Covenant made with the People of Israel at Mount Sinai and his affirming so many things and proceeding in a considerable part of his Book upon a supposition of the truth of them when they are all mistakes and unsound suppositions his whole Discourse must needs be if not wholly yet in a great measure useless Thirdly That which yet further renders his Treatise altogether useless to me is the great confusion attended with several absurdities and contradictions that it labours under thus for his whole Discourse upon that of Gen. 17.7 beginning Page 22. and reaching to Page 39. this confusion with the absurdities and contradictions attending it will appear if we take notice of some of his assertions and compare them one with another together with what they do either as taken singly or joyntly necessarily infer and imply thus First He positively affirms that the Covenant of Grace and its Administration are two distinct Covenants thus Page 23. and tells us Page 93. that the Covenant of Circumcision which must necessarily intend that Covenant which before he affirmed to be the Administration of the Covenant of Grace may be called a Covenant of Works and then a Covenant of Works may be the Administration of the Covenant of Grace which whether rational and congruous I shall leave all Men to judge Secondly He expressly affirms that the Administration of the Covenant of Grace under the New Testament is called the New Covenant thus again Page 23. where it is evident he hath reference to Heb. 8.8 and then all those Promises there mentioned by the Apostle of God's putting his Law in the mind are not of the substance only appertain to the Administration of the Covenant of Grace Thirdly He affirms at least necessarily implyes that that grand Promise of the Covenant wherein God promises to be a God to Abraham and his Seed as made to one yea to one and the same Person as considered under one notion appertains only to the Administration but as made to another or to the same Person considered under another notion is of the essence and substance of the Covenant of Grace thus Page 26. he tells us speaking of this very Promise that in it God promised only to Abraham's fleshly Seed to be a God to them in giving them the Land of Canaan but to his spiritual Seed to be a God to them in giving unto them eternal Life and he takes Isaac to be the subject of the Promise as taken both ways and the Promises as made to Abraham's fleshly Seed he calls the Covenant of Circumcision which elsewhere he says was but the Administration of the Covenant and may be called a Covenant of Works And what confusion and what absurdities this implyes let every one judge But to get out of these dark labyrinths Fourthly He affirms that Isaac himself by vertue of his fleshly descent as he speaks had no interest in the Covenant of Grace so he tells us Page 27. and yet Fifthly He positively affirms that none had or have an interest in the Covenant of Grace but through a personal Faith in Christ thus Page 28. which as it directly contradicts what he had said of the Covenant of Grace its being made only with the Elect and with all them for sure he will grant some are Elect that are not actual Believers so it utterly deprives Isaac as well as all the rest of Abraham's Seed and indeed all Infants whatsoever of any benefit by the Covenant of Grace by which yet he affirms them to be saved supposing their Election and Death in their Infancy Let us see then what a Good God promised to Isaac as one of Abraham's Children why only this that he would be a God to him in giving him the Land of Canaan which yet he never did nor ever intended to give him Of what use such a confused absurd and contradictory discourse can be to any I cannot imagine I might yet further shew what renders his discourse useless to me viz. his overlooking several of none of the least forcible Scriptures and Scripture-arguments produced by his Opposers in confirmation of their Judgements and Practice but I shall go no further but leave his Book to every one to make what use they see meet of it And proceed to his Animadversions upon my answer to Mr. Danvers Indeed would but Readers take Mr. Danvers's Book and my Answer with my former Treatise so often referred to and his Animadversions and peruse them with equal and unbyassed minds it would be all that I desire yet that all Men may see how needless a thing it is to make any Returns to such Replyes as these Animadversions carry a shew of and may know how to regulate their expectations for the future I shall with much brevity review them My Answer consists of three parts In the first I lay down several considerations with reference to Mr. Danvers's authorities In the two first which Mr. Hutchinson more especially takes notice of I charge him with unfaithfulness and impertinency in respect of both which Mr. Hutchinson pretends his vindication For the former viz. his unfaithfulness I only gave two Instances and both in his Quotations out of the Magdi-Burgensian History for the truth of which charges I shall refer the Reader to that Famous History with this only remark beyond my Answer it self that there is a vast difference between saying they find they baptised only the Adult and they only find they baptized the Adult indeed they neither say the one or the other but the direct contrary yet allow our Opposers the utmost they can with the least shew of reason desire it is only the latter that can be said of them And surely there is a greater difference between saying they find they baptized only the Adult and they only find the Adult were baptized than is between two six pences and a shilling hence no Man can excuse him of unfaithfulness but he will find at last he hath given just cause to his own Conscience to accuse himself For the other viz. his impertinencies and thus Mr. Hutchinson pretends his vindication two ways First By way of Recrimination Secondly By acquitting his Book of that charge For this latter I shall only refer the Reader to my Book with the instances there given For the former I have only this to say Whether that instance given by Mr. Hutchinson will prove his charge I shall not be Judge but this may be said for me to be guilty only of one impertinency and but one is charged upon me is no just vindication of Mr. Danvers in the multitude I have charged upon him And this I shall add that had I known all Mens hearts as well as Mr. Hutchinson pretends to know mine and had seen no such objection as that supposed impertinency designs the obviating of I had not been guilty of that one neither but that such an objection may possibly enter into the minds of men Mr. Hutchinson's Book abundantly confirms me
might we suppose that possible their Covenant-state would be discontinued or they would be cast out of Covenant And why should it not be alike rational for God to require somewhat of duty from Children themselves in order to the continuance of their Covenant-state when they grow up to a capacity of performing it which that they shall universally do it is no way necessary should be secured to them as we may see more by and by So that God's dealings with reference to the Seed of Believers are altogether rational as suiting with his dealings with all Men to whom he offers his Covenant or with whom he doth actually establish it 3. Consider that in case either God had not proceeded so far in extending his Covenant and Promises and thereby vouchsafing to the Infant-seed of his People that Good and those Priviledges afore declared or had proceeded further viz. to their universal Regeneration or to the securing it unto them one of these inconveniencies would have necessarily followed thereupon either 1. No Infants must have dyed in their Infancy which yet that innumerable do our dayly observation assures us Or else 2. All Infants dying in their Infancy must have eternally perished and been everlastingly separated from the presence of God and the glory of his Power Or 3. In case any were saved it must be not by vertue of the Covenant of Grace entred with or any Promise made unto them but merely from an absolute power and prerogative in God to save or condemn whom he will of faln Mankind without respect had to the Covenant of Grace established in the Blood of Christ Or 4. All the Seed of Believers whether dying in their Infancy or living to years of Maturity must infallibly be saved Or Lastly Some might be truly regenerated and have a saving work of Grace upon their hearts and yet after finally fall away and eternally perish In case he should not have extended his Covenant to the Seed of his People as our Opposers imagine or if he had extended it to them definitely and yet they should not have had that Good and those Priviledges pleaded for then one of the three former inconveniencies would have followed or if having so extended his Covenant to them he should thereby have obliged himself to work Grace in them universally then the one or the other of the two latter inconveniences would have followed Obj. But it may be said the Covenant and Promises may be made indefinitely with and to the Seed of Believers and then none of these inconeniences will follow Answ To that I answer I have before proved that they do appertain to them definitely or suppose we should grant them to appertain to them only indefinitely yet this inconveniency would follow viz. That as the Covenant gives no assurance that any of their Infants who have one or more surviving their pure Infant-state and growing up to years of Maturity dying in their Infancy shalll be saved So Parents have no certain ground to hope that any one of theirs so dying are saved That none have any certain ground to hope for what the Covenant gives no assurance of will be readily granted on all hands Now suppose the Covenant or Promises are entred with and made to the Seed of Believers only indefinitely that they give no assurance that all yea or any of the Seed of such Believers dying in their Infancy shall be saved will evidently appear thus because the Covenant may stand firm and the Promises of it fully accomplished in the Conversion and Salvation of some one or more of those that survive their Infant-state and grow up to years of Maturity And hence by the way how can a supposal of that be a sufficient ground for the Application of the Token of the Covenant of which the Covenant gives no assurance And further I conceive it will and must be granted by those that conceive the Covenant is entred only indefinitely with the Seed of Believers that it gives assurance of Salvation to Infants dying in their Infancy only so far as it gives assurance to them of Regeneration in their Infancy Now it is evident that the Covenant gives no assurance of Regeneration to any of the Seed of Believers in their pure Infant state If it give assurance to any of Regeneration in that state it is either as they are Elect or as they are the Seed of such Parents or by vertue of some Revelation that God hath made in his Word that he will regenerate at least some of the Seed of his People as having the Covenant so entred with them in their Infancy But now it is evident 1. That the Covenant doth not assure any of Regeneration in their Infancy as they are Elect for then all the Elect Seed of Believers should be regenerated in their Infancy the contrary whereunto is evident in that many of the Seed of Believers in whom there is not the least shew or appearance of Grace from their very Infancy till they come to full age yea possibly till they come to old age are yet at last converted and brought to a saving close with Christ To say that these might have a work of Grace in their Infancy will be attended with too bad consequences than to be granted without better proof than I suppose can be brought 2. That the Covenant doth not give assurance of Regeneration to the Seed of Believers in their Infancy as such will I doubt not be readily granted without further proof 3. That God hath no where revealed that he would regenerate any of the Seed of his People in their Infancy is sufficiently proved from the utter silence of the Scriptures as to any such Revelation And for any to plead experience or observation in this case that can signifie but little inasmuch as that Grace some of the Seed of Believers have of the time or means when or whereby it was wrought they can give no account it might yet be wrought either by Parental Instruction or some other means vouchsafed consequent to their pure Infant-state Now then the Covenant giving no assurance of the Regeneration of any of the Seed of Believers in their pure Infant-state it gives no assurance of any of their Salvation and consequently Parents have no certain ground to bottom a hope upon that any of theirs dying in their Infant-state are saved All the hope they can have hath only a possibility or at utmost a probability for its foundation and that it may be too weakned by a greater probability of the contrary it seeming vastly more rational to me to suppose that in case the Covenant were entred with them only indefinitely seeing God hath given no assurance that he would regenerate any in their Infancy and in doing it when they come to years of Maturity he makes good his Promise as fully as though he did it in their Infancy he should suffer those that he hath ordained to Salvation to live to years of Maturity and answerably
bring them to Glory according to his ordinary way viz. through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth called thereunto by the Gospel than that he should go out of his ordinary way and regenerate them immediately by his Spirit without the subserviency of any outward means especially considering what inconveniencies would attend through the corruption of Men a supposition of his so doing and consequently that believing Parents if they must not mourn as those that have no hope yet they could not but mourn as having but little hope But now according to the way that I have proceeded in allowing the Covenant and Promises to be entred and made to the Seed of Believers definitely and allowing them to have all that Good assigned to them by vertue of their Interest in the Covenant and Promises thereof and yet bounding that Good as I have done unspeakable Good accrews to them by that their Covenant-interest and the Application of the Token of the Covenant and yet none of these inconveniencies ensue thereupon From the whole of what hath been said as we see it cannot be rationally concluded that in case God goes so far in the expressions of his Love and Grace to the Seed of his People as to grant them that Good those Priviledges and Benefits as hath been declared he doth that then he must necessarily go further and actually regenerate and sanctifie them either in their Infancy or as they grow up to years of Maturity So that it is very rational to suppose that he should go so far as hath been exprest and yet should go no further but should reserve a liberty to himself as to regenerate and sanctifie whom he pleaseth so to do it when and by what means himself pleaseth And from all I conceive an Argument might be drawn an answer unto which would if I mistake not be clogged with no small difficulties both to prove the Covenant-interest of the Seed of Believers and the dueness of the Application of the Token thereof to them upon the account thereof and also to confirm their injoyment of all that Good and all those Priviledges and Benefits affirmed to accrew to them But I shall not stay upon it I conceive both are sufficiently done already Let me rather excite all Men to admire the Goodness and Wisdom of God in doing so much for the Seed of his People and yet providing for the free exercise of his own Soveraignty over and among them as well as others and his Justice in condemning none but such as wilfully sin away their own Mercies Obj. 1. It will be said 'T is true the Infant-seed of Believers and that universally visibly appear to us and may be hoped according to a judgment of Charity to have all that Good and all those Benefits and Priviledges afore assigned to them as they are the Seed of such Parents conferred upon and ensured to them by the Covenant as confirmed by the Application of the Token thereof to them but that they have all that Good and all those Benefits and Priviledges really and truly actually granted to and conferred upon them in their pure Infant-state is more than we can affirm inasmuch as secret things belong to God but things revealed to us and our Children Answ I confess most that have pleaded for Infant-Baptism upon this ground viz. their Interest in the Covenant do too commonly express themselves to this purpose but it seems past all rational doubt and is so to me that what they visibly appear to have by vertue of their Interest in the Covenant that they have in reality and truth Hence as they do not so much as visibly appear to have a real work of Grace upon their hearts there being no Promise securing that to them so for all the Good and all the Benefits and Blessings afore assigned to them they have them in reality and truth This is evident from a double Consideration 1. First That they are the Seed of true Believers such as have truly and really performed the conditions of the Covenant of Grace and consequently are really and internally in Covenant themselves 2. That the Seed of Believers Interest in the Covenent and having all that Good and all those Benefits granted and conferred upon them thereby depends not at all upon any qualifications in or any act or duty performed by them themselves but flows merely from the Promises of the Covenant appertaining to them as the Seed of such Parents Hence in case they only visibly appear to us to have all that Good and all those Priviledges before mentioned granted to and conferred upon them it must be either because the Promises only visibly appear to us to appertain to them or that all that Good and all those Blessings only seem or visibly appear to us to be containd in granted and conferred by those Promises or lastly because the Promises of God do but seem or visibly appear to us to be true and faithful but seem or visibly appear to us to grant to or confer upon those that are truly and really interested in them that Good that is really contained in and intended by them None of which things can be granted Not the first for I have before proved that the Promises do appertain to all the Seed of Believers I mean it still of true Believers as Abraham was and that definitely to each one or to every one of them in particular Not the second for undoubtedly God intends that very Good the Promises mention Not the third for the Promises are true and faithful they do really and truly convey or confer an actual right to the Good contained in them to those to whom they do really and truly appertain And from hence it will unavoidably follow that there is no place for a judgment of Charity to be exercised immediately and directly towards Infants It 's true where we can only exercise a judgment of Charity towards Parents there we can only exercise the same judgment of Charity towards their Children but where Parents are known to be true Believers as in the instance of Abraham there a judgment of Charity hath nothing to do with reference to their Seed And we speak of the case of the Seed of Believers according to what their Parents are in deed and in truth or are known to God to be A judgment of Charity can only be acted towards Men with reference to or in regard of their having performed the condition of the Promises and consequently to their right to those Promises But in the case of the Infants I speak of both these are certain Hence undeniably what they visibly appear to have they have in reality and truth Obj. 2. It may be objected That to grant the Infant-seed of Believers and that universally all those Benefits and Priviledges afore assigned to them in truth and reality will greatly weaken if not utterly overthrow the Doctrine of Saints Perseverance For we must then grant that some who had a
God and Abraham and his Seed in their generations Behold saith God I establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their generations Now if so be the Covenant of Grace had been afore established with all Mankind here had been no new Priviledge or no Priviledge beyond what was common to Man in general granted unto Abraham or to any of his Seed The establishment of the Covenant with Abraham and his Seed in their generations as contradistinguished from the rest of Mankind evidently proves 't is not established with all Mankind for then the establishing of it with him and his Seed had been a mere superfluous and insignificant thing seeing it had been afore established with him and his Seed as of the number of Mankind and that in the same sense and with the like advantage both to him and them as now it is How far the Covenant is conditionally made or rather offered to all Men concerns not our present purpose seeing as so made or offered it actually conveys not the Good promised to any untill themselves have performed the conditions of it But that it is actually made or entred with all Mankind as such is not only destitute of any proof from Scripture but is directly contrary to the whole tenour of Scriptures The Gentiles are said to be strangers to the Covenants of Promise antecedent to their Faith in Christ and thereby becoming Abrahams Seed The Promises are said to be made to Christ and consequently appertain to Men only as in him Hence taking hold of the Covenant is made necessary to a right to the Promises But to insist upon this may well be accounted superfluous as being a denial of what no body hath affirmed Now then if so be the Covenant of Grace wherein all the Good aforementioned is contained be not actually entred and established with all Mankind as such then neither all nor any part of that Good can be come upon all Men merely as such by the Covenant of Grace 2. Have they it by vertue of any other Covenant or Promise contradistinct from or independent upon the Covenant of Grace That cannot be because no such Covenant or Promise is to be found throughout the whole Scriptures Let any such Covenant or Promise be shewed and it shall be attended to The only Scripture so far as I can call to mind that gives the least countenance to this supposal is Rom. 5.15 16 17 18. But to that I shall only say two things First That the Apostle's bare using of the universal Particle all is too weak a ground to lay such an Assertion upon especially when no Covenant or Promise can be found by or according to which the gift there spoken of is conferred upon all Men And seeing it is evident that that term is sometimes used when yet it is to be interpreted and understood in a limited sense I need not cite places to those that are at all acquainted with the Scriptures Secondly I answer that the Apostle's design is not to shew that the free Gift by Christ is of equal extent in the Donation of it with the condemnation arising from Adam's sin but his design is to compare Adam's sin and the purchase made by Christ in regard of their respective efficacies or in point of their respective causalities or power to produce their different effects In brief his design is only to shew that seeing the offence of one Man viz. Adam's was effective of the condemnation of all his Posterity then the Grace of God and the Righteousness of Christ who is not merely Man but God-Man must needs be more effectual for their Justification and Life who have an Interest in and Union with him That this is the Apostle's design appears two ways First From his assignment of a preheminence or superabundance to the Grace of God and this free Gift by Christ above what is predicable of the Offence of Adam which must needs respect the power and efficacy of the Grace of God and the free Gift by Christ to justifie and save and of the Offence of Adam to condemn for if so be we consider the Persons upon whom condemnation is come by Adam's Offence and the persons upon whom the free Gift is come unto Justification of Life no such assignment of a preheminence and superabundancy to the Grace of God and the free Gift by Christ could be made inasmuch as that condemnation is come upon all by Adam's Offence and the free Gift can come but upon all And where the Objects and Persons concerned are of equal extent no preheminency can be assigned with respect unto them Secondly This appears from the Apostle's variation of his phrase from many to all and again from all to many which plainly shews he had not so much respect to the Persons upon whom either Condemnation or the free Gift is come as either to the things come upon them or to the causes and means from whence or whereby those things are come upon them respectively Thirdly I answer Though the Apostle tells us the free Gift is come upon all to justification of Life yet he tells us not how or in what sense or upon what terms it is come He may only mean it is come upon all in respect of the conditional offer and tender of it So we may understand that of the Apostle Tit. 2.11 The Grace of God hath appeared bringing Salvation to all Men for so the Greek exactly runs The Grace of God hath brought Salvation to all Men in regard of the offer and tender of it Preach the Gospel to every Creature See the like passage Rom. 3.22 The Righteousness of God is revealed to all So here the free Gift is come upon all that is in respect of the offer and tender of it For the Apostle may suppose the condition already performed and only intend its being come upon all them that believe according to that of the Apostle before mentioned The Righteousness of God is manifiest unto all and upon all that believe and there is no difference So here the free Gift is come upon all to justification of Life viz. upon all that believe and there is no difference From the whole we may evidently see this Scripture will not prove what is affirmed viz. That all Mankind and that universally as born into the World are freed from the condemnation of the Law and restored to a state of Favour and Life by Christ So that as the Covenant of Grace is not entred with all Mankind in general so there is no other Covenant or Promise recorded or mentioned in the Scriptures by vertue of which any one much less all Mankind can have the Good assigned to the Infant-seed of Believers granted to or setled upon them Thirdly Have they it by a mere resultancy from Christ's undertaking and performing the work of Mediation Sure the grossness of such a supposition renders any reply to it superfluous It would be a mere loss of time
to suppose that which is of it self too absurd to be affirmed by any To put then a period to this If the Covenant of Grace be not actually entred with all Mankind and that as such If there be no other Covenant or Promise to be found in Scripture by vertue of which any uninterested in the Covenant of Grace can lay claim to that Good and those Benefits and Priviledges granted to and setled upon the Seed of Believers as Consederates with their Parents If that Good and those Benefits come not upon any by a mere resultancy from the Death and Sufferings of Christ without the intervening of some Covenant or Promise then there is no ground to affirm that the Seed of Believers have as under the Covenant signed and sealed by the Sign and Token of it nothing but what is common to Mankind in general Only let me add what will be the case of all Infants born of Unbelieving Parents and dying in their Infancy and how God will deal with them in respect of their eternal states I shall not determine This is all that I affirm that as to what God hath revealed in his Word the Good Benefits and Priviledges assigned to the Infant-seed of Believers are peculiar and proper unto them and not common to all Infants in general they only having an actual Interest in the Covenant of Grace and consequently as they alone have a right to the Sign and Token of the Covenant so an unspeakable advantage by that their Covenant-interest and the Application of the Token thereof unto them above what all other Infants as to what the Scripture reveals have But let that suffice for the second Benefit or Advantage accrewing to the Infant-seed of Believers by the Application of the Token of the Covenant to them upon a precedent Interest they have in the Covenant it self CHAP. IX The third Benefit accrewing to the Seed of Believers by the Application of the Token of the Covenant to them proposed A threefold subserviency thereof to their imbracement of the Covenant as they grow up to years of Maturity shewed First Such Pre-ingagements as would obstruct that their imbracement of the Covenant are obviated and prevented What Pre-ingagements Children are subject to The spring of them discovered How obviated by the Application of the Token declared Secondly Their imbracement of the Covenant by the Application of the Token subserved by way of Obligation The several Obligations that the Seed of Believers are under as bearing the Token of the Covenant to imbrace the Covenant opened Thirdly The same end subserved by the Application of the Token of the Covenant by way of Encouragement What Encouragements the Seed of Believers have to imbrace the Covenant shewed 3. THe third and last Benefit or Advantage that I shall take notice of that the Seed of Believers have by the Application of the Token of the Covenant to them as antecedently interested in the Covenant it self is the subserviency thereof to their personal imbracement of the Covenant and injoyment of all the Good of it as they grow up to years of Maturity And here I shall only take notice of a threefold subserviency that the Application of the Token of the Covenant to Infants supposing them duely instructed in the end and uses of it hath to their taking hold of the Covenant and giving up themselves to God according to the tenour of it as they grow up to years of Maturity I. It hath a potent tendency to obviate and prevent all such Pre-ingagements as would be obstructive and prejudicial to their imbracement of the Covenant And here we may observe that they are liable to be pre-ingaged three ways First In ways of Idolatry Secondly In a pursuance of the good things of the World Thirdly In ways of moral Impieties and Debauchries Now to be pre-ingaged especially fixed in any of these ways must needs be greatly obstructive and prejudicial to their imbracement of the Covenant that God hath established between himself and his People What ways and courses Men ingage at least are fixed in from their Child-hood they are not easily brought to relinquish Hath a Nation changed their God Jer. 2.11 That God in whose worship and service Men have been ingaged from their youth they will not easily change So to be ingaged and accustomed to atheistical irreligious and profane ways and courses from their youth is not a little obstructive and prejudicial to their imbracement of the Covenant Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil Jer. 13.23 And the like is true of Childrens being early ingaged in the pursuance of the World and the things thereof To shew the various ways how to be pre-ingaged in any of these ways from a Man's Child-hood obstructs and opposeth his imbracement of the Covenant and giving up himself to God in Christ in a Covenant-way is a matter of no great difficulty but would be somewhat excentrical to my present purpose But this I say how obstructive and prejudicial soever such an ingagement especially fixing in any of these ways from Mens Child-hood would be to their imbracement of the Covenant and ingage they will in one or the other of them and that early too unless the free Grace of God blessing the means subserving their taking hold of the Covenant prevent yet the Application of the Token of the Covenant to Infants hath a potent tendency to prevent any such pre-ingagements they are liable to For let us but take a brief veiw of the original springs or causes whence Mens so early ingaging in one or another of the ways and courses mentioned doth proceed 1. It proceeds from certain natural and imbred notions of a Deity ingraven upon the minds of all Men at least from a natural disposedness of the faculties of the rational Soul to comply with that notion when suggested from without 2. From a sense and feeling of self-emptiness and insufficiency as to that Happiness and Blessedness they soon perceive themselves capable of 3. From the inapprehensiveness and insensibleness of any cogent obligation to the contrary Man from his very Childhood is prone to look upon and exalt himself as God to say of his whole self as those in the Psalm of their tongues I am mine own who is Lord over me And according to various circumstances that Children fall under so from this threefold spring they ingage in one or another of the ways mentioned But now the bringing them under the bond of the Covenant and ingaging them to the true God in Christ by the Application of the Token to them hath a potent tendency to obviate and prevent their ingaging or fixing in any of these ways Let us see it in some Instances 1. The true God is first presented to their minds Now it 's usual for Man as through the fall become not only dark but darkness it self and consequently as having lost the knowledge of
muchregarded in such an age of light as this is the practice of the Church being so generally among all learned Men known to be otherwise than he endeavours to represent it besides his own Book caâ—â—ies a sufficient Antidote against any evil influence it might otherwise have upon wise Men and therefore I shall immediately come to the other viz Mr. Hutchison I am more especially concerned in his attempts which are to obscure that foundation laid to the Covenant-interest and Baptism of the Infant-seed of Believers in the tenour of the Covenant it self in order whereunto he has made publick a small Treatise concerning the Covenant and Baptism composed Dialogue-wise between a Baptist and an Anti-Paedo-Baptist with some Animadversions upon a late Piece put forth by my self in answer to Mr. Danvers his Treatise of Baptism As for the Gentleman himself I am an equal stranger to him as to Mr. Danvers and therefore can have no prejudice against either of their Persons neither would I in the least discourage or oppose any in any attempts to further the decision of this great Controversie why should I grudge any the Eberty that my self have taken only I could wish that those that conceive themselves under a call to appear either in the defence of what they conceive to be according to truth or against what they conceive to be opposite thereunto would remember that exhortation of the Apostle to timothy where he exhorts him to shew himself a Workman that need not be ashamed 'T is true unavoidable failures will attend humane weakness and imperfection which may justly cause somewhat of shame but notwithstanding them the design and intendment of that exhortation may be answered Whether our Author have shewed himself such a Workman will presently appear whether himself be so free from Gall and Vinegar which he so vehemently impeaches his Opposites writings of as becomes a reprover I shall leave to the judgment of others 't is what he hath written not the manner of his writing that I shall concern my self about To begin with this Treatise of the Covenant three things ly so obvious in it that to me how it may be to others I know not it is utterly useless as to the design carried on in it which I shall only remark and leave it to every one to value and improve it as they see cause The first is the mistakes he proceeds upon to give only a twofold instance First He supposes the only ground that can be laid to the Church-membership and Baptism of Infants is their relation to Abraham as his Seed Hence having as he supposes proved that they can stand in no such relation to him he conceives he has utterly overthrown their Church-membership and Baptism thus Page 3. A gross mistake we found their Church-membership and Baptism upon the tenour of the Covenant as made with Abraham's Seed in their Generation that is with them and their natural Children but whether they are to have the denomination of and are to be reckoned among Abraham's Seed is another Question And if it be said Obj. But we do account them as Abraham's Seed though we do not ground their Church-membership and Baptism thereupon Answ It 's true we do so but then it will be said how can we avoid the absurdities mentioned Page the 5. Answ They are no other than what our Author himself fathers upon the Holy Ghost to use his Phrase in affirming some Infants to be saved without a personal Faith for it may be thus argued If none are saved but such as believe then no Infants can be saved but the antecedent is true Mark 16. He that believes shall be saved and if it be said that 's meant of the Adult the same supposed absurdity will follow for according to our Author then Christ must be supposed to say he that believes and he that believes not shall be saved Let him avoid the absurdity in the one and we shall alike avoid the absurdity in the other Another mistake that he proceeds upon is That at least some Paedo-Baptists may ascribe their Childrens interest in the Covenant to Abraham's Faith and consequently may plead that though their Children have no right to the Covenant by vertue of their Parents Faith yet they may have a right to it by vertue of Abraham's thus Page 12 and he spends about ten Pages to confute this Plea that he supposes some Paedo-Baptists may make which is a mere mistake about his Opposers Principles or rather a mere impertinency for where hath he found in all the writings of Paedo-Baptists such a Plea managed and hence whereas he supposes himself to have utterly overthrown the chief grounds laid by Paedo-Baptists to the Covenant-interest and Baptism of the Infant-seed of Believers and thereupon tells us Page 22. he might end the matter there the truth is he hath said nothing at all to the purpose but proceeded merely upon mistakes neither the one nor the other of the grounds that he supposes Paedo-Baptists bottom their claim to the Covenant-interest and Baptism of their Infant-seed upon is the true ground they bottom that their claim upon whence his discourse hitherto hath been utterly impertinent of no use at all as to the end he designs by it Another thing rendring his whole discourse useless to me is his assuming and taking for granted without the least shew or proof what he knew at least might have known is absolutely denied by at least some if not a considerable part of Paedo-Baptists I shall instance in three things First That the Covenant entred with Abraham and his Seed in their Generation did extend to and take in all his Seed at least descended by Isaac and Jacob during their first-Testament-administration and that merely as his Seed upon this supposition he proceeds in a considerable part of his Book but now he knew at least might have known that this is absolutely denied and on the other hand it is affirmed that Jacob who was Abraham's grandchild was not in Covenant merely as he was of Abraham's Posterity but as he was the child of believing Isaac included with him in that Phrase thy Seed in their Generations Secondly He assumes and takes for granted that the Covenant of Grace is made with the Elect as such and consequently that all the Elect and only they are in the Covenant of Grace hence he tells us Page 23. that the Covenant or Promise of eternal Life which he calls and I blame him not for it the Covenant of Grace is only proper to the Elect. This he might have known would be denied and it is on the contrary affirmed that no Covenant is actually made with any of the Elect as such Thirdly He affirms and takes it for granted that that Covenant called by the Apostle the old Covenant which was then vanishing is a Covenant made with Abraham which he might have known is denied and that it is affirmed that that Covenant spoken of by the Apostle is that