in the premisses For although we do not determine positively concerning the Apostles scope in the holiness here mentioned so as to say it is this or that and no other thing Yet it is evident that the Apostle does by it determine not only the lawfulness but the expedience also of a beleivers cohabitation with an unbeliever in the state of marriage And we do think that although the Apostles asserting of the unbelieving yokefellow to be sanctified by the believer should carry in it somewhat more then is in the bare marriage of two infidels because although the marriage covenant have a divine sanction so as to make the wedlock of two unbelievers a lawful action and their conjunction and cohabitation in that respect undefiled yet there might be no ground to suppose from thence that both or either of their persons are thereby sanctified and the Apostle urges the cohabitation of a believer with an infidel in the state of wedlock from this ground that the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife nevertheless here you have the influence of a believers faith ascending from an inferior to a superior relation from the wife to the husband who is her head before it can descend to their off-spring And therefore we say whatever be the nature or extent of the holiness here intended we conceive it cannot convey to the children an immediate right to baptism because it would then be of another nature and of a larger extent then the root and original from whence it is derived for it is clear by the Apostles argument that holiness cannot be derived to the child from the sanctity of one parent only if either father or mother be in the sense intended by the Apostle unholy or unclean so will the child be also therefore for the production of an holy seed it is necessary that both the Parents be sanctified and this the Apostle positively asserts in the first place to be done by the beleiving parent although the other be an unbeliever and then consequentially from thence argues the holiness of their children Hence it follows that as the children have no other holiness then what they derive from both their Parents so neither can they have any right by this holiness to any spiritual priviledge but such as both their Parents did also partake of and therefore if the unbelieving Parent though sanctified by the believing Parent have not thereby a a right to baptism neither can we concieve that there is any such priviledge derived to the children by their birth-holiness Besides if it had been the usual practise in the Apostles dayes for the father or mother that did beleive to bring all their children with them to be baptised then the holiness of the beleiving Corinthians children would not at all have been in question when this Epistle was written but might have been argued from their passing under that ordinance which represented their new birth although they had derived no holiness from their Parents by their first birth and would have layen as an exception against the Apostles inference else were your Children unclean c. But of the sanctification of all the children of every beleiver by this ordinance or any other way then what is beforementioned the Scripture is altogether silent This may be also added that if this birth holiness do qualifie all the children of every believer for the ordinance of baptism why not for all other ordinances for the Lords Supper as was practised for a long time together for if recourse be had to what the Scriptures speak generally of this subject it will be found that the same qualities which do intitle any person to baptism do so also for the participation of all the Ordinances and priviledges of the house of God that are common to all believers Whosoever can and does interrogate his good Conscience towards God when he is baptised as every one must do that makes it to himself a sign of Salvation is capable of doing the same thing in every other act of worship that he performs 4. The arguments and inferences that are usually brought for or against Infant baptism from those few instances which the Scriptures afford us of whole families being baptised are only conjectural and therefore cannot of themselves be conclusive on either hand yet in regard most that treat on this subject for Infant baptism do as they conceive improve these instances to the advantage of their argument we think it meet in like manner as in the cases before mentioned so in this to shew the invalidity of such inferences Cornelius worshipped God with all his house the Jaylor and Crispus the chief ruler of the Synagogue believed God with each of their houses The houshold of Stephanus addicted themselves to the Ministry of the Saints so that thus far Worshipping and Believing runs parallel with Baptism And if Lydia had been a married person when she believed it is probable her husband would also have been named by the Apostle as in like cases inasmuch as he would have been not only a part but the head of that baptised houshold Who can assign any probable reason why the Apostle should make mention of four or five housholds being baptised and no more or why he does so often vary in the method of his salutations Rom. 1. 6. sometimes mentioning only particular persons of great note other times such and the Church in their house the Saints that were with them and them belonging to Narcissus who were in the Lord thus saluting either whole families or part of families or only particular persons in families considered as they were in the Lord for if it had been an usual practise to baptize all children with their parents there were then many thousands of the Jews which believed and a great number of the Gentiles in most of the principal Cities in the World and among so many thousands it is more then probable there would have been some thousands of housholds baptised why then should the Apostle in this respect signalize one family of the Jews and three or four of the Gentiles as particular instances in a case that was common whoever supposes that we do willfully debar our children from the benefit of any promise or priviledge that of right belongs to the children of believing parents they do entertain over severe thoughts of us to be without natural affections is one of the characters of the worst of persons in the worst of times Wee do freely confesse our selves guilty before the Lord in that we have not with more circumspection and diligence train'd up those that relate to us in the fear of the Lord and do humbly and earnestly pray that our omissions herein may be remitted and that they may not redound to the prejudice of our selves or any of ours but with respect to that duty that is incumbent on us we acknowledge our selves obliged by the precepts of God to bring up our children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord to teach them his fear both by instruction and example and should we set light by this precept it would demonstrate that we are more vile then the unnatural Heathen that like not to retain God in their knowledge our baptism might then be justly accompted as no baptism to us There are many special promises that do incourage us as well as precepts that do oblige us to the close pursuit of our duty herein that God whom we serve being jealous of his Worship threatens the visiting of the Fathers transgression upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him yet does more abundantly extend his mercy even to thousands respecting the off-spring and succeding generations of them that love him and keep his commands When our Lord rebuked his disciples for prohibiting the access of little children that were brought to him that he might pray over them lay his hands upon them and blesse them does declare that of such is the Kingdom of God And the Apostle Peter in answer to their enquiry that desired to know what they must do to be saved does not only instruct them in the necessary duty of repentance and baptism but does also thereto encourage them by that promise which had reference both to them and their children if our Lord Jesus in the forementioned place do not respect the qualities of children as elsewhere as to their meekness humility and sincerity and the like but intend also that those very persons and such like appertain to the Kingdom of God and if the Apostle Peter in mentioning the aforesaid promise do respect not only the present and succeeding generations of those Jews that heard him in which sense the same phrase doth occurre in Scripture but also the immediate off-spring of his auditors whether the promise relate to the gift of the Holy Spirit or of eternal life or any grace or priviledge tending to the obtaining thereof it is neither our concerne nor our interest to confine the mercies and promises of God to a more narrow or lesse compasse then he is pleased gratiously to offer and intend them nor to have a light esteem of them but are obliged in duty to God and affection to our children to plead earnestly with God and use our utmost endeavours that both our selves and our off-spring may be partakers of his Mercies and gracious Promises yet we cannot from either of these texts collect a sufficient warrant for us to baptize our children before they are instructed in the principles of the Christian Religion For as to the instance in little children it seems by the disciples forbidding them that they were brought upon some other account not so frequent as Baptism must be supposed to have been if from the beginning believers children had been admitted thereto and no account is given whether their parents were baptised believers or not and as to the instance of the Apostle if the following words and practise may be taken as an interpretation of the scope of that promise we cannot conceive it does refer to infant baptism because the text does presently subjoyn Then they that gladly received the word were baptised That there were some believing children of believing parents in the Apostles dayes is evident from the Scriptures even such as were then in ther fathers family and under their parents tuition and education to whom the Apostle in several of his Epistles to the Churches giveth commands to obey their parents in the Lord and does allure their tender years to hearken to this precept by reminding them that it is the first command with promise And it is recorded by him for the praise of Timothy and encouragement of parents betimes to instaruct and children early to attend to godly instruction that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a child he had known the holy Scriptures The Apostle John rejoyced greatly when he found of the children of the Elect Lady walking in the truth and the children of her Elect Sister joyn with the Apostle in his salutation But that this was not generally so that all the children of believers were accounted for believers as they would have been if they had been all baptised may be collected from the character which the Apostle gives of persons fit to be chosen to Eldership in the Church which was not common to all believers among others this is expressely one viz. If there be any having believing or faithful children not accused of Riot or unruly and we may from the Apostles writings on the same subject collect the reason of this qualification viz. That in case the person designed for this office to teach and rule in the house of God had children capable of it there might be first a proof of his ability industry and successe in this work in his own family and private capacity before he was ordained to the exercise of this authority in the Church in a publick capacity as a Bishop in the house of God These things we have mentioned as having a direct reference unto the controversie between our brethren and us other things that are more abstruse and prolix which are frequently introduced into this controversie but do not necessarily concern it we have purposely avoided that the distance between us and our brethren may not be by us made more wide for it is our duty and concern so far as is possible for us retaining a good conscience towards God to seek a more entire agreement and reconciliation with them We are not insensible that as to the order of Gods house and entire communion therein there are some things wherein we as well as others are not at a full accord among our selves as for instance the known principle and state of the consciences of diverse of us that have agreed in this Confession is such that we cannot hold Church-communion with any other then Baptized-believers and Churches constituted of such yet some others of us have a greater liberty and freedom in our spirits that way and therefore we have purposely omitted the mention of things of that nature that we might concurre in giving this evidence of our agreement both among our selves and with other good Christians in those important articles of the Christian Religion mainly insisted on by us and this notwithstanding we all esteem it our chief concern both among our selves and all others that in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours and love him in sincerity to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and in order thereunto to exercise all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love And we are perswaded if the same method were introduced into frequent practise between us and our Christian friends who agree with us in all the fundamental articles of the Christian faith though they do not so in the subject and administration of baptism it would soon beget a better understanding and brotherly affection between us In the beginning of the Christian Church when the doctrine of the baptism of Christ was not universally understood yet those that knew only the baptism of John were the Disciples of the Lord Jesus and Apollos an eminent Minister of the Gospel of Jesus In the beginning of the reformation of the Christian Church and recovery from that Egyptian darkness wherein our forefathers for many generations were held in bondage upon recourse had to the Scriptures of truth different apprehensions were conceived which are to this time continued concerning the practise of this Ordinance Let not our zeal herein be misinterpreted that God whom we serve is jealous of his worship By his gracious providence the Law thereof is continued amongst us and we are forewarned by what hapned in the Church of the Jews that it is necessary for every generation and that frequently in every generation to consult the divine oracle compare our worship with the rule and take heed to what doctrines we receive and practise If the ten commands exhibited in the popish Idolatrous service books had been received as the entire law of God because they agree in number with his ten commands and also in the substance of nine of them the second Commandment forbidding Idolatry had been utterly lost If Ezra and Nehemiah had not made a diligent search into the particular parts of Gods law and his worship the Feast of Tabernacles which for many centuries of years had not been duly observed according to the institution though it was retained in the general notion would not have been kept in due order So may it be now as to many things relating to the service of God which do retain the names proper to them in their first institution but yet through inadvertency where there is no sinister design may vary in their circumstances from their first institution And if by means of any antient defection or of that general corruption of the service of God and interruption of his true worship and persecution of his servants by the Antichristian Bishop of Rome for many generations those who do consult the Word of God cannot yet arrive at a full and mutual satisfaction among themselves what was the practise of the primitive Christian Church in some points relating to the Worship of God yet inasmuch as these things are not of the essence of Christianity but that we agree in the fundamental doctrines thereof we do apprehend there is sufficient ground to lay aside all bitterness and prejudice and in the spirit of love and meekness to imbrace and own each other therein leaving each other at liberty to perform such other services wherein we cannot concur apart unto God according to the best of our understanding FINIS
to quicken all that we may have influence upon to the same work that if the will of God were so none might deceive themselves by resting in and trusting to a form of Godliness without the power of it and inward experience of the efficacy of those truths that are professed by them And verily there is one spring and cause of the decay of Religion in our day which we cannot but touch upon and earnestly urge a redresse of and that is the neglect of the worship of God in Families by those to whom the charge and conduct of them is committed May not the grosse ignorance and instability of many with the prophaneness of others be justly charged upon their Parents and Masters who have not trained them up in the way wherein they ought to walk when they were young but have neglected those frequent and solemn commands which the Lord hath laid upon them so to catechize and instruct them that their tender years might be seasoned with the knowledge of the truth of God as revealed in the Scriptures and also by their own omission of Prayer and other duties of Religion in their families together with the ill example of their loose conversation have inured them first to a neglect and then contempt of all Piety and Religion we know this will not excuse the blindness or wickedness of any but certainly it will fall heavy upon those that have thus been the occasion thereof they indeed dye in their sins but will not their blood be required of those under whose care they were who yet permitted them to go on without warning yea led them into the paths of destruction and will not the diligence of Christians with respect to the discharge of these duties in ages past rise up in judgment against and condemn many of those who would be esteemed such now We shall conclude with our earnest prayer that the God of all grace will pour out those measures of his holy Spirit upon us that the profession of truth may be accompanyed with the sound belief and diligent practise of it by us that his name may in all things be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen THE CONTENTS CHAP. 1. Of the Holy Scriptures page 1 2. Of God and of the Holy Trinity 9 3. Of Gods decrees 13 4. Of Creation 5. Of Divine Providence 19 6. Of the Fall of Man of Sin and of the Punishment thereof 23 7. Of Gods Covenant 26 8. Of Christ the Mediator 28 9. Of Free-will 35 10. Of Effectual Calling 37 11. Of Justification 40 12. Of Adoptions 43 13. Of Sanctification 44 14. Of Saving Faith 46 15. Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation 49 16. Of Good works 51 17. Of Perseverance of the Saints 56 18. Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation 59 19. Of the Law of God 62 20. Of the Gospel and of the extent of the Grace thereof 67 21. Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience 70 22. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath day 73 23. Of Lawful Oaths and Vows 78 24. Of the Civil Magistrate 81 25. Of Marriage 83 26. Of the Church 85 27. Of The Communion of Saints 94 28. Of Baptism and the Lords Supper 96 29. Of Baptism 97 30. Of The Lords Supper 98 31. Of The state of Man after death and of the Resurrection of the dead 103 32. Of The Last Judgment 105 An Appendix concerning Baptism 109 A Confession of FAITH CHAP. I. Of the Holy Scriptures 1. THe Holy Scripture is the only sufficient certain and infallible a 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. Isa 8. 20. Luk. 16. 29 31. Eph. 2. 20 rule of all saving Knowledge Faith and Obedience Although the b Rom. 1. 19 20 21. c. ch 2. 14 15. Psal 19. 1 2 3. light of Nature and the works of Creation and Providence do so far manifest the goodness wisdom and power of God as to leave men unexcusable yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto Salvation c Heb. 1. 1. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal himself and to declare that His will unto his Church and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the Truth and for the more sure Establishment and Comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan and of the World to commit the same wholly unto d Pro. 22. 19 20 21. Rom. 15. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. writing which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary those former ways of Gods revealing his will unto his people being now ceased 2. Under the Name of Holy Scripture or the Word of God written are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testament which are these Of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zachariah Malachi Of the new Testament Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Pauls Epistle to the Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Phillippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy to Titus to Philemon the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of James The first and second Epistles of Peter The first second and third Epistles of John the Epistle of Jude the Revelation All which are given by the e 2 Tim. 3. 16. inspiration of God to be the rule of Faith and Life 3. The Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of f Luk. 24. 27. 44. Rom. 3. 2. Divine inspiration are no part of the Canon or rule of the Scripture and therefore are of no authority to the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane writings 4. The Authority of the Holy Scripture for which it ought to be believed dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or Church but wholly upon g 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 21. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Thes 2. 13. 1 Joh. 5. 9. God who is truth it self the Author thereof therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God 5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church of God to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures and the heavenliness of the matter the efficacy of the Doctrine and the Majesty of the stile the consent of all the parts the scope of the whole which is to give all glory to God the full discovery it makes of the only way of mans salvation and many other incomparable Excellencies and intire perfections thereof are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence it self to be the Word of God yet notwithstanding our h Joh. 16. 13 14. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 12. 1
whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing Phil. 3. v. 15 16. Let it not therefore be judged of us because much hath been written on this subject and yet we continue this our practise different from others that it is out of obstinacy but rather as the truth is that we do herein according to the best of our understandings worship God out of a pure mind yielding obedience to his precept in that method which we take to be most agreeable to the Scriptures of truth and primitive practise It would not become us to give any such intimation as should carry a semblance that what we do in the service of God is with a doubting conscience or with any such temper of mind that we do thus for the present with a reservation that we will do otherwise hereafter upon more mature deliberation nor have we any cause so to do being fully perswaded that what we do is agreeable to the will of God Yet we do heartily propose this that if any of the Servants of our Lord Jesus shall in the Spirit of meekness attempt to convince us of any mistake either in judgement or practise we shall diligently ponder his arguments and accompt him our chiefest friend that shall be an instrument to convert us from any error that is in our ways for we cannot wittingly do any thing against the truth but all things for the truth And therefore we have indeavoured seriously to consider what hath been already offered for our satisfaction in this point and are loth to say any more lest we should be esteemed desirous of renewed contests thereabout yet forasmuch as it may justly be expected that we shew some reason why we cannot acquiesce in what hath been urged against us we shall with as much brevity as may consist with plainness endeavour to satisfie the expectation of those that shall peruse what we now publish in this matter also 1. As to those Christians who consent with us That Repentance from dead works and Faith towards God and our Lord Jesus Christ is required in persons to be Baptised and do therefore supply the defect of the infant being uncapable of making confession of either by others who do undertake these things for it Although we do find by Church history that this hath been a very antient practise Rom. 14. 4. 10. 12. 23. yet considering that the same Scripture which does caution us against censuring our brother with whom we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ does also instruct us That every one of us shall give an accompt of himself to God and whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Therefore we cannot for our own parts be perswaded in our own minds to build such a practise as this upon an unwritten tradition But do rather choose in all points of Faith and Worship to have recourse to the holy Scriptures for the information of our judgment and regulation of our practise being well assured that a conscientious attending thereto is the best way to prevent and rectifie our defects and errors 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. And if any such case happen to be debated between Christians which is not plainly determinable by the Scriptures we think it safest to leave such things undecided until the second coming of our Lord Jesus as they did in the Church of old until there should arise a Priest with Vrim and Thummim that might certainly inform them of the mind of God thereabout Ezra 2. 62 63. 2. As for those our Christian brethren who do ground their arguments for Infants baptism upon a presumed foederal Holiness or Church-Membership we conceive they are deficient in this that albeit this Covenant-Holiness and Membership should be as is supposed in reference unto the Infants of Believers yet no command for Infant baptism does immediately and directly result from such a quality or relation All instituted Worship receives its sanction from the precept and is to be thereby governed in all the necessary circumstances thereof So it was in the Covenant that God made with Abraham and his Seed The sign whereof was appropriated only to the Male notwithstanding that the female seed as well as the Male were comprehended in the Covenant and part of the Church of God neither was this sign to be affixed to any Male Infant till he was eight dayes old albeit he was within the Covenant from the first moment of his life nor could the danger of death or any other supposed necessity warrant the circumcising of him before the set time nor was there any cause for it the commination of being cut off from his people being only upon the neglect or contempt of the precept Righteous Lot was nearly related to Aqraham in the flesh and contemporary with him when this Covenant was made yet inasmuch as he did not descend from his loynes nor was of his houshold family although he was of the same houshold of faith with Abraham yet neither Lot himself nor any of his posterity because of their descent from him were signed with the signature of this Covenant that was made with Abraham and his seed This may suffice to shew that where there was both an expresse Covenant and a sign thereof such a Covenant as did separate the persons with whom it was made and all their off-spring from all the rest of the world as a people holy unto the Lord and did constitute them the visible Church of God though not comprehensive of all the faithful in the world yet the sign of this Covenant was not affixed to all the persons that were within this Covenant nor to any of them till the prefixt season nor to other faithful servants of God that were not of descent from Abraham And consequently that it depends purely upon the will of the Law-giver to determine what shall be the sign of his Covenant unto whom at what season and upon what terms it shall be affixed If our brethren do suppose baptism to be the seal of the Covenant which God makes with every beleiver of which the Scriptures are altogether silent it is not our concern to contend with them herein yet we conceive the seal of that Covenant is the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ in the particular and individual persons in whom he resides and nothing else neither do they or we suppose that baptism is in any such manner substituted in the place of circumcision as to have the same and no other latitude extent or terms then circumcision had for that was suited only for the Male children baptism is an ordinance suited for every beleiver whether male or femal That extended to all the maies that were born in Abrahams house or bought with his money equally with the males that proceeded from his own loynes but baptisme is not so far extended in any true Christian Church that we know of as to be administred to all the poor infidel servants that the
members thereof purchase for their service and introduce into their families nor to the children born of them in their house But we conceive the same parity of reasoning may hold for the ordinance of baptism as for that of circumcision Exodus 12. 49. viz. one law for the stranger as for the home born If any desire to be admitted to all the ordinances and priviledges of Gods house the door is open upon the same terms that any one person was ever admitted to all or any of those priviledges that belong to the Christian Church may all persons of right challenge the like admission As for that text of Scripture Rom. 4. 11. He received circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised we conceive if the Apostles scope in that place be duly attended to it will appear that no argument can be taken from thence to inforce Infant baptism and forasmuch as we find a full and fair account of those words given by the learned Dr. Lightfoot a man not to be suspected of partiality in this controversie in his Hor. Hebrai on the 1 Cor. 7. 19. p. 42 43. we shall transcribe his words at large without any comment of our own upon them Circumcisio nihil est ratione habit â temporis jam enim evanuerat adimpleto praecipuè ejus fine ob quem fuer at instituta Istum finem exhibet Apostolus in verbis istis Rom. 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At vereor ne a plerisque versionibus non satis aptentur ad finem circumcisionis scopum Apostoli dum ab iis interseritur aliquid de suo Circumcision is nothing if we respect the time for now it was without use that end of it being especially fulfilled for which it had been instituted this end the Apostle declares in these words Rom. 4. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But I fear that by most translations they are not sufficiently suited to the end of circumcision and the scope of the Apostle whilst something of their own is by them inserted And after the Doctor hath represented diverse versions of the words agreeing for the most part in sense with that which we have in our Bibles he thus proceeds Aliae in eundem sensum ac si circumcisio daretur Abrahamo in sigillum justitiae istius quam ille habuit dum adhuc foret praeputiatus quod non negabimus aliqualiter verum esse at credimus circumcisionem longe aliò praecipue respexisse Other versions are to the same purpose as if circumcision was given to Abraham for a Seal of that Righteousness which he had being yet uncircumcised which we will not deny to be in some sence true but we believe that circumcision had chiefly a far different respect Liceat mihi verba sic reddere Et signum accepit circumcisionis sigillum justitiae fidei quae futura in praeputio quae futura dico non quae fuerat Non quae fuerat Abrahamo adhuc praeputiato sed quae futura semini ejus praeputiato id est gentilibus fidem olim Abrahami imitaturis Give me leave thus to render the words And he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the Righteousness of Faith which was to be in the uncircumcision Which was to be I say not which had been not that which Abraham had whilst he was yet uncircumcised but that which his uncircumcised seed should have that is the Gentiles who in time to come should imitate the faith of Abraham Nunc adverte bene quâ occasione instituta Abrahamo circumcisio ponens tibi ante oculos historiam ejus Gen. 17. Now consider well on what occasion circumcision was instituted unto Abraham setting before thine eyes the history thereof Gen. 17. Fit primò ei haec promissio Multarum Gentium eris tu pater quonam sensu explicat Apostolus isto capite subinde subjungitur duplex sigillum rei corroborandae immutatioscilicet nominis Abrami in Abrahamum institutio circumcisionis v. 4. Ecce mihi tecum est foedus eris tu pater multarum gentium Quáre vocatum est nomen ejus Abrahamus In sigillationem hujus promissionis Tu Pater eris multarum gentium Et quare instituta ei circumcisio In sigillationem ejusdem promissionis Tu Pater eris multarum Gentium It a ut hic sit sensus Apostoli institutioni circumcisionis congruentissimus accepit signum circumcisionis sigillum justitiae fidei quam olim erat incircumcisio vel Gentiles habitura adeptura This promise is first made unto him Thou shalt be the Father of many Nations in what sense the Apostle explaineth in that chapter and then there is subjoined a double seal for the confirmation of the thing to wit the change of the name Abram into Abraham and the institution of circumcision v. 4. Behold as for me my Covenant is withthee and thou shalt be the Father of many Nations Wherefore was his name called Abraham for the sealing of this promise Thou shalt be the Father of many Nations And wherefore was circumcision instituted to him For the sealing of the same promise Thou shalt be the Father of many Nations So that this is the sense of the Apostle most agreeable to the institution of circumcision he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the Righteousness of Faith which in time to come the uncircumcision or the Gentiles should have and obtain Duplex semen er at Abrahamo naturale Judaeorum fidele gentilium credentium signatur naturale signo circumcisionis primò quidem in sui distinctionem ab omnibus aliis gentibus dum eae non adhuc forent semen Abrahami at praecipue in memoriam justificationis gentium per fidem cum tandem forent ejus semen Cessatura ergo merito erat circumcisio cum introducerentur Gentiles ad fidem quippe quod tunc finem suum ultimum ac praecipuum obtinuer at et perinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham had a twofold seed natural of the Jews and faithful of the believing Gentiles his natural seed was signed with the sign of circumcision first indeed for the distinguishing of them from all other Nations whilst they as yet were not the seed of Abraham but especially for the memorial of the justification of the Gentiles by faith when at length they should become his seed Therefore circumcision was of right to cease when the Gentiles were brought in to the faith forasmuch as then it had obtained its last and chief end thenceforth circumcision is nothing Thus far he which we earnestly desire may be seriously weighed for we plead not his authority but the evidence of truth in his words 3. Of whatsoever nature the holiness of the children mentioned 1 Cor. 7. 12. be yet they who do conclude that all such children whether Infants or of riper years have from hence an immediate right to baptism do as we conceive put more into the conclusion then will be found