elect or reprobate but one in nature albeit in use and efficacy it were various according as the Spirit of God and faith made thereof improvement or not To adde one word more in way of proofe that Gentile-inchurched-beleevers Infants they are the seed of Abraham this being wholly denyed by Anabaptists If I prove that this species or sort of persons are Abrahams spirituall seed without personall actuall faith by which onely they say persons come to bee Abrahams seed quoting for it Gal. 3. 7. 6. 9. 16. 27 28 29. it sufficeth Now the place to mee is full proofe thereof whole Christ mysticall in all the parts of his body the Apostle maketh it to bee the seed of Abraham but that sort of persons the Infants of beleevers are a part of Christ mysticall or Christ considered with his body the Church as Christ is in Gal. 3. and 1 Cor. 12. 12. compared as hath beene proved Ergo that sort of persons as well that other of actuall beleevers are Abrahams spirituall seed And here supposing according to them that Christ is considered there as with his body the invisible Church it maketh still more for what I am to prove since if that sort of persons bee not of the invisible Church whereof Christ is head there can none of that sort not beleevers children at all bee saved since out of the invisible Church is no salvation at all as some of the most judicious of our opposites doe speake in way of answer to what is brought by our friends that extra ecclesiam non est salus that is say such extra ecclesiam invisibilem non visibilem But wee will goe yet further and take this as meant of Christ considered with his body the visible Church according as formerly it was proved to bee considerable And I say to exelude that sort of persons scil beleevers infants from being a part of the visible Church in generall is to exclude them from any ordinary state and way of salvation Nay I will go further and say that for any to suppose all the individuall Infants and each of them which come of such inchurched parents not to bee also parts of this body of Christ the visible Church and consequently not to bee Abrahams spirituall seed is to exclude them from a state and way of salvation in respect to the ordinary course thereof and so to leave them all under the consideration of such a way to bee saved in as is onely extraordinary ordinarily they are not to bee supposed to bee saved as at least it is not to be supposed that ordinarily or that in any ordinary way any Pagans or Turkes out of the visible Church or any in and of Rome as Tridentine and Antichristian should bee saved yet God may and sometimes doth and will have some soules brought on to him thence and even from amongst Mahumetans c. but all will yeeld I suppose that this is an extraordinary case so crosseth not that rule that without even the visible Church there is no salvation scil taking the maxime in reference to ordinary times and withall to the ordinary course and way of attaining unto salvation Such then as exclude all Infants of beleevers one or other from the notion of Abrahams spirituall seede from Covenant and Church estate they put them in the Pagan Gentiles estate of which Paul speakes who being they and theirs strangers from the promise and covenants and from the visible Church they place them in that respect in an estate of persons that are without God in the world and so under the devill the God of the world and in an hopelesse estate neither they nor any for them can have any grounded hope of them they are without hope in regard at least of any ordinary way or meane of salvation Ephes 2. 11 12. Nor let it seeme grievous that our friends and brethren in the Lord of name and worth in the Church have as it seemeth urged that in case of such an exclusion of beleevers children they are made as Turkes or Indians so farre forth in regard that being not in covenant nor Church estate the Apostle truely states such persons cases they are without hope and without God in the world Hee maketh no distinction of potentia remota propinqua in that case Yea but hee speakes of Pagan parents wee of Christian and there is not the same reason of the childrens estate which are of the one as of the other Tell me the difference supposing them actually excluded from covenant and Church estate It is not in their parents prayers or in the Churches nakedly considered without reference to any covenant or Church estate of theirs for they pray as well for Indians c. as for them Nor is it barely in their instruction and education of them for if they have any Indian or Black more bond servants in their house they must instruct both them and their children in Gods feare as they are capable thereof Yea but for the one their prayers and instructions come from a nearer bond and are carried on with more strength then in the other grant that yet this is but more and lesse and they vary no species of any formall reason of difference yea but they may beleeve more for the one then for the other and why so because usually the one sort prove religious when the other is not usuall This confirmeth what I am to prove that God is a covenant God to the children of his people and Church because albeit sometimes some prove vile enough yet usually they prove religious and pious and God speakes of things as they more frequently prove Yea I demand what is the ordinary revealed instrumentall meanes of the saving efficacy which is upon any children of Gods people and Church especially supposing they die very young is it not the word of Gods covenant as hath beene often said from Rom. 9. 6. and Eph. 5. 25 26. Yea I would know whether if beleevers have hope to take hope most properly concerning their childrens good or glorious resurrection by Christ if they die in Infancy have they other ground then that of Gods being a God to them This is Christs demonstration in that case Luke 20. 36 37 38. Is it any other then Scripture hope or comfort that way or must they sorrow as persons without hope If they draw any waters with joy Esay 12. 3. must it not bee out of the wells of salvation the promises not other promises which concerne not the case they will not helpe at such a dead lift but promises pertinent to the case of their children Yea can they have such hope without faith or can they have well-grounded faith where they have not a word of faith for it and when they cannot beleeve that God should bee so much as externally much lesse internally and savingly a covenant God to them or can they conjecture that ever any were saved ordinarily if at all touching whom God never made
is all former distinction ever used to bee so carefully observed and held forth and mentioned laid aside Seed of the woman and of the Serpent in the younglings of both are confounded no distinction of sonnes of God and of men of seed of Isaac and Ishmael in the Infant part thereof No Church distinction of children cleane or incleane Albeit that wee mentioned not to the State but Church at Corinth as a Church to whom the contrary was noted as absurd else even the children were as Pagans uncleane but now they are holy So Acts 2. To you and your children not to others as afterwards actually to others with theirs Some onely were nigh in covenant and politicall Church respects the rest farre off nay doe not C. B. Hen. Den and some others ground upon Rom. 5. 18. whereby to put beleevers children in the same estate without any difference as such from any others children Nay C. B. would know why Turkes and beleevers Infants being alike free from actuall sinne and guilt of originall that they may not partake of the same benefit of free grace and albeit in them there bee something worthy of damnation yet it appeares not from Scripture that any were damned for originall sinne onely and would know why wee should not thinke as much of Infants in generall dying infants as was said of Davids child 2 Sam. 12. 23. thought by Divines to bee saved bringing Rom. 5. 18. for a proofe of such generall redemption of dying Infants Strange charitie beyond all bounds of regular judgement to all Infants dying and none to beleevers Infants in generall so much as of their externall interest in the covenant but doth Mr. B. expound deaths reigne over Infants Rom. 5. 14. to bee onely restrained to that of the first death or might Babylons little ones bee accursed if not under wrath as such doth Mr. B. imagine that all the Infants destroyed in the flood in Sodom and Gomorrah in the last destruction of Jerusalem c. that it is so much as probable they that were saved are all by nature the children of wrath and yet all dying in that estate and under no covenant of grace so much as externally it is so much as probable that all such are saved Is there any Mediation of Christ but as a Mediator of a covenant and are Turkes Infants under the covenant when as their parents are not were all Gentiles of old yong and old being strangers from the covenants of promise and of the Church without God and Christ and hope and now the case is so altered that the chrildren of strangers from the covenant are to bee judged hopefull Doth Mr. B. startle at 1 Cor. 7. 14. that the children of beleevers yea though dying Infants yet as beleevers children they are no more but civilly cleane and in covenant respects as profane yet are Pagans children cleane in respect of Covenant mercy for else how can they bee saved as before wee proved as for Rom. 5. 18. our Divines have used to answer Arminians that all is taken for many as before vers 15. But here Mr. B. in the case of dying Infants will have it universall and if universally true of dying Infants why not so of all living Infants why not of all men simply where will there bee a restraint If all men simply in one sort of persons dying bee understood and not all men that is many whereas wee are used to bee upbraided with the absurditie of universall redemption I feare Mr. B's doctrine rather And so much of the first part of this discourse touching the covenant and Church estate and right of Church members children PART II. CHAP. I. Sect. I. Touching Childrens Baptismall right HAving discoursed of the doctrine of the Federall and Ecclesiasticall holinesse of the Children of visible beleeving and inchurched parents and cleared the same let us addresse our selves a while to consider of the externall Church right of such little ones unto the initiatory seale of such covenant Church right which followeth thence The initiatory seale followeth the covenant wee speake not of an extraordinary time of the Church when either it hath no particular expresse initiatory seale distinct from another sealing ordinance as before that solemne covenanting of God in reference to the Church in Isaacs race Gen. 17. 7 8 9 c. with 19. so there is some peculiar state of the time not appliable to the ordinary time and way of a visible politicall Church and its administrations as then also were family Churches as that in Melchisedecs and Jobs family which not being successively to continue were not so immediatly eyed in point of solemne institution and Church lawes as was this of Abraham Isaac and Jacobs race wherein the visible Church was to bee continued such extraordinary cases and times are very impertinently urged by some to infringe the force of ordinary rules and principles they know an extraordinary case of eating shewbread by such as were not Priests of plucking eares of corne on the Sabbath day of a private Disciple's baptizing upon an extraordinary and immediate call as did Ananias Acts 9. of Zipporah's circumcising and these doe not nullifie and invalidate ordinary rules and principles touching circumcision or baptisme or the sanctification of the Sabbath c. This proposition then I shall lay downe for further proofe that in ordinary times and cases respecting the politicall visible Church and its administrations such little ones as are of parents in such visible Church estate they have externall right unto the injoyned initiatory visible seale of which they are outwardly capable and ought not to bee denyed the use and benefit thereof ordinary times then and not extraordinary are here considered let none object then children of members of an ordinary politicall visible Church are here considered let none object an extraordinary case of Johs or Melchisedecks family a visible seale enjoyned not a case wherein actually any such seale is not injoyned is here also considered but either actually injoyned or at least in view at the present making of the covenant with Church reference as in the case Gen. 17. 7 8 9 c. let none object Adam and Noahs time and cases against our thesis externall right in such a Church seale is propounded let none confound this with internall and saving right which is visible to God and not to meere men the initiatory visible seale is propounded not all the seales or Church priviledges as choyse of officers and voting in other Church occasions c. A male child of eight dayes old might bee circumcised but was never intended to bee injoyned personall appearance at the solemne celebration of the passeover there to goe up and not to bee carried or to have others appeare in their stead Deut. 16. 16 17. all the males which were to bee at that feast were as well to bee at the feast of tabernacles Ibid. where such as kept that feast were to carry boughes to make
Gods faithfulnesse impeached or impaired nor need the faith of beleevers bee shaken if this or that child should prove live and die wicked the force of the Covenant is not to bee measured by the fatall miscarrying of many of Abrahams Church seed To bee sure it taketh in some of his Church-seed as the Apostle reasoneth Rom. 9. 4. 6. compared Whether our doctrine herein or the adversaries which deny any interest at all to any beleevers Infants in the Covenant bee more uncomfortable let the world judge And therefore to affirme with Paul if taken in the strict of elect ones and of sincere beleevers that they onely are Abrahams choyce seed yet it 's no other then Gospell to affirme as much as wee have done of others ye they also are Abrahams Church seed SEâ—T V. 4. A Fourth Conclusion is that the Church in dispensing an enjoyned Initiatory seale of the Covenant of grace looketh unto visibilitie of interest in the Covenant to guide her in the application thereof Nor is it the saving interest of the persons in view which is her rule by which shee is therein to proceed The matter to bee dispenced is not an Initiatory seale of the Covenant before it bee commanded as before Circumcision or baptisme bee commanded but supposing that de facto they are commanded the rule of judging of the jus of persons propounded to the Church with desire of her admission by her officers to the fellowship of the initiatory seale of the Covenant it is not the internall and saving state of the partie or parties but the visibility of covenant right and estate saving right consisting in Gods electing act which is a very secret in saving interest in Christ and his death in saving influences and operations of his spirit and the like all which incurre not to outward discerning nor can be infallibly known by man being things per se invisible to others John 3. 8. John Baptist did and might lawfully baptize those multitudes albeit in the generall hee knew that many yea most of them would prove false and frothy Matth. 3. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. It sufficeth that albeit hee were perswaded in the generall that many were unworthy members of that floore and Church of Christ amongst them all yet they having appearances of a better estate and hee not being able to say in the particular persons presented to baptisme which of them notwithstanding would prove chaffie and vile hee baptized them Albeit wee may think in the generall that to bee sure in all visible Churches there will bee some vessells of dishonour sometimes and yet Ministers which are the Churches as well as Christs servants they are not therefore to refuse to dispense Church-Ordinances since they are in the face of the Church such utensils as the Lord may have and hath need of Hence the Apostles which as extraordinary persons knew the guile of persons secret from the Church witnesse that act against Ananias and Saphira Act. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. to 11. Yet in administring the Church-seale of Baptisme they refused not Ananias and Saphira no nor Simon Magus Act. 8. nor thousands of others of the Jewes amongst whom how many proved false let Acts 2. 41. and 4. 1 2 3 4. compared 21. 20 21 22 23 24. 28. 30 31. 36. and 22. 20. 22. and 23. 12 13. witnesse Nor could the Apostles imagine otherwise in the generall but many of them would prove such Yea Christ himselfe who by his divine knowledge knew Judas to bee a devill John 6. 70 71. and 13. 18. yet hee ministred to him that Supper whether the Pascall Lambe or the Lords Supper Verse 1. 2. 26. and 21. compared with Luke 22. 19 20 21. I determine not one of them it appeares it was Austin and others thinke Judas was admitted to the Lords Supper and that he did partake of the bread of the Lord albeit not of the Lord that spirituall bread so thinkes Mr. Cartwright from that connexion Luke 23. 19 20 21. but if admitted by Christ to the Passeover which Christ administred to him formerly and at that time it sufficeth to our purpose Christ ministring as man dealeth with Judas in his ministration of the Sacrament as man and as Judas was according to man and to the rest of that family to which hee then in speciall sort ministred Ishmael God discovered by a divine revelation to Abraham Esau to Rebeckah not to bee Gods elect seed of the Covenant yet Abraham and Isaac as Prophets and Priests at that time to the Church in their families circumcise them extraordinary cases brake not ordinary rules If Peter kill bodily any persons or Phinehas or Elias It 's not a warrant for Ministers to bee executioners or orderers of civill justice It 's the Magistrate is to do that by ordinary rule Rom. 13. If Ananias a private Disciple by extraordinary call in a vision baptize Paul yet it 's no crosse to that ordinary rule of ministring baptisme onely by preaching ministers Matth. 28. 19 20. So here in extraordinary cases persons to bee admitted to the seales of the old or new Testament may bee discovered to bee false hearted as was Ishmael Esau and Judas yet that hinders not but being in facie Ecclesiae visibly interested in the Covenant the seales are to bee administred unto them The Church in Abraham and Isaacs house had not that revealed to them touching Ishmael and Esau as neither the family of Christ knew that of Judas therefore as to them they had visible right to those seales so were they administred to them A Minister may see much good or evill in persons which are to partake of the seales yet if this bee not as well visible to the Church as to himselfe hee cannot of himselfe admit or reject them regularly hee is not the Church but acteth in admission rejections to or from the fellowship of Church-Ordinances such as the seales are by and with their consent A person Ecclesiastically holy is admittable and hee may not refuse them upon his owne private surmises It were to breed confusions in Churches and lay foundations of enthusiasmes The ordinary Elders of that visible Church of Ephesus must feede the Church in the dispensation of the word or seales occasionally Albeit many admitted to that fellowship many among themselves will prove Apostates Acts 20. 28 29 30. If particular persons saving interest in Gods promise and Covenant of grace were the rule it were either to necessitate ministers to come under guilt of sinne or Anomie breach of rule or for avoiding of that which they must needs doe with such breach of rule never to administer any Church-ordinances since they sometimes shall breake that rule in administring the same to hypocrites and albeit they doe sometimes administer them to elect ones yet not being able to know that secret infallibly they observe not that rule in faith but doubtingly and so can have little comfort of any such of their administrations
not many seeds being all one in Christ the head of the Church Verse 16. 28. compared like as Gen. 3. 15. the seed of Eve is Christ with his members in and with him So 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. the name of Christ is not ascribed to the head the Lord Jesus without his body the Church or to the Church of Jewes and Gentiles without him the head but collectively considered Quaeritur whether this in Gal. 3. and 1 Cor. 12. be spoken of the visible or invisible Church I answer to me it seemes that the places admit of the consideration of the Church as visible First in that the Apostle speaketh of all the Galatian Church-members as well as others as one in Christ Gal. 3. 28. Now were all those members elected will any say I suppose not yet all are one in Christ their head Secondly in that hee speakes of them all as Sacramentally one with Christ in baptisme Gal. 3. 27 28. compared so 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Now albeit the spirit bee the cause of the internall and saving union with Christ in all which are united As Ecclesiastically all the Corinthian members were judged to bee yet indeed and in truth there were many of them not approved to God 1 Cor. 11. 18 19. compared But in both places the Apostle considering them as a baptized Caecus intimateth the consideration thereof as a visible and not as an invisible Church Baptisme being the seale committed to the visible Church by her officers to bee dispensed and not to the invisible Church which hath no Officers in it as such And baptisme being by the Church administred to persons as visible and not as invisible members of the Church Thirdly in that Christ hath head-like influences into the officers and members many whereof are not savingly joyned to him Fourthly in that it is the Church wherein hee hath set diversitie of Church-officers which are not set in the invisible but visible Church that Church being not invisible but visible where Church-officers are set and chosen and act From this consideration it followeth that albeit a mans owne personall faith uniteth him to Christ in respect of saving and invisible union yet the profession and confession of faith before and in a visible Church in reference to visible communion therewith this doth unite a person to Christ as head of the visible Church whether the party bee sincere or no. Hence also a Parent making profession of faith in the covenant of grace as invested with Church-covenant in reference to his children it doth unite them also to Christ as head of the visible Church so farre as to give right to solemne imitation of them into the fellowship of the Church in circumcision as of old or baptisme as now Parents acts in this case being in the face of the viâ—…ble Church their childrens acts as the places quoted Deut. 26. 17 18. and 29. 10 11 12 13 14 and 16 16 17 declared Whence contrariwise the parents neglect of ciâ—cumcision of a babe not capable of personall neglect was câ—unted the childs neglect the uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised that soule shall bee cut off â—rom his people Hee hath broken my covenant And as in other cases the Lord Christ who required personall faith in growne ones to their cure yet in case of children is contented that their parents beleeve on their behalfe John 4. Marke 9. from verse 12. to 18. so Matth. 15. 22. to 29. so is it in the case of this externall Church benefit Albeit the just onely live an effectuall life of grace and attaine the vertue of the seale by their owne faith yet that hindreth not but a child may attaine as it were a Church-life and pertake of the visible interest and use of that initiating Church-seale by his parents covenant and Church faith or that faith which is such to the Church Nor yet doe wee hereby establish as some say a meriting faith no more then we make visibilitie of personall faith to merit personall right to baptisme c. But rather the parents professing to apply the covenant as made to him and his there doth result a parentall as well as a personall right Such weight there is in the covenant applyed as by vertue of the covenant of grace invested with Church-covenant thus professedly applyed there doth arise such a union as of the parent so of the child quoad homines unto Christ as head of the visible Church And looke as the covenant laid hold upon by the lively faith of gracious parents as made with respect to their children hath mighty force to effect very gratious things in the elect seed yea albeit dying young as sundry of those elect ones of Abrahams race did Rom. 9. 6. yea so as to make their outward washings to become effectuall in Christ to an inward clensing Ephes 5. 25 26. yea so as to bring in and bring home many of such covenant children Whence those revolters beloved for their covenant fathers sake as such Rom. 11. 28. and hence made as a ground of their returne verse 15 16. So is there such validitie in the covenant invested with Church-covenant albeit but unworthily oft-times held forth by the parents which doth beget upon the children an externall filiall relation unto God and to his spouse the visible Church whence that respect of children of God and his Church by vertue of that Espousall covenant Ezek. 16. 8. Even in the children of Idolatrous members verse 20 21. 23. Great is the force of this way of the covenant so clothed Albeit many unworthy members are girt up in it to hold them and theirs in externall Church-communion Jer. 13. 11. untill either that Church bee divorced from God or the particular members disfranchised by some Church censure of such a Church-covenant priviledge This consideration with the former mentioned in that first conclusion may also satisfie M. B. that our doctrine touching Infants covenant and Church-right to baptisme doth not necessarily produce either that absurdity of a state of grace and remission of sinnes before calling or of birth grace as J. I. hath it conveyed from parent to child understanding it of grace absolute and grace in them and not of grace upon them or relative grace And if of grace upon them yet if understanding what hee saith as meant of justification and saving adoption and not of externall adoption and covenant administration the former they convey not as neither doth a free Denison his personall gifts of wisedome c. the later hee may not as a man barely but with this reduplication considered as a parent in covenant and Church and spirituall citie estate for so by vertue of the covenant hee is in together with the professed parentall application and challenge of it as to him and his hee may convey such an externall right formerly mentioned Nor is that absurditie ours that wee make such visible members of Christs church before calling for if hee
therefore will bee your God But I will be a God to thee and thy seed therefore thou and they shall bee circumcised the nature of a seale supposeth a covenant to bee sealed Againe that also is of like truth which is said that it required onely a male of eight dayes old The promise being made indefinitely to the seed whether male or female and not to the eighth day old seed but to the seed albeit but a day old else what had become of them if they died then in respect of that ordinary covenant meanes of their good Rom. 9. 6. 11 Object That promised temporall things to both seeds as Canaan this spirituall Answ Was not Canaan typicall to both seeds as you call them Else why were any condemned for their unbeleefe Heb. 3. last and 4. 1 2. compared Or were temporall things all that was promised in this I will bee your God or was hearts circumcision promised them Deut. 30. a temporall thing or doth not the Gospel now promise and exhibite temporall things also 1 Cor. 3. 21 22. 1 Tim. 4. 8. 12 Object With the Jewes the Church and the State were the same but not so now Answ God never confounded Church and civill state either then or now Who dare make God the author of confusion which is the God of Order Hee then kept them severall paling in the civill state with the judicialls with which the Church as such dealt not but as civill cases came under a Church-consideration Shee had her ceremonialls and moralls to regulate her Kings and Princes Priests Levites and Elders had their proper worke and moved onely in their owne spheres The Elders of the assemblies knew and acted in their places Ecclesiastically without interruption from civill officers or intruding upon civill offices as such Josh 9. and 16. 1. 2. Act. 14. Luke 4. the matters of the King and of the Lord were carefully bounded and sundred 2 Chron. 17. 11. And because I. S. maketh many of these objections let us see whether what himselfe affirmeth will not necessarily confirme much of what wee have said and undermine many things which hee and others of his mind doe hold To bee a God to them saith I. S. was to fulfill his promise to Abraham in particular or to his seed in generall Citing for that Nehem. 9 8. Psal 105. 9 10 11 42. Luke 1. 72 73 74. In token of which God annexed Circumcision as a seale to confirme the same Gen. 17. 11. And againe unto which covenant circumcision was added to put the people alwayes in mind of the said covenant Gen. 17. 11. and a seale to confirme the covenant on both sides God to be a God to them as aforesaid and they to be his owne people above others and so to performe the same condition of faith and obedience as Abraham their father did and to walke as such circumcised in heart unto which they were ingaged by that ordinance Rom. 2. 25 26 27 28 29. otherwise that covenant stood not in force c. First then there was a covenant of grace which onely requireth faith and repentance made with Abrahams seed in generall and so with the body of the Jewes Infants and all as being then particulars of that seed of Abraham in generall God anexing circumcision in token thereof as his mind touching them whilst Infants visibly to confirme the same to them whether they proved elect or reprobate Gen. 17. 11. Secondly then the Initiatory seale of the covenant of grace was not alwayes of present actuall grace in the party sealed but unto future grace and with condition of future actings of faith and repentance Albeit not then able practically and personally to restipulate otherwise then passively and in their parents It being confessed to bee a seale on both seeds of Gods being a God to them c. And putting the people circumcised in mind scil afterwards of the covenant and to performe the conditions of it of faith and repentance c. 3 Then circumcision sealed spirituall things even that covenant I will bee a God to them and so fulfill my promises to them such like as Luke 1. 72 73 74. In token whereof circumcision was annexed to confirme the same And surely it confirming a promise of such mercies as Luke 1. 72 c. it did confirme very spirituall things to them and so not temporall things onely as Canaan c. as sundry have affirmed Also then circumcision ingaging the circumcised persons to beleeve as Abraham did and to bee in heart circumcised c. as I. S. cited that place for that purpose Rom. 2. 25. to the end Hee else-where contradicteth himselfe affirming that faith in the blessed seed was not required either in Abraham or others to be circumcised If it ingaged them to his faith then hee and adult proselytes stood prae-ingaged to the same faith Likewise Infants albeit not actually beleeving at present yet that seale was on them virtually as a present ingagement to after faith c. Nor doth this accord with what I. S. elsewhere affirmeth that circumcision required not the second birth but first Since it ingaging to the hearts circumcision this could not bee without a second birth supposed This which hath been said accordeth with much of that which wee speake touching baptisme that it sealeth the covenant indefinitely to all sorts and that it sealeth on Infants present federall Grace and unto future grace likewise unto growne ones it sealeth personall grace lesse principally covenant grace principally From what hath beene said in this sixth proposition it appeares that the Infants of Abraham Isaac and Jacobs loynes were as well as their covenant and Church-seed as any others Gen. 17. 7. and 26. 3 4 and 28. 13 14. hence the covenant runs in the indefinite notion of seed and the same seed to which Canaan was to bee given for an outward inheritance whereof children were heires as well as parents hence upon that ground of Gods being a covenant-God to them was the injunction of their being sealed by Circumcision Gen. 17. 7 8 9 10 11 c. hence in that way is the Covenant of grace renewed to all Israel in the termes of you and your seed Deut. 30. 6. I have beene the larger in this matter of Gods covenant with the Jewes as conceiving the contrary opinion to have beene a great ground both of Anabaptisme and Familisme SECT IX The Childrens Covenant estate in Gospel Conclus 7. THat the Covenant interest at least externall and ecclesiasticall of Infants of inchurched beleevers is Gospell as well as such covenant interest of growne persons Now because Antipaedobaptists or rather Anabaptists wholly deny the Covenant-right of Infants of beleevers let us here also addesome particulars for further clearing of this proposition But first let us consider of that place Deut. 30. 6. 11 12 13 14. compared with Rom. 10. 6. 7. 8. the matter of the promise scil inward power of grace inabling to love the Lord intirely