one to partake in the outward dispensation of Gods Covenant and to enter into Gods rest or to profit by the Word your Leaders should make more conscience of alledging and applying Gods holy Word impertinently impertinently I say both to Gods meaning and to their owne which is one kinde but too frequent of taking Gods holy name in vaine The next place which you quote out of Heb. 11.5 6. sheweth us that without faith it is impossible to please God which argueth indeed that no man either in his person or in his work can be acceptable to God without faith but doth not prove that God cannot receive any into the outward fellowship of the Covenant without faith much lesse doth it prove that the New Testament doth exclude all unbelievers from the Covenant more then did the Old Testament for those words in Hebrews 11.5 6. were spoken of Enoch who I need not tell you lived in the dayes of the Old Testament Your next place in Rom 97 8. sheweth indeed that all the children of the flesh of Abraham are not the elect seed of Abraham which we willingly grant but doth not shew â—hat the children of Abrahams flesh were not the seed of Abrahams Covenant Many were called and received into his Covenant who yet were not chosen to partake in the sure mercies and everlasâ—ing blessings of the Covenant Your last place out of Gal. 3.22 26 29. argueth the same that the former places have done that believers are partakers of Christ by faith and of adoption by Christ that they are the justified seed of Abraham and heires according to promise So was it in the Old Testament and so is it still to this day But this doth not prove now no more then it did then that all are excluded from the outward dispensation of the Covenant but believers onely But notwithstanding all this though the Covenant which God made with Abraham before Christ Silvester and this under Christ be in some respect in substance the same yet in the outward dispensation and profession of them the difference will appeare to bee very great both in respect of persons and things wherein our dissent chiefly lyeth 1. That Covenant admitted of a fleshly seed this onely of a spirituall Gen. 17. Rom. 9. 2. That in the flesh this in the heart Gen. 17.13 with Jer. 31.33 Rom. 2.28 29. 3. The seale and ordinances of that Covenant confirmed faith in things to come this in things already done 4. That Covenant was Nationall and admitted all of the Nation to the seales thereof but this personall and admitteth none but such as believe 5. That Covenant begot children after the flesh as all Abrahams naturall posterity But this onely begets children after the Spirit and onely approveth of such as are begotten and borne from above in whose hearts God writeth his Law Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. John 3.5 6. That Covenant with Abraham and his posterity comprehended a civill state and worldly government with the like carnall subjects for the service of the same But this Covenant now under Christ comprehendeth onely a spirituall state and an heavenly government with the like spirituall subjects for the service of this also 7. That Covenant held forth Christ in the flesh to the heaâ—t vayled this holdeth him forth after the Spirit to a face open 2 Cor. 3. In all understand the visible profession of the Covenant and the outward dispensation of the priviledges thereof There is indeed some difference betweene the Covenant made not onely with Abraham in the Old Testament and with us in the New but also in the Old Testament Silvanus between that made with Abraham and that with his posterity And yet the Covenant both in the Old Testament and in the New both to Abraham and his posterity yea and to us also one and the same for substance to wit God to be a God to believers and to their seed To Abraham some blessings were given by this Covenant which were not given to all his posterity as to be the Father of Christ to be the Father of many Nations To some of his posterity and not to all it was given to enjoy the land of Canaan for an inheritance which in the Letter belongeth not unto us though in the spirituall Antitype we also in the New Testament partake therein in that it is given to believers and our seed to enjoy the inheritance of the church whereof Canaan was a type Besides that Covenant made with the seed of Abraham by Jacob admitted the holding forth of Christ in sundry vailes and shadows which were not given to Abraham and from us in the New Testament they are taken away But neverthelesse the differences which you put betweene the Covenant with Abraham and with us so farre as they are brought to exclude the seed of believers from the fellowship of the Covenant they will not stand nor abide triall by the Scriptures Seven differences you put let us weigh them in the ballance of the Sanctuary and see if they bee not too light First say you that Covenant admitted of a fleshly seed this onely of a spirituall Gen. 17 with Rom. 9. Answ The place in the Romans speaketh of the seed of promise to be the seed of Abraham and to be accounted not onely in the New Testament but in the Old also For the Oracle in Isaac shall thy seed be called Rom. 9.7 was given to Abraham in the Old Testament Gen. 21.12 And that after Ismael was cast out of the Covenant for his mocking and persecuting of Isaac So that this Scripture in Rom. 9.15 is three wayes wrested and wronged in this Quotation First in that it is brought to prove that the Covenant of grace in the dayes of the new Testament admitteth onely of a spirituall seed whereas Paul speaketh not of the Covenant of grace but of the election of grace Secondly in that the place is brought to shew what is now the seed in the New Testament different from that of the Old whereas Paul speaketh of the same seed both in the Old and New Testament alike Thirdly in that Ismael is accounted by you as a fleshly seed and so as rejected out of the Covenant from the womb whereas he was not cast out of the Covenant till himselfe cast off the Covenant by mocking and persecuting Isaac The second difference you put is that that Covenant in the old Testament was in the flesh this in the heart Gen. 17.13 with Jer. 31.33 Rom. 2.28 29. Answ This difference is put by you but not by the Spirit of God in Scripture For as that Covenant that is the signe of the Covenant was in the flesh so is Baptisme the signe of the Covenant now upon the flesh Secondly as our Baptisme signifieth and sealeth the washing away of the filth of flesh and spirit so did their circumcision of the flesh signifie and seale the circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 Thirdly as in our Baptisme the Lord
doth not regard nor esteeme the outward washing of the flesh 1 Pet. 3.21 So neither was the circumcision of the flesh without circumcision of the heart of any account before God either before Christ or since It was not only so adjudged in Pauls time in the New Testament that Circumcision of the flesh was nothing without Circumcision of the heart but also in Ieremies time in the Old Testament For Ieremy threatneth â—hat God will punish the circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt Edom Ammon and Moab with Iudah for all these Nations are uncircumcised al the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart Ier. 9.25 26. It hath been said of old shall a man make Gods to himself and they are no Gods So may it be said in some proportion shall a man make differences to himself to turn him off from the way of God and they are no differences To the third there is as little difference in that as in the former for as the seale of that Covenant confirmed faith in things to come but the seale of this confirmes faith in things already done so the seale of that Covenant confirmed the faith of Abraham in the righteousnesse of faith which he had already received and the faith of those that were in Canaan of the possession of it And our Baptisme sealeth up to us mortification of sin deliverance out of affliction resurrection of the body whereof some are yet to come in part some wholly The like may bee said of the other Ordinances of the Covenant But what is it to the purpose what if sundry ordinances of the Covenant as it was dispensed in the old Testament confirmed faith in things to come and what if the Ordinances of the New Testament confirmed faith in things past yet what is this to argue that children of believing Parents are excluded from the Covenant of grace in the new testament though not in the Old To the fourth when you say that Covenant was Nationall and admitted all of the Nation to the seales thereof But this personall and admitteth of none but such as believe This difference is founded in an untruth for it is untrue that the Covenant given to Abraham was Nationall it was rather domesticall at first and did not comprehend the whole Nation of any of Abrahams seed till Iacobs time And Iacob speaketh of his blessing which was a proper adjunct and peculiar priviledge of the Covenant that it did exceed the blessing and so the Covenant of his progenitors Gen. 49.26 For whereas in Abrahams house though Isaac was received to the blessing of continuance in the Covenant yet Ismael and the seed of Keturah were excluded and in Isaac's house though Iacob inherited the blessing yet Esau was excluded yet in Iacobs family all his sonnes were received to the blessing of continuance under the outward dispensation of the Covenant and not themselves onely but all their posterity the whole twelve Tribes which proceeded from them Now it is not said in Scripture that the blessing of Jacob is come upon the Gentiles for then none of our posterity might cut themselves off from the outwaâ—d dispensation of the Covenant and then our Covenant would be Nationall and admit all of the Nation to the seales thereof but the Scripture saith that the blessing of Abraham and so the Covenant of Abraham is come upon the Gentiles Gal. 3.14 that is upon the believing Gentiles and their seed whereby it commeth to passe that believing Gentiles and their Infant-seed are admitted to the Covenant and to the seale of the Covenant as Abraham and his Infant seed were But if when they bee growne up to yeares they shall grow to mocke and sleight the Covenant as Ismael and Esau did then they and their seed are cast out of the Covenant and that keepeth the Covenant from being national And so it was in Abrahams time so it is now When you say this Covenant with us is personall and admitteth onely of such as believe It hath been refuted above and this truth cleared that upon the faith of the Parents the grace of the Covenant is promised also unto their seed And if the Covenant did admit onely of such as believe then the faith whereby we believe were not given to any by Covenant Whereas it hath been shown above that faith and the saving knowledge of God by faith and the writing of the Law of faith as well as of love in our hearts is given by Covenant Jer. 31.33.34 Your fifth difference is like the rest devised in your own imagination not founded in Scripture That Covenant say you begot children after the flesh but this onely begets children after the Spirit and onely approveth of such as are begotten and born from above c. Answ Doe you any where read in Scripture that the Covenant of Abraham approved of any then more then now but such as are begotten from above Did not Abraham and Israel of old renounce the owning and acknowledgement of such children of theirs as were degenerate from their faith and obedience Esay 63.16 When you say that that Covenant begot children after the flesh doe you not meane that men under that Covenant begot children after the flesh And if that be your meaning doe you thinke it is not so now that men under the Covenant of grace now in the dayes of the New Testament as well as in the Old doe beget children after the flesh It is true those believing Parents who doe beget children by believing the Promise and Covenant of grace to them and to their children they doe bring forth and bring up spirituall children or as you call it children after the Spirit But so did Abraham and other faithfull parents in the Old Testament as well as now The places which you quote out of Ier. 31. Ezek 36. Heb. 8. Ioh. 3.5 6. doe neither prove your assertion nor disprove ours but rather approve it For in Ier. 31. the Law of faith and saving knowledge is written in our hearts by the Covenant so it is now in the New Testament and so it was in the Old In Ezek. 36. God takes away the heart of stone and gives an heart of flesh and a new spirit so hee doth now to his chosen and so he did then Numb 14.24 The place in the Heb. 8. is the same with that in Ieremy 31. That in Iohn 3.5 6. argueth that none born of flesh can enter into the kingdome of heaven but are carnall and fleshly But thus it was in the Old Testament as well as in the New there is no difference in this point Your sixth difference is that that Covenant with Abraham and his posterity before Christ comprehended a civill state and a worldly government with the like carnall subjects for the service of the same But this Covenant now under Christ comprehendeth onely a spirituall state and an heavenly government with the like spirituall subjects of this also Answ 1. The Civill State and worldly
Christ himself speaketh of branches in him the true vine the fat olive tree which yet bare no fruit in him and so are cut off from him cast out and wither John 15.2 6. And such branches though they were in Christ by the fellowship of the Church and by the Spirit conveying from Christ common graces to them yet they were never elect in him to everlasting life nor united to him by a lively faith For if they had been so in him they had never been cut off from him It is true the Covenant of grace was not to all the seed of Abraham without exception that is to such of the seed as rejected the Covenant or the faith of it as Ismael and Esau did in riper years But the Covenant was to all the infant seed of Abraham without exception and to all the infants of his believing seed And the seale of the Covenant was in like sort dispensed to them all without exception to Ismael as well as to Isaac to Esau as well as to Jacob. Yet neverthelesse it will not therefore follow that some of the seed of Abraham were comprehended in the Covenant and admitted to the seale thereof in one sense whom God excepted against in another sense For hee excepted not against the infant seed of Abraham or his family in any sense but onely against the seed apostate in elder yeares In respect of which Apostacy which God fore-knoweth all the non-elect seed of Abraham will fall into though God receive all the infant-seed of Abrahams family that is of the Church into the fellowship of the Covenant and of the seale thereof yet he giveth a peculiar blessing to the elect seed even the sure mercies of his Covenant Esa 55.2 And though you say that between these two seeds God ever held forth a distinction in all generations from Adam to Christ yet that distinction was onely this the seed of all the flesh and the seed of the promise Rom. 9.8 But he excluded neither of them in their infancy from the Covenant or from the seale of it Indeed the children of the promise being the elect of God God hath not onely given his Covenant to them and the seale thereof but hath also established it unto them for ever But the seed of the flesh though the Lord gave his Covenant even unto them also and the seal therof yet he hath not established it unto them for ever whence afterward it commeth to passe that they reject the Covenant and the faith of it But when you further say that Christ hath put an end to the type and to the flesh and to all priviledges thereunto belonging so that now all is laid up in Christ onely for such as believe and for that end quote 2 Cor. 5.16 Phil. 3.3 4 5. It is readily granted you that Christ hath put an end to all types and to fleshly Ordinances and to the purifying of the flesh by the Ceremonies of the Law Heb. 7.16 9.13 But that Christ hath put an end to all priviledges either of the Covenant or of the seale of the Covenant to the seed of believers there is no word in the New Testament that teacheth us any such doctrine the places alledged opened above by me prove the contrary and those alledged by you will not make good what you say for the place in 2 Cor. 5.16 that a man regenerate knoweth no man after the flesh argueth onely thus much that a man in Christ resteth in no outward priviledges no not in seeing and knowing Christ in the flesh nor in eating and drinking in his presence nor in hearing him preach in their streets but in the spirituall and lively fellowship of his death and resurrection which maketh him whosoever knoweth Christ a new Creature And so say we too and so it was with the faithfull in the Old Testament as well as in the New It was not the outward participation of the Covenant nor of the seale of it that a sincere Israelite could rest in but in the grace of the Covenant and Circumcision of the heart in the Spirit not in the Letter But this doth not at all argue that the children of the faithfull who are yet in the flesh are not partakers of the Covenant of grace nor of the seale of it now in the New Testament as well as they were in the Old But only argueth that though before regeneration men are apt to rest and boast in the outward Letter of priviledges and Ordinances yet after regeneration they doe not acknowledge such things as their comfort and confidence John Baptist endeavoured to beat off the Jews from resting in such outward priviledges Matth. 3.9 And so did the Prophets before Christ Jerem. 9.25 26. as well as Paul after him both in this place of the Corinthians and that other which you quote out of Phil. 3.3 4 5. When you say that now all is laid up in Christ onely for such as believe If you meane all spirituall blessings of life and salvation you say true but nothing to the question For so it was in the Old Testament as well as now But as it was then the seed of believers partaked of the outward dispensation of the Covenant and of the seale of it so is it still unlesse you could shew us some Scripture whereby they are more excluded now then in the old Testament Silvester Now first in Christ by faith and then to the Covenant and priviledges thereof Gal. 3.29 None by the Gospel are approved to be the seed of Abraham but onely such as walke in the steps of his faith For as none invisibly before God are by him approved at all to have right to any priviledges of grace but onely as he looketh upon them in his Son no more are there any before man visibly to be approved of so as to have right to the same but as they appeare to be in Christ by some effect of faith declaring the same And so much the more in that God excludeth all from his holy Covenant so as to have right in the outward dispensation thereof but onely such as believe Rom. 11.20 Heb. 3.18 4.1 2 3. 11.5 6. Rom. 9.7 8. Gal. 3.22 26 29. Silvanus Surely in the old Testament the children of believers had first Christ by Covenant and then faith also to receive him For in the Covenant with Abraham when God gave himselfe to be a God to him and his seed the Father gave himselfe to bee their Father the Son to be their Redeemer the holy Ghost to bee their Sanctifier when yet the children were unborn without life and therefore without faith And surely in the New Testament God hath not changed this order of his blessings For in rehearsing the Covenant which continueth in the New Testament he giveth the writing of the law in their hearts by Covenant Heb. 8.10 Amongst which laws surely the law of faith is one and indeed the chiefe of all other laws And therefore
or Nations an holy people because they were married nor their children holy because they were bred of married Parents Turkes and Pagans and all Infidell people are married as well as Christians yet neither they nor their children are counted or called holy in scripture language Yes in scripture language Silvester as there is an uncleannesse of the flesh so there is opposite to the same an holinesse of the flesh which is produced by lawfull Marriage Compare these Scriptures together Ezra 10.2 3. 1 Sam. 21.4 5. 1 Cor. 6.18 and 7.1 2. 1 Thes 4.3 4. There is indeed an holinesse of the flesh that is opposite to the uncleannesse of the flesh but there is no holinesse of the flesh Silvanus that proceedeth from marriage For though an unlawfull marriage may pollute both flesh and Spirit yet a lawfull marriage doth not make either of them holy In that place of Ezra the marriage of the Jews with strangers was an uncleane and an unholy marriage as polluting the Covenant of their God Mal. 2.11 Yet that marriage of the Jews with their owne Nation did not make them holy much lesse did the marriage of strangers with strangers make them holy though their marriage was lawfull Though nothing that is holy is uncleane yet all things that are not uncleane are not forthwith holy For not onely that which is unholy is uncleane but also that which is unrighteous or any way unlawfull is uncleane also Stollen goods are uncleane but yet goods well gotten are not holy The opposition therefore that is betweene uncleannesse and holinesse is not that opposition which is betweene immediate contraries that whatsoever is not uncleane the same should bee holy or as if it were enough to make a thing holy because it is not uncleane Or as if because the marriage of the Jews with the strangers was uncleane and their seed uncleane and accursed therefore their marriage among themselves was holy It is true marriage is honourable amongst all and in regard of Gods institution holy It is true also that the seed which the Iews had in a way of lawful marriage were called an holy seed Ezra 9.2 But yet that holinesse of their seed did not proceed from the holinesse of their marriage for then to this day the children of married Iews were an holy seed stil but from the holinesse of the Covenant between God them The next place you referre mee to is in 1 Sam. 21.4 5. where it is said that Davids young men having beene kept from women three dayes their vessels were holy But what would you inferre from hence that there is an holinesse of the flesh oposite to the uncleannesse of the flesh who doubteth of that but whence did this holines flow or wherein did it consist did it flow from the lawfull marriage of themselves or their Parents Or did it consist in their Legitimation No verily it rather sprung from their want of use of lawfull marriage in that they had not kept company with their wives of three dayes For it is not to be thought that David would keepe his men to keepe company with Harlots The holinesse therefore which David here speakâ—â—h of is a Ceremoniall holinesse whereby hee and his men being kept from women and likewise from effusion of seed which did Ceremonially pollute they were therefore holy in their vessells and so meete to partake of holy bread No holinesse therefore here but such as maketh capable of holy things The next place which you referre mee to in 1 Cor. 6.18 doth hold forth that fornication is a sinne against the body which is out of question if your meaning beâ— that that sinne brings uncleannesse upon the flesh which if it bee compared with 1 Thes 4.3 4. will argue that there is a contrary holinesse of the flesh when a man possesseth his Vessell in Sanctification and Honour both these are truths but nothing to your purpose For this holinesse of the flesh is also an holinesse of the spirit Where by a man out of obedience to the will of God v 3. doth mortifie the lust of concupisence v. 5. and possesse his vessell in sanctification and honour v. 4. And this holinesse is a part of that latter holines whereof you spake before to wit that holy frame of Gods workmanship in the heart by the holy spirit of regeneration which giveth right to the Priviledges And therefore you will not allow this kinde holinesse to be meant in 1 Cor. 7.14 for then by the lawfulnesse of the Parents marriage children should be freed from the lust of Concupiscence and inabled to possesse their vessels in sanctification and honour That other place which you put in 1 Cor. 7.1 2. I know not to what end you alledge it unlesse it bee to prove that marriage in times of persecution is not expedient which is the meaning of the first verse or that fornication is to bee avoided by lawfull marriage which is the intent of the second verse But what is either of these to the point in hand To returne therefore to the point from whence your objection diverted mee it still remaineth good that the holinesse of children spoken of 1 Cor. 7.14 doth not proceed from the holy Ordinance of marriage but from the holy Covenant of grace Which may further bee confirmed from the very word of the Text. For the Apostle deriveth that holinesse of Infants not from the holy Ordinance of marriage but from the faith of the beleeving Parent whereby both the unbeleeving yoak-follow is sanctified to the beleever and the children also of the beleever are holy I thinke both alike the children are no otherwise holy by the saith of the beleeving Parent Silvester then the unbeleeving yoake-fellow is sanctified to the beleever That is to say the beleever hath a sanctified use of Cohabitation and Communion with them both For to the pure all things are pure but to the unbeleever nothing is pure Tit. 1.15 So that whereas before both the yoake-fellows were uncleane by Idolatry and their children also now by the conversion of one of the yoak-fellows to the faith though hee might scruple the lawfulnesse of his cohabitation and Communion either with his yoak-fellow or with his children Yet the Apostle telleth him hee needeth not so to doe For by his faith both his yoak-fellow and children also are sanctified to him hee hath an holy use to them both In the same sense are the children said to bee holy and the unbeleeving yoak-fellow sanctified For I have learned it from some men skilful in the tongues that it is the same word or at least derived from the same root and theame whereby the unbeleever is said to bee sanctified and the children said to be holy Silvanus It is true indeed the one of the words is derived from the other But yet the Apostle useth them here in such a different phrase or manner of speach as putteth a manifest difference in the sense and signification
of such is his Kingdome Mar. 10.14 whose divine testimony of them is as clear an evidence to us that God giveth them right unto the fellowship of the Church and to the seal thereof as the testimony of men can give unto themselves or others by their verball profession or any other visible effects of Faith Doe not say that you are farre from denying in the least measure salvation unto Infants For if Infants dye in their Infancy you have apparently declared it above that you doe not acknowledge them to bee subjects capable either of election to grace and glory or of Union with Christ or the Covenant of Grace And then how wee should beleeve you when you say you doe not in the least measure deny salvation to Infants and yet deny all such meanes of salvation without which it is impossible they should bee saved judge you But to come to the ground you work upon in denying to them Baptism whereas Circumcision was granted to them of old and in both a promise of salvation sealed up to them untill they came to reject it Though Baptisme you conceive succeed Circumcision yet you put a great difference between them both in matter and manner in persons and things And what might that great difference bee in so many particulars Circumcision say you sealed to things temporall and carnall as well as to spirituall and so were the subjects carnall as well as spirituall Baptisme onely sealeth to Faith in Christ and to Grace in the New Birth I pray you doth not Baptisme seale to the Covenant of Grace as well as Circumcision in whose room it succeedeth And doth not the Covenant of Grace contain promises of temporall and carnall or outward blessings as well as spirituall Hose 2.18.21 22 23. Hath not godlinesse in the New Testament as well as in the Old the Promises of this life as well as that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Doth not Baptisme expressely seale up unto us our deliverance out of Affliction as well as out of corruption yea to the raising up of our bodies out of death in the grave as well as of our soules out of the death in sin 1 Cor. 15.29 It is therefore utterly untrue that Baptisme sealeth onely to Faith in Christ and to grace in the New Birth For it sealeth to all the blessings of the Covenant as well those of this life as of that which is to come That which sealeth to this grand blessing of the Covenant that God will bee a God to such or such sealeth unto all other gifts of God also God never giveth himself alone but hee giveth his Son and his Spirit also And hee that giveth us his own Sonne saith the Apostle shall hee not with him give us all things else also Rom. 8.32 Yea where Christ is given hee giveth Repentance unto Israel and conversion or turning of the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and of the Children to the Fathers and both of them to the Lord. Act. 5.31 and Luk. 1.16 17. And Baptisme is a seale of these promises as of the whole Covenant And therefore Baptisme is not onely as you say a seale to Faith and to the Grace of the New Birth as if it onely confirmed our own Faith touching our own estates and our own New Birth But it confirmeth also our Faith that God will give Faith and Repentance to our Children and turn their hearts both to the Lord and to us And therefore hee powreth the water of Baptisme upon our Children that hee may confirme this promise of Grace the powring out of clean water of his Spirit and of his blessing as well upon our seed and off-spring as upon our selves Isai 44.3 Another difference which you put is that Circumcision sealeth to things to come as under Types and shadowes and so to subjects in a cloud and darknesse whereas Baptisme confirmeth Faith in things come and already done and hath for its subjects Children of the light in the clear evidence of the Spirit with face open Suppose this difference were true That Circumcision sealed to things to come and Baptisme to things come Circumcision to things vailed Baptisme to things open Yet this is but a circumstantiall difference in the manner of revealing the blessings promised but this argueth no materiall difference at all in the persons the subjects of the seale It will onely argue thus much that whereas the same Christ and the things of Christ were sealed up to them and to their seed more darkly they are sealed up to us and our seed more clearly and plainly Besides it is not altogether true that Circumcision sealed up to them things to come For both Baptisme and Circumcision doe seale to both things come and things to come Circumcision sealed to Abraham God to bee his God and the righteousnesse of Faith both which were already come to Abraham before hee was circumcised It sealed up also sundry things to come to him and his seed as their deliverance out of Egypt their inheritance of Canaan and the comming of the Messiah But when the Israelites came to enjoy Canaan Circumcision did not then seal to their deliverance out of Egypt or to their inheritance of Canaan as things to come but as to things come and already done Circumcision sealed to the children of Israel that God would circumcise their hearts and the hearts of their seed Deut. 30.6 which was a thing to come to such of them as were unregenerate But after they were Regenerate the same Circumcision was a seale of that blessing which God had already done for them So is it with Baptisme Now that Christ is come in the flesh Baptisme sealeth that to us as a thing already done which to them was a thing to come And yet the comming of Christ into our hearts is a thing partly done in the Regenerate and yet more fully to bee done even to us and to many of our children it is a thing to come To the children of God that walk in darknesse and see no light which is the case of many and at some time or other of all the return of the Comforter is a thing to come and Baptisme is a seale thereof and yet it is a seale also of the first fruites of the Spirit which are already come Baptism is a seale of the Redemption of Christ which is already wrought for us And it is a seale of our deliverance from all afflictions and from all temptations and from all corruptions and from all enemies even from death it self and many of these are yet to come So that I can but wonder why such a difference as this should bee alleged to prove a personall difference of the subjects of Baptism and the subjects of Circumcision If it bee said as you partly expresse and partly imply that wee who live under Baptisme are the children of light but they that lived under Circumcision were the children of darknesse and therefore though their children being in
breasts Psal 22.9 Esay saith in like sort The Lord hath called me from the wombe Esa 45.1 and the Lord saith the same of Ieremy I sanctified thee before thou camest forth of the wombe Ier. 1.5 Yea little children are so farre forth capable of receiving the holy Ghost or which is all one the kingdom of God for by his Spirit he setteth up his kingdom in us that our Saviour expresseth it generally that whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child to wit as a little child receiveth it for so the syntax carryeth it he shall not enter therein Mar. 10.15 What though it bee said that faith commeth by hearing so it is also said the Spirit commeth by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 And yet you see as some have received the Spirit that never heard of faith so the same hâ—ve received faith that never heard the word As for Iob the place which you quote Iob 31.18 argueth the like of him that hath been said of the former that Iob from his mothers wombe was indued with an indoles or inbred disposition and affection to pity and succour the fatherlesse and widow which dâ—ubtlesse was wrought in him by the holy Ghost as all other good gifts be And all other infants as well as he are capable of the same and the like gifts if the spirit of the Lord be pleased to work them Silvester I am not against any that have faith but am absolutely for all that believe whether infants or others so that their faith appeare by such effects as the word of God approveth of But whereas some say that infants are capable of the Spirit of God and of the grace of the Covenant though not wrought in the same way and by the same meanes yet the same things and by same Spirit so farre as is necessary to union with Christ and justification of life thereby else children were not elected nor should be raised up in their bodies to life I wish it may be minded that touching union with Christ three things are essentiall to the same 1. Gods revealing and tendering of Christ as the al-sufficient and onely way to life 2. An heart fitly disposed by faith to apprehend and receive Christ so tendered 3. The spirit of grace uniting and knitting the heart and Christ together And this I understand to be that effectuall and substantiall union with Christ to the justification of life which the word of God approveth of For justification to life ever presupposeth the parties knowledge of the thing beleeved Rom. 10.14 Heb. 11.6 Now let this be well examined by the rule of truth and then see how capable infants are of union with Christ and justification to life thereby As for some evill consequences which some to darken and obscure the truth doe say would follow thereupon that then infants were not erected nor should then their bodies be raised again to life c. I would first enquire of such whether infants with reference to their nonage were the subjects of Gods election Secondly if infants so considered are capable subjects of glory And if not as I suppose none will affirme then why are they any more capable of grace then of glory The word of God sheweth that he hath elected persons to the meanes as well as to the end the meanes being the way unto the end and that was the adoption of sonnes to bee called and justified by believing on Jesus Christ Ephes 1.4 5. Rom. 8.29 30. 1 Pet. 1.2 2 Thes 2.13 14. c. And to return free obedience unto him again as Rom. 9.23 24. Ephes 1.6 12. And for the raising of infants it is the power of God that raiseth the dead and not union with Christ 1 Thess 4.16 And when any of Gods electcan by the Scriptures be shewed to dye in their infancy then it will be granted their bodies are raised to life eternall When you say you are not against any that have faith Silvanus whether infants or others so that their faith appeare by such effects as the Word approveth I demand what if their faith appeare not by the effects is it not enough if it appeare by divine testimony Christ hath said that of such is the kingdom And that all that receive his kingdom must receive it as little children doe as hath been shown above and is not his testimony of their faith as good an evidence of their faith as the effects of their faith can be As for the 3 things which you would have to bee minded as essentiall to union with Christ The first of them the revealing and tendering of Christ as the al-sufficient and only way of life if you meane the revealing and tendering of him by the Ministery of the gospel you know the Ministery of the gospel is but an outward instrumentall cause of faith and no outward instrumentall cause is essentiall to the effect whether we speake of naturall or supernaturall effects certaine it is that the spirit of God who is the principall cause of faith though he be wonted to work it by the Ministery of the Word yet he can also work it without the Ministery or else how came the Wisemen from the East to seeke after Christ and to worship him by the sight of a starre If you say that was extraordinary but you speake of ordinary meanes that will not serve for that which is essentiall to a thing the thing cannot be without it neither ordinarily nor extraordinarily a thing cannot be and be without his essence or that which is essentiall to it Besides Christ speaketh of it as no extraordinary thing for infants to receive the kingdom of God and they cannot receive it without Christ nor without faith in Christ and yet they never received either Christ or faith by their own immediate hearing of the Woâ—d And for the second thing which you make essentiall to union with Christ an heart fitly disposed by faith to apprehend and apply Christ Be not unwilling to understand that which is the truth The heart is fitly disposed by faith to apprehend or apply Christ when faith is begotten in the heart for by this gift of faith begotten in us Christ apprehendeth us and by the same gift of faith the heart is fitly disposed to apprehend Christ even in infants for when faith is wrought in infants the heart is quickned with spirituall life and made a sanctified vessell fit to receive Christ which reception of Christ though it be passive as Dr. Ames calleth it in Châ—p 26. de Vocatione lib. 1. Medullae Theologiae yet it is all one with regeneration wherein not infants onely but all men are passive which gave the Lord Jesus occasion to say That whosoever receiveth not the kingdom of God as a little child hee can in no wise enter into it Luk. 18.17 It is true in men of years the Spirit as you speake worketh faith by the hearing of the Word and by revealing and tendering Christ
matter But he speaketh of the Covenant as it was dispensed unto Abraham and to his seed of old And his seed of old was meant Christ and all in Christ then as well as now And therefore if then Ismael was received to the Covenant and to the seale of the Covenant as the seed of Abraham and yet no seed of Abraham was accounted in the Covenant but the seed in Christ it is evident that Ismael was at first accounted to be in Christ though not as elect in Christ nor as united to Christ by his owne faith yet as abiding like a branch in the stock of Abraham in the body of the faithfull in the adoption of God and in the communion of Abrahams family till by persecuting Isaac and by mocking at the grace of Christ in him hee was cut off from that vine and cast out of the Covenant Whence it followeth that if the blessing of Abraham bee come upon us Gentiles and this blessing of Abraham bee the promises and Covenant made to him and his seed and if the seed of Abraham bee accounted all that are in Christ and all are accounted to bee in Christ in respect of the outward dispensation of the Covenant not onely which are elect and which are faithfull but also which are of the seed of the faithfull and live in communion with them till they come to reject Christ and the faith in him then it standeth undeniably firme and certaine that the Covenant of Abraham is made with believers now and and with our seed too even in these dayes of the New Testament The same truth is witnessed unto by the Apostle Peter also in Acts 2.39 as hath been opened above The promise saith hee is made to you and to your children where by promise is meant as appeareth by the former verse the promise of remission of sins and of receiving the holy Ghost which are of the principall sort of the sure mercies of the Covenant of grace It will be a vaine shift to distinguish between the promise and the Covenant here For every promise of God is a promise of one Covenant or other Now in the Covenant of works there is no free promise of remission of sins or of the holy Ghost but all the promises are given to workers Doe this and thou shalt live doe it not and die and be accursed In the New Testament therefore there is a Covenant of grace to beleevers and to their children as was to Abraham and to his seed If it be said this Promise and Covenant was to the Jews and to their children but not to the Gentiles and theirs The answer is plaine and easie it is a promise of the New Testament and in the new Testament the Jew hath no priviledge above the Gentile There is neither Jew nor Gentile there is no difference of any Nation in the spirituall priviledges of the New Testament but all are alike in Christ Jesus If it be said again the promise is to them and to their repenting and believing children and not else This exception hath been refuted above To which let mee adde that the promise was not onely to the repenting and believing Israelites nor onely to their children repenting and believing but God had promised also to poure his Spirit upon their children that they might repent and believe when Jacob is thirsty and like the dry ground God promiseth he will not onely pour out his Spirit like water upon him thus dry and thirsty but also I will poure saith he my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring Isa 44.3 For it is the same water of the bloud and spirit of Christ of which God speaketh when he promiseth to poure cleane water upon them and therewith to take away their hard and stony hearts which must be removed by the spirit given them before they can come to repent and believe Ezek. 26 25. It is to the same purpose that upon the repentance and faith of Zacheus the Lord pronounceth salvation to bee unto his house Luke 19.9 This day saith he salvation is come to this house forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham which is not only in respect of the Religious care which Zacheus would take to teach his houshould the way of salvation but also in respect of the Covenant by which not onely Zacheus was bound to teach his houshold but the Lord also had bound himself to blesse the meanes of salvation to his houshold as it is written The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God c. Deut. 30.6 And againe those that dwell under his shadow shall returne Hos 14 7. The like promise of grace doth Paul and Silas preach to the Jaylor that upon his faith salvation should redound to his houshold Believe say they on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt bee saved and thine house Acts 16.31 which also was done and tooke effect the same night afore that the Gaoler could take any great paines for the instruction of them verse 34. All which do plainly argue that the faith of the parent doth bring the children and houshold of a Christian even now in the days of the new Testament under a Covenant of salvation as well as the faith of Abraham brought his houshold of old under the same covenant Whence also it is that Paul proveth the conversion of the Jews after the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in from the Covenant of God made with their Fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob For saith he when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Zion a Redeemer and shall turne away ungodlinesse from Jacob. For this is my Covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sake but as touching the election they are beloved for the Fathers sake Rom. 11.25 26 27 28. which plainly argueth that for the Covenant sake made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Lord will convert and call home the Jews in the latter dayes although for the present they be rejected for their unbelief Therefore the Covenant of grace the Covenant of Abraham is of like force and extent now now in the dayes of the New Testament unto the faithfull and their seed as it was in the dayes of the Old Testament If it be said that this proveth no more then this that when the Jewes shall turne unto Christ by faith in their Redeemer then they shall inherit the Covenant of Abraham as all believers doe Answ Yes it proveth not that onely but this more that before their faith in Christ whilst they are yet enemies the Lord will turne unto them and give them faith and repentance to turne to him and that out of his Covenant even for the love that hee beareth to them for their godly fathers sake Howbeit we willingly grant that those Jewes who
it is not as you say first faith and then to the Covenant but first the Covenant and then faith written and wrought in their hearts by his Spirit to fulfill his Covenant The place which you quote in Gal. 3.29 doth not prove that none are the seed of Abraham save those that be in Christ by faith But that those who be in Christ by faith they are that seed of Abraham who partake in the sure mercies of the Covenant who are therefore called heires according to promise The faithfull seed of Abraham they onely partake in the sure mercies of the Covenant so it is now in the New Testament and so it was and no otherwise in the Old But that doth not at all hinder but that all the seed of Abraham though yet destitute of faith in their own persons have right to the outward dispensation of the Covenant and to the seale of it When you say none are approved by the Gospel to be the seed of Abraham but onely such as walke in the steps of his faith the place whereto you alude is in Rom. 4.12 which only holdeth forth that such as walke in the steps of the faith of Abraham they are the seed of Abraham who are justified in the sight of God for Abraham himselfe was so justified And thus it is in the new Testament and thus also it was in the Old And yet Abraham then had and so have the faithfull now other seed who are partakers of the covenant and of the seale of the covenant and yet are not justified for want of faith You say none invisibly before God are by him approved at all to have right to any priviledge of grace but onely as he looketh upon them in his Son no more are there any before men visibly to be approved of so as to have right to the same This saying that none have right to any priviledge of grace before God but as he looketh upon them in his Son it is true rightly understood but nothing availing to your purpose If you mean by grace saving grace it is true none have right to any priviledge of saving grace but as God looketh at them in his Son either by faith or by election unto faith If you meane by grace the outward dispensation of the covenant of grace and of the seal thereof it is true none have right to any priviledge of the covenant or of the seale of it but as they are in Christ either by faith or by election unto faith or by their fellowship with the church whereof Christ is the head In which respect all the members of the church and their seed are in Christ as branches in the vine or olive and may be cut off from him for want of faith to make them fruitfull in him But what avayleth this to your purpose Thus it is in the new Testament and thus it was in the Old But when you say none have right to the same but as they appeare to be in Christ by some effect of faith declaring the same This you cannot make good from Scripture light For though you say that God excludeth all from his holy covenant so as to have right in the outward dispensation thereof but onely such as believe And to prove that you alledge many Scriptures yet none of them beare witnesse to any such matter All the Scriptures which you alledge will easily prove one of these two things both which we willingly grant First that some branches in Christ were broken off from Christ though not through want of faith but yet through infidelity rejecting the faith of Christ either in themselves or in their parents Secondly that through faith wee receive the spirituall saving blessings of the covenant and through want of faith fall short of them both which are everlasting truths as well before Christ as since To runne over all your places briefly that you may see how your Leaders mis-leade both themselves and you In Rom. 11.20 it is said the Jewes were broken off through unbeliefe So the word is translated but the true sense of it is through infidelity and so the same word is translated 2 Cor. 6.15 What part hath a believer with an infidell The meaning of that place in the Romans is the Jews were broken off from Christ and from their church-estate and Covenant in him by their professed infidelity their open rejection of Christ and his righteousnesse and that not out of ignorance but out of wilfull obstinacy against the light of the gospel revealed to them For the Apostles still kept communion with them as with a church a people in covenant with God notwithstanding their want of faith in Christ yea notwithstanding their crucifying of Christ untill they wilfully obstinately rejected and persecuted the Gospel of grace and the righteousnesse of it Acts 13.45 46. And persisting therein then indeed they were broken off but yet this argueth that they were in Christ before or else how could they now be broken off Your next place is quoted out of Heb. 3.18 where the Israelites are said to fall short of their entrance into Canaan because of their unbeliefe the word is as before because of their infidelity For it is not likely that all the Israelites who wanted saving faith were kept out of Canaan Acban who troubled Israel doth not appeare to be a true believer But the body of them who were kept out of Canaan had carryed themselves like infidels they thought scorne of the land of promise and preferred Pagan Egypt before it And therefore for rejecting the promise and the faith of it were justly rejected from entring into Canaan But what maketh this to the purpose in hand how doth this prove that in the Gospel God excludeth all from his holy Covenant and from right in the outward dispensation of it save onely such as believe For all these were in the Covenant and had been circumcised in Egypt and so had the priviledge of the outward dispensation therof though they believed not Besides this concerned the times of the Old Testament of which your selfe and your leaders confesse that the outward dispensation of the Covenant and of the sâ—ales of it pertained not onely to the spirituall bâ—lieving seed but to the carnall also Your next place in Heb. 4.1 2 3. proveth only that such as do not mixe the word with faith will fall short of entring into Gods rest So it was in the Old Testament as well as in the New And the Apostle himselfe doth so expresse it The Word saith he which was preached to them to wit the Israelites in the old Testament did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it From whence he also argueth that neither will the Word preached to us now profit us if it be not mixed with faith But what maketh this to prove that God excludeth all from the outward dispensation of his holy Covenant but onely such as believe Is it all
government was not expressed in the Covenant given to Abraham but in the Covenant and blessing of Iacob It was Iacob that blessed his son Iudah with a scepter Gen. 49.10 But to Abraham it was foretold that his seed should bee a stranger and a servant and in an afflicted estate 400 yeares And though the Lord did not deny them civill government yet neither did he expresly promise it to his seed And as was said above it is the blessing of Abraham that is come upon us and not of Iacob so far as that of Iacob exceeded the blessing of his progenitors Answ 2. It is more then can be proved that the Covenant of Abraham and his posterity after Christ doth not comprehend a civill State for the prophecy of Daniel promiseth that after the destruction of the four Monarchies the Kingdom and the Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High c. Dan. 7.27 Answ 3. Civill State and Government is but an accessary to the Covenant And though the people of God in the new Testament should never enjoy it which is not to be granted yet what is this to the maine promise of the Covenant That God will bee a God to his people and to their seed throughout all generations The seventh and last difference which you put is as little pertinent to the cause as all the former For what if that Covenant held forth Christ in the flesh to an heart vailed And this holdeth him forth in the Spirit to a face open 2 Cor. 3. Yet this argueth onely a different dispensation of the Covenant by Moses and by Christ But the Covenant of Abraham which was given 430 yeares before the Covenant of Moses did not so vaile nor darken the face of Christ but that Abraham saw Christ though afarre off yet clearely and rejoyced Iâ—hn 8.56 And so did all his spirituall seed after him more or lesse as well as wee But what if the dispensation of the Covenant had been more vayled in all the times of the Old Testament to all the seed then indeed it was yet what is this to the maine promise of the Covenant that God will be a God to a believer and his seed throughout all generations Silvester But let the differences of the Covenant before or since Christ stand or fall as they may yet it is no good consequence from the Covenant that as infants were in that Covenant then and circumcised so infants are in the Covenant now and to be baptized For let these foure things be well considered and they will cleare the contrary 1. What the Covenant is 2. What is that which admits into the Covenant 3. Who are the true approved subjects of the Covenant 4. Whether all have not one and the same way of entrance into this Covenant Silvanus What doe you take the Covenant to be Silvester The Covenant it selfe is a Covenant of grace and salvation by which God of his grace takes a person or a people to himself above all others to be their God and to manifest upon them the riches of his grace and glory And the manner of this is in effect Gods calling of a man to an agreement with himself in his Son wherein he promiseth to be his God and to give him life and happinesse and all things in Christ and that he shall believe and rest upon his faithfullnesse and truth and so take him for his God c. So that the Covenant consisteth of 3. Essentialls 1. The persons two or moe disposed to agree 2. Something to agree upon 3. Their mutuall consent which is the agreement it self Silvanus As the heavens are higher then the earth so are the wayes of God higher then our wayes Esa 55.9 and in speciall the wayes of his grace and of the Covenant thereof with men indeed mutuall agreement and consent is necessary to a Covenant but with God Gods appointment maketh a Covenant whether the creature consent to an agreement or no. God sometimes made a Covenant and established it not onely with Noah and his seed but also with the Fowles and Beasts and every living creature that he would never send a flood to destroy them from off the face of the earth Gen. 9.9 10 11. And this Covenant was onely an appointment of God it did not require any consent or agreement of man much lesse of other creatures to make it a Covenant It is therefore a manifest error to make the agreement or consent on mans part essentiall to a Covenant between God and man It is a second error that in describing the Covenant of grace you omit the seed of believers exclude them from the fellowship of the Covenant as being unable to expresse their consent and agreement to the Covenant Let it be considered in the feare of God whether ever God made any Covenant with any man or people which did not comprehend their posterity also God made a Covenant with Noah did it not reach his posterity also Gen. 9. God made a Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17. did it not reach his posterity also God made a Covenant with the people of Israel Exod. 19. did it not reach their posterity also God made a Covenant with Phinehas Numb 25. did it not reach to his posterity also God made a Covenant with David Psal 89.28 did it not reach to his posterity also If then the Scripture never hold forth any Covenant which ever God made with any of the sons of men but it did reach and comprehend his posterity also why should the Covenant of grace be conceived to run a different course from all the rest of Gods covenants namely to reach unto believers but not to their posterity We are shallow and narrow our selves and so we measure the grace of God and the Covenant thereof according to our owne scantling our narrow capacity Proceed then to declare what is the second thing you wisht might bee well considered to wit what is that which admits into the Covenant That which admits any into the Covenant Silvester and giveth right to enter thereinto is the promise of God in Christ and faith in the same as Nehem. 9.8 The Covenant hath these essentiall parts and visible branches 1. Grace in the agent God 2. Faith in the subject Man 3. An uniting or closing of these together which is that mutuall consent and agreement by faith in the same grace revealed by the gospel which is the word of reconciliation So that it is the blessed word of life and faith in the same that giveth right and admitteth into Covenant with God We deny not that faith in the subject doth admit into the Covenant rightly understood to wit faith in Christ Silvanus and in the word of reconciliation admitteth not onely the faithful person but his seed also though yet wanting faith into the Covenant The text which you quote against it
as it usually falleth out maketh strongly for it the words are plaine thou foundest his heart faithfull before thee and madest a Covenant with him to give to his seed the lâ—nd of the Canaanites And your self with your Leaders doe easily acknowledge that in the old Testament the Covenant of Abraham admitted his carnall seed into the fellowship of it And doubtlesse Nehemiah speaketh of Abraham and of his faithfull heart and holy Covenant as it stood in the dayes of the Old Testament How commeth it then to passe that his faithfull heart whereby he received the Covenant to himselfe and his seed should be alledged to prove that the faith of Abraham admitted him into the Covenant but not his seed But proceed to your third thing which you woulâ— have to bee well considered and consider I pray you how far off it is from concluding your purpose Silvester The third thing to be considered is who are the approved subjects of this Covenant and they are onely such as believe For God in his Word approveth of none in Covenant with him out of Christ nor of any in Christ without faith Nay God denyeth his approving of any in fellowship with him that doe not believe as John 3.5 6 36. Heb. 11.6 Nor doth he approve of any subjects of his gracious Covenant but onely such as hee hath elected and chosen in Christ and so appearing by some fruits and effects of the same as these Scriptures with many other witnes Rom. 8.9.29 30. Rom. 11.7 Ephes 1.4 5 6. 2 Thes 2.13 14. 1 Pet. 1.2 Acts 2.47 13.48 Silvanus There is a broad difference between these two who are the true approved subjects of this Covenant and who are approved to be the true subjects of this Covenant For it is certain and your selfe admitted it above that God approved all the seed of Abraham even his carnall seed to be admitted as subjects of the covenant and of the seale thereof But it as certain that God never approved such true subjects of the Covenant whom himselfe never elected nor themselves ever received the gift of faith without which it is impossible to please God Many are truly called to the fellowship of the Covenant and of the seale thereof who were never elected nor approved in their spirituall estate as heires of salvation It is in the same sense that Paul speaketh Rom. 2.28 29. He is not a Jew which is one without neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but hee is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit whose praise or which is all one whose approbation is not of men but of God But dare any man therefore inferre that God did not approve it that any should bee admitted unto the Covenant of Abraham or unto the seale thereof Circumcision unlesse he were a Jew or Israelite within and circumcised with the circumcision of the heart To what purpose then are all the texts of Scripture alledged by you which prove no more then wee acknowledge that by naturall generation all men are carnall that without faith it is impossible to please God that whom God electeth hee calleth that the election obtaineth what they seeke for that the elect are chosen to be holy and partakers of the sprinkling of the blood of Christ that the elect are brought on to faith But what is all this to prove that such as are carnall by naturall generation cannot be holy by the grace of the covenant or that it may not please God to admit them to the outward dispensation of his Covenant whose inward spirituall estate hee is not pleased with Surely all the Israelites in the wildernesse were sometimes admitted into Covenant with God yet with many of them God was not pleased 1 Cor. 10.5 What though those whom God elcteth he calleth to wit by an effectuall calling according to his purpose yet may hee not yea doth he not call many to place in his vineyard the Church yea to office also whom he hath not chosen Matâ—h 20.16 What though the elect obtaine what they seek for the sure mercies of the Covenant and the rest come to be hardened May not therefore the non-elect partake in the outward dispensation of the Covenant and yet afterwards bee hardened in hypocrisie What though the elect onely come on to believe though not with a justifying faith yet with an historicall and temporary faith May they not bee holy by Covenant who yet are not holy by the Spirit of Regeneration May they not be sprinkled with the blood of sprinkling unto the common graces of the Spirit Heb. 10.29 who yet are not sprinkled therewith to the remission of their sins Finally what though it bee said the Lord added to the Church daily such as should bee saved Acts 2.47 were not Ananias and Sapphira added also and Simon Magus too who yet for ought that appeareth were none of them saved Proceed wee theâ— to the fourth thing which you wiâ—h might be well considered and see if there be any more weight in that The fourth and last is Silvester whether that all persons now in the Gospel have not one and the same way of entrance into the covenant let the holy Word of God bee judge and I finde the Gospel of Christ to approve of none in the Lords holy Covenant of grace but such as believe nor any approved of to be in the way of life but such as are in Christ by Faith And therefore no other way of comming into the Covenant of grace and salvation but onely by Jesus Christ for in him are all the promises confirmed and made over onely unto such as doe believe as 2 Corinth 1.20 Rom. 10.4 1 John 5.11 12. Rom. 8.9 You now labour againe of the same fallacy which was noted in you before It is readily granted you that the Gospel of Christ approveth of none in the Lords Covenant but such as believe Neither did the Old Testament approve any in the Lords Covenant but such as believed But as hath been said it is one thing to approve them in the Covenant another thing to approve them to be in the Covenant See it in a similitude God did never approve either Saul or Jehu in the Kingdome of Israel yet hee did approve it that both of them should be admitted to the kingdome So is it here God did never approve Ismael in Abrahams house nor Esau in Isaacs And yet he approved it that they should be in their Fathers houses and also bee admitted to the Covenant of their Fathers and to the seale thereof till their own prophanenesse cast them out And therefore what though there bee no other way of comming into the Covenant of grace but only by Jesus Christ And what though in Christ all the promises are confirmed and made over onely to such as believe Yet neverthelesse Christ hath opened a way for the comming of the Covenant and promises through himselfe not
onely to such as believe but also for their sakes to their children and housholds In the Old Testament God prospered Ismael for Abrahams sake Gen. 21.13 17 18 19 20. In the New Testament God visited with grace and salvation the Families of Zacheus and of the Jaylor for the housholders sake Luke 19.9 Acts 16.31 Silvester The holy Covenant consisteth of three essentialls for entrance thereinto First the word of God to reveale the same Secondly Christ to open the way and to enright the party therein Thirdly faith without which none can enter thereinto for as none can come unto God or into Covenant with him but by Christ so none can come unto Christ but by faith Job 14.6 with John 6.44 45. Heb. 11.6 Let all this be well considered and then see how infants can be discovered to be in the Covenant and what way of entrance hath God by his word appointed for them to come in and denyed the same unto other I will not straine at your word Essentialls Silvanus though all things that are necessary to the entrance or being of a thing are not straightway essentiall to it Gods providence is necessary to the being and entrance of sin but it is not essentiall to it But I willingly admit of your three necessary Ingredients for entrance into the Covenant and finde none of them wanting to enstate and interest the Infants of believing Parents into the Covenant First the Word of God revealeth such a Covenant of grace wherein God giveth himselfe to be a God to the faithfull Parent and to his seed So hee gave himselfe to faithfull Abraham and to his seed Gen. 17.7 This Covenant of Abraham the Scripture revealeth to be come upon the believing Gentiles and their seed as hath been shewed above Secondly Christ himselfe hath opened the way to enright the children of believing Parents into the Covenant by redeeming us Gentiles as well as Jews from the curse of the Law that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles Gal. 3.13 14. And the blessing of Abraham is to a believer and his seed Gal. 3.16 And this hath been further cleared above Thirdly faith is not wanting to enstate the seed of believing Parents into the Covenant seeing God hath promised upon the faith of the Parent salvation to his houshold Acts 10.31 Luke 19.9 It is a vaine exception to say that if infants bee entred into the Covenant by the faith of their Parents that then they who bee not naturally begotten and born in the Covenant are denyed the same way of entrance into the Covenant which is granted to infants For first wee doe not say that any man is naturally begotten and born in the Covenant For the children of believing parents are naturally the children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2.3 But yet neverthelesse though naturally they bee the children of wrath yet by vertue and grace of the Covenant they are holy 1 Cor. 7.14 Secondly though they who are not begotten and borne of faithfull Parents cannot plead right in the Covenant by the faith of their Parents yet they may claime it by their owne faith if God grant it to them If not it is no marvaile to a Christian heart that the faith of believing Parents conveyeth a greater blessing to their children then unbelieving Parents can expect to themselves or theirs Doth not obedience to the Law convey a farre greater blessing unto a godly man and his seed even to a thousand generations then a wicked carnall parent can expect to him and his Exod. 20.5 6. And if so then doubtlesse the obedience of faith may expect a far greater blessing to a beleever and his seed then an infidell or unbeliever can hope for in his naturall and carnall estate and course to himself or his Silvester If infants be in the Covenant of grace by vertue of their birth from believing parents then such infants are borne in a saving state of grace and were never out of the same Which doctrine maketh void many heavenly and divine truths which speake to the contrary which lay all under sinne and curse till Christ by his blood redeeme them and by his heavenly voice call them and by his Spirit beget them unto a lively hope who are therefore said to bee borne againe from above For none can be under grace and under wrath and curse at one and the same time in the outward dispensation of the same Silvanus It doth not follow that if infants be in the Covenant of grace by vertue of their birth from believing parents then such infants are borne in a saving state of grace For the Covenant of grace doth not give saving grace to all that are in the Covenant but onely to the elect Nor doth it give saving grace to them alwayes in their birth but in the season wherein the Lord in his purpose of election had fore-appointed to give it to the children whom God hath not elected The Covenant of grace doth not give them saving grace at all but onely offereth it and sealeth what it offereth Neither doth this make void any heavenly and divine truth at all For though all bee under sinne and wrath and curse til Christ by his blood redeem them and by his heavenly voice call them by his Spirit beget them yet Christ was a Lambe slaine in respect of the vertue and efficacy of his death from the beginning of the world And though elect vessels may bee under the curse till they bee called and regenerated from above yet are they at one and the same time under grace but in divers respects Under the curse and wrath by nature under grace by the election of God and the Covenant of their fathers At one and the same time Apiathar was a man of death by desert and yet by the Kings favour a man of life 1 Kings 2 26. The Israelites at one and the same time were enemies for our sakes and yet beloved for their fathers sake Rom. 11.28 And in very truth if the elect children of God were not under grace before Christ call them by his heavenly voyce or before hee regenerate them by his Spirit how is it possible they should be effectually called or regenerate at all For in the feare of God consider is not effectuall calling a regeneration a worke of Gods grace in Jesus Christ is it not a fruit of Gods electing and redeeming grace in Christ The one wrought for us before the world was made the other before wee were borne And can the sin of our nature which followed after extinguish or make voyd the rich grace of Christ which was before all causes in us If effectuall calling and regeneration bee the worke of Gods grace then it is the effect of Gods grace and if it be the effect of Gods grace then the grace of Christ is the efficient cause of our effectuall calling and regeneration and the efficient cause is alwayes in nature and ordinarily in
is to performe his Covenant and all that he promised to them in their father Abraham with reference to Christ in whom as the root God established his Covenant for these his holy branches Rom 11.12 verse 26. Now the lump generally considered comprehends all both the first fruits and the latter For except the first fruits were part of the lumpe it could not give testimony that the lumpe was holy which lumpe is Gods elect in Christ with reference to their believing in him and so the approved subjects of Gods gracious Covenant and heires aprarent to the Kingdome of Christ as were Abraham Isaac and Jâ—cob believing the first fruits of that lumpe They first appearing in the Covenant of grace in a visible way by faith they were holy And so that remnant which God had still among them was holy with reference to the same estate the first fruits were in The same consideration is to bee had of the lumpe with reference to that estate which God in his time shall call them unto by his Gospel and so are holy also for this must respect a visible holinesse suitable to that in the first fruits otherwise it maketh nothing to the thing in hand Now a word or two also of the root and branches the root here is that from which the Jewes were cut off and the Gentiles graffed in And that is not onely believing Parents and so the same with the first fruits but Christ mystically considered with reference to the rules of Order Ordinances and Government laid downe in the New Testament for all such to believe and submit unto whom God approveth true subjects of the same In which respect Christ is called a vine a root and the foundation Joh. 15.1 Rom. 15.12 Rev. 5.5 22 16. Isa 28.16 1 Cor. 3.11 Ephes 2.20 That the root is meant Christ as aforesaid appeareth First in that he is the root or olive tree out of which the Jewes are cast and the Gentiles graffed in Rom. 11.17 19 23 24. Secondly in that the Apostle chargeth the Gentiles that if they boast themselves against the Jewes they beare not the root but the root them vers 18. That is thou appearest not to have the truth of grace and so not the true nature of the truth and life of Christ in thy heart but onely an outward forme of the profession of him as John 15.2 Thirdly from the consideration of that which the Jewes refused and the Gentiles received which was Christ aforesaid Therefore it is Christ in his mysticall Order and Government amongst his Saints that is here the root and olive tree with his Spirit in his Ordinances issuing forth sap and fatnesse of life and comfort into every believing heart as a branch of the same This will yet more clearly appeare if we consider what was the Jews owne naturall root and olive tree whereof they were naturall branches onely by faith as the Apostle so declares them Vers 20 21 24. which was union and communion onely with God in all his Divine Ordinances and Worship which in the Old Testament was Mosaicall and typicall in which respect the Jewes were the first that ever God tooke in communion with himselfe in such an holy way of Worship and therefore called the first fruits of his love and naturall branches which order and manner of Worship but not the matter was changed at the comming of Christ in the flesh and a new forme and order set up by him called the Gospel or New Testament which order the Jews opposed and were rejected Christ the sure foundation laid in Zion becomming a stumbling stone and rock of offence to the Jews the Kingdome of God was taken from them that is they were cast out of fellowship and communion with God in respect of his Worship for their unbeliefe and the Gentiles that did submit to the Gospel were taken in by faith in Christ to bee his worshippers and heires both of grace â—â—d glory And when God pleaseth to call the Jews by the Gospel to beleeve in his Son and to submit to him as he is the Mediator of the New Testament then shall they be received in againe into their old fellowship and communion with God according to the order of Moses And thus the Apostle proves their first estate to be holy as the first fruits of thâ—t holy and blessed relation wherein they stood towards God by faith From which they for their unbelief are cut off and the Gentiles by faith admitted in of meere grace and not to boast And yet there is a remnant of them to be called as the Lumpe and a second fruit which are also holy in reference to the same holy root as aforesaid And as the root is holy so shall these branches be when they come to bee graffed in againe to their own root and olive tree as at the first which is union and communion with God in his holy way of Worship And so much of the root or olive tree which must bee understood of Christ mystically considered and not of beleeving Parents as aforesaid Now a word of the branches which being holy are believers onely in the Apostles sense First they are branches onely as they subsist and grow in the root or vine and so beare the true nature of the same by which they appear to be holy by the fruits therof Christ being the root or vine as aforesaid the branches can no way be said to subsist and grow in him as their root but onely by faith and hee in them by his Spirit without which there is no holinesse in the Apostles sense who speaketh of such an holinesse as is produced in the branch by the holy root in which it ingrows and so partakes of the nature of the root by vertue of union and communion which it hath with the same All which is by faith as the word revealeth Secondly there is no branch that is alive in the vine but partakes of the sap and life of the same by vertue of which the branch though never so young and small is discovered to be alive and inabled to bring forth in its season such fruit as whereby the same may be discerned So it is hereby the spirituall branches they cannot properly bee called branches in the Apostles sense but as they partake of the life and grace of Christ their true vine and olive tree by which they appeare at the least to bee alive in him by faith and enabled by the same to bring forth such fruits as may discover them to bee in Covenant of grace and so to be admitted â—â—to the priviledges thereof as John 15.1 7. Nature it self teacheth as much for no man will admit of dead plants to be set in his vineyard or graffed into a stock but onely such as are capable to comply with the same in the sap and nourishment thereof to the end it may grow and bring forth fruit and so it is with Christ who commeth not short of nature And
is called a vine a root and foundation Answ I know no reason why the root in this Text should bee meant not onely their believing parents their holy Ancestors but Christ also as hath been touched afore Onely it seemeth you were afraid that if believing Parents or holy Ancestors were brought in as any means of the conversion of their posterity unto faith and holinesse it would establish the vertue and continuance of the Covenant of grace from Parents to children now in the dayes of the New Testament the which you carefully shun And therefore though you cannot but see that the first fruits and the root are used and applyed in one and the same sense and to the same purpose and so are forced to confess that as by the first fruits so by the root is meant believing Parents yet you will have the root to be meant not onely believing Parents but Christ and indeed you bring such arguments for Christ as doe seeme to restrain it wholly to Christ and in a manner to exclude believing Parents But all in vaine for neither will your Arguments evince Christ to be here expresly intended by the Apostle but onely by consequence neither will we deny that Christ and fellowship with Christ is intended in their fellowship with the root though by the root bee here expresly meant their holy Ancestors It is true Christ is called in Scripture phrase the vine the root the foundation and so indeed he is primarily and eminently But neverthelesse the Church also is called a vine Esa 5.1 Psal 80 8. And Abraham called a root Mat. 3.10 and the rock out of which the house of Israel was hewed Esa 51.1 And the Apostles are called foundations Ephes 2.20 Rev. 21.14 yea every righteous man is called an everlasting foundation Prov. 10.25 And therefore it is not the name of a root that will cast the root to be here meant of Christ and not of Abraham Yes say you for first Christ is here the root or olive tree ouâ— of which the Jews are cast and the Gentiles graffed in Rom. 11.17 19 23 24. Answ The Church is called an olive tree as well as a vine yea and the branches of it are said to be broken off Jer. 11.16 And when the Axe is said by John Baptist to bee laid to the root of the treeâ— Mat. 3.10 It is his meaning to threaten the Jewes that God is about to cut them off from the Covenant of their father Abraham of whom they were the off-spring and the branches And thereby he confirmeth his admonition to them in the former verse vers 9. thinke not saith hee to say with your selves wee have Abraham to our Father for God is able even of these stones and so of stony hearted Gentiles to raise up children unto Abraham And lest they might object that themselves were the children of Abraham rooted in him not onely by naturall generation but by an everlasting Covenant he strengtheneth his admonition with this threatening verse 10. Now is the Axe laid to the root of the trees to wit to cut off barren branches from the Covenant of Abraham every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire And therefore it is proper enough according to Scripture phrase to interpret the root to be meant of Abraham and surely as fitly in this place of Paul as in that of Matthew but whether more proper wee shall see anon Secondly say you it appeareth Christ here to bee meant the root in that the Apostle chargeth the Gentiles that if they boast in themselves against the Jewes Thou bearest not the root but the root thee v. 18. that is say you thou appearest not to have the truth of grace and so not to have the true nature of the root and life of Christ in thy heart but onely an outward form of thâ—â—â—ofession of him Job 15.2 Answ This interpretation the words of the Text will not bear for if this were the meaning of the Apostles words Thou bearest not the root but the root thee that is thou appearest not to have the truth of grace and so not the true nature of the root and life of Christ in thine heart Then it will follow that if the Gentiles did not boast but had indeed the truth of grace and life of Christ in their hearts then it might be said to the Gentile the root beareth not thee but thou bearest the root which is indeed contrary to the truth of Religion yea to the principles of grace The absurdity of this interpretation may give good light to shew that indeed Christ is not properly meant to bee the root here spoken of For if Christ were here intended to bee the Root the Apostle would not apply this as a check to the arrogancy of the boasting Gentile the root beareth thee For it is no check but a comfort yea the greatest comfort and safety of a true and humble believer not so much that he beareth Christ as that Christ beareth him But take the Apostle to meane Abraham to be the root of the Jewes as the context carryeth it and then his admonition is grave and weighty against the arrogancy of the boasting Gentile If some of the branches be broken off and thou being a wilde olive tree wer 't graffed in among them that is among the Jewes boast not thy self against the branches But if thou boast take this for a check thou bearest not the root Thou art not the stock or root into which they were engraffed but theirs is the root into which thou art engraffed For salvation is of the Jews John 4.22 thou receivedst it from them not they from thee Hierusalem as a mother bare Rome not Rome Hierusalem Abraham as a father by his faith begot thee as a root by his Covenant he beareth thee not thou him nor the Church of his Covenant But thirdly you argue from the consideration of that which the Jewes refused and the Gentiles received that it is Christ in his mysticall Order and Government amongst his Saints that is here the root and olive tree who by hâ—â— Spirit in his Ordinances issueth forth sap and fatnesse of life and comfort into every very believing heart as a branch of the same Answ The weaknesse and fallacy of this Argument will easily appeare if you cast it into the forme of an argument thus it proceedeth That which the Jews refused and the Gentiles received that is the root here spoken of to wit that root which being holy the branches also are so too But Christ mystically considered is that which the Jewes refused and the Gentiles received And therefore Christ mystically considered is the root here spoken of which being holy the branches are also so too But here the Major or former Proposition is justly denyed For though Christ himselfe be a root which the Jewes refused and the Gentiles received yet hee is not that root here intended whose holinesse inferreth and concludeth the
Kingdome under the whole heaven shall bee given to the people of the Saints of the most High A second thing which I would put you in minde of which also hath been mentioned above is that wee doe not stand upon Nationall Iewish priviledges but upon the Covenant of Abraham which was given with the Seale thereof to him and his seed before any of the Jewes and Israelites were borne when Abraham and his seed were confidered rather as a Domesticall Church then a as national And then the Covenant was given to him as walking before God in uprightnesse of heart Gen. 17.1.7 which cannot bee without faith and the signe of the Covenant was given him as a signe and seale of the righteousnesse of Faith Rom. 4.11 and both Covenant and seale were given to his infant seed for his faith sake Gen. 17.7 And in case his infant seede should grow up to riper yeares and then not take hold of the Covenant of Abraham but prophanely reject they were cast out of their Church Estate as was Ismael and Esau And so the seed of Abraham could never grow up to a Nationall Church unlesse when they grew up to yeares they should continue in a visible Profession of the Faith of Abraham or unlesse god should afterwards enlarge the wings of his Covenant to reach over the whole Nation as hee began to doe in the Testament of Iacob Gen. 49.26 and more fully and solemnely declared the same Exod. 19.3 to 8. and Deut. 29.10 to 13. But it is not the Covenant of Jacob to him and to all his Posterity during their lives that wee plead for But the Covenant and blessing of Abraham which the Apostle saith is co ue upon us Gentiles Gal. 3.14 which onely admitteth the faithfull and their infant seed not during their lives in case their lives should grow up to Apostasie or open scandall but during their infancy and so long after as they shall continue in a visible profession of the Covenant and faith and the religion of their fathers Otherwise if the children of the faithfull grow up to Apostasie or to any open scandall as Ismael and Esau did as they were then so such like now are to be cast out of the fellowship of the Covenant and of the seales thereof But you willingly take no notice here of the Covenant of Abraham to him and to his seed And because say you the Jews had a promise for the bringing forth the Messias the promised seed in whom all Nations should bee blessed therefore all of that Nation were admitted to the outward Priviledges as figures of him whom that Nation was to bring forth which made a fruitfull wombe accounted so great a blessing among the Jewes as not knowing who might bee so far honoured as to bring forth that blessed seed But Christ came of Abraham and of Isaae as well as of Judah the father of the Jews and yet that did not admit all the Nations which sprang of them to the outward Priviledges as you call them though very absurdly if you meane as you seeme to doe the Covenant and the seale thereof For the Covenant whereby wee and our seed have God for our God is not a meere outward Priviledge but a spirituall and heavenly Priviledge to such as know the worth of it Besides many Tribes of Israel were admitted they and their seed to the Priviledge of the Covenant and to the seale thereof of whom yet it was evident that Christ was not to spring of any of of them The Iewes who descended all of them of Iudah they were but one tribe of twelve And why should all the other eleven Tribes bee circumcised as well as the Jews in respect of their bringing forth their promised seed when yet old Jacob had limited the bringing forth of the Messiâ—h to the Tribe of Judah Gen. 49.10 Were all the children of the eleven Tribes figures of the Messiah as well as the children of the Jews Besides in Davids time there was a promise given to him that the Messiah should come out of his loynes 2 Sam. 7. Why then should any other families of the Jews injoy such a Priviledge that all their infants shuold bee circumcised with the Seale of the Covenant Doth any word of Scripture make all the Infants of all the Jews yea of all Israel figures of the Messiah And if no word of Scripture so doe shall any man forge such an imagination of his owne braine and be guiltlesse what though a fruitfull wombe was counted a great blessing among the Jews So it was also among the other Tribes who yet could not expect the Messiah to spring from them It was a cause just enough to account a fruitfull wombe a great blessing not onely because it was a blessing to the family but also because it was an inlargement of the Church In which respect the Elders and Peoples of Bethlehem blessed Ruth Chap. 4.11 and Boaz with her The Lord make this young Woman which commeth into thine house like Raechel and like Leah which two did build the house Israel How will you make it appeare That God honoured the Nationall birth among the Jews with such outward blessings and Priviledges that belongs not to the Gentiles at all You should have done well to have told us what those outward blessings and Priviledges were and to have cleared it that they belonged to the Jews and not to the Gentiles at all Otherwise it will not bee safe for you to take up doctrines of Religion upon trust of mans word The Gentiles say you are now to looke for our bringing forth of Christ according to the Spirit as the Jews did then according to the flesh and likewise their birth and seed and all things suitable to the same as John 3.3.5.6 Iohn 1.12 13. And therefore wee are said to know no man now no not Christ himselfe after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 And Circumcision was one Priviledge of the flesh Phil. 3.4 5. Answer It is not true that all the Jewes did looke to bring forth Christ according to the flesh For in Davids time they knew that Priviledge was peculiar to his family neither is it true that the Gentiles are now to look for the bringing forth of Christ according to the Spirit any more then the Jews were to looke then The Apostle Peter maketh us equall with the Jews and them with us in this Priviledge Wee looke saith hee to bee saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ even as they Act. 15.11 It behoved them as well as us to attaine a spirituall birth and to bee borne of an immortall seed suitable to the same as well as us for it was not to a Gentile but to Nicodemus a Jew that Christ spake unto Ioh. 3.3.5 6. Except a man be borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost he cannot see the Kingdom of God That which is borne of the flesh is flesh that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Where it doth not
faith think you be built upon the word of man for the truth of his baptisme But be willing to call to mind the Lord Jesus upbraided his eleven Apostles with their unbelief and hardnesse of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after hee was risen from the dead Mar. 6 14. And yet some of them mentioned in the former part of the Chapter were but women and others of them were private disciples neither sort of them were Apostles The truth is if one Proposition in a Syllogisme be found in the Word of God and the other Proposition be found certaine and evident by sense or reason the conclusion is a conclusion of faith As for example it is a proposition found in Scripturâ— Thâ—t the City which raigned over the Kings of the earth â—n Iohns time is that woman the great Whore Babylon which shall bee destroyed Revel 17.18 But Rome is that City which reigned over the Kings of the earth in Johns time This proposition wee have by certaine and evident testimony of the histories of those times Therefore Rome is that woman the great whore Babylon which shall be destroyed This Conclusion is a Conclusion of faith not built upon the word of men but upon the word of God Apply the like manâ—â—r of arguing to the point in hand thus Every disciple of Christ that is every believer and his sâ—ed that is baptized by a Minister of the Gospell in the name of the Fathâ—r Son and holy Ghost is truly baptized This Proposition iâ— delivered in the Gospell But I the child of a bâ—liever was baptized by a Minister of the Gospell in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost This Proposition is confirmed by so many eye-witnesses and such approved records that no reasonable man can doubt of it The conclusion then is a conclusion of faith Therefore I the child of a believer was truly baptized CHAP. X. Silvester FOr a seventh Argument against the Baptisme of Infants I have met with this To baptize Infants maketh the holy Ordinance of God a lying signe because none of those things can bee expected in an Infant which the said Ordinance holdeth forth or signifieth in the administration thereof which is the parties Regeneration and spirituall new Birth a dying and burying with Christ in respect of sin and a rising with him in a New life to God and a confirmation of Faith in the death and Resurrection of Christ and a free remission of sin by the same as Rom. 6.3.4 Col. 2.12 1 Pet. 3.21 Act. 2.38 None of all which can bee expected in an Infant Silvanus That which hath been found in some Infants as in John Baptist and Jeremiah and many moe that they have been sanctified by the holy Ghost from their Mothers wombe there is nothing hindreth but the same may bee desired and expected in any Infants of beleeving Pâ—rents The Faith of beleeving Parents hath prevailed with Christ to cast out an evill spirit out of their children And wheresoever the good spirit of grace entreth there wanteth not Regeneration fellowship with Christ in his death buriall Resurrection there wanteth not Faith nor Remission of sins But besides suppose that none of these things were found in Infants yet it is a profane and blasphemous speech to say that the Baptisme of Infants maketh the holy Ordinance a lying sign because none of those things are found in Infants which the Ordinance holdeth forth and signifyâ—th unlesse you were able to make it good that Baptisme holdeth forth and signifieth nothing but what is already found in the Infants But you cannot bee ignorant that Baptisme signifieth and sealeth up not onely good thingâ— found already in the baptized but also good things promised and as yet to come as Resurrection from the dead 1 Cor. 15.29 Saving out of afflictions and persecutions which were then ready to overwhelme all the Churches in the Romane Empire as Noahs flood did the wholâ— world which is the meaning of Peters words in the place which you quote 1 Pet. 3.21 To say nothing that â—aptisme signifieth and sealeth up the growth of all spirituall gifts and blessings as well as the gift of them And growth is a blessing future to the baptized as well as the gift may bee future to some Infants baptized Yea it is an holy truth of God that Baptisme is as well the signe and seale of the promise of God as the signe and seale of any gift of God already bestowed Now Promises are of blessings to come Circumcision was a signe and seale of the Land of Promise to bee given as well as of the righteousnesse of Faith to Abraham which hee had already received Yea the same Circumcision which was to Abraham a signe and a seale of the righteousnesse of the Faith which hee had already received waâ— to Isaac a sign and seale of the righteousnesse of Faith promised but not received Yea that gracious Promise of God that hee would circumcise the hearts of his people Israel and of their seed Deut. 30.6 what was it else but an exposition and declaration of the meaning of their Circumcision that as they had received the outward signe in the flesh so they should receive they and their seed the thing signified in their heart and spirit It is no lying signe that holdeth forth and sealeth that which is done or which is promised to bee done in due time as much as iâ— meet for him to doe that promiseth The Baptisme of Ananias and Sapphira of Simon Magus and Demâ—s was no lying signe though they neither were Regenerate when they were Baptized nor ever afterwards came on to bee Regenerate because the lye lay not in the Lords Covenant nor in the signe of it but in their affected hypocrisie which would not bee healed CHAP. XI THe eighth Argument against the Baptisme of Infantâ— is because the subject of Baptisme is to bee Passive but an Infant is no way passive as that Ordinance requirâ—th I mean a passive subject threefold 1 A thing uncapablâ— and thus is a stone 2 A thing forced and thus is an Infant who opposâ—th his Baptisme to the utmost of his ability so farre is it from being passive in the same 3 A thing is passive by a subjecting power producing thâ—â—ame in the subject by bringing it to a free and voluntary subjection And thus is the true subject of Baptisme None can bee passive to receive grace Silvanus but by grace because it consisteth of self-denyall Obedience to Christ ought to bee free but Baptisme is forced upon an Infant against its will I will not examine the termes of your Distinction of a threefold passive subject though I would not have you taken with it which is indeed neither Naturall nor Artificiall nor spirituall For when you make the first sort of a passive subject a thing uncapable as is a stone I might demand whether you mean uncapable lawfully or unlawfully If you mean a stone is uncapable
water but in the sprinkling or pouring the water upon the body For in dipping wee apply the body to the water In sprinkling or pouring the water the water is applied to the body which doth more lively set forth the grace of Christ in the washing away of our sinnes which is done rather by applying Christs blood to us then by applying our selves to the blood of Christ Moreover when you stand so much for dipping I demand and I pray you answer to mee or to your selfe ingenuously Whether would you have the whole body dipped or part onely If the whole body whether naked or clothed If clothed then outward baptisme is not a washing of the flesh but of the cloaths rather If naked how will it stand with civility or modesty to Baptize men and women of grown yeares for children you admit none in the face of the whole Congregation No marvell then if the Sect of the Adamites grow out of your Sect. But if you require but part of the body to bee baptized I demand what part If the face that is our usuall manner of baptizing in England but that you implead as false If the hands and feete and head also that is it indeâ—d which Peter offered in a like case Joh. 13.9 But Christ answereth him the washing of one part was enough and would suffice to signify the washing and purifying of the whole man every whit v. 10. And in very truth the whole virtue and efficacy of the death of Christ is as well and as fully applyed in the Act of sprinkling as of dipping When Esay prophecyed the Application of the death of Christ to the Redemption of many Nations hee foretold that Christ should sprinkle many Nations Esay 52.15 And when the Apostle exhorteth us to draw neer unto God in full assurance of faith in respect of the perfect Oblation of Christ for us once for all Heb. 10.22 hee expresseth our drawing neare as having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water The faithfull people of God are not wont to value the virtue of the gifts of Christ from the bulke of outward signes but from the lively virtue and power of the Spirit of life conveyed in them The Spirit of a Cordiall is as much conveyed in a small dôsis as in a grosse drugge It is a small morsell of Bread and a little cup of Wine which wee partake in at the Lordâ— Supper and yet therein wee partake of whole Christ God and Man If wee should eate the whole Naturall body of Christ and drinke all his Blood it would not profit us so much It is the Spirit that quickneth us Ioh. 6.36 Bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim. 4.8 But say you in your third exception against sprinkling sprinkling doth not so lively represent our fellowship with Christ n his Death Buryall and resurrection as dipping doth Answ Why not as lively seeing as fully Being sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience wee draw neare unto Christ in full assurance of Faith as you heard even now out of Heb. 10.22 and Christ in sprinkling many nations applyed to them the whole efficacy of his Death Isa 52.15 And the Apostle setteth forth the faithfull of the New-Testament to have come to the rightfruition of the riches of gratious and glorious Priviledges of the Heavenly Hierusalem in that wee are come to the bloud of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 And Peter also setteth forth the full benefit of our election in being chosen as the Originall words runne to the obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus 1 Pet. 1.1 If therefore being sprinkled with the blood of Christ wee have full fellowship with Christ in his Death surely the sprinkling of the person baptized with water in Baptisme doth fully and lively resemble the sprinkling and pouring out of the blood of Christ upon him And in his lying under the water poured and sprinkled upon him thereby is plainly shewen forth his fellowship with Christ in his Buryall And in his arising from under the water is in like sorâ— held forth his fellowship with Christ in his Resurrection CHAP. XXII Silvester VVHat say you then to the fourth Exception against the Baptisme received in England taken from the false end for which it is Administred to wit for the Regeneration of the present Infants And it plainly seemeth no otherwise to mee by the prayers and Collects which are appointed to bee read in the booke of the Common Prayer before and after Baptisme For before Baptisme they pray that the Infants comming to this holy Baptisme might receive remission of sinnes by spirituall Regeneration And after Baptisme the Minister is appointed to give thanks upon this ground that seeing these children are Regenerate and graffed into the body of Christs Congregation c. Silvanus For Answer take these two things and either of them will avoid your acception First That the Church of England doth not administer Baptism for this end to work Regeneration Secondly That though it should aime at such an end yet that would not make the Baptisme false For the fitst The Church of England doth professedly teach the contrary Doctrine not onely in their Pulpits but in Bookes allowed by publique authority That the Sacraments doth not beget Faith nor Regeneration ex opere operato but they are signes and seales of both Neither do the publique prayers of the Church hold forth their judgement otherwise But as in judgement they doe beleeve that God by Covenant promiseth to poure clean water upon us and upon our seed Ezek. 36.25 Isa 44.3 and that he sealeth the Covenant and promise by Baptisme So before Baptisme they pray him to accomplish this Promise according to his Covenant which God is about to confirme by that seale And after Baptisme they taking Gods Word and Seale as a Pledge and assurance of the thing already done which will indeed in due time bee done according to the true intent and meaning of Gods Word and Seale that is to the elect seed absolutely to the naturall seed sufficiently to leave them without excuse in the offer of the meanes they therefore give him thankes for it as done already When Israel heard their redemption out of Egypt and saw the signes which Moses wrought for the confirmation of it they beleeved and bowed their heads and worshipped as if they had seen the worke already wrought which they saw onely in the promise and in the signe Exod. 4.30 31. When Gedeon had received the promise of deliverance from the Midianites and saw the same confirmed by a signe though it were but by a dreame hee worshipped God with praise and thanksgiving as if the delivâ—rance had beene already wrought Judges 7.13 14 15. I neede not apply it For the Second Though the Church of England had such a corrupt and false end in their Baptisme which they have not as to administer the same for the working of Regeneration yet that would not make
infants If yea whether did the people of God forbeare the circumcision of their infants for feare they should cause such an errour of the necessity of circumcision in the hearts of simple people were it not that we know when men have once set up an idoll in their hearts every wind and shew of an argument will prevaile with a mans mind to bow down to it wee should not think that men disputed in good earnest that used such arguments in such a cause Have you not met with any other argument of more weight CHAP. VIII Silvester YEs this fifth Argument seemeth to me to have more in it The Baptisme of infants keepeth up the state of Antichrist by granting him this so chief a corner stone of the Lords house to lye in his foundation For that Church where baptisme is the true Ordinance of God in the administration thereof it is by the rules of the Gospel a true Church So that if Antichrists baptisme which hee administreth bee Gods ordinance then that Church wherein he doth so administer the same must bee alâ—o the Church of God and he must be in sin who refuseth communion with it Silvanus Either the words of this argument are ill chosen to expresse your meaning or else these words will give no ground at all against the baptisme of infants You say the Baptisme of infants keepeth up the state of Antichrist by granting him this so chief a corner stone of the Lords house to lye in his foundation But I pray you understand first we never made baptisme the corner stone of the Lords house which is the peculiar prerogative of Christ himselfe Christ onely is the corner stone Secondly when we make I meane acknowledge the Baptism of believers and of their seed a true and precious ordinance of Christ and one of the holy vessels of his Church wee doe not grant unto Antichrist this authority to lay this stone in his foundation unlesse himself were first invested with a lawfull calling to baptize and unlesse those whom he did baptize were believers and the seed of believers Our baptizing of believers and their seed do not grant him leave to baptize idolaters and their seed If you say but we take in such to be members of our Church who have been baptized in his Church or at least their fathers before them and so take a stone out of the Temple of Babel to lay in the foundation of Zion contrary to the Word of the Lord Jer. 51.26 Answ This is another matter but your words expresse no such thing Your words carry it as if we granted him a chiefe corner stone of the Lords house to lye in his foundation and not that he granteth us a stone out of his Babylonish Temple to lye in the fóundation of the Lord house But in very truth neither doe we take a stone from him to lay in Gods house by continuing the seale of the Covenant to believers and their seed from Abrahams time to the Apostles time and Baptisme from the Apostles time till now For the Baptisme of believers and their seed is no more a stone that lyeth in the foundation of Antichrist then is the doctrine of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost three persons and one God into whose name wee and our children are baptized Though the people of God would not take a stone of Babel for a corner or for a foundation of Zion according to Jer. 51.26 yet they did not refuse to take those vessels out of Babel and to restore them againe to the Lords Temple at Hierusalem Ezra 1.7 8. with 6.5 Doe noâ— therefore tell us that if Antichrists Baptisme which hee administreth bee the ordinance of God then that Church wherein hee doth so administer the same must be also the Church of God and they in sinne that refuse communion with it For you might as well say that if the vessels of the Temple wherein the Babylonian Priests ministred to their idols were indeed the holy vessels of the Lord God of Israel then that idols Temple is Babel in which they were used to Ministery was the holy Temple of the Lord and the people of Israel did sin in comming out of Babel and refusing communion with that Idols Temple CHAP. IX Silvester A Sixth argument against the Baptism of Infants I have found to bee this because it buildeth faith upon humane testimony in matters fundamentall for such as are baptized in their infancy have no other way to satisfie themselves or others but the bare word of man that must stand in the place of the Word of God for such to believe their true receiving of so holy an Ordinance of God Silvanus If Baptisme be a matter fundamentall why did your fourth Argument make it an error in the Baptisme of infants that it caused the simple to conceive that Baptism is of necessity to salvation Surely if Baptisme be a matter fundamentall it is no offence to make both the simple and the wise and all sorts to conceive that it is of necessity to salvation But such indeed is the wise and righteous hand of God that such as will contradict the truth of God shall be ready also to contradict themselves and that sometimes within a very few words But to speake to your argument doe you thinke that the Circumcision of infants was a matter fundamentall If so doe you thinke those infants growing up to yeares did build their faith in matters fundamentall upon humane testimonie And had they no other way to satisfie themselves or others for their true receiving of so holy an Ordinance of God but onely the word of man which must stand them in stead of the Word of God Yea let me demand a further Question What if a man were baptized at as ripe yeares as the Treasurer of Candace Acts 8. who saw himselfe baptized by Philip What hath such a man to build the faith of his Baptisme upon and to satisfie himselfe and others thâ—rein but onely the testimony of his owne eyes and sense of fâ—eling but neither a mans eyes nor his sense of feeling are any â—hitmore the Divine testimony of the Word of God then the testimony by word of mouth of many scoreâ— of witnesseâ— yea put the case a little further and no more then possible what if a man of grown yeares suppose a Pagan were converted to the faith by the hearing of the Word and yet had been blinde from his mothers wombe If hee shall come to be baptized he will want the testimony of his eyes to see himselfe baptized And though he may heare the words of him that baptizeth them yet hee hath it onely by the words of men that he that baptizeth him iâ— a Minister For himself did neither see him elected nor ordained which is also the case of any man though of growne yeares that commeth to be baptized of such a Minister who was ordained to his Office before himselfe was borne must such a mans