any rule for baptizing They yet further say that Infants were then members of the Church and do demand when they were cast out To which I answer that they were cast out when the Iewes Church State and old Covenant was abrogated by the comming of Christ and preaching of the Gospell and planting other Churches farre different from that of the Iewes in many respects That constituted upon nature and the naturall seed of Abraham this upon grace and the spirituall seed of Abraham That therefore termed Israel according to the flesh and of the Circumcision of the flesh this Israel according to the Spirit and of the Circumcision of the heart Rom. 2. 28 29. Rom. 9. 6 7 8. Col. 2. 11. That a state of servants and Bond-men so as in that state an heire or Beleever differed nothing from a servant though be were Lord of all but was under Tutors and Governours untill the time appointed of the Father which is the comming of Christ in the flesh and his setting up the state of Churches under the Gospell which is a state constituted not of Servants but of Sonnes and Free-men this is plaine Gal. 4. 7. first verses and is also evident by Christ his discourse with the naturall Iewes Io. 8. 31. for Christ there tells them That if they continue in his word they then were his Disciples indeed and should know the truth and the truth should make them fâ—ee They answered that they were Abrahams seed and so were free already and were never in bondage to any man Christ then tells them That whosoever committeth sinne is the Servant of sinne and the Servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Sonne abideth for ever If therefore the Sonne make you free you shall be free indeed I know yee are Abrahams seed but yee seeke to kill mee because my word hath no place in you If you were Abrahams Children yee would doe the works of Abraham but yee now go about to kill mee a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your father yee will doe As if Christ should have reasoned with the Iewes thus it is true yee are indeed the naturall seed of Abraham and by that your naturall birth and circumcision of your flesh yee were admitted free and did abide as Members of Gods Church or House in that State under the old Covenant or law whereof Moses being a servant was the Mediator which state was but a state of bondage for Abrahams nature could produce no other but servants of sinne such as your selves are and such must not abide in the house for ever nor stay therein any longer but must be cast out for I am now come to abolish that old and first Covenant and to establish a better new and second Covenant Hebr. 7. 18. 19. and 8. 13. and 10. 9. whereof I my selfe being the Sonne am the Mediator If therefore yee will be free indeed and be made subjects of this Covenant and State which I am now to set up your naturall birth serves not to admit you but you must be borne a new of the spirit and so by faith become the true seed and heires of the promise Gal. 3. 7. 29. without which yee cannot be admitted into this State for the promises were made to Abraham and his seed not to seeds as of many but to seed as of one which is my selfe Gal. 3. 16. If therefore I make you free yee shall be free indeed and then you shall abide in the house for ever being made sonnes of God by faith in mee Gal. 3. 26. For the promise that Abraham should be heire of the world was not to him or to his seed by nature or through the law but through the righteousnesse of faith for if they you Israel according to the flesh that are of the Law be heires then faith is void and the promse is made of none effect Rom. 4. 13. 14. And my comming in the flesh would be made utterly frustrate for if the Law could have given that life promised then Righteousnesse should have beene by the Law but the Scripture hath concluded all under Sinne that the Promise and righteousnesse by faith in me should be given to them and to them onely that believe Gal. 3. 3 21. 22. And that this is so is evident by the Covenant of circumcision made with Abraham and you his naturall seed which was also a signe received by him as a seale that Righteousnesse should be by the faith which hee had when hee was yet uncircumcised that so hee might become the father of all Believers that Righteousnesse might be imputed unto them all whether they be circumcised or uncircumcised for now all is one in mee Rom. 4. 11. 12. You see then how that Covenant of circumcision made with Abraham and you his naturall seed was to be an everlasting Covenant in your flesh to wit in mee who was to come of your flesh Gen. 17. 13. And to this end also to this Covenant of circumcision was the Covenant of the Law added not to bring righteousnesse to you but to shew you your unrighteousnesse was to be unto you a Schoole-master with all it's Ceremonies and Shadowes to point out mee untill I should come but now that faith and I that promised seed and true sonne and heire being come you are no longer to be under a Schoole-master but are all to be sonnes and heires with mee onely by faith Gal. 3. 18 19. 23 24 25 26. And which was also prophesied Hab. 2. 4. That the just by his faith should live by which you may plainly see how that circumcision was to you naturall Iewes both a Covenant and yet also but a signe Gen. 17. 11. of another Covenant to wit of that everlasting Covenant made with Abraham and all his spirituall seed and of that everlasting inheritance promised them Gen. 17. 7. 8. which is only to be enjoyed through faith therefore yee cannot be admitted into this State to be partakers in this new and everlasting Covenant and Gospel priviledges which I am now about to establish but are to be cast out as servants and not to abide in the house any longer and this your casting out was long since prefigured to you by Abrahams casting out Ismael the sonne of the bond-woman and borne after the flesh together with his mother who were figures of the Law and old Covenant and all it's sonnes which are Israel according to the flesh to be cast out and not to be heires with Isaack the sonne of the free-woman and borne by promise who were likewise figures of this new Testament and also the spirituall seed which I am now to establish and bring in as the onely and true heires and children of the promise Gal. 4. 22. c. of which sort you are not for if you were Abrahams seed in this sense yee would then doe the
waited in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water the like figure whereunto Baptisme doth now also save us by the resurection of Iesus Christ These then being only figures and allusions cannot serve at all to prove the point in hand Object There be divers other Baptismes as that of the Holy Ghost being inward and spirituall and the effect of the other which if a man hath that in water being an outward thing is not needfull Answ To which I answer that this in water being commanded us of God it must needs be our duty to submit thereunto unlesse we will reject the counsell of God against our selves as the Pharisees and Lawyers did Luke 7. 30. And deeme our selves wiser then God who commanded it and by slighting and neglecting the same become guilty of disobedience which is as the sinne of Witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. Object But now as Circumcision is nothing nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature so Baptisme is nothing for Christ is now all in all Answ It 's true that now Circumcision is nothing nor Vncircumcision whereby to difference or preferre one man before another now in time of the Gospell but a new creature yet hence to conclude that therefore Baptisme is nothing is very absurd it being commanded us unlesse to obey and disobey Christ were all one and yet in some sence Baptisme is nothing but it s in the same sense as Prayer hearing and Preaching is nothing yea and as Faith it selfe is comparatively nothing to Christ who is all in all For in all our duties of obedience wee ought so to make and esteeme him but by our slighting of his commands instead of making him all in all we do make him nothing in all and all in nothing and our selves nothing at all But these and the like Aeriall Notions I thinke scarce worth answering holding firmely this conclusion that as Christ hath redeemed us both bodies and Spirits 1 Cor. 6. 20 so he requireth us and it is our duties to worship him in both not onely to believe him in the heart but to confesse him also with the mouth and with the whole man to yeeld him obedience to all his Ordinances and Commands without which we cannot approve our selves to love him nor be his Disciples indeed and truly Io. 15. 10. 15. 22. And it much pitties me to see such curious conceits and sublime Notions should be the ruine of so many precious Spirits as it is to be feared they will be 5. But their fifth and maine argument is yet behinde from the Covenant which God made with Abraham and with his seed Gen. 17. And hence thus they reason as the Covenant and promises were made to Abraham being a faithfull man and his seed and thereupon all his seed were circumcized in time of the Law so the same Câ—venant and promises are made to them being Beleevers and their seed And therefore their seed may now upon the same ground be Bapâ—ized To which I answer that neither Abraham nor his seed were circumcized because the Covenant was made with him for the Covenant was made with him above twenty yeares before Circumcision was Instituted as may appeare by comparing Gen. 12. 2 3. with Gen. 16. 3. and 17. 25. And yet all this time Abraham was not circumcized neither had he or any of his seed ever bin circumcized for his being in the Covenant had not the Lord afterwards expresly commanded the same Nor was that Covenant made with Abraham and his seed meerely for his being a faithfull man for then should it have bin made with Noah being a faithfull man but for his being such a faithfull man whom the Lord pleased to chuse and set out as a Patterne to all Beleevers Rom. 4. 23 24. And to be a Father of many Nations Rom. 4. 17 18. And in whose seed all the Nations in the world should be blessed Act. 5. 25. and 13. 23. to wit in Christ who was to come of his flesh And therefore although the Covenant and Promises were made to Abraham and his seed yet the consequence will not follow that the Covenant is likewise made with all Beleevers and their seed for Beleevers only are the seed and the seed only and none of them a Father in the Gospell sence nor any other save only Abraham to whom and his seed the Covenant and Promises are made wherefore to affirme that every Beleever hath now the same Covenant and Promises made to him and his seed as Abraham had to him his seed is very absurd and is all one as to say that now every Beleever by his beleeving doth immediately become a father of the faithfull as well as Abraham And if so I demand then where are any seed if all be Fathers For their seed and their seeds seed are all members of the Church and to be accounted faithfull and so to be all Fathers of the faithfull as well as Abraham from Generation to Generation to the worlds end Or more plainely thus promising onely this truth that there is now no difference betweene any Circumcision or Vncircumcision Iew or Gentile bond or free Male or Female But all are one in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. 28. I thus expresse my selfe if every beleever by his beleeving doth become a father of the faithfull as well as Abraham then it must be at the very instant of his beleeving that he doth become a father of the faithfull as well as Abraham and if so where then will be any Children to all these Fathers for none can be Children before they be faithfull and also at the same instant cease to be Children and become Fathers which implies a flat contradiction and then how can Abraham himselfe be father of all Beleevers Rom. 4 11 12. Or how then can the Promise be sure to all the seed if Beleevers Children be the seed for they will not affirme that all their Children are saved But this is affirmed of all the seed to whom the Promise is made Rom. 4. 16. Heb. 6. 16 17. compared with Gal. 3. 29. Now then if the Promise be sure unto all the seed unto whom it is made and all Beleevers and onely all Beleevers the Promise is sure to Then all Beleevers and onely all Beleevers are the seed unto whom the Promise is made and then none of Abrahams owne naturall seed nor the naturall seed of any other in the world are to be accounted the seed unto whom the Promise and Covenant is made untill they beleeve Rom. 9. 7 8. Rom. 4. 13 14. Gal. 3. 7. 9. This then being a most evident truth it may in no wise be granted that the Covenant is made with all Beleevers as with Abraham or that the Promise is made unto all these as unto Abraham or that all these are fathers as Abraham for all these are the seed and the onely seed and Children of Abraham And those to whom the Covenaâ—t and
Promises do onely belong under the terme seed for if it were otherwise then must they be comprehended Gen. 17. 7 8. under the terme thee And then the rest of the Phrase to wit and to thy seed would be in vaine and superfluous which to thinke were very irrationall But put case it be granted them to be fathers as they desire to be like to Abraham then must they be fathers of only such as beleeve and not untill they beleeve for according to the Tennor of this New Covenant and in the Gospell sense Abraham himselfe is father of none other nor otherwise And then are they Fathers of their owne Children no otherwise then they are fathers of Iewes and Turkes Children which is when they beleeve and not before and then let them baptize all such their Children warrantably Hence therefore I affirme that Puplicans and Harlâ—ts may be the seed and have as much right to Baptisme as any Beleevers seed or as any of Abrahams owne naturall seed for all and every of these must first repent and then be baptized Act. 2. 38. And upon the same termes may any yea the most wicked in the world and their seed be baptized for the partition wall being now broken downe the Gospâ—ll knowes no difference betweene any but is to be Preached to every Creature in all the World and whosoever beleeveth and is Baptized shall be saved Mar. 16. 15 16. And go make Disciples all Nations baptizing them Mat. 28. 19. For to Christ Iesus neither Circumcision avayleth any tâ—ing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature Gal. 6. 15. And if any be Christs then they are Abrahams seed and Heires according to Promise Gal. 8. 29. And no otherwise ought any to challenge to be the seed or to have inteâ—rest to the Promise or grace of the Gospell All which considered I then demand of them in cold blood how they themselves doe become Abrahams seed They will say onely by Faith Then dare I say their Children must become the same seed by the same way and no other for Abraham hath not two sorts of seeds in the sence and acceptation of he Gospell They further reason from the equity of Circumcision thus As Infants then by Gods allowance received that Seale of the Covenant so by proportion why not this now of Baptisme To which I answer God commanded Abraham to circumcise all the Males in his House and every Male Child at eight dayes old as well he that was borne in his House as he that was bought with money of any stranger that is not of his seed Now it was both right and equall that Abraham should do herein as God had commanded him and it had bin sinfull for him to have done otherwise more or lesse And so likewise it is right for us to do as God hath commanded us to do and no otherwise The question then is where the Institution for the baptizing of Infants is If they say that to Abraham I answer that was to circumcise not to baptize that all his Males not his Females that all borne in his house or bought with Money at eight dayes old If they ground it from this Institution then must they observe it in every thing for so did Abraham who had sinned in doing otherwise in any thing But here say they we have another Institution to Baptize all Nations Mat. 28. 19. To which I answer then ought they to observe that Institution which is first to make Disciples and then to Baptize them so made For so is the Institution and no otherwise But here they say it is not any where forbidden to Baptize Infants To which I answer that it is as much forbiden as it was forbiden Abraham to circumcise his Females for it is not said to him thou shalt not circumcise thy Females nor thou shalt not circumcise any other save such and such nor onely these and these And whosoever therefore was not included in the Institution was excluded for else might Abraham lawfully have circumcised also all the Males of his Beasts as his Camells and Asses for this is not otherwise forbidden him They further say That Infants now being as capable of Baptisme with all its significations as Infants then were of Circumcision they see no reason but they may as well be Baptized as the other were circumcised To which I answer if they meane by capable Faith and Repentance which is required of every meete Subject as before was shewed in this sense they are not capable but if they meane although they be Infants yet they may be baptized in water and are as capable to indure it as Infants then were to be circumcised To this I answer and say that so are all Infants in the world capable of Baptisme and so all Infants from Adam to Abraham were capable of Circumcision I demand of them why these were not circumcized they will say because Circumcision was not then commanded but as soone as it was commanded it was done Then must wee baptize Infants when wee are commanded to do it and not before Notwithstanding their being thus capable thereof with all its significationss Object God gave to Infants Circumcision which was a signe and seale of the Righteousnesse of Faith and Regeneration Gen. 17 11. Rom. 4. 11. And wee know God giveth no lying signe nor sealeth a Covenant to any Persons that are not therein Therefore Infants are in the Covenant have Faith and Regeneration and so ought to be baptized now as well as circumcised then Answ It is true that God giveth no lying signe nor sealeth to any persons that they are in the Covenant when they are not therein And therefore seeing that Ismael was Circumcised after that God had declared and made it knowne that he was not in the Covenant Gen 17. 18. 19 20 21. It must thence follow that Circumcision was not by God ordained nor by Abraham understood to be to the persons circumcised a seale of their being in the Covenant and much lesse of their being in the Faith or Regenerated wherefore Gen. 17. 11. Rom. 4. 11. which this Objection is grounded upon of necessity must be understood as the Apostle there applyeth it to wit that the Circumcision which Abraham received both upon himselfe and seed was to him and them a signe and Seale that Righteousnesse should be not by the Law or Circumcision in the flesh but by the Faith which Abraham had when he was yet uncircumcised That He should be the Father of all those of many Nations which should afterwards bâ—leeve And that as faith was imputed unto him for Righteousnesse even so likewise it should be imputed to all Beleevers whatsoever whether they were Circumcised or not And that all these are and were to be the only heires and true feed to whom the everlasting Covenant and Promises of life are assuredly made and do properly and undoubtedly appertaine ver 3. 11 12 13 14. 16 17. 18. 22 23 24. And therefore Circumcision never was nor is
the Gospell worship As nationall Churches Oblations Sacrafices first fruits Tythes Offerings Holy Ceremonies Holy Dayes Holy feasts Holy Temples Holy Altars Holy Places Holyest places Holy Persons Holy Garments Musicke c. And many other pretty trinkets of that kinde And into Government Office and Ministery likewise variety of sorts as Sextons Clarkes Curates Vicâ—ars Parsons Singing-men Orgenists Canons Petty-Canons Prebends Deans Arch-Deacons Abbotts Lord Abbotts Lord Bishops Lord Arch-Bishops Chancellors Officialls Commissaries Doctors Proctors Apparitors c. with a rable of them even to the Pope himselfe alluding to Moses Aaron and to the Kings and State of Israel Hence also collaterally have they brought the power of the Civill Magistrate into the Church as their Executioners and as subordinate and particular heads under the Pope the universall head who challengeth hence most wickedly to dispose of their Crownes and Kingdomes at his pleasure being willingly ignorant that the State and Church of the Iewes is to be considered in a two-fold respect one as it was a civill State and Common-wealth and Kingdome in respect whereof it was common to other Civill States and Kingdomes in the world the other as it was the Church of God and in relation thereto had Worship Commandements a Kingly office and government which no other state or Kingdome had or ought to have for herein it was altogether typicall this Kingly office and government in relation to the Church concentred only in Christ who now is onely the head King and Law-giver to Israel his Church and admitts of no other head to his Church subordinate or otherwise in any respect Ephes 1. 22. and 4. 15 and 5. 23. Col. 1. 18 2. 10. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 7. For this State being sprituall admits of none but him their spirituall King Head and Law-giver Iam. 4. 12. Hence the Gospel is called the Gospell and word of this Kingdome Mat. 4. 12 and 13. 19 Acts 2. 25. And the true Ministery of the Gospel a Ministery of the spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. whereby men being converted to God are said to be translated into the Kingdome of his deare sonne Col. 1. 13. Hence God proclaimes from heaven commanding us only to heare and obey his Sonne Matth. 17. 5. he being the Christ of God Luke 9. 20. Hence Christ himselfe declares to us that all power in heaven and earth is given to him and commands his Disciples therefore in his name and by vertue of his power and authoritie alone to goe into all Nations and make Disciples baptizing them c. Matth. 28. 18. 19. And this honour of being Head of his Church gives hee to none at all by deputation or otherwise in any kinde it being the greatest prerogative and dignity for the greatest Monarch upon earth to become a true member and subject of Jesus Christ in his Church under the Gospell for by his being so he is made a childe of God a fellow heire with the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. yea a coheire with Iesus Christ of the everlasting Inheritance Kingdome and Glory Rom. 8. 16. 17. And the same honour have all the Saints for there is no respect of persons with God Col. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Jude 16. Eph. 6. 9. Iam. 2. 1. 2. 3. 9. and this will one day be made manifest to all men when Christ shall say Bring hither those mine enemies that would not that I should raigne over them and slay them before mee Luke 19. 27. At which time hee will be terrible to all yea to the greatest Monarches upon earth which rebell against him Psal 76. 12. and 82. all the Psalme Be wise now therefore yee Kings be instructed yee Iudges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling kisse the sonne lest hee be angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little then will it be manifest that they and onely they are blessed that put their trust in him Psal 2. 10. 11. 12. 3. This may likewise teach us to see and bewaile the great apostafie both in faith and worship that is brought into the world by this childish baptisme And what a glorious uniforme Babilonish Tower the man of sinne hath reared upon this rotten foundation bringing there by whole Nations at once into subjection to his carnall worship and indeed what is more sutable to his carnall Gospell and Worship then such carnall worshipers and nothing more conduceth to his Exaltation nor better serveth to the maintenance of him and his sutable Clergie in all their riches Pompe and Pride then this nay how possibly could he otherwise have corrupted the whole Earth and brought whole Nations to admire and follow and worship the Beast as he hath done And why then think we of reformation of Religion continuing this foundation Can we wash the Black-more white Or give spirituall life to a whole nation in a lumpe Hath God any such need of worshipers as to accept such lip-service meerely compelled by the laws and commandements of men Isa 29. 13. Mat. 15. 8 9. Is not every man first to be perswaded of the truth in his owne mind before he worship else is he not damned in himselfe Rom. 14. 5. 23. And who art thou that judgest and usurpest Authority over another mans servant 1 Cor. 7. 23. Seeing likewise the Church of England in the 13. article of her doctrine doth maintaine and a verre that works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his spirit are not pleasant to God for as much as they spring not of faith in Iesus Christ neither doe they make men meete to receive Grace or deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of sinne And this then being so what spirituall house thinke we can be built unto God upon such a carnall foundation May we expect grapes of thornes or figs of thistles must not the Tree first be made good and then the fruite had not God respect first to Abell and then to his Offering hath not God long since abrogated the state of the Iewes under the law and cast off Israel according to the flesh the naturall seed of Abraham to whom and his seed the promises were made Gal. 4. 29 30. Ioh. 8. 34 35. 36. And do we thinke to bring in the naturall seed of us Gentiles as acceptable on Gods Altar none in the time of the Gospell when the true seed is produced Gal. 3. 19. and when onely spirituall worship and worshipers are accepted Io. 4. 23. must the parents whether Iew or Gentile needs be borne againe of the spirit and onely by faith become the seed of Abraham and heires according to promise Gallathians 3. 7. 29. Romanes 4. 11 12. And shall their children become the same seed by nature can our natures produce a spirituall seed to Abraham which Abrahams owne nature never did nor could doe Rom. 9. 7. 8. Ioh. 3. 6. Neither can any shew any one such promise to any Believer in all the whole world and his seed as was and is to Abraham his seed who is therefore the father of us all to wit of all Believers and onely of Believers sew and Gentile father and child c. Rom. 4. 16. and therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed but the promise is sure only to Believers therefore Believers only are the seed of Abraham to whom the promise and ordinance of the new Testament doe properly appertaine Againe That administration of Baptisme which overthrowes the very nature of the Covenant of Grace and whole Gospell of Christs is Antichristian and abominable But the administration of baptisme upon Infants doth so because it stands upon the ground and interest which they have in the Covenant by naturall generation onely or by the meere profession of faith in the Parents or Sureties without faith in their owne persons whereby faith is made void and the promise which is the Gospel and Object of Faith is also made of none effect and so the preaching thereof becomes uselesse and vaine also Rom 4. 14. therefore the administration of Baptisme upon Infants is Antichristian and abominable These things being so it is most certaine that the baptisme of Infants is the greatest delusion and a thing of as dangerous consequence as ever the Man of Sin brought into the world and therefore the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders wherefore it is high time for us to looke about us to awake out of this drunken slumber and to see how hitherto wee and our fathers have beene blindly lead by our blind Guides into this depth of Ignorance and mist of iniquity and let us seeke out by what meanes and by whom wee are so miserably intosticated as to stumble and grope for our way thus even at noone day Rev. 17. 1. Come hither I will shew unto thee the judgement of the great Whore Rev. 18. 3. 8. 11. For all Nations have drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornications and the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the Merchants of the earth have waxed rich through the abundances of her delicacies Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord who judgeth her And the Merchants of the earth shall weepe and mourne over her for no man buyeth their merchandize any more FINIS