of this their Principle and whosoever dives into it seriously and judiciously will find it to be so otherwise why do they say that children are not capable of receiving the Habits of Grace which highly reflects dishonour on the Free Grace of God and also the omnipotent Power of God for unless they do pray for their dying children or living either that they may be united to Christ and be begotten and born of God and justified by the Righteousness and Merits of Christ and have their original sins subdued and their Natures sanctified and changed and the Image of God imprest upon them that they may be made meet to partake of the Inheritance with the Saints in Light which must be by infusing Grace into their Souls all their Prayers signifie no more than their Prayers do for any other outward Mercy and Injoyment But how can they pray for their young Infants union with Christ when at the same time they declaim the very instrumental Bond of union viz. The Grace of Faith which is peculiar to all Gods Elect. 2. You shall see how incongruous Mr. D. is in himself For 1. Saith he in page 5. God knows how to sanctifie and save our dying Infants without our application of Ordinances unto them c. 2. In page 6. he saith We dedicate them to God by Prayers for them as soon as born c. 1. He saith God knows how to sanctifie and save our dying Infants without our application of Ordinances unto them Now by the same parity of Reason Adult believers may cast off all Ordinances and say I am in the Invisible and Catholick Church and God knows how to sanctifie and save me without the application of Ordinances This would make a notable Plea for those that do cast off Ordinances 2. It is true that God doth know how to sanctifie and save all Elect Infants But here I must stop for I dare go no further with Mr. D. because I see a dangerous Precipice 2. It is also as true that God hath revealed unto us how he doth sanctifie and save Elect dying Infants for it is in the same way in which he doth sanctifie and save all Elect Adult believers as I have already sufficiently demonstrated and proved For as there is but one Lord one Faith and one Baptism even so there is but one way to Heaven and that is thro' Christ by Justification Regeneration Adoption and Sanctification for Christ himself saith I am the way and in Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 3. Is not the dedication of our children to God an Ordinance of God and Is not Prayer also an Ordinance of God 1. If the dedication of our children to God be not an Ordinance of God why do our Opponents practice it Secondly If Prayers to God for them be not an Ordinance of God why do they use it Why doth our Author himself apply these Ordinances of God to his children as soon as born seeing he thus declaims them 2. If they are not Ordinances of God then it falls under the sin of Will-worship and humane Invention and if so then it would be said another day Who hath required these things at your hands But 3. If they are Ordinances of God then they ought not to be against the application of Ordinances unto them by others seeing they allow it in themselves for Dedication without Institution is down-right Superstition Get over this Sir if you can For we are to do all things spiritually in the Worship and Service of God according to the Pattern shewn by God himself unto Moses in the Mount 4. Baptism as hath been proved is one of the Heavenly Things or Gospel-Church-Ordinances which is a publick solemn dedication of the subject baptized unto God in the Church in the presence of God Angels and Men by Thanksgiving and Prayer for as we receive our children from God so it is but reasonable we should offer them up to God through Christ from whom we received them But yet notwithstanding we ought to dedicate them to God secretly as soon as born and privately in our Families for as in Prayers there i◠1 secret Closet-prayer 2. there is private Family-prayer 3. and lastly there is publick Prayer in the Church Assembly And the 〈◊〉 former may be said to be preparatory to the latter secret Prayer in the Closet ought not 〈◊〉 or hinder private Prayer in the Family 〈◊〉 ought both these to excuse or impede publick Prayer in a publick Church Assembly Even so ought we to do in point of dedicating our children to God first it ought to be from the very Womb as soon as born in secret devotion in our Closets and in our Hearts by Faith praising of God on the Childs behalf that the Womb was not its Grave and for that its Members were written in Gods Book of Creation and also to pray unto God that the name of it may be written in the Book of Life that it may be regenerated renewed and sanctified and be sealed up unto the Day of Redemption by the Holy Spirit 2. We ought to dedicate our Children to God in like manner aforesaid in our Family with those Neigbbours and Friends that are there as Instruments to help usher them into the World 3. And lastly These Dedications aforesaid of our children as soon as born must not hinder nor prevent our publick solemn Dedication of them afterwards in that Church Ordinance of Baptism in a more publick solemn manner in the presence of God Angels and Men for the Angels are present in Church Ordinances and Discipline and are strickt Observators of all our Behaviour and Deportment as in 1 Cor. 11.7 10. Which brings me to the second thing viz. That the Angels attend the Church in their Ministry and in special manner their Ministry is extended to the Elect Infant-members thereof as doth plainly appear from the Words of our Saviour in that Rebuke he gave to those Disciples that were of his own peculiar Family when they were striving among themselves who was the greatest in the Church as in Mat. 18. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus saying Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven Pray observe they did not ask who should be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter but who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven now in the present tense That was as much as to say Who among us Disciples is greatest in the Church of God now for they knew that Christ was the greatest in the Church and that God is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven in Glory Now pray mind Christs Answer unto them And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them And said Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven This Christ spake to
as Circumcision was the door of entrance to all the Members of the former even so Baptism is now the door of entrance to all the Members of the latter Thus you see all the Arguments to prove the contrary are confuted notwithstanding Mr. D's saying that the male children of Abraham's natural Posterity were only to be circumcised and his wondering that from this Covenant should be devolved a Right on the Gentile Church to baptize their Children both males and females is brought to nought 6. And lastly I shall humbly offer some Reasons why the male children were to be circumcised and not the females 1. It was to praefigurate the death and sufferings of Christ who was given for a Covenant of the People and was to be cut off and die for the Sins of his People Therefore as St. Paul saith in another case Was Paul crucified so say in this viz. Was a female to be crucified for the sins of the People I think there are none but will deny that 2. This also was the reason why the Paschal Lamb for Sacrifice must be a male of the flock without blemish and not a female which did likewise praefigurate Christ's Incarnation and Crucifiction For 1. He must be a man and not a woman 2. He must be a man without sin 3. He must be taken out of the flock of God namely the Tribe of Judah 4. And lastly He must be offered up without spot to God for the sins of his People 1 Cor. 5.7 Therefore for these Reasons the male children were circumcised and not the female But yet notwithstanding the female seed of Abraham were as much in the Covenant of Grace and shared as much in the Redeeming Love of Christ as ever the male children of Abraham did 3. The Token of the Covenant was and still is to be on the flesh because all flesh had corrupted its way therefore nothing short of the death and sufferings of Christ could appease the Wrath of God and reconcile him unto us and retrieve us from that lost and condemned state of sin and misery into which the Fall of Adam had involv'd us But Christs Deity did not suffer for it was impossible it was only the Humane Nature of Christ that suffered and was cut off but not for himself but for the sins of the People Dan. 9. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off There was the Antitype or end of Circumcision for he suffered both in body and soul Isa 53.11 His soul was made an offering for sin Thus I have proved That the female seed of Abraham were interessed in the Token of the Covenant as well as the males and so are all the seed of Believers now and have all a Right to the Ordinance of Water-baptism the successive Token of the Covenant of Grace For as Circumcision of the Heart and Baptism of the Holy Ghost both signifieth one and the same thing even so Circumcision in the Letter and Baptism with Water signifieth one and the same thing namely Regeneration and Sanctification by the death merits and Spirit of Christ 3. Mr. D. hath positively asserted That the Covenant God established with Abrahnm and his Seed was a Covenant of peculiarity viz. a Covenant made peculiarly with Abraham and 〈◊〉 Natural posterity but this I shall make appear to be a very gross mistake for several Reasons 1. Because it was not a new made Covenant with Abraham which never had a being before as appeareth by the very words in Gods Declaration to Abraham viz. for thus saith the Lord And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee c. Though it is true that it was new to Abraham and his seed because they were never in it before 2. This Covenant which God calls my covenant which he established with Abraham and his seed is the same which God made first with Adam and his seed after the Fall Gen. 3.15 and secondly it 's the same which God established with Noah and his seed after the Floud for God used the very same frame of Speech with Noah as he did with Abraham as you may see Gen. 9.9 And I behold I establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you That was with Noah and his Houshold and their Posterity Gen. 7.17 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee 1. Behold I establish my covenant c. 2. And I will establish my covenant c. What difference is there between these Two establishments of the Covenant Even none at all Then it must be one and the same Covenant nay God telleth us so for both to the one and to the other God calls it emphatically my covenant So it was not a Covenant made peculiarly to Abraham and his natural posterity 2. Let us address our selves to Gods frame of Speech concerning the Tokens of the one and of the other 1. In Gen. 9.12 And God said This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you That was Noah and his Houshold 2. In Gen. 17.11 And ye shall circumcise thâ— flesh of your fore-skin and it shall be a token of 〈◊〉 covenant betwixt me and you But it may be Objected What congruity or agreement is there between these two Tokens of the Covenant to the Rain-bow and Circumcision Why there is a very sweet agreement between them both 〈◊〉 in effect it 's one and the same for they are boâ—â— Tokens of God's Love and Grace primarily anâ— especially unto his own covenanting people 3. Persons may as well say That the Rain-bow is the Covenant as to say that Circumcision is the Covenant being both but Tokens thereof 4. The Covenant of Grace had its beginning at the Fall of Adam for had our First Parent stood in their primitive state of innocency theâ— would have been no room for the Exercise oâ— Grace and Mercy for misery in a sense may be said to beget Grace and Mercy for in Gen. 3. â— there came in all our misery and in verse 15 there came in Gods free preventing Grace aâ— Mercy which is his Darling Attribute for Mercy is his delight 5. The Covenant of Grace ran down in a â—neal Descent from Adam and his posterity 〈◊〉 Noah and his and took in Job Melchizedec Eliâ—â— and Abraham Isaac and Jacob Moses Davâ—â— and all the Patriarches and last of all it â—â—volved upon the Gospelized Gentiles and all thâ— posterity and this only is the Covenant of Grace for was it not great Grace that God should 〈◊〉 only spare Man when he first broke out into opeâ— Rebellion against him but found out a Ransoâ— for him 6. All those that are or have been or may be in the Covenant of Grace are not nor new may be in the Covenant of Redemption but aâ— that are in the Covenant of Redemption 〈◊〉 go through the Covenant of Grace to Glory 7. All the Elect of God are in the
Covenant of Redemption and were so from all Eternity for that Covenant was made between God the Father and his Eternal only Son 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began But the Covenant of Grace was made with Man by God the Father in his Son Christ Jesus in the beginning of Time immediately as soon as man Fell Gen. 3.15 8. Not one Soul of all those in the Covenant of Redemption shall ever sin to such a degree as to fall short of eternal life and salvation for they are all in the hands of Christ and none can pluck them thence John 10. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life And they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God This respects the believers perseverance in his spiritual state and not his spiritual frame of heart for the same Apostle saith in the same Epistle chap. 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Many Thousands have sinned themselves out of the Covenant of Grace and fallen short of eternal life and salvation For as God's eldest Son upon Earth namely Adam sinned and broke the Covenant of Works so Adam's eldest Son namely Cain was the first that sinned himself out of the Covenant of Grace and Ham was the first that sinned himself out of the Covenant of Grace after the Flood and Judas sinned himself out of the Covenant of Grace under the Dispensation of the Gospel and all those Jews we read of in Rom. 11. where it is thus said For if the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches And if some of the branches be broken off and theâ— being a wild-olive tree wert graffed in among theâ— and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree Well because of unbelief they were broken off 9. This Olive-tree which the Jews were broken of from and the Gentiles graffed into was the Covenant of Grace Mistake me not for I do not hold that popish Doctrine of falling from true saving Grace for it is impossible for any to fall out of a state of Grace though they may out of the Covenant of Grace because they are in the Covenant of Redemption which is the inner Court viz. Sanctum Sanctorum 10. And Lastly All that are in the Covenant of Grace are the Subjects of Water-baptism they are either baptized or ought to be But none but those that are in the Covenant of Redemption are circumcised in heart and baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire 2. Saith Mr. D. in pages 2 3. How came it to pass that holy men such who were interessed in the Covenant of Grace at the very instant of making this Covenant of Circumcision with Abraham were not concerned in that Covenant and the Token of it such as Melchizedec c. and the Fathers before the Flood to Abraham 's Time and after to Job and his Family and the Saints of God contemporary with him such as Elihu and Job 's Three Friends c. The Learned Mr. N. Cox hath so solidly opened this Covenant of peculiarity made with Abraham c. Here are several things to be observed from these Words of Mr. D's 1. Is this He calleth the Covenant which God established with Abraham and his Seed a Covenant of Circumcision 2. He queries how it came to pass that these holy men were not concerned in that Covenant and the Token of it Which is a contradiction for first he asserts the Token of the Covenant viz. Circumcision to be the Covenant it self and how and where he will find another Token for the Token of the Covenant I know not 3. I observe Mr. D's drift and design in calling God's Covenant with Abraham and his Seed a Covenant of Circumcision is to make way to lay a foundation to build their Covenant of peculiarity on but this I will prove to be a gross mistake for these Reasons following 1. Circumcision could not be the Covenant it self because according to their own Principles all the female seed of Abraham would have been excluded and shut out for they will not grant nor allow that the female seed of Abraham were any way concerned in Circumcision or had any benefit by it 2. Circumcision could not be the Covenant because it was but a Token of it Gen. 17.11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your fore-skin and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you That was with Abraham and all his Seed both male and female 3. Circumcision could not be the Covenant because in the Covenant it self God promised to be Abraham's God and the God of his Seed after him in their Generations Gen. 17.7 Ay and to a thousand Generations Psal 105.8 And God said I will make an everlasting covenant with thee c. Now Circumcision as to the Letter of it was not everlasting for it expired with the Ceremonial Law 4. And Lastly Circumcision could not be the Covenant it self because then Ishmael would have been in it which is repugnant to the holy Scripture â—â—r he had neither part not lot in the Covenant Gen. 17.18 19 20 21. But they run upon this mistake to prove Gods Covenant with Abraham and his Seed to be a Covenant of peculiarity with a design to exclude all the Gentile Believers and their Seed purely to destroy Infant-baptismâ— for they know that unless they can do that they cannot bring it to pass and this is the reason why they press these holy men aforesaid into their service viz. Melchizedec Job Eliâ—â— c. because they were not circumcised 2. I shall humbly offer my Reasons to shew why Abraham and his posterity were circumcised and not those holy men aforesaid 1. The first is because God never required it of them and therefore it would have been superstition for them to have done it 2. Because Abraham was chosen by God himself and fixed in a publick station to be a sub-representative Head and father of the faithful to the end of the World and so was not any of those Worthies aforesaid 3. God's Covenant was with Abraham several years before Circumcision was annexed unto it Gen. 17.4 As for me behold my covenant is witâ— thee and thou shalt be a father of many nations Now to which of those Worthies did God ever say he would make him a father of many nations 4. In Gen. 12.3 And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed This
maids Go and get ye Gowns made with lead in the lower end of the skirt thereof and shift ye and then come again to us and we will baptize every one of you 3. How could it be possible that so few as the Apostles were not exceeding Twelve in number if they were all there should be able to trip and dip three thousand men women and maids according to their Principle and practice in so short a time as but part of a day 2. I shall prove Baptism to be by Sprinkling c. from the Levitical Law and not by Immersion of Dipping 1. Negatively If there is nothing to be done in Gospel-Worship and Ordinances but what there must be an Example or Shadow from that Pattern which God shewed unto Moses in the Mount with all its Appendix that were then in force c. then baptism cannot be by dipping But nothing ought to be done in Gospel-Worship and Ordinances but what there must be an Example or Shadow for from that Pattern which God shewed unto Moses in the Mount with all its Appendix that were then in force such as Circumcision and Sacrifices which were then in being and long before the Ceremonial Law Therefore baptism cannot be by immersion or dipping under water because there is no manner of shadow or Example for that way of baptizing in all the Ceremonial Law nor its Appendix thereunto belonging Now for proof of which let us address our selves to the Scriptures gradually as we go along 1. In Heb. 10. For the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things Pray mind the Law was but a shadow of good things to come and what these good things are I shall have occasion to declare by and by 2. I shall prove that baptism ought to be by sprinkling and pouring water on the subjects baptized 1. Thus If there be an Example or Shadow for sprinkling in baptism from that Pattern which God shewed unto Moses in the Mount then baptism is by sprinkling c. But there is an Example or Shadow of sprinkling c. from that Pattern which God shewed unto Moses in the Mount Therefore baptism is by sprinkling Now for the Proof of this I shall call in many Scriptures to testifie the truth of it and the first shall be that 1. In Heb. 8. For if he were on earth he should not be a priest seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mouâ—t Pray observe these all things that were then to be made according to the pattern shewn in the Mount were the Example and Shadow of the Heavenly thingâ— which is the same with that afore-mentioned Text A shadow of gâ—…d things to 〈◊〉 namely the Gospel-Ordinances and Worship which must be according to the pattern shewn by God to Moses in the Mount 2. The Apostle reproved the Hebrews that were reconciled to the Christian Religion for cleaving to and hankering after the abolished Ceremonial Law for he told them in effect that they robbed Christ of the Honour and Glory of his priestly Office for saith he unto them If he that was Christ were on earth he should not be a priest seeing there are priests that offer gifts according to the Law and then he proceeds to tell them that the Law was but an Example and Shadow of the Gospel-Ordinances and Worship those heavenly things and a shadow of good things to come not the very Image or Substance of the things 3. If there were no Example or Type for dipping in baptism then there can be no Antitype Therefore it cannot be baptism for there was nothing among all the Examples and Shadows of the Heavenly things that was any thing like dipping in baptism 4. But fourthly I will produce you a Cloud of Witnesses which all center in a Type for sprinkling in baptism 1. In Exod. 24. And Moses took the bloud and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the bloud of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you Now was not this a lively Type or Seal of the Covenant namely Baptism for it signifieth the same thing as Baptism doth viz. Regeneration Sanctification and renewing Grace which cost Christ the price of his precious blood which is the blood of the covenant for he was given for a covenant to the people and therefore Moses said Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you and yet that blood in it self was but the blood of a beast 2. In Exod. 29. And thou shalt stay the ram and thou shalt take his blood and sprinkle it round about upon the altar 3. In Levit. 1. And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord and the priests Aarons sons shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 4. In Ezek. 36. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh Here is God's Promise to the Jews the Race of his old covenanted peculiar People predicted which is to be renewed and fulfilled in this latter day of the Gospel as in verses 6 7 8 9 10 11. compared with Rom. 11.25 26 27. First here in Ezek. is their baptism predicted viz. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you for as they were a baptized Church under the Law so they shall be again under the Gospel 1 Cor. 10.2 3 4. And that was also by sprinkling Secondly here is their Calling and Conversion predicted and promised viz. A new heart also will I give you c. 4. And lastly Pray mind these Scriptures for they are all for sprinkling Levit. 9.9 18. ch 4.6 17 18. ch 5.9 13. ch 8.11 24. ch 14. 7 8 9 16 51. Numb 19.18 19 20 21. â—2 Chroâ— 29.22 ch 30.16 Now what could all these sprinklings and pourings of blood and water be an Example and Shadow of if not of baptism Therefore I demand Two Things of our Opponents 1. If sprinkling in baptism be not the Antitype of all these sprinklings and pourings aforesaid Then I challenge them to find out and discover unto us some other Gospel-Ordinances wherein the subjects are all passive as those were of these Sprinklings under the Law that is more apposite to it than sprinkling in baptism is to the Examples and Shadows of the Heavenly things which were the good things that were come 2. Let them produce us a Type under the