Anti-Paedobaptism Part 2, Section 9
SECT. IX.
The exception of Mr. M. Mr. Blake, Mr. Cobbet, nations are appointed to be baptized Matthew 28. 19. and so infants, is refelled.
BUt there is yet another exception against my argument from Matthew 28. 19. followed by many, that Christ bids them make nations disciples and baptize nations, & consequently infants at least the species.
Against this I opposed, that all nations simply are not appointed to be baptized, but disciples of all nations. So Beza annot. on Matthew 28. 19. Make to me disciples out of all nations. The New Annotations on the Bible on Matth. 28. 19. first edition, teach] Gr. make disciples of, as John 4. 1. all Nations, not Jews alone but Gentiles also, Acts 10. 34, 35, 47. Mr. Baxter plain scripture proof &c. pag. 327. when Christ saith [make me disciples of all nations baptizing them] he means [sincere disciples] Georg. Pasor Lexic. ad verbum foreign Matthew 28. verse 19. foreign, docete omnes gentes, h. …. colligite mihi discipulos ex omnibus gentibus.
Mr. Blake himself saith, Answer to my letter ch. 11. sect. 1. he is ready to subscribe to this interpretation as I lay it down in words by preaching the Gospel to all nations make them disciples, and baptize those that do become disciples of all nations. As for his exceptions, that the verb is transitive, that foreign nations is in the accusative case, that it is boldness to put it into the Genitive, that then the whole of the nation should not be appointed to be baptized, and so not infants, I have answered them in my Postscript sect. 14. And I further prove that the nation entirely is not appointed to be baptized.
1. For then the infidels of the nation should be to be baptized, for they are a part of the nation.
2. Then the Apostles were not to baptize regularly till they baptized a whole nation, yea all nations together, for so it is construed by them who make nations entirely the subject of baptism according to Christs institution.
3. The Apostles practice is an infallible comment on our Lord Christs words. As they practised, so Christ meant; But they baptized not any entire Nation, Countrey, City, or Tribe, but believers or disciples out of them; therefore no other were appointed to be baptized. 4. If the baptizing of all the parts of a nation, or a nation entirely, were appointed by Christ, then there might be some rule to know when a nation is discipled, chosen, so as that it ought to be entirely baptized; But there is no such rule, Ergo.
To none of these do I find any thing replyed by Mr. M. but by telling me I fall to my old artifice of framing many senses (which yet in this point were but two) for which he blames me, as if it were blameable: whereas it is the only way to cleer truth to shew the divers senses of a speech, for avoiding of ambiguity, according to that saying, Qui benè distinguit benè docet, he that distinguisheth well teacheth well, and his not distinctly answering by shewing in what sense his speech is meant tends to nothing but the hiding of truth.
Then he tells me, That I vent my Criticisms, and undertake to shew that foreign signifies to teach cum effectu▪ or to teach till they were made Scholars (my word was disciples) and that they were not to baptize till they were disciples, and then saith, But Sir, what need all these things? The meaning is plain that other nations should be taken in likewise as the Jewes according to Isaiah 19. 24. when other nations should by receiving and professing the Gospel come under Gods wing, they should partake of the same Covenant which the Jews had before enjoyed, he would henceforth be the God of them and their seed.
Whereto I reply, 1. That in his upbraiding me with venting my Criticisms, as he calls them, about the word [disciple ye] he excepts against me for doing that which was necessary to be done, to wit, to cleer the meaning of the word, by which the sense of the text is manifested.
2. When he should answer the thing I alleged and proved, that nations are not appointed to be baptized without any other circumscription, but disciples or believers in them, he repeats his dictates as obscurely as before, bringing a text impertinently, which doth not at all say, that all the nation of Egypt, that is, every man, woman, and child, that is an Egyptian, shall be his people, but such as know the Lord, do sacrifise, vow a vow, return to the Lord, verse 21, 22. which was fulfilled either when after the return from captivity, in Babylon, many of the Egyptians became Jewish proselytes, who were very probably many when P…olomy Philadelphus appointed the Bible to be translated into Greek, as Josephus l. 12. Antiq. c. 2. relates, or if it were fulfilled in the time of the Gospel, the stories of the Church refute that conceit, that the whole nation of Egypt were a national Christian Church, as the Jews before Christs comming, so as that all the people, men, women and children were Christians, though it be true that God had his Church at Alexandria in Egypt somewhat early, of which Mark is said to have been Bishop (of which more may be seen in Selden on Eutychius) and if that passage 1 Pet. 5. 13. The Church that is at Babylon elect together with you, be meant of Babylon in Egypt, it is plain that the Church there was an elect company chosen out from the rest, and therefore not the whole City, men, women and children, and consequently not a nation entirely; nor is there a word either in Matthew 28. 19. or in the places Mr. M. compares with it Mark 16. 15. Gal. 3. 8 9. Rom. 1. 16, 17. or Acts 11. 18. to prove that any other of the nations should partake of the Covenant the Jewes before had enjoyed, than those that receive the Gospel, believe and repent, or that they that believe should partake of the promises of the Covenant as it was national, and contained the promises made to Abrahams natural seed, or that he would henceforth be the God of the Nations professing the Gospel, and their seed: But the texts all of them prove plainly that the term [nations Mat. 28. 19.] is limitted to those of the nations, that were disciples, or did believe, Mark 16. 16. that did repent, Acts 11. 18. that believe, Romans 1. 16, 17. As for Gal. 3. 8. I admire that not only Mr. M. but also the Assembly at Westminster in their Confession of faith chap. 28. art. 4. to prove the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized, should cite Genesis 17. 7, 9. with Gal. 3. 9. 14. which if it were alleged any thing to their purpose to include infants as Genesis 17. 7, 9. then [nations] must be taken to comprehend all of the nation, and [the blessing of Abraham] meant of visible Church-membership: wheras the text expresly expounds [all nations] to be meant of them [which be of faith] and [the blessing] to be [justification, and the promise of the Spirit through faith] inferring from thence, that God would justifie the heathen through faith. yea it is so frequent to understand the term [nations] synecdochically for a part of nations, that I find no fewer than eighty times, and of these at least eight in Matthews Gospel, the word [foreign nations or Gentiles] in the New Testament, taken so as not to include infants, in the speeches in which it is used. But of this I have said enough in my Praecursor sect. 22. in my Postscript to M. Bl. s. 14. M. B. in his Praefest. Morat. s. 22. saith, that my speech he excepts against [that no one Countrey were discipled] was meant by me not onelyonly of a past event, but also of a duty, that it is not the Ministers duty to endeavour the discipling of any whole nation (for then he must endeavour to disciple infants) nor a part of the work of that commission; and this I confess is true, and I still think it; yea if it were as Mr. B. would have it, that Christ had bid them disciple the whole nations, even infants, then he had bid them preach the Gospel to infants, which had been a command of a man not in his wits, and which the Apostles never obeyed, and therefore I must blaspheme Christ if I expound the words as Mr. B. doth; nor doth any promise of Christ foretel that he will make the whole of a nation, even the infants, disciples. What is in his addition page 339, 340. I know not: I had thought I had all his addition to his third edition when I had his Friendly accommodation, and his Praefestinantis morator; what the reason is I know not, but I cannot yet get his additions: yet I conceive in his addition there is but a greater heap of impertinent texts.
He saith of me, As for what he saith of Moses and Magistrates, if you peruse what I have said to that already, I think it will appear that he is no where more vertiginous than in this.
To which I answer, I said that if Christ would have had a whole nation made his Church as the nation of the Jews was, comprehending old and young he had used Emperours and Kings to gather his Church as he did Moses to gather the Jewish Church in the Wildernesse by his authority, not Apostles and Preachers by perswasion. What he saith to it in his first edition, shall be (God assisting) in its place fully answered, I may more truly say that in this conceit of his, that Christ should bid the Apostles disciple infants, there is giddiness, if not an higher degree of folly. And my speech is so agreeable to reason, that if I be vertiginous in it, I shall then begin to turn Sceptique, and question whether any thing be certain.
As for what Mr. Blake saith about the rule of knowing a chosen believing nation, giving title to infants of that nation to be baptized as the Jewish infants were circumcised, I think there is no need to add any more to what I say in the Postscript s. 15. sith he confesseth page 67. as the nations are discipled, so they are to be baptized, and the infants of a nation are baptized by vertue of a privilege from their parents, not from the nation: Though Mr. Rutherfords words Temperate pleach. 12. concl. 1. arg. 7. Due right of Presbyteries ch. 4. sect. 6. p…. 260, 261. do intimate that the children in a chosen nation are holy with the holiness of the chosen nation, though father and mother be as wicked as the Jewes that slew Christ, who were certainly unbelievers, and they must stand to this if either they will justify the ordinary practice of baptizing any infants of any Athe…stical, profane Sco…ters, Persecutors, & Blasphemers of God and Religion, if they were baptized in infancy and are called Christians, or stand to their principle, that the commission is to baptize all nations in the same latitude that the Jewes infants were to be circumcised, which was and ought to be done, though the parents were such as Ahab and Jezabel. But however those of the Congregational way, who say we are freed from the paedagogy of the Jewes, and deny that now there are national Churches by institution as the Jews were, and that it is sufficient now to make a member of the Church because one is by birth of this or any other nation, as then it was, because one was born of the nation of the Jewes, as Mr. Burroughs vindic. against Mr. Edwards aspersions pag. 23. me thinks should reject the interpretation o… making disciples all nations, in like wise as the one nation of the Jews were circumcised, which was by vertue of their birth, according to Gods appointment, as descended from Abraham, or as joined to that people.
Yet Mr. Cobbet Just vindic. part 2. ch. 3. s. 4. argues thus. All nations are the subject to be discipled and baptized by commission, and therefore at least all the specifical parts of the nations, all sorts of persons in the nations, but not all of every sort.
To which I reply, The consequence is not of any validity, all nations, therefore all sorts of the nations, It follows not, all nations shall serve him, therefore all sorts of the nations, all nations compassed me about, therefore every sort of persons in a nation.
But, saith Mr. Cobbet, I would know then why the collective nations are mentioned under that title of nations rather than that of grown persons of the nations.
To which I answer, the reason is because the thing said, suffiently shews who of the nations are meant, and it is very frequent to restrain the extent of speeches pro subject a materia, as the matter spoken of will bear it with truth and sense. And that this is usual in the use of the term [nations] is shewed before.
As for what Mr. William Cook saith in his Font uncovered page 14. children are not to be excluded Mat. 28. 19. because children are a very considerable and essential part of a nation, it is frivolous, For
1. If he mean by children infants, it is false that infants are an essential part of a nation, it is possible there may be a nation which may have for some time never an infant in it.
2. If it were true, yet it is not to his purpose till he proves that [nations Mat. 28. 19.] is not taken synecdochically for a part of the nations, those that are of age to understand preaching of the Gospel, but that it must comprehend every essential part in its full latitude.
And in like sort Mr. Nathanael Stephens his reasons taken not from the text, but from his own conceit, That [nations] must be taken as [nation] was in the application of it to the Jewish Church, and that otherwise there should be a shortning of the Covenant, they have been often answered and shewed to proceed upon such mistakes as these, that the Church of Christians was to be modelized after the fashion of the Jewes, and the use of baptism was to seal such a national Covenant, and that title to a Covenant made by God gives right to baptism. And for his instances page 9. of his Precept for infant-baptism, to infringe our argument from John 4. 1. to prove that Mat. 28. 19. only disciples actually made are the subject appointed to be baptized, they all proceed upon a mistake of the reason, as if from the example there were gathered an universal rule, whereas it is onelyonly brought, First to explain the meaning of the phrases Mat. 28. 19. of making disciples and baptizing them. Secondly, that example is brought not by it self alone (as Mr. Stephens brings it) but together with the institution, and all the examples in the New Testament to prove infant-baptism irregular, but his single instances do not infer. And whereas page 10, 11. he takes on him to shew a certain rule to know a discipled nation, he should have added initiating infants of that nation to baptism, and sets down their publique profession, he cleers not the difficulty, except he tell what profession and whose makes it a publique profession, whether when the representative of it professeth, or the King, or the Major part, or every person of understanding, and if he mean these wayes or any other, how he can acquit the Apostles from swerving from Christs rule, never looking after any other than personal profession, nor baptizing any infant upon his imagined rule, and if as he speaks, as the parents do now receive the faith, so far they and theirs must go under the account of a discipled nation, if they profess to bring up theirs in the faith, then though the children and servants be professed infidels, yet the parents and masters being believers, and promising to educate theirs in Christianity, these shall be baptizable because part of a discipled nation; And when he saith, Not only the families of those that truly believe, but the families of others also that are willing to yield to the Christian education, and to live under the tuition of a Godly Magistracy in the Commonwealth, and the instruction of a powerful Ministery in the Church; so far forth as they are willing to be guided by the Lawes, and the Government of the Church of Christ, and are no worse, so far they must go under the notion of a discipled nation: and parents and children both be the lawful subject of baptism: He speaks nothing but riddles leaving it to his Reader to study what he means by so many [so fars] whether he thinks all these do amount to a profession of the faith, whether these do make a man a Christian compleat, or onelyonly an half Christian, what he means by [and are no worse] and how such a submission, as for ought I can perceive may stand with grosse ignorance of Christ, and at some times, as in Constantines and Theodosius his times was in Pagans, afore the Inquisition in Spain in many Jews and Saracens, and is at this day in Spain, yea and England in many that know nothing of Christianity, nor have any savour of the faith of Christ, can make a discipled nation, and entitle to baptism, not shewing any Scripture for what he saith, but Abrahams circumcising, Gen. 17. 12, 17. which how impertinent it is to this point of baptism, is, and shall be more fully shewed hereafter.
But I am necessitated yet to say something more to my teasing, and eager Antagonist Mr. Blake, who speaks thus Vindic. foed. pag. 194. Mr. T. in his Apology sect. 14. pag. 143. would fain fasten another interpretation on these words, and make the Commission not to sound according to the Letter of the words, nor yet according to the successe by grace attained, but to his liking and therefore is put to it to change the word foreign into foreign then all nations must either be put by apposition foreign, or with the preposition foreign, and so instead of disciple all nations, it will be make disciples in all nations. This he thinks is very tolerable, because to disciple and to make disciples is all one. But though they may be one in themselves, yet it makes a main difference in the phrase, and with the additions of his preposition inverts the whole meaning of the words, as to the thing in controversie, which is such a violence offered to the Text, that is not to be endured in him, that is about to draw a Logical argument for his advantage against his adversary.
Answ: What I do in expounding Christs words is not onelyonly tolerable, but necessary to be done to cleer the meaning of them. I do no more than Beza, the New Annot. and others. Mr. Blake me thinks allowes my exposition in these words a little before. The Apostles were to make disciples, to bring men into Covenant with God, and being discipled to baptize them, sealing them as Gods in Covenant; So John 4. 1, 2. when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than Iohn, though Iesus baptized not, but his disciples. Here John made disciples & baptized them being made, the disciples of Jesus made disciples, and baptized them being made; an outward work then to make profession of the faith is sufficient to make one a disciple and to bring him into the verge of the Covenant. In which he plainly asserts, that Christ appointed and the Apostles practised the making disciples by an outward work to make profession of faith, and baptized them so made. Now if this be the meaning of Mr. Blake, I see not wherein there needs be difference between us. For whether we read make disciples all nations, or make disciples of or in all nations, and this making disciples by an outward work, and profession of faith upon that outward work are that which makes one a disciple, and these are to be baptized that are thus made disciples, I shall not stick to yield that Christ appointed, and the Apostles practised by the outward work of preaching to make disciples by the outward work of profession of faith, the whole of all nations, and baptized them wholly being made disciples by profession of faith: And I mean this as Pareus on Mat. 28. 19. Tertium mandatum est de baptizandis omnibus gentibus, hoc est sacramento baptismi initiandis & consecrandis omnibus iis qui Christo nomen darent. And herein I make the Commission to sound according to the letter, and according to the success by grace attained, without the least interverting the whole meaning of the words, without any violence offered to the text. Nor do I expect any thing in this matter to be indured in me but what I find agreeable to speeches of Be…, Pareus, the New Annot. and M. Blake himself.
Yea but the text is to be expounded so as to comprehend every age of men, and the term [all nations] is to comprehend the whole of every nation.
Answ. It is clear by comparing Mat. 28. 19. with Mark 16. 15. that [make disciples all nations] answers to [preach the Gospel to every creature] which later term is in shew more comprehensive then [make disciples all nations] But I suppose Mr. Bl. will not be so absurd as to conceive that any other than of humane kind are meant thereby, nor that any other of them are meant thereby than those that were capable of hearing and understanding it, me thinks he should not conceive Christ bid them preach the Gospel to every deaf man, every natural fool, or mad man that have at no time use of reason, or men that wilfully would not hear: yea methinks Mr. Bl. should yield further, that when Christ bids them preach the Gospel to every man that is fit to hear, he did not intend to charge them, that they must preach the Gosspel so as that every intelligent person of mankind in the world must hear it from their mouth: For then it had bin their sin being a breach of Christs cōmand, if every person of natural understanding, whether of Jews or Gentiles, did not hear the Gospel from them; which must have tied them either to sin, or else to search out every Countrey, Continent, o… Island be it never so small, every house in every City, village, wilderness, and to preach Christ to them, wherever they were, which had been according to the course of ordinary humane abilities altogether impossible for them to do. I conceive Mr. Bl. will yield that in what sense it is meant Col. 1. 23. the Gospel was preached to every creature under heaven, that is it was preached to all sorts of persons that were hearers without difference of Jews or Gentiles, in the same sense Christ bids them [preach the Gospel to every creature] & [make disciples all nations] being the same command as the comparing the texts shews. If [every creature] be not meant of every creature universally and distributively, but of any sort or number of men indefinitely, to whom they might and it was fit to preach, in like manner in the same command thus expressed [disciple all nations] by [all nations] are not meant omnes gentes totaliter totae, all nations whole and wholly, but any persons indifferently in any nation whom they might, and were fit to be made disciples by preaching, and to baptize them that were professing disciples of Christ so made, which is the only sense that the success by grace attained to makes good. Neither did the Apostles in the event preach the Gospel to every humane person capable of hearing and understanding, they came not to every Village, I…le, civil or barbarous, sure not to every house, yea sometimes they were restrained, as Paul from preaching in Asia, Bithynia, Acts 16. 6, 7. nor was there ever by the Apostles or any other the Gospel preached so successfully as that there was ever one whole nation, I mean totaliter tota, comprehending every individual humane person of that nation, discipled thereby, so as that every one of the nation, not one excepted, did upon hearing the Gospel, freely, or of their own accord, soberly, or in their right wits, seriously, or not in jest, understandingly, or knowing what they spake, become disciples of Jesus, confessing him to be the Christ the Son of the living God.
But Mr. Blake goes on Vindic. foederis pag. 195. [And as it is against the letter of the text, so it is plainly against our Saviours scope and end in giving this Commission. Mr. T. Examen page 130. saith, This enlargement unto all nations in this place was in opposition to the restriction Mat. 10. 5. now in that nation to which there they were limited, the whole of the nation was in covenant, all the Land was the Land of Immanuel, Isa. 8. 8. And consequently so it was to be in other nations by vertue of this happy inlargement, or else the opposition is utterly taken away, the meaning of the words clouded, and the Apostles at a losse for understanding of them; for having spent their pains before in a nation all disciples, and now having a commission for the discipling of all nations, how shall they understand the words, unlesse the whole of the nation where they come are to be discipled?]
Answ. The nation in which the Apostles according to the commission Mat. 10. 5. 6. before spent their pains, were the people of Israel, and to say that nation were all disciples, understanding it of disciples of Christ, and of every person of that nation, is to say the snow is black; For the contrary is manifest by expresse Scripture John 1. 11. & 7. 5, 48. & 9. 28, 29. & 10. 20. & 12. 37 38. But, saith he, The whole of the nation was in Covenant, I grant that the whole of the nation were in the Covenants at Horeb, Exodus 19. and in the plains of Moab by Moses his edicts from God Deu. 29. But what is this to prove that the Apostles spent their pains in a nation all disciples, every person or persons, even the infants of that nation were disciples of Christ. Were all of the Jewish nation when the Apostles preached to them, disciples of Christ, because in Moses his time many hundreds of years before all were engaged in the covenants at Horeb, and the plains of Moab by Moses authority? It is but a new non-sense gibberish to make these terms synonimous to be disciples of Christ, and to be in covenant according to the manner of the Jewes being in covenant. And the reason of Mr. Blake is as frivolous, All the Land was the Land of Immanuel, Isaiah 8. 8. therefore The whole of the nation were in covenant, that nation were all disciples of Christ.
For first it is plain that [the Land of Immanuel] there is not the people, but the ground or earth they inhabited, because it is that, The breadth of which the King of Assyria did fill with his wings, that is his forces, and did pass through.
2. How doth Mr. Blake prove that it was called The Land of Immanuel, because the whole of the nation was in Covenant? It might be called Immanuels land, when the Assyrians, Chaldaeans, and other strangers inhabited it, Israel being expelled, because of Gods title to it, and the people might and shall be in covenant when they shall not be in the Land.
3. But it is in my apprehension a meer whimzy, to infer the whole of the nation was in covenant in Isaiahs days, therefore the nation of the Jewes were all disciples of Christ when the Apostles spent their pains in preaching according to the commission Mat. 10. 5, 6.
4. There is no less dotage in the rest of his frivolous speech, that it [is plainly against out Saviours scope and end in giving the commission Mat. 28. 19. to understand, make disciples in (I said of) all nations, that if the whole of the nation be not in covenant in other nations as in the Land of Immanuel by vertue of this happy enlargement, the opposition is utterly taken away, the meaning of the words clouded, and the Apostles at a losse for the understanding of them.]
All which are but vain words. The meaning is plain enough, as I conceive, it was understood so by the Apostles, and hath been so by Expositors, as I have shewed, even by the chiefest of the Paedobaptists, without any such construction as Mr. Blake makes.
Mr. Blake goes on thus. [And hereto accord the prophecies of the Scripture, for the calling of the nations of the Gentiles, God shall enlarge Iaphet, and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem, Gen. 9. 27. Sem was wholly in covenant not by pieces and parcells, but universally in covenant, Iaphet is to come in succession into covenant in like latitude; Psal. 28. Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession. It is not some among the nations of the heathen that are to be the inheritance of Christ, but the heathen. To which agrees Revel. 11. 15. The Kingdomes of the Earth shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ; Immanuel of old had one, now he shall have more Kingdomes; And they become his no other way, than by discipling; Gods Ministers are his men of War for subduing and captivating them, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. and Kingdoms are promised them, not some in a Kingdom. Alexander would not sit down with such a conquest, neither would Jesus Christ. If to possess some in a Kingdome be to possess a Kingdom, then Antichrist of long time hath had his Kingdom; All Kings shall bow down before him, all Nations shall serve him, Psal. 72. 11. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord, and shall glorify thy name, Psal. 86. 9. Thou shalt call a nation which thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, Isaiah 55. 5. There God calls the nation, and the nation doth answer Gods call. In that day Israel shall be a third with Egypt, and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the Land, whom the Lord shall blesse, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance. There Egypt and Assyria are in equipage with Israel, all three sister-Churches; Israel without any preheminence, either Israel then was not a nation of Disciples, a nation wholly within covenant, or else there are to be national Churches, the whole of the nation to be discipled and brought into Covenant. ▪]
Answ. Mr. Blake saith, The prophecies of Scripture accord hereto, that Mat. 28. 19. they were to make all in a nation disciples, the whole of the nation was to be discipled, and that the words were not otherwise to be understood. If this reason were of force, where any thing is said of the nation it must be understood of the whole of the nation, of every person in it or of it, even the infants. Which how monstrous and wild a conceit it is will appear by multitudes of instances. Matth. 21. 43. The Kingdom of God shall be given to a nation (contradistinguished to the Jews) bringing forth the fruits of it: If Mr. Blake say right, there is a prophecy of a nation, the whole whereof every particular, even infans should bring forth the fruits of the Kingdome of God, Mat. 24. 9. Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name sake, that is, the whole of all the nations, and if so, then of the Christians even themselves, who are a part of the nations. Besides, if this were the meaning, the prophecy of Christ would be contradictory to the prophecies Mr. Blake brings, in the latitude in which he expounds the word [nations] Mat. 24. 7. Nation shall rise up against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, that is, if Mr. Blakes fu…ile dictates were ought worth, the whole of the Nation and Kingdom, even the infants, should rise up against the whole of another Nation and Kingdom, even the infants. Acts 11. 18. God hath given repentance to the Gentiles, or nations, that is, according to the rate of Mr. Blakes expositions, the whole of the nations, even the infants. Acts 15. 3. The conversion of the Nations, that is, of the whole of the nations, even the infants, ver. 17. All the nations upon whom my name is called, that is, the whole of the nations, even the infants. The instances are so many to shew the futility of Mr. Blakes reasoning, that I hope either he himself will discern his folly, and those that magnify him, his weakness herein, or else me thinks the impudence of such reasoning should be exploded.
But to shew further the vanity of his dictating, rather than disputing, He mentions Gen. 9. 27. as a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, but he takes it as presupposed, but proves it not; and what exceptions ly against it will appear in that which follows in answer to Mr. Cobbet. And then he saith, Sem was wholly in Covenant, not by pieces and parcels, universally in Covenant, if he mean it of the Jews, in the sense wherein being in covenant is as much as being disciples of Christ by profession, it is most palpably false: for they disclaimed it, John 9. 28. But were it granted that they were in Covenant wholly, yet where is there a word to prove that Japhet is to come in succession into covenant in like latitude.
Again he saith, Psal. 2. 8. It is not some among the Nations of the heathen, that are to be the inheritance of Christ, but the heathen.
In which speech either he deals deceitfully or unskilfully. For whereas to [it is not some among the nations] he opposeth [but the heathen] he should, if he would speak congruous sense, have said [all of the heathen] for [ah] is opposed to [some] But instead thereof he saith [but the heathen] which is either to delude the unwary Reader in that indefinite expression, as if it were all one with an universal, or to trifle, sith [some of the heathen] may be called [the heathen] it being but an indefinite term, and doth not stand by any rule of Logick necessarily for [all heathen] and therefore it is all one as if he had said, It is not among some of the nations, but among some of the nations. Besides, what sense is there in these words [some of the nations of the heathen]? What are the heathen but the nations? Heathen, Gentiles, the Nations, are all terms of the same sense, answering to the same words in Greek foreign, and therefore to say [some of the nations of the heathen] is all one as to say [some of the nations of the nations] which is to trislle. Then Revel. 11 15. is brought in, which prophecy is not to be fulfilled till the seventh Angel sounds, till then he shews not That Gods Ministers have Kingdoms promised them, not some in Kingdoms. And even then The nations were angry, and the Wrath of God was come, and the time of the dead to be judged, ver. 18. which sure was not in Johns daies, …or is it to be imagined to be fulfilled in our daies. His talk of Christ as emulating Alexander the Great, is most vain. Christ conquers those whom his Father hath given him, be they fewer or more, and sits down with that conquest, untill his foes be made his footstool, but it is most false that there is any Scripture that tells us, that all the Kingdomes of the world shall be Christs, so as that the whole of each nation shall be disciples of Christ, or willing subjects to him. For then at his comming he should have no enemies to put down, none to condemn. No doubt Antichrist, yea and the Devil too, hath had of long time a Kingdom, some its likely in most or every Kingdom, yea even where Christs Kingdom hath been. Doth not Christ say, The Angel of the Church of Pergamus dwelt where Satans throne was? Neither Psal. 72, 11. nor Psal. 86. 9. nor Isai. 55. 5. saith, That the whole of the nation shall be disciples of Christ, and if the prophecies were understood in that latitude, they were most palpably false. Nor is Isa. 19. 24, 25. certain to be a prophecy of the call of those people in the times of the Messiah, but may be understood of the succession of Proselytes thence after the return from the Captivity, and if it were, yet there is not so much as the term [nation] nor is it absurd to deny Israel to be a nation of disciples, or a nation wholly within covenant, as being within covenant is equipollent to being disciples of Christ; nor can national Churches, consisting of the whole of a nation, even the infants, be proved thence, or by any History. The whole of the nation to be discipled, and brought into covenant, is a meer phantastick dream.
M. Bl. yet ads, These prophecies or a great part of them I produc'd in my Answer of Mr. T. passing by other in silence (as having nothing to reply) he marvels that I am not ashamed to produce Psalm 72. ver. 11. Psalm. 86. ver. 9. to prove that the whole of the nations, even infants, must be included, Matth. 28. 19. As if it were foretold that the whole nation, even infants, should come before God and worship. It is strange if Mr. T. be ignorant, that prophecies in the old Testament of the glory of New Testament times, are in Old Testament phrases by way of allusion to the worship of those times, set forth to us. Now it was the practice of the people of the Jews, for their males of growth and strength to appear before the Lord, and neither females no… infants, as Ainsworth on Exod▪ 23. 17, observes, yet they appeared in the name of females, and their females and children were in Covenant together with them, Deut. 29. 11. so that as the rest of the prophecies to which Mr. T. hath nothing to say, so these two prophecies (against which he excepts) speak fully for the discipling of nations in the New Testament times.
Answ. Mr. Blake construes my omitting to except against the allegation of the other prophecies besides Psalm 72. 11. Psalm 86. 9. as if I had nothing to reply, whereas being indeed in that writing necessitated to be brief, I thought best to answer those that seemed to have most shew for him: But now he is answered in all. I said I marvelled he was not ashamed to produce them as he did: but he seems past shame.
He saith Vindic. foed. pag. 329. That an eminently learned man lately observed that I had donum impudentiae. Who that eminently learned man is I know not, nor do I care. Till there be given a reason of this censure it cannot better me, but will have a shew of malignancy to me, if not vanity also in the Censurer and Relator. And ill will seldome speaks well: He may bestow his censure more rightly elsewhere. I say still, it is a shameful thing to abuse Scriptures as Mr. Blake doth to understand by nations the whole of the nation, even infants, when, if they be so understood the Scripture should in that sense be most palpably false; for it should foretell a thing that neither was nor will be. I conceive myself not ignorant of what Mr. Blake saith, and though I grant all he saith, yet it covers no part of his shame in abusing the text. For even in his allusion, the whole of the nation, females and infants, did not appear before the Lord, and therefore were the extent of the prophecies as large as that they are conceived to allude to, yet the whole of the nation, even infants, were not included. And this is enough to shew the futility of his talk about discipling nations, which in his sense never was. Nor is there one reason given by Mr. Blake for his exposition, and reasons sufficient are given for mine, and I may retort Mr. Bls. words upon him, All indifferent men may challenge their reason that heed him, and when I am taken with such frivolous dictates as his are, I expect my friends should conclude that I doat.