You further proceed But we have learned 2 Cor. 10.4 5. That the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thought that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ And where we read of the whole armour of God that the Saints are to put on Eph 6.11 there is not any mention nor the least intimation of a sword of steel or â—rmour of flesh not any carnall weapons whatsoever but the spirituall waies of Jesus Christ expressed in the New Testament must be defended with spiritual weapons notwithstanding all that can be said to the contrary by you which desire to have those waies and works which are devised by men and found in the Testament of Christ to be upheld by an earthly power Answ For that place cited 2 Cor. 10.4 5. I grant you for I know no Minister of the Gospell arrogates to himself the power of the sword except the Pope with his Ecee duo gladii No Sir your carnall weapons we commend unto the civill Magistrate whiles we labour with the sword of the spirit Eph. 6.17 Mat. 22.21 which is the word of God we give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods The next Text of Scripture cited by you is Eph. 6.11 12 13. here you say is no mention nor the least intimation of a sword of steel but in the New Testament the spirituall waies of Jesus Christ are only to be defended with spirituall weapons Here is a true tang of your brethren of Munster and doubtless as occasion would offer it self you would speak plain English in the rest but to the wise enough hath been spoken of it before where it hath been manifested that the Magistrate is Custos utriusque tabulae But whereas you say there is no mention of a sword of steel what follows must not these therefore be put on I le propose a like Argument The Apostle Rom. 13.14 Rom. 13.14 bids us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ we are not there commanded to put on our cloths to put on our gowns to put on our cloaks c. What follows must they not therfore be put on O irrational arguing I tell you Sir that as a Christian that puts on Christ may put on his cloaths and cloak also so he that puts on spirituall armour may likewise put on a sword of steel I pray tell me of what metall Peters sword was made Joh. 18.10 wherewith he did cut off Malchus his ear And so I bid farewell to your act of Toleration your dearest Helena your City of refuge your Sanctuary for any your blasphemous opinions and erroneous tenets and proceed to examine what you answer to that of mine That it is very visible to all exact observers that those who were prime promoters incendiaries and blew the coales first of those strange opinions c. To which you say Now if by strange opinions is meant the universall love of God manifested to the sons of men in the death of his son as a way and means by which glad tidings of great joy is held forth to all people and the baptizing sucâ— in the name of the Lord Jesus who confess faith in him theâ— you are much mistaken for these are not strange opinions buâ— precious truths which concern the salvation of every man and woman in the world witnessed by the Holy Prophets by Christ himself and his Apostles which have been the prime promoters of the same Answ Sir what need was there of multiplying of Controversies in thrusting these in by head and shoulders I am sure you have more upon your hands already than your Infancy is able to weild And for those two subjects offered to consideration viz. Universall Redemption and Baptism of Infants there is as much said in them already by divers learned men of our side and particularly by Dr Kendal against Goodwin and Mr Baxter against Tombes to the satisfaction of any reasonable men that are not blinded through prejudice and even to the silencing of their very adversaries that it would be but casting water into the sea for me to cast in my mite Yet because that every man hath not the opportunity to read their works and that you may not have cause of glorying if I should slide over this I shall undertake through the guidance of Gods spirit to give in the genuine sence and scope of those Texts of Scripture nakedly mustred up by you in favour of your Universall Redemption and thus you begin The former is witnessed by Isa 53.4 5 6. where it plainly appeareth that the iniquity of all that went astray are laid on him that is on Jesus Christ Likewise by David in Psalm 145.8 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Yea Christ himself witnesseth to this truth in Joh. 3.16 17. And by his Apostles Rom. 5.18 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 1 Tim. 2.1 3 4 5 6 7. Tit. 2.11 Heb. 2.9 2 Pet. 3.9 And the Angel of the Lord also Luk. 2.10 11. And for the later which is the baptizing such in the name of Jesus Christ who confesseth faith in him it is so highly promoted by Christ and his Apostles that there is neither precept nor president for the sprinkling or washing of Infants in his name Answ The first in order placed by you is Isa 53.4 5 6. I know not what it should be unless the just judgement of God to infatuate these men 2 Thes 2.11 and give them over to such strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie and to blindfold them so as they should adventure to produce in evidence such a Text of Scripture as doth directly trip up the heels of their own assertion as this doth no one Chapter in the whole old Testament more limiting the suffering and thereby satisfaction of Jesus Christ to a peculiar people as this And first whereas you say that it plainly appears that the iniquity of all that went astray were laid on Christ is notoriously false and to make my charge good as the Eunuch asked Philip Acts 8.34 Of whom speaks the Prophet this Act. 8.34 You I imagine by the help of the Particle All will extend the scope of this Chapter to all men of all sorts But I say and that with better reason that the word Us restrains the universall Particle to a definite number And therefore take this rule from me for your better understanding in giving or taking the sence of a Scripture That when the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God speak to others including themselves as by way of priviledge and partaking of the benefit of a promise by these terms of Us Our or Me they commonly and constantly understand persons under
17. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Answ That God doth put forth acts of Grace of free and undeserved love unto his worthless creatures we have willingly acknowledged we further say that that love of God is no passion not proper affection in God who is not capable of such but onely a purpose in God of willing well and doing well unto the creature and that out of the wel-spring of that love did slow that good pleasure of his of the sending of his Son into the world But that either it was the purpose of God in sending or the intention of Christ in coming into the world to be a Redeemer of all and every particular person or to offer himself a sacrifice for all this text doth not evinâ—e Yet I say that this love here spoken of may be said to be universal in respect of the Elect and of believing persons answerable to that Rom. 3.22 Rom. 3.22 The righteousness of God which is of faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe and yet withall particular in respect of the whole mass and lump of mankind according to that Rom. 9.13 Rom. 9.13 Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated and ver 18. he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Neither doth Christ intend any other universality here then this mentioned first because that those for whom Christ came into the world are also saved for what shall be able to hinder his purpose or resist his will Secondly because believers onely are saved Rom. 8.19 Phil. 1.2 Mat. 13.11 and shall not be condemned onely to the Elect it is given that they shall believe Phil. 1.29 Matth. 13.11 And thirdly to what purpose was this pretended love and affection in God if it never did nor can take any gracious effect in saving any reprobate That which takes the fourth place is Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life Answ That by All men unto whom did slow the benefit purchased by Christ is not meant of all and singular men absolutely but all men that did appertain unto him who were given him of the Father i. e. the elect and believers For the Apostle here makes a comparison between the first Adam and the second Adam as being two roots either of whom do communicate unto their several branches i. e. unto a certain company descending from them what they have do or shall enjoy and therefore saith that as the first Adam by his carnal generation did communicate two pestilent evils Sin and Death unto all descending from him So Christ the second Adam by his spiritual generation did communicate two contrary blessings viz. Righteousness and Life to all that did believe in him The truth of this interpretation is clear from the scope of the Apostle which is to compare Christ the Authour of Righteousness and Life with Adam the Authour of Sin and Death from ver 12. to the end of the Chapter and therefore hereupon ver 19. repeating the same matter which in probability should be more clear the word all is interpreted by many For had it been otherwise the Apostle would have pulled down what before he had built up and clearly contradicted himself in that doctrine which he had before delivered in the third and fourth Chapters therein asserting the justification onely of believers and therefore here is but little advantage to be gotten from this Antithesis But you will say if more perished in Adam then are saved in Christ his Grace then should be weaker then Adams sin where is then the much more abounding grace spoken of ver 17. To which I answer that the greatness and power of grace above â—n ought not to be esteemed according to the multitude of those that are condemned in Adam and of those that are justified and glorified in Christ for so Grace should be equal onely and nothing at all stronger then sin if every of these should be made righteous in Christ as many as were born sinners in Adam But herein consists the extensiveness of Grace beyond what sin did First in that whereas sin brought forth death and grace righteousness and life now it s well known t is easier to destroy and condemn an innumerable company then to quicken and save one single person all the world compacted together could not save one but Adams single sin could make obnoxious the whole world Secondly In Adam all the whole world are involved and made liable to condemnation by his one only offence but Christ doth emancipate his little flock not onely from that one original sin contracted by stain and imputation but likewise from all actual sins wherein they themselves are personally culpable neither is there any Righteousness besides Christ as there be some sins besides the sin of Adam And how mighty is this gift which innumerable sinners cannot withstand and this is that which the Apostle hinteth ver 17. and not as c. And so I proceed to your fifth Text prest to give in evidence which is 2 Cor. 5.14 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose again True it is Christ is said here that he died for all but for what all therein lies the doubt truly then the resolve must be that Christ died first for those all to whom his death is imputed viz. such who through the virtue and efficacy of the death of Christ which he underwent for them are accounted as dead and secondly Rom. 13.14 for such as do repent i. e. whereas before they did indulge their pleasures and lived to the satisfying of the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof now they live no longer to themselves but do endeavour to live conformably to the will and honour of him that died for them Now whether this can be extended to any but believers let my adversary judge for it were blasphemy to think that Christ could not obtain the end of his death had it been intended by him for any else besides believers yea even those to whom he had purposed to give them power to believe and to become sons of God The sixth Text forced by you to give its vote is 1 Tim. 2.1 c. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and
upright but he hath sought out many inventions Eccles 7.29 Answ Grave Seignior to what you say that I deduce from the Scripture that God doth elect men in Jesus Christ to eternal life without any respect had to faith or the use of means I pray point out the place where either I or any man else have vented such stuffe if you cannot blame me not to charge you for bearing of false witness against your neighbour yet this both my self and others constantly do affirm that in the decree of election God hath no respect at all to faith or use of means as a motive incentive or cause why he should elect one rather then another but yet in that decree those whom he sets his love upon to appoint them to salvation those he doth decree that they shall be saved by faith in his Son and by exercising of such means as he hath or will appoint in his word To what you do insert by way of concession although they do exclude the works of the law wholly in that thing Sir this is your mistake as I have told you of it before For I would have you to learn this from me if your pride be not too great that where works of the law are excluded and faith required that is onely meant in the business of Justification and not to be meant about the matter of election for in the cause of election both faith and use of means are as much excluded from having any casting voice at all as well as the works of the law yet this to be understood excluded as antecedently to election but not as consequently excluded as from being a means cause or motive of the decree but yet excluded as from being of a consequent means for the execution of the decree for as so works are as necessary to salvation as faith it self for Heb. 12.14 without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Nor is there any more truth in that which follows that we should collect from that portion of Scripture that the Reprobation of persons to everlasting destruction proceeds solely and singly from the will of God but this is that we do affirm that God did not elect some but past by them and left them in their lost condition and this was simply and singly from the same will whereby he elected the rest and that for the sin whereinto they had irrecoverably cast themselves which would unavoydably fetter them and make them obnoxious to all other sort of sins for those same sins I say at the last to condeme them and who can in this expostulate against the justice of God For Ismael Esau Pharaoh whom the Spirit of God makes instances of non-election or reprobation they were by the decree of God which is his will or good pleasure left in or past by in that corrupt mass of perdition out of which the Lord determined not to deliver them nor to supply them with grace sufficient for their salvation and this was from all eternity before they were in existence concerning which our dispute is which as yet you do not meddle withal but onely about reprobation in time concerning which I have no cause to contend but shall readily acknowledge that when these men came to be in being they in their several generations were led away by their own lusts which as they did flow from that principle of their non-election so one sin in Gods justice might be the cause of another sin You make your progress thus But it is found in Scripture that Gods way in making vessels of dishonour is in respect of what he doth by men in time when they come to have a being and so it appeareth from that similitude of the potter Ier. 18.3 4. Then went I down to the potters house and behold he wrought a work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it and we do find that God doth not apply the parable or similitude to any work that he did in the first creation or before man had a being but he doth apply it to his dealing with men in time when they have a being for saith the Lord by the Prophet ver 5 6. O house of Israel note the house of Israel was a people then in being and yet were not at that time made vessels of dishonour or given over of God to their own destruction but God pleadeth from that similitude that he had power and also wo ld do it if they did walk stubbornly against him which accordingly came to pass for saith the Lord by the Prophet ver 11. Behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your wayes and your doings good and they say there is no hope but we will walk after our own devices c. ver 12. and more for the clearing of this you may find if you read chap. 19. and especially mind the 15. ver the words are these Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Behold I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it because they hardened their necks that they might not hear my words Answ My friend why this of the Apostle Rom. 9. must necessarily be relative to any other place but immediately from that inspiration of the Holy Ghost I am assured you can bring no cogent reason for it T is true the margin of the Bible gives a hint of some such parallel places of the like import but it doth nor thence follow that the interpretation of the one must be concluded to be the sense of the other But if any man in this list to be contentions to make it relative then surely it must rather be to that in Isa 45.9 as I could evidently make it to appear if it were necessary and then all what this Gentleman hath said to that of Ier. 18.3 4. must needs fall to the ground where I have nothing to say either to him or it the strength of my Argument being nothing at all concerned in it What is in this paragraph spoken as to vessels of dishonour I shal by and by meet with that in the Analysing of this 9. to the Rom. and in the mean time proceed to attend to what you farther say And this is that which is pleaded for in Rom. 9. that God hath power and also it is his will to harden the hearts and blind the eyes or darken the understandings of those that will not obey the truth in their day of grace when light is held forth unto them as it came to pass upon the Jews as the just and righteous judgement of God upon them Luk. 19.44 Because they knew not the time of their visitation Rom. 9.32 Because they sought it not by saith and Rom. 11.20 Because of
forth all day long were spoken to the Israelites Rom. 10.21 But to Israel he saith But in what place soever sin or unbelief or rejecting of the means are mentioned as any cause of Reprobating blinding shortning or cutting off it is spoken onely of reprobation in time which is but the execution of that decree which was determined before all time and about which immanent act of God and not these transient is our present debate And so I leave both these objections as yet unresolved by you and standing in as full force for any thing that you have thereunto answered as when they were first endited by the Holy Ghost penned by his holy Apostle Paul Give in an answer to it in the heavens if you can for you are never able to do it here upon earth And so I proceed to the sixth and last Absurdity which is this Absurd 6. Hereby we confine Gods infinite soveraignty over the creatures to that narrow scantling of our subordinate power as though he might not do with his own what he list without our controll and not make a vessel either to honour or dishonour unless he were accountable to us for a reason of his so doing Answ We confine not Gods infinite soveraignty over his creatures to any subordinate power in man whatsoever neither doth any principle that we hold tend to the limiting the holy One of Israel in the least in the disposing his creatures any otherwise then it seemeth good in his good will and pleasure to do as hath been by me already made to appear For as I have already granted so I say yet again that God might have left his creature man in that lost condition that his own sin had brought him into and needed not to have been countable to any for a reason of his so doing But it was meerly the good will and pleasure of our God to be moved onely from that fountain of love that was and yet is in himself to give forth his Son Christ to dye for all and tast death for every man and that all whatsoever was in man or acted by man did not merit the least drop of the bloud of Christ but by the grace of God it came freely and he might have withheld that great mercy from his creature and needed not in the least have been countable to any for a reason of his so doing but through that good pleasure of God the Lord Jesus is that lamb of God that was in the purpose and decree of God Rev. 13.8 slain from the foundation of the world which purpose and decree of God was put into execution in the fulness of time for our everlasting good and notwithstanding we could not in the least have looked for these things from God as a debt yet it hath been the pleasure of God by grace to send his Son into the world and to make known the mystery of his will in these things and freely to give us an account or shew unto us a reason of his so doing which will appear plainly in the resolving those following questions by the express words of the holy Spirit in Scripture without either inference or comment Quest 1. Wherefore did God give his onely begotten Son or send his Son into the world Answ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 and that the world through him might be saved ver 17. Quest 2. Wherefore did Iesus Christ come a light into the world Answ That all men through him might believe Ioh. 1.7 and that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in darkness Ioh. 12.46 Quest 3. Wherefore was Iesus Christ delivered to death Answ For our offences Quest 4. Wherefore was he raised again Answ For our Justification These and many more of this nature that might be mentioned are laid down in Scripture as grounds and reasons whereby it hath been the pleasure of God to be accountable unto us wherefore he hath done these great things for us not in order to the limitation of himself to any subordinate power in us but in order to the accomplishment of his own will and pleasure for our good And so in like manner Gods disposing of his creature in making vessels of honour or dishonour is not in respect of any confinement of his soveraignty over his creatures to any subordinate power in us but the confinement of himself therein is to his purpose decree and promise which must stand and cannot be disannulled So that the question now is not What God might have done with his creature being once at liberty but that which we are to take notice of is How he hath disposed or doth dispose thereof as having freely and voluntarily bound and ingaged himself thereunto by purpose decree and promise Isa 14.27 for the Lord of hosts hath purposed and who shall disannul it his hand is stretched out and who shall turn it back So that what God for ought that we know might have done with his creature being once at liberty cannot now by him be done he having bound himself as aforesaid Take but this one instance for the further illustration of this to be a truth God might if it had been his pleasure to have kept himself at liberty for ought that we know have destroyed the world with the waters of a flood since the flood that was in the dayes of Noah but since it hath been the pleasure of God freely to enter into a Covenant with all flesh Gen. 9.9 10 11. yea with every living creature and to make a promise that all flesh should be cut off no more by the waters of a flood neither should there any more be a flood to destroy the earth therefore now he cannot destroy the earth so any more because he changeth not neither can lye Answ My good friend I cannot look upon you as a licentiate Chirurgion but rather as an upstart mechanick Mountebank who though you profess by a tedious tautology to plaister up the wound given to your Position by this Absurdity yet it sticks as close to it as a bur to your garment neither can it be cured or removed by any thing you have applyed for you do but daub with untempered morter a multitude of words will never do it I would rather have one solid convincing Argument then a whole volume of such nonsense and impertinencies as you have surfeited me withall And therefore in answer to what you would say I deal thus plainly that I do resolve not to pursue you in this your rambling discourse you have served us here with a dish of cockcrowne pottage whereupon if I should insist to frame an answer it would but wast my most precious time and nauseate the Reader for from this to the end of your Pamphlet there is nothing of new but a recapitulation and vain repetition of what hath been spoken to over and over again and fully answered Onely one thing about the liberty of the will which
the same consideration and capacity people under one relation and qualification such who are nearly related as fighting under one Captain sheep fed under one shepherd 2 Cor. 6.14 1 Cor. 12.13 knit together by one bond of the spirit joyned together in one Communion of Saints for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness c. By one spirit baptized into one body having one Lord one Faith one Baptism c. Now of what sort and condition of men can this be spoken but only of the elect of those that have do or shall beleeve And thus this our Prophet an elect person a beleever speaks all this Chapter over of himself with other Elect and beleeving persons And lest you should say it is true that beleevers are included and yet are not unbeleevers excluded I shall prove and that only out of this Chapter that hereby is meant all beleevers and only beleevers or at least those that have did or shall beleeve Arg. 1. I draw from v. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him i.e. his chastisement procured our peace whence I argue thus That chastisement for sin that was laid upon the person of Jesus Christ procured peace for them for whom he was so chastised But there was no peace procured for the Reprobates or those who should never beleeve Isa 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked Eph. 3.14 He is our peace Ergo. Arg. 2. From v. 5. By his stripes we are healed whence I reason thus The stripes inflicted on Jesus Christ are intended and do become healing medicines for them for whom they are inflicted but they never become healing medicines for the Reprobates or unbeleevers Nahum 3 9. There is no healing of their bruise Ergo. Arg. 3. From v. 6. All we like sheep have gone c. whence I ground If in all the whole Scripture by sheep are understood the Elect and Beleevers then so it should be here but the former is true Ergo for either sheep or goats Arg. 4. From v. 8. For the transgression of my people was he stricken whence I raise this Those for whom Christ was stricken were in Gods account his own people But the Reprobates were never in Gods account his own people Mat. 7.25 I never knew you Ergo. Arg. 5. From v. 10. He shall see his seed whence I bottome this That which Christ had as a wages or reward for the making of his soule an offering for sin was a peculiar seed His seed Isa 65.23 The seed of the blessed of the Lord Genesis 3. The seed of the woman and not of the Serpent Mal. 2.15 A godly seed now the Reprobates are not of this seed Ergo. Arg. 6. From v. 12. He bare the sins of many All this Chapter hitherto the Prophet hath used words of the first person Ours Us We and to these he attributes the universall Particle All including with himself all beleevers But now when he comes to the third person he only speaks of Many so that hence it is plain that Christ as a Redeemer bare the sins of many of the universall world and that he is a Redeemer of all the elect or beleeving world So that it is undoubtedly true that not only this Text but this whole Chapter makes most mainly for me against your self It is a bad omen of ill success in a mans business when at the very first onset a mans supposed best friends should fly in his own face and fight against him The second in the list is Psal 145.8 9. The Lord is Gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Answ Those of the former ver 8. are some of the Divine attributes wherein there is neither difficulty nor question And for the former part of ver 9. that the Lord is good to all There is no doubt but that the Lords goodness hath and doth shew it self to all the work of the creation they being all Good yea very Good But the great knot sticks in these two things Gen. 2. 1. how far all his works may be extended and 2. unto what tender mercies must be limited First If you insist upon the terme of universality all and so labour to extend it to the Reprobates as well as the Elect Then by the same reason you may extend it as well unto the Devils they being likewise the work of his hands as the Reprobates are and where the Text doth not distinguish neither should you And truly I must acknowledge that even the Devils themselves do in some degree partake of Gods tender mercies They have in them a kind of goodness for ens bonum convertuntur Their nature and essence is good as Gods workmanship t is onely sin which is their own and none of Gods making that renders them evil and so hateful to God and man Is it not a tender mercy to have a native excellency beyond all the rest of the creatures Christ and the elect Angels onely excepted to have such spiritual substances equal in their nature and creation to the holy Angels themselves and through the dexterity and agility of those natures to be able to understand so far and to do so much as being permitted therein the parts and gifts of all the men in the world are not to be weighed in the ballance with them yea and withal to have that excellency so many ages past to be preserved and delivered notwithstanding their daily sinning and provoking the most High And according to this rule of tender mercies I confess there is a great bulke of tender mercies manifest to the Reprobates Act. 17.28 Psal 145.15 Wisd 11.24 25. Matth. 5.45 Eccle. 9 2â— In God we live move and have our being The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou lovest all the things that are and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made c. He makes his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good c. and all things come alike to all But Secondly if by tender mercies you will understand such mercies as concern eternal life and salvation as effectual vocation justification adoption sanctification c. then I deny that thesâ— are over all his works Deus diligit omnes homines in quantum vult aliquid bonum non tamen quodcunque bonum vult omnibus though God is good to all and his mercy is over all his works yet he extends not the top and height of all his bowels of compassion and his inmost tenderest mercies to every mothers Son there hâ—â— reserveth for his own chosen people those whom in Jesus Chrisâ— he hath before all time elected to eternal salvation And more then this you can never draw out of this fountain of love pump whiles you will not enough I am sure to establish that Chimaera of theirs an universal Redemption That Third in the rank is Iohn 3.16
be to all people for unto you is given this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. This was the first Sermon that was preached of God incarnate of Christ Immanuel God with us wherein the universal particle All doth not signifie all and singular the elect and Reprobate but onely all and singular of those for whom Christ was born to be a Saviour as appears by these words Mat. 1.21 Mat. 1.21 where the Angel saith with a limitation He shall save his people from their sins Therefore by all people must necessarily be understood oâ— all believing people noâ— of the Jews onely but of the Gentileâ— also Besides we find it otherwise that this joy was not communicated to all and singular some there were that had no portioâ— in it Mat. 2.3 because Matth. 2.3 when Herod heard hereof he was troubled and all Ierusalem with him and Pro. 14.10 tells us that the strangers intermeddle not with this joy Mich. 4.11 And thus having thrown down all your strong holds wherein you trusted as to the support of that notion of Universal Redemption I proceed to that other denyed by you viz. the Baptizing of Infants wherein you say there is neither precept nor president of the sprinkling or washing of Infants in his name Suppose now that I should tell you that what as to the proof of an ordinance of Christ here is not sufficient enumeratio partium for a thing may be at the appointment of Jesus Christ yet neither express precept nor exact practise for it standing upon record I pray Sir tell me if you can what precept have you in the letter of the word or practise hanging on the file for the change of the seventh day Sabbath for the abrogation of the one or substitution of the other in its stead No Sir we have a greater and yet warrantable latitude in our probates of divine Injunctions that if a thing can be proved by a necessary and undeniable consequence it will equipend with either precept or president I could give Instances 1 Cor. 11.16 but that is bootless at this time 1 Cor. 11.16 We have no such custome neither the Churches of Christ is a good Argument with the Apostle negatively We have such a custome and so have the Churches of Christ is as good an argument with us affirmatively yea even now since the times of the Apostle But lest that you should take this rather as a tergiversation than an answer I will apply my self more particularly to say some what as to satisfaction And 1. That there is a command extant Mat. 28.29 Of Baptizing all the members of the Church whereof children are a part the promises appertaining to them as well as to those of years Acts 2.39 If you look for a special command and shall deny that Infants are comprehended under that general command because they cannot be taught I must tell you that whosoever proposeth a thing in general terms he doth thereby comprehend all specials unless he make a particular exception and whatsoever is and hath been of a perpetuated and continued right and use in the Church of Christ once established viz. that the covenant of God should be sealed upon the covenanters there will be no need of any repetition of any sort or condition of persons who they are or should be that are intended to be those covenanters And yet truly Sir in my judgement if you were well put to it you would find more difficulty in your baptizing of Infants And for the qualification you require of these which are to be Baptized that is appliable to the primitive Church which was gathered of persons of ripe years and as in reference to such they were first to be taught before Baptized But for Infants who follow the condition of their parents the promises appertaining to the parents being entayled to the children another course is had And as to matter of president we have examples for the Baptism of whole families Acts 16.45 33. and 1 Cor. 1.16 out of which Infants cannot be excluded shew me else when and where and upon what grounds that priviledge that Infants formerly had was reversed and repealed and then you will say somewhat And yet if this will not satisfie I will put you one argument to boot Arg. To whomsoever God is pleased to be a God in covenant and to make a covenant-promise those are to be Baptized by the command of Christ But to the Infants of those which are in covenant God hath been pleased to express himself to be in covenant and to make covenant-promises unto them Therefore such Infants are to be Baptized by the command of Christ Both the propositions are confirmed out of Acts 2. The Major from ver 38. and 39. compared together Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the promise is made to you and to your children The minor proposition is likewise proved from ver 39. for the promise is made to your children But because that the strength of the Argument may more evidently appear I will annex somewhat for Illustration of the text 1. There is set down the command of being baptized Be Baptized every one of you 2. There is added a reason of the command for which is not to be restrained to the last words in the former verse of receiving the gifts of the holy Ghost promised in Ioel but of all other gracious blessings of the Covenant which will appear by comparing of those places Acts 3.25 Gen. 17.7 Ier. 31.33 3. There is the subject receiving the promise which is amplified by a distribution where to the parents are joyned children indefinitely without any manner of difference either of sex or age 4. Both of them viz. Parents and Children their receiving into the Covenant of Grace is most clearly to be gathered from the first Covenant entred into with Abraham the father of the faithful whether of Jews or Gentiles ratified from Rom. 4.10 11. Where the Infants are accounted in the same condition with the Parents and the males were circumcised the eighth day Gen. 17.10 11. And therefore likewise in the New Testament the Infants of Christians are to be esteemed in the condition of their Christian Parents they are sanctified in them 1 Cor. 7.14 and therefore with them are to be baptized More I have written on this subject and committed it to some of your friends to reading which if you desire to peruse no question you may have the view of it but in the mean time do you chew the cud upon this Having done with these impertinencies to the business in contest between us you proceed to Revolters of whom you wrote thus But that some who have been professors of the truth have withdrawn themselves from the same it is evident and proved Traytors thereunto as did Iudas for love of mony and as Demas to imbrace this present world yea some have been so far
corrupted with covetous practises in these our dayes that they have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Baalam the son of Bosar who loved the wages of unrighteousness for some have withdrawn themselves from the truth that they might be partakers with you in their tithes and offerings and some also have been led away by the temptations of Satan and good is the word of the Lord which hath said Acts 20.30 that of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them But it may be as truly said that Jesus is not the Christ because one of his ministers left him and betrayed him as it can be said that this is not the way of Christ because some turn from it and prove traytors thereunto Answ I shall agree with you that the deserting of an opinion which a man formerly did maintain or the declining the society of such with whom before he held fellowship is no infallible Argument either of the unsoundness of such an opinion or insufferableness of such a society Yet withal I must tell you when I see a man taking as it were a lap at the opinions of any one sect tanquam canis ad Nilum and so would that and so goes on to another sect and after to another as by woful experience we have found in our daies that such unfixed men never set a period to themselves in their innovating of their opinions but by a lamentable gradation jumpe from one to another and so they may ad insinitum and this methinks should be an evident sign to me that such Positions and societies were somewhat unsavoury The like do I say for matter of division of which thus you write neither is the division which you talk of amongst the servants of Christ any safe argument to conclude that therefore they are not the servants of Christ for such things have fallen out amongst those that have been called saints and p ecious in the sight of God in that some have been and are weak and some are strong and so as there are degrees of knowledge amongst the Saints it doth oâ—casion some difference as it hath formerly done do we not find that even two of the Apostles to wit Paul and Barnabas Acts 15.39 men that truly feared God were at some difference when the men of Ephesus that were Idolaters can ry all with one voyce Acts 19.34 Great is Diana of the Ephesians Answ I yield you all But when I see the Anabaptists divided amongst themselves and thei opinions so inconsistent one with anothers as it might be easily inâ—â—anced by those interfering confessions and positions of those of Chard Islington and those of yours but all of them joyntly so destructive to publick peace I may probably conâ—ecture that iâ— is a shrewd prognostick that their Kingdom is not long to continue For that which you say further and whereas you say that they have left their Conventicles to be gulled and deluded by the dregs of men c. I must tell you that those dregs of men as you are pleased disdainfully and in scorn to call them will prove to be those 1 Cor. 1.27 28. foolish things of the world which God hath chosen to confound the wise and weak things of the world to confound the mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised which God hath chosen to confound those that boast so much of their own wisdome and learning which hath been bought for mony Answ In answer whereto I shall say no more but this that it is vox praterea nihil a great crack of words that signifie nothing they would have passed better if they had proceeded out of any mans mouth besides your own Phil. 2.3 Prov. 26.12 Sir where the spirit of Christ is it is still accompanied with humility and self-denyal and such esteem of others better then themselves Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of him 1 Cor. 8.2 1 Cor. 13.9 Act. 8.20 And for what learning and wisdom God hath been pleased to endow any of us withal we do and must acknowledge it is all beyond desert and that as yet We know nothing as we ought to know for in this military course of ours we know but in part Nay t is God especially who illuminates our weak understanding and therefore their money perish with them that think that the gift of God may be purchased with money To con lude the preface you write But it seemeth that this man by his writing hath not been much acquainted with that which is held by those which he is pleased to call Lunatick spirits and therefore that which he at the first sight hastily judgeth to be errour may upon better trial prove to be truth which useth to be unsavoury to those that delight in worldly gain Act. 16.19 and are exercised in a craft by which they have their wealth Acts 19.35 therefore I do not much wonder that my Position are unsavoury to Parson Lawson and so having examined those Arguments which are brought against them with much boasting of being unanswerable I shall endeavour by the assistance of the most High God to answer to his Arguments in order as they are stated Answ I have I confess been a good space of time an enquirer into your principles and an observer of your ways but never had so full an occasion to dive into the depth of that mystery of iniquity till I met with your papers and do now protest that the more I search into it the worse I like it and therefore shall say as formerly Gen 41.6 O my soul come not thou into their secret into their Assembly mine honour be not thou united And having thus routed your Preface and laid it even with the ground I apply my self to enter the listes with you about your Positions wherein you assault me thus The first of the Positions is by this man granted to be a truth viz. Position 1. That the most holy and high God did from all eternity by one sole and single act see all whatsoever he purposed to do or appoint to be done by any of his creatures Answ Good Sir be pleased to revise your own Position again and you will find that as it is thus stated it is onely my concession and not your Position indeed I was ashamed to see such high mysteries to be put into such an ugly dress so manacled tortured and unjoynted that a man could not well distinguish between head and heel and therefore by your good leave I made bold to new model your Position and put it into this gaâ—be as now you see it and so as here posited I own it and do affirm it true but as by you first asserted it may be lyable to many exceptions which because you seem to wave and by disclaiming your own have adopted this as legitimate I will