being born againe of Water and the Spirit that he stayes not for Nicodemus his asking him a reason of this Doctrine sed ipse ultro rationem raddit he willingly renders a reason himselfe in this verse of the Text That which is borne of the Flesh is Flesh which may let us see how a sound Teacher should render a good reason of his Doctrine and not onely dictate and afford no proofs to establish the faith of his hearer If the men that pretend so much now light would do so it werewell I have lately seen a little Pamphlet concerning Church offices in New-England wherein it is reported how that American Jezabel one Hutchinson a Gentlewoman under the pretence of this new light did exceedingly trouble the Churches and yet of a long time could not cleerly discover the originall of it that linnen prophetesse under pretence of new light did so gull and infatuate old Professors that they sleighted and undervalued their old Teachers in regard of it whom they had followed by Sea and Land and forsaken the places of their nativity for the love of them which light was indeed nothing else but a mere imaginary flash in the Pharisie by which the Divell changing himself into an Angell of light beguiled them untill at length her impostures were found out she after long debate of the matter convicted and adjudged to be banished that their Churches might have rest some of the beames of this light are extended to our Nation there may bee such imaginary illuminates in it but qua tales wee know they are not of us The enemy that too well loves his crosse rowes is still in hand with his A. and his B. ANABAPTISTS and BROWNISTS but they will not C. that the Church of England deselaims these Suppose the graces of Gods Spirit may be in such men as are of the more tollerable temper amongst them yet St. Paul would not forbear Peter because of his graces when he did wrong but reproved him roundly for it the peace of the Church should be valued at an high rate of all such as do sapere ad sobrietatem and such as speak not the words of sobernesse as well as truth deserve censure as Paul said to Festus Act. 26.25 Gen. 1.16 God made two great lights the Sun to rule the day the other the night he made also the Stars but these borow their light from the Sun Now if any man should tell us of new light and yet after that of more new light be it of Candle or Torch or the like I would aske what these were in comparison of the light of the Sun Moon c. So god made other two great lights in the Firmament of the Church the Old Testament to governe the Jewes the New to governe both Jewes and Gentiles that Lumen innatum or light God lent from Heaven contained in them wee willingly receive from them and all the Stars of the Churches horrow their light from hence Lord open their eyes to distinguish betweeen this light to be drawn from it and that lumen adventitium or adventitiall light brought to it Hos 6. latter part of the 5. vers thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth Now this adventitiall light in comparison of the innate light is but as a Candle before the Sun between which there is no comparison and where the Sunne can have accesse a candle is needltsse so where the light of the Scriptures can take place there is no need of this imaginary light of man If a man should conceive that there were not innate light enough in the Sunne to illuminate our hemisphaere but should devise some new light of Torches to set upon every Beacon to illuminate the Ayre and let men see how to travell would not all men laugh at him knowing that this was but a superfluous conceipt and that many ages had travelled well enough without any such light as well as with them even so here If we shall boast of new light and more light which cannot be found in the Scriptures nor drawne from them and set up that and magnifie it amongst men as though the other contained not sufficient may not men either think them proud or ridiculous in not being content to travell by that light in which so many ages of the Church have gone to Heaven before them surely yes But they will say that they have a greater measure of Gods Spirit infused to see and interpret that innate light than hath been before them I answer 1. That divers points of their illuminate Doctrine cannot be made good by the Scriptures neither are they according to the analogie of Faith 2. That Light in the Scriptures being the Light of Gods Spirit if their Light agree not with that it cannot be from God 3. Many of Gods people that have the Spirit in as great a measure as they have and shew it by the effects cannot conceive their opinions to be truth as consonant to that sacred Truth of God Es 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them let them boast of what they will and Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from Heaven preach any other Dectrine let him be accursed 1 John 4.1 Try the Spirits whether they be of God or no and beleeve not every Spirit c. that is every Doctrine that is pretended to come from the Spirit intimating that there may not be Doctrines pretended from the Spirit that are not of the Spirit c. This indeed I willingly grant that there may lye a truth in a text which a carnall eye may travell over many yeeres and not be discovered thus the Rabbins of the Jewes the Scribes and Pharisees did often reade over many Texts in Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes which concerned Christ and which they understood not these very places Christ himself and his Apostles whose understandings he had opened to understand the Scriptures Luke last 49. did often quote against them and confute them Hos 6.6 It s said I will have mercy and not sacrifice this though often read yet not understood of them therefore Mat. 9.13 Goe yee saith our Saviour and learne what that meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice See againe Psalm 100.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand untill I make thy Foes thy Foot-stoole This place though they had often read yet they did not understand as may appeare by Mat. 22. from 44. to the end When those learned Pharifies were assembled verse 41. our Saviour begun to pose â—hose Owle-eyed Doctors and moves his question upon these words The Lord said unto my Lord c. whereas they had said before verse 42. that CHRIST was DAVIDS Sonne he replyes If be bee Davids Sonne how doth he then call him Lord but they could not answer him a word neither durst any from that day forth aske him any more questions thus you
a wonder to hear what hours ambitious men take up in wearying of mens ears with relating from how many great personages they are descended to how many such like they are of kindred to how many allyed c. what famous acts these and these have done it may be so their times afforded them honour for it and their posterity others esteeme for their sake but in the meane time what have themselves done Their Ancestors I feare dyed without Executors of any of their Heroick Acts the most that any of them have done is to talk of them in a Tavern to swear big at an Ordinary to fight with sheild of Brawne to flash shoulders of Mutton and use the case shot of Olives and Capers to march under the colours of Sacke and Claret and to give fire upon their friends in a Tobacco pipe egregias sane laudes spolia amplarefertis Surely noble atchievements and high estimates to men of such Memorials let them know that God requires another kind of noblenesse another kind of action to bring them to Heaven not the first birth will do this but being born again Nisi quis natus fueritdenua except a man be born again I come now to the manner of it it must be of Water and the Spirit except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit Learned Interpreters are somewhat troubled about these words especially about the word Water all agree in this that we must be born again onely de modo de medio or de necessitate medij is the question about the manner of our being born again or the medium of it or the necessity of the medium Some understand the word Water figuratively for the grace of Gods Spirit and it cannot be denyed but that in Scripture it may sometimes so signifie as Iohn 4.10 He would have given the water of Life and John 7.38 Rivers of water of Life Yea but the word Life is added to it which more explicates it as it is not in this place Well but John 4.14 it 's not added there Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst againe Yea but this is added the water that I shall give him and that is spirituall water Esa 44.3 is most like to favour this exposition I will power water upon the thirsty there is no addition to Water and floods upon the dry ground in that place no doubt but Water may be taken for the spirituall Water of Gods grace And some would illustrate this Exposition of the Text by Mat. 3.11 He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire whereby Fire is meant the zealous and fervent grace of Gods Spirit and is exegeticall or expositorie of the former word Yea but against this illustration it is excepted that when a word is exegeticall it must follow the word it expounds not go before it as it doth here not Water and the Holy Ghost but the Holy Ghost and Water 2. That it ought to be more plaine then that it expounds and not more dark as here I answer some reason and truth must be admitted in this exception I conceive that it holds cata polu but not cata panto's it holds true very often but not alwayes without any exception and in all places for sometimes one and the same thing one and the same truth may bee expressed in divers manner of speaking metaphoricall and literall and yet the sense aequipollente and all one and sometimes the latter more dark than the former Thus Lamen 3.19 Remembring mine affliction and my mourning the Wormwood and the Gall. Here the manner of speaking is divers the one sentence literall the other metaphoricall literall my affliction and my mourning metaphoricall the wormewood and the gall yet the sense aequipollent they come to one and the same sense yet the latter is more obscure then the former 2. Take the place of Esaiah before quoted Es 44.3 I le powre water upon the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground then it follows I le powre my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thy Buds Here againe the manner of speaking is divers metaphoricall and literall in the words Spirit and Blessing yet the sense is aequipollent one and the same thing is meant by both so they think that the like may in this Text Water and the Spirit though the former be taken metaphorically the latter literally yet the sense aequipollent of the Spirituall graces of God and the Spirit present in those graces This I have said to shew the reasonablenesse of the Exposition of the Text in this sense and I know that divers modern Divines so take it But now for the second opinion to understand the Water literally and so of the Water of Baptisme I conceive a difference betweene this speech Water the Spirit and this Water and the Spirit the former may note out one and the same thing the latter two distinct things In the former instance where the words are expositorie or meant of one and the same thing they are spoken without any conjunction between them The words run not thus The affliction and the mourning And the wormwood and the gall but thus the affliction and the mourning the wormwood and the gall without any And between them and the like we may observe in the latter Esa 44.3 Rivers and floods my Spirit and my Blessing Not thus Rivers and Floods And my Spirit and my Blessing for that might have argued them to have been two distinct things For further explication or illustration thus Socrates Philosophus And Socrates Philosophus may admit of divers meanings For Socrates Philosophus by apposition may be meant of one and the same man being a Philosopher But Socrates Philosophus Socrates a Philosopher may be meant of him and of some man else that were a Philosopher So Water the Spirit may be meant of one and the same thing but Water And the Spirit may be meant of different things And so Christ speakes here except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit of Water as the outward element or medium of the Spirit or of the operatings and inward graces of God And this sense the most of the Ancients give of it and take the word Water literally here for the Water in Baptisme And indeed this sense will agree with the like expresses of the Spirit of God in Scriptures Act. 8.36 Here is the water saith the Eunuch what doth let me to be baptized v. 37. more then water is required of those that are of ripe yeers and that is actuall Faith If thou beleevest with all thine heart thou mayest the Eunuch answered Philip I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God upon this he was baptized And Ephes 5.26 That he might sanctifie and cleanse by the washing of Water through the Word through his powerfull promise made in the Word to do so This was required in Nicodemus as well as the
or else answers sharply so that they had no great mind to meddle with him Mat. 22.18 Why tempt ye meye Hypocrites and if he spoke what they understood not they were too proud to be instructed in the meaning Nicodemus was not so John 2.19 when he bid them destroy the Temple and that in three dayes he would build it up againe in the next verse they reply frowardly 46. years was this Temple in building c. Thus he spoke of the Temple of his body but they understood not nor desired And John 8.21 when he had said Whither I goe ye cannot come In the next verse they reply what will he kill himselfe because he saith whither I go ye cannot come c. thus when the speeches were dark they never desired to know the meaning of them of Christ as Nicodemus did for when Christ had told him of being born againe and he knew not the meaning of it yet he behaves not himselfe like them nor was to proud to learn but never lets Christ rest untill he knew the meaning of it and our Saviour seeing him bent to learn was as willing to teach him as here in the Text Verily verily I say unto thee that except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God c. In the words of the Text we have these five particulars 1. A vehement asseveration Amen amen dico tibi Verily verily I say unto thee 2. A change of Lifes specification except a man be born again 3. The manner of it of Water and the Spirit 4. The necessity of it he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God 5. Lastly the reason of it in the latter verse that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit In order and first of the vehement asseveration Iesus answered verily verily I say unto thee Jesus answered that was more you have heard than he would do to many of his fellow Rulers 2. He answered him courteously and that was more than he would do to any of them when he did answer 3. He answers earnestly and with a vehement asseveration as arguing that he desired to have him understand the Truth for you shall never finde our Saviour using this asseveration but upon weighty businesse and in the Gospell of Saint John more usually than any where else Here it s doubled verily verily I say unto thee Amen Amen The word Amen is in all the Cardinall Languages its Amen in the Hebrew Amen in the Greek and Amen in the Latine and we so continue it in the English in many places the reason is this The Septuagint who first translated the Hebrew Text into Greek they left is untranslated The Latine Interpreters finding it so left of them they left it so to Our English Translators finding it so left of the Latine they left it in most places so too Thus again v. 11. verily verily I say unto thee we speak what we know and thou mayest beleeve what I say unto thee I speake authoritative by that authority which I have received from the Father and therefore Mat. 7. two last verses it 's said That when Christ had ended his word the people were astonished at his Doctrine For he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes the majesty and power of Gods Spirit appeared in his speeches they felt the dint of them upon their Consciences and were not able to withstand the power of the Spirit by which he spoke John 7. from 45. forward Then came the Officers of the High Priests and Pharisees and they say unto them why have ye not brought him the Officers answered never manspoke like this man How happy was Nicodemus then to have this man speaking unto him but the Pharisees said are ye also deceived q.d. we took you to have bin faithfull and firme Officers to us to have executed our pleasure upon this deceiver Nunquid et vos seducti estis and are ye also deceived Doth any of the Rulers of the Pharisees beleeve in him yea Iohn 12.42 many of them but durst not professe him for fear of you it was more than they knew and here Nicodemus one of them Beleeves in him yet durst not let them know as much q.d. If he had been a true Prophet and if his Doctrine had bin from Heaven doe not you think that many so wise and so learned men and so religious men would not have received him and it No for Christ and his Doctrine were received of more poor men then rich Rulers and great Potentates of the World Mat. 11.5 The poor receive the Gospel Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore rich in Faith 1 Cor. 1.26 Brethren you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And Jer. 5.45 as though the poor did not receive correction nor turn unto God when they were smitten yet the Prophet thought that the great men and Rulers understood more had bin better educated could conceive better of Gods Truth I said of the other that they were poor and foolish and undestood not Gods way but he supposed that the great men knew the judgments of their God but they proved the worse for they had altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds It was therefore an ill Argument mone of the Rulers nor Pharisees beleeved on him ergo others might not lawfully do it or his Doctrine was not of God As for this people that know not the Law that know not the meaning nor interpretation of it as we do they are accursed Thus basely and contemptibly they spoke of those that beleeved on Christ these you see are but a poor base and abject people come of no great stock nor bred in any famous Schools of the Pharisees what great matter is it what they do thus they vent their pride and labour to block up the passage of Christianity well but Mat. 11.25 these things were hid from the wise and men of understanding God opened them unto Babes And if the people knew not the Law the more shame for themselves that should have taught them Again if the people did but follow him that did not know the Law it seems that it was but of ignorance that the people did sinne if they had offended in following Christ But many of themselves sinned of knowledge and set malice therefore by consequence they will excuse the People and accuse themselves But it may be objected Mat. 5.37 that our Saviour taught That our communication should be yea yea and nay nay for whatsoever was more came of evill And Jam. 5.12 let your yea be yea and nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation but our Saviour seems to use more here for he doth not simply affirme but with a double asseveration verily verily I say unto thee I answer the meaning of the words is that we should simply
covenant with Noe of not drowning the world again by Water and his signe for this was his bow in the Clouds Gen. 9.12 13. This is the token of the Covenant which I make between me and you c. I have set my bow in the Clouds and it shall be a signe betweene me and the earth Secondly with Abraham and his Seed and promised Christ Gen. 17.10 And that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed as you have heard and then he instituted the signe of circumcision 3. And lastly he renews the covenant in Christ to all believers and of this covenant Baptisme was the more perfect than the former Sixthly observe that he joynes two things in the Sacrament together that are valde dissimili greatly dislike Water and the Spirit the former corporall the latter spirituall the former visible and the latter invisible and herein answers to the two essentiall parts of man his body and his soule where of the former is visible the latter invisible the Water visible the Spirit invisible the Water washeth the body the Spirit works upon the soule and minde John 3.8 the manner of our regeneration is compared to the blowing of the winde The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but thou canst not tell whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that is borne of God Now in the winde two things are observeable 1. we feel it blowing but 2. we cannot see the wind that bloweth for though it be a body yet naturall Philosophy teacheth us that it is corpus tam tenue so subtle a body that we cannot see it even so it is here we feel the sweet working of the Spirit but we cannot see that spirit that worketh The Papists that hold the Sacraments Phyficall Instruments as you have heard they say that the body is no lesse sanctified by the Water than the soule by the Spirit and they instance thus quemadmodum aqua viribus ignis intensius calefacta non aliter quam ignis vrit c. Even as Water made very hot by the fire doth no lesse burn then the fireits selfe so the Water in baptisme by the operation of the Spirit of God adjoyned to it doth cleanse the body of him that is baptized as the Spirit its selfe but as some of the sounder Schoole Divines have well considered Water being but Creatura insensibilis an insensible creature it s not capable to be the subject of any inhaerent grace as one body or element is capable of the heating by another 2. You have heard that Spiritus is not alwayes necessario sihi adjunctus the Spirit is not alwayes and of necessity joyned to it 3. And lastly the corporall substance of water cannot immediately touch or work upon the soule But even as the meat is first digested inwardly in the stomack and then by secret passage the spirit and vigour of it is conveyed to the outward parts of the body even so grace first infused into the heart and mind of a man spread it selfe into all the faculties of the soule and then into all the parts of the body so that the whole man is infected So grace when God doth infuse it spreads it selfe as farre thus in this sense in regard of parts where sin hath abounded there grace also may abound And in what sense God may be said to have sanctified us by the water of baptisme you have heard heretofore But you will say what need Christ water in baptisme as any outward signe to sanctifie us by cannot he sanctifie us by his Spirit without this I answer what needed our Saviour clay or spittle or washing in Siloam to have opened the blinde mans eyes could he not have done it onely by a word and it should have served Or why did God create man of the dust of the earth could hee not have created him of nothing I answer yes but he was not pleased so to doe but would use meanes to teach us not to despise the use of meanes but to waite upon God in the use of them when he appoints them Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that disputeth with God shall thou teach him how he shall work his work or by what meanes Gen. 1. the latter part of the second ver it s said That the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters even so doth it upon these waters to sanctifie us by them as by an outward signe giving us by that which we see that which we see not in what sense you have heard before This water in Baptisme is thought to have been typified per aquam expiationis by the sprinkling water mentioned Numb 19.9 But ver 2. this water must have the ashes of a red Cow mingled that which was without blemish to note out that this water must have the red blood of Christ without sinne to goe with it As also by the Waters issuing out of the Sanctuary as some will have it Ezek. 47. from v. 1. forward c. as also by the Waters of the flood Gen. 7.7 and this is plain by St. Peter 1 Pet. 3.21 Seventhly he saith not nisi quis baptizatus fuerit sednisi quis natus fuerit ne quis de solo externo baptismo gloriaretur he saith not except a man be baptized but except a man be borne againe least any man should glory onely of his outward baptisme for outward baptisme with water you have heard will not serve without inward baptisme with the spirit by which the old man is put off and the new man put on or otherwise as many come through the red Sea that afterwards perished in the Wildernesse and never saw the Land of Promise so many may passe though the Water of Baptisme that afterwards perish in aeternall misery and never see the spirituall Canaan no more then they did the temporall Eightly As in naturall generation there is a concurrence of father and mother even so in this spirituall generation the Church as the mother she affords water and God as our Father he gives his Spirit and so a man comes to be born a child of Light 9. And lastly seeing that a man can but be once borne naturally no more can he spiritually as you have heard therefore Donatus of old and the Anabaptists of these latter times have been much to blame to baptize men over again seeing that their former baptisme was by lawfull Ministers and according to Christs prescription both for matter and forme Donatus upon conceipt that the Ministers were faulty in their lives that baptized them as though the efficacy of the Sacrament did depend upon the bounty of the Instrument and not upon GOD. Many that have been baptized by faulty Ministers prove good men and on the contrary many that have beene baptized by good Ministers prove bad men But before I passe this point I cannot but give you one collection from some of the Papists out of this Text. You know they
body by the Spirit we shall live thus againe Gal. 5.17 the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the Flesh these are contrary one to another that is the unregeneracie that is in man strives against the regeneracy that is in him and these are so contrary one to another even as fire and water that ye cannot do what ye would St. Paul found this by experience you have heard that hee perceived a Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his mind and when he would haved one good yet evill was present with him Rom. 7.21 and Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my Flesh in me by nature in me in as much as such unregenerate there dwells no good thing In quantum renati for as much or in as much as we are regenerate so farre forth we both will and do that which is good but the defect in either is from the imperfection of regeneracie or that unregenerate part that is in us throughout the whole man in the understanding will and affections and in all parts of our bodies and that which is born of the flesh in this sense is flesh also for we must know that our children are ours naturali propagatione not spirituali regeneratione by naturall propagation not by spirituall regeneration wee beget them as we are naturall not as we are spirituall we can convey unto them all that Adam by guilt and generation conveighed unto us but what spirituall grace God conveighed unto Adam that was not in his power to convey unto us it was Gods free gift to his person not intayled upon his posterity and lineally to descend upon them as was his nature no more is grace then to any of us or to the most holy men in the world they can but convey what they have by nature grace is Gods free guift not any essentiall part of mans nature and that is the reason why many good men have oftentimes had bad children as Abraham had an Ismael Isaac an Esau David an Absolam c. because they were there by nature not by grace And before God bestowed grace upon their fathers they were wicked and walked and swayed by sinne as well as others and as they though it may be in a more remisse manner St. Aug. observes of the Jewes that though they were themselves circumcised yet they begot children uncircumcised because themselves were such by nature even as the corn which if you winnow it never so clean in fanning away the chaffe yet if you sow it it will grow with chasse on again as much as ever it had before because it was naturally so it was but by art even thus conceive of the Text that whether a man be in the flesh as to tally unregenerate uncircumcised unfanned or of regeneration yet that part of unregeneracie was naturall to him and according to that estate he begets his children even as the circumcised Jewes begot uncircumcifed children as well as did the uncircumcised amongst the Gentiles because uncircumcision was in both naturall even so regenerate men beget unregenerate children as well as unregenerate men do because unregeneracie whether in part or in whole is naturall in both and may bee called flesh in both and in either of these accoptions flesâ— quod natum est ex carne caro est that which is borne of the Flesh is Flesh and thus by this time I hope you may perceive that the vaile is taken from the sence of the Text. Whence we may observe that our Parents which begot us can convey no spirituall abilities for regeneration conversion or salvation of us unto us that we have heard is beyond the power of nature and by increasing and multiplying they can conveigh no more to us but that for if they could we should stand in lesse need to be born againe in which second birth we have our abilities from God Phil. 2.13 It s God that works in you both the will and the deed of his good pleasure your Parents can neither give you wills nor good works for the power of these come ab extra from without above the compasse of nature 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceives not the things of the Spirit of God the naturall man that is he that hath no more abilities then meer nature can afford him such as he drew from the loynes of his Father for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned as if he should have said a more naturall man wants the meanes and the light of knowing of them nature can afford him no such thing Eph. 2.3 we are by nature saith Paul the children of wrath as well as others thus we have the Doctrine illustrated This may first teach us that as wee must have a second birth as well as a first as we have heard that for this second birth we must rely upon the Lord for ability we must look higher than our Parents not they nor the Angels of God nor any creature can be the Author of the grace of regeneration or conversion onely God must do that Acts 11.14 though Peter by his preaching was an instrument of conversion to those Gentiles that heard him He shall speak words unto thee whereby both you and all thy house shall be saved yet God was the Author of that grace they then received v. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life And Lam. 5.21 Turne us unto thee and we shall bee turned 2 Tim. 2.25 proving if God at any time will give repentance that they may know the truth 2. If whatsoever be born of the flesh be flesh this may let us see what free will we have to any spirituall good by nature or what grace to salvation by nature from it we can receive nothing but nature Mat. 7.19 do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of Thistles No we know that Thorns naturally bring out no such things as Grapes nor Thistles Figs even no more can we looke that corrupt nature should bring forth spirituals no but like its selfe flesh quod natum est excarne caro est that which is borne of the Flesh is Flesh It followes and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit In the former verse the words runne thus except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit In these no mention made of Water or being born of Water because that without the concomitance of this the other cannot do it but whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit because the efficiencie of the birth proceeds from that though Water be the outward visible signe which it pleased God to use in working you have heard that a man may be born again of the Spirit and yet want water but none can bee borne again of Water onely if the Spirit be wanting therefore the birth of the Spirit is here mentioned that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit The Spirit in Scripture is sometimes put for the soule of a man but here the Spirit is not opposed to the Flesh or body as Heb. 12.9 where mention is made of the Father of our bodies and how we gave them reverence much more should wee bee subject to the Father of Spirits Prov. 18.19 a wounded Spirit who can beare and Eccles 3.21 Who knowes the Spirit of a man that goeth upward but that cannot be meant here 2. The Spirit is sometimes taken for the Divell the evill Spirit Mark 9.26 then the Spirit cryed and rent him sore but neither can that be meant here 3. That Spirit is put for the holy and sanctifying Spirit of God and that is meant in this place as may appeare by the vers going before except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit and Ephes 5.18 be not drunke with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the Spirit the Spirit of God where it is in any speciall operation is accompanied with the graces of it which are also called the Spirit and where the graces of God are the essence of the Spirit is there also to cherish and inrich those graces as Gal. 3.2 received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law c. and whosoever is born of the Spirit is said to be born of God as you have heard 1 John 5.1 that is he is regenerate and born againe by the vertue and power of the Spirit upon his heart minde and soule and so far forth as he is regenerate pure gratious and spiritually good so farre forth is be born of the Spirit for 〈◊〉 â—â—at good Spirit there can be no bad effects but whatsoever is born of it is of a spirituall and holy nature that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit see what the Lord saith Ezek. 36.25 26. speaking of the return of his people out of Captivity and out of the Countries into which he had scattered them then saith he will I power clean Water upon you and yee shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you this cleane Water is expounded in the next words after a new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will give you an heart of Flesh that is I will take away your hard and unregenerate heart from you that nothing could work on and I will give you ◠〈◊〉 eart softened with the oyle of the graces of my Spirit and by the 〈…〉 wash away your filthinesse Luke 11.3 If ye which are evill can give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heaâ—â—â—ly Father give the Holy Ghost unto them that desire him And so make you truly spirituall being born of this Spirit Quod natum est ex spirituâ—… spiritus est that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit FINIS
sinne persona infecit naturam in the posterity naturain fecit personam And I answer it was not he comparative in regard of his regenerate part but it was he in the unregenerate part Rom. 7.15 I allow not that which I do v. 19. the evill which I would not that doe I For the whole man is principium quod both of good and bad actions but the principium quo of evill is corruption of good Gods grace Ob. 4. The guilt is inseparable from the sinne I answer its inseparabile quoad dignitatem paenae but its separable quoad ordinationem ad paenam and that will serve to keepe us from ever comming into the fire of Hell Obj. 5. What is properly sinne is taken away by the grace of Christ in baptisme but defect of originall justice not ergo Ans Non ut non sit sed ut non imputetur But I may not swell the bulk this shall briefly suffice for the former point that though the guilt of originall 〈◊〉 be taken away in the Elects yet remains it a sinne even in the regenerate invitis Pontificiis whether the Popish Divines will or no. To the second that their guilt is ordinarily taken away in elect Infants in baptisme for the explaining of which I must praemise the certaine proposition as thus I deny not but God may and doth give his Spirit to elect Infants sometimes before Baptisme for many such may dye before they attaine it 2. He may do it after for Baptisme is as well sigillum gratiae accipiendae when it is once had as acceptae 2. When I say in Baptisme I meane by it as the Fathers do Baptismum completum which includes three things signum significatum and analogiam the sigu is outward the signified inward the analogie mixed of both the resemblance stands us that even as Water washeth the body so doth Christs bloud the soule and this union is made by the Spirit Christ applying the one in and by the thother as by an outward Instrument and if any of these be wanting the baptisme is not compleat but onely there is an outward Sacrament of Baptisme not the grace of the Sacrament Ambros de iis qui initiantur Mysteriis lib. 4. tres sunt in Baptismate Aqua sanguis spiritus si unum borum detrahas non stat baptismatis in Saeramenâ—um that is in the sense you have heard therefore when I speak of baptisme to draw it onely to the Baptisme of Water is an insipid conceipt which no man either of learning or ordinary braines could in probability bee so voide of reason as to affirme being that I had said they were not Instrumenta Physica not no Creature not devoid of common reason and charity would have once offered for their own shame to have fastened upon a man So that I cannot meane onely the act of Baptisme or Institution without operation nor the materiale of the Sacrament or the formale of words 3. And lastly though all the Fathers that I have read speake of Baptisme in definitly yet I meane not of all in generall both Elect and Reprobate for the unregenerate and reprobate never have the guilt removed though they bee baptized but of Elect Infants to which I have said God is not so tyed to meanes as that he may not give it either before or after yet having been pleased to set up a standing Ordinance of Baptisme in the Chureh I say that ordinarily he takes away the guilt of their originall sinne in this or else it must bee an extraordinary thing to have the guilt of it taken away Bulling lib. 6. adversus Anabapt Infautes habeant rem signatam gratiam Dei remissionem peccatorum Now whereas I say the Fathers speak indefinitely we must know that an indefinite proposition in materia contingenti is but instar particularis as Doctus est pius this is contingent therefore not universall but animal est sensibile this is instar universalis because it is in materia necessaria Yet now and then a man may gather by what hath fallen from the Pens of the Ancients that their meaning is of the Elect when they speak of the efficacy of Baptisme Again when it is said in Baptisme it may either point at the tempus baptizandi or the virtutem baptismi the time of baptizing or the vertue power and efficacy of it and howsoever if we consider the outward Sacrament of the Elementary materials and the verball formale as no proxima propria or immediata causa gratiae fidei as not having grace physically in it or absolutam aliquam causalitatem ad dispositionem recipientis or any absolute eausalitie to dispose the receiver of it selfe as Bonavent in lib. 4. sent dist 1. qu 4. yet they do this as morall Instruments per quandam assistentiam divinam quae proprie est fidei acgratiae causa they doe efficere gratiam afford grace or work it So that in this sense we say with Amesius aque baptismum aliquo modo causam instrumentalem regenerationis esse non negamus in some sort we deny not saith he the baptisme of Water to be an instrumental cause of regeneration for it is an Instrument of the proper cause and of the effect of the cause which is the grace of the Spirit of God though you have heard not the proper Proxime and emmediate cause Yet I say by this morall Instrument as Scotus Durandus Henricus Bonavent Alexan. Ales and outward visible sign as the standing Ordinance of God in his Church he gives grace ordinarily to elect Infants or else it should be a prognostick of grace or a sigillum onely Dr. Featly in his Childrens Baptisme justified pag 41. speaking of its neglect saith thereby they deprive them of that ordinary remedy of that originall malady in which they are conceived and borne or cata polu but signum inane aut vacnum or concerning whom I cannot but note what I reade in that learned and worthy instrument of GOD in his Generation Mr. Taylor in his Sermons preached in the University in Cambridge and in the ears of men guifted to judge in point of Divinity and printed as a comment on Titus 1612. page 642. towards the end he thus writes distinguishing Infants into such as are elect and such as belong not the election of grace the latter receive outwardly the element and not inwardly washed The former namely elect Infants receive in the right use of the Sament the inward grace Not that hereby we tye the Majesty of God to any time or means whose Spirit blowes when and where it listeth on some before Baptisme as we have heard who are sanctified from the Wombe on some after but then marke what followes but because the Lord delights to present himselfe gratious in his own Ordinances we may conceive that in the right use of this Sacrament he Ordinarily accompanieth it with his Grace here according to his promise we may expect it and here we may and ought
to send out the prayer of Faith for it And page 643. to such as dye Infants giving that Spirit which works either Faith or some thing proportionable for their justification regeneration sanctification and salvation In the latter which survive and live to discretion vvorking the seeds and inclination of Faith which in due time shall fructifie to Eternal Life See Polan lib. 6. cap. 55. quo promissa est gratia invisibilis exhibetur Wallebius in compendio Theol. lib. 1. cap. 23. Fidem non secus ac rationem habent acsi non in fructu tamen insemine radice c. They have Faith as they have Reason though not in the act and exercise of it yet in the Root of Seed or it they have virtuall petentiall and inclinative Faith and they have it in Actu primo saith Walleb seeing they have spiritum fidei the Spirit of Faith though not in actusecundo Prosp de vocatione gent. lib. 1. cap. 18. Originem verae justitiae in regenerationis Sacramento positam esse ut vbi homo tenascitur ibi etiam ipsarum virtutum veritas Oriatur Yea some moderne Divines have afforded them the habit of Faith Polan synagmat lib. 9. cap. 6. though others cannot see how that should be of which never after any shew without new instruction Estius in lib. 4. Sent d. 4. sect 6. calls it habitum sopitum or qualitatem quiescentem which saith he constituat vere credentes sperantes diligentes c. although it cannot actuate except the impediment of the age be removed and externall doctrine or instruction accede by the outward senses I say thus that if by an habit bee meant an inchoat habit infused it may be true but not of a perfect habit for then the former exception may take place but an inchoate habit and a disposition to a perfect one are all one for Disposition and Habit thus differ not specie but gradu as tempor fervor and thus in effect It s no more then what we heard before the School-men that follow Aquin. part 3. qu. 69. art 6. in corpore say thus for their perfect habit the impotentia operandinon accidit pueris ex defectu habituum sed ex impedimento corporali even as men that are sleeping they have the habits of vertue though whilst such they cannot exercise them Taylor on Titus page 939. in his doctrine in Calce God in baptisme not onelyoffers and signifies but truly exhibiteth grace c. and that vertuall and inclinative beliefe in them is acceptable to God in Christ as actuall in aedu tis it savours therefore too strongly of an Anabapticsticall conceipt to think that Infants are not capable of inward graces of baptisme unlesse they had actuall Faith St. August To 3. in enchirid ad laurent cap. 54. Baptism itis munere quod contra origin ale peccatum donatum est ut quod generatione attractum est regeneratione detrahatur and a little after unde incipit hominis renovatio here mans renovation begins And Tom. 7. lib. 1. de peccatorum meritis cap. 9. speaking of the Pelagians denying originall sinne Hinc enim etiam in paroulis nolunt credere per Baptismun solvi originale peccatum they will not beleove that Originall sinne is is taken away in children by baptisme lib. 2. cap. 28. Although Law of concupiscence remain in our members manente ipsa reatus ejus solvitus though it abide yet the guilt of it is taken away and then it followes sed eisolvitur qui Saccamentum regenerationâ—s accaepit renov â—â—ique jam caepit its taken away in such as have received the Sacrament of regeneration and now have begun to be renewed lib. 6. contra Julianum ergo quia parvuli baptizantur in Christo peccato moriuntur a potestate tenebrarum ubi natura filii ira fucrant erunutur Children are baptized in to the death of Christ and dye to sinne and although by nature they were the children of wrath yet are they hereby plucked out of the power of darknesse lib. 1. contra 2. Ep. Pelag. cap. 13. ipsa carniâ— concupiscentiain baptisme sic dimittitur ut quanquam tract a sit a nascentibus nihil noceat renascentibus concupiscence in baptisme is so taken away that though it be contracted to posterity yet it hurts not the party regenerate lib. de nuptiiâ— cap. 23. haec in qu am concupiscentia quae sola Sacramento regenerationis expiatur c. Martyr loc com clas 4. cap. 8. sect 2. cham lib. 5. de Sacr. cap. 4. par 6. Cal. Institutionum lib. 4. cap. 14. sect 17. Gerar. voss Thes Theol. de paedo baptismo pant 1. Thes 15. Musclai com q. 1. sect 8. Junius de paedo bapt thes 10. August Tom. 3. lib. 14. de Tul. cap. 17. This concupiscence which by the onely Sacrament of Baptisme is expiated or purged namely front the guilt and by the Sacrament as you have heard is then meant the thing signified as well as the signe Nazianzen in laudem Gorgonii calls it divinae bonum the good of divine beginnings Athanasius in his book of Questions dedicated to Antiochus qu. 2. propounds this when a man may know that he hath beene baptized and received the Spirit in Baptisme being but an Infant when he was baptized Answ osper oun en gastri labousa gune even as a woman may know that she is conceived with child when there is life Even so a Christian by the springing of his heart in solemn dayes of Baptisme and the Lords Supper and by the inward joyes he then conceives oti to pneuma to agion elabe baptistheis that he received the Holy Ghost when he was Baptized-Chrysost Hom. 1. in Acta Oti to curiotaten to pneuma esti di hou cai to vdor energei in Baptisme the Spirit is the chiefe by which the water becomes effectuall not as any proper cause or any Phyficall Instrument as you have heard Basil de spiritu sancto cap. 10. answers to the question how Christians are saved dia tes en too Baptismati caritos by the grace he received in Baptisme St. Hierom. lib. 3. dialogorum contra Pelagianos asking in cavelling manner why Infants are Baptized answers vt ijs peccata in baptismate dimittantur that their sins might be remitted in Baptisme See further St. Aug. Ep. 23. ad Bonifacium and the godly and learned Mr. Prinne in his Perpetuity page 354. To which I adde learned Dr. Whittaker de Sacramentis ingenere qu. 4. cap. 2. respon ad testimonium septimum Deus in Baptismo signifieat remissionem peccatum sanae ita re operatur veritas cum signo conjuncta est in electis God both signifies remission of sins in Baptisme and indeed so works it in the Elect yet the truth of the signe is joyned with it this also Dr. Fran. White makes good against Fisher page 176. God doth not use to mock his people with empty signes but by his power inwardly makes good what