The Covenant of God with Abraham Opened, Title page – Errata
THE COVENANT OF GOD WITH ABRAHAM, OPENED. WHEREIN
I. The duty of Infant-baptiſm is cleared.
II. Something added concerning the Sabbath, and the nature and increaſe of the Kingdom of Chriſt.
Together with A SHORT DISCOURSE Concerning the MANIFESTATIONS of GOD unto his People IN THE LAST DAYES. Wherein is ſhewed the manner of the Spirits work therein to be in the uſe of ordinary gifts, not by extraordinary Revelations.
By WILLIAM CARTER Miniſter of the Goſpel in LONDON.
LONDON, Printed by T. C. for John Rothwell, at the Fountain and Bear in Goldſmiths row in Cheapſide, 1654.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD MAYOR, AND To the right Worſhipfull the ALDERMEN and SHERIFFS of the City of London, IN Obſervance of their Commands, And Teſtimony of his hearty affection and due reſpects, Theſe ſhort Diſcourſes,
I. THE COVENANT OF GOD WITH ABRAHAM.
II. THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD UNTO HIS PEOPLE.
Are humbly preſented
by their Servant in Chriſt, W. CARTER.
TO THE READER.
WHat I deſired to offer upon this ſubject of Infant-Baptiſm, I have brought into as little room as I could; I have therefore purpoſely avoided a particular anſwering of every Objection urged by thoſe that differ; neither have I mentioned all, nor many arguments, to prove what I aſſert therein; but have ſingled out that which I conceive to be the chief, which is, that expreſs command of God to Abrahams ſeed, Gen. 17. 9. to obſerve the token of his Covenant in their Generations; Baptiſm being now the token and ſeal therof as Circumciſion was, and the Application of it unto Infants part of that token. Diſſatisfaction therein, as in other caſes, in many is for want of induſtry in ſearching out the truth: therefore I would not diſcourage my Reader by too large a Volume.
Solomon ſaith, we muſt ſeek for Wiſdom as for Silver, and ſearch for it as for hid Treaſures; Prov. 2. 4.in which labour the way is not to ſtay onelyonly upon ſome leſſer veines, but by them to finde out the maine body of the Mine. Many hints we have of this truth in Scripture, here and there, but the root of this matter is the Covenant of God with Abraham, to which therefore I have eſpecially confined this diſcourſe.
The reaſon why yet notwithſtanding I have thus far enlarged, is becauſe this Covenant is of ſuch extent, it being indeed a ſummary of the whole Goſpel of the Kingdom; in opening whereof therefore I could not but inſiſt upon ſundry things touching the kingdom of Chriſt. Concerning the Sabbath alſo I have been forced to inlarge a little, becauſe I find it a parallel caſe between that and Infant-Baptiſm; I have therfore in my way unto my text ſtayed a while, in opening the third and fourth Chapters of this Epiſtle to the Hebrews, inſerting ſome brief heads of what, ſome years ſince, I have handled more at large in that ſubject of the Sabbath. Nor could I well avoid a digreſſion upon the Doctrine of the Law, that ſo I might vindicate and perſwade the Study of the Old Teſtament, in order to an eſtabliſhment in, and a right underſtanding both of the Sabbath, and of the Ordinances of the Worſhip, whether it be Infant-Baptiſme, or any of the reſt. The good Spirit of God who is the comforter of his people, lead us into all truth, and guide our feet into the way of peace; which is the prayer of
Thy Servant in the Goſpel, W. C.
ERRATA.
Pag. 6. lin. 28. r. foreign. … p. 39. l. 33. for confirmed, r. conferred. p. 86 l. 6. for there, r. then. p. 94. marg. r. Pſal. 62. 12. p. 102. marg. r. Mark. 10. p. 111. l. 15. r. is ſealed. p. 117. l. 28. for, let not the people of God imagine, r. the people of God may not expect. p. 154. l. 33. r. Thirdly, it appears. p. 155. marg. r. Ʋſe. 1. p. 159 marg. r. Ʋſe. 2. p. 170. l. 18. r. againſt.
THE COVENANT OF GOD WITH ABRAHAM OPENED.
Heb. 6. 13, 14, 15, 16.
For when God made promiſe to Abraham, becauſe he could ſwear by no greater, he ſware by himſelf, ſaying, ſurely, bleſſing I will bleſs thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And ſo after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promiſe. For men verily ſwear by the greater, and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all ſtrife. Wherein God willing more abundantly to ſhew unto the Heirs of promiſe the immutability of his counſel, confirmed it by an Oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impoſſible for God to lye, we might have a ſtrong conſolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope ſet before us.