are not the smallest number Seeing then that the application of the promise of life and salvation belongeth to the infants of beleeving parents as really as to the parents themselves or any other of their children It is evident that they have right to Baptisme Wherefore this text which you said is to no purpose in the point you may see to be of great weight concerning the point and this will clearly appeare unto you I hope by that time you have weighed it well Consider I pray you how that these converts upon the preaching of Peter were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall wee doe When the Apostle Peter saw that they were come thus far he bid them repent which doth not argue but that they repented before for they were pricked in their hearts but now Peter urged them to manifest their repentance and sheweth them how they should by faith rest upon the promise of God and he doth not limit it to a promise onely but sayth The promise is to you and to your Children namely the chiefest promise a remedy answerable to their disease * Isa 61. 2â— Act. 2 vâ—r 2â— And though the promise was made unto them and to their children Ezek. 18 10.13 yet if any of their children were a whoremonger or Idolater or a Raylâ—r or a drunkard or the like the promise appertained not unto him * 1 Cor 6 9 10 11. Rev. 21 8. Therefore by Children he doth not here intend all their Children both good and bad for then impenitent persons and true Saints have share and share-like in the heavenly riches which were blasphemie * Rev. 2.9 so to affirme that such Ismalites or Edomites though the seed of Abraham according to the flesh should have right or interest to the promise or seale thereof but as this promise is holy so it appertaineth and is to be applyed only to those who ought to be judged holy persons * Isa 4.3 in Covenant with God having the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ imputed unto them Now that the infants of beleeving parents are in Gods Covenant and are made righteous by Jesus Christ is proved in the answer * Pag. 8. 21 22 23 24 c. to your first part and may further appeare unto you by the former considerations which I have here related therefore let those premises there and these here be discreetly weighed and then it will evidently appeare that this promise mentioned in Act. 2.39 appertaineth to the infants of beleeving parents as well as to the parents themselves though some of the Children of beleeving parents have no greater a share in this gracious promise then the infants of both unbeleeving parents Your next words are these A R Pag. 1. Pag. 2. In both these wee shall be satisfied if wee looke back into the former part of the Chapter where when the gifts of the holy Ghost were given forth upon the 120. and they speaking in divers tongues and the Jewes thereupon some marveiling some mocking and saying they were full of new wine ver 13. Peter hereupon stands up and speaks to the Jewes thus These men are not drunke as yee suppose but this is that which is spoken by the Prophet Joel that in the last day sayth God I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophecie c. ver 15 16 17. And immediately when he had thus spoken he preached unto them Jesus Christ whom they had murthered and whom though dead and buried yet God had raised up and who bâ—ing by the right hand of God exalted and having received of his Father the promise of the holy Ghost had shed forth this which they did see and heare ver 33. As if Peter should have sayd to the Jewes thus Wee are not filled with Wine as yee suppose but are filled with the Spirit promised to our fathers long since that should be powred forth in these our dayes and that their sonnes and their daughters should prophecie which is now fulfilled upon us their sonnes and daughters and may be also powred out upon you and your Children to make you all prophecie and speake with tongues as we doe for you and your Children are all the sonnes and daughters of the Jewes c. I answer All which you have sayd here is able to give no satisfaction concerning the matter in hand for as much as though you have cited some verses which you thought would make for your advantage yet you have omitted ver 21. which is most materiall and pertinent to our present purpose Moreover you have not done well in taking upon you to be the Apostle Peters spokesman or interpreter of his meaning before you had minded his Speech better then it appeareth you have done for we reade not that the Apostle Peter told them that they and their Children should or might all propheciâ— and spâ—ake with tongues as he and some others did much lesse doth he yeeld such a fained reason to wit because they were the sonnes and daughters of the Jewes c. as you would import he did which doth not sound according to truth But this indeed you ought to have minded that in the Text alledged there is something else of greater weight and consequence then the bare propheâ—ying or speaking with tongues * See Act. 2 39. compared with ver 21. for whereas the Apostle saith The promise he speaketh of that which is generall to every beleever both young and old The truth of this appeareth from the expresse words of the holy Ghost Act 2 39. The promise is to you and to you Children and to â—ll that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call But to speak with tongues and prophecie is not common to every beleever Therefore this promise which appertaineth generally to all Saints is something else then the bare prophecying or speaking with tongues Wee know that God can make open wicked men to prophecie and the Beasts of the feild to speake with tongues without giving them any promise of Eternall life as may appeare unto you by the storie of Balaam and his asse * Numb 22. 23. 24. 31.8 whom wee must not therefore ranke with the sonnes and daughters * Jude 11. Rev. 2.14 mentioned in Joel * Joel 2.28 or with the holy Children mentioned in Act. 2.39 for then by the same Rule false Prophets and unreasonable creatures must be baptized which to think would be very absurd Wherefore it evidently appeareth that this promise is a promise of something else then a bare prophecying or speaking with tongues Consider I pray you that Eternall life is that which appertaineth to beleevers onely a Joh. 3.36 and is distributed to every one of them b Ioh. 6.35.51.54.57 58. Ioh. 10.28 â—0 but so is not Prophecying or speaking with tongues c 1 Cor. 12.28 29 30.
Covenant no more then the infants of Abraham to whom the Lord spake saying I will be thy God and the God of thy seed c. Thou shalt keep my Covenant therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generations e Gen. 17.10 By all this it appeareth that wee have no ground to deny that the Scripture speaketh of their children in Covenant neither are we to dreame that the promise appertaineth to all sorts or is visibly made equally to visible beleevers and visible unbeleevers also for though in Gods secret account visible unbeleevers may be accounted as visible beleevers are and have the promise reserved for them by God in the secret intention and unalterable resolution of his sacred Majestie who will afterward manifest it visibly to appertaine unto them in his appointed time yet these unbeleevers the mean while in our account and in their own account are not to be esteemed heires of the promise or elect vessels of mercy so long as they are not in the Covenant for none are to be esteemed as the children of life but those that are visibly in Jesus Christ for whose sake life is promised to those that choose life and also to their seed f Deut. 29.2 Secondly you say If they were in the Covenant Pag. 3. line 6. by having this promise made to them then were they of the new Covenant and Church of the Gospel for there were no other people to be accounted in Covenant with God save those which be of this Church but those were not of this Church but they were afterwards added thereunto as appeares ver 41. and therefore were not of it before and consequently notwithstanding the promise being so to them and their children yet neither they nor their children were of the Covenant nor Church untill they did beleeve although they were Jewes and so the children of faithfull Abraham Ans Here I think you are mistaken for you would inferre that these were not in the new Covenant before they were baptized and added to the particular Church but then by the same rule wee may think thâ—t the Apostles baptized and admitted into Church-fellowship 〈…〉 those who were out of the new Covenant and that those Converts mentioned in Act. 2.39 were out of the new Covenant when they haâ— gladly received the Word for as touching their Baptisme and audition to the Church the Scripture denoteth the same as distinct from the rest which went before But you should know 〈…〉 that none ought to be baptized before they are in Covenant with God Wherefore if these aforesaid were not in Covenant with God before they were baptized and added as aforesaid then they were first added and were afterward baptized and afterward entered into Covenant with God which disorderly proceeding is not according to the Rule of Jesus Christ. 〈…〉 Moreover If it be admitted that persons must be first added to the particular Church before they are to be baptized which thing I dare not affirme But suppose it were so yet I say it cannot be proved that persons are not in the new Covenant till they are joyned to the particular Church for all those that are out of the new Covenant are not fit matter for it But that these Converts mentioned in Act. 2. were in the new Covenant before they were baptizâ—d is apparent by their conversion and repentance and that the blessed promise of God in the free pardon of their sinnes was rightly applyed unto them and their seed and this is the new Covenant That God will be our God See Gen. 17.7 Rev. 21.3 and wee shall be his people and that he will be mercifull unto us in forgiving us all our iniquities c. Heb. 8.10 11 12. And so David sayth O blâ—ssâ—d is he whose transgrâ—ssion is pardoned and whose sinne is covered O blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne * Psal 32.1 2. And Paul explaineth it to be a Righteousnesse imputed without workes Rom. 4.6 And that this righteousnes of faith is visibly imputed to the infants of beleevers as hath been heretofore is cleare from Act. 2.39 compared with other Scriptures and therefore I conclude they are beleevers imputatively and in the new Covenant and ought to be baptized Now that persons are in the promise or new Covenant visibly before they have faith I suppose no well informed Christian will affirme But to say that true visible beleevers though unbaptized are not in the new Covenant till they be baptized and added as before specified it sheweth a great deale of ignorance at the best in him that so affirmeth NExt you say Their second Argument is from those places which speakâ— of baptizing whole housholds To which I answer It is certaine that divers places of Scripture speake of baptizing whole housholds And it would argue weaknes and presumption in us to affirme that there were no infants in those familiâ—s except wee could prove the same which if there were none it maketh nothing against the baptizing of infants I hope we are not ignorant at least wee are admonished not to be ignorant that God baptized the children of Israel in the Sea 1 Cor. 10 1 2. in which act he really declared who are the right subjects of Baptisme namely Beleeving parents and their infants with them Jewes and Prosolytes such as were the right subjects of Circumcision * Gen. 7.9.14 Exod. 12.48 49. And if wee doe discreetly weigh the great and generall Commission of Jesus Christ given when he ascended upon high it will give great light to this point for it declareth that all Nations were commanded to be made Disciples and those that were made Disciples of Christ he commanded to be baptized so soone as it appeared that the Application of the Gospel appertained unto them Goe sayth Christ teach all Nations baptizing them c * Mat. 28.18 Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved and he that beleeveth not shall be damned * Mar. 16.15 16. Now I hope you will not denie infants to be part of the Nations or to be part of the number of Creatures spoken of here for whom an immortall state is prepared for it is a sure truth that they are reasonable creatures and comprehended in these words Every Creature Consider then how that the purest infants of the holiest parents are by nature the children of wrath Conceived in sinne and brought forth in iniquitie and have Originall sinne cleaving unto them till their change come I mean till the time of their death or dissolution and are by nature enemies against God so deeply stained with sinne that nothing in the world is effectuall to clense them therefrom * Psal 49 7 8 9. but the crimson bloud of their crucified Saviour naturall corruption from their conception Rev. 1.5 is inherent in them and cannot be subdued but by the
say must be judged to be as a true Saint is till he be discovered to us for though God know the heart yet wee doe not though he see invisibly we cannot We must judge of invisible things by visible demonstrations Some men may creep in and make a faire shew outwardly for a while yea and a great while and yet be hypocrites but tell they are discovered to be evill what man can poynt them out and say from his own knowledge that they are not under the new covenant A persoÌ„ that offers to joyn himself to a particular Church of Christ and not only by his verball confession but by his life and conversation apeareth unto them to be an out-side Christian they knowing nothing by him but good if they refuse him it is their sinne though all which he doth outwardly is fained A humane creature though he have the wisdom knowledg of Angels yet can he not know what is in man none I say knoweth this but only the man Christ wherefore it is apparent that though none are by us to be esteemed spiritually holy but those that are outwardly in the same new covenant in which the visible Church is yet all the members therein ought so to be estemed till they are seen to degenerate And moreover I would have you to know that God doth not only accept of our inward performances but of our very words yea of all externall holy performances in his worship and service if they be done according to his will so David saith Lâ—â— the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight * Psal 19.14 So that though all our worship and service unto God ought to be spirituall and done in spirit and in truth yet God hath not bound us to doe it only internally Holinesse both inward and outward is accepted of God and not externally also yea for as much as he hath made us bodies as well as soules and spirits therefore he doth require outward performances of us as well as inward * Mat. 28.20 Rev. 1.3.11 Zach. 14.16 17 18 19. Luke 22.19 20 but when his saints are not capable God then doth accept of them neverthelesse and imputeth Christ righteousnesse unto them notwithstanding their naturall weaknesse Let them while they are capable keep themselves unsported and doe that which God requireth and then when they are no more capable to know or do any spirituall action they are still not only knowne of God 1 Cor. 5.3 6.1 2 3 4 5 20. 16.1.2 Act. 1.26 2.42 Iam 2.18 but beloved of Christ and sanctified by the holy Sprit for though they cannot apprehend Gods working in them yet God can tell how he worketh in them and saveth them by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse * Ps 3 2.2 Rom. 4.6 And after this manner doth God worke in the Infants of beleevers So long as they are not capable he doth not require them to act but to suffer as holy infants in former time suffered not only the administration of his passive ordinance * Gen. 17.14 23 Ios 5.3.7.8 of circomcision but also death * Ex. 1.22 Act. 7.19 1 Sam. 22.19 A. R. Pag. 4. l. 13. to l. 24. it selfe for his sake from the hands of Gods enimies But your inference from your foregoing reasons is That if beleevers childeren be in the covenant and have this true holinesse then all the childeren of beleeving parents must be saved as well old childeren as young for age doth not make them cease from being their childeren But all the childeren of beleevers are not saved no not of faithfull Abraham himselfe according to that known sentence of the Prophet Isaiah 10.21 Repeated by Saint Paul Romans 9.27 Though the number of the childeren of Israel be as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant of them shall be saved Therefore the childeren of beleevers are not in the covenant now on foot nor ought to be baptized To which I Ans That beleevers children are in the covenant is true but that all the childeren of all beleevers are in the covenant is not true but all their holy infants are and ought so to be judged accounted euen in the state of salvation as wel as the greatest verball professors of the faith of Christ and all these infants of beleeving parents that live till they come to yeares of discretion are still to be acounted holy and spirituall except they apostate Now though the Scripture declareth that a remnant shall be saved yet we are directed by the rule of Gods Word to judge that beleeving parents and their seed that doe not degenerate are of this remnant But the childeren of beleevers in their infancie have not power actually to degenerate from the righteous steps of their holy parents But ould childeren may possibly So Ishmael when he was an infant was not a mocker neither was Cain in his infancie a murtherer but when they came to yeares and acted these wickednesses they were for the same cast out the one from communion with the familie of Adam * Gen. 4.11.14.16 the other from the familie of Abraham * Gen. 21.9.10 And as you reason here against beleevers infants being in the new Covenant because you know not absolutely whether they shall be saved So you may reason against the parents themselves though they are members of the visible Church and also as well plead against every verball professor that is a visible member of the same body Thus All you which seem to be beleevers are a people which have indeed taken upon you the profession of the great name of God and have given up your selves unto him to walke in all his wayes and say you have taken hold of Gods Covenant and have covenanted together to become an entire body City House Temple Garden Vineyard c. unto God whom you suppose to be your builder and planter c. So you thinke your selves to be his holy people his bride by marriage his peculiar treasure in covenant with him c But alas you are much deceived you thinke your selves to be in a holy and happie estate in Covenant with God and that you have right to his Ordinances but it is not so For then it will follow That if you beleevers members of this visible Church be in the Covenant and have this true holinesse then every member of you must be saved as well old as young c. But all the members of the visible Church are not saved no not of the Christian Church in the Apostles time for divers of them perished as Judas Iscareot one of the Lambs 12 Apostles and Simon Magus Therfore though you profess faith you are not in the Covenant now on foot nor ought to be baptised If this be a good and sufficient ground or reason to prove the parents not to be in the new Covenant nor to be baptized then the same reason
means of their naturall birth or generation after the flesh but by the Spirit of regeneration howbeit it is a certaine truth that the Saints generation doth not hinder regeneration in any of them Generation doth not worke regeneration but generation causeth distinctioÌ„ of persons that what was one in the root is become more in the branches or what was one in such a branch growing on such a roote bringeth forth other branches Abrahams holy action was Levies by imputation See Heb. 7.9 or as it were little sprigges who are in a growing condition or in a way of thriving so long as they are borne up and receive nourishment from the roote And this division or distinction by way of derivation doth not simply make qualities contra-distinct and opposit one to the other or break the conjunction or contraction between them or take away the vertue of the roote from them For Abrahams act of obedience which he did before Levi was an infant was imputed unto Levi afterward which act was an act of obedience even a fruit of faith which cannot be without the Spirit Now when Levi was borne should they have sayd that he was an unregenerated Infant Nay rather it may be thought that they esteemed as well of Levi in his infancie as Eve did of Seth in his infanciâ— when Seth was borne shee did not say God hath sent moâ— a young Heathen or Canite though the seed of Caine was hers by generation but saith shee The Lord hath sent mee another seed in stead of Abel whom Caine slew Marke now shee did not say in stead of Caine or in stead of Caines infants which did indeed spring naturally from Adams loynes but in stead of Abel saith shee Therefore I say it is apparent that though generation did not worke regeneration yet shee beleeved in God and had so much faith 〈…〉 to put a reall difference between Apostates and those who were not Apostated but were spiritually holy And in that it is said that Seth was in stead of Abel it is a plaine Argument that as Abel was in the Covenant and as Abel was a member of the Church so was Seth according to his name so was he set or appointed instead of Abel for the saying imports that he took the roome of Abel as when one plant is removed out of a fruitfull soyle and another planted in stead thereof And seeing God refuseth not the bodies of his Saints but accepteth of them in his gracious Covenant though they are generated persons it plainly argueth that generation doth not hinder regeneration And therefore it appeareth that this your reason concerning generation and regeneration is of no force against the holy Children spoken of in 1 Cor. 7.14 but ratheâ— maketh for them as shall be further made to appeare And all which you have said here doth not prove that the holinesse of children there is not meant of any holines in relation to any Church-Covenant which is the thing for which you brought it The Infants of beleevers are visibly holy in relation to faith and the holy Covenant The unbeleeving yoak-fellowes abiding with their be leâ—ving yoak fellowes are sanctified by them for this end Else were their Children uncleane but now are they holy So sayth the holy Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 7.14 Your children are holy that is to say the children of you beleevers in Covenant with your God they are the children of the Covenant differing from those children that are unholy and out of the Covenant But against this you argue that what is an effect of regeneration is not brought to passe by generation though the parents be holy And I suppose that those Merit-mongers keeping still to their principles may beleeve the contrary I meane such Merit-mongers who against the Gospel of free-grace do labour vehemently to shut out all beleevers infants from the new Jerusalem Rev. 22.14 15. and so doe in their conceptions rank them with dogs and whoremongers without and judge them not to be in the Covenant or regenerated because they have not a naturall capabilitie to discerne apprehend and both actually verbally professe faith in their own persons yea they judge all infants to be visibly in one condition and out of the Covenant in visibilitie without putting any visible distinction between the Infants of the Church and the Infants out of the Church But if that which is an effect of regeneration were to be brought to passe by generation they might with some colour of truth ranke them all in one visible estate considering that they are all generated And then there had been no weight in the Apostles speech concerning this matter But we are to know that the Apostle had good reason for what he sayd The Master of spirits was his instructor whose words are not to be wrested and perverted and so made of none effect but are discreetly to be observed and faithfully obeyed And though some doe despise the Lords vessells of small quantitie even holy infants the young Olive plants of beleeving parents esteeming them unregenerated yet wee are taught to esteeme highly of them and to honour them as the precious Saints whom the most high God hath regenerated and seperated to himselfe as his peculiar treasure who are justified and sanctified and saved by him and therefore ought to be sealed unto him by Baptisme as such holy Infants in the time of the Law were sealed unto him by Circumcision And you your selfe doe grant that to be of the Covenant or Kingdome is the proper effect of regeneration Joh 3.3 without which none can see it much lesse be of it Consider what you say for here you must confesse that seeing all that see the kingdom of God are regenerated either the Infants of beleevers which die in their infancie are regenerated or else that they shall never see the Kingdome of God much lesse be of it But Christ hath testified that the kingdome of heaven consisteth of such and therefore wee may safely conclude that though they die in their infancie yet they shall see the kingdome of God and therefore it appeareth that they are regenerated What will you say now in answer to your argument seeing it maketh not against holy infants but for them Surely you will denie that they have any of the effects of regeneration or else you will denie your owne argument or the Scripture of God which declareth that they are in covenant or else confesse that the infants of beleevers are to be accounted holy persons in covenant with God and heires of his heavenly Kingdome according as the holy Scripture teacheth us one of these you will doe if silence prevent you not Moreover I know not how you take the beeing in the Covenant or Kingdome there is a two-fold beeing therein to wit externall and internall outward and inward visible and invisible as I observed before concerning persons enterance into the Church Act. 8.13 Simon Magus beleeved and was rightly baptized with the
that what hath bin spoken already in answer to your severall objections and what hath been also gathered from the word of truâ—h in vindication of this truth of the baptisme of holy Infants may be observed It hath been declared how the promise is made to all beleevers Infants as really as to themselves or any of their children * See before in Pag. 3. to Pag. 15. It hath been proved that the generall institution of Jesus Christ is no maner of way lâ—sse generall * Pag. 15. to pag. 24. then circumcision but more generall in respect of the parties upon whom it is to be administred It hath been minded * Pag. 24. to pag. 64. how that the Infants of beleevers were holy members of the visible Church in the time of the Law and that neither the cessation of the ceremonies of the old Law nor any thing else which can be alledged doth argue that they have not still the tâ—ue â—â—linesse which giveth them visible right to Baptisme But seeing the dispensation of Gods gifts and the distribution of his graces are multipâ—yed under the Gâ—spel wee are still to esteem the young Olive plaâ—ts of beleeving parentâ— to be holy as well as the stock or branches upon which they grow And it being so we may conclude that they have right to holy Baptisme as their holy parents have And to debar the holy infants of beleevers from Baptisme is to reject them and so in a manner it is a rejection of their holy parents a means of their discouragement a weakning of their faith a discomforting of their hearts yea and discouragement to others But Truth overcommeth all things it is great and will prevaile against all that oppose it Thus having answered directly to what hath been set downe by you I proceed to the next Your next words are these But now to the Question A. R. Pag. 9. lin 21. What is meant by the holinesse which children are sayd to have 1 Cor. 7.14 In answer whereto I shall shew onely what I conceive it to be and then leave it to the judgement of the wise Answer If you mean the holy children of beleeving parents spoken of 1 Cor. 7.14 Let us heare what you say I say then it is onely such a holinesse A. R. Lin. 25. as is opposite to some kinde of uncleannesse which I take to be this as if when they are sayd to be holy it is no more then to say they are not uncleane to wit no Bastards To which I answer That you are greatly mistaken herein There is no such restriction in the Scripture as you conceive and would gather from thence for it is apparent that when the Apostle sayth to Beleevers 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children uncleane he meaneth here such an uncleannesse 2 Cor. 6. which he speaketh of in 2 Cor. 6.17 Which uncleannesse the Saints are bidden not to touch I will dwell in them and walke in them Ver. 16. Ver. 17. Ver. 18. The Apostle speaketh to the same people useth the same Scripture-phrase in applying the precious promises And doth in no way exclude but include their posteritie For confirmation whereof see the practise of Peter in Act. 2.39 and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from amongst them and be yee separated sayth the Lord and touch not the uncleane thing And I will be a father unto you and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord God Almightie Observe here how that this uncleannesse is directly opposed to the holinesse which those have who are in covenant with God who alwayes did put a difference between the holy and prophane between the infants of the world and the infants of the Church And so the Apostle speaking in the Scripture language calleth the children of Beleevers holy Else were your children uncleane saith he but now are they holy 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children bastards say you but now are they no bastards This you conceive is the meaning of that Scripture But you should minde that the Proselytes in the time of the Law and the beleeving parents in the time of the Gospel who were formerly unbeleevers Heb. 13.4 were not all bastards and legittimacie is not a thing peculiar to beleevers but unbeleevers may have it But when the Apostle speaketh of a holinesse which the children of beleevers have it is that which is peculiar unto the Saints of God and not common to Infidells who are without God in the world and not to be communicated with You should minde that the Apostle speaketh in the heavenly language of Canaan in the Scriptures ordinary phrase giving the beleevers infants such a stile which the holy Spirit of God hath given them according as it is plentifully manifested in the Scriptures of God and which he hath not given and granted unto unbeleevers infants There is no place of Scripture which declareth them to be holy Wherefore wee may conclude that there is a great deale of difference between the infants of beleevers and the infants of unbeleevers and that the uncleannesse of the one Rev. 22.11 1 Cor 6.14 is opposed to the holines of the other as darknesse is opposed unto light As Idolaters are sayd to be opposed to those that are seperated from them * Ver. 15 16 17 18. And so the Jewes seperated from Idolaters were all holy both young and old and Gods seperated peculiar people * Deut 29.10 14.1 2. The Lord was their God and they were his people and he dwelt in the middest of them * Levit. 26.11 12. and sanctified them unto himselfe * Exod. 31.13 Psal 135.4 and gave unto them his blessed Oracles * Rom. 3.2 and holy Ordinances yea and the Gentiles also who had like precious faith with the Jewes were then made partakers of the like precious priviledges with them which extended unto their infants * Exod. 12.48 as well as to the infants of the Jewes Therefore as the infants of the Jewes were holy so were the infants of the Proselytes or beleeâ—ing Gentiles And forasmuch as the distribution of Gods gifts under the Gospel are larger then they were under the Law the infants of beleevers now Ephe. 3.5 6. have the same spirituall priviledges as the infants of beleevers had thâ—n and have the same precious holinesse which is available to Bâ—ptisme and therefore we may conclude that when Christ came to die for their sinnes he came not to destroy their soulâ—s and so to râ—b them to pâ—yle them to make them spirituall bankâ—outs to take from them his righteouâ—ness and leave them to be clothed with their own righteousnes But surely wee may rather conclude that Christ as he was once himselfe an infant of a beleeving parâ—nt according to the flesh so he loveth the infants of beleevers Luk. 2.7.16 18.17 because they are Subjects of his kingdome And as he suffered for
wee in this case If wee cannot justly object against Gods worke in nature but doe beleeve that our Infants are reasonable creatures and are borne not bruit beasts but men though actually they can manifest no reason or understanding more then beasts yea a young Lambe knoweth and discerneth his damme sooner then an Infant knoweth his Mother then neither can wee justly object against Gods worke in grace but are to beleeve that our Infants are sanctified creatures and are borne beleevers not Infidells though outwardly they can manifest no faith or sanctification unto us And why should it be thought incredible that God should worke faith in Infants If it be because wee know not or perceive not how it can be let us consider that we know not the way of our naturall birth and other earthly things Eccles 11.5 Joh. 3.8 How then can wee know heavenly things If we make question of the power of God nothing is unpossible with him He made all things of nothing He can make the dumbe beast speak with mans voyce Numb 22. He can make the babe in the mothers wombe to be affected and leap for joy at the voyce of the words spoken to the mother Luk. 1.44 And can he not also work grace faith and holines in Infants Hath Sathan power by sinne to infect and corrupt Infants as is before proved and shall not God have power to clense from corruption and make them holy If wee makâ— doubt of the will of God herein behold wee have his promises to restore our losses in Adam by his graces in Christ as he sheweth in Rom 5. That he will circumcise our heart and the heart of our seed to love him Deut. 30.6 Wee have the seale of his promise in giving Circumcision to Infants to signifie and seale the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4 11. Gen. 17. And wee have assurance of all his promises and of that to Abraham and his seed in particular to be confirmed unto us not abrogated or lessened by Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Luk. 1.72 73. Gal. 3.14 c. Wherefore they are but a faithlesse and crooked generation that notwithstanding all that God hath spoken and done in this kinde doe deny this grace of Christ to the Infants of his people and the seale or confirmation of this grace by Baptisme now as it was by Circumcision of old Next you say Secondly A. R. This reason is grounded upon a great mistake of the sense of the Text for the words are not unto them belongs the Kingdome but of such is the Kingdome that is of none else but of such as the next words which follow in these Texts doe manifestly declare for in Luk. 18.17 Mat. 10.15 In both places where Christ had said Suffer little Children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdome of God He presently confirmes it in the next words thus Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the kingdome of God as a little childe shall not enter therein As also in Mat. 18.34 Christ speaking to his Disciples sayth Except yee be converted and become as little children yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of heaven Whosoever therefore shall humble himselfe as this little childe the same is the greatest in the Kingdome of heaven Whereby it is evident that when Christ sayth of such is the Kingdome of heaven his meaning is not of them nor of such as them in age nor understanding 1 Cor. 14.20 But of such as them in humilitie and such like qualifications Ans If you mean heer that the Seperates do ground their reason upoÌ„ a great mistake of the sense of the Text in saying that the Kingdome of God belongeth to the Infants and therefore Baptisme Then to your impertinent confused answer or groundlesse aspersion I reply First That it is not sufficient to say that the reason is grounded upon a mistake unlesse it be so which if it be not so then you are mistaken your selfe and that greatly both in the reason and in the sense of the Text also in charging us with a great mistake when it is not grounded upon any mistake much lesse upon a great mistake and least of all upon a great mistake of the sense of the Text as you unjustly speake and therefore your charge is but a treble evill surmise a meer supposition of that which is not and this may evidently appeare to be true because out of Christs owne words wee may gather that the Kingdome of heaven belongeth to the holy Infants for sayth he of such is the Kingdome of heaven Secondly Wee doe not say that the words are in expresse tearmes unto them belongs the Kingdome you shall not father this upon us but of such is the Kingdome of God and yet notwithstanding the sense is rightly taken according to the Text that the Kingdome of heaven belongeth unto the infants and therefore you cannot justly charge our reason to be impertinent or to be grounded upon any mistake at all much lesse a mistake of the Text So then it appeareth that the mistake is not ours but yours seeing you mistake your selfe and us and Christ and all Thirdly I doe not know your meaning when you rehearse Christs words Of such is the Kingdome of heaven and say that is of none else but of such You should know that the Kingdome of heaven belongeth to those that are past infancie as well as to Infants Aged persons are of the Kingdome of heaven as well as such children If you denie this you will denie your own enterance into the Kingdome or else say you are an infant which thing I suppose you will not doe But the drift of your interpretation is to prove that when Christ sayth Of such he meaneth such and none elâ—e but such therefore no Infants For so it appeareth by your words afterwards when you say Christs meaning not of them nor of such as them in yeares nor understanding a meer non-sense conclusion and your ground is Because Christ sayth of such and doth not say of them But herein you erre and are mistaken in the word such and your inferences therefrom are not according to truth which may appeare thus As for Instance When Paul sayth Rom 1.32 Those that do such things are worthy of death he mâ—aneth those things before specified in the same Chapter Suppose a person should come to you and before divers persons charge you saying Such persons who doe such things as you doe are worthy to be condemned I suppose the accusation toucheth your own particular person as much as any other and that so you will confesse and take it as meant of you But if upon examination of the accuser you shall find him to faulter say that therefore he meant not you nor any such thing which you doe c. would you not count him a knave or a foole or a lyar Againe He that should come and say Such an argument or arguments as you bring here are good
Saints have There was a great difference * They differed in the quantitie not in the qualitie Zach. 4.20 in the time of the Law between the spoones flaggons and cups in the Temple and the censers seas and potts and yet they were all holy both great and small and so were the Jewes both young and old great and small Infants and aged persons they were all holy ecclesiastically and all the Lords holy vessels and we are not to have such sacrilegious thoughts as to thinke God doth refuse the infants of beleevers though they are vessells of small quantitie The Boules before the Altar were counted very glorious when it is taken for such an excellent thing for the potts in the Lords house to be like unto them If then the potts in the Lords house spiritually are in these last dayes and flourishing times of the Gospell * In respect that there is and hath been both by the sight of the eye hearing of the eare and in divers other respects most of God of Christ and of the Holy Spirit manifested in these last dayes like the boules before the Altar What are the boules before the Altar What are the cups What are the flaggons The Lord in numbering up his holy vessells of small quantitie even the holy off-spring and the blessed issue calleth them by the name of cups and flaggons and calleth them the glory of his house All which doth set forth the excellency of the Infants of beleevers their great holinesse and high estimation with Jesus Christ Compare with this the Historicall Relations of Christ concerning infants in the Gospel and there the fulling of this Prophecie will appeare to be for there they brought infants to him that he should put his hands on them and pray and he approved of their act * Mat. 19.13 yea and gave free admittance for the infants to come unto him and charged that none should interrupt the bringers by forbidding them because of such is the kingdome of heaven * Mar. 10 14. Luk. 18.17 and he took them up in his armes and put his hands upon them and blessed them ** Mar. 10.15 But to this you answer First That all this is not baptizing them for Christ baptized not A. R. Pag. 14. lin 3 4 5. Joh. 4.2 And therefore this place seemes not at all to prove the baptizing of Infants Ans The holy Ghost fell upon Cornelius and his friends Act. 10.44 at Peters preaching though all this was not baptizing them with water yet they being baptized by the holy Ghost who could forbid water that they should not be baptized which had received the holy Ghost as well as * Ver. 47. others So the infants which Christ took up in his armes he layd his hands upon and blessed Christ did more for holy Infants then baptize them with water and declared that the Kingdome of God belonged unto them Of such is the Kingdome of heaven sayth he Christ had declared that without the Spirit persons could not enter into the Kingdome of God But these infants were subjects of his Kingdome according to the doctrine of Christ and therefore they had the Spirit and seeing the infants of beleevers are as they were they have the Kingdome the Gospel the Spirit and the graces of the Spirit and all and therefore they may lawfully be baptized and therefore these places have not onely a semblance in them but also a substantiall ground for the baptizing of the infants of the faithfull It being not various in the least from any of Gods institutions but every manner of way agreeable to the same And though then neither Christ nor his Spirit baptized with the Baptisme of water but instrumentally yet those that have Christ and the Spirit have the inward Baptisme and so are to have the outward Baptisme but the infants of beleevers have Christ and the Spirit for they have the Kingdome which cannot be without the Spirit therefore the infants of beleevers are to have the outward Baptisme As hath been proved before and even now and shall be further cleared afterwards Next you say Secondly Let them that please doe as here Christ did A. R. yet much rather let us all learne the lesson which Christ here taught A. R. without which wee cannot be saved But wee quite perverting Christs meaning doe in another sense become little children for some at first had no sooner hence sounded out this tune in our eares that the Kingdome of heaven belongs to little children and therefore Baptisme But wee all presently like little children dance after this pipe as though our heads were lighter then our heeles and in the meane time loose the true sense the marrow and fatnesse of these Texts which so much doe concerne us And thus it is not onely in these Texts but in many more in so much that wee through this our childish if not brutish following the heard of Interpreters from humane authoritie rather take many grosse errours for undeniable principles then once open our eyes to see and receive the truth upon Gods own bare word that wee might beleeve and so be saved out of this quick-sand of delusions And indeed how can wee beleeve giving and receiving honour thus one of another and seek not that honour that commeth of God alone As Christ tells us Joh. 12.44 To which I answer That those may rightly doe as Christ here did who are heires of the Kingdome whereof Christ is King But before you do as Christ here did take that counsell which you give unto others learne the lesson which Christ hath here taught without which you say you cannot be saved And seeing that the kingdome of heaven consisteth of the infants of beleevers wee may safely beleeve and justly conclude that though they are little in quantitie yet they are great in qualitie and most precious in the eyes of the Lord. And surely we have need of humilitie to teach us not to be so proud as to despise the day of small * Zech. 4.10 things It is not the way to be happie to despise those that are happie though they have not attained to such a measure as to confesse or expresse by verball relations or visible demonstrations Gods work upon their soules And I tell you further If you hold on in your errours in withstanding holy infants and doe not repent of this your evill you cannot rightly doe as Christ here did nor learne the lesson which Christ here taught and so upon your own ground cannot be saved but doe come under the censure which you have here set downe * Pag. 14. lin 8 9. of quite perverting Christs meaning c. and loosing the true sense marrow and fatnesse of these Texts which so much concerne us An evident proofe of this appeareth in your interpretation of the Scripture in the Gospel which speaketh of infants which you would not have to be meant of those Infants nor of
Iscariot and Simon Magus But you should rather have questioned thus according to truth how can the promise be sure to all the seed if beleevers infants be not in the promise And surely wee are not to argue so perversly and foolishly that because some beleevers children are not saved since they rent themselves out of the promise that therefore no beleevers children oâ— that their infants are not in the state of salvation and that the promise appertaineth not unto them for this will not stand with true sense or reason nor with the Apostles Testimonie when he sayth Rom. 3.1 2 3. That the Jewes advantage was much every manner of way and that the unbeliefe of some did not make the faith of God without effect So that the Apostle himselfe answereth your objection for the promise is still suâ—e unto all that abide in Gods Covenant And seeing the infants of beleeving parents doe abide in Gods covenant they are part of all the holy seed and therefore it evidently appeareth that the promise appertaineth unto them as hath been proved before and this doth as really appertaine unto them as to those who professe faith and those that deny this doe in a manner make the faith of God of none effect and so make the Author thereof a lyar But let such despisers of the children of promise wonder and perish without the promise rather then that the Infants which God hath given to beleeving parents should not be counted for the seed within the promise But next you say Now then if the promise be sure unto all the seed unto whom it is made A. R. and all beleevers and onely all beleevers the promise is sure to Then all beleevers and onely all beleevers are the seed unto whom the promise is made and then none of Abrahams own naturall seed nor the naturall seed of any other in the world are to be accounted the seed unto whom the promise and covenant is made untill they beleeve Rom. 9.7 8. Rom. 4.13 14 Gal. 3 7.9 Ans It is a sure truth that the promise is sure to all the seed to whom it is made and it is made to the faithfull and their seed that doe not degenerate from their steps But their Infants cannot justly be said to degenerate from the steps of their holy parents who continue in their righteousnesse Therefore they are holy and in the Covenant and are the children of Abraham And seeing you have granted that all beleevers and onely all beleevers are the seed uâ—to whom the promise is made then all those to whom the promise is made are the seed and so are beleevers but the promise was made unto Abrahams infants as well as to others God said unto Abraham that he would be theâ—r God and for confirmation of his Covenant he ordained that the infants should have the signe of his covenant Gen. 17. the seale of the righteousnesse of his faith in their infancie And the like may be sayd concerning the Proselytes and their infants for God was a God unto them all both male and female bond and free And the like may be sayd now concerning beleevers and their infants for Christs love is not lessened since he manifested himselfe in the flesh He is the same as he was and will be the same as he is in this respect and therefore seeing wee have not one tittle of Scripture for debarring our infants of the priviledges which formerly appertained to the infants of the faithfull wee ought not so to shut up the kingdom of heaven against them but ought to beleeve that the blessing of Abraham belongeth to them as well as to the infants of old for it is a sure truth that the promise is sure unto them and therefore the seale of the promise must be imposed upon them Now whereas you say that none are to be accounted the seed till they doe beleeve If by beliefe you mean beliefe by manifestation actually in their own persons What is this but an arguing against Isaac in his infancie and a shutting him out in your conceptions from being then a childe of promise and a shutting out of others also who were as holy as he yet could not manifest faith actually in their own persons no more then he could in his infancie And so if you mean that none are the seed untill they do professe faith as it appeareth you do is not this to make voyd the promise of God in shutting out all Abrahams infants and the infants of all other beleevers and thus through their sides to strike at Christ who was once an infant like them Now the thing which you should mind but doe not is that the Covenant was established with Abraham and his seed everlastingly with his infants as well as others And as wee may say concerning Abraham and his infants so wee may say concerning the Proselytes and their infants and the like may be sayd for beleevers and their infants now whom you can never prove to be out of Covenant till they appear to be seeds and then do your best but so long as they are not degenerated but remaine the seed they are to be accounted holy and within the promises and covenant of the Gospel And as for the holy infants I know not how they can be charged with unbeliefe or disobedience against any of Gods Commandements any more then their holy parents to whom the Lord hath testified saying that he sheweth mercy to thousands of generations of those that love him and keepe his Commandements Next you say A. R. Pag. 19. lin 21. This then being a most evident truth it may in no wise be granted that the covenant is made with all beleevers as with Abraham or that the promise is made unto all these as unto Abraham or that all these are fathers as Abraham for all these are the seed and the only seed and children of Abraham And those to whom the covenant and promises doe onely belong under the tearme seed Ans These your words doe imply that Abraham was not any part of the seed and that the covenant was not made unto him as he was a beleever but meerly as he was a father But when God made his Covenant with him He did not say I will be thy God meerly as thou art a father and the God of thy seed meerly as they are thy seed and of thy seeds-seed meerly as they are thy seeds-seed but he testifieth that he will be the God of him and them though he and they should increase to many persons yet he would be a God unto them all as he was a God unto him God was a God unto Isaac and he was a God unto Abraham and he could be no more unto him What could Abraham have more then God a greater reward he could not have then the reward that exceeded all rewards Now God hath covenanted with his people that he will be their God and therefore it appeareth that the covenant is
the ordinance of Circumcision and the right subjects thereof As all those doe who affirme that all the infants in the world from Adam to Abraham might have been circumcised if God had instituted Circumâ—ision then But this is to bring in the feed of Caine with the seed of Seth the infants of the idolatrous Heathens with the infants of Abraham and so to make a compounded mixture in the Lords Church which he alwayes laboured to keep from pollution by sequesterating them from the vile Furthermore You make answer to a position * Lin. 26. which is that God gaâ—e to infants Circumcision which was a signe and seale of the righteousnesse of faith and regeneration Gen. 17.11 Rom. 4.11 And we know God giveth no lying signe nor sealeth a Covenant to any persons that are not therein Therefore infants are in the Covenant have faith and regeneration and so ought to be baptized now as well as circumcised then To this your answer is * Lin. 32. That it is true that God giveth no lying signe nor sealeth to any persons that they are in the Covenant when they are not therein To which I reply That I like it well that you will now confesse this truth But it appeareth by your following words * Lin. 12 13 14. that you take for granted a thing which you have not proved as if God declared and made knowne unto Abraham that Ishmael was not in the Covenant before he was circumcised And you cite Gen. 17.18 19 20 21. Which Scripture maketh nothing for your purpose for if you will say God established his Covenant onely with Isaac and none other and all the rest were out of the Covenant then it will follow that the rest of Abrahams children which Abraham had by Keturah yea and the Proselytes and their children were out of the Covenant by your ground But you should consider that God in establishing his Covenant with Isaac and setting him out for a singular person did give Isaac the preheminence as Sem had above Japhet * Gen. 9.27 and Judah Jacobs fourth sonne over his eleven brethren * Gen. 49.8 9 10 11 12. And God establishing the Covenant with Isaac as the root did establish it unto all those who were of the true Religion as the branches but if any departed from Isaacs banner they deprived themselves of Isaacs blessing Now for as much as it was the minde of God that Ishmael should be circumcised * Master Spilsbery granteth that Ishmael and Esau were by God commanded to bee Circumcised as well as any of the rest of Abrahams seed Gen. 17.10.13 See his Treat of Bap. pag. 7. lin 3 4 5 So Iscariot and Magus were commanded to be baptized as well as Peter and Paul and that circumcision was the signs and seale of the righteousnesse of faith It confirmeth it that in the account of man he was then to be judged worthy of it even righteous and in Gods covenant for God is not by your owne confession the author of a lying signe nor sealeth to any persons that they are not in the Covenant when they are not therein Now this is in respect of visibilitie * And so Mr. Spilsbery further granteth That though such were rejected as were not elected this made not the promise of God of none effect to those who stood firme in the Covenant by grace in Christ Jesus as branches in their root pag. 17. lin 21 22. for Simon Magus had Baptisme the outward visible seale of the Covenant and yet we cannot say that he was ever in Gods secret account in the Covenant But secret things belong to God And till God declared unto Abraham that Ishmael was not in the Covenant though he promised to give Isaac never so many priviledges yet Abraham was not to judge Ishmael to be out of the Covenant any moâ—e then others of his houshold till God had directed him so to judge Againe I suppose that Ishmael being come to yeares of discretion it was sacriledge in him to usurp the ordinance and a sinne in Abraham to impose the same upon him except he were in the Covenant so farre as men were to judge of which Covenant this by your own confession was no lying signe Now though Infants were not capable to resist or refuse to be circumcised yet those of elder yeares could and Ishmael was thirteen yeares of age when he was circumcised Therefore Ishmael submitting according as he and the rest of Abrahams familie were taught who were at yeares of discretion was to be esteemed to be in the Covenant Moreover That the children who were â—ircumcised according to Gods appointment were visibly in the Covenant before they were circumcised is apparent by Gen. 17. ver 14. God sayth The uncircumcised man childe whose flesh of his fâ—re-skin is not circumcised that soule shall be cut off from his people he hath broken my Covenant Which doth plainly argue that he was in the Covenant before else how could he breake that which he never had And Abrahams children then could not be sayd to be rent out of the Covenant which they were never in or rent froÌ„ a people who were never theirs but we may rather conclude that as Gods covenant was their covenant Gods people their people so God was their God as he had testified himselfe to be * And also I will be their God That is sayth Mr. Spilsbery their God whom they shall beleeve and obey upon whom they shall depend for the performance of all that I have promised unto them by which faith and obedience they shall acknowledge me to be their God See Spils Treat Bap. pag. 12. before they were circumcised circumcision was added as a signe for sealing or confirming of the same thing signified thereby But wheras God himself calleth circumcision his Covenant a Gen. 17.10 meaning expresly a signe of it b Ver. 11. and Paul calleth it a seale of the righteousnes of faith c Rom. 4.11 you say It was not by God ordained nor by Abraham understood to be to the persons circumcised a seale of their being in Covenant and much lesse of their being in the faith or regenerated * See A. R. Pag 21. l. 37 38 39. so by this it seemeth that you would make the words of Paul and of God himselfe to be false for you openly contradict them both as also that which you granted before namely that God giveth no lying signe nor sealeth to any persons that they are in the Covenant when they are not therein Next you say that Gen. 17.11 and Rom. 4.11 See A. R. must be understood * Pag. 22. that the circumcision which Abraham received both upon himselfe and seed was to him and them a signe and seale that righteousnesse should be not by the law or circumcision in the flesh but by the faith which Abraham had when he was yet uncircumcised That he should be the father of