letter of the Text then I shall hearken to him in the meane time all indifferent men may well challenge their reason that heed him A second Text holding out the covenant in its ancient latitude we have from our Saviour Christ Matth. 20. 16. and 22. 14. Many are called but few chosen The close of two several Parables The one of the labourers hired into the Vineyard where some claimed a more large pay upon merit The other of the Parable of the Wedding-feast where one intruded without a Wedding garment whence our Saviour inferres Many are called are of the number of guests at the wedding feast are of the labourers in the Vineyard but few are chosen from whence I thus argue If there be a call from God in the times of the New Testament in a farre greater latitude than the grace of Election that of many called few only are elected then the covenant in New Testament-times is not to be restrained to the elect and regenerate but containes all that professedly accept the termes of the covenant and visibly appear a people of God This is evident seeing the call is into covenant all at the Feast were called ones all the hired labourers were covenant-servants To conceive men to be called of God and not to be in covenant with God is a full contradiction The call hath its terminus à quo and its terminus ad quem a state which upon call they leave and a new state on which they enter They are upon this call in a nearer relation to God than the rest of the world otherwise they were the same as ever and not called at all they are not in so neare a relation as men borne of the Spirit so they were elected They have a call by the Word and ministerial outward Ordinances to which they yeeld a professed subjection They have not attained the inward working of the Spirit to a real Sanctification Now for the Assumption that there is a call in New Testament-times in this latitude in a far greater latitude than the grace of Election our Saviour evidently shews in the Text quoted There are those at the feast that are not accepted There are those that are taken into the Vineyard that at the evening of the day do displease there are those therefore that are called into covenant with God and yet are rejected of God a full and a clear Text for covenant-holinesse This is farther evident in those Parables of our Saviour Christ of the field with Wheat and Tares Matth. 13. 24 25. of the draw-net with fishes good and bad Matth. 13. 47. of the floore with chaffe and Wheat Matth. 3. 12. of the great house where there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and earth and stone some to honour and some to dishonour 2 Tim. 2. 20. In which parables by the floore the field expressely compared to the Kingdome of Heaven and the great house the Church is understood which stands in covenant-relation to God and containes those that are in covenant with God A man in the Kingdome of Heaven is a man in covenant with God unlesse he stood in a covenant-relation he could have no standing there and the comparison were very strangely drawn if this Kingdome thus set out had all that were good none bad in it But of this more when I shall speake to some Corolaries that follow from this Assertion Another Scripture in which the covenant in the ancient latitude is held out is Rom. 11. thoroughout a great part of the chapter There is as all know a large discourse of the Apostasie of the Jews and the call of the Gentiles of the rejection and breaking off of the one and the taking in and ingraffing of the other which I shall presently have a further occasion to open when I shall speak to another pretended difference between the covenant as it stood then and as it stands now In the meane time this is clear into the same Church-state and covenant-latitude from which the Jews fell Gentiles were taken in and do still continue This cannot be denied we being graffed in their stead come in upon like termes as they left They fell from a visible Church state and that latitude of covenant which did receive regenerate and unregenerate justified and unjustified That covenant-latitude then still remaines in the Churches of the Gentiles in Gospel-times Nothing here that I can see can with any colour be objected unlesse any will say that the invisible Church is there spoken to and not the visible that the Jews fell from the invisible body and that the Gentiles in their call are generally taken in into the same fellowship Which as I think few will affirme so I shall have presently occasion to examine If any shall further say that they have this title in Foro Ecclesiae and not in Foro Dei as to men they have so far right that Ministers may not refuse them or in their administrations deny them admittance but in the sight of God who knows their unregenerate unjustified condition they have no title at all I shall refer them to the whole tenor of that chapter where they shall see this engraffing of theirs ascribed to the power of God that it is done by the election of God and mentioned as his gift and choice mercy to that people All of which speak the mind of God in it and his approbation of it This is farther clear in that Text of the Apostle Heb. 10 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the Sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace Where we see those that are sanctified with the blood of the covenant do tread under foot the Son of God and count his blood an unholy thing have an esteeme of it as that which is common and never devoted at all to God These must needs be granted to be wicked ye cannot be denied to be in covenant being sanctified with the blood of the Covenant There is indeed a threefold interpretation of this Text One of the Arminians and those of that party enemies to perseverance in Grace and they understand by sanctification in this place an internal change and renovation of the soul from whence by Apostasie such persons fall They that will embrace this tenent may indeed say that in the state of sanctification they were in covenant but falling from sanctification they fall from covenant But this is not affirmed by those with whom I have to deale and therefore I shall not lanch out into this controversie Two other interpretations are given by those that are adversaries to this way and make it their work to vindicate this text from these mens glosses The first refers sanctification not to those delinquents that tread under foot
visible body But this ingraffing of the Gentiles into the Church of God caused disputation and contention in some Acts 11. 2 3. emulation in others Deut. 32 21. Rom 10. 19. Rom. 11. 14. this therefore was into the Church visible Thirdly That priviledge which is not restrained to some few invisible Churches but is the priviledge of all that are contained in it and members of it is not an invisible work upon the heart to a saving change but only an interest in visible priviledges This is evident the invisible work is not in all Matth. 2â— 14. But this here mentioned is the priviledge of the whole body as is cleare in the Text and adversaries are constrained to acknowledge Therefore the ingraffing is only into the visible body That priviledge wherein the Jewes while they were a people of God did transcend the Gentiles when they were no people is the priviledge which these Gentiles have by their ingraffing this is plain verse 17 But it is the priviledge of Ordinances in being visibly related thus to God wherein Jews did then exceed Gentiles as hath been largely shewn Fourthly that Faith from which the Jews actually fell and the Gentiles stood in danger to fall from is not a saving justifying Faith entituling to invisible priviledges but a Faith of profession onely giving a visible title This is plaine unlesse we will maintaine Bertius his Hymenem desertur and assert the Apostasie of the Saints But this Faith whereby the Gentiles are ingraffed is a Faith from which the Jews fell and from which they were in danger to fall v. 20. Fifthly that reconciliation or ingraffing which is opposite to casting out of a visible Church-state is an ingraffing into the Church visible But this reconciliation or ingraffing is opposite to the casting out of a Church state This is plain Matth. 21. 43. It is a casting out of them that bore not fruit and not a casting off invisible branches Sixthly If the state of the Jewes continued from the Apostles time to this day be an exclusion from a visible Church-state so that they are no people of God in name then a visible Church-state is that which they lost and the Gentiles gained This is plaine The state in which they stand being rejected is their state of rejection But their condition since that time is an exclusion out of a visible Church state This needs no proof Therefore a visible Church state is that which the Jews lost and these gained I wish that these arguments to which many more might be added may be taken into consideration and for a close of all seeing it is peremptorily asserted that it is manifestly false that the Christian Gentiles were graffed into the same visible Church with the Jews for then they should have been Circumcised contrary to the determination Acts 15. and that God hath quite taken away the visible Church of the Jews or to that purpose This Error begetting many others I wish that it may be a little better thought upon whether it be the language of the Scriptures I have learnt that as we and they have one and the same God one and the same Faith that is the doctrine of Faith one and the same Covenant eat of one and the same spiritual meat and drink of the same spiritual drink one and the same expected heaven so we are one and the same Church Let us to that end further observe the manifold Metaphors by which the Church ours and theirs is set forth all of them holding forth this Onenesse First That of a Tent which is the habitation of sojourners Gen. 9. 27. God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant Shems Tents must be possest by Japhet and not others built for their habitation The Tents of Shem that is his posterity by Abraham which Japhet that is the Gentiles by a special blessing did possesse is the Church visible as needs no proof Shems Tents and Japhets Tents are one and the same Japhet comes to Shems not Shem to Japhets Secondly That of a Sheep-fold John 10. 16. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd The Sheep that in present were in the fold viz. Jews and those not yet taken in viz. Gentiles all make up one and the same fold which though some may limit to the Church invisible because Christ gives notes of those that are indeed his sheep but that is no argument at all Christ speaks to those that were disciples only according to profession and gives notes of disciples indeed and it is against all reason that Christ should in discourse point out the invisible Church with the demonstrative This and that to those that were malignant enough in the Church visible namely the Pharisees as appears in the close of the former Chapter And the mention of thieves creeping into it hirelings employed in it doth contradict it The visible Church of the Jews and Gen tiles in which Christ hath true sheep for whom he dies and others that theeues and hirelings do deceive makes up one sheepfold Thirdly By a natural body 1 Cor. 12. 13. Mans body most aptly to this purpose that one new man Eph. 2. 15. is the visibly body compact of both Jew and Gentile Fourthly to adde no more that of a Kingdome Mat. 8. 11. Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven The same Kingdome that Jews leave Gentiles enter Matth. 21. 41 43. The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof That can be no more then the presence of God in Gospel-Ordinances which is without fruit among Jewes all invisible Members bring forth fruit and upon that accout is given to the Gentiles Neither is it of force that which is said against it Then we must be circumcised As though we may not be in the same Kingdom and yet under a new way of Administration Law-givers on earth are sometimes pleased to change their Lawes and so doth the Law-giver of Heaven or if he will limit his instance to Circumcision taking in no other Lawes the same house may have a new doore or porch let our opposites then know that they are in the same visible Kingdom as Abraham Isaac and Jacob and their posterity after the flesh in Israel were and I wish that they may take heed of making divisions in it or separations from it CHAP. L. Arguments from a late hand for ingraffing into the Church invisible and breaking off from it answered Argument 1. FIrst That ingraffing which is Gods act by his sole power is into the invisible Church by Election and giving Faith For graffing into the visible Church is admission into visible Membership which if it be by an outward Ordinance is the easie act
this number they are the heritage of the Lord Psalm 127. 3. and consequently admitted by our Saviour Christ to this priviledge of a blessing The Authour that charges non-sense and gibberish on Paedobaptists in general there tells his Reader that my arguing is as though my wits went on wool-gathering because I was not mindful to put my argument into an explicite sylogistical form but now it is done for his satisfaction blessing is a priviledge of the Israel of God Numb 6. 23. 27. Christ admits infants to a blessing Therefore he admits them to a priviledge of the Israel of God or Church-priviledge It is objected that Christ admits onely a few but it is with a reason that gives admission to others of such is the Kingdome of heaven A great triumph is made of a speech of mine page 91. of my answer where I say we do not think that this blessing was baptising or that these desired or that Christ intended their baptisme onely we affirme that a medium hence may be taken from whence we may inferre the right of infants to baptisme They that are admitted to one Church-priviledg may not be denyed another whereof they are equally capable But infants are here admitted and order taken for their admission to one Church-priviledge of which they are no otherwise capable than of Baptisme so that here is no direct precedent for baptisme in particular but for Church-priviledges of which infants are capable None that are interessed in the Church of Christ which is his Kingdome may be denied an admission to it by Baptisme A ground it is not immediate expresse but by necessary consequence Observation is made Mark this speech if but be adversative then he grants that infants are capable of Church-priviledges not of Baptisme which overthrowes all his dispute But that is left out which would fully explaine my meaning and wholly take off the force of his reply This act of Christ is no direct precedent for Baptisme in particular but of Church-priviledges in general If he can but assume and make good with our Socinian Antibaptists who in the parts where I live begin to triumph over Antipaedobaptists beating them down with their own weapons that Baptisme is no Church-priviledge then I shall confesse that he hath wrested this argument out of my hands and that this text as to this argument falls otherwise it is of force and an undeniable consequence I am now told that if this act of Christs be a direct precept I intended precedent of Church-priviledges in general then it is of Baptisme in particular being a Church-priviledge that which is said of the Genus being true as Logicians say of the species quicquid praedicatur de genere praedicatur de specie Whence it followes he speaks inconsistencies But he should have taken in all my words immediate expresse as well as direct and I think he that speakes of the Genus doth not immediately directly and expresly speak of the species But if it be otherwise and that herein I was mistaken I am here content to retract it and confesse now with help of this new light that there is an expresse immediate direct precedent for infant-Baptisme Concerning the reason given of admission of infants in that proposition of Christs Of such is the Kingdome of heaven We have 1. The subject of such 2. The predicate or attribute is the Kingdome of Heaven The particle such cannot here have reference to their qualification that those that were qualified as these in humility and meeknesse had their interest Sheep and Doves as well as infants are thus qualified They are not proud nor revengeful That which the Disciples took to be an impediment of force to hinder infants and a just ground of rebuke of those that brought them is that which Christ understands in this reproof of the Disciples and admission of their infants But it was their want of growth their littlenesse which the Disciples took to be a just impediment and which occasioned their reproof So that the particle such hath direct reference to the quantity as I may say not to the quality of these infants to their infant-stature or minority not to their meeknesse or humility And so it is referred else-where expressely by our Saviour himself Who so shall receive one such little child Matth. 18. 5. the word is the same here and there it respects littlenesse therefore and not meeknesse The whole Text may be thus fitly parathrased Trouble not our Master with such as these say the Disciples there is no use of their coming they need not his cure and they are not capable of his instruction they have no infirmity to be healed no capacity to be taught It is fit for men of abler parts not for infants to make their addresse to him Let them come saith our Saviour and let not their infant-age exclude them how little soever they are capable of the Kingdome of Heaven For the predicate or attribute the Kingdome of heaven This as is said is meant of the Kingdome of Glory and on this hinge as is further said the answer to the whole Argument turnes The Author therefore assumes his affirmation and saith I determine the Kingdome of Heaven to be meant of the Kingdome of Glory and gives his reasons To encounter with this confident assault of his I shall undertake these three particulars 1. To make it appear that the hinge of the whole hangs not here 2. That in his reasons given are nothing satisfactory to evince that it must be meant of the Kingdome of Glory 3. That in case it were granted him yet it doth not at all advantage the leaâ—e First That all hangs not on this appeares in that our Saviour had said enough in his order for admission of these infants on which we can build our conclusion Those that are admitted to Church-priviledges they are Church-members But infants are admitted by our Saviour Christ to Church-priviledges and therfore are Church-members However Master Tombes can interpret the reason yet he cannot deny Christs order for their admission nor deny that it was a Church-priviledge to which they are admitted To illustrate it by a parallel The Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 11. 10. The woman ought to have power on her head because of the Angels The womans duty is there cleare to be covered in token of subjection though we do not agree what is meant by Angels Whether Angels of Glory or Gods Ministers in the Congregations that are called Angels of Churches our duty is as plain to give infants admittance as Church-members though the reason annext remaines controverted Whether Gods Kingdome on Earth or the Kingdome in Glory be here meant by the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly For his Reasons which though I should yield the cause is already gained there is not force in them 1. Saith he The Kingdome of God must be understood Mark 10. 14. as it is vers 15. and Luke 18. 16. as vers 17. and Matth. 19. 14. as it is in
confesse is more disputable then either of the former before spoken to In those we had to deale with Antinomians on the one hand Papists Arminians Socinians on the other hand with some few others that are pleased in those points alone to strike in with Arminians and Socinians and in other things to oppose them But in this Papists agree not among themselves but one is against another neither is there that agreement amongst Protestant Writers that might be desired which must not be concealed some are for the affirmative and some for the negative and some seem to stand in a neutral indifferency Bellarmine among the Papists is for the affirmative lib. 4. de justificatione cap. 6. and takes up Soto for the contrary tenent who affirmes as he quotes him that Christians are not only delivered from the Ceremonial Law and the guilt and terror of the moral Law but from the whole Law as written in the books of Moses with this caution as he reports him that we are to keep the Law of Moses as it is natural and as it is in the Gospel and in the Epistles of the Apostles but not as it was written by Moses for Moses saith he could not binde us but it is Christ that bindes us for we are Christians and not Jews Soto hath Suarez and Medina as Master Burges observes with him and among the Protestants Zanchius de redemptione lib. 1. cap. 12. and Musculus in his common places go the same way affirming that the Moral Lawes which go under the name of the decalogue as they were delivered by Moses to the Israelites do not concerne Christians but as they are agreeable to the Law of nature and confirmed by Christ Paraeus as is observed by Rivet in his Explication of the Decalogue page 11. giving in his judgement of the differing opinions of Bellarmine and Soto affirms that the opinion of Bellarmine is most safe to be followed Rivet himself in the place quoted takes it to be a strife of words and the difference to be inconsiderable and in case the authority be granted there seemes indeed lesse danger though the Minister be waved The Antinomian as others have observed is by both parties opposed Some may think that the Law thus gaines in its authority in as much as Christ is of much more excellency then Moses when the Master of the Vineyard saw his servant neglected he said They will reverence my Sonne Mat. 21. 37. But if the servant be once despised and set so light by as we read from some hands Away with stammering Moses it may be feared that the Sonne will not long remaine in honour when servants fared so ill we finde that the Sonne had little better entertainment And in my thoughts there is scarce a readier way then this to strip us of the whole of the Law of God Keeping up to their own principles they can look on no more of the Law as binding Christians then that which is held out to us in New Testament-Scriptures If this be granted we must have a New Testament Text for every Moral duty yet to gratifie adversaries in this particular we may safely yeeld that the Law concernes not Christians as it was delivered by Moses only to the Israelites and so Zanchy's Position keeping strictly to the termes may happily be defended The Moral Laws as delivered by Moses to the Israelites do not appertain to Christians so neither doth Lukes Gospel or the history of the Acts as from him to Theophilus nor yet any of Pauls Epistles as from him to any particular Church or to Timothy Titus or Philemon But looking on Moses as employed of God with his Church with which he was in the Wildernesse Acts 7. 38. and upon his writings as a depositum left with the Church they are of equal concernment to us as they were to the Jews if we be as the Church of the Jewes was a Church of God This to me is plaine not only by those Texts of Moses quoted in New Testament-Scriptures as we heard before but quoted also as from Moses The Apostle pleading for Ministers maintenance saith For it is written in the Law of Moses 1 Cor. 9. 9. How were this argument of force if Moses his writings were not of use That of Peter is convincing 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy This was written by Moses Lev. 11. 44. Lev. 19. 2. Lev. 20. 7. and why should we be engaged to holinesse eo nomine because Moses writ it and gave it in charge in case Moses his writings do not binde Christians This also to me is plaine in reason Christ was King then as now his Church is the same now as then we and they make up one Kingdome Matth. 8. 11. The Lawes of Christ therefore unlesse they appear to be repealed are now in force as in former times There is not a temporal Obligation saith Master Burges Vindiciae Legis page 162. laid upon a perpetual duty The duties are confessed to be perpetual why should Moses then deliver them to be only of temporal permanency Neither is there any thing brought by Soto or any other hand to evince the contrary In the close of the words already quoted he sayes Mose-could not binde us but Christ for we are not Jews but Christians To this we say He could not binde us authoritatively but ministerially and because Christ bindes therefore Moses bindes seeing Moses was a servant in that house where Christ was a Sonne Christ was King of his Church in Moses his dayes Israel tempted Christ in disobeying Moses 1 Cor. 10. 9. He commanded for Christ when he gave command to the Israelites and these commands are of concernment unto Christians who are their fellow subjects The Arguments produced by Soto are satisfyingly answered by Bellarmine Soto saith that the Preface of the law leads to the Israelites onely I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage But it was the Jews and not Christians that were in Egypt This is false as one of these Jesuites truly answers the other we were in Egypt as well as the Nation of the Jews They were our fathers and we their children 1 Cor. 10. 1. It was once indeed otherwise with us being branches of the wilde Olive But the natural branches being cut off we are grafted into their stead that mercy of deliverance from Egypt being a Church-mercy is our mercy He further objects that of Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were until John and is answered that that is understood of the Law prophecying by figures and not instructing in manners which is further explained Matth. 11. 13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophecyed until John that is all the prophesies of the Messiah to come whether delivered in words by the Prophets or by signes
Spirit This conviction unto change is hardly without compunction remorse and terrours in the soul It was not the single case of the Corinthians but common with other Christians as the natural work of godly sorrow that it worketh repentance not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. I will not stand to diâ—â—â—â— whether any ever are exempted from this preparatory work I question not Gods prerogative I am upon enquiry after his usual method I know some instance in Matthew who being called suddenly followed Christ and we heare nothing of any work upon his spirit to trouble But who knows whether Matthew a Jew were not called by grace before this call to an Apostleship and if not in grace whether it necessarily followed in that instant The like is objected of Lydia The Lord opened her heart that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul Acts 16. 14. without any sorrow or trouble in spirit is mentioned Neither is there mention of any joy or rejoycing in spirit and she by many is believed also to have been a Proselyte Yet this of godly sorrow must be understood with some limit 1. An equal degree of sorrow and preparative work is not necessary in all One mans terrours and heart-breakings are no necessary precedent for all others to reach 2. An high degree is not necessarily required of any God can come sooner in with Gospel-cordials after Law-convictions unto one than another 3. No man hath reason to quarrel his conversion because his sorrow hath not been like some others each man hath not like paine in cure of a like malady 4. None should beg of God overwhelming and amazing shakings and humiliations of Spirit God better knows their frame than they understand themselves 5. None can judge of the truth of their repentance by the greatnesse of their trouble It may possibly end in horrour and work nothing better than it self It may only have its present work to cast hell in the face and then the person returne to his old byasse to his sinful pleasures his worldly advantages as Saul to his Musick Cain to his building of Cities yet when God thus plowes it is a hopeful signe he intends sowing and men in this case must not reason themselves to be such soyle on whom no good can be done as though they were past all husbandry of the Lord He can take away a heart of stone and turne a rock into a fruitful field This is Gods method do not dispute but believe 6. Then it is in a degree sufficient when it effects the work for which it serves when it brings the soul out of love with sin takes it out of the paths of sinne when it so works to an apprehension of dangers that it works the soul to cast it self on Christ Jesus When horrours work desires not of ease but of grace of Christ and of whole Christ of pardon of sin and power against sin there is a true work For the essential parts of this grace which I make a Gospel-engagement and condition of the covenant they are privative or positive Privative is the destruction of what hath been Positive is the introduction of what is not Every change hath two termes The one is terminus ad quem which is endeavoured The other is terminus à quo which is left and so in this change which grace works and to which the covenant of grace doth engage The privative part which we are to leave is sin the work of Satan The positive part which we are to endeavour is that which stands in full opposition Forsaking of sin we must follow after righteousnesse and turning from Satan we must turne to God and therefore the Ministery which findes men out of covenant and works them into it is to bring them from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God Acts 26. 18. The privative part is frequently enjoyned as that which bindes at all times and to all times A man in covenant with God is to have no more to do with sin Cease to do evil put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes Isa 1. 16. Be ye separate touch no unclean thing 2 Cor. 6. 17. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience In the which ye also walked sometimes when ye lived in them But now you also put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth lie not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds Col. 3. 5 6 7 8 9. Old things with Christians are to be done away This is the duty of all those that pretend to Christ Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. All that is in Christ is wholly against it His Prophetick office leads us from it and gives us light to avoid it In his Kingly office his Law is against it and his Priestly office is to redeem from it They that are in Christ and learn him as the truth is in Christ Jesus attaine to it Ephes 4. 22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts It is the character of a man in Christ Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And this upon peril of bearing their sinne Ezek. 18. 30 31. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel No man in sinne is for glory 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God The works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse idolatry witchcraft hatred varience emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkennesse revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Upon these termes it is that they obtaine pardon of sinne Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Grace is no where more freely tendred than there Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eat you that
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
in the same latitude as Beleever and is the most common appellation in the New Testament for all that are separate for God and dedicated to him The distinguishing name for professing Christians as the title of People of God Circumcision was for the people of Israel some do not hear of the word Saint but presently they understand a Saint in glory and will not endure that any man should be a Saint upon earth Others will have none Saints but those that are really such and shall be for heaven They will have no denomination of a Saint from a holy profession But if we look into the Scriptures and may be suffered to speak in that language we shall finde Saint for the most part taken for men upon the earth The psalmist professedly names Saints upon earth Psal 16. 3. And those Saints not often taken for other than a Saint by profession He is a Saint that makes a Christian profession We read of Collections for the Saints 1 Cor. 16. 1. Administration to the Saints Heb. 6. 10. which can reach no higher than visible Professours and can by no means be limited to Elect Regenerate ones When Paul shut up many of the Saints in prison and did much evil against them Acts 26. 10. he knew no other way of distiction then an outward profession and so he explaines himself those of that way Act. 9. 2. We read of Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14. 33. and they were taken in to be Church-members assoon as they made profession that is assoon as they ceased to be Jews or Pagans and took them to the way of Christianity As we see in those three thousand Acts 2. The Samaritans The Eunuch Simon Magus assoon as they were taken off from Heathenisme Judaisme for Christianity they had that name of Saints The Epistles wrote to particular visible Churchs 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 Amesius judged by some to be of the opposite party hath these words It is most probable that there is no particular Church in which the profession of the true faith flourisheth but in the same we may finde some truly Beleevers Medul lib. 1. cap. 32. sect 8. The Apostle tells us of the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. the Doctrine of Faith as is agreed on all hands is there understood All that professe that Doctrine are Saints no other Comment can be put upon it than upon the Apostles words Rom. 3. 1. To the Jews were committed the Oracles of God Saint then is a name of distinction to set out those that take the way not of Jews or Heathens but the way of Christians and Saints are men in covenant For the terme Disciple enough hath been spoken before This argues an interest in the covenant as well as the former of Saints and Beleevers and whole Nations are in capacity to be Disciples Matth. 28. 19. that is to be put into a way of salvation as sometimes the Nation of the Jews was in the fruition of saving Ordinances And the Kingdomes of the earth being made the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christs by a visible profession are Discipled Judas is called a Disciple Matth. 10. 1 4. as well as Simon Magus is called a Beleever Saul breathed out threatnings against the Disciples of the Lord Acts 9. 1. In case you will know who the holy Ghost there means see verse 2. all that Saul could finde of that way He made it not his work to enquire after their Regeneration or inward work of Sanctification we may well think he understood as little of that as Nicodemus It was enough to him that they made such a profession Complaint is made Acts 15. 10. that those that urged the necessity of circumcision put a yoke on the necks of the Disciples which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear and they urged it upon all in visible profession and not upon regenerate ones alone Let that one Text speak for all in what latitude the word Disciple is taken and in how large comprehension it is used John 6. 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him For the last of these termes Christians it stands in the same latitude as the other where we first heare of it we finde it the same with Disciples Acts 11. 26. The Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch And in what acception through all ages it hath past is also manifest All of these imply an interest in the covenant and these are given to unregenerate persons Here that of our Saviour is objected Object Luke 14. 27 33. If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple These qualifications are signes of Regeneration and these only that are thus qualified are Disciples of Christ Regenerate men then onely have that honour of Disciples I answer They only do the duty of Disciples they onely are worthy of that title as Christ explaines himself Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me Yet others have the name as we have heard and the outward priviledges in order to bring them to the duty of true Disciples There are Disciples as to the fruition of visible priviledges and those are they that make visible professions There are Disciples for glory and life and those onely are Regenerate ones John 3. 3. Except a man be borne again he cannot see the Kingdome of God Ordinances are granted in a greater latitude than Regeneration All that enjoy the priviledges of Ordinances are Disciples and therefore it is no honour proper to Regenerate persons Secondly as these titles argue a covenant-interest when the parties are yet short of Regeneration so the manifold absurdities that will follow upon this restraint of the covenant alone to Regenerate plainly evince that it is to be taken in a larger extent and that it takes in unregenerate Professours 1. This restriction of the covenant to out shut all non-Regenerate makes an utter confusion between the covenant it selfe and the conditions of it or if that expression do not please the covenant it self and the duties required in it between our entrance into covenant and our observation of it or walking up in faithfulnesse to it All know that a bargaine for a summe of money and the payment of that summe the covenant with a servant for labour and the labour according to this covenant are different things Faithful men that make a bargaine keep it enter covenant and stand to it But the making and keeping the entring and observing are not the same many enter and transgresse covenant for much and performe nothing So it is in the covenants of men and so
in the same Church of Christ and not any of them did set up new Churches 3. The old Church-way of administration among the Jewes was then to fall that present administration to be taken down by Gods appointment and a new one to be set up according to his prescript 4. John set up a new Sacrament in a new way which after his days was the alone Church-way If any can shew as our seekers look after that Jesus Christ shall now put an end to this way and that they have a Commission for a new Sacrament of initiation then they speak somewhat for setting up new Churches in like manner CHAP. XLIII A dogmatical Faith entitles to Baptisme 3. IT farther follows by way of consectary that a dogmaticall Faith ordinarily called by the name of Faith historical such that assents to Gospel-truths though not affecting the heart to a full choice of Christ and therefore was short of Faith which is justifying and saving gives title to baptisme The Covenant is the ground on which baptisme is bottomed otherwise Church-Membership would evince no title either in Infants or in men of years to Baptisme But the Covenant as we have proved is entred with men of Faith not saving and therefore to them Baptisme is to be administred How the consequent can be denyed by those that grant the Antecedent Baptisme denied in foro Dei to men short of saving faith when they are in covenant I cannot imagine yet some that have confessed their interest in the covenant now deny their title to Baptisme and affirme If men be once taught that it is a faith that is short of justifying and saving Faith which admitteth men to Baptisme it will make foule work in the Church 1. All that hath been said for the latitude of the covenant may fitly be applyed in opposition to this tenent for the like latitude of Baptisme 2 All the absurdities following the restraint of the covenant to the Elect to men of Faith saving and justifying follow upon this restraint of interest in Baptisme 3. To make the visible seale of Baptisme which is the priviledge of the Church visible to be of equal latitude with the seale of the Spirit which is peculiar to invisible members is a Paradox 4. The great condition to which Baptisme engages is not a prerequisite in baptisme This is plaine to man is bound to make good his covenant conditions before his engagements to conditions no servant is tyed to do his work to gaine admission into service no souldier to fight in order to get himself listed under command But Faith that is justifying is the condition to which baptisme engages and no condition necessarily required to vest him in it 5. That Faith upon which Simon Magus in Primitive times was baptized is that which admitteth to baptisme Simon himself beleeved and was baptized Act. 8. 13. But Simons faith fell short of saving and justifying 6. In case only justifying faith give admission to baptisme then none is able to baptize seeing this by none is discerned and to leave it to our charity affirming that we may admit upon presumption of a title when God denies I have spoken somewhat chap. 38. and I refer to Master Hudson in his Vindication whom learned Master Baxter so highly commends to shew the unreasonablenesse of it Here it is objected First Objections answered When Christ saith make me Disciples of all Nations baptizing them he means sincere Disciples though we cannot ever know them to be sincere Object I answer Answ In case I make this first objection brought against me my seventh and last argument for me it will fully discover the weaknesse of it and thus I forme it All that are Disciples unto Christ and made disciples for Christ are to be baptized but some are made Disciples to Christ that are short of faith saving and justifying as hath been proved at large This Discipleship that Christ there mentions is such of which whole Nations are in capacity as is plaine in the Commission to which this Nation with others hath happily attained according to the manifold prophecies before cited of these the whole universal visible Church consists as is irrefragably proved by Mr. Hudson in his Treatise of that subject and his Vindication and most amply spoken to by Mr. Baxter in his plaine Scripture-proof of Infants Church-membership and baptisme page 279 280. Sir if you were my father I would tell you that when you say Christ makes no one City Countrey Tribe his Disciples you speak most malignantly and wickedly against the Kingdome and dignity of my Lord Jesus Hath he not commanded to disciple Nations Hath not the Father promised to give him the Heathen or Nations for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession Psalme 2. And that Nations shall serve him And that the Kingdomes of the world shall be become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ and do you not see it fulfilled before your eyes Are not Bewâ—ly Keder Minsters c. and England till of late as full Christs disciples and so Church-members as the Jewes were in covenant with God and so Church-members We are not all sincere True no more were they for with many of them God was not well pleased but shut out all that Nation of covenanters from his rest save Caleb and Joshuah We may have Pagans and infidels lurk amongst us unknown but they had many amongst them known In the mean time we as generally professe Christianity as they did to serve the true God And are you sure there is never a City or Town that are all sincere I think you be not or at least is there never a godly family as Abrahams was you cannot be ignorant that the terme Disciples in Scripture is given to more to the sincerely-godly And if whole Nations yea the whole Universal visible Church consisting of discipled Nations were all beleevers it were a happinesse then election would be as large as Vocation when Christ saith many are called but few chosen Secondly Object When he saith he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved here faith goes before baptism and that not a common but a saving faith for here is but one faith spoken of and that is before baptism 1. This is the weakest of all arguments to reason for a precedency of one before another Answ from the order in which they are placed in Scripture So we may say John baptized before he preached the baptisme of Repentance for his baptizing is put before his preaching of baptisme Mark 1. 4. and that those that he baptized did confesse their sinnes after their baptisme seeing it is mentioned after that it is said that they were baptized Mat. 3. 6. and both of these with a farre greater probability of reason seeing in both there is a narrative of the thing by the Evangelists and in the place in hand there is neither commission given for the work of baptizing nor yet any
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