making blessed There are many promises in Scripture made to Abraham and the seed of Abraham and there is much difference among interpreters to which of these promises this text refers The Reader if he please may consult Paraeus on the words and Junius in his parallels but to what text soever it is that these words do refer I am confident that the Apostle speaks not of any blessednesse received by covenant but a promise of making Nations blessed and this is not indeed to seeds as of many but to seed as of one which is Christ which I gather by comparing the words in hand with v. 8. of the same chapter and the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospel to Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed This is the promise that this Text holds out which is not a covenant for blessednesse but a promise to make blessed repeated againe verse 19. The Law was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made which is not Christ collectively or mystically but personally considered not entring covenant but as Mediatour of the covenant So that this text serves nothing for this purpose A learned Writer indeed sayes It is beyond my brain to conceive that God should immediately make a Covenant with us who were children of disobedience and of wrath who could not be capable of any such covenant and conditions That Christ hath a hand to bring us into covenant before was yeelded and how far he hath a hand further to carry on the covenant may be yet further considered but man is a party in covenant and as God may make promises and give good things to fallen man so he may enter covenant with him likewise CHAP. V. The outward and not the inward Covenant is a covenant properly so called WHereas there is an usual distinction almost in all that write or speak of the covenant of a double covenant between God and his people one external and the other internal one passing outwardly and the other inwardly kept and observed Or as Dr. Preston expresseth it a single and double covenant which I shall forbear to examine seeing I know there is a right meaning though I much doubt whether there be in the Reader a right understanding My second Proposition shall be that it is the external Covenant not the inward that exactly and properly is called by the name of a Covenant and to which priviledges of Ordinances and title to Sacraments are annext This Proposition occasioned by this received distinction is of three heads which in case the Reader please he may subdivide into three distinct Positions 1. The outward and not the inward Covenant is most exactly and properly called by the name of a Covenant which I thus make good 1. That covenant to which the definition of a covenant doth belong hath exactly and properly the nature of a covenant this none can deny The definition sets out the nature of the thing defined But the definition most actly belongs to the outward covenant not to the inward This is plain An agreement of parties on tearms and Propositions is the definition of a covenant Now the outward covenant is an agreement on tearmes and Propositions as I have abundantly declared in that covenant God engages himself to man for his happinesse and man engages to faith and obedience The inward covenant hath no tearmes or Propositions at all for man to make good upon account of his covenanting seeing the performance of the conditions of the Scripture-covenant is his very entrance into the inward covenant He that believes and repents keeps covenant nothing more is expected of God or promised by man But beleeving and repenting is the first closing with God in covenant according to them that speak of an inward covenant 2. A covenant to perform conditions is a covenant properly so called But the outward covenant not the inward is a covenant to perform conditions This is plain The conditions in the inward covenant are the covenant 3. That which confounds entrance into covenant and keeping of covenant is no covenant properly so called In a covenant properly so called these are distinct But the inward covenant confounds entrance into covenant and keeping of covenant and therefore in exact propriety of speech is no covenant 2. The outward and not the inward Covenant is most usually in Scripture called by the name of a Covenant which is plaine in that they that have no part or portion in the inward covenant are yet still spoken of in Scripture as people in covenant God calls all Israel his people and that upon covenant termes Deut. 29. 10 11 12 13. Al of those that thus covenanted with God were not in the inward covenant This people at their worst and the wrost among them are called the people of God as by those that were strangers to this covenant These are the people of the Lord say the men of Babylon and are gone forth out of his land Ezek. 36. 20. so also by the Lord himself Jer. 2. 32. Can a Bride forget her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number How often doth God own Israel as his people when he yet brands them as a rebellious revolting stiff-necked treacherous and adulterous people They that forsake the covenant of God that break covenant that deale falsely in it upon whom God brings a sword to avenge the quarrel of his covenant are in the outward not in the inward covenant But such there be among Gods covenant-people as he frequently complaines that break covenant c. These are not then in his inward but outward covenant The great objection is and all that carries colour against this Jer. 31. 32 33. where the Lord differencing the Old and New covenant saith This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel and the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband to them saith the Lord But this shall be my Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people That is alone the inward covenant and the elect regenerate are alone within it The inward covenant then is called in Scripture a covenant and is in exact propriety of speech a covenant For answer I shall have further occasion to speak to this Text. In this place I shall only put some Queries 1. Whether those that carry this Text to an unconditionate covenant and restrain it alone to that which they call the inward covenant do not make the covenant in the time of the Law and that in Gospel-times essentially
interpretation The people of the Jewes had the Original it self and spake the language in which Scripture was written yet the Priests lips were then to preserve knowledge and the people were to seek the law at his mouth Mal. 2 6. The cabinet was open to them as it is to us yet there needed a key for farther opening Those two Disciples with whom Christ had to deale with upon the way had the Scriptures either in the translation or Original as is evident from Christs own words reproving them for not beleeving all that the Prophets had written and yet a key of interpretation was needful and useful Christ opened unto them the Scriptures Luke 24. 32. If this Compassionate Samaritane were questioned as the Eunuch was by Philip understandest thou what thou readest he would not have given his answer How shall I understand without an Interpreter But would streight have answered Yes as well as any linguist in the world I have no need of your help for interpretation The cabinet is open spare your key This was one of the Arts that some Prelates made use of to keep up a reading Ministery to perswade that Scripture were so plaine distinctly read in our own tongue that they might be understood without any interpretation But the plainnesse and easinesse of a rule and the use of means for understanding of it stand together We maintaine a plainnesse in Scripture for the simple to understand but not sitting idle and lazy but searching the Scriptures and making use of those gifts of Christ which he shed forth from the right hand of the Father for the edifying of his body till we come into the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man That we might not henceforth be as children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse of those that lie in waite to deceive Ephes 4. 12 13. We may soone see their artifice that labour to beare them down Thus they know their cunning sleight may be carried in the dark and their impostures lie undiscovered Our compassionate man pretending to avoid a cheat acts the part of the most notable cheater The Prophet stood for that office of the Priests that their lips should preserve knowledge even when they had corrupted the covenant of Levi Whatsoever their way was yet this was their duty so must we for the Stewards of the mysteries of God It is their work to dispense them and the people are to seek at their mouthes for them But enough I hope hath been spoke for a Ministery for a knowing Ministery and objections against it fully satisfied CHAP. XXVIII An orderly way of admission of men into the Mininisterial function necessary AS men for the Ministery are to be trained up for the work So there must be an orderly way of admittance to it the way which Scripture traces out to us Self-consecration is alone beseeming the Priests of Jeroboam 2 Chron. 13 9 the lowest of the people that have neither inspiration nor education that have been taught of men not any thing that may conduce to the dividing of the Word aright but how to keep cattel Zach. 13. 5. or some answerable employment in its due place commendable but no introduction to the Ministerial honour These run and stay not for sending and going without commission they go without assistance and soon runne themselves into those bogges in which without special grace they are irrecoverably plunged they want home-reproofs the wounds of friends Zach. 13. 6. that they may no longer wear a rough garment to deceive When the Apostle layes down the greatest necessitie of preaching he puts the question How shall they preach unlesse they be sent Men that go upon this work must be able to make good their call The Ministery of the Gospel being of divine institution as well as the Priesthood of the Law there must be a call from God for the one as for the the other Heb. 5. 4. No man taketh this honour unto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron There is none that expect not a call from God in this work but have their brand in the Scripture Jerem. 14. 14. The Lord said unto me The Prophets prophesie lies in my name and I sent them not yet they say sword and famine shall not be in this land by sword and famine shall those Prophets be consumed Jerem. 27. 15. For I have not sent them saith the Lord yet they prophesie a lie in my name that I might drive you out and that ye might perish and the Prophets that prophesie unto you And as they runne on their own heads so they vent their own tenents and prophesie out of the deceit of their owne hearts Jerem. 23. 26. Those shall never finde comfort in the work that are not able to say with the Apostle Christ sent me to preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. 17. 1. The work is Gods the advancement and setting up of his Kingdome the ruine and demolition of the Kingdome of Satan Acts 26. 18. The whole of all that they do is of high concernment to him Each man will see to his own businesse and finde labourers for his own work God hath no lesse care Jesus Christ is no lesse mindful Harvest-Masters provide harvest-labourers The Master of this harvest provides labourers for his work and gives them commission Mat. 9 38. 2. All necessaries for the work inward outward are to be supplied from him They must have livelihood and provision from heaven they must receive instruction from heaven They must be taught of God that they may teach God must protect he must encourage and embolden he must command successe and give encrease They are agents in his hand and must be appointed by him it is no marvel if they that be not sent of him be left destitue of all 3. He is a God of Order and he will have Order observed and in no way is Order seene so comely as when all know their places and stations When in a great house or a mighty Army each man will do what work he pleases undertake what place of trust and command he pleases each Souldier in an army will be a Commander each servant in a family a Steward there must needs be high and great confusion The manifold absurdities that will unavoidably follow in case each man may thrust himself into this work and so drive on his own interests see in Master Hall his Pulpit guarded Argument 5. This power of putting men into this work equally concernes the whole Trinity Each one of the persons hath his hand in the separation of men for it Jesus Christ in a vision sent Paul upon this errand Acts 26. 18. see further 1 Cor. 1. 17. Eph. 4. 11. He is an Apostle by the will of God Col. 1. 1. which is understood of the Father God set in the Church first Apostles secondarily
as it can reach yet they shall never wipe it off That all out of Covenant with God being no Church-Members having no title to Church-Membership are in a perishing condition is a Scripture-Position above all exceptions In case they will subscribe as they do to the Popish Tenent that Infants in their first birth state are out of covenant and in no better condition than the children of Heathens except the hope of better education then they must agree in Infants condemnation 3. Antipaedobaptists hence finde a way to keep Infants from Baptisme Being out of Covenant they have no right to any seale of the Covenant These several interests make them all to joyne in one to conclude that the first was a Covenant carnal and raising the men in Covenant no higher than earthly expectations But if truth may be heard none of these interests will hold certain it is that those that were in the Old Covenant had better thoughts of it The Apostle speaking of the Patriarchs confession that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth makes his observation upon it They that say these things plainly declare that they seek a Countrey A stranger or pilgrim is a man not at his home but seeks a countrey Now this countrey must either be Earthly or Heavenly there is not a third which men could have in desire That it was not an earthly countrey that they sought he makes good in that they had opportunity of return they might have gone back to Ur of the Chaldees at pleasure Then it follows as he inferres that they sought a better countrey that is an Heavenly Heb. 11. 16. Men of this opinion have not only the Apostles authority against them but putting himself on in a Logical dispute with them his reasons likewise yea those that were most carnal and earthly-minded among them were taught to judge better of the Promises that they lived under Christ gives that testimony of the Jewes with whom he had contest that in the Scriptures they thought to have everlasting life John 5. 39. They had no Scriptures but Old Covenant-Scriptures and of them they had this opinion which was no errour of theirs corrected by Christ but were by him confirmed in it Christ justifies them in their opinion that in Scripture they thought to have everlasting life and rectifies them in the way of finding everlasting life in it A great part of the dispute is about those words of God to Abraham in which the foundation of the Covenant stands I will be thy God and the God of thy seed whether in them there be promises only of earth or of heaven likewise And this Christ himself determines in his answer to the Sadduces about the Resurrection where he applies that speech of God to Moses at the bush I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob for proof that Abraham Isaac and Jacob live for ever Mat. 22. 33. How injurious are they to the Covenant of God with his people that put such unworthy limits upon it Other people that were without Covenant had temporal mercies from God they were protected and provided for by him Leave thy fatherlesse children unto me and let thy widows trust in me saith the Lord to the people of Edom I will keep them alive Jer. 49. 11. The woman of Canaan thought it a priviledge for dogs to eat of the crumbs that fall from the childrens table for Gentiles who were without Covenant to partake of any little of the mercy that the people of God in Covenant did enjoy But if this glosse of the Covenant may stand the dogs crumbs are beyond all the childrens provision They will not leave their crumbs for all that is set on the childrens table It may seem a high speech of Luther after his manner that the Turkish Empire how great soever is but a crumb that the great Master of the family casts to the dogs yet this is above all that Israel had in Canaan if we look at no more than a temporal possession Ishmael the son of the bond-woman must be cast out not to be heire with the son of the free-woman Gen. 21. 10. he and his posterity must be cast out of Covenant and in Isaac the seed must be called But if there were no more in Isaacs grant than the possession of Canaan the son of the bond-woman had had the better of the bargain Ishmaelites in earthly possessions exceeded Israelites And Esau had not need to have complained so much of the losse of his birth right and his brothers supplantation of him if Jacob had gained no more than a possession for his posterity in Canaan having that blessing both promised and performed That his dwelling should be the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of Heaven from above Gen. 27. 39. he had small cause of envie of his brothers felicity How did the Saints of those times boast of God exult and triumph in him proclaiming his goodnesse That there was no Rock 〈◊〉 their God If their portion did reach with the men of this world only to this life none can be able to give a reason of such triumphant exultations And the Psalmist had never spoken of it as the worlds portion in case himself had looked for no better an inheritance Providence was indeed singularly eminent over that people yet considering their great afflictions which they still bore and heavy chastisements wherewith they were exercised if that special care of God had not had an influence upon eternity that blasphemous conclusion of the Oratour that a man might see how much the gods esteemed the Nation of the Iewes in that they were so often carried into captivity would hardly receive a satisfying refutation Certainly their sufferings were above any other Nation Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities if then they had their hope only in this life and were not chastened in the world that they might not be condemned with the world as the Apostle speaks of Christians so we might say of the Nation of the Jewes Of all Nations in the world they were the most miserable See Chamier lib. 5. de Baptism cap. 11. sect 11. Whitakers praelectiones de Sacramentis contra Bellar. pag. 125. Rivet in Gen. 17. Exercitat 87. CHAP. XXXV The Old Covenant was a pure Gospel-Covenant and not mixt 2ly OThers that rise not so high against the first covenant as to make it a covenant meerly carnal yet loth to yield to so much truth as to confesse it to be a covenant Evangelical have found out a middle way which yet they think may carry on their interests and say It is not a pure Gospel-covenant but mixt and therein differs from the second covenant which is wholly Evangelical In which they seem to go but one half of the way with their old friends the Jesuites from whom in this controversie
are under the same covenant as was Isaac to whom the promises were made If some of Abrahams children were left out that concerns not us so that we are taken in yet the instance is very weak to prove it As appeares saith he verse 19. concerning Ishmael and Heb. 11. 9. that Ishmael was himself in covenant though not established in covenant as God there and verse 21. promised concerning Isaac not his seed never received appeares not alone by the signe and seale which he received verse 23. which yet is sufficient for God to seale to a blanke is very strange to signe a covenant to a man never in covenant but also from Gal. 4. 30. What saith the Scripture Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the sonne of the free-woman A man cast out of covenant was before casting out in covenant Ejection supposes admission unlesse we will give way to our Authors dreame of Ejection by non-admission He was cast out after the time of the solemnity of his admission by circumcision as may be seen Gen 22. For that of Heb. 11. 9. it is a mystery what he will make of it unlesse he will conclude that because Abraham sojourned in the land of Promise that therefore none were in covenant that were not taken into that land so Moses and Aaron will be found out of covenant It is further said As for a visible Church-seed of Abraham that is neither his seed by nature nor by saving faith nor by excellency in whom the Nations of the Earth should be blessed to wit Christ I know none such in Scripture therefore some men have fancied such a kind of Church-seed as it is called I know not how saving faith comes in when a faith of profession will serve the turne The whole of Abrahams seed had circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith when many of their Parents had no more than a faith of profession Fourthly Were all these things yielded yet the Proposition as is said would not be made good from hence All these we see are made good against his exceptions Let us now see the strength which is reserved for the last push for overthrow of this Proposition The inference is not concerning title or right of infants to the initial seale as if the covenant or promise of it self did give that but the inference is concerning Abrahams duty that therefore he should be the more engaged to circumcise his posterity This should rather have been left to us for the strengthening of our proposition than have made use of it himself for refutation of it It was Abrahams duty to give them according to Gods command the initial Seale in this we are agreed whether it will thence follow that they had right and title to it or were without right let the Reader determine It is further said He was engaged to circumcise onely those that are males and not afore eight dayes and not onely those that were from himself but also all in his house whose children soever they were which apparently shewes that the giving Circumcision was not commensurate to the persons interest in the Covenant but was to be given to persons as well out of the Covenant as in If of Abrahams house and not to all that were in the Covenant to wit Females which doth clearly prove that right to the initiall Seale as it is called of circumcision did not belong to persons by vertue of the covenant but by force of the command If it could be proved that Abraham kept Idolaters in his house professedly worshipping a false god and gave circumcision to them in that faith and way of false worship it would prove that a man might have the seale and not be in covenant but it would not prove that he might be in covenant and be denied the Seale and then infant-Baptisme might be of easier proof Though they were not in covenant though they were not holy yet they might be baptized But I will not yield so much I do not believe that Abraham carried circumcision beyond the line of the covenant and that he had those in his house which were aliens from God seeing I finde that Testimony of the Lord concerning him Gen. 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him And that resolution of Joshua That if others would serve the gods that their fathers served that were on the other side the floud or the gods of the Amorites in whose land they dwell yet he and his house would serve the Lord Josh 24. 14 15. As it is a private mans duty to serve the Lord and not Idols so it is the Master of the Families duty to see that the Lord and not Idols be worshipped in his house As I do beleeve that if any of our adversaries had a profest Heathen in his Family he would not keep him there and not chatechize him and that he would not during his profession of Heathenisme baptize him So I beleeve concerning Abraham He catechized all that he took in as Heathens and did not circumcise them in their Heathenisme This some Paedobaptists as is said are forced to confesse when they grant the formal reason of the Jewes being circumcised was the command and the covenant he makes only a motive I wonder what need there is of an Argument to force such a confession The reason I say why Jewes were circumcised and Christians baptized is the command were there a thousand covenants and no institution of a signe or seale such a signe or seale there could have been no circumcision nor no Baptisme The command is the ground and the covenant is the directory to whom application si to be made We say all in covenant are entituled to the Seale for admission but we pre-suppose an institution They will have all Beleevers and all Disciples baptized which they cannot conclude upon their faith and knowledge barely but upon the command to baptize Beleevers and Disciples So that the command is with reference to the covenant with reference to interest in the covenant From these foregoing exceptions a conclusion is drawne that all this doth fully shew that the proof of the connexion between and the initial Seale without a particular command for it is without any weight in it And I conclude that it fully shewes that the proof of the connexion between the covenant and the initial Seale pre-supposing the institution of such a Seale and a general command is of that weight that all are meere frivolous trifles that are brought for exceptions against it Another Scripture holding out the connexion between the covenant and initial seale is Acts 2. 38 39. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes
That the time will come when a few words delivered with meeknesse of wisdome shall afford them more comfort than great volumes written with scornefulnesse and in the ferment of a sower and angry spirit for 't is an honour to any man to be a Slave to another mans reason and Master of his own passions vale Thine in the Lord Jesus Richard Vines Sam Fisher A Preface to the READER BEing by the good providence of God heretofore engaged in the vindication of several truths which were of concernment to his Church especially the Birth-priviledge and Covenant-holinesse of the issue of beleevers I was unwilling to be silent when a spirit of opposition prevailed lest the truth for which I had stood and make it may glory ever to own should suffer In a designe of this nature the greatest question with me was how to proceed to the best advantage of truth personal conflicts are highly wearisome and ungrateful there is much time spent with very little satisfaction to the Reader even where most satisfaction is given to an adversarie He must be followed in such paths that he goes which often are not very acceptable to the Reader to accompany And for the businesse in hand viz. the vindication of a beleevers faederall holynesse till the ground work be right laid and well understood the superstructure in any such dispute managed in the most dextrous way that is conceivable will scarce settle those that are weak and not yet well informed or established I judged it therefore a way most satisfactory and of greatest and most probable hopes for the clearing not only of this Controversie but many more now in agitation to adventure upon a full Treatise of the Covenant which God hath entered with man and the various dispensations and diversifications of it whether such as were occasioned by mans fall or that God according to his Sovereignty by his just Prerogative hath been pleased to order where this is not in some measure clear many truths of great weight must needs lie obscure Master Baxters words in his Preface to the Reader before his Aphorismes of Justification are very remarkable It is not in studies saith he as it is in manifactures that one man may begin where another left but every man must fetch it from the very principles himself neither can we take the words of those that have studied it before us for that is neither a sound nor satisfactory knowledge quoting Mr. Pemble thence it comes to passe that while we are busie in examining our fore fathers inventions and posterity imployed in trying our Examinations neither we nor they have much time to adde any thing for the encrease of learned knowledge Now the Covenant must needs be the principle where we must begin to get knowledg of the seals of the Covenant This way therefore resting on divine assistance I have chosen quickened to it as by the excellency and great concernment of the subject so also by the desires of many that this thing in a just Treatise might be handled And when my thoughts were most full of it and busiest about it and some preparations made for the work the Stationer by letter solicited that I would enlarge my Birth-priviledge and sit it to these present times and he would see it published Hereupon I went on in the work a Scheme of which follows here in an Analytical Table in which I have received help from many as my slender furniture and strength with leasure to attend the perusal of them would give leave yet I have tied my self to follow none I think there is scarce any thing in which I am singular I have so much childish fear as scarce to dare to wall in publick where I am alone yet in several things I shall be found to dissent from others and those of eminent name with whom I should blush to have any thoughts of comparison There are dissentings among those that are of highest repute In such case no inferior can agree with both parties and therefore it must not be deemed any piece of arrogance or singularity to leave the one where I am put to it to differ the Reader shall finde my reason together with my opinoin If better light lead him another way I shall never desire that he shall go with me blindfold or leave the truth to have me his companion yet least in leaving me he should let go the truth it self I shall only request an unprejudiced and unbyass'd judgement If he bring a blood-shot eye all will appear of a wrong colour It cannot be hoped but that wading through so many particulars I shall meet with opposition froÌ„ some hands I would only let such know first that I have made no man my adversary out of will as desirous to be a man of contentions I sometimes close with my greatest adversaries and sometimes dissent from my most honoured and admired friends I think I have as strong an antipathy against quarrels as Luthers against covetousness I only leave where that light that for present I enjoy leads me another way 2. That I have wrote nothing but that which as I beleeve so I resolve God assistiâ—g to hold till a more clear light detect my errour There are few things that have vented but many yeers have held my thoughts words or shews will not work me out of them 3. That I am not yet so wedded to an opinion but am ready to yeeld up my self to be over-ruled by reason He is the happiest man that lies under the conquest of truth 4. That no man shall displease me that will deal argumentatively with me either by the clear immediate testimony of Scripture or arguments by just consequence derived from them but in case I shall meet with such dealing as I have found to have my words by enterchange made not mine but the adversaries own my Arguments misrepresented and held out to the halves I shal give those leave to hold up and pursue quarrels with their own fancies My years and employments together with my weaknesses will be a sufficient Apology to hold me back from intermedling in such trifles And for the Reader that would read for satisfaction I would acquaint him First that I have made it my businesse to cast the whole mould and Series of the work that he may find method and order in it if at any time through inadvertency or otherwise he be at losse and especially if he take not the whole work before him as I should desire he may soone have recourse to the Analytical Table and see in what order that which in present his eye is upon stands in the whole discourse If he gaine no advantage by the method into which it is cast much paines and industry of mine is lost Scondly That I have made it my studie to leave out no piece or part which may be fairly looked for within this Verge but have endeavoured to take the whole into consideration studying to avoid two
extreams the one much prejudicial to the Reader in Treatises of this nature to give us a bare skeleton of bones and sinewes leaving their Readers to clothe them with skin and flesh These serve better to help their memories that are already seen in the subject then to help those with satisfaction that are not already verst in it Memoriae mater ingenii noverca I would learned Amesius in his Medulla Theologiae Cases of Conscience and other learned Works had not affecting brevity herein been defective Sure I am the Reader might well wish that learned Camero's work De triplici foedere had by his own hand been more inlarged that he had spoken more fully where his Reader may see cause justly to close with him and given in his Reasons especially in several differences which he assigns beteewn the Old which he calls the subservient Covenant and the Covenant of Grace where many suppose they have cause to dissent from him The other extream might be the Readers benefit but would have been my burthen and that is an enlarged full discourse on every particular Divinity-head that may occur in the handling of this Subject a way which reverend Master Ball intended I have heard it from those that received it from his own mouth that his purpose was to speak on this Subject of the Covenant all that he had to say in all the whole body of Divinity a work that the whole Church might wish had not Divine providence determined otherwise that he had enjoyed life to finish That which he hath left behinde gives us a taste of it and the advantage the Church might have received by it I have thought it enough to handle each particular so as might well answer expectation in reference to the present subject To speak of Christ as a Mediatour of the Covenant and to set forth the distinct parts of his work in such mediation without handling the whole of the work and all the Offices incident to his Mediatorship To speak of his death ratifying the Covenant of grace waving the controversie of the extent of it in the intention of God or purpose of Christ It is sufficient to me to assert Faith to be a condition of the Covenant necessary to be put in by us to attain the mercies in the Covenant to speak of it so far as is here concerned without a large Treatise of the nature requisites and life of it so I may say of godly sorrow cessation from sin sincerity of obedience and the like Thirdly Those particulars relating to this subject which are most controverted and in this age disputed I have spoke to more at large to instance in some The conditions of the Covenant of Grace as well to the an sint whether there be any such conditions at all which in our times by several hands out of several Principles is denyed Or the Quae sint what these conditions be laying down rules and helps for the better discovery of them The supposed differences between the old and new Whether such that offer injurie to the Covenant under which the Fathers lived under Moses his administration or before his dayes making it a meer carnal Covenant consisting of temporal promises as the possession of the Land of Canaan and protection there or at the least a mixt Covenant and no pure Gospel-Covenant and the seals suitable Or such that put too great a limit to the Covenant in Gospel-times vesting it onely in the elect regenerate excluding all professed ones not yet regenerate not onely from Covenant-mercies but all Covenant-terms not admitting any to stand in any relation to God but those only whom his Spirit hath changed making the call of God in the largest sense convertible with Election and the seal of Baptism to be of no greater latitude unlesse by mistake mis-applied than the seal of the Spirit and determining it in the persons of the elect about which the meer congregational men and the Antipoedobaptists agreeing in the former do differ that they excluding the seed and leaving them in the same condition hope of education excepted with the Heathens In these and some others as the Reader may meet withall I have been more large in such things where all agree or where it much skills not whether we agree or differ as in what place whether on earth or heaven man had enjoyed immortality in case he had not sinned what need we to administer matter of contention our work is to make up breaches were it possible so far as it may stand with truth and not to widen them Fourthly I have not so tied up my self to the expresse immediate doctrine of the covenant but that I have occasionally drawn Corollaries or Inferences leading to other things of neer relation to and necessary dependance upon this of the Covenant I shall not need to give instance the Reader all along will meet with them such as I thought would be useful and to the judicious not ungrateful some of them practical that the whole of the Book might not be found to be Polemical ayming at least at that which the Poet so cries up Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dâ—lci Fifthly For that part in which Infant-Baptisme and its grounds are particularly vindicated from Antipoedobaptists the Reader may see their arguments and corrupt glosses are examined onely as according to my method laid down I have been necessitated and so that the Covenant had not been vindicated according to my duty in case that had been neglected And here those that please to heed may see First the dependance that this Controversie about Infant-Baptisme hath on the doctrine of the Covenant that a Scripture Covenant cannot be asserted but Infant-Member-ship Infant-Baptisme in the latitude as now generally used by Pastors in their Congregations must be upheld Secondly the order in which this controversie is here carried may so much the rather invite the Reader to it seeing what is in opposite Authors laid down scatteringly without regard to any head of doctrine in the Covenant to which it doth relate here it is reduced to its proper place and carried on in that manner as an orderly Treatise and not a personal conflict following adversaries no farther than as they stand in the way to cloud the truth that is there prosecuted and though many advantages are hereby neglected that might have been taken which adversaries use to prosecute to the uttermost and these adversaries would to the height have improved yet I am very well pleased making it my businesse that my Reader may not be troubled but edified Thirdly the Scriptures that are produced and ordinarily agitated in this controversie of Infant-Baptism are not only urged but a just Analysis of the context opened the full scope and drift laid down so that it may appeare that the words are not enforced but of themselves in their native strength commend that doctrine to us that of Jerome Apol. adversus Jovinian much takes with me Commentatoris
with the Covenant page 267 Chap. 42. A man in Covenant with God and recieved into the universal Church visible needs no more to give him accesse to and interest in particular visible Churches page 270 Chap. 43. A dogmatical faith entitles to Baptisme page 289 Chap. 44. Impenitence and unbelief in professed Christians is a breach of Covenant page 294 Chap. 45. The question stated concerning the birth-priviledge of the issue of beleevers page 295 Chap. 46. Arguments concluding the natural issue of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to be taken into Covenant page 301 Chap. 47. Rom. Chap. 9. Verse 6 7 8 vindicated page 309 Chap. 48. The Covenant in New Testament times takes in parents with their children page 316 Chap. 49. Rom. 11. 16. vindicated page 323 Chap. 50. Arguments from a late hand for ingraffing into the Church invisible and breaking off from it answered page 330 Chap. 51. 1 Corinth 7. 14. vindicated page 349 Chap. 52. Galat. 4. 29. vindicated page 366 Chap. 53. Mat. 19. 14 Mark 10. 14. Luke 18. 16. vindicated page 393 Chap. 54. Reasons evincing the birth-priviledge and covenant-holinesse of Believers and their issue page 401 Chap. 55. A Corollary for Infant-Baptisme Infant-baptisme by arguments asserted page 410 Chap. 56. The reality of connexion between the Cavenant and initial seal asserted page 422 Chap. 57. The with-holding Infants of Christian parents from baptisme is the sin of Sacriledge page 437 Chap. 58. The children of all that are Christians in profession are by vertue of Covenant-interest to be recieved into the Church by baptisme page 448 Chap. 59. A defence of the former Doctrine respective to the latitude of Infant-Baptisme 468 page 458 Chap. 60. The application of the whole in several inferences page 478 A TREATISE OF THE Covenant OF WORKS AND OF THE Covenant OF GRACE CHAP. I. An Introduction into the whole I Shall not make it my businesse for an Introduction into this Work to enquire after the derivation of the word Etymologies are known to be no definitions The denomination being usually given from some adjuncts variable according to times places and not from any thing that is of the essence of that which is enquired after in which those are highest in Criticismes in giving their judgements of them can yet ordinarily go no higher then conjecture The common acception of the word in Scripture is that which will give the greatest light in finding out the nature of Scripture covenants which as most other words is variously used Sometimes is used Properly implying a covenant in deed and truth strictly so called and containing all the requisites of a Covenant in it Sometimes Tropically for that which contains some parts and adjuncts of a covenant and so carries some resemblance to and stands in some affinity with it This Tropical figurative and the native proper sense must be carefully distinguished and may by no meanes be confounded by those that will understand the true nature of a covenant and avoid those manifold mistakes into which some upon this a lone account have been carried The figurative acceptions of the word are diverse sometimes the homage required or duty covenanted for is called a covenant by way of Synechdoche seeing a covenant between a Superiour and Inferiour doth comprize it so Jerem. 34. 13. I made a Covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt which Covenant is no other then the Law that he gave them Exod. 21. 2. Sometimes the promise annext is called by the name of a covenant by a like Synechdoche Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Gen. 9. 11. Sometimes the Seal is called by the name of a Covenant by way of Metonymy of the adjunct serving to ratifie and confirme a covenant Gen. 17. 10. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-childe among you shall be circumcised Sometimes Christ the Mediatour of the covenant is called by a like figure the covenant Isa 42. 6 7. I will give thee for a covenant of the people and light unto the Gentiles Sometimes the Lord Christs undertaking to work the graces covenanted for in the hearts of his people in the way of his power exerted in the conversion of sinners is called by the name of a covenant Jerem. 31. 33. This is the covenant that I will make with the whole house of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts of which more in its own place Sometimes a covenant is taken for that peace which usually followes upon covenants Job 5. 23. Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Hos 2. 18. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bowe and the sword and the battel out of the earth and will make them to lie down safely When yet neither a Law nor a Promise nor Seal annext nor yet the Mediatour or any undertaking of his can be a covenant properly so called A Law from God with a Promise annext assented to by man is a covenant and when a Seal is added there is a condescension to our weaknesse for the more abundant ratification and confirmation of Gods stability in his Promises In our enquiry after such covenants which God in his gracious condescension is pleased to enter with man the general nature of a covenant must be held every species must partake of its Genus We must not make Gods covenant with man so farre to differ from covenants between man and man as to make it no covenant at all we must also observe that which differences it from covenants meerly humane that covenants divine and humane be not confounded together In order to which we must know that in every covenant properly so called these requisites must concur First it must not be of one alone but at least of two parties one can make no bargain or agreement Secondly there must be a mutual consent of these parties When Nahash the Ammonite offered to make a Covenant with Israel on condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes 1 Sam. 11. 2. the Israelites refusing and running the hazard of a fight rather then undergo it here was no covenant Thirdly each party must engage themselves one to another for performance of somewhat covenanted for whether debt duty or promise When Abraham agreed with the Hittites for a burial place for foure hundred Shekels Gen. 23. 15 16. There was a covenant properly so called having apparently in it all requisites of a covenant So also in
and upon him when the work was done he might have been justly annihilated If merit be taken in a proper sense Adam in innocency was too low for it all his work being an homage due no profit redounding to God and the work bearing no proportion to the reward But a more superabundant measure of Grace is seen in Gods entrance into covenant with man in his fallen condition and infinitely more savor is shewn in his reconciliation then in his preservation Therefore this by way of eminency hath the honour to be stiled the covenant of Grace the other retaines the name of the covenant of Works These two bearing these denominations have their respective agreement and differences which are to be enquired into but before I reach those it is necessary that somewhat be spoken to assert a covenant of grace in Gospel-times and to give us some further light for a right understanding of it CHAP. III. A Covenant in the proper nature of it between God and fallen man asserted BEfore I proceed any further in this work one great rub that lies in the way is to be removed otherwise not only all that which I have said but also all that which I shall speak on this subject will fall to the ground and that is their objection that say that God hath not entred any covenant properly so called with fallen man He hath by way of Sovereignty laid commands upon man Of free grace hath made rich and large promises by way of legacy bequeathed life and salvation to him but hath entred no covenant properly so called as these say with him which is purposely done to avoid those conditions which are asserted in this covenant If this stand the division before laid down of a Covenant into a Covenant of Works and a Covenant of Grace necessarily falls such a division must not be suffered where any one member of the division is not If therefore there be no covenant of God with fallen man nor no such thing as the covenant of Grace there can be no such division of the covenant and all agreement or differences assigned will be between an entity and a non-entity between that which hath a reality and a meer Chimaera A covenant therefore in the proper nature of it is to be asserted and the speedâ—est way to make this good is to prove from Scripture the name and the thing that the word Covenant is there and the thing in the proper nature of it which the words hold out and all of this respective to the transactions between God and fallen man The word we finde in places without number it were a needlesse labour to give instances when every Reader is able to furnish himself with such multitudes But when this cannot be denyed the impropriety of the speech is objected It is called by the name of a Covenant as is said when in strict propriety of speech it is no covenant But to avoid this the thing it self may be as easily proved as the word and when we have nomen and nominis rationem then we have a covenant not equivocally not yet analogically but properly so called And here I may deal liberally with any adversary and undertake to make proof not only of all the essentials of such a covenant in Scripture but the usual adjuncts not onely of all that makes up the nature but all accessories usually added to the solemnity of covenants The essentials or real properties of a covenant are contained in the usual definitions which afterwards we shall see laid down from several hands all of which are in short comprised in these words A mutual consent of parties with stipulation on both sides Parties consent and mutual engagement is all that is required to the same being of a covenant when two parties agree and either of them both have their conditions to make good there is a covenant or bargaine see it exemplified in several instances given Chap. 1. All of these we finde in that one place Deut. 26. 17 18 19. in the covenant that God enters with his people Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments and his Judgements and to hearken to his voice And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandments And to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken There are the Covenanters God and his people There is consent on both parties Thou hast avouched the Lord hath avouched And there is a stipulation on both sides On Gods part To make them high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honour On the peoples part To keep all his Commandments to be an holy people There are covenant-mercies from God to his people unto which of grace he engages himself and there are covenant-duties unto which man stands engaged Psal 103. 17 18. But the mercie of the Lord is from euerlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousnesse unto childrens children to such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments The usual solemnities of a covenant are also found in the transactions between God and his people as well as the essentials of it 1. Covenants used to be written for memorial for posterity and so is the covenant between God and man as in Old so in New Testament-times These things are written that you might believe and that believing you may have everlasting life John 20. 31. 2. Covenants used to be confirmed with outward visible signes as the killing of beasts Gen. 15. Jer. 34. this was done in the old administration Exod. 24. Half of the blood was sprinkled upon the Altar to denote Gods entering of Covenant vers 6. The people also were sprinkled with blood to shew their voluntary entring into covenant vers 8. And in the new dispensation a new and unheard of ratification was used the blood of the Mediatour of the Covenant Math. 26. 27 28. This Cup is my blood in the New Testament which was shed for you and for many for the remission of sins This latter is a plain allusion to the former in which you may finde 1. A threefold agreement Either of both these were covenants 2. Either of both these had their ratifications and confirmations 3. Either of both were confirmed with blood 2. A threefold difference 1. The former was the Old covenant which was antiquated This is the New 2. The former was ratified and sanctified with the blood of beasts This is ratified and sanctified in the blood of Christ 3. That blood could never take away sin Heb. 10. This was shed for many for remission of sins Thirdly covenants use to be confirmed by seal so is
this day And this whole visible body of Israel was not Christ 2. There are testimonies of Israels entrance into covenant with God Deut. 29. 10 11 12. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captaines of your Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones your wives and the stranger that is in thy Camp from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day Psalme 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice Deut. 26. 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways 3. The particular time and place of Gods entrance into covenant with his people is in Seripture noted likewise In Horeb as we have heard which was the first yeare of their coming out of Egypt the third moneth Exod 19. 1. Again in the fourth year the eleventh moneth the first day Deut. 1. 3. Deut. 29. 10 11 12. compared This day saith the text Now there was no day in which the covenant of God with Christ was entred no day when it was not entred but it was from all eternity as all the works of the Trinity are ad intra 4. Covenant duties are imposed to walk before the Lord to be perfect to be an holy peculiar people Gen. 17. 1. Exod. 19. 6. These are not imposed upon Christ but upon Christians 5. The people of God have the praise of keeping and are under the blame of covenant-breaking which praise of faithfulness and blame of perfidiousnesse is ascribed to them and not to Christ Jesus 6. They that have the seals of the covenant given them are in covenant but man receives the Seales both of Baptisme and the Lords Supper as the people of God of old did Circumcision and the Passeover therefore man is in covenant 7. If the covenant were made with Christ and not with man then he is a Mediatour between God and himself and not between God and man This is plain in that he is the Mediatour of the covenant viz. between persons in covenant But he is not a Mediatiour between God and himself which were absurd to imagine but between God and man There is one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is only I think that one difficult text of the Apostle to be objected against this thing Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made He saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ from whence some conclude that the covenant was entred of God with no other of Abrahams seed but with Christ consequently not with man but with Christ only As this was not in my thoughts in my first Edition so I shall not now as I soon might weary my self and reader in wading into all the difficulties about it being such as have occasioned not onely the Jewes to insult as Calvin observes but Hierom the greatest Linguist among the ancients to speak words unworthy of such an Apostle which I shall spare to repeat and all upon the occasion of the Apostles words That the promises were not made to Abraham and his seeds as of many but his seed as of one on which the forenamed father says Running over the whole Scripture both with his eye and memory he doth not finde the word seed ever used in the plural number but alwayes in the singular whether it be in the better or worse sense But Gomarus on the words takes him up as being too short in his memory and quotes Samuels speech 1. Sam. 8. 15. to the contrary where the word is used plurally Rivet indeed Exercit 108. in Genes seemes to help him out though he do not mention him affirming that the word seed is never used in the plural number for the posterity of men but always collectively used in the singular number The place objected in Samuel speaking of the seed of the earth but Ravanellus on the Apostles behalf pleads That it is uncertain whether the word be only used of the Hebrews in the singular number for though it be not used plurally in the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament yet it cannot thence be gathered that the word hath onely the singular number and wants the plural when it is without all doubt that all the words which have been in use with the Hebrews are not to be found in the Old Testament Howsoever I am not the man from whom a satisfying Comment on these words may be expected others more able that have travelled in it may be consulted yet I doubt not but enough may be easily said to vindicate it from this glosse that is here put upon it and to make it appear that this text will not bear this doctrine that the covenant of grace is not entred with fallen man but with Christ only which may appear by these following Reasons 1. There is no safe opposing any one difficult text about which Expositors are at so much difference among themselves against so many that are full and clear against it The texts that are against it are as I may say without number and this I think stands alone with any colour for it Thus the Papists have adventured to fasten their purgatory on 1 Cor. 3. 13 14 and some few like difficult places 2. The word covenant is not in the text neither under the more proper word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promises in the plural number repeated again verse 19. in the singular and a promise and a covenant as Paraeus on the words observes much differ 3. If they will needs understand by promises to a covenant with as every covenant is a promise though every promise be not a covenant they differ as the Genus and the Species yet there is that in the text as Master Bulkley in his Treatise of the covenant observes which makes against them they say this covenant is made with Christ and with none but Christ but in the text it is otherwise Abraham is made a party in the covenant as well as Christ which serves to overthrow their exclusive particle 4. Christ here in this place may be taken collectively as seed is usually taken and so the word is taken 1 Cor. 12. 12. As the body is one and hath many members all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ And so Mr. Bulkely Diodati Rivet Gomarus and our last Annotations upon the words expound it 5. Being understood of Christ personally which with submission to better judgements I confesse most satisfies me it must not be understood of Christ as a party in Covenant for blessednesse but as a Mediatour
knows who we say are in covenant and have covenant-right to baptisme so that a second covenant of which he speaks to give right to a first is a strange fancy But seeing I am no better understood I shall endeavour if it may be to clear my meaning in certain positions which here follow CHAP. VI. Positions tending to clear the thing in question 1. THose that take upon themselves a Christian profession being separate for God calling him by the Name of Lord that have Ordinances of God as their inheritance that acknowledge a Deity and no other but the true Deity a necessity of worship and none but the Christian worship these with me are in Covenant with God as was the whole state of the Church of the Jews and the whole face of the visible Church of the Gentiles that were ingraffed in their stead This to me is plain in that they are the Church or Churches of God Act. 7. 8. Gal. 1. 2. The called of God Matth. 22. 14. The people of God Isa 1. 2. Psal 90. 7. They sacrific'd to the true God Psal 50. 7. Are the sons of God Gen. 6. 1. Deut. 14. 1. Rom. 9. 4. Are a people nigh unto the Lord Deut. 4. 7. Psal 148. ult God professing himself to be their God Psal 90. 7. Are children of the Covenant Acts 3. 35. Saints Psalme 90. 5. Acts 26. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 33. Believers Act. 8. 12 13. Acts 21. 20. Luke 8. 13. Disciples Matth. 10. 1 4. Acts 9. 1. 15. 10. Christians Acts 11. 26. That all of these imply a covenant-state and that unregenerate men have in Scripture all this honour is clear These therefore with me are in covenant I know that as to all of these elogies it is answered in a word that they are equivocal An answer that I can scarce take into my thoughts without horrour as though Gods Oracles were all over from one end of the Bible to the other like those of Apollo and there were no reality either in their separation for God or gifts that they receive from God as illumination conviction faith or priviledges that they enjoy When there can be no plain denial that all of this here mentioned argues a covenant-state yet exceptions are taken It seemes saith one he takes all to be in Covenant that bear the name Christian And then questions What Though they know not what Christ or Christianity is Is taking a name entring into Cevenant The poore Indians that by thousands are forced by the Spaniard to be baptized are said to know so little what they do that some of them forget the name of a Christian which they assumed And does not our Authour think that a man may take as plausible exceptions against his words where he saith The rule is That a serious professour of the faith is to be taken for a true beleever if he would travel as far as India for it as he doth here against Gods Word Do not we know that force may make these poor Indians to appear serious in their profession And it is wonder that it should be so strange with him that taking a name should be entring covenant or at least that it should imply a covenant-state Let him consult Isa 4. 1. In that day seven women shall take hold of one man saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach and those manifold Scripture-Texts which expresse the relation of Gods covenant-people to him in these words A people called by his Name or on whom the Name of God is called Distinction should be put between children of the covenant by descent from parents in covenant whether Jews or Christians who continue their covenant-relation till they professedly cast it off notwithstanding their ignorance and such that of meer aliens are to be received having no other title then their own present qualification This ought to be voluntary as well in renouncing their old false way as embracing the present as we see it was in those coverts through the Acts of the Apostles and is not to be without some competency of knowledge discerning the evil of their former course and the happinesse attainable in the present And I am easily induced to believe that more knowledge by the industry of teachers is now required then was in the primitive times seeing there is not so much of God by miracle to perswade and as it were to over-rule So that it is not a naked taking of a name that is intended but that which together with it still attends upon it As a wife is called by her husbands name and withall makes her abode in his house so it is with a Covenant people and was with Israel They bore the name of God and they made abode in the Church of God enjoying his Ordinances as their inheritance It is objected God oft bestowes his Word on Infidels and in England there are men that deride the truth of Scripture and esteem it a fiction and yet for credit of men come ordinarily to the Congregation These have the Word given and so have other unregenerate men but not by Covenant that I know of That God doth bestow his Word on Infidels to me is strange It is true that he often tenders it to them but in case they remain Infidels they put it away from them and bestowing implies not only a tender but an acceptance It was the great advantage of Israel above other Nations that to them was committed the Oracles of God when others had not that honour And to speak of Gods giving his Word by Covenant is a most improper speech seeing the Word is the very Covenant draughts as though we should say he gives his Word by his Word And these sure are no open deriders that for the credit ofmen make such a publique profession this would work restraint on the one hand as it puts upon profession on the other And in case any such thing be though the Covenant is perfidiously broke yet as I conceive it is not totally cast off as long as an open profession is continued What shall we say of those that take their sons and daughters to give them to Moloch this can be no low crime and is an high departure from the true God yet these bring forth children unto God and they are Gods children that they thus sacrifice Ezek. 16. 20 21. So also Psal 106. 35 c. Israel was mingled among the Heathen and learned their works and they served their Idols which were a snare to them yea they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto Devils and shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and daughters Yet this as appears cast them not out of Covenant God notwithstanding remembred for them his Cavenant ver 45. This was therefore doubtlesse but a partial apostasie Taking in the worship of Idols they did not totally cast off the worship of God God was not
in it A Scholar saith Mr. Hudson that is admitted into a School is not admitted because he is doctus but ut sit doctus and if he will submit to the rules of the Schoole and apply himself to learne it is enough for his admission The like may be said of the Church-visible which is Christs School Vindicat. pag. 248. The door of the visible Church saith Master Baxter Saints Rest Part. 4. Sect. 3. is incomparably wider then the door of heaven and Christ is so tender so bountiful and forward to convey his grace and the Gospel so free an offer and invitation to all that surely Christ will keep no man off if they will come quite over in spirit to Christ they shall be welcome if they will come but onely to a visible profession he will not deny them admittance This seems to me to speak the mind of Jesus Christ for their admittance and that in foro Dei as well as in foro Ecclesiae they stand in covenant-relation and have title to Church-membership Thus the Reader may see my thoughts in this thing and though I doubt not but that some will question much that I have said yet now at last I hope my meaning may be understood CHAP. VII The Covenant of Grace calls for Conditions from Man A Third Proposition which I shall here lay down is that Gods covenant with man hath its restipulation from man when God engages to man to conferre happinesse upon him he requires conditions from him This I know hath strong opposition by men of two sorts and they of different stamps and for different ends The first deny all Gospel-conditions all covenant-termes on mans part to the end they may assert justification before and without Faith Salvation without Repentance and Obedience which though it be contradicted by abundant testimonies of Scripture placing unbeleeving impenitent and disobedient ones in hell under the wrath of God yea such unbeleeving impenitent ones that have laid highest claime to Christ Matth. 7. 23. yet it seems wholly to follow and necessarily to be evinced from this absolute unconditionate covenant If Christ have wholly finished not only the work of mans redemption but also of his salvation upon the crosse without farther work of application as one in a distinct Treatise hath made it his endeavour to prove then we may as he there doth decry both our faith in Christ and Christs intercession for us Herein one of late according to his wonted weaknesse is very industrious and whereas the Scripture tells us Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3. 17. he would prove that Christ enters into us without us dwells in the unbeleeving and in reference to this opinion of his he makes it his businesse as to deny Faith in reference to Justification so all Gospel-covenant-conditions All other covenants besides this were saith he upon a stipulation and the promise was altogether upon conditions on both sides But in this covenant of Grace viz. the new covenant it is far otherwise there is not any condition in this covenant I say the new covenant is without any condition whatsoever And he further tells his hearers that he is on a nice point Faith is not the condition of the covenant Others utterly distasting the aforenamed opinions of Justification without faith or salvation without obedience or repentance which seeme to be the natural issue and necessary consequents of an unconditional covenant yet with great resolution do affirme the covenant to be without conditions joyning in the premisses with these heterodox teachers but peremptorily denying the conclusion Against both of these that oppose it either more desperately or more innocently I affirm and might quote a cloud of witnesses that the covenant of grace hath its conditions which to me is clear First by the definition of a covenant given in by the Authour before named a few pages before his assertion before mentioned It is a mutual agreement between parties upon certaine Articles or Propositions on both sides so that each party is bound and tyed to perform his own conditions It is in the definition and of the essence of a covenant in general according to him to have conditions yet this covenant in particular with him is without condition Here is a species that partakes not of the nature of the genus a particular covenant that wants the essence of a covenant which is the same as though he should finde us a man that is no living creature a Vine or Fig-tree that is no plant a piece of scarlet of no colour such a thing is this unconditional covenant If the essence of a covenant require it then this covenant is not without it Secondly by the expresse Texts of Scripture which lay down conditions of the covenant either in expresse words or those that of necessity imply a condition See John 8. 51. Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shall never see death Who sees not there First a Priviledge granted by way of covenant Secondly the condition on which it is to be obtained John 8. 24. If ye beleeve not that I am he ye shall die in your sinnes Heb. 3. 6. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end Who knows not If to be a conditional particle All pardon and justification if Scripture may be heard is suspended on mens not beleeving John 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Mar. 16. 16. He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved and he that beleeveth not shall be damned Thirdly by Analogy with the covenant of Works entred of God with Adam in innocency Gen. 2. 17. This on all hands that I know is granted to have been conditional and who sees not in the Texts mentioned conditions as expresse in the Gospel as not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and euil to man in Paradise either both or neither must be conditional Fourthly from the nature of conditions in covenants A condition in a covenant is somewhat agreed upon by the Parties in covenant upon performance of which the benefit of the covenant is obtained and upon the failing of it the whole benefit is lost and the penalty whatsoever it is incurred In covenants between equals either indent and article what those conditions shall be upon defaylance of which the benefit is lost and the penalty incurred In covenants between superiour and inferiour the superiour doth prescribe and the inferiour doth yeeld In all covenants there are such conditions that upon performance or failing of them the covenant doth stand or fall such there are in the Gospel-covenant There we are enjoyned to believe and repent upon obedience to and performance of these we reap the benefit of the covenant Upon failing in them the benefit is lost and the penalty incurred He that
I am not able to reach Nothing with me is more plain then that consent is pre-required in both these covenants Adam I confesse as it is objected was bound to consent yea I will yeeld more that it is no more possible to conceive Adam to deny consent then the Sunne to be without light seeing in his natural motion he was carried in that way of full conformity to God that the Sun may as well be dark as Adam averse from the will or tender of God yet if we could conceive a dark Sunne it could not be a light to rule the day so if we could conceive Adam denying consent to God in the tender of covenant Adam had not been in covenant For fallen man it is clear what held the Pharisees out of the New covenant but their non-consent rejecting the counsel of God against themselves Luk 7. 30. as also those Jews Act. 13. who contradicting and blaspheming judged themselves unworthy of eternal life The covenant was tendered to all those Gentile Nations and Cities where the Gospel was preached and all were bound to yeeld assent but where there was assent of faith there the covenant was entered where assent is denied there they remained strangers from the covenants of promise in the same way of Gentilisme as though the Gospel had never been tendered or the Name of Christ held forth So that these things considered I doubt not but I have made it appear That there is a mutual contract and mutual performances to which persons are engaged not only usually in covenants but in all covenants And that it is of the general nature of covenants that there should be such a convertibility as that both must if not seal some contracts are without seals yet contract or performe and where a seal is vouchsafed must accept of it and that the definition of the covenant in the general is vindicated That God hath entred a covenant properly so called with man with fallen man in which there is a contract of this nature and engagements to mutual performances God condescending to it of grace and man obliged to it by duty yet accepting voluntarily Which as the former might be confirmed by the authority of Divines of eminency Mr. Ball speaking of the covenant of God in the general entred with man saith It may be thus described A mutual compact or agreement betwixt God and man whereby God promiseth all good things specially eternal happinesse unto man upon just equal and favourable conditions and man doth promise to walk before God in all acceptable free and willing obedience expecting all good from God and happinesse in God according to his promise for the praise and glory of his great Name And Vrsin in his Catechisme page 91. defining a covenant in the general nature of it as before he saith it is A mutual agreement between God and man whereby God confirmes to man that he will be merciful forgive their sinnes give them a new righteousnesse his holy Spirit and everlasting life in and by his son the Mediatour In like manner men tie themselves to God for faith and repentance that is by a lively faith to receive this mercy alone and to yeeld true obedience to God And Lucas Trelcatius in loco de foedere thus defines it The covenant is an agreement to God with man concerning eternal happinesse to be communicated to man upon a certain condition to the glory of God And then explaining himself he says When we say an agreement we understand a mutual obligation of God and man by a stipulation intervening that what is promised on both parts may be performed And farther saith There are two parties of the covenant 1. The promise of God concerning everlasting life 2. The obligation of man for performance of the condition prescribed of God the first is free the second is necessary And in conclusion such a bottome I believe is laid in the Introduction that will bear the whole fabrick that follows after Junius and Gomarus are as opposite as may be one to the other in this dispute about the covenant as may be seen in the Appendix to the first chapter But they both agree in this that every covenant of necessity is to have mutual engagements and performances Gomarus denies that the promise Gen. 3. 15. containes the covenant of grace because no conditions are there mentioned And Junius to avoid conditions denies that there is any such thing as a covenant between God and man for if it were a covenant he sayes it must have conditions Therefore according to them both if we grant a covenant we must grant conditions and the full nature of the covenant is in no Scripture laid down where we have not these engagements or conditions laid down likewise Some think to reconcile all this by the various acception of the word Sometimes it is soused in Scripture that the free promise of God is thereby signified and the restipulation of our duty withit God requiring man to engage by covenant to that which he might require did there no promise intervene yet sometimes in Scripture covenant doth signifie the absolute promise of God without any restipulation and of this kinde is that covenant in which God promiseth to give to his elect faith and perseverance to which promise there cannot be conceived any condition to be annexed which is not comprehended in the promise it self So Learned Camero de triplici foedere Thes 1. 2. For this absolute covenant here spoke to I desire the Reader to observe what the same learned Authour hath farther in his third Thesis This distinction of the Covenant doth depend upon the distinction of the love of God for there is a love of God to the Creature from whence every thing that is good in the creature hath wholly flowed and there is the acquiescent love of God in the creature and this the creature hath received not for any thing from it self but from God as it was loved with that first love of God that love for better understanding we call Gods primary or antecedent this Gods secondary or consequent love from that we say doth depend both the paction and fulfilling of the absolute covenant from this depends the fulfilling of that covenant to which is annexed a restipulation not so the paction for that we say depends on the first love This antecedent love is wont to be called Amor benevolentiae which can be no more then a purpose or resolution in God for good to man The second is wont to be called Amor complacentiae a love of delight or content How the former can be a covenant or any covenant properly so called depend upon it as preceding the latter I do not see First this goes before the giving of Christ the gift of Christ is an effect of it Joh. 3. 16. Now God covenants not with man without the Mediator as Camero himself acknowledges and therefore this that precedes can be no covenant made
duty which is either expresly or Synecdochically either directly or else interpretatively virtually and reductively I very well know that the Law is not in all particulars so explicitely and expresly delivered but that 1. The use and best improvement of reason is required to know what pro hic nunc is called for at our hands for duty The Law layes down rules in affirmative precepts in an indefinite way which we must bring home by particular application discerning by general Scripture Rules with the help of reason which sometimes is not so easie to be done when it speaks to us in a way of concernment as to present practical observation 2. That hints of providence are to be observed to know what in present is duty as to the affirmative part of the commandment of God If that man that fell among theeves between Jerusalem and Jericho had sate by the way on the green grasse without any appearance of harme or present need of help the Samaritane that passed that way had not offended in case he had taken no more notice then the Priest and Levite did But discerning him that case as he then was the sixth commandment called for that which he then did as a present office of love to his neighbour according to the interpretation of this commandment given by our Saviour Mark 3. 4. When the Pharisees watched him whether he would heale the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day He demands of them Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day or to do evil To save life or to destroy It was not their minde that Christ should kill the man onely they would not have had him then to have cur'd him But not to cure when it is in our power according to Christs interpretation is to kill If diligent observation be not made the commandment may be soone transgress'd 3. Skill in Sciences and professions is to be improved by men of skill that the commandment may be kept The Samaritane poured wine and oyle into the travellers wounds knowing that to be of use to supple and refresh them Had he known any other thing more sovereigne which might have been had at hand he was to have used it As skill in medicines is to be used for preservation of mens lives so also skill in the Laws by those that are vers'd in them for the help of their neighbour in exigents concerning his estate and livelihood 4. We must listen to Gods mouth to learne when he shall be pleased at any time further to manifest his minde for the clearing of our way in any of his precepts There was a command concerning the place of publick and solemn worship Deut. 12. 5. Vnto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes to put his Name there even to his habitation shall ye seek and thither shalt thou come Now thou must depend on the mouth of God to observe what place in any of the Tribes he would choose for his habitation When God commands that all instituted worship shall be according to his prescript This is a perfect Rule implicite and virtual tying us to heed the Lord at any time more particularly discovering his will and clearing this duty to us Was not the Law of worship perfect to Abraham unlesse it explicitely told him that he must sacrifice his Sonne And if any take themselves to be so acute as to set up a new Rule as some are pleased to stile it then they antiquate and abolish the old Rule and singularly gratifie the Antinomian party Two Rules will no more stand together then two covenants calling it a new Rule men make the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb. 8. 17. It is added moreover doth not the Scripture call Christ our Lawgiver and say the Law shall go out of Zion c. Isa 2. 3. And was not the old Law his Saint Paul I am sure quotes that which belongs to the preceptive part of the Moral Law and calls it the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. His Laws were delivered in the wildernesse whom the people of Israel there tempted and provoked This is plain for they sinn'd against the Law-giver and from his hands they suffered And who they tempted in the wildernesse see from the Apostles hand 1 Cor. 10. 9. And as to the Scripture quoted the words are exegetically set down in those that follow them The Law shall go out of Zion and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Which is no more but that the Name of the Lord which was then known in Judah shall be great from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof It is further demanded And is he not the anointed King of the Church and therfore hath legislative power For answer I desire to know what King the Church had when the old Law was before Christ came in the flesh The Kingdom was one and the same and the King one and the same then and now as I take it Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven The Gentiles coming in at the Gospel-call are under the same King and in the same Kingdom And if all this were granted which is here pleaded for it is no more then a change in some positive circumstantial Rites and what is this to the question handled by our Authour That our righteousnesse which is imperfect according to the old Rule is perfect according to the new when old and new in that which is naturally Moral is one and the same When the Law required heart-service and love with the whole heart upon spiritual ends and motives upon which account all fell short in their obedience and performance shall we say that Christ did dispense with any of this that so the Rule being lower our obedience now may answer Others that make Moses and Christ two distinct Law-givers and agents for God in holding out distinct precepts give the pre-eminence to Christ and account his Law to be of more eminent perfection This Authour on the contrary seems to make the Laws of Christ to stoop far beneath those of Moses 2. For Justification of this accusation of the Moral Law of imperfection it is added the Moral taken either for the Law given to Adam or written in Tables of stone is not a sufficient rule for us now for beleeving in Jesus Christ no nor the same Law of nature as still in force under Christ For a general command of beleeving all that God revealeth is not the only rule of our faith but the particular revelation and precept are part c. To this I say 1. As before I think I may answer out of his own mouth where he says Neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second commandment and unbelief is a breach of the first If we break the commandment in unbelief then the Commandment
inflicts the Lord 4. His way of dealing as a Father in love and not in vengeance Now turne to Heb. 12. 5 6 7. and there we shall see the Apostle 1. Quoting this Scripture 2. Checking them for not heeding it 3. Commenting upon it Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children My sonne despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes for what sonne is he whom the Father chasteneth not These words of the Apostle confirm all the Old Testament proofs before mentioned give a shrewd check to all those that would cast them off and are a full New Testament-proof of the point in hand our aversaries tell us that the children of God in New Testament-times have that great and happy priviledge to be free from all chastisements for sinne The Apostle on the other hand sayes that it is their happinesse to be chastised and would be their sorrow if they were without chastisement For this cause saith the Apostle many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep 1 Cor. 11. 30. There we see judgements inflicted the persons suffering and the cause of suffering assigned The judgements are set out 1. By the quality or kinde such as were visible on the outward man as their sinne was open so was their suffering 2. By their several degrees in which they suffered some weak languishing under infirmities some sick taken with diseases some fallen asleep surprised with death The persons suffering are set out 1. By their multitude many 2. By the application of the stroke Corinthians had sinned and Corinthians suffered The cause is implyed in the illative particle For and exprest in the foregoing words their unworthy addresses unto the Lords Table sinfully eating and drinking they eat and drink their own judgement and though it cannot be said that all were in grace that thus suffered yet there were some at least in grace among them in that the Lord chastened them in the world that they might not be condemned with the world The Lord Christ speaks fully to this in his letter from heaven to Laodicea the Church of Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As Scripture expresly holds out this truth so it is also clear in reason if God should not hold up his Sovereignty in this way of exercise of discipline upon his children his love could not be continued to them but would be withdrawn from them as we see in Christs words but now mentioned Rev. 3. 19. as also in those words of Solomon and the Apostle Pro. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 5 6 7. The love of God is such to his children and such a league of friendship is past between them say our adversaries that it will not suffer him to strike them We say his love is such that he cannot forbear to strike and will not suffer that they should sinne and carry it with impunity There are indeed some such parents that are so indulgent that children must neither have check nor stroke from them what course soever they take they scarce hear words much lesse do they suffer stripes These call this love but a wiser then they calls it by the name of hatred Prov. 13. 24. He that spareth the rod hateth his sonne but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Pity will not suffer to make children smart But it is greater pity that the want of smart should bring them to the condemnation of hell Prov. 23. 13 14. With-hold not correction from the childe for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell A childe in sinne must either be beaten or spared Beating will not be his death but sparing tends to his condemnation The similitude is not ours but the Holy Ghosts One of the most terrible texts in all the Bible may be found as one sayes Hoses 4. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your spouses when they commit adultery He spares not some that he may for ever spare them chastening them in the world that he may not condemn them with the world He spares some and everlastingly destroys them 2. Otherwise God would be reconciled to the sinne of his people and in league not only with their persons but with their wickednesse which is most abhorrent to his holinesse We read of Gods reconciliation to the world but never to the wickednesse of the world God may be at peace with those that have sinned not imputing their trespasses but he will never be at peace with sin 3. It will not stand with his honour to suffer his to go on in impunity in these ways Their wickednesse will be said to be by his allowance Men in sin are ready to say as the Psalmist observe that God is such a one as themselves Psalme 50. 21. and that because they sinne and he keeps silence And men of the world will say the same if his people go on in sinne and prosper This the Lord sees and takes care this way to prevent Ezek. 39. 23. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity because they trespassed against me therefore hid I my face from them He will make it appear that he is no patron to them in that which is evil 4. God hath given in charge to Magistrates his vice-gerents for to punish They are revengers to execute wrath upon them that do evil Rom. 13. 4. they are sent of God for the punishment of evil doers 1. Pet. 2. 14. They have no commission to spare upon supposal of any interest in God or grace when they are found in any acts that are wicked What they do God does they acting by his command and by vertue of his commission For further clearing of this point and if it may be to work a right understanding I shall lay down severall Positions 1. God considered in his absolute Sovereignty may inflict sufferings without injustice on his innocent creatures there is no absolute necessity that sinne should go before all manner of trouble Punishment cannot be without a fault that alwayes implies guilt where justice is followed Yet such is Gods Sovereignty that he may lay affliction where there is no transgression We do it upon our fellow-creatures we tread upon wormes that never did offend us God may much more do it upon his creatures yea God does it How much do bruit creatures suffer in the world and unwillingly suffer as the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 20. and that from Gods hand that hath made them subject to these suffering that which God doth unto one creature he may do unto any creature that which he doth to the meanest he may do to the most noble creature As a potter may
they are our conditions They are conditions on our part and therefore they cannot be Gods That they are ours is made known of God as by the beame of the Sun in his Word And I shall not stand to distinguish of an absolute and conditional covenant that so making the whole in the absolute covenant to be Gods and in the conditional covenant this part to be ours which I know not whether exactly understood the Scripture will beare but in plaine terms deny that they are Gods conditions and affirm them to be ours I know what God speaks in his Word concerning these works That he will write his Law in our hearts and put it into our inward parts That he will take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh which implies this work of which we speak I know likewise what in particular is affirmed of Christ that he is the authour and finisher of our faith Heb. 12. 2. that he gives repentance Acts 5. 31. that God grants to the Gentiles repentance to life Acts 11. 18. And I have not forgot what I have said before of the concurrence of grace in the performance of every Gospel-work Yet all this rises not up hither to make them formally Gods act not ours Whose acts they be his conditions they are this is evident But they are our acts We beleeve We repent It is not God that believes It is not God that repents That is an absurdity which Arminians have laboured to charge upon us to render that which we hold of the necessity of the concurrence of grace in these works odious But it is that which the Orthodox party have still disclaimed The Apostle calls upon the Philippians Phil. 2. 12. To work out their own salvation the work is their own as the salvation They are a Beleevers own act and not barely a spontaneous act on which he is carried as a Bird in preparing a nest for her young and Bees in preparing honey for their subsistence in which Phylosophy tells us that they aime at no end but they are voluntary actions of choice done out of choice aiming at salvation as his end The mercy in the Covenant being on these termes tendred With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse Rom. 10. 10. The just lives by his faith Hab. 2. 4. They to turne to the Lord with all their heart Joel 2. 13. They obey from the heart the form of Doctrine whereunto they are delivered Rom. 6. 17. They do the will of God from the heart Ephes 6. 6. Faith and Repentance are mans work which man in covenant does respective to salvation in the covenant tendered Object not Gods But the Apostle some may say in the next words tells us that it is God that works the will and the deed vers 13. There he seems to take them from us and ascribe the formality of them to God In this co-operation of God whether they be formally our works or Gods let Esay determine Isa 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us When God hath wrought it the work is ours we have the reward of it and we shall beare our sinne in case it be neglected and let the Apostle explaine himselfe Ephes 2. 10. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them God hath ordained good works as a Christians way and walk They are charged upon man as is plain in the context in order to salvation They are the way that we hold in our passage on to that salvation which God of grace vouchsafes and we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus for these ends Our dexterity in holy duties is from the frame into which grace put us So still the work is ours though power for action is vouchsafed of God And the conditions are ours for discharge of which we have yet divine assistance That faith and repentance are our conditions and not Gods take these arguments 1. Those conditions that are not mentioned in the proper conditional covenant as from God but required of God from us are not Gods conditions but ours in that Covenant This is cleare Being there expresly required of us and not so much as mentioned as from God they cannot be his engagement but ours to performe But Faith and Repentance are not mentioned as from God in the proper conditional covenant but required of God from us Therefore Faith and Repentance are not Gods conditions in the proper conditionall Covenant but ours 2. The conditions of a covenant are his that performeth and not his that imposeth This proposition is cleare in reason and confessed by the adversary But we perform and God imposeth Faith and Repentance They are therefore our conditions and not Gods in this covenant 3. Covenant-conditions are theirs that are charg'd with falshood in case of failing in them and non-performance of them This is plaine in all covenants To make conditions and to faile in them is to be false to them But in case of failing in Faith and Repentance man is charged and not God God fails not but man deals falsly Therefore they are mans conditions and not Gods 4. Covenant-conditions are theirs who upon failing in them and not performance of them suffer as covenant-breakers This is clear Israel covenanted to dismisse their Hebrew servants and dismissed them not and Israel suffered for it Jer. 34. But upon failing in Faith and Repentance God suffers not so much as in his Name as a covenant-breaker He is not charged with mens unbelief and impenitence Men themselves suffer Therefore Faith and Repentance are mans conditions not Gods 2. There are objections peculiarly against repentance as it comprises the whole frame of obedience Object as before held forth to disable it from being any Gospel-condition By this means the covenant of Grace will be say some a covenant of works Repentance in this latitude to which we have spoken containes the whole of obedience and being made a condition of the Covenant of Grace Works are introduced and a Covenant of Works re-established As there was grace in the first covenant Answ as you have heard which we call a covenant of Works So works are not wholly excluded from this covenant which we call a covenant of Grace God still keeps up his Sovereignty as you have heard and how this can be done when he leaves man at that wilde freedome not so much as to call for homage from him cannot be conceived his rule even in this covenant is to reward men according to their works Behold I come quickly and my reward it with me to give every man according as his work shall be Rev. 22. 12. Works then are not excluded from this covenant yea Christ the Mediatour of the covenant aforehand tells us Except our righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 5.
So for Ministers of the Gospel we hear of their labour in Word and Doctrine their charge to preach in season and out of season For the forbidding of marriage there is no such thing who hath not known men in that state in the Universities and Resident in Colledges It is true that those Students that have their maintenance from the Founders donation upon marriage lose their place but do not incurre expulsion And the thing is very equal seeing those places are not intended for a setled abode as some abuse them but for Preparation for publick employment whether in Church or State and who blames those ties of Apprentices from marriage for the terme of their service to know their trades If wives and families should be taken in they would soon finde the inconvenience that the sonnes of the Prophets complained of their dwellings would be too strait for them Object Object Have not the Vniversities sacrilegionsly stole this blessed name of Christs Scholars from his People Is not the very Scripture-language it self becâ—me absurd to wit to call Gods People especially women as Dorcas Scholars Answ Bloody tenent ibid. And was it not an equal sacriledge for some peculiar men to take the title of the Sons of the Prophets who as it is plain were not their children but their Scholars and therefore the Prophets under whose tuition they were were called by them as by the name of Father 2 King 2. 12. so also by the name of Master 2 King 6. 5. being those Masters of the Assemblies that the Wise man speaks of Eccles 12. Others heard the doctrine and as sons received the instructions of the Prophets as well as they yet the title is given peculiarly to some who in a peculiar way were separate for that work not common to all men much lesse to women Besides the word Scholler is plainly in relation to Schooles men may learn Christ and be his disciples is confest though they be not Scholars in this way I know no Schooles of the Prophets in the New Testament Object but the particular Congregation of Christ Jesus And I question whether it be any thing but sinne that hath dried up this current of the Spirit in those rare gifts of tongues to Gods sonnes and daughters serving so admirably both for the understanding of the Original Scriptures and also for the propagating of the Name of Christ Who knows but that it may please the Lord again to cloath his People with a Spirit of zeal and courage for the Name of Christ yea and poure forth those fiery streames again of tongues and prophecy in the restauration of Zion Bloody tenent page 174. I am glad to here it confessed that sinne is displeasing to God and that any judgement on the Church is confest to be let in at this gate I am glad farther to hear that tongues serve so admirably to propagate the Name of Christ whence I infer that while this judgement for sin continues there is a necessity of other courses to attaine this that is acknowledged to be of this excellency Since the judgement was laid on the earth for sin men have got their bread with labour and so must as long as the judgement remaines The like paines must be for learning as for a living When God shall please to poure out again these fiery streames we then shall confesse the unusefulnesse of Schools to this purpose in the mean space their use is evident And seeing it is acknowledged that men must digge with daily study and labour to come at the Original fountaines let none be like Pharaoh to urge a tale of brick and deny straw If they must thus digge let them not be necessitated to go to the Papists to sharpen their spades as sometimes Israel to the Philistines with their goads and mattocks which yet necessarily will be if their Schools be kept up and ours cried down Mr. Ainsworth is brought in for an instance who as is said had scarce his peer among a thousand Academians for the Scripture-Originals and yet he scarce set foot within a Colledge walls His abilities in the tongues is evident which was his Master-piece but his education I know not but one Swallow makes not a Spring I have known a man excellent in the most exquisite manual trade who yet never served a Master to learn it yet this never took men off the way of Apprentiships If Mr. Ainsworth scarce set foot in a Colledge walls yet he reaped the fruit of their labours that were studied and thiâ— way excelled Is this the honour that you professe to give to Schools for Tongues and Arts to perswade men not to set their foot within them Another goes yet here farther Object not only to put down Schooles and demolish Academies for learning but to deny any necessity or use of learning at all yea any necessity of a Ministery for interpretation of Scripture as the Compassionate Samaritane page 29 30 31. One interest among others by him named of Ministers is to perswade the people that the Scriptures though we have them in our tongue are not yet to be understood by us without their help and interpretation so that in effect we are in the same condition with those we have so long pitied that are forbid to have the Scriptures in their own tongue for it is alone not to have them in our own tongue and to be made beleeve that we cannot understand them though we have them in our own Is the cabinet open to us and do we yet want a key has so much labour been spent so many translations extant and are we yet to seek Let us argue a little with them either the Scriptures are not rightly translated or else they are if they are not why have we not been told so all this while why have we been cheated into errours if they are rightly translated why should not English men understand them The idiomes and proprieties of the Hebrew and Greek languages which some say cannot word for word be exprest in English might all this while have been translated into as many English words as will carry the sense thereof For the dilemma concerning the Scriptures rightly translated or not rightly I may apply that of Job chap. 6. verse 15. How forcible are right words but what doth your arguing reprove and answer in a word that they are rightly translated according to the reach of a humane work and more rightly than the translation followed so much by the Evangelists and Apostles I suppose all will yeeld that ours is more exact after the Original than was that of the Seventy And yet there was no cheat in those translations if there had those witnesses of Christ had not been silent and yet not such a perfection that will bear no amendment There is still use of examination of them of asserting and defending them But be it granted that the translation is every way exact and full does it follow that there needs no help or
them onely that receive the benefits of it and are upright in it An eminent Divine putting the Question and returning answer How a man may know himself to be in covenant with God presently foresees an Objection against any such Quaere As Saul and all the people of Israel were in covenant with God so all professing Christians are covenanters likewise and hereby all distinguishing notes of Professors some in covenant and some without must needs fall to the ground one member then of the distinction having no being for solution of the doubt he layes down a distinction There is saith he a twofold covenant 1. A single Covenant which God makes with his children when they are baptized which is this if ye will believe repent and walk in my ways ye shall be saved now if they break this condition God is freed 2. A double covenant to performe both parts which is this if you will repent and beleeve ye shall be saved and I will give you an heart and you shall repent believe and be saved So Preston on Attributes part 2. page 85. 86. These distinctions plainly yeeld that there is a covenant between God and man in this latitude of which we speak and which here is exprest and that all professed Christians so called are in an outward and single covenant which puts them into a capacity of Sacraments and their children which is a covenant properly so called and which Scripture holds out for the covenant of God with his people These Divines yeelding so much and their meaning being so Orthodox there is no reason of contraversie with them or contention about words Yet I should choose rather to expresse my self in Pareus his words against Stapleton the Jesuite on 1 Cor. 7. 14. objecting against this doctrine for it is a doctrine which Antipaedobaptists and Independents have borrowed from Jesuites and we have them all in this as in many other things our Adversaries To be in covenant saith he is taken two ways either according to tiole to the covenant or to the benefits of the covenant He is said to be in covenant that either obtaines the benefits of the covenant which are remission of sinnes adoption c. Or else that hath onely the title and outward badge of the covenant so that he is repute to have interest in it and is not an alien from it The right of covenant belongs to all that externally make profession These engage themselves upon Gods termes The benefit of the covenant remission of sinnes justification adoption c. belongs only to the Elect regenerate Or farther we may distinguish of the covenant of grace and the grace following the covenant The covenant of grace is in the latitude before mentioned the grace following the covenant in that restriction that some contend for or else we may distinguish of entring covenant and stedfastnesse and faithfulnesse in the covenant All enter that are visible professors onely the elect and faithful are steady in it This distinction is evidently grounded on Psal 78. 34. They remembred that God was their rock the high God their Redeemer nevertheless their heart was not right in them neither were they stedfast in his covenant All covenant-enterers are not covenant-keepers To take off this restriction and for overthrow of this imaginary difference it were enough to require of these Asserters of this covenant-restriction and limit where God hath put any such restraint for affirmanti incumbit probatio and to require some reason why men in nature in Old Testament-times should be honoured with that neare relation to God as to be of the Common-wealth of this people enjoying not barely civil and domestick Priviledges but saving Ordinances and under the Gospel must stand shut out of all such visible relations why unregenerate men in order to regeneration may not come under the discipline of God under the Gospel as well as under Old Testament-dispensations Why poore sinners that confesse with their mouth with the Eunuch that Jesus Christ is the Sonne of God Acts 8. 37. may not be indulged those proviledges now Christ is come in the flesh to save sinners whereby they may be brought to be beleeve with the heart that they may be saved To those that would make such a distance between the covenants as to throw out of the covenant of God and visible communion all that are unregenerate we may speak in Christs words From the beginning it was not so and either we must see some good ground that in this there is by the will of God this great change or else we shall beleeve as it was then so it now But I shall deale more liberally and make it appear that the Gospel doth not only not quit us of it but establishes it doth not only not abolish it as it doth the Types of the Law but holds it forth and gives testimony of the continuance of it CHAP. XXXVII New Testament-Scriptures asserting the latitude of the covenant of Grace in Gospel-times LEt that Text Matth. 28. 19. in the first place be weighed Go teach all Nations c. which our adversaries in this cause willingly consent to have translated Disciple all Nations and therefore there needs no words nor stir to be made about it and that a Disciple of Christ is in covenant with God is as freely confest he takes God in Christ to be his God he layes claime to salvation by him this ground being laid in which I think I have not an adversary I draw from hence a twofold Argument First that covenant between God and man which is committed to the Ministry of man to work to judge of being wrought and to put to a Seale for confirmation of it is a covenant onely visibly entred and doth not require any inward real change or work upon the soule to the being of it This Proposition is clear man can judge no farther than of that which is outward and visible Man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart If none but a regenerate elect person be in covenant then none but God knowes who are in covenant Then we may apply that of the Apostle spoken of the Seal of Election The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. unto every one that as a Church-member is to be received into visible fellowship A Church-member and an elect person according to this tenent are termini convertibiles and the seale of the Spirit and the seale of the Sacrament are in equal latitude To baptize an unregenerate person is to put a seal to a blank as high an abuse of that sacred Ordinance as the circumcision of the Sichemites Gen. 34. 24. That this covenant is such appears in that Text It is committed to man to work and to judge of it being wrought to put a seal for ratification and confirmation of it The Apostles were to make Disciples to bring men into covenant with God and being discipled to baptise them
Deut. 32. 21. of the call of the Gentiles into a visible Church-state and profession and so applied by the Apostle Rom. 9. 24 25 26. Whence I argue The call of the ten revolted Tribes and of the Gentiles into a visible Church-way is not to be meant of the Church as it is invisible onely This one hath already taken into consideration and answered Howsoever it be in the places in which the allusion is yet it is certaine that here it is meant of such a calling as is from darknesse to marvellous light Taking it it seems for granted that there is no marvelous light in visible Churches that in the land of Zebulon and Nepthali where they saw a great light there were only invisible members Mat. 4. 15 16. Fourthly as honourable titles as these are frequently given in Scripture as shall be shewn to visible professours why should then these be limitted to invisible Members Fifthly this Text by adversaries is made to be parallel with those Texts Gal. 6. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 20. And those Texts I have demonstrated to be meant of visible Churches To which nothing is replyed Arguments to evince it to be meant of the Church as it is invisible come to be considered 1. I argue saith one from the termes chosen Generation royal Priesthood Objections answered and holy Nation a peculiar people This is by Christs death which can be understood of no other than Elect and true Beleevers Tit. 2. 14. Answ 1. Such a way of arguing would not passe with him in his Adversary As peculiar people is taken in one place of Scripture so it must be taken in all places but in one place it is taken for the Elect regenerate If this would hold much labour might be spared in finding out the various acception of words in Scripture 2. These termes and others equipollent to these are given to the Israelites Deut. 14. 1 2. Deut. 9. 6. Deut. 32. 9. not as a Church invisible but as visible Members Their qualifications are often as low as their appellations by reason of their relation to God raise them high And setting apart Christs death I would know how the Israelites came to this honour 3. The gift of Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastours and Teachers were the gift of Christ and the purchase of his death These are for constitution of visible Churches and visible members enjoy these priviledges in common with regenerate persons to which more is already spoken 2. An Objection is raised from that which is said of them They are called of God by his power and vertue into his marvelous light and verse 10. Which now had obtained mercy which they had not before which cannot be affirmed of any but true Beleevers and Elect persons Answ Men brought into a visible Church-state are brought into a marvelous light The seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. 20. had a marvelous light in their lamps and yet in some of those there were onely a few names that had not defiled their garments And this light is a mercy the fruition of it is a great mercy Psalme 147. 19 20. Yea it is applied by the Prophet Hos 2. 23. whence the Apostle gathers it unto the mercy enjoyed in a visible Church-communion which is not denied by the adversary 3. It is said that those persons did beleeve contra-distinguished to them that were disobedient and stumbled at the word but such are onely the Elect. Ergo. Answ So did all they that made shipwrack of the faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. So did Simon Magus Acts 8. 13. So did the hearers compared to the rocky ground Luke 8. 13. And whereas it is said these Beleevers are contra-distinguished to them that were disobedient and stumbled at the Word it fully makes against this interpretation Those disobedient ones are those that disallow Christ as we see verse 7. that reject Christ upon tender that persist in Judaisme or Gentilisme All others not professed Jewes nor Gentiles are in that place Beleevers and in all other Scriptures respective to visible prerogative all which are visible Church-members 4. They are said to be built as living stones c. which can agree to none but Elect persons and true Beleevers Answ That is left out in the Quotation of this Text which would wholly spoile the argument and carry it on the other hand namely those words To whom coming as unto a living stone The Apostle shews them the way and points out the condition called for which being done they are then built as living stones And this implies that it was so with some but not with others Here is that which was done by some and neglected by others and their happinesse upon discharge of their duty declared I am told by one that he hardly beleeves that any approved Writer joyns with me in this Interpretation But though I were alone in it yet I might learne of him to adventure not barely on the interpretation of one single-Scripture-Text but on a conclusion in Theology against all Protestant Writers and herein I should have the advantage in that few comparatively I think have started this question much lesse have they seriously handled it minding more what those titles engage us to be in which there is an agreement of all parties than to whom they are given when some of my opposites dare affront the whole body of Protestant Writers in that in which ex professo they have to deale against Papists Estius indeed upon examination of the thing in question appeares to be of a contrary minde and censures those that set out this holinesse by Religion doctrine Sacraments which Authours by him thus censured may be for ought I know as approved as himself and they as we see limit it not to the Church invisible I doubt not but that holinesse which is intrinsecal is here aimed at yet all those have these titles that do make profession of the way of it and are of the number of those that engage themselves to it Gerrard also on the words puts it to the question and determines the same way but tells us of others that understand it of common and general election His name I suppose is waved in that his Arguments are borrowed and have been answered But on the other hand Master Ball who if authorities must carry it will sway with me as much as either treating on those words Hos 2. 19 20. I will betroth thee unto me for ever c. saith The external betrothing by outward covenant so as God betroths himselfe to all professing the true faith may be broken for though God offer them mercy if they will believe yet he gives not not faith to them and quotes for proof Rom. 9. 24 25. 1 Pet. 2. 8 9. And Zanchius de perseverantia sanctorum cap. 1. Tit. de Sanctis hath these words Hear now what I understand by the name of Saints This name Saint when it is spoken of men is 1 Generally taken for all those that have consecrated
themselves to the true God and given their name to Christ and do professe him and his Religion whether it be done before God truely and sincerely or only before men so the people of Israel although they were not all truely holy yet they are all called holy so Paul calls all those Saints who had given their names to Christ so Peter 1 Pet. 2 calls all those Christians to whom he writes a holy Nation and a royal Priesthood And Laurentius 1 Pet. 1. 1. page 6. distinguishing of a threefold election 1. To any function civil or ecclesiastical 2. To the external communion of divine worship or the outward Church or people of God 3. To salvation and eternal life brings for proof of the second acceptation Deut. 7. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. both which Texts with him there are parallel and taken in the same sense that I understand them Ravanellus in verbum election quotes divers Texts of Scripture in which election is taken for the adoption of any Nation and puts this of 1 Pet. 2. 9. in the last place adding these words And this election is general as hath been said nor are all that are made partakers of it necessarily saved Rom. 9. 6. but respective to this general election he is said to be chosen of God who is called to the participation of his free covenant or a people whom God adopts to himself for a people So also in verbum Sanctus which he sayes is taken three wayes 1. By separation or segregation 2. By imputation 3. By inchoation of holinesse in this life He there gives many instances of the first acception of holinesse by separation distinct from the two other and 1 Pet 2. 9. for one So Salmero as I finde him quoted to my hand understands it of election distinct from that which is to eternal life and calls it an election to faith and all know that they mean no more than their Catholick faith which according to them doth not necessarily entitle to eternal life A Lapide with whom my adversaries in these controversies frequently joyn is also wholly on my part in his Comment on these words so that it needed not to have been said that no approved authour joynes with me Let the Reader judge as the strength of reasons given will perswade CHAP. XXXVIII Arguments evincing the Covenant of Grace in Gospel-times in that latitude as before is asserted THe first Argument shall be borrowed from those titles which undoubtedly and undisputably imply a covenant and yet in Scripture are still attributed to all that professedly accept the termes of the covenant and professedly appear as the people of God Those titles before mentioned by Peter from Moses are confessed to be such that argue a people in covenant and therefore adversaries are so shie to confesse them to belong to visible Professours But titles as high as these and as undeniably implying a covenant are given to visible Professours those then even according to them are on this account in covenant with God And these are all of those titles wherwith the people of God are honoured In New Testament-Scriptures which are especially foure Beleevers Saints Disciples Christians He that is a Beleever a Saint a Disciple a Christian he is a man in covenant with God But all visible Professors that accept the termes of the covenant are Beleevers Saints Disciples Christians so they are still stiled in New Testament-Scriptures Beleevers from the Faith that they professe Saints from the Holinesse to which they stand engaged or from the holy God to whose service they are separated Disciples from the Doctrine which they professe to learne and Christians from him whose they are whom they serve and from whom they expect salvation I know some have inured themselves to that language that those that are thus dignified are necessarily concluded by them to be Elect Regenerate persons It is grown I know the Dialect of the times but not of the Scriptures To begin with Beleevers He is in Scripture a Beleever that is a visible Professour that puts himself into the number of those that expect salvation by Christ Jesus So it is through the History of the Acts where account is given of the Converts made by the Apostles Ministry Acts 4. 4. Many of them which heard the Word believed and the number of the men was about five thousand They that are thus numbred by the poll are visible Professours that outwardly embraced the Doctrine of Faith This might be seene and the names of such taken They are not all Elect regenerate Christians such could not be visibly known The generality of men and women in Samaria beleeved Acts 8. 12. But that they were Elect Regenerate in that universality cannot be conceived Simon Magus is an example to the contrary of whom the Text sayes that he did beleeve vers 13. and yet his heart not right in the sight of God vers 21. He was with those Israelites Psalme 78. 34. in covenant yet his heart was not stedfast in Covenant A great number of the Grecians beleeved upon the preaching of those that were scattered upon the persecution raised about Stephen Acts 11. 21. yet Barnabas whom the Church of Jerusalem sent to them well enough knew that there was no certainty little hopes that all of these were Regenerate persons therefore he exhorts them that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord. He was afraid that the work might be overly and superficial of which the Church in every age hath sad experience he desires and endeavour that they may be rooted and established Only those hearers which are compared to the good ground are Regenerate persons But those compared to bad ground beleeve Luke 8. 13. Regenerate men who alone are invisible Church-Members have their hearts more right with God than to love the praise of men more than the praise of God but many beleevers are thus censured as we see John 12. 42 43. Regenerate persons make no shipwrack of Faith They are borne of incorruptible seed the seed of God abideth in them Yet there are beleevers that thus suffer shipwrack 1 Tim. 1. 19. Myriads of thousand of Jews beleeve Acts 21. 20. yet not all Regenerate The Apostle 1 Cor. 7. satisfies a case of conscience put to him by the Corinthians that if any brother hath a wife that beleeveth not if she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away If the beleeving brother here be only a Regenerate man then the unbeleeving wife is an unregenerate woman So the question will be whether a Regenerate sanctified man joyned in marriage to a Professour of the true faith not of those hopes for the truth of sanctification may dwell with her A case that never yet was disputed or doubted The unbeleever is a worshipper of idols one that sacrifices to devils and not to God The Beleever is a Professor of the Faith one in name a Christian and not a Heathen Saint is taken
faith that they must receive them giving this reason for God hath received them Rom. 14. 1 3. we may apply to those that make profession of the faith being able to make application of his reason God takes them into communion unto visible fellowship we are not then to reject them Is the necessary qualification of a member of the visible Church universal one thing and the necessary of a member of this or that particular congregation another and may one be fit to be a member of the universal visible Church and yet not qualified to be a member of a particular congregation saith Master Wood Append. p. 169 170. If I should enlarge this to heathens brought to a profession of the faith and argue their right to baptisme upon profession and by baptisme their right to Church-fellowship in any visible Church-society I should finde the Scriptures abundantly to favour it Of so many thousands myriads of thousands of converts Acts 21. 20. which were added to the Church and received by baptisme baptized the same day for a great part sometimes as appears the very houre of their conversion there is not one that we reade refused but all received yea not a scruple raised save of one only as I remember which was Saul when he offered himself into Church-fellowship and that not upon this account that we are now upon but good Ananias fearing that he came not to joyne with them but to seise upon them knowing that at that time he had authority from the chief Priests to binde all that call on Christs name Acts 9. 14. If the competentes as they were stiled in the primitive times viz. men that offered themselves for Church-fellowship had then entred at so strait a door as now in some places they are put to passe where a glib tongue is in a farre fairer way to take than an upright heart we should have heard of no small bustle about it When we finde murmurings of Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration Acts 6. 1. we should sure have heard of it had they been neglected in Church-fellowship and communion But when no such thing can be found in the practice of the Church after the Holy Ghost was given which is called by way of eminence the Kingdom of Christ or the Kingdom of Heaven yet they think they finde exceptions taken and some refused by the forerunner of Christ John Baptist One laying down this Proposition That men seeking admission into the Church are not to be received without farther satisfaction gives instance in no other but John Baptist and saith The Baptist did not admit all that sought it unto baptism and proves it from no Text either of Matthew or Luke which give us the narrative but by the authority of Pareus The Pharisees saith he did seek baptisme but John did not admit them being unworthy to whom he adds Aretius who sayes They sought baptisme but he seems to think saith our Authour that they were not by any means baptized But how eminent soever their authorities are their reasons are very weak The Baptist reproved them called them to repentance and therefore did not baptize them when the text seems to speak the contrary For as soon as his reproof with his exhortation is ended there follows I indeed baptize you with water verse 11. And it seems by Saint Luke that those Pharisees and Lawyers that were not baptized of John were not refused but did refuse Luke 7. 30. But the Lawyers and Pharisees rejected the Councel of God against themselves being not baptized of him When the same learned Authour cannot instance any precedent or produce any Scripture-Ordinance for it he endeavours by arguments drawn from the forme of a particular Church the way of reformation of Churches the relation of inferiority and superiority among those that are free and such like reasons to evince it To which but that I will not here make it my businesse an easie answer might be given it is more than strange that when the Apostles had by Commission from Christ planted Churches and were to leave them to be propagated in future Ages and knowing a covenant to be essential to the constitution as now by some is asserted would yet wholly be silent in it especially when no such thing was known in Old Testament-Scriptures that we might gather it by analogy and through all Ages till this last Age had lien hid and never discovered and leave us by our reason to discover it In which we are in danger to set our threshold by Gods threshold of which he so sadly complains Ezek. 43. 8. or rather justle out his threshold with ours denying baptisme to be any door for admission at which the primitive Saints entred and setting up a covenant of which Scripture speaks nothing and Master John Goodwin was sometimes as confident as confidence could make him that it had no ground in the holy Scriptures But to leave heathens haply called by Gospel Ordinances to speak a word or two to our own case who are a discipled Nation a Kingdom subjugated to the yoke of Christ Jesus enjoying saving Ordinances and therefore have a Church of Christ fixt among us Here we might lay down divers positions for the regulating of our judgements First where nothing is wanting to the being of a Church God having a people owning him in covenant yet much more may be required for the well ordering and regulating of it where a people accept of a King and receive his Lawes there he hath a Kingdom and is a Monarch yet much more is required for the ordering of such a Monarchy for the publick weale and safety so it is where there is a Church of God accepting the Lawes of heaven there the Lord Christ reigns as a Monarch yet farther care must be used for the right regulating of it according to his Will and the Lawes tendred by him and received by them Secondly a people in a vicinity or neighbourhood dwelling together ought to associate themselves and joyne with those of that neighbourhood according to their best convenience for the participation of Ordinances As it is against all dictates of reason that a people scattered at a great distance should combine themselves in a Church-way for Ordinances in which God rules so it is as clear against the Scriptures You read of a Church of God at Ephesus at Corinth at Philippi at Thessalonica at Laodicea But you reade not of any one Church made up of members residing at all those places or in any places at like distance That cohabitation or dwelling together makes not up a Church congregational will be easily granted Infidels Turks Pagans may cohabit they may make an idol-church but not a Church of God but co-habitation or dwelling together is one ingredient Saints cohabiting that is in New Testament-language men separate for God not Jewes nor Infidels but Christians and joyning in Ordinances as in
24. of exhortation one of another Heb. 3. 13. of comforting of themselves together edifying one another 1 Thes 5. 11. of warning them that are unruly and comforting th feeble-minded supporting the weak 1 Thes 5. 14. of converting sinners from the errour of their wayes Jam 5. 20. which argues a well-ordered zeal for God and hatred of sin bowels of compassion towards a brother we finde their praise that have followed this councel 1 Thes 5. 11. we reade of separation from ways of sin and fleshly defilements 2 Cor. 6. 17. James 1. 27. but we reade not of any separation from Church-communion and fellowship in Ordinances thus given in charge nor in this way approved nor any presidents to go before us in it but we reade of an heavy brand laid upon it Jude 19. These be they who separated themselves sensual not having the Spirit yet seeing things may be so carried in societies that be aâ— the Name of Christ and Christian Professors brought to those straits that there is no abiding for such as would keep their garments unspotted it will be of use here to deliver certain rules for our help and guidance 1. A Church in covenant with God as before and keeping up communion in Ordinances is to be accounted pure where the pollutions or taints are not great nor many it is to be accounted a right beleeving Church notwithstanding some few lesser Errors We account a corne-field clean where some few tares and weeds are found a body healthful that is not without grudgings Christ from heaven gives commendations to those Churches which yet he taxes Rev. 2. 3. for failings There is that light in which Errors may be seen and shunned and rules for discerning things that differ If custom education conceit of Teachers or the like so dazle the judgement that the errour is swallowed howsoever that be a detriment a blemish as the Apostle shews of the wood hay and stubble built upon the foundation 1 Cor. 3. 12. yet it prejudices not salvation There is power of truth remaining to forme and frame Christ in the heart to direct the soul in a sanctified way to salvation 2. Where the Word is received and profest though polluted and defaced with additions and false glosses there is a Church though polluted and erroneous Where the essential parts of a man are in being there is a man though sick and diseased where corne is sowen and comes up there is a corn-field though over-run with tares and weeds The Churches of Galatia have the name of Churches though miserably defiled we deny not the Church of Rome the being of a Church having the Scriptures and several fundamental truths from thence as the Church in Christs time from the hand of the Scribes and Pharisees though the worst deserving the name of a Church of any people with whom the Word is continued No Church some have avouched But do her the most right and the being of a Church granted she is a hurch certainly miserably defaced monstrously polluted I will not rake in her sores it were easie to name many and loathsome ones I will only point at the causes Where food is scarce and that polluted and unclean there must needs be bodies diseased and distempered but so it fares with the Church of Rome when the Word should dwell in us in all plenteousnesse Col. 3. 16. they will have theirs dieted the Word kept in an unknown language as under lock and key that the children cannot come near it That on which they feed is not the sincere milk which only nourishes to growth 1 Pet. 2. 2. But they have their unwritten word to stand in equipage with the Scriptures mens Traditions made doctrines how many doctrines do we there finde by necessary consequence undermining those fundamental truths that are there profest where food is in no more plenty and no better it is no wonder to see diseases follow 3. That which especially denominates a Church pure or impure sound or tainted is the doctrine which they drink in the principles by which they are carried Where these are right this is an high praise where these are tainted this is the greatest blemish That which advances a Nation above all other Nations so that no Nation is so great as they that brings them nigh unto God is that which is their greatest honour and the pollution the greatest blemish where all is right in doctrine it can hardly be conceived but that there are at least a few names that defile not their garments though the more the greater glory This was the case of Sardis and therefore hath the honour to be one of the golden Candlesticks where Christ kept residence 4. Doctrines which are as the covenant-draughts between God and a people have their taints or crazes in the foundation or in the superstruction A breach in the foundation is the buildings speedy ruine while that stands somewhat of a building remains when that falls all falls and therefore Jerusalems enemies that thirsted after her total ruine say Raze it raze it even to the foundation thereof Psal 137. 7. These foundation-breaches in buildings may be either crazes threatning danger but repairable taken betimes may be holpen though a failing there is soonest helplesse or else it is a ruine or rottennesse that is irremediable irrepairable Truths doubted disputed questioned I call a craze in the foundation wonderfully dangerous not alwayes damnable the case of the Galatians of whom the Apostle stood in feare and was jealous over them through a godly jealousie even of their revolt from Christianity to Judaism from Christ to Moses from the Gospel to the Law These he calls Churches the members brethren though in a way to be no Churches entertaining those doctrines that cut off from Christ Gal. 5. 2. Here all those that are builders in Christs work that are pillars or any part of his house must be zealous as we see Saint Paul was in this Epistle quoted who will see the foundation of the house where he lives so undermined as every day to threaten ruine much lesse may we suffer the foundation in Christs house to be thus used This faith once delivered to the Saints is the common salvation for this we must earnestly contend Jude 3. for this we must strive together Phil. 1. 27. Truths denied abjured and resolved against as it was with Hymeneus and Philetus and the Apostle saw the Churches in Galatia in danger is a ruine and rottennesse that is irremediable and irreparable Besides breaches in fundamentals there are breaches in superstructions and these either more neer to the foundation or at a greater distance The nearer the foundation the more danger a breach is more sufferable near the top than at the bottome of a tower or castle There are errours of more affinity with those that overthrow bottom-truths and there are those that are not so nigh and therefore not so dangerous Such crept into the Latine Church
nature and natural is only by birth and off spring Peter Paul Barnabas were all naturally Jewes borne of Jewish Parents and bred up in the way and Religion of the Jewes such onely Christ chose for Apostles being himself a Minister of the Circumcision Peter therefore being one of the twelve must necessarily be such Paul was such as we know from his own mouth a Jew and of the Tribe of Benjamine Barnabas was such of the Tribe of Levi. And being such they enjoyed a priviledge which the Gentiles wanted they were by birth and off-spring of a Nation that is holy No Nation was so great as they who had God so nigh unto them who had statutes and judgements so righteous The Jew had every way prerogatives and advantages but chiefly the Oracles of God God had not dealt so with every Nation when other Nations were without God they had God nigh unto them when others were uncleane they were holy This great priviledge of Birth Gentiles wanted and so were by off-spring sinners as Birth renders all so they remaine unholy and uncleane among the unholy and unclean without any such title to the Covenant of God that thereby they might obtaine any other denomination they are dogs while the people in Covenant are children And by this means the seeming opposition which is between this text and that of the Apostle Ephes 2. 3. is easily reconciled Here the Apostle makes an opposition nature between Jews and Gentiles Jewes by nature had priviledge above Gentiles There he makes Jewes and Gentiles in nature equal We saith he were by nature children of wrath as well as others as well as Heathens that have no Birrh priviledge Nature in that Text is not the same as nature in this Nature there is taken for the qualification of nature which is equally defiled in Jewes and Gentiles which is there evidenced in the conversation of the Jewes being before convertion by grace the very same with the Gentiles Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature children of wrath even as others Nature here is taken for a Birth-priviledge and so the Jews though in themselves sinners are reputed an holy people a people by covenant holy to the Lord. Nature simpl considered is stained and renders Jewes and Gentiles equally sinners and obnoxious to Gods wrath of which Justification by faith is an acknowledgement as the Apostle here shews verse 17. But birth of Jewish Ancestors of the stock of Israel puts them into a select condition into the number of a people holy to the Lord. Neither is this any contradiction common things dedicated for holy service and use are holy A people by nature sinners dedicated to the Lord are for holy service and use for the service of the Lord when others are for service of idols Therefore jerusalem a City none of the holiest for any transcendent manners of the inhabitants thereof is yet called by the Evangelist the holy City by reason of the Temple and worship there that were holy That which is a priviledge of nature or birth belongs to the natural issue that cannot be denied But to be incovenant with God as a people holy and exceeding others that are without as sinners is a priviledge of nature or birth therefore this priviledge belongs to the natural issue This Argument as it is cleare of it selfe so it hath this advantage that for interpretation of the word Nature it hath approbation from profest adversaries one saith I grant his sense of the word Nature and that the Apostle there speaks of himself and other Jewes as in reputation more holy then the Gentiles because of their interest in Circumcision and observance of Moses Law And this grant involves him not in a few contradictions 1. That this was a Birth-priviledge as he here acknowledges being the Jews priviledge by birth of nature and therefore belonged to the natural seed when 〈◊〉 elsewhere he saith they inherit onely domestick and civil benefits 2. This interest in Circumcision and observance of Moses Law was a priviledge of Ordinances and he is wont to deny that birth entitles any to such priviledges 3. This is spiritual mercy which the Jews here had in Circumcision and Moses Law Circumcision by his confession seales Gospei-mercies the same that Baptism sealeth And Moses in the Law wrote of Christ John 1 45. John 5. 46. and yet he denies the natural seed any Promise of spiritual mercies Any one of these arguments severally much more all joyntly make good this Position that all the natural seed of Abraham by Isaac and Jacob are in that great Charter vouchsafed of God taken into covenant so as to be the people of God and to enjoy all priviledges of his people in order upon Gods termes to everlasting salvation CHAP. XLVII ROM 9. 6 7 8. Vindicated THough I hear of none that have much to say to all these Scriptures as indeed little rather nothing can be said they hold forth with so clear a light a covenant in that latitude and with those prerogatives as you have heard yet one hath a Text of Scripture not to clear any one but to silence and overthrow them all and that is the words of the Apostle Rom. 9. 6 7 8. where the Apostle having sufficiently hinted to them the rejection of a great part of the Jews in his profession of that great heavinesse and sorrow of heart in their behalf and that he could wish that himself were accursed from Christ for them undertakes to answer an objection If Israel be cast off then the Word of God will be of none effect his promise will faile But the promise of God made with his people cannot faile therefore Israel in such a considerable number is not cast off In which place saith One this very Text that now is the apple of our contention was brought into question This Argument thus held out in behalf of the Anabaptists is borrowed from Stapleton the Jesuite at least Stapleton hath gone before him in it and he hath learned to a haire to follow him Stapleton in his antidote undertaking to make good that Calvin contradicts the Apost which he puts into his Marg. saith Calvin says that the whole progeny of Abraham is holy because God entred the covenant of life with him in these words I will be a God to thee and thy seed that is according to Calvin to all that shall descend from him to all that according to the flesh are borne to him as also now the partition-wall being taken away to all the children of Christians which according to the flesh shal be born to them And Calvin addeth saith he that God calls all of the off-spring of Israel his children But saith he the Apostle speaks the contrary expressely They are not all Israel that are of Israel neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they
them John Baptist in that place doth not deny them which also now they had in visible possession All sorts of men fare better by priviledge of birth in civil things Prov. 19. 14. House and riches are the inheritance of fathers The Jews fared better respective to Religious things Rom. 3. 1. VVhat advantage then hath the Jew or what profit is there of Circumcision Much every way Priviledge of Ordinances in the Church of God is a Birth-inheritance CHAP. XLVIII The Covenant in New Testament-times takes in parents with their children BUt in case all this be yeelded in Old Testament-times that the Covenant entred was in this latitude that the whole of Abrahams seed were taken with him into Covenant and that then it ran in a race by carnal descent yet it is otherwise at least in New Testament-times No childe fares now the better respective to any visible Church-interest for the Faith or Religion of their Ancestours And here is a fourth difference between the first and second the Old and New Covenant according to some The first Covenant was entred in that latitude to take in Children with their parents Posterity with their Ancestours according to the Charter so long infisted upon But in New Testament-times the Covenant reaches no farther then the person that actually enters He covenants for himself his seed have no more or farther interest then the seed of Heathens and Pagans When I first published my Birth-priviledge I here expected opposition and did look that some would appeare to put this limit to the Covenant in New Testament-times but for the state of the Church under the first covenant I thought I should not have found an opposite and therefore was lesse mindful of the confirmation of it which I hope is now done to the Readers full satisfaction As to those that plead such a change of things in New Testament-times we might interrogate them in sundry particulars First when God by free Charter did once vouchsafe such a grant to his people how it can be made appear that it was ever reversed or any such limit put to it when the Church of God hath held it in see from Abraham to this present hour they may well look that they should produce some plaine word from God revoking his grant that challenge them for usurpation It is true that Gods Sovereignty is such that he may contract his grace at pleasure As he may wholly strike a people out of covenant so he may put what termes he pleases to it but such that affirme it should make it appear in which hitherto they have been silent They that will eject us out of so long a possession had need to make their plea firm for our eviction Secondly we might demand the reasons why the Covenant should run in so narrow a limit now being vouchsafed in so great a latitude then being once made of God as with men of yeares so with little ones Deut. 29. Why should little ones be now excluded and onely men of growth admitted when it is granted on all hands that God continues a people to himself how comes it to passe that he admits them on such new termes That his favours are now thus shortened that as a lease for terme of life differs from a fee-simple for inheritance so the Covenant in New Testament-times differs from the Covenant vouchsafed of God to our fathers Where the absurdity lies that Baptisme should be administred to those that do not actually beleeve when yet Circumcision was administred to infants in as great an incapacity Thirdly we might demand how they can avoid that great scandall that must needs by this meanes be given to the beleeving Jewes who waved the old way of the administration of the covenant and embraced the new to have their infants upon this new admission struck out of Covenant A man that should be seized on an inheritance for ever will hardly be brought to quit that tenure and accept with limit for terme of life God was their God and the God of their seed Gen. 17. 7. They did bring forth children to God Ezek. 16. 20. Now they bring forth children without God They have a seed but no holy seed a world replenished but not a Church or people to God continued The savage Indians in a married condition have this priviledge that their issue are not bastards and this is all that can be claimed by Christians Fourthly we might demand if so great a change were made and held in the Apostolique Primitive times how it comes to passe that there was such silence no man moving a question about it The pomp of worship and observation of places formerly in use was laid aside in Gospel-times but this we hear of and the reason of it John 4. 22. The initiating Sacrament of Circumcision had a period put to it of this we hear and many complaints about it Psalteries Harps Organs Cymbals and such instruments of musick in use in the time of the Law were laid aside in Gospel-times and not known in the westerne Churches till after Thomas Aquinas his dayes As this was done so it was not past in silence but spoken of as elsewhere I have shewn and given reasons of it by Justin Martyr or at least one that beares his name Chrysostome Isidore Thomas Aquinas When none of these changes can passe but observation is made it is more then strange that so great a change as this in the termes of the Covenant between God and his people can be so carried on without any observation at all or one word once moved about it or spoken in it See Master Baxters Treatise of Infants Church-membership proving that Infants were sometimes Church-members page 26 27. that there is no repeale of this grant vouchsafed of God p. 27 28. Waiting for some faire answer to the former demands I shall proceed to those texts of Scripture where the Covenant in New Testament-times is held out in this latitude to beleevers and their seed comprizing their parents in the same priviledge of Covenant and participation of promise First let us look into those words of Peter delivered in his first Sermon after the receiving of the holy Ghost the first place in which the Covenant of promise and Baptisme the Seale of the Covenant are mentioned to the Jewes with whom the Apostles as yet held communion being not actually rejected out of a visible Church-state Repent and be baptised every one of you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afarre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts 2. 38 39. In which words we may observe 1. An Exhortation as to repentance for the guilt of the blood of Christ of which they stood convinced so also unto Baptisme 2. A Motive stirring them up to embrace baptisme in the
this Text is meant of Gospel-glory in Ordinances dispensed by the Apostles Ministery And as to the Jewes appertained the glory and the promises Rom. 9. 4 5. So now the glory and promises belong to the Gentiles And as many Jews as fell not off still enjoy this this glory with the Gentiles and so both make one new man Eph. 2. 15. The visible state of the Jews was a distinct body from the Gentiles Now upon this glorious call they are one new man or new body For the Texts Gal. 3. 14 26 28 29. when any shall tell me how they are paralle then I shall give my answer There is an in graffing into Christ mentioned but none into the Church and so the parallels are without force as are the Arguments Two things lie upon him to do and neither is done 1. To prove that these Scriptures speak of a Church invisible That they are parallel with this Scripture He is wont to reason with his full strength against the force of all Arguments à Pari and yet this argument must carry force from the parity of Scriptures which he only says and not at all proves to be parallel nor yet shews so much as in a word wherein their parity consists he well knows that by this means their disparity might appear There is a tenth Argument drawn from Authorities produced but to so little purpose that I will not trouble the Readers patience in the recital of it CHAP. LI. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Vindicated THe next Scripture in which this extent of the Covenant is evidenced is 1 Cor. 7. 14. For the unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your Children uncleane but now are they holy In order to a right understanding of these words the whole scope of the Apostl is to be taken into consideration which appears to be this The Corinthians converted by the Apostles Ministery consulted him by letters in several cases of conscience one concerning Marriage a second concerning things offered to Idols a third concerning spiritual gifts a fourth concerning collection for the Saints That of Marriage is first spoken to and consists of divers heads and are all satisfied in this Chapter One among the rest concernes Marriage-estate between a Beleever an an Infidel a Professour of the true Faith and a Worshipper of Idols whether such society may be continued or must be separated That this was their Quaere appears by the Apostles resolution He gives in his answer in the affirmative both in the case of a beleeving husband joyned to an unbelieving wife and a beleeving wife joyned to an unbeleeving husband let him not put her away let her not leave him only excepting the case of wilful desertion when for religions sake the unbeleeving party leaves Unbelief breaks not the Marriage-bond renders it not a nullity Religion being not of the substance of Marriage It might make null all Covenants as well as this Covenant the Law of God seeing that condemnes Marriage-Covenants with unbeleevers condemnes all other Covenants with them Deut. 7. 23. Having determined the point in an universal proposition or that which is equivalent with it A Beleever and an unbeleever joyned in Wedlock-bond are not to be separated He meets with their scruples and answers their objections against it That they had their scruples must be confest otherwise they had never sent the case to the Apostle And those scruples which reason it self will suggest that have a faire colour in Scripture for them and are met with and satisfied by the Apostle in this his answer we must take to be their scruples and grounds of their feares Unlesse we had the Corinthians letter we have no other way of cognizance of them And these are two I shall mention the second in the first place seeing I am to dwell upon the first and that is their jealousie of themselves of their own standing and perseverance in the Christian Faith This in reason they might well fear who so active to seduce and draw away as a yoke-fellow and this hath fair colour of Scripture for it Deut. 7. 4. They will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods Examples are not wanting Nehem. 13. 26. Did not Solomon King of Israel sin by these things yet among many Nations was there no King like him who was belov'd of his God and God made him King over all Israel neverthelesse even him did outlandish women cause to sinne To this the Apostle answers and opposes the hopes of conversion of the unbelieving party How knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife As there is fear of seducing so there is hope of conversion The other is the condition of their issue lest they should not be reckoned with the Saints but of the fellowship of uncleane Gentiles Reason is strong for this they well knew that as it is with the Parent so it is with the Childe for Church-state and condition being a priviledge communicable and derived by descent from Parent to Childe If the Parent were without and of the Gentiles the Childe was ever such and in case the parents were of the people of God their children were reckoned so in like manner Now Parents being divided the one holy the other unclean they feared that the issue would follow the worser part a staine would lie upon them they would be accounted unclean with the unbeleeving parent this hath a faire colour of Scripture likewise and in a like case it had been so determined Ezra 10. 3. Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God to put away all the wives and such as are borne of them The Apostle takes off these fears of theirs and tells them that the unbelâ—â—ving party doth not as they fear defile the issue but is sanctified as to issue by the Beleever so that their children are holy and to be reckoned with the believing Parent who is a Saint not unclean not reckoned with the unbeleeving parent who is a Gentile and so takes off their scruples respective both to themselves and their issue and quiets their fears So that several positions might be here laid down for a right understanding of the words 1. By Beleever in this place is meant a man or woman professing the true Faith and bearing the name Christian 2. By Unbeleever is meant an Infidel an unconverted Gentile living in Idolatry sacrificing to Devils and not to God of such the question is put and not of regenerate and unregenerate such a scruple was never heard whether or no such might continue marriage society 3. To be sanctified here is not to be made holy which is the case of the Regenerate or to be set apart for God which is the case of the visible Saint and Christian but together with their yoke-fellow to be an holy root to produce an
birth legitimate not spurious renders the reasoning here in this place 1. Childish 2. Incongruous 3. Untrue 1. Weak and childish to tell the Corinthians if their marriage-society were adulterous then their children were bastards if their marriage were nul children were illegitimate This is too low a way of reasoning und unworthy of the Apostle such that every childe well knew before the Apostle told them In that great contest about the marriage of Henry the eighth with the relict of his brother Arthur in which the judgement of so many Universities was desired if one had argued that in case this marrige be a nullity then the Princesse is not legitimate But the Princesse is legitimate Ergo the marriage is no nullity he would have been looked upon as a strange disputant 2. Incongruous To bring phrases fully answering the Church-state and condition of either parents beleeving unbeleeving which in the Scripture is holy and uncleane and yet to understand them of holinesse and uncleannesse of another kinde of legitimation and bastardy if they may be as I think they never were so called is meerly incongruous That these words fully answer the Church-state of parents and the Church-state and condition which the children derive from them is plaine in that parallel text Gal. 2. 15. Jews by nature that is holy by birth from beleeving parents not sinners of the Gentiles not uncleane by birth from unbeleeving ancestors So Master Cartwright on these words in his answer to the Rhemists If you will know what this holinesse of children new-born is the Apostle telleth you it is through the Covenant to be a Jew by nature or birth and if you will farther understand what this uncleannesse of children is the Apostle in the same place telleth you it is not to be sinners by nature as those which are born of the Heathen I well know and acquainted the Reader p. 2. of my Birth-priviledge that the Apostles scope Gal. 2. 15. is another viz. to prove that Jews and Gentiles have both one and the same justification not by works of the Law but by Faith but falling upon the mention of the Jewe and Gentile he gives them characters as Master Cartwright well observes fully parallel to that which is here delivered 3. The argument thus understood is untrue The stresse is wholly laid on the beleeving party as to the holinesse of the issue twice over The unbeleever is meerly passive in it when the childe hath legitimation equally from both Against the former interpretation and for mine which Chamier affirmes to be Calvini omnium nostrorum take these arguments 1. That holinesse which necessarily follows to the issue from the sanctification of an unbeleeving by a beleeving yoke-fellow is Covenant holinesse and not legitimation But the holinesse in this place of the Apostle necessarily follows to the issue from the sanctification of an unbeleever by a beleever Ergo it is Covenant-holinesse not legitimation 2. That which is derived from the eminency of one parent above another and not equally from both is not legitimation But this holinesse is derived from the eminence of one parent viz. the beleeving parent above the other Ergo it is not legitimation 3. The result or fruit which follows from a beleevers faith is not legitimation But the holinesse in the Text is a result of the faith of the beleeving yoke-fellow The minor is evident seeing faith is twice hinted at in the beleever I know that there is one that denies that the unbeleeving husband or wise is here said to be sanctified in the beleeving It is saith he in the husband not in the beleeving husband in the wife not in the beleeving wife that is not in the Text. The marriage is between a beleever and an unbeleever the unbeleever is sanctified whether husband or wife by their yoke-fellow but not as is said by their beleeving yoke-fellow the Reader that puts off his reason may matter such denials To evince sense of bastardy and legitimation from those words of the Text unclean and holy the Apostles argument is put by one into this forme If the unbeleeving husband were not sanctified by the wife then were your children uncleane But they are not uncleane but holy Ergo the unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife And this sequel as is said were not true if this proposition were not true All the children of those parents where one is not sanctified to the other are unclean The Proposition is of an unbelieving husband and a wife and yet the Proposition must be of all parents that will prove it as he that wiâ—â— prove If an Englishman be noble he is honourable must prove it by this universal or general All Noble men are honourable and not put in all Englishmen Noble for then he antecedent and the conclusion would be all one whereas the Proposition proving must be larger then the Proposition proved else we might conclude ex meris particularibus To say if the unbeleeving husband were not sanctified by the wife your children were unclean is all one with this All the children of the unbeleeving husband not sanctified to the wife are uncleane This of it selfe is not such that many words should need to be spent about it But seeing that a learned hand layes so much and so great stress upon it It may not be slightly passed over and who sees not here a wilde parallel well worthy of such a monstrous assertion The proposition is of two standing in full disparity and an instance is given in a single person where there is no disparity at all and by two adjuncts which are Synonyma I desire to know how this sequel may be proved If a wife of an ignoble birth be not made Noble by her husband her issue is ignoble must it be proved by this Proposition The issue of every wife not made noble by her husband is ignoble or will it serve The issue of every ignoble wife not made noble by her husband is ignoble If a poore man take a wife and is not enricht by her he still remaines in a poore condition shall this be made good by a proposition That all men taking wives and not enricht by them are in a poore condition or will it serve that every poor man taking a wife and not enricht by her is in a poore condition are these true or are they false propositions Yea what is affirmed in his own instance to prove that if an Englishman be noble he is honourable it is sufficient to prove it by this Proposition All Englishmen noble are honourable will not hold Let any one tell me how he will make good this Proposition If a Dutchman be borne of a Duke he is a Duke if he be borne of an Earle he is an Earle must it be All men born of Dukes are Dukes of Earles are Earles This with us in England is false but of all Dutch men thus borne it is truth But the
own merit It seems that Proposition of Christs That which is borne of the flesh John 3. 6. will not hold unlesse it must for ever continue flesh and no omnipotence of God shall be able to make it otherwise It is further said and yet it may be certain that the child of two unbeleevers may be federally holy at birth whether it be understood of Election inherent holinesse or outward holinesse if God please to work and declare it To this I onely say let that proposition stand till God by such a miracle confute or contradict it and whensoever he shall thus own such unclean infants as federally holy I shall be silent It is farther said But the issue of them that are not lawfully enjoyned as husband and wife cannot be made legitimate by God because it is contrary to the definition of legitimation which is a state consequent upon birth by the lawful copulation of lawful husband and wife So that the reply is brought to this because God by his omnipotence can make our uncleane ones holy and to make their uncleane ones holy is without the verge of omnipotence therefore his interpretation stands and ours must fall If we should put case in their manner that God should appear in approbation of a mans enjoying a woman out of marriage-society then there were a legitimation of the issue as he did the marriage of the brothers wife Deut. 25. 5. otherwise against the moral Law Levit. 18. 16. Or as some understand it the Prophets taking a wife of whoredoms CHAP. LII Gal. 4. 29. Vindicated THe next Scripture Text to make good the point in hand is Gal. 4. 29. As then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit even so it is now For the clearing of which I have observed heretofore in the Apostles words there First the History Secondly the Mystery by way of Allegory Thirdly the parallel by the Apostle observed and applied to his own times The History we finde verse 22 23. It is written that Abraham had two sonnes the one by a bond-maide the other by a free-woman but he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh but he of the free-woman was by promise The Mystery by way of Allegory verse 24 25 26. Which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from the Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Agar For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Hierusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children But Hierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all The parallel in these words But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit so it is now From whence this argument is drawn If there yet remaine in the bosome of the Church children borne after the flesh as well as those that are borne of the Spirit so that the distinction of births as applied to Abrahams seed still hath place among Christians then there is that priviledge of birth-holinesse still remaining The consequence is plaine Birth of the flesh in the Church gave a Church-interest The Apostles kinsemen after the flesh Rom. 9. 3. were all Church-members That there is is such a birth yet remaining the Text quoted makes cleare Ishmael was in Abrahams family and was by birth of his family and did persecute in the family and was by birth of his family and did persecute in the family as the Apostles shews out of Scriture History Men in the Church borne in the Church by birth-right of the Church do persecute as upon experience he affirms and so makes up the parallel There birth of the flesh is the highest honour they attaine when others have the same with an addition to it this implies two things 1. A birth of nature a childe by lineal descent of such a father 2. Outward prerogatives that accompany such a birth I know and have declared that this is not that which the Apostle here chiefly intends or is about to hold out But this I affirme that he occasionally layes down that which I here have delivered And by this free concession of mine any man in reason might have thought that I had prevented that which is still charged upon that which from this Text I have inferred or rather that which in this Text I have observed one largely shewing that these words in hand are a compound proposition which Logicians call a comparative proposition in which are two parts a Protasis and an Apodosis or rendring wherein that which answers the fore part first held out is expressed now that alwayes notes some agreement correspondence parity or likenesse whether in quantity quality action c. But according to my Apodosis or reddition as is said there is no such answerablenesse or likenesse as hath the shew of a comparison of things equal or alike as this is as the affirmative termes shew for who would conceive any better then non-sense in such a speech as this Even as Ishmael persecuted Isaac so the children of Christian beleevers are visible members in the Christian Church It were all one as to say even as Esau hated Jacob so godly men are heirs of heaven or have accesse to God The absurdity of which with him is so grosse that the man is amazed that I do not see it nor will confesse it Being above his strength to answer that sense which I give of the words he is pleased to take paines to make them up by his glosse into non-sense that so no answer may need But he well knows or might know that I have not to deale with the whole of that Protasis nor the whole of that Apodosis and not at all with the persecution there mentioned but onely with the distinction there let fall which is a distinction of births both in Abrahams family and in the Church in Gospel-times which the Apostle in his Application in those words Then and Now plainly doth demonstrate The truth which the Apostle supposes and takes for granted I have here to speak to and not to that which by way of allegory he infers from it or applies to it and so the list of authours here brought in by my adversary speaking of the persecution of Christians by Jews and Papists may all of them speak truth but none of them all any thing against me who deduce no more from the words but that a distinction of births is there laid down or rather taken for granted which is by the Apostle allegorised but the allegory is not at all within that which I am upon I met with like dealings from the same hand when I did compare 1 Cor 7. 14. with Gal. 2. 15. to make good a title to Covenant-holinesse by birth of nature both with Jew and Gentile I then heard those words of the poet Cerniâ—us an qui amant ipsi sibi somnia fingunt But the evidence of
being sanctified they are holy Sixthly If children be not taken into Covenant with their parents then the most godly of Parents bring up children not in covenant but for a covenant not in any present interest of relation to God but at best in an hopeful expectation of it They bring not forth children to God but at best they have their desires to traine them for such a future visible relation But there is no such example in all Scripture of a parent in covenant training up the seed of their bodies for a covenant No one in all New Testament-Scripture ever bred up a childe in yeares to baptize him no more than in Old Testament-Scriptures they bred their children to circumcise them we read of many baptized in years but we read of none borne of Christian parents kept till yeares of discretion to be baptized Seventhly If children be not received into covenant with their parents but stand without covenant and in no right of Church-membership then they are without any Scripture-ground of hope of salvation then they are as all others that are out of covenant without Christ without God without hope And because some have risen up against this Argument with high clamours though hitherto with feeble or rather no reasons I shall somewhat more enlarge my self in confirmation of it That which the prime authours of and chiefest sticklers for the non-federation of infants freely confesse which the general consent of their adversaries Protestant Writers unanimously upon Scripture grounds conclude that the present Patrons can maintain with nothing but clamours and such reasons improved to the highest which will equally conclude the hopes of the greatest Drunkards Idolaters Adulterers Heathens that must be taken for an Argument of force and a reason conclusive this cannot be denyed But so it is here as I shall make good in several particulars 1. Those of the Church of Rome that have stood up against Infants covenant-holinesse do confesse that all infants going out of the world as they came into the world in that estate perish and so have provided a chamber in hell which they call by the name of Limbus Infantum and now since their Limbus Patrum by Christs death is made empty by the fetching out all that were there in expectation of him and the number of infants thus dying increasing it is said by some that these two are laid together howsoever it falls out with these places about which we have no reason to busie our selves this position that infants thus dying without any covenant or Church-interest do perish followes as directly from their principles as any conclusion from its premises 2. Protestant Divines who assert Infant-salvation and beleeve no such division of hell into chambers and have other thoughts of the condition of Infants still bring this interest of theirs in the covenant of God as their ground not prying into the secrets of Election nor urging prerogative above that which is written the covenant of God Gen. 17. 7. confirmed by the New Testament-Scriptures before mentioned They very well know that in case Papists can wrest this covenant-interest of infants from them they conclude according to Scripture-ground their damnation Luke tells us there were daily added to the Church such as should be saved namely to the Church visible as the Text is clear Acts 2. 47. Now if they stand not admitible into the Church they stand without hope of salvation see how the Apostle joynes these together Ephes 2. 12. Without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world If any can conclude against the interest of any in the Common-wealth of Israel that is the Church of God and the covenants of promise which those do that will have them to be no Church-members nor to be taken into covenant with Parents they sadly doome them to be without Christ without God without Hope Those that disclaime Zuinglius his opinion that Hercules Socrates Aristides Numa and such like Heathens are now in heaven would be desired to shew how they cast those out upon that account as Heathens and take in infants as great strangers according to them to any Church-interest Infants want not sin for condemnation our first Original estate being a corrupt estate and by nature children of wrath and putting them out of covenant they can finde no Scripture-way to entitle them to Christ for redemption They seeme to conceive other hopes of the salvation of infants of Heathens that upon the same ground they may be charitable to the infants of Christians that with them are in the same posture with Heathens when they speak of Hercules and other Heathens as before yet speaking of the infants of Heathens they say It is bad to say that God doth not save some of the infants of Indians pro bene placito according to his good pleasure For any warrant we can finde in Scripture it is as bad to say it of the parent as of the childe The Scriptures leave the whole of the Family root and branch under the fury and wrath of God Jeremiah 10. 25. Psal 79. 6. 3. The present Patrons of this non-federation of infants can maintaine their salvation with nothing but clamours and such reasons improved to the highest that equally conclude the salvation of the greatest drunkards adulterers idolaters Heathens I shall now purposely for peace sake passe by those high clamors and bitter invectives that we meet with on this occasion and come to take notice of the reasons produced to exempt infants from this doom of condemnation and all that I can find is one and the same thing to fly for refuge to prerogative This is my judgement saith one that God will have us to suspend our judgment of this matter and Rest on the Apostles determination Rom. 9. 18. For satisfaction of which I need to adde no more than what I have said page 15. of my Answer seeing it rests not one word yet replied to it The Text of Scripture which we have over and over is that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy telling his adversary that it is bad to say that God doth not save pro bene placito which no adversary of his will deny But God is pleased in his Word to make known the way of the dispensation of his mercy otherwise the vilest person against whom in our ministerial way we denounce Gods judgments may reply that his hope of salvation is as good as the best for God saves ex bene placito and hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and the best soul in a case of disertion will take off all his applications of comfort with the close of that Scripture And whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9. 18. And so the Jews even in their rejection of which the Apostle speaks so largely being cut off by unbelief might have pleaded their hope
thing will serve as an expresse proof when they have a mind to affirme it and nothing will serve to evince it by consequence when they have a mind to deny it But as Disciples are women so families have children There are Families without children and there are Disciples there are not women The commission is to disciple Nations and baptize them Providence hath happily ordered that Nations have been brought in and their Infants received to Baptisme In the Primitive times housholds were baptized without mention of exclusion of children in after-ages housholds have come in with their children Secondly It is yet objected Men must believe and be baptized Mark 16. 16. Repent and be baptized Acts 2. 39. Infants can neither beleeve nor repent therefore they may not be baptized and will it not as directly follow that when they can neither believe nor repent they must be damned let them frame an answer to the one and then they have answered both That which will speak for them to receive them into heaven notwithstanding those Scriptures that threaten condemnation to men in unbelief and impenitency will speak also to receive them into the Church by Baptisme Thirdly Some say Where is it said in so many words infants must be baptized Bring us those words we abhorre syllogismes and consequences To deale with them with their owne weapons Where is it said that Infants must not be baptized where are those words written if they care not for our consequences we shall not care for theirs They have answered Negatives cannot be proved To this we answer 1. Where is that said we finde it no where in Scripture that Negatives cannot be proved 2. Christ proved Negatives That himself was not a Spirit A Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have Luke 24. 39. That God was not to be tempted Mat. 4. 7. 3. if Negatives cannot be proved then Negatives are not to be believed ours is an Affirmative which they yield may be proved theirs is a Negative which they say cannot be proved we then have the better of it there is hope of proof on our side theirs is desperate To help the Reader in a word for the necessity of consequences If those be fools that cannot gather consequences from Scripture to settle their faith upon them then much more those that deny them But such are fooles by our Saviours own testimony that cannot gather consequences from Scripture to settle their faith on them Luke 24. 25 26. O fools and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to have entred into his glory Those were fools and dullards that did not beleeve from the Scriptures of the Prophets that Christ must suffer and enter unto glory But those words are no where in expresse words written It is alone by consequence from the Prophets words that we know them Somewhat I have spoken to those that reason in this sort lest they should be wise in their own conceit I will have no more to deal with them lest I be thought to be like them Fourthly There is a great flourish made by some as though Antiquity were against Infant-Baptisme and famous flourishing Churches never received it In which some have taken much pains but never did men travel in a businesse to lesse purpose as all may see that will take the pains to read what they have wrote and bring it home to that which lies upon their hand to prove which is that Infant-Baptisme is not ancient as is pretended that there were some ages of the Church in which it was not in use In all of which search of theirs and help that they have found from the greatest Antiquaries of the Socinian party no friends to the Baptism of infants they cannot finde one Writer of any kinde whatsoever or wheresoever from the day that John baptized in Jordan and in Aenon near Salom to this very year that hath said and left on record That there was no such custome as Infant-Baptism in his dayes and when so many have expressely affirmed that the original was from the Apostles and that no beginning of it in the Church can be found till some one appear in contradiction to assert the non-usage of it in his time let any indifferent Reader judge to what purpose all serves that can be said The primitive times had not musical instruments in their congregations they had not Altars Images they erected not Temples to Saints this we hear from Writers in their several Ages and in case they had not infant-Baptism when the Church of the Jewes had infant-circumcision and the ancient made Baptisme to succeed circumcision and never any one mention their non-usage of it or give any reason concerning it is above a wonder the prime argument to render this practice to be of lower standing than is pretended is the silence of some Authors of ancient who times in their workes as is said do not mention it as Ignatius Clemens Alexandrinus Athanasius Epiphanius and Eusebius if it had been known in their times why do they not once mention it To this much might be said 1. Every Writer doth not treat of all Subjects nor deal in all Arguments some have written in our age and infant-Baptism is not found in all their Writings shall after-ages infer upon their silence that infant-Baptisme was not used in our times 2. If some Writers do not mention it yet others in the same time or neer about speak fully to it 3. Master Marshal full proofs of it in several of the Authors that are said to be silent in it as Clemens Alexandrinus Athanasius and that in Epiphanius that doth necessarily imply it And those that minde farther satisfaction of his Objections drawn from the Questions put to the baptized and the delay of Baptisme by some they may finde it in his Answer and if he ingenuously confessed that he craved the help of some learned Antiquaries it speakes but little ingenuity in those that once and again upbraid him for it I have put to the adversaries seven Queries concerning the practice of antiquity about Infant-Baptiâ—me with some Observations also about it in my Answer of his Letter page 3. to the tenth which I thought might give some satisfaction to all that which hath been spoke to this thing but have received no answer It is said by one that the determination mentioned by Cyprian so farre as he can finde by search is the spring-head of infant-Baptisme which upon challenge made he thus explaines I did not deny that I found infant-Baptism practised before but that the determination of that Councel was the spring-head that is the first determined rule or Canon by force of which it hath since continued in a stream and this is true It seemes the River had runne some hundreds of years before the spring-head brake forth but not in such a channel as a determinate rule or Canon
when it is well known that infant-Baptisme was not in that Councel of 66 Bishops at all agitated much lesse determined It was not put to the Question but taken for granted by all that were present The dispute and the determination was upon that which Fidus questioned which was the Baptisme of infants before eight dayes old and not infant-Baptisme how could he mean that it hath since continued in a streame by vertue of that determination or Canon when he very well knowes there was neither determination nor Canon upon it nor yet any need of it They determined that which in their meeting was put to the Vote that an infant under eight dayes might be baptized So that this Quaere as all the rest stands unsatisfied and antiquity cleared for infant-Baptisme It is yet farther said that many learned men in former and latter times take infant-Baptisme onely for an unwritten tradition giving us a list of Popish Writers that have spoke to this purpose a Cardinal in a Popish Councel Bennus Bellarmine and Erasmus that had scarce stept over the threshold from them To which we answer That it is no marvel if these making it their businesse to parallel unwritten Traditions with Scriptures some of them to preferre them before them and knowing infant-Baptisme to be in honour in all Churches do pin it upon unwritten Tradition that so they may advance the honour of unwritten Tradition with it yet even these cite Scriptures for it and so marre their own market of Traditions as those that procure them are forced to acknowledge When Bellarmine would argue the Scriptures imperfection and assert a necessity of unwritten Tradition then he can affirme that infant-Baptisme hath no other foundation but when he will defend infant-Baptisme against those that matter not Tradition he can finde Scripture for confirmation Foreseeing this Objection an Answer is brought out of Bennus That some things may be proved out of Scripture when the true sense of Scripture is evident and infant-Baptisme is proved from John 3. 5. but the sense whereby to prove it is manifest by tradition Becan Manual lib. 1. cap. 2. sect 24. It is very well known that these Jesuites will say as much of any point of Faith and leave the whole meaning of all Scripture to rest on the Churches interpretation continued by tradition As to the quotation of Protestant Authors so many of them as have kept up the honour of Scripture and made no defection from that way it onely speakes their boldnesse to affirme that any of them ever dishonoured infant-Baptisme in that way as to settle it upon unwritten tradition or to fixe it on such a bottome They very well know that as they defend the Scriptures full perfection and make it their businesse to oppose all that would have it ek't out by any thing that is unwritten so they assert infant-Baptisme on Scripture-foundation Can they think that they have to deal with such weak adversaries that whiles against their party they contend with Scripture-Arguments that infants ought to be baptized they will yield up the cause on the other hand to Papists and confesse the insufficiency of Scriptures But the homonymie or various acception of the word Tradition may deceive the unwary Reader Sometimes tradition is taken in the proper sense for that which is delivered or handed over from one to another in this sense every point of faith is a tradition and so is Baptism it self as well as infant-Baptisme in which sense Paul takes it 2 Thes 2. 15. Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle Sometimes tradition is taken for that which is delivered in word without writing as there is distinguished a tradition by word and a tradition by Epistle what Paul taught in his Epistles is a tradition and what Paul delivered by word of mouth is a tradition and both must be held Here somewhat seemingly is spoken for unwritten traditions by the Apostle For solution of which our Protestant Divines have taught us to distinguish between the doctrine it self that is delivered to us and the way and manner of delivery So Chamier de canone fidei lib. 8. cap. 1. sect 16. The former of those might admit of many sub-divisions The way of delivery is either by writing in the Scriptures or by lively voice by Gods Ministers as Chamier farther observes sect 19. Here again we must distinguish between words and things the words that are uttered and the doctrine that these words contain all words are not written all our words in Sermons are not written in the Scriptures all Pauls words in his Sermons are not written in Scriptures as appears by his distinction before delivered by word or Epistle but the doctrine it self that we deliver is contained there Paul preached nothing but that which Moses and the Prophets said should come Acts 26. 22. yet there were many words delivered by him which Moses and the Prophets never spoke They yet teach us to distinguish between that which is expressely written in the Scriptures and that which is by evident consequence thence deduced Amesius defending the Scriptures perfection against Bellarmine introducing unwritten traditions saith The Question is not whether in so many words all necessary truths are contained in the Scriptures but whether they may be gathered from thence in any expresse speech or necessary consequence Bellar. Enervat cap. 6. thes 1. Let Doctor Sclater in this be heard who speaking to this point saith Thus informe your selves 1. Where generals are delivered there are all particulars comprized in those generals intentionally delivered because generals comprehend particulars 2. Where principles and causes are delivered there effects are also intended as being virtually contained in their principles 3. Where one equal is taught all of like reason it taught quia parium par ratio and where there is par ratio there is par lex Where there is like reason there is like law So take contents of Scripture no instance of any point of necessary or but convenient faith and practice can be given but what is delivered in the written Word Doctor Sclater in 2 Thes 2. 15. and when they have well weighed these things they will finde small cause to believe that they have any advantage from these Authors Field it is said sayes The fourth kinde of Tradition is the continued practice of such things as are neither contained in the Scripture expressely nor the examples of such practice there delivered though the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of such practice be there contained and the benefit or good that followeth it Of this sort is the Baptisme of infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely delivered in Scripture that the Apostles did baptize infants nor any expresse precept there found that they should do so yet is not this so received by bare and naked tradition but that we finde in
Scripture to deliver unto us the grounds of it If they will subscribe to that part That the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of infant-Baptisme are contained in Scriptures then I will subscribe to the other that those words infants ought to be baptized are not the Scripture Then Doctor Prideaux is brought in who sayes Paedobaptisme rests on no other divine right then Episcopacy but we are not told whether Doctor Prideaux goes about to bring down infant-Baptism to unwritten Tradition or to bring up Episcopacy to divine right according to Scripture And out of these Premisses this conclusion is inferred that the Ancients and learned afore Zuinglius did account infant-Baptisme to have been an unwritten tradition having reason from Scripture not evident of it self but to be received from the determination of the Church Which for ought that I can discerne is thus gathered some Papists to set up unwritten traditions have in contradiction to themselves fastened infant-Baptisme upon it of which onely one lived before Zuinglius Some Protestant Writers every one of them living after Zuinglius speak not one word to the purpose Ergo the learned before Zuinglius did account infant-Baptisme to be an unwritten tradition Me thinks the Scripture-Arguments which may be found in Authors far above Zuinglius his standing as in Aquinas 3. part quaest 68. art 9. August de Baptis contra Donat. lib. 4. cap. 24. with others might with more strength conclude that they rested on a written foundation and were not satisfied with unwritten tradition CHAP. LVI The reality of connexion between the Covenant and initial seale asserted THe several minor propositions in the syllogismes before laid down being proved at large in the foregoing discourse So that nothing more needs to be added yet if there be no necessary connexion between the covenant and the seale the major propositions will yet be called into question Though it be granted that infants be Church-members are in covenant have the promises are Saints are in the bosome of the Church by birth-priviledge are children of the Kingdome c. Yet it will be said though most unreasonably that they are not yet to be baptized I shall therefore 1. Bring Scripture proofes for the real connexion between the covenant and the seale clearing those Scriptures from exceptions taken against them 2. I shall make it good with arguments or reasons 3. I shall returne answer to objections brought against that which is here asserted That all in covenant are to enjoy the initial seal of the covenant let the words of God himself in the institution of circumcision be considered Gen. 17. 7 9 10 11 14. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generations This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee Every man-child among you shall be circumcised and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskinne and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you And the uncircumcised man-child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people Here we see 1. A covenant entered 2. A seal appointed as the Apostle Rom. 4. 11. calls it 3. The necessary connexion between the seal and covenant declared They are to be circumcised because they are in covenant Having interest in the covenant They have together with it interest in the initial seal against this is objected First All the force of this proof hangs on the particle therefore verse 9. and may be rendared And thou or but thou as well as thou therefore and is by others rendered Tu autem and Tu vero which are neither of them illative termes 1. We have no reason but that it may be an illative as well as a copulative and being an illative particle he hath no exception against the strength of it 2. I deny that all the force of the proof hangs on that particle look farther on into verse 10. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-childe among you shall be circumcised and take in with it Acts 7. 8. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision And so Abraham begat Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day c. and let them at more leisure finde an answer to this argument That which God himself calls by the name of a covenant ought not to be separated from it But God calls circumcision by the name of a covenant Ergo they ought not to be separated 2. Let them consider the relation in which the Apostle puts this Sacrament of circumcision to the covenant Rom. 4. 11. An instituted appointed signe and seale is not to be divided from that which it signifies and seales circumcision was an instituted appointed signe and seale of the covenant therefore it is not to be divided from it Secondly it is said If it were granted that therefore is the best reading yet that the inference verse 9. should be made from the Promise only verse 7. I will be a God to thee and thy seed after thee and not as well if not rather from the Promise verse 8. of giving to him and his seed the land of Canaan I finde no sufficient reason given This reference engages the adversary 1. In a contradiction to himself who sayes elsewhere the promise of the Gospel was confirmed to Abraham by the signe of circumcision He also contends that it was a mixt covenant made up of spiritual and temporal mercies and then it must take in the spiritual as well as the temporal Promise All that know the nature of covenants and use of Seales know that the Seale ratifies all that the covenant containes But the covenant according to him contained not barely the promise of the land of Canaan and therefore the reference must carry it farther than the land of Canaan 2. It engages him in a contradiction to the Apostle who makes circumcision a signe and seale not alone of the land of Canaan but of the righteousnesse of faith Thirdly It is said But if it were yielded that the inference were made peculiarly from the Promise verse 7. to be a God to Abraham and his seed it must be proved that every Believers Infant childe is Abrahams seed afore it be proved that the Promise belongs to them It must either be proved that they are Abrahams children or have the priviledge of the Children of Abraham which from Genesis 9. 27. Rom. 11. 17. is sufficiently proved especially being confirmed by those Texts that carry the covenant in Gospel-times to the issue And for his exception that the covenant was not made to every childe of Abraham though it were true yet it would not serve his purpose provided that we in Gospel-times
judgement in this way of refutation as though the right in which they stood could be no Topick from which in a moral way the Apostle might perswade them to Baptisme When Shechaniah perswaded Ezra to the reformation of the marriage of strange wives in these words Arise for the matter belongeth unto thee Ezra 10. 4. Here was a motive in a moral way to call upon him to do it and an Argument inferred that it lay upon Ezra as a duty by command from God to set upon it The reason added is worthy of observation This is manifest from the form of words ver 38. which if they had exprest a right to Baptisme by vertue of the promise should have been in the indicative mood in such a forme as this you are to be baptized you may be baptized you have right to it the Minister ought to do it but the words are in the imparative mood exhorting them and perswading them to it They have quite forgotten that the words holding out their right are in the indicative mood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the promise is to you and your children And here is a notable correction of the Apostle he should have said if this had been his meaning you must be baptized and he sayes Arise and be baptized Lastly It is said In the paraphrases which usually in their disputes Paedobaptists make of Acts 2. 38 39. they put not any thing to answere the terme repent as if it stood for a cipher but paraphrase it thus Ye may be baptized you and your children for the Promise is to you and your children The sixth exception was against our interpretation of the word repent ver 38. as if it were as much as to say Covenant for your selves and your children and here it is complained that it is left for a cipher And the Author thinks he hath discovered the reason of this Omission The putting the word repent first and be baptized after doth manifestly overthrow their paraphrase of a right to Baptisme from the word of promise and shew that the particle For doth not prove a right to Baptisme but presse to a duty and such a duty as iâ— to have repentance precedent and that in every person that is to be baptized I confesse it presseth to a duty and such a duty as is to have repentance precedent in them that at that time were his hearers to interest themselves and with themselves their children in this priviledge But right and duty do not shoulder out one the other but very well stand together encouraging to a duty which is a priviledge as well as a duty he fitly makes use of their interest as a motive And they might see that the Apostle puts the promise in a greater latitude than he urgeth repentance He speakes to his hearers when he sayes repent and he tells them that the promise is to them and to their children with them Whereas our Author presseth the precedency of the word repent to the command of being baptized and elsewhere saith Pâ—â—er doth exhort to Repentance and Baptisme together and in the first place perswades to Repentance then to Baptisme which shewes Repentance to be in order before Baptisme I answer as I did before Chap. 48. that these who had crucified Christ as a blasphemer as a seditious person an impostor must needs repent before they would accept Baptisme in his name or hope for remission of sinne by him It had been lost labour for the Apostle to have pressed those that had crucified Christ and retained their former opinion of him to become Disciples to him and to look to be saved by him to perswade them to look for remission of sinnes in his blood who took themselves to be without sinne in shedding of it and yet notwithstanding this guilt of which the Apostle would have them to repent he shewes that they and their seed are under the promise of God and puts them into a way in acceptation of Christ in the Gospel-tender in his present way of administration to be continued his people still in covenant and that as is plainly enough signified that they might enjoy it in their former latitude to them and to their children So that Master Stephens his Interpretation so much sleighted by an adversary and repeated not in his words but in his own paraphrase upon them is indeed the Apostles meaning The Apostle saith he pag. 14. doth speak to these Jewes who had crucified Christ that if they would receive him as the particular Messiah the same promise should still continueâ— to them and their children in the new dispensation And on this doth he build the word of command to baptize father and childe To this the word repent here referres as may be made plaine First By taking into consideration the present state of this people and that in several particulars 1. As yet they had the promises with them and were children of the covenant Acts 3. 25. Though the Apostle Rom. 9. 4. do distinguish between the covenants and the promises yet to have the promises here and to be children of the covenant there seemes to be one If any can distinguish them this people had the honour of both of them God had not yet cast them out of a Church-state and covenant-relation 2. They were in present danger to be cast off according to what Christ had foretold Mat. 8. 12. Mat. 21. 43. Being so fast riveted to the ceremonial Law which now was dead and presently grew deadly God denying any presence as hath been said with them now the substanee was come 3. These particular persons with whom Peter had to deale were now well prepared for a free acceptation of a Gospel-way under this administration which Jesus Christ having pulled down the Law of Ordinances was to set up Being amazed with the glory of the mircale which was wrought before their eyes and convinced with the powerful application of the Prophets by Peter in that elegant Sermon they fell upon enquiry what they should do Secondly By comparing other Texts of Scripture which may serve as a Comment to the clearing of this especially two Texts of two Evangelists recording the words of Christ and holding out the impenitent obstinacy of the Jewes standing out against every call to repentance respective to their rigid pertinacious adhering to former dispensations and opposition of that now tendered and offered to them 1. That of our Saviour Christ Mat. 21. 31 32. Christ having held before them ver 28. 29 30. the parable of a certain man that had two sonnes and came to the first and said sonne go work to day in my Vine-yard He answered and said I will not but afterward he repented and went And he came to the second and said likewise and he answered and said I go Sir and went not and made appeale to them ver 31. Whether of them twaine did the will of his father and they answering the first Jesus saith unto them as it followes
in that and the next verse Verily I say unto you that the Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdome of God before you For John came unto you in the way of righteousnesse and ye beleeved him not but the Publicans and the Harlots believed him And ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might beleeve in him The Publicans and Harlots answer to the first brother who from a professed rebellion against the command of God by Johns preaching were brought to repent and accept of a Gospel-covenant and enter into it by Baptisme The chief Priests and Elders of the people that here opposed Christ preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome answer to the second brother that said he would go into the Vine-yard and went not These repent not but hold fast and pertinaciously adhere to the way of old received when the Publicans accept and imbrace the spiritual state of the Church by Christ set up From this impenitence of these chiefe Priests and Elders with whom these joyned in crucifying Christ Peter disswades and exhorts to the repentance of the Publicanes and Harlots The second Scripture which may give light to this text is much parallel to this Luke 7. 29 30. Christ having given a large testimony to John and his Ministry holds out the different effect that it took First in the people and the Publicanes ver 29. And all the people that heard him and the Publicanes justified God being baptized with the Baptisme of John Secondly in the Pharisees and Lawyers ver 30. But the pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized They persisted in their old way in opposition to that way held forth by John approved by Christ and refused baptisme These with whom Peter had to deale had gone with the Priests and Pharisees kept full pace with them even to the guilt of the death of Christ they were now in a good way to follow the steps of the Publicanes and People to embrace the counsel of God and accept baptisme their impenitence had held them from entrance into a new covenant-way by baptisme Peter therefore exhorts to repent and be baptized Thirdly This appeares by the Text it selfe whereas they will have the illative particle For to inferre no warrant or right in them to be baptized but onely a motive in a moral way urged as we have heard in the last exception It is worth our enquiry to learne what good interpretation suitable to Peters exhortation they put here on those words To you is the promise made and to your children excluding all consideration of right in them and their children Because Christ was promised to them and their children therefore they must repent and be baptized Not to insist upon that just exception of Master Gobbet page 23. That the Apostle doth not say the promise was to you as in reference to the time of making it to the fathers with respect unto them or in reference to Christ who was not now to come but already come as the Apostle proveth from ver 3. to 37. Nor is it the use of the Scripture when mentioning promises as fulfilled to expresse it thus in the present tense the promise is to you or to such and such but rather to annex some expression that way which evinceth the same giving instance almost in twenty several texts which utterly overthrows his exposition Let them tell us why in this moral perswasive holding out a bare motive to perswade the parent onely the children not concerned in the thing and in an utter incapacity should be mentioned And why the words should be carried in that way that interest in covenant and covenant-seales formerly ran and no right at all to covenant or covenant-seales intended This glosse puts too much violence upon the words But carrying it on as a disswasive from persistance in their former way of old covenant legal rites and perswading to embrace the way appointed by him whom God had made both Lord and Christ it singularly answers as to their present condition yet in covenant though in eminent danger to be cast out of covenant so also to the words of the text holding out a covenant-right in Scripture language according to the grand Charter of heaven I will be thy God and the God of thy seed so that I hope by this time the intelligent Reader will easily perceive the frivolous shifts instead of a ful refutation that 's here brought to avoid Paedobaptists proofs of a word of command to Baptize infants from this Scripture As these Scriptures plainly hold out the necessary connexion of the covenant and initial seale so the evidence of reason is cleare for it No man that stands enrighted or legally interested in any priviledge or possession may be denied that ceremony or seal which is appointed for confirmation A copy-hold being found the next immediate tenant of a copy-hold-right must not be denied but received according to the ceremony or solemnity of the place whensoever the King did grant out letters-pattents the Lord Keeper might not deny the seale the Lords Commissioners may not now deny it to any that by a just grant have interest This were to keep a childe out of his fathers house a servant from his place of abode and residence when Christ was so much displeased with his Disciples on like occasion these may well expect to be under as high displeasure Having thus made good the point it remaines that I take off some objections and meet with some quarrels that are raised against it If there be any necessary connexion between the covenant and the seale it must be saith one either by reason of some necessary connexion between the termes which is none for it is but a common accident to a man that hath a promise or a covenant made to him that he should have a special signe it may adesse vel abesse à subjecto it may be present or absent from the subject Giving some instances of covenants without seales Answ 1. By way of concussion it will be easily granted that a covenant may stand alone without a seale annexed but where a seale is appointed for confirmation as there hath been in the Church ever since God took a people to himself out of Abrahams loines there is a necessary connexion This answer he foresees and sayes But you will say All that are foederati should be signati since the solemne covenant with Abraham But neither is this certaine sith we finde no such thing concerning Melchizedek and Lot that lived in Abrahams time nor concerning Job that it 's conceived lived after his time If we read nothing to confirme it the Reader sees nothing to contradict it There is added But you will say it is true of all the foederati in Abrahams family But neither is that true for male-children before the eighth day and women though foederatae yet were not to be signed Is there no connexion between them because he that
multiplying glasse we had holy places holy Altars in which some of our present opponents went too farre to the grief of the godly and farther than the times with their streames needed to have borne them had he been meerely prest and no voluntier in it I wish they would seriously consider how ordinary it is with men to carry on their wayes in extreames and out of superstition to runne upon Sacriledge It is well known how apt the people of Israel were for idolatrous wayes and ready to embrace every superstition after the way of the Heathen and in conformity to them yet after the Babylonish captivity they were quite taken off that course What wickednesse soever they were otherwise guilty of yet it is observed that they kept themselves from Idols That sinne had so consumed them that at last it had even wearied them And then as it appeares from the Apostle they runne upon this extreame to which we are here speaking Therefore when in other things they are charged with the same sinne that as men of knowledge they condemned in others Thou that preachest that another should not steale doest thou steale Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery And the Series of the words leading to a charge of Idolatry the Apostle changes the phrase and saith Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge Rom. 2. 22. This was now their sinne in the other extreame not on their own heads to put a supposition of holinesse to the Lord on any thing for worship but to convert to other uses that which was sanctified as holy I know some understand these words in a Metaphor that by Sacriledge is meant the robbing of God of his honour by sinne against him but that interpretation the next words contradict in distinct words forbidding that Sacriledge if they will so call it Origen will turne it into an Allegory and understand the spoyling of the sense of Scriptures and stealing Christ out of the Scriptures But the text is plaine that it is a reproof applied to their capacities and in the letter convincing as well as the former of stealing and adultery The plaine sense saith Peter Martyr is the meaning May not I now say that these things are out examples to the intent that we should not runne with them in these extreames from an abhorrency of the one to the other from an abhorrency of Idols to the guilt of Sacriledge which according to the Schoolmen is rei sacrae violaâ—io or rerum sacrarum furtum a deteigning from God that which for an holy use is separate for him which separation is either of persons or of inanimate or irrational creatures I know there are those that affirme that there is no such separation for God in Gospel times and consequently there can be no such thing as this sin of Sacriledge in our times for what is not cannot be thus violated or detained As to the separation of inanimate or unreasonable creatures it cannot be fully denied nor yet must it fully be yielded that no such things are now to be accounted as separate to the Lord we must therefore distinguish These may be said to be separate for God and consequently holy two wayes 1. By divine institution and appointment So the Temple and Utensils of the Temple were holy 2. By divine approbation when men let them apart for advancement of such an holy use as God approves The former we confesse was proper to the times of the Law but the latter yet remaines in Gospel-times and upon this account Ravanellus justly makes the sinne of Ananias and Sapphira in keeping back part of the price of their land that was set apart by them for the service of the Church to be the sinne of Sacriledge The land before sale was his own and the price after sale was his own but now it was to serve by their voluntary act onely to a purpose that was holy The detaining of it is the violation of that which is holy And in this way both the places of publick worship and the revenues for maintenance of those that attend upon this worship are separate for God It will be thought somewhat out of my way to speak to these things yet having so fair an occasion I shall take the liberty of a few words concerning the places of worship shall speak somewhat in the negative and by way of concession There is not any such holinesse in them as in the Tabernacle and Temple This is disavowed by Christ John 4. 23. These had the preheminence above our places of meeting in foure several particulars 1. They had their institution and immediate injunction from God Exod. 35. 10 11. 1 Kings 5. 5. 1 Chron. 22. 9 10. 2. Their direction and prescription Heb. 8. 5. 3. Their promise not alone respective to the worship but the place Exod. 29. 42 43. 4. Their sanction or penalty in regard of typical prophanation Num. 19. 20. In all of these particulars we must give the Temple and Tabernacle the preeminence besides that the Temple and Tabernacle were but one for all Israel we have many In the affirmative I shall lay down several positions First there is equal warrant and reason for the building of our places of meeting for the worship of God as there was for the Synagogues of the Jewes Though we put no such holinesse on these places to parallel them with the Temple yet they have equal warrant and are to have equal respect with the Synagogues which the Jewes had in every City Acts 15. 21. Not only in Judea but where they were dispersed Acts 13. 14 15. There is no word in all the Scripture for the erecting of these Synagogues no mention made of them but once where a sad complaint is made of the burning of them Psal 74. 8. But the people of God being by Gods command to be instructed in the Law they built them places for conveniency of meeting and in such places they met The Law was there preacht Christ and his Apostles did preach there our places of meeting then stand in equal honour with these Synagogues Those that can say any thing for these Synagogues which we cannot say for our publick places of meeting let them produce it 2. There is as much reason and equal warrant to call our places of meeting by the usual common Name of Churches as to call theirs by the common name of Synagogues Nothing can be said to condemne the use of the word Church for our place of meeting but the like may be said to condemne the use of the word Synagogue for their place of meeting The Scriptures therefore calling theirs Synagogues Luke 7. 5. Acts 18. 7. we may therefore fitly call ours Churches That which is objected against the word Church is that Church signifies not a house of wood or stone but a society or fellowship of men professing faith in Jesus Christ So also
to doubting Christians First A life in distrust of God and rebellion against God provoking him to the highest punishment of the parents doth not divest the child of the title to the covenant and interest in the Sacrament of initiation into the number of Christians For proof of this look upon that act of Joshua when the people were got out of the Wildernesse and were brought into the Land of Canaan Josh 5. 6 7. The children of Israel walked fourty yeers in the Wildernesse till all the people that were men of warre that came out of Egypt were consumed because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord And the children which he raised up in their stead them did Joshua circumcise for they were uncircumcised they had not circumcised them in the way you see what the fathers were yet the children Joshua ordered to be circumcised Concerning their conversation the parents were enemies but as touching the election the choice made of God the issue is to be numbred among the beloved Who had a worse father than Josiah yet where was there a better son A circumcised man who in youth began to seek the God of his father David 2 Chron. 34. 3. Secondly Misbelief in a parent divests not the issue of this birth-priviledge though the father erre in the faith yet the child is not to be shut out of the number of beleevers We have in this particular the Apostle for a precedent had misbelief in the parent denuded the childe of this priviledge Saint Paul had not beene a Jew by nature but an Heretick or Sectary by nature being before conversion a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee Scribe was a name of office but Pharisee the name of a Sect and therefore Christ warns to beware of the leaven that is of the Doctrine of the Pharisees as of the Sadduces Such was Pauls parentage and yet by descent and off-spring he is of the people of the Jewes What we say of Pharisees is as true of Sadduces It is not to be doubted but they were circumcised persons and entitled their children according to the Directory in Scripture for circumcision as appears by their embodying of themselves with the people of the Jewes Matth. 22. 23. Acts 23. 6. The most strict of Pharisees took them into their society which they had not done had they not been men of the circumcision we see the accusation charged on Peter on this occasion Acts 11. 2 3. A man transmits not his errors nor his vices no more than he doth his graces Thirdly ignorance of needful truths in a parent doth not divest the childe of this priviledge Those were the people of God and therefore brought forth children to God that did perish for lack of knowledge Hosea 4. 6. that went into captivity for lack of knowledge Isa 5. A reverend brother giving his reasons why he is among his brethren singular in this point not baptizing all born in his Parish one maine one is the grosse ignorance among them and that as he sayes not in Cumberland and those parts but in Essex such that if he should print his Reader would scaree beleeve it were possible to be true To which I only say I wish that our own experience in the places where we live did give us occasion of suspition that any wrong is done them Therefore to let the truth passe unquestioned I would only wish him to consider whether there might not have been found the like in Corinth that Church of the Saints 1 Cor. 15. 34. Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame Whether there he might not have found the like among the illuminated Hebrews were not there those that were dull of hearing that when for the time they ought to be teachers they had need that one teach them againe which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and were become such as had need of milke and not of strong meat yet these were of the Church and therefore with them their children Fourthly illegitimation of birth adulterous copulation in the parents divesteth not such issue of this priviledge David had never in that manner sought in fasting and prayer his childes life had he believed that he must not have been of the seed of the Jews but of the uncircumcised Heathen Pharez was of such a birth yet who bore a greater name and glory in Israel than he and his family even where the illegitimation of his birth is noted there the glory of his race is magnified which is yet farther honoured in that Christ according to the flesh was made of his seed That seed of Abraham per eminentiam was out of his loynes Jepthah indeed was driven out by his brethren but not because that he was not of the seed of the Jews and people of God but because they would not have him to share of the inheritance among them A Reverend Divine saith Objections an ∣ swered That some persons may be notorious offenders as known Atheists mockers of Religion Idolaters Papists Hereticks Witches and yet professe before men the faith seemes to him to imply a contradiction These I confesse are plausible words to take with well-meaning souls that attend not to the language of the Scripture in this particular And for the first if he meanes Atheists in judgement that professedly maintaine in word what Davids fool said in his heart that there is no God and by mockers of Religion not those alone that oppose the power but with Lucian all notion of Religion and by Idolaters those that professedly worship false gods and worship not at all the Lord Jehovah then it cannot be denied that this is a contradiction But Reverend Master Rutherford whom he opposeth in that place hath no such meaning But for an Atheist in life to be a professour of the faith we have Paul expressely for it Titus 1. 16. They professe that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate The Apostle we see saw no contradiction in it and for mockers of Religion Peter did not foretell them to be out of the Church but within the bosome of it when he said There shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts 2 Pet. 3 3. For Idolaters if an Israelite might be an Idolater then a Christian How high were those in Idolatry mentioned Psal 106. 36 37 38 39 and yet in covenant ver 45. For the Church of Corinth the Apostle is plaine A brother may be an Idolater 1 Cor. 5. 11. It is within the Church and not without where men escape death by plagues yet repent not of the works of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of gold and silver and brasse and stone and of wood which neither can see nor heare nor walke Rev 9. 20. For Papists I marvel how they are distinguished from Idolaters and Hereticks for Hereticks as false Prophets were
Nehemiahs better Mat. 11 11. be for sin He that is not a sinner by birth should be no sinner in his life Baptisme is the greatest honour such bear Christs name and weare his livery they have that title in which Jude and James with other of the Apostles gloried A servant of Jesus Christ Baptisme is the greatest engagement Let every one that nameth Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. To talk of Baptisme and to live in sin is to wear the colours of one and plot and fight for another to wear Christs colours and fight for Satan Baptisme renders a sinner up to the heaviest punishment The high favours shewed to the Jewes made a Jew to fare worse in the wayes of sin than an Heathen Amos 3. 2. The high favours shewed to Christians make Christians to fare worse in sinful wayes than Heathens Heb. 2. 3. All in a Christians calling bespeaks this holinesse God by whom he is called 1 Pet. 1. 15. The work to which he is called 1 Thes 4. 7. The company unto which he is joyned Ephes 2. 19. The attendants by whom he is guarded Matth. 25. 31. The rule whereby he is guided Rom. 1. 2. The Seale by which he is confirmed Ephes 1. 13. And the place whither he makes and tends Heb. 9. 8. all are holy Secondly Let the parents of such seed now see what education is expected Breeding must answer birth and descent A Christian is of the noblest birth he must therefore have the most noble education and the Apostle calls upon parents to bring up their Children in nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6. 4. God may call on them thus to bring up his children in nature theirs in covenant Gods Every Christian parent hath a childe of God committed to his care and tuition How great a soloecisme is it that Parents should dedicate children so soon as borne unto Christ professing to the world that they belong to him and that with Hannah concerning Samuel they intend them for him when nothing appeares in their education but that they might have been given to Molok somewhat worse than the mongrell seed that spoke halfe in the language of Canaan and halfe in the language of Ashdod Nehem. 13. 24. Scarce a word can be heard out of their mouths to argue that they are Christians lisping out oaths as soone as words put to learne trades and little regard had that they might know Christ Jesus And how much is it to be desired that authority would take order for more careful catechistical teaching of youth in the wayes of Christian Religion that God may not complaine of England as of Israel My people perish for want of knowledge Hos 4. 7. A people of God and a people ignorant to perdition and destruction England is highly honoured of God by this gracious call with Capernaum lifted up to heaven England would highly honour God if care might be taken that all might know God from the highest to the lowest we shall never be a Gospel-like people till we be a knowing people 〈◊〉 we take care that as we are Jewes by nature so we may be Jewes in qualification so borne so bred that as our youth is descended so also they may be trained That as God honours our children with his name calling them his children so they may honour his name and advance his glory in all holinesse of conversation Thirdly Those may yet see whom they oppose that stand in opposition of a people thus interessed a people so ingratiated to God in covenant that there is not the least infant in whom God hath not his title and right of challenge The aggravation of the Psalmists complaint is that the Heathens are come into thine inheritance the dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the foules of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the Earth Psalme 79. 1 2 3. The whole body of such a people root and branch stand in relation to God as the inheritance the servants the Saints of God such inscriptions we finde in Saint Pauls Epistles not one of the whole body is excluded but they are such by covenant and such by calling Enough hath been said to make it to appeare that the denomination reaches even infants who are the Lords heritage Psalme 127. 3. and Christs name is upon them Matth. 18. 5. As it is accounted an happy work to dash the little ones of Babylon against the wall Psalme 137. 9. because of the hostility of that Nation against God and his people so it is a like execration to intermeddle with the little ones of Sion by reason of the holinesse of such a people their covenant-relations in which they stand interessed 2 Kings 8. 12. Much is spoken in Scripture against the enemies of the righteous the haters of them shall be desolate he that offends against them shall not be innocent Psalme 34. 21. God observes every carriage of the adversary towards them in misery they speak not a word but God hath it against them when Ammonites Tyrians cry Aha against the people of God they are witted with it and threatned for it Ezek. 26. 2. 36. 2. Not a proud word that they utter but it is brought in to fill up the charge against them Obad. 12. Psalme 137. 7. yea every eye that is cast with approbation of the adversary Obad. 13. 14. Every encouraging word they speak and every act they do against such a people yea injuries of elder times are kept in the deck and laid to them Deut. 25. 17. And all because they stand in this relation to God as his in covenant which you cannot limit onely to the personally righteous but all that are of a Society and fellowship that is such as are interessed in a righteous cause The holy anointing oile did make sacred when yet too often the man was wicked and therefore David looked upon Saul as the Lords Anointed It holds in Analogy and proportion unto all that have any unction from God as all the called of God have When they were but a few in number yea very few and strangers when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdome to another people he suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine Anointed Psalme 105. 12 13 14 15. All the people of God have that Anointing from God that none may dare to intermeddle for their harme God promises his people that dwell in Sion that the burthen of Assyria shall be taken from off their shoulder and his yoke from off their neck and that the yoke shall be destroyed because of the Anointing Isaiah 10. 27. Some will say as this is carried The danger of intermeddling with any is with us a like Even Papists and the worst of men that are called Protestants are thus of a people that are called Gods people and go by the name of Christians For answer I
of of God who go up into the Pulpit in the name of Christ to preach his Word ought to have such firmness of Faith in them that they are assured that their Doctrine can no more be overthrowne then God himself now truely this faith is much to be commended to us we may have much learning much reading but little Faith be very scepticall and deale in Divinitie as we use to do in Philosophy videtur quod sic videtur quod non Great Schollars are not alwayes great beleevers The want of this maketh a man of a Socinian faith an Arminian faith a Popish faith as often as any plausible Argument or carnal Interest interposeth 2. With this knowledge labour much after Casuisticall Divinity whereby you may be able to direct the tempted in cases of Conscience To guide the afflicted in soul what they are to doe Indeed the Papists have a deale of Casuisticall divinitie in large voluminous discourses but it is for the most part calculated according to their meridians of superstitious usages and Customes but it is pitty that among us Protestants our controversall Bookes are farre more then our casuisticall yet remember the Scripture calleth it the tongue of the Learned Isa 50. 4. To know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary The wounds of Conscience are the most tender and therefore require a Spirituall skilfull Physitian The Consciences of men are the subject matter of your Office and therefore look after that Ars Cordis which is indeed a liberall art that will set us free 3. He that will faithfully discharge the Office of his Ministery must regard the end of it the finis operis and finis operantis the finis ministerii and ministri must be all one The end of the Ministry is to exalt God Christ to dethrone Satan to bring many out of their sins unto the obedience of the Gospel Now if a man aim at other things in his Ministry then this he can never comfortably discharge it To be a Minister for earthly profits for ambition and vain glory these will be like the gravel that will presently stop the Ship in its passage and truly herein we may much lament our entrance in to this work how many set upon it as a profession to live upon by that they hope to satisfie their needs but if this end and motive do still reign in thee it will be like a milstone about thy neck outward maintenance may be a secondary end but not the principal still then a we thy soul with the end of thy office that all other knowledge is exercised about the body or mens Estates or the nature of things but thine is Theology De Deo à Deo in Deum its concerning God objectively it s from God effectively it s to God finally 4. He that will faithfully discharge this Office of the Ministry must as Paul professeth 2 Cor. 1. 12. have his conversation with all godly simplicity and sincerity He is to carry on his work in Scripture-ways avoiding those two Rocks Media violentiae and Media fraudulentiae A man of a crafty multiplicity of Spirit will turn into any shape dispute for any thing a lawful This the Jesuit said to one for so I understand it who doubted about something he was to do whether lawful or no Aude saith he nos efficiemus probabile Jansen St. August lib. proaem pag. 9. Be daring to do it and we will make it probable now this simplicity of Spirit in Ministerial imployment is greatly seen in an obediential dependance upon the word of God whether in matter of Duty or of Faith What is it that maketh so many learned Men embrace Errors after Errors but because they leave Faith and attend to reason They think we come to be Christians by Disputations and scientifical Demonstrations as we come to be Philosophers not by a single and plain captivating of our understandings to the scripture whereas it is Christian Faith not Christian reason It is said to be Nazianzens Emblem Theologia nostra est Pythagorica by this simplicity of Spirit a man shall overcome those Temptations which are usually in Scholars to bring inaudita invisa strange and unheard things unto our People especially let the Ministers of the Gospel be so guided by simplicity of Spirit that they may avoid these three Rocks First that while they avoid a Popish blinde obedience to men examining things by Scripture they therefore do not make all things uncertain That of Durand is true whosoever forsaketh reason because of humane Authority incidit in insipientiam bestialem maketh himself like a Beast yet let not this liberty be abused to licentiousness to believe nothing to despise all those Ministerial helps which God hath vouchsafed to the Church because he is to try all things though he must try yet he must not be always trying but hold fast that which is good 1 Thess 5. 21. This liberty and particular Judgement of discerning which God alloweth every man is not to be opposed to that decisive Ministerial Judgement which God hath appointed in his Church Secondly under pretence of a more moderate and impartial handling of things as not being addicted unto parties take heed thou do not make a party of thy self as the Sect of Philosophers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diogen Laert. in Proent pretending they would be of no Sect but choose the best Art of all thus they made a Sect while they condemned all Lastly Take heed of being deceived under the pretence that thou doest not bring in any new matter but new words or thou dost digest things into a better method for by this means men leaving that simplicity and Scripture-dependance they once had have corrupted their Ministerial Office instead of a faithful discharge of it Fifthly To a faithful discharge of this dreadful Office there is required an excellent compound of many choice Graces insomuch that a Ministers qualification is like that Ointment that was to be made for the Priest onely There must be love and compassion to Peoples Souls which was abundantly discovered in our Savior himself Paul compareth himself sometimes to a Father sometimes to a Mother sometimes to a Nurse because of this affectionate desire in him There must be Zeal Fortitude and Courage the spirit of love and of power also he is not a Minister that is not ad mille mortes paratus said Chrysostome as a good Souldier endure hardship saith Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 2. 3. There must be Prudence and Wisdom else Love and Power will make us like Sampson without eyes there must be salt in the Sacrifice as well as fire Oportet Pastor sit totus oculus a Pastor must be an Argus full of eyes Again there must be an Heavemly heart contemning the world and all earthly advantages The eye that is to see for others must not have dust falling into it Austin maketh an Heretick to have some carnal profit or
terrenae foelicitatis Promissio terrâ—na erat annexa carnali Circumcissioni hac sola ad vetus Testamentum pertinebat contrarium asserere quod facit Calvinus nihil est aliud quam ex lege Evangelium facere omnia confundere Bellar lib. 2. de esâ—ec Sac. Cap. 17. The several interests for which the assignation of this difference serves 1. To decry all Old Testament-Scriptures 2. To take all Infants out of Covenant 3. To keep Infants from Baptisme Testimonies evincing the spirituality of Old Testâ—ment-promises Imperium Turcicum quantum quantum est mica est quam pater familias projicit canibus That expression of a mixt Covenant under which the Fathers are supposed to live untoward 〈…〉 quodam sensu fuisse eâ—iam 〈…〉 promissiones remissionis peecâ—â—m ac vita â—ternae ad nos pertinere Circumcision was a Seal of spiritual mercies of the same that Baptisme sealeth a Plurima sunt ejusdem testimonia exquibus constat persuasum olim fuisse Christianis non fuisse admodum diversan circumcisionis rationem Baptismi Cur bodie mutatum quidem in Papistarum gratiam â—â—idem ad arbitrium Jesunarum Sol. A third supposed difference between the Old and New Covenant All of Israel were in Covenant in Old Testament-times Some Divines seem to put too great a restraint upon the Covenant in New Testament â—im â— Distinctions holding forth the meaning of these Divines in these expressions Esse in foedere dicitur dupliciter vel quoad jus foederis vel quoad foederis beneficia Est in foedere vel qui obtinet beneficia foederis quae sunt remissio peccatorum adoptio regeneratio salus vel qui tantum habet jus vel symbolum foederis externum ut socius foederis non alienus censeatur New testament-Testament-Scriptures holding out the Covenant of Grace in its full and just latitude Matth. 28. 19 The literal grammatical sense of the words vindicated Confirmed by the relation that this more enlarged Commission hath to that which was restrained to Israel onely By Old Testament-prophecies By the happy successe that in many Nation hath followed upon it 2. Mat. 22. 14. Mat. 20. 16 3. Those several Parables Mat. 13. 24 25 Mat. 13. 47. Mat. 3. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 20. 4. Heb. 10. 29 A threefold interpretation of the Text. * Erat sanctificatio apostatarum non interna sed externa professione fidei et participatione Sacramentorum externa consistens Erant sanctificati hoc est à Judais Paganus professione segregati pro veris Christianis habiti 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Arguments carrying this Text to the Church as visible 1. Titles given to men in covenant and in Scripture applied to unregenerate men prove it Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Beleevers Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Saints Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Disciples Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Christians Sol. The absurdities that follow upon the restriction of the Covenant to the Elect Regenerate do evince it First Corollary 2. Corollary Ubi foedus ibi ecclesia a Debuit Bellarminus probare in Ecclesia Caâ—holica quae est corpus Châ—isti esse tam malos quà m bonos tam reprobos quà m electos Hoc ut probaret affert hanc parabolam de area inqua triticum palea est At per aream hoc in loco non Catholica sed particularis quae que ecclesia intelligitur in qua nos fatemur tam malos quà m bonos esse plerunque plures malos quà m bonos b Sensus parabolae manifestus est sic in Ecclesia evenire solere cùm Evangelium praedicatur ut cùm verriculum in mare projicitur ad pisces capiendos Primò non omnes pisces qui sunt in mori capiuntur Secundò non omnes boni sunt qui capiuntur sed multi inutiles Tertiò non separantur mali pisces à bonis donec verriculum ad terram extractum fuerit Sic in Ecclesia cum Evangelium praedicatur non omnes homines accedunt non omnes qui accedunt sunt boni non separantur boni à malis ante finem mundi Falsum esse internas virtutes requiri à nobis ut aliquis sit in ecclesia quoad visibilem ejus statum 2. Coroll a Competentes non sunt admittendi in ecclesiam quia competunt sine ulteriore satisfactione b Phariseos baptismum petentes ad baptismum indignos nonadmisit inquit Paraeus c Baptismum petierunt inquit Aretius at baptizatos fuisse nullo modo videtur judicare Positions concerning particular visible Churches where nothing is wanting to the being of a Church yet much more may be required for the well ordering and regulating of it A people in a vicinity or neighbourhood ought to associate according to their best convenience for participation of Ordinances Professing Christians upon tender of themselves ought to be esteemed members in the places where they inhabit Reformation of abuses in Churches is much rather the work of Christians in Churches than separation from Churches A Church is pure where the pollutions and taints are not soule Foully polluted and defaced it is a Church reâ—ains a being though polluted and erroneous Purity or impurity in doctrine especially gives Churches dâ—nâ—mination Errours in doctrine are either in the foundatiâ—u or superstâ—uction Errours have their estimate accordingly as they rise up against Christ and obscure his glory Separation in some cases necessary Corruption in conversation hardly admit of separation Aut de fatuis virgiuibus es aut de orâ—dentibus si de â—atuis Conâ—regatio tibi necessaria est si de prudentibus tu congregationi Corruption in discipline hardly admits of separation a Scelestus igitur blasphemus eorum error est qui sic ab hac ecclesia desiciunt quasi Christus hinc proâ—sus exularet nec ulla spes salutis manentibus esse posset Cogitent hîc Christum convivantem cum suis An puâ—bit eos illic discuâ—â—bere ubi vident Christum non pudere An illo sanctores mundiores erâ—â—t Sed quare se non coâ—vincunt suo ipsorum usuâ— Non possunt iâ—ficiari quin pâ—iùt in Christum crediderint quâ—m fecerunt nobis divortium unde haec illi fides Annon expraedicatione in nostra ecclesia Nuâ—quid autem praedicare quis potest nisi mittatur Rom. 10. 13 Quid â—â—go verbum propter labem â—liquam externae vocationis tam pervesè râ—â—puunt cujus vim divinam in â—orâ—ibus senti 〈◊〉 Quamobrem redite ad unitatem ecclesiae quae vos genuit aluis si fugiatis hunc Christum quì cum electis in nostris coetibus coenat ac eos vicissim excipit profecto nusquam invenietis To gather Churches out of Churches to make up one Congregation out of many is unwarrantable Sol. 3. Corollary Arguments evincing the title of men professing faith to
aliter reprobationem sequitur peccatum non ut causam efficientem sed deficientem non quâ removetur quod adest sed non admovetur quod sustentaret a Tenendum est non de privata cujusque electione nunc tractari sed de communi adoptione totius gentis quae in externa specie collapsa videri potui ad tempus b Contendit Paulus firmum immutabile stare Dei consilium quo semel sibi illos in gentem peculiarem eligere dignatus est c Argumentum Apostoli ad probandam constantiam dilectionis Dei erga suam gentem d Videtur ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 donorum vocationis Dei non sequi illa quam nos statumus gratiae salutis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Quia fatcute Calvino martyre dictum Apostoli non de singulari cujusque electione sed de totius gentis Judaicae communi adoptione accipiendum sit Atqui hac communis adoptio vocatio gentis fuit mutabilis quoniam gens Judaica donis vocatione illâ— excidit Ad corruptelas Stapletoni facilè respondetur 1. Non negatur de communi gentis Judaicae â—oc est foederali dignitate propriâ— loqui hanc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deo pronunâ—iare Apostolum sed negatur hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singulorum non confici Imò a minori ad majus firmissimè concluditur Si enim de gratia communi quidem aliena Apostolus rectè pronunciat esse Deo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quanto magis de gratia propria fideles idem statuere debent f Sic illis jam solenne est partem unam veritatis assumere câque abuti ad alteram vel evertendam vel dimovendam g Per electionem intelligit Apostolus primo externam foederis gratiam qui Deus hanc geâ—tem sibi delegerit deinde ipsam aeternae dilectionis gratiam quam in â—ac gente quasi deposuerat Deus Nâ—m adoptando cos in foedus testatum fecit se ex ea gente plurimos habere semper habiturum esse electos ad sâ—lutem h Quia Deus patres dilexit etiam ad filios dilectionem suam extendit si enim inter homines amicitiae parentum merito transeunt ad liberos Qui ni Deui idem facerâ—t The Series of the Apostles dispute opened The Corinthians Quaere The Corinthians scruples Explicatory Positions The ground or rise of the Corinthians scruples Two heterodoxical interpretations of the words holy unclean The first interpretation setting up parent and childe too high examined The second interpretation laying parent and childe too low 1. Weak and childish 2. Incongruous 3. Untrue Arguments evincing the holinesse in the Text not to be legitimation The sanctificatâ—on spoken to is not of parents in general but of one parent beleeving and another unbeleeving in particular The Apostle brings not formal arguments to conclude the lawfulness of marriage-society but removes scruples concerning their oâ—n state and their issue A vindication of instrumental sanctification The Text Analysed The argumen deduced from it Gal. 4. 29. The whole narrative analysed Upon what account these infants were tendered to Christ Why they were forbidden by the Disciples Positions rending to clear Christ admission of them Covenant-interest is of the nature of those things that descend from parent to child Like priviledges do descend in Kingdomes Common-weales Cities c. Sol. a Hinc Calvinus Beza suum dogma de traduce justitia hauserunt docéntque fidelium fiâ—ios propriè esse sanctos sine Baptisme salvari quia hoc ipso quo fidelium sunt filii censentur esse in Ecclesia nati juxta foedus divinum Ero Deus tuus seminis tui Ge. 17. 7. Quemadmodum jure civili censentur liberi qui ex altero parentè libero nascuntur sed errant b Foederis inter Deum Abraham initi participes sint sive Judaei ab eo carnaliter oriundi sive Christianorum parentum liberi carnalis generatio nihil facit c Ad nos descendit non per carnalem generationem parentum sed per spiritualem regenerationem Christi Sol. Sol. Sol. Birth-interest descends in all other Religions God ownes childreâ— borne in the Church as his servants and as his children Parent and childe respective to Church-interest are not in an opposite condition No president in Scripture of a believing Parent bringing up a childe for covenant and not in covenant Infants out of covenant according to Scripture-grounds are without hope of salvation Jesuites our leading adversaries confesse it Protestant Divines cannot avoid it Our present adversaries instead of reasons oppose onely comers against it Objections against Infants Baptism answered The Question stated whether there be any institution of Infant-Baptism Infants are within the verge of the institution of Baptisme Infans are Disciples The invalidity of that objection that we have no example of Infant-Baptisme examined Infants want of faith and repentance no impediments of their Baptisme The want of those expresse words Infants ought to be baptized is no impediment of their Baptisme Necessity of Scripture consequence Antiquity is for Infant-Baptisme Infant Baptism is not bestowed on unwritten tradition The various acception of the word Tradition (a) Distinguendum inter resquae traduntur in Ecclesia rationem earum tradendarum b Quadam sunt dicuntur in Scripturis quaedam vero sunt in Scripaturis tametsi non dicuntur Nâ—zianzen lib 5. de Theol. c Non quaeritur antotidem verbis omnia necessaria in Scripturis continentur sed vel sententia expressa vel per necessariam consequentiam inde colligenda Infant-baptism cannot be charged with will-worship Extremes are dangerous The Jewes leaving idolatry run upon Sacriledge Separation for God of persons or of inanimate or unreasonable creatures Whether Sacriledge be any New Testament sin Separation for God either by institution or approbation Places for worship and maintenance of those that attend upon worship separate by divine approbation Positious concerning places Negative Positive Ministry maintenance asserted 1. What conscientiously is due 2. What is legally due Quae sententia tantum secum in vexit jam errorum schismatum agmen ut nihil de ullis superiorum temporum Hae reticis legatur tam insanum quod non fuerit reductum proximo quadriennio subsque rursum sectatores invenerit ut vel unum hoc pietatis studiosis radicem hanc suspectam meritò reddere debuerit ex qua tam in fausta germina suppulularunt a Arguments evincing the right of Christians in this latitude Amplification of this position a Aliquando filiis infidelium praestatur baec gratia ut baptizentur cúm occultâ Dei providentiâ in manus piorum quomodocunque proveniunt a Si Parens carens verâ fide cam tamen profiteatur in externo Eclesiae coetupro fideli habeatur aut olim habitus fuerit sub veteri Testamento infantes ex talibus nascentes erant foederati promissionis participes quia etiam promissio acceptata fluerit à parentibus majoribus in gratiam nasciturae posteritatis cui non praejudicat immediati Parentis incredulitas aut hypocrisis quamdiu infans incredulitatem hypocrisin Parentis imitari non potest Rivet in Gen. Cap. 17. Exercit. 88. Covenant of Church-members either explicite or implicite The Apostles and primitive Christians knew no explicite Church-Covenant Mr. Firmins reasons and his replies to them 1. 2 3 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The interest of infants of excommunicate persons in Baptisme a Haec enim excommunicatio nou est iustar veneni quod hosti datur ad exitium sed medicina quae fratri datur ad salutem Arguments to carry the question in the negative answer 1. All possible engagements and obligations to holinesse Parents must see that their childrens breeding do answer their birth The danger of persecution Consolation 1. To Nations thus honoured 2. To single persons 1. Respective to themselves 2. Respective to their posterity Doct. 2.