The Sum of Diverse Sermons, Text (1 of 3)

The Sum of Diverse Sermons · Text (1 of 3)

p. 1THE MEANING OF THE Word, [Baptize.]

ACTS 2. v. 38.

Then ſaid Peter unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, &c.

For the promiſe is to you and to your Children, and to all that are afar off, even to as many as the Lord our God ſhall call.

WHen the day of Pentecoſt was fully come, (verſ. the 1.) they were all with one accord in one **foreign, every word ſpeaks unity.place, and ſuddenly there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it ſate**foreign, Diſſecatae linguae ſedit, it ſate. An hebraiſm. This noteth Unity: though their tongues were cloven, as noting the variety of their gifts; yet there was but one and the ſame Spirit actuating them, for they ſpake with tongues as the Spirit gave them Utterance. foreign. As the Spirit gave them to ſpeak Apothegms, (that is) Sententiouſly. upon each of them; this was misconſtrued by ſome of the by-ſtanders, who were at this time dwelling at Ieruſalem, devout Men of every Nation under heaven, expecting the coming of the Meſſias; to whom many Proſelytes of the Gentiles, that had embraced p. 2the Iewiſh Religion, joyned themſelves. To theſe joyntly both Iews and Gentils, Peter, as the mouth of the reſt, ſpeaks. (You men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jeruſalem, v. 5.) Theſe both Iews and Gentiles being pricked in their hearts, Peter exhorts to repent.

In the Text you have an Anſwer to the Queſtion propounded v. 37. Wherein you have a double exhortation, firſt to repentance, ſecondly to baptiſm.

1. Repent ye, ſaith the Apoſtle, ye that are adult, who had an hand in crucifying the Lord Jeſus. As he that hath a precious treaſure, locks it up, and turns the key again and again to make all ſure: So the Apoſtle (though they were pricked in their hearts, yet) he exhorts them to repentance again, that ſo there might be a thorough work.

2. Let every one of you. In the Greek it is foreign. The former duty enjoyned was in the ſecond perſon, repent ye: this latter in the third, and let every one of you (that is, you and yours) be baptized; Grammaticae minutiae non ſi…it etioſae. Tarn.as admitting of a greater latitude than the former,foreign Non eſt in lege vel unica littera, à quâ non maximi montes pende…nt. Inquint Hebraei. ſcil. that of repentance, which Children were not capable of, as they were not guilty of that hainous act of crucifying the Lord of Life. I wave the former, and ſhall onelyonly ſpeak to the latter, Let every one of you (that is, you and yours, young and old) be baptized. Which is the meaning of the Apoſtle, as appears by p. 3the Argument by which he enforceth the exhortation, which is taken from the Promiſe or the Covenant (for thoſe terms are equipollent) which, ſaith the Apoſtle, is to you and to your Children; to you Iews and Proſelytes already called, and to the Gentiles which are afar off, when called, and to their Children; for there is the like reaſon to them, (as Proſelytes and their Children) elſe to what purpoſe ſhould he bring this Medium [for the promiſe is to you and to your Children] to back the exhortation, [and let every one of you be baptized] if Children were not included in that command? Which would render the Apoſtles Argument altogether inadaequate to his ſcope and purpoſe; but if we include them, the Argumentation is comprehenſive of its end, and correſpondent to its ſcope. So that the Concluſion from hence, is this,

That to baptize the Infants of Believers, is an Ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt.

Firſt, let me ſhew you what this baptizing is, and then give you the grounds of the Point.

Firſt, It is a waſhing of a believer, or Child of a believer, with water, by a Miniſter of Chriſt, in or into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt.

1. I ſay it is a waſhing, becauſe the word properly ſo ſignifies; whether it be by dipping into, or pouring on of water; ſprinkling or wetting of the body. Dan. 4.30.**foreign And his bodie was wet with or from the dew of heaven, which fell upon it, not that into which he was douzed over head and ears. Thus the cloud dropped p. 4on the Iſraelites, Pſal. 77.17, 18, 19. For what elſe is the meaning of that phraſe [he looked through the cloud upon the Egyptians] but that the cloud was poured upon them? And ſurely then ſome drops muſt needs fall upon the Iſraelites; therefore they are ſaid to be bap ized into the cloud. And thus the ſea was ſprinkled on them, beating againſt the banks, Ma…k 7.4. The waſhing of cups and pots, tables or beds, foreign, &c. Tables or beds are waſhed by affuſion of pouring on of Water, rather than immerſi…n or dipping: for if the cups and platters had been dipped, then the inſide had been clean as well as the outſide. In the 3. v, the Phariſees eat not unleſs they waſh, compared with Luke 11.38.**Vide de ri…u foreign, M…neſi. Fund…nda eſt aqua tribus vicibus ſu…er manus. In primà affuſ…ne ſunt digiti levandi, in poſterioribus verò demittendi. Thus Eliſha poured wa…er on his maſters hands, 2 Kin. 3.11. foreign dicitur ob digitorum in manuum elevation contracti mem ac in pugni veluti ſpeciem conformationē, ut putat Scalig. vel ob aquae deflu…um per totam illam brachii partem, quae foreign dicitur, à digitorum radice ſ…u propagine ad cubitum uſ que . Cap.2 Kgs 3:11 Its not probable that the Phariſ…es as often as they came from market, (whether it ſeems they went often, for they were ſuch as loved greetings in the market-places) plunged themſelves over head and ears, before they did eat any meat. Heb. 9.10. Which ſtood onelyonly in meats and drinks and diverſe waſhings, foreign, compared with Lev. 14.18. Num. 19. and 31.23. Now their waſhings or baptiſms were by ſprinkling or caſting water upon the party waſhed, as well as otherwiſe; for Heb. 9.13, that ſprinkling the Apoſtle makes a ſpecies of the former waſhing. Thus ſaith the Lord, Ezek. 36.25. I will p. 5pour clean water upon you. Yea, what was the baptiſm of the Holy Ghoſt, Acts 1.2. but the pouring out of the Holy Ghoſt? which is oppoſed to John's baptizing with water. And therefore I ſay, that though we ſhould grant (which they cannot eaſily prove) that they went into the water in thoſe hot Countries, ſometimes as conveniencie ſerved: yet its not neceſſarily concluded from the text that they were dipped, but that the water was caſt upon them, rather than they caſt into the water, according to the cuſtom in ſome Countries to this day. Thus the water was poured on the Ark, 1 Pet. 3.21. the like figure or antitype whereunto baptiſm doth now ſave us; Had the Ark been dipped in the water, all the world in probability had been drowned. Yea this pouring of water upon the party baptized doth better reſemble the application of the bloud of Chriſt, which is rather done by applying it to us, through the Spirit, than our applying our ſelves to it.

There are two words put for dipping, foreign and foreign,John 13.26. foreign.John 13:26 the former ſignifies a dipping more light and overly, but never ſignifies to go to the bottom of the water; the other a plunging or covering the whole body under water. Theſe are diſtinguiſhed each from other, Exod. 15.4, 5. foreign. This difference did the Greek writers make between baptizing … douſing, and caſting under water; expreſſing by baptizing to be in the water as a bottle or ſhip, that is ſeldom or never overwhelmed. This appears plainly to be their meaning, p. 6by the ancient Oracle of the Athenians,**Beza in Matthaeum. foreign. Baptize or waſh him as a bottle in water, but do not drown him. The primitive word foreign ſignifies to touch the water gently, Luk 19 24. where the top of the finger is put upon the water, there is baptiſm; the finger then may be ſaid to be baptized when the top of it onelyonly is dipped. Therefore it is remarkable, that when ever the New Teſtament hath occaſion to expreſs the act of dipping, it uſeth the word foreign, never**In Verbis non tam spectandum ex quo quàm ad quid ſumantur. Aquinas. For the derivatives are often of a larger ſenſe than the primitives. foreign: But when ever it hath occaſion to expreſs the ſacred action of Baptiſm, it uſeth the word foreign.

Pſal. 10.77. They that go down to the Sea in ſhips, ſee the wonders of the Lord. Is the ſhip plunged all over, or are they under the water in the ſhip? So I ſay, a man may go into the water, though he do but peditare. Eze. 47.3. Add to theſe 1 Cor. 15.29. Elſe wh…t ſhall they do that are baptized (foreign) for the dead? Which words cannot imply dipping, whether you interpret them, firſt, of waſhing the bodies of the dead, Acts 9. ſecondly, of that vicartum baptiſma, as Tertullian calls it, when they were baptized over the Sepulcres or graves of thoſe that di…d not being baptized; Or, thirdly, as Calvin, [for the dead] that is, pro ijs qui jam mortui cenſentur, et qui de vita omnino deſperaverint; ſic Catechumeni, in morbum incidentes ſi imminebat certum mortis periculum baptiſmum petebant, ne ante migrarent ex hoc p. 7mundo quam nomen Chriſto dediſſent. Now what probability is there that ſuch ſick perſons ſhould be plunged in the Water?

Obj. Chriſt was baptized into Iordan, when he was thirtie years of age.

Anſ. 1. I anſwer, he was baptized or waſhed at thirty years of age to anſwer the type, Exod. 29.4. For at that time the Prieſts were waſhed, when inſtalled in their Office.

2. We ſay, that this was in the infancie of baptiſm, though Chriſt was no infant, for baptiſm mas newly inſtituted.

3.John 9.7. foreign. In this they were not douſed over head and ears, as appears by the Word.John 9:7 In or into in Scripture phraſe are confounded. As Luk. 11.7. Ioh. 8.26. & 11.9.

4. Though we admit that tranſlation, that Chriſt came out of the water, yet is it not ſaid that he came from under the water.

Obj. In your pouring on of water or ſprinkling, part onelie of the bodie is waſhed.

Anſ. Mar. 7.3. the Phariſees are ſaid to be baptized, though their hands onelyonly were waſhed; and the Jews are ſaid to be circumciſed, though one part onelyonly were circumciſed. Naaman was bidden go waſh. Therefore by the word foreign ſo rendered in the LXX, I underſtand he waſhed in the river Jordan, according to the**foreign, which ſignifies not to dip, but to waſh. command given him by the Prophet.

Obj. Rev. 19.13. Their garments dipt in bloud, foreign.

An. If you compare it with Iſa. 63.2. you will find p. 8no difference; the text in Rev. 19, being but an exegeſis of Iſa. 63. for Edom is a type of Rome. The Queſtion propounded in Iſa. 63, in v. 2. is, Why art thou red in thine apparel? The Anſwer is in v. 3.**See the Hebr. Quo ſunt commaculatae veſtes, eo ſunt asperſae. I have trodden the VVine-preſs alone, and of the people there was none with me.—And their bloud ſhall be ſprinkled upon my garments: therefore, I ſay the word in Rev. 19, foreign, ſignifies beſprinkled, as the Prophet holds it out. For what probability is there,Obj. John baptized in Bethabara neat Jordan. Anſ. foreign, non ſignificat ſemper ulteriorem ripam, ſed ſimplicitèr foreign. Scil. D…mum tranſitus quod ibi fluvius Jordanis tra…iceretur, at que filij Iſraëlis tranſirent Glaſſ. Which was a type of Baptiſm, through which we paſs, & are ſolemnly admitted into the Church of God that thoſe warriors ſhould dip their garments in bloud?

Obj. Iohn 3.23. John was baptizing in Aenon, becauſe there was much water there; therefore it ſeems they were dipped.

Anſ. By the way obſerve, that they who deny conſequences, make uſe of them themſelves; but bleſſed is he which condemneth not himſelf in the thing which he alloweth. But to let this paſs, I anſwer, That John having multitudes coming to him, might well ſeek a place where he and his Diſciples might at once be employed; and the multitude might better hear his Sermons, and ſee the Ordinance adminiſtered, than if performed under the ſhading banks of Jordan.**foreign many waters. The reaſon aſſigned from the depth of the water, ſeems very unreaſonable; for an adjunct equally common to diverſe ſubjects, cannot be the p. 9…ormal reaſon of the wills determining it ſelf to one of thoſe ſubjects. Is it ſenſe (judg ye) that John …hould leave Bethabara, where its certain much water was, to baptize in Aenon, on this ſole account and mo…ive, becauſe there was much water … dipping ſake. He might have ſought for a deep, and needed not ſeek many waters. D^r Worth.

2. In ſome places they were much put to it for want of water.

3. Aenon is found by Travelers to be very ſhallow.

4. Suppoſe they went into the waters, it cannot …e hence concluded that all did; for how unfit was it …or Paul with his ſores to go …nto the water? Acts 16.33.Mat. 3.16. foreign from the water.Matt 3:16

5. Suppoſe they went into the waters, yet it doth …ot appear that they were dipped; but rather that the water was caſt upon them, according to the cuſtom of ſome Churches at this day, as I formerly menti…ned.

6. If they ſhall ſay that going into the water was …ipping, then it follows that they were dipped before …ey were dipped; for Philip baptized the Eunuch …fter they went into the water, and ſo they were twice …ipped; yea as often as the Adminiſtrator goeth into …he water, ſo oft is he dipped or baptized, and ſo be…omes a Sebaptiſt, if the going into the water be eſſen…al to baptiſm.

7. Chriſt doth not appoint the meaſure of water, …or manner of waſhing, more than the meaſure of …ead or wine in the Lords Supper; it matters no …or… quantum quiſ que abluat, quam quantum quiſ que p. 10comedat; though a refreſhment of the Soul by the fulneſs of Chriſt, is very fit to be reſembled by th… quantity of the elements.

Obj. Col. 2.12. VVe are ſaid to be buried with Chriſt in baptiſm.

Anſ. It appears not (as hath been ſhewed) by th… uſe of the word in Scripture, or the common uſe among the Graecians, that it ſignifies to be under the water: Chriſt had a baptiſm, but not ſuch as made him ſink under it,The Apoſtle ſaith Rom. 6. We are implanted into the ſimilitude of his death, which is as much as our burial, but a plant is not put all over into the ſtock.Rom 6 for his head was ſtill above the water; neither is it ſaid he came from under the water, but he came ou… of the water.

2. The pouring of water ſeems to anſwer the ſimilitude of burying more aptly,A man drunk in the Sa…on lanis ſaid to be under the water. which is done by the caſting of the mold upon us, rather than by caſting of u… into the mold.

3. We are ſaid to be**M^r Pat. in pag. 8. ſaith that the word ſignifies to drown; But did Chriſt bid them drown all Nations, and promiſed to be with them to the end of the world in ſo doing? Hath he not engaged that he will no more drown the world with water, and doth he give his ſervants charge ſo to do? Levit. 1.3.Lev 1:3 buried with Chriſt in baptiſm, in regard of the ſpiritual union we have with him in his death and burial; bu… if when a compariſon is willing to go with us a mile, w… compel it to go twain, wh… ſhould they not continue under the water, as Chriſt di… in the grave, three days together.

4. To conclude, I do not believe that Chriſt hat… tied all Nations univerſally to that which is, 1. S… p. 11dangerous to health and life, as we ſee it in many; and therefore it might admit of a diſpenſation though …t were preciſely commanded. 2. So inexpedient otherwiſe, for ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 11. The women muſt have a vail becauſe of the Angels, leaſt they by any uncivil carriage be offended; and is there not a great reſpect to be given to modeſty and civility in theſe caſes, leaſt Angels and men be ſcandalized?**Thus many words are uſed in Scripture in a double ſenſe, foreign Vox unica Lev. 1.2. ex ovibus ſive capris. 2 Chron. 3.6. Gold of Parvajim in the dual number, thence Peru; the word ſeems to imply that Solomon fetcht his gold from the Eaſt and Weſt Indies. Thus Jeruſhala… in the dual number, becauſe the Citie had two parts, Neb. 3.9, 12. Luke 1.22, 6… foreign ſignifies deaf and dumb, and ſo in this place; for if Zachariah had not been deaf, what need had they to make ſigns to him? So that we ſee, one and the ſame word may admit of diverſe ſignifications in the ſame place, and ſo intended by the Holy Ghoſt,Lev 1:22 Chr 3:6Luke 1:22Luke 1:6 Therefore I rather judge the word ſignifies …overly to dip or waſh by way of affuſion; and that either way may be uſed, eſpecially in hot Countries, but neither of them neceſſarily enjoyned.

We have now ſhewed you how the word is uſed in Scripture, and other heathen authors; and may we not at length retort, That he that knoweth not what this word [Baptize] ſignifieth, and conſequently what it is to baptize, is no juſtifiable Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt. But this is Argumentum ad hominem.

Thus much for the word foreign.

Secondly, I ſay baptiſm is a waſhing with water, Acts 8.36. here is water, ſaith the Eunuch, therefore they are much too blame that deny this. Thoſe in Acts 10 had as much of the ſpirit as any have, or p. 12ever will in this life, and yet were baptized; yea, Chriſt himſelf ſubmitteth to rhis Ordinance, ſaying, Thus it behoveth us to fulfill all righteouſneſs, and did experience the fruit of it; there being ſuch a glorious preſence at the celebration of that Ordinance, as never was vouchſafed to any before or ſince: Though there was no defect of any grace in him, required of him in his former ſtate; yet a greater meaſure of the ſpirit was poured forth upon him, upon his baptiſm in order to his miniſtery.

Thirdly, It is the waſhing with water by a lawfull Miniſter.**Oportet nos baptiſmum de manu hominis non aliter ſuſcipere, quam ſi ipſe Chriſtus propriis ſuis manibus nos baptizaret. Luth. Chriſtus non baptizavit Joh. 4.1. Haec fuit intentio Domini, ne quiſpiam ideo ſe ſanctius baptizatū putaret, quod a miniſtro ſanctiore baptizaretur. Aug.John 4:1 Matt. 28.19. Go Ye and teach all nations, baptizing them, &c. Such as are commiſſioned to preach, are authorized to baptize; thoſe having a command, have a promiſe alſo annexed, of Chriſts ſpecial preſence to be with them to the end of the world. But he that hath no ſuch Commiſſion cannot challenge any intereſt in that promiſe; therefore the baptiſm of private men, and ſuch as are not called to the work of the miniſtery, is a meer nullity.

Though there was the matter and form of baptiſm in that of Athanaſius, The efficient cauſe is eſſential to the conſtitution of the effect, in ſome things. Quid ſi verba Pſittaeo proferantur? Impurum os: Pſittacus non loquitur ſed garrit; non eſt verbum quod ab illa pronuciatur, foreign enim eſt foreign tantum.namely, a child baptizing other children; yet there wanting a lawfull inſtrument authorized to the work, the baptiſm is no baptiſm; and therefore in that caſe, ſuch as were baptized by him were to be p. 13…ebaptized. I ſay then by a lawfull Miniſter, For …bilities are not ſufficient to authorize any for the …ublick diſpenſing of the word ordinarily, unleſs …hey be proved and approved firſt, and ſo ſet apart …o the work of the Miniſtery, 2 Tim. 3.10. Let theſe alſo firſt be proved, and then let them uſe the Office of … Deacon. Mind the word alſo, (for there is much divinity in conjunctions as well as pronouns) which word implies that Miniſters are firſt to be tried, and ſo ſet apart to the work, (as appears by the 1, and 2 verſes, where he ſpeaks of a biſhop or Miniſter) Acts 13.3. before they take that calling upon them.

Chriſt himſelf (that was better qualified for the Office of a Mediator, than all the Angels in heaven and men on earth, yet) du…ſt not undertake it till he was called as Aaron, Heb. 5.4. As the Father ſent me, ſaith Chriſt, ſo I ſend you; Chriſt had his Commiſſion from his father, as the Apoſtles had their Commiſſion from him.

No doubt but Butchers and others might have as much skill to kill the ſacrifice as the Prieſts had, but that was no warrant for them ſo to do.

Corah with his hundred and fifty Princes, famous …n the congregation, men of renown, and (as it ſeems) well reputed of among the people; roſe up againſt Moſes and Aaron, ſaying, Ye take too much upon you, ſeeing all the Congregation is holy; making no diſtinction between Moſes, Aaron, and the**Num 26.10. For a ſign, they are for a ſign to all to this very day.Num 26:10 reſt of the Congregation. Therefore they uſurped the Prieſts office: But upon this the p. 14Lord appears, and makes ſuch a diſtinction between them and the Prieſts, as never was made before; for the earth opened her mouth and ſwallowed them up. Now leaſt any ſhould pre…end th… is an Old Teſtament**John 10. All that came before me are Thieves and Robbers. Obſerve, he doth not ſay they were, but they are. God looks at ſuch as Thieves and Robbers in hell to this very day, that ran before they were ſent.John 10 Proof; the Apoſtle Jude tells you o… the like in the New Teſtament, They periſhed in the gainſaying of Corah, Iud… 11. Whence obſerve,

Firſt, there were in Jude's time ſuch as denied the office of the Miniſtery.

Secondly, the hand of God was ſignally on them.

In ſome caſes private men may; 1. In time of neceſſity, when there is no other means to be had. Or, 2. In times of Perſecution, when the ordinary dore of enterance is ſhut; as appears in that inſtance of WALDUS Rev. 14. a Merchant of Lyons.Rev 14As private men may not publickly diſpenſe the word, in an ordinary way: ſo neither may they adminiſter the Seals. For to whom Chriſt gave commiſſion to preach, to them gave he commiſſion to baptize, and to them onelyonly, Mat. 28. Go Ye and teach all nations, baptizing them, &c. And lo I am vvith you allvvaies to the end of the vvorld. We have (bleſſed be God) a command, and a promiſe of his preſence; they have no ſuch command, and therefore I verily believe they find little of the preſence of God in their adminiſtrations, either for converſion or otherwiſe; I am ſure they cannot challenge much at the hand of God; For had I ſent them (ſaith the Lord, Jer. 23.) they should have profited this people, had they ſtood in my councel, and not ran before they p. 15…vere ſent, (running away, as he ſaid, with the emp… cart) they should have turned them from their …vil waies.

As for our Paedobaptiſm, if it have nothing of Gods …ppointment, neither adminiſtrator, matter, form, …ght ſubject, nor end, ſurely God would not own it …s he hath from heaven many a time and often.

Obj. Ananias, Acts 9.10. being a Diſciple, ba…tized.

I anſwer, 1. He had a ſpecial command for the bapti…ing of Paul, let them ſhew the like pre…dent. Iud. 6.20. …ffer thou. Thus the command made it lawfull, which without a ſpecial command had been unlawfull.

Secondly, It appears by the Eccleſiaſtical Story, …e was a Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt,**See Corn à Lap in Act 9. Firſt one of 70 Diſciples, afterwards fixed at Damaſcus.Acts 9 and ſo indeed this word [Diſciple] in hebrew …s put for a teacher.

Thus much for the third head.

Fourthly, It is the waſhing with wa…er, in, or …nto the name of the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt. Acts 19. v. VVhen they heard this, they vvere baptized in the name of the Lord Jeſus.

I will not deny but that there being an error in the Foundation, there may be a rebaptization; it is very probable to ſome, that thoſe Diſciples were baptized of Paul, ſeeing that they were not baptized into the name of the Holy Ghoſt.

1. They being asked whether they had received the p. 16Holy Ghoſt,**Though others take it in another ſenſe, fee Joh 7.30 The Holy Ghoſt was not yet (given) is added to the text: Ambroſius ſentit illos adulteri no baptiſmate ſub nomine baptiſmi Johannis, non tam iinctos quam ſordidatos. See Mac. Muſc. Zanch. Deodat. Erg. Nihil eſt in verbis, eu… n equè eſse Lucae ac Pauli verba exiſten… mus, nam quod ad particulas illas graecas attinct foreign, ſaepiùs in Scrip… logitur et foreign ſine foreign ſubſequente, et foreign ſine foreign prae…e Rom 3 2. and 10.1. Col 2.17. Luk 11.3…. Act. 11. foreign. et tamen foreign non praec…ſſerat. Macc. Quere, whether many Adminiſtrator in theſe days, deny not the ſecond and third perſons in Trinity.John 7:30Rom 3:2Rom 10:1Col 2:17Luke 11:3Acts 11 that is, the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt They anſwered, they knew no whether there were an Holy Ghoſt or no; which words imply the exiſtence or ſubſiſtence of the third Perſon i… Trinitie.

2. Thoſe were Jews, now many of the Jews did not rightly underſtand the doctrine of the Trinity.

3. It appears by the queſtion Paul propounds ver. 31. Unto what then were ye baptized? Now no man is baptized into the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, but into the Holy Ghoſt himſelf.

4. If that new interpretation be admitted, there is a tautologie; for who doth not by the words going before (John verilie baptized with the baptiſm of repentance, v. 4.) underſtand that they were already baptized by John, v. 3.4. To what purpoſe then ſhould he ſay in the 5 v. When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Ieſus? Calvin ſeeing the force of this Argument, ſaith, They were baptized with extraordinary gifts of the Holy ghoſt. But that is expreſt in the words following, when Paul laid his hands on them.

5. That interpretation overthrows the grammatical ſenſe of the words, and ſeems to render them void p. 17of common ſenſe; for the words ſpoken by Paul to them, are in the ſecond perſon whereas theſe words [they were baptiz'd in the name of the Lord Jeſus] are ſpoken in the third perſon; Therefore cannot be the words of Paul to them, but of Luke concerning them; elſe the Apoſtle would have ſaid [when ye heard this] and not as we have them [when they heard this.] Beſides it's ſomewhat harſh to make the people whom John baptized, and thoſe twelve Diſciples of Epheſus the ſame perſons: For the pronouns they and they in the 4 and 5 verſes, upon that ſuppoſition that both are Paul's words, cannot be underſtood but of the ſame perſons, (as is well alledged by ſome) Therefore theſe words [when they heard this] muſt be taken as the words of Luke, not of Paul; importing the baptiſm of theſe Diſciples upon the preaching of Paul, and not of John.

6. The Apoſtle, Act. 194, doth plainly declare. That John, when he baptized, did ſay that they ſhould believe in him that ſhould come after him; which Paul interprets to be meant of Chriſt Jeſus. But if John had baptized in the name of the Lord Jeſus explicitly,In this ſenſe ſome underſtand Cyprian, denying the baptiſm of ſuch hereticks which erred in Fundamentals. why did not Paul ſay ſo, rather than to ſay that he baptized them, ſaying unto them, that they ſhould believe in him that ſhould come after him? Whoſoever therefore ſhall deſtroy the foundation, denying the Trinity and depraving the form of baptiſm, their baptiſm is invalid.

p. 18Thus much of the Definition.

We paſs from the definition to the Arguments for Infant-baptiſm. The firſt Argument is taken from the command of Chriſt, Go and diſciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father &c.

1. By nations is meant Men, Women and Children, which are a great part of nations, and muſt needs be included in the command; for when David exhorteth all people and nations to praiſe the Lord, he afterwards explains himſelf, Young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praiſe the name of the Lord. Pſalm 148.11, 12, 13.

2. We know when the nation of the Jews were made Diſciples and circumciſed their Children alſo were made Diſciples, that is, ſuch as were a…mitted into Chriſt's School; for a child is accounted a ſcholar the firſt day of his admiſſion; and ſuch did Chriſt undertake to teach, non quia docti erant ſed ut docti eſſent; diſcipling being not of perſons already taught, but that they might be taught.

3. In the words of the text, all nations are oppoſed to that reſtriction of it to the Jews; the commiſſion of the Apoſtles being enlarged as to the gentiles; therefore Children are included in it, as they were formerly.

4.**Quicquid de vniverſali aliquo univerſalitèr dicitur, id de omnibus ſub iſto univerſali contentis dicitur. Vel, poſito toto generali, pars ejus negari non debet. God ſpeaks of nations univerſally, and gives no reſtraint, no determination or limitation unto any ſex or age; therefore all are included.

p. 195. It's a national diſpenſation, and from a national, diſpenſation no intire ſpecies ever was exempted.

6. The**A ſtranger that is circumciſed (ſaith Maimonides) and not baptized, or that is baptized and not circumciſed, is not a Proſelyte till he be both circumciſed and baptized. manner of the Jews was to baptize the Children of Jews and Proſelytes. Ex. 19.8. they were all baptized or waſhed. Thus Gen. 35.2. Jacob cauſed the women and children to be baptized;And in the Talmud (as Mr. Liglnfoot obſerves) they baptize little ones by the appointment of the Conſiſtory. The hebrew gloſs upon the place ſaith, If he have not a father, and his mother bring the child to be Proſelyted, they baptize him, becauſe there is no Proſelyte without circumciſion and baptiſm. Hence it is that a Jewiſh Proſelyte in Arrianus is called foreign, a baptiz'd perſon. for baptiſm or waſhing among the Jews was a known Rite, ſolemnly uſed among them for the initiating of Jews and Proſelytes into the Covenant. Therefore the manner and form of baptiſm with the ſubject thereof, being well known to the Jews, they enquire not of John concerning thoſe things, Iohn 1.25, but onelyonly queſtion his commiſſion. This Jewiſh cuſtom Chriſt turns into an Ordinance, that he might quietly uſher it into the world, not expreſsly mentioning the children, but including them in the general; the right of children to the Seal being granted, and not at all queſtioned by them.

Thus then I argue, Nations diſcipled are to be baptized, But the children of believers are a part of Nations diſcipled: Therefore they are to be baptized.**See Mat. 10.42. Mar. 9.41. Where theſe terms are confounded.Matt 10:42Mark 9:41 That they are called diſciples it appears p. 20by Acts 15 10, Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the diſciples? All they upon whoſe neck they would have layd this yoke are diſciples. But they would have put this yoke of circumciſion upon children: Therefore children in the ſenſe of the Holy Ghoſt are here called diſciples. Mind v. 1. Except ye be circumciſed after the manner of Moſes ye cannot be ſaved; thoſe words, after the manner of Moſes, include all Males whether young or old.

Act. 21.21. with v. 25. and 6.14. Thoſe Myriads or many-ten-thouſands were informed, That Paul taught the Jews among the Gentiles to forſake Moſes, See Act. 21.4, 5. Finding diſciples—they all brought us on our way, with Wives and children. Where wives and children are included under the notion of Diſciples.Acts 21:4Acts 21:5ſaying that they ought not to circumciſe their children; but the Elders tell him, as touching the Gentiles that believe, we have written and concluded that they obſerve no ſuch thing, that is, that their children ſhould be circumciſed: for the relative (foreign) muſt needs be referred to the 21 verſe, where he mentions the circumciſion of Children. Obſerve then he ſaith, we have written and concluded, which words refer to Acts 15 23, The Apoſtles, Elders & Brethren ſend greetings to the Brethren which are of the Gentiles. It appears that the queſtion was concluded as concerning the Gentiles and their children, (and not the Jews children) called there Diſciples. The Apoſtles and Elders wave the queſtion as concerning the Jews children, for as yet the Jews were not able to bear it, Acts 6 14; but they determine that the Gentiles ſhould not circumciſe their p. 21children, or obſerve any of thoſe ceremonial Rites; ſave onelyonly that they abſtain from things ſtrangled, and fornication, from things offered to idols, and from bloud. So that it is as clear as the Sun, that by Diſciples, Acts 15 10, children are meant.

2. Children are ſuch as do belong to Chriſt, therefore they are Diſciples of Chriſt; for to belong to Chriſt, and to be a Diſciple of Chriſt, is all one in ſcripture phraſe. Mat. 27 57 with Mat. 10 42,**Poculum aquae frigidae, quae nullis expenſis eget, ſed faci è parabilis: frigidam aquam dixit▪ ut ne calefaciendi impendat lab…rem. Chryſ in Mat. 10. Nam in uſu et deliciis fuiſſè p…tum aquae calidae apud antiquos, non ſ lun… haec Chryſoſtomi, ſed et aliorum teſtimonia indicam. Pin. in Job.Matt 10 Whoſoever ſhall give a cup of cold water to one of theſe little ones, &c. Theſe are diſtinguiſhed from Prophets and righteous men, b… called Diſciples.

3. They are ſuch as Chriſt undertakes to teach. Iſa. 54 13, all thy children ſhall be taught of the Lord. Ier. 31 34, they ſhall all know me from the leſt to the greateſt, that is young and old. This promiſe is applyed (Iohn 6 45.) unto the people of God in the new Teſtament, whom the Lord doth engage to teach and incline their hearts to believe in him.

Obj. It is ſaid, Go teach (Mat. 28) and then baptize, that is, ſay ſome, ſuch as are made Diſciples by the teaching of men.

Anſ. 1. We deny that its neceſſary they ſhould be taught of men before they be baptized; Paul was not taught by man when he was baptized by Ananias; it's ſufficient to us that the Lord engages to teach us and our children.

2. In ſcripture we ſay there is no priority or poſteriority; p. 22therefore from the priority ſimply the argument is not concluſive:In Scripturis non datur prius & poſterius. But if they will argue hence, That they muſt firſt be taught by men; we retort Mark 1 4, Iohn did baptize in the wilderneſs, and preach the baptiſm of repentance; where you ſee baptiſm is put before preaching.

3.**Matt. 28 19. foreign. The antecedent to foreign is foreign, per Syntheſis. Thus Romans 9 24 v. foreign. Gall. 4.19. foreign. Col 2.19. foreign. Caput ex quo Mat. 15.4. foreign v. 6. foreign. John 16.13. foreign — foreign. Which notes the perſonality of the holy Ghoſt.Matt 28:19Rom 9:24Col 2:19Matt 15:4John 16:13 If we preciſely ſtick to the words, then women are excluded; for the word foreign is the maſculine gender.

4. For the adult, we ſay teaching ordinarily goes before the adminiſtration of the Seal; but not ſo in infants: It was ſufficient that Abraham was effectually taught, though his children were not as ye… capable of inſtruction; notwithſtanding as he, ſo they were all admitted to the ſeal of circumciſion.

5. If the Lord had given a Commiſſion to the Apoſtles, ſaying, Go teach all nations, circumciſing them in the name of the Father; had this been inconſiſtent with Infant-Circumciſion? I ſay no, but if the Lord ſay, Go ye, diſciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt; why ſhould any imagin that Infants are excluded? This word foreign ſignifies properly to diſciple them, q. d. admit them into the ſchool of Chriſt; thus the word is conſtantly uſed in the new Teſtament, as in Mat. 27 57, foreign. p. 23**Heb. 7.11. — The people received the Law, that is, were legalized, diſciplined after a legal manner, foreign.Heb 7:11He was Ieſus's diſciple, or he was diſciple to him. Where we ſee plainly, That relative diſcipleſhip may be admitted of in ſcripture. Acts 14 21. foreign; having evangelized that city, (that is, turned them into the mold of the Goſpel) and diſcipled a competent number, they ordained Elders in every Church, v. 23.

6. Making diſciples being an aoriſt, hath the force of a future tenſe,foreign. and baptizing is of the preſent tenſe; therefore foreign ſeems to have the precedencie.

7. Though (make diſciples) be firſt in order of words yet not of things: For he doth not ſay, Go make diſciples and baptize them; but make diſciples …aptizing them: As if he had ſaid, By dedicating …hem to God in that Ordinance, they are made diſ…iples of Chriſt.

8. If children be left out in this commiſſion, it is becauſe, 1. They are not named, and ſo women are excluded alſo, for they are not named, foreign being of the maſculine gender. Or, 2. Becauſe they are not capable of being taught, and ſo of being Diſciples of Chriſt. But the contrary hath been proved, That they are taught by God, and after they are come out of their infancie, are capable of being taught of men.

The Second Argument.

Such children as are incovenanted, are to be ſealed p. 24with the initial ſeal of the Covenant: But the children of believing Parents,Si rem concedant que major eſt, cur n…n ſignum qu…d min…s eſt? In omni enim Sacrament ſignum i… quantum ſignum incomparabilitèr, minus eſt quam Res ipſa. Luther. de cap. Bap. are incovenanted: Therefore, They are to be ſealed with the initial ſeal of the Covenant.

The firſt Propoſition is proved Gen. 17 7, 9, and I will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me and thee, and thy ſeed after thee in their generations; for an everlaſting Covenant, to be a God to thee and to thy ſeed after thee. Thou ſhal… keep my Covenant therefore, thou and thy ſeed after thee in their generations. You ſee the Covenant is made by the Lord himſelf a ground of Circumciſion. Now where we have a promiſe laid for the foundation of a duty, it is equivalent to any expreſs command; ſeeing the will of God is as well known by promiſe or threatning, (Ier. 10 25) or neceſſary conſequence, as by expreſs command or example: Yea thoſe words [thou ſhalt keep my Covenant therefore] extend to us alſo in the new Teſtament; but not as to circumciſion, therefore to baptiſm. I would fain know whether by virtue of this covenant made with Abraham, the poſterity of Abraham ſhall not be reinſtated into that land (Mic. 7 14, 15 Let them feed in Baſhan and Gilead as in the days of old, and according to the days of thy coming out of Egypt will I ſhew unto him marvellous things. Ver. 20, Thou wilt perform thy truth to Iacob and thy mercy to Abraham, which thou haſt ſworn unto our fathers from the days of old.) If ſo, (as I ſhall ſhew hereafter more fully) then theſe p. 25words [thou ſhalt keep my Covenant therefore] can not be meant of circumciſion, (which was long ſince aboliſhed) but muſt needs be meant of baptiſm, which cometh inſtead thereof; ſeeing there is no other initial ſeal mentioned in the new Teſtament: Which ſeal of the Covenant, not onelyonly the natural feed of Abraham, the Jews; but all his ſpiritual ſeed, the Gentiles, are bound to apply to their children by virtue of this command.

Had not circumciſion been ceremonial, and another ſign inſtituted inſtead thereof, no doubt it had been in force to this day. (As that of the Sabbath, what is moral in that command, remains; though that ſeventh day of reſt from the creation be aboliſhed, yet there is another ſeventh day inſtead thereof appointed, which is the firſt of the laſt ſeven, as the other was the laſt of the firſt.) This then is moral in that of circumciſion, That our faith is to be held forth and profeſſed to the world, by the dedication of our children to God. Gen. 17 12.

He that is eight days old ſhall be circumcized. This is no inſtitution of Circumciſion,Erg. Exod. 12, When he ſpeaks of the circumciſion of the children of Proſelytes, there is no day limited for the obſervance thereof.Exod 12 (as is well obſerved by ſome) but a ſubſequent directory for the particular day.

The inſtitution it ſelf we find in verſ. 10, without any reſtriction to infancie in that latitude,See Ainſworth. Num. 9 6, 7, 8. foreignNum 9:6Num 9:7Num 9:8 as compriſing Males of any age, omnis mas, every male whether man or child ſhall be circumciſed. Thus the new Teſtament, Gal. 3 28, foreign, male & female; p. 26there is no limitation of it, therefore it may as largely be taken as the word before mentioned, Gen. 17 10. We ſee then that the Covenant is ſtill in force, and the command thereto annexed, ſc That Infants ſhould be ſealed, onelyonly the Seal of circumciſion is turned into baptiſm.

Thoſe males and females (Gal. 3 28) are equally priviledged according to the teno… of Abraham's Covenant; for, ſaith the Apoſtle, we are all one in Chriſt Jeſus, and if ye be Chriſt's then are ye Abraham's ſeed, and heirs according to the promiſe: But children are Chriſt's: Erg. Abraham's ſeed, and therefore conſequently alike priviledged with Abraham's children. Add to this the words of the Text, Acts 2 — And let every one of you be baptized, for the promiſe is to you (Jews and Proſelytes) and your children. This was the firſt open promulgation of the Covenant.

The Jews were ſo accuſtomed to that great perſonal promiſe [I will be thy God, and the God of thy ſeed,] as that there needed not any explanation of it; it being ordinarily put for the Covenant, and contrariwiſe the Covenant put for it. Gal. 3.14, 17. That the bleſſing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promiſe of the ſpirit. Thus verſ. 17, This I ſay therefore, that the Covenant which was confirmed of God in Chriſt before the Law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot diſanul, that it ſhould make the promiſe of none effect.

Sometimes the Apoſtle uſeth the plural Number, p. 27v. 16. Now to Abraham and his ſeed were the promiſes made. Obſerve, he ſaith, to Abraham and his ſeed were the promiſe made. Which relates to Gen. 17. For in Gen. 12. he ſaith, [in thee.] Yea, Gal. 3 16. The inheritance was given by promi…e. Now in Gen. 12 1 he only ſaith, he will ſhew him the land, but in the 17. he gives it.Gen 17Gen 12Gal 3:16Gen 12:1Becauſe this propoſition [I will be thy God] being the mother promiſe containeth all other promiſes in the womb of it. Thus Rom. 4 13. foreign, the promiſe, that is the Covenant made to Abraham, is to be underſtood, being mentioned in that chapter no leſs than four times.

This promiſe, ſaith the Apoſtle Acts 2, is to you and your children, and to the Gentiles (when called) and their children: To you Jews actually; (for they were not as yet cut off) and to the Gentiles intentionally, anſwering the call of the Goſpel.

As for that**Mr. Tom his rev. interpretation of ſending Chriſt, which is given by ſome; we ſay, It's improper to ſay, the promiſe i…, for it was already fulfilled; (though it was included in Abrahaham's Covenant) but as for remiſſion of ſins and pouring out the ſpirit on them and theirs, they are included in that great promiſe, [I will be thy God and the God of thy ſeed.] Thus the Apoſtle, Gal. 3 14, That we might receive the promiſe of the ſpirit through faith. This the Apoſtle had chiefly in his ey: For the giving of the Meſſiah was the great promiſe of the old Teſtament; as the giving of the ſpirit is the great promiſe of the new Teſtament. See Luk. 24.49. Acts 1.4, 5. and 2.33. Having received of the Father the promiſe of the holy Ghoſt. Compare Acts 10.47. and 11.16. and 15.8, 9. Giving them the p. 26duplicate page p. 27duplicate page p. 28holy Ghoſt as he did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Which words ſhew you, that it's not meant onelyonly of the extraordinary gifts, but of the ordinary gifts of ſanctification: By spirit then (Act. 2 37) he meaneth not ſo much, or ſolely, the extraordinary gifts of the ſpirit, as regenerating graces, with the degrees of them.

We have now proved the firſt Propoſition, namely, That ſuch as are in Covenant, are to be ſealed with the ſeal of the Covenant. It remains that we prove the ſecond, ſc. That Children are incovenanted. For the proof of which, mind well the words of the Text, The promiſe is to you and to your Children.

Obj. The promiſe runs to children when they are called.

Anſ. Calling in the Jews did not go before the Covenant, but followed after, as appears by Act. 3.25. Ye are the Children of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers, ſaying unto Abraham, and in thy ſeed ſhall all the families (foreign, where children muſt of neceſſity be included, as the word imports) of the earth be bleſſed.

The promiſe was not made to their ſeed, becauſe they did believe; but ſome of their ſeed did believe becauſe they were under the promiſe: which promiſe reaches to ſpirituals as well as carnals, even to turn them from their iniquities.

To the Jew firſt and alſo to the Gentile was this promiſe made. The Jew before had a jus ad rem, but upon their repentance a jus in re. Act. 2 39. That being p. 29ſuſpended till they came in, and then the promiſe runs clear without any interruption.

2. The Apoſtle ſheweth not onelyonly that baptiſm cometh inſtead, but that it's adminiſtered on the ſame grounds, ſc. That God is our God and the God of our ſeed; we need not fear the ſeal is put to a blank; (becauſe no viſible faith appears) for here is a Covenant to which this ſeal of baptiſm is annexed, and the Covenant, I hope, none will ſay is a blank to which the name JEHOVAH is added, that gives being to all thoſe promiſes. Which name is ſo often repeated in Jer. 31, to ſhew that as he was known by that name when he brought them out of Egypt: So now much more in theſe later days, in bringing them out of all countries whether they are ſcattered.

3. An excluſion of their children would have exceedingly perplexed them, as is undeniably evident; they being conſcious to themſelves of that bitter curſe which was pronounced by them, [his bloud be upon us and our children.]

4. Act. 2.41. They gladly received that word, namely, the promiſe is to you and to your Children, and therefore were baptized; by which it appears that they underſtood that their children were included in that Covenant. If then the Proſelytes upon the receiving of the word were circumciſed, they and their Children: then doubtleſs thoſe and their children were baptized on the ſame ground.

4.foreign Chriſt came not to looſen the Law, much leſs the Propheſies p. 30and promiſes of old made to believers. Rom. 15 8. To confirm the promiſes made to our fathers.

Becauſe this might be queſtioned, whether the Gentiles might be partakers with the Jews of the promiſes and their appertenances;For he is not a God of the Jews onelyonly, but alſo of the Gentiles parents and children, as he was to the Jews. Rō. 2.29 therefore the Apoſtle doth abundantly labour to prove, by four ſeveral places of Scripture, That Chriſt is a miniſter of the Circumciſion, to confirm the promiſes made to the fathers; and that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his merciemercy held forth in the ſame promiſe. See v. 9, 11, 12. I do not remember any place of Scripture, where the Apoſtle doth bring ſo many proofs as he doth in this one place, ſhewing that the Gentiles have an intereſt in the promiſes made unto the Jews; that ſo he might remove all ſcruples, and drive the nale to the head, and clinch it faſt. For

Firſt, If children in the new Teſtament had been left out, they had loſt by the coming of Chriſt.

Secondly, The grace of Chriſt had been ſtraighter in the new Teſtament than in the old.

Thirdly, Then what ground of hope had the parent to plead for his child? Or how may the child come in the name of his fathers God (which they were wont to do) pleading the Covenant, if he have no intereſt to it as from his parents?

6. We have ſufficiently proved, That the Covenant runs in the natural line of believers, as to the outward adminiſtration of it … at leſt till it be cut off p. 31by parents or children, onelyonly it is eſtabliſhed with Iſaac and all ſuch as are true Iſaacs.

7. Except in relation to the Covenant in that place, Act. 2, there could be no occaſion of naming Children: For,

The Apoſtle might have ſaid. The promiſe is to you, and thoſe that are afar off, even as many as the Lord ſhall call, without putting in Children, but he lets them underſtand, That, notwithſtanding that bitter curſe, [his bloud be upon us and upon our children] they were not as yet discovenanted, though the ax lay (foreign Mat. 3) at the root of the tree, ready to cut them off from Abraham, if they cloſed not with Chriſt.

8. That limitation to children when they are called, holds forth no more priviledge to the children of b…lievers than to the children of Pagans; but how uncomfortable this doctrine is let the world judg.

9. Is not this ſtrange doctrine, That t…e faith of the parent ſhould ſet the child farther …ff from Go…? before they were near by the bloud of the Lord, but now afar …ff: In that very moment the parent believes not, the child is under a Covenant; in the next moment the parent believes (for regeneration is in an**Generatio fit in inſtanti. inſtant as generation is) the child is discovenanted; how comes this ſudden change?

10. The Argument ſo put as formerly is alledged, is no Argument at all; for whether the parent repent or not repent, in caſe the children be called, the promiſe belongs to them. If a Landlord ſhould p. 32move his Tenant to give up his old Leaſe, (wherein the lives of his children are included, which alſo hath certain priviledges to him and his children) and to take a new one in which his childrens lives are left out having no more priviledges than mere ſtrangers; could he rationally perſwade him to ſurrender up the old Leaſe or grant, and to take a new one from the benefit that may accrue to the Tenant by it, the lives of his children being left out in the Leaſe? And what force is there in this manner of arguing, judge ye. You and your children have been hetherto under a Covenant of grace; now in caſe you believe your children ſhall be discovenanted: but if hereafter they or any of the heathens ſhall believe, they ſhall be admitted into the Covenant, but their children ſhall be left out. Had this been of any force to perſwade them to enter into the way of the new Teſtament? Or to comfort poor ſouls, that doubtleſs were much troubled about that bitter curſe, his bloud be upon us and our children? Would it not have disheartened them for ever, and made them ſtumble at that ſtumbling-ſtone?

Obj. This promiſe is meant of extraordinary gifts.

Anſ. This ſalve reacheth not the ſore; they were pricked and wounded in the very heart, and ſtood in need of comfort to ſupport their fainting ſpirits; of a God to pardon, a Chriſt to ſave, a Spirit to ſanctifie and comfort; therefore we may not limit the promiſe to thoſe extraordinary gifts: For what comfort had it been to them to tell them they ſhould p. 33receive the gift of Tongues and working miracles? when they hung over the chimnies of hell, (as I may ſo ſpeak) or the ſmoak of the damned, ready to be caſt into the everlaſting flames, for ought they knew, every moment.

2. It's to all that are a far off, to wit, Gentiles: Now all ſuch do not receive any ſuch extraordinary gifts, neither have they any ſuch promiſe; if ſo, none in theſe days (for ought I know) are effectually called.

To put an end to this Text obſerve theſe 3 things.

Firſt, The promiſes that are made to Parents are made to their children alſo; Children are under the ſame Covenant with their parents.

Secondly, A right to the promiſe is a ground of right to the Seal: Or, being in Covenant is the ground of being baptized; for to whom belongs the Covenant, to them belongs the Seal of the Covenant. Foederati ſunt ſignandi.

Thirdly,**Ad quos cauſa legis proxima & immediata pertinet, ad illos etiam lex illa pertinet. Tom. Exer. Upon the ſame ground that parents are baptized, their children may and muſt be baptized: (for there is the like reaſon for the one as for the other) But parents are baptized becauſe the promiſe is to them: Therefore the Children may and muſt be baptized on the ſame ground becauſe the promiſe is to them alſo. q. d. Ye Jews that now repent and believe, be ye baptized with your children; for the promiſe is to you and p. 34to your children. The duty of being baptized extends as far as the ground or reaſon of it: But that extends to Children: Therefore ſo doth the duty alſo.

VVE come now to other Scriptures: For with this great ſcripture (Act. 2) the body of the ſcripture doth concurr.Abraham. Nomina in futurum propoſita nihil poſſunt in futurū promittere, ſed quod nomen os Domini nominavit propheticum eſt futurorum. Riv in Gen. 17 Datum fuit nomen pro ſigno effectus futuri, ut quotieſcun que occurreret ei nomen ſuum, revocaret in memoriam dei promiſſionem. Nomen Abrahae mutatum ante inſtitutionem circumciſionis, ut liquido conſtaret pactum promiſſionis, non tantum ad unam gentem circumciſam, ſed ad multas gentes pertinere. Gat.Gen 17 As Gen 17 7, and 28 4. And give thee the bleſſing of Abraham to thee and thy ſeed after thee. Compared with Gal 3 14, That the bleſſing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles. This later text is explained by the former.

Lev. 26 42, I will remember my Covenant with Jacob, and my Covenant with Iſaac and with Abraham. Obſerve how he aſcends: He begins with Jacob, (Eſau being cut off) from Jacob to Iſaac, (Iſhmael being cut off) from Iſaac to Abraham. This will he do when they accept of the puniſhment of their iniquity, that is kiſs the rod, and humble themſelves under the mighty hand of God; becauſe and becauſe (for ſo the original renders it) they diſpiſed his judgements. Then ſaith the Lord, ver. 45, I will remember the Covenant of their Anceſters; this promiſe relates to their laſt captivity, ver. 44. Compared with Rom. 11.1, 26 28.

Deut. 43, If in thy later days thou return, he will p. 35not forget the Covenant made with thy fathers. Verſe 37, Becauſe he loved thy fathers therefore he choſe their ſeed after them. Cap. 7, 8, 10, ver. 15, OnelyOnly the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he choſe their ſeed after them. In which Text obſerve, That God did ſhew favor to the Children for the Parents ſake. Deut. 29 10, Ye ſtand this day before the Lord, your little ones and the ſtranger that is in thy camp,—that thou ſhouldeſt enter into Covenant, He ſpeaks to them all as one man. Neither with you onelyonly (that is, you and your Children here preſent) …o I make this Covenant: but with him alſo that is not here this day, (that is, the**Obſerve v. 13 That he may be to thee a God as he hath ſworn to Abraham. Gentiles and their Children unborn intentionally.) Deut. 30 6, I will circumciſe thy heart, and the heart of thy ſeed. Compared with ver. 5, I will multiply thee above thy fathers. Which implies that this promiſe relates to their return out of their laſt captivity: For this command which I command thee this day, is not hidden from thee neither is it far off. This is a Goſpel-promiſe as appears by the Apoſtle Paul, Rom. 10 6, The word of faith is nigh thee; (a word of command and a word of promiſe being promiſcuouſly uſed in ſcripture phraſe,) Pſalm 111 11, compared with the 105 Pſalm v. 8. He hath remembered his Covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thouſand generations. Pſalm 37 25. I have never ſeen the rightous forſaken, or their feed begging bread. Verſ. 21, He is ever merciful and lendeth, and his ſeed is bleſſed. Pſalm 479, The voluntary p. 36of the people were gathered to the people of the God of Abraham. Pſalm 86 16, Save the ſon of thy handmaid. Pſalm 116 16, Truely I am thy ſervant and the ſon of thy handmaid; it appears not what his father was, but it ſeems his mother was a good woman, this Covenant as from his mother he pleads with God. Pſalm 103 17, But the merciemercy of the Lord is from everlaſting to everlaſting upon them that fear him and his rightouſneſs, (.1. the performance of the promiſes) to childrens children. Pſal. 102 28, The children of thy ſervants ſhall continue, and their **Iſa. 66 22, Their ſeed ſhall continue before me.Isa 66:22ſeed ſhall be eſtabliſhed before thee. This is a Goſpel-promiſe for the continuance of their Children in their former ſtate, as appears by the 17 v. Thou art the ſame, or, thou art he, (foreign) ſo interpreted and applyed to Chriſt, Heb. 1 10.

Pſalm 112 2, The generation of the upright ſhall be bleſſed.

Eſa. 29 23, But when he ſeeth his children the work of mine hands in the midſt of them, they ſhall ſanctify my name. Eſa. 44 3, I will pour my ſpirit upon thy ſeed, and my bleſſing upon thine offspring, that is, their ſons and daughters; according to that expreſſion Eſaias 22 24, And they ſhall hang upon Him, namely Chriſt, the offspring & the iſſue, that is, their ſons and daughters. Eſa. **foreign Significat ſignum, vexillum nauticum. Matt. 24. Tunc apparebit [foreign] ſignum filij hominis. Num. 26 10, in ſignum. Haec enim omnia illis in figurâ contigerunt. Pag. Therefore by the ſtandard we may underſtand baptiſm, becauſe he ſaith, They ſhall bring thy ſons in their arms.Matt 24Num 26:1049 22, I will ſett up my ſtandard to the people, and they ſhall bring thy ſons in their arms, and thy p. 37daughters ſhall be carryed upon their ſhoulders. Compared with ver. 25, And I will ſave thy children.

Eſa. 59 21, My word and my ſpirit ſhall not depart out of the mouth of thy ſeed and of thy ſeeds ſeed for ever. This promiſe ſhall be fulfilled in the later times, as appears by Rom. 11 27, This is my Covenant with them when I ſhall take away their ſins. Compared with the former verſe, The redeemer ſhall come to Syon, and to them that turn from tranſgreſſion in Jacob. And then he tells them, This is my Covenant with them, ſaith the Lord; which he explains in ver. 21, My word and ſpirit ſhall not depart out of the mouth of thy ſeed nor ſeeds ſeed for ever. From whence obſerve, That the vein of election ſhall run along in the loins of the ſeed of the elect, and their ſeeds ſeed for ever; for that Church ſhall never be dischurched.

Eſa. 61 9, And their ſeed ſhall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. Eſa. 65 23, For they are the ſeed of the bleſſed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. This is a Goſpel-promiſe relating to the Jews. Non laborabunt inanitèr, ne que gignent liberos ad conturbationem, nam ſemen benèdictorum à Jehova erunt, & prognati eorum. Piſcat. They ſhall not bring forth children unto trouble, (q.d.) their iſſue ſhall enjoy the like quiet and proſperous condition together with their parents, whereas formerly they were brought forth to the peſtilence and the ſword, Hoſ. 9 12, 13. The reaſon of this happineſs of their children is given in the 23 verſe, For they are the ſeed of the bleſſed of the Lord, and their offſpring with them: So that by offspring he muſt needs p. 38intend their natural iſſue, which is brought in as a medium to prove the former propoſition, namely, That they ſhall not bring forth children unto trouble, or, foreign, LXX. i. e. to a curſe. To ſay this is meant of the … is improper, for it's all one as if the Prophet had ſaid, They are the elect of the bleſſed of the Lord, and the elect with them; which is not ſenſe.

Jer. 30 20, Their children alſo ſhall he as aforetime, and their Church ſhall be eſtabliſhed before me: ſee the Hebr. This is a new Teſtament promiſe grounded on Chriſt, (who engaged his heart to draw near to God, ver. 21.) which ſhall be fullfilled in the later days. Then ſhall ſuch as have ſcrupled this truth (ver 24.) conſider it; for God will then be the God of all the families of Iſrael, Ier 31 1, that is, parents and children.

If their children ſhall be as of old, doubtleſs as they were Church-members viſibly owned by God in the old, ſo ſhall they be ſtill in the new Teſtament: But to limit this text to their civil ſtate onelyonly, ſeems to be clear againſt the ſcope and purpoſe of the holy Ghoſt in theſe words, which is to ſhew the glorious and bleſſed condition of that Church. Ier. 32 39, That they may fear me for ever, for the good of them and their children after them. This propheſy is applicable to the Jews converted, ver 37, and is an implicit promiſe ſuitable to that of the V. Commandment, [that thou mayeſt prolong thy days.] Compared with Eph. 6 1. And ſo interpreted by the Apoſtle.

Ez. 16 21, Thou haſt ſlain my children whom thou p. 39haſt born to me, (for we are neither born nor reborn to our ſelves) God owns them for his own though their parents were Idolaters.

Ez. 36 11, I will ſettle you after your old eſtates, and will do better for you than at your beginnings, Or as ſome read it, I will beſtow benefits upon you more than at the firſt. Then doubtleſs their children were not left out.

Ez 47 14, Ye ſhall inherit it one as well as another, yea, ſaith the Lord, the ſtrangers with their children ſhall have inheritance with the children of Iſrael in that land of Canaan, verſ. 22. This is a Goſpel-promiſe as appears by many arguments which I could produce; the land being but a type of the Church or heaven, in which children ſhare with their parents.

Hoſ. 14 8, They that dwell under thy ſhadow ſhall return. This muſt needs include the children, which ſhall be made good, eſpecially to the Jews, upon their laſt return.

Obj. Theſe promiſes are made to the Jews, and can not properly be applied to the Gentiles with their Children.

Anſ. They were made in Chriſt, in whom all the promiſes are yea, that is, affirmed; and amen, that is, confirmed to us Gentiles.

2.**See Glaſ. Amos 9 12, Ʋt poſſideant reſiduum Edomi. Junius foreign per cum vertit; ut haeredes ſint cum reliquijs Edomi, & omnibus gentibus quae vocantur de nomine meo. 1. Ʋt non tantum Judaei, verùm etiam gentes reliquae communi cum illis haereditate perſruantur. LXX pro foreign poſſidebunt, legerunt foreign requirent; unde illud foreign, pro foreign legerunt foreign homo; unde illud foreign, & addiderunt vocem foreign.Amos 9:12 They are ſo interpreted, Act. 15.16, 17. Hoſ. 2 23, compared with Rom. 9.24, p. 4025. Hoſ. 12 4, He found him in Bethel and there he ſpake with us: So that the promiſes made unto Jacob are applicable unto us alſo. Hence it is that all the people of God (Gal. 6 16) are called the Iſrael of God.

If any ſhall ſay, That children in the old Teſtament were ceremonially holy: The Apoſtle anſwers 1 Pet. 2 9, writing to the twelve tribes ſcattered (Iam. 1.1) they and their children were an holy nation

Add to all theſe ſcriptures Exod. 20 5, Shewing merciemercy unto thouſands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Matt. 1. Abraham is brought in as the firſt explicit Covenanter, to whom the promiſe was made; which runs along in the natural line to Chriſt, taking effect in ſome of his ſeed in every generation. But leaſt this ſhould be thought to be a typical Covenant aboliſhed in Chriſt, whereas Matthew deſcends from Abraham to Chriſt, Luke aſcends from Chriſt to Adam; to ſhew us that the Covenant extends to all believing Gentiles as well as Jews, even to all the Sons of Adam.Matt 1I hope none will ſay that the moral law or the promiſes thereunto belonging are aboliſhed. Here is a promiſe made to thoſe that worſhip God in the beauties of holineſs, I mean in the purity of his ordinances; to ſuch and their ſeed doth the Lord extend merciemercy. (which is a fruit of the Covenant of grace not of works) The like phraſe we have in Timothy, Keep this command to the coming of Chriſt, that is, if thou ſhouldeſt live ſo long: So if the world ſhould continue to a thouſand generations, (which I ſuppoſe not, for Mat. 1 thoſe three 14 generations took up a great part of the time from Abraham to Chriſt) God will make good his word to them, if they cut not off the entail of the promiſes.

Obj. **When Princes offend their favorites are heaten: So when Parents tranſgreſs their children are puniſhed.This is meant to thoſe children that p. 41love the Lord, and the contrary threatning to thoſe Children which imitate their fathers vices.

Anſ. 1.**Exod. 34.7. Ʋtrum que abſolutè ponitur, Qui cuſtodia miſericordiam in millia, & qui reddis iniquitatem patrum filijs ac nepotibus. Riv. Shewing merciemercy unto thouſands, but viſiting the ſins of the parents upon the children to the third and fourth generation: The words are put abſolutely, without reſtraining them to thoſe that love or hate him, becauſe they relate to the parents; ſo that doubtleſs the child may ſuffer temporal puniſhment for the fathers ſins, as being a part of the father; but not eternal. Ezek 18.Exod 34:7Ezek 18 If the command be ſo underſtood, then is there no pretence for children to complain, The fathers have eaten ſour grapes and the childrens teeth are ſet on edge; if God did puniſh children onelyonly for imitating their parents vices.

2. If he ſpake of children hating God as their fathers, why might he not have ſaid, Viſiting the iniquitie of the fathers upon the children unto a thouſand generatons, as well as to the third or fourth?

3. If the words be ſo underſtood, then is the force of the compariſon loſt; for he extolls his merciemercy above his juſtice, ſaying, Viſiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation, but, Shewing merciemercy to thouſands: For the attributes of God are equal, foreign non foreign.

4. What force were there in this dehortation; You parents take heed of idolatry, for if your children to the third or fourth generation committ idolatry, I will puniſh them? It is not to be imagined, that the wiſdom of the father ſhould argue thus irrationally: For ſo he ſhould puniſh not ſo much the ſin of the father as the ſins of the children.

Let none ſay theſe are old Teſtament proofs, (intrenching p. 42upon the prophetical office of Chriſt) as if that which was written w… not written for our learning; or as if Chriſt were not ſent to confirm the promiſes made to the Fathers. Rom. 15.

We thought much that the Papiſts ſhould make void and unlord the ſecond Commandment, and the Biſhops the fourth; but what ſhall we ſay to thoſe that wave the old Teſtament, unleſs it be in ſuch places which ſeemingly make for their own opinion; theſe have the leproſy in their heads, and therefore are altogether unclean: For doth not Moſes expound Chriſt, and doth not Chriſt ſend the Jews to Moſes for inſtruction? Ioh. 5 46, Luk 16 31.

Let us come to the new Teſtament, (though we ſay there is no more inconveniency upon ſuppoſing of children in the new Teſtament to be in the Covenant than formerly; therefore to reject Infants now, is to condemn the wiſdom of God in admitting them in the old) and hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the Churches; Matt. 22 32, compared with Ex. 3 6, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob. The Lord makes mention of this Covenant made with our fathers; for then he was about to bring them out of the land of Egypt; wherein he failed not, but made good his word to a day, though the promiſe was made four hundred and thirty years before, Ex. 12 42. It is a night much to be obſerved, wherein the Lord brought them out of the land of Egypt; if he had deferred to make good his promiſe but till the next day, he had (that I may ſo ſay) forfeited his bond. Luk. 1 54, He hath p. 43holpen his ſervant Iſrael in remembrance of his merciemercy, as he ſpake to our fathers, to Abraham and his ſeed for ever. q. d. God in giving Chriſt remembered his Covenant with Abraham. V. 72, To perform the merciemercy promiſed to our forefathers **foreign. i e. To ſhew merciemercy to our fathers; the fathers are the objects of this favour. But what is this merciemercy and favour? The words following tell you, To remember his holy Covenant.and to remember his holy Covenant. Verſ. 2, compared with the 76, And thou Child ſhalt be called the Prophet of the Higheſt. He brings in the child here, q. d. Behold the Covenant is made good to Abraham in this Child. Zacharias (who was both deaf and dumb, as the word ſignifies and as it appears by the context, for they made ſigns unto him how they would have him called) I ſay, Zacharias triumphs in this, and magnifies Gods glorious grace, ſaying,Act. 3 21, foreign, By the mouth of all the Prophets.Acts 3:21 As he ſpake by the mouth of all the Prophets; as if all the Prophets had but one mouth, being unanimous in their interpretation of the Covenant, v. 70, which Covenant was made not onelyonly with Abraham, but with the fathers and their children; and ſhall we have a mouth to ſpeak or a heart to think contrary to the ſenſe and meaning of all the holy Prophets, which have been ever ſince the world began? Far be it from us, yea for ever far be it from us, that pretend we have the mind of Chriſt.

Luke 19 9, Salvation to thy houſe, ſaith Chriſt to Zachaeus, or here is a covenant of grace for thee and thy children; but mind how he alters the perſon, p. 44For as much as he alſo is a ſon of Abraham; as if he would have ſtanders-by, yea all to take notice, That though Zachaeus was an eminent ſinner and a Gentile: yet upon his converſion he and his children were included in the Covenant. Gal 4 28, Now we brethren, as Iſaac was, are the children of promiſe; Iſaac when an Infant was a child of promiſe, and ſo conſidered when that promiſe was made; which promiſe was confirmed to him and to his poſterity:Gal. 2 15, Naturâ Judaei.] Non intelligit naturalitèr eſſè immunes à corruptolâ humani generis, ſed quia promiſſio haereditariam benedictionem faciebat, ideò naturale vocatur hoc bonum. Calv. in Gal.Gal 2:15 We then, ſaith the Apoſtle, (I and you Galatians with your brethren) are children of the promiſe as Iſaac. This is the ſenſe of the holy Ghoſt; But as then he that was born after the fleſh, did perſecute him that was after the ſpirit: ſo it is now. There were then ſuch as were born after the fleſh, that is, the natural ſeed, who in courſe of nature came from Abraham: So is there now a fleſhly ſeed of**Rom. 11.28. Dilecti propter Patres.] Non quod dilectioni cauſam dederint, ſed quoniam ab illis propagata fuerat dei gratia ad poſteros, ſecundùm pacti formam [Evo deus tuus & ſeminis tui.] Cal.Rom 11:28 believers.

If then there remains in the boſom of the Church children born after the fleſh, then is there the priviledge of Birth-holineſs ſtill remaining, ſeeing as it was then, ſo it is now.

Rom. 11. Children with parents were broken off from the Covenant; therefore they were under it. Yea, They with their parents at length ſhall be engrafted in again, as we ſhall ſhew hereafter.

Eph. 3.8. That the Gentiles (that is, parents and p. 45children) ſhould be partakers of his promiſe, namely that grand promiſe, I will be thy God and the God of thy ſeed; of which promiſe they are not partakers if ſo great a part of the Gentiles be excluded.

Add to all theſe Scriptures that of the 1 Cor. 7 14, Elſe were your children unclean but now are they holy; the queſtion was not whether the marriage were lawful, but whether they might lawfully live together, the one being a believer the other not. (therefore to plead the unbelieving fornicator is ſanctified by the believing whore, is improper; for the queſtion was concerning man and wife, whereof the one was a believer, whether thoſe might lawfully live together.) This queſtion was propounded to Paul being grounded on that Text in Ezra 10, or 1 Cor. 5, as is ſuppoſed by ſome.

Paul anſwers, Let not the believing huſband put away the unbelieving wife, nor the believing wife her unbelieving huſband; for the unbelieving huſband is ſanctified in the believing wife, & è contrà, elſe were your children unclean, but now are they holy. Sanctified, that is ſay ſome, they may lawfully converſe together as man and wife, elſe your children were illegitimate. I have put the Argument as far as any of that opinion have put it, but the words will not bear … ſenſe; for Sanctification is never in all the Book of God uſed in that ſenſe, and why ſhould we admit of it here? We muſt**Neh. 8. Dabant ſenſum Scripturarum per Scripturas.Neh 8 interpret Scripture by Scripture, which is the ſafeſt way of interpretation; for there is nothing hard in one place, but uſually is p. 46explained in another. Every creature (ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Tim. 4 5,) is **The difference between ſanctified and holy is this, the one ſignifies a relative Act, the other an holineſs in State. Nihil hic erit difficuliatis ſi ſanctitatem intelligas nihil aliud eſſe quam spiritualem generis nobilitatem, & eam quidem non propriam naturae, ſed quae ex foedere manabat. Cal. in Rom 11.16.Rom 11:16ſanctified by the word of God and prayer. Here it ſignifies not onelyonly lawful but an holy uſe: and ſo it is taken in this 1 Cor. 7. But in the ſenſe of ſome, the Pagans lawful relations & enjoyments are ſanctified to them, which to aſſert is very abſurd; for he onelyonly which uſeth all for God hath all things ſanctified to him; therefore by the holineſs of children the Apoſtle means foederal holineſs, according to Scripture phraſe, Ezra 9, The holy ſeed have mingled themſelves with the people of the Lands. To ſay the holy ſeed, that is, the legitimate ſeed, would imply that all thoſe children of the heathens were baſtards.

Dan. 11 28, He ſhall have indignation againſt the holy Covenant, that is, againſt parents with their children incovenanted.

2. The Apoſtle ſpeaks to the priviledge of a believer which he had not before, [now are they holy;] a priviledge, we know, is a peculiar benefit, appropriate to ſome, not common to all: but this is common to all the heathens, well known to them, much more to the Corinthians, that their children were legitimate.

But according to their ſenſe they may live together, for their children are as holy as the children of heathens.3. If we ſay by Sanctification is meant a lawful uſe, the Argument is a mere trifling, (idem per idem) for the queſtion was, whether p. 47they might lawfully live together? Yea, ſaith the Apoſtle, they may; for the unbelieving husband is ſanctifyed in the believing wife, q d. They may live together, for they may live together.

Obj. The unbelieving wife is ſaid to be ſanctified as well as her Children.

Anſ. She is ſaid to be ſanctified by him or in him, but not ſo as to be made foederally holy, but onelyonly ſanctified to his uſe as all the creatures are; for ſanctification is a word of relation uſed with reference to perſons, but the word, holy, in the 1 Cor. 7, ſignifies an holineſs of ſtate, but, ſaith the Apoſtle, they are holy.

Thus we have abundantly proved the minor propoſition, namely, That the Children of believers are incovenanted, therefore we conclude, That the Seal of the Covenant belongs to them.

O then! You that are ſpiritual, that have the teſtimony of Jeſus, which is the ſpirit of Propheſy, ſo as to underſtand the Propheſies; conſider what I have ſaid, and the Lord give you underſtanding in all things. We are compaſſed (as you ſee) round about with a cloud of witneſſes,It was one and the ſame cloud (Exod. 14 23) which was light to the Iſraelites and darkneſs to the Egyptians: Even ſo one and the ſame ſcripture to ſome is dark, and to others full of light; becauſe they have not the light within to ſee the light without. John 11.Exod 14:23John 11 Now the Lord grant we be not like the Egyptians, looking at the darkſom part of the cloud, (as many do) and not the lightſom part; but that this cloud may be as a cloud by day, and as a pillar of fire by night (even in that night that is coming faſt upon us, the ſhadows p. 48of the evening growing very long) to guid us in the Truth as it is in Jeſus.

Obj. Circumciſion was no ſeal of Rightouſneſs to Abraham's poſterity.

Anſ. Look to the rock (Eſa. 51) whence ye are hewen. q d. Conſider what mercies I ſhewed to Abraham, the ſame mercy may you expect to your ſelves.

Promiſes made to believers as believers, belong to all believers; for it's a ſure rule à quatenus ad omne valet conſequentia, from a thing as ſuch, the conſequence availeth to all. Thus the Apoſtle, Heb. 13 5, applies that of Deut. 31 8, He will not fail thee nor forſake thee. That promiſe was made not to Joſhua but to the body of the Children of Iſrael, as appears by the LXX tranſlation;Promiſes made to the Jews as Saints, are made to all; therefore the Goſpel-Church is called Sion, and Jeruſalem hath the Jews names put upon it, becauſe thoſe promiſes belong to it. See LXX. foreign. Heb. 13.5. foreign.Heb 13:5 for as it's applyed to Joſhua it hath but one negative, but when applyed to the body of Iſrael, verſe 8, it hath four negatives, to which the Apoſtle adds a fift, No I will not leave thee, no I will not in no wiſe forſake thee. The Lord being willing more abundantly to confirm our faith adds five denials, becauſe he ſaw what doubting hearts we had.

So much for the firſt Propoſition, ſc. That promiſes made to believers as believers, belong to all believers; but this [I will be thy God and the God of thy ſeed] was made to Abraham as a believer; therefore to all believers: Whereof Circumciſion was a ſeal p. 49in the old Teſtament, as Baptiſm in the new. Rom. 4 11, Circumciſion is called a ſeal of the rightouſneſs of faith, which he had being uncircumciſed, that ſo he might become the father of all thoſe that believe, though not circumciſed; for Abraham was called the father of them that believe, becauſe he was the firſt father that received this bleſſing, which was a bleſſing upon parents and children; for he received it not onelyonly for himſelf, but for them alſo, that is, he received it as a father, and ſo it is conveyed to us at this day. M^r Cart.

2. The promiſe was made to Abraham and to his natural ſeed, walking in the ſteps of his faith; How elſe reaſons the Apoſtle from the example of Abraham? The promiſe was given to Abraham through faith, therefore 't is yours through faith, v. 13, 16, 17.

3. How makes he Abraham the father of believers in both people, if the Covenant was not eſtabliſhed on him as a father for his children of both people? v. 17, who is the father of us all, before him **foreign, Ad inſtar dei, or, Ex adverſo dei, after the example of God. Exemplar enim ex adverſo opponimus.whom he believed. God hath honored Abraham's faith, that in reſpect thereof he hath made him like himſelf, ſc. a father, not of this or that nation, but univerſally of all, amongſt all nations that believe.

4. This promiſe [I will be thy God and the God of thy ſeed] was not peculiar to Abraham, as appears by the ſcope of the Apoſtle, Rom. 4. which is to ſhew how we are juſtified, and not Abraham onelyonly; for fathers and children are juſtified in the ſame manner; p. 50but Abraham was juſtified by faith and not by Circumciſion, though therein was ſealed the remiſſion of ſins.

The Apoſtle brings in Abraham as an eminent believer, and the father of the faithful (for he was the firſt explicit covenanter) as a rule to all believers;**Primum in unoquo que genere eſt regula reliquorum. Apoſtolus probaturus Gentiles unà cum Judaeis eſſe Abrahae filios, in hanc formam loquitur, Abraham fide juſtificatus fuit in praeputio. Calv. for the firſt in every kind is the rule of all the reſt; and concludes ver. 23, It is written not for his ſake alone that it was imputed to him; but us alſo to whom it ſhall be imputed, if we believe: So that Circumciſion was either a ſeal of rightouſneſs obtained, or rightouſneſs offered, therefore a ſeal to parents and children if they believe; the like may I ſay of baptiſm which comes inſtead of circumciſion, and is the ſeal of Abraham's Covenant. Gal. 3 29 Ye are Abraham's ſeed, and heirs according to the tenor of the promiſe, which runs to him and his.

5. The Covenant is the ſame, therefore the parties included in the Covenant ſpecifically, muſt be the ſame, elſe it's not the ſame Covenant; and therefore as before, ſo now children are included.

That it's the ſame for ſubſtance, it appears by the Apoſtle,Gal. 3, That Covenant was confirmed in Chriſt, therefore a Goſpel-Covenant, foreign, towards Chriſt, q d. It had reſpect to Chriſt.Gal 3 Gal. 3.8, 28, The Scripture foreſeeing that God would juſtifie the heathen, preached the Goſpel before unto Abraham. I hope none will ſay we have another Goſpel, or a Goſpel beſides this Goſpel: The Apoſtle doubles the phraſe to ſhew them he ſpeaks deliberately, p. 51as pondering what he ſaid, If any man bring another Goſpel, &c Gal. 1.

Brethren do we look for new Scriptures, or a new Goſpel to ſave us? Is not the faith (that is, the Doctrine of faith) delivered once and for ever, as a perpetual rule? Is not God one and the ſame though we be changeable and at odds with him, Gal. 3 20? Is not Chriſt yeſterday, and to day, and for ever the ſame, Heb. 13 8? Was this once an evangelical promiſe [I will be thy God,] and is it not ſo ſtill? And if that be evangelical, (as is confeſſed) ſhall we deny the later [I will be the God of thy ſeed] to be evangelical alſo?

6. If the command of teaching our children which God gave to Abraham, belong unto us, then the promiſe made to him and his belongs to us alſo; for the promiſe is the ground of the duty, and the duty is the means of the performance of the promiſe. Gen. 18 19, For I know him, that he will command his Children, and his houſehold after him, and they ſhall keep the way of the Lord to do juſtice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

7. Chriſt came not foreign to looſen or ſlacken the Law, much leſs the propheſies or promiſes, but rather to confirm them made unto the fathers, Rom. 15 8; that is not onelyonly to the Jews but alſo the Gentiles; and becauſe the incorporating of the Gentiles was a great myſtery, (i. e) a divine hidden ſecret to the Jews, the Apoſtle quotes**Hence Miniſters may learn in doubtful things to be more copious in proofs. four places of p. 52Scripture to evince that great controverted Truth, ſc. That the Gentiles ſhould be incorporated into one and the ſame body with the Jews.

8. Why ſhould it be conceived that the Covenant of Grace ſhould run in a different courſe from all other of Gods Covenants? God made a Covenant with **M^r. Patient ſaith, That Covenant with the Prieſts was a Covenant of works. Obſerve there is a vein of error runs through his whole Diſcourſe.Phineas, did it not reach his poſterity, Num. 5? So with David, Pſalm 89 28. And did not that extend to his poſterity alſo? Did God ever make a Covenant with any, wherein the children were not comprehended? In the firſt place where this Covenant is mentioned it runs thus, To thee and thy ſeed, Gen. 15 18, 8, which was ratified by the dividing of an heifer of three years old.

9. Gentiles are ingrafted into the ſame olive tree, and made partakers of the fatneſs thereof, that is, the ordinances, promiſes and their appertenances; the root was Abraham and the holy anceſtors; the bodie of the tree the Church; the branches particular members, whereof Infants were a great part. Obſerve three things, 1. That Children were in the Covenant, this cannot be denied. 2. They with their parents were broken off, and therefore may plead with their Mother as an harlot, Hoſ. 2. 3. They with their parents are to be ingrafted in again into the olive tree of the viſible Church of Chriſt.

10. Where is that great Statute repealed, or that Magna Charta vacated and made void, [I will be thy God and the God of thy ſeed?] Was not this p. 53one of the greateſt promiſes of the old Teſtament,foreign, Exceeding great, nay the greateſt promiſes. 2 Pet. 1.4.2 Pet 1:4 greater than which could not be? The promiſe in the 17 of Geneſis is greater than that in the 22.

For the Father was greater than Chriſt as Mediator, and therefore doubtleſs that was chiefly in the Apoſtles ey. This promiſe was confirmed by many and ſundry ways, foreign, by piece-meals or parcels, Heb. 1.1. yet one and the ſame Covenant gradually revealed to Abraham, as he walked more exactly with God; The glorious diſcovery of the Covenant was reſerved to Chriſts time; for the farther the times were from Chriſts coming the leſs light they had, but the nearer they came to Chriſt the more fully was that Covenant diſcovered, as appears from Dan. 9. to whom the Angel reveals the time of Chriſt's ſuffering; and ſo doubtleſs when Chriſt ſhall more gloriouſly appear in his Kingdom upon the calling of the Jews, then ſhall the Ark of the Covenant be ſeen in the Temple, Rev. 11.19, But the Covenant was confirmed [foreign] to Abraham 1. By Sacrifices, Gen. 15.18. (being not mentioned before.) 2. By the Sacrament of Circumciſion, Cap. 17. 3. By an oath, Cap. 22. Yea it was confirmed by God in Chriſt: (therefore muſt needs be of grace.) Gal. 31.7. 1. By the death of Chriſt. 2. By the merits of Chriſt.

3. By the preaching of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, Dan. 9. He ſhall confirm the Covenant for one week, (which was ſpent in the confirmation thereof) for p. 54Chriſt preached**Uſually the work of a Miniſter for converſion is done as to the old ſtanders in 7 years. three years and a half, and the Apoſtles three years and a half or thereabouts before the Jews were discovenanted; the ceremonies de jure did ceaſe at his death, with all the ſacrifices, (when the vail was rent aſunder) but the Covenant was not made null, till they voluntatarily and obſtinately rejected the Lord Chriſt.

This Covenant [I will be thy God] was before the Law, and therefore was not made void by the Law, and the ceremonies annexed thereunto, Gal. 3.14, 15. That the bleſſing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, which bleſſing extends to fathers and children.

Brethren, ſaith the Apoſtle, I speak after the manner of men, Though it were but a mans Covenant, if it be confirmed (as this was) no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto; who then ſhall dare to disanull Gods Covenant made to Abraham and Chriſt myſtical, that is, the whole viſible Church, as we ſee clearly in the body of the Jews to whom the external adminiſtration of the Covenant did appertain; if there be any force in the Arguments of the Antipedobaptiſts pleading for the ſpiritual ſeed onelyonly, the like might have been pleaded againſt all the carnal ſeed of Abraham, as the Lord pleads Pſal. 50, What haſt thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth?

And yet even the Children of ſuch had a right unto Circumciſion, though their parents were ſuſpended from the Paſsover, as being Children under Abraham's Covenant.

p. 55The 11 Argument is taken from the abſurdities that will follow from the contrary tenent.

1. If Children be excluded then the Covenant is not the ſame, ſeeing the perſons engaging are not the ſame.

2. Then are the Children of believers no more priviledged than the Children of heathens; for even the Children of heathens (when called) have an intereſt in the Covenant and Seal, as well as the Children of believers.

3. Then are no Children in a viſible way of ſalvation, Eph. 2.12, and without hope; and therefore Rachel may weep for her Children becauſe they are not. There was a great Lamentation in Iſrael when one tribe was cut off, but have not all the Churches in the world cauſe bitterly to lament, That two parts of three are cut off from the Covenant of Grace?

4. Then are Children loſers by Chriſts coming in the fleſh (as hath been already proved) for before they were in the**A baptized Jew having one Infant born before the abrogation of Circumciſion, and another after; might look at the former as a member, but the later without hope as a heathen; or elſe on that elder as a heathen to day, who was a member yeſterday. Covenant, but now discovenanted, ſo ſhould they be in a worſe condition in the new Teſtament than they were in the old: yea then was the firſt Adam more prevalent to damn, than the ſecond to ſave; for had he ſtood, we with our Children had ſtood; but though parents in the ſecond Adam ſtand, yet their Children are caſhiered before they have done any thing to discovenant themſelves.

p. 565. Then ſhould the grace of God be more large in the times of the old Teſtament than in the new; but the Apoſtle tells us Chriſt is a ſurety of a better Teſtament, Heb. 7.22. eſtabliſhed upon better promiſes, Heb. 8.6. Ex. 26.9. compared with Ex. 36.9. The five curtains on the one ſide of the Tabernacle, and five on the other ſide were of one ſize, and made up one Tabernacle, Ex. 26.6. theſe were coupled together by loops that the Tabernacle might be one, ver. 11. And what are thoſe two curtains but the Church of the Jews and Gentiles making up one Tabernacle,Ez. 47.14. And ye ſhall inherit it one as well as another.] They are all to ſhare alike in the diviſion of that land, which did ſignify, That Aequale eſt omnium fidelium Jus in poſſeſſione haereditatis coeleſtis, partes enim aequales dantur omnibus expreſſà voluntate dei, non inaequales ut à Moſe & Joſua qui diſtribuorant terram juxta multitudinem hominum. Polan. that is, one Church of God? Theſe are of an equal ſize, that is equally priviledged, and all of them by bonds and ſinews (that is the bond of the Covenant and the grace of the Spirit) coupled and united together. Col. 2, 19. Ex. 20.37. If then that Covenant did extend to the Jews Children as a part of the Tabernacle, then alſo muſt it of neceſſity extend to the Children of the Gentiles which make up the other part of the Tabernacle, and ſo both make one. Eph. 2.14.

6 If Children have no intereſt in that Covenant [I will be thy God and the Gods of thy ſeed] then have they no intereſt in the Mediator of that Covenant, nor any part in Chriſts mediation, which is limited to them that are under the Covenant, Heb. 9.15, 12, 24. If ſo, then not ſaved; for, tell me I beſeech you, p. 57are any ſaved or brought out of the pit wherein is no water of comfort, but by the bloud of the everlaſting Covenant? Zach. 9. Are not we and ours bound up in that as in a bundle of life? 2 Sam. 23.

Obj. The Covenant of Circumciſion was not a Covenant of grace and life, but a Covenant of works by virtue of which the land of Canaan was given to Abraham and his ſeed.

Anſ. Here is a palpable miſtake, as appears clearly by Neh. 9.8. Thou foundeſt his heart faithful before thee, and madeſt a Covenant with him, to give the land of Canaan to his ſeed, and haſt performed thy words, for thou art rightous. What can be more plain than this, that the land of Canaan was not given him conſidered as a working but as a believing Abraham? But becauſe the main ſtreſs of the Arguments of the Antipaedobaptiſts lies here, (for they do confeſs and publickly have affirmed, That if that Covenant made with Abraham were a Covenant of grace, there is no queſtion but that the ſeal of baptiſm muſt be annexed) therefore I ſhall be the more copious in ſhewing you that the land of Canaan was not given by a Covenant of works, but by a Covenant of grace. For,

1. God doth engage to be his God, and the God of his ſeed; which implies more than a temporal bleſſing, for it's as much as if he had ſaid.

Firſt,

I will viſibly own thy ſeed in the world, above all the people under heaven, whereupon he ſets up his Tabernacle and erects his Church amongſt p. 58them: he gives them his word and ordinances, he hath not dealt ſo with any nation, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, yea he vouchſafeth his own preſence and that in a glorious manner.

Secondly, When he ſaith, I will give thee the land of Canaan, and, I will be thy God, his meaning is, I will give them a viſible ſubſiſtance in the world; thus he made good his word to Abraham, who had the uſe of that land though not by way of inheritance; the promiſe lay ſo warm and ſo near his heart and did ſo glow upon his ſpirit, as that by faith he enjoyed it as his own. (as it is with many a gracious ſpirit in theſe days, that expects the fulfilling of many glorious promiſes.) For faith is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, and giveth being to ſuch things as have no being themſelves.

Thirdly, If they take me for their God, I will be their God, and give unto them the (foreign) the holy things of David, Eſa. 55.5. Matt. 22. He is not the God of the dead but of the living, that is applied to the reſurrection.

2. Canaan it ſelf was not given as a mere temporal bleſſing, but as a type and pledge of ſpiritual and eternal bleſſings. Therefore,

Firſt, It was called the land of Emmanuel, Eſ. 8.

Secondly, Hence it's made a great part of the glory of that land, that it flowed with milk and honey, even the ordinances of God ſweeter than the honey and the honey-comb,Mell… ſtillante, the life-honey. Pſal. 19.Ps 19 or dropping honey; this phraſe Ezekiel goes over and over again, flowing with milk & honey p. 59which is the glory of all lands. Ezek. 20.6.

3. Canaan was a type of the Church, and of the ſtate of glory. Heb. 4 1,If ſpirituals and eternals were not promiſed to the Fathers, then were they not by faith apprehended; for that which is not promiſed, by faith cannot be apprehended. he ſpeaks of another Reſt after they were entered into that Reſt. Heb. 11. If they had reſted in that land, God would have been aſhamed to own them as Children; but now they deſire a better Country (ſaith the Apoſtle) therefore God is not aſhamed to be called their God. Hence it was that the Lord loved that land above all other lands in the world; and in that, Jeruſalem; and in Jeruſalem, Sion; (he loved the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob, Pſal. 87.) in Sion, the Temple; and in the Temple, the Holy-of-holies. "The nearer any thing comes to God, the more he loves it.

4. Gal. 3. laſt. Then are ye Abraham's ſeed and heirs according to promiſe, not of an earthly Canaan, but an heavenly. For the Galatians had nothing to do with that of Canaan.

5. Hence it was that Moſes was ſo deſirous to ſee that good land, that goodly Mountain, and Lebanon; his mouth runs over (he was ſo taken with it) repeating it again and again; which prayer the Lord heard as in reference to the end, ſc. to ſee the land, but not in the way and means as he deſired. Go up to Mount Piſgah and view the land, ſaith the Lord to many a ſaint, yea and to many a reprobate that ſhall never ſet foot upon that bleſſed land.

6. Hence it was that they were ſo ambitious to p. 60have their bones carried out of other lands into that land. Thus Jacob and Joſeph.

7. Upon this account it was, that Eſau was branded with a black coal of infamy to all eternity, That he rejected this land; that ſo as oft as he heard his name, he might remember upon what terms he ſold his birth-right. Eſau who is Edom, Gen. 36.1, 8. Edom, v. 19. who is Edom, and why ſo? becauſe that for a little (red-red, that is) red pottage, he ſold his birth-right; his intereſt in the promiſes, ordinances, heaven, Chriſt, whoſe land that was; and when he had ſold it he went away from the preſence of the Lord to Mount Seir, being not at all troubled for what he had done, ſc. that he had discovenanted himſelf and his.

8. Gal. 4. Mount Sinai in Arabia.] Why ſhould Paul make mention of the ſituation of that Mountain (when as there was none of the Galatians as might be ſuppoſed ignorant of it) but that there did lie a myſtery in the ſituation of Sinai; to wit, that it was without the**Foedus de quo nunc agitur, & modum legis complectitur & finem illius, nimirum Evangelium Chriſti; locus hujus foederis notabilis eſt, in terra Moab, vel in parte haereditatis vel in aditu haereditariae terrae Canaan; igitur in ingreſſu terrae de fine hujus habitationis terrenae admonentur duci ipſos ad praeſtolationem redemptionis; ne vel limitem ipſum ſine fide …alvantes inquinarent. Cocceius. borders of the promiſed land, which did ſhadow out that heavenly Country to which we are brought, not by the old covenant of works but by the new Covenant of grace; of that Covenant of works as it was taken by the carnal Iſraelites, doth the Apoſtle ſpeak of, in Gal. 4. But in Deut. 29.1. you have another Covenant made with p. 61Iſrael in the land of Moab, beſides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb. See Deut. 32.8.

9. The giving of this land is made a ſign of Gods love to Jacob, Mal. 1.2. I have loved thee, ſaith the Lord, yet ye ſay, Wherein haſt thou loved us? Was not Eſau Jacob's brother? yet I loved Jacob and hated Eſau.Mali …dumaei è ſedibus ſuis ejecti nunquam redituri. Glaſſ. Mal. 1.1, 2.Mal 1:1Mal 1:2 If the giving of the land had not been a ſign of his love, the Apoſtle had not alledged thoſe two examples to purpoſe, Rom. 9. Which was to ſhew who were the Children of God, and who not, for, Canaanaeae privatio etiam rejectionis a ſalute ſymbolum.

Arg. 3. Circumciſion was a ſeal of the rightouſneſs of faith either had or offered, Rom. 4. It was a ſeal of the rightouſneſs of faith with Infants that believe not; that look what rightouſneſs the faith of a believer layd hold on, Circumciſion was a ſeal of that rightouſneſs, Rom. 4.11. Therefore a ſeal of life tendered to the ſeed of Abraham: For what it was to Abraham, the ſame was it to all his ſeed that did lay hold on this Covenant. If any failed and fell ſhort thereof, their deſtruction was of themſelves, becauſe they ſought rightouſneſs by the works of the Law, and not by faith in this Covenant of grace. We muſt not pry into the decrees of God, to find out the reaſons of eternal election and reprobation; Secret things belong to God, things revealed to us and to our Children. Deut 29 laſt. But if we look into the execution of that decree of reprobation, we p. 62ſhall find the ground of it from our ſelves, who wilfully reject the offers and tenders of grace. Rom. 9.32.

Fourthly, It is one and the ſame Covenant, Gen. 17.7. and throughout, this is mentioned 13 times in that chapter, So Pſal. 105.8. The Covenant he made with Abraham and Iſaac, and confirmed the ſame to Jacob for a law, v. 10. Gen. 17.2, to the 7. There are promiſes more particularly applied to Abraham, in which all his ſeed did ſhare: For what ever promiſes are made to any, are made directly or indirectly to the whole body, being all yea and amen in Chriſt; and therefore collaterally may be applied to us; as, That God would multiply his ſeed both natural and ſpiritual, and make him a father of many nations, (as the Apoſtle interprets that Text, Rom. 4) and do not we ſhare in that promiſe? Gen. 7.7, 19. I will be thy God and the God of thy ſeed, I will eſtabliſh my Covenant between me thee, and thy ſeed after thee. He ſpeaks of it as one and the ſame Covenant throughout, and not as two Covenants, as ſome fondly do imagin.