many Scriptures if not to many erroneous Doctrines also And when they read of Faith simply they commonly take it for meer Assent And so they are led into error in the present controversie For when they find that he that Believeth must be Baptized they conclude presently with Bellarmine that sides non charitas facit Christianum he that assenteth is a Believer therefore may be baptized But our Divines have so frequently and so voluminously confuted this conceit and proved against them that faith is in the Will as well as the understanding and that to Believe in signifieth to Accept or rest upon or have Affiance in and that Faith and Love are inseparable yea true and through Assent that I shall not needlesly stand to do again a work so oft and fully done And themselves confess that when Faith is mentioned as Justifying it includeth the act of the Will which they call Charity And sure we have oft proved against them that this is the faith that is meant in Gods Covenant and in our Baptismal Profession and Covenant with him and in the Creed In a word that Faith which is meant by God in the Covenant offered must be meant by us in our profession of Accepting this offer But it is a true saving Faith which hath a promise of Remission which is meant by God in the Covenant offered therefore this must be meant by us c. The Major is clear because else we do but Equivocate with God and we do not Accept the same thing that he offereth The Minor is clear in that the Covenant of Grace is but one and that one Covenant offereth Christ and Life to all that will accept him so that the Acceptance puts us into a participation of Christ and Life The Covenant offereth pardon of sin to all that Believe or Receive Christ therefore it is a saving faith that it means because it annexeth saving special Benefits To these I add another Argument which is this The hearty Acceptance of the Gift is the first and principal part of our Heart-covenanting with God The hearty Acceptance of that same Gift is saving faith therefore the first and principal part of our Heart-covenanting with God is the same thing as saving Faith The like I say of the Professions of each Or thus Our Heart-covenanting is the principal condition of the Promise or Gods part of the Covenant Our saving Faith is the principal condition of the Promise Therefore our Heart-covenanting and our saving faith are the same The Major I prove by the Medium of the fore-going Argument Our hearty Acceptance of the Gift is the Principal condition of the Promise But this hearty Acceptance of the Gift is the first and principal part of our Heart-covenanting therefore our Heart-covenanting is the principal condition of the Promise or the first and chief part of that covenating at least The Major is proved 1. In that it is a free Gift And our Divines against the Doctrine of Justification by Works or Merit have fully proved that it s so free that Acceptance is the condition of our Interest 2. And the free Offers of the Gospel fully confirm it Isa. 55 1 2.3 Rev. 22.17 c. The main point that is necessary for me to insist on is the proof of the Minor which yet is so plain from what is said and the very nature of the Gospel offer that one would think it should need no more to be said to it But that I perceive some few do misapprehend the nature of our covenanting with God as if it were only an Agreement or Covenant to do somewhat for the future that God may do somewhat for us for the future And this gross mistake gross indeed in the very point of the Gospel promise which is our only tenure of our Title to Life doth animate abundance of dark confused quarrelsom contradictions and oppositions which I have had on this point It is a matter of very sad consideration that any Preacher of the Gospel had need to be perswaded that the first and great part of the Covenant of Grace offered by God and accepted by us doth consist in present Giving and Receiving not only in mutual Promises for hereafter The Gospel is a most free Deed of Gift some of its benefits it actually giveth on condition of meer Acceptance to be presently possest and some of them on condition too but in a waiting obediential way to be hereafter possest In respect to the presently given benefiâ—s the Gospel is a Deed of Gift presently entitling us to them and our present acceptance is the condition But in regard of the future Benefits the Gospel is also a Deed of Gift but giveth not present Title or at least not so full and therefore requireth future conditions as it gives future Benefits At the present in the New Covenant God giveth himself to be our God Christ to be our Saviour Head and Husband the Holy Ghost to be our Sanctifier and also the present actual pardon of our sins the Justification of our Persons the Adoption of Sons the indwelling Spirit a Right to a beneficial use of the Creature and a Right to the Inheritance of Everlasting life so far that if we should die that hour we should be saved All these God offered us at the present on condition of our Accptance or consent This consent is our Heart-covenanting so that this first and great part of the Covenant consisteth but in the present Giving and taking of all these Benefits which in a word the Apostle expresseth 1 John 5.11 12 by the words Christ and eternal Life God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life The remaining part of the Benefits are our future helps of Grace Pardons Protections final Absolution at Judgement and eternal Glory All these we have a right to at our first Justification but it is a right to be continued only on some future conditions that is on the condition of our continuance in the Faith which we begun and of our renewed faith and Repentance and sincere Gospel-Obedience which is to be performed in a receiving way Now its true that as to these future conditions we do not actually perform them in our covenating but promise them as God doth not then actually give us the very Blessings now mentioned but promise them But as to all the first expressed great Benefits as God did before our Consents but promise and offer them but in our covenanting or consent doth actually give them so we do by our covenanting in heart which is nothing but our consenting or accepting perform the conditions of Gods promise and thus our very covenanting with God is the same thing as our fulfiling the conditions of the Covenant that is of Gods conditional Deed of Gift which before gave us Christ and Life if we would accept them and now giveth them
profess to assent to the truth of that Doctrine and no moâ—e unless as that Assent may imply the Consent of the Will are not Saints But let us peruse some other Texts besides these that Mr. Blake citeth The Congregations of the Saints are mentioned in the Old Testament as Psal. 89 5 7. and 149 1. But what Saints these were may appear by the Promises made to them Ps. 149.5 9 4 16.3 37.28 97.10 132.9 16. 145 10. The Children of Israel a people neer unto him are called Saints Psal. 148.14 but it is because they are a part of them his people in heart and the rest profess themselves to be his People in a saving sense And if there were any that did not so he was not an Israelite by Religion nor to be of that Common-wealth but to be cut off from his People Acts 9.13 The Saints at Jerusalem that Paul persecuted were such as not only professed saving Faith but also had the witness of Martyrdom and Persecutions to testifie their Sincerity They that continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and breaking bread and prayers having all things common selling their possessions and goods and parting them to all men as every man had need praising God c. did profess more then a Faith and Repentance short of that by which we are saved But so did the Church at Jerusalem Act. 2.41 42. to the end yea the multitude of them that Believed were of one heart one soul and great grace was upon them all c. Acts 4.32 to 36. so that we may see what Saints the Church at Jerusalem were And if all were not such we see evidently that the whole was denominated from such The Church of Rome were all called Saints Rom. 1.7 True But what was meant by that word and what Saints did they appear to Paul by their Profession to be Even such as were beloved of God whose Faith was spoken of throughout the world that were dead to sin but alive to God that had obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine delivered to them and being made free from sin became the servants of Righteousness and of God having their fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 1.7 8. and 6 11 14 17 18 21. whose obedience was come abroad to all men Rom. 16.19 Here is more then the Profession of a common Faith The Corinthians are called Saints True But what is meant by Saints such as called on the name of the Lord Iesus Christ having much of his grace enriched by him in all things coming behind in no Gift waiting for the coming â—f our Lord Iesus Christ who shall confirm them to the end that they may be blameless at his coming 1 Cor. 1.2 to ver 10. all was theirs 1. Cor. 3.22 23. They were such Saints as were washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of God and such as were to â—udge the World and the Angels Chap. 6.3 11. delivered from that unrighteousness that would have kept from Heaven ver 9.10 11. such as had no temptation but what was common to man whom the faithful God would not suffer to be tempted above their strength c. Chap. 10.13 such as were not so much as to eat with the notoriously wicked Chap. 5 11. and therefore doubtless Professed Godliness themselves in whom godly sorrow had wrought carefulness clearing of themselves zeal c. 2 Cor. 7.11 in whom the Apostle had confidence in all things ver 16. Object But Paul saith they were carnal and taxeth them with some gross Errors and Sins Answ. 1. So are all the Regenerate carnal in part and guilty of too many sins And it is not Impenitency after admonition that he chargeth them with Their sin was no worse to our eye than David's or Solomon's 2. If any were so bad as to be notoriously ungodly those are not of that number whom he calleth Saints as they are not of them that have the following Descriptions of Saints which I have cited but only were among them but not of them The Galathians I find not called Saints but to call them a Church of Christ or Believers is Equipollent And what Saints were they Why they were all the Sons of God by Faith in Christ Jesus having been baptized into Christ and put him on and were all one in him and were Abraham's seed and heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.26 27 29. And because they were sons God sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts by which they cryed Abba Father and therefore were no more servants but sons and if sons then heirs of God through Christ. Object But Paul was afraid of them lest he bestowed upon them labour in vain Answ. 1. It appeareth by what is said that it was not such a fear as made him take them for ungodly 2. This confirmeth what I maintain that the Apostles judgement of them proceeded according to the Evidences of probability He took himself bound to believe their Profession so far as they contradicted it not and according to the prevalency of their Errors which were against it he was jealous of their condition and if they had proceeded so far as to have declared themselves certainly ungodly Paul would have denominated them a Church no more The Church of Ephesus are called Saints Eph. 1.1 But what Saints such as were blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before him in love pâ—edestinated to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he made them accepted in the beloved in whom they had redemption through his blood the remission of sins and have obtained an Inheritance being predestinated c. Who trusted in Christ and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of their Inheritance they were such as believed in the Lord Jesus and loved all the saints and were quickened who had been dead in trespasses and sins were raised up together and made to sit in heavenly places If Mr. Blake while he abhorreth the name of a Saint or Church equivocally so called would not make all words equivocal that in Scripture are used to denominate or describe a Church or Saint we might easily be resolved by such passages as these what Paul meaneth by a Church or Saint See further Eph. 3.18 All Saints comprehend what is the breadth and length depth height and Christ dwelleth in their hearts by faith and they rooted and grounded in love Eph. 3.17 18. But Mr. Blakes Saints do none of this therefore they are no Saints in Scripture sense With this text compare Eph. 2.19 and see what a Church is and what it is to be fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and
enquiry Which is the Church that hath this Infallibility Unless we say that all have it that call themselves the Church against which many Councils have Judged when they required the rebaptizing of all that were baptized by the Paulianists c. In a word all the Arguments which we use against the Papal Infallibility might be here taken up and Voluminously managed against this And if Mr. Blake disown this Infallibility there is no way left but either to say that God hath no Judgement of this Case but what is fallible which I hope he will not or that God hath one Judgement of it and the Church another and then we have that we seek If he say that God hath no immediate Judgement at all of it but only the Churches which is mediately his I answer 1. The Churches is not mediately his when it is sinfully erroneous 2. If God have a knowledge and observance of it then he hath a Judgement of it But to deny Gods knowledge or observance of it is intolerable therefore 3. And I must say that since I have observed in Scripture both the use that God makes of good Angels and of evil about the sons of men and what appearances they make before him Job 1. and how the faithful have their Angels beholding Gods face how they have charge of us and bear us up and are ministring spirits for our good and how the Excommunicate are delivered up to Satan with much more of the like I easily believe that God may well be said to have a forum and pass his sentences on the sons of men before his Angels were it but by committing his will to Execution by them For so far as they are Executioners they must have a Commission for Execution which containeth or implieth the sentence And so there is a Justification and a Condemnation now before them Argum. 2. If God have no other Judgement about Right to Ordinances but the Churches Judgement then Hypocrites have equal Right before God and before the Church or Judice Deo Judice Ecclesia yea it is the same Right which is more than equal Right But the Consequent is false therefore so is the Antecedent A Jew that would make a jest of Christ and Baptism by a feigned Profession hath such a Right Ecclesia Judice as that the Church cannot contradict it But God can contradict it The Church cannot find any imperfection in it but God can Ecclesia Judice his Right is as good as the soundest Believers but God will not say so He may charge the Church with doing him wrong if they deny him the Sacrament but so he cannot charge God if he hinder or prohibit it Surely God will acknowledge a further Title to Sacraments in the Saints than such a Jew or Pagan hath Argum. 3. Where there are different Executions there are different Judgements But God hath an Execution different from the Churches in this Case as is apparent 1 Cor. 11. For this cause many are sick and weak c. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged c. Therefore God hath a Judgement differing from the Churches Argum. 4. If about all humane acts God have a Judgement differing from mans then about the present Case But the Antecedent is so evident and so momentous that I hope few Christians will question it Instead of arguing such a Cause any further I shall lament the case of the Church among us that any should be found among its Reverend Pious Guides that shall so confidently publish or so easily entertain as some seem to do so strange a point as this which we oppose For how far may they yet be led that can so easily be led to this Compassion of the Church of Christ doth urge me to speak thus though I know to the guilty its like to be offensive But yet we may thank God that there be so few of such conceits sure I am it is ordinary with Protestants and Papists in such cases to distinguish between forum Dei Ecclesiae Gods Judgement and the Churches Instead of citing many I shall now take up with one only whose Cause against the Separatists did lead him so much to have entertaâ—ned the helps that lie on that side that if he had thought this notion of Mr. Blakes sound he was very like to have received it Rutherford in his due Right of Presb. Cap. 9. § 9. p. 242. Dist. 1. Any who blamelesly professeth Christ is Ecclesiastically in foro Ecclesiae a true and valid member of the Church visible having Ecclesiastical power valid for that effect but except he be a sincere believer he is not morally and in foro Dei a living member of the invisible Church Dist. 3. The Invisible Church Catholick is the principal prime and native subject of all the Priviledges of Christians the Covenant Promises Title of Spouse Bride Redeemed Temple of the holy Spirit c. And the Church Visible as she is such is no waies such a subject the non-consideration whereof we take to be the ground of many Errors in our Reverend Brethren in this matter which also deceived Papists as our Divines demonstrate Dist. 4. A seen Profession is the ground of members admission to the Visible Church Hence there is a satisfaction of the Conscience of the Church in admitting of members either in the Judgement of Charity or in the Judgement of Verity Dist. 5. There is a satisfaction in the Judgement of Charity Positive when we see signs which positively assure us that such an one is Regenerate and there is a satisfaction Negative when we know nothing on the contrary which hath a latitude for I have a Negative satisfaction of the Regeneration of some whose persons and behaviour I know neither by sight or report This is not sufficient for the accepting of a Church-membership therefore somewhat more is required pag. 244. Concl. 2. The Invisible and not the Visible Church is the principal prime and only proper subject with whom the Covenant of Grace is made to whom all the Promises do belong and to whom all Titles Styles Properties and Priviledges of special note in the Mediator do belong If our Reverend Brethren would be pleased to see this they would forsake their doctrine of a visible constituted Church c. 1. The Church to whom the Covenant and the Promises of the Covenant are made is a Church and a seed which shall endure as the daies of heaven Psal. 89.35 36. and such as can no more fall away from being Gods people in an eternal Covenant with him then their God can alter what he hath spoken or lie Psal. 89.33 34 35. They can no more cease from being in Gods favour or be cast off of God than the Ordinances of Heaven can depart from before God c. Jer. 31.35 36 37. Isa. 54.10 or then God can retract his Oath and Promises Heb. 6.18 19 20. But the Visible Church of this or that Parish c. Pag.
Eph. 4.12 what Saints they were that were to be perfected and 5 3. what Saints they were that must not so much as name Coveteousness filthiness c. And 3.8 Paul professeth himself less then the least of all Saints But Paul never did nor would profess himself less then the least of Mr. Blakes Saints who are not as much as by profession in a state of salvation nor from under the curse and wrath of God He that pronounceth them accursed with Anathema Maranatha that loved not the Lord Jesus bids grace be with them that love him in sincerity 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 would not have pronounced himself less than the least of these excommunicate accursed ones And were I worthy to be heard I would advise my Reverend Brother to better consideration before he make such accursed Saints or Churches or Believers at least that are visibly so and that he would be cautelous of Canonizing those on whom Paul pronounceth Anathema Maranatha To proceed the Church of Philippi are called Saints True but what Saints such on whom Paul was confident that he which had begun a good work in them would perform it till the day of Jesus Christ to whom it was given on behalf of Christ not only to believe but to suffer for his sake who alwaies obeyed in presence absence for God wrought in them to will and to do they only communicated to Paul in giving receiving and they were such as bad cause alway to rejoyce Phil. 1.6 29. and 2.12 13. and 4.15 4. The Church of the Colossians are called Saints But what Saints such as had faith in Christ Jesus and love to all Saints and had hope laid up for them in heaven who were made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light being delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son that is the Church in whom they had redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins being reconciled by the body of his flesh through death to be presented holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight if they continued in the faith grounded and setled and were not moved away from the hope of the Gospel whose ardor and stedfastness of faith in Christ Paul beheld in the Spirit with joy who were buried with Christ in baptism and risen with him through faith and being before dead were quickened with him and had the forgiveness of all trespasses having put off the body of the sins of the flesh who were dead and their life was hid with Christ in God and who shall appear with Christ in Glory when he appeareth Col. 1. and 2. and 3. If it shall be replyed that Paul spake all this of them in the Judgement of Charity or denominated the whole from the better part and the Profession of the rest I say even so also it is that he calleth them all Saints the denomination is on the same ground as the description is I cannot imagine what reasonable evasion can be made from this evidence The Thessalonians are consequentially called Saints in being called a Church of Christ. And what a Church and what Saints such as had the work of Faith Labour of Love and patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ whose Election Paul knew who turned to God from Idols to serve the true and living God and to wait for his Son from heaven who delivered them from the wrath to come they received the word as the word of God which effectually worked in them that believed who followed the Churches in suffering who were Pauls joy and glory in the presence of Christ at his coming whose faith and Charity was so reported to Paul that he tells them be liveth if they stand fast for God had not appointed them to wrath but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ. 1 Thess. 1 2. 3. 5. They were such Saints whom Christ would come at last to be glorified in and such Believers in whom he will then be admired even because the Gospel was believed among them therefore say not To believe the Gospel is a common thing short of saving Faith 2 Thess. 1. We see then what the Church and Saints at Thessalonica was The Hebrews to whom the Apostle wrote are called Saints Heb. 13.24 And he doth not groundlesly call them Saints for they were such as were made a gazing-stock by reproaches afflictions and became companions of them that were so used took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better and more enduring substance vid. ult Heb. 10.33 34 35. They were such indeed as he saw cause to exhort to perseverance and warn of the danger of Apostacie and the best have need of that But yet though he so spake he was perswaded better things of them and such as accompany salvation and he gives his reason of it Heb. 6.9 10 11. And having said so much of the several Churches under the name of Saints I shall proceed and shew you what they are as Churches though this will after fall in in another Argument because it will be fittesâ— for all to lie together and then I shall refer you hither when this afterward falls in You may see by what is said what Churches all these were that are already mentioned and consequently what a Church is in Scripture-sense not a society of men professing a faith short of justifying but a society of men professing true saving faith yea so far professing it as to induce the Apostles to denominate them such as supposing them such indeed For as they knew some were such so did they not know the contrary by any particulars except those whom they commanded them to cast out as none of them The Apostle Peter writes to the scattered Jews that professed Christianity And what kind of Christians or Believers did he take them for Why for such as were Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. And Mr. Blake cannot say that this was a common Election or common Sanctification and Obedience and Sprinkling of Christs blood For it is added that God of his abundant mercy had begotten them again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last times wherein they greatly reâ—oyced suffering the trial of their precious faith and having not seen Christ loved him and believeing in him rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of their faith the salvation of their souls If all these people had not or professed and seemed not to have a saving faith I know not what words can express a saving faith nor
man which is renewed in knowledge according to the Image of him that created him So that this is no common work if any be proper to the saved And putting on the Lord Iesus Christ is put for the state of Sanctity in opposition to a fleshly Life Rom. 13.13 14. saith Calvin on this Text Induere Christum hic significat virtute Spiritus ejus undique nos muniri qua idonei ad omnes Sanctitatis partes reddamur sic enim instauratur in nobis imago Dei quae unicum est animae ornamentum Respicit enim Paulus ad vocationis nostrae sinem quia Deus nos adoptans in corpus unigeniti silii sui inserit quidem hac lege ut nos abdicantes priore vita siamus in ipso novi homines Quare etiam alibi fideles dicit Christum inâ—uere in baptismum Gal. 3.27 and upon Galat. 3.27 he saith Quum dicit Christum induisse intelligit Christo sic esse insitos ut coram Deo nomen ac personam Christi gerant ac in ipso magis quà m in seipsis censeantur And he comes to the objection How all that are baptized can be said to put on Christ when Baptism is not effectual with all And he answereth in sum That to Hypocrites it is uneffectual qui nudis signis superbiunt But then he saith that the Apostle speaking of these non respicit Dei institutionem sed impiorum corruptelam But doubtless it is Gods institution that we must look to for direction in our administration Quum autem fideles alloquitur qui rite utuntur illa tunc conjungit cum sua veritate quam figurant Quare neque enim fallacem Pompam ostentat in Sacramentis sed quae externa Ceremonia figurat exhibit simul reipsa Hinc sit ut veritas secundum Dei institutum conjuncta sit cum signis To the same purpose say other Protestants The next Title mentioned in the Argument was Sons of God All that are Baptized are the visible or esteemed Sons of God by faith in Christ therefore they all profess that justifying faith to which the real or special Son-ship is promised The Antecedent is experssed in Gal. 3.16 17. For ye are all the Sons of God by Faith in Christ Jesus which he proveth in the next words For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. What Sons of God are in Scripture sense may be seen Joh. 1.12 Rom 8.14 19. Phil. 2.15 1 Joh. 3.1 2. Gal. 4 1 2 5 7. and Rom. 8.17 If sons then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ was a good consequence in Pauls judgement In this saith John the children of God are manifest from the children of the devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother 1 John 3.10 therefore Mr Blake's Saints are not the children of God but of the Devil See also John 11.52 Rom. 8 16.21 But Mr. Blake objecteth Rom 9.4 To them pertained the Adoption and Gomarus his Comment Answ. 1. Gomarus saith not that any were in either sense sons of God without a Profession of saving Faith 2. It was not after their unchurching for unbelief that the Adoption is said to pertain to them but before and then let Mr. Blake prove if he can that any Israelites were adopted without profession of that Faith which was then saving I doubt not to prove the contrary anon And 3. If he could prove that such there were among the Israelites yet he will never prove that they are called Sons though the Nation were because the denomination was principally from the true Sons and next from the professed ones but never from or to them that professed only a common faith None are visibly Sons that be not visibly true Believers The next Title mentioned in the Argument is Abraham's Seed All that are baptized are called Abrahams Seed Gal. 3.17 18 19. therefore they all profess a justifying Faith The Consequence is proved in that none are Abraham's Seed in Scripture Gospel sense but those cordially that are true Believers and those appearingly that profess true Faith This is proved Rom. 9.4 6 7 8. Rom. 4.11 that he might be the Father of all them that believe that Righteousness might be imputed to them also This therefore is a justifying faith and the priviledge of the Justified that is here mentioned It s added ver 12 13. And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision but also walk in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham yet uncircmucised for the promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham or his seed by the law but by the righteousness of faith Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promâ—se might be sure to all the seed even to that also which is of the faith of Abraham the Father of us all So Gal. 3.6.7 8 9. Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and the Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie thâ— heathen by faith preached before the Gospel to Abraham in thee shall all Nâ—tions be blessed So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham So ver 14.16 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through faith Now to Abraham and his seed were the Promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ and so to those that are in him It is hence most undeniable That all Abrahams true Seed are Justified and have a Justifying faith and all his Professing seed do Profess this faith The next Title mentioned in the Argument is Heirs according to the Promise All the Baptized were Heirs according to the Promise None that Profess not a Justifying faith are Heirs according to the Promise either really or appearingly therefore none that Profess not a Justifying faith or their children should be baptized The Major is expressed in Gal. 3.17 18 19. The Minor of which is all the doubt is proved from Rom. 8 17. where there is an express concatenation of children heirs of God co-heirs with Christ that suffering with him shall be glorified with him Gal. 4.1 6 7. The heir is Lord of all and a Son therefore hath the spirit of the Son by which they cry Abba Father So Tit. 3.5 6 7. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us c. that being justified by his Grace we should he made heirs according to the hope of eternal Life The heirs then are Regenerate Justified and have the hope of eternal Life So Eph. 3.6 The Gentiles being made fellow-heirs and of the same body are partakers of