did it was upon the like mistake of this Author who thought the law had been given them as a Covenant of works which was not so intended and by this means they came to rest in the law and are condemned for it by the Apostle Rom. 2.13 17. Gal. 5.1 2. 2. Consider that Baptism now binds as much to keep the law Moral and Gospel-Ordinances as Circumcision then did bind Israel to keep the same moral law with the legal Ordinances and he mâ—ght with as much evidence of truth argue That because Baptism binds to keep the law therefore the Churches of Christ now are under a covenant of works P. page 47 he winds up thus Abraham as if God should say I will be thy God and thy seeds God to protect defend deliver and bless thee with the blessings of Canaan in the fruit of the womb in thy basket and store and with all outward blessings upon condition that thou wilt be circumcised and keep the law as a covenant of works A. A poor Argument was it not to prevail with Abraham when he might have replyed Lord there are many that do possess a far greater portion in the world yea thou hast said that my son Ishmael shall have twelve Princes rise from him and that he shall be a great man in the earth yet none of them are bound up to such strict obligations And when thou gavest a covenant of works to Adam he should have had heaven and eternal happiness and glory And shall I be content with an earthly portion upon such hard terms And upon this account it is the Author to the Hebrews doth so argue That God would have been ashamed to be called Abrahams God which yet Mr Patient is not ashamed to tell the world in print that he was Abrahams God by a covenant of Works Horrid stuffe The like answer is to be given to that place Jer. 11.2 3 4 5. cursed be the man that obeys not the words of this covenant which I commnnded your Fathers When I brought them from Egypt saying Obey my voice so shall ye be my people and I will be your God that I may confirm the oath which I sware to your Fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey the Land was given by grace and the covenant he speaks of was a covenant of grace not of works but as faith leads to works so the covenant leads man to hâ—s duty in keeping the commands of God it was so then and so it is now and in this sense that place is true Psal 6. he rewardeth every man according to his works not for his works And we are at this day Gods people and be our God upon the same terms of works as then See 2 Cor. 6.17 18 come out from amongst them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and then I will be your Father and ye shall be my sons and daughters so that God becomes ours upon conditions still and yet by no covenant of works P. Page 48. The last thing with which he concludes this first Argument if such it be is this Abraham had a covenant of Grace made with him twenty four yeers before that covenant of works and his happiness with all his spiritual seed was in that absolute covenant A. Had M. Patients memory been good he would not so have contradicted himself For first this covenant of works he hath made to begin from Adam and so descended to Abraham For he hath long before proved that the Law which was given from Sinai was in force before the days of Noah how then is that like to hold with this that the covenant of works was not given to Abraham t is twenty four yeers after that of Grace 2 If he make Circumcision the covenant of works that he means then it implyes that Abraham had two covenants of works one by descent and the other made afterwards 3 Where he tells us the happiness of his spiritual seed lies in the absolute covenant I answer what spiritual seed had Abraham if it was not Isaac And yet Isaac was the line in which the covenant of Circumcision was to run and not Ishmael Gen 17.21 So that look what happiness the promise gave him of Gods being his God was conveyed in that covenant and either Mr Patient must say it was no happiness to him to have God to be his God or else if it was a happiness then he must acknowledge it in that covenant Thus we see how sadly he is be error'd certainly had this Doctrine been brought in the Apostles days he would have lookt upon it as another Gospel â—nd it is a sad curse that he gives to the preachers thereof P. A second Argument though very improperly so called to prove circumcision a covenant of works is because it was a national covenant in the flesh A. The prudent Reader may easily observe what a poor shift this is to maintain Circumcision a covenant of works as if a covenant of Grace could not be national and though what hath been said to prove Circumcision a covenant of pure Grace be sufficient yet I shall briefly add If the promise made with Abraham was a Gospel promise in wh ch were contained national blessings in thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed If the Jews shall be re ingraffed as they were cut off If by the stone cut out of the mountains that shall fill the world be to be understood the Church and kingdom of Christ If the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the seas If there shall be a new heaven and a new earth wherein shall dwell righteousness If the kingdom of God was taken from the Jews and given to another Nation If the Church now coming out of the wilderness holds parallel with the Church in the wilderness under the Law If the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord Christ if that Commission Mat. 28. in order hereunto be to teach all Nations c. If that Nation and kingdom that will not serve Christ shall be cut off Isa 60.12 Then are the blessings of a covenant of Grace national blessings and what God intended in Abrahams covenant was national I need say no more P. In pag. 49 50 51 52. he runs into a large field of discourse and over-runs the old Scriptures again as it is usual with him to prove that though the Jews had the covenant of Circumcision given them by entail yet as to matter of Justification they were as far off as Pagans and heathens and what Justification Abraham had was while he was uncircumcised and yet withal granting That the Jews had the advantage of other Nations by having those Eminent tenders of the Gospel held out amongst them And notwithstanding that covenant in the flesh yet they were all sinners and therefore there is but one way of Justification which is by faith in his blood therefore Circumcision
footsteps of the flock have gone before us whereas if the blind lead the blind they both tumble into a ditch or River And thus both the matter and form of a true Gospel-Church is maintained by our doctrine and practice VII The last head of Fundamentals which he saith our doctrine and practice destroys is P. That persons may have a right to a covenant of life without an in-being in Christ by faith and is it not therefore a sad thing that persons that profess themselves Ministers and to have knowledge in the Gospel should be so blinded as to mislead people in so weighty a point as this is and that they should endeavor to leaven thousands of people with such a sad error as opposeth it self against the substance of the Gospel c. A. It hath been the main policy of Satan in all times of Reformation to endeavor the subversion of the Ministery of Christ and by all means to make them fall as stars from heaven because he then knows how to carry on his kingdom works of darkness And if Israel cannot be overcome when they are united to one God in one way in one Commonwealth he will then divide them because then he knows his work will thrive in the hands of Jeroboams Priests We may here see what a heighth the false Prophets of this Commonwealth are come to that they can without check smite the Prophets of God upon the face with reviling words dragon-like casting a flood of waters out of their mouths that so their may not escape we may doubt such words are but preludiums to a remaining Tragedy I speak the more in this because I have also seen a piece called the Kings of the East which may be rather called the devils pleading for a Pulpit in which when he speaks to the Ministers for licence to make use of them he tells us if they will not give leave they shall be prayed down and pulled down But I hope they rage the more because they have but a short time But to come to the answer What he hath here said is of the same nature with what he hath spoken before and so hath been already answered Before he charged our baptism to be a counterfeit baptism and here again our Ministers are blinde and misleade thousands to oppose the substance of the Gospel What taunting bold language is this and how unfit for a man of his thred-bare knowledge and profession I hope the reader will excuse me because it is to speak a word for those choice leaders of Christs flock who are as sheep dumb before the shearers of our times 2. The former distinction of the covenant must be still minded and then it is apparent that the charge put in against our Ministery is false I have been one of their followers above this 12 yeers I bless God I never heard such a doctrine delivered That propagation gave an in-being in the spiritual part of the covenant of Grace which is that M. P intends by the covenant of life Therefore what the Prophet said to Ahab is not mis-applyed to him It is he and such like as he That are the troublers of Israel That leavens the Nations with errors That run before they are sent for he whom God hath sent speaks the things of God he speaks not the things of God because he understands them not as hath been made appear hitherto he understands not the covenant of Grace from works what the new covenant is the extent thereof how to baptize or whom to baptize And therefore with the false Prophets he teaches to revolt from God and his ways The Reader may by this time see what wood hay and stubble he hath built that not one Argument hitherto either to prove our practice to overthrow the forenamed Fundamentaâ—s or Circumcision a covenant of Works hath been made good Therefore it is evident That they remain unmoveable and untoucht notwithstanding those horrible outcryes wherewith he chargeth our doctrine and practice withal pag. 83. CHAP. XIV The Third general head answered P. THe third head propounded to be proved by him was that none but believers had or shall have a right to the covenant of Grace to prove which he tells us that so soon as the seed of the woman was promised to our first Parents after the fall the Lord immediately made an outward covenant of Works which was typical and intayled upon the flesh out of which Christ was to come which was more dark till Abrahams days then till Moses more cleer and then from Moses it brake forth cleerly and so continued till Christ in whom it ceas'd and ended A. That those typical Ceremonies by him called a covenant of works was part of the covenant of Grace hath been fully proved Therefore le ts keep the old distinction and hold fast the form of sound words to cast off which is of as dangerous a consequence as to strip the Barke from the Tree and then let the other grow if it can Besides note what must necessarily follow I. God made a covenant of works with Adam which he broke II. God made a covenant of Grace after he fell III. God made again another covenant of Works so that here is implyed either 1 That the covenant of Gâ—ace was incompleat and had not a Table sufficiently furnisht to accommodate all parts of man And therefore he must be left to a covenant of works for temporals so to help out what the other wants or 2 That mans happiness in a state of Grace was so imperfect and unstable that he fell back into a covenant of works or 3 That God after he had made a covenant of Grace with man upon better consideration took that away and re-stated him in a covenant of works or 4 That a believer as before observed may be in two covenants at once or 5 That God had rather all men should be damned then saved And 6 That upon Christs coming the conditions of the covenant of Grace by him called of works being abolisht as such a covenant Therefore now man either stands loose or free from all Ordinances and Sabboths or else the observing the Sabboths or keeping to them must be a new covenant of works Thus it is apparent what a rock of error and heresie we should at last split upon by imbracing such fantastical notions as this patron of plunging would dowse us into Therefore let the Reader observe that Heb. 11. and he shall finde the typical worship was then made acceptable to God by believing as our Ordinances are now which had it been a covenent of works it would have stood directly opposed to faith therefore it was of faith that it might be by grace But when he speaks of a covenant of works then If it be of works it is no more of Grace otherwise Grace is no more Grace And take also a brief touch of the parallel of that administration which was the old covenant and so of works Then as
well as an Isaac Isaac had Esau as well as Jacob and so through the Scripture God brings forth a generation of wicked from the godly and a generation of godly from the wicked indefinitely A. That we have good grounds to judge their parents godly hath before been made appear but if this were all the difference methinks a sober is more becoming then a censorious judgement By kingdom of God we are to understand the visible Church most properly of such is the kingdom For otherwise it had not been a suitable reproof for their offence in that it lyed in their not suffering children to be brought to him to receive an outward favor and blessing They could not have hindered them from the kingdom of glory but from the visible Church they might therefore Christ takes them up roughly Suffer them to come unto me and forbid them not In which there is a double command implying much heat of spirit against such an action and much love and tender affection to the babes as if he had said do you that are my disciples reject them because they are children I would have you know for time to come they are as capable of blessings as your selves For of such is the kingdom of God my church kingdom is made up of such as well as of men and women Methinks Christ here looks with a chiding countenance upon the Anabaptists of our times who are guilty of the same offence II. P. But how wide is that which remains from the business where he saith the greatest number of believers seed never belonged to Gods kingdom when as we know the very instances by him cited do sufficiently prove that the seed of believers though they have proved vile and wicked yet they did belong to the visible Church and kingdom till by casting out they were discovenanted Did not Cain belong to the Church as well as Abel see Gen. 4.3 4 5. Heb. 11.4 So in Noahs Family were not Ham and Japhet as well baptized in the Ark and so members as well as Shem was not Ishmael as well a Church-member in Abrahams family as Isaac so Esau the like as well as Jacob These are his own examples by which we see from the very first preaching of the Gospel the seed of believers have ever had a visible right of Church-membership till cast out and of such was the kingdom and saith Christ of such is the kingdom so that if the kingdom was of such and is of such then for shame acknowledge them to be subjects P. If children be admitted into the kingdom of God by vertue of a covenant of life made by faith and generation then this crosseth the doctrine of the New-birth Joh. 3.5 A. The contrary hath been already proved for if that were true how came that doctrine of the New-birth to be taught in Israel by the place cited and yet their seed were then admitted Church-members as now I refer the Reader to my former Answer to the third fundamental As for the making a covenant of life by birth we abhor it as hath been often said it is onely a visible right we plead for and that which they ever had P. p. 135. The place before cited is explained by Mat. 18.3 4 5 6. He that offends one of these little ones that believe in mâ— where it is spoken of children in grace and whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein that is such like in grace as these in nature A. That the words are spoken of Infants is cleer for Christ took a little child and set in the midst of the disciples and tells them that such did believe 2 The resemblance cannot hold for children are pettish cross and froward by nature therefore that example had been very unsuitable but Christ shews the right such little ones had to the kingdom because they had faith And whosoever receives not the kingdâ—m of God as a little child that is as a little child receives it cleerly implying that such children are capable of receiving admission into the kingdom Therefore it doth not at all relate to a parity P. And whereas he afterwards tells us to expound it of believers adult is most agreeable to the Analogy of saith and that the whole Word of the Lord disclaims the contrary as destructive to Gods truth A. The Analogy of faith hath ever taken in children into the Church and kingdom therefore his high language is but like a flash of lightning and fitter to take with children and boys then with men of Reason and Conscience What he hath said hitherto hath been examined and not a word in Gods book makes against it But the whole tenor of Scripture with much pleasant harmony doth agree to give believers seed a name in Gods house And whereas he saith such a practice destroys the truth of God it hath been also sifted and it pleads to his Charge Not guilty CHAP. XIX The Word Administration carpt at by M. P. justifyed and Gal. 4. answered and cleered Obj. p. 137. BVt this which you call a covenant of Works consisting of temporal Promises Laws and Statutes is to be understood of a form of administration of the covenant of Grace and not a distinct covenant of Works P. I know this Objection some bring but if it be well weighed it is inconsistent with their own Arguments for if that be true then was there no covenant made with Abrahams seed but onely the administration of a covenant therefore ill do they affirm that the covenant was made with them therefore the Administration This Objection is false and groundless as appears by several express Texts of Scripture which do evidently prove it two distinct covenants A. He here quarrels with the word administration because he understands it not for though it be so cald by reason the spiritual part runs therein yet it loseth not the name of a covenant because it is mans part of the covenant and called Gods covenant and yet it is Gods administration to man For his grand mistake is in that he thinks the covenant of grace hath no conditions but absolute the contrary to which is before proved The Rainbow in the clouds is called Gods covenant Gen. 9. As here circumcision is called his covenant but surely M P. will not deny but it is an administration wherein Gods favor to the world is manifested how else can it be called a token of the covenant and a sign thereof as a so is circumcision called a sign and seal and token of the covenant And when God saith this is my covenant he means not a distinct covenant from the other but that part of the other which related to mans duty And so it was Gods Administration Office to the world I need not stand much upon this because it is so fully spoken to before in proving circumcision no covenant of works For the leprosie that overspreads all his book ariseth from that I
done when we consider not the diffeâ—ence aâ—d nature of the Auditors to cleer which let us come to some instances suppose a Church be truely constituted of which a great part may be hypocrites such as were Judas Magus Ananias and Saphira Hymeneus Alexander Phyletus mentioned in the Scriptures all which were never true believers These all these or any of these becoming true Converts and such as truely repent of their wicked Hypocrisie is â—his a Doctrine fit to be applyed to them without doubt such a practice would quickly overturn the Authors dipt Societies If he be true to the principles of this Doctrine as by himself it is applyed or else his words do imply that such Doctrines of Faith and Repentance is to be preacht onely to such as are without the Church as if those that â—ere within had no need thereof when as we know they are Doctrines of the Gospel which is the kingdoms Gospel and belongs to such as are within as well as without the kingdom were I a Minister and should come amongst master Patients people and preach this Doctrine and apply it as he doth would he not think it very much knockt out of joynt in the application to tell them it is the duty of all who really repent and believe to be baptized doubtless there is no rational Christian but would so judge If therefore it holds in one it must hold also in the other for it is not persons being hypocrites or carnal that nullifies their baptism no though the Administrator and manner also be circumstantially corrupted and defective what if John had baptized onely by pouring out water which he did as shall be after proved when he should have plunged and dipt them as this Author doth The Ordinance had not been thereby null and void for want of that circumstance So on the other hand should this Doctor of dipping convert a Heathen or Jew and plunge him when he should have onely poured the water on him after the Primitive practice yet the baptism stands in force still yea though the Author so dipping be no true real but a pretended Minister as Ziphora's circumcising stood in force though she were a defective Administrator and this is the general sense of Protestant Authors that those Children or persons that receive Popish baptism by their Priests after they are really converted to the Faith of Christ ought not again to be baptized and yet we see they are as ignorant as heathens by what therefore is said it is apparent the forementioned Doctrine is not to be extended to all alike and though it be an undoubted truth amongst such as preach to the heathens in New-England or to such amongst our selves as are yet unbaptized yet it is not therefore a sutable Doctrine to such as have been before baptized either there or elsewhere And yet we see with what fury and heighth of Confidence this theam is prosecuted throughout all his book T is a like Argument with this When Christ sent his Ministers to preach and baptize their Commission was to go into all the World Therefore he that is a true Minister of the Word and Baptism must be an Itinerary preacher Augustus Caesar a Tyrant taxt his people therefore it is lawful for all Magistrates to tax their subjects which last hath been a Doctrine so raised by the Author in my hearing CHAP. II. Relating to the Administrator answered HAving examined the Doctrine and foundation let us come to survey the building to see what work is made there he goes to open and explain what is meant by baptism and so leads us to a new Text which indeed usually leads the Van Argument but is here brought in as a prop to uphold the Doctrine before raised Mat. 28.18 From which two places he hath ingaged to run through the whole Controversie of Baptism in four Essentials by him so called 1. The Minister 2. The Form 3. The Name into which 4. The Subject All which being laid down as so many Essentials if any one be wanting the baptism in his sense is made null and void we are therefore come to examine these several heads and first the Minister or Administrator p. 6. preaching Disciples go ye therefore but when he afterwards comes to explain his meaning who they are he speaks thus That Disciple that can bring down God to the soul and the soul up to God is a lawful Minister of baptism I shall therefore a little search into this unheard of qualification according to the place by him quoted first the persons spoken of had an immediate Commission from Christ Go ye therefore Secondly The persons sent were Apostles men in Office men of Gifts for the work Go teach all Nations baptising such they were that baptized in a way of office power and authority And because these therefore every man that undertakes to preach by a Gift either occasionally or intentively not having any Commission or Call thereto may baptize is this any lawful deduction or rather is it not the way to destroy the Ministry by this rule if there be twenty in the Church of which this Author is a labourer or Minister that can preach or talk rather as well as himself they shall therefore take his power of administring these Seals out of his hands When as both he and they are bound to desist from any such actions until they are duly and solemnly admitted into an office that capacities them for the work And the contrary is condemned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Pastors and Teachers c. And therefore God hath set every member in the Church to be useful to the body in his due place as are the members of the natural body and not one to intrude upon the other Consider further Secondly If that be all the qualification required for the administration of Sacraments before mentioned then may a woman be a lawful administrator for though the title of preaching Disciples reaches onely to the Males yet that kind of explanation will reach females What if such a one as Priscilla who was a Disciple should amongst many of her own Sex be an instrument to convert some to the Faith I hope it cannot be denyed but she brings down God to the soul is it therefore lawful for her to baptize there must therefore such a restriction be put upon the words as confines them to persons in office or else we are like to come to a strange kind of Reformation at last But indeed this kind of qualification though the full current of the words are rough and harsh yet may it well suit with their practice for though they lay much weight upon the thing it self called the Ordinance yet are they very loose in this which he calls an Essential namely the Administrator for if the Pastor or Officer be absent or sick but usually they have neither if the people do but desire such a brother to baptize and give the
inward or how else should there be any communion of Saints on earth Thus Hagars son though by nature born under a covenant of works was a Church member And he could call Abraham father as Isaac could though not under such a spiritual consideration for still the in-works of Adoption Sonship Justification and Sanctification have run by promâ—se in a close hidden and spiritual way woâ—king upon and changing the heart And though Isaac Jacob and the rest of the line were all born in sin as well as Ishmael and Esau yet the Promise takes time to work and brings in the Elect of God some later some sooner yea let us bring down this again to a parallel and compare it to the practice of M. P. Sure I am he cannot say that all he and others with him plunged upon their profession of faith are the real Adopted sons of God or realâ—y holy or really justifyed or sanctifyed that is spiritually But this they may say they are visibly such and some may be such also spiritually but who they be is unknown to man and yet all were alike by nature born in sin and children of wrath 2. And thus all those Scriptures Ephes 2.2 by nature children of wrath Rom. 3.9 none righteous no not one are answered This was also the equal condition of Paul David and the rest born and conceived in sin and yet as Abrahams seed they were interessed in the covenant then as believers and their seed are now We may then see how his heap of chaff cast upon the truth begins already to be blown away II. P. The second fundamental which he proclaims to the world that our practice overturns is stability in a covenant of eternal life for if all Israel were born in the covenant of Grace then all should be saved but there were but a remnant of Israel saved all the rest damned Isa 10.22 23. Rom. 9.22 And if so born they must needs fall away from Grace A. As stability in Grace is a glorious truth so neither doth this touch it For it onely makes the outward part of the covenant instable That is a falling away from their visible being in the covenant for as hath been said a man may be in the covenant yet not in the Grace of the covenant Thus Israel and all those Gospel hypocrites mentioned fell away but the election still remained so the branches that were in Christ Joh. 15. that bare not fruit were cut off and withered and thus all those Texts that speak of a falling away are to be understood The like now though many Apostates fall from the ways of God yet the covenant remains stable and the same for ever III. P. The third foundation he pretends to be shaken is the necessity of conversion and regeneration which is a Doctrine eminently confirmed by Christ in the Gospel for which he brings several Texts of Scripture but to hold a covenant of life to run upon the carnal seed of believers opposeth this for then when Christ said Except a man be born again â—e cannot enter into the kingdom of God Israel might answer that 's not true we have an interest in the covenant of Grace already and except ye believe that I am he ye shall dye in your sins they might say again that 's not true for we know another way â—o heaven then by believing and 1 Joh. 5. He that hath not the Son hath not life This error replyes there be thousands interessed in life without having Christ by carnal generation Thus far he with much more of the like stuffe with which he fills three pages together A. Neither doth it at all intrench upon this Doctrine as falsly suggested therefore to cleer this we are to consider first the ground of this mistake of his from whence it riseth as any man may easily see namely that the Doctrine of Conversion Repentance and Regeneration is to be preacht onely to such as are without the Church and Kingdom of Christ for his argument runs as taking it for granted that such as are the subjects of the kingdom are such in reality when as by the former distinctions it is most apparent that some are such visibly onely and some really 2. Therefore consider the Doctrines mentioned are part of that Gospel which is the kingdoms Gospel as Christ calls it and hath been ever preacht to the subjects of the kingdom so it was to Israel of old and though believers and their seed were taken into the covenant already proved to be of grace yet this Doctrine of the new birth was preacht to them which is abundantly cleer from Christs words to Nicodemus Joh. 3. a place by himself quoted Art thou a Doctor in Israel and knowest not what the doctrine of the new birth means implying That he shewed himself very ignorant when he knew not that which was preacht amongst Israel adding this also That the Ordinance of Circumcision so frequently used was but a Type of the Circumcision upon the heart yea the whole tenor of the old-Testament runs in such terms that cleerly shew their blessedness lies in repenting and turning to God in pardon of sin in setting their delight in the Laws of the Lord trusting in God and setting their hope in God the book of Psalms is full of it So also in those primitive Churches planted by the Apostles themselves who in admission of members had a better insight to the truth of grace upon the heart then any since and yet this Doctrine they preacht to the Church 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 2.29 ch 6.11.8.10 Gal. 5.19 Eph. 4.23 therefore such as think the Doctrines of Repentance New-birth c. should be preacht to the world onely may hence see their mistakes amongst which number Mr P. is one I shall still draw down the parallel to his practice which I judge to be a good way to convinâ—e our dissenting friends of their error can he think that all that runs in the same ra e with him I mean into the water that they have no need of preaching Repentance or the new-birth amongst them surely if that be his judgment he discovers more ignorance and weakness then ever Nicodemus did Therefore 3. Let us glean up his Scriptures The reproof that John gave the Pharisees was not for pleading a title to Abrahams covenant as his seed for it is evident he baptâ—zed upon that accompt for had not the Pharisees claimed the Ordinances as Abrahams seed because the rest did so the reproof given them had been little better then non-sense but he checks them for their wickedness in not walking as became Abrahams children So also Joh. 8.32 The like also Luke 16. a place M. P. much delights to name thinking it makes for his opinion because Dives in hell owned Abraham as a Father and Abraham owned him as a son but yet for all that saith Mr. Patient he was damned A. There is none denyes but Abraham had more children damned then saved yet nevertheless such as
unmoveable again CHAP. XIII The sixth and seventh Fundamentals maintained P. pag. 80 81 83. THis opinion destroys the doctrine and foundation of Gospel-Churches The matter thereof which is Saints by calling spiritual worshippers Ioh. 4.23 lively stones 1 Pet. 2.5 persons redeemed from a vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 brought out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Now this opinion brings in a whole Nation to be a Church all born of their body their seeds seed in their generations This is a setting up the partition wall again betwixt the natural branches and those that are wild by nature 2 The manner of gathering is destroyed and the Lords baptism neglected and a counterfeit baptism set up in the room thereof A. Though this head would require a larger answer yet I shall contract as briefly as I can therefore 1 As to the matter of a Gospel Church it is believers and their seed which I thus prove the Church of Christ is his kingdom in the world to which the tenders of Gospel-Grace and mercy belongs it is therefore called the Gospel of the kingdom Mat. 13.19 before toucht upon It was so before the coming of Christ and it is so since If Grace therefore once took in children to be subjects of this kingdom who then casts them out not Grace for that is unchangeable and therby they were taken in T is the Argument of Paul If God justifies who shall condemn Rom. 8.31 34. If God be for them who shall be against them If grace makes them holy by separating them to a holy use who shall make them unclean and cut them off And that the same bowels of Grace and tender affection remains in Christ to little babes is cleer under the Gospel for of such is the kingdom he doth not say of such was the kingdom For that indeed would have been quickly made use of as a plea against us But of such is the kingdom As if he had said My Kingdome is made up of the same materials as the Kingdomes of the World are not onely of men and women but of children also of such is the kingdome would it not be ridiculous to say there may be a kingdom without children and that this is a metaphorical allusion to the kingdoms of the world is cleer not onely from the words or phrase there us'd but also from other Texts The kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of Christ And Abrahams covenant tells us how it should be namely by multiplying of Abrahams seed in all Nations so as that power at last shall naturally divolve into their hands as it is worthily observed by an eminent Minister of these times Mr Carter upon Abrahams covenant 2. Consider the foundation of this kingdom was laid in Abraham and his seed For though God had his worship before in families from the beginning upon the first promise of Christ yet it came not to a kingdom-worship till the promise was inlarged of multiplying the seed as the stars of heaven And so Isaac was taken in as a subject with his Father though but an Infant-subject and that covenant which took in them was the kingdoms covenant and the seal of the covenant was the seal of the kingdom which reaches as well Infant-subjects as their Parents If then the foundation of the kingdom were parents and children then the building upon that foundation must be also parents and children because it is not a new but a continued kingdom Mat. 21.43 This being duly weighed it will also reach to that other relation the Church stands in to Christ of being his house And so takes in the place quoted 1. Pet. 2.5 And ye as living stones are built up a spiritual house c. Look what materials therefore were laid into the foundation of Gods spiritual house of the same is it carryed up till the top-stone be laid with shoutings Grace Grace And that Gods house under the Law was a spiritual huuse and their worshippers spiritual worshippers is câ—eer because Israel were a sepa ated people from all Nations and were also to be separated amongst themselves from all moral and typical uncleanness either in persons or things in order to a spiritual injoyment of God in his worship they being then as we now to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God holy and acceptable Se 2 Cor. 6.16 18. câ—mpared with Lev. 26.22 Isa 52.11 Ezek. 37.27 ch 44.7 And the having children in that spiritual house did not at all diminish from the worship to make it the less spiritual Isa 56.7 the allusion of the spiritual house under the Gospel is drawn from the nature of Gods spiritual house under the Law My house shall be called the house of prayer of all Nations It was not so called from the walls and stones of the Temple though that also in a sense might be so called but from Israels meeting there who was the prayiâ—g people that God had then in the world and the children were also carryed up to be presented before the Lord Exod. 13.2 Levit. 12.2 6. Luke 2.22 23 24 27. Therefore what ranks or degrees of people there were in the house of prayer then the same was also the house of prayer under the Gospel in all Nations to consist of namely of men women and children therefore the Apostle calls the Church the houshold of faith in which are taken in believers seed this doth also answer that place Joh. 4. spiritual worshippers for such they were under the Law and yet their children also were included The word is there used in opposition to this or that place which they lookt upon themselves bound up to though Christ was come as also in opposition to their manner of worship which was then more carnal Heb. 9.10 Truth was also opposed to the Idol worship of the Samaritans but nothing at all can be gathered to take away the right of children or that imports children not to be fit matter for a Church kingdom or house of God especially considering it was the same covenant of Grace then that took them in as it is now and if it be an immutable covenant to believers and their seed as no sound Christian can deny then are believers seed still in the covenant And thus also children may be truely called Saints and sanctifyed persons holy because set apart to a holy use in the service of God 3 Whereas therefore he saith this opinion brings in a whole Nation of believers it is his mistake for till God brings them in the opinion and practice doth not for it is but the incorporating of the families of believers into Congregational Societies and Churches unless there be so many families as fill a Nation and then I think without offence they may be called a Nation of believers and for ought I can see not improperly a National-Church neither are we hound by Israels practice of Circumcising to their succeeding generations who had a command for it though I believe they were
much corrupted in that Ordinance as appears from that place Ezek. 44.7 therefore to baptize our children to succeedâ—ng generations iâ— the Parents wicked because the visible unbelief of Parents cuts off their seed and their visible believing ingraffs them in And thus we finde John repulst visible unbelievers that came to be baptized upon the account of Abrahams covenant so that it appears that M. P. is aâ— ignorant of the ground of our practice as he is of the truth of his own 4 Neither is it the setting up again of the partition wall betwixt the natural branches and those that are wild by nature For the partition wall was the legal-Ordinances Eph. 2.14 15 given to the Jewâ—sh Nation onely and shuâ—ting out all Nations besides so much is implyed by Paul Rom. 9.4 To them appertained the giving of the Law and the Oracles that is to them and none else so Rom. 11.12 Mat. 28.19 which Commission was inlarged upon Christs taking away that partition wall and copyed out according to the tenor of Abrahams covenant Gen. 12. In thee shall all Nations of the earth be blessed Therefore go teach all Nations Therefore also by natural branches we are to understand the Jewish believing Parents and seed These were the branches of the covenant cut off for unbelief His blood be upon us and our children Mat. 27.25 and Rom. 11.15 20. because of unbelief they were broken off What they The first place tells us Parents and Children and ver 17. and if some of the branches were broken off implying that as Parent and seed were branches so some of those branches were not broken off but still remained in Abrahams covenant Therefore 2 By wild branches or branches wild by nature we are to understand the Gentiles Parents and seed called wild by nature because Israel that were Gods Vineyard Orchard Garden and so inclosed were dress'd and prun'd by Christ in his Ministry who was the vine-dresser thereof when as the Gentiles grew wild as a Tree in a wilderness and so were without God in the world thus the natural branches were cut off That the branches wild by nature might be graffed in The Sun at noon day hath not so cleer a light as this Scripture hath to prove the covenant right and interest of believers and their seed In what therefore he affirms in pag. 81. that taking in of children is a setting up the partition wall betwixt the natural branches and bâ—anches wild by nature he shews himself more blind then that poor man that saw men as trees walking For by natural branches he understands onely adult professors and by branches wild by nature little infants when as the word of God tells us that we are to understand by branches Parents and Children By all which it is apparent that he understands not what the partition wa l is or what the natural branches or branches wild by nature signifies Thus far we have examined the t uth of his Church-matter The next thing is the form Therefore P. The holding of this opinion that believers seed have a right to the covenant makes people live in a neglect of the Lords baptism contenting themselves with a counterfeit baptism instead thereof and thus the Church comes to be constituted of good and bad promiscuously and then he calls for our rule to justifie it A. The Reader may here observe to what height of spirit this man is sweld that he durst charge all the Churches of Christ through the world with a counterfeit baptism as if the onely light of this truth did shine in Rivers It hath been already proved in answer to his Essentials that the Lords Baptism was not by dipping Therefore believe him not yea the Lord Christ will be a swift witness against him that he abhors such a practice for the reason before laid down And whereas be saith that it makes the Church a promisâ—uouâ— body consisting of good and bad I answer 1. So doth Christ himself Mat. 13.47 where he likens the kingdom of heaven i. e. the Church to a net let down into the sea which gathered of all kinds both good and bad yet I hope he will not be so bold to say a charge of imputation upon Christ himself 2 It hath been also proved that such a mixture as is made by taking in believers and their seed is no more then what the word of God bars out upon the account of Abrahams covenant and to call it a mixture is to call that common which is clean 3 Neither do I believe but if their own Societies were sifted there would be found more chaff then wheat and that their Congregations would not appear more strict then ours I speak not this by way of boasting for I doubt we have not so much cause on either hand But let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. P. p. 82. He tells us of going in an untrodden path because we baptize children and receive them into the Church as members and yet deny them the Sacrament And then asks us when we will give it them or why they have a right to one priviledge and not to another A. Though a child may not be fit to sit at the fathers Table yet he may be fit to suck at the mothers breasts And if you will know when they shall come to the Lords Table the Apostle tells you when they can examine themselves 1 Cor 11.28 Look back to Israel though their seed did receive the seal of the covenant and were admitted then in Christs kingdom yet they were not presently fit for the passover which was also a spiritual feast and a prefiguration of the Lords Supper 1 Cor 5.7 8. as the Israel of God then in which children were included was a prefiguration of Gods Israel now therefore though baptism and the Lords Supper are both priviledges of the covenant as Circumcision and the Passover were then yet the infant-seed of the kingdom may be fit for the one though not fit for the other as the infant-subjects of the kingdoms of the world they are subjects but not fit for all the priviledges of a kingdom which consideration doth answer his cavils though much more might have been added upon another account As to that Scripture Act. 2.41 42. That all that were baptized continued in breaking bread I answer They were such there spoken of that were capable of hearing the word and which gladly received it that were converted from Judaism The like to which is practised upon the conversion of any unbaptised persons at this day and this makes therefore for us for though their children were admitted in upon the account of Abrahams covenant The promise is to you and your children yet we do not finde they were admitted to the Supper because the same promise belonging to them and their seed under the Law yet the seed were not capacifyed for the Passover By all which therefore it appears our path lies plain and open that we may see which way the
the east Country The answer is plain that so long as they were in Abrahams family and Circumcised they were all Church-members and visibly in the covenant as their brother Ishmael was but being turnd out of the family they lost the Church priviledges as not being heirs of promise as for their being gracious we have no ground to think they were but the contrary And had Ishmael Esau and Keturahs sons been kept within the covenant there had then been no partition wall betwixt Jew and Gentile For the whole Nation of Israel came onely from the line of Isaac P. pag. 91 92. He tells us that all the Nations of the earth were to be blest alike in him i. e. saith Mr Patient in the spiritual covenant And Circumcision was but a chusing of one Nation into a Church covenant for matter of worship A. He cleerly confounds Abrahams covenant and blessings for if all Nations were equally alike blest as to the spiritual part of the covenant To what end then should God pitch upon any people or Nation to walk in his Ordinances when the spiritual part of the covenant was not to be conveyed in them or if it was yet upon such terms that other Nations without such Ordinances did injoy as much and then to what purpose should Israel be at such pains cost and charges in their Offerings or spend time to hear read pray or keep the Sabboths if all these were but as shel s without a kernel yea had it not been a burthensom yoak and might not Gods people have said why shall we spend so much time and take so much pains and be at such costs to worship God when other Nations that do none of all this yet they injoy as much of the spiritual covenant and so of Justification and salvation yea as much of the world as we I appeal to the Consciences of all our dissenting friends whether this be not to preach up revolt Apostasies and backslidings from the ways of God and to make the hearts and spirits of Gods people to disrelish them as an unsavory dish yea such a doctrine as this tells the world that where God gâ—ves Ordinances they prove a curse and not a bâ—essing whereas that holy Apostle tells us Eph. 2.12 That at â—hat time we were without Christ aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the covenants of Promise having no hope without God in the world And so David Psal 147.19 20. he hath given his word to Jacob his Statutes to Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation Therefore when God tells Abraham that in him all Nations of the earth should be blest he intends a time and order for this blessing to work and not in all at once nor in all parts at once And so the Apostle after argues To you first God hath sent his son to bless you and if the Jews first then the Gentiles afterwards yea when it came to the Gentiles there was a divine order in conveighing this blessing falling like the showrs of heaven sometimes in one Country sometimes in another First it spreads about Jerusalem then it Coasts up in Africa by means of the Eunuch then the light grows dark and out it breaks in Europe Spain Italy Greece afterwards again when Popery had overspread the earth then it breaks out in France Germany Bohemia Netherlands Denmark Sweden England Scotland and Ireland all which tells us that Gods Ark of worship is Ambulatory not fixt to any place by reason of the wickedness of a people as Christ tells the Jews Mat. 21.43 The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to another Nation that shall bring forth the fruits thereof the Lord grant we finde it not true in these Nations by sad experience for there are sad symptomes and chiefly when reproach and contempt is cast upon the Ministers of Christ without check or controle thus then we may see what desperate errors are like to come in at this watergate if it be not kept shut and all for want of a right understanding of the covenant made with Abraham I shall not meddle with his typical election because it runs upon the same foot with the former already answered that place by him quoted 2 Cor. 3. of the ministring of the spirit meets also with the like quarter by his false interpretations of the rest for I must profess I have not seen throughout his whole book any one Text brought but hath been either falsly opened or falsly applyed In pag. 91. He tells us that Jacob in the womb was no more the seed of a believer then Esau which shall be easily granted if his ingenuity will but grant also that Jacob was more the seed of Promise then Esau which is a sufficient answer P. Pag. 92.93 He again harps upon the old string thus Circumcision was not given to Abraham and his seed considered as a believer but to shew us that the Messias was to come from Abraham not from Lot from Isaac not Ishmael from Jacob not Esau therefore here you may nakedly see how grosly they mistake that think the covenant was made with Abraham and his seed considered as a believer and believers seed therefore if a national covenant was made with Abraham and his seed upon this reason before then you cannot conclude that Abrahams covenant belongs to any Gentile because when Christ was come and the ground upon which the covenant was given ceasing the covenant also ceaseth so that now to defend a covenant in the flesh is a doctrine virtually to deny that Christ is come and hence therefore we may conclude that there was no covenant of grace made with any but such as did and do believe that objection therefore that spiritual priviledges under the Gospel are not less then they were under the Law is hereby answered A. I have here taken in the matter of these pages without mangling as neer as I could because this eclipse will make truth break ouâ— more glorious and instead of seeing the naked truth we may see rather his nakedness and so his shame Therefore 1 If the covenant had not been made with Abraham as a believer then it had not been made with him at all as already proved and so the Apostle tells us he received the sign of Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had c. implying that if Abraham had not enjoyed that righteousness he could not have enjoyed the seal of it 2 Had it been given him barely to proclaim Christ to the world as to come from him and so nothing else to be expected from that covenant then as before there must have been another mark found out to shew in which of Jacobs twelve sons the line was to run For notwithstanding Circumcision M. P. would be to seek had it not been for Mat. 1. and Luke 3. therefore 3 We have it laid down before that Abrahams covenant in the blessings thereof had many other choice
shall briefly touch upon this word administration to shew the propriety thereof as used in the Objection The Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12. useth the same word in the same sense there are differences of administration that is one legal the other Gospel but the same Lord. He is there shewing the different estate that was betwixt Jew and Gentile in the things of God and therefore when he speaks to the Corinthians in ver 2. he speaks so as that he would have them understand the difference betwixt true and false worshippers ye know brethren that ye were Gentiles carryed away to these dumb Idols even as you were led But afterwards having shewed that Christ was to have a mystical Church-body in the world which was to consist of Jews and Gentiles he tells us that in the compleating of this body there are different administrations yet so as that both Jew and Gentile are baptized by one spirit into this one body So that those words different administrations can relate to no more sorts of people but Jew and Gentile and therefore can be but two namely the Jewish or legal Administration and the Gentile or Gospel-Administration and the baptism of the Holy Spirit of God working in both of them and yet so as that the Jews and their children and the Gentiles and their children make up as one seed this one body of the mystical Church ver 12 13 38. Gal. 3.14 16. compared and this different Administration came from Christ as Lord therefore called the same Lord implying that Christ as Lord gave Israel that typical Administration and so Christ as Lord changed it and set up a Gospel-Administration and in this sense is Christ called the Lord also of the Sabboth-day cleerly implying that what change hath been made of Sabboth-seals or any other Ordinances it was done by the Prerogative-Royal of Jesus Christ as Lord thereof for the use of that one body and Lordship of his the Church by which we see there are two and but two Administrations which therefore as it may satisfie M. P. in the significancy of the word and yet remain as a covenant also so doth it meet with that licencious rotten abuse of this word in making as many several administrations as there are new opinions in the world P. p. 138. He brings many Scriptures to prove that Circumcision is cald a covenant not an administration Gen. 17.7 13. Heb. 8.6 7 8. c. A. Though God calls it not an administration but a covenant yet it becomes a covenant made with man by vertue of administration and the meaning is no more but this that Grace to man runs through those Ordinances If Circumcision be a covenant it must have an administrator or else the covenant ceases If it be a covenant to Isaac then Abraham must administer it so baptism is an Ordinance yet had it no administrator it would cease to be an Ordinance it is true there may be a neglect of an Ordinance as there was of Circumcision and yet the Ordinance continued for they wanted not an administrator 2 Though God called it not an administration in Gen. 17. yet Paul called it so in 1 Cor. 12. as is before proved and surely M. P. will not deny but that Paul spake by the spirit of God when he so called it 3 T is also called an administration in reference to the care and pains Gods people are to take in administring for their Fathers estate left in a way of Will and Testament which is to be made sure into that administration-office of Gods Ordinances both then under Law and now under the Gospel according to 2 Pet. 10 11. For so an entrance shall be administred abundantly into the everlasting kingdom By all which therefore we see the word is proper full and significant only carpt at out of ignorance that it remains to be a covenant i. e. on mans part and an administration i. e. the way God hath appointed to convey justification to life and both these reaches Parents and children As for all those Scriptures he here brings to prove two covenants and therefore one of works they have been already answered to which I refer the Reader onely I shall take in one or two Scriptures in which he hath made sad work that have not been so fully answered before because I intended it for this place The first is Pag. 140. Gal. 4.21 Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law Do ye not hear the Law For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free woman but he who was by the bond-maid was born after the flesh but he of the free-woman was born by promise which things are an Allegory i. e. by these things other things are meant For these are the two covenants the one from Mount Sinai in Arabia which gendreth to bondage and answers to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all Now we brethren as Isaac was are children of the promise but as then he that was after the flesh persecuted him that was of the spirit even so it is now but what saith the Scripture cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free so then brethren we are not children of the bond-woman but of the free P. From hence observe that Abraham is here a type of God and his two wives Sarah and Hagar with their two children are a type of the two covenants and the two seeds in those covenants and both continued in Abrahams house together for a time But when Isaac was born and Ishmael was found sâ—offing then Sarah the free-woman will have Hagar and her son live no longer in the house with her and her son Again Abraham had first the free woman and last the bond-woman the free-woman was sometimes barren in Abrahams house the bond-woman was fruitful the mystery of all is this First God made a covenant of Grace which proved barren Secondly He made a covenant of works in his Church which proved fruitful that had abundance of seed which became his by nature without Faith all which time the covenant of grace and works agreed well together in Gods house but when the true Isaac was born i. e. Christ without strength of nature but by faith in a promise yet still grace and works as two covenants dwelt together but when Christ is weaned i. e. come into the Ministery then all the â—ons of Hagar the old covenant i. e. the Scribes Pharisees persecuted Christ and all those in him whereupon the free-woman or covenant of grace dothtestifie that the covenant of works with her seed shall no longer remain in the Church of God but onely the children of the free-woman born by faith in a promise must for time to come remain in Gods house therefore now rejoyce thou barren