This promise of Eternall life was made to Adam and all the members of Gods visible Church then d See Gen. 3. compared with Cap 4.16 Cap. 5. and established with Abraham and his seed in their Generations e Gen. 17.7 and this heavenly and Evangelicall promise is here repeated by Peter f Act. 2.21 and applyed to all beleevers and their seed g Ver. 39. And though wee should be furnished with the externall gifts of the holy Ghâ—st and evidently perceive the devills to be subject unto us through the name of Christ and see Sathan fall downe as lightning from heaven at the sight whereof we might have cause to rejoyce yet wee have more cause of joy that our names are written in the Lambs book of life h Luk. 10.17 18 19 20. This eternall life is a life above all lives and to be desired above all things in the world and the promise of this eternall life Peter applyeth to beleeving men and women and their holy seed And though in the same promise is included divers things which God distributeth unto some of his Saints and not to other some yet the chiefe thing promised is life and salvation through Jesus Christ whereof all Saints are partakers without which all the prophecies and tongues in the world will availe us nothing And though the infants of beleevers be not capable to prophecie or speake with tongues yet I doubt not but they are holy i 1 Cor. 7.14 Jeremiah k Ier. 1.5 and John Baptist were sanctified by the holy Spirit in the wombe l Luke 1.15 and seeing that beleevers have the like precious faith m 2 Pet. 1.1 they have also the like precious priviledges n Rev. 22.14 1 Cor. 12.12 13. Eph. 2.13 3.6.8 Rom 10.12 Whereas you say o Pag. 2. lin 24. So then by this time wee may see what is meant by the promise to wit the gift of the holy Ghost I answer It cannot appeare any thing at all the more for this your exposition neither doth it yet appeare that you understand the meaning of the holy Ghost in this place for if you did I thinke you could distinguish between the externall gifts of the holy Ghost and the promise of eternall life Consider therefore how that Peters application of the promise is a reason which he yeeldeth of his former speech and you saith he shall recâ—ive the gift of the holy Ghost for or because the promise is to you and to your Childrens c. What promise is that Even the promise of salvation and redemption spoken of in Joel 2.32 And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call Compare with this the words of Peter â—ct 2.21.39 and it will evidently appeare that this promise spoken of in Act. 2. ver 39. is the promise of salvation Joel sayth And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered * Ioel 2.32 And Peter rehearsing this promise sayth Act. 2. ver 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2.39 Joel in application of the promise sayth For in mount Zion Rom. 10.13 and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call Peter in application of the promise sayth to those Converts which were pricked in their hearts and asked counsell of the Apostles what they should doe The promise sayth he is to you and to your Children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call I beseech you weigh the Sentences He doth not say Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall prophecie and speak with tongues This is not the medicine which was applyed to heale the wounded-broken-hearted-soules converted at his Sermon But he speaketh of that which is of a higher nature he applyeth a more effectuall and speciall medicine unto them a more singular cordiall Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved And this is that which the Apostle Paul so much insisteth upon Rom. 10. where in the relation interpretation application and prosecution of his text in Deut. 30.12 13 14. he sheweth wherein the weight of the Saints glory and happines consisteth Rom. 10. ver 6. Rom. 10. ver 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. The righteousnes of faith sayth he speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart Who shall aâ—cend into heaven that is to bring Christ downe from above ver 7. Or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring up Christ againe from the dead ver 8. But what sayth it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thine heart that is the word of faith which wee preach ver 9. That if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved ver 10. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnes and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation ver 11. For the Scripture sayth Whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed 1 Pet. 2.6 7. Isa 28.16 ver 12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greeke for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him And in ver 13. he sheweth further wherein this riches consisteth For sayth he whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved In consideration of these things we may safely conclude that the promise mentioned in Act. 2.39 is the same promise mentioned in Joel 2.32 Act. 2.21 Rom. 10.13 Even the promise of eternall life and salvation by Jesus Christ our Lord. But peradventure it will seeme strange unto some that the infants of beleevers should be thought to be in the state of salvation or to have the righteousnes of faith or to be confessors of Jesus Christ or beleevers or invocaters of his name considering that they cannot manifest the same actually in their own persons But wee ought to note that all these things are theirs by imputation it is imputed unto them as if they had done the same in their own persons Wherefore the Lord gave them the signe a Gen. 17.11 and seale b Rom. 4.11 of the righteousnesse of faith which doth really demonstrate unto us that the infants of beleevers have the righteousnes of faith imputatively otherwise the Lord would not have given them such a signe whereby to distinguish them from those who were not in Covenant with him and had not this righteousnes upon them And touching their confession of Christ all the Jewes infants as they grew up to be capable
6.5 In death there is no remembrance of God in the grave who shall praise him But the Comforter which would not have beleeving parents mourne 1 Thes 4.13 as those which have no hope hath informed them that he is the Circumciser of their heart and of the heart of their seed * Deut. 30.6 a plain evidence that they love and know him or rather are beloved and knowne of him He that loved them in their life will not forsake them in their death For the dead which die in the Lord are fully blessed yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them * Rev. 14.13 But by your words it appeareth that you judge the infants of beleevers and Infidells all alike Yea the Infidell servants which serve beleevers if these your words be true have a greater priviledge then the Infants of beleevers for the servants are capable of instruction in respect of a naturall capabilitie but the Infants are not Now if you will still grant that the Infants of beleevers though they die in their infancie have a greater priviledge then the infants of unbeleevâ—rs then you must also grant that that their priviledge resteth in something else besides the bare publication of the Gospel which they are not in their infancie capable of And you should not have over-topped them so far as to say that because beleeving parents may be a means to bring their children to the knowledge and faith of Jesus Christ that therefore they have no more priviledges then the unbeleeving wife As if this were the greatest priviledge which beleevers infants have which unbeleevers themselves may have Mark 16.15 But you should rather have reasoned thus Beleeving parents may publish the Gospel to their unbeleeving servants unbeleeving wives to all other unbeleevers but they may yea ought to apply it to their infants * See Mar. 16.16 Luk. 1.76 77 78 79. as well as to themselves also to all those whom they are to esteem in the state of salvation he that hath faith thus to do is a Christian he that hath not so much faith but refuseth to apply the Gospel so the Lord be mercifull to his soule by giving him repentance and remission of his sinne All godly parents â—ike faithfull Abraham were to teach their children the way of life both what things were and what things signified Gen. 19.17.19 Josh 4.21.24 and to declare unto them the goodnesse of God in the land of the living yea to hide nothing from them which might be profitable to them or beneficiaâ—l for them But as they grew up to be capable of knowledge the parents were as before mentally so now verbally to apply the promises unto themselves and their children c. Psal 78.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. And surely this is one cause why the Land mourns why the Lord smiteth the earth with cursing Mal. 4.5 6. because the heart of the parents are not linked to their Infants This part of good Elias and John Baptists ministâ—ry doth not worke upon them And how can it worke upon them so long as they continue in their sinnes and so wrap themselves and their off-spring in many mischiefes and miseries and doe not choose life the thing that pleaseth God but refuse it and follow the wayes of the strange woman whose wayes are wayes of death and whose steps reach downe to hell And surely I may well say unto you that those are Physicians of no value who in stead of curing them doe kill them and in stead of preserving them doe poysen harden corrupt and pervert them with such damnable doctrine which so violently possesseth them that they thinke the Infants of beleevers have no priviledge at all in respect of the Covenant of grace no more then the children of Turkes and Heathens who are unholy A dangerous doctrine and to be abhorred detested and witnessed against by those that feare the God of heaven and desire to make a difference between the precious and the vile against all such Mongrell opposites who by speech and writing contrary to the Tenour of the whole Scripture do labour to rank all infants in one condition Thus coupling light and darknesse God and Belial the beleever and the Infidell together But woe unto them may we say as sayth the Prophet Isaiah Isa 10.1 which decreâ— unrighteous decrees and write grievousnesse which they have prescribed Thus drawing * Isa 5.18 iniquitie with the cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Woe ** Ver. 20. unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Psal 73.1 Yet surely God is good unto Israel may wee say to those that are pure in heart The Lord hath been mindfull of us He will blesse us He will blesse the house of Israel saith that sweet singer of Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron Psal 115.12 13 14 15. He will blesse those that feare the Lord with small and great The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children You are blessed of the Lord who hath made the heaven and the earth NExt * See A. R. Pag. 12. lin 40. Pag. 13. li. 1 2. Pag. 13. l. 3. you say The fourth Scripture is That which speakes of Christs commanding little Children to be brought unto him and sayd That of such is the kingdome of God Hence you say therefore some reason The kingdome of God belongeth to little Children why not the Seales I Ans If by these some you mean the people of the Seperation then I say you have not set it downe according to our expression It is too generally laid downe We say the kingdome of heaven belongeth to the Infants of beleevers and we doe not barely question why not the seales But we set it downe affirmatively that the seales doe belong to the infants of beleeving parents But for as much as our poynt is particularly concerning the Baptisme of infants I intend to proceed directly to the matter in hand and answer your trifling objections by the way as I trace you Mat. 28.19 Mat. 16.16 First It is to be minded that Baptisme is one of the priviledges of Christs Church which is his house and kingdome Secondly It is also to be minded that Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God and Lord of Glory and of all administrations and giver of every good and perfect gift when he sayth Suffer the little Children to come unto me Mar. 10.14 Mat. 19.14 c. For of such is the kingdome of heaven He doth hereby apply the Gospel unto them I say It is Gospel which he speaketh here Where the kingdome is ther 's the Gospel Get the kingdome thou hast God and Gospel and all And so wee are to understand that with the kingdome the infants of beleevers have the Gospel of the
furniture of my fathers kingdome And those whom the father giveth me I will not cast away It is not the will of your heavenly father that any of these little ones should perish * Mar. 18.1 Joh. 21.15 They are Israelites the lambs of my pasture I am the Shepheard of Israel and will in no wise cast them away He sayd Surely they are my people children that will not lie so he was their Saviour In all their affliction he was afflicted Isa 63.8 9. And as I being the Angel of Gods presence saved them and in my love and in my pittie redeemed them and bare them up in mine armes all the dayes of old so will I beare them now Therefore suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God Wherefore let all those who oppose holy infants know that they thus far are enemies unto the Gospel and so doe sinne against God exceedingly in labouring to cast out these who are the glorie of our fathers house But the holy Prophet Isaiah sayth that upon all the glorie there shall be a covering * Isa 4.5 Now Infants being part of the glorie there is a covering upon them and this covering 59.21 is by the Spirit of the Lord for verification whereof see the Evangel Mat. 19.14 * Luk. 18.15 16 where Christ sayth Of such is the kingdome of heaven Mark 10.14 Of such is the kingdome of God And he tooke them up in his armes and put his hands upon them and blessed them Ver. 15. And by this it may appeare that all beleeving parents have ground to cast their infants upon the Lord Jesus Christ and for them to depend upon him who is as a nayle fastened in a sure place And whereas it is sayd All the glorie Wee are taught not to leave out any of the glorie least by abridging or debarring our Infants of their priviledges wee leave out some of the glorie if not the chiefest part and so highly disobey Gods Institution in leaving out his ordinances and his people which are the glory of his house It is to be minded that this word all is agreeable to the words of Christ when he sayth Of such is the kingdome of heaven for this word such as hath been observed * See before in pag. 92 93. 99. 100. is of a large extent and includeth them also they being the glory of the Fathers house So in Malachy the seed of the godly are called a godly seed Mal. 2.14 and in 1 Cor. 7.14 they are tearmed holy children God greatly delighteth in them and they are a glorie unto his Church Wherefore they are dignified with names accordingly And moreover Christ being set forth as a nayle unto these holy vessells it doth signifie unto us that these must be put upon him which have not a naturall capablenesse the holy off-spring and blessed issue the vessells in Gods temple must be fastened upon * Not but that they are of the Temple or mēbers of the Church but for more comelines honour and eminencie safetie glorie and dignitie they were appointed to be set on high by the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the house of Judah upō him who is as a nayle fastened in a sure place him by others If we compare the 17th of Genesis with this it will give light to the poynt for there the parents were commanded to circumcise their children which was unto them a signe and seale of the righteousnesse of the same faith which Abraham had and so it was a token that they belonged unto the Lord. And Baptisme being unto us as Circumcision was unto them wee therefore baptize our infants as they circumcized theirs and thereby doe confirme them unto Christ as they confirmed theirs And because he claimeth these holy vessells of small quantitie we therefore dedicate them unto him according as God commanded the Children of Israel concerning theirs and so we put them upon the Lord Jesus Christ and they are his peculiar treasure and he beareth them and approveth of our practise in bringing them unto him it being according to his Commandement who is as faithful in his house as Moses and is worthy of more glory then Moses * Heb. 3.3 inasmuch as he who buildeth the house is worthy of more honour then the house Now in this house there the Lord hath ordained his vessels of small quantitie to abide who are the off-spring and the issue and the glorie thereof And they may well be called so for God calleth and counteth them so And also where this glorie is there is still hope and it is and may in reason be expected that as they come to be capable so they will manifest actually the fruits of Gods Spirit and as they are children of light and inlightned so they will set it forth to the glory of the father of lights And as glorious starres in eminencie shew forth their excellencie in the bright firmament of that heavenly Jerusalem wherein they are planted and placed and will be also a meanes to encrease it not onely by grafting in those farre remote but also by propagation or multiplication of persons within themselves As Moses that good Christian who was like unto Christ sayth Deut. 1.11 The Lord make you a thousand times so many as you be Which speech is not to be limited to an addition of persons unto them from out of the world but it is meant that they should increase amongst themselves and so multiply even as a tree which though it have grafts yet groweth into many branches which branches are not grafted in but spring therefrom and grow thereupon Now where this glorie is not there is a want of it yea and a great want I may say indeed And why Because that the Church then is in expectation according to the ordinarie course of nature in a decaying condition I say the Church is readie to decay that is to say to be lessened more and more in this terrestriall habitacle for it is appointed unto men once to die and when they are dead they are gone and leave the remnant or none behind them But holy infants being in the Church and members of the same they are a glory unto it and it may well be expected according to the ordinary course of nature that they will out-live the other and so succeed them after their decease and so the celestiall glorie of the fathers will shine in the children according to the minde of God in this terrestriall world Now where this glorie is missing so that the generations in the Church doe passe away and none are borne to succeed there is a want in that respect and so consequently the supply thereof is to be desired which if it be made up then it is a glory an honour a rejoycing unto them So that though this hope deferred maketh the heart sicke yet the desire comming is as a tree of life Pro.
were to confesse Christ according to this saying of the righteousnes of faith which spake on this wise c Rom. 10.6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Say not who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ downe from above c. And seeing God usually giveth names unto persons according to their nature state and condition d Gen. 22.28 Rev. 3.12 11.8 the infants of the beleeving Jewes having the name of Jewes rightly attributed unto them they were Jewes that is Confessors though they could not actually confesse and the like may be sayd for their invocation or calling upon the name of God So it appeareth that the infants of the Jewes had such a holy state and condition upon them that the visible imputation e Heb. 7.9 10. of holy actions was conferred upon them though they could not act the same And the very like may be said concerning the infants of beleeving parents now And seeing that salvation appertaineth to the infants of beleevers f Luk. 18.15 16 17. the righteousnes of faith is imputed unto them g Mat. 16.16 and therefore they ought to receive the signe and seale of the same righteousnes for we are to account that Jesus Christ our righteousnes is a Saviour in a speciall manner unto all those who ought to be judged righteous persons in Covenant with him and ought not to be accounted to have the guilt of originall sinne but that they have it pardoned and done away through him But the infants of beleeving parents ought to be judged righteous persons in Covenant with Christ and ought not to be esteemed to have the guilt of originall sinne but that they have it pardoned and done away through him as hath been proved before Therefore wee are to account that Jesus Christ our righteousnes is a Saviour unto them in a speciall manner See Mat. 1.21 as well as to their parents It is certaine that the rarest Saint in the world though he professe and confesse never so much yet he being one of Adams posteritie hath originall sinne from the houre of his birth to the time of his death yea and before his birth he was conceived in sinne So David sayth of himselfe Loe in iniquitie was I painfully brought forth and in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51.5 But herein consisteth the Saints happines that all their sinnes are remitted h Psal 32.1 2. Rom. 4.6 through Jesus Christ so that the Lord will not remember their sins nor impute the same unto them he counteth them not guiltie he saveth his people from their sinnes therefore is he called Jesus * Mat. 1.21 So David sayth that with Jehovah is bountifull mercy and plentifull redemption And he will redeem Israel out of all his iniquities Psal 130.7 8. Now whereas it is said He shall save his people from their sinnes He will redeem Israel out of all his iniquities Hereby is meant all the sinnes of all his people in Covenant with him both young and old both great and small So David sayth Psal 115.12 13 14 15. The Lord hath been mindfull of us he will blesse us he will blesse the house of Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron He will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children You are blessed of the Lord which hath made Heaven and Earth And so in Isa 44.3 the Lord sayth to Israel I will powre my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring And in Isa 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory By all the seed of Israel he doth not mean Apostates for they are not counted for the seed k Rom. 9.8 but this justification and glorifiâ—ation is promised onely to those that abide in the Lord Jesus l Joh. 15.4 5.6.10 and so continue in his Church But the seed of the faithfull in their infancie cannot justly be sayd to depart from Christ to aberate from his Commandements to Apostate or degenerate from that h avenly state wherein the Lord of his mercy hath planted them therefore they are as well in infancie as after to be accounted holy â—pâ—â—iâ—uall and iâ— the new Covenant in the very promise of Eternall life and freed from the wrath of God and curses of the law and under grace and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord therefore it is apparent that the Lord imputeth them righteous though him so then they are righteous by imputation they are believers and Coâ—fessors imputatively yea and all the graces of God are theirs by imputation and this favour and benediction is not onely extended to the infants of the beleeving Jewes m Jer. 30.20 but also â—o the infants of the bâ—leeving Gentiles There is no d fference a Rom. 10 12. sayth the Apostle Paul their riches are equall they are all on in Christ b Gal. 3.28 God is their God and Christ is their Saviour in a speciall manner He justifieth the circumcision and uncircumcision by his righteousnes c Rom. 4.8 This righteous servant justifieth many d Isa 53.11 He pardoneth the iniquities of all that abide e 1 Ioh. 3 5 6. in his Covenant And seeing that the beleeving Jewes and the beleeving Gentiles have equall priviledges f Isa 56. As the infants of the beleeving Jâ—wes were and are in the Covenant of God with their parents g Gen. 17.7 Psal 11. â— so are the infants of beleeving Gentiles h Exod. 12.48 Rom. 11.12.15 16.17 20.23 24. for Jesus Christ is the same to day as he was yesterday and so is he for ever i Heb. 13.8 God is the same God over all and therefore rich unto all that call upon him * Rom. 10 12 And seeing he is the same God rich unto all that call upon him Beleeving Gentiles have the same priviledges for their seed as the beleeving Jewes had and have for their seed so that though their infants are all sinners k Rom 5.12.13 14. c. originally yet by the free grace of God they are justifica l Ver. 20.21 their transgression is forgiven and their sinne is covered and therefore they are all blessed both small and great m Psal 115.13 buds n Isa 65.23 and blossoms Blessed o Jer. 1. Psal 22.10 11 71.6.17.18 Mar. 10.13 14.15 16. Rev. 14. â—3 Psal 100.5 2 Sam 12.23 in their conception blessed in their birth blessed in their life and blessed at their death remaining still in the Covenant branches p Psal 80 1.1â— of Gods holy Vine In the Lord shall all this blessed seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Note he doth not limit it to some onely but extendeth it to all not one person of them is exempted for though they be all sinners by nature yet by grace they are saved not of themselves but it is the gift of God who
h Rom. 10.12 unto all that call upon him And though some doe not beleeve it maketh not the faith of God of none effect no more then the infidelitie of some persons then for God was still good unto Israel his faithfull Jewes and Proselytes that were of an upright heart and so he is now Thirdly It is said And the key of the house of David Isa 22. ver 22. will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open And the very same with this is applyed unto Christ Jesus as is mentioned in Rev. 3.7 These things sayth he that is holy he that is true he that hath the key of David that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth c. Thus through his knowledge this righteous servant is made able to justifie many 53.11 to open to whom he will and to shut out whom he will but he shutteth not out the infants of beleevers for he declared Of such is the kingdome of God Fourthly He sayth I will fasten him as a nayle in a sure place Note here he is said to be fastned as a nayle in a sure place A nayle in a sure place is such a thing upon which other things have dependance so that if the nayle fall all those things fall which are upon it But if the nayle be sure all those things which hang thereon are still upheld by the strength thereof Now the Lord Jesus Christ is this nayle and he is strong and powerfull he is perfect and pure no sinne or brittlenesse was found in him he was capable to beare the burden that was put upon him and able to beare it Yea and much more doth it appeare in that he is fastned as a nayle in a sure * The safenes of holy infants consisteth in the surenes of Jesus Christ Hee is unto them as the sure place is unto him whose choyse burden shall not be taken downe till the time appointed of the Father place his humanitie is in heaven and there it is seated and united with his divinitie and there is his place of rest and abiding he is at the right hand of God bearing us and yet thinketh not himselfe over-burdened he is able to beare and doth beare all his holy vessels both great and small even the off-spring and the issue the vessels of small quantitie so that it is as possible to pluck God out of heaven as to take away his former favours which he hath extended and doth extend towards the faithfull and their seed * Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant which I will make with them saith the Lord the spirit that is upon thee and the words that I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of Thy mouth nor out of the month of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds-seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Fifthly It is said And he shall be for a glorious throne unto his fathers house that is a resting place and a place of Judgement * Psal 122.5 Justice Righteousnesse is the girdle of his loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reines * Isa 11.4 And this is Christ Jesus our Lord who doth all things by his own power resteth not upon any humane thing but only upon his own divinitie in whose name we ought to doe all which we doe Mat. 18.20 and he hath promised upon the same to be in the middest of us to ratifie those divine actions which proceed from our sincere affections And as he hath promised the tree of life * Rev. 2.7 and hidden Manna * 17. and morning starre * 28. even his own selfe * 24.16 3.21 unto us so hath he promised to grant us to sit with him in his throne Now he is not sayd to be for a glorious throne unto any but unto his fathers house there is this glorious throne set in the middest of this heavenly Regiment in the middest of his Temple there is Jesus as a throne or seate Revel 4.6.8 yea further in the middest of the throne and round about the throne there are also the foure animalls said to be which are full of eyes before and behinde and rest not neither day nor night crying Holy holy holy Lord God Almightie which was and is and is to come Isa 22. ver 24. Sixthly It is sayd further And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his fathers house Here is a weightie sentence full of substance This glorious throne and holy nayle which is fastned so surely is done for no sleight intent but it is for great purpose namely to beare all the gloâ—ie of his fathers house It is his fathers pleasure to exercise him in bearing our glory which is his glory our brightnesse which is his brightnesse for indeed wee have no comelinesse but from him and we cannot beare our selves but he must beare us wee are the burden and he is our upholder he dependeth upon that which will not faile him and we depend upon him which will not faile us And this Angelicall patron hath taught the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and the house of Judah even his Church to fasten upon him all the glory of his fathers-house It is then an Ordinance from heaven that we shall so do as he hath sayd And this institution therefore being not of man but of God it will stand and it being an injunction laid upon us all that wee must both young and old have dependencie upon this nayle even the Lord Jesus wee must doe so Now if wee take this word shall prophetically it being also a declaration of what should happen though it now be historicall to us wee may still see the fulfilling of it in Mat. 19.13 Mar. 10.13 Luk. 18.15 where the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and the house of Judah brought their children unto Christ and he took them up and bare them in his armes A reall signe of his love unto them indeed And his Saints now doe esteem their Infants blessed in Jesus Christ and doe depend upon him that he will circumcise their hearts and the heart of their seed to love him more and more according to his gracious promise Deut. 30.6 And this is that which this Propheticall and Documentall sentence teacheth us when it sayth They shall hang or cause to relie or depend upon him all the glorie of his fathers house The least glorie must not be left out but all must be brought in and layd upon him He is the object upon whom they must fix their eyes He is the nayle upon which they must fasten them for so is his Command Mar. 10.14 Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God As if he should say They are the burden which I must beare because they are part of the
truth therein the conclusion builded thereon that that Baptisme * Pag. 30. l. 15. is Antichristian and abominable is Antichristian and abominable as well as your comparisons specified in your first Book where you compare the Baptisme of Infants with the abominable Hierarchy Against which imprecations I must and will still as I have done maintaine the Baptisme of holy Infants to be just and lawfull holy and Evangelicall and ought to be observed according to the command of Christ Mat 28.19 Mâ—r. 16.16 Of which sufficient hath been spoken before and more may be according as time and occasion shall be offered But your bare affirmations without proofe you take for granted to be very true and therefore upon this ground you proceed to make a finall conclusion of your Booke with this Conclusion A. R. His last Conclusion That the Baptisme of Infants is the greatest delusion and a thing of as dangerous consequence as ever the Man of sinne brought into the world and therefore the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders Wherefoâ—e it is high time for us to look about us to awaken out of thâ— drunken slumber and to see how hitherto wee and our fathers have been blindly led by our blind guides into this depth of ignorance and mist of iniquitie and lâ—t us seek out by what means and by whom wee are so miserably intosticated as to stumble and grope for our way thus even at noone day To which I answer That it is not materiall or sufficient to say it is a delusion except it could be proved to be so you should know that it is not a delusion nor dangerous in the least much lesse can it be the greatest delusion and of as dangerous consequence as ever the Man of sinne brought into the world as you without so much as any just consequence most unjustly conclude rather wee may conclude that the greatest with standers of holy Infants Baptisme are the greatest deluders Wherefore I may better conclude against you that you have done very evill in uttering forth such bitter words against the Baptisme of holy Infants before you had seen the promises better weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary And why is it but because you doe not look upon things with a single eye Yea your spirituall sight is so darkened or rather that naturall reason which is in you that in pushing at Gods people you push against God who standeth between you and us though you rideing upon the insufficiency of your humane testimony which will not beare you out see him not no more then blinde Balaam saw the Angel of Jehovah that fought against him But when your eyes are opened then you shall see your errour and be inabled to perceive a difference spiritually between the Infants of beleevers and the Infants of unbeleevers in respect of a visible state and reverence the ordinance of Baptisme administred upon holy Infants for his sake who is the Author and Instituter thereof and no more condemne the generation of the just who practise the same and so kick against the prickes and be a fighter as you are now against God But know that it is no better then sacriledge to father Gods holy Institutions upon the Man of sinne And seing the signe seale of the righteousnes of faith was coÌ„manded by God to be imposed upon the Infants of beleevers we may justly conclude That those are deluded by sinne which say it is a delusion of the Man of sinne but such prejudicate opinions as yours are are the very suggestions of Sathan for with the same carnall reason did he possesse Eve with the like suggestions hath he violently possessed you this being as bad as that it not worse and therefore those who are most active and famous to withstand the Baptisme of holy Infants are if you will have it the greatest and most grossest deluders at least and at the best they are deluded And if you will still determine to hold on as you have done saying that the Baptisme of Infants is a meer device and tradition of man and brought into the world for politick and by-ends c. when it is apparently knowne that God first brought it into the world and his love is not selfe-love neither hath he any other ends but his own glory and the good of his people I say if you hold on in your peremptory conclusion that it is a delusion of the Man of sinne and that the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders I must knowing you to be deluded desire you to awake out of this your drunken slumber and know that in all these your fond imaginations vain conceptions you have brought forth a meer dream When you awake I hope you will not finde it so AND now for conclusion I desire you seriously to consider the Scriptures reasons and arguments brought by mee to vindicate the lawfulnesse of the Baptisme of holy Infants against whatsoever objections you have heer set downe in opposition of this Truth And withall take notice I pray you how that throughout both these your Treatises against Infants baptisme you have not brought one Scripture from whence wee may draw the least consequence for dismissing the holy Infants from being mâ—mbers of Gods visible church or for kâ—â—ping them fâ—oÌ„ Baptisme the visible sign of the new Covenant extant now any more then such holy Infants were exempted in former time from CircumcisioÌ„ the visible sign of the new Covenâ—nt â—xtant then But many yea multiâ—udes of plaine and evident testimonies there are evidently dâ—claring the excellâ—nt benefits which appertaine unto them in Jesus Christ Amongst which Baptisme is one which though it be externall and is not effectuall 〈◊〉 iâ— selfâ— to the salvation of any yet it is a sign or token by which God will have all his visible Saints marked out for the peculiar sheep of his owne pasture And â—f holy Infants were not to be baptized is holy Infants formerly were to be circumcised before Christ was manifested in the flesh then it would argue a great weaknes or imperfection in Christ eclipsing his Mediatorship as if he were not so able to make this as profitable unto these in their infancie as Circumcision was unto the other in their infancie importing as if Christ were not so faithfull in his house as Moses and as if Baptisme were of smaller value and of lesse effect then Circumcision But Baptisme is as generall and as effectuall every manner of way as Circumcision therefore as Circumcision was not worne out from the Infants of beleevers but was so permanent that it remained till Christs first coming and till he took away the Ceremonies of the old Law so Baptisme hath not nor shall not be taken away from these but remaine as permanent with them till Christ who was once an Infant like them come againe in the Clouds of heaven with power and great glory descending with his shouting Troopes of heavenly Hosts When the heavens from above and hell from beneath shall be emptied of those immortall soules and spirits which are therein when your owne eyes shall behold our Emanuel either to your glory or confusion at which time all the dead both small and great Infants as well as others shall be seen to stand before God to be judged Then shall there be a seperation between the precious and the vile when Jesus Christ our sweet Saviour the very beautie of holinesse the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person shall invite the blessed babes of beleeving parents together with the rest of his sheep to receive the substance of all his ordinances the accomplishment of all his promises the enjoyment of that glorious and immortall estate that ununchangeable and perpetuall supreame inheritance which shall never be worne out or taken away but remaine from everlasting to everlasting FINIS