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B08272 Animadversions upon the Antisynodalia americana, a treatise printed in old England; in the name of the dissenting brethren in the synod held at Boston in New England 1662. Tending to clear the elders and churches of New England from those evils and declinings charged upon many of them in the two prefaces before the said book. Together with an answer unto the reasons alledged for the opinion of the dissenters, and a reply to such answers as are given to the arguments of the synod. / by John Allin, pastor of the Church of Christ at Dedham in N. England. Allin, John, 1596-1671. 1664 (1664) Wing A1035; ESTC W19760 64,983 88

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is meant the uncleanness of Infidels is clear by the Rule of Contraries For if to be holy be meant of the holiness of the Covenant then to be unclean is the uncleanness of such as are strangers from the Covenant and so without God in the world that is Infidels Eph. 2.12 And what are the children of such as have both Parents Vnbelievers but Infidels in the Apostles sense But for that inference That by like reason might be inferred from that proposition There is no God else that There may be another God to the Gentiles I confess my shallow understanding cannot see any Comparison between those two propositions but onely that the word Else is in them both the one being a disjunct Axiome Your children are clean or else unclean and the other a simple Axiome where the word Else is of another use and sense then in the former But be it so that it is so sad an Exception from a general proposition Jehovah is God and none else to say Yet there may be another God to the Gentiles or to say The threatnings of Christ to the Churches yet belong not to us Our Brethren may then consider when the Apostle saith of Church-members Your children are holy to make such an Exception and say Not so but onely the children of Members in full Communion are holy whether this be not a sad Exception also Reas 4. The being in Covenant doth not priviledge to Baptism without visible Repentance in Parents Acts. 2.38 39. The Jews were in Covenant and pricked to the heart yet they were openly called to Repent So John Baptist thought Mat. 3.8 9. Ans 1. The Jews being in Covenant did priviledge their children to the Benefits of that Covenant they were in viz. Circumcision the Sacrifices c. Rom. 3.1 2 3. But there was great reason they should be called to Repentance when they were to enter into the Gospel-dispensation of the Covenant because the Church of the Jews was grown so corrupt and those in Acts 2. being guilty of the Blood of the Son of God and hence John was sent to prepare a people for the Lord by the Doctrine of Repentance But when Philip had to do with the Eunuch a godly Proselyte he onely called him to Faith in the Person of Christ as the Son of God 2. Though Faith and Repentance in a visible Profession thereof be required at the first admission into the Church yet these are not required in the same manner in persons regularly admitted to priviledge their seed to Baptism What Rule or Example requireth a Church-member to make Profession of visible Faith and Repentance so oft as he hath a childe to be Baptized Or in case a Church-member declineth and giveth cause of much doubt of the soundness of his Faith and Repentance What Rule will debarre his childe from Baptism so long as he continueth a Member of the Church Now our question is of Persons regularly admitted and continuing in the Church Reas 5. The Covenant is limited to such as obey God and therefore the Priviledges of the Covenant Deut. 7.9 Neh. 1.5 Dan. 9.5 He keepeth Covenant and Mercy to them that love him Ans This is a frequent Mistake to apply that which is spoken of the saving Benefits of the Covenant to the Outward Priviledges thereof the first God performs to such as love and obey him sincerely yet the other he continueth to all such as do not fall away from the Outward Profession of the Covenant Take these Scriptures named Did not Church-priviledges belong to all Israel when Moses spake that word Deut. 7.9 that God keepeth Mercy and Covenant to them that love him and yet he giveth a sad testimony of them Chap. 9.24 You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I knew you So in Nehemiahs time did not all that were of the holy seed enjoy Church-priviledges when Nehemiah sp●ke that word Chap. 1.5 and yet the story speaketh of many evils amongst them that shew they were Scandalous in life which these are not and have many other good Qualifications besides that also Reas 6. From the tenour and manner of the Covenant made with Abraham Nehem. 9.8 when God saw his heart faithful before him So Gen. 17.1 7. Walk before me and be upright and I will be a God to thee and thy seed c. Ans This is the same Reason with the former built upon the same Mistake and may have the same Answer I readily grant That all that Enter into Covenant with God ought to Love him Obey him Walk uprightly before him and what is said Gal. 3.7 9. that They that are of the Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham Faith and Holiness is the duty of every Church-member for want whereof he falleth short of all the Saving Blessings of the Covenant But doth it follow that such as are in Church-covenant and do not perform th●se Duties are thereby deprived of the Outward Priviledges and the Means of Grace and that before they be regularly cast out of the Church Were there not many corrupt Members in the Church not onely of Israel but also in Gospel-Churches as of Corinth Galatia the Churches of Asia Rev. 2. 3. who did enjoy Church-priviledges till they were cast ou● or till God actually Removed their Candlesticks It was indeed a sin reproved to suffer such but so long as they were suffered they regularly enjoyed the Outward Priviledges Here our Brethren endeavour to Answer two Objections Obj 1. The Covenant-Blessing was conveyed with Circumcision successively to the following generations Ans We must consider that Gal. 3.14 that is expressed to be the Blessing of Abraham that should come upon the Gentiles not the Covenant of Jacob as Mr. Cotton hath judic●ously noted upon the place Now Abrahams Covenant and the Blessing thereof is confirmed onely to those that walk uprightly with God as Abraham did Reply That difference Mr. Cotton put between the Blessing of Abraham and Jacob may hold in this That God continued all the Sons of Jacob and their Posterity in the Covenant not so of Abraham Ishmael and his seed and the Sons of Keturah were not so and so Esau and his seed being the Posterity of Isaac were rejected And that seemeth to be the meaning of that speech of Jacob Gen. 49.26 that His blessing prevailed above the blessing of his Progenitors But this difference cannot hold in respect of the tenour of the Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob for Ishma●l though graceless was taken into Abrahams Covenant and continued in it till for his sin he was cast out So Esau in Covenant till for his Profaneness he was rejected Heb. 12. Was not the continuance of the Covenant to the seed of Jacob the performance of Gods Everlasting Covenant made with Abraham to be a God to his seed af●er him in their generations as is evident Exod. 3.15 6.3 4. Was there ever any Covenant made with Jacob and his seed upon any other terms then
not to break it 2. Then it is a breach like the great Sea to deny Communion in the Lords Supper to those that have laid hold upon the Covenant and given up themselves to God by solemn Profession of Faith and Repentance which is now strongly pleaded for Reply 1. Whether these be not regularly in the Covenant let the Reader judge by what is said for it and by the Scriptures alledged against it 2. To deny Communion in the Lords Supper to such is not pleaded for much less strongly for Solemn Profession of Faith and Repentance is not in the Proposition All that is affirmed is That the Church-seed manifesting their continuance in the Covenant by such qualifications if they shall still be wanting in ability to Examine themselves and discern the Lords body may be delayed till they give satisfaction therein 3. Our Brethren in this case deal very hardly and partially with us whil'st so oft they compare these with the most scandalous persons reproved in Scripture and with them Discovenanted as they pretend and yet at other times they lay it deeply to our charge that we do not Receive them to the Lords Table upon such terms as are denied by them to be sufficient to continue them in the visible Church Arg. 4. These Parents are confederate visible Believers in some degree and therefore their children are to be Baptized Ans The Parents in question are not such if we speak of true visible Faith which is required Rom. 14.1 Mat. 12.20 Reply Be it granted that we speak of true Faith visibly in some degree yet Rom. 14.1 speaks rather of a perswasion of the lawfulness of eating meats unclean by the Law as ver 2. sheweth That these are visible Believers in some degree is thus proved Reas 1. Charity may observe sundry things for it but nothing evident against it Ans This is said gratis and denied by us Reply If our Brethrens Charity could observe nothing for it they might then shew something evident against it without which the Reason is not answered for in discovenanting of regular Church-members there ought to be such things evident against them as deserve Church-censures Mat. 18.15 16 17. Reas 2. Children of the faithful qualified but as the persons in question are said to be Faithful Tit. 1.6 Ans Every one not accused of Riot to be concluded to be of the Faith is not the Apostles intent nor Orthodox Faithfulness is taken for Fidelity which may be in Morall men Reply Nor do the Synod so conclude There is much more in the Text then Not given to Riot viz. 1. Children of godly Parents 2. Educated in the Faith 3. Not scandalous or Not accused of Riot 4. Not unruly but subject to Government All which do suit well with the Proposition And this sense of the word is given by Orthodox Interpreters Marlorat Expounds the word Faithfull of such as are educated in the sound Doctrine of Piety and in the fear of God Taylor by Faithfull Children understandeth such as being instructed in the Faith are at least in external Conversation answerable to the Profession of the Faith they make And Reason would incline us to conceive that the Apostle would require in the children of Church-Officers something of Piety as well as of Morality Besides the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used is frequently and commonly used in the New Testament in the Synods sense viz. for Christian Believers Acts 10.45 2 Cor. 6.15 Eph 1.1 1 Tim. 6.2 4.3 10 12. 5.16 Reas 3. Children of the Covenant have frequently beginnings of grace wrought in them in younger years as Scripture-examples and Experience sheweth Hence this sort of persons shewing nothing to the contrary are in charity or in Ecclesiasticall reputation visible Believers Ans It is extraordinary to have grace in Infancy and therefore no Rule for ordinary Church-proceedings Reply 1. The Synod speaketh not of Infancy but of younger years and that is not so extraordinary as is objected witness the hopeful signs of grace in many that die in minority and the Confessions of divers that hold forth seeds of grace sown in their younget years 2. We build not ordinary Church-proceedings immediately upon this ground yet these being Church-members we may build Church-charity upon this ground that seeing some Church-members of this sort have Faith in reality all of this sort may be so reputed in Church-charity for so we judge of adult professors in the Church we know some have grace in reality and therefore we judge so of all that sort till the contrary appear though in the general we know Many are called Few chosen And what other ground have we of Church-proceedings with Church-members but Church-charity Reas 4. These are regularly in the Church and therefore visible Saints in the account of Scripture which is the account of Truth 1 Cor. 1.2 14.33 Ans 1. The children in question are not regularly in the Church for then the Parents being dead the children surviving should make a Church enjoy Ordinances chuse Officers which is denied and it is incredible to deny them that power when their Parents are alive and they will not be long kept from putting it forth though they may for a while Reply 1. If we may thus argue by putting cases that for ought appeareth never yet hapned in the world viz. That all the Members in a Church should be so taken away that none remain but such as these children By like reason one may prove that women and children are not regularly in the Church for if all the men die they should make a Church chuse Officer● c. which will be denied Yea thus I will prove That this or that man is not regularly in the Church for if all men die but one or two they cannot make a Church c. 2. Were the Rules of Christ observed such a case could not fall out For as Mr. Cotton answereth the Anabaptist in a case not unlike this Let there be a due watchfulness of the Church over these children to fit them for the Lords Table and either the Lord in the faithfulness of his Covenan● will sanctifie their hearts to prepare them for it or else he will leave them to discover their hypocrisie and profaneness in the sight of all to prevent the pollution of his Table and the corruption of Discipline Grounds and Ends of Baptism pag. 161 163. And had we thus done through the Blessing of Christ which he hath promised upon his Ordinances such cases could not fall out neither had there been so much need or use of this fifth Proposition that is now so great a matter of Dispute and I fear this Opposition of the Dissenters will increase our Difficulties Neither do I see so much danger of these not being kept from putting forth a power to chuse Officers c. if they were trained up under Church-discipline as in our Brethrens Way who acknowledge them Church-members and cannot rid their hands regularly of