The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Poſitions tending to clear the thing in queſtion.
1. THoſe that take upon themſelves a Chriſtian profeſſion, being ſeparate for God, calling him by the Name of Lord, that have Ordinances of God as their inheritance, that acknowledge a Deity, and no other but the true Deity; a neceſſity of worſhip, and none but the Chriſtian worſhip, theſe with me are in Covenant with God, as was the whole ſtate of the Church of the Jews, and the whole face of the viſible Church of the Gentiles, that were ingraffed in their ſtead. This to me is plain, in that they are the Church or Churches of God, Act. 7. 8. Gal. 1. 2. The called of God, Matth. 22. 14. The people of God, Iſa. 1. 2. Pſal. 90. 7. They ſacrific'd to the true God, Pſal. 50. 7. Are the ſons of God, Gen. 6. 1. Deut. 14. 1. Rom. 9. 4. Are a people nigh unto the Lord, Deut. 4. 7. Pſal. 148. ult. God profeſſing himſelf to be their God, Pſal. 90. 7. Are children of the Covenant, Acts 3. 35. Saints, Pſalme 90. 5. Acts 26. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 33. Believers, Act. 8. 12, 13. Acts 21. 20. Luke 8. 13. Diſciples, Matth. 10. 1, 4. Acts 9. 1. & 15. 10. Chriſtians, Acts 11. 26. That all of theſe imply a covenant-ſtate; and that unregenerate men, have in Scripture, all this honour, is clear; Theſe therefore with me are in covenant. I know, that as to all of theſe elogies, it is anſwered in a word, that they are equivocal. An anſwer that I can ſcarce take into my thoughts without horrour; as though Gods Oracles were all over, from one end of the Bible to the other, like thoſe of Apollo, and there were no reality, either in their ſeparation for God, or gifts that they receive from God, (as illumination, conviction, faith) or priviledges that they enjoy; When there can be no plain denial, that all of this here mentioned, argues a covenant-ſtate, yet exceptions are taken. It ſeemes (ſaith one) he takes all to be in Covenant that bear the name, [Chriſtian.] And then queſtions; What? Though they know not what Chriſt or Chriſtianity is? Is taking a name, entring into Cevenant? The poore Indians that by thouſands are forced by the Spaniard to be baptized, are ſaid to know ſo little what they do, that ſome of them forget the name of [a Chriſtian] which they aſſumed. And does not our Authour think that a man may take as plauſible exceptions againſt his words, (where he ſaith, The rule is, That a ſerious profeſſour of the faith is to be taken for a true beleever, if he would travel as far as India for it,) as he doth here againſt Gods Word? Do not we know, that force may make, theſe poor Indians, to appear ſerious in their profeſſion? And it is wonder, that it ſhould be ſo ſtrange with him, that taking a name, ſhould be entring covenant, or at leaſt that it ſhould imply a covenant-ſtate: Let him conſult Iſa. 4. 1. In that day ſeven women ſhall take hold of one man, ſaying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; onelyonly let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach; and thoſe manifold Scripture-Texts, which expreſſe the relation of Gods covenant-people to him, in theſe words, A people called by his Name; or on whom the Name of God is called. Diſtinction ſhould be put, between children of the covenant, by deſcent from parents in covenant, whether Jews or Chriſtians, (who continue their covenant-relation, till they profeſſedly caſt it off, notwithſtanding their ignorance) and ſuch that of meer aliens are to be received, having no other title then their own preſent qualification. This ought to be voluntary, as well, in renouncing their old falſe way, as embracing the preſent, as we ſee it was, in thoſe coverts through the Acts of the Apoſtles, and, is not to be, without ſome competency of knowledge, diſcerning the evil of their former courſe, and the happineſſe attainable in the preſent. And, I am eaſily induced to believe, that more knowledge by the induſtry of teachers, is now required, then was in the primitive times, ſeeing there is not ſo much of God, by miracle to perſwade, and as it were to over-rule: So that it is not a naked taking of a name that is intended, but that which together with it ſtill attends upon it: As a wife is called by her husbands name, and withall, makes her abode in his houſe; ſo it is with a Covenant people, and was with Iſrael; They bore the name of God, and they made abode in the Church of God, enjoying his Ordinances as their inheritance. It is objected, God oft beſtowes his Word on Infidels, and in England there are men that deride the truth of Scripture, and eſteem it a fiction, and yet for credit of men come ordinarily to the Congregation. Theſe have the Word given, and ſo have other unregenerate men, but not by Covenant that I know of, That God doth beſtow his Word on Infidels, to me is ſtrange: It is true that he often tenders it to them, but in caſe they remain Infidels, they put it away from them, and beſtowing implies not only a tender but an acceptance. It was the great advantage of Iſrael, above other Nations, that to them was committed the Oracles of God, when others had not that honour. And to ſpeak, of Gods giving his Word by Covenant, is a moſt improper ſpeech, ſeeing the Word is the very Covenant draughts; as though we ſhould ſay, he gives his Word, by his Word. And theſe ſure are no open deriders that for the credit ofmen, make ſuch a publique profeſſion: this would work reſtraint, on the one hand, as it puts upon profeſſion on the other. And in caſe any ſuch thing be, though the Covenant is perfidiouſly broke, yet (as I conceive) it is not totally caſt off, as long as an open profeſſion is continued. What ſhall we ſay of thoſe, that take their ſons, and daughters, to give them to Moloch? this can be no low crime, and is an high departure from the true God, yet theſe bring forth children unto God; and they are Gods children, that they thus sacrifice, Ezek. 16. 20, 21. So alſo, Pſal. 106. 35, &c. Iſrael was mingled among the Heathen, and learned their works, and they ſerved their Idols, which were a ſnare to them; yea, they ſacrificed their ſons and daughters unto Devils, and ſhed innocent blood, even the blood of their ſons and daughters; Yet this, as appears caſt them not out of Covenant; God notwithſtanding remembred for them his Cavenant, ver. 45. This was therefore doubtleſſe but a partial apoſtaſie; Taking in the worſhip of Idols, they did not totally caſt off the worſhip of God: God was not totally caſt off in Judah, neither did God caſt off Judah: Ahaz was of the worſt of Kings, and yet his poſterity was reckoned among the people of the Lord. Had the Jews at that time been, as ſevere diſputants againſt a covenant-ſtate, as are riſen up now, the Church of God had wanted an Hezekiah, He had never lived, (much leſſe wrought ſo happy a Reformation) in the Church of God.
2. Thoſe that are lookt upon by men, Poſit. 2.as in Covenant with God, and ſo ordinarily judged (as the people of Iſrael were) by the Name that they bear, their abode in the Church, the profeſſion that they make, and ſo accordingly stiled, are truely, and really in Covenant. A man may know a man, to appertain to ſuch, or ſuch a perſon, becauſe he ſees him in his family, hears him call him Maſter, ſees him, ſometimes at leaſt, in his work, and knows, him to have the repute of his ſervant; Though to know him to be a faithful ſervant, requires more diligence of enquiry, and a ſtricter ſcrutiny: So, a man may be as eaſily known, to appertaine to Jeſus Chriſt; The ſame Characters make him known, all that is required, to being in covenant, is, viſible, open, evident: but ſincerity of heart in covenanting is inviſible, and ſecret. And therefore the Jew outwardly, Rom. 2. 28. is called by the Vulgar, Vatablus, Tremelius, Arias Montanus, and Caſtalio, Judaeus in manifeſto; by Calvin, Judaeus in aperto; by Beza, Judaeus in propatulo: The Jew inwardly, is called Judaeus in abſcondito, or occulto: Their Church, or covenant-ſtation, giving them thoſe great advantages after mentioned, was open and manifeſt. Thoſe that ſay, Lord, Lord, as, Mat. 7. 21. are of thoſe that avouch God to be their God, and God avoucheth them to be his people. And therefore when they come with their ſacrifices, though in their ſinnes, and God upon that account teſtifies againſt them; yet he ſayes, I am God, even thy God. It is confeſs'd by an eminent adverſary, that we muſt judge thoſe that make profeſſion, to be in Covenant with God: we muſt give them the name of Chriſtians, and men in covenant with God, and we muſt uſe them as Chriſtians in works of Charity and Ordinances, and Church-communion, and ſo muſt uſe their children as Chriſtians children. And ſeeing reaſon to judge ſo, according to Scripture-character of men in covenant, they are ſo. Either in this we judge right, or elſe we proceed upon miſtake, If we judge aright, then all is well: If we miſtake, then, all in theſe proceedings is null. Water hath been applyed to the child of ſuch an one, but no Sacrament diſpens'd; and according to a mans hopes, thoughts or feares of his fathers regeneration, are his hopes, thoughts and feares of his own baptiſme, and conſequently of his intereſt in Church-communion; for this, ſtands, or falls according to his fathers intereſt, or nonintereſt in the covenant. A grand Rule is laid down by the ſaid Authour, That a ſerious Profeſſour of the faith is to be taken for a true Beleever: and this being laid down, more are added. If this Propoſition were a Scripture-Maxime then it would have borne a farther ſuperſtruction, but, being neither found there, nor any proof made, that it is any way deduced thence, mother and daughters, may all juſtly be called into queſtion, and ſeeing he cannot but know, that very many (as to the thing for which it is produc'd (which in order to admiſſion to Ordinances) will utterly deny it, he might have dome well to have made ſome eſſay to have proved it. I do yeeld that charity is to hope the beſt, but but that we ſhould put our charity to it, or our reaſon either, for probability or certainty, when we no where ſo taught, and have a more ſure rule for our proceeding, I ſee no reaſon. I can ſcarce meet with a Miniſter that ſayes, (and I have put the queſtion to many of the moſt eminent that I know) that he baptizeth any infant upon this ground of hope that the parent is regenerate, but ſtill with earneſt vehemence profeſſes the contrary. I deſire the Reader to conſider Maſter Cobbets third and fourth Concluſions in his juſt Vindication, page 46. 52. There is a bare external being in the Covenant of Grace, ſaith he, of perſons who poſſibly never ſhall be ſaved. Concl. 3d. The Church in diſpenſing …n enjoyned initiatory ſeal of the Covenant of Grace lo…keth unto viſibility of intereſt in the Covenant, to guide her in the application thereof. Nor is it the ſaving intereſt, of the perſons in view, which is her rule, by which ſhe is therein to proceed. Concl. 4th. Viſibility of intereſt, and ſaving intereſt are there oppos'd. See alſo Maſter Hudſ…n, pag. 249. John Baptiſt did not in his conſcience think they had all actually, really and compleatly repented and reformed themſelves, whom he baptized, but he baptized them unto repentance, Matth. 3. 11. and they by receiving the ſame bound themſelves to endeavour the practiſe thereof. It were a ſad caſe for Miniſters, if they were bound to admit none, or adminiſter the Lords Supper to none, but ſuch as were truly godly; or that they judged in their conſcience to be ſo, or were bound to eject all that they judged were not ſo.
3. Mans obligation of himſelf in covenant unto God, Poſit. 3.upon the termes by him propoſed, neceſſarily implies Gods obligation to man. Where God makes tender of the Goſpel, by his Miniſters to any one out of covenant, there he makes tender of the Covenant; and where a perſon, or people, profeſſedly accept, that is, engage themſelves, (as myriads of thouſands did through the Acts of the Apoſtles) this perſon, this people, each man of them is in covenant. As Scripture calls them by the name of Saints, Diſciples, Beleevers, Chriſtians, ſo we may call them Covenanters. They have all a ſanctity of ſeparation, which Camero ſayes, is real, and arguments are drawn from thence to a right in Baptiſme, There is in moſt of them, if not in all, ſome graces that are real; either common or ſaving, and a covenant doth not wait, till the termes be kept, and the conditions made good, before it hath the being of a covenant. And whether theſe be every way ſincere, or any way diſſembling, yet it is acknowledged, that they really oblige themſelves: And God howſoever diſſembles not, but is bound by himſelf, upon his own terms, which they profedly accept, to confer all that the covenant holds forth, ſo that, whereſoever man is obliged, there a compleat covenant is made up, for Gods tender goes before, and man is the laſt party, and compleats the Covenant.
4. Sinceri…y, Poſit. 4.and integrity of heart; or fully reality, in a mans intentions, to ſtand to the whole of a Covenant, is not of the offence, and being of it. Both parties ſtand engaged, upon their reſpective termes, though one part ſhould have unſincere intentions. A wife is a wiſe, and the marriage is compleat, when both parties have publickly expreſs'd conſent though ſhe hold a reſolution to be ſtubborn, refractory, profuſe, &c. A man conſenting to ſerve, whether in bare words, or taking earneſt, as is moſt uſual, or by hand and ſeal, as in the caſe of apprentices, is a ſervant although he intend with Oneſimus to purloyn, or take his opportunity to be gone. Some thinks it makes for their advantage, to ſay, that unregenerate men are unſincere in covenant; but that conceſſion, utterly deſtroys them. If they be unſincere, or as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, not ſtedfaſt in covenant, then they are in covenant, A propoſitione ſecundi adjacentis, ad propoſitionem primi adjacentis, valet argumentum. If it be true that Catiline is a ſeditious man, then it is true, that he is a man: that Peribomius is a vicious man, then he is a man; that Judas is treacherous and perfidious in covenant, then he is in covenant: A mans conviction, that he is an unjuſt ſteward, or an unfaithful ſervant, doth not conclude him to be no ſervant, or no ſteward, but the contrary. And whereas it is ſaid, The differences muſt be taken notice of, between humane Covenants, and ours with God; or elſe all will be marred. Men know not one another hearts, and therefore make not laws for hearts, nor impoſe conditions on hearts: and therefore if both parties do confeſſe conſent, though diſſembledly, they are both obliged, & the Covenant is mutual. But God offers to conſent only on condition that our hearts conſent to his terms, and therfore if we profeſs, conſent, & do not conſent, God conſenteth not, nor is, as it were, obliged. This were ſomewhat to purpoſe, in caſe it could be made to appear that Scripture denies all being of a covenant between God and man, where the all-ſeeing eye of God ſees not all integrity and ſincerity. But Scripture-language which is the faſeſt for us to follow, being (as we have heard) far otherwiſe, there is nothing marr'd in nonobſervance of any ſuch ſuppoſed difference; See Pſal. 78. 34, 35, 36. When he ſlew them, then they ſought him; and they returned, and enquired early after God. And they remembred that God was their Rock, and the High God their Redeemer. Nevertheleſſe they did flatter him with their mouth: and they lied unto him with their tongues.
5. There is a real and ſerious purpoſe in many unregenerate perſons to ſerve the Lord, Poſit. 5.and to come up to as much as they think he in covenant requires, though with Auſtin they have a great mind to delay, and often to put off, the thought of, their more exact, and ſerious ſervice; and too ordinarily think that they keep covenant, when they break it, having not as yet any right knowledge, either of their own hearts, or Gods commands, and in this poſture, in which they thus ſtand, before they come up any higher, yea, though they never come higher, they reach unto graces in themſelves real, true, and good, and all do, the works which God commands; There is a common grace which is not ſaving, yet real, and ſo true, and good, and ſo true grace, as well as ſpecial grace which is ſaving, ſaith Maſter Baxter Saints everlaſting Rest, Part. 3. Sect. 6. Which may be a faire anſwer to that which is objected againſt me, that in my explication of Dogmatical faith, I adde by way of excluſion [though not affecting the heart to a full choice of Chriſt] where he ſeems (ſaith my adverſary) to imply, though he expreſſe it not, that the faith that he meaneth doth affect the heart to a choice of Christ which is not full. But if ſo, then, 1. It is much more then aſſent, or a meer Hiſtorical, Dogmatical Faith. 2. But is the choice, which he intimateth real as to the act, and ſuited to the object? That is, the real choice of ſuch a Chriſt as is offered, and on ſuch termes? If ſo, it is juſtifying faith: If not, either it is counterfeit, as to the act, or but nominal, as to the object, and is indeed no chooſing of Chriſt. That which is real and true, is neither counterfeit nor meerly nominal, ſo far as they know, either Chriſt or their own hearts, they undiſſembledly chooſe, and take to him, as expecting to be happy in him, and not in any other object; though too often it is upon miſ-information, and when they come to a right underſtanding of the termes, they are in danger to quit the way in which they might enjoy him. It is further ſaid That, I think that there may be an undiſſembled profeſſion, which yet may not be of a ſaving faith; But then I conceive, ſaith one, it is not an entire profeſſion of the whole eſſential object of Chriſtian faith, viz. of aſſent and conſent. In which he doth but caſt duſt in his Readers eyes, in confounding the intireneſſe of the object, and the integrity of the ſubject. There may be an entire profeſſion of the whole eſſential object of faith, where the will is brought in to make no more full choice, or conſent then hath been ſaid, and the deſired integrity of the ſubject wanting; I am told, It will be an hard ſaying to many honeſt Chriſtians, to ſay that a man not juſtified may believe every fundamental article, and withal truly profeſſe repentance of all his ſinnes, and to take God for his Sovereign to rule him, and his chief good to be enjoyed to his happineſſe, and to take Chriſt for his Lord, and only Saviour, and his Word for his Law and Rule, and the Holy Ghoſt for his guide and Sanctifer, and the reſt which is eſſential to Christianity. I think it will be nothing hard for any honeſt Chriſtian to ſay, that a man not juſtified, may believe every fundamental article, as to aſſent, and that he may be convinc'd of the neceſſity of ſuch repentance, and accordingly to make profeſſion of it, as Johns converts (who were not all juſtifi'd) did, and were baptiz'd into it, or that ſuch an one may freely yeeld, that God hath right of Sovereignty and rule, and that he is the chief good to be enjoyed for happineſſe, and that he ought to take Chriſt for his Lord, and Saviour, &c. and that this may be done truly, not only as to reality of aſſent, but as to reality of purpoſe to make this choice, ſo farre as the man knows his own heart, or the minde of God in this work, though there be not that integrity, to yeeld up himſelf wholly, which yet by the power of Ordinances through the Spirit, in Gods time may be done, and through grace perfected.
Laſtly, Poſit. 6.God ſetting up a viſible Church upon earth, in order to that which is inviſible, will have thoſe admitted, that give aſſent to Scripture-doctrine, and accordingly wake profeſſion: And this, of it ſelf in fero Dei, brings them into covenant-right, and viſible Church-memberſhip. And therefore according to the minde of God (and, as Apollonius ſpeaks, jure Dei in this eſtate) are to be received, Though they ſhall hit, or miſſe of the mercy of the covenant, accordingly, as by grace they come up to, or by ſin fall ſhort of the Propoſitions contained in it. A Scholar (ſaith Mr. Hudſon) that is admitted into a School, is not admitted becauſe he is doctus, but, ut ſit doctus; and if he will ſubmit to the rules of the Schoole, and apply himſelf to learne, it is enough for his admiſſion. The like may be ſaid of the Church-viſible which is Chriſts School; Vindicat. pag. 248. The door of the viſible Church, (ſaith Maſter Baxter, Saints Reſt. Part. 4. Sect. 3.) is incomparably wider then the door of heaven; and Chriſt is ſo tender, ſo bountiful, and forward to convey his grace, and the Goſpel ſo free an offer, and invitation to all, that ſurely Chriſt will keep no man off: if they will come quite over in ſpirit to Chriſt, they ſhall be welcome: if they will come but onelyonly to a viſible profeſſion, he will not deny them admittance. This ſeems to me to ſpeak the mind of Jeſus Chriſt for their admittance, and that in foro Dei, as well as in foro Eccleſiae, they ſtand in covenant-relation, and have title to Church-memberſhip. Thus the Reader may ſee my thoughts in this thing; and though I doubt not, but that ſome will queſtion much that I have ſaid; yet now at laſt, I hope, my meaning may be underſtood.