fashions the new creature with all its lineaments and members in the Souls of his Elect namely all the Graces of his Spirit but the new creature caâ—â—â— act nor move without Divine Influence no more than the Watch can go of its self and God mâ—â— take either old or young into Glory as soon as theâ—â— are regenerated and born again and never give them time to act Grace the Thief upon the Croâ—â— had but very little time to act Grace in 6. For Persons to imagine or dream of Sanâ—â—fication and Salvation by the Imputation of Chriâ—â— Righteousness and Merits without the Instrumenâ—allity of Habitual Faith to regenerate and change their Natures is meer spiritual Nonsense for Christ's Righteousness and Merits are not to be applied nor exposed in any other way nor by any other means but what God himself hath appointed and revealed unto us and therefore it is called the Righteousness of Faith but according to our Opponents Principles it is a Righteousness without Faith Pray dear Friends consider of this and be no longer deluded 7. I challenge all our Opponents every Soul of them to produce but one single Text of Scripture throughout the whole Book of God that doth give the least shadow of countenance to this kind of Doctrine of theirs namely That Elect dying Infants can be sanctified and saved without Habitual Grace of which Faith is the chief 8. That salvation of dying Infants which our Opponents stickle so strenuously for is a Salvation without Justification and Regeneration which in plain English is to save them in a state of original sin and depravation for the Antipaedobaptists will not by any means allow young Infants to be capable of receiving the Habits and Seeds of Grace to regenerate and change their Natures though Christ himself who spake as never man spake like him hath told us plainly that Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God And the Scripture also saith Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. 9. A young Infant in the Womb or in the Cradle is as much polluted and depraved by nature as the oldest and vilest sinner upon Earth and as much a child of Wrath as he and he hath as much need to be justified regenerated and sanctified as he therefore all those that deny this must deny original sin which is to overthrow the very Foundation of mans salvation 10. I never read one word in all the Writâ— of our Opponents about the Controversie that â— declared or once discovered the absolute neâ—sity of Justification and Regeneration in orderâ— the salvation of Elect dying Infants I desire thâ— to produce us the Book and Page if they oâ— where there is any such Doctrine It is true 〈◊〉 tell us fine quaint Stories of Sanctification a Application of the Righteousness and Merits Jesus Christ for the salvation of Elect dying â—fants and of their great hope and charity 〈◊〉 have for them and yet in the same breath 〈◊〉 tell us that they are not capable of receiving 〈◊〉 Graces of the Spirit by which it is to be brouâ— about and effected which knocks all their châ— and hopes for dying Infants on the head concerâ—ing their future state of Happiness for Mr. â— â— very ingenuously hath published and confessed his Book that he is not capable of understands the Notion of Habitual Faith for saith he it's 〈◊〉 fine for my uncultivated head That is His 〈◊〉 Reason cannot fathom it 11. I do positively affirm as I shall Answer at the great day of Judgment that all those 〈◊〉 will not allow Elect dying Infants to be capable receiving Habitual Grace to regenerate sanctiâ— and change their Natures do at once reprobâ— them all by their Principle and bar the Gate 〈◊〉 Heaven fast against them For 12. And lastly If the salvation of lost sinneâ— is a pure Design of preventing Grace then I 〈◊〉 affirm That a young Infant is as capable of salvaâ—on as any Adult person is whatsoever but 〈◊〉 salvation of lost sinners is a pure Design of pâ—venting Grace Therefore a young Infant iâ— capable of salvation as any Adult person is wâ—soever 1. It is a pure design of preventing Grace with a â—espect to God the Father that contrived it 2. It is so with respect to Christ the Son that accomâ—lished it 3. And lastly It is so with a respect to Man that hath the benefit of it First Grace and subsequent persevering Grace unto Eternal Salvation is all of pure preventing Grace and â—t is brought about by effectual Calling Justification Adoption and Sanctification for preventing Grace â—uns through them all As hath been most elegantly â—llustrated amplified unfolded and applied by that â—minent Divine who is worthy to be ranked among the rest of our Stars of the first Magnitude in this Hemisphere of Gods Heaven upon Earth the Church namely Mr. M. M. of Stepney from that Famous Text of Christ's wonderful preventing Grace in St. Luke 19.10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost 1. That the salvation of lost sinners is a pure Design of preventing Grace appears in these following Particulars 1. In that men by nature are spiritually dead as in Eph. 2. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins The sinner being dead is not able to quicken nor raise himself but God doth it you hath he quickened c. that is God Therefore it is preventing Grace 2. If the sinner be lost and God is found by him when he sought him not then it is pure preventing Grace but so it is as you may see in Rom. 10. I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest to them that asked not after me Compare with Isa 65.1 3. In Ezek. 16. thou wast cast out in the 〈◊〉 field to the lothing of thy person in the day that thâ— wast born And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast iâ— thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live 4. Man by nature is not only in a state of separation from God but also in a state of Enmity against him and until that Enmity be slain and the Soul united to Christ which is done by Habitual Faith instrumentally there can be no hope of Reconciliation nor Eternal Salvation I say again God will as soon save the Fallen Angels as save any Fallen sinner old or young in the Womb or out of it that dyeth in a state of separation and Enmity against God as all Mankind by nature are Psal 51. Rom. 3.11 12 23. It must be Habitual Faith instrumentally that must justifie the sinner by taking hold of the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ and applying it to the sinner by the manuduction of the holy Spirit for God is the Author and the Finisher of our Faith 5. In the fifth and last place to conclude this Head
Habitual Faith that is the Grace which doth that instrumentally for it cannot be Actual Faith that unites a Soul to Christ that is impossible because that would be for Faith to act before it received its being there must be the Root before there can be any Fruit there must be Habitual Faith before there can be Actual Faith Therefore it is Habitual Faith that unites the Soâ—â— to Christ in Regeneration notwithstanding Mr. D. and those of his Opinion's deriding and ridiculinâ— of it for it is called the faith of Gods elect 2. I observe that Mr. D. doth own that those children that are saved dying in their Infancy are Elected therefore I desire Mr. D. to tell us what sort of Faith that is which doth of right belong unto them for it is evident from Titus 1.1 thaâ— there is a Faith which doth peculiarly belong unto all Gods Elect and to none else and our Opponents themselves will not allow Infants to be capable of acting Faith in their own persons neither indeed can they in an ordinary way as Adult believers do Therefore it must be Habitual Faith that unites them to Christ their Head and Husband and Mr. B. D. must own it too or raze that Notion out of his Book viz. That all dying Infants that are saved are elected What are they elected and shall they not have the Faith of Gods Elect Where is the sense of this for there is but one Faith as well as one Baptism which belongeth to all the Elect of God and therefore emphatically called the Faith of Gods Elect. 3. Though young Infants are not capable of the profession of Faith yet they are of the reception and possession of Faith for God is the Authour and the Finisher of our Faith who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own Will 4. The very first Moment of Gods Infusion of Grace into the Soul that Soul is united to Christ in which the creature is wholly passive Therefore without the hope of this they dedicate their children to God in their own unbelief and their childrens original sins and depravation which is to offer unto God a corrupt thing which God abhors Mal. 1.14 For no unclean thing shall enter into Heaven 5. Though I do not hold that all Infants are saved that are dedicated to God in baptism yet we do not bar the Gate of Heaven against them by Principle viz. by denying them to be capable of receiving those Habits of Grace that must qualifie them for eternal life and salvation if ever they are saved 6. The consequences of this kind of dedication and Prayers for their dying Infants are these That God would accept of them and save that in their sins viz. in a state of depravation and separation from Christ which is for them to go to Heaven and be saved in some other unknown way which God never appointed 7. For unless they are united unto God iâ— Christ they are not only in a state of separation from God but also in a state of Enmity against him Therefore unless they pray unto God for their dying Infants and believe that their children are capable of receiving and God of infusing Grace into their Souls to unite them to Christ to justifie and acquit them from their original sins and to sanctifie and change their Natures and make them partakers of the Divine Nature all their Prayers for them on this Topick are but like a fine gilded painted Sepulchre which appears very fair and beautiful without but full of dead mens bones and putrefaction within 8. All Prayers of this kind especially ought to have some footing in a Promise for otherwise it is but presumption to pray for that which God never promised to grant and also that they do not believe the creature can be made capable to receive And this is the sum and substance of their Principle on this account 1. For first they deny that the Seed of Believer are in the Covenant of Grace or that they have any thing to do with that Promise which God made unto Abraham though it is the same Promise which the Apostle saith belongeth unto then and their children in Acts 2.39 2. They deny that young Infants are capable of receiving Habitual Faith though the whole current of the sacred Scripture is against them as in Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee c. Now that this Promise is devolved upon the believing Gentiles and their Seed I have already proved as in Isa 44. I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring c. And in Acts 2.39 For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord your God shall call Rom. 3. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision onely these were the Jews or upon the uncircumcision also these are the Gentiles For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness And he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the faith Here you see what Circumcision was It was a Sign and Seal of the Righteousness of Faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also Now if they do not go to God in prayer for their children in the Faith of this Promise their Prayers will avail them little or nothing 9. I observe that Mr. D. is so true to his Principle as that he hath not said that he dedicates his Children to God by Faith and Prayer as soon as born but he hath said We dedicate them to God by our Prayers for them as soon as born For if his Prayers had any regard to Gods Promise to believers and their children then it would have been by Faith in Prayer for what is not of Faith is Sin 10. How can those persons who are against Infant-baptism and deny that young Infants are capable of receiving Grace or that they have any relation to the Promise pray for their Infants either dying or living when according to their avowed Principle there is nothing for them to act Faith upon being they will not allow them to be capable of receiving the Promise in which Christ and all the Graces of his Spirit are conveyed it to their Souls And to deny this is to deny all for to exclude them of the Promise is to exclude them from Heaven and destroy the very foundation of Prayer â—â— The â—â—st construction that can be made of these 〈◊〉 of Prayers for their dying Infants is onely this viz. That God would be pleased to spare and continue their Lives until they came to Years of discretion and maturity that so they may be capable of receiving Grace by their own natural strength and ability and exercise it by the aforesaid power and ability This is the natural genuine tendency
Adult Elect do as is clear from that excellent Scripture in Heb. 1. But to which of the angels said he at any time Siâ— on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation I humbly conceive these Angels here are not to be understood of the Bishops Elders or Pastors of the Churches but of the invisible Heavenly Host because it is said in the very next Chapter verse 16. He took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Pray what account is an adult Believer capable of giving concerning the Ministry of Angels these invisible blessed Spirits of their Ministry for them any more than Elect â—abes in Christ can of their Ministry for them Even none at all Pray take notice by the way that it is not said that they do minister unto them but for them And therefor a young Child is as capable of the Ministry of of those Angelical Spirits as any Adult Believer is whatsoever O what a blessed Priviledge is it for persons to be under the conduâ—t and ministry of Angels for they are their Life-guard Psal 91. For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways They shall hear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone What an Honour is this that the great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth should condescend to Men of such a low degree and extract as to provide such a guard as this is for them and this Honour have all the Saints both old and young O the admirable preventing love and Grace of God! 5. The Ministry of Angels lyeth principally next unto that in the Church in assisting and ministring for the Elect when they are least capable of the ministry of Men and that especially with a respect to two Seasons namely the hour of the believers death and to Elect Infants as appears by our Saviour Christs words first at the believers hour of death in Luke 16. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abrahams bosome 2. The Angels ministers for Elect Infants in the Church who are Heirs of salvation Mat. 18. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven Therefore we ought to dedicate all our children to God in baptism by which they are more nearly received into the bosome of the Church for we ought not to reprobate our own children but to deal with them as if we knew they were all Elected the particular knowledge of which God hath reserved to himself for it is his Prerogative to know that and not ours Thus I have proved that the dedication of our children to God by Faith in Prayer in secret private and publick is an Ordinance of God for it is a solemn offering up our children as a Sacrifice to God through Christ and not to Moloch as some of our Opponents have blasphemously stiled it 3. Mr. D. doth grant that all elect dying Infants are in the Invisible and Catholick Church but will not by any means allow them to be in the Church visible And farther saith We have no Rule to put them into the Church visible by baptism To which I thus reply viz. Mr. D. should first have shewn himself a skilful Logician by proving that ever the Infant-seed of Believers were cast out the Church visible by the personal coming of Christ in the New Dispensation of the Gospel before he had talked of putting them into the Church visible by baptism Indeed Baptism is a visible receiving them nearer into the Church than they were before for they were in Christ externally before they were baptized by vertue of their Covenant-relation as being the Seed of believing Parents 1 Cor. 7.14 though all that are thus in Christ may not be saved for Christ hath external Branches in him which he will never own at the Great Day John 15. Every branch in me that heareth not fruâ—t â—e 〈◊〉 away And thus whosoever receiveth these little ones in Christs Name into the Church by baptism receiveth Christ himself 2. Mr. D. should also have clearly demonstrated and proved what personal Actual sin and transgression those young babes commited against God which provoked him to cast them all out of the Church visible in which they had been from the beginning in the first Being or Formation of the Church before he had told us we have no Rule to put them into the Church visible by baptism for otherwise all his Arguments against Infant-baptism do but puzzle the Cause and are but as so many Arrows shot against a brazen Wall 3. Because all the Infant-seed of the Jews and Proselytes were Members of the Church visible under the Ceremonial Law and the Gospel of Grace did not diminish the Priviledge of the Infant-seed of Believers it did not bring less Grace but more than there was in the Ceremonial Law And therefore the Infant-seed of believing Church members are still members of the Church visible now under the New Dispensation of the Gospel and have a Right to the Ordinance of Water-baptism Thus you see Mr. D. hath drawn a Conclusion without any Premises which is to build a House without a foundation or a Castle in the Air And this bringeth me to the Ninth and last Thing 9. And lastly Saith our Authour in page 4. The Gospel-Church hath its Matter and Form fully prescribed in the New Testament its Laws and Ordinances of Worship and Subjects that are to be found in the practice of these And their qualifications this is what we stick by and dare go no further the frame of the Jewish Church having had its day and end we look upon it as taken down to admit a more glorious Dispensation Now our next business is to inquire what difference there was between the Church frame under the Ceremonial Law and the New Dispensation of the Gospel and try whether we can find any such capital difference as will favour our Authors Principles 1. Therefore in the first place What is all this which Mr. D. saith to the purpose For he hath not told us where it is to be found in the N. Testament that the Matter Form Laws and Ordinances of Worship in the Gospel Church are so fully prescribed as to exclude the Infant-seed of Believers from being Members thereof But I find many Queries not answered and the most of our Authors Positions unproved But I have already fully proved that there must be nothing in the Gospel New Dispensation of the Matter Form Laws Ordinance of Worship and Subjects c. but what must answer to the Matter Form Laws Ordinances of Worship and Subjects of the Church under the Ceremonial Law and I shall now corroborate it by what I