and after baptized Ioh. 3. 5 speaks of regeneration by the spirit compared in that place to water as elswhere to fire for its property in purifying And admit it speak of the ordinance of baptism yet must it follow regeneration as a means of confirmation As therefore Christians are not made by the ordinance of baptism so much lesse are Churches This I haue elswhere proved against them by many firm Arguments to which seeing they neither giue answer nor shew thereof though this be a main matter in question between them and us what should I say more to them These they may answer if they be able as I am sure they are not nor I think will ever goe about it Onely I here add this one thing If members and Churches be made by Baptism I demand when I. M. alone baptiseth one of his converts alone what Church or member of what Church is here made And if one alone may receiv or make members of the Church why not also cast them out and excommunicate them without the Churches presence or privity Such is the confused course of these men Here they cite sundry Scriptures but proving onely that which we willingly grant viz. that men and women converted from Heathenism and Iudaism to the faith of Christ and so to be added to the Church and being before unbaptised were to be baptized But how proues this that they were made either Churches or Christians by Baptism When any of the Heathens became Iews that is embraced the Iewish Religion and separated themselvs from the other Idolaters of the land to the Law of God and came to put their trust under the wings of the God Israel and were to be circumcised did their Circumcision make them such Or did it not onely declare and confirm that state of grace in and unto which God had called them Neither yet could the things forementioned be performed by their infants and yet were they made partakers of Circumcision with them ADVERSARIES BVT minde here a futher matter They say The Church at Ierusalem was the first Church of Christ and by faith and Baptism made a Church and in the next words that the twelue were so made also DEFENCE IF the Church at Ierusalem were the first Church of Christ as in a sense it may be so called I would know how the Baptism of Christ before that time and of Iohns before Christs having also joyned with them faith in the baptized made Churches Were any made before the first Or what and which were the Churches which they so made and gathered Both the one and other living and dying members of the Iewish Church I add considering how it is said of Iohn that Ierusalem and all Iudea and the region round about Iordan were baptized of him confessing their sinnes and of Christ that he made and baptized moe Disciples then Iohn it is very evident that thousands afterwards made members of the Churches in Ierusalem Iudea Samaria and Galilee were baptized long before by Iohn and Christ and were made members of the Church in our sense long after their Baptism Here then we see Baptism administred and yet no Church made and again Churches made and yet many the members thereof not then but long before baptized We grant as they say that Rome is that Aegipt Sodom and Babylon in mysterie mentioned in the Revelation but deny which they adjoyn as being both untrue and uncharitable that all in that Church are in Gods account as the worst pagans c. God hath his people considered in their persons in Babylon unto whom he saith Come out of her my people c. being held captiue there by her craft and cruelty Neither is Babylon called an habitation of Divels for that the devill possesseth men but to shew its desolation after the day of the fall thereof the Evangelist in that speech alluding to the forms of speech used by the Prophets before against Babylon Civill in regard of her utter ruin and desolation shortly to follow Neither is the Baptism in Rome a Babylonish or Aegyptian washing as they calumniate no more then the doctrine of Baptism in the name of the Trinity is a Babylonish doctrine but it is as a vessell of the Lords house though prophaned there Much lesse can that vitupery agree to the Church of England where the faith is sound for justification and salvation and effectuall for obtaining the same in those that truely professe it The Circumcision of Gods people though too much infected with their sinns in Aegipt and Babylon were noâ— Aegyptian and Babylonish no more is the Baptism in Aegypt and Babylon spirituall specially in regard of Gods people there as not a few also shew themselvs to be by comming out thence at the Lords call though some more slowly then other as of old they did out of Babylon Civill as Esra and Nehemiah testifie That the everlasting Gospell commands beleevers to be baptized to wit if unbaptized before we grant but that men become an habitation of God by his spirit and water is as if they said water dwels in men as the spirit of God doth It is hard to say whether Papists bread or these mens water be made the greater Idoll Neither doe we in retaining the Baptism received in Rome take a corner stone out of Babylon either for foundation or wall but bring thence a vessell of the Lords house there captived with the Lords people I know not but that the very circumcision of the Shechimites might haue been retained if any of the males had survived and embraced the truth of religion which yet was far from being lawfully administred Lastly though all were true which they say for anabaptizing in the generall yet were their particular practise not justified thereby nor our exception cleared being against their manner and the same singular from all other of their Sect in all places of baptizing by persons uncalled thereunto either by God immediately or mediately by the Church â—â— or otherwise then by their own particular and personall motion To their objection arising from the supposed proportion between Baptism and the Ministery and to their Demand Why I cast away my Popish Priesthood and retain my Popish washing for my Christianity as they please to speak I haue answered elsewhere at large neither haue they been able to this day or now are to say against mine answer any thing at all either true or colourable and yet neither haue they the humility to suffer themselvs to be taught better nor the modesty to hold their tongues in the matter but doe irksomely demand a new the things of old answered For the present I will onely note these three differences First it is absurdly said that a man is made a Christian by his Baptism as he is made a Minister by his outward calling He that is not a Christian before he be baptized becomes not one thereby But by the outward
sheep I haue which are not of this fold whom also I must bring c hee means the elect amongst the Heathens destinated to that one Sheep-fold under him that one Shepheard and by his voyce to be brought therto This is yet more plain v. 15 where he saith I giue my life for my sheep Christ dyed for the ungodly Rom. 5. 6. 8. By his sheep therfore in this place are meant the elect from eternity for whom he dyed the fruit of which election of God and death of Christ sheweth forth it selfe in their timeous faith and obedience Further note we for the thing in hand that Christ giues unto his sheep that hears his voyce and obey him eternall life as elsewhere also he saith He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life If this life which they haue given them and haue in the beginnings of it even in this life be eternall and everlasting how can it be broken off afterwards Or if it can be interrupted and broken off how is it everlasting and eternall Lastly if none be able to pluck Christs sheep out of his and his Fathers hand then no sinfull person or temptation no malice of Satan can turn them from God for if they can then they can pluck them out of Gods hand Is not the destroying and corrupting of mens faith and obedience the plucking them out of the hand of God V. 12 the same word is used the wolfe catcheth and scattreth the sheep that is corrupteth them as Math. 7. 10 Act. 20. 29 where the same word is used also As they are elsewhere too prodigall of Christs benefits to all the goats in the world so are they here too niggardly of them to his own sheep Although in truth they grant though unawares as much as we plead for in saying that those sheep so long as they continue his sheep haue spirituall peace and safety c. Spirituall peace and safety is against all assaults of all spirituall enemies labouring to subvert the spirituall state of Gods people To the Scriptures here alledged by them for their purpose the answers formerly given touching conditional threatnings and Gods people in appearance must be applyed Of the former of the two Scriptures following which is Ioh. 13. 1 Whom he loveth he loveth to the end they speak as the thing is of Gods loue but as loath to be too much beholden to him for it and desirous Pharisaically to justifie themselvs they pull down what they formerly built in saying that the question is not of Gods and Christs loue unto his but of the continuance of our loue unto him wherein they both gainsay themselvs in this whole Treatise and the Scriptures throughout They put the question themselvs of Gods election and of the promise of election And is election and the promise of election a work of our loue to God or of Gods to us The Scriptures also ascribe the whole work of our salvation as election redemption by the bloud of Christ vocation revelation of heavenly things justification sanctification adoption faith repentance and the giving of the Spirit issue out of temptations and continuing blamelesse to the comming of the Lord unto the good pleasure and loue of God alone It is true that we must also loue God as they say But we must know withall that this our loue of God depends upon his loue of us first and the same shead abroad into our hearts by his Spirit which giues testimony therof to our spirits which as it were forceth loue again from us to God and the continuance of it the continuance of our loue according to that of the Apostle The loue of Christ constraineth us For as the beams of the Sun shed into the bosome of the earth first heat it and so cause it to reflect heat again towards heaven so by the loue of God shead into our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us our hearts are most effectually drawn and perswaded to loue God againe and men for and according to him Which I further also manifest thus Our loue whether to God or man ariseth from faith unfeyned Faith stands in the assured perswasion of the heart by the Holy Ghost of Gods loue to us Wherupon I conclude that our salvation depending immediately upon our faith loue and obedience as conditions requisite by Gods ordination and they upon Gods loue and the same known to us and so the continuance of them upon the continuance of it the question is properly and principally of the loue of God to us and the unchangeablenesse therof For Rom. 11. 29 they dream waking that the meaning is that God will never repent of saving all persons at all times in all places that seek salvation by faith in Christ and continue therin If this were all what needed the Apostle v. 33 to break out into that admiration of the riches of the wisedom and knowledge of God and of the unsearchablenes of his judgments What strange thing is it that God should not repent of so gracious a purpose and promise as is that of saving such as beleev in his Sonne Secondly it is more then evident that he speake not here of saving all at all times but of the saving of some at sometimes namely of the Israelites in their time and of the Gentiles in theirs Thirdly the Apostle speaks not of saving them that beleev but of giving the election to obtain mercy to beleev Lastly the words are a reason of that which goes before the Israelites touching election are beloved for the Fathers sake v. 28. For or because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance as if he should haue said though for the present the body of the Israelites be enemies for the Gospell that is in not beleeving it till the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in yet the election such as are that Israel according to election and Gods people which he foreknew v. 2 them he loues in his decree unchangeably for their father Abraham Isaak and Iakobs sake and without repentance and so will in their time make them actually partakers of his most gracious gift and calling They here add certain Scriptures and may doe many moe proving that God denies the effect to conditionall promises men breaking the conditions first But as the Scriptures cited by them speak not all of salvation in Christ so neither doe any other shew that God ever alters purpose or promise of saving any whom he once loved in Christ whether in decree or application of loue The last place which they labor to elude is 1 Ioh. 2. 19. They went out of us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt haue continued with us but they went out that they might be manifest that they were not all of us And here in stead of answering directly to the place they make out-leaps as their manner is making us to affirm that
A DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINE PROPOVNDED BY THE SYNODE AT DORT AGAINST IOHN MVRTON AND HIS ASSOCIATES IN A Treatise intuled A Description what God c. WITH THE REFVTATION OF their Answer to a Writing touching BAPTISM By IOHN ROBINSON Printed in the year 1624. THE PREFACE THE record which the Apostle bare the Iews in his time such as either reade these mens writings or know their persons may bear them which is that they haue a zeal of God but not according to knowledg I add touching them nor in modesty neither Which if it held any place in their hearts as were meet would moderate and restrain both their causlesse presumption in themselvs and gracelesse licentiousnesse which they fear not to use both towards God and other men They would seem very zealous for the Scriptures purity and perfection vvarning all to take heed they presume not aboue what is written nor to add to or diminish from the perfect law of the Lord contained therin And yet they themselvs presume so frequently and notoriously in this their book to corrupt the very words of the Texts which they cite by adding to and taking away and altering for their advantage as I suppose the like hath not been seen before in any of any sect whatsoever and as if in truth they meant not to use a gift to interpret the holy Scriptures but a priviledg to correct them A taste of this they giue us in their very Epistle where answering an objection taken from the learning of the Synode at Dort by Es. 29. 14 Math. 11. 25. 26 they instead of wise and prudent which are Christs words put learned and that in small letters as part of the Text both wronging therin that lawfull and helpfull learning in others which themselvs want and corrupting the Lords words which they ought religiously to keep and obtruding another meaning then ever came into his mind which they doe usually in this Treatise by neglecting the main scope of the place cited and catching at a word or phrase in it which is the highest way that can be to all heresie And for men how uncharitable are they towards them in their persons judging them as perishing without remedie if they receiv not their new Gospell of Anabatistry and Free-will How injurious in relating their own mis-formed collections for their opinions And lastly how contemptuous of their gifts and graces how eminent soever As if the word of God came out from them or to them alone It is true we ought not to pin our faith on the sleevs of any nor to call any Master as Christ speaks and means but him alone and no lesse true that Christ hath given gifts to some men for the edifying of others and that we ought not to look on our things alone as if we alone had knowledg and conscience and zeal and soules to saue but every man also of the things of others though in some things differing from them as having these things as well as we and therwith considering that many eies see more then one and that specially having as so many spectacles the advantages of knowledge of Tongues and Arts with daily travail in the Scripture which in us are wanting And thus serving God in all modesty of minde and being sincere in the truth in loue we shall be much sitter both to help others and to be helped by them in the things agreeable thereunto A DEFENCE OF THE DOCTRINE PROPOVNDED BY THE SYNODE AT DORT CHAP. I. Of Predestination ADVERSARIES WEE hold that before the foundation of the world the most holy God predestinated to make the world and man c. DEFENCE NEither the Scriptures so speak neither is it sensibly said that God predestinated to make the world and man c. To predestinate is to predetermine or to destinate or ordain before hand a person or thing to its end God indeed purposed from eternity to make the world and man but destinated it and him considered as to be made to their ends Christ as God was preordained or predestinated before the foundation of the world and manifested in the last times for our redemption yet is he not of the number of persons or things made or created Again the glory of the grace of God shineing in mans salvation is a created thing and yet not predestinated of God nor preordained to any end being it selfe the utmost end of all things We see then something predestinated and yet not made and something again made and â—ot predestinated With like incongruity they adde that God predestinated to make man a reasonable soule to giue him a righteous Law and lastly to send his sonne to purchase the very wicked c. which last words haue neither truth in them in their meaning nor sense as they lay them down Secondly the Synode at Dort against which these Adversaries deal and all others speaking distinctly of things apply the decree of predestination to reasonable creatures and that Synode specially to men and the same considered as faln its Adam and thereby made guilty of eternall death referring the decree of creation and permission of the fall to a more general work of divine providence Their description of the elect and reprobate may be admitmitted in a good sense namely that the receiving of grace by some argues Gods eternall election of them as the effect doth the cause The not receiving of this grace by others to whom it is offered his eternall reprobation that is his not-electing but refusing or passing by of others as the consequent the antecedent Of which more hereafter In setting down the difference between them and us they insinuate as if we made God the Authour yea the principall Authour of all the evill of sin in the world But as the Synode disclaims that prophane errour so doth it justly complain of this ungodly slander which in these men ariseth from their want of skill to put difference between Gods working of the sinne as authour therof and his appointing and ordering both of sin and sinner to his own holy ends ADVERSARIES THe first particular against which they deal is our affirmation that God decreed the sinne of Adam and that of necessity to come to passe and consequently all other sinnes in their time taking upon them with all to manifest that herein wee not onely contradict the truth but our own affirmation elsewhere quoting for example Theses Genevenses pag. 26 where it is affirmed that Adam in innocency had free-will or power from the creation of God not to haue sinned which matter they also prosecute in many words with great disorder making the head of their discourse Predestination and the body sin DEFENCE AS the contradiction is not in our Assertions but in their misunderstanding So might I by good right forbeare to meddle about Adams sin in the case of predestination considering the determination of the Synode at Dort hereabout which I take upon
meaning nor his The Heathens speaking of fortune did not conceiu that there was any such divine power causing things to be but the contrary and that things come to passe without any divine Providence ordering them and meerly by blinde chance or fortune when they spake of good fortune or ill fortune they meant onely the good or ill hap of persons or things His and our meaning then is that which Christ our Lord also teacheth that Not a sparrow falls to the ground without Gods providence And where hee speaks of God as the Authour by his counsell appointing all things to the one part and to the other it is plain hee intends it onely of the ordering and governing of them which they that deny doe in effect pluck God out of heaven by denying his Soveraignty and power over all his creatures in ordering them and all their actions to his own supernaturall ends The bitter curses which here they break into in their ignorant zeal against him and Calvin and with them all others the worthy instruments of restoring the Gospels light after the darknesse of Popery into which these men are slidden back in no small measure are like stones thrown upward by them which without their answerable repentance will fall down upon their own heads Their proofe that God is gracious and mercifull of whom all good things come and none evill are needlesse seeing wee grant as much onely wishing them to consider these three things First that the most of these Scriptures cited mean onely the mercy and loue of God to his Church and people Secondly with what mind they put once and again moving for tempting Iam. 1. Thirdly that 2 Pet. 3. 4 is not to be extended to all as it is by those prodigall Stewards of Gods grace but to the elect onely whom the Apostle opposeth to the mockers mentioned v. 3 and therefore saith that the Lord which hath promised is patient towards us and so deferres that his comming till the number of the elect be accomplished by their effectuall calling Of Gods suffering and doing things and how they come to passe thereupon I haue spoken before answering what they object therabout Onely I may not passe by without giving warning therof the stumbling stone of most grievous errour and impiety which they pur-blind people cast in their own way making Gods purposes and promises no better in effect then the vizzard of Stage-players which they put on and off again at every turn ADVERSARIES THeir affirmation that God from the beginning of the world knoweth all things yet that all things come not to passe therfore necessarily alledging for that purpose Math. 26. 35 is dangerous if they speak to the matter in hand and with respect to the Text whose word for the most part they bring Known unto God are all his workes from the beginning of the world Their instance in Christs asking twelu Legions of Angels Mat. 26 Ananias his keeping his possession and the saving of the ship in which Paul sayled These Scriptures together with Sauls coming to Keilah and the men of Keilahs delivering David into his hands 1 Sam. 23 they bring to proue that although God doe foreknow things will come to passe and also foretell them yet they may be prevented adding hereunto that the Lord knoweth and pronounceth that the wicked shall be damned and yet there lyeth no necessity upon their damnation but that it may be prevented by repentance DEFENCE FIrst these examples of the Lords sending the twelue Legions of Angels and of Sauls comming to Keilah and the like are not to the purpose in hand The question is as they themselues put it of things coming not of fortune but by Gods providence and of Gods willing things that come to passe both good and evill To what end then mention they things that never did nor shall come to passe either good or evill And so to cover their craft the better alter the words of the Text All Gods workes into All things And what are all these things with them Christs obtaining 12 legions of Angels Ananias retaining his possession the saving of the ship in which Paul sayled towards Rome Sauls coming to Keilah and the destruction of the Ninivits within 40 daies which were neither works of God nor man nor never were nor shall be So then by all Gods works as the text saith and matter in hand requireth and by all things as they say they must mean plain nothing and that which never was nor shall be Secondly the Scriptures cited by them rightly understood are to them as Goliahs sword to him cleerly cutting off the head of their errour Take for instance one or two of them upon which they most insist For Math. 26 it was a thing in itselfe possible considering Gods loue to his Sonne and his faith in him that he should haue obtained those Legions of Angels to haue reskued him So was it also not onely possible in it selfe for Saul but also in his minde to haue come to Keilah c. And whence then was it that these things came not so to passe and had not their answerable events Even from the decree and providence of Gods ordering things the other way inevitably In the former instance we haue Christs own testimony who after mention of his such praying if he would v. 53 adds v. 54 But then how shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be As if he should haue sayd it agrees well with the interest which I haue in my Fathers loue that I should obtain from him an invincible Army of heavenly Souldiers for the reskuing of me out of mine enemies hands but the Scriptures manifesting the purpose and decree of God haue foretold the contrary and that I should thus be oppressed and afflicted and made an offering for sin which before he also professed to be the will of his Father v. 39. 42. So for Sauls coming to Keilah it was a thing in it selfe possible and also Sauls purpose and this the Lord saw and foretold but hindred by his providence in sending away David as he had fore-purposed in his counsell to doe and therby to hinder Sauls coming thither These men should haue said thus that God alwaies fore-seeing and sometimes fore-telling what in regard of the nature of the things might be and in respect of the disposition of the persons would be if they were not prevented yet doth prevent them effectually by the work of his providence interposed according to the decree of his will And this so farre as it looks towards the thing in hand makes against them avowing a most powerfull work of Gods providence according to a most constant will over-ruling all dispositions of persons and events of things But for them to say bluntly as they doe that God fore-knows and fore-tels that things will come to passe and yet that those things may be prevented is to accuse the Lord himselfe both of want
is not unprobable touching the generall beginnings of the Gentiles sacrifices so considering them in their particulars their own words will judge them guilty of grosse errour in instancing them as they doe The question is of Gods offering of the means of salvation to all even to the very Heathens before Christs coming in the flesh Their proofe for the affirmatiue is the sacrifices which the Gentiles had which yet they grant to haue been remembrances and acknowledgments of a false Christ. And are remembrances of a false Christ means of salvation Is there any other name under heaven by which men are saved then by the name of the true Christ Iesus the Son of God crucified by the Iews and raised again by God from the dead If the remembrances of a false Christ be means of salvation then is salvation had by a false Christ. The Apostle maketh the sacrifices of the Gentiles means of fellowship with devils these men make them means of fellowship with God The Apostle teacheth that they cannot stand with the remembrances of Christs body and bloud the cup of the Lord and the Lords Table these men make them the same in effect and remembrances of Christ. The Apostle means of provoking the Lord to anger and so of condemnation they means of pacifying God and of saving men Else where these men in their hote zeal will haue all even the most zealous Ministers in the Church of England preach and pray and doe all other things by none other spirit but the spirit of the man of sin and that all the effects of their so preaching and praying is but the false enlightning and heat of a false spirit And yet here in their hote charity towards the heathen they will haue their sacrifices in which they offer to devils and not to God yea those in which they sacrificed their sonns and daughters unto them and that as histories mention by the devils speciall direction in his Oracles these they will haue means of salvation by which God cals his guests to the marriage of his Sonne and as a good Phisit on offers to heal the fick of sin Thus tâ—ansforming God into the devill the true Christ into a false the Gospell into heynous Idolatry and the means of salvation into the high way and most effectual cause of utter pâ—â—dâ—tion To concludâ— this point If in Religion that which is false be none which elsewhere they make the ground of their rebaptizing how had or haue the Heathens any means of salvation which haue only the means of knowing and acknowledging a false Christ For the time since Christs coming in the flesh their first pâ—oof is Luk. 3. 6 All flesh shall see the salvation of our God But I demand of what sight of Christ Iohn here speaketh Not of bodily without doubt neither availed it them if he did Of spirituall then But so to see is to enjoy as Ioh. 3. 35 Psal. 69. 49 99. 15 1 Ioh. 3. 6. Neither doth the bare offering suffice to giue sight of Christ and of salvation by him except there be withall an opening of their eyes to whom he is offered so as they discern and acknowledge him and his salvation in the means so offering him to wit the Gospell But to let passe them that never heard of Christ how many are there that understand not the Gospell preached to them yea to whom it is meer foolishnes And how doe these see the salvation of God in Christ The meaning then of the words is that the Gentiles indefinitely as well as the Iews and in greater number then they should beleev in Christ to salvation By all Nations is meant as we haue formerly shewed not every particular Nation without exception much lesse every particular person but commonly the Gentiles with the Iews The Sun and Moon teaching God was as well before as since Christ but never taught Christ the Mediator but onely God the Creator and governour of the world Neither is the Gospell which is not known but by supernaturall revelation of the spirit so common as the Law which is naturall and written by creation in the heart of every man Neither should it be a fault if God offered not Christ to all as they most absurdly insinuate He ows not the offering of him to any more then the giving of him for any All is of mercy and therfore no fault but justice onely where no such offer is Where they affirm afterwards and truely that some to whom Christ is offered put him away quite as Iews and Turks I demand how then they keep and practise any remembrances of him or make any acknowledging of him which even now they affirmed every man in the world to doe Or if the fathers put him quite away how can the children haue or make any remembrance or acknowledgment of him having no new offer of him Can that which is quite put away be still continued That Christ might haue been manifested to every particular person whatsoever to wit if God had so pleased is true but both besides the question which is not what God might haue done or doth but what hee hath done or doth and also against themselvs for to say God might haue done a thing is to insinuate that he hath not done it In adding that if the means of salvation haue not been offered to every particular soule of reason and understanding the Scriptures are not true they are like themselvs but the Scriptures are true and their glosse upon them false God is true and all men lyars even such as tell a lye for God as they doe whom God will reproov therefore The two last kinds of their proofs are strange and either brought by them in cunning to deceiv the undiscerning Reader with the truth in it selfe but nothing to the maâ—n purpose yea plain against it or in weaknesse and want of judgment in themselvs to discern what makes for them and what against them Let us consider the particulars They professe and promise proof that Christ hath been offered in mercy to every particular man to whom the Law either written in mens hearts or in tables of stone hath come for reconciliation But in steed hereof as Balaam blessed when he meant to curse they both affirm and prov the plain contrary and that God hath not vouchsafed this mercy to many but in just judgment hath kept it from them Sundry true grounds they here lay down and prove to which we willingly assent as first that God by creating the heaven and earth and by their teachings sends men to seek out the worke-master This we grant and that the Heathens should by this light not of Christ to salvation of which our question is but of Gods power and Godhead haue grâ—ped after God and the further revelation of hâ—s will as he that lying in a dungeon sees some little glimpse of light and groaps aftâ—r it by the wall
hoping to come in time to some dore or window A second is that the terrours of conscience accusing them for sin should haue caused them to seek after God with earnestnesse for reconciliation And to this we assent also A third is that it is not Gods fault but their own that they are ignorant of the means of reconciliation and salvation And of this also we are perswaded as they so far as there is a fault But now what did those Heathens in this case They became vain in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were full of darkenesse so as they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to Idols satisfying themselvs in their own inventions And this also as consonant to the Scriptures we willingly admit of And what then God for this say they delivered them up to a reprobate minde that they never knew more for what should he that is not faithfull in a little be trusted with more Luk. 16. 10 and gaue them up to their own hearts lusts and so they became past feeling And to consent with them herein also the Scriptures leade us very directly But what now follows of all this for conclusion Namely that all Nations Citties houses c. that is every particular man and woman hath had the mercy of God in the offer of Christ affoarded them that all were bidden to the marriage Nay the plain contrary and that all were not bidden but that many in stead of this mercy to be bidden were in justice left to themselvs and given up to their own vain imaginations the Lord suffering all the Nations to walk in their own waies as the Apostle saith and refusing as themselvs confesse to trust them with much which had not been faithfull in a little so as they never knew more And whereas they cunningly shuffle in now and then that men might haue had Christ given unto them or offered them and that Christ might haue been manifested to every one if they had would how congruously to the Scriptures they speak therein we now dispute not is not onely besides the matter in controversie which is what was and is and not what might haue been done but to their own prejudice feeing that which onely might haue been is not specially that bar being put by mens own default which effectually hinders the being of it as in this case Having thus shewed that these men either fight busily with their own shadows in proving at large things never called into question by us or may easily haue their weapons turned upon themselvs in the main matter I will even now proceed after that I haue briefly observed some particular mistakings by them And first they both add to the Text and err in applying that which is written Rom. 11. 32. The Scripture is God hath concluded them all in unbeliefe that he might haue mercie upon all they add of their own every person whereas the Apostle neither speaks of every person but onely of the Gentiles indefinitely at one time and of the Iews at another which he there opposeth the one to the other neither speaks he of the offering of grace and mercy onely as they deem but of the actuall conferring of it upon all of whom there he speaks who beleeved and obtained mercy the other remaining in unbeleef And this both the drift and words of the place expresly manifest v. 30. 31. 32. Neither doth that other place alledged Tit. 2. 11 speak of all and every particular person but of persons of all sorts servants as well as masters or any others The Apostle v. 9 10 provokes beleeving servants to obedience to their masters rendâ—ing this reason of encouragement v. 11 for the grace of God which bringeth salvation unto all hath appeared as if he should say that even they though poor bond-slaves if they continued in faith and faithfull obedience should haue their part in the salvation of God as well as any others Secondly as I will not simply deny that God punished the Heathens other sins with the want of preaching Christ unto them so is it certain that greater sinners and deeplyer drowned both in idolatry and other lusts none in the world were then the Corinthians Athenians Ephesians and others to whom Christ was preached and faith thereby given to many unto salvation The Lord tels the Prophet that though the house of Israel to whom he was sent would not hear yet if he had sent him to the Heathens surely they would haue heard him So the Lord Iesus upbraids the cities of Chorah Bethsaida and Capernaum where he both preached and wrought most of his mighty works that they were deeper in the contempt of God and further from all disposition to use aright the means of salvation then the Heathenish Cities of Tyre and Sâ—don yea of Sodom it selfe unto whom yet he vouchsafed not the means of repentance and revelation of grace which he did to the former By which it doth appear that the Lord doth not observ the order prescribed unto him by these men for the dispensing of his favours this way in trusting them with most who are of their faithfull in a little that is wholly faithlesse indeed but as the wind blows where it lists so doth he by the sweet gusts of his Gospell and spirit according to the good pleasure of his own will and not according to the good pleasure of mens will in their use of naturall light and conscience dispense supernaturall grace both for means and efficacy Lastly as they here contradict their main ground of universall calling in supposing some Nation to haue no means of knowing Christ so I would learn of them how the Gentiles wholly voyd of faith could rightly examine all things touching the offence of God an accusing conscience and the satisfying of Gods justice as they would haue them or in so doing could promise to themselvs the revelation of Christ by one means or other as they liberally undertake for them They tell us He that seeks shall find Math. 7. But we answer them that Christ there speaks not of a seeking by blind and unbeleeving Gentiles but by his faithfull Disciples Now albeit the eternall and unchangeable election of God doe not manifest it selfe in time in the bare outward calling of the so elected common to many others with them but as the same hath joyned with it the effectuall work of true faith and repentance in the heart peculiar to them alone Yet seeing these adversaries labour upon presumption of an universall grace offered to all in the preaching of the Gospell to establish an uniuersall election of all that is in truth to overthrow all election I will here annex to the things formerly laid down two or three plain testimonies for thâ—â— further conviction The first â—s from the Psalm He shewed his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for judgements they
purposed in himself accordingly to loue the one and hate the other seeing whatsoever God in time doth by way of emanation or application to and upon the creature that he purposed to do as he doth it from eternity If the Apostle v. 13 Iakob haue I loved and Esau haue I hated confirm his former doctrine as they say then he confirms the doctrine of Gods eternall and stedfast election from eternity And their boldnesse is excessiue in calling them perverters of the words of Paul which will haue this to be before Iakob and Esau were born seeing the Apostle adds this Scripture out of Malachy to shew the reason of that contained in the former which both Moses and Paul with him expresly affirm to haue been before the children were born namely that the highest cause of the elder to wit Esau his serving the yonger to wit Iakob was Gods loue to Iakob and hatred of Esau. That following is partly true namely that v. 12. 13 is not shewed for what cause God loved Iakob and hated Esau for that is shewed so far as God would haue us see v. 15. 18. But fals where they say that they shew not when this was For this loue and hatred was and before when God said The elder shall serv the yonger and this he said when the children were not yet born the effect of which was that the purpose of God according to election might stand in after time and that both in respect of the two persons themselvs and of the bodies of the Nations to come of them though not of every particular And so indeed they are to be considered both as instances in their persons and heads of their Nations the Scriptures accordingly every where testifying that God loved and chose from the rest the Israelits in their fathers Abraham Isaak and Iakob according to the tenour of his gracious promise and covenant of being their God and the God of their Seed expressing his eternall and most stedfast purpose of will That which they adde in the last place of Gods not hating to wit actually and destroying without desert is most true But when we speak of Gods loving or hating any before the world we mean onely of his decree of loving which he actually exerciseth in time for Christs righteousnesse by faith applyed upon the so loved and so of his decree of hating which hatred he comes not to exercise actually but for sin deserving it God from eternity purposed in time to glorifie his justice in the deserved destruction of Esau and not of Iakob Of this different decree of God touching Esau and not Iakob and his leaving him in and to his own corruption and hardning him in the same rather then Iakob our reason is the will of God but of Gods actuall hating and destroying of him rather then the other the Scriptures shew sufficient reason to wit his obstinacy in sin the onely cause of his destruction Vers. 14 upon the premises that God of two alike in themselvs and without respect of good or evill in the one or other had loved the one and hated the other an objection is framed that by this injustice might seem to be with God which the Apostle denyes with God forbid This objection our Adversaries understand to be upon Gods rejecting the fleshly Israelites for contemning their salvation offered them by faith in Christ as Esau was rejected for contemning his birth-right But herein as children skip where they cannot reade they leav out the principall part of the objection which is not onely moved upon Gods rejecting some but withall upon his receiving of others The Apostle in the words before going which occasion the objection mentions not onely Esau the elder hated and serving but also Iakob the yonger loved and served so in answering the same objection he speaks first and most of Gods shewing mercy and compassion and last and least of his hardning any Now whether they have omitted this part of the objection in cunning or inconsideratenesse themselves best know This is certain that the adjoyning it qutie overturns their exposition For comparing together two such persons as whereof the one glories in his own righteousnesse as perfectly answering to the holinesse and righteousnesse of the Law justifying himselfe when the Law condemnes him despising the grace and mercy of God in Christ offered and making him a lyar in not receiving the testimony which he gives of his Son and joyning with these blasphemy and persecution and all injurious dealing against them that doe receive this grace of Christ all which those proud justiciaries and carnall Israelits did and the other as honoring Gods justice and holinesse in the sense and confession of sin and misery due therefore flying to the mercie of God in Christ and by receiving the testimony of his Sonn setting to his seal that God is true and therewith repenting with all his heart which every true beleever doth that God now should shew mercie upon the latter of these and not upon the former cannot minister to any man indued with common sense occasion of objecting injustice to God seeing the light of nature teacheth every naturall man the reason of a difference And if any should be so senselesse as to object injustice to God in such a case as they conceive the objecter to be yet was not the Apostle so witlesse as to fly for answer to the absolute will of God and to plead that God will doe so because he will or pleaseth to doe it as v. 15. 18. I will haue mercie on whom I will have mercie c. Which answer of the Apostle also ministers matter of further and more difficult objection as appeares v. 19. 20. Whereas if the objection had been cast in their mould a child could have answered it and sayd that it had been a most just and equall thing for God to have received and loved the one rather then the other considering how the one honored the holynesse justice truth and mercy of God which the other dishonored and despised They erre therefore in applying to this purpose Rom. 2. 4. 5. Neither doth the Apostle there speak of a mercy and bounty to be shewed to them that beleeve and repent as they conceive but of that which goes before repentance as a means to lead unto it But here he speaks of a higher work of Gods shewing mercy namely the purpose of his will according to election to glory and the means thereunto And truely these mens boldnesse is too great in putting for God hath mercy on whom he wil have mercy God hath mercie on them that seek him by the means that he himselfe appoynts For though it be most true that God hath mercie on such yet the Apostle here speaks no more of Gods appoynting or commanding will for his shewing of mercy then of his appoynting or commanding vvill for his hardening v 18 whom he will he hardens He speaks of that will
according to which he himselfe works in loue or hatred not of that according to which he commands and appoints men to worke These men in truth confound all things setting mans will where Gods should stand God saith on whom I will they say on him that himselfe wils or seeketh as he ought c. The same Idol of mans wil they advance set up v. 16 where in stead of Gods shewing mercy they put mans beleeving mercy The Lord by willing and running v. 16 excludes whatsoever is of or in man and either within or without him and draws all to himselfe alone In the stead of God shewing mercy they put themselvs and their free will receiving mercy by God offered as the proper cause of difference between man and man The 17 vers For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh c they handle very sleightly saying something such as it is about Gods hardening Pharoahs heart but not medling at all with the place according to the coherence which it hath with the words going before unto which yet the Holy Ghost strongly tyeth them in saying For the Scripture saith c. And herein they are in truth wise in their generation These words must needs answer to the latter part of the objection of unrighteousnesse with God in hating that is as they interpret it in rejecting such as seek righteousnesse by the works of the Law as did the fleshly Israelits But wherein I wonder did Pharaoh so How sought he justification by the works of the Law Who so professedly despised the God therof saying Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce Did they see that this example of Pharaoh and their exposition of the place could not stand together and therfore chose to cut off the coherence so firmly tying the words together rather then to let fall their preconceived erroneous exposition Whatsoever they intend herein we know it is brought for an example of Gods absolute but righteous power of hardening rather then another whom he will and not whom he finds most deserving it for whom finds he not too much deserving it if he would deal in like manner with all as it is said whom that is which rather then other he will he hardneth v. 18. And let it be diligently minded that the Apostle here opposeth Gods shewing mercy to some and his hardening of others and not his shewing mercy to some and his condemning of others The adversaries by Gods shewing mercy would haue us understand his saving of such as beleev and repent And then on the contrary by Gods hardening should onely be meant his not shewing mercy to but punishing condemning such as doe not beleev nor repent But we know that the not hearing God voyce not beleeving and repenting follow upon hardnesse of heart Wherupon the Lord promiseth that in the day of his mercy and pittie he will take from his people their stony and hard hearts And so touching Pharaoh the Scriptures expresly shew that his hardnesse of heart was the cause of his unbeliefe and disobedience Whereupon I conclude evidently that the Apostle here speaks not of such a mercy onely as follows faith as the Adversaries would haue him but as goes before it also as he speaks of such a hardening as goâ—s before unbelief Note we here also that the Apostle in this place propounds Gods will as the cause of his dealing diversly with divers persons and not of his saving such as are to be saved after a divers manner from that which some namely the carnall Israelites imagined ADVERSARIES NOW to return to them They lay down a question thus What is the meaning of the hardening of Pharaoh And in their answer wholly passe by God as no doer in the businesse They make Pharaoh a doer in hardening his own heart which is true and Satan a doer in hardening Pharaohs heart and this is true also but God no doer but a sufferer only in giving him up that is as else where they expound it in leaving him to himselfe and to Satan to be hardened DEFENCE BVT first the Text imports a further thing in God whom it brings in thus speaking For this same purpose haue I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared through all the earth Is Gods raysing up which is his hardening v. 8 nothing but his letting a man lie still and fall down lower then he was before Besides the end which was the glory of Gods power and name shews God to be a worker Every end must haue an efficient or working cause The glory of God was not the end of Satans work nor of Pharaohs work and therefore of Gods work in it Thirdly God hardened Pharaohs heart by sending Moses and Aaron unto him as by an occasion though not a cause as the Law is the occasion of sin and the Gospell the occasion of strife and variance Fourthly God deprived Pharaoh of the use of common sense and reason otherwise it could not haue been that after so many experiments by him taken of Gods powerfull hand against him and for the Israelits he should so furiously as he did haue followed them into the middest of the Sea Lastly besides and aboue all these God in whose hands the hearts of Kings are as the rivers of waters to turn them whether he will hardened Pharaohs heart by ordering his pride cruelty and contempt of God to this effect of obstinacy appearing in his most desperate course without which powerfull and unerring hand of God all the former notwithstanding it might haue come to passe that Pharaohs heart might haue been softned by the miracles and means used and so Gods word which before had foretold his hardening might not haue taken effect which is contrary to the truth and drift of the Apostle in this place God therefore was not onely a sufferer but a doer in the hardening of Pharaoh ADVERSARIES THeir next question is How consider you these words Who hath resisted his will v. 19. Vnto which they frame this untoward Answer viz. that those Iews seeking salvation by those works of the Law did not resist Gods will and so gaue him no cause to complain DEFENCE NOthing lesse as we haue shewed and shall further manifest by and by from the Apostles answer v. 20. The meaning is plain The words v. 19 Thou wilt then say unto me why doth he yet finde fault for who hath resisted his will are an objection against that which immediately went before whom he will he hardeneth Now against this it may colourably bee objected that if God hardens whom he will hee hath then no reason to complain of mens being hardened in disobedience for Who can resist his will if he will harden them A piece of an eie is sufficient to see the plainnesse of this exposition and coherence Their discourse then following that God would saue all and haue all repent amend and beleev
threatning that if they continued not in the bounty of God they should be cut off ch 11. 21. I answer as before first that the threatning is conditionall as Gal 1. 8 If we c. Was it possible that Paul should preach any other Gospell Or were he an Angell from heaven or of God that should so doe I suppose no ch 4. 14. But an Angell from hell rather and of the divell The question is not whether if any should not abide in the bounty of God they were to be cut off or no But whether any with whom hee hath dealt so bounteously as indeed to justifie and sanctifie them haue not also a promise by his power to be kept in that his bounty by the means which he hath appointed Secondly Paul pronounceth those Romans justified not from the judgement of certainty but of charity Of whom as some were undoubtedly sincere whom God did by this and the like warnings preserv and keep in his grace so for the hypocrites mingled amongst them it was but that which we say if in their time they were broken off from that which formerly they seemed to others by their profession and it may be to themselvs also to haue had And indeed this very place if it be well minded ministers full answer to the most of their Arguments This warning though immediately given to the Romans concerns all Christians as well as them And being founded upon an example of the Lords dealing with the Iews must be expounded and applyed accordingly Who then were these exemplary Iews formerly cut off by the Lord from the oliue tree Were they such as had once truely beleeved but had after made defection I suppose not even in these mens judgment but such as occupying a place in the Church yet were in truth faithlesse hypocrites and as chaff in the Lords flore which the Son of man comming with his fan in his hand purged out And in these we may see what kind of branches they are which in time come actually and visibly to bee broken off from the Oliue The instances following of Elies house loosing the Priesthood Saul the Kingdom of Israel and the Israelites Canaan serv onely to fill up room That Priesthood Kingdom and Canaan were not the graces of faith and sanctification in the heart nor the losse of them sin but punishments onely Onely the last place Math. 18. 32 where debt forgiven is as they say recalled were something to the purpose if the drift of the parable were to shew that God indeed forgivs sins and after unforgives them which were lightnesse unbecomming any graue and honest man But the scope of the parable being no more then that we ought to forgiue such as offend us and that otherwise God will not forgiue us to draw more from it is to forget that it is a parable and to take the high way to to most grievous errour Besides there is in this parable no colour for falling away from grace and true godlinesse formerly had but onely even their exposition being admitted that a man may haue his sins pardoned who yet wants all brotherly loue and goodnesse which the Scriptures every where deny Math. 6. 14. 15 Mark 11. 24. 25 1 Ioh. 3. 14. 15 Rom. 8. 1 Ps. 32. 1. 2. Thirdly by these grounds no man can certainly know that his sins are indeed pardoned whilst he liues in the world because he may still fall away and so haue his pardon recalled though sealed up unto him by the very spirit of God it selfe And so all our faith must be but adventure whilst we liue in the world whether our sins past be in truth pardoned or no contrary to the Scriptures Lastly this impeacheth both the justice of God and his truth His justice in making him require double satisfaction for the same debt first of his Son even the price of his bloud and the same also by faith applyed to the person that hath sinned and beleeveth and after of the person himselfe Of his truth and that both of his word absolutely promising forgiuenesse of sins to him that beleeveth and also of his spirit by which he seals up the same unto their hearts Their second and third reason taken from the fall and sin of Adam and all mens falling and sinning in and by him are wholly besides the question which is onely of falling from the grace of God in Christ from election in him from the loue of God towards us when we were enemies from mercy which presupposeth sin and misery and is properly Evangelicall God gaue Adam his portion in grace by creation and left it in his own keeping which hee soon mispent but hath dealt more mercifully with us in making his Son our feofâ—er in trust that he as our head might keep and improue the grace of God belonging to us as is meet for us lest we having â—ll at once and that same left in our own hands should mispend all as Adam did To that which they alledge from Eph. 1. 4 compared with Rev. 2. 4. 5 I answer first that Paul stiles those Ephesians elect onely as he knew them so to be which was by outward appearance of holinesse Secondly that the leaving of their first loue was not a total falling from grace but onely a decaying of their former zeal Thirdly the threatning of the Candlesticks removing was to the truely called an effectuall means of drawing them to repentance When these men can make it appear that any one of the truely elect and sanctified Ephesians did wholly despise this and the like means of their bettering I will then grant their proof strong It may as well be concluded that therefore the fire goes out because it hath good and fresh fuell put unto it and is diligently blown For these exhortations and admonitions are as fuell and blowing to preserv from going out the spark and fire of grace in the hearts of beleevers That onely he that continues to the end and overcomes shall be saved and that the promise of acceptance and salvation by them miscalled the promise of election is no otherwise intended to us then upon our abiding in the faith and obedience of Christ. Wee beleev and confesse with them according to the Scriptures but withall are taught and beleev according to the same Scriptures that God keeps all his holy ones unto the end and giues them to overcome that he puts his fear in their heart that they shall not depart from him that the seed sown in good ground shall neither wither by persecution nor be choaked by cares of the world or deceitfulnesse of riches or otherwise but shall grow up to the harvest that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church or any one member thereof built upon the rock of Peters confession that God is faithfull who with the temptation will giue a way to escape for all his that they are kept by the power of
God hath predestinated some persons to salvation and some to damnation without any condition and that these persons the elect making never so great shew of wickedness and walking in the wayes of Belial are still elect and can by no means fall out of their election the other persons having never so many testimonies of godlâ—nesse and walking in the Church of Christ yet can never but be reprobates and if ever they fall away from the Church or truth that they were never truely of it We affirm that God predestinates none to salvation but with condition of the death of Christ and the persons coming to years of discretion faith and repentance and continuance therin to the end to goe before that their salvation nor to damnation but with condition of sin and impenitency therein to goe before that their damnation But our Adversaries being bold and presumptuous speak evill of the things which they neither know nor are walling to understand Onely these two things we further hold in this case First that the former conditions Christ and faith in him are Gods free gifts also infallibly and effectually obtained by the former persons the latter condition impenitency in sin the certain effect of Satans malice and their own corruption being left of God thereunto The second is that other reason why God hath of two alike corrupt in themselvs preordained the former to salvation by the former means and the latter to condemnation by the latter the Scriptures doe not acquaint us with then the meer pleasure of him who hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom he will hee hardneth and who hath loved Iakob and hated Esau to wit in decree the children not bing yet born neither having done either good or evill Secondly we say not that the elect so remain though walking in the wayes of Belial but deny that ever they so walk after their effectual calling though through the remainders of corruption in some more strong then in others they haue not onely their common slidings but often their greater fals from which they recover themselvs by repentance the spirit alwaies lusting against the flesh and they in regard of the Law of their minde and spirituall man not allowing but hating the evill which through the sin dwelling in them they doe Neither on the other side doe the Reprobates ever shew any one much lesse many true testimonies of godlinesse though many seeming such oftentimes both in their own judgments of themselvs and other mens of them He that should challenge a man for affirming that it could not but be light at mid-day nor but be dark at midnight in comparison that he affirmed that it could not but be light at noon though the Sun should not be up nor but be dark at midnight though the Sun were not set should but use slaunderous cavillation even such and no better is their collection upon our assertion Where they add that as all mens estates are one by creation and one by transgression all being dead in sins and that as all are shut up in unbeliefe so he hath mercy on all to wit every particular person alike they mis-interpret the Scripture as hath been formerly shewed mistake the proportion of nature whether by creation or corruption with that of meer grace and are most impious against Gods mercy which they make all one towards Pharaoh and Moses Herod and Paul Besides it should follow hereupon that God hath mercy actually on all and every person in the world in taking away their sinnes and saving them for the Apostle whose words they cite speaks expresly of such an all as obtain mercy that way With like truth do they after affirm from Math. 13 that the sower soweth the seed of salvation upon all It cannot with modesty be denyed but there are and haue been many millions unto whom the Gospell the onely seed of salvation was never preached And as they begin so goe they on with this parable as being of them in whose mouth a parable is like the legs of the lame that are lifted up and like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard As first where by the good seed they understand the seed of salvation or Gospell and by tares false doctrines as if they know the minde of our Saviour better then he himselfe who expresly teacheth that the good seed are the children of the Kingdom so called because they are the heyres of their Fathers Kingdom in which the righteous are to shine forth as the Sun v. 43 and the tares the children of the wicked one which doe iniquity are to be gathered by the Angels in the end of the world and cast into the furnace of fire c. And if the good seed were the Gospell and the tares false doctrines as they transforming persons into things would make them yet is it untruely affirmed by them that the persons of them who receiv the good seed were no better then the other nor the persons of them who receiv the tares any worse then the other That both are alike to wit dead in sin when God offereth the Gospel we willingly grant and are glad to hear them confess but to say they are both alike when the one receivs the Gospell and the other refuseth it and receivs the tares contrary unto it is to say that the good ground and the bad are both alike For what makes them that are alike when the Gospel comes alike unto them not to remain alike stil And what is the reason why the one receivs it and not the other They say because the goodnesse of the Sower first sowed it and therfore he hath cause to praise him onely But say I this goodnesse is alike to both the two in sowing or offering the Gospels seed Whereupon it must follow that he who receivs this good seed hath no more cause to praise God the Sower then he that receivs it not for it is sowen alike on both in regard of outward offer but for the ones receiving of it rather then the other he hath cause to thank himselfe alone and his own freewill And indeed this is the mark at which all those Adversaries arrows are shot But the Scriptures teach us a further thing then these ungratefull persons will acknowledge which is that besides and aboue the offer common to both God giues the encrease to some without which all preaching is nothing even by opening of the heart to attend unto it as he did the heart of Lydia And as persons receiv the word of God into their hearts by his opening them first so in that his gracious work in them hee makes them which were before alike in spirituall consideration to become unlike and better then other and so more beloved then others for the godly qualities as they call them which he hath wrought in them Neither doth the Lord hate onely the works of wicked men as they say but
work our regeneration and again of God by the power of his word and spirit shewing man the benefite of life c. If they consider the spirit onely as the Authour of the word speaking in the men of God why doe they not say the Spirit and the Word rather then as they do the Word and the Spirit Or how doth God send the spirit thus understood to work regeneration in men If they answer that God is ready to giue the spirit and so doth to them that will receiv it first to be ready to giue is not to giue or send secondly they should understand that to be willing to receiv spirituall things is a main fruit and effect of regeneration and therfore not a cause as they mistake For the will thus holily bent presupposeth the understanding divinely enlightned whose direction it follows and without which going before it is blind and brutish Neither can a man possibly will a thing but as he understands it to be good for him If the understanding be divinely inlightned and the will holily bent then the whole man is before regenerated that is begotten before of God by the spirit of regeneration In truth they but speak of Gods sending his Spirit to work in mans regeneration as Senacherib by Rabsakah spake of Gods sending him against Ierusalem He to cover the pride of violence and they to cover the pride of free-will in bending it selfe of itself to receiv grace offered To conclude this Head referring the Reader to the Arguments of conviction formerly laid down I onely add thus much that if God onely bend the will by perswasions of promises and threatnings and works not otherwise then by force of reasons and by using strong arguments and perswasions as they expresly affirm then that whose contrary both the Scriptures and experience confirms would ordinarily come to passe namely that the wise and prudent should haue heavenly things revealed unto them and discern them much more easily and effectually then babes and weak persons and so should be converted sooner then they specially sooner then harlots and light persons considering how much better they mind and understand arguments and reasons of all sorts then the other We therfore conclude with the Apostle that God works in us both the will and the deed not onely by his word working on us but by his Spirit working in us not onely by sending Paul to plant by propounding strong arguments of perswasion but also by giving the increase by the most effectuall work of his Spirit inlightning the eyes of the understanding to see the force of those arguments opening the heart to attend unto them and so writing them in the same heart and most inward parts as they cannot be blotted out CHAP. V. Of the Originall estate of Mankinde THE main question here to be discussed is whether all Infants sinned in Adam and so be guilty of death and condemnation naturally and without mercy in Christ or not This I will proue God willing against them answering and disproving what they bring to the contrary and that in their own order as followeth ADVERSARIES INfants had no life nor being as Adam had at that time when God gaue the Law to Adam and therfore no Law was given unto them and therfore sinned not nor were guilty of condemnation DEFENCE I Grant that infants had then no life and being as Adam had to wit actuall and distinct but affirm that they had both after a sort and as the branches in the root Odegos the guide of the blinde as Rom. 2. 19 affirms pag. 114 that mankind was in Adam in bodily substance they had therfore being in Adam after a sort namely so far as they were in him If they had being in Adam any way they had life also in him for nothing in Adam was dead but all living their being therefore so far as it was in him was a living being We reade Hebr. 7. 9 that Levi payed tithes to Melchisedeck in Abraham But how could this be might one say seeing Levi had then no life and being The Apostle answers that he was in the loyns of his father Abraham when Melchisedeck met him And reason teacheth that none can doe any act but he must first be nor doe it otherwise then as he is Levi therefore then had a kind of being and that living and reasonable also as he performed that act of paying tithes He in Abraham as a particular root Mankind in Adam as in a generall root 2 That Infants had a Law given them I thus proue First the word of God Gen. 2. 17. In the day that thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and evill thou shalt die the death shew that whom God threatneth with death to them he gaue the Law The punishment Gen. 3. 17. 18. 19 reacheth to all Adams posterity and so the threatning and by consequence the Law Secondly the Apostle teacheth Rom. 2. 15 that the Law is written in the hearts of the Gentiles according to which Law of nature written in their hearts though they had it not written in tables of stone as the Iews they shall be judged at the day of the Lord v. 15. 16. 17. These Gentiles cannot be imagined to haue this Law thus written any other way then as God in the beginning created Adam and all mankind in him after his Image in righteousnesse and holinesse in which respect also they are said to doe by nature the things contained in the Law having also a naturall conscience in them which without a Law were vain Vnder which generall Law binding the reasonable creature to faith and obedience in all things in disposition before use of discretion and in act afterwards the particular Law Gen. 2 is conteyned and to be referred unto it Thirdly if infants haue reasonable soules then haue they the faculties of understanding and will though not the actuall use of them as men haue This understanding cannot be conceived by any to be without all disposition and pronenesse either to the knowledg of God or to ignorance errour and doubting of him nor this will to bee without all disposition and inclination to will according to or against Gods will As the yong whelps and cubs of Lyons Beares and Foxes haue in their naturall and sensitiue faculties a pronenesse and inclination to raven and every beast pronenesse to the things of its kind after actually performed and practised by them so haue infants necessarily in their reasonable faculties a disposition one or other to understand and will things specially such as concern God by reason of the most naturall necessary and indossolible relation between the reasonable creature and the Creator and that specially in those most noble faculties The objection from Rom. 7. 1 hath in it no colour of truth for neither are there any such words that the Law is given especially onely which must be added to them that know it neither doth the Apostle there intend
as in a generall root was so conceived and brought forth by his mother in sin Secondly it is one thing to be conceived and born in sin another thing to be made of sin The former David affirms of himself the latter they vainly impute to us and refute in us with many words That Infants are under condemnation that is naturally guilty thereof hath been formerly proved that actuall faith in Christ is required for their reconciliation to God doth not follow hereupon Actuall I say for the seed of faith they haue and of all graces for but by Gods holy Spirit in them which carries all graces with it they cannot be holy and so not bee glorified if they be not holy first but that hereupon they need actuall faith is their saying without proof Actuall sins indeed require actuall faith but for sin in disposit on called originall why may not faith in disposition suffice through the mercy of God for the applying of it About the Infants of Sodom and Gomorrah they discourse marvellously as first in ranking them in their deaths with unreasonable creatures in theirs secondly in making them not onely innocent but godly also The Scriptures teach that besides the temporary death those Cities suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Let them proue children not to haue been of those Cities If God exempted them or any of them from that vengeance it was not for any condition cōmon to them with bruit beasts as they insinuate but with respect to Christ besides whom the Scriptures acknowledg no other Saviour nor no other salvation but by him ADVERSARIES TO a question moved by themselves What need Infants haue of Christ if they be not under condemnation they answer that through his redemption they liue and moue and haue their being and injoy all other earthly blessings with resurrection from the dead and glorification 1 Cor. 15. 12. DEFENCE THus they make Christ and Infants amends But how proue they that by Christs redemption they liue moue c The Scripture Act. 17 to which they haue reference is meant of the naturall life of all by Gods work of creation and providence which is nothing but continuation of creation and nothing at all to Christ as Redeemer The redemption for which Christ came is from sin and so from the curse due for sin as the Scriptures every where testifie The first Adam was made a living soule the last Adam a quickning spirit We haue therfore our naturall life motion and being common to Heathens with Christians by the first Adam our spirituall and glorious life by the second Lastly the Apostle saying 1 Cor. 15. 22 In Christ shall all be made aliue speaks onely of all beleevers as is evident v. 14. 17. 18. 19 who haue Christ for the first fruits and are Christs v. 20. 23. Are any Christs but Christians Is not the lump and the first fruits one Men should haue risen again though Christ had never come or been promised but to condemnation Our resurrection onely in regard of the glory of it is from Christs glorious resurrection And if Infants haue glorification from Christ then they haue the pardon of sinne from Christ also 1 Cor. 15. 17. 23 and therewith his Spirit dwelling in them for sanctifying and quickning them Rom. 8. 9. 10. 11. These men divide Chrst making him a King to some for glorification to whom hee is not a Priest for redemption by his bloud Next to a question by themselvs moved How wee must haue the Son they answer by keeping his commandements forgetting faith by which alone we receiv Christ from which followeth loue purity of heart and obedience Which faith hath more properly the consideration of a condition as a hand to receiv a promise then of an act of obedience to a commandment It is true being rightly understood which they add that repentance is of all sin to wit particularly of all sins known and generally of sins unknown For Who can understand his errours Cleanse thou me from secret faults said he that observed and knew his wayes better then either these men or I. Doe they think nothing amisse slips from them in thought word or deed or ever hath done whereof they doe not or haue not repented particularly Is their knowledge so perfect as they need not pray for further enlightning as Eph. 1. 17. 18 Are they certain they are ignorant of and erre in nothing in the Scriptures written for their bearning This their book sufficiently reproues their Pharisaicall dream of perfection Where speaking of Idolatry they affirm that God cannot bee worshipped after a false manner they expresly contradict the Scripture saying The people did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the Lord their God onely Here was worshipping the true God and him onely and yet after a false manner in a respect The same the Apostle teacheth the Athenians The God whom you ignorantly worship declare I unto you When Papists direct their prayers to God the maker of the world and father of Iesus Christ hoping the rather to be heard by means of the Virgin Maries intercession who doubts but they worship the true God but in a false manner Neither doth Deut. 18. 20 proue the sin one of speaking in the name of a false God and speaking falsehood in the name of a true God but divers though both deserving death Next they in their wilde order come to treat of Faith where they affirm that no man can haue faith to justification before he haue repented If they had sayd that no man hath the grace or habit of faith before the grace of repentance it had been true God by the spirit of regeneration infusing the habits of all graces at once But that the act and exercise of faith in beleeving is before our repenting appears both by Scripture and common sense We liue the life of Christ wherof our repenting is a part by the faith of the Sonne of God God purifieth the heart by faith and justifies the ungodly by his faith In all which it is plain that faith hath the preheminence and first work So 2 Cor. 7. 10 Godly sorrow workes repentance Repentance then presupposeth godly sorrow Godly sorrow or whatsoever is truely godly must needs please God which without faith no man can doe but even every thing is sin Faith working that which worketh repentance must goe before it Secondly godly sorrow is not onely for the fear of punishment for so the devils are sorrie but for the offence of God specially Now none can be sorrie for his offending God except he loue God nor loue him except he know first that he bee loved of him in Christ in which faith consisteth We beleev therefore before we repent in the truth of the thing and order of causes though we can hardly discern this order in our own sense CHAP. VI. Of Baptisme IN the next place they come to
he that the Spirit makes a materiall print in the soule as a seal doth in Wax Or not this onely that it helps to confirm and comfort a Christian inwardly in the loue of God and hope of salvation And are not the Sacraments outward helps of comfort and confirmation of a beleevers heart in the same loue of God and hope of glory Vpon the same ground that the Apostle cals it a seal inwardly we call them seals outwardly ADVERSARIES TO shew that the Covenant in question was the Covenant of the Law and old Testament and not the covenant of salvation and so Circumcision the seal thereof and not the sign and seal of life and salvation they discourse at large upon Gal. 4 and of the two seeds of Aoraham the one after the flesh unto which the covenant appertained whereunto circumcision was annexed DEFENCE FIrst they err greatly in denying the very Covenant of the Law to haue been the Covenant of life and salvation For the commandement was ordained to life And the man that doth the workes of the Law shall liue in them And if the Law promise not life and salvation then neither doth it threaten death and condemnation The Covenant then is of the same things but the condition divers The Law exacting perfect obedience of and by our selvs the Gospell requiring true faith and repentance which it also worketh in the elect Secondly it is most untrue that Circumcision was the sign or seal of the old Testament or Law taking it properly as they doe The Apostle expresly cals it the seal of the righteousnesse of faith opposed to the righteousnesse of works or of the Law of which more hereafter else where shewing that the same Law was given foure hundred and thirty years after the covenant or promise to Abraham and his seed confirmed before in Christ through the peaching of the Gospel that they which are of faith might be blessed with faithfull Abraham How preposterous are these mens waies who will haue the seal so long before the Covenant Thirdly Circumcision was the seal of that Covenant by which Abraham and his posterity became the Lords peculiar people seperated from all the uncircumcised heathen unto him for his inheritance and therein blessed For blessed is the nation whereof the Lord is God the people that he hath chosen for a possession to himself and blessed is the people whose God is Iehouah Now will these gainsaying spirits have men blessed by the law whether God will or no Saith not the scripture that by the law all are accursed and that as many as are of the works of the law are accursed as being unable to keep it The Covenant then by which Israel became Gods people and therein blessed of which Circumcision was a sign and seal was not the Covenant of the law but of the gospell and so of grace and salvation by grace Lastly how wyde and wilde are they in expounding the allegory of Abrahams two sons Gal. 4 makeing Abrahams children after the flesh the Infants of the faithfull never considering the Apostles generall scope unto which the particulars are to be applyed Doth he in that place deal against the Infants of the Galatians or against the men of yeares though children in knowledg who had begun in the spirit but would be made perfit in the flesh that is would be justified by the law specially by circumcision in the flesh by which they made Christ of none effect and fell from grace Were they Infants to whom he saith Tel mee ye that desire to be under the law c. So where he addeth He that is born after the flesh persequutes him that is born after the spirit doth he mean that Infants are persequuters Or is not his meaning plain that such as glory in the flesh and in circumcision and other fleshly prerogatives and so despise the free promise of grace in Christ and them that rest under it as Ismael did both in truth of person and type of others are these persequuters at all times to be cast out with Ismael as having no right to the inheritance of grace or glory Are the Infants of beleevers to be cast out for their persequutions Out of what I marvail and for what persequutions These men in opening this Allegory or Parable verify that of the Wise-man As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard so is a Parable in the mouth of fooles That the Covenant Gen. 17. whereof circumcision was a sign was the same which we haue now in the Gospell we haue not onely said as they say we haue done but proved by so clear arguments as that had they onely set them down there had needed no further confirmation of them notwithstanding any thing that they could haue excepted But they haue cunningly passed them by in silence as if no such thing were in the book and doe onely repeat over and again the same things with great irksomnes specially to those that haue formerly confuted them ADVERSARIES BVT they tell us that the Covenant under the Gospell is a new and better Covenant then the old c. DEFENCE WE grant it but affirm withall that the Covenant with Abraham was not the Covenant of the law or old testament as they mean The Covenant with Abraham was confirmed of God in Christ that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles thorow Iesus Christ. The Covenant of the Law or old Testament was 400 and thirty years after and was added for transgression til the seed should come to whom the promise was made that is to detect and manifest mens sins and cursed state thereby that so they might fly the more earnestly to the promise of Christ the blessed and blessing Seed made formerly to Abraham Neither do the Scripture in this matter ever oppose Abraham and Christ but Moses and Christ. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth by Iesus Christ. So Hebr. 10 the Law of Moses and Covenant of the Son of God are opposed and Moses made the Mediator of the old testament and Covenant established in the blood of bulls and goats and Christ the mediator of the new by his own blood And I would know of these men where the law is ever called the law of Abraham as it is every where the law of Moses which law or old testament opposed to the new was written and engraven in Tables of stone and had therefore not Abraham but Moses the mediator of it Lastly for the ceremoniall part of the Law old Testament or Covenant the Authour to the Hebrews makes it plain that it was received under the Leviticall Priesthood having a worldly sanctuary and ordinances and divers washings for the purifying of the flesh but not of the conscience from dead workes whereas by the promise and Covenant to Abraham and his seed the blessing of justification came both upon the Iews in their time and Gentiles
store-house of earthly good things and figure of heavenly These men therfore in this place unskilfully transform the fulfilling of an old promise into the making of a new Which they also confesse in effect in the very same place in saying that the promise that is the Covenant on Gods part was made to Abraham Gen. 17. The word everlasting Gen. 17. I urge not further to proue the Covenant with Abraham perpetuall then as the nature of the same Covenant carries it It was that by which God became Abrahams God and more he is or can be to none and that which Christ himselfe extends to the very resurection of the bodies of Abraham c. whos 's God the Lord was and is Two reasons I will annex to justifie mine exposition of the Prophet Ieremy and Apostle after him and to proue that by the old Covenant they meant the Covenant of the Law given on mount Syna The former from the opposition between the old and new Covenant expresly made in the generall and particularly insinuated in these words I will write my Law in their hearts and will forgiue their iniquity and remember their sins no more which was not according to but most unlike to the old Covenant or Law given on mount Syna written in Tables of stone and by which sin and transgression was not forgiven but quickned and encreased A second reason is for that the old and first Covenant opposed to that in Christ had ordinances of divine worship and a worldly Sanctuary or Tabernacle wherein was the Table and Candlestick c. which no man that beleevs the Bible can make doubt to be meant of the Law and Covenant given on mount Syna to and by Moses By the old Covenant is meant that of the Law by Moses on mount Sina unto which the other is opposed Their exception that Abrahams children of 8 daies old could make no covenant nor agreement is too childish to exclude them from it and that by which they should haue been in no covenant at all with the Lord nor hee with them new nor old Legall nor Evangelicall for they could make none It is not required that every one comprehended in a Covenant should actually stipulate or promise Witnesse the Covenant with Noah in which both all his seed and every living creature both foule and cattell were included It was therefore sufficient to bring Abrahams seed into the Lords Covenant that God in grace made and Abraham by faith received the promise that he would be his God and theirs That every faithfull man and his seed is as Abraham and his seed the Scripture proue in teaching that every beleever is of the faith of Abraham and walks in his steps For if Abraham did by faith receiv the promise that God would be his God and the God of his seed without which no promise had belonged unto them then where the same faith is for substance there is the same promise for substance to every beleever though a son of Abraham as following his example yet as Abraham himselfe in beleeving as hee did And this is most manifest in that by this very covenant God was not onely the God of Abraham and his seed Isaak but of Isaak and his seed Iakob and of Iakob and his seed the Patriarks and so successiuely not by fleshly descent of the children from their parents as they absurdly cavill but by spirituall and divine promise of grace which they ungraciously despise for their children because they cannot be doing something to God again by their free-will to require him withall Next comes to be examined that notable place Rom. 4. 11. Abraham received the sign of Circumcision the seal of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all that beleev though uncircumcised that righteousnesse might be imputed to them also ADVERSARIES THeir evasion is that by faith here is not meant faith in the Messiah by which he was and we are justified but say they Circumcision sealed up Abrahams fatherhood of the faithfull that is was a seal of his faith in beleeving God that he should be the father of many Nations DEFENCE AND this faith say we was the faith of the Gospell and faith in the Messiah which the Apostle expresly saith was imputed to him for righteousnesse and by which he was justified as is plain from v. 17 I haue made thee a father of many Nations compared with v. 22 where he infers therupon even upon that faith And therfore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Which also that it was the same in substance with ours now the words following manifest Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but to us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleev in him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our sins c. v. 23. 24. 25. This will yet the more clearly appear if we consider what is meant by these promises I haue made thee a father of many Nations and so shall thy seed be recited by the Apostle for the purpose in hand In these words I haue made thee a father of many Nations he opposeth many Nations to that one Nation of the Iews Of these many Nations hee was the father even of all that beleev though uncircumcised v. 11. And how a father By way of example that as hee was justified by faith in the promise of God and of the promised seed Christ even when he was uncircumcised So they beleeving the same promise of God in Christ now come of him though uncircumcised should in like manner be justified as he was Which is yet further confirmed where it is said that he is the father of all them though not of the circumcision that walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham which he had yet being uncircumcised Whence I gather that if we be justified by the same faith that Abraham was justified by and that he was justified by faith in that promise that then that promise was made of and in the Messiah Christ the blessed and blessing Seed as it is said So shall thy seed be and Abraham beleeved and he counted it to him for righteousnesse And again In thee shall all Nations or families of the earth be blessed Now of this faith the Apostle here speaks and of it he testifies circumcision to haue been a seal to Abraham It cannot be denyed but that the Apostle in this whole discourse speaks of faith to justification proving partly by the example of Abraham and partly by the testimony of David that we are justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law And to what end or with what order should hee thrust in an impertinent discourse of any other faith To affirm this is no better then to defame the Holy Ghost with equivocating Or to what purpose should he mention the
sign of Circumcision as a seal of faith if not of that faith of which he treats For wheras it might be objected that if Abraham were justified by beleeving before he was circumcised as is said v. 3. 9. 10 then what needed hee after to haue been circumcised The Apostle answers v. 11 that hee received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousnesse of faith vvhich he had yet being uncircumcised which faith v. 9 vvas reckoned to him for righteousnesse that by it the covenant of grace between God him might be confirmed as covenants among men formerly agreed upon are by the seals thereunto annexed Lastly who endued with common sense and modesty can deny that by the righteousnesse of faith wherof Circumcision was a seal is meant the righteousnes which is by faith as v. 3 Abraham beleeved God and it vvas imputed to him for righteousnesse and v. 9 faith vvas reckoned to Abraham for righteousnesse which righteousnesse of faith in this whole discourse he opposeth to the righteousnesse of works by the Law as is expresly to be seen v. 3. 14. 15. 16. But now what say our Adversaries to these things as men in a maze and not knowing how to finde the way out goe sometimes backward sometimes forward and sometimes leap unorderly from one place to another so doe they in expounding this Scripture In their out-leaps about Abrahams fleshly children I shall not need heere to follow them Where after they say that Circumcision was a seal of Abrahams faith in beleeving God that he should be the father of many Nations and that this was imputed to him for righteousnesse they say as much as we do or desire they should But where they say in the very same place that hee received not circumcision to seal up his faith in the Messiah they goe backward most dangerously to bring in a faith to justification imputed for righteousnesse which yet is not in the Messiah Was righteousnesse ever or is it imputed to any for justification but by faith in Christ then promised now exhibited The reason insinuated by them is a pleasant one namely for that Abraham had faith in the Messiah 24 years before he was circumcised Whereas on the contrary it could not haue been a seal of such faith except hee had had the faith before whether longer or lesser time it matters not but is as it pleaseth him who bestowâ—th both the one and other Signes and Seals are not to be set to blankes neither doe they make things that were not before to be but serv onely to confirm things that are These things thus cleared the Reader must be requested not to measure our arguments from Abraham and Isaaks circumcision to the Baptism of Infants by the crooked line which these men draw between them but by the right rule of sound reason applyed as followeth in three particulars First that the Covenant unto which Circumcision was annexed was the Covenant of the Gospell and not of the Law and old Testement as they take it For then it could not haue been to Abraham the seal of the righteousnesse of faith any way but of unrighteousnesse and condemnation every way for righteousnes is not by the Law which worketh wrath and by which sin revives and becomes exceeding sinfull And surely it is more then strange that any beleeving the Scriptures should beleev that the Lords Covenant made with Abraham and so with Israel in him by which he took them to be his peculiar people from among all other peoples because hee loved their father and them by which they were a blessed Nation having Iehovah for their God in remembring of which covenant with Abraham c. he so often shewed them mercy and did them good and in time gaue his Son Christ to saue them from their enemies and lastly by which Covenant they shall again be called when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Syon a Deliverer and shall turn away ungodlinesse from Iakob For this is my Covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins As concerning the Gospell they are enemies for the Gentiles sake but as concerning the election they are beloved for the fathers sake for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance that this covenant of loue and mercy making them blessed which are taken into it and procuring the giving of Christ and of salvation should be the covenant of the old Testament and Law Of the Law I say and old Testament which is the ministery of death the letter that killeth which worketh wrath was added for transgression by which sin reviveth and all die and are accursed What is this else but to bring the currant of gracious mercy into a channell of severe justice and to curse where God blesseth as Balaam purposed to haue done Secondly we conclude hence that the Church of the Iews and Church now is one in substance though diversly ordered one Uineyard in which there are both grown trees and yong plants one Kingdom which was taken from them and given to us the branches of one oliue tree holy in the same holy root Abraham from which most of them were broken off for unbelief and we by faith planted in their place one body and therefore having Infants in it now as then and the same therefore to be baptized there being also one Baptism as one body as they were circumcised of old Baptism as elsewhere I haue proved at large to their silencing in that point comming in the place of Circumcision Thirdly that all their disputes against Infants Baptism because they cannot manifest faith and repentance are but the same quarrels which might haue been picked of old against Infants Circumcision That there was something in Abrahams circumcision extraordinary is true for he first received it for his posterity and for the Proselytes with them which joyned themselvs to the Lord so was there also in his faith as he was the father by example to all that should beleev after him Their prophane assertion that faith was required of none to wit men of years for circumcision I haue formerly disproved How can it come into the hearts of reasonable men that the Lord in whose eies the prayers sacrifices and all other services of ungodly men were so abominable should like of their circumcision Lastly for Abrahams children of the flesh according to their misunderstanding of them they were by nature children of wrath as well as others and had thereby no more right to circumsion then the Infants of Sodom It was of grace and not of nature that they were within Gods Covenant Of Gal. 3. and Rom. 9. we haue spoken at large formerly and of their misconstructions of the Apostles meaning Lastly we neither run as they say nor goe to the old Testament Law or Moses for the baptizing of Infants but to
Christ promiseth to be present alwaies even to the end If I should answer as I know not but I might lawfully that these words of Christ I am with you alway even unto the end of the world are to be expounded as those of the Apostle 1 Thess. 4. 15. 17 Wee which are aliue and remain unto the comming of the Lord and that the meaning of both is that all should so walk as if that day of the Lord were to come every day of their liues what would they reply But admit this be spoken mediately to the successours of the Apostles not in their power Apostolicall for that ceaseth with their office Apostolicall and their office with their persons neither is there left in the Church any authority or direction for the chusing of Apostles but in the performance of such ordinary works in lawfull order as the Apostles were to exercise themselvs in specially of teaching and baptizing there mentioned I thus proue that by those successors are not meant as they conceiv disciples but such as haue speciall commission and authority and so specially Pastors And first Christ here opposeth them to whom he speaks as the makers of Disciples as the words are to Disciples to be made by them Secondly if every disciple of Christ then why not women also which are disciples as well as men and wherof there are diverse to be found better gifted then any of this fellowship Neither can they object the Apostles prohibition of women 1 Cor. 11 1 Tim. 2 seeing they hold Baptism no Church action but personall onely and so administer it as privately as Midwines use to doe Thirdly if Pastors be most rightfully the Apostles successors in other works of their Apostolicall commission here given by name in administring the Lords Supper and over-seeing the flock and defending the same in the truth which they grant why not in teaching and baptizing also which alone are expressed Math. 28. ADVERSARIES BVT this they account a meer fiction seeing converting and baptizing is no part of the Pastors office which is to feed watch and oversee the flock of Christ and defend the same in the truth then which they deny further charge to be laid upon him by his office quoting for that purpose Act. 20. 28 Tit. 1. 9 proceeding also to challenge it as an imagination that he is to preach by vertue of his office yea adding that any disciple having ability is authorized yea commanded to preach convert and baptize as well and as much if not more then any Pastour To this height of usurpation are these Chorites come DEFENCE FIrst here as alwaies they alter the state of the question which between them and me is not whether onely Pastors but whether onely such as haue a speciall Church-calling may baptize Secondly it is true that Pastors in the right state of things are not to be set over heards of goats and swine but over flocks of sheep yet doth it not follow thereupon that Pastors in no sort convert For first there may be in the Church hypocrites undetected or after detection yet uncensured which they may by Gods blessing effectually convert Secondly the Pastor as Pastor of the flock and feeding it may convert a stranger comming in and why then not baptize him by their own ground The person so converted publiquely may and ought to be baptized publiquely and should not the Pastor doe it by whom also hee is converted rather then a private member Thirdly it is not all one though they confound them to convert to wit from being wicked to become godly and to make a disciple Children born in the Church may be made Disciples yet not so converted as it may be never having been such as of whom it could be said that they were wicked Fourthly it is their ignorance to make converting of men and the baptizing them actions of the same nature seeing onely men and women before converted and repenting are to be baptized Lastly in granting according to the Scriptures that the Pastor is by office to feed the flock they cannot deny but that hee is to baptize thereby seeing baptism is a part of that feeding properly serving to confirm the faith of beleevers in the washing away of their sinnes by the bloud of Christ Begetting is by the seed of the word the word of truth and so whatsoever means follow thereupon is but for feeding and nourishing the so begotten ADVERSARIES BVT that which followeth is admirable viz. that the Pastour is not required to preach nor doth perform it by vertue of his office when he doth it DEFENCE MAny men and these with the rest haue spoken many absurd things in religion but these in this exceed them all yea and themselves They from Act. 20 affirm that the Pastours are to feed the flock by their office And can the flock be fed as it ought without preaching and where the bread of life is not broken unto it They also graunt in the same place from Titus 1. 9. that he is to defend the flock in the truth against all gainsayers But why to defend the flock c. as their cunning and corrupt glosse is rather then as the words of the text are by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsaier Are exhortations and convictions by sound doctrine no preachings with these men yea are they not directly for the conversion of gainsayers And how then belongs it not to Pastours to whom these things belong to convert So where it is required that the Bishop to be called be apt to teach is he not by his office to doe that which is requisite in him for his enabling unto it I say for the enabling of him unto his office and not for the adorning of it onely as hospitality is which though he wholy want ability to perform yet that disables him not as the want of aptnes to teach doth Ioyn with these the Apostles exhortation that the Elders that rule well be had in double honour specially they that labour in the word and doctrine for the labourer is worthy of his reward and what can be clearer then that the Pastour is to preach by his office and that as being the speciall work for which his wages are due unto him Is not to labour in the word and doctrine here spoken of for him to preach and that as an Elder as the former rule as Elders Strange it is that a Pastour or Teacher by office should not teach and preach by office that is not exercise their office or ministery the Teacher in teaching and Exhorter or Pastour in exhortation And see we not here what new Patrons dumb ministers haue gotten of whom the old almost every where are ashamed If it be not required of the Pastour to preach by his office then though he never preach at all yet it cannot be said to Archippus fulfill thy ministery which thou hast received in the Lord. The Pastour
might by their Canon most faithfully perform and fulfill his office though he never preached one sermon all his life long But as all errours haue some truth either in them or nigh unto them and so are raised upon mistaking of one thing for another with which it hath some affinity So is it in this case For first the ability or gift to teach is not by the office but before it and meerly personall and so remains even in the officer and the same greater in one then in another though the office be the same in both Yet because the gift fits for the office and enables to the performing of it many unskilfully confound them Secondly there is both a liberty and duty of using the same gift in time place before and without the office But herewith the office concurring is joyned and added a bond of authority and speciall charge upon the officer to wait upon his office the Teacher in teaching the Exhorter or Pastor in exhortation as the Apostle speaks Here amongst sundry Scriptures not so much as looking towards the matter in hand but speaking of the generall liberties of Christians and graces of Christianity common to women with men and to such men as want all gifts of teaching with others they alledg 1 Cor. 14. 1 and the Apostle then commanding every beleever to covet to preach But first why put they preaching and not prophesying as the Text and all translations haue it Secondly it is their presumption that he speaks of every beleever Was every beleever to covet spirituall gifts to wit all both extraordinary and ordinary there mentioned And are there not many in all Churches who without a miracle cannot possibly attain to any competent ability to teach publiquely in the Church But let them stretch the words to their own size what follows hereupon All are to desire the gift of exhortation c. and such as haue it to use it in time and place Ergo it is not required of Pastors by vertue of their office to exhort Why not then thus It is required of every member of the Church in his place to watch for the good of the whole and to defend the same against gain-sayers in the truth and therfore it is an imagination which these men in the page before going affirm that the Pastour is by his office to watch and defend the flock against gain-sayers Or thus It concerns every Christian being able to distribute to the necessities of the Saints and therefore not to the Deacons by vertue of their office which yet for the very thing are called Distributers in the same place Every citizen and subject is bound to defend his citie and country against the enemy in his place and standing and therefore by their consequence not the Magistrate by vertue of his Magistracy Their conclusion therefore that a Pastor is not bound to teach by his office because hee mightafter a sort and in an order teach without it it is as if they should tell us that he who is bound to a post with one coard cannot be bound with two ADVERSARIES THey add that the Church may receiv in members without officers or when they are sick or in prison and so baptize them as the primitiue Churches were gathered by faith and baptism and that being without Pastors a good while which the Apostles afterwards placed amongst them DEFENCE THey oft say but never proue that Churches are gathered by baptism Baptism is an ordinance and service given to the Church as were the statutes and services of old given to Israel and Circumcision amongst the rest If the Church receiv in men by baptizing them then it is to cast them out by unbaptizing them For they are to be put out or excommunicated by the undoing of that by the doing of which they were taken in Besides receiving in and casting out of members are dispensations of Christs Kingdom Baptism of his Propheticall office Thirdly as both infants might be born in the Church and men of years received into it and both the one and other be be baptized afterwards as God affoarded fit and lawfull means so can it not be proved specially in the plenty that then was that the Apostles still left not behind them some extraordinary Officers Prophets or Evangelists to water where they had planted and to order things unperfected Lastly let be observed how in this place they make it a work of the same power to baptize and to receiv members into the Church and wherupon it must follow inavoidably that Baptism administred by one alone and without a Church power which theirs was and is is unlawfull seeing one alone is not a Church nor hath power to receiv in or cast out members To conclude the point about the Apostles successors The Apostle Paul calling unto him at Miletus the Elders or Bishops of the Church of Ephesus and charging them to feed the flock wherof they were made Over-seers by the Holy Ghost and for their direction therin propounding unto thē his own Apostolicall example to be followed by them in so many particulars shews who are the Apostles ordinarie successors in their severall charges The same also doth the Apostle Peter in calling himselfe a Sympresbyter or fellow-Elder with the ordinarie Elders And truly what man not at utter defyance with common sense will denie that a Pastor in his charge is more properly an Apostles successour then a private brother In answering mine exceptions they build amisse upon my foundation and father their bastards upon me knowing that I both put and haue proved against them elsewhere a difference between no Baptism and Baptism unlawfully administred in divers respects and that the latter though it ought not so to haue been administred or received yet ought not to be iterated specially if God haue added therunto the inward Baptism of the spirit of regeneration Now my proofs howsoever by them vilified confirm that besides and aboue the personall abilitie to teach a speciall calling is requisite for him that dispenseth the ordinance of Baptism This speciall calling ordinarie is by the Church which alone hath Christs delegated power for Ordinances The Argument I thus frame That which by many proofs of Scripture appears to haue been done by speciall calling and commission from Christ and never otherwise that not being done by such speciall calling and commission is unlawfully done But by the proofs by me brought it appears that Baptism hath still been ministred by speciall calling and commission and not otherwise therefore these mens Baptism not so administred was and is unlawfully administred and so they by their own grounds which they vainly make mine unbaptized persons Neither can they make an escape by saying that they in whom I instance had no calling by the Church nor were Pastors of particular flocks Seeing our question is not of Pastors but of such as haue a Church-calling and that Iohn Baptist Christs