circumcize all his male-servants whether born in his house or bought with money of any stranger though not of his seed as well as his natural seed Gen. 17. but these baptize no servant from that ground which they may as warrantably do as baptize any Infant Nor are the Anabaptists who deny the baptizing of Infants excusable upon the same account in pretending to derive divine authority to preach and baptize from the meer recital of that authority which was by Christ given personally to the eleven Apostles who both received and exercised the same long before the recital thereof in Matth. 28. from which no such authority can be derived to any because on that recital no authority at all was conferred by the eleven Apostles themselves there mentioned nor was their authority the more for it 's being there recited nor had it been the less if it had never been recited either there or any where else and therefore no such authority can be derived from that or any other Text. Besides these are very partial in that they assume such great and sublime authority to themselves from the meer recital of such authority given by Christ to his Apostles and not withall judge themselves also as well bound by the recital of that prohibition given also by Christ to the same Apostles viz. That they should not go out in the excercise of that Ministerial Function until they were indued with power from on high by the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them Luke 24.49 Act. 1.4.8 And therefore upon due consideration of the whole matter it will be found That these do assume to themselves from meer recitals more authority then that which Christ gave to the Apostles themselves and whereof the Scriptures are but bare recitals Some other there are who disowning all the former wayes of conveyance yet to keep on foot that divine authority and that reverence accommodation which usually they received thereby in the world would by another trick both cozen themselves and all others their own consciences only excepted by telling the people that this divine authority which hitherto they have mist of must needs be in them and that they by their free election and bountiful contribution may convey it on whom they will and on them if they please but this also will be found a meer shuffle and as vain as any of the former for we finde both by Scripture and reason That a true Ministry divinely authorised and impowered did and alwayes must precede beget and constitute a true Church divinely authorised and that no Church or people whatsoever who are not so begotten and indued with divine power and authority themselves can possibly convey any such divine authority on any other this is evidently seen a truth by all the empty vain and fruitless laying on of hands used as well in particular Churches as by others in their Ordination of Ministers in imitation of the Apostles laying on their hands whereby the manifest and powerful gifts of the Spirit as that of tongues and prophesie c. were conveyed Act. 19.6 This form is still retained generally throughout Christendome as well as amongst us but where 's the power that should follow here 's the shell but where 's the kernel Might not little children or Apes in imitation of these lay hands one upon one another to as good purpose and with as much success Nor want we many amongst us who would needs have this whole Nation governed meerly by the Lawes and Ordinances of the Jews recited in Scripture and by Scriptural precepts onely pretending its divine authority to be alike over us as the Lawes and Ordinances given by Moses were over the Jews but how by this our case would be better then now it is I cannot imagine unless our Lawyers could which is not likely and would against their own profit which is not to be hoped make more certain and undoubted Translations Commentaries and Expositions of Scripture then ever any of the most Orthodox Divines have hitherto done But these men as it seems deeming themselves Saints and to be divinely authorized from Scripture to make this Nation the Kingdome of Christ and to set up and enthronize themselves to rule and raign for Christ and in his stead do declare it now their duty to effect all this by force and power * In their Standard set up pag. 10. inviting all the upright in heart to follow and joyn with them in this the work of the Lord * I wish that all Christians besides such as do jump with them were not to be numbred among the Heathen upon whom they would execute vengeane if they had power in their hands to do it To execute vengeance upon he Heathen and punishment upon the people c. and for this take their warrant from Psal 50.5 Psal 94.15 Psalm 149.7 applying these and very many other Scriptures of like import now unto themselves which do properly belong to other times persons and not to be fulfilled until the times of restoration of the Jews and the personal coming of Christ to set up his Kingdome But these mistakes at least as I conceive do arise from their deeming as many others inconsiderately do that the coming of Christ and his Kingdome is to be meerly spiritual by his grace coming and ruling in mens hearts without his personal coming whereas the Scripture plainly sets forth his personal coming in power and great glory visible to all men Act. 1.11 Act. 3 20 21. Matth. 24.30 Luke 21.27 Esa 40.5 after which he will gather together his ancient and elect people the Jews out of all Countreys where they are dispersed Luke 21.28 Matth. 24.31 compared with Esa 11.12 c. after which he will set up his Kingdome Luke 21.30 31. Luke 19.11 12 13. which shall be upon the earth and at the end of this world when he will gather and destroy out of his Kingdome the earth all the wicked and them that work iniquity Matth. 13.39 40 41. Then and not till then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of ther father vers 23. and then Christ will be King over all the earth Zach. 14.9 which will not be until his personal coming on the earth as ver 4 5. do manifest And then will be fulfilled the promise to Abraham and his seed to inherit the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession Gen. 17.8 wherein whilest he lived he did but so journ and dwell as in a strange Countrey with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise Heb. 11.8 9. Act. 7.4 5. these all died in faith and expectation of that promise nevertheless to be performed to them afterward Hebr. 11.13 Then will the Kingdomes of this world become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ wherein he shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 11 15. having the Heathen for his inheritance and the utter parts of the earth for his posession Psal 28. And
to Gospel-times there is also a miraculous pouring out of the Spirit proper to the first age of the Church Quest How is miraculous pouring out of the Spirit proper to the first age of the Church when as Mr. Baxter himself affirms and proves by Irenaeus and others that it continued in the Church three or four hundred yeers at least after the Apostles And in pag. 31. he gives a reason why Christ would then thus convincingly send abroad such aboundance of the Spirit namely Because he had the old Law of Moses to repeal and that was well known by the Jews to be Gods own and men must not believe Gods Law ceased or abrogated without proof Quest Are there not yet many thousands of the Jews that adhere to the old Law of Moses and remain still in unbelief And was not the Gospel miraculously confirmed to the Gentiles who owned not Moses Law as well and as much and more then it was to the Jews And in page 32. 33. among many other reasons against any such miraculous use of the Spirit to continue in the Church he gives two R.B. 1. Because saith he we have the full use and benefit of the holy Ghost which was given then that seal that was then set to the Christian Doctrine and Scriptures stands there still Quest Is it to all the various and contradicting Doctrines and Scriptures in the world that this seal is set and stands there still or to some only and if but to some how may a man undoubtedly know to which of them that seal is set and to which not R.B. 2. Because Christ doth still continue his spirit to his Churches and every true member thereof but not the same use and therefore not to enable them to the same work as then Tongues are not for them that believe but for them that believe not saith Paul 1 Cor. 14. 22. that is to show the power of Christ and so convince them but now the Scripture is sealed by these there is not the same use or need of them Obj. It 's true the spirit was given and continued to true Churches and every Member thereof but not without manifestation for the manifestation of the Spirit was given to every one to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 as well as the Spirit it self for how else can any true Church or Member be known from false since all different sects and sorts of Christians pretend to have the Spirit yea and this learned Author with all his learned Oponents no doubt do conceive themselves to be true Members of the true Church so each of them to have the spirit notwithstanding the many great and vast differences between them in the most material and essential points of the Gospel which is inconsistent with their having the Spirit whose Office is to evince truth and to lead into all truth besides this Author himself in his Saints Rest Par. 2 pag. 206. asserts That he hath still known those that pretend to the strongest sense of spiritual Revelations to have proved the most wicked and deluded persons in the end And indeed where see we in any that manifest power which alwayes did and must accompany those that had this Spirit Joh. 7.37.38 Mar. 16.17.18.20 Joh. 14.12.16 Heb 2.4 Lu. 24 49. Act. 14.8 Joh. 16.7.8 but the use and need of this power is now denyed by this Author and by many other who yet retain the form of godliness even as Saint Paul long since foretold that such should be in these last days even then also injoined true Christians from all such to turn away 2 Tim. 3.1.5 Wherefore I conceive it would be very rash for any man to believe this Author while he alledgeth that the Scripture is sealed by the former powerful works of the Spirit untill some such powerful Works can be produced by him to evince the verity thereof and likewise in the same manner to evince and set forth undoubtedly which or what Scripture it is of all the many varius scriptures now extant in the world that is so sealed wherby it may certainly be known distinguished from all the rest for this also is absolutely necessary unless his meaning be that all Scripture whatsoever is so sealed And whereas he here tells us That the gift of Tongues was for them that believe not to convince them hence it will follow That as long as there are unbelievers in the world to be convinced so long the gifts of Tongues is necessary for that end And in Part 2. pag. 36 he gives another reason of the discontinuance of that Divine Evidence and powerfull convincement in telling us R. B. That miracles would loose their convincing force and be no miracles if they were common to all and in all ages Yet in Par. 3. pag. 242. 243. he tells us That it is certain from current testimony Church-Records That the gift of casting out devils making them confess themselves mastered by Christ did remain in the Church three or four hundred yeers at least after the Apostles And for this he there produceth many Authors and after saith No where could Satan keep his possession where the power of Christ did assault him And in his Saints Rest Part 2. pag. 232. he cites the words of some of those Authors telling us R. B. That Irenaeus affirmeth That in his time the working of miracles the raising of the dead the casting out of Devils healing of the sick by meer laying on of hands by prophesying were in force and that some that were so raised from death remained alive among them long after and that Cyprian and Turtul mentioned the ordinary casting out of devils and challenge the Heathen to come and see it Quest Since miracles as is confest were common not only in the first age in the Apostles time but for four hundred years at least after and yet lost not their convincing force nor ceased to be miracles why then might they not have continued in the ages since without losing their convincing force or ceasing to be miracles And if without any absurdity a man may affirm as no doubt but he may that for those 400. years after the Apostles these miraculous and powerfull gifts were useful and necessary then he may with as little absurdity affirm and maintain That they were since and are still useful and necessary even for the very same ends and porposes for Miracles or Tongues as was said by this Author are not for them that believe but for them that believe not and are there not still Heathens Infidels Jews Turks Pagans Sorcerers Witches Conjurors Idolators in abundance of all sorts many spiritual Wickednesses in High Places now in the world as wel as then and infinite numbers of Mahometans now as were not then And are there not in the world a numberless number of all sorts and sects of Christians of various Opinions different interests and perswasions yet each pretend to have the Spirit and be in the Truth and
best then is the best still had almost made me think that he intended a perfect agreement with the truth which all along he had opposed but that I found him presently to falsifie that Text in Joh. 15 24. in like manner as he had done the same Text in many other places viz. In leaving out the Emphasis thereof even that which chiefly corroborated and upheld that truth which in his precedent assertion he seemingly maintained namely in omitting these words viz. Among them and that they did both see and hateâ— for the Text is If I had done among them c. that is in their presence that they might both see and hear the Miracles done by Christ as the Samaritans did those that were done by Philip Acts 8.6 they had not had sin but now have they beth seen and hated both me and my Father And with the like unfaithfulness doth he bring up the Rear in the words following by omitting to add to him by which it is made neither current nor found for if St. Paul were now living and had convincingly revealed the Gospel to many thousand men and not to me this though it bound them to believe yet it binds not me to whom it was never convincingly revealed but when ever it is convincingly revealed to me as well as to them then it binds me as well as them but not else These bawks are not comely in any man especially if in the least he pretends sincerity for as the sin of the Scribes and Pharisees there was much aggravated by their seeing and hating so is every mans else though not in the same degree that shall see this or any other Text flatly against his purpose and then to cite it so maimedly as to make it speak against the intention or genuine sense thereof as by this Author this is often cited whereby to make Christ whose words they were to bear false witness so much against himself and his truth this I conceive is no small offence nor is this any other then a friendly caution that when ever this Argument is again handled both Christ his truth and this Text may be better dealt with R. B. And whereas this Author here tells us from current Testimony That the gift of casting out Devils and making them confess themselves mastered by Christ did remain in the Church for three or four hundred yeers at least after the Apostles and that Satan could no where â—eep his possession where this power of Christ did assault him Now then let it be considered Quest. 1. Whether there be not many Pagan Nations whereof Satan hath full possession and wherein he is worshipped by the Inhabitants as God 2. Whether he hath not in all Nations places and persons some large possession at least in their hearts by envy pride covetousness or some other base affection and lust And shall any such man yet think that there is not now need or use of these powerful gifts of the Spirit to dispossess this powerful Prince that yet so ruleth in the world and hearts of men Or can he or any man else be so simple as to think that Satan ever was or yet is so weak or foolish as to be scared and cast out of any of all these his strong holds meerly by the various uncertain and contrary holy winds blown from Pulpits by artificial Divines any more then he ever was or will be cast out of any place or person by vertue of holy Water sprinkled by Fryars or Monks Wherefore for these and many other good causes it may be well deem'd That there was since the said four hundred yeers and is yet the same need of the said powerful gifts of the spirit as were formerly given by Christ to his Church notwithstanding all or any thing said by this learned Author to the contrary 5. Dan. Featly another Doctor in Divinity and famed for a great Schollar in his Dippers Dipt pag. 1. likewise plainly tells us That No Translation is simply authentical or the undoubted Word of God in the undoubted Word of God there can be no error but in Translations there may be and are errors The Bible translated therefore is not the undoubted Word of God but so far onely as it agreeth with the Original Now these passages coming forth by Authority as licenced Vertues if the learned Licencer know any and this Argument being approved as sound and good by other of the learned in my hearing I cannot chuse but query thus of my own understanding or of any mans else that hath charity and ability to inform me better Whether the very same Argument upon the very same grounds and reasons may not in like manner be enforc't against all Copies whatsoever in any Language whatsoever as well and as truly as against Translations thus viz. No Copy is simply authentical or the undoubted Word of God in the undoubted Word of God there can be no Error but in Copies there may be and are Errors The Bible copyed therefore is not the undoubted Word of God but so far onely as it agreeâ—h with the Original For although it be admitted by many that the original Pen-men of the Scripture were all inspired by God yet it may be and is by all denyed that the Copyers thereof were any more inspired then the Translators but that they might erre and have erred as well as Translators as before is manifest how else came there such diversities of Copies into the world as well as of Translations And whereas in the conclusion of the Argument is implyed That so far as either Translation or Copy can be proved to agree with the Original so far only it is to be accounted the Word of God Whence I query Whether it be possible for any to produce the undoubted several Originals of the several Books of the Bible or undoubtedly to know them if it were possible to produce them they being written by divers persons in divers places in diver ages in divâ—rs Languages and upon divers occasions And if none be able to do this I then query How it can be possible for any undoubtedly to prove any Book Chapter or Verse either of Translation or Copy to agree with the Original Besides seeing reason experience teach That time produceth such variations and changes in languages as that a word signifying one thing in one age may often hath another signisication put upon it by use and custom in another age whence else is it that some Hebrew and Greek words bears divers some six some seven and some contrary significations as one word to signifie both to bless and to curse in Job 2.9 And it cannot in reason be imagined but that some words may have quite lost their Original signification since the first writing of the Bible wherefore it would prove a very difficult work if not impossible for any to give to each passage and word its genuine sense and undoubted signification if it were possible as it is not
with the goodness of God to condemn those who erre where errour hath nothing of the will in it who therefore cannot repent of their errour because they believe it true who therefore cannot make compensation because they know not that they are tied to dereliction of it thus far the Doctor In the first sence Pharaoh with his Egyptian Magicians believed that the miracles which Moses did was by the finger of God to which belief or convincement they were not Volunteers but compelled by force of the said miracles wrought in their sighs yet they disobeying the message confirmed so by those miracles were destroyed notwithstand their so believing In this sence also it is said Joh 12 42 43. That many of the chief Rulers believed in Christ but did not confess him because of the Pharisees lest they should be turned out of the Synagogues because they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God Hereunto compare Joh. 16.7 8 9. where Christ sets forth the ends of his sending the spirit or power by which the Apostles others wrought such mighty works one whereof was to convince the world of sin where note the expression when he comes saies Christ he will convince the world of sin As if he had said That when or wheresoever this spirit and power which I will send you shall demonstate it self in the world to the sons and drughters of men it shall certainly procure the convincement of their understandings to believe the truth of the Gospel attested thereby And why of sin because they believe not that is obey not the Gospel in their wills and affections being convinced or believing of the truth thereof in their understandings For further justifying this Exposition take notice That that which in the former text is termed a belief is here in this later text termed a convincement and both having reference to the understanding And in like manner that which in the former text is termed a not confessing is in this later text termed a not believing and both having reference to the will and affections in respect of obedience so that in the Scripture-sence a man at one and the same time may be said to believe and not to believe that is to believe intellectually and not to believe obediencially whereby he becomes a self-condemner being found guilty even by the verdict of his own understanding and conscience This being that great condemnation which in Joh. 3.17 is set forth with an Emphasis on men for loving darkness rather then light which no man can reasonably be said to do unless he seeth the light for how can any man be said to love one thing rather then another which he never saw Adde to this 2 Thess 2.10 where St. Paul speaks of some that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved This they could not justly be blamed for unless they had apprehended it in their understandings to be a truth For whatsoever in my understanding I judge an untruth though the same in it self be a truth yet whiles I do judge it otherwise I neither can or ought to love it as a truth Hereunto also contributes the parable declared by Christ Mat. 22. Luke 14. of a King who at the marriage of his son made a great feast and bad many thereto and when all things were in readiness he sent for his guests who although all were unwilling to come yet not one of them said or could say That he did not know of the Kings invitation or that he did not believe the truth of the message or of the great preparation made for his bountiful entertainment and welcome none of all which was doubted by them nor did any of them say that between them and the Kings Palace was any gulf or sea mountain or rock exceeding their power to get over or that any one of them were either sick or lame or otherwise disabled to come but their meer wills and affections adhering to the things of this life was the onely impediment and all their excuse Object And for that which may be objected from John 12.37 Though Christ had done so many miracles before the Jews yet they believe not on him but said He cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils Answ It may be answered That though they believed not so as to love or obey him yet they believed as the chief Rulers afore-mentioned did being convinced in their understandings by the mighty works done by Christ among them for how else could their meer saying so amount to any sin much less to the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost wherewith they were charged by Christ if they had but spoken in the simplicity of their hearts and as in truth they apprehended believed for it is of none but such that Christ speaks in Joh. 15.24 where he sayes If I had not done among them the works which no other man did they had not had sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my father Where note 1. What the great works done among them produced namely their seeing convincement or believing intellectually 2. What the consequence of that their seeing was namely their hating both him and his father from whence sprang this their saying which aggrevated their sin which had had nobeginning or being unless they had seen and been convinced And therefore I conceive from the premisses may be safely concluded That none at years of discretion in whose sight and presence signes and miracles were wrought by Christ or his Apostles and Ministers to attest the truth and divine authority of their doctrine but they were so convinced as to believe the same to be true and of God or thus That all unbelievers seeing the great witness by signs and miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost which God gave to their doctrine were so convinced in their understandings as they could not but rationally conclude and believe the same to be true and of god Notwithstanding all that 's premised and all the late and great pretences of Reformation yet the pretence of divine right still remains and is challenged by many without divine power or manifestation for besides the Episcopal or rather Papal relicks of ordination that is still retained and upheld amongst us to be of divine right did not the Assembly of Divines so called consisting of Independents as well as of Presbiterians hold themselves and their Assembly to be divinely authorized from the meer recital of the Apostles and Elders assembling at Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 15. And as these still maintained their authority to be divine which was by holy Orders as they call it conferred upon them from the Bishops supposed divine authority lately exploded as Antichristian So these with the Separatists do still maintain the baptizing of Infants to be of divine right from the meer recital of the Covenant of Circumcision made with Abruham and his natural seed wherein Abraham was commanded to