faith of Abraham that is beleeve as hee did if they would pretend to the sonneship wee speake of so as in this 16. verse the opposition is onely betweene the faithfull under the Law the faithfull under the Gospel so as the law and faith are not opposed here simply but as circumcision was an adjunct or no adjunct to faith that is as true beleevers were either of the Iewes or Gentiles and so these words are not to be taken as the 14. vers If they vvhich are of the lavv be heires faith is made voide and the promise made of none effect Here you see one fatherhood Abraham is the father of all beleevers whether Iewes or Gentiles So in another consideration you have Sarah said to be the mother of all good obedient women who are called her children 1. Pet. 3.6 But besides this Abraham may be considered under the notion of another fatherhood of which the Iewes were apt enough to bragge namely a carnall generation that they had Abraham to their father as appeares by the reproofe that Iohn gave them Mat. 3.9 Thinke not to say vvithin your selves vvee have Abraham to our father Now in opposition to this fatherhood considered alone is that added verse 17. of 4. Rom. where the Apostle quoting the promise Gen. 17.5 I vvill make thee a father of many nations adds this before him vvhom hee beleeved even God vvho quickeneth the dead c. As if he should say Abraham is the father of us all not in respect of his carnall paternity but of his spirituall which is before God vvhom hee beleeved it is said to be before God because founded in faith by which wee are commended to God He adds also VVho quickneth the dead and calleth those things vvhich are not as though they vvere by which wee have all a patterne or glasse of our vocation by which is proposed a beginning or entry not into our first birth but into our hope of life to come to wit that when wee are called by God wee goe out of nothing as not having the least sparke or seede of good in us which may render us capable of the kingdome of God but on the contrary must dye to our selves that wee may be proper for Gods call whose call is so effectuall as a simple will of his or signe thereof produceth the greatest and highest existencies The like distinction of a double paternity sonneship to wit after the flesh and after the spirit that is by carnall generation by faith yee have Rom. 9.6.7.8 Not as though the vvord of God hath taken none effect for they are not all Israel vvhich are of Israel neither because they are the seede of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seede be called that is they vvhich are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed Where the Apostles intention is to make it appeare that notwithstanding the great defectiō of the Iewes yet the truth of the divine promise is not diminished For they are not all Israel sayes hee vvhich are of Israel because they are not the children of the promise but of the flesh and can pretend title onely to Israel their father by a carnall generation vers 7. Neither because they are the seede of Abraham are they children that is the like may be said also of Abraham It is not their carnall generation of which they are apt to boast that gives them a true notion of sonneship in respect of the spirituall promises made to Abraham for so onely by faith they gave the title of Abrahams seede as before But in Isaac shall thy seede be called this he explaines vers 8. that is they vvhich are the children of the flesh those are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seede The sence is That promise of God made to Abraham by which hee made so great a difference amongst his children that Ishmael laid aside and rejected onely the posterity of Isaac should be called his seed saying in Isaac shall thy seede be called teacheth us thus much that neither they all nor onely are to be reputed for the true seede of Abraham which according to the flesh are issued from Abraham but those which are the sonnes of the promise that is which are regenerated according to the spirit by faith according to that promise In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Here you have a distinction as it were of two Abrahams a begetting Abraham and a beleeving Abraham and also of two seedes the children of the flesh that is by carnall generation onely and the children of the promise This allegory hath its foundation in that which the Apostle saith Gal. 4.22.23 For it is vvritten Abraham had tvvo sonnes the one by a bond mayd the other by a free vvoman but hee vvho vvas of the bond-vvoman vvas borne after the flesh but he of the free vvoman vvas by promise where hee affirmes that Ishmael was borne according to the flesh but Isaac according to the spirit that is he onely by a naturall power of generation but Isaac not so much according to the flesh but miraculously as it were by the restoring of a generative vertue to Abraham for the making good of the promise Now saith hee those onely which according to that of which Isaac was a type are borne by promise those and those onely are counted for the seede Rom. 9.8 They vvhich are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seede According to which is that which is affirmed Gal. 3.7.9 Knovv yee therefore that they vvhich are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and vers 9. So then they vvhich be of faith are blessed vvith faithfull Abraham In the first of those verses out of the former reasonings he bids them conclude take it for granted that not those which are of workes which hold by that tenure but those which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Againe hee perstringeth the Iewes who gloried in their carnall generation that they were Abrahams sonnes according to the flesh the 9. verse is a reason of the 8. where hee sayes that the Scripture that is the spirit that writ the Scripture foreseeing that God vvould justify the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all nations be blessed that is either in thy seede which is Christ who onely is apprehended made ours by faith or as many of the antients expound this place and Calvine is of the same judgement In thee that is according to the imitation and after the similitude of thee hee being as Calvin sayes in this the patterne rule of us all and therefore is called our father as being the primitive patterne made by God and this
interpretation the words of the 9. verse seeme to imply So then they vvhich be of faith are blessed vvith faithfull Abraham which is an illation or inference of the foregoing reason in this verse the principall Emphasis lyes in the word faithfull where the former mentioned distinction is againe intimated there is a begetting Abraham and a beleeving Abraham it is with the beleeving Abraham the faithfull Abraham that all nations are blessed by being as hee was of faith the word blessing however diversly taken in the Scripture yet here it is taken as Calvin expounds it for our adoption into the inheritance of life eternall Having therefore at large opened those places which give light to this cōsideration made good out of the Scripture that double fatherhood of Abraham the one carnall by his begetting the other spirituall by his beleeving there remayneth nothing to add but this in a word that we can pretend nothing of sonneship to Abraham by the first tenure scil of begetting by which tenure the Iewes partooke of circumcision but by the other of beleeving that is after the example and imitation of Abraham who for that he so antiently and so eminently beleeved in God carryes the title of the father of all beleevers who do the like as Sarah his wife doth of the mother of good women and this faith not carnall generation is that that intitles us to Christian ordinances And to make this last which is the summe of all a little plainer I shall add this that by vertue of the parallel of circumcision that onely qualifies for ordināces that is derivable from parents to their children by generatiō for neither was Isaac circumcised because hee was borne after the spirit nor Ishmael debard from it because as a type he was borne after the flesh but both the one and the other had it by vertue of their naturall and carnall generation by which they were made of the houshold and family of Abraham Now wee pretending to be Abrahams children by faith not by carnall generation cannot pretend to ordinances by carnall generation as the others did And secondly forasmuch as by carnall generation wee our selves cānot derive faith which is that which qualifies for our ordinances therefore no fatherhood of ours can derive a right for ordinances unles wee understand such a fatherhood as Paul pretended to when hee calls Onesimus his son saying Hee had begotten him in his bonds Phile. 10. Or when he tells the Corinthians 1. Corinth 4.15 Though yee have ten thousand instructors in Christ yet have yee not many fathers for in Iesus Christ I have begotten you through the Gospel and so we may be the father as well of other mens children as of our owne Now then if we cannot pretend to be Abrahams children and so consequently to partake of ordinances by the way which the Iewes did which was carnall generation but by a way quite of another kind namely a way of personall beleeving And secondly if wee cannot pretend to a fatherhood to others in deriving by carnall generation the qualification of ordinances which is faith it must then of necessity remaine that the Iewes partaking of circumcision by vertue of having Abraham to their father and deriving that title to their posterity by the same way of carnall generation is no president or patterne to us of either being Abrahams children so qualified for baptisme in such a way or of our deriving to our posterity any such qualification either for that or any other ordinance by the like way of carnall generation And indeed in the Gospell notion we all are children and there is no father but Abraham for to gayne the title of father there must be either a generative power which remaynes onely in the spirit of whom as Christians wee are borne Not of flesh nor of blood nor the vvill of man Or there must be the eminency of an example or coppy and so wee use to say the first in every kind is the rule of the rest Now it hath pleased God to give this honour to Abraham who for the eminency and antientnes of his faith is styled by God and will carry that title to the worlds end of the father of us all Let us be content therefore to be children and glory in that and let Abraham injoy his priviledge or if wee will needs be fathers also let us imitate Paul and be vve vvorkers vvith God and labour in Iesus Christ to beget men through the Gospel CHAP. XII Wherein is handled the fourth Question proposed to answer the argument drawne from Circumcision to wit How farre the Iewes by vertue of their being the sonnes of Abraham could pretend to new Testament Ordinances wherein also besides severall others that much agitated place is opened considered of Acts 2.38.39 FOurth Question How farre the Iewes by vertue of their being the sonnes of Abraham could pretend to new Testament ordinances and if they by any such birthright could not then nor wee by any such birthright or carnall generation First we will shew how farre they might pretend Secondly where the stop lay and where they went equall with others They had this great honour advantage that the Gospel was first offered to them the Iewes were brought neerer God then others and therefore the advantage of the Ievv and circumcision vvas much every vvay because to them vvere committed the oracles of God Rom. 3.1.2 And this kind of dispensation God pleased to continue in the promulgation of the Gospel therefore Christin his first mission charged the Apostles Not to goe into the vvay of the gentiles nor into any city of the Samaritanes which were as gentiles to them but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and preach the Gospel to them Matth. 10.5.6.7 This priority and advantage Paul mentions Rom. 2.10 Glory honour and peace to every man that vvorketh good to the Ievv first and also to the Gentile and after the ascension of Christ in Peters effectuall sermon which was crowned with the conversion of 3000 soules he keepes this method Acts 2.38.39 Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afarre of even as many as the Lord our God shall call In the way hee tooke to raise those which were cast downe hee bids them Repent and be baptized that was the thing to be done on their parts for their restoring and raising of which hee tells them the effects first the great and mayne one that they should receive remission of sinnes and as a consequence and earnest as it were of this proper for those first times they should also receive the gift of the holy Ghost that is whereas they were amazed and wondered to see this befall the Apostles why saith hee it is not to us
what hee doth and what he receives that that ordinance which ought to be administred but once and is of so great an use and influence may be received to his best advantage whilst in the interim hee is in the hands of God fit and exposed to receive the preservation of his spirituall being in the same way in which it was wrought and by those unalterable bonds of election conversion safe enough till he shal be capable of setting his seale and receiving Gods visibly to that which in a secret and unknowne way was wrought in him CHAP. IX In which entrance is made into the consideration of the great argument for Infant Baptisme drawne from the circumcision of Infants by way of answer whereunto five particulars are handled the first whereof is treated on in this Chapter namely what circumcision was to the Iewes and whether the qualification requisite to it was regeneration or the infusion of gratious habits HAving thus layd downe the state of Baptisme and cōsidered severall things about it sufficient for my owne satisfaction and clearely also design'd the right subject of that ordinance I come now in order to a more full discharge of my self to this controversy for a more generall satisfactiō to consider the particular reasons by which the patrons of Infant Baptisme would inforce it The first whereof which seemes to be a great one is that the seede of Abraham with whom and whose seede God was in covenant received ordinances and particularly circumcision by vertue of their birth and that wee being ingrafted into that stock have power to derive a capacity of ordinances to our children else the priviledges of Christians the New Testament would be lesse then those of the Iewes of the old Testament which is not to be imagined I take this to be the summe of that argument which seemes to carry the greatest weight to speake lowdest for Infant Baptisme of any other Here divers things by way of answer are to be considered first what circumcision was to the Iewes whether the qualification required to it was regeneration or the infusion of gratious habits for if not then there will be found to be this great and essentiall difference namely the qualification of the subject Secondly what ever that should proove how far the ordinances of the old Testament should regulate determine by way of rule and institution those of the New if not then the parallel of circumcision is not fit to beare the weight of an institution Thirdly how we are ingrafted into Abrahams covenant and by what tittle wee are called Abrahams children for we are not to clayme the same things by different tenures Fourthly how far the Iewes by vertue of their being Abrahams seede could pretend to New Testament ordinances and if they by their birthright could not then neither can we by any such birthright or carnall generation Fifthly whether though Infant Baptisme should not be the priviledges of Christians their churches might justly be said to be as great or greater then the priviledges of the Iewes and their Churches and state For the first I must professe I am not Iew enough to understand the full drift of that ordinance and although men are bold in commenting and interpreting all types and ceremonies of the old covenant after their owne apprehensions yet it is safe to be sober and to advance no further then the Scripture guides This I am persuaded of that as they were formed particularly to that state of the Iewish church so they had meanes to understand them for their comfort edification to better advantage then we have but it would not be hard to tell you what some have thought and perhaps to as much purpose as those who are of a different opinion for this notion received that the parallel of circumcision must be the pillar of infant Baptisme hath I am afraid to much determined streightned the interpretation of that ordinance the places which speake concerning it Ambrose upon the 4. of the Rom. saith Circumcisio aliquid habet dignitatis sed signum est tantum quod signum ideo accipiebant filij Abraham ut scirentur ejus filij esse qui credens Deo hoc signum acciperet ut aemuli essent paternae fidei Circumcision hath something of dignity but it is a signe onely vvhich signe the children of Abraham did therefore receive that they might be knovvne to be his seede vvho beleeving in God received this signe that they might be emulators of their fathers faith Ierome upon the 3. of the Gal. saith Because Christ vvas to spring from the seede of Abraham and many ages vvere to passe from Abraham to Christ the vvise God least the seede of beloved Abraham should be mingled vvith other nations and should by degrees be joyned more familiarly distinguisht the flock of Israel by a certain marke or circumcision then for 40. yeares together in the vvildernesse none vvere circumcised because they vvere out of the daunger of such mixtures being alone but assoone as they vvere past the banks of Iordan circumcision prevented the error of mingling vvith others vvhereas it is vvritten that they vvere circumcised that second time by Ioshua it signifies that circumcision ceased in the vvildernesse vvhich vvas rationally used in Egypt The Apostle Rom. 4. doth not call circumcision a seale of the covenant or promise but of the righteousnes of faith which sayes Origen upon this place vvas to seale shut up the righteousnes of faith vvhich in its time vvas to be revealed that is under the figure and types of that carnall circumcision was secretly signified and vayled the circumcision of the heart which is the true justification that Christ was to bring or as Chrysostome Theophilact and others it vvas called a seale of the righteousnes of faith because it vvas given to Abraham as a seale and testimony of that righteousnes vvhich hee had acquired by faith Novv this seemes to be the priviledge of Abraham alone not to be transferd to others as if circumcision in vvhom ever it vvas vvere a testimony of divine righteousnes for as it vvas the priviledge of Abraham that hee should be the father of all the faithfull as vvell circumcised as uncircumcised and being already the father of all uncircumcised having faith in uncircumcision hee received first the signe of circumcision that hee might be the father of the circumcised novv because he had this priviledge in respect of the righteousnes vvhich he had acquired by faith therefore the signe of circumcision vvas to him a seale of the righteousnes of faith but to the rest of the Ievves it vvas a signe they vvere Abrahams seede but not a seale of the righteousnes of faith as all the Ievves also vvere not the fathers of many nations This appeares first because Paul joynes these two together he received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnes of faith that he might be the father of all that
gentiles which you despise and for their hardnes and distance not in place but in the knowledge of God are as stones of such can God raise children to Abraham for the ordinances I pretend to are not bottomed upon carnall generation or priviledges but thinges of another nature namely true holynes which is seene and manifested by the fruit it brings forth Bring forth therefore fruit meete for repentance The next place considerable to this purpose is that Iohn where hee shewes that this excellēt person the sonne of God that came to bring life light was rejected by the world and after by his owne not onely the vvorld vvhich hee had made and in which he had shewed great sufficient evidences of himself knevv him not by which the miserable blindnes of corrupt nature appeares they can doe nothing spirituall but by a light of another kind then theirs is to wit spirituall and divine But vvhen he came to his ovvne they received him not The people of the Iewes were his peculiar hee vvas in the vvorld but hee came to them that is first hee presented himself to them they received him not that is though he were offered and shewed they tooke him not to them which shewes a great deale of mallice joyned to blindnesse by which they resisted the holy Spirit offering to inlighten them by words and miracles But least Christ should suffer as a person generally neglected and slighted he tells you Christ came not in vayne there were those that received him and made much of him As many as received him for now the hedge was pulled up the partition wall brokē down those he magnifies wonderfully they had this povver that is this dignity this priviledge as in the margent given them to become the sonnes of God that is though they were strangers and afarre of naturally yet the honour of adoption was given them to be made be the sonnes of God If you aske now but what was this receiving or how came this about Hee tells you this was effected by faith by beleeving in his name But now whereas the fashion of this world in adopting children is to respect either the greatnes of their birth or the excellency of their parts or some glory of their actions he tells you nothing of all this mooved God but his meere grace and will which provoked him to doe this great good to the vyldest and unworthiest for sayes hee those vvere borne not of bloods The Iewes pretended the dignity of their race that they were the seede of Abraham because they drew their originall from Abraham by a series of many successions so they were more noble by their antiquity therefore he sayes bloods this blood saith he did them no good and by consequence the carnall generation from godly and just parents will doe no good simply considered to intitle us to become the sonnes of God or consequently to the ordināces which seale up that sonneship therefore they vvere borne not of bloods nor of the vvill of flesh nor of man that is no free-will no resolutions no morall indeavours though they should ingage never so much can effect this birth Nor the vvill of man no heroïcall workes no excellency or dignity can effect this adoption this title but onely God this proceeds onely from the will of God Iames 1.18 Of his ovvne vvill bégate he us by the vvord of truth which by the way should cause us to love God who finding nothing in us hath so freely loved us Here you see in the second place that in respect of adoption and sonneship to God of which baptisme is especially in the first place a seale the birth of bloods the descending of such parents whether Iewes or gentiles saving for the order of the offer as before doth no good but wee all in that matter lye open exposed to the free will and grace of God so as whē a Iew comes to baptisme he must come even as wee and bring other characters with them then of having Abraham to his father if hee will pretend to this or any new Testament ordinance The equality in this respect will appeare by that place also of Acts 10.34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons But in every nation hee that feareth him and vvorketh righteousnesse is accepted vvith him God seemed formerly to have bene a respecter of persons some men as some meates were borne cleane insomuch as circumcision other ordinances were their due as a birth-right those which were Iewes by nature were holy and those that were gentiles that is by birth were accounted sinners now this acception of persons was not a vice in God contrary to distributive justice because God was not obliged to dispense his ordinances as in any certain manner so nor to any certain men or to all in generall because no man had right to them or could merit them at his hands but hee is free as a rich man at a doale to give to whom he will or a King to his subjects so as the acceptance of persons in this sence was once just and according to the will and pleasure of God But now Peter was taught by God by the meanes of the vision hee had seene to admit men to ordinances upon other considerations then legall denominations of cleane or uncleane namely upon fearing of God and vvorking righteousnes and no other which is a thing not generated and conveighed by birth but by the new birth and the spirit of the living God Now this Peter expresses I perceive of a truth the word signifies to gather or collect by reasōs signes and conjectures as Calvin expounds it to wit the signes hee saw before viz. that of the vessell vers 11. Now then you see new qualifications to denominate a man accepted of God qualified for ordinances this in this covenant and way of worship was common to both without any difference for so you have it Acts 15.9 And put no difference betvveene us and them purifying their harts by faith the purity is not by birth as formerly Thus you see the Iewes come to Baptisme and be called the sonnes of God not by their pretention to Abraham for their father nor for the honour and advantage of their descent and blood And the Gentiles they were admitted without any consideration of persons or personall prerogatives in respect of their birth but upon their fearing God working righteousnes and having their hearts purified by faith therefore the old way advantage of birthright and in that respect of accepting of persons is ceased long agoe on both sides alike To conclude in a word all birth priviledge is by the title of Abrahams covenāt if therefore the naturall seede of Abraham could not at all pretend to new Testament ordinances a right by that title much lesse the adopted seede by any such way of naturall generation but if you speake of