ease 3 Now I will give you in the Reasons but first let me lay some grounds before I dispute it 1 Ground All infants are guilty of sinne and liable to the guilt and curse and condemnation for sin they are all guilty because they were all in Adams loyns as in a common root and therefore they must share with him Doe and live Doe not and die spiritually And so he falling all his posterity is possessed with originall sinne as Genes 5. Hee beg at a sonne in his own likenesse What was the Image of the first Adam Ignorance and unbeliefe and stubbornnesse c. As wee have born the Image of the earthly so we must beare the Image of the heavenly but we have born the image of the earthly Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh c. And again none can bring a clean thing out of an unclâ—â—â— therefore Children dying in sin the Curse is theirs 2d Ground Children being guilty of sin and the curse they must be delivered but they cannot deliver themselves and therefore they must be delivered by another and none can deliver them but Christ for there is no other name whereby wee can be saved Acts 4. and therefore it is he that must save Infants 3d Ground If Infants must be saved by Christ and have a share in grace and glory then they must be united unto Christ for where there is no union there is no communion therefore if they have communion there must be union He that hath the sonna hath life and he that hath not the sonne hath not life and John 1.12 To as many as receive him to them he gave prerogative to be the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name 4. There is no union with Christ without agreement of both parties for if there be opposition of one partie it is dissention and not union and nature cannot unite it self to Christ and corruption will not and therefore grace must nature cannot 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man understandeth not the things of God neither can he c. so as nature cannot it must be a spirituall name and John 14.17 Christ promises to send the spirit which the world cannot receive nor corruption will not Rom. 8.7 The carnall minde is enmity against God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be the flesh will oppose but only Christ and grace cannot but consent to the contrary 2 Cor. 6.17 therefore it must be by grace and Christ must give the grace by which we come to close with him if any grace then faith my faith before any because it is the uniting grace you young ones take this in Children must be saved by Christ for these Anabaptists will be dealing with you they study not self-denyall nor humility and therefore they will be dealing with Children but know faith is the grace of union if Children will have glory they must have a share in Christ by grace therefore they must have the grace of union that is by faith they must be united unto Christ or take it thus if they be united unto Christ they have grace and therefore faith if they are converted unto Christ If Children have communion they must have union but if they be elected they have communion because they shall be glorified If Children dye in their infancy that be elected they are converted really and they have faith wrought in them in truth it is a truth out of the seripture if they did not believe there was no conversion in the Old Testament conversion and faith is the same but they are really converted if they be not really converted then they are averted from God eternally unto sin they cannot say so for if they doe they must say they are damned for it is contrary to their being in heaven for if they enjoy God they must be converted think of this you that are wise to say a man may depart from God and live with God it is a professed contradiction for it is a hell to stand against God if it were in heaven and an humble heart is happy in hell and therefore it is to say a person is saved and yet he is damned All the sinfull sons of men that stand defiled with originall sinne if God save them without faith then he saves them in the state of unbelief they are unfaithfull if God will save them he saves and maintains them in a state of unbeliefe contrary to John 3.18 Hee that believeth not is condemned already and else where it is said He that believes not shal be damned and if God save them in a state of unbeliefe then he must maintain them in a state of unbeliefe and in that estate he is an uncapable subject in all capable subjects take away the perfection and imperfection will follow take away sight from the eyes and blindenesse will follow and take faith from the soule and unbelief will follow so that if faith be gone unbelief will be there but they say those places are meant of men of years that is but a shift they may say it is but meerly affirmed and we deny it and our deny all is as good as their affirmation but we say as the word saies He that believeth not shall be damned and it is contrary to the nature of the thing for if God save them and maintain them in their unbelife hee must save their soules and their sins and so they must carry their unbelief into heaven and if that be taken away faith will be there and if unbeliefe be there there will be a departing from God as Hebr. 3.12 Take heed least there be in any of you a heart of unbeliefe c. so that there must be a departing from God in heaven this is a contradiction and therefore it is a meer conceit 5. Those that are accepted with God those must have faith but so are elect Children that die in their infancy Hebr. 11.4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice then Kain c. Why is God offended but for sin and it cannot be removed but by faith for we must have Christ to remove our sin and if we will have Christ we must have faith and as for justification and sanctification so of glorification all come by Christ and therefore they must have faith or else they must come unclean into heaven but that is impossible for no unclean thing shall enter into heaven they must be converted unto Christ Now to the third thing the third branch is that in regard of the operation of the spirit Infants are as capable as men I am forced to speak thus because I must have to deale with Mr. Spilebery and that I might meet with him I have on purpose expressed my self on this manner When it is objected to him that Infants are capable he answers in the 2d page and the 12th line thus If by being capable be meant opposition against the Spirit
the signification they cannot take it in so far as to affect their hearts with the nature of it therfore all such power upon their actual apprehensions signification taking working of abilities of their own it is onely to men of yeares it is beyond the rank and order of infants and the means cannot worke in this regard beyond their order and rank to doe as to men of yeares they may And the same may be said of circumcision for there is the like difference between men of yeares and infants in that and yet this did not hinder Gods end in that ordinance nor did it prejudice the good God intended to bestow upon infants though the abilities of infants could not receive it from the Ordinance or the Ordinance receive help from them for this is extraordinary and beyond the parts of a child that is the meaning of it 2 Yet in regard of God it is his ordinary course and certainly he doth work faith in the hearts of all elected infants that dye in their infancy Doe not stumble that I use the phrases of Ordinary and Extraordinary in regard of the parties and meanes it is ordinary with God for we may see it so in other workes of God as in the work of vocation there is an infusion of a spirituall principle into the soule which is beyond all the abilities of the nature of any man to bring it into his own soule but if we look at the work of God then the way that God hath made known is ordinary and a continued course to infuse a principle of grace into the soule So it is Gods ordinary way to put faith into an infant that is elected and dies an infant As for instance there are many revelations of God every revelation is a revelation of the Spirit but it is according to the Word Now although it is extraordinary in regard of the work of the Spirit revealing yet it is ordinary with God Now this comes to the heart of the cause therefore in this give me leave to do three things 1 To open the meaning and state the question how God doth put faith into infants 2 That it should not seem hard nor men should not think it hard to say God works in this manner 3 We will give you the reasons of it 1 In the meaning of it the secresie of God does drive men to much trouble it is like an unbeaten way to the Seamen they must sound every part of it 1 Some think it is kept in his own secret will 2 Some think the Spirit does work it 3 Some think God puts in a seed of faith 4 Some think there is a habit of faith put into the Soule 5 Some think God does powre faith into the heart of infants that die in infancie that be elected that they shall be converted and put into Christ this is the main truth of the question God does powre it into the soule and so the soule is converted and planted into Christ as the head of the covenant This is the state of the controversie and this I shall labour to strengthen 2 Secondly it should not be strange nor need not to bee counted hard to any judicious Christian to assent to this The reason is because there is a work alike in a parity to that which is daily expressed in the course of Gods providence and is acknowledged by all judicious without doubt And if it be so why may he not doe the like in this That there is a like work and that it is acknowledged appeares thus It is a confessed truth that the Lord does infuse a soule into the body and the soule is pure and holy as it comes from him otherwise God must be the authour of sinne yet through the sinne and guilt of Adam the soule is turned from God and is possest with originall sinne and so sin and guilt is imputed and the curse justly inflicted And the soule being thus wholly turned from God it is wholly possest with originall corruption It is a delusion to say the soule is propagated Gen. 5.3 Adam beg at a sonne in his own image being wholly turned from God and turned to sin And John 3.6 That which is born of the flash is flesh all comes from the sin of Adam Now mark if this be so that the sin guilt of Adam is thus conveyed and the guilt curse this is done daily though we see not the manner how it is done then why may not Christ convey grace turne the heart of a child from sin to himself the party is the same as before and look to the cause and it is greater in the latter then in the former if we looke at Christ there is an advantage in reason to believe the latter rather then the former and why should it be thought a thing incredible seeing the first Adam can turn away the soule from God but that Christ by the power of his merits may convert Infants to himselfe and why then should it bee incredible Now one of these are done from day to day and none doubt of it I meane the first and the second we have more advantage to believe because the second Adam is above the first and why then should not the second Adam be as readily assented unto as the first but every man is forced to yeeld the first that is judicious let us not doubt the second One thing is to be noted in Mr Spilsbery's Booke in the 12th page 19 lines from the end where he saith The word condemnes none but for actuall sinne if he mean as he must needs doe no man is condemned but for the sinne of the party it selfe it is a grosse error Rom. 5.12 For as by one man sinne entredinto the world and death by sinne c. and so in the 8th verse If by the finne of one man judgement came upon all then for the sinne of Adam God may justly condemne all though they never commit actuall sin is the judgement of all that are judicious Death over spread all by Adams sinne and therefore wee see in infants that dye Adams sin was actuall and let him shift what he can the case is cleare and the word condemnes men for originall sinne The wages of sinne is death so originall sinne it is the rebelling against the law of out mind and therefore it must be sinne and to say the contrary is a grosse fulsome error Mark when such errors come from the pens of men it shewes there is more behind and he must say either originall sin is no sin or that infants have no originall sinne And if he say so then the sin of the heathen cannot hinder but that all their children that dye must be saved If you look in the forenamed place in his book you may finde it I speak it that men that have the books may find it And let no man think that these things be strange seeing the like is done that you may see with
the Law of God cannot be a cause of the work of the spirit but sin and self cannot be subject and therefore they cannot be the cause of the working of the spirit nay the nature of man cannot be nay they cannot suffer the work upon them they are not able to bear it Rom. 8.7 It is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be 3. That which is wholy beyond the power of corrupt nature that corrupt nature cannot bee the cause of but to put off sin and self is wholy beyond the power of corrupt nature for nothing can work beyond the power of its own principle and of our selves we are not able to think a good thought So it must be given us so we have gained this that therefore we are all meer patients in the work of conversion both men and children 4. Here lies the life of the answer in these severall works where the hearts are sufferers the soules of Infants are as much fit as the soules of any man and not so much unfit as the soules of many men to receive grace and they have as great a capability as men have and in some measure a greater capabilitic then some men have here is two things to be considered 1. That they are as fit as any but not so unfit as many and therefore all are meet sufferers in the work of the spirit to have sin and self subdued the soules of children are as fit and have as great a capability in the world 1. You must remember heretofore we have made it good that all the sonnes of Adam are tainted with Originall sin equally no man have lesse of Adams sin nor lesse of Originall sin one then another but all men and children are equall here and men of years have contracted many actuall sins nay whatever they doe before they are converted is sin all their thoughts words and deeds so as they grow more proud and more witty to commit sin and to doe wickedly because of actuall transgression some grow more sturdy in their sinfull courses which is drawn and contracted by actuall sin and infants are free from those now those that have acted them are more fit to commit them nay many are habituated in commiting of sin so as they have gotten a habit of drunkennes and a habit of uncleanes c. so as it is plain children are as fit as any and not so unfit as many are for if children have as little opposition as any and lesse then some then it must needes be true For where lesse opposition against a thing is there is lesse trouble to receive it for they are contrary for where lesse opposition is there is a greater disposition to receive it but that children doe as little oppose grace as any man of years all opposition comes from the sinne of Adam and Originall sin came from that and here wee see all are equall in men of years and children and this is the first kinde of opposition 2d Sort of opposition arise from sinfull habits and this comes by actuall sin and by this we come to bee more self-confident and all these infants are free of a man that hath lived many years in sin is come to be habituated in sin as a man that dotes upon the world gets a habit of covetousnes and a man gets a habit of frowardnes these infants are freed from Acts 7.28 Wilt thou kill me c and Acts 18.6 And when they resisted and blasphemed c. Children are dead in sin but some men are twice dead as Jude speaks at the 12th verse Twice dead and plucked up by the roots and as Christ sayd of the Pharisees they made men twofold more the childe of Hell take the most men living and there is Sin and Selfe to be subdued and in regard of Adam sin and originall sin they are all alike But by actuall sin men are full of carnall confidence and therfore the Spirit must have much to do here because men do harden their own hearts and so make themselves twenty times more the child of hell so they are twice dead and pulled up by the root so that they are lesse fit then some naturall men in the world and many men in the world that are but men of the world are more fit then they so that children are more capable then any man The place in Jude is spoken against false Prophets they were twice dead they were dead by originall sin actuall sin there is a sort that hath received a seeming light and get a little of the Word and that he is provoked that a man thinks he is a living man There is another sort that persecute the Word now these are dead again so they are twice dead he is provoked by the work of the Law and now he is more proud and is as athing pulled up by the roots so as nothing can recover him no possibility to come neere him so as it is so farre from being harder for the Spirit to work upon infants that there is an easinesse in this kind The 3d Proposition Beleeving Parents when they enter into a visible covenant to walk in Gods wayes they enter not for themselves alone but for all that come of them and God does ingage himselfe by their meanes to worke grace in their hearts as he sees fit hee counts them to have federall holinesse God accepts of both and he will doe good to them as he sees fit In this Proposition there are foure things to be considered 1 Believing Parents enter into a visible covenant for themselves and their posterity 2 God expects it at the hands of them both 3 God ingages himselfe to use them as instruments to doe good to them as he sees fit God wil give grace to his children he will use them to his own mind God will use them as instruments but he will doe them good as he sees fit not that parents can give grace or worke grace in their children and therefore speak not so for that is as if when God works upon the heart by the preaching of the word you should say the Minister gives grace 4 God accounts children as having federall holinesse 1 When believing Parents enter into a visible covenant they doe enter into it for themselves and children But they must enter into a visible covenant the reason of it is because communication of them that doe so enter into covenant doe in reason belong to them that be in a community of other according to rationall charity because God gives the priviledges of his holy things to a community of men and they must judge according to a rule of charity and passe sentence as things appeare according to that rule For if it be left to every privat man to judge that every man may judge himself fit and be his owne Judge to partake of the ordinances then these two evils will follow 1 An abusing and prophaning Gods holy things for he would carve all
that they cannot oppose the spirit in working on them then stones are capable for God can raise of stones Children to Abraham but if this be the meaning they are as able to comply with the Spirit I deny it and to affirm that this is the way God uses to bring children to him I oppose it and it argues ignorance to say so To which I answer it is the truth of God and it is Gods way to work so and that Children are as capable as men of years if we eye the operation of the Spirit and the dispensation thereof they are as capable as men much more therefore then stones and that I will open and prove in foure things First The nature of man as it was made fit for grace before the fall so it is capable of grace after the fall of Adam when I say capable I say two things 1. The substance of the soule and body need not be changed from their being when they receive grace the nature of the soule and body being not changed but unfitted for any spirituall work As take a Clock that all the wheels are out of frame you need not make new Wheels but onely rectifie them if they be foule make them clean if they be wrong right them so by the fall of Adam all soule and body is out of frame and out of joynt the minde unfit to know God and the will unfit to close with God before the fall all were in frame but when it jarred against the Law then Originall sinne came upon all his seed and that makes them jarre against the law now when a sinner comes to be renewed there needes not new faculties but those he hath to be set in frame this is the meaning of the Spirit of God Jer. 4.4 Plow up your fallow ground c. so the minde is arrable ground although it be over grown with lusts that as there is no fruit of holines to God or righteousnes to men but the minde of man is over run with distempers and therefore as they say we must give it another tilling by plowing up the weeds and Rom. 6.19 As you have given your members weapons to unrighteousnes so now give your members as servants unto righteousnesse unto holinesse the meaning is as we have given our members in the same proportion as we have given them to sin so we should give them to be at the command of the spirit the same understanding will and affections whereas if God raise them out of stones as he can doe he must first give it to be a man and make it to have a body and a soule and then convert it but he need not doe so when he comes to men or children As if a man would have a crop of Corn upon a rock he must first make it ground and then plow them but if hee have ground although it have thorns and rubbish when he hath removed that he may plow it and expect a crop because ground is capable to bear Corn. Now the proof of the point is plain that the nature of man is capable it appears that which is capable of a privation is capable of the habit of the contrary grace of necessity the in beeing of a thing requires a capablens the eye cannot be said to be blind except it be capable of seeing it is not said a mans hand is blinde because it is not capable of seeing so the body may be said to be dead because it is capable of life so it is in the understanding it is full of blindenesse because it is capable of seeing and so the will is capable of holinesse Ephes 5.8 Once you were darknes now you are light in the Lord c. and 1 Cor. 15.49 As we have born the Image of the earthly so we must beare the image of the heavenly the body is sick and it may have help Secondly Our nature is not nextly fit for grace yet it is capable that is the roome may be made fit though it be not fit for the present as a Vessell that is full of ill liquor it is capable to hold good liquor but it is not fit before the filthy liquor be powred out so our nature is capable of grace we need not change our being but wee must bee made fit 2d Particular The spirit of God does in all men whether young or old first loose the soule of a sinner from sin and self by his Almighty power before he puts a principle of grace into the soule and before he leads the soule to God in Christ this must be done take a childe or a man God does work this it is the nature of Gods dispensation Acts 26.18 To open their eyes that they may turn from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God c. First they are taken from under him and then they are turned to God and John 15.19 Because I have chosen you out of the world therfore the world hates you c. you were under the power of sin and I have called you out then I will cal you to my selfe Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son c. We must be cut off from the wilde Olive before we can be planted into the true Olive It was never known an Imp could grow on two stocks at once you cannot serve two Masters you cannot be in Hell Heaven together there cannot be two Gods in one heart it is not possible therefore see how John prepares the way for Christ Luke 3.5 6 7. The mountains must be laid low and the crooked things must be made strait and then they shall see the salvation of God so it is withall the sonnes of Adam nature and reason will constrain the same Thirdly In this double work of the spirit the spirit deposes sin and self and then powers in a principle of grace in both these all men that receive the worke of the spirit are meere patients when it deposes sin and self young and old and are meer patients all men children and infants thus it is in all on whom the great work of conversion is they are meerly patients we have already made it good I will give you two or three reasons of it 1. Aversion cannot bee a cause of salvation a frame to turn from God cannot help a man to turn to God no more then light can cause darknesse sin and self carry the soule from God and therefore it cannot carry the soule to God Gal. 5.17 For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh and those are contrary one to another Now that which destroyes the work of the spirit cannot bring it in Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing now that which hath no spirituall good can doe no spirituall good and so it cannot helpe to God 2. That which cannot be subject to