The Sum of Diverse Sermons, Table of contents – Errata
The Table. Act. 2.38.
OBſerve, The former duty, viz. Repent, is in the ſecond perſon, the later in the third perſon, admitting of a greater latitude. Let every one of you, (that is, you and yours) be baptized.
Doctrine. That the baptizing of infants of believers, is according to the inſtitution of Jeſus Chriſt.
Baptiſm is a waſhing; ſo the word in greek ſignifies. Thus the word in the hebrew, 2 King. 5. Ittibal erchatz, Nonne lavabo in iis? Targ. Thus the word is uſed in the Arabic, Ethiopian and Syriac tongue.
Firſt Argument (pag. 18.) Is taken from the command of Chriſt, Mat. 18. Go diſciple all Nations. By nations is meant men, women, and children, according to the manner of the Jews, which was to baptize the children of Jews and Proſelytes, as well as others, pag. 19. Sed et nunc qui ex gentibus circumciſis ad Judaiſmum veniunt, ab ipſis baptizantur; et hujus bapti…mi Judaici meminit Scholiaſtes ad Juvenalem. Intellectu facilè eſt ablutionem hanc fuiſſe inter vetera inſtituta; orta, ut arbitror, poſt magnum diluvium, in memoriam purgati mundi. Grot. in Mat. 3.
That children are called Diſciples, ſee page 20. Act. 21.21, 25. Mat. 21.15. compared with Luk. 10.37. Where children are called diſciples. Mat. 27.57. foreign, he was diſciple to him.
Second Arg. Children are incovenanted, therefore are to be ſealed with the initial ſeal of the Covenant. pag. 23. Gen. 17.9. Thou ſhalt keep my Covenant therefore. Which words extend to us in the new Teſtament, for annexing the ſeal of baptiſm, as well as to Abraham his poſterity for annexing the ſeal of Circumciſion: for that is mentioned afterward, as in that of the Sabbath, (4 Command.) which though applyed to the Jew, yet it is to be extended to us in the new Teſtament.
I do not ſay that the promiſe or Covenant ſimply conſidered, is a ground to us to annex the ſeal; but this I ſay, That a promiſe laid for the foundation of a duty, is equivalent with an expreſs command. Thus the Apoſtle, Act. 2.37. comp. Gen. 17 9. pag. 28.
That children are incovenanted ſee a cloud of witneſſes pag. 34. Eſay 65.23. They are the ſeed of the bleſſed of the Lord and their offspring with them.
The promiſe made to Abraham (I will be thy God, and the God of thy ſeed) belongs to believers and their ſeed, Act. 13.33. Rom. 2.29. Is he not the God of the Gentiles alſo? See pag. 48. 11 Arguments.
That the Covenant made with Abraham was a Covenant of Grace, ſee 18 Arguments pag. 57. 2 Cor. 6. ult. applied to the Corinth…ans.
The old and new Covenant how diſtinguiſhed, pag. 77.
Diverſe Objections anſwered, pag. 62. That children feel not the fruit of this Covenant, the fault is not in God but in themſelves, in that they do not keep the condition of the Covenant, namely to receive Chriſt by faith. Perk. Non evertitur dei fides perfidiâ hominum. Cal. in Rom. 3.4.
The Covenant of Grace is conditional, page. 89. whereof baptiſm is a ſeal; therefore Divines ſay, The external Covenant (or rather the external part thereof) may be broken, but the internal cannot. And whereas I admit of conditions in the Covenant of grace, I mean not by conditions ſuch as are (1.) the foundation of the Covenant; Or (2.) as by ſome are conſtrued to be, ſc. the impulſive cauſe inducing and inclining the Lord to enter into this Covenant with us; Or (3.) ſuch as are to be performed by us of our own power; Or (4.) ſuch as are meritorious, and do destroy the nature of grace: But ſuch as Chriſt hath freely undertaken to work in the elect, being generally propounded to all on the terms of the Goſpel; which if accepted, render them and theirs viſibly under the Covenant, of which baptiſm is the ſeal. Therefore I ſay, The Arminians may take as much advantage from the invitations of God to faith and repentance, as from the conditions tendered to the ſons of men. Fidem poni ut conditionem ſalutem quidem antecedentem, ſed electionem ipſam conſequentem, nunquam à noſtris negatum fuit, ſummâ vero cum religione traditum. Ameſ. Though the condition of the Covenant of grace, as to man in himſelf, is impoſſible; yet through the power of Gods grace it's made poſſible and eaſie. Deut. 30. Hujus promiſſionis evangelicae antecedens ſive annexa conditio, poterat multorum animos deterrere: ac potius omnium ſi legis foreign, in carne noſtrâ, (ut neceſſe eſt) expendiſſent cujus foreign inde à principio ſermonis hujus conditionem Moſes expreſſerat, dicens, Nondum dedit vobis Jehovah mentem ad cognoſcendum. Nè igitur impoſſibilem conditionem propoſitam ſibi à deo fuiſſe quererentur, commoditatem iſtius Moſes his verbis explicat, Nam praeceptum quod ego praecipio tibi, &c. q. d. Hactenus propoſui tibi partem priorem foederis, ut obſequaris deo; ſed quia altera quaeque pars foederis eſt tibi neceſſaria, ut deus tuus quaſi novo foedere (quod tamen reipſa unum eſt) ſuis partibus erga te defungatur, cum tu ipſe non poſſis; et circumcidens cor tuum, inſcribat ei legem ſuam & foedus ſuum, ad obedientiam fidei. Par. lib. 2. p. 16.
No man of Coniah's ſeed did ſit upon the throne of David, as King, for ever, pag. 91.
In the old Teſtament the Prieſts were to diſtinguiſh and ſeparate between the holy and profane, Ezek. 22.…6. So the word (badal) is uſed, Gen. 1.3. He ſeparated. pag 95.
Our Churches denied by the Anabaptists to be true Churches, and that Chriſt hath any Church communion with us. pag. 96.
Children of believers are truely and really under the Covenant, ſo far as it goes, (pag 99.) though it be not fulfilled to them all in the utmoſt extent of it: however they are really covenanted and engaged to fulfill the Covenant made in their behalf.
Children have many benefits by that Covenant of grace. pag. 100.
There are promiſes for grace and to grace. pag. 104. & 105.
That Covenant made with Abraham was a Covenant of life eternal, for where is it ſaid, Thomas or Mary, or this or that child ſhall riſe to glory? yet by virtue of that Covenant all elect children riſe to everlaſting life, or elſe th…y riſe not at all. We have but an inference for it, yet ſuch as Chriſt himſelf approveth of. Mat. 22.32. Act. 9.22. foreign, Collatis teſtimoniis demonſtrans. Beza.
How the promiſes are made to the ſpiritual ſeed, and what it is to be born after the fleſh. pag. 111. Act. 13.33 He hath fulfilled to us their children. Fanatici quidem omnia ad allegorias trahentes, nullam hic generis ſed ſolius fidei rationem habendam ſomniant: tali autem commento ſacrum dei foedus exinaniunt; uti dicitur, Ero deus tuus & ſeminis tui: at ſola fides (inquiunt) eſt quae efficit Abrahae filios. Ego autem contra excipio, qui Abrahae filii naſcuntur ſecundum carnem, ſpirituales quo que cenſeri dei filios, niſi profaneſcant.—Etſi haereditaria fuit poſteris Abrahae vitae promiſſio, multos tamen privavit ſua incredulitas. Calv. in Act. 13.33.
Children of promiſe are ſuch as were born to Abraham according to promiſe, therefore all Iſaac his ſeed (even Eſau) though children of the fleſh, were children of the promiſe. page 113. Which promiſes were made conditionally with Iſmael & Iſaac's carnal ſeed, but eſtabliſhed upon Iſaac and his elect ſeed onelyonly.
Jer. 31.34. From the leaſt,] it cannot be reſtrained to the elect ſeed page 115.
Third Argument is taken from Circumciſion. See how far we may argue from Analogie page 117.
Circumciſion a type of baptiſm in three reſpects. page 121.
Why Circumciſion on the eighth day adminiſtered. page 122. And why reſtrained to males. p. 123.
Either Circumciſion was a ſeal of the Covenant of grace, or elſe that Covenant had no ſeal at all annexed to it, which is not to be imagined.
Fourth Argument, Children are members of the Church, therefore to be baptized, Eph 5.26. That he might ſanctify the Church by the waſhing of water.
That they are members, ſee it largely proved from Rom. 11. page 127. Where the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the viſible Church of the Jews cut off with their children, and ſo to be reingrafted, Rom. 11.15. God caſt them away, but he never caſt away real ſaints, or ſuch as are part of the inviſible Church. Rom. 11.1. Hath he caſt away? &c. Neither can they ſay, that they are broken off for unbelief, ſeeing that (according to the doctrin of the Anabaptiſts) they are not capable either of belief or unbelief; Therefore as children are broken off for the unbelief of their parents: ſo are they reingrafted by their faith. Vide Calvini triplicem inſitionem, in Rom. 11.
They cannot be ſaid to be cut off from the Covenant of works page 131.
Of ſuch children is the kingdom of heaven, therefore enchurched. p. 133. Filii regni ſi non filii regis.
Profeſſion of faith not eſſential to baptiſm. pag. 138. as we ſee in Paul. Act. 9.
Fifth Argument, Some children are believers, therefore to be baptized. Mat. 18.5. p. 139.
Children have faith in heaven. pag. 141.
Sixth Argument, As Abrah…ms houſe was circumciſed, ſo are whole houſes under the new Teſtament baptized, and that upon the account of the faith of the parent. By (houſe) is meant children throughout; therefore we ſay children were baptized. Lydia was baptized and all the children of her houſe. Act. 16.15. page 143.
The jailor was baptized with all the children of his houſe, as the Syriac renders the word. Act. 16.33. He rejoiced with all his houſe, he having believed. So the Graek. verſ. 34.
Families, as families, are made the precedent for that adminiſtration.
Children are included in the parents. pag. 146. Act. 1.14 with their wives and children. Vetuſtiſſimus meus codex addit foreign. Beza,
Seaventh Argument, Infants are capable of the grace of baptiſm, therefore of baptiſm it ſelf. Cant. 7. Thy navel, &c. page 151.
Uſe. A diſuaſive from Anabaptiſm.
Firſt, Becauſe it's not the way of God, for it's not of Gods planting. In 10 Argum. page 159.
Secondly, It's not of Gods watering. It hath been watered by the foot of man as Egypt, but not by the dew of heaven as Canaan. In 12 Arg. page 167.
ERRATA.
PAge 5. line 28. read, baptizing and douſing or &c. p. 9. l. 5. r for dipping ſake? p. 11. mar. for Ieruſhalaim r. Jeruſhalajim. p. 15. l. 11. f. preſident r. precedent. p. 21. l. 15. f. but r. being. p. 30. l. 31. r. it at leaſt, till p. 35. l. 25. dele) and l. 28. r. generations.) p. 38. l. 6. f. elect r. ſeed p. 42. l. 2 f. were r. was. p. 44. l. 13. f. brethren r. children. p. 45. l. 26 f it r. that. p. 67. l. 1. marg. r. Gen. 15.18. p. …0 l. 11. f. into r. in to p 79. l. 22. r. for. p. 83. l. 10 f. thoſe r. theſe. p. 87. l 24. f. So that …. But. p. 102. l. 23. f. athing r. a thing. p. 107 marg. f. nagnor r. …agnar. p. 113. l. 25. r. theſe are determined. p. 116. l. 3. r. ſaints, Joh. 3.26? p. 117. l. 30. marg. r. whitfla…. p. 118. l. 3. f. ceremoni…us r. ceremonial. & l. 14. f. a r. an. p. …19. l …0. f. Mechech r. Meſhech. p. 126 l. 10. r. therefore they a…e ſo now. p. 134. l. 20. f. invi…ble members r. viſible &c. and l▪ 29. dele it. p 140. l. 140. l. 21. dele Arg p. 143. l. 18. r. again and ag…n. p. 144. l. 1. marg. f. ut filias r. ut filius. and l. 17. f. lalem r. lahe…. p. 148. l. 2. f. of the ſacrificing of Abel r. of Abel ſacrificing. …. 150. marg. f. Judici… r. Indicio. p. 151 l. 1. dele ſome. p. 164 l. 8. f. omns r. omnes. p. 165. l. 23. f. foreign r. foreign. p. 166 l 23. f. diſcit r. diſcet. p. 169. l 7. r. inlet of thoſe. p. 175. l. 19. marg. f. dejectus eſt r. dejectus eſſe. p 176. l. 10. dele they.