Of Regeneration and Baptism, Sermons · Sermon 1 – Sermon 2

Of Regeneration and Baptism · Sermons · Sermon 1 – Sermon 2

p. 1SERM I.

— Except a man be born AGAIN, (or from above) foreign) he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God, Joh. 3.3.

CHAP. I.

MAN was once in a ſtate of happineſs, chiefly for that he was born happy; That Bleſs'd condition was annexed to his Beeing, neither could he Be, but he muſt therewith be happy, as it were by nature and Patrimoniall inheritance. But, alaſſe! this ſo happy eſtate laſted not long; 'twas extreamly good, and ſuch advancements have never uſed to approve themſelves to the world by length and duration. Habitus corporis extremè bonus maximè periculoſus, is a rule approved by the Phyſitians, Exacteſt health ſpeaks worſt danger of Change, and from the wiſeſt of Politicians, the wittieſt of Poets, —Summiſ que p. 2negatum Stare diu. This ſo happy eſtate therefore laſted not; and the unavoidable change, not but as in extreams it uſes to be, from one extream to another: Out of the Heathen ſo noted by the(1)(1)Nam ut paulò a…tè, qui ſuperiorem illam ſectam amplexi ſunt contumelioſus in B. Virginem opiniones aſperſerunt, Sic iſti in contratiam partem declinantes, extrema… i… noxam & pernici…m in…id…runt, ut Philoſophorum celebre illud dictum in ipſis comprobetur, (foreign) Extremitates Aequalitates Epiphan. l. 3. haer 79. c. 1: Chriſtian long ſince, and here it took place to the full, From the pinnacle of a Temple to the bottome of a Pit, From the higheſt of perfection to the loweſt of defection, From the top of all happineſs this fall was to the worſt and loweſt of all kind of miſery. Whereby was caught a woful bruiſe: Poor Man! thou feeleſt and complaineſt of it to this very day, nor have ſome thouſands of years worn off all grief and anguiſh from thy diſtempered either body or ſoul, And yet were not thy caſe wholly Miſerable, if any way Amendable. But as a crackt Bel that admits of no reparation of fracture, it muſt be molten, or it remains good for nothing; Or as a Goldſmiths veſſel, ſo bruiſed and battered(2)(2)Ac fabri quidem aerarii, & qui ex argilla vaſa fingunt; cum aliquid vetuſtate obſoletum renovare cupiunt, primùm illud confringunt, ac deinde iterum conflant: Baptiſmus autem nos de…uò conflat; non igni ſenſibili ſed ſpiritus flamma ſpurcitiem omnem excutiente atque abolente. Nicet. Commentar. ad Gregor. Nazianzen. Crat. 40. cap. 8. by unlucky fall, that in vain is the Craftsmans aſſiſtance called in, no Art can repaire and ſoder it to former uſe, but it muſt to the fire and furnace, to bee wholly New-Made: So univerſally and irrecoverably was Man miſchiefed and ſpoiled in all his powers to Good, and abilities againſt Evil, that there needs a total Reformation and Renovation, the frame ſo out of frame, that (no talk of amendment) the Whole muſt be taken in hand, and(3)(3)Et quam ob cauſam, inquis, hoc quod nobis peccata concedit, non lavacrum remiſſionis peccatorum dicitur, nec lavacrum purificationis, ſed lavacrum Regenerationis? Quia non nobis ſimpliciter peccata concedit, nec ſimpliciter nos purificat malis actibus implicatos, ſed tanquam denuò Generatos efficit. Nam denuò nos condit & conficit, &c. Chryſ…ſt Homil. 60. ad illuminand. Tom. 1. pa. 710. Ut igitur ſtatuam auri metallo confectam aliquanti temporis metis fumo & pulvere & aeruginis ſordibus coinquinatam cum artificis manus acceperint, renovant fornacis ardore, & ſplendidam nobis lucidamque demonſtrant: ita & noſtram naturam Deus aeruginatam mole peccati, & malorum geſtorum fumo violatam, & omni pulchritudine, quam primò ei donaverat, denudatam, in illos aquarum fontes, tanquam in conflatorium mittit: & pro flamma, ſpiritus gratiam ſubminiſtrat, & exinde rudes effectos etiam ſolis radiis elevat clariùs lucentes, veterem hominem conterens, novum autem oſtendens longè meliorem. id. ib. New-made, or elſe Man is loſt and undone as to the ſtate of two worlds. This is uſually known in Chriſtian Schools by the name of a Second Birth, or Regeneration, and hath here its neceſſity declared and demonſtrated to a great Scholar, that yet it ſeems had not learned this point of neceſſary Learning: In the ſtate of lapſed, decayed nature, no good is to p. 3be expected, and Verily I ſay unto thee, (ſays Chriſt to Nicodemus) unleſſe a man be (ſo new formed and made as to be) Born Again, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God.

The words our Saviours, (the beſt Teacher) and ſpoken as they were to a Great Name, not inferiour to any of his time, Rabbi Ruler Nicodemus; Who being (as Gualter on the place) a profeſſing, eminent Phariſee, did, no doubt, much rely upon that Phariſaical-natural-performance, hoping thereby to earn out a good eſtate toward God; chiefly by the advantage of his Sect (the ſtraiteſt of his Nation) by his So being and Doing even to merit eternal life.Acts 26.5.Acts 26:5 Our Saviour Catechiſes him better, (and that his ſcope, ſays the ſame Authour) aſſuring him that in Him, or us, that is, in our corrupt natural nature (if I may ſo ſpeak) dwelleth no good thing, Rom. 7.18.Rom 7:18(fleſh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God, nor is Corruption prepared to enter into life:) A man muſt be tranſplanted into a better ſtock, before he can bring forth acceptable fruit to God, renewed, advanced, purified to higher and holier capacities and powers, yea, Metamorphoſed, and exalted to another Heavenly nature by Grace, or elſe he is unfit to look him who is LIGHT in the face: And verily (ſays Chriſt) unleſſe (to his naturall Birth) he be again ſo Born, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God.

That is, in our firſt ſtate of being we are all utterly loſt, if a man remain but what his parents left him, He is verily the childe of Death. 2 Sam. 12.5.2 Sam 12:5David ſpake it to his Prophet only in a Parable, but it is really true of all the ſons of Adam, They can make out themſelves no better fortune, but they live onelyonly to Die, nor may their beſt endeavours help them ſo much as one ſtep in the way to everlaſting life. A Felon may get, but can never keep, what, under his guilt, the Law diſables him to own, and he that is not rectus in curia, is deprived thereby of his otherwiſe due rights and priviledges: Even ſo, ſaith Chriſt, Without me, ye can do nothing, John 15 5.John 15:5Be ye whatſoever ye are, or would, the tree muſt be made good before the fruit, He that is born Man, muſt be exalted farther and higher, beyond common humanity, by heavenly p. 4birth, or elſe, be what he will, or do what he can, He is not, he acts not the Child of GOD. The ſumme is, Of our beſt works of decayed nature in old ſtate, there is little or no hopes to Heaven, our very righteouſneſſe is ſin, our piety guilt, our religion abomination, and Ʋnleſſe a man be reformed to the heighth of an acceſſory regeneration, and more then amended, new born Again, He cannot look to ſee the Kingdome of GOD, what, and who is inviſible.

A ſtrange and ſpiritual Doctrine to the groſſe conceit of a Carnal Phariſee: who meaſuring all things by lower human reaſon, and entertaining nothing but according to ſuch praeconceived notions, is ſtartled into little leſſe then a phrenſie of conceit; and ſo abſurd as to vent thoſe thoughts by(1)(1)Solet hoc evenire perſonatis Eccleſiae paſtoribus, ut ſi nemo illos arguat, ipſi inſcitiam ſuam ineptiſſimis quaeſtronibus & propoſitionibus publicè prodant. Gual…er. Homil. 7. in Joan. 1.John 1 words importing a ſecond natural Birth, to make way whereto, he admits neceſſarily a praeſuppoſition that he might and muſt reenter his Mothers wombe, that he may be ſo born, All which (from ſo many improbabilities to be clambred over) might well draw forth their mention in form of a doubt, Whether? and this doubt queſtion of the thing no leſſe then the poſſibility, CAN theſe things be So? CAN a man be born again? Is it poſſible he Should enter Again into the bed of his former Creation, that he may thence be ſo new Born? ver. 4. Our Saviour meekly inſtructs him, and not ſo much chiding, as gently leading him out of his Errour, ſhews him both the Thing and the Manner, ver. 5. What, and how: That he muſt be ſo born, and that birth be of water(2)(2)Cum enim duplex ſit homo, ex anima & corpore compoſitus, duplex quoque eſt purificatio: incorporea quidem, incorporeo: corporea verò, corpori. Et aqua ſanè mundat corpus, ſpiritus autem ſignat animam, ut abluti in corpore aqua munda, & repurgati in corde (ſpiritu Dei) accedamus ad Deum. Cyril. Hieroſolymit. Catecheſ. 3. pa. 16. Cum homo ſit compolitum quid, non ſimplex naturá, ex duobus attemperatus, corpore nimirum ſenſibili, & anima intelligente, gemino quoque opus erit ei ad regenerationem remedio utrique quodammodo aſſini & amico. Spiritu namque ſanctificatur hominis ſpiritus, aquá verò ſanctificata, corpus. Cyril. Alexandrin: Comment: in Joan. 3. Tom 4. pa. 147. Quandoquidem homo duplici natura, hoc eſt animo & corpore conſtabat, duplicem quoque purgationem nobis dedit, nempe & per aquam & per ſpiritum: ſic nimirum, ut ſpiritus divinae imaginis ac ſimilitudinis decus in nobis inſtauret, aqua autem per ſpiritus gratiam corpus peccati deleat, &c. Jo: Damaſcen: Orthed: ſid. lib. 4. cap. 10. And before them all. Tertullian: The mind (ſaith he) not the fleſh, is firſt in fault, Spiritus enim dominatur, Caro famulatur: and yet are they both to blame, ſpiritus ob imperium, Caro ob Miniſterium. Igitur medicatis quodammodo aquis per Angeli interventum, & ſpiritus in aquis corporaliter diluitur, & cano in eiſdem ſpiritualiter mundatur li. de Baptiſm: cap: 4 pa: 257:John 3 and the Holy Ghoſt. For, That which is born of the fleſh, is fleſh (alone) ver. 6. That onelyonly is born of p. 5the Spirit, is Spirit: Marvell not therefore that I ſaid unto thee, A man muſt be born Again, for Except a Man be ſo born, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God.

So that two things the words then naturally give juſt occaſion to inſiſt on. 1. Their ſubject, Regeneration (as a ſimple Theme) Ʋnleſſe a man be Again Born. 2. The conſequent or effect of this precedent cauſe, ſuppoſed and implied in the denial of that conſequent or effect upon the abſence or excluſion of the cauſe, Except he be ſo born, He cannot ſee what is Heavenly. Begin with the former, (Regeneration) Except a man be born Again, &c.

And hereof, before I come to the main I aim at, two things more I crave leave to Preface by: One of the Word, another of the Thing. Of the Word, thus.

1. Whereas our authorized Engliſh Tranſlation has here Verily, unleſſe a man be born Again, with which word in the text is a marginal note of Reference, and the Referree gives choice, or From above, Though the former is uſually taken, as beſt agreeing with the uſe moſt men make of it, yet the latter is the right and truer, as agreeing not onelyonly with the Original (to us) foreign,As, Every good giving and e…ery perfect gift is from above, (foreign) and c…meth down from the Father of Lights, Jam. 1.17. ſo …hap. 3.17. and John 19.11. Here in th s Chapt ver. 31. O foreign that come h from above is over all: Qui ſuperne venit, ſo Beza; qui deſurſum, ſo the Vu…gar; qui e ſuper…s, ſo Eraſmus. The verſe after expounds it ſelf, He that cometh fr…m Heaven is above all.Jas 1:17John 19:11 (conſideratly by the old Latine rendred, deſuper) but alſo with the ſcope and conſequence of the place, (as well before as after) which make it May be thus, and renders it ſo indeed that it can very hardly be meant or tranſlated any other way. For, Whereas the whole given is a ſet Dialogue between a great Critick in the Learning of his Nation, and our Saviour, of Heavenly things (mark the ſubject) and He had begun by telling our Lord, that he verily thought He came down from God (above) elſe He could not doe the things he had been ſeen perform, ver. 2. Our Lord anſwers by granting the thing, (How could he doe otherwiſe?) But withal he affirms more, Raiſing the particular inſtance to a general caſe, My ſelf? Nay, I ſay unto thee, No Man, Except hee make derivation from thence, (or from above, from that God) can ſo much as ſee or know any thing toward that Kingdome. That which is born of the fleſh (here) is fleſh, and can ſee only fleſh or connatural fleſhy things, That p. 6which is born of the ſpirit or from above, that onelyonly diſcerneth the things that came from whence, or belong thereto whereof it is: Marvel not therefore that I ſaid unto thee A man muſt be born (or derive) foreign, that is, from above, (for that is the word again) For, unl…ſſe he can truly pretend to ſuch extraction, and finde the root of his pedegree in Heaven, he cannot look back thither again, or ſee the Kingdome of God. When this had puzled the thoughts of the grave unlearned Do…tor (I may well ſtyle him ſo, ſith Chriſt upbraids his ignorance) and his troubled mind▪ little leſſe then phrenetically carnal, had admitted the raiſing of no leſſe then a tempeſt of manifold doubts, What? Can theſe things be? Can a man be born, and when he is old? May he return a ſecond time to the former womb, that he may be ſo born? No, ſays our Saviour, this needs not; Hee needs but be born (where he is) of water and that ſacred blaſt or inſufflation (foreign) which all know to come from ſuperiour unknown regions, and that enough: Another of the ſame name, foreign, and perhaps ſome nature common, bloweth where it liſteth, here below, and men hear the ſound thereof, but know (as little as of this) whence it cometh, or whither it goeth, Such is the extraction and deſignation of this Grace and its work; which wonder not that I require of inviſible production, for unleſſe a man do ſo derive, or bee ſo born, (from whence, or to what he knows not, his hopes are little to or toward the Kingdome of God. The ſum is, A man muſt be born again, that is, from above; from above, that is, from Heaven; from Heaven, that is, be inſpired thence inviſibly, Divinely, or elſe he cannot doe the works that I (or any other good man) does, or (acceptably) look in any holy juſt performance to God above, that dwelleth beyond the thick clouds: Marvel not therefore that I ſpake in the Metaphor, requiring ſuch ſupernall extraction, to be born from on high, for unleſſe a man be ſo born, he cannot, &c. as before. This for the word, and ſetting together the (diſturbed) frame of the Text, now as to the Thing.

2. Although the head of ſacred Re-Generation be ſuch p. 7a ſubject (or article) of Chriſtian Faith, that many things are ſpoken (and written) of it (with confidence enough,) and particularly this Chapter (and very Text) made a ground for them, (and many other beſides) as if the New Teſtament ſpake of nothing more plainly, intentionally, clearly, and fully, yet ſuch is the miſtake, and things ſo far from being indeed ſo, that, not onelyonly this place (ſo much confided in) has not the word Regeneration, (nor any of the ſame import, ſave by conſequence and inſinuation) Nor, having enquired with ſome diligence, could I finde it elſe-where above once or twice in this whole Code, (very ſeldom compleatly in this notion.) Once, 'tis beyond exception, in Tit. 3.5. where Chriſtian purification by water is ſtyled foreign, the Laver of Regeneration, and has annexed to it fitly, the Co-aſſiſtant operation of the holy Ghoſt; And that of S. Peter 1.— 1.23. Being born-again not of corruptible ſemination, but incorruptible, &c. may perhaps look that way: But for that which follows there in the next Chapter, As new-born Babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, that ye may proſper by it, and our Saviours promiſe, Ye that have followed me in the regeneration, and my text,Mat. 19.29.Matt 19:29 Theſe are ſo far from expreſſing a Regeneration, that the firſt and laſt have not the word, nor the middlemoſt, in any likely interpretation, the Thing, (as neither many other places, (the ſubjects of like abuſe) wreſted yet about to ſerve ends, and preſſed to confeſſe that they meant not, nor ever knew:) For, in 1 Pet. 2.2. the Apoſtle onelyonly fetches a compariſon from young and tender infants ((1)(1)foreign: t t modo nati infantes, Beza. ſicut modò geniti infantes: ſo the old Tranſlation. As infants even now born: ſo the Rh…miſts. Now-born, not New-born, as the Original word gives plain) whom hee would have deſire the food of their ſouls, with as much ſincerity, and free from guile and hypocriſie, as thoſe tender babes do their natural food, (Much to our Saviours Doctrin, Matth. 10.15. to receive the Kingdome of God as a little childe, and as he calls that pattern of humility and ſimplicity, and ſets it before his turbulent ambitious aſpiring Diſciples, Matth. 18.2. which(2)(2)Br…thren be not children in underſtanding; Howbeit, in malice, be ye children: but in underſtanding ſhew your ſelves Men. 1 Cor. 14.20.1 Cor 14:20 S. Paul forgat not to take into his rule neither,) And that promiſe of our Saviour, Mat. 19. is onelyonly of compenſation his faithful followers ſhall p. 8have, (Diſciples, or whoſoever forſake any thing for him,) in the Regeneration ſays the text, in ſeculo futuro, expounds it Junius, in Chriſts temporal Kingdome yet to come (and after the firſt reſurrection) on earth, expect the(1)(1)Whereof ſee a Learned and ingenuous Treatiſe, by M Maton, on Acts 1.6. Lord, wilt thou again at this time reſtore the Kingdome to Iſrael?Acts 1:6 Millenarians, but in the(2)(2)foreign, Renaſ…ntia,—inſtauratio. Item univerſalis reſurrectio. Seapul. Lexic. Noviſſimus hujus mundi dies, qui ſic dicitur, quod eo Deus creatu…us ſit novum coelum & novam terram, hominémque electum perfectè regeneraturus, ut Mat. 1….28 Paeſ…r. Lexic pa. 170. and ſee alſo Marlorat. Enchirid. l…c. commun pag. 529. D…ae enim ſunt Regenerationes, p…ima animarum ex aqua & ſpiritu in Baptiſmo, ſecundae corporum in generali reſurrectione, quae quidem reſurrectio dicitur Regeneratio vel ſecund… generatio. Ludolph. de vita Chriſti. lib. 2. cap. 13. ſect. 13. In regeneratione cum ſederit filius hominis in …ede Majeſtatis ſuae (quando & mortui de corruptione reſu…gent incorrupti) ſe deb…tis & vos in ſoliis judicantium, &c. So S. Jerome expounds in Comment. ad Matth. 19. Tom. 6. pa. 40. Magnas quidem & admirandas res magnoque motu ac tremore dignas mihi, O homo, narras: Siquidem ita ſe habent, atque poſtquam fatis conceſſerimus, ac in cinerem & pulverem diſſoluti fuerimus Reſurrectio & Re-Generatio futura eſt. Prince Joſaphat to his ghoſtly Father Barlaam in Damaſcens Hiſtory chap. 9.Matt 1:28Matt 19 Renovation or Reſtitution of all things, (mentioned, Acts 3.21.) ſay thoſe that interpret moſt warily and probably; When the(3)(3)R…m. 8.21. Creature now groaning under it, ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, In this(4)(4)2 Pet. 3 13.2 Pet 3:13 Heaven and Earth) (purified) there dwelling righteouſneſs, and the Tabernacle of God placed with men, and he ſhall dwell with them and be their God, and they ſhall be his people, and ſo ſhall bee wiped away all teares from their eyes: as Apocalipſe 21.2, 3. For, Peter had ſaid before, Maſter we have left all and followed thee, what ſhall we have therefore (hereafter) ver. 27.) Jeſus anſwers, (as lifting up their eyes to the day of Judgement preſently, and that future wonderful conſideration of things and compenſation) ye that have followed me! Verily I ſay unto you, ye that have followed me, (in this Generation, here) ſhall (hereafter, in that which is to come) receive abundant remuneration, For in the Regeneration (for(5)(5)Illud verò in regeneratione, re…erri poteſt vel ad praecedentia, Qui ſequuti eſtis me in regeneratione, vel ad ſequentia, in regeneratione quum ſederit filius hominis, &c. Duplex autem eſt regeneratio. una animorum in praeſenti vitae, adminiſtrata per Evangelii praedicationem, &c. Altera eſt corporum, ſtatus futurae vita, quem Paulus vocat Redemptionem corporis neſtri, Rom. 8.23. — Hanc Petrus Acts 3.21. vocat tempus reſtaurationis omnium. De hac regeneratione hic loquitur Chriſtus, & hoc ſenſu ad ſequentia referendum eſt, in regeneratione quum ſederit, &c. Nova Gloſſ. ordinat. ad Matth. 1928.Rom 8:23Acts 3:21 ſo the words are to be ſet together and conſtrued, not as commonly, ye that have p. 9followed me in the regeneration (in this world) ſhall receive Thus and Thus amends hereafter in the next life, But) ye that have ſo followed me with loſſe of all things here, ſhall in the (1)(1)Rectius ad ſequens comma referuntur hae voces. Grotius ad loc. So Beza both read himſelf and had obſerved it to be read in five ancient Copies, conform to what hec acknowledgeth abroad. So Muſculus, and Marlorate, and Maldonate, and the Fathers. Chryſoſt. Hom. 56. in Matth. Tom. 1. pa. 691. Hieron. ad Matth. 19. Tom. 6. pa. 40. Bernard. in Declamat. col. 1006. Auguſtin. lib. 20. de Civ Dei. cap. 5. & 6. lib. 2. contra Julian: ca. 8. & lib 3. contra duas Epiſt. Pelag cap 3. &c. The Syriack gives, in ſeculo futuro, which cannot but relate to time to come.Matt 19Regeneration or Reſtitution of all things, in that world when all is paſſed away, and old things become new, receive large amends: And when the Son of man ſhall ſit on his Throne (whom now ye forſake not in his lowneſſe or poverty) then ſhall ye alſo (in that foreign, or new mold of things) ſit upon your ſeveral glorious thrones, and (as your number fits well) judge the twelve Tribes of your Nation of Iſrael. This was amends enough; likelieſt to be promiſed, was here promiſed, and ſo (nor the other place) making any thing for preſent regeneration or change of Soul by being born of God, (though the word I confeſs be exact for it;) which word (in which ſenſe) is (I ſaid) ſeldome found in Scripture, (perhaps not above twice or thrice) nor the thing (ſave by conſequence and inſinuation) much oftner; for certain, here's no Born Again (as before) in this place. Yet, becauſe the text is commonly ſo interpreted and expounded, and emphatically and plainly in ours allowed ſo tranſlated, which the governing original may bear too by the help of implication not the very remoteſt, I am content, rather by occaſion of it, then grounding my ſelf upon it, to continue my thoughts on this argument: (for, ground to raiſe any thing upon I would have always firm, ſuch as none can except againſt, nor will fail in time of trial:) And whereas here are two things, a Birth ſupernal, and the neceſſity of it, ſhall begin and end with the former, Except a man be born again, or from above.

CHAP. II.

AND this, you know, is a ſubject of common diſcourſe, nor Pen, nor Pulpit have been ſparing of their pains, and either way they have been more then very many things that have been exhibited to the world; the moſt good and p. 10pious, ſome alſo true, and not but ſome (in ſo great variety, very like) grounded on miſtake and tending to Error; Declaring rather what the ſpeaker or writer meant (in the name of good) to affix and lay with reverence to ſo holy a ſubject, then what Was, or the truth or ſtate of things (all things conſidered) would bear. I, that my Diſcourſe may fit in with it ſelf and be intire all of a piece, ſhall firſt take leave (with due reſpect) to lay aſide what hath been ſaid hitherto by others, as things already profitably known; And ſecondly, that what I intend intirely mine, may be either true or very likely, ſhall lay the moſt upon the reſolution of this (I think moſt pertinent, though hitherto quite neglected) Quaere, What was known of this argument of Regeneration, in our Saviours time? Whether any thing? In what particulars it came forth? How tendred? How received, &c? With relation whereto no doubt our Saviour ſpake as he did, to wit, according to the knowledge then on the Stage, or (as one would ſay, and as moſt men uſe) in the language of the times. For as he that would apprehend in a right notion himſelf, or deliver out fully to others who do not know what the Truth is, of any of the Myſteries of our Religion (as(1)(1)Principiò, quod attinet ad notionem vocabuli, praemittendum eſt, Baptiſmi nomen ſignificare quamvis ablutionem. Itaque nonniſi uſu doctorum Eccleſiaſticorum accommodatum eſt, ut ſignificet propriè unum hoc ſacramentum ex illis ſeptem novae legis, quae probavimus à Chriſto fuiſſe inſtituta. Gregor: de Valenc. Tom: 4: Diſput: 4: punct: 1. Baptiſme, Euchariſt, Church, Sacrament. Excommunication, Abſolution, &c.) It would behoove him farther then a bare and ſimple conſideration of the import of thoſe words at top, to dive deeper into the nature of the Things, the application, uſe and import of thoſe words with us, and by ſtudy, obſervation, or otherwiſe, to acquaint himſelf what We mean, intend, or(2)(2)Res auditae non ita ſe habent, ſicut res oculis viſae & perceptae. Hac de cauſa non ſunt ea ita ſolida, quae ego per auditum de ritibus Zabiorum ex libris ipſorum ſcio & addidici, ſicut ſunt apud illos, qui ipſimet opera illorum viderunt. M. Maiemonid: in More Nevoch. par. 3. cap. 49. Do by them (things to be known only from us) without which a very jejune and empty Declaration is like to be furniſhed out of ſo great and weighty matters: Even ſo, He that would to the purpoſe ſpeak home on this Myſtical ſubject our Saviour hath ſanctified with the mention of his lips, as He meant, and muſt from him have been written p. 11down in the Scriptures, it would behoove farther then by the help of a Concordance and Lexicon, to know what the word might poſſibly hold forth in another place, or any where, to look and ſatisfie himſelf what it meant Here, what manner of Thing it was that was cloathed out as it were in the habit of this expreſſion, or what the people, or times, that age did apprehend of it, which was queſtionleſſe That was meant by our Saviour. A point and inquiry (no doubt) of manifold uſe, but withal of ſo unhappy neglect, that (as far as I can inform my ſelf) it hath not at all come within the thoughts of any Writer on my Text by Commentation, Enarration, or otherwiſe, occaſionally or purpoſely, in Tractate, Sermon, Common-place, or Howſoever, to beſtow any conſiderable pains about, it yet ſeeming Alone that which muſt afford light to ſatisfaction. By like, it may not be the eaſier to begin firſt; Difficilia quae pulchra? Nay, we will invert, Pulchra quae difficilia, the acceptableneſſe of the work may perhaps grow up under our hands with the painfulneſſe of the labour, And if any thing can be found, it may be as a new Diſcovery to let in more light (into this profound and obſcure myſtery) and ſuch an Addition as may lay in ſomewhat more to the general ſtock of knowledge, heretofore laid together by other hands. On therefore, cum bono Deo; nor may the untroddenneſſe of the path repel or diſcourage a firm reſolute purpoſe; God be guide, as truth our aim, and revelation of the hidden myſteries of Scripture, (not to be looked to or toward, but with trembling reverence) our ſcope and reward: Our Saviour ſays, Except a man be born again, &c. and what was believed, known, uſed about it in thoſe times in which he lived and ſaid ſo?

CHAP. III.

I Anſwer, Many Things. The Thing,(1)(1)Many of the things next following, I confeſſe to borrow from M. Seldens de Jure nat. & gent. l. 2. c. 2. & 3. Before, I had them; but dark, lame, ſcattered imperfect; plainneſt and fulleſt in that moſt learned man: Mine be only the tranſlation and application to this purpoſe. the Effects, the Rites, the Ends; in general, Regeneration was then an p. 12effect of Proſelytiſm. (You muſt pardon the hardneſſe of that word; obſcure things always meet not with facile expreſſions, and ſo bring in new or ſtrange words (I adde or Things) is in this age, nor ſtrange, nor new.) I reſume therefore Regeneration was in our Saviours time a believed effect of Proſelytiſme, whereby the ſtranger that was by due rites initiated thither, was as it were mortified to his former eſtate dead to the world, revived to a new life, quickned to God, regenerate, renate and born again out of this, to a new ſtate of happineſſe and life with Moſes and among the holy children of Iſrael. From them as many as were, had their deſtiny praefigured in the old world, of whom, as many as miſſed the relief of Noahs Ark, ſcaped not the miſchief of being drowned in the water, out of their Society or Church all were in ſtate of Perdition; As many as were taken to ſanctuary with them were tearmed Proſelytes (of(1)(1)Weemſe. Chr. Synag. p. 140 or of foreign, as Godwin, in Antiqu. Heb. 1.3. or of the old verb foreign, as Paſor in his Lexic. N. Teſtam. pag. 313. Comelings, as one would call them. Advenae, or Albini quaſi Alibini; in Spelman. Gloſſar. in vocab: Albanus. Compare Act. 2.10.—6.5. —13.43. with Matth. 9.14. Joan. 12.21. Acts 8.29.—quem Philo etiam foreign vocat. Grot. in Mat. 23.15.Heb 1:3Acts 2:10Matt 9:14John 12:21Acts 8:29Matt 23:15 foreign, to come over) They that did come were eſteemed to bee renewed, renate, Born Again plainly into a new world, capable of ſo much expreſſion that it might afford ſome excuſe to Nicodemus, that He thought, One muſt enter into his Mothers womb that he might bee ſo born.

But it may behoove to be yet more diſtinct: (Generality uſes to be the parent of much confuſion) and to make delibation of Hebrew Antiquities, as much as will ſerve us with knowledge of the ſeveral ſorts of Proſelytes that were among them, the manner of making them, the ceremonies, rites, priviledges, &c. the rather becauſe they are to be looked upon as cauſes of this effect my Text ſpeaketh of, and Thoſe that were, by Them it was they were ſo Regenerate, born anew, or (which is all one) made Proſelytes.

By an uſual diſtinction then two ſorts of them there were,

1. Proſelytes of the (2)(2)Godwin, Antiq. Heb. lib. 1. c. 3. Medes Diatrib…on Act. 17.4. pa. 83, 84, &c.Acts 17:4Gate, or for habitation, and no p. 13more, (Proſelyti domicilii) a lower ſort, which were ſo far initiated that they might(1)(1)This was a qualification much like as, To be a Chriſtian in any ſort, is, to live among us: for a Jew is an outlaw by our Law: See Daniel; Hiſtor: in Edw. 1. p. 160. Stows Chron. in 18 Edw. 1. Fullers holy war, lib. 1. cap. 4. Eſpecially M. Selden de Jure nat. & gent. lib. 2: cap. 6. pa. 194, 195, &c. Formerly it appears they were under the Kings protection by S. Edward Laws, in Lambard. Archaion: pa. 141. L. 29. Nay, all infidels are by our Laws perpetuī iuin…ici. Cocks Reperts 7. fol. 17. Ca…vins caſe, & Iuſtitut. par. 4. chap. 50. aſſociate and converſe with the Hebrews even in their own Territories, (but as ſtrangers,) And theſe had not much done unto them: OnelyOnly with ſome few ceremonies they were bound over to keep(2)(2)What they were, may be ſeen from the Hebrew Doctors, in Ainſworth upon Geneſ. 9.4. & M. Seld…n de Jure nat. &c. 1.10. But take the heſt account from one of their own, a late Ruler of their Synagogue at Amſterdam. Septem praecepta, ut traditur in Gemara Sanhedrin, omnes gentes obſervare tenentur quae iccirco vocantur foreign ſeptem praecepta filiorum Noachi. Ex his (quemadmodum in Seder Olam: cap. 5 & apud B. Moſem in Juda-hazaqua legimus) ſeria Adamo data ſunt: nimirum ut abſtineret …: ab Idololatria: 2. Maledictione Numinis Divini: 3: Caede: 4. Adulterio: 5. Furto: 6. Ut judices inſtitueret quorum eſſet curare ut illa praecepta obſervarentur. Super haec Noacho ſeptimum additum fuit, nè membrum vivo animali amputatum comederet; his verbis: Carnem cum anima & ſanguine ſuo ne comedas; (or againſt eating of blood; which whether renewed or continued in Acts 15.20. I onelyonly propoſe.) Haec ſunt praecepta, ob quorum violationem ut ex S. Scriptura ibidem in Sanitedrin probatur, etiam gentes mundi à Deo punitas conſtat: Eum vero qui illa obſervat vocarunt, foreign peregrinum in habitantem, quia in Iſraele morari poterat. Manaſſeh Ben Iſrael: in Conciliator: ad Deuter: quaeſt: 2. pa. 221:Gen 9:4Acts 15:20 Noahs ſeven Commandements, (the reputed ſumme of the Law of Nature for Divinity and Morality, out of which Moſes Ten Commandements were after drawn, or moſt of them) And a few other things, that they might not offend (their Maſters) the Hebrews, among whom they were permitted to live, But the fruit of this initiation did not pretend to look to any great matter, far ſhort of ſo great a change as might intitle to a Renovation, or Born again, and therefore I have accordingly ſoon done with it. But beſides theſe of Habitation, qualified to live and converſe with Iſrael, there was a ſecond ſort came up farther to a Copartnerſhip or fraternity with them in their Religion, and the priviledges therof called.

2. Proſelytes of the Law, or Proſelytes of Righteouſneſſe, (Proſelyti juſtitiae) which were as the Cives facti, the other as one compares, the Cives nati, of the Common-wealth of Iſrael; And theſe as they were initiated with more ceremony, ſo no doubt was made, thoſe rites were in them effectual to higher purpoſes then the former, namely, to obliterate all they had before of corrupt Gentiliſme, and to render them like men dropt out of the clouds, wholly changed, Renewed, Regenerate, (as this morning born infant) naturalized Citizens of the community of Iſrael, and ſo eſtated in a participation thereby of their Law, Liberties, Priviledges, Hopes, Religion, and all the happineſſe ſuch an holy Communion could promiſe the true members thereof in this or the other world.

p. 14CHAP. IV.

The rites of making Proſelytes.THE Rites or Means (as 'twere Sacraments) in this Proſelytizing or Regeneration were three: (underſtand, after the giving of the Law upon M. Sinai, where one of them, Baptiſme being firſt appointed, of neceſſity till then, ſc. from Abraham to Moſes, the two former that were muſt needs ſerve the turn, but on this ſide Sinai they were three) Circumciſion, Baptiſme, and Oblation.

1.(1)(1)Ainſworth on Geneſ. 17.12. pag. 68. The firſt was a ſign of the covenant into which they were received: the ſecond a ſign (or means) of their purification, (compare the 24 and 25 verſes of John 3.) for all Gentiles were held unclean: the third for aetonement with God. Purchaſ: Pilgrim: lib: 2. cap. 2. out of Druſius. Pet. Kicius de coeleſti agricult. lib: 3 & Munſter in 50. praecepta Moſis are alledged by him for the continuance of Circumciſion and Baptiſme to this day, (which thing is true) and why ſacrifice is omitted, ſee hereafter. But remember, All three rites paſſed at any time onelyonly on the Men, the Hebrew Law de…lined ever the Circumciſion of the o…her half of mankinde: So, at firſt, but two rites could miniſter their initiation; ſince, but one, Baptiſme. Cur autem foeminae non fuerint circumciſae, & an jus habuerint ad bona foederis? Vid. Scharp. Symphon: prophetarum & Apoſt: part: 2. Epoch: 3. Quaeſt. 9. Quale item jus earum ad regnum Dei, non obſtante iſtiuſmodi circumciſionis defectu, apud Epiphan: Haereſ. 3. Aebionit: Tom: 1. pag: 160. —Placeat etiam obſervare, Amice Lector, vel ſi forſan anteà obſervaſſes, in memoriam revocare, & fuiſſe antiquitùs & jam temporis eſſe, qui Circumciſionis hanc notulam utrique ſexui, tàm muliebri ſcilicet quàm virili, imprimere perhibentur; iique varii variarum cùm gentium incolae, tum religionum cultores. De Aeg ptiis (antiquioribus) Ambroſius: Quarto decimo anno circumcidunt mares, & foeminae apud eos circumcidi feruntur, quòd ab eo videlicet anno incipiat flagrare paſſio virilis & foeminarum menſtrua ſumunt exordia, lib. 2. de Abraham. cap. 11. Quod idem de iiſdem habetur (ex Strabonis Geographiae lib: 17.) apud doctiſſimum Epiſcop. Montacutium, in Tom. 1. Originum Eccleſiaſticarum. part. 1. ſect. 52. ſc. ſolenne ipſis fuiſſe foreign. Nec minus de hodiernis, quae non t…m circumciduntur quàm ex…iduntur Chriſtianae, apud Purchaſ: Peregrinat: lib: 6. cap. 4. De Iſmaelitis refert euthymius Monachus Zygabenus, quôd Moameth propheta eorum & legiſlator de tircumciſione & marium & foeminarum legem ferens, interdixit etiam illis vino: Et mares quidem, inquit autho…, circumcidere Ebraicum eſt, foeminas verò impudentiae Mo…methicae proprium; …cili…et ut circumciſionem in lege praeſcriptam hoc modo corrigeret. In Moamethicis, apud Biblio: hec: pat: Graec: Tom: 2. pag. 303. Et paulo poſt, docuit eos ut ſe circumciderent, viros parit…r & mulieres, pag. 308. Ejuſ…em farinae eſt quod de Aliaticis aliis Alexan…er ab Alexandro: In Arabia gens eſt, inquit, Creophagos v…cant, quibùs nedum viri ſed mulieres Judaice excindi ſolebant; ſicut de Andramite, Lydorum rege, qui primus Eu…uchas fecit mulieres, ſermo proditus eſt. Genial. …ie…um, lib: 2. cap: 25. fol: 97. Quamvis non Arabiae, ſed Aethiopiae ſunt iſ… Creophagi, apud trabonem, cui nec circumciſio mulierum prorſus ignota. Geograph: lib: 16. Non diſſimile de Jacebitis (Chriſtianis) in Meſapotamia, Paleſtina, Syria, &c. ſub Pat…i…rcha in orum diſperſis, ſ…r ptum reliquit ex noſtratibus Brerewoodus, in Inquiſit. cap. 21. pa. 153. De Abyſſeni…o five A…th… opibus ſub potentiſſimo Imperatore Presbytero Joanne (vulgò Prete Gianni, noſtratibus Preſter John) cultum ſimiliter Chriſtianum amplectentibus, Idem in …iſdem, cap: 23. pa: 165. Ant. Maginus, Geograph: Nov: fol: 188. Georg: Sandeſius, peregrinat: lib: 1. pa. 55. E. Paget. Chriſtianograph. p. 166. imprimis autem Damian: à Goes, pag: 559. De Maronitis, in Geographicis ſuis doctiſs. D. Heylin: pag 553. Necnon de Guinenſibus (paganis) Purchaſ. in peregrinat: lib: 6. cap. 16. Contra id quod paſsim obtinet, haec omnia, fateor; ſive in ſcri…tis hominum vulgariter vel non vulgariter doctorum, ſive in mentibus: Nec interim minùs digna quae vel obſervarentur vel ex criberentur vel notentur & in memoria teneantur quàm firmiſſima. Ex libris rerum cognitio: ex Commentariis autem graviſſimorum & authorum qui imprimis fide digni ſunt, haec ſingula deprompta: Tute, Lector, judica, ſive quod verius ſive quod veriſimilius ad libitum amplecti, vel ſi ita placeat repudiare permiſſus.Gen 17:12John 3 Circumciſion they grounded upon the Letter of the Law, and no doubt firmly enough, Gen. 17.12. & Exod. 12.48. where He (the ſtranger) that would partake of p. 15of their Paſſeover (as twere our Communion) muſt firſt be circumciſed (as with us baptized) or elſe he was unfit and muſt not approach, as yet not cenſed among thoſe of their Religion. And hereof is no doubt. But whereas for the requiſiteneſſe or expediency of their ſecond ceremony.

2. Baptiſme, they alledge that a little after in the ſtory of the peoples waſhing of their garments before the receiving of the Law by order from their Governour Moſes, as he from God,(1)(1)And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Goe unto the people, and ſanctifie them to day and to morrow, and let them waſh their …loaths. From this precept the Hebrew Doctors gather their Doctrine and practiſe for baptizing all whom they admit to their church, and covenant. Ainſworth on Exod. 19.10:Exod 19:10 Exod. 19.10. and interpret it figuratively of waſhing their(2)(2)So they interpret other like places, as Lev. 11.25. chap. 14 47. chap. 15 10. & chap 23. &c. Nor have they nothing before theſe times to countenance this rite, and that interpretation. So long before us in Jacobs time they make out his counſel to the ſtranger Siche…ites, that they ſhould cleanſe themſelves upon their coming over from their Idolatry to his faith, Gen 35.2. for a kind of baptiſmal waſhing. Aben Ezra gave it to the world in his Comments on that chapter; and M. Light-foot has given it us from him, in his Elias redivivus, pa 11. In fartherance of which interpretation M. Ainſworth grants two things. 1. That thoſe he there ſpake to, might be many of them Captives taken before in chap. 34.…9. 2. That by cleanſing is meant purifying, which outwardly was according to the Law) by waſhing in water, as Levit. 15.13. Numb. 31.23.Lev 11:25Gen 35:2Lev 15:13Num 31:23 bodies, ſc. by Baptiſme; And farther infer from hence a neceſſity (as well praeceptivè as exemplariter) of the like waſhing of all that ſhall come over to the Law, If the place be viewed, judgement will perhaps be ſoon given (as of(3)(3)A great fault! Scripturarum eſſe volumus quae noſtra ſunt: as S. Auguſtin complained. many other wreſted in, nay, turned quite round about to ſerve purpoſes) that it was found out rather to countenance the Rite after (for what reaſon ſoever) it was brought in and was deſired to be kept, then affording any ſound and ſubſtantial(4)(4)Ye… ſome Chriſtian Fathers reflected on this place, as countenancing our Baptiſme. Sicut in lotione veſtimentorum Exod. 19.) deſcribitur nobis quodam… odo purificatio per aquam. Cyril. Alexand. Glaphyr. in Exod. lib. 3. Tom: 1. pag: 319 Vid. etiam German: Archepiſcop. Conſtantinop… contemplat, in Bib. pat. Graec. tom. 2. pa: 131.Exod 19 ground to introduce it at firſt, or take it up when they were at liberty. I ſpeak by what appears in the Text or from it, as it is come to p. 16us: That of Guil. Pariſ. de Legibus, which he applies to women onelyonly, may ſeem fitly appliable to All in this caſe, (cap. 3.) Intrant mulieres in pactum Abrahae per quaedam Baptiſmata & traditiones quae in corpore leges non inveniuntur. They are cenſed with Moſes people by rites not found in Moſes Law. Howſoever, whether upon ground enough from the Law, as they pretended, or otherwiſe, certainly they uſed this ceremony, (you know what the word Baptiſme meaneth; and whether S. Paul had any alluſion to ſuch Baptiſme or reputed uſe thereof, in his 1 Cor. 10.2. of all the Fathers being baptized into Moſes, and paſſing through the Sea like the molten Sea, or Baptiſterium) I ſay no more here, but it would be thought on) But they(1)(1)Sed & nunc qui ex gentibus circumciſis ut Iſmaelitis, Perſis, Turcis ad Judaiſmum veniunt, ab ipſis baptizantur. Grotius in Annot. ad Evang. Mat. 3.6. pa. 41. & hujus Baptiſmi Judaici meminit Scholiaſtes ad Juvenalem, & Arrianus in Epictero. id. ib.Matt 3:6 uſed, I ſay, this Ceremony howſoever, both to men and women, not ſprinkling, but baptizing them all over, or waſhing them with a care exceeding diligent if not Superſtitious that no part, ſo much as the bending of a joint might be left unwaſhen. This was done in the preſence of a(2)(2)When his wound was whole then before three witneſſes was he baptized, in which ceremony they covered the whole body with water. Purchaſ. Pilgrim. lib. 2. cap. 2. & Ainſworth on Geneſ. 17.12. Quemlibet ſcilicet ejuſmodi proſelytum, dum ſtetit templum, triplici initiamentorum genere admitti ſolenne erat, Circumciſione, Baptiſmo (publicè & coram tribus minimè peracto) & oblatione. Selden. de ſucceſſion. &c. cap. 26: And ſo it continues: If any one would be a Jew, he muſt firſt be preciſely interrogated by 3 Rabbins or men in Authority, What it is that moves him to take this reſolution, &c. In their preſence he muſt be circumciſed and waſhed, &c. Ludovic. Mutineuſ. de gliriti Hebraici, par. 5. cap. 2. Theſe three were required likewiſe at the admiſſion of the other lower Proſelytes, which was done without any Baptiſme. Id. de Jure Nat. & Gent. l. 2. cap. 3. from Gemar. Babil. tit. Aboda zora, cap. 5.Gen 17:12 Triumvirate, or three choſen witneſſes ſolemnly aſſiſting as Godfathers; not without the(3)(3)Silicet ipſe Baptiſmus in ſeculis legis dationem ſequentibus actus habebatur forenſis ſeu Conſiſtorii Triumvirorum, ſive publicè ſive ex eorum quorum intererat abitrio, pro more conſtitutorum. Adeoque par eſt ut exiſtimetur fuiſſe etiam in deſerto atque intervallo quod tractamus, actus forenſis id eſt à praeſecturis praeſtandus juridicis quae fuerint; &c. Selden. de Syned. Vet. Ebraeor. lib. 1. cap. 3. pa. 33. nature of a Court for more ſolemnity, with explication of the Law over the Baptiſed as he ſtood in the Lavatory, and that by theſe overſeers leaning over him, ſuſcepturi, as they were about to take him up out of the water: Twice for failing p. 17both thoſe greater and leſſer commandements were ſo repeated. Before which the(1)(1)Vid. Hieron. Epiſt. ad Pammach. de erroribus Joan. Hieroſol. Auguſtin. de cura pro mortuis cap. 12.— Confeſſion. li. 9. cap. 6.—lib. de fide & operibus, cap. 6.— de tempore Serm. 56, 57. & 116. (which three laſt are ad competentes) Pamel. ad Cyprian. Epiſt. 13. num. 4. ad Tertullian. de Bapt. cap. 1. n. 1. Duo ſunt genera Catechumenorum (ut Rabanus docet) Unum eorum qui audiunt conciones, ſed nondum petierunt Baptiſmum, & ii dicuntur auditores ſive Audientes: Alii petunt Baptiſmum & dicuntur competentes. Bellarmin. de Bapt. l. 1. c. 1. & de Poenitent. lib. 1. cap. 23. Competens (as the word was uſed after in the Chriſtian Church for him was ripe for baptiſme, or ſtood in veſtibulo pietatis, as G. Nazian. phraſed it) was in the firſt part of the ſame continued buſineſſe of initiation by(2)(2)Poſt ſinceram Judaiſmi profeſſionem eum circumcidebant: profeſſionem, ſc. integram & perfectam totius Judaiſmi, & uniuſcujuſque legis Moſaicae capitis: Nam ſi unicum aliquod obſervare renueret foedere ſacro arcebatur. Gemar. Babil. cited by M. Selden de Jur. Nat. 2.2. And in this way might be fulfilled what the Learned Apoſtle writ (and perhaps meant hereof) to the Gentile Galatians, ch. 5.3. I teſtifie to every one that is circumciſed, He is a DEBTOR to do the whole Law. Bound: Why? Why not from ſome ſuch accuſtomed formall ſtipulation and expreſſe undertaking at the miniſtration thereof? So M. Hooker underſtood it cleerly, in his Polity, lib. 5. ſect. 64. pa. 338, Circumciſion, if not(3)(3)Praefecturae juridicae quae Baptiſmo praeerat profitebatur (baptizandus) proſelytus ipſe majorennis (maſculus qui annum 13. foemina quae 12. ſuperaverat) legem Moſaicam ſe ſervaturum. Minorum verò nomine, idem ipſum profitebatur praefectura ipſa, uti in Chriſtianiſmo ſuſceptores minorennium ſeu parvulorum; ſaltem ſi nec parentes adeſſent qui id praeſtare poſſent, Selden: lib. 1. de Syned. Vet. Eb. cap. 3. pa. 34. Etiam Regeneratum dixêre & Renatum quemque proſelytum ſic factum, velut infantem recens natum, &c. The reaſon, or reaſonableneſſe whereof may be derived from the firſt pattern and inſtance, for the holy Text ſeems to give us ſome ſuch convention at the firſt inſtitution of Legall Baptiſme. Moſes (the Mediator) is to carry the Articles of agreement, Exod. 19.3. The Lord called unto him out of the Mountain, ſaying, Thus ſhalt thou ſay to the houſe of Jacob, and tell the children of Iſrael; yee have ſeen what I did unto the Aegyptians, and how I bare you on Eagles wings, and brought you unto my ſelfe, Now therefore if yee will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye ſhall bee a peculiar treaſure unto mee above all people, for all the Earth is mine: And yee ſhall bee unto mee a Kingdom of Prieſts, and an holy Nation. Theſe are the words which thou ſhalt ſpeak unto the children of Iſrael. At verſe 7. Moſes called for the Elders of the people, and laid before their faces all theſe words which the Lord commanded him: And all the people anſwered together and ſaid, All that the Lord hath ſpoken wee will doe. Whereupon follows order for the Sacrament at verſe 10. If theſe things be thus, we have here the firſt bottome, (by divine information, and proceeding from no worſe then divine example, at leaſt approved thereby) of this part of neceſſary ſtipulation at Baptiſme into a Law to bee obeyed; and ſo may better underſtand 1 Cor. 10.2. Of the Fathers baptized into the Law.Exod 19:31 Cor 10:2 Baptiſme it ſelf) p. 18to declare his ſincere intention to keep the Law, and every ſyllable thereof, upon which condition onelyonly he was admittable, for if he made exception but of Any, the leaſt, there was a ſtop, and no farther proceeding; nay, the very hardeſt things were culled out to be propoſed, ſay Munſter and Maimonides, that if a man were not very reſolute, he might be diverted or repelled. Serious and ſolemn praemonition there was alſo of the weightineſſe of the buſineſſe in hand, the worthineſſe of the Law (and the received particulars thereof) the preferment of the change by ſubmitting to it, the dignity of thoſe perſons into whoſe ſociety there was intended Co-optation, de juſtorum etiam (1)(1)Artic. 11. Credo perfecta fide, quòd Deus omnibus opera ipſorum recompenſaturus ſit; omnibus, inquā, quotquot mā data ejus executi fuerint: è contra verò puniturus ſit omnes, quotquot interdicta ejus tranſgreſſuri ſunt, Artic. 13. Credo perfecta fide, quòd expergefactio mortuorum futura ſit; tempore ſc: illo quod Deo Creatori videbitur opportunum. Cujus Dei Creatoris nomen valde benedicatur celebreturque in ſecula ſeculorum. Amen. Two of the thirteen Articles of the Jews Creed, as it is repreſented to us in Euxtorf. Synagogue, cap. 1. p. 4. and by Genebrard about the middle of his works under this title, Canticum ſive carmen in Symbolum fidei, &c. who had it (hee ſaith) from the 101 page of the Hebrew Breviary. Another, the firſt of thoſe Articles is, Credo vera perfectaque fide, quod Deus Creator, gubernator & ſuſtentator omnium ſit creaturarum, quod idem ipſe operatus ſit omnia, operetur adhuc, &c. The whole of ſo great account that it is bound up with the great Hebrew Bible Printed at Venice 1517, together with a large expoſition, and this ſeal or cenſure put in for a cloſe, Quiſguis autem fundamentum articulumve omnium vel unicum evertat eique fidem non adhibeat, eum ad rempublic. Iſraeliticam non pertinere, as we have from the ſame Buxtorf, pag. 16. Now for the Chriſtian ſide, and their derivation, (likely) or correſpondence, Hear firſt how the Catechiſed were to be admoniſhed in Saint Auguſtines time. Narratione finita ſpes reſurrectionis intimanda eſt, & pro capacitate ac viribus audientis, proque ipſius temporis modulo, adverſus vanas irriſiones infidelium de corporis reſurrectione tractandum, & futuri ultimi judicii bonitate in bonos, ſeveritate in malos, virtute in omnes, &c. lib. de Catechizand, rudibus, cap. 7. tom. 4. pa. 297. Alchwin has much to the ſame, in Epiſt. 7. ad Dominum regem: col. 1489. and Gregory Nazianzene, Crede praeterea reſurrectionem, Judicium, merendem ad juſtum Dei lancem exigendam, to his converts approaching Baptiſme, in Orat. 40. in ſanct. Baptiſma, cap. 51. As to the other Article of Creation, he had ſaid before, Crede univerſum mundum tàm qui oculis cernitur, quàm qui oculorum obtutum fugit, à Deo ex nihilo eſſe creatum & Creatoris providentia gubernari, &c. Nor is the Bridge or Paſſage from the old to the New Church left ſo in the dark that altogether unſeen, for among other Principles, theſe ſeem to have been the very Doctrines of Baptiſmes in the Apoſtles time and words, Heb. 6.2. the reſurrection of the dead, and future judgment, things then to be aſſented to; and the Apoſtolical Conſtitutions (ſtyled) which pretend to give the Evening of the Apoſtles dayes, have (with other things too long to be repeated) ſome, of the Creation, Reſurrection, &c. then to be aſſented unto, and profeſſed to be believed, in lib. 7. ca. 41.Heb 6:2mercede, de poena iniquorum, de futuro ſeculo, and ſuch other things (reſembling p. 19a repetition of the Articles of what was then in their Belief or Creed) All, much in the ſort that afterwards the firſt Chriſtian Miniſters took up to ſet forth their Sacrament of Initiation into Chriſt his Church (ſc. not without interrogation, ſtipulation, promiſe, vow, ſurety, confeſſion of faith, profeſſion of purpoſe of good life, &c. of which more hereafter) and it may be perhaps no vain or frivolous conjecture to ſuppoſe they borrowed much of this(1)(1)Ab Hebraeidiſcrimen hoc (between Catechiſing and Preaching) ut pleraque veteris Chriſtianiſmi. Grot. ad Matth. 28.20. pa. 521:Matt 28:20 manner from them; not ſcorning to(2)(2)Quemadmodum aurem in magnis ſuperbarum aedium ruinis marmor ac aliquid ſimile ſaepe effoditur, quod nos veteris praeſtant ae commonet, & inſuper ad recentium ſtruct… rarum decus atque ornamentum facit; Aut quemadmodum ex animantium viliſſimorum ſtercoribus ſ…epe leguntur gemn…ae quae in aureorum annulorum palas immiſſae ſplendorem oculis jucundiſſimum afferunt; Sic quod ex corruptae Synagogae reliquiis eruitur Patriarcharum in corruptam religionem adhuc ſpirans mihi videtur & Eccleſiam ex ornare, & ad primam ſuam lucem deducere. Genebrard. in Epiſtol. praefixa Symbol. fidei Judaeorum, pa. 71. adorn the holy Church of Chriſt with the lawful ſpoils of the former Synagogue, or to ſet forth the adminiſtration of that Sacrament which was of Initiation into the inherited faith of old Father Abraham, by the grave and decent ornaments they found and could without ſuperſtition borrow and bring along with them from the ſons of Abraham; As I know not how Levies former ſacred uſe could prophane or make any way unlawful unto followers what was in it ſelf morally grave and good before, or that the coſtly Tabernacle or magnificent ſtately Temple could make it ſinful to us to worſhip God in Temples made with hands, fairly built, or ſerve him in our beſt, and with our beſt, though as good as what Aaron or Solomon dedicated, Or that we muſt offend by keeping the places of our neareſt and ſolemn approaches to Gods moſt holy preſence clean and free from all noiſome pollution, becauſe of what Iſrael was commanded to take care of about that place where the GLORIOUS PRESENCE promiſed to diſcover it ſelf in the Camp,(3)(3)Thou ſhalt have a place alſo without the Camp, whither thou ſhalt go forth abroad. Et paxillus tibi eſto (a paddle or ſpade-ſtaffe) praeter arma tua (beſides, or upon thy weapon, ſo ſome; at thy Girdle, ſo the Septuagint) Eritque eum ſeſſurus eris foras, ut eo fodias & ru…ſus tegas excrementum tuum (turpitudin…m tuam, Septuag.) For the Lord thy God walketh in the midſt of thy Camp to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee, Therefore ſhall thy Camp be holy (or clean) that hee ſee no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. Deut. 23.12, 13, 14. But this by the way; I return. The party ſo circumciſed as before, (if a man) and whether man or woman, ſo as but now baptized, When hee had p. 20according to the Text alledged for it,(1)(1)And …e ſent yong men of the ſons of Iſrael who offered Burnt-offerings, &c. Exod. 24.5. added the laſt Ceremony, which was

3. Oblation or(2)(2)What? Two Turtles, or Pigeons, ſay Weemſe and Godwin in the places alledged: But Holocauſtum ſive ex pecore ſive Turtu e; aut Columbi. M. Selden pa. 142. & Ainſworth on Gen. 17.12. Since the diſperſion the neceſsity of either ceaſeth, till the Temple ſhall be reedified: So now this third is of no expectation.Gen 17:12 offering ſacrifice, They now counted him a perfect Regenerate man, Dead to his former eſtate; alive to God, formerly a ſtranger, now their own, not of the Reprobates of the World, but of the Commonwealth of Iſrael; In a word Renate and Born Again in the full and utmoſt import of that ſtrange word, and thereby eſtated in all the honour, happineſs, bleſſing, priviledge, their alliance or religion could promiſe, or a Recovered, Redeemed, Sanctified, Saved man, expect in Remuneration of the works of true Belief in this or the other world. Beſides which, ſome acceſſe of temporal priviledge was thought to accrue, conſequent upon ſo ſolemn and ceremonial a change, as The name of an Hebrew, no ſmall honour, The freedome of that Nation, which might bring no ſmall benefit, To live under their Law, ſub alis Majeſtatis divinae, ſo they were wont to expound, To be favourably tried by that Law, in ſundry caſes, To be ſecure of divers ſhameful puniſhments, To borrow of a brother-Hebrew, without Uſury, &c. Yet ſo as the chief good expected lay on the other ſide of inviſible and ſpiritual, which Religion could bring to the ſoul; and this no leſſe then to be born to Heaven, and new-come hopes of as much Good as a Saved Soul might reap here or hereafter.

CHAP. V.

The effects of Proſelytiſm.NAY yet farther and to come to the thing neareſt, whereas this REGENERATION in the full ſound and ſenſe of the word might ſeem to ſpeak out a thing ſo unlikely, that, to make it paſſable, ſome moderating trope had need to be caſt for and brought in, to make that which they believed, ſeem probable, and it be enough for men to be as 'twere born Again, though fully they were not, This they diſclaimed as ſhort of what they would p. 21and was, and in the proper Notion of the word without help of a figure they took the Proſelyte to bee in reality and truth indeed ſo Born. Wonder may be at the thing, and almoſt at my aſſertion, but whoſoever will conſider theſe three things, they yet believed, partly making, partly belonging to a true birth, will not think much to embrace farther perſwaſion they might alſo believe the Birth it ſelf (to which they did belong, or of which they were, and which could hardly have concomitancy or participation of any other) As,

I. A new name obtained by vertue hereof, as of one newly come into the world.

II. A new relation or kindred, at leaſt, as of one Dead, an obliteration of the old.

III. The man himſelf, (the foundation of all) changed, at leaſt, to the Soul, the chief and denominating part. This was Much; Yet all this I believe, they believed.

1. The Regenerate (circumciſed-baptized-offering) Proſelyte was thought worthy, (as a man newly come into the World) of a New name; (as, Philip or Alexander was called David or Solomon; Haman or Holofernes, Moſes or Benjamin, and ſo of the reſt; a fair Preface and omination of a real and individual change. For Nomina are Notamina, as one ſays, are or ſhould be, the revealing diſcoveries of vailed Exiſtences, or Nota rerum, as Cicero, the outſides of Things wherein they appear to our apprehenſion, or Nomen quaſi Novimen, ſo Feſtus, to make known a Beeing. Where therefore the Name is changed is a preſumption for the thing, Why elſe ſhould the Name to declare, or indeed bely, that it is ſo? But hereof I am not over confident. 'Tis more aſſured,

2. He had a new relation or kindred, at leaſt was dead to his old; So that his Father that begate him was no longer of his alliance, nor, which is more ſtrange, his Mother that bare him. His Brethren, Siſters, or whatever former(1)(1)Priſtina prorſus omnimoda deleta cognationis ratione, conſanguineos nullos poſtmodùm ex jure habere Sacro, ſive in ſucceſſionis, ſive in connubiorum (quod mirere) ratione cenſebatur (Proſelytus) praeter poſteros qui Baptiſmum ſeu initiamenta ſequerentur. Selden. de ſucceſſion. in bon. defunct. cap. 26. Cognationem priſtinam omnimodam evanuiſſe docent per Regenerationem, id: de Jure nat: &c. lib. 5. cap. 18. Nay, if Parent, Brother, Siſter, or any of the neareſt kin came over after to the ſame Religion, yet could not the former relations of nature be made to piece up and cloſe together again, for they were dead and gone, ſealed up faſt under an impoſſibility of Reſurrection. relations he had by affinity or conſanguinity, natural or p. 22accidental all ceaſed and vaniſhed preſently; what need be ſaid more? he being ſo now dead to All he was, that hee had nothing now left of his former Natural-Nature. Inſomuch that if a Gentile had loved his own Siſter, or one whom by Law of Nature (things ſo remaining) he might not come near, He needed but by due rites be made a Proſelyte of Jeruſalem, and then he might take her to himſelf, whom before he could not, as now of no kin, (at leaſt, conſanguinity or nature hindred not) for by his new birth all was new, by the effect of thoſe rites in Regeneration all former Relation, the cloſeſt of all, even that of conſanguinity ceaſing, (Like as upon the ſame ground the(1)(1)Cum converius ad fidem & in Ch iſto regeneratus priori vitae mortuus ſit, poteſt uxorem, cum converti non vult, dimittere; nec cum illa habitare aut debitum reddere tenetur. Supplem. tertiae partis. Quaeſt. 59. art. 4. Reſpondeo. The like is added of Non-Obligation to perform promiſe made before entring into Religion. Liberty of retaining is allowed by the ſixth Generall Councel of Conſtantinople, which implies the contrary thought not unlawful, for I am not at liberty, where I may not as well reject. Canon. 72. fol. 343. in Caranza. More adviſedly another Councel, In Baptiſmo ſolvuntur crimina, non tamen legitima conjugia. Concil. Triburienſe. cap. 39. in Binius. Tom. 3. pa. 1042. Perfecters of Aquinas allow a man to put away his wife, if of a Pagan he become a Chriſtian, as being therewith Regenerate by Baptiſme alone, for, Generatio unius eſt corruptio alterius, ſay they, and by This that the former Pagan is, by being converted, now made new, He is and ought to be reputed Dead to what he was before: Not to ſpeak of(2)(2)As by Monachiſme; upon which change the laſt binding Law of the Novels allows diſſolution of the immortal bond of Matrimony, till death us depart, by Divorce; and that whether to Man or Woman. Quodcunque enim pacti fuerint contrahentes ex morte fieri lucrum, hoc habere oportet eum qui dimittitur ab altero, by this change of ſtate, ſive vir ſive mulier ſit; Eò quòd & iſte quantum ad Matrimonium videtur mori, aliud pro alio eligens vitaeiter. Novel. 22. Tit. de Nuptiis, cap. 5. Though the canon deny it poſt carnalem copulam, not otherwiſe, as the Gloſſe there hath well noted. Licentiam. leſſer changes, or(3)(3)As of the Servant of a Jew or Pagan, who being changed by Baptiſme, was free of his Maſter by Juſtinians diſpenſation. Cod. de Epiſcopis & Cler. L. 3. His ita. So of a Manichee or Donatiſt, if he came over to the Catholike Church. Cod. de Haereticis, & Manich. ſect. 8. Servos. leſſer effects of This) Stories give, when ſometimes the Plague was at Athens, it was ſo malignant and direly mortal, that if any fell ſick, he was given over for Dead, if he did chance to recover, his friends welcomed him as from the Regions of Death, Neque ſeipſum p. 23autem novit neque propinquos, as ſays the(1((1(Nonnullos etiam ſimul ac ex morbo convaluerunt, ſtatim omnium rerum oblivio pariter cepit, ita ut neque ſeipſos, neque neceſſarios agnoſcerent, Thucid: Hiſtor: be li Pelopouneſ. lib: 2. pa: …31. Hiſtorian, He was neither Himſelf, nor knew any of his former Friends, even ſo the Renate Proſelyte Hebrew was more then in danger, quite dead in this change, He had ſhook off all his Relations, and loſt his very blood and kindred. Scaliger upon Feſtus, informs of another cuſtome among thoſe Athenians, that When one of theirs had been ſo long abſent in the War, that he was thought to be dead, and his Friends had from their love celebrated his obſequies, if by chance after he revived, and came to life, in their opinion, as he had been in himſelf always, and were deſirous to converſe among them, They yet ſuffered him not, prius quàm per ſinum laxae ſtolae mulier eum dimitteret, tanquam denuò renaſci videretur, (fol. 128.) and he was called foreign, as one that was crept into the world of New, and was once again born of a Woman; What was here in fiction or ſuppoſition, was thought more Real and in effect by the rites ſpoken of, ſc. that the convert was truly dead to former ſtate and had now a reſuſcitation to a ſecond true life, being born Again of Water, whereto our Saviour added in His, Baptiſme of Water and a new ſpirit or life added thereto, ſc. of Water and the holy Ghoſt. And hence, from belief of a true death, it followed by the Hebrew Law, that if the natural and legitimate brother died, leaving a rich inheritance which according to courſe of Law and rules of Succeſſion, ſhould have devolved and come upon his brother, as of next bloud, yet could He not as the Law word is,(2)(2)This proved purpoſely and at large by Mr. Selden, de Succeſſion: in bona defunctorum, eſpecially cap: 26. Ita ex Juris patrii fictione, ritibus ſacris, ſubnixa, etiam ipſa quibus invicem conjunge bantur Gentiles jura ſanguinis naturalia deleri volebant. Or if no heir were born after ſuch tranſlation to Judaiſme, the rule was, Quicunque bona ejus prius occupaverit ei cedunt: from Maimonides. ſucceed, becauſe he was now none of the kindred hee had been of, but Dead and out of the Family, and had loſt his inheritable bloud, whereunto the inheritance would have drawn; Neither (for the ſame Reaſon) could his brother Gentile ſucceed him, for that they were now of ſeveral(3)(3)Si Pater ſe dederit in adoptionem, nec ſequatur eum filius, emancipatus ab eo antea factus: quia in alia familia ſit Pater, in alia filius, bonorum poſſeſſionem contra tabulas non poteſt filius ejus habere, & ita Julianus reſcripſit. Dig: L. Si pater, tit: de bonorum poſſeſſ. contra tabulas. Families, yea Nations; His going out ſo p. 24took all along that it left nothing with him, not ſo much as ſparks of Native kindred, They were not now of the former houſe of their legal and earthly parents. And, by the way, ſome ſuch thing as loſſe of Kindred, to ſome purpoſes, even upon a Death ſuppoſed by change of ſtate and in religion too, both our Civil Laws have taken notice of as poſſible, and made uſe of upon occaſion, and Others of the death and following Regeneration. For, among thoſe ſix ſorts of men, who, if they ſue, judgement ſhall be demanded, whether they ought to be heard and anſwered? The(1)(1)Littleton, in his Tenures, Chap. of Villenage, ſect. 200. fol. 1…2. whoſe is the moſt perfect and abſolute Work that ever was written in any human ſcience, ſays the Learned Coke, never any that underſtood him, but concurred in his commendation, &c. We have known many of his caſes drawn in queſtion, but never could find any judgement given againſt them. Preface to Inſtit. 1. fol. 3. Oracle of our Common Law maketh the fifth to be, lou un home eſt enter & profeſſe en Religion, where a man is entred and profeſſed in Religion, for if he be, and(2)(2)Not otherwiſe, as it ſeems: for if the habite of Probation be onelyonly aſſumed, not the habite of Profeſſion, this (in reply) but ſuſpends the plea till the Ordinary be written unto. Fleta, lib: 5. cap. 28. ſect. 1. & lib: 6. cap: 42. compleat by vow, &c. and then ſue any action real or perſonal, the Tenant or Defendant might ſhew that ſuch a one was entred into Religion in ſuch a place, into the Order (as of S. Benet, &c.) and this ſhall bée ſufficient to (3)(3)And this was the Law before, in Fleta, lib: 6. cap: 42. Item competit exceptio tenenti ex perſona petentis peremptoria propter mortem civilem, ut ſi quis ſe Religioni contulerit, & poſtea ad ſeculum reverſus, agere velit, non audietur. —Cum quis ſe Religioni contulerit, renunciat omnibus quae ſeculi ſunt. Bracton lib: 5: tract: 5. cap: 20. ſect: 6.ſtop the procéeding, by a modeſt and mannerly way of asking Whether ſuch a one be a fit perſon to be anſwered? The reaſon whereof the ſame with the changed Proſelyte before, becauſe ſays the(4)(4)See Littletons Tenures, ſect: 202. fol: 136. The reaſon hereof might be from having been Devoted to God. For ſuch were by the Hebrew Law to be ſlain, or their reall death redeemed by a Civil amortization. Take ſome light hereabout from Cornelius à Lap: Si verò res per Cherem Deo vota mortis propriè dictae incapax eſſet, morte morietur, id eſt, Mori debet morte civili. Sicut Religioſi noſtri quaſi voto Cherem Deo dicati civiliter mortui dicuntur, quia omni civili negotio & haereditate ac dominio rerum temporalium ſeſe abdicarunt, perinde ac ſi mortui eſſent. Ita olim in lege tam Levitae quam agri, qui tanquam Cherem Domino erant devoti, civiliter moriebantur, quia amplius ad profanus uſus redire non poterunt, perinde ut jam domus Eccleſiaſticorum & Religioſorum amortizantur. Comment. ad Levit. 27. ver. 29.Lev 27:29 Law, Such a one is dead in Law, Quant une home entra en Religion, & eſt profeſſe, il eſt mort en ley, & ſon fits ou auter couſin maintenant lui inheritera auxi bien ſi come il fuit mort en fait. His ſon or kinſman entred as if hee p. 25were dead: He might have made a Will, appointed Executors, and thoſe(1)(1)Nay, if he had become bound to the Abbot of ſuch a p…ace, and profeſsing himſelf a Monk there, he after by ſteps came up to the higheſt of Abbot, He might then have an action for that debt againſt his own Executors, Himſelf againſt himſelf, or that debt was once his, in his life, by his death now come to another. Cook on Littleton, fo. 133. B. Executors (he living) ſhould have had action for any true debt, (things remaining thus) as if he had been dead; or if he had made none, the Ordinary was to enter as in caſe of him had clearly and for ever left all here, and was gone to another world. This dead man revived in his Cloiſter might there both enter upon the actions of a New life, and manage them, ſue and be ſued, purchaſe, poſſeſſe, buy, ſell, in another new created right, as Maſter of his houſe,(2)(2)Reſpondet Dominus Julianus, quòd quanquam ſervus ad perſonam ſuam propriam pro mortuo habeatur, ex perſona tamen Domini fui poteſt habere jus ſtipulationis, Gloſſ. ad Inſtit. 3. tit: de ſtipulat. ſervorum, ſect. ſervus. Truſtee for his Colledge, &c. by that well laid and moſt profitable diſtinction of Proprium in communi, Lording it ſo over Lordſhips, and having nothing yet poſſeſſe all things: But for any thing hee had before, it was(3)(3)Illud quoque decernimus, qui in Monaſterium intrare voluerit, antequam Monaſterium ingrediatur, licentiam habere, ſuis uti, quo voluerit modo, Ingredientem namque ſimul ſequuntur omnino res: Licèt non expreſſim, qui introduxerit eas, dixerit: & non erit dominus earum ulterius ullo modo: Novel: 5. c. 5. repeated and confirmed in the Preface of Novel. 76. Nemo aliquid proprium habeat, nullum omnino rem, neque codicem, neque tabulas, neque graphiarium, ſed nihil omnino. One of S. Benets Rules. loſt and found, gone and come, departed from him for ever, with all title to it, and accrewed to another: for he had been in ſaeculo; He was now not ſecular, His very kindred took as little notice of him, as he of them, Benefit, prejudice, loſſe or gain was nothing to either, not to a Couzen, Brother, or Father; for he was now gone off clear, and onelyonly intwiſted with his new ſpiritual relations. There is a twofold death ſays the Commentator there, A death indeed, and a civil death or death in Law, Mors civilis & Mors naturalis, and therfore to ouſt all ſcruples, Leaſes for life are ever made during the natural life, &c. Of which ſuppoſition our(4)(4)I mean Bracton, de legibus Angliae, &c. l. 1. c. 10. ſect. 1. l. 4. tract. 6. c. 7. l. 5. tractat. 5. ca. 18. ſect. 1. &c. 23. ſect. 2. Nay in ſome caſes that which is equivalent to a Regeneration. Eſt etiam mors civilis in ſervo in ſervitute ſub poteſtate Domini conſtituto. Hujuſmodi vero ſervitus mortalitati comparatur. Quia fuit aliquando in manu Domini vita ac mors: (ſed modo non, propter ſeveritatem dominorum, ſed in Manu domini Regis) Sed cum tales poteſtatem domini effugerint. quaſi reſuſcitati ad vitam aliquantulum reſpirant, ſecundum quod ſuperius perpendi poterit, de Except. cap. 20. fol. 421. And ſpeaking of Outlaws, Item juſtè utlegatus & ritè non reſtituitur niſi tantum ad pacem, quod ire poſſit & redire & pacem habere, & ad actiones reſtitui non poteſt, nec ad alia, quia eſt ſicut infans modò genitus, & homo quaſi modò genitus, lib: 3. de Corona, cap. 14. ſect. 12. And a little af…er, Inlegati vero dici poterunt quaſi modò geniti infantes, & novi homines quaſi de novo creati; quia in perſonis eorum, poſt utlagariam ritè factam, nulla praeterita ſubſiſtunt, ſed poſt inlagariam tantùm praeſentia & ſutura ſuccedunt, &c. Sect. 13. fol: 133. B as beginning the world of new. An out-lawry hee ſtyles a civil death, 5. 5. 23. 2. fo. 426. & vide Seldeni Diſſertat. ad Flet. cap: 8. ſect: 3. Papinian has enough.

p. 26This for(1)(1)Jus civile eſt quod quiſque populus, vel quaeque civitas ſive proprium, divina humanaque cauſa conſtituit. Decret: par. 1. c. 8. Nam quod quiſque populus ipſe ſibi jus conſtituit id ipſius proprium civitatis eſt; vocaturque Jus Civile. Dig. de Jure & Juſt: L. 9. Omnes. and the Common Law of England is Jus Civile Anglorum. Selden of Tythes: Review of Chap: 7 and Spelman Gloſſar: p: 399. col. 2. Our Civil Law; Now for that is more(2)(2)Jus quidem civile en unaquaque, civitate appellatur: veluti Athenienſium, &c. ſed quotiens non addimus nomen cujus ſit civitatis, noſtrum Jus ſignificamus. Inſtit. 1. tit. 2. ſect. ſed jus. commonly ſo ſtyled, Neither hath been forgotten there, nor ſparingly remembred this civil death. For by ſuch title is called,(3)(3)Mors civilis dicitur amiſſio civitatis & etiam ſervitus. Gloſſ: Amiſſio: in L. 2. Dig: de poenis. the loſſe of being free of the City, and(4)(4)Et quantum ad jus civile ſervus pro mortuo habetur: Gloſſ: ad Inſtitut: 3. tit: de ſtipulation: ſervorum. Servitutem mortalitali ferè comparamus. Digeſt. de reg. Juriſ. L. 209: plain ſervitude, and(5)(5)Publicatione quoque diſtrahi ſocietatem manifeſtum eſt; ſcilicet, ſi univerſa bona ſocii publicentur. Nam cùm in ejus locum alius ſuccedat, pro mortuo habetur. Inſtit. 3. de ſocietate ſect. 7. confiſcation, and(6)(6)Deportatos enim mortuorum loco habendos. Digeſt: de bonorum poſſeſſ. cont. tab: L. in contra. Sect. 8. & Gloſſ. ad mortem. Novel. 7. c. 5. Cùm autem is qui ob a…iquod maleficium in inſulam deportatus civitatem amittit, ſequitur ut qui eo modo ex numero civium Romanorum tollitur, perinde ac ſi eo mortuo deſinant liberi in ejus poteſtate eſſe. Inſtitut: 1. tit. 12. & vid. Dig. de liberis & poſthum: L. Galius, ſect. Et ſi quid, & Gloſſ. Eam ſemper, ad librum de Pace Conſtantiae, in Prefat. He that with us was outed from a place of high truſt, as Abbot, Prior, &c. was by that privation ſo far Capite deminutus, that proceedings in law were as if he were dead, ſc. morte civili, but not naturali, as this diſtinction was then laid hold of. Vide Selden, ad Flet: Diſſert: ſect. 3. pa. 529. 8. deportation or carrying away to ſome deſolate Iſland; Inſomuch that it was needful to note, that where death was mentioned without appoſition, it was not meant of(7)(7)As in caſe of Convention for ſomewhat to be performed after death. Vide Gloſſ. Niſi morien te, ad Digeſt: de Verborum obligat. L. 121. ſect. 2. Civil but natural death, as poſſibly ſome might underſtand; vvhence the Divine takes notice, with other, of one kind of Death,(8)(8)Mors quadruplex Naturalis, Spiritualis, Aeterna & Civilis, Bucan. Commun. loc. 40. ſect. 2. Eorum qui capite diminuti ſunt, vel de gradu honoris decidêrunt. Further, a very Regeneration, and under that title, as conſequent of ſome change of ſtate, Juſtinian was not unacquainted with. For,(9)(9)Authent. collat. 3: tit. 5. cap. 11. writing to the General of the Eaſt about the legitimation of natural children, hee willeth (among other …ngs) that, If a man have Such by one of Servile condition, and after ſet her free and marry her, & jus eis (to her and her children) aureorum annulorum petierit, (ſc. of the(10)(10)Natales antiquos & jus ingenuitatis non ordó praeſtare Decurionum, ſed à nobis peti potuit. God de jure aureorum annulorum, L. 1. Emperour himſelf, who only could p. 27grant this honour, the utmoſt of the Patrons Power was to allow the uſe of one made of(1)(1)Vid. Cujac. paratit. ad Digeſt. de Jure aureorum annulorum. Iron, in token of ſome lower Freedome: but if he ſue to the Emperour for jus aureorum annulorum) & REGENERATIONIS, & inter ingenuos ſecundum juſtos reduxerit modos, &c. Then both the children to be to all purpoſes (as of inheritance, &c.) legitimate, and their mother and them reſtored in ſtate to ſuch freedome as if they never had been Servile. Which Petition the ſame Emperour after willing of his Grace to releaſe and grant of courſe (without ſpecial ſuit) or rather to bee had without granting, hee uſeth the ſame(2)(2)Cod. l. 6. tit. 8, L. ult. words, that the manumiſed ſhould have—Ex ipſa manumiſſione aureorum annulorum & (3)(3)—Nam, quaſi modo ſit renatus, id eſt, iterum natus, in ingenuitate, ita eſt ingenuu…. Gloſſ ad loc.regenerationis jus—ut ſint quidem liberi & ingenui, the right of the Patrons yet ſaved, which expreſſion is again of the ſame grant in the(4)(4)Novel. 78. c. 1. Novel (foreign vocat Juſtinianus, ſays Briſſonius) and after he boaſts the diffuſiveneſſe of his goodneſs herein to be comparable with Antonine and Theodoſius, who granted ſuch favours of courſe, formerly reſtrained to ſuit, as he did now again,(5)(5)In eadem cap. 5. aureorum annulorum & Regenerationis Jus, to the manumiſſed by vertue of their manumiſſion; Not to inſiſt on that change of Bene-Nation in the ſame(6)(6)Cap. 2. —ut non denuò & libertate, & bene natione cadant. Novel, and the Patron deſcribed as Pater there, a very new Father, by adding ſomewhat to the firſt natural Birth in the(7)(7)Interdum & ſervi nati ex poſt facto juris interventu Ingenui fiunt. Ut ecce ſi libertinus à principe natalibus ſuis reſtitutus fuerit. Illis enim utique natalibus reſtituitur, in quibus initio omnes homines fuerunt, non in quibus ipſe naſcitur, de natalibus reſtituendis. L: 2. Pandects. It was like to be an occaſion of ſome wonder to meet vvith, in(8)(8)Lib. de Baptiſmo, cap. 5. Tertullian, and ſpeaking of things out of the Church) a very Regeneration, and that in Pagan Baptiſme: but there it is. And if vve conſider how great a(9)(9)The fruits of whoſe pregnant wit, and ripe judgement are thought to have been many of thoſe Laws after collected and digeſted by Tribonian into the Pandects: as, Tit. de Leg. Senatuſque conſult. L. Ideo, qui antiqu. tit. de acquirend: & amittend. poſſeſſ. L: ſi aliquam tit. de Caſtr. pecul. L. Miles praecipua: and from whom that ſamous Senatuſcon. ultum Tertyllianum (whereof in Digeſt. 38. tit. 18.) might borrow name; So Chr. Helvicus in Chronol, ad ann. Chr. 193. and others; But without doubt erroneouſly. Lawyer he was, vve may ceaſe to think it ſtrange he ſhould make uſe of a vvord readieſt at hand in his own art, or they to borrow a tearm they vvere beſt acquainted with the uſe of in their own profeſſed Civil Laws. He or they p. 28might derive, (beſides what they had as Chriſtian) from ſimilitude in their own Paulus, Modeſtinus, Ʋlpian, Papinian, &c.

Thus a loſſe of kindred, change of ſtate, by death, civil, and the great remove of a Regeneration, ours and other Laws have left expreſſed, as in Iſrael; but theſe were moſt but Tropes and Figures; In England, Rome and Athens, the perſon remained ſtill the ſame, or but with accidental alteration, the expreſſion alluſive, OnelyOnly at Jeruſalem there was no wonder made of a Being ſent of new (antedating, in fair reſemblance, the preſent tranſubſtantiation of the Church of Rome) and really, eſſentially, formally they held the Proſelyte to Be changed. For,

3. To come to the third ſign, effect, or rather cauſ of Regeneration, (the ground of the whole) the very change of the regenerate Man, They did believe him indeed to bee ſo eſſentially, and formally, and really changed, A New man to be brought into the world, (without which that variation of kindred before could not have been) At leaſt for the better and chiefer part, which we know by an uſual trope to be put for the whole. For, (Credit Judaeus apella!) It is ſtrange that I ſhall tell you, yet they believed it, That the Regenerate Convert Proſelyte had by vertue of their Ceremonies miraculouſly working, a new ſoul charmed down into Him, vvith abolition of the old; Corruption and ſucceeding-Generation are Nothing elſe in Nature but induing the ſame Matter with a New Form, This they believed in this caſe to be, to induce the very title of moſt ſubſtantial change by Generation.

They went no farther; For the viſible body was ſeen ſtill remaining, As the Papiſts allow (they Muſt) the outward Form, and cover of Bread and Wine in the conſecrated hoſt, and in ſenſible things moſt men will belive their ſenſes: But, for the Soul, This they believed to be both gone and come; the old one removed, no inquiry whither, a new one ſucceeding, they ſaw well from whence; That either annihilated or ſent back to its former Manſion and This immediatly procured and ſent down from Heaven. p. 29Some controverſie it may be their Schools have of the procreation of thoſe ſouls there, and no leſs uncertainty of their Emanation and infuſion into their Proſelytes with us, and even ridiculous are the fabulous brawls of the Cabaliſts, touching their production from I know not what both inviſible and incredible generations: But for the main they conſent, that ſuch New Souls are Made, Sent, Tranſfuſed, Infuſed, and each circumciſed and by other due rites initiated Proſelyte both attended by one, and from thence readily informed. Now we know that the ſoul is the preeminent, leading, chief part, by all belief; and(1)(1)Enimvero, quis non animae dabit ſummam omnem, cujus nomine totius hominis mentio titulata eſt? Tert, lib. de anima cap. 13. Denomination has been uſed to derive it ſelf from it accordingly: Nay, ſome have ſaid it is not the chief, but the whole. Anima cujuſque is eſt quiſque, as the Philoſopher, it individuates the ſpecies, it is(2)(2)Conſpicimus homines, id eſt, animas ipſas; quid enim ſunt homines, niſi animae corporibus alligatae? Arneb: adverſus gentes, l. 2. p. 73. the Man; and therefore in(3)(3)Sed audi & iſtud, quia anima nomine hominis nuncupatur, ſcriptum eſt enim in Geneſi, Filii an…em. Joſeph qui facti ſunt ei in Aegypto, animae novem. Omnes autem animae quae egreſſa ſunt ex Jacob, Septuagiuta quinque. Et multo aptius anima vel homo Latinè, vel Graec… foreign dicitur; alterum ab humanitate, alterum ab intuendi habens vivacitate; quae magis animae quam corpori convenire non dubium eſt, Ambroſ. lib: 6. Hexaem, cap. 8. Tom: 1. pa. 47. Solomon corrects himſelf having ſaid, he had a ſoul, I was a towardly child, (ſaith he) and had a g…od ſpirit. Or rather being good, I came into a faſt and incorruptible body. The perſon came into the fleſh, Wiſdome 8.19.Wis 8:19 Scripture Arithmetique, ſo many Souls, and So many Men have went for one, and convertible terms of equal latitude both of ſenſe and ſignification. In the Ship with Paul were two hundred ſeventy ſix ſouls, We doe not believe them without bodies, or but Men, Act. 27.37. Joſeph invited his Father, and all his kindred into Aegypt, even ſeventy five ſouls, their Tabernacles of mortality were not ſure left behinde, Acts 7.14. By like numeration the ſame linage of Jacob paſſes together, Exod. 1.5. and in parcels, Geneſ. 46. The ſons of Zilpah were ſixteen ſouls, v. 18. the ſons of Leah three and thirty ſouls, ver. 15. the ſons of Rachel fourteen ſouls, ver. 22. the ſons of Bilhah ſeven, ver. 25. All together threeſcore and ten ſouls, at ver. 27. infallibly So many perſons, by interpretation of the ſame Moſes, Deut. 10.22. A ſaying ſome have, that Lux eſt veſtimentum Dei, the light we ſee is the ſhadow and outward p. 30covering of what (being Divine) we cannot ſee; Semblably have(1)(1)Divini Theologi Cabaliſtae in Zoar dicunt hominem vocari animā, quia corpus eſt veſtitus hominis, & vocatur foreign caro & ſanguis. Quā opinionem & Plato in pluribus locis ſequutus eſt, dein Porphyrius, Iamblichus, Proclus, Plotinus, Cicero ac Macrobius, & Lactantius: Avicennae quoque is Ego vocatur, id eſt, perſona perfecta: & Averröes affirmat conſtituere totam rei eſſentiam; ita ut anima hominis ſit totus homo, corpus non pars, ſed inſtrumentum quo anima utitur: Contra Ariſtotelem, Auguſtinum, ac Damaſcenum, qui corpus putant eſſe partem eſſentialem hominis, quia ejus ſit materia. Manaſſeh ben Iſrael, in Conciliatore. Quaeſt. 19. in. Geneſ. pa: 27. others thought that Corpus eſt veſtimentum animae, the Body nothing elſe ſave the outſide or cloathing of the ſoul, wherein it is apparelled to be diſcernable by us the(2)(2)Errat enim quiſquis hominem carne metitur. Nam corpuſculum hoc, quo induti ſumus, hominis receptaculum eſt. Nam ipſe homo neque tangi, neque aſpici, neque comprehendi poteſt, quia latet intra hoc, quod videtur. Coel: Lactant: lib: de opificio Dei cap. 20. Nec mirandum eſt quod Deum non videant (Idololatrae.) Cum ipſi ne hominem quidem videant, quem videre ſe credunt. Hoc enim quod oculis ſubjectum eſt, non homo, ſed hominis receptaculum eſt, cujus qualitas & figura non ex lineamentis vaſculi, quo continetur, ſed ex factis & moribus pervidetur. Id: lib: 2. de Orig. Err…ris, cap. 3. Hence the ſtubborn Philoſopher to one that beat him, Tundis vaſculum Anaxarchi non Anaxarchum, Thou woundeſt the caſe, t…ucheſt not the Man. caſe or cover; and as theſe acceſſory artificial garments are to our naturall bodies, ſo that natural habite to preſerve and cheriſh the ſoul. The inſtrument, or as it were working hand thereof, to perform operations abroad, ſo others: Who though they are croſſed by Ariſtotle and his Followers, making the Body a conſtituting part, yet for number are there enough in the other ſcale to ſway it this way, and it paſſes that the body is appurtenant, the ſoul the eſſence and perfection of humanity. If then the ſoul be granted change as before (ſo much the more eminent and denominating part) an eaſie and gentle trope will ſoon traduce and bring along the Whole, the man is not but changed: Nay, if that ſoul be it ſelf the Whole, what need any trope at all? The man is compleatly newborn by it, there needs but this infuſion or transformation made good, and by it the Man is New made compleatly.

In ſhort, as a Wolf made a Sheep, a Lion, a Lamb, a Vulture a Dove, or an Earthly man made Heavenly, ſo every Native Iſraelite looked upon the Proſelyte Gentile coming over to him, and the inſpiration of a new ſoul might well effect this Regeneration, which was not without the compaſs of their firm belief.

And thus has the lamp of the Sanctuary inlightned the things of the Sanctuary, Ieruſalem diſcovered its own affairs; p. 31Whence probably may we know the things of India, but from India? Or what but a Star from the Eaſt bring certain intelligence of the wonderful things there done and believed? The Subject choſen and here ſpoken of by our Saviour, had many as it were underpillars, upon which the knowledge thereof was to be raiſed and is to be held forth, wee have lighted upon ſome in their proper Seoene, and among the people ſpoken to, by which beſt gueſs may be made of what was ſpoken to them. As that ſuch a New birth was, what it was; how it vvas: of Proſelytes, the ſorts of them, the rites of making them, the effect of thoſe Rites, and at top of all, a REGENERATION as the knot in which they met, the center at which they aime and do prove the thing effectually, clearly.

All this known in the Scripture times; as the Lectures of the Schools, and practice of the Synagogue: which may give ſome reaſon why our Saviour (meek and gentle though he were, a bruiſed reed, ſhould have had from Him no further violence) did yet lay ſo heavy an increpation as after at ver. 10. upon his Rabbi Pupil Nicodemus, Art thou (ſaith he) a Maſter in Iſrael, and yet knoweſt not theſe things? Each word hath its weight. An Iſraelite, a people of knowledge! A teacher there, and yet not taught! A Maſter, as 'twere of higher Form, and yet knoweſt not, art utterly ignorant! Of Theſe things, which all do or may know! Thou that teacheſt another, Many are in high place and of renown, but myſteries are revealed to the meek. Ecclus. 3.19: Solet hoc evenire perſonatis Eccleſiae paſtoribus, ut ſi nemo illos arguat ipſi inſcitiam ſuam ineptiſſimis quaeſtionibus & propoſitionibus publicè prodant, Gualt: Homil: 7. in Joan. 1.Sir 3:19John 1teacheſt thou not thy ſelf? Thou that leadeſt, art thou blind? Can any thing excuſe thy Doctoural ignorance, thy graduated inſufficiency? Art thou Iſraels Teacher, and yet underſtandeſt not what is taught thee? But it is no unuſual thing for ambitious men to over-leap deſert; ſeeking Rabbinical both titles and preferments, vvithout ever looking after thoſe qualifications and ſufficiencies may deſerve thoſe titles, or ſtriving to furniſh themſelves with thoſe noble and rich indowments of Learning, worth and goodneſs, can alone become their dignities, or make the wearing of their preferments well beſeem them. Rabbi-Ruler Nicodemus is p. 32here ſo dark that he ſees not things near at hand, a guide ſo blind he cannot follow in his apprehenſion what is plainly taught him, a Maſter ſcarce a Scholar, nay, not a Scholar, yet a Teacher; to make way for deſert of ſevere reproof, and the weight of as much indignation and ſhame as could be laid on from exprobration of an undeſerved title, Art Thou! a Maſter! in Iſrael! and yet knoweſt not things commonly and vulgarly known!

And this a better way (as to me it ſeemeth) of ſpeaking out indignation, and bringing home reproof, ſharpning it that it might bite (as very likely by his way of expreſſion, our Saviour meant) with quickeſt ſeverity, then of others who go their ſeveral ways, and yet can hardly piece out things to any likely conſequence, or words ſo fitting Grammatical coherence; Eſpecially for what next follows, I ſpeak what I know, (thou alſo mighteſt) and teſtifie what I have ſeen: (every day gives inſtance:) and If I have ſpoken unto you of theſe lower earthly things at hand, and ye credit not, How would ye if I ſhould mount up aloft to inviſible? But of theſe and ſome other hereafter. Conclude in preſent, by giving due praiſe and honour unto our moſt glorious and moſt gracious Lord God, by whoſe gracious favour it is that we have leave to meet in theſe Courts of his Houſ, to learn the myſteries of his Counſel and Will, who bleſſe the opportunities to us, &c.

Glory be to God on high: and on Earth Peace. AMEN.

p. 33SERM. II.

JOHN 3.3.

REGENERATION is a ſubject of much inquiry and great diſcourſe in Chriſtian Schools, and ſo not unworthy that conſideration we formerly had of it from this Text: The foundation or ground-work was then laid, and ſuperſtruction promiſed, which promiſe we come now to perform, if the Lord permit. Thoſe Foundations were indeed ſomewhat large, (nor need we now lay them open to ſecond review) but they vvere both made and liked ſo, becauſe it was judged they might ſerve not only for the purpoſes they were then alledged for, in the opening of this Text, but farther to be as grounds for raiſing ſundry conjectures tending to the reſolving of divers doubts and information of ſundry other things in Chriſtian Religion, not hitherto ſo well taught or clearly and fully reſolved of (eſpecially about the moſt holy Sacrament of our Chriſtian Baptiſme) as theſe things may (by Gods bleſſing) give ground for. I ſhall reduce the moſt to ſundry Quaere's touching that Sacrament: as, 1. Its Original. 2. Some aſſiſtants uſed. 3. The compariſon it hath with Iohns Baptiſm. 4. The Corrivalſhip, Circumciſion did once maintain with it: And ſome other things which will fall in by the way. But I ſhall keep chiefly to theſe, and in order: He that is our God and Father, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt direct my way to you.