c 4. Hereby they may not only hope and Pray but are incouraged to Believe concerning their Children and the rest of those who are in Covenant among them that God will do them good as they conclude mercy to the remnant forgivness of their sins with faith upon this ground thou wilt remember the Truth to Iacob and thy Mercy to Abraham sworn unto our Fathers in dayes of old Micah 7.18 20. This indeed is the childrens faith for themselves and their children but so it may be a ground of Parents faith And if we pray for our children why should we doubt leaving only secrets to God if we see them dy before they reject the Gospel positively I see no reason for any man to doubt of the salvation of his child if he dyes or that God will not do good to his child in time if he lives 5. This stirrs up their hearts to be the more sincerely holy and keep in with God because of their children and to educate them with more care and watchfullness because they are the Lord's Children as well as theirs they are not common but holy vessels and therfore let them see that they be not defiled and hence we find that when God exhort's to any duty of holiness in Scripture he oft makes this the ground of it I am your God and hence God aggravates their sin in offering their children to Molech Ezek. 16. because they were his children that should have been better used 3. In respect of themselves the good is very great 1. It is a special meanes to prevent sin Deut. 29. I make this Covenant not only with him that is present but with your seed also who are not here verse 15 Lest there should be among you man or woman family or tribe whose heart turnes away from God and lest there should be a root of gall and wormwood and indeed it mightily workes on the heart to think shall I whom God hath chosen to be his be my own or be the Divels or be my lusts c 2. 'T is a strong motive engagement upon them to forsake sin even the uncircumcision and sin of their hearts as is evident Deut. 10.15 16. The Lord had a delight to choose the seed of your fathers even you to be his people as it is this day what follow 's Therefore Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiff-necked 3. 'T is a special help as to avert their hearts from sin so to convert turn them to God to make them look toward God that he would turn them when perhaps they are without any hope in other respects of mercy or of being able by any meanes they can use to turn themselves this is evident Acts 3.19 with verse 25. Repent and be converted for you are the children of the Covenant which God made with our fathers this drawes their hearts when they see how God call's them to return Ier. 3.22 Come unto me ye back sliding children c we câ—me unto thee for thou art the Lord our God When backsliding Ephraim could not convert himselfe he cryes unto God oh turn me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Ier. 31.18 which places cannot be meant of being their God only by internal Covenant in giving to them the special benefits of the Covenant for then they should be in Covenant with God and have remission of all their sins c before they were turned or before faith and therefore it 's meant of being a God in outward and external church-Covenant which is no smal motive and loadst one to Believe And although many do not believe and will not be turned yet this Covenant is an high priviledge and great favour fitt in it self to draw to God though many believe not and hence the Apostle saith that the priviledge of the Iew is great in having God's Oracles which contain God's Covenant committed to them though some believe noâ— which unbelief make's not he saith the faith of God i. e. God's promise or Covenant of none effect or an uneffectual and fruitless Covenant for this word of God's Covenant shall take some effect among some such as are in it which therfore is a priviledge though many perish as is evident Rom. 9.4 6. 4. 'T is a special meanes of binding them fast to God when they are turned Ier. 13.11 as the girdle cleaveth unto a man so have I caused the whole house of Israel to cleave unto me that they may be for a name and glory Deut. 30.20 thou shalt cleave unto him because he is thy life and the length of thy dayes he was not their life spiritually and savingly for many thus exhorted were dead and in their sins but federally or in outward Covenant 5. If they shall forsake and break loose from God and from the bond of his Covenant and have as much as in them lies cast themselves out of Covenant by their own perfidiousness breach of Covenant that one would think now there is no more hope yet it is a special meanes to encourage their hearts to return again even when they seem to be utterly cast off and therefore it 's said Ier. 3 1. though thou hast committed whoredome with many lovers wherby the covenant was broken yet return unto me so Deut. 4. If when you are scattered among the nations and shall serve wood stone and be in great tribulation if from thence thou seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him he will not forsake thee and what is the reason of it viz. his remembrance of the Covenant with their fathers for so 't is Deut. 4.27 28 29 30 31. But I forbear to name more such things as these which come by outward Covenant to Inchurched Members 4. In respect of others their good is very great for 1. now they may enjoy the special watch and care of the whole Church which otherwise they must want 2. They hereby have the more fervent Prayers of others for their good and hence Rom. 9.1 2 3. we see how Paul upon this ground had great zeal in his prayers for the Jews not only because his countrymen but especially because to them did belong the Adoption and Covenants they had gracious Fathers c. so Psal 89.49 Lord remember thy former loving kindnesses which are sworn to David in truth And hence we see Moses oft pleads and prevailes with God in prayer for the sinning Israelites viz. oh Remember Abraham Isaac and Iacoâ— Now I pray you lay all these things together and then see whether you have any cause to say What profit is there by Covenant and Church-membership of persons not yet able to profess the faith of Jesus Christ Quest. 2. You say when families were Churches all of the family were of the Church and when a Nation was a Church all that were of that nation were of that Church But now Believers being matter of the Church what if none were admitted till
Heaven bear against these little ones whom Christ hath taken in to himselfe and concerning whom our Saviour professeth that of such is the Kingdome of God Luke 18.16 So doth he envy to see them in the armes of Christ and blessed by him and to have any room in his house or so much as an externall visible interest in the Covenant with the initiatory seal and livery thereof Baptisme being the seal to all Christianity 't is Sathan's policy therefore to strike at that that in cashiering it he may have at All Hereunto tend's his dealing with witches many times of which divers have spoken in cauâ—ing them when they become first his Proselyâ—es solemnly to renounce the Trinity into the name of which they have been Baptised especially their salvation by Christ and saith Cooper in his book entituled the mysterieâ— of witchcraft discovered Cap. 6. sec. 1. pag. 91. in token thereof to disclaim their Baptisme An ill office and work then surely are they imployed in whose way and indeavours shall center in the accomplishing of that which Satan hath been so busily and with such malignity for so many ages undertaking and no great thanks will such receive for that labour from the Lord Jesus another day If Christ was so much displeased that his disciples rebuked those who brought their children to him Mark 10.14 And if the Apostle Peter received so severe a check as wee read Mat. 16.22 23. for speaking that which had a tendency to take the Lord Jesus off from â—aying down the price of Râ—â—emption how much more then will he be now displeased if after such rebuke and warning given any shall attempt to keep from him and deprive him of his Redeemed whom he hath purchased by so dear a price so many I mean of his purchased ones as the number of the infants and children of Believers deâ—d and alive and to be born amount's unto why may we not believe that an exceeding great multitude of the Sheep that shall be seen standing at the right haâ—d of Iesus Christ in the day of Iudgment shall be a company of these Lambs As to withhold from Christ so great a part of his purchase the labour of the Anabaptâ—st must needs be no other then highly Antichristian so to make good and recover the interest of Christ in such and the Glory which he obtaines by them according to the enlarged grant of the charter of hâ—s new-Testament the scope and work of these few sheets is a seruice pleasing unto Christ who out of the mouthes of these baâ—â—s and suckâ—â—ngs even 〈…〉 Mat. 21.15 16. and so I trust will be acceptable to his People who when as they must go down to the dâ—st and cannot keep alive their own Soules yet may be hold their seed succeeding them in the service worship of God being â—ccounted to thâ— Lord 〈◊〉 â—â—generation Psal. 22.28 29 30 31. 〈◊〉 Râ—vet in locum Schismatically to refuse to hold Ecclesiasticall Communion with so great a part of the Church of Christ as the children of believers are in many places the major part thereof is a rigid and sinfull Separation and gratifying the designe of the Papists the greatest Separatists in the world as by by may be further seen And indeed the Lord avenging the quarrel of his Covenant wherin he hath alwayes been exceeding jealous hath manifested not a little of his anger and displeasure against those who have troubled these Baptismal waters of the Sanctuary The awfull and tremendous passages of Providence recorded in several histories concerning the original and progress of Anabaptisme and relating to God's strange judicial hand against so many of them that have been through-paced therin in delivering them up to spiritual judgments to believe lies and to fall step by step into almost all sorts of heresies and to the commission of the most abhorred impieties and loathsome wickednesses and outrages against the Commands both of the first and second Table as Luther Bullinger Calviâ—â— Beza and others generally and abundantly testifie they are very observable and not to be passed over slightly and may make every honest serious heart to tremble when ever he finds himselfe inclining to that path to this purpose and concerning Anabaptism in this our age beside many oâ—ther Authors I might cite read only Baxter's Plain Scripture proof of Infants Church-membership Pag. 138 139 140 152. And as in the dawning of the reformation begun by those Worthies of Christ in the last Centurie Anabaptisme seem's to be the Trâ—j in hâ—rse whereby so great confusion did befall that Israel and was such a Remora to that Glorioâ—s work then begun in Germanie and other Neighbouring Countries so now in the further progresse of that reformation here in this our Israel should Anabaptisme likewise especially accompanied with Donaâ—isme it 's woâ—ded concubine brood and become the instrument or medium of our miseries and confusions possibly then experience a flow but many times a sure and severe instructer may help some at length to see farther into the mystery of this iniquity then now they do For in truth it is not improbable that the Man of sin seeing he could not openly at once ruine the Reformed Churches in the dayes of those famous servants of Christ before exprest did attempt secretly and gradually to do is this way viz. by first sending forth his Emissaries among the Churches who might fill them with the Smoake of Anabaptisme that so he might the more securely pass to and fro being undiscerned in such a fog whence what mischief was wrought and what an hindrance those turbulent Anabaptists were to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in that age for that was the first time of their swarming as the most Judicious have observed by vilifying reproaching and decrying the Ministry crying up themselves as the most Godly spirituall and perfect Iudging the Old-Testament to be but as an Almanack out of date denying Scripture-Consequences giving false interpretations of Scripture especially by Allegories wresting the same to their own destruction makeing and fomenting schismes and factions in the Churches denying the Magistrates coercive power in matters of Religion making their own fanatick spirit the supream judge unto all kind of disorder c. the writings of the Godly Learned in those times do abundantly even to amazement inform us And indeed the great consent and harmony between the main tenets of the Anabaptists and Papists in this point giues not a a little ground for holy jealousie too sadly to suspect at what back-door it was that the Anabaptist first crept forth And hence it is that in the controversies between the Protestants and the Papists we shall generally and abundantly find the Papists denying the Hoâ—â—ness of the Infants of Beleivers before Baptisme and how neer of kin this is to Anabaptisme the reader may easily guess and in like manner denying that great truth as is afterward shewed in this Treatise viz. That the Covenant of God with Abraham under the
Old-Testament was the same for substance with what is now confirmed with us under the New-Testament c. which t is known the Anabaptists also generally assert Let me therefore propound a few instances this way wherby we may see what Patrons of Anabaptisme the Papists are in regard of those Principles I mean and radicall errours wherin the Papists and Anâ—baptists although by divers of them upon the account of a diverse interest Symbolize and unite against the Orthodox and speak herein in a manner the same thing distinguishing alwaies between the Opinion and the person and between some that are deceived in other points Orthodox and precious Christians and others that are Deceivers The main pillars of Anabaptisme being no better then some of the Old rotten slâ—â—ds and principles of Popery fetcht at first from thence in all likelyhood and so inclining thitherward again The Dâ—â—lect of the Anabaptist is generally and too much by some understood and therefore I forbear quotations out of their own writings possibly some may not have so much taken notice of the lâ—kâ— from the Papist and therefore I shall briefly manifest the â—aâ—e by shewing where we shall find some of the chief of those Worthies that fought the Lords Battles against Antichrist opposing and confuting them both therein I will cite a few Particulars this way among many the like which mâ—ght be produced from severall other eminent Authorâ— Holy burning and shining lights in the churches of Christ who have been the Lords Witnesses against the darkness of that Spirituall Egypt and whose Testimonie in this matter concludes as strongly against the Anabaptists having espoused those Antichristian notions so neerly to themselves 1. In those words of the Covenant I will be a God to thee and thy seed after thee neither life eternall is promised nor remission of sins but onely a certain peculiar temporall protection saith Bâ—llâ—rmine agreeing therein with the Anaâ—aptist against whom herein we find â—bamâ—er pleading for us Panstrat tom 4. Liâ— 3 Cap. 3. Parag. 9 10. c. and â—ive on Gen. 17.11 Again we read saith Bellarmine the great Gâ—â—ah of the Papists that God promised unto Abraham when he enjoyned him circumcision earthly matters only according to the letter that is the propagation of a posterity and the Land of Palestine read Ames opposing him Bellarm. 〈◊〉 Tom. 3. Lib. 1 Chap. 4. Thes. 9. 2. Touching the perverse and Caâ—abaptisticâ—ll intent and meaning of that expression of the Papists viz. That Spirituall promises dâ—scend to us not by carnall generation as they call it the very Phrase of many Anabaptists used in a way of deâ—ision of the Grace of God but by Spirituall Râ—generation c. they are the wâ—rds of Bellarmine and other Pâ—pists câ—ted confuted by Amâ—s others read Ames his Answer thereto Bâ—â— Ener â—om 3. Lib. 2. cap. 1. Thes. 5. consonant to the Judgment of the Oâ—thoacâ— viz. we acknowledg indeed Spirituall regeneration to be necessary to the solid participation of the promises but that that Regeneration is part of the Promises and belongs in a singular manner to the Children of Believers the very forme of the Covenant manifestly declares See likewise Chamier largely replying for us against Bellarmine Stapleton and others of the Papists Paâ—straâ— tom 4 lib. 5. cap. 10. parag 24 25 26 27 c 3. The Sacraments of the old Law or Testament saith Bellarmineâ— had no absolute promise of Grace annexed the promises annexed to thosâ— old Sacraments were fulfilled although men did not believe Read Ames against him ibid. l. 1. cap. 4. the. 5 7. Again the Papists saith Chemnit hold that God by the Sacraments of the old Testament which had eveâ— the word of promise annexed did exhibite conferr no grace to Believers which saith he is maifestly false Circumcision alone which as he sheweth from Scripture is called the Sâ—al of the righteousness of Faith demonstrateth as much And thereupon he sheweth the reason why the Papists so much urge that difference between the Sacraments of the old new Testament viz. because they endeavour by any manner of meanes to defend and stablish the opinion they have of their opus operatum Chemnitij Exam. par 2. de Sacram. sub canon 2. What a forcible engine of the man of sin this is and of what vast concernment as to his interest I need not here express and what arrows of Anabaptisme drawn out of this very quiver have been shot against the Orthodox in this point is known unto not a few Moreover as to the comparison in Scripture made between the Sacraments of the old and new Testament that in 1 Cor. 10.1 4. among several other Scriptures is cited by Ames against Bellarmine where the Apostle speake's of our Fathers being Baptized in the Sea c thereby intimating our Sacraments to be the same for substance with theirs or Sacramental signes and seales of one and the same sqiritual grace so that the Covenant-mercies or promises of spiritual good are the same to us as to them Bellarmine opposeth this as doth the Anabaptist The Fathers saith he are said to eat the same meat not because ours and theirs was the same but because they themselves all of them did eat the same but that meat and drinke were not sacraments they had no promise anexed c Bellâ— enerv tom 3. l. 1. c. 4. th 10. and Cham. panstrat tom 4. l. 3. c. 2. 4. The scripture no where call's Circumcision a seal saith Bellarmine to Rom. 4. unless it be in this place where Abraham is spoken of which is a manifest argument that Circumcision was a seal unto Abraham alone Ames ibid. c. 1. th 12. By this weapon also fetcht out of the armory of Antichrist hath the Anabaptist not a little gratifyed the common adversary 5. The Papists generally assert That the Baptisme of John was not the same for substance with the Baptisme of Christ nor had the same efficacy as the Baptisme of Christ hath Which tenet see confuted by Cartwright on the new Testament Mat. 3.11 and by Ames Beller 〈◊〉 t. 3. l. 2. c. 5. th 1 2. c and Rivet Cathol orthod tractat 3. qu. a. and Chemnir exam part 2. de baptismo sub canon 1. and Chamier panstrat t. 4. l. 5. c. 12. still we see the harmony between the Papist and the Anabaptist And hence we find likewise the Papist pleading for the rebaptizing of those who had received the Baptisme of John Chamier ibid. cap. 13. paragr 35. c 6. The Papists assert that Laicks as they call them i. e. those that are not in Office in the Church may in case administer Baptisme yea that not onely men but women may do it Read Ames his confutation thereof Bell. enerv tom 3. l. 2. cap. 2. and Rivet against Baily the Jesuit Cathol orthod tractat 3. qu. 7. add thereto Chamiers Panstr tom 4. l. 5. cap. 14. de legitimo Baptismi ministro where among other