them out of his hand or his fathers v. 28.29 Hovv unsufferably novv doe these men vvrest Christs heavenly vvords Thirdly the exception vvhich they put If they doe evill in his sight and will not heare his voyce then hee will repent of the good c. This exception is unpossible to bâ—e found in Christs sheepe for though through infirmitie they fall yet he casteth them not off for the Lord upholdeth them with his hand Psal 37 24 though they stray he seeketh them up Psal 119 176 he brings againe that which was driven away binds up that which was broken strenthens that which was sick c. Ezek 34 16 he circumciseth their heart to loue the Lord with all their heart and withall their soule that they may liue Deut 30 6 Such as beleeue not and heare not his voyce are not sheep but goats or swine as Christ sayd to the Iewes ye beleeue not because ye are not of my sheepe Ioh 10 26. And how is it possible that the sheep should perish seeing God is greater then all in whose hand they are Ioh 10 28 29. If Satan assaile them the God of peace will tread him under their feet Rom 16 20 if the world they overcome it by their faith for greater is he that is in them then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4 4 5 4 if their owne corruptions rebell in them God not onely pardoneth but also subdueth their iniquities Mic 7 18 19 as he caried them from the wombe so hee hath promised to cary them even unto old age and hoarie haires Esa 46 3 4. he sanctifieth them wholly and preserveth their whole spirit and soule and body blamelesse unto the comming of Christ 1 Thess 5.23 If neither Satan nor the world nor the flesh can draw thâ—m from Christ nothing can draw them away but they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Vnto Ioh. 13 1. where it is sayd Christ loved his own vnto the end they first say that the meaning is vnto the end of his life Ans. This is a frivolous limitation did Christ loue his owne no longer then vvhiles he lived with them in this vvorld Who taught these miserable men thus to limit and lessen the loue of Christ He himselfe testifieth otherwise to his people I haue loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse haue I drawne Ier. 31.3 But it seemeth their conscience checked them vvhen they wrote such doctrine therefore after they say that he loveth his for ever but the question is not of Christs loue unto his but of their loue vnto him A. This is no answer to Joh. 13.1 vvhich speaketh of Christs loue not of theirs Secondly it is unpossible that Christ should loue any for ever if they also loue not him For such as hate and forsake him them also he vvill hate and forsake and so cannot loue them for ever Thirdly it is before proved from Jer. 31.3 that those whom he embraceth with everlasting loue he also draweth vvith loving kindnesse and being drawen they run after him Song 1.4 those whom hee loveth first they loue him 1. Ioh. 4.19 he circumciseth their heart to loue him Deut. 30.6 hee putteth his feare vnto their heart not to depart from him Ier. 32.40 and nothing can separate them from the loue of Christ Rom 8.35 Vnto Rom. 11.29 where the Apostle sayth The gifts and calling of God are without repentance they answer with their common exception that if the Iewes abide not still in unbeliefe they shall be grafted in againe of this the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Answ. They still labour to overthrow one part of the truth by alledging another The Apostle as he sayth that if the Iewes abide not in unbeliefe they shall bee grafted in for God is able Rom. 11.23 so he further sayth that blindnesse in part is happened to Israel untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Syon the deliverer and shall turne away ungodlines from Iakob c. v. 25 26. and further telleth us that as touching the election they are beloved for the fathers wherof the reason is this for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance v. 28.29 Therefore as the first is true that God is able to graffe them in so the second is also true that he is willing and they shal be graffed in as there is a condition on their parts if they abide not in unbelief so there is an absolute promise on Gods part that they shal not abide in it because Christ the Deliverer will turne away ungodlines from them that is he will take away their unbeliefe and hardnesse hee will take away their sins v. 26 27. vvhich is a plain evidence that he loveth them and repenteth not of his former loue and promise And as he dealeth with the elect Iewes so doth he vvith all the elect Gentiles therefore all Gods elect shall in time be converted and haue their sins forgiven them and so undoubtedly saved by him whose gifts and calling are vvithout repentance In 1. Ioh. 2.19 it is sayd They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt haue continued with us c. This place sheweth that hypocrites and reprobates vvhich abide not vvere never of Christs Church though crept for a time amongst them It teacheth also that all vvho are of the Saints of Christs sheep and his elect doe abide and fall not away to perdition To this they make answer first by an open slander that we should affirme that God hath predestinated some to salvation and some to damnation without any condition This we affirme not but they falsly charge us as I haue formerly manifested Againe they say we affirme that the elect making never so great shew of vvickednesse and vvalking in the vvayes of Bâ—â—â—all are stil elect and can by no meanes fall out of their election c. But herein they keepe their wont Had they dealt honestly they should haue shewed vvho and vvhere vve thus affirme We hold that the elect after their calling are carefull to avoyd all sinne as it is vvritten We know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not but he that it begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not 1 Ioh. 5 18 And though the elect fal through infirmitie into many grievous sins yet they abide not alwayes in them but are renewed by repentance and faith in Christ and whiles they are fallen they are not cast off Psa. 37 neither doth God repent of his electing of them nor utterly depriveth them of grace and his good spirit Psal. 51 Luk 22 31 32 Ezek 34 16. Thirdly they tell us of difference between persons as they are Gods generation or creatures and qualities good or evill But this howsoever they
were not Gods people shall be his people c. if they seeke righteousnesse by faith and these are the elect according to the election of grace Election they say is not of particular person but of qualitie all persons are Gods generation and those persons in whom hee findeth faith and obedience of his meere mercy those persons hee electeth to salvation for the quality he findeth in them whiâ—h hee himselfe hath wrought by his word and Spirit which they might haue resisted but did not but submitted to the righteousnesse of God and this is Gods purpose of election before the world was and these are they whom God knew or acknowledged before And for Gods decree they feigne it to be thus I will cause all Nations to be taught by Christ and so many of them being all called as doe not behaue themselues as they ought I will cause to be punished and the rest I will blesse and make happie This is the doctrine of blind Odegos the Guide and ignorant Ereunetes the Searcher answereth I doe thinke it so to haue bene Answ. Very ignorantly and erroneously haue they propounded their opinion with some truth mixing much errour that the blind may lead the blind into the ditch It is true that such men as they describe are Gods elect it is also true that God hath wrought these good things in them by his Word and Spirit But false it is that our election dependeth upon this condition False that election is not of particular persons but of quality False it is and thwarting their former speech that God electeth those persons in whom he findeth faith and obedience For before election no such persons are to be found among all the sonnes of Adam False it is and an abusing of the Scripture to say that God chooseth to himselfe a righteous man False it is to say in this matter of Election that all persons are Gods generation Briefly the whole tenour of their description of Gods election is perverse and erroneous For 1 No scripture telleth them that our election to life dependeth on this condition of our faith and obedience Faith and obedience are the effects not the cause of our election and are conditions following election not going before it as it is written As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Act. 13.48 teaching that Gods ordaining to life that is his election went before their beleeving but these men invert the order of God and would teach that so many as beleeved beforehand were ordeined to life 2 The Apostle teacheth us that whom God foreknew he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Sonne Rom. 8.29 so that our conformity to the image of Christ our faith obedience bearing of his crosse c. is that whereunto not that wherefore God predestined or chose us This is most apparant by the words following Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them hee also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.30 So then glorifying commeth after justifying justifying after calling calling after predestinating or choosing unto life and these graces are not before predestination or causes of it as these adversaries would perswade 3 It is written that God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and hee predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ Eph. 1.4.5 so that our holinesse and our adoption are things that we are chosen unto and doe follow election but are not the things going before and which we are chosen for because God findeth them in us 4 Paul teacheth us that God justifyeth the ungodly that beleeue in him Rom. 4 5 now those whom he justifieth he did choose and predestinate before Rom. 8.30 therefore he chose the ungodly the unrighteous that they may be made godly righteous and holy through his grace But these men say God chooseth a righteous man whereas the Scripture saith There is none righteous no not one there is none that understandeth none that seeketh after God Rom. 3.10.11 so that if God should chuse the righteous onely none at all should be chosen They say it is according to the Scripture but they shew no Scripture that accordeth to their saying If they intend Psal 4.3 the Lord hath set apart or separated him that is godly for himselfe for I know not else what Scripture they should meane they are deceived and would deceiue for David speaketh not there of his election to life but of his being set apart to the glory of the kingdome of Israel vvhich his enemies would haue turned to ignominy neither useth he the vvord of election but of setting-apart or separating after a marvellous sort vvhich vvord is used for Gods administration tovvards his people after they are elected and called as appeareth in Ex. 33.16 11.7 yea and it is applyed to bruit beasts vvhich are not partakers of the Election that vve treat of Ex. 9.4 5 Moses teacheth Israel that God gaue them not inheritance in the earthly Canaan much lesse in the Kingdome of Christ for their righteousnesse or uprightnesse of their hearts Deut. 9 4.5.6 he telleth them Because God loved their fathers therefore hee choose their seed after them Deut. 4.37 But these men vvould persvvade that because men deny themselues take up the crosse follovv Christ that is because they are righteous and holy therefore God chooseth them to inherite heaven 6 Because all men are by nature or creation the off-spring or generation of God Act. 17.28 these men vvould conclude that election to eternall life is not of particular persons but of quality as if our first naturall birth and our second supernaturall birth vvere all one or because all persons are of God by creation therefore no persons or all persons are of God by regeneration and by election But it is palpable error to confound things so different They proceed in their error and say All men to whom the Gospel is preached were elected to salvation in Christ not actually for they could not be actually chosen before they had actually any being but in the eternall purpose of God upon the condition afore spoken Answ. Their first assertion is against truth against reason It is not true that all to whom the Gospell is preached were elected to salvation in Christ no scripture sayth so We are taught the contrary by Act. 13.46.48 where the Gospell was preached to many but all that heard it were not elected to salvation for as many as were ordained that is elected to eternall life beleeved But all beleeved not therefore all were not ordained or elected to life Against reason it is to say All are elected for election implieth a leaving or refusing of some Where all ar taken no choyse is made Their second saying is all were elected not actually because they had no being but in Gods eternall purpose The action is in God not in
their parents they cannot maintaine the justice of God for killing infants and that oftentimes with strange and horrible deaths And if they grant that infants are sinners they cannot with any truth deny but hell is their due unlesse they be redeemed by Christ. And by infants death we certainly conclude that they are sinners from the Apostles ground in Rom. 5 12 14 6 23. and that for their sinne they may and shall be cast into hell unlesse Christ saue them is evident by Christs doctrine in Ioh. 3 3 Except a man bee borne againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God And that infants are there implyed is plaine because an infant is borne a man as Christ speaketh Ioh 16 21 and being borne a sinner Psal. 51 Rom. 5 must be borne againe of the Spirit or else shall not see the kingdome of God If it see not Gods kingdome it shall see the divels prison for a Limbus or third place will no vvhere be found And how these men can exempt wicked infants from hell otherwise then by their own fansies I know not â—he Apostles taught no such doctrine vvhen vvithout exception of infants they call the old world that perished the world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2 5 and reckon none saved but Noe and his house Heb. 11 7 1 Pet. 3 20 21 and tell us that Sodom Gomorrha and the Cities about them are set forth for an example suffring the vengeance of eternall fire Iude v 7. But these presumptuous men vvill controll the judgements of God and tell us that which no Prophet or Apostle ever taught that all the infants in those cities suffer no such vengeance yea though God himselfe promised that if but ten righteous had been found in Sodom wherein vvere many times ten infants he vvould not haue destroyâ—d the citie for tennes sake Gen. 18 32. 2 The reason vvhich they vvould ground upon because other unreasonable creatures as vvell as infants haue alwayes had their portions in bodily death this reason is brutish and beseemeth not men For no unreasonable creature is a sinner as all men in Adam are sinners no unreasonable creature hath a soule immortall infused of God as all mankind hath no bruit beast shall be raised from the dead as all men shall both old and yong to life or death eternall And vvhen a beast dyeth it hath an end both of vvelfare and misery so hath none of Adams children What comparison then is there between men and beasts Where they say death is losse to none but to the wicked it is true And hereupon it followeth that seeing infants are wicked as is formerly proved untill they be made righteous by Christ and borne againe death is a losse unto them and a gaine to those onely whether old or yong which are made partakers of the grace and gift of righteousnesse by one Iesus Christ Rom. 5 12 17. Of Baptizing Infants AGainst baptising of Infants the adversaries first lay this ground Baptisme perteyneth onely to them that declare their repentance and faith to those Disciples of Chriâ—t that baptise them This appeareth by Iohn Baptists doctrine and practice Mar. 1 4 Mat. 3 6 and Christs disciples Joh. 4 1 3 22 by Christs commission for all nations Mat 28 19 Mar. 16.16 by the Apostles practise Act. 2 38 41 8 12 36 c. Answ. That baptisme pertaineth to such as declare their repentance and faith is true and the Scriptures alledged proue it But that it pertaineth to such onely is untrue and none of the Scriptures vvhich they bring doe so teach The infants of the Church vvhich cannot declare repentance or faith are also to be baptized as after shall be manifested That the practise taught by the foresaid Scriptures is to be perpetuall we grant and they needed not haue taken paines to proue it Infants say they may not be baptized because there is neither commandement example nor true consequence for it in all Christs perfect Testament c. Answ This we deny commandement there is for it in Math. 28 and Mark 16 necessary consequences from many Scriptures confirme it as shall be proved Baptisme they say is in that a good conscience maketh request unto God 1 Pet. 3.21 it is of repentance for remission of sinnes Mar. 1 â—â— the washing of the new birth Tit. 3 5 c. If it cannot be proved by the Scriptures that infants haue their hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience haue repentance faith c. they ought not to be baptized Answ. Their argument hath onely a shew no substance of truth For first a man might frame as good a reason thus Circumcision is not that which is outward in the flâ—sh but that of the heart in the spirit Rom. 2 28 29 it is the putting off of the body of the sinnes of the flesh Coloss. 2.11 it sealeth the righteousnese of faith which they haue Rom. 4.11 and the circumcising of the foâ—-skinne of the heart Deut. 10 16 to loue the Lord c. Deut. 30.6 Now if it cannot be proved by Scripture that infants haue the lâ—ue of God in their hearts the righteousnes of faith the putting of of the body of sin c. they may not be circumcised and theâ—r circumcision is nothing If this be not a good argument to keep children from circumcision the other is no better to keep thâ—m from Baptisme Secondly Christian infants haue the graces they speak of repentance faith regeneration c though not actually or by way of declaration to others yet they haue through the worke of the Spirit the seed and beginning of faith virtually and by vvay of inclination so that they are not wholly dâ—stitute of faith regeneration c. though it be a thing hid and unknown unto us after vvhat manner the Lord vvorketh these in them Eccles. 11 5. Which I further proue thus If infants naturally are some vvayes capable of Adams sinne and so of unbeleefe disobedience transgression c. then Christian infants supernaturally and by grace are some wayes capable of Christs righteousnes and so of faith obedience sanctification c. But infants are capable of the former evils by Adam therefore they are capable of the latter good things by Christ. That they are capable of the former is before proved vvhere vve treated of originall sin by Rom 5 Psal. 5 1 Ioh. 3 and many Scriptures The consequence that therefore they are capable of the latter also â—o wit of Christian graces is thus manifested 1 Because the first Adam was a figure of the second Adam Christ so that as the sinne of the first Adam his fault disobedience and death for it came on all his children both by imputation and infection or corruption of nature so the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ commeth on all his children both by imputation and renewing of nature unto life and salvation as the Apostle compareth them Rom. 5.12.15.16.17.18.19.21 2 Because infants being by Adam sinners children of
vvrath c. must be borne againe of the spirits or else they cannot see the Kingdom of God Ioh. 3 3.5.6 But the Christian infants dying in infancie shall see the Kingdom of God and not be damned as the adversaries grant therefore by Christs doctrine they are borne again of the spirit and so must needs in some measure haue repentance faith holines vvithout which there is no regeneration Again that infants haue the faith and loue of God in them and regeneration in their measure is thus proved They to vvhom God giveth the signe and seale of righteousnesse by faith and of regeneration they haue faith and regeneration for God giveth no lying signe he sealeth no vaine or false covenants But God gaue to infants circumcision vvhich vvas the signe anâ—â—ale of the righteousnesse of faith and regeneration Gen 17.12 Rom. 4.11 2.28.29 Coloss. 2.11 Therefore infants had consequâ—ntly now haue faiâ—h regeneration though not in the crop or haâ—vest by deâ—laration yet in the bud and beginnings of all Christian graces They that deny this reason must either make God thâ— author of a lying signe and seale of the covenant to Abraham and â—is infants or they must hold that infants had those graces then bâ—t not now both vvhich are wicked and absurd to affirme Or tâ—ey must say that circumcision vvas not the signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith and then they openly contradict the Scripture Rom. 4.11 Moreover as the Apostle in Rom. 5 compareth our naturall estate in Adam and our spirituall estate in Christ so may vvee in this case If wee cannot justly objâ—ct against Gods vvorke in nature but doe beleeue that our infâ—nts are reasonable creatures and are borne not bruit beasts but men though actually they can manifest no reason or understanding more then beasts yea a yong lamb knoweth and discerneth hâ—s damne sooner then an infant knoweth his mother then neiâ—her can we justly object against Gods vvorke in grace but are to beleeue that our infants are sanctified creatures and are borne beleevers not infidels though outwardly they can manifest no faith or sanctification unto us And why should it be thought incredible that God should worke faith in infants If because we know not or perceiue not how it can be let us consider that wee know not the way of our naturall birth and other earthly things Eccles. 11 5. Ioh. 3 8 how then can we know heavenly things If we make question of the power of God nothing is unpossible with hâ—m Hee made all things of nothing he can make the dumb beast speake with mans voyce Numb 22 hee can make the babe in the mothâ—rs wombe to be affâ—cted and leape for joy at the voice of vvords spoken to the mother Luk. 1.44 and can he not also work grace faith holynesse in infants Hath Satan power by sin to infâ—ct and corrupt infants as is before proved and shall nor God haue power to cleanse from corruption and make them holy If we make doubt of the will of God herein behold we haue his promises to restore our losses in Adam by his graces in Christ as he shâ—weth in Rom 5 that he will circumcise our heart and the heart of our seed to loue him Deu. 30 6 we haue the seale of his promise in giving circumcision to infants to signifie and seale the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 Gen. 17. And we haue assurance of all his promises and of that to Abraham his seed in particular to be confirmed unto us not abrogated or lessened by Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 Luk. 1.72.73 c. Gal. 3.14 c. Wherefore they are but a faithlesse and crooked generation that notwithstanding all that God hâ—th spoken and done in this kinde doe deny this grace of Christ to the infants of his people and the seale or confirmation of this grace by baptisme now as it was by circumcision of old But they proceed to plead against the truth thus Regeneration is a turning from sin to God Rev. 6.11 1 Thes. 1.9 Tit 4.5 Repentance is a sight and knowing of sin by the law a confessing and sorrow for sin c. Faiâ—h is thâ— ground of things hoped for c. Heb. 11.1 and is accompa-with obedience Iam. 2. Let them either now proue that infants are turned from sin see know confesse and sorrow for it beleeue the promises of God c. or they say nothing Answ. They reason ignorantly and perversly not onely against the light of Gods word but of nature As if some brutish person should plead thus A man is a living creature that hath a reasonable soule and the proper affections of a man as he is a man are the facultie of understanding of thinking capablenesse of learning of remembring facultie of reasoning of judging and discerning true and false good and evill of approving and improving of willing nilling of speaking of numbring c. Now let them which affirme that infants are borne men as Christ doth in Ioh. 16.21 proue that infants doe understand do think remember judge discerne good and evill approue will speak c. or else they say nothing Were not such a disputer worthy to be laughed and hissed at who requireth the actuall use and manifestation of humane affections and faculties in infants vvhich are in them but potentially in the seed and beginning and because thâ—y cannot declare these things by their workes therefore he denieth them to be of the generation of mankind or borne men into the vvorld or that they haue the faculties of men at all in them any manner of vvay Even such is the argumentation of these erroneous spirits against the truth of religion For as before they reasoned against the sin transgression and condemnation of Infants contrary to Pauls doctrine in Rom. 5 because infants actually understand not the law nor transgresse against it and will not consider how they are sinners originally in Adam so now also they reason against the grace of Christ in infants and his work of regeneration in them because they cannot outwardly manifest the effects of regeneration or fruits of faith such as the scriptures that they allege do require in older persons wil not understand that these graces are in them through Christ and his spirit but in the beginnings onely as I haue formerly proved and are not in them as in those of full age who by reason of use haue their sences exercised to discerne both good and evill And here I desire to know of the Anabaptists in their next vvritings about these matters first when they thinke that children vvho in their opinion are borne without aâ—y sin begin to be sinners vvhether at 2.3.5.7 or other yeares and vvhen they can justly reproue a child for sin if it shew in vvord deed or gesture any thing contrary to the law of God as if it sweare curse lye disobey parents take anothers goods be froward angry or the likâ— Yea let any of