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
the Denomination of Saints Sanctified Believers Justified and multitude of things are attributed to It which none but the Regenerate really are capable of And Therefore it must be upon a Profession which amounts to that Importance Wherefore the Vnregenerate are so Reckoned and Received This Objection is multiplied and Scriptures abundantly Vrged and Improved accordingly I will Answer therefore very plainly The whole Church is thus Denominated or such things are attributed to It from the Better Part or from the Regenerate Part only which our Divines do commonly say who are Such where I need not stand I think after them to shew how the Scriptures abound with frequent Passages where Something is attributed to All that belongs properly to a Part only of Those to Whom or of Whom it is spoken but assume streight That forasmuch as it is for the sake of Those to whom the Vnregenerate Christian is Joyned that such Titles or Things are attributed to him it does appear that it is his Coming in to the Church or Willingness to be one of their Society that gives him that Advantage and not his telling a Lie in an Hypocritical Profession Yes sure you will say it must be a Man's Professing himself to be Thus makes the Church Repute him thus But I say No for it is not We only Repute him Thus but the Scripture The Holy Ghost calls all the Members such and the Holy Ghost and Scripture cannot Repute them So but upon a Ground of Truth and not upon the Foundation of a Lie or what is Visible only Now that Truth is this that Some are indeed Such and the Rest are of their Society which in the Whole is so denominated on their Account I will yet say That which does yield my self most Satisfaction The Vnregenerate Christian who comes in to the Church is under the Means and in the Way to attain That himself which yet he is Reputed to Be for the sake of Them with whom he is Joyned As we are said to be Justified by Faith according to Austin when Faith in its self distinct from Repentance and Good Works is the Initium only or Entrance of a Christian towards it there being a particular Interest in the General Grace of God upon Belief of That only which is First and in the Way to a Special Interest as One before hath told us and as the Apostle intimates when he says We have Believed as a first thing that we might be Justified So do I judge that an Vnregenerate Man may be said to be a Disciple Saint Sanctified Justified Saved as this Coming into the Church is his beginning the Course to obtain it The Children of the Koathites are said From a Month old to keep the Charge of the Sanctuary Num. 3.27 28. because they were so designed or devoted thereunto Neither is this unusual in our common Speech For let a Man go out of London but Yesterday towards Cornwal we say He is gone to Cornwal when it will be many Days before he reaches Thither As we say then This Man is Gone to Cornwal so is the Vnregenerate Member Sanctified Justified that is he is In the Way to get to it I will clear this farther The Apostle speaking of the Person whom he would have Excommunicated bids us yet Not to count him as an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother 2 Thess 3.15 It may be demanded How this can be when he is cast out from the Society and so is actually a Brother no longer I Answer That forasmuch as he is Cast out to this End only that he may Return and so be a Brother again he is still to be Had and in this respect to be Dealt with as a Brother If then a Person shall be held a Brother in respect to his Repentance and Return as being under the Means the Churches Censure and Admonition to bring him to it we see how the Vnregenerate may have the like Denominations as This on that Account which is indeed the Same only But what if a Man shall say I Believe the Articles of the Creed but I will not leave my Sins I would have Christ to save me but I Renounce his Government Shall such a Man be Admitted I Answer These are Tragical kinds of Exaggerations of the same Objection which stands on a mistaken Supposition If it be proved that it is Christ's Will that every Man must come with such a Profession as to tell what he Is before he is Baptized it were but Reason he should tell all and say the Worst as well as the Best of himself and I know not what then you would do with him But if it be a Man's Offering Himself only is his Profession there is no footing for any Words of this Nature I say moreover As you will receive the Hypocrite under the Name of a Professor so will I receive the Willing under the Notion of a Comer to get Grace or more Grace in the Use of the Ordinances as the Means thereof by God's Appointment Baptism is for Remission of Sins and so is the Lord's Supper and how shall any Man whose Faith and Repentance is not Sound be Baptized or Communicate seeing his Sins be not Forgiven I Answer Baptism and the Supper are for Remission and they are for something Else too They are For the Owning and Acknowledging God and Christ according to his Institutions Jesus Christ was Baptized and Partook of his own Supper but He had no Sins to be Remitted He did it He tells us for Fulfilling of Righteousness These Acts in the Vnregenerate are Acts of External Righteousness and so far as he can Do it his Duty must be Done When there are More Ends than One of an Ordinance or of an Action and some Other of those Ends may be Attained the Ordinance or Action must not be omitted because That One Cannot Neither indeed is it the Advantage of Man but the Will and Glory of God that is the Ground of our Duty Neque enim quia bonum est idcircò auscultare debemus sed quia Deus praecepit Prior est Authoritas imperantis quà m utilitas servientis Tertul. de Poen Lib. But I have Answered this Objection before also Otherwise and because it may be urged with as much Strength and Importunity as Any else whatsoever I will repeat that Answer and Enlarge it That God hath granted Pardon and Life upon our Faith and Repentance is the Substance of the Gospel That this Grant is ordinarily called The Covenant by Divines is not to be denyed That this Covenant is Conditional and Vniversal appears in the Proposal and consequently that All Persons and Every Person in the World hath a Share in it so that if he Repents and Believes he shall be Pardoned and Saved Every Person that comes into the Church and is Baptized does take Possession I must say of that Share or Interest which he hath in this Vniversal Conditional Remission and Salvation whatsoever else he does farther
This Possession and Vnderstanding of it is a Matter of greater moment than most do think of being Worthy of all Acceptation according to the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.15 Those Persons that hear the Gospel and Refuse to come in and be Baptized do leave their Share Part Portion or Interest in this General Grace and thereby do Refuse or Forsake their own Mercy at least they do not Take their Share and Apply it to their Souls as those do or should do that Receive the Gospel This Application of a Man's Interest in the General Grace of God is the Means to bring him to a Special Interest as we have been instructed before by a sound Divine as well as moving Preacher and his Meaning as I take it is That a Man appropriating the Doctrine of General Grace to himself to wit that if he for his own part does Repent Christ hath died for him having Died for All and he shall be Pardoned and Saved as well as any is that ordinary way which the Spirit of God takes to the working the Soul up to a Resolution of Repentance and Trust in his Mercy which is necessary to that End Well! The Covenant then which the Gospel declares and the Sacraments Seal being the Conditional Covenant that Remission and Salvation which they Confer Pronounce or Exhibit Signifie or Seal to any Body is Conditional only and can be no other Whatsoever is common to the Regenerate and the Hypocrite which the Sacraments must needs be can Exhibit no Remission or any thing else but such as belongs both to Regenerate and Vnregenerate and that is Conditional Remission It is the particular Share Part or Interest that every Man hath in this Vniversal Conditional Remission that the Minister doth deliver to the Baptized and the Communicant when he delivers them their Pardon sealed by these Ordinances If the Person that receives them hath performed the Condition though he receives from the Minister the Seal only of the Conditional Vniversal Pardon belonging to Him and all the Rest alike yet is this Pardon upon that Account made Absolute to him and he is accordingly to apply the Consolation with Thanksgiving and Blessing with Joy and Peace in Believing If he hath not performed it yet hath he his Share in the General Grace of God delivered to him so that there is no Sealing to a Blank and he is at least to Take it and Carry it home with him to Lay it to his Heart with that Christian Consideration that is meet And in so doing who knows but God may give him his Grace that by this Means if by any in the World he may be stirred up to the Performance and so come Also to be Absolutely Pardoned and Saved Baptism is the putting off the Filth of the Flesh the Old Man a Burial with Christ to our Sins a Signified Taking God and Christ as offered a Consent to our Part of the Covenant the Answer of a good Conscience a Putting on Christ and the like Ergo No Vnregenerate Man can be Baptized Answ This is the same Objection with That which precedes the Two Last and I give the same Solution Baptisin is so to the Regenerate and in regard to Such it is so Denominated The Regenerate when they are Baptized Do Thus they put off Sin put on Christ Consent and so forth The Vnregenerate are brought under the Means to do it Baptism to them is the Ark which Saves them only as they are got into the Way to be saved But do not these Mediums prove that the Profession we make at Baptism must be of no less than a Saving Faith which alone does operate thus Answ I acknowledge the Puissance of that Author and gain-say it not upon his Supposition that Profession is the Rule of Admission But I deny that Rule I apprehend the Supposition to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and would not have been taken up by so searching a Judgment but upon deep Authority and so presumed generally without Precept from Christ and without Example from the Apostles I must then say farther His Arguments prove powerfully that the Baptized should Have a Saving Faith but they prove not methinks scarce at all that he must Profess it They prove that the Person should come With it but they prove not that Without it he must not come Yes you may reply A Signal Profession of Doing That which a Man really Does not is a Lie Ergo Without the Thing signified it is Vnlawful for him to come Answ A Man's Coming is indeed such a Signum Mentis as This in the Regenerate that means it but it is not such in Others It is in the Vnregenerate a Signification of his Willingness to Joyn with the Church or to be One of their Society and so long as he is indeed Willing to that it is sufficient for the Act to be done in Truth and for him to Come because it is this Consent of his or Will in good earnest is the very Rule of Admission God hath given Man the Faculty of Speech to express his Mind by it and He commands him to Speak as he Thinks and not Otherwise A Profession therefore in Words that agrees not with the Mind is Sin in Its Self or in its Own Nature and such Words may not be spoken But in Things and Actions the Lie is not in the Nature of those Things and Acts but in the Interpretation of Others and so is a Lie only by Accident and the Thing or Act being Good in it self it must be done As Evil must not be committed because Good may come of it so that which is Good or Duty must not be omitted because Evil May. How will you prove that any Vnregenerate Man hath Right to Baptism Answ Very well By Right we understand any Good due to us upon a Grant of him that hath Authority which Grant or Gift is the Foundation of Right called Title When the Condition then is performed upon which such a Grant is made here the Good is Due and that is Right This is the most proper of Rights and which concerns us and I will wave all Rights otherwise Now when Christ took Possession as hath been exprest of the Government that God before had over the Jews which being a Voluntary Government and not his Natural One he could part with he sets up Baptism and commissionates the Apostles to Go and Preach to all Nations and to Baptize them as the Badge Sign or Token of their being his Subjects enlarging thereby that Kingdom of God and now His over the World In this Commission then or in the Gospel there is a Grant included of Baptism together with the Consequential Ordinances which are the Positive Laws or Institutions of this Government as Priviledges belonging to these Subjects of Christ's Kingdom as God's Statutes were of old peculiar to the Jews And we must ask To whom they are Granted and upon what Condition It is plain now and undeniable that the