A Forerunner to a Large Review of the Dispute Concerning Infant Baptism, Treatise · Section 22
SECT. XXII. The speech [that no one Countrey is gathered into Christs visible Church] contains no malignancy to Christ, but is a manifest truth.
MOst of that which is in Mr. Bs. answer to the last section of my Antidote hath either been replied to before or in some other part of my writings, or will fall into the main of the dispute, wherein I doubt not but I shall fully vindicate my argument against the visible Church-membership of Infants, from the different cause of the Jewish and Christian Church, though the thing be so manifest, to wit, that the Christian Church was otherwise gathered then the Jewish, that I see nothing but meer wrangling in the questions Mr. B. propounds. And to his words page 279, 280. Sir, if you were my Father, I would tell you that when you say, Christ makes no one City, Countrey, Tribe, his Disciples, you speak most malignantly, and wickedly against the Kingdome and dignity of my Lord Jesus. I answer, I meet so often with Mr. Bs. high charges, upon palpable mistakes and weak proofs, that I fear his misguided zeal or natural distemper hath brought him to an habit of ill-speaking. My words were not as Mr. B. sets them down, but thus [no one Countrey, or City, or Tribe together, were gathered by the Apostles or other Preachers into the Christian visible Church, but so many of all as the Lord vouchsafed to call by his word and spirit] which hath neither wickedness nor malignancy against the Kingdome and dignity of the Lord Jesus; but a manifest truth expressely taught in the Holy Scripture as congruous to the glory of God and the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 1. 26, 27. 28, 29. Not many wise men, &c. Ergo not the whole Nation, Revel. 5. 9. out of every Nation, Ergo not the whole Nation, as he did the Jewes in the Wilderness. The relations in the Gospel and Acts of the Apostles plainly prove it true, that by John Baptist, Christ, the 12. and 70. Disciples was no entire Nation, City, Countrey or Tribe gathered into the visible Church-christian, but parts of them, and those fewer then the adversaries, who in every place were so numerous (when the Christians are counted at some few thousands) as that even at Jerusalem and elsewhere they prevailed to disperse Christians by persecution. Nor do Mr. Bs. questions prove, that into the Christian visible Church any one whole Countrey, City or Tribe, young or old, men and women, are gathered by the Apostles and other Preachers, as Moses did gather together the Jewish Nation, Exod. 19. Deut. 29. But saith Mr. B. 1. Hath he noi commanded to Disciple Nations? I answer, yes: to make Disciples of all Nations by Preaching the Gospel to every Creature, as it is, Marke 16. 15. but no where by civil authority to gather a whole City, Countrey or Tribe, and to draw them into a National or City Covenant together, old and young, but to offer Christ and to baptize so many as are willing to embrace him. 2. Saith Mr. B. Hath not the Father promised to give the Heathen or Nations for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession, Psal. 2. and that Nations shall serve him? Answ. He hath, and it is fulfilled, but not in Mr. Bs. sense, as if one whole Nation, City, Countrey or Tribe were gathered together in the manner Moses brought into Covenant all the Jewish Nation, but as the Apostle speaks by ministring the Gospel, Rom. 15. 16. the Gentiles, that is believers among them, are an offering to God, glorifie God, ver. 9. praise him, trust in him, ver. 11, 12. so as it was foretold in Abraham all Nations should be blessed, which is expounded Gal. 3. 7, 8, 9. Rom. 4. 17, 18. believers of all other Nations as well as Jews. 3. And that the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ? Ans. I reade those words Rev. 11. 15. but I find the time of fulfilling to be when the seventh Angel hath founded, which some say is not till the world to come. So Mr. Seager of the world to come, part. 1. sect. 8. And this is not improbable from ver. 18. and Revel. 10. 6, 7. The New Annot, faith thus, Antichrist is weakened, and Christ hath begun to take the Kingdome out of his hand, and shall have a visible Church like an Empire in all the known world, and that to the end, but that it is not yet▪ 4. And do you not see it fulfilled before your eyes? Are not Bewdley, Kederminster, &c. and England (till of late) as fully Christs Disciple, and so Church-members, as the Jews were in Covenant with God, and so Church-members? Answ. If by [it] be meant the prophecies Psal. 2. 8. and 72. 11. I see them fulfilled, though not in Mr. Bs. sense: but the prophecie Revel. 11. 15. I see not yet fulfilled. I see at Bewdley, Kederminster, in England, people who generally are called Christians, but I do not see that all, old and young, are Disciples or Church-members, or ought to be so accounted, or that they were ever brought into such a Covenant as the Jews, or-ought to be accounted. Church-members by vertue of such a Covenant. There is not a word in my writings to that effect. Mr. B. chargeth me [that I would not have Princes and Masters do what Abraham and Moses did, in bringing the people of Israel into 'Covenant with God] but I say, that should they do so, yet the Infants are not thereby to be accounted visible Church-members in a Christian Church. The commission to gather the Christian Church was not given to the Emperour, but Apostles. The Apostles, it is true, were sent to proselyte them that were no Chuch-members, and yet. they were sent to proselyte, or in the phrase of Scripture to Disciple, the visible Church-members of the Jewish Church as well as the Gentiles. What I said, I still say, that the different Church-call of the Jewish and Christian Churches is enough to shew a different Church-state, and consequently the argument is not good from the Jewish Infants visible Church-membership to ours. If Mr. Bs. judgement be not so commandable, as to assent to what I say, it is so much the lesse commendable. The speech of Mr. Herle, and the jest out of Matthiolus are misapplied. When he saith, why may we not write plainly against one anothers judgement by a loving consent? He may know that it was my desire it should have been so, that it was not so, was from himself. He that believes he hath shewed love in this his writing, is very credulous. For the rest, if Mr. B. will have the patience and indifferency of judgement which is meet, he may see an answer to his allegations about Gods mercy to Infants, and the repeal of their visible Church-memship. If he remain in his opinion (which I much fear, knowing him sowell as I do) and I in mine, we must leave our writings to others to judge, & especially to that day which shall declare every mans work being revealed in fire. In the mean time (sleighting his vain curse, which is page 217.) my prayer for him as my self is, that we may do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
FINIS.