6.5 In death there is no remembrance of God in the grave who shall praise him But the Comforter which would not have beleeving parents mourne 1 Thes 4.13 as those which have no hope hath informed them that he is the Circumciser of their heart and of the heart of their seed * Deut. 30.6 a plain evidence that they love and know him or rather are beloved and knowne of him He that loved them in their life will not forsake them in their death For the dead which die in the Lord are fully blessed yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them * Rev. 14.13 But by your words it appeareth that you judge the infants of beleevers and Infidells all alike Yea the Infidell servants which serve beleevers if these your words be true have a greater priviledge then the Infants of beleevers for the servants are capable of instruction in respect of a naturall capabilitie but the Infants are not Now if you will still grant that the Infants of beleevers though they die in their infancie have a greater priviledge then the infants of unbeleevâ—rs then you must also grant that that their priviledge resteth in something else besides the bare publication of the Gospel which they are not in their infancie capable of And you should not have over-topped them so far as to say that because beleeving parents may be a means to bring their children to the knowledge and faith of Jesus Christ that therefore they have no more priviledges then the unbeleeving wife As if this were the greatest priviledge which beleevers infants have which unbeleevers themselves may have Mark 16.15 But you should rather have reasoned thus Beleeving parents may publish the Gospel to their unbeleeving servants unbeleeving wives to all other unbeleevers but they may yea ought to apply it to their infants * See Mar. 16.16 Luk. 1.76 77 78 79. as well as to themselves also to all those whom they are to esteem in the state of salvation he that hath faith thus to do is a Christian he that hath not so much faith but refuseth to apply the Gospel so the Lord be mercifull to his soule by giving him repentance and remission of his sinne All godly parents â—ike faithfull Abraham were to teach their children the way of life both what things were and what things signified Gen. 19.17.19 Josh 4.21.24 and to declare unto them the goodnesse of God in the land of the living yea to hide nothing from them which might be profitable to them or beneficiaâ—l for them But as they grew up to be capable of knowledge the parents were as before mentally so now verbally to apply the promises unto themselves and their children c. Psal 78.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. And surely this is one cause why the Land mourns why the Lord smiteth the earth with cursing Mal. 4.5 6. because the heart of the parents are not linked to their Infants This part of good Elias and John Baptists ministâ—ry doth not worke upon them And how can it worke upon them so long as they continue in their sinnes and so wrap themselves and their off-spring in many mischiefes and miseries and doe not choose life the thing that pleaseth God but refuse it and follow the wayes of the strange woman whose wayes are wayes of death and whose steps reach downe to hell And surely I may well say unto you that those are Physicians of no value who in stead of curing them doe kill them and in stead of preserving them doe poysen harden corrupt and pervert them with such damnable doctrine which so violently possesseth them that they thinke the Infants of beleevers have no priviledge at all in respect of the Covenant of grace no more then the children of Turkes and Heathens who are unholy A dangerous doctrine and to be abhorred detested and witnessed against by those that feare the God of heaven and desire to make a difference between the precious and the vile against all such Mongrell opposites who by speech and writing contrary to the Tenour of the whole Scripture do labour to rank all infants in one condition Thus coupling light and darknesse God and Belial the beleever and the Infidell together But woe unto them may we say as sayth the Prophet Isaiah Isa 10.1 which decreâ— unrighteous decrees and write grievousnesse which they have prescribed Thus drawing * Isa 5.18 iniquitie with the cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Woe ** Ver. 20. unto them that call evill good and good evill that put darknesse for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Psal 73.1 Yet surely God is good unto Israel may wee say to those that are pure in heart The Lord hath been mindfull of us He will blesse us He will blesse the house of Israel saith that sweet singer of Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron Psal 115.12 13 14 15. He will blesse those that feare the Lord with small and great The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your children You are blessed of the Lord who hath made the heaven and the earth NExt * See A. R. Pag. 12. lin 40. Pag. 13. li. 1 2. Pag. 13. l. 3. you say The fourth Scripture is That which speakes of Christs commanding little Children to be brought unto him and sayd That of such is the kingdome of God Hence you say therefore some reason The kingdome of God belongeth to little Children why not the Seales I Ans If by these some you mean the people of the Seperation then I say you have not set it downe according to our expression It is too generally laid downe We say the kingdome of heaven belongeth to the Infants of beleevers and we doe not barely question why not the seales But we set it downe affirmatively that the seales doe belong to the infants of beleeving parents But for as much as our poynt is particularly concerning the Baptisme of infants I intend to proceed directly to the matter in hand and answer your trifling objections by the way as I trace you Mat. 28.19 Mat. 16.16 First It is to be minded that Baptisme is one of the priviledges of Christs Church which is his house and kingdome Secondly It is also to be minded that Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God and Lord of Glory and of all administrations and giver of every good and perfect gift when he sayth Suffer the little Children to come unto me Mar. 10.14 Mat. 19.14 c. For of such is the kingdome of heaven He doth hereby apply the Gospel unto them I say It is Gospel which he speaketh here Where the kingdome is ther 's the Gospel Get the kingdome thou hast God and Gospel and all And so wee are to understand that with the kingdome the infants of beleevers have the Gospel of the
furniture of my fathers kingdome And those whom the father giveth me I will not cast away It is not the will of your heavenly father that any of these little ones should perish * Mar. 18.1 Joh. 21.15 They are Israelites the lambs of my pasture I am the Shepheard of Israel and will in no wise cast them away He sayd Surely they are my people children that will not lie so he was their Saviour In all their affliction he was afflicted Isa 63.8 9. And as I being the Angel of Gods presence saved them and in my love and in my pittie redeemed them and bare them up in mine armes all the dayes of old so will I beare them now Therefore suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God Wherefore let all those who oppose holy infants know that they thus far are enemies unto the Gospel and so doe sinne against God exceedingly in labouring to cast out these who are the glorie of our fathers house But the holy Prophet Isaiah sayth that upon all the glorie there shall be a covering * Isa 4.5 Now Infants being part of the glorie there is a covering upon them and this covering 59.21 is by the Spirit of the Lord for verification whereof see the Evangel Mat. 19.14 * Luk. 18.15 16 where Christ sayth Of such is the kingdome of heaven Mark 10.14 Of such is the kingdome of God And he tooke them up in his armes and put his hands upon them and blessed them Ver. 15. And by this it may appeare that all beleeving parents have ground to cast their infants upon the Lord Jesus Christ and for them to depend upon him who is as a nayle fastened in a sure place And whereas it is sayd All the glorie Wee are taught not to leave out any of the glorie least by abridging or debarring our Infants of their priviledges wee leave out some of the glorie if not the chiefest part and so highly disobey Gods Institution in leaving out his ordinances and his people which are the glory of his house It is to be minded that this word all is agreeable to the words of Christ when he sayth Of such is the kingdome of heaven for this word such as hath been observed * See before in pag. 92 93. 99. 100. is of a large extent and includeth them also they being the glory of the Fathers house So in Malachy the seed of the godly are called a godly seed Mal. 2.14 and in 1 Cor. 7.14 they are tearmed holy children God greatly delighteth in them and they are a glorie unto his Church Wherefore they are dignified with names accordingly And moreover Christ being set forth as a nayle unto these holy vessells it doth signifie unto us that these must be put upon him which have not a naturall capablenesse the holy off-spring and blessed issue the vessells in Gods temple must be fastened upon * Not but that they are of the Temple or mēbers of the Church but for more comelines honour and eminencie safetie glorie and dignitie they were appointed to be set on high by the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the house of Judah upō him who is as a nayle fastened in a sure place him by others If we compare the 17th of Genesis with this it will give light to the poynt for there the parents were commanded to circumcise their children which was unto them a signe and seale of the righteousnesse of the same faith which Abraham had and so it was a token that they belonged unto the Lord. And Baptisme being unto us as Circumcision was unto them wee therefore baptize our infants as they circumcized theirs and thereby doe confirme them unto Christ as they confirmed theirs And because he claimeth these holy vessells of small quantitie we therefore dedicate them unto him according as God commanded the Children of Israel concerning theirs and so we put them upon the Lord Jesus Christ and they are his peculiar treasure and he beareth them and approveth of our practise in bringing them unto him it being according to his Commandement who is as faithful in his house as Moses and is worthy of more glory then Moses * Heb. 3.3 inasmuch as he who buildeth the house is worthy of more honour then the house Now in this house there the Lord hath ordained his vessels of small quantitie to abide who are the off-spring and the issue and the glorie thereof And they may well be called so for God calleth and counteth them so And also where this glorie is there is still hope and it is and may in reason be expected that as they come to be capable so they will manifest actually the fruits of Gods Spirit and as they are children of light and inlightned so they will set it forth to the glory of the father of lights And as glorious starres in eminencie shew forth their excellencie in the bright firmament of that heavenly Jerusalem wherein they are planted and placed and will be also a meanes to encrease it not onely by grafting in those farre remote but also by propagation or multiplication of persons within themselves As Moses that good Christian who was like unto Christ sayth Deut. 1.11 The Lord make you a thousand times so many as you be Which speech is not to be limited to an addition of persons unto them from out of the world but it is meant that they should increase amongst themselves and so multiply even as a tree which though it have grafts yet groweth into many branches which branches are not grafted in but spring therefrom and grow thereupon Now where this glorie is not there is a want of it yea and a great want I may say indeed And why Because that the Church then is in expectation according to the ordinarie course of nature in a decaying condition I say the Church is readie to decay that is to say to be lessened more and more in this terrestriall habitacle for it is appointed unto men once to die and when they are dead they are gone and leave the remnant or none behind them But holy infants being in the Church and members of the same they are a glory unto it and it may well be expected according to the ordinary course of nature that they will out-live the other and so succeed them after their decease and so the celestiall glorie of the fathers will shine in the children according to the minde of God in this terrestriall world Now where this glorie is missing so that the generations in the Church doe passe away and none are borne to succeed there is a want in that respect and so consequently the supply thereof is to be desired which if it be made up then it is a glory an honour a rejoycing unto them So that though this hope deferred maketh the heart sicke yet the desire comming is as a tree of life Pro.
Saints have There was a great difference * They differed in the quantitie not in the qualitie Zach. 4.20 in the time of the Law between the spoones flaggons and cups in the Temple and the censers seas and potts and yet they were all holy both great and small and so were the Jewes both young and old great and small Infants and aged persons they were all holy ecclesiastically and all the Lords holy vessels and we are not to have such sacrilegious thoughts as to thinke God doth refuse the infants of beleevers though they are vessells of small quantitie The Boules before the Altar were counted very glorious when it is taken for such an excellent thing for the potts in the Lords house to be like unto them If then the potts in the Lords house spiritually are in these last dayes and flourishing times of the Gospell * In respect that there is and hath been both by the sight of the eye hearing of the eare and in divers other respects most of God of Christ and of the Holy Spirit manifested in these last dayes like the boules before the Altar What are the boules before the Altar What are the cups What are the flaggons The Lord in numbering up his holy vessells of small quantitie even the holy off-spring and the blessed issue calleth them by the name of cups and flaggons and calleth them the glory of his house All which doth set forth the excellency of the Infants of beleevers their great holinesse and high estimation with Jesus Christ Compare with this the Historicall Relations of Christ concerning infants in the Gospel and there the fulling of this Prophecie will appeare to be for there they brought infants to him that he should put his hands on them and pray and he approved of their act * Mat. 19.13 yea and gave free admittance for the infants to come unto him and charged that none should interrupt the bringers by forbidding them because of such is the kingdome of heaven * Mar. 10 14. Luk. 18.17 and he took them up in his armes and put his hands upon them and blessed them ** Mar. 10.15 But to this you answer First That all this is not baptizing them for Christ baptized not A. R. Pag. 14. lin 3 4 5. Joh. 4.2 And therefore this place seemes not at all to prove the baptizing of Infants Ans The holy Ghost fell upon Cornelius and his friends Act. 10.44 at Peters preaching though all this was not baptizing them with water yet they being baptized by the holy Ghost who could forbid water that they should not be baptized which had received the holy Ghost as well as * Ver. 47. others So the infants which Christ took up in his armes he layd his hands upon and blessed Christ did more for holy Infants then baptize them with water and declared that the Kingdome of God belonged unto them Of such is the Kingdome of heaven sayth he Christ had declared that without the Spirit persons could not enter into the Kingdome of God But these infants were subjects of his Kingdome according to the doctrine of Christ and therefore they had the Spirit and seeing the infants of beleevers are as they were they have the Kingdome the Gospel the Spirit and the graces of the Spirit and all and therefore they may lawfully be baptized and therefore these places have not onely a semblance in them but also a substantiall ground for the baptizing of the infants of the faithfull It being not various in the least from any of Gods institutions but every manner of way agreeable to the same And though then neither Christ nor his Spirit baptized with the Baptisme of water but instrumentally yet those that have Christ and the Spirit have the inward Baptisme and so are to have the outward Baptisme but the infants of beleevers have Christ and the Spirit for they have the Kingdome which cannot be without the Spirit therefore the infants of beleevers are to have the outward Baptisme As hath been proved before and even now and shall be further cleared afterwards Next you say Secondly Let them that please doe as here Christ did A. R. yet much rather let us all learne the lesson which Christ here taught A. R. without which wee cannot be saved But wee quite perverting Christs meaning doe in another sense become little children for some at first had no sooner hence sounded out this tune in our eares that the Kingdome of heaven belongs to little children and therefore Baptisme But wee all presently like little children dance after this pipe as though our heads were lighter then our heeles and in the meane time loose the true sense the marrow and fatnesse of these Texts which so much doe concerne us And thus it is not onely in these Texts but in many more in so much that wee through this our childish if not brutish following the heard of Interpreters from humane authoritie rather take many grosse errours for undeniable principles then once open our eyes to see and receive the truth upon Gods own bare word that wee might beleeve and so be saved out of this quick-sand of delusions And indeed how can wee beleeve giving and receiving honour thus one of another and seek not that honour that commeth of God alone As Christ tells us Joh. 12.44 To which I answer That those may rightly doe as Christ here did who are heires of the Kingdome whereof Christ is King But before you do as Christ here did take that counsell which you give unto others learne the lesson which Christ hath here taught without which you say you cannot be saved And seeing that the kingdome of heaven consisteth of the infants of beleevers wee may safely beleeve and justly conclude that though they are little in quantitie yet they are great in qualitie and most precious in the eyes of the Lord. And surely we have need of humilitie to teach us not to be so proud as to despise the day of small * Zech. 4.10 things It is not the way to be happie to despise those that are happie though they have not attained to such a measure as to confesse or expresse by verball relations or visible demonstrations Gods work upon their soules And I tell you further If you hold on in your errours in withstanding holy infants and doe not repent of this your evill you cannot rightly doe as Christ here did nor learne the lesson which Christ here taught and so upon your own ground cannot be saved but doe come under the censure which you have here set downe * Pag. 14. lin 8 9. of quite perverting Christs meaning c. and loosing the true sense marrow and fatnesse of these Texts which so much concerne us An evident proofe of this appeareth in your interpretation of the Scripture in the Gospel which speaketh of infants which you would not have to be meant of those Infants nor of
Esayâ—s sayth There shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reigne oâ—er the Gentiles and in him shall the Gentiles trust And David saith in Psal 22 28 29 31. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turne to Jehovah and all families of the Heathens shall do worship before thâ—e for to Jehoâ—ah partaines the kingdâ—me and he is Ruler among the Naâ—ions c. A sâ—ed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the Lord fâ—r a generation Observe how the Scriptures here doe set forth the excellent benâ—fits which appertain to aâ—â— the Saints in generall and to the holy families in particular under the flourishing time of the Gospel Here is great occasion for the â—aints to glorifiâ— to magnifie to confesse to praise and to laud the great God of heaven and earth who hath so far magnified his word so strongly confirmed his promises made unto the fathers and hath so largely extended his Gospel-priâ—iledges unto them and to their seed Their seed are in the blessing It shall sayth David be accounted unto the Lord for a generation Weigh these sentences and compare the same with Gen. 17 10 where the Lord sayd unto Abraham Thou shalt keepe my Covenant thou and thy seed after thee in their generations And so it is sayd here in Psal 22. that a seed shall serve him Now to serve him indeed is to keep his Covenant and those that keep his Covenant are obedient to his lawes and ordinances which he prescribeth And as Abraham and his seed then were accounted of before the Lord so are the beleeving Gentiles their seed now they are counted before the Lord for a generation for time was when they were not accounted before the Lord for a generation no reckoning was made of the Nations they were without Christ Eph. 2.11 12. being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world mistake me not I doe not say that the beleeving Gentiles or Proselytes or their infants were without Christ or without God in the world when God took them in his Covenant be it far from me so to thinke for these visible Saints were no further off then the beleeving Jewes * See Gen. 17.10 11 12 13 14. Exod. 12.48 But the Apostle declareth that such aliens as were then without God in the world Now God of his rich mercy hath called them unto him by repentance and now God calling them his people who were not his people and mâ—king them of Lyons Lambs bringing them into subjection to his lawes and to the obedience of his faith they are holy and spirituall 1 Cor. 7.14 and accounted as precious as Abraham and his infants were for these Gentiles who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Eph. 2.13 14. And he hath accepted of them joyntly into his service giving them the blessing of Abraham a Gen. 12.3 Gal. 3.8.14 and his posteritie accounting of them before him as a holy generation b Psal 22.30 1 Cor. 7.14 1 Pet. 2.9 Rev. 1.5 6. Isa 19.18 c. Whereas before they were visibly of no account of no estimation in the sight of God or his people But God of his rich mercy made them rich yea in generall equally rich with the Jewes in respect both of externall and internall precious priviledges The same God over all sayth the Apostle is rich unto all that call upon him c Rom 20.12 Rev. 22.14 their riches are not lessened or diminished one jot they are equailized with the riches of the Jewes let them be bond or free male or female they are all one in Christ d Gal. 3.28 Abrahams seed like Zacheus e Ver. 29. Luk. 19. and heires according to promise f Gal. 3.29 fellow-heires and of the same body and partakers of his promise by the Gospel g Eph 3.6 The children of the promisâ— as Isaac was h Gal 4 28. Blessed with their faithfull father Abraham i Gal. 3.9 grafted into the same stocke and olive tree and root from whence the unbeleeving Jewes for unbeliefe were cut off k Rom. 11.19 20 21 22 23 24. and these beleevers the Apostle concludeth are blessed by God the Father with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ l Eph. 1.3 and therefore I see no reason why the beleeving parents now though Gentiles should not have the like precious priviledges for their seed in infancie as their brethren and Countrimen had in former time for their seed m Gen. 17.11 12 13. Exod. 12.48 in infancie Yea considering that the infants of beleevers now are able to doe as good great faithfull and acceptable service as the infants of beleevers in the time of the Law and that these are as capable of Baptisme this passive Ordinance as those were of Circumcisioâ— that passive Ordinance which was no more passive then this and was the forerunner of this and both that and this being in one generalâ— institution and one and the same in effect n Col. 2 11 12 we may safely beleeve and justly conclude that the Saints infants ought to be baptized as formerly they were Circumcised yea and for as much as the Apostles themselves speaking generally of baptizing whole housholds o Act. 16.15 1 Cor 1 16.33 never once make mention of the exempting of any of their infants though it be a matter of so great concernment how then shall we reject them And considering that in the Scripture by the speech of an house familie or houshold infants are also implyed therein * Gen. 17.23.9 10.12 30.25.30 45.10 11.18 19 46 5 6 7. Exod. 1.1 Num. 3.15.39 Psal 115.12 13 14. Luk. 19.9 Prov 31.15 1 Tim. 5.8 and seeing Baptisme is come in the roome of Circumcision If infants should not have been baptized as formerly they were circumâ—ised sure the Apostles in speaking generally of baptizing housholds would not without exception of infants have used such tearmes as are set downe in the old and new Testament to include infants Considering that then the Apostles had a just occasion to exclude their infants in expresse words if any such thing should have been done If holy infants should have been thrust out from being members of the visible Church and from having their spirituall priviledges as they have had heretofore Surely we should have found some tittle of it in the New Testament but there is not the least shew of it from whence wee may draw any just consequence for dismissing them from being members of the visible Church of Christ * Mr Spilsbery saith it is a truth that the Church of the New Testament consisteth both of Jewes and Gentiles and admits of all that beleeve and rejects none And for the Gentiles Infants being in the same body as well as the Jews infants this saith he I beleeve both alike For
outward Baptisme therefore by consequence he was visibly in the Covenant even outwardly and externally He was an elected Saint so far as men could or were to judg then at that present time though his heart was not upright in the sight of God and therefore he was not of Gods Kingdome nor in the new Covenant in Gods secret account nor regenerated no more then Judas Iscariot though the Apostles themselves esteemed never so highly of him But the Infants of beleevers are visibly in the Covenant And wee are to judge all that are in the Covenant visibly to be elected regenerated sanctified heires of righteousnesse children of God and of his heavenly Kingdome till they appeare unto us either by some visible demonstration of their owne or evident manifestation of others or testification of Gods not to be that which before wee were to judge them to be O minde this well that Secret things belong unto the Lord our God Deut. 29.29 but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever Secondly say you * Pag. 5. lin 9. to lin 19. Contradictions cannot be the effect of one and the selfe-same Covenant in one and the selfe-same respect but for one parent to be a beleever that is of the Church when the other parent is not to produce a holy seed that is in the Covenant 1 Cor. 7.14 And for the other parents to be one a Jew and the other a Babylonian the one a member of the Church the other not to produce an unholy seed that is out of the Covenant and to be put away both wife and all borne by her as Ezra 10.3 you say is a contradiction in one and the selfe-same respect Therefore it cannot be the effect of one and the selfe-same Covenant Ans That is a contradiction which is opposed to a contrary thing as light is to darknesse And that is an effect which floweth from a Cause or ground The ground why God gave Abraham the signe and seale of his righteousnesse was Abrahams faith in beleeving Gods Covenant For Abraham had first the Covenant and faith to lay hold upon it and afterward the seale thereof The ground why Abraham did administer Circumcision Gods holy signe and seale of the righteousnesse of his faith was faith in beleeving the firmenesse of Gods promise Rom. 4.11 and the effectuall power and efficacie of the Ordinance of Circumcision which Circumcision had the denomination of the Covenant it self * Gen. 17.10 because it was a signe thereof * Ver. 11. I say Abrahams action of Circumcision was done in faith otherwise it had been sinne unto him * Rom. 14.23 But he added unto his faith this vertue this effect of the New covenant to yeeld obedience unto God in performance of this holy Ordinance upon his infants according to Gods appointment Baptisme being come in the roome of Circumcision though it be more generall yet it hath an equivolence with Circumcision Col. 2.11 12. Wherefore it being not contradictory thereunto but sealing up one and the same Covenant of life As Circumcision was to be administred upon the infants of beleevers in former time so Baptime is to be administred upon the infants of beleevers now Now though every contradiction argueth a difference yet every difference maketh not a contradiction But to restraine or lessen the priviledges of the Saints under the Gospel is not onely to make one Covenant contradictory to another but also the New covenant contradictory to it selfe which is not of a fading nature but of a flourishing nature and hath flourished and doth flourish more under the Gospel then it did under the Law Wherefore if you doe conceive that 1 Cor. 7.14 is of a lesser extent then Ezra 10.3 you are mistaken but if you will say 1 Cor. 7.14 is of a larger extent Wherefore have you brought Ezra 10.3 to unfold it Except it be to prove forcibly hereby against your selfe how that all beleevers infants generally of what Nation soever have greater priviledges now since Christs death then they have had heretofore As for the second part of your Argument considering that it wanteth explanation one way and proofe another way it will not stand you in any stead to prove what you would have it prove to wit that the holinesse spoken of 1 Cor. 7.14 is not a holinesse in relation to any Church-Covenant Indeed if you had set it downe thus That for one parent to be a beleever and the other an unbeleever to produce a holy seed in covenant and the same parents remaining in the same estate without alteration to bring forth an unholy seed and out of the Covenant is a contradiction in one and the selfe-same respect Or thus For one parent to be a beleever and another parent to be an unbeleever to produce a holy seed And for the like parents in the same respects to produce an unholy seed is a contradiction in one and the selfe-same respect If you had reasoned thus and so proved it then you had done somewhat like to your undertakings but in speaking generally of parents in covenant and out of covenant without noting in particular the difference that was between these sanctified unbeleeving wives mentioned in 1 Cor. 7.14 and those unbeleeving wives mentioned in Ezra 10.3 who were not then sanctified to beleevers for that purpose you even loose your selfe But you say it is a contradiction in one and the selfe-same respects and have not explaned nor declared what it is a contradiction of whether of the New covenant or of the old covenant or of both covenants Therefore declare plainly what covenant you thinke this divorcement in Ezra to be an effect of Was it an effect of the New covenant or of the old you may know that neither covenants did allow them to marry those cursed persons You ought also to minde that one Israelite might be divorced from another Israelite in the time of the Law and this precept was granted and written them by Moses Deut. 24.1 for the hardnes of their hearts Mat. 10.5 But this in Ezra 10. was not a bare grant but an absolute command not barely permitted or granted unto them for the hardnesse of their hearts there is more in it then so For those wicked persons in whom they formerly took delight they were forceably to put away it was not left to their libertie whether they would put them away or no but it was an injunction layd upon them under penaltie of Gods curse for they perceived Gods heavie wrath was hanging over their heads ready to seaze upon them unlesse there were some speedy redresse And it evidently appeareth that you have not well read or considered the Scripture for if you had you would soone have seen a great and weightie reason pressing these sonnes of God to put away these daughters of men and those unholy children borne of them for they in uniting themselvs thus unto them had made thēselves
yet we may conclude that eternall life is theirs and the second death shall have no power over them * Rev. 20.6 they are blessed and happie having part in the first resurrection for theirs is the kingdome of heaven and therefore it appeareth that they are given for an heritage unto Jesus Christ who is the way and the truth the resurrection and the life and their Physician the graces of whose good Spirit which is infused in them they cannot be said to refuse or to reject his kingdome or any of those good things which are distributed unto them If the kingdome of heaven should not appertaine unto the infants of beleeving parents as it hath done heretofore then the Scripture is not fulfilled which sayth that their children shall be as aforetime but the Scripture is true as God himselfe is true and therefore your words cannot be true God took the infants of beleevers into covenant with him formerly and admitted them to be members of his visible Church then and he caused a visible signe * Gen. 17.11 and seale * Rom. 4.11 of his covenant his righteousnesse of faith to be imposed upon them then and he declared from time to time his deare love and his tender affection which he had towards them and therefore they are as holy as they were and shall be as holy as they are Christ is a father * 2 Cor. 6.18 unto the beleeving Gentiles as he was unto the beleeving Jewes and he is the same yesterday and to day and for ever And therefore as the infants of beleeving Jewes * Gen. 17. Gentiles * Exod. 12.48 were received with their beleeving parents into the Church of God in former time So the infants of the beleeving Jewes and Gentiles are received with their beleeving parents into the Church of God now and as the other had Circumcision so these are to have Baptisme it being given to all the members of Christs visible Church * Mat. 28.19 amongst whom they are a part * Mat. 10.14 And this is according to what is written in the Scripture of God for thus sayth the Lord Their children shall be as aforetime and their Congregation shall be established before me c. Jer. 30.20 Wherefore now let us see who can give one instance or tittle of Scripture for the dismission of their membership or for barring them from any spirituall priviledge now under the Gospel which they are capable off and in particular this of Baptisme seeing it is so generally distributed by the Lord of all administrations and appertaineth to all Saints Indeed if Christ Jesus had not been much * Mar. 10.14 displeased with his Disciples for such a thing and if he had not declared that the kingdom of heaven appertaineth to them and had not given a command that they should be admitted unto him or if he had not taken them up in his armes and layd his hands upon them and blessed * Ver. 16. them but had despised these and put them from him and justified his Disciples in their rebuking of them or if he had given the bringers of them a check 〈◊〉 â—5 26 as he did to the Cananitish woman or if he had given the least touch of holy Infants supplantation then you might have had some matter to work upon in this your sacrilegious opposition of holy infants But you have no tittle of Scripture to beare you out all the Scripture from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation maketh against you and therefore wee may conclude against you that the Infants of beleevers are now as the Infants of beleevers were in former time even subjects of Gods kingdome a Luke 18.16 members of his Church b Gen. 17. glorious branches young sucking-sprigs of his noble Vine c Psal 80.11 holy plants d 128.3 proceeding from those Olive trees which are planted in the house of the Lord and are said to flourish in the Courts of our God e 92.13 And what man shall root them out without rooting out himselfe Jesus hath honoured them greatly and what shall be done unto those whom the King of heaven delighteth to honour That the Lord Jesus Christ greatly delighteth to honour the Infants of beleevers Mat. 18.2.3 19.13 14 15. Mar. 10.13 14 15 16. Luk. 18.15 16 17. is apparently seen in these Scriptures where Christ Jesus now in the time of the Gospel honoureth them so much by his words and actions And this is that which that heavenly Prophet Isaiah being carried by the holy Spirit of God spake of long before Our God that Father of mercies and God of all comfort and consolation declared prophetically and oraculously by Isaiah the continuation of his truth unto beleevers and their Infants now under the Gospel prophesying of Christ and of Christians Isa 22.21 thus He shall be a father to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem 22. and to the house of Judah And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut 23. and he shall shut and none shall open And I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place 24. And he shall be for a glorious throne unto his fathers house And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his fathers house the off-spring and the issue all vessels of small quantitie from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of slagons Isa 22.21 22 23 24. First It is here to be observed that Christ Jesus is called here a Father ver 21. He shall be a Father sayth he So in Isa 9.6 he is called the everlasting Father Now he that is a father must be a father of some wheras he is called an everlasting father it sheweth that he is as the Apostle sayth the same yesterday to day for ever * Heb. 13.8 Secondly It is declared to whom he is a father namely to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah Now the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and the house of Judah were the Lords Saints in covenant with him his Church and people of whom he had declared that Christ Jesus their Saviour should come and these Christ Jesus was said to be a father unto even to the Church of the Jewes both young and old parents and children and salvation was said to be of the Jewes a Joh. 4.22 Their advantage was much every manner of way first because the Oracles of God were b Rom. 3.1 2. through Christ coÌ„mitted unto theÌ„ The God of their fathers c Exod. 15.2 was their father d Jer. 31.9 and was as a nursing e Num. 11.12 father unto them And the same God is a father now unto the beleeving Jewes and Gentiles as largely every way as he was then f 2 Cor. 6.18 The same God over all was g Psal 86.5 and is rich
13.12 a reviving unto them Look upon the first Church that was on earth Adam and Eve see whether they were not comforted in bringing forth children to God and what hope had they of the continuance of the Church on earth if it were not by promulgation of children to their celestiall Father After Abel was slain and Cain cast out God sent Seth in stead of Abel Gen. 4.25 26. and this thing Eve did acknowledge and this was a great comfort unto them And thus Eve the mother of us all was like unto Rachel and Leah who built the house of Israel And how was this Even by bringing forth a holy seed unto God and bringing them up in his feare And this made all the People and the Elders of Israel Ruth 4.11 12. to say unto Boze upon his wedding day The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah which two did build the house of Israel And doe thou worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlem And let thy house be like the house of Pharez whom Tamar bare unto Judah of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman Note here that the holy seed the off-spring the issue are materialls for building the Lords house they are the comfort of Israel the glorie of Gods holy house and kingdome But where there is no off-spring no issue then there is not that joy that gladnesse that glory that expectation of succession as would be if there were children Wherefore the Lord for comforting his people Israel Isa 29.22 23. sayth in the 29th of Isaiah ver 22 23. Thus sayth the Lord who redeemed Abraham concerning the house of Jacob Jacob shall not now be ashamed neither shall his face now wax pale Ver. 23. But when he seeth his children the work of mine hands in the middest of him they shall sanctifie my Name and sanctifie the holy One of Jacob and shall feare the God of Israel Ver. 24. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured Jer. 30.20 shall learne doctrine And in the 30th Chapter of Jeremiah Ver. 20. God sayth their children shall be as aforetime and their Congregation shall be established before me c. And in the 31. Chapter of Jeremiah Jer. 31.15 16 17. Ver. 15 16 17. Thus sayth the Lord to Rahel which wept for her children from two years old and under Mat. 1.16 17 18. and refused to be comforted because they were not Refraine thy voyce from weeping and thine eyes from teares for thy work shall be rewarded sayth the Lord and they shall come againe from the land of the enemie Ver. 17. And there is hope in thine end sayth the Lord that thy children shall come againe unto their own border Take notice heer how the Lord comforted his people and spake comfortably to Jerusalem And he is the same unto his people as he hath been heretofore His comfort is not lessened but is extended to all Saints from the least unto the greatest from the youngest to the eldest God never lesseneth his glorie nor his excellencie Psal 68.19 which he communicateth to his people but daily increaseth his blessings and multiplieth his benefits towards them and theirs and increaseth their glory doth not nor never did diminish it from them or their infants And therefore experience teacheth us that the infants of the Saints are the glory of the fathers house as heretofore they have bin Seeing then it is so cleare that the infants of beleevers are the glory of the fathers house they being of his houshold must have the priviledges of the house according to the appointment of the housholder and what is appointed for such vessells of honour and of glory Surely these holy vessells of the Lords sanctuary they being beleevers and Disciples of Christ being hallowed by the holy Ghost ought to be baptized See Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.16 Seventhly It is declared what this glory is and wherein this glory consisteth or what must be put upon Christ what glorious things even the off-spring and the issue sayth he that is to say their seed or children for they are the off-spring and the issue as may appeare by these Scriptures Job 5.25 Isa 21.8 48.19 61.9 65.23 Rev. 22.16 Gen. 48.5 6. And this is according to what the Apostle declareth in 1 Cor. 7.14 that the children of beleevers male or female the off-spring and the issue are a holy seed Now this off-spring and issue hath dependency upon Jesus Christ and he beareth them and will beare them Rom. 8.30 and blesse them in bearing them and justifie them in blessing them and sanctifie them in justifying them and glorifie them in sanctifying them He is all in all in them and for them and to them Their glory is the glory of his Fathers house and they are the glory thereof as hath been shewed before Wherefore let all Christian parents as they love Christ in procreation of their children dedicate their holy off-spring and blessed issue unto God and lay them upon the Lord Jesus Christ and say unto him Save us thy people both great small Psal 28.9 and blesse thine inheritance gather them and lift them up for ever Eighthly Further this holy off-spring and blessed issue which is the glory of the house of the God of all glory and power who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ are called vessells of small quantitie vessells of small quantie are used to be set upon nayles sometimes for show for safetie and conveniencie glory and decency Now Jesus Christ is as a nayle the off-spring and the issue are the vessells of small quantitie and these holy vessells of small quantitie Jesus Christ is said to beare yea and to beare them all all vessells of small quantitie sayth the Text. Wherefore wee have no ground to cast away any of them or omit the least of these vessells though they are but of small quantitie Some peradventure will think that because the infants of beleevers are vessells of small quantitie that therefore they are no vessells or vessels of no quantitie or vessels of contempt or disgrace or such in whom there is no glory spiritually or such concerning whom they cannot judge or such in whom the seed of Gods grace is not to be esteemed to be But let them know that they doe violent injurie unto Jesus Christ and doe exceedingly eclipse the glorie of his Mediatorship For as the smallest vessells in the Lords Temple in the time of the Law were as holy as the greater though they could not containe so much So the Infants of beleevers who are the Lords vessells are as holy as those Saints who are past their minoritie though they being Infants through tendernes of yeares cannot containe or receive what the others who are aged can yet are they as precious in Christs estimation and have his holinesse upon them as aged