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
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.
of Promise * Eph. 2.12 But the Infants of beleevers who were members of the Church of the Jewes were not aliens from the Common wealth of Israel * Gen. 17.7 Deut. 29.10 11 12 13 14 15.18 Exod. 12.48 49. nor without hope nor without God in the world Therefore such holy Infants were not then without Christ neither were they strangers from the covenants of promise Now for as much as the Infants of beleevers were not without Christ nor aliens from the Common wealth of Israel nor strangers from the Covenants of promise nor without hope nor without God in the world They were such as were made nigh by the bloud of Christ See Eph 2.13 whose bloud was then to be shed and is powred out for them and therefore we may safely conclude that the holy infants are not loosers by his coming And therefore seeing the New Covenant is not abolished it evidently appeareth that the Infants of beleevers now are in the new Covenant because the Infants of beleevers were in the same New Covenant before And this agreeth with the words of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children uncleane but now are they holy for the Apostle there speaketh to beleevers and of a holinesse in relation to their faith and to the covenant they were in And though you said the old Covenant is abolished yet you grant that the New covenant is not abolished but remaineth Wherefore you must of necessitie be driven to grant also that the infants of beleevers are in the new Covenant because they were of it before and the New covenant remaineth permanent Thus having taken away the foundation of your Arguments which you brought against holy Infants being in the Covenant you may justly expect that all which is builded upon the same sandy foundation will fall to the ground Pag. 4. li. 37. Your next words are these which follow There being the new covenant now on foote which is a covenant of grace and salvation and which brings certaine salvation to all those that rightly enter into it and which is onely by faith Hence it is said Act. 2.47 That the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved Ans That the new Covenant is now on foot and that it is the covenant of grace and salvation and brings it to all those which rightly enter into it in deed and in truth is not by me denied And that the enterance is onely by faith is very true But mind this that there is an externall right and an internall right We finite creatures must judge of the trâ—e by the fruit a Mat. 12.33 Luke 6.44 of the faith by the workes b Jam. 2.18 19 Judas had no internall right for he was a devill c Joh. 6.70 71 inwardly yet he had an externall right for he was a Saint outwardly d Act. 1.17 But so long as he was not known to be a wicked man but still made a great outward shew of holinesse they were to judge him righteous But when he manifested evill fruits of treachery and hypocrisie then they were to alter their former charitable opinion of him And though he had not onely an outward Saintship but also an Apostle-ship and a Deaconship before yet when he Apostated that man who was before to be accounted a Saint and an Angel on earth was afterward to be esteemed as a devill And so the like may be said concerning other wicked men Psal 41.9 10. Psal 69.25 26 27 28. Set thou in office over him the wicked one saith holy David * Psal 109.6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. and let the Adversary stand at his right hand When he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sinne Let his dayes be few and another take his office Act. 1.20 Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widow Let his children be continually vagabonds and begge Let them seeke their bread also out of their desolate places Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let the stranger spoyle his labour Let there be none to extend mercy unto him neither let there be any to favour his fatherlesse-children Let his posteritie be appointed to cutting off in the generation next after let his name be wiped out Let the iniquitie of his fathers be remembred of Jehovah and let not the sinne of his mother be wiped out Let them be before Jehovah continually that he may cut off the memorie of them from the earth c. Now that the Lord added to his Church daily such as should be saved is certaine but here we are to note that this Church in Jerusalem was a visible particular Church And that as far as men could judge all those were to be saved that in outward appearance were rightly added to the same or to any other particular Church of the same constitution And though the Lord added to his Church daily such as should be saved yet wee are not to determine that all that joyned to a particular Church were saved yea though they were added rightly according to order in an externall way Judas was of the visible Church yea of that Church whereof these were members and yet wee will not say that he is saved Persons may be saved which are of no visible particular Church And persons may be of a true visible particular Church of Christ and yet Apostate and not be saved any more then Judas who fell finally as other reprobates doe though never so eminent in the Church Howbeit we will not say that any fall away from the grace of Gods secret election but from an outward sanctification it is possible that elected persons may for a time fall yet not without great sinne no more then the temporary falling away of the incestuous person in the Church of Corinth and others also which the Scripture maketh mention of who were the deare Saints of God yet for a time fell from their stedfastnesse But now I will examine your reasons what they are whereby you say * Pag. 4. lin 41 Pag. 5. lin 1 2 That the holinesse of children here is not meant of any holinesse in relation to any Church-covenant First say you * Pag. 5. lin 3. to lin 9. That which is an effect of regeneration is not brought to passe by generation though the parents be holy but 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 or enter into it therefore it cannot be brought to passe by generation though the parents are holy Ans That regeneration is brought to passe by generation I will not affirme The infants of beleevers are regenerated before they are borne this you cannot justly deny for Jeremie and John Baptist were sanctified in the wombe and the priviledges of beleevers are alike precious Not that it commeth by the
and outward Baptisme to lay hands upon the rest of the holy institutions of God which properly and peculiarly are tyed to the Church And the Proselytes or beleeving Gentiles in the time of the Law before they were circumcised in the flesh they were to be circumcised in their hearts and before they did partake of the Passeover a figure of Christs body they and their holy seed were to be * Exod. 12.48 circumcised in flesh as well as in heart which participation in the Ordinances then was not to be limitted onely to the outward fleshly shadow no more then our partaking of Baptisme or the Lords Supper now ought to be onely limitted to the outward elements of Water Bread and Wine But as for the Infants of beleevers they ought to be judged to have the circumcision of Christ which is of the heart and Spirit as hath been formerly proved and shall be further shewed and therefore it is apparent that they are acceptable and may lawfully have the Ordinance of Baptisme imposed upon them for they being proved to be members of the visible Church of Christ it appeareth that they are to be judged in Christ and new creatures and that therefore the true holinesse accompanieth them And this being so what then will follow but that according to your owne confession they have right to Baptisme Further you say If it be objected that in respect of Justification Pag. 6. lin 3â— it availeth nothing but to Baptisme it may To this you Answer Lin. 37. to Pag. 7. That that which availeth to Justification and salvation doth according to the Rule onely availe to Baptisme for if thou beleevest with all thy heart thou art justified Act. 13.39 and shalt be saved Act. 16.31 and mayest be baptized upon the same and no other grounds Act. 8.37 To which I Answer As is the objection so is your answer without distinction for there is a difference between justification in the sight of God and justification in the sight of men By the Word persons must be justified and by the Word they must be condemned All those persons who are outwardly holy may be justified in the sight and apprehension of men ought to be baptized upon this ground though their heart knowne onely to God be like the heart of Simon Magus not upright in the sight of God But the holy Word of God is our Rule whereby we are to judge both beleevers and their infants now under the Gospel to be in covenant regenerated sanctified and adopted unto God the children of the promise in their infancie as the infants of beleevers were in former time And upon this very ground the Infants of beleevers now may lawfully be baptized as the infants of beleevers who were members of the Church in the time of the Law were lawfully circumcised To the objection * Pag. 7. lin 1 2. That all that were baptized by the Apostles themselves were not saved c. You answer And say * Lin. 3. to lin 15. you doe grant that all baptized by the Apostles were not saved and yet deny the consequence by distinguishing between the rule by which they are to be baptized which is infallible and the judgements of men who are failable and may be deceived in applying this rule but it follows not but that the rule being of God is still as infallible as God himselfe is for all that beleeve shall be saved which is true as God himselfe is true yet all who are judged by beleevers to beleeve doe not beleeve and therefore are not saved This failing then here is not in the rule but in their judgements who are but men and can judge onely in the outward appearance by their f uits yee shall know them Mat. 7.16 And cannot judge as God who onely knoweth the heart 1 Sam. 16.17 Jer 17.10 Ans Though this by construction may be without contradiction yet it may have a little further explanation thus That though the Saints doe judge by the infallible rule concerning persons yet if they alter their judgement according as the persons alter they sinnâ— not in the alteration of their opinion because the infallible rule doth still guide their judgements As for instance The infallible rule doth direct our judgements to looke upon all the members of the visible Church to be in the state of salvation So the Disciples of Christ esteemed highly of Judas as indeed the infallible rule directed them but when once he discovered himselfe not to be that in â—ffâ—ct which before he was in appearance then they were directed by the infallible rule to alter their judgements without faile Further in stead of these words Yet all who are judged by beleevers to beleeve To judge of persons according to the infallible Rule is righteous judgement in which the judgers must lay aside all partialitie doe not beleeve It may be construed thus That all who are rightly judged or ought to be judged by beleevers to beleeve doe not beleeve For there is a difference between what persons do and what they should or ought to doe And persons judging as they ought though their judgement is alterable yet as the Rule is not failable neither is their judgement by it sinfull but righteous holy just and lawfull judgement This being construed thus and so taken I assent thereunto But as for your following inference I abhorre and detest from my very soule Your words are these A. R. * Pag. 7. li. 15. to lin 25. But in the baptizing of infants the case is far otherwise yea quite contrary who will or can faile in judging an infant to be an infant the fayling therefore here is in the Rule it selfe and so the fault and sinne in the appointer of such a deceivable Rule This therefore cannot be of God who is truth it selfe but must be of man For let God be true and every man a lyar And when doth he shew himselfe more vainly to be so then when he goeth about to set his pâ—sts by Gods posts and when he teacheth for doctrines his owne vaine and lying traditions such as this is Ans Groundlesse positions and false inferences there from are frequent with you your words import that in the baptizing of infants because none can faile in judging an infant to be an infant that therefore the layling is in the Rule it selfe and therefore you conclude it cannot be of God but of man a vaine tradition The like might be sayd of the Circumcision of infants in the time of the Law that because they could not faile in their judgements in judging infants to be infants that therefore the circumcision of infants was not of God but of man a vaine tradition and the rule was not infallible But you may know that for beleevers to impose the signe * Gen. 17.11 and seal * Rom. 4.11 of the righteousnesse of faith upon their children in their infanciâ— was good lawfull warrantable *
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
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