when it is well known that infant-Baptisme was not in that Councel of 66 Bishops at all agitated much lesse determined It was not put to the Question but taken for granted by all that were present The dispute and the determination was upon that which Fidus questioned which was the Baptisme of infants before eight dayes old and not infant-Baptisme how could he mean that it hath since continued in a streame by vertue of that determination or Canon when he very well knowes there was neither determination nor Canon upon it nor yet any need of it They determined that which in their meeting was put to the Vote that an infant under eight dayes might be baptized So that this Quaere as all the rest stands unsatisfied and antiquity cleared for infant-Baptisme It is yet farther said that many learned men in former and latter times take infant-Baptisme onely for an unwritten tradition giving us a list of Popish Writers that have spoke to this purpose a Cardinal in a Popish Councel Bennus Bellarmine and Erasmus that had scarce stept over the threshold from them To which we answer That it is no marvel if these making it their businesse to parallel unwritten Traditions with Scriptures some of them to preferre them before them and knowing infant-Baptisme to be in honour in all Churches do pin it upon unwritten Tradition that so they may advance the honour of unwritten Tradition with it yet even these cite Scriptures for it and so marre their own market of Traditions as those that procure them are forced to acknowledge When Bellarmine would argue the Scriptures imperfection and assert a necessity of unwritten Tradition then he can affirme that infant-Baptisme hath no other foundation but when he will defend infant-Baptisme against those that matter not Tradition he can finde Scripture for confirmation Foreseeing this Objection an Answer is brought out of Bennus That some things may be proved out of Scripture when the true sense of Scripture is evident and infant-Baptisme is proved from John 3. 5. but the sense whereby to prove it is manifest by tradition Becan Manual lib. 1. cap. 2. sect 24. It is very well known that these Jesuites will say as much of any point of Faith and leave the whole meaning of all Scripture to rest on the Churches interpretation continued by tradition As to the quotation of Protestant Authors so many of them as have kept up the honour of Scripture and made no defection from that way it onely speakes their boldnesse to affirme that any of them ever dishonoured infant-Baptisme in that way as to settle it upon unwritten tradition or to fixe it on such a bottome They very well know that as they defend the Scriptures full perfection and make it their businesse to oppose all that would have it ek't out by any thing that is unwritten so they assert infant-Baptisme on Scripture-foundation Can they think that they have to deal with such weak adversaries that whiles against their party they contend with Scripture-Arguments that infants ought to be baptized they will yield up the cause on the other hand to Papists and confesse the insufficiency of Scriptures But the homonymie or various acception of the word Tradition may deceive the unwary Reader Sometimes tradition is taken in the proper sense for that which is delivered or handed over from one to another in this sense every point of faith is a tradition and so is Baptism it self as well as infant-Baptisme in which sense Paul takes it 2 Thes 2. 15. Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our Epistle Sometimes tradition is taken for that which is delivered in word without writing as there is distinguished a tradition by word and a tradition by Epistle what Paul taught in his Epistles is a tradition and what Paul delivered by word of mouth is a tradition and both must be held Here somewhat seemingly is spoken for unwritten traditions by the Apostle For solution of which our Protestant Divines have taught us to distinguish between the doctrine it self that is delivered to us and the way and manner of delivery So Chamier de canone fidei lib. 8. cap. 1. sect 16. The former of those might admit of many sub-divisions The way of delivery is either by writing in the Scriptures or by lively voice by Gods Ministers as Chamier farther observes sect 19. Here again we must distinguish between words and things the words that are uttered and the doctrine that these words contain all words are not written all our words in Sermons are not written in the Scriptures all Pauls words in his Sermons are not written in Scriptures as appears by his distinction before delivered by word or Epistle but the doctrine it self that we deliver is contained there Paul preached nothing but that which Moses and the Prophets said should come Acts 26. 22. yet there were many words delivered by him which Moses and the Prophets never spoke They yet teach us to distinguish between that which is expressely written in the Scriptures and that which is by evident consequence thence deduced Amesius defending the Scriptures perfection against Bellarmine introducing unwritten traditions saith The Question is not whether in so many words all necessary truths are contained in the Scriptures but whether they may be gathered from thence in any expresse speech or necessary consequence Bellar. Enervat cap. 6. thes 1. Let Doctor Sclater in this be heard who speaking to this point saith Thus informe your selves 1. Where generals are delivered there are all particulars comprized in those generals intentionally delivered because generals comprehend particulars 2. Where principles and causes are delivered there effects are also intended as being virtually contained in their principles 3. Where one equal is taught all of like reason it taught quia parium par ratio and where there is par ratio there is par lex Where there is like reason there is like law So take contents of Scripture no instance of any point of necessary or but convenient faith and practice can be given but what is delivered in the written Word Doctor Sclater in 2 Thes 2. 15. and when they have well weighed these things they will finde small cause to believe that they have any advantage from these Authors Field it is said sayes The fourth kinde of Tradition is the continued practice of such things as are neither contained in the Scripture expressely nor the examples of such practice there delivered though the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of such practice be there contained and the benefit or good that followeth it Of this sort is the Baptisme of infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely delivered in Scripture that the Apostles did baptize infants nor any expresse precept there found that they should do so yet is not this so received by bare and naked tradition but that we finde in
knows who we say are in covenant and have covenant-right to baptisme so that a second covenant of which he speaks to give right to a first is a strange fancy But seeing I am no better understood I shall endeavour if it may be to clear my meaning in certain positions which here follow CHAP. VI. Positions tending to clear the thing in question 1. THose that take upon themselves a Christian profession being separate for God calling him by the Name of Lord that have Ordinances of God as their inheritance that acknowledge a Deity and no other but the true Deity a necessity of worship and none but the Christian worship these with me are in Covenant with God as was the whole state of the Church of the Jews and the whole face of the visible Church of the Gentiles that were ingraffed in their stead This to me is plain in that they are the Church or Churches of God Act. 7. 8. Gal. 1. 2. The called of God Matth. 22. 14. The people of God Isa 1. 2. Psal 90. 7. They sacrific'd to the true God Psal 50. 7. Are the sons of God Gen. 6. 1. Deut. 14. 1. Rom. 9. 4. Are a people nigh unto the Lord Deut. 4. 7. Psal 148. ult God professing himself to be their God Psal 90. 7. Are children of the Covenant Acts 3. 35. Saints Psalme 90. 5. Acts 26. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 33. Believers Act. 8. 12 13. Acts 21. 20. Luke 8. 13. Disciples Matth. 10. 1 4. Acts 9. 1. 15. 10. Christians Acts 11. 26. That all of these imply a covenant-state and that unregenerate men have in Scripture all this honour is clear These therefore with me are in covenant I know that as to all of these elogies it is answered in a word that they are equivocal An answer that I can scarce take into my thoughts without horrour as though Gods Oracles were all over from one end of the Bible to the other like those of Apollo and there were no reality either in their separation for God or gifts that they receive from God as illumination conviction faith or priviledges that they enjoy When there can be no plain denial that all of this here mentioned argues a covenant-state yet exceptions are taken It seemes saith one he takes all to be in Covenant that bear the name Christian And then questions What Though they know not what Christ or Christianity is Is taking a name entring into Cevenant The poore Indians that by thousands are forced by the Spaniard to be baptized are said to know so little what they do that some of them forget the name of a Christian which they assumed And does not our Authour think that a man may take as plausible exceptions against his words where he saith The rule is That a serious professour of the faith is to be taken for a true beleever if he would travel as far as India for it as he doth here against Gods Word Do not we know that force may make these poor Indians to appear serious in their profession And it is wonder that it should be so strange with him that taking a name should be entring covenant or at least that it should imply a covenant-state Let him consult Isa 4. 1. In that day seven women shall take hold of one man saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach and those manifold Scripture-Texts which expresse the relation of Gods covenant-people to him in these words A people called by his Name or on whom the Name of God is called Distinction should be put between children of the covenant by descent from parents in covenant whether Jews or Christians who continue their covenant-relation till they professedly cast it off notwithstanding their ignorance and such that of meer aliens are to be received having no other title then their own present qualification This ought to be voluntary as well in renouncing their old false way as embracing the present as we see it was in those coverts through the Acts of the Apostles and is not to be without some competency of knowledge discerning the evil of their former course and the happinesse attainable in the present And I am easily induced to believe that more knowledge by the industry of teachers is now required then was in the primitive times seeing there is not so much of God by miracle to perswade and as it were to over-rule So that it is not a naked taking of a name that is intended but that which together with it still attends upon it As a wife is called by her husbands name and withall makes her abode in his house so it is with a Covenant people and was with Israel They bore the name of God and they made abode in the Church of God enjoying his Ordinances as their inheritance It is objected God oft bestowes his Word on Infidels and in England there are men that deride the truth of Scripture and esteem it a fiction and yet for credit of men come ordinarily to the Congregation These have the Word given and so have other unregenerate men but not by Covenant that I know of That God doth bestow his Word on Infidels to me is strange It is true that he often tenders it to them but in case they remain Infidels they put it away from them and bestowing implies not only a tender but an acceptance It was the great advantage of Israel above other Nations that to them was committed the Oracles of God when others had not that honour And to speak of Gods giving his Word by Covenant is a most improper speech seeing the Word is the very Covenant draughts as though we should say he gives his Word by his Word And these sure are no open deriders that for the credit ofmen make such a publique profession this would work restraint on the one hand as it puts upon profession on the other And in case any such thing be though the Covenant is perfidiously broke yet as I conceive it is not totally cast off as long as an open profession is continued What shall we say of those that take their sons and daughters to give them to Moloch this can be no low crime and is an high departure from the true God yet these bring forth children unto God and they are Gods children that they thus sacrifice Ezek. 16. 20 21. So also Psal 106. 35 c. Israel was mingled among the Heathen and learned their works and they served their Idols which were a snare to them yea they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto Devils and shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and daughters Yet this as appears cast them not out of Covenant God notwithstanding remembred for them his Cavenant ver 45. This was therefore doubtlesse but a partial apostasie Taking in the worship of Idols they did not totally cast off the worship of God God was not
do any where is every where valid within the limit of that power under which they act It is of force through the whole Nation Some functions are topical or local as Justices of Peace a chief officer in a Corporation Sheriff or Constable who are without power out of their own limits A Minister or Presbyter is a Catholick or Universal Officer he hath jus in re in the whole Church visible for all Ministerial actions whether of Word or Sacraments he hath jus ad rem in the place assigned and appointed him where alone he is regularly to officiate and so hath the title of an Aggel or Elder of such a particular Church to which he is called Rev. 2. 1 7 c. Acts 20. 17. He hath a first right every where a second right only where he is orderly placed This is to be done by examination or tryal if no word of Scripture did mention it yet the thing it self evinces the necessity of it Scripture layes down the requisites or qualifications in Ministers First for years not a novice 1 Tim. 3. 6. Some are old young which may answer some want of years more fit at twenty foure then others at thirty Secondly for conversation Blamelesse as the Steward of God not self-willed not soon angry not given to wine no striker not given to filthy lucre but a lover of hospitality a lover of good men sober just holy temperate Titus 1. 7 8. Thirdly for parts and gifts 2 Tim. 2. 15. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth Tit. 1. 9. Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince gain-sayers Fourthly for graces of the Spirit they should be as Barnabas full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith Acts 11. 24. From which gifts of nature must not be excluded as strength of body in its measure that the body may in some sort keep pace with the soule The gift of utterance that not only his head but his lips may preserve knowledge that he may be able to speak to edification exhortation and doctrine of these such that act in Ordination should have knoweldge of each of them so far as they may come to cognizance of some of these by letters of commendation from faithful persons 2 Cor. 3. 1. of others by proof and examination 1 Tim. 3. 10. The Apostle having laid down the qualifications of Bishops and proceeding to that of Deacons hath these words Let these also be proved and then let them use the office of a Deacon both Bishops and Deacon must undergo examination Timothy must lay hands suddenly on none 1 Tim. 1. 22. He must then lay on his hands no otherwise but upon proof and trial which the context speaking of sins some open going before to judgement others following after seems to evince such cautiousness cannot stand without all possible wayes and means of proof and trial All this is to be solemnized by fasting and prayer in which we have Scripture-precedents Act. 13. 2. When they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away Acts 14. 23. When they had ordained them Elders in every Church and had prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they beleeved This I take not to be of the essence of Ordination not necessary to the very being but the better being of it in imploring Gods assistance and blessing It is a great work a work of glorius concernment it is a work above our strength to manage more weighty than our shoulders can bear there is more than parts gifts and endowments whether natural or acquired required in it All supplies being as before we heard to be expected from heaven heaven must be implored God must be earnestly sought in it Fasting should add wings to our prayers that our voice may be heard on high A shadow of this still remained in the Church as appers by those Jejunia quatuor temporum at the times of Ordination which indeed was almost brought to a meer shadow The last thing mentioned in the Definition is imposition of hands A rite or usage in practice before the Law Gen. 48. 14. held in the time of the Law Levit. 1. 4. and continued in the dayes of the Gospel as consisting with the simplicity of it It was used in blessing Gen. 48. 14. Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraims head in his blessing of them Matth. 19 13. They brought children to Christ that he should put his hands on them and pray which accordingly he did Mark 10. 16. He put his hands upon them and blessed them It was used in Offerings Levit. 1. 4. If any man bring an Offering unto the Lord he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him It was used in bearing witnesse as Levit. 24. 14. Where the Lord gives charge concerning the blasphemer Bring forth him that hath cursed without the Camp and let all that have heard him lay their hands upon his head It was used in conferring extraordinary gifts Acts 8. 17. Peter and John laid their hands on those that beleeved in Samaria and they received the Holy Ghost It was used in miraculous cures Mark 6. 5. Christ could do there no mighty works save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folke and healed them Acts 28. 8. It was used in designing men for office and that either civil for the work of the Magistracy Deut. 34. 9. Joshua the son of Nun was full of the Spirit of wisdome for Moses had laid his hands upon him and the children of Israel hearkened unto him and did as Lord commanded Moses Or Ecclesiastical and that for the work of the Lord in the time of the Law Levit. 8. 10. and also in the dayes of the Gospel Acts. 13. 3. And from this rite of imposition of hands in use in this work of Ordination the whole work hath sometimes its denomination 1 Tim. 5 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man where imposition of hands is put for the whole work Some I know would take all this off as to Ordination by laying on of hands by the objection of extraordinary gifts which were this way conferred as was before confessed of which they will have that Text understood 2 Tim. 1. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands But this is too weak to avoid it for though we have already said that when the Holy Ghost was given in those extraordinary endowments hands were imposed yet whole Presbyteries cannot ordinarily be conceived to be vested with that power yet they joyntly in this work laid on their hands 1 Tim. 4. 14. And that advice of Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 5. 22. plainly contradicts it lay hands
dwells in us by Faith so we in Christ Ephes 3. 17. 2. All ingraffing is into that which gives sap and juice to the ingraffed as the stock from the root to the syens Now Christ gives sap to the Elect beleeving not the Church and therefore it is not into the Church but into Christ 3. If saving faith ingraffe the branch into the Church invisible then the Church invisible is the proper object of such Faith but the Church is no such object of Faith but Christ 4. That supposed ingraffing into the invisible Church is either known to the body invisible or unwitting if know then it is no invisible They have no light to discerne an invisible work if unknown then there could not be such a dispute about the new ingraffing of Gentiles nor complaint of breaking off of the Jewes all being done by an invisible translation and so the subject of the question is taken away To dispute whether ingraffing into the Church be into the Church-visible or invisible is to dispute whether the Mount of Olives be a Mountaine of Earth or Aire I shall assoon finde a Mountaine of Aire in Geography as this ingraffing into the invisible Church in Divinity And here I tie not any up to the word which I conceive in reference to any Ecclesiastical or Spiritual station is not elsewhere used in Scripture but to the thing All that accesse to the Church from Gentile Nations which is so large fore-prophesied in the Old Testament and Historically related in the Acts of the Apostles was an ingraffing into the Church visible and this ingraffing here mentioned The visible Church did immediately receive these new branches and so the whole body of Jews and Gentiles professedly beleeving Ephes 2. 15. became one new man The visible Church communicates sap and juice which is the fatnesse of the Olive in Ordinances This is known by the Church visible they were sensible of and full of praises for the new addition to this number Argument 4. Fourthly That ingraffing is meant verse 17. whereby the wilde Olive is co-partaker of the root and fatnesse of the Olive-tree as is asserted there But such is only Election and giving of Faith Ergo. The minor I prove by considering who the root is and what the fatness of the Olive-tree is 1. Negatively the root is not every beleeving parent Answ I suppose I may answer for my self that I never said that every beleeving parent is the root I willingly yeeld that every beleeving parent is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the root but I affirm that every beleeving parent is a root I cannot reach this mystery that Abraham can be a root of all the branches in Israel reaching down to the Apostles times no intermediate rootes intervening no more then Adam can be a natural root of mankinde to this time without intermediate fathers of our flesh deriving us from him as Jacob with Rachel and Leah was a root from whom Israel sprang as branches of an Olive so Judah and Tamar Boaz and Ruth were roots likewise They built up the house of Israel Ruth 4. 11 12. The house of Israel was this Olive-tree these several Metaphors expressing the same thing the building of the house and bringing out the branches are one and the same All builders are roots these are builders therefore roots Abraham may be called the builder laying the first foundation so the root from whence every branch was derived yet every particular Beleever that had issue a builder a root Those Israelites that had no holinesse of inhesion but only of relation that were members of the Church visible not invisible were fathers by way of communication of this holinesse 1 Cor. 10. 1. All our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea It is as necessary to have intermediate fathers between us and Abraham as to have intermediate mothers between us and Eue. Eve may as well be the mother of all living and no other mother between us and her as Abraham can be the father of the Faithful and no intermediate father to derive from him and communicate to us But his proof is very well worth the hearing that every beleeving parent is not the root For then all the branches should be natural the childe of every beleeving Parent is a natural branch from his father But here Apostle makes the Gentiles branches and a wild Olive graffed in besides nature and the Jews only natural branches growing from the root verse 21 24. The Apostle makes them wilde onely at their first ingraffing and so was all Terahs race wilde likewise till that change of Faith wrought in Abrahams call and the covenant of God entered with him We now are natural as they were and cannot be called wilde but in our first Original Positively he sayes the root is no other then Abraham that Abraham onely is a holy root or at most Abraham Isaac and Jacob. If this have any face of Argument it runnes thus If Abraham be the root and not every beleeving Parent then the ingraffing is by Election and Faith that justifies The truth is the sequel is undeniable on the contrary If Abraham be the root then the ingraffing is not into the invisible Church which he strangely calls by Election but onely into the visible This Master Blakwood saw and faine would have maintained that Christ is the root for ingraffing into Christ and not into Abraham makes a member of the Church invisible If the ingraffing be by a saving Faith only to derive saving Graces personally inherent as a fruit of Election from Abraham then it must needs be that we are Elect in Abraham Abraham may say Without me ye can do nothing and he that beleeveth in me out of his belly shall flow forth rivers of living water and we may say The life that we live in the flesh we live by faith in the sonne of Terah This must necessarily follow if Abraham be the root not only respective to a conditional Covenant but to the grace under condition covenanted It had been more safe for our Authour with Master Blackwood though in contradiction to himself to have made Christ the root when these consequences must follow To which he answers If I made Abraham a root as communicating Faith by infusion or impetration mediatory as Christ this would follow But I make Abraham a root as he is called the father of all them that beleeve Rom. 4. 11. Not by begetting Faith in them but as an exemplâ—ry cause of beleeving as I gather from the expression verse 12. That he is a father to them that walk in the steps of our father Abraham which he had yet being uncircumcised A root not by communication but example an ingraffing not to have any thing communicated from the root but to imitate it is such a Catacresis as may well make all Rhetorick ashamed of it and if the Sun ever saw a more notable piece of nonâ—sense I am to seek what sense is A
multiplying glasse we had holy places holy Altars in which some of our present opponents went too farre to the grief of the godly and farther than the times with their streames needed to have borne them had he been meerely prest and no voluntier in it I wish they would seriously consider how ordinary it is with men to carry on their wayes in extreames and out of superstition to runne upon Sacriledge It is well known how apt the people of Israel were for idolatrous wayes and ready to embrace every superstition after the way of the Heathen and in conformity to them yet after the Babylonish captivity they were quite taken off that course What wickednesse soever they were otherwise guilty of yet it is observed that they kept themselves from Idols That sinne had so consumed them that at last it had even wearied them And then as it appeares from the Apostle they runne upon this extreame to which we are here speaking Therefore when in other things they are charged with the same sinne that as men of knowledge they condemned in others Thou that preachest that another should not steale doest thou steale Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery And the Series of the words leading to a charge of Idolatry the Apostle changes the phrase and saith Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge Rom. 2. 22. This was now their sinne in the other extreame not on their own heads to put a supposition of holinesse to the Lord on any thing for worship but to convert to other uses that which was sanctified as holy I know some understand these words in a Metaphor that by Sacriledge is meant the robbing of God of his honour by sinne against him but that interpretation the next words contradict in distinct words forbidding that Sacriledge if they will so call it Origen will turne it into an Allegory and understand the spoyling of the sense of Scriptures and stealing Christ out of the Scriptures But the text is plaine that it is a reproof applied to their capacities and in the letter convincing as well as the former of stealing and adultery The plaine sense saith Peter Martyr is the meaning May not I now say that these things are out examples to the intent that we should not runne with them in these extreames from an abhorrency of the one to the other from an abhorrency of Idols to the guilt of Sacriledge which according to the Schoolmen is rei sacrae violaâ—io or rerum sacrarum furtum a deteigning from God that which for an holy use is separate for him which separation is either of persons or of inanimate or irrational creatures I know there are those that affirme that there is no such separation for God in Gospel times and consequently there can be no such thing as this sin of Sacriledge in our times for what is not cannot be thus violated or detained As to the separation of inanimate or unreasonable creatures it cannot be fully denied nor yet must it fully be yielded that no such things are now to be accounted as separate to the Lord we must therefore distinguish These may be said to be separate for God and consequently holy two wayes 1. By divine institution and appointment So the Temple and Utensils of the Temple were holy 2. By divine approbation when men let them apart for advancement of such an holy use as God approves The former we confesse was proper to the times of the Law but the latter yet remaines in Gospel-times and upon this account Ravanellus justly makes the sinne of Ananias and Sapphira in keeping back part of the price of their land that was set apart by them for the service of the Church to be the sinne of Sacriledge The land before sale was his own and the price after sale was his own but now it was to serve by their voluntary act onely to a purpose that was holy The detaining of it is the violation of that which is holy And in this way both the places of publick worship and the revenues for maintenance of those that attend upon this worship are separate for God It will be thought somewhat out of my way to speak to these things yet having so fair an occasion I shall take the liberty of a few words concerning the places of worship shall speak somewhat in the negative and by way of concession There is not any such holinesse in them as in the Tabernacle and Temple This is disavowed by Christ John 4. 23. These had the preheminence above our places of meeting in foure several particulars 1. They had their institution and immediate injunction from God Exod. 35. 10 11. 1 Kings 5. 5. 1 Chron. 22. 9 10. 2. Their direction and prescription Heb. 8. 5. 3. Their promise not alone respective to the worship but the place Exod. 29. 42 43. 4. Their sanction or penalty in regard of typical prophanation Num. 19. 20. In all of these particulars we must give the Temple and Tabernacle the preeminence besides that the Temple and Tabernacle were but one for all Israel we have many In the affirmative I shall lay down several positions First there is equal warrant and reason for the building of our places of meeting for the worship of God as there was for the Synagogues of the Jewes Though we put no such holinesse on these places to parallel them with the Temple yet they have equal warrant and are to have equal respect with the Synagogues which the Jewes had in every City Acts 15. 21. Not only in Judea but where they were dispersed Acts 13. 14 15. There is no word in all the Scripture for the erecting of these Synagogues no mention made of them but once where a sad complaint is made of the burning of them Psal 74. 8. But the people of God being by Gods command to be instructed in the Law they built them places for conveniency of meeting and in such places they met The Law was there preacht Christ and his Apostles did preach there our places of meeting then stand in equal honour with these Synagogues Those that can say any thing for these Synagogues which we cannot say for our publick places of meeting let them produce it 2. There is as much reason and equal warrant to call our places of meeting by the usual common Name of Churches as to call theirs by the common name of Synagogues Nothing can be said to condemne the use of the word Church for our place of meeting but the like may be said to condemne the use of the word Synagogue for their place of meeting The Scriptures therefore calling theirs Synagogues Luke 7. 5. Acts 18. 7. we may therefore fitly call ours Churches That which is objected against the word Church is that Church signifies not a house of wood or stone but a society or fellowship of men professing faith in Jesus Christ So also
confesse is more disputable then either of the former before spoken to In those we had to deale with Antinomians on the one hand Papists Arminians Socinians on the other hand with some few others that are pleased in those points alone to strike in with Arminians and Socinians and in other things to oppose them But in this Papists agree not among themselves but one is against another neither is there that agreement amongst Protestant Writers that might be desired which must not be concealed some are for the affirmative and some for the negative and some seem to stand in a neutral indifferency Bellarmine among the Papists is for the affirmative lib. 4. de justificatione cap. 6. and takes up Soto for the contrary tenent who affirmes as he quotes him that Christians are not only delivered from the Ceremonial Law and the guilt and terror of the moral Law but from the whole Law as written in the books of Moses with this caution as he reports him that we are to keep the Law of Moses as it is natural and as it is in the Gospel and in the Epistles of the Apostles but not as it was written by Moses for Moses saith he could not binde us but it is Christ that bindes us for we are Christians and not Jews Soto hath Suarez and Medina as Master Burges observes with him and among the Protestants Zanchius de redemptione lib. 1. cap. 12. and Musculus in his common places go the same way affirming that the Moral Lawes which go under the name of the decalogue as they were delivered by Moses to the Israelites do not concerne Christians but as they are agreeable to the Law of nature and confirmed by Christ Paraeus as is observed by Rivet in his Explication of the Decalogue page 11. giving in his judgement of the differing opinions of Bellarmine and Soto affirms that the opinion of Bellarmine is most safe to be followed Rivet himself in the place quoted takes it to be a strife of words and the difference to be inconsiderable and in case the authority be granted there seemes indeed lesse danger though the Minister be waved The Antinomian as others have observed is by both parties opposed Some may think that the Law thus gaines in its authority in as much as Christ is of much more excellency then Moses when the Master of the Vineyard saw his servant neglected he said They will reverence my Sonne Mat. 21. 37. But if the servant be once despised and set so light by as we read from some hands Away with stammering Moses it may be feared that the Sonne will not long remaine in honour when servants fared so ill we finde that the Sonne had little better entertainment And in my thoughts there is scarce a readier way then this to strip us of the whole of the Law of God Keeping up to their own principles they can look on no more of the Law as binding Christians then that which is held out to us in New Testament-Scriptures If this be granted we must have a New Testament Text for every Moral duty yet to gratifie adversaries in this particular we may safely yeeld that the Law concernes not Christians as it was delivered by Moses only to the Israelites and so Zanchy's Position keeping strictly to the termes may happily be defended The Moral Laws as delivered by Moses to the Israelites do not appertain to Christians so neither doth Lukes Gospel or the history of the Acts as from him to Theophilus nor yet any of Pauls Epistles as from him to any particular Church or to Timothy Titus or Philemon But looking on Moses as employed of God with his Church with which he was in the Wildernesse Acts 7. 38. and upon his writings as a depositum left with the Church they are of equal concernment to us as they were to the Jews if we be as the Church of the Jewes was a Church of God This to me is plaine not only by those Texts of Moses quoted in New testament-Testament-Scriptures as we heard before but quoted also as from Moses The Apostle pleading for Ministers maintenance saith For it is written in the Law of Moses 1 Cor. 9. 9. How were this argument of force if Moses his writings were not of use That of Peter is convincing 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy This was written by Moses Lev. 11. 44. Lev. 19. 2. Lev. 20. 7. and why should we be engaged to holinesse eo nomine because Moses writ it and gave it in charge in case Moses his writings do not binde Christians This also to me is plaine in reason Christ was King then as now his Church is the same now as then we and they make up one Kingdome Matth. 8. 11. The Lawes of Christ therefore unlesse they appear to be repealed are now in force as in former times There is not a temporal Obligation saith Master Burges Vindiciae Legis page 162. laid upon a perpetual duty The duties are confessed to be perpetual why should Moses then deliver them to be only of temporal permanency Neither is there any thing brought by Soto or any other hand to evince the contrary In the close of the words already quoted he sayes Mose-could not binde us but Christ for we are not Jews but Christians To this we say He could not binde us authoritatively but ministerially and because Christ bindes therefore Moses bindes seeing Moses was a servant in that house where Christ was a Sonne Christ was King of his Church in Moses his dayes Israel tempted Christ in disobeying Moses 1 Cor. 10. 9. He commanded for Christ when he gave command to the Israelites and these commands are of concernment unto Christians who are their fellow subjects The Arguments produced by Soto are satisfyingly answered by Bellarmine Soto saith that the Preface of the law leads to the Israelites onely I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage But it was the Jews and not Christians that were in Egypt This is false as one of these Jesuites truly answers the other we were in Egypt as well as the Nation of the Jews They were our fathers and we their children 1 Cor. 10. 1. It was once indeed otherwise with us being branches of the wilde Olive But the natural branches being cut off we are grafted into their stead that mercy of deliverance from Egypt being a Church-mercy is our mercy He further objects that of Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were until John and is answered that that is understood of the Law prophecying by figures and not instructing in manners which is further explained Matth. 11. 13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophecyed until John that is all the prophesies of the Messiah to come whether delivered in words by the Prophets or by signes
inflicts the Lord 4. His way of dealing as a Father in love and not in vengeance Now turne to Heb. 12. 5 6 7. and there we shall see the Apostle 1. Quoting this Scripture 2. Checking them for not heeding it 3. Commenting upon it Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children My sonne despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes for what sonne is he whom the Father chasteneth not These words of the Apostle confirm all the Old Testament proofs before mentioned give a shrewd check to all those that would cast them off and are a full New Testament-proof of the point in hand our aversaries tell us that the children of God in New Testament-times have that great and happy priviledge to be free from all chastisements for sinne The Apostle on the other hand sayes that it is their happinesse to be chastised and would be their sorrow if they were without chastisement For this cause saith the Apostle many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep 1 Cor. 11. 30. There we see judgements inflicted the persons suffering and the cause of suffering assigned The judgements are set out 1. By the quality or kinde such as were visible on the outward man as their sinne was open so was their suffering 2. By their several degrees in which they suffered some weak languishing under infirmities some sick taken with diseases some fallen asleep surprised with death The persons suffering are set out 1. By their multitude many 2. By the application of the stroke Corinthians had sinned and Corinthians suffered The cause is implyed in the illative particle For and exprest in the foregoing words their unworthy addresses unto the Lords Table sinfully eating and drinking they eat and drink their own judgement and though it cannot be said that all were in grace that thus suffered yet there were some at least in grace among them in that the Lord chastened them in the world that they might not be condemned with the world The Lord Christ speaks fully to this in his letter from heaven to Laodicea the Church of Rev. 3. 19. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As Scripture expresly holds out this truth so it is also clear in reason if God should not hold up his Sovereignty in this way of exercise of discipline upon his children his love could not be continued to them but would be withdrawn from them as we see in Christs words but now mentioned Rev. 3. 19. as also in those words of Solomon and the Apostle Pro. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 5 6 7. The love of God is such to his children and such a league of friendship is past between them say our adversaries that it will not suffer him to strike them We say his love is such that he cannot forbear to strike and will not suffer that they should sinne and carry it with impunity There are indeed some such parents that are so indulgent that children must neither have check nor stroke from them what course soever they take they scarce hear words much lesse do they suffer stripes These call this love but a wiser then they calls it by the name of hatred Prov. 13. 24. He that spareth the rod hateth his sonne but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Pity will not suffer to make children smart But it is greater pity that the want of smart should bring them to the condemnation of hell Prov. 23. 13 14. With-hold not correction from the childe for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell A childe in sinne must either be beaten or spared Beating will not be his death but sparing tends to his condemnation The similitude is not ours but the Holy Ghosts One of the most terrible texts in all the Bible may be found as one sayes Hoses 4. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your spouses when they commit adultery He spares not some that he may for ever spare them chastening them in the world that he may not condemn them with the world He spares some and everlastingly destroys them 2. Otherwise God would be reconciled to the sinne of his people and in league not only with their persons but with their wickednesse which is most abhorrent to his holinesse We read of Gods reconciliation to the world but never to the wickednesse of the world God may be at peace with those that have sinned not imputing their trespasses but he will never be at peace with sin 3. It will not stand with his honour to suffer his to go on in impunity in these ways Their wickednesse will be said to be by his allowance Men in sin are ready to say as the Psalmist observe that God is such a one as themselves Psalme 50. 21. and that because they sinne and he keeps silence And men of the world will say the same if his people go on in sinne and prosper This the Lord sees and takes care this way to prevent Ezek. 39. 23. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity because they trespassed against me therefore hid I my face from them He will make it appear that he is no patron to them in that which is evil 4. God hath given in charge to Magistrates his vice-gerents for to punish They are revengers to execute wrath upon them that do evil Rom. 13. 4. they are sent of God for the punishment of evil doers 1. Pet. 2. 14. They have no commission to spare upon supposal of any interest in God or grace when they are found in any acts that are wicked What they do God does they acting by his command and by vertue of his commission For further clearing of this point and if it may be to work a right understanding I shall lay down severall Positions 1. God considered in his absolute Sovereignty may inflict sufferings without injustice on his innocent creatures there is no absolute necessity that sinne should go before all manner of trouble Punishment cannot be without a fault that alwayes implies guilt where justice is followed Yet such is Gods Sovereignty that he may lay affliction where there is no transgression We do it upon our fellow-creatures we tread upon wormes that never did offend us God may much more do it upon his creatures yea God does it How much do bruit creatures suffer in the world and unwillingly suffer as the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 20. and that from Gods hand that hath made them subject to these suffering that which God doth unto one creature he may do unto any creature that which he doth to the meanest he may do to the most noble creature As a potter may
too true report unto the world That England in foure yeares space is become an â—eap and sink of all Errours and Sects No Province from the beginning of the world ever brought forth in so little a space so many monstrous Heresies as this Honor. Reggus Comment de statu Ecclesiae in Anglia pag. 1. Hath Christ any thing that he may enjoy unquestioned among us As he may not have an Embassadour so he must not enjoy a Day or an Ordinance not so much as his Deity among us 3. If neither Reason nor experience will serve to convince us let the Apostle be heard Ephes 4. 11 14. He gave gifts unto men some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some teachers that we be not as children â—ost to and fro with every winde of Doctrine One end of the Ministery is establishment of Saints against Errours And it is not the least of the cunning sleights of men to throw down a Ministery that errour may be introduced and Heresies planted we must not look to be secure from Seducers longer than a Ministery ballasts us It is objected that in New Testament-times there is a Promise that God will poure out his Spirit on all flesh sonnes and daughters shall prophecy your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I poure out my Spirit Ioel 2. 28 29 So that now this office is not with limit to some but promiscuously in all First Answ Old Testament-prophecies must be understood according to New Testament-Interpretations Not alwayes as in the letter they may seem to hold things out but as the Spirit of God there unfolds them and as the event to those that live in after-ages in the Church cleares them The rigid adhering to the letter of mystical prophecies hath brought many into dangerous snares This holds the Jews in blindnesse Looking after a Messiah with a temporal rule and power they will receive no other This caused many in Christs time to expect Elijah in person and not to regard John who came in the power and Spirit of Elijah This holds those of the Church of Rome that they see not that Antichrist who opposeth Christ in a mystery but expect one that opposeth Christ openly And let others take heed that it do not deceive them while they look after a personal reigne of Christ upon earth which some mysterious Scriptures seeme to imply when open cleare Texts do manifestly contradict Secondly when in New Testament-times this prophecy was first fulfilled observe what way was taken for the fulfilling of it The Spirit comes in the forme of tongues fiery and cloven and sate upon each of the Apostles and this Peter sayes was that which was foretold by Joel the Prophet Acts 2. 16. There is a singular analogy between Scripture-signes and the thing signified whether ordinary in Sacraments or extraordinary in Visions This shews in what manner and way the Spirit is communicated in all Languages and Nations and that the Spirit is received by the hearing of Faith If Peter may interpret Joel a Ministery is established and not overthrown Thirdly those high expressions there serve only to set out the abundance of knowledge which men by the Ministerial work should reach in Gospel-times what Prophets then saw and those that saw visions and dreamed dreames knew that men of all ranks should see What the Prophets diligently enquired after 1 Pet. 1. 12. they should understand Fourthly I could wish that these men would compare another prophecie of New Testament-times Zach. 13. 2. where the Lord promises to cause the Prophets and the unclean spirits to passe out of the land Prophets there are men of unclean spirits those false spirits that are gone out into the world These shall be brought to a serious conviction and shall be ashamed every one of his Vision of the spirit of the which they use to speak the revelation of which they were wont to boast and shall no longer weare a rough garment to deceive shâ—l relinquish that calling function or practice giving in this reason I am no Prophet man taught me to keep cattel from my youth Because they were bred for husbandry man another way therefore they are not for this function In the case of extraordinary inspiration this indeed holds not Amos pleads Amos 7. 14. I was no Prophet nor a Prophets son but I was an herdman and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit He was thus trained up and therefore lived in this calling in which he was trained till God gave him an extraordinary call and this he pleads The Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said unto me Go prophesie to my people Israel verse 15. Robinson the learnedst Penne I suppose of that party undertaking to defend the liberty of all promiscuously to preach the Gospel and that it is no proper work of a Select Ministery instances in Christ and his Apostles who preacht saith he in the Jewish Church without contradiction And whereas we except against this that they were extraordinarily called and qualified he answers that the exception though true yet is not of force for their argument is not that they preached which their extraordinary call would warrant but that they preached and were not excepted against by the Jewes who did not beleeve any extraordinary immediate call of theirs yet never excepted against them but received them upon the account of private men and therefore it appears that it was their ordinary course that any gifted man might preach without control Ans It is wonder Answ so quick-sighted a man could not see that Christ himself was excepted against by the Jewish Elders and that upon this very point how often we know not but we see it upon record in three several Evangelists that the excepted against him The chief Priests and the Elders of 〈…〉 to him as he was teaching and said by what authority 〈◊〉 thou these things and who gave thee this authority Luke 20. 21. Matth. 21. 23. Mark 11. 7. Their argument runs thus They that preach the Gospel must have their authority for it Thou undertakest this work produce thy authority let us see thy warrant Christ answers not that it was each mans lâ—berty and duty who had gifts as he must have done else he was wanting in his defence of the truth in case their proposition had been false but puts a question in which he clearly holds out his extraordinary call The baptisme of John whence was it from heaven or of men As John Baptized so I preach He baptized not neither do I preach without authority whence we may collect that he that may presume to set up a new Sacrament without farther authority may with the same liberty undertake to be a Gospel-Preacher 2. That Prophecy is objected Object Jerem. 31. 31 32 33. 34. This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house
Prophets 1 Cor. 12. 28. The Holy Ghost hath here an hand Acts 13. 2. The holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Acts 20. 28. Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood And this sending or authorizing is as their gifting or fitting either extraordinary and immediate nothing of man intervening or else mediate by mans Ministery and his approbation Paul had both an immediate way both his authority and ability for the work he professes that he is an Apostle not of man nor by man he owes it not to man as the Authour so may any Minister of Christ say he owes it not to man as an instrument so only Prophets and Apostles can say As his Calling was thus immediate so in like sort was his instructions for it Gal. 1. 12. For I neither received if of man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ They that divide these are exceedingly to blame assuming authority without man but confessing that for abilities as they must look up to God so they must make use of man must apply themselves to reading and make use of the helps of others The immediate Call is by Vision Revelation or whatsoever otherway God pleases to manifest himself Thus in a vision Paul was called where that is not the mediate Call only remains which is the way of all that attaine to gifts by education study and the blessing of heaven on their endeavours This is called as in Scripture so in Church-writers by the name of Ordination and the whole work containing as well that which is essential to it as the adjuncts of it may be thus described An act of men in a Ministerial function associated in a Presbytery setting some apart upon proof and examination as Presbyters and Elders in the Church by fasting and praying with imposition of hands We find no other but men in Ministerial function in all the holy Scriptures acting in it Paul and Barnabas ordaine Elders in every Church which in their journal they visite Acts 14. 23. Timothy is directed in the way of it 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man Titus is enjoyned to ordaine Elders in every City in Creet Tit. 1. 5. He is named alone but the naming of one excludes not others and therefore it appears that in Timothies Ordination a Presbytery or a combination of Presbyters did joyne 1 Tim. 4. 14. which way in our Church hath ever been held The Bishop supposed by some to be vested in the whole power of Ordination never had authority to ordaine alone but grave Presbyters according to the Canon were to joyn with him though by reason of greatnesse his vote ordinarily did overmuch sway in it Some would have the people here to have their hand in that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place of the Acts chap. 14. 23. implies a lifting up of the hand But whatsoever the word in its Etymology may imply the use is not such as is plaine by comparing Acts 10. 41. where the immediate Ordination of God by the same word is held forth unto us They know the weight of the Ministerial function and they are best able to judge of requisite abilities One that is willing to give as much to the people as may be yet confesses that in Grammatical construction the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can agree with no other but Paul and Barnabas and that it was only their act and therefore he would finde it in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saith he doth not signifie in every Church as it is translated but according to the Church instancing in the Orators phrase Faciam secundumte I will do it according to thy minde So they viz. Paul and Barnabas ordained them Elders according to the Church that is according to the minde and will of the Church If this were granted it would only conclude an acquiescency in the people and that they had satisfaction in that Ordination carryed on by Paul and Barnabas Yet this phrase here can no where prove that the Church or people made choise of them then we man prove from that injunction of the Apostle Titus 1. 5. to ordaine Elders in every City that the whole City had there their vote in Elections As much stresse may be laid upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every City or according to the minde of the City in this of Paul to Titus as upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every Church or according to the minde of the Church in that of Luke in the History of the Acts. What power the people or the faithful may have in Election and how farre it may be convenient that they may be overborne for their good I will not here dispute I only conclude that we finde not the people any where ordaining we read of Ordination in Churches for the Churches use not Ordination by Churches taking it in that sense for the whole community of Beleevers These in a Ministerial function in this act of Ordination set select men apart for Presbyters or Elders so Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Titus is enjoyned to ordaine Elders in every City in Creet who are the same with Bishops as appeares in Titus 1. verse 5. 7. compared The qualification of Elders is there prescribed and the reason is given for a Bishop must be blamelesse which will hold no congruity if an Elder be not the same with a Bishop Which also may be seen Acts 20. comparing ver 17. and the 28. together The Apostle there speaks to the Elders of Ephesus and he gives them a charge to take heed to all the flâ—ck over which the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers that is had given them an Episcopal charge as the word signifies Elders must set apart men for Elders and Presbyters are to be set apart by a Presbytery This Ordination of Elders is to be in the Church or for the Church which may be taken either for the universal Church visible or for some particular Church and that either congregational or classical Ministerial functions are appointed of God for the Church universal visible God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secundarily Prophets thirdly Teachers c. 1 Cor. 12 28. No one particular Church congregational or classical enjoys all the particular kindes there enumerated yet so as the exercise of this function is to be with limit to one particular only They are Ministers of the Church universal yet so as orderly to exercise their function only there where God by his providence shall designe them There are some functions as I may say Catholick what such a one doth any where in his function is good every where as a publick Notary or Master of the Chancery that which they
sealing them as Gods in covenant So John 4. 1 2. When the Lord know that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples then John though Jesus baptized not but his Disciples Here John made Disciples and baptized them being made The Disciples of Iesus made Disciples and baptized them being made An outward work then to make profession of the faith is sufficient to make one a Disciple and to bring him within the verge of the covenant Secondly That which a whole Nation in Gods ordinary way of administration is in a capacity to attaine and enter into is a covenant onely professed visibly entred upon and doth not require any inward change or work upon the soule to the being of it this is plaine It cannot be expected in Gods ordinary way that a Nation should be brought forth at once all really holy and sanctified Such a field hath not been seen without tares Such a floore without chaffe Such a draw-net without any fish that is bad Such a Feast and no one without a wedding garment But whole Nations are in a capacity in Gods ordinary way of working to enter into this covenant as is plaine in the Text The whole of the Nation is in their commission where they come and in many Nations it hath had happy successe Whole Nations without exceptions unlesse strangers so journing have been brought within covenant One would faine fasten another interpretation on those words and make the commission to sound not according to the letter of the words nor yet according to the successe by grace attained but to his liking and therefore is put to it to change the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then all Nations must either be put by apposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or with the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so instead of disciple all Nations it will be make disciples in all Nations This he thinks is very tolerable because to disciple and to make disciples is all one But though they may be one in themselves yet it makes a maine difference in the phrase and with the addition of his preposition inverts the whole meaning of the words as to the thing in controversie which is such a violence offered to the Text as is not to be endured in him that is about to draw a Logical argument for his advantage against an adversary And as it is against the letter of the Text so it is plainly against our Saviours scope and end in giving this commission This enlargement unto all Nations in this place was in opposition to the restriction Matth. 10. 5. as by the adversary is confest Now in that Nation to which there they were limitted the whole of the Nation was in covenant all the land was the land of Immanuel Esay 8. 8. and consequently so it was to be in other Nations by vertue of this happy enlargement or else the opposition is utterly taken away the meaning of the words clouded and the Apostles at a losse for the understanding of them Having before spent their paines in a Nation all Disciples and now having a commission for the discipling of all Nations how shall they understand the words unlesse the whole of the Nation where they come are to be discipled And hereto accord the prophecies of Scripture for the calling of the Nations of the Gentiles God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem Gen. 9. 27. Sem was wholly in covenant not by pieces and parcels but universally in covenant Japhet is to come in succession into covenant in like latitude Psalme 2. 8. Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession It is not some among the Nations of the Heathen that are to be the inheritance â—f Christ but the Heathen To which agrees Rev. 11. 15. The Kingdomes of the earth shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ Immanuel of old had one now he shall have more Kingdomes and they become his no other way than by discipling Gods Ministers are his men of warre for subduing and captivating them 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. and Kingdoms are promised them not some onely in Kingdoms Alexander would not sit down with such a conquest neither will Christ Jesus If to possesse some in a Kingdome be to possesse a Kingdome then Antichrist of long hath had this Kingdome All Kings shall bow down before him all Nations shall serve him Psal 72. 11. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name Psal 86. 9. Thou shalt call a Nation which thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee Esay 55. 5. There God calls the Nation and the Nation doth answer Gods call In that day Israel shall he a third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the land whom the Lord of Hosts shall blesse saying Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my inheritance There Egypt and Assyria are in equipage with Israel all three sister-Churches Israel without any preheminence Either Israel then was not a Nation of Disciples a Nation wholly within covenant or else these are to be National Churches the whole of the Nation to be discipled and brought into covenant Passing by other Scriptures in silence one tells me that he marvels that I am not ashamed to produce Psalme 72. 11. Psalme 86. 9. to prove that the whole of the Nation even infants must be included Matth. 28. 19. As if saith he it were foretold that the whole Nation even Infants should come before God and worship But it is strange if he be ignorant that propâ—ecies in the Od Testament of the glory of New Testament-times are in Old Testament-phrases by way of allusion to the worship of those times set forth to us It was the practice of the people of the Jewes for their males of growth and strength to appear before the Lord and neither females nor Infants as Ainsworth on Exod. 23. 17. observes yet they appeared in the name of females and children and their females and children were in covenant together with them Deut. 29. 11. so that as the rest of the prophecies to which he hath nothing to say so these two prophecies against which he excepts speak fully for the discipling of Nations in New Testament-times The successe of these Prophecies hath happily answered in many Nations which may well serve as a cleare Comment both of these Prophecies and the commission granted by the Lord Jesus though by the working of the man of Sinne and other Hereticks the glory hath been much dazeled yet in most of the Nations of Europe it hath been happily effected Let any man finde equal Reasons for the variation of the words as I have done for keeping to the
Deut. 32. 21. of the call of the Gentiles into a visible Church-state and profession and so applied by the Apostle Rom. 9. 24 25 26. Whence I argue The call of the ten revolted Tribes and of the Gentiles into a visible Church-way is not to be meant of the Church as it is invisible onely This one hath already taken into consideration and answered Howsoever it be in the places in which the allusion is yet it is certaine that here it is meant of such a calling as is from darknesse to marvellous light Taking it it seems for granted that there is no marvelous light in visible Churches that in the land of Zebulon and Nepthali where they saw a great light there were only invisible members Mat. 4. 15 16. Fourthly as honourable titles as these are frequently given in Scripture as shall be shewn to visible professours why should then these be limitted to invisible Members Fifthly this Text by adversaries is made to be parallel with those Texts Gal. 6. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 20. And those Texts I have demonstrated to be meant of visible Churches To which nothing is replyed Arguments to evince it to be meant of the Church as it is invisible come to be considered 1. I argue saith one from the termes chosen Generation royal Priesthood Objections answered and holy Nation a peculiar people This is by Christs death which can be understood of no other than Elect and true Beleevers Tit. 2. 14. Answ 1. Such a way of arguing would not passe with him in his Adversary As peculiar people is taken in one place of Scripture so it must be taken in all places but in one place it is taken for the Elect regenerate If this would hold much labour might be spared in finding out the various acception of words in Scripture 2. These termes and others equipollent to these are given to the Israelites Deut. 14. 1 2. Deut. 9. 6. Deut. 32. 9. not as a Church invisible but as visible Members Their qualifications are often as low as their appellations by reason of their relation to God raise them high And setting apart Christs death I would know how the Israelites came to this honour 3. The gift of Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastours and Teachers were the gift of Christ and the purchase of his death These are for constitution of visible Churches and visible members enjoy these priviledges in common with regenerate persons to which more is already spoken 2. An Objection is raised from that which is said of them They are called of God by his power and vertue into his marvelous light and verse 10. Which now had obtained mercy which they had not before which cannot be affirmed of any but true Beleevers and Elect persons Answ Men brought into a visible Church-state are brought into a marvelous light The seven golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. 20. had a marvelous light in their lamps and yet in some of those there were onely a few names that had not defiled their garments And this light is a mercy the fruition of it is a great mercy Psalme 147. 19 20. Yea it is applied by the Prophet Hos 2. 23. whence the Apostle gathers it unto the mercy enjoyed in a visible Church-communion which is not denied by the adversary 3. It is said that those persons did beleeve contra-distinguished to them that were disobedient and stumbled at the word but such are onely the Elect. Ergo. Answ So did all they that made shipwrack of the faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. So did Simon Magus Acts 8. 13. So did the hearers compared to the rocky ground Luke 8. 13. And whereas it is said these Beleevers are contra-distinguished to them that were disobedient and stumbled at the Word it fully makes against this interpretation Those disobedient ones are those that disallow Christ as we see verse 7. that reject Christ upon tender that persist in Judaisme or Gentilisme All others not professed Jewes nor Gentiles are in that place Beleevers and in all other Scriptures respective to visible prerogative all which are visible Church-members 4. They are said to be built as living stones c. which can agree to none but Elect persons and true Beleevers Answ That is left out in the Quotation of this Text which would wholly spoile the argument and carry it on the other hand namely those words To whom coming as unto a living stone The Apostle shews them the way and points out the condition called for which being done they are then built as living stones And this implies that it was so with some but not with others Here is that which was done by some and neglected by others and their happinesse upon discharge of their duty declared I am told by one that he hardly beleeves that any approved Writer joyns with me in this Interpretation But though I were alone in it yet I might learne of him to adventure not barely on the interpretation of one single-Scripture-Text but on a conclusion in Theology against all Protestant Writers and herein I should have the advantage in that few comparatively I think have started this question much lesse have they seriously handled it minding more what those titles engage us to be in which there is an agreement of all parties than to whom they are given when some of my opposites dare affront the whole body of Protestant Writers in that in which ex professo they have to deale against Papists Estius indeed upon examination of the thing in question appeares to be of a contrary minde and censures those that set out this holinesse by Religion doctrine Sacraments which Authours by him thus censured may be for ought I know as approved as himself and they as we see limit it not to the Church invisible I doubt not but that holinesse which is intrinsecal is here aimed at yet all those have these titles that do make profession of the way of it and are of the number of those that engage themselves to it Gerrard also on the words puts it to the question and determines the same way but tells us of others that understand it of common and general election His name I suppose is waved in that his Arguments are borrowed and have been answered But on the other hand Master Ball who if authorities must carry it will sway with me as much as either treating on those words Hos 2. 19 20. I will betroth thee unto me for ever c. saith The external betrothing by outward covenant so as God betroths himselfe to all professing the true faith may be broken for though God offer them mercy if they will believe yet he gives not not faith to them and quotes for proof Rom. 9. 24 25. 1 Pet. 2. 8 9. And Zanchius de perseverantia sanctorum cap. 1. Tit. de Sanctis hath these words Hear now what I understand by the name of Saints This name Saint when it is spoken of men is 1 Generally taken for all those that have consecrated
with Christians and so of necessity there must be two distinct Gospels If that spoken of by Jeremy be a covenant properly so called holding out the whole nature of the Gospel-covenant and that New distinct from the former then the old covenant must needs in the whole nature of it be a distinct covenant likewise In what sense Jeremy is to be understood according to the genuine meaning of the Text I have endeavoured to clear as in my answer page 105. 106 107. So also chap. 26. of this Treatise and whether I have answered the objection which some divine that I cannot without enervating the Argument for effectual grace and perseverance in it I must appeal to the impartial Reader I am sure none can build effectual grace and perseverance on that Text making it a distinct Covenant from the first without the overthrow of effectual grace and perseverance in Old Testament-times CHAP. XL. Professed believers are under a Covenant of Grace and not a Covenant of Works IT necessarily follows by way of Corollary from that which hath been delivered that no professed believer that is a member of the Church visible is under a Covenant of Works but eo nomine that he professedly gives his name to Christ he is under a Covenant of grace That a man cannnot be under two Covenants respective to the same thing I suppose is agreed upon on all hands A man that holds by one title if he accept a second makes void the first whether his former title were better or worse whether it tends to his prejudice or benefit thus to make change of it As it is with covenants among men so it is in the Covenant between God and man If the New Covenant make void the Old where both Old and New are substantially the same and the difference only circumstantial as the Apostle sheweth that it does Heb. 8. 13. much more then in those covenants which are essentially differing as are the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of grace Some that would limit the Covenant only to the regenerate and men of justifying faith as to the just latitude of it make use of this Maxime that the same man cannot be under two Covenants which is indeed a right way of arguing from principles granted on both parts Now they assume that all unregenerate and persons not justified are under a Covenant of Works This they take for granted when it rests to be proved and so conclude that these are under no Covenant of Grace but a Covenant of Works I assume on the other hand that so many of them as are Christians though not Regenerati but Regenerandi as Pareus speaks are under a Covenant of Grace and therefore they are not under a Covenant of Works Here to avoid mistakes some things are to be premised 1. That many of them have not any explicit knowledge of either Covenant either that under which originally they were or that under which through grace they are They are the people of God and therefore under a saving Covenant with God though not emproved for salvation that perish for lack of knowledge Hos 4. 6. all that bear the name of believers in primitive times were not got up in knowledge to the first principles 2. As to their present qualification and condition they are in no better an estate than if the obligation of the Covenant of Works were still upon them A man dealing falsely in the Covenant of grace is in as sad a condition as he that is under that hopelesse and destructive Covenant of Works yea his condition admits of many sad aggravations in that treachery is above rebellion and perfidiousnesse exceeds bare disobedience They were a people in Covenant that God owned as his to whom he said Ezek. 16. 48. As I live saith the Lord God Sodom thy sister hath not done she nor her daughters as thou hast done thou and thy daughters Blessednesse is no where in Scripture said to be on the head of all those that are in covenant unlesse it be meant comparatively or respectively only but on such as keep his covenant and remember his commandments to do them Psal 103. 18. And if all that were in covenant did keep covenant there would not be so much complaint as there is in Scripture of breach of covenant nor could men be under that charge that their hearts are not stedfast in covenant 3. They are yet in a more desirable estate and in fairer way towards happinesse than those that are as the Apostle speaks strangers from the covenant of promise Eph. 2. 12. As the Jewes were a people nigh to the Lord Psal 148. 14. So they are Eph. 2. 13. Salvation is of these though they be not as yet by a thorough work of grace in a saving state There are of these that shall be saved Acts 2. 47. and so there is not for ought that Scripture speaks among those that are without covenant such are in Scripture-language without God without hope Eph. 2. 12. under the wrath and indignation of God Jerem. 10. 25. Psal 79. 6. When the Apostle therefore had spoken much against the Jew outwardly and the circumcision of the flesh that is men circumcised in flesh and not in heart Rom. 2. upon the question put yet concludes that these Jewes have This circumcision hath much profit every way much advantage and the advantage is as he expresses it especially the Oracles of God which are the covenant-draughts and if they were utterly out of covenant I would desire any to shew where the advantage lies That they are in covenant with God and in a covenant of grace appears therefore 1. In that they have the Oracles of God To them that is to the Jew outwardly these Oracles were committed as the Apostle tells us Rom. 3. 1. They were committed to them as their inheritance Deut. 33. 4. They were possest of them in order to everlasting life John 5. 39. And these Oracles being Covenant-tables Covenant-draughts the professed believer that by favour from God stands possest of them is in Covenant with God 2. They have the seals of the covenant Covenant and right to the seale where seals are appointed cannot be severed as shall be shewen They are in covenant as Abraham was and they have the seales of the covenant as Abraham and his seed had Those were circumcised and these are baptised and that it may appear that they had not this honour barely from man without approbation from God as some seem to hint in their distinction of Forum Dei and Forum Ecclesiae as though the Church received them when in the sight of God they had no right to be received we finde 1. That the Spirit of God in the Scripture still calls them in way of honour by the name of circumcision and men may but God will not thus give an equivocal or nick-name to them As they were circumcised in the flesh so it was the minde of God that they should beare in
faith that they must receive them giving this reason for God hath received them Rom. 14. 1 3. we may apply to those that make profession of the faith being able to make application of his reason God takes them into communion unto visible fellowship we are not then to reject them Is the necessary qualification of a member of the visible Church universal one thing and the necessary of a member of this or that particular congregation another and may one be fit to be a member of the universal visible Church and yet not qualified to be a member of a particular congregation saith Master Wood Append. p. 169 170. If I should enlarge this to heathens brought to a profession of the faith and argue their right to baptisme upon profession and by baptisme their right to Church-fellowship in any visible Church-society I should finde the Scriptures abundantly to favour it Of so many thousands myriads of thousands of converts Acts 21. 20. which were added to the Church and received by baptisme baptized the same day for a great part sometimes as appears the very houre of their conversion there is not one that we reade refused but all received yea not a scruple raised save of one only as I remember which was Saul when he offered himself into Church-fellowship and that not upon this account that we are now upon but good Ananias fearing that he came not to joyne with them but to seise upon them knowing that at that time he had authority from the chief Priests to binde all that call on Christs name Acts 9. 14. If the competentes as they were stiled in the primitive times viz. men that offered themselves for Church-fellowship had then entred at so strait a door as now in some places they are put to passe where a glib tongue is in a farre fairer way to take than an upright heart we should have heard of no small bustle about it When we finde murmurings of Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration Acts 6. 1. we should sure have heard of it had they been neglected in Church-fellowship and communion But when no such thing can be found in the practice of the Church after the Holy Ghost was given which is called by way of eminence the Kingdom of Christ or the Kingdom of Heaven yet they think they finde exceptions taken and some refused by the forerunner of Christ John Baptist One laying down this Proposition That men seeking admission into the Church are not to be received without farther satisfaction gives instance in no other but John Baptist and saith The Baptist did not admit all that sought it unto baptism and proves it from no Text either of Matthew or Luke which give us the narrative but by the authority of Pareus The Pharisees saith he did seek baptisme but John did not admit them being unworthy to whom he adds Aretius who sayes They sought baptisme but he seems to think saith our Authour that they were not by any means baptized But how eminent soever their authorities are their reasons are very weak The Baptist reproved them called them to repentance and therefore did not baptize them when the text seems to speak the contrary For as soon as his reproof with his exhortation is ended there follows I indeed baptize you with water verse 11. And it seems by Saint Luke that those Pharisees and Lawyers that were not baptized of John were not refused but did refuse Luke 7. 30. But the Lawyers and Pharisees rejected the Councel of God against themselves being not baptized of him When the same learned Authour cannot instance any precedent or produce any Scripture-Ordinance for it he endeavours by arguments drawn from the forme of a particular Church the way of reformation of Churches the relation of inferiority and superiority among those that are free and such like reasons to evince it To which but that I will not here make it my businesse an easie answer might be given it is more than strange that when the Apostles had by Commission from Christ planted Churches and were to leave them to be propagated in future Ages and knowing a covenant to be essential to the constitution as now by some is asserted would yet wholly be silent in it especially when no such thing was known in Old testament-Testament-Scriptures that we might gather it by analogy and through all Ages till this last Age had lien hid and never discovered and leave us by our reason to discover it In which we are in danger to set our threshold by Gods threshold of which he so sadly complains Ezek. 43. 8. or rather justle out his threshold with ours denying baptisme to be any door for admission at which the primitive Saints entred and setting up a covenant of which Scripture speaks nothing and Master John Goodwin was sometimes as confident as confidence could make him that it had no ground in the holy Scriptures But to leave heathens haply called by Gospel Ordinances to speak a word or two to our own case who are a discipled Nation a Kingdom subjugated to the yoke of Christ Jesus enjoying saving Ordinances and therefore have a Church of Christ fixt among us Here we might lay down divers positions for the regulating of our judgements First where nothing is wanting to the being of a Church God having a people owning him in covenant yet much more may be required for the well ordering and regulating of it where a people accept of a King and receive his Lawes there he hath a Kingdom and is a Monarch yet much more is required for the ordering of such a Monarchy for the publick weale and safety so it is where there is a Church of God accepting the Lawes of heaven there the Lord Christ reigns as a Monarch yet farther care must be used for the right regulating of it according to his Will and the Lawes tendred by him and received by them Secondly a people in a vicinity or neighbourhood dwelling together ought to associate themselves and joyne with those of that neighbourhood according to their best convenience for the participation of Ordinances As it is against all dictates of reason that a people scattered at a great distance should combine themselves in a Church-way for Ordinances in which God rules so it is as clear against the Scriptures You read of a Church of God at Ephesus at Corinth at Philippi at Thessalonica at Laodicea But you reade not of any one Church made up of members residing at all those places or in any places at like distance That cohabitation or dwelling together makes not up a Church congregational will be easily granted Infidels Turks Pagans may cohabit they may make an idol-church but not a Church of God but co-habitation or dwelling together is one ingredient Saints cohabiting that is in New Testament-language men separate for God not Jewes nor Infidels but Christians and joyning in Ordinances as in
24. of exhortation one of another Heb. 3. 13. of comforting of themselves together edifying one another 1 Thes 5. 11. of warning them that are unruly and comforting th feeble-minded supporting the weak 1 Thes 5. 14. of converting sinners from the errour of their wayes Jam 5. 20. which argues a well-ordered zeal for God and hatred of sin bowels of compassion towards a brother we finde their praise that have followed this councel 1 Thes 5. 11. we reade of separation from ways of sin and fleshly defilements 2 Cor. 6. 17. James 1. 27. but we reade not of any separation from Church-communion and fellowship in Ordinances thus given in charge nor in this way approved nor any presidents to go before us in it but we reade of an heavy brand laid upon it Jude 19. These be they who separated themselves sensual not having the Spirit yet seeing things may be so carried in societies that be aâ— the Name of Christ and Christian Professors brought to those straits that there is no abiding for such as would keep their garments unspotted it will be of use here to deliver certain rules for our help and guidance 1. A Church in covenant with God as before and keeping up communion in Ordinances is to be accounted pure where the pollutions or taints are not great nor many it is to be accounted a right beleeving Church notwithstanding some few lesser Errors We account a corne-field clean where some few tares and weeds are found a body healthful that is not without grudgings Christ from heaven gives commendations to those Churches which yet he taxes Rev. 2. 3. for failings There is that light in which Errors may be seen and shunned and rules for discerning things that differ If custom education conceit of Teachers or the like so dazle the judgement that the errour is swallowed howsoever that be a detriment a blemish as the Apostle shews of the wood hay and stubble built upon the foundation 1 Cor. 3. 12. yet it prejudices not salvation There is power of truth remaining to forme and frame Christ in the heart to direct the soul in a sanctified way to salvation 2. Where the Word is received and profest though polluted and defaced with additions and false glosses there is a Church though polluted and erroneous Where the essential parts of a man are in being there is a man though sick and diseased where corne is sowen and comes up there is a corn-field though over-run with tares and weeds The Churches of Galatia have the name of Churches though miserably defiled we deny not the Church of Rome the being of a Church having the Scriptures and several fundamental truths from thence as the Church in Christs time from the hand of the Scribes and Pharisees though the worst deserving the name of a Church of any people with whom the Word is continued No Church some have avouched But do her the most right and the being of a Church granted she is a hurch certainly miserably defaced monstrously polluted I will not rake in her sores it were easie to name many and loathsome ones I will only point at the causes Where food is scarce and that polluted and unclean there must needs be bodies diseased and distempered but so it fares with the Church of Rome when the Word should dwell in us in all plenteousnesse Col. 3. 16. they will have theirs dieted the Word kept in an unknown language as under lock and key that the children cannot come near it That on which they feed is not the sincere milk which only nourishes to growth 1 Pet. 2. 2. But they have their unwritten word to stand in equipage with the Scriptures mens Traditions made doctrines how many doctrines do we there finde by necessary consequence undermining those fundamental truths that are there profest where food is in no more plenty and no better it is no wonder to see diseases follow 3. That which especially denominates a Church pure or impure sound or tainted is the doctrine which they drink in the principles by which they are carried Where these are right this is an high praise where these are tainted this is the greatest blemish That which advances a Nation above all other Nations so that no Nation is so great as they that brings them nigh unto God is that which is their greatest honour and the pollution the greatest blemish where all is right in doctrine it can hardly be conceived but that there are at least a few names that defile not their garments though the more the greater glory This was the case of Sardis and therefore hath the honour to be one of the golden Candlesticks where Christ kept residence 4. Doctrines which are as the covenant-draughts between God and a people have their taints or crazes in the foundation or in the superstruction A breach in the foundation is the buildings speedy ruine while that stands somewhat of a building remains when that falls all falls and therefore Jerusalems enemies that thirsted after her total ruine say Raze it raze it even to the foundation thereof Psal 137. 7. These foundation-breaches in buildings may be either crazes threatning danger but repairable taken betimes may be holpen though a failing there is soonest helplesse or else it is a ruine or rottennesse that is irremediable irrepairable Truths doubted disputed questioned I call a craze in the foundation wonderfully dangerous not alwayes damnable the case of the Galatians of whom the Apostle stood in feare and was jealous over them through a godly jealousie even of their revolt from Christianity to Judaism from Christ to Moses from the Gospel to the Law These he calls Churches the members brethren though in a way to be no Churches entertaining those doctrines that cut off from Christ Gal. 5. 2. Here all those that are builders in Christs work that are pillars or any part of his house must be zealous as we see Saint Paul was in this Epistle quoted who will see the foundation of the house where he lives so undermined as every day to threaten ruine much lesse may we suffer the foundation in Christs house to be thus used This faith once delivered to the Saints is the common salvation for this we must earnestly contend Jude 3. for this we must strive together Phil. 1. 27. Truths denied abjured and resolved against as it was with Hymeneus and Philetus and the Apostle saw the Churches in Galatia in danger is a ruine and rottennesse that is irremediable and irreparable Besides breaches in fundamentals there are breaches in superstructions and these either more neer to the foundation or at a greater distance The nearer the foundation the more danger a breach is more sufferable near the top than at the bottome of a tower or castle There are errours of more affinity with those that overthrow bottom-truths and there are those that are not so nigh and therefore not so dangerous Such crept into the Latine Church
of their plagues Rev. 18. 4. and therefore to depart and be gone when their truths could not be enjoyed but their guilt through sinne contracted and it is onely their sinne that we relinquish It is their Schisme in that or any other Church that obtrude these Heterogeneal things and not theirs that do refuse them 6. Corruptions in conversation scarce admit of separation provided that doctrine be such in which men may have communion for edification If we look upon the people of Israel through the revolution of all times after they were a visible body come out from Abrahams loines we may finde high titles given them of singular glory by reason of priviledges which they enjoyed by their call into Church-fellowship children of God holy people Gods peculiar ones his portion his heritage The apple of his eye Deut. 14. 1 2. and 32. 9. Zach 2. 8. and abundant the like Elogies in sundry other texts of Scripture A people near unto God Psal 148. 14. the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the service and the promises did appertaine to them Rom. 9. 4. Therefore Prophets and righteous persons kept their residence among them held communion with them and saw no ground of separation from them the words of eternal life being with them as Christ testifies in his speech to the Samaritan woman John 4. 22. when in the meane time their qualifications were as low as their titles high their conversation no way answering their calling but branded to be stiffe-necked of an iron sinew adulterous a sinful Nation a people foolish and unwise as Sodom and Gomorrah to the Lord Deut 9. 6. Isa 48. 4. Ezek. 16 32. Isa 1. 4. Deut. 32. 6. Isa 1. 10. It is a great contradiction with some men to name men at all Saints beleevers professours when their lives evidence an unsuitablenesse to such a glory yet we know the Churches to whom Epistles are directed in Scriptures are so honoured as we may see in their frontispieces and among them the choicest and most upright-hearted had converse and communion when yet they did wrong defraud contended aud disputed for Idol pollutions and defilements prophaned the Lords Table were fornicators unclean lascivious luke-warm having onely a name to live when they were dead 1 Cor. 3. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 7. 1 Cor. 8. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 20. 2 Cor. 12. 20. Rev. 3. 16. Rev. 3. 1. So that Calvin on 1 Cor. 1. 2. puts a question how Paul could give the name of a Church to them If we would know what the Prophets and Apostles held concerning lawfulnesse of communion in such Churches we may enquire what was their practice They did not leave them but made it their businesse by all ways in their power to reclaim them to work a change and conversion among them The advice that was sometimes given to a maid that for religions sake would retire her self to a solitary life if she were bad she needed the City to better her if good the City needed her may be given to these persons either they stand in need of the Church or the necessities of the Church call for their help and assistance 7. The same that I have said of corruption in conversation I may affirme of neglects in discipline Reverend Master Cotton judges that the many notorious scandalous Persons that were found in the Church of Israel did argue the neglect of Church-discipline in the toleration of such publick scandals in the Church Holinesse of Church-members pag. 21. And yet none of the Prophets or men of God who could not be ignorant of the Churches duty and their sinne in such neglects ever made attempt of setting up purer select Churches nor made separation from that which was in this sort as is said faulty All was not right in exercise of discipline in the Churches planted by the Apostles some are censured as foully faulty The Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5 2. The Church of Smyrna Rev 2 14. The Church of Thyatira Rev. 2. 20. Neither could the â—hurch of Sardis be free seeing that the greatest part as it appeares were openly bad there being but few that had not defiled their garments Rev. 3. 4. and yet nothing is heard by way of advise for any to make separation nor reproof for their holding up communion nor any one instance of a separatist given Those that for many years together during the Reigne of the three last Princes denyed to come up to a full conformity to this Church had a low opinion of the discipline then exercised of which they have left behinde them large evidences yet how tender were they of the Churches honour to keep Christians in Communion How zealous were they against separation As may appeare in the labours of Master Parker though distasted by him that prefaced before his work of Ecclesiastical Policy Master Paget Master Ball Master Brightman laid us low enough when he did not onely parallel us with luke-warme Laodicea but made that Church the type and us the antitype Our state as we stood at that time by reason of our discipline according to him being rather aimed at by Jesus Christ in his Epistle then the Laodicean State in Asia then existent yet how zealous is he against separation from these Assemblies Having largely set out a double and singular honour in that Church as he stiles it viz Christs entrance into those that open to him and his sweet residence and abode being entred with them he breaks out into these words Therefore their errour is wicked and blasphemous who so forsake the Church as if Christ were altogether banished thence no hope of salvation left for those that do remain Let them think upon Christ as feasting here with his Will they be ashamed to sit down where they see Christ is not ashamed Will they be more holy and pure then he wherfore do they not convince themselves in their own practice they cannot deny but they beleeved in â—hrist before they made a divorce from us whence â—ad they this faith came it not by the preaching in our Church and can any one preach unlesse he be sent Rom. 10 13. Wherefore then do they so perversly nause 〈◊〉 the word upon any pretence of blot in an external calling when they are sensible of its divine power in their hearts Wherefore returne to the unity of the Church which hath begotten and hath nourished you if you flie from Christ 〈◊〉 feasts with his elect in our Congregation entertaining them mutually truly you will finde him no where How doth Reverend Master Cotton in his preface to Master Hildersams work upon the fourth of John whom without honour I cannot mention set forth his renoune for this work of opposing separation of which he still appeares to be tender though he seeme page 13. of his Treatise of holinesse of Church-members to be over indulgent to it Speaking in excuse of those that withdraw from communion
concerning grace and works verse 6. to the 11. 2. He speaks to the Gentiles and to take down their insultation over the Jewes he shewes that this rejection of theirs is not final And this as the former is 1. Asserted verse 11. I say then have they stumbled that they should fall viz. irrecoverably fall God forbid 2. Proved by giving account of a twofold end of this rejection of the Jewes 1. The call of the Gentile verse 12. But rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie 2. A more glorious returne of the Jews in emulation of the Gentiles verse 12. Now if thâ— fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulnesse Hereupon he falls upon a large discourse of his zeal toward them and their re-ingraffing vers 13. 14 15. adding the words of the Text If the first fruits be holy the lump also is holy and if the root be holy so are the branches This Paraâ—us makes a farther Argument for proof that the Jews shall again be called Gomarus makes it an encouragement to the Apostle to endeavour their call howsoever here is a double similitude One drawn from the Ceremonial Law If the first fruits be holy the lump is also holy The other from Nature If the root be holy so are the branches The first is only mentioned the second is largely commented upon In both we see 1. A supposition 2. An affirmation The supposition is of the holinesse of the first fruits the holinesse of the root The affirmation is the whole lump is holy the branches are holy This last is grounded on a principle in nature universally true As is the root so is the branch they are both of one and the same nature As is the one so is the other Which he applies to the state of the Church of God first to the Church of the Jewes and that 1. In their ancient estate when they were a people of God in Covenant-relation holy so stiled of him frequently in Scripture 2. In their present state for a great part broken off and so made no people 3. In their future condition when they should be called of God and as it were risen from the dead Secondly he applies it also to the Gentiles 1. In their ancient estate as no people 2. In their present estate made a people of God in the place of the Jewes 3. In their possible estate and condition to be rejected and cast off On which we may ground several undeniable Positions some concerning the subject root and branch some concerning the predicate holy First concerning the subject root and branch in this place as by way of Metaphor set out the estate of parent and childe ancestor and issue 2. The whole body of the Church is compared to a tree to an Olive tree 3. The root of this tree viz. the first supreme universal root is Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Not Abraham alone so Ishmaelites would be of the body Nor Abraham with Isaac alone so the Edomites from Esau would have been taken in But the Apostle in this chapter from Old Testament-authority excludes both of them Abraham Isaac and Jacob are therefore joyntly the root 4. The branches of this tree are of two sorts â—ome natural issuing from the root by descent others ingraffed put in by way of insition The â—ewes were natural branches descending from the loynes of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. The Gentiles are branches by insition put into the stock the natural branches being broken off 5. The fatnesse of this tree is the glory of Ordinances of which the whole Church partakes or as some say Christ is the fatnesse but that is onely as he is tendered in Ordinances for he walks in the middest of the Golden Candlesticks In which sense onely we may yeeld that Christ is that fatnesse Secondly concerning the predicate Holy There is one and the same holinesse goes through the whole tree all the branches natural and engraffed through the whole Church and all the children of it Jews and Gentiles The whole of this holinesse is from one Original root and therefore one and the same 2. This holinesse is such as is communicable from parent to childe and necessarily communicated as a root communicates sap to the branches This is so plaine that if it be denied all the Apostles dispute falls 3. It is no holinesse of inhesion but relation not qualitative but federal The holinesse of the Jewes who were a holy Nation was such The holinesse of the Gentiles can be no other Holinesse of inhesion is not communicable but only holinesse of relation In holinesse of inhesion the proposition holds not as is the father so is the child who knowes not that holy fathers have unholy children regenerate parents have issue unregenerate These things considered it is evident that as the father is in regard of Church-state Covenant-holinesse so is the childe both in the Church of the Jews and Gentiles The father being without the childe is without the father being within the childe is within eo nomine because a branch of such a root a childe of such a father which is a full confirmation of the point in hand that the childe is in Covenant with the father and the person that actually enters Covenant is not solely vested in it One stands upon the contrary part and puts it to this issue for trial Whether this ingraffing be into the visible Church by profession of Faith or into the invisible by Election and Faith and concludes that it is meant of the Church invisible which if he can make good I shall confesse all Arguments drawn from hence as to this point are lost I would to avoid impertinent cavils and quarrels each Text were brought to such issue I shall in the first place bring arguments to evince that the breaking off and engraffing is respective to the Church as visible and then proceed to answer arguments from a late hand against it 1. That ingraffing which is into Abraham Isaâ—â— and Jacob as a root is not an invisible graffing by saving Faith and Election This is plaine we live not by power received from Abraham Abraham cannot say he bears us up in saving graces and that without sap from him we can do nothing But the ingraffing is into Abraham Isaac and Jacob as a root This argument as is said by one were of force if Abraham were made a root by communication and for prevention he is put to it to tell us of a root communicating nothing but an exemplary root or an exemplary cause of beleeving only what an exemplary non-communicating root is or meanes let the Reader Consider Secondly that ingraffing which caused disputation and contention in some emulation in others upon the sight and report of it was not by saving faith only into the invisible body but open visible and apparant into the
visible body But this ingraffing of the Gentiles into the Church of God caused disputation and contention in some Acts 11. 2 3. emulation in others Deut. 32 21. Rom 10. 19. Rom. 11. 14. this therefore was into the Church visible Thirdly That priviledge which is not restrained to some few invisible Churches but is the priviledge of all that are contained in it and members of it is not an invisible work upon the heart to a saving change but only an interest in visible priviledges This is evident the invisible work is not in all Matth. 2â— 14. But this here mentioned is the priviledge of the whole body as is cleare in the Text and adversaries are constrained to acknowledge Therefore the ingraffing is only into the visible body That priviledge wherein the Jewes while they were a people of God did transcend the Gentiles when they were no people is the priviledge which these Gentiles have by their ingraffing this is plain verse 17 But it is the priviledge of Ordinances in being visibly related thus to God wherein Jews did then exceed Gentiles as hath been largely shewn Fourthly that Faith from which the Jews actually fell and the Gentiles stood in danger to fall from is not a saving justifying Faith entituling to invisible priviledges but a Faith of profession onely giving a visible title This is plaine unlesse we will maintaine Bertius his Hymenem desertur and assert the Apostasie of the Saints But this Faith whereby the Gentiles are ingraffed is a Faith from which the Jews fell and from which they were in danger to fall v. 20. Fifthly that reconciliation or ingraffing which is opposite to casting out of a visible Church-state is an ingraffing into the Church visible But this reconciliation or ingraffing is opposite to the casting out of a Church state This is plain Matth. 21. 43. It is a casting out of them that bore not fruit and not a casting off invisible branches Sixthly If the state of the Jewes continued from the Apostles time to this day be an exclusion from a visible Church-state so that they are no people of God in name then a visible Church-state is that which they lost and the Gentiles gained This is plaine The state in which they stand being rejected is their state of rejection But their condition since that time is an exclusion out of a visible Church state This needs no proof Therefore a visible Church state is that which the Jews lost and these gained I wish that these arguments to which many more might be added may be taken into consideration and for a close of all seeing it is peremptorily asserted that it is manifestly false that the Christian Gentiles were graffed into the same visible Church with the Jews for then they should have been Circumcised contrary to the determination Acts 15. and that God hath quite taken away the visible Church of the Jews or to that purpose This Error begetting many others I wish that it may be a little better thought upon whether it be the language of the Scriptures I have learnt that as we and they have one and the same God one and the same Faith that is the doctrine of Faith one and the same Covenant eat of one and the same spiritual meat and drink of the same spiritual drink one and the same expected heaven so we are one and the same Church Let us to that end further observe the manifold Metaphors by which the Church ours and theirs is set forth all of them holding forth this Onenesse First That of a Tent which is the habitation of sojourners Gen. 9. 27. God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant Shems Tents must be possest by Japhet and not others built for their habitation The Tents of Shem that is his posterity by Abraham which Japhet that is the Gentiles by a special blessing did possesse is the Church visible as needs no proof Shems Tents and Japhets Tents are one and the same Japhet comes to Shems not Shem to Japhets Secondly That of a Sheep-fold John 10. 16. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd The Sheep that in present were in the fold viz. Jews and those not yet taken in viz. Gentiles all make up one and the same fold which though some may limit to the Church invisible because Christ gives notes of those that are indeed his sheep but that is no argument at all Christ speaks to those that were disciples only according to profession and gives notes of disciples indeed and it is against all reason that Christ should in discourse point out the invisible Church with the demonstrative This and that to those that were malignant enough in the Church visible namely the Pharisees as appears in the close of the former Chapter And the mention of thieves creeping into it hirelings employed in it doth contradict it The visible Church of the Jews and Gen tiles in which Christ hath true sheep for whom he dies and others that theeues and hirelings do deceive makes up one sheepfold Thirdly By a natural body 1 Cor. 12. 13. Mans body most aptly to this purpose that one new man Eph. 2. 15. is the visibly body compact of both Jew and Gentile Fourthly to adde no more that of a Kingdome Mat. 8. 11. Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven The same Kingdome that Jews leave Gentiles enter Matth. 21. 41 43. The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof That can be no more then the presence of God in Gospel-Ordinances which is without fruit among Jewes all invisible Members bring forth fruit and upon that accout is given to the Gentiles Neither is it of force that which is said against it Then we must be circumcised As though we may not be in the same Kingdom and yet under a new way of Administration Law-givers on earth are sometimes pleased to change their Lawes and so doth the Law-giver of Heaven or if he will limit his instance to Circumcision taking in no other Lawes the same house may have a new doore or porch let our opposites then know that they are in the same visible Kingdom as Abraham Isaac and Jacob and their posterity after the flesh in Israel were and I wish that they may take heed of making divisions in it or separations from it CHAP. L. Arguments from a late hand for ingraffing into the Church invisible and breaking off from it answered Argument 1. FIrst That ingraffing which is Gods act by his sole power is into the invisible Church by Election and giving Faith For graffing into the visible Church is admission into visible Membership which if it be by an outward Ordinance is the easie act
of the Administrator if by profession of Faith the easie act of the Professor But the ingraffing meant â—om 11. is Gods act from his sole power as is proved from verse 23. where the reason is rendred why the Jewes should be again graffed in is because God is able to graffe them in again Ergo the graffing here is into the visible Church Answ This ingraffing is by a power of God working the heart to a professed subjection to the way of God in Ordinances tendered and assent of heart unto all that is there promised that power that brought Japhet into the tents of Shem Gen. 9 27. That hand of the Lord that was with those that preached the word Act. 11. 21. so that a great number beleeved and turned to to the Lord must bring the Jews back into their former Church-condition How easie soever you take this work to be to bring a people who are strangers to God into a Church-state yet our Brethren in New England have not found it awork so easie to bring the Natives there into a Church-condition nor is it so easie a businesse to bring in the Jewes to this posture of a visible Church-state Have so many prayers been laid out for this work and it is yet not done when it is a matter of such â—ase with man and no need of the power of God for the doing of it We understand a discipling of Gentile-Nations and acknowledge it a work above the power of man and confesse it solely to be in the hand of God We do not speak of the bare admission of men that stand entitled but the working of them to such a title and if an outward profession â—e in the power of mans will yet to bring men or Nations to such a profession cordially to imbrace the Gospel so far as to assent to the truth of it iâ— above man and a work of no such â—ase Argument 2. Secondly That ingraffing which is called reconciliation opposite to casting away that is by Election and giving Faith for 〈…〉 acts can reconcile But the ingraffing here is called reconciliation opposite to casting away verse 15. as may appear in that verse 16. is a reason of the clause about the reception of the Jews vers 15. and the 17. verse is an admonition from the suspition verse 15. that the Jews were cast away which is called breaking off v. 17. Now if breaking off verse 17. â—e the same with casting away verse 15. then ingraffing is the same with reconciliation Ergo ingraffing is by Election and giving of Faith Answ Reconciliation is either graduâ—l or total Either to take in or hold a people in visible communion or else to receive them with an everâ—asting delight in them The former of these Moses obtained for the people of Israel when the Lord upon the sinne of the golden Calfe said Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them Exod 32. 10 11 12 13 14. This being premised if any were at fault for a full answer he might easily finde it in the objection it selfe Reconciliation is opposite to casting away The Jewes then by reconcilation are brought into that state out of which they were once cast But they were not cast out of the Church invisible not out of Election and justification but out of a visible Church-state and fellowship Breaking off is rightly said to be the same as casting away and reconciliation the same as ingraffing Their reconciliation or ingraffing is then into that condition from which they were broken out of which they were cast Now they were cast out of the Church visible not out of the Church invisible Their reconciliation brings them into the same Church state which is a reconciliation gradual not total It is here said When any shall shew either a Scripture wherein by reconciliation to God is meant bare vouchsafing a visible Church-state and by casting away and breaking off a lâ—sse of visible priviledges or any approved Writer in the Churches of the Protestants so expounding it I shall begin to suspect that I am mistaken but till then I shall remaine confident I am in the right and shall wonder that any that loveâ— not to wrangle but feares to pervert the Scripture and the truth of God should dare so to interpret it Here I may have many things to say 1. When this Authour pleases he can heap up phrases which are onely once used in a select sense in Scripture and that to uphold this interpretation of holy and unclean 2 Cor. 7. 14. when the context clearly evinces the contrary 2. When he pleases he dare undertake the defence of an opinion held unanimously by all Papists and as unanimously opposed by Protestants as in that of Covenant-holinesse 3. Gomarus Tom. 1. p. 111. observes that World is taken in that sense in Rom. 11. 12 15. as in no other Scripture 4. If reconciliation in no other place be so used yet little is gained seeing as we have seen there are parallel phrases that hold out the same thing to us 5. I shall gratifie him with an Authour an approved Writer in the Protestant Church that so interprets this text in hand that by reconciliation to God is meant no more then vouchsafing a visible Church-state It is Ravanellus who having in his laborious work Thesaurus Scripturae distinguished of a twofold reconciliation 1. Of man with God 2. Of man with his neighbour And defining reconciliation according to our Authours sense of it he goes on and saith Where we are to consider First the name which saith he is taken either properly in the sense already spoken to or lesse properly Rom. 11. 15. Where by reconciliation of the world to God is understood the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ or they are call to the participation of the favour of God which also is called the salvation of the Gentiles verse 11. and the riches of the world verse 12. Here he may see Faith taken for a bare dogmatical Faith reaching a visible Church-state and not justifying Reconciliation to God taken for the grace and favour of Church-priviledges And the salvation of the Gentiles and riches of the world interpreted to signifie the same thing These phrases are Synonima and they signifie a reconciliation not properly so called but such a one that is opposed to the Reconciliation for which he contends And for the other phrase that by casting away and breaking off is meant a losse of visible priviledges let him consult the last Annotations to those words verse 22. Otherwise thou also shalt be cut off which they enterpret as an unfruitful branch adding this caution as though they had foreseene this Glosse But here it is to be noted that this passage ought to be understood of the outward incorporation into the Church by profession whereof many hypocrites do partake and not of the inward and efficacious ingraffing into the mystical body of Christ by a lively Faith and the
communion of the Spirit according to the election of God which is ever accompanied with perseverance Doctor Featly in his Pelagius redivivus hath these words which being so pertinent I shall transcribe Second parallel p. 38. To the place alledged Rom. 11. 19 20. We Answer saith he First that it is not meant of particular Beleevers and their danger of falling away from justifying Faith but of the people of the Gentiles in general and their danger of being cut off from the true Olive into which they were ingraffed that is from the outward profession of Faith and communion of the Catholick Church into whith they were admitted upon the rejection of the Jewes The Gentiles therefore ought not to be high-minded against the Jewes but fear lest God who spared not the natural branches should not spare them but cut them off also as he did the natural branches if they should grow proud and presumptuously secure Now there is no question but that a visible Church which at this time professeth the truth and is a Member of the Catholick Church may fall away from the outward and publick profession of faith and cease to be a part of the Catholick visible Church as the most famous and sometimes flourishing Church in Greece and Asia planted by the Apostles themselves now over-runne with Mahometanisme Idolatry and Heresie prove by their lamentable Apostasie deplorable if not desperate estate But Bertius and the Appealer should have their eyes upon the mark and point in question which is not in the doctrine of Faith but of the habit of faith not de fide quam credimus but de fide quâ credimus not of the publick profession of a Church but of a particular affiance of every true beleever in Christ A Member of the visible Church may be cut off but no Member of the invisible for Christ cannot have damnâ—ta membra any Members who shall not be saved as the approver of the Appealers book rightly gathereth out of Saint Austine in his reply to Fisher A Church or Kingdome generally may depart from the Christian Faith or renounce the pure profession thereof in publick and yet no true Beleever either totally or finally lose his Faith but either secretly in that state or Kingdome or else-where openly he may retaine both Faith it self and the profession thereof So Peter Martyr Loc. Com. pag. 491. speaking to those words Be not high-minded but fear Neither saith he is there here speech concerning particular men but of the whole company and body of beleevers deservedly therefore the Apostle doth warne them Be not high minded but fear For as the Church of the Jews hath ceased to be and also Africa Grâ—cia and Asia have lost many Churches so it is to be feared lest the same may now happen to Churches which seeme to stand let them not therefore lift up themselves 〈◊〉 â—n the words Thou standest by faith saith He speaks of the generality of Jewes and Gentiles and upon these words Be not high-minded but fear saith He speaks to the Gentiles in general from many of whom as is to be bewailed the Kingdom of God is taken away as at first from the Jews as Persians Arabians Syrians Egyptians Asians and many others so that this Authour hath lost not only this Argument but this whole Text For if Reconciliation World Riches be thus understood and cutting off in like manner then he sees this Chapter in the whole against him and in no part for him And if any Writer against Arminians understand by the World Rom. 11. 15. onely the Elect unlesse they mean an Election into a Church-state they do but give advantage to them there is not meant universally the whole world that is too large not yet they that shall be eternally saved out of the world that is too strict but the men whom God perswades of Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem all Nations dispersed through the world at the last Annotations on verse 12. Argument 3. Thirdly The ingraffing must be meant of that act whereby the branch stands in the tree as a branch this will none deny it being the very terminus of ingraffing as heat the terminus of calefaction but that is by giving Faith Ergo. The minor is proved from verse 20. where it is said By unbelief they were broken off but thou standest by faith whence I argue That act whereby the branch stands in the tree as a branch must be the giving that means whereby the branch thus stands But that is Faith v. 20. Ergo the act of ingraffing is by giving Faith Answ Here I shall willingly grant the conclusion and do affirm that it is by Faith that grown persons whether Jews or Gentiles do stand in a visible Church-fellowship such a faith upon which all called ones among which few are Elect are admitted Such a faith that gave Simon Magus title that Hymeneus had of which he made shipwrack 1 Tim. 1. 19. Doctor Featley in the words above mentioned shewing Bertius and the Appealer their fallacy shews this objector his The Apostle speaks of the Doctrine of Faith this objector of the habit The Apostle speaks de fide quam credimus this objector speaks de fide qua credimus The Apostle speaks of the publick profession of a Church He of a particular affiance of every Beleever in Christ He addes This conceit I conceived and still think is so farre from the Apostles expressions that there seemes to be no shew of such a sense in the words giving in his reason For there is not a word of taking into the Olive but by Faith verse 19 20. There is indeed here no shew of reason unlesse it can be affirmed that there is no faith but the Faith of the Elect and that which is justifying therefore if it please the Authour I shall enter the lists with him in these three Positions 1. That Faith is taken in more acceptions then one in Scripture All Faith doth not entitle to the Church invisible and therefore there is scarce shew of sense in his reason disputing from the Genus to the Species affirmativè or from the Analogum to the Analogatum 2. That the Faith here spoken to is as Doctor Featly asserts the doctrine of Faith not the habit Faith of Profession and not a particular affiance fides quam and not fides qua credimus and so the fallacy is clear and it will no more follow that the ingraffing is into the Church invisible because it is by faith then it will follow that because bruits have souls that therefore they have reasonable souls 3. That there is no such thing in all Scripture as ingraffing into the Church inuisible by Faith All ingraffing is into the body visible and therefore by a faith of profession 1. All ingraffing is into that subject which immediately receives what is ingraffed as the stock receives the syens but it is Christ and not the Church invisible that receives the Elect Beleever Christ
this Text is meant of Gospel-glory in Ordinances dispensed by the Apostles Ministery And as to the Jewes appertained the glory and the promises Rom. 9. 4 5. So now the glory and promises belong to the Gentiles And as many Jews as fell not off still enjoy this this glory with the Gentiles and so both make one new man Eph. 2. 15. The visible state of the Jews was a distinct body from the Gentiles Now upon this glorious call they are one new man or new body For the Texts Gal. 3. 14 26 28 29. when any shall tell me how they are paralle then I shall give my answer There is an in graffing into Christ mentioned but none into the Church and so the parallels are without force as are the Arguments Two things lie upon him to do and neither is done 1. To prove that these Scriptures speak of a Church invisible That they are parallel with this Scripture He is wont to reason with his full strength against the force of all Arguments à Pari and yet this argument must carry force from the parity of Scriptures which he only says and not at all proves to be parallel nor yet shews so much as in a word wherein their parity consists he well knows that by this means their disparity might appear There is a tenth Argument drawn from Authorities produced but to so little purpose that I will not trouble the Readers patience in the recital of it CHAP. LI. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Vindicated THe next Scripture in which this extent of the Covenant is evidenced is 1 Cor. 7. 14. For the unbeleeving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your Children uncleane but now are they holy In order to a right understanding of these words the whole scope of the Apostl is to be taken into consideration which appears to be this The Corinthians converted by the Apostles Ministery consulted him by letters in several cases of conscience one concerning Marriage a second concerning things offered to Idols a third concerning spiritual gifts a fourth concerning collection for the Saints That of Marriage is first spoken to and consists of divers heads and are all satisfied in this Chapter One among the rest concernes Marriage-estate between a Beleever an an Infidel a Professour of the true Faith and a Worshipper of Idols whether such society may be continued or must be separated That this was their Quaere appears by the Apostles resolution He gives in his answer in the affirmative both in the case of a beleeving husband joyned to an unbelieving wife and a beleeving wife joyned to an unbeleeving husband let him not put her away let her not leave him only excepting the case of wilful desertion when for religions sake the unbeleeving party leaves Unbelief breaks not the Marriage-bond renders it not a nullity Religion being not of the substance of Marriage It might make null all Covenants as well as this Covenant the Law of God seeing that condemnes Marriage-Covenants with unbeleevers condemnes all other Covenants with them Deut. 7. 23. Having determined the point in an universal proposition or that which is equivalent with it A Beleever and an unbeleever joyned in Wedlock-bond are not to be separated He meets with their scruples and answers their objections against it That they had their scruples must be confest otherwise they had never sent the case to the Apostle And those scruples which reason it self will suggest that have a faire colour in Scripture for them and are met with and satisfied by the Apostle in this his answer we must take to be their scruples and grounds of their feares Unlesse we had the Corinthians letter we have no other way of cognizance of them And these are two I shall mention the second in the first place seeing I am to dwell upon the first and that is their jealousie of themselves of their own standing and perseverance in the Christian Faith This in reason they might well fear who so active to seduce and draw away as a yoke-fellow and this hath fair colour of Scripture for it Deut. 7. 4. They will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods Examples are not wanting Nehem. 13. 26. Did not Solomon King of Israel sin by these things yet among many Nations was there no King like him who was belov'd of his God and God made him King over all Israel neverthelesse even him did outlandish women cause to sinne To this the Apostle answers and opposes the hopes of conversion of the unbelieving party How knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy husband or how knowest thou O man whether thou shalt save thy wife As there is fear of seducing so there is hope of conversion The other is the condition of their issue lest they should not be reckoned with the Saints but of the fellowship of uncleane Gentiles Reason is strong for this they well knew that as it is with the Parent so it is with the Childe for Church-state and condition being a priviledge communicable and derived by descent from Parent to Childe If the Parent were without and of the Gentiles the Childe was ever such and in case the parents were of the people of God their children were reckoned so in like manner Now Parents being divided the one holy the other unclean they feared that the issue would follow the worser part a staine would lie upon them they would be accounted unclean with the unbeleeving parent this hath a faire colour of Scripture likewise and in a like case it had been so determined Ezra 10. 3. Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God to put away all the wives and such as are borne of them The Apostle takes off these fears of theirs and tells them that the unbelâ—â—ving party doth not as they fear defile the issue but is sanctified as to issue by the Beleever so that their children are holy and to be reckoned with the believing Parent who is a Saint not unclean not reckoned with the unbeleeving parent who is a Gentile and so takes off their scruples respective both to themselves and their issue and quiets their fears So that several positions might be here laid down for a right understanding of the words 1. By Beleever in this place is meant a man or woman professing the true Faith and bearing the name Christian 2. By Unbeleever is meant an Infidel an unconverted Gentile living in Idolatry sacrificing to Devils and not to God of such the question is put and not of regenerate and unregenerate such a scruple was never heard whether or no such might continue marriage society 3. To be sanctified here is not to be made holy which is the case of the Regenerate or to be set apart for God which is the case of the visible Saint and Christian but together with their yoke-fellow to be an holy root to produce an
both those This is proved because our Saviour from their estate inferres a likenesse to them in others for the same estate Apolog p. 150. This Argument what colour soever it carries yet it is not conclusive It may be taken more largely in Christs argumentation and in a more restrained sense in his words of Instruction or Application as in a place much parallel I shall shew 1 Cor. 6. 1 2. There we have the Apostles reproof vers 1. and his reason vers 2. as in the Evangelists we have Christs assertion confirming his reproof ver 14. and his application ver 15. Now Saint in the Apostles reproof is taken more largly than it is taken in his reason A visible Saint is meant in the first place a real and glorified Saint in the second visible Saints may judge in small matters for real Saints in glory shall judge the world shall judge Angels and so it may be here infants have their present title to the visible Kingdome and men qualified as infants shall only enter the Kingdome of Glory His second reason that Christ directs his speech to the Disciples already in the visible Church and therefore speaks not of the Church visible I know not how to make up into a reason If I understood it I would either yield or answer it The third reason that the speech Mark 10. 15 Luke 18. 17. is like Mat. 18. 3 4. but there it is meant of the Kingdome of Glory Ergo so here is answered already If Mark 10. 15. Luke 18. 17. be like Matth. 18 3 4. yet Mark 10. 14. Luke 18. 16. which we have in question is unlike to Matth. 18. 3 4. Thirdly Were it granted him that the Kingdome of Glory must be understood both in Christs reason and application yet he is nothing holpen Infants have right to the Church visible militant because they are in a capacity of entrance into the Church triumphant Acts 2. 47. The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved Not necessarily saved but now having entered Covenant with God they were in a capacity and therefore added as visible Church-members Infants standing in this capacity ought to have admission likewise It is said that if this proposition were granted that they have right to the Church visible militant who shall be of the Church triumphant yet this right cannot be claimed but by those who are elect and therefore from these Scriptures so expounded it cannot be proved that any other than elect infants are to be baptized Answ If election or non-election must steere us in admission to Baptisme this were to purpose interposed but when there is nothing that can be objected against them as hindring their salvation it is sufficiently proved that it may not hinder their Baptisme That must not be pleaded against any as a barre to hinder their admission into the Church on earth that will not hinder their admission into the Church in heaven CHAP. LIV. Reasons evincing the Birth-priviledge and Covenant-holinesse of the issue of Beleevers HAving already so largely insisted upon by Scripture proofs that children are in covenant with parents and that priviledges of Ordinances which necessarily imply a covenant do descend to posterity I shall lay down certain grounds some of them making way towards and others necessarily inferring of themselves the conclusion First This is of the nature of those things which descend from Parent to childe from Ancestors to Posterity which is in their power to convey to their issue There are those things indeed which are personally inherent in men and proper to them so that they cannot convey them to their issue there is no deriving of them to others by succession As 1. Individual accidents of the body wounds scarres or comelinesse of feature these are so in the Parent that they are not conveyed to their children 2. Habits or proper gifts whether acquired by pains or infused The son of a learned man inherits not his fathers gifts The son of an Artificer is no such Artist The son of a Prophet hath not by vertue of birth the gift of prophecy nor is the son of a regenerate man endowed with saving grace for that reason There are on the contrary those things that passe from Parent to childe which the Parent by nature or special priviledge hath power to convey As 1. The essential or integral part of a Species with the natural properties that do accompany it so one brute beast brings forth another one brid brings for another and man brings forth one of mankind 2. The priviledges or burdens which in Family or Nation are hereditary they are conveyed from Parents to Posterity from Ancestors to their issue As is the Father so is the child as respecting these particulars This none have questioned and these things in hand being of the same nature it is a faire propable ground of it self if evidence to the contrary from Scripture be not cleare that they are thus still transmitted Secondly It is so in Kingdomes Common-wealths Cities in Corporations Families The son of a Noble man is Noble of a Free-man is Free Acts 22. 28. As the sonne of a bond-man where by the Law of Nations they are bond men is a bond-man likewise Exod. 21. 4. Now we know that in Scripture the Church of God is frequently stiled by these names By the most honourable of them Mat. 8. 11 12. Mat. 21. 43. Ephes 2. 19. Hebrewes 12. 22. Ephesians 3. 15. to let us understand that as Cities Kingdomes Families have their priviledges so the people of God in covenant have theirs â—ikewise But we are told Object You do very carnally imagine the Church of God to be like civil Corporations as if persons were admitted to it by birth whereas in this all is done by free Election of grace and according to Gods appointment nor is God tied or doth tie himself in the erecting and propagating his Church to any such carnal respects as descent from men Christianity is no mans birth-right Protestant Divines are taken up by the Jesuites in the self same way for this very thing A Lapide on 1 Cor. 7. 14. saith Hence Calvin and Beza have drawn their opinion of a birth-righteousnesse and say that the children of Beleevers are holy and saved without Baptisme because on this account that they are Beleevers children they are reputed to be born in the Church within that Divine covenant I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Gen. 17. 7. As children in the civil Law are accounted free whose parents are either of them free but saith he they are deceived and gives his reason The Church is not a civil Common-wealth but supernatural and there is no man born a Christian but spiritually new borne and is made holy not civilly but really by faith hope and charity infused into the soul So Stapleton on the same words in his Antidotum applying the Spiritual Antidote against Calvins Carnal Poyson saith
That Jewes carnally descended from Abraham or the children of Christians may be made partakers of the Covenant entered of God with Abraham Birth according to the flesh does nothing So also Bellarmine speaking of the covenant with Abraham saith It descends to us not by carnal but spiritual generation So that these men have sucked the spiritual meaning from the Jesuites and Master Marshal holds to the carnal imaginations of Protestant Reformers They produce many Texts of Scripture where this Birth-priviledge in their thoughts is evidently set forth Jesuites contradict it and upon this account it is a carnal imagination to conceive it The Apostle knew not saith one that God had so by promise Object or other engagement bound himself but he was free as he said to Moses after the promise made to Abraham to have mercy on whom he would Rom. 9. 15. If this be meant of any engagement of God to confer saving graces or habitual qualifications on the natural seed of Beleevers the words then carry reason with them But neither he nor his great friends will learn to distinguish between Gods conditional covenant contained in priviledges of Ordinances and habitual saving graces otherwise they know from Moses that God exercised this freedome in making choise of Israel above all Nations and that the Apostle knew and in the same Chapter lets us know Rom. 9. 4. that to them pertained the covenants and that this was their prerogative for Birth-priviledge Rom. 3. 1. We say the son of a Free-man is Free the son of a Noble-man is Noble we never said that the son of a Learned-man is Learned we say that the son of a Christian is a Christian as to interest in Ordinances We never said that the son of a Regenerate man is Regenerate It is further urged Object If this were true that the covenant of Grace is a birth-right-priviledge then the children of Beleevers are children of Grace by nature for that which is a birth-right-priviledge is a priviledge by nature And if Christianity is hereditary that as the child of a Nobleman is Noble the child of a Free-man is Free the child of a Turk is a Turk of a Jew a Jew the child of a Christian is a Christian Then Christians are born Christians and not made Christians and how are they then children of wrath by nature which whether it may not advantage the Pelagians and deniers of Original sinne it concernes those that use such speeches to consider To this I answer It concernes those that presse these objections to see how Chamier Paraeus and other Protestant Writers answer them when they are in their very words urged by Jesuites If they can reconcile Galat. 2. 15. with Ephes 2. 3. then they have an answer The Apostle was by birth of the people of God in covenant and yet by nature a childe of wrath It is further said Object To conceive that it is in Gods Churches as in other Kingdomes and after the Lawes of Nations is a seminary of dangerous superstitions and errours It is well that they have learned an Artifice from these superstition-hating Jesuites to keep out the inlet of superstition among us if there were no parallel held betwixt the Church of God and other Kingdomes after the manner of the Law of Nations but such that are Seminaries of superstition they may do well to acquaint us how it comes to passe that the Curch in Scripture hath the name of a City Family Kingdome Similitudes ever carry some resemblance If this were the alone ground on which the Birth-priviledge of Christians were bottomed they had said something but being only an illustration of it and nothing more they are over lavish in their censure Similitudes indeed may be over-stretched beyond their reach and if they had laid down rules to declare where the Similitude holds and where it holds not as I have done in the Birth-priviledge and made it appear that it holds not in that for which I produce it they had said somewhat to the purpose Read Mal. 1. 6 8 14. and tell me whether there be any ground laid for dangerous superstitions Thirdly It is so in all other Religions they keep up their priviledge of interest in the worship of their Ancestors The childe of a Turke is a Turke the childe of a Pagan is a Pagan the child of a Jew is a Jew And it is the Apostles Argument in like case respective to Ecclesiastical communion that because Sacramental communion rendered them one Ecclesiastical body with Christians so communion in worship will make one body with those of other Religions 1 Cor. 10. 17 18 19. See Paraeus on the words and Cudworths True notion of the Lords Supper There are common principles that are the same in all Religions and we must beleeve them to hold unlesse Scripture hold forth a difference Fourthly God ownes children born in the Church as by birth his his servants Levit. 25. 39 40 41 42. If thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor and be sold unto thee thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond-servant but as an hired servant and as a sojourner he shall be with thee and shall serve thee unto the year of Jubile And then shall he depart from thee both he and his children with him and shall return unto his own family and unto the possession of his fathers shall he returne For they are my servants Root and Branch Parent and childe are servants of God As they were the servants of their Master when they could do them actually no service by reason of their relation to them so they are the servants of God on the same account And as he owns them as his servants so also he ownes them as by birth his children Ezek. 16. 20 21. Moreover thou hast taken thy sonnes and thy daughters whom thou hast borne unto me and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured Is this of thy Whoredomes a small matter That thou hast slain my children and delivered them to cause them to passe through the fire for them If there were no Birth-priviledge how had God this property in Infants and this David pleads Ps 116. 16. O Lord I am thy servant truly I am thy servant and the son of thy hand-maid because he was borne in Gods house and was a childe of a servant of his he pleads his interest Fifthly If the child be not in covenant the parent and childe are heterogeneal and respective to Church-relation in the most opposite condition the Parent in the Kingdom of God by vertue of the faith that he professes the childe in the Kingdome of Satan by reason of his non-interest in the Promise and want of title to Covenant-relation But Scripture makes them still as one Jewes children are Jewes by nature Gentiles children are sinners that is Gentiles by nature The Root being holy the Branches are holy Parents not sanctified children are unclean but Parents
Scripture to deliver unto us the grounds of it If they will subscribe to that part That the grounds reasons and causes of the necessity of infant-Baptisme are contained in Scriptures then I will subscribe to the other that those words infants ought to be baptized are not the Scripture Then Doctor Prideaux is brought in who sayes Paedobaptisme rests on no other divine right then Episcopacy but we are not told whether Doctor Prideaux goes about to bring down infant-Baptism to unwritten Tradition or to bring up Episcopacy to divine right according to Scripture And out of these Premisses this conclusion is inferred that the Ancients and learned afore Zuinglius did account infant-Baptisme to have been an unwritten tradition having reason from Scripture not evident of it self but to be received from the determination of the Church Which for ought that I can discerne is thus gathered some Papists to set up unwritten traditions have in contradiction to themselves fastened infant-Baptisme upon it of which onely one lived before Zuinglius Some Protestant Writers every one of them living after Zuinglius speak not one word to the purpose Ergo the learned before Zuinglius did account infant-Baptisme to be an unwritten tradition Me thinks the Scripture-Arguments which may be found in Authors far above Zuinglius his standing as in Aquinas 3. part quaest 68. art 9. August de Baptis contra Donat. lib. 4. cap. 24. with others might with more strength conclude that they rested on a written foundation and were not satisfied with unwritten tradition CHAP. LVI The reality of connexion between the Covenant and initial seale asserted THe several minor propositions in the syllogismes before laid down being proved at large in the foregoing discourse So that nothing more needs to be added yet if there be no necessary connexion between the covenant and the seale the major propositions will yet be called into question Though it be granted that infants be Church-members are in covenant have the promises are Saints are in the bosome of the Church by birth-priviledge are children of the Kingdome c. Yet it will be said though most unreasonably that they are not yet to be baptized I shall therefore 1. Bring Scripture proofes for the real connexion between the covenant and the seale clearing those Scriptures from exceptions taken against them 2. I shall make it good with arguments or reasons 3. I shall returne answer to objections brought against that which is here asserted That all in covenant are to enjoy the initial seal of the covenant let the words of God himself in the institution of circumcision be considered Gen. 17. 7 9 10 11 14. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generations This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee Every man-child among you shall be circumcised and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskinne and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you And the uncircumcised man-child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people Here we see 1. A covenant entered 2. A seal appointed as the Apostle Rom. 4. 11. calls it 3. The necessary connexion between the seal and covenant declared They are to be circumcised because they are in covenant Having interest in the covenant They have together with it interest in the initial seal against this is objected First All the force of this proof hangs on the particle therefore verse 9. and may be rendared And thou or but thou as well as thou therefore and is by others rendered Tu autem and Tu vero which are neither of them illative termes 1. We have no reason but that it may be an illative as well as a copulative and being an illative particle he hath no exception against the strength of it 2. I deny that all the force of the proof hangs on that particle look farther on into verse 10. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every man-childe among you shall be circumcised and take in with it Acts 7. 8. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision And so Abraham begat Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day c. and let them at more leisure finde an answer to this argument That which God himself calls by the name of a covenant ought not to be separated from it But God calls circumcision by the name of a covenant Ergo they ought not to be separated 2. Let them consider the relation in which the Apostle puts this Sacrament of circumcision to the covenant Rom. 4. 11. An instituted appointed signe and seale is not to be divided from that which it signifies and seales circumcision was an instituted appointed signe and seale of the covenant therefore it is not to be divided from it Secondly it is said If it were granted that therefore is the best reading yet that the inference verse 9. should be made from the Promise only verse 7. I will be a God to thee and thy seed after thee and not as well if not rather from the Promise verse 8. of giving to him and his seed the land of Canaan I finde no sufficient reason given This reference engages the adversary 1. In a contradiction to himself who sayes elsewhere the promise of the Gospel was confirmed to Abraham by the signe of circumcision He also contends that it was a mixt covenant made up of spiritual and temporal mercies and then it must take in the spiritual as well as the temporal Promise All that know the nature of covenants and use of Seales know that the Seale ratifies all that the covenant containes But the covenant according to him contained not barely the promise of the land of Canaan and therefore the reference must carry it farther than the land of Canaan 2. It engages him in a contradiction to the Apostle who makes circumcision a signe and seale not alone of the land of Canaan but of the righteousnesse of faith Thirdly It is said But if it were yielded that the inference were made peculiarly from the Promise verse 7. to be a God to Abraham and his seed it must be proved that every Believers Infant childe is Abrahams seed afore it be proved that the Promise belongs to them It must either be proved that they are Abrahams children or have the priviledge of the Children of Abraham which from Genesis 9. 27. Rom. 11. 17. is sufficiently proved especially being confirmed by those Texts that carry the covenant in Gospel-times to the issue And for his exception that the covenant was not made to every childe of Abraham though it were true yet it would not serve his purpose provided that we in Gospel-times
in that and the next verse Verily I say unto you that the Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdome of God before you For John came unto you in the way of righteousnesse and ye beleeved him not but the Publicans and the Harlots believed him And ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might beleeve in him The Publicans and Harlots answer to the first brother who from a professed rebellion against the command of God by Johns preaching were brought to repent and accept of a Gospel-covenant and enter into it by Baptisme The chief Priests and Elders of the people that here opposed Christ preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome answer to the second brother that said he would go into the Vine-yard and went not These repent not but hold fast and pertinaciously adhere to the way of old received when the Publicans accept and imbrace the spiritual state of the Church by Christ set up From this impenitence of these chiefe Priests and Elders with whom these joyned in crucifying Christ Peter disswades and exhorts to the repentance of the Publicanes and Harlots The second Scripture which may give light to this text is much parallel to this Luke 7. 29 30. Christ having given a large testimony to John and his Ministry holds out the different effect that it took First in the people and the Publicanes ver 29. And all the people that heard him and the Publicanes justified God being baptized with the Baptisme of John Secondly in the Pharisees and Lawyers ver 30. But the pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves being not baptized They persisted in their old way in opposition to that way held forth by John approved by Christ and refused baptisme These with whom Peter had to deale had gone with the Priests and Pharisees kept full pace with them even to the guilt of the death of Christ they were now in a good way to follow the steps of the Publicanes and People to embrace the counsel of God and accept baptisme their impenitence had held them from entrance into a new covenant-way by baptisme Peter therefore exhorts to repent and be baptized Thirdly This appeares by the Text it selfe whereas they will have the illative particle For to inferre no warrant or right in them to be baptized but onely a motive in a moral way urged as we have heard in the last exception It is worth our enquiry to learne what good interpretation suitable to Peters exhortation they put here on those words To you is the promise made and to your children excluding all consideration of right in them and their children Because Christ was promised to them and their children therefore they must repent and be baptized Not to insist upon that just exception of Master Gobbet page 23. That the Apostle doth not say the promise was to you as in reference to the time of making it to the fathers with respect unto them or in reference to Christ who was not now to come but already come as the Apostle proveth from ver 3. to 37. Nor is it the use of the Scripture when mentioning promises as fulfilled to expresse it thus in the present tense the promise is to you or to such and such but rather to annex some expression that way which evinceth the same giving instance almost in twenty several texts which utterly overthrows his exposition Let them tell us why in this moral perswasive holding out a bare motive to perswade the parent onely the children not concerned in the thing and in an utter incapacity should be mentioned And why the words should be carried in that way that interest in covenant and covenant-seales formerly ran and no right at all to covenant or covenant-seales intended This glosse puts too much violence upon the words But carrying it on as a disswasive from persistance in their former way of old covenant legal rites and perswading to embrace the way appointed by him whom God had made both Lord and Christ it singularly answers as to their present condition yet in covenant though in eminent danger to be cast out of covenant so also to the words of the text holding out a covenant-right in Scripture language according to the grand Charter of heaven I will be thy God and the God of thy seed so that I hope by this time the intelligent Reader will easily perceive the frivolous shifts instead of a ful refutation that 's here brought to avoid Paedobaptists proofs of a word of command to Baptize infants from this Scripture As these Scriptures plainly hold out the necessary connexion of the covenant and initial seale so the evidence of reason is cleare for it No man that stands enrighted or legally interested in any priviledge or possession may be denied that ceremony or seal which is appointed for confirmation A copy-hold being found the next immediate tenant of a copy-hold-right must not be denied but received according to the ceremony or solemnity of the place whensoever the King did grant out letters-pattents the Lord Keeper might not deny the seale the Lords Commissioners may not now deny it to any that by a just grant have interest This were to keep a childe out of his fathers house a servant from his place of abode and residence when Christ was so much displeased with his Disciples on like occasion these may well expect to be under as high displeasure Having thus made good the point it remaines that I take off some objections and meet with some quarrels that are raised against it If there be any necessary connexion between the covenant and the seale it must be saith one either by reason of some necessary connexion between the termes which is none for it is but a common accident to a man that hath a promise or a covenant made to him that he should have a special signe it may adesse vel abesse à subjecto it may be present or absent from the subject Giving some instances of covenants without seales Answ 1. By way of concussion it will be easily granted that a covenant may stand alone without a seale annexed but where a seale is appointed for confirmation as there hath been in the Church ever since God took a people to himself out of Abrahams loines there is a necessary connexion This answer he foresees and sayes But you will say All that are foederati should be signati since the solemne covenant with Abraham But neither is this certaine sith we finde no such thing concerning Melchizedek and Lot that lived in Abrahams time nor concerning Job that it 's conceived lived after his time If we read nothing to confirme it the Reader sees nothing to contradict it There is added But you will say it is true of all the foederati in Abrahams family But neither is that true for male-children before the eighth day and women though foederatae yet were not to be signed Is there no connexion between them because he that
the word Synagogue signifies not a building but such an assembly or society likewise In the ordinary signification saith Spanhemius Synagogue signifies the assembly not the place where they assemble but in the New Testament it is sometimes put for the place of assembling Luke 7. 5. Acts 18. 7. Synagogue and Church are one and the same both signifie the assembly met As the one so also the other may be applied by an usual figure to the place of meeting and therefore where it is said the Centurion loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue Luke 7. 5. the last Annotations have it a Church So that they that would reforme this language which calls our places of meeting a Church must reform the language of Scripture which calls the like places by a name of the same signification Thirdly it is a pious work to erect these Churches or publick meeting places for advancement of the knowledge and worship of God as may be evinced from that Narrative of the Centurion Luke 7. and the transactions between Christ and him 1. There are several evidences of piety in the man 1. He is tenderly affected with his servants sicknesse 2. He sends to Christ for cure makes to him as Mary for Lazarus 3. He evidences a mighty faith in Christ beleeves that Christs word without his presence will work for his servants recovery 4. Makes this good by an argument from the lesse to the greater I my selfe am a man under authority and have men under me if my word stands who am an inferiour person how much more then thine 5. The Lord Christ speaks by way of commendation and admiration of his faith ver 9. 2. There are evidences of the warranty of his fact 1. The Elders of the Jewes take notice of it and upon this account commend him to Christ to have his request gratified Lord he is worthy for whom thou shouldest do this For he loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue 2. This takes with Christ Then Jesus went with them Fourthly being a pious work as we see to erect them not only in the judgement of this Centurion but of the Jewes yea and of Christ Jesus it is then an evil a sinne to demolish and destroy them this followes from the former If piety let them up sinne pulls them down If he be a good Townsman that builds a Market-house a School c. then he is an ill-deserving one that does ruine it If the Centurion have his praise for building a Synagogue then it must be their reproach that deface them Farther we have a sad complaint of such acts of Sacriledge done by adversaries enemies blasphemers Psal 74. 7 8. They have cast fire into thy Sanctuary they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground They have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land The burning of the Temple in the first place is complained of the dwelling place of Gods name Then of the Synagogues which were scattered through the Land all these were destroyed and consumed This the godly lay to heart as a sore evil and complaine of it heavily and sadly Secondly As to the revenue for maintenance of those that attend upon this worship I might speak 1. To that which is conscienciously due in which the minde of God is that it be not detained as might be made good 1. By the Apostles authority 2. By his Arguments and Reasons 1. By his authority Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things Subsistence is of due to him that teacheth from them that are taught according to their abilities and the proportion of their possessions This is no almes or free gift but a due debt The Apostle gives it in charge and takes off excuses and evasions in the words that follow Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape And as the Apostle by his authority orders it so he gives his reasons for it which might be enlarged to a great length from 1 Cor. 9. He first argues from the practice of other Apostles of all the Apostles except himself and Barnabas ver 5 6. I only and Barnabas have we not power to forbear working 2. He argues from a civil right and common equity in three particular instances ver 7. 1. In Souldiers Who goeth a warfarre at any time at his own charges 2. In Husbandmen Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof 3. In Shepherds Who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milke of the flock All these live of their labours Ministers who undergo equal labours must live of theirs Thirdly he argues from the command of the Law ver 8 9. Say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also For it is written in the Law of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne Doth God take care for Oxen Where two observations are cleare 1. The Law of force is to Christians and secondly Ministers must live on their Ministerial pains Fourthly he reasons from communicative justice ver 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things it is a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things Whence three things are clear 1. That the things of earth carry no proportion with the things of heaven 2. By the Ministery of the Word the things of heaven are conferred 3. When Ministers conferre on their people the things of heaven there is all equity that they should receive the things of earth Fifthly he argues from the provision made in the Law ver 13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple And they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar If the Law judge it equal for the Levites to live on the paines that they take about holy things then it is equal that the Ministers of the Gospel live of their paines But the Law made such provision for the Levites not with an hungry narrow proportion but in a liberal and honourable way See Doctor Reynolds on Psal 110. pag. 478. Sixthly he argues from Christs institution in a parallel way ver 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel whence we see at large that it is the minde of Christ that this be not detained in case the Apostle as he sayes 1 Cor. 2. 16. hath the minde of Christ For that which is legally due either by order of the Sate or a voluntary gift of any person to that end it ought not to be alienated There is equity in the thing as we have heard at large when authority shall put upon it their sanction it is a farther confirmation for a voluntary gift in case Ananias may not revoke his own none may alienate anothers If it be a
negligence I am sure God may out of just prerogative And to have the line broken off assoon as the power of godlinesse in a race declines is to be infinitely above God rigorous and severe and the ready way to bring in a strange and monstrous confusion He goes on and sayes he will a little consider the Text in reference to them and then instances in that in the second Commandment shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments as though that were the alone Text we had to rest upon Though much might be spoke by way of Animadversion of his Answer yet I forbeare Use may be made of that Text to evidence that it is no unreasonable thing to carry on a priviledge so farre from generation to generation and an easie reply made to most that he hath spoken Yet I build not a formal Argument upon it therefore I shall not spend time in it His second third and fourth Argument come in to fill up his Comment on that Text and therefore might have been answers not Arguments Fifthly he sayes that Text 1 Cor. 7. 14. seemes to tie the federal holinesse of the childe to the immediate parent doth not say the child is holy c. by vertue of a great grandfather And so it seemes to me also Those Corinthians being new Converts their issue had none but immediate Parents from whom they might claime their interest and by whom they might be entitled As the Parents themselves did claime it from no Parents or Progenitours at all their Ancestours having no power to communicate it Isaac and Ishmael had right of circumcision onely from their immediate Parent Abraham had right immediately from God Jacob and his posterity had right from Parents both mediate and immediate and these Corinthians from their immediate Parents onely and their children from Parents mediate and immediate Sixthly He sayes If that promise doth give this power to predecessours c. then though there are none to educate this childe For the ignorant profane parents will not but teach them how to break the covenant The predecessours cannot they are dead and are not yet we must seale to this childe c. Where do you see Churches take care of such children they must be of some bignesse and understanding before the Church meddle with them the immediate profane person brings him up in ignorance and profanenesse neither will take care to have his childe instructed by the Church as experience witnesseth too much Answ I understand here the covenant-promise as Acts 2. 39. by vertue of which these Jewes were children of the covenant Acts 2. 35. and not with limit to the second Commandment and then speak to it 1. Here is enough spoke to conclude the childes interest in case he shall be taught to break covenant then he is in covenant An Indians childe breaks no covenant with God And being in covenant he is interessed in the priviledge of the covenant 2. Let him make it up into formal Argument and then it runnes thus That childe whose immediate Parents will not bring it up in the power of godlinesse hath no right to Baptism This though it carry some fair shew with those that are not able to judge yet it is evidently false Those that were witnesse to themselves that they were the children of those that killed the Prophets were of the circumcision Matth. 23. 31. yea those that had crucified Christ were in covenant with God and their children in confederation Acts 2. 39. That counsel of the Prophet Zach. 1. 4. Be ye not as your fathers unto whom the former Prophets have cryed saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Turne ye now from your evil wayes and your evil doings c. might have been spared in case none had been received as Members in covenant but those whose fathers took all care for their education in the power of godlinesse and Stephen might have spared his reproof Acts 7. 51 52 53. or rather had runne upon a contradiction when he said Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and eares ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye Which of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted and they have slaine them which shewed before of the coming of the just One of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it They stood vested with their children in that great prerogative Rom. 3. 1. The case of such children is sad but not desperate Though the Church cannot do the whole duty incumbent on a godly Parent yet it takes care for the dispensation of those Ordinances that are saving and Scripture calls by the name of Salvation I know some seeing the truth of title in such children to the covenant and consequently to Baptisme and therefore dare not deny them yet are so farre scandalized with this loose education of children that they will admit it onely with this caution that some undertake for their education and so those of loose life may have their children baptized because say they some difference ought to be put in all divine Ordinances between the pure and impure for the comfort of the godly the censure of the wicked and the edification of all But I wonder how this difference of pure and impure is seen between childe and childe that is tendered to Baptism As to covenant-holinesse they are both equal otherwise these mens undertaking would very hardly give them admission and as to real-holinesse neither have it by communication from their Parents otherwise say they the Ordinances of God cannot be kept without blot and pollution I wonder what pollution these mean I know none in children but Original sin and the childe of the best Parents is tainted with it and let us take heed of busying our selves with more care for preservation of Ordinances than ever God himself took about them If these thus borne have no right at all I suppose they should not be admitted with any caution whatsoever Master Cawdry observes and seemes to be of that judgement that some think this proviso to be too hard I confesse I am of that minde If notwithstanding so sad discomforts in such Parents infants stand vested in any such Birth-right-priviledge why should it be suspended on the courtesie of such undertakers being by birth-interest Christians they must not on this account passe for Heathens And how hard is it to impose such a burden upon any that is not ready to adopt the issue as his owne and in such case his undertaking upon that ground brings the charge of a father upon him This will soone grow into the bare formality of former Susceptors God-fathers and God-mothers without any real advantage to the childe If by education be meant such as a godly Parent ought to give none will be found to do it If onely education in the way of a Christian as in
it p. 272 Baptisme into particular Church-societies examined p. 461 See Infants Infant-Baptisme Beleevers Vnregenerate persons have the name and outward priviledges of Beleevers p. 249 Berith In the most proper sense signifies a Covenant p. 37 Birth-priviledge Birth-interest in Ancestours-priviledges is of the nature of the things that descend from Parent to Childe p. 401 402 It is so in civil Priviledges in all Kingdomes States Corporations ibid. Vpon this account Protestants are taken up by Jesuites and the Orthodox by Anabaptists in their words p. 403 Birth-interest in Ancestours-priviledges is held up in all other Religions p. 405 God ownes Infants borne in the Church upon account of their birth as his children his servants ibid. Birth-interest being denied parent and childe are heterogeneal p. 406 Children then brought up not in Covenant but for Covenant ibid. According to Scripture-grounds no hope left of their salvation p. 407 Branch What with the Apostle it signifies Rom. 11. 16. p. 325 Branches of two sorts Natural and engraffed ibid. See Root C Canaan GIven to Abrahams natural issue by Promise p. 301 That gift was an appendant to the Covenant p. 303 The promise of it did not denominate the Covenant mixt p. 226 Carnal See Covenant Camero's Assertion of an animal life in Paradise p. 100 His distinction of an absolute and conditional Covenant of the Antecedent and consequent love of God p. 46 47 Children Acts 2. 39. Comprizes Infants p. 322 Not the same with sons and daughters of the Nation vers 17. p. 319 See Promise Christ Is the Mediatour of the Covenant of Grace a fulnesse and fitnesse in him for that work p. 92 A Covenant made of God with him p. 14 This Covenant not the same with the Covenant of Grace made with man ibid. In the assumption of mans nature he did not change the law of nature p. 57 Whole Christ is to be received by Beleevers p. 190 Justification strictly so called seemes to be the fruit of Christs passive righteousnesse p. 123 His active and passive obedience both concurre to mans full happinesse ibid. See Mediatour Christians Vnregenerate persons have the name and outward priviledges of Christians p. 252 Church The distinction into visible and invisible asserted and explained p. 267 See Engraffing Church visible Distinguished into universal and particular p. 269 Universal visible Asserted p. 267 c. It consists of all that make profession of Christian Religion p. 268 Interest in it is of equal latitude with the Covenant p. 267 Church particular A man by Covenant with God interessed in the universal Church visible needs nothing farther for his accesse and interest in particular Churches p. 270 Cohabitation makes not up a Church congregational p. 273 Yet it is necessarily required ibid. A people cohabiting in a vicinity ough to associate in Church-fellowship for Ordinances ibid. Professing Christians in such cohabitation are to be esteemed particular Church-members p. 274 Church-Covenant Explicite or implicite p. 459 Covenant explicite not essential to the relation of a particular Church-member p. 460 Without any Scripture-precedent p. 272 460 Where all is enjoyed for the being of a particular Church much may be wanting for the well-being p. 273 Church pure impure When to be judged pure p. 277 Impure Churches have yet the being of Churches ibid Rome a Church of most impure being ibid. That which especially denominates a Church pure or impure is doctrine p. 278 Doctrines tending to the defilement of Churches are tainted either in the foundation or superstruction ibid. See Errors Parochial Churches Vindicated p. 274 See Place Circumcision A seale of spiritual mercies p. 227 Both a priviledge and a bondage p. 208 Called by the name of Covenant p. 423 It was bottomed on the commandement p. 297 Which command had relation to the Covenant ibid. It was peculiar to Abrahams natural issue p. 301. Cohabitation See Church particular Commands Frequent and full under Moses his administration p. 213 See Law Consent In man of necessity to his being in Covenant with God p. 3. Consequence From Scripture justified p. 416 Conditions Covenant What a Covenant-condition is p. 35 Conditions of the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace on Gods part seem to be the same p. 99 Conditions in the Covenant of Works Were in mans power p. 102 103 Kept man within himself for righteousnesse p. 115 116 Their end was mans preservation 117 Conditions in the Covenant of Grace Covenant of Grace hath it's conditions p. 33 34 Arguments asserting it p. 34 c. Objections answered p. 36 c. These conditions are not performed without special assistance of Grace p. 104 Arguments for special assistance in this work p. 104 105 Objections answered p. 113 c. These conditions carry a man out of himself for righteousnesse p. 116 They are for mans restitution p. 117 A people thus in Covenant must come up to the termes and conditions of the Covenant p. 190 c. No happinesse or assurance but in performance of these conditions p. 195 Objections answered p. 199 Covenant in general Figurative acceptions of the Word p. 2 Requisites in a Covenant p. 3 Mutual contracts of the nature of it p. 38 Distinguished p. 4 Defined p. 5 Covenant between God and Man Reasons why God dealt in a Covenant-way with man p. 6 7 Covenant between God and man defined p. 8 Definition asserted p. 37 38 This Covenant distinguished into Covenant of Works Covenant of Grace p. 8 Covenant of Works and Grace Their agreement p. 86 Their respective differences p. 87 c. Covenant of Works Was entered in mans integrity ibid. Was alone for his preservation p. 88 Did precede the Covenant of Grace ibid. Was a small time in force p. 90 Had no Mediatour p. 91 Covenant of God with Christ Not the same with the Covenant of Grace entered with fallen man p. 14 15 Covenant of Grace Defined p. 159 Distinguished into the Old and New or first and second p. 202 Hath it's solemnities in the highest way p. 5 12 Was entered in mans fallen estate p. 87 Is for mans restitution p. 88 Is in time after the Covenant of Works ibid. Is of everlasting continuance p. 90 Is in and by a Mediatour p. 91 God in this Covenant so manifests his free grace that he still keeps up his Sovereignty p. 53 Old and New or first and second Covenant Their agreement in 6. particul p. 202 c. They are one in substance p. 204 Old Covenant Was administred and held forth by Servants Prophets Priests c. p. 205 It received only the Jewes ibid. It had its date of time and is antiquated for another to succeed p. 206 It was dedicated with the blood of Bulls and Goats ibid. It held forth Christ only in a promise to be incarnate to suffer p. 207 It held all out under types figures and shadowes ibid. Vnder that dispensation knowledge dim those under it in a state of darknesse comparativè to Christians p.
terrenae foelicitatis Promissio terrâ—na erat annexa carnali Circumcissioni hac sola ad vetus Testamentum pertinebat contrarium asserere quod facit Calvinus nihil est aliud quam ex lege Evangelium facere omnia confundere Bellar lib. 2. de esâ—ec Sac. Cap. 17. The several interests for which the assignation of this difference serves 1. To decry all Old Testament-Scriptures 2. To take all Infants out of Covenant 3. To keep Infants from Baptisme Testimonies evincing the spirituality of Old Testâ—ment-promises Imperium Turcicum quantum quantum est mica est quam pater familias projicit canibus That expression of a mixt Covenant under which the Fathers are supposed to live untoward 〈…〉 quodam sensu fuisse eâ—iam 〈…〉 promissiones remissionis peecâ—â—m ac vita â—ternae ad nos pertinere Circumcision was a Seal of spiritual mercies of the same that Baptisme sealeth a Plurima sunt ejusdem testimonia exquibus constat persuasum olim fuisse Christianis non fuisse admodum diversan circumcisionis rationem Baptismi Cur bodie mutatum quidem in Papistarum gratiam â—â—idem ad arbitrium Jesunarum Sol. A third supposed difference between the Old and New Covenant All of Israel were in Covenant in Old Testament-times Some Divines seem to put too great a restraint upon the Covenant in New Testament â—im â— Distinctions holding forth the meaning of these Divines in these expressions Esse in foedere dicitur dupliciter vel quoad jus foederis vel quoad foederis beneficia Est in foedere vel qui obtinet beneficia foederis quae sunt remissio peccatorum adoptio regeneratio salus vel qui tantum habet jus vel symbolum foederis externum ut socius foederis non alienus censeatur New Testament-Scriptures holding out the Covenant of Grace in its full and just latitude Matth. 28. 19 The literal grammatical sense of the words vindicated Confirmed by the relation that this more enlarged Commission hath to that which was restrained to Israel onely By Old Testament-prophecies By the happy successe that in many Nation hath followed upon it 2. Mat. 22. 14. Mat. 20. 16 3. Those several Parables Mat. 13. 24 25 Mat. 13. 47. Mat. 3. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 20. 4. Heb. 10. 29 A threefold interpretation of the Text. * Erat sanctificatio apostatarum non interna sed externa professione fidei et participatione Sacramentorum externa consistens Erant sanctificati hoc est à Judais Paganus professione segregati pro veris Christianis habiti 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Arguments carrying this Text to the Church as visible 1. Titles given to men in covenant and in Scripture applied to unregenerate men prove it Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Beleevers Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Saints Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Disciples Unregenerate persons as to the name and outward priviledges are Christians Sol. The absurdities that follow upon the restriction of the Covenant to the Elect Regenerate do evince it First Corollary 2. Corollary Ubi foedus ibi ecclesia a Debuit Bellarminus probare in Ecclesia Caâ—holica quae est corpus Châ—isti esse tam malos quà m bonos tam reprobos quà m electos Hoc ut probaret affert hanc parabolam de area inqua triticum palea est At per aream hoc in loco non Catholica sed particularis quae que ecclesia intelligitur in qua nos fatemur tam malos quà m bonos esse plerunque plures malos quà m bonos b Sensus parabolae manifestus est sic in Ecclesia evenire solere cùm Evangelium praedicatur ut cùm verriculum in mare projicitur ad pisces capiendos Primò non omnes pisces qui sunt in mori capiuntur Secundò non omnes boni sunt qui capiuntur sed multi inutiles Tertiò non separantur mali pisces à bonis donec verriculum ad terram extractum fuerit Sic in Ecclesia cum Evangelium praedicatur non omnes homines accedunt non omnes qui accedunt sunt boni non separantur boni à malis ante finem mundi Falsum esse internas virtutes requiri à nobis ut aliquis sit in ecclesia quoad visibilem ejus statum 2. Coroll a Competentes non sunt admittendi in ecclesiam quia competunt sine ulteriore satisfactione b Phariseos baptismum petentes ad baptismum indignos nonadmisit inquit Paraeus c Baptismum petierunt inquit Aretius at baptizatos fuisse nullo modo videtur judicare Positions concerning particular visible Churches where nothing is wanting to the being of a Church yet much more may be required for the well ordering and regulating of it A people in a vicinity or neighbourhood ought to associate according to their best convenience for participation of Ordinances Professing Christians upon tender of themselves ought to be esteemed members in the places where they inhabit Reformation of abuses in Churches is much rather the work of Christians in Churches than separation from Churches A Church is pure where the pollutions and taints are not soule Foully polluted and defaced it is a Church reâ—ains a being though polluted and erroneous Purity or impurity in doctrine especially gives Churches dâ—nâ—mination Errours in doctrine are either in the foundatiâ—u or superstâ—uction Errours have their estimate accordingly as they rise up against Christ and obscure his glory Separation in some cases necessary Corruption in conversation hardly admit of separation Aut de fatuis virgiuibus es aut de orâ—dentibus si de â—atuis Conâ—regatio tibi necessaria est si de prudentibus tu congregationi Corruption in discipline hardly admits of separation a Scelestus igitur blasphemus eorum error est qui sic ab hac ecclesia desiciunt quasi Christus hinc proâ—sus exularet nec ulla spes salutis manentibus esse posset Cogitent hîc Christum convivantem cum suis An puâ—bit eos illic discuâ—â—bere ubi vident Christum non pudere An illo sanctores mundiores erâ—â—t Sed quare se non coâ—vincunt suo ipsorum usuâ— Non possunt iâ—ficiari quin pâ—iùt in Christum crediderint quâ—m fecerunt nobis divortium unde haec illi fides Annon expraedicatione in nostra ecclesia Nuâ—quid autem praedicare quis potest nisi mittatur Rom. 10. 13 Quid â—â—go verbum propter labem â—liquam externae vocationis tam pervesè râ—â—puunt cujus vim divinam in â—orâ—ibus senti 〈◊〉 Quamobrem redite ad unitatem ecclesiae quae vos genuit aluis si fugiatis hunc Christum quì cum electis in nostris coetibus coenat ac eos vicissim excipit profecto nusquam invenietis To gather Churches out of Churches to make up one Congregation out of many is unwarrantable Sol. 3. Corollary Arguments evincing the title of men professing faith to
aliter reprobationem sequitur peccatum non ut causam efficientem sed deficientem non quâ removetur quod adest sed non admovetur quod sustentaret a Tenendum est non de privata cujusque electione nunc tractari sed de communi adoptione totius gentis quae in externa specie collapsa videri potui ad tempus b Contendit Paulus firmum immutabile stare Dei consilium quo semel sibi illos in gentem peculiarem eligere dignatus est c Argumentum Apostoli ad probandam constantiam dilectionis Dei erga suam gentem d Videtur ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 donorum vocationis Dei non sequi illa quam nos statumus gratiae salutis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Quia fatcute Calvino martyre dictum Apostoli non de singulari cujusque electione sed de totius gentis Judaicae communi adoptione accipiendum sit Atqui hac communis adoptio vocatio gentis fuit mutabilis quoniam gens Judaica donis vocatione illâ— excidit Ad corruptelas Stapletoni facilè respondetur 1. Non negatur de communi gentis Judaicae â—oc est foederali dignitate propriâ— loqui hanc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deo pronunâ—iare Apostolum sed negatur hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 singulorum non confici Imò a minori ad majus firmissimè concluditur Si enim de gratia communi quidem aliena Apostolus rectè pronunciat esse Deo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quanto magis de gratia propria fideles idem statuere debent f Sic illis jam solenne est partem unam veritatis assumere câque abuti ad alteram vel evertendam vel dimovendam g Per electionem intelligit Apostolus primo externam foederis gratiam qui Deus hanc geâ—tem sibi delegerit deinde ipsam aeternae dilectionis gratiam quam in â—ac gente quasi deposuerat Deus Nâ—m adoptando cos in foedus testatum fecit se ex ea gente plurimos habere semper habiturum esse electos ad sâ—lutem h Quia Deus patres dilexit etiam ad filios dilectionem suam extendit si enim inter homines amicitiae parentum merito transeunt ad liberos Qui ni Deui idem facerâ—t The Series of the Apostles dispute opened The Corinthians Quaere The Corinthians scruples Explicatory Positions The ground or rise of the Corinthians scruples Two heterodoxical interpretations of the words holy unclean The first interpretation setting up parent and childe too high examined The second interpretation laying parent and childe too low 1. Weak and childish 2. Incongruous 3. Untrue Arguments evincing the holinesse in the Text not to be legitimation The sanctificatâ—on spoken to is not of parents in general but of one parent beleeving and another unbeleeving in particular The Apostle brings not formal arguments to conclude the lawfulness of marriage-society but removes scruples concerning their oâ—n state and their issue A vindication of instrumental sanctification The Text Analysed The argumen deduced from it Gal. 4. 29. The whole narrative analysed Upon what account these infants were tendered to Christ Why they were forbidden by the Disciples Positions rending to clear Christ admission of them Covenant-interest is of the nature of those things that descend from parent to child Like priviledges do descend in Kingdomes Common-weales Cities c. Sol. a Hinc Calvinus Beza suum dogma de traduce justitia hauserunt docéntque fidelium fiâ—ios propriè esse sanctos sine Baptisme salvari quia hoc ipso quo fidelium sunt filii censentur esse in Ecclesia nati juxta foedus divinum Ero Deus tuus seminis tui Ge. 17. 7. Quemadmodum jure civili censentur liberi qui ex altero parentè libero nascuntur sed errant b Foederis inter Deum Abraham initi participes sint sive Judaei ab eo carnaliter oriundi sive Christianorum parentum liberi carnalis generatio nihil facit c Ad nos descendit non per carnalem generationem parentum sed per spiritualem regenerationem Christi Sol. Sol. Sol. Birth-interest descends in all other Religions God ownes childreâ— borne in the Church as his servants and as his children Parent and childe respective to Church-interest are not in an opposite condition No president in Scripture of a believing Parent bringing up a childe for covenant and not in covenant Infants out of covenant according to Scripture-grounds are without hope of salvation Jesuites our leading adversaries confesse it Protestant Divines cannot avoid it Our present adversaries instead of reasons oppose onely comers against it Objections against Infants Baptism answered The Question stated whether there be any institution of Infant-Baptism Infants are within the verge of the institution of Baptisme Infans are Disciples The invalidity of that objection that we have no example of Infant-Baptisme examined Infants want of faith and repentance no impediments of their Baptisme The want of those expresse words Infants ought to be baptized is no impediment of their Baptisme Necessity of Scripture consequence Antiquity is for Infant-Baptisme Infant Baptism is not bestowed on unwritten tradition The various acception of the word Tradition (a) Distinguendum inter resquae traduntur in Ecclesia rationem earum tradendarum b Quadam sunt dicuntur in Scripturis quaedam vero sunt in Scripaturis tametsi non dicuntur Nâ—zianzen lib 5. de Theol. c Non quaeritur antotidem verbis omnia necessaria in Scripturis continentur sed vel sententia expressa vel per necessariam consequentiam inde colligenda Infant-baptism cannot be charged with will-worship Extremes are dangerous The Jewes leaving idolatry run upon Sacriledge Separation for God of persons or of inanimate or unreasonable creatures Whether Sacriledge be any New Testament sin Separation for God either by institution or approbation Places for worship and maintenance of those that attend upon worship separate by divine approbation Positious concerning places Negative Positive Ministry maintenance asserted 1. What conscientiously is due 2. What is legally due Quae sententia tantum secum in vexit jam errorum schismatum agmen ut nihil de ullis superiorum temporum Hae reticis legatur tam insanum quod non fuerit reductum proximo quadriennio subsque rursum sectatores invenerit ut vel unum hoc pietatis studiosis radicem hanc suspectam meritò reddere debuerit ex qua tam in fausta germina suppulularunt a Arguments evincing the right of Christians in this latitude Amplification of this position a Aliquando filiis infidelium praestatur baec gratia ut baptizentur cúm occultâ Dei providentiâ in manus piorum quomodocunque proveniunt a Si Parens carens verâ fide cam tamen profiteatur in externo Eclesiae coetupro fideli habeatur aut olim habitus fuerit sub veteri Testamento infantes ex talibus nascentes erant foederati promissionis participes quia etiam promissio acceptata fluerit à parentibus majoribus in gratiam nasciturae posteritatis cui non praejudicat immediati Parentis incredulitas aut hypocrisis quamdiu infans incredulitatem hypocrisin Parentis imitari non potest Rivet in Gen. Cap. 17. Exercit. 88. Covenant of Church-members either explicite or implicite The Apostles and primitive Christians knew no explicite Church-Covenant Mr. Firmins reasons and his replies to them 1. 2 3 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The interest of infants of excommunicate persons in Baptisme a Haec enim excommunicatio nou est iustar veneni quod hosti datur ad exitium sed medicina quae fratri datur ad salutem Arguments to carry the question in the negative answer 1. All possible engagements and obligations to holinesse Parents must see that their childrens breeding do answer their birth The danger of persecution Consolation 1. To Nations thus honoured 2. To single persons 1. Respective to themselves 2. Respective to their posterity Doct. 2.