communion of the Spirit according to the election of God which is ever accompanied with perseverance Doctor Featly in his Pelagius redivivus hath these words which being so pertinent I shall transcribe Second parallel p. 38. To the place alledged Rom. 11. 19 20. We Answer saith he First that it is not meant of particular Beleevers and their danger of falling away from justifying Faith but of the people of the Gentiles in general and their danger of being cut off from the true Olive into which they were ingraffed that is from the outward profession of Faith and communion of the Catholick Church into whith they were admitted upon the rejection of the Jewes The Gentiles therefore ought not to be high-minded against the Jewes but fear lest God who spared not the natural branches should not spare them but cut them off also as he did the natural branches if they should grow proud and presumptuously secure Now there is no question but that a visible Church which at this time professeth the truth and is a Member of the Catholick Church may fall away from the outward and publick profession of faith and cease to be a part of the Catholick visible Church as the most famous and sometimes flourishing Church in Greece and Asia planted by the Apostles themselves now over-runne with Mahometanisme Idolatry and Heresie prove by their lamentable Apostasie deplorable if not desperate estate But Bertius and the Appealer should have their eyes upon the mark and point in question which is not in the doctrine of Faith but of the habit of faith not de fide quam credimus but de fide quâ credimus not of the publick profession of a Church but of a particular affiance of every true beleever in Christ A Member of the visible Church may be cut off but no Member of the invisible for Christ cannot have damnâ—ta membra any Members who shall not be saved as the approver of the Appealers book rightly gathereth out of Saint Austine in his reply to Fisher A Church or Kingdome generally may depart from the Christian Faith or renounce the pure profession thereof in publick and yet no true Beleever either totally or finally lose his Faith but either secretly in that state or Kingdome or else-where openly he may retaine both Faith it self and the profession thereof So Peter Martyr Loc. Com. pag. 491. speaking to those words Be not high-minded but fear Neither saith he is there here speech concerning particular men but of the whole company and body of beleevers deservedly therefore the Apostle doth warne them Be not high minded but fear For as the Church of the Jews hath ceased to be and also Africa Grâ—cia and Asia have lost many Churches so it is to be feared lest the same may now happen to Churches which seeme to stand let them not therefore lift up themselves 〈◊〉 â—n the words Thou standest by faith saith He speaks of the generality of Jewes and Gentiles and upon these words Be not high-minded but fear saith He speaks to the Gentiles in general from many of whom as is to be bewailed the Kingdom of God is taken away as at first from the Jews as Persians Arabians Syrians Egyptians Asians and many others so that this Authour hath lost not only this Argument but this whole Text For if Reconciliation World Riches be thus understood and cutting off in like manner then he sees this Chapter in the whole against him and in no part for him And if any Writer against Arminians understand by the World Rom. 11. 15. onely the Elect unlesse they mean an Election into a Church-state they do but give advantage to them there is not meant universally the whole world that is too large not yet they that shall be eternally saved out of the world that is too strict but the men whom God perswades of Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem all Nations dispersed through the world at the last Annotations on verse 12. Argument 3. Thirdly The ingraffing must be meant of that act whereby the branch stands in the tree as a branch this will none deny it being the very terminus of ingraffing as heat the terminus of calefaction but that is by giving Faith Ergo. The minor is proved from verse 20. where it is said By unbelief they were broken off but thou standest by faith whence I argue That act whereby the branch stands in the tree as a branch must be the giving that means whereby the branch thus stands But that is Faith v. 20. Ergo the act of ingraffing is by giving Faith Answ Here I shall willingly grant the conclusion and do affirm that it is by Faith that grown persons whether Jews or Gentiles do stand in a visible Church-fellowship such a faith upon which all called ones among which few are Elect are admitted Such a faith that gave Simon Magus title that Hymeneus had of which he made shipwrack 1 Tim. 1. 19. Doctor Featley in the words above mentioned shewing Bertius and the Appealer their fallacy shews this objector his The Apostle speaks of the Doctrine of Faith this objector of the habit The Apostle speaks de fide quam credimus this objector speaks de fide qua credimus The Apostle speaks of the publick profession of a Church He of a particular affiance of every Beleever in Christ He addes This conceit I conceived and still think is so farre from the Apostles expressions that there seemes to be no shew of such a sense in the words giving in his reason For there is not a word of taking into the Olive but by Faith verse 19 20. There is indeed here no shew of reason unlesse it can be affirmed that there is no faith but the Faith of the Elect and that which is justifying therefore if it please the Authour I shall enter the lists with him in these three Positions 1. That Faith is taken in more acceptions then one in Scripture All Faith doth not entitle to the Church invisible and therefore there is scarce shew of sense in his reason disputing from the Genus to the Species affirmativè or from the Analogum to the Analogatum 2. That the Faith here spoken to is as Doctor Featly asserts the doctrine of Faith not the habit Faith of Profession and not a particular affiance fides quam and not fides qua credimus and so the fallacy is clear and it will no more follow that the ingraffing is into the Church invisible because it is by faith then it will follow that because bruits have souls that therefore they have reasonable souls 3. That there is no such thing in all Scripture as ingraffing into the Church inuisible by Faith All ingraffing is into the body visible and therefore by a faith of profession 1. All ingraffing is into that subject which immediately receives what is ingraffed as the stock receives the syens but it is Christ and not the Church invisible that receives the Elect Beleever Christ
duty which is either expresly or Synecdochically either directly or else interpretatively virtually and reductively I very well know that the Law is not in all particulars so explicitely and expresly delivered but that 1. The use and best improvement of reason is required to know what pro hic nunc is called for at our hands for duty The Law layes down rules in affirmative precepts in an indefinite way which we must bring home by particular application discerning by general Scripture Rules with the help of reason which sometimes is not so easie to be done when it speaks to us in a way of concernment as to present practical observation 2. That hints of providence are to be observed to know what in present is duty as to the affirmative part of the commandment of God If that man that fell among theeves between Jerusalem and Jericho had sate by the way on the green grasse without any appearance of harme or present need of help the Samaritane that passed that way had not offended in case he had taken no more notice then the Priest and Levite did But discerning him that case as he then was the sixth commandment called for that which he then did as a present office of love to his neighbour according to the interpretation of this commandment given by our Saviour Mark 3. 4. When the Pharisees watched him whether he would heale the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day He demands of them Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day or to do evil To save life or to destroy It was not their minde that Christ should kill the man onely they would not have had him then to have cur'd him But not to cure when it is in our power according to Christs interpretation is to kill If diligent observation be not made the commandment may be soone transgress'd 3. Skill in Sciences and professions is to be improved by men of skill that the commandment may be kept The Samaritane poured wine and oyle into the travellers wounds knowing that to be of use to supple and refresh them Had he known any other thing more sovereigne which might have been had at hand he was to have used it As skill in medicines is to be used for preservation of mens lives so also skill in the Laws by those that are vers'd in them for the help of their neighbour in exigents concerning his estate and livelihood 4. We must listen to Gods mouth to learne when he shall be pleased at any time further to manifest his minde for the clearing of our way in any of his precepts There was a command concerning the place of publick and solemn worship Deut. 12. 5. Vnto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes to put his Name there even to his habitation shall ye seek and thither shalt thou come Now thou must depend on the mouth of God to observe what place in any of the Tribes he would choose for his habitation When God commands that all instituted worship shall be according to his prescript This is a perfect Rule implicite and virtual tying us to heed the Lord at any time more particularly discovering his will and clearing this duty to us Was not the Law of worship perfect to Abraham unlesse it explicitely told him that he must sacrifice his Sonne And if any take themselves to be so acute as to set up a new Rule as some are pleased to stile it then they antiquate and abolish the old Rule and singularly gratifie the Antinomian party Two Rules will no more stand together then two covenants calling it a new Rule men make the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb. 8. 17. It is added moreover doth not the Scripture call Christ our Lawgiver and say the Law shall go out of Zion c. Isa 2. 3. And was not the old Law his Saint Paul I am sure quotes that which belongs to the preceptive part of the Moral Law and calls it the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. His Laws were delivered in the wildernesse whom the people of Israel there tempted and provoked This is plain for they sinn'd against the Law-giver and from his hands they suffered And who they tempted in the wildernesse see from the Apostles hand 1 Cor. 10. 9. And as to the Scripture quoted the words are exegetically set down in those that follow them The Law shall go out of Zion and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Which is no more but that the Name of the Lord which was then known in Judah shall be great from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof It is further demanded And is he not the anointed King of the Church and therfore hath legislative power For answer I desire to know what King the Church had when the old Law was before Christ came in the flesh The Kingdom was one and the same and the King one and the same then and now as I take it Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven The Gentiles coming in at the Gospel-call are under the same King and in the same Kingdom And if all this were granted which is here pleaded for it is no more then a change in some positive circumstantial Rites and what is this to the question handled by our Authour That our righteousnesse which is imperfect according to the old Rule is perfect according to the new when old and new in that which is naturally Moral is one and the same When the Law required heart-service and love with the whole heart upon spiritual ends and motives upon which account all fell short in their obedience and performance shall we say that Christ did dispense with any of this that so the Rule being lower our obedience now may answer Others that make Moses and Christ two distinct Law-givers and agents for God in holding out distinct precepts give the pre-eminence to Christ and account his Law to be of more eminent perfection This Authour on the contrary seems to make the Laws of Christ to stoop far beneath those of Moses 2. For Justification of this accusation of the Moral Law of imperfection it is added the Moral taken either for the Law given to Adam or written in Tables of stone is not a sufficient rule for us now for beleeving in Jesus Christ no nor the same Law of nature as still in force under Christ For a general command of beleeving all that God revealeth is not the only rule of our faith but the particular revelation and precept are part c. To this I say 1. As before I think I may answer out of his own mouth where he says Neglect of Sacraments is a breach of the second commandment and unbelief is a breach of the first If we break the commandment in unbelief then the Commandment
sealing them as Gods in covenant So John 4. 1 2. When the Lord know that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples then John though Jesus baptized not but his Disciples Here John made Disciples and baptized them being made The Disciples of Iesus made Disciples and baptized them being made An outward work then to make profession of the faith is sufficient to make one a Disciple and to bring him within the verge of the covenant Secondly That which a whole Nation in Gods ordinary way of administration is in a capacity to attaine and enter into is a covenant onely professed visibly entred upon and doth not require any inward change or work upon the soule to the being of it this is plaine It cannot be expected in Gods ordinary way that a Nation should be brought forth at once all really holy and sanctified Such a field hath not been seen without tares Such a floore without chaffe Such a draw-net without any fish that is bad Such a Feast and no one without a wedding garment But whole Nations are in a capacity in Gods ordinary way of working to enter into this covenant as is plaine in the Text The whole of the Nation is in their commission where they come and in many Nations it hath had happy successe Whole Nations without exceptions unlesse strangers so journing have been brought within covenant One would faine fasten another interpretation on those words and make the commission to sound not according to the letter of the words nor yet according to the successe by grace attained but to his liking and therefore is put to it to change the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then all Nations must either be put by apposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or with the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so instead of disciple all Nations it will be make disciples in all Nations This he thinks is very tolerable because to disciple and to make disciples is all one But though they may be one in themselves yet it makes a maine difference in the phrase and with the addition of his preposition inverts the whole meaning of the words as to the thing in controversie which is such a violence offered to the Text as is not to be endured in him that is about to draw a Logical argument for his advantage against an adversary And as it is against the letter of the Text so it is plainly against our Saviours scope and end in giving this commission This enlargement unto all Nations in this place was in opposition to the restriction Matth. 10. 5. as by the adversary is confest Now in that Nation to which there they were limitted the whole of the Nation was in covenant all the land was the land of Immanuel Esay 8. 8. and consequently so it was to be in other Nations by vertue of this happy enlargement or else the opposition is utterly taken away the meaning of the words clouded and the Apostles at a losse for the understanding of them Having before spent their paines in a Nation all Disciples and now having a commission for the discipling of all Nations how shall they understand the words unlesse the whole of the Nation where they come are to be discipled And hereto accord the prophecies of Scripture for the calling of the Nations of the Gentiles God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem Gen. 9. 27. Sem was wholly in covenant not by pieces and parcels but universally in covenant Japhet is to come in succession into covenant in like latitude Psalme 2. 8. Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession It is not some among the Nations of the Heathen that are to be the inheritance â—f Christ but the Heathen To which agrees Rev. 11. 15. The Kingdomes of the earth shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ Immanuel of old had one now he shall have more Kingdomes and they become his no other way than by discipling Gods Ministers are his men of warre for subduing and captivating them 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. and Kingdoms are promised them not some onely in Kingdoms Alexander would not sit down with such a conquest neither will Christ Jesus If to possesse some in a Kingdome be to possesse a Kingdome then Antichrist of long hath had this Kingdome All Kings shall bow down before him all Nations shall serve him Psal 72. 11. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name Psal 86. 9. Thou shalt call a Nation which thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee Esay 55. 5. There God calls the Nation and the Nation doth answer Gods call In that day Israel shall he a third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the land whom the Lord of Hosts shall blesse saying Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my inheritance There Egypt and Assyria are in equipage with Israel all three sister-Churches Israel without any preheminence Either Israel then was not a Nation of Disciples a Nation wholly within covenant or else these are to be National Churches the whole of the Nation to be discipled and brought into covenant Passing by other Scriptures in silence one tells me that he marvels that I am not ashamed to produce Psalme 72. 11. Psalme 86. 9. to prove that the whole of the Nation even infants must be included Matth. 28. 19. As if saith he it were foretold that the whole Nation even Infants should come before God and worship But it is strange if he be ignorant that propâ—ecies in the Od Testament of the glory of New Testament-times are in Old Testament-phrases by way of allusion to the worship of those times set forth to us It was the practice of the people of the Jewes for their males of growth and strength to appear before the Lord and neither females nor Infants as Ainsworth on Exod. 23. 17. observes yet they appeared in the name of females and children and their females and children were in covenant together with them Deut. 29. 11. so that as the rest of the prophecies to which he hath nothing to say so these two prophecies against which he excepts speak fully for the discipling of Nations in New Testament-times The successe of these Prophecies hath happily answered in many Nations which may well serve as a cleare Comment both of these Prophecies and the commission granted by the Lord Jesus though by the working of the man of Sinne and other Hereticks the glory hath been much dazeled yet in most of the Nations of Europe it hath been happily effected Let any man finde equal Reasons for the variation of the words as I have done for keeping to the
duty they ought are a congregational Church A Pastour ought to watch over his people and a people ought to attend to their Pastour which how it can be when the Pastour makes his residence at Ephesus the people some at Ephesus some at Corinth some at Philippi and so scattered it cannot be imagined We finde seven several Epistles written from heaven to seven several Churches all which had their abode at the place whence the Church bore its name these are Scripture-Churches Now if any one Church be made up of Christians some inhabiting at one of those places some at another a third at a third place scarce three of one Town no more than of one minde here is not Scripture-order which is of God but an Apocryphal confusion Exceptions may be taken at the over-large extent and disordered situation of divers Parochial Congregations which calls for Reformation coming too near the inconvenience before mentioned but Parochial Assemblies not the name but the thing viz. a people inhabiting at convenient distance and joyning together under Officers according to Scripture is the way that comes up both to the light of reason and the Presidents of primitive times Our dissenting Brethren will have the limit of a particular Church to be within that number of persons that may congregate in one place for Ordinances if this be yielded as it must be for Churches meerly Congregational then it will easily be proved that Parish-congregations that is congregations of men dwelling in a vicinity are of divine institution Saints that made up a Church were still Saints in cohabitation such convenient numbers as are fit to make up a Church did not live divided in place and scattered some here some there but were as in faith so in habitation joyned together Thirdly all professing Christians in such cohabitation especially the civil power authorizing are to be esteemed and judged members and not to be refused when they offer themselves as members where there is a holinesse of separation for God and a professed engagement to real holinesse there is no Scripture-warrant for repulse Those that offer themselves to learn are taken into the School and not those only that have made a good progresse in knowledge and fit for the uppermost forme Me thinks this should be a Proposition agreed upon between us and our dissenting brethren seeing reverend Master Cotton laying down certain Propositions consented to on both sides in his Treatise of the holinesse of Church-members page 1. saith That such as are borne of Christian Parents and baptized in their Infancy into the fellowship of the Church are initiated members of the same Church though desâ—itute of spiritual grace until they justly deprive themselves of the priviledge of that fellowship For even of such is the Kingdome of God as Mar. 10. 14. This was the case as we conceive of those that have gone from us into those parts of America Here they were in infancy baptized here they have joyned in Communion at the Lords Table If they say they were not baptized here into such Church-fellowship then they must say that here is no Church of God amongst us which as we abhorre to speak or think of them so we must not yield concerning our selves and farther conclude their baptism here a meer nullity and no more than an application of a little common water They whose baptisme is valid are baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. and therefore in a baptized estate cannot be out of fellowship with that body The late Confession of Faith agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines not excepted against in that particular by our brethren that I know define baptisme to be a Sacrament of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ not only for the admission of the party baptized into the visible Church but c. Admission into Church-membership they then lay down as a thing never doubted which reverend Master Cotton seems to affirm likewise and I know no Orthodox Writer that questions Assoon as any were discipled through the Acts of the Apostles according to Christs commission Mat. 28. 19. they were thus received I have often marvelled what men mean when they speak of admission of members into Churches when the parties of whom they speak have already equal right with themselves to membership Have they any other or better right than title to the covenant and admission by the seal of baptism if they have let them produce it and then submit it to Scripture-trial I know none other that will abide the teste If they confesse baptism to be an admission then their title is as good that were thus before admitted as theirs that give them admission Their plea in both is one viz. birth of Christian parents and baptism For those that they passe by either forbearing to give them admittance desiring or that through scruple cannot joyne themselves not seeing warrant for such a way varying from the way of all the Churches of the Saints heretofore what do they judge of them Do they look upon them as men without and unworthy of their Communion Then they leave them without hope without God in the world Eph. 2. 12. yea they put them into an incapacity according to Gods ordinary way of salvation Acts 2. 47. All were not saved that were added nor saved in the judgement of charity that is a comment as strange as new but all were added and none refused that would enter themselves into salvation-way which they might do out of affection of novelty at that time possest with amazement by reason of the miracles under great present convictions through Peters powerful Scripture-applications and upon twenty other accounts which might be but fits flashings or present workings yet all that were to be saved were added All the maids that were brought to Ahashuerus and offered for purification Esther 2. 3 4. Were not made Queens but none was made Queen that was not thus offered and purified If it be said they are within as many passages from several hands would seem to imply as well concerning such that are refused as those that do refuse the modesty of many is such that they are loth to unchurch all but themselves then they are heires of the same promise with themselves and all the essentials of a Church of God are with those that in this way of Communion are none of theirs and consequently their covenant or separate way is not of necessity to Church-constitution whether it be at all according to Scripture-pattern rests farther to be enquired and debated Fourthly men by Providence seated among those that are thus in Covenant by a visible Profession and joyning in Ordinances as before must much rather make it their businesse to reform and redresse abuses that are found in the respective Societies on which they are cast than by any means withdraw and separate from them We finde frequent advice in Scripture of considering one another provoking to love and to good works Hebrews 10.
receives into covenant and appoints the seale hath prescribed a time when it shall be applied A man that hath a grant from King or State hath ipso facto right to the seale and the right necessarily followes upon the grant though he must stay till a sealing day before he possesse it For the exception of women though foederatae yet were not to be circumcised I say 1. Master Marshal hath sufficiently answered that they were of the circumcision and it was an exception against Sampson by his parents that he would go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines Judg. 14. 3. Had he married in Israel as he ought in obedience to God and his parents he had married a wife of the circumcised though that sex by nature is in an incapacity of that signe or seale In diverse places of England the husband being admitted by verdict of a Jury into an estate the wife is virtually admitted his admission is her admission so it was in circumcision 2. They had doubtlesse actually received that signe of circumcision as in New Testament times they do Baptisme Acts 8. 12. Acts 16. 15. but that it was a signe whereof they were in an incapacity It is farther added If then I should farther grant the conclusion That infants of beleevers were to be signati yet you would not say they are to be partakers of the Lords Supper because it is not appointed for them So in like manner if it were granted you that infants of beleevers were to be signed yet it followes not that they are to be baptized unlesse you can prove that it is appointed to them and the truth is if it were granted that children were foederati yet it were a high presumption in us to say therefore they must be signati without Gods declaration of his minde and if it were granted they must be signati it were in like manner a high presumption in us to say therefore they must be baptized without Gods declaration of his minde concerning that Ordinance To this a reply is made by another hand that there is difference between a seale for initiation and a seale for confirmation a seale wherein no more is of necessity than to be passive and that wherein we are to be active yet to come more near to them I am content to yield the conclusion supposing that his argument is of force Every Church-member hath true title to all Church-priviledges But infants are Church-members the Lords Supper is a Church-priviledge and therefore infants have true title to it But then I must distinguish jus ad rem and jus in re every infant hath right to it yet by reason of infancy hath his actual interest suspended Paul by birth had right to all the priviledg of the Citie of Rome being born free Acts 22. 28. yet it does not follow that he was to give his vote or appear in Assemblies as a free Citizen in the time of his minority James the sixth was crowned in Scotland and Henry the sixth in England in the time of their minority so that they were reckoned among the Kings of Nations yet neither of them did in their own persons exercise regalia till yeares of discretion As these infants of title were crowned so infants that are Church-members are to be baptized when yet an infant can no more partake as a Christian ought of the Lords Supper than an infant King can wield the great things of his Kingdome An infant-heir from the first instant of his fathers death and a posthumous childe from the time of his birth stands seized of his fathers inheritance The whole title is vested in him how ample soever and in no other and he is received into it and lives upon it yet he is held from the managing of it till he can improve for his own and the publike benefit So that the taking into covenant is a sufficient declaration of Gods minde that the signes and seals in an orderly way should be granted to them and all these appeare to be cavils and not answers As these exceptions are causlesly taken against the connexion between the covenant and eale so quarrels are raised against some phrases in common use among Divines relating to this thing as making the metaphor of a seale the Genus of a Sacrament which if an errour was the Apostles errour Rom. 4. 11. and many such like with which it is needlesse to trouble the Reader CHAP. LVII The with-holding infants of Christian parents from Baptisme is the sin of Sacriledge HEnce farther followes that the Prohibition of infant-Baptisme or with-holding them from that Ordinance that are the issue of Christians is the sinne of Sacriledge This is plaine from the premisses they are the Lords His heritage Psal 127. 3. The Lords servants Levit. 25. 42. holy ones Rom. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Children of the covenant Acts 3. 25. interessed in the priviledges of the people of God Mark 10. 14. Therefore they are to be given to God Caesar will account it a robbery if that which is his due be denied God will account it a robbery if that which is his be denied Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Matth. 22. 21. Adversaries fasten the brand of will-worship on the practice of it But if Baptisme be any worship according to the minde of Christ then infant-Baptisme is out of all danger or possibility of will-worship In case infants were not within he verge yet their Baptisme could be no will worship we set not up of our selves the Ordinance that we apply to them but make application of the Ordinance that Christ hath instituted In case they have no title there is onely a misapplication of worship instituted and no devise of worship To this is replied and demand made whether infant-communion were not will-worship whether baptizing of Bells were not will-worship yet these are but misapplications of an instituted ordinance to a wrong subject I answer none of these were will-worship nor yet the Baptisme of the Horse in Huntingdon-shire but the horrid prophanation of an instituted worship Baptisme is still Gods but the application mans and here the will is not carried to a devise of an ordinance but alone to the application of it Our adversaries making it a corruption of the Ordinance of Baptisme acquit it from will-worship But in infant-Baptisme we neither devise an Ordinance nor of our own heads make application of it we know they belong to the family of Jesus Christ we know Christs order to admit them to the priviledge that was proper to those of his family and as faithful stewards we follow the will of our Master not our own will but the will of Christ Jesus Could they wash their hands of Sacriledge as we are able to clear our wills and wits from devise of a worship it were better with them The times were when men looked upon things consecrate as holy to the Lord in a
Nehemiahs better Mat. 11 11. be for sin He that is not a sinner by birth should be no sinner in his life Baptisme is the greatest honour such bear Christs name and weare his livery they have that title in which Jude and James with other of the Apostles gloried A servant of Jesus Christ Baptisme is the greatest engagement Let every one that nameth Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. To talk of Baptisme and to live in sin is to wear the colours of one and plot and fight for another to wear Christs colours and fight for Satan Baptisme renders a sinner up to the heaviest punishment The high favours shewed to the Jewes made a Jew to fare worse in the wayes of sin than an Heathen Amos 3. 2. The high favours shewed to Christians make Christians to fare worse in sinful wayes than Heathens Heb. 2. 3. All in a Christians calling bespeaks this holinesse God by whom he is called 1 Pet. 1. 15. The work to which he is called 1 Thes 4. 7. The company unto which he is joyned Ephes 2. 19. The attendants by whom he is guarded Matth. 25. 31. The rule whereby he is guided Rom. 1. 2. The Seale by which he is confirmed Ephes 1. 13. And the place whither he makes and tends Heb. 9. 8. all are holy Secondly Let the parents of such seed now see what education is expected Breeding must answer birth and descent A Christian is of the noblest birth he must therefore have the most noble education and the Apostle calls upon parents to bring up their Children in nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6. 4. God may call on them thus to bring up his children in nature theirs in covenant Gods Every Christian parent hath a childe of God committed to his care and tuition How great a soloecisme is it that Parents should dedicate children so soon as borne unto Christ professing to the world that they belong to him and that with Hannah concerning Samuel they intend them for him when nothing appeares in their education but that they might have been given to Molok somewhat worse than the mongrell seed that spoke halfe in the language of Canaan and halfe in the language of Ashdod Nehem. 13. 24. Scarce a word can be heard out of their mouths to argue that they are Christians lisping out oaths as soone as words put to learne trades and little regard had that they might know Christ Jesus And how much is it to be desired that authority would take order for more careful catechistical teaching of youth in the wayes of Christian Religion that God may not complaine of England as of Israel My people perish for want of knowledge Hos 4. 7. A people of God and a people ignorant to perdition and destruction England is highly honoured of God by this gracious call with Capernaum lifted up to heaven England would highly honour God if care might be taken that all might know God from the highest to the lowest we shall never be a Gospel-like people till we be a knowing people 〈◊〉 we take care that as we are Jewes by nature so we may be Jewes in qualification so borne so bred that as our youth is descended so also they may be trained That as God honours our children with his name calling them his children so they may honour his name and advance his glory in all holinesse of conversation Thirdly Those may yet see whom they oppose that stand in opposition of a people thus interessed a people so ingratiated to God in covenant that there is not the least infant in whom God hath not his title and right of challenge The aggravation of the Psalmists complaint is that the Heathens are come into thine inheritance the dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the foules of the heaven the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the Earth Psalme 79. 1 2 3. The whole body of such a people root and branch stand in relation to God as the inheritance the servants the Saints of God such inscriptions we finde in Saint Pauls Epistles not one of the whole body is excluded but they are such by covenant and such by calling Enough hath been said to make it to appeare that the denomination reaches even infants who are the Lords heritage Psalme 127. 3. and Christs name is upon them Matth. 18. 5. As it is accounted an happy work to dash the little ones of Babylon against the wall Psalme 137. 9. because of the hostility of that Nation against God and his people so it is a like execration to intermeddle with the little ones of Sion by reason of the holinesse of such a people their covenant-relations in which they stand interessed 2 Kings 8. 12. Much is spoken in Scripture against the enemies of the righteous the haters of them shall be desolate he that offends against them shall not be innocent Psalme 34. 21. God observes every carriage of the adversary towards them in misery they speak not a word but God hath it against them when Ammonites Tyrians cry Aha against the people of God they are witted with it and threatned for it Ezek. 26. 2. 36. 2. Not a proud word that they utter but it is brought in to fill up the charge against them Obad. 12. Psalme 137. 7. yea every eye that is cast with approbation of the adversary Obad. 13. 14. Every encouraging word they speak and every act they do against such a people yea injuries of elder times are kept in the deck and laid to them Deut. 25. 17. And all because they stand in this relation to God as his in covenant which you cannot limit onely to the personally righteous but all that are of a Society and fellowship that is such as are interessed in a righteous cause The holy anointing oile did make sacred when yet too often the man was wicked and therefore David looked upon Saul as the Lords Anointed It holds in Analogy and proportion unto all that have any unction from God as all the called of God have When they were but a few in number yea very few and strangers when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdome to another people he suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine Anointed Psalme 105. 12 13 14 15. All the people of God have that Anointing from God that none may dare to intermeddle for their harme God promises his people that dwell in Sion that the burthen of Assyria shall be taken from off their shoulder and his yoke from off their neck and that the yoke shall be destroyed because of the Anointing Isaiah 10. 27. Some will say as this is carried The danger of intermeddling with any is with us a like Even Papists and the worst of men that are called Protestants are thus of a people that are called Gods people and go by the name of Christians For answer I