Apostles they were no infants and as for thos e scattered they were no infants for they went every where preaching the word which infants that cannot speak nor understand cannot possibly do Therefore no such infants in the Church at Jerusalem Obj. But questionless there were women scattered as well as men and then it must follow they preached also and then we have women preachers I answer Although the Ministers in out days would have neither women nor men a preach but themselves yet the Scripture telleth 1 Cor. 11.4 5. that in those days women did use to pray and prophesie and they did it with their heads covered and Philip had four daughters virgins and they did prophesie Act. 21.9 and the Lord saith he will pour out his spirit upon all flesh upon his servants and handmaids and they shall prophesie Act. 2.17 18. and they that do prophesie do speak to men to edification exhortation and comfort 1 Cor. 14.3 therefore women may preach or declare the mind of God to others to edification exhortation and comfort if they be indued with gifts and abilities provided they do not usurp authority over the men 1 Tim. 2.12 And thus is the objection answered Argument III. My third Argument is from 1 Cor. 1. where Paul saith in the second verse he wrote to them at Corinth which were Saints by calling with all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus c. and in ver 10. he exhorts and beseecheth them to speak all one thing ver 12. he saith that Every one of them did speak and one said I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas and I am of Christ But infants that cannot speak nor understand cannot call upon the name of the Lord Jesus as ver 2. nor speak all one thing as ver 10. for they cannot speak at all neither can they say for their parts who they are of whether of Paul Apollo or Cephas or Christ Therefore no infants that could not speak nor understand were members of the Church of Corinth its evident for every one that was a member there could speak and say they were of one of these Argument IV. My fourth Argument is from 1 Cor. 6.4 If then ye have judgements of things pertaining to this life set them to judge that are least esteemed in the Church That he meant them that are least esteemed for wisdom and judgement is plain in the 5. verse But infants of eight or ten days or weeks of age cannot either judge or speak in such cases Therefore I conclude there were none such members of the Church at Corinth Argument V. My fifth Argument is from 1 Cor. 10.16 17. compared with ch 11.28 29. which words are these The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ and the bread that we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread and Whosoever doth eat of this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body c. But infants that can neither speak nor understand cannot discern the Lords body from the world as it is sanctified and separated from it by faith and obedience neither can they discern his body broken nor his blood blood shed for them which is so lively represented and holden forth in this bread and cup to every discerning believer till he come ver 26. Therefore such infants are no visible Church-members or if Mr. Baxter or any will yet have it so then we must needs conclude with the Scripture 1 Cor. 11.29 that they eat and drink damnation to themselves not discerning the Lords body which would be absurd If any object and say that Infants must not nor do not eat of that bread and drink of that cup till they be of riper age Answ They discover abundance of ignorance like those 1 Tim. 7. which desired to be teachers of the Law and yet knew not what they said nor whereof they affirmed for if they be Church-members as Mr. Baxter and Mr. Cook say then they are to partake both of the bread and the cup for the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.16 17. that both the cup and the bread are the Communion of the body and also that the members of the body being many are all partakers of that one bread c. Therefore either little infants that can neither speak nor understand are no members or else if they be they eat and drink damnation to themselves not discerning the Lords body as aforesaid let Mr. Baxter Mr. Cook or any man alse avoid this absurdity if they can Argument VI. My fixth Argument is from 1 Cor. 10.17 compared with 1 Cor. 11.28 in these words for we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread c. whence I argue thus If all that are members of the body do partake of that bread and they that do partake of it must examine themselves and so eat then little infants that can neither speak nor understand are no members visible of Christs body the Church for they can neither examine themselves nor none else for them because they cannot speak nor make answer But all that are members of the body do partake of that one bread 1 Cor. 10.17 and all that do partake of it must examine themselves and so eat of that bread c. Therefore no such infants are visible members of Christs body which is the Church Object If any shall object that we may as well exclude women as children for the Text saith Let a man examine himself c. I Answer first it discovers but a wicked cavilling spirit for conscience telleth them that both men and women did partake of it because its the communion of the body as I have proved and that women are members of the body of Christ which is the Church Eph. 1.22 23. I think none fearing God dare deny but lest any should I shall prove it Gal. 3.27 for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ There is neither Jew nor Gentile bond nor free male nor female but ye are all one in Christ c. and we read when they believed Philips preaching they were baptized both men and women Act. 8.12 Again that women are members of the body is evident for Paul writing to the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11.4 5. Saith Every man that prayeth or prophesieth with his head covered dishonoureth his head but every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head and ver 11. he saith the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the
an empty law Third General I. That though in the 4 last books of Moses is an oft repetition of the Statutes and Judgements yet usually there is inserted in each of them some weighty distinction and not without great reason repeated which because of my necessity and brevity of time of writing with my other imployments I have omitted to observe leaving it to your selves to do as being the sole object of your study and rule of life to live by II. That as in the beginning God divided government committing some to Moses in the judicials and other to Aaron in the ceremonials 1. Moses government in the law is not destroyed Mat. 5.17 and cap. 23.2 2. Aarons Priesthood and with that his government ceaseth and in the place thereof Jesus Christ by the Fathers appointment is set up Heb. 7.11 12 15 16. 3. So that now as first there was Moses and Aaron so now there is to be to the end of the World Moses and Christ to rule and govern the World by 1. Moses in the World or State under the covenant of works also the servant of Jesus Christ ruling for him because he is not of the World 2. Christ in the Church among the Saints or believers under the new covenant of grace among whom the Lord himself is being one of them III. Those words Exod. 20.2 I am the Lord thy God cannot be said of nor applyed to any in that way as the words are delivered but to those 1. That have covenanted with God in the way of the law as the Israelites did 2. That are under the rule and goverment of the commands the Statutes and Judgements contained in that law Object That was spoken only of those God brought out of Egypt and concerns not us Resp As the Jews were under the bondage of Egypt and were restrained from Gods service and were then not in covenant with him nor had not his law to judge by so we have been under Antichrist in Babel and have been restrained from Gods service and were then not in covenant with the Lord as they were not nor is his law set up as a rule to judge by among us so that when God shall have brought us out of Babel and set up his laws and brought us into covenant with himself according to Moses it shall then be as binding to us that God brought us out of Babel as to them that he brought them out of Egypt Jer. 16.14.15 They shall no more say The Lord Liveth that brought them out of Egypt but out of the north countryes Jer. 23.7 8 9. Note Under the first covenant God was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 2.16 In the one God is as Abram to Hagar whose son she had by him was to be cast out under the Gospel-estate which was fulfilled in the casting out of unbelievers from the society of Saints they being not to inherit the promise that is Jesus Christ Gal. 4.30 which work was then done and shall be most certainly done againe in this age of ours In the other God is as Abraham to Sarah whose son Isaac being born of the free-woman signifieth the state of the Church under the Gospel under the name of Jerusalem from above which are a society of believers joyned to the Lord Jesus in the fellowship of the Gospel in whom the better promises are conferred and made over to the Saints born after the Spirit Gal. 4.30 Conclusion The covenant of works was after the covenant made with Abraham of grace but being renewed in Christ it is called new and the new old Gal. 3.17 The now first covenant though it hath not the best yet it hath many excellent promises necessary for the life annexed to it which we wanting bodily are reduced to great necessities and the breaking thereof brought ruine and desolation suddainly to the Jews And though at this time it be not in esteem among men yet the prophesie of Isaiah 42.19 21. incourageth me that after Gods servant comes who the blind world accounts blind though God saith he is his servant and perfect and which the Scripture before clearly shews was to come after the grand Apostacy of Antichrist I say after he comes the Lord will magnifie the law make it great though all the world have endeavoured to make nothing of it or of no use at all a long time when they shall againe judge by it and punish by it and rule by it c. yea and more the Lord will make it honourable also they shall never set up traditions in the place thereof again O Parliament This God will do but whether God will do this by you or not and honour you herein or not I do not know you see it is my desire if it be his will ye are witnesses and God also that the work may be yours who have dore much of the work of the Lord in the Nation that the Honour here and reward thereof hereafter may be yours and let me speak freely to you thus that if you will not do it God in few yeers will not want them that will do it upon whom and whose posterity the blessigs of God and the Nation will fall in great abundance who did that in their generation for them was never done it being then and never untill then fulfilled that of Paul Rom. 10.19 I will provoke you to jealousie by them that are not a people that is some heathens which none never yet did do should as the Jews nationally covenant with God in the covenant of Moses with which the Jews as awaked begin to thinke that people Jacob-like steal away or God gives away his birthright from him the not doing whereof delayes their call Now what Nation in all the world is like to do this as England O that it might be offered them who would not refuse it The fourth General That to the Elders Heads and Judges were other inferior subordinate officers to serve in the same rule who have their authority from the Scriptures and from God as the rest Josh 23.2 Deut. 16.18 Command the First Exod. 20.3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me Statutes DEut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. Chap. 10.20 Fear the Lord thy God him shalt thou serve and to him shalt thou cleave Exod. 34.12 Take heed to thy self that thou make no covenant with the inhabitants Verse 15. Lest thou and they go awhoring after their gods and one call thee and thou eat of their sacrifice Deut. 11.6 Take beed to your selves that your hearts be not deceived to turn aside to serve other Gods and worship them Deut. 8.19 If thou forget the Lord thy God and walk after other Gods and serve and worship them c. Deut. Thou shalt not go after other gods the gods of the people round about you Exod. 23.24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods nor serve them nor do after their
be judged for For Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth the Law for sin is the transgression of the the Law Joh. 3.4 and where there is no Law there is no transgression saith Paul Rom. 4.15 but in such little babes there is no Law therefore there can be no transgression imputed And indeed I much wonder that men should be so wicked as to think that God who is so merciful as to forgive the worst of sinners their sins and transgressions should yet cast poor babes into hell and everlasting torments for Adams sin Obj. But hath God one way to save Men and Women and another way to save little Children Answ Yea or else Children must never be saved as I shall shew thus for the Scripture saith Rom. 5.18 that as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all to justification of life And if none but men and women that can hear understand and beleive the Gospell may partake of the benefits of Christs death to life and salvation then no Infants that are capable of receiving faith which cometh by hearing the word preached could have any salvation by him But that some Infants as saved by him all will grant Therefore I conclude First concerning Infants that fell in Adam without any actuall sin or knowledge of Adams transgression even so they dying in their infancy before they know good or evill they are saved by vertue of Christs death without any actuall faith or knowledge of Christs obedience or else it is not even so as Rom. 5.18 saith Secondly concerning Men and Women that have lived to commit actuall sins against conscience and knowledge of such God requireth actuall faith in Christ and actuall obedience to Christ without which they have no promise of salvation by Christ And thus its plain according to Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one viz. Adam Judgement came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one viz. Jesus Christ the free gift came upon all to justification of life Again that God hath one way to bring Men and Women to life and salvation and another way to bring little baces to it is evident thus We find the Lord speaking words to Men and Women that are to be understood and observed by them that have Ears to hear and Hearts to understand and therefore we find the holy Ghost crying out so oft in the Scriptures to them that have Ears to hear that they should hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches see Rev. 2.7 ver 11. ver 17. ver 29. chap. 3.6 ver 13. and 22. with many more places to that purpose but we never find him calling to little babes in the flesh to hear and obey Commandments and beleive pomises Again we find the Scripture pronouncing life and Salvation to all those that beleive in Christ and obey his voice Joh. 3.15 16. with Heb. 5.9 but we never read that litte Children are promised it upon these terms Again the Scripture threatneth death and damnation to those that know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.7 8 6. But little babes of 8 daies weeks or months old cannot know God nor yet obey the Gospell of Christ for they know not their right hand from their left and yet we find them not threatned with this punishment and if it were but this it were enough to satisfy all rationall men fearing God that God hath one way to bring Men and Women to life and salvation and another way to bring little babes to it that is to say he requireth faith in Christ and obedience to Christ as necessary to salvation to those of ripe years but in Infants he requireth none let any man prove it by Scripture if he can Lastly Gods ordinary means by which he bringeth Men and Women to life and salvation is by the preaching of the Gospell which is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleiveth Rom. 1.16 and it pleaseth God by the foolishness of preaching to save them which believe 1 Cor. 1.21 for with the heart man beleiveth unto righteousness but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Rom. 10.10 But little babes that can neither speak nor understand cannot beleive with the heart unto righteousness nor confess with the mouth unto salvation for they cannot speak at all therefore they are not saved by that ordinary means that Men and Women are saved by And thus is their great and invincible objection or rather cavill answered clearly and plainly by the Scriptures of truth And the truth is they may as well debar little babes from food because the Scripture saith He that will not worke let him not eat as to debar them of salvation because they are not Church-members for it is as easie for babes to worke and get their own bread as to perform the work of a Church-member Therefore he that gives them food without labour in their non-age will also give them salvation without observing of Church-ordinances for the Scripture speaketh to Men and Women that have Ears to hear and not to babes in their nonage Thus having taken away the chief ground upon which Mr. Cook and Mr. Baxter build I shall now proceed to shew the rottenness of their building by the following Arguments by which I come to shew that such infants as they baptize cannot be Church-members neither can Church-membership do them any good but rather the contrary Argument I. My first Argument is from Joh. 15.2 in these words Christ faith I am the Vine and my father is the husbandman every branch in me that beareth not fruit be taketh away c. What the fruit is is expressed in the seventh and eighth verses If ye abide in me and my words or Commandments abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you herein is my Father glorified that you bring forth much fruit From whence I Argue If every branch in Christ must bring forth fruit and the fruit be to abide in his words that God may be glorified then infants that cannot speak nor understand cannot bring forth such fruit Therefore they are not branches in him nor members of him or if they be then they must be cut off and cast into the fire because they bear no fruit which is absurd Argument II. My second Argument is from Act. 8.1.4 where we read that the Church at Jerusalem were all scattered abroad except the Apostles and they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word Whence I argue thus If all the Church were scattered abroad except the Apostles and those that were scattered did go up and down preaching the Word then there were no infants that could not speak nor understand in the Church at Jerusalem for as for the
Separates and Anabaptists you say are your enemies therefore you cannot in conscience expect any from them because you war not for them but against them All you can have from that Scripture is that you should have charges of them you fight for and if they judge the quarrel good that you have in hand it s but reason they should maintain you in it but it must be freely or else if you force them you fight not for them but against them and make them your enemies and lose your priviledges Again You will say Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not the fruit thereof Answ It is true but you never planted the Vineyard of the Separates and Anabaptists as you call them therefore you may not eat of the fruit of their labours except you buy it or take it from them wickedly by force nay you say we are not the Lords Vineyard but rather an accursed people like the ground that brings forth thornes and thistles therefore you cannot possibly expect any fruit of us for men cannot gather grapes of thornes nor figs of thistles Again you will say Who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk thereof Answ Truth but you do not feed the flocks of the separated people and Anabaptists nay you will and do say they are not the flock of Christ but Wolves and Tygers therefore if there be milk to be had amongst them you have no right to it because you feed them not neither can you in the second place expect any from them because you deny them to be a flock Lastly You will say We must not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn I answer It is not true but what is that to the other beasts that tread out no corn but rather destroyeth it and will not suffer it to grow till the Harvest but will pull up Wheat and Tares together contrary to the command of the Lord of the Harvest Mat. 13.28 29 30. and this is one reason of our dissenting or departing from all those Churches whose Ministers do thus covet after the wages of unrighteousness whose Priests teach for hire and whose Prophets divine for money and yet are so impudent as to lean upon the Lord and to say Is not the Lord amongst us and no evil can come upon us 2 Pet. 2.14 15. with Micah 3.11 The second reason is their pride because they plead humane learning to be the glory of their Ministry as appeareth by their slighting of all those that have not served an apprentiship at Cambridge or Oxford calling themselves Orthodox Divines and the other illiterate mechanick men and sometimes when you are so put to it that you have nothing to say for your selves then you will confess that learning is but the hand-maid and grace is the Mistress But I pray what part of Scripture do you finde this saying written in or is not rather one of your cunningly devised fables which Peter saith he never followed 2 Pet. 1.16 But doth any wise Christian think that grace being in the heart of a man or woman cannot do her own work without a maid or did any man ever read in the Scripture that humane learning was graces hand-maid if there be such a place let us see it but if there be not for shame leave this idle fantastical reasoning and know that it is but to set up self and flesh and the Devil in mens hearts for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.15 15. if they indure to the end Mat. 24.13 and Christs sheep are those that hear his voice and follow him and he give will them eternal life and none shall pluk them out of his band John 10.27 28. but he doth not say If they have humane learning or if they were educated at Cambridge or Oxford or at some University nay God is so far from taking delight in the words that mans wisdome teacheth that he saith he will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent 1 Cor. 1.19 and he chuseth not many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble but God hath chosen as James saith chap. 2.5 the poor in this world rich in Faith and heirs of the kingdome promised to them that love him and God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things and things that are dispised hath God chosen yea and things that are not to bring to nought things that are and this he doth that no flesh should glory in his presence See 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28 29. and yet you will glory in your humane leaning saying at least it is graces handmaid when the truth is if grace be truely in the heart of a man it is able to do its work without an handmaid for the Lord saith My grace is sufficient and his strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 and the Lord is so far from setting up learned men above unlearned that Christ saith Luke 10.21 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes even so O Father for so it seemed good in thy sight And it was alwaies Gods way or for the most part to chuse his Prophets out of unlearned men and honest labouring men that knew what it was to get their living by the sweat of their brows and not such as were brought up idly so that they cannot dig and are ashamed to beg and therefore prove unjust Stewards These are not fit to be Ministers of Christ because they must preach for hire or else they cannot live therefore they must please men and have mens persons in admiration because of advantage as Jude saith ver 16. or else men will give them little or no wages but the Lord chose other manner of persons as Moses a Sepherd Exod. 3.1 2. Elisha a plow-man as he was plowing 1 King 19.19 20. David a shepherd as he followed the Ews great with yong Psal 78.70 71. Amos an herds-man and one that gathered Sycomore The Lord took him as he followed the flock and said Go prophesie to my people Israel Amos 7.14 15. and Fishermen as they were about their honest callings and mending their nets like people that intended still to follow their callings them Christ called to follow him and to preach the Gospell he did not say to them as the learned Priests now a daies to honest tradesmen You must abide in your calling you must not preach but leave that to the learned Divines that have been brought up to it you must not presume to take such a work upon you c. but Christ was not of their minds as you may see Mat. 4.18 19 20 21 22. Likewise he chose ignorant and unlearned men as Peter and John yea and