where their Commission is thus enlarged were herein differenced from the Nation to which their Ministerie was first limitted 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 hath these words Behold I will lift up mine band to the Gentiles Isai 49.22 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 If there were but such an hint as that by way of prophesy to have left them behind we should from some have heard of it with a noise 4. In the Lord Christs 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 owne mouth comparing his words recorded in Matthew and Mark Matth. 10.42 Mar. 9.41 To give a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple it is in the one To give a cup of water to drink in my Name because ye belong to me it is in the other To belong to Christ to be a Disciple of Christ and to beare 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 doe belong unto him and beare his Name is yet further plain by another text of St Matthew where Christ setting a little childe in the middest of his hearers saith Who so shall receive one such little child in my Name Matth. 18.5 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 therfore are Disciples of Christ are of those that doe 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 Examples which they say we want of the Baptisme of Infants 1. I answere first we walke by Rule rather then President the Rule hath been examined 2. Examples are often very rare where the rule is unquestionable and undeniable we have no Example of any triall of the suspect wise by the water of jealousie For womens right to the Lords Supper we have no particular institution no particular President more then for this of Infants Baptisme 3. We have Examples not to be contemned of the Baptisme of whole housholds and whether Infants were there or no as it is not certaine though probable so it is not materiall The President is an Houshold he that followes the President must baptize housholds It appeares not that any wife was there yet he that followes the President in baptizing of housholds must baptize wives and so I may say servants if they be of the houshold Objections are yet brought from humane authoritie Object which I have reserved to the last as accounting them the least And if this dispute might this way be determined that plurality of votes might carry it the adversaries know how it would fare with them in it Origen is vouched calling it a ceremonie or tradition of the Church Hom. 8. in Levit. in Epist ad Rom. lib. 5. Gregorie also in decret distinct de conse One of those traditions which the Apostle charged the Thessalonians to keep Answ 2 Thess 2.15 which I speake not by guesse but we have it in the same Epistle cap. 6. from his own mouth The Church saith he received Baptisme of Infants from the Apostles The greatest points of Faith as is well known are ordinarily called by the name of traditions by the Antients Traditions being onely such things that are delivered from one to another they are as well written as unwritten And we have cause willingly to embrace this testimonie Origen lived 226. yeares after Christ in the beginning of the third Century Alsted Chronol he cals it a tradition of the Church it was therefore delivered over to the Church in his time and of antient use before him Austin cals it a custome of the Church de Baptis contra Donat. lib. 4. cap. 23. And so doe I also call it Answ and the observing of the first day of the weeke the imposition of hands on Church-officers the giving of the Lords Supper to men of growth is a custome of the Church likewise Erasmus saith they are not to be condemned that doubt whether the Baptisme of Infants were ordained by the Apostles Lib. 4. de ratione Concio His words evidently imply that it was their errour Answ and it seemes his thoughts were other of those who openly did oppose it and refuse it Papists openly professe that the Baptisme of Infants is grounded upon tradition and not upon Scripture for which Eckius and Bellarmine are brought in This they doe not really and cordially but for their owne advantage Answ to make good unwritten traditions against Protestant adversaries They know that we maintaine Baptisme of Infants and disclaime these traditions and if Baptisme of infants doe appeare to be one then they have us building what we have destroyed Bellar. indeed in his book de Verbo Dei standing for unwritten traditions as a part of the Word of God will have Baptisme of infants to be one but when he disputes for Baptisme of Infants against Anabaptists then he can heape up texts of Scripture de sacra Baptis cap. 8. So also cap. 9. in the entrance of it Satis apertè colligitur ex Scripturis the Baptisme of Infants is evidently enough gathered from Scriptures The like fetch of his I could shew in other particulars It appeares to be forced on the people by authority of Councels out of the Councell of Milevitanum this Canon is urged It is also our will that those that will not that children be baptized that are new borne from their mothers wombe be excommunicate So in the Nicene Councell it was decreed that we should beleeve that there is one God Maker of all things visible and invisible Answ The greatest points of faith we know under Anathema's are decreed in Councels This Councell was in the fifth Century 200 yeares after Origen who stiles Baptisme of Infants as we have heard a tradition of the Church in his dayes And Austin who was not onely present but as is said President of that Councell returning answer to those that desire divine authority for the Baptisme of Infants for satisfaction first produceth that rule Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur That which the whole Church holds and was not ordained by any Councels but hath ever been held that is rightly beleeved to be by Apostolicall
they were to be excluded from Baptisme Accordingly when an housholder was baptized all the houshold were baptized Vers 33. He and all his Acts 16.15 ver 33. 1 Cor. 1.16 Object Will it be said that this promise in this latitude is there tendered onely to the Jewes To this I reply First Answ that then Iewes receiving Christ as these now did and were here encouraged still enjoy this birth-priviledge which being yeelded to them cannot be denied to the Gentiles receiving the faith without a singular schisme between Iew and Gentile They that murmured that their widowes were neglected Acts 6.1 would soone have murmured when their seed had been excluded And secondly I affirme that the Gentiles are equally there included with the Jewes in the promise as concerning the seed as the Copulative particle and fully evinceth it couples not one peece onely but the whole of the promise There is yet an objection that seemes to take with more colour Object That this promise had reference to the gift of the holy Ghost promised by Ioel the Prophet here by the Apostle ver 17. c. mentioned and the Apostle here speaking of the promise to his Converts and their children onely makes good what he had said that they should receive the holy Ghost and that by authoririe of the Prophet Ioel promises that their sonnes and their daughters shall prophecie and this is that promise which is here tendered by the Apostle to them and their children I answer First Answ the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost in this visible way cannot be the promise here by St 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 That is a Baptisme proper to those primitive Saints Matt. 3.11 that Baptisme with the holy Ghost and with fire wherewith they were told that they should be baptized not many dayes after Acts 1.5 Secondly however 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 And the Evasion is too weake to say that children here are the same with sonnes and daughters mentioned from the Prophet Object and therefore to be meant of none but such that are of growth and capable of the gift of prophecy The Apostle urgeth the promise in the way as in the Scriptures it is delivered Answ 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 which people in Covenant have a promise also from him of the Spirit and this the Apostle holds out to draw them on to this seale of the Covenant to accept Baptisme on the same termes that Abraham did circumcision Secondly 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 sonnes and daughters when we have in the text young men old men servants and hand-maids Thirdly Children here are mentioned under a promise to the parents To you and your children is the promise made but not so in Ioel nor in the quotation of the Apostle That Scripture hath onely an Enumeration of the severall sorts and conditions of people in any nation on all which the Spirit is promised without any addresse made to the parents of those sonnes and daughters more then to the Masters of those servants and hand-maids not the sonnes and daughters of their flesh but the sonnes and daughters of the Nation a language usuall 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. For further confirmation Those whom Christ receives the Church may not refuse Matth. 19.4 Matth. 19.14 Mar. 10.14 Luk. 18.16 The Church consists of those that visibly appeare to be Christs But Christ admits children little children in their infancy such that he takes into his armes Suffer little children to come to me and forbid them not who dare be so rigid when Christ is thus candid The Kingdome of Heaven receives them the Church therefore may not exclude them The Church receives those whom glory receives There were daily added to the Church such as should be saved Acts 2.47 But the Kingdome of Heaven receives little children Of such is the Kingdome of Heaven Let none say that the Kingdome of Heaven is of such that is of those that are graced with such qualities Object that are humble and meeke as little children That may be elsewhere Christs way of instruction it cannot be here his argumentation First there is no manner of consequence in the argument thus pressed Let little ones in infancie come to me for though not they yet such as they others qualified like them in some select properties resembling them shall go to Heaven Secondly Upon the same ground Sheepe Doves Vine-branches might have been brought to him for such as resemble them in like select properties shall be received into the kingdom of Heaven And Christ might have drawne as apt a similitude from them Thirdly that which the Disciples took to be an impediment of force to hinder infants and a just ground of rebuke of those that brought them is that which Christ understands in this reproofe of the Disciples and admission of their infants But it was their want of growth their littlenesse which the Disciples took to be a just impediment and which occasioned their reproofe So that the particle such hath direct reference to the quantity as I may say not to the quality of these infants to their infant stature not to their meekeesse or humility And so it is referred elsewhere expressely by our Saviour himselfe Who so shall receive one such little child Mat. 18.5 The word is the same here and there it respects littlenesse therefore and not meekenesse The whole text may be thus fitly paraphrased Trouble not our Master with such as these say the Disciples there is no use of their comming they need not his cure and they are not capable
Baptisme No sooner doe we heare of a convert but we presently heare of his baptisme no Church-covenant intervening They have right to all the immunities of this house to all the priviledges of this city of God There is some time after baptisme in infancy before they have capacity to be hearers but as soone as they can heare to profit so soone they must be received not as strangers but as children not as Infidels but Christians They must be hearers and that with some good proficiency before they can be communicants But to deny a person entitled and qualified as before because not in Church-fellowship in a Congregationall way offering himselfe and desiring it is to debarre him of that right of which by the gracious dispensation of God he stands possessed He belongs to Christ he must therefore partake of that which is of Christ He is of the houshold he must therefore have of the foode of the houshold The stewards of the mysteries of God must be accountable in case they doe deny it To come to some practique observations 3. Consectary Holy conversation All possible engagements and obligations unto holinesse of conversation necessarily follow from this royall priviledge and high advancement of birth-holinesse We blame those of noble and generous birth that betake themselves to sordid and ignoble wayes Those thus degenerating are a blot to their families a disgrace and reproach to their race No birth equall in honour to that of Christians Theodesius worthily esteemed it a greater honour that he was a Christian then that he was an Emperour None degenerate so foulely and blame-worthily as they when their conversation is unchristian Wayes of sinne are for sinners of the Gentiles a way proper for Turkes and Pagans let the holy seed be holy their demeanour suited to their honour Sardanapalus the King may with lesse in-infamy spinne among women a worke farre below his throne then a Christian may sinne with heathen The Martyrs in the primitive times being moved to sweare by the fortune of Coesar thought that the answer was full and faire to say they were Christians Such answer should he have that would tempt to ungodlinesse Nebe 6.11 Should such a one as I flie saith Nehemiah his honour would not suffer him to be so base Should such a man as a Christian the least of whom is greater then Nehemiah's better be for sinne not a sinner by birth Mat. 11.11 be for sinne in his life Baptisme is the greatest honour Such beare Christs name and weare his livery Iamos 1.1 Iude 1.1 1 Pet. 1.1 1 Tim. 2.19 They have that title in which Iude Iames and other of the Apostles gloried A Servant of Iesus Christ Baptisme is the greatest engagement Let every one that nameth Christ depart from iniquity To talke of baptisme and live in sin is to weare the Colours of one and plot and fight for another to weare Christs colours and sight for Satan Baptisme renders a sinner up to the heaviest punishment Amos 3.2 The high favours shewed the Jewes made a Jew to fare worse in the wayes of sinne then an heathen Heb. 2.3 The high favours shewed to Christians make Christians to fare worse in sinfull wayes then heathens Let me preste it in the Apostles words though the providence of God keeps me out of his condition Ephes 4.1 1 Pet. 1.15 1 Thes 4.7 Ephes 2.19 Mat. 25.31 Rom. 1.2 Ephes 1.13 Heb 9.8 4. Consectary Holy education I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called All in a Christians calling bespeakes this holinesse Hee by whom he is called The worke to which he is called The company unto which he is joyned The Attendants by whom he is guarded The Rule wherby he is guided The Seale by which he is confirmed and the place whither he makes and tends all are holy 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 The Apostle calls upon parents to bring up their children in nurture and admonition of the Lord God may call on them thus to bring up his children In nature theirs in Covenant Gods Every Christian parent hath a child of God committed to his care and tuition How great a solecisme is it that parents should dedicate children so soone 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 lives but that they might be given to Moloch somewhat worse then the mongrell seed that spoke halfe in the language of Canaan and halfe of Ashdod Scarce a word can be heard out of their mouthes for to argue that they are Christians lisping out oathes as soone as words put to learne trades and little regard had that they may know Christ Iesus And how much is it to be desired that authority who I trust will make good that we have a Christian Nation would take order for more carefull catechisticall teaching of youth in the wayes of Christian Religion that God may not complaine of England is of Israel My people perish for want of knowledge Hosea 4. â— A people of God and a people ignorant to perdition and destruction England is highly honoured of God by this gracious call with Capernaum listed up to Heaven Enegland 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 till we take care that as we are lewes by nature so we may be Iewes in qualification so borne so bred that as our youth is descended so also they may be trained Those may see whom they oppose that stand in opposition of a people thus interested 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 5. Consectary The danger of persecution Psal 79 1 2 3. 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 fowles of the Heaven the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the earth The whole body of such a people stand in relation to God as the Inheritance the servants and Saints of God Such inscriptions we sind in St Pauls Epistles not one of the whole body is excluded but they are such by Covenant and such by calling Psal 127 3. Mat 18.5 Psal 137.9 Enough hath been said to make it to appeare that the denomination reaches even infants who are the Lords heritage and Christs name is upon them As it is accounted an happy work to dash the little ones of Babylon against the wall because of the hostlity of that Nation against God and his people So it