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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	faith_n	justification_n	justify_v	7,231	5	9.1878	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86928	An ansvver to Mr. Tombes his scepticall examination of infants-baptisme: wherein baptisme is declared to ingraft us into Christ, before any preparation: and the covenant of the gospel to Abraham and the gentiles is proved to be the same, extended to the gentiles children, as well as to Abrahams: together with the reason, why baptize children, is not so plainly set down in the gospel, as circumcise children, in the law, and yet the gospel more plain then the law. / By William Hussey, minister of Chislehurst in Kent.	Hussey, William, minister of Chiselhurst.	1646 (1646)	Wing H3815; Thomason E343_3; ESTC R200939	83,416	79

the Iewes in reference to the promise it is plaine that the promise in reference to Baptisme is the same that it was in reference to circumcision now it is true he further teacheth the inner power and effect of the Covenant which was the turning men away from their iniquity this is the doctrine both of circumcision and baptisme that neither circumcision which is outward in the flesh is circumcision Rom. 2.28 neither is that baptisme which is outward but that is circumcision which is of the heart whose praise is not of men but of God Thus baptisme must be taught it must be taught as from God it must bee administred as by men therefore saith Mr. Tombes the promise is not made but on conditions of calling and faith which may be confirmed abundantly Rom. 4.13 14 16. let the proofe be examined St. Paul doth handle the promise made to Abraham in reference to the fruit and effect of it and so to entitle the Gentiles to the comfort and fruit of the promise forasmuch as the promise did alwayes beare that sense that never any of Abrahams posterity had any benefit from the promise unlesse they were beleevers and that benefit the Gentiles alwayes had if proselites and now in a more free way and this was ground to the Romans to seeke for justification by faith because that was alwayes the sence and meaning of the Covenant made with Abraham but this was the use that the faithfull ought to make of the Covenant Abraham was justified by faith as we are Abraham was not justified by circumcision nor we by baptisme circumcision was administred in facie Ecclesiae according to the appointment of God men had nothing to doe to examin faith the praise of that was not of men but of God it is confessed that Abraham did circumcise without any judgement of faith yet had as much need of faith for benefit by the Covenant as we his justification and salvation the same with ours by faith in Christ Gal. 3.9 They which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham ye see Abraham himselfe had his blessing by faith God preached the Gospell to Abraham the seed of Abraham had the benefit of the covenant by faith whereby it plainly appears that circumcision was not given by the estimation of faith though it had its effect by faith but every male of Abraham must be circumcised and that because of the promise the conditions of faith and repentance were not new conditions put on us which Abraham and his posterity had not though they are more plainly preached to us then to Abraham God was the judge of faith in Abrahams time and is so now but the promise of the land of Canaan stood upon conditions of obedience the effect of faith notwithstanding circumcision but saith Mr. Tombes the promise was not belonging to them simply as Jews but as called the promise did belong to all men quatenus called but it belonged to Jews though not quatenus ipsum yet it doth belong to Jews to be foederati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Jew had an interest to the promise though not quatenus a Jew because Gentiles also had this right per accidens as called but it was accidentall to the Gentiles some were called and some were not all Iews before Christ were called but note that called is to be distinguished into outward calling and inward or effectuall calling by an outward calling All the Iews were called by an effectuall only the elect were called whether Iew or Gentile both these callings had their severall respects unto the promise and the seal of the promise The outward call had a right to the Oracles Rom. 3.1 the means of faith and accordingly many had faith by that means though some did not believe that doth not make the faith of God of none effect the promise of God signified by the word faith in that place is effectuall though some do not believe though it be without effect to them that believe not yet it is effectuall to them that believe and though he doth not believe yet the Holy Ghost maketh circumcision an inseparable accident to a Iew shewing that the advantage of the Iew and the profit of circumcision were the same and the chief priviledge is that unto them were committed the Oracles of God Now this outward call had the promise of God being their God and the God of their seed and accordingly had the seal given to them and their seed this is plain in case of the Iews they had circumcision and the Oracles and the promise but all these are ineffectuall without faith Heb. 4.1 2. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any one of us come short of it For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it You see many have the promise left them that may come short of it they may have the Word without profit the promise of God circumcision without effect all for want of faith all these externall have an externall dependance one upon another those that were born in a believing family had an externall promise left them had cirumcision had the word though they might come short of the effect of all for want of faith yet the externall administration must go by this outward rule the promise in this place is understood in this sense of outward promise that belongeth to you and your children you are called already and that is implied in the opposition to these words afar off such as are afar off is opposed to them that are nigh Now they that are nigh need no calling but they that are afarre off them we call so that it is plain calling is in reference to them that are afar off and then the sense of the words is as plain the promise belongeth to you and your children therefore be baptized and the promise likewise belongeth to them that are afarre off not yet called as many of them as the Lord shall call and this appears in that the Apostle speaks unto these Iews exhorts them to amend their lives and be baptized for the promise belongeth to them so that the Proposition is immediatly true they shall be baptized because the promise did belong to them calling of them that are afarre off is not at all immediately referred to baptisme but to the promise and therefore cannot by any means be a limitation of such persons unto whom the promise did belong to make fit for baptisme as if there were some persons unto whom the promise did belong that were not called and some called those that are called might be baptized but unto whom the promise doth belong and are not called they may not be baptized but this is to alter the form and sense of the Apostles words though they might have a truth in them yet they are not the words of the

baptised for my part I state not the question so but Infants borne in a Nation that are the Disciples of Christ or have received the Gospell are to bee baptised of Beleevers much more if presented by them and they undertake to instruct them by themselves or others in the precepts of Christ But let us see Mr. Tombes his sophismes That which hath no testimonies of Scripture that is doubtfull Infants baptisme hath no testimony of Scripture ergo doubtfull The minor Mr. Tombes laboureth to prove by an induction but it wanteth forme he should have said sic de ceteris none of all these places might prove this and yet it might have testimony from some other place but I will follow him in his exceptions and see how just they are against the testimonies produced The first testimony which he pretendeth accurately to examin Gen. 17.7 c. I passe by his jingle he raiseth 14 arguments raised out of severall places of Scripture as urged in defence of Paedobaptisme which he answereth whose answers I shall endeavour to examine and see how the arguments are as he urgeth them or as they may be urged from this place of Genesis to whom the Gospell Covenant agrees to them the signe of the Gospell Covenant agrees but to Infants of Beleevers the Gospell Covenant agrees therefore the signe of the Gospell Covenant and consequently Baptisme That Mr. Tombes might prepare for an answer he sheweth a great deale of his accurate skill he examines foure supposita things granted on the part of Pedobaptists and converteth them into questions stateth them apart and so endeavoureth to take away the strength of the argument 1. Whether the Covenant made with Abraham and the Gospell Covenant be the same Mr. Tombes denieth with this difference that the Covenant with Abraham was mixed but with respect to Mr. Tombes his opinion of learning he hath gotten he beginneth at the worng end to prove it for a Gospell Covenant between God and man taketh in all the Covenants that now are or ever were since the fall between God and man God was never in covenant with any man or Nation but in Christ Christ is the adequate subject of the Gospell this Gospell was preached from heaven by the Angels Luke 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I preach the Gospell which was in these words Unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Certainly whatsoever the Saints enjoy upon earth or shall enjoy in heaven they enjoy it in and for Christ Whereas Mr. Tombes distinguisheth the promises made to Abraham into Evangelicall Domesticall and Civill promises what had Abraham some things in Christ and some things out of Christ godlinesse hath the promises of this life and that which is to come Now to deny the promises of this life to belong to Abraham under Evangelicall promise or to distinguish individualls by specificall difference is strange Divinity and stranger Logick is reason of different nature in Peter and Paul or is Pauls reason of another nature then Peters because he useth some particular arguments that Peter doth not Abraham had the blessings of his house and others have the blessings of their families and Gal. 3.9 Paul telleth us that they which beleeve are blessed with faithfull Abraham they are not blessed only as the seed of Abraham but as Abraham they are fountaines of blessing to their seed through faith in Christ and that doth that inference cleerly prove that Abraham was intituled to the blessing by his faith tanquam medio as by the meanes and therefore is faithfull repeated in the argument with Abraham that those that beleeve are blessed not with Abraham but faithfull Abraham and further saith not that the faithfull are blessed with the seed of Abraham but with Abraham they that beleeve have as full a right to the promise as Abraham himselfe the same Covenant the same blessing remaines to us with Abraham as for those particular differences they are but numericall and make no difference in the promise no more then the difference of Peter and Paul doe in mankinde Abraham had his family blessings wee have ours Logica non tractat aut definit particularia if any shall say that his being father of Christ after the flesh putteth a mixture of the Covenant and maketh it of another nature I deny that it doth any more vary the nature of the Covenant then a badge of honor doth the nature of man and this shall appear in that so much of the covenant as was sealed to Abraham by circumcision commeth down to us and if Abraham had any blessing that came not to us that was not sealed to him by circumcision forasmuch as all the benefit that Abraham and his naturall or faithfull seed had of circumcision that the Beleever hath without circumcision For though it be true that circumcision was given to all indefinitly yet the benefit of circumcision came only to the faithfull both before and after Christ came and this is so plainly set downe by Saint Paul that nothing can be more plaine that circumcision was of force to Abraham by faith Rom. 4.9.10 Faith was reckoned to Abraham when he was uncircumcised and that he received circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse of faith and in verse 12. he saith that Abraham was father of circumcision to them that were uncircumcised where he implied that those that were uncircumcised were circumcised in a sense and this is farther affirmed of them who are in Christ Jesus by faith Col. 2.10 that they are circumcised with circumcision made without hands and this circumcision with hands is specified Eph. 2.11 Yee were uncircumcised with circumcision in the flesh made with hands implied that they were circumcised in the heart what other sense can be rendred of this circumcision of heart but that that cleannesse of heart which was signified to our fathers by circumcision remaineth to us though the seale be altered and this is that usuall setting downe of Evangelicall duties and benefits by ceremoniall expressions We under the Gospel are circumcised in heart without hands Now how could that be unlesse the internall part of circumcision did remaine to us And this Mr. Tombs p. 33. doth confesse that the substance of the Covenant doth remaine but still helpeth himselfe with his mixt covenant which I have formerly denyed and shall presently evince the different manner of administration doth not alter the Covenant God did set forth his promises of Heaven by Canaan was punctuall in the ceremonies but the ceremonies did lead those that beleeved to better then the bare ceremony without which circumcision and all their service was utterly without use or benefit God did in speciall manner blesse those outward duties to his elect because they were his owne Ordinances causing them to see more in those types then they in their owne nature doe seem to manifest And thus Mr. Tombes confesseth that the promises that were Evangelicall in the

in reference to this promise account for his seed the covenant on Gods part is to be the God of Abraham and his seed which God knows how to extend to Jew and Gentile and limit to beleevers even among Abrahams family But Abraham had laid on him that hee should circumcise but he cannot walke by Gods rules in the estimation of his seed Gen. 17.10 This is my covenant that ye keep between me and you and thy seed after thee every manchilde among you shall be circumcised the former part I will be a God to thee and thy seed might have served Abrahams turn if he had known how to estimate his seed as God did by the beleever but that was past Abrahams skill therefore must Abraham have another rule set him to walke by and lest Abraham insisting on the word seed should debarre many from circumcision of the flesh whom God did intend to circumcise in heart he is charged with his duty in plaine tearmes 12.13 verse Every manchilde in your generations he that is borne in the house or bought with money of any stranger that is not of thy seed And Exod. 12.48 When a stranger shall sojourne with thee and will keep the Passeover to the Lord let all his males be circumcised and then let him come neare and keep the Passeover for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof one law shall be to him that is home-borne and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you so you see how Abraham was to count his seed not only those that were indeed his seed but those that were of his family not so only but the seed of beleeving Gentiles were to be the accounted seed of the promise one law must be to the stranger that sojourneth and to the naturall seed of Abraham the beleeving Gentile that would keep the Passeover must be subject to the same law with Abraham he must circumcise not only himselfe but all his males and the reason is because no uncircumcised person may eat thereof the master of the family might not be accounted a circumcised person unlesse all his males were circumcised because that was the law of circumcision that he that was circumcised himself must circumcise all his males because the blessing of Abraham was a family blessing as Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed and that which is there rendred by families is in 18.18 rendred by Nations All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him seeing all families and all nations be of the same extent Thus yee see plainly demonstrated that Abraham and beleeving Gentiles were to understand the seed of Abraham in reference to the promise of the seed of beleeving Gentiles which Mr. Tombes doth not finde You see the promise made to Abraham and all families and all nations performed in some families even under the law of circumcision the families of strangers the males that were borne in the house or bought with money were reckoned as Abrahams males but this stranger that would keep the Passeover must circumcise his males not under the name of Abrahams males not as borne in Abrahams house nor bought with money but under the name of the seed of such a stranger that would keep the Passeover they could have no right to circumcision but as the seed of beleeving Gentiles Againe you see this promise is made to all Nations in Abraham which must have a time of performance in that sense also but this was never performed in any nationall capacity before Christs time yet God never maketh a promise but he taketh a time in some sense or other to perform but we see notwithstanding this promise God had not any Nation blessed but the Jewes and therefore doth St. Paul plainly interpret that part of the promise concerning Nations in reference to Nations after Christ Gal. 3.8 the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospell to Abraham saying In thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed see God made his promise to Abraham and all families all nations he began with Abraham and his and some other few Gentiles families and after referreth the performance of the promise as it concerneth all Nations to the times wherein he foresaw that the Nations would beleeve 3. Question whether there be the same reason of Circumcision and Baptisme in signing the Gospell-covenant To this Mr. Tombs saith that the substance of the Gospell-covenant was the same in all ages yet this covenant hath had divers formes and sanctions where after abundance of words to prove diversity of formes and sanctions he endeavoureth to prove a diversity of the forme and sanction of the covenant with Abraham and forme sanction and accomplishment of the new Testament covenant and from thence he inferreth his conclusion in these words Whence I gather that there is not the same reason of circumcision and baptisme in signing the Evangelicall covenant nor may there be an argument drawne from the adminstration of one to the like manner of administration of the other I have heard very much of Mr. Tombs his learning and now I see wherein it lyeth in drawing that out of premises that no man else can draw and making syllogisms with two conclusions toto coelo divers and yet make them arise from the same premises this is the learning so much magnified That which he principally gathereth is that there is not the same reason of circumcision and baptisme in sealing the Gospell-covenant For my part I know but two wayes of signations or sealings one naturall the other ex instituto divino vel humane Now I conceive both circumcision and baptisme doe signe or seale sacramentally and by divine institution and therefore there is the same reason of both their sealings Now the different forme of the covenant maketh no difference in the seale If it be an obligation for money or a lease under large or ample covenants or a conveyance of inheritance wherein one parcell of land of an acre or one free-hold or more one mannor or more maketh no difference in the seale or signature neither doth it vary the reason of the seale which are ex humano instituto obligatori neither doth the difference of the covenant with Abraham and the Evangelicall covenant if differing as Mr. Tombes would have make any difference in the reason of the signing of the Gospell-covenant by circumcision and baptisme for grant that circumcision did seale both Evangelicall and Politicall and baptisme only Evangelicall covenants yet they did both seale Evangelicall promises and for the same reason because God had appointed them to be seals neither doth the mixture of one promise with another alter the operation of the seale seeing the seale doth worke as strongly upon every part of the covenant or every promise in the covenant as if there were but one promise in all or as if every covenant or promise had a single deed and single seale but all this

〈◊〉 madidus that cannot be understood of the moisture of temperature which in some sense is given to young persons till they cease to grow till a naturall drith falleth upon their bones that hindereth their further augmentation but that moisture is such as is on children new borne what Mr. Goodwin saith of it I have not seen But Mr. Tombes saith that it is doubtfull whether our Saviour saith of them is the Kingdome of heaven because the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such not of them It is plaine our Saviour urgeth the relation they had to the Kingdome of heaven to move his disciples to suffer them to come to him now it could not have been any reason why these should be admitted into the presence of Christ because others had relation to the Kingdome of God but the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a further emphasis for the words are not urged to shew a reason why the children should come to Christ but why the disciples should suffer them and therefore Christ doth represent these children to his disciples not under such a character as they did appear to him by his omniscience but such as they were able to judge of and therefore he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he should say well ye have forbidden children to come unto me but it was out of ignorance now I tell you if any such as these are shall come hereafter forbid them not for of such is the Kingdome of heaven The precept is given to the Disciples in terminis intelligibilibus in words and in a sense that may be understood by them as if Christ should have said To many of these little ones the Kindome of heaven doth not belong but you are excused for that insomuch as the Kingdome of heaven doth belong to such you are not able to discerne the difference and therefore it cannot 〈◊〉 said to your charge that you did suffer any wilfully to enter into the Kingdome of God that the Kingdome of God did not belong unto But the Apostles might have answered nay Sir but we can discerne these unfit for the Kingdome of heaven they have not actuall faith and repentance and therefore we may not admit them into the Kingdome of heaven to this our Saviours answer is plaine the Kingdome of heaven doth belong to such as these therefore suffer them to come to me Now for the further manifestation of the sense of these words the Kingdome of God is understood either of the Kingdome of grace or the Kingdome of glory belonging to the elect only or of the Kingdome of the visible Church where men walke under the meanes of grace 2. The comming unto Christ may be understood of comming to Christ motu locali or comming to him by faith as he sitteth in his Kingdome of grace and glory or last of all comming to him as he sitteth in the Kingdome of the visible Church Christ hath a residence in the Kingdom of glory and in the Kingdom of grace Now no man can come to Christ as he sitteth in the state of grace or glory but by faith agreed on by all parties but Christ likewise sitteth in the Kingdome of his visible Church and teacheth them as the Prophet promised by Moses and there inviteth all nations to the use of the meanes and commandeth his Ministers to baptize all nations and suffer little children not those onely that Christ blessed and gave especiall testimony unto but those that were but like unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they must be permitted to come to Christ Now the question is whether this comming to Christ is understood only of corporall comming to Christ or any or in which of those respects this comming to Christ is here understood though I dare not deny a corporall comming to Christ is there intimated yet this is not all that is meant in the direction Suffer little children to come to me for the bare comming to Christs person could not have beene inferred from this assertion for to them belongeth the Kingdome of God I sit in the kingdome of the visible Church to dispence ordinances to all the world which I doe by my Ministers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you like me saith Moses and him shall you heare according to which promise I sit alwayes in the visible Church teaching the minde of God as I thus sit ready to teach Suffer little children to come to me for to such belogeth the visible Church if thus you understand the Kingdome of God and the belonging of Infants thereto to signifie their interest to the visible Church then come to me signifieth no more in the direction then suffer them to bee received into the visible Church which is no more then suffer them to be baptized or hereafter when ye shall have commission to baptize all Nations baptize them Neither will Mr. Tombes his distinction serve turne that those whose is the Kingdome of heaven may be baptized when it appears that the kingdome of heaven belongeth to them the text is not of these but such that is of such as have no difference from these as far as you can judge in reference to the Kingdome of God these are to be permitted to come to me Now whereas Mr. Tombes saith such that is such in meeknesse that is a liberty not to be allowed in interpreting of Scripture to assigne or rather restraine the likenesse to humility whereas our Saviour applieth the likenesse only in this that they were little children it was not similitudo qualitatum but subjecti ob omnes qualitates for a subject cannot be said to be like another if any notable disparity can be found it is true if a quality be assigned wherein they doe agree that one quality is enough to make them alike though they differ in all other things but for a man barely to say such as he is fit for this or that employment he that is fit must be such with respect to his skill fidelity and all other conditions requisite for that employment Now if any thing were named wherein they were like it was in that they were little children now that which they were a like fit for was the Kingdome of God and if any children can be fit for the Kingdome of God what unfitnesse can be found in one more then another by any mortall man therefore Christ saith Suffer all children to come to me for they are all alike fit for the Kingdome of God the visible Church and the invisible too for ought you know neither doe I know that the unfitnes of the Infidells childe is in the childe but in the parent that will not bring it nor covenant for it that it shall be a disciple of Christ nor undertake to bring it up in the doctrine of the Gospell nor is that man that is an Infidell himselfe fide dignus to be beleeved in

said Be baptized and wash away thy sinne but wash thy sinne first and then be baptized Act. 15.9 St. Peter sheweth that faith doth purifie the heart Now it is true faith doth receive the Word and Sacraments and maketh one and the other effectuall but both Word and Sacrament doe propose Christ the Word to the eare Sacrament to other senses Baptisme doth represent the bloud of Christ washing and sense doth looke on the washing of water and faith on the promise annexed Now as the word is proposed to the eare so water is tendred and the body washed with water whence faith doth collect the purgation of the soul from the testimony of God water is no more the immediate object of faith then the word it is the authority of God in the word that is the object of faith as likewise the bloud of Christ in baptisme they that beleeve and they that beleeve not heare the word and it is no prophanation of the word to preach it to an Infidell neither is it any prophanation of baptisme to baptize an Infidell yet it is hard to make him heare patiently that in no measure doth beleeve unlesse miracles or in defect of them some assistance of the Civill Magistrate doe concurre so that baptisme is but an offering of the purgation by the bloud of Christ to the eye and the body as the word doth to the eare and may be tendered as the word to all Nations the power of the one and the other is by faith in Christ conveyed unto us in the sacrament of baptisme or the word baptisme cannot worke as baptisme till after administration whatsoever is said of it before is but the operation of the word the washing of water doth sacramentally strengthen our faith no duty of preparation charged on any no man ever reprehended for receiving baptisme unworthily though the Minister hath baptisme charged on him as part of his duty yet never any caution given to Ministers in generall or to Titus or Timothy to take heed that they baptize no unworthy persons nor any sinne or punishment charged on any Minister for baptizing any rashly or without due examination no precept concerning any difference but baptize and teach all Nations to the end that they may become the Disciples of Christ Now where no Law is there is no transgression where God doth not charge sinne how dare any mortall man say this or that is sinfull if any preparation be required let the Scripture bee shewed where that was taught where baptisme was deferred till any competent preparation were manifest what Scripture is directed to the catechumeni nay what one sentence of Scripture is applicable to them that is not applicable to Christians at all times as well after as before baptisme Baptisme is a religious rite which men are easily perswaded out of principles of nature to embrace as may be seen in all Idolatrous worships they have their religious rites which they are perswaded come from the appointment of their gods upon which ground they receive them Now that God did appoint baptisme is no abuse and so we must tender it to Nations by the appointment of Christ which though they receive but as an Infidell doth the word yet when faith commeth they make use of it Therefore the Apostles argue to move newnesse of life from baptisme already received So Romans 6.3.4 5. St. Paul argueth what use wee should make of our baptisme namely that wee should rise with Christ but though the most noble way of arguing be from causes and therefore in the Sacrament of the Lords supper where the worthy receiving of that doth depend on an antecedent cause there faith is said to obtaine the whole vertue of the worke Joh. 6.35 I am the bread he that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst v. 47. He that beleeveth hath everlasting life 51. Hee that eateth of this bread shall live for ever Whereby he plainly saith That he that beleeveth eateth my flesh this bread which is my flesh sacramentally and made such to me by faith Never any such doctrine as this he that beleeveth is baptized because no doctrine is extant precedent to baptisme in reference to the Gentiles See all the Epistles to the Rom. Corinthians and the residue all are written to Churches already baptized Paul declared the whole counsell of God and yet not one word what should be the carriage of the Catechumeni or the Ministers towards them as if he should suppose none under the right of the Gospell that will not first bee baptized and received by the commandement of Christ so he that will teach any thing in St. Pauls Epistles they must teach them to the baptized to whom they are directed as for the Catechumeni nothing is written or directed either to them or concerning them As for those histories of the Acts the greater part were Jews in Covenant with God already unto whom Peter did indeed preach repentance in reference to that bloud that they were guilty of in killing the Lord of glory not as preparation to baptisme but repentance and baptisme are both exhorted unto as precedent to the gift of the Holy Ghost whereas if such preparation had been needfull to baptisme Peter should have stayed for the gift of the Holy Ghost to manifest their fitnesse or at least given them some directions by which they might manifest their fitnesse or shew their repentance and faith which he never did St. Luke doth indeed say They that gladly received the word were baptized but that they manifested it any way but by receiving baptisme gladly doth not appeare and this was ground enough for an Historian to say they gladly received the word wherein they were exhorted to be baptized when they were gladly baptized As for that story of Cornelius that was indeed a pure Gentile Though Peter had commission enough to have gone to him by the command of Christ Mat. 28.19 and to have baptized him and taught him the commands of Christ yet it is plaine Peter did not understand the Commission therefore God for Peters owne satisfaction and the satisfaction of them of the circumcision was pleased in all that story to goe before Peter in a miraculous way Peter was so farre from baptizing of Cornelius that he was hardly perswaded to goe to him or preach to him but as God did go before him by miracles which when they of the circumcision saw the text saith they were astonished And of this very story St. Peter Act. 15. and other places maketh use of to satisfie the Jewes touching the calling of the Gentiles but this was the mercy of God during the infancie of the Church to use such extraordinary meanes for the drawing off the Jewes from that ceremoniall distinction that God himselfe had put between Jewes and Gentiles but in the orderly administration God sent the Holy Ghost though by extraordinary manifestations yet in a seasonable time when first he had

most weakly of any thing we can please our selves better in the opinion of our works then of faith but when we come to deal with man we are sure we treat of colours before blind men there we can boldly talk we may speak as freely as travellers we cannot be disproved whereby it cometh to passe often times that heart that is least upright is most bold faith is indeed in time of need very heroick in her exploits in that she acteth by the power of God but ascribeth little of her best actions to her self she is alwayes conversant with God and therefore cannot but be conscious of much weaknesse and infirmity faith is so always loaden with difficulties that she hath very little to say of her self there must be great preparation on Gods part before there can be any sense or feeling in man of the things of faith there must be the mighty operation of the Word and Spirit and God is pleased to adde baptism too for faith to work upon these things are of mighty operation and so they had need considering the sloth of heart that is in us to believe it is well if after the Word and sacrament of baptisme faith do come God layeth it as a ground and foundation for faith to work upon and accordingly all the arguments of Scripture are to raise us to walk worthy of amendment of life and to rise with Christ Rom. 6. as if it should be said God hath offered you grace in baptisme therefore accept of it ye are born anew in baptisme let it appear in your conversation Argum. 4. That which maketh the admission into the Church meerly arbitrary that is a false doctrine but the doctrine of Anabaptists maketh admission into the Church meerly arbitrary Ergo the major is plain for that nothing is more directly contrary to the service of God then will-worship but denying any that are tendred according to the mind of Christ in the Word and requiring such disposition in the party to be baptized as the Minister pleaseth without any rule from Gods Word is to make the publike service of God or at least a great part of it wholly arbytrary and this doth appear to flow from their doctrine not yet any man durst affirm what was the measure of faith to be required how much he must believe that must be baptized by means whereof the whole matter dependeth on the will of the Baptizer a thing most contrary to the nature of Religion it cannot be imagined that the Holy Ghost would have been so silent in giving rules for the Ministers to walk by in the triall of the faith of the person to be baptized if any such charge had lain upon his office He must baptize believers only saith Mr. Tombes and the Anabaptists but no Scripture directeth what or how much he must believe must it be as much as the Minister shall think fit then some Ministers will baptize with very small triall others will be very hardly satisfied some will baptize as soon as the childe can be taught to say he believeth in Christ others not till ten or twelve others twenty yeers of age wherein no man can either satisfie his own conscience or any reasonable man for that he walketh without rules neither doth this difficulty from this doctrine come from accidental misconstructions or phansies but inevitable necessity from the doctrine it self that the Minister must baptize none but believers yet cannot tell how much or what he must believe before he be fit for baptisme unlesse he walk by rules of mans making without any intimation from Scripture 5. That doctrine that giveth man that power which is divine that doctrine is blasphemous and false but the doctrine of the Anabaptists giveth man that power which is divine therefore the doctrine of Anabaptists is blasphemous and false That doctrine that giveth man power to judge of faith in another that doctrine giveth man that power that is divine but the Anabaptist giveth men power to judge of faith in another therefore the Anabaptist that power that is divine Faith is in the heart with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnesse and with the mouth he confesseth to salvation Rom. 10.10 He therefore that judgeth of faith must judge the heart which is proper to God I the Lord try the heart Jer. 17.10 Neither will it serve his turne to say that he judgeth by rules of charity if this charge lay upon his office to judge charitably it is one thing another to judge ex officio for the judgement of charity can never pronounce the person so judged to be such as he is judged by charity to be judgements of charity are not alwaies true if it be possible we have warrant enough to judge it so by charity if children may possibly be such as the Kingdome of heaven doe belong too wee may in charity judge them such but if we are tyed by our office to baptize none but beleevers it will not serve turne to say we judge them such by charity to prove that we must baptize none but such as are beleevers seeing we may by charity judge many beleevers which yet are not beleevers againe judgement of faith is denied to belong to the Apostles themselves not that we have dominion of your faith 2 Cor. 1.24 If God had appointed Ministers to have judged of mens faith before they had baptized them he would have given them some rules by which they should have been able to walke which he hath not done he hath annexed baptisme to the Ministers calling to let men know that the grace of baptisme commeth immediatly from Christ therefore he sent the seale of it by that calling that came immediately from him but hath promised those officers of his no speciall qualifications whereby they shall have abilities to discern the faith of men more then other men have the judgement of charity is not a Ministeriall qualification that belongeth to every man and is no Ministeriall qualification 6. That doctrine that denieth the interpretation of the promise made to Abraham which S. Paul maketh that is a false doctrine but the doctrine of Anabaptists denieth the interpretation of the promise made to Abraham wch St. Paul maketh therfore the doctrine of the Anabaptists is false Those that deny the blessing of Abraham and in him of all the Nations of the earth to be the Gospel preached to Abraham in reference to the Gentiles after their call deny the interpretation that S. Paul maketh of the promise made to Abraham but the Anabaptists deny the blessing of Abraham and in him of all the Nations of the earth to be the Gospell preached to Abraham in reference to the Gentiles after their call therefore the Anabaptists deny the interpretation made to Abraham which S. Paul maketh the words of S. Paul are plain Gal. 3.8 the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be