that of Lydea Acts 16.14 15. And a certain woman named Lydea a seller of Purple of he City of Thiatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended c. And when she was baptized and her houshold she besought us saying If ye have judged me faithful to the Lord come into my house and she constrained us Which Family Mr. Patient saith were all Believers Verse 40. which Paul and Sylas went to visit Answ The consideration of the words preceding the Text and the several circumstances will give a clear light to finde out the truth by him and many Scribes of a late edition of that party obscured and darkned First The persons that were met together were onely women Secondly Of all those Women met we finde onely Lydea converted Thirdly Upon her conversion we finde her houshold baptized and that at the same time By which it is apparent that she took with her her family to the place of worship for thus the words run And when she was baptized and her houshold she besought us saying If you have judged me faithful to the Lord come with me c. Both she and her houshold were baptized before they went home by which also we may very lawfully gather 1. That there were no men at the meeting 2. That therefore those Brethren afterwards mentioned could not be then at that time converted because had there been men and they wrought upon the Holy Ghost would not have overslipt them to take notice onely of the Female Therefore it is evident That those Brethren spoken of Verse 40. were either some of the Family afterwards converted or some other of the City then met at her house which were after Lydea's conversion wrought upon because we finde Paul and Sylas were committed to prison and it is likely it was upon that converting work which the Gospel made amongst them accordiâ—g to the voice that called them come over and help us Or 3. they might be believing Brethren from other parts that came to buy Purple because we finde the Spirit of God taking such exact notice of her profession Vers 14. But that those Brethren were converted at that time when she and her houshold were baptized is against the express Letter of the Text as any observant Reader may see This Text therefore makes against Mr. Patient for if Lydea and her houshold were baptized when we finde onely Lydea converted And if by house is meant Children as I shall afterwards prove it is then it is â—greeable to the very minde of God to say That her believing gave her Children aright to Baptism because we do not finde any that believed but her and yet we finde all her houshold baptized Thus then this place breaks forth with much clear light dispelling those foggs of error that scribbling pens have cast upon it Secondly The next place hee brings is the Jaylor and his house Acts 16. who rejoyced in God with all his house hee beleeving For so the words are truly rendred by which it doth not appear the whole house beleeved but the whole house rejoyced and yet both he and his whole house were Baptized Secondly 't is observable the exhortation given the Jaylor runs in the very strains of Abrahams covenant Gen. 17. walke before me And I will bee thy God and the God or thy seed so here beleeve and thou shalt be saved and thy house so Acts 2. when they were prickt in heart as this Jaylor was Repent and be Baptized the promise is to you and your Children so here verse 33. hee was Baptized he and all that were of him A fuller expression could not well be used to set out his Children by who may properly be said to bee of their Parents and none but they Therefore if the Jaylor and all that were of him were Baptized when onely the Jaylor beleeved though all rejoyc'd then he and his Children were Baptized unless any man can be so unreasonable as to say that those that were of him were not Children which to affirme will but rather discover weakeness then Eclipse the truth Thirdly A third example which holds forth a clearer light to the preceding is that of Zacheus Luke 9 who was a Gentile-Publican yet upon Christs calling him hee useth this argument to day I must abide at thy house and in verse 9. this day is salvation come to this house For as much as hee also is a Son of Abraham In which word also the very covenant of grace made with Abraham and his seed is confirmed to him and his house though a Gentile that had no relation to Abrahams seed by birth yet thou also though a Gentile art the son of Abraham and therefore salvation is come to thy house Note-worthy are the collections of faithfull Sydenham from this place whose little peece hath made their water-workes totter and remains not onely unanswered but unanswereable though the spattering of a scratching pen hath given a late attempt to little purpose His collections are these first that assoon as Zacheus beleeved Christ applyed Abrahams promise to his house And it there had not been something more in it he would have said onely salvation is come to thee For the spirit of God doth not put a syllable more in the Scriptures then is usefull and necessarie Secondly Hee opens Abrahams covenant not onely to him but his house and argues the priviledg from his being a son of Abraham though a Gentile shewing that Abrahams covenant hath as large an extent amongst the Gentiles as it had amongst the Jews to a beleever and his seed otherwise it had been enough to have said salvation is come to thee but to mention his house with himselfe and to bring them into the blessing and give this as a reason because thou also art a son of Abraham is as much as to say that the priviledges of Abrahams covenant are the same to thee a Gentile and thy house as they were to Isaac for as much as thou also art a son of Abraham as well as hee Now for Christ to speak in this dialect and to tell them of their houshold and his favour to them and that in the beginning of the Gospells planting and yet at the same time to exclude their infants from all outward signes of the promise which they ever had in darkest dayes of Grace is a strange policie unsuitable to the simplicitie of the Gospell These are such plain examples that I marvell what kind of conscience men pretend to have when they shut out the sun that shines in these scriptures and cry out they are full of darkness Fourthly The next place and example brought by this Author is the house of Stephanus whom Paul Baptized A Triumphant place so thought to prove that there was no Children in those houses mentioned 1. Cor. 11.6 chap 16.15 the words run thus I beseech you brethren you know the houshold of Stephanus that it is the first fruits of Achaia that
truth by us maintained Now then to sum up all the premisses considered and that upon the advantage the Spirit of God puts into our hands in explaining what is meant by the word house himself who is a better Expositor then Mr. Patient or any else We see the whole Catalogue or Cloud of Family-Witnesses and Examples in Scripture do give in their Light and Testimony to Abrahams infant-Infant-seed And that when the Scripture speaks of Housholds baptized it is meant Parents and Children and when a Master of a Family was converted and became the son of Abraham as Zacheus though a Gentile his Seed or House also were taken visibly into Covenant Luke 10 3 6. So that by this time we see the vanity and self-confidence of this Author to speak such bitter words of Gall and Wormwood as he doth in page 23. against a world of people who as he saith from Custom and Tradition run headlong after this Idol of mans invention By which it is evident That whosoever embraceth not this new doctrine of dipping which hath already been proved not Apostolical he is no otherwise look'd upon or esteemed then yea called an Idolater And thus not onely the Truths of God and Priviledges given to all Gods people suffer but also the Powers and Authorities of these Nations come to be undervalued slighted and contemned for practising or countenancing such Idolatries Thus the dark-side of the Cloud by this appears onely to such spirits when the Israel of God i e Abrahams Seed have light within their dwellings Ye therefore who have upright hearts to God and his ways that have been hitherto led in these untrodden paths and so have lost the way enquire after the footsteps of the flock and have more pity to your own bowels Cut not off their entail to Grace by losing your visible right and title to the Covenant in which the invisible part thereof is conveyed What though they are born in sin and iniquity yet the Promise reaches them whilst yong as it reached Isaac when a Childe If you are not wanting in your duties your children have a Gospel-right the Seed of the Jews had it yea they shall have it again to the same Covenant Take heed least your Children cry our against you at the last day and say their cruel Parents took away their Bread and gave away their birth-right for nought Let me therefore say with the Prophet It hath and shall be for a lamentation to see Christians kick against their own mercies And let me leave this with you Mr. Patient Ro. 2.22 thou that abhorrest an Idoll doe not commit sacriledg by stealing away a Church ordinance from those to whom God hath given it Thus far his four Essentialls are weighed over which we may write that superscription Daniel 8.15 Mene Mene tekel vpharsin thou art weighed in the ballance and found too light CHAP. VI. Page 23. 24. Is a preludium to the subsequent chapter touching the Covenant WEE are now come to view that passion of Weakness that lies in those two Pages and first of his distinction given of Idolatrie which though I grant to be good yet he still mistakes in application for hee comes again to tell us that in the room of this precious Ordinance of God the dipping of beleevers which Christ hath confirmed by his blood is set up an Idoll of mans invention namely the sprinkling of Carnall poor infants and doubtless if there be an Idoll in the world now set up amongst men this must needs be one in his sence because he hath learnt this to be an Idoll either the worshipping a false God or the true God in a false manner c. Answ Let any reader Judg whether this man of the waterie element doth not speak with as high a piece of confidence as if he had a spirit of infallibilitie to judg our practice by hee tells us that dipping of beleevers was an ordinance confirmed by the blood of Christ therefore sprinkling of Children must needs be an Idoll his Allegatitions have been examined in all the parts thereof and we still find notwithstanding any thing he hath said to the contrarie that Childrens Baptism remains an Ordinance That dipping is not the way of the Gospel and therefore I must tell him that dipping was never confirm'd by Christs blood Ergo He speaks untruths in the name of the Lord neither is it an Idoll of the first or second magnitude no Image of Baptism set up in the room thereof by mans invention which are terms by him used to bespatter the truth But the contrary is proved The Administrators Right a person qualified and ordeined the manner by sprinkling or pouring out water Right the form of words Right and the subject Right And therefore an Ordinance that shal stand mauger al the malice of men as a pretious Ordinance of Iesus Christ so long as the Sun Moon endures And therefore instead of your appealing to men since there hath been enough said If you and I had never written let us appeal to God and let all those that own their childrens right in the Covenant say Amen In Page 25 he concludes again that Infant Baptism is corrupt in the four Essentialls aforementioned Answ First then by his own words t is not anihillated but onely Corrupted and that a person though corruptly Baptiz'd ought not to be Baptiz'd that being already prooved But Secondly He reckons without his host and therefore must come to a new accompt They are not Essentialls nor any of them as laid down by him but whimsies of his own brain therefore The next thing we are to follow him in is the business of the Covenants with its distinctions and extent from which he undertakes to prove that Infants are not subjects of Baptism Though we have hitherto built upon a good Foundation yet if hee shakes down his main pillar it will be time to forsake the house But before wee can come to his Arguments we must passe by many falsitis and prolocutions and goe through many impertinencies which must be born withall amongst the Patrons of Error The first thing he deals with is A pretended false consequence which he saith wee draw from scripture to maintain Infant-Baptism It runs thus The Covenant of Grace is made with beleevers and their seed Therefore the seale of the Covenant belongs to them To disprove which he tells us 't is against the Law of the new Testament Answ The new Testament is Christs last will to his Church in which hee shews forth more love then he did in his first Testament which was made to the same Church and the Covenant of Grace in the spirituall part thereof is the same in both If therefore in the old Testament which was his first Legacie hee took Children into his kingdom and yet now his bowels should be shut against them who are not then called into libertie but a greater bondage then before But grace in the Covenant being unchangeable therefore Children
must needs be a covenant of works for if it had been a covenant of Grace it would have administred Justification with it This is the full sense as neer as I can collect out of such stragling discourses Though the Scriptures he brings in these pages to prove what he asserts were before omitted yet I shall here take them in as most fit in this place because the running over things so often would otherwise make the Answer so bulkish and therefore A. Though he saith Justification by faith was not given by Circumcision i. e. by the act done as neither is it now given by Baptism yet Justification was given in that Covenant of Grace which Circumcision sealed and so the Elect did obtain it Rom. 4.11 He received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of Faith that he might be the Father of all that believe though they be not Circumcised So that Circumcision was the covenants seal and not the seal of his faith out of which the Gentile Nations were excluded till that Jewish Church was cast off so that the Jews were neerer then Pagans and Heathens notwithstanding any thing he affirms because the one was under the call of the Gospel and the tenders of Grace when the other was a far off Aliens and strangers Eph. 2.11 12 13. But when the Gospel came amongst them also then they were made nigh by the blood of Christ The Heathens in New England will any sober understanding Christian say they are as neer to a state of Justification as those that are born and bred up and dwell under the sound of the Gospel yea Mr. P. himself doth contradict what he in this affirms in acknowledging that the Jews were priviledged before other Nations in having such precious tenders of the Gospel p. 49. so that we see he doth not stick fast to his own judgement in any thing But wherein these precious priviledges should lye or how the Gâ—spel should be tendred if they were not visible under the covenant of Grace and so neerer then Heathens I cannot see nor I am sure he himself for had not Justification run in the Jewish Ordinances more freely then it did to the Gentiles that had them not they had instead of being priviledged been more in bondage and slavery then any Nation in the world 2. There is not any one place or Text or syllable in the 2 3. or 4 to Rom. or in 12 15 17 18 22. of Gen. or 3 4 5. Gal. that saith Justification by faith was not given in the covenant of Circumcision or that Justification by faith is opposed to Circumcision or that because Abraham was Justified before circumcised therefore Circumcision is a covenant of Works But this the Texts say that justification is to be had in the covenant of Circumcision which were it a covenant of works would not there be found Rom. 3.1 2 3 30. But 3. And because he tells us in pag. 55. That there is no Text in all the Scripture more cleer to prove the covenant of Circumcision to be a covenant of works then this 4. Rom. setting Faith and Circumcision in opposition shewing that Abrahams spiritual seed had their justification in another covenant and not in circumcision I have therefore taken it into this place because one answer will serve both To cleer this place therefore from this cloud of error cast upon it I shall stay some time to search into it The words are these What shall we say then that Abraham our Father as appertaining to the flesh hath found For if Abraham was justified by works He hath whereof to glory but not before God but Abraham believed God c. And how was it then reckoned when he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision not in Circumcision c. A. By comparing this with the preceding chapter as also with ch 5 6 7 8. we finde the Roman Church that had imbraced the Ordinances of the Gospel were then falling back into the works of the Law and those legal Ordinances in them to gain justification And therefore they would be listening after those false Teachers that preacht up Circumcision after the manner of Moses which was the prevailing error in that Church and is at this day it being so fallen that they maintain good works do justifie Now the Apostle to bring them off from this error bids them look upon Abraham whom they acknowledged to be the father of the faithful and see how the case stood with him how he was justifyed secretly implying that if he that was the Father of all believers was not justifyed by works then it would be unreasonable in his children to think that they were and therefore it was their duty to follow him by which we see Abraham is held forth as a publick person in the Gospel to which Gospel-Churches are to have recourse to rectifie errors in doctrines of Faith and if upon search they found that Abraham was justifyed in urcircumcision then they should not think that Circumcision was of absolute necessity to justification and therefore tells them it was their mistake the Law was never intended by God to justifie any but ch 3.9 both Jew and Gentile are all under sin and ver 20. therefore by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be justifyed for all have sinned and are therefore justifyed freely by his Grace without the deeds of the Law ver 28. upon which the Romans make this Objection Rom. 4.1 What benefit or advantage then hath Abraham found to whom the covenant was made The meaning is because Abraham had not his justification by circumcision therefore they could not see any Gospel-benefit that came by that Ordinance at all so much is implyed in the words the like also ch 3. what profit then is there of Circumcision and it is the same objection in effect that M. P. makes onely a little changed For thus his runs If Abraham was not justified in the covenant of Circumcision then is Circumcision a covenant of works both which the Apostle answers that though Abraham and his seed were not justifyed by the Law as a law or covenant of works yet there was a considerable advantage the Jews had by circumcision and chiefly because unto them were câ—mmitted the oracles of God and ch 9.4 who are Israelites i. e a peculiar Nation inclosed by God himself from all the Nations of the world to them appertains the adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the Promises whose are the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came As if he had said all this heap and bundle of benefits came in to the Jews and that Nation which no Nation under heaven had besides and yet for all this there were many that did not believe ch 3.3 For what though some did not believe shall their unbelief make the Faith of God without effect God forbid as if he had said The end for which
seed and what God therefore sealed to Abraham he sealed also to his seed All which was to shew the immutability of his Counsel to the heirs of Promise not only to such as were heirs under the Law but to the worlds end as the Apostle tells us before in the place quoted II. His next reason or Argument why it sealed onely to Abraham is because it is said he received it that he might be the Father of all that believe Which could not be said of Isaac because he was but a child A. Though Abraham was made the Father of the faithful by having that seal given him yet he could not have been such a father without such a son because they are relatives not onely in the natural relation but in the promise for though Ishmael was born thirteen yeers before Isaac was promised yet had God given him circumcision then Abraham had not been the Father of the faithful because Ishmael was not a faithful child So that that which was required to make Abraham a father of a faithful son was required in Isaac to make him such a son of a faithful Father Therefore that seal that was given to Abraham as a father was given to Isaac as a son III. His third Argument to prove it a seal onely to Abraham is Here is the spirit of God affirming the sealing use of Circumcision to Abraham onely upon a reason special to him therefore where the Scripture hath not a mouth to speak we must not have an ear to hear A. The spirit of God speaks no such thing but the spirit of M. P. for where is it said it was a seal to him onely no such Text is to be sound in all the Scriptures for as is before said what it sealed to him as a father it sealed to Isaac as a son of that Father for the covenant related to posterity I may therefore say of him as the Prophet said of the false Prophets who said the Lord saith it as here M P. doth when indeed the Lord hath not spoken therefore the Scripture hath a mouth to speak if he had an understanding heart to know when and what it speaks let such therefore who have ears to hear hear what the spirit speaks to the Churches IV. P. A fourth ground or reason he gives that Circumcision sealed onely to Abraham is drawn from Rom. 4.13 The promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to him and his seed through the Law i. e. saith M. P. through the covenant of Circumcision But through the righteousness of Faith For if they that be of the Law be heirs then Faith is made void A. 1. He here again supposes that which is denyed and the contrary proved i. e. That Circumcision was not a covenant of works 2. When it is said the promise of his being the heir of the world was not made to Abraham through the Law The Apostle means that it was not to be confined and shut up to the generations of the Law onely and so it was not to his seed through the Law onely but through the righteousness of Faith that is his Patrimony came upon such high tearms as would reach to a thousand generations Psal â—05 even to the Gentiles under the Gospel to the worlds end and that this is his meaning is clear by the following words For if they which are of the Law be heirs i. e. They and they onely but heirs they were Faith is made void That is the faith which Abraham had by which he did believe the multiplying of his seed in all Nations upon the grounds of the Promise that faith is quite frustrated because it went no further then the generations of the Law And therefore it is of faith that it might be by Grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed and then he fully explains what he said before Not sure to that seed onely which were of the Law where the word onely doth suppose it was sure to the legal seed therefore it cannot be meant of a covenant of works for so the promise was never sure to any from the Creation to this day or ever shall be 3. If the place were to be understood in his sense namely of a covenant of works Then it confutes in direct terms wâ—at he hath so much pleaded for in his book As that Canaan should be given by a covenant of works For the promise that he should be the heir of the world in which that land was included was not to him and his seed through the Law i e. saith Mr P not by the covenant of Circumcision but through the righteousness of faith And if the Apostle saith not by that covenant then why doth Mr P. so often affirm elsewhere it was Thus we see there is nothing in all he hath said that proves Ciâ—cumcision either a covenant of works or seal to Abraham onely but enough to prove it a seal to all the heirs of promise even whilst they are infants All ye therefore that belong to the covenant of Grace fear not to give your infant-infant-seed that Ordinance which now is the seal of the covenant P. The last Scripture he here brings to prove Circumcision a covenant of works is Gal. 4. latter end where the Apostle compa es the two covenants to Sarah and Hagar the covenant of Circumcision is held forth to be the bondwoman ch 5.1.2 3. ch 6.13 whâ—ch place doth prove the covenant made in the fleshly line of Abraham is a covenant of Works And that which the Gospel is set in opposition to For the covenant of Grace is I will put my Law in their hearts but the covenant of Circumcision is not in the heart but in the flesh A. The diligent Reader may easily observe the palpable contradictions that are here to be found Hagar types out the covenant of works Sarah types out the covenant of grace and the flâ—shly covenant of Circumcision as he calls it which is typed out by Hagar is made in the fleshly line of Abraham which must be Ishmael And then he contradicts what he hath been all this while maintaining i e. that the fleshly line is Isaac and Jacob in which the covenant of Circumcision was to run and so also he opposeth the Apostle Gal. 4 23 But he that was born of the bondwoman was born after the flesh but he of the free-woman was by Promise so that what Paul calls the children by promise he calls the children of the flesh Thus men leaving truth making wise God leaves them to publish their own folly That place Gal. 1.2 3. is already answered they were such that were falling back from Grace to be justified by works through their gross mistake thinking as Mr P. doth that the Law had been given for a covenant of works Lastly Though God hath promised to write the new covenant in the heart yet the seals of that covenant are written in the flesh so it was then
out of his seed And upon this very hinge it was That all those examples of Gods judgements upon Israel are given when they revolted from God and brake this covenant then God plagues them and cuts them off and when they renewed their covenant fasted humbled their souls and repented God shewed Mercy all which agrees to that remarkable place which proves the covenant of Grace conditional Gen. 18.19 For I know Abraham will command his children and his houshould 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 cleerly implying that if Abrahams seed did not walk close in their duties they should fall short of their expectations as we afterwards finde Israel did Therefore whereas M. P. saith it is impossible the covenant of Grace should be broken it is false For the external part may be broken which is part of the covenant but the inward part of it can never be broken P. Pag. 67. He comes to answer this distinction of the covenant as an Objection but so poorly that it seems he would gladly favour his own opinion persons saith he may profess outwardly to be in Christ and so in the covenant of Grace by profession but because it was but a profession onely and not in truth therefore they profess to be in that wherein they never were A. We are now speaking of persons being in the covenant as the Scripture holds them forth to be within it And as men may in the judgement of Charity believe persons to be in it in order to Communion of Saints in the world If therefore the Scriptures tell us there is a twofold being in it then persons are in the covenant that are within the visible part of as hath been sufficiently proved and as his own practice doth acknowledge so that in his answer to the Objection he rather works like a ferryâ—man then a preacher he seems to look towards an answer but rows the other way therefore whereas he saith we have an infallible rule to judge Abraham and his seed to be within the covenant of Circumcision because God saith it and the Objection before is groundless A. It hath bean already cleared that Circumcision was part of the covenant of Grace and therefore by this he confesseth that persons are visible within it because the infallible rule of the word of God saith it and so was the seed he speaks of infallible as he calls it within the Covenant The like now all that by profession are admitted into Gospel-Churches We have the same rule to judge by That they are as really within the covenant as the seed of Abraham was then By which we may see the Objection stands in force notwithstanding those puffs of wind he hath given at it 2. Neither doth his bringing in that great Catalogue of Israels sins at all help him For though it is not denyed but the most part of them were wicked and prophane yet as a separated people God had chosen out from the rest of the world to be a Church to whom he committed his Oracles in that sense they were a people in covenant and so stood till they were divorc't and cast off from being a people For which see Rom. 9. at large And the reason why they were so wicked and profane may be gathered from that place before mentioned Gen. 18.19 because they kept not up family duties grew carnal and loose in their Judgements and therefore looseness in practice and conversation followed a needful Item to all Gods people in these days The like answer is to be given to Joh. 8 40 44. by all which then it appears that not one Argument he hath hitherto brought proves Circumcision to be a covenant of works we are now arrived at his last Argument and that drawn from the many inconveniencies that will follow if it be maintained a covenant of Grace therefore so to understand Scriptures as to cross any fundamentals cannot be agreeable to the mind of God CHAP. XI Contains a vindication of the First Second and Third Fundamentall P. pag. 71. IF the covenant of Circumcision made with Abraham and his seed and those also that were born in his house or bought with mony amongst the families of Israel were a covenant of Grace then it interessed all persons by nature or practice into the choice priviledges of Adoption sonship justification the inward work of sanctification all which iâ— asserted by those who hold Infant-baptism And then this fundamental in Religion is denyed That all mankinde by nature are children of wrath and that all men are not charged under sin both Jews and Gentiles and that none is righteous no not one But saith Mr P. be it known to you it was a truth through Israel in their Generations and then he brings in many Scriptures to prove that men by nature are children of wrath c. A. 1. And be it known to you again That this fundamental truth is such that we all vail to and therefore it is not so much as toucht much less rooted up by our Doctrine or practice in maintaining Circumcision a Covenant of Grace which I now come to make appear and still by the former distinction Therefore I shall desire the Reader to give me his hand that we may not break company till the storm is over 1 There is a twofold Adoption and therefore 2 A twofold sonship 3 A twofold Sanctification 4 A twofold Justification These and all these outward and inward so that by vertue of the extent of the covenant made with Abraham persons are born into those outward priviledges though not into the spiritual part thereof and thus were Israel adopted Rom. 9.4 For it is one of the first priviledges that St. Paul reckons Israel had to whom pertained the Adoption and the glory c. By which we see that the Adoption appertained to all Israel that is God made choice of them to make them his peculiar sons and people by taking them into the visible pale of the covenant of grace when all the Nations of the earth besides were past by So that no people or Nation in the world could say God was their father but the Jews which is the benefit of Adoption in either respect But inward Adoption runs more spiritually therefore called the spirit of Adoption Rom. 8. Thus also all Israel were the sons of God for which the Scripture is so cleer That such who deny it do but discover much ignorance See therefore these Texts Hos 4.1 ch 11.1 Joh. 8.41 Ezek. 20.21 And thus they are called the first-born Exod. 4.22 23. And they had all the service of sons to do to God in the wilderness The like also of sanctification when persons are by Gods appointment separated and set a part to a holy use of which divers instances might be given before and since Christ so also Justification outward before men as well as
inward or how else should there be any communion of Saints on earth Thus Hagars son though by nature born under a covenant of works was a Church member And he could call Abraham father as Isaac could though not under such a spiritual consideration for still the in-works of Adoption Sonship Justification and Sanctification have run by promâ—se in a close hidden and spiritual way woâ—king upon and changing the heart And though Isaac Jacob and the rest of the line were all born in sin as well as Ishmael and Esau yet the Promise takes time to work and brings in the Elect of God some later some sooner yea let us bring down this again to a parallel and compare it to the practice of M. P. Sure I am he cannot say that all he and others with him plunged upon their profession of faith are the real Adopted sons of God or realâ—y holy or really justifyed or sanctifyed that is spiritually But this they may say they are visibly such and some may be such also spiritually but who they be is unknown to man and yet all were alike by nature born in sin and children of wrath 2. And thus all those Scriptures Ephes 2.2 by nature children of wrath Rom. 3.9 none righteous no not one are answered This was also the equal condition of Paul David and the rest born and conceived in sin and yet as Abrahams seed they were interessed in the covenant then as believers and their seed are now We may then see how his heap of chaff cast upon the truth begins already to be blown away II. P. The second fundamental which he proclaims to the world that our practice overturns is stability in a covenant of eternal life for if all Israel were born in the covenant of Grace then all should be saved but there were but a remnant of Israel saved all the rest damned Isa 10.22 23. Rom. 9.22 And if so born they must needs fall away from Grace A. As stability in Grace is a glorious truth so neither doth this touch it For it onely makes the outward part of the covenant instable That is a falling away from their visible being in the covenant for as hath been said a man may be in the covenant yet not in the Grace of the covenant Thus Israel and all those Gospel hypocrites mentioned fell away but the election still remained so the branches that were in Christ Joh. 15. that bare not fruit were cut off and withered and thus all those Texts that speak of a falling away are to be understood The like now though many Apostates fall from the ways of God yet the covenant remains stable and the same for ever III. P. The third foundation he pretends to be shaken is the necessity of conversion and regeneration which is a Doctrine eminently confirmed by Christ in the Gospel for which he brings several Texts of Scripture but to hold a covenant of life to run upon the carnal seed of believers opposeth this for then when Christ said Except a man be born again â—e cannot enter into the kingdom of God Israel might answer that 's not true we have an interest in the covenant of Grace already and except ye believe that I am he ye shall dye in your sins they might say again that 's not true for we know another way â—o heaven then by believing and 1 Joh. 5. He that hath not the Son hath not life This error replyes there be thousands interessed in life without having Christ by carnal generation Thus far he with much more of the like stuffe with which he fills three pages together A. Neither doth it at all intrench upon this Doctrine as falsly suggested therefore to cleer this we are to consider first the ground of this mistake of his from whence it riseth as any man may easily see namely that the Doctrine of Conversion Repentance and Regeneration is to be preacht onely to such as are without the Church and Kingdom of Christ for his argument runs as taking it for granted that such as are the subjects of the kingdom are such in reality when as by the former distinctions it is most apparent that some are such visibly onely and some really 2. Therefore consider the Doctrines mentioned are part of that Gospel which is the kingdoms Gospel as Christ calls it and hath been ever preacht to the subjects of the kingdom so it was to Israel of old and though believers and their seed were taken into the covenant already proved to be of grace yet this Doctrine of the new birth was preacht to them which is abundantly cleer from Christs words to Nicodemus Joh. 3. a place by himself quoted Art thou a Doctor in Israel and knowest not what the doctrine of the new birth means implying That he shewed himself very ignorant when he knew not that which was preacht amongst Israel adding this also That the Ordinance of Circumcision so frequently used was but a Type of the Circumcision upon the heart yea the whole tenor of the old-Testament runs in such terms that cleerly shew their blessedness lies in repenting and turning to God in pardon of sin in setting their delight in the Laws of the Lord trusting in God and setting their hope in God the book of Psalms is full of it So also in those primitive Churches planted by the Apostles themselves who in admission of members had a better insight to the truth of grace upon the heart then any since and yet this Doctrine they preacht to the Church 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 2.29 ch 6.11.8.10 Gal. 5.19 Eph. 4.23 therefore such as think the Doctrines of Repentance New-birth c. should be preacht to the world onely may hence see their mistakes amongst which number Mr P. is one I shall still draw down the parallel to his practice which I judge to be a good way to convinâ—e our dissenting friends of their error can he think that all that runs in the same ra e with him I mean into the water that they have no need of preaching Repentance or the new-birth amongst them surely if that be his judgment he discovers more ignorance and weakness then ever Nicodemus did Therefore 3. Let us glean up his Scriptures The reproof that John gave the Pharisees was not for pleading a title to Abrahams covenant as his seed for it is evident he baptâ—zed upon that accompt for had not the Pharisees claimed the Ordinances as Abrahams seed because the rest did so the reproof given them had been little better then non-sense but he checks them for their wickedness in not walking as became Abrahams children So also Joh. 8.32 The like also Luke 16. a place M. P. much delights to name thinking it makes for his opinion because Dives in hell owned Abraham as a Father and Abraham owned him as a son but yet for all that saith Mr. Patient he was damned A. There is none denyes but Abraham had more children damned then saved yet nevertheless such as
covenant of Grace as those hypocrites had so often mentioned So in their own P. So he quotes Joh. 16. that Christ calls the unbelievers in the national Church of the Jews the world I have chosen you out of the world and their being circumcised freed them not from being justly so called A. The answer is The words are directed to the Disciples as a people that acknowledged Christ exhibited and so were Gospel worshippers And the unbelievers amongst the Anabaptists may as well be called the world if the comparison relates to one that truely believes as the Jews were called the world when Christs words related to his real believing Disciples For the denying of Christ to be the Messias was that which distinguisht because such a denyal led them to keep up a form of worship that did directly oppose the Gospel P. Another Scripture Rom. 4.16 It is of faith that it might be by grace but if the covenant was made to the seed it could not be of faith and so not of grace A. Here is sad work made in his interpretations was it not of Faith to Abraham that it might be by Grace to him and his seed for shame abuse not the Scripture so grosly It was of Faith that it might be by grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the seed and who this seed was he tells us little children if we may draw it from Isaacs being a child in Isaac shall thy seed be called And because the Gentiles shall know that the word seed reaches them therefore he adds not to that onely which is of the Law c. So that as it was to Abraham by faith that it might be of Grace to his seed So is it now of Faith to a believer that it might be of Grace to his seed So also he quotes Act. 15.4 He put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith A. If God put no difference how durst he do it then P. So Gal. 3.2 4. we are all one in Christ Jesus A. How then can he answer it before God to make us twain For as Abraham and his seed through the Law were in covenant so are believers and their seed now or else we are not all one in Christ but two seeds P. As for that opposition he gives page 99. That a temporal election into a temporal covenant was a type of the spiritual election into a spiritual covenant A. It is a whimsey of his own brain that can never be made good and therefore it shews a giddy spirit after notions P. Again Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God therefore none can be in a covenant of Grace but such as believe So Abel A. We please God by Faith now as those worthies in that chap. mentioned did then for therefore the Apostle brings in them for an example so the answer is still the same Look how Abraham our Father pleased God in circumcising his seed as in the covenant in which there was an act of Faith and how the contrary in Moses neglecting the seal displeased God so are believers to please God by sealing their seed and the neglect hereof provokes the wrath of God as it is evident from this example by which we see that if we would please God as Abraham did we must then walk in the steps of Abraham and it is agreeable and not opposite to faith or grace to seal our Infants Thus Christian Reader thou maist see all the Scriptures by himself quoted to maintain his opinions they do like the stars of heaven in their courses fight against this Sisera P. The last place is Rev. 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving shall have their portion in the lake of fire A. Is not this well applyed to the thing in hand or doth he with one blast of his Nostrils turn all children to hell The Lord rebuke him even the Lord. CHAP. XV. The 2 Act. 3.1 Cor. 7.14 vindicated in answer to his last general head Pag. 101 102. WE are now come to his last head to examine the answer he gives to our Scripture Allegations and accordingly to reply The first Scripture he quarrels with is Act. 2.39 The promise is to you and your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call P. To which he saith the promise is just to so many as God shall cal and by Promise he opens the remission of sins and gift of the holy Ghost and then he makes this flourish I pray take notice how evident the Text makes against this error That the covenant of Grace should be made with the fleshly line of believers and to confirm the meaning of the word call in his sense he brings Rom. 8.30 and Heb. 9.15 and 1 Pet. 2.9 All which speaks of an effectual Call Rep. We are here to consider to whom the words were spoken 1. namely to the Jews who were troubled in spirit about their condition such who had crucifyed Jesus Christ that had wisht his blood to be upon them and their children Mat. 27.23 The promise is to you and your children this promise cannot be meant of the gifts of the holy Ghost by tongues and miracles for that would have been no solid cure to a wounded conscience as theirs was Judas had such gifts but they could not mâ—ke his conscience whole who was guilty of the same sin 2 This Promise was to relate to them afar off that is the Gentilâ—s it could not be therefore such Gifts for they ceast in that age and the Gentiles afar off never had them though yet the Gentiles did repent and were baptized therefore by this promise called the promise must be meant such a promise which they well knew and were acquainted with and therefore must be that of Abrahams covenant made to him and his seed So the Apostle Gal. 3. To Abraham and his seed were the promises made ver 16. not seeds as of many but as of one i. e. the Jewish seed and Gentile seed make but one seed i e. Christ mystical in his political body 1 Cor. 12.27 So here again the promise is to you and your seed Quest But what was there in Abrahams promise to cure a wounded Conscience For such were the persons mentioned therefore the salve must be suitable A. All good things were in it that related to Grace or Glory I will be thy God what could be said more what promise will cure a wounded Conscience if this will not T is a salve most proper to the ground of their distemper they had crucifyed God the son And this promise tells them he was theirs notwithstanding For the words I will be thy God imply personal promises so the father saith I wiâ—l be thy God and the Son I will be thy God and the Holy Ghost I will be thy God a promise sufficient enough to bear up a sinking world suitable to Gal. 3.14 explained v. 8. before to be in
order to their Justification the thing these Jews wanted so that Abrahams covenant conveyd in the bowels of it justification by faith to sinners so most suitable to the distemper The promise is to you and your children 2 Consider wherefore these words are brought in namely as a strong inducement to repent and be baptizâ—d and so it lyes in the â—orm of a Motive for the Promise c. As if he had said Let this incourage you to repent and be baptized for the promise is to you and your children i. e. you shall not onely injoy blessings but your children also if you embrace the Gâ—spel For the Apostle very well knew with whom he had to deal and what Arguments would be most prevalent with the Jews and had not this been the meaning of the Holy Ghost the putting in the word children had rather proved a rock of offence and a stone of stumbling For what could the Jews imagine upon a free tender of Grace to them and their children but if they did repent and were baptized the extent of Abrahams promise should be the same as formerly it was to them and their seed especially when it came in their own Scripture dialect The promise is to you and your children And to them afar off even as many as God shall call therefore 3 To cleer this latter part from this â—bsurd interpretation which M. P. gives that the promise is restrained in the whole v. when he saith Even so many as God shall call I A. With Mr. Sidenham we have in this verse an exact distribution of the world into two parts Jews and Gentiles and to these two â—â—rts the Apostle distributeth the promise Onely he restrains it â—â—en he speaks of the Gentiles afar off For so they are called Eph. â— 1â— 13. in bringing in these words Even so many as the Lord â—ur God shall call which words cannot be referred to the former â—rt of the verse for in that he applyes the promise to the Jews and â—heir children in the present Tense because they were then under the call of the Gospel as if he had said Repent and be baptized now whilst you have grace and mercy tendered for the promise is to you and your children but when he comes to speak of either the â—en Tribes as M. P. will have it or the Gentiles he turns the Tense in to the future because they were yet afar off and not called the promise is to them also as many as God shall call So that if this clause should limit the whole verse then to what purpose should the Holy Ghost bring in the word children for that had been superfluous because Jews and Gentiles comprehended the whole world And then the words must have run thus the promise is to you Jews and to them afar off as many as God shall call or if the word children be kept in as the Holy Ghost hath plac'd it then thus the promise is to you Jews when God shall call you and to your children when God shall call them and to as many as are afar off when God shall call them might not they have replyed why what need all this Tautology If the promise belongs to us upon our being called and to the Gentiles upon their being called you need not tell us it belongs to our children upon their being called for we knew that before But therefore the word children is kept in to shew the special priviledges God hath given them when the parent is converted And then the sense runs cleer Repent and be baptized For the promise is to you and your children and to them that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call in a smooth Honorable stile becoming the Gospel thus we see that rather then he will make his sense stoop to Gods word he will make the Holy Ghost stoop to his Non-sense From which therefore we may gather notwithstanding his insinuating perswasions that this Text makes against us it is abundantly cleer that this promise here spoken of is that of Abrahams covenant which the Apostle Gal. 3. explains to be a Gospel-covenant and was confirmed by Christ 430 yeers before the Law so that still the result amounts to this That if it be Abrahams covenant it must convey the blessings of the covenant to all within the covenant that is to the spiritual seed spiritual blessings to the temporal seed external priviledges onely but still by one covenant IV. To come to the Scriptures before brought his intent thereby was to prove that the promise of remission of sins and the gifts of the Holy Ghost and so justification to life belongs to all those which God shâ—ll call A. He errs not observing the Scriptures nor the distinctions thereof Gods call is two fold External and internal yet so as that the latter is conveyed in the former and sure a man must needs grosly mistake to affirm that all that are called are justifyed and their sins remitted for then Judas had been justifyed and Simon the Sorcerer saved for they were both called and both baptized yea all that are called everywhere to repent would then be justifyed and all those Apostates that are in these days fallen from the truth would be all saved for they were all called so the foolish virgins were called 2. Let it be considered that the promise of Abrahams covenant is here held forth Now all that are visibly called to embrace the covenant are not effectually called though nevertheless all that are effectually called are within that covenant The Church at Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus the seven Churches of Asia were all called visibly within the covenant but we know they were not all effectually called we may then still see how sadly M. P. mangles the Scriptures when he brings proofes that relate to an effectual call to prove that all that are called without any distinction shall be justified and saved so that if he can but finde out the word call in a Text t is enough no matter how it is applyed P. Pag. 130. This Text is cleer to prove that those Jews and proselytes that then heard him and their children also the ten Tribes and Gentiles afar off the promise did belong to so many of them as Gâ—d should call Therefore except souls be given up to a spirit of delusion will any dare to affirm that the promise of the spirit and remission of sins and eternal life do belong to any other or will they be so ignorant to judge those promises did belong to the generation of the Jews though they were called or not called c A. We never affirmed that remission of sins or eternal life belonged to any but such as are effectually called therefore the spirit of delusion and ignorance yea the spirit of impudence hath seized upon him so to affirm But this we say that all that are visibly called to embrace the tenders of the Gospel by a visible subjecting thereto are
well as an Isaac Isaac had Esau as well as Jacob and so through the Scripture God brings forth a generation of wicked from the godly and a generation of godly from the wicked indefinitely A. That we have good grounds to judge their parents godly hath before been made appear but if this were all the difference methinks a sober is more becoming then a censorious judgement By kingdom of God we are to understand the visible Church most properly of such is the kingdom For otherwise it had not been a suitable reproof for their offence in that it lyed in their not suffering children to be brought to him to receive an outward favor and blessing They could not have hindered them from the kingdom of glory but from the visible Church they might therefore Christ takes them up roughly Suffer them to come unto me and forbid them not In which there is a double command implying much heat of spirit against such an action and much love and tender affection to the babes as if he had said do you that are my disciples reject them because they are children I would have you know for time to come they are as capable of blessings as your selves For of such is the kingdom of God my church kingdom is made up of such as well as of men and women Methinks Christ here looks with a chiding countenance upon the Anabaptists of our times who are guilty of the same offence II. P. But how wide is that which remains from the business where he saith the greatest number of believers seed never belonged to Gods kingdom when as we know the very instances by him cited do sufficiently prove that the seed of believers though they have proved vile and wicked yet they did belong to the visible Church and kingdom till by casting out they were discovenanted Did not Cain belong to the Church as well as Abel see Gen. 4.3 4 5. Heb. 11.4 So in Noahs Family were not Ham and Japhet as well baptized in the Ark and so members as well as Shem was not Ishmael as well a Church-member in Abrahams family as Isaac so Esau the like as well as Jacob These are his own examples by which we see from the very first preaching of the Gospel the seed of believers have ever had a visible right of Church-membership till cast out and of such was the kingdom and saith Christ of such is the kingdom so that if the kingdom was of such and is of such then for shame acknowledge them to be subjects P. If children be admitted into the kingdom of God by vertue of a covenant of life made by faith and generation then this crosseth the doctrine of the New-birth Joh. 3.5 A. The contrary hath been already proved for if that were true how came that doctrine of the New-birth to be taught in Israel by the place cited and yet their seed were then admitted Church-members as now I refer the Reader to my former Answer to the third fundamental As for the making a covenant of life by birth we abhor it as hath been often said it is onely a visible right we plead for and that which they ever had P. p. 135. The place before cited is explained by Mat. 18.3 4 5 6. He that offends one of these little ones that believe in mâ— where it is spoken of children in grace and whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein that is such like in grace as these in nature A. That the words are spoken of Infants is cleer for Christ took a little child and set in the midst of the disciples and tells them that such did believe 2 The resemblance cannot hold for children are pettish cross and froward by nature therefore that example had been very unsuitable but Christ shews the right such little ones had to the kingdom because they had faith And whosoever receives not the kingdâ—m of God as a little child that is as a little child receives it cleerly implying that such children are capable of receiving admission into the kingdom Therefore it doth not at all relate to a parity P. And whereas he afterwards tells us to expound it of believers adult is most agreeable to the Analogy of saith and that the whole Word of the Lord disclaims the contrary as destructive to Gods truth A. The Analogy of faith hath ever taken in children into the Church and kingdom therefore his high language is but like a flash of lightning and fitter to take with children and boys then with men of Reason and Conscience What he hath said hitherto hath been examined and not a word in Gods book makes against it But the whole tenor of Scripture with much pleasant harmony doth agree to give believers seed a name in Gods house And whereas he saith such a practice destroys the truth of God it hath been also sifted and it pleads to his Charge Not guilty CHAP. XIX The Word Administration carpt at by M. P. justifyed and Gal. 4. answered and cleered Obj. p. 137. BVt this which you call a covenant of Works consisting of temporal Promises Laws and Statutes is to be understood of a form of administration of the covenant of Grace and not a distinct covenant of Works P. I know this Objection some bring but if it be well weighed it is inconsistent with their own Arguments for if that be true then was there no covenant made with Abrahams seed but onely the administration of a covenant therefore ill do they affirm that the covenant was made with them therefore the Administration This Objection is false and groundless as appears by several express Texts of Scripture which do evidently prove it two distinct covenants A. He here quarrels with the word administration because he understands it not for though it be so cald by reason the spiritual part runs therein yet it loseth not the name of a covenant because it is mans part of the covenant and called Gods covenant and yet it is Gods administration to man For his grand mistake is in that he thinks the covenant of grace hath no conditions but absolute the contrary to which is before proved The Rainbow in the clouds is called Gods covenant Gen. 9. As here circumcision is called his covenant but surely M P. will not deny but it is an administration wherein Gods favor to the world is manifested how else can it be called a token of the covenant and a sign thereof as a so is circumcision called a sign and seal and token of the covenant And when God saith this is my covenant he means not a distinct covenant from the other but that part of the other which related to mans duty And so it was Gods Administration Office to the world I need not stand much upon this because it is so fully spoken to before in proving circumcision no covenant of works For the leprosie that overspreads all his book ariseth from that I
CALEB'S INHERITANCE IN CANAAN By GRACE not WORKS AN ANSWER To a Book Entituled The Doctrine of Baptism and distinction of the Covenants lately published by Tho. Patient Wherein a review is taken I. Of his four Essentials and they fully answered Ergo II. Dipping proved no Gospel practice from cleer Scripture III. His ten Arguments for dipping refuted IV. The two Covenants answered and Circumcision proved a Covenant of Grace V. His seven Arguments to prove it a Covenant of Works answered VI. His four Arguments to prove it a seale onely to Abraham answered and the contrary proved VII The seven Fundamentals that he pretends to be destroyed by taking Infants into Covenant cleered and the aspersion proved false VIII A Reply to his Answer given to our usual Scriptures For Infant-subjects of the kingdom in all which Infant-baptism is cleered and that Ordinance justifyed By E. W. a Member of the Army in Ireland Joh. 1.46 Can any good thing come out of Nazareth come and see Rev. 16 15. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Zach. 13.4 5. And it shall come to pass in that day the Prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision and he shall say I am no Prophet I am a husband-man For man taught me to keep cattle from my youth London Printed for George Sawbridge at the sign of the Bible upon Ludgate-hill 1656. The Author to the Christian Reader especially such who are his Comrades and Brethren in the Armies of this Commonwealth I Shall tell thee no long story of experience to draw on thy belief to embrace either truth or error nor do I think that an Argument sufficient to perswade men besides their reason and Conscience T is that which Gods word condemns in that boasting Church who to intice and allure others cryed out she was rich and indued with substance and wanted nothing when yet she was poor and miserable and blind and naked He that hath faith in this sense let him have it to himself before God and happy is he that condemns not himself in the things he allows These are boasting days wherein men in false ways under false Ordinances pretend to have much communion with God A day is coming when their works will be manifest whether wrought in God or not when wood hey and stubble will be burnt up the work is already on the wheele and a poor doubting Christian then wil lye neerer Christs heart then fleshly boasters it is not mens pretences to be acquainted with the depths of God that will make them sound Christians such there were in the first times of the Gospel that would be talking of depths but the holy Ghost calls them Satans depths I could heartily wish that the Author of the new Doctrine of baptism had no cause to doubt of the currantness of his coin I mean of his principles for heaven but this I am bold to say that did I pretend to be such a master in the school of experience I should not onely question all my teaching but learning also especially when it comes with such high swelling words against the ways of God and let me tell thee though I have no cause to boast of any thing yet in this I will lay my experience against his rejoyce and boast with much confidence and assurance that those Ordinances which he calls counterfeits and cryes down for error c. and stamps such a black brand of reproach upon throughout his whole book shall stand and triumph as the glorious truths of Jesus Christ in matter of worship when all his mists and fogs shall be dispelled with the son of righteousness The Reasons of my undertaking this task are these which follow 1 First Because I thought men of parts and abilities as they would look upon the piece to be weak feeble and inconsiderate and to deserve no answer so their time was better imployed then to spare it to such a work 2 Secondly Lest any on the other hand out of ignorance should think it unanswerable as I hear many that cry it up who are ready to mis judge that our silence gives consent thereto 3 Thirdly Because most of his Arguments I perceive are such as I have lately seen in pieces long since publisht therefore the answer of him doth answer others of the same strain 4 Fourthly Because the standing for this truth for the interest of Infant Church-seed in the covenant is a sprig of generation work as the holy Ghost witnesseth Gen. 17.9 which yet is opposed by our dissenting friends I have therefore used this Trowel with those in Nehemiah 4. 5 Fiftly And to let good men know there are a few names in Sardis that have not defiled their garments who are apt to think the contrary 6 Sixthly And to give a hand to pull them out that are fallen into Rivers to reclaim their practice by informing their judgements or at least to cause them to make a halt and to go no further in error but remember from whence they are fallen and repent 7 Because the name T. P. is lookt upon as the chief in this moist clymate that bears away the bell and therefore fittest to be answered his name being so well known amongst us as also because though there hath been never so much said yet if it comes not forth as an Answer by name there is but few that will vouchsafe to give it the reading As if the most part of that judgement were resolved to act from implicite Faith or to bolt out the truth and shut out the light that shines in so many choice and learned pieces that are publisht both touching the covenant and baptism I cannot but think there are many censorious spirits who will be ready to smite with a reviling tongue because they are even ready to call the Master of the house Belzebub much more therefore a mean servant It is the common language of the children of Belial in these days that if a man do but speak a word for the Ministery and servants of God imployed in that work of double honor as I am here necessitated to do there goes a Priest-ridden fellow All I shall say to such is to remember what Paul saith of scoffing Ishmael Gal. 4.29 30. The spirit by which his book was penned I shall speak little to it here because occasion will be offered to meet with it so fully in the Answer onely this I will say that from one end to the other I have not met with one Scripture by him quoted but hath been most shamefully abused either in Explication or Application and if that large story of his experience were right vvhich he speaks of in his Epistle it is strange that a man so pretending should not hit the right mark of any one Text. God direct us to understand his Minde and Will that so vve may knovv the truth and hold it fast in erring days vvhen there are so many deceitful
still remain within Christs kingdom except our opposits can shew us how when and where they were out-law'd Secondly His insisting upon the Command Matth. 28. Go teach and Baptize doth not at al cross this consequence as hath been already proved therefore no consequence of ours is forc'd to oppose the new Testament Thirdly But such without which his practice is not Gospell because it shuts up the tender bowels of our Lord Jesus in a narrower compass then ever the Law did and the fancies and burthens Master Patient would put upon our shouldiers in that which they call the Ordinance would be heavier then ever the Loyns of the Law were As to that Instance he brings of Peter in Page 26. to prove consequencies against commands unlawfull because he would have disswaded Christ from suffering in these words Far be it from thee Lord Answ Instead of handling the word like a Minister he stretcheth the strings of Scripture till they crack what kind of consequence could this be or from what place of Scripture or against what command was this a consequence to say Far be it from thee Lord Surely the most any English Grammarian can make from thence is That it was a dissuasive but no consequence However by this we may Judg how feeble this mans Judgment is when he thinks God hath Chosen him as one of those that shall confound the wise of the world that doth not yet understand what a true or right consequence is Master Patient afterwards tells us that all such consequencies and books and arguments as are brought against commands to prove Infant Baptism which is cleerly implied he may say of them as Christ to Peter Get the behind mee Satan thou art an offence to me Page 6.27 Answ Alas poor man if the Physicks of truth offend his stomack which should cure him 't is a sad signe hee is near past recovery How ever take this extract from his own Instance that so far as any man shall disswade others from truth and cause them to apostatize from the ways of Christ hee Acts the Divels part Ergo This I say not Get thee behind me Satan but this I say that book by him publisht in which he so bitterly reviles the good old wav of God for the ends aforesaid The state would doe well to have all such books though in Folio put into an Index Expurgatorius amongst the whole Rabble of Erroneous and Hereticall peeces that have been printed in these Licentions book-days and so condemn them to the fire as they have done others not fit to be suffered And by this meanes all Protestant Churches through the world will know what Religion wee are of In Page the 27 he pretends to come nearer the consequence and grounds thereof but doth not close till Page â—8 And then hee tells us of the danger of the practice of Infant-Baptism that if it be maintained in all it's dimensions upon the Ground of the Covenant it will shake the very foundation of the Gospell Answ All these are but great swelling words of vanitie fit for nothing but to delude the simple of which we have been slong since foretold by the Apostles of Christ but to the busines of the Covenant at last hee comes where at length we shall find with what grosse ignorance hee gropes about to find a new way but is mistaken CHAP. VII The two Covenants answered PAge 28. In handling this consequence and to cut off the interest of Children and right to the Covenant hee reduceth the method into these four heads as before the Controversie of Baptism was into four Essentialls First To prove there are two Covenants held forth in Scripture a Covenant of Works and a Covenant of Grace Secondly That the Covenant of Circumcision was not of Grace but works Thirdly That none but beleevers ever had or shall have a right to the Covenant of Grace Fourthly To answer such objections and Scriptures as are usually alledged to defend a Covenant of life in the flesh To prove the first of these hee brings severall Scriptures the main of which is Jer 31.32.33 34. but to what purpose it will afterwards appear the words are these Behold the days come that I wil make a new Covenant with the house of Israel the house of Judah Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake though I was to them a husband saith the Lord. where saith Master Patient we find an old Covenant and a new Covenant the old broken therefore of works the new was not like the old therefore of Grace c. Answ Before I shall come to answer the Scriptures by him quoted I shall briefely premise what a Covenant of Grace is The Answer will be this It 's a gracious engagement betwixt God and his people upon Gospell terms requiring duties from them in promising mercy to them what that mercy and duties be and how far Conditionall shall largely appear in its due place this definition of the Covenant importing a Condition is often denied by our opposites and sometimes Granted so that to bee as a stable foundation to build upon I thought it most fit for this place And according to this definition I shall doe two things First Give a brief Epitome or Analysis of Abrahams Covenant Secondly The whole ensuing discourse with all his Scriptures that he brings will be from hence answered and so his weapons brought against us and many more added to them shall be made use of to prove Abrahams Covenant in every part thereof to be a Covenant of pure Grace which I am sure as t is the best fortification I can make to secure the truth so the incursions that shall be made from hence upon his confused and new doctrine will give a rout thereto Abrahams Covenant had two parts Gen. 17.2 4 6 7 8 9 10 14. First Gods part this consisted in blessings carried on in a way of promise and that twofold 1. Inward and Spirituall I will be thy God and thy Seeds God to give grace and Glory 2. Outward and Temporall specially in three things 1. In multiplying his seed as the Stars 2. In making them blessings to families and Nations 3. In giving them the Land of Canaan for an everlasting possession Secondly Mans part and this respected duties to be done and that twofold 1. Inward walke before mee and be thou perfect 2. Outward and this also in three things especially 1. In keeping to the seale or token which then was circumcision as now Baptism therefore in every Generation 2. In keeping the Morall Law 3. All those Typical ceremonies relating to Worship By all which we shall hereafter see 1. That here are not two Covenants spoken of 2. That the Covenant of Grace is Conditional First it hath Gods part and that consists of promises and blessings Spiritual and Temporal Secondly mans part consisting of
Adam to Seth Enos Kenan so to Noah Shem Arphaxad and up to Abraham and then to Isaac Jacob and his twelve sons but so in Judah it continued to Christ see Luke 3. to the end compared with Mat. 1. to 17. where you shall finde a spiritual entail by promise and were it not so what incouragement could it be to believers to be Stoickt in family duties had they not a promise to rest upon as touching family blessings Which place in Luke 3. is so cleer that Mr Patient to evade the strength and dint of Scripture makes this whole line to run in a covenant of works the contrary whereto is already proved that no such covenant is made with man since the fall therefore see these Texts which prove an intail Deut. 4 37. Because he loved thy fathers therefore he chose their seed after them So ch 10.5 the Lord had a delight in thy Fathers to love them and he chose their seed after them even you above all people compared with Rom 11.28 as touching the Election they are beloved for their fathers sake * Dâ—ut 30.19 Therefore â—huse life that both thou and thy seed may live Hence it is that we finde the Parents saith drawn forth to believe their seeds interest in the covenant Thus did Eve in the place before mentioned believe the covenant-state of Sâ—th as soon as born And therefore she calls him another seed instead of Abel The like also we find of Lamech Gen 5.28 29. who concludes that though God would destroy and curse the earth yet upon the birth of Noah he should be a comfort to the Church Thus was David drawn forth to believe That because of that Everlasting Covenant God had made with him he should in time have his house to flourish though yet God made it not to grow Psal 89.29 34 35 compared with 2 Sam. 23.5 The like ground of believing is to reâ—ch to these days and to the worlds end concerning the seed of believers right to the covenant as Psal 102.28 the children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee How long was this seed to continue See ver 26 27 So long as heaven and earth should remain Hence it is that God hath promised to be the God of all the families of Israel Jer. 31.1 Isa 65.23 That they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off spring with them Which blâ—ssedness relates to more then externals as by that 102 Psal appears For the heaven and earth was to be folded up as a garment and to wax old but the seed and off-spring of his children should remain and have greater blessings That place Gen. 1â— 3 Mr Patient doth acknowledge to be Gospel but in such low and general terms that in â—ffâ—ct he denyes it For saith he all Nations that are in Christ are blessed When yet he will not acknowledge that ever any Nation were so blest no not the Jews hemselves but onely a remnant And the reason of hiâ— mistake â—s because he considers not that there is a vâ—sible being in Christ â—s in that plâ—ce Joh. 15 41. Abide in we and I in you he that abideth not in me is cut off as a branch So that he confines the meaning of â—â—e promise in thee and in thy seed to Christ onely contrary to tâ—e due some of the wâ—rds F r by thy seed is also meant believers and so Ch â—st myst â—dly in head members is to be understood Gen 13.5 look towards heaven and tell the stars if thou art able so shall thy seed be Mr Patient I hope w ll not make so many Christs and ch 17.7 I will establish my covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations so if Abraham had a seed in every generation which were to be a blessing thereto So Gen. 22.17 In blessing I will bless thee and will multiply thy seed and thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies meaning the conquest of Canaan which could not be in Christ personal because the Land of Canaan was conquered many hundred yeers before he came and since t is destroyd So in thy seed all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed ver 8. i e. in the multiplying of Abrahams seed as the stars they should at last come to be a blessing to all Nations by all which places it is cleer that the word seed which he confines to Christ is meant of all believers to the worlds end and indeed to deny this sense of the place is to deny that Abraham had any Gospel preacht to him as any judicious reader may easily observe for that which the Apostle Rom. 3.18 speaks of Abrahams faith to justification is referred to Gen. 15.5 So shall thy seed be that is as the stars of heaven for multitude which Abraham believing it was imputed to him for righteousness This Exposition therefore being granted the other will appear but lame and maimed 3 The covenant saith Mr Patient is not intailed as circumcision was Answ Though there hath been enough said to satisfie men of reason yet I shall here as in many other places be forced to repeat what before hath been spoken If therefore Circumcision be not a covenant of works then it must be the visible part of the covenant of Grace and then it must run upon entail as Mr Patient here grants Therefore let the Reader observe it hath been already proved The covenant had two parts one for spirituals the other for temporals in giving Israel rest in Canaan and all the good things thereof the first part is proved to be Gospel from Gal. 3.8 and that the second also is Gospel see Heb. 3.18 compared with ch 4.1 2 to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not speaking of the rest in Canaan which Israel was cut short of in the wilderness And ch 4 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us We also fall shâ—rt For unto us is the Gospel preached as well as to them From whence it is cleer that Israel never had rest in Canaan by works but by grace and therefore it follows If Israel did not injoy Canaan by a covenant of works and yet they did injoy it by the covenâ—nt of Circumcision then Circâ—mcision was not of works but of grace so that we see our opposites must be forced to acknowledge the visible part of the covenant of Grace to run upon intail to believers and their seed Thus we have done with this first head and have answered all his material Scriptures which indeed doth also answer the next following or any tâ—ing material in his book and though I have undermined his foundaâ—ion so as that the whole structure is fallen yet because I would separate the stones from the other rubbish I shall therefore come to his next general head CHAP. VIII An answer to the second general head touching the
did it was upon the like mistake of this Author who thought the law had been given them as a Covenant of works which was not so intended and by this means they came to rest in the law and are condemned for it by the Apostle Rom. 2.13 17. Gal. 5.1 2. 2. Consider that Baptism now binds as much to keep the law Moral and Gospel-Ordinances as Circumcision then did bind Israel to keep the same moral law with the legal Ordinances and he mâ—ght with as much evidence of truth argue That because Baptism binds to keep the law therefore the Churches of Christ now are under a covenant of works P. page 47 he winds up thus Abraham as if God should say I will be thy God and thy seeds God to protect defend deliver and bless thee with the blessings of Canaan in the fruit of the womb in thy basket and store and with all outward blessings upon condition that thou wilt be circumcised and keep the law as a covenant of works A. A poor Argument was it not to prevail with Abraham when he might have replyed Lord there are many that do possess a far greater portion in the world yea thou hast said that my son Ishmael shall have twelve Princes rise from him and that he shall be a great man in the earth yet none of them are bound up to such strict obligations And when thou gavest a covenant of works to Adam he should have had heaven and eternal happiness and glory And shall I be content with an earthly portion upon such hard terms And upon this account it is the Author to the Hebrews doth so argue That God would have been ashamed to be called Abrahams God which yet Mr Patient is not ashamed to tell the world in print that he was Abrahams God by a covenant of Works Horrid stuffe The like answer is to be given to that place Jer. 11.2 3 4 5. cursed be the man that obeys not the words of this covenant which I commnnded your Fathers When I brought them from Egypt saying Obey my voice so shall ye be my people and I will be your God that I may confirm the oath which I sware to your Fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey the Land was given by grace and the covenant he speaks of was a covenant of grace not of works but as faith leads to works so the covenant leads man to hâ—s duty in keeping the commands of God it was so then and so it is now and in this sense that place is true Psal 6. he rewardeth every man according to his works not for his works And we are at this day Gods people and be our God upon the same terms of works as then See 2 Cor. 6.17 18 come out from amongst them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and then I will be your Father and ye shall be my sons and daughters so that God becomes ours upon conditions still and yet by no covenant of works P. Page 48. The last thing with which he concludes this first Argument if such it be is this Abraham had a covenant of Grace made with him twenty four yeers before that covenant of works and his happiness with all his spiritual seed was in that absolute covenant A. Had M. Patients memory been good he would not so have contradicted himself For first this covenant of works he hath made to begin from Adam and so descended to Abraham For he hath long before proved that the Law which was given from Sinai was in force before the days of Noah how then is that like to hold with this that the covenant of works was not given to Abraham t is twenty four yeers after that of Grace 2 If he make Circumcision the covenant of works that he means then it implyes that Abraham had two covenants of works one by descent and the other made afterwards 3 Where he tells us the happiness of his spiritual seed lies in the absolute covenant I answer what spiritual seed had Abraham if it was not Isaac And yet Isaac was the line in which the covenant of Circumcision was to run and not Ishmael Gen 17.21 So that look what happiness the promise gave him of Gods being his God was conveyed in that covenant and either Mr Patient must say it was no happiness to him to have God to be his God or else if it was a happiness then he must acknowledge it in that covenant Thus we see how sadly he is be error'd certainly had this Doctrine been brought in the Apostles days he would have lookt upon it as another Gospel â—nd it is a sad curse that he gives to the preachers thereof P. A second Argument though very improperly so called to prove circumcision a covenant of works is because it was a national covenant in the flesh A. The prudent Reader may easily observe what a poor shift this is to maintain Circumcision a covenant of works as if a covenant of Grace could not be national and though what hath been said to prove Circumcision a covenant of pure Grace be sufficient yet I shall briefly add If the promise made with Abraham was a Gospel promise in wh ch were contained national blessings in thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed If the Jews shall be re ingraffed as they were cut off If by the stone cut out of the mountains that shall fill the world be to be understood the Church and kingdom of Christ If the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the seas If there shall be a new heaven and a new earth wherein shall dwell righteousness If the kingdom of God was taken from the Jews and given to another Nation If the Church now coming out of the wilderness holds parallel with the Church in the wilderness under the Law If the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord Christ if that Commission Mat. 28. in order hereunto be to teach all Nations c. If that Nation and kingdom that will not serve Christ shall be cut off Isa 60.12 Then are the blessings of a covenant of Grace national blessings and what God intended in Abrahams covenant was national I need say no more P. In pag. 49 50 51 52. he runs into a large field of discourse and over-runs the old Scriptures again as it is usual with him to prove that though the Jews had the covenant of Circumcision given them by entail yet as to matter of Justification they were as far off as Pagans and heathens and what Justification Abraham had was while he was uncircumcised and yet withal granting That the Jews had the advantage of other Nations by having those Eminent tenders of the Gospel held out amongst them And notwithstanding that covenant in the flesh yet they were all sinners and therefore there is but one way of Justification which is by faith in his blood therefore Circumcision
were saved were Abrahams children and saved by Abrahams covenant And it is impossible that M. P. himself should ever be saved out of that covenant though at present he so much slights it The reproof therefore that was given to Dives was not because he called Abraham Father as one of his sons but because he lived as an Epicure and a glutton as the whole parable makes evident And methinks Abrahams Charity should be a sufficient reproof to Mr. P. for his want thereof whereas therefore he tels us we have found out a newer way to heaven then by the Doctrine of regeneration it is but a taunt wherein he discovers by what spirit he writes and speaks Let therefore such ingenious spirits to whom he makes his appeal judge righteous judgement CHAP. XII Wherein the fourth and fifth Fundamentals are maintained IV. P. pag. 79. THe next Fundamental he tells us we destroy by maintaining Circumcision a covenant of Grace Is the Doctrine of the new covenant the nature of it and the manner of Gods making of it with the soul in which he writes his Laws in the heart and pardons their sins infuseth Faith binds himself over to be their God without any condition in the creature And thus and no otherwise doth God make a new covenant with the soul whereas this dream would make us believe that a whole Nation may be in the new covenant and yet have no work of Grace wrought upon the heart A. That the new covenant hath conditions hath been already proved God neither pardons saves nor justifies any man without the condition of the covenant which ever was is and will be Faith and Repentance which two are of a large extent and brings in a close walking with God in his Word and Ordinances and leads to a holy life without which none shall ever see the face of God Look back to Abrahams covenant was it not made with him as a believer Rom. 4.3 what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness Had not Abraham been a believer righteousness had not been imputed to him and that this is a condition the Apostle makes it cleer ver 23 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe So that faith is cleerly held forth as the condition both to Jew and Gentile Isa 56.6 He that keepeth the Sabboth from polluting it and taketh hold on my covenant Him will I make joyful in my house of prayer For my house shall be called the house of prayer of all Nations what covenant is this that a man must lay hold of but that of free-grace which relates to his house of prayer in all Nations For his Gospel-house with whom that covenant is made is as well called the house of prayer as the Temple so that look how far the house of prayer goes to that people and Nation both the Sabboth and Covenant goes also so as they must keep the one and take hold of the other Obj. But saith the opponent though Faith be the hand yet it is God that gives the hand so that still the Covenant is without conditions Ans This is still to argue pro and con For if Faith be the hand and condition of the covenant then it is on the creatures side that it is so and not on Gods And the covenant is not made with any creature till they have a hand to receive it And though it be given by free-grace yet when it is given it is the creatures hand as the hand and eye of my body it is free-grace that gives them but when they are given they are my hands and my eys And thus the Apostle argues it is of faith that it may be by grace and hereby grace doth abound that God should give the Gospel and Covenant upon conditions and when these conditions are wrought by his Grace yet he should look upon them as ours yea Mr Patient hath before acknowledged That faith is the condition of the covenant and therefore whereas he here tells us God infuseth faith and binds himself over to the soul without conditions it is a meer contradiction because that faith so infused is that condition which takes hold on the covenant and by this new covenant were Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph David Solomon Nathan and all the people of God under the old-Testament justifyed and saved into the visible part of which covenant all their seed was taken yea the whole Nation of Israel And that they shall be so taken in again see Rom. 11. at large compared with Jer. 31.1 therefore for him to call it a dream is not onely a discovery of his shallowness but also an affront put upon those holy worthies before mentioned by which he doth manifest it to the world affirming that the Covenant of Grace hath no conditions that he is a high Antinomian as well as an Anabaptist V. P. pag. 80. His next Fundamental is the doctrine of Justification by Faith which this opinion of Circumcision to be a covenant of Grace destroys in that it holds forth another way to obtain Justification by then faith which is by carnal birth of believing parents For if a soul be admitted into a covenant of life thereby I hope you are not ignorant that justification by faith is the great priviledge of the new covenant and really the portion of all that are in that covenant A. He here affirms two direct untruths But what 's that when there is nothing else to be found in his whole book 1 He tells us we hold another way of justification then faith by carnal birth c. which we abhor 2 Another gross untruth is That Justification to life is the real portion of all within the covenant of Grace Therefore let the former distinction be still minded and then it is apparent that we affirm no more but that believers seed have right to the external part of the covenant of grace which Circumcision was a part of as hath been proved as for the spiritual part of the covenant namely that justification by faith which he speaks of it hath ever been conveyed in a secret way of the spirits working upon the heart from which it is evident that persons may be visibly within the covenant and yet have no real work of Grace in their souls so as to be justifyed as those examples beforementioned do abundantly prove for then Judas had been really justifyed Take in also the parallel then al the members of their dipt societies would be really justifyed had we nothing else to plead but the sensible experience of these times it would be enough to shew the falsity of such an assertion for how many not onely of them but of others also have fallen away to diabolical delusions Thus far therefore we see those foundations by him pretended to be shaken remain notwithstanding his high swelling language untoucht and
much corrupted in that Ordinance as appears from that place Ezek. 44.7 therefore to baptize our children to succeedâ—ng generations iâ— the Parents wicked because the visible unbelief of Parents cuts off their seed and their visible believing ingraffs them in And thus we finde John repulst visible unbelievers that came to be baptized upon the account of Abrahams covenant so that it appears that M. P. is aâ— ignorant of the ground of our practice as he is of the truth of his own 4 Neither is it the setting up again of the partition wall betwixt the natural branches and those that are wild by nature For the partition wall was the legal-Ordinances Eph. 2.14 15 given to the Jewâ—sh Nation onely and shuâ—ting out all Nations besides so much is implyed by Paul Rom. 9.4 To them appertained the giving of the Law and the Oracles that is to them and none else so Rom. 11.12 Mat. 28.19 which Commission was inlarged upon Christs taking away that partition wall and copyed out according to the tenor of Abrahams covenant Gen. 12. In thee shall all Nations of the earth be blessed Therefore go teach all Nations Therefore also by natural branches we are to understand the Jewish believing Parents and seed These were the branches of the covenant cut off for unbelief His blood be upon us and our children Mat. 27.25 and Rom. 11.15 20. because of unbelief they were broken off What they The first place tells us Parents and Children and ver 17. and if some of the branches were broken off implying that as Parent and seed were branches so some of those branches were not broken off but still remained in Abrahams covenant Therefore 2 By wild branches or branches wild by nature we are to understand the Gentiles Parents and seed called wild by nature because Israel that were Gods Vineyard Orchard Garden and so inclosed were dress'd and prun'd by Christ in his Ministry who was the vine-dresser thereof when as the Gentiles grew wild as a Tree in a wilderness and so were without God in the world thus the natural branches were cut off That the branches wild by nature might be graffed in The Sun at noon day hath not so cleer a light as this Scripture hath to prove the covenant right and interest of believers and their seed In what therefore he affirms in pag. 81. that taking in of children is a setting up the partition wall betwixt the natural branches and bâ—anches wild by nature he shews himself more blind then that poor man that saw men as trees walking For by natural branches he understands onely adult professors and by branches wild by nature little infants when as the word of God tells us that we are to understand by branches Parents and Children By all which it is apparent that he understands not what the partition wa l is or what the natural branches or branches wild by nature signifies Thus far we have examined the t uth of his Church-matter The next thing is the form Therefore P. The holding of this opinion that believers seed have a right to the covenant makes people live in a neglect of the Lords baptism contenting themselves with a counterfeit baptism instead thereof and thus the Church comes to be constituted of good and bad promiscuously and then he calls for our rule to justifie it A. The Reader may here observe to what height of spirit this man is sweld that he durst charge all the Churches of Christ through the world with a counterfeit baptism as if the onely light of this truth did shine in Rivers It hath been already proved in answer to his Essentials that the Lords Baptism was not by dipping Therefore believe him not yea the Lord Christ will be a swift witness against him that he abhors such a practice for the reason before laid down And whereas be saith that it makes the Church a promisâ—uouâ— body consisting of good and bad I answer 1. So doth Christ himself Mat. 13.47 where he likens the kingdom of heaven i. e. the Church to a net let down into the sea which gathered of all kinds both good and bad yet I hope he will not be so bold to say a charge of imputation upon Christ himself 2 It hath been also proved that such a mixture as is made by taking in believers and their seed is no more then what the word of God bars out upon the account of Abrahams covenant and to call it a mixture is to call that common which is clean 3 Neither do I believe but if their own Societies were sifted there would be found more chaff then wheat and that their Congregations would not appear more strict then ours I speak not this by way of boasting for I doubt we have not so much cause on either hand But let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. P. p. 82. He tells us of going in an untrodden path because we baptize children and receive them into the Church as members and yet deny them the Sacrament And then asks us when we will give it them or why they have a right to one priviledge and not to another A. Though a child may not be fit to sit at the fathers Table yet he may be fit to suck at the mothers breasts And if you will know when they shall come to the Lords Table the Apostle tells you when they can examine themselves 1 Cor 11.28 Look back to Israel though their seed did receive the seal of the covenant and were admitted then in Christs kingdom yet they were not presently fit for the passover which was also a spiritual feast and a prefiguration of the Lords Supper 1 Cor 5.7 8. as the Israel of God then in which children were included was a prefiguration of Gods Israel now therefore though baptism and the Lords Supper are both priviledges of the covenant as Circumcision and the Passover were then yet the infant-seed of the kingdom may be fit for the one though not fit for the other as the infant-subjects of the kingdoms of the world they are subjects but not fit for all the priviledges of a kingdom which consideration doth answer his cavils though much more might have been added upon another account As to that Scripture Act. 2.41 42. That all that were baptized continued in breaking bread I answer They were such there spoken of that were capable of hearing the word and which gladly received it that were converted from Judaism The like to which is practised upon the conversion of any unbaptised persons at this day and this makes therefore for us for though their children were admitted in upon the account of Abrahams covenant The promise is to you and your children yet we do not finde they were admitted to the Supper because the same promise belonging to them and their seed under the Law yet the seed were not capacifyed for the Passover By all which therefore it appears our path lies plain and open that we may see which way the
be sanctifyed in the husband and the husband in the wife a strange word to be used amongst heathens that every marryed couple were sanctifyed one to another so likewise to put the word Holy in opposition to uncleanness of birth is too high a tearm and such a way of speaking as is not to be found in Scripture Adding this likewise that the holy Ghost would have spoken so as not to be guilty of tautology for then the words must have run thus Else were your children bastards and there it would have broken off because the next words had been superfluous but now they are holy so that by this we see what an unseemly unbecoming interpretation he gives and what indignities he puts upon the spirit of God whereas if we look upon the words in that other sense wherein is implyed a federal holiness by Abrahams covenant which ever hath taken in Parent and childe it is a strong Argument inducing to imbrace the Gospel and carries with it a full sail of comfort to godly parents Else were your children unclean but now they are holy Thus also this place stands immoveable notwithstanding any thing he hath said or can say to the contrary If therefore children are holy by vertue of Abrahams covenant then you that are believers get into the fold of Christ that your children may receive the seal of the covenant baptism which is the mark of the flock CHAP. XVI Rom. 11. vindicated from false glossings Pag. 110. THe next place he opens is Rom. 11.16 17. but with what evidence of truth will be seen when it hath undergone the Test If the first fruits be holy the lump is also holy if the root be holy so are the branches P. He grants that by root is meant Abraham but yet in a double capacity Abraham as considered in the covenant of works And so working Abraham is the root of all the natural branches and so legally holy as Abraham was who was the first-fruits and the natural lump was all Israel so holy till that covenant of works was abolisht by the death of Christ and then this covenant being put an end to it must needs be that such branches who were onely natural must be broken off 2 Abraham is to be understood a root considered as believing Abraham in a spiritual covenant and so in this sense holy and thus onely the spiritual branches are said to be holy and by lump also must be understood all the spiritual seed in this spiritual covenant these distinctions duly noted will inlighten the soul to understand the place Rep. These are wild notional distinctions and not to be found in Scripture it hath been already proved that Abraham as a believer had never two covenants made with him nor is there the least word of two covenants in the chapter any farther then that gross mistake of the Romans who were looking after a justification by works as thinking the Law had been given by God to make men righteous legally these distinctions therefore of believing Abraham and working Abraham a spi itual root a carnal root Abraham in a covenant of works Abraham in a covenant of Grace a carnal and spiritual lump instead of inlightening the soul to understand the place rise like a dark smoak out of the pit of error that the truth is not to be seen in them therefore I may say of him as it was said of Reuben Thou art the first-born unstable as water thou shalt not excel the vanity of such stuff will appear by this that follows 1 If Abraham in a covenant of works be the root from whence the natural branches are broken off then the Gentiles that are ingraffed are put into a covenant of works because the Apostle cleers it that such who are ingraffed are put into the same stock from which the other were taken ver 17. and calls it a graffing in amongst them So ver 19. they were broken off that we mâ—ght be ingraffed 2 Then also when God shall re-ingraff the Jews they must be put into Abraham considered in a covenant of works and so the covenant of works must continue till this day because there cannot be an ingr ffiâ—g where there is no stock ver 24. 3 If the covenant of works be made the root or Abraham in that covenant then the casting off the Jews from that covenant could never be called the reconciling of the world because the world could not be reconciled by a covenant of works and that the world was reconciled by that covenant is cleer ver 11. 4 If the covenant of works now be câ—ast since Christs coming as he implyes the Gentiles could not be ingraffed into the spiritual part of the covenant till that was taken away which indeed he having confest in page 114. doth hereby contradict himself in what he hath before affirmed pag. 91. with many other places that Job and Jobs friends were all in the sâ—iritual covenant which was made as well to all nations as the Jews and they had as much benefit thereby as had the Jews 5 If the ingraffing of the Gentiles be to be understood onely of the spiritual lump as he saith then also is that spiritual lump ingâ—affed into a covenant of works from whence the naturâ—l branâ—hes were cut off For none of that spiritual lump of Israel were ever câ—â—â—ff as himself confess th thus we may briefly see what exâ—crable stuff he introduceth by such wild notional d stinctions P. In pag. 15 he explâ—ins Isai â—5 23 They are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off spring with them which saitâ— M. 〈◊〉 meâ—nt one y of the righteous off-spring i. e. such as are in the â—piritual covenant A. It is strange that a man should be so wilfully ignorant to gâ—ve a sense of Scripture so directly contrary to the Scope and Anaâ—ysis thereof For by off-spring is to be understood Inâ—ants as wi l aâ—pear by viewing the scope of the place which speaks of the conversion of Israel into that Gospel-state that shall be called the new Heavens and new Earth when they shall be brought to re-inhabit their own land under the Messias and enjoy the fruit of their labours And gives this as the reason why they should rejoyce with God and God with them Because they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them As if he had said though you and your off-spring have been discovenanted and cast off from being a people scattered upon the face of the earth yet as you and your off-spring were the seed of the blessed of the L. i. e. of Abr. to whom all blessings were given so you and your off-spring shal be as much ingraffed in all the blessings of Abraham as you were before For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them which place doth fully parallel Rom. 11. when God shall ingraff the Jews again as natural branches into their own Olive-Tree P.
p. 116. This Text Ro. 11. doth fully make against any fleshly coveâ—ant or fleshly line of believers because from ver 20 to 24 the Gentiles come to be Abrahams spiritual seed and so branches onely by faith in Christ the fat Olive And if the Gentiles are graffed in contrary to nature then it cuts off all Gentile-seed who came in by nature And though the Jews were cut off for unbelief yet this opinion doth ingraff the carnal seed of the Gentiles into the midst of that unbelief A. That by natural branches is to be understood the Jews and their children and by branches wild by nature the Gentiles and their children hath been already proved See the answer to pag. 82. And that the cutting off and graffing in related to Parents and children hath been also cleered To which I refer the Reader onely adding Jer. 31.1 Isai 65.23 therefore to interpret by natural branches only adult believers and by branches wild by natu e the Infants of believers is to restrain and eclipse the intent of the Holy Ghost in the place cited and supposeth strongly that all such adult believers are really ingraffed into Christ When as Christ himself tells us there may be some branches in him cut off and withered Joh. 15.2 4 5 6. And that Infants are all damned because all wild by nature 2 Where he tells us of ingraffing into the midst of their unbelief is â—â—lse for we ingraffe into that stock Abr. from which they were cut â—ff for unbelief And if what he asserts in this were true then those believing Jews and their children which were not cut off remain in the midst of their unbelief that were cut off And thus we may sâ—e a man in his nakedness and yet without shame I see I must pass over many of his absurdities and reiterations because they come so fast upon me In pag. 118 he again runs retrograde P. If any hold believers and their seed within the covenant of grace it is a denying of Christ to be come in the flesh and therefore he must needs be a high Antichrist Rep. This hath been already answered and his vain confidence so to affirm hath been manifested that it is apparent if the Reader will but take pains to view the answer to his 93 page it is no denying of Christ to be come in the flesh to maintain Infants right to the Covenant of Grace yea it is a strong Argument to prove Christ is come because the blessing of Abraham is by Christ handed over to the Gentiles Gal. 3.14 which could not have been if Christ had not been exhibited in flesh because the wall of partition could not have been broken down therefore M. P. lies under self-condemnation because to deny the blessing of Abrahams Covenant to be handed over to the Gentiles and their seed is to deny Christ exhibited as that place of Paul proved Gal. 3.14 so that M. P. proves himself an Antichrist Let no man therefore dislike the truth for this Bears skin which this Author of dipping hath cast upon it For it is the devils policy now Antichrist is falling to cry down all Gospel-truths for Antichristian that so they may fall also but mauger all the malice of hell the interest of Children in the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham shall stand and triumph as a glorious truth of the Gospel when Antichrist and his children all petty Antichrists shall tumble together P. Pag. 118. He quotes 2 Cor. 5.16 Henceforth we know no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth we know him so no more which he explains thus men were known and approved as priviledged persons in Gods Church after the flesh but henceforth we know no man no not Christ himself as interessed in the covenant of Abraham he being a Minister of a better covenant then that of Circumcision grounded upon better promises c. therefore we know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself A. As all other places of Scripture hitherto brought have been abused by false explications and applications so is the intent and meaning of this Text much wrong'd and clouded I shall therefore briefly cleer it The Apostle is telling the Church of Corinth that the Jew had no more benefit by the death of Christ then the Gentile for both Jew and Gentile were all under sin and were therefore all dead If one dyed for all then were all dead It seems many of them thought that because Christ came from the Jews therefore he did bear more love to them then the Gentiles and so it was good being a Jew To which Paul answers True if we that are Jews should judge after the flesh according to our natural affection to our own Nation then we should say so too but the love of Christ constrains us to judge otherwise that is he did not look upon the benefit of this or that Nation peculiarly but this Christ had in his eye Jew and Gentile were all dead and upon this account did Christ die For if one dyed for all then were all dead as if he had said Christ did not intend this Jew should be more priviledged then that Gentile though himself were a Jew therefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh That is we do not now look upon the Jew to have any more priviledge then the Gentiles yea though we have known Christ after the flesh that is though we have known him to be a Jew and to receive the seal of their priviledges only yet henceforth we know him so no more that is we have no more priviledge now by Christs coming from us then the Gentiles nor hath Christ any more income of priviledges from us then he hath from the Gentiles ours is alike from him and his is alike from us and no difference And that this is the true intent of the words see v. 17 18 19 20. Old things are past away i. e. old priviledges that we claimed in Christ before others they are all now conveyed over to the world and therefore he hath committed to us the Gospel of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself i. e. It was onely our Nation that was reconciled before Parents and children called his sons spouse off-spring heirs the blessings of the covenant were ours onely But now all this is tendered to the world Therefore we as Embassadors in Christs stead beseech you to be reconciled And thus you have this innocent Text which hath been turned against Abrahams seed though it harbors not a harsh syllable to babes wrested out of the paw of the Lyon 2 Let us view the second part Christ himself should not be minded as at all interessed in Abrahams Covenant he being now a Minister of a better Covenant c. A. It hath been already fully proved That Abrahams Covenant in all parts thereof was a full and compleat covenant of Grâ—ce and not of Works Therefore M.
Covenant PAg. 42. The next general head by him laid down to prove is That Circumcision is no covenant of grace but of works called a covenant in the flesh Gen. 17.13 but before he comes to his Arguments he opens the meaning of the word everlasting which is to be understood of the ever of the Law especially when it comprehends with it their seed in their generations and this he lays down as a maxim to prove which he brings Lev. 16. Num. 25.13 Exod. 40.15 ch 30.20 21. all which places speak of the Levitical Priesthood either of the line in which it should run or the way by which they were instated into their office by anointing or the manner by which they approacht constantly into the Tabernacle or of the manner of their atonement for the people all which should remain as an everlasting statute in their generations A. That by everlasting we are to understand the ever of the Law onely is no sound maxim for though it be so to be understood in the places quoted because it related to the Priesthood and Tabernacle worship yet if that covenant in Gen. 17. Which Circumcision sealed then upon which God promised the Land of Canaan as a type of heaven remains still as an everlasting covenant then his maxim is broken see therefore that parallel Text Psal 105.6 to Gen. 17. O ye seed of â—braham his servant he is the Lord our God he hath remembred his covenant for ever the word which he commanded to a thousand generations which covenant he made with Abraham and his oath with Isaac and confirmed the same to Jacob for a Law and to Israel for an everlasting covenant saying To thee will I give the Land of Canaan c. From which it appear that the word everlasting is to be understood to a thousand generations i. e. to the worlds end because the giving Israel Canaan was a type of heaven and from Abrahams days to Christ was but forty two Generations Therefore this difference is to be observed that when he speaks of statutes everlasting to be observed in their generations 'T is meant of those Statute Laws that God gave to Israel for worship and so as Mr Patient observes it is to be understood for the ever of the Law But when the Holy Ghost speaks of a covenant everlasting as in Gen. 1â— 15 'T is such a covenant that is to continue so long as the heavens and earth shall continue so Paul calls it Heb. 13.20 The blood of the everlasting covenant And this in Gal. 3.17 was that covenant that Christ confirmed to Abraham and his seed 430 yeers before the Law and called everlasting in that place of Genesis befo e quoted which everlasting covenant â—oâ—k in an everlasting seed and is called a Gospel-preaching to Abraham Gal. 3.8 and by John Rev. 14.6 is also explained to be an eveâ—lasting Gospel from hence also it is that Paul in Heb. 6. when â—e speaks of Gods blessing Abraham and multiplying his seed which he c lls â—he hâ—rs of promise calls it his immutable Counsel as relating to both the covenant and the seed of the covenant Now if there be an everlastingness in the covenant which takes in such a seed as it did to Abraham then must it continue longer then the Law or else there must be a mutability So again if the persons row covenant ng were changed i. e. If God were not the same to believers and their seed now as â—e was tâ—en or if believers should now covenant onely for themselves and leave out their seed then there is a mutation of the covenant therefore David in Psal 102.26 27 28. before quoted speaking of the infant seed of the Church tells us that though the heavens and earth should wax old and perish as a garment which words are quâ—ted by Paul Heb. â— 1 to a Gospel-â—h rch yet that Church sâ—ed should continue so also Psal 103.17 18. from everlasting to everlasting and that by vertue of t at everlasting covenant therefore what feeble maxin s this new Doctor teacheth and how ill he compares Texts we may here see Pag 4â— The next thing he opens is these words I will be thy God and thy seeds God and that two ways the oâ—e b a covenant of Grace the other by a covâ—nant of Works the first absolute the second conditional and so God gave himself to be Abrahams God by a conditional câ—vâ—nant of Works A. That this is strange Divinity that God should be a peoples God by a Covenant of Works since the fall I doubt not but it will appear to sound Ch istians from what hath been already said I shall therefore pass it to come to his confused Arguments some of which I have contracted into form to take the better prospect thereof P. Hâ—s first Argument runs thus That covenant that runs upon conditions is a covenant of Works but so doth Circumcision therefore A. To which I answer The first proposition is denyed and dâ—sproved and it is by him confest that faith and repentance is a condition of the covenant So that by this he affirms pro and con and may as well say plainly that the covenant of grace is a covenant of works because it hath conditions therefore his foundation is too weak and rotten for such a building P. In pag. 45. he would prove the land of Canaan to be given to Abraham and his seed by a covenant of works and so would be their God and then his Argument runs thus If God gâ—ve the Land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed upon the condition of Circumcision and keeping the Law then he gave the land of Canaan by a covenant of works but God gave the land to Abraham upon condition he would circumcise his seed Therefore A. This hath been already cleared that circumcision and keepâ—ng of the law was mans part of the covenant of Grace in which the Church was to walk with God being bound up to visible duties then as it is now and that Canaan was not g ven Israel by works my answer to the preceding head makes clear to which I refer the Readâ—r yea it is directly against these Scriptures before quoted Deut. 9.4 5 6 7 8 ch 10 11 12 13 16. Exod. 3.24 Heb 3.18 ch 4.1 2. ch 11. 8 9 10. yea so to affirm is to put an affront upon God himself and to make him ashamed of that title of being Abrahams God Heb. 11.16 See also the twelve Scripture-considerations before mentioned P. In pag 45 46. he brings several Scriptures to prove that Circumcision bound to the keeping of the Law But not one of all those places by him quoted speaks that they were bound to keep it as a covenant of works but as the Law of Christ and so Israels Gospel in which Justification was conveyed and therefore when we read of the Primitive revoltings from Gospel-Ordinances to Circumcision and the works of the law as the Church at Rome and Galatia
before the Gospel-administration must be a new covenant of works And so what M. P. doth though onely a pretender to Gospel-rule in wading into mill-pools and Rivers must be as indeed it is a branch of such a covenant of Works Therefore not of Grace P. pag. 87 88. The reason why God made choice of Abrahams family and not Lots or any of the rest of the godly families in the world it was not because Abraham was any more a believer or his Family for then Lot and his family and the rest had been taken into the covenant of Circumcision because they did believe as well as Abraham For this is a sure rule If God gives a promise or command to a person as a believer then whosoever believes that command and promise belongs to them and for this he brings the example of Joshua I will not leave thee which the Apostle applyes to the Church Heb. 13.5 now the covenant made with Abraham was therefore to shew the world that Christ must come out of his flesh c. A. Though I grant that Abraham was not pitcht upon as a believer barely yet had he not been a believer he could not have been the father of the faithful 2 If that had been all to point out to the world from whence they might expect the Messias then Cirâ—umcision might as well have been given to Seth Enos or Shem c. and so have distinguisht the whole race yea God must afterwards have given some distinct sign to Judah because all Jacobs twelve sons were circumcised So that the world would be at as great a loss to know in which of al these twelve the line was to run Therefore if we do but look into the grounds of the Promises we shall finde there were many other main and choice ends as namely By the multiplying of believers as the stars of heaven who also are called the seed they might thereby become blessings to families and Nations For as Jesus Christ was the great blessing so every believer was also to be a little blessing According to the promise I will bless thee and thou shalt be a blessing and by this means God makes use of believers to be as his leaven to leaven the whole lump so that in this way Christs kingdom shall at last spread through the earth 2 To make Abraham a publike Father to the believing Gentiles and their seed since the coming of Christ as he was to the Jews and their seed before Christ came 3 To seal the possession of Canaan to him and the heirs of Promise as a type of heaven and to give them possession of that Land in a way of conquest Gen. 22.17 Luke 1.73 4 To shew the immutability of his counsel and purpose to the Gentiles Heirs with him of the same promises that so we in Gospel days might have ground of consolation in all straits and extremities that the heirs under the Gospel might meet with because they also have a wilderness to go through Rev. 12.6 and Canaanites to subdue and conquer Gen. 9.27 And a like rest with that of Canaan to possess Heb. 4.1 Therefore Abraham is held out as a publike Father to look at thereby to see and behold Gods variety of dealings with him and with his seed after him either in war or peace prosperity or adversity hereby to strengthen Faith in the like case that so as David saith one deep may call out to another at the noise of Gods water-spouts when the billows overflow These and all these and more then these were the ends for which God made choice of Abraham to give the Promises unto with the oath and seal all which do substantially continue to this day being by Christ handed over to the Gentiles with the old seal taken off which as Lord of all he had power to do and a new seal added in the room thereof to the same covenant which amounts to no more then the taking off a seal of red wax from a covenant and putting a seal of white wax in the place thereof yet the covenant still remains II. To that which he saith that if a command or promise be given to a believer as a believer it then as a sure rule belongs to every one that is a believer A. That 's no true rule therefore not a sure rule because a promise that suits to one mans condition as a believer doth not therefore suit with every believers condition neither doth the end of God in giving one believer a Promise reach to the same end in all believers unless so circumstantiated as for instance God gave Abraham Circumcision as a believer And his end was to make Abraham a publike Father yet this did not therefore reach to all believers For he did not intend to make any more publike fathe s then one the like we may say of that instance he gives of Joshua The command and Promise given to him was as a Captain General and believer and so it could not reach to all believers upon those terms for though he was commanded to be of a good courage c. and fight and he should not be forsaken yet that command doth not reach to all believers because we see many believers have fallen in the wars and their enemies have been the conquerors yea such a command would then reach to women because they are believers And the reason why that promise was applyed to the believing Hebrews is because one promise hath several aspects And so suits to several conditions it being as a sprig of the whole bundle that suits all conditions So the several cures that Christ wrought upon persons as believers and some in a way of promise doth not therefo e instate all believers in such a promise that they shall so be cured when the holy Ghost tells us the prayer of faith shall save the sick doth this give al believers an interest into the direct intent of that promise there is therefore much Christian prudence to be observed in chusing and applying promises to pick out such as are suitable to a believers condition The Reader may therefore see how sadly confident and ignorant this man is who yet is lookt upon as the Nicodemus of that party P. pag. 86. For many pages he goes on to shew that the whole line by promise mentioned in Luke 3. it was onely an external election into a covenant of works and Cain Ham Ishmael Esau were therefore outwardly rejected from that covenant A. It hath been already proved that all the line by promise are more then externally elected yea so to affirm is strongly to suppose that some of that elect line might be damned because thousands so elected are never saved and some of those so rejected might go to heaven though t is expresly against the scriptures the naming of which methinks should be a sufficient confutation As to the six sons of Keturah which he speaks of in page 90 which were Abrahams seed and sent away into
P. to say Christ should not be minded or known in that Covenant is as much as to say that Jesus Christ is not to be minded as Mediator for there is no other Covenant that he is Mediator of but that and if this be not a bird of prey that flyes in the Region of blasphemy Let God Almighty and his people judge Thus we may see what work ignorant men will make in preaching that have onely a little Conscience a great deal of Confidence and a great Concordance This place also notwithstanding any thing he hath said doth vote for the ingraffing of believing Gentiles and their seed into the covenant made with Abraham from which the believing Jews and their seed were cast out therefore Job 38.2 who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge CHAP. XVII 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3. with many other Texts cleered from his corrupt interpretation P. Pag. 120. THe next Scripture he faceth as intending to relieve it out of our hands is 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3. Moreover brethren I would not have you ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the cloud and were all baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat of the same spiritual meat and did all drink of the same spiritual drink For they drank of that rock that followed them and that rock was Christ This is another Scripture made use of to prove a covenant of salvation to run in the flesh Rep. This Text was never pleaded to prove a covenant of life in the flesh for as we never affirmed such doctrines so is this Text impertinent for such a purpose but this we say that this Scripture is by us brought to prove the manner of baptising not to be by dipping so that we see he hath mistaken the door like a blind man groping in the dark therefore I shall wave much like stuff that follows upon it P. Pag. 120. 121. Israel was baptized to Moses a typical Mediator not to Christ which is a main passage to be noted and the covenant that Mose was Mediator of was a covenant of works and then he shews how the Law did type out in that administration our deliverance from sin death hell the devil and what resemblance it had of these things c. A. Though Israel was not baptized into Christ exhibited yet as Moses was a type of Christ so they were baptized into Christ Act. 3.22 2. The Apostle holds forth Israels Baptism as a Sacrament and brings it in with the Manna and the Rock which was Sacramentally Christ And compares these two to the Sacraments of the Church of Corinth who did eat the same spiritual meat and drink the same spiritual drink So that Christ was as truly held forth in Israels Baptism Sacramentally as in the Church of Corinths baptism and as much in the Rock and Manna amongst Israel as in the bread and wine in the Supper amongst the Church of Corinth 3 The Apostle by telling the Church of Corinth of Israels S craments and deliverances they injoyed from God they were all baptized and did all eat compares them with this Gospel-Church as an equal parallel to let them know that as they had equal priviledges so the same since in a Gospel-Church would bring down the same judgements as it did already begin to work for their unworthy receiving the Supper Now their priviledges being compared as equal and yet Israel being all baptized Sacramentally into Christ men women and children doth cleerly import that the infant-seed of that Church to whom this example is brought were also baptized into Christ or else the parallel could never hold so that what was done in baptising Israel â—o Moses as a typical Mediator was but a prefiguration of what should be done to Gods people Israel i. e. men women and children under Christ the true Mediator therefore this which he lays down mainly to be observed that Israel was not baptized to Christ is observed to be untrue And as for the manner of baptising either by sprinkling or powring forth water it is as fully held forth in this Text as before proved as that they used wine in the Supper But of this he speaks but little though indeed it is the main thing for which this Text is so often cond P. As to that where he tells us Moses was a typical Mediator of a covenant of works A. Then is Christ a Mediator of a covenant of works and then he contradicts what he affirmed in pap 127 where making Abrahams covenant to be of works he tells us that Christ was not now to be considered or eyed as a person interessed in that but a better covenant And how a covenant of works can stand with a Mediator or a Mediator with such a covenant is to me a paradox and not to be known I am sure on this side the water P. Those Teachers mentioned in Act. 15. that would impose a yoak upon the disciples necks were much like to those now who plead for Infant-baptism For they had no warrant for what they did A. He appears mistaken for our Ministers now neither plead for Circumcision nor Justification by works which was the main rock those primitive Churches by reason of the false teachers were like to split upon yea it is a thing note worthy that in all those primitive revolts from the truth the false Teachers did usher them in by preaching up Circumcision after the Law of Moses by which means they made rents and divisions in all Churches so that had not Infants been Church-members that were strongly riveted in their Parents affections it could have been no taking Argument to Parental-members to fall back to Judaism or any probable ground of hopes to incourage the false Teachers in their works for upon the strain of Anabaptists they might have done as they pleased with their children Circumcise or Paganize them for they were not to be of the visible Church til they were adult believers and so converted to the Faith by the word preacht And the very Text it self doth imply that children in the Primitive times were called Disciples or else how should it be called a putting a yoak upon the necks of the Disciples after the manner of Moses It was the childrens necks that bore the yoak Zipporah knew it right well so that it is apparent what he saith of our Ministery in comparing them to those false Teachers is but his usual way of reproaches in which he shakes hands with those false Teachers mentioned whose main work hath ever been to smite the shepheards that the sheep may be scattered and to extinguish their light that so their glow-worm shining may be seen in the dark But I hope the light of these times with the barking of the wolves now abroad will sufficiently discover them to be beasts of prey though they go mantled in sheeps cloathing P. p. 124. This being premised that Moses was a Typical Mediator and their baptism and the
faith doth reach the seed so as to incorporate them into external priviledges Gods carriage to Moses when he neglected his duty to seal his child doth sufficiently evince Exod 4.2 4 5 6. and agrees with Gen. 17.14 2 Faith and Repentance is required also upon a personal account to initiate such as come to yeers that are converted to imbrace the Gospell as Jews or Heathens or any other unbaptized persons But therefore I hope that since he hath brought this instance he will afford them to interpret their own meaning which they have best done by their practice though it may be not so orderly as he ought However we cannot but observe in this as in the like by searching after Antiquities and quoting the presidents of antient Churches and wracking the books and meaning of the Fathers as C. B. and others have done they would gladly get some humane Authority to countenance their Innovations But their fingers have been knockt off from that by worthy Mr Cobbet of New-England that I believe they do not much care to plead humane Antiquities more P. p. 32. If the covenant of life belongs to all believers seed then we need nor want for Church-members because all the world are the children and off-spring of believing Noah therefore this Argument carries the right of covenant to all the world because they are the children of a believer A. We do not baptize believers children for want of Church-members but because it is an Ordinance of Christ And though all the world be the off-spring of believing Noah yet what he affirms is untrue that therefore Noahs Faith carries the right of covenant to all the world upon these reasons 1 Because God did not pitch upon Noah to make him the Father of the Faithful as he did upon Abraham to whom he gave the promises Heb. 11.17 2 Therefore as children we are to acknowledge him to be our father that God hath made to be so which is faithful Abraham to whom he gave the seal and not faithful Noah And had God pitcht upon Noah as he did upon Abraham no question but Noah had circumcised his son as Abraham did but 3 Had God chosen Noah as he did Abraham yet it follows not that all the world could claim a covenant-right to the seal because all the world were not heirs of promise as we see the seal continued not in the race of Ishmael because discovenanted though yet he was a son of Abraham For upon the same ground M. P. argues all Abrahams off-spring to the worlds end should have been circumcised But therefore Faith ingraffs as unbelief cuts off by all which we see how vainly confident he is in what he saith and affirms Thus the honor and reputation of that Text 1 Cor. 10. stands untoucht For indeed whatsoever he hath brought thereupon with which he fills twelve pages together is but meer impertinences because he hath taken a wrong aym from the Text. CHAP. XVIII The cleering of Mark 10.13 about children being brought to Christ with other Scriptures THe next place he pretends to meet us in by way of encounter is Mark 10.13 And they brought young children to him that he should touch them And his Disciples rebuked them that brought them But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not For of such is the kingdom of God Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein P. The first thing to be considered is whose children these were whether of wicked or godly Parents but by the former discourse in the chapter it should seem they might be wicked and ungodly Parents because there was such mentioned before that tempted Christ Rep Be sure ill will never thinks well and his ground to think they were wicked is non at all for how often doth one and the same chin Scripture speak of three or four distinct things that have no connexion with each other the subsequent having no dependance upon preceding discourse it is needless to give instances the Scripture is full thereof But 2 That they were believing Parents consider these grounds First they were such that in those days did visibly own Christ and if we consult Mark 10. fully It was not long before Christs Passion when he had many enemies abroad And therefore danger might ensue such an action And who would adventure to abide the frowns of great men for Infants were it not their own Parents and such also that had a face heavenward Again he P. Consider also wherefore they were brought to Christ it could not be to baptize them because Christ himself baptized none therefore it was probably to cure some bodily disease or distemper for the Text saith he laid his hands upon them and blessed them A. We never brought the place to prove that Christ baptized â—hem but to shew the abundant love care and good-will that Christ bears to such little ones especially to take such into his kingdom And for him to say or think that it was to cure them of some disease is stâ—ange For why then should such words be added why then should he take them up into his arms why should it be called a blessing them it is a word too high for a common cure yea to think the Apostles should keep any off from Christ that came to be â—ured of diseases smells too much of uncharitableness It is cleer therefore they were brought to Christ for a blessing which though it were not baptism it might be for confirmation after baptism for it is likely they were baptized by John because the plâ—ce where it was done was in the coasts of Judea where John had before been bapâ—izing which also gives some more probable grounds I say no more that their Parents were godly because as John pointed at Christ in ad ministring the Ordinance so we finde these taking notice of Christ accordingly and that there was imposing of hands after baptism consider Act. 8.17 18. ch 16.6 sure it is Christ would have us learn something from that carriage of his that Infants are capable of covenant-blessings for in that channel all blessings run By which it is apparent that we have the stronger ground especially if to it be added a finger of Charity that their Parents were not onely godly but the children had been before taken into Abrahams covenant And the seal thereof as will further appear in the next P. For of such is the kingdom of God Now it is doubtful whether these children had believing Parents to the fift or sixt generation therefore if you make it to countenance that error of the covenant in the flesh that appears erroneous in that the greatest number of believeâ—s children never belonged in that sense to the kingdom of God Adam had a Cain as well as an Abel Noah had a Ham as well as a Shem Abraham had an Ishmael as