^ .j5r 2 1 /? 1c 3 * . .^^ IE r - ^ •-j Ql 1 # W *S^ * o ^g 5 fc a> o c w O CJ) CS •S3 En < :§ **> O 3 ;od 24. 0. Here you fee we do not read of pipping nor in all thofe Spiritual, Metaphorical Bap- tifms: 'which are "ail nearly related unto the'Or- v di nance of Baptifm, and tend to the fame tiling, ; lually and perfe&iy, and are ac- ith tbe fame Promifcs, namely, the >iftcation by the 'Spirit, and ■ tiie -Gift of the Holy 'Ghoft, compare ecncUy, Wc do not find that there was c Hives* or Pond of Wiftfcr in the Tavl.. ' C 7) for himfelf, and all his Houfhold, to be Dipped or Ducked under Water in r for they were all Baptized in the fame hour of the Night, in which they were Converted. Indeed if it had been at an Inn, fomcthtng might have been faid more to the purpofe ; for we find, that many of the Inns in London have Ponds in their Yards, to wafh their Horfes in ; but it is dangerous for a jay lor to have a Pond in his Houfe or Yard, for fear Ieli any of their Prifoners, in a Fit of Defpair, mould drown themfelves. Pray let us hear what the Scripture faith in Alls \6. 29, 50, 21, 32. Tacn he called for a light, and iprang in, and came tumb- ling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, The* occa/ion of this you may fee in the Four forego- ing Verfes : And he brought them out, and faid, Sirs, what mud I do to be faved ? Pray take no- ! tice, the Taylor did not fay, what muft I and my Houfhold do, but what muft I do to be faved ? Mark the Apoftles Anfwer unto him, And they faid, Believe on the Lord Jejits Chrift, and thou- ■fiialt be faved, and % Imfe, And he too\ them the fame hour of the night, andwafljed their frripes y and wot baptized, he' and all his', Jhaigktway. 1. Here you fee they were all Baptized in his own Houfe. 2. In the fame Hour of the Night. 3. They did not go out of the Houfe to a River. 4. We do not read of any one Soul of them that did believe, befides the Jaylor himfeif, be- fore they were Baptized, nor of any one' A& of Faith they exerted. Mr. Sidenham, Page 93. Ifs not a flight thing to ■ confider, how that ever - fince the Fall this hath been an ufual Msthoa of God A. 4* in ( 8 ) in Admmflration of the Covenant, and Privi ledges of Grace , to make it run through Families, and ibujfiolds of Believers, as the fpecial Veins : Hence Families, as they were the firfl natural Societies, f> they were the firft Churches j and when the Covenant in AbrahamV time came to be more expre/ly opened, and fairer expounded, God goes onflill in the fame Method, makes the Covenant with Abraham and bis Houfhzld, &c. Now if you come to the New Te- ft anient, there you fee God going on in the fame Me- thod, as if he had caft by an Eternal Decree this Platform, Baptifm, the New Teftament Ordinance, is adminiftred according to the fame defign to Fami- lies and HouflMs : Confider what Ckrift himfelf faith to Za census, Luke 19. .who was a Gentile, and one of the chief Publicans, upon occafion of this Mans Converfion, to open the nature and continuance of the Covenant to the Gentiles, in the fame form as it was to Abraham, This day is (alvation come < to thy houfe, forfomuch as he alfo is the fon of Abraham. Affoon as ever he was converted, and believed, thrift applies the Promife to his Houfe .• If there were not fomething more in it, he would have only faid, Salvation is come to thee, becaufe he is the pi of Abraham, is as much as to fay, The Privi ledges of the Covenant is the fame to you, and pur Houfe, as it was to Ifiac and Jacob, forafmuch as he alfo is a Son of Abraham, as well as they. And to teU them of their HouflMs, and of Favour 1 ) them in the Beginning of the Gofpcl, and yet at ..me time exclude their Infants from all outward tigns of the Fmnife, which they ever had in the darkeft Days of Grace, is ajlrange Policy, unfuitable to theifimplicity of Jefm Chrifi. The Promife runs with a gracious Entail, Acts 11. 14. Cornelius/;^ the Promife to him, and his Houfe ; Lydia was bap- and her Houfe j the Apojtle exhorts the Jay lot- to (9) to believe, and he flmld be faved, and his whole HvAfe. Juft as God made the Covenant -with Abra- ham, Walk before me, and be thou perfect, and I will be a God to thee, and thy feed or houfhold, Gen. 17. 1, 2, 7. Where whole Houfes are baptised, their Infants are not excluded, if they be in the Hoiife, and if not excluded, they are included -, they cannot be exclu* ded, for they are principal Parts of the Houfe 5 and if only Adult jhould be meant when Children are na- med, that would be to exclude Infants from being Children, as wel! at from being V arts of the Houfiold. Thus Mr. Siderh.wh Joflma fiid, As for me and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord, Jofl). 24. 1 5. 'Here he was /efolved up- on it, and folemnly mgages, that he and all his, would ferve the Lord, that was himfelf and all his Children : Let others take what courfe they will, if they will not -ferve the Lord,. I cannot help it, I am forry for it, but I and mine will ferve the Lord j I know that I and mine (as if he fhould have (aid) are in Covenant with the Lord, and therefore we will ferve the Lord , he would fo deuffean himfelf towards his Children, both by Examples, . Inftructicns, and Corrections too, as that they ihould (erve the 'Lord vifibly, if not ffiritually and internally : For if the Head of the Family be a Eeliever in Chriil, then himfelf and Family maketh a little Church comparatively, 1 Cor. 7. 14. And as all that are of a viiible, Church, may not be Elected, and therefore not Saved, fo neither may ail be Elected and Saved of fuch a Family or Church, ri6 more than Judas was, who was baptized, and one of ChrifVs own Family , though a notoiious Hypocrite, and bloody Traytor. A * What. .C io ) ttfhat wete ali thefc Perfons that John Bapti- zed? (i.j Will any Man affirm, that they were all Believcro ? (2.) Will any Mail prove there were, no Children amongft them all * Though Mr. H. C. will not alloy/, that there were any in the Jaylors Family , And for an Invincible Argument to prove it, 1 : Saifli Mr. H. C. in his former Book, pag. 33. Wfkrea) fohie fay, No doubt but the Jaylor had: Children, It may be very much quejlioned, -feeing it hath ' been obferved fome Tears agoe, that for very many Tears together, not one Child was born to. the J ail-Keepers in all the County of ElTex. Eut what is this to the purpofe •, if he could have proved, thatnev-er any Jail-Keeper in Eng- land\\XdtvcY had any Children, it had been more to the purpofe, fit that would not have made his lame Argument crawl upon all Four, uniefs he could have proved, that all the jail-Keepers ii'the World, never had any Children, but lay wilder a perpetual Curfe of Barrennefs, Entailed iipon that : hce. Pray, Sir, who is guilty of Ken- fence now ?, But to, proceed, .Pray do but take notice of thoie Per^ns that canieto be baptized of John, and fee how mailyJ/Edievers there can be found ,g{\ them. 2. 'Whether it was potfrble that there could . d Children among them all ; for it is faid, Then vent out to meet him Jerufalem aitd all Juaia^and alt t)k''r£gions round ' about Jordan, And i^ed of him, anfeffing their fins, Mat. , 6. i. If Children were not included, then it couid not be all and every Individual Perfon. " 2, If I 2. If Children were not 'included , then it could not be fome of all Ages ; which latter I! incline to believe was the Import of that [All/1 3. Take it in which of the [Alls,] you pleafe, and you will not find, that Little "Children can pofTibly be excluded. But perhaps you will fay by all that Country, as you have faid of the Jaylcrs in Ejfex, That there was no Children among them, which may as well be faid, there are none in all England. 2. It may be objected, How could/' young In- fants confers their fins ? It may as well be queried. How could thofe little Children make a Covenant with the Lord in Deut. 29. 1 1, 12, 13. 3. It may as well belaid, How do Godly Mini- Iters confefs the Sins of the People j and do wc never read of Parents conferring the Sins of their Children j and do not Gofpelized Minifters con- fefs the Original Sins of young Babes,- when they baptize them •, for they do, or ought to do at ieaft wife, baptize them, confefling "their Sins; and pleading the Promifes* for them, as in A&s 2. 38, 39. And do we not hear and fee Bills ipread before the Lord, almofl every Lords^Day, •in the publick Alfemblies by Parents, confeffing the Sins of their Children. In ver. 7. But when he fa w many of the Pharifees and S adduces come to his baptifm, he [aid unto them, generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? Bring forth therefore fruit meet for repentance See, I Who were viler Perfons than thefe ? Yet John bap- tized all that came unto him of the natural Seed of Abraham, We do not find, that he refined, or turned away any j for we read, that all were bap- tized of l^im : But he baptized none of the Gentiles, bee the C ii) the Blfficng of Abraham was not yet defcended upon them. John Baptized them upon the fame Topick which they were Circumcifed on, which was by vertue of their being in that everlafling Covenant God made with Abraham, which alone gives fuffieicnt Authority to believing Parents, to baptize all their Children in their Infancy. John told the Jews, they muft not think to fay, Abra- ham was their Father, that will not ferve your turn -j for if you live in 5|n, and indulge your felves in Wickednefs, and die in that condition, it is not Abraham's being your Father can fave you •, for you may hear one of Abraham's Sons a praying to him in Hell *, whether he was a Jew or a Gentile, or whether it was a Parable, I can- not tell , but let him.be who he will, Abraham could not help him to fo much as one Drop of cold Water to cool his fcorched Tongue withal. There was no more Indulgence or Liberty to Sin under the Law, then there is now under the Gof- pel 5 but the Soul that finned rauft die : God would by ,no means acquit the Guilty then, neither will he do it now, Exod. 34. 7. Jofi. 24. 19, 20. But I do believe, that there were more Modes in Baptifm than one ; for fome went down into the Water, and others were baptized in their Houfes ; but I cannot underftand, that any were Ducked all under Water , it is poflible their Faces might be Dipped without plunging the whole. Body under Water, or by pouring Water on their Races. •.Now T challenge you to produce but one posi- tive Command, or but one Example, to prove, , that ever any Woman went down into a River or Pond to be Dipped or Ducked all under Water in Baptifm, throughout all the Book of God, or 4ie take your ftamm Invention to your ielf, and lay <«) lay your Brat no more at our Door ; for it be- longs to you, and not to us. Every Sinner that God the Father draws to Chrifl, mufl come to him naked, without any covering of his own } he mufl not appear in his own filthy Rags, but mud come ftript of all, ftark naked : So it mud be in Baptifm, that part of the Man, Woman, or Child, that is to be baptized, mufl be naked ; where- fore the Face of Man is the moft comely part, and that by which both God and Man are deferi- bed, Pfal* 51. 9- FfaL 84. 9. Matt. 18. 10. Gal. 1.22. How common is it among Men to fay, I never faw fuch a ones Face, that is, he never few the Man. And if it be no Baptifm, unlefs the part baptized be naked, then i£ the whole Body mufl be Dipped or Ducked under Water, it mufl be all naked ; and what a Reproach would fuch an unfeemly Practice have been upon the Chriftian Religion, at the firil Plantation of the Church among the Heathens, for Women to-, go down naked into the Water before Men, or in a Shift, to be baptized, by which they become an Objeft to draw Mens Luus forth after them, inflead of fo-- lemnizing God's Holy Ordinance of Baptifm, and fo inflead of glorifying God, they gratifie the De- vil. What was it that proved fuch a dreadful fnare unto David, a Man after God's own Heart, but the fight of a beautiful Bathlheba wafhing her felf ? And what would an unbelieving Heathen have faid to_ his believing Wife, "that was 'young and beautiful ? Would he not have been prone to charge her with the fin of Uncleannefs ; for th~ Heathens were very apt to charge the Chridians with that fin, in that Day, without any fuch ground of fufpicion, as Womens eK£ofing their nakedncfi to the view of Men. But ( 1+ ) But the Apoftle faith, Let all things be done decently, and in order j but I am fure there no decency in this Practice j and what the order of it is I leave to the Reader. Pray hear what Mr. Baxter faith to this in his Book, Intituled, Plain Scripture Proof of In- fants Church - Member jhip and Baptifm*, in chap, i$.pig. 13d, 137. c My feventh Argument is alfo againft another c Wickednefs in their manner of baptizing,which .'■ is their Dipping Perfons naked, as is very ufual 4 with many of them , or next to naked!, as is ' ufual with the Modefteft, that I have heard of, 4 againft which I argue thus. If it be a breach of 4 the feventh Coin mandment, Thou fljalt not cvn- 4 mit Adultery; ordinarily to baptize the naked 4 then it is intolerable wickednefs, and not Gods 4 Ordinance •, %it-it is a breach cf the feventh 5 Commandment ordinarily to baptize naked , 4 therefore it is intolerable' wickednefs, and not 4 ' Gods Ordinance. All the queftion is of the * minor, which is evident thus, The feventh 4 Commandment forbids all Incitements to Un- 4 cleannefs, and all immodeft: Actions •, but to 4 baptize Women naked is an immodeft Aft ion, 4 and an Incitement to Uncleannefs \ therefore it 4 is there forbidden.' 4 To -this Mr. T. made me this Anfwer in Con- 4 ference, That in former times it was though* 4 no Immodefty, to which I replyed, 4 i.Xuftome in fome Countries^ like Brafile, 6 or other Parts in America, where they go ft ill c naked, may make it feem no Immodefty there ; 4 . but among thofe that are not Savages methinks Mould, i A ^4^._ If Mr. T. could baptize naked all the c feds in Bewdrfe^ and think it no Immodefty, 4 he ds) he hath loft his common Ingenuity and Modefl - w lth the Truth. c 3. Is not every good Man fenfible of thede- c ceitfulnefe and wickednefs of his own Heart, * and that he needs all the helps againft it j and c is it not his daily bufinefs to watch over it, « and his Prayer and Endeavour, that he be not < lead' into Temptation ? And 1 ; would it be no * Snare or Temptation to Mr. T: to be, frequently c imployed in baptizing' Maids naked ? Let him * fearch and judge : . Methinks the very mention- * ing of it (could I avoid it) is Immodefty. . So much Mr. Baxter. 2. The Anabaptifts make a great deal of pud- der and ftir about the Apcftles Words in Rjm. 6. and have preffc them into their fcrvfce, the words are ss followeth, Therefore we aj^uvied with him by baptifm : They will have it, that this refpects burying in the Water over Head and Ears in Bap- tifm j and therefore they make it an - Argument for Dipping, The Apoflle feems to have been ftirring them up, and putting them in mind of their Baptifmai Vows and Obligations : It may be las well to the Children of Believing Parents, that Were grown up, as to themfelves 5 for in Ver. 3. faith he, Know ye not, that fo many ofm as were baptized into Jejw Cfoift, were baptised into his death * That is, as they were baptized into all the Priviledges, that were purchafed by the death of Chrift, fo they were baptized alfo into the fufferings of Chrift j for they were obliged, by their Baptifmai Covenant, to take up their Crofs and follow the Lord Jefus Chrift, whitherfoever he went j and fo are all' Chriftians under' the fame Obligation now, by their Baptifhial Covenant. 3. Our Saviour Chrift called Iris own Sufferings his his Eaptifm, and a bloody Baptifm it was too ; lg 12. $o. S«f / have a baptifm to be baptize} with, and how am Ijhaitned till it be accompliflied J \Novv the Apoftlc draws this Argument from the Premifes in Verfos 4, 5. Therefore we are buried with him by baptifm into death : that li^e as Chriji was raifed up from the dead by the glory of the Fa- ther, evenfo we alfo ffiould walJ^in newnefi of life* For if we have been planted together in the likenefi of his death „• we flmll be alfo in the Meenefl of his refurreUion, Here is Duty and Priviledge joined together : The Apoftle was exciting them to prepare for Suf- ferings, which they met with daily, and tells them in effect, that if they did partake of Chrifts Sufferings, which was their Duty, they fhould partafce of the Benefits of his Refurre&ion ; if they futfered for, him , they fhould reign with him : There Vfstheir Priviledge. 4. You may fee here , that the Apoftle hath joined Circumcifion the Type, -and Baptifm the Antitype together, in this Burial of Chrift ; and Circumcifion is firil in order, In theTe following Scriptures, tjgfo/. 2. 10, 11, 12. And ye are complete in hint, '■tffikh is the head of all principality and power. In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the circum- cifion made without hands, inputting off the body of the fins of the fie jh, by the circumcifion of Chriji : Buried with him in baptifm, wherein alfo you are rifen with him through the faith of the operation of God, wJjo hath raifed him from the dead. The 5, 6, 7, and 8. Verfes of that aforemen- tioned Ronu 6. are Exegetical of the two afore- fa;d Texts, Rom. 6. 4. and Col. 2. 1 2. ahd do clearly unfold and dembnftrate the Apoftles mean- ing of Believers, Eleft Perfons, being buried with Chrift ( 17) . Chrift in Eaptifm, which I take to be this chie- fly, v%. When our Saviour Chrift was Crucified, Dead and Buried, all the fins of Gods Elect, young and old, from Adam to the verj laft Soul, that fhall be faved, lay upon him, Ifa. $3. and were crucified, (lain, and buried in the Grave with ' him : For when Chrifts Body, that Holy Temple, \ was deftroyed, the Body of Sin alfo was deftroy- ed, but that Temple was Raifed up again, and built in three Days, as the Lord laid, but the Body of Sin remained in the Grave, and Death for ever holds that, but it could not hold our Sa- viour j and the Lives of all the Elecl of God being hid in Chrift from all Eternity, did ver- tually rife with him at his Refurrection, and then he was juftified, and fully acquitted from all the fins of Gods Elecl, having made plenary fatisfa- tfion to the Juftice of God , and fulfilled all Righteoufnefs, all the Elect of God were juftified in him decretaliy, Eph. 2. 6, 7. Rom. 8. Win fiall lay any thing to the charge of Gods eleft ? It is God that mfiifieth : Who is he that condemneth * It is Chrift tnat died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God y who alfo ma\eth intercejjion for us. For my part, I mull confefe, I cannot fee which way they can Dip any thing out of thefe Scriptures, to give any Authority for Dipping the whole Bodies of Men and Women under Water in Baptifm j for if there be any pofitive Command for it, or any Example in it, as they require of us for Infant- Baptifm, it lies fo.deep that it cannot be drawn up. But there is that in it which gives Light and Countenance to Infants Baptifm, by the Apoftlcs joining Spiritual Circumcifion the Type, with Spi- ritual Baptifm the Antitype, and Circumcifion is placed ( i8) placed firfl in order of time : For as Circumcifion • was firfl: adminirtred to Adult Perfons, in the firfl Inftitution of that Ordinance, which did Initiate •the Parents into the Covenant, then for ever after it belonged only to the jews Children, '-who were to be circurricifed or deftrpyed m their Child- hood, Exod. 17. 14. And to Adult, profylited Gentiles, and their young Children alfo, >pt eight Days old ; Their Children were not to flay for the Ordinance of Circumcifion until they came to Years of Difcretion, to be capable to make a profeflion of their Faith perfonally. Even fo Baptifm> at its flrft Inftitution, was firfl: adminiftred to Adult Believers, and then to their Children > as in the cafe of the Jaylor, and feveral other whole Houfhoids, that occafionally are mentioned, as fome particular Perfons are on the fame Score, though no doubt to be made, but that there were Thoufands of whole Houfes, as well as thefethe Apoftle mentions, that were baptized in the Apoftles time, at the flrft Plan- tation of the Gofpel Churches ; fo that Eaptifm did fucceed and fupply the office or ufe of Cir- cumcifion, and maketh the fame Figure now in the Church of God, under the Gofpel, as Cir- cumcifion did in the Church of God under the Law ; therefore all the Children of believing Pa- rents ought to be baptized, notwithftanding Mens cavilling, and carping, and forbidding of it. 2. In Page 3. this Authour queries whether I would make a new Bible, becaufe I afferted^ that Elect dying Infants are faved by Habitual Faith ; for it is the Salvation of fuch that I treated about in all my Book, at which he fcofifingly replyed, that I am pleafed with an unfcriptural Eaptifm., and that I adventured to prove it in fuch a way, and by fuch Topicks and Mediums, that both the Universities could hardly ever think of. c And faith he , that Children are fcved by ' Chrift, we have afferted, becaufe we know of ' no other name but Jefus •, but that they are fa- ' ved by Faith, Habitual Faith in Chrift, I muft • confefs, I never read it in all the Book of God. c I wifh he could fhew me the Chapter where * Chrift (aid any fuch tiling, that Infants are fa- 1 ved by Habitual Faith. i. Pray look into that Chapter where you find that God hath declared two ways for the laving 'Elect Perfons, one for the faring of dying Infants without the Grace of Faith, and the other for fa- ying Adult Believers by Faith, and in the very neKt Verfe after you fhall find Habitual Faith : Shew me but where the one is, and I will quickly fhew you where the other is j and if you mifs of it there, then 2. Look into that Scripture where you find that Chrift hath faid, in fo many Words, that none fhall have the Grace of Faith, or are capable of receiving of it, but Adult Perfons, and next unto it you will find Habitual Faith for Elett dying Infants. 3. If you fail of finding it there, then look into Gen. 17. 7. and if you can find the Cove- nant of Peculiarity made to Abraham, which you fay is dhfolved, and I am fure in the very next Verfe after you will find Habitual Faith for the Salvation of Eleft dying Infants': But however put on your Spectacles, 'and behold that 1 John t. p. and there you may find Habitual Faith, rat you pretend you are fo much a Stranger un- to, though not in fo many Words, yet in that Which is equivalent, in thefe Words, ' J Who fever if p God, doth not commit Jin \ far hirfced remain- etb; (20) e th in him : and he cannot fin, becaufe he is bom of God. Pray what is this Seed of God ? Is it not ha- bitual Grace? And can there be Habitual Grace, and not the Grace of Faith ? Whereas Faith is fet for all the Graces of the Spirit frequently in Scripture. Here you fee all that are born of God have this Flabit or Seeds of God, remaining in them, and God will fave none , either old or young, but fuch as are Regenerated > and born again * therefore dying Infants muft have Habi- tual Grace, or they can never be faved. Now, Sir, you fhall fee that I will bring in Mr, Hercules to witnefs againft Mr. Collins, in Page 6. where you quote Mr. Charnoc\, in favour of your Opinion, and fo make his Words your own, in thefe Words, c As Chrift had a Body prepared ' him to do the Work of a Mediator, fo the Soul c hath a Habit prepared to do the Work of the c new Creature ; as the corrupt Nature is the c Habit of Sin, fo the new Nature is the Habit of 4 Grace: God doth not only call us to believe, 6 love, and obey, but brings in the Grace of Faith, c Love, and Obedience . This Habit receives va- ' rious Denominations. Now could it ever have been thought, that this Man fhould make himfelf fuch a Stranger to the very notion of Habitual Faith ? I would fain know of this Authour, what difference there is between Habitual Grace, and Habitual Faith -, for I have always taken Faith to be Grace, ever fmce I have been acquainted with the Grace of God'; therefore faith is no Grace, or this Man is mifc- rably miflaken, and out of the way : But we find faith fet down alone for all the Graces of the Spi- rit, frequently in the Holy Scripture ; for he owns Habitual Grace, and derides Habitual Faith. Thus («) Thus he is a Witnefs againfl himfelf \ for vvliat any Man quotes, though of another Mans words, to juftify his own Principle or Opinion by, they are in a fenfe, as much his own, as if they came originally from himfelf. Sir, you fuy in Page 4. that I had given away the Caufe and Habitual Faith too -, but if I did, you have been extraordinary kind unto me ; for you have given me my Caufe again, and your own to boot. But, 2. As for the Jay lor, we do not read, that any- one of his Houfhold believed before they were baptized but himfelf , nor that any *of them did exercife the Grace of faith, but the Jaylor himfelf; yet the next Verfe tells us, that he be- lieved in God with all his Houfe. Now what will you call that Faith which they had ? We do not find that it was Aclual, then it muft be Ha- bitual , and they were Habitual Believers ; for the Habit and Seeds of Gods Grace was juft newly planted in them, it was not above an Hours time between the Jaylors Converfion and Baptifm ; therefore the Grace they had then, at that time, had but little time to grow and exert it felf in him, who was Adult ; but we find no Grace afte'd by any of the reft. Again fay ydu, as if it came from Mr. CharnocJ^ c Hence habits are as Seeds, which makes the c Earth capable to bring forth good fruit } but * what good fruit hath an Infant with all his Ha- c bitual Grace ? c Now let all thefe Characters of Habitual Grace c be put together, and then confider whether any 4 of thefe things can affeft little Infants. I hope * by this time you have enough of Habitual * Faith. How dare you deal fo difingenuoufly by Mr. • Charmed ( 22 J Chamcli, to make an Anabaptift of him now he is dead, ( for he was none when he was living, ) by enveloping your own Sentiments and Notions with his, as if it came from him, without any diftin&ion in your quotation. This might pais for a popifh Miracle. 4. I muft confefs , if Adult Perfons, by the ftrength and power of Humane Wifdom and Carnal Reafon, can acquire Grace, and are the Authors and Finifliers of their own Faith and Eternal Salvation, then thefe things cannot aifeft little Infants. But forafmuch as the Creature is wholly paiTive in the Reception of Grace, and Chrift is all in all from the foundation of Mans Salvation to the Top-ftone thereof, therefore a young Child in the Womb, or in the Cradle, is as capable of be- ing born again, as the oldeft Sinner upon Earth, and Chrift can raife a young Sinner from the dead, as well as an old one, for both old and young are dead in Trefpaffes and Sins, before they are converted, and the Grace of God take hold of them , and raife them from the Dead £ and a Child would as foon come to Chrift of himfelf, as an old Man, for they both lie dead in Tref- paftes and Sins ; and the Apoftle faith, And you hath he qmclgned who were dead in trejpajjes and Jins. 5. Let any Impartial Manftriftly obferve, and he (hall find, that the whole Strength and Bent of this Authours Arguments againft Infants Bap- tifm do as naturally tend to the making Adult Believers the Authors of their own Faith, and Eternal Salvation, as it is for the Sparks to fly upwards. The Scripture faith, By grace art ye faved through faith, and that mt of your /elves, it is the gift of God. & May K *1 J May not an Eleft dying Child in the Cradle have Habits in him , infufed by the bleffed Spirit of Grace, as well as the living Child in the womb, have the Habits of Reafon and Understanding , planted in him by the fame Hand , though he cannot exercife his Reafon and Underftanding ? O for ihame ceafe from bringing your carnal Rea- fon and humane Wifdom into the Ballance, againft the free Grace of God ; confider what the Apo- ftle faith, I Cor. 2. Bat. God hath chofen the foolifh things of the world to '■ confound the wife, and God hath chofen the weak things of the world to cmfound' the things that are na^jkV' And bafe things of the world, and things wti)ti¥ %£e dejfifed, hath God cho- fen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. - v Antl who are weaker than Chil- dren ? And yet the Scripture faith y Pfal. 3. Out of the mouth of babes and fuellings haft thou ordained ftrength, &c. Our Saviour faid, Have ye never read, out of the mouth of babes and fuellings thou haft perfected praife. And who are more defpifed by you than Children are, in that common faying of yours , What are young Children capable vf ? Here you may fee our Saviour Chrift tells ye what they are capable of •, and Gods defign in this, is That no Flefti mould glory in his prefence. Luther faith, in his Book, Page 122, 123, ' If * Circumcifion was valued upon the account of * the Promife, and the Promife cannot be recei- « ved but by Faith, then this follows, that little < Children, by the co-operation of the Holy Spi- ' rit, may have Faith, and the Heart of an Adult ' Perfon is no more capable of changing himfelf " than an Infant. Another faith, c That a Man is as truly bound c to lay hold of the Promife, and cafh himfelf up- * on it for his Children, as ftl himfelf. Mr. \ -"T J Mr. Marflml in Page 78. faith, c Farther to the c Glory of tlie Grace of God, that this union is \ fully accoraplifhed by Chrift giving the Spirit * of Faith to us, even before we can art Faith in I ' the Reception of him •, becaufe by this Grace, - ' or Spirit of faith , the Soul is inclined to an * active receiving of Chrift, and no doubt, Chrift ' is thus united to many Infants, which have the c Spirit of Faith, becaufe they are not come to * the Years of underftanding. Where are you now with your .humane, inven- ted, lame, decrepit Salvation ? What ! do you tlnnk it will pafs becaufe you have cafed it over, as Men do falfe Money, with that blefled Term, the Imputation of Chrifts Righteoufnefs, without the uniting Grace of Faith - y for where there is no Faith there is no other Grace : So that inftead of faving Elect dying Infants by Grace through Faith, and that not of their fclves, you tacitely fay, they are faved without Grace, and that not of faith, but by a new-found way \, this is to per- vert the Scripture with a witnefs : You fay dying Infants may be faved, and yet are not capable of receiving the Grace of faith, and the Holy Ghoft faith, that without faith it is impoftible to pleafe God \ now who fhall we believe, the Holy Ghoft that contradicts you, or you that contradict the Holy Ghoft, let the Reader judge, and give it on your fide if he can. To conclude this Head, Sir, You do allow , That all Adult Believers are faved through faith in the Imputation of Chrifts Righteoufnefs and Merits, and a o other way : I know you do allow this, wherefore I do boldly challenge you in the name of the Lord, to produce but one Text of ■Scripture, throughout the whole Book of God, that doth difcover^ny other way or means, where- in (.25 ) in God hath ordained and appointed to fare E- Ieft dying Infants in, differing in any point, or part of it, from that wherein he faves Adult Eelievcrs. But if you cannot, then who hath made a new Bible, you or I ? For I am fure, there is no fuch way in the old one ; therefore never value your felf more upon this new-found, fictitious way ; But of this more hereafter, when I come to treat about the many ways that one of your Bre- thren hath averted there are for the faving Elect dying Infants, which (faith he) we know not of. One that read your Book made this Remark, • ( Saith he, ) c Pages 4 and 5 are fpent in pro- c ving, that Infants are faved by Chrifts Rightc- ' oufnefs without Faith, and grown Pcrfons by ' Faith in the fame Righteoufnefs : Qyery^ Whe- ' ther there be two ways of Salvation ? If there f. be, where is it explained, in the Scripture ? ' I do not mean a new one of Mans making. 3. Now, Sir, for a farther Anfwer to your fcoiiing, deriding, and- ridiculing Infants Habi- tual Faith, in that Page aforefaid, vi?\ 6. 1. I begin thus, That all the Seed of believing Parents are in the Everlafting Covenant, which God made with Abraham^ is moft evident, be- caufe they were never call out, as I (hall clearly prove hereafter, though here is a Text that is fuf* ficient to prove it, Gal. 3. 17, 18. And this ifdfa that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Chriji , the Jaw which was four hundred and thirty yens after v cannot difanul] that it (hould md$e tte f'romrfe of none- ejf eft. For if the inheritance be of the Uav, it is no m:re of prom; fe : but God gave it to Abrah.im.5y pwmfe. And call your Eye back upon^he 14^. (25) 2. All the Seed of Believers under the Gofpel tto partake of all the Benefits and Priviledges of that Covenant, as much as ever the Ss&d of pro feffmg jews did under the Law, if not more, unlefs it' be thofe whofe Parents, by their Cruelty unto them, deprive them of it : And therefore they have as good a Right to •the Ordinance of the Initiating Seal, or Token of the Covenant, namely Baptifm, as ever the Jews Children had to the Token, or Initiating Seal of -the Covenant, under the Law, namely, the Or- dinance of Circumcifion. 3, That it is fo, doth clearly appear from our Saviour Chrift's Carriage and Deportment towards thofe little Children , that were brought unto him. 1 . Let us confider whofe Children they were, -which were brought unto him. 2. Who they were, that brought them. 3. Who they were, that rebuked them which brought them. 4. What were they brought unto Chrift for. 5. And Laftly, What profit or benefit did they •receive from Chrift. i. Thefe Children, that were brought unto him, were the Children of Believers. 2. They which brought them were fuch as be- lieved in him ; for had they been Enemies, they would never have brought their Children unto him, in expectation of receiving a bleffing from him. 3. Thofe that rebuked them, which brought them unto him, were his own Difciples, Mm\ 10. 13. And they brought young children to him, that be (bould touch them j and his difciples rebuild thofe that brought them* Verfc 1 27 ) Verfe 14. But when Jefurfaw it, he was much diif leafed, and faid unto them, Suffer the littk ^children to come unto me, and forbid them not : for of fitch is the kingdom of God-, that is, the Church. 4. They were brought unto Chrift to be bleifed by htm, and that he fhould pray over them, Mat-. 19. 13. 5. And Laftly, They did not lofe their Expe- ctation, for they were bleifed by him, Mai\ ic* 1 6. And he tool^ them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and bkffei them. Chrift did blcfs them with fpiritual Eieffings, for it was that they were brought unto him for \ beeaufe we do not find, they liad any bodily Di- feafes, or Infirmities to be cured of ; And as for Temporal Eieffings, though Chrift, as God, was Lord Proprietor of all the World, yet 2s lie was Man, he was poorer than the Fowls of the Air, or the Foxes of the Earth*, therefore they did not come unto him for Temporal Eieffings, but Spiritual : They were brought unto him, that he would lay his hands on them, and pray : Chrift liked their Arrand they came on, or elfe he would not have been difpleafed with thole that rebuked them : And Chrift did pray for tliGm, and laid his hands on them, and bleifed them *, and Chrift pray'd for none, but for the Elett, which he died for, John 17. 9. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haft given trie, fot they are thine. Therefore thefe little Children were in Chriftj and Members of his Myftical Body, tiie Church. But it may be objected, Chrift did not baptize them, nor command that they (hould be bap- tized. 1. Chrift himfelf baptized none. 2. As they were the Children, of believing Parents, no doubt but they were baptized before they were B 2 brought f28) brought -to Chrift, or elfe without all peradven- tore, Chrift would have given command to bap- tize them •, for I think, none will be fo bold as to deny that they had a Right to the Ordinance of Baptifm, when it is declared, that Chrift bleifed them , who fhould have forbid Water , that they ihould not have been baptized, as well as the reft of thrifts Difeiples, Who had received the Graces of the Spirit, as well as they : And if they had been baptized afterwards, it would have been upon Record in the Holy Scriptures, as well as all the Circumftances are, that did attend his Bleffing of them ; therefore I do conclude, that all the Children of believing Parents were bap- tized in their Infancy, in the firft Plantation of theGofpel Church Difpenfation. For as foon as Adult Heathens were converted and baptized, if they had any Children they were all baptized with them, as being parts of them- lelves as the Jaylor and his Houfhold were •, for the Children are taken into Covenant with their Parents when they themfelves are. 2. That Timothy was baptized when he was a Child, me-tkinksit ought -not to be doubted *, for, (i.) his Grandmother Lois was an eminent Chriftian : (2.) His Mother Eunice was a zealous godly Woman : And, (3.) He himfelf was a .Be- liever from his Childhood •, but we never read of his being baptized , when he was Adult •, yet of his circumcifion we do, but that he was bap- tized, either in his Childhood, or at his riper years, is beyond all peradventure * becaufe if he had ndfefeen baptized, he could not have been a Bifhop 3 for no Perfon is, or ought to be re- ceived into a Church, as a private Member there- of, uniefs they are baptized •, much lefs a Church Officer, of thai Magnitude as Tmoth) was j there- fore C 29; fore he was baptized in his Childhood, as being ■ the Son of a Koly Mother. 3. That there have been Infant believing Church-Members in Gofpel-times , is a great Truth , and therefore all the Children of belie- ving Parems arc Church-Members ftill. Pray read and confider that in Mitth. 18. 1, 2, 3, 4, $, 6, for it is very appofite to our purpofe, not- withftanding our Authour's fcoftng, and deri- ding of it, in Pages 5, 6. 1 At the fame time came the difcrplej unto j.ifui\ f A P n S-> Who is the greateli in the kingdom of heaven . p 2 And Jefw called a little child unto him, and fet him in the midji of them, 3 And /aid, Verily I fay unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye jhall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 5 And Ttthofo flail receive one fuch little child in my name^ recciveth me. Mr. Cotton faid, ' That the laying ChrifTs ' hands on thefe little Children , that were c brought unto him , was to adopt them into ' the Family of Ifrael , as Jacob did the two c Sons of Jofeph into his Family, which was the c Church of God. But to obferve Chrift's words to his Difciples -, 1. Here is fomething to be obferved from this diftin&ion that Chrift did make of this Child from the common fort of Children, in that he faid, Wbofo flail receive one fuch little child in my name, &c. For if it had been fpoken of Children in die general, then it would have been faid, Whofo receives any Child, and not any fuch little Child ; and what fort of little Child this was, the next B 5 Yerfc (So ) Verfe tells us"j for he was one of them which believed in Chrift : Ver. 6. But whofi flail offend one of thefe little ones which believe in we, it were better for him that a miljione were hanged about his necJ^, and be were drowned in the depth y of the fea. Let them have a care that offend and hinder tKem from coming to Chrift, in the Ordinance of Baptifm, for I know of no other vifible way there is for young Infants to come, or be brought unto Chrift in, but that. But for a farther opening, and explaining thefe. words : i . Let us conflder the occafion of this Speech of our Saviour's to his Difciples. - 2. What part of thefe words did relate to the old Difciples. 9. What part of them did belong to the In-, fant Difciples. 4. And Laftly, What our Saviours deflgn was in all this. 1. As for the occafion of the words it was thus, The Difciples asked Chrift, Who is great- ■eft, not who fiiould be greateft in the Kingdom of Heaven , which Kingdom of Heaven, was either the Church Militant, or the Church Tri- umphant in Glory, or both : But I am inclinable to, believe, this was fpoken of the Church on Earth, becaufe the Difciples had been difputing among themfclves, who fhould be greateft •, and therefore they came to our Saviour to decide the difference. by that Queftion aforefaid, Who is greatejl in the. 1(ingdm cf heaven * 1. Thefe words w r ere fpoken principally to the tld Difciples \ for our Saviour Chrift perceived a Spirit of Pride and Ambition crawling into them j e for C 31 ) for they had a mind to know of Chrift, who of them he eftcemed to be the greatdft among them in the Church ; therefore our Bleifed Redeemer called for one of thefe little Children, which be- lieved on him, andfet him in the midft of them, and then he made a Speech unto the Adult Be- lievers, to humble them, and alio to inform cur Judgments, and to be a Caution unto all Chr:iaa::s in future Ages. 1. It was to humble the Difciplcs, to let tl know, that it was not their Maturity of Years, or Humane Difcretion , that was the neceifar w Qualification for the Reception of Grace •, but as if our Saviour ihouid have faid, Do you fee this -little Child, in whom I have poured my Spirit of Grace : Why there was no more in one of you to recommend the Grace of God unto you, than there was in this little Child ; but more to op- pofe and hinder the work of God upon ye j for this little Child had nothing but Original Sin to hinder , but you had both Original and Actual Sins alfo to oppofe it. 2. As if Chrift fnould have faid, You were as paffive in the reception of my Grace , as this little Child was, and you fee that he is humble, he is not feeking to be great, nor ambitious of worldly Honour : Do you learn of this little Child ; be not high-minded, nor ftrive to be great * but be you humble *, for you have no more to be proud of, than this little Child hath. 3. It may be objected, How could this be fpoken to the Difciples ? for they were converted fome time before this was fpoken * but thefe Perfons to whom Chriftipake thefe words, were to be converted, and Bfcome as that little -Child. 1. To thislMwer, (It is true, ) Chrifts Di- fciples were converted before, all but Judas, who B 4 never ' ( 32 ) never was to.^e converted, becaufe he was a Son of Perdition f*and Peter was converted long be- fore our Saviour faid unto hitn, WJjen thou art converted Jlrengthen thy Brethren. 2. There are Conversions to be wrought after the rlrft Conversion, in which the Sinner is tur- ned from darknefs to Light, from a ftate of fin and unbelief , into a ftate of Grace *, but as for the ftate of Grace, there is no need of any far- ther conversion as to that, for once in Chrift, and for ever in Chrift ; all the Devils in Hell can ne- i ver get ye out thence again ; for a ftate of Grace is perfect, intire, lacking nothing j and of that ftate we have not the keeping, but it is fixed in the Hands of Jefus Chrift, fecure enough •, for they can never fin themfel-ves out of that ftate again, fFfah 89. 30. to 36.) that ftate is un- changeable. But notwithftanding this, there is need of daily Conversions to be wrought, for and in Be- lievers, becaufe they fin daily 5 wherefore Chrift hath commanded Believers to watch againft Sin. and Temptations, and pray daily for pardoning Mercy, to befeech God to keep them from Temp- tation, to forgive and abfolve all their fins in the Blood of Chrift 5 and this doth more efpc- cially concern Believers, than Sinners ; for none can call God Father,' but by the Spirit of Chrift, that dwelleth in them. a. The moft holieft Saint upon Earth, finneth daily ; for in many things toe offend all, faith the Apoftie, and in EccL 7. 20. For there ti not a jufi man upon earth that doeth good, and finneth not, . 1 John 1. 8, 9, 10. If we fa thai we have m fin, we deceive our [elves, ancfiffc truth is not in w. If we confefi our fins, he U faithful, and juil to forgive w our fms> and to cleanft us from all un- /ighteoujnefi. If (33) If we fay that we have* not fmned y we mal^e him a liar , and his word is not pn m. Here are three things to be noted from tbefe Scriptures, i. It is a very dangerous thing to fay we have no fin, for we deceive our felves* which is the greateft deceit of all. 2. If we confefs our fins, God is both merciful and juft, and therefore he will pardon, if we confefs our fins in prayer unto him. 3. And Laftly, If we fay that we have not finned, we are guiltyCof Blafphemy, becaufe thereby we make God a Liar by contradiction. That all Believers do fin daily is an undeniable Truth : I will appeal to any Be- lievers Confcience , for Judgment of this \ and alfo, that' daily watchfulnefs againft fin, and prayer to God for pardon of fin is the Believers Duty during life. 4. A Spiritual ftate is not a fumcient Guard to fecure the Eeliever in a fpiritual frame of heart, though it fecures him from falling totally from Grace, yet it cannot fecure him from- falling into fin y it muft be frefh fupplies of Grace that muft do that. 5. That this was fpoken in favour of little Children, which believed in Chrift, is very clear v For Jefus called a little Child unto him, and fet [him] in the midft of [them]: (1.) Here is [him] the young Difciple, and (2.) [them] the old Difciples : (3.) Here Ch rift takes his Obfer- vation from the believing young Difciple ; And (4.) He makes his Application to the Adult Dif- ciples : (5.) Chrift commended the little Dis- ciples Humility •, And (6.) He reprehended the grown Difciples, for their Pride and Ambition : (7.) And Iafdy, Our Saviour Chrift, for a far- ther demonftration of his peculiar Love and Grace to thefe Infant Believers, hath denounce & B 5 a moft • (34) a mofc dreadful Threatning againft any Perfon that, lftall offend them 5 and I know none that offend, them more among Chriftians than they do, that hinder them from being brought unto Chrift in the Ordinance of Baptifm. 6. The Gracious End of Chrift in all this was, (1.) To humble his old Difciples : (2.) For a Caution unto all fucceeding Generations : (a.) And Iaftly, To let us all know, that the Glory of Gods Kree Grace doth fhine forth as confpicuous in the Salvation of Elect Babes, as it doth in the Salva- tion of an old Sinner j for both are in a like condi- tion by nature, when the Spirit of God comes to work firft upon them * for the young Child is fpiritually dead in the firft Adam, and fo is the eld Sinner alfo j therefore the Spirit of God raifeth one as foon, and as eafie, as the other 5 for both are paffive, and have no hand at all in their own ConvtrMon, no more than a Child hath in bringing himfelf into the V/orld , or than Lazarus had in raidng himfelf from the dead : Eph. 3, r. And you hath he quickjied, who were dead in trefjraffes andjins. 7/ And I.aftly, Chr id faith, Suffer little chil- dren, and forbid them not to come unto me, for offuch is the hingdom of God-: This is the Church of which all the Seed of Believers are Members as much now, as ever the Jews Children were under the Law, as I (hall clearly prove before I have done With you -, for it is the very fame Church State, though in another Drefs, or under another difpen- fEtion. Our Saviour Chrift did not deftroy the Church State, when he excommunicated them un- believing Jews, and received in the Gentiles, no more than we do,when we excommunicate Perfons and take in Members into the Church : And here you may fee this proved from our Saviour's threatning (3S) tlireatnirig the Jews, Mat. 21. The kingdom of ~God~ flxall be ta^cn from you , and given to a natim bring- ing forth the fruit thereof. God did Excommuni- cate many Thoufands of the unbelieving Jews, and their Pofterity, and took the Gentiles, and their Seed, into the Church ; and of fuch is the Kingdom of God. Chrifc took away the King- dom of God from the jews, and gave it mvj> the Gentiles $ and there is the fame Subjects iur the Kingdom of God now, as there was then, namely, Believers and their Children, Acts 2. 39- j And thefe Infant Church-Members are under the •" Care, Tuition , and Miniflry of the Holy and Blefied Angels, A fat. 18. 10. Heb. 1..14. Are they ■ not all mini Jhing (pints , fent forth to minifter for them who jhallbe the heirs of falvation ? Now ccmfider all thefe things rightly, and jt* will appear infallibly , that the Children of be- lieving Parenfc are Church-Members, and as fuch, have an Indubitable Right unto the Ordinance of - Baptifm 3 in which Ordinance ail the Subjects baptized are paffive : Our Saviour Chrift himfelf was paffive, and the Eunuch was paffive, in their -■" Baptifm 3 for they were not a baptizing as they travelled along -the way to the Water, nor as . they came from the Water , (as our Authour dreams in Page 9.) but they were baptized when - the Water was applied to their Fleih, and not before. vOur Saviour Chrift nor the Eunuch, did*- not' apply the Water themfelves to themfelves in Baptifm, therefore they were paffive, and fo were all thofe that were circumcifed $ and there- fore Baptifm came in the room of Circumcifton *, for there is no other Ordinance, but thefe two in the Church, in wh ; ch Perfons were to be paffive ; therefore the dne makes the fame paffive Figure i«.. ( 36) in the Church now, as the other did in the Cliurch then : And that our Saviour Chrift was paflive in his Baptifm, appeareth clearly by what paft between him and John the Eaptift. This was that which made John the Baptift fo loath to baptize our Saviour Chrift •, for he thought it would be a degradation unto his Holy Majefty, for him to be active, and his Lord and Mafter paflive j but our Saviour Chrift faid, Suffer it to be fo now^ Mat. 3- 1?, H, i$- But, faith our Authour, Chrift did it as an Act of Righteoufncfs, and therefore he was not paf- live in his Baptifm *, and fo was Clirift's coming into the World, and dying for Sinners, an Aft of Righteoumefs ; becaufe in that he fulfilled all Righteoufnefs for all the Eleft, which he had in- gaged to do from all Eternity ; and his Water- Esptifm in which he was paffive, was but a Fi-v gure, which represented his bloody Baptifm, inlfc which he was alfo paflive, Lu\e 1*. But I have a baptifm to be baptized with, and how am Iftraitned till it be accomplijhed : That was his crucififtion, which he there called his Baptifm.. I fuppofe none will fay, that our Saviour Chrift was active in his fufferings, though he was active to his fuffer- ings j and fo he was active to his Baptifm alio j but he was paftive [in] both. Therefore that all Perfons, young and old, are paftive in Baptifm, is an unfhaken Truth j where- fore this Argument of our Authours may take place among the reft of his lame ones, which are but [all] in his Book. Thus you fee who thefe little Children were, that our Saviour Chrift fpake thefe Things of : They* were Believers, and not Adult Difciples. For had our Saviour Chrift ■ been fpeaking or treating with his Enemies about Adult Difciples* then (37) then indeed it might have been fpoketi of them, and not to them, as tp- Frame of our Saviours Speech was bent with a refpect to thofe Children, as in fome places of Scripture we find the fame Epithet given to Adult Believers \ but then there is that which doth accompany it, that makes it clearly appear to be fo ; but here is nothing at all, neither in this blefled caution, nor in this fweet Reprehenfion of our Saviour Chrift's to his Difciples, that does any way make it appear to be fo. For here were no other Subjects concerned in this Speech of our 'Saviour Chrift's in Matt. i8. but two forts of Perfons, namely, old Difciples, and young : Therefore that all the. Children of believing Parents are Church-Members, and do continue to be fo, unlefs they do cut themfelvcs off by their own Unbelief and Unfruitfulnefs, |0r their Parents, by cutting themfelves off as the Jews did, John 1 $. Every branch in me that bear- eth not fruit, U taken away. The Jews unchurch- ed themfelves, who were the natural Seed of Abraham, to whom the Covenant, as to them, was firft made,R(?w. 11. But the Covenant was not difTolved, nor the Church State deftroyed. This is a great Truth, notwithstanding all the Cavils and Quibbles of the Adverfaries ; and this their fcoffing Argument may be fent to the. Uofpital ameng the reft of their fick and decrepit Ones, to be cured. I 4. In Page 2. faith this Authour, Rev. 20. 12. cannot affett little Infants , which have m mrkj, good nor bad ', therefore it cannot be here intended of foch. To this I anfwer thus. That although little In- fants have no perfonal Works of their own, good nor (38) nor bad, in an ordinary Way, yet relatively con- iklered they have : N«ftv to diftinguifh in this nice point, as the Lord fhall inable me. i. In Adam we are all polluted, our very Na- tures contaminated, and our Blood tainted ; our firft Parents being found guilty, and condemned for Spiritual High Treafon, againft the King of Kings , and fo a little Child in the Womb, or in the Cradle, is as much polluted and depraved -, as the oldeit Sinner upon Earth, and not onely fo, but the very Act of our firft Parents Rebellion becomes theirs a Ifo, by Imputation -, for Adams very Act of Unbelief and Difobecjjpnce is as much theirs, as ever it was his own •, for we are all included in Unbelief, young Infants, as well as old Sinners, all have finned, and corae fhort of the Glory of God } fo that Adams firfc Act of fm comes to be theirs by Imputation, as muc every whit, as if they had tranfafted it in th< own Perfons. And thus you fee, that althougl little Children have no perfonal bad Works, yet they have relative bad Works, which comes to betheirownbyTranfmiffion, from the Loyns of the firft Adam^ who was the natural common Head, and Representative of all Man-kind. 2. But on the other hand, Although Elect dy- ing Infants have no perfonal good Works of their own, yet they have relative good Works, which are more their own, as to benefit, then if they had perfonally done them themfelves ; for they are meritorious works, and that no meer Mans can be, though never fo great a Saint : So that in'thatfenfe, they are more their own, than if they had, or poiTibly could have perfonally per- formed them of themfelves *, and tliefe are the Works , which Chrift the Second Adam hath brought forth for them, and that perfonally too upon ( 39) upon the Crofs, who is the Head, and Reprefen- tative of aH thcLEleft of God. For as in : tqHrft Adam all died, even fo in Chrift, the fecorid Adam, fhall all be made alive, Rom, $. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation : even fo by the righteoufnejl of one T the fee gift came upon all men unto jujiification of life. For as by one mans difobedience many were made finjiers : fo by the obedience, of one, flail many be made r'tghteom. As the ffrfl Adams unbelief and difobedience was the Elect ^flying Infants, by Imputation* as well as Adult Pcrfons, vi?. Believers : Even fo the Righteoufnefs and Obedience of Chrift", are made theirs by Imputation, .through the Grace of Faith ; for Faith is not oriely the Gift of God, but alfo the work of God ; for it •is God gives it unto tHem, and alfo works it in them all, both young and old, that doth belong to the Election of Grace, Heb, 12. 2, Jfa. 26, 1 2. Phil. 2. 13. God is a free Agent, and he beftows Ins Grace when he pleafe, where he pleafe, and works how- he pleafe, and in whom he pleafe, both on oId$ or young. And Chrift's Obedience, which was as well active as paffive, "perfonal and perfect, is all as much an Elect dying Infant's from the Womb, or the Cradle, as ever it was the oideft Saints upon Earth, or in Heaven either \ for Chrift is the Authour of Eternal Salvation, as well as of ' Faith, and the. Finifher of both, Eph. 2. Heb. 12. Therefore young Children, as well as Adult Perfons, muft all ftand before the Lord, in the Day of Judgment, and be Judged, determined, and (40; and receive Eternal Sentence, according to tlieir Works, together with Adult Pcrfons. Wherefore if this Text, in "J(p;. 20. 12. doth not affect little Infants, as our Authour affirms, he ought to have produced one more to the pur- pofe, and not to leave us in the Dark, in this Point. 5. Saith our Authour in Page $, We do affirm, that Infants may be fit for the Kingdom of God, 'as our Lord hath J aid, and yet not qualified 'for Gojpel Ordinances. To this I Anfvver, Our Saviour Chrift faith, Except a man be born again, he cannot fee, nor enter into the 'kingdom of God, John 3. 3, 5. And no Children can be fit for the Kingdom of God, until they are regenerated and born again, and then they have the Grace of Faith planted in them, which can never be pluck- ed up again y for the new Creature muft have all its Members, it muft have Faith, or it cannot fee the Kingdom of God -, for Faith is the Eyes of the new Creature, and there is no Perfon that is born again, but hath the Grace of Faith j for were it- poffible, for any Soul to be born again without it, that Soul would be born blind, and could never fee his way to Heaven, nor enter into it. The new Creature in a Child, either in the Womb, or in the Cradle, is as perfect and com- pleat, in all its Lineaments, as it is in the oldefi Saint upon Earth •, . therefore the new Creature, though but in a Child, can fee as far as the new Creature can in the oldeft Believer on Earth, and is as capable of transforming Views of jefus Chrift : And we are not altogether without a Precedent of this kind, in the cafe of John the Biptift, in the very Womb, Lu{e 1, 44.. And if the (40 the Children of believing Parents are capable of receiving the Grace of Faith, who fhould forbid Water, that they fhould not be baptized .«? For no Children can b'e fit for the Kingdom of Heaven, ' without Faith } for without Faith it is impofftble to pleafe God, and God will fave none but fuch as he is well pleafed with, and reconciled unto 5 therefore this Argument muft be fent to the reft alfo. Laftly, I obferve that this Authour doth Refleft much upon the. Ignorance of little Children j he feems to make the Ignorance of young Infants to be too hard a Match for the Wifdom and Pow- er of God, and renders Infants wholly incapable of receiving the Seeds and Habits of his Grace, and thereby he doth make the Infufion of Grace, toftand in the Wifdom of Men at Years of Dif- cretion, which reflects great difhonour upon all the Glorious Attributes of God. But pray, Sir, (now I think on't) produce us but one plain Text of Scripture, to prove where our Lord hath faid any fueh thing, as that Children may be fit for the Kingdom of God, and not for Gofpel Ordinances, (but it is the Ordinance of Eaptifm that you mean, ) or muft we believe it, becaufe you fay it is fo ? Your own Party may do it, if they pleafe, but I will not, for my part. Now, Sir, I will not fay you are in a Noofe, as you have faid of me in Page 14. which is a Term of Art, better becoming the Office of a Tyburn Executioner, than the Office of a Gofpel Minifler : But however, this I will fay, You are furriciently entangled, get out as well as you can, 6. In C 42 ) 6. In Page 7. you have charged me falfly, and upon that falfe charge, you raifed an Argument againft me, which is fuitable to all the reft of your lame foundered Jades. For fay you, Tbofe Children of Believers, which die in an unregeneraie ftate, either never had the Habits of Grace, or. elfe if they had them,, they have" hft them -, but there k no lofwg Habits of Grace, Ergo, they never had them : If you. fay they had th»m, and have loft them, that is againft your own* Principle about Perfeverance : If you fay they never- had them, then you contraditt your own Bool^, which .Afterts, that all the Infants of Believers have it', : and therefore you baptise them : Get out of tbit Pri- jon as well as yau can. Pray Friend take notice, that it is Five Pound an Hour for falfe Imprifonment. This Gentleman doth juft as little Boys do, that. make a Thing of Rags, in imitation of a Cock, and when they have made him, then they fet him up, and ftand at a diftance, and throw at him, and when they ftrike him down, then they re- joyce and leap, faying, The Cock is down, The •Cock is down, when it is nothing, but a Bundle of Rags, all the while : Even fo is the Validity of this Argument 5 therefore I will put it to a fair IiTue, which fhall be this, Produce me but any one place, in all my whole Eook, where I have afferted this you have charged upon me, and I will turn Anabaptift immediately, without any delay or procraftination, and if you cannot do this, then I ftand falfely charged in your Book, and Habitual Faith ftands firm, fixt, and unfha- ken in mine, notwithftanding all the Anabapti- ftical Winds and Seas that beat againft it : for it is founded upon the Rock Chrift jefus ; for there can be no A&s of Grace, where there are not Habits (43) Habits of Grace firft : There may be Habits of Grace without Arts, but there can be no ACts with- out Habits, no more than a Tree can grow with- out a Root. 7. In Page 41. in his former Book, he maketh c the Children of Infidels to have as much pri- < viledge, as the Children of Chriftian Believers, * and that they muft bring forth Bruit meet for * Repentance: And, 1 Unlefs Children have perfonal Actual Faith, ' they are not to meddle with Gods moft holy 4 Things. Here you may fee, if God be no more merciful to Elect dying Infants, than this Man is by his Opinion, all of them would be loft, and damned for ever. For faith he, in Page '53. of the forefaid Eook, If any bang not forth good Fruit inhti oven Perfon^ the Axe being laid to the Root of the Tree, he is to be hewn down, and caft into Eternal Fire. I think Children are excluded Heaven by thefe things : But I cannot pafsthat former ftrange Alfer- tion without Examination, therefore let us hear whether- or no the Scripture hath made no diffe- rence between the Children of Chriftian Believers, and the Children of Turks and Infidels : Hear what the Gofpel Prophet faith to this new Do- ctrine, in Ifa. 44. 3. For I will pur water upon him that isthirfty, and flouds upon the dry ground: lwiil pour my fpirit upon thy feed, and my buffing upon thine offspring. This was predicted of the Gentiles,, wherein there is a Promife unto their Children, which the Apoftle declareth again, in Alls 2. 39. For the proimfe is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as m.viy as the Lord our God flail call. 1. Pri- (44) i. Primarily' the Promife, which God made unto Abraham, was made to the Jews, and their ■ Children. 2. ft was made with Abraham to the Gmtilcs, and their Seed and Offspring, which the Prophet calls the dry Ground, which were thofe other Sheep, Chrift tells us, that were not of that Fold : They were Sheep in Election, but not in Voca- tion : The Fold is the Church, which did confift then chiefly of converted, believing jews, and their Children, in Chrift s time - 9 and thefe Gen- tile Sheep were to be brought into that Fold which the Jews were of, John 10. i5. 3. Is there any fuch Promife made to the Chil- dren of Turks, that are Infidels, in all the Bible I But it is faid in IJa, 1 4. The Seed of Evil-doers ftiall never be renowned. 4. Look into 1 Cor. 7. 14. For the unbelieving hnsband is fanftified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is fakttified by the husband : elfe were your children unclean ; but now are they holy. This is a Federal Holinefs, as well as a Matri- monial Holinefs ; this latter Holinefs all Children have, whofe Parents were lawfully Married, and they lawfully begotten, if they were not Baftards. Do we ever read of any fuch Character given to the Children of Turks and Infidels, in the Sacred Scriptures, as is here given the Children of either believing Husband or Wife ? Doth this Man read the Bible , or the Turkifh Alcoran , that doth thus boldly affert thefe Things ? It may be in the latter, but I am fure there is no fuch thing in the former. 8. In Page 4. faith this Authour, Pray give us fome Scriptural Intimations, that Infants have Faith, and we will fay no more. To this I Anfwer, You (45) You hav^not ftate&your Propofitibn right, "it is-iro proper, for you have fixed it in the Prefent Tenfe, for fo it may as well fcrve for the Adult, as for Infants. How can I bring you any Scrip- ture Intimations of this, or the other Peribn, that are Adult having Faith, unlefs we had a new Bible, made lately, while the Perlbhs are living, with their Names in it ? Eut I can do more than barely produce Scrip- ture Intimations , to prove that Children have had Faith ; for they have not only had the Habit of Faith, but have alfo exercifed it, Lu\e i. 44. there is one ; and in 2 Tim. 1. 5. there is another : And that there was Infant Believers, befides thefe, I refer to one of my former Heads, to. thofe Children which were brought unto Chrift. 9. In Page 53. of his former Book, he faki, If any bring not forth good Fruit in his own Pcrfon, the Ax being laid to the Root of the fiee, it is to be hewn down, and caft into Eternal Fire. Becaufc I faid he intended young and old , he is difpleafed : Now how can this Man pretend that he did not intend Infants by it, when it was to anfwer an Obje&ion, which I fhall lay down, and leave it to judgment ? Objecl. 1 p. Infants were once Church- Members, and that Law was never abrogated, neither do we find, they were cut cjf. If Children were not chiefly intended, as I cajOj fee no Reafon to believe the contrary , by the Objection it was to Anfwer, yet they are wholly comprehended in that word, If any [without any Exception] bring not forth good Fruit in their own Ferfons, cVc. For he knew that young Infants are not not capable 6$ bringing forth good Frtvit perfon- ally, in an ordinary way ; therefore you did in- tend them, and rather than you would be at a lofs for an Anfvver to the Objection, you would doom all thefe poor Babes to Eternal Fire ; but I have fufficiently fhewn how all Elett dying In- fants do bring forth good Fruit, though not in their own Perfons, yet relatively, in the Perfon of jefus drift, their Surety and Redeemer. The main Theame his whole Book ran upon, 'both Argumcntatively and Expoftulary, was to render young Infants of believing Parents wholly uncapable of the Ordinance of Baptifrrr, and Church-memberfhip 3 and rather than he would fail in his Enterprise, he would conlequentially condemn them all to Eternal fire : Had he left: out that Word, If any bring not forth good Fruit in their &rvn Perfons, &c. he might have made a fhift to have crawl'd over it, but now he is intangled in a Snare of his own making, and let him get out if he can. 10. In Page 1 i. he is again troubled with the Grumbling in the Gizzard , becaufe I declared thofe words which I met with in his former Book, which Book he values himfeif greatly upon for the bulk of it, in his pretended Anfwer to my Book ; for, faith he, it hath 139. Pages in it : A goodly company of them ! but to as little purpofe as might be : It is more to be valued for the bulk of it, than for the Matter it contains, unlefs it be to explode their fulfoiiie Errours. 1. I will lay down the Words that were a Prodrome to them. 2. The Words themfelves. 1 . Saith he, Let Men ta(e heed how they put a fight upon the Ordinance of Qod, in cr/mg up the* Spirit (47) 'Spirit with aficret defign to decrfthc Holy Scriptures, crying up the power of Godiinefs in Word, to under -mine the Form of Godlinefi, &c. To this I Anfwer, We find the Apoftle Paul complained of thofe Perfons, which had a Form of Godiinefs, but de- nied the power thereof, and commanded, that from fuch we fhould turn away, 1 2 Tim. 3. 5. But I do not remember, that ever I heard any fuch complaint before; that the crying up the poxver of Godiinefs would undermine the form of Godiinefs, and if fo, then the Minifters of Chrift do undermine it in moft Sermons they preach % for they cry up the power of Godiinefs in every Sermon they preach, and very rarely touch up- on the form of Godiinefs } for if they have but the power of Godiinefs, they will not be long without the form : The Apoftle Paul no fooner .had the power of Godiinefs, but he fought out for the form j for he alfayed to join himfelf to the Church -, and in the Apoftles time, affoon as -Sinners were converted, they were joined to the Churches. Indeed there are fome that cry up the Spirit , and deny the Form of Godiinefs ; but they are not for the power of Godiinefs, nor for any Baptifm at all *, but he was not treating about them in his Book, but it was with us, to anfwer our Objeft ion j but we are for the power of God" linefs, and the' Form alfo. For his Words which I quoted were thefe, They cry up Faith,. and Juftificathn by Faith, to lejfen Re- pentance and a holy Life. This, you fay, you gave as a Reproof to the Seeders ; but it is evident enough, that it was fpoken againft us P&dobaptifts. 2. You are difpleafed at my bearing a Tcfti- mony againft a particular Paffage of a faithful Minifter of Chrift, as you call him. Wherein t 4» ) ■Wherein (fay you) he fuppofed fome veea\nejl , though there was none. This is a very high Encomium indeed \ What hath lie no weaknefs in him ! Then he is infallible and perfecl. 2. But he doth not reckon it weaknefs in him, to abufe the Congregation of which, through Grace, I am an unworthy Member, in branding us with the filthy Odium of Babylon, and that we are an unbaptized Church. Pray what Name,. or Character, could he have thought on to give us, that can be worfe ? Let any Man but fee Rev. 17. But before I have done we (hall fee who is 2 Baptized Church, they or we. 3. Again, Is it not weaknefs in him to be a- gainft fmgingof Pfalms ? But if [he] be not guilty: of weaknefs, that is againft that Ordinance of God, then [we] are not onely guilty of weaknefs, but aifo ail the Anabaptifts are guilty with us, that do practice the fame : And if it be not an" Ordinance of God, then it is Wiil-worlhip, and^ all Wiil-wcrfhip is tin ; but if it be an Ordinance of God, as from Scripture Authority it is, then it is not onely weaknefs in all them which oppofe it, and are againft it, but alfo wickednefs, and they are in Babylon themfelves. 4. Again, In the' fame Page he Reflecls upon me, and calls me Calumniator^ becaufe that I declared in the Poft-fcript, of my former Book, that fome of the Anabaptifts are Arminians , and fome gone back to judaifm , another fort Gor- mandizers on Le^s of Mutton , and another fo>t y that are Soul-jleepers, and fime of them duty the Godhead of Chrift , which latter he hath' taken no notice of, neither hath he cleared them, which be did mention •, and how am I a Calumniator > , if it be true? As who dare deny it? What doth he (49) he think becaufe they are dipped, that ihit dot warn them all clean ! Or do that make Men lievcrs that deny the Deity of- Chrift ? This ititM fine way of juitifying their own Principle, juftifying tacitely fuck grofs Errors, ar.d abomi- nable Herefies : But as long as they are for dip- ping Adult Perfons, it is ail well^ /fcjjjether they fare Believers or not. O ! that ever Men ihouhi he more for vindicating their Opinion, than of the Truths of God ! ii. In Page n. faith he, Becaufe we withhold from Infants what Chrift would not have given them, he tells the World we ma\z no better of Infants than Wo£s. i. To this I anfwer, If yoti can fatisfie me iu three things, then I will recal my Words j but if you cannot, then your Children will ftand with me, by the cruelty of your Opinion to them, no better then Dogs ftill j for if they are not in the Church, then they are out, and the Scripture .faith, Without are dogs. Rev. 22. 15. (1.) If you Qan prove by plain Scripture Tefti- mony, that ever Chrift, or any of his Apofdes by his Authority, did ever forbid baptizing the Infant Seed of Believers -, beeaufe you do posi- tively declare, that you do with-hold from Infant* what Chrift would not have given them, there- fore you ought to have proved it by the Scrip-. ture, and not thus horribly to impofe your owa uncouth Notions on the People. (2.) You muft a'fo prove from Scripture that Chriii "hath any where commanded his Apoftles. and Minifters to baptize none but Adult Belie- ver^ and alfo , that the Children of believing Parents muft not be baptized until they are ca- pable of making a profeffton of their Faith ; C That i So ) t Scripture will not reach it in Mat. 28. where e CommifTion runs, Go and Difciple all Nation?, &c. For Children are a part of a Nation, and the greateft part too for number, nor will that do it in Mat\ 16. nor will that do it in Matt. 3. If there were no Children in Jemfalem, nor in all Judea ,. nor in all the Regions round about Jordan, noTin all the Nations where the Gofpel is preached, or if Children be no part of Nations, then your Argument would hold Water ; but o- thcrwife, it is of no value at all, and ought not •to be regarded. (3.) And Laftly, If you can produce me but one Inffonce in the Scripture, among the many Thoufands of Profelytes, that were made ana baptized, among ail their Children , that was, not baptized in their Infancy, but flayed until they' came to Maturity of Years , and then made a jprofeflion of their* Faith, and were baptized, then I will recal it. We read of the Elecl Lady, and her Children, 2 John 1. 1. and of thofe Children that believed in Chrift, and of Timothys Mother and Grand- mother, andhimiclf, who were all Believers, but '.Timothy from his Childhood, whatever his Mother was, whether in lier Childhood, or in her Riper Years, 2 Tim. 5.1$. 2 Tim. 1. $. We read not a word of their being baptized, after we come to read that they believed, therefore they were bap- tized before , though they which were brought unto Chrift, were then Children. Now who dare affirm, that Timothy was never baptized, or that he was not ^baptized when he was $ Child ? What I not baptized, and yet a Bilhop, and fuch an Eminent .Saint, and make inch a Oreat Figure in the Church ? This cannot Ljbc* for aonewill jperrait a Perfonto be a Mem- ber mthe ber of a Church, before they are baptized, lefs chufe any to Office. 2. In the fecond place this ought to come our confideration, ( namely thi|^) that from firft Inftitution of the Ordinance of Baptifm un- to the Apoftle Paul's Days was a long Tracl: of Time, and then it will appear, that thofe which were baptized at the firft Inftitution might fee their childrens children to be grown perfons, in the Apoftles time j therefore it is very ftrange if the Infants of Believers were not baptized in their Infancy, that we fhould not have fo much as ono l^e^Precedent, among thofe many Thou- fands of chilCL-en of believing Parents, that when ne was grown up made^i profeftion of his FaitH, and was baptized as the Profelytes to the Chri- ftian Faith were. 3. Again, Can 1+ ever be imagined that tha Jews, that were converted to the Chriftian Faith, would have been fatisfied, if their children fhould not have been Baptized, and be Members with them in the new Frame of Church Order and Difcipline, as well as of the ©Id one 3 for the Church SUte was the fame, as I .fhall clearly prove hereafter , as well as the Covenant God; made with Abraham, in which all Believers, ahx| their Seed, are as much now, as they were under the Law. 4. If you do but confider how much the Jews flood upon their Privilcdges, and in particular that of Circumcifion, -which belonged one'y tcf their Eighth day Difciples, unlefs fome Profclytc*, and what ftrefs did they lay upon it ? No lejs than Salvation or Damnation, AUs 15. 1. $. If we confider what a hard Task the Apo- ftles had to bring them off from it, thfl p gh it did beloug only to their children, AUs 15. i. Sec C 2 these * 3~ J 'there what a frrefs they laid ifpon it, and fee the HE. .Ver.fr, wliat Arguments the Apoilles ufed to bring them off from it ; and if they had not hud fomething inVhe room of it, that was equi- valent, or better, they would never have been brought off from it •, and if it was not Baptifm, jpray tell us what it was ? For my part, I know of none more agreeable than Baptifm, becaufe •Circumcifion under the Law was the only Ordi- iiance wherein the Subjects were all purely pafTive, as •Baptifm under, the Gofpel is the only Ordinance wherein all the Subjects are purely pai^ - • alfo j for us none were to circumcife j afelves,\ fo none are to baptize themfelves. and a child\is )as able to perform a Duty whetin the Subjects are wholly paifive, as an adult perfon, and it is [more Juifcble to Infants than - Adult Perfons, the ]firfi Plantation of the Churci or new Profelytes pnly excepted : So that the children of believing Parents hire an undoub^i Right to the Ordi- nance of Water Baptif^ 6. Again, WosJa there not have been fome controverfje .?;:i6ng the jews about it, if their fchildrp hzd not been tp be baptized ? And would fecy not have been apt to fay, (_ How is this ? ] ftvhat doth the. Gofpel bring more Privilcdge unto, us, and cut off the Privilcdge that our children tfnjoyed ? This is a lofing Bargain for our children y for to have all the Priyiledg.es they did enjoy un- der the Law to be deft/ojed at once, by the co- ming in of the Gofpel. ' •f. though the Anabaptifts do make very flight of that Ordinance of Circumcifion, and fay it *vas Qtijgr& carnal Ordinance, and no Privilcdge, yet it$K2£g very great Privilcdge, for it was the JokeaJfltoicrs Everlafeing Covenant, nay it was <&£> IdS^^Hi' Token or Mark of God's peculiar Love ess; Love and Grace to that People, above .all other- Nations in the World : Saith the Apofde R$m. 3. i. What advantage then hath the Jew * or what p rotit k there of circumcifion ? 2 Much every way : chiefly, becaufe that unto them were committed the oracles of God. If you cannot fatisfie me in thefe Three Points' aforefaid, I fhall not recal what I have faid cdnv ccrning your children, though I hope your chil- dren will never fuffcr for the Error of you' their Parents. I hope thefe Arguments, which Phave already produced, are fonfcisnt; of themfel-. i riicc ail the Anabaptifts in the World, that arc not wilfully obftinate, and judicially bKnded , that the , baptizing cfBeltevers children is a G Ordinance, and not a Hurrane Invention ; and therefore it is a great Dat'y to perfbr.ni it, and dlfo a great Sin to netjefr it, and it is'not flch an indifferent thing as fome Men ijt to be : But this I obfervc, that thefe that thus, p are very Credules, and eafie to be impefed upon •, becaufe they are Strangers, and unacquainted with their own Principles j and indeed u* is* fo kind to them, as that he himftif doth e:M them: fools confidentially for their pains, in Fage 4. Why net ? For he cunningly rails all the : fters of the Gofpel Thieves, in the middle' cf Page 10. which are for Infants BaptifnV. But me-thinks the Everlafting Covenant; wbich God made with Abraham and his Seed., l'hould found in all your Ears, O ! ye indifferent Oner, and never efpeufe a Principle to ahufe it 3 for any to be Tor Infants Baptifm , andhol^it in- differently, do but abufe it, and betray their own Principle and Ignorance into the Bargain. C 3 Saith: ($♦) Saith Mr. Sidenham iff Page r. c Let this be *• confidered, that there is nothing in all the New '■ Teftament againfl the baptizing of Infants, not * ere hint from any Exprcfs Word dropt from c Chrift, cr his Apoftles, not one Phrafe which, 1 though never lb much ftrained, doth forbid fuch * an AcV} but there is much for it in divers Scrip- * tures compared together, and what is wanting 1 in one, is fapplied in another abundantly. 1 2. I obferve that this Authour, in his former Eook, hath often quoted Mr. Danvers, as if he had been an infallible, fpotlcfs Authour j he ought firft to have vindicated his credit and reputation, if he could, by clearing of him from thofe hor- rible, dark, and black Practices, he ftands pub- lickly charged with by Mr. Jofeph VVhiJhn, in his Bock Intituled, Infants Baptijmfrom Heaven, and not of Men : And alfo by Mr. Obed Wills, in Ins Eook Intituled, A Vindication of a late Treatife, Intituled, Infant Baptifm Affected and Vindicated by Scripture and Antiquity. I. Mr. Wbijhn in Chap, i.pag. i, 4, 5. ■ Where- * in fome general Confideriftons Relating to the *. Authorities produced by Mr. Danvers, in favour ' of Antipxdobaptifm, are laid down, Chewing the 1 Vanity and Insignificancy of them, as to his ' purpofc. ' Hrfr, That winch offers it jfclf to conHdera- , tion is cur Authors great unfaithfuinefs in his , Quotations , and grofs abufe of the Authors i cited by him in favour of his caufe: Sometimes { he feems to have meerly forged Teftimonies, and ■ to pretend Authors to have faid what he could * wiih they had-, but what indeed never came '■ into their Minds, much lefs drop'd from tl:cir ' Pens ; Sometimes he grofly perverts their words, wrefting (55 ) * wrefting them to fuckjjtfenfe, as apparcn ' was never intended WJ|hem : Sometimes he ' miftakes, and Fathers rrrat upon one, which: e was fpoken by another, &c. But here no man can credit this Witnefs, &c. c I fhall only Inftance in thofe Tcftimonies he ' cites out of the Magdeburgenfian Hiftory, of i which he gives, and that not undefervedly, a ' great Encomium: In the i, i, and $+ Centuries c they tell its, (fayes he in his $6. Page) that as'i ' to 'the Bufinefi of Baptifm in the Firft CcnturmL 1 they find to have been after th'u manner, 6Vc. Aswfi ' the Sub'jccls of Baptifm, they tell w that in this •_ c Age, (meaning the Firft Century,) the Age where- - ' in Chriji and his Apofiles lived, they find, that c they baptised only the Adult or Aged, whether Jews i or Gentiles 5 'but as to the baptising of Infants, they ■ c confefi they read of no Examples. And he has ? the confidence to direct his Reader to the Cen- ' tury, £«^,and Page, where lie faith they tell ' us all this 5 whereas they are fo far from telling ' us all thiaj that they fay the direct contrary. . ' That the Aged, "whether. Jews or Gentiles, i were baptized," thofe Examples, Alls 2. 8, 10, ' 16, 19. prove. It is true, we read not of 4 any Exprcfs Example of Infants being Baptized : - 'But that they were, even in the Apoftles times, ' both Oiigen and Cyprian, and others of the Fa- - £ thers, did Teftine ; and this is alfo evident from ' the Writings of the Apoftles thcrnfclves, and ' then they ihew us, what Evidence they coricei- ' ved they had from thifc Writings of llie A- * pofties , that Infants were baptized. Now is this to tell us, that they baptized only the A- dult 7 Nav, do they not- tell us cxprefly, that they find from the Writings of the Apoftles, and the Tcftimonies of the Fathers ; that lived near C4 tho&M • )lb t; tized Infants, as well . n Perfons ?• 4- /^ 7 - 4^P?y fay expreily, A>c «/- :tf«r Infantes hoc Stculo a Bapfifmo Kemo- ■■ And cites Origin, as affirming, that the ptifm of Infants had been received by the c Church, as a Tradition from the Apoftles.' 4 And after the fame manner docs he moll _ grc-ily abufe them, 2nd impofe upon his Reader, ' in what he cites out of them in the Third and fourth Centuries. Eat it is needlefs to trace fchim any further, by what hath been faid, we 4 may iee the great imfaithfulnefs of our Author. Thus much for the Teftimony of Mr.mfepb Wbijhn. 2. Mr. Obed \YiUs in his Book Vindici* Vindi- Ciarum, in the Title Page faith, An Appeal to the Baptijis fo called, agahft Mr. Danvers, fir his grange Forgeries, and Mifreprefen- tation of divers Councils and Authors, both Antient and Modern. " P i^ e 6- faith he, Now for Mr. Danvers. 'Thus to Father on the Magdibwgs what they • never fpake, and alfo pervert what they did f ipeak, renders him chargeable with Falfehcod ' and Prevarication \ for (1.) they fay no fuch 6 thing, that it was the univerfal pra&ice to bap- * tize onely the Adult upon profeffion of Faith : 4 But of this in its proper place, when we fhall 4 make good the Charge of Falfehood againft him, 4 in divers other things, as well as this. ^ To which r muft reJjr the Reader in his Book. Now, Sir, you courtWiot be ignorant of thefe black Characters, that are' given Mr. Danvers by ; thel> two' Authors aforefaid, publickly in Print, whatever h hers. Therefore to allude to ycur own Reflexion up- on (57) on me in Page 3. Would any Man, but one that was almoft at his Wits'lfind, and alio fainiihed for want of good Authority to vindicate his tot- tering Principles by, [have] quoted fuch\ a cor- rupt Author as this, and value himfelf upon, him, as he hath done ! But now I bethink my f.if, we flfall not fo much need to make a wonder at it, when we find this our Author himfelf tardy of. the fame kind of practice. 1 3. In Pag. 4. this Author is pleafed to mock and feoff at Habitual Faith, and Faith potentia, tho* not Attn vifibili, and Believers Seed being in the z Covenant. Saith he, For my part I thinly Tranfubflantiathn, ■ Habitual Faith, and the Infant Seed of Believers, . in the Covenant, are Terms equally allowable, and probably, equally underftoid among their varioM Pro-' feffors. This Habitual Faith in Infants is much of' the likenefi of our Athenian Affertion, ThatJafants have Faith potentia, though not Aclu vifibilpS you fay, they have Habitual, though not Allual vijible Faith. 1. Pray mark, He will not allow of the Seed of Believers to be capable of having Habitual- Faith, nor of being in the Covenant of Grace, and yet he holds , that dying Infants are fived j . and if they are not in the Covenant of Grace, then they are in the Covenant of Works, and v are faved in that : Which overthrows the very ' Foundation of :the Chriftian Religion. 2. There is no Salvation^to be had, for either young or old, out of the Covenant of Grace 5 - therefore by his Argument all dying Infants are - loft, and damned for ever v for the Scripture : faith, Eph. 2. 8, 9. For by grace are ye faved,. through fait h •■> and that not of your fe Ives : -it h t'se * C 5 ' em gift of. Go J : Not of worlds y left any manflmld boaft. But to proceed in the Fecond place, Seeing this Author hath been pleafed to join thofc Gentle- mens Notion and mine together, and make us Co-partners in his Dcrifion, in point of Honour and Reputation I will vindicate theirs, as well as my own, and leave Tranfubfiantiation to him that can make Men Anabaptifts when they are dead, that abhorred that Principle when they were a- live •, and we find, he is fain to be beholding to thole NJe* of the tranfubfhntiated Stamp for fome of their Principles, to help maintain his own by, namely, in adding to, or diminiftiing from the Scripture Rev. 22. as his Opinion doth will and require, to defend it from the Truth. 1. Firftof all, I do positively declare, that all true faving Faith, both Habitual and Actual, in ail the EleCt of God, both old and young, is of one and the fame Nature and Etfence, which is calktfjkTitits 1. 1. The faith of Gods elell -, and 6. 4. One frith, 2. That this Faith, that fcems to lie dormant iathe Soul of an Elect Infant, with a refpect to any vinble Activity, is of the very fame nature and kind with that Faith which removes Moun- tains in the Soul of an Adult Believer. 3. One would have thought that no Man would ever have fnarlcd, or derided at that Character of Faith , namely , Faith poteniia, except it had been one that is an utter Stranger unto, and alto- gether unacquainted with the Nature and Excel- lency of that Grace. 4. Let us hear what a tranfeendent Character our Saviour Ciivift himfelf hath given to the very Na- ture of Faith, Verily I fay unto you, If ye have faith as a grain ofmufiard feed, yejhall fay unto thff mountain^ Remove hence to yonder place, and it jhall re?riove : ' nothing ftdl be impflible to yon. ' Mark ( 59 ) Mark ii. 23. For verily 1 fay unto you, that who- \ foever flail fay unto this mountain, Be thou revived, and be thou cajl into the fea, and fkall not doubt in his heart, but flail believe that thofe things which he fail h flail nine to pa/S, he flail have what fever he faith, . Here you fee what a power there is attributed to the leaft Grain or Degree of Faith : Not bar potentia, but in a fenfe omnipotentia j notliing / ira- •-' poiTible unto it. $. How dare Men be fo bold and hardy, as to afcribe weaknefs to Faith, as our Authour i.». erTeft hath done, by ridiculing and fco3ing at the Notion of Faith potentia, when there is no fucli thing as weaknefs in the Nature of Faith, though the Aft of Faith is either ftrongeror weaker, ac- cording to the good pleafure of him that work- eth all things in us, and for us, by the Influence of his Spirit, according to the counfel of ills own Will. 6. Faith in its cton Nature is not weak, but is as ftrong and powerful in it felf, in the weak ell Believer, as it is in the llrongcft Saint upon Earth : The Grace of Faith in an Eleft Infant is as ftrong, as in the Adult Believer ; The weaki and imperfection lieth in tht^Creature, and not in Faith ; and this weaknefs by Nature is alike in all. There is no.more ilrength by Nature in an old Saint to aft Faith by, than there is in an E~ left dying Infant ; therefore all our fufficiency is in. the Ail-fufficient God* For who maketb thei differ from another ? And what haft- thou 4h at tlm. d'tdjl not receive ? Now if thou didft receive it, > dofi thou glory , & if thou hadji not received it ? . Chrifl is the Author and Finifler of our Faith, and cf Eternal Salvation. . 7. And Laftly, I will lay down an. Illoftra family, which fhall. be this, The. Fire, that coves erivered over with Alhes upon the Hearth, and" cannot be feen, is of the fame Nature, Power, and Eifence, with that which burnetii actually upon the Hearth, or with that which afts furiouf- Iy in burning clown Hon fes, Towns, and Cities. For if you do but ftir up that fire, which lyeth dormant under the Afhes, and apply FeweJ unto it, you will foon fee it exercife its Power and Strength; in devouring all that it can Men «pon. So when the wind of. Gods Spirit blows upon- Faith, that lieth dormant, either in old oryoung, it will foon burn up in a flame of Love and Zeal for God; Sol. 4* \5. Awake, north-wind, and' come thjufoufhi blow upon my garden, that the ffiices. thereof 'may flirv out. Zkc. Pray obferre what work this wind did make, even upon Children, in Matth. 21. 15, 16. And when the chief priefts and [cubes- yaw the wonderful ' things that he dii, and the children crying in the- '■\ and faying, Hfanna to the Jon of David ; they fye difpleafed, And 'faid unto him, Hearefl thou. e fay f And Jefm fait}] unto them, Tea ; * re never read, Gut of theimuth of babes and ■va hafi: perfected praife ? : you fee thisCeleftial tire did burn in thefe ve- ry Children, iryoii will believe our Saviour Chriilj for praifing Gcd is an Aft of Faith *, for none- pr,aife him without believing in him -, there-, ere Children acting the Grace of Faith. When this. Ccleftial Fire, the Grace of Faith, 1 ever worketh by Love •, for as Faith is the lo Love is the Flame, comes to be ftirred up, aud Influenced by the Holy Spirit, it will quickly burn down all the ftrong ■ Holds of Sa- ri the Soul, i/ir* All Sins both Original and ACtual, and /never leave burning until it hath de^_ &WedkalK and leave neither Root, nor Branch and: (61 ) and never leave the Soul until Faith be f wallowed" up of Vifion in Glory. Therefore never open your Mouth agamfi that Notion of Faith potential more. 2. In the fecond place I- fhall offer fomething to the Readers confederation about Habitual Faith,, which will alfo corroborate the Notion of Faith potent ia. (i.) When an. Adult Bdiiever is afleep, what Faith is he capable of acting at that time, during his fleep, more than an Eleft dying Infant is in the Womb,, or in the Cradle ? When a Believer goes to deep, the Grace of Faith doth not drop- out of his Heart ; for David faid, Whenever. I a- r»ake\ I am Jlill with thee , that was, he was ever with the Lord. Pray obferve what our Saviour faid unto his. Difciples in a parallel cafe, Matth. 26,38, 40, 41, . 43, 45. Our Saviour Chrift commanded his Dif- ciples to watch, but they all fell afleep,' 2. He reproved them for not obeying his Command, and faid to Peter, What could ye not watch with me one hour : And fo three times following. Where was the, Exercife of Gr.ice ? Why, it was fufpended, and loft ; but the Habit of Grace flood firm. As there is a ftate of Grace, and a fpiritual frame belonging to Believers : So there is the Habits of Grace belongeth to the Spiritual State -, and the Atts of Grace belon- geth to the Spiritual frame of Heart : And thofe fleepy Difciples, though they had loft the Acls of Grace, yet the Habit was fecured 5 for Chrift faid in Marfan 3 8, w <*^ y* an ^ P ya y-> left jtf enter into temptation: the (pirit truly is ready, tkc. There is their Spiritual ftate ; fba though they were afleep, and that contrary to ChriftV Command, yet he in his Apology for them did Jlfe^ . demonftrate, . C v* ) demonftrate, that th% had the Habit of Grace in them, but the fle(h was weal^.. Tliere was no Grace in Exercife : The Spiritual frame of Heart was loft. 3. When a Believer is in a Swoon, or Trance, or diftrafted, (in which conditions they are not capable to ad: faith) doth lie then lofe the Habit of faith ? God forbid ! That is againft my Prin- \ ciples, which was the onely Truth this Authour laid of me, as I know of, in all his Book, though he did it to manage a fallacious Argument againft me* but in all fuch cafes as aforefaid, God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice. 4. This was that which relieved Job when he was, as it were, overwhelmed and buried in Af- fliction, yet Habitual frith kept his Head above Water ; "for he knew that his Redeemer lived, and that he had the Root of the Matter in him, Job 19.. 25, 28. I do not believe Job was in the Ex- .., ercife of Grace, when he curled the Day of his Birth *, for it is a Mercy we ought to blefs God for. 5. When Believers fall into fin, do they lofe the Habit of Grace? No. 'Though the Exer- cife of Grace be fufpended , yet the Habit re- mains j for were it not fo, no Adult Believer could poffibly be faved ; for we find the mofc Eminent Saints of all, both in Old Teftament- time, and in the New, fell very fouly. 1. Noah fell into the fin of Drunkennefs. 2. Lot into Inceft. 3. David fell into the fin of Adul- tery and Murder, and lay under the guilt of it along time, until God fent the Prophet Xaihan to awaken him. Now he had the Habit of faith in him all the while ; but when this Ceieftial fire was blown up, then lie bewails his fin, and con- fers it, and Renews his Covenant with the Lord, Pfal. 51. 2. In ( <*3 ) 2. In new Teftament tirrHRhcre was Peters Denial of drift, and all the Apoftles forfaking him juft when he was going to fuffcr, when they' fliould have fhewn moil love and affection unto him, then they mod failed him j will any one dare to fay that Peter did Aft Grace, when he de- nyed Chrift in a paflion, with Curfing and Swear- ing, or that he had not the Habit of Faith in him at that time ? furely No. Once more, what think ye of thofe unworthy partakers at the Table of the Lord, the Apoftle Paul tells us of in i Cor. 1 1. 29, 50. they were Believers, they were in a Spiritual State, but in a Carnal Frame of heart : For thii caufe many are weal^ and JUty among you, and many fleep, among you who ? why among you Believers, they died for profaning the Lords Table -, thefe were Habitual Believers, but they ware unworthy receivers, and cannot Habitual Faith carry an Elect dying Infant to Heaven and Glory, as well as Adult Believers, thus I hope by this time our Author hath gotten fome knowledge, and underftancttng of the Notion of Habitual Faith, which he confelfed himfelf fo much a ftranger unto. 6. Atid Laftly, What are the ends and defigns of theExercife of Graced 1. To this I anfwer, firft, in the General it is to Glorify God, Let your Light foflnne before men, that they which fee your good works may gloryjie your Father which is in Heaven. 2. Eclievers do glorifle God in tliefe ways, and in the performance of thefe Duties, following. 1 . By Watching againft Satan, and repelling his ■ Temptation.by Faith and Prayer, Eph. 6. 16.18. 2. In Watching againft the Allurements of the World, and over our own hearts, to overcome them ( 54 ; ' them both •, in ^edHp them afunder as you would Fire and'Gunpowdlrf which no fooner touch but take. 3. By fubduing all Acls of Unbelief. ' 4. By Watching againft the rifing up and Re- bellion of the remainders of Inbred Corruption. 5. By continual Prayer to God through Chrift, to be delivered from all fin whatsoever known, or not known by us, that God would difcover it unto us,, and pardon it in the Blood of Chrift. 6. Be diligent and vigilant to keep up Commu- nion with God, and be fure to watch in fpeqal manner, after you have met with great Emanati- on of the Spirit in Communion with God for that is that which Satans malice rages mod againft t Believer for. 7. In Watching for the coming of Chrift, and the Deftruftion of" Antichrift, and the Converfion of the Jews, * 8. And Laftly, the Exercife of Grace lyeth (much in being earneft Suiters at the Throne or Grace for frefh fupplies of Grace , to be found walking in Gods ways, in keeping clofe to his Or- dinances, and pure inftitutions according to Gods own appointment, and not of Mens inventing y and in obedience of all Gods Commandments. Now we have need of Faith, as the Scrip- ture faith : for the Grace that ferves for the per- formance of one Duty, will not be fufficient for the performance of another, as we cannot live to ! Day by the Bread we had Yefterday : But as we - muft have dayly fupplys of Bread for our Bodies, fb we muft for the fupply of ©ur Souls : For Grace is the Souls Spiritual Bread, and efpecially the Grace of Faith, For it is faid now the jujlflmll lw by Faith, Jiab. 2. 4. Heb. 10. 38. Now. (*5 ) Now as an Elect dying In%nt cannot Exercife Grace in an ordinary way, as is required of an Adult Believer ; fo on thefcther hand, hejiath not that occafion as an Adult Believer hath ? What occafion hath an Elect dying Babe of the ex- ercife of Grace, that never committed any actual fin j for he cannot be tempted to fin by the de- vices of Satan, nor be led away by the aliurements of the World, for all the Duty he is to perform, is Paffive : And therefore Habitual Faith is fu ent to perforin Paffive Duties , for all' the fin he hath to fubdue is original : And Ihave fufficiently (hewn both how, and who doth that for them, and in them, and there is nothing re- quired of an Elect dying Infant perfonally, but paffive Obedience, and therefore that Ordinance in which all the Subjects are Paffive, doth proper- ly and chiefly belong to them and not to the Adult, unlefs they were Adult Heathen?, that fhould be profelyted to the Chriftian Religion, namely, Baptifm, it doth belong principally to thefe Paf- five obedient Church-members, tho' Relatively they are Active, becaufe Chrift hath done all for them perfonally. Thus you fee I have made good the Notion of Habitual Faith. 14. Now Sir, I muft begin to attack you in the moft fentible parts, and I cannot avoid it, you have charged me folfly and Ciandeftinely, with letting my felf in a po'flure of War againfl God, and of being an Advocate againft the Truth. In Page 1. in thefe words, What is tlmman Refolved tofet himfelf in a pojture of War againji God, and his Word ? &c. What can be expelled, when a man flail be an Advocate againji the Truth. Here you have craftily by a fide Wind charged me with Rebellion *againft God } but you have not proved it upon me*, Therefore I challenge you to prove your charge, for if you do not, as I am fure you cannot, then you will prove your felf to be the man David fpake of as you fay of me in, Page n. that Travelleth with iniquity, conceivetb mifchief and brought forth falflmd. It is no new thing for per- sons to charge that upon others, which they them- fclves arc guilty of-, but it is as old as Nero. But had I dealt by the holy Scriptures as you have done, which will appear in two Inftances, efpecially I fhould have been guilty of Spiritual Rebellion, and High Treafon alio : But what you are guilty of, I will leave to the Reader to judge. i. I will begin with the firft Inftance, in Page 5. where you had laboured very induflrioufly to Invalid inherent Faith, and the extent of the. free Grace of God to. Eleft dying Infants, and -to jttftifie your own Lame Decrepit way of Salvation for them, without the Grace of. Faith, wherc hadoccafion to quote that Text, in Eph. 2. 8,$'. the words in our Bible are as followeth, For by- grace are ye faved, through Faith \ ami that not of your felves : it is the gift of God. Not of worlds left any man fiould boaft. 2. But you fay, By grace are ye faved through faith : Not of worlds, left any wan fhould boaft. £ray mind the fubtilty and fallacy of .this Man: For rather than he will part with his Opinion, he will part with that Truth that doth oppofc it. Pray mind, for it is worth your Obfervation, Jbr he hath cut the 3 Verfe in two, and took the 9 Verfe, and fine drawed it on to the former part of the 8 Verf:,and it is done fo cleverly, that there is noth- ing to be difcefnedjbut that it's all but one Verfe > for he hath brought it on the fame Line, without any ( 67 ) any, &c. juft as if it was but one Verfe ; but what he hath done with the latter part of the8 Vcrfe, I know not, for he hath dipt it quite off. But, 5. He had Reafon enough for it, fuch as it was, though none of the bed -, for the Text teH(us, I that faith is not of our/elves : It is the gift of God: And if foy then God may give it unto whom he I pleafe j he is not confined to beftow it upon none, but upon Perfons that are qualified to receive it by Maturity of Years ; though this Author will have it, that faith ftands in the wifdom of Men ; for he will not allow, that young Infants are ca- pable of receiving of it, which proves the COn- fequence clearly; but all thai are faved, both old and young, are faved through the Grace of iaith in Chrift Jefus. Again, 4. TJie management of this Text of Scripture is very appifite and agreeable to that new Doftrine oLour Authors, that faith, That all Adult Be- lievers are faved by the Rightcoufnefs of Chrift, through faith, and that dying Infants are faved by the fame Righteoufnefs, without faith, which he calls their Eetter way, <£rc. $. If God's Grace faves freely, and is at God's difpofal fully, then God may beftow it upon whom he pleafe, and with-hold it from whom he plcafeth, and who (hall rind fault with the Difpcn- fations of God's Grace ? for he is a Debtor to none of his Creatures, but he is Arbitrary in the difpenfing of all his Graces. - 6. But this Text aforeiliid, taken in its full Scope and Latitude, doth defiroy the very Vita's of their Opinion, and overthrows tlie very foun- dation of it,' vi%. That Infants are not capable of .receiving the Grace of faith-, and therefore, faith ir Author, they have nothing to do to meddle )ft Holy Things, unlefs they have perfonal («8) pcrfonal Aftual Faith i* And if they have nothing to do with God's mod Holy Things, then they can never be faved 5 for no unclean thing fhall enter into Heaven ; for without holinefl no manfl)a'J feeMie Lord: For all Children are conceived in a ft "of fin and unbelief, and nothing' but the- Grace of faith, in the Hand of the Spirit, can change that ftate •, for if that ftate be not chan- ge! there is no poffibility of being faved : For *' without faith it is impojfible to pleafe God. 7. Again, The natural Confequences of his. Doftrine are as followeth, (x.) That God cannot work faith in young Infants, becaufe they are not able to help him, which doth rcfleft great Difho- . nour upon the Power of God s Omnipotent free Grace,and mightily leifens that.(2,)It doth tackely declare, that God is not able to make them capable of the Reception of his Grace, becaufe they are not of Years to exercife it. Hath this Authour never read, that out of the mouth of babes and fuel- lings God hath per filed praife, Mat. 21. 16. Ffal. 8. 2. Thofe Scriptures carry a very great weight in them ; Me-thinks you fhould ftudy the depth of them, and get Acquaintance with them, and they would convince you, that Children are ca- pable of receiving Grace --, for thefe Children did ao> Grace, and it was God that did perfect it in them. (3.) A Third Confequence is, That A- dult Perfbns do qualifre themfdves for the Recep- tion of Grace, or at Ieaft wife, are Co-partners with the Spirit of Grace in the working of it. (4.) If this be fo, then it is not God's Grace, but Man's Works •, No, nor Faith is not God's Gift:, but Man's Merit. But now pray obferve how the Apoftle doth argue this Point in Rom. 11. 6. And if by grace, then it if no more of worlds : other- wife grace is no more grace. But if it be of wc then it is no mire # race : oihcrwife mt\is no more worl^ Thcfe two Texts of Scripture, that of Eph. 2. 8, 9. and that of Rom. 11.6. and Ana- nabaptifm cannot (land together, they are incom- patible. You faid you had got me in the Pound, in Page 5. but if I were, yet now I am gotten out, and you are in the Pound your felf, or at leaft you have taken a Tartar. 1 5. Now, Sir, I am come to prove the Second Inftance upon you; for as you have diminifhed the Word of God in the former Infcance ; fo here you have added unto it : I chufe rather to fay fo, than to call it clipping and coyning, becaufe it is the fofteft Terms that it can be drelt in, that is any way fuitable unto fuch a foul practice, though there is a dreadful Threatning that doth attend it, 'Rev. 22. 18, 19. Dent. 4. 2. Pro v. 30. 6. The Lord make you truly fenfible of the evil of it, fend grant you Repentance unto Life, which is the worft hurt that I defire may befal you, in all that J. fa iv unto you, or of you. In Page i2,.,vou fay, Arg. 3. The promijt* jfRemifjion of fin, and the gift of the holy Ghoji, unto the Children of Believers is upon the terms of 'Repentance, and obedience, Ergo the promife is not to the Fleffdy and natural Seed of Believers as fuch. > 1. Whatever that promife was to Abraham and his Seed j it is the fame to the Gentile Ee- jievers and their Seed, And Alls 2. 39. doth clear- ly make it appear to be fo : For the promife is unto you, and to your Children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fi ball call : here both Jew and Gentile and their Seed, are compre- hended in the promife, Eph. 3. 6. That the Gentiles (Imld ,. v Mhw heirs and of the fame body, and th t °Tt Imife that was Abrahams promifc u, take of the pronuie ul * Abraham had the Gofpel Chriftby the Gofpel ^ ^*»n» of the Pt«ched «f .^^Somife of Re- ^' Jtf hn and the lift of the Holy Ghoft unto """JS^S 1 5 Severs is upon the terms of the Children of Believers up _ pardoned and convtncu. Prince, lith the free Grace of £d for ChnU » ^ | and Saviour to give Repe ntance unr , giveRemiffionoffin, fontishe aloneti tth all oar works ^ \ in ^Zth God that T^J roCbv vour Doctrine no dying 'In SfSn bX2 ^aufe they cannot perta xant c 'I't lave told you ahead S Heaven and Glory, read *-. 5- *7, ^ th Tr'd as for Believers Seed, both Spirituals Cafnl now under the Gofpd thej r have as go abWft i" ^ Covenant which God madew V /* J Abraham,, as ever Believers Seed both Spiritual and Carnal, enjoyed under the Law of Mfes, what tho' we have not an Intereft in the Land of Canaan, yet we have that which is equivalent, Mat. 6 33. Rom. 3. Z2. I fhould not have meddled with this Argument in particular,' becaufe it will fall with the reft, had it not been to have fhewn how unfaithfully you have dealt with the Scriptures, which you made ufe of to prove this Argument by : But I would have anfwered this with all the reft of your lame Arguments together, in what I have yet farther to fay. Let all the World behold and fee how you have dealt with the Scripture in AUs 2. 38, 39. But it is on the 39 Verfe you have done the feat. I cannot relate thefe things without great Regret of Spirit. You begin with part of the 37 Verfe, Men and brethren, what frail we do . ? Peter an- jwered them, Repent and be baptised in the name of Jefm Chrift, for the remijjion of fins, and ye flail receive the gift of the holy Ghoft. For this promife is unto you, and your children alfo, yea and to the very Gentiles afar of, if they are called. Reader this is Printed in a diflincl Character for Canonical Scripture, with that part which is True, therefore pray mind the difference. Verfe 39. For the promife is unto you, and to your Children, and to all that arc afar off, even as | many as the Lord our God flail call : that was to all the Eleft Gentiles and their Children ; for the promife runs in the very fame Channel to the Gentiles and their Children in the Text, without any variation, as it did to the Jewjand their Children. But <72) i. Bat here our Authour coyrted;' the Word [this promife f] whereas it is faid [the promife.] 2. He faith, [to you and your children alfo,l whereas it is faid, [unto you, and to your children?] 3. Saith he, [yea to the very Gentiles afar off, [if J they are called, ] whereas it is written thus, wf. [And to [ aU ~] 'that are afar off, even as ma- ny as the Lord our GodffljaU] call. Pray Reader obferve, This Authour hath en- deavoured to change the very Frame of the Co- venant, in which the Promife Hands j for where- as the Holy Spirit faith, the promife, he hath faid, this promife. The Promife is that which doth belong to the Everlufting Covenant, which God made with A- braham and his Seed in their Generations, Exod. 19. $. Pfal. 3$. 28. to Verfe 34. For there was no Solvation under the Law, but what was con- veyed unto them through that Promife, nor under the Gofpel neither. But this promife fuits well with his Dilfclution of the Covenant -, and there- fore to bring his Marks to bear, it muft be this promife, as if it had been fome new made Promife, that never had been in being, nor declared before. For he faw that the Gentiles, and their Children, were included in [the'] promife, and made Parta- kers of all the Covenant Priviledges, as the belie- ving Jews and their Children were, who were the People which the Apoftle fpake this unto j there- fore he faith, Tea to the very Gentiles afar off, [if] they are called^ when the Text faith plainly thus, yi%, And to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fl> all call -, and not [if] they are called : By which he makes it a dubious , pre- carious thing, Whether they would be called or ^not i whereas they were to be fellow-Jieirs with the believing Jews, Epb* 3. 6. But the grand Reafon ^73 ; Reafon of all this is very plain and obvious, which was this, namely, becaufe he would not have the Chriftian Gentiles, and their Children, to (hare with the Believing Hebrews, and their Children, in the promife : For that would have fpoiled his dellgn of Dif- folving and Repealing the Covenant > and fo to cut off and cafl out the Infant Seed of Believers from all the Priviledges of the Covenant % that fo thefe poor Babes might not have a right to the Ordinance of Baptifm, the Initiating Seal or token of the Covenant. Now for the Conclufion of this Head. Pray Reader take notice of this Reflection of our Author's upon me. In Page 2. faith he, Tis certainly an Argument of -profound Confidence, for a Man to pretend to ths world the Difcovery of the Errokrs of a People^ whofe Principles he J^nows no more comparatively , then I know Utopia. To this I anfwer thus, Suppofe I allow and grant what he hath faid to be true j that I am thus ignorant of their Principles, as he Reprefents me to be. Yet I muft tell him, that I am not altogether ignorant of their Devices and Stratagems, by which they uphold their Opinion \ in which their Principles are enveloped and lye Dormant. But before I have done with this Treatife, it may be I may make him and fome others of that Leaven, fenfible that I am not fo much a ftranger to their Principles as well as their Errours as he would make the world believe I am. ^ ^i\^ 1 5. In Page 11. faith our Author *, Now I come to your challenge in your Bool^ page 1 2. And here he repeats my Challenge. D lihdr (74r I challenge all the Anabaptijh in the. world , to produce but one plain Text of Scripture, either in the old Teftament or the new, from Gen. 17. to the very l^fi of Revelations j to prove that ever the Children of Believing Parents were caft out of Cove- nant, by any authority from God, and I will fubmit ..unto them. • But faith the good Man. My fear is this perfon is fo prepojjeft, that all a man can fay, tho* never fo much to the purpofe, it will not .be regarded. To this I anfvver, he faith very right indeed in j that he hath faid, all that a man can jay, tho' never fo much to th«. purpofe will not be regarded j no nor what, all the Men of your Opinion can fay, with al! the Women to help them neither : as long as God hath not faid it. One [ thm faith tto Lord"] is infinitely more worth than all a Man can fay ; but it is 10 far from [thus faith tlye Lord,"] as that the Lord hath not only faid. the contrary, but hath Sworn to it, that the covenant which he mtde with Abraham and his Seed, is an everlafting ■ Covenant j and therefore it cannot be Diffolved nor taken up by the Roots, PfaJ. 105. 8,9. He -bath remembred his Covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thoufand generations. Which Covenant he made with Abraham, And his tath unto Ifaac. Pfal. 89. 34, 3$. My Covenant will I not breal^ :Kor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I fivorn by my holinefs that, I will not lie unto David. Therefore as long as God hath not only faid it, : but.alfo fworn it j it matters not to me what a man * faith, but let £od be true, and man a liar ; and for this Reajbn I am fo far from fubmitting unto what a man faith, as that. I do in the name of the Lord (75 ) Lord in vindication of the honour and glory, of his mod Sacred Oath, refume my Challenge. Firfl of all our Saviour Chrift did fo de- monftrate his tender Love , and affeftion unto the Children of Believers, in his fweet carriage and behaviour towards them -, when he was perfonal- ly upon Earth, in his taking them up in his Armf, and in his laying his Hands on them, and Blefltng them, and Praying for them -, and not oniy fo, | but he declared that of fuch was the Kingdom of Heaven, that is the Church -, and in that Chrift did confequentially declare them to be Members of the Church. This was fuch a demonftration of Love and Grace to little Children, as cannot be parallell'd in all the old Teftament. Surely then, Chrift would never have (hewed them fo much favour, if they had been caft out of Covenant, or cut off from Church-Memberfhip \ when he declared that the Church were of fuch Members : The Priviledges of the Covenant which God made with Abraham do as much belong to all the Seed of Gofpel-Believers, as ever they did to the Seed of Believers under the Mofdc^Livt : z&'- I fhall clearly ^iake it appear by and by. • 2. Ton have, here the anfwer of my challenge as he faith, fuch **one as it is ; therefore I pray yon to tal^e good Notice of it : Tour demand is that we prove Infants Incovenanting, and the priviledges Children once had with their Parents Repealed. I. 71)erefore that the Covenant of peculiarity made to Abraham and hi* natural Seed, as fuch is abolifhed I prove from thefe 4 or $ Arguments fol- lowing, CxC. The natural Branches, are broken off, Ergo, Chil- drens vifible Incovcnanting is Kepealed,the Antecedent of this Enthymsm is xkar from the Apoftles hffer- D 2 tion. ( is ) f ion, Rom. if. 19, 20, 21. The branches were bro- ken off : By the Natural Branches, without controver- fie, is to be underjlood the natural Seed of Abraham. But before we do enter farther into the Con- trovert, I muft put the Reader in mind of Two Things". . 1. Is this that he hath not told us-, Who it Hvas that made this Covenant of Peculiarity with Abraham , whether it was God or Man, in all his Book : Though he hath many times cited the Notion cccafionally, it may as well be forae Co- venant about his own private Affairs, betweea himfelf and fome other Perfon, either between him and his Steward, or Herdfmen, or Tenants, . or about fome Koufes or. Land, or 1 know not what it was j but it was a Covenant of Peculia- rity to Abraham and his Natural Seed. 2. Fie hath not laid down the Everlafting Co- venant, which* God made with Abraham and his Seed in their Generation,, inj all his Book, altho' Jie hath mentioned the Chapter and Verfe wherein it is twice, in Page 14. Gen. 17. 7. There is %nother cunning Device j but his Pen would not write againft the Hand that guidedAt. . 2. But to proceed in the fecond'place to the Controverfy. You fay the natural Branches are •broken off: Ergo, Childrens vifible Incovenant- ing is repealed, (£rc. ' And he farther faith, That this Covenant is taken up by the Roots^ and the Natural Branches broken off, none excepted. 3. You fay the Natural Branches are broken off : Ergo, Childrens vifible Incovenantingis repealed. Now, Sir, you (hall fee that this doth no more prove. That the Children of believing Parents were C 77; were eaft out of the Everlafring Covenant, which- God made with Abraham and his Seed in their* Generations, than the Barrennefs of the Effcx Jail-Keepers proved that the converted jaylor, in Atis id; had no Children belonging to his Fa- mily. 4, And Lafdy, This is the Foundation on. which you have built all your Florid, Syllogifli- cal Atfuments : And if I can deftroy this Foun- dation, then will all your Building fall, and great will be the fall thereof j therefore I ihaH- not begin on the Top of the Houfe, but I will undermine your Foundation, and blow it up all at once. If a Man be to cut down a Tree by the Roots, he would not climb up on Top »f the Tree, and fall a lopping off the Branches there- of, branch by branch, when his work and bufmefs Iyeth at the Root : So here, by Gods affiftance, I will cut down this Tree by the Roots 01 it, and then your Book will be fully Anfwered. What thougruhe Arguments may be rightly for- med, and materially good in themfelves, yet if they ate dedu&ed from wrong Topicks, and built upon a Rotten Foundation, and applyed to wrong Subjecls, then they are all naught, even like Jeremiah's Figs, that were fo vile t|iat they could not be eaten } or like a very fair Howie, that is built upon a Sandy foundation, that^s foon as a Storm comes down it tumbles. The Law of God againft Blafphemy is very good in it felf, whenever it is rightly applyed 5 but as the Jews malicioufiy applyed' it to' our Saviour Chrift, fo it was not •, for fa id they, We have a I^a &nd by our law he aught to die, becaufe he made fklhfelf the Son of God. Now if any 'other Perfon had affirmed this of himfclf, (but D 3 Chrift.) (78) Chrift,) it had been blafphemy in them, and tkc jews had been right. Or, 2. They are like your own Argument, which you raifed againft me upon that notorious falfe Charge, vfa That' I have afferted in my Book, without mentioning any Page, That all the Chil- dren of Believers have Habitual Faith : Your Argument is rightly formed, and materially good in it felf, But being built on *k falfe, rotten foundation, it renders it a meer Nonentity -, and fo are all your Arguments, which you have produced to prove the Diifolution of the Cove- nant, and of the Children of believing Parents being caft out of Covenant by the coming of the Gofpel : They are but meer, fictitious, empty Notions j for the very Text you have pitched upon is againft you, and inftead of miniftring any kind of Relief unto you, will but entangle you. If any Man can make the breaking off fome of the Branches, and the grafting of others in the room, to be a taking the Covenant up by the Roots, as you affcrt in Page 1 4. I muft confbfc he mull be a better Logician than I am. Now having thus premifed thefe things, and made way for what I have to offer, I proceed. 1. We muft confider what this Olive Tree is in Rom. 11. 2. Who thefe Branches were, which were bro- ken off. 3. We muft confider how they came to be broken off. 4. We muft confider who they wa£ that were grarfed in, which our Author takeWio notice of. 5. And Laftly, How they came to be graffed in. I take ( 79 > r. I take this Olive Tree to be Chrift, whonfjj Goti-gave to be a Covenant to the People, or Chrift Myftical the Church •, but then it may be Objecled, How can any Branches, that are in Chrift, be broken off ? • Why our Saviour Chrift himfelf hath Anfwered this Objection to our Hands, John. 15.2. Every branch in me that beareth tkt fruit, he taJ(&th away : and every branch that > beareth fruity he purgeth it, that it may bring forth r.rrre fruit. Rom. 11. 17. And if fime of the branches be bro } -:n off, &c. Thus you fee this Olive Tree is Chrift, the Co- venant j and he is not taken up by the Roots, nor ' diffolved. 2. Thefe Eranches, which were broken off, weie feme of the unbelieving Jews, and all their Pofteriry : It were but fome of the Branches that were broken off from the Olive Tree, the Cove- nant remaineth untouched. 3. Flow came the- Jews to be broken off > Rom. 11. 20. tells us, That it was becaufe of unbelief they were broken off, &c. 4. The Gentiles were graffed into the fame Olive Tree, in their Room, Rom. it. 17. Knd if fome of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive tree^ wert graffed in amongfi them, and with them partake ji of the root and fatnefl ofthA olive-tree. As thofe Tews, which were thefe Branches that were broken off, and their Children with them were caft out of the Covenant, fo the Gentiles, and all their "Children, were taken into Covenant in their room, and did partake of the fanfe Priviledgcs with thofe Jews that did abide firm in the Covenant •, for the Text tells us, that they were graffed in amongft them, and did par- ! take of the root and fatnefs of the Olive-tree : D 4 The } ( 8o) The Gentiles were made fellow-heirs with the Jews, Eph. 3. 6. And in Atts 2. 39. there the holy Ghoft hath joyned Jew and Gentile, and their Children together in the Promife of the ever- Jjffting. Covenant which God made with Abraham, I Gen. 17. 7.- And I will eftablif)) my Covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after tike ,. in their gene- rations, for an' ever I aft ing Covenant *, to be a God unto thee,and to thy feed after thee*. % $. And Laftly, the Gentiles and their Seed were grafted intoChrift, the Covenant by Faith \ f and fee if that will help them. 4. How could the breaking off of fome of the jews, and the taking in fome of the Gentiles in their room, be the Ditfolution of the Covenarxf 1 (8 4 ) For as the unbelieving Jews, and all their Child- ren, only were call out of Covenant, fo the be- lieving Gentiles, and all their Children, were . taken in •, fpr we find it was Limb for Limb, or Branch for Branch , and as £& the Sprigs and Leaves, and Fruit of the Branches of the one were caft cut, fo on the other hand, all the Sprigs and Leaves, and Fruit of the other Branches were ta- ken in, as all the unbelieving Jews, and all their Children, were caft out, fo all the believing Gen- tiles, and their Children were taken in, and fo remain in Covenant to this Day, and that without any alteration of the Terms thereof in the lean: degree, to either old cr young, only it is under a new Difpenfation, to what it was under the Law, and that the Jews were under long before the Gen- tiles were taken into covenant, which was not until after Chrifts Afcenfion ; for the Gentiles were thofe Sheep which our Saviour Chrift faid did belong to the fame Fold,or Church which the Jews were then Actual Members of, which were to be called, and converted, John 10. They wereSheep in Election. $. Pray mind the Apoftles Expostulation, by which he confirms the Truth aforefaid, Rom. 1 1 . I fay then, hath God caft away his people ? God for- bid. ' For I alfo am anlfraelite of the feed of kbra- bam, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not caft away his people which he fore\new, txc. Even fo then at this prcfent time alfo, there is a Remnant according to the Ekftion of Grace. It feems by the Apoitle, as if there were fome Perfons among the Gentiles, in his time, that were of Opinion, that God had totally rejected and 'caft off all the Jews, and broken and diilbl- ved the Covenant which he made with Abraham and his vSeed *, and the Apoftle to convince them < takes this courfe, and ufes this Ar- gument, C 8S ) gument , That he himfelf was of the Seed of Abraham * He pleaded his Covenant Relation to Abraham, knd therefore do you not believe that God hath caft out all his Ifrael out of Covenant : Do not youfeemeinitjiili, who am an Ifraelite, and of the Seed of Abraham ? As if he had faid, For if all Ifrael liad been caft out of Covenant, then the Apoftle himfelf rauft have been caft out too. Verfe 17. And if fome of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive-tree, wert graffed in among them, and with thempartakeft of the. root and fatncfi of the. olive-tree, &c. Now I will take all three of the Verfes, which our Author pitched upon for his Topick, to prove the Diflblution of the Covenant, for the confir- mation of the continuance thereof, both to Jew and Gentile, without (training them in the lea ft, but as they are fpontaneoufly in themfelves, Ram, 11. ip, 20, 21. Thou wilt then fay, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well', becaufe of unbelief they were broken off, and thou ftandejl by faith. Be not high minded, but fear. This was a Caution the Apoftle gave the Gen- tiles, that were taken into Covenant, in the room of the unbelieving jews, which were caft out. For if God [pared not the natural branches, (thefe were the Jews) take heed left he aljo [pare not- thee. ff the Gentiles finned as the Jews did, God would caft them out as well as he had done the Jews. Thus you fee what our Authors Text aifbrds : It is fo far from proving the Diifolution of the Cove- nant, as that it proves the clear contrary. 6. If our Children are not in Covenant as well as we that are Believers, then we do not partake of the Root and Fatneis of -the Qiive-tree with, and amongft the Jews, as thefe believing Jews did : For thefe believing Hebrews, which re- mained (SO mained in Covenant, all their Children remained in Covenant with them, and did partake of the root and fatnefs of the Covenant, or Olive-Tree. 7. Pray obferve what kind of Abfurdities would follow if it be not fo. (1.) How ftrange would it have looked for the believing Gentiles Children to be left out of the Covenant, when their Parents were taken in, and the jews Children to remain in, with their belie- ving Parents ? O*) What would have become of the Promife, to both Jew and Gentile, and their Children, in A pel. Here you fee both Jew and Gentile are incor- porated into one Body, and from hAice we may obferve, That the Covenant God made with Abra* ham, and all his Seed, with all the Promifes and Priviledges thereunto belonging , are devolved upon the believing Gentiles, and all their Seed and Off-spring, in the full Latitude thereof. Therefore the Everlafting Covenant, which God made with Abraham, is not diffolved, nor repealed like an old, ufelefs Aft of Parliament, but ftands in full Force and Vertue to this Day j and the Promifes thereof run as frefh , and taft as fvveet, as when God fet them firft abroach. What though fome of the Jews and their Child- ren, were broken off, and caft out ? The Cove- nant was not broken on God's part ; for he took the Gentile Believers , and their Children into the Covenant, which made good the Breach j for they make the fame Figure, both in Church and Covenant, and do partake "of the fame Benefits and Priviledges, as they did j therefore our Chil- dren mufl either be circumcized or baptized 5 but the former being abolifhed, it muft be the latter : Wherefore let believing Parents live in the negleft of this Duty, with a refpecl: to their Children, any longer if they dare, at their peril be it. 8. The Jews were not fo carelefs, nor indiffe- rent about their Children, after they themfeives were converted and united to Chrift, but that they would retain their old Seal and Token of the Covenant to their Children, or fomethuig equi- valent in the room thereof, and never have parted with it, without an. exprds Command from God fo to do, efpecially if we do but confider Two v Things. (l) Hovv (88; (i.) How hard a thing it was for to bring them off from CircumcifiOi.,, Ads 15. 1, 10. (2.) Circumcifion belonged to none of the A- dult Jews aiter the firft Inftitution of that Ordi- nance, but unto their Eighth Day Children, be- caufe they were to be cut off and deffroyed, if they were not circumcifed at that time, 'Gen* 17. 14. 9. Would it not have been an abfurd thing for to fee the believing jews baptized'themfelves, and their Eighth Day Children circumcized at the fame time ? For thus it rnuft have been. (2.) Would it not have been as abfurd alfo, to fee believing profelited Gentiles baptized, and no more notice taken of their Children, which are* a part of themfelves, than if they were Dogs, neither to circumcize them, nor baptize them ? Whereas God makes no difference, now under the Gofpel, between believing Jews, and belie- ving Gentiles, as the Apoftle telieth us in AUs 15. 8, 9. And God which J^noweth the hearts, bare them witnefi, giving tfem the holy Ghofi, even at be. did unto iH : And put no difference between w and them, puri- fying their hearts by faith. Pray mind, It is God that purifieth the hearts , both of Jew and Gentile, young and old. So that we find no alteration of the terms of the Covenant, which God made with Abraham and his Seed, neither to old or young -, tho' it hath pa(fed through various difpenfations, and will yet do : for the Gentiles and their Seed that are In the Covenant, do partake of the fame Root and Fatncfs of the Olive-tree, as the be- lieving Jews and their Children did : It is" Gods antient Land Mark, and therefore let men have a care, that endeavour to icmove it. This < 8 * > * This Author faith in his Book, tmt it is well that I am not the peoples Eyes ; but I fear that thofe people lye under a Judgment that have fuch Eyes to fee for them, as can fee no better to diftinguifh about the everlafting Covenant which. God made with Abraham, then he hatli done. 17. Would it not look very abfurdly for be- lieving Jews Children to be Baptized 5 and be in the Covenant with their Parents, and not the Chil- dren of believing Gentiles : for you fee there were but a part of the Jews broken off, and not fo much as a Sprig or Leaf, or any of the Fruit broken off from the believing Jews that flood *, and there was but a part of the Gentiles taken in, and not one Sprig, Leaf, or any of the Fruit of them left out. Now fuppofe a Man fhould go into his Orchard, and fisfl fome withered Branches that were dead, and break them off, and gran in other Branches in the room thereof ; doth this Aft of his diffolve the Tree, or take it up by the Roots, (no fure) but it is in order to make the Tree more Fruit r ful. And for a full Corroboration of this, take our Saviour Chrifts own evidence in John 1 $. 2. Every branch in me that beareth mt fruit, he tafatb away : and every branch that beareth fruit, he pur g- eth it that it may bring forth more fruit. So that the everlafting Covenant is not Dif- folved nor impaired in the leaft degree by the breaking off of fome of the Jews, and taking in fome of the Gentiles into it in their room. ir. Now Sir if you can find us out but one. Text of Scripture in the whole Book of God that doth Corroborate your Pofition or contradift mine •, then, but not until then, you will do your ( 90 ) your bufinefs, you mud prove that when the un-(l believing Jews j thofe unfruitful Branches were •! broken off and call: out, that all the Children [j of the believing Jews which ftood were caft out with them; and alfo that none but the Adult be- lieving Gentiles were taken in, this is your task Sir, and do it if you can : for it muft be fo, other-^ wife all your fine Spun Arguments will fall to the* ground and be loft. 12. We rind that the Infant Seed of Believers were included in the Covenant which God made with Abraham \ as you fee I have clearly proved.. Therefore if the Seed of the believing Jews were caft out, and the Seed of believing Gen- tiles not taken in \ then the Covenant could not be an everlafting Covenant, as God hathfaid it is to Believers and their off-fpring : Now which fhall we believe (God) that cannot He, or -Mr. H. C. judge ye? 13. I have obferved that in all this Authors Book Fcannot find, that he hath been fo ingenuous as once to repeat the words of the covenant which God made with Abraham, tho' he hath mention- ed, Gen. 17.7. twice in Page 14. wherein the very quinteffence of the Covenant lyeth, which ' looks as if he were afraid there was that in it, that would have opened the peoples Eyes. But inftead of that, he hath given the Covenant a nick name, hii%. The Covenant of peculiarity made with Abraham. But this is the raifery of thefe poor, deluded People, any thing will down with them, ,if it be but in favour of their Opinion \ they want a noble Berean Spirit in them to fearch the Scrip- tures, to fee whether thefe things be fo or not, and not to take ail upon truft, as the Papifts do. .14. Wherefore in the 14th place I will lay down God's Covenant, which he declared and made ( 91 ) made with Abraham, as I have our Author's new- found Covenant ', And let us fee how incongruous they are ; Gen. 17. 7. And I will ejlablifl) my cove- nant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, in their generations , for an everlafting Covenant ', to be a God unto thee, and to thy feed after thee. 1$. But it may be, fome will be fo bold as to [ fay, that this Everlafting imports no more, then barely as long as the iWi>/ 77;rff labi flmldeft enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy . rod maketh with thee this day : Here you may obferve by the way, that thcfe vere God's People before 5 for it is twice faid, he Lord thy God : But it may be queried, whether his was a Covenant diftinft from that which God nade with Abraham ? No j for the following /erfe tells us the contrary, in thefe Words, That he way eftablij)) thee to day for a people unto nmjelf, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he )ath faid unto thee, and as he hath [worn unto thy "others, to Abraham, to Ifaac, and to Jacob. 19. Had there been any People amongft them £ wife as our Author pretends himfelf to be, hey might have replyed, Our Children are not apable to enter into Covenant for themfelves, for nany of them cannot fpeak: Well, butjhowever hey mutt do it, becaufe God did command it : iut how muft they do it, feeing they cannot do t themfelves? Why, undoubtedly they did it by 'roxy; their Parents, or other Friends, did it be them, by Vowing, and folemnly Ingaging lefore the Lord, in Dedicating and ilefigning hem up unto God by Covenant, that they would >ring them up in the Fear and Admonition of he Lord, to Inftruft them in all the Duties of he Covenant Relation they flood in to God, and exhort and perfwade them, when they were prown up, to take hold of the Promife in the Co- renant by Faith for themfelves, and to be often cutting them in mind of it : This I humbly con- reive was the Import of thefe little Childrens landing before the Lord, and making a Covenant vith' him. And fo it is as much a Puty incumbent upon *hriflian Believers now, to bring their young Children Cliildren before the Lord, and folemnlyttfc dedi- cate and give them up unto God by C&enant, in the Ordinance of Baptifm, the Initiating Seal and Token thereof, in which Ordinance they do fokumly dpdicate their Children unto the Lord, from whom they received then;, not only to blefs God for them, as we ought to do for the Increafe of our Cattle, but to refign them up to be the Lords by a perpetual Covenant in that holy Ordi- nance, and openly to own and acknowledge Gods 'Propriety in them, and his Soveraignty over them : Baptifm hath an Analogy with Chrift's Sufferings, which was his Baptifm, wherein he was paflive, fo muft all the Subjefts be in Baptifm. 20. It is a folemn Ingagement by the Parents, before the Lord, to take all the Chriftian care they can, to Train up their Children in the Chri- ftian Religion, to inftruft them in the Doctrine of Juftification by the Kighteoufnefs of Chriil through Faith, and the Doctrine of Sanftification by his Word and Spirit, and to watch over them, and pray for them, that they may live fober and godly Lives j and thus to train up a Child when he is young, he will not depart from it when he is old. The Faith and Prayers of Godly Parents are very prevalent with God, for their Children : And did Parents make more Confcience of per- forming this Duty, in difcharging this Baptifmal Obligation with a refpeft to their Children, I am perfwaded, we fhould foon fee, that God would put a difference between our Children, and the Children of thofe that are againft Infant Baptifm. But many Parents inflead of difcharging this Ingagement, do cocker their Children in Pride and Vanity, and- indulge them in their corrupt Lulls, and tajse more care to bring them up in the Dancing School, than in the School of Chrift. Many C 95 ) { # Many Parents think, if their Children be but bap- tized, it is well enough j they take no farther care of them : Juft like the Efteridge, that lays her Eggs in the Sand, and never takes care what becomes of them. But, faith our Adverfaries, thefe Children may refufe to ftand to this Cove- nant, and nullifie all : So might Gods People have alledged in Dent. 29. For it is a great Queftion -whether All their Children ftood to that Cove- nant or not j but if they did not, that might not have been their Parent's Fault, but their own. But tliis is no Excufe for Parents to neglect their Duty. Remember Saul's carnal Policy, and how dear it coft him •, he was for. faving the beft of the Cattel for Sacrifice, as he pretended : But do you all go and learn what that meaneth, which the Prop&et told him, Obedience, k better than fa- ' crijice. The Remifaefs of Paedobaptifts do not at all Extenuate the Guilt of your contemning, and total neglecting that Ordinance to your Children, who are as vain as* any other Profeffors Children are ? the negligence of the one, and the contem- ning by the other, may be Sins equivalent, and between thefe Two Extreams, there have been produced fuch a debauched, degenerated, young Generation of Apoftates, as there is at this Day, = ibr which God is angry, and contending with us. I do wonder that this Author (hould have the confidence, and the ignorance, to fix upon Rom.. 11. 19, 20, 21. to prove the Diflblution of the. Covenant of Peculiarity , as he calls it, made with Abraham. But this is to be obferved, that, he made ufe of no other Words in the Texts then thefe, v't^. The branches are broken off y and runs away from the reft of the Verfes, like one skared out + C 9* ) 1 out of his Wits, and never came at them again as you may fee in Page 12. aforefaid. Whereas the Covenant God made with Abra> ham was confirmed by his Oath unto Ifaac, anc to Jacob, for a Law, and to Ifrael for an Ever- lafting Covenant, ;and to all their Seed, which Covenant was from Everlafting Decretally, and to Everlafting Effe&ually, andean never be dif- anulled nor Repealed, becaufe it was confirmed oi God hi Chrift : There is the Center ana Founda- tion of all, Gal. 3. i5, 17. Pfal. 89. And that the Covenant, which God made with Abraham, is devolved upon us Gentiles, under the Difpenfation oftheGofpel, is as clear as the Sun, Alts 2.39. Gal. 3. 8, 14. Eph. 3. 6. Wherefore he that is a. True [Believer ] [ himfelf, ] and all his [ Chil- dren,! are as really in the fame Covenant, as ever Abraham and his Seed were, and may plead all the Promifes with God by Faith in Chrift, for himfelf and his Children, that do belong to the Covenant, and all the Priviledges thereof, as ever Abraham for his Seed could do. What tho* we have not the Land of Canaan ? Which was but a Temporal Blefling 3 yet we have that which is equivalent, Matt. 0V33. Butfeek yefirftthekitig-. dom of God,iandhts riihteoufnefi, and all thefe things fkrtl be added unto you. And what thefe things are, you have in the . 6 foregoing Verfes, and in Rom. 8. 32. He that /pared net his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how flail he not with him alfo freely give m all things * And the Apoftle faith, Godlinefi is profitable un- to all things, having the promife of the life that now is> and of that which is to come. is not here as much wrapt up in thefe Promifes, as is contained in the tframifc cf the Land of Canaan ? (97) Canaan ? And infinitely more ; for many that did partake of the ElefTings of the Terrene Canaan never did, nor never fhall partake of the Heaven- ly Canaan *, but none that ever did, or do par- take of thofe Bleffings aforefaid, (hall ever mifs of Heaven. * i p. In the laft place. That the Covenant which God made with Abraham , from which fome of the Natural Branches were broken off, was never Dilfolved nor Repealed, is undeniably evident from this, namely, That all the Jews, thofe Natural Branches, when it pleafeth God to convert them , will be grafted into their own Olive-tree again. How then is it poffible that the Covenant can be Dilfolved , or Repealed ? See Rom. ii. 15, 24, 26. For if the cafling away of them be the reconciling of the world ; what (I) all the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree y ( This olive-tree which is wild by nature, was the Firft Covenant which God made with Adam ; and the good olive-tree is the Covenant which God made with Abraham. ) how much more frail thefe which be the natural bran- ches, be graffed into their own olive-tree. Andfo all Ifraelfball be faved : as it is written? There fljall come out of Sion the deliverer, and frail turn away ungodline/i from Jacob. Thus you fee the Covenant, which God made with Abraham, is Everlafting , and cannot be Dilfolved, nor Repealed, becaufe it (lands fixed in the Oath and b'aithfulnefs of God. Now, Sir, I hope you have enough of the Dif- folution of your Covenant of Peculiarity made with. Abraham - ? and you are farther oft (now) E from (i>8) from^profelytingmc to your Opinion,- than ever ; for the more I Rake into it, the worfe I do like it j therefore you fhall never be my Oculiffc to open my Eyes, as you arrogantly fay in Page i. until you can fee better your fclf, to diftinguilh of Scriptures, and not to take the "Branches of the Olive'tree, for the Roots thereof : Wherefore Phyfician cure thy felf j firft caft out the Beam out of thine own Eye, and then (halt thou fee clearly to pluck out the Mote which is in thy Bro- ther's Eye. 17. And Laftly, In Page 12. it is faid there, that the Church-State under the Law was only carnal, as all their Ordinances were, and that the Constitution of that Church was abolifhed, and fo the Church-State alfo was plucked up by the Roots, as well as the Covenant s as you fay, which was made with Abraham -, and others of this Opinion are pleafed to call it A Legal Church* In the firft place to this I Anfwer, The Church of God under the MofaicJ^Lav?, was not a Carnal, Legal Church, though the Ordinances and Cere* monies were, but Shadows and Types ■-, yet the Spirit of God was dwelling in that Church, and Chrift was enjoyed under thofe Ordinances, and (although) thofe Ordinances were more obfeure under the Law than the Ordinances are now un- der the Gofpel, yet the Church State was Spiri- tual, and of the fame Effence with the Church now, (that) was the Mother (Church) as one faith, and not the Synagogue of Rome, and this Church- fiate was never broken nor hewn down, by John the Baptifi, as I (hall prove by and by out of the Mouth of John the Baptifl himfelf. Indeed the Frame of the Church is more Refined under the Gofpel than it was under the Law, but the Church- State (99 ) State is the fame ftill, and ever (hall be : Eut our Authour faith, That the Cl^irch-State was only Carnal as their Ordinances were, and the Cove- nant in which the Church ftands, is taken up by the Roots, and that all this was executed and per- petrated by John the Baptij}, that he cut down the Church, and all the Members thereof, fo that In- fant Church-Memberfliip was utterly cut off then, and yet he hath the confidence to deny that he intended Infants when he cited John the Baptijrs telling them , That the Axe was laid to- the Root of the Trees, and that they were to be hewn down, andcajl into Eternal Fire, in page i.o." Thefe are their Pofrtions, and my work is to* difprove them, and alfo to prove the Church-State to be the fame now under the Gofpel, as it was under the Law. i. And therefore I do in the firfc place pofi- tively declare that the State of the Church of Chriit, is the very fame now, as it was under the Law, and hath the fame Attributes, and made of the fame Ingredients, and hath the fame Titles > and Lives upon the very fame Food , and was a Baptized Church, andftood in the fame Relation to God and Chrift as the Gofpel-Church doth now. And if I can prove thefe five things clearly from Scripture, I hope no body will be fa Impious as to deny the Truth on't. i. I will begin with the Attributes of the Church of God under the Law, in Exod. 19. Now therefore if y&i will obey my vnce indeed , and J(eep my Coveiiant , then ye (hall be a peculiar Treafure unto me, above all People , for all the Earth is mine. And ye (Imll be unto me a Kingdom of F, zests, and an holy Nai'nn, thefe are the words which thou fhalt ipeak'unto the Children- of Ijrael, FfaL E;> 13$. ( 100 ) i 5$. 4* ^ the Lord bath chofcn Jacob untohimfelf, and Ifrael for his peculiar Treafure. Now 2. Compare thefe Attributes of the Church of God under the Law, with the Attributes of the Church of God under the Gofpel, i Pet. 2. 9, 10. But ye are a chofen generation, a royal Prie/lhood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye ftm'ld ftjow forth thepraifes of him, who hath called you out ofdar\nefs into his marvellous light ; which in time paft were hot a people, but are now the people of God , which had not obtained mercy , but now have obtained mercy. Tliefe were the Gentile Churches , Rev. 1 . 6. And hath made us Kings and Priefls unto God, and to his Fatfjer. Thus you fee the Attributes are the fame now under the Gofpel, as they were under the Law, 2. The Ingredients that the Church is made with now are the fame. 1. Under the Law, JLxod. 2$. 2,1. And thou ft) alt make aCandleJlicl^ofpure Gold, ofbeaten-wo>\ft)aU the Candlefiickjbe made, his /hafts and his branches, bis bowls, his knops, 'and his flowers, flmll be of the fame J that this is the Church and the Ordinances c4 God, will evidently appear by and by. 2. Under the Gofpel, Rev, 1. 12. And I tur- ned to fee the voice that [pake with me, and being tamed, J jaw Seven Golden Candle/licks : Thus you fee the Ingredients are the fame under the Gofpel, as the Church under the Law was made of. 3. The Titles of the Church are the fame. x . The Titles under the Law are the fame with thofe under the Gofpel. Zech. 4. And the Angel tl)at talked with me , came again, and wakened me, as a man that is wakened out of hisjleep, and /aid 'into me, what /eeft thou, and I [aid, I have looked, and betold a candleftick_all of Gold, with a bowl upon the. top of it, and his feven lamps tbewn, and f even pipes ( ioi; pipes to the [even lamps which were upon the top there- of ", and two Oliver-Trees by it, one upon the right fide of the bowl, and the other upon the left fide thereof: Some Expoiitors interpret thefe two Olive-Trees to be meant of Zerubbabel and Joflma, the one as he was a Magiftrate, and the other as aPrieft, which I conceive reprefented Chrift as King and Prieft in the Church*} and I will give you ray rea- fon for this my Conception, when I come to com- pare this with the Gofpel-Church : And I anfoered again, and [aid unto him, What be tbofe two Olive- branches, which through the two G-ylden Pipes, empty the Golden Gil out ofthemfelves. Thefe two Golden Pipes, I humbly conceive is meant of the two Ordinances, vi\. Of Circumci- fion and the Paffeover under the Law, which were Typical of the Two Sacraments under the Gofpel, the one of Baptifme, and the other of the Lords Supper: And the Seven Lamps I take to be the Church Officers, but principally Paftors and Teachers, as in Zed;. 3. Vponone ftone fliall be fe< ven eyes. This Stone or Rock is the Church, and the feven Eyes. are the fame with the feven Lamps * for the Minifters are in a fence the Peoples Eyes, and agree with the fame number of Stars in the Gofpel-Church, which are alfo for Light to the People 5 and the Branches are all the Members of the Church, who arc called Branches, in John 1 $. Lj 2. Rom. ii. 17. And they may be called Two upon this account, 1^ To represent, both the Adult and Infant Members thereof* , and he an- fwered me, and faid, Knoweji thou not what thefe be, and I [aid, no my Lord: Then [aid he, thefe ate the two anointed ones which ft and by the Lord of the whole Earth, E 3 2. Com*- ( ioi ) 2. Compare this with Rev. i r. 4. Thefe are the tivo live-Trees,' and the two C but he that believeth not, pjall be damned. [Every tree^] and [Jje-that believeth not : ] Are not Children as much inclu- ded in one, as in the other, and that by your own Argument too ? but you will by no means allow of the Latter, as in Page $. But this by the way, John the Baptift preached Repentance, and Hofincis of Lifc unto them, and witlial dchortcd E $ them ^hem from retting upon their external Priviledges, in faying,; V/e have. Abraham to our Father: And jfroin.this they conclude, that the Church-State was cut down. But alas! If this was to cut clown the Church, it was fo cut down many Hun- dreds of Years before, , by the Prophet Jeremiah, •and wa)S not, left for -John to do (then ; ) For they were not to live wicketjly before £ nor reft in their External Priviledges any more, than they .were' then, or now •, for God did not Ereft his Church to Indulge Wickednefs, which mutt be the confequence , ' if the Church was a carnal ..Church j for Carnality and Spirituality are oppo- site. Pray fee for the. confutation of this carnal Epithet this Man hath given the Church of God, J.er?2. 4. Trujl ye -not in king -words, faying, The temple of the Lord,, the ■temple- 'of the Lord, &c. Here the Prophet dehorts them from retting in external Priviledges, as much as ever John did, if not more*, for then he proceeds to rip up their carnal Wickednefs, and lays the Threatnings, and alfo the Executions done by God before them, inthe(e V.erfes following, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Behold,; ye trujl in lying words , that cannot profit. Will ye fleal, murder, and. commit adultery, and fweaY falfly, and burn incenfe unto Baal, and wall^ after other gods whom ye know not ; And come and fland before me in this houfe, which is called by my name, and fa), We ai'e delivered to do all. tfafe. abominations ? Is this houfe, which is called by my name, become a. den of robbers in your eyes J behold, even- 1 have feen it, faith the Lrrd. Here you fee the Church was called hy> God's Name, and our Author calls it a carnal Church *, now God is not a. carnal God x therefore the Church . C 107 ) Church is not a carnal Church ; for God is a Spi- rit, and they that worfhip him muft worfhip him in Spirit and in Truth : The Church in it fclf was Spiritual. But the Prophet in Verfe 12. directs them where to go, to fee what Execution God had^ done upon carnal Profeffors, and Church-members that were wicked. But go ye now unto my place which was in ShUoh> where I Jet my name at the firft, (that was, where there was a Church,) and fee what J did to it, for the wickednefi of my p eople IfraeU This was far more like the cutting down the Church State, than that of John the EapthTs preaching Repentance tp the Pha^ifees and Sad- ducees : For the Axe was not only laid to the Root of the Trees, but there were many Thoufands of them cut down, and yet the Axe never touch- ed the Church-State.' 3. If to preach Repentance, and to apply the Threatnings unto the Impenitent, be to deflroy the Church of Chrift, or to reft in External Pri- viledges, then is the Church in great danger, if not deftroyed, by many Sermons that are preach- - ed. Indeed, God hath removed his Church from one Nation, or People, to another under the Gofpel i but the Church abideth firm : The Gates of Hell (hall never prevail againft it. Our Savi- our told the Scribes, Pharifees, and Hypocrites, . That the Kingdome of Heaven, which was the Church, fhoulcl be taken from them, and given to a Nation, bringing forth the Fruits thereof ; Thefe were the Gentiles: If a King betrufts a Rich Jewel with one of his Subjects , and finds that he abufes his Favour, which caufeth him to take it from him, and put it^ into the Hands of another ; Doth he thereby i deftroy ( io8 ) .deftroy the Jewel ? Nofure ! So neither was the Church deftroyed, but tranfmitted from the Law to the Gofpel. Though none that are in the Co- venant of Grace can fin themfelves out of it again, yet People may fin fo as to provoke God to un- church them, as God did tnofe unbelieving. Jews^ namely, fome of the Natural Branches, and fe- veral Churches under the Gofpel Difpenfation. 4. But feeing they have taken up this Text of John the Baptift's, to deftroy the Church by, let us fee whether John will own it, or whether he can be any way chargeable with this which they have Fathered upon him ; for I dare not truft them in what they fay in this Controverfie, becaufe I find fome of them matter not what they fay themfelves, nor what they make others fay, that are not in being to fpeak for themfelves, and it may be we may find that this Author hath wron- ged John the Baptift alfo, and therefore let us. hear what the Scripture faith} and compare Scrip- ture with Scripture. Mtt.$. And now alfo the ax is laid unto the root ef the trees,~] Mind, It is faid Trees in the plural, •which could not be meant of the Church j for had it intended the Church under the Law, it mufl have been Tree in the fingular \ but this muft refpeft Rotten Members, or Branches, as they are called in John 1 5. 2. Rom. 11. Now could this be meant of that one Golden Candkftick ? No fure ! It is impoflible for the Reafons* afore- faid. But to proceed, 5. In the fifth place pray mind the 1 1., ailcLi 2. Verfesof Mat. 3. I indeed baptise you witkivater unto repentance ; but he that cometh after me> i* mightier than I, whofefioes lam not worthy to -bear : he fhall baptise you mth the holy Qhofty and mth Wkoft ( iop ) Vfhofe fan is in his hand, and he wilt throughly purge his floor , and gather his wheat into the- garner : but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Doth a Farmer deftroy his Barn, or fo much as hurt the Floor of &, when he takes a great , Heap of Corn and Chaff, that lieth together, one among another, on the Floor, and winnows the Corn, and fans away the Chaff ? Surely no : For this is that which John alludes unto, to declare that Chrift was coming to purge and refine the Church j but not to deftroy it j and to break off thofe fuperfluous, barren Eranches j but not to pluck it up by the Roots j John 1$. i. I am the true vine, and my Father is the hwbandman. Verfe 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he tal^eth away : and every branch that bear- eth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring- forth more fruit. 6. Here you fee John the Baptift came before Chrift with the Axe of God's Threatning, againft thofe unfruitful Branches , namely , particular Church-Members, in cafe they did not repent ; and our Saviour Chrift came after with his Fan in his Hand, and Executed the Threatning, by- blowing the chaffy Hypocrites away out of his Floor, the Church ; He did not blow the Church from them j but he fanned them out of the Church, but the Church remained ftill, fixed and firm. The Church-State is like God himfelf, un- changeable, Eph. 2. 19. Now therefore ye are no more Jir angers and forreiners, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houflmldof'God, Verfe 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apojlks and prophets, Jefm Chrijl himfelf being the chief corner-Jhne ; Verfe 21. In whom all the building fit h framed to- getJxr, growetb unto an Italy Umpk in the Lord j Ver£e C no) Verfe 22. Ik whom you alfo are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. "Here the Holy Ghoft hath joined the old Dif- penfation of the Ch'urchtmder the Law to the new Difpenfation of the Qjlurch under the Gofpel, I alfo joined the Jews ami Gentiles togeti (1.) You may obferve, They are all Fellow- citizens, which imports but one City *, for if they had been of two diftinft Cities, then they could not be Fellow-citizens. (2.) They are all of one and the fame -Family, vj%i The Houfhold of God. (3.) They are built upon the fume Foundation, and therefore the Prophets are mentioned as well as the Apoftles, which doth clearly Evince the Truth of it. ■ (4.) Chrift is the chief Corner-ftone in ail the Building. ($.) It is a moft compacl Building, fitly framed together. (6.) And Laftly, It is a Habitation for God. Now is the Law of Man fo fevere againft thofe .that deftroy a Man's Houfe ? What muft they be guilty of, that deftroy the Houfe of God ! As all they .do that Affert, That the Church under the Law was but a carnal, legal Church, and that it was deftroyed at the coming in of the Gofpel. Chrift did not deftroy the Church with his Fan, but purged it: He did not blow away one Grain of the Wheat, vi$ of the believing Hebrews, nor their children ; (N°5 ) but they all remained Church-Members, under the Gofpel : Forit.'were thefe the Apoftle writ the Epijlle of the Hebrews unto j and the Gentiles , which alfo believed , were united unto Chrift in Hhurch order, and they and their children were grafted into the. f Olive-tree with the believing Hebrews 11. 17. Thu.i |i ( HI") •' Thus I have clearly proved' that there is no /more in this Text in Mat. 3. to prove the De- ftru&ion of the Church State, at the coming in of the Gofpel, than there is in Rom. 11. 19, 20, 21, to prove that the Covenant, which God made v vvijb Abraham, was taken up by the Root : But it doth appear, That thofe that do After* this aforefaid'of John the Baptift do miferably abufe and (lander- him, in making him die Execu- tioner of this cruel piece of Barbarity , *vix* to cut down and deftroy God's Houfe and Habita- tion, Eph. 2. 22. and that he cutoff all the In^ font Seed of Believers. If John the Baptift was upon Earth, he would give the Anab'aptifts but little Thanks for their thus calumniating him ; for John [ never 1 fo much as lifted up his Axe againft the Chu re h State, but the Axe was brought to lop off the unfruitful dead Branches, vi^. Hy- pocrites 'and Formalifts \ and that was for the prefervation of the Church, and not for th^ De- struction of it -, for the Church is the fame Church ftill, only fhe hath changed her Attire 5 fhe hath put on her Eeautiful Gofpel Ornaments, and changed her Houfhold-ftuff, which was then grown out of fafhion ; but the Building you fee, was the fame, Epb. 2. 19, 2 nefles, that they are no* Church of God ; for if the Gofpel-church now is the fame, as that was under the Law, and if theirs be not built by Faith on that Foundation, then they are no Church : But they affirm, that the old Church- State vvas deftroyed ; Ergo, they are no Church 5 and by that Principle of denying Infant Church- Memberfhip, they can be but a Demy Church at beft •-, and what the difference is, between a De- my Church, and no Church, I will appeal to the Header for Judgment : For as good never a whit, as never the better j for in excluding their chil- dren, which are at Ieaft the one half of the Church, they exclude themfclves alfo •, for Chrift faith, Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me, for of fuch is the kingdom of God y M&\ 10. That this is fpoken of the Church is clear from tin's, becaufe it is the very fame.. Epi- thet ( "3 ) thet that is given to the Church in Chrift's Deed of conveyance to the Gentiles, Matth. 21. 43. Therefore fay I unto you, The kingdom of God fl>all be fallen from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof 3. As they deprive their children of their Right, fo they rob the Church of the half of her Treafure, and thereby rob God of his Honour j for the Members of a Church are the peculiar Treafure of the Church, Pfal. 135. 4. Therefore the very Opinion of Anabaptifai is a moft Sacri- legious Opinion. Thus I have given you one Broad-fide more, by which I have brought your whole Opinion by the Lee, and all the Carpenters and Calkers in the Nation cannot lave it from linking, and all your Florid, Specious, Syliogiftical Arguments are (lain 5 there is not one of them left alive to carry Tydings. And I have clearly proved, Eleft dying Infants have Habitual Faith, and that the Covenant God made with Abraham was never diflblved, nor ta- ken up by the Roots, and that Jerufalem, ( the Church,) which is the Mother of us all, hath ail her children about her, and that the Church of Chrift was never cut down, nor the Infant Scsd of Believers cut off from being Church-Members , but they all Hand fixed in the Covenant now as much as ever they did under the Law. And I obferve, they never affign what the Sin was which thofc young Babes committed, that provoked God to deal fo feverely with them, as to caft them out of Covenant. And I have clearly Vindicated my Book, and cleared it from that Foul Afperfim of being A Counterfeit , and alfo from fetting my felf in a Pofture of War againft God .• But I confefs t H4 ) confcfs you do make a God of your Opinion, and fo you may juftly -fay, that -I fet my felf in a Po fture of War againfl: that God •, And I have over- come him [too.] And according to my promife, I li2ve buriec your Dead Anfwer to my Eook: \ad my Advict unto you is, That you would hum"':Ie your felf be- fore the Lord, for all the Abomina tions that yot have fet forth to tlie World, in your two moil Emn&mt EockS, and make a publick Recantation of them all, and your Opinion to boot, and you will foon find the comfort and the benefit of it i for there is no Man fo perfect, but that he ii lyable to be Tempted and Tainted with Errours. and there is no Man too Great to ftoop to Truth. Some that were as long cf this Opinion as oui Author, and as good Men every whit, (no under- valuing to him,) did blefs God ^for this Book oi mine, which they have fo vilified. You ought not to defpife.the Meannefs of the Inftrument 5 that was none of your Pra&ice before you came fb well acquainted with the Two Universities, as to know what they are capable to Judge or De- termine, as in Page 5. Though the Means or Inftrument be never fo mean and defpicable, that God is pleafed to make ufe of, yet defpife not the T;?y of fmall Things. Now all that I will farther fky to you at this time ( though I could have faid more) fnall be this, Either comply with the Truths of God that is in this Book, or con- fute them if you can, by giving a clear Anfwer, either to all of it, or any part of it, and do not pretend to Anfwer it, as you did my laft, when there is not one Thing Anfwered of the whole Book, as I will appeal to any judicious Perfon, and difcharge your felf from all thofe Things which which I have charged jou with, for the Prefs .is open for ycu as well as for me. II. Here are fome Remarks upon-fome ft 'range , DoBrines I met with in a late Bookjj Written by Mr, Benjamin Keach, Intituled^ The Axe laid ro th^ Root, or one Blow more at the Foundation of Infants Baptifm and Church - Membership. c Firft, I will begin with Fage 17. where he confidently Alferts, That God made two Co- venants with Abraham, and chargeth them with ■blindnefs, that cannot fc£ them in thefe- Words, vi^. Tou mufi-mt reckon from Abraham ,? but from Chrijl : Hz muft be blind that- cant difcem fidm hence , that there were two Covenants made with Abraham. I Pray mind, This Man confequtntially doth xeckon Abraham of greater -Antiquity than Chrift, even as the 1 Jews did, who faid unto them, Verity, verily, I fay. unto you. Before Abraham was I arm, ■ 1 . FJere it is to be obferved, that lie hath po#- V averted, that God made two Covenants Abraham, and faith, They mu& be blind tlut Hfcern them. But to prevent their feeing the contrary ', in fage 1 5, where he quoted Gen. 17. 9, 10. he left out and gave the 7th. verfe the flip, where- in is contained the Tenour and the very Effential part of the Covenant, and goes on with his Theme to ( uO to prove his Two Covenants by, from the afcr faid Three Verfes, but tlie words of the Sevent verfe are thefe, And I will Eftablifl) my Covena, between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, in the generations, for an Everlajling Covenant, to be a Gc unto thee, and to thy feed after thee : And hear wh David witneffes, Ffalm 105. He hath remembre his Covenant for ever, the word which he commai ded^to a thufand generations, which Covenant he maa with Ajyraham, and his oath unto Ifaac ; and cot firmed the fame unto Jacob for a law , and urn Ifrael for an everlafling Covenant. Who are blir deft, He that can fee Two Covenants made b God with Abraham, or they which can fee bgl one*, and that ftill remains in full Force an you make him to be that at one time, which he is not at another : Pray what Conditions are young In- fants capableof performing perfonally now un- der the Gofpel, more than young Children were at Eight days old under the Law , that dyed in their Infancy * but notwithftanding Relatively they can in Chrift, who of God is made unto all the'Elcft Wifdom and Righteoufnefs, and- Sanfti- fication and Redemption } For as in Adam all the Elett died, fo in Chrift they (hall all be made alive : What though Children cannot perform thofe Conditions perfonally of themfelves , if Chrift doth it for them ; Is it not as well, nay, is it not infinitely better ? And if an Adult Perfon cannot be faved without performing thefe conditions per fonally by vertue of Maturity of years, then, it is not a Covenant of Grace, but of Works : Now fuppofe a Man oweth a Thoufand Pounds, and had not a penny to pay it with, yet if he hath a Rich Friend that will pay it for him, is not the Debt as well paid, and the Creditor as well fatisfied as if he had paid it himfelf, or laid in Prifon till he had. Chrift hath done ail for us and in us, as I have already fufficiently demonftrated , i Pet. 2. 24. Who his own [elf bare our fins in his o#n body on the Tree, thateve being dead to fin, flmld live i unto Riihteoufifs, by w$ofe Slripes ye were healed. I John (121) : John 3. $. And yc 1(tiowtbat he was manifested 9t alg away our 1 fins, and in him is no fin. Alls 5. ;i. Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to >e a Prince and a Saviour, to give Repentance to frael, and forgivenefs of fin : He was made a Man >f forrows, and brought into acquaintance with jrief by the product of Gods Eternal Love : For vho, was it for hirafelf, no : For in him wm .»<» in, but he bore our griefs, and carried our forrows ; >ut be was wounded for cur tranfgrejfims , he was wuifecL for our iniquities , the chattijement of our >eace was upon him, and with his ttripes we are Sealed, his Soul was made an offering for fin : Here ;he Conditions of the Covenant of Grace lay upon Shrift to performe, and he hath done it , for vhooi was all this done ,for Adult Ele&ed Perfons Mily, have Elecl Dying Infants no fhare in thefe rranfactions of Chrift, no *, According to this \uthours AlTertion they have not, becaufe they :annot performe thefe previous qualifications > :his is the Natural Tendency of his pofition : But [ can find no manner of Scripture that gives the eaft countenance to this (I had almoft faid) popiiTi 3oclriae : But I do pofitively declare, that Elect 3ying Infants are as capable every whit of recei- ving the benefits of the Conditions which Chrift limfelf performed, as any Adult Ferfon can be vhatfoever, feeing it is brought about , and ap- >lycd by the powerful Operation of the Holy hoft in them, both Old and Young, that belong the Election of Grace : But befides, fuch In- mts never did fin againft thofe Conditions ftually in their own Perfons, though Originally nd Relatively they have. Let us take a view of the Conditions that God oth require under the Gofpcl, taqualific Per- ms, both Young and Old, for Life and Salva- ¥ tion, C i" ) tion, and compare them with the Conditions that were under the Law, and let us fee if there be any difference. Rom. 10. 20. But Efaias is very bold, and faith, 1 was found of them that fought me not ; I was made manifejl unto them that as^ed not after me. Ifa. 6$. U Here you fee what the Conditions were under • the I aw, and are now the fame under the Gofpel, and the Apoftle hath brought them down to the Gofpel, and joined them together. Eph. 2. 12, 13. That at that time ye were with- cut Cbrift, being aliens from the common-wealth $f *£frael, and Jh angers from the covenants of promife, having no hope, and without God in the world : But now in Cbrift Jefm, ye who fometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Chrift. Ezek. 16. 6. And when I paffed by thee, and faw thee polluted in thine own blood, If aid unto thee when thou wajl in thy blood, Live, &c. And when I paffed by thee, and looked upon thee^ behold, thy time was the time of love. Now where are thefe previous Qualifications to be found, for the Performance of thefe Con- ditions ? It may be you will fay, That is the Con- ditions in Phil. 2. where it is faid, Wm\ out your twnfalvation with fear and trembling. Why, this is a Condition it is true, or a command to a Duty, but mind how thefe Conditions are to be perfor- med, or this Command obeyed, Verfe 13. For it is God which worl^eth in you, both to will and to do of his good pleafure. 'Here you fee it is God that him and be faved ; and this rauft be effected by the mighty powerful Influence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and anointing of us j fo that all the whole Building of the Salvation of all God's Eleft, both Young and Old, from the Foundation to the Top-ftone, is all of Free Grace. 4. In Page 25. faith our Author, * Perhaps * fome may Objecl, If Infants as fuch y were not; ■ included in the Covenant of Grace God made with 1 Abraham, how can dying Infants befaved * ' 1. I Anfwer, Muft Infants of Believers be * comprehended in that Covenant God made 4 with Abraham ? Or elfe, cannot any Dying Jn- * fants be faved ? How then were any faved before * Abrahams Days, or before that Covenant was * made with him. Pray mark, He hath Anfwered this Objection as if there had been no Covenant of Grace- before the time that God did declare, and make that Covenant with Abrahams as if there had- not been Grace fufficient in the Covenant which God .made with Adam after the Fall, to fave Elett d\- iag Infants before Abrahams time s for all the Elect, both young arid Old, from Adam to Abra- ham, and from Abraham to the End of the World, were, are, and irtall be faved in the Covenant of Grace,, by Faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift. Re- member what Chrift hircfelf faith, Before Abraham was lam. Tjie Covenant which God made with Adam after the Fall, and .Ratified it under a new Dif- penktion with Abraham, was one and the fame Covenant, which was the Fruit and Effects of the Covenant ot Redemption between God the I ! ier and Jefus Chrift, from all Eternity j which God was'pieafed then to declare, and make par- ticularly, to Abraham and his Family, and to all F 3 his (li6) his Seed and Off-fpring, both Jews and alfo the Gentiles, that were not of his Natural Seed, as he was a Type of Chrift, Gal. 3. 14, i<5, 17. Tfliat the bleffing of Abraham might ccme on the Gentiles through Jefus Chrift •, that we might receive of the fpirit through faith. Now to Abraham and his feed were the promifcs\ viade. He faith not •, And to feeds, as of many j 1 but as of one, And to thy feed, which U Chrift. This I humbly conceive, refpefts Chrift as Me- diator, who as Man proceeded from the Loyns of Abraham, according to the Flerti. Pray mind Matth. 1.1. The bool^ of the generation of Jefm Chrift, thefm of David, the Jon of Abraham. Gal. 5. 17. And this I fay, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Chrift, the law which was four hundred and thirty years, after, can- not difawdl, that it jlould make the promife of none effen. So that this Covenant was long before Abrahams Days *, it was made with [/ am, ~] who faid, Be- fore Abraham was I am. ileb. 7. 1, 2. But this Author is for Caving Eleft dying In- fants by lbme other Covenant, and rtot the Cove- nant of Grace, otherwife he would never have asked fuch a ftrange Queftion as that, vi^. How were dying Infants faved before Abraham^ Days, or before that Covenant was made with him ? But you fhall'hear him own, That Infants are faved in the Covenant of Grace made with Abra- ham, with a [ not as fuch ] at the end of it ; a Word ufed by that Party to cover their Infmua- tions with, until it is worn thread-bare -, it ferves inftead of a Mental Refervation to them. 2. Saith he, I never faid no Infants were inclu- ded in the Covenant of Grace God made with Abra- ham., but not asfuchj no doubt all Eletl Fefms, both Infants ( I2 7 ) Infants and Adult, were included in the Covenant of Grace. . Pray obferve here he doth own, that Children are Elefted, which is more than fome of his own Perfwafion will grant, that are not Free-wi Hers 5 and aifo hPbwns, that Elesfr Infants are in the Covenant of Grace, and yet not in it, and all in a Breath as it were. 5. In Page aforefaid faith he, God hath many ways to J'ave dying Infants, which we hmv not ; /;tf can apply the Benefits and Merits of Chrifts Blood to them in ways we are wholly ignorant of and ought not to trouble our [elves with it : Secret things belong, to God j- but revealed things to :#, and to our children. For the confirmation of this, he cites one Dr. Tayldr. Pray take notice, how this Man contradicts himfelf ; for in Page 21. he faith; They rmtft be- lieve and repent, and bring forth good Fruit -, and in Page 25. the Words juit before, he faith, AV dmbt all Eklt Verfons, both Infants and Adult, are included in the Covenant of Grace : And yet here he faithj in the fame Page, that God hath many ways to fave dying Infants, which we know not, but are wholly ignorant of it, and ought not to trouble our felves with it: Secret things belong to God j but revealed things belong to us, and our Children. Eut before I proceed, I muft take notice of thofe Words of Mfes, in Deut. 29. 29. with which he covers his many ways of faving dying Infants. Mfes in that Chapter had by the Com- mand of God fummoned all the People together, _ Man, Woman, and Child, to enter into a Cove- nant with the Lord -, and after they had fo done, he tells them in effeft, that if they did not keep their Covenant, which was the fame that God F 4 made ( 123) made with Abraham, Ij'aac, and Jacob, that then lie would bring upon them all the Curfes of the Covenant, Verje 21. which was a Secret that was wrapt up in the Covenant, which thofe that were wicked did not mind, and this Secret did belong to God onely to Execute •, but the ElAing of the Covenant did belong to thofe that did make Con- fcience of keeping the Covenant, and to their' Children j not of Merit, but by Grace. 1. Hence we may obferve, That Covenant-My- fteries are great Secrets, and belong to none but them which fear the Lord, and their Child- j ren, PjaX 25. 14. The fecret of the . Lord is with, them that fear him, and he will flew them his cq- | tenant, 2. None can know thofe fecret Covenant My- fterics, but them which fear the Lord, and their Children. 2. It is a great Mercy to be well acquainted with Covenant Myfleries •, and it is a very great Judgment not to be acquainted with them •, for it is a lure fign that they do not fear the Lord, be- caufe it is faid, The fecret of the Lord are with them that fear him y &c. 4. And Laftly, None can know them but thofe that God doth difcover them unto, by his Word and Spirit. Surely then it is to be feared, that thofe Men that Aftcrt, That; the Covenant which God made with Abraham is dilfolved, or that there were two Covenants made with him, and one of them is repealed, are but little acquainted with the Co- venant , if not Strangers unto it , otherwife they would not fpeak fo irreverently about it, as they do. But to proceed, Saith our Author, Time are many ways God hath for the j'av'wg of dying Infants, which ( ra 9 ) Which we are wholly ignorant of, and ought not t* trouble our Jelves with it : Secret things belong t* God, tkc. i. To this I Anfwer, That the Salvation of all the Eleft of God is Revealed ; and Chrift faith. There it noting covered that flail not be revealed, and. bid that Jh ait not be made kfnwn. 2. This is very ft range, that there fhould be fo many ways to fave dying Infants in, and as ftrange, that none of them ihould be made known, and almoft as ftrange, that A Guide of a Fldcl^ ihould be ignorant of them all, and declare it in Print to the World, and dehort others from diving into it, as being too fecret a thing for them to meddle with*, which is very like the Red-Letter Guides, which Teach, That Ignorance is the Mo- ther of Devotion : But if Fgnorance be the Mo- ther, the Devil is the Father of it. g. For my part, I never underftood there were fo many ways to fave Eleft dying Infants in ; there- fore before I can let it down, as an Article of my Faith, I muft be better fatisned, and not take up in bare Notions, efpeciaily when he declares his own Ignorance in this Matter. 4. I cannot find that the Holy Scriptures give any manner of countenance to this new-faihion Doftrine, but on the contrary ■, for our Saviour Chrift tells us but of Two Ways into Eternity, and I am fure he knows beft, and but one of them is the Way to Eternal Lite, Mattb, 7. 14. Becaufe Jlrali it the gate, and narrow ii the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. There is but one way to Eternal Life and Salvation, ( if • Chrifc's own Words may obtain credit,)- and that is a narrow way ; it is not faid, Narrow are the ways which lead unto life, which muft have bejn Aid, had there been more ways than one. F $ 5. .Chrift i ( *3° ) 5. Chrifk himfel f is this way, as the broad way to Hell is through Satan and Unbelief, fo the narrow wny to Heaven is through Faith in Chrift Jefus, John 14.4,5,(5. And whither \I go ye know, and the way ye l(now. Thomas faith unto him, Lord, we knor* not whit for thou goejl, and how can we know the way } Jefus faith unto him, lam the way, and the truth, gnd the life : no man comet b unto the Father but by me. 6. Therefore if there be more ways to Heaven than one, then there mult be more Chrifts than one •, but there is but one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chrift Jefus j neither is there Salvation in any other} for there is no other name given whereby we msy be faved, Eph. 4. One Lord, one faith, one baptijm, One God and Fa- ther of all, who ii above all, and through all, and in you all. There is no faving of any Perfons, Old or Young, without the Gr£ce of Faith, Ma)\ 16* 16. John 3. -2,6. Thus you fee there is but one way to Eternal Life, either for Old or Young, and that is through Faith in the Righteoufnefsand Merits of our Lord Jefus Chrift : Therefore Eleft dying Infants muft have the Grace of Faith to change their Natures,and be made Partakers of the Divine Nature, otherwife they cannot poftibly be faved, becaufe without Faith it is impoffible to plea-fe God. 7. Therefore in the feventh place I challenge him, or any Man elfe of that Opinion, to pro- duce any one way more for the laving Ele& dying Infants, than for the faving Adult Believers, in- stead of thefe many ways, and I will freely be- come their Profelyte 5 for there is no way for the faving any Perfons, but what is revealed in Scrip- ture. 2. This ( 1*1.) 8. Tlits is very furprixing, that fuch a Manas tli is, that is A Pajhr of a Flocl^, fhould be fuch a Stranger in our Ijrael to thefc things. 9. Tliefe many ways of faring dying Infants, diftinft from that of faring Adult Believers, doth eontradift Mr. H. C. who affirms there was but one way more, and if it had not been one too many, he had been right 5 for faith he, We can led you a better way of wafting away of Original Jin, namely, by the Imputation of ChrijVs RighteoujnejS to Infants dying in Infancy : There wanted but one Ingredient more, namely, the Grace of Faith. I muft confefs he bid very fair for it, but as good ■ nerer a whit, as nerer the better. 10. Do but obferve how thefe two Authors do differ, (1.) Mr. H. C. hath but one vray, but Mr. B. K. faith, There are many ways tofave dying In- fants, (2.) Mr. C. feems to be rery well acquainted with that one way, becaufe he faith, We can tell ye a better way, &c. But there was reafon enough for it, becaufe it is a way of their own making and devifing : But Mr. K. is ignorant of all his ways, and the reafon may be this, becaufe I find he did not make them himfelf, but it feems one Dr. Taylor made them to his hand, only he makes > them his own by quoting and approving of ■. them. 1 1. Thefe many, unknown ways for the faring of Elett Dying Infants is rery Appofite and A- greeable to the Two Corenants he affirms God made with Abraham, one with his Spiritual Seed, and the other with his Carnai , which is fome- thing of kin to Mr. H, Cs. Covenant of peculiari- ty made with Abraham, and his new-found-way <. of uving Dying Infimts without the Grace of t Faith, ( 132) Faith, It is all of a piece, and might all do very well, if it were not for one thing, and that is this, iiz* That it is oppofite to the Holy Scrip- tures. 12. I do readily own that there are two con- trary Seeds belonging to Abraham , and that thefe two Seeds of Abraham are in two centrary Covenants is unqueftionable , and fo are the Seed of all Believers, of which Abrahams Seed are compofed : The Elett Spiritual Seed, thofe are in the Covenant of Grace, but their Carnal corrupt Seed are all in the Covenant of Works , but that ever God made Two Covenants with Abraham, m(Gen. 17. 7.) diftinct one from ano- ther, one for his Spiritual Seed, and the other for his Carnal Seed, I utterly deny. 13. Jf God made two diftinct Covenants with Abraham and his Seed, Then, (u) There muft be that in the one that is pe- culiar to his Spiritual Seed. . (2.) There muft be that in the other that is peculiar to his Carnal Seed *, but we find no fuch Distinction in the Covenant, but it is altogether unfcriptural : For, i. Both the Seeds of Abraham had a right to all the External Benefits and Priviledgcs of the Everlafting Covenant which God made with Abraham , very few excepted. 2. As we do not know certainly who are Be- lievers , and who are Unbelievers now under the profeOion of the Gofpel, becaufe fad Experience tells us, That there are many Hypocrites that do partake of all the External Priviledges of the Gofpel, and fo there were under the Mofaicl^ Di- ipenfation y but I can find no Scripture that ««es any Manner of Teftimony to the making Two- Covenants with Abraham : Pray look over thefe Scriptures, and fee if you. can find any fuch thinor (133) thing there, Gen. 17. 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, io, 11, 13, 19, 21. Dent. 29. 9, 10, 11, 13, 14. jPyij/m 10$. 8, 9, io« G<& 3. 1 6, 17. 14. Abrahams Natural Seed were all and to be all in the Covenant of Works, (to be) that is with a refpeft to thofe that are not yet born, viq That Covenant which God made with Adam y arid with Reverence be it fpoken : What need had God to make another Covenant of Works with Abraham when that was in Being ? And God had no new Terms to add to that Covenant ; it is meer non-fence to imagine any fuch thing. 1 £. That there were two Covenants from Adam, to the coming of Chrift, and from thence, to the Conversion of t\\t jews, at Chrift's Second Com- ing, andtotheend of the World I do own, and they are the fame from the making them, as with Adam, only that of Works was then broken , though, they have parted through various Difpen- fations and Declarations, buttheftate of both is the fame ; He that believeth fljaltbe faved , but he that believeth not, flmll be damned : So it was from Adam to this day, and ever will be to the end of the World. 16. All the Race cf Mankind (our Saviour Chrift only excepted) were , are , and lhall be conceived in Adams firft Covenant, even the very Eleft themfelves, but Chrift by his Spirit of Grace takes hold of all the Spiritual Seed of Abraham with his merciful hand of Love and Companion, and plucks them up by the Roots out of that Co- venant , and tranfplants them into the Ever- lafting Covenant of Grace -, for they were given hy God the Father fromall Eternity unto Chrift as his Seed , Pfalm 89. 29. His Seed alfo will I mal>e to endure for ever, and his Throne as the days of heaven. John 17. 6. I have manifejied thy Name anto-the men which thougavejl me out of the world: Thine ( '54 ) Urine they were, and thou gaveft them me y and -the) have l^ept thy word : They vvcie God the Fathers by Election, and he gave'them to Chrift to be his. Ly Redemption. So that all the Eleft of God under the Law were in the Covenant of Grace , which God de- clared unto Abraham, and were all faved in that Covenant, and none elfe mail be faved, but them which are in that Covenant now under the Gof- pel, either Old or Young •, that is , that are in the Inner Court of that Covenant. 17. I do declare, lam in a ftraight, between two great Wonders, and I cannot tell which to wonder at moil. i. Whether at theboldnefs and confidence of thefeTwo Authoursin imposing fuch Fallacious corrupt Doctrines upon the People : Or, 2. At the Peoples Ignorance, to futfer them- felves to be fo horribly Deluded and Impofed up- on j. It is a great fign that they are very fond of their own Opinion, that they thus facrifice their Reaibn, and alfo the Truths of God to it. 1 3. This Authour never repeated the words of the Covenant, though he hath mentioned the Chapter feveral times , and the Verfe once, in which the Covenant is ; nay, he hath written the firft part of the Verfe, until he came to the words, Everlafling Covenant, and there he ftopt, his Pen would go no farther, as you may f.ein page 19, I will lay down the words at length exactly as they are in his Book. ' Gen. 17. 7. And I mil efiablif}) my Covenant * between me and thee, and thy feed after thee in ' their generations^ &c. And I will give unto thee, ' and unto thy feed after thee, the Land wherein * thou an a Jhanger, all tf?e Land of Canaan, cVc. * Andyeflmll QtrcHmctfe tfo jlejh of your foreign, i mi ( 135 ) *■■ and h jhatt be -a tolgn of the Covenant betmxx me * andyou y verfe n. Here to make amends for what he left out of the fth. verfe, which are the very quintelfcnce of the Covenant; namely, in thefe words, For an everlafling Covenant to be a God unto thee and thy feed after thee : He hath brought on part of the words of the Bth. verfe, but his Pen would go no farther there neither, but when he come jurt to Everlajling pojftflion , there he makes a halt ^ But this I note alfo, the 8tb. verfe is not fet down, and then to nnifti it, he betakes himfelf to the nth. verfe. So that this looks as if it were a defigned con* trivance, especially if we confider that he hath not mentioned the Everlafting Covenant in all his Book, though he hath quoted, Gen. 1 7. feve- ral times, and why he fhould leave out the main thing in controveriie, I -will leave the Reader to Judge. And then to charge People with blindnefs that could not fee two Covenants, is a piece of great preemption ; This is the fame road by which Popery came into the World, and is now main- tained and upheld : O Sirs, have a care that you do not Imbibe fuch uncouth Notions, and ftrange Doftynes as thefe are : But to the Law, and to the Tcftimony, if they fpeak not accor- ding to this word, it is becaufe there is no Light in them, Ifa. 8. 20. And fee what the Apoftle f ,ith in Gal. i. 7. But though we, or an Angel from hea- ven > preach any other G of pel unto you > then that whhic we have preached unto you> let him be acemfed. 19. All thefe Ceremonies and Sacrifices under the Mofaick Difpenfation , were but Types and Shadows of good things to come, but the Gofpel was wrapped up in them, and Chrm was enjoy- ed ; ( is* ; ed under them ; The Law was but the Cabinet but the Gofpel was the Jewel : Therefore theft Transient things could be no Effential part ofth< Covenant, becaufe that is an Everlafting Cove- nant, ordered in all things , and fure. 20. Though the Form of Circumciwon was Tranfient, and ceafed being Abolifhed with the reft of the Ceremonies , yet the ElFential part thereof remaineth in the Fleih j for nothing could be more a Type of Baptifme than Circutncifion , becaufe ail the Subjects of that Ordinance were paffive, as all the Subjects of Baptifme are, and for confirmation of this, do but obilrve what the Lord hath faid in Gen. 17. 13. He that is born in thy houfe, and he that is bought with thy money, mutt needs be circumcifed , and my Covenant jhall be in your flejh far an Everlafting Covenant. 21. Again the Eifential part of Circamcifion is to laft, as long as the Covenant it felf lafteth 5 becaufe it is the Token, or one of the Seals there- of, which muft continue until ail Humane Flefh be Diifolved •, otherwiie how can it be God's Co- venant in the Flefh of the Seed of Abraham, for an Everlafting Covenant, without any Limitation or Period of time. 2 2. How could this Token of the Covenant be Everlafting if the Elfence thereof jras diifolved upon the coming in of the Gofpel} -this cannot be, for it is a contradict ion in it felf, fjv Ever- lafting and |Diifolution, are oppofites, therefore I would fain know of our Opponents, what came in the room of Circumcifion that fupplies the ! form thereof, if the Ordinance of Baptifm doth not ; for there muft be no Vacancy in the Eifenfial part oftheConftitution of a Church, but of ne- ceffity there muft be fomething of lupplcmcnt thereof, ancftio Ordinance under the Gofpel hath to m. (137) 6 do with the External Flefliy part of Man, but Saptifme , as no Ordinance under the Law tad but Circumcifion. And for Illuftrations fake, will for once compare it- to a ftanding Office at x)urt, whereas no fooner one Officer is removed >y Death, or fome other way, but another fteps 11, and fupplies his place y therefore forae will ell you, that Kings never dye : So it was with Circumcifion ; for no fooner was that removed by he Death of the Ceremonial Law, but in fteps laptifm, and fupplyes its place ; for otherwife it /as impoflible that Circumcifion fhould be for n Everlafting Covenant in the Fleih of all the 'eed of Abraham, both under the Law and Gof- >el, whofe Bleffing is come upon the Gentiles. Gen. 1 8. 18. Seeing that Abraham flail farely he- me a great and mighty n.ition, and all tfx nations f the earth frail be bleffed hi him * 23. But it may be Objected, That Baptifm can- ot be a true Antitype of Circumcifion, becaufc ione but the Male Children were circumcifed ? i . To this I Anfwer, The Female were indu- ed 5 forafmuch as Man is the Head and Reprc- mtative of the Woman, and Woman is a part f Man, being taken out from Man, and is bone f his bone, and flefli of his tiefli, Gen. 2. 23. Gen. r. 2d, 27. And God faid, Let wma\e man tour image, after our li^enefi : and let them have 'ominhn over theffl) of the fea, &c. Mark ye, Here is the Woman wrapped up in he Man, in this Phrafe, [_Let m make man, and it them have dominion. ] So God treated man in hit own image, in the image f God created he him : male and female created he Item. Here the Woman is included again, in thefe /Vords, So God created man, &c. created he him, &c. male (138) male and female created he them. Here is htm\ male and female : So that this cavilling-Obje&ion is Anfwercd ; for you fee the Woman was of the Man, and not tlie Man of the Woman, in the rtrft Formation, Gen. 27. 21,22. 2. The Female Seed of Abraham are in the Cove- nant, as well as the Male, otherwife you muit deny them to be any part of his Seed * but that Women were in Covenant, both -under the Law and Gof- pel, is clear \ for there were Holy Women under the Law, and we read of Abrahams Daughters under the Gofpel, 1 Pet. 3. 5, 6, 3. And lafiiy, I will quote my old Authour H. C. in page $. of his former Book, where if we may take the words fairly as they are laid down, do clearly and evidently fet forth Circumcifion, to be a True Type ofBaptifme, and came in the room thereof , and is of the fame ufe to the Church, and makes the 1 fame Figure in the Gof- pel-Church Difpenfation, as it did in the Church- Difpenfation under the Law : The words are as iblloweth : * Know therefore ye Servants of the Lord, as '•Circumcifion was the Door into the Jemfk i Church, which was National, fo Baptifme is the f Door into the Gofpel-Church , vyhich is Con- c gregational. In my late Book, called, An Antidote to prevent the Prevalency of Anabaptifme, &c. In page 1 3, I made thefe Observations upon thefe words afore- laid as followeth, ' Here is Door for Door^ or indeed but one and * the frme Door, onely it is hung upon new, and * alfo better hinges •, but the Door is the fame c ftill : Now for my part, I muft needs own my c felf to be of the fame Opinion with this Au- c thor in this point, And who could ever imagin that ( 139 ) « that this Perfon fhould deny, that Baptifm cinie * in the room ofCircuoicifion, feeing he hath bid < fo iairly for it •, for he hath tacitly arTerted, ■ that the Ordinance of Baptifme is of the fame * ufe, and fupplics the very fame place, and ina- ' keth the very fame Figure in the Church now , * even as Circumcifion did in the Church of God 6 under the Ceremonial Law, namely the Door ■ of Entrance j But however, though he hath ft thus fairly declared, yet he muft not abide by * it, nor allow that Baptifme came in the room ' of Circumcifion, becaufc if he had , he mull ' allow of Infants Baptifme, but he hath chofen * rather to contradict himfelf by his following i Difcourfe, in the aforefaid Book, than to allow * of that. Now pray Reader mind what he faith of me about thefe Obfervations, in page 9, in his pre- tended Anfwer unto my Book aforefaid. 2. • Another ft range Poiition is, becaufelfay, c That as Circumcihon was the Door into the 4 Jewipj Church, which was National, fo Baptifm * is the Door into the Gofpel-Church, which is * Congregational : Now this being true, in his ' own Opinion, why fhould it be a ftrange po- * fitidn. To this I Anfwer, 1. Negatively, I will not fay there is JefuitJ I Powder in this canning Reflection : 2. Eut I will fay poiitively, that there is fome of their policy in it •, Pray obferve , he doth not fay powtively, neither at the beginning , nor in the Conclufron , where he mentions the word ftrange pofition, that I did fay fo , but he hath done it by a fly Fallacious Insinuation > for I challenge him to prove that ever I called that a ftrange pojition in all my Book aforefaid j and if he ( HO ) he can, I will acknowledge it to be a fault pub' lickly j for it is the only Fofition I liked in both his Books : For it is my own Judgment and Opi* nion, That it is fo •, and for that Reafon it was very unlikely that I Ihould count it to be a ftran&e Position, therefore I am calumniated by him. 24. Now in the Iafi: place I have with all per- fpicuity and plainnefs given you my Thoughts concerning the Covenant which God made with Abra/jam, Ifaac, and Jacob, and^their Seed after them in their Generations, which Covenant de- volved upon us Gentiles, and ail our Children, A&s 3. 25. Te are the children of the Prophets, and of the Covenant which God triads with our Fathers , faying unto Abraham, And in thy feed fl>a!l all the kindreds of the Earth be blejjed : And this Bleffing came upon the Gentiles in the Apcfrles time •, and though the Difpenfation was changed , yet the Covenant itfelf was never altered, nor taken up by the Root 5 for all Believing Gentiles , and all their Seed are a? much included in it as ever the Jews and their Children were, as I have clearly proved : For Chrift was and is the Head, and Reprefentative of all the Elcc> Covenant Seed, both under the Law, and under the Gofpcl -, for all were, and all are, and all fliall be, Members of Chrifts Myftical Body, The Church : Therefore not one Grain of that Seed ihall ever fall to the* Ground and be loft : Thus you fee the Covenant which God made with Abraham and all his Seed, both Spiritual and Carnal, (lands Faft and Firm to Gofpel-Believers, and all their Seed, both Spi- ritual and Carnal ; notwithftanding /ftrcK/ey hath been Mawling of it with his Club , and 8:n)amin hewing at it with his Broad Axe , they cannot deftroy it, becaufe it is an EverUftin? Covenant •, neither 1 H ' I u neither can they come at it, fo much as to touch it, ForChrift faith, The Gates of Hell fhall not prevail againft his Church •, and (that) ftands in the Covenant, and the Covenant in that; neither can they cut off any of the Branches of it j for that is Chrift's Prerogative, if they prove to be Dead Branches, as all the Carnal Seed are, John 1$. 1, 2. This Broad-fide hath funk and deftroyec^ all their Invincible Arm a do , conhfting of Florid Syllogiftical Arguments, Specious Allegations, fallacious Notions, and crafty Pofitions, and cor- rupt, gilded, falfe Do&rines, together with all their foul Practices *, and they are fallen into the Pit they digged for us and our Children, them- lclves 5 for inftead of unchurching the Infant Seed of Believers, by which they muft have un- churched their Parents alfo, they have very fair- ly and clearly' unchurched themfelvcs, and that by their own Arguments made ufe of to maintain their Opinion by j therefore the one may hang up his Club) and the other may lay afide his Axe, and both betake themfelves to fome other kind of Tools and Inftruments , that they know better how to make ufe of*, for thefe you fee will not do. Now upon the whole Matter, let any fpiritually" wife Man judge, whether this Opinion of theirs be fuch an indifferent harmlefs Opinion, that muft have fo many Fulfome Errours to fupport it , for I can appeal to God, Angels, and Men, Aye, and to their own Eooks too , that I have not wronged them in the lead in any point, unlefs it hath been in this, vi\. to confute their Intollerable Errours by Scripture Truths*, but if that be to wrong them, I **ill wrong them again, unlefs they come off from thtir Erroneous Principles, and c 142 ) and no longer thus deceive and delade the Peo- ple, by leading them in Ignorance concerning Covenant Myfteries, Pj'al. 2$, 14. And this I can alfo truly fay, that what I have written, I have not done it out of any bafe finifter End, or for Applaufe, but in fmcerity and uprightnefs of Heart, primarily and purely to vindicate the Ho- nour and Glory of God's Free Grace, which this Opinion of theirs doth Impede and Eclipfe, and fubordinatcly for the good of poor mifguided Souls. But however if they do think, I have done either their Perfons, or their Opinion any wrong, the Prefl ftands open, and I am ready to fatisfie them , and fo let them vindicate themfelves if they can, and clear themfelves of what I have charged them with •, but if not, my Advice unto them is, that they would come off from that Opinion. It will be no difhonour unto them 5 for it is but to Face to the Right as you were, many of you that are Leaders : And although I dare not fay but there are many Gracious Souls amongft you, yet this I will fay, they are better than their Opinion, and they will be faved, yet fi, as by fire, 1 Cor. 3. 12, 15. nr. And Laftly, I am now come to Treat with my Beloved Conference™ , which Conference we had together iu London, on June 2. 1695. t0 whom I muft give all due perfonal Refpe&s, if it were but for their venerable Carriage and Deportment towards me in the management of the aforefaid Conference, and againft whom it cannoi be ima- gined that I could have the lead perfonal pre- )udice, by thofe my faid Friends themfelves there- in X 143 ; 'n concerned, efpecially one of them who is my Intimate J>ofome Friend, and therefore I will deal faithfully and plainly with them, and I fhall not fpare them, and that becaufe I love them ; for he that is a Man's true Friend will not fuffer him to go on hood-winkt towards a Precipice, and not flop him if he can, to prevent his di- ftru&ion j a skilful Chyrurgion will cut off a x - Gangreen'd Limb to five the Patient's Life j an Errour in Judgment is a Spiritual Gangreen in a Mans Soul, and if it be not cured, it may deltroy him, Body and Soul : Therefore, under thefe Considerations aforefaid, they cannot take it a- mil's if I touch them to the Quick ; for my part, •I was never good at flattering nor dilfembling in my Life, and I am now grown too old to learn. Secondly, Here will alfo fall in an Anfwer to a Letter I received, fince I have been writing this Book, from one Mr. James Jordan of Rochejler, an Anabaptiji : But what Figure he maketh a- -mong that People I know not, but I perceive by his writing, that he is an honeft well-meaning Man^ but he is one that hath more Zeal for lus •Opinion than Knowledge of the Deep Myftcries of the Covenant of Grace, as will appear when 1 come 4o the Touch-ftone with him to try his Matter. 'But to proceed, I fhall begin with my London Friends, and lay down the Heads of their Por- tions, and Refle& upon them in Order , a> fol- Jowetli: i. They AfTerted, That the Covenant God made with Abraham, and his Seed, in Gen. 17. 7. •was but a temporal conditional Covenant. 2. That ah Young Infahts, of all Nations and People, dying in their Infancy, are faved. 3. Tbat C H4 ) 3. That all dying Infants are faved, but none of them Elected. 4. That all dying Infants are faved, but not Regenerated and born again. $. That all dying Infants are faved without the Grace of Faith. 6. That all dying Infants are faved, but not fanclined. 7. That all dying Infants are faved without being in a State of Grace. 8. That all dying Infants are faved without being in the Covenant of Grace. 9. And Laftly, Notwithftanding all thefe cor- rupt Armiman Tenets and Doctrines, they pre- tended to hold, that the Grace of God is Free, which contradicted all they faid. 1. They Atferted, That the Covenant which God made with Abraham, and his Seed, in Gen. 17. 7. was but a temporal conditional Cove- nant : "file plain Englifh of which is , that it was but a Covenant of Works ; neither better nor worfe. 2. And that it confided onely of External Eleffings and Priviledges, namely, Ceremonies, Sacrifices, and the land of Canaan, &c. 3. And Laftly, That this Covenant continued no longer then the Ceremonial Law conynued, and then it was abolifhed, and the new Covenant in Neb. -8. took place , this, faid they, was the Extent of that Covenant which God made with Abraham, and all his Seed, neither was there any Benefit or Bleffing Entailed upon Gofpel believ- ing Gentiles, nor their Poflerity, in all that Co- venant. To which I Anfwer, Firft, I do readily grant, that Circumcision, the Pailbver, and the Land of Canaan, &c. were contained ( '45 ) contained in the Everlafting Covenant which God made with Abraham, and there were Conditions alfo, but I have already faid, that there is an In- fide and an Out-fide to the Covenant, an Jnner- court and an Outward-court -, for all are not Ifrael that are of Ifrael, neither is that ^Circum- cifion that is not of the Heart, whofe Praife is not of God, but of Men : And as for the Condi- tions of the Co¥enant, Chrift performed that up- on the Crofs for all thofe in the In-fide, or Inner* court of the Covenant, Col. i. 20, 21. But they which are on the Out-fide, or in the Outer-court thereof,, Chrift leaves them to perform the Con- ditions thereof themfelves. But I have fufficiently anfweredand confuted all tliefe Solutions of theirs already, concerning the Covenant which God made with ^Abraham, therefore I (hall proceed to treat about that which is called the new covenant in Heb. 8. which they affirmed took place at the Abolition of the old one, when the Gofpel came in. 1. In the firft place I do readily grant, that the Covenant did come under a new Difpenfation, , and that tlie old way of Difpenfation was abolish- ed at the coming in of the Gofpel , but that the Covenant and the Promiie thereof flood fixed and firm, I have clearly proved : Pray Jook into Rom. 11. and Alls 2. 2,8, 39. and EphV%. 6. Alls io. 4$. Col. 1. 25, 26, 27. And how could the Blefling of Abraham come upon the Gentiles if Abrahams Covenant was abolifned? Gal. 3. 28, 29. Gta/|4. 28. 2. Let us lay down the Words of the Covenant* which are as folbweth, Heb. 8. For finding fault with them, he faith. Behold, the days come f fahh the Lord J when I will make a new covenant with the fwfe of Ip&l and with the houfe of Judak. G Fw (. I 4 6 ) -For this, k the covenant that I will maf>e with the houfe of Ifrael after thofe days, (aitb the Lord 5 I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts : and I will be to them a God, and they fiatt be to me a people. For I will be merciful to their unrighteoufnefi, and their fins and their iniquities I will remember no more. Now for Explication. 1. I do believe that this new covyiant, or rather a new Difpenfation thereof, might have a refpefr .to two forts of Ferfons, namely, Jews and Gen- tiles, and at two certain Periods: (1.) It might have a refpeft to the Gentiles, at their Call and Converfion to Chrift, at the coming in of the Gcfpel, into which Covenant they were then ta- ken, Rom. 11. 17. the Blefling of Abraham be- ing then come upon the Gentiles ; for the Gentiles were taken into the very fame Covenant, and do partake of the fame Priviledges with the Jews that flood, and their Seed, which was Abraham's Covenant. And iffome of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive-tree wert grafted in amongfl them, and with them partakeft of the root and fat- nefi of the olive-tree. Now this muft needs be a new Covenant to the -Gentiles, becaufe they were never in it before. 2. But Secondly, and more efpecially, I do be- lieve it concerns the Hebrews, whofe Fore-fathers had finned themfelves out of the Covenant, which were the Natural Branches of that Blelfed Olive- tree, Rom. 11. 20, 21, 22. *&nd they are to be taken into this new Difpenfation of the Covenant again, at the end of the Days of their Captivity, when the Lord lliall opdh their Eyes, and foften their Hearts, and cleanfe them from all their fll- thynefs, Rom. II. 24, 25, 2$. %. This ' ( '47 ) 3« This Covenant will be new to them in fevc- ral refpecte : (i.) It will be a new Covenant unto them, becaufe they never were in it before : (2.) It will be a new Covenant to the Jews with a refpeft to the Frame of it •■, for it will be fuch a Frame, as they ftoall never iin, fo as to provoke God to caft them out of it again, as he did their Fore-fathers : (3.) It will be new in this refpeft alfo, That the People (hall be mort holy under that Difpenfation of the Covenant then ever their Fore- fathers were, Zech. 14. 20,21. 4. It will be a new Covenant in this refpeel, that the Special Prefence of the Mediatour of the Covenant, our Lord Jefus Chrift, will be fo en- joyed, in fuch a Glorious manner, as he never was enjoyed before. 5. And Laftly, This Difpenfation of the Cove- nant will be new to the Jews with a refpeel: unto that Exuberant Light, that fhall then flow forth, and accompany it, Jfa. 6®. 1, 3. Arife, flnne, for thy light k come, and the glory of the Lord U rifen upon thee, 4 And the Gentiles fiaiJ come to thy light 9 and Kings to the brightnefl ef thy rifing. Ifa. 30. Moreover, the light of the moon fiaU be as the light of thejun, and the light of the fun fialt be Jcvenjold, as the light of [even days, in the day that the Lord btndtfh up the breach of his people, and healeth thejiro^e of their wound. This great; conflux of Light is to commence* and take place when Qod. converts the Jews to the Chnftian Faith, and refrores their own Land to tliem, and tonus them into Government both of Church and now me, from the ka.fi of them to the greatcft of them : God begins mil with the leafr. Here is- a fufficient Proof, had we no other, that the Chil- dren of believing Parents arc in the Covenant' with their Parents under this new Difpenfation thereof. 3. All you that After*, Children are not cayabh of knowing- the Lord, nor of being taught by . him, nor that they are in Covenant, nor of re- ceiving the Grace of Faith, by which God is to be feen, who is Invifible to an Eve of Sence. O ! that you. would often think upon thefc Con- ditions of the new Difpenfations of the Covenant*, which Conditions a Young Child. is as capable of performing, as any Adult Period is whatfoever ; For it is the Lord's [ 1 mil, "] and [they flail-, ] for they flail all know me, faith the Lord, from the leajl of them to the greateft of them 5 that is, from the youngeft, or lead Child amc-ngft them, to the oldeft Man or Woman : For this is life eternal to know thee the true God, and Jefut thrift whom thou haft fanttified andfent. 4. My Beloved, Now I hope you fee Gxl hath prevented you of cutting off the Intail of the Infant Seed of Believers, and from depriving them of their Covenant Intereft. 5. Suppofe (for Arguments fake) that, foe once, I fhould grant you, that the Covenant which God made with Abraham and his Seed, had been fuch a Covenant as you would fain have it to be, and that it was aboliihed at the coming in of the Gofpel, as you Atflrt it was, and that this new Covenant in Jer. 31. and Heh. 8. came in the room thereof, and did then take place, yet you G 5 fee. ( I jo ) fee this would not do -, for this new Covenant is every whit as merciful to Little Children of be- lieving Parents, as ever that you count the Old one was -, for Young Infants are in it, as well as Adult Perfons, both of Jews and Gentiles : Here is New Jerufalem come down from Heaven, who is the Mother of us all, with all her Children round about her, in this Covenant, and not one lacking, Old or Young. So that take it in which fenfe you pleafe, and neither of them\vill Anfwer your End 5 but they are both againft you, fuppoiing them to be two, but the Covenant is one and the fame, though under another Difpenfation ; for all the Children of godly Parents are included in both thefe Difpen- fations of the Covenant, as I have proved it to fe-e, -sird not two diftincr. Covenants, as you vainly conceit them to be. Where are ye now Sirs ! and what Refuge will you fly to next ? For this, is de- ft roved y and \ am refolved to follow you: for you lee y0u are befet j take which Covenant you pleafe, according to your own Notion, and you will find Children in them both. 6. It is very obfervable in this, that God hath that Tender Care, Honour, and Refpeft, for the Young Babes of his People, as that they are pla- ced firft in 0r 12,13,14,1*. G 4 let ( 152 ) . let us for the Proof of this confider feveral Texts of Scripture. i. In Jer. 31. out of which the New Cove- nant is quoted, Verfes 1, 8, 9, 10, 11. At the fame time , faith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Ifrael, and tbeyfljallbe my people. Behold, I mil bring them from the north-countrey, And gather them from the coajls of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child together, a great company fl) all return thither. Toey fliall come with weeping, and with fupplica- tions will I lead them : I will caufe them to wall^ by the rivers of waters, in a ftraight way wherein they fl) all not Jhmble : for I am a father to Ifwiel, and Ephraim is my jirjl-bim. Hear the word of the Lord, ye nations, and de- clare it in the ifles afar off, and fay, He that fcatter- ed Ifrael will gather him, and keep him, as a fhep- herd doth his foe kj For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ranfomed him from the hand of him that wasfhonger than he. We the Inhabitants of thefe Ifles are comrnan- $. ded to declare this Great Truth, namely, of the Jews Converiion ; and I do believe it is better known, and more declared, in thefe Ifles, and their Appendix, than in all the World be fides, Pfal. 6$. 5, 8. 2. A Second Scripture is in Ifa. 43. 5, 6. Fear not, for I am with thee : I will bring thy feed from the eajl, and gather thee from the weft. I will fay to the north, Give up *, and to thefiutb, Keep mt bacl^ : bring my fons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. 3. A Third Scripture is in E^ek. 24. Therefore will! five my flock, and they fl) all; 110 more be a prey ; and I will judge between cattel and cattel. And ( '53 ) A/id I will fet up one fliepherd over them, and -he fli all feed them, even myfervant David, he Jh all feed them, and hejhall be their fliepherd : And the Lord- will be their God, and my fervant David a prince among them 5 / the Lord have jpoleen - s it. This cannot be meant of Bavid literally and properly , but myftically it is Chrifc. And I will ma{e with them a covenant of peace., and I will caufe the evil beafts to ceafe out of the land, and they Jhall dwell J'afely, tkc. Thw jhall they tyww, that I the Lord their G^d am with them, and that they, even the houfe of Ifraei, are my people, faith the Lord. 4. A Fourth Scripture is in Jer. 23. 3, 5, 6. And I will gather the remnant of my flocl^, out of all countries whither I have driven them , and I will bring them again to their folds, and they Jf jail be fruit- ful and increafe. Behold, the days come, faith the Lord-, that I will raife unto David a righteom branch, and a Itingfiall reign and proffer, and ^ all execute judgment arid ;«- Jfice in the earth. In his days Judah pall be faved, and Tfrael fjjall dwell J'afely : and this is his name whereby he Jhall be called, THE LORD OVK RIGHTEOVSNESS. This is a Title peculiar to our Lord Jefus ChrifL 5. And Laftly, To name no more, E^efe %6. For I will take you from among the heathen, and ga- ther you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I fprinleje clean water up^n- you, and )e fl>all be clean : from all your flfhineji, and from all your idols Will I clcanfe you. A new heart alfo will I give you, and a new fpirit 'twill I put within you, and I will tal?e dway the ftony . heart out of ym Jh\l\ and I will give you, an heart °j~m G 5 Aid ( «54 ) . And 1 ifint put my fpirit within you, and caufe >:u to really in my jiatutcs, and ye ftatf J^eep my Judgments, and do them. And ye flail dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and ye flail be my people, and 1 will be your God. ■ / Thus you fee clearly that the New Difpenfation •f the Covenant will take place in fpecial man- ner at the Coming of Chrift, and the Convention of the Jews ; which I do both hope and believe fs very near ; and it is my Opinion, that God hath taken Peace from the Earth, Rev. -6. 4. and ■will never reftore it again until the Reftitution of all Things, Alls 3. 20, 21. And then it will be a moft Glorious Time, fuch as never yet was m the World fmce the Creation thereof. It is a very great Error for People to Affcrt, That the World will be at an end when the Jews are con- verted : Pray read Zechi 8. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 2. I will give you my Reaiuii, why I do hope, and believe, that the Coming of Chrift, and the Deftruction of Antichrift is near, even at the Door -, becaufe we have been, and ftill are un- der fuch eminent confpicuous Fulfilling the Signs • of thofe Times, under which Chrift himfelf hath commanded us, faying, And when thefe things be- gin to come to p&fi, then loo\ up, and lift up your heads , for your redemption draweth nigh, Luke 21. 28. And we are commanded alfo to watch for the coming of our Lord, Rev. 16. 15. 3. And Laftly, I will take notice of fome of the Signs, that are as fo many Prodromes to give us notice of the near Approach of our Lord. 1. There is greater Light and Knowledge of thefe Myfterics before they come to pafs, Dan»\ 12. 1, 2,3,4. s« There Is an earneft Expectation of its coming to < '55 ■■) ' to pafs a little before it doth come to paTs by fome, not many •, the number of thefe will be but very fmall, compared to the reft of the Chri- ftians, in which there is alfoaSign, Lul^e 18. 2, 3,4> 5, 6,7,*' . 4. Another Sign is mMal. 3. 1$. And now we " caU the proud happy : yea, they that wo)\wici(ednefi are fit up j yea, thy that tempt God are even de- livered. 5. Here are Three Signs in one, v\. Treachery, Bribery and Hypocrifie, Job 15.34. For -the' con- gregation of hypocrites flj all be deflate, and fire fliaH confume the tabernacles cf bribery. Verfe^. Tney conceive mij'chief and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. Pfal. 26. $, 10. 6. Another Sign of ChrhTs near Approach is the Great Wars, both by Sea and Land, and the Diftfefs of Nations, Lul^e 21. And there flj all be fjgns in the fun, and in the moon, and in the jlars ; and upon the earth difirefi of nations, with perplexity, the fia and the waves roaring ; Mens hearts failing them for fear, and for loohing after thofi things which are coming on the earth j for the powers of heaven flxiti be ■ flyakpi. That is Church Powers : But it ihall be but fhaken , it (hall not be broken, nor taken up by the Root, but is in imminent danger, and muft be cleanfed and refined as with a Refi- ners Fire and Fullers Sope. And then fl;all they fee the fin of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory, Acts 2. 19, 20,21. Nahum. 1. 2, 3, 4-, 5, tf> 8, 9, 13. 7. Another Infallible Sign is Frequent Earth- quakes in divers Places, and in terrible manner, I of which we have heard of many thefe two laft \ Years paft. God prefer ve England from the like I of that at Skilia. 8, An ( ijO 8. An Eighth Sign is Peftiience, which hath Raged very much in the Wefi-lndies. . 9. The- flrangc Viciffitudes, and ft range over- turning Providential Difpenfations that are, and Will be in the World, Pfal. 75. But God is the judge: be putteth down one, and fetteth up another. ^ For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red: it is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the fame : but the dregs thereof all the wicked cf the earth fluiil wring them out, and drinl^ them. All the horns of the wicked alfo will I cut off ■■> but the horns of the righteous fiall be exalted. Zech. 1. i3, 19, 20, 21. 10. Another Sign of Chrift's coming to deftroy Antichrift is in Hag. 2. For thus faith the Lord of hojls, Tet once, it is a lutle while, and 1 will ffia^e the heavens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land : And I willfljal^e all nations, and the de- Jire of all nations fl) all come, and I will fill this houfe with glory, faith the Lord of hojh.. That is the Church, which is the Houfe of God. 1 1. Another Sign of the coming of Chrifl is the great decay of Trade, and great Trouble, both by Sea and Land, Zech. 8. 10. For before thefe days, (that is, the Days of Chrift's Second Com- ing and Appearance,) there was no hire for man nor an^ hire for beafl, ( which fignifleth a great decay of Trade,) neither was there any peace to htm that went out, or came in, becaufe of the afflittion. This may iignifle the great Hazard and Trouble at Sea, both with a refpecl to Merchants and Mari- ners , and the greateft danger is juft at their go- ing out and returning home in the Chops of the Channel. 12. Another Sign is the cruel Depredations and Conilagrations by ' Fire and Sword, Ifa.66* b'o-r behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with ■ his' ( 157 ) his chariots like a whirlwind, to render hk. anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. F<# by fire, and by [word, will the Lord plead with alt fiefh : and the /lain of the Lord f}) all be many. And look into the 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. verfis of the fame Chapter, and there you may fee the Converfion of the Jews, and the Fulnefs of the Gentiles pre- dicted. Now let us confider whether ever there was fo much Fire ufed in Wars, both by Sea and Land, as there is now, witnefs the Bombarding fo many Places upon the Land, and the Burning fo many Ships at Sea •, wherefore I think this may pafs for as clear a Sign as any of the reft. 13. There is another Sign in being, which is of the near Approach of the Deftru&ion of An- tichrifr, and that is the Three Fold Divifion, and what that Divifion is I muft leave to the confide- ration of the Reader * I ftiall onely lay down the Prophecy, which is in Rev. 16. ip. And the great city was divided into three pa)~ts, and the cities of ■ the nations fell : and great Babylon came in remem- brance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenejl of his wrath. 14. Another Sign of the Coming of Chri ft is mocking and fcorring at Piety and Holinefs, and even at the Coming of Chrift alfo, which is a Sin very .common among Proteftants , as well as others : 2 Pet. 3. 3. Knowing this firft, that there flmllcomein the I aft days [coffers, (that is, in the laft days of Antichrift's Reign, and firft before Chrift- comes, ) walking after their own lujis, and faying, Where is the promife of his coming ? for fines the fathers fell afleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of &c. 15. Ano- Oj8) 15. Another Sign is great Divisions, the Fa- ther againft the Son, and the Son againft the Fa- ther, the Mother-in-law againft the Daughter-in- law, and the Daughter-in-law againft her Mother- in-law, and Brother againft Brother, <£rc. Wit- nefs Whiggs and Tories. 16. 'Another Sign is when People grow Incor- rigible • under the Judgments of God, Ifa. 26. 11, 21. Lord, when thy hand U lifted up, they will not fee : but they Jfjall fee, and be ajhamed for their envy at the people, yea the fire of thine enemies JhaU devour them. For behold, the Lord cometh out ofhk place to pu~ nijli the, inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity : the earth alfo fliall difclofe her blood, and fvall n& more cover her jlain. 17. Another is Famine, MarJ^i^. 8. 18. Another fure Sign of the near Approach of Chrift is the great Inundation of all manner of Wickednefs and Ungodlinefs, Joel 3. Put ye in the fickle, for the harvejt k-ripe; come, get ye down, for' the pr eft is full, the fats rverjfow, for their wickednefi is great. I believe the Fats do overflow now, or at leaft begin fo to do. The Lord alfo ftall r ore out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth fl)all f\m\e ; but the Lord nil! be the hope of his people, and the Jfrength of the children of Jfrael, So fliall ye J^now that lam the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain : then fl)all Jerusalem be holy; and there fhall no jlr anger spaft through her any irure. This is a clear Prediction of tbe Conversion of the jews, when God will thus deftrcty the wicked. 19. Another Sign is the carnal, drowfie, fleepy Frame of Heart, that the wife Virgins are funk, down into, as well as the fooliih. Mat. 25. 5. While tbe bridegroom tarried, they all (inmbred and 1 fith ( 159 ) flept. Mat. 24. But astlje days of Noe were, Jb fhall alfo the coming of the §on of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking^ marrying and giving in maniage, until the day that Noe entred into the arl^, And knew not until the flood came, and tool^ them all away *, ft flmll alfo the coming of the Son of man be. Chrifi: will come in a furprizing way , even as a Thief in the Night 3 and therefore our great Du- ty is to watch for the coming of our Lord, that his Coming may not be furprizing to us *, but be our rejoicing, Rev. id. 15. Behold, I come at a thief. Bleffed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, left he walJ^ naked, and they fee his jhame. ' 20. And Laftly, Which is the lad Sign that I 1 fhall name, and it will be the laft Sign alfo that will be fulfilled, and that is in Zech. 14. 6, 7. And it flmll come to paji in that day, that the light fljall not be clea\\ nor dark. But it fljall be one day which fljall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night : but it fhall come to paflthat at evening-time it fljall be light. This ftrange Day which fhall be known to the Lord, feems as if it was known to the Lord only, and that People fhould not know it certainly when they are in it •, and that this day is to lafl until Chrift comoth, is clear from the foregoing verfe; wherein I humbly conceive is contained a Threatning againft the Wicked in thefe.words* And ye fljall flee to the valley 0} the Mountains , for th« vaUey of the mountains fljall reach unto A^al : Tea, Te fhall flee like as ye fled from before the Earth- quake in the days of Vijiah, King of Judah, And the Lord my God fljall come, and ^11 the Saints with '■thee, Amos 1. 1, 2. Joel. 3. 10, 17. This itrange Day, which is neither Day nor Night ( v6q ) Night confiftsof a complication of various Provi- dential Difpenfations, both of Mercy and Judg- ments , and of the ftrange Principles, Practices, Manners, and Behaviour of, Men both Good and Ead, efpecially Men of Figure, and of Men in Confederacyes of contrary Principles one to the other , as Turks, Papifls , and Protejlants \ juft like the Feet, and Toes of Nebuchadnezzar s Image, if, not the fame, Dan. 2. 42, 43. And as the Toes of the Feet were part of Iron, and ■part of clay , fo the Kingdom, flail be partly jlrong and partly broken ; This Ringdorn is the King- dom of Antichrift , of which France is a part, and the ftrongeft part of it too, and this is to be juft before its utter down-fall , And whereas thou J awe ft Iron mixt with miry Clay, they flail mingle themselves with the Seed of men, but they flail not cleave one to another , even as iron is not mixed with clay. Dan. 8. He flail alfo jiand up againjl the Prince of Princes, but he flail be broken without hands : I think it is evident enough that the French King is guilty of this molt horrible fin, and he may (hare with his Father Antichrift in this Threatning. Now I pray you confider of all thefe «gns, and look abroad, and at home, and fee if you can find any of thefe figns,if not moll or all of them jand if you can then mind what our Saviour Chrift faith in Mirl^i$. 29. • So ye in like manner , when 'ye flail fee thefe things come to pafs, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Thus I have given you my Thoughts about the New Difpenfation of the Covenant , when it will - principally come to pafs, and who are chietiy concerned therein, namely the Jew, though the Gentiles alfo. yet tflbre remotely. 2. To ( 1*1 ) 1 2. To proceed to their Second Pofition which was this, Ynat all dying Infants are favgd, withoiti any Exception or Rejlrittion ; fothat the Children of2«>%, Negroes, Pagans, and ail other Infidels whatsoever , born in Wedlock, or out of Wed- lock , have all as' great a Priviledge, as the Chil- dren of Chriftian Parents, and they ground this Pofition upon the Words of the Apoftle in i Cor. 15. 21, 22. For Jince by man came Death, by Man came alfo the Refunefiion of the Dead. For as in Adam alt die, fo even in ChriJ} jJ)allaHbe made alive : Thus the Apoftle Argued to prove the Refurre&ion ; for it feems there, were fome among them, that den yed the Refurreftion of the Dead j fo that this [all that are to be made alive by Chrift] are all Good and Bad,Saints and Sinners at the General Day of the Refurrection -, fo that thofe all that are to be made alive, friall not all be faved j for then Redemption would be as large as Creation 5 fo that this Scripture doth not Relieve them at al'; 2. If all Dying Infants are in the Line of Ele- ction, then they fhall come within the verge of Salvation \ And if fo, then are they all given by God the Father unto Chrift to Redeem and Save , John 17, 9, 10, 11. And Chrift is formed in them , but other wife, this pofition of our Oppo- 1 nents is a ineer Fictitious Empty Notion. But of this more under the next head; 3. In the third place, for a farther profecutiou of this Groundlefs Opinion, Let us bring it to the Toucliftone of Gods V/ord , and try, Whether ever there was any fuch tlniverfal Provinon made for the Salvation of all Dying Infants, vt%,'Tur%s f Negroes, Pagans, and all other Infidels what-- foever. £ And, ( i«* ) And for the Trya! of this, I will pitch' upo Three remarkable Difpenfatioris of Gods Wrat and Fury : And let us obferve from thence, WHa may be inferr'd for the confuting of this grol Error. i. The Firft is in that CommhTion God gav unto the Prophet E^ekiel. 2. in the Deftructio of the City of Sodom. 3. And laftly , That c Gods drowning the whole World, AW; and h: Family only excepted. 1. I will begin firft with that Difpenfation o God's Wrath , in E%c\. 9. 6. Slay utte-fly old an, your^ both Maids and Little Children, and Women •but come not near av.y Man upon whom is the Mar\ and begin at my Sanctuary. Thus you fee what the Extent of the Com million was : From whence we may obferve thre things : 1. That all were to be deftroycd, Man, Wo man and Child, that were not marked "for pre fervation. 2. That all Gods Elecl- were marked for pre fervation at that time of the Execution of God' Wrath and Fury •, or whenever it may be Execu ted again, which feems as if it were not far ofl ffa. 26. 20, 21. Rev. 7. 2, 3. But there was a fpecial Charge given to the Ex ecutioners of God's Wrath and Fury, Not fo mud as to come nearthofe on whom the Mark was. 3. And laftly, They were to begin with th Hypocrites and Formalifts, which is the Impor of that Phrafe , nay per- haps Thoufands of whole Houfholds that were Bap- tized in the Apoftles time. 1. In the firft place, Let us obferve what paft between God and Abraham about ^eftroying or fparing of Sodom, before it was deftroyed. - 1. Therefore I will lay down the Scripture, wherein is contained the Threatning of God againfl Sodom. 2. Abrahams Interceflion. 3. God's Condcicen (ion. 4. Andjaftly , Gods Execution. 1. Here was the Threatning, in Gen. 18. 20, 21, 2. Here was Abraham's Interceftion , in Verfes 26, 28, 29, 20,; 31, 32, Pray obferve how Jgreat the Condefcenfion of God was, for if there could have been found but Ten Righteous Perfons „ in the whole City, God would have fpared it. 2. We may obferve four things. 1 . Faithful Abraham was not for flaying the j, Righteous with the Wicked, as may be feen in his ^Petition to God. 2. You have God anfwering his Petition. 5. If all thefe young Infants were faved that were Rain, then their Original Sins were pardo led and fub- ( i<*4 ) fubdued and their Natures changed and made Par- takers of the Divine Nature *, arid then Chrift was formed in them, and they were juftified by his Rightcoufnefs imputed unto them through Faith j and if fo, who could be more Righteous than fuch Children > 4. And laftly, This muflbe the Natural Confe- quence , cither there were not Ten Children in all the City, or this New-found Doftrine is Falfe, or the Word of God is not true ; but it is Blafplle-my to conceive fo of the latter, and I will leave the Afaters of this Portion to grapple with the Two former, fo that this Doctrine is burnt up with the City of Sodom, 3. The third and laft rnftance was that of Gods drowning the World : No doubt but there were Millions of young Infants living in the old World when the flood came and fwept away all but Noah and his Family , who were but -Eight Perfons, and yet none but the ungodly perilhed in that Deluge of Wrath as well as Water, 2 Pet. 2. 5. Andfpared not the old world, but faved Noah the eighth per/on, a preacher of R.ighteoufnefs (JThat was , he was a Preacher of the. Gofpel, wherein is Revealed the Righteoufnefs of Chrift unto them which be- lieve unto the faving of their Souls] bringing in the Flood upon the World of the Vngolly. And Children were a very great part of the Old W 7 orId, though it will not be granted by the Men of this Opinion, that they are a part of all Na- tions which were to be Dileipled in Mutth. 28. 19. And God will fave no ungodly Perfon whatsoever, young or old ; and unlcfs their Natures are chan- ged, they are ungodly frill, becaufe by Nature we are all fo % therefore this Do&rine was drowned ajfo with the Old World. 2. They ( i.«S ) 2. They quoted Rom. $. 14. to corroborate this their ftrange Doftrine : The words are as : olIo\veth, Neverthelefs Death Reigned from Adam Mofes, even over them that had not finned after the Imilitude of Adams tranfgreffion , who is the figure )fhim that was to come. Here are Six things to be obferved from theie words : Thefirft is this, 1. That before the Law of Mofes took place, it was a time of Great Darknefs and Ignorance. 2. Notwithstanding that did not Excufe them, neither from Temporal Death, nor Eternal 3 for the Apoftle faith, Neverthelefs Death Reigned from Adam to Mofes. 3. Death Reigns moil where Ignorance and Unbelief Reigneth. 4. It Reigned over them which had not finned after the fimilitude of Adams Tranfgreffion. 5. Though they did not fin after the fimilitude oi Adams Tranfgreffion, yet they were Sinners, or elfe it would have been faid they did not fin at all. 6. And Iaftly, Hence we may obferve , That i4to* was a Figure of Chrift, who was to come in the Fie(h. Thus having premifed thefe things, I proceed to fpeak fomething to the Second Obfervation, as being that which our Opponents did lay the moffc ftrefs upon for the maintaining the Salvation of all Dying Infants, in thefe words, Neverthelefs Death reigned from Adam to Mofes, even over them that had not finntd after the fimilitude of Adams tranf- greffion : Suppofe we allow them , that this was fp-jken of Dying Infants only, yet this will not afford any kind of Relief to this fictitious "Doftrine, Vying r 166 ) I. Vying Infants cannot bcfaici to Jin after the jimili tude or IV^enefs of Adams tranjgrejjjon. The Reaforis are as followeth, Fhjl, There was no Pre-exiftent Corruption for Adam to derive fin from by Nature or Tranfmuta- tion •, for Adam was not a Child of Wrath by Na^ ture or Derivation \ for God made him upright : But all Perfons fince the Fall, our Blelfed Redee- mer only excepted, derives fin from the Loynes of our firft Parents. 2. Though Young Infants have all the Seeds of * Depraved finful Nature in them, tranfmitted to them from the contaminated Loynes of our firft Parents, who acquired it from Satan, yet they are not capable of drawing forth thofe Habits into Aclual TranfgrefTion j for as Adams TranfgrefTion did not proceed from Original Corruption in him- felf , fo neither doth the fin of fuch young Babes proceed from any Actual TranfgrefTion, and there- fore young Children do not fin after the fnniiitude . or likenefs of Adams TranfgrefTion -, for Adam was guilty of Aclual TranfgrefTion , but young Babes are only guilty of Original Sin , which makes a vafi DifTimilitude. 3. .Andlaftly, Young Infants are not capable of being tempted by Satan to commit aftual Tranf- grefTion, nor of yielding to the Temptations of Satan, as our firft Parents did \ for they were not only tempted by him, but they yielded unto his Temptation, therefore young Children are not capable of finning after the fimilitude of Adams TranfgrefTion, for the one fell into fin by Temp- tation, and the other fins by Derivation from the Loynes of ourfirft Parents. Now pray what can be gathered from this Text of Scripture , to prove this General Redemption . and Salvation for all Dying Infants, as they Dream of ; t 167 ; F j for though thefe Dying Infants did not, nor 3 not fin after the fimilitude of Adams Tranf- reflion, but yet they were not free from Original n, and that is fufticient to damn any Soul , un- fs the guilt on't be Removed and Expiatedoy the ighteoufnefs and Merits of Jefus Chriit imputed » their Souls through the Grace of Faith ; For ley are in" a ftate of Unbelief, and therefore ley mull have the Grace of Faith to change that rate: Do but look into Rem. 5. 12. There yoa ivethe Malady, and in verfe 15, there you have le Remedy: And- 1 pray mind them. •1. The Malady, Wherefore as by one man fin eri- ed into the world, and Death by fin, and fo Death xffed upon all Men , for that all have finned. 2. Kermis the Remedy prefcribed in thefe words, M not as the offence, fo alfo is the Free Gift , for. 'through the offence of one many be dead , much lore the Grace of Qod, and the Gift by Grace, which • by one man, Jefus Chriji, hath abounded to many. erfe 16. And not as it was by one that finned, fo - the Gift, for the Judgment was by one to condem- ation, but the Free Gift is of many offences unto Jn~ ideation. All men fin and" deftroy thernfeive* iy Nature; For if it were pofllble for a Man to :ve to the years of Methufalah , and never com- iit any one ad of fin, and dye in a Natural tate in which he was conceived and born : He ould not be faved , becaufe he is in a State of Vrath, and he is alfo a Child of V/rath : Man ins and Deftroys himfelf by Nature, but God ju- cifieth and fayes by Grace, Eph. 2. 8. 3. Said they . All Dying Infants are Saved , ut not Elected \ which AiTertion contradicts he whole current of the Holy Scripture which lo ran in this Channel , and it thwarts the Eter- lal Decrees and Methods of God in his predeter- niaated Council about the Redemption and Salva- tion t i6» ; tion of Sinners. Pray mind thefe following Scriptures, and confute them if you can 5 fo: contradict: them I fee you dare. 1 . Acts 13. And as many as were ordained to eter nal life Believed. 2. Mark 13. 20. And except that the Lord hai ffwtned thofe days, no flefl) Jhould be faved : but fo the elells fake, whom he hath chofen,he hathfl)ort ned the days. 4. John 10. But ye believe not, becaufc ye ar< not of my flieep : That is, they vvtre not Elected and therefore they did not believe. 5. John 15. Te have not chofen me, but I hau chofenyou, 8cc. . 6. John 1. 12, 13. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the fins of Qod, evei to them that believe on his name. This muft not be underftood, as if they recei ved Chrift before he had planted a Spiritual living Principle in them, whereby to inabie them t( take hold of Chrift, and receive him by Faith for to receive Chrift is to believe in him ; for th< fame verfe tells }ou fo, even to them that believe j, his name •, and the following verfe deftroys all Na tural Power and Ability in the Will of Man tc receive Chrift, or come to Chrift, except it hac been to deftroy and crucifie him, as the Jew did. Verfe 13. Which were born, mi of Moid, nor the will of the flefl), nor of the will of man, but God. 7. Rom. 9. For the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil, that the purpoj of God according to eleftion might fiand. Jacob hav I loved, but Efau have 1 hated. What fhall ype fa tJien ? Is there unrighieoufnefs with God ? God forth. So then it is not of him that mlletby mr of him tha runneth runneth, but of God that flxweth mercy. Therefore bath he mercy on whom he will have mercy , and whom he wilt, he hardeneth. What if God, willing tj flxw bit wrath, and to make his power tno»w, endureth with much long-fuffering the vejfels of wrath fitted for dejhuflion : And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vejfels of merty, which he had afore prepared unto glory* 2 John 1, i. Jer. 1. $. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Tit. 1. 2. I could produce Multitudes of Scriptures more to confute this Errour, but I think there is Bones enough in them I have named, for all the Free-willers in the World to gnaw upon, until they break all their Holders. 4. There are but two forts of People in the World, namely, Jews and Gentiles -, and all thefe are made up into two forts of Veffels, the one to Honour, and the other to Dilhonour, one of Mer- cy, and the other of Wrath, which comprehends all Perfons, Young and Old, Saints and Sinners, in the whole World. Therefore I challenge any Man whatsoever to prove by plain Text of Scripture, That ever any one dying Infant was faved without being Elect- ed. I (hall conclude this firft part of this Head with that unanfwerable Scripture in Rom. 11. 5. Even fo then at this prefent time alfo there is a rem- nant according to the eletthn of grace. And if by grace, then it is no more of works : otherwife grace is no mere grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace : otherwife worj^ is no more work* What then ? Jfrael hath not obtained that which he feeketh for :, but the eletlion hath obtained it, and the reft were blinded. They thought to be juftified and faved by the Works of the Law -, but by the Deeds of the Law no Flefh fhall be juftified ; and there is na Salva- H tiou ( »7o ) tion to be had without Eternal Election •, for Chrift will iufrine none but fuch.- But one of trcfc Ccnferenc'ers was fo bold as to tell me, that God could not be Juft unlefs he faved all dying 1 In fair s ; therefore let him hear what the Holy Ghoit faith unto him, and let him take it for his -pains, Rom. 9. 20, 21. May but man, who an thou tlmt repfieji againft God ? (hall the thing formed fay to him that formed it, Wtiy haft thou' made me thus ? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one vejfel unto honour, and a- mther unto dijhonour . ? 2. You fhalliee what monftrous Abfurdities this ftrang? Doctrine doth beget. 1, If all dying Infants are laved without being, Elected, then Chrift's Myftical Eody, the Church, muft be 4.*ftionflrous Body: But if all the Mem- bers of our Natural Bodies are in God's Book of Creation, before ever we were formed, or fa- shioned in the Womb, as in Ffal. 139. 1$, i5. 2. How much more then are all the Members of Chrift's Myftical Body in God the Father's Book of Eternal Election. But, 3. In the Third place let us obferve what kind of Body the Myftical Body of Chrift is, and how, and in what manner it is framed and compiled. 1. It is a perfect, compleat Body, intire and jacking nothing, Eph. 4. 1 1, 1 2, 1 3. And he gave pme, apojiles ■: and fime, prophets : andfome, evan- gclifts: andfome, pajhrs and teachers; For the per- fecting of the faints, for the woy\ of the miniftery, for the edifying of the body of Chrift : Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfell man, unto the mea- fure of theftatme of the fulnefi of Chrift. Here you fee Chrift's Body muft be a perfect Body, as to meafure«nd degree: For all the Eleft of God, both ( 171 ) both Young and Old, muft come into this Union of Faith, which is the Faith of God's Eleft, Tit. i. i. 2. A Second Scripture is in Rom. i i. For at we, have many members in one body, and all members have not the fame office : So we being man) .ire one body in Chrifi, and every one members one of another. Here the Apoftle alludes to the Natural Body of Man, to illuftrate and defcribe the Frame and Make of the Myfrical Body of Chrifc ; and Then he brings it about-Emphatically, So we being many are one body in Chrift, and every one members :>ne of another. 3. A Third Scripture is in 1 Cor. 10. 17. Fnr we being many are one bread, and one body : for we are all part alters of that one bread. 4. The Fourth and laft Scripture tjhat I fhalt mention, as to the Frame of this Myftical Eody of Chrift, is'mHeb. 12. 22, 23, 24. Sat ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general ajfembly and church of the firft-born winch are written in heaven, and to God the jud^e of all, and to the ffirits of mfi men, made perfeft, And to' Jefw the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of fj>rin%ling, that fpeaketh better things then that of Abel. Here you may obferve what a tweet Harmony and Agree- ment there is between thefe Scriptures ; and have given in a full Teftimony, that the Myftical F of Chrift is one Intire J Body, lacking nothing, and that all the Members thereof are united compacl together by Faith, and they are all \ ten in Heaven. 2. And LafHy, Let us obferve what Kind Body thefe Gentlemen would make the M; fi . Body of Chrift to be, that would have all dying H 2 Ini Infants to be Members of it, that never were in God's Book of Eleftion. i. I do positively and folemnly declare, that if it were poflible, that one Soul could be laved, either of Old or Young, that is not written in jGod's Book of Eternal Elettion, that Chrift's Myftical Body would be a monftrous Body, and if fo then what muft all thefe dying Infants that they fay are faved, but not Elected, nor chofen of God the Father be, but fupernumerous Mem- bers? And iffo, how many Millions of Members "w^uld Chrift have in his Myftical Body, which are not in the Book of Life, viz. the Book of Election ? And what a ftrange monftrous Body would that be ? 2. If there (hould be but one Member Iefs in Chrift's Myftical Body, then there is in God's E- ternal Book of Ekftion, then it would bean im- perfeft Eody, and lacking fomething, whereas it is faid, r-perfett, intire, and lacking nothing. §. If all dying Infants are faved without being Elefted, then will there be more fuperrluous chance Members in Chrift's Myftical Body by Mil- lions, then there will be of Eleft true Members, becaufe there have more Children dyed in all Nations and Ages of the World then Adult Be- lievers, perhaps a Thoufand to one, an4 more. 4. In the Fourth and laft place, As all the E-, left of God, in all Ages and Nations of the World, and of all Sefts, and Years, or Dayes, make but one Myftical Body, namely, The Holyj Catholick Church, fo our Saviour Chrift is Mar- ried to that Myftical Holy Body : And if any ihould be faved which were never Elefted, then our Saviour Chrift would have Two Wives, one by Luck and Chance, and the other by Love and Choice. .But we read of but one Spoufe, or one! Wife, I ( *73 ) Wife, that; Chrift hath, Sol, 4. £, 9. Come witB me from Libation, my jfoufe, dec. Rev. 19. 7. Let m be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb U come, and his wife hath made her felf ready. And fo in like manner air the tied, which make but one Spiritual Myftical Body, have but one Husband, Sot. 2. 8, \6. The voice of my beloved ! behold, he cotmth leaping upon* the mountains, slipping upon the hills. My beloved is mine, and I am his ; he feedeth among the lilies. Ife. 54. 5. For thy maimer is thine husband, C-the Lard of htfs is his name ; J and thy redeemer the' hly One of Ifrael, the God of the whole earth JJj.u'1 he be called. Thus you fee there is but one Head and Hus* band, and but one Wife, one Body, and but one Covenant, in which they all are, which is a Mar- riage Covenant, and but one Faith, by which this Conjugal Union is made, and but one way to E- ternai Life and Salvation for all the Ekcl of God. And from henee we may obferve, that it is a very dangerous thing for any Perfon to meafure thefe Profound Myfteries with the fhort Line of corrupt carnal Senfe and Reafon , and to Af- fert, that God cannot be Juft unkfs he doth fave all dying Infants : Therefore let this be a feafon- able V/ord of Caution unto ail Antipredeftinatcrs as well as to others. 4. Said they, All dying Infants are faved, but none are Regenerated and born again : Which con- tradicts our Saviour drift's own Words, Jma 5. Jefw anfwered and J aid unto him, Verily verily 1 jay unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. John 1. 13. Which were born, not of bloud, nor of the will of the flefl), nor of the will of man, but of God. 1 John 5. J 8. We hmw that whofiever is born of Godjumetb not, but he that h 5 is ( 174) is begotten of God, l^eepetb himfelf and that wicked cm toucbeth him not. The Devil, who is that v/icked one, cannot fo touch him by all his Skill, nor fo allure him by all his Baits and Stratagems, as to bring him back again into his Kingdome of IDarknefs, becaufe he is begotten of God. A Child that is born into the World may as foon be redu- ced by Annihilation into nothing, its Original, becaufe he is kept by the Mighty Power of God, through Faith, unto Salvation, ( I Vet. 3. 4, 5.) which is that Vital Principle that God alone by his own Right Hand doth plant in all the Souls of the Heirs of Salvation : Therefore he that is born of God cannot fall totally from Grace , and he that is not born of God hath no Grace to fall from •, and all the Seed of the firft Adam are Children of Wrath by Nature, and except they are Rege- nerated, and their Natures changed, they cannot be faved ; they muft be made Partakers of the Divine Nature : So that without Regeneration there can be no Salvation for any of the Race of Fallen Man. Thus you fee this Errour is alfo confuted. 5. Said they, All dying Infants are faved with- out the Grace of Faith : To which I thus Anfvver, If they are faved without Faith, then they muft be faved by Works : Pray mind the Apoftle in Rom. 11. 6. And if by grace, then it u no more of worlds : otherwife grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace : otherwife wot\ is no more worl^ W r hat think ye or/t now ? Here it is plain from the Words of the Apoftle, That the Salvation of Young or Old, is either of Gods Mercy, or Mans Merit ; but it cannot be by the latter, therefore it muft be by the former, (Lu^e 17. 10.) and without Faith it is impoffible to plcafeGod \ Row* 4. 5. But to him that worlgtb not ( i?5 ; nut, but believeth on him that juftifietb the ungodly r his faith is counted for right emfne/L But Mr. H. C. (kith in Page 12. That none are Chrifis Difciples butfuch as take up his Cro/i, and follow him : £rgo, Infavts are not Difciples, and jo no vijible Members of a Gojpel Church. By the fame Argument he doth exclude them from Heaven, and Eternal Sal- vation 5 and indeed there is no Argument they can ufe to exclude them from the one, but doth necelfarily exclude them from the other j for they are vifible Church Members, as being a Part of their Parents, who are vinble Church Members, and being the Covenant Seed , but he ihouid have compared Scripture with Scripture. "What tho' Elect dying' Infants arc net capable of taking up Chrift's Crofs, and following him in Sufferings and Perfections ? Yet they are capable of follow- ing him in the Regeneration, Mat.1g.2S. And pray how did Nicodemw follow Chrifl when lie came to our Saviour by Night by ileal th ? He did not follow him with his Crofs. And how did thofe follow Chrift of whom it is faid in John 1 2. Nevertheleft, among the chief rulers aljb, many be- Jieved on him \ but becaufe of the Pharifees they did mt confefi him, left theyjhould be put out of the fyna- gogue. Thefe were Difciples, yet they did not' follow Chrift with his Crofs, but fhunn'id it 1 And is not a Young Infant , that hath but Habitual Faith, as capable to follow Chrift in the Regene- ration, as thefe Adult Perfons were ? For if they are united to Chrift, then they muft follow him, and Faith is the uniting Grace, Eph. 4. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the know- ledge of the Son of God, unto a perfett man, unto the meafure oftheftature of tbefidneji of Chrijh Thus you fee how all the Eleft of God comes to be united, vj^.Chrift is by Faith*,therefare a» with- H 4 out ( I7«-) out Faith it is impoflible to pleafe God, fo with- out Faith there can be no Union with Chrift, and without Union with him there can be no Salvation by him, John i $. 5. John 6, 40. Andfo this Funda- mental Errour of laving dying Infants without the Grace of Faith is condemned to be meer Herehe. 6. Said they, All dying Infants are faved, but nit fanflijied, becaufe (faid they) the Death of Chrift toil^ away the Guilt of Original Sin from all dying Infants : To which I Anfwer, This can never be true, unlefs all dying Infants are Elected : But they will not allow, that any fuch Children are Elected ; for all that are Elected fliall be Sancti- fied j and if you look into the Holy Scripture, you fhall find Election, Salvation, Sanctification, and Faith, all four joined together by the Holy Spirit, in 2 Tneff. 2. 1$. And what God hath pined together let not vain Men labour to part aiunder : The Blood of Chrift cleanfeth from all tin j but to imagine that any fhall be faved with- out being fanctified, is a vain Imagination *, for without Holinefs no Man fliall fee the Lord ; be- caufe no unclean thing fhall enter into Heaven •, JHeb. 10. By the which will we are fanZHjied, through the offering of the body of Jefm Chrift once for all .* That was, for all the Elect of God : Chrift our PaiTeover is facririced for us. Here is the Paifeover in Gofpel-times, which is the EiTence of the Palfe- over, though the Form thereof is abolifhed, 1 Cor. 5,7. Thus you fee this Errour is alfo confuted. 7. They Atferted, That all dying Infants are fayed without being in a State of Grace ; for ( faid they) Chrift by his Death purchafed Eternal Life and Salvation for them all 5 and fo they are faved through his Righteoufnefi: But without Faith ; for ycu fee none of them will allow that Children are capable cf receiving the Grace of Faith : But the Righteoufnefs ( 177) Highteoufnefs of Clirift: is applicable to none But God's* Eleft, Old or Young, and that through the Inftrumentality of Faith. This is the Truth my Soul relies upon for Eternal Life and Salva- tion j and had I Ten Thoufand Souls more, I would venture them all on this Bottom ; Eph. -iS&-8. For by Grace are ye faved, through Faith \ and that not of your fdves : it is the gift of God. Faith is the Gift of God, and Repentance is the Gift of God, and Clirift is the Gift of God, and the Holy Ghoft ib the Gift of God, and Salification is the Work of God's Spirit in the Soul : But the Ahabaptijh, by their Carnal Reafon, will allow God to beftow thefe Gifts upon none but Adult Perfons : So that you fee this Errour is alfo confuted. 8. They A (farted, That all dying Infants are faved, but not in the Covenant of Grace : To which I Anfwer thus, i. There are but two Covenants, in which are contained all the Perfons in the whole World, Old and Young, Saints and Sinners : (i.J The one is the Covenant of Grace •, And (2.) the other is the Covenant of Works ; And all thofe that are in the Covenant of Grace are fafe, and not one Soul of them can be loft.' (2.) All that live and dye in the Covenant of Works can never be faved. And, 2. Thofe Two Covenants were in being before Abraham's Time, and in his Time, and are ftill in being, and ever will be to the End of'-the World j and thefe are the f ime Two Covenants which the Apoftle fets forth in that Allegory, by Abrahams Two Sons, in Gal. 4. For it is writ- t e n, that Abraham had two fons j the one by a bond* maid, the other by a free-woman. But he who was of tht bond-woman,* was bom after the 0e(h : but he II $ " of C I7» ) c f the free-woman was by promife. Here the Car-i nal and Spiritual Seed of Abraham are reprefent- ed. Which things are an allegory ; for thefe are the two covenants -, the one from the mount Sinai, which gender eth to bondage, which is Agar, For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and anfivereth to Jerujalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. This is the Church of God that was then in per r fecution by thofe of Mmnt Sinai ; for you fee the Apofcle fpake in the Prefent Tenfc. But Jerusalem which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all. The Church Triumphant in Glory hath none of Agars Seed or Oft-fpring in it, but fhe is. free from all fuch •, there is none but the Children of . the Free- woman there , in that Church there is neither Perficutor nor Hypocrite, which are the two Grand Enemies the Church of Chrift hath in the World. But all that are of the Free-woman, namely, the Covenant of Grace, fhall be faved *, and there is no Salvation to be had for any others, whether they are dying Infants, or Adult Perfons : And thus you fee this Errour alfo confuted. p. And Laftly, That which feems as ftrange as allthe reft is, that thefe very Perfons, at the fame time, do hold the Doctrine of Predeftina- tion, and that God's Grace is Free, and Eternal Election , which contradicts all their foregoing Pcfitions and Doctrines ; for they will not aliow Children to have any fhare in it. Thus you fee an Errour in Judgment cannot live and fubhft alone •, and that Soul that goeth a Mile with an Errour, it will foon compel him to go with him twain. Firft, they deny the In- sist Seed of Believers to have a Right to the Or- dinance of Eaptifm, and to maintain this Error, ail thefe Errors and Absurdities afbrefaid , and more <"*79 more, muft be Lifted in their Service to upkoid it. And now T am come to Treat with my Friend of Roibejter, that was fo kind to fend me a Let- ter. Sir, I have carefully perufed it, and I find you have Did as much to the purpofe as all the reft, and wifh as well to your Ctufe as the beft of them, and yet all you have fiid is to very little purpofe, uniefs it be to contradict all the reft; but yet though I obferve you differ from all the reft very much, and in feveral things, yet I find that you aim at the lame thing in the Maine ; for you do alfo meafure the Profound Myfteries of the Covenant by the Carnal Rule of corrupt Senfe, and . Humane Reafon, even as Kicodemw did the Doct- rine of Regeneration, John 3. 5,4. or as the Jews did in John 6. $2. 1. Say you, I am troubled at your Reflexions upr- en pme of My. H. CV. Notions in bis #wi£/, But I ol> - ferve you do confefs that you never faw it : This is a. very Strange faculty that many of your Opinion have, that you will juftifte thofe Books of your own People, though you never faw them, and alfo judge and condemn thofe Books that are fet forth by Men of our Principle, though they never faw, nor heard them Read: And what faith So- lution of thofe that judge a Man before they hear him ? But you have Avouched him to be found in the Fundamentals of Religion j but how can a Man be faid to be found in the Fundamentals of Religion, that denies that Elect dying Infants are- capable of receiving the Grace of Faith, and yet owns they are faved / And if they are faved with- out faith, then are they laved by works, Rom.: u. 6. Where is your found Man now? For if this ( i8e ) this be not a Fundamental Errour, Pray what is ? 2. You fay you may fubmit to all my Queries a- bout Infants being faved dying in their Infancy, or Adult Perfons, who are the Elect of God : Then fay I, They have a Right to the Ordinance of Bap- tifm, and you ought to have fubmitted to that alfo. 2. Say you, We have m other way for favhg Infants, or Adult Perfons, but by the Death, Bhod> and Merits of J ejus Chrift ? There is no other way^ as I Iqow of. No, neither any of our Opinion j but the Books of thofe of your own Opinion, you fee contradict you, both Mr. //. C. and B. K. But Sir, by your Good Favour, you your felf have left out the Principal Inftrumental Ingredient in Mans Salvation, namely, the Grace of Faith, without which it is impoffible for any Perfon > Young or Old, to be faved, and the Reafon is-, Becaufe without Faith it is impoffible to pleafe -God j for all Mankind, before Convention, are in, a State of Unbelief and Impenitency, therefore they mud have the Grace of Faith, which is the oppofite Grace to the Sin of Unbelief, to change them : But before you faid, That he, orfhe, that believes not, fhall be damned. So that if thefe two Affertions of yours may be joined together, then if Adult Perfons are faved by Faith in the flighteoufnefs and Merits of jefus Chrift, fo- are dying Infants alfo : So that you and I agree in tliis y for you fay, you have no other way" for fa- ving Infants, or Adult Perfons, but by the Death, Blood, and Merits of Jefus Chrift, &c. Then In- fants and Adult Perfons are faved in one, and the fame way j fo that we have no more to do, but to inquire what that way is, wherein the Adult are faved, and the Controvcrfie is ended. All Adult Believers are' laved by Faith in Our Lord Jefu3 Chrift Ci«« ) Chrift, AUs 1 6. Sirs, what mufi 1 do to be favedf And they faid, Believe on the Lord Jefw Chrijl, and thou fltalt be faved, and thy houfe. John 6* 4. Say you, Neither doth God brea\ Covenant with his People *, but he holds that firm to the End, without any alteration. You fee, that I am of the fame Judgment j but Mr. H. C. whom you fay is found in the Fundamentals of Religion, faith, That the Covenant of Peculiarity made with A- braham, in Gen. 17. 7. is Repealed, and Taken up by the Roots : But if God did not Break, nor Alter the Covenant, then are the Infant Seed of Believers as much in i t now, as ever the Infant Seed ef Believers were under the Mofaicl^ Law, and have as good a Right unto all the Priviledges thereof, as ever the Jews Children had, unlefs it can be proved, that ever thefe Young Babes h^ve broken Covenant with God themfelves , by any Aftual Tranfgreffion, under the Gofpel, and fo finned themfelves out of Covenant : If they did, pray where, and when was it ? But if God hath not Broken his Covenant, nor altered it, nor the Infant Seed of Believers them-, felves Broken it, then are they (till in Covenant with God. $. Say you, Tnat Faith that fits a Per/on for one Ordinance fits him for another. And (faith Mr. H. C.J we do AJfert Infants may befit for the Kingdom of God, as our Lord hath faid x and yet not Qualified for Gofpel Ordinances. But I do not know where our Lord hath faid it, nor" he neither. But I fuppofe you mean, that Faith that fits Infants for Baptifm, fits them for the Lords Table : But I have confuted this Notion in my former Book fufficientlv already, to which I muft Refer the ( 1 82 ) the Reader, and ask this one fingle Queftion* i>/\. Did that Grace which did fit the Covenant Seed of Believers at Eight Days old for the Ordinance of Circumcifion, nt them' for the PafTeover I It did give them a Remote Right unto it •, even fo doth that Grace, that fits the Infant Seed of Be- lievers for the Ordinance of Baptifm, give them a Remote Right, though, not a Meetnefs for the Ordinance of Commemoration of Chrift our Paff- over, that was facrificed for us. Whatever Pri- viledge the Infant Seed of Believers, enjoyed un- der the Law, the Infant Seed of Believers enjoy now under the Gofpel, in a better Drefs \ for God hath as. much Love for the Infant Seed of Belie- vers now, as ever he had under the Law, Neb. 9. 14, 22, 2$, 24. 6. You Grant, That Children may have Faith in the Habit, but not in the Acl: , and therefore (fay you) they are of no ufe in the Church. Sir, You began well, and who did hinder you? feeing you did thus begin in the Spirit, that you fhould end in the Flefii, namely, in Carnal Rea- fon, and Humane Policy , ? How can this be, that Children that have Habitual Faith are of no ufe in the Church ? When our Saviour Chrift faith,. Of fuck is the Itingdom of God. which is the Church j and the Apoftie laith by Allufion, that there are feveral forts of Veifels in the Houfe of God, in 2 Tim. 2.20, 21. But it is Chrift by his Spirit that doth purge and fanttifie them, and make them, Meet Veflels of Honour, fit for their Matters ufe: Neb. 10. 10, 14,. id, 17. 2. You may as well query, What ufe are Chil- dren of in a Family ? Are they not for Delight and Complacency, and to hold up the Name of their Father ? So are thefe Children of the like ufe in the Houfe of God , they hold up the Name .of ( i»3. ) °f God ; for wherever there is Habituat Faith, there is the -Name of God Recorded in that Soul. 3. As Parents keep NurfeS and Servants to at- tend upon Children, and are at great Charge with them, and receive no vifible profit by them •, Why even foGods Spirit doth Nurfe the Graces of theie Young Difciples, and his Holy Angels are Servants unto them •, for they are Heirs of Salvation - y Heb. 1. But to which of the angels faid he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine ene- mies thy footftool f Are they not all minijtring ffirits y . fent forth to minijler for them who fJjaU be heirs of falvation / And God is not profited by the Service of any of his People. 4. AVe find that our Saviour did Love, Btefs, and own the Children of believing Parents to be of the Church, Mat. 19. 14. And pray mind that Word of Chrift, which fhould be a Caution to ail you Infant Defpifers, Mat. 18. 10. Tstig heed that ye defpife not one of thefe little ones , for I fay unto you, that in heaven their angels do always be- hold the face of my Father which is in heaven. $. Pray do but obferve what an Honour Chrift put upon Children in his Anfwer to thofe carnal, defpifmg Priefts and Scribes, in. Mat. 21. 15, id. And when the chief priejls andferibes Jaw the won- der] ul things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and faying, Hojanna to the fon of David y they were fore difpleajed, And jaid unto htm, I^ar- eji thou what thefe fay, &c. Here you may obferve Two Things: (1.) They were ferely imaged a- gainft the Lord Jefus Chrift, becaufe the People with Loud Acclamations conferred Chrift to be the Meffiah, and for this his Enemies were inniged againft him, and by way of Deri/ion faid, Hearejl tim what thefe fay ? As if tliey ftiould have faid, flea reft Meareft thou what thefe Little Children fay > They praife thee in the Temple 5 but what do their praifing of thee fignifie ? For they are of no ufe in the Temple, or Church of God : But our Saviour's Anfwer to them may be a very fea- fonable Rebuke to this Clamour, that is much of the fame kind with the Chief Priefts and Scribes in that Day, in verfe 16. And Jefwfaid unto them, Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and fuellings thou haft. perfected praife? 1. What an Excellent Character did our Savi- our Chrift give of the Praife of thefe Little Chil- dren, vb(. perfected praife ; and pray mind the rea- fon of it in PfaL 8. 2. Out of the mouth of babes and fuellings haft thou ordained ftrength, becaufe of thine enemies, that thou mighteft ftill the enemy and the avenger, 2. Here you fee Children were of great ufe in the Church of God, both under the Law and Gofpel : For what greater ufe can there be in the Church, of any Members thereof, then to render perfect Praife unto God ? Therefore pray Sir, let me advife you , that you never open your Mouth more, whiift you live, to ask fuch a Car- nal, unchriftian Queftion as this, vi\. What ufe i are Young Children of in the Church ? 8. Say you, But as far Circumcifion, a Seal of Ri^pteoufnefi, that was a clear Command to Abra- ham, and bis Seed at Eight Days old, Gen. 17. but not one word in the Gofpel for baptising or fprin\jing of Infants. 1. I do own that Circumcifion ivas a Seal of Righteoumefs, and a clear Command to Abraham, and his Seed at Eight Days old, and I muft add, r hat. this Seal was one. of the Seals of Abrahams Covenant, ( i«5 ) Covenant, and therefore, fay I, the Children of believing Parents, now under the Gofpel, being in the very fame Covenant, have a Bight to 'the Seal of Righteoufnefs, which belongeth as reuch to the Covenant now, as ever it did belong to it under the Law, or elfe this Seal of Righteoufnefs is loft ; but that can never be loft, nor ditfolved, becaufe the Covenant which God made with A- brabam is an Everlafting Covenant, and can never be Diffolvcd, nor Repealed* and fo is the Seal, or Token thereof, Gen. 17.7, 11,13. And, 2. Pray what is the Reafon, that we have A- brabam fo often mentioned in the Gofpel, but to AflTure us, that all that are faved rince that Cove- nant was made with Abraham, are faved in that Covenant ? 3. Chrift the Mediator of the Covenant, took not on him the tyature of Angels, but the Seed of Abraham ; And what is the Reafon the Apoftles mention Abraham, and the Seed of Abraham, and the Bleffingof Abraham coming upon the Gentiles, and the Promifes which belong to the Covenant of Abraham, and that Abraham is the Father of the Believing Gentiles, and all this in Gofpel -Times ? Horn. 4. 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, 13. How came Abraham :o be Heir of the World, and the Gentiles to be Fellow-Heirs with the Jews, which were his Na- rural Seed > Therefore AbraJ)am\ Covenant is not abolifhed ; but (lands faft, and fixed, and the Seal of Righteoufnefs alfo, GaL 3. 13, 14. Eph. 3. 6. AVts 2. 38, 39. Nowall'thefe Scriptures, which are the Gofpel of that Command which God gave unto Abraham for Circumcition, isfu- fficient Ground and Authority for Chriftian Be- lievers to Baptize all their Children in their Infan- cy, it being no wiiere forbid, nor their Children never caft out of the Covenant, unlefs the Cove- nant ( «86) nant hath Ioil: that Seal of Righteoumefs, which doth principally belong to Infants^ and not to the Adult at all, after it had Initiated the Head of the Family into the Covenant j for after the fir ft In- ftitution of Circumcifion it was Death for any jew not to be circumcifed in his Infancy, Gen. ij. 12, 14. So Adult Believers have nothing to do with the Ordinance of Baptifm, after the rlrft Inftitution, or Plantation of the Gofpel in a Fa- mily, unlefc it be fueh Pei fons whofe Parents un- belief deprived them of it in their Infancy 3 fuch ought to be baptized when they are Adult, upon the CopfelTion of their Faith --, but Baptifmc of Right is devolved upon the Infant Seed of Belie- vers only, as Circumcifion did j and therefore the Baptifm of the Anabaptitts cannot be good, and that principally for thefe Four Reafons following, 1. Becaufe they difown the Covenant God made with Abraham, m which the very Founda*. tion for Baptifme was laid. Let them find out any other Foundation for it if they can : For that Covenant is founded upon ChriiVhimfelf, Gal. 3. 13, 14. And the Apoftle in the 15th. verfe, to confirm the Stability of the Covenant the?e, fhews us by illuftration,that if a covenant that is between Man and Man about their own private Affairs, ought to be kept vinyiolably and Unalterably ; much more fhall the Covenant which God made with Abraham, which is-in Chrift, be kept Inviola- hk and Unalterable. Pray read the Gofpel, and un- derftand it,and not thus abufe our Covenant Mercy. 2. Becaufe they baptize the Adult Seed of Be- lievers, that were baptized in their Infancy as they ought to be. - 3. Their Baptifm cannot be good becaufe they deny it to their own Seed and Off-fpring, when as the Covenant is made to Eelievers and their ( 187 y their Seed : So that either they are no Believers themfelves, or elfe they Reprobate their own Chil- dren. 4. And Laftly, Their Baptifra cannot be good, becaufe their Principle is to baptize Adult Belie- vers, but not their Seed, which is to baptize but a part of the Believer , whereas they fhould not only baptize him, but all of him : So that their Baptifm it felf is but a counterfeit Baptifm. 9. And Laftly, You put Three Queries to me, 1. Whether Children are in the Covenant of Grace Abfolutely or Conditionally ? 2.. Whether that can be an Ordinance of Chrift, for which there is neither Precept nor Example, &c. 3. And daftly , Whether in Matter of meer pofitive Right, fuch as Baptifm is, we ought not to keep exprefly and punftually to the Revealed Will of the Law-giver ? But where do you find any ex- prefs Command for the Infant-Seed of Believers to ftay until they are Adult to be baptized, after the fifft Plantation of theGofpel in Families*, for whatever the Conditions were, which God made with Abraham and his Seed, both Spiritual and Carnal, are the fame now unto Believers and their Seed, both Spiritual and Carnal, being i» the very fame Covenant as they were. But I have Anfwered thefe Queries already, and you, your own felf, by allowing all my Queries in my for* mer Book to be found and good, have Anfwered them. And thus we may fee how all thofe Men, that I have here been Treating with, do differ one from another, though all of them do hold particular Election. In the laft place to conclude, this Opinion of the Anabaptifis is very prejudicial upon many ac- counts you fee, and many Errors and Abfurditks attend ( 188 ) attend it ; and among the reft it doth mightily hinder Union in Judgment and AfFeftion. i . It hinders Union in Judgment, which is a fin, becaufe the Scripture faith, in I Cor. i. 10. Now I befeech you ; Brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jejks Chrift, that ye allfpea\ the fame things and that there be ?to divifions among yiu -<, but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the fame mind, and in the fame judgment. 2. It hinders Union in Love xmd Affeftion, Phil. 2. Fulfil ye my Joy, that ye be like minded, having the fame love, being of one accord, of one mind* 3. It hinders Union in Joy andConfoIaticn , Rom. 5. Now the God of patience and conjoluthn grant you, to be li\e minded one towards another, according to Chrijl Jefw, that ye may with one mind, and one mouth, glorifie God, tkc. Rtm. 1 2. Rejoyce with them that Rejoyce, be of the fame mind one towards another. 4- It hinders Union in the Worihip of God, for we ought to ferve the Lord with one confent; $. It hinders Union in Faith, and Edifying the Churches of Jefus Chrift, Eph. 4. 11, 12, 13, 14. 6. Andjflaftly,It doth consequentially hinder the fulfilling of thefe Prophefies, Zeph. 3. 9. For then twill 1 turn to the People a pure Language, that they may all call upon thr Name of the Lord, to ferve him with one confent, Zech. 1-4. 9. And the Lord ffjalf be King over all the Earth ? in that day fljall time be one Lord, and his name one. Thus you fee, thefe Differences as flight as fome Men make of them, are very pernicious and mif- chievous •, It renders -us juft like a Company of Men that are building a large Edifice, that when one hath laid the Foundation, another comes and takes it up, and lays it another way \ and another comes, and he takes it up again, and will have i 109 ; have it his way •, arid while they are thus divided and contending about the Foundation, the Buil- ding is neglected, and (lands ftill, as the Apoftle alludes to -, and the Doftrine of Baptifm is men- tioned for one of the caufes of Division in ffeb. 6. Therefore leaving the principles of the DoUrines of Chrijlf Let us go on unto perfeUion, not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from dead worlds, and of Faith toss^rds God y of the DofirineofBaptifme, and of laying on ofhands^ nd of the Refurrettion of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And forae of the Anabaptifts are concerned in all thefe , but all of them are concerned in moft of them 5 for they are laying a new Foundation for Repentance from Dead Works, and Faith towards God, for all Elect Dying Infants, as I have fhewn. But fome will be apt to fay it is not convenient to write about fuch things as thefe are at this jun- cture of Time * it will but create Divisions and Animofities among us ; to which I Anfwer in the Negative, Tliat it will not, but it will rather tend to Union in Affection : For what is the caufe of Division, but Errours in Judgment •, therefore if it pleafe God to remove the Caufe, the Effect will ceafe : For we can never be united in Affection , while we thus differ in Judgment, it is impoffi- ble , for it is Incongruous , for faith the Scrip- ture, Can two wal\together except they are agreed ? This Interrogation carryeth a ftrong Negation in the Bowels of it : Fire and Water may as well be reconciled and dwell together comparatively : and hath not fad Experience been our School, mafter for this many years in this point ? Thus I have done with you all for the prefent , and my hearts defire and Prayer to God is that we may all come up to the Standard of the Lord Jefus Chrift, in the Unity of the Faith of God's Elect. And ( 190 ; And thus you fee I have fully . anfwerd all their Carnal Allegations and Arguments, and clearly vindicated my former Book, Intituled , An Anti- dote to prevent the Prevalency of Anabaptifme from that Fallacious AJjertion of being a Counterfeit. And fo my Beloved, Fare ye well all in the Lord. TOSTSCRITt ALthough I have thus written concerning the Anabaptifts, and proved their Congregations to be no Churches, and their Baptifm to be but counterfeit, and their Opinion Sacrilegious,in that they Rob the Church of Chrift of her Treafure, vv(. All the Infant-Seed of Believers, neverthelefs I do believe that there are many good People a- mong them 3 but they are fuch, as are better than that Opinion 3 for I know how to diftinguifh be- tween Perfons and their Opinion, though Mr. ff. C. could not 3 but inftead of that he falls upon my Perfon, in his pretended Anfwer to my Book, which Anfwer was a meer Complication of Ca- lumniation , profound Confidence , Ignorance , wrong Topicks , faife Mediums , ' perverfion of Scriptures, and Non-fence 3 and fome of that Opinion have another way of Anfwering Books, that detect, their Principles, and that ib by giving them an lil Name, uu In laying, It is a filly Thing, not worth Reading, nor Anfwering : But if it be a Book in favour of their own Principles, though it be fluffed with never fo many Errours and Absurdities , they cry it up to a Degree of Infallibility, although they never read the one, nor law the other 3 and of both thefe Practices I fell am not without fome EKperieace, which doth ( »9t ) otti fomeihing border upon that kind of Practice, rhich is condemned by Solomon in Prov. 17. 15. te that jujlifieth the wielded, and he that condemneth le'juj}^ even they both are an abomination to the Lord, ideed this is counted good Policy amohgft the 'apjis-y but mc-thinks it ihould not be fo among rotefiants : But it may be fome of our own Princ- iple, that are either ignorant of our Principles, r not faithful to them, will be apt to fay, that am too harfh j but is this harfher in me, than : was in them to Aifert, That our Churches are nbaptized Babyloniflt Churches, and our fprink- ng of Infants in Baptifm is a Relique of Anti- irift •, which is faife ? Pray what is the Englifl) f this ? Is it not to unchurch us? But that which have charged them with, I have Sufficiently pro- ed y for both their pretended Churches, and Bap- fm, are upon wrong Foundations , and their ipinfon is but a Bone 0$ Antichrift, that hath gen thrown in among us, to divide us, and it is ity bvtt it fhouki be thrown back at him again, (ow the difference between their Principles and urs are not fo indifferent as that both can be ight ; for if they be in the Right, then we are 1 the wrong : Eut I have proved the contrary, id this makes thofe Anabaptljh, that are beft ac- uainted with their own Principles refufe to have hriftian Communion with us : For either they •e no True Church, or we are not, whoever yeth the contrary : For we do believe , that ur Church State is in the Covenant which God lade with Abraham, which Covenant is Chrift, a. 42. 6. God gave Chrift to be a Covenant to le People, f they were the Jews,) and for a Light ) the Gentiles ; and the Foundation of our Bap- 1m is in Abrafiams Covenant : But this Covenant not the Foundation of the Anabaptijts Church, nor ( ip2 y& 4