A TREATISE Concerning the COVENANT and BAPTISM Dialogue-wise between a BAPTIST a POEDO-BAPTIST Wherein is shewed That Believers only are the Spirituall Seed of Abraham Fully discovering The Fallacy of the Argument drawn from the Birth Priviledge WITH Some Animadversions upon a Book Intituled Infant-Baptism from Heaven and not of men Defending the Practise of Baptizing only Believers against the Exceptions of M. Whiston By Edward Hutchinson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. It is necessary first to believe and afterwards to be signed with Baptism Basil l. 3. contra Eunom I beseech you regard not what this or that man says but enquire all things of the Scripture Chrysost 13. hom 2 Cor. If you be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.29 LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle near the Royall Exchange in Cornhil 1676. The Epistle DEDICATORY To the spiritual seed of Abraham especially those of the Baptized Congregations BEloved for the fathers sake first premising that they are not all Israel that are of Israel I know there is drosse mingled with your silver chaff amongst your wheat and the Canaanite is still in the land and troubles you but to you that are indeed the true seed of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ do I dedicate this Treatise You beloved are of God and have your fathers name written in your foreheads you are the true Israelites to whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory the Covenants and Gospel promises whose are the fathers and for whom Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever You are a chosen generation a Royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people walking in the steps of your father Abraham hearkning to that great Prophet whom God hath raised up among your brethren and have been baptized into the name of the father son and holy spirit But the devil that implacable enemy of souls hath endeavoured to wreak his malice upon you above all people opening his floodgates to overwhelm you the Archers have shot sorely at you the plowers have made deep furrows upon your backs yet you are still supported by the rock of Ages and strengthned by an Everlasting Arm they have laboured in vain for the blessings of your father Abraham have prevailed above the blessings of your progenitors Your begining in these nations of late years was but small yet when it pleased the Lord to dispel those clouds that overshaddowed us and scatter some beams of the Gospel amongst us he gave you so great an increase that Sion may say with admiration who hath begotten me these c. Nor is it lesse observable that whereas other Reformations have been carryed on by the secular arm and the Countenance and allowance of the Magistrate as in Luthers time by several German Princes the Protestant Reformation in England by King Edward Q. Elizabeth c. The Presbyterian reformation by a Parliament Comittee of Estates Assembly of Divines besides the favour and assistance of great personages you have had none of these to take you by the hand but your progresse was against the impetuous current of humane opposition attended with such external discouragements as bespeak your embracing this despised truth an effect of heart-sincerity void of all mercenary considerations Yea how active has the Accuser of the Brethren been to represent you in such frightful figures exposing you by that mischievous artifice to popular Odium and the lash of Magistracy in so much that the name of an Anabaptist was crime enough which doubtlesse was a heavy obstacle in the way of many pious souls And what our dissenting brethren have to answer upon that account who instead of taking up have laid stumbling blocks in the way of Reformation will appear another day Yet notwithstanding the strenuous oppositions of those great and learned ones The mighty God of Jacob hath taken you by the hand and said be strong Besides it has a considerable tendency to the advancement of divine grace if we consider the way and manner of the Reviving this costly truth When the professors of these Nations had been a long time wearied with the yoke of superstitious ceremonies traditions of men and corrupt mixtures in the worship and service of God it pleased the Lord to break these yokes and by a very strong impulse of his spirit upon the hearts of his people to convince them of the necessity of Reformation Divers piâ—us and very gracious people having often sought the Lord by fasting and prayer that he would shew them the patern of his house the goings out and comeings in thereof c. Resolved by the grace of God not to receive or practise any piece of positive worship which had not precept or Example from the word of God Infant-Baptism coming of course under consideration after long search and many debates it was found to have no footing in the Scriptures the only rule and standard to try doctrines by but on the contrary a meer innovation yea the prophanation of an ordinance of God And though it was purposed to be laid aside yet what fears tremblings and temptations did attend them lest they should be mistaken considering how many learned and Godly men were of an opposite perswasion How gladly would they have had the rest of their brethren gone along with them But when there was no hopes they concluded that a Christians faith must not stand in the wisdom of men and that every one must give an account of himself to God and so resolved to practise according to their light The great objection was the want of an Administrator which as I have heard was removed by sending certain messengers to Holland whence they were supplyed So that this little cloud of Witnesses hath the Lord by his grace so greatly encreased that it is spread over our Horizon though opposed and contradicted by men of all sorts And now friends I can safely bear you record that it is not humour conceitednesse or singularity so often charged upon you that makes you decline the BaptiZing your little ones For I know they are as dear to you as children are to any parents under heaven your sighs and tears those heart-breaking desires and pathetick wishes you send to the mercy-seat for them is a sufficient testimony hereof and your petitions that Ishmael may live before God that your children may be converted that they may have an Interest in the new Covenant that the law of God may be written in their hearts that their sins may be pardoned their natures sanctifyed and their souls eternally saved And did you know that Baptism could contribute the least iota hereunto how readily and zealously would you perform it besides it is an easy service that would bring you into the credit and esteem of differing professors divers of your natural relations c. yea 't is as safe as easy nothing of self-denyal or the Cross attending it And it is very remarkable that
the whole law Secondly God promised to be a God to Abraham and his spiritual seed such as walk in his steps that is believers whether Jews or Gentiles in giving unto them an eternal inheritance Heb. 9.15 incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away purchased by the blood of Jesus and reseved for them in heaven of which the earthly inheritance in the land of Canaan was but a type So there is a twofold seed of Abraham a fleshly and a spiritual typed out by Ishmael and Isaac and a two-fold inheritance an earthly and a heavenly But the heavenly inheritance was not given to the fleshy seed but only in Types offered to them and confirmed to the spiritual seed who are therefore called the heirs of promise Heb. 6.17 Neither was the Covenant made with Abraham a pure Gospel Covenant but a mixt Covenant consisting partly of promises of temporal blessings of which Isaac who is said to be born by promise was the true and proper heir And partly of promises of spiritual blessings of an heavenly inheritance and of these Jesus Christ was the true her and Antitypical Isaac for as Ishmael the child of the flesh had no right with Isaac in the outward Typical promise so Isaac himself by vertue of his fleshly descent had no right nor Interest in the heavenly inheritance and Gospel priviledges Rom. 9.7 any otherwise then he came to have an interest in Christ And therefore we find the Apostle in Gal. 3.16 expounding the word of promise i. e. I will be a God to thee and thy seed sheweth that the Gos-promises of Abrahams Covenant were not made to any ones fleshly seed no not with the meer fleshly seed of believing Abraham himself but the promises did all run to Christ the inheriting seed to whom they were made and when Christ was come they all center in him see and consider the text Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ to Isaac in the type but to Christ in the Antitype and in him are all the promises yea and Amen Having thus followed the promises down along from Abraham to Christ and found them all to center in him let us now see to whom they came forth again And it is not to any ones fleshly seed whatever but from Christ they all flow forth again to believers and only to believers and that by vertue of their union with Christ and therefore says the Apostle If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise for there is no other way to partake of the promise but by faith in Christ Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe where two things are observable first to whom the promise is given viz. to them that believe secondly by what means they come to partake of them and that is by the faith of Christ so in verse the 26. you are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ and if ye be Christs that is by faith then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise So then it seems all promises run to Christ and from him flow forth again only to believers Which being impartially considered is a full answer to all Arguments drawn from the Covenants and the promise made to Abraham and certainly and unavoidably cuts off Infants Church membership in the days of the Gospel unlesse the Poedobaptists can finde a new institution for it But for a further illustration of this and that you may see that this is not my opinion alone I shall present you with some select passages that the judicious and eminent divine Dr Owen hath upon this subject it is in his Exercitations upon the Epistle to the Hebrews tom 1. p. 55. c. to which the Reader is referred which by another hand may be shortly improved In the mean time take these few instances Two Priviledges did God grant unto Abraham upon his separation to a special interest in the old promise and Covenant First that according to the flesh he should be the father of the Messiah the promised seed who was the very life of the Covenant the fountain and cause of all the blessings contained in it That this Priviledge was temporary having a limited season time and end appointed unto it the very nature of the thing it self doth demonstrate For upon this actual exhibition in the flesh it was to cease In pursuit hereof were his posterity separated from the rest of the world and preserved a peculiar people that through them the promised seed might be brought forth in the fulnesse of time and be of them according unto the flesh Rom. 9.8 Secondly together will this he had also another priviledge granted unto him namely that his saith whereby he was personally interested in the Covenant should be the pattern of the faith of the Church in all generations and that none should ever come to be a member of it or a sharer in its blessings but by the same faith that he had fixed on the seed that was in the promise to be brought forth from him in the world On the account of this Priviledge he became the father of all them that do believe for they that are of the faith the same aere the children of Abraham Gal. 3.7 Rom. 4.11 as also heirs of the world Rom. 4.13 in that all that should believe throughout the world being thereby implanted into the Covenant made with him should become his spiritual children Answerable unto this twofold end of the separation of Abraham there was a double seed alloâ—â—ed unto him A seed according to the flesh separated to the bringing forth of the Messiah according to the flesh and a seed according to the promise that is such as by faith have an Interest in the promise or all the elect of God Not that these two seeds were always subjectively divers so that the seed separated to the bringing forth of the Messiah in the flesh should neither in whole or in part be also the seed according to the promise or on the contrary that the seed according to the promise should none of it be his seed after the flesh Our Apostle declares the contrary in the instancos of Isaac and Jacob with the remnant of Israel that shall be saved Chap. 9.10.11 But sometimes the same seed came under diverse considerations being the seed of Abraham both according to the flesh and promise and sometimes the seed it self was divers those according to the flesh being not of the promise and so on the contrary Thus Isaac and Jacob were the seed of Abraham according unto the flesh separated unto the bringing forth of the Messiah after the flesh because they were his carnal Posterity and they were also the seed of the promise because by their own personal faith they were Interessed in the Covenant of Abraham their father Multitudes afterwards were of the carnal seed of Abraham and of the number of People separated to bring forth the Messiah in the flesh and yet were not of the seed according to
the promise nor interested in the spiritual blessings of the Covenant because they did not personally believe as our Apostle declares Chap. 4. of his Epistle And many afterwards who were not of the carnal seed of Abraham nor interested in the priviledge of bringing forth the Messiah in the flesh were yet designed to be made his spiritual seed by Faith that in them he might become heir of the world and all Nations of the Earth be blessed in him Now it is evident that it is the second Priviledge and spiritual seed wherein the Church to whom the Promises are made is founded and whereof it doth consist namely in them who by faith are interested in the Covenant of Abraham whether they be of the carnal seed or no. And herein lay the great mistake of the Jews of old wherein they are followed by their Posterity unto this day They thought no more was needful to interest them in the Covenant of Abraham but that they were his seed according to the flesh and they constantly pleaded the latter Priviledge as the ground and reason of the former It is true they were the children of Abraham according to the flesh but on that account they can have no other Priviledge then Abraham had in the flesh himself And this was as we have shewed that he should be set apart as a special Channel through whose loins God would derive the promised seed into the world In like manner were they separated to be a peculiar people as his Posterity from among whom he should be so brought forth That this separation and priviledge were to cease when the end of it was accomplished and the Messiah exhibited the very nature of the thing declares For to what purpose should it be continued when that was fully effected whereunto it was designed but they would extend this priviledge and mix it with the other contending that because they were the children of Abraham according to the flesh the whole blessing and Covenant of Abraham belonged unto them But as our Saviour proved that in the latter sense they were not the children of Abraham because they did not the works of Abraham so as our Apostle plainly demonstrates Rom. 4.9.10.11 Chapters Gal. 3.4 Chap. That those of them who had not the faith of Abraham had no interest in his blessings and Covenant seeing therefore that their other priviledge was come to an end with all the Carnal ordinances that attended it by the actual coming of the Messiah whereunto they were subservient if they did not by faith in the promised seed attain an Interest in this of the spiritual blessing it is evident that they could on no account be considered as actually sharers in the Covenant of God We have seen then that Abraham on the account of his faith and not of his separation according to the flesh was the father of all that believe and heir of the world And in the Covenant made with him as to that which concerns not the bringing forth of the promised seed according to the flesh but as unto faith therein and in the work of redemption to be performed thereby lyes the foundation of the Church in all ages Wheresoever this Covenant is and with whomsoever it is established with them is the Church unto whom all the promises and Priviledges of the Church do belong Hence it was that at the coming of the Messiah there was not one Church taken away and another set up in the room thereof but the Church continued the same in those that were the children of Abraham according to the faith The Christan Church is not another Church but the very same that was before the coming of Christ having the same faith with it and interested in the same Covenant It is true the former Carnal Priviledges of Abraham and his Posterity expiring on the grounds before mentioned the Ordinances of worship which were suited thereunto did necessarily cease also And this cast the Jews into great perplexityes and proved the last tryal that God made of them For whereas both these namely the carnal and spiritual Priviledges of Abrahams Covenant had been carried on together in a mixed way for many generations coming now to be separated and a tryal to be made Mal. 3 who of the Jews had Interest in both who in one only those who had only the Carnal priviledge of being children of Abraham according to the flesh contended for a share on that single account in the other also that is in all the Promises annexed unto the Covenant But the foundation of their plea was taken away and the Church unto which the promises belong remained with them that were heirs of Abrahams faith only It remains then that the Church founded in the Covenant and unto which all the promises did and do belong abode at the coming of Christ and doth abide ever since in and among those who are the children of Abraham by faith And a little further he saith No individual person hath any interest in the promises but by vertue of his membership with the Church which is and always was one and the same with whomsoever it remains the promises are theirs and that Not by application or Analogie but directly and properly The Church unto whom all the promises belong are only those who are heirs of Abrahams Faith believing as he did and thereby interested in the Covenant So far this learned man whose words need no comment nor need we draw any inference but recite his bare words which are both perspicuous and Orthodox clearly and fully evidencing our position That believers only are the children of Abraham and none but such have an Interest in the Covenant made with him which unavoidably excludes infants from Gospel-Ordinances untill they believe in their own persons And then and not before they may lay a just claim that they are Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise And if our opponents think Dr. O. injured as they are apt to clamour to that purpose for our improvement of his words to our advantage he being for Poedobaptism we say that they are at liberty to reconcile his words to his practice if they can to do which they have need of a considerable stock but they are seldome unfurnisht of artifice and distinction to help at this dead lift The Dr. treating about the nature of the Covenant and promises made to Abraham and perhaps forgetting Infant-Baptism opens and expounds them with such spirituality and Orthodoxy as leaves no room for Infant Baptism but excludes it beyond all possibility of reconciliation unless it can be proved that they viz. Infants are heirs of Abrahams faith believing as he did and that the promises are theirs not by application or Analogie
the same to Abraham's Spiritual Seed in and through all Generations from him to us viz. such as Believed as he did 2. In respect to Temporal blessings and so it was peculiar to his Natural and Spiritual Seed during the Old Testament-dispensation and Typical administrations and in that respect it is not the same Believers being now under the former not the later As Abraham is considered under the notion of a double Father-hood so there must be a double Son-ship to answer that Relation the Jews were his Sons in one capacity namely a Carnal Generation of which they were wont to bragg as appears by the reproof John gave them Mat. 3.9 Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father and in the other capacity all Believers whether Jew or Gentile are his children This is evidenced Rom. 9.6 7 8. They are not all Israel that are of Israel they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God c. and v. 7. shews us that their Carnal Generation gives not the true notion of Son-ship The Jew as a Natural Son of Abraham may pretend to Baptism and New-Testament-Ordinances by a priority in respect of the Offer Rom. 3.1 2. Therefore Christ commanded his Apostles not to go into the wayes of the Gentiles c. but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and Preach the Gospel to them Mat. 10.5 6 7. See Rom. 2.10 to the Jew first and also to the Gentile and this gave occasion to the Speech of Peter Acts 2.39 The promise is to you and your Children viz. primarily and to the Gentiles also but secondarily which they of the Circumcision were astonisht at Acts 10.45 The Gentiles are called afar off suitable to Eph. 2.13 Ye Gentiles who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Now as it was the preheminence of the Jews to have the Gospel first Preached to them so we find their carnal prerogative stand them in no stead Luke 3.8 where they are informed that Gospel-Ordinances are not bottom'd upon Carnal Generation or priviledges but true Holiness manifested by the fruit it brings forth viz. Fruits meet for Repentance He came to his own but they received him not and therefore as many as received him whether Jew or Gentile to them he gave power to become the Sons of God and to receive him is to believe in his Name Men are now admitted to Ordinances upon other considerations than legal denominations of clean or unclean viz. fearing God and working righteousness which is not generated or conveyed by Birth but by the New birth and the Spirit of the living God Therefore if the Natural Seed of Abraham could not pretend a right to New-Testament Ordinances by that Title much less the Adopted Seed by any such way of Natural Generation And if their Birth-right could not serve them how can our Birth-right serve us And this may serve as an Answer to the first particular that the Covenant as it respected Life and Salvation to Believers is one and the same now as then But as it respects external administrations and the qualification of Church-members it is not the same the legal typical faederal right vanisht and Faith is now the only qualification The second Whether Circumcision be the token sign or seal of the Covennnt This needs but a short Reply for we find it to be called the token of the Covenant Gen. 17.11 And the Apostle Rom. 4.11 calls it the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the righteousness of Faith c. intimating by distinguishing between a Sign and a Seal that Circumcision was to all a Sign but to Abraham alone a Seal of the righteousness of Faith And we find Circmucision never called a Seal but where it speaks of Abraham which intimates that it was only a Seal to him And this is sutable to what Chrysostome Theophilact and others quoted upon the place by a very judicious pen viz. It was called a Seal of the righteousness of Faith because it was given to Abraham as a Seal and testimony of that righteousness which he had acquired by Faith Now this seems to be the priviledg of Abraham alone and not to be transferred to others as if Circumcision in whom ever it was were a testimony of Dâ—vine righteousness for as it was the priviledg of Abraham that he should be the father of all the faithful as well circumcised us uncircumcised and being already the father of all uncircumcised having faith in uncircumcision he received first the sign of Circumcision that he might be the father of the Circumcised Now because he had this priviledg in respect of the righteousness which he had acquired by faith therefore the sign of Circumcision was to him a Seal of the righteousness of Faith but to the rest of the Jews it was a Sign they were Abraham's Seed but not a Seal of the righteousness of Faith 〈◊〉 all the Iews also were not the Fathers of many Nations And Ierom upon Gal. 3. saith Because Christ was to spring from the Seed of Abraham and many Ages were to pass from Abraham to Christ the wise God lest the Seed of beloved Abraham should be mingled with other Nations and should by degrees be joyned more familiarly distinguisht the flock of Israel by a certain mark or Circumcision then for 40 Years together in the wilderness none were Circumcised because they were out of the danger of such mixtures being alone but as soon as they were past the banks of Jordan Circumcision prevented the error of mingling with others whereas it is written that they were Circumcised that second time by Joshua it signifies that Circumcision ceased in the Wilderness which was rationally used in Egypt 3. Whether Baptism doth succeed in the room place and use of Circumcision To answer this doubt let us consider the great difference between Circumcision and Baptism Circumcision was a legal Ordinance appointed to the Jewish Males Reprobate as well as Elect by a positive command to distinguish them from the rest of the World as a Token of the Covenant God made with Abraham viz. that the Messiah should come of his Loins according to the Flesh But Baptism is an Evangelical Ordinance whereby Jew or Gentile Male or Female upon a profession of Faith and Repentance is baptized in Water in token of Regeneration and to signifie the death burial and resurrection of Christ the Messiah already come and so added to the Visible Church and admitted to all the priviledges thereof which being not the Office of Circumcision Baptism cannot be said to succeed in its room place and use The consideration of the great difference in their institution illustrates this also for when Christ instituted Baptism he saies Go teach and baptize and in the administration they confessed and were baptized Believed and were Baptized not a word of Infants And in the Precept of Circumcision not a word of Teaching or Faith but of Infants the
Adoption and the glory and the Covenants i. e. both Testaments the Type and the Anti-type unto whom pertained not only the giving of the law but also the promises and that not only of the Earthly Canaan but of the Gospel Covenant in the first tender of it not in respect of any right they had to it by birth whether they received it or not but as I said in respect of the first tenders of it which appears because by speciall order and appointment it was to be offered to them in the first place Nor was it carried to the Gentiles till the Jews had slighted it in proof whereof the Scripture is very plain Math. 10.5 6 7. Christ forbids his Disciples to go to any of the Gentiles or to any save the lost sheep of the House of Israel yea they were Children at this time whose Bread till they loathed it was not to be given to dogs except a few crums of it Hence the Jews were first bid to the wedding Math. 22.3 but they would not come So they are called the Children of the kingdom Math. 8.12 that were to be cast out because they would not receive the Gospel for he came unto his own and his own received him not yea Paul tells the Jews it was necessary the word of God should first be spoken unto them Act. 13.46 Notwithstanding all which glory and preheminence of this people Israel who were the fathers also and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came Paul after he had shewed their high priviledges comes with Alas and great sorrow of heart that he was forced to exclude them save a few with whom the Gospel took effect even from the name of Israelites and from standing Abrahams Children any longer For saith he as who should say the more is the pitty they are not all Israel that are of Israel that is all that are Israel after the flesh are not Gospel Israelites Abrahams seed are no longer counted his seed but they that are Christs by faith are counted for the seed and that this is the meaning of the words is evident from them that follow For saith he neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all Children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called that is these which are the Childsen of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed A clear illustration we have of this Gal. 3.7.9 where the Apostle urges this term they which are of faith that is which believe for none else are of faith the same are the Children of Abraham and are blessed with faithfull Abraham He saith not they which be of Abrahams flesh for such are not accounted his Children as to the Gospel Covenant much lesse doth he say or mean that those which are born of the body 's of them that be of faith are Abrahams children and so to be signed as his sons by Baptism as his own fleshly seed were signed by Circumcision as heirs with him of the old Canaan As if because Abraham is the spiritual father of all that believe and walk in his steps therefore he must be a father to all their natural posterity too and be the spiritual father not of their persons only but of their off-spring also But let me tell you he is not so much as a father to his own seed in a Gospel sence neither can these stand his children nor the children of God or heirs of the heavenly blessing and kingdom because they come out of his loins unless they do as he did For though his fleshly seed as a type for the time then being stood denominated the children of God and holy in an outward sense and heirs according to the earthly promise yet that account is now gone there is no other way whereby the Jews themselves much lesse any generations amongst the Gentils can be stil'd the children of God or of Abraham so as to expect the Gospel portion but by believing in Christ Jesus in their own persons Gal. 3.26 ye are all the Children of God by faith in Iesus Christ and if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Another Scripture that proves that Abrahams own seed in the old Covenant account are not his seed in the account of the Gospel so as thereupon to have right to ordinances is John 8.33 to the 40. where Christ being cavilled at by the Jews for promising freedom from sin to which they were slaves and servants notwithstanding the legal freedom they so much boasted of discovers plainly the cutting off the Jews from three things 1. From the repute and denomination of Abrahams children 2. From any share in the spiritual blessings of the Gospel 3. From any further right to Church-membership and ordinances First they alledge that they are Abrahams seed ver 33. that they were not born of Fornication ver 39. meaning as Ishmael was but they had one father even God v. 41. To which Christ answers not by denying of any of all this for it was all true in that sense in which they meant it yea they were Abrahams children and Christ confesses it ver 37. I know you are Abrahams seed yea they were all the Children of God by an outward and Typicall adoption of them unto himself But Christ overthrows all by telling them that Abrahams children are accounted of otherwise now then formerly not as coming out of his loyns but doing his works as being allyed to him not so much after the flesh as after the faith Whereupon not yet believing he denies them to be now Abrahams Children in the true and substantiall sense and that appears in this Hypothesis ver 39. If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the works of Abraham To which do but add the Minor But ye do not the works of Abraham And then the conclusion follows Therefore ye are not the children of Abraham You see Christ asserts them to be Abrahams children in the old account so as to stand members of the old house but denies them to be Abrahams children in the sense of the New 2ly They say they are freemen and were never in bondage this Christ also grants it was so indeed in the outward Typical sense they were freemen and heirs of that earthly glory that was promised to Abraham in that old Canaan but deny's them to be freemen as to the Gospel with heavenly freedom of that Jerusalem which is above which is the mother of all believers Gal. 4.20 yea asserts that they were but servants and in bondage to sin which is the greatest slavery of all ver 34. he that commits sin is the servant of sin So that for all their sonships in truth they were but servants He grants their sonship and title to the old inheritance but denies it to the new 3ly They boast or blesse themselves in their standing in the house or family of Abraham that is the visible Church
as to the ordinances priviledges and rights whereof who but themselves had the title For this indeed was their advantage of old that to them were committed the oracles of God To which Christ answers true they did stand in the house for a time yet but for a time and though sons and heirs in the laws Typical sense yet they were but servants in the Gospels And being but servants as Moses and his house the old Church were they must anon be turn'd out of the house and abide in the Church that is Abrahams family no longer that believers the true sons and heirs may come in as in the 35. verse And the servant saith Christ abideth not in the house for ever but the son abideth for ever If therefore the son make you free and that he doth not for all your former freedom unlesse you believe in him then shall you be free indeed even to the glory oracles and blessings of the spirituall house the Gospel Church which else you must be cut off from And so indeed it came to passe within a while for not believing and repenting which are the only terms which give right to Gospel ordinances and priviledges So that these Jews though Natural branches still as much as ever if being the fleshly seed of a believer could help them as to a standing there were yet clean broke from the root Abraham as he stands a root to all the faithful because only of unbelief Rom. 11.20 when such as were wild olives and no kin at all to Abraham after the flesh were in their own persons but not their natural seed with them save as they believed with them owned as his Children by believing and as members of the true Church under the Gospel And this was declared by John the Baptist and the rest of the first Ministers of the Gospel who would not admit Jews as Jews though Abrahams own seed unto Baptism when they offered themselves upon the aforenamed terms without faith and repentance See how the Pharisees Sadduces and whole multitude of Abrahams seed come to be Baptized Math. 3.7 Luke 3.7 pretending and pleading that if Baptism were a Church priviledge it must needs belong to them who were the children of Abraham But see how he rejects them as having no part nor portion in this matter O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come as if he should have said what have you to do with the remission of sins and redemption from wrath which I preach and baptize in token of being notwithstanding your priviledges corrupt and sinful in your lives Bring forth therefore to the end you may be baptized fruits answerable to amendment of life and begin not to say that we have Abraham to our father we are the seed of an eminent believer for God is able of these stones to raise up childeen to Abraham i. e. God will without being beholden to you raise a seed to Abraham rather then to want them from amongst these stones whether he means stones literally or the Gentiles which were as stones in their eyes it matters not But this we gather from it that even at that very time when the birth-priviledge and holynesse of a fleshly seed stood in full force and unrepealed as then it did how much more since the abrogation thereof by faith Abrahams seed could not much less can the seed of believing Gentiles now it is repeal'd be admitted to Baptism without Repentance The Jews as impenitent and unbelieving as they were stood uncast out of the Jewish Church while the Church it self stood But they could not passe out of that Church into the Gospel Church nor from their right to circumcision prove their right to Baptism yet this they might have done if what gave right of old to one of those ordinances doth in like manner in right persons to the other So then seeing Abrahams own seed had no right to Baptism as such how can you expect it from your seed who are not Abrahams seed For Abraham hath but two seeds as I know of except Christ the first is his seed after the flesh and such were all those that were born of his body as Ishmael and his children by Keturah and those that come of him by Isaac and Jacob which only were heirs with him of the land of Canaan for Esau sold his birth-right 2. His seed after the faith and they are all those that walk in his steps Rom. 4.12 and such that do his works John 8. but to suppose that Abraham hath a third seed and they are the children of believing Gentiles is a fancy for non datur tertium semen Abrahae Two seeds of Abraham the Scripture mentions but a third sort cannot be assign'd The first are only these that descend from his loyns as the Midianites and others by Keturah the Ishmaelites by Hagar The Edomites and Israelites by Sarah which last only were the holy seed and children of promise in reference to the Hagarens in a type and sole heirs of the Typical Canaan All these I say were the first sort and all believers of what Nation soever are the second sort but the natural seed of believers are neither of the one nor of the other Poed But were not the proselytes or strangers counted Abrahams seed and circumcis'd upon that account Bap. No they were not Abrahams seed and circumcis'd on that account but from a positive instruction an expresse command from God as they were the males in the family of one that was a Jew at least by devotion for which see Gen. 17.12.13 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcis'd among you every man child in your generations he that is born in the house or bought with mony from any stranger which is not of thy seed He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with mony must needs be circumcis'd and in Exod. 12.48.49 it is called a law When a stranger shall sojourn with thee and will keep the passeover let all his males be circumcis'd and then let him eat the the Passeover and he shall be as one that is born in the land and for the stranger And in Numb 9.14 it is called an Ordinance Ye shall have one Ordinance for him that is born in the land and for the stranger Shew but so much for Infants-Baptism that it is called a law an ordinance or hath any institution for it and the controversy is ended So that you see the prosclites were circumcis'd by vertue of a law as they were Males in the family and not as Abrahams seed for so they were not nor heirs either of the temporal or spiritual Canaan In the temporal Canaan they had no inheritance nor any right to the heavenly unless they were true believers as Abraham was So that the sum of what hath been said is First the seed of believers are not Abrahamâ—s seed Secondly that Abrahams seed are cut off from all the
priviledges of the old Covenant and are not all counted his seed in the sence of the new Thirdly that Abrahams natural seed have no right to the priviledges of the new Covenant by vertue of Abrahams faith Fourthly that seeing Abrahams own seed his natural children have no right to the Gospel-Covenant or priviledges thereof much lesse can the children of believing Gentiles lay any claim thereunto either by vertue of Abrahamâ—s faith or the faith of their own parents And so I might here end this matter but because you shall have full measure I will add another testimony concerning the Covenant and the little ground there is to baptize Infants from that Scripture Gen. 17.7 Know then that the Covenant of grace is to be considered either of the promise of eternal life and salvation made to all the elect in Christ the which remains one and the same in all ages though variously administred in the times of the old and new Testament Or else of the manner of its Administration in which sence it s now in respect of the old Testament administration which was a distinct Covenant in it self for the time being called the new Covenant and the other to have waxen old and to vanish away Heb. 8. last Which cannot be said of the promise or Covenant of eternal life that being an everlasting covenant and over remains one and the same Now it s one thing to be in the Covenant of grace i. e. to have a right to the promise which is only proper to the elect another thing to be under the administration of the Covenant which is common to the elect and reprobates and depends meerly upon Gods appointment Now if the Covenant be understood in the first sence of the promise of eternal life and salvation made to the elect in Christ that did never belong to all the children born of believing parenâ—s as might be instanced in Ishmael and Esau c. but only to such as are elected of them Rom. 9.7.8.9 neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children c. The Covenant of grace being first made between God and Christ all the elect in Christ And therefore in Scripture it is cal'd the promise of eternal life which was made to the elect before the world began who are therefore called the heirs of promise which promise had its first promulgation to Adam in the garden of Eden Where we have also the first discovery of the mystery of the two seeds Now the Covenant taken in this sence is not the ground and reason of administring ordinances to any person whatever But the law of institution is the ground or reason of visible Administrations For the administration of ordinances belongs not to the substance of the Covenant but to its administration as to the persons to whom they shall be administred and that meerly on the law of institution without any other consideration and hence we finde that from the first promulgation of the Covenant to Adam until Gods renewing of it to Abraham there was no ordinance to be administred to Infants though some Infants as well as grown persons both of believers and unbelievers might be comprehended in the Covenant yet not to be circumcis'd and so not to be baptiz'd for want of an institution So the promise in Act. 2.39 is said to be to them a far off in the present tense while uncalled even to as many as shall be called and yet not to be baptized before calling unlesse you will baptize Gentiles in professed Gentilism and so the Jews some not yet born some not cal'd have the Covenant of grace made to them Rom. 11.27 For this is my Covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins and yet they are not to be baptized till converted Nor can the Covenant considered in its pure nature be a ministers rule to administer Ordinances by seeing it is unknown who are in the Covenant and who are not but that which is their rule must be something that is manifest Secondly when it is said that the Covenant of grace belongs to believers children and that is the ground of their Baptism If it be meant of its Administration you have heard that depends meerly on the law of institution and hath varied in several ages according to the will of the law-giver For during all that period of time from Adam to Abraham there was no Ordinance to be administred to Infants but when God renewed the promise to Abraham he instituted circumcision which ordinance belongs peculiarly to the old Testament administration and was part of Moses law which is now abrogated and done away And this was the first ordinance that was administred to Infants and not to all Infants but only to male Infants living in Abrahams family if they did live to the eight day otherwise they had no right to this ordinance though many of them doubtlesse in the Covenant of grace and so saved so we say of Infants in the days of the Gospel many of them are in the Covenant of grace and so saved by vertue of the free promise But yet not to be baptised if they do not live to the time of believing and repenting the only time appointed for Baptism so that the Administration of ordinances to Infants depends upon an Institution and not upon their being in Covenant And as to that place Gen. 17.7 I will be a God to thee and to thy seed that is say you the Covenat was made with Abraham as a believer and so with all believers and their seed To which I answer The Covenant was not made with believers and their seed but with Abraham and his seed Now Abraham is to be considered under a double relation First as the father of the Jews his fleshly seed Secondly as he is the father of his spiritual seed both Jews and Gentiles Rom. 4.11.12 Now to both seeds doth God promise to be a God but in a different manner and respect First he promises to be a God to his fleshly seed in giving to them the land of Canaan for an inheritance the promise of which is expresly called the Covenant made with Abraham and his seed as on Gods part Psal 105.9.10.11.12 which Covenant he made with Abraham saying unto thee will I give the land of Canaan the lot of your inheritance c. See also 1 Chron. 16.16.17.18 and Neh. 9.8 This I say was the Covenant on Gods part And their obedience to circumcision is expresly called the Covenant on their parts Gen. 17.10 This is my Covenant which ye shall keep between me and you Every male shall be Circumcis'd So Act. 7.8 And he gave them the Covenant of Circumcision and so Abraham begat Isaac and circumcis'd him the eight day By which they stood engaged to keep all those other additional ordinances which Moses gave them when they were about to enter their promised inheritance as Gal. 5.3 I testify that whoever is Circumcis'd is bound to keep
but directly and properly and by their own personal faith which I despair ever to hear of though Mr B. himself that unparalleld distinguisher should undertake it Poed But our Ministers tells us that when the promises are said to be made to Christ it is not meant of Christ personally but of Christ mystically as in the 1 Cor. 12.12 and so it s to be understood of the visible Church of which infants born of believing parents are a part Bap. It s true these are your sayings but I must tell you we must not be put off with fancies and bare affirmations but we expect solid proof from Scripture And whereas you say the promises are to be considered as made to Christ mystically that is to the visible Church the contrary appears in Gal. 3.16 where he affirms that Christ was the seed to whom the promises were made And in vers 19th he saith the law was added because of transgression till the seed should come to whom the promise was made where it is observable that the law i. e. the Mosaical administration is said to be before the seed was come and was to have its period then Now if by Christ the seed be not understood personally but mystically for the visible or invisible Church take which you will then the law could not have been before the seed for God had his Church in Abrahams family 400 years before the law was of which Christ was the head and they his mystical body And so by this interpretation the seed should have been before the law contrary to the Apostle who makes the law to have been before the seed and to have its period when the seed to whom the promise was made was come and now the promises running to Christ personally God makes him over for a Covenant to the Elect and all the promises in him Isa 42.6 So that in Christ he is our God and in Christ he takes us to be his people In Christ and a right to the promises out of Christ and strangers to the Covenants of promise Eph. 2.12 So that it is evident that the promises respecting the eternal inheritance and spiritual blessings were first made to Christ personally and in him to his mystical body the Church who are united to him by faith Secondly as to that Scripture 1 Cor. 12.12 for as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ It rather seems to be meant of the invisible Church of true believers then of the visible for the Apostle there calls none the body of Christ but such as â—ad received the gifts of the spirit and such as by one spirit as the concurring cause had been baptiZed into one body yea such who had received the spirit to profit withall such that had a real sympathy one with another vers the 26th If one Member suffers all the members suffer with it if one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it All which cannot in any tolerable sence be applyed to the visible Church amongst whom there are many hypocrites that never received the spirit nor by the spirit could sympathize one with another c. But however it is most certain infants are not called the body of Christ if it be meant of the visible Church indeed by vertue of the grace of election some of them may be members of his mystical body the invisible Church but not at all members of the visible especially from this chapter for it is said if one member suffer all the members suffer with it and the manifestation of the spirit is given to every one to profit withall which cannot be applicable to infants For none in this Chapter are counted the body of Christ but such as are usefull to the body as an eye an eare or a foot a hand a head c. as vers 21. the eye cannot say unto the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the feet I have no need of you So that I draw these two conclusions First every member in a Chuch stands in need of the help of all the other members Secondly that every member in a Church must be usefull in his place to the rest of the members But of what use are infants to the rest of the members in respect to edification Now this objection being answered I hope you see plainly that all the promises respecting spiritual blessings and the eternal inheritance were first made to Christ personally and in him they are made over to his mistical body the Church who are united to him by faith which being well weighed would put an end to the whole Controversy And in the next place you may see to what little purpose the promise in Gen. 17.7 is brought to prove that God made a Covenant of eternal life with believers and their Children The text speaks of a Covenant made with Abraham and his seed it doth not say with all believers and their seed or all Church-members and their seed neither doth it follow by any necessary consequence that because God made a Covenant with Abraham and his seed therefore he hath made a Covenant with believers and their seed sure I am the Apostle was of another mind who when he expounds the Covenant Gen. 17.7 understands it to be made to Abraham as it contains Gospel blessings not as a natural father but as the father of the faithfull both Jews and Gentils Rom. 4.11 12. he received the sign ef Circumcision that he might be the father of all them that believe and walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham so Gal. 3.7 know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham And these only are the seed to whom the Covenant was made in respect to Gospel priviledges and not to the natural seed either of Abraham or of any other believers as hath been evidently made appear before and that beyond all Contradiction And whoever affirms otherwise preaches another Gospel then Paul knew and incurrs that doom mentioned Gal. 1.8 9. Poed But we are told that as the Jews and their Children are broken off from the Covenant so the Gentils and their Children are ingrafted in in their room according to Rom. 11.20 because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith Bap. in answer to which I grant there was a time when the Jews and their children were broken off as the Apostle saith but there are two things to be considered First why they were broken off Secondly from what they were broken off 1. Why Answ It was not because they had not believing Parents for Abraham Isaac and Jacob were the fathers of them all and upon whose account they had right to the priviledges of the Covenant 2. Not because they wanted title for they were Abrahams seed when they were broken off but 3. Because the terms of standing in the Church
were now altered and the Church it self removed For before the Gospel came they stood members of the old Church though as much unbelievers for many generations as they were when they were broken off and why did not their unbelief break them off before But now Abrahams Church state is at an end and all the priviledges and immunities cease the Jewish Church must give way to the Gospel Church the Messiah being come and about to build him a new house into which none are of right to enter but profest believers and the Jews not believing now in that saviour who has the substance of the shadows and which all their types pointed out and whom all those ordinances signified yea for whose sake they did enjoy their ordinances and to which end were committed unto them the oracles of God the giving of the law and the promises yea therefore was their seed counted holy to point out and keep them in memory of that holy child Jesus that was to come as the Anti-type of all these things For the old house or Jewish Church was not intended to abide for ever but to the time of reformation then the law must be changed the priesthood chang'd the priviledges and ordinances chang'd the seed chang'd yea the Covenant chang'd which they not believing being willing to abide in the old house still and to remain Churchmembers upon a meer fleshly and natural birth still crying out Abraham is our father and we are his seed and are free and were never in bondage and here it seems they are resolved to stand wherefore they were broken off and that whether they would or not by reason of their unbelief that is because they would not believe that the old Covenant and all the priviledges thereof were ended and the substance come the Lord Jesus the Antitype of their types The second thing is from what they were broken off I answer From all the glory they boasted so much of as the Apostle sayes thou art called a Jew and makest thy boast of God and trustest in the law but all these things are now gone yea the Typical Adoption the glory and the Covenants the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises all their birth-priviledges Church membership and ordinances which continued but till the time of reformation yea from that Covenant which had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary which is now all abolished as you see Heb. 9.1.2.3.4 c. And all because they did not believe in him who was the Antitype and substance of all their shadows but were willing to abide in the old house still and loath to lose their outward priviledges their worldly sanctuary their ordinances and Church membership upon the account of Abrahams faith for it was indeed an easy service a flesh pleasing religion if salvation could have been obtained by it notwithstanding the bondage and laboriousness of some services yet how willing would the carnal Jew have born all if he might have been saved by the faith of another rather then to lose all the righteousness of the law and to count his circumcision and Church membership as dung to winn Christ as Paul did when converted and be found in him only not having his own righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is by faith in Jesus Christ Thus you see why the Jews ars broken off and from what But they are not all broken off from the Gospel Covenant for there is yet a remnant according to the election of grace and as many of them as believe and repent of their sins shall be admitted to the more easy and more excellent priviledges of the Gospel Church membership and ordinances and shall be a pillar in the Temple of God and shall go no more out Besides we see many of the Jews have been converted and shall be more generally in the later days And if you say May not the children of the Jews be broken off from the Gospel Covenant I answer They are no more broken off then the children of the Gentiles for those that dye in infancy as many as belong to the election of grace shall be saved if they live to years of discretion and then believe they shall be saved as soon as any children of believing gentiles But if the children of the Jews be broken off from the Gospel Covenant it is either because of their parents unbelief or their own personal unbelief If it be meerly their parents unbelief then if any do believe in their own persons they cannot be admitted because of their parents unbelief for that which cuts them off will keep them off and so the parents unbelief keeps the children from the Gospel Covenant and so is the cause of their damnation for causa causae est causa causati But where do we finde that children shall be damn'd for the sins of their parents the Scripture saith the soul that sins shall dye And if you say the Jews unbelief doth not keep their children from the Covenant of grace but only from the administrations of it as Baptism c. I answer that according to your principles it amounts to the same thing for you say out of the Church no salvation But if you say their parents unbelief keeps them out of the Church only during their infancy when they come to years if they believe they may be admitted Then it will follow that such children of the Jews yea of all unbelievers that dye in infancy are in a miserable condition their case is deplorable for their parents secundum te can have no hopes of their salvation Poor souls had you lived a while longer you had been in the Covenant of grace and enjoy'd the priviledges thereof but meerly because of your parents unbelief you are cut off while you are infants But if this be true parents have cause to mourn to the breaking of their loynes when their children dye But David was of another mind who when his child dyed rejoyced though it dyed on the seventh day the day before circumsion and that not without hopes of its good estate as learned men conceive for he said I shall go to that but that shall not return to me which is not meant only of going to the grave but to a state of happynesse for our going barely to the grave is no cause of comfort Poed But we are told that Circumcision was a great priviledge as the Apostle saith Rom. 3.1 What advantage is there of Circumcision much every way and therefore to be broken off was their misery Bap. It s true the Apostle propounds that question what profit is there of Circumcision his meaning is that there was a time when they had advantage by circumcision and the main was that Christ should come of their flesh of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came But this and all other advantages are ceased and now it is a mercy rather then a misery though they thought otherwise to
consequent to it bold and venturous Let him do what he pleases with infants we must not Then Mr. Baxter saith if there can be no example given in Scripture of any one that was baptized without the profession of a saving faith nor any precept for so doing then must we not baptize any without it But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent 2. Christ hath instituted no Baptism but what is to be a sign of present Regeneration but to men that professe not a justifying faith it cannot be administred as a sign of present Regeneration therefore he hath instituted no Baptism to be administred to such 3. If it be the appointed use of all Christian Baptism to solemnize our Mariage with Christ or to seal and confirm our union with him then must we baptize none that profess not justifying faith but the Antecedent and consequent are evident Gal. 3.27.28.29 Doctor Hammond saith that all men were instructed in the fundamentalls of faith anciently before they were permitted to be baptized The Lord Brookes saith That the analogy which Baptism now hath with Circumcision in the old law is a fine rational Argument to illustrate a point well proved before But I somewhat doubt whether it be proof enough for that which some would prove by it since besides the vast difference in the ordinance the persons to be Circumcised are stated by a positive law so express that it leaves no place for scruple But it is far otherwise in Baptism where all the Designation of persons fit to be partakers for ought I know are such as believe c. Poed But Mr. Wills and others say that Doctor Taylor did but personate an Anabaptist he himself was for Infants Baptism only he gave some weak Arguments to please the Baptists Bap. It s true Mr. Wills and others say so But must it needs be as they suppose Does it follow infallibly that the Doctor does prevaricate in his first book is it not possible that he might be under some measure of conviction and so receded from the opinion he was once perswaded of and fell from that truth he so strenuously contended for The Galatians once received the Gospel but were so foolish as to fall from it Besides how frequently do we find divers of the fathers contradict themselves and to build again the things that they destroyd But we need not go so far Mr. Baxter himself is a famous instance How often do's Mr. Baxter contradict Mr. Baxter and is it impossible Doctor Taylor should do so But you 'l say he wrote another book wherein he submitted to the Judgment of the Church in the matter of Baptism It s very like he did and perhaps he was of the opinion of a Popish-priest who told me There was indeed no Scripture for baptizing infants but yet it ought to be done because the Church commanded it He spake what many think But suppose the Doctor did as you say only personate an Anabaptist and make use of some weak Arguments to please them Then 1. I wonder Mr. Wills or some other have not answered the Doctors weak Arguments all this while for none that ever I heard of durst enter the lists with the Doctor in the matter And to say he did it by his contrary practise is a frivolous answer 2. But secondly grant all to be true that you would have and that the Doctor was not against baptizing infants which we grant nor Mr. Baxter nor Doctor Hammond c. Yet we make use of their Arguments to a very good purpose viz. to set off the wisdom goodnesse and power of God who as he hath the hearts of all men in his hands so also their tongues and can when he pleases make use of them to bear witness to and proclaim that truth they neither owned nor practised as in the case of the High-priest who prophecied that it was expedient one should die for the people so we say God hath over-ruled the tongues and pens of Doctor Taylor Mr. Baxter c. and made them to bear so famous a Testimony to his truth and strike so deadly a wound to Infants Baptism that whoever shall go about to heal it will prove themselves phisitians of no value Poed But pray Sir what do you say to Rom. 11.16 If the first fruit be holy the lump is holy and if the root be holy so are the branches From whence we are told this inference may be drawn that as Abraham considered as a root was holy so were his children and so to be Circumcised So Believers being holy their Children are so and so to be Baptized Bap. There hath been enough said to shew the fallacy of this consequence But that you may have no cause to complain I shall speak further to it first then you must know that the Apostles purpose is to shew what Abraham was heretofore a holy root to his natural seed but you will not say he is so now and that his children after the flesh are still holy for they are cut off And that he is not a holy root to the Infants of believing Gentiles and that they are none of his branches is abundantly proved but if you say he is a holy root to believers his spiritual seed and they are holy then we are agreed For surely the Apostle intends nothing else but that as Abraham was a two-fold father so he had a two-fold seed so he is a two-fold root and hath two sorts of branches His first sort of branches were holy with a typical ceremonial holyness his second sort are holy by believing as he did and walking in his steps But to pursue your consequence a little further that a believer considered as a root being holy so his seed is holy as of old it was with Abraham Then you must prove that what was promised to Abraham and what was his priviledge just so it is with believers and their seed and herein we expect plain Scripture proof and not forced consequences and groundlesse non sequiturs But Secondly If the natural seed of believers be holy what kinde of holynesse is it surely you do not mean moral holynesse which is opposed to sin and that they have some inward quality inherent habit or principle of grace in them more then unbelievers infants Secondly you do not mean negative holynesse for there is as much also of that in unbelievers infants as in yours But Thirdly perhaps you mean a Covenant holynesse but what kinde of holynesse that is we could never yet learn from you But if believers natural seed be holy with a Covenant holynesse as Abrahams were then you must baptise all their childrens children in their several generations as you have heard whether their parents believe or not as it was of old Abrahams branches yea all his branches were holy to the 3d and 4th yea the 10th generation and so must yours be and so to be baptized If the Grandfather or great-grandfather were or further removed he was
in as much as he that hath builded the house hath more honour then the house Moses was faithful as a servant but Christ as a son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence c. where the servants are also described they are belivers not infants hence they are also called living stones and a spiritual house 1 Pet. 2.3 And that none but such are of this houshold appears in that Christ the great Master of this house is compared to a king travelling into a far Country who called his servants all his servants and delivered unto them his goods that is Certain Talents to improve Math. 25.14 15. which cannot be supposed to be delivered to infants while they want the use of reason for these â—alents are presently to be improv'd and laid out not laid up So again Christ is compared to a house-keeper who made a great supper and invited his guests but they were not infants because the first that were invited made excuses The next are compeld to come in which supposes an unwillingness in the parties and that they were persons capable to consent or deny The summe of all is that the old house the Jewish Church with all the appurtenances and priviledges of it is pulled down and a new one built into which infants are not admitted because not invited nor appointed by any law They were of the houshold of old but it was by a positive law shew us the like now or you say nothing Sure I am there is no institution that makes infants now fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Neither are they so to be accounted till they believe and are able to do service in the house And if you say that amongst men infants are counted of the houshold though they can do no service I answer that comparison does not run upon four feet it doth not follow that because we count our infants of our family therefore they are to be accounted members of Gods family the Gospel Church unless God by any institution had made them so The houshold of God is called the houshold of faith do good unto all especially the houshold of faith or a house consisting of believers now unless you prove your infants to be believers they are not of this house For all the servants here must be believers either really or Historically and professedly which infants cannot be And it will not help you to say the Church was or may be called the houshould of faith synecdochically from the greatest part for it is evident all the materialls of the first Churches were adult persons and professed believers as appears by the narrative we have in the Acts of the Apostles the direction of all the Epistles and divers Scriptures Besides it may so happen that the infants may be the greatest part of a Congregation and then where is your houshold of faith Poed But Mr. Wills tells us that Mr. Baxter saith That Infant Church membership did take place as an ordinance of God before Circumcision was enjoyned or the Ceremonial law instituted and why then should it cease with it It was no part of the typical administration but a moral institution of God even from the beginning of the world God ever made a distinction between the seed of the faithful and the seed of the wicked as visibly belonging to several kingdomes of God and of Satan Mal. 2.15 Therefore they are called a holy seed Wills pag. 54. Bap. Here is vox praeterea nihil 'T is true Mr. Baxter saith so but if it be warrant enough for Mr. Wills to believe it it is not for me It is strange of what authority some mens words are when they have got the estimation of Orthodox and pious and we have no great cause to wonder at the implicite faith of the Church of Rome when an ipse dixit from an English oracle commands such credit and vassals us to their raw and undigested dictates But let us examine this assertion He saith that Infant Church-membership did take place as an ordinance of God before Circumcision c. But where is that ordinance why are we not directed to some place of Scripture where we may find it Did God make Mr. Baxter of his Cabinet Councel and reveal it to him and no body else Or in what Ancient father did he find it Did any one ever say so before him 2. He saith that it was no part of the typical Administration but a moral institution of God c. I answer there hath been enough said to prove the fallacy and novelty of this position Therefore I referr you to what hath been written But he saith it is a moral institution We still demand where we shall find that institution or else wee 'l say Mr. Baxter is wise above what is written 3. He saith God ever made a distinction between the seed of the faithful and the seed of the wicked But what distinction Did God single them out and separate them by any visible sign or character before the law of Circumcision It is evidently known he did not Or did God distinguish them by his providential care of them or provision for them more then others The Scripture is silent as to this also Or did God love them with a saving love more then the children of unbelievers This seems to be his meaning because of his next words as visibly belonging to several kingdoms of God and Satan But is it so Did all the children of believers from Adam to Abraham belong to the kingdom of God and all the children of unbelievers belong to the kingdom of the Devil If it be Mr. Baxters Divinity or M. Wills charity it shall be none of mine But he thinks to salve all with the word visibly But pray when the sons of God took the Daughters of men and all flesh had corcupted its ways to what kingdom did they belong Did not the seed of believers grow prophane and wicked and the seed of unbelievers pious and Godly as appears in divers even Abraham himself whose father was an Idolater as is probably supposed he himself being bred up in Idolatry But Mr. Baxter hath some Scripture for his warrant and it is Mal. 2.15 that he might seek a godly seed But he that can find infants Church-membership in this text and that the seed of believers did always belong visibly to the kingdom of God and all others to the kingdom of the Devil erit mihi magnus Apollo What though God says he that sâ—ught a godly feed therefore let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth implying that children born in lawful wedlock are this Godly seed Let none whether believer or unbeliever unless you hold that children of unbelivers may not be a godly seed But these are such Non sequiturs that it is in vain to spend further time about them So that the Morality of Infants Church-membership is a very fancy And that
finds Contention raging within him for now those inferior powers will be no longer subject unto Reason but the rebellious pride of the Carnal appetite is such that the Body ceaseth to be any longer subject to the Soul upon which strivings and contentions enter and from thence all manner of Diseases and Distempers upon the Body for death and all corporeal infirmities are but the immediate effects of the disobedience of the Body to the Soul and man is entred into Contrariety not only with himself but others also and hath a property and principle of Contradiction whereby he opposes quarrels divides from and contends with others And is so far departed from the unity and harmonious agreement that should be in the minds of men especially Christians that now there ariseth passion anger and envy which so disturbs torments and disquiets the mind because others are not like us that from thence follow in a great measure diseases infirmities and bodily distempers because the Soul departs from Harmony and is in continual vexation and anxiety so that the Humors of the Body are disquieted and the radical moisture destroyed Persons that are of a Cholerick Temper are more subject to Diseases than those of a more quiet and sâ—rene disposition their passion inflames the inward parts and disorders the whole frame of Nature and envious men are subject to Consumptive distempers Invidus alterius rebus macrescit Opimis because his mind is full of dissatisfaction and disquietness being departed from Unity And Solomon tells us The bloody-minded man shall not live out half his dayes And we know those Anchorets and Monks that have retired from the World into Dens and Caves of the Earth that they might live a contemplative Life and be free from all manner of discord contention and division have lived to an exceeding Old Age and free from those distempers and Bodily Infirmities that others meet with the unity agreement and harmony of their minds much conducing to their bodily health So it 's said of Moses that he was an hundred and twenty years old when he dyed his Eye was not dim nor his natural force abated Deut. 34.7 we know of what quiet serene and meek Spirit he was of Numb 12.3 Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the Earth so that the quietness of his mind did very much contribute to the sanity of his Body And if Men and Women would more follow the Counsel of the Physitian of their Souls who bids us live in peace unity and love they would not perhaps so often want a Physitian for their Bodies FINIS Some Short Questions and Answers for the Younger Sort. Quest WEre not the Children of Believers Church-Members before Abraham's time Answ No the Scripture makes no mention of any such thing neither was there any visible sign or mark appointed by God to distinguish them from the Children of Unbelievers Quest Was there no successive conveyance of Grace from believing Parents to their Children Answ No because the Children of Believers prov'd as wicked as others insomuch as all flesh had corrupted its wayes and God brought the flood upon the World of Ungodly Quest What then became of the Children that Dyed from Adam to Abraham Answ Those that belonged to the Election of Grace were Saved though in no outward Covenant nor signed by any Visible Ordinance Quest Why then did God make a Covenant with Abraham and his Seed and distinguish them from all Nations Answ Because he had a design that the Messiah should come of his Loins and therefore his Males only are commanded to be Circumcised to signifie that Christ should be a Man-child and should shed his Blood for the sins of Believers Quest What other Ends were there of Circumcision Answ To distinguish them from other Nations with whom they were not to Marry lest the Succession should be Interrupted and so the Messiah not come of Abrahams Loynes Quest What advantage had they of Circumcision besides Answ They were counted the Visible people of God for a time had the Laws of God committed to them and the Land of Canaan and divers Earthly Blessings bestowed upon them Quest But had any other People any right to Eternal Life and Salvation Answ Yea It being evident that God had divers of his people amongst the Gentiles who belonged to the Election of Grace as Job and his Three Friends and others which appears by Bildad's appeal to the Ancients Job 8.8 10. For enquire I pray thee of the Former Age and prepare thy self to the search of their Fathers and vers 10. shall not they teach thee c. Quest But how came it to pass that the Jews became the People of God and not others Answ By vertue of a Grant from God to Abraham who freely made a promise to be a God to him and his Seed after him Quest Was this promise made to Abraham because he was better than others or before or after he Believed Answ No It was freely of Grace for God sound him an Idolater and these Promises were made to him before he Believed for we hear nothing of his Faith till Gen. 15.6 Quest Were his Children then Partakers of those Priviledges meerly by being descended from his Loynes Answ Yea we find no other Reason rendred Quest But we hear Abraham was a Believer and received the sign of Circumcision as a token of the righteousness he had by Faith Is it necessary then that his Children have the like Faith Answ 'T is true Abraham Believed after the Promise and was Circumcised but it was not Commanded that his Children should Believe in order to Circumcision Quest But as Abraham was a Believer before his Children had a right to Circumcision so should it not be known that every Father in Israel were a Believer before his Child were admitted to Circumcision Answ No for all were required to Circumcise their Children whether the Parent Believed or not Quest Were none to be Circumcised but those that Descended from Abraham Answ Yea all that were born in his House or bought with money Quest But was it not required that those Servants in Abraham 's House should profess Faith before they and their Children were Circumcised Answ No It was not commanded to be done upon any condition of Faith in the Parent or Child that was a Servant Quest Were Abrahams Children Circumcised by vertue of any right they had to the Covenant of Grace above others Answ No for some of Noah's Children c. had a Right to the Covenant of Grace yet not Circumcised and Esau and Ishmael c. had no right to the Covenant of Grace and yet Circumcised Quest Were not Infants Church-Members in Abraham 's time Answ Yea the Church and the Common-wealth being all one they must needs be Members Quest When did their Membership cease Answ When Christ came and had suffered when the Priesthood was changed when the Law of Circumcision ceased when the natural
of the Kidnies and the burning of the Fat of Beasts to be Sacrificed is said to be a perpetual Statute in their Generations Lev. 3.17 So the Offerings made by fire Lev. 6.18 The Feast of Booths Lev. 23.41 which nevertheless have their period with the Law So where God promises to be a God to Abraham and his carnal Seed in their Generations it is meant during the Legal administration not but that if Abraham be understood as a Spiritual Father God will be a God to him and his Seed viz. such as did believe as he did without limitation for ever Whereas if he be understood as a Political and Natural Parent the Covenant then must needs be understood to make any thing for them absolute and everlasting but that were absurd for the Natural Seed of Abraham viz. the Unbelieving Jews have broke the Covenant and are now cut off which they could not have been if that Position were true But that the Covenant was not absolute as it respected the Temporal ot Spiritual Seed of Abraham I evince thus If while the Church of the Jews was in being God denies himself to be their God and disowns them as his people because of their transgression then the promise was Conditional not absolute but the Antecedent is true Hos 1.9 Exod. 19.5 6. Jer. 23.14 But if you lay so much stress upon that expression that God should be a God to you and your Seed what account will it amount unto for you can apply nothing of the Promise to them but the bare outward act of Baptizing or rather Rantizing but what of favour or Spiritual saving-mercy is that or what advantage is it since the Children that dye Unbaptized are as capable of Salvation as those you Baptize For it is the Protestant Doctrine not to ascribe Salvation Opere operato and therefore Baptism confers not Grace nor Saves the dying Soul unless in conjunction with Faith which applies the blood of Christ The Covenant made to Abraham and his Spiritual Seed respects Salvable Mercies Grace here and Glory hereafter but Baptism of Infants can confer neither therefore it is not the Covenant made with Abraham Nor need we yield to that Opinion that would force us to acknowledg no Covenant but what is mutual because this Covenant consists of Free Donation and so rather a Testament than Covenant as Ames Mar. Divinity lib. 1. cap. 23. affirms And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place by the 70 and in all places of the Old Testament except Isai 28.15 where they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faedus vel pactum inter partes a Covenant betwixt parties as Leigh in his Critica sacra And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Englisht a Testament see Matth. 26.28 Mark 14.14 Heb. 9.15 17. 1 Cor. 11.25 Luke 22.20 So that the properest expression is to call it the Testament of Grace and this name is most agreeable to the nature of the thing for God doth hereby dispose convey and bestow all that Grace which may fit all his Heirs for his Eternal Glory By vertue of this Testament or Covenant of Grace was the Land of Canaan promised to Abraham for his Natural Posterity which Typified the Heavenly Canaan which his Spiritual Seed should enjoy upon the exhibition of the Messiah and which is indeed the chief Blessing Not but that some of his natural Seed too should enjoy the later provided they be his Spiritual Seed by Faith as well as his Natural Seed by Generation See Jer. 32.40 Heb. 8.8 9 10 11 12. and 10.16 17. Jer. 31.23 and that same condition of Faith is still required of the Seed of Believers and without it they have no interest in Christian Ordinances which Mr. W. takes no notice of but concludes in contradiction to what he said before That as Abraham and his Seed were Circumcised Believers and their Seed must be Baptized the main thing in doubt betwixt us and for which he offers no proof But he goes on page 77. If the Covenant Believers are now under be the same with that establisht with Abraham and his Seed and that as such that Circumcision was the sign token or seal of the Covenant and Baptism doth now succeed in the place room and use of Circumcâ—sion then Infants ought to be Baptized as of old they were Circumcised observe his frequent contradictions just now he renounced what here he concludes But if these or any of these things be not so but are meer mâ—stakes on our parts I must confess we have no sure footing for Infant-Baptism in the Covenant as at first established with Abraham and his Seed in their Generation This is indeed the grand Fabrick whereby Infant-Baptism has been of late Years supported which if we can demolish the Super structure must needs fall as now ingeniously acknowledged Nor need we employ any greater strength against it then what Dr Owen lends us Exercit. 6. page 55. c. quoted before where he solidly confutes the Plea from the Birth-priviledg to Christian Ordinances And therefore to produce Dr. Owen against Mr. Whiston is a sufficient Confutation if we had said no more And this being the Radical Thesis to which the other Considerations he wastes his paper and time about are only subservient as Attendants that the number and equipage of the retinue might bespeak its grandeur and port If we should take no notice of any thing he saies further but apply our Arguments only to that it were enough since if this be once comâ—ted the rest of his Book is cashier'd of course Which piece of Service the Doctor has excellently done to our hands proving undeniably that Abraham has but two Seeds the natural Jew and actual professing Believers and that such only as are Heirs of Abraham's Faith have right to Gospel priviledges the old Faederal right being insufficient to entitle the Jews thereto therefore let Mr. Whiston either convince the Doctor if this be an error or be convinced by him in case it be a truth Or let him reconcile that Exercitation to the practice of Baptizing Infants upon a Faederal Right or tell us plainly in what third capacity the Infant seed of Believers now are the children of Abraham since they are not his natural Seed as all must own nor as the Doctor well words it in the case of the Jews can they wanting personal Faith be counted his Spiritual Seed But however a little to examine this foundation-principle three Things are to be offered to our Enquiry 1. Whether the Covenant Believers are now under be the same establisht with Abraham and his Seed 2. Whether Circumcision be the sign token or seal of that Covenant 3. Whether Baptism doth succeed in the place use and room of Circumcision To the first I say as before that the Covenant must be considered in a two-fold respect 1. In respect to Spiritual Blessings Grace here and Glory hereafter so it is and was
command expresly notes the time age and sex The Levitical and Typical Holiness in Abraham's Houshold whether natural or adopted included not Regeneration nor heart cleanness which is our holiness land fruit and trees were holy in a typical consideration when Circumcision was predicated of Trees as well as Men Lev. 9.23 And for us to affirm that Trees ought to be now baptized as they were then reputed to be Circumcised is a wild way of reasoning And therefore since things become Ordinances to us by vertue of a word of institution and no such word is found to make out that Baptism succeeds Circumcision in its room place and use we think it safe to be sober and advance no further than the Scripture guides And to make Circumcision institutive of Baptism is to send us to School to the Law and that Old first vanishing Covenant as it is stiled Heb. 8. as if the Law-giver in the New-Testament had not by a positive institution establisht his Ordinances there nor left us any Warrant for our Gospel-Duties without that retrogression to Moses and assimilating them to the Paedagogy and similitude of Types So that these things being found meer mistakes on Mr. Whiston's side we may conclude in his own words that they have no sure footing in the Covenant for the baptizing of Infants He saith page 81. The Covenant Gen. 17.7 was made with Abraham in both capacities viz. as a Natural and Spiritual Father What then This is a meer Ignoratio Elenchi and Mr. W. has a peculiar Talent to prove that which is not deny'd But to this I have spoke before He argues page 89. thus If Jacob and Esau in their Infant-state were heirs of the World through the righteousness of Faith when they had no personal faith then the Infant-seed of Believers may be so too But Ergo the Text he grounds upon is Heb. 11.9 dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same Promise The vanity of which consequence will appear if you consider 1. That there is nothing in that Text to countenance his assertion We grant Isaac and Jacob were heirs of the same Promise as well in respect of Gods Covenant with their Father Abraham and his Seed as their own personal faith when they came to years but that it should follow that all the Carnal Seed of Believers should be so too is that that needs proof and we deny 2. I humbly conceive That to be heirs of the world through the righteousness of faith and yet have no personal faith as he words it is meer contradiction and non sense 3. The promise to which Isaac and Jacob were heirs is That the Messiah should come of their Loins according to the Flesh and how that being already fulfilled can be applicable to the children of believers I cannot tell nor Mr. Whiston neither Therefore his Syllogism is vain and empty He proceeds pag. 93. To demand Whether there be any Original Sin If so how came any Infants to be saved unless through the righteousness of faith viz. Gods non imputation of guilt to them c. Now says he if they are capable of the righteousness of faith why may they not have that righteousness sealed to them by an outward and visible sign To wave many things that may be said to shew the childishness of the Quaere we say The same reason may be urged for Vnbelievers children for if they be capable of the grace and mercy of Christ in order to their salvation viz. non imputing sin and imputing the righteousness of Christ to them as well as the children of Believers then at your rate of reasoning they have as good right to the outward visible Sign If you deny the former you impeach the free grace of Christ and have little of Christian Charity If you grant it your Position's overthrown In pag. 101. he tells us if we 'll believe him That Circumcision was administred to the Adult considered as believers Here I confess I do not understand what he means by Believers I thought the term Believer had not been used to have been appropriated to any person but in respect to Christ viz. Such as had some knowledge of and believed in the Messiah to come or already come Otherwise sueh of the Ethnicks who believe a Deity but not a Redeemer must needs be saved I am sure the Jews are accounted Vnbelievers to this day because they reject Christ which could not be if their admission to Circumcision and to be Members of the Commonwealth and the Church of Old had been upon the account of faith So that there is no truth in this position for it doth not appear that the Proselytes or any others were informed of the Messiah before they were circumcised or that they gave any testimony of their belief in him but only that they owned the God of Israel to be the true God and were willing to be joyned to that Common-wealth And Mr. W. knows that that is not sufficient now there must be saith in Christ else no believer But what would he conclude from hence Suppose the Adult that were circumcised were eonsidered as Believers if he say So all the Adult that are baptized are to be so considered which is the most natural inference that can be drawn hence we are agreed But I perceive the pains he takes here is to make way for that absurd Position he is now coming to and which I conceive he is the Protoplast of pag. 116. That Circumcision was administred to the Jewish infants considered as the seed of Believers By the way I wonder the man will trouble himself so much about Circumcision when he professes so gravely pag. 75. That he pleads not for Baptism from any Analogy with it Which would make one suspect that he is apt to forget himself or that he thinks we 'll believe any thing so soon as he pronounces his Magisterial Thus I say it c. But let 's hear how he proves it Why says he because the Adult that were circumcised were considered as the seed of Believers A worthy proof indeed but 't is all we are like to have He takes it for granted it seems that the Adult were circumcised as Believers and grounds his Argument upon it as his Medium But Logicians will tell him that such a way of Argumentation is but a silly Petitio Principii or begging the question But in order to a further and more particular satisfaction I offer these Considerations 1. That the Congregrative Body of the People or Jewish Males were Circumcised in their Infancy pursuant to the Command of God being else to be cut off from his people Gen. 17.14 and therefore this Argument being grounded upon a false Hypothesis will vanish Besides it is a non-sequitur for will it follow That if the Adult were circumcised upon their own faith which is but begg'd too therefore Infants were circumcised upon the faith of others 2. All that the Scripture mentions