28.18 And the reason is plain because they can never be disproved to be Disciples of Christ in one sence or other that are visibly of the Church For the Church is Christ's School and all that are of the Church are Christ's Scholars If they say Infants are no Disciples because they are not in a capacity to learn I answer Although they are not in the properest and nearest capacity to learn yet it doth not therefore follow that they are in no such capacity of it as that they may be called and reputed to be Disciples or Learners The Scripture useth to reckon or impute the doing of things to Children when yet they have been but in as remote a capacity of doing those things themselves as they are of Learning Thus little Children were said to enter into Covenant Deut. 29.11 12. to keep Covenant and to break Covenant Gen. 17 10.14 And the Children of the Kohothites of a moneth old were said to keep the charge of the Sanctuary Numb 3.28 And Levi to pay Tithes in Abraham while he was yet in his Loins Heb. 7.9 10. Doubtless they were said to do these things either because they did them virtually in their Parents as being morally one with them untill they could chuse for themselves Or else because they were under visible Circumstances of being certainly taught by their Parents to do them themselves when they should be in the nearest and properest capacity so to do and to own what their Parents had done on their behalf in the mean time as much as if they had done it in their own Persons But for whether of these reasons or for both or for any other they were said to do such things while but Children for the same reasons may little Children while but such be as truly said to be Disciples or Learners And upon one account or other Children as well as Parents are called Disciples in Act. 15.10 Where somes urging the necessity of the Gentiles being Circumcised after the manner of Moses that is to be proselyted by Circumcision is called a laying a yoak upon the neck of the Disciples Seeing then the manner of Moses was to Circumcise Proselytes both Fathers and Male Children and the pressing the continuance of this among all Gentiles Proselyted to Christianity is called a putting a yoak upon the neck of the Disciples it is impossible to prove but that the Children as well as the Fathers are meant by the Disciples upon whose neck the yoak would have been laid because it is manifest they as well as their Fathers were the Persons whose Circumcision was urged as necessary For these reasons I conclude they will never be able to prove little Children to be no Disciples and if not they can never be able to prove them excluded out of Christ's Commission for Baptizing Disciples 3. They cannot prove that the ends of Baptism are not attained when Administred to Infants of Believing Parents First one great end of Baptism is to signifie to all Men by visible sign and representation the same thing which Gods Covenant in the Gospel doth by Word Baptism conveys to the mind by the sense of seeing the same thing as the word of the Gospel doth by the sense of hearing which is the Covenant of Salvation or the terms on which God hath promised to save Men. Christ's Death Burial and Resurrection as the means by which pardon and Salvation are conditionally obtained for and promised to all Men are signified in Baptism And our dying unto sin and rising to a new Life as the condition upon which that pardon and Salvation are promised are likewise signified in Baptism Hence we are said to be buryed with Christ in Baptism into Death and to be raised with him Rom. 6.3 4 5 6. Col. 2.12 And to be saved as by a figure by Baptism as it signifies the Resurrection of Christ and the answer of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3.21 And because the substance of the new Covenant is represented in Baptism thence it is that Baptism is called the sign of the Covenant And because it is an institution of God to assure Men that upon the terms signified by it they shall be pardoned and saved thence it is called the Seal of the Covenant as Circumcision for the like reason was For Circumcision was a sign to signifie upon what condition God promised Men to be their God and a Seal to assure them that upon their performing that Condition he would be their God And the Condition signified was Circumcision in the Spirit as St. Paul expounds it Rom. 2.28 29. that is mortification or the change of the heart the same for substance with the new Birth represented in Baptism But then Baptism no more than Circumcision doth signifie that all that have received it have performed the Condition of the promise of Salvation therein signified but to assure them and all others that upon the performance of it the benefits promised shall be conferred For the sign of the Covenant doth not signifie more to Men than the Covenant it self and the Covenant it self doth not signifie to Men that they have performed the Condition of it As to this end then as Circumcision was of a publick and common use to the Females as well as the Males though they were not circumcised themselves so is Baptism much more both to the Persons themselves who are Baptized and to all others as well when it is administred to Children as when to Men of riper years 2. Another end of Baptism is to oblige the Persons Baptized to perform the Condition of the Covenant in being born again of making them new hearts and becoming new Creatures as ever they hope to receive the benefits of pardon and Salvation promised in the Covenant upon that Condition It is from this Obligation that a holy Life is frequently pressed upon Christians from their having been Baptized and that it is called the Baptism unto Repentance Rom. 6. Col. 2 and 3 Chap. Mark 1. And Baptism can be no less an Obligation to Repentance and a Holy Life when administred to Infants than Circumcision was in like case and yet St. Paul said that whosoever was Circumcised was bound to keep the Law Gal. 5. And those Baptized in their Infancy if when they come to years of discretion do prove such as make Conscience of their own personal Obligation they usually take themselves to be as much obliged by their Infant-Baptism as they do who are Baptized at years of discretion and discharge it as well All which considered Infant-Baptism cannot be proved a Nullity as to this end neither 3. Another end of Baptism if it be not the same with that before mentioned is a solemn dedication of the person Baptized to the Worship and Service of the Father Son and Holy Spirit called a being Baptized in the Name or into the Name of Father Son and Holy Ghost Mat. 28. And is not such an Act done by Parents as obliging to their Children
appointed and yet for all that our Saviour made choice of Baptism by which to initiate Proselytes into his Religion He used a gesture in eating the Passeover different from what was appointed at the first institution as Ainsworth observes on Exod. 12.6.11 Which things I might improve to several purposes but because they are not so directly apposite to what I have last discoursed I shall leave them to be pondered on by such as are scrupulous over much and who think no alteration of Circumstances between the first and after-use of an institution will justifie a Circumstantial variation from what was first practised thereabout III. Dividing Principle to be avoided Another Dividing Principle is That it doth not belong to the Higher Powers in a Nation professing Christianity to intermeddle in any publick establishment of that Religion farther then to protect countenance and encourage the Professors of it in their Profession I call this a Dividing Principle because the Higher Powers doing more then so in having Divided the whole Nation into particular Parish-Churches and having appointed Gospel-Ordinances to be Administred in those Congregations and obliging and constraining all professing the true Christian Religion in the Nation to attend the Worship of God in those Assemblies this being the National way as they call it some do therefore separate from it In opposition to this Dividing Principle I shall endeavour to shew 1. That Nations professing the true Christian Religion do upon that account according to the Scripture stand related to God as his People in a large sence and in contradistinction to the Heathen and Infidel World 2. That a National settlement of the Christian Worship in the Parish-Churches by the Higher Powers is more for the interest of Religion and Men's Salvation then if there should be none 1. To begin with the first of these When God by Abraham designed to set on foot a method of Reforming the World he declared to him he would do it in a National way As for me my Covenant is with thee a Father of many Nations shalt thou be A Father of many Nations have I made thee saith the Lord Gen. 17.4 5. Meaning I suppose that that Reformation which was begun in him by his Faith and Obedience in forsaking the Idols of his Countrey upon God's call and betaking himself to the Worship and Service of the true God should by degrees extend to the taking in of many Nations God at the very first told him that he should be a Blessing and that in him and in his Seed all Nations should be Blessed Gen. 12.2 3. And by St. Paul Rom. 4.16 17. we understand that God's promise of making Abraham a Father of many Nations was not in respect of many Nations descending from him in the way of Natural Generation but by deriving from him that profession of Faith and holy Worship which was transmitted down from him not only to the Nation of the Jews but also to the Nations of the Gentiles To begin this Work in a National way the Lord promised Abraham to give to his Seed his Natural Seed the Land of Canaan as the place where this work should be eminently begun in a National way And all that Nation were accordingly brought into Covenant with God and became his Church and People And all the Proselytes of the Gentiles that forsook their Idols to joyn with them to Worship the God of Abraham and were Circumcised were without any exception save that of legal uncleanness to eat the Passeover Numb 9. And thus it held on in the way of gathering only some here and there out of the Nations of the Gentiles untill Christ gave Commission to Preach the Gospel to all Nations Baptizing them And as the time of bringing in whole Nations of the Gentiles in times of the Gospel drew nearer so Predictions of it by the Prophets were more particular and express Isa 52.15 He shall sprinkle many Nations to wit as he promised in particular to the Jews to sprinkle clean water upon them to cleanse them from all their filthiness and from all their Idols Ezek. 36.25 And again Isa 55.5 Behold thou shalt call a Nation that thou knewest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee And God's call of a Nation and a Nations Answer to that call makes a Church works a Relation between God and them as some have well observed And Zechariah one of the last Prophets speaks yet more expresly Chap. 2.11 And many Nations shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and shall be his People To be joyned to the Lord and to be his People plainly signifie such a Relation between God and them as doth make them to be of his Church Mat. 21.43 The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation that is sure Nationally for otherwise we cannot say it was taken from all of that Nation of the Jews Rev. 11.15 The Kingdomes of this World are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ These Predictions have been fulfilled as Nations have Nationally imbraced and professed the Christian Religion For it is a vain thing to think that these Prophesies have not yet at all been fulfilled now after the Gospel hath been running its course these sixteen hundred years to accomplish them And if any have a mind to interpret these Prophesies of National Churches by that in Revel 5.9 And hast Redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kinred and Tongue and People and Nation They may do well to consider that the calling of a few out of Nations according to their Notion is not the calling of those Nations themselves It s one thing for Men to be brought to effectual Faith and sincere Obedience by the Gospel and another to be brought to a general profession of it There are the many that are called and yet but few that are the chosen Mat. 20.16 and 22.14 It is in the one sense that they are said to be Redeemed out of every Kinred Tongue People and Nation and in the other that whole Nations are said to be joyned to the Lord and to be his People for so they are by a general call and profession Every individual Person in a Nation that so professeth and Worshippeth the true God in opposition to all false gods as to be called by his Name are in Scripture denominated Sons and Daughters to God in a large sense Isa 43.6 7. Bring my Sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the Earth even every one that is called by my Name As the Worshippers of Idols are called the Children of a strange god Mal. 2.11 So in opposition to that and in a large sense all that Worship the true God are called his Children as the Jews were Diut 14.1 When St. Paul said in Gal. 3.26 to all the Churches of Galatia Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus it was sure from their profession of Faith
in Christ Jesus in their Baptism by which they put him on as there he saith that he so stiles them and not from the effectualness of the Faith of every one of them For he chargeth them with being removed from the Gospel of Christ to another Gospel Chap. 1.6 with not obeying the Truth Chap. 3.1 and tells them that he was afraid of them lest he had bestowed labour on them in vain Chap. 4.11 that he stood in doubt of them and was travelling in Birth again with them for the forming of Christ in them ver 19 20. There are many that are the People of God by professed Obligation on their part that are not so by special interest in the promise on God's part for want of performing the special Condition And such are the Servants of God indeed but they are called in Scripture Sloathfull Servants unprofitable Servants wicked Servants foolish Virgins Branches in Christ the Vine that bear no Fruit. 2. A National settlement of the Christian Worship in the Parish-Churches by the Higher Powers is more for the interest of Religion and Men's Salvation then if there should be none It is for the interest of Religion in a Nation that are of the true Religion by profession that the Higher Powers there being of the same Religion do take order 1. That God be publickly Worshipped by the People in the use of Gospel-Ordinances 2. That places for publick Worship be provided for that end 3. That Church-Officers competently qualified be appointed to administer those Ordinances in those places and that maintenance be appointed them that they may attend that Work 4. That all the People of the Christian Profession be required to attend the publick Worship 5. That this be enjoyned under such moderate penalties as may secure the Law from contempt or careless neglect 6. That some be appointed to see the Law put in Execution which yet cannot be practicable without a distribution of the whole into parts in the same or some such way as that is by which the whole Nation is divided into Parishes 7. That Church-Discipline be established and duly exercised for the purging of the Church and keeping it pure The first of these particulars that the Higher Powers take care that God be publickly Worshipped by the People is evident of it self Nature teaches all Men to Worship him whom they acknowledge to be their God and by themselves or others to teach those under their Government to do the like as appears by universal practice And the second of the fore-mentioned particulars is consequent upon the first and the third upon the second and so on That these things are for the interest of Religion every Man's reason will easily discern For hereby a face of Religion will be kept up in every place in such a Nation and the means of Salvation will be ready at hand and all will come under an obligation of Man's Law as well as God's to make use of them And hereby through the Blessing of God knowledge and the fear of the Lord will be propagated more then if the People were all left at liberty to do that which is right in their own eyes to provide or not provide themselves with such helps or to use or neglect them as they please We see by experience that there is generally the least face of Religion in those places that have been most neglected in the publick provision And it is upon the account of such necessary things as these that Kings and Queens were promised as a great Blessing to the Church under the Notion of Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers to train up and Educate their People in Religion Isâ— 49.23 And the better any Kings and Rulers are the more careful and the more zealous will they be to promote and propagate true Religion in their Dominions by their Authority And usually the success answers the zeal and diligence of such as we see it did in the good Kings of Judah and their People When all Kings fall down before him all Nations shall serve him according to the Prophesie Psal 72.11 It will be so with the People when the Kings of Nations subject themselves to Christ not only in their personal but more especially in their Regal capacity For which cause it should seem St. Paul exhorted the primitive Christians to make Supplications Prayers and Intercessions for Kings and all that are in Authority as for other respects so especially for their Conversion to Christianity they being then Heathen both that Christians might live peaceable and quiet Lives in all godliness and honesty and also that Christianity might be propagated in their Dominions to the Salvation of many the more For this is implyed in the reason of the exhortation in these words For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all Men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.2 3 4. And when the primitive Christians had accordingly for a long time travelled by fervent Prayer for the Conversion of the Heathen Emperours to Christianity at last they obtained their Petition in Constantine that famous Christian Emperour upon whose Victories over the Enemies to Christianity and the propagation of the Christian Religion by publick Authority throughout his Dominions that joyful acclamation was heard in the Church as Interpreters understand Now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the Power of his Christ Revel 12.10 Christianity and so the Kingdome of God was in the Empire before by private mens profession of it but when it came to be backed by Imperial Edicts and Laws and to be seconded by the power and strength of the Empire Then and not till then was that new Song sung in the Church Now is come Salvation and Strength the Kingdome of our God and the Power of his Christ I would it were better considered by some who would be thought great Enemies to Popery how that in this proper and eminent point of Popery they symbolize with the Pope himself and all that are thorow-Papists viz. In denying Kings to have any power in matters Ecclesiastical When the ten Kings Revel 17.13 parted with this Ecclesiastical Authority to the Pope upon his Usurpation they gave their Authority which God had invested them with as well as their Strength unto the Beast And as fast as they fall off from him they re-assume it again as we see all Princes and Governours of the Reformed Religion have done And of all the Kings that have professed Christianity ever since there was a Nation professing it there hath not I think been one but who have claimed a power about ordering Church-affairs except such as have given their power and strength unto the Beast And shall we not then interpret and understand the Ancient Prophesies that went of them by the event in what we see fulfilled That Kings may abuse this power to the propagating a false Religion or in corrupting the
into and more uncharitable in censuring others as carnal as time-servers as Men of the World only because of the National way and not of theirs though otherwise never so worthy Many of these are growing indeed but it is farther and farther into separation till at last they commence Quakers 4. If you prize your comfort prize harmony and good agreement not among this or that sort or party only but among all that do agree in things of absolute necessity to Salvation to all For those that are living and not dead or benumb'd Members of Christ's Body cannot but be pained with the rending of one Member of that Body from another If one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it 1 Cor. 12.26 Was it not a sad sight to see the Man in Mar. 5.5 cutting himself with stones And an Argument that he was possessed with an evil Spirit And I pray you how much less doleful is it to see the People of God Members of the same Body cutting and wounding themselves For so they do when they cut and wound one another For they are Members one of another Rom. 12.5 Alas how unnatural is this For no Man yet ever hated his own flesh Certainly where thus it is they are under a Spiritual phrenzy and madness and are objects of very great commisseration as well as occasions of great trouble and disturbance in the Church of God But O the Comfort of Love as the Apostle phraseth it Phil. 2.1 and the pleasantness of Peace and the delight of harmony which is like a well-tuned Instrument where there is no jarring Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity Psal 133.1 A great part of the comfort of a Christian in this World lyes in his Communion with Saints David said the Saints and excellent were all his delight Psal 16.3 And therefore a breach in this must needs make a breach in a Christians comfort 5. The Christian cause and interest in in the World calls loudly upon all such as would approve themselves to have any Love for it or to be any Friends to it and not betrayers of it to Unite and to close up the Divisions that are among us and not to persist in separating practises or to do any thing that contributes thereto but the contrary One great means of facilitating the belief of the Gospel and of propagating the Christian Religion and of bringing it into reputation in the World is the Union and good agreement of all Christ's followers And therefore he prayed so earnestly as we heard before that they all might be one as he and the Father are one that they also might be perfect in one and all for this end that the World might believe that the Father had sent him Joh. 17.20 21. That Men might believe that he came from God indeed and that he was no Impostor but that his Gospel is the infallible Truth and that Religion which is taught thereby is the only true Religion For Christ's followers are those by whom the Gospel is upheld in the World and held forth and witnessed to the World They hold forth the Word of Life Phil. 2.16 they are the Pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 And the more unanimous these are in judgment affection and testimony the stronger and more authentick will their testimony be the more Men will be drawn to consider it and to lay to heart the import of it But the more they are divided about it the more this Gospel this Religion comes under suspition in the minds of many and from their differing about lesser things the ignorant the weak and unbelieving will draw arguments of suspition and hesitation about the greater and be ready to conclude the uncertainty of the whole by their differing about a part especially when their difference rises so high and becomes so notorious and publick as it does when they separate about it This is lamentably experienced not only in the continued infidelity of Jews and Turks but also in that Atheism and Sceptiscism which hath so exceedingly increased upon us since these sad times of Division and Separation among us Our Divisions unsettle the minds unhinge and distract the Souls of many that they know not whom to follow or where to fix and by this means they are exposed to be practised upon by seducers and carried away Your Divisions encourageth seducers and the Adversaries of our Reformed Religion in their designs against you and invites them to attempt upon you So that as long as you keep up your Divisions they will make an advantage of it grow upon you and get ground and by little and little draw away your strength and in conclusion over-master you if by Uniting you prevent them not Your Adversaries know the meaning of divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel if you do not and of those words A Kingdome divided against it self cannot stand It hath been no doubt their practice by all the artifice they could to raise and foment your Divisions as it is still to continue and increase them as designing ruine to the Protestant interest thereby And will you gratifie them herein And become their Instruments to accomplish your own destruction and the destruction of that cause and interest which should be more dear to you then your Lives God forbid And therefore let no lesser interests of worldly advantage be it profit be it honour among Men or reputation among a party tempt you to betray this greater interest of your Lord and Master of Religion and of your Souls Be not herein penny wise and pound foolish Revive not that complaint Phil. 2.21 All seek their own not the things of Jesus Christ Expose not Religion to loss and dammage in the main and in the substance of it by being too tenacious of mutable Circumstances Be not so concerned for your Cabbin as to expose the Ship to sinking through your neglect I have now done Only remember I pray you that the things wherein the divided parties professedly agree are such as carry in them the main of Christianity and will make good Christians indeed if lived up to Whereas the things upon which we divide are but disputable opinions the best of which on the one side or the other will never make a good Christian without the other And you know what account God made of Men's zeal though it were for his own institutions as among the Jews of old when they were greatly guilty of sins against Charity Though Men be never so Orthodox in and zealous for their opinions yet if they have not Charity they are but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal A wise Man will not therefore value himself by that which is proper to such or such a party but by that Charity Humility and Sobriety of mind with other graces which are common to those that are good indeed in each party and by these he will value any man of