Church amongst the Jews Now none will deny but that wil-worship or adding to Gods Word and his Service was as utterly unlawful amongst them as amongst us Christians Yet the most religious amongst them used that as their bounden duty and necessary to Gods service which hath no original expresly in the word of God For proof hereof we shall offer three things to the readers consideration 1. Repairing to Synagogues amongst the Jews was a necessary part of Gods service 2. The same was not grounded on any expresse of Scripture 3. But consequentially on several places prudentially joyned together For the first It plainly appeareth by Christs constant practice Luke 4. 16. And as his custome was he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day As sure as a seventh day return'd every week so certainly did our Saviour visit the synagogue It is also evident by the continual custome of all pious Jews Acts 15. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the synagogues every sabbath day To destroy these synagogues was accounted a wicked work witnesse Gods servants their passionate complaint Psal 74. 8. And again to erect them was an acceptible act alledged by the Pharisees as an argument to endeer the Centurion unto our Saviour Mat. 8. he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue Lastly it was esteemed a heavy punishment equivalent to our excommunication John 9. 2â— to be put out of the synagogue Yet repairing to synagogues or the erecting of them was not founded on any positive precept in Gods word Indeed the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple were of Divine institution where all males were commanded to present themselves thrice a year namely at the Passeover the feast of Trumpets and Tabernaclos But these synagogues which I may terme Chappels of ease to the mother-Temple no written law obliged men either to the founding or frequenting of them Yet that the same was grounded on rational deductions from Scripture may infallibly be evinced The text saith Exod. 20. Remember thou keep holy the sabbath day And reason dictated unto them First that peoples presence at publick service was a principal part of sanctifying the sabbath Secondly that it was impossible for them to repair to the Temple and return to their houses such their distance betwixt them Thirdly therefore it was necessary some room of receipt should be provided sequestred from common uses wherein people should meet together Lastly another text affirming That the Priests lips should preserve knowledge It was proper for them and the Levites dispersed in all Israel on the sabbath in the synagogue to read Moses to the people Thus we find the first foundation of synagagues not on the floating sands of humane fancy but firm rock of Gods Word Though not directly yet by consequence collected from the same In a word as chambers and houses were for mens personal family devotions every day or as oft as they pleased as the Temple was for the national service of the Jews thrice every year so Synagogues were interposed in the middle betwixt both for Towns and Cities to serve God on the Sabbath day the whole nation meeting thrice a year every City once a week as private persons every day and as oft as they pleased Suppose now that a Priest amongst the Jews should presse an obstinate Jew to repair to the Synagogue how might he have returned this answer according to the Principles of our Anti-pedo-baptists I will go up to the Temple thrice every year and there I will not appear empty-handed But I will not on the sabbath present my self in the Synagogue which meeting is not JURE DIVINO a meer civil institution groundless on Gods word shew me a place of Scripture injoyning my attendance in a Synagogue and I will become your convert Till which time I will not only my self refrain my appearance there but wil also account it wil-worship in all such as there assemble themselves I believe not one of our Adversaries in our present Controversie which are ingenuous but will condemn such a recusant amongst the Jews for refractory and obstinate Yea they will conceive him if persisting herein to deserve Church-censure for his schismatical singularity Yet give me leave with love grief and anger to say unto him as once Nathan to David thou art the man in denying Infants Baptism which though not in so many words expressed is by necessary consequence infallibly founded on Gods Word Now although I freely confesse no litteral precedent of Pedo-baptism in Scripture yet such an one therein is presented unto us which although it will not confute our opposites it will confirm us in our judgements and though it be not able Titus 1. 9. to convince the gainsayers yet it will strengthen us in the Truth When the principal is known of him self to be sufficient any security with him will be accepted and the following instance may be cast in as over-weight to such minds who already have their full measure of perswasion in this point Namely when it is said Acts 16. 15. Lydia was Baptized and her houshold And again Acts 16. 33. of the Jaylor was baptized he and all his straight way Also 1 Cor. 1. 16. I baptized also the houshold of Stephanas For the Jaylor That Children if he had any were comprised under the expression of all his is sufficiently known by Satans interpretation Job 1. 12. of Gods commission Behold all that he hath is in thy power and Gods consenting thereunto when permitting him by vertue thereof to destroy all Jobs children And whereas in the other two instances the baptizing of whole housholds are exprest we must rationally conceive that some infants were amongst them I must confesse I can tell the time when there were three housholds of young folk in the world and then but three housholds of young folk in the world namely the three sons of Noah and his daughters in law in the Ark and yet not one Infant betwixt them all But this was a rare and mystical accident Again to hold the ballance even I can tell the time when in a large Country every familâ— offered a first-born namely in Egypt Exod. 12. 3. There was not a house where there was not one dead Which S. Austin accounts miraculous God purposely making every family fruitful that it might yield a fit object for his own justice But to wave these instances of extraordinary dispensation take three houses together indifferently numerous such as those of Lydia the Jaylor and Stephanas must be presumed to be considering the garbe of that age wherein most of mens moveable wealth consisted in men and maid servants with the children begotten by them and it is utterly improbable but some infants will be amongst them For a great family is like unto an Orenge tree which at the same time hath buds and blossoms and knobs and green and half ripe and full ripe Orenges on it all together I mean
reductively Circumcised It follows by whom it was administred this generally was the master of the family Abraham Circumcised Isaac Gen. 21. 4. As for Zipporahs Circumcising her sons Exod 4. 25. in a case of extremity and her husbands indisposition it was an irregular act not to be drawn into precedent but to be recounted amongst those which when performed are valid but ought not to be performed Come we now to the time When eighth day Here I will not search with some for a secret sanctity in the Number of eight as consisting of seven the Embleme of Perfection with the Addition of one that is Intirenesse lest our Curiosity reap what Gods wisdom never sowed therein The plain reason is this Before the eighth day a child was not conceived to be consolidated flesh but till then in the bloud of the mother And for the same cause when a bullock sheep or goat was brought forth Levit. 22. 27. Then it shall be seven dayes under the dam and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Quest. What became of the souls of such infants who died before the eighth day and so wanted Circumcision Answ They wanted not Circumcision For want is the absence of that which ought to be had now there was no necessity of because no command for their Circumcision before that time God the Grand Law-giver though tying others is not tyed himself to his Law But can and no doubt did give spiritual grace to many infants chiefly if children of believing Parents dying in their non-age of their non-age before the eighth day and incapacity of the sign of Circumcision He who Rom. 4. 17. calleth things which are not as if they were can call children which are but are not circumcised as if they were circumcised And although properly amongst men they were not named till the eighth day Luke 2. 21. Yet such infants nameless on earth might Phil. 4. 3. have their names writte◠in the book of life An instance we have hereof plain and pregnant to such who read the place without prejudice in Davids child 2 Sam. 12. 18. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died That is seventh day à nativitate from the birth thereof as Tremelius expoundeth it the more probably because no mention is made of any name imposed upon it This child besides the natural stain of original corruption had also the personal blemish of adulterous extraction And yet how confident David was of the final happinesse thereof appears by this expression vers 22. I shall go to him but he shall not return to me Let none strangle the life of so comfortable a passage with too narrow an interpretation thereof as if nothing therein were imported more then that David should die as well as his child This had been but cold comfort unto him and would never have invited him to such cheerfulness of spirit so freely to have refreshed himself Whose joy was founded on the comfortable assurance of his childs final happinesse and that one day they should both meet in Heaven together It remaineth that we treat of the punishment on the refusers of Circumcision expressed in these words Gen. 17. 14. That soul shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my covenant A threatning capable of three several sences 1. Severe That is by the sword of Ecclesiastical censures They shall be cut off from the visible congregation they shall most justly as the blind man was injuriously John 9. 33. be cast out of the Synagogue not to be restored unto it without their solemn and sincere repentance Parallel to S. Pauls expression Gal. 5. 12. I would they were even cut off that trouble you Though both phrases by some Divines be expounded in a sence 2. Severer That is the Magistrate shall cut them off with the sword of Justice and as Capital offenders they shall be put to Death In this sence God had last used the same words Gen. 9. 11. neither shall all flesh be cut off any more that is their lives shall no more be taken away by an universal destruction 3. Severest That is they shall be cut off from the congregation of the righteous by a final perdition of soul and body in Hell-fire These three interpretations do not crosse but crown one another being no contradiction unto but a gradation one above another The Refuser of Circumcision first shall be cut off by excommunication that not causing his amendment shall be cut off by the Magistrate and the pain and shame of temporal death not reclaiming him he shall be cut off with Eternal Damnation Quest Here is a heavy punishment indeed But who is the person on whom it is to be inflicted It was the Disciples question to our Saviour John 9. 2. Who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind But here the question will be who shall be punished this child or his parents seeing betwixt both Circumcision is neglected Answ First negatively surely not the child for it is said He hath broken my Covenant The Covenant may be said to be broken on him but not by him being purely passive therein Were the child sensible of the benefit by the having dammage by the loosing thereof and might it but borrow a tongue of the standers by never was Rachel more impatient for children then this child would be importunate for Circumcision Give me Circumcision or else I dye Now positively that the Penalty fals not on the child but on the parent plainly appears by Gods proceedings Exod. 4. 24. When he sought to kill Moses and not his children for being uncircumcised However if a child left uncircumcised by his Parents neglect afterwards arrive at mans estate and pertinaciously persist in the contempt of Circumcision he equally entitleth himself to the fault and is also liable to the punishment in my text Quest Seeing so sharp and severe the penalty how came that suspension of Circumcision full forty years in the wilderness Josh 5. 7 to be connived at God not only not punishing but for ought appears in Scripture not so much as reproving the same Answ In the first place I cannot approve the answer of S. Hierom and others affirming that Circumcision was given to difference and distinguish the Jews from other Nations and seeing no Nations were near them during their travel in the desolate wildernesse Circumcision was therefore purposely omitted For beside that sundry people and particularly the Amalekites dwelt in the desart Circumcision was principally ordained not to be a badge of distinction but a Seal of the consecration of the Jews unto God More probable therefore it is that because the Jews during that fourty years were alwayes though not actually moving disposed to move at a minutes warning when ever they received orders from the removing of the Pillar God the Lawgiver dispensed with them to defer Circumcision till they were fixed
how it came thither God knowes If we cannot perceive the manner of sins poison no wonder if we cannot conceive the method of graces antidote in Infants souls Let us allow heaven to be as incomprehensibly miraculous in healing as hell hath been insensibly subtile in hurting the same And seeing God hath expressed thus much that Infants are called by him to be Covenanters let us with humility and modesty beleeve them to be enabled with a proportion of grace to discharge their covenant in relation though it transcend our capacity to clear all doubts and difficulties which may be multiplied about the manner thereof In further clearing this Objection know that besides such graces which wee are bound to beleeve in Infants hearts they have three things else which assist them in this Covenant 1. Their Parents faith tendring them to God 2. Gods goodnesse accepting the tender 3. Their own actuall performance of the Covenant if living to years of discretion First their Parents faith in tendering them Appliable to this purpose is that expression recorded by three of the Evangelists brought in a bed by four who finding no door in the side such the presse of people made one in the roof of the house and let him down by cords into the room where our Saviour was Jesus seeing their faith Matth. 9. 2. When Jesus saw their faith Mark 2. 5. And when hee saw their faith Luke 5. 20. Two things herein are considerable first that the faith of the bearers was a motive and inducement to our Saviour the more speedily with favour to reflect on this sick man Secondly that the words their faith are taken inclusively taking in a fift faith to the former four namely the faith of Him who lay sick on the Bed However here we see that the beheste of friends concurred to the expediting of his Cure and though let down but by four cords he was lifted up into Christs favour with a five-fold Cable of faith which cannot be broken Nearer is the Relation betwixt Parent and childe then friend and friend When therefore a pious Father Mother or best then when both shall with the armes of their faith offer an Infant who indeed is a part of themselves to God in Circumcision this must needs bee a main Motive through Gods mercy and no otherwise to induce Him graciously to behold the Present tendred unto Him Thus the faith of Abraham and Sarah advantageth Isaac into Gods love the faith of Isaac and Rebeccah recommended and preferred Jacob at his Circumcision into Gods favour Secondly at Circumcision the childes weaknesse to covenant is assisted by Gods acceptance thereof That is well spoken which is well taken How simple and slender soever a childs performance is at Circumcision how low and little soever his faith is God stoops such his gracious condescension to take it up He makes as I may say a long arm to reach a short one and so both meet together Lastly this strengtheneth the Covenant then made by the childe that afterwards if arriving at years of discretion he publikely ratifieth and confirmeth the same with his own actuall faith evidenced to others in his pious conversation Men used to say of Plato his Scholers That their Masters Precepts did freez in them till they were about fifty yeers old and then began to thaw in them till the day of their death meaning that the good counsels he gave them made no visible impression on the amendment of their manners till the heat of their youth was overpast and they come to their reduced age Circumcision may be said to freez in Infants as to any eminent outward effect thereof during their Minority the vigor and vertue thereof is dormant and seemingly dead in them but when come to the vse of Reason then it raiseth and rouzeth it self namely when the Party makes good the Covenant made by him before and then the strength of that Sacrament had a powerfull influence on their souls all the dayes of their lives And although there ought to be no iteration of outward Circumcision which done once is done for ever yet inwardly to circumcise their souls was the dayly task of all devout Jews and ought to be our constant imployment and a word or two briefly of the nature thereof CHAP. VI. Circumcision considered as a signe and what Mysteries were signified therein THe Principal Mysteries couched under Circumcision as a signe are reducible to seven particulars 1. That our carnall corruption may be spared 2. Cannot be cured 3. Must not be covered 4. Must be cut off 5. This cutting off must be timely 6. Must be totall 7. Will be painfull 1. May be spared Listen not to the suggestions of Satan perswading us that sinne by long custome is grown so essentiall to our souls as if our mindes should be maimed and faculties thereof be cripled should corruption be taken from us Wherefore laying aside saith James 1. 21. all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtiness not that we may still retain in our hearts so much wickednesse as shall fill them onely parting with that which runneth over but all naturall filthinesse is superfluity it may be spared 2. It cannot be curred What is capable of Cure must have some soundnesse though more sicknesse therein for Nature distressed but not wholly destroyed is the subject of Art which must have a sound bottom or foundation to work upon If therefore there were any thing good in our naturall corruption there were some hopes of amendment in the rest But what saith S. Paul Rom. 7. 18. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing It cannot be cured 3. It must not be covered The onely way to make God hide his face from our sins is for us to open and not to hide our sins from him 4. Must be cut off Dream not of curing a gangrean with a lenitive plaister Hophni and Phinehas are too incorrigible to be amended with a few fair words Say not to thy corruption as Eli to them 1 Sam. 2. 23. Why dost thou such things Nay my corruption it is no good report I hear of thee c. All this is uselesse no way but one cut it off 5. The cutting off must bee timely Abels sacrifice had 3. excellent qualities Of what was first fat and faithfull Our service of God ought to be early deferre it not above eight dayes that is do it as soon as it is do-able without danger Indeed the longer Circumcision is delayed the greater will be the pain thereof Witnesse the Shechemites circumcised in their full strength Gen. 24. 25. And disabled by the Arrears of their pain to defend themselves though three dayes after Too blame they who put off the circumcision of their hearts and on frivolous pretences deferre their Repentance We read of Thomas Bourchier Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that the Pope dispensed with him by reason of his state Avocations and other impediments to performe his prayers