Whosoever Will be saved May be saved God Wills it and it is Man only Will not And shall we think that if any would come in to these External Means whereby his Grace is Communicated that they are to be Refused It is a strange thing that Divines should be able to see how Christ how the Spirit it self or its Help can be the Fruit of Vniversal Grace and yet their Eyes be holden as not to see the External Ordinances to be so while they make the Church to consist of the Regenerate only I pray let us consider a little of other Societies What is it makes a Man the Member of any other Society which he may be of if he will Is it not his Consent only to be of it his Coming-in it self that which gives him his Right and makes him one of that Company And why is it otherwise with the Church or Society of Christians It is the Will of a Man upon his Hearing the Gospel Preached or his Receiving the Gospel Preached so as to be Willing is the Foundation I should say Condition to speak exactly of his Right to be Received If he will be Baptized upon it he may be Baptized without more terms It is his Consent to it is the Ratio fundandi in This as in other Voluntary Relations It is true that the Nature of Christian Society is such as requires that a Man be one that hath Received the Christian Doctrine that is to be a Believer and that he lives not in any open gross Sin seeing that would Excommunicate from it if he were In But supposing him such a one that believes that Christ is the Son of God I mean it according to the Articles of the Creed for how shall he be Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if he Believe not the Trinity and stands not actually Guilty of any such notorious Sin as if the were in the Church he must to be turn'd out for it there is nothing but his Willingness enjoyned of God nor ought to be required of us to the Receiving Him There are some says St. Austin that Put on Christ so far as to come into the Church and be Baptized Vsque ad Sacramentorum receptionem in his Words and some that put Him on ad vitae Sanctificationem unto that Sanctification of Life as brings them to Heaven I add so much because there are Many Saints or Sanctified Men says Mr. Richard Baxter that shall never come thither There are Saints by Separation from Paganism unto Fellowship with the Political Body of Christians which yet are not so by Separation from all Vngodliness into Fellowship with the Mystical Body of Christ The Door of the Church says that Learned and Pious Author is incomparably wider than that of Heaven and the Gospel is a free Offer to All. If any Man will come quite over in Spirit to Christ they shall be welcome if they will come but only to a Visible Profession He will not deny them Admittance there because they intend to go no farther but will let them come as near as they will and that they come no farther shall be their own fault Saints Rest Part 4. Sect. 3. Let me make bold to set this right and as I have put in before Political Body of Christians instead of his terms Visible Church and also left out the word Visible so instead of Visible Profession let me say Participation of Ordinances as St. Austin but now hath it and I take it to be very happily spoken As for the terms Visible and Invisible which our Divines use ordinarily when they distinguish the Congregate and Mystical Church I do avoid them they are a Snare to us The Sense of the term Visible can have no Place with God who Judges always according to Truth and hath no footing therefore neither in Scripture There is indeed the Outward Jew and Inward Jew in Scripture but the Outward Jew was a Real Jew or really a Jew in God's and Man's Account alike who had thereby ex intentione Dei Ordinantis a Right to be Circumcised and consequently to the Priviledge of all the Ordinances of Israel But a Visible Christian a Visible Member according to our common Notion of Visible is one that is not a Christian or Member Indeed but one only that Appears to be a Christian or Member and as None hath no Right therefore to the Ordinances at all in God's Sight A Visible Profession must be consequently an Hypocritical Profession that hath nothing in it but a Lie and Falshood altogether And can Mr. Baxter indeed say That if any will come to Such a Profession he is welcome No no God Almighty indeed is willing that All should come in to Him and They may come as Far as they will if but to be Baptized or Circumcised they are Welcome But I am against that Doctrine and Practice which depends upon this ensnaring Distinction I am for a Believing in Earnest the Gospel Preached and a Man's Coming-in thereupon and being Willing to be Received or to be Baptized and then I say whosoever Will he May. Whosoever would be Circumcised or Take hold of the Covenant Isa 56.4 6. he might Whosoever will be Baptized under the New-Testament he may Whosoever will come in to Christ so far as ever he Will Come this must be held for certain He will in no wise cast him out But no Man must nor be suffered to say He Believes he Repentâ— if he does Not at least in any Sense otherwise than he Does We must have none of this fame Visible Profession whatsoever comes of it We must see our Way clear how we can admit the Vnregenerate as well as the Regenerate into our Mixt Churcher without a Lie or we must allow none but Gathâ—red ones and turn all Independents unless we should Preach One thing and Pâ—actisâ— Another which no honest Man but must hate to do The People of Samaria are all said to believe Philip Preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and were Baptized and Simon himself believed also Here we have none of this Visible Faith or Visible Profession but a Real Belief of what was Preached and that Belief prevailing upon the Will their Willingness to be Baptized is the Ratâ—o Baptizandi the Ground of their Baptism and Fight to be Admitted Simon Magus believed What is that Is it a Profession that he Did when he did Not No such matter his Faith and That of the City was Real and shewn by the Deed in their being Baptized A Man must Believe Indeed and his Faith be True as True does signifie Vndissembled or else he cannot be Baptized But his Faith may be far from True as Simon 's was as True does signifie Saving and yet so far as he can come in with any Truth he hath his Warrant from the Gospel SECT II. I Proceed now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to my Arguments If the common Opinion be received and a
that is too Strict but Careful and Prudâ—â—t If it be not it is not their Proceeding it is the Rule it self is in sâ—â—lt only And truly when we find in Scripture that the Keys are given by Christ to Peter and the Ministers but not to the People the Rulâ— â—nd their Practice must be as good as one anothâ—r In the Fifth place It is manifest thâ—t Peter Baptized the Gentiles in the Tenth of the Acts upon another Ground than This. If This were the Rule of Admission appointed by Christ for his Châ—rch St. Peter Would not or Could not have Baptized any upon Another Ground But we read upon the Falling of the Holy Ghost upon those that were met in Cornelius's Hoâ—se they were Baptized by the Apostle Where I must add That it need not be told likewise that the Giâ—ts of the Holy Ghost in those Dayes which were speaking with Tongues and the like were not Commensurâ—te with the Râ—generate only In the Sixth place If this Rule be followed which if it were Christ's it ought to be it must bring all People in our Mixâ— Churches and so in the whole Nation to this Profession Which is a thing that if it were required by a Law would prove I take it one of the most Abhorrent Impositions and Profanation of Religion that could be in the Earth It is not possible I think that any that loves Sincerity could endure such a Piece of Formality and a Lie Nay what Heart would not be ready to tremble to have Religion made to signifie so little and so many be hardened to Death by it Let us suppose such a Customary Vsage taken up who is there would refuse their Submission Not the Ignoâ—ant or Prophane not the Secure and Presumptuous or any of Those who indeed make no Regard of Conscience or Relâ—gion at all These will all make no more question to say That they take Christ to be their Lord as well as Saviour and the Spirit to be their Sanctifier and that they unfeignedly Repent of all their Sins than they do to Answer to the Minister at their Neighbor's Child's Baptism That they forsake the Devil the Flesh and the World not knowing whether it be in their Own or the Child's Name It is only the Serious the Tender the Humble and Examining Christian would make a Stand. And not without Reason for I cannot say that it is given to the State of God's Children in this Life that they should have ordinarily such an Assured Perswasion of their Sincerity and Grace as such a Profession comes to but that they must depend upon God rather with Hope and Awe as their Helper and Judge And what a goodly Rule would this be when those that are most forward to observe it would be most fit to be Rejected and those that are most backward the fittest for Admission That is when if it were practised quite contrary the Conscience would have more Peace in it and the End it self be better Attaiâ—ed In the Seventh place If this indeed were a Rule of the Holy Ghost's Appointment for the keeping the Church pure and preserving Christ's Honor in his Ordinances as some will have it I should have expected a Record of some Signal Instances in several Places at least in the Timâ—s of the Apostles of certain Persons Struck Dead as Ananias and Saphira was at their daring to offer themselves unto Baptism or coming in to the Church while they were Hypocrites For a Man who lives in his known Sin and resolves to go on in it to come and make a Profession that he conâ—ents to the Baptismal Covenant which he â—nows in his Conscience is most Flase and that in the Face of God and the Congregaâ—ion if it were indeed the Rule too of the Holy Ghost that no Vnregenerate Man upon â—his Reason should offer to come what were â—t but a Lie as palpably and directly against â—he Holy Ghost and more proper in regard â—f our more lasting Future Concern for such 〈◊〉 Judgment than that of those Persons reâ—aining Part of their Possession when they â—rought in the Other Part of it But we â—ead of none made such Examples no nor â—f the least Discouragement offered to any aâ—out their Coming-in to Christianity In the Eighth place This is a Rule that â—â—ts the Conscience so much on the Rack that â—od forbid it should be His. If Truth of â—â—ace be required as necessary to the Ordiâ—ances themselves as well as to the Receiving â—â—e Benefits or to Salvation then how shall â—â—e Admitters act in Faith that cannot know â—hether any have the Truth of Grace or no 〈◊〉 you say He must go by their Profession I â—â—st say again But what if it be Short â—hat if he Believes it not And what shall â—e do mainly about the Baptizing Infants when the Child it self cannot and the Parenâ— does not Make that Profession Here is the Minister at a plain loss and the People aâ—â— at a great deal worse when there is noâ— Christian upon this Account who is in doubt of his Grace can come in Faith according to the Râ—lâ— nor without danger of a Lâ—â— in such a Profession As for the terms of Gâ—â—â— Conventional Government those he Knows 〈◊〉 Yiâ—lds to and it is that indeed gives hiâ— Right to the Ordinances which are the Institutions thereof But when he is in quâ—â—â— about the term of the Covenant of Life oâ— his Right to the Saving Benefits it is not sâ— easie a thing for every good Man to bâ— perswaded in his Mind as he ought in thâ—â— Matter In the Ninth place As for the Covenanâ— which is so much stood upon in regard tâ— the Profession thereof at Baptism understanding by it on God's Part his Grant of Paâ—don and Life upon our Faith and Repentanâ— through the Mediation and Merits of Chriâ—â— Promulgated by the Gospel and Sealed by tâ—â— Sacraments and on Our Part an Acceptâ—â—â— on those Terms which as always our Duty is required at our Entrance in the Church bâ—â— not made the Condition of our Coming as thâ— Reader must see more both before and after I distinguish The Covenant may be considerâ—â— in the Internal and the External Administraâ—ion Consent to the Covenant puts a Man in â—ovenant as the Consent of the Man and Woâ—an makes the Marriage Consent to the Coâ—â—nant in the Inward Administration of the Spiâ—â—t and Grace gives Men Right or puts Men â—â—to Inward Fellowship with Christ and his â—hurch in the Saving Benefits of the Covenant â—onsent to the Covenant in the External Adâ—inistration gives them Right to or puts them â—â—to External Covenant Relation This Conâ—â—â—t I define by the Acknowledgment of the â—rue Religion in opposition to all othâ—r and â—illingness to come in to the Church and joyn 〈◊〉 the Ordinances to the end a Man may â—â—tain Grace if he yet hath it not in the â—â—se of God's Means and purpose to walk as â—her Christians so as not to do any thing â—hereby
common way hath indeed Answered it to the Satisfaction of any the most Impartial among them As for Profession of Infants what is that for Signification to us whether the Baptized be Regenerate or not And what Profession is there besides at least ordinarily but coming together in the Publick Congregation If the Churches of Christ's Ordination I must say it again be a Number only of such Persons as do profess their Faith Repentance Regeneration so credibly or in some such manner as the Minister and Church do receive them thereupon as Men endowed with the Grace supposed to be professed and our Mixt Churches be not in good earnest a Number of such Professors then is there here inconsistent Matter Our Principle is One thing our Practice is Another If you deny the Assumption and will still affirm Our Members are such Professors you will prevail with the Opponent no more than One whom they count will say any thing which will but root them so much the deeper in their Conviction They will tell you They stand on your Bottom and make their Practice comport with it who admit none into their Society but such as indeed make a Profession that is credibly Significant of the thing professed and upon that or such only receive them to be Members They make our Principle and their Practice accord but we stand on the same Bottom and our Vniversal Practice is otherwise and yet maintain our Mixt Churches And what then must we do to make them Good Why As these Men by keeping to our Principle do forsake our Practice so we to avoid their Practice must try our Principle Whether it may not be enlarged to that Practice which is common and cannot but take place where Kingdoms become Christian the Particular Congregations whereof will be acknowledged for all that by Others if not by thâ—se Men to be Churches of Jesus Chriâ—t I know indeed how mean and unfit a Person I am to become a Master-Builder especially when I am to lay another Foundation than That which is laid by the common Doctrine of our Protestants and much more when I am to lay it in Opposition to One particularly unto whom I do not think My Self worthy to be as a Labourer and carry his Bricks after him From whom nevertheless I shall expect a more sincere and candid Consideration of what is offered than from Others It is now about One or Two and Thirty Years that I have had for Recollection for so long it is since I Printed Three Books about Free Admission to the Sacrament Vpon coming out of the Third Piece I received from Mr. Blake a grave Presbyterian a Letter signifying to me his Approbation of the Second Section of that Book with Exceptions to all the Rest When on the contrary I heard from the Reverend Mr. Baxter who approved the rest but excepted at that Section Mr. Blake having found it necessary in regard to some Dispute wherein he was engaged concerning Baptism to enlarge the received Notion of the Church I had in that Section contributed what present Aid I could toward strengthening his Opinion Mr. Baxter upon his first taking notice of the Notion in Mr. Blake did shew a very good Will to it in his Book of Infant-Baptism using as I remember some such Words That there was more Worth in a Leaf or two of Mr. Blake than in all Mr. Tombs's Works By which Words Mr. Blake being encouraged advanced in his Notion But Mr. Baxter having considered farther of it and finding that it would not go being against the Stream which appeared to him more especially from the Learned Gataker's Book de Infantili Baptismo comes out against him in Answer to his Books and to That little of Mine with such a Torrent of Argument and Authority that Mr. Blake I believe could never recover it For my part I conceived Mr. Baxter too hard for me to Cope with and Mr. Blake being dead there was none to take up his Cause The Truth is Mr. Blake had much to say and a great many Scriptures appeared apt to militate for him But he had not digested his Notion and no Man shall ever be able to Make Good any Point which be cannot first State He maintained That a Dogmatical Faith was sufficient to enter a Man in Covenant with God and so to Entitle him to the Ordinances But being pressed with the Authority of the Assembly and the Fathers That the Profession of a Justifying Faith is required to Baptism he grants it and accounts that Nothing to him who never denyed it This Concession was an irrecoverable Contradiction If a Faith less than Saving serves to give Title to a Man himself to be Baptized then a Profession of one less than Saving must suffice for his Admission The Church or Pastor cannot require that a Man should profess any more to their Receiving him than That which gives himself Title to be Baptized It fared the like with that Learned and most Ingenious Gentleman Sir William Morice who appearing by the Title of his Book in the First Edition to defend the same Point with Mr. Blake was discoursed from One by Letter with all the Difficulties he could bring to the end he should obviate them and extricate Vs out of them But he finding it indeed beyond his Ability did wisely by interpreting the Term Dogmatical Faith and making it to signifie a Profession of a Saving One decline the Task and so glided himself off into the Stream of the Common Opinion There have been of late Two Persons of sober Judgment both Citizens who were of the Congregational way but brought off from it upon this same Conception That the Church is to be laid Wider than they thought before and is used They wrote each of them upon the Subject with Approbation of some Persons of Note in the Church and the latest Book is Entituled Catholicisme which I name particularly because there are many things considerable in it to the Asserting our Cause and Answering some Objections I have not touched Nevertheless it does fall out with this Author as with Those before-named who having not compleated his Thoughts does at the very Beginning when he is about stating the Matter destroy it For making this Query What may That be by which People are made Visible Members and giving the Resolution That it is a Mutual Covenanting between God and Them and understanding by this Covenant the Covenant of Grance or Covenant of Life without any Distinction or Apprehensions about it but as others have It is plain that no Man can Covenant on his Part in the manner he expresses it but he is a Regenerate Man and so shall not the Church consist of the Regenerate and Vnregenerate as we would have it but of the Regenerate only or of Those only who are Visibly such which subverts our Opinion When accordingly in his Eighth Query he endeavours to disprove the Tenent of the Independents That Men are Members of the Church as Visible
Penal Oath And so long as we Submit to the Penalty in case of Breach we sin not though we Swear without Resolution to Perform the Matter Sworn To this Purpose above all we must not forget that the Israelites had the Curses proposed to them as well as the Promises in their Covenanting and every Man was to say Amen to the Curses Dent. 27.26 And they entred into a Curse and an Oath to walk in God's Law which was given by Moses Nehem. 10.29 God on his Part is Engaged to be Israel's God and to Bless them if they do their Duty and to Punish them if they Neglect it The People on their Part do accordingly Engage themselves to the Performance or Submit to his Judgments as Righteous It is a Covenant-Engagement as to Both Parts and so long as the People whether Regenerate or Vnregenerate do believe God will be Gracious to them if they be Obedient and are ready to acknowledge Him for Righteous if He punishes their Disobedience there is nothing hinders but that the whole Body may say We engage to it The Truth is the Command of God for all the People to say Amen to the Curses may be a Key for Opening the Nature of the Jew 's Covenanting as intended by God If their Engagement to do all things that God had commanded was Absolute then must their Engagement when they say in effect If we do not let us be accursed be Absolute also But far be it from God to require the whole Congregation to Engage themselves to Continue in all the Words of the Law to do them which Strictly none of them Did or Could or else be Absolutely accursed As many as are of the Works of the Law says St. Paul are under the Curse Gal. 3.10 But were they Absolutely under it God forbid How then should any of them be delivered from the Law and Curse How then should Salvation be through Jesus Christ even to Paul himself the Apostle In one Place it is said Go thou near and speak thou to us all that God shall speak to thee and we will do it Deut. 5.27 They know not what some of these Commands will be yet Engage to do Them I ask How can this be Absolute Ignorantis non est Consensus If any one then says He understands not my Distinction before between an Absolute and Covenant-Engagement let him bring his Mind to some good Conceptions about this Saying Amen to the Curses which our Church uses also in Lent and I suppose he may then understand something of it It may be objected An Vnregenerate Man cannot Consent to the Sanction any more than to the Preceptive Part of the Covenant I Answer But he can and does Assent to it and for the Entring the Covenant in regard to the Comminatory Part of it that Assent is enough He cannot help his Belief though he would never so fain and so long as he knows he is within the Sanction whether he will or no so that according to his Performance or Non-Performance of the Condition he must be Saved or Damned though he cannot be Willing to be Damned yet does his Conscience bind him over to it Which also will tell him That he might yet if he would Forbear those things in the Doing whereof he is said by an unavoidable Consequence to Will Ezek. 18.31 to Choose Deut. 30.19 to Love Death Prov. 8.26 It is true that the Israelite who had not Performed the Condition could never say Amen to the Curse with a Good Will but he Must say it For when a Man's Consent to the Condition is requisite to have his Part in the Promise of the Covenant he shall and must have his Part in the Threat whether he will or not This is Christ's Law saith the Sagacious Mr. Baxter He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be Saved and he that Believes not shall be Damned He that professeth to be Governed by Christ professeth to be Governed by this very Law and therefore professeth his Consent to be Damned if he Believe not Christ told you You must Consent to both Parts or to neither The Curses of the Covenant Deut. 29.21 were to be repeated to the People of Israel and they were expresly to say Amen to each of them For Life and Death were set before them Blessings and Cursings Deut. 30.1 19. and not Life and Blessings alone And so the Gospel which we are to Believe containeth though principally and eminently the Promises yet secondarily the Threatnings of Hell to Impenitent Believers and our Consent doth speak our Approbation Life of Faith pag. 303. Neither is this to be lookt on as any thing Singular Promissio non minus iram incredulis minatur quam gratiam fidelibus offert says Calvin Mar. 16.16 Unto which I will add this The Application of that Part of the Covenant to a Man 's own Soul which belongs to him upon a due Examination of his State is a Duty surely of Great Concern to every Body and the Applying the Curse to himself if he be under it is as direct proper and convincing a Means to his Repentance and Saving Conversion as the Application of the Promises to the truly Faithful is for their Establishment in the Grace of God I will add again thus much As Adam when he was in Innocency could Enter Covenant with God in regard to the Comminatory Part that if he fell He should die when he was at present only Vnder Life so can an Vnregenerate fallen Sinner enter Covenant with God in regard to the Promissory Part that if he Repent he shall Live while he is yet actually Vnder Death and Condemnation When the whole Body of Israel promiscuously without any Discrimination say All that God hath said we will do it must be understood as to an All above their owning God and his Worship in opposition to other Gods which they then Absolutely did of such an Engagement which I call a Covenant-Engagement I will yet add moreover That time may come when such Men who let nothing almost escape their Sight but can speak things so true so clear and full as Above may see their own selves how to walk in the Light and Consequence of what they have spoken In the Third place I must offer from hence by way of Quaere Whether an Engaging to the Covenant be not a Duty of that Nature as other Duties where the Matter of the Duty must not be omitted for any Impotency of ours or Defect in the Manner of the Performance When a thing is Evil in it self it must be avoided but when a thing is commanded and hath Evil cast on it Externally by the Agent that doth it the Doer must be reformed but the Duty must be done God commands all Israel which we are here yet upon to enter Covenant with Him The most Part of them are uncapable of Sincere Performance and yet they all Engage and God and Moses seem to approve it In like manner God calls all
choose Life Deut. 30.15 19. One can't imagine how these People should be left to choose what they would do but that their Engagement must have this Construction As ever we expect to escape the Curse or reap the Blessing we will do it And forasmuch as that which they Could and Did was the main thing to be Done and they were called to it it was not for any to leave undone So much because More was also required Vnto Which the most of them could Engage only under God's terms leaving themselves to Mercy and Which accordingly they neither Absolutely intended nor Did. I will add So long as a Jew cleaved to God in opposition to Idols and lived in general as other Jews here was the Essentials of That Covenant and the Breach of other Precepts was failing in the Integrals But the Essence of the Covenant of Life consists in Integrity Integrity measured by Grace accepting of what is Done and forgiving what is Vndone through the Righteousness and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ which none but the Regenerate have must be confessed In the Fourth place I must say upon this It having pleased God to set up a Kingdom over this People and as a King to give them his Statutes and Judgments and they as his Subjects declaring they will obey them In the Division of the Nations He set a Ruler over them but Israel is the Lord's Portion says Ecclesiasticus I must take leave to ask How these Words All that the Lord hath said we will do can prove That no Person therefore that says not the same Words may be Baptized or that because the Israelites said so therefore the Baptized must say Abrenuncio and Spondâ—o Especially when they were not prescribed by God but Words of their own and if they had spoken them Examiningly and with more Caution and said but as we do in the Common-Prayer Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep all these thy Laws I am perswaded it had been better It is manifest that every Jew was to Circumcise his Children and Joshua all the Congregation in the Wilderness but I find not that every Father or every One there was to make such a Profession a Profession in such large Words in the Doing I find not such a Profession neither required of any of the Baptized in the New Testament The Eunuch says He believed Christ was the Son of God and those that came to John's Baptism confessed their Sins both which I have provided against and that is all I find There Nay though Israel indeed used these Words when God gave the Law at first I find not in Deut. 29. when Moses called them to Covenant Again or to Another Covenant v. 1. about Forty Years after that v. 5. that they used the same Words This is certain Man Woman and Child enter Covenant v. 12. but what Words passed or whether they Consented by Silence or otherwise we read not Suppose then these Questions in the Churches Form to be retained and the Baptized Persons left to use what Words they Could and Would in their Responses I pray were not the Baptism good Suppose instead of saying All this I stedfastly believe a Man should say I believe it with all my Heart or I Really and in Truth believe it as the Eunuch forementioned or should be only able to say I believe it Lord help my Vnbelief with the Man in the Gospel Should such a one be turn'd away for That I am pleased to see how in the Third Question Wil t thou obediently keep God's Holy Will when the Child who Answers by his Sureties and is Innocent is made to answer I will the Adult Person who Answers for himself and must think of Performing it does say with all Tenderness and Caution I will endeavour so to do God being my Helper And when the Church her self doth vary the Response if the Baptized who is yet more Tender being fearful lest he is defective in that Endeavour should be able to say only I do acknowledge this Renunciation of Flesh World and Devil I own this Walking in God's Commandments all the Days of my Life to be my Duty Pray God give me his Grace to do it I desire I may I can say no more I would be very willing to know whether such a Man might not be Baptized For my part I should judge such a one sitter to be Received than the most of Confident Believers that make no Bones at all of the Matter I would have no Man here so high for the Church as not to consider the Foundation I do acknowledge that every Man who was Circumcised became a Debtor thereby to the whole Law and every one that is Baptized is a Debtor to the Practice of all Christianity But I am apprehensive also that the Vnregenerate Man cannot actually in Words say I Renounce the Devil World and the Elesh so as Not to be led by them when yet he may be obliged to it as well as the Regenerate by Covenant-Engagement at least in the Sign of it I am willing to have a Man's Duty pressed on him in regard to the Obligation as much as any But as for the Profession he makes in Words I cannot but be Tender of it for my Life I am Conscious how one Excellent good Man is still for to have some Law Established in case at least of any Accommodation that every Man who offers his Child to Baptism or Himself to the Eucharist should make his Profession that he Takes God for his Chief Good Christ for his Lord and Saviour the Holy Ghost for his Sanctifier and unfeignedly Repenting of all his Sins he does resolve upon a Sincere Obedience through the Course of his Life for the Time to come or the like Words Which I must confess is so grievous a thing to my Mind in regard to that Formality and Authorized Lying which the Most should be put Vpon and that Scruple and Perplexity which the Best most Serious and most Tender should be Put To thereby that I cannot in my Heart but rather be glad though simply I approve not the thing that the Church hath imposed this Profession upon the Vncapable Infant and the Sureties in their Names Neither is there any thing I know in the Scripture for such strict Injunctions unless these Words of the Israelites Words of their Own not Imposed be any thing which hath made me therefore speak thus much the more about it It is said for mollifying the Matter If a Man can say I am willing to be a Christian upon the Terms of the Covenant it is enough but this is the Thing if you understand by it the Covenant of Life that a Man doubts Neither is it less but only in Words than what is said before A Person is afraid that he is indeed Vnwilling to Submit to something or other that is in the Terms when he hath strictly examin'd his whole Life and is in Good Earnest with his
de Fide Operibus The Case was This There were Persons who while they were Heathens had put Away their Wives and Married Others and some had Concubines They are Loth to part with this Custom and yet Willing to be Baptized Augustine gives his Judgment That if they Would not they are not to be Admitted Concluding in the Main That it is not enough for a Man's Admission to the Church to Own the True Faith if his Life be not sutable to God's Commandments I remember likewise that Eminent Passage of Justin Martyr in his Second Apology who having told of the Christian Assemblies and what they did There as to their whole Exercises he adds That they did Admit none to this Fellowship with them more particularly in the Eucharist but such as Lived as they ought to do like Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a Life therefore or such Sins which are not consistent with a State of Grace or not consistent with the State of Membership or the State of that Society into which we Enter I will suppose with these Fathers that such a Life or such Sins that will not consist with the State of Membership or the Common Good of the Society when it will Leven and Destroy it may keep a Person from Admission but not such a Life or Sins only which are not consistent with Regeneration The Truth is the Church looks not into the Heart or to Effectual Grace which is known only to God that tryeth it and consequently is not to require such a Profession as is requisite to a Judgement Thereof which the Congregationalists yet therefore do But the Church is to look indeed that her Society be kept Pure from Scandal or that That be Purged out which would Defame and Leven it so far as stands most to her Preservation This I take to be sufficient as to the Mind of these Fathers St. Augustine especially who is One we know every where that is open for Tolerating the Evil rather than Disturb the Churches Peace as in good earnest for the Casting them Out when it will do the Church good The Church even the Catholick Church as One is with him still as I remember the Field in the Gospel which does consist of Tares and Wheat even such Tares as are Discerned among the Wheat and yet are to stand unto Judgment And there is one Argument I must not let pass before I have done but produce out of him in respect to our Congregational Brethren for I know no kind of thing almost more Vnanswerable and Convincing It is the express Command of our Lord to his Servants That they Pull not the Tares up when it will Endanger the Wheat to be Rooted up with them From whence that Judicious and most Temperate Father lays down this Rule which will serve for deciding many Difficulties and Scruples That when we can Root out any Tare without hurt to the Wheat we are to be careful of Discipline and all those Texts which speak of keeping no Company with Such and the like are to be pressed But when we cannot Pull up the Tares without Endangering the Corn we must for the Churches Advantage and Peace be content to Suffer them and be satisfied with such Texts as these which say Let them alone till the Harvest Now there are none of the Moderate Pious and Learned of any of our Sects who Do who Dare deny but that there are some true Christians and Members of Christ in our Mixt Churches But to Vn-Church a whole Nation and all our Parishes at once by this Congregational Practice and Opinion is certainly to Eradicate the Wheat with the Tares beyond all Possibility of Answer If the Servant may not Pluck up the Tares if it will but Endanger any of the Single Wheat how shall he dare to Root up the Whole Wheat on purpose for the Tares sake When the Lord does say Let it stand who art thou my Independent Brother that goest to meddle with it There is indeed a Separate Church as a Mixt Church But the Mixt Church remains in This Life and the Separate Church is not be expected till a Future State The Church is the House wherein are Vessels of Silver and Vessels of Wood Those of Wood are for use as those of Silver and the Master intends both shall be There The Church is the Net that takes the Fish little and great and it is intended all should be Taken which are within its reach The Church is the Feast unto Which all are Called and the Lord of it intends that Whosoever Will should come to it The Church is the Field whereof I am speaking And it is objected The Field is said to be the World and the Enemy is said to Sow the Tares therefore it was not God's Intention they should be In it I Answer Here are Two Objections and One confounds the Other If the Field be the World you cannot object God would not have the Tares There for God will have Good and Bad in the World out of question The Field therefore must be the Church as the Feast is and it is God's Will that All should be Called to come In to it It is his Will that they should Come also as they ought to Come This is the Intention of their Call and Both are his Will It is true now Of Those that Come some are Tares and it is of the Devil that they are Tares Some have not the Wedding Garment and it is of the Devil they Come without it But if they Come for all that they must be Let in The Rule is this Whosoever will let him come and though Tares they must Stand. Parables our Divines say well are like Knives whereof the Edge and not the Back is for use and the Main Scope take the Parables together appears plainly to be this That the Church in This World for That is the Meaning of Christ's saying The Field is the World is Mixt and the Separation is not to be as I said even now till the Life to come Thus do the Fathers speak against the Donatists And whereas in the Discipling of Nations the Refusing one Person or some few Persons as Tares might hinder the Coming in of a Country I perceive in such a Case according to the Judgement of this Discreet Father it were but a Shallow Conceit to think that when they Are In they may Stand but may not be Admitted upon the same Terms as they are let Stand Though in the common Case of others I have provided against the main Objection upon my Hands in the Stating my Matâ—er who say That when a Man believes the Gospel and is Willing to Come in if he live in any open notorious Sin as would Excommunicate one that Is a Member he may be required to declare his Repentance or be Refused upon the same Account It is but one Exercise of the Keys to Keep a Man Out as to Turn him Out when there is the same
Profession of no less than True Grace or a Regenerate Faith be the Rule of Admission to the Church and Sacraments I do not see in the First place but we must all give up the Cause of our Mixed Churches Parochial or National to the Separatist They who require such a Profession in the Adult as necessary to give Right to Church Communion and do indeed understand themselves will say It must be a Profession de praesenti Serious Intelligent Resolved with whatsoever else is needful to make it Credibly Significant of the Thing they profess so that the Person Professing must be indeed Regenerate to be able to Make it and the Persons that Receive him must look on him as Regenerate upon his Making it And what more can be imagined for the yielding to the Congregationalist his whole Foundation It is true that some will persist and say The Independent does require yet more than this Profession they require also a Church-Covenant But this is in good earnest to Impose upon them The Judicious among them will avouch That let but a Man make his Profession of the Baptismal Covenant and his Profession be only thus qualified which Mr. Baxter in his Books still insists upon and there is nothing Besides but what on necessity does arise upon a Man's joyning meerly in Society is or can be required of any It is this Profession individuated into a Particular Congregation is all they do and will stand upon even so understood so qualified so explained But now such a Profession as this will they all say is incompatible with our Parochial National Churches There are none can make a Profession of what they have not There are but few here and there who are Regenerate and consent Indeed to the Covenant in the Sense as the Baptismal Covenant is understood There are but Few that are Elect in comparison of the Multitude of others And seeing there are none but these Few as I say are able to make such a Profession it is They who ought and must be Gathered out of the rest into their Select Congregations And what can be offered with more Reason if this indeed were Christ's Rule of Communion I must for my part protest therefore as one that loves to be plain and single-hearted I see not in good earnest but either we must come Off from this Rule or we must come Over to their Gathered Congregations In the Second place This Opinion does not only fundamentally Yield but Betray our Cause by a Defence that will stand us in no stead It defends our Parochial Churches upon a Supposition of what it Would have not upon a Supposition of What is It would have us Bâ—ptize our Children upon Profession of the Parents as in Covenant with them and whâ—n they come of Age themselves to be Confirmed upon their Own which should be thâ—n such a one But as this Use of Confirmation cannot be evidently proved in Scripture nor Aâ—y at all perhaps since the Extraordâ—nary Gifts of the Holy Ghost by the Laying on of Hands are ceased So is it more apparent that our Infants are Baptized in our Parish Churches upon the Child 's Own Profession and not the Parents The Godfathers Make Profession in their Names And how an Infant can Make a Profession which is Vnderstanding Serious and Credibly Significant that it Is or Does what it Professes or how any other can make such a Profession de praesenti for Children in their Names there are none who will Speak plain but must say they cannot apprehend And who can yet say That such a Profession as is supposed is required by the Bishops of the Confirmed or lookt after as any such Test of Christianity in our Days In the Third place The Going this way hath cast a vile Slander on the Catholick National Parochial Churches as if They were but a Company of Hypocrites mixt with a few of the Elect and Regenerate among them It is their Submission only to this Rule makes the Vnregenerate to be Hypocrites A Man were no Hypocrite to come to Church and joyn with the Congregation for Conversion But if he must Profess that he is Converted before his Coming and he be Not then is he made a Liar a Dissemblâ—r and Hypocrite indeed If it were not ordinary in the Mouths of Divines but the Language only of Two or Three that speak thus it would be a most hateful opprobrious kind of speaking to call every Vnregenerate Christian and Hypocrite I will not be one therefore that chuse to Speak or Vnderstand thus that the Church consists of the Regenerate and Hypocrites but of the Converted and those that are in the Way to it In the Fourth place This Rule unless it be stated after the Congregational manner will not answer the End unto which it is designed A Profession is not required as a Duty for it Self but for the Admitters that supposing none may be of the Church but the Regenerate this Profession of Regeneration does make the Party to be reputed to be Such whether he be or not and consequently to be Admitted Now it is not sufficient to this end that a Profession be Credible only or Credibly Significant only of that which is Professed unless it be Credited I cannot report a Story for True let it be never so credible unless I my self do Credit it It is but a Lie else In like manner although a Man's Profession be never so Credible yet if it be not more than Credible that is unless it be also Credited the Church cannot account or Repute the Professor to be what he professes because our Account and Repute of things must be according to what we Think or else our Account and Repute is a Lie In us as their Profession is In them that are Hypocrites You will say It is our Duty when they Profess to Believe them unless we can Disprove them I Answer It is true yet if the Church does not Believe them they cannot Account them Regenerate and receive them for Such as they do not think them whether they ought or no. And unto This there is nothing to be Answered substantially but by the Congregational Men who will say That they leave not this Business on the Judgment of the Single Minister but on the Whole Society and they require the Profession to be such as gives the Major Part Satisfaction So that it is upon a Profession Credited and upon a Real Belief of Man's being what he Professes that he is Admâ—tted And this is to make something of the Rule in earnest For to what purpose should there be any Proâ—ession at all if it be less than what is Satisfactory as to the End of it Especially considering that upon Profession of the Party it is not the Pastor only but the Whole Society is concern'd to receive him as a Bâ—other and which requires Offices from thâ—m in that Relation Blame not this Prâ—â—eding then of Tyranny If this be the Rule hâ—re is nothing