with the Covenant page 267 Chap. 42. A man in Covenant with God and recieved into the universal Church visible needs no more to give him accesse to and interest in particular visible Churches page 270 Chap. 43. A dogmatical faith entitles to Baptisme page 289 Chap. 44. Impenitence and unbelief in professed Christians is a breach of Covenant page 294 Chap. 45. The question stated concerning the birth-priviledge of the issue of beleevers page 295 Chap. 46. Arguments concluding the natural issue of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to be taken into Covenant page 301 Chap. 47. Rom. Chap. 9. Verse 6 7 8 vindicated page 309 Chap. 48. The Covenant in New Testament times takes in parents with their children page 316 Chap. 49. Rom. 11. 16. vindicated page 323 Chap. 50. Arguments from a late hand for ingraffing into the Church invisible and breaking off from it answered page 330 Chap. 51. 1 Corinth 7. 14. vindicated page 349 Chap. 52. Galat. 4. 29. vindicated page 366 Chap. 53. Mat. 19. 14 Mark 10. 14. Luke 18. 16. vindicated page 393 Chap. 54. Reasons evincing the birth-priviledge and covenant-holinesse of Believers and their issue page 401 Chap. 55. A Corollary for Infant-Baptisme Infant-baptisme by arguments asserted page 410 Chap. 56. The reality of connexion between the Cavenant and initial seal asserted page 422 Chap. 57. The with-holding Infants of Christian parents from baptisme is the sin of Sacriledge page 437 Chap. 58. The children of all that are Christians in profession are by vertue of Covenant-interest to be recieved into the Church by baptisme page 448 Chap. 59. A defence of the former Doctrine respective to the latitude of Infant-Baptisme 468 page 458 Chap. 60. The application of the whole in several inferences page 478 A TREATISE OF THE Covenant OF WORKS AND OF THE Covenant OF GRACE CHAP. I. An Introduction into the whole I Shall not make it my businesse for an Introduction into this Work to enquire after the derivation of the word Etymologies are known to be no definitions The denomination being usually given from some adjuncts variable according to times places and not from any thing that is of the essence of that which is enquired after in which those are highest in Criticismes in giving their judgements of them can yet ordinarily go no higher then conjecture The common acception of the word in Scripture is that which will give the greatest light in finding out the nature of Scripture covenants which as most other words is variously used Sometimes is used Properly implying a covenant in deed and truth strictly so called and containing all the requisites of a Covenant in it Sometimes Tropically for that which contains some parts and adjuncts of a covenant and so carries some resemblance to and stands in some affinity with it This Tropical figurative and the native proper sense must be carefully distinguished and may by no meanes be confounded by those that will understand the true nature of a covenant and avoid those manifold mistakes into which some upon this a lone account have been carried The figurative acceptions of the word are diverse sometimes the homage required or duty covenanted for is called a covenant by way of Synechdoche seeing a covenant between a Superiour and Inferiour doth comprize it so Jerem. 34. 13. I made a Covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt which Covenant is no other then the Law that he gave them Exod. 21. 2. Sometimes the promise annext is called by the name of a covenant by a like Synechdoche Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 9. 11. Sometimes the Seal is called by the name of a Covenant by way of Metonymy of the adjunct serving to ratifie and confirme a covenant Gen. 17. 10. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-childe among you shall be circumcised Sometimes Christ the Mediatour of the covenant is called by a like figure the covenant Isa 42. 6 7. I will give thee for a covenant of the people and light unto the Gentiles Sometimes the Lord Christs undertaking to work the graces covenanted for in the hearts of his people in the way of his power exerted in the conversion of sinners is called by the name of a covenant Jerem. 31. 33. This is the covenant that I will make with the whole house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts of which more in its own place Sometimes a covenant is taken for that peace which usually followes upon covenants Job 5. 23. Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Hos 2. 18. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bowe and the sword and the battel out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely When yet neither a Law nor a Promise nor Seal annext nor yet the Mediatour or any undertaking of his can be a covenant properly so called A Law from God with a Promise annext assented to by man is a covenant and when a Seal is added there is a condescension to our weaknesse for the more abundant ratification and confirmation of Gods stability in his Promises In our enquiry after such covenants which God in his gracious condescension is pleased to enter with man the general nature of a covenant must be held every species must partake of its Genus We must not make Gods covenant with man so farre to differ from covenants between man and man as to make it no covenant at all we must also observe that which differences it from covenants meerly humane that covenants divine and humane be not confounded together In order to which we must know that in every covenant properly so called these requisites must concur First it must not be of one alone but at least of two parties one can make no bargain or agreement Secondly there must be a mutual consent of these parties When Nahash the Ammonite offered to make a Covenant with Israel on condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes 1 Sam. 11. 2. the Israelites refusing and running the hazard of a fight rather then undergo it here was no covenant Thirdly each party must engage themselves one to another for performance of somewhat covenanted for whether debt duty or promise When Abraham agreed with the Hittites for a burial place for foure hundred Shekels Gen. 23. 15 16. There was a covenant properly so called having apparently in it all requisites of a covenant So also in
totally cast off in Judah neither did God cast off Judah Ahaz was of the worst of Kings and yet his posterity was reckoned among the people of the Lord. Had the Jews at that time been as severe disputants against a covenant-state as are risen up now the Church of God had wanted an Hezekiah He had never lived much lesse wrought so happy a Reformation in the Church of God 2. Those that are lookt upon by men as in Covenant with God and so ordinarily judged as the people of Israel were by the Name that they bear their abode in the Church the profession that they make and so accordingly stiled are truely and really in Covenant A man may know a man to appertain to such or such a person because he sees him in his family hears him call him Master sees him sometimes at least in his work and knows him to have the repute of his servant Though to know him to be a faithful servant requires more diligence of enquiry and a stricter scrutiny So a man may be as easily known to appertaine to Jesus Christ The same Characters make him known all that is required to being in covenant is visible open evident but sincerity of heart in covenanting is invisible and secret And therefore the Jew outwardly Rom. 2. 28. is called by the Vulgar Vatablus Tremelius Arias Montanus and Castalio Judaeus in manifesto by Calvin Judaeus in aperto by Beza Judaeus in propatulo The Jew inwardly is called Judaeus in abscondito or occulto Their Church or covenant-station giving them those great advantages after mentioned was open and manifest Those that say Lord Lord as Mat. 7. 21. are of those that avouch God to be their God and God avoucheth them to be his people And therefore when they come with their sacrifices though in their sinnes and God upon that account testifies against them yet he sayes I am God even thy God It is confess'd by an eminent adversary that we must judge those that make profession to be in Covenant with God we must give them the name of Christians and men in covenant with God and we must use them as Christians in works of Charity and Ordinances and Church-communion and so must use their children as Christians children And seeing reason to judge so according to Scripture-character of men in covenant they are so Either in this we judge right or else we proceed upon mistake If we judge aright then all is well If we mistake then all in these proceedings is null Water hath been applyed to the child of such an one but no Sacrament dispens'd and according to a mans hopes thoughts or feares of his fathers regeneration are his hopes thoughts and feares of his own baptisme and consequently of his interest in Church-communion for this stands or falls according to his fathers interest or non-interest in the covenant A grand Rule is laid down by the said Authour That a serious Professour of the faith is to be taken for a true Beleever and this being laid down more are added If this Proposition were a Scripture-Maxime then it would have borne a farther superstruction but being neither found there nor any proof made that it is any way deduced thence mother and daughters may all justly be called into question and seeing he cannot but know that very many as to the thing for which it is produc'd which in order to admission to Ordinances will utterly deny it he might have dome well to have made some essay to have proved it I do yeeld that charity is to hope the best but but that we should put our charity to it or our reason either for probability or certainty when we no where so taught and have a more sure rule for our proceeding I see no reason I can scarce meet with a Minister that sayes and I have put the question to many of the most eminent that I know that he baptizeth any infant upon this ground of hope that the parent is regenerate but still with earnest vehemence professes the contrary I desire the Reader to consider Master Cobbets third and fourth Conclusions in his just Vindication page 46. 52. There is a bare external being in the Covenant of Grace saith he of persons who possibly never shall be saved Concl. 3d. The Church in dispensing â—n enjoyned initiatory seal of the Covenant of Grace loâ—keth unto visibility of interest in the Covenant to guide her in the application thereof Nor is it the saving interest of the persons in view which is her rule by which she is therein to proceed Concl. 4th Visibility of interest and saving interest are there oppos'd See also Master Hudsâ—n pag. 249. John Baptist did not in his conscience think they had all actually really and compleatly repented and reformed themselves whom he baptized but he baptized them unto repentance Matth. 3. 11. and they by receiving the same bound themselves to endeavour the practise thereof It were a sad case for Ministers if they were bound to admit none or administer the Lords Supper to none but such as were truly godly or that they judged in their conscience to be so or were bound to eject all that they judged were not so 3. Mans obligation of himself in covenant unto God upon the termes by him proposed necessarily implies Gods obligation to man Where God makes tender of the Gospel by his Ministers to any one out of covenant there he makes tender of the Covenant and where a person or people professedly accept that is engage themselves as myriads of thousands did through the Acts of the Apostles this person this people each man of them is in covenant As Scripture calls them by the name of Saints Disciples Beleevers Christians so we may call them Covenanters They have all a sanctity of separation which Camero sayes is real and arguments are drawn from thence to a right in Baptisme There is in most of them if not in all some graces that are real either common or saving and a covenant doth not wait till the termes be kept and the conditions made good before it hath the being of a covenant And whether these be every way sincere or any way dissembling yet it is acknowledged that they really oblige themselves And God howsoever dissembles not but is bound by himself upon his own terms which they profedly accept to confer all that the covenant holds forth so that wheresoever man is obliged there a compleat covenant is made up for Gods tender goes before and man is the last party and compleats the Covenant 4. Sinceriâ—y and integrity of heart or fully reality in a mans intentions to stand to the whole of a Covenant is not of the offence and being of it Both parties stand engaged upon their respective termes though one part should have unsincere intentions A wife is a wise and the marriage is compleat when both parties have publickly express'd consent though she hold a resolution to be stubborn refractory
sealing them as Gods in covenant So John 4. 1 2. When the Lord know that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples then John though Jesus baptized not but his Disciples Here John made Disciples and baptized them being made The Disciples of Iesus made Disciples and baptized them being made An outward work then to make profession of the faith is sufficient to make one a Disciple and to bring him within the verge of the covenant Secondly That which a whole Nation in Gods ordinary way of administration is in a capacity to attaine and enter into is a covenant onely professed visibly entred upon and doth not require any inward change or work upon the soule to the being of it this is plaine It cannot be expected in Gods ordinary way that a Nation should be brought forth at once all really holy and sanctified Such a field hath not been seen without tares Such a floore without chaffe Such a draw-net without any fish that is bad Such a Feast and no one without a wedding garment But whole Nations are in a capacity in Gods ordinary way of working to enter into this covenant as is plaine in the Text The whole of the Nation is in their commission where they come and in many Nations it hath had happy successe Whole Nations without exceptions unlesse strangers so journing have been brought within covenant One would faine fasten another interpretation on those words and make the commission to sound not according to the letter of the words nor yet according to the successe by grace attained but to his liking and therefore is put to it to change the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then all Nations must either be put by apposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or with the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so instead of disciple all Nations it will be make disciples in all Nations This he thinks is very tolerable because to disciple and to make disciples is all one But though they may be one in themselves yet it makes a maine difference in the phrase and with the addition of his preposition inverts the whole meaning of the words as to the thing in controversie which is such a violence offered to the Text as is not to be endured in him that is about to draw a Logical argument for his advantage against an adversary And as it is against the letter of the Text so it is plainly against our Saviours scope and end in giving this commission This enlargement unto all Nations in this place was in opposition to the restriction Matth. 10. 5. as by the adversary is confest Now in that Nation to which there they were limitted the whole of the Nation was in covenant all the land was the land of Immanuel Esay 8. 8. and consequently so it was to be in other Nations by vertue of this happy enlargement or else the opposition is utterly taken away the meaning of the words clouded and the Apostles at a losse for the understanding of them Having before spent their paines in a Nation all Disciples and now having a commission for the discipling of all Nations how shall they understand the words unlesse the whole of the Nation where they come are to be discipled And hereto accord the prophecies of Scripture for the calling of the Nations of the Gentiles God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem Gen. 9. 27. Sem was wholly in covenant not by pieces and parcels but universally in covenant Japhet is to come in succession into covenant in like latitude Psalme 2. 8. Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession It is not some among the Nations of the Heathen that are to be the inheritance â—f Christ but the Heathen To which agrees Rev. 11. 15. The Kingdomes of the earth shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ Immanuel of old had one now he shall have more Kingdomes and they become his no other way than by discipling Gods Ministers are his men of warre for subduing and captivating them 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. and Kingdoms are promised them not some onely in Kingdoms Alexander would not sit down with such a conquest neither will Christ Jesus If to possesse some in a Kingdome be to possesse a Kingdome then Antichrist of long hath had this Kingdome All Kings shall bow down before him all Nations shall serve him Psal 72. 11. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name Psal 86. 9. Thou shalt call a Nation which thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee Esay 55. 5. There God calls the Nation and the Nation doth answer Gods call In that day Israel shall he a third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the land whom the Lord of Hosts shall blesse saying Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my inheritance There Egypt and Assyria are in equipage with Israel all three sister-Churches Israel without any preheminence Either Israel then was not a Nation of Disciples a Nation wholly within covenant or else these are to be National Churches the whole of the Nation to be discipled and brought into covenant Passing by other Scriptures in silence one tells me that he marvels that I am not ashamed to produce Psalme 72. 11. Psalme 86. 9. to prove that the whole of the Nation even infants must be included Matth. 28. 19. As if saith he it were foretold that the whole Nation even Infants should come before God and worship But it is strange if he be ignorant that propâ—ecies in the Od Testament of the glory of New Testament-times are in Old Testament-phrases by way of allusion to the worship of those times set forth to us It was the practice of the people of the Jewes for their males of growth and strength to appear before the Lord and neither females nor Infants as Ainsworth on Exod. 23. 17. observes yet they appeared in the name of females and children and their females and children were in covenant together with them Deut. 29. 11. so that as the rest of the prophecies to which he hath nothing to say so these two prophecies against which he excepts speak fully for the discipling of Nations in New Testament-times The successe of these Prophecies hath happily answered in many Nations which may well serve as a cleare Comment both of these Prophecies and the commission granted by the Lord Jesus though by the working of the man of Sinne and other Hereticks the glory hath been much dazeled yet in most of the Nations of Europe it hath been happily effected Let any man finde equal Reasons for the variation of the words as I have done for keeping to the
Tribes from Hosea 1. 10. Hos 2. 23. is there applied to the call of the Gentiles into a Church-state and condition Neither is that of force against it that is objected from verse 23. where the Apostle saith That he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory God sets up visible Ordinances and calls to a Church-state as is there prophecied that he may there work to himselfe a people of invisible relation that thereby he may make them vessels of mercy having afore prepared them unto glory So likewise Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her plagues All Professours of faith and worshippers of the true God are there included in that exhortation to quit Babylon so all Ministers of Christ are to urge and presse it Men therefore of visible Profession have this title in compellation from GOD of my people It is yet objected Jeremiah 31. 31 32 33. Behold the dayes come saith the LORD that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband to them saith the Lord. But this shall be my Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people Here is a third purpose or interest for which this Text is produced to serve The first was to assert an unconditionate Covenant in the dayes of the Gospel which we examined chapter 25. when the Gospel expressely holds out Covenant-conditions more expressely than the Covenant of Works which is confest to be conditional The second to overthrow a publick Ministery and all private mutual exhortation which we spake to chapter 26 when the New Testament doth establish both And to set up this Prophecie in a third particular against all New Testament-light none must be of the called of God into Covenant for fruition of Church-priviledges but those that are regenerate Men in Old Testament-Covenant broke Covenant as is there exprest Men in the New Covenant shall keep covenant and these are only the Elect and Regenerate To this I might have many things to say No such sense must be put upon this one single Text as to restrain the covenant only to those that are stedfast in it and carefully observe it when other New-Testament-Scriptures clearly and unanimously hold it out in that latitude to comprehend those that are transgressours of it no more than it must be brought though there be like colour for both to overthrow Gospel-Ordinances private and publick exhortations when in the New Testament there is a clear and full establishment of them There are those that are in the faith so farre as to enter Covenant that make shipwrack of the faith 1 Tim 1. 19. Disciples of Christ that go back and walk no more with him Joh. 6. Men sanctified by the blood of the Covenant that tread under foot the blood of the Son of God and do despight to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29. There are that escape the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled and overcome Those that have known the way of righteousnesse that turne from the holy Commandment To whom it happens according to the true Proverb The dogge is turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2 22. It is farre easier to returne answer to this Scripture held out by way of Prophecie what shall be than to give answer to all these Scriptures and far more than these setting out what is in New Testament-times 2. That we may interpret and not commit Scriptures finde out the sense of all and not create differences in any we may observe that though it be granted that those that have the Law written in their hearts and put into their inward parts do enter covenant and not break it yet it is not said none shall enter covenant and transgresse it There may still be an outward covenant according to Interpreters that may be broken as well as an inward covenant that shall be observed If it be said that these are two distinct covenants one succeeding the other one abolished when the other takes place according to that of the Apostle Heb. 8. 13. In that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first Old now that which decayeth and waxeth Old is ready to vanish away then it will follow this being the characteristical difference that as none in New Testament-times enter covenant but they keep covenant so none in Old Testament-times were in covenant but they did transgresse it at least that the covenant that then was was wholly transgresseable and the covenant that now is is not in any possibility to be transgrest But the contrary is evident there were those that kept covenant in Old Testament-times Psal 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotton thee neither have we dealt falsely in the covenant Psal 103. 17. And also there are those that break covenant in New Testament-times 1 Tim. 5. 12. Having damnation because they have cast off their first faith The Law was written in mens hearts and put into their inward parts in the dayes of the Old Testament and some were as it is called in an inward Covenant Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest live Psal 37. 31. The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Psal 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Encline your eare and come unto me hear and your soule shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of Dâ—â—id Isa 55. 3. And so by consequence it fairly holds notwithstanding this Text that there is as hath been proved an outward covenant in the dayes of the Gospel The oldnesse to be abolished is only in circumstances wherewith one and the same covenant that now is was then clothed 3. The covenant then spoken to by Jeremy in the place quoted is not a covenant properly so called or at least as Master Baxter observes not the whole of the covenant So there must be two distinct covenants one in being when the Prophet wrote and another to have its being in the time of which he prophesied one covenant made with the Jewes and another covenant distinct from it made
name of Christ drawn from the benefit which they shall reap Ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost 3. A farther encouragement to the acceptation of Baptism drawn from their Covenant-priviledge which is here set out in its full latitude and extent as Calvin rightly upon the words observeth 1. â—o the Jewes For the promise is unto you 2. To their children and to your children 3. To the Gentiles upon call and to you that are afarre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Where an effectual call cannot be meant which the Apostle calls a call according to purpose proper only to the elect It is a call unto such a Church-state as the whole Nation of the Jews did then enjoy as the first-borne in the family A call that puts them into a like Church-state and condition with the Jews From whence this argument may be drawn Those to whom the Covenant of promise appertaines have a right to Baptisme But the covenant of promise appertaines to men in a Church-state and condition and to their children The major cannot be denied by any that will not make themselves the Apostles opposites The minor proposition is now to be considered That the covenant of promise to men in a Church-state and condition is in that latitude as to comprize their children For which the words of the Apostle are full and clear To you is the promise made and to your children on which Calvin rightly comments Peter observes saith he a due order when he assigns the first place of honour to the Jewes That it takes in children it depends on the words of the promise Gen. 17. 7. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Where God joynes children with their parents in the priviledge of adoption in the inheritance of priviledges belonging to all Church-members But this clear text wants not wits that study to cloud it Objections answered Some except against the word children and will have them to be the same as the sons and daughters mentioned v. 17. of that chapter from Joel chap. 2. 28. and consequently the promise to be meant of the Spirit of prophecie and to appertaine to none but those of age and capacity for prophecie To this I answer 1. The extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost in this visible way cannot be the promise here by Saint Peter mentioned seeing it is enlarged to all that are afarre off even to as many as the Lord shall call But all these have not the holy Ghost in that way extraordinary nor any promise of it Baptisme with the holy Ghost and with fire is a baptisme proper to those primitive Saints wherewith they were told that they should be baptized not many dayes after 2 Howsoever the promise be interpreted so as to belong to all that are beleevers and call on the name of the Lord as there followes yet that promise is on condition of their baptisme The meanes are to be used in reference to the end Baptisme is the meanes receiving of the holy Ghost there specified is the end And the Apostle confirming them in the promise of the end doth likewise encourage them to the use of the meanes in Baptisme to expect the gift of the Spirit and so according to this interpretation that place is an encouragement to baptisme The promise is the fittest encouragement to the Signe and Seale of the promise Baptisme is the Signe and Seale to which they are here encouraged and in that latitude as they had formerly known the command of Circumcision 3. Neither are the children here mentioned the same with sonnes and daughters spoken of by the Prophet nor limitted to such sonnes and daughters as are of growth and capable of the gift of prophesie 1. The Apostle urgeth the promise in the way as in the Scripture it is delivered which is to men and their posterity to them and theirs So God promises to be a God in covenant to his and their seed and this the Apostle holds out to draw them on to the Seale of the covenant to accept Baptisme on the same terms that Abraham did circumcision 2. It is without reason to beleeve that the Apostle should instance in one peece of the distribution of the Prophet there and to leave out the rest to put in alone sons and daughters when we have in the Text young men old men servants and handmaids 3. Children here are mentioned under a promise to the parents to you and your children is the promise made but not so in Joel nor in the quotation of the Apostle That Scripture hath only an enumeration of the several sorts and conditions of people in any Nation on all which the spirit is promised without any reference made to the parents of those sonnes and daughters more then to the masters of those servants and handmaids not the sonnes and daughters of their flesh but the sonnes and daughters of the Nation A Language usual in our ordinary expressions speaking of men of any sort or condition as your Lawyers your Merchants c. so here your sonnes your daughters your old men your young men c Others say That the promise made is the sending of Jesus Christ and blessing by him as is expounded Acts 3. 25 26. Act 13. 32. Ro. 15. 39. I answer it is true that Jesus Christ is the most eminent mercy promised and may be called the promise virtualiter being the ground of all promises and therefore some interpreters have mentioned the gift of Christ on this occasion But it is plaine that Gods Covenant and this gift are to be distinguished Christ is promised in priority to the Jew before the Gentile The Jew then is taken into Covenant before this gift of Christ can be of them expected It is therefore the Covenant it self entered with parent and child root and branch that is here meant as Calvin in the words before observes from which the giving of Christ in the flesh follows And therefore Diodati fully pitches upon the true sense of it Seeing as you are Abrahams children you are within the Covenant you ought to acknowledge Christ to be the head and fountaine of the Covenant The Covenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seed is here meant which from Abraham had been the Jewes priviledge Rom. 9. It is farther said that the limitation as many as the Lord our God shall call shewes that the promise belongs to them not simply as Jewes but as called of God which is more expressely affirmed Acts 3. 26. To you first God having raised up his Sonne Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities I wonder how it came into any mans head to call this amplification a limitation it plainly enough speaks their boldnesse in dealing with the Scriptures Had the Apostle said To you is the promise made and to your seed in case God shall give you a call he had spoke to their purpose but
saying To you and to as many as the Lord your God shall call it plainly shewes that he does not limit but amplifie the mercy extending it not barely to the Jewes who in present by reason of fruition of Ordinances were a people near to the Lord Psal 148. 14. but also to the Gentiles who Ephes 2. 17. we affare off 2. In that he saith this promise belongs to them not simply as Jewes but as called is a full contradiction A Jew uncalled at this time before the Kingdome was taken from them is as much as a Convert unconverted or a Gentile disciple undiscipled In case they think to come off by limitting it to an effectual call the Scriptures by themselves quoted doth evidently contradict it Christ came to give them that effectual calling and not onely to those that were thus called It is yet said Peter doth exhort to repentance and Baptisme together and in the first place perswades to repentance then to Baptisme which shews repentance to be in order before baptisme To which I answer that these who had crucified Christ as a blasphemer a seditious person an impostour must needs repent before they would accept Baptisme in his name or hope for remission of sinne by him I had been lost labour for the Apostle to have pressed those that had crucified Christ and retained their former opinion of him to become disciples to him and to look to be saved by him To perswade them to look for remission of sinnes in his blood who took themselves to be without sinne in shedding of it Yet notwithstanding this guilt of which the Apostle would have them to repent he shews that they and their seed are under the promise of God and puts them into a way in acceptation of Christ in the Gospel-tender in his present way of administration to be continued his people still in covenant and that as is plainly enough signified that they might enjoy it in their former latitude to them and to their children The promise of which they were not yet dispossest but stood as a people of God in visible Covenant and their children is here brought as a motive to encourage them to hold correspondency with God as his covenant-people embracing the way which their long expected and desired Messiah had now instituted appointed But this promise was to them and their children Here is yet another evasion The text speaks not expressely of Infants but of children indefinitely And if infants be not children we will be content that they be cast out of covenant and will hold no more plea for their Church-membership nor Baptisme God in the Covenant with Abraham did not expressely mention infants but seed yet infants were his seed and as his seed by Gods command to be circumcised And all our infants are our children and consequently to be baptized Acts 20. 7. is an expresse Text with some of this party without any help of consequence to prove that women received the Lords Supper Because it is said that disciples came together to break bread as though woman and disciple were synonyma But here the promise being made to children infants must neither be comprized in the letter nor yet by any favour of consequence included It is further objected that the text speaks not of the children of the Gentiles at all of whom we are but of the children of the Jews and therefore if that promise be extended to infants which doth not appear the promise is to be expounded so as to note something peculiar to the Jews infants If the Gospel held out any such transcending priviledges appertaining to the seed of the Jews above the Gentiles they may do well to produce a Text for it otherwise we shall take it for granted from Saint Paul that there is none at all that in Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian nor Scythian bond nor free And when the Apostle addes To those that are afarre off even as many as the Lord shall call he plainly meanes the Gentiles as appears comparing Ephes 2. 13. and though I take not the boldnesse to adde to the words as some stand charged yet it is cleare that he same is understood there in reference to the children of the Gentiles that is exprest before to the children of the Jewes If any shall grant an inheritance to Titius and his heires for ever and to Caius every one will understand that the heires of Caius are meant as well as the heirs of Titius especially if it can be proved out of the Grant it self that the priviledges conveyed to Caius are as ample as that to Titius We can prove the priviledges granted to the Gentiles in the Gospel to be equal to those granted to the Jews when the Jews children then are under the promise with their parents the children of beleeving Gentiles cannot be excluded CHAP. XLIX Rom. 11. 16. Vindicated SECT I. The Series of the Apostles dispute opened and several Arguments deduced THe next Scripture for proof of the Covenant in New Testament-times takes in children with the parents is Rom. 11. 16. For if the first fruits be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches which Scripture that it may be aright understood we must look into the whole Series of the Apostles dispute in that place Having before largely discoursed of the rejection of the Jewes out of a present Church-state and fellowship with the call of the Gentiles and their present Adoption now somewhat to allay the seeming harshnesse of that doctrine of his against the Jewes and to take down the insultings of the Gentiles over that people in this chapter he speaks to both 1. To the Jews by way of mitigation limiting this doctrine of their rejection with a double caution 1. That it was not total 2. That it was not final That it was not total he first asserts secondly proves asserts ver 1. I say then hath God cast away his people God forbid Proves by a threefold argument 1. By instance in himself verse 1. For I am also an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the Tribe of Benjamin and he doth not dispute for his own rejection 2. By instance in the elect of God verse 2. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew 3. From a parallel Scripture out of 1 King 18. which parallel he first lays down verse 2 3 4 Wâ—t ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying Lord they have killed thy Prophets and digged down thy Altars And I am left alone and they seek my life But what saith the answer of God unto him I have reserved to my selfe seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the Image of Baal And afterward applies verse 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace And so falls into a digression
this day And this whole visible body of Israel was not Christ 2. There are testimonies of Israels entrance into covenant with God Deut. 29. 10 11 12. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captaines of your Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones your wives and the stranger that is in thy Camp from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day Psalme 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice Deut. 26. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways 3. The particular time and place of Gods entrance into covenant with his people is in Seripture noted likewise In Horeb as we have heard which was the first yeare of their coming out of Egypt the third moneth Exod 19. 1. Again in the fourth year the eleventh moneth the first day Deut. 1. 3. Deut. 29. 10 11 12. compared This day saith the text Now there was no day in which the covenant of God with Christ was entred no day when it was not entred but it was from all eternity as all the works of the Trinity are ad intra 4. Covenant duties are imposed to walk before the Lord to be perfect to be an holy peculiar people Gen. 17. 1. Exod. 19. 6. These are not imposed upon Christ but upon Christians 5. The people of God have the praise of keeping and are under the blame of covenant-breaking which praise of faithfulness and blame of perfidiousnesse is ascribed to them and not to Christ Jesus 6. They that have the seals of the covenant given them are in covenant but man receives the Seales both of Baptisme and the Lords Supper as the people of God of old did Circumcision and the Passeover therefore man is in covenant 7. If the covenant were made with Christ and not with man then he is a Mediatour between God and himself and not between God and man This is plain in that he is the Mediatour of the covenant viz. between persons in covenant But he is not a Mediatiour between God and himself which were absurd to imagine but between God and man There is one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is only I think that one difficult text of the Apostle to be objected against this thing Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made He saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ from whence some conclude that the covenant was entred of God with no other of Abrahams seed but with Christ consequently not with man but with Christ only As this was not in my thoughts in my first Edition so I shall not now as I soon might weary my self and reader in wading into all the difficulties about it being such as have occasioned not onely the Jewes to insult as Calvin observes but Hierom the greatest Linguist among the ancients to speak words unworthy of such an Apostle which I shall spare to repeat and all upon the occasion of the Apostles words That the promises were not made to Abraham and his seeds as of many but his seed as of one on which the forenamed father says Running over the whole Scripture both with his eye and memory he doth not finde the word seed ever used in the plural number but alwayes in the singular whether it be in the better or worse sense But Gomarus on the words takes him up as being too short in his memory and quotes Samuels speech 1. Sam. 8. 15. to the contrary where the word is used plurally Rivet indeed Exercit 108. in Genes seemes to help him out though he do not mention him affirming that the word seed is never used in the plural number for the posterity of men but always collectively used in the singular number The place objected in Samuel speaking of the seed of the earth but Ravanellus on the Apostles behalf pleads That it is uncertain whether the word be only used of the Hebrews in the singular number for though it be not used plurally in the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament yet it cannot thence be gathered that the word hath onely the singular number and wants the plural when it is without all doubt that all the words which have been in use with the Hebrews are not to be found in the Old Testament Howsoever I am not the man from whom a satisfying Comment on these words may be expected others more able that have travelled in it may be consulted yet I doubt not but enough may be easily said to vindicate it from this glosse that is here put upon it and to make it appear that this text will not bear this doctrine that the covenant of grace is not entred with fallen man but with Christ only which may appear by these following Reasons 1. There is no safe opposing any one difficult text about which Expositors are at so much difference among themselves against so many that are full and clear against it The texts that are against it are as I may say without number and this I think stands alone with any colour for it Thus the Papists have adventured to fasten their purgatory on 1 Cor. 3. 13 14 and some few like difficult places 2. The word covenant is not in the text neither under the more proper word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promises in the plural number repeated again verse 19. in the singular and a promise and a covenant as Paraeus on the words observes much differ 3. If they will needs understand by promises to a covenant with as every covenant is a promise though every promise be not a covenant they differ as the Genus and the Species yet there is that in the text as Master Bulkley in his Treatise of the covenant observes which makes against them they say this covenant is made with Christ and with none but Christ but in the text it is otherwise Abraham is made a party in the covenant as well as Christ which serves to overthrow their exclusive particle 4. Christ here in this place may be taken collectively as seed is usually taken and so the word is taken 1 Cor. 12. 12. As the body is one and hath many members all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ And so Mr. Bulkely Diodati Rivet Gomarus and our last Annotations upon the words expound it 5. Being understood of Christ personally which with submission to better judgements I confesse most satisfies me it must not be understood of Christ as a party in Covenant for blessednesse but as a Mediatour
making blessed There are many promises in Scripture made to Abraham and the seed of Abraham and there is much difference among interpreters to which of these promises this text refers The Reader if he please may consult Paraeus on the words and Junius in his parallels but to what text soever it is that these words do refer I am confident that the Apostle speaks not of any blessednesse received by covenant but a promise of making Nations blessed and this is not indeed to seeds as of many but to seed as of one which is Christ which I gather by comparing the words in hand with v. 8. of the same chapter and the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel to Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed This is the promise that this Text holds out which is not a covenant for blessednesse but a promise to make blessed repeated againe verse 19. The Law was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made which is not Christ collectively or mystically but personally considered not entring covenant but as Mediatour of the covenant So that this text serves nothing for this purpose A learned Writer indeed sayes It is beyond my brain to conceive that God should immediately make a Covenant with us who were children of disobedience and of wrath who could not be capable of any such covenant and conditions That Christ hath a hand to bring us into covenant before was yeelded and how far he hath a hand further to carry on the covenant may be yet further considered but man is a party in covenant and as God may make promises and give good things to fallen man so he may enter covenant with him likewise CHAP. V. The outward and not the inward Covenant is a covenant properly so called WHereas there is an usual distinction almost in all that write or speak of the covenant of a double covenant between God and his people one external and the other internal one passing outwardly and the other inwardly kept and observed Or as Dr. Preston expresseth it a single and double covenant which I shall forbear to examine seeing I know there is a right meaning though I much doubt whether there be in the Reader a right understanding My second Proposition shall be that it is the external Covenant not the inward that exactly and properly is called by the name of a Covenant and to which priviledges of Ordinances and title to Sacraments are annext This Proposition occasioned by this received distinction is of three heads which in case the Reader please he may subdivide into three distinct Positions 1. The outward and not the inward Covenant is most exactly and properly called by the name of a Covenant which I thus make good 1. That covenant to which the definition of a covenant doth belong hath exactly and properly the nature of a covenant this none can deny The definition sets out the nature of the thing defined But the definition most actly belongs to the outward covenant not to the inward This is plain An agreement of parties on tearms and Propositions is the definition of a covenant Now the outward covenant is an agreement on tearmes and Propositions as I have abundantly declared in that covenant God engages himself to man for his happinesse and man engages to faith and obedience The inward covenant hath no tearmes or Propositions at all for man to make good upon account of his covenanting seeing the performance of the conditions of the Scripture-covenant is his very entrance into the inward covenant He that believes and repents keeps covenant nothing more is expected of God or promised by man But beleeving and repenting is the first closing with God in covenant according to them that speak of an inward covenant 2. A covenant to perform conditions is a covenant properly so called But the outward covenant not the inward is a covenant to perform conditions This is plain The conditions in the inward covenant are the covenant 3. That which confounds entrance into covenant and keeping of covenant is no covenant properly so called In a covenant properly so called these are distinct But the inward covenant confounds entrance into covenant and keeping of covenant and therefore in exact propriety of speech is no covenant 2. The outward and not the inward Covenant is most usually in Scripture called by the name of a Covenant which is plaine in that they that have no part or portion in the inward covenant are yet still spoken of in Scripture as people in covenant God calls all Israel his people and that upon covenant termes Deut. 29. 10 11 12 13. Al of those that thus covenanted with God were not in the inward covenant This people at their worst and the wrost among them are called the people of God as by those that were strangers to this covenant These are the people of the Lord say the men of Babylon and are gone forth out of his land Ezek. 36. 20. so also by the Lord himself Jer. 2. 32. Can a Bride forget her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number How often doth God own Israel as his people when he yet brands them as a rebellious revolting stiff-necked treacherous and adulterous people They that forsake the covenant of God that break covenant that deale falsely in it upon whom God brings a sword to avenge the quarrel of his covenant are in the outward not in the inward covenant But such there be among Gods covenant-people as he frequently complaines that break covenant c. These are not then in his inward but outward covenant The great objection is and all that carries colour against this Jer. 31. 32 33. where the Lord differencing the Old and New covenant saith This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband to them saith the Lord But this shall be my Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people That is alone the inward covenant and the elect regenerate are alone within it The inward covenant then is called in Scripture a covenant and is in exact propriety of speech a covenant For answer I shall have further occasion to speak to this Text. In this place I shall only put some Queries 1. Whether those that carry this Text to an unconditionate covenant and restrain it alone to that which they call the inward covenant do not make the covenant in the time of the Law and that in Gospel-times essentially
different and consequently either make two covenants of grace distinct in kind or thrust all that were under the Old covenant out of all hope of salvation contrary to all Interpreters who make these covenants one in substance See the last larger Annotations on the words 2. Whether such an Interpretation do not utterly contradict New-Testament-light which holds out the New covenant in like latitude with the former in which many are called but few are chosen and where conditions are as explicitely and fully required as in Old Testament dispensations 3. Whether when Scripture speaks of things in opposition to mens erroneous conceits for a further Explanation of them and rectifying mens judgements in them it do usually lay down a full compleat and formal definition to which nothing is to be added or whether it doth not usually supply that in which men through mistake were defective and short And whether those Texts Esay 58 6 7. Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to undo the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoak Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out into thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thy own flesh Jer. 22. 15 16. Did not thy father eat and drink and do justice and judgement and then it was well with him He judged the cause of the poor and needy and then it was well with him was not this to know me saith the Lord Jam. 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world are not parallel to this text in their way of delivery And in case we cannot finde a full definition of a religious Fast in that of Esay nor the whole of it that makes up saving knowledge in that of Jeremy nor the whole that makes Religion compleat in that of James why is it that we should earnestly contend that the full nature of a covenant is in this text exprest being fully parallel in the way of delivery to those other texts Thirdly it is upon the account of the outward Covenant and not the inward that men enjoy priviledges of Ordinances and interest in Sacraments Men that are so far honoured as to enjoy an outward covenant have just title to these priviledges It is in behalf of the Jew outwardly that the Apostle having so decryed his condition respective to the approbation of God puts the question What advantage hath the Jew what profit is there of Circumcision Rom. 3. 1. The Jew and Circumcision are there one A Jew outwardly and circumcision in the flesh go there in equal latitude He that by nature is a Jew as Paul speaks Gal. 2. 15. is of the circumcision And to these the Oracles of God are committed The instruments deeds and evidences of the covenants say the last Annotations It was the priviledge of Israel Psal 147. 19. Rom. 3. and then the priviledg of no other Nation Now it is the priviledg of all ingraffed in their stead This is confest even by a great part of those that understand the inward covenant or covenant keeping to acceptation almost whensoever they mention a covenant in that they baptize infants upon covenant grounds even all their infants that make a covenant profession and that upon just warranty It is further plaine in reason The outward covenant must have priviledges suitable to it self otherwise there is no manner of benefit or advantage of it This priviledge of the Sacrament is suitable being outward as the covenant is outward This is elsewhere spoken to at large and therefore I shall hear forbear I have indeed been challenged for this distinction of an outward and inward covenant as though I had been the sole Authour of it when all know that it is a distinction that of a long time among Divines hath been in common use and in case it had not been commonly received I should have forborne the use of it As I heard Mr. Ball once in discourse say that he denyed any such distinction of an outward and an inward call to the Ministery all calling being external unlesse the man called were a Prophet that which men terme an inward call being onely qualifications fitting for the work So that I deny in exact propriety of speech the inward covenant is any covenant but the answer of the soul unto that which the covenant requires And whereas it is said of me by way of conjecture It is probable that he thus distributes them from the blessings promised whereof some are inward and some outward for though he explain not himself fully yet I know no other sense that it will bear To this I say that I thus distinguish them to apply my self to the Readers understanding that hath been accumstomed so to call them and further I say that men that barely covenant and keep not covenant have onely priviledges that are outward They are visible Church-members and they have visible Church-priviledges and those who answer to covenant engagements which usually is called the inward covenant have priviledges both outward and inward A Jew outwardly had outward priviledges A Jew inwardly that is he that answered to his outward profession that worshipped God in spirit hath both those that were outward and inward It is further said It is evident that his outward Covenant hath no seal for it is a Covenant de sigillis conferendis If therefore it have a seal it is either the same which is promised or some other What this Authour means when he says it is a covenant de sigillis conferendis I am to learn If he mean that the seal follows the covenant and is put to after the covenant so it is in all covenants whatsoever He sayes they no where tell us what is the seal of their outward covenant me thinks we had no need to tell what the seal of that covenant was that the Jew entered was it not circumcision and did there not another follow viz. the Passeover Now I tell him that Circumcision and the Passeover were and Baptisme and the Lords Supper are seales of this covenant The Nation of the Jewes were in covenant as our Authour though he would yet must not deny They were not all in the inward covenant and yet they had these seales He says we are bound to give the seals to such Vocation which is effectual only to bring men to an outward profession of saving faith is larger then election and makes men such whom we are bound to baptize And such we say have right to them And to help him a little further Those men that he sayes the Church must baptize though without right we say are truely in covenant and have right when he knows what a childe he is to baptize he
knows who we say are in covenant and have covenant-right to baptisme so that a second covenant of which he speaks to give right to a first is a strange fancy But seeing I am no better understood I shall endeavour if it may be to clear my meaning in certain positions which here follow CHAP. VI. Positions tending to clear the thing in question 1. THose that take upon themselves a Christian profession being separate for God calling him by the Name of Lord that have Ordinances of God as their inheritance that acknowledge a Deity and no other but the true Deity a necessity of worship and none but the Christian worship these with me are in Covenant with God as was the whole state of the Church of the Jews and the whole face of the visible Church of the Gentiles that were ingraffed in their stead This to me is plain in that they are the Church or Churches of God Act. 7. 8. Gal. 1. 2. The called of God Matth. 22. 14. The people of God Isa 1. 2. Psal 90. 7. They sacrific'd to the true God Psal 50. 7. Are the sons of God Gen. 6. 1. Deut. 14. 1. Rom. 9. 4. Are a people nigh unto the Lord Deut. 4. 7. Psal 148. ult God professing himself to be their God Psal 90. 7. Are children of the Covenant Acts 3. 35. Saints Psalme 90. 5. Acts 26. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 33. Believers Act. 8. 12 13. Acts 21. 20. Luke 8. 13. Disciples Matth. 10. 1 4. Acts 9. 1. 15. 10. Christians Acts 11. 26. That all of these imply a covenant-state and that unregenerate men have in Scripture all this honour is clear These therefore with me are in covenant I know that as to all of these elogies it is answered in a word that they are equivocal An answer that I can scarce take into my thoughts without horrour as though Gods Oracles were all over from one end of the Bible to the other like those of Apollo and there were no reality either in their separation for God or gifts that they receive from God as illumination conviction faith or priviledges that they enjoy When there can be no plain denial that all of this here mentioned argues a covenant-state yet exceptions are taken It seemes saith one he takes all to be in Covenant that bear the name Christian And then questions What Though they know not what Christ or Christianity is Is taking a name entring into Cevenant The poore Indians that by thousands are forced by the Spaniard to be baptized are said to know so little what they do that some of them forget the name of a Christian which they assumed And does not our Authour think that a man may take as plausible exceptions against his words where he saith The rule is That a serious professour of the faith is to be taken for a true beleever if he would travel as far as India for it as he doth here against Gods Word Do not we know that force may make these poor Indians to appear serious in their profession And it is wonder that it should be so strange with him that taking a name should be entring covenant or at least that it should imply a covenant-state Let him consult Isa 4. 1. In that day seven women shall take hold of one man saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach and those manifold Scripture-Texts which expresse the relation of Gods covenant-people to him in these words A people called by his Name or on whom the Name of God is called Distinction should be put between children of the covenant by descent from parents in covenant whether Jews or Christians who continue their covenant-relation till they professedly cast it off notwithstanding their ignorance and such that of meer aliens are to be received having no other title then their own present qualification This ought to be voluntary as well in renouncing their old false way as embracing the present as we see it was in those coverts through the Acts of the Apostles and is not to be without some competency of knowledge discerning the evil of their former course and the happinesse attainable in the present And I am easily induced to believe that more knowledge by the industry of teachers is now required then was in the primitive times seeing there is not so much of God by miracle to perswade and as it were to over-rule So that it is not a naked taking of a name that is intended but that which together with it still attends upon it As a wife is called by her husbands name and withall makes her abode in his house so it is with a Covenant people and was with Israel They bore the name of God and they made abode in the Church of God enjoying his Ordinances as their inheritance It is objected God oft bestowes his Word on Infidels and in England there are men that deride the truth of Scripture and esteem it a fiction and yet for credit of men come ordinarily to the Congregation These have the Word given and so have other unregenerate men but not by Covenant that I know of That God doth bestow his Word on Infidels to me is strange It is true that he often tenders it to them but in case they remain Infidels they put it away from them and bestowing implies not only a tender but an acceptance It was the great advantage of Israel above other Nations that to them was committed the Oracles of God when others had not that honour And to speak of Gods giving his Word by Covenant is a most improper speech seeing the Word is the very Covenant draughts as though we should say he gives his Word by his Word And these sure are no open deriders that for the credit ofmen make such a publique profession this would work restraint on the one hand as it puts upon profession on the other And in case any such thing be though the Covenant is perfidiously broke yet as I conceive it is not totally cast off as long as an open profession is continued What shall we say of those that take their sons and daughters to give them to Moloch this can be no low crime and is an high departure from the true God yet these bring forth children unto God and they are Gods children that they thus sacrifice Ezek. 16. 20 21. So also Psal 106. 35 c. Israel was mingled among the Heathen and learned their works and they served their Idols which were a snare to them yea they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto Devils and shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and daughters Yet this as appears cast them not out of Covenant God notwithstanding remembred for them his Cavenant ver 45. This was therefore doubtlesse but a partial apostasie Taking in the worship of Idols they did not totally cast off the worship of God God was not
and Law-ceremonies did not reach beyond John who was the last of the Prophets who did bear witnesse of Christ Some say that in case the Law bind as it was delivered by Moses then all that Moses did deliver is obligatory to Christians Quâtale is omne and so the ceremonial Law bindes as doth the Moral and we shall bring our necks under that yoke To this answer all that Moses did deliver doth binde unlesse we have a release or discharge from the same authority by which he spake and hence an argument is drawn for proof of that which we have in hand If the ceremonial Law had bound Christians to this day had it not been revoked and abolished then the moral Law which is no where revoked or abolished as hath been shewn doth still bind Christians This is plaine there is no reason that the ceremonial Law should be obligatory above the Moral But the ceremonial Law had bound Christians to this day had it not been revoked and abolished This is as plain when the great question was in the primitive times whether the ceremonial Law did binde Christians whether they were to circumcise their children after the manner of Moses and consequently to observe other Rites This is decided in making it appear that these were abolished as being shadows of good things to come and an end put to their obligation It may be further objected that if all be of force that Moses wrote as from him then that of divorce of the wife on any cause is of force likewise That was commanded by Moses as the Pharisees Mat. 19. 7. tell the Lord Christ from Deut. 24. 1. To this Chemnitius hath answered that Moses delivered this Tanquam legislator as one that gave orders to that people as to their political estate not Tanquam Theologus as a Prophet raised up to deliver the minde and will of God unto them Moses his writings therefore are in force not onely ratione materiae as containing such precepts upon which Christ in the New Testament hath put a divine sanction but by vertue of a sanction from heaven put upon them as delivered by him and the obligation still remaining If Moses once be neglected I shall fear that Peter and Paul will not long be honoured Moses being a servant in the same house with them and the rest of the Apostles and pen-men of New Testament-Scriptures CHAP. XIII God entring a Covenant of Grace with his people keeps up his Sovereignty in exercise of discipline in the correction and chastisement of his people for sinne AS God holds up his Sovereignty under the covenant of grace in keeping on foot his commandments so also in his exercise of discipline upon those with whom he is in covenant He neither suffers them to be without Law nor to go on in transgression of his Law with impunity and freedome As they have his precept to keep from sinne so they are in danger of his hand in case of sinne Those that are against us in the former are our adversaries in this likewise As they plead a manumission of Christians from the mandatory power of the Law so they will also have them exempted from all chastisement or correction Against these we maintaine that the people of God in covenant even those whose hearts are stedfast in covenant do suffer under the covenant of grace in case of sinne and that for sinne For proofe of this I shall bring Scripture of three sorts 1. Giving instances of the Church and people of God under sore and great afflictions for sinne and these places are even without number Esay 42. 24. Lam. 1. 8. 3. 39. 5. 16. Micah 1. 5. Yea they lie under sufferings till they acknowledge sin till their stomacks are brought down and they humble themselves for sin Lev. 26. 41. Against this is objected that among these afflicted ones there were reprobates as well as elected ones and Elect ones in the state of unconversion and they might suffer for sinne which the childe of God does not nor can not To this I answer 1. There were true converts among these or else the whole world had no converts in it 2. These in their confessions and humiliations involved themselves among the rest and make themselves of the number of those that by sinne draw down sufferings as we have Ezra Daniel and others for examples 2. Instances of the most precious Saints sinning and suffering for sinne 1. Moses and Aaron Numb 20. 12. The Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron because ye beleeved me not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this Congregation into the land which I have given them Both their sinne and their sufferings are noted there which Moses seems never to have done with Deut. 1. 37. Deut. 3 26. Deut. 4. 21. Deut. 34. 4. 2. David his sinne we finde 1 Sam. 11. at large related his sufferings in the next chapter he suffers in all his relations 1. As a father his childe dies 2. As an husband his bed is defiled 3. As a Prince the sword is brought upon his land 3. Solomon 1 Kings 11. 11. For as much as this is done of thee and thou hast not kept my Covenant and my statutes which I have commanded thee I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee and I will give it to thy servant 4. Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32. 25. 26. But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the dayes of Hezekiah In which words we see his sinne his suffering for sinne and his humiliation upon account of his sinne Here also exception is taken These here mentioned say some lived under Old Testament dispentations To this I answer 1. We may take up Pauls words in behalf of these 2. Cor. 10. 7. If any man trust to himself that he is Christs let him of himself think this again that as he is Christs so they were Christs Moses that suffered as we have heard upon the account of sinne esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11. 26. And David that suffered in like sort in spirit called him Lord Matth. 22. 43. 2. That we may not lose Old Testament-Scriptures for if we lose them here we shall hold them no where let us look upon Prov. 3. 11 12. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as the father the sonne in whom he delighteth In which words we see 1. The sufferings of the people of God thrice repeated 2. The impulsive cause implyed in the word chastisement which ever is for some fault Psalme 39. 11. 3. The hand that
be satisfied which how impossible it is for man to do and how injurious to the sufferings of Christ to attempt the doing of it let us guesse by the definition that Bellarmine gives of it Lib. quart de peniten cap. 1. Actio quâ is qui alierum laesit tantum facit quantum satis est ad injuriam compensandam sive is qui laesus est justè exigit All that we can suffer can never satisfie the wrong that our sinnes have done to the divine Majesty God may justly exact more then either on earth or in their imaginary purgatory any man can discharge As the sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed so neither do they match the evil that justly might be inflicted They are all just but not from Gods revenging justice In themselves they have the nature of curses but they are no part of the curse which upon the breach of the covenant of works and upon the transgression of the Law is menaced As a skilful Physician makes poison up into a medicine so doth God turne curses into blessings they serve not to kill but to cure his people 7. These sufferings are not yet barely as some use to speak from sinne but chastisements for sinne not only to prevent sin that it may not be committed but because men have allready sinned The Corinthians were chastened not alone least they should prophane the Lords Supper but because they had prophaned it God afflicted David not onely lest he should commit adultery but because he had committed adultery He threatens Eli and punisheth him not only lest he should be too indulgent to his sons but because he had been too indulgent to them It cannot be conceived how afflictions should prevent sin to come if they do not correct sin already past why are men afraid to sinne upon account of sufferings but because upon sin they have suffered Smart for sinne makes a childe of God watchful against sin The childe that hath seen his fathers frowne is afraid lest he should frowne againe that hath beene scourged knows what a father thinks of a fault and is afraid of a second It is here objected that it stands not with justice in this way to afflict beleevers seeing Christ in their stead hath made satisfaction and to punish one sinne twice is injurious Answ 1. These know that Socinians deny that Christ hath made any satisfaction and if these two cannot stand together viz. Christs satisfaction and beleevers correction they will soone assume that beleevers do suffer for which the Scripture is very full and therefore Christ hath not satisfied and so their dangerous errour will be supported 2. One truth must not be produced to the overthrow of another Christ satisfaction takes us out of the hand of condemnation and delivers from revengeful wrath but not out of the hand of discipline when God becomes a Saviour he doth not cease to be a Sovereign a father that is a Judge may lash his childe that he never intends to sentence If any will see further Objections raised and answered let him consult Mr. Burges of justification Part. 1. Lecture 5. pag. 33. CHAP. XIV Agreement between the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace HAving asserted a covenant of grace and premised such things that may contribute some light towards a right understanding of it I must proceed to enquire into the respective agreement and differences between these covenants The former is an easie work there being no controversie or dispute raised about it and therefore I shall briefly passe it over They agree 1. In the general nature of a covenant both are covenants strictly so called as hath already been demonstrated 2. They have one and the same authour that is God He proposed the termes of the covenant to Adam for himself and all of his posterity and he enters covenant with the posterity of Adam in their fallen condition 3. The parties in covenant are in both of them God and man God propounding man accepting though there be as we have heard that would have it otherwise 4. In either of both there is a tendency to mans happinesse Life is given in promise in both as we see Rom. 10 5 6 c. where both covenants are distinctly considered what difference or agreement there may be in the life promised will after be spoke unto 5. In both of them there is a restipulation from man as there is an engagement from God as God engageth himself for reward so man is engaged to duty the former was never doubted the later hath been largely proved 6. In either of both righteousness is called for from those that enter covenant For the first it is not questioned in that it is a covenant of Works Failing in doing was death Interest in perfect righteousnesse is required in the latter which is called the righteousnesse of faith and is the righteousnesse of the Law performed not by our selves but by another Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. Sincerity in inherent righteousnesse is required likewise both of these will be morefully demonstrated 7. Either of both are indispensable the conditions being not performed the penalty of the covenant in both is inflicted Adams posterity had experience of the one and all unbeleevers and impenitent ones will bear the other not believing not repenting brings death as sometimes not perfectly obeying That distinction of the covenant of grace calling for one thing and accepting of another afterwards will be considered 8. Neither of both covenants are personal as entered with any single person or persons and determined in him or them but both of them include posterity In the covenant of works it is not so expressly delivered but not to be doubted That covenant was entred with Adam for all his the latter is more expresse to the covenanters and their seed both in Old and New Testament-Scriptures which by a party is questioned but remaines largely to be confirmed CHAP. XV. Differences between the Covenants of Works and the Covenant of Grace HAving spoken to the agreement between these two Covenants I must now more largely enquire into the differences which will prove a work of greater difficulty there being so much opposition The first and leading difference is that being both of them between God and man they were entred into in a different estate and condition of man The first was entered in statu instituto in mans integrity when man had not at all by sinne incurred the displeasure of God or weakened his abilities for obedience Man then stood as he came out of Gods hand bearing in himselfe a lively resemblance of God The second was in statu destituto in mans fallen estate now in sinne under wrath dead in sinne and wholly disabled from yeelding obedience of this there is no controversie and therefore I need not make more words about it And from hence all
Spirit This conviction unto change is hardly without compunction remorse and terrours in the soul It was not the single case of the Corinthians but common with other Christians as the natural work of godly sorrow that it worketh repentance not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. I will not stand to diâ—â—â—â— whether any ever are exempted from this preparatory work I question not Gods prerogative I am upon enquiry after his usual method I know some instance in Matthew who being called suddenly followed Christ and we heare nothing of any work upon his spirit to trouble But who knows whether Matthew a Jew were not called by grace before this call to an Apostleship and if not in grace whether it necessarily followed in that instant The like is objected of Lydia The Lord opened her heart that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul Acts 16. 14. without any sorrow or trouble in spirit is mentioned Neither is there mention of any joy or rejoycing in spirit and she by many is believed also to have been a Proselyte Yet this of godly sorrow must be understood with some limit 1. An equal degree of sorrow and preparative work is not necessary in all One mans terrours and heart-breakings are no necessary precedent for all others to reach 2. An high degree is not necessarily required of any God can come sooner in with Gospel-cordials after Law-convictions unto one than another 3. No man hath reason to quarrel his conversion because his sorrow hath not been like some others each man hath not like paine in cure of a like malady 4. None should beg of God overwhelming and amazing shakings and humiliations of Spirit God better knows their frame than they understand themselves 5. None can judge of the truth of their repentance by the greatnesse of their trouble It may possibly end in horrour and work nothing better than it self It may only have its present work to cast hell in the face and then the person returne to his old byasse to his sinful pleasures his worldly advantages as Saul to his Musick Cain to his building of Cities yet when God thus plowes it is a hopeful signe he intends sowing and men in this case must not reason themselves to be such soyle on whom no good can be done as though they were past all husbandry of the Lord He can take away a heart of stone and turne a rock into a fruitful field This is Gods method do not dispute but believe 6. Then it is in a degree sufficient when it effects the work for which it serves when it brings the soul out of love with sin takes it out of the paths of sinne when it so works to an apprehension of dangers that it works the soul to cast it self on Christ Jesus When horrours work desires not of ease but of grace of Christ and of whole Christ of pardon of sin and power against sin there is a true work For the essential parts of this grace which I make a Gospel-engagement and condition of the covenant they are privative or positive Privative is the destruction of what hath been Positive is the introduction of what is not Every change hath two termes The one is terminus ad quem which is endeavoured The other is terminus à quo which is left and so in this change which grace works and to which the covenant of grace doth engage The privative part which we are to leave is sin the work of Satan The positive part which we are to endeavour is that which stands in full opposition Forsaking of sin we must follow after righteousnesse and turning from Satan we must turne to God and therefore the Ministery which findes men out of covenant and works them into it is to bring them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God Acts 26. 18. The privative part is frequently enjoyned as that which bindes at all times and to all times A man in covenant with God is to have no more to do with sin Cease to do evil put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes Isa 1. 16. Be ye separate touch no unclean thing 2 Cor. 6. 17. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience In the which ye also walked sometimes when ye lived in them But now you also put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth lie not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds Col. 3. 5 6 7 8 9. Old things with Christians are to be done away This is the duty of all those that pretend to Christ Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. All that is in Christ is wholly against it His Prophetick office leads us from it and gives us light to avoid it In his Kingly office his Law is against it and his Priestly office is to redeem from it They that are in Christ and learn him as the truth is in Christ Jesus attaine to it Ephes 4. 22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts It is the character of a man in Christ Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And this upon peril of bearing their sinne Ezek. 18. 30 31. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel No man in sinne is for glory 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God The works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred varience emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkennesse revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Upon these termes it is that they obtaine pardon of sinne Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Grace is no where more freely tendred than there Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eat you that
because their sanctification and good works have some imperfect agreement with the Law of Works This and much more to assert a personal perfect inherent righteousnesse as is said all which as it is here held out to me is new and I must confesse my self in ignorance all over I never took imperfect righteousnesse to imply any such contradiction no more than imperfect holinesse Isaiah I am sure saith All our righteousnesse are as filthy rags Esay 64. 6. No greater charge of imperfection can lie against the most imperfect holinesse than the Prophet lays upon our righteousnesse Neither do I understand how holinesse should be imperfect taken materially and righteousnesse perfect taken formally in reference to a rule We may for ought I know as well make holinesse formal and refer it to a rule and righteousnesse material in an absolute consideration without reference to any rule at all And in such consideration I do not know how there can be perfection or imperfection either in holinesse or righteousnesse it is as they come up to or fall short of the rule that they have the denomination of perfection or imperfection Pauls Gospel-frame whether you will call it righteousnesse or holinesse is set out Rom. 7. full of imperfection yet all this as in reference to the rule as it answered or fell short in conformity to it verse 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man And whereas a charge of ignorance is laid even upon learned Teachers that commonly understand the word righteousnesse and righteous as it referres to the old rule I professe my self to have little of their learning but I am wholly theirs in this ignorance I know no other rule but the old rule the rule of the Moral Law that is with me a rule a perfect rule and the only rule The perfection of this holiness and righteousness in mans integrity stood in the perfect conformity to this Law and the reparation of this in our regenerate estate in which the Apostle places the image of God must have reference as to God for a patterne so to his Law as a rule As an image carrying an imperfect resemblance of its samplar is an image So conformity imperfectly answering the rule is conformity likewise A perfection of sufficiency to attaine the end I willingly grant God condescending through rich grace to crown weak obedience in this sense our imperfection hath its perfectnesse otherwise I must say that our inherent righteousnesse is an imperfect righteousnesse in an imperfect conformity to the rule of righteousnesse and without thir reference to the rule there is neither perfection nor imperfection in any action See Doctor Davenant disputing against justification by inherent righteousnesse upon the account of the imperfection of it de justitia habituali pag. 349 and how fully he was perswaded of the imperfection of this righteousnesse appears in sentences prefixt before two Treatises as may be seen in the margent In the last place I shall conclude that sincerity in the way and work of God which Scripture also calls by the name of truth integrity simplicity uprightnesse perfectnesse an heart in the work of God whole and unfeigned is that which the covenant of grace doth require and that which it accepteth This God in covenant gives in charge and this he rewards and crownes The Law stands as a rule and the charge in it is the highest top of perfection without the least indulgence in any case of failing suitable to the abilities that once were put into our hands God in Gospel-condescensions will have this rule eyed with a single and upright heart universally eyed and observed both in our returnes from sin and in our application to God in new obedience This doing of the will of God from the heart with good will-doing service Eph. 6. 6 7. Serving with a willing minde 1 Chron. 28. 9. This preparing the heart to seek the Lord God of our fathers Ezra 7. 10. This delight in the Law of God in the inward man Rom. 7. 22. though it be in much weaknesse and with strength that is little Rev. 3. 8. by reason of inward corruptions Rom. 7. 23. Gal. 5. 17. enemies without Ephes 6. 12. is required of God in covenant and through grace accepted And as faith which as we have heard is the other new covenant-condition brings us into communion with God So this of a sincere heart and walk holds in communion Faith gives accesse to God in grace and through sincerity we walk with God in grace to glory Both of them are called for of God both accepted with God and both of them crowned with glory That in this degree obedience is both required and accepted in the Gospel is evident This where oever it is God observes and eyes 2 Chron. 16. 9. For the eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him Herein thou hast done foolishly therefore from henceforth thou shalt have warres These have letters testimonial from heaven Job 1. 8. Hast thou not considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil Gen. 7. 1. Thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation According to the degree of this higher or lower they have praise 2 Chron. 29. 34. The Levites were more upright in heart to sanctifie themselves than the Priests yea where there is integrity in a single act this God notes Yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thine heart Gen. 20. 6. These God protects with his omnipotence preserves 2 Chron. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly Prov. 2. 7. In these God takes pleasure I know my God that thou triest the reines and hast pleasure in uprightnesse 1 Chron. 29. 17. Unto these God speaks peace Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Mich. 2. 7. This the people of God plead with God as an argument to finde favour in his eyes Psalme 26. 1. Judge me O Lord for I have walked in my integrity 1 Chron. 29. 17. As for me in the uprightnesse of my heart I have willingly offered those things Psalme 18. 23. I was also upright before him c. This hath been the high ambition of the servants of God in their most sad troubles to reach David begging mercy saith to God Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts Psal 51. 6. This hath upheld the souls of the Saints in their greatest difficulties with all joy and consolation 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simpliciâ—y and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we
continued That such a one is established appears First By the work that they have to do given them in commission by Christ Jesus Matth. 28. 19 20. Go Disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Here is commission given for the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments That of the Word is either for laying the first foundation or for the superstruction either for their work of planting preaching where Christ was never known by name or else for watering to carry on that happy beginning Their first work in laying the first foundation is given in charge in these words Disciple all Nations which was not the work of one age Though Egesippus as he is quoted by Doctor Andrews Preface to the Decalogue page 7. saith That there was no known Common-wealth in any part of the world inhabited but within fourty years after Christs passion received a great shaking off of Heathenish Religion yet the whole work after so many Centuries of yeeres is not yet done Those that are learned in Geography say that there is not above the nineteenth part of the inhabited world that beares the name of Christian and a great part of those so over-runne with Barbarisme that they have little more than a name that they live when yet we beleeve the work shall be more universal that as God was once knowne in Jury his Name great in Israel So it shall be from the rising of the Sunne to the going down thereof Mal. 1. 11. And that the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Revel 11. 15. Their work of superstruction or building up of Disciples is given them in charge in these words teaching them to observe all whatsoever I have commanded you As long as homage is due to Christ so long a Ministery is to be continued to call for it and give directions in it which we finde farther held out Ephes 4. 11 13 14 15. There is an enumeration of Ministerial functions extraordinary and ordinary as there is an appointment of Apostles Prophets Evangelists So also of Pastors and Teachers their work is there pointed out for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ as also their duration and continuance till we all come in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. When in the world all are Saints and no imperfection can be found in these Saints nor any thing wanting in the Mystical body of Christ when there is not an errour to be found either in judgement or practice nor a seducer or false teacher feared then and not before a Ministery may be spared This will not be as long as there is a Devil in Hell and a man with corruption upon earth There is not a man that opposeth a Ministery but the being of that man is an unanswerable argument for the establishment of it Their work for dispensation of the Sacraments is given in charge explicitely in those words Baptizing them c. as implicitely in that charge Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded This of Baptisme answers in duration to that other Sacrament of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 26. As oft as you eat of this bread and drink of this cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come Secondly It appears in the promise of Christ Jesus annext by way of encouragement in this work verse 20. Lo I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world This is we see to the uttermost extent of time alwayes even all dayes to the worlds end And howsoever some quarrel may be raised about the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saeculi being taken in so various an acception in the holy Scriptures yet the subject matter whereon it is spoken is a work of more lasting as hath been observed than one age together with the phrase annext The consummation or finishing plainly signifies that this promise is for perpetuity till Christs coming at the end of ages That which puts a period to the Lords Supper must alone put a period to this work And for any to make a promise to a dying man ready to yeeld up the ghost for help for many years who is but to live few yeares were a strange promise And to settle a function of the Ministery with a promise of assistance through all ages when it must be extinct in that age were as strange a promise A promise to a Non-entity or meere Chimara Ministers then are in the Church as Starres not as Meteors they grow as Plants not as Mushromes their duration is not for a yeare for an age but through all ages Thirdly this appeares by the Apostles care for a succession Being not suffered to continue by reason of death they took care for others to fill up their places in the Churches which they had planted Therefore Paul called not by man but by a vision and voice from heaven gives order for a Ministerial call by Ordination Giving charge to Titus Tit. 1. 5. to ordaine Elders in every City and this by laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4. 14. to whom the care of Church-inspection was by him committed Acts 20. 17. compared with verse 28. And Paul and Barnabas in their journal Acts 14. 23. Ordained Elders in every Church and recommended them to God with prayer and fasting of which more afterwards Fourthly this appears in the setled Pastors which were found in constituted established Churches Epaphroditus in Philippi Philip. 2. 25. Archippus in Colesses Col. 4. 17. Those of Ephesus which gave the Apostles meeting at Miletum Acts 20. 17. John who lived longest of the Apostles and wrote his Revelation towards the ending of his dayes in the Issle of Pathmos Rev. 1. 9. in his banishment there for the testimony of Jesus Christ writes several Epistles to the Angels of the several respective Churches in Asia which Angels were to be his survivors and are not denied by any to be Ministers of those several City-churches there mentioned Whether these Churches were such as have been called Diocesan Presbyterial or Congregational is not here to be questioned but that they were Ministers appointed over their several charges is out of question Fifthly This appeares by the charge given for respect and esteeme to be given to those who thus stood up in succession in such established Churches 1 Thes 5. 12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteeme them very highly in love for their works sake Phil. 2 29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladnesse and hold such in reputation Obey them that have the rule over you
interpretation The people of the Jewes had the Original it self and spake the language in which Scripture was written yet the Priests lips were then to preserve knowledge and the people were to seek the law at his mouth Mal. 2 6. The cabinet was open to them as it is to us yet there needed a key for farther opening Those two Disciples with whom Christ had to deale with upon the way had the Scriptures either in the translation or Original as is evident from Christs own words reproving them for not beleeving all that the Prophets had written and yet a key of interpretation was needful and useful Christ opened unto them the Scriptures Luke 24. 32. If this Compassionate Samaritane were questioned as the Eunuch was by Philip understandest thou what thou readest he would not have given his answer How shall I understand without an Interpreter But would streight have answered Yes as well as any linguist in the world I have no need of your help for interpretation The cabinet is open spare your key This was one of the Arts that some Prelates made use of to keep up a reading Ministery to perswade that Scripture were so plaine distinctly read in our own tongue that they might be understood without any interpretation But the plainnesse and easinesse of a rule and the use of means for understanding of it stand together We maintaine a plainnesse in Scripture for the simple to understand but not sitting idle and lazy but searching the Scriptures and making use of those gifts of Christ which he shed forth from the right hand of the Father for the edifying of his body till we come into the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man That we might not henceforth be as children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse of those that lie in waite to deceive Ephes 4. 12 13. We may soone see their artifice that labour to beare them down Thus they know their cunning sleight may be carried in the dark and their impostures lie undiscovered Our compassionate man pretending to avoid a cheat acts the part of the most notable cheater The Prophet stood for that office of the Priests that their lips should preserve knowledge even when they had corrupted the covenant of Levi Whatsoever their way was yet this was their duty so must we for the Stewards of the mysteries of God It is their work to dispense them and the people are to seek at their mouthes for them But enough I hope hath been spoke for a Ministery for a knowing Ministery and objections against it fully satisfied CHAP. XXVIII An orderly way of admission of men into the Mininisterial function necessary AS men for the Ministery are to be trained up for the work So there must be an orderly way of admittance to it the way which Scripture traces out to us Self-consecration is alone beseeming the Priests of Jeroboam 2 Chron. 13 9 the lowest of the people that have neither inspiration nor education that have been taught of men not any thing that may conduce to the dividing of the Word aright but how to keep cattel Zach. 13. 5. or some answerable employment in its due place commendable but no introduction to the Ministerial honour These run and stay not for sending and going without commission they go without assistance and soon runne themselves into those bogges in which without special grace they are irrecoverably plunged they want home-reproofs the wounds of friends Zach. 13. 6. that they may no longer wear a rough garment to deceive When the Apostle layes down the greatest necessitie of preaching he puts the question How shall they preach unlesse they be sent Men that go upon this work must be able to make good their call The Ministery of the Gospel being of divine institution as well as the Priesthood of the Law there must be a call from God for the one as for the the other Heb. 5. 4. No man taketh this honour unto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron There is none that expect not a call from God in this work but have their brand in the Scripture Jerem. 14. 14. The Lord said unto me The Prophets prophesie lies in my name and I sent them not yet they say sword and famine shall not be in this land by sword and famine shall those Prophets be consumed Jerem. 27. 15. For I have not sent them saith the Lord yet they prophesie a lie in my name that I might drive you out and that ye might perish and the Prophets that prophesie unto you And as they runne on their own heads so they vent their own tenents and prophesie out of the deceit of their owne hearts Jerem. 23. 26. Those shall never finde comfort in the work that are not able to say with the Apostle Christ sent me to preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. 17. 1. The work is Gods the advancement and setting up of his Kingdome the ruine and demolition of the Kingdome of Satan Acts 26. 18. The whole of all that they do is of high concernment to him Each man will see to his own businesse and finde labourers for his own work God hath no lesse care Jesus Christ is no lesse mindful Harvest-Masters provide harvest-labourers The Master of this harvest provides labourers for his work and gives them commission Mat. 9 38. 2. All necessaries for the work inward outward are to be supplied from him They must have livelihood and provision from heaven they must receive instruction from heaven They must be taught of God that they may teach God must protect he must encourage and embolden he must command successe and give encrease They are agents in his hand and must be appointed by him it is no marvel if they that be not sent of him be left destitue of all 3. He is a God of Order and he will have Order observed and in no way is Order seene so comely as when all know their places and stations When in a great house or a mighty Army each man will do what work he pleases undertake what place of trust and command he pleases each Souldier in an army will be a Commander each servant in a family a Steward there must needs be high and great confusion The manifold absurdities that will unavoidably follow in case each man may thrust himself into this work and so drive on his own interests see in Master Hall his Pulpit guarded Argument 5. This power of putting men into this work equally concernes the whole Trinity Each one of the persons hath his hand in the separation of men for it Jesus Christ in a vision sent Paul upon this errand Acts 26. 18. see further 1 Cor. 1. 17. Eph. 4. 11. He is an Apostle by the will of God Col. 1. 1. which is understood of the Father God set in the Church first Apostles secondarily
conclude our Assurance of happinesse but the determination of that being thus put is easie No man in true grace shall go to hell or misse of heaven God doth not adorne man with that glory to reject him The Apostle exhorts to love not in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth and for a motive adds Hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him 1 Joh. 3. 18 19. But the minimum quod sic when it is that grace may be accounted true is not so easie to determine It is not every faintish desire that is the work on which all this glory rests It must be a work of farther power and efficacy on the soul for satisfaction of which I shall referre the Reader to the learned labours of my much honoured neighbour Master Anthony Burgesse in his spiritual refining CHAP. XXXI The distribution of the Covenant of Grace into the Old and New Covenant with the harmony and agreement that is found between them BY Gods assistance we have been thus farre carried on in the work in hand to finde out the nature of a covenant and Gods way of entring covenant with man And for the more clear discovery of both we have held forth the agreement which is found between the covenant of Works which God entred with man in his state of integrity and the covenant of Grace entred of God with man in his fallen condition as also their respective differences So that all that is essential in this covenant and necessarily required to the attainment of the priviledges and mercies promised in it hath been made known and a compleat definition given with such corolaries and inferences that have been judged necessary Now this covenant thus entred with man in his lapsed estate and hitherto cleared admits of distinction and is distinguished in Scripture by the names of the Old and New Covenant Heb. 8. 13. The first and second covenant Heb. 8. 7. The first some call and not unfitly a covenant of Promise under that covenant Christ was known in promises only and not manifested in the flesh Others call it a subservient covenant being to lead in the second in its full lustre and glory which alone they call a covenant of Grace and make it a third covenant But I shall content my self with the Scripture-termes calling the first Old not because it was first in being but because it is to be abolished and another to succeed the later New because it is never to be antiquated as the Apostle Heb. 8. 13. explains himself Now it must needs contribute much to the clear understanding of the covenant as well of the termes of it as the mercies in it and be a great advantage for the better understanding of sundry both Old and New Testament-Scripture in case the agreement between this Old and New covenant together with their true differences be rightly assigned and those imaginary differences assigned by some erroneous on either hand to the great prejudice of either of the covenants be throughly examined A work of difficulty but were it well followed of singular profit On this by the help of Gods grace I shall adventure and in the first place lay down their agreement afterwards their respective true and real differences and then proceed to examination of such differences which some have assigned which I reserve to the last place seeing in the two first I shall be brief The last will be found a businesse full of tedious difficulty and trouble In several things there is a full agreement between these covenants 1. In the Authour propounding God is the Authour of them both God is the God not of the Jews only who were in the first covenant but of the Gentiles also taken through grace into the second covenant Rom. 3. 29. 2. In the party accepting as specifically considered they are both entred with man Neither Angels nor any other creature articles or is articled with in it and hitherto there is an agreement of both with the covenant of works 3. In the motive or impulsive cause Both of these are of singular grace entred with fallen man in his lost condition there was no hint of this grace before the fall nor any need or use of it being not for mans preservation but his restitution 4. In the Mediatour Christ Jesus who was one and the same in both For though Moses have the name of Mediatour Gal. 3 19. Receiving the lively oracles and giving them to the people Acts 17. 38. as the Judges in Israel had the name of Saviours Nehem. 9. 27. and thereupon Camero makes this difference between the Old and the New covenant That Moses was Mediatour in one Christ in the other Thes 68. yet he confesses that that mediation by the benefit whereof men are truly and effectually united to God belongs only unto Christ De trip foedere Thes Moses work was only to deliver the way of the worship of God in those times and that not in his own name but as a servant Heb. 3. 5. He that Moses did serve of whom he wrote Joh. 5. 46. that Prophet like unto Moses whom God promised to raise Deut. 18. 15. in all ages was Mediatour 5. They agree in the conditions annext Both these covenants have one and the same conditions on Gods part Remission of sins and everlasting happinesse as after shall be shewed more fully They are the same on mans part Faith and Repentance The just then did live by faith Heb. 2. 4. And without faith it was then impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins God then called for returne to himself and sincerity in our returnes accepting those that were sincere Ezek. 18. 31. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect before him 2 Chron 26. 9. 6. They agree in the unity of Church-felloship constituting one and the same Church of Christ The Church in those dayes in which the Fathers lived is one and the same Church with this in Gospel-times In Gospel-times men come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 8. 11. One and the same Kingdome receives both Their Faith was terminated upon Christ as well as ours Abraham saw his day and rejoyced John 8. 56. Moses bore his reproach and esteemed it greater then the treasures in Egypt Heb. 11. 26. They did eat the same spiritual meat and did drink the same spiritual drink they drank of the Rock that followed them and the Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 3. The same not among themselves but the same with us They are saved by the same free grace and mercy as we Jews by nature are justified by the same faith in Jesus as
the Sonne of God and do despite unto the Spirit of grace but unto Christ himself Christ was sanctified they say with this blood This indeed clearly takes this Text out of their hands that would from thence inferre the Apostasie of sanctified that is regenerate persons And if this hold it as little serves our purpose Here is Christ in covenant but no reprobate or wicked person in covenant But this reference of the words and the interpretation which is grounded on it hath I suppose come into the thoughts of few Interpreters and it seemes to be very much strained the scope of the place being for aggravation of their sinne that set themselves against the Sonne of God and the holy Spirit The common interpretation which is obvious and clearly held out in the Text fully vindicates it from any favour shew'd to the doctrine of Apostasie of the Saints and fully confirmes the point in hand There is a sanctification by separation for God and dedication to him as there is by inhesion and infusion Master Dixon on the words having so fully spoke my thoughts I had rather expresse my selfe in his words than my own putting the Question How the reprobate can be said to be sanctified by the blood of the covenant answers There is a sanctification to the purifying of the flesh and a sanctification to the purifying of the conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb 9. 13 14. The sanctification external to the purifying of the flesh consisteth in the mans separation from the world and dedication unto Gods service by calling and Covenant common to all the members of the visible Church and it is forcible thus farre as to bring a man into credit and estimation as a Saint before men and unto the common priviledges of the Church whereupon as men so God also speaketh unto him and of him as one of his people and dealeth with him in his external dispensation as with one of his own people In this sense all the Congregation of Israel and every one of them is called holy yea Core also and his followers Num. 16. 3. The sanctification internall by renovation consisteth in a mans separation from the state of nature to the state of grace from his old conditions to be a new creature indeed by this latter sort a reprobate cannot be called sanctified but by the former he may be called sanctified and that by vertue of the blood of the covenant albeit he should not get any farther good thereby for as the blood of Christ hath vertue to cleanse the conscience and â—â—nue the soul which cometh unto it truely and spiritually so it must have force to do that which is lesse that is purifie the flesh and external condition of the man who cometh unto it outwardly only as the types did under the Law whereupon an hypocrite in the Christian Church must be accounted one of the congregation of the Saints as well as an hypocrite under the Law was so called because Christs blood cannot be inferiour to the Types which were of this force to sanctifie men to the purifying of the flesh Or we may say more shortly There is a sanctification by consecration when any thing is devoted or dedicated unto God and a sanctification by inhabitation of the holy Spirit 2 Cor. 6. 17. 18. Of the former sort the Censeres of Corah Dathan and Abiram are called holy and the reason is given Because they offered them before the Lord therefore they are hallowed Num. 16. 38. And in this sedse all the members of the visible Church even such as afterwards do prove Apostates are sanctified because they offered and offer themselves unto the Lord. But the inhabitation of the holy Spirit is proper onely to the elect and Gods children To the same purpose Paraeus on the words The sanctification of Apostates was not internal saith he but external consisting in the profession of Faith and participation of the Sacraments They were sanctified that is separate from the Jews and Pagans in profession and accounted for true Christians In the same sense as men are ordinarily called Saints as after we shall hear so those that are turned Apostates were sanctified by the blood of the covenant and therefore were men in covenant Neither can all the noise that hath been made about that Text 1 Pet. 2. 9. adversaries take it off but that it speaks fully to hold up a covenant in this latitude and from thence I thus argue If those phrases a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people be applied to Christians as to Jewes in an equal latitude to one as to other then it must needs follow that there is a covenant in Gospel-times in like latitude as in the time of the Law including all that accept the termes of the covenant and visibly appeare as the people of God and is not restrained onely to the Elect regenerate The consequence is evident seeing the termes plainly imply a covenant Here is a covnant-people or no where But these termes a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People are applied to Christians as well as to Jewes to one in as great a latitude as to the other That which God speaks to Israel in the wildernesse that Peter speaks to the Church to which he writes All Israelites in Moses dayes all Christians professing in Peters time had those titles when only those that kept covenant were at any time worthy of them and had the comforts of them Here 't is objected that this Text is meant of the Church as it is invisible and so it follows not that it is spoken by the Apostle in that latitude as it was by Moses to the Israelites but in as great a difference as the Church visible stands from the Church as it is invisible but I would wish that it might be taken into more serious consideration First whether the first Verse of this second Chapter be meant only of invisible members Whether the Apostle perswades Regenerate men and only Regenerate men to lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and evil speakings Secondly whether the third verse be to be thus limited whether the Apostle makes doubt in that manner whether invisible members had tasted that the Lord is gracious and yet the words in both those verses must needs be understood of the same men and under the same notion as these ver 9. The Apostle brings his speech to no full period till ver 11. Those that must lay aside all malice guile c. and those of whom he makes question whether they had tasted that the Lord were gracious are this chosen Generation this royal Priest-hood Thirdly let us more seriously consider the Apostles farther enlargement of this honour of these Christians Which in times past were not a people of God words borrowed from Hos 1. 10. Hos 2. 23 and spoken of the call of the ten revolted Tribes and in
in the same latitude as Beleever and is the most common appellation in the New Testament for all that are separate for God and dedicated to him The distinguishing name for professing Christians as the title of People of God Circumcision was for the people of Israel some do not hear of the word Saint but presently they understand a Saint in glory and will not endure that any man should be a Saint upon earth Others will have none Saints but those that are really such and shall be for heaven They will have no denomination of a Saint from a holy profession But if we look into the Scriptures and may be suffered to speak in that language we shall finde Saint for the most part taken for men upon the earth The psalmist professedly names Saints upon earth Psal 16. 3. And those Saints not often taken for other than a Saint by profession He is a Saint that makes a Christian profession We read of Collections for the Saints 1 Cor. 16. 1. Administration to the Saints Heb. 6. 10. which can reach no higher than visible Professours and can by no means be limited to Elect Regenerate ones When Paul shut up many of the Saints in prison and did much evil against them Acts 26. 10. he knew no other way of distiction then an outward profession and so he explaines himself those of that way Act. 9. 2. We read of Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. 33. and they were taken in to be Church-members assoon as they made profession that is assoon as they ceased to be Jews or Pagans and took them to the way of Christianity As we see in those three thousand Acts 2. The Samaritans The Eunuch Simon Magus assoon as they were taken off from Heathenisme Judaisme for Christianity they had that name of Saints The Epistles wrote to particular visible Churchs 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 Amesius judged by some to be of the opposite party hath these words It is most probable that there is no particular Church in which the profession of the true faith flourisheth but in the same we may finde some truly Beleevers Medul lib. 1. cap. 32. sect 8. The Apostle tells us of the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. the Doctrine of Faith as is agreed on all hands is there understood All that professe that Doctrine are Saints no other Comment can be put upon it than upon the Apostles words Rom. 3. 1. To the Jews were committed the Oracles of God Saint then is a name of distinction to set out those that take the way not of Jews or Heathens but the way of Christians and Saints are men in covenant For the terme Disciple enough hath been spoken before This argues an interest in the covenant as well as the former of Saints and Beleevers and whole Nations are in capacity to be Disciples Matth. 28. 19. that is to be put into a way of salvation as sometimes the Nation of the Jews was in the fruition of saving Ordinances And the Kingdomes of the earth being made the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christs by a visible profession are Discipled Judas is called a Disciple Matth. 10. 1 4. as well as Simon Magus is called a Beleever Saul breathed out threatnings against the Disciples of the Lord Acts 9. 1. In case you will know who the holy Ghost there means see verse 2. all that Saul could finde of that way He made it not his work to enquire after their Regeneration or inward work of Sanctification we may well think he understood as little of that as Nicodemus It was enough to him that they made such a profession Complaint is made Acts 15. 10. that those that urged the necessity of circumcision put a yoke on the necks of the Disciples which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear and they urged it upon all in visible profession and not upon regenerate ones alone Let that one Text speak for all in what latitude the word Disciple is taken and in how large comprehension it is used John 6. 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him For the last of these termes Christians it stands in the same latitude as the other where we first heare of it we finde it the same with Disciples Acts 11. 26. The Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch And in what acception through all ages it hath past is also manifest All of these imply an interest in the covenant and these are given to unregenerate persons Here that of our Saviour is objected Object Luke 14. 27 33. If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple These qualifications are signes of Regeneration and these only that are thus qualified are Disciples of Christ Regenerate men then onely have that honour of Disciples I answer They only do the duty of Disciples they onely are worthy of that title as Christ explaines himself Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me Yet others have the name as we have heard and the outward priviledges in order to bring them to the duty of true Disciples There are Disciples as to the fruition of visible priviledges and those are they that make visible professions There are Disciples for glory and life and those onely are Regenerate ones John 3. 3. Except a man be borne again he cannot see the Kingdome of God Ordinances are granted in a greater latitude than Regeneration All that enjoy the priviledges of Ordinances are Disciples and therefore it is no honour proper to Regenerate persons Secondly as these titles argue a covenant-interest when the parties are yet short of Regeneration so the manifold absurdities that will follow upon this restraint of the covenant alone to Regenerate plainly evince that it is to be taken in a larger extent and that it takes in unregenerate Professours 1. This restriction of the covenant to out shut all non-Regenerate makes an utter confusion between the covenant it selfe and the conditions of it or if that expression do not please the covenant it self and the duties required in it between our entrance into covenant and our observation of it or walking up in faithfulnesse to it All know that a bargaine for a summe of money and the payment of that summe the covenant with a servant for labour and the labour according to this covenant are different things Faithful men that make a bargaine keep it enter covenant and stand to it But the making and keeping the entring and observing are not the same many enter and transgresse covenant for much and performe nothing So it is in the covenants of men and so
I will be their God That seed of Abraham that had possession of the land of Canaan through the gift and by vertue of the promise of God is the seed here taken into covenant to have the Lord for their God This is so plaine that nothing can be plainer to any that read the words But the natural seed of Abraham all the seed of Jacob in their several Tribes according as God set them their bounds inherited the land of Canaan which is called the land of their inheritance and not onely the spiritual seed Regenerate Look into the History of of Scripture who those were that inherited Canaan and you may see who were in this covenant The natural seed were there and not only the spiritual Even those of Abrahams posterity that died not having obtained the promises Heb. 11. 13. that only so journed in Canaan and were never possest of it had title to it It was theirs in reversion though they never came into actual possession My next Argument is drawn from the Seale that is annext in the words immediately following this additional promise ver 9 10 11. And God said unto Abraham thou shalt keep my covenant therfore thou aâ—d thy seed after thee in their generations This is my Covenant which you shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-childe among you shall be circumcised And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin and it shall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me and you They that had the signe and seale of the covenant that had it by divine appointment were a people in Covenant This is so plaine that nothing can be more plaine God doth not enter covenant with one and give the signe and seal to another but all the natural seed of Abraham by Isaac and Jacob had the seal viz. all the males all those that were in a capacity of it it was not limitted to the spiritual seed There had been no place for that distinction of Circumcision in the flesh and Circumcision of the heart if none must be circumcised in flesh but those that are circumcised in heart My third Argument is drawn from the Comment that God himself makes of this covenant in the whole Series of Scripture-history holding it out every where in this way of tenure to Abraham and his natural issue as before Where God himself speaks to the whole body of Israel when they were newly come up out of the land of Egypt he sayes I am the Lord your God Exod. 20 2. Deut. 5. 6. God owned all of that whole people as his all of them being Abrahams natural issue yet all of them were not spiritual and while they were in Egypt God speaks of them all in community as his Let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wildernesse Exod. 5. 1. We see the titles that he gives them Children of the Lord your God an holy People a peculiar People above all Nations Deut. 14. 1 2. That speech of the Lord to Israel Amos 3. 1 2. is very full to our purpose Heare ye the Word of the Lord that he hath spoken against you O children of Israel against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt saying You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Every one that descended from Jacob the whole of the family that came out of Egypt were a select people to God in covenant He was according to the termes of that Covenant their God There is not a place where God calls them by the name of his people which are almost endlesse but there we have this confirmed that that people were the Lords by vertue of this grant made to Abraham and his seed In the fourth place I argue from the practice of the people of God making this Covenant of God entred with Abraham and his seed a plea to obtaine mercy from God for all Israel the worst of Israel in their lowest state and condition Deut. 9 26 27. O Lord God destroy not thy people and thine in heritance which thou hast redeemed through thy greatnesse which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand Remember thy servants Abraham Isaac and Jacob look not unto the stubbornnesse of this people nor to their wickednesse nor to their sinne If this Divinity had been then known Moses might have been sent away with this answer That he spake for dogges and not for children not for Israel but for aliens and strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel But as this and the like requests of the people of God were made in faith so they prevailed with God Moses there urges They are thy people and thine inheritance verse 29. as doth the Church Isa 64. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people and Moses petition takes as the History shews Exod. 32. 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people yea when God vouchsafes mercy to his people thus in covenant Levit. 26. 42. it is upon this account of the Covenant Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the land Lev. 26. 42. And appearing for the deliverance of Israel out of their hard and pressing bondage he saith to Moses I am the God of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob Exod. 3. 6. and that to stay up his faith in confidence of deliverance To this here in this place delivered one replies Object The Covenant saith he with Abraham and his seed I finde Gen. 17. 7. and the urging of this covenant I deny not Exod. 32. 13. Deut. 9. 27. Lev. 26. 42. Exod. 3. 6. And though I say not that it contained only the promise of Canaan but grant it contained the Promise of Redemption by Christ Luke 1. 17. yet I like not Chamiers saying to call the Promise of Canaan an appendant to the covenant sith the Holy Ghost me thinks speaks otherwise Psalme 105. 8 9. 10 11. I shall say no more but leave it to the Reader whether this be any answer only for his censure of Chamiers calling the promise of the land of Canaan an appendant to this covenant the thing is so clear in the narrative of it Gen. 17. that nothing can be more evident The Covenant is full vers 7. To be a God to Abraham and to his seed and this he might have been had he pleased in the land of Vr of the Caldees or in any land whatsoever where Abrahams seed had been planted But when the covenant is thus made there is added And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger
case he pleased but will not neither is he bound Sinne no otherwise follows upon reprobation not as a cause efficient but deficient not whereby any thing is removed that is present but that is not supplied which is wanting And Master Ball in his larger Catechism p. 57. Sin is the effect of mans free will and condemnation is an effect of justice inflicted upon man for sin and disobedience But the decree of God which is good is the cause of neither The signes of Reprobation may appear in those that are thus dischurched according to that which is quoted out of Ames but not as an effect of it The severity which God sheweth in not sparing but breaking off these natural Branches is explicitely no more then that which Jesus Christ did threaten against them Mat. 21. 43. That the Kingdome of Heaven should be taken from them and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof the same which he threatens against Ephesus Rev. 2. 5. in taking away their Candlestick which is the effect of their own sin and not of Gods decree Argument 1. Sixthly If re-ingraffing of the Jewes produceth salvation is by turning them from iniquity taking away their sins according to Gods Covenant then it is into the invisible Church by giving faith But the former is true v. 25. Ergo the latter Answ This Argument well husbanded might haue made three To the first â— say that priviledges enjoyed in a Church-state in Scripture-phrase are the salvation John 4. 22. Seeing Church-members are partakers of sauing Ordinances And the fruition of Ordinances under Gospel-dispensations is a great salvation Heb. 2. 3. And so that Text Rom. 11. 26. all Israel shall be saved must be understood as the last Annotation speaks The body of this people in general shall be brought againe into a way of salvation and re-istablisht into the Church of the whole Israel of God consisting of Jewes and Gentiles And so Diodate That is the body in general shall be put again into a way of salvation and re-established into the Communion of the Church And such men brought into a Church-state are turned from iniquity partially from their former way of iniquity their contradicting and blaspheming having escaped the pollution of the world 2 Pet. 2. 16. of the world that remaines out of the Church of God Their sinne is pardoned quoad hoc and when Moses prayed for the pardon of the sinne of Israel Exod. 32. and God proâ—miseth it 2 Chron. 7. 14. it is so to be understood of a National dardon Argument 7. Seventhly If the re-ingraffing be by vertue of Gods Election and love his gifts of calling then it is into the invisible Church by Election and giving Faith But the former is true v. 28 29. Ergo the latter Answ His Election love and gifts of calling did at the first put them into a visible Church-state and condition Deut. 7. 7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were moe in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all people But because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the Oath which he had sworne unto your Fathers c. And the same love election and gifts of calling now they are broken off doth re-ingraffte them If this Argument hold it was an invisible Church that was brought out of the land of Egypt Here our Authour sayes with much confidence that he questions not but all Anti-Arminians that understand the controversie will disclaime Master Geree in this answer and acknowledge that the election love gifts and calling meant Rom. 11. 28 29. are by faith into salvation But he is much deceived Those before mentioned understood somewhate and Diodate in his Annotations hath these words God never recals his grace which by absolute decree he wil communicate to some person or Nation to call them to him and to have right to his Covenant Now the election of this people hath been such above all others in the world who being once called have and may fall totally and irreparably which this people cannot without repentance that is to say irrevocable of which God never repents Calvin on the words saith This is to be held that private Election is not here handled but the common adoption of the Nation which in outward appearance seemed for the time to be lost but not cut off from the root And presently after The Apostle argues that the counsel of God whereby he once chose to himself that Nation in peculiar remaineth firme And Paraeus in dubio decimo nono on this chapter understands it of the constancy of the love of God towards his own Nation And most fully in dubio vicesimo where urging Stapletons objection That it seems from this irrevocablenesse of the gifts and calling of God the assurance of grace and salvation cannot follow 1. Because as Stapleton objects and Calvin and Martyr confesse the speech of the Apostle is not to be understood of the election of each particular person but of the common adoption of the whole Nation and this common grace of adoption of the whole Nation was mutual for they fell from this gift To which Paraeus sayes Stapleton's corrupt glosse is easily answered 1. Saith he It is not denied that the Apostle spake this of the Common that is the federal dignity of the Nation of the Jewes and that the irrevocablenesse in God is to be understood yet it is denied saith he that from hence the assurance of particular persons is not concluded yea from the lesse to the greater it is firmly concluded For if the Apostle from common grace do rightly conclude this irrevocablenesse in God much more may it be determined from that grace which is proper Ravanellus in verbum Electio understands Election in v. 28. of common Election as he do also in 1. Pet. 2. 9. Amesius is urged as an adversary yet appears otherwise The Remonstrants giving two answers to this Scripture The second is the self-same in 〈◊〉 with Stapletons To which Amesius replies Coron page 233 234. This is their custome to take one part of a truth and to abuse it for the overthrow or removal of another So that it appears according to him that they spake truth in the denial of this to be meant of the unchangable decree of eternal Election but they abuse this truth in about to avoid the argument drawn from it for perseverance As Jesuites and Arminians do object it so their adversaries freely confesse it I have indeed sometimes in my thoughts doubted how fitly this Text was brought against Arminians for proof of perseverance and estament of assurance yet satisfied my selfe according to what hath been said but since I had any understanding never questioned but it was here applied according to the minde of these Authours to the National priviledge of the Jews the full scope of these Chapters being to dispute the rejection of Israel after
That Jewes carnally descended from Abraham or the children of Christians may be made partakers of the Covenant entered of God with Abraham Birth according to the flesh does nothing So also Bellarmine speaking of the covenant with Abraham saith It descends to us not by carnal but spiritual generation So that these men have sucked the spiritual meaning from the Jesuites and Master Marshal holds to the carnal imaginations of Protestant Reformers They produce many Texts of Scripture where this Birth-priviledge in their thoughts is evidently set forth Jesuites contradict it and upon this account it is a carnal imagination to conceive it The Apostle knew not saith one that God had so by promise Object or other engagement bound himself but he was free as he said to Moses after the promise made to Abraham to have mercy on whom he would Rom. 9. 15. If this be meant of any engagement of God to confer saving graces or habitual qualifications on the natural seed of Beleevers the words then carry reason with them But neither he nor his great friends will learn to distinguish between Gods conditional covenant contained in priviledges of Ordinances and habitual saving graces otherwise they know from Moses that God exercised this freedome in making choise of Israel above all Nations and that the Apostle knew and in the same Chapter lets us know Rom. 9. 4. that to them pertained the covenants and that this was their prerogative for Birth-priviledge Rom. 3. 1. We say the son of a Free-man is Free the son of a Noble-man is Noble we never said that the son of a Learned-man is Learned we say that the son of a Christian is a Christian as to interest in Ordinances We never said that the son of a Regenerate man is Regenerate It is further urged Object If this were true that the covenant of Grace is a birth-right-priviledge then the children of Beleevers are children of Grace by nature for that which is a birth-right-priviledge is a priviledge by nature And if Christianity is hereditary that as the child of a Nobleman is Noble the child of a Free-man is Free the child of a Turk is a Turk of a Jew a Jew the child of a Christian is a Christian Then Christians are born Christians and not made Christians and how are they then children of wrath by nature which whether it may not advantage the Pelagians and deniers of Original sinne it concernes those that use such speeches to consider To this I answer It concernes those that presse these objections to see how Chamier Paraeus and other Protestant Writers answer them when they are in their very words urged by Jesuites If they can reconcile Galat. 2. 15. with Ephes 2. 3. then they have an answer The Apostle was by birth of the people of God in covenant and yet by nature a childe of wrath It is further said Object To conceive that it is in Gods Churches as in other Kingdomes and after the Lawes of Nations is a seminary of dangerous superstitions and errours It is well that they have learned an Artifice from these superstition-hating Jesuites to keep out the inlet of superstition among us if there were no parallel held betwixt the Church of God and other Kingdomes after the manner of the Law of Nations but such that are Seminaries of superstition they may do well to acquaint us how it comes to passe that the Curch in Scripture hath the name of a City Family Kingdome Similitudes ever carry some resemblance If this were the alone ground on which the Birth-priviledge of Christians were bottomed they had said something but being only an illustration of it and nothing more they are over lavish in their censure Similitudes indeed may be over-stretched beyond their reach and if they had laid down rules to declare where the Similitude holds and where it holds not as I have done in the Birth-priviledge and made it appear that it holds not in that for which I produce it they had said somewhat to the purpose Read Mal. 1. 6 8 14. and tell me whether there be any ground laid for dangerous superstitions Thirdly It is so in all other Religions they keep up their priviledge of interest in the worship of their Ancestors The childe of a Turke is a Turke the childe of a Pagan is a Pagan the child of a Jew is a Jew And it is the Apostles Argument in like case respective to Ecclesiastical communion that because Sacramental communion rendered them one Ecclesiastical body with Christians so communion in worship will make one body with those of other Religions 1 Cor. 10. 17 18 19. See Paraeus on the words and Cudworths True notion of the Lords Supper There are common principles that are the same in all Religions and we must beleeve them to hold unlesse Scripture hold forth a difference Fourthly God ownes children born in the Church as by birth his his servants Levit. 25. 39 40 41 42. If thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor and be sold unto thee thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond-servant but as an hired servant and as a sojourner he shall be with thee and shall serve thee unto the year of Jubile And then shall he depart from thee both he and his children with him and shall return unto his own family and unto the possession of his fathers shall he returne For they are my servants Root and Branch Parent and childe are servants of God As they were the servants of their Master when they could do them actually no service by reason of their relation to them so they are the servants of God on the same account And as he owns them as his servants so also he ownes them as by birth his children Ezek. 16. 20 21. Moreover thou hast taken thy sonnes and thy daughters whom thou hast borne unto me and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured Is this of thy Whoredomes a small matter That thou hast slain my children and delivered them to cause them to passe through the fire for them If there were no Birth-priviledge how had God this property in Infants and this David pleads Ps 116. 16. O Lord I am thy servant truly I am thy servant and the son of thy hand-maid because he was borne in Gods house and was a childe of a servant of his he pleads his interest Fifthly If the child be not in covenant the parent and childe are heterogeneal and respective to Church-relation in the most opposite condition the Parent in the Kingdom of God by vertue of the faith that he professes the childe in the Kingdome of Satan by reason of his non-interest in the Promise and want of title to Covenant-relation But Scripture makes them still as one Jewes children are Jewes by nature Gentiles children are sinners that is Gentiles by nature The Root being holy the Branches are holy Parents not sanctified children are unclean but Parents
of salvation as well as in a beleeving condition we must therefore not look to the secret Will of God of which no reason can be given but his good pleasure but into his revealed Will where he is pleased to make known the dispensation of this will and good pleasure of his and so we shall learn not to carry our hopes beyond his promise To that Text of the Apostle Eph◠〈◊〉 12. In which all out of Covenant are concluded to be with 〈…〉 It is said Though the Gentiles were without hope Eph◠〈◊〉 12. in respect of the body of them yet now and then God called some as Rahab out of the visible Church and therefore we may not determine universally that out of the visible Church there is no salvation at all But when Rahab was thus called she was no more a Gentile as appears Ephes 2. 11. as the Ephesians had been but in present were no Gentiles so also it was with her neither she nor they were saved out of the Church but brought into the Church for salvation CHAP. LV. A Corollary for Infants Baptism Infant-Baptism by Arguments asserted THen it follows by way of necessary Corollary that Infants have right to Baptism children of baptized parents are entitled to that Ordinance First those that have been Church-members and admitted with the initiating sign and seal are yet to be admitted unlesse order be given to the contrary But Infants have been Church-members and accordingly admitted by the initiating sign and seal neither is there any order for the contrary Therefore Infants are Church-membes and still to be admitted Secondly Those that are under the Covenant-promises of God with the body of his people have right to Baptism Acts. 2. 39. But Infants are under the Covenant-promises of God with the body of his people Infants therefore have right to Baptism Thirdly Saints or holy persons have right to Baptism Infants are Saints they are holy persons Rom. 11. 1â— â— Cor. 7. 14. Infants therefore have right to Baptism Fourthly They that by birth according to the flesh are in the bosome of the Church have right to Baptism But Infants by birth according to the flesh are in the bosome of the Church Gal. 4. 29. Infants therefore ought to be baptized Fifthly They that are admitted to Church-priviledges have right to Baptism the leading priviledge But Infants are admitted to Church-priviledges Mark 10. 14. Matth. 19. 14. Luke 18. 16. Infants therefore have right to Baptism Sixtly The children of the Kingdome that with others make up the Kingdome of God have right to Baptism But Infants are the children of the Kingdome that with others make up the Kingdome of God Mark 10. 14. Matth. 19. 14. Luke 18. 16. Infants therefore have right to Baptism Seventhly The heritage of the Lord are to be admitted to Baptism But Infants are the heritage of the Lord Psal 127. 3. therefore Infants are to be admitted to baptism Eightly Those that are to be saved are to be added to the Church by baptism Acts 2. 47. Infants are to be saved and therefore are to be added to the Church by Baptism In all of these Syllogismes the minor is at large confirmed in the discourse before going the major in each shall presently be at large confirmed and so the conclusion will be undenyable Here it is objected with no small noise that Infant-baptisme wants an institution we find no command for it in all New Testament-Scripture where our warrant alone is for New Testament-Ordinances Neither have we any example in the New Testament of an Infant baptized whatsoever then our Arguments are this concludes it to be without warrant To speak to these and first to the institution The institution spoken to in this objection either is an institution of the Ordinance of Baptism it self or else an institution with limit to Infant-age For Baptism it self they will not deny that we have warrant in the New Testament John was sent to baptize in the Nation of the Jews John 1. 33. and the Apostles have theâ— commission Matth. 28. 19. to baptize all Nations For an institution with limit to Infant-age we heard but even now there was no institution in the Old Testament for Infant-Circumcision The institution Gen. 17. 10. is for males without limit in respect of growth I am sure it cannot be affirmed that there is any institution of Baptism in the New Testament with limit to any determinate age or growth This obâ—ection if it have force in it followed home will overthrow all Baptism at any age and every other New Testament-Ordinance whatsoever Suppose a man of 20 25 30 40 50. years of age seeketh Baptism According to this rule he must bring a prescript for one of this age to be baptized and the same also for the Lords Supper But it is replied Beleevers of any age may be baptized beleeve and the age is not regarded This will be easily yielded if they be not already baptized but then the institution with limit to Infancy is waved and upon the same account Church-Members in Covenant of any age ought to be baptized and so the institution is not in question about that there is an agreement But whether Infants be in Covenant or whether they be any Church-Members is to be disputed which already is satisfied 2. I say those words of our Saviour Matth. 28. 19. Disciple all Nations baptizing them c. do comprize Infants in them as well as men of years Infants serving to make up a Nation as well as Parents The Infants of Nineveh did make a considerable party of the City of Nineveh The Infants of any Nation make up a part of the Nation and the Nation where they came was to be discipled and baptized And that Infants are here comprehended farther appears by this Argument In the same sense and latitude as Nation was taken in respect of the Covenant of God when the Covenant and Covenant-initiating Sacrament was restrained to that one onely Nation where theâ—r commission was first limited In the same sense it is to be taken unlesse the Text expresse the contrary now the commission is enlarged This cannot be denyed of any that will have the Apostles to be able to know Christs meaning by his words in this enlarged commission But Nation then as is confessed did comprehend all in the Nation in respect of the Covenant and nothing is expressed in the Text to the contrary therefore it is to be taken in that latitude to comprehend Infants This Argument hath strength from that of the Apostle Acts 3. â—5 Yea are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers saying unto Abraham and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed As it was with the kindred of Abraham in respect of Covenant-holinesse so it is with all kindreds of the earth they joyntly make one party in the Covenant But Infants of Abrahams kindred were in the Covenant and
of the Nation in respect of Covenant-blessednesse But it will be said that an exception of Infants is implied in that all of the Nation must be discipled before they be baptized But Infants are not capable of being discipled and so they are made uncapable of Baptism I answer 1. Here is implied that they are of capacity to be Disciples in that Christ sends to disciple Nations and they serve to make up the Nation 2. It is the way of Scripture-speaking of an universality of a people in a Land expressely to except Infants in case they be to be excepted as we see in the judgement that befell Israel in the wildernesse to the cutting off of those that came out of the Land of Egypt Numb 14. 38. And in the Covenant entered by the body of the Nation of all degrees and sexes at their returne from Babylon Nehem. 10. 28. and an exception could be no where more useful and necessary than there to let us know that it is otherwise with Gentiles in this particular then it was with the Jewes that the Nations where their commission thus enlarged were herein differenced from the Nation to which their Ministry was first limited 3. Let that Text of the Prophet be well weighed where speaking by the Spirit of Prophecy of the rejection of the Jewes and the glorious call of the Gentiles in their stead in that ample way as it is there set out he hath these words Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders Isa 49. 22. If there were but such an hint as that by way of Prophecy to have left them behinde we should from some have heard of it with a noise 4. In the Lord Christs own Dialect who is best able to expresse his own meaning they are Disciples To belong to Christ is to be a Disciple of Christ This is plaine from our Saviours own mouth comparing his words recorded in Matthew and in Mark To give a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a Disciple it is in the one Matth. 10. 42. To give a cup of water to drinke in my name because ye belong to me it is in the other Mark 9. 41. To belong to Christ to be a Disciple of Christ and to bear the name of Christ is one and the same thing with our Saviour Now that infants are of the number of those who as Disciples in Christs account do belong to him and bear his name is yet farther plaine by another Text of Saint Matthew Matth. 18. 5. where Christ setting a little childe in the midst of his hearers saith Whoso shall receive one such little childe in my name receiveth me By all which it appeares that which is done to Infants is done to Disciples hath a glorious reward as done to Disciples Infants therefore are Disciples of Christ are of those that do belong unto him and beare his name Who then is not afraid to refuse them who will receive Christ Who will not baptize them that is willing to baptize Disciples in the name of Christ For that part of the objection that there is no example in New Testament-Scripture on infant-Baptisme I answer First For an example of Baptisme with limit to any one precise number of years or dayes we have but one that I know if that in Scripture and that is of Christ who was as is computed about the age of thirty when he was baptized if this be prest and followed all must at that alone be for Baptisme and no other of any age may be baptized Secondly There are many things of which we make no question and yet we have no example of them I have instanced in the trial of the suspected wife by the water of jealousie that there is no example for it in all the Old Testament-Scripture and for womens receiving of the Lords Supper there is not a particular institution or any particular expresse precedent for it in the New Testament They cannot give us any instance of any one trained up by believing Parents for Baptisme and assoon as he could give an account baptized not one childe of a Beleever brought up for covenant and not in covenant One goes about to give instance of particular precedents for womens receiving the Lords Supper 2. And instead of a precedent urges 1 Cor. 11. 28. as an expresse command in formal termes for women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehending both Sexes To this I have replied in my answer pag. 52. We are then furnished with an expresse command in termes as formal and with an example to booâ—e of womens circumcision and so the difference between circumcision and Baptisme so often laid in the dish of Paedobaptists here falls to the ground Ye on the Sabbath-day do circumcise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man John 7. 22. if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man on the Sabbath-day receive circumcision that the Law of Moses should not be broken John 7. 23. Here is Moses his command the Jewes practice with Christs approbation in the same comprehensive latitude in regard of both Sexes as in Saint Paul for receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And if arguments borrowed from Grammer use of words be of that force you see what they have proved As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in one Sacrament so it is to be taken in another But in the Sacrament of circumcision it is limited to the male only to which accords that Logick rule Omne analogum stans per se stat pro famosiori analogato To this is replyed that the subject matter of the command as well as the Grammar use of the word proves females to be included but then his expresse formal command is lost they are not exprest but included and by consequence onely which will not be denied He farther sayes that 1 Cor. 10. 17. is an expresse command in formal termes of womens receiving the Lords Supper we being many are one bread and one body for we are partakers of one bread I demand whether the Apostle speaks in the person of Christians or in the person of women not of women sure for he takes in himself and he was a man and then the formality of an expresse Example falls He brings Acts 20. 7. that the Disciples on the first day of the week came together to break bread Here is an example as expresse and formal as the former They cannot infallibly prove by help of consequence much lesse expressely that there was a woman there At that night-meeting there might be none but men as at the first institution It can never be an expresse example till it be made to appear that none are Disciples but women Thirdly The examples that we have of a whole houshold being baptized if some had them in hand would be sufficiently formal but any
receives into covenant and appoints the seale hath prescribed a time when it shall be applied A man that hath a grant from King or State hath ipso facto right to the seale and the right necessarily followes upon the grant though he must stay till a sealing day before he possesse it For the exception of women though foederatae yet were not to be circumcised I say 1. Master Marshal hath sufficiently answered that they were of the circumcision and it was an exception against Sampson by his parents that he would go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines Judg. 14. 3. Had he married in Israel as he ought in obedience to God and his parents he had married a wife of the circumcised though that sex by nature is in an incapacity of that signe or seale In diverse places of England the husband being admitted by verdict of a Jury into an estate the wife is virtually admitted his admission is her admission so it was in circumcision 2. They had doubtlesse actually received that signe of circumcision as in New Testament times they do Baptisme Acts 8. 12. Acts 16. 15. but that it was a signe whereof they were in an incapacity It is farther added If then I should farther grant the conclusion That infants of beleevers were to be signati yet you would not say they are to be partakers of the Lords Supper because it is not appointed for them So in like manner if it were granted you that infants of beleevers were to be signed yet it followes not that they are to be baptized unlesse you can prove that it is appointed to them and the truth is if it were granted that children were foederati yet it were a high presumption in us to say therefore they must be signati without Gods declaration of his minde and if it were granted they must be signati it were in like manner a high presumption in us to say therefore they must be baptized without Gods declaration of his minde concerning that Ordinance To this a reply is made by another hand that there is difference between a seale for initiation and a seale for confirmation a seale wherein no more is of necessity than to be passive and that wherein we are to be active yet to come more near to them I am content to yield the conclusion supposing that his argument is of force Every Church-member hath true title to all Church-priviledges But infants are Church-members the Lords Supper is a Church-priviledge and therefore infants have true title to it But then I must distinguish jus ad rem and jus in re every infant hath right to it yet by reason of infancy hath his actual interest suspended Paul by birth had right to all the priviledg of the Citie of Rome being born free Acts 22. 28. yet it does not follow that he was to give his vote or appear in Assemblies as a free Citizen in the time of his minority James the sixth was crowned in Scotland and Henry the sixth in England in the time of their minority so that they were reckoned among the Kings of Nations yet neither of them did in their own persons exercise regalia till yeares of discretion As these infants of title were crowned so infants that are Church-members are to be baptized when yet an infant can no more partake as a Christian ought of the Lords Supper than an infant King can wield the great things of his Kingdome An infant-heir from the first instant of his fathers death and a posthumous childe from the time of his birth stands seized of his fathers inheritance The whole title is vested in him how ample soever and in no other and he is received into it and lives upon it yet he is held from the managing of it till he can improve for his own and the publike benefit So that the taking into covenant is a sufficient declaration of Gods minde that the signes and seals in an orderly way should be granted to them and all these appeare to be cavils and not answers As these exceptions are causlesly taken against the connexion between the covenant and eale so quarrels are raised against some phrases in common use among Divines relating to this thing as making the metaphor of a seale the Genus of a Sacrament which if an errour was the Apostles errour Rom. 4. 11. and many such like with which it is needlesse to trouble the Reader CHAP. LVII The with-holding infants of Christian parents from Baptisme is the sin of Sacriledge HEnce farther followes that the Prohibition of infant-Baptisme or with-holding them from that Ordinance that are the issue of Christians is the sinne of Sacriledge This is plaine from the premisses they are the Lords His heritage Psal 127. 3. The Lords servants Levit. 25. 42. holy ones Rom. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Children of the covenant Acts 3. 25. interessed in the priviledges of the people of God Mark 10. 14. Therefore they are to be given to God Caesar will account it a robbery if that which is his due be denied God will account it a robbery if that which is his be denied Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Matth. 22. 21. Adversaries fasten the brand of will-worship on the practice of it But if Baptisme be any worship according to the minde of Christ then infant-Baptisme is out of all danger or possibility of will-worship In case infants were not within he verge yet their Baptisme could be no will worship we set not up of our selves the Ordinance that we apply to them but make application of the Ordinance that Christ hath instituted In case they have no title there is onely a misapplication of worship instituted and no devise of worship To this is replied and demand made whether infant-communion were not will-worship whether baptizing of Bells were not will-worship yet these are but misapplications of an instituted ordinance to a wrong subject I answer none of these were will-worship nor yet the Baptisme of the Horse in Huntingdon-shire but the horrid prophanation of an instituted worship Baptisme is still Gods but the application mans and here the will is not carried to a devise of an ordinance but alone to the application of it Our adversaries making it a corruption of the Ordinance of Baptisme acquit it from will-worship But in infant-Baptisme we neither devise an Ordinance nor of our own heads make application of it we know they belong to the family of Jesus Christ we know Christs order to admit them to the priviledge that was proper to those of his family and as faithful stewards we follow the will of our Master not our own will but the will of Christ Jesus Could they wash their hands of Sacriledge as we are able to clear our wills and wits from devise of a worship it were better with them The times were when men looked upon things consecrate as holy to the Lord in a
separation for this publick work so there is also a separation more general from Idols to God upon which account Christians are called Saints Men holy by dedication to the Lord as the Temple of God which is holy 1 Cor. 3. 17. Our adversaries some of them at least baptize and by Baptisme consecrate men to God upon no other account than such a separation by a profession of Faith and holinesse as some of the most eminent of them expresse themselves To deny Baptisme to these in their own account can be no other than Sacriledge This profession gives them interest in God by way of visible communion and therefore they must be given to God Children are separated for God and stiled as we have heard holy if they yield them this interest they cannot deny them Baptisme and avoid this charge of Sacriledg They are servants of God and of his holy Family and they are to have admittance into the Family In case they deny it they must leave them without God and so without Hope so that of necessity one will follow that either they robbe God of them as belonging to him or denying their interest in him they doome them to destruction If they have no interest in God then they perish If they have their interest then they are Sacrilegiously with-held from him Many have observed how God hath followed the sinne of Sacriledge above other sinnes with his judgements but instances can be given of no piece of Sacriledge so sadly followed by the hand of heaven as this of deteining Infants from Baptisme They have heard not a few and it may well move pity in all Readers to take notice of their answers No consent of History nor authority of men of most eminent piety can work their belief of such a hand of God giving up so many of their party to such abominations I shall to that which they have heard from Master Marshal and Master Baxter adde only one testimony of Martine Bucer in his Dedicatory Epistle before his Comment on the Evangelists relating to the Doctrine of Antipaedo baptisme he saith Which opinion hath brought such an heap of Errors and Schismes that there is nothing so abhorrent from reason can be read of any of the Hereticks of former times which hath not been in foure yeares space revived and sonud followers that this alone may render that root suspected to all that follow after godlinesse from whence such unhappy branches have sprouted and out of which they have budded CHAP. LVIII The Children of all that are Christians in profession are by vertue of Covenant-Interest to be received into the Church by Baptisme THen it farther followes by way of necessary Corollary that according to the Parents Interest in the Covenant the childe hath Interest in the Sacrament of Baptism But all professing Parents separate from Idols and professing the worship of the true God though nothing more of a Christian be in them in the latitude as hath been shewn are in covenant the infants of all these then have interest in Baptisme The Major cannot be questioned by any that acknowledge a right in infants derived from their Parents for Baptism for it is interest in the covenant that gives the title to parent and infant The Minor I have abundantly proved The covenant must either be made to appeare to run in a more narrow channel which I suppose will hardly be done that a man in Ignorance or in Impenitency as he does not keep covenant so he never entred covenant or else this must necessarily follow To assert this by Arguments First Their children whom God owns as his peculiar people above others have right to Baptisme This cannot be denied either these have a just claim or else no children at all But God owns all in visible profession as his people Isa 1. 2. Isa 5. 13. Hos 4. 6. Jer. 2. 11 13 31 32. Jer. 4. 22. Jer. 5. 51. therefore the children of visible professors have right to Baptism Secondly Their children that are brought forth to God by their parents have right to Baptism This is as plain But visible professors bring forth children to God Ezek. 16. 20. therefore their children have right to Baptism Thirdly Those children whose Parents are children of the Kingdome of God have their title to Baptisme But those that are in sin and in a way to be cast out for sin are children of the Kingdome Mat. 8. 12. Mat. 21. 43. Ergo the children of Parents in sin have right to Baptism Fourthly The children of those who are themselves Disciples of Christ ought to be baptized But men in sin are Disciples of Christ Joh. 6. 66. whole Nations among whom are many wicked ones are Disciples Matth. 28. 19. The children then of those that are in sinne ought to be baptized Fifthly The children of those that are of the number of brethren in the faith of the Gospel have right to Baptism But men in sinne are brethren in the faith of the Gospel 1 Cor. 5. 11. If any that is called a brother be a fornicatour or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner c. This our dissenting brethren will not deny to be meant of Christians therefore their children are to be baptized Sixthly Those children that are holy by reason of birth from one or both beleeving parents are to be baptized But the children of those that are in sin may be holy by reason of birth of one or both beleeving parents 1 Cor. 7. 14. To clear this place which some weakly enough have urged for the contrary Let us enquire who the Apostle means by a Beleever and who he means by an unbeliever and this will soone be decided if we look to the case propounded by letter from the Corinthians which he there resolves and answers their scruples That is confest to be marriage between a Christian and a Heathen a professed Believer and an Infidel a man removed from an Infidel to take upon him the name of Christ is there a Beleever and many of these even in Corinth were men in sinne They that will have the Beleever there to set out only a justified and sanctified person they must by unbeleever mean all unsanctified persons and so the case propounded and satisfied is whether a regenerate person sanctified by the Spirit married to one that gives not full or at least hopeful evidences of sanctification may continue a marriage-society whether a man of Jobs integrity might have lived with such a wise to whom Job was joyned a thing that was never yet brought into question either by Jew or Christian and altogether unworthy of an Apostles determination The thing is plaine that as infants have right to Baptisme so all the infants of those parents that nomine tenus are Christians have right to Baptism See more Treatise of the Sacraments page 161. To amplifie this in some particulars and if it may be to make it more clear
and in case it were wholly yielded him whether thence he could draw his conclusion that Ministers in England should not baptize the infants of all that professe the Faith in Christ Jesus He confesseth in this question he hath disadvantage For if a man be looked upon saith he as a visible Saint and reputed a Member of a true Church if that Member be very scandalous and the Church let him alone and not deale with him that person may challenge any Ordinance in the Church both Baptisme and Lords Supper But I conceive such a person is not sufficiently qualified to make a Member of a Church nor ought to be continued a Member of the Church but the Church ought to seek to reforme him or if not to cast him out so that if the Church will let such a person alone and give him these Ordinances there will be guilt charged upon that Church Here is his acknowledgement that they are continued Church-Members though they should not be continued and see what he hath further It is true the wicked Jewes being members of that National Church so long as their Membership held they might challenge circumcision so for wicked persons so long as they continue members and the Church lets them alone they may challenge Baptism and so upon his own grounds they may of right challenge it and Ministers then must needes do wrong in case they deny it and so in all mens judgements the question is concluded in the Affirmative yea should the Church passe to the highest of her censures through all that is allowed to the highest top yet still the person under censure continues in a fundamental right of Membership though debarred of present fruition and so their infants entituled as we have seen to Baptisme His Arguments are worthy of examination in which he concludes such a one is not fit to be a Member First Members of Churches according to the Gospel are Saints visible But such a person as the question mentions is not a visible Saint Ergo. The Minor he proves Such as will say that such a person as the Question mentions is a visible Saint I thinke his eyes are not good He that tells me the Saints which Paul mentions in those places were no other than such a person as is in the Question he must pardon me though I beleeve him not Answ Visible Saint is taken either in regard of Separation for and dedication to God or for real qualifications according to the power of godlinesse in the first sense such are real Saints that he mentions and rejects in which sense we have shewn Saint to be frequently taken and such were most of the Members of the Church of Sardis there being few that had not defiled their garments and many such in the Church of Corinth In the second sense and I know not a third his eyes are better than mine that can determine concerning them Inward graces onely make a real Saint and these to me are invisible if he meanes so far as mens judgements can upon any fair ground conclude that they are such then the Apostles will be involved in our guilt who hand over head admitted members the same day they were converted being in foul sins and never staying time to make judgement of the hopeful truth of their graces Paul calls all those that he persecuted Saints Acts 26. 10. So doth Ananias Acts 9. 13. all those for whom after conversion he ordered and made Collections 1 Cor. 16. 1. And these were some of them as bad as any that in his Epistles he reproves Secondly If a bare profession in Christ be sufficient to make a member of a Church then no person can justly be excommunicated out of a Church for the vilest sins or heresies provided he doth but hold this profession of his faith the consequence is cleare the person is the same which he was when you took him into the Church The consequence is clearely erroneous for he made a profession of his faith and not of sin as we see in Simon Magus Thirdly He that manifestly opposeth Christ in his visible Kingdome is not fit to be a member of a Church But such a person as the question mentions doth manifestly oppose Christ in his visible kingdome Ergo Not fit to passe without censure should have been added but whiles he acts rebellion he professeth subjection and in the Apostles language is a professor Tit. 1. 2. Having thus made way he propounds several Arguments that Ministers by the Gospel are not to baptize the children of such Parents We come now to our Authours arguments First Such persons as de jure ought and de facto are excluded by godly Ministers from the Lords Supper ought also to be excluded from their childrens Baptisme But such persons as the Question mentions de jure ought and de facto are excluded from the Lords Supper Ergo. The Major is proved If Baptisme doth seale to the same covenant which the Lords Supper doth and doth signifie and seale as great blessings and priviledges as the Lords Supper doth then those who are excluded from the Lords Supper ought also to be excluded from theâ—r childrens Baptisme But the Antecedent is true Ergo. The Consequent This is Master Blackwoods argument to keep infants from Baptisme because they are kept from the Supper And if it be of any validity to serve our Authors turn it is of as great force for Master Blackwood Give me leave in Master Blackwoods behalfe to urge it in this manner with the least change of words that is possible If Baptisme doth seal to the same covenant which the Lords Supper doth and doth signifie and seale as great blessings and priviledges as the Lords Supper doth then those that are excluded from the Lords Supper ought also to be excluded from Baptisme But all infants are excluded from the Lords Supper eo nomine because they are infants and therefore they are to be excluded from Baptisme When Master Firmin hath given a faire and full answer to this Syllogisme he may easily fit it to his own to give like satisfaction An infant in covenant may be admitted by that signe and scale in the use of which he is meerely passive and yet be kept back on the account of his infancy from that sign and seale which the Participants must actually improve for their spiritual benefit and consequently a Parent may put a present bar to his actual admission by reason of present guilt to the one when his innocent infant can put no barre to his admission to the other The Parent stands de jure entituled when for the present he may be for his spiritual benefit de facto suspended Another reverend Authour hath made use of this argument from the uniformity of the service of God in general and in particular from the uniformity in the Sacraments to another purpose not to exclude any infants at all who descend from Christian Parents from Baptisme but for admission of
all visible Church-Members not under the sentence of Excommunication to the Lords Supper As one from the suspension of Parents from the Lords Supper would conclude the suspension of infants from Baptism So the other from the admission of all infants without difference to Baptism would infer not onely a just warranty but also a necessity of answerable admittance of their Parents to the Lords Supper Let our Independents saith he answer Why do you allow a Syntax in the service of God besides and bring in a Quae genus of Anomales and Heteroclites onely at this Ordinance let some of our Presbyterians answer how can we admit of children as members of the visible Church being borne of Christian parents unto Baptisme and yet turne away the parents of those children from the Sacrament Those that have gone about to answer this had better haply have said nothing for our free course of Baptisme and a denial of this is such a seam-rent as will never be handsomely drawn up though stitcht together neverthelesse in yielding the one they have granted the other As to this passage I first marvel how this is laid to the charge of Independents that they allow a Syntax in the whole service of God besides and bring in Anomalaes and Heteroclites onely at this Ordinance namely the Lords Supper when it is plain that they have as many Heteroclites in Baptisme as the Lords Supper And in both the Sacraments as to those that they judge admittible they keep the form as whole as himself contends it ought to be kept how many rents soever they may make besides The same latitude that they hold in admission of parents to the Supper they hold in admission of children to Baptisme And for Presbyterians their admission of infants to the one will by no meanes conclude them under any necessity of admission of the parents to the other Sacrament Nor on the contrary will their suspension of parents conclude any necessity of like suspension of infants Every tub must stand on its own bottome every one must beare his own burden when parents divolve a covenant-title they do not divolve a covenant-breach upon their children And I desire to know how he will keep up any such uniformity that he contends for according to that which I conceive to be his own opinion Persons under Excommunication are confessed to be uncapable of the Lords Supper I desire to learne whether that sentence cut off from the Church root and branch Whether it be a sentence personal or hereditary I much mistake my Authour in case he will maintaine the latter that that sword is held out with so keen an edge to lop off both parent and child If he admit the former than the same rent is made of which he so much complaines Presbyterians that keep those persons from the Sacrament as a degree of punishment in order to that sentence of Excommunication as they use to speake whom they judge to be in a way deserving it and admit their infants to Baptisme make no other manner of rent in the worship of God than those that keep back persons under actual excommunication and give the like admission to infants The state of Parent and childe respective to the covenant is homogeneal If the root be holy the branch is holy and so è contra yet the parent by his misdemeanour may incur that censure of which his infant is not deserving His argument should run thus If the guilty parent be debarred of a priviledge then the innocent childe ought to be debarred likewise me thinks a difference might be put between a scandalous parent that is active and an innocent childe that is passive a parent that cannot will not improve it to his comfort but to his judgement and a child that cannot mis-improve it My Argument saith he runs upon the first supposition that the childe brings nothing with it considered as abstracted from the parent but it is the parent gives the right And the parent conferres right in covenant Though he breakes covenant yet conferres not the transgression of it the Argument were as good that the childe must necessarily be admitted to the Lords Table because the father did worthily receive it If it be said the father is worthy so is not the childe so we say the father is unworthy of the one i.e. tenders himself unworthy and so doth not the child of the other The second Argument Such parents as if they themselves were now to be baptized ought not to be baptized cannot justly challenge Baptisme for their children neither are we bound to administer it But such parents as the Question mentions if they now were to be baptized ought not to be baptized Ergo. This argument is of the same stamp with the former and needs no other answer The parent hath contracted a great load of guilt of which the infant is innocent This argument well followed home might unbaptize a great part of those that are of this judgement and render all their priviledges in Church-Ordinances fruitlesse for want of a previous Baptisme The third argument If Ministers in baptizing are bound to hold to their Commission then the children of such parents as the question mentions are not to be baptized But the Antecedent is true none will deny that Ergo. The consequence is true Ministers by their Commission Matth. 28. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are bound to baptize Disciples but these are no Disciples Ergo. My argument tends to this If the parent be not a Disciple the childe is none But such a parent is none Ergo. his childe is none Here he sayes the Anabaptists triumph and well they may if there be any strength in this argument But saith he we can easily distinguish and I say we can distinguish as easily Distinctions sufficient may be seen chap. 38. where it is sufficiently made good that these in question are Disciples Disciples as to the participation of Ordinances Even a truantly untoward boy is of the number of Scholars and as he well deserves the lash so he hath the priviledges of the School The fourth argument To administer the Seale of the covenant of grace to a child by vertue of him who is visibly in covenant with Satan must needes be a prophaning of the Ordinance But to administer Baptisme to a childe by vertue of such a one as the question mentions is to administer the Seal of the covenant of grace to a child by vertue of one who is visibly in covenant with Satan Ergo. The minor is thus by him proved A person grossely ignorant in the fundamentals of Religion his course of life his trade is to live in sinne scandalous c. What shall we say of such a one though he doth not formally make a covenant with the Devil c. To be visibly in covenant and formally enter no covenant is little lesse than a contradiction put the argument into form To administer the Seale of the covenant of Grace
Nehemiahs better Mat. 11 11. be for sin He that is not a sinner by birth should be no sinner in his life Baptisme is the greatest honour such bear Christs name and weare his livery they have that title in which Jude and James with other of the Apostles gloried A servant of Jesus Christ Baptisme is the greatest engagement Let every one that nameth Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. To talk of Baptisme and to live in sin is to wear the colours of one and plot and fight for another to wear Christs colours and fight for Satan Baptisme renders a sinner up to the heaviest punishment The high favours shewed to the Jewes made a Jew to fare worse in the wayes of sin than an Heathen Amos 3. 2. The high favours shewed to Christians make Christians to fare worse in sinful wayes than Heathens Heb. 2. 3. All in a Christians calling bespeaks this holinesse God by whom he is called 1 Pet. 1. 15. The work to which he is called 1 Thes 4. 7. The company unto which he is joyned Ephes 2. 19. The attendants by whom he is guarded Matth. 25. 31. The rule whereby he is guided Rom. 1. 2. The Seale by which he is confirmed Ephes 1. 13. And the place whither he makes and tends Heb. 9. 8. all are holy Secondly Let the parents of such seed now see what education is expected Breeding must answer birth and descent A Christian is of the noblest birth he must therefore have the most noble education and the Apostle calls upon parents to bring up their Children in nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6. 4. God may call on them thus to bring up his children in nature theirs in covenant Gods Every Christian parent hath a childe of God committed to his care and tuition How great a soloecisme is it that Parents should dedicate children so soon as borne unto Christ professing to the world that they belong to him and that with Hannah concerning Samuel they intend them for him when nothing appeares in their education but that they might have been given to Molok somewhat worse than the mongrell seed that spoke halfe in the language of Canaan and halfe in the language of Ashdod Nehem. 13. 24. Scarce a word can be heard out of their mouths to argue that they are Christians lisping out oaths as soone as words put to learne trades and little regard had that they might know Christ Jesus And how much is it to be desired that authority would take order for more careful catechistical teaching of youth in the wayes of Christian Religion that God may not complaine of England as of Israel My people perish for want of knowledge Hos 4. 7. A people of God and a people ignorant to perdition and destruction England is highly honoured of God by this gracious call with Capernaum lifted up to heaven England would highly honour God if care might be taken that all might know God from the highest to the lowest we shall never be a Gospel-like people till we be a knowing people 〈◊〉 we take care that as we are Jewes by nature so we may be Jewes in qualification so borne so bred that as our youth is descended so also they may be trained That as God honours our children with his name calling them his children so they may honour his name and advance his glory in all holinesse of conversation Thirdly Those may yet see whom they oppose that stand in opposition of a people thus interessed a people so ingratiated to God in covenant that there is not the least infant in whom God hath not his title and right of challenge The aggravation of the Psalmists complaint is that the Heathens are come into thine inheritance the dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the foules of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the Earth Psalme 79. 1 2 3. The whole body of such a people root and branch stand in relation to God as the inheritance the servants the Saints of God such inscriptions we finde in Saint Pauls Epistles not one of the whole body is excluded but they are such by covenant and such by calling Enough hath been said to make it to appeare that the denomination reaches even infants who are the Lords heritage Psalme 127. 3. and Christs name is upon them Matth. 18. 5. As it is accounted an happy work to dash the little ones of Babylon against the wall Psalme 137. 9. because of the hostility of that Nation against God and his people so it is a like execration to intermeddle with the little ones of Sion by reason of the holinesse of such a people their covenant-relations in which they stand interessed 2 Kings 8. 12. Much is spoken in Scripture against the enemies of the righteous the haters of them shall be desolate he that offends against them shall not be innocent Psalme 34. 21. God observes every carriage of the adversary towards them in misery they speak not a word but God hath it against them when Ammonites Tyrians cry Aha against the people of God they are witted with it and threatned for it Ezek. 26. 2. 36. 2. Not a proud word that they utter but it is brought in to fill up the charge against them Obad. 12. Psalme 137. 7. yea every eye that is cast with approbation of the adversary Obad. 13. 14. Every encouraging word they speak and every act they do against such a people yea injuries of elder times are kept in the deck and laid to them Deut. 25. 17. And all because they stand in this relation to God as his in covenant which you cannot limit onely to the personally righteous but all that are of a Society and fellowship that is such as are interessed in a righteous cause The holy anointing oile did make sacred when yet too often the man was wicked and therefore David looked upon Saul as the Lords Anointed It holds in Analogy and proportion unto all that have any unction from God as all the called of God have When they were but a few in number yea very few and strangers when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdome to another people he suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine Anointed Psalme 105. 12 13 14 15. All the people of God have that Anointing from God that none may dare to intermeddle for their harme God promises his people that dwell in Sion that the burthen of Assyria shall be taken from off their shoulder and his yoke from off their neck and that the yoke shall be destroyed because of the Anointing Isaiah 10. 27. Some will say as this is carried The danger of intermeddling with any is with us a like Even Papists and the worst of men that are called Protestants are thus of a people that are called Gods people and go by the name of Christians For answer I
208 Circumcision that painfull signe was the leading initiating seale of it p. 209 Nine positions tending to clear the Old Covenant under Old Testament-dispensations p. 210 211 212 c. See Moses It was not made up of carnal promises p. 219 c. The charge of the Old Covenant to be meerely carnal serves divers interests 1. To bring down all honour and esteem of Old Testament-Scriptures p. 220 2. To take Infants out of Covenant p. 221 3. To keep Infants from Baptisme p. 222 Testimonies evincing the spirituality of Old Covenant-Promises ibid. This Old Covenant was a pure Gospel-Covenant and not mixt p. 224 New Covenant It is held forth by Christ the Mediatour p. 205 It takes in all Nations ibid. 206 It must remain till the end of time ibid. The dedication of it is in the blood of Christ p. 207 Christ already come in the flesh is set forth in it ibid. Truth without type or-shadow held forth in it p. 207 208 Light abounds and knowledge is clear in it p. 208 Baptisme is the initiating seal of it p. 209 It is not limited to the Elect Regenerate p. 231 The meaning of some Orthodox Divines that in some expression seem to deny it p. 233 Severall New Testament-Scriptures evincing it p. 235 c. Arguments asserting it p. 205 Absurdities following upon the restraint of the Covenant to the Elect regenerate p. 252 Objections answered p. 257 It comprizes professed Beleevers and their issue p. 246 The question stated as to the issue of Abraham in severall particulars p. 296 297 c. Arguments from Old Testament-Scriptures evincing the natural issue of Abraham to be in Covenant p. 301. From New Testament-Scriptures p. 304. The grand Objection Rom. 9. 6 7 8. answered p. 309 A second Objection that it is not in that latitude in New Testament-times answered p. 316 1. By Quaeries put p. 317 New Testament-authorities Acts 2. 38 39. Rom. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Gal. 4. 29. Matth. 19. 14. p. 318 3. Arguments evincing it p. 401 c. D. Death WHat in Scripture it implies p. 100 p. 101 The same in the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The proper and most received signification denotes a Testament and not a Covenant p. 38 39 Disciple Vnregenerate persons have the name and outward priviledges of Disciples p. 251 Whole Nations in capacity to be Discipled p. 236 Infants are Disciples p. 413 Discipline God in the Covenant of Grace keeps up his Sovereignty in exercise of Discipline p. 77 78 c. See Separation E. Election INto a Church-state p. 340 The Covenant of Grace not commensurate with Election p. 98 Election leads to salvation without any merit of workes p. 341 See Reprobation Engraffing There is no engraffing into the Church invisible p. 336 Engraffing by Faith according to Election is into Christ. ibid. Engraffing into the true Olive Rom. 11. is into the Church as visible Asserted by Arguments p. 327 c. Errors Have their estimate more or lesse according as they are against Christ p. 280 Some render Christ in an incapacity to be Mediatour ibid. Some are in whole or in part inconsistent with his Mediatorship ibid. Errours either in the foundation or in the superstructure p. 278 In the foundation more neere or more remote p. 279 Epample The Argument that there is no example for infant-baptisme answered p. 414 Extreames In the worship of God dangerous p. 439 F Faith IN Christ commanded in the Moral Law p. 96 c. Is a Condition of the Covenant of Grace p. 118 c. Proposâ—tions tending to clear it p. 122 Reasons to confirme it p. 119 Objections answered p. 130 c. As accepting Christ as a Lord it doth not justifie p. 125 It justifies as an instrument p. 126 Truth explained p. 127 Objections answered ibid. See instrument Faith of profession entitles to Baptisme p. 289 Arguments proving it p. 290 Faith and Repentance our conditions not Gods p. 144 Faith of profession Entitles to the Church visible p. 334 May be lost p. 333. 334 Flesh Birth after the flesh gives a visible title to Church interest p. 370 c. Children of the flesh those who in course of nature come from Abraham ibid. G. Gentiles SInners of the Gentiles Gal. 2. 15. what it implies p. 305. 306 Engraffing of the Jewes and the Gentiles Rom. 11. is into the Church visible p. 327 See Engraffing Church of Jewes and Gentiles one p. 328. Gomarus His answer to the Anabaptists Argument draw from Rom. 9. 6 7. p. 313 c. Gospel Where it is tendered and recieved there is a Covenant p. 161 Where it is tendered and refused there is no Covenant ibid. Grace Is the Fountaine and rise of every Covâ—â—nant of God with man p. 9 The necessity of the concurrence of Grace in mans conversion p. 111 Arguments evincing it p. 104 c. Objections answered p. 113 c. Sufficiency of Gospel-grace in the Old Covenant to convince men of sin for not beleeving p. 215 H. Holy Holinesse HOlinesse of relation of infusion p. 326 One and the same holinesse in every branch of the Olive Rom. 11. ibid. Holinesse not legitimation p. 357 Not regenerate with the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 14. ibid. See places Holinesse of relation of persons p. 440 Of unreasonable creatures ibid. Persons holy in some peculiar way of service p. 444 In a more general way as separate from Idols to God p. 447 Heaven See Kingdome I. Jew A Jew by nature is one in Covenant by birth p. 306 Infant Those little ones that Christ recieved and blessed were infants p. 394 They were infants of Parents in Covenant p. 394 395 They were themselves in Covenant ibid. They were admitted upon a common right and no special priviledge above other infants in Israel ibid. They were admitted to a Church-priviledge p. 397 The Disciples excluded them upon their minority and Christ will have that to be no bar for their admittance p. 399 Infant-Baptisme By Arguments asserted p. 410 c. Objections answered p. 411 c. Infants of all Christian Parents have right to Baptisme p. 448 Infants of wicked Parents p. 448 Of misbelieving Parents p. 449 Of ignorant Parents ibid. Of illegitimate birth p. 450 Of excommunicate persons p. 468 Right of infants of Apostates discussed p. 453 Infants have right to Baptisme as from immediate so from mediate Parents p. 465 Infants within the verge of Baptism-institution p. 411 412 Infants of Christian Parents entitled to the Lords Supper by jus ad rem not jus in re p. 436 Instrument The Word the outward Faith the inward instrument in justification p. 129 Faith more aptly said to be an instrument in justification than the word ibid. Relative actions have not their instruments fitly and properly so called as those that are absolute p. 127 Faith is the instrument of man in the work of justification and because of man in a work of this nature it