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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	great_a	word_n	1,780	5	3.6962	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47391	The ax laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of infant baptism, and church-membership. Part I containing an exposition of that metaphorical text of Holy Scripture, Mat. 3. 10. : being the substance of two sermons lately preached, with some additions, wherein is shewed that God made a two-fold covenant with Abraham, and that circumcision appertained not to the covenant of grace, but to the legal and external covenant God made with Abraham's natural seed, as such : together with an answer to Mr. John Flavel's last grand arguments in his Vindiciarum Vindex, in his last reply to Mr. Philip Cary, also to Mr. Rothwell's Pædo-baptisms vindicatur, as to what seems most material / by Benjamin Keach ...	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.; Rothwell, Edward, d. 1731. Paedobaptismus vindicatus.	1693 (1693)	Wing K47; ESTC R39052	37,123	40

THE Ax laid to the Root OR One BLOW more at the Foundation of Infant Baptism and Church-Membership CONTAINING An EXPOSITION of that Metaphorical Text of Holy Scripture MAT. 3. 10. Being the Substance of Two SERMONS lately Preached with some Additions Wherein is shewed That God made a Two-fold Covenant with Abraham and that Circumcision appertained not to the Covenant of Grace but to the Legal and External Covenant God made with Abraham's Natural Seed as such TOGETHER With an ANSWER to Mr. John Flavel's last Grand Arguments in his Vindiciarum Vindex in his Last Reply to Mr. Philip Cary. Also to Mr. Rothwell's Paedo-Baptismus vindicatur as to what seems most material PART I. By BENJAMIN KEACH Pastor of a Church of Christ meeting at Horsly-down Southwark Rom. 9. 7. Neither because they are the Seed of Abraham are they all I hil dren c. ver 8. That is they which are the children of the Flesh these are not the children of God Gal. 4. 24. Which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants Gal. 3. 29. And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's Seed London Printed for the Author and are to be sold by John Harris at the Harrow in the Poultrey 16●● THE Epistle to the Reader WHEN I first entered on this Text I did not intend the Publication of the Sermons it was not at all in my Thoughts But after I had preached Two of them I was earnestly solicited by divers to do it which at last I consented to do Yet because some of the Arguments about that Two-fold Covenant God made with Abraham being before Publish'd in my Answer to Mr. Burkit I was at a stand in my Mind about it Yet meeting with Mr. John Flavell 's Vindiciarum Vindex being as he says a full Answer to Mr. Philip Cary 's Exceptions to his Vindiciae legis Faedoris together with a late Treatise wrote by Mr. Rothwell called Paedo-Baptismus Vindicatus I was resolved if the Bookseller would take the Copy to expose it to publick view finding no Person taking any notice of either of those late Treatises by way of Answer The former being so much cryed up as a weighty Piece I thought it was necessary to Examine and Detect the seeming Force of his chief Arguments for tho' the Author is deceased yet I fear his Writings on that Subject may do some wrong to the Truth by hindering such gracious Persons reception of it who are willing to be informed because he was a Man of great Parts Learning and I hope of Piety For by sad Experience I perceive some People build their Faith and Belief of Infant Baptism on the Credit and great Veneration they have of the Asserters of it saying How should such Men be Mistaken which is a poor Argument and a great Reproach it is to such Persons For their Faith it seems stands in the Wisdom of Men and not in the Power of God or certain Testimony of his holy Word God may Reader for some Reasons known to himself hide this and some Truths from some of his faithful Servants may be as a Rebuke to them for their over-valuing of humane Learning and to the People too upon the like account though the Knowledge of the Tongues I esteem in its place and could wish if the Lord saw it good all Gospel Ministers had the Knowledge of the Original Languages but as the Apostle says God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1. 27. And base things and things that are despised hath God chosen yea things that are not to bring to naught things that are ver 28. That no Flesh should Glory in his Presence God makes use of Men that are of no account in the esteem of the Learned World to confound such who are of great Repute The Truth is that great Author hath not missed the Mark only in asserting Paedo-Baptism and in his dark Notions about the Covenant of Circumcision but also in a Point of far greater Moment viz. In asserting in this very Book the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace These are his Words An antecedent Condition signifying no more than an Act of ours which tho' it be neither perfect in every Degree nor in the least meritorious of the Benefit conferr'd nor performed in our own natural Strength yet according to the Constitution of the Covenant is required of us in order to the Blessings consequent thereupon by vertue of the Promise and consequently the Benefits and Mercies granted in the Promise in this order are and must be suspended by the Donor or Disposer of them until it be performed such a Condition we affirm Faith to be c. This grand Error for so I must call it the Learned and Reverend Mr. Chauncy whom God hath graciously raised up to defend his blessed Truth at this present time and for whose Labours we have great cause to Praise the holy Name of Jehovah takes notice of in his late Treatise which is newly come to my Hand before I wrote this Epistle tho' my Copy is at the Press p. 128 129. Mr. Flavel saith he was a worthy Man but it may be not without some Hay and Stubble I wish it do not prove an attempting at another Foundation besides Christ c. You tell us saith he what an Antecedent Condition is That it signifies no more than an Act of ours and such is Faith I suppose you and he mean in distinction from a consequent Condition the Antecedent gains the Estate the Lawyers reckon it the Purchase-Money the Consequent Condition keeps it and it 's the Quit-rent which if it be not duely paid the Lord can enter and take the Estate so that Faith you 'll have to be the Antecedent Money deposited and laid down before you have any of your Spiritual Estate and you say it signifies no more than an Act of ours I pray Whose should it be but ours if the Condition be to be performed by us and Why is this put in it signifies no more unless the meaning be that Christ's Righteousness should be shut out and it should be reckoned under the Nature of this Condition merely as an Act of ours without Respect to Christ the Author of it and Christ the true Object of it See him at large Again he saith Every faedoral Condition is Ex pacto Meritorious so that you may challenge your Bargain upon Performance if it be but 20 Guineys to purchase an 100 l. per Annum so that we have only your Word for 't that it is not meritorious when it 's so in reality the nature of the thing speaks it to the understanding of all Men of Sence No no do not think to wheedle Christ out of his Merits and God out of the Honour of his Free Grace and us out of the Comfort of both You say it 's not performed in our natural Strength No and yet a Condition of a Covenant made with Man a most unreasonable Thing

Off-spring but to his fleshly Seed as such as well as they upon that Condition they kept the Covenant of Circumcision and conformed themselves to the Law God gave them which they were obliged to do by the Covenant of Circumcision as I shewed before Secondly I shall now shew you what those Promises were that respect the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham and his true spiritual Seed as such 1. I have made thee a Father of many Nations meaning Gentile Belie 〈…〉 2. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Gen. 12. 3. Observe here what the Apostle speaks And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through faith preached the Gospel to Abraham saying In thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed Gal. 3. 8. Nay and 't is for ever to be noted That the Holy Apostle endeavours to do the very same thing in Gal. 3. 16. which I am now about viz. To prove That the Covenant of Grace was not made with Abraham's fleshly Seed as such read the Text Now to Abraham and to his seed was the promise made he saith not to seeds as of many meaning his fleshly Seed as such but to thy seed which is Christ. And then in vers 29. he concludes And if ye be Christ's then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the Promise You must not reckon from Abraham but from Christ He must be blind that can't discern from hence that there were Two Covenants made with Abraham Compare these Texts with that in Rom. 9. 6 7 8. Obj. But the Jews might object they not seeing nor understanding this Twofold Covenant if we are rejected of God and rooted out God is unfaithfull and his Promise made of none Effect to Abraham and 't is his seed 1. Answ. The Apostle Answers They are not all Israel which are of Israel vers 6. 2. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children ver 7. That is though they be all the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh yet they are not all his spiritual Seed according to that Covenant of Grace made with Abraham all the true spiritual Seed are the Children of God as Isaac was being begotten and brought forth as the product of Almighty Power as fruit of God's Free Promise I will come and Sarah shall have a Son see the Apostle's further answer That is they which are born after the Flesh these are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed vers 8. Martin Luther confirms the same great Truth we contend for Paul therefore concludeth with this Sentence saith he that they that are of Faith are the Children of Abraham that corporal Birth or carnal Seed make not the Children of Abraham before God as if he would say there is none before God accounted as the Child of Abraham who is the Servant of God whom God hath chosen and made Righteous by Faith through carnal Generation but such Children must be given before God as he was a Father but he was a Father of Faith was justified and pleased God not because he could beget Children after the Flesh not because he had Circumcision under the Law but because he believed in God He therefore that will be a Child of the Believing Abraham must also himself believe or else he is not a Child of the Elect the believing and the justified Abraham not the begetting Abraham which is nothing else but a Man conceived and born and wrap'd in Sin without the Forgiveness of Sins without Faith without the Holy Ghost as another Man is and therefore Condemned Such also are the Children carnally begotten of him having nothing in them like unto their Father but Flesh and Blood Sin and Death therefore these are also Damned this glorious boasting then we are the Seed of Abraham is to no purpose Thus far Luther on Gal. 3. p. 115. Thus Mr. Perkins speaks also The Seed of Abraham saith he is the Seed not of the Flesh but of the Promise and this Seed is first Christ and then all that believe in Christ for these are given to Abraham by Promise and Election of God moreover the Seed is not many as Paul observeth but one It is Objected That the Word Seed is a Name Co-elective and signifies the whole Posterity of Abraham Answ. It doth sometimes saith he but not always for Eve saith of Seth God hath given me another Seed Again he saith this one particular Seed of Abraham is Christ Jesus here the Name Christ first and principally the Mediator and then Secondly all Jews and Gentiles believing that are fit and grafted into Christ by Faith St. Paul saith The Children of the Flesh those are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are the Seed of Abraham Thus Mr. Perkins 2. Now nothing is more evident then that by the Promise is meant the Covenant of Grace the Children of the Promise made with Abraham are Children of the New Covenant and so generally owned by all our True Protestant Writers and this Promise or Covenant we find was only made with Abraham's spiritual Seed as these Two famous Writers and many more positively affirm 3. Yet also it is plain there was a Covenant made with Abraham's natural Seed and that they were taken into an external national Church State and Covenant relation with God and had divers peculiar Immunities and Privileges granted to them as so considered all which fully evinces that there was a Two-fold Covenant made with Abraham Certainly none can suppose but that their Church State and Legal Rights were Covenant Blessings and that they begun in Abraham and that too by those Covenant Transactings God made him is so clear that nothing need to be said more unto it and I cannot but wonder that our eminent Writers should confound and jumble these Two Covenants together as indeed I find generally they do Obj. But some will still Object that tho' this which I have said be granted i. e. That there were Two Covenants made with Abraham yet say they Circumcision was a Gospel Covenant or did appertain to the Covenant of Grace Answ. I answer and positively affirm That the Covenant of Circumcision was part of that legal old and external Covenant which is done away And this in the next place I shall fully prove 1. Because the Law or Covenant of Circumcision was it appears made in the Design and End of it to separate the natural Seed of Abraham in their National Church standing from all other Nations of the World and to give them the Land of Canaan and to keep themselves Pure from mixing among the Pople from whom Christ according to the Flesh was to come And hence it was that they were not to mingle themselves with the Heathens nor suffer any to join themselves to them unless first Circumcised Will any say that the Covenant of Grace or Gospel Covenant in the Design of it