lord to Rahel which wept for her children from two years old and under Mat. 1.16 17 18. and refused to be comforted because they were not Refraine thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy work shall be rewarded sayth the Lord and they shall come againe from the land of the enemie Ver. 17. And there is hope in thine end sayth the Lord that thy children shall come againe unto their own border Take notice heer how the Lord comforted his people and spake comfortably to Jerusalem And he is the same unto his people as he hath been heretofore His comfort is not lessened but is extended to all Saints from the least unto the greatest from the youngest to the eldest God never lesseneth his glorie nor his excellencie Psal 68.19 which he communicateth to his people but daily increaseth his blessings and multiplieth his benefits towards them and theirs and increaseth their glory doth not nor never did diminish it from them or their infants And therefore experience teacheth us that the infants of the Saints are the glory of the fathers house as heretofore they have bin Seeing then it is so cleare that the infants of beleevers are the glory of the fathers house they being of his houshold must have the priviledges of the house according to the appointment of the housholder and what is appointed for such vessells of honour and of glory Surely these holy vessells of the Lords sanctuary they being beleevers and Disciples of Christ being hallowed by the holy Ghost ought to be baptized See Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.16 Seventhly It is declared what this glory is and wherein this glory consisteth or what must be put upon Christ what glorious things even the off-spring and the issue sayth he that is to say their seed or children for they are the off-spring and the issue as may appeare by these Scriptures Job 5.25 Isa 21.8 48.19 61.9 65.23 Rev. 22.16 Gen. 48.5 6. And this is according to what the Apostle declareth in 1 Cor. 7.14 that the children of beleevers male or female the off-spring and the issue are a holy seed Now this off-spring and issue hath dependency upon Jesus Christ and he beareth them and will beare them Rom. 8.30 and blesse them in bearing them and justifie them in blessing them and sanctifie them in justifying them and glorifie them in sanctifying them He is all in all in them and for them and to them Their glory is the glory of his Fathers house and they are the glory thereof as hath been shewed before Wherefore let all Christian parents as they love Christ in procreation of their children dedicate their holy off-spring and blessed issue unto God and lay them upon the Lord Jesus Christ and say unto him Save us thy people both great small Psal 28.9 and blesse thine inheritance gather them and lift them up for ever Eighthly Further this holy off-spring and blessed issue which is the glory of the house of the God of all glory and power who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ are called vessells of small quantitie vessells of small quantie are used to be set upon nayles sometimes for show for safetie and conveniencie glory and decency Now Jesus Christ is as a nayle the off-spring and the issue are the vessells of small quantitie and these holy vessells of small quantitie Jesus Christ is said to beare yea and to beare them all all vessells of small quantitie sayth the Text. Wherefore wee have no ground to cast away any of them or omit the least of these vessells though they are but of small quantitie Some peradventure will think that because the infants of beleevers are vessells of small quantitie that therefore they are no vessells or vessels of no quantitie or vessels of contempt or disgrace or such in whom there is no glory spiritually or such concerning whom they cannot judge or such in whom the seed of Gods grace is not to be esteemed to be But let them know that they doe violent injurie unto Jesus Christ and doe exceedingly eclipse the glorie of his Mediatorship For as the smallest vessells in the Lords Temple in the time of the Law were as holy as the greater though they could not containe so much So the Infants of beleevers who are the Lords vessells are as holy as those Saints who are past their minoritie though they being Infants through tendernes of yeares cannot containe or receive what the others who are aged can yet are they as precious in Christs estimation and have his holinesse upon them as aged
Saints have There was a great difference * They differed in the quantitie not in the qualitie Zach. 4.20 in the time of the Law between the spoones flaggons and cups in the Temple and the censers seas and potts and yet they were all holy both great and small and so were the Jewes both young and old great and small Infants and aged persons they were all holy ecclesiastically and all the Lords holy vessels and we are not to have such sacrilegious thoughts as to thinke God doth refuse the infants of beleevers though they are vessells of small quantitie The Boules before the Altar were counted very glorious when it is taken for such an excellent thing for the potts in the Lords house to be like unto them If then the potts in the Lords house spiritually are in these last dayes and flourishing times of the Gospell * In respect that there is and hath been both by the sight of the eye hearing of the eare and in divers other respects most of God of Christ and of the Holy Spirit manifested in these last dayes like the boules before the Altar What are the boules before the Altar What are the cups What are the flaggons The Lord in numbering up his holy vessells of small quantitie even the holy off-spring and the blessed issue calleth them by the name of cups and flaggons and calleth them the glory of his house All which doth set forth the excellency of the Infants of beleevers their great holinesse and high estimation with Jesus Christ Compare with this the Historicall Relations of Christ concerning infants in the Gospel and there the fulling of this Prophecie will appeare to be for there they brought infants to him that he should put his hands on them and pray and he approved of their act * Mat. 19.13 yea and gave free admittance for the infants to come unto him and charged that none should interrupt the bringers by forbidding them because of such is the kingdome of heaven * Mar. 10 14. Luk. 18.17 and he took them up in his armes and put his hands upon them and blessed them ** Mar. 10.15 But to this you answer First That all this is not baptizing them for Christ baptized not A. R. Pag. 14. lin 3 4 5. Joh. 4.2 And therefore this place seemes not at all to prove the baptizing of Infants Ans The holy Ghost fell upon Cornelius and his friends Act. 10.44 at Peters preaching though all this was not baptizing them with water yet they being baptized by the holy Ghost who could forbid water that they should not be baptized which had received the holy Ghost as well as * Ver. 47. others So the infants which Christ took up in his armes he layd his hands upon and blessed Christ did more for holy Infants then baptize them with water and declared that the Kingdome of God belonged unto them Of such is the Kingdome of heaven sayth he Christ had declared that without the Spirit persons could not enter into the Kingdome of God But these infants were subjects of his Kingdome according to the doctrine of Christ and therefore they had the Spirit and seeing the infants of beleevers are as they were they have the Kingdome the Gospel the Spirit and the graces of the Spirit and all and therefore they may lawfully be baptized and therefore these places have not onely a semblance in them but also a substantiall ground for the baptizing of the infants of the faithfull It being not various in the least from any of Gods institutions but every manner of way agreeable to the same And though then neither Christ nor his Spirit baptized with the Baptisme of water but instrumentally yet those that have Christ and the Spirit have the inward Baptisme and so are to have the outward Baptisme but the infants of beleevers have Christ and the Spirit for they have the Kingdome which cannot be without the Spirit therefore the infants of beleevers are to have the outward Baptisme As hath been proved before and even now and shall be further cleared afterwards Next you say Secondly Let them that please doe as here Christ did A. R. yet much rather let us all learne the lesson which Christ here taught A. R. without which wee cannot be saved But wee quite perverting Christs meaning doe in another sense become little children for some at first had no sooner hence sounded out this tune in our eares that the Kingdome of heaven belongs to little children and therefore Baptisme But wee all presently like little children dance after this pipe as though our heads were lighter then our heeles and in the meane time loose the true sense the marrow and fatnesse of these Texts which so much doe concerne us And thus it is not onely in these Texts but in many more in so much that wee through this our childish if not brutish following the heard of Interpreters from humane authoritie rather take many grosse errours for undeniable principles then once open our eyes to see and receive the truth upon Gods own bare word that wee might beleeve and so be saved out of this quick-sand of delusions And indeed how can wee beleeve giving and receiving honour thus one of another and seek not that honour that commeth of God alone As Christ tells us Joh. 12.44 To which I answer That those may rightly doe as Christ here did who are heires of the Kingdome whereof Christ is King But before you do as Christ here did take that counsell which you give unto others learne the lesson which Christ hath here taught without which you say you cannot be saved And seeing that the kingdome of heaven consisteth of the infants of beleevers wee may safely beleeve and justly conclude that though they are little in quantitie yet they are great in qualitie and most precious in the eyes of the Lord. And surely we have need of humilitie to teach us not to be so proud as to despise the day of small * Zech. 4.10 things It is not the way to be happie to despise those that are happie though they have not attained to such a measure as to confesse or expresse by verball relations or visible demonstrations Gods work upon their soules And I tell you further If you hold on in your errours in withstanding holy infants and doe not repent of this your evill you cannot rightly doe as Christ here did nor learne the lesson which Christ here taught and so upon your own ground cannot be saved but doe come under the censure which you have here set downe * Pag. 14. lin 8 9. of quite perverting Christs meaning c. and loosing the true sense marrow and fatnesse of these Texts which so much concerne us An evident proofe of this appeareth in your interpretation of the Scripture in the Gospel which speaketh of infants which you would not have to be meant of those Infants nor of
see his Treat of Bap. pag. 20. lin 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. consisted all of visible Saints Deut. 29.18 to be câ—rrupt For the like you said before in your book p. 4 That they stood meerly upon nature and circumcision of the flâ—sh not by faith and circumcision of the heart And here you oppose this nature unto grace the naturall seed unto the spirituall seed And thus it appeareth that you hold neither the matter nor forme of the Church to be spirituall then nor the persons graciâ—us but ungracious fleshly and carnall But the Scripture teacheth us that they were a holy nation and a peculiar people unto the Lord their God and so excellent that none were like unto them Great advantage had they every manner of way Vnto them was committed the Oracles of God And shall wee thinke that God committed his Oracles to a Church which had a carnall constitution or that he owned such for his holy peculiar people God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham that he would be a God unto him and his seed for ever And though the Law was added because of transgression yet it could not disanull the covenant and therefore not the Church or people of the covenant or the seale of the promise Now surely if that the Church had been constituted upon nature corrupted such as you have opposed to grace and upon the naturall not upon the spirituall seed * See before in this Treatise pag. 29 30 31. For there it is answered at large then there was no difference between the Israelites and the Heathens and then was the Church of Israel no communion of Saints but a mixt multitude which to thinke is very erronious as may appeare by these Scriptures Exod. 19.5 6. 22.31 12.48 49. Num. 9.14 15.15 Levit. 19.2 20.7 8. Deut. 7.6 14.1 2. 26.18 19. 1 King 8.53 Deut. 4.20 29.10 11 12 13. 10.15 Psal 147.14 But from this your groundlesse affirmation you would through an inference make another disparitie between the Church of the Jewes and the Church of the Gentiles You say That was therefore termed Israel according to the flesh and of the circumcision of the flesh this Israel according to the Spirit and of the circumcision of the heart Rom. 8 28.29 Rom. 9.6 7 8. Coll. 2.11 And to this I answer That your speech doth here import as if none who were Israel according to the flesh were Israelites according to the spirit but the Apostle sayth All are not Israel that are of Israel He maketh a manifest difference between Israel the Church of God and those who were not really Israelites though they came of Israels loynes according to the flesh But your speech crosseth the Apostles speech and tendeth to prove that all were Israel that were of Israel But what will you say to the Proselytes and their seed Were they Israel according to the flâ—sh Surely they were not therefore they were Israelites according to the spirit As well as others who were also Israelites both according to the spirit and flesh Moreover None were to be circumcised externally in the flesh but those who were in Gods covenant and were circumcised in heart so farre as mâ—n could discerne and those that were in Gods covenant were Israelites spiritually and so to be esteemed even as true members of the Church So David sayth Yet surely God is good unto Israel unto those that are pure in heart Deut. 30.6 Circumcision of the flesh sealed unto them the circumcision of the heart and this God promised both to them and their seed and then both male and female were all one in Christ * Exod 12.48 49. Num. 9.14 15.14 15 16. and so they are now ** Gal. 3.28 As for the Scriptures Rom. 2.28 29. Rom. 9.6 7 8 Coll. 2.11 which you cite they make nothing for your present purpose to prove That that was onely called Israel according to the flesh and the other onely according to the spirit The one constituted upon that nature which you have opposed to grace upon the naturall seed destitute of the spirit the other constituted on grace without nature and the spirituall seed of Abraham without the naturall seed Prove this and then you say something else it is nothing to your purpose But indeed the substance of what you say heer is answered at large in this Treatise pag. 29 30 31 32 33. And now I will proceed to examine the Scriptures which you have cited heer for confirmation of these your opinions As touching Rom 2.28 29. there the Apostle declareth who are the true Jewes indeed namely those that are Jewes inwardly and that the true Circumcision indeed is that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is of God c. Now will you reason from this place that those who were the naturall seed not degenerating were not the spirituall seed and that because God accepted of the infants with their parents and commanded them to be circumcised that therefore the Church-state was built upon nature and not upon Christ Surely you cannot gather any such thing from the Apostles words in Rom. 2.28 29. nor from any other place of Scripture but rather the contrary Yea the Apostle in the following Chapter declareth that as for the advantage of the Jew and the profit of circumcision it was much every manner of way chiefly because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God For sayth he what if some did not beleeve shall their unbeliefe make the faith of God without effect God forbid And so he concludeth that both Jewes and Gentiles are justified by faith Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith Doe wee then make voyd the Law through faith sayth he God forbid yea wee establish the Law And in the fourth Chapter Paul treateth of justification by faith without workes and expoundeth Davids speech for whereas David sayth * Psal 32.1 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne and in whose spirit there is no guile Paul explaineth it thus Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works From which places of Scripture much may be gathered against those who denie infants to have faith imputatively for the Apostle declareth that he to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne is a righteous person Now every person is either righteous or unrighteous for as righteousnesse is not imputed unto those to whom sinne is imputed So those whose iniquities are pardoned and their sinne covered the Lord imputing no sinne unto them he imputeth righteousnesse unto them without workes and this righteousnesse is that which justifieth before God It was faith which was counted unto Abraham for righteousnesse And so he proceedeth in the 9th 10th and 11th verses to prove that this blessing or blessednesse came not onely upon the circumcision but also upon