A Trial of the New Church Way in New England, Position 3 & 4 · Part 20
Reply.
THe particulars in this Anſwer hath been examined alreadie, and might have well been paſſed over, becauſe it is tedious to repeat the ſame things againe and againe. Two things are affirmed by you.
1. That the ſcope of the Apoſtle, Rom. 4. 11. was not to define a Sacrament, nor to ſhew what was the proper and adequate ſubject of a Sacrament. But this weakneth no part of the argument, for if the Apoſtle do not fully define a Sacrament, nor mention every particular benefit or prerogative ſealed in the Sacrament; yet he ſheweth ſufficiently to whom the Sacraments in due order do appertaine, even to the heires of ſalvation, to them that are juſtified by faith, and walk in the ſteps of our Father Abraham. And thus we argue from the text of the Apoſtle. They that are partakers of the good things ſealed in the Sacrament, to them belong the Seales of the Covenant, according to Gods Inſtitution. But they that are juſtified by faith are partakers of the good things ſealed in the Sacrament, to them belong the Seales of the Covenant according to Gods inſtitution. If Juſtification be not the onelyonly thing that Circumciſion ſealed, this is nothing to the point in hand. For the gifts of the holy Ghoſt is not the onelyonly thing that is ſealed in Baptiſme: But you confeſſe in your Anſwer immediately going before, that they have right to baptiſme who have received the holy Ghoſt; and the reaſon is the ſame of Juſtification. Beſides if Juſtification be not the onelyonly thing that is ſealed in the Sacrament, it is one principall thing which doth inferre the reſt. For the bleſſings of the covenant of grace in Chriſt are inſeparable; where one is named, others are implyed: and where one is given, no one is abſolutely wanting.1 Cor. 1. 30. Chriſt is made of God wiſedome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption: whom God doth juſtifie, them he doth ſanctifie, and them he will glorifie.
2. The ſecond thing you affirme is, that not onelyonly the covenant of grace which is common to all beleevers; but Church-Covenant alſo which is peculiar to confederates is neceſſarie to the participation of the Seales. This ſenſe your words muſt beare, or elſe they reach not the point in hand: but this is that which ſhould be proved ſubſtantially, and not barely affirmed; and which (as we conceive) is contrary to the firſt Inſtitution of the Sacrament, and the lawfull practiſe of John the Baptiſt, our Saviour Chriſt, his Apoſtles, and all others who are recorded lawfully to adminiſter the Seales. In Gen. 17. we find the firſt Inſtitution of circumciſion recorded, and that it was the ſeale of the Covenant to Abraham and his ſeed, to them that were borne in his houſe, or bought with his money: but we find no mention of any Church Covenant beſides the covenant of promiſe which God made with Abraham. There is no mention of any Church-order into which Abrahams family was now gathered more then formerly. God gave circumciſion to Abraham and his ſeed as a ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith; but that this family was firſt gathered into Church-order as you ſpeak we cannot beleeve, becauſe the Scripture ſaith it not whether Lot, Job, Melchizedech were circumciſed or not, we will not diſpute; but if they received not the ſeale, we cannot think the reaſon to be becauſe they were not in Church-order as thoſe times required, if any ſuch thing had been required, we cannot think that either they were ignorant of it, or that they walked againſt their light: But according to the diſpenſing of thoſe times we judge as they were viſible beleevers, ſo they walked in that Church-fellowſhip which God preſcribed; and therefore if circumciſion had been the ſeale of ſuch Church-Covenant as you conceive, it ſhould have been given to them no leſſe then to Abrahams family. But of this ſufficient is ſaid before. As for Baptiſme it is the ſeal of the whole Covenant, which the paſſages quoted prove it to be. Whether it be the ſeale of our fellowſhip which Chriſt in affliction, and the reſurrection of our bodies, we leave it to your conſideration: but that it ſhould be a Seal of a Church-Covenant which is peculiar to confederates, that to us is very ſtrange. That it is a ſolemne admiſſion into the Church of Chriſt, and that of neceſſitie it muſt be adminiſtred in a particular ſocietie (though in the paſſage to the Corinthians the myſticall bodie of Chriſt be underſtood) will eaſily be granted. But that it is the ſeale of any other covenant but the covenant of grace we cannot digeſt.
The Sacraments are of God, and we muſt learne of God for what end and uſe they were ordained. But by the Inſtitution or Baptiſme recorded in Scripture we have learned it belongeth to the faithfull, to diſciples, to them that are called of God: and as for any other covenant neceſſarie to the right participation of the Seales, there is deep ſilence of it in the Inſtitution, in the lawfull and approved practiſe of the firſt diſpenſers of theſe ſacred myſteries. Enough hath been ſaid to this matter alreadie, but we will conclude it with the words of that reverend Author whom we have cited many times before upon occaſion. Afterwards (ſaith he) John the Baptiſt walked in the ſame ſteps, and by the ſame rule adminiſtred baptiſme in the Church whereof he was a member, Matth. 3. 6. 7.required of all that came to his baptiſme a profeſſion of repentance, Mark 1. 4. 5.and amendment of life for remiſſion of ſinnes whereof baptiſme was a ſeale, Luk. 13. 3 16.and preached Chriſt to them. This order our Lord Jeſus Chriſt after his reſurrection eſtabliſhed to continue in the Chriſtian Churches,Matth. 28. 19, 20. giving a commiſſion to his Diſciples to preach the Goſpel to the Gentiles,Mar. 16. 15, 16. and to gather all ſuch as ſhould beleeve through the world, as a teſtimonie to them, that the righteouſneſſe of faith did belong to them alſo, and not to the Church of the Jews onelyonly. Accordingly the Apoſtles and ſervants of Chriſt were carefull to obſerve this rule in their adminiſtring baptiſme. Thus Peter when he ſaw thoſe three thouſand ſouls pricked in their hearts, preached unto them concerning repentance,Act. 2. 37. 47. remiſſion of ſin, Chriſt, the promiſe, baptiſme, faith, amendment of life, baptiſed thoſe that gladly received his word, and teſtified the ſame by joyning together in the profeſſion thereof.Act. 8. 12. 14. The ſame courſe Philip took with the Church that was gathered in Samaria, where many were baptized, but none till they profeſſed their beliefe of the Goſpel, and their receiving of the Word of God. And therefore it is ſaid expreſly, When they beleeved Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdome of God, and the name of Jeſus Chriſt, they were baptiſed both men and women. Act 9. 11-17.When Ananias was commanded to go and baptiſe Paul, he objected againſt it at firſt, till the Lord aſſured him that he was one to whom the Seale of the Covenant belonged, and then he went and did it.
When Peter and thoſe that came with him ſaw that the holy Ghoſt fell on Cornelius, Act. 10. 43-48.and thoſe that were aſſembled at that time in his houſe, whileſt he ſpake theſe words, To him give all the Prophets witneſſe, that through the Name of Jeſus whoſoever beleeveth on him ſhall receive remiſſion of ſinnes. Peter demanded, Can any man forbid water that theſe ſhould not be baptiſed, which have received the holy Ghoſt as well as we? In this catalogue we ſee profeſſion of faith and repentance required in them that were admitted to partake in the ſeals; but there is not a word of Church-Covenant, either in the Inſtitution or adminiſtration of the Seales before they were admitted to them. That Chriſtians are ſolemnly ingrafted into the body of Chriſt, and into particular Societies by the Seales, is a truth acknowledged on all ſides: but that ever it was deemed neceſſarie, that a Chriſtian ſhould be a ſet member of a particular Congregationall Church before he were admitted to the Seales, or that by divine inſtitution any ſuch thing is ordained as neceſſarie thereunto, that upon the grounds before mentioned we denie, and cannot account it leſſe then an addition to the inſtitution. For if the Sacraments be ſeales of the Covenant of grace, and baptiſme by divine Inſtitution belong to Diſciples, faithfull, Saints, who have gladly received the Word of grace, are juſtified by faith, ſanctified by the Spirit, adopted to be the children of God by grace, and heires apparent to the kingdom of heaven; then to debarre ſuch from the Seales, and their ſeed from Baptiſme, becauſe they be not in Church-Covenant (as you ſpeake) is an addition to the ordinance of grace, and many wayes injurious to the people of God.