Anti-Paedobaptism Part 3, Section 70
SECT. LXX. Mr. Bs. 16th, and 17th. arg from the promise of mercy, Exod. 20.6. and of blessing, Psal. 37.26. are answered.
CH. 21. saith Mr. B. The 16th. arg. then is this: Exod. 20.5, 6. From hence I argue thus: If God have made over this mercy (of Churchmembership) in the moral law, to the children of all that love and obey him, then it is not proper to the Jews children, nor is it ceased: But God hath made over this mercy in his moral law to the children of all that love and obey him; therefore it is not proper to the Jews children, nor is it ceased. Nothing but the antecedent here needeth proof. Every man I think among us will confess, that the moral law was not proper to the Jews, and that it is not ceased. Even the most of the Antinomians confess the ten Commandments are in force as the law of Christ, though not as the law of Moses. However, if they be against the preceptive part of the law, yet sure they will not bee against the promissary part. Though there be some clauses that were suted to the Jews peculiarly, yet I never yet met with man that would say this was so. If the ten Commandments be not currant proof, there is no disputing with them out of Scripture.
Answ. There is need of proof of more then the antecedent to make this argument good. For 1. the conclusion is not that which Mr. B. should prove, Churchmembership and visible Churchmembership, children and infant children being not all one. God may shew the mercy of Churchmembership to infants, and yet not make over to them visible Churchmembership, and he may make over visible Churchmembership to the children of them that love him, and yet not to them in infancy. So that the conclusion may bee granted as it stands, without any impeachment to my tenet. But if it be meant of visible Churchmembership of infant children, the minor is to be denied. And to the proof, 1. I except that this promise was proper to the Jews made to back the legal Covenant, and though it be a promise annexed to the observing a moral precept, yet as in the fifth Commandment termed the first Commandment with promise, Ephes. 6.2. So in this, the promise hath special reference to their prosperous and safe estate in Canaan, in which they were continued while they kept themselves from idolatry, and on the other side expelled, captivated, enslaved, when they served idols, unto the third and fourth generation, upon which considering the time of making this promise, the usual tenour of promises in the Books of Moses, as Deut. 7.9, 12. to the same purpose, the place where this promise is put, the event which doth best expound it, and that no where under the Gospel promises are made to believers children, but onelyonly to believers themselves of Evangelical mercy, yea the Apostle concludes that notwithstanding the promise to Abraham and his seed Gen. 17.7. and to Israel, yet God hath mercy on whom hee will have mercy, and whom he will hee hardens, Rom. 9.18. I do determine (without fear of Mr. Bs. censure) that this promise was suited to the Jews peculiarly. 2. I hence infer that if this mercy be meant of Churchmembership, yet it might bee, yea was proper to the Jews children. 3. The mercy here cannot be proved to be visible Churchmembership. 4. That it is onelyonly to those mens children who love him and keep his Commandments, which is an invisible thing, and so whose infants are visible Churchmembers by this promise cannot bee known. 5. That this promise is made good though it be not performed to all those that love him, nor to all their children, nor to any in infancy. 6. That this promise is not true without the exception of election, and the expounding of it as conditional and not absolute sith it must then follow that God exempts none yet from mercy, there being not a thousand generations from Noah to this day▪ So that till Mr. B. have proved the contrary to these (which he can never do) his proof from hence will appear to be of no force. But let us examine what he saith.
Let mee try therefore whether this 2d. Commandment in the words cited do not prove the minor: to which end I argue thus. If God have assured his mercy by promise to the children of all them that love and obey him, then he would have them be taken for members of his Church. But hee hath here assured his mercy by promise to the children of them that love and obey him: therfore he would have them bee taken for Churchmembers: The minor is plain in the text. The consequence of the major I prove thus: (viz. that all those must be taken for Churchmembers on whom God hath thus stated or assured his mercy by promise) (the word [mercy] I shall explain anon:) If God have estated and assured his mercy by promise to no other society of men in the world but the Church, then all those are members of the Church on whom his mercy is thus estated and assured: But God hath estated and assured his mercy on no other society: Therefore, &c.
Here let me a little explain my meaning. Sometime when God promiseth mercy, it is first to some particular person or family: Sometime to a whole species or sort of persons. 2. Sometimes it is some particular named mercy, and sometime in the general naming no sort or individual mercy. 3. Sometimes it is upon a special ground proper to some one person or to few; and somtimes it is upon a common ground. 4. When the mercy is specified▪ it is sometime meerly corporal and sometime spiritual. 5. And of spiritual mercies, sometime it is common to others besides the saved; and sometime special and proper to the saved. 6. Sometime it is mercy limi…ed to a short or certain time; and sometime estated and assur…d for con…inuance while the law standeth. Now you mu…t understand first, that God may bestow on some particular person or family, on the ground of some special service, which they or their fathers have done, or of meer mercy some special corporal blessing, especially limited to some short or certain time: And that his common preservi…g sustaining mercies are over all his works; and and yet none of this will prove men Churchmembers. 2. But when God doth not name any particular person or family for his mercies, but estates them on a species or sort of persons; and when it is not a m…er corporal mercy that is so stated, but either a spiritual mercy (common o… special) or else mercy in the general without specification, and when this is not on any ground of any partic…lar action or service done by any particular man, but upon a ground (or condition) common to others not named; and all this not li…ited to any short or certain time, but stated to continuance, and that by a legal promise assuring it, and not onelyonly a meer offer of it, in this case it will certainely proove th…m members of the Church.
Answ. 1 Mr. B. leav… out in the minor the term [all] which was in the major of the first syllogism: which if it had been put in the minor (as it was necessary hee should do to prove the conclusion hee should prove) it would not have been proved out of the text; which doth not assure mercy to all the children of all that love him, but to thousan…s, that is, multitudes of the…; and to those mercy is not assured absolutely without condition of their love of God, nor is mercy in the text promised perpetually, but as Andr. Rivet. on Exod. 20.6. God doth not so extend the bounds of his mercy, that hee may not also deny it to the posterity of some godly men. For these things are said of those things which for the most part happen, Gods liberty beeing alwayes reserved in his judgements and the distribution of good things. So wee reade the sonnes of Godly parents to have been forsaken of God and grievously punished. 2. The consequence of his major is denied, and to his dictates (for proof hee brings none but his own sayings) I answer first, by denying that all those must bee taken for visible Churchmembers on whom God hath stated or assured his mercy by promise, Exod. 20.6. no not though it were stated as Mr. B. would have it, no promise, no not of sanctifying grace making of it self a person a visible Churchmember, as I have shewed often before. 2. I deny that the mercy, Exod. 20 6. is stated as Mr. B. imagines; but say, 1. That the mercy there meant, is stated on the Israelites specially. 2. That it is not meant of spiritual but outward mercies, not now promised to the most holy Saint on earth. 3. That it was declared on a particular ground of Gods peculiar respect to Israel, whom hee brought out of Egppt. 4. That it is limited to a certain time, while they continued to be his people, which was not to be perpetually. 3. I deny that the words, Exod. 20.6. Deut. 5.10. do expresly contain a promise, but onelyonly a declaration of Gods frequent dealing, which I confess, doth imply a promise, as his declaration, Exod. ….5. Deut. 5.9. doth imply a threatening; yet I think it not fit to call it a promise, sith the Apostle Ephes. 6.2. termes the fifth commandment, the first commandment with promise. But Mr. B. adds.
Now that it is the priviledge of the Church onelyonly to have God thus engaged to be mercifull to them, (and that in a way of distinction from others, as it is in this commandment promise,) is to me a truth beyond dispute▪ And if any do doubt of it, I argue with them thus. 1. If no such promise of such mercy to any sort of men out of the Church can be shewn in the Scripture, then we must take it as proved that there is none: But no such promise can be shewn estating such mercy on any others; therefore, &c. They that can shew any such promise, let them produce it.
Answ. The assertion is not a truth beyond dispute, but may be questioned, nor is the consequence good, there being no such declaration of God that he hath made no such promise of such mercy to any sort of men but what can be shewn in the Scripture; and if it were, yet till Mr. B. hath shewed that the mercy Exod 20.6. is greater then God vouchsafes to persons out of the Church visible, it may be held (notwithstanding any thing Mr. B, produceth) that such mercy is promised to persons out of the Church. However, it is most false that God hath assured his mercy on no other society then the Church. If the promise, Gen. 3.15. be understood of all mankind as meant by the womans seed (as he before in his third Letter to me, and after here, ch. 23. expounds it) then there is a promise of mercy stated on othe…s then the Church; and the same may be said of Gen. 9.12, 15, 16. besides what is implied in the speeches, Psal. 36.6. Psal▪ 145.9. 1 Tim. 4.10. Till Mr. B. shew a greater mercy is stated on the children of all that love God then is on Cyrus, Isa. 45.1, &c. there is a promise shewn in Scripture of such mercy to one out of the Church. The like to Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. 27.6. And the promises of calling the Gentiles, of re-ingraffing the Jews, Rom. 11.26, 27. are promises to persons out of the Church, and yet of mercy, yea the chiefest mercy; and therefore Mr. Bs. dictates are but vain. Yet he goes on thus.
2. Briefly consider to the contrary: 1. Those without the Church are said to be without hope, without God, strangers to the Covenant of promises, Ephes. 2.12.
Answ. It is said of the Ephesians, that they were once without hope, &c. and it is said also that they were Gentiles uncircumcised; but it doth noth not follow therefore that all Gentiles uncircumcised were without Christ not having hope, without God in the world: Nor doth it follow, that all Gentiles were out of any visible Church who were uncircumcised; nor doth it follow, they had no promises of mercy who were strangers from the Covenants of promise there meant. It is true, this Text proves that the estate of the Gentiles afore the Gospel was preached to them, was as Paul describes it: Yet this neither proves that there were none who were out of the Commonwealth of Israel, and were strangers from the Covenants of promises made to Israel, had no mercy assured to them equal to that, Exod. …0.6.
2. Saith Mr. B. The promises are all Yea and Amen in Christ, 1 Cor. 1.20. And Christ is the head over all (indeed but onelyonly) to the Church, Ephes. 1.22. To his called he giveth the precious promises, 2 Pet. 1.4.
Answ. The promises, 2 Cor. 1.20. are such as were in Christ, and must be understood of saving promises, which are not made to the visible Church as visible, much less to the children of visible churchmembers as such, but onelyonly to those that are of the invisible, and therefore this Text proves not that no mercy such as is meant, Exod. 20.6. is assured to any society or persons but those of the visible Church. The same also may be said of 2 Pet. 1.4. where the promises are given to the effectually called, and that by them they are partakers of the Divine nature. And for the other Text, though there be no mention of promises in it at all, yet if any be implied, the speech is meant onelyonly of the Church of Gods elect (not the meer visible Church) which alone is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all; and therefore if these Texts prove no mercy promised but to the Church, they prove no mercy promised but to the invisible Church, which is contrary to Mr. Bs. purpose here.
3. Saith he, By faith it is that promises were obtained, Heb. 11.33▪
Answ. It is said, by faith they subdued Kingdomes, in the same v. and therefore after the rate of Mr. Bs. reasoning, none should subdue Kingdomes but the Church. The faith there is such a faith as the just lived by, ch. 10.38. therefore if Mr. Bs. arguing be good, promises of mercy should be made to none, but those who believe with such a faith, and consequently it is not the meer visible Church but the invisible onelyonly to whom such mercy is assured. The answer is by denying the consequence, that because promises were obtained by faith, therefore mercy is not assured to any by promise but the Church.
4. He adds. To Abraham and his seed were the promises made, Gal. 3.16. both common and special: The children of the promise are accounted for the seed, Rom. 9.8. Therefore if those without the Church were children of the promise, then they should be the seed. The promise is sure to all the seed, Rom. 4.16. The promise is to you and your children, and as many as the Lord shall call, Acts 2.39. The seed are heirs of the promise.
Answ. Mr. Bs. needlesness still appears. He should prove, that such mercy as he conceives promised Exod. 20.6. (which he will not avouch to be saving mercy) is assured to none but the Church, and he means the visible Church: but here he brings promises of saving mercy, which he dare not say to be made to the children of all that love him, Exod. 20.6. and are indeed made onelyonly to those who are of the invisible Church, and therefore impertinently alledged, The promises, Gal. 3.16. are such as are made to Christ either personal for his body mystical, or to Christ mystical, and the promises are those by which is the inheritance, v. 18. righteousness by faith, v. 21, 22▪ which can be true onelyonly of the elect, and so that, v. 29. If ye be Christs, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. So Rom. 4.16. is meant onelyonly of true believers, and Rom. 9.8. of the elect onelyonly. Now it's not denied, that the promises of righteousness and life belong onelyonly to the Church invisible; but these promises are far different from the promise to the children of them that love God, Exod. 20.6. which Mr. B. will have onelyonly meant of the visible Church, and of things much below saving benefits. The Text, Acts 2.39. it as impertinently alledged, as hath been proved at large before, the promise there being not meant of any visible priviledge, nor the fathers there considered as believers, or lovers of God, but as crucifiers of Christ, and the promise not said to be to any of either sort, but those who were called by God.
5. Saith Mr. B. The Church is the house and family of God, and the promises are his treasure, and Christs legacies, and the word of promise is his Testament; therefore not for these without. The Church is the pillar and ground of truth, and the word is the truth. In the middest of the Church are Gods praises, Heb. 2.12. therefore in the Church are his mercies and promises. It is by the Church that the man…fold wisdome of God is known, Eph. 3.1…. The Church onelyonly is that body whereof the Lord of the promises is head, Col. 1.18.
Answ. The promises of saving benefits are Gods treasure, and belong onelyonly to the invisible Church; but it follows not therefore that God makes no promise, or the mercy Exod. 20.6. belongs to none out of the visible Church. Let it be yeelded, the Church is the pillar of truth, and the word is the truth; yet that God makes no promises to Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar, and others out of the Church, or that his promise to them is not true, or that he vouchsafes no mercy to them, follows not. God is praised in the Church, and his counsel made known, and Christ the head of the Church onelyonly, and yet all praise, promise, and mercy not appropriate to the Church.
6. Yet again. They that are not in covenant, are not under the promises of this mercy, or have not this mercy stated on them by promise: But those that are without the Church are not in covenant. This argument is past contradiction. No man dare say but these are covenant mercies in this promise mentioned. Wicked men in the Church are within the covenant, as I have proved in the Appendix of my Aphorisms; but those without are not in covenant, though they may have some conditional promises offered. The covenant and such promises as those go together: Therefore it is called the covenant of promises, Eph. 2.12. Rom. 9.1, 2. So is mercy onelyonly assured by the covenant ▪ Deut. 7.9, 12. and that to the Church onelyonly, 1 Kings 8.23. Neh. 1.5. & 9.32. Mic. 7.20. Luke 1.50, 72. 1 Pet. 2.10. Many more Scriptures shew the conjunction between Gods mercy and covenant; and most certainly they are all out of covenant that are out of the visible Church.
Answ. If Paedobaptists had not a mind to mock rather then to teach people by their writings, me thinks being so often called upon to speak distinctly what covenant they mean, when they say infants and visible churchmembers are in covenant, and in what manner they are in covenant by Gods act, their own, or the baptizers, they would still when they speak of being in covenant clear their meaning. There are divers Covenants of God; that with Noah, Gen. 9. that with Abraham, Gen. 17. that with the Jews, Exod. 19. the new Covenant, Heb. 8.9, 10, 11, 12. Being in Covenant must needs come from their own act of covenanting, and then the sense is, Wicked men in the Church are within the Covenant, that is, they promise to God: But in this sense no infant is in Covenant with God; fo… no infant promiseth to God. Or being in Covenant is from Gods act of promising, and thus it is most certainly false that they are all out of Covenant that are out of the visible Church: For all men and beasts are in the Covenant with Noah, Gen. 9.11, 12. Mr. B. himself saith thus in his Appendix to his Aphorisms, answ to the 8th. object. p. 48. There is a Covenant betwixt God and every living creature. If I sho…ld instance in all the promises made to Ahab, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius, &c. it would be tedious. The Jews not yet re-ingraffed, nor of the visible Church, are certainly in Covenant in this sense, Rom. 11.26, 27. Isaac, Jacob, afore they were born were in Covenant, and so all elect infants in their mothers womb, and men of years yet in infidelity a…e within the Covenant of Evangelical grace, even the new Covenant, Heb. 8. though not in the visible Church. The minor therefore of Mr. Bs. argument is so far from being p…st contradiction, that it is in my apprehension manifestly false. I grant all mercies mentioned in any promise are Covenant mercies; but for the mercy, Exod. 20.6. it seems Mr. B cannot tell what it is, though he tell us on his word it is more then corporal, if not special. Now he saith, Appendix, p. …8▪ 1 Sam. 10.4, 5, 6, 7. The spirit of God and other f…vours are promised to Saul. And sure as much is promised to Cyrus, Isa. 44 28. & 45.1, &c. as was to Saul. Wicked men in the visible Church, continuing so to the end, neither are, nor ever were in the Covenant of Evangelical grace, or new Covenant, though they have been in the Covenants with Noah, and some other Covenants, in some of which also wicked men without the visible Church have been. The Covenants of promise (not as Mr. B. reads it, the Covenant of promises, Ephes. 2.12.) were as it is most likely the Covenants Gen. 17. Exod. 19. and the meaning of the Apostle in saying the Ephesians were strangers from them, seems to be, that they were not acquainted with them, and therefore in appearance further from God, as in like manner their uncircumcision and alienation from the policy of Israel, are alledged to the same purpose. And yet when they were made believers, and were in the visible Ch…rch, they were in neither Covenant as there is meant, I mean, they were not in the Covenant made to Abraham, Gen. 17. as it did contain special promises made to his natural seed, nor in the Covenant made at Horeb any more then they were circumcised or in the policy of Israel. Rom. 9.1, 2. hath nothing of Covenants or promises, but what is v. 4. is often before shewed to be meant of the Covenants and promises peculiar to the Israelites; and therefore, though the Covenant and such promises go together, yet therein is nothing which pertains to the visible churchmembership of our children, those who are now in the Church being not in those Covenants which were peculiar to the Israelites. 'Tis true the mercy meant Deut. 7.9. was assured by Covenant, but that Covenant was v. 12. it which God sware to the fathers, which so far as it was Evangelical, belongs onelyonly to the elect whether of Jews or Gentiles, so far as political to the Hebrews onelyonly. The same I say of 1 Kings 8.23. Nehem. 1.5. & 9.32. Mic. 7.…0. The texts Luk. 1.50.72. 1 Pet. 2.10. are plainly meant of saving mercy, and of the elect or invisible Church onelyonly. So that though I grant a conjunction between Gods mercy and Covenant, and that saving mercy is assured onelyonly by the Covenant to the Church invisible onelyonly, yet I deny that God is in Covenant with none but those of the visible Church, that God hath not promised such mercy as is meant Exod. 20.6. to any but in the visible Church, that what continuance of mercy is assured Exod. 20.6. to posterity is assured to believers children now as it was to the Israelites, that they are all visible Churchmembers to whom that mercy is assured, and therefore infer that the pretended ordinance of infants visible Churchmembership hath no footing in that text.
Mr. B takes up…n him to answer some objections, but very lamely. If any ob…ect, saith he, that this promise is to the children of them onelyonly that love him and keep his Commandments; and wee know not who those be; I answer, it is true, but though God make the promise onelyonly to such, yet quoad nos, it belongeth to others; that is, wee are bound to deal with all those that profess love and obedience by a serious probable profession, as if they were truly what they profess: This I shall prove afterwards. He that hath the face to say that God estateth here his mercy on the children of those that love, and obey him, and yet taketh them not for so much as members of the visible Church, hath too hard a forehead for me to dis…ute it with any further.
Answ. Though wee are to take such professours by a judgement of charity to have such love, and title to the promise, and are to exhibit all such offices of love as we are bound to by such a love as is due to them that truly love God, yet we are not bound to take them for visible churchmembers by that judgment of charity, but by a judgment of certainty sensibly perceiving their profession; nor are we to take their children as visible Churchmembers no not by Paedobaptists own grounds, for they are not so but upon their parents real love, they being not visible Churchmembers but by the Covenant which belongs not to them except they do truly love God, and not in shew onelyonly, which is to bee known by a judgement of certainty not of charity onelyonly, and that being not attainable it is not by Mr. Bs. own grounds knowable that any infant is a visible Churchmember. What he saith he shall prove afterwards hath been examined already in the first part of this Review sect. 35. I am not moved by Mr. Bs. censure, but take it for a speech of a man who loves to talk confidently when hee disputes weakly, like those who set out weak members with much bumbast.
He adds. Some may object, 1. That they know not what mercy it is that is here promised, whether common or special: To which I answer: what if they know not? yet it is mercy▪ and more then corporal if not special; what if God promise onelyonly in general to bee to them a merciful God? sure it affordeth us ground of confidence and comfort: As it would do to a poor man to have a Prince promise to be merciful to him and his children.
Answ. That the mercy Exod. 20.6. is more then corporal, if not special is …aid, but not proved by Mr. B. that he dare so confidently assert infants visible Churchmembership from a promise of mercy which hee cannot certainly resolve of what mercy it is, shews hee hath a bo…d face not fit for a man that seeks for truth. Especially if it be considered that no promise of it self doth make a man actually a visible Churchmember, no not of faith or profession, or visible Churchmembership. For a promise assures a futurity, put's not a thing in present being. 'Tis true a promise gives ground of confidence and comfort, that the thing shall be in its due time which is promised, but a promise of any mercy in general cannot assure the futurity of visible Churchmembership, no not though it were of more then corporal or special mercy, and therefore this argument his own words do sufficiently evince to bee onelyonly added to make a number without strength.
2. Saith he, They may object, that it is uncertain, what is meant by a thousand generations: whether it be the remote or the nearest progeny. To which I answer: 1. I judge it to be onelyonly to the immediate children of godly or ungodly parents, that the promise and threat in this Commandment is made to; else there would bee a contradiction between them. For if the third generation of a wicked man should have godly parents between, then the promise would belong to them, and consequently not the threat; and so on the other side. The meaning seems plainly to me to be this, that God will encrease the punishment of the children of ungodly parents according as they succeed their parents, remembring the sins of the grand-fathers in punishing their children (they being still the children onelyonly of the wicked.) And that he will multiply mercies on the posterity of the righteous, the more still because they had righteous progenitors, supposing still that they are the children of such.
Answ. To interpret a thousand generations or the third and fourth by one onelyonly, is such a piece of Arithmetick as I should conceive none but an Ideot or natural fool would use. The imagined contradiction is easily avoided by conceiving, that it is not a plain promise or threat of what God will constantly do, but a declaration of what hee doth often, or in some cases; which exposition is confirmed from hence, in that we see so much variation in Gods dealings, as necessitates us so to limit it. Though Josiah were a godly Prince, yet God would not shew mercy to his sons, and though Manasseh repented, yet for his sins wrath fell on his posterity and the whole people. But let Mr. Bs. interpretation, or mine▪ or any others be righter, yet the speech must needs have such limitations as wil disable it from yeilding a certain rule, whereby the children of all visible professors visible Churchmembership may bee proved, and therefore it is frivolously alledged by Mr. B. to that end.
2. Saith he, But I further answer: What if this were not understood? must wee therefore reject that which may bee understood? There is somewhat doubtfull in the text, viz. what mercy it is particularly? and to how many generations? if ungodly progenitors intervene? And there is somewhat beyond doubt in the text, that is▪ that God estateth his mercy on the immediate off-spring of his people. Now must I throw away that which is past doubt because of that which is doubtfull? So we may throw away all the Scriptures.
Answ. We must not reject that which may be understood, nor must we wrest the Scripture to infer from it that which cannot be inferred, but omit the allegation of doubtful texts, and urge that which is certain. That which hee conceives undoubted is I conceive uncertain, That God estateth his mercy on the immediate off spring of his people. The instance of Josiah…s children is sufficient to sh…w it not to bee universally true. That which he acknowledgeth doubtfull is enough to shew, that nothing can be from this text certainly inferd for Mr. Bs. purpose, and therefore in the close of this Chapter Mr. B. confesseth that which is sucifficient to shew, that the visible Churchmembership of all infants of godly parents much less of meer professors, cannot bee gathered from Exod. 20.6. I pass on to the next.
Ch. 22. he saith thus. The 17th. arg. is drawn from Psal. 37.26. [His seed is blessed] that is the righteous mans seed; whence I argue as before: If God by his unchanged law and promise, have pronounced the seed of the righteous blessed, then certainly they are members of his visible Church. But hee here pronounceth them blessed; therefore, &c. 1. I have proved before that hee hath so done by no society out of the Church: They that say he ha…h pronounced any other society blessed, let them shew it. But it is absurd once to imagine that God should pronounce a society blessed, and yet take them for none of his visible Church. 2. That this promise is an unchangeable promise, I take for past doubt, till Mr. T. shew me where it is repealed a little better then he hath shewed mee the repeal of infants Churchmembership. It is made to the righteous and their seed in general, and not to the Jews onelyonly: it is writ…en in the Book of Psalms from whence Christ and his Apostles fetch many texts for confirmation of their doctrine. And if it had been spoken but to the Jews, yea or to one particular person, yet if it cannot be proved to bee restrained to them as being from a reason proper to them, the Scripture teacheth us to apply it to all the people of God, Heb. 12.5. The Apostle applieth that to all believers, which was spoken onelyonly to Joshua, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So Heb. 13.6. from Psal. 118. Heb. 10.16, 17. Rom. 10.6.
Answ. 1. That the speech Psal. 37.26. compared with v. 25. seems rather to be a narration of what the Psalmist found by experience, then a promise of God. Nevertheless sith there are promises to like purpose elsewhere, as Psal. 112.2. Prov. 20.7. I will not deny the speech Psal. 27.36▪ to imply a promise, nor will I say God hath revoked (or as Mr. Bs. language is) repealed it. 2. Nor will I say that this promise was proper to the Jews, though I conceive that the promises to posterity have more reference to the Israelites then other people by vertue of the national and legal Covenants made to that people, and I think Mr. Bs. reason of no force, that it is not made to the Jews onelyonly, because it is written in the book of the Psalms; for promises proper to them are there, as Psal. 89.4, 21, &c. Psal. 132.11, &c. 3. I deny not promises to one particular person may be safely applied oft times to others. 4. I deny that when Psal. 37.26. it is said his seed is blessed, and Psal. 112.2. the generati…n of the righteous shall be blessed, this must be understood of every one of their seed, or at all times, as in their infancy, the speech being true onelyonly of that which happens often, though not always. Mr. B. himself, p. 149. saith, Even as when he saith [the seed of the righteous are blessed] he doth not tie himself to make every one blessed with his special blessing, though he do it ordinarily. And therefore it is most frivolously alledged to prove an ordinance of every infants visible churchmembership unrepealed, though the parent be no righteous person, but a visible professour, and very vicious, even an enemy to godliness. 5. There's not a word that intimates any society here pronounced blessed, much less the society of the Church. Nor doth the term [blessed] prove it must be meant of the Church. For others then the Church and churchmembers are sometimes blessed, as Psal. 137.9. Psal. 144 15. Mr. B. here ch. 24. They that dash the children of Babylon against the stones are blessed, Psal. 137.9. Luke 23.29. 6. Mr. B. himself tels us, p. 330. That he affirms onelyonly a certa…nty of churchmembership, and a strong probability of the justification of the infants of the righteous. But if we urge the word strictly, they onelyonly are blessed whose sins are forgiven, Psal. 32.1. Rom. 4.6, 7. and therefore this Text may as soon prove justification of every righteous mans seed (which Mr. B. asserts not) as visible churchmembership. Yea, no where is any termed blessed by reason of his visible churchmembership, but many times for their outward prosperity, as Psal. 144.15. Deut. 28.2, &c. Gen. 17.20. & 27.38, 39. And that in this respect the blessing is meant, Psal. 37.26. may be gathered 1. from the constant tenour of the promises made to the righteous and their seed, which either are altogether or for the most part in blessings of this life, and accordingly the performance: 2. Because in the New Testament in which spiritual blessings are assured, there i… no promise of them to a believer and his seed, but to believers onelyonly: 3. The occasion and series of the Text, Psal. 37.25, 26. leads plainly to this sense, that the righteous is not so forsaken, nor his seed, as to be destitute of bread, that though he be mercifull and lendeth, yet his seed is blessed with sufficient provision of outward things: 4. The Texts, Psal. 112.2. Psal. 128.1, 2, 3, 4. Psal. 144.15. lead us to this sense. From all which I answer by denying the consequence of the major in Mr. Bs. argument, and to his proof say, that it is no absurdity to pronounce persons blessed, and yet …ne of Gods visible Church.