The Infants Advocate of Circumcision and Baptism, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. That all viſible Members of the Jewiſh Church had a foederal Right to the Sacraments.
WE muſt carefully dinſtiguiſh betwixt the reaping of ſpiritual Benefit by, and the having of a temporal Right to the Sacraments. It is confeſſed that the former belong'd wholly and ſolely to the true Iſrael of God; but in the latter the worſt and wickedeſt Jew equally ſhared with the beſt and holieſt of that Nation, as all alike corporally deſcended from Abraham.
For the proof whereof, in the firſt place it is worth the obſerving, how our Saviour in the ſame chapter, and diſcourſe, namely John the 8th ▪ affirmeth and denieth the wicked Phariſees to be, and not to be the Seed of Abraham.
To be, verſe 37.
I know that you are Abrahams ſeed, but you ſeek to kill me, becauſe my word hath no place in you.
Not to be, verſe 44.
Ye are of the Devil, and the luſts of your father you will do.
Here is no contradiction, but a conſent, if the ſeveral reſpects be conſidered: By Pedegree they were; by Practice they were not; by Linage they were; by life, they were not; by extraction they were, by converſation they were not the children of Abraham.
Now to look only on the Jews in the firſt capacity, who are Iſraelites according to the fleſh; we find S. Paul, Rom. 9. 4. giving in an Inventory of their Priviledges which amount to eight particulars; and it were high injuſtice in any Chriſtian to deny the leaſt branch thereof. Theirs were
1. The adoption.
2. The Glory.
3. The Covenants.
4. The giving of the Law.
5. The ſervice of God.
6. The promiſes.
7. The fathers.
8. Chriſt conceiv'd in the fleſh.
Herein the Apoſtle intendeth not onelyonly the elect Jewes, but the diffuſive body of that Nation. Yea, in this preſent point, with heavineſſe of heart, he ſadly ſingleth out ſuch Apoſtate Jewes, for whom verſe 3. he deſired in exchange to be accurſed, and yet even to thoſe did this ſurvey of priviledges belong.
This is farther cleared by the acknowledgement of the ſame Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10. 2, 3, 4. affirming that all the Fathers were baptized into Moſes, all ate and drank of the ſame ſpiritual meat, and drink, yet adding afterward, that with many of them God was not well pleaſed.
Laſtly, it is evidenced by thoſe frequent phraſes in Scripture, wherein the diſobedient Jewes are threatned to be cut off from his people, and from Gods preſence. Levit. 22. 3. Such could not be cut off from ſpirituall holineſſe, or happineſſe, wherein they were never truly planted, and whereof never really poſſeſſed, but onelyonly from being outward members of that Church, which intitled them to a true right of the aforementioned prerogatives.
Indeed one reaſon, which makes many men loth to entertain this truth, to allow a foederall right to the worſt of the Jewes, is a ſuſpition, that the holding hereof will betray them to the dangerous opinion of falling off from grace, if that ſuch who once were actually eſtated in ſuch a Covenant-right, ſhould afterwards make a finall defection from the ſame. Now, as I cannot blame them to be jealous with a godly jealouſie, and to decline what is introductory of ſo comfortleſs an errour, as maintaining the apoſtaſie of Saints: ſo I muſt condemn their over caution herein, to fear where no fear is. For, this foederall right which the wicked Jewes had, never ſtamped upon them any character of ſaving grace, but was onelyonly a right of capacity, putting them into an actuall poſſeſſion of the means, and a poſſibility of ſalvation it ſelf, if not fruſtrated thereof by their own wilfull default.
Suppoſe now there ſhould happen a Conteſt betwixt the worſt of Jewes, and the beſt of Heathens, about their ſpirituall condition, ſhould the Pagan bee ſo preſumptuous as to affirm himſelf equally advantaged to a capability of happineſſe with the Jew, the other might juſtly confute his impudent bragging therein, alledging that his extraction intailed on him, a right to Circumciſion, with the Covenant therein, and all the promiſes thereto belonging.
All will allow a reall difference betwixt an Uſurper, and a Tyrant (though both be bad) the former, invading what is none of his own, the latter abuſing what is truely his. Now, ſhould a Pagan, quà Pagan, pretend to the Covenant of Circumciſion, he were guilty of notorious uſurpation; whereas the wicked Jew too often tyrannically abuſed that Ordinance, having a right unto it, but making no right uſe of it. And, although ſome civil Pagans did outſtrip many impious Jewes in Morall performances, the Jews might thank their own lazineſſe, falling ſo far ſhort of the Mark, having ſuch advantage at the ſtarting, as a true right, and title to all Gods Ordinances.
This foederall right therefore muſt not be denied to the worſt of men, within the Pale of the Church, leſt the godly receive prejudice thereby. The Story is ſufficiently known of a landed Innocent, whoſe Eſtate ſome Courtier begged, on pretence that he was unable to mannage the ſame. The Innocent being brought for triall into the Princes preſence, & queſtioned about his ability, returned this anſwer; My father being a wiſe man, begat me who am a fool, and why may not I who am a fool, beget a ſonne, who may prove a wiſe man?
To apply this ſtory: Many now adayes ſeek to diſinherit wicked men of their Covenant-right in the Church, alledging their prophaneſſe to be ſuch, as doth diſfranchiſe them of thoſe Priviledges. May not ſuch wicked men, (fools in Solomons phraſe) plead for themſelves; My father being a Saint begat me a wicked wretch, and why may not I beget a ſonne that may prove a ſaint?
See we this in Ahaaz, the poſture of whoſe generation was ſuch, that he was fixed in the middle betwixt Jotham his godly father, and Hezekiah his gracious ſonne; hee himſelfe being the worſt of men, 2 Chron. 28. …2. Who in the time of his diſtreſſe did treſpaſſe yet more and more againſt the Lord, mending for afflictions as a Reſty-horſe with beating, onelyonly the more untoward for the ſame. Yet this Ahaaz by his foederall-right, ſerved to receive a true title to Circumciſion from Jotham his father, and to reach the ſame to Hezekiah his ſonne; though enjoying in himſelf no ſpirituall benefit thereby.
And thus having concluded the whole Body of the Jewiſh Nation, comprehended within the compaſſe of the Covenant of Circumciſion, I proceed to ſhew how the Jewiſh children at eight dayes old, were capable to covenant: A Point having more verity, then evidence therein.