profess to assent to the truth of that Doctrine and no moâ—e unless as that Assent may imply the Consent of the Will are not Saints But let us peruse some other Texts besides these that Mr. Blake citeth The Congregations of the Saints are mentioned in the Old Testament as Psal. 89 5 7. and 149 1. But what Saints these were may appear by the Promises made to them Ps. 149.5 9 4 16.3 37.28 97.10 132.9 16. 145 10. The Children of Israel a people neer unto him are called Saints Psal. 148.14 but it is because they are a part of them his people in heart and the rest profess themselves to be his People in a saving sense And if there were any that did not so he was not an Israelite by Religion nor to be of that Common-wealth but to be cut off from his People Acts 9.13 The Saints at Jerusalem that Paul persecuted were such as not only professed saving Faith but also had the witness of Martyrdom and Persecutions to testifie their Sincerity They that continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and breaking bread and prayers having all things common selling their possessions and goods and parting them to all men as every man had need praising God c. did profess more then a Faith and Repentance short of that by which we are saved But so did the Church at Jerusalem Act. 2.41 42. to the end yea the multitude of them that Believed were of one heart one soul and great grace was upon them all c. Acts 4.32 to 36. so that we may see what Saints the Church at Jerusalem were And if all were not such we see evidently that the whole was denominated from such The Church of Rome were all called Saints Rom. 1.7 True But what was meant by that word and what Saints did they appear to Paul by their Profession to be Even such as were beloved of God whose Faith was spoken of throughout the world that were dead to sin but alive to God that had obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine delivered to them and being made free from sin became the servants of Righteousness and of God having their fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 1.7 8. and 6 11 14 17 18 21. whose obedience was come abroad to all men Rom. 16.19 Here is more then the Profession of a common Faith The Corinthians are called Saints True But what is meant by Saints such as called on the name of the Lord Iesus Christ having much of his grace enriched by him in all things coming behind in no Gift waiting for the coming â—f our Lord Iesus Christ who shall confirm them to the end that they may be blameless at his coming 1 Cor. 1.2 to ver 10. all was theirs 1. Cor. 3.22 23. They were such Saints as were washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of God and such as were to â—udge the World and the Angels Chap. 6.3 11. delivered from that unrighteousness that would have kept from Heaven ver 9.10 11. such as had no temptation but what was common to man whom the faithful God would not suffer to be tempted above their strength c. Chap. 10.13 such as were not so much as to eat with the notoriously wicked Chap. 5 11. and therefore doubtless Professed Godliness themselves in whom godly sorrow had wrought carefulness clearing of themselves zeal c. 2 Cor. 7.11 in whom the Apostle had confidence in all things ver 16. Object But Paul saith they were carnal and taxeth them with some gross Errors and Sins Answ. 1. So are all the Regenerate carnal in part and guilty of too many sins And it is not Impenitency after admonition that he chargeth them with Their sin was no worse to our eye than David's or Solomon's 2. If any were so bad as to be notoriously ungodly those are not of that number whom he calleth Saints as they are not of them that have the following Descriptions of Saints which I have cited but only were among them but not of them The Galathians I find not called Saints but to call them a Church of Christ or Believers is Equipollent And what Saints were they Why they were all the Sons of God by Faith in Christ Jesus having been baptized into Christ and put him on and were all one in him and were Abraham's seed and heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.26 27 29. And because they were sons God sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts by which they cryed Abba Father and therefore were no more servants but sons and if sons then heirs of God through Christ. Object But Paul was afraid of them lest he bestowed upon them labour in vain Answ. 1. It appeareth by what is said that it was not such a fear as made him take them for ungodly 2. This confirmeth what I maintain that the Apostles judgement of them proceeded according to the Evidences of probability He took himself bound to believe their Profession so far as they contradicted it not and according to the prevalency of their Errors which were against it he was jealous of their condition and if they had proceeded so far as to have declared themselves certainly ungodly Paul would have denominated them a Church no more The Church of Ephesus are called Saints Eph. 1.1 But what Saints such as were blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before him in love pâ—edestinated to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he made them accepted in the beloved in whom they had redemption through his blood the remission of sins and have obtained an Inheritance being predestinated c. Who trusted in Christ and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of their Inheritance they were such as believed in the Lord Jesus and loved all the saints and were quickened who had been dead in trespasses and sins were raised up together and made to sit in heavenly places If Mr. Blake while he abhorreth the name of a Saint or Church equivocally so called would not make all words equivocal that in Scripture are used to denominate or describe a Church or Saint we might easily be resolved by such passages as these what Paul meaneth by a Church or Saint See further Eph. 3.18 All Saints comprehend what is the breadth and length depth height and Christ dwelleth in their hearts by faith and they rooted and grounded in love Eph. 3.17 18. But Mr. Blakes Saints do none of this therefore they are no Saints in Scripture sense With this text compare Eph. 2.19 and see what a Church is and what it is to be fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and
Profession of a common faith short of saving or with that common faith it self What should a man say to such a confuter but advise him to joyn with us his weak Brethren in desiring God to pardon us for such troubling and abusing the Church 1. As to his Description of the persons to be Baptized I shall add 1. That his last Description pag. 173. containeth nothing but what may stand with First an open refusal of God and Christ. 2. And that which is commonly taken for the sin against the Holy Ghost For its past doubt that men may both be convinced of Duty and confess the Necessity of it and yet may openly profess that the world and their lusts are yet so dear to them that they will not yet have God to be their God Christ to be their Saviour on the Gospel terms And I think a man that openly refuseth Christ at the present should not be baptized at the present though he be convinced of Duty and acknowledge the necessity of it As to his other Description pag. 172. the word Engagement to it either signifieth an engagement savingly to believe from that very instant forward and this doth Necessarily import a present Profession of consent and so of present saving faith For man can so engage that doth not Profess such consent and believe And this destroyeth Mr. Blakes cause Or else it signifieth such an engagement to believe for some distant future time which is consistent with a non-profession of present consent to have Christ as offered And this is the same with that before confuted If such may be Baptized then they may say we are convinced that we must savingly believe in Christ and we do engage our selves to do it as soon as we can spare the world and forsake the Flesh and the Devil but yet we cannot and will not do this Baptize such who dare for me But for a further search of Mr. Blakes mind observe his words pag. 175. Where he answers to what I now object And first he citeth these words of mine Where you say that an acknowledgement of the Necessity of such faith with engagement to it is sufficient for a Title to the state I reply Then those that at present renounce Christ so it be against their knowledge and Conscience and will engage to own him sincerely for the future have a Title to Baptism To which he replyeth How comes I pray you that future in you manifest much reading in the Law and I have heard this as a Maxim In obligationibus ubi nullus certus statuitur dies quovis die debetur There is no day overtaken but engagement is for present c. To this I rejoine 1. It is the first time that ever I heard of an engagement that was not de futuro as to the performance We are agreed that the Engagement is present but the question is whether it be to a present or future performance And it is by Covenant or Promise that Mr. Blake supposeth this engagement made And is there any which is not de futuro If the Church cannot hit the Right way of Baptizing till such elucidations as these direct them to it If you Promise to believe de praesenti either you do at that present believe or you do not If you do your Promise as to that present act which you already perform is vain as if I Promise to give you that which I have given you already or in that instant give you which were no promise but a donation or profession If you do not then believe then your promise as you call it is a falshood And to tell a lie is no such a duty as can give right to Baptism No man should say he believeth when he doth not 2. But if it may be he means not futurum remotius but futurum proximum That cannot well be neither because he saith the engagement is for present But suppose he do mean by present the futurum proximum either this importeth a profession of saving faith as well as an engagement to believe the next instant or it doth not If it do I have the thing I seek and Mr. Blakes cause is given away If not then Mr. Blake doth feign God to require such a kind of promise or engagement as our titile to baptism which I believe the common vote of reason will pronounce to be vain ridiculous if not impossible by most Vain it must needs be to make so solemn a promise of performing that in the next instant which he may actually perform save all that ado Should I cause covenants to be solemnly drawn up and witnesses called and seals affixed that I will give such a thing in the next Minute after the sealing why then may I not as well give the thing it self The Minister may stay one minute longer before he go to Church to baptize the person or he may use one word or two more in prayer and exhortation and by that time the instant would be come And Ridiculous it seems to me that any man should be admitted upon such a promise as this I will not yet leave my sin for God nor renounce the world the Flesh and the Devill for Christ or take him for my only Lord and Saviour but I engage my self to do it or I will do it as soon as the word is out of my mouth or I am not yet willing to have Christ as he is offered but I will be willing the next instant If any say so to me I will hold my hand from baptizing one minute and ask him whether now he be willing For certainly the man must break his promise between the making and the sealing of it if he be not a sound Believer already For there must go more then one instant between his promise and the Act of baptizing unless we had greater velocity of action If therefore Mr. Blake's professor shall say I promise to believe savingly the next instant then if he do not the promise is broke before it is sealed If he do I know no reason but why I may require him to profess that which he hath And is it not a kind of impossibility for any unregenerate man rationally and soberly to promise to be regenerate the next minute or instant Or for any that is destitute of saving faith to promise to believe savingly the next instant If he hath grace of such command and can believe the next moment why not now And doth not that man shew his heart unfound that can believe the next moment and will not do it at the present If it be so in his power let him not stand promising but do it But perhaps some will say that Mr. Blake meaneth not the next instant or hour or day or any determinate time but only an indeterminate time some time hereafter To which I answer 1. He expresseth himself by the terms present and quovis die debetur therefore it expresly includeth the next instant or day
I have no true faith I cannot believe Faith is a perswasion of Gods love to me or a resting on him for salvation and I cannot be perswaded of his love to me nor can I rest upon him And when I have convinced them that the Gospel is 1. a Narrative of what Christ is and what he hath done and suffered for us and 2. an offer of Christ and life to all that will accept the offer And therefore that faith is 1. an Assent to the truth of his Report and 2. a Consent to be Christs and that he shall be ours And when I have asked them whether they do these two things or not whether they believe the Gospel to be true and are willing that Christ and Life be theirs and that they be Christs they profess very cheerfully both this Assent and Consent they are wâ—lling to have Christ if they know their own hearts and yet they dare not say that they are true believers partly through general fears and partly because they know not that this which they profess is saving faith Now in such a case we are to let them know that it is the thing and not their Certainty of the thing that God hath mâ—de necessary And therefore we do not nor must not ask them in Sacramental Administrations whether they have saving faith by meer name without description but whether they believe in God the Father Son and the Holy Ghost and renounce the World Flesh and Devil and whether they are willing to have God for their only God and Christ for their only Saviour and the Holy Ghost their Sanctifier And he that saith yea doth profess a saving faith though he know it not so to be And what would Mr. Blake do with him if he say neither Yea nor Nay Having thus vindicated the Proposition against their Objections and shewed the vanâ—ty of all other waies and that we can have no certainty what Profession to expect if we expect not a Profession of saving Faith I may well sum up all and still insist on the 19th Argument that we must expect the profession of a saving Faith seeing if we take up with any other we are utterly at a loss Mr. Blake cannot agree with himself what faith to require nor hath given any certain description of it when he hath so voluminously talkt for it and what he or others seem to require as a thing distinct from saving faith we see sufficient Reason to reject as being wholly unproved and by us proved insufficient to this use I shall now therefore proceed to my 20th and last Argument for the Proposition which is drawn from the constant practice of the Universal Church of Christ. It hath been the constant practice of the Catholike Church since the Apostles daies till now to require that Profession of saving Faith and Repentance as necessary before they would baptâ—ze and not to baptize any upon the Profession of any lower kind of Faith Therefore it must be our practice also And here I must confess my self in as great an admiration at the words and dealings of Mr. Blake and some godly learned Divines that go with him in this Cause as ever I was brought to by the groundless confidence of such men He must shut his eyes against the fullest Evidence of Historie and Church-practice that will deny that it hath been the practice of the Universal Church of Christ to baptize upon the profession of a saving faith and not otherwise Insomuch that I must profess that I am not for my own part able to prove that ever any one person since the daies of the Apostles was baptized upon the profession of any other faith by any save the gross Hereticks even those whose Baptism was accounted invalid I desire Mr. Blake or his Neighbours of his mind to help me to an instance of any one approved Baptism since Christs time or his Apostles upon the account of a faith that was short of justifying and not upon the Profession of a justifying Faith Hitherto this is not done by them the contrary is fully done by others and yet to my admiration they as confidently affirm that all the Church of Christ hath gone their way or that it hath been their constant practice and that they should forsake the example of the Church if they should do otherwise and they except against my Opinion as novelty I must confess that such Experience hath brought me to lower thoughts of the credit even of good men than formerly I have had and to resolve to try before I trust One would think that the matter of fact in such a point as Baptism which we all pass through should have been out of question before this day For the proof of the Churches practice 1. I have already said enough about the Apostles own practice and the Church in their daies Even when they describe the faith which they require expresly by assent alone yet they shew that it is a saving Assent which they require and the promise of pardon and salvation is in the same or other Scriptures affixed to that Assent But this I shall not recite now 2. The constant practice of the Church since the â—postles to this day is undoubtedly known 1. by the very form of words in Baptism and 2. be the historie of their proceedings therein 1. It is certain that the Church did ever Baptize into the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost And as I have proved before the voluntary seeking and reception of that Baptism containeth the actual profession of a saving Faith 2. It is certain that the persons to be baptized if at age did profess to believe in the Father Son and holy Ghost whâ—ch as is shewed is saving faith 3. It is also certain that they did profess to renounce the Flesh the World and the Devil which is a profession of saving Repentance 4. And it is certain that they promised for the future to live in new obedience which is the consequent of saving faith and thus they publikely entered the three stipulations Crediâ— Credo Abronuncias Abrenuncio Spondes Spondeo And no man can do this that hath not saving faith therefore the professing of it is not without the professing of a saving faith Nay indeed it containeth the profession of that faith 5. Moreover it is a known case that the ancient Churches commonly took all those that were duly baptized to be in a state of salvation That they supposed them to have the pardon of all their sins I think none doubteth that ever read much of their writings Davenant in his Epistle of Baptism giveth many proofs and many hundred more may be given if any be so blind as to deny it All the doubt is Whether they also ascribe Regenerating Renewing Grace to all the rightly baptized And though Davenant deny that they ascribe the infusing of habits to it as to infants yer 1. he denieth it not as to the Adult nor 2. that they ascribed
by reading Dr Twiss and meditating of it and had in print so long ago professed these things whether this Learned man should after all this publish to the world that I am Amyraldus proselyte I speak but as to the truth of the report for as to the reputation of the thing I should think it a great benefit if I had the opportunity of sitting at the feet of so judicious a man as I perceive Amyraldus to be 10. Whether is Calovius a competent witness of the judgement of the Lutherans in general or a witness capable of dishonouring Amyraldus when he so unpeaceably and voluminously poureth out his fiery indignation against the moderate Lutherans themselves that are but willing of Peace under the name of Calixtians seeking to make them odious from the honorable name of Georgius Calixtus who went with them in that peaceable way 11. If it be David Blondell that he means when he saith of Daile's Book Obstetricante magno illìc Viro sed Armimianorum cultore and Blondell only prefaceth to it Whether any that hath read the Writings of Blondell and heard of his fame should believe this accusation or rather 12. Is it a certain Truth or a Calumny that is thus expressed of Dallaeus Certum est tamen hâc Apologiâ maluisse Arminianorum ordinibus inseri quà m sedem inter contrà -remonstrantes tenere And is it certain that Dr Molin knows the mind of Dallaeus better then he doth his own or is sooner then himself to be believed in the report of it 13. Whether the desire which he expresseth that Camero had been expelled and the words that he poureth forth against him do more dishonour Camero or himself And if that Article of Justification were sufficient ground of his condemnation and expulsion and consequently Olevian Scultetus Vrsinus Paraeus Piscator Alstedius Wendeline Gataker and abundance more should have tasted of the same sauce Whether these persecuting principles savour not of too high an esteem of their own judgements and tend not either to force an implicite faith in the Ministery or to depopulate the Church and break all in pieces And whether more credit is to be given to the judgement of this Learned man against Camero or to the general applause of the Learned Pious and Peaceable Divines of most Protestant Churches For instance such as B p Hall's who in his Peace-maker p. 49. saith of him that he was the Learnedst Divine be it spoken without envy that the Church of Scotland hath afforded in this last age 14. Whether this Learned man had not forgotten his former Triumph in the supposed unsuccessfulness of Amyralds Method and the paucity of his partakers or approvers when he wrote this in deep sorrow for the Churches of France Seriò ingemisco Patriae Ecclesiis in ea reformatis quod jam totos viginti annos Methodus Amyraldi impunè regna verit nemine intrà Galliam hiscere audente aut ullo vindice veritatis ibi exurgente do these words shew his desire of Peace or Contention in the Church 15. Whether it be truth that he saith that all the Divines of the Assembly at Westminster were against Amyraldus Method when Mr Vines hath often and openly owned Davenant's way of Universal Redemption and others yet living are known to be for it 16. Whether it be proved from the cited words of their Confession c. 8. § 5. that such was their judgement when they express no such thing And I have spoken with an eminent Divine yet living that was of the Assembly who assured me that they purposely avoided determining that Controversie and some of them profest themselves for the middle way of Universal Redemption 17. Is there one man in Oxford or Cambridge besides himself that believes his next words pari obelo confodiunt hanc Methodum quotquot sunt bodie Doctores Professores Oxoniae Cantabrigiae except on supposition that the foregoing words be untrue which pari relateth to 18. Is it probable that Dr Twiss was an enemy to that doctrine of Redemption which he hath so often asserted viz That Christ dyed for all men so far as to purchase them pardon and salvation on condition they would repent and believe and for the Elect so far further as to procure them faith and repentance it self which he hath oft in many Writings as to Mr Cranford's charge concerning his severe accusation of Dallaeus and judging his very heart to be guilty of such dissimulation as that he wrote not seriously but contrary to what he thought and that nothing could be more illiterate I shall not put the question whether it be probable that these words could pass from such a man because he is alive to vindicate himself if the report be false or to own it if true 19. Do all the contemptuous expressions of a Dissenter so much dishonour the judgement of Dallaeus as this Dissenters own praise of his former Writings doth honour it when he saith of him A quo nihil hactenus prodii◠quod non esset judicii acerrimi eruditionis reconditissimae dostrinae sanctissimae aut candidissimum pectus non referret in quo nulla suspicio malignitatis insideret multò minùs eâ aetate seriâ serâ erupturae cùm lenit albescens animos capillus This is enough to make a stranger conjecture that the man is not grown either such a fool as to err so grosly as is pretended or such a knave as to write in the matters of God against his own judgement And indeed he that will prove himself a wiser a much wiser man in these matters then Dallaeus Blondel Amyrald c. must bring another kind of evidence for the honor of his Wisdom then Dr Molin's Preface or Paraenesis is 20. Is it not an indignity to the dead which the living should hear with a pious indignation for this Learned man to feign that B p Vsher thought so contemptuously of Amyraldus Method Whatever he might say of him in any other respect it s well known that he owned the substance of his doctrine of Redemption The high praises therefore which Dr Molin doth give to this reverend Bishop do dishonour his own judgement that makes the Bishops doctrine so contemptible and gross The like dealing I understand some Arminian Divines I am loath to name them have used against this reverend man One of them of great note hath given out that he heard him preach for universal Redemption and afterwards spoke to him and found him owning it therefore he was an Arminian and I hear a Northamptonshire Arminian hath so published him in print O the unfaithfulness of men seeming pious The good Bishop must be what every one will say of him Though one feigneth him to be of one extream and the other of the other extream when alas his judgement hath been commonly known in the world about this 30 years to be neither for the one nor the other but for the middle way Do you call for proof If
others have no such thoughts of 2. More particularly I cannot yet see that I can be excused or disobliged from having a positive Hope taking Hope in the vulgar sense of the saving estate of that man that professeth seriously and soberly that he truly Repenteth and Believeth in Christ and hath not yet utterly forfeited the Credit of his word Charity thinketh no evil believeth all things hopeth al things 1 Cor. 13.5 7. I think the very Maxims of Nature cleared and enforced by Christ in the Gospel do teach me to believe that my brother is not a Lyar till I see convincing evidence of the contrary I confess I judge my self to owe this charitable construction and judgement of his serious Profession especially in so so great a cause to my Neighbour who hath not evidently disobliged me even as much as I owe my bread to the hungry and clothes to the naked yea or the liberty of the common Ayr or earth if it were in my power to restrain it 3. And I do not find myself at least ordinarily and easily capable of suspending my judgement of the truth or falshood of a mans Profession and being wholly neutral in it 4. Yea I perceive that it is the judgement of this Reverend Brother that we should noâ— be Neutral nor suspend our judgement about the Truth of the Profession which we require but that we should seek after that which he calleth a Moral Sincerity herein yea and sometime delay and try them further who offer a suspicious Profession 5. And I must confess that I take it for a great sin to censure my Brother positively to be a Lyar and to be a child of the Devil â—nd in a state of Damnation without clear convincing Evidence 6. And it seems to me a thing utterly Improbable if not certainly unâ—rue that God should require any man as sine qua non to his Church-entrance or admittance that he profess true Faith and Repentance to the Minister and Church as before them and yet that both Minister and people are bound to receive this Profession abstractively as to the Faith and Repentance so professed God knoweth the heart without Profâ—ssion it is therefore because of us that know not mens hearts that profession is required And must we then receive such a profession abstractively from the thing professâ—d Every word iâ— ordainâ—d to be a sign of the mind and a profession is formally a Relative Being The Matter of the Sign viz. The Word or the like a Bruit a Parrot may possiblâ— have And if the very Essence of a profession qua talis contein its Relâ—tion to the thing professed and the mind of the Professor then is it destructive to the very ends and Use of a Profesâ—ion to abstract the material Sign from the thing professed If you sâ—y that it is not Regeneration which they are supposed to profess I answer it is true Repentance and Faith in Christ which they are supposed to profess and that is Regeneration or the principal part of it in sensu passivo To what purpose should we imagine that men should be obliged by God to make so solemn a profession which none of the hearers are in the least obliged to believe to be true 7. We are certainly bound to believe a sober credible person of proved fidelity in other things when he solemnly professeth to Repent and believe else we must deny credit to that which beareth plain Evidence of Credibility therefore we must believe all others according to the proportion of their Credibility and not deny them credit without just cause 8. I never yet heard any assign any other cause why God should require an open profession than the revealing of the thing professed and the consequents thereof therefore till we hear a proof of some other Reason we have cause to adhere to this 9. All men are bound to judge that God would have no man to tell a lye therefore they are bound to judge that God would have no man to profess that he Repenteth when he doth not therefore he that is to judge my Profession to be by Gods commanding and approving Will is also to judge it to be a true Profession But the Ministers and the Church are judicio charitatis fide humana to judge that the Profession of the person is such as God doth require and accept as to the main substance before they baptize him and receive him into Communion upon the account of that Profession 10. I conceive that this Reverend Brother granteth in effect the thing which I dispute for while he affirmeth that such a Moral Sincerity may be lookt after as that All Circumstances considered by which Ingenuity is estimate among men there appears no reason why the man may not and ought not to be esteemed as to the matter to think and purpose as he speaketh For I plead for no more then this Object But this is nothing to the Principle that it proceedeth from special or common Grace Answ. A true Repentance and saving faith can come from none but a supernatural Principle of special Grace and therefore he that professeth this Repentance and Faith doth thereby profess that supernatural Principle therefore if am bound to believe that he speaks as he thinks then I am bound to believe that he is a truly penitent Believer if he know his own heart and he is liker to know it better then I. Moreover he saith that To ground a positive Act of Judgement that a man is Regenerate in foro exteriori there is requisite some seemingness of spiritual sincerity that is that he doth it from a spiritual principle motives c. To which I say that a serious Profession of Faith and Repentance is a Credible seemingness of Faith and Repentance And he that professeth true Faith and Repentance must needs profess them as from a spiritual Principle and Motives and to a spiritual End for they cannot be from any other principle or motives principally nor to any other ultimate End I am therefore forced to dissent from the main reason of this Reverend Brothers judgement herein viz. That there cannot be had a pâ—sitâ—ve pâ—obâ—ble Evidence of this ordinarily without observation of a mâ—ns way after Profession for a time c. For though câ—nfâ—ss this is fuller Evidence which he pleadeth for yet still I judge that a sober sâ—rious Profession is a credible Evidence of the thing professed till the person have quite forfeited the Credit of his word And ouâ—ward Reformation may be forced or counterfeit as well though not easily aâ— words 〈◊〉 it was a saving faith and Repentance which Peter invited the Iâ—ws to Act. 2 and Paul the Jaâ—lor Act 16. c. So doubt not but they took the following profession of these men as a credible Evâ—dence of the same saving Faith which they profest Argum. 4. That which hath Evidence of Credibiliâ—y ought to be believed But the profession of men or their bare words who have not forfeited
that believeth in him as a Teacher only for that is no more then to believe in him as in Moses or Elias 4. He that is sincerely a Disciple in heart must take Christ for his only Teacher in the way to everlasting life renouncing all other except as they stand under him and must be willing to be taught and guided by him in all things therefore he that is a professed Disciple must profess all this And that is to profess saving Faith For without saving faith no man can so believe in him or be heartily willing to be taught by him The lessons that they are to learn of him are self-denial and the contempt of this world and the love of one another and to be meek and lowly in heart that they may find rest to their souls Mat. 11.27 28. And these he proclaimeth when he inviteth men to his school But no ungodly man is willing to learn any of these and therefore unwilling are they to be his Disciples Argum. 8. We ought not to baptize those persons or their Infants as theirs who are visible members of the Kingdom of the Devil and his children or that do not so much as profess their forsaking of the child-hood and Kingdom of the devil But such are all that profess not a saving faith Ergo. The Major is proved thus If we must Baptize none but for present admission into the Kingdom of Christ then we must baptize none but those that profess a present departure from the Kingdom of the devil But the former is true therefore so is the latter The Antecedent is granted by those that I have to do with The reason of the consequence is evident in that all the world is divided into these two Kingdoms and they are so opposite that there is no passing into one but from the other The Minor of the first Argument I prove thus All they are visibly in the Kingdom of the Devil or not so much as by Profession removed out of it who Profess not a removal from that conditionâ— in which the wrath of God abideth on them and they are excluded by the Gospel from everlasting life But such are all that profess not a justifying faith Therefore I express the Major two waies disjunctively lest any should run to instances of men that are converted have not yet had a cal or opportunity to profess it If such are not visibly in the Kingdom of the Devil at least they are not visibly out of it The Major is proved in that it is the condition of the covenant of grace performed that differenceth the members of Christs Kingdom from Satans and so it is that condition profest to be performed that visibly differenceth them before men It is the promise of grace that bringeth them out of Satans Kingdom therefore it is only done invisibly to those that profess the performance of the condition Moreover to be out of Satans Kingdom visibly is to be visibly from under his Government but those that profess not saving faith are not visibly from under his Government Lastly to be visibly out of Satans Kingdom is to be visibly freed from his power as the Executioner of Gods eternal vengeance But so are none that profess not saving faith The Minor is proved from John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son or obeyeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him where it is plain 1. That the unbelief spoken of is that which is opposed to saving faith even to that faith which hath here the promise of everlasting life 2. And that this leaves them visibly under the wrath of God So in Mar. 16.16 compared with Mat. 28.19 In the later Christ bids them make him Disciples and in the former he describeth those that are such and those that remain still in the Kingdom of Satan He that blieveth and is Baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Here it is evident that the unbelief threatned is that which is contrary to and even the privation of the faith that Salvation is expresly promised to and that all that profess not this saving faâ—th are not so much as professedly escaped a state of Damnation and that this is the differencing Character of Christs Disciples to be baptized of which yet more afterward so Acts 26.18 It is the opening of mens eyes and the turning them from darkness to light and the power of Satan to God that they may receive Remission of sins c. which is the true state of them that are Christians in heart and the Profession of this that proveth them professed Christians and they that do not profess to be thus enlightned and converted do not profess to be brought from under the power of Satan for that is here made the terminus à quo So Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Here the passing into the Kingdom of Christ is by passing from the Kingdom of darkness so that he is not Cordially in one that is Cordially in the other and consequently he is not by Profession in the one who is not by Profession past from the other He that professeth not such a faith as proveth men in Christs Kingdom professeth not so much as may prove him out of Satans And expresly it is said 1 John 3.8 10. He that committeth sin is of the Devil In this the Children of God are manifest the Children of the Devil he that doth not righteousness is not of God c. These passages will be further touched when we come to the Argument from the true visible Church Argum. 9. If it be the appointed use of all Christian Baptism to solemnize our marriage with Christ or to seal or confirm our union with him or ingraffing into him then must we baptize none that profess not justifying faith Because this is necessarily prerequisite and no others can protend to union marriage or ingraffing into Christ But the Antecedent is true Both Antecedent and consequence are evident in Gal. 3.27 28 29. For as many of you as have been baptized into Chrâ—st have put on Chrâ—st Ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if ye be Chrâ—sts then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs acccoding to promise Here 1 We see that it is not an accidental or separable thing for baptism to be our visible entrance into Christ our putting him on our admittance by solemnization into the state of Gods Children and heirs acording to promise For this is affirmed of all he baptized with true Christian Baptism If we be truely baptized we are baptized into Christ. If we we are baptized into Christ then are we Christ's and have put on Christ and are all one in Christ and are Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise If any object that the Apostle speaks this but of some of them even of the
Regenerate because he saith as many of you I answer it is manifest that he speaks of all 1 Because it was all of them that were baptized into Christ. 2. He expresly saith as much in the next foregoing words vers 26. For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus To which the words following are annexed as the proof For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. The assumption is implied But you have all bin baptized into Christ therefore ye have all put on Christ and so in him are all the Children of God 2. Note that they are the special gifts of saving grace that are here ascribed to all the Baptized 3. Note also that all this is said and proved to be by faith 4. Note also that it is expresly said to be a â—ustifying faith before vers 24. That we we might be justifyed by faith Indeed this Text affordeth us divers Arguments 1. The Apostle supposeth all the Baptized to profess a justifying faith among the Galathians therefore so must we suppose of others and expect that they do it The Antecedent is proved from vers 24 25. and 27. compared 2. All the Baptized are said to have put on Christ therefore they are supposed to profess that faith by which Christ is put on But that is only justifying faith 3. All that are duly Baptized are baptized into Christ therefore they are supposed to profess that faith by which men are united or ingraffed into Christ but that is only justifying faith But the rest of the Arguments here will be further touched on anon Mr. Blake saith p. 152. Whether all union with Christ imply Regeneration let John 15.2 be consulted where an union with Christ is clearly held out Yet Mr. Baxter brings that text among others to prove that there are some saints that shall never be saved Answ. 1. But I told you that by Saints I meant only those that profess an Acceptance of Christ and not your Saints that only profess a lower faith In this you do by me as you use 1. Union with Christ in the primary and proper sense is proper to the sound believer or else no Title or benefit on earth is proper to him But as those are believers in profession that are not so in heart so those are united to or ingraffed into the Church and so to Christ by an outward Profession who are not so in heart And this is called a Union because they profess that inward Union which they have not which is the famosius significatum Whether these be only equivocally said to be united to Christ we shall enquire in season But tell me where any man was ever said in scripture to be united to Christ without saving faith or the Profession of it 3. I suppose you know how many of our Divines do expound Iohn 15 of a saving Union and take the cautions about unfruitfulness and Apostacy to be de rebus nunquam futuris purposely given that they might not be future But this I stick not on Next he citeth Mr. Cobbet Mr. Hudson and Mr. Ames to shew that Christ is the head of the visible Church and hath many unfruitful members c. Answ. As pertinent as most Citations that I there have met with that is utterly impertinent It 's yielded that as they have a Profession of saving faith so by profession they are members of the visible Church But prove if you can that ever any are such visible members but the professors of a saving faith and their Children I conclude then that Christ hath appointed no Baptism but what is for a visible marriage of the soul to himself as the Protestants ordinarily confess therefore he hath appointed no Baptism but for those that profess to take Jesus Christ for their Husband and to give up themselves to him as his Espouse But this is a Profession of Justifying faith For heartily to take Christ for our Head and Husband is true saving faith and proper to his own Regenerate people if any thing in the world be so And no man can profess to be married to Christ that doth noâ— profess to take him for a Husband Therefore for my part I never intend to baptize any without profession of saving faith As for Mr. Blakes answer that we are oftener said here to be espoused to Christ then married I think that this and many hundred such passages do need no answer But yet I shall say 1. Either will serve my turn No unregenerate man is truly espoused to Christ. 2. Though the whole Church in one be solemnly to be married to Christ at judgement that is presented perfect justified and glorified yet that particular believers are married to Christ here I am resolved by Gods assistance to believe while I believe Isa. 54.5 Eph. 5. and many other Texts of scripture Arg. 10. If Paul account all the Baptized Saints or sanctified men dead with Christ and risen with him such as have put on Christ sons of God by Adoption Abraham seed Heirs according to promise and justified then did they all profess a true justifying faith But the Antecedent is certain ergò so is the consequent The Antecedent Mr. Blake confesseth And I shall prove it by parts The consequence is that which lieth chiefly on me to prove and I shall do both together The Apostle in the beginning of his Epistle to the Corinthians and in may other places calls the whole Church Saints 1 Cor 6.11 He saith to them But ye are washed ye are sanctified c That part of the Antecedent then is certain The consequence I prove thus There are none called Saints in all the new Testament but only such as where in heart Devoted to Christ by a saving faith or Professed so much therefore the word Saints in this case must signifie only such If any will prove a third sort of Saints viz. such as profess a faith not saving they must do that which I never yet saw done 2. The first and most famous signification of the word Saints or Sanctified in the new Testament is only of them that are in heart devoted to Christ by true faith therefore the borrowed or Analogical or less proper signification call it what you list must be of that which hath the likeness or appearance of this and that is only the profession of it and not the profession of another thing 3. Let us peruse the texts and see whether it be not a special Saint-ship which Paul ascribeth to these and therefore as to appearance and Profession they had 1 Cor. 6.11 such were some of you but ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God and that sanctification whâ—ch is joyned with justification which is wrought by the spirit of God cleansing men from their former reigning sins which else would have kept them out of the Kingdom of God and which
Scripture either of Precept or example where any person in baptism or the Lords Supper doth engage or is required to engage to begin to believe with a saving faith or to believe with a faith which at the present he hath not Shew but one word of Scripture to prove this if you can if you cannot I may conclude that therefore we must not require that which we have no Scripture ground to require 2. This Engagement to believe savingly is either for a remote distant time or for the next instant â—ut no unbeliever as to that faith is called to promise in Baptism such a saving faith either at a distant time or the next instant therefore not at all 1. Not at a distant time For first that were to resolve to serve the Devil and be an unbeliever till that time 2. And no man is sure to live any longer time 2. Not at the next instant For first that instant cometh as soon as the word of Promise is out of his mouth even before Baptism and therefore by that Rule he must believe savingly before 2. We may as well stay one minute or instant to see whether he will perform his Promise as to baptize him upon that bare Promise of believing the next minute 3. It is a ridiculous unreasonable conceit that any man should say I believe not savingly yet but within a minute of an hour I will and that this should be required in baptism and the Lords Supper 3. God makes it not the condition or qualification of them that are to be admitted to Baptism or the Lords Supper that they should Promise to do that which they have no Moral Power to do I mean such as the seed or habit of Grace containeth as to the act But the unregenerate have no Moral Power to believe with a saving faith Ergo c. The Major is proved thus 1. To promise to believe savingly is to Profess that they are truly willing to believe savingly but no wicked men are truly willing so to believe therefore they are not called to promise it for that were to be called to profess an untruth and so to lye Unless as they are called to be really willing and promise both and that is but to be sincerely faithful and to promise to continue so 2. It is not found any where in Scripture that I know of that God doth call any wicked man to promise to be a godly man or true believer before he is so but only commandeth him to be so And if God never call such men to such a promise at all then is it not the condition or qualification of persons to be admitted to the Sacraments We still speak of the aged The Minor is proved from many Scriptures and is the common Doctrine of all Antipelagians at least We are dead in trespasses and sins and must we baptize and give the Lords Supper to such dead men upon a Promise that they will be alive Out of Christ we can do nothing Without faith it is impossible to please God It is God that giveth to will and to do of his good pleasure And no wicked man can tell whether God will give him the grace of saving faith therefore he cannot promise to have it But I shall speak more to this under the last Argument Argum. 16. If there can be no example given in Scripture of any one that was baptized without the Profession of a saving faith nor any Precept for so doing then must not we baptize any without it But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent What is pretended this way we shall examine anon among the Objections In the mean time let us review the Scripture examples of Baptism which might afford us so many several Arguments but that I shall put them together for brevity 1. I have already shewed that John required the Profession of true Repentance and that his Baptism was for Remission of sin 2. When Christ layeth down in the Apostolical Commission the Nature and Order of his Apostles work it is first to make Disciples and then to Baptize them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And as it is a making Dâ—sciples which is first expressed in Matthew so Mark expoundeth who these Disciples are as to the aged by puâ—ting Believing before Baptism and that we may know that it is Justifying faith that he meaneth he annexeth first Baptism and then the Promise of salvation Matth. 28.19 Mar. 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved This is not like some occasional Historical mention of Baptism but it s the very Commission of Christ to his Apostles for Preaching and Baptism and purposely expresseth their several works in their several places and Order Their first task is by teaching to make Disciples which are by Mark called Believers The second work is to Baptize them whereto is annexed the Promise of their Salvation The third work is to teach them all other things which are afterward to be learnt in the School of Christ. To contemn this Order is to renounce all Rules of Order For where can we expect to find it if not here I profess my conscience is fully satisfied from this Text that it is one sort of faith even saving that must go before Baptism and the Profession whereof the Minister must expect Of which see what is before cited out of Calvin and Piscator That it was saving faith that was required of the Jews and professed by them Acts 2.38 41 42. is shewed already and is plain in the Text. Acts 8. The Samaritans believed and had great joy and were baptized into the name of Jesus Christ ver 8 12. Whereby it appeareth that it was both the understanding and will that were changed and that it was not a meer Dogmatical faith and that they had the Profession of a saving faith even Simon himself we shall shew anon when we answer their objections Acts 8.37 The condition on which the Eunuch must be baptized was if he believe with all his heart which he Professed to do and that was the Evidence that Philip did expect Paul was baptized after true conversion Act. 9.18 The Holy Ghost fell on the Gentiles Acts 10.44 before they were baptized and they magnified God And this Holy Ghost was the like gift as was given to the Apostles who believed on the Lord Iesus and it was accompanied with Repentance unto life Act. 11.17 18. Acts 16.14.15 Lydia's heart was opened before she was baptized and she was one that the Apostles judged faithful to the Lord and offered to them the evidence of her faith Acts 16.30 31 33 34. The example of the Jaylor is very full to the resolution of the question in hand He first asketh what he should do to be saved The Apostle answereth him believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and thy house so that it was a saving faith that here is mentioned He rejoyced and believed with all
necessarily as the other And I would fain know of him how meer Dogmatical believers are sure that they have a Dogmaticall faith 1. Many of them know not what that faith is nor what the essentials of Christianity are nor know not those essentials themselves as I before said from sad experience They might therefore be sure that they have not a true Dogmatical faith but not that they have it and yet they are as confident they have it as other men 2. Many that believe the same truths as others believe them but side humanâ and not divinâ and therefore have no true Dogmatical faith 3. Many do but half believe them and think they may be true they may be false and cannot tell whether they may believe them or not but indeed do not their unbelief being more predominant and therefore from it must be denominated 4. Many true saving believers are sorely tempted about the Truth of the Gospel and troubled with doubts and their Dogmatical or Historical faith is but weak and mixed with much unbelief so that they cannot tell whether their belief or unbelief be predominant and consequently whether they believe or not And for my part I see no reason but that it should be as hard to a true Christian to know whether he truly believe the Dogmata Christiana the Articles of Faith the truth of the Gospel as to know whether he truly rest upon Christ or love God above all And I know many learned wise and godly men to all appearance that are in doubt and long have been of the truth of their assent to the Gospel and are troubled with no other doubtings of their sincerity in any great measure but only as the doubts of this doth cause them Some of the ablest men that ever I knew have groaned out many a complaint O I am afraid I am an Infidel I cannot believe the Word of God! I know not whether I believe it or not A Turk may have some thoughts or motions that it may be true but if he be more perswaded of the falsness than of the Truth he is not to be denominated a believer Now if Mr. Blake will but tell us plainly how he would deal with these that doubt of their very historical faith and what he would have them do then I will tell him the like by them that doubt of their saving faith 5. Nay see what a desperate plunge he puts his believers to He requireth them to perform impossibilities They must engage to believe savingly that is they must profess a consent so to do And this they must know that they do sincerely or else they cannot do it in faith as the Objection saith when as it is a thing that no unregenerate man can do sincerely If he engage to believe savingly he doth it not sincerely but ignorantly or dissemblingly At least few of them know that they do it sincerely as themselves will here confess what then must these do in such a case 6 At least let the heart and light of a godly man and an ungodly be compared and I will appeal to Mr. Blakes own judgement whether a Godly man be not as likely to know his sincerity in saving faith as an ungodly man to know that he haâ—h truly a Dogmatical faith and doth truly engage to believe savingly I could soon shew such disadvantages that a wicked man hath to know his own heart even in this point that me thinks might easily determine this Controversie if it were needfull to stand upon it 7. It is the duty of the godly to give God thanks for his saving Grace for converting them giving them the Holy Ghost Justifying Adopting them c. Must none perform this duty but they that have attained Assurance of their Conversion Justification Adoption c Then it is not many that must perform it But if others may and must do this on the same ground they may and must perform the other It is the duty of every child of God to pray and praise God in the relation of a child in a special sense and to call God Father in a special sense and to plead those Promises with him that are the proper portion of his Children And must all omit this that have no assurance or subjective Certainty It it the duty of each member of the mystical body of Christ to love the Saints and assist them as fellow-members Must none do this that is not certain of his own member-ship If I should instance in all the particulars of Christian Duty that this case extendeth to you would see that this your principle reduced to practice would make buâ— unhappy work in the Church and would do much to the extirpation of a very great part if not the far greatest of the service of God 8. In all such Cases our Actions must follow the smallest prevalent perswasions of our Judgement though far short of full Assurance If a true Believer do think himself to be such he may profess himself such When so far as he knoweth his own heart he doth believe and repent he may profess that he doth believe and repent implying or expressing that he speaketh according to the knowledge he hath of his own heart We are so strange to our selves that if only Certainty must move us to Action I think we should sleep out the most of our lives He speaks sincerely that speaks according to his perswasion and as he thinks though he be not certain 9. In such cases it condemneth not to act in doubting but the same man that doubteth may act in faith Indeed if the doubting be so predominant that a man is more perswaded that he doth not believe than that he doth whether dogmatically or savingly then he may not profess that he doth believe that is he may not think one thing and speak another and speak or do against his Conscience And also if it be in an indifferent thing as about meats or drinks or indifferent daies where he is certain to be innocent if he forbear and uncertain to be innocent if he act then he must take the safer side and therefore forbear And the Apostles words will reach no further than to these two points He that hath unbelief and therefore doubing may say Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief 10. The thing that is necessarily required to the Sacramental participation is not an Assurance that our faith is sincere and saving but that it be really that Faith which is sincere and saving whether we know it so to be or not Many a man knoweth that he hath that faith which is saving and yet knoweth not that it is saving And many one knoweth that he performeth the saving act but through vain scruples understandeth not whether he do it sincerely And many think or hope they are sincere that yet doubt of it I have met with many that have lived in deep distress for want of perceiving the truth of their faith that have cried out
docet Baptismum Acts 15.9.2 Rationi experientiae dictanti eâdem plane fide recipi Baptismum quâ recipitur fructus Baptismi 3. Confessioni ipsius Bellarmini quae extat lib. 2. de Effect Sacr. cap. 13. Adulti per fidem contritionem veram Justificantur antequam reipsa ad Sacramentum accedant Dr. Willet on Rom. 4 Contr. 6 pag. 224. saith The Sacraments then non institut sunt Justificandis sâ—d Justicatis are not instituted for those that are to be Justified but are for them which are already Justified as Paraeus Musculus Loc. Commun de Baptis Artic. 2 pag. mihi 728. Propter hanc nondum debet baptizari qui gratiam Christi praedicatam tam sibi per incredulitatem aversatur tantisper dum in eà tergiversatione incredulitate perseverat cor impoenitens retinet Hâc de causâ Apostoli poenitentiam sidei in Christum confessionem requirebant ab adultis priusquam eos baptizarent Sic Petrus Act. 2. c. His locis patet requiri ab adultis cor poenitens sermonem gratiae recipient in Christum credens ità ut impoenitentes sermonem gratiae recusantes increduli baptismi hujus capaces nondum esse qutant etianisi sint de Electis donec convertantur Scharpius Curs Theolog. de Baptis loc 24. col 1228. Baptismus est primum Novi Testamenti sacramentum à Deo institutum quo Remissio peccatorum Regeneratio initiatio in Ecclesiam significatur in fidelibus obsignatur ut obligatio nostrâ— ad obedientiam Col. 1254.1255 Arg. 2. Qui sunt in foedere gratiae illi necessario servantur licèt non habuerint signum foederis quia foedus ejus signum non sunt ejusdem necessitatis c. Arg. 3. Infantes sine Baptismo dicuntur sancti 1 Cor. 7.14 quia Baptismus infantes sidelium non facit filios Dei sed illis obsignat foedus gratiae illósque in foedere contineri certos reddit Col. 1193. Quid recipiunt Impii in Sacramentis R. Nuda tantùm signa idque ad condemnationem 1. Qua beneficia in Sacramentis oblata tantùm de fide percipiuntur at Impii non habent fidem ergo 2. Nihil spirituale conserunt aut obsignant Sacramenta nisi iis quibus in Verbo hoc promissum extat At in Verbo nihil Impis promittitur sed solis fidelibus quia omnes promissiones habent annexam conditionem fidei ergò 3. Christi beneficia tantùm in legitimo Sacramentorum usu percipiuntur at nulli Impii legitimè Sacramentis utuntur sed indignè participant 1 Cor. 11.27 ergò Lèg Col. 1202 1203. Resp ad Bellarm. Object 5. Cartwright against the Rhemists on Mat. 3.6 pag. 15 saith So that we bring not our children to the end that they should thereby have Remission of sins but because we are by the promise induced to believe that as being the Elect of God they have already received it Otherwise it were as much as to put the Seal to a blank wherein nothing is written nor nothing is given Dr. Fulk against the Rhemists on Rom. 6. § 5. saith The Apostle by express words excludeth Circumcision from being a cause of Justification because Abraham was justified before he was circumcised who is the form of Justification of all men as St. Ambrose saith Com. on Gal. cap. 3. And Baptism succeeding in the place of Circumcision is a seal of Justification by faith in all Christians as Circumcision was in Abraham not a cause thereof See him on 1 Pet. 3.21 The Divines of the Assembly that wrote the Anotat on the Bible say on Act. 8.27 If thou believest c. With a sincere and perfect heart without which Ephraim cannot save he had here to do with a man of years and yet an alien and therefore might not admit him into the Church of Christ untill he had made profession of his faith You see here that it is a saving faith which they think necessary to admittance of which also they speak on ver 12. Faith ought to precede Baptism in men and women of years when they who were aliens and strangers come to be baptized For it is necessary that they should confess their faith and testifie their Conversion before they be admitted by Baptism Ambrosi de Poenit. l. 2. c. 5. And the Repentance that was to precede Baptism in the Jews Act. 2.38 they expound thus This Repentance is not only in knowing or acknowledging our sins or saying God be mercifull but in the change of our minds purposes and evil câ—urses of our Lives As Austin de Eccl. Dogm cap. 58. saith very well Poenitentia vera est poenitenda non admittere admissa destere See also Tertul. advers Marc lib. 2. cap. 24. And on Mat. 3.6 Confessing their sins In words professing their detestation of them and Repentance for them Deodate on Acts 8.12 Were baptized Renouncing by the same means all manner of Impiety and Superstition c. Verse 13. Simon believed made an outward profession of believing or gave some assent to the doctrine but hypocritically and without giving way to the inward operation of the Holy Ghost to a true conversion and lively Regeneration On Mat. 3.6 Were baptized confessing c. viz. to God in the person of John his Minister though not with a particular enumeration but yet with a true feeling of compunction shame humble acknowledgement and with hate and disturbance of sin for to implore divine mercy Act. 19.18 So on Rom. 6.3 Namely for a Sacrament that we are Christian not only by profession but lâ—kewise in spiritual truth receiving the grace and Spirit of God and then co-operating thereto by faith voluntary obedience and newness of life Many other passages to the same purpose I omit Rob. Bodius in Eph. 5.25 26 pag. Opus operatum Papistarum in alio gravissimo errore fundatum est quo nempe statuunt illi Baptizandos priusquaÌ„ hoc signaculo obsignentur Christi membra non esse c. p. 756.757 Et sicut Abrabamo jam per fidem justificato impressus est Des mandato novus ille circumcisionis Character non ad Justitiâ—m primitus illi conferendam sed ad eandem visibili illo signo obsignandam sic etiam in Christum credentibus adultis jámque per eam fidem coram Deo justificatis confertur ex Christi mandato Baptismi sigillum non ut per illud tum primùm Justitiam accipiant ut absurdè docent Adversarii sed ut illa fidei Justitia quâ jam in Christo doncti sunt hoc externo Baptismi sigillo eorum cordibus obsignetur Et pag. 760. col 2. Supponit quod falsum est à nobis constanter negatum suprà refutatum viz. Baptismum esse solum nos Justificandi Sanctificandi instrumentum nec ante mentes conscientias nostras à peccatis ablui quà m externè baptizemur Atque nos hucusque
God the Father Son and Holy Ghost be such to us as we profess them to be as aforesaid which is included in believing in God and in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost And therefore the sum of the Covenant is I will be your God upon Redempition by Christ and you shall be my people Now the Notoriously Vngodly do either profess to believe and consent to all this or but to part If to All then they lye of which more anon If but to part then 1. it is not the Christian Faith no more then a heart or a lâ—ver is a man it is but part of it 2. and our Divines wilâ— say that he that doth not believe and consent to the whole Essence of Christianity doth not truly believe or consent to any Essential though for that I determine it not But were their Faith never so firm in any one part it is not Christianity or the Christian Faith without the whole If it be the Christian Faith to believe in God the Father only then those that deny Christ are Christians If it be the Christian Faith to believe only in Christ though they deny the Father or the Holy Ghost then men worse then Infidâ—ls or most Heathens are Christians Indeed there is so necessary a connexion that it is not possible truly to believe in God the Son without believing in the Father and the Holy Ghost and believing the Eternal Glory to which he hath Redeemed us and will lead us If it be Christianity to believe all the Creed by meer Assent then first the Devils are Christians for they believe and tremble Secondly and then it would be a Profession of Christianity to say I do believe Christ to be my Lord by right of Redemption but his Laws are so strict and cross to my pleasures that I am resolved he shall not rule me and I will venture all rather than I will take him for my Ruler on such terms Or to say I believe the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of Gods Elect but I will not consent that he shall Sanctifie me Or to say I believe that Christ dyed to save his people from their sins but he shall not save me from mine because I cannot spare them Who dare say that any of these were a Profession of Christianity We must believe with the heart if we be Christians Christianity is not a bare Opinion It lyeth in the covenant of the soul with God and it is the consent of the Will that is that covenanting It is therefore sometime expressed by loving Christ above all They that said This is the Heir believed in a sort with the Assent of the brain but when they add Come let us kill him that the Inheritance may be ours I think they shewed that they professed not Christianity He that saith I will not have this man to raign or rule over me disclaimeth Christianity He that disclaimeth an Essential part disclaimeth the whole It is not the Being without these part All this laid together shews us that Christianity or the Christian Faith truly and properly so called which denominateth a man properly a Christian is specifically distinct as to a moral specification from the faith of the highest unregenerate man When Mr. K. wrote a digression against me on a mistake that I had denyed this I did not think that others would so call me out to the defence of it And seeing that they differ by a moral specification it is clear that they admit not of the same Definition and that the term Faith or Christianity applyed to both these cannot mean the same thing but must here be an equivocal Thus I have cleared it that to profess the belief of one part of the Christian faith only is not to profess the Christian faith or to profess to be a Christian and therefore such are not to be baptized seeing we must baptize them into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if we will baptize them with Christian Baptism 2. Next I shall shew that if any Notorious ungodly person do say he believes the whole even in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost such saying is not a true Profession nor valid to its uses To this end let us enquire what it is to Profess Profiteor is publicè fateor Fateor inquit Perottus est à fando quasi vehementer loquor affirmo Fateri enim est sponte aliquid affirmare Confiteri aliquo modo coactum Profiteri ad Gloriam aliquid prae se ferre Martinius rather a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicendus fandus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fatenda so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est sermo Now the natural use of speech is to signifie our mind to others And the very essence of a Profession lyeth in the open declaring of the mind in the very signifying use of the words or actions For it containeth as other signs do 1. The thing signifying or the matter of the sign and that is either words writings or other Actions capable of this use of which there are divers 2. the thing signified which is our Internal Assent and consent 3. The party to whom we signifie it 4. The actual signification or Aptitudinal that is that it be a sign Aptitudinal in it self and actual when rightly observed by others in which Aptitude lyeth the very formal nature of the sign This being so it is most evident that if it have not an Aptitude to signifie our mind it is not a sign You may say if he dissemble yet he may make profession yet profession is no sign of his mind I answer it is no true sign of the thing professed but the end which he pretendeth to use it for is to be a sign and as a sign we expect and receive it and did we know the heart as God doth we need not ask men whether they believe but presently go to their hearts and see and so baptize them or refuse them or their Children It being then the very use that the Church makes of mens profession to signifie mens minds it is clear 1. that where there is nothing that we can justly take as the signification of a mans mind that he believeth as a Christian there is no moral profession of it and where a man signifieth his mind that he doth not so believe there he professeth not to believe And if he make two contrary professions one that he doth believe and the other that he doth not if we know one to be certain and undissembled and the other to be false the later is Null and the former to be received All this being evident it next followeth that we shew that no Notorious ungodly man doth make true profession of Christianity For 1. If it be evident that he useth words not understood as a Parrat then is it not a profession For Ignorantis non est consensus and so nec Professio else a Parrat may be a Professor 2. He maketh openly the contrary Profession
because he is baptized and professeth Regeneration and is entered extrinsecally into a new society And the lower sort of Believers is said to be regenerate but only because he hath some common work of another species so that Regeneration is equivocally spoken of these 5. So also is Justification It s clear that it is not the same thing that is called Justification in the one sort and in the other as I suppose will be confessed 6. The same also I may say of Adoption as is undeniable 7. And the same I may say of being in Covenant with God For 1. ex parte Dei with the Regenerate God is actually in Covenant that is as it were obliged to them but to the rest it is but conditionally which will induce no actual Obligation or Debitum till the Condition be performed 2. And on their own part the regenerate are said to Covenant with God principally because they consent to his terms and heartily Accept his Covenant as it is which Scripture calleth sometime their Believing If thou believe in thy heart c. and sometime their Willing whosoever will let him drink of the waters of Life freely so that the Regenerate mans Covenating is alwaies with the Heart and comprehendeth all the Essentials and sometime with the Mouth also But the bare Professors Covenanting is but with the mouth alone and the lower Believers is wanting in the internal Essentials so that it is plain that it is not the same thing that is called Covenanting in them and therefore the word is equivocal And then by this it is put out of doubt that they are equivocally called Church members Because the things forementioned that constitute their Church-membership are not the same If any Papist should here set in and with Bellarmine plead that it is Profession and Engagement to Church Politie that constituteth all Members and that the Church in its first notion signifieth only the visible Body and that Faith and Holiness or any thing intrinsick is not necessary to make a Member but only to maâ—e a living Member 1. I shouâ—d desire such to be at the pains to see what our Dâ—vines Amesius Whitaker and abundance more have said already to shew the vanity of this yea and its self-contradiction 2. Were it not done by so many already I would shew such from many Scriptures and Fathers that the word Church in our Christian sense doth principally signifie the number that are cordially congregate unto Christ and united to him 3. But whomsoever the word is first applyed to it is certain if it be applyed to both that it is equivocal unless you will say that it signifieth some Generical nature in common to both which cannot be as is aforesaid and if it were granted 1. It would exclude the spiritual aggregation to Christ to be the Ratio nominis contrary to Scripture and 2. It would exclude all Saints that have not the opportunity of a visible profession and conjunction with the Visible Body from being of the Church and so from Salvation Or 3. It would make two Churches specifically distinct which both Papists and Protestants do so vehemently disavow Having thus given my Reasons from the common description of Equivocals and the nature of the things why I say that meer Professors and consequently visible Members as such are but equivocally called Believers Christians Saints Members c. I shall next come to Authority and enquire what is the Custom of Divines in this case seeing that Custom is so much the master of Speech and it is only Protestant Divines that I shall alledge because it is for the sake of Protestants that I write to disswade them from siding with the Papists in this point For between them and us it is so antient and well known a Controversie that with men that are exercised in such Writings my allegations will be needless but for the sake of some confident men that have derided the common â—ssertions of Protestant against Papists as if they were singularly mine I shall annex some of the words of our most esteemed Writers by which these men may discern the minds of the rest wishing that such men would rather have been at the pains to have read the Authors themselves than to suffer their passions and tongues to over-run their understandings 1. Calvin in 1 Cor. 12. His interea duobus ep thâ—tis declarat quinam habendi sint inter vera Ecclesiae membra quâ— ad ejus Communionem pr priè pertineant Nisi enim vitae sanctimoniâ Christianum te ostendas delitescere quidem in Ecclesiâ poteris sed ex eá tamen nâ—n eris Sanctificari ergò in Christo oâ—ortet omnes qui in populo Dei censeri volunt Porrò â—anctificationis verbum sâ—gregation in signâ—ficat ea sit in nobis quum per spiritum in vitae novitatem regeneramur ut serviamus Deo non Mundo Unà cum omnibus invoc Et hoc commune est piorum omnium Epitheton Quod exponunt quidam de solâ Professione mihi frigâ—dum videtur ab usu Scripturae alienum est Idem Institut lib. 4 cap. 1. sect 7 De Ecclâ—siâ visibili qué sub cognitionem nostram cadit quale judicium facere conveniat ex superioribus â—am lâ—quere existimo Diximus enim bifariam de Ecclesiâ Sacras Literas loqui Interdum quum Ecclesiam nominant tam intelligunt quae reverâ est coram Deo in quam nulli recipiuntur nâ—si qui Adoptionis gratiâ filii Dei sunt spiricûs sanctificatione vera Christi membra Saepe autem Ecclesiae nomine universam hominum multitudinem in orbe diffusam designat quae unum se Deum Christum colere profitetur In hâc autem plurimi sunt permixti hypocritae qui nihil Christi habent praeter titulum speciem plurimi ambitiosi avari invidi maledici aliqui impurioris vitae qui ad tempus tolerantur vel quia legitimo judicio convinci nequeunt vel quia non semper ea viget disciplinae veritas quae debebat 2. Beza in Confess Christ. fid p. 34. c. 5. sect 8. De veris Ecclesiae membris Vera sunt Ecclesia membra qui characterem illum habent Christianorum proprium id est fidem Fidelis autem aliquis ex eo agnoscitur quòd unicum Servatorem Jesum Christum agnoscit fugit peccatum studet Justitiae Ãdque ex praescripto Verbi Dei. Nam quod ad rel quos homines attinet cujuscunque tandem sint statû◠vel conditionis non sunt numerandi inter Ecclesiae membra etiam si ut ità loquar Apostolatu fungereÌ„tur Sed hîc cavâ—ndum est nè vel ulteriùs progrediamur quà m par sit vel temerè judicemus expectandum enim est Dei judicium in detegendis hypocritis falsi fratibus Et pag. 32. sect 2. he shews unam duntaxat esse veram Ecclesiam and therefore he speaks here of that one Church 3. Junius
any shall grounldesly so presume and be mistaken this makes not the Profession Null as to the use which the Church makes of it though it be Null as to the real internal Covenant of man with God or to the Benefits of such a Profession by any grant or Gift from God for in in foro Dei it is no Profession or worse 2. We must take nothing for a Profession but that which hath a seeming seriousness For if it be Notoriously or apparently ludicrous or in a scorn or not meant as it is spoken it is then apparently false and we are not to believe apparent falshoods 3. It must seem to be voluntary or free I deny not but some force may stand with a valid Profession but that is only such a force as is supposed to prevail with the Heart it self and not only with the tongue when the heart is against it If any should say to a Jew If thou wilt not Profess thy self a Christian I will presently run thee through with my sword the words that should be forced by this threat are not to be taken for a true Profession when it is apparent that they are meerly forced by fear So that which done in a passion of Anger or the like contrary to the ordinary prevailing bent and resolution of the heart is not to be taken as a voluntary and valid Profession 4. It must be a Profession not prevalently contradicted by word or deed Otherwise still it is an apparent or notorious lie which no man can be bound to believe If a man say in one breath that he believeth in Christ and in the next will say that he doth not believe in him he nulleth his own profession by a revocation and if he revoke it in the direct sense it is all one as if he did it in the same terms As if he say that he believeth in Christ but withall that he believeth him to be but a man or a Prophet or not to have died to ransom us from our sins c. so if he should say I am a Christian but yet I love the world and the flesh more then Christ the same must be said of a Practical contradiction which is effectual to invalidate a Verbal Profession If a man should profess to the Prince that he honoureth him and when he hath done should spurn at him or spit in his face or if a man should profess that he loveth you and desireth your safety and withall shall discharge a Pistol at you or run at you with his sword I leave it to your selves whether he be to be believed Yet some Contradiction there may be which may not nullifie a Profession As when the terms of Contradiction seem not to be understood by him that useth them or not to be meant in the contradicting sense or when he seem's not to discern the contradiction but thinks both may consist and seems to hold the truth practically and so contradicts it speculatively or ignorantly or when the contradiction is more weak and not seemingly prevalent as I believe Lord help my unbelief 5. When a man hath utterly forfeited the credit of his word the Profession of that man must not be meerly verbal but practicall This is all clear in the Laws of Nature When a man may be justly said to have forfeited the credit of his bare word is a matter of consideration The common reason and practice of men is against trusting a perjur'd mans bare word till he give sufficient evidence of his repentance for that perjury And the like may be said of one that hath often violated Promise and given no Evidence of any effectual change upon his heart but that still he hath the same disposition The Novatians thought that those who lapsed hainously after the Baptismal Profession were not again to be absolved and admitted into the communion of the Church but they did not exclude them from Gods pardon as is commonly believed to them Clemens Alexandrinus and others of those ancient Churches do seem to exclude all from pardon of sin after twice or thrice offending but I suppose they meant it only of hainous sin and of pardon in foro Ecclesiae and not of pardon in foro Dei a distinction that was not then detested The truth is the temper and quality of persons and the nature of the fault and many circumstances may so vary the case that it is not the same Number of promise-breakings or sins after promises that will prove the forfeiture of each sinners Credit Ordinarily in case of gross hainous sin if a man have oft broke his promise his bare word is no more to be taken but an actual Reformation must prove the validity of it But there are some cases in which once or twice breach of promise may forfeit credit as to the Church and some cases wherein more then three or four brecahes may not do it But as for an Infidel that newly comes to the Profession of the Faith or a notorious ungodly man that newly comes to the Profession of godliness we must take their first profession though their lives were never so vicious before because though they have oft committed other sins yet not this of Covenant-breaking with God and they seem to be recovered from their former unconscionableness Perhaps some one will say that if all this be to be look'd after before the validity of a Profession can be discerned then this is an uncertain Rule for us to proceed by in administring the Sacraments for Ministers will be uncertain when all these qualifications are found in mens Professions Besides that it puts tyrannizing power into Ministers hands which you tell Mr. â—ombes of in your book of Infant-Baptism Answ. I have there shewed that the danger is greater in the Anabaptists way of using this power than of ours 2. This objection is as much against them that are for the title of a Dogmatical faith as for us that require the Profession of a saving faith For they cannot be certain of their lower faith it self and therefore must take up with the profession of it and if they will not require all these qualifications forenamed of that Profession then they may as well admit professed Jews and Heathens and they will openly subject Gods ordinances to profanation 3. Because it is a variable case and requireth Judgement in the Administrators therefore hath God made it a considerable part of the office and work of his Ministers to Judge rightly of mens profession that they may discern the meet from the unmeet and therefore hath he required so much prudence and piety in Ministers that they might be meet to judge in such cases To bear these Keyes and wisely and faithfully to discern who are to be admitted and who to be excluded is no small part of their Trust and Power and Work The great necessity of Church Officers and the nature of its Government would be the better understood if this were well considered It is not a
we believe divers persons who are to us of divers degrees of Credibility And if after all this we be deceived in the most the sin is only in the deceiver And as for us 1. We proceeded upon that evidence which Nature it self directeth us to take even a mans words as the sign of his mind 2. And upon that Evidence which the holy Examples of the Apostles of Christ have directed us to take who were not rashly venturous nor prophaners of Gods Ordinances 3. And if we be indeed deceived in the most or in many it s rather a sign that we are in Gods way than out of it for as Charity believeth all things credible so Christ hath told us that the tares and wheat must grow together and that many are called and few chosen and that in the end he will take out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that work Iniquity therefore such there will be Object 2. But it is now the custom of the Countrey and a matter of credit to be Christians in Name and therefore all will be so and if you ask them whether they Repent or Believe they will say Yea Therefore this is no credible Profession though theirs was in the dayes of the Apostles when it hazarded their lives Answ. 1. The hazard that attendeth a mans words is not necessary to make them simply credible though as to the Degrees it makes them more credible else we must believe no man but he that speaks to the hazard of his life 2. The Prosperity of the Gospel will not warrant us to alter the Rule of Nature and Scripture else the Church must Incurre greater difficulties in prosperity than in Adversity if prosperity forfeit all mens credit and so men should be kept out in prosperity who may be admiâ—ted in adversity when the Church had peace and were edified Act 9 31. the Apostles altered not their practice 3. We have great cause to rejoyce when Christianity is in so good credit as that all profess it and so respectively we may be glad when there are so many Hypocrites that is when persecutors befriend the truth which they persecuted and when the Gospel is in so much honour And though I am not of their mind that think it the first prescribed End of the Institution that Sacraments and Church-state should be the means of Conversion yet I doubt not but God foreknowing that many hypocrites would unjustly Intrude hath so fitted his Ordinances as to be advantagious to their Conversion when they have Intruded He calleth not any to come into his Church without saving Faith and Repentance nor is he consenting to any mans lying Profession nor unworthy approach to Baptism or the Lords Supper but yet they that do come unworthily and unwarrantably do find that there which tendeth to their Conversion and frequently effecteth it and this I think is the true mean between their Doctrine who maintain that the Sacrament is prescribed as a converting Ordinance and the unconverted are called to it and theirs that say simply it is not a converting Ordinance Object 3. This is the way to fill the Church with hypocrites and ungodly ones and that breeds all our stir while they scandadalize their Profession and will not be ruled Answ. 1. It is Gods way and then no Inconvenience will disgrace it 2. We are foretold as is said that many are called and few chosen and the Church will have many unfound Professors to the end of the world 3. When they are in the Church they are under teaching and Discipline to inform them or if they be oâ—stinate in gross evil to reject them 4. God will have a wide difference between the Church in heaven and on earth Object 4. Then we must admit a drunkard or whoremonger that still lyeth in his sin if a bare Verbal Profession will serve the turn Answ. No. You must see that with his Profession of Repentance he do forsake the sin repented of or else he contradicteth and invalidateth his Profession If a man in his drunkenness come to be baptized and profess to hate drunkenness he actually giveth his tongue the Lye If a man swear that he hateth swearing he contradicteth himself and we have no reason to believe him If a Whoremonger keep his Concubine while he professeth to repent he doth one thing and saith another so that this doth not follow Object 5. It was believing with all the heart that Philip required of the Eunuch and such a believing aâ— had the Promise of Salvation as Paul and Silas required of the Jaylor Answ. True and it s such that we require But Philip and Paul took a bare present Profession as the Evidence of that faith which they must accept and so must we Object 6. But then we shall apply the Seal to a Blank Answ. By a Blank if you mean One that you ought not to apply it to and that hath no right in foro Ecclesiae I deny it but if you mean one that is not actually the subject of Gods promise and to whom God is not actually obliged but conditionally as he is to Heathens and one that hath no proper right coram Deo or Deo judice as shall justifie his claim and receiving before God so I grant that we set the seal to a Blank But that 's not our sin but his And here I desire the Objectors carefully to note that it is Gods design in the Gospel so to order things that the actual Application shall first be the act of the sinner himself God by his Ministers indeed will be the first offerer and the Spirit in the Elect shall be the first Exciter But the first actual apprehender must be the sinner and then the Ministers application by the seals is in order to come after mens own application For man is to be the chooser or refuser of his own salvation which Clemens Alexandrinus giveth as a reason why in those times of the Church When some as the custom is have divided the Eucharist they permit every one of the people to take his own part For every mans own conscience is best fitted to the act of choosing or refusing Stromat lib 1. pag. 2. so that we are but to follow them with the seal and therefore the applying or refusing act must be first theirs and theirs as professed is the Director of ours And therefore as it is their sin and not ours if they reject Christ and their faith and not ours by which he is chosen to be theirs so it is their sin and not ours if a misapplication be made of the External Ordinance by them and so we take not an invalid profession we are bound to follow their profession for God never appointed heart searchers to administer his seals Object 7. But wicked men know not their own hearts and therefore are uncapable of making a credible profession Answ. They may know them better them I can The Intellect hath naturally a power of knowing it self
as to their more profitable use of Ordinances but make no other conditions of their Right then God hath made 4. It is onely a Profession that 's serious voluntrary not contradicted prevalently by word or life which you must take as is before described And do you take it to be so unreasonable a matter to believe a man fide humana who speak's of his own heart which another cannot see when you can bring no evidence to disprove his words If you know any thing by his life that certainly proves his Profession false admonish him of it in the order that Christ hath directed you to till he either hear the Church or be rejected by the Church or at least by not hearing the Church do give you cause to take him as a Heathen or Publican but be not so much against the Scripture and 2. All discipline that ever the Church hath used And against common justice and reason as to do this by men on your own private judgement without evidence and a just tryal and once hearing them speak for themselves and many do that will unchurch a whole Parish and gather a new one on supposition of the invalidity of a bare Profession and on supposition that most are ignorant and ungodly before they have ever once accused them particularly or dealt with or excluded any of them in the way that Christ appointeth If I certainly knew that in this Parish there were 4000 unregenerate Persons and not 400 or 100 truly regenerate and yet knew not particularly which the unregenerate Persons were I ought not to cast out one man from the Church upon any such account Object But with what comfort can the Godly have communion with the societies that are so mixt with multitudes of the ungodly Answ. If they do not their duty in admoishing the offenders and labouring to heal the diseased members and to reform the Church in Christs appointed way Mat. 18.17 Then you may well ask With what comfort can such Professors live in the sinful neglect of their own duty But if they faithfully do their own part how should the sins of others â—e their burden unless by way of common compassion And how have Gods servant in all ages of the Church to this day received comfort in such mixt Communion These Objectors shew that they seek more of their comfort in men then is meet or that they discomfort themselves with their own fancies when they have no cause of discomfort given them from without but what must be born to the end of the world by al that wil walk in the waies of Christ. Object But it is the Communion of Saints that we believe and must endeavour Answ. True internal spiritual Communion with hearty Saints and External communion with professed Saints For real Saints in heart are unknown to us Ob. But the greater part do not so much as Profess to be Saints Answ. They that profess to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to renounce the world the Flesh and the Devil do profess to be Saints so do they that profess to repent of all sin and to be willing to live according to the word of God But I meet but with very few that will not profess all this Object They will say these words indeed but in the mean time they will scorn at godliness or disclaim it by their lives Answ. Those that do so must be dealt with in Christs way as Church-members till either they hear the Church or be rejected for their impenitency but you must not dare upon this account to unchurch whole Parishes nor ordinarily any one Person that hath not been dealt with in the order that Christ hath appointed To conclude this Disputation I find that the two things before mentioned are great occasions of the proneness of many godly people to schism The one is because they do not understand that Christ hath so contrived in it the Gospel that every man shall be either the Introducter of himself by Profession or the Excluder of himself by the rejection of Christianity And so that all Church admissions or rejections shall be but the consequents of his own choice that the chief comfort or the blame may be upon himself And this is partly from the admirable freedom and extensiveness of Gospel Grace which the sons of Grace should glorifie and rejoyce in and not murmur at and dishonour and partly from the wise dispensations of our Legislator that he may deal with men on clear grounds in their absolution or condemnation before all the world 2. The other cause of the schismatical inclination of some godly people is the great mistake of too many in confining all the fruits of Christs death and the mercies or graces of God to the Elect and so not considering the difference that there ever was and will be between the visible Church of Professors and the invisible Church of true Believers Alas Brethren in the name of Christ let me speak it to your hearts do you grudge a few common Priviledges to common Professors when you have the best and choysest part your selves you have Christ himself and do you grudg them the name of Christians or the bare symbole or signs of his body and blood You have sincerity of faith and Repentance and answerably you have true Remission and Reconciliation They have the profession of Faith and Repentance and do you grudg them the empty signs of a Remission which they have lost by their hypocrisie and Unbelief You have Inward communion with Christ in the Spirit as you have Inward faith Do you grudg an Externâ—l communion with the Church to them that have the External profession of Faith O Remember that the Net of the Gospel bringeth good and bad to the shore and the tares must grow with the wheat till harvest and then is the time that you shall have your desire The second Disputation Quest. Whether Ministers must or may Baptize the Children of those that Profess not saving faith upon the Profession of any other faith that comes short of it IT may seem strange that after 1625. years use of Christian Baptism the Ministers of the Gospel should be yet unresolved to whom it doth belong yet so it is And I observe that it is a Question that they are now very solicitous about And I cannot blame them it being not only about a matter of Divine appointment but a practical of such concernment to the Church I shall upon this present occasion give you my thoughts of it as briefly as I can which contain nothing that I know of which is new or singular but the Explication and Vindication of the commonly received truth We here suppose that Baptism is still a needfull Ordinance of Christ and that Infants are to be Baptized and that Ministers are the persons that should Baptize them so that it is none of our work at this time either to defend the Ordinance it self against the Seekers nor the
the Disciples with their Infants and that it is Reconciliation Adoption and the Inheritance of salvation that are sealed up to Parents and children by Baptism Paraeus in loc saith Cum Baptismus sit signum faederis testificans baptizatos recipi a Deo in gratiam haud dubiè Pater filius spiritus sanctus sunt unus verus Deus baptizatos in gratiam foedus recipiens And he expoundeth this from Mar. 16.16 shewing that as the order is credere baptizari so that this is a true saving faith lâ—st autem credere Evangelio non solum assentiri doctrinae quod vera sit sed fiducia certa sibi applicare promissionem gratiae nos recipi in gratiam nobis remissa esse peccata propter Christum Commendat vero nobis fidem baptismum duabus rationibus una ab utili salvabitur h. e. vitam aeternam consequetur For my own part I have before entered my dissent to such descriptions of justifying faith as make it to be a Believing that our sins are pardoned but yet I agree with him and the rest in the main that it must be an Act of the will embracing or accepting an offered Christ as well as of the understanding and that the Profession of it must go before Baptism But I shall further prove the Minor from some other Texts of Scripture viz. that they are not Christs Disciples that Profess not saving faith or are not the Infants of such Luke 14.26 27 33. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brothers and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple and whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple This is spoken of true Disciples in heart the first significatum by him that knew the heart From whence I argue thus If none are Christs Disciples in heart nor can be but those that value him above all and will forsake all for him if he require it then none can be his Disciples by external Profession but those that Profess to esteem him above all and to be willing to forsake all rather then forsake him But the former is proved by the Text The consequence is clear in that the world hath hitherto been acquainted but with two sorts of Christians or Disciples of Christ the one such sincerely in heart and the other such by Profession and the latter are so called because they profess to be what the other are indeed and what themselves are if they sincerely so profess And it is the same thing Professed which makes a man a Professed Christian which being found in the heart doth make a man a hearty Christian. Of these two sorts of Disciples people of God I spake as plain as I could speak pag. 4. of the Saints Rest But Mr. Blake never sticks when he meets with such passages to perswade the world that they are my self-contradictions and that they make for him as if it were all one to Profess a saving faith even the Acceptance of Christ and to Profess a faith short of saving But I perceive by this how he is like to use other Authors that cannot speak for themselves that would perswade men that I speak for him even where I expresly speak for the same cause which I now maintain against him John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Here Christ giveth a certain badg by which his true Disciples may be known If only those that love one another are true Disciples in heart then only those that Profess to love one another are Disciples by Profession But c. And that this Love is a special Grace and Inseparable concomitant of saving faith is manifest in that By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 Joh. 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye that is you will approve your selves my Disciples indeed If only those are Christs Disciples indeed as to the heart that have the Resolution of perseverance and those only his Practical conquering Disciples who actually persevere then only those are his Professed Disciples that Profess a Resolution to persevere But c. Ergo c. All this that I have said is no more then we have ever practised when in Baptism we renounced the World Flesh and Devil and promised to fight under Christs Banner to our lives end Saith Piscator on John 13.35 Si pro Christianis id est Christs discipulis haberi volumus oportet ut nos mutuò quà m ardentissimè diligamus c. Object Joh. 6. â—0 61 66. Those are called his Disciples that were offended at his word and went back Answ. 1. That 's none of our question whether Professed Disciples may not forsake Christ we easily acknowledge it But let it be proved that these did not before Profess a saving faith 2. This makes as much against the Opponent as me for it was the very want of a Dogmatical faith that they here manifested being offended that Christ should tell them that they must eat his flesh Object Act. 19.1 They are called Disciples that had not heard whether there be a Holy Ghost or not Answ. If they had not heard then it was not an article of necessity to their Justification They had been baptized and professed that faith which was saving when John baptized 2. This is spoken only of that extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost Obj. Any one is a Disciple that is willing to learn of Christ. Answ. No such matter In an improper sence you may so call them but not in Scripture sense where 1. A Disciple and a Christian are all one Acts 11.26 But every one that is willing to learn of Christ is not a Christian therefore not a disciple 2. A Disciple of Christ is one that will take him for the great Prophet of the Church which whosoever heareth not shall be cut off from Gods people and will learn of him as of the Christ. But so wil not all that will learn of him for a man that taketh Christ but for a common wise man as Socrates or Plato may be willing to learn of him and so may be his Disciple in another sense but not in the Christian sense as a Christian. 3. He that is sincerely a Disciple of Christ in heart doth take him for one that by redemption also hath Propitiated the offended Majesty and as King hath authority to rule him and submitteth to him in his whole office as he is the Christ For he cannot be truly a Christian that taketh not Christ as Christ and believeth not in him in all that is essential to his office and so to the object of our faith As he that believeth that Christ is God only or Man only is no Christian so he
those that are suspected of Heresie had said such words what should we make of them Doth all Passive or Objective power Natural Violent or Neutral come into act Doubtless no man that hath one thought of these things will say so if he do he must say that God can do no more then he doth nor any creature do more then it doth But if there be such a power or Capacity of a thing that shall not exist then it is sad to hear God charged with making all such powers or Capacities in vain He knows why he doth many things which he tells us not the reason of but here there is reason enough apparent to cause us to give God better words I ask't whether Preachers be not bound to endeavour the saving conversion of whole Nations He answereth I think they are to bring them if Heathen to a visible Profession and as many as they can to thorow-conversion Repl. 1. This is no answer to my question unless it import a concession of what was denyed Must men endeavour to convert a whole Nation or not 2. If we must endeavour to convert no more than we can convert then we must know the success before we endeavour which cannot be and must endeavour to convert no more then will be converted which is worse then false 3. I will not endeavour to perswade any man to Profess to be what he is not or to have what he hath not or to do what he doth not He next noteth it as a remarkable contradiction in adjecto that I say Vocation uneffectual is common to Pagans saying that Calling in Scripture Phrase is not a barâ— tender but accompanyed with a professed answer Repl. This is like much of the rest Let these Texts be judge Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel c. so Isa. 65.12 When I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear c. so Isa. 50 2. 66.4 and Jer. 7.13 35.17 Mat. 22.3 5. He sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden c. But they made light of it c. I shall recite no more It hath not been thought a contradiction by Protestants or Papists that I know of till now to talk of uneffectual calling So much of Mat. 28.19 To what I said from Mar. 16.16 litle that needs a Reply is answered He saith If I will contend for an exact order then he must say that faith always preceds and never follows after Baptism Repl. In reason we must distinguish between a precedency of prescribed duty and of event and not seek to blind the Reader as you speak by confusion There is constantly this order in the prescribed duty that no man should seek Baptism but a true believer for himself and his seed and no man should baptize any but those that profess this true belief and their seed This is the fixed order of duty But what then will it follow that eventually faith never followeth baptism nor baptism never goeth before faith Yes when you can prove that man never sinneth by omitting his duty and that God never recovereth a sinner by his Grace You add And then he may preach in England to build up converts but not to convert Repl. True if there be none in England that neglected that faith which God commanded before nor received baptism in a case which is unmeet for it nor any that were baptized in infancy when they were uncapable of believing As to your frequent objection of the Nullity of such baptism I shall Null it anon in its proper place His concession in terms from 1 Pet. 3.21 he retracteth by an exposition of his words as spoken Rhetorically and thinks that ony one that ever read Rhetorick may know his sense when there is such a Wood of Tropes and Schems that such Novices may sooner be lost in them then hunt on t the sense of every Rhetorician The proper sense he takes to be an egregious peice of affected non-sense for then it were true that justifying faith is a promise Repl. It only follows that justifying faith is not only an Assent but the wills consent to the covenant of grace or that Christ be ours and we his and this is heart-covenanting and that the external verbal promising or covenanting with God is the profession of this faith And it is not my fault if I be put to tell you that as long as you are such a stranger to the nature of justifying faith as many such dark though confident passages in your books do import your Arguings will want salt if not sense I know this is like to displease But what remedy To the Text. Act. 8.37 he answereth pag. 176 that indeed he never met with any thing either in Scripture or Reason produced thâ—t carries with him so much as any color for it this excepted Repl. This is not my first Observation that confidence is not alwaies a sign of a true judgement and the seeing of no difficulties before us proves us not to know more than other men His particular answers are 1. Philip. may call for that de bene esse when the Eunuch was to be admitted which was not yet essential to his admittance Repl. 1. It s strange that when we are disputing what is of a necessity to a just admittance that we must turn to dispute of the Essentials of an admittance I never thought that any thing but admittance was essential to admittance but there are many things siâ—c quibus non licet 2. Philip is determining a question and giveth this in as the decision If thou believe with all thy heart thou mayest And to say that this is but de bene esse meaning that it includeth not the Negative otherwise thou mayest not is to make Philip to have deluded and not decided or resolved Use the like liberty in expounding all other Scripture and you 'l make it what you please The second Answer is that Dogmatical faith is truly a Divine faith Repl. But not the Christian Faith nor anywhere alone denominateth men Believers in Scripture I remember but one Text John 12.42 where it is called Believing on Christ and but few more where it is simply called Believing but none where such are called Believers Disciples or Christians or any thing that intimateth them admitted into the visible Church without the Profession of saving faith added to this Assent The rest which he here addeth we shall take in when we come purposely to speak of that subject I conclude That all examples of baptism in Scripture do mention only the administration of it to the Professors of saving faith and the precepts give us no other direction And I provoke Mr. Blake as far as is seemly for me to do to name one precept or example for baptizing any other and make it good if he can Argum. 17. is
we have no natural capacity of judging but according to evidence and we have no evidence for a certain judgement concerning the estate of another mans heart 2. I have elsewhere made it appear and more abundantly might easily do that when God mentioneth any person qualified with such a Qualification which to us is uncertain to be the object of our Act his meaning is that we should rationally and charitably judge of men according to evidence whether they are such or no and so take them and use them accordingly the Apparere being here as the Esse to us So when he bids us if a Brother wrong us oft and oft say It repenteth me forgive him it is all one with that other If he repent forgive him We know not certainly whether he repent or not but we must take him probably to repent that giveth us the evidence of a probable profession So if we are to baptize those that repent and believe or their children how can we judge of them but by a probable profession 4. It is therefore granted that though such a degree of Ungodliness as is consistent with sincere Godliness be Notorious yet that 's not the subject of our Question for that doth not denominate a man ungodly seeing it is from the predominant part that he must be denominated The Doubt remaineth therefoâ—e abouâ— Ungodliness in the proper sense Notorious as is before explained And I shall now defend the Negative as followâ—th Arg. 1. We have no word of God commanding or Authorizing us to baptize the children of the notoriously ungodly as theirs Therfore is it not our duty or lawfull What command or warrant is pretended from Scripture we shall examine anon Arg. 2. We may not baptâ—ze them who are Notoriously without true Covenant Right to Baptism But such are the children of notorious ungodly Parents Ergo. The Minor is proved before the Major needs no proof I think We should give each his Right Arg. 3. If it be the very reason why we must Baptize the Ungodly and theâ—r Seed who profess Godliness because that by professing it they seem probably to be godly then must we not baptize them who do not seem probably to be godly or if you had rather to be true Believers But the Antecedent is true Therefore so is the Consequent For the Antecedent I have said enough for it to Mr. Blake If it were not propter fidem significandam that profession were required but propter se as the condition of the Covenant then 1. God would not have said He that believeth and is baptized c. And if thou believe with all thy heart thou mayst be baptized and Repent and be baptized c. but rather if thou wilt but say thou believest thou mayst be baptized c. 2. And then all that profess should be justified For all that be in the Mutual Covenant with God actually are justified 3. And then such profession would be of flat necessity to Salvation as well as faith which it is not but on supposition of Opportunity a Call c. I think I may take it for granted that Profession is required sub ratione signi as a sign of the thing professed nor can any man I think give a better reason of its necessity though another after this may be because God will have the outward man to serve him by thus signifying by its operations what are the Elicite Acts and dispositions of the Will The Consequence of the foresaid Major proposition is past doubt I suppose If any think otherwise the next Argument may rectifie them Argu. 4. He that is not to be judged a credible professed Christian or the child of such is not the just object of our act of baptizing Or We ought to baptize none but those whom we should judge true professed Christians and their children But the notoriously Ungodly are not to be judged true professed Christians nor their Children the Children of such therefore not to be baptized As the word Profession signifieth a pretended discovering of the mind with an intention to deceive so I confess it may be called a profession Physically or Metaphysically true But it is not this natural Truth that we here mean nor yet do I stretch the word so high as to comprehend the full gradual correspondency of the Act to the Object but I plainly mean a Moral Truth opposed to a Lye or Falshood And being speaking about moral-Legal things the terms must be necessarily understood according to the Subject So that it were proper in this Case If I simply maintained that such are Not Professors of Christianity at all because in a moral Law-sense they are not such For no man is to give credit to a notorious lye so to speak is equal to silence as to any obligation that it can lay upon another either to believe him or to use him as one that is believed My meaning therefore is that we are not to baptize that man or his child upon a profession which is notoriously false so that our selves and the Congregation do certainly know or have sufficient Reasons to be confident that the man doth lye For the proof of the Minor which I know will be denied thus I prove it If either the Profession be evidently but Equivocally called a true Profession or the Christianity professed be but equivocally called Christianâ—ty then the notoriously ungodly are not to be judged true professed Christans But the one of these is so with all notoriously ungodly persons Ergo. The Major is past doubt seing there must be the true profession of true Christianity that must justly denominate a man at age a true Professor of Christianity If he notoriously want the first he is morally no Professor If he want the later he professeth not â—hristianity To prove the Minor we will begin with the later We speak not now of any Accidentals that pertain not to the Being but tend only to the well-Being of a Christian. Now I hope it is past controversie among us all that it is essential to our Christianity that it be in the Intellect and Will whatever we say of the outward Man and for the Intellect that we believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And it is essential to our believing in God that we believe him to be our Creator Chief Ruler and chief End and Happiness And to believe in the Son Essentially containeth a believing that he is Jesus Christ our Lord that is that he is the Redeemer of the world who shed his blood to save his people from their sins by pardon and sanctification and who will raise them from the dead and judge them to everlasting Blessedness and who is their Lord and Ruler on this ground and to this end to believe in the Holy Ghost essentially containeth a believing that his Testimony of Christ was true and that he is the Sanctifier of those that shall be saved It is as much essential to Christianity to consent that
not renounce the world flesh and the Dâ—vil oâ— that declareth certainly that he will not renounce thâ—m at that time But such are all notorious ungodly men Therefore the Church hath ever required this in Baptism Arg. 7. We may not baptize those whom we notoriously know to be at present uncapable of receiving remission of sins for that is the use of the Ordinance according to Gods institution But such are all the notoriously ungodly Therefore I need not here I suppose with those I deal with answâ—r the Antinomian's Objection from Rom. 4. of justifying the ungodly I have said enough to that against Lud. Colvinus and others Arg. 8. Men that be notoriously unfit for Marriage with Christ to be solemnized are unfit by us to be baptized or any for them But such are all the notoriously ungodly Ergo c. Arg. 9. We may not baptize those that we know do notoriously dissemble in making the Baptismal Covenant But such are all notoriously ungodly Ergo c. Arg. 10. We may not give him the Seal of the righteousness of Faith who notoriously declareth that he hath not that Righteousness But such are all notoriously ungodly Ergo c. Arg. 11. From Matth. 28.19 20. Before we baptize men or any for their sakes we must see in probability that they are made Disciple But so are not the notoriously ungodly Ergo c. Arg. 12. Those that we must Baptize or any for their sakes must seem to believe with all their hearts Acts 8.37 And to receive the word gladly Acts 2.38.39 41. And to believe with a saving faith Mark 16.15 16. Acts 16.31 â—2 33. But so do not any that are notoriously ungodly Ergo. These Texts and many such like are our Directory whom to Baptize Arg. 13. From 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your children unclean If one of the immediate Parents be not a Believer their children are unclean and consequently not to be baptized But notorious ungodly ones are not Believers Ergo As they must be Believers that they may have Right and be Holy so must they seem Believers that they may seem to have Right and so be baptized by us warrantably But such seem not to have Faith who are notorioâ—sly Ungodly It is Objected that this Text determineth of one way of Covenant-Right to Infants but doth not thereby deny all other Answ. 1. It is peremptory in the Negative Else were your children unclean as well as in the Affirmative but now are they Holy 2. It therefore excludeth expresly all other wayes of interest in the Covenant by Birth-Priviledge Else how could that Negative be true But I confess it doth not exclude all means else of an after acquisition or reception of Covenant-Right For he that is born unclean may become by purchase or contract the child of a Believer or at age may believe himself And then he ceaseth to be unclean 3. At least it seems yielded by thâ—m that if both Parents be unbelievers the child can have no Right Aâ— theirs or on theâ—r account It s Objected that this was true of the Corinthians whose Ancestors â—ere Infidels and themsâ—lves the first Converts their children were unclean if one of them were not a believer but it holdeth not of them that had pious Ancestors Answ. 1. This yieldeth the point which is now in question that is that On their Parents account such children have no right 2. It contradicteth the Apostle's express Affirmation who saith that they are unclean which can extend to no less than the denyal of Holiness by Bâ—rth-Priviledge 3. Noah was the Progenitor remote of those Corinthians and he was not unclean Yet that makes not them Holy Else no man shoul'd be unholy Arg. 14. Rom. 11. The Israelites and their children with them are broken off because of Unbelief Therefore Notorious Unbelievers and their children are to be judged as no Church-members nor to be baptized And that all Notorious Ungodly ones are Notorious Unbelievers I have proved and may yet refute the ordinary Objections to the contrary Arg. 15. We may not lawfully baptize those children for their Parents sake whose Parents are ipso jure Excommunicated from the society of Christians as such or are justly to be pronounced No Members of the Universal Church Visible or Invisible But all Notoriously Ungodly are in one of these ranks Ergo. To explain my meaning in this Argument Observe 1. that I take not the common doctrine for true that a particular Political or Organized Church or incorporated Society of Christians is a meer Homogeneal part of the universal Visible Church All the Universal Church doth not consist of such Societies no more than all this Common-wealth doth consist of Corporations For a particular Church is as a particular Body-Corporate and all the Members of the Universal are not so Though all ought to be so that can attain it yet all cannot attain it and all do not what they ought Even in an Army a Souldier may be lifted by a General Officer into the Army in general long before he is placed in any Regiment or Troop yea there are some that are Messengers and for other employments that are not to be of any Regiment So sometime a man is baptized as the Eunuch before he be entred into any particular Church perhaps long And some were of Churches which are dissolved and stay long before they can joyn themselves to others And some live as Merchants in a moveable travelling condition And some are bound for the good of the Common-wealth to be Embassadors or Agents or Factors c. resident among Infidels where is no Church And some may be called to preach up and down among Infidels for their conversion as the Apostles did and fix themselves to no particular Church And some may be too ignorant or neglective of their duty in incorporating with any And some upon infirmity and scrupulosity hold off So that its apparent that all the Visible Church is not thus Incorporated into particular Churches 2. I do firmly believe that Baptism as Baptism doth list enter or admit us only into the Universal Church directly and not into any particular Church but yet consequentially it oft doth both And as the Parent is so is it supposed that the Infant is If the Parent live an itinerant life and bring his child to Baptism that child is entered into the Universal Church only except he leave the child resident in any particular Church and desire it may be a member of it But if the Parent be a member of a particular Church when we Baptize his child we receive it first into the universal Church and then into that particular as an imperfect member For we justly suppose it is the Parents desire which is it that determineth this Case 3. I firmly believe that the common opinion is an Error that All that are cast out of a particular Church are cast out of the universal 4. Yea or that he that is put out of one particular
should first baptize them on their profession of Faith and then help them on to obedience afterward Yet were these men so far from imagining that it was not Justifying faith that is required to Baptism that upon that supposition they run into another error which Augustine takes to be their worst and the root of the rest and that was That this Belief in Christ was the foundation meaning a dogmatical faith and that an evil life of such baptized believers was but hay and stubble built on the foundation and such should be saved though as by fire Against all this Augustine wrote that Book and proves that such may neither be saved nor baptized and that Faith is another thing and Obedience of another necessity than they imagined The Reading of this Book I expect will do more in this present Argument to perswade most dissenters than the perusing of all my Arguments because of the Authority of Augustine and especially of the Church whose Practice he discovereth If it be said that this concerneth not Infants I answer I suppose it will be but few that will not by what is said be perswaded that no man in an estate unfit for Baptism can convey a right to his Infants to be baptized Read also Augustin Epist. 23. ad Bonifac. where is much worthy observation And ad Laurent Euchrid c. We come next to answer the chief Arguments of the Dissenters which are not already answered in what went before in way of defence to the several Arguments as we propounded them Argum. 1. The children of Notorious ungodly parents had right to circumcision before Christs Incarnation therefore the children of such have right to Baptism since This is the great Argument besides which there is scarce any that hath a shew of difficulty Answ. 1. It is certain that the Fabrick of the Jewish Politie especially the grounds and Reasons of all Gods Institutions of those times are so imperfectly known by us that it is utterly unfit to reduce so many clear Gospel Arguments to one dark one from those Laws For it is a most necessary Rule that in all our Disquisitions we must reduce Uncertainties to Certainties and not Certainties to Uncertainties our Argument must be à notioribus ad miâ—ùs nota Mr. Blake confesseth it very dangerous to argue from meer analogâ—e and professeth that he doth not so but from the ground of the Institution And how dark are those grounds in some Cases to us 2. I yet see no proof of the Proposition that then such Infants of notoriously ungodly parents had on their account a right to Circumcision Where first note that we must first denominate men Godly or Ungodly as principally in their respect to God himself so next from their respect to the Rule of Godliness then in force which being not the same in many things then as now it is Godliness was not in the exercise the same materially then in all things as it is now The sum of it was to take the Lord that Redeemed them from bondage to be their God and to give themselves in consent to be his people and obey his Laws Now let us see where is their proof of the proposition They say all Israelites whatsoever were to be Circumcised by right I answer that 's no proof Let us look to the Institution Gen. 17.7 8 9 10. and there we shall find 1. That the Covenant goes before the Seal and this Covenant is that God will be a God to them which they were on their parts to take him to be 2. This Covenant is with Abraham and his seed after him 3. Next follows an Injunction that he and his seed do keep Gods Covenant 4. And then is Circumcision Instituted though called the Covenant yet but the Token of the Covenant as it is called ver 11. By all which it appeareth that the seal Instituted supposeth the Covenant Instituted and the seal applied supposeth the Covenant entered and then by that it is signed between God and them As if the Prince confer such Lands and honors on a Noble man and his seed in all generations and require every Heir to come and upon taking the Oath of Allegiance to receive the great seal for the confirming of his Title This supposeth that this Noble man and all his seed that expect that benefit do continue their Allegiance that for all this Grant If any of them turn Traytor his Posterity can receive no right from him but it is prevented Moreover it is known that every Israelite was oft to renew this Covenant with God yea all the Body of the People often together did it in Moses daies and they owned God continually in Sacrifices and other Holy Worship Moreover consider that the People at that time seem to be generally or mostly such as were not of the strain that now we are enquiring about viz. Notoriously ungodly To evidence this Observ. 1. That they had holy excellent Teachers Moses Aaron c. and God among them in signs and wonders 2. They were generally zealous in their way of Religiousness which was very costly and laborious in comparison of what is now commonly done 3. That they had most strict Laws prohibiting all uncleanness yea even Ceremonial to teach them the evil of the greater Moral uncleanness 4. They are oft called a Holy and peculiar people and God frequently chargeth them to hold to it and remember that he was a Holy and Jealous God 5. There were more severe penalties then and less indulgence to Offenders then is under the Gospel 6. Even Balaam testifieth for them that God saw not iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel that is no such Idolatry or ungodliness as was among the Heathen 7. Note that the visible sins which they are most at that time accused of and destroyed for seem to be but either some particular Facts under Temptation or some sad discoveries of their Mutabilâ—y and wavering not in the main Whether they should renounce their God or at least they did not actually and visibly renounce him but about his Power in a strait and difficult case or some the like From which a man could not conclude them notoriously ungodly though their sin was very great and God that knew their hearts might discern ungodliness in them and men might suspect them and fear the worst 8. Note also that even for such particular sins before they could manifest fixed impeniâ—ency and obstinacy or a course of ungodliness God usually let loose against them his Jealousie and by some destroying Calamities cut them off 9. When the Psalmâ—st doth aggravate their sin Psal 78. and 104. it is particular sins and unstedfastness of heart but still with professions of Repentance and Returning under their frequent afflictions 10. Yet I must desire that none here mistake me as if I would free the Israelites from any charge that God layeth on them by his Prophets I speak not now of their times of greatest Apostacy and Rebellion And I
necessity of our holiness and Obedience to him He that denieth the Holy Ghost the Truth of his Miracles by which he sealed Christs Doctrine or the necessity of his Sanctification this man is Notoriously ungodly if he Notoriously deny these for he professeth ungodliness it self So doth he that denieth Christ hath any Church on earth and that denieth to have communion with his Church 2. That man is notoriously ungodly that is notoriously utterly ignorant of God and his son Jesus Christ of the Goodness Wisdom or Power of God of the Incarnation Death and Resurection of Christ and his Redemption of us hereby of the necessity of Faith and Holiness and of the evil of sin and of the everlasting blessedness that is promised to the Saints I will now only say excluding not the rest that the Ignorance of any one of these is inconsistent with true Godliness But I must tell you anon that there is need of much wariness in judgeing of such Ignorance 3. All those are Notoriously ungodly that do Notoriously upon Deliberation and with Obstinacy profess that they will not take God for their God and Governour or that they will not take Christ for their Redeemer and Lord nor be Ruled by him nor Trust in him for pardon and salvation or that they will not believe his word nor will be sanctified by his Spirit 4. All those are Notoriously ungodly that deliberately and ordinarily when they are themselves do Notoriously profess that they set more by the Pleasures Profits or Honors of this world than by the promised Blessedness in the life to come and that they will not part with these for the hopes of that Blessedness 5. All those are such also who though in the general they will say that they will be Ruled by God saved by Christ Sanctified by the Holy Ghost and guided by Gods Laws yet when it come's to particulars do deliberately in their ordinary frame profess that they will not part with their known sins at the command of God but resolve to displease him rather than obey 6. Such also are all those that though in general they profess to prefer Heaven before Earth yet when it comes to practice and trial do Notoriously and deliberately in their Habituated frame profess that they will not let go particular known sins for the hopes of Heaven 7. Such also are all they who living in gross sin and being convinced of it will not promise a sincere endeavour to reform nor will remove from or put away the removeable occasions which draw them to sin nor will be perswaded to use those known means which God hath commanded for the curing of their sin as to hear the Word to change their Company to confess their sin and take shame to themselves and profess Repentance They that Notoriously thus refuse Reformation when by Ministers or discreet Christians they are urged to it or that refuse Gods means which they are convinced he requireth of them and this obstinately are notoriously ungodly though they do not profess it in words For though it be exceeding hard to determine how great many or long the sins of a true Believer may be yet we are certain that he cannot manifest such a Love to them or Habituated unwillingness to be cured of them For that will not stand with true Repentance 8. All those are Notoriously ungodly that profess or express notoriously a Hatred of those that would draw them from their sins not for their harsh or indiscreet management of a reproof nor upon a meer mistaken conceit that the Reprover oweth him ill will but on that very account because they would draw them from known sin For this is Notorious impenitency and shews a Love of sin and the Reign of it in the Will 9. All those are Notoriously ungodly who do by Scorns Threatnings Persecutions or otherwise Notoriously express a Deliberate Habituated Hatred prevailing in their hearts against God Christ the Spirit the Scripture or Godly men because they are godly that is because they do Believe love God and live a Holy life and obey God in those things which they are convinced that he commandeth For this shews that Ungodliness prevaileth in the heart 10. All those are Notoriously ungodly that being convinced that its a Duty to pray to hear the Word to mind the Life to come and prefer it before this and to live a holy Life do yet so far dislike all this or any of this that they profess themselves resolved never to practice it and that they will venture their souls come on 't what will rather than they will make so much ado or live such a life yea though they will not profess this yet if they will not on the contrary be perswaded to profess that they resolve to live such a life and will not be drawn actually to the practice of it in their endeavours thereby manifesting that it is not so much for want of Ability as from a predominant unwillingness to be Holy in Heart and Life I say if this be Notorious then is it Notorious that these people are ungodly and accordingly to be judged and used by the Church Though I understand that many think that it is too rigid to go so far as I have already done in maintaining the Negative of the former Question yet I think it necessary to go further and to determine that It is our Duty to refuse to baptize the Children of more thâ—n the Notoriously Vngodly If you would know who else it is that we must exclude or refuse remember that before I told you of Excommunication from 1. A particular Church for some reason proper thereto or to some more but not common to all 2. From all Incorporated Congregations as such 3. From the society of Christians as such and that this last is either for a time because of the scandalousness of the sin and the credit of the Gospel with those without though we may yet see signs of Repentance in the sinner 2. Or for the Infectiousness of the sin as a Leprosie As if a man take himself bound to perswade all men to some greater and dangerous Error which yet may stand with Grace and Salvation but makes it very difficult and much hindereth it and if no means can convince this man of his Error nor take him off this is a kind of a Heretick who must be excluded from all Christian Communion but is not certainly and notoriously graceless 3. There is also exclusion from the society of all Christians upon an evident Proof that the man is no true Christian that is that he is Notoriously an Unbeliever or Ungodly person This I have spoke to all this while 4. But then there is also an exclusion upon a violent Presumption or very strong Probability though short of a Certainty that such a man is graceless or ungodly Hereupon I lay down what I take to be the Truth in the Propositions following Proposition 1. I may not deny the right of
their seed which Coram Deo will warrant them to require and receive them Prop. 2. God hath not commanded or allowed any that have not saving faith to seek or receive the Sacraments in that condition but hath made it the order of their Duty first to Repent and Believe and then to seek and receive the Sacraments These two Propositions I shall now briefly but sufficiently prove The first hath in it three parts 1. That God hath not made any Deed of Gift of Sacraments or right to Sacraments to any that are short of saving Faith save the seed of the faithful 2. That therefore such have no title to Sacraments Coram Deo that can properly be so called 3. That therefore they cannot lawfully Claim and Receive them though if they claim them we may lawfully Administer them To avoid confusion I shall take these distinctly 1. That God hath made no Promise or Deed of Gift of Sacraments or Right to them to any that are short of saving faith or on any lower Condition than saving Faith I prove Arg. 1. There is none such to be found in Scripture Therefore God hath made none such We have long expected the production of any such Gift or Promise and yet none is produced Which is likely would have been if it could have been found And if it be not in Scripture it is nowhere Arg. 2. If the Promise or grant of Right to Sacraments be made on any Condition besides saving faith then 1. either on the Condition of the Profession of that Faith 2. or on the Condition of a real inferiour faith or 3. on Condition of the Profession of that inferiour faith But none of these three Ergo The Enumeration will be acknowledged sufficient by them that we have now to deal with And 1. That the bare profession of saving Faith is never made the condition of any Promise or Deed of Gift by which a Title to Baptism is conveyed appeareth 1. In that none such are found in all the Scripture God nowhere saith If thou wilt but profess or say thâ—t thou believest thou shalt be baptized or have Right to Sacraments though the Church must administer them on that Profession 2. Else God should command a man to lye or justifie him in it and make a lye the condition of his mercies Though every duty be not the condition of Justification yet every such condition is a duty and every duty is commanded and God doth not Command any man to lye or to profess to be what he is not or do what he doth not or have what he hath not Much less will he make this the condition of his promises Object God commandeth both Believing and Profession therefore Profession is part of their duty and their sin is not that they Profess but that they do not Believe Answ. But God so connexeth these duties together that the later is a sin and no duty if it keep not its place and be performed without the former If a man tell a lye by speaking any good which he never thought its true that God would have had him both think it and speak it and then it would have been no lye but he would not have him speak it before he think it for then its a lye And you cannot say that his sin is only in not thinking it and not in speaking it which was part of his duty For it was both his sin Not to think it and to speak it when he did not think it and speâ—king it was not his duty save upon presupposal that he think it or it was not in any other order to be performed The same is here the case between Believing and professing to Believe 3. God maketh nothing the matter of Duty or the Condition of his Gifts but what hath some moral worth in it which may shew it fit to be well pleasing to him But the bare verbal Profession of that which is not in the heart hath no such Moral worth in it as may make it pleasing in his eyes Ergo 2. And then for an Inferiour Faith that this is not the condition of Gods Promise I have fully proved in another Disputation Moreover 1. No such promise can be produced out of the Word of God If it could its lâ—ke we should have had it ere now 2. The promises are expresly made on the condition of saving faith therefore not of any other Of this more in the following Arguments Only here I add that as to the Administration of Seals no man can know the sincerity or reality of an inferior kind of Faith any more than of a saving Faith 3. And then for the third viz. The Profession of a Dogmatical or other inferior Faith it can be no condition 1. Because the faith it self professed is none therefore the profession of it iâ— none 2. The profession of a saving faith is none Much less of a lower faith Observe in all this that when I mention a Dogmatical Faith I take it in Mr. Blake's sense and the sense that its commonly taken in viz. for an assent that comes short of that which justifieth and not as some of the Ancients did who called justifying Faith by the name of Dogmatical Faith as dist not from Miraculous Faith because they ordinarily placed Justifying Faith in Assent So Cyril and John Hierosol Cateches 5. pag. mihi 43. distinguisheth Faith into Dâ—gmatical which is saving and into that which is of Grace by which Miracles are wrought He means by Grace the extraordinary Gift of the Spirit And so some Protestants too Legâ— D. Alard Vaek Comment in Symbol Apost Proleg Cap. 5. pag. 20.21 Argum. 3. It is one and the same Covenant Testament or Deed of Gift by which God bestoweth Christ and Right to Sacraments and that on the same conditions But the Covenant or Testament bestoweth himself only on the condition of saving Faith Therefore it bestoweth right to Sacraments only on condition of saving Faith That there is any Covenant distinct from that one Covenant of Grace Mr. Blake disowneth as a fancy that never entred into his thoughts pag. 125. That this one Covenant or Testament giveth Right to Christ and to Sacraments upon the condition of one and the same faith is evident 1. Because the word distinguisheth not therefore in this case we may not distinguish It offereth Christ and Sacraments to men on these terms if they will believe but it doth not give us the least hint that by believing is meant two several sorts of faith whereof one is of necessity to right in Christ the other to right to Sacraments Mr. Blake that so abhorreth the imputing of equivocal terms to the Scripture I hope will not feign them to speak so equivocally If the Word had ever said It is such a kind of faith that is the condition of Right to Christ and such a different kind of Faith that is the condition of Right to Sacraments then we might have warrantably so distinguished our selves
ipso feudo vel oculis subjecto 2. Si Dominus propriè investiendo utatur verbo tradendi potest Vasallus propriâ autoritate ingredi possessionem vacuam 3. Si Dominus coram paribus Curiae c. juberet beneficiariam ingredi possessionem feudi 4. Si beneficiarius per Dominum ipsum aut jussu ejus per alium introducatur in possessionem feudi Now which of these is it that Master Blake here meaneth 1. The Sacrament of Baptism delivered upon Gods command upon the ground of his preceding Promise is his true proper Investiture of the Believer in the pardon of sin and Membership of Christ and his Church These therefore being quoad ipsam possessionem delivered up by this sacred sign it follows that it is only those that have antecedent Title to these Benefits Christ and Pardon that can receive the Investing sign to that use and end and to no other separated uses is it instituted by God And as to the distant Benefits the Kingdom of Glory c. The Sacraments are a ceremonial Investiture as to them and therefore should be applyed to none that hath not a precedent Title to those distant benefits Ecclesià judice or should be claimed and received by no other Nor is it proper to call that an Investituâ—â— of the sign it self which is it self an Investiture of another thing We use to say by this Ring Sword c. I invest thee of that Benefit but not by this Ring I invest thee of this Ring 2. Our Question now in hand being not of an Investiture of the signified Benefit but of a Title to the sign it self it is apparent that it cannot be the first sort of Investiture viz. Ceremonial For then it must be by some other Ceremony that we are invested of this Ceremony And what that other Ceremony is by which God doth invest men of Baptism no man can tell nor I think hath gone about to tell 3. It must be therefore the latter sort of Investiture or none viz. the Natural and true but that presupposeth a Title by some antecedent Promise or Gift and is but the means of delivering possession of that which men had right to before or of giving the jus in re to them that had the jus ad rem Now our Question is not of Possession but of Title or the jus ad rem which is antecedent to Investiture and may warrant a claim 4. And if you should say that this Investiture doth of it self confer Title to it self you would speak a contradiction the Title being antecedent to the right as being its foundation and the right ad rem antecedent to the Proffession which the Investiture gives Or if you feign an immediate donation to be concomitant with the Investiture or closely antecedent you must prove it and shew what it is It is most certain that it must be somewhat that is Signum voluntatis Divinae de Debito habendi that must confer on us a Title a meer providential disposal is no such thing for that is no civil but a Physical Investiture and signifieth not the will of God de Debito but only de Eventu and therefore of it self is no Title Of which see the Lancashire Ministers against the engagement at large It must then be a Testament or some Deed of Gift which in the Gospel goeth under the name of the Promise which before this possession must give the Title But a Promise in the present case as made to the dogmatical Believer is denyed by the Opponent A new immediate donation concurrent with the Investiture so called there is none God doth neither then say I give thee Title to this Sacrament Or I deliver it to thee absolutely but only hath long ago in his Promise said that which is equivalent conditionally so that he hath no new donation but only the old one of his Promise newly applyed by his Minister and the condition of that Promise is a saving faith and not another sort of faith There remaineth therefore but two acts or wayes of this proper Investiture which can be pretended And that is 1. A command to them to take Possession which is not pretended or to claim it of the Minister 2. And a command to the Minister as Gods Agent to deliver it to such a man And for the first it will fall under our further consideration anon where we shall shew that there is no such command Nor can any command give Title to a Benefit but what hath the nature of Gift as well as a command If then there be no Promise or Gift there is no right to the benefit commands as such do only oblige to duty And as for the command to Ministers to deliver the Sacraments 1. It is in Scripture commanded them that they baptize them that Repent and Believe and their seed but no others Therefore whereas by Reason and Scripture-example and general Rules it is made their duty to baptize or give the Lords Supper to Professors that is as they seem Believers seeing God never intended to make us the searchers of hearts therefore we must follow the common Rule of humane converse to take mens words about the secrets of their hearts till they utterly forfeit the credit of their words But to them that profess not truly to believe we may not give them 2. Nor may we give them as from God to men under the bare notion of Professors but as Believers I mean that in our invitation and offer we may not tell men All that profess to believe come to this Sacrament for its Gods will that you have title to it nor may we manage the ordinance in the terms of our prayers or Delivery as to meer Professors but as to Believers and so must we call them as in probability and from their profession esteeming them such 3. As it is only true Believers that we must Call to receive them so if any other come they come contrary to our Call and so contrary to the word that God put into our mouths and to his Will and therefore they have hereby no Title It s true that it becomes our duty to deliver them the Sacrament but that is accidentally on supposition of their unjust claim and hyhocritical or false profession ex propria calpa nemini debetur commodum God imployeth not heart searchers in his Administrations but he offereth his Ordinances only to heart-searchers and on heart-conditions And therefore the Pretenders of such conditions may warrant our delivery but they can never warrant or justifie their own claim or false pretence in order thereto And therefore they being not the people that God offered his Benefits to and called to receive them unless by turning true Believers it follows that they have not Gods consent to receive it and therefore there is no Gift from him As the Minister doth in the Word so doth he in the Sacraments In the Word we are to offer Jesus Christ to all that will accept
many Proselites which in David's and Solomon's days joyned themselves in the presence of private persons and the Judges of the great Synedron had aâ— care of them they drove them not away after they were Baptized out of any place neither took they them neer unto them until their after-fruits appeared Ob. 2. If none but the Regenerate or sincere Believers have Title to Baptism and the Lords Supper then none can seek or receive them till they have Assurance of their sincerity which would exclude abundance of upright Christians Answ. 1. God layeth his commands upon us conjunctly and our casting off one will not authorize us to cast off another Upright Christians are obliged both to judge themselves to be what they are and to receive the Seals of the Covenant And if they judge themselves not to be upright when they are or question their integrity as a thing to be doubted of this is their sin and cannot be done inculpably And this sin will not justifie them in forbearing the Sacraments For one sin will not excuse another The thing therefore that such are bound to is first to use right means to know themselves and then to judge of themselves as they are and then to seek and receive the Sacraments And if he say I have tried and yet I cannot discern or I fear I am unfound yet that will not free him from the blame of mis-judging nor from the obligation of judging more justly of himself 2. There is a true discerning of a man 's own faith and repentance which is far below a strict Assurance and he that truly discerneth that he repenteth and believeth hath a clear ground to profess it though he have much doubting and fear of the contrary The judgement of few or none is in aequilibrio but it swayeth and determineth either to judge that they are sincere or that they are not If it judge that they are not when they are their duty is to rectifie that judgement out of hand If they judge that they are sincere though they attain not a full Certainty they have reason to act according to that judgement Mans heart is a dark piece and much unacquainted with it self and if Mr Blake or any of his opinion will prove that a man must suspend all his Actions which are not guided by a certain assured judgement he will evacuate most of Gods service in the Church I doubt not but he will confess that it is only the penitent that should profess themselves penitent in that Condition and only they that truly desire Christ and Grace that should say they desire them and only they that have received saving grace that should give God thanks for it as a received benefit And yet if no one should confess sin with profession of penitence but they that have full assurance that they are truly penitent if no one should beg grace with profession that he desireth it till he have full assurance of the truth of those desires and if no one should give thanks to God for Redemption in the special sense and effectual Vocation and Conversion and Justification Adoption Reconciliation Sanctification c. but those that have a full assurance that they have received these I doubt God would have little Confession Prayer or Thanksgiving of this sort from his people Is it unlawfull to say Lord I believe as long as we have any Vnbelief to be removed When Peter knew not but that he might shortly deny Christ with cursing and swearing yet might he lawfully confess his belief in him A man may warrantably speak and profess the Truth which he is not fully certain of as long as he doth it bona fide and really meaneth what he speaketh and uttereth his very heart so far as he knoweth it 2. And as long as he is not negligent in his endeavors to know it but faithfully labors to be acquainted with it All such ordinary Professions do imply this limitation This is the truth so far as I know my own heart And if it were not lawful to go on this ground I must give up almost all my duties For I finde so great darkness in my own heart and strangeness to my self that it is few things that I say of my own heart which I can speak with such assurance as this When Christ commanded me Matth. 5.24 to Leave my gift before the Altar and go my way and first be reconciled to my Brother and then come and offer my gift as I am uncertain when my Brother's minde is reconciled to me so if I should never offer my gift till I had full assurance that my own minde is sincerely reconciled to him perhaps I might sometime be put upon a long forberance For many a one that can say I know nothing by my self is yet so conscious of the falsness of his heart that he is forced to add yet am I not thereby justified and I judge not my own self c. Christ hath told us that God will not forgive us unless we truly repent and believe and from our heart forgive one another If none may thank God for remitting their sins till they have undoubting assurance of all this God would have little thanks for forgiveness Then the scruples of those that reject singing Psalms would turn off almost all Who durst say or sing Psal 116.1 I love the Lord c. Psal. 119.10 with my whole heart have I sought thee c. Psal. 138.1 91. 111.1 I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart c. unless so few as would make but small melody Many particulars might be instanced in to shew that this ground would evacuate most duties 3. As Mr. Blake is uncertain of every one of his hearers that seeketh Sacraments whether he have indeed a Dogmatical faith or not so I doubt he would Baptize but few Children in comparison of what he doth if none should seek it but those Parents which are undoubtingly certain that they do truly Believe with that Dogmatical faith 1. Certain I am upon much sad tryal that a great number of the Parishioners that have long been our constant hearers and have presented many Children to Baptism have not a Dogmatical faith it self as to the essentials of the Christian Religion For many tell me that they Believe not that the Son or the Holy Ghost is God or that any one hath suffered for us or made satisfaction for our sins and that they trust only in Gods mercy and their praying and amendment for Pardon 2. I meet with the most humble Godly learned and judicious men of my acquaintance who manifest more doubtfulness about the Dogmatical part or Assenting Act of their faith then any other or at least their doubt of the rest is most here grounded because they doubt of their truth in this And though they are comforted in this consideration that even Assent is imperfect in the Saints on earth and mixt with doubtings and that they lament their
respect of the Parents Faith which is his condition of Title I should think I made a new covenant and a new Baptism I mean If I Baptized any without the present profession of justifying faith and Repentance upon a promise that they will begin to Repent and Believe savingly for the time to come Indeed the first faith and Repentance unto life are so much above corrupted nature and so much the special gifts of God which he hath given no man assurance of in particular that hath them not already that we must stay till men have them before they are meet to be admitted upon promise that they will perform them It hath pleased some of the great Calumniators agents to censure me as an Arminian or half one because I run not so far on the other hand as they But it s a hard case that I am in who must needs be an Arminian and yet must be forced to dissent from so dear a friend as Mr. Blake for fear of becoming one I am confident that Mr. Blake in those points is Orthodox but so could not I be if I should entertain his opinion For if I did believe that upon the acts of common Grace men have covenant or promise-right given them by God to be Baptized I must needs believe that they had Right to Remission of sin in Christs blood seeing God appointed no Baptism but what is for the Remission of sin upon which account I have mightily displeased some Reverend friends that before over-valued me who are favourers of the Arminian way meerly because I oppose Mr. Blake in this point For my part I still take faith to be the very internal covenanting with God in Christ and not a condition of our own covenant though it be the condition of Gods covenant or promise and so that condition of Gods covenant and our own actual covenanting are one and the same thing our very first covenanting with him or consent to his terms is that faith on which he promiseth us Justification though there be a further performance required to our Salvation It is all one in my account to believe in Christ and to become a Christian and Baptism commonly called our Christening is not to engage us to begin to be Christians hereafter but it is the solemnization of the Christian contract or marriage between Christ and the Soul which is supposed to be made in heart before so that they are then actually Christians inaugurated or publickly manifested And for all that Mr. Blake hath said to the contrary he that professeth any faith only that is short of justifying faith is not a Christian in the covenant-sence but is only Equivocally or Analogically so called And whereas Mr. Blake makes it more tolerable if I had used the word Analogically then to use the word Equivocally if he had pleased to observe it I frequently put them together as here Equivocally or Analogically so that if that will satisfie him he might have been satisfied sooner Yet I take the Scotists controversie to be yet undecided whether some terms be not both Analogical and Univocal and some both Analogical and Equivocal which they handle on the Question Vtrum Ens dicatur Vnivocè de Deo Creaturâ or rather that the later clause is past doubt and therefore in our ease it is both Nor am I yet perswaded that his old Testament covenanters which are the great moving instance did profess only such a faith as was short of Justifying and they that lived in such scandal as was inconsistent Notoriously with their profession were by the law to be put to death and then they were past begetting Children to plead a right in Circumcision And whereas he is so confident that according to my opinion the Baptism of the unjustifyed is a Nullity and that they must be Baptized again and saith that its much to be feared if not certainly to be concluded that the Major part by far of the Worcestershire combination consists of unbaptized persons c. pag. 142 143. I answer 1. it is a meer naked unproved assertion that any such consequent doth follow on these grounds Nor can he ever prove it If the outward ordinance were rightly administred and the inward covenanting of the heart were not performed it is not that which was well done that must be done again but that must be done which was at first omitted even sincere internal covenanting or believing 2. But it is much more disputable according to his principles whether all that he should so Baptize must not be rebaptized For as the ancient Councils which were against Cyprians and the rest of the Carthaginians Rebaptizing did yet decree that all should be rebaptized that were Baptized by the Paulionists not that they allowed really of twice Baptizing but that the first was but Baptism Equivocally so called because they Baptized not into the Name of the Trinity so if we should upon the new Doctrine take up a new Baptism upon a meer Dogmatical faith which is not a believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost but only a Believing that there is a Father Son and Holy Ghost and add if you will a Promise to believe in them hereafter I should be hardly put to it to prove these persons truly Baptized and that it being a Nullity all were not to be done again and yet some Brethren of Mr. Blakes minde think that my Judgement opens the way to Rebaptizing when I doubt it will be hard to avoid it as to every person in the way that he disputeth for Not that I think that any one should be rebaptized that is Baptized by Mr. Blake or any of them For I am confident that neither he nor they did ever practice their own doctrine nor ever Baptized one person but upon the profession of justifying faith it self 3. But why do they not see that on their own grounds many of their own Baptizings would be Nullities and the persons be Rebaptized If a Dogmatical faith it self be of necessity to the Being of Baptism then what shall be done with those many hundred Children among us whose Parents discover to us that they have not that Dogmatical faith How many have we oft occasion to speak with that marvail when we tell them what Christ is and hath done and suffered for us as if they had never hard it before when yet they sit under our teaching day by day like Dr. John White 's Catechumene that being asked what Jesus Christ was answered that she did not know she was never taught so far but sure enough it is some good thing or it should never have been put into the Creed Would Mr. Blake have the Children of all these rebaptized or not If yea then he is more than I for rebaptizing if not then how will it follow any more from my judgement that the Children of the unjustifyed must be Rebaptized I cannot conceive what he can say without going to the right of remote ancestors or the
was in them that must judge Angels ver 3. was a special saving sanctification But such did this seem to Paul which he speaketh of as is exprest in the Text therefore there must needs be at least a Profession of this And because Mr. Blake tells me pag. 14â— how well I know that he hath proved his assertion I shall peruse all those Texts which he citeth to that end in his Book of the Covenants pâ—g 207 208. And first we must observe that the persons that he there himself speaketh of are Visible Professors as distinct from the Elect and Regenerate yea from those that are really Saints and shall be for heaven And he calleth them men separate for God and Dedicated to him But this is unedifying slippery dealing to confound two distinct causes toâ—â—ther He that is professedly Dedicated to God is a Professor of saving Faith He that is really and heartily Dedicated to â—od shall certainly be saved Here Mr. Blake pleadeth the cause that I do maintain and not that which he hath undertaken against me and the common truth I confess as well as he that Profession maketh Saints visible or by profession as hearty Dedication to God by faith maketh real or heart-Saints But how angry is he himself afterwards at this distinction of Real and Professed Saints as if that none but the justified were real Saints But what is all this to a Saint-ship consisting in the Profession of a faith short of that which is Justifying I shall take these last to be Mr. Blake's Saints and no Scripture Saints I mean Saints of his denomination till he have better proved that ever Scripture so calleth them The Texts cited by him are these Frst Psal. 16.3 Saints on earth And I yield to him that there are Saints on earth Then 1 Cor. 16.1 Heb. 16.10 where we read of Collections for the Saints and Administration to the Saints By these I doubt not but he may prove that more than the heart-Saints are called Saints but that is because they profess and seem to be heart-Saints These Texts are far from proving that there are any Saints that profess not saving sanctity I shall anon tell Mr. Blake who they were that Calvin and other Protestants do expound the word Saints of in such Passages as these though he hath already told us that he abhorreth the Doctrine which they maintain But this is a Practical case that Mr. Blake hath here put us upon the Communion of Saints doth not only consist in Conjunction in God's Worship but also in mutual relief and free communication of outward things as the Text which he here citeth doth declare Those therefore that are of his mind must communicate as well to the Professors of a common Faith as of a saving Faith But hear who they be that Pareus supposeth Paul to mean in loc Docemur vero ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctorum quam credimus etiam huc pertinere ut necessitatibus fratrum mutuò tangamur pro virili succurramus prompte fideliter sumus enim unius Corporis membra c. Nam Fidei charitatis unitas omnes in Christo Capite conjungit It is then the Members of Christ united in him and joyned in Faith and Love And those that Profess to be such are so to us Acts 26.10 Acts 9.2 When Paul shut up many of the Saints in prison and did much evil against them he knew no other way of distinction than an outward Profession c. saith Mr Blake Answ. Nor do we know means hearts nor think that Paul knew them But the Question is What they professed Whether saving Sanctity or a common Sanctity and Faith short of it He addeth We read of Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 and they were taken in to be Church-Members as soon as they made profession as they ceased to be Jews or Pagans and took them to the way of Christianity as we see Act. 2. Act. 8.12 13 38. Ans. 1. They renounced the way of ungodliness and wickedness in general by a Profession of repentance as well as the way of Paganism and Judaiism in particular There were no Christians that Professed not Repentance towards God from dead works 2. We believe that there were Churches of the Saints and therefore that none should be of the Church that Profess not to be true Saints But prove if you can that there was ever either Church or Church-member called Saints in Scripture that had no either special Sanctity or a Profession of it You say nothing to prove that any were called Saints upon the Profession of a Faith short of saving Faith Emphaticum est saith Calvin in loc quod exprimit sanctorum acsi Ecclesias rite compositas à sinistra nota subduceret Of which see him fully on 1 Cor. 1.2 And as for those Acts 8. you cannot prove that any of them were either called Saints or Baptized without a Profession of a Justifying faith as shall further be shewed afterward M. Blake addeth The Epistles wrote to particular visible Churches are inscribed to Saints among which what some are read both the Epistles to the Corinthians yea what almost all are in some Churches read the Epistle to the Church of Sardis Answ. 1. No man in any of these Churches is called a Saint upon the Profession of any lower kind of faith but only on the presence or profession of saving faith 2. I have not heard a proof that the worst of these Churchâ—s had many members if any that were impenitent and obstinâ—te in any error or sin after admonition and so that were visibly destitute of the saving Sanctity which they did Profess 3. If such there were the Churches are commanded to cast them out and then they will be no longer numbred with the Saints 4. The Apostles may well call the whole Society Saints when part are really so in heart and the rest Profess it We commonly tell both Papists and Separatists that the Scripture thus denominateth the whole from the better part as a field is called a Corn-field though theree be more Tares then Corn and yet you will not call the Tares Corn No more will I call the ungodly Saints when I know them though I will call the Church Saints where they are and them while they Profess themselves Saints and I know not but they are so 5. If you can with patience but read what Clavin saith on 1 Cor. 1.2 and Peter Martyr to name no more now you will see that Doctrine which you abhor maintained by the Protestants and in what current it is that your opinion floweth Mr. Blake adds The Apostle tells us of the faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. the doctrine of Faith as is agreed on all hands all that profess that Doctrine are Saints Answ. All that cordially entertain that Doctrine are Saints in Heart All that profess so to entertain it are Saints by Profession while that Profession hath any validity But all that barely