Calebs Inheritance in Canaan, Title page – To the reader
CALEB'S INHERITANCE IN CANAAN: By GRACE, not WORKS, AN ANSWER
To a Book Entituled The Doctrine of Baptiſm, and diſtinction of the Covenants, lately publiſhed, by Tho. Patient:
Wherein a review is taken,
I. Of his four Eſſentials, and they fully anſwered; Ergo
II. Dipping proved no Goſpel practice, from cleer Scripture.
III. His ten Arguments for dipping refuted.
IV. The two Covenants anſwered, and Circumciſion proved a Covenant of Grace.
V. His ſeven Arguments to prove it a Covenant of Works, anſwered.
VI. His four Arguments to prove it a ſeale onelyonly to Abraham, anſwered: and the contrary proved.
VII. The ſeven Fundamentals that he pretends to be deſtroyed by taking Infants into Covenant, cleered; and the aſperſion proved falſe.
VIII. A Reply to his Anſwer given to our uſual Scriptures. For Infant-ſubjects of the kingdom, in all which Infant-baptiſm is cleered, and that Ordinance juſtifyed,
By E. W. a Member of the Army in Ireland.
Joh. 1.46. Can any good thing come out of Nazareth, come and ſee.
Rev. 16 15. Bleſſed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments, leſt he walk naked, and they ſee his ſhame.
Zach. 13.4, 5. And it ſhall come to paſs in that day, the Prophets ſhall be aſhamed, every one of his viſion, and he ſhall ſay, I am no Prophet, I am a husband-man. For man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
London, Printed for George Sawbridge, at the ſign of the Bible upon Ludgate-hill. 1656.
The Author to the Chriſtian Reader, eſpecially ſuch who are his Comrades and Brethren, in the Armies of this Commonwealth.
I Shall tell thee no long ſtory of experience to draw on thy belief to embrace either truth, or error, nor do I think that an Argument ſufficient to perſwade men; beſides their reaſon, and Conſcience. Tis that which Gods word condemns, in that boaſting Church, who to intice and allure others, cryed out ſhe was rich, and indued with ſubſtance, and wanted nothing; when yet ſhe was poor and miſerable, and blind and naked. He that hath faith in this ſenſe, let him have it to himſelf before God, and happy is he that condemns not himſelf in the things he allows. Theſe are boaſting days, wherein men in falſe ways under falſe Ordinances, pretend to have much communion with God: A day is coming when their works will be manifeſt, whether wrought in God or not, when wood, hey, and ſtubble will be burnt up: the work is already on the wheele, and a poor doubting Chriſtian then wil lye neerer Chriſts heart, then fleſhly boaſters: it is not mens pretences to be acquainted with the depths of God, that will make them ſound Chriſtians, ſuch there were in the firſt times of the Goſpel, that would be talking of depths: but the holy Ghoſt, calls them Satans depths. I could heartily wiſh that the Author of the new Doctrine of baptiſm had no cauſe to doubt of the currantneſs of his coin, I mean of his principles for heaven: but this I am bold to ſay, that did I pretend to be ſuch a maſter in the ſchool of experience, I ſhould not onelyonly queſtion all my teaching, but learning alſo; eſpecially when it comes with ſuch high ſwelling words againſt the ways of God: and let me tell thee, though I have no cauſe to boaſt of any thing; yet in this I will lay my experience againſt his: rejoyce, and boaſt, with much confidence, and aſſurance, that thoſe Ordinances which he calls counterfeits, and cryes down for error, &c. and ſtamps ſuch a black brand of reproach upon, throughout his whole book, ſhall ſtand and triumph as the glorious truths of Jeſus Chriſt, in matter of worſhip, when all his miſts and fogs ſhall be diſpelled with the ſon of righteouſneſs. The Reaſons of my undertaking this task, are theſe which follow;
1 Firſt, Becauſe I thought men of parts and abilities, as they would look upon the piece to be weak, feeble, and inconſiderate, and to deſerve no anſwer, ſo their time was better imployed then to ſpare it to ſuch a work.
2 Secondly, Leſt any on the other hand, out of ignorance ſhould think it unanſwerable, as I hear many that cry it up, who are ready to miſ judge, that our ſilence gives conſent thereto.
3 Thirdly, Becauſe moſt of his Arguments (I perceive) are ſuch as I have lately ſeen in pieces long ſince publiſht, therefore the anſwer of him doth anſwer others of the ſame ſtrain.
4 Fourthly, Becauſe the ſtanding for this truth, for the intereſt of Infant Church-ſeed in the covenant, is a ſprig of generation work, as the holy Ghoſt witneſſeth, Gen. 17.9. which yet is oppoſed by our diſſenting friends, I have therefore uſed this Trowel with thoſe in Nehemiah 4.
5 Fiftly, And to let good men know there are a few names in Sardis, that have not defiled their garments, who are apt to think the contrary.
6 Sixthly, And to give a hand to pull them out that are fallen into Rivers: to reclaim their practice, by informing their judgements, or at leaſt to cauſe them to make a halt, and to go no further in error; but remember from whence they are fallen and repent.
7 Becauſe the name T. P. is lookt upon as the chief in this moiſt clymate, that bears away the bell; and therefore fitteſt to be anſwered, his name being ſo well known amongſt us, as alſo becauſe, though there hath been never ſo much ſaid, yet if it comes not forth as an Anſwer by name, there is but few that will vouchſafe to give it the reading. As if the moſt part of that judgement, were reſolved to act from implicite Faith, or to bolt out the truth, and ſhut out the light that ſhines, in ſo many choice and learned pieces that are publiſht, both touching the covenant and baptiſm.
I cannot but think there are many cenſorious ſpirits who will be ready to ſmite with a reviling tongue; becauſe they are even ready to call the Maſter of the houſe Belzebub, much more therefore a mean ſervant. It is the common language of the children of Belial in theſe days, that if a man do but ſpeak a word for the Miniſtery, and ſervants of God, imployed in that work of double honor, as I am here neceſſitated to do, there goes a Prieſt-ridden fellow. All I ſhall ſay to ſuch, is to remember what Paul ſaith of ſcoffing Iſhmael, Gal. 4.29, 30.
The ſpirit by which his book was penned, I ſhall ſpeak little to it here, becauſe occaſion will be offered to meet with it ſo fully in the Anſwer; onelyonly this I will ſay, that from one end to the other, I have not met with one Scripture by him quoted, but hath been moſt ſhamefully abuſed, either in Explication, or Application; and if that large ſtory of his experience were right, vvhichwhich he ſpeaks of in his Epiſtle, it is ſtrange that a man ſo pretending ſhould not hit the right mark of any one Text. God direct us to underſtand his Minde and Will: that ſo vve may knovv the truth, and hold it faſt in erring days, vvhen there are ſo many deceitful counter-truths abroad, that Chriſtians may not miſtake the one for the other, and run up and dovvn like Samſons Foxes, in days of heat, when ſo much combuſtible ſtubble is abroad, to ſet all in flames. Methinks the moſt acceptable news in theſe Athenian days, to all good men, would be, to hear our fallen Brethren reclaimed, and diſſenting Proteſtant friends united in one Faith, under one Lord, in one Baptiſm: That hearts and hands being joyned againſt the common and publike enemy of the truth, the work of our Generation may the better go on and proſper.
Diviſion and diſſention is but the Divels bone of hatred and ſtrife caſt amongſt Brethren; who well knows that nothing is more like to obſtruct Gods work in every generation. As that wiſe man tells us, how can two walk together except they are agreed? When perſons are diſjoyned, in heads, and hearts; be ſure they will fall ſhort of the end. Our Lord Chriſt himſelf well knew the danger of ſuch Doctrines, when he applyes it to Kingdomes, and Families, and tells us they cannot ſtand.
Look upon that Image of the four Monarchies in Daniel the ſecond, that hath ruled the world. It is diviſion hath been their ruine, when Gold, Silver, Braſs, Iron, and Clay have been mixt. It is the glory of the Fifth Monarchy, that ſhall ſtand as long as the world laſts, that it is but one ſtone cut out: and then it is like to be a ſwelling one, when the other ſhall be Babel'd, being ſmote on the divided Toes and Feet.
Look into Germany and Savoy, the ſtreets of the great City, are not the Witneſſes killing there, that are to lye dead three days and a half? If that be ſo, ſtand upon your Watch-Towers, Chriſtians; and ſee Romes doom approaching: the expectation of their Iſles is mounted, to behold what God is a doing; let all the earth keep ſilence before him, the hope of Iſrael is at the doors: and e're long Abrahams Covenant will be the voice of the people. Thoſe that divide here, ſo as to caſt off this Covenant, are undone, and ruined; thoſe that unite upon Covenant-terms, and own the Conditions, are, and ſhall be as Mount-Sionn, ever removed.
Look toward the Wilderneſs: [How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob! and ſee the Church coming out leaning upon her beloved: there will not be an Infant left behinde. It is pitty then to ſee thoſe who cry out, the Temple of the Lord, to carry on the Dragons deſign in making war againſt the Churches ſeed. It hath been his project from the days of Abel; If they are let alone, the Church will ſoon grow too numerous: therefore Pharaoh will play his part, and Herod his part; That the voice of Rachel may be heard in Ramah, weeping for her children, becauſe they are not. If I am thought too hot in the following diſcourſe; let it be conſidered, that to give an Anſwer to that book, is to work in the fire, It being ſo full of Taunts and heats againſt the Truth.
Reader, This Item I ſhall leave with thee: Study Controverſie ſo far as to finde the Truth; but take heed of loſing thy hear… therein; get as much experience as thou canſt, but do not blaze it to the world: — It is a word of advice from him who deſires to be
Thy Chriſtian friend ED. WARREN.