The Plea of the Children of Believing Parents, Section 4
SECT. IV.
NOw let us come to the Anabaptiſts, and hear how they prove the Repealing of the Covenant, and the un-Churching of the Children of Believing Jews.
About a quarter of a year after I had finiſhed my Diſcourſe, a Neighbour brought me Mr. Edward Hutchinſon againſt Paedopabtiſm, to read it, but it was ſent for again, ſo that I did but read his Epiſtle to the Baptized Congregations; and a Letter, which I think concerned Mr. Wills, and the beginning of his Book, p. 3. he ſtates the Queſtion, and proves, That the Infants of Believing Gentiles are not the Seed of Abraham; ſo that Infant Church-Memberſhip and Baptiſm falls to the Ground.
Anſ. But he muſt prove that the Infants of the Believing Jews, are not the Seed of Abraham, or elſe Infants Church-Memberſhip does not fall. I had reaſon to ſtate the Queſtion ſo, as to the Believing Jews; but if he will yield the Infants of Believing Jews to be Members, and have a Right to Baptiſm, I will prove the Infants of Believing Gentiles are Church-Members, and have a Right to Baptiſm. There is neither Jew nor Greek, &c. Gal. 3.28. no difference now but of this more hereafter.
Again, we ſhall ſee whether his Arguments do not cut off the Infants of Believing Jews, as well as Gentiles.
1. Argu. His firſt Sillogiſm, If none be the Children of Abraham, but thoſe that do the works of Abraham, then Infants are not the Seed of Abraham, but the Antecedent is true. Joh. 8.39. Therefore,
Anſ. If none be rational Creatures, but thoſe that can Sillogize, as Mr. Hutchiſon doth, then Infants are not rational Creatures. But, &c.
If you ſay my Antecedent is falſe, ſo is yours; but it ſhews how ſtrong your Argument is.
2. If Iſaac at eight Days old, when Circumciſed, do not the works of his Father Abraham, then he is not Abraham's Seed; you argue from no Doing, to no Seed. A ſtrange Argument Sir!
3. If any of thoſe Jews, to whom our Lord ſpake theſe words, had any Male-Children born that day, they had been reputed Abraham's Seed, Members of the Church, and muſt be Circumciſed the eighth day, or Sin.
2. Argu. His ſecond Sillogiſm, If thoſe who are Chriſt's are only Abraham's Seed, then Infants are not Abraham's Seed, but the Antecedent is true. Gal. 3.3.19. they are not Chriſts by Calling.
Anſ. Is there no way to be made Chriſt's, but by Calling? can he that made the Ear and the Heart, come no way to the Heart, but by the Ear? what Divinity is this? cannot he that infuſes the Soul into the Body, infuſe Grace into the Soul, but by the …ar?
2. Chriſt commands little Children to be brought to him, and none to forbid them. Mark 10.13, 14. &c. Of ſuch is the Kingdom of Heaven, then they muſt be Chriſt's; we believe Chriſt, Sir, before you.
3. Becauſe Iſaac at eight days old, cannot anſwer a Call of Chriſt's, therefore he is none of Chriſt's, a good Argument. Was John none of Chriſt's, when he leaped in his Mothers Womb, when Mary came to Elizabeth? Luk. 1.44.
Argu. 3. His third Sillogiſm, If none be Bleſſed with Abraham, but thoſe that are of Faith, than Infants are not the Seed of Abraham, but the Antecedent is true. Gal. 3.9. Therefore,
Anſ. Does the Text ſay Actual Faith?
2. Alas, poor Infants! by this Author ye are Curſed, no poor Infant dying an Infant, can be Bleſſed. Yea, thoſe Infants whom Chriſt Bleſſed, Mark 10.16. were Curſed though he Bleſſed them, for they could not Act Faith upon Chriſt. Did Iſaac when Circumciſed the eighth Day, put forth an Act of Faith upon Chriſt to come?
3. Believers in Chriſt are ſo, either
Actually
or Siminally.
4. Actual Believers in Chriſt are ſo, either
Viſibly and Really,
or Viſibly only.
Viſibly only, ſuch were thoſe, to whom in your Preface to your Baptiſed Congregations, you thus ſpeak, they are not all Iſrael, that are of Iſrael. I know there is droſs mingled with your Silver, Chaff among your Wheat, and the Canaanite is ſtill in the Land. It ſeems then you find Droſs, Chaff, Canaanites, and not true Iſraelites in your Baptiſed Congregations; but you did look on them as viſible Believers, when you Dipped them.
2. Seminally ſo, and they firſt; ſuch as are Reputed ſo by God's Covenant, with Believing Parents and their Seed. 2ly, Such, who beſides this Reputation, are regenerated by the Spirit, which is not without Faith Seminally.
Argu. 4. His fourth Sillogiſm, If the Children of the Fleſh are not the Children of God, then Infants now are not the Seed of Abraham, but the Antecedent is true. Rom. 9.8. Therefore, &c.
Anſ. I deny the Conſequence.
2ly, It ſeems then, no Infants are the Children of God, by this Argument; a very bold and wretched Aſſertion.
2. There is a double Adoption, External, Eccleſiaſtical, and Internal, Heavenly Saving, that hath a Heavenly, Eternal Inheritance belonging to it; they who had only the firſt, theſe were called the Children of God. Deut. 14.1. and 16. Ezek. 21. to theſe pertain the Adoption. Rom. 9.4.
Our Queſtion is not who are the true Children of God, that have that Inheritance prepared for them, but who are to be Reputed the Children of God, in foro Eccleſiaſtico, Viſibly; ſo that they are Members of a Viſible Church, and have Right to a Viſible Ordinance, in the Viſible Church. The Droſs, the Chaff, the Canaanites, the falſe Iſraelites, which you tell us, are in your Baptized Congregations, are none of the Children of God, in a ſaving Senſe; but your Baptiſts did judge them to be Believers Actually in Chriſt, if ſo, then Children of God, then you admited them Members of your Churches, and ſo Baptized them by Dipping. They were looked upon as Abraham's Seed, when you admitted them.
The next thing he falls upon is, Act. 2.39. of which after.
I could go no further, the Book was ſent for, nor did I intend to make any large Diſcourſe, though it had continued with me: by theſe four Arguments we have a taſte of the Man's ſtrength.
By theſe Arguments, [and the next which follows, which is in all their mouths] let the Reader judge, whither they do not all ſtrike as much at the Grace and Wiſdom of God, in his Covenanting with Abraham, and his Seed; Conſtituting the Church of the Jewiſh Parents, and their Seed, and Circumciſing of the Infants, as they do prove, that now the Infants ſhould not be admitted into the Goſpel-Church, nor Baptiſed. So that the Anabaptiſts tells God, that if he will Conſtitute the Church of the Jews right, he muſt let their Children be grown up. Firſt, Learn to know the God of Abraham. Second, Put forth an Actual Faith in Chriſt, the Promiſed Seed to come, as Abraham ſaw his Day and rejoyced. Joh. 8.56. Thirdly, Let them do the works of their Father Abraham. Joh. 8.39. Fourthly, Let them manifeſt that they are really the Children of God, then admit them Members, and Circumciſe them. Does not all their Arguments tend to this? they will teach the Holy, Wiſe God, how to Conſtitute Churches better. I will not be afraid to ſay, That all the Anabaptists that ever were, or ſhall be, ſhall never be able to caſt the Seed of Believing Parents out of the Church, by any Conſequence drawn from any Text in the Bible, therefore they muſt give us clearer Texts, before we ſhall believe them.