Neither need we call this a third seed of Abraham any more than of old and especially seeing that Church consisteth much of his Spiritual seed as sharers in highest priviledges in special and eternal blessings though it extendeth to others as sharers in inferiour blessings both are his seed as Ishmael and Isaac were though one had higher blessings then the other Gen. 17. 20. 21. And undeniably many hundreds of years even from Abraham till the coming of Christ an Infant seed of Jews and Proselites were of Abrahams Church-seed and must be so still unless any can shew a repeal and this will hardly be found seeing Jesus Christ hath declared that of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 19. 14. Mark 10. 13 14. Luk. 18. 15. And if Infants be of the Church then are they Christs for that is his Mat. 16. 18. Rom. 16. 16. 1 Cor. 12. 27. Joh. 15. 2 6. Neither do some Characters of the Church forbid their being members of it seeing they were undoubtedly such and these Elogiums are given to it in respect of its better part or what they may ought or hopefully will be afterward as it is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 25. 1 2. yet some foolish Virgins there and those are golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. 12 13 20. yet some drossy and lukewarm not pure gold And further consider the visible Church was founded on the Covenant made with Abraham not only as consisting of Jews but Gentiles in the Nations Gen. 17. 4 5. behold my Covenant is with thee and thou shalt be a Father of many Nations and that Covenant extended to Infants v. 10 11 12 13. and is still continuing Rom. 4. 17 18. Gal. 3. 17. let any prove that Infants are cut out of it else they are of his Ecclesiastical seed still It is true Ceremonial observations of very antient date and Ordinances of of the Law are abrogated Heb. 9. and 10. but the Covenant with Abraham is another thing and from the date of it so long before the Law the Apostle proveth cannot be disanulled by it Gal. 3. 17. The ceasing of Circumcision doth no more abolish the Covenant with Abraham or Infants Interest therein then the abolishing of Sacrifices Passover and other Ceremonial observations doth null the Second Commandment which during their continuance commanded a worshipping God by them And also the Church before the Death of Christ and after are essentially the same Eph. 2. 14 15. Who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished the Law of Commandments So then Jesus Christ by his Death did not pull down one Church and erect another but equalized Jews and Gentiles made both one that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body Eph. 3. 6. Ordinances are altered in Worship but the Church is in Essence the same And once more the same Olive-tree the Covenant with Abraham and visible Church which the Jews were broken off from for unbelief Rom. 11. 20. the same the Gentiles were graffed into v. 17. and the Jews shall again be graffed into that as into their own Olive-tree v. 23 24. and there could be no such graffing into the same if the stock the Covenant or Church were not the same And hence Abraham hath an Ecclesiastical seed the visible Church for there is no breaking off from the invisible Church and Infants being of old members of it they are so still else it were not the same and so they are visibly Christs and of Abrahams seed 5. Some Infants are visibly of the faith and so are Abrahams seed I do not say that faith seminal and habitual or actual is in all Infants Baptized or others for then either all of them must be saved which they are not or else they might loose that special faith but they are visibly interested in the Covenant or promise which is the word of faith and may bear that name and the Lord being visibly their God Gen. 17. 7. 8. they are so under the promise of after faith and repentance otherwise then others are If they have not faith for the present yet visibly they are under a promise of it it is hopeful for the future they shall have it which promise Baptism may be a sign and seal of it may seal a doctrin of faith even where a principle of it is yet wanting and by Baptism they are obliged to seek it Also by the faith of the Parents they may be deemed of the faith with them as all Jews Infants and all were the Circumcision for there are many promises given for the faith of such Parents to act upon which no unbelieving Parents can claim for their seed as that he will Circumcise the heart of their seed Deut. 30. 6. pour his spirit on them Is 44. 3. that the word shall not depart out of their mouth If. 59. 21. see also Ps 25. 13. 112. 2. Prov. 11. 21. the contrary of the seed of the wicked Ps 37. 28. but especially that great and comprehensive promise is to believers that he will be the God of their seed Gen. 17. 7 8. and these are fulfilled absolutely to the Collective body the Church though not te every individual but under limitation And Parents by rejecting the Covenant and Unbelief may forfeit this priviledge for their seed as well as for themselves as the Infant seed of the Jews were broken off by their Parents unbelief Rom. 11. 20. Else it must be said that their seed remained in Covenant after in Gospel times and if Parents forfeit there may not be an uninterrupted Succession of the Church in some of the posterity of Believers yet if the rejected seed do after personally believe they obtain the promises for themselves and seed again Act. 2. 39. In short Abraham was equally a Father of the Jews called the Circumcision by faith as he was and is a Father of the Gentiles the circumcision by faith Rom. 4. v. 10 11 12. there is no difference of his common fatherhood to both it is by faith so that the Jews were as much Abrahams seed of faith even when they were the circumcision as the Gentiles are and so the Jews Infant seed were Abrahams seed of faith externally when circumcised of old and as well then may the Infant seed of believing Gentiles be Abrahams seed of faith now and the rather because he received circumcision as a Seal of the righteousness of that faith which he had being uncircumcised v. 11. that he might be a father to believing Gentiles And observe that the Covenant was made with him and he circumcised as a visible Believer circumcision was a Seal of the righteousness of faith which is common to all Believers among Jews and Gentiles not peculiar to him Also he received Circumcision not meerly by vertue of a command or institution but as a token of the Covenant Gen. 17. 9 10 11. So as the Covenant could not be kept after circumcision was
Strong doth well distinguish Abraham as a Father he is 1. a natural Father to the Jews only 2. a spiritual Father to all true Believers 3. an ecclesiastical or church Father Rom. 11. 16 17. answerably he hath a natural fleshly seed a spiritual seed and an ecclesiastical seed Paul ardently desired that Israel might be saved Rom. 10. 1. and Rom. 9. v. 3. mentioneth Election calling Salvation v. 11 24 27. and in these respects it might be said in all ages of the Old Testament the Children of the flesh are not the Children of God as to Vocation and Salvation when yet Infants were unquestionably externally in Covenant and so then they may be still and all this that is said is not against it They may be a seed as to Ordinances though all of them be not so as to Life and Salvation The same may be said of Gospel Churches all are not Israel that are of Israel there being foolish Virgins there as well as wise Mat. 25. 1 2. how then can this prove an alteration of the Covenant or that the Infant seed is now excluded seeing the same might have been truly said in all times 4. That many of the fleshly seed of Abraham might be rejected and yet the word or promise of God not be made void the Apostle here and Rom. 11. is asserting the rejection of the Jews and now obviateth their objection Rom. 9. v. 6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect i. e. Not that God doth violate his promise of being a God to Abraham and his seed for all are not true Israelites nor of the seed of Abraham who are his fleshly seed v. 6 7. only that did not render them the Children of God and entitle them to the promises v. 8. this he proveth because Ishmael who was of Abrahams fleshly seed of old was cast our and where there was no disparity or unlikeness in birth or works yet Jacob was loved and Esau hated v. 8. to 14. neither doth this preferring one before the other where there was equality in themselves speak any unrighteousness with God v. 14. for his own will is the determining rule of his shewing mercy v. 15. to v. 24. This is the clear and true meaning of this Scripture these instances shew that being the Children of the flesh of old did not make them the Children of God as to his love when yet undeniably the Infant seed were externally within the Covenant how then can this speak now for the excluding of them when the same might be said in all ages since Abraham viz. that the Children of the flesh are not the Children of God so as to obtain spiritual Blessings but may be rejected when they bear upon that plea of fleshly descent and yet highly degenerate as the Jews did It proveth no alteration of the Covenant in respect of its antient extent as to the seed What is said is intended against an adult corrupt seed making a carnal plea or claim not against an Infant seed The same might be said now to a Church under a like degeneracy and making such a carnal plea even where there is an owning Infants Covenant Interest and Baptism The Question here was not whither an Infant seed were still in Covenant as they were of old but whither the promise was void and of none effect v. 6. if a corrupt adult fleshly seed were rejected 5. The fleshly Children of Abraham were not the Children of God exclusively or in opposition to a Spiritual seed even of Gentiles by faith the Jews often cryed out we are the seed of Abraham claiming Interest in the Covenant and ingrossing all promises and special blessings only by being his fleshly seed hereby excluding the Gentiles unless joyned with them turning to the Jewish Religion on the contrary the Apostle declareth that there is a spiritual seed even of the Gentiles by faith and that hereby they obtain spiritual blessings before the Jews Rom. 9 8 30 31 32 who are denyed to be that spiritual seed though they were the fleâ—â—â—y seed of 〈◊〉 being without faith and not doing the works of 〈◊〉 Rom. â— â— 10. 11. Gal. 3. What is this against those who pretend not to be Abrahams carnal fleshly seed nor to be actually interested in special blessings by fleshly descent nor trust in carnal priviledges What is this for the excluding Infants out of a Covenant state an the result of that promise to Abraham â— I will he the God of thy seed â— Gen. 17. 7 8. for many 100 years an Infant seed had a Covenant Interest joyntly with their Parents and this was no Typical promise let any prove that Infants are cut off from their share in it else their Covenant Interest must hold still whither Baptism may be applyed or not without an express Command of which before Abraham had a spiritual seed all along by faith whose Infants were in Covenant with their Parents for many generations and why should not their priviledge continue still to the spiritual seed though the carnal fleshly seed were cast out and their priviledge expired with it Infants Covenant Interest was not the peculiar priviledge of the fleshly seed of Abraham for the Infant seed of Proselites and those strangers Gen. 17. 12 13. Ex. 12. 48. were in the Covenant made with Abraham and under the token of it so as that Covenant was broken if that was omitted yet they were not of the fleshly seed of Abraham and so these may be in still though his fleshly seed be cast out And once more if all the Jews at the first dawning of the Gospel day had become the spiritual seed of Abraham by faith as many of them did none of them then had been rejected for it was for unbelief that they were broken off Rom. 11. 20. and what syllable is there to prove that there would have been an exclusion of their Infant seed from that Covenant Interest weh they had the day before their Parents believing And hence it followeth 6. That the expiring and ceasing of some carnal priviledges of old afforded to the fleshly seed of Abraham hindreth not the Covenant Interest of the Infants of the spiritual seed by faith if the separation of the fleshly seed of Abraham to the bringing forth of the Messiah ceased and expired at his coming that was but one priviledge of the Jews that of them as concerning the flesh Christ came Rom. 9. 5. and yet Covenant Interest continued still to them pertaineth the Covenant and the promises v. 4. Act. 3. 25. If the aforesaid separation and the priviledge thereby as Dr. O. saith was temporary having a limited season time and end and upon his actual exhibition in the flesh it was to cease and if some carnal ordinances failed and be at an end being abundantly supplyed by his being come yet what is all this to prove that God no longer is visibly a God to the Infant seed of the Spiritual seed of Abraham that
to your Children leave not your posterity ignorant thereof Deut. 6. 6. 7. these words which I command and thee thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children Deut. 11. 19. and 32. 46. Eph. 6. 4. 3. Be much acting faith upon the Lord in the Covenant and pleading that with him in Prayer for your seed seeing he hath said he would be a God to them as well as to your selves Thus Abraham having a promise for his seed he acteth faith and poureth out his Soul to God Gen. 17. 18. even for Ishmael altho but externally in Covenant with him and it was with good success v. 20. and as for Ishmael I have heard thee 4. Be in a Submission to the will of God in the distinction which he maketh in the distribution of Covenant blessings the Lord vouchsafeth to one what he will not grant to another Gen. 17. 19. My Covenant will I establish with Isaac i. e. in the special blessings of it not with Ishmael And afterward when he was mocking he was rejected Gen. 21. 9. 12. yet God is quieting Abraham there let it not be grievous in thy sight This is difficult work for Parents to acquiesce and sit down without murmuring complaints when the Lord rejecteth some of their seed who sin whilst he communicateth his grace to others 5. Be good presidents and examples to your seed that are in Covenant they are apt to follow your course walk and conversation and be good Copies or Patterns to them for imitation in keeping the Covenant 6. Lay your seed as much as possible under engagements for owning the Covenant Eli a good Man reproved his Children 1 Sam. 2. 24 yet not doing his utmost to restrain them from sin his house is severely threatned 1 Sam. 3. 13. 14. I will judge his house for ever If Parents do not what they can to restrain their Children from sin it is greatly displeasing unto God. And God highly commendeth Covenanting Abraham for commanding his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18. 19. he would have us by Counsel constrain Children unto duty as a way to mercy As to Children who are growing up 1. Beware of trusting in your priviledge or in being externally in Covenant neither Children nor adult ones are to take up their rest in any outward priviledge Mat. 3. 9. say not we have Abraham to our Father 2. Beware of a rejection of the Covenant as Ishmael did least the Lord reject you as he did him although your first Covenant Interest is by your Parents know this will not always last your standing there afterwards must be in your own right by taking hold of the Covenant It is indeed a difficult question How long are the Infant seed interested in the Covenant upon the account of their Parents faith I think it is till either the Parent or the seed do reject or cast themselves out of the Covenant Ishmael was circumcised on his Fathers account when Thirteen years old Gen. 17. 25. but a certain number of years cannot be assigned as the determining rule for all how long they are in Covenant upon the account of their Parents There may be a difference herein as to years If early you reject the Covenant you may early be cast out or when you are very young And the Covenant may be rejected various ways not only by rejecting of Jesus Christ through positive unbelief as the Jews did Rom. 11. 20. but by acting contemptuously against the matters of the Covenant as Ishmael did mocking Gen. 21. 9. how young soever if you come to scoff or mock at Religion or matters of the Covenant especially if you be descended of Religious Parents you are in eminent danger of being cast out And so by preferring carnal sensual enjoyments before Spiritual Blessings as Esau did who in distress sold his birth-right for a trivial matter even the gratifying a sensual appetite Heb. 12 16. as a profane person he was rejected 3. Set your Covenant Interest against all temptations to sin God hath imprest something of his name upon you calling you holy and then depart from Iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. Do not act against the name of God and Jesus Christ which you are solemnly engaged for the owning of Mat. 28. 19. You that are the Children of Believing Parents if you live in sin know you sin at a higher rate than others because against the Covenant that you are under as well as against your Religious Education your sin admits of higher aggravations than others for you forsake the God of your Fathers 2 Chron. 7. 22. and 24. 24. to aggravate the evil of Nabals doings it is said 1 Sam. 25. 3. and he was of the house of Caleb The excellency of the Forefather Caleb increased the Sin of Nabal he being a degenerate Plant. 4. Improve your Interest in the Covenant towards seeking an Interest in Jesus Christ and the Saving Blessings of the Covenant He urgeth attendance unto the voice of that Great Prophet Jesus Christ Act. 3. 22. And it is from their being the Children of the Covenant v. 25. Do not content your selves with being externally in Covenant in Parents Right but seek a Personal Interest in the special Blessings of the Covenant 5. Make your Covenant Intrest a Provocation to Repantance Act. 3. 19. Repent ye Why v. 25. ye are the Children of the Covenant Act. 2. 38 39. Repent Why for the Promise is to you 6. Walk suitable to your Interest in the Covenant in imitation of Abraham When they pleaded they were the seed of Abraham Christ reflecteth on them because they did not the Works of Abraham Joh. 8. 39. O walk in the steps of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4. 12. Against Hope believe in Hope that you may be blessed with Faithful Abraham FINIS A POSTSCRIPT TO prevent Mistakes know that page 3. runneth not upon my Principle but is an Argument ad hominem and the meaning is only this that Infant Baptism is not expresly forbidden therefore either it is lawful or else Scripture Consequences must be admitted which is undeniable ERRATA IN the Preface page 4. line 5. blot out that In the Book p. 4. l. 14. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 10. l. 5. for faederatiare r. faederati are p. 24. l. 13. for mystery r. misery p. 28. l. 12. r. Rom. 11. p. 34. l. 5. for yet r. yea p. 38. l. 11. r. from being l. 12. after limit for to r. and. p. 40. l. 16. for that r. the. p. 46. for te r. to p. 69. l. 6. for are r. were l. 22. 24. for may r. might p. 78. l. 6. for in r. of l. 22. for Arnon r. Aenon so also p. 81. In the Catalogue p. 1. l. 4. for Definitive r. Defensive p. 3. l. 21. for Sadbury r. Sudbury A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be Sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the MARKET-PLACE SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence A Word in Season Definitive Armour against four of Satan's most fiery Darts Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapter of the Canticles Thirteen Sermons upon several useful Subjects all Published by John Collins D. D. of Norwich The way of the Spirit in bringing Soul to Christ The Glory of Christ set forth with the necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Thomas Allen late Pastor of a Church at Norwich Enoch's Walk with God and Christ a Christian's Gain by Mr. Timothy Armitage late Minister at Normich A Discourse of the preciousness of Christ and of the preciousness of Faith. Precious Promises the Portion of Overcomers Sermons on five several useful Subjects all by Mr. John Longher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer by Mr. Franâ—â—s English late Minister in Norwich Directions to spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saint speaking being a Sermon preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcomb of Dedham in Essex The English Presbyterian The Miracles of Christ The ordinary matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises the first Rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all Cases and Conditions the second Of a Christian's Hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended in a Sermon preached September the 9th 1683 being the ' Thanksgiving Day for his Majesties Deliverance by Jonathan Clapham Rector of Wramplingham in Norfolk A Present for Youth and an Example for the Aged Two Discourses one of Spiritual Blessings the other That God hath an high account of the least Grace in the Saints by Mr. John Cromwell late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Infant Baptism of Christ's Appointment by Mr. Samuel Petto Minister of the Gospel in Sadbury in Suffolk Of the Conversion of Sinners to God in Christ the necessity nature means and signs of it with a concluding Speech to the Unconverted by Martin Pinch a Servant of Christ in the Work of the Gospel in the City of Norwich Sincerity or the upright Man's Walk to Heaven delivered in several Sermons in the Parish Church of St. Michael in Long-stratton in Norfolk by James Oldfield late Minister there The End of the Catalogue