Letter of Ministers Requesting Judgment Concerning Nine Positions, Positions 3,4 · Reason 2
2 Reaſon.
OUr ſecond reaſon. In due order, the Seales belong to them to whom the grant is given, viz. Baptiſme to the ſeed of the faithfull, and the Lords Supper to beleevers, able to try and examine themſelves: But the grant is vouchſafed to the faithfull and their ſeed, forgiveneſſe of ſinnes, ſanctification, adoption, and what other good things are promiſed in the covenant of grace are the grant or good things ſealed in the Sacrament. But thoſe are granted to beleevers according to the covenant; and they are ſo linked together, that under one promiſed all are underſtood; and if one be vouchſafed, none is denied. When God promiſeth to circumciſe the heart, the forgiveneſſe of ſinnes is implyed. And when Circumciſion is ſaid to be the Seale of the righteouſneſſe of faith, the circumciſion of the heart by ſpirituall regeneration is Deut. 30. 6. Rom. 10. 6, 7, 8, 9. Rom. 4. 11. Gen. 17. 11, 12 and 26. 4.included. To whomſoever then the ſpirituall gift, or inward grace of the covenant is given and granted, to them the Seales of that gift and grant doth belong in their due order. But the ſpirituall gift or grace which is the thing ſignified in the Sacrament, is freely granted to true beleevers, who have received the doctrine of ſalvation, and walk in the wayes of truth and righteouſneſſe, therefore the priviledges of the Seales belong unto them. To this you anſwer.
The ſcope of the Apoſtle in the place, Rom. 4. 11. is not to define a Sacrament, nor to ſhew what is the proper and adequate ſubject of the Sacrament; but to prove by the example of Abraham that a ſinner is juſtified before God, not by works but by faith. Thus as Abraham the Father of the faithfull was juſtified before God, ſo muſt his ſeed be (that is, all beleevers whether Jews or Gentiles, circumciſed or uncircumciſed) for therefore Abraham received circumciſion which belonged to the Jews to confirm the righteouſneſſe which he had before, while he was uncircumciſed, that he might be the Father of both: but leſt any one ſhould think his circumciſion was needleſſe if he was juſtified by faith before circumciſion; he addeth that his circumciſion was of no uſe as a ſeale to confirme to him his faith, and the righteouſneſſe which is by faith: yet as Juſtification is not the onelyonly thing that Circumciſion ſealed, but the whole Covenant alſo made with Abraham and his ſeed was ſealed thereby; ſo Abraham is to be conſidered in uſing circumciſion not ſimply, or onelyonly as a beleever without Church relation, but as a confederate beleever, and ſo in the ſtate and order of a viſible Church. Though the Apoſtle maketh mention of the righteouſneſſe of faith as ſealed thereby, which was not that which ſerved for his purpoſe.
Now that Circumciſion alſo ſealed the Church-Covenant, may appear from Gen. 17. 9. 10, 11. where you may find that Abraham and his ſeed, though beleevers, were not circumciſed till God called them into Church-Covenant; and there is the ſame reaſon & uſe of Baptiſme to us which ſerveth to ſeal our juſtification as circumciſion did, yet not that alone, but alſo the whole covenant with all the priviledges of it, as Adoption, Sanctification, Act. 2. 38. Gal. 3. 26. 27. Tit. 3. 5. Mat. 20. 23. 1 Pet. 3. 21.and fellowſhip with Chriſt in affections, and the ſalvation of our ſouls, and the reſurrection of our bodies. And not onelyonly the covenant of grace which is common to all beleevers: but Church-Covenant 1 Cor. 15. 19. Covenant alſo which is peculiar to confederates. According to that of the Apoſtle, By one Spirit we are baptized into one body, 1 Cor. 12. 13. And by one bodie he meaneth that particular Church of Corinth whereunto he writeth and ſaith, Now ye are the body of Chriſt, and members in particular, ver. 27. And ergo Church-memberſhip is required as well to the orderly partaking of Baptiſme as it was of Circumciſion. Nor do we find that circumciſion was adminiſtred to all that were in the Covenant of grace (as all beleevers were) but onelyonly to ſuch of them as were joyned to the people of the God of Abraham. Melchizedech was under the covenant of grace, ſo was Lot, ſo was Job and his foure friends; yet we no where read that they were circumciſed, nor do beleeve they were. So that if Circumciſion was adminiſtred to none but thoſe that were joyned together in Abrahams familie, and to the Church of God in his ſeed, then may not baptiſme in ordinarie courſe be adminiſtred to any beleevers now, unleſſe they be joyned to the Church of Chriſt, for parum par eſt ratio. But the firſt is true, Ergo, the ſecond alſo.