A Gospel Church Described, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. …oving, That the Infants of Believing Parents are, in part, the Visible matter of the Visible Church; Shewing also, who is the Head, and what the Form and End of the Visible Church.
NOw, though I have fully proved this in another Place, in my Infant-Baptism, …d's Ordinance, Part 1. Page 18, 19, 20. … in my Second Part, yet I will now say something to it. That some Infants are V… ble Church-Members; I Argue thus,
1. If by the Merciful Appointment of… Infants were once taken into the Visible Ch… by vertue of the Covenant of Grace, and… Merciful grant never Repeal'd or taken do… by God, then it is certain, that some Inf… are still Members of the Visible Church: … the former is true, that by God's own… pointment, some Infants were sometimes… into the Visible Church, by Vertue of the Co… nant of Grace, and that Priviledge never… peal'd; therefore 'tis true, that some Infa… (i. e. the Infants of Believing Parents)… yet Visible Church-Members: Here co… Three Things.
1. Some Infants were once taken by C… own Appointment into the Visible Churc…
2. That they were so admitted by V… of the Covenant of Grace.
3. That this Infant Church-Membership … never repeal'd, or taken down.
1. Infants were by God's own app… ment taken into the Visible Church as V… Church-Members, this is plain; that all… Jews Infants were at Eight days Old, by … cumcision, Solemnly admitted into the… Church, is most certain, Gen. 17.12. A… think, to stand upon farther proof woul… be to bring a Candle to look at the… And,
2. That this Infant Church-Membership was, by Vertue of the Covenant of Grace, is as certain, Read Deut. 29.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. There you see that God Solemnly re…ews, both with Parents and little Ones, that Covenant made with Abraham, Gen. 17.7. I will be a God unto thee and to thy Seed after thee; And Infants being thus by God himself Solemnly taken into the Visible Church by Vertue of the Covenant of Grace, God takes care they be dealt with as Church-Members, by not being meerly Circumcised the Eighth day, Gen. 17.12. Which was their receiving the Seal of the Covenant of Grace; but that they should be brought to Church-Assemblys, as Deut. 29.11. and Deut. 31.10, 11, 12. Gather the People together, Men, Women and Children, &c.
Now that this Covenant, by Vertue whereof Infants were by God's own appointment brought into the Visible Church, is the Covenant of Grace, is the Universal Judgment of …ll Sound Churches and Divines in the World; …s might be made good by a Multitude of In…tances; and Mr. Tombs himself, one of the …est Men our mistaken Brethren had, who …eny Infant Church-Membership and Baptism, …onfesses, That it was a Covenant which con…ains in it Redemption by Christ; A better …rgument there needs not, to prove it the …ovenant of Grace, Apology, Page. 131. And …ho would see more Arguments to prove it …e Covenant of Grace, may find them in my Infant Baptism, God's Ordinance, Page. 16, 1… Part II. To which I shall add more proof b… and by.
3. Let us now consider whether this I… fant Church-Membership was Repeal'd or take… down by Christ in the Erecting the Gospe… Church.
Now that Infant Church-Membership … never Repeal'd, or taken down, I prove,
1. If Infants, that were sometimes Vis… Church-Members, are cast out, and their Pri… ledges Repeal'd, this Repeal is somewh… Recorded in the Holy Scriptures; if any b… it is so Recorded, let them shew us where… But if it be no where in the Holy Scriptures… Recorded, that Infants, who were sometimes Church-Members, are cast out; then 'tis beyond all Rational Contradiction, that so… Infants still are Church-Members: But it … where so Recorded; therefore the Priviledge… still continues to them.
I have met with a great many weak O… jections, urged by our mistaken Brethren… Anabaptists; but this seems to me to be… strength of all, viz. The Jewish Church is ta… down, together with Circumcision, and… Abrahamical Covenant; and the Jews b… therefore cast off, Infant Church-Membersh… Repeal'd
Asw. The Covenant of Grace was al… the same; it has indeed been more cle… Reveal'd; but still it is the same Coven… the Covenant made with Abraham, Gen. 17.7. was the very same made with Adam, Gen. 3.15. only it was a clearer Draught, and that is the same Covenant the Church has all along had; only the nearer the time came to the appearance of Christ in the World, still the brighter Discoveries was made of it: So that the Covenant of Grace, now to the Church, is but a clearer and brighter Draught of what was made to Adam and Abraham: The Jews are not all broken off, but only some of them for their Ʋnbelief; yet the Believing Jews were not Translated to stand upon any other Foundation then the Covenant they were in before; and the Gentiles, that were added to the Church, were grafted into the same Stock and Root whereon the Believing Jews stood; And were hereby made partakers of the same Covenant, the same Priviledges, which the Vnbelieving Jews lost; nothing can be more Evident then this, to an unprejudiced Person, that shall Impartially consider what the Apostle saith, Rom. 11.17. And if some of the Branches be broken off, And thou being a Wild Olive-Tree wer't grafted in amongst them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the Olive-Tree. Than this there cannot be a clearer proof; for as the Unbelieving Jews, together with their Children, were broken off, the Believing Gentiles, with their Children, were grafted into the Stock, and stood upon the foot of the same Covenant the Jews did.
2. Infant Church-Membership is not… peal'd; for our Lord Jesus Christ assures… that the Gospel Church, is, in part, made… with such, Mat. 19.13, 14. Then were brou… unto him little Children, that he should put… hands on them and pray, and the Disciples rebu… them: But Jesus said, suffer little Children… come unto me and forbid them not, for of such… the Kingdom of Heaven. The question is,… what end these Infants were brought to Ch… it was not for Baptism, for Christ Bapti… none himself, but his Disciples; And it's v… probable they were Baptiz'd before:… was it for Healing any Disease; for the D… ciples knew Christ used to heal; they wo… not have rebuked them for that; but it w… that Christ might Pray over them, and Bl… them; and the Disciples being at that the weak and raw, in many things, they had, a doubt, such thoughts as our mistaken Brethres the Anabaptists have; namely, That Infa… were not capable of receiving any thing fro… Christ; and it was therefore, in their App… hension, An idle thing to bring Infants… him: But Christ was not of their Mind,… bids them bring little Children to him, givi… this Reason for it, That of such was the Ki… dom of Heaven. Now, by the Kingdom… Heaven here can be meant nothing but… Church State here; for we find this Phra… the Kingdom of Heaven, is mostly, if not a… ways, to be understood of the Gospel Chur… here, as Mat. 4.17. Mat. 10.7. Mat. 13.24, 33, 44, 45, 47. Now, if in these, and a Multitude of other Places, the Kingdom of Heaven is to be understood of the Gospel Church; then this Place, Mat. 19.14. is to be so understood likewise. So from hence 'tis Evident, that Infants are Members of the Gospel Church, as well as they were of the Jewish Church.
3. That Infants are Members of the Gospel Church, I argue from Acts 2.39. The Promise is to you and to your Children, &c. If this Promise was the Promise of the Covenant made to Abraham, Gen. 17.7. and Children here, the same with Seed there; then the Infants of Believing Christians are Visible Church-Members now, as the Infants of the Jews were then; but the former is true, ergo, the latter.
1. The Promise here mentioned, is, that great Promise made to Abraham, for it's a Promise of Pardon, and Life, and that God would be their God. 'Tis a Promise they very well knew; foreign: Repromissio, a repeating a Promise, that Prepositive Article foreign, doth Point, as with the Finger, to some well known Promise; it must be a Promise that Circumcision had been, and Baptism now, was to be a Seal of it, otherwise it would signify nothing to these awakned Jews; that was the great Promise, they were least acquainted with, and that would yield them most Comfort in their present Distress.
2. By Children here is meant the same with Seed, their seed and Children being Synonymous Phrases: So, the plain meaning of the Apostle is, Repent, and be Baptized, for that Great Promise that God made with you Father Abraham, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, will also stand firm to you, and to your Children, &c. This is a Good Proof of Infant Church-membership. If any would have this Text set in a clearer Light, let them see my Infant-Baptism, God's Ordinance, Part II. Page 20, 21, &c.
4. That Infants are Visible Church-members, I might Argue from 1 Cor. 7.9. Else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. By Holiness there, cannot be meant Legitimation; nor that they are truly Sanctified: but a Federal Holiness, i. e. they are in the Covenant of Grace, and are Church-members: Much more might be said, to Prove Infant Church-membership; but this is enough to Prove it.
And tho' abundance of Arguments may be brought to Prove Infant Baptism; yet, with me, this is instar omnia, such an Argument as will for ever carry the Cause; and, against which, no Solid Objection can be made, viz.
Those Infants, which are to be received as Visible Church-members, ought to be Baptized; and it's a very sinful thing to deny them this Priviledge: Baptisme is the only Rite Jesus Christ has appointed for the Admitting Visible Church-members: Who dare deny Baptisme to a Visible Member of the Church? But such as want more Proof of Infant-Baptism, let them see my Books above-mention'd on this Subject.
III. Let us now consider the Form of the Visible Church. Now the Invisible Form, as hath been shewed, is the Union of the Church with Christ, its Spiritual Head, by the Holy Spirit drawing us to Christ, and Faith laying hold on Christ: Now, Answerable hereunto the Visible Form is made, and must needs be such a Visible Profession of Christianity and Regeneration, as is requisit to Visible Church-membership in the Adult; and, what a Profession that is, may be seen in these Two things.
1. God Graciously gives the Gospel, affords the Means of Grace to a People, sends amongst them the Ministers of his Word, to offer them Salvation in the Name of Jesus Christ; And hereby they are Externally and Visibly called, and Invited to enter into a Covenant Relation to God and Christ, Mat. 28.19, 20. Mark 16.15. 2 Cor. 5.20. We are Embassadors for Christ, and we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God, &c. Thus the Preaching of the Gospel is the way of Gathering a Visible Church.
2. When the Gospel thus Preached, is Received and Believed by a People, God, by the Word, Working in them a Willingness to …nter themselves into the Lord's Covenant. When a People do, either in Sincerity, own and Profess Christ, or, at least, in Appearance, seem willing to Receive Christ, and Believe the Great Doctrines of the Gospel, and so being Baptized in his Name, become God's Visible Church: For, as the In-dwelling of the Spirit, and Saving Faith is the Invisible Form, so a Credible Profession of Christianity is the Outward Form: And therefore the Apostle, who, in these things erred not, did take Profession of Faith in Christ, for a Sufficient Qualification of Church-membership and Baptism; without staying to see what the Persons would be; as to After-Obedience, as Acts 2.4. and Acts 8.13, &c. And this they would not have done, had they not been directed so to do by the Holy Spirit of God.
IV. The Head, as before, is only Jesus Christ, Col. 1.18.
'Tis Christ that is the King, and Great Law-giver to his Church; he is the Chief Corner-stone on which the Church is built, 1 Pet. 2.4, 5.
V. The End of this Visible Church is,… Worship and Glorifie God, and to be there… made meet to enjoy him for ever: to ho… forth the Word of Life; to preserve the O… dinances pure; to Contend earnestly for t… Faith; to Honour and Glorifie God by H… liness; and, at last, to be made Blessed in… sweet and perfect Injoyment of God in He… ven.
Thus we have consider'd the Church, as Visible and Invisible, as Triumphant in Heaven, or yet Militant on Earth; as Catholick, or Ʋniversal: It now remains that we speak of Particular Churches.