as the al-sufficient and onely way of life And faith being wrought apprehendeth and applyeth Christ not onely habitually and passively as in infants but actively to the justification of life And in such it is true also which you say there is ever in the party a knowledge of the thing believed But I will not say as you doe That faith ever presupposeth the knowledge of the thing believed unlesse you meane habituall knowledge which is never wanting no not in infants where faith is For knowledge and faith are put one for another Esa 5.3.11 John 17.3 So that now take your own word having examined what you say as you desire by the rule of truth wee have seen and found that infants are capable of the holy Ghost and therefore of faith and being in the faith and faith in them they are in Christ and so united unto Christ 2 Cor. 13.5 And being in Christ there is no condemnation to them Rom. 8.1 And if no condemnation then justification belongeth to them And if union with Christ and justification by Christ belong to them then were they elected and predestinated thereto For none are called to union with Christ nor justified but those whom God hath predestinated thereunto Rom. 8.30 When therefore you enquire whether infants with reference to their nonage be the subjects of Gods election And secondly whether infants so considered bee subjects capable of glory And when you further suppose that none will affirme either Be it known unto you that as wee firmly believe both so we doubt not confidently to affirme both both that infants are subjects of Gods election and also subjects capable of glory Jacob was an elect vessell in his mothers wombe Rom. 9.11 neither was this his singular priviledge but common with him to all the elect of God who were elect vessells before the foundation of the world and therefore so too in their mothers wombe To say and grant as you seem to doe that though infants be subjects of Gods election yet not with reference to their nonage it would imply that you hold the election of God hath reference to their foreseen faith or works which they grow up unto in riper years otherwise in their nonage when you hold them uncapable of faith and obedience it seemeth you hold them also uncapable of election which is rank and palpable Pelagianisme and Arminianisme But seeing election it self is a grace of God infants being capable of election are capable of grace And thereby it commeth to passe that heaven and heavenly glory is as fit to receive them as they are fit to receive the holy Ghost such is the fruit of election And if they receive the holy Ghost as hath been shewed above then are they subjects equally capable of grace and glory But say you if God have elected them unto the end to wit unto glory then he hath elected them also unto the meanes and way that leadeth to that end to calling to justification by believing and free obedience unto him again All this is true for elect infants if they die in their infancy are made partakers of the holy Ghost by whom faith is begotten in their hearts in which they are in Christ and united to him which is their calling By the same faith dwelling in them they are justified yea and sanctified also and so their free obedience is fulfilled to that great commandement both of law and Gospel which containeth all the rest Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy Lev. 19.2 1 Pet. 1.16 And as concerning the resurrection of infants from death to life which was argued above could not be without union with Christ You answer First it is the power of God that raiseth the dead not union with Christ But the reply is ready the power of God raiseth indeed all the dead yet none from death to life eternall which is the life meant in the argument but by virtue of their union with Christ Rom. 8.11 1 Cor. 15.49 Secondly you answer again that when any of Gods elect can be shewed by the Scriptures to die in their infancy then it will bee granted that their bodies are raised to life eternall Reply first it seemeth then that till the death of some elect infants be shewed out of Scripture it will not be granted by you that their bodies are raised to life eternall So that it appeareth by your Tenent all the children that dye in their infancy none of them are elected nor saved an ungracious and uncomfortable doctrine which hath been refuted above whereto may be added that then there is some sort of mankind to whom the grace and redemption of Christ never reached It hath been said by the holy Ghost that Christ gave himself a ransome for all that is for some of all sorts But now there is a sort of mankind found out even all that die in their infancy which are many thousands for whom Christ gave himself a ransome Reply 2. If infants be elect before they be born and remain elect whilst they are living can they not dye whilst they are infants as well as any other of the elect of God of riper yeares Reply 3. What if it could not be shewed by the scriptures that any elect of God dyed in their infancy will it therefore follow that no infants are the elect of God What if it cannot be proved by Scripture that any elect Queens dyed in their Regency will it therefore follow that either no Queens are elected or if they bee they cannot die in their Regency Reply 4. It hath been expressely shewed above from scripture that infants have dyed as at an 100 years old onely because they were as truly seasoned with grace and as ripe and ready for glory in their infancy as if they had fulfilled the age of an 100 yeares Esa 65.20 Reply 5. If none of Gods elect did dye in their infancy then all outward things did not fall alike to all contrary to the Scripture Eccles 9.2 death may by your Tenent befall and often doth to carnall infants but never to elect infants And thus elect infants whilst infants should be immortall which is a paradox I suppose the Church of God never heard of before now since the world began Reply 6. If none of Gods elect did die in their infancy then in ease any of the faithfull should come to bury any of their children in their infancy as many doe they might have cause to sorrow for them as without hope for they can have no hope of their salvation or resurrection to life seeing their infants dying infants were never subjects capable of Gods election and so must needs dye uncapable of glory But for Christians to sorrow for their dead as others that have no hope is contrary to the precept of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.13 I would not be understood so to oppose infants Silvester as to exclude them from salvation but leave all in respect of them as a secret thing
to beleeve their salvation but to beleeve the salvation of a remnant among the Jews nay of none at all but such as doe beleeve Truely if God had not blinded you for offering to argue God to be an Author of an untruth upon the supposition of the Baptisme of infants which is an holy truth of God you would never have delivered so palpable an untruth contrary to your owne knowledge as to say this is an untruth contrary to what God himself knoweth and reveales to beleeve the salvation of a remnant among the Jews nay of none at all but such as beleeve But to leave your inconsiderate boldnesse in arguing God of an untruth which falleth upon your selfe to your Argument I answer as before by denying your proposition This I deny that the Covenant of Grace is absolute and saving unto all once within the same you heape up many Scriptures to prove it but none of them without violence will bee wrested to beare witnesse to it your first Scripture in Ier. 32.40 Doe you thinke it speaketh of all the people whom God brought out of Babel into Hierusalem againe or of the Elect onely If of all the people as v. 38. might seeme to imply surely the Covenant of Grace was not absolute and saving to them all There was among them Shemajah and Noadiah false Prophets which sought to discourage the hands of Nehemiah in his work Nâ—hem 6.10 to 14. And there were also Nobles of Iudah that kept intelligence with Tobiah and were sworne to him v. 17 18 19. and can you thinke that the Covenant of Grace was absolute and stable unto such as these But if you meane that the Covenant of Grace was absolute stable to the elect seed you speake truely and safely and therein also wee agree with you But then you must not stand to your former proposition that the Covenant of Grace is absolute and stable unto all once within the same For as it was before the captivity there were some that brake the everlasting Covenant Isa 24.5 and therefore some were once within the Covenant to whom it was not absolute and stable so was it also after the captivity that Covenant promised to give them one heart that they might feare the Lord for ever for the good of them and of their children afteâ— them verse 39. And yet some of them did not feare God themselves and many of their children did soone degenerate in so much that in the dayes of Malachi the whole Nation fel to the robbery of God and were cursed with a curse in stead of the sure mercies of the Covenant Mal. 3.9 The other Scriptures which you doe alledge to prove your proposition that the Covenant of Grace is absolute and stable unto all once within the same they none of them speake to your purpose The Text in Isay 49.21 speaketh that the Church shall wonder at the increase of her children after shee had lost the other and shall therefore enquire who had begotten these to her But what maketh this to prove that the Covenant of Grace is absolute and stable to all those who are once within the same It rather proveth that some of the children of the Church and so some within the Covenant of the Church have beene lost and that is contrary to your proposition Your next place in Ierem. 31.3 holdeth forth that God loved the house of Israel with an everlasting love and the text in Ioh. 13.1 declareth that whom Christ loveth hee loveth to the end And that in Mal. 3.6 teacheth us that the Lord Jehovah is unchangeable and therefore that the sonnes of Iacob perish not And your last place in Ioh. 10.28 29. sheweth us that Christ giveth â—nto his sheepe everlasting life that they shall never perish But what is all this to prove that none are within the Covenant of grace but such as God loveth with an everlasting unchangeable love unto the end and who shall receive everlasting life All these places doe prove indeed that God hath a people to whom his love is stable and also absolute but saith nothing to any such purpose that all once within the Covenant of Grace doe partake in this state of absolute unchangeable and everlasting love and life of Christ CHAP. XVII Silvester THere bee four or five other Arguments against that Baptisme of Infants which were received in England which though they doe not so take with me as the former doe yet I desire to heare what you thinke of them because I finde more difficulty in them then I can easily resolve The 1. is taken from the false power by which Baptisme is administred in England and that is by power received from the Bishops 2. From the false ground upon which it is there administred upon the faith and profession of the Godfathers and Godmothers 3. From the falâ—e manner in which it is administred that is by springling and not dipping 4. From the false end for which it is administred which is for the Regeneration of the Infants 5. From the false subject of Baptisme which being onely Infants it commeth to passe that now in England the Baptisme of beleevers which the Gospell acknowledgeth is worne out of use and instead thereof the Baptisme of Infants is come in place of whom it may bee not one of a thousand at that age is a beleever But of this subject of Baptisme wee have had much speech already Now for the first of these the power whereby the Ministers of England doe exercise their office and so baptize It is derived from the Bishop and the Bishop is not ordained by Christ but by Antichrist at least by humane power and such is all the prower derived from him Antichristian or at best Humane Such as hold the Bishops to bee of divine Institution as many English Ministers have done they will easily avoid your Argument Silvanâ—â— if they could as easily make good their owne Tenent of the divine right of Episcopasie But let them passe and every plantation which our heavenly father hath not planted let it bee rooted out Take it therefore thus rather the powers whereby the Ministers in England doe administer the word and Baptisme it is either spirituall and proper c. essentiall to their calling or adventitious or accidentall The former they have received from Christ by a double Act of his 1. He hath furnished many of them with Ministeriall gifts 2. Hee hath inclined the hearts of his people either to choose and call them as in many parishes of the City and in sundry Market Townes and elsewhere or at least to accept them and to submit to them being commended to them by the Patron The latter power which is adventitious and accidentall is that which they receive from the Patron who presents them to the Bishop and from the Bishop who ordaineth and licenseth them to administer unto Christ and his people This power though it hath beene established by the law of the Land yet
ready even at that time to heare Counsell and to receive conviction from our Elders and other brethren if they could shew me any errour in this way Silvanus I doubt not your Elders and other brethren have not been wanting to use the meanes for your conviction and satisfaction But if the Lord espied an Idoll set up in your heart then he in his just displeasure would leave you to see nothing but according to yâ—ur Idoll If the heart be once taken with the love of an Errour it is all one if not worse as not to be taken with the love of tâ—uth And in such a case God is wont to the give up the soule â—o strong delusions to beleeve lies 2 Thes 2.10 11. But besides your owne Elders and brethren you wanted not other friends the Eders and brethren of some other Chuches whom you have been wont to consult withall in lesse matters and them you acquainted not with your scruples which whether it were out of loathnesse to grieve them or out of lothnesse to be removed from your way I doe not know Silvester I am not so wedded to my way but I am willing to heare counsell from the word of God And therefore neither am I unwilling to acquaint your selfe with my scruples in this point which I have gathered out of some bookes chiefely out of those which seeme to me most orthodoxall For they doe not as some others of that way doe deny Magistrates nor Predestination nor Originall Sinne Nor doe they maintaine Free-will in conversion nor Apostasie from Grace but onely deny the lawfull use of the Baptisme of children because it wanteth a word both of Commandement and Example from the Scripture It is well that any of that way doe condescend so farre unto the truth in these controversies Silvanus which doe so nearely concerne the grace of Christ and power of Godlinesse and Publike peace And I am bound in Christian love to beleeve that they who yeeld so farre doe it out of conscience as following herein the Example of the Apostle who professed of himselfe and his followers We can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth But yet I beleeve withall that it is not out of love to the truth that Satan yeeldeth so much to the Truth but rather out of another ground and as his manner is for a worse end He knoweth the times that now by the good and strong hand of God they are set upon purity and Reformation And now to plead against the Baptisme of children upon any of those Arminian and Popish grounds which be so grosly ungratious as those above-named Satan knoweth and seeth they would utterly be rejectâ—d He chooseth therefore rather to play Small Game as they say then to lose all He now relinquisheth all those grosse and ungratious tenents whereby he was wont to plead against childrens Baptisme and now pleadeth no other Argments in these stirring times of Reformation then may be urged from a maine Principle of Purity and Reformation to wit That no Duty of Gods Worship nor any Ordinance of Religion is to be administred in the Church but such as hath just warrant from the word of God And by urging this Argument against the Baptisme of children Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light and the Spirit of Error and Prophanenesse into a Minister of Truth and Righteousnesse And so he hopeth to prevaile either with those men who doe believe the lawfull and holy use of childrens Baptisme to renounce that Principle and so to renounce also all Reformation brought in by it or else if they stick to that Principle then to renounce the Baptisme of children And so the Reformation begun will neither spread farre nor continue long For if Godly Parents doe withdraw their children from the Covenant and from the Seale of the Covenant they doe make void as much in as them lyeth the Covenant both to themselves and to their children also And then will the Lord cut off such soules from his People Gen. 17.14 And so the Reformation begun with a Blessing will end in a curse and in a cutting Separation either of Parents or of children or of both from the Lord and his People That place in Gen. 17.14 speaketh not of Baptisme but of Circumcision Silvester Between which though there may be some Resemblance in regard of their common Nature and use yet this difference between them chiefely sticketh with me That Abraham and his naturall Posterity had an expresse Commandment and word of Institution from God for the circumcising of themselves and their Infant seed But the Beleevers of the New Testament though they have a Commandment from God to be Baptized themselves yet they have neither Commandment nor Example for the Baptisme of their Infant seed It is a Tempting of God even limiting of the Holy one of Israel Silvanus to put upon him to deliver his will onely by Commandment or Example or not at all As if God might not deliver his will by promise or threatning by Proportion or deduction by Consequence as well as by expresse Commandment or Example What Commandment or Example is their for women to partake of the Lords Supper yet the Proportion of the Lords Supper with the Passeover and Deduction from such Scriptures as put no difference between male and female make it to be received as the will and Ordinance of Christ That women able to examine and judge themselves should partake of the Lords Supper as well as the men Every shred of Gold hammered or drawne out of the wedge of Gold is as well Gold as the whole lumpe and wedge Whatsoever is drawn out of the Scripture by just consequence and deduction is as well the word of God as that which is an expresse Commandment or Example in Scripture But to helpe you if the Lord will over this stumbling block which you stick at the Baptisme of children is not without a Commandment and word of Institution from Scripture as may appeare two or three wayes Silvester Shew me any Commandment or word of Institution for the Baptisme of children and it sufficeth me CHAPT I. Declaring and Maintaining the first ground for the Baptisme of Children FIrst the Commission of the Lord Jesus given to his Apostles doth give us a Commandment and word of Institution for the Baptisme of children Mat. 28.19 20. Goe saith he to his Apostles and make Disciples as the word signifyeth all Nations some at least of all sorts in all Nations Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you to the end of the world In which Commission the Lord Jesus giveth commandment to his Apostles and to their Successors to the end of the world To performe three Acts 1 To make Disciple 2 To Baptize them 3 To teach them to observe all the Ordinances of
breasts Psal 22.9 Esay saith in like sort The Lord hath called me from the wombe Esa 45.1 and the Lord saith the same of Ieremy I sanctified thee before thou camest forth of the wombe Ier. 1.5 Yea little children are so farre forth capable of receiving the holy Ghost or which is all one the kingdom of God for by his Spirit he setteth up his kingdom in us that our Saviour expresseth it generally that whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child to wit as a little child receiveth it for so the syntax carryeth it he shall not enter therein Mar. 10.15 What though it bee said that faith commeth by hearing so it is also said the Spirit commeth by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 And yet you see as some have received the Spirit that never heard of faith so the same hâ—ve received faith that never heard the word As for Iob the place which you quote Iob 31.18 argueth the like of him that hath been said of the former that Iob from his mothers wombe was indued with an indoles or inbred disposition and affection to pity and succour the fatherlesse and widow which dâ—ubtlesse was wrought in him by the holy Ghost as all other good gifts be And all other infants as well as he are capable of the same and the like gifts if the spirit of the Lord be pleased to work them Silvester I am not against any that have faith but am absolutely for all that believe whether infants or others so that their faith appeare by such effects as the word of God approveth of But whereas some say that infants are capable of the Spirit of God and of the grace of the Covenant though not wrought in the same way and by the same meanes yet the same things and by same Spirit so farre as is necessary to union with Christ and justification of life thereby else children were not elected nor should be raised up in their bodies to life I wish it may be minded that touching union with Christ three things are essentiall to the same 1. Gods revealing and tendering of Christ as the al-sufficient and onely way to life 2. An heart fitly disposed by faith to apprehend and receive Christ so tendered 3. The spirit of grace uniting and knitting the heart and Christ together And this I understand to be that effectuall and substantiall union with Christ to the justification of life which the word of God approveth of For justification to life ever presupposeth the parties knowledge of the thing beleeved Rom. 10.14 Heb. 11.6 Now let this be well examined by the rule of truth and then see how capable infants are of union with Christ and justification to life thereby As for some evill consequences which some to darken and obscure the truth doe say would follow thereupon that then infants were not erected nor should then their bodies be raised again to life c. I would first enquire of such whether infants with reference to their nonage were the subjects of Gods election Secondly if infants so considered are capable subjects of glory And if not as I suppose none will affirme then why are they any more capable of grace then of glory The word of God sheweth that he hath elected persons to the meanes as well as to the end the meanes being the way unto the end and that was the adoption of sonnes to bee called and justified by believing on Jesus Christ Ephes 1.4 5. Rom. 8.29 30. 1 Pet. 1.2 2 Thes 2.13 14. c. And to return free obedience unto him again as Rom. 9.23 24. Ephes 1.6 12. And for the raising of infants it is the power of God that raiseth the dead and not union with Christ 1 Thess 4.16 And when any of Gods electcan by the Scriptures be shewed to dye in their infancy then it will be granted their bodies are raised to life eternall When you say you are not against any that have faith Silvanus whether infants or others so that their faith appeare by such effects as the Word approveth I demand what if their faith appeare not by the effects is it not enough if it appeare by divine testimony Christ hath said that of such is the kingdom And that all that receive his kingdom must receive it as little children doe as hath been shown above and is not his testimony of their faith as good an evidence of their faith as the effects of their faith can be As for the 3 things which you would have to bee minded as essentiall to union with Christ The first of them the revealing and tendering of Christ as the al-sufficient and only way of life if you meane the revealing and tendering of him by the Ministery of the gospel you know the Ministery of the gospel is but an outward instrumentall cause of faith and no outward instrumentall cause is essentiall to the effect whether we speake of naturall or supernaturall effects certaine it is that the spirit of God who is the principall cause of faith though he be wonted to work it by the Ministery of the Word yet he can also work it without the Ministery or else how came the Wisemen from the East to seeke after Christ and to worship him by the sight of a starre If you say that was extraordinary but you speake of ordinary meanes that will not serve for that which is essentiall to a thing the thing cannot be without it neither ordinarily nor extraordinarily a thing cannot be and be without his essence or that which is essentiall to it Besides Christ speaketh of it as no extraordinary thing for infants to receive the kingdom of God and they cannot receive it without Christ nor without faith in Christ and yet they never received either Christ or faith by their own immediate hearing of the Woâ—d And for the second thing which you make essentiall to union with Christ an heart fitly disposed by faith to apprehend and apply Christ Be not unwilling to understand that which is the truth The heart is fitly disposed by faith to apprehend or apply Christ when faith is begotten in the heart for by this gift of faith begotten in us Christ apprehendeth us and by the same gift of faith the heart is fitly disposed to apprehend Christ even in infants for when faith is wrought in infants the heart is quickned with spirituall life and made a sanctified vessell fit to receive Christ which reception of Christ though it be passive as Dr. Ames calleth it in Châ—p 26. de Vocatione lib. 1. Medullae Theologiae yet it is all one with regeneration wherein not infants onely but all men are passive which gave the Lord Jesus occasion to say That whosoever receiveth not the kingdom of God as a little child hee can in no wise enter into it Luk. 18.17 It is true in men of years the Spirit as you speake worketh faith by the hearing of the Word and by revealing and tendering Christ
thus God taketh men in their own wilinesse whilst they goe about to shoulder out infant from being disciples unto Christ and so from baptisme they exclude themselves from the chiefe benefits of the baptism of Christ which is to have God the Father Son and holy Ghost to be a God to themselves and to their seed and in stead of approving themselves to be the Disciples of Christ they take out a wrong lesson from the words of institution turn the glorious name of the blessed Trinity into the weake performance of a Christian duty and that but an outward duty neither Onely because infants are not able to perform such a duty they shall therefore be debarred from baptisme into the name of the Father Son and holy ghost seeing Baptisme into that name is but into the true and orderly profession of the faith But the Lord redeeme your soule from such guile and falshood Let the name of the Father Son and holy ghost be as Christ meaneth it the Adoption protection and government of the Father Son and holy ghost as to have the name of one called upon another is so meant in Scripture Gen. 48.16 And then infants are as capable of that grace and of such a baptisme as their Parents be Doe not put off your self nor me with this pretence that here teaching goeth before baptizing c. For though the Parents must be taught being gentiles and Pagans before they can bee disciples yet the children of disciples are received into the number of Christs disciples by himselfe though themselves understand not what is tâ—ught them by the hearing of the eare Neither put your selfe off with that other pretence That Matthews words are explained by Mark 16.15 16. For though it be true that one of those places giveth some light to the other yet either you must take disciples in a larger extent then believers or else you must account of the children of believers as God doth not as infidels as the children of Pagans be but as holy and under the promise of grace and faith and so as believers in their fathers right till themselves renounce it or else you cannot avoid it though you doe disclaime it that if infants be unbeleevers and so cannot be baptized then as unbelievers they cannot be saved For the Text is expresse Hee that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Neither yet suffer your self to be put off from the truth by that other pretence That all the externall benefits and priviledges of the gospel are given only to external and visible faith And so the sealing and confirming ordinances of Christ ever presuppose faith in the subject to seale unto and to be confirmed For all this and the baptism of infants may well stand together For the benefit and priviledge of externall baptisme is not given to infants but in respect of the externall and visible profession of the faith of their Parents or of one of them at least And this ordinance of Christ sealeth and confirmeth the Covenant of grace to the believer for himself and his seed yea to the whole Church of believers and to their seed also when they grow up to understand the nature and use of it Chap. II. THus then at length having by the help of Christ cleared this first Argument for the baptisme of infants of believers from the commandement of the Lord Jesus let us now if you please proceed to another commandement a commandement of the holy Ghost with whom Peter being filled in the beginning of his publique administration of the Apostolick office he exhorted the penitent Jews them and theirs to bee baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus His words are thus recorded Acts 2 38 39. Repent ye saith he and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is to you and to your children c. From whence the argument that these words hold forth ariseth thus They to whom the promise is made of remission of sins and of receiving the holy Ghost they have a commandement to be baptized every one of them But to such as doe repent and to their children the promise is made of remission of sins and of receiving the holy Ghost Therefore they that doe repent and their children have a commandement to be baptized every one of them The former Proposition ariseth from the reason which the Apostle giveth of his exhortation Repent ye saith he and be baptized every one of you For the promise is made to you and to your children as who should say let every one of you be baptized both you that doe repent and your children For the promise is made to you that is to you that doe repent and with you to your children also Silvester The text saith not let every one of you and of your children be baptized but repent ye and let every one of you to wit who doe repent be baptized Silvanus The Reason of the commandement giveth the sense of the commandement now the reason of this commandement Repent ye and be baptized every one of you is this For the promise is made to you to wit to you who doe repent and to your children And therefore the sense of the commandement of the holy Ghost is this Repent ye and let every one of you both you that doe repent and your children also be baptized For the promise is to you and to youâ— children And so much is implyed also in the change and different expression and extent of the verbs of command he doth not say Repent ye and be baptized as if he commanded two duties to the same persons no more to be baptized but such as doe repent But repent ye indefinitely and be baptized every one of you universally and singularly not onely ye who doe repent but your children also But the event sheweth Silvester that Peter intended onely them that did repent to be baptized and not their children for so it followeth in the Text verse 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized which sheweth that none else were baptized but persons that were grown up to yeares of understanding such as were affected with the word and received it gladly It is true indeed the Apostles forced baptisme upon none Silvanus but administred it onely to such as gladly received the Word But those penitent Jews and Proselytes who understood that promise was to them and to their children they gladly received the whole Word both the word of promise which they received by faith and the word of commandement they and their children to bee baptized which they received by offering themselves and their children unto baptism in which respect it is therefore said They that gladly received his word were baptized because both their own baptisme and the baptisme of their children was the
doth not regard nor esteeme the outward washing of the flesh 1 Pet. 3.21 So neither was the circumcision of the flesh without circumcision of the heart of any account before God either before Christ or since It was not only so adjudged in Pauls time in the New Testament that Circumcision of the flesh was nothing without Circumcision of the heart but also in Ieremies time in the Old Testament For Ieremy threatneth â—hat God will punish the circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt Edom Ammon and Moab with Iudah for all these Nations are uncircumcised al the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart Ier. 9.25 26. It hath been said of old shall a man make Gods to himself and they are no Gods So may it be said in some proportion shall a man make differences to himself to turn him off from the way of God and they are no differences To the third there is as little difference in that as in the former for as the seale of that Covenant confirmed faith in things to come but the seale of this confirmes faith in things already done so the seale of that Covenant confirmed the faith of Abraham in the righteousnesse of faith which he had already received and the faith of those that were in Canaan of the possession of it And our Baptisme sealeth up to us mortification of sin deliverance out of affliction resurrection of the body whereof some are yet to come in part some wholly The like may bee said of the other Ordinances of the Covenant But what is it to the purpose what if sundry ordinances of the Covenant as it was dispensed in the old Testament confirmed faith in things to come and what if the Ordinances of the New Testament confirmed faith in things past yet what is this to argue that children of believing Parents are excluded from the Covenant of grace in the new testament though not in the Old To the fourth when you say that Covenant was Nationall and admitted all of the Nation to the seales thereof But this personall and admitteth of none but such as believe This difference is founded in an untruth for it is untrue that the Covenant given to Abraham was Nationall it was rather domesticall at first and did not comprehend the whole Nation of any of Abrahams seed till Iacobs time And Iacob speaketh of his blessing which was a proper adjunct and peculiar priviledge of the Covenant that it did exceed the blessing and so the Covenant of his progenitors Gen. 49.26 For whereas in Abrahams house though Isaac was received to the blessing of continuance in the Covenant yet Ismael and the seed of Keturah were excluded and in Isaac's house though Iacob inherited the blessing yet Esau was excluded yet in Iacobs family all his sonnes were received to the blessing of continuance under the outward dispensation of the Covenant and not themselves onely but all their posterity the whole twelve Tribes which proceeded from them Now it is not said in Scripture that the blessing of Jacob is come upon the Gentiles for then none of our posterity might cut themselves off from the outwaâ—d dispensation of the Covenant and then our Covenant would be Nationall and admit all of the Nation to the seales thereof but the Scripture saith that the blessing of Abraham and so the Covenant of Abraham is come upon the Gentiles Gal. 3.14 that is upon the believing Gentiles and their seed whereby it commeth to passe that believing Gentiles and their Infant-seed are admitted to the Covenant and to the seale of the Covenant as Abraham and his Infant seed were But if when they bee growne up to yeares they shall grow to mocke and sleight the Covenant as Ismael and Esau did then they and their seed are cast out of the Covenant and that keepeth the Covenant from being national And so it was in Abrahams time so it is now When you say this Covenant with us is personall and admitteth onely of such as believe It hath been refuted above and this truth cleared that upon the faith of the Parents the grace of the Covenant is promised also unto their seed And if the Covenant did admit onely of such as believe then the faith whereby we believe were not given to any by Covenant Whereas it hath been shown above that faith and the saving knowledge of God by faith and the writing of the Law of faith as well as of love in our hearts is given by Covenant Jer. 31.33.34 Your fifth difference is like the rest devised in your own imagination not founded in Scripture That Covenant say you begot children after the flesh but this onely begets children after the Spirit and onely approveth of such as are begotten and born from above c. Answ Doe you any where read in Scripture that the Covenant of Abraham approved of any then more then now but such as are begotten from above Did not Abraham and Israel of old renounce the owning and acknowledgement of such children of theirs as were degenerate from their faith and obedience Esay 63.16 When you say that that Covenant begot children after the flesh doe you not meane that men under that Covenant begot children after the flesh And if that be your meaning doe you thinke it is not so now that men under the Covenant of grace now in the dayes of the New Testament as well as in the Old doe beget children after the flesh It is true those believing Parents who doe beget children by believing the Promise and Covenant of grace to them and to their children they doe bring forth and bring up spirituall children or as you call it children after the Spirit But so did Abraham and other faithfull parents in the Old Testament as well as now The places which you quote out of Ier. 31. Ezek 36. Heb. 8. Ioh. 3.5 6. doe neither prove your assertion nor disprove ours but rather approve it For in Ier. 31. the Law of faith and saving knowledge is written in our hearts by the Covenant so it is now in the New Testament and so it was in the Old In Ezek. 36. God takes away the heart of stone and gives an heart of flesh and a new spirit so hee doth now to his chosen and so he did then Numb 14.24 The place in the Heb. 8. is the same with that in Ieremy 31. That in Iohn 3.5 6. argueth that none born of flesh can enter into the kingdome of heaven but are carnall and fleshly But thus it was in the Old Testament as well as in the New there is no difference in this point Your sixth difference is that that Covenant with Abraham and his posterity before Christ comprehended a civill state and a worldly government with the like carnall subjects for the service of the same But this Covenant now under Christ comprehendeth onely a spirituall state and an heavenly government with the like spirituall subjects of this also Answ 1. The Civill State and worldly
government was not expressed in the Covenant given to Abraham but in the Covenant and blessing of Iacob It was Iacob that blessed his son Iudah with a scepter Gen. 49.10 But to Abraham it was foretold that his seed should bee a stranger and a servant and in an afflicted estate 400 yeares And though the Lord did not deny them civill government yet neither did he expresly promise it to his seed And as was said above it is the blessing of Abraham that is come upon us and not of Iacob so far as that of Iacob exceeded the blessing of his progenitors Answ 2. It is more then can be proved that the Covenant of Abraham and his posterity after Christ doth not comprehend a civill State for the prophecy of Daniel promiseth that after the destruction of the four Monarchies the Kingdom and the Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High c. Dan. 7.27 Answ 3. Civill State and Government is but an accessary to the Covenant And though the people of God in the new Testament should never enjoy it which is not to be granted yet what is this to the maine promise of the Covenant That God will bee a God to his people and to their seed throughout all generations The seventh and last difference which you put is as little pertinent to the cause as all the former For what if that Covenant held forth Christ in the flesh to an heart vailed And this holdeth him forth in the Spirit to a face open 2 Cor. 3. Yet this argueth onely a different dispensation of the Covenant by Moses and by Christ But the Covenant of Abraham which was given 430 yeares before the Covenant of Moses did not so vaile nor darken the face of Christ but that Abraham saw Christ though afarre off yet clearely and rejoyced Iâ—hn 8.56 And so did all his spirituall seed after him more or lesse as well as wee But what if the dispensation of the Covenant had been more vayled in all the times of the Old Testament to all the seed then indeed it was yet what is this to the maine promise of the Covenant that God will be a God to a believer and his seed throughout all generations Silvester But let the differences of the Covenant before or since Christ stand or fall as they may yet it is no good consequence from the Covenant that as infants were in that Covenant then and circumcised so infants are in the Covenant now and to be baptized For let these foure things be well considered and they will cleare the contrary 1. What the Covenant is 2. What is that which admits into the Covenant 3. Who are the true approved subjects of the Covenant 4. Whether all have not one and the same way of entrance into this Covenant Silvanus What doe you take the Covenant to be Silvester The Covenant it selfe is a Covenant of grace and salvation by which God of his grace takes a person or a people to himself above all others to be their God and to manifest upon them the riches of his grace and glory And the manner of this is in effect Gods calling of a man to an agreement with himself in his Son wherein he promiseth to be his God and to give him life and happinesse and all things in Christ and that he shall believe and rest upon his faithfullnesse and truth and so take him for his God c. So that the Covenant consisteth of 3. Essentialls 1. The persons two or moe disposed to agree 2. Something to agree upon 3. Their mutuall consent which is the agreement it self Silvanus As the heavens are higher then the earth so are the wayes of God higher then our wayes Esa 55.9 and in speciall the wayes of his grace and of the Covenant thereof with men indeed mutuall agreement and consent is necessary to a Covenant but with God Gods appointment maketh a Covenant whether the creature consent to an agreement or no. God sometimes made a Covenant and established it not onely with Noah and his seed but also with the Fowles and Beasts and every living creature that he would never send a flood to destroy them from off the face of the earth Gen. 9.9 10 11. And this Covenant was onely an appointment of God it did not require any consent or agreement of man much lesse of other creatures to make it a Covenant It is therefore a manifest error to make the agreement or consent on mans part essentiall to a Covenant between God and man It is a second error that in describing the Covenant of grace you omit the seed of believers exclude them from the fellowship of the Covenant as being unable to expresse their consent and agreement to the Covenant Let it be considered in the feare of God whether ever God made any Covenant with any man or people which did not comprehend their posterity also God made a Covenant with Noah did it not reach his posterity also Gen. 9. God made a Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17. did it not reach his posterity also God made a Covenant with the people of Israel Exod. 19. did it not reach their posterity also God made a Covenant with Phinehas Numb 25. did it not reach to his posterity also God made a Covenant with David Psal 89.28 did it not reach to his posterity also If then the Scripture never hold forth any Covenant which ever God made with any of the sons of men but it did reach and comprehend his posterity also why should the Covenant of grace be conceived to run a different course from all the rest of Gods covenants namely to reach unto believers but not to their posterity We are shallow and narrow our selves and so we measure the grace of God and the Covenant thereof according to our owne scantling our narrow capacity Proceed then to declare what is the second thing you wisht might bee well considered to wit what is that which admits into the Covenant That which admits any into the Covenant Silvester and giveth right to enter thereinto is the promise of God in Christ and faith in the same as Nehem. 9.8 The Covenant hath these essentiall parts and visible branches 1. Grace in the agent God 2. Faith in the subject Man 3. An uniting or closing of these together which is that mutuall consent and agreement by faith in the same grace revealed by the gospel which is the word of reconciliation So that it is the blessed word of life and faith in the same that giveth right and admitteth into Covenant with God We deny not that faith in the subject doth admit into the Covenant rightly understood to wit faith in Christ Silvanus and in the word of reconciliation admitteth not onely the faithful person but his seed also though yet wanting faith into the Covenant The text which you quote against it
the Jews were broken off onely for their want of actuall believing the Gospel and for their opposing of the same simply For Stephen beareth witnesse against them they had resisted the holy Ghost from the days of their Fathers And that there was none of the Prophets but whom their Fathers had persecuted as themselves had also betrayed and murthered the Lord Jesus Acts 7.51 52. But yet after all this actuall unbeliefe in Christ and their opposition against Christ the Apostles still kept communion with them as the Church and people of God as hath been shewed above Acts 3.1 13.15 26. untill they did not onely not believe and actually oppose the Gospel but wilfully and obstinately malignantly and blasphemously resist and persecute the cleare light of the Gospel Act. 13.45 46. And as upon the Parents actuall malicious persecution of the Gospel not onely themselves but their children also were cast out of the Covenant who had yet no hand in their parents blasphemy and persecution so the Gentiles upon their actuall believing and profession of the faith they were received into Covenant and by like proportion their children also who did not expresse their actuall faith for receiving in â—o more then the children of the Jews did expresse their actuall unbeliefe for their casting off Againe it is not true that you say the Word condemneth none but for actuall sinne For by the offence of one to wit of the first Adam judgement or guilt came upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.18 And by that one man sinne entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men even upon them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transpression to wit actually and of their owne accord as Adam did Rom. 5.12 14. And whereas you say the Word doth not justifie any but with respect to actuall faith There is an ambiguity in your word actuall faith for actuall faith may be meant either faith actually indwelling in the heart or faith actually expressing it selfe in some acts or fruits of profession If you meane actuall faith in the former sense it is true what you say but nothing to the purpose For though God doth not justifie any but with respect to actuall faith yet many are within the Covenant whom God doth not justifie else all the house of Israel whose carkasses fell in the wildernesse and with whom God was not pleased had been all of them justified for they were all in the Covenant If you mean actuall faith in the latter sense your speech is untrue For God doth justifie many whose faith doth not actually expresse it selfe in fruits of profession For they who are filled with the holy Ghost from the wombe as John Baptist and Jeremy were they are sanctified And they who are sanctified are also justified And yet their faith did not at that age expresse it selfe actually in fruits of profession Neither is it a commodious or true speech that as every mans owne faith in Christ enrights him to life so every mans owne faith in Christ enrights him to the priviledges of life For faith it selfe is the life of the soule the just man liveth by his faith and is it a convenient speech yea is it not absurd to say faith enrights to it selfe But what is it that enrights to faith and and so to life by faith Is it not the Covenant of grace by which God hath promised to write his Law even the Law of faith as well as of all holinesse in the hearts of the chosen children of his Covenant Jer. 31.33 As for the priviledgâ—â— of life if you meane justification glorification and the saving mercies of the Covenant your speech is true every mans owne faith enrights him to them but that is nothing to the purpose For many have had right in the Covenant who yet have fallen short of the sure mercies of the Covenant But if you meane by the priviledges of life the Covenant and the seale of it it is not true that every mans faith and none else enrights him to such priviledges of life For the faith of Abraham enrighted Ismael and the saith of Isaac enrighted Esau to the Covenant and to the seale thereof Circumcision and not their owne faith which they never had Silvester The generall scope of the Apostles discourse in this 11 Chapter to the Romans is concerning the breaking off of the Jews and the occasion thereof as also their calling by the Gospel Now the Jews were the people of God in a twofold consideration First as a Nationall people descending from the loynes of Abraham by naturall generation after the flesh Secondly some of them God owned in a more speciall manner with reference to his gracious Covenant made with Abraham and established with Isaac and his seed after him for an everlasting Covenant which cannot bee the estate of the whole Nation for then all of them had been in a true saving estate of grace and so all saved or else fallen from grace But in this whole body there was a Church consisting of an holy Assembly of Worship and Worshippers a spirituall state all the whole body with these held â—â—mmunion together because God tooke into one body that whole Nation for his own people And all these springing out of Abrahams loynes did assume to themselves an equall right and priviledge in Gods gracious Covenant made with Abraham and his seed supposing God had bound his Covenant generally upon him and his seed in his naturall generation after the flesh But God respected in the same onely his chosen in Christ with whom hee confirmed his Covenant with Isaac in reference to Christ Gen. 17. Gal. 3. Whom in Gods owne time he calleth to the faith and these the Apostle ever defends against the generall rejection of that Nation For though such were rejected as were not elected yet this made not the promise of God of none effect to those who stood firme in the Covenant by grace in Christ Jesus as branches in their root which grace the â—â—st opposed and were cast off for their unbeliefe And when the fuâ—nesse of Gods time is come to call them to beliefe they shall be received againe into their former estate as alive from the dead as Rom. 11.23 24. Luke 15.24 Therefore the Apostle after hee hath proved the rejection of the Jews hee labours to make good the faithfulnesse of God in his promise of grace and the effectuall power of the Gospel in the saving effects thereof in such as believe through grace though the Jewes in their Nationall respect were rejected and few of them gained to the truth And hee giveth a reason of it thus Though the Jewes were all of them under an outward forme of profession of Gods name and truth yet there was but a remnant whom hee approved of in the Covenant according to his election of grace unto whom the promise of life did belong Rom. 11.5 7. Now to these Gods speciall care
faith think you be built upon the word of man for the truth of his baptisme But be willing to call to mind the Lord Jesus upbraided his eleven Apostles with their unbelief and hardnesse of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after hee was risen from the dead Mar. 6 14. And yet some of them mentioned in the former part of the Chapter were but women and others of them were private disciples neither sort of them were Apostles The truth is if one Proposition in a Syllogisme be found in the Word of God and the other Proposition be found certaine and evident by sense or reason the conclusion is a conclusion of faith As for example it is a proposition found in Scripturâ— Thâ—t the City which raigned over the Kings of the earth â—n Iohns time is that woman the great Whore Babylon which shall bee destroyed Revel 17.18 But Rome is that City which reigned over the Kings of the earth in Johns time This proposition wee have by certaine and evident testimony of the histories of those times Therefore Rome is that woman the great whore Babylon which shall be destroyed This Conclusion is a Conclusion of faith not built upon the word of men but upon the word of God Apply the like manâ—â—r of arguing to the point in hand thus Every disciple of Christ that is every believer and his sâ—ed that is baptized by a Minister of the Gospell in the name of the Fathâ—r Son and holy Ghost is truly baptized This Proposition iâ— delivered in the Gospell But I the child of a bâ—liever was baptized by a Minister of the Gospell in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost This Proposition is confirmed by so many eye-witnesses and such approved records that no reasonable man can doubt of it The conclusion then is a conclusion of faith Therefore I the child of a believer was truly baptized CHAP. X. Silvester FOr a seventh Argument against the Baptisme of Infants I have met with this To baptize Infants maketh the holy Ordinance of God a lying signe because none of those things can bee expected in an Infant which the said Ordinance holdeth forth or signifieth in the administration thereof which is the parties Regeneration and spirituall new Birth a dying and burying with Christ in respect of sin and a rising with him in a New life to God and a confirmation of Faith in the death and Resurrection of Christ and a free remission of sin by the same as Rom. 6.3.4 Col. 2.12 1 Pet. 3.21 Act. 2.38 None of all which can bee expected in an Infant Silvanus That which hath been found in some Infants as in John Baptist and Jeremiah and many moe that they have been sanctified by the holy Ghost from their Mothers wombe there is nothing hindreth but the same may bee desired and expected in any Infants of beleeving Pâ—rents The Faith of beleeving Parents hath prevailed with Christ to cast out an evill spirit out of their children And wheresoever the good spirit of grace entreth there wanteth not Regeneration fellowship with Christ in his death buriall Resurrection there wanteth not Faith nor Remission of sins But besides suppose that none of these things were found in Infants yet it is a profane and blasphemous speech to say that the Baptisme of Infants maketh the holy Ordinance a lying sign because none of those things are found in Infants which the Ordinance holdeth forth and signifyâ—th unlesse you were able to make it good that Baptisme holdeth forth and signifieth nothing but what is already found in the Infants But you cannot bee ignorant that Baptisme signifieth and sealeth up not onely good thingâ— found already in the baptized but also good things promised and as yet to come as Resurrection from the dead 1 Cor. 15.29 Saving out of afflictions and persecutions which were then ready to overwhelme all the Churches in the Romane Empire as Noahs flood did the wholâ— world which is the meaning of Peters words in the place which you quote 1 Pet. 3.21 To say nothing that â—aptisme signifieth and sealeth up the growth of all spirituall gifts and blessings as well as the gift of them And growth is a blessing future to the baptized as well as the gift may bee future to some Infants baptized Yea it is an holy truth of God that Baptisme is as well the signe and seale of the promise of God as the signe and seale of any gift of God already bestowed Now Promises are of blessings to come Circumcision was a signe and seale of the Land of Promise to bee given as well as of the righteousnesse of Faith to Abraham which hee had already received Yea the same Circumcision which was to Abraham a signe and a seale of the righteousnesse of the Faith which hee had already received waâ— to Isaac a sign and seale of the righteousnesse of Faith promised but not received Yea that gracious Promise of God that hee would circumcise the hearts of his people Israel and of their seed Deut. 30.6 what was it else but an exposition and declaration of the meaning of their Circumcision that as they had received the outward signe in the flesh so they should receive they and their seed the thing signified in their heart and spirit It is no lying signe that holdeth forth and sealeth that which is done or which is promised to bee done in due time as much as iâ— meet for him to doe that promiseth The Baptisme of Ananias and Sapphira of Simon Magus and Demâ—s was no lying signe though they neither were Regenerate when they were Baptized nor ever afterwards came on to bee Regenerate because the lye lay not in the Lords Covenant nor in the signe of it but in their affected hypocrisie which would not bee healed CHAP. XI THe eighth Argument against the Baptisme of Infantâ— is because the subject of Baptisme is to bee Passive but an Infant is no way passive as that Ordinance requirâ—th I mean a passive subject threefold 1 A thing uncapablâ— and thus is a stone 2 A thing forced and thus is an Infant who opposâ—th his Baptisme to the utmost of his ability so farre is it from being passive in the same 3 A thing is passive by a subjecting power producing thâ—â—ame in the subject by bringing it to a free and voluntary subjection And thus is the true subject of Baptisme None can bee passive to receive grace Silvanus but by grace because it consisteth of self-denyall Obedience to Christ ought to bee free but Baptisme is forced upon an Infant against its will I will not examine the termes of your Distinction of a threefold passive subject though I would not have you taken with it which is indeed neither Naturall nor Artificiall nor spirituall For when you make the first sort of a passive subject a thing uncapable as is a stone I might demand whether you mean uncapable lawfully or unlawfully If you mean a stone is uncapable