The Covenant Sealed, Treatise · Chapter 7 · Section 9 · Subsection 1 · Argument vindication 3
Argument 3. vindicated.
My third Argument to prove, [That a faith ſhort of juſtifying may give title to baptiſme, is, To make the viſible ſeal of baptiſme which is the priviledge of the Church viſible to be of equall latitude with the ſeal of the Spirit which is peculiar to inviſible members, is a Paradox.] To which he anſwers,The ſeal of the Covenant, and the ſeal of the Spirit, not of equall latitude. But you take it for granted, that we do ſo; which is too eaſie disputing: and I may well take it for granted, ſeeing in the next words he yields it; where he ſayes, We give the ſeal of Baptiſme to all, that ſeem ſound Believers, and their ſeed; and we ſay, the ſeal of the ſanctifying Spirit is onelyonly theirs that are ſuch believers. Their ſeeming faith works then onelyonly by way of cheat; to procure that which is none of their right, and ſo both ſeales are of equall latitude, which yet is more plainly expreſt in his following words: But if you ſpeak onelyonly of Covenant-right to Baptiſme, coram Deo, by his gift of Covenant, then I make them of the ſame extent; and I cannot tell what other Covenant-right to ſpeak of, but that in which God avoucheth a people to be his, and himſelf to be their God, and I dare not have a thought of any thing but reality in his words. For his diſtinction which he hints here, and plainly delivers elſewhere, of right in foro Dei, and in foro Eccleſiae, both to Covenant and Baptiſme, I ſuppoſe conſiderate men will pauſe upon it, before they receive it, eſpecially in the ſenſe which he puts upon it: 1. They may preſſe him with his own rule, Ʋbi lex non diſtinguit, …ibi non eſt diſtinguendum. Such a right to viſible Ordinances before men never granted of God, I would learn. 2. They may demand whether it be the Will of God, that any upon the latter right coram Eccleſia ſhould be baptized by the Church. If it be, then they have right coram Deo: If it be not his will, then they have no right coram Eccleſia. I know no Court that God keeps reſpective to viſible Church-priviledges, but his Church. 3. They may tell him of the neceſſity that is put upon Miniſters to profane this Divine Ordinance, in putting this ſeal ordinarily and unavoidably to meer blank paper, which is a moſt contumelious abuſe of it. Of many that are called, few are choſen; and yet all that are viſibly called, are thus ſealed, when in Gods ſight all title is wanting. 4. They may tell him, that poor ſoules are thus miſerably cheated in bearing them in hand, that this great priviledge, and conſequently all further Church-priviledges are theirs, when the conveyance is more fraudulent that caſts it upon them. 5. They may yet tell him, that a door is here opened to Anabaptiſme, or multiplication of Baptiſme. A new door, of which either nothing or very little hath ever been ſpoken. When diſcovery ſhall be made, (as according to theſe principles it may be often made) that the title, when Baptiſme was adminiſtred was barely ſeeming; then all was null ab initio in ſuch proceedings: and as ſuch perſons alwayes were in the eye of God, ſo now in the eye of men, they are unbaptized perſons: And in caſe God ever vouchſafe the grace of converſion to this man, he is now by Divine appointment to ſeek baptiſme. In caſe Simon Magus, who after baptiſme did diſcover himſelf to be in the gall of bitterneſſe, by Gods grace ſhould ever attain repentance and forgiveneſſe, (which Peter did not judge to be deſperate) he muſt then upon converſion afreſh offer himſelf to Baptiſme. If Titius be admitted into poſſeſſions preſumed to be his true inheritance, and afterwards it be made to appear that it never appertained to him, but to Sempronius; when this appears all is to be judged invalid. And if Titius ever gain due right, he muſt again procure poſſeſſion, and is not to hold on his former crackt and ſeeming title. So that whenſoever a Miniſter converts a baptized man, he muſt look upon former proceedings as null, and upon his converſion baptize him. Neither let Anabaptiſts here triumph, as they may baptize whom we have baptized, when they ſee them converted, ſo we may baptize whom they have baptized, too many of both parties, manifeſting over-evident ſigns of their unconverſion. 6. They may tell you that, that Scripture-diſtinction of circumciſion in the fleſh, and circumciſion in the heart, is hereby overthrown; ſeeing circumciſion in the fleſh, where circumciſion in the heart is wanting, is uncircumciſion: which the Apoſtle grants reſpective to true happineſſe, Rom. 2. ult. but denyes reſpective to Church-priviledges, Rom. 3.1. 7. They may tell him, that this principle ſtanding, all perſons dying unregenerate, dye unbaptized; yea, all that were baptized in infancy and after converted, remain ſtill unbaptized. 8. That it is much to be feared, if not certainly to be concluded, that the major part by far of Worceſterſhire combination conſiſts of unbaptized perſons, there being, I doubt, no good evidence of true converſion in the moſt conſiderable part of them; ſubſcription to the confeſſion there, and conſent to memberſhip, being all that is required; and whether it be enough for a good ſatisfying evidence that a man or woman is in grace, that he or ſhe hath ſubſcribed, or put to their mark, let any judge. I am ſure it is voyc'd, that the moſt prophane (where the Miniſter carries any authority) are as forward for ſubſcription as any. If all marriages were null, where grace were not in truth in the parties, I fear that through the Chriſtian world there would be more adulterous, then marriage-copulations. And in caſe where there is no grace, there is no ſubject for Baptiſme, there are as many unbaptized perſons.