is baptized c. But he that believeth not c. And Eph. 5.26 That he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by water through the word 2. The Sacraments as instruments put forth a spirituall efficacie when they are lawfully used according to God but not when they are abused in an unlawfull manner and unworthily received then they doe not put forth any spirituall efficacie Thus the Supper of the Lord puts forth spirituall efficacie when it is ordered in a lawfull manner as the Apostle saith Is is not the communion of the body of Christ And the Cup of blessing is the same and yet be that receives is 〈◊〉 â—â—rthily eates and drinkes his own damnation and makes himselfe guilty of the body and blood of Christ because he abuses the seale He that abuses the Kings seale is punished and therefore much more these The Gospel is the power of God to salvation but it must bee mixed with faith and then it is the savour of life unto life but without it is the savour of death unto death And so is the Sacrament therfore when a thing is lawfully done it is no sinne but if it be abused then it is sinfull therefore that the Sacrament is abused it is from sinne but the spirituall work of a Sacrament helps forward to salvation 3 The spirituall efficacy a Sacrament puts forth is not as a Physicall instrument but as a Morall I put it in these termes that I might cleare it up in their termes which they use which darken the truth Now see the explication Instruments are of a double nature some have qualities inherent that is sticking in them by nature as some physicall hearbs are of a purging nature others comfortable they have it in their nature put into them so to work and it abides in them but other are made serviceable by Art they are made sharp or sweet Or in tooles some are made sharp fit for use as a bone wil not cut our bread but we must have something made sharp so things are made physicall either by Nature or by Art The Papists call it Physicall in the Sacrament they say the Sacraments work naturally if taken they have a quality to convey grace the Sacrament taken they say will worke of it selfe but it is a grosse conceit to satisfie a carnall heart then a drunken wretch must have grace if he can but have the use of the Sacrament Thus the Papists derogate from Christ by making a quality to be inherent in the Sacraments to convey grace into any man that receives them The 2d distinction is they are morally good as some instruments that have no power of themselves but as they are stated by way of ordination as he that uses them doth appoint them As a piece of wax is appointed to seale up a bargain the Wax conveys nothing it is appointed to be a witnesse to set forth the truth as the party is ingaged according to agreement as Elijahs Cloke divided the waters it was not in the Cloke but it was a signe to intimate that God would be with him So the Brasen Serpent was appointed of God for the people that were stung by looking on it they should be healed there was no vertue in the brasse to heale them for afterwards in Heâ—â—ekiahs dayes he called it Nehushtan a piece of brasse But by Gods institution God used it as a meanes to work by but the vertue was in himselfe there was no inherent vertue in the brasse but God appointed it for this end as a morall instrument 4 When the Sacraments are thus taken for such an end and to such a work there is a divine vertue goes along with them for that end the same power that did appoint them will goe along with them and will work in them for that end There be three things in the institution of them 1 God appointing them out according to his will in wisdome and power the bread signifying the body of Christ as meat the water signifying the blood of Christ washing a way the guilt and filth of our sins the wisdome and good pleasure of God going along with them for that end 2 They are seales of Gods ingagement to man that is signified by these his Faithfulnesse and Truth alwayes goe with it Rom. 4. It is called The Seale of the Righteousnesse of Faith So as it is as sure as that 3 There is the accomplishment and performance thereof here shall we find the good Spirit of God going along with this ordinance to see it done Matth. 3 11. He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost c. And Rom. 2.29 That is Circumcision that is of the heart c. So as the Sacrament is stated for that use it hath alway this the good Spirit of God going along with it carrying it to the understanding it signifies all spirituall good to the understanding to a man that worthily receives it it carries it sacramentally So as it is plain no man can institute a Sacrament to have the good of it as the Seale the Spirit of God must make good Gods engagement so as the heart cannot get away from the goodnesse 3 The Sacrament exhibits grace so the Spirit of God go along with it and see it accomplished thus theirs is the same with ours for theirs and ours comunicate the vertue of it by the Spirit of God And hence it followes that it is of force as under the motion of that blessed Spirit so that there is no more of the Bread nor of the Wine that have this fruit but so much as is used to this end And as the Brazen Serpent was not of that use to heale but at that time the Lord had set it apart for that use and therefore afterwards it was called Nehushtan Hence followes a threefold collection 1 Hence this will bee a meanes to â—â—se and help you to see how the Spirit can work in Baptisme The main worker is the Spirit all is possible to him he can secretly doe it to a childe he is not confin'd to our work he can overshadow the heart of a Child as he did the Virgin 2 In the manner of the working in which we may see foure thing for our help 1 The Sacrament of Baptisme is a seale of our first entrance and the Supper is our nourishing in the family of Christ And this being the scope of Baptisme sealing our first work into Christ that whereby we are implanted into Christ in which work we are meetly passive but when wee are setled on Christ the truth is this wee have a gracious principle put into us and so we work by our selves and by the help of the Spirit but at the first the Spirit makes us willing that we may will it This is the confession of all our orthodox Divines 2 In this first grace wherein we are passive God works in us without us all the workes we are passive in 3 Hence we may see the Spirit may as well seale
to baptise although he doe it in a right manner then this may bee something to prove the Church of Rome is not a true Church and although there be baptisme in Rome yet that doth not prove Rome a true Church I doe say that opinion is true that so many hold 5. I say the proposition is false if baptism be administred in a right manner by a faithfull Minister yet that makes not a true Church if an Elder in new England that is rightly called to Office should go among the Indians and baptise In the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if the subject should not be baptised there were a sin although the ordinance were rightly administred but this would not follow that the Indians were a true Church although the minister were rightly called yet that does not make them a true Congregation for a true Church is when many believers doe enter into a Covenant to walk together in the fellowship of the Gospel that is a true Church 6. Argument It builds faith upon humane testimony in matters fundamentall so that they have nothing but the bare word of a man for it the frame of the argument is this That practice that builds faith in matters fundamentall upon humane testimony is unlawfull but the baptising of Infants does so and therefore it is unlawfull for he must bring in humane testimony and so the word of men must be in the place of the word of God Because they seem to place much here and the argument is somewhat unwonted therefore give me leave to inlarge Here I will doe two things 1. I will shew you the vanity of the argument 2. I will rip into the bowels of the argument that you may see the feeblenesse of such and how they will melt as dew before the Sun 1. The vanity of the reason and the weaknesse of it appears thus That practice that builds faith upon humane testimony in matters fundamentall no other wayes then God doth allow and the word warrants is not unlawfull but the baptizing of Infants does not build them no otherwise tâ—â—â— Gods word dos allow in the like case as in circumcision for that was a scale of the same covenant to them that this is to us it is clear that was a scale of the righâ—eousnesse of faith to them and so is this to us and is as fundamentall as baptisme to us a fundamentall of faith those that were circumcised in the law in their infancy as Infants must prove it by their parents it is plain and therefore if any man will charge God with want of wisdome or want of care how shall a childe satisle another but by bare testimony humane every man would condemn this as hellish blasphemy this is enough to dash the argument now we will search into the secrets of the argument and we will doe two things 1. By way of explicition of some passages in the reason 2. We will make application in the first you here of matters fundamentall in that we must know three things First Matters fundamentall touching faith that there is one God in three persons Eather Son and Holy Ghost and Christ the son of the Virgine Mary is the Saviour of the world and that God by his spirit does bring his children to know himself and bring them to his Son and that his Saints are justified by Faith these are fundamentall Secondly there are matters flow from these if God by his spirit make a sinner believe then there is not free-will and that we are justified by the active and passive obed once of Christ and if we have title to the covenant then we have title to the seals 3. Some matters annexed are circumstantiall as receiving the seals in this manner there is a matter of faith and matter of fact faith in matters to be believed or works of mercy matters to be believed or or done are contained to the Scriptures but for matter of fact that is to such a man by name is not contained in the Scriptures Faith comes by hearing and is contained in the scriptures but that such a a man did heare at Hurford the scriptures doe give no testimony that this man by name at this time and place is not contained in the scriptures 3. That a mans faith may be built upon the word and it rest upon the word or that is contained in the word the conclusion must be in the word but the other part in a mans selfe to build our faith on the word is enough if one proposition be in the word and the other hee may finde by experience carry these along with you and you will see the weâ—knes of the Argument we will shew you the Application in three things 1. Children when they doe survive may receive the benefit of baptisme by faith built upon the word of God and not upon humane reason they may receive the benefit of their faith built upon the word thus instanced whosoever doe or have received baptisme by the appointment of God to them God on his part hath sealed up the covenant to them but children have so received and therefore they have the covenant sealed on Gods part to them and therefore they may have the comfort of it that they have received it on Gods part every man that by Gods order hath the seale God seales to him then children by the order of the Gospel have received the seale of the Covenant so both are true but how doth it appear that a childe hath received it that is not to be required in the scriptures but in practice not in the Gospel nor is required in the cause for it is enough that the proposition or conclusion be in the scriptures that this is true I will give you severall instances Thus it is a truth That all children must honour their father and mother and therefore every childe must honour his Parents but how shall the childe know that this man is his Father or this woman his Mother the common testimony is enough to the childe for to give them obedience of faith although it be not set down in the scriptures that this or that man or woman is his parent and so in Leviticus The Unkle must not marry his Neece for that was a sin for all such marriages is unlawfull but how shall this woman know this was her Unkle The constant report of men is enough in this cause And remember you keep holy the Sabbath day this was the seventh day from the Creation to the Jews and the eighth day to us but how should they know which was the seventh day Abraham living so long after the beginning of the world and it was not written in the word which was the seventh day so that it must be by witnesse and so this is enough for the conclusion is of faith So for the benefit of baptizing of Infants the testimony of them that lived when I was baptized is enough to settle me 2. Men of years
two things 1 Open the meaning of the Text. 2 Propound the reasons 1 What is meant here by holinesse The Answer is Federall holinesse not the holinesse of sanctification but confederation that holinesse which is part of sanctification is that which is spoken of Epehes 4.24 And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse But so it is not here used but for arelative holinesse whereby they were knit ' to God and he to them they avouch him to be their God and he avouches them to be his people One place he complaines Ezra 9.2 They have mixed the holy seed with the people of the Lands c. The holy seed is the Jews they mingled with the common people that is such as were not free Burgesses in the Church that is they were mingled among the heathen all the people of the land were not sanctisted but they were holy in this way that it is federall holinesse appeares sanctification is never conveyed by the Father to the Child this is from the Spirit of God he workes as he sees fit therefore two in one bed one taken and another left so two in one belly one taken and another left but this is by succession If the root be holy so are the branches if the first fruits be holy so is the whole lump the root and first fruits and from him is the conveyance Abraham did covenant for his as well as for himself wee may scoin the 17 verse sanctification cannot be lost but the branches are broken off that came of Abraham and proved a vagabond people they may be cut off but sanctification cannot be lost they lost their confederate holines but they that are sanctified shall be glorified Hence we may see the growing of these branches is not the growing of saving faith but federall holines it is not the growing to Christ by faith for then they should never be broken off from faith to say so is a falshood for if a man be called he shall be glorified we are made one spirit Eph. 5.32 This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church if Christ should lose one he should be unperfect Eph. 1.23 The fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things Christ is compleat but if he want one member he should not be compleat This is cleare saving grace cannot be lost 3 That holines agrees with the body of the Gentiles they are brought into a visible covenant as in the 17 verse they are brought into a covenant of grace that is the root and the fatnes is the priviledges the body of the Gentiles had not sanctification Secondly what is meant by first Fruits and Lump one is from the Ceremoniall Law among the Jewes Lovit 23.14.17 You shall eat neither bread nor parched Corn nor green eares untill the selfe same day you have brought an offering to the Lord your God This shall be a law for ever in all your dwellings And in the 17. verse you shall bring out of your dwellings for a shake offering two loaves of two tenth deals of fine flower c. When they had received in their Corne it was unlawfull to spend it till they had first offered the two loaves for a shake offering and then all the whole lump was sanctified for their use according to the allowance of God So by way of resemblane Abraham is the first fruits he being in covenant with God all his posterity are in the covenant God accepts of both him and his posterity the Father being in covenant with God they become a holy people You your wives and little ones so their federall holines is to all that come of Abraham as his seed and this is the meaning 2 If the Root be holy so are the Branches What is meant by Root and Branches We shall find out the root by the true Olive here is the Church of the Jewes the Root was Abraham because the first covenant was made with him all came from him it was made to him and from him it came to his posterity they are the naturall branches the posterity born of him so he is as the head of the covenant to them Abraham being holy to God he brings forth a holy seed and Nation having federall holinesse Abrahams posterity by birth are all a holy seed but the Gentiles are ingrafted by profession and subjection the priviledges and the fatnesse comes to them by being ingrafted the place is spirituall I will describe the wilde Olive and the Branches and then you may know the true Olive it will help you to understand it the better The Gentiles the body of them are wild not by originall sinne for so the Jewes were as bad as they and had as much of that as they Whence is their wildnesse then because God left them in their naturall corruption without the help of those meanes that might help them and therefore they grew wild as a tree in the wildernesse growes wild so they were left without any interest in any means of help and so they grew wild for God had not ingaged himselfe to them Acts 17.30 In the times of ignorance God regarded not but now he admonisheth all men every where to repent that is now all the nations of the earth ran riot it is the same with that in Acts 6.1 the Widowes were neglected that is God left them as Trees in the Wildernesse God did not care for the Gentiles in giving them meanes for their good therefore now they grow wild Acts 14.16 who in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walk in their own wayes Israel had lawes to walk by but it was not so with other Nations and therefore they were wild and strangers from the common-wealth of Israel Ephes 2.12 they had not an interest in the covenant of the Jewes but were wild sinners and not under the dressing of God for their good and so were all those that came of them Pagans of Pagans such Children of such Parents under the curse of God in sinne and not looked after having no meanes the Fathers ignorant and so were the Children And this is the meaning of that Rom. 11.24 For if thou were cut out of the Olive Tree which was wild by nature and were grasred contrary to nature into the right Olive Tree c. What nature is meant corrupt nature No for the Jewes were corrupt as well as they the Jewes were as deep in originall sinne as they not onely contrary to corrupt nature but they were wild by nature that is they were under such a dispensation that God was not ingaged to them and so the children of them were under the like condition they were in such a course as they had not the meanes to mend them nay they had no ingagement of God but they were under the curse of God without meanes but now the true Olive that grew not wild not that they had not as many sinnes by nature and as
and therefore examine your selves it is not what other men think or judge of you for you may lose all the benefit of ordinances and lose your selves and all and lose your profession and all that you have done in the Gospel if you doe not search your selves Rom. 2â— 29. He is a Jew that is one within whose praise is not of Man but of God that will give him assurance if hee be found in the statutes of God whose praise is not of man but of God such a man may have comfort 1 John 3.21 If our hearts condemns us not then have we bâ—lanâ—sse c. otherwise if men think you be good and you know you are not if men think you are true and you know you are false God knowes all things and will proceed more rigidly against you he knowes more then your selves doe Now to the next Head Infants are capable And here is the maâ—â—â— thing of the businesse and therfore you must give me leave to expatiate I will be 〈◊〉 more large where the most difficulty lies and I will open my selfe in severall propositions how to discern they are capable First That there is a portion and provision of Grace appointed by God and bestowed of God on some children according to the counsell of his own will Here are two things to be avoided 1 Curiosity for secret things belong to God 2 Carelesnesse for where God hath a mouth to speak we must have an eare to heate We must be carefull therefore to know this truth But what the number of Infants be and after what manner he doth bestow this Grace I will say nothing but what the Word hath learned me I will learn you That some children are elected and God will sanctifie them and glorifie them but for the number and manner I leave that Mr Spilsbery opposes two of these Election and Glorification when they are against the expressions of the Word so they are not onely errors but grosse errors In the third page line 14. his words are They must be capable of Grace or else they are not elected Now he saith children in their nonage are not subjects of Election or of Glory I oppose both There is a portion of Grace for children and Glory If he speak to the purpose and say there is no faith in Election or capability of Glory I doe not think children because they are children are elected glorified there is no shew of the question in that ancient men are not elected because they are old nor glorified because they are old he will save them from sinne not as they are old or rich or honorable that is not sensible therefore his meaning is that Children fall not within compasse of election nor if they dye to have glory and that is a grosse error There is a number of children that it is the purpose of God according to election to save them Rom 9.11 12. The children being not yet born it was said The elder shall serve the younger c. And Malach. 1.2 3. Was not Esau Jacobs brother yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau And Rom. 9.18 Whom he will he hardens And this is upon children not as children but while they are such all the men in the world are either vessels of mercy or vessels of wrath according to the good will of God Now if all be under election or reprobation to say all children are rejected were grosse Genes 25.22 23. The children struggle in her womb the Lord said Two Nations are in thy womb c. And they were types of the children of light and the children of darknesse and so must our children be children of light or children of darknesse Now to say all are rejected he hath not the face of a man that will say so for the Word hath taught us the contrary Secondly if there be a number of children to whom the Kingdome of Heaven belongs unto then blessednesse belongs to children But that it is so appears Mat. 19.14 For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Now Anabaptists darken that place and say These are not children but men of years such as are humble of a childlike disposition But the Glosse does corrupt the Text and crosses the scope of the place for Christ spake it to make it appeare they may bee blessed here thus If to such belong the Kingdome of Heaven they may bee glorified if they may be glorified then they may be blessed here The sense the Anabaptists give makes it senslesse if it stand thus the Kingdome of heaven belongs to the humble it is one thing to be humble and another thing to be blessed What is this to children of yeares If children belong to heaven they may be blessed here and therefore our Saviour calls them and bids them come to him that he might blesse them and the nature of the thing teacheth it for there are but two places after this life Hell or Heaven except men will follow the dotage of the Papists to make a Purgatory which fire was kindled in the Popes Kitchin Now to say all children that are dead are in hell they dare not say so now that Mr Spilsbery saith He will say nothing to it he must say so for he can say nothing to any purpose therefore he speakes that to dazle mens eyes Thirdly there are some children God will work grace in now Luke 1 15. it is said of John That hee was filled with the holy Ghost from his mothers womb Christ did sanctifie one to shew there are more that arâ— and shall be sanctified here and therefore it appeares there are a number of children that God doth bestow grace upon here and shall be glorified hereafter And although the manner of Gods working upon children be extraordinary 〈◊〉 mans account yet it is ordinary with God to work it in them that day he workes faith in them certainly they are as capable of the work of the Spirit as men are but the manner of working is secret But it is Gods common course and certainly he doth work faith in them Infants are as capable as men considering the work of the Spirit The second Proposition Although the manner of working be extraordinary in respect of the meanes and the persons upon whom it is wrought yet in regard of God it is ordinary and easie and he doth certainly work faith in the hearts of infants that die in their infancy that are elected and also in regard of the Spirit that is the worker of it in them 1 It is extraordinary in regard of the meanes if we have an eye to the meanes that puts not forth that power as it doth when there is a concurrence of all things that are sutable to work with the means and therefore when this is wanting now to do it is extraordinary But infants doe not nor cannot thus concurre for they cannot exercise their understanding they cannot put it forth as men of yeares can doe they cannot put forth to
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
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 end in Christ they are proved subjects of the kingdom of Heaven what is meant by root Christ mysticall Christ conveys living grace to his living members of his body and the branches are those that are planted in Christ by faith and the spirit for faith he mysticall Christ is the Church for the Church are not a mixt company in the 20 23 24. lines I will answer in two things to clear the place 1. It is unfound and does not suite the Apostles meaning 2. If we grant it it will not help his cause to hinder from the baptising of Infants 1. It is unfound were Gods elect of a visible covenant if that onely were the first fruits then Abraham could not Adam Abell Noah and Shem were the elect of God and these were before Abraham therefore this will not hold out that he faith but as the covenant of grace was set upon Abraham so he is the first fruits 2. It hath been proved out of the text as holinesse to the lump so God intends it as a means not that elect people are able to convey saving grace to the lump of all the Jewes in any case 3. If the elect were onely the members he contradicts his own course for those that have a right to baptism are invested into all the priviledges but Gods elect people are not the onely subjects of baptisme for when Iohn Baptist did baptise all those that came to him in the judgement of Iohn they were approved subjects of Gods grace Yet I suppose no man will say though they were men of yeâ—res that were baptised that they were all the elect of God and that they were approved subjects and yet they did not onely apply the seale to themselves for their good but they did abuse the seals and yet they were approved of Iohn to be made partakers of it although some of them were Apostates and Reprobates in a word those that are in the covenant of Gods grace that are elected are really partakers of the work of the spirit inwardly but for the outward we see they are approved which is that of which we now speak not the elect onely but others in the federall holinesse and Abraham was the first fruits by way of covenant 2. That the root here is not Christ mistically conveying grace to his branches and sending nourishment from the head as it is the visible covenant against this I say 1. The Root here meant is that from whom the Branches ingrafted may be broken off that is the Jewes they were broken off from the Church and are at this day but no Branch that is ingrasted into Christ by faith can be broken off First we may see it in the Text Secondly we may see it in Reason he that is in Christ cannot be broken off For whom he called he justified and whom he justified he will glorifie And those that come to Christ he will not cast them away for it is the will of the Father to give them eternall life and no man can take them out of his hand so as the case is cleare 2. The Root is meant the body ingrafted as in the 15. verse If the casting away of the Iews shall be restored the body of the Gentiles 24. 25. verses all the body shall be saved but the body of the Gentiles are not ingrafted into Christ mystically to be belivers so the root is not here and this shews the unfoundnes 3. The reason Mr. Spilsbery uses is against his cause in his 17. page and the last and the beginning of the 18. they carry not the weight of a feather that Christ is the Olive and the Jews are cast out and the Gentiles are grafted in I desire no better reason against him for the Jews are not cast out of Christ mysticall out of this root because it is the Church of Christ where many hypocrites are because they may be cast out 1. In that the Apostle charges the Gentiles for boasting the root bears thee and yet thou have no saving grace but a naked profession and expression in the 17. verse it is a false mistake out of that place boasting is not saving grace for it is a pang of pride God hath no people but have their weaknes of grace Josephs brethren they sold him and would see what would become of his dreams and the Corinthians they did boast one was of Paul another of Apollo but did all these want saving grace No but it is as a caveat given them to pull it down it is not to say they all want saving grace it is false 2. In that the Apostle charges the Gentiles for boasting it is against the argument 3. Thus if the Gentiles be ingrafted in want of grace therefore Christ must be the head the consequence destroyes the conclusion the root is meant as he faith the ingrafted and the want of grace the body butso is no member that is in Christ mystically therfore the root is not meant Christ for the want of grace cannot be in Christ mystically so he destroyes his cause now we shew you the meaning of the text the scope is they should not list up themselves for the Jews were cut off he reasons thus It is groundlesse to boast against the Jew because they receive all from the Jew therefore they should sit down for if they have any right they have it from him for Abraham is the root how by covenant with him Abraham bare by a visible covenant therefore the Gentiles may thank Abraham for it and therefore they have no cause to boast for it was said to him in thee shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed so the truth is cleared the children are holy but not by a spirituall holinesse but a federall holinesse 4. If we grant him his interpretation it will be no help to his cause if the first fruits and lump be the elect the children are elect also if they be vessels of glory upon the same ground children are elected as well as they and let Christ be the head of those that be ingrafted then children and infants are the branches of this head and so to be judged in charity and if they shall be saved they are members Ephes 5.26 Children shall be saved by Christ they he his body he hath gotten nothing here but we have gained that children have federall holinesse against all opposition The 4th Proposition is Although the ground be not the same yet there is as sure a ground to evidence to judicious charity that children are in covenant as well as parents if they be believers the ground is â—t good to the one as it is to the other to a Rule of judicious charity it is alike to both There is not the same ground altogether because the parents are of yeares of discretion and so they are able to expresse the speciall or common good and therefore they can give a reason of the hope that is in them and ingâ—ge themselves to walk