A general challenge to all the Antipaedobaptists

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CHALLENGE

O ALL 1 HE

Antipadobaptifts.

By Gr LES S HVT E

of Limehoufe* $

L 0 N D 0 N,

Printed by J', R. and are to be Sold

by JSIathaniel Hilkr^ at the Primes-
Arms m Leaden- Hali-ftrcet ; and at
the ^ut hour's Houfe in Limehoiife^

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p Introduclion. ^

MY dearly beloved Brethren and
Chriftian Friends, I bim^Bly
make bold to inform you with
theoccafion of my Writing at this time,
onthisSubjecfi: following. "But,

Fgft of all, I muH beg leave to acquaint
you that I formerly Writ an jinfwer to
Mr. Htrcules Collins Book, which he
Writ againft me becaufe i Vindicated In-
fants Baptifm.

Secondly^ I WVit an A^fwer to Mr.
Benjamin KeacWs^ook^ on the fame
Subjecft.

Thirdly and laftly, I Anfwered a late
Book of Mr. Benjamin Dennis's,

And becaufe neither of theie being ^;;-
fwered^ I thought to have been filent and
Writ no more on this bubjeft, having, fo
clearly and fo fully confuted their Prin-
ciplesj^s that neither of thefe Three Great
Champions could Anfwer me, nor vindi-
cate their own Principle and Practice ; But
A 2 yet

4 IntroditBion.

yegtMi^pithflanding, about th8fepr4nig of
the laft Year, I received a Letter by the
Penny poft , without either Name or
Date, with an Incloled Book, ftiled, An
Apology for Mr, Slmte^ on the Head ' of
Eight pages of thefaid Book ^ but i^the
iflTic 16-page it is, Series Refl^Sf^^pon
ytnfams Baptifm. And this nan^^Gen-
tieman whicti fent me the Letter, did iii
ef!e<fl: dare me to Anfwer the faid Book
and his Letter, becaufe he gave me a
Diredion where to fend it : But I know
better than to' u4pfwer them privately in
hugger, mugger by Writing. And there-
fore when i had peruied the Book , I
thought it fafer and properer to Anfwer
both the Book and the Letter publickly in
Print, to prevent Mif-reprefentations,
which foipe people are apt to make,if there
be not a f pecial care taken to prevent them :
Aadaribir may be beneficial to others,
that are not wilfully blind. But I had fo
much bufinefs upon my hands then, and
long after I received the faid Letter and
Book, that I could not Ar/fner it fo ibon as
othervi/iie I would have done, though I
do own that the laid Book was printed the
Year before it w^is letit me ^ but I did not
think it worth my while to A/wer fuch a
Collection of Impertinencies, as I fhall

fwith

JntroduBiorj. ^ 5

i^with Gods afliftancej make it appear to
be before I have now done with it. But
feeing this unknown Peribn hath thus
dared ine unto it, 1 coulci do no lefs than
give an Anfwer therunco.

Th^Fpntleman began his Letter thus^

Mr. Shme^

IHaffened to fee a Book of yours ^ Jntu
tukd^ Infants Baptifm proved : And
the Mode of Baptifm to be by Sprinkling -
In which Booh J find yon have made many
feremp^i-y Challenges to the Anabaptifts,
(^ yoH call them) the which I fie ji ton not
yon may have Anfwered fafficiently. But
not to meddle with any of them^ or any fart
of the Book, ^^ which yoM, laboured to f rove
your Tenet not only .different from the hefi
j^ut hoars Hpon that SubjcB^ hut alfo yott
wreft many Scriptures concerning Sprinkling
agalnft and from their true gtnuine fig^if-
cation, Jk^^ow what I could fay concerning
thofe Points^ hm a Piece coming to my
hand upon that SuhjcEt doth juftly flop my
mouth '^ The Title u, Serious Refle(fiions
upon Infants Baptifm, &c. The Juthour
whereof I have fetn^ hut do nor 'Vt. i^?^ow
him ; a young A4^n he is • But the Pure
notvpithfanding is very copioyj-^ and peril-
A3 ?mn

6 « hitrodiiUlon,

fient to the Cafe : I having read it with
great fatufaEiion^I mw fend it to you ; and
fray read it with Chriftian Imfartiality^and
then I (juefiioti not it may tend to yoitr gcod.
J he Piece it felj btfpeaks its own Commen-
dation^ and needs not any farther Apology ^
*as mcxny of your own Judgment mm have
read it wiliteft-ifie ; for it is fober^ingenuon^s^
and as flain as the ^uhje'ch will admit of.

Here is a very heavy Charge laid upon
nie, viTi.. wreftingthe Scriptures ; and a
very high Encomium given to the Book :
From whence we may obferve (everal
things of note in this part of his Letter.

1 . In the firft place I obferve that he is
troubled at my many peremptory Chal-
lenges ( as he is pleafed to call them ) to
the u4nah.^ptrfls.

2. He is difpleafed becaufe I call them
u4nahaftifts,

5 . He queftioned not but that my many
peremptory Challenges would be Anfwer^
ed fufficiently ; which indeed* is that I
have long expected ; but 1 find now upon
mature deliberation , that filence Is the
be ft Anfwer that they are capable to give
unto it.

4. He hath charged me with wrefting
the Scriptures ; but I find by him, that he

Jntroduciion. n

is better and readier at Charging than
Proving ^ for if he, or any one elfe of
their own Opinion, could have proved it
upon me, why did they not do it ? el'pe-
cialiy when I gave them fo many peremp-
tory Challenges thereunto, as he himfelf
doth own, and is troubled at them.

5. He faith I laboured to prove my
Tenet different from the befi of Authours
on that Subjedi.

This is not only an old cunning Device
of the ^nabaptifts^ but alfo a very com-
mon one, as may be obferved in moft of
their Writings in defence of their Princi-
pie J for by this their Infinuation they en-
deavour to fet thole that oppofe their
Principles one againft another : But that -
will not do withperfons that have their
Eyes open

6. Re feems to threaten me with what
he could have faid concerning thofe things
which I V^'rit in Afifwer to Mr. Dennis s
Ecok*, hut why doth he not fay it, or
ibmebody elie for him ? It is pity the op-
portunity ihould be lofL But th.s I muft
needs lay , That i never knew any one of
his Perfwafion but what would fay all tliac
he could in defence of their Principle ;
aye, and more than ever they could jufti-
fie or prove to. be true to boote : And I do

A, 4, not

S Jmrodnftion,

not fpeak this altogether without book ;
for \ have proved k publickly in print
uponlbmeof the chiefeft Sticklers among
ihem.

7. In thefeventh place I find by his own
confefiion that he can fay no more than
u hat IS faid already in the Book that he
'ent me ^ for if he could, why doth he
lay that the faid Book juftly ftopt his
mouth ? But in my opinion this is no good
Logick, which is the more to be wondred
at being it came from fuch a learned per-
fon as this Gentleman by his Letter he
fent me feems ro be.

8. He would fain have the Book afore-
faid admired for Three things.

?. For the Youngnefs of the Anthour ;

. for faith he, Av^ryyoung Man he Is.

2. He would have it admired for its
copQufritfs*

3 . For \is perumnce : He is a veryyoun^
Mfin ; hi't the Pkce nofwithftanding is very
cofiom andfertnient. This may pafs for
a flrange miraculous thing among many
people ; but it muft be among fuch as know
no better.

9. He would fain make me believe by
the Letter he lent me, that many of my

Perfwafion

J'f2trodnSllon\ ^

Perfwafion are ready to atteft their fa tls-
fadion they received by reading the afore-
faid Book, and to render their commenda-
tion thereof^ for faith he, The Piatit felf
befpeaks its own Commendatmi^ and nuds
not any further Apology^ as^n-afiy. of yoptr
oivn' judgment that have Read n imll te-
fitfie.

But I believe he cannot give an in'lance
of one Profelyce that ever it made ^ which
had it been true, there muft have been
many; for what a Man is fati; fied in, and
gives his commendation of, he muft be re-
conciled unto; and what more canbere-
quifue to make a Profelyte than this ?

lO. Andlaftly: Re hath given the faid
Book a very high Encomium * but before
I have done, I fhall make it appear by fome
of the Arguments therein , and by the
Judgment of the iacred Scriptures, that
he is miferjfbly miikken in his ludgment 5
For how can he hy triat the Piece 1$ fober
and -ingenuous, ^ hereas in the very Front
of his Introdudion there is fixed a falla-
cious ironical Declaration, namely, ^^
Apology for Mr, Shute^ when there was no^
fuch thing ever intended, or to be found in
all the Book • but being in favour of their
Principle, though a notorious Falfehocd,
A 5 yet

I

lO IntrodtiBlon.

yet he counts it fober and ingenuous. I
doubt not but by Gods gracious Aflfiftance,
I ihall be inabled to give this Bookfuch an
Ar'[wer as all our Opponents (hall not be
able to gainfay nor refift, as much as it is
now admired by them.

C M )

CHAxLLENGE .

./^igPf TO A L L T H E ^^^Jj^

Aniipadoba^tifts,

Friem mk^own^

OUR Letter, with an inclofed
Eook, I received, namely. An
Afology for Mr. Shme, You de-
fired me to read k with Chriftian impar-
tiality, and then you queftioned not- but
it mighr tend fo my good : Sir,I have read
it with Chriftian impartiality, and all the
good 1 find by k is, to give me a fair op-
portunit- further to expoie your erroneous
Principles to the view of au fober judicious
Chriftians

But by ihe way, before I proceed, give
me leave to tell you, that 1 do not believe
the Young man to be the foie Authour of
this Book 5 which you and your Party

would

(12)

would make the worFd believe him to be
and chat for feveral Realons ^ \mz 1 will
name bnz one, and that is an infalut
'viz.. -^BSIyie he is not fo well si

>thoie*j^|lsJ^ues as the Authour of
Book leemS to be ^ for a Friend of mir1
asked him loagfince this Book was writ-
ten, whether he could fpeak Latw. and.

Jjis^^^ver was, that he could no™|^^at
li^efcs^as if he had been impofe^^Pln.
But however, it matters not to me who
vi'asthe Authour of it.. I find this Gentle-
man doth fcght%^xtol and ^mi-^ ir ^
but that is no^Sew thirJ| for Men to admire
that which favours their own Principles,
right or wrong, true or falfe ; for in many
cales. Ignorance is the Mother of Admi-
ration ; and I muft tell him plainly, Let
Men admire it how they pleafe, I am lure
God abhors it, becaufe he is a God of
Truth. But the firft ftep that is taken in
this Book, is an ironical Falfhood ; for
faith he, A/i Afology for Mr. Skme^wheve-
as there v;as no fuch thing ever intended,
nor can be found in all the Book* And
this is the fobe'r kfgenuous piece which this
perfon would fain have people believe it to
be J but this is a moft abominable iniciui-
ty, for any peribns proffffing Chrifiianity
robec^uilty of exhibiting liich a notorious

untruth

( 13 )
untruth In the Face of God, Angels, and
IVen ^ but the damage is not to ine, but
to themfelves. But this by the way. Now
to proce^. ♦

i; In p^g. <. of the pretended \A^ology^
he affirmeth that the Goffel'LhHnh is built
Hfon the Foundation of AlHat Faith in
Chrift : And to prove it to be fo, he hath
quot^^-Z^f. i<5 1 8 and Aiat. 5,8,9.
The roniier Scripture of thefe I will make
bfe of to confute this Errour. We muft
confider that the Church of God hath a
two-fold Foundation, namely, Perfonal
and Dodrinal.

1 . I {hall prove the Foundation of the
Gofpel- Church to be the Perfon of Chrift ;
in Mat, 16. 18. jind I fay alfo unto thee^
that thou art Pettr^ andufon this rock I will
build my church: and the gates of hell jhall
not prevail again ft it. -

This is upon Chrifts Perfon,which Teter
confelTed to be the Son of the Living God,
who- is the Rock of Ages, againfl whom
Satan could never prevail ; but not upon
the A^ing of Teters Faith. Pray mark
what cur Saviour faid unto Pcff r afterward
in the^ very fame Chapter, ver. 23. Get
:hes hhink f.'ie^ Satan^ thou art an offence
.into me : for thou favour efi not the things
rhat be of Cody but thofe that he ef men.

( u )

But in p^^. 56. this Authour faith thus,
"viz.- What an Exercife was the Dtfc^ples
imhelief to Chrifi^ Mac. 27. 17 ?

Pra^twhere was the Founda|^n of the
Gofpel Church then, when they were all'
thus exercifing unbelief, Mat. 27. ? For if
this Poiltion of his be true, then the Goi-
pel-Church ceaied to be on ics proper
Foundation ; And where was tht|^^nda-
tion of the Gofpel- Church, when anchrifts
Dilciples were in luch a deep deep as that
they could not watch with him but one
Hour, A/ari^ 14- 3 T) 40, 41 . ?

5. Where was the Foundation of the
Gofpel 'Church, when Peter denyed our
Lord and Saviour, ^id all the reft of his
Difcipies forfook him and fled ? as in Mark
14. 50. 68, -70, 71,72. The Foundation
of the GofpeiXhurch is a nxed Founda-
tion which can never be moved nor al-
tered.

2. Lot us fee what A^at, 3.8,9. will
afford them in favour of this their Pofiti-
on, which is as follower h :

Bring forth therefore fr nits meet for re-
fenta'rice.

And think not to fay within yonr felves^
We have Abraham to our Father : for I fay
unto yoH^ that Cod is able of thefe fiones
to ratfe Hp children unto Abraham^

This

( -5)

This is altogether incoherent, and no
more for their purpofe than Mat. i6. 1 8.

2. I will prove that the Foundation of
the Gofpel-Church is on Chrift perfonally,
oucof the Old Teliament.

ifa. 28. 1 6. Therefore thmfakh the Lordj
Behold^ I lay in Zion for a fonndation^ a
fione^ a tried ftone^ a freciom comer-ftone^
a fnre foundation', he that believeth^ fhall
not make hafte.

Here you may fee the Foundation of
the Gofpel Church, |iameiy, Chrift, and
A6tual believing diftmd one from the
other.

But the Apoftle hath clearly confuted
this irrour, and put it out of the reach of
all Controverfie, in i Cor. 3. 11. in thefe
words, viz.. For other foundation can no
man lay^ then that is laidj which is Jefm
Chrifi.

2 I fhall prove Chrift to be the Foun-
dation of the Church dodrinally as well
as perfonally, as in Eph. 2. 20^ 21. ^nd
are built upon the fomd^'tion of the afofiles
and profhets^ Jc/us Chrifi himfilf being
the chief corner ^fl one ^ In vohom all the
hmldlng fitly framed together^ groweth unto
an holy temple in the Lord.

The Church was built upon the Oodrine
of the Prophets in the Old Teftament-

time,.

tiaie, and Chrift was the chief and preci-
ous Corner ftone then, fa. iS. i6. And
ic is buiic upon the Dodirine of the Apo-
ftles in the New 1 eftament-time, ard
Te;us Chrift is the chief Corner-ftone alfo.
VVhich*clearIy proves the flateof the Gol-
pel- Church to be the very fame now, as
it was under the Old Teftament-Difpen-
fation, though under another Adminiftra-
tion^ for the Apoflle faith they are fitly
frained together 'j aye, ^^d they did ail eat
the fime fpiritiial meaty and dranhjhe fame
fpiritual drink : (jFor they drank of that
fpiridial Rocf^that followed them : and that
Rock^woi Chrift, ) And they were alfo a
baptized Church, deny it who dare, i Cor.
10. ij2,3, 4. for they w?erf all ba^ti^ed
imto Aiofes in the cloudy and in the fea • and
Mofes was a Type of our Redeemer Jefus
Chrifl.

2. The Foundation of the Church,
namely, Chrift, is the objccfb of true fa-
ving Faith 1 herefore to make the acfling
of Faith the Foundation of the Church, i§
to place the a<fting of Fairh in the room of
the objed of Faith, which is impoflible ^for
Faith muft have an objed before it can ad).
Therefore this Motion of our Opponent's
is abfurd and ridiculous.

' Thus

w

( 17)

Thus I have utterly confuted this No-
tion, by proving that the Gofpel-Chrirch

is biiilr upon Chrift himfelf peribnally and
dodrinally, and not upon Mans adiing
Faith upon Chrift •, which latter is a Chri-
ftians Duty, but the former is a more fu-
rer Foundation, Unto which alone we do
well to take heed.

3. In the third place, what is the reafon
our Opponent broacheth this Error, nanie-
ly, to afTert That the Gofpei-Church is
built upon Mansacftual believing in Chrift ?
The grand Reafon is this, namely. To
exclude the Infant-feed of believers from
Baptifm and Church-memberfhip ; which
could they do, they would gain the point *
But that they can never do,lb longas ihefe
Scriptures following are in being.

1. The firft is in /k/^f. 21.43. There-
fore fay I unto you^ The kingdom of Cod
fmli be taken from yoH^and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof,

2. In Mat. ^, j4nd I fay unto yoi^.j thai
many floall come from the eaft and weft^ and
flail fit down with ^braham^and Jfaac^ and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the
children of the ki'^gdom fljall be caft ont into
outer darkpcfs : there flali be weeping and
gnafling of teeth.

This

( i8 )
This Kingdom of Heaven is the Gofpel-
Church, and theie Ghildren thereof were
the >Ti'.r, who were all, young and old.
Children of the Kingdom by vertue of
their Covenant -relation w ylbraham^wkh
whom God made the Covenant. But it
may be cb)e<fi:ed, What is this to the proof
of the Infant-fe i of Believers Church-
iDember/hip now among us Gen ties ?

To which I anfwer, i Vv ill make it ap-
pear to be very appofite.

I. As thefe unbelieving 'jcws^ and all
their children, were once 1 embers of the
vifible Church of Chrift, or Children of
the Kingdom, and v ere excommuriicated
and caft out of the Church; io all the
believing Gentiles , and their children ,
which were thofe many that God laid
mould come from the Eaft and Weft, ^-c,
were taken into the Church, or r\ingdom
of Heaven in their room, and graffed in
among the believing ^ews and their chil-
dren: Rom. \i, 17. And if fome of the
branches he broken ojf^ a?idtho^btwg a wild '
oHve-treey wen grajfed in among fi them^
and with them partakefi of the root and fat'
ntfs of the olive-tree.

Now can there be a clearer Proof than
this ? For here the unbelieving Jews and
their children were caft out and broken

off,

( IP)

off, and the believing Gemiles and their
children graffed in amongfl: the believing
yen?; and their children, that flood in the
Covenant. Pray take me fair ; for 1 do
not fay they were cail out of the Cove-
nant of Redemption : they never were in
it ; for had they been in it, they could
never have finned themfelves out of it, as
is clear from thefe Tvi^o Scriptures,^ i John
2. ip, 20, 21, P/^/. 89. 3 1, to 35.

2. Obferve what our Saviour faith in
particular concerning Chiidrens Church-
memberfhip, mMat,i^. Then were there
hroHght unto him little children^ that he
Jhould fut his hands on them^ and pray :
and the difcipks rehid^d them.

But Jefmfaid^ Suffer little children^ and
forbid them not to come unto me : for offnch
if tk hlngdoin nf h^^z^fn^ JYi'dZ l5, ThS

Church5'or Kingdom of Heaven, doth
confiftvery much of little children ; and
therefore tliey ought not to be forbid com-
ing, or being brought, unto Chrift, And
for my part, I know of no other Gofpel-
Ordinance wherein children can be brought
unto Chrift. for properly as by Faith in the
AdminiOration of the initiating Seal of the
Covenant, namely. Water- baptifm. I
do not exclude a'l other Ways, but 1 look
upon this to be the chief.

Deut.

( 20 )

Deut. 23 . The children that are begotten
of them^ jloall enttr into the congregation of
the Lord,

Thus you fee the Jews Children were
Members of the Church under the Law;
and the Infant-ieed of believers do make
the lame Figure in the Gofpel-Church, as
the Jeip J- children did under the Ceremo-
nial Law ; and they have the very fame
Promife belonging unto them, in AEhs 2.
39- and in Gods account they are holy
children, i Cor, 7« 14.

3. 'he State of the Church is the fame
now as it was from the beginning, and
ever wiH be to the end of the world, jho'
the Frame of the Church is now under a
more glorious Difpenfation, and will yet
be abundantly more glorious when Anti-
chriii's Kingdom fhall be deftroyed, and
the Jews converted, 2 Theff, 2. 8. and
Rom, 1 1 . Then the light of the rroon fiall
be as the light of the fm^ and the light of
the fim fhall be feven-fold^ as the light of
fevjn days^ in the day that the Lord bindeth
Hp the breach of his people^ and hea'e}h the
firoke of their woitnd^ lia. 30. La that day
(liall there be upon the bells of the horfes^

IloliaWess vnto the lord ,

2ech> i4»

But

( 21 V

But this doth no u ay exclude the Infanc-
ieed of Believers from being Church-
members j for if k did, then thefe j v/o
Abiurdities would necefTarily fouow as
the coniequence thereof.

I The State of the Church could not
be the fame. And,

2. The Frame thereof would be infi-
nitely worie under the Gofpel, than e'.er
it was under the Law.

Thus I have overthrown and razed this
defigned new Foundation of our Oppo-
nent, to call out and exclude the Infant-
feed of teiieveis from Church-member-
fhipandBaptifm.

3.. Saich our A-uthour in pag, 7, It is by
Faith that we apprehend the Death, and
Sujjerings^ and RefitrreEtion of Chrifi^ as
Qurs whereof Baftifm is a, Sign^ and not
that we are invejied intofo an ineJiimahlePri-
'vil'cdge barely by Baftifm, In a W(rrd : It
is Fdth onely that gives m an inter efl in
Chrisl^ and cdnfequently in the Pri'i Hedges
befiovced by Chrtji. Moreover, wtthont
Faith it is imfoffible topieafe God', Bm o^Il
th£ Infants that etre baptt^Led, I dare pre-
fume to fay i have nor Faith,

Here are leveral things to be noted
from thefe Pofitions. i. It is by Faith
Chrift is to be apprehended. 2. It is Faith

that

f 22 )

that gives us a propriety in Chrift, and all
the Privi ledges punch a fed by him 3. Bap-
tifiTi is but the Sign thereof. 4. We are
not inveded.into thofe ineftimable Privi -
ledge? barely by Baptiim. 5. U is Faith
onl^ that gives us an Interefl: in Chrift,
becaule without Faith it is impoffible to
pieafe God. 6, And laftly ; It may very
fafely be concluded, that all the Infants
that are baptized have not Fairh. All
thele Pcfitions I do not only afTent to the
truth of them, but aUo confent thereunto :
And therefore no Soul whatfoever can
ever be faved without the Grace of Faith.

4. in p<i^. 53. faith our Authour thus,
He orly jh,^ll he delivered from the condemn
timer Sentence y that hath a real Imereft In^
and union nntOj Jefm Chrift.,

This is very true, I own it to be fo :
Therefore without area! Intereft in Chrift,
and that by Faith, there can be no Sal-
vation.

5. And laftly : \n fag, 33. faith he,
BPit the (landing in the Church now is not by
Birth Natural of any Parents ; no^ not of
Abraham himfelf^ unUfs there he Faith-in
the ferfons then:Jclve'^ the which excliideth
Infants,

Thi«j is a very hard Sentence upon poor
dying Infants.

Now

(23;

Now let us fum up thefe three Pofitions,
and dilate upon them, and fee what they
will afford us.

I . Saith he, It is Faith only that gives
an Intereji in Chrift.

2- Ht Oidy [luill he delivered f} om the con-
demning Sentence^ that hath a real Inter eft
\n^ and Hnion Hntojeftis Chrift ,

3, And laflly : V-defs rheye be Faith in
the-perCons ihe^JelveSy they have no ft and-
ing in the Churchy whiih exclfides Infants^

That is, becaufe their Principle will
jiot allow them to be capable of receiving
the Grace of Faith.

I; It is Faith only that gives us an In-
tereft in Chriit j lb that no Soul wKarfo-
ever can be faved without the Grace of
Faith ; for if he fhould , it would be with-
out an Intereft in Chnfl, which is impof-
fible ; for if none can be regenerated, fan-
dified, nor faved, withouc an Intereft in
Chri:^ and that only by Faith, then dy-
ing Infi^ts muft have Faith, or they can
never be faved.

But none can b^ regenerated., fan(fiified,
nor laved, withouc an Intereft in Chrift,
and that only by Faith : Therefor i" dying
Infants mull have Faith, or the^ can never
be iaved. It is true a? our Authour faith,
It is Faith only chat gives an Intereft in

Chrift.

( H )

Clirill. So that the befl; conftrudiion that
can be| tnade of their own Arguments,
is thij^i namely, if any dying Infants are
faved. \ it is without an intereft in, and
union unto Chriit.

2. If none can be freed from the con,
demning '^entence without peribnal Faith,
then dvi^g liifant*? muft have Faith,or they
c^nioc be frti^'d from the co.»demning Sen-
tence ^^ut none can be freed from the
condemn'ng Senrence without peribnal
Fa: a : i hercTore dying Infants muft have
perlonal Faith- oth^rwife they muft fall
eternally under «h.: Sentence; the \ery
thoughts of whxh is grievous ar?d dread-
ful. •

^ If r20?7e can fl^yid in the Chnrch unkfs
thtre he Faith in theperfo^^s themfdvesy

Thtn fay I, in uufwer unco it, Much
lefs (hall any be able to ftind be^e God
in the Day of Judgment wuiiout the Righ-
teoumefs of Faith. But our A uthour con-
cluded that Sentence thus, viz..^ivhich
exdudes /yfar.'ts^ 3 ^gainft Wh-xh I muft
enter my iblemn pn ♦:pft, bt-caufe thereby
he excludes all dying infants from eternal
Life and Sal vatic n

4 And laitly : >r it be impofTible to
pleale God wuhout Faith- theri dying In-
fants muft have Faith, or ihey cannot be

faved^

(25)

faved. But it is impoflTible to pleafe God
without Faith : Therefore dying Infants
mud have Faith, or they cannot be laved j
for God will fave none but fuch as he is
well pleafed with, and fully reconciled
unto through Faith in his Son Chrifl Jefus
our Lord, 2 Cor. 5. 19.

Thus you fee by the very fame Argu-
ments he hath ufed for to exclude the in-
fant'feedof Believers from Baptifm and
Church-memberfhip , he hath excluded
them from Eternal Life and Salvation:
But I have turned their own Arguments
upon them, and confuted their principles
without ftraining of them in the leail mea-
fure or degree.

4, In the fourth place, to be plain with
them, I am prone to think they have not
a good underftanding of the nature and
tendency of the Grace of Faith, becaufe
they feem to look upon it to be partly by
fome prequalification in and by the Crea-
ture ; for otherwife they " would never
prefume ro deny young Infants to be ca-
pable of receiving the Graces of the Spirit
in their Infancy.

1 . I fear they do not rightly underftand
what the Grace of Faith is.

2. They do not underftand how it is
wrought.

B 3. They

( 26 )

3, They do not under ftand the nature
and operation of Faith.

4. And laftly : They do not rightly
underfland who is the Author and worker
of it ^ and therefore I (hall give them the
beft inftrudions I can, (with Gods affift-
ance) for the illuminating their underftan-
dings, and the recftifying their judgments,
and the Lord biefs and fant^ify it unto
them all.

And for the clearer underftanding of it,
I (hall make ufe of this Method follow-
ing.

I . Firft of all I fhall fhew what the fin
<0f unbelief is, which is diametrically op-
pofite to the Grace of Faith.

^. i (liall fhew how it came to fubjugate
Man under its power and dominion

3 Anid laftly : 1 fhall expofe the Author
of it.

I. In the firfl place unbelief isfpiricual
death ; .for all thofe that are under the do*
zninion of unbelief are fpiritually dea4 ;
for it was unbelief that brought fpirituai
death, as well as natural, upon all the
Poflerity of ^.,{am ; and this was that
death which reigned from j4dam to Mofes^
Rom. 5. 14, Unbelief is the Father of
the fecond death ; for had it not been for
thefmof unbelief, the fecond death could

never

( 27 )

never have had any power over any one
Soul in the whole World ; for there is ne-
ver a fjnner in Hell but what was brought
there by the power of unbelief, John 8,
Jf ye believe not that I am he^ ye pjall dye
i'n your fins ^

2. Spiritual death broke in and feized
upon Man through the Fall by unbelief, as
in Gen,i. But of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evii^ thou jhalt not eat of it :
for in the day that thoH eat eft thereof thoa
jlialt frrely dye.

Rom. 5. Wherefore' J as by one man fm
entred into the world^ and death by fin \ and
fo death paffed ufon all men^ forr that all have
finned,

3. And laftly : Satan is the Authour of
unbelief; for he came to the Woman, and
faid unto her, Te fhall not dye-^ but if ye
eat thereof J your eyes Jliall be ofened^ and
yefiall be as gods ^ knowing good andeviL
They.did not believe what God had told
them before, but hearkened to the delu-
(ions of Satan, and did eat of the forbidden
Fruit, and fo the Threatning took place,
and was executed upon them in the very
fame moment of their Rebellion -, for fpi-
ritual death feized upon them both, and
flew them, alid fo they lay dead under the
power of unbelief, and all their Poflerity

B 2 in

r 28 )

in them vertually : So that the Devil is
the Authour of Unbelief.

Thus you fee in part what unbelief is-t
and what miichief it hath done •, for it is..
that which brought in fpiritual, natural,,
and eternal death, upon Mai>{iirid, and
the Devil was the Author of it.

Having thus premifed thefe Things, I
come now to fhew what the Grace of
Faith is.

I . In the firfl place faving fandifying
Faith is a Spark of Celeftial Fireinkindled
by the breathing of the Holy Ghoft in the
Soul of an ele(ft finner in the work of Re-
generation, that can never be extinguifhed,
in which the Soul is wholly paffive.

3. Saving Faith is the Image of God,
impreft upon the regenerared Sou! ^ for it
is that which affimilates him to God his
Maker; for the more Faith any Believer
hath, the more holier in heart and life he
is, and the clearer the Image of God ap-
peareth on him.

3. And laftly: Saving Faith is the Life
of God refiored unto the Soul ; for by
the Fall Man loft this precious Jewel ,
namely^ fpiritual L ife ; for as in Addm all
iiyedy fo in Chrift fiall all be made alive :
And this Life is maintained and upheld by
the Spirit of God that begets it. By Faith

the

r 2P )

the Soul lives upon God in Chrift, and
fetch, th ;ii i from God throughChrift which
he ftand3 in need of ^ and as this precious
Jew^I was loft b ; the Fall of ^dam thro'
unbelief,fo it could never be regained nor
recovered but by Faith in our Lord jefus
Chrift, Rom 5. Therefore as by the offence
of one^ .judgment came ufon all men to con-
demnation: even fo by the right eoufnefs of
onv^ the free gift came fifon all men unto
juft-ficationof life.

2 i fliall (hew how the Grace of Faith
is wrought in the heart of an eledt
finner.

I . In the firft place, as fpiritual death
came in by the Fall through the demerit of
the firft j4dam by unbelief,

So likewife (ipiritual Life is reffored
again to Gods chofen People,through Faith
in the Righteouibefs and Merits of our
Lord Jefus Chrift^the Second ^dam jKom»
5. 17. For if by one mans offence^ death
reigned by one ^ much more they which re*
ceive abundance of grace ^ and of the gift
of right eoufnefs^ fhall reign in life by one^
Jefm Chrift.

Ver. 2 ! . That as fin hath reigned unto
death^ even fo might grace reign through
righteoufnefs unto eternal life ^through Jefiu
Chrifi.

B 3 2. Saving

(3o;

2. Saving Faith is everlafting Life, be-
gun and wrought by the Spirit of Chrift
in the heart of an eled fmner in this world,

Joh^i 3. f/e that believeth on the So??, hath
ever lading life . But luppofe he d g rh not
believe on the Son of God ? Why, the
Text telleth us, hepaii not fee life. And
is that all f O no ! hnt the wrath of Cod
ahideth on hm •, and nothing can remove
it fromhiiii, but Faith in our Lord Jefus
Chrift.

3. Andlaftly .• God intruded the firft
j^dam with fpiritual I ife in his own hands
before he fell ^ but Sat^n and unbelief
quickly robbed and deprived him of it :
But ncv/ (blefled be God) it is lodged in
an infallible Hand, in the Hand of the
Second Adam^ the Mediatour of the New
Covenant, Col 3. For^ye are dead^ and
yom- te u hid ivith ChriB in God.

When Chrift who is our lije^ fljall appear ^
then fJ? a If ye alfo appear with him in glory.

Can there be any fecurity like this I to
have this Life hid with Chrift in God ?
Nav, Chrift i^ our Life. Adam xwluno-
cence had not his fpiritual Life fo well
fecured.^ for if it had, he could never
have faien and loft it. So that- the Life of
the Believer is better and more fecure
now than ever Adapts was m Innocence.

Again,

( 31 )
Again, the Apoftle laith m Gal. i, I am
crucified with Chrifi : Ntverthelefs I live ;
yet not /, bnt Chrlft liveth in me :_ a-nd the
life which I now live in the fie fi^ J live by
the faith of the Son of God^ who loved me ^
and gave himfclf for me.

And thus thefpiricual Life, which was
ioft tbrough uiibelief by the Fall of the tirft
Adam^ is regained through Faith in our
Lord Jefus Chrift, the Second A^-b.m.

3. I win fliew fomethingof the nature
and oper?5tion of Faith.

1 . Firft of all ; True faving Faith ever
worketh by Love ; the Love of Go ? is
; /thepWw//;w^^ol'^/e of aii our Mercies^ for
it is the Love of God the Fathc lets fairh^
on work in the fouls of the Eledt, and
makes a through change therein^ John ^^
For 6 odfo loved the world^ that ioe gave his
only begotten Son^ that wh^foever beiievtth
in him J might not fcrijJi^ h^t have e-'^er-
lafiing life.

2 \t is called the Faith of the opera-
tion of God, CoL 2. 12 It is God that
influenceth ft, and caufeth it to operate.

3 h is by Faith in Chrifi: Jefus that an
ele(f^ (inner partakes of the divine Nntnre,
and fo he comes to be made meet to par-
take of ihe inheritance with the Saints in
Light.

3-1. 4. Faith

( ?o

4. Faith is the uniting Grace, it is the
very bond and ligament of union with
Chrift, it joyns the Son of God and the
foul of an eled finner together,. E^h. 4,
Till we all come in the nrnty of fdith^ and
of the Son of God^ &c. By the Fall we
were all feparated from Chrifl, as he is
God through unbelief ;for we were aliena-
ted from the Life of ood ^ but all that
have faving faith wrought in them, have
the Life of God in them.

5. There is no faving knowledge of
God to be acquired but by faith in Chrifl
jefus •, For this is life ctcynal^ to h^Gw thee^
the only true God^ and Jefm Chrifi whom
he hath [em,

6. All the eiedt-of God, old and young,
are or fhall be begotten and born of God
through Faith, John i, 12, 13. Bat as
many as received him^ to them gave he
power to become the fans of God^evtn to them
that believe on his name :

Which were born^ not of bloody nor of
the will of the flejh^ nor of the will of man^
but of God.

GaL 3. Te are all the children of Godj
by faith in Jtfm Chrifi.

1 hey are Gods children by adoption
and regeneration ; Therefore all ihofe that
have no Faith, nor never (hall have, are

none

r 35 ;

none of the children of God, but are chil-
dren of the Devil by unbelief, and in a
ftate of fpiritual death and condemnation.
Therefore dying Infants muft have Faith,
or they cannot be faved, becaufe unlefs
they have faith, they are none of the chil-
dren of God j for all that are deftitute of
the grace of faith are deftitute alfo of
fpiritual life ; but all thar havefaving faith,
are pafTed from death unto life, Johrf

5- 24 ^

7. And laftly : Jefus Chrift himfelf is
Eternal Life unto all the Ele(ft of God^

I Joh?? 1.2- For the life was manifeftedj
and we have fcen it^ and hear witnefsy and'
jhew unt.oyoH that eternal life which was with
the Father^ andk manifefted unto m.

And the Apoftle faith. That God hath
given unto hs tiernal iife^ and this life is in
his ^on,

Th t is, in Chrift Jefus the Son of God ;
and at hisdifpcfal, as in ^ohn 17. Thoi^k
haft\_\ven him pOivtr over all fiefi^ that he
jhanld give eternal life to Oi many as thoa^
ha ^ given him.

And this f ife is the grace of faith. So
that it is '. hrifts L ff»,andL hrifts Faith alfo^
and is derived from God the Father thro^
him on all the elecft ^ for God isthe Ori^-
ginal and Fountain of Life, Trov. 14.

B^ 3. 4, AA^d.

r ^4 >

4. Andlaftly: To crown alt that ha tb
bten faid on this account,

1 . (jod is the anthonr andfinijher of om
faith^ Heb.. 12. 2. For it is the faith of
the operation of God^ Col 2. 12.

2. True faving Faith is a divine Qua-
lity^ infui'ed into the Soul by the holy Ghoil
in the work of Regeneration,and it (lands
2iot in the vvifdom of Men,but in the power
01 God, neither is it acquired by humane
Learning and Parts, nor by Maturity of
years.

3. Faith is not of our felve'?, it doth.
Slot grow m Natures garden, it is the gift
of Gcd, and God can beilow this gift
ijpon whom he pleafe,and when he pleafe ;
God may beftow \t upon an Infant in the
Wombvor in the Cradie,and deny ix. to the
wcr!dly-\% i^t and prudent , for all the ele<^
arepaffive m the receprionof it ^therefore
.1: youi-ig babe is as c.apable of receiving

- iprritiiallife, as aiiy adult perfon is what-
■ip^ever.

4. True faving fan^fiifying Faith is a
HayorEeani of divine Life, proceeding
from Gcci the Father, through Chrifl: the
Mediatour, and. hath God in Chrift for its
Center, which doth ever prop/end the Soul
10 God ward v/hen it h m exerciie, like
ssdieFlower-de-luGe-Pomt \n the Mari-
ners

C35 ) ,.- .
nefs Compafs dorh alwayes point to the
North Pole, or Star, evtn lb doih this
bleiTed Flower-de fuce, nairiply, the r/ace
of Fairh, in the Soul of a Believer ever
point unto God the Father, rhroi.gh Chrifl
the Star of Jacob its proper Cenrer, who
as the Loadftone draws all the Ele(ft of
God untohiin.

John 12. 32. Jnd /, if I he lifted uf
from the earthy will draw all men unto me,

5/ And iafily / Where ever God be-
ftows the grace of Faith, there he beftows
all the reft of the graces of the Spirit, and
they are all habitually in ccnjundion in ,
the fiffl moment of Regeneration, which -.
denominates that Soul ro be a Believer,
though he fhould never a£i Faith, but be
taken even from the very womb of rege-
neration into Fternal glory ; for God is not ^
only the Authour of all grace, but the
Workec of it alfo, Ifd, 6. Lord^ thof^y
wilt ordain peace for lu : for thoii alfo hafi

n vis^

TQr ought all our works i

Phil.- 2* 1 3. For it is God that xv-yrkcth in
yoiij both toivill (vndto do of his good pk-t^.
fnre.

And if God will work, who can le it ?
for it is \xi him we li ve.move and have 'jr
fpiritual being as weilaioui remportl, m
workeih:aIi things according to th^counfel'

( 3^ )
of his own Will by his Spirit that dwelleth
in us.

Therefore, for any perions to affirm,
That young Infants are not capable of re-
ceiving the grace of Faith, in which ever-
lafting Life is conveyed into the Soul, even
in this U'orld, is todeipife and dil'parage
the preventing Grace of God, and limit
the Holy One of Ifz-ael^ and confine his
free grace to years of diicretion and matu-
rity ^ fo that by their Principle, they do
make the way to Heaven lb ftraight, and
the gate To narrow, that it is impoffible for
any dying Infant ever to enter in, and be
faved.

T. Thus I hare (hown what faving
Faith is.

2. How it is wrought.

3. How it operates in the Soul, and
what effeds it doth produce.

4. t\ndhftly: That God is the Author
andFinifherof it.

For my part, I admire how our Oppo-
nents can ftand it out againft allthefe Fun-
damental Truths which are ^o contrary to.
their Principles ^ [here fore I exhort them
all in I he Name of God to confide r feri-
oufly of thele Things.

2. The Grace of Faith intituleth per-
fons to great Honour and Dignity.

T. God

( 37 )

1. God is their Father, and they are his
Children

2. They are Heirs ot Glory, Joynt-
hears with Chrifk.

3. Heaven is their inheritance.

4. They are Heirs of the grace of
Life.

5. Andlaftly: God hath delegated and
appointed all the heavenly Hoft of Angels
to be their guard in their life-time, and at
their death This honour have all the
Saints, great and finall, infants and adulr
perfons, as do plably appear by thele
following Scriptures.

I. The holy Angels attend them, and
minifter for them in their life.

Plal. 91. For he jhali give his angth
charge over thee^ to l^ef thee, in all thy
ways.

rhey Pi all hear thee uf in their hands ^
left thou dajh thy foot again ft a ft one.

Mat. 18. WhofofljaU offend one of thefe
lutle ones which believe in me^ it were better
for him that a milftone were hanged ahoHt.
his nec\, and that he were drowned in the
depth of thefea,.

Take heed that ye defjdfi not one of thefe
little ones '^, for I fay nnto yon^ that in hea-^
"ven their angels do always behold the face of
my Father which kin heaven^

lor

( 38 )

For the Son of man is come to favc that
which was lost,

Here n is faid^ the Son of man is

co?ne to fave that which xvds lost '^ buc in
Luke 19. 10. there it is laid, f'or the Son
of man is come to feel^ and to five that
which W.U losl-.

Here are feveral things to beobferved as
we go along.

1. This Text in Luke I humbly con-
ceive reipeds adult Tinners, who are not
CMily loll by Original rins,but alio are wan-
dered and loil: by actual tranlgreffions ^
for they are compared to loft (heep, in
Lake 15. that wander about after they are
loft j they do not continue in the place
where they were firft loft.

2. But ferondly, thofe in Alat. 18. I
conceive to be young infants, that are
only loft in a ftate of Original deprava.
tion^ who are compared to the womans
!oft piece of filver in the aforefaid L/% 1 5.
which remaineth in the place where it was
fjrft loft until it be found.

3 . That this in Mat, 1 3 . is fpoken con-
cerning eled young infants feems to me
very clear, becaufe our Saviour Chrift
had been treating about little ones before,
ia./^^, i8» i/^r. 45 5>5. and 10, &c,

si. Our

( 39 )

4. Our Saviour concludes this part of
his Speech thus, in ver. 14. Ez'cn fo it is
not the will of your Father which is in hea-
'verij that one of tkefe little ones jhonldfe^
rijh.

Our Saviour direded his Speech to adult
Believers concerning thofe little ones in
thefe words,

Evenfo it is not the will of your Father j
&c.

That one of thefe little ones jlioidd perifj,

5. \nver, 10 thefe little ones which be-
lieved in Chrift, were under the charge of
the holy and blefTed angels ; for they are
called their Angels, to fhew Gods fpecial
Love undo them, and his Fatherly Care of
them, and their propriety in them.

6. Their Angels do miaifter for them in
the Church militant, with God the Father,
in the Church Triumphant in Glory, aa
appears by our Saviours words in ver* 10.

Tak^ heed that ye defpife not one of thefe
little o'nes ; ( thefe are the fubjec^s, viz.,
little ones) for IfaymtoyoH^ (that was to
the adult Believers) that in heaven (that is
the Church Militant ) their angels (thefe
are the little ones- Angels) do alwayes he-
hold the face of my Father which is in heaven^
(That is.,they minifter for them with God
the Father in Glory, fubordinate to Chriii
GU^^MediatOJ. 7, Theft

r 40 )

7. Thefe little ones which believed in
Chrift were loft in Original fin, and were
by Nature children of Wrarh, even as
well as others,

8. It is not the will of God the Father
that any of thofe eled little ones fhould
periili, but (hould have everlafting Life.

9. We ought to receive the Infant-feed
of Believers into the Number of God s
People,in the Name of Chrift, Matth, i8»
^d whofo fliall receive onefach little chUd
iamynan^e^ receiveth me.

Here you fee what incouragement is
given by Chrifl: himfelf for the receiving
them into the Church, in his name-, for in
fo doing, we receive Chrift alfo: And I
know of no other publick external Ordi-
nance, wherein we are to receive Members
into the Church initially, butby Water-
baptilm ; for in C hrifts Coramiffion gene-
ral to his Minifter??. Mat. 2S. was, to
baptize in the Name of the Father, the
Son,and the Holy Ghoft ^ and the Apoftle
conimanded them '\n Ath i,- to be bapti*
2ed every one of them, that was, them-
felves and children, in the Name of Jelus
Chrift, becaufe in the conciufion of his
Speech unto them on itiat Hejfd, he faid m
ver, 39. For thepromife i$ unto you^ and to
yoHV chiUn^y and- to all th^t an afar ojf^

( 41 )

even ^s many as the Lord our God fliall calL
lo. And laftly : The holy and blefTed
Angels are all miniftring Spirits- lent forth
to minifler for all them who (hall be Heirs
of Salvation, Hcb. i , All elecf^ Infants are
Heirs of Salvation; Therefore the Angels
minifter for them. Now pray tell us if >ou
can, in what any adult perfon is capable
of the Miniftry of Angels, for him, more
than a young Infant is of thek Miniftry for
himf For all the Elecfl: are paflive ijnder

their Miniftry ; for it is faid, they do

mimfier for them who Jhall be the heirs of
falvation : It is not faid, they do minifter
with them, nor mto them, in that Text,
but /or them. 1 dare prefume to fay,that
no adult perfon is able to give any parti-
cular diftin(n: account of the effects of An-
gelical Miniftry for him , more than a
young Babe can of theefFedsof their Mi-
ni{\ry for him, P/al, 103 17, 18, 19,
20, 21.

2 In the fecond and laft place ; The
blefTed Angels do minifter for all the heirs
of falvation at their hour of death, and
do not leave them until they are lodged
fafe in eternal Glory, Luke 16.2^^ -Aid
it came to fafs that the he^ger died^ and was
carried by the arfgels into j^brahams bo-
fome.

Thus

r 42 )

Thus 1 have confuted their Topping
Arguments again ft Infants Baptifm and
Church-memberfhip^ which ar? the main
Pillars on which their Principle ftands ;
for unlefs they can prove thai Lie Infant-
feed of Believers were caft. out ot the
Church and Covenant of Grace by the
perfonal coming of Chrift in the r^ew
Dilpenfation of the Gofp^el, ana alio that
dying infants can be faved without Faith,
which is without fpiritual Life, and with-
out a real intereft in, and uf*ion unto 't[as
Chrift, all they can fay to the contrary
fignifies nothing. I have given them ieve-
rai Challenges publickly in print,to prove
that the children of believing Parents who
were all in covenant under the Ceremonial
Law, were caft out of the Church and
Covenant of Grace under the New Dif-
peniaiion of the Goipel : And fecondly,
to fhew us what fin and tranfgreiTion they
peribnally committed, and were aftually
guilty of, that did fo provoke the God of ^
Mercy and Grace ro deal fo feverely with
them as to excommunicate them all during
their Infancy .• But they could never An-
fwer me, though they have been hammer-
ing at it feveral.iimes, Ibme in one way,
and ibme in another, but none agreeing in
their Verdids,

(43 )

1. Mr. Hercules Collins affirmed, that
the Covenant which God eftablifhed and
ratified with Abraham^ in Gen. 17.7. was
a Covenant of Peculiarity, and therefore
it was difTolved and phickt up by ^he roots
at the coming of J(}hn rhe Bapiilt ^ and
to prove it to be fo,^ he quoted i^c/w. 11.
19, 20, 21. which is a Texr.^ together
with the whole chapter, that is diametri-
cally oppofite and contrary to their very
Principles.

2. Mr. Benjamin Reach affirmed, that
the Church under the Ceremonial Law was
a carnal Church, and alfo,that there were
Tv;o Covenants made with Abraham in
Gen. 17. 7. and thatone.of them with the
Church aforefaid, was aboliflied at the
coming of Chrift in the New Difpenfation.
of the Gofpel.

2. He likev^/ife affirmed. That Gcdhad
many wayes to fan^ifie and fave dying In-
favts which vce knovo not oJ\ neither is it ft
-we jljotild inqm-ye into it. Which is a very
iubtil way to prevent rhe difcovery and
dete'ftion of an Error, and liiiells of the
Eomijh Dodlrine, which declares that it is
not fit that the Lay people (hould read the
Bible. But Mr. H. C. affirriied that there
is but one w-ay, and that he calleth a better
way^ wherein God faves dying Infants

differing

(44)
differing from that wherein he faves adult
Believers, and that is by the Jmfittation of
the Right ef)i4fnefs and Merits ofjefi^^s Chrifi
without the Grace of Fail h : That is, to
fave them without fpiritual Life ; for no
Faith, no Life: Which is to lave them in
aftate of fpiritual Death.

3. But in the third place ¥1^: Benjamin
Dermis differs from them bach, with a
refpe(f!: to the Church under the Law ; for
faith he, The Frame of the Jewifh Church
ha^jlng had its Day and Endj we look, u^on
it as taken down to admit a more glorio^a
DiffenfMiort,

Mr. D. doth not fay that the ftate of
the church was taken down or alter-
ed, but the Frame ^ which I own to be
true. But this by the way. And what
their next Anfwer will be to my particu-
lar and general Challenge Lgave them, in
xn"^ AnfxiQerioHv. Z;*s. late Book, I know
not. 1 have been long threatened with it,
but as yet I can fee no appearance of it,
though ( 1 blefs God ) I am ready to re-
ceive it, let it be what it will ; And as for
this (ham Apology , which was fent me in
a Penny.poft Letter, \ find upon fcrutiny
thereof, to conf.ft much of carnal Reafon,
manifeft Contradidions, and wrong Con-
clufions, and alfocarrieth that in the very

bowels

(45 ">
bowels of it which doth utterly overthrow
and deftroy their own Principles • and I
admire that this Authour being io well
skill'd in Tongues, as k feems by the Let-
ter fent to me he is, fhould have no better
skill in Arguments ; for I will (hew them,
(without the help of Hebrew^ Greel^^ ot
Lnm') that in the aforelaid Book there is
Truth held in unrighteoufnefs j which I
willdemonftrateas followerh.

I . In the firft place, it is a great Truth,
That it's Faith only that gives us anintereft
in Chrift, ( for it is that which I chiefly
contend for with thole of their Principles)
but it is abominably unrighteous to con-
clude therefrom. That Infants are exclu-
ded from Baptifm and Church-member-
(hip, as this Authour hath done, becaufe
by the very fame Argument all dying In-
fants are excluded from Eternal Life and
lalvation ; for God will fave none, old or
youngs but them which have an intereft in
Chrift; for it is evident, that everlafting
Lire doth ever commence in the Grace of
Faith, John 3 . He that beUeveth on the Son^
hath everlaft'w^ life.

This is indefinitely fpoken of all, old
and young : He that helieveth on the Son^
hnth ever lofting life : and he that bdieveth

not

r 4<5 )

not the Son^ jhdil not fee life ; hat the wrath
of God abidethon him.

We are all by nature children of wrath^^
and lb we abide till the Grace of Faith re-
movech \t from us ; for when Grace is ml
fufed, tlu-n Gods Wrath is removed, and
abideth no longer on us.

Now ! will purfueour Authours Argu-
ment aforefaid, and trace it to the Foun-
tain-head by this Text of Scripture, viz.*
No Faith, no real intereft in, nor union
unto Jefus Chrift ; and if fo, then no fal-
vation to be had by him, but the wrath of
God abideth on him.

This is the genuine confequence of the
Argument, according to the tenour of the
aforefaid Text of Scripture ^ the weight
of both which is fallen upon their avowed
Principles^ and crufhes them all into pie-
ces: For they hold. That dying Infants
are faved by an intereft in, and union unto
Jefus Chrift, though at the lame time they
deny them to be capable of receiving the
inftrumental Bond and L igament of union
unto Jefus Chrift, namely, the Grace of
Faith,though it is that only f as our Author
laith) which gives us a real intereft in , and
union unto Jejks Chrift.

Thus you fee I have made it evidently
appear, that in this Book of theirs (which

is

( 47 )
is fo much admired by them J that there is
Truth held in unrighteouliiefs.

Bur I find tha tiie Authour of thisfham
jifology isdifTatisfied at my Replication to
Mr. H* C's. Book, intituled, The Antidote
proved a Counter j-eit ; But inftead of pro-
ving that to be fo, he proved himfelf to
be a Counterfeiter of the Holy Serif ture by
adding thereunto, and detraiflirig there-
from, as I have fuffidently and publickly
proved it upon him, as may be feen in fag.
66-) 67, 69,7 I, 72, of my Vindication of
the aforefaid Antidote^ and are alfo plainly
to be feen in his own aforefaid Book, eipe-
cially in two remarkable Texts of Scrip-
ture,*which are diametrically oppofite and
contrary to their Principles.

T. The firflis Efh^ 2. 8, 9 in;>^.f. 5.
of his Book, where he hath thus written
as foUoweth.

B\ grace are ye faved through faith j
not of works ^ lefi- any man Jhould boafi.

Here it is to be obferved that he hath
fubtilly joined the^th.ver. unto the former
part of the 8th. without an &c, as if it
had been but one intire verfe^ whereas it
is thus written in the holy Scripture, and
brought in argumentatively by the Apoftle
St. Paul^

For

( 48 )

For by ^r ace areyefaved^ through faith ^
^nd that not of your fe Ives : it is the gift of
Cod :

Not of works ^ left any man jhoM hoafi,

1 . He hath left out the argumentative
part, viz.. the word [_Forr\

2. He hath left out the words which
are emphatically Ipoken by the Apoftle,
which words are thefe, X_and that not of
yoHrfehes : it is the gift of God : "] Which
is the latter part of the 8th. verfe.

The Apoftle St. Paul ( who was the
cholen and declared Apoftle of the Ge?niles')
had been fliewing thole new Converts, in
the former part of that fame Chapter,what
a miierable, undone, forlorn ftare and con-
dition they all had been in by Nature, be-
fore fuch time as God's Free Grace was
effectually extended unto them, and took
hold of them.

1 . They were ail dead in trefpaffes and
fins, ver. i.

2. That they had been under the Prince
of the power of the Air, the Prince of
death and darknefs, namelv, the Devil,
ver. 2, 3. For all his vafTals and bondflaves
are in a ftate of death and darknefs.

3. They were the children of difobe-
diencej as if the Apoftle (hould have told

ihena^

( >9 )
them, that they were all begotten and
born of dilcbedience it leif.

4 They had been ilaves to their Lufts^
fulfilling the defiresof the flefh.
.5. 1 he inordinncy of their corrupt
Minds had been their chief care and bufi-
nefs in the World.

. 6. And laftly : He laid that they were
by nature the children of wrach, even a>
well as others ^ But notwithftanding all
thefe God- provoking fins and tranigrefTi-
ons, which they had been guilty of, yet
God out of his preventing Love and Free
Grace, did quicken them together with
Chrifl, and did fave them by Grace thro'
Faith, and that not of rhemfeiv'es, but it
is the gift of God ; not by any inherent
or external prequalifications in or of them-
felves,orby maturity of years, but meerly
by the Free gift of God; and by thatonly
they were advanced to that high honour
and dignity to fit together with Chrifi; in
the Heavenly Places. For their confola-
tion, and alio for encouragement to the
Ages which were thcii to come, and to
ihew forth the exceeding Riches of his
Grace and Kindnefs through Jefus Chrii%
all thefe glorious Priviledges are the pro-
dudl of the preventing Love snd Free
Grace of God ^ which is theium and lub-
C ftance

( 50 )
{tance of the Apoitles conclufion, in w?\
8. in thefe words, ^'f*<.. For by grace are ye
javed^ through f^'lth '^ and that mt of yonr
/elves : it is the gift of God.

1 . Grace is free^becaufe nothing is freer
than Gift, andQrdLCeis thegift o/ God.

2. Grace is free, in that it is prevents
ing ^ for we never defer ved it • but on
the contrary, wedeferved nothing at the
hands of God but Heil and damnation,
being by nature children of Wrath.

3 . And lafily : Gods Grace is prevent-
ing, becauie we- never defired it, nor. ib
^niuch as asked for ii, nor fought after it ^
forGod himfelf faith, I wa^ found of them
that fought me not ^ / xupa^ made mavifcU
mto the?J2 that a^ked not after ;we, Jfa, 6% .
I. Rom. ic. 20. And pray read Ez.eki
i6, 3, 4, 5,(5. and there you will find that
the Salvation of a finner-, from the Foun-
dation to the Top ftone is all pure, free,
preventing Love and Grace. So that from
hence we may infer, that a young infant
in the Womb, or Cradle, is as dead in
trefpalTes and fin; by nature, as an old
fmner, and as much a child of Wrath as
he ^ for the Apoftle faith, in i Cor. 5. If
one died for all., then v.^e re all dead,

I. Fr y obferveinthe fir ft place, as
one eled finner is no more juftified than

another,

( Si )
another, in the time of Regeneration, but
all are intirely jiiftined alike :

2. So in the lecond place, they were all
originally dead alike, for one finner is no
more dead by nature than another^ the
Reprobate is no more dead by nature thati
Gods Eledt are : There is no difference in
that Point, as is clearly evident from the
Apoftles words in Rom. 3. But now th^
fi^ktcoufnefs of God whh^t the law is ma-i^
nifefted^ being witnejfed by the law and the
frophets ; - .

' ' ^£ve?J the right eoufnefs of God which is by
faith ofjef^s Chrift unto ally and upon all
them that belie'ue "^ for there is no differ

For aU havefmeS^ ^dimjlfif^-vf^he
glory of God'y ' ) '- "■ ^ ' '^ < • ' -rU

Being jnf^ifled freely by his grace j through
the redemption that is injefm Chrift.

I Cor. I ♦ 30. But of him are ye in Chrifl:
yeff^Sy who of God is made unto Hi m[dom^
and right eoufnefs^ and [aniline ation^ and
redemption': He is made of God to be all
this unto us.

3. Pray take notice, all you of this
principle, that have declared publickly in
Print, That dying Infants may be fanfti-
fied and faved by the application of the
Rightebufnefsand M^its of Jefus Chrift,

C 2 without

( $1 )

without the Grace of Faith, in fome other
way, or in many ways ; you may fee fif
jypu will- not fhut your Eyes, and be wil-
fully hliud) in that foremenrioned Text,
J^iwi 3. 22. that the Grace of Faith, and
the Righteoulnefs .and .Redemption of
Chrift, are in conjuncf^ion, firmly linked
together:, And therefore what God hath
joyned rogetbt^r, letprpud Men have a
care how they part'afunder .• And thefaine
^poftle ftileSAk in .^(>;«. 4. j^fia^^of the
right COM fnefs of the faith ^ ^Q, : ;\

4. But though all IVjen are originally
dead alike in fin, yet there are differing
degrees of perfonal actual fins and trani-
grt (Tigris 'j none of which a young In/ant.
can ht gjiiikv of, and fherefore he hath not
that need or a<!lual Grace as an adult Be-
liever hath; but yet notwithftanding, he
haih as much need of Juriincation through
Faith in the Righteoulneis and Merits of
JdusChnft, as aa ^d ul t elecft finner hath,
becaufe by •feature he is as much a child of
Wraili as he.:^i)d hath as much need to
be quickened by Grace from a dead ftate
of unbelef an(i wrath^ and to have his
depraved n^r ur^ fandified and changed by
reg^tWatin^ Grace,a,nd to have the linage
Qt'.Oiod refsored and re:inftamp^ upom
him^y^Mo madje,a^0 oucaGod.thrQujgh

the

( 53)

the Life that is in Chrifl: Jefuy our Redee-

mer,as any adult perfon harh what foe ver ;

for unlefs they have the Grace of Life in-

fufed into them by the Spirit of Chrift',

God will neither own them, norbere-

iconciled unro them ; for the Scriprure

faith plainly, that God is not the Co 'J.' of

\the dead^bnt of the livings A'fat 2?. God

, will notfave the dead, namely, thofe that

• dye naturally m a Itate of death rpiritoan,

' though I hey never finned after the (imli-

, tudeof Ad'-irn^ Fom. 5. 11. that are buf in

their Original trefpal&s and fins : tor it is

a ftate cf reparation ^rom Chri^l:, and of

alienation from the life of God, Efh 2.

5. Though I here is no difference \\) |u-
ftification. but the Eied are juflified alike
one as much as another, yet there a^e dif-
fering degrees of Sandificacion, and fo
there will be in Glory ^ f-iras oneStar
differs from another in giory^ fo will it be
with the Saints in Heaven: for as their
INIeafure of Sandlification is here m this
Life, even fo (ball their Proportion of
Glory be in the Life which is to come :
Even as Face anfwerech to Face m a
Glafs.

6. It is the Faith of Gods Eledl: that
juRifieth a Sinner inftrameiitally in the
Work of Regeneration, which is empha-

G 3 tically.

( 54 J
ticafiy called, The Faith of God% for it is
wrought by the Finger of God alone in the
Souls of all the Eiedt, both old and young,
in the New Birth .- And this only is that
which giveth anintereft in.and union unto
Jeius Chrift.

7. A Child is as capable of receiving
this gift of God, namely, Faith, as any
adult Peribn is whatlbever ; for there is
no aCiual fin or tranfgrelTion in a young
Infant to hinder or oppofe the reception of
Grace , and fo there is in an adult finner.
And I can fee no reafon but this, why Mr.
//. C. fnould leave out: thefe Words in
the Text, viz., [^andthat not ofyoarfelves:
it is the qtft of Cod. ]

For this is one great part of the Con-
troverfie between the Anabaftifis and us,
namely, the Creatures being paflive in the
reception of Gods Grace ^ becaufe that
maketh as much for the jufiifying, rege-
nerating^ and quickening of a young In-
fant, as it doth of an old finner ; for if we
are faved by Grace through Faith, and
ihat not of our felves, but it is the free
Gift and Grace of God, then furely an
ele£l dying Infant k as capable of quick-
ening regenerating Grace habitually, as
any adult Perfon is whatfoever ; for as the
former in an ordinary way doth not vifibly

aft

( 55 ;

!ad^ Grace, lo neither can he adiually and
ivifibly commie fin ^ and habirual Grace is
ifufficient to fubdue and conquer the power
land dominion of Original fin.

9 And laftly : Grace doth habrcualiy

,' purifie and fandlifie a perfon throughout in

I tedy, foul, and fpirit ; a little of this

i Leaven doth leaven the whole lump^which

! denominates him a Believer ; forourSavi-

ourChriit compares Grace to leaven^ which

a little of it put into Meal, diflfufeth it felf

all over, and fo doth leaven the whole

Lump ; Even lo doth a little Grace, as

Original fin pollutes and defiles the ibul of

■ a young Babe, and denominates him a

finner, Ffal •^i, fo doth habitual Grace

denominate him a Believer : For no adult*

Perfon can purifie and fandifie himfelf^y

for that istheOfBceot the Spirit of Chrift,

to do that for and in an eleft finner, rpho

of God is made nnto lu ntfdom^ and rights-

OH-friffs^ andfancitjlcation^ and redsmpwiy

I Cor,, I. 30.

2. The fecond Scripture he hath perver^
ted is in AEi.^^. 38, 39. in fag. 13. of his
Book aforefaid, where he beginneth with
the latter part of the 37th. vsrfe^ asfoU
loweth,

Aden and brethren^ what jhall vpe do ?
Pster anfmred tk'y^h Repent ^ and be hap-
Q 4. tlz^cd

(5^)

tizfAjn the T.atnt of JefmChrij}, for the
ri:fmjjion of ftrn^ a?:d yejhail receive the ^ift
of the kolyOhoJi, ' .

^ For this piomfe is toyon^ and to your
c>W/^Vv;.- dfo^ yea^ to the very Gemiles afar

if^Jere is a perverfioii of Scripture with a
witoefs !

Pray, Reader, mind the difTerence be-
tween this Aiuboiirs Invention, and the
lacred Scriptures ExprcfnOii and .mention ;
whicii are as ibiiows :

Aierj and- brethren what: jhall'

we do ?

ThenTeterfaidiihio them^ Recent^ and
Le baptiz ca every one cf yon in the name of
Jefi-. Cyjrtft, for the remijjhn of fms^ md
yeftMllreceive the gift. of the holy Chofl. ■
- i'or thepronrfc i^s nmOyoH^ and to your
chddren^ and to all that are afar off^ even
06 many m the Lor dour GodfiiallcalL

Pray cbferve what Mr. H.C. hath left
out , and alio what he hath added and
changed.

1 . He hath \di out the firll word of the
aSth.i^'er/e, namely, [Then.'^

2. In the fame verfe he hath left out
thefe words, viz^. [^every oneof yon.']

3. In verfe ^9- ^g hath added and
changed :

I. For

ijj».-oi.'yi,ji!,:

,iL6im

r 57 ;

U For the jtromifry [^thls"] frpr^nfe : AS';
i£ it had been a new-made Promife unto •
them ar that very tiine, which never had-.
a being before - whereas the Promile re-
ferred unco, and intended the Covenant
God made and eftabliOied with Ahrahhm
their Father ..and his-leed after htni,initbeii^r
generations, rnGen. 17.7. i. I^w'

Not only rothe Generation of the y^iv^V
but alio to the Generation of the Gentiles :^
for God promiied that in Abraham all the
Nations of theEanhfhould be bleiTed, andi
that the Blelling of Abraham fhould corner
,^ upon the Gentiles^ Gal 3 14, \6.

2. He hath added, i/ ro yon^ ayfd yotir>
children L'*'/^>3 inftead of, is utJtoyoH^anA
to your •childrtii.

3. And laftly : He hath added; j;^/?, to
the 'Vf/y C trunks ^far cf^ if they are ca'kd^
inftead of the Apoftles words, which are
thefe, ami to all that are afar off^ tvzn a^
many a/, the Lord chy God ^^i all call,.

Here we may oblerve, that he hatln
made a doubt of Gods Promiie to tha
Genttks concerning tht^ir effedluat Ga:|]n>q:
- and Convej fion, by that doi.bcfui aiTti^ibli
of his, namely, '^ea^ to^the ''mr-i;: (^smk^
afar off^ j^ if"} they ^e-' . • "
is pofirively afemed rhu; ,
ikaajd be called, as is obar^ \\ c ::v vx

C ' .

-r 5S )

ftles words, viz.. afid to all that are

afar offy even a^s many a4 the Lord our God
Jhall call.

Thus much for the fham Apology.

Secondly ^ In the fecond place I fhall give'
fomething in ^nfwer to the Letter k felf,
which the aforefaid Gentleman lent me
with the faid Book, though the main tcope
of it 1 haveanfwered already.

I . Saith he, / tvohU a Uttie make bold
irj fpe^hmg iwto^ and Hnravthlnf of thaty
Mac. 28. 19. which you have more thari once
ajfigved ai the maif? Scripture In which Chyifi
iiommandcd Infants Baftifm:^ which Serif-
tnre will appear to he a piai?2 prohibition of
fncha thin a.

To which I thus reply asfolloweth.

I . In the Hrft place it is true that Mat.
2?j. 19. is a Text of Scripture which I
have made ufe of to prove ChriftsCom-
irand for the Baptizing of the Infant- feed
of Believers, after their Parents firft clo-
fing with ChriH, as well as other Texts of
Scripture ; and I am of the lame mind
flill, notwithliandingall that you can fay
againft it, with all your Brethren to help
you, O but fay you, Chrifts Command
is to baptize none but them which are firft
caught ^ {ovfai:J7 cometh by hearing. Sup-
pole

( 59 )
pofe I (hould grant k to be ih ^ for I know
this is rhe firing you do fo much harp up-
on : And what if you ihould lee that 1 will
prove it to be lb too ? yet that dorh make
no more in favour of your Principle, than
that doth of your io much admired Apo*
logizer's afTercing", That it's Faith only
thiit gives 11,5 an Intirsfi in Chrifi^^nd union
unto him,

1. The Learned do fay that it i^, Go
and difcivle all nations by baptifm ; and:
teaching followeth in verfe zo. The Com-
mand is to go and difcipie aH nations^ bap-
Hurjg them^ &c.

2. If the parents are fo taught, as that
thereby they become Beh'evers, then are
fheirchildren holy children, i Cor. 7. 14,
A^s 2.39. then are they taken into the
Covenant of Grace, and thereby have a
right to the Seal of the Covenant^namely^
Water bapfifjji. A Child is as capable of
the Difcipline of Baptifm, as an adul:
Perfon; for both are paffive under the
Adminiftration of that Ordinance.

3. In Mark \6. Go ye into all rhe worlds
And preach thegofpclto every creature, Hs
that believeth and u taptiz^ed , fhall be
faved ^ bnt he that believeth notj fiall be
damned.

From

( 60 )

Froitiihis latter part of the 'verfe is evi-
dently fet forth the abfolute neceflity of
dying Infants having a living Faith • for
without that they will be damned ^ for
our Saviour Chrifi himfelf faith, He that
hclievcth ?^ot^ &c. That is indefinitely
ipoken ot all, or anyone that believeth
not Ihall be damned, without any refpedt
of perlbns, age,- or lex; for God will
lave none in a ita^eof Unbelief.

Bur iome objedi that this was fpoken to,
and of adult perlbns onely, and that chiU
dren are not at all concerned therein :

But I utterly deny that to be true, for
thefe following Realbns.

1. M y fir ft Reafon is this, viz.. Becaufe
Chri^ft's O^^romand Isfio hto all the ixoyld^
ivnd ])ieadj t he ^cqfpel to evefcy.tcreatHr c .

*. Where foi'e for any perfons to excjude
all Caildren from being concerned herein.
Is to exclude them from being Creatures,
or aay part of the rational Being.,

2. i.n //f4t. 28. Chriils Command to his
Mjniflers and Servants is to Difciple or
Baprj/^e ail Nations ; which is the fulfil-
ling of that Gorpel-Prophefie in 7/^-2. 52. i 5.
So fhaU he Jpr inkle many nations ^^ &IC. 1 his
hChvltt^s rprinkling both Jeivs and OcfJ-
liiCi,:, for/xvhat.his MiniHersdo by vertUe
of his Aurhontv, s^nd in his ?^3aiT5e, he

himfclf

( 6'i )

hirnfelf doth iu So chat baptking all Ma-
tions, and Iprinkling many '^Nations, is
one and the fame thin? ^ for all Nations
muft needs be maKj Nations ; for all Na-
tions are I'o many, that there can be no
more. And here is good Authority for
fprinklingin faptilm.

But, lay our Opponents, Children are
not 'capable of being taugh% and faith
Cometh hyhearif^g. Here is Truth produ-
ced to uphold and maintain an Errour, Ic
is true that Faithcomech by Hearing; but
it is a grofs Error to conclude therefrom,*
that children cannot be taught, and there-
fore have no Faith ; for by the fame Argu-
ment it is impoflible for any dying Infant
ever to be faved, becaufe without Faith
they arefpiritually dead, as i have proved :
And God will not lave any foul, old or
young, in a dare of death and unbelief ;
for if God could have falved his Juflice in
faving finners in aftate of death and unbe-
lief, then Chrift needed not to have taken,
our Natures into union with himfelf, and
been offered up a Sacrifice for fin ; for
Chrifl died to redeem all the Eled of God
from death and unbelief. Nay, here I
fhal] bring their own Arguments to bear
upon them ; for iaith our Authour.^ It is
£ tilth only that gives m an inter efi in^ and

umon

(62 )

union mito Jcf^f^ Chrifl '^ and it Is pCf fin a I
Faith that frees m from the condemning
Sentence.

Now pray tell us (if you can) how or
which way it is poirible for a dying Infant
to be faved wichout an intere t in and Uiii-
on unto jefus Chrift ; for either they muft
be faved without an inrerefi: in and union
unto Jefus Chrift, or eife k ninfl be gran-
ted, that they iniift have Faith , which
only gives an Inrereft in Chrifl: ; for the
Scripture faith plaialy. That there is na
other Name under Heaven given whereby
we mult be iuved^neither is there Salvation
in any other but Chrift.

2 They cannot be freed from the con-
demning Senrence-5 or Curfe, of the Law,
without an intereftin and union unto Jefus
Chrift ; for by nature we are all under the
condemning Sentence and Curfe thereof,
until Chrift makes us free by redeeming
us from ityCal. 3. Chrif} hath redeemed
uifrom the curfe of the iaw^ hein^^ made a
CHrfe for us^ &c. And what then? why
then we are freed from the condemning
Sentence thereof, Rom 8. There is there-
fore now no condemnation to them that arre
in Chrifi Jefus^ &e.

Thus you fee plainly that them which
are freed from the condemning Sentence,

are

(<^3 )
are freed from ic by verrue of their union
^ith Chrift, who himlelf did undergo the
condemning Sentence of the Law for all
then) (and them only , that are, or (hall
be in him :

For there is r.o co^idemnatlon to them
•which are in Qjrift Jefui.

Therefore all thofe that are out of Chrift
are under the condemning Sentence , and
what a milerable deplorable ftare and con-
dition mull all thofe perfons be in^that are
not capable of receiving the Grace of Faith
to unite them to Chrift ! for t^ they dye
in that condition, they dye under the con-
demning Sentence of the Law j in which
condition our Opponents leave all dying
Infants to grapple with, according to the
tenourof their principle.

Thus you fee what this Doctrine of
theirs affords, namely, That children are
not capable of receiving the Grace of Faith,
becaufe they are not capable of being
taught, 2LXidL faith cometh by hearing. But
pray mind what that Gofpel-Prophet faid,
in J fa. 54. 1 3 . And all thy children (Jjail be
taught of the Lord^ and great flj all be the
peace of thy children.

Ifa. 59. 21. As for me ^ this ismy cove-
nant with the ntT faith the Lord J My fpirit
that is Hpon thee^ md my words which I

have

r 64, )

have fur in thy mouthy J^all not depart- ci*^-
of thy ??iomh^ fior out of the month af thy.
feed J nor cm of thejfwathofthyfetdsfted',
faith the Lord^ from henceforth. 0?jd for
ever.

Sq that here you fee who is the Teacher
of all the Eledl, which are Gods Cove-
nant-feed, namely, the Lord.

2. In the iecoud pbce i (hall lay down.
Eight Qiieries, and anlwer them, for a
fiiil and compleat Aniwer to this their Ob-
jeQion aforeiaid>

I . The firft Qtiery (liall be ibis, namely,
Whether young Infants were ever capa^
ble of being taught the Fear of the Lord,
which is inciufive of all the Graces of the
Spirit y for the Fear of the Lord is the
Fountain of Life ?

. 2, Whether Children. wer^^.ver.taught
the Fear of the Lord ?

3. Whether young Children are not as
apt and docible now under the New VAU
penfation of the.Gofpel, as ever they were
under the law?,, ,

4. Whether Children ever had any-
need of being taught the Fear pf the
Lord?

5. Whether Children have not as much
need of. being taught the Fear of the Lord
now- under the New pilpenfaiion cif i\v\

Gi)l|?eL

( ^s )

Gofpel, as ever they had under the Law?

6. Whether Children have not as great
, a priviledge now as ever they had ?

7. Whether the God of all (Jraceand
Mercy hach nor as much pity and compaf-
fion on Children now^ as ever he had to
thofe Chil iren under the Law ?

: 8.Andl.:ftlv: Whether the omnipotent

■ oneJy wile God harh not as mi.ch rower

and Wildom to teach young Infents his

Fear, as ever he had ?

: To thele Eight Qiieries 1 fhall reply as

folioveth.

' I. Firft of all, it is mofl evident that
" Children were once capcVole of l^eing
taught the Fear of the Lord, for other-
wife they would never have been inj-Mned
tolearn it. But there U'as an JDJiindion
laid upon them to learn it : And therefore
they were capable of beiijg taught, and
of their learning cf h.
J. Deut. 3 1 . When all Jjrael k come to
\ appAr before the Lard thy God^ in the place
• which- he jhall chofe : thoa p-jalt read this
' law before di Jfraei^ in thtir hearing :

Gather thf people together^ men^ and wo-

7mn^ and children^ a^d thy ft anger that is

within thyj^ates^ that they may learns and

.fear the Lordy-mrGiyd^ and obferve to do

' aH t^he words^of this Uw.

Here

( 66 )

Here you fee they were capable of be-
ing taught the Fear of the Lord ; for there
is an ablblure neceiTity for thein to learn n^
becaufe without it there is no Salvation to
be had-, either for old or young; for it is
the very Fountain of fpiritual Life, as in
Prov. t/\. 27. The fear of the Lcrdis the
fournain of life^ to depart from the fn ares
of de^dh,

Tha'iefr ares of death are Flell and dam-
nation.

2. Children were taught the Fear of the
Lord under the Mofakl^ Difpenfation as
plainly appears from that aforementioned
Dent, 31.

3 . Children are as apt and docible now
as ever thofe children were under the Law
of Mofs : And tlierefore they are in
Chrifls ' oaimifBon with the adult,\vitnout
exception, viz.. Go into all the world, and
f reach the gofftl to every creature^ &c. and
difctple all nations^ bafttxing the?n^ &C.
in Chrifts fprinkling many Narions.

4. It is manifeftly evident, that chil-
dren had need of beins taught the Fear of
the Lord, becaufe God hath commanded
it, and their Salvation depeiicison it; and
as God does nothing in vain, fo he com--
mands nothing in vain.

5. Children

(<J7 )
- . 5. Children have as much need of be-
ing taught the Fear of the Lord now, as
jcver Children had under the Law.

I. Becaufe they are as much depraved
by nature now as ever they were then.
e 2. They have as precious Souls to be
iaved now, as ever thofe children had
then.

3. Andlaftly: None can be fa ved with-
out the Fear of the Lord planted m them ^
iFor, I. As Faith is the Grace of Life;
£oy 2. The Fear of the Lord is the Foun-
aJain of Life : 3. And laftly, It is pro-
cnifed to Believers children in Prov. 14.
26, 27. 1-/7 the fear of the Lord is ftrong
confidence : and his children Jliali have a
flace of refuge,

6. My Anfwer to the fixth Query is
this, namely, That children have not on-
ly as great a Priviledge now under the
Gofpel, as children had under the Law,
tut a greater. Pray read JSis 15. and
there you may find it to be fo : For Cir-
cumcifion which appertained to the eight-
days Diiciples fa few G'e;/f//e-Profelytes
excepted j was fuch a Yoke unto them, as
they werenot able to bear ; which was
aboliflied by the coming in of the Gofpei,

and

{6% )

and theSacrament of Water-baprifc in-
ftituted in the room thereof

2. When our baviour Chrift perceived
thar his domeftick Difciples rebuked rhoie
Believers which brought their children
unto him, to lay his hands on rhem, and
bleis them, he faid, SHffcrhttk ckildrtn^
and forbid them not to cor^e iintame\ for of
fiich is the ki^a dom cf hta-ven^ Matth. 19.
^nd the children of either believing Fa-
ther or Mother are holy children in Gods
account, \ Cor. 7. 14. And where is it lb
laid of children under the> Law ? Indeed
there is a Predidlion in Bfii 8.2 v.hich
was fulB Ted when our Saviour came intx)
the Temple concerning the '"races that
were in children, which our Saviour him-
lelf quoted in Aiati 21 . -— - — - — ^nd the
chiUiren crying in the temple^ and f-^iyn-'gj
Jiofannd to the fan 0^ : IM'i'id -^ they tvcre
fore di/hlca/}^^ ( Thefe'were the chief
Prieft and Scribes that v/ereihus foreiy
difpieaied)

^ndfriidnntG h ni^ He^refr thoM what
thefefay? And'fefvusjcnth.iwtvthtm., Tea]
have ye never rtady.Oi^t of the mom h of
hnbes'^ and fiich lings ) thou hafi perfeckd
fr.aifs f

v. And lafi:Iy : The Covenant>promife
heloDgeth as much unto Believers , and

their

iincir children now, as ever it did to j^hra-
A47W and his leed in his day, as in jitls
2. 39. for the promifc is ttnto ynu^ and to
your children^ (So far it was to the leed of
j^aham^ namely, the Jews) and to all
ihat are afar ojf^ tven ai mar.y a^ the Lord
our Cod jhc^ll calL Theie are believing
Gernilesaud their chi!dren,who werefome-
time afar off, but now are made nigh in
the 1 ,ord -vT.« IW,

V. 7. God harh as much pity and com-
fkiffion, for children of believing Parents
now under the Gofpel, as ever he had for
thofe children of Believers under the Law ;
for our Saviour Chrift lOok children up in
his arms, and bieiTed them, and prayed
linto the Father for them ; for Chrift is
their Mediatonr, their Redeemer, their
Advocate, and Inferceflbur, i Cor. 1.30.
£Kt of him art ye w Chrift Jtfm^ who of
God is made unto m wifdom^ and right eoaf-
nefs^ and f in th flection ^ and redemption.

: Kow i hrill is all this to eled dying
lafants; for they are as much under the
care and charge of Chr ft to cor?du<fb to
Giory, asan\ e!e(ft adult perlbn is what-'
Ibever. :

8. ^vA Jaftly : God hath as much
Power and Wisdom now to teach and
' inftru(ft young babes as e\^er he had ; and

as

r 70 )

as God is the fearcher of hearts, fo he is
the only Teacher of hearts. It is God
alone that teacheth all the EledV, both old
and young; for who teacheth like him ?
as Job faith ^ and D^'z;?^ faith, in PfaL 34.
Come ye cmldre??^ hearken unto me : J mil
t&tchyOH the fear of the Lord,

Ifa. 54. j4r/d ail thy children [hall he
taught of the Lordy &c. ^

Heb. 8. ^fid they (hall no more teach
every man his neighbour ^ nor every one his
brother y f^yhg^ Kmw the Lard : for all
^mll know me^ from the ^af to the greattft.
And none are lefs than children.

Jer 32. And J will fnake an everlafting
covenant with the mj thdt I will not turn
away from thern^ to d,o them good -^ hnt I
rpillpiit my fear in' their hearts ^ that they
Jliall not depart fr omrre: ;

This of God's parting 'his Fear into
their Hearts, is the In-iufion of gracious
principles into their Souls in the \A/ork of
Regeneration -, for nothing can keep a Be-
liever from total Apoftacy but the Graces
of the Spirit. Therefore this Fear of the
Lord that children are faid to learn, and
that Coi hath f romifed to teach, is the
infiii:o)iof gracious Habits and Principles
into their Souls in the Work of Rege-
neration;'; VI. >

2. Now

( 71 ;

2. Now for any Perfbns to affirm that
young Infants are not capable of being thus
taughc the Fear of the Lord, whxh com-
eth by hearing the Voice of Chrift by the
Miniftry of his Spirit, through God's
teaching them in putting the Grace of Life
into their hearts, namely, the Grace of
Fairh, iS not only to deipiie little Ones,
which is forbidden by our Saviour Chrift
'himfelf in Mat> i8. lo. but alio a tacit
defpifing the Wifdom and Power of God,
and making the Grace of Life to {land in
iiumane qualification, namely. Maturity
of years ^ which is to attribute that to the

■ creature that properly and peculiarly be-
longeth unto God^ which is clearly pro-
hibited by the Holy Ghofi: in i Cor, 2. 5.
W'h^ yottr faith jliokld not ft and Vf the mf-

. dom of mch^ but in theporverbf God.

^ That nofltfj {boitld glory in his frefenc€^
1 Cor. I. 29.

3. John 5 Verily vf^rily I fay umo yon^

He that heareth my rvordj £tnd believeth Ofi

him th'dtfent me^ hath cvtriafv'ing life^arid

jkall not come into condemnation ; h lit is

jpajfed from d.eath mjto lift,

yerilyvtrily I fay Hfitoyou^ The hour U
comi'/ig^ and now is^ when the dead jhaU
h^AY the vo lie of the Son of God : and
ley that -hear fl?a!l live.

TLT^^,

( 72 )
Plere are feveral obfervations to be
made from thefe words of our Saviour
Chrift.

1. Thefirftisthis, namely, That that
Soul only which hearerh the Word of
Chriil, and believcth on God the Father
who lent him, hath (or (hall have) ever-
lafling Life.

2. All they which do not thus hear
ChriftsWord, do not believe in God the
Father that fent him : Therefore they have
noteverlafting Life, but are ftill in a ftate
of Death and Condemnation, and are
under the v/rath of God ^ for it abideth
on them.

3. It is he, and he only, that heareth
the Voice of the Son of God that (hall live,
and be freed from the condemning Sen-
tence : For that -oul f]"iaii not come into
condemnation, becaufe he is pafTed from
Death unto I ife; and there is no condem-
nation to the livings but tothefpiritually
dead, Fom.S i.

4. Andlaftly: Here is a clear manife-
ftation of the Mighty Power of God, in
the way and method he taketh in railing
an eledi dead finner unto everla(ting Life,
in thefe words of our Saviour, viz^. The
hour is comings and novo \^ when the dead
Jball hear the voice of the Son of Cod^ and

they

r 73 ) .

they that hear Jha/l live. It is, they jl)all
l)€ar^ and they jlmll Uve ^ noc they witl^

: but they jhail.

This is Gods putting his Fear into their
hearts, namely, the infufion of the Habits
and Seeds of all Grace into their Souls r
And thus Faith cometh by hearing the
Voice of the -Son of God. So that they

I only that have the Son of God, have the

' -Life of God in them ; For he that hath not
theSon^ (liall not fee life'^ but the wrath of
God ahicleth on him.

So that there is an abfolute neceffity
for eledl dying Infants to hear the Voice
•of Chnft, *audof being taught of God ;
for without it they cannot pals.fi-om Death
unto Life, and be faved • for all Chrifts
fheep fhall hear his Voice.

But it may be queried thus, viz,. What
IS this hearing Chrifts Voice, and being
taught of G od ? VV hy, the hearing Chrifts
Voice, and the teachuig of God, are the
fame thing. It is not meant of an auiicular
Voice of Chrifl, or of his Miniflers in
preaching the Gofpel ; for fo Reprobates
hear the Voice of Chriit as well as Gods
Elecf^ ■, for Men can teach but the Head :
it is Gods peculiar Prerogative to teach

^ and inftrudl Hearts. This hearing Chrifls

Voice-is, when God plants a regenerate

D Ear

. C 74 )
Ear in the Heart of an elecH: finner •, and
then he heareth the ftill Voice or lecret
Whifpers of the Spirit of Chrift in the
Work of Regeneration ^ and no Man, or
Minifter , alone could ever teach thus ;
For every one that is thtu t aught ^or karmth
of the Father J cometh to Chrift^ and he
that cmieth to him,, he mil in no wife caFt

$Ht,

Laftly : I fhall clearly prove this great
Truth'by four Arguments, deduced from
our Saviours own words.

I. If ekOi dying Infants are any part
of Chrifts (beep, then they (liall hear his
Voice. Eut.all elecft dying Infants are a
part of Chrift's flieep : Therefore they
(hall hear his Voice, and follow him into
Eternal Glory in the Regeneration.

John 10. Afy jl^^eep hear myvoice^ and
J know them^ \and' they follow me.

And other JJjeep J have^ which are not of
this fold : them alfo I mnft hring.^ and they
jljallhear my voice ^ there jhali be one fold^
and one (he f herd.

So that all Chrifts fheep fwhich are all
the eled of God ) both Jew and Gentile^
old and young, great and fmall, fhall hear
the Voice of Chrift, and they that hear
fhall live, and be of one Fold j for Chrift

faith,

( 75 )

faith, / w«y? hmg them : There is a ne«
ceffity lyeth upon Chrift fo to do.

2. Chrift hath not one Fold for adult
Beh'evers, and another for deO: dying
Infants; for they are all in one and the
fame Fold, or Covenant, and (hall all fol-
low Chrift into Glory, Tohn 17, 24. Fa^
ther^ I will that they alfo whom thoa haB
given me J be with me where I am \ that they
may behold my glory which thou h^ft given
me : for thou lovedft me before the fonnda^
tion of the world, ' ~

3. If all eledt dying Infants are all givea
by God the Father to Chrift,then they fhall

..hear his Voice. But all the Elec^ of God

are given by God the Father to Chrift :

: Therefore eled dying Infants are given to

Chrift ; and they fhall hear his Voice, be-

caufe all his fheep hear his Voice :

John 10. Myheep hear my 'voice ^ and I
owthemj a??d they follow me,
j4nd I give unto thevt eternal lifsj and
they fhall never perijlj, neither Jhall any fluck
them om of my hand.

My Father which gave them me^is greater
th,m all : and none fiall be able to finely
them out of my Fathers hand.
There is fecurity for their perfevering to
the end. They are given to Chrift to re-
deem by giving them eternal Life, vvhich
D 2 he

( 16 )

he hath purchafed, John i-j. uisthouhafi
givtn him power over all feJJj , that he
jlwuld give eter?ial life to as many as thoii
haft given hhn,

4 Chrift prayeth for all them which
God the Father gave him ; and all that he
prayeth for are his (heap, and they fhall
hear his Voice ^ for he prayeth for none
but the elec^ : Therefore eledi dying In-
fants hear his Voice.

John 1 7. / Y^ay for them : J pray not
for the worlds hntfor them which thou haJl
given mey for they are thine,

4. Andlaftly : If none (hall have eter-
nal Life but them that know Chrift, and
that none can know Chrifl but them only
V'hich are taught of God, then ele£t dying
Infants do hear Chrifts Voice, and are
taught by him^orthey could notbefaved •
for Chrift is a Prophet to teach and en-
lighten all the eIe(fiof God, both old and
young ^ for otherwife they would befaved
without the benefitjof Chrifts prophetical
OfEce,. which is impoffible.

John I 7. 3, 25. ^nd this in life eternM^
that they might know thee the onely true Cody
andjef?{4 Chrift whom thou haftfent.

j^ndl have declared unto them thy n ?ne^
And will declare it : that the love wherewith
thoH haft loved me J may he in them^ and I
in them. John

( 77 ; (

John 5. 45. For it is rorittcn\n the pro-
phets^ Ai^ dtbtyjli ail he , til taught of Cod:
Everv man therefore rh.4t hath heard^ and
hath learned of the Father ^ coyfieth unto
me-

God teacheth the heart by a fecret Voice
through the Operation of the Spirit in the
Work of Regeneration. So that for per-
fons to affirm, That eled dying Infants
are not capable of hearing the Voice of
Chrift, and of being taught of God, is to
refle<ft difhonour upon Chrifts prophetical
Office, and rendering it ufelefs unto them 5
and akb upon Gods Power and Fairhful-
nefs, who hath faid that thty Jl^all all be
taught of Cod,

Thus 1 have given a fatisfacftory Anfwer
to this Objedion aforeiaid of our Oppo-
nents, by clear and genuine Arguments
deduced from the holy Scripture, by which'
.1 have fully proved, That all eled dying
Infants, as well as all the reft of God's
ele<fi:, are taught of God 5 and fo their
Faith Cometh by hearing the Voice of the
Son of God ;, for unlefs God planes an Ear
in the Heart of *an adult perlbn. he cannot
-hear the Voice of Chrift : And if Gcd
doth plant an Ear in the Heart of' a dying
Infant, he fhall hear the Voice of Chrift ;
D 3 and

(78)
and they that hear (hall h've, and Chrift
muft bring them liafe to Glory.

4 Our Opponent faich, it is Believe^
and be hapiz.ed ^ to which 1 thusanfwer,
So it was Bdleve^ and ht vircm'^cifed', for
aihraham l^elieved, and was juflified be-
fore that he and his children were circum-
cifed, Gtn. 15.6. u^nd he helkvcd in the
Lord^ and he counted it to him for righted
oiifncfs.

There was his Juftification in the Righ-
teoufnefs of Chrift through F.^ith, Rom,
3. 4. And after this, himlelf and his Male
children were circumcifed ; for after the
Covenant of Grace was ratified and eflab-
lifhed afrefh with Abraham^ in adding a
Seal or Token unto it, then that man child
that was not circumcifed at eight dayes
old, was to be excommunicated, . and~cuc
off from the People as a Covenant-breaker,
as in Gen. 17. 14. And the Hncircumcifed
7nan-chtld whofe fefi of his foreskin is not .
circumcifed^ that fonl jl^allbd cut off from
his people : he hath b'roken my covenant.

it may be fome will query thus, viz^.
How could a voung Babe of but eight
days old be any way. guilty of breaking
Gods Covenant, feeing he never had adu-
ally and perfonaliy entred into covenant
with him.

To

( 19 )
To which I anlwer as followeth :

1. My Anfweris this, The child was
pafTively guilty thereof through the Pa-
rents neglect, or contempt of the Ordi-
nance J and the fame may be laid now of
Parents that neglecfl or contemn their In-
fants Baptifm ^ which is the modefteft 1
can lay of it, becaufe the children of be-
lieving Parents have the lame Priviledge,
or footing in the Covenant of Grace now,
as theirs then had ; and therefore they have
a Right to all the external Priviledges
thereof, as they had.

2. For a full and convincing Anfwer to
this piece of carnal Reafon, is this. That
God himfelf hath faid it was io : Which
is a fufficient Anfwer, and there need no
more to be faid to it ; for who dare con-
tradi(fi or difpute it ? Gen. 17.14. Hence
we may obferve two things.

1. If Parents negled or contempt in
denying that Ordinance of Circumcifion
to their children when they were but eight
days old, was of fuch an evil confequence
as that thereby the'children broke Gods
Covenant, and incurred Gods Judgment
of. Excommunication.

2. On the other hand, What a blelTed
Priviledge did thofe children enjoy whofe
Parents. were Believers , and complyed

D,.4. with

Mi Ith Gods Ordinance in this refpeffl? What
Friviledge} (you will lay) Why they
were in Gods Covenant with their Parents,
and had the Oracles of God committed un-
to them, Rom ^.1^1.

And thiS may fall as a Rebuke from
Heaven upon all thofe that are*againft In-
fant-baptifm, which is the initiating Seal or
Token of the Covenant,now,as Circumcifi-
cn then wa^^for GodsCovenant is the fame
now for Ibbftance as it then was , though
under another Adminiftration ; and the
Friviiedges of the Covenant are not* di-
minifhed by the coming of Chrift, but
rather enlarged and meliorated, as I fhall
prove by and by : For Chrift did not come
to deftrov,nor diminifb the Covenant, but
to confirm k^ as in Dari* 9. 26, 27.

4 John Baptized all the People by ver-
tue of their Covenant relation to God,
eftablifhed with Jhraham\ for he hdi^tu
zed Jertifakm^ andJWe^, and all the Re-
gion round about Jordan ^ that was,fome
of all Ages and Sex, that came unto him,
or were brought, wlfich did not wilfully
rejeci it^ as it was in Jfraels renewing Co-
venant with God 5 Dent. 29 10-, i?,

32, 13.

5. John^ Baptifm among the Jews was
as exteiifive as his Miniflry ^ for, Conle-

quentlv

,' ♦">

Oi )

quently he is called the Preacher of Bap-
tilm, ^cls 10. which was publifhed
throughout all J^idea , and began from
Galilee after the Baptifm which John
preached.

d. And laftly ; When the Apoftles
turned from the unbelieving Jews to the
elec^ Gemtks^ then if the Head of the
Family believed, and made a profeflion of
the Faith, and was Baptized, the whole
fjoufl-.old were Baptized allp,becatife then
they were grafFed into the Covenant of
Grace who never were in it before, buc
V^QVQ fir angers unto the cove?jmts of fro-
mfe, Eph. 2. II, 12.

From hence we may obferve from the
Apoftles words , that the Covenant of
Grace is rtill the fame for fubftance under
the Difpenfation of theGofpel, as it was
to the Jews under the Mofaicl^ Law, which ■-
the Apoftle calls the ttme fajfed^ln the Text
la ft quoted, at which time the uncircum-
cifed Gemtks were flrangers unto it.

2. It is clear from hence that t\\ej€ws
enjoyed Ch rift in the 5i??<«i- Covenant, be^
caufe it isfaid of the Gentiles^ they were
without Chrifl^ and that beeaufe they wers -
ft rangers to the covenants of fromtfe^ which \
the Jews were in, -

( 8a )

3i We may obferve by the Apoftles
exprefTing himfelf in this manner, that it
was one and the fame Covenant all along,
from the very firft making it vvich j4dam
after the Fall ^ and the realbn is this, be-
caufe it is faid covenants in the phiralj and
fromife in the fingular, vi^. {jhe covenants
cf fromifc^ ] which is to fhew us, that
though the Covenant of Grace palled
through various Diipenfations and Admi-
iiiftrations by God's eftablifhing it with
feveral perfons at feveral times, ( and
therefore called covenants) yet the Cove-
nants had 'one and the fame Promife in.
them all : And what is that Promife ?
Why, it was Chrift, : en, 3, 15. for Godi
gave him to be a Covenant for the People,

4, We may obferve that Chrill: was in-
joyed by the Jews in -this Covenant under
?he Law, and therefore th.Q Gentile shying
llrangers unto it^they wevfi without Chrifl^
zni yjsre^ aliens J ro/n the commQ:^-vpealth of
IfiaeL So that the Covenant of Grace is .
flill the fame as it was then, only with this
digerence, Chrift was then promifed to..
come ^ but now the Promife is fulfilled,
ior Chrift is come ; And the object of their
Faith snd: Hope was the fame, and the.
Means of Grace and Salvation the fame^
though under dtffefent. Adminiftrations,

(' ^3 ;

o; If we were to go into America to
plant the Chriftian Religion among the
Heathen who were altogether Grangers to
the Covenant of Grace, then indeed when
the Head of the Family believed, the
whole Houfhoid ought to be Baptized^ -
elpecially their children ^ for when the
Parents believe, the children are holy in
Gods account, i Cor, 7. 1 4. and that is a
iufficien: qualification for NA^ater-baptifm^ .
maugre all the oppofition our Opponents
can raife again ft this Truth: AEis\6.i^'^
1 5 . Lydia believed, and (lie her felf v/as
Baptized, and all her Houihold.

2. The Jaylour believed alfo, and he -
was Baptized and all his Houfhoid in the
fame hour of the Night, j^^s 16. 29. to >
3 3 . They did not go out of the Houfe to ^
a Pond or River to be Baptized.

3. The Houfhoid of- 5re;?^^;?/^ were al!
Baptized, i Cor. 1. 16. even fo it was;
with Ahraham^ the Head. and Father 0^
the Houfhoid of Jfratl^ at the firft InRl^-
rution of- the Ordinance, of Circumcifion^
which was then the Initiating Seal or To- -
ken of the Covenant of Grace, when ^
Abraham believed his Seed were taken in^ -
to Covenant with him,and he had the To -
ken of the Covenant Adminiitred ...unto- :>
himfelf firS^ c\Rd.' then to ^his Seed alfo.-^

r 84)

They did partake cf the fame Priviledges
with him : Had he che Seal of the Righte-
oufneisof the Faith Adminiitred unto him,
why lb had they ? And lb it was with the
Prolelyted Gcntiies when the parents be-
lieved and were taken into Covenant, and
Circumcifed, their Children were allb ta-
ken into Covenant with them j and Cir-
cumcifed , which is a fufficienr Warrant
for ail Christian believers ro Baptize their
Children ; For they are as much in the
Covenant with their Parents now, as ever
the Jews Children were then ; for the Co-
venant never was broken, becaufe it was
Everlaftingly the fame, though it be un-
der another Ad minid ration. But, faith
our Opponents , *•' None but the Male-
* Children under the Law were Circum-
^ cifed, the Female Seed v/ere not inclu-
^ ded. To which, 1 Anfwer, Firft, If
Circunicifion was a Covenant of Works,
as Mr. B.C. hath confidently affirmed it
was, and the Female Seed not included^
then the Male Children viere oqly in the
Covenantor Works by themfclves , and
the Females only were in the Covenant of
Grace by themfeives ; for all the Females
Seed were in the Everlafting Covenant
which God made v/ith Abraham , that
cannot be denyed.

^:. it is true, the Ordinance of Cirruni-

eiiion

( 85 r

clfionwasAdminiftred to none but theMale-
Cbildren litterally and properly; But ro
A fie rt that the Females were not concer-
ned therein , I utterly deny for thefe
Reaibns, .

I. The Male-Seed bore the Token of
the Covenant in their FleOi, not for ihem-
felves only, but for the Female Seed alio,
as is clear in Gen. 17. And 1 mil Eftahlijh
my Covenant between me and thee^ and thy
Seed after thee in thetr Generations for an
Everlafimg Covenant , to be a God unto
thee^ and to thy Se-ed^after thee^

Now dare any Mart fay that the Female
' Seed oi Abraham were not as much con-
cerned in the Covenant and Priviledges
thereunto belonging, as the Male-Seed
were •, for you iee here is no Exception
madeagainft them in the Terms and Body
of the Covenant : Bur for them^pray mind.
Gen. 17.9,1 1 .HereGod explains theTerms
of the Covenant more particularly, viz..

And God [aid unto Abraham, Thou fh alt
' k§€p my Covenant^ therefore thou and thyt
Seed after thee in their Generations.

God doth not fay, thou, and thy Male-
i feed after thee, but thou, and thy Seed af-
ter thee.^ in their Generations.

This is, my Covenant which ye (hall hep.
between me and you^ and thy Seed after
thee^ Every AUn Child among yopt (hall be

eircumcifed ^ and ye jhall circamcife the
flejh of the Foreskin i and it [hall be a
Token of the Covenant betwixt me and you^
not betwixt God and the Male-Children
only.

2. Circumcifion was a Token of both
Sex, keeping the Covenant ^ for if the
Males had not been Circumcifed, the Fe-
males could not have kept the Covenant %
And if the Females had not been included
in the Ordinance of Circumcifion , then
they ought not to have partaken of the
paffeover, but th^y never were denyed
the Sacrament of the PafTeover ^ Ergo^
they were included with the Male- Seed
in Circumcifion.

3. Circumcifion was a Token be-
tween God and all the Covenant -Seed of
Ahraham^ as well the Female-Seed as the
Male-Seed of their keeping the Covenant,
pray mind the Scope of the Text in thefe
words, VIZ.,

This is my Covenant which ye Jliall keep
hetvoeen me andyoa*

Who were thefe[.ye,^why ^\Ahraham\
Seed,and who are thefe [you,^ that God
commanded to keep his Covenant , and
thcToken thereof?Why they were all the
%^^^ ol lAhraham which God made .the

Cove-

(. 87 )
Covenant wirh both Male and Female.
God did not fay, This is my Covenant
which the Males only fhall keep between
me and you ; But this is my Covenant
which ye (hall keep between meand you,
*■ that is both Sex which God made the
' Covenant with,-and ye (hall Circumcile
' the Fle(h of your Foreskin, and it fhall
^ be a Token of the Covenant betwixt me
' and you, that was both Sex which God
' made the Covenant with ^ And if the
Female had not been included in the
benefit of it, why fliould God com-
mand them as well as the Male-Seed
to keep it, as you fee clearly he dido .
God never laid his People under any Com-
mand, but that their Obedience thereunto
did redound to their own Benefit, as well
as to his Glory.

3.T0 Exclude the Female Sex from being
concerned in the Ordinance of Circumci=
fion, is not to exclude them only from be.
ing in the' Covenant, but from their being
any part of Abrahams Seed : But our Op-
ponents deny this, becaufe they will not
allow that Baptifme came ia the. room
of Circumcifion, thereby to exclude In-
faittsfrQm.Baptifme^ Thougp Mr.i^.C

(88)

did fay in his former Book, that as Cir-
cumcilion was the Door of Entrance into
the Jewijh Church, which was National,
fo Bap'ifm is now the Door of Entrance
into the Goipel-Church , which is Con-
gregational.

4. That very Coveaant which God
made v«/iih Abraham and his Seed is an
Everlafting Covenant which can never
be broken ;, ^nd therefore it doth belong
as much unto Gofpel- Believers and their
Seed now, as ever it did to the Jevos^ and.
theirs under the Law,^(;7j 2.39. Ach 23.;
GaL 3.14. What though the 5eals or To-
kens thereof are changed ,• namely Cir-
cumcifion for Baptiihie, and the PafTeover
for the Lords Supper, yec the Covenant
is the fame for fubftance,/(9r it is an E'ver-
Ufilng Covenant which can never be broken*-
Gen. 17. 7. Pfal. 105.8,9,10. Now
to affirm the contrary of this, \s to cor>-
tradidl God'jS Word and Oath, which is
very dangerous,

5. I pray mind what the Apofile faith,
of Circumcifion, the Apoftle propounded
a Queftion, and anfwered it himfelf^ the
occafion of the, Queflion feems as if there
had been fome difpute or Controverfie.
aiiiong the Jews about Infants Circum-
dfion when the Law was in force J juftas

there

( 89 )
there are fome among us now do about
Infants BapcifiTi ; What Profit or Advan-
tage do young Infants receive in their
Baptilme ^ but let them confider the Apo-
ftles Anfwer to this Queftion of his in
jRom. 3. IVhat u4dvamage then hath the
Jew, or what profit is there of ChcHvici'
far?. Here is the Queftion , the Anfwer
followeth, viz* M^ch every way ; chiefly
hecanfe that unto them were committed the
Oracles of God,

For what if fome did not believe^ jhall
their Vnhtllef make the Faith of God with*
OHt Ejfe^.

1 . In the firft place, What were thofe
Oracles of God that were committed ta
thofe Babes at their Circumcifion.

1,1 humbly conceive thofe Oracles of
God were the PromifesofGod which be-
long unto the Covenant of Grace
Efiablifhed vj\i\i Jihraha?n and his Seed,
and with M;/ejand Jfraelin Sinai.

2. Chriil: is the Great Promife , and
therefore it is called the Covenant of Pro-
mife ^ For by the Faith of God C hrift in
the Promife is convelghfd into the Soul of
an Eledl Perfon in the work of Regenera-
tion:, and this very Promile or Qracie of
God doth now belong unto Believers and

tlieir

( 90 )
their Children, as much as ever it did to
j^hraham andhis^ Jitis, 2. 39.

3. Thefe Oracles of God muft be the
Promiles of God belonging to the Cove*
nant of Grace , becaufe every Man-
child that was not circumcifed at Eight
day*es old 5 was to be Excommunicated,
and cut off from Gods People for a Cove^
nant>Breaker, Gen, 17, 14. And what
muft Adult Perfons be guilty of now in
our days that deny Infant-Baptilhie ?

4. Pray .obferve what the Apoftle faid
concerning his Carnal Relations, who
were Jeipj, in Rom, 9. 3, 4. For I conld
wijh that my fe If were accurfed from Chrifi^
for my hrethreriy my ki^fmen^ according to
thejieJJj,

Here you fee how vehemently he lon-
ged for their Converfion, and then he re-
hearfeth their great Priviledges in thefe fol-
lowing words, 'viz. Whoare Ifraelitesjto
whom partaweth the Jldojtion , and the
Glory^ and the Covenants^ and the giving of
the LaWj and the Service of God ^ and the
Promifes.

Here you fee clearly what thofe Oracles
of God were, which were committed unto
Children in their Circumcifion ; but thofe
were but External Priviledges, for you
fee FanCs Kindred had no faviiig Faith,
when he thus fpake. . 6. And

• C90

6. AndLaftly, God beftows the Grace
of Faith upon all theEIcd^' young and old,
fooner or later before they dye, but upon
noneelfe^ and therefore it is called the
Faith of Gods Eled, and they are called
Heirs of the Grace of Life, i Fet, 3. 7.
For Fairh is the very Life and Being of the
New Creature^ and this is that life which
our Saviour faith in John 10. / am come
thai they might have llfe^ and that they
might have it more abundantly,

2. it feems by the Apoftles words, that
there was another Objedion raifed, which
is this, viz.. If the receiving the Sign of
Circumcifion was a Seal of the Righreoui-
nefs of the Faith of God , how comes it
to pafs that any of thole Perfons which
were thus figned and fealed, could prove
to be Unbelieving Hypocrites, why the
A poftle prevented this cavilling Objection
in that forementioned ^o«^. 3.3. As if the
Apoftle (hould haVe faid, What if fome
did not believe that were thus Signed and
Sealed Externally in their Infancy, but
proved to be Hypocrites and Unbelievers,
when they were Adult Perfons ^ yet that
did not make the Faith of God without
Effect unto others on whom God beftow-
ed it favingly : And the fame may be faid
of Baptifme , Circumcifions SuccefTor ,

which

( pO •

which is now the Sign and 5eal of the Righ-
teoufnefs of the Fanh of Cod^ and fo they
have the Oracles of God committed unro
them in their Baptifme, as the Jews Chil^
dren had in their Circumcifion.

But if it be not a Sealing Ordinance ,
Why do our Opponents themfelves Bap-
tize any in their way. i.- If it be not a
5eal of the Covenan?. then they 5eal to a
Blank as they are pleafed to charge us
with ^ butic is a Seal of the Covenant of
Grace \ and therefore k is not a Blank :
For the Righteoulnefs of Chrift, and the
Faith of God, are the EfTentials of the Co-
venant of Grace; and our Children are
in the fame Covenant with us External-
ly, if not Internally ; And they that do
not believe this, do feal to a Blank.

Now in the next place : For any Per^
fons to affirm, That Dying Infants may
be Juftifyed and Saved without the Grace
of Faith, is to affirm that they may be
Juftifyedand Saved in their Original Sins^
which is impoffible ; becaufe that would
be to tuflifie and Save them in a ftate of,
Sin and Death ; which is a? impoffible, as
it is for Reprobate Angels ro be Juftifyed
and Saved •, for God wiil never juftifie nor
fave any Perfon Old or Young , but them
in whom he worketh Saving Fairh , which

is

V 93 J
is the Grace of Life; for they muft be
made alive unto God, through the Life that
is in Chrift JefuSj which may be fitly com-
pared unto Gods uniting the Soul unto the
Embryo in the Womb ; which is called
quickening ; becaufe at the fame time if
doth produce Life in the Creature, which
the Holy Spirit ajludes unto.

For God in uniting a Sinner unto Chrifl:
through Faith Inftrumentally in the
Womb of Eledion, doth quicken thofe^
who before were dead in TrefpalTes and
Sins, E^h. 2. I. And y 014 hath he cjmk^
n(d who were dead in Trefiajfes and Sins,

5 In the fifth place, I (hall fpeak feme-
thing concerning the Mode of Baptifme.

I . In the nrft place,. Vifible Baptifm
muft be by the Application of Water to
the Subjecfts Baptized.

For the Apoftle faith in Jtis 1047,48.
Can any man forbid Water th^t thofe (r^oald
not he Baptised , which have received the
Holy C hoft as well as we,

Jir7d he commanded them to he Baftiz.ed
in the Name of the Lord^ &c. As if the
A poftle had faid, W ho fhall, or dare for-
bid the bringing and applying Water to
Baptize thole that have received the Ho-
ly Ghoft as. well as we.

2. The

( P4 )

2^ The ApGJHe commanded them to be
Baptized in the Name of the Lord, he did
not command them to go to iuch a River,
or pond of Water to be Baptized in, no,
but to be Baptized.

3 . It may be obje<3ed, That thofe were
all Adult Peribns, and Adual Believers,
for they had received the Holy Ghoft :
But there might be Children belonging un-
to them for all that ; for they are capable
of Receiving the Holy Ghoft as well as
'the Adult ^ as I have iufficiently proved ;
for- they that receive the Graces of the
Spirit, receive the Spirit: Alfo thofe
Believing infants in A4dt.' i%, 3,6. had
received the Holy Ghoft as well as the
Adult Difciples of Chrift : So that by the
Apoftles words it is plain , That Perfons
ought not to be applyed to the Water n\
Baptifme, but the Water is to be applyed
unto them, But where is Dipping then ?

2, 1 here is not one Example or Sha-
dow for Dipping in Baptifme in all the
Ceremonial Law, neither on the other
hand is there any one External Antitype
in the New Tefv anient Ordinances for all
thofe Sprinklings, Pourings and Wafhings
with Blood and W'ater^ under the Old
Teftament Difpenfation;But that Heaven-
fy thing, namely the Ordinance of Water-.

Baptifm,

( 95 ^
Baptifme, //e^, to* i. and C^^p8.5. pray
obi'erve two things.

I . There was Iprinkling under the Law
pradiced, * •

2 Whereas it is commanded by Chrift
to Dilcipie or Baptize all Nations , fo it
is predided that Chrift would fprinkle
many Nations.

Ifa, 40. 15. So (hall he fyrinkle many
Nations ^ &c. That is, Baptize many Na-
tions : ^n^ when the Jews are converted^
then they jhall be Baftiudy* .Ez,eh^. 36. 25.
Then will I fprinkle clean water upon you^
and yoH jhall be clean from all your filthy-
nefs^^c. 26. y^ new heart alfo will J five
yOH^ and a new Spirit will I pHt within yoH^
and I will take away the (iony heart ont of
yonr Flepj^ and I will give you an heart
of Flejh.

Here you fee Gods Promife torhejeirx
is, Thar he will fprink'e clean Water
upon them, and they Oiall be clean. God
hath not fard that he will dip them in
clean Water, and they fhal! be clean :
Here the Initiating Seal, and the Covenant
boch are promifed to the Jews at their
Converfion.

4. Thefe fprinklings under the Old
Teftament, and Water- Baptifme under
the New , do both point at one and the

fame

r 96 )

fame thing namely, the Internal Sprink-
ling of the Blood of Chrift, and Renew-
ing by the Holy Ghoft in the heart of an
EJid: dinner, which is the Baptifme by
the Holy Ghoft, and with Fire , even as
Circumcifion of the Flefh, did fignifie Cir-
cumcifion of the Heart, which is the pow-
erful Operation and working of the Holy
Spirit in the Converfion of a finner to
God.

5. I (hajl prove thatthefe Teremonies
under the Law.were Typical Repreienta-
tions of Gofpel Ordinances, Heb. 8. 4, 5.
For t^' he were on Earthy (that is Chrift)
he fljonld not he a Prisfi ; feei?7g that there
are Priejts that offer Gifts according to
the LaWy who ferve unto the Exar/ifle and
Shadow of Heavenly things^ as Alofes rp^f
jid^wnilhed of God^ when he was about to
make the Tabernacle ; for fee^ faith he^
that thou make all things according to the
pattern fluwed to thee in the Mount . Here
are feveral things which come under our
cottfideration from this Textof Scripture.

I The firft is this , namely , How
hard and difficult a Task the Apoftle h^d
to bring thole Jews that had embraced the
Chriftian Religion off from relying upon
their Abolifhed Ceremonies.

2. All

r 97 )

2. All thofe. Ceremonies and Sacrifices
were PJitreriis and Examples ot Gofpel-
Ordinatjces.

3. And laflly , We ought not to do
any thing in poinc of Divine Worllnp. but
what mull be according to Gods own in-
ftirucion, the Exprels Command of God
being thus, viz.. For fee that thou makj^ all
thmgs according to the Pattern Jliewed to
thee in the Mount. There muft be Divine
Sanation upon it. i

2. The Second Scripture is in Heh \q.
For the Law having ajhadow ofgoodthirigs
to come , and not the very huage of r;;e
thirgs.

3. The third and laft ^^criprure I fhall
make ule of at this time is in Colof 2. Let
no man therefore judge yoH in meat or in
drinky or in refpett of an Holy day^ or of
the New Moons ^ or of the Sabbath days ^
which are a (hadow of thir/js to come^ but
the Body is 'chrifl. Hence we may ob-
{trvQy That all thofe Ceremonies and Sa=
crifices which were then Gods Ordinan-
ces under the Mofaick Law, wxre Exam-
ples and Shadows of good things to come,
and not the very Image of the things, the
Ceremonial Ordinances were but Shadows
of Chrift, but the GolpelrOrdinances are
the very Image of Chrid ^ The Apoftle

E alludes

r 98 )

alludes to the Shadow of a Man which gi-
veth but a dark, obfcure reprefeiitation of
him, but the very Image of a Man giveth
a true reprefentatioa of his very Fea-
tures.

' 2. The Apoftle hath explained what
thefe Ceremonies and Sacrifices which
v/ere their Ordinances did then point at j
and alfo thofe things which were then to
come, viz,, the Gofpel-Ordinances, the
Ordinances under the Law pointed unto
Chrift through the Gofpel ; for he is the
Body or Subftance of them all ; for though
they pointed unto Gofpel-Ordinances, yet
through them unto Chrift the Body,

5, If Sprinkling under the Old Tefta^
ment-Difpenfation was not an Example or
Shadow of Water- Baprifme under the
New Teftament , and reprelented the
fame thing as fprinkling under the L aw
did J namely, Regeneration and 5and^ifi-
cation by the Death and Spirit of Chrift,
then I defire our Opponents to tell us
what External Ordinance of the Gofpel- -
fprinkling was an Example and .- hadow
of; for it is fo plainly proved, that Sprink-
ling was a Typical Reprefentation of fome
Gofpel- Ordinance, as that it cannot be de-
nyed.

6, Our

(99)

6. Our Opponents affirm, That Bap-
thme muft be by Dipping the whole Body
under Water,' becaufe we muft be Buried
with Chrift in Baptifme ; which afRrma-
tion they ground upon the Apoftles words
in Rom, 6. Know ye not ^ that fo many of
us ^s were Baftiz^ed into Chrift^ were iap-
tiz,ed into his Death,

Therefore we are buried with him by Bap-
tifme Hnto JDeath^ that like m Chrift wa4
raifed itp from the Dead by the Glory of
the Father^ eiien [owe alfo flwdd ivalf^in
newnefs of life.

For if we have been planted together in
the likenefs of his death^ we fiall be alfo
in the likenefs of his RefHrretlion^ knowing
this J that OHroldmanis crHcifiedvoithhim^
that the body of Sin might be deflroyed^ that
henceforth we JJoonld not ferve Sin^ for he
that is dead is freed from Sin,

Here I muft make ibme Reflexions on
thele Scriptures, and alio upon our Oppo-
nents plea for Dipping.

I . If this being buried with Chrift in
Baptifme, is to be underftood lirterally,
and not metaphorically, as they will have
it to be, then they muft lye*as long under
Water in their Baptifme, as Jona4 lay \n
the Whales Belly,which was the true fign
ofChrifts lying in the Grave in his own
bloody Baptifme. E 2 2. The

r ICO )

2. The Apoflle was not Treating about
the mode of Bsptiime, but ofihe fignifica-.
tion thereof^ by which, he (hewed the
Blefled Effects of the Bloody Eaptifme of
Chi ift in the 5ouIs of all that are or (hall
be Regenerated, of which Wearer Bap-
tifine is but the5ign-, For as Chrift dyed
for fin J fo we muft die unto fin.

5. AsChrift's Body was crucifyed, lb
ue mud crucifie the Flefli with the Lufts
thereof, which is to deftroy the Body of
fin, or crucifie the old Man.

4.. Andlaftly, When the body of fin
is crucifyed and deflroyed, it muft be bu
ried with Chrift ^ for when the Old Man
IS buried with Chrift , the New Man ri-
feth with him, without which theiecan
be no likenels unto Chii/ls Death and
Rerurre(ftion :; and when we are raifed
^'kh hi r>, wefhall walk with him in New-
ijef*? of Life, that is, Eternal Life is then
begun in the Soul which will Center in
Glory with God the Father

And this is all reprefenred unto us in
the Sacrament of Water- Baptifme, and
Avhen we are thus dead to fm , we are
for ever freecf from fin ; that is, from the
Tyrannical Power and Dominion of Tin,
and from the Condemnation thereof;
though we are not freed from the Inbeing

of

( loi ;

of fiOj nor (hall we during this Natural
Life

.2. For a funher Illaftration, Let us
compare *^cripture wirh Scripture; for
the Apoftle alcribes the fanje thing to Cir-
cumcifion, as he doth to Bapriirne, where
he rpeaks again of being buried with Chrift
in Baprifme, in Co/o/ 2.9, 10, i 1, 12,13.
For tn him dwelieth all the fulnefs of the
Godhead bodily

And ye are cowflete In him^ which is the
Head of all Prifjcipality and Power,

In whom alfo ye are circumcifed with the
circHmcifion made wUhont hands ^ In pit^trg
off the Body of the fins of the Fkjh^ />y t::s
CircHmcifion of Chrifi hurkd wit'o A.: j^
Baptifme^ wherein alfo yon are ^■' ^
himy through the Faith of the o-.
Cody who hath ral fed him from the iji ^.,

AndyoH being dead tn your fins ^ ana -;
uncirc timet fion of yom-feflj^ hath he c.mch
fted together with him^ having forgiven yon
all trtfpajfes,

I pray you, '^ell us, What all this
doth amount unto in favour of your Prin-
ciples and Pracftice, with a refpeft to the
Mode of Baptifme from the Apoftles words
in thefe two Texts of Scripture ^ viz..
Rom. 6' and Colof 2. that you fhould from
hence draw a conclufion, that Dipping of
E 3 plunging

( loi )

plunging is the only Infallible Mode of
Baptilme, whereas it may as well be con-
cluded from hence. That Dipping was the
Mode of Circumcifion, becaufe the Apoftle
hath conjoyned both thefe figns and feals
of the Covenant of Grace together by way
pf allufion to lUuilrate the things they fig-
nifyed, namely, Regeneration, Jiift;fica-
tion, San(fiification, and Eterj:ial Salvation,
which is Circumcifion of the Heart, and
Baptifmeof the Holy Ghoft, and by Fire,
which is one and the fame thing , and
were purchafed by our Redeemer , God
over all, BlefTed for ever ; and are the
Blefled Fruits and EfTeds of his Death ,
Burial, and Refurreftion : Thus you fee
thefe Scriptures leave you as they found
you, with a refped to the Mode of Bap-
tifme ; for they minifter no relief unto
your Principles, but rather make againft
it, becaufe that Circumcifion and Baptifm
are joyned together, as both reprefenting
one and the fame thing ; which is that,
that your Principle does not like, nor by
any means allow.

3. Here is another Scripture to corro-
borate that; which I have faid, touching
the Mode of Baptifme, i Pet. 3. ' When
* once the long-fufFering of God waited
^ in the days of Noah^ while the Ark was

^ pre.

C 103 )

* a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight

* Souls were laved by Water.

' The like Figure whereunto, Bap-

* tifme doth alfo now lave us,not the put-
' ting away of the filth of the fielh, but

* the anfwer of a good Confcience to-
' wards God, by the Refurf ecftion of Jefus
Chrift.

Here are two things enveloped and
folded up in thefe words.

Firft, As Noahs Temporal Prefervation
and Deliverance in and by the Ark, was
Typical of Eternal Life and Salvation by
Jefus Chrift the Ark of God's Covenant,
even fo is Baptifme alfo.

Secondly , None are Eternally faved
by, nor for their being Baptized. For
External Holinefswill not give a Right to
Eternal Salvation, no, nor Foederal Holi-
nefs neither , though Inherent Holynefs
doth : Pray mind the Apoilles words ^ For,
faith he. The like Fignre wherenmo , even
JBaptifme doth alfo now fnve hs ; not the pit-
ting away the filth of the Flejh • There is
External Holynefs , bnt the anfmer of a
good Covfcknce towards God^ by the Refur-
region of Jejus Chrift , there is Internal
Holynefs*

3. Temporal Salvations and Deliveran-
ces are not a furefign of Eternal Salvation,
£ 4 nos^

( ^04 ;

nor External Purification , or putting away
the filth of the Flefh without Internal
Heart' Purification by theRefurrecfllcu of
jefus Chrift ^ of which Noah's Preferva-
non was a lively Type and true Sign.
^nd Water- Baptirme is no more.
4. What Analogy is there between A/c^/Zs
Prefervation and Dipping for Baptiihie ;
for the Holy Ghoft faith, that Baptifine
maketh the like Figure unto it :

To which Queftion I anfwer in the Ne-
gative, There is none at all ; for it isal-
(ogerher Incongruous :> but it makes a true
Figure of Gods Wrath on the Old World,
for they were all immeried and drowned.

5. And laflly, What Analogy or Con-
gruity is there between Nualrs Preferva-
tion and Sprinkling in Baptifme: To which
) anfwer in the affirmative, viz,. There is
a fweet harmonious agreement between
them : For Sprinkling in Baptifme is the
like Figure.

I, As Noah and his Familys preferva-
tion, in the tiine of the llniverlal Deftru-
d\ionby the Flood, was a Mark and To-
ken of Gods diftinguifln'ng I ove and Gface
unto them above all the reft of the World:
Even fo is W^ater Baptifme now to all true
GtTridian Believers and their Children,
which is the Figure thereof j aMarky atid

Token

( 'OS )

Token of Gods diftinguiiliing Love and
Grace above all other perlbns in the
\\ crld ^ for baprilhie is an External Sea-
ling the Name of God upon them, where-
by they are Externally received into the
Family of Chrift : For whofo jl?all receive
one fnch little Child in ChrtjPs Name , re-
ceizes Chrift hirt^felf^ Mat. i8.

2. As Noah and his Fatr.ily were all in the
Ark, even fo believers, and all their Chil-
dren are in the Covenant, and therefore
they all ought to have the Figure of A^o^/?'s
prtfervation adminifired unto them, viz..
VA'ater-Baptifme, (and that by Iprinkling)
otherwife, it cannot anfwer to the Figure
o^'Nodrs prefervation ; for neither he, nor
any of his Family went over Board into the
Water and were Baptized, but they were
fprinkled with the Rain from Heaven ,
and with Water that did fly over into the
Ark by the beating of the Waves againft
it, even as it doth againft a Ships- fides in a
ftorm at Sea, by which the JVlariners are
often fprinkled ♦, but if any are Dipped
in the Sea, they are commonly Drowned,

3. And Laftly, As the Waters in Mer-
cy bore up the Ark, and faved Nofih and
his Family, fo in Judgment it drowned all
the World befides : For the Text faith
that Noah was faved by Water, unto

£ 5 which

( ie6 )

^vhichBaptifme is annexed: So that Bap.
tifme is by fprinkling or pouring Water
upon the SubjeA Baptized.

4.When the Scribes and Pharifees came
to our 5aviour Chrift, defiring to fee a
fign from him, but he told them , That
there JhoMld he no fign gvven to it^ but the
fign of the Prophet Jonas ^ ' For as Jonas
wa^ three days and three nights in the
Whales Belly J fo fljould the Son of Man be
three days and three nights in the heart of
the Earth,

Our Saviour did not direft them to the
Mode of Baptifme for a fign of his Death
and Burial^ and lying Three Days and
Three Nights in the heart of the Earth,
yet our Opponents will have Dipping for
Baptifme to be the fign thereof; but our
Saviour laid, That no fign fuoddbe given
to it J &c. He did not fay .^ no fign (hould
be given to them , but no fign fhould be
given to it, but that ofjona^ : Neither da
we find that Difpenfationof yo;7^j's lying
Three Days and Three Nights in the
Whales Pelly any where quoted in the
NewTeftament as a Sign or Figure of Bap-
tifme^but we do ofNoi^h in the time of the
Flood, I Pet. 3.20,21. and alfo in that
Difrenfarion of C ods Deliverance of his
People ojt of ex^^yp/ , when they pafied

through

through the Red Sea, i Cor. to. i, 2-
It Teeins very ftrange, That feeing that
Difpeofation of 7o;7^'s lying Three Days
and Three Nights in the Whales Belly,,
was fuch a Splendent Sign or Figure of
Chriil's Death and Burial ^ if Dipping for
Baptifmebe fo too, that there (hould be rm
notice taken thereof in that refpedl, but
our Saviour Chrill's Anfwer to the Ca-
veiling Scribes and Pharifees doth fuffici-
ently confute the aforefaid Mode of Bap^
tifme. «

5. Water-Baptifmeis an outward vili-
ble Sign of the Internal Myfterious Work
and Operation of the Holy Spirit in Rege-
neration, Renovation, and SandlificatioHj^,
by the Blood of Sprinkling j for without
ihedding of Blood there could be no Re-
miflion of Sins.

6. Andlaftly, I will appeal to any Im^
partial Perfon whatfoever to judges, which
of thefetwo Modesin Bapiifme is moft
agreeable, andmaketh the Trueft Figure
or Sign of Sprinkling the Blood of Chriftj^
which is the Blood of the Covenant, whe-
ther Dipping or Sprinkling; Hecaufe thisr
namelefs Gentleman that lent me the Let-
ter and Book hath charged we with wreft-
ing the Scriptures v ^caufe I affirmed^
tha£ iprinkling under the LaWp was Ty-

£ical\

( io8 )
pica! of Sprinkling in BaptiGne under the
New Dilpenlknon of the uofpel •, For
iprinkling under the Law did fignifie the
very fame thing as Baptifriie now doth
under the Goipel : Pray mind what Mofts
laid, and did under the Law , which is
quoted by the Apoftlein the Ne.v Tefta-
ment. \, In txol 24. 8. And Mojes
took the Blood and fprir'kled »t on the peo-
ple '^ -and /aid ^ Bihbla the Blood of the
Ciivermnr which -the Lord hath made ^vith
yon c Of? (e-mng all the fe words. ' '' -

Here are leveral things flow froin this
Old Teitament Text,

T . 1 he Finl is this , Tha t Mofes ap-
plyed the Blood of the.Covenant to the
p€^p e by fpripkling it upon them , he
did not apply tf^^ People to the Blood of
the Covenant, bv dipping them into it.

2. Here were the fame fort of Subje<fls
fprinkled by A^fofes^ 35 they were, which
j^o.'T? Baptized ; namely, oods Covenant-
People the Jews, iMen, Women, and Chil-
dren : For as A^fofes fprinkled all the Peo-
ple, {ojohn baptized all the People.

5. Though that Blood which Mofes
fprinkled on the People in it felf was but
the blood of a ^eaft, yet, Reprelenta-
rr.ely andSacramentaliy in Gods Account
u v;us the bleed of the Covenant, that is,

the

( 109 )
the Blood of Chrift as the Eread and Wine
in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, is
the ^ody ofChrift/orGod appointed that
to be an External fign of the Iprinkhng
of the. blood Oi Chriil under the Law, as
i?apciime now is under the Gofpel, fothac
it was their apt it me.

4 The Apofties quoted this in Exod.
24. 8. Firft the Apoftle5t. PW quoted it
in Htb. 9 19,20. For when Aiofes had
fpqhn every precept to all the People accor*
king to th€ Law ^ he too\ the Blood of Calves
arid of Goats with water and fear let wool \
and hyjfop^ and fpr'inkled both the Book and
all the People ; faying-, This is the blood of
the. Tefl'arnent which God h'ath injoynedmto

r. Here is both Water and Flood, and
Chrift came by Water and Blood, i John
5. 6' therefore that Covenant in Exod.
24 8. was the Covenant of Grace, though
it was the Sinai Covenant, and is the fame
Believers and their Children are now in.

2. Here is the very fame Phrale or
Manner of Speech uled for Mojes's fprink-
ling, as is for Johns Baptifme, namely,
all the people \ therefore John^s Baptifme
was as Extenfive under the Gofpel, as
Adofess fprinkling was under the Law, and
fo it is to this day ; it was to all the Peo-
ple

r iro)

pie then which were in Cofenant , and
their Seed, and to none elfe.

Pray look back upon that in Heh, 9. 1 3^
14. For if the Blood of B nils, and of Com s,^
ffrinkling the unclean^ fandtpeth to thefu--
rifykigoftheFleJb.

How mmh more jl^all the Blood ofChrifif.
who through the Eternal Spirit^ offered him*
felf wlthoHt fpot to Godj purge your Con*
fciences from dead works, to [erve the living
Cod.

Pray take notice of the difference that
is between Mofes s fpr inkling , and the
fprinklingwitk the Blood of Chrift.

I . Mofes the Servant of God fprinkled
all the People with the blood of the Cove-
nant J but it was but the Blood of Beafts,.
and it was only Externally j it fan£lifyed
to the purifying of the Flefh, it did not
reach their Confciences; for many of
thofe People that were thus fprinkled,
were not faved,

2,. But Chrift the Son of God fprinkleth
all the Eled of God Internally with his
own Blocd;, of which Mofes i\\t Servant
of God s Sprinkling was but an Exrernat
Typical Sign , as Water^Baptifme now
is.

3. All that are, have been, or may be
Baptixed, may notbefaved ,, bur all that

(nt)

are, or have been, or (hall be fprinkled
with the Blood of Chrift Iniernally, are fa-
ved with an Everlafting Salvation: For
they are, and ihall all be baptized with
the Holy Ghoft and with Fire.

4. ThcApoftleSt, Ferer likewife fpea-
king of fprinkling with the Blood of Chrift,
hath joyned Eledion and the Blood of
Chrift together : In the i Pet.i. 2. Elect
according to the fore-knowledge of God the
Father^ through fan^ifieation of the Spirit
unto obedience^ and ffrinkHng of the Blood
of Jefpu Chrift y &c.

Thus I have brought the Type to the
Antitype, namely, our Lord Jefus Chrift,
who was given for a Covenant of the Peo-
ple,and was held forth in all thofe Ceremo-
nial Sprinklings and Wafhings, and Sacri-
fices under the Law ^ and Bapttfme repre-
fents the fame things in which there is
Sprinkling, W afhing and Sacrifice : For
by Water- Baptifme we do Dedicate, and
folemnly Offer up our Children through
Chrift by Faith, unto God • from whom
we received them.

5. And Laftly, Our Saviour Chrift cal-
led his own Sufferings his Baptifme, in
Lnke 12. 50. which was the grand thing
that thofe Sprinklings and Sacrifices, c^c.
under the Law did then ftgnifie : And al-

( Hi )

fo that /?aptiime doth now fignifie under
the New Mpenfation of the Golpel .•
O.ur Saviour Chrift iaith,in Minh.26. tor
thti 16 mj,Bloo49/ith€Nevc>TeJf4/?icrnfW,hkh
is jloed I or many y for thtremifjion of f,ns.

For as in Chrift^s lufferings his blood
was (hed for ail the tledi, io all ihe Eledt
were vertuajly iprinkled and lan^ified by
it, bur the V were nor Dipped into ir. -

Now^ in the next place, 1 (liall Ihew
the incongruity th^t there is between
Iprinkling the blood of Chrifl , and dip-
ping for baptilme

1. In the firfl place, There is no man-
ner of congruity or agreement between
fprinkhng the blood of Chrift, and dipping
for Baptifme; for the fcrmer is applyed tp
the Subjed, but the Subject is applyed to
that in the latter.

2. Sprinkling in baptifme is a proper
Sign and 1 oken of God s Covenant L ove
and Grace, and lb is not Dipping ; for the

Mercy-leat was Iprinkled with the blood
of the Covenant, m L£vn. 16. And he
jhalltak^ of the blood of thtBHllock and fprin-
kleitwith his finger upon the Alircy-Sejit*

Which blood is called the blood of the
Covenant, in Exod. 24 8.

Here we may obierve, That it was not
the quantity of blood which-wasfprink -
.led, that fantfliryed the Mercy -Seat, but

the

( ri3 )
the quality ; it is nor laid that the Mercy-
Seat was Dipped into the blood of the Co-
venant ; no, but it was a little blood fprink-
ied with the Finger; and the fame is as
True and Authentick of Sandification by
Water- Baptifme.

, As likewiie in the cafe of Chrift's wa(h-
ing his Dilciples Feet, in John 1 3 . Stmvn
Ft ter faith unto him , thou jh alt never vpajh
my Feet*

Jefus arjfiveredhim^ If I tpajlj thee not^
thoH hafi no part with we,

Simon Peter faith untohim^ Lord^ not my
feet only^ but alfo my handa^ and my head.

Jefus faith unto him-, He that is x^ajhed^
needeth not fave to wajh his feet^ but is
dean every whit ; ^tnd ye are ckan^ but r,ot
all. So in fprinkling t)Je Mercy feat it was
fufficient, though but with a little blood
on the Finger : And fo baptifme, A little
Water fprinkled on the Subje(ft baptized
isfufficient,

2. In the fecond place, as I have pro-
ved that rprinkh'ng is a fign or token of
<^^od's Love and Grace, fo on the other
hand, Ifhal] prove, that Dipping is a fign
or token of Gods \\ rath and Ven-
geance, by Three Infallible In/lances.

I. The firft is this, namely, the old
ungodly World *, they were all Dipt and

Drowned

( i»4 )

Drowned in Gods Wrath and fore Difplea-
fure in the Deluge of Water, when Noah
and his Family were only fprinkled and
faved by Water, which was the like Fi-
gure unto i?aptirme ., but if Dipping for
^aptiime be the IVlode, then thole that
were deftroyed and drowned, made the
truefi: Figure unto ^aptifme.

2. Proud Pharaoh and all his Mighty
Hoft in their hot purfuir after Ifmel into
the Red Sea. were all dipt aud drowned in
Gods Wrath and Vengeance, when Gods
Ifrael pa0ed on fafely, and were all ^ap-
ti^ed in the Cloud, and in the Sea by
fprinkling ^ for they were neither dipped
in the Cloud, nor in the Sea, i Cor. ic. t,2.
Rut there never were any Peribns deftroy-
edby fprinkling in ^aptifixJe, but what
there have been by dipping for: ^aptifme,
I know not ; Tome have affirmed that there
have been fome that have catcht their
Death by it.

3. The third and lad Inftance is this,
when our Saviour Chrifl doth come to de-
ftroy Antichrift, and fet up his Kingdom
in the World, which I believe is very near,
even at the door. He will come eloathed
with a Veftu re dipped in Blood, Rev, 19,

Thus I have made it out, thatiprink-
ling is a fign or token of Gods Covenant-
Love and Grace to all Eleft Sinners; and

proved

(115)
proved alfo that ^aptilme is by applying
Warer to the Subjeds ii'aptized by fpnnk-
ling or pouring , and not by applying the
Subjeds Bapcized to the Water by Dip-
ping , the former being of Divine Infti-
tution,but the latter a Humane Invention :
So much for the Mo*de of Baptifme.
Have lately perufed a Book written by

Mr. jH. C o(Waffwg^ in Anfwer unto a
5ermon or Two preached by that Worthy
Divine, Ur.FMence^ late Paftor of a Con-
gregation mWaffing^is Text was vnjiBs
2.39.He Treated from thence concerning
the Covenant God Eftabljfhed mth'^hm-r
ham and his Seed, and with Jfrael upon
MoHnt Simi ; in which Book 1 find many
unwarrantable ftrange Pofitions, and very
Bold Attempts made by the Authour there-
of, upon the Covenant of Grace ; there-
fore I fhall lay down fome of the chiefeft
of his Arguments, and Reply unto them,

Had it not pleafed the Lord to have ta-
ken Mr. M. to himfelf , he would have
given him a humbling Aniwer , and iuffi:
ciently confuted him : But however, fee-
ing he is gone, and I am here, I fhall in
honour to Gods Covenant- Truths, and in
memory to Worthy Mr. M offer fome-~
thing by way of Anfwer unto it inftead of
a better hand.

I. Firft, I (hall begin with that Argu-.

mene

(,16)

ment of his in pag. 7. where he argueth
thus, vi2^. The Promife w the Text cannot
be the Abrahamical Covenant to him and
his Carnal Seed tn their fuccejfive Genera-
tions from Ifaac ; Cod w 04 not only a God
to their immediate feecl^ bat to their remote
feed: Mark^^ if God doth tah thy inime-
diiite Child wto Covenant^ 06 thopt art a Be-
liever J then yoH mnft conclude he mil be a
God to yoi'ir remote Generations, For this
u his Covenant rvii h /\braham, and he wade
it good for many hundred years to their fuc^
c^jfive Generations^ till that Covenant was
broken^, and totally expired ; and until that^
the Covenant flood fafi with the Infants
of the Vngodly ^ oi well as with thofe of
Godly Parents % fo that the Promife in the
Text cannot be theCovenant with Abraham,
btcanfe it doth not extend to fuccejfive Ge-
nerations,

I. He faith the Promife in the Text
cannot be the Abrahamical Covenant to
him and his Carnal Seed, and his reafon
for it is, becaufe, that Covenant was to
him and his Seed in their fuccefTive Gene-
rations from Ifaac.

Pray mind the Promife \n Act. 2. 39.
Tor the Promife i^ unto yon ^ and to your
Children^ &ic Pray what are Children,
but a Mans luccelTive Generations : Here

you

('117 )
you lee the main reafon of your point is
unhinged at firfl dafh ^ for a Mans Chil-
dren are his i'ucceflive Generations, and
the Promiie is to them and their C hildren.

2. That the CovenatJt God made with
' ^braha/77^^;hem^de iz good^ (laiihhe)
' for many hundred years to their fuc-
ceflive Generations ; and then it was bro-
ken, and totally expired

To which 1 Aniwer, Firft, In the Ge-
neral, and Secondly, more particularly.

I, In the C eneral • This is all Repug-
nant and Foreign ro the Sacred 5cripture ,
for that knoweth no luch diftindlion nor
period of the Covenant God made and
Eftab!i(hed v.'\t\\ Abraham ^ Jjaac ^^ and
Jacob '^ therefore this is a grofs miftake
of his : For firll of all, God hath not on-
ly laid, but alfo iworn to it. That, that
very Covenant is an Everlailing. Cove-
.nant^ and therefore it could never be bro*
ken, nor totally expired, as he hath con-
fidently affirmed it was ; Pray behold the
Texts, and wonder at this Authours con-
fidence; Firft, mGen. 17.7. A7id I uill
e/fabltjh my Covetn^ra hetxc-nn mc and thte^
and thy fttd after thee in their Generations^
for a-n EverUflir.g Covenant^ to he a Cod
to thety and to tliy Seed after thee,

i admire this Authour doth nor quore

the

(nS)
the Text, and lay it down fairly at large,
as it is in the Scripture ; but the reafon of
which, I conceive is, becaufe hehathfet
bounds and limits to the Covenant ; and
the Scripture hath fetnone, but on the
contrary, hath declared it tobe,an Ever-
lading Covenant.

2- God faith, and hath fworn unto it too,
That his Covenant which he made with
Ahraham^ Jfaac^ Jacob^ and J frael^ is to
a Thoufand Generations, and for ever ;
Pfal. 105. O ye feed of Abraham^ hisfer-
vam t ye 1 children of Jacob , his chofen*^
he is the Lord our God^ his JHdgments are
in all the Earth »

He hath remembred his Covenant for
ever J the word which he commanded to a
thoHJand Generations.

Which Covenant he made with Abraham^
and his Oath unto Jfaac.

And confirmed the fame unto Jacob for a
Law^ and to Jfrael for an Everlafiing CO"
venant.

And pray read /y^/. 89.2,3? and 29,
to 34.

Here you fee is Gods Word and alfo
his Oath, that Abraham's Covenant is
Everlafting , and he will not break it ;
therefore it could never be broken, nor
totally expired,

2. More

( 119 )

2. More particularly : God had a
Covenant of Grace ever fince the Fall of
Adam^ and alfo a People in it , and ever
will have, io long as the World (lands ;
and to put it beyond the Law of Mofes^
God hath commanded it to a Thoufand
Generations, which is throughout all Ages
and Generations of the World, to the end
thereof: 2. All thofe that endeavour to
make it (horter than God hath commanded
it to be , are guilty of breaking this his
Command,and alio of making God a 1 yar.

3. For 111 u ft rat ions fake, Let us fee
how many Generations there were from
Abraham sd^-^ ^ in which the Covenant
was Eftablifhed to the coming of Chrift in
the Flefh ; which we have the account of
in Mdtth. I. 17 So aU the Generations
from Abraham te David are fourteen Gene^
rations ^ and from David mtil the carrying
away into Babylon are fourteen Generations^
and from the carryirig away into Babylon
unto Chrift are fourteen Generations,

' So that here are but Forty and Two
Generations from the" time of Gods
Eftablifhing his Covenant with Ahra.-
ham unto the coming .of Chrift in the
Flefh, which was about 1 907 Years, and
God commanded it to a Thoufand
Generations- that is beyond all time,

and

( I20 )

and it was Ratified by Gods Sacred Word
and Oarh ^ nay, this very Covenant was
Goufirmed b/ the Death and Blood of
Chrift, which is the Blood of the Ever-
lafting Covenant , Da/j. 9. 26, 27. y^r^d
/ifttr thntfcore and two weeh Jljall Mejjiah
■he cut of)

hit not for himfdf^ &c.

AndhejhaU confirm the Covenant with
tnany for one week^ &c.

..It is the Blood of the Everlafting Cove-
.nant which God made with Abraham^ and
aUb with Moles^ of which the Sprinkling
of that Blod by A^ofes on the People was
Typical , in Exod. 24. 8. And Mofa
took the Blood and fprinlcjed it on the
Feopk , and faid , Behold^ ^ the Blood
■of the Covenant,^ which the Lord hath made
with you concerning all thcfe words* And
there is the Book of the Covenant in the
verle before. 1 hus you fee 1 have pro-
ved the ^^r^/j^wic^/ Covenant, as he cal-
leth it, to be an Everlafting Covenant/rom
the Holy Word of God : Now, whofhall
we believe ? Shall we believe God that
cannot lie •, that hath faid, and altbfworn.
That the Covenant which he Eftablifhed
with Abraham^ Ifaac^ Jacohy zndlfrael^
is an Everlafting Covenant, and to a T hou-
fand Generations, and can never be bro-
ken. Or

. lii )

Or Mr. Hercules Collins^ who faith ^
It woi for many hundred years , and was
broken and totally expired ', judge all ye
faithful Servants of the Lord , rvho are
yoHr felves in this very Covenant with God^
and God with you.

2. 5akhhe, in page 12. The Covenant
of Circumcifion hath only Temporal Bleffings
promifed in it , therefore it could not he a
Covenant of Grace^ &c.

To which I thus Reply,

I . God irade over himfelf unto Ahra-
ham^ and to his Seed after him, to be their
God in Chrift in that very Covenant, and
Circumcifion was but a Seal or Token of
the Covenant, and not the Covenant it
felf J as inG'f;?. 17. 1 1. jind ye fliall cir-
cumcife the flefi of your foresh^riy and it
jJjall be a token of the Covenant betwixt me
afid you,

Thofe are Gods own words, by which
it doth not at all appear to be the Cove-
nant, but only a Token of it .- Mind the
Apoftles words in Ro/n, 4. And he recei-
ved the fign of CircHmcifion^ a Seal of the
Righteoufnefs of the Faith ^ That was a
fign of the Circumcifion of the heart ; as
Water-Baptifmeis a fign of Chrift s Bap-
tifme by the Holy Ghoft, and with. Fire.

F But

( ^^^ )

But how this Authour can make Gr-
cumcifion to be the Covenant it lelf , as it
is paft my skill to determine, fo I am fure
it is paft his to demonftrate : Sometimes
he will have it to be a Covenant of pecu-
liarity , and fometimes a Covenant of
Works ; But in this Argument it is a Co-
venant of Circumcifion .* I perceive he is
for having it to be any thing, but that
which Cod really made it for j namely,
the Everlafting Covenant.
a.Can there be a more Gracious Promife,
than this found out in all the Whole Book
of God; namely, for God to make over
himfelf to be a Peoples God, and the God
of their 5eed in an Everlafting Covenant,
I challenge all the Anti-Covenanters to
produce it if they can : And is this but a
Temporal BlefTing, think ye ; What doth
God give us a Shell inftead of the Kernel ?
What though they had Temporal BlefTings'
given in vi^ith this Blefting of all BlefTings,
viz,, the Land ofCaf^aan^&c. Have not
we now in the time of the Gofpel Tem-
poral BlefTings promifed equivalent to that
of Canaan, if not exceeding \t : As in
Jldatth, 5. I'ut feekye firfi the Kingdom of
Cody and his Eight e oufne fs ^ and all thejh
things Ji^^lUe addtduhto yon.

Pray

( ^2. )

Pray Note, Ic is Gods Righteoufnefs,
and at Gods difpofal, and not Mans, until
it be made over unto him with God in the
' Covenant, at a Sinners Converfion.

All thefe things, namely Food and Rai-
ment, and all other Temporal Blef-
fings that God lees meet and needful for
us, (hall be given unto us, Pfal. 84 i f.

2. In I Tim. 4. faith the Apoftle
thereyGoMinefs is profitable nnto allthw^s^
having Fromife of the Life that now is^ and
of that which is to come.

Godlinefs is profitable unto all things :
^ Why ? Becaufe that maketh all things
profitable unto us.

2. Becaufe with Godlinefs all Tempo-
ral Blellings, as '*vell as other Difpenfaticns
of God, are enjoyed Vv^ith the Bleffing of
God upon them.

3. Godlinefs is great Gain, becaufe all
things (hall work together for their good.

Again the i\poftle faith, m Rom, 8. 3 2.
He that [pared not his own Son^ hut delive*
red him Hf for Hs all^ how fh all he not with
him alfo freely give us all things.

4. Hence we may obferve the good af-
furance that God hath given us of all thefe
Temporal Eleffings, and Outward Enjoy-
ments that God fees needful and conveni-
ent for uSjif Godly, cho' never fopoor,they

F 2 ihall

( ^u )

Ihall have enough to bear their Expences
through this World, and that is fufficient ;
for his Portion is in the Heavenly Canaan :
What laich Daz^U in PfaL^^.i^^2$They
d^all not he a jlmmedin-thc evil time : And m

'c days of famine they jhall be fatisfied,
I have been yonngy and now am old^ yet
^:ave I notfeen the righteous forfaken^ nor
ins feed begging bread,

I. Theie temporal Bleflings and outward
Enjoyments are promifed conditionally and
comparatively.

I. if yon feek fir ft the Kingdom of God
and his Righteoufneis, you iliall have all
ihefeTemporal Bleflings and Outward En-
joyments that are needful and conve
nienc for you in a Covenant way , Spiced
sndPerfUi^ed with the Love of God ; and
thus no Wicked Man in the World enjoys
them: For Gods Covenant-People enjoys
them under a Blefling • but Wicked, Car-
nal Sinners enjoy them under a Gurfe:
Aial, 2.r,2. J will even fend a Cmfe nfon
yoiiy and I will cmfe your Bleffings^ yea^
I have curfed them already.

2. This BleiTed Promife of Chrift is
to take us off from anxious finful cares
about the things of this Life, and to be
leek ing after the Durable Riches that are
in him , as if he (liculd have faid, Do you

think

( 125 )
think that your Heavenly Father, that t3-
Heth care to feed the Fowles of the Air,
and to clothe the Lillies of the Field, Wi'1
he not much more provide for you of his
own Family, will he feed his Birds, and
ftarve his Children -^and this Chrifl makes
ule of as an Argument to ftirus up to this
Great Duty , viz.. Of firft feeking the
Kingdom of God and his Righceoufnef?,
and then he hath promifed that all thele
things fhall be added unto us.

2. Thefe Bleflings are joyned unto
Godlynefs to a Child of God, though with
aCurfeto the Wicked: For the former
have thePromifeofthe Life that now is,
and alfo of that v/hich is to come

But it may be objeded, ihat thefe
things are promifed conditionally : It is
true, they are; but, the Condition is very
eafie ; for we fhall have them for asking ;
for God hath promifed to give his Spirit to
them that ask him ; nay, he hath faid in
Rom, to. I woi found of them that fought
mt not^ I iVits made ?na>^ifefi mno the/n that
asked mt after t?te. But why then doth
Cod prefcribeCondirions, feeing we are
not able to perform them : For we know
not how to pray, but a& the Spirit it felf
helpeth us to pray ; Why, God hath noc
lofl his Power and Prerogative in requiring
F 3 and

( 12<5 )

and commanding it, though we have loft
our Power and Ability in -performance :
God commar4ds us to Circumcife, and to
make our khes new hearts ; But Gcd hath
promifed to do it for us, God commands
m to leek firft the Kingdom of
God 5 but he nm(i. firft fet it up in
lis; Nay, he haih promifed to do ky
TfaL 84. The Lor d^- will give Grace and
i'lory : ihere is the Kingdom of God, and
ihe Rigbteoufnefs thereof in that Prcmiie;
No good tlmg will he ivit behold from them
chat livs itfrtghtly : There is a promife of
Tt'mporal good things.and it is Chrift that
performs the Conditions for all the Eledh

3. AndLaltly, Ihefe Temporal Blef-
fcgs are given to us in fuch a way and
manner, as never -was exprefTed , either
unto Abraham ov Mcfcs ; for cur Tempo-
ral Blefijngs are reckoned among the Blef'0
fings pure ha led by Chrift, in AW/. 8. 32.
/3't rkat /pared twt his own Sori^ hut delive-'
red him uf for us all^ how fudl he not with
htm alfo freely give vu all things.

Therefore Mr. H. C. may as well fay.
That the Gofpel-Covenant , that is, the
fame Ahraharn was in ^ which Eehevers
ir^ now in, is a Covenant of Works-, be-

i;!e there are Tem.poral Eledings and
outward Enjoyments promifed, as to

make

r 127)

make the fame thing an Argument to
prove that : That Covenant was a Cove-
nant of Works, which God Eftablifhed
with Jhrfiham and A^ofes : Thus you fee
what this Covenant of Circumcifion , as
he will have it, affords him in favour^ of
his Opinion, which is even nothing at all.
4. Saith this Authour , in /?^/. 11.

* Juftification doth not belong to the Co*

* venant of Circumcifion ; Ergo^ The Co-
'• venant of Circumcifion is not the Cove-

* nant of Grace : The antecedent appears

* from Rom. 4. 9, 10, 11,12, Here the

* A poftle oppofeth one to the other, and

* tells them. That Jlbraham was accoun-

* ted, 2L Believer^ and Righteous , not in

* Circumcifion, but in Uncircumcifion ,

* and therefore they had no caufe to toad ^

* as \^ Abraham hud been Juftifyed by the

* Law of Circumcifion , or a Law of

* Works : No, faich the Apoftle, it was

* before he v/as Circumcifed, and he re-
' ceived the Sign of Circumcifioji, a Seal

* of the Righteoufnefs of his Faith, which
^ he had being yet uncircumcifed^

pray mind, for he hath perverted 4he
Text to bring his Marks to bear ; For^
faith he, A Seal of the Rig' teoufnefs of
(His) Faich, which he had, &c. This is
3uft as he perverted the words of the Pro-
F 4. . mife

( t2S ;

niife in this Text, which he here contro-
verts about ; viz.. Where he faid, C^^his]
Proniife,inftead of [the] Promife : So here
Chis") Faith infteadof Qhe] Faith,as if this
Seal had been peculiar to ^Abraham's Faith
only : But the Apoftle faith in the Text
Mr./y.C.quotes5namely^^o;;^.4,i i.jindhe
rtceived the Sign of Circnmcifion a Seal of
the Right eonfnefs of the Faith : Not his Faith
There is a vaft difference between the
fenfe of the words, viz.. His Faith, and
The Faith ; The former is reftri<ft and pe-
culiar , but the latter is Extenfive and
more General: And here followerfi his
building upon this Sandy Foundation, viz..
*■ And pray obferve, faith he, That Cir^

* cumcifion was a Seal only to his Perfonal

* Faith, and not to Infants that have no

* Faith : And this Seal was, that he might

* be the Father of all thatbeh'eve, though

* not circumcifed, and that Righteoufnefs

* and Life might be Imputed where Faith

* was,th0ugh no Circumcifion,which obli-

* ged them to a Law of Works for Life.
To which I Anfwer in the firft place, I

obferve. That this Authour is very ready
upon all feeming occafions to exclude all
young Infants from any Intereftin, or fa-
ving Benefit by the Covenant of Grace.
But now I think on t , He hath contra-

difted

( 129 )
dided himfelf as to his former Way and
Merhod which he prelcribed for the faving
^ of Dying Infants without Faith, by the

* imputation of the Righteoufnefs and
' Blood of Chrift unto them, that Righ-
' teoufnels and Life might be imputed

* where Faith was , and not to Infants

* that have no Faith .• So that here he hath
excluded Infants from the Imputation of
ChrilVs Righteoufnefs and Life , which in
his Firft 13ook, he allowed them to be fa-
ved by, without Faith.

For, faith he, Circumcifion was a Seal
only to his Perlbnal Faith, and not to In-
fants that have no Faith; that Righteouf-
nefs and life might be Imputed whereFaith
was,and not to Infants that have no Faith.

2. He hath Reflrifted Circumcifion to
be a Seal to Abrahams Faith only .* And
this \s part of the Fruit of his (tiling it, A
Seal of the Righteoufnefs of his Faith, in-
ftead of the Faith. ; fo that in his account
God inftituted an Ordinance to no pur-
pofe, and Ere^ed and made a Seal tofeal
Blanks with, only Abraham himfelf ex-
cepted : * For faith he, vIt:.. Pray ob-

* ferve. That Circumcifion was a Seal

* only to his Perfonal Faith, and not to

* Infants that have no Faith. Pray were
not Infants principally concerned in that
Ordinance or Sacrament of Circumcifion^

. F S Had

( ISO )

Had not all the Jews Male Children this
Seal miniftred unto them, or fetupon them
ateii;htdays old.

So that firft he hath contradided God
that made the Covenant, and inftituted the
Seal thereof : 2. He hath perverted the
Apoftles words. 3. He hath contradi<fted
himfelf in his former Method jof laving dy-
ing Infants. 4, And laftly , He hath ex-
cluded all Dying Infants from Eternal
Life and Salvation by the Imputation of
the Righteoufnefsof Chrift through Faith ;
for without Faith they cannot be Juftified,
Regenerated, nor Sandified ; and if fo,
then they cannot bemademeecto partake
of the Inheritance with the Saints in Light ^
and if fo, then they all mufl: be damned<,
ff they dye in their Infancy ; from which
Dodtrine', Good Lord deliver us.
3. He infmnates that Circumcifion obliged
Perfons to keep the-vvholeLaw of Works
for Life and juftincation : To which I an-
fwerinthe firil place.

I. That the Bond of Chriftianity doth
oblige every True Chriftian , as well as
others, to a ftrict Obedience to the.Moral
Law for a Rule of Life ^ even- as much as
ever the Ordinance of Circumcifion did
when it was in ufe and being : For it. was
never appointed by God for Life and Ju-
fiification 5 but for a Sign and Seal of the

Righ.

C 131^}

Righteoufnels of the Faith, which is cal-
led the Faith of God , Rofn. 4. i, 2, 3.
where the Apoille highly commended the
Priviledge and Advantage of Circumcifion,
when it was in ufeand force, therefore ic
obliged them no more to the Law of W orks
for Life and Juftification, then Baptiime
DOW doth, which came in the room there-
of, and is now the Seal of the Covenant or
Righteoufnefs of the Faith : Pray tell me
one thing: Doth our Gofpel give any
more toileration for Swearing, Curfing^
Lying, Whoreing , Sabbath breaking,
Drunkennefs, Thieving, Coufening, Chea-
ting, Murder, and the like Sins now then
the Law did when Cireumcifion was in
force ^ (no furej for the Gofpel requires
as ftrid Obedience unto the Moral Law
as ever it did in A^ofts time ^ there is the
very fame reafon for it now, as there was
then 'j and what is that you will fay?
Why, Becaufe C od requires it ^ as I (hall
prove by and by from ourSaviours words,,
to the Young Man in rhe Gofpel

3. Lifeand juftification was never En-
tailed upon their Obedience under the
Aiofaick^ Law, no more than it is now un-
der the Hofpel , but on the A^ive and
Paffive Obedience of Chrift, who fulfilled
all Righteoufnefs for all the EIe<fl:, and

wrought

( 131 )
wrought out a perfed Perfdnal Righte-
oulnei's for all Gods Elect, Rom, 833,34.
Whofijall lay any thing to the charge of Gods
Ele^y it is God that j aft ifieth.

Who is he that condemneth^ it is Chrift
that dyedf yea^ rather that is rifen again ^
who is at the right hand of c od^ who alfo
?nakith Imerceffion for us.

Who is he that condemneth ? Why the
Law Condemneth and Curfeth too \ Ay,
but Chrift hath ftopt the Mouth of that,
and redeenfied us from :he Curfe of ir,
GaL 3. 13,

4. If Circumcifion was a Covenant of
Works, t\\Qu .Abraham vj^s in a Cove-
nant of Grace, and after that, in a Cove-
nant of Works \ for he Believed and was
Juftifyed before he was Circumcifed , nay,
he was in the Covenant of Grace, and the
Covenant of Works both at once, which
is ablbrd ^ being impoflible.

5. God never made a Covenant with
any Perfon, but that the Perfon himfelf
was in that Covenant when he made it with
him ; for when God made the Covenant of
Works with Adam^Q was in it,and when
he made the Covenant of Grace v/ith him,
put him into that. Now for Abraham
to be in the Covenant of Grace and of
Works both at once, is inconfiftent ^ nei;

ther

( 133 )

ther was Abraham judftifyed for his Cir-
cumcifion, nor for his Works, Rom, 4.
For if Abraham vrere jiiftifyed by workj^
he hath whereof to glory ^ but not before God.

For what faith the Scripture , Abraham
believed Godj ar/d it was counted to him for
RighteoHfnefs : There came in his Juftifica-
rion at that Door, not by Works, but by
Faith in our Lord Jefus chrift.

6. I find this Authour grofly miftaken
about the Covenants.

I . He takeih Circumcifion it felf, which
was only a Token or Seal gf the Covenant
of Grace, to be a Covenant of Works ;
whereas he himlelf faith, it was a Seal of
the Righteoufnefs of his Faith , that was
Abrahams Faith only ^ fas he will have it)
now if the Scripture had faid it had been
a 8eal of the Righteoufnefs of the Works
of the I.aw, inftead of the Faith, as the
Apoftle faith , then Circumcifion might
have probably been a Covenant of Works^
but pray mind the Scripture, in Rom. 1 1 .5.
And if by Grace ^ then is it no more of
IVorks^ otherwife Grace is no more Grace ^
hit if it be of Worksy then is it no more
Grace^ otherwife Work^is no more Work*

Here you fee the Apoftle hath put it be-
yond all Difpute or Controverfie^For Ju-
ftification unto Life, muft be of Grace, or

of

of Works ; there is no Medium between
thefe two; and if it be of Works, then
Grace is become i^fofacio^ null and void %
but it is evident by that the deeds of the
Law no Flefh can be juftifyed in the fight
of God, How then did Circumcifion oblige
them to a Law of Works for Life \ the
Law is a Rule of Life, but yet it is not a
Life-giving Rule ; it is laid, the juft fhall
live by his Faith; but it is no where faid,
That the juft fhail live by his Works ;
For neither the Moral I. aw, nor the Cere-
monial were ever intended to make null
and void the Grace of God ; but they both
were fubfervient unto it, GaL 3. 21, 24.
Is the Law then a^ainft the pyomifeofGodj
God forbid ; For if there had been a Lmv
given which could have given Life ; verily
Right eo ufncfs flioM have been by the Law,

' W^herefore the Law wa^ oar School-
mafler to bring hs unto Chrifi-^ that we might
be JHJlifyed,

And the Ceremonial Law, thofe Sacrifi-
ces, Ceremonies, and the like , were all
Types and Shadows of Chrift, our great
High Prieft, and of all Gofpel-Ordinances j
for Chrift was the lubflance of them all ,
Colof 2. 17.

2. He taketh th6 Covenant of Grace for
the Covenant of P<«demption ; now all
that have been or may be in the Covenant

of

«

( 135 )

of Grace, and enjoy all the External Prl-.
viledges thereof, may not be faved • but
all that are in the Cove/iant of Redemp-
tion fliall be Eternally laved.

I. All that have been, or that may be
in the Covenant of Grace, may not be la-
ved ^ as for inftance ^ VicOiy in /Uatth 8.
11^ 12. u^'^jd I fay unto yoUy That m^ny
{hail come from the Ea.fi ^^nd Weft^, andjhall
jit down with Ahrahamj and IJaac ^ and
Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,

But the children of the Kingdom jiull be
caft oat into outer darkiiefs , there Jhail be
weeping and gnajhmg of Teeth. And in
Rom. II. 17. ^nd iffome of the Bran*
ches be broken off^ and thou being a wild
Olive -Tree ^ ivert grafted in among fl them^
and with them fart ake ft of the Root and Fat-
nefs of the Oltve-Tree.

2. ' All that ever were or are in the Co-
enant of Redemption fhall be Eternally
faved, becaufe they are all Eleded by God
the Father, and given unto Jefus Chrift
to redeem, and he will lofe none of them j
for none (hall pluck them out of his hand,
and he will raile them up at the lad day,
John 17. and John 6. ^11 that the Father
giveth me^ fljall come to me\ It is not faid,
they will come, but, they fliall (ome to
Chrift) and him that comthtome<f I will In
m wife a aft out. 3. The

( '36 )

3- The Covenant of Redemption was
made between God the Father , and the
Son from all Eternity j and there was no
Sin in Chrift, therefore it was not made
for him, though it was made with him;
but it was for all his Seed that was in
him, Pf. 89. 28, 29. My Mercy will I
keep for him for evermore^ and my Cove-
nii''7t jhalljland fafi with him.

His Seed alfo will J make to endure for
ever^ and his Throne as the days of Hea-
ven. There can be no falling from True
Grace ; therefore it is laid in Rom, 3. 24.
Being jnflifyed freely by his Grace^ through
the Redemption that is in 'Jefus Chrifi.

4. The Subjed^s of Grace were none of
them in being when this Covenant was
made you fee ; but the Covenant of Grace
was made with Man after the Fall ; for
there was no need of Grace to Man before^^^
but there was when Man had finned andl^^
fell from God, and plunged himfelf and

all his Pofterity into an Eftate of Sin and
Mifery, out of which there could be no
Recovery,but in and through a Redeemero

5. And Laflly, Here is a Scripture that
defcribes both thefe fort of Perfons and
their Stations.

I. Thofe that are in the Covenant of
Grace by External Priviledges only , but

not

( 137)
not in the Covenant of Redemption.

2. Thofe that are in the Covenant of
Grace Internally, and alio in the Covenant
of Redemption Eternally ; which are all
God's Eled ; in the i John 2. ip. They
"Went out from ta^ hut they were not of us \
for if they had been of m^ they would^ no
doubt have continued with us^ but they went
out^ that they might be fnade manifefl that
they were -not all of us.

They abandoned all their Covenant-Pri-
viledges, and defpized their own Mercies,
and Apoftatized from the ways of God,
which they owned and profelTed , and fee.
med to have Embraced ; and thus they
went out from God's People the Church
among the Swine of the World, 2 Pet,
2. 22. But it is hapned unto them according
.to the true Proverb^ The Dog is turned to
^his own z'onnt again j and the Sow that woi
wajhedj to her wallowing in the mire.

There was no faving Change wrought
in them ^ for they were but Externally
wafhed J it was but an outward Reforma-
tion ^ndProfeffion : They retained their
Doggifh, Swinifh Nature ftill ; They
were not begotten and born of God .-
For he that is born of God finneth not :
I John 3. 9. He doth not fo commit
Sin as to Apoftatize totally from God,

though

( 138 )

though Sin be in him , yet k doth not
reign there ; there could be no f uch thing
as an Apoftate in th s lenfe , if there was
not a Covciant of Grace , for a Terlbn that
joyns himfelf to a vrue Church, is in the ^
Covenant of Grace Exrernaiiy , and'
partakerh ofallcne Erfternal Pr.viledfes
thereof ; yet hov/ n'sany luve toi ally fallen
from that high Station, and bee -me vile
and vain in their converiations ^ id fome
have turned lierce Perfecutors .'•* Chrift
and his People^ ard this is to g- t from
us, b.Kaufe they may be mzc mifefl,
that :hey were not all of \:^

3, Bat them which wer^ ' "ove*
nanr of Redemption, reni^.... ^ it^

and kept their Station ; for thty ac not
o.ily in Chrift's hand,, but alO in the haixi
of God the Father, Js/a7 10. ^rrd J ghe
unto them Eiernal Life^ and they jh all ne^
*ver perifij^ neither (ball any fl/ick^ them ont
of my hand.

My Father which gave them me isgrea*
ter than all^ a?td none is able to finely them
out of my F,ithers b^nJ,

Satan Vvirh all his Temptations without
us • nor with all his Black Guard of Lufts
and Corruptions within us ^ nor all the Al-
lurements of the World Tiding with him;
nor all the power of Free Will in Man to
help him : All thefe Potent Enemies in all

their

C 139)

their united Power and Force, fhall never
beabieto pluck one Soul out of the hand
of God in Chrifl-, for though his Grace be
never lb imall and weak, he is In the Co-
venant of Redemption , and Chrift's
ftrength is his to uphold him, and God's
Fear is in his heart, and he (liall never de-
part av;ay from him ; not that he will not
depart away from God, but he fhall not :
Therefore he need not be afraid, for he
fhall perfevere and hold out to the end,
and Arrive fafe in Glory.

4. And laftly, God requires all his Rkd
People at the hands of Chrid, and Chrill
prayed unto the Father for them all 5 and
ali that he prayed for, he came into the
World intentionally to die for , becaufe
they are all in that Eternal Compa(fr and
Ag^rtementthat was between God the Fa-
ther, and Chrift his Son ; For the Counfel
of Peace was between them both, Zech»
6. 13. John 17.

Thus I have proved that Circumcifion
was not the Covenant it [df^ but a Token
or Seal thereof.

2. That it did not oblige any Perfon to
keep the Law of Works for Juftification
and Life ; neither did God ever intend it
for any fuch end or dengn, no more than
he did Baptifme : Indeed, they were obli-
ged

ionl-f.". T°r'"^', "^""^'"^^ Circum-
as a Rule of Life , and fo are we too' • but
not to take up and reft therein , S look
nof„rther, as all them wh.ch are in the
Covenant of W^orks do, and are by Nature
prone to it. y i\<«tuic

prone to it.

For Man naturally would rather go anv

t?rrrfftf'^''"^'^"'^'''^^^^'°"''hafco2
to Chnft for .t : Nayjs it not Chrifts own
cotnplamt^^^^. re rviU not com unto me
yjmghth^ve Life .-But here is a full
proof from Chr.fts own words, That we
are as much obliged to keep the Moral
part of the Law now, as ever Ifrad were
by the Srw Covenant, See Mmh. 19.

Good Mailer What good ting jin.ll I do]
that I may have Eternal Life.

And he [aid hmo hhn. Why calkU thoit
rn§ : !''"■'" "o-^'^IoodU one, that is,

"%[^''^''»ohim, which! Jefu-sfaid,
Thoujhalt dono Murder, ,hou fl'at no coj.
mtAduUery, thou Jl,a!t not JlLl,S^c.

So

( HI )
So that if this was a Covenant of Works
to JJrAely under the Old Teftamenr, then
it is lb now to us under theGofpel : For
you lee, that our Saviour gave as ftri^
Command for the Obedience of it now, as
ever God did to Jfrael in the Swai Cove-
nant : Therefore this Argument of our
Opponents affords no manner of proof in
the lead meafure or degree, that the Sinai
Covenant was a Covenant of Works, and
fo was broken, and totally expired at the-
coming of Chrift in the Flefli.

6. SaithMr. //. C. in pa^e 13 , inAn*
fwer to that Worthy Divine^Mr-F./f/fwe,
who is now in Glory, viz.- ^ But feeing
/- my Opponent requires where God made
*• a r ovenant of Works with his Redee-
' med People fince the Fall , I (hallfhew
' him, that, from abundance of Scripture*
*• A rguments, that Covenant and Miniftra-
' tion w^ich killeth and condemneth, can-
^ not be the Covenant of Grace, butfuch
' the Apoftle makes mention of in 2 Cor. 3.
To which I anfwer , The Apoftle
had been preaching up Juftification
and Salvation by the Righteoulhefs and
Merits of Jefus Chrift through Faith,
and (hewing them the vanity of hoping or
|. expeding Juftification and Salvation by
the deeds of the Law ; and thenefore he

con-

( 142' )

eludes thus, For the latter kjlkth^ bptt the
Spirit giveth life 'y for if the minijiration of
condemnation be Glory, mnch more doth the
minifi ration of Right eoufnefs exceed in
Glory.

The Letter here which the Apoftle
made mention of, is the Moral Law, which
is the Miniftration of Deah to a dinner in
the Covenant of Works : For when God,
by his Spirit in the t olpel fetsnomethe
Law of '.^'orks in i^s rigorous demands
upon the Heart and Confcience of a Sin-
ner, whereb • it fheweth him his IMifera-
ble Lofs and Undone State and Condidon
bv Nature, and the t rnpoflibility of ever
being juftifyed and favedby the deeds of
the Law ; Ths raifeth a Ston;: of Thun-
der and Lightning in his Confcience, and
brings him under a Thick Cloud, which
fills him with -^orrour , Terrour, and .
Trembling Amazement, even as it was
with Jfrael upon Mount Sinai^ ar the gi-
ving forth of the Law ; and while he ly- -
eth thus under Convidion, if it be real
and fincere, then cometh the voice of the
Trumpet exceeding loud ; namely, The
Gofpel, with gtad Tydings of Salvation ;
and fills him with Joy and Peace in Be-
lieving : The Law is fo r Ccnvid^ion, but
the Gofpel is for Converlion: The Law

goeth

I

( '43 ">
goeth before the Gofpel to make way for
ic in the heart of a poor 5inner ; wherefore
if the Law had been broken and totally
expired, where then is the Glory of it,
which the A,roltle Ipeaketh of : For,
faith he. If the minlfirartGn of Condtmna-
tiotJj (rvhich is the Laxv) be G lory ^ much
more doth the Miniji ration of RlghteoHf-
fiefs exceed in Glory.

Thus you fee there is Glory in this very
letter , ihat killeth and condemneth the
poor ( onvicfied dinner, namely* the Law ^
which had it been broken and totally ex-
pired, it had been but a nullity ^ and what
Glory is due to a nullicy ? even none ntall.
But the Gofpel of Rightecufnefs dcrh ex-
ceed in Glory, as much as the voice of
the Trumpet did exceed the voice of
the Thunder at the giving forth of the
Law ! For it is not laid, that the Voice of
the Thunder was exceeding loud; no,
but the Voice of theTrumpec : The for-
mer repreienced [heTerrour of the Law,
and the hiter ihe Grace and Mercy of the
Gofpel J though the Law hach a thundring
loud voice in ir to condemn a inner, yet
the C^ofpel hath a far louder voice of Mer-
cy to lave him : There was a Glory upon
this Miiiiftracion of Death and Condemna-
tion, namely, Conviftionj but much

more

( H4 ) .
more doth the Miniftration of Righteoui-
nels exceed it in Glory, even as much as
Regeneration doth Conticfiion j for in
Convi(^ion the 5inner ftands condemned
by Law in the Court of his own Confci-
ence, but in Regeneration he ftands jufti-
fyed, and Acquitted from all the guilt of
all hiS'Sins, and alio from the Condemna-
tion of the Law in the High Court of Hea-
ven : Eom. 8. There is therefore now no
CondemnAtiOn to them which m e in Chrlft
Jefns.^Q,

Who ^ all lay anything to the charge of
Gods EleBj it is God that jnftifieth^

Who is he that condemneth , it is Chrift
that dyed^ ye^j rather that is rifen again ^
who is even at the right handof Cod^ who
alfo ma^eeh Interceffion for us,

2. The poor 5inners confidence of Life,
and Righteoulhefs by the Law of Works,
is totally deftroyed :^ this letter hath killed
that : And now he lyeth dead at the feet
of Chrift ; he is brought home dead by
the Law to Chrift ^ and fo he continueth
until the voice of the Trumpet, exceeding
loud by the Agency of the5pirit doth come
and quicken him, and raife him from the
dead 5 for he was once alive without the
Law, before his Conviction , while he
expeited Juftification and Life by the

Lawj

r 145 )

Law, but v;hen the Commandment comes,
then Sin revives, and the poor Sinner dieth.
- They muft be dead to the Law ;for whilft
they are wedded to the Law, Chrift will
never marry them, Rom. 7. 4; 9. When
the Law comerh with an irrefidable po-
wer, and fees home Sin upon the Con-
fcience of a Sinner, then all his conceited
vain confidence of his being Juftifyed and
Saved by the Law, vanifiiech like the Mor-
ning Cloud, and Early Dew, all dead and
gone.

3. What was that which the Apoftle
faith was done away, that our Opponent
would fain make fomething on, in favour
of this his Pcfition, why ii was the Cere-
monial Law : For Vv^hen Chrift the Body
and Subftance was come , then all thefe
Types and Shadows. fled away, and was
of no further ule; for the Body which
madethofe Shadows is Chrift, Col. 2. 17.
Heb, 1 0. 1 . For they were all utterly Abo-
lifhed at Chrift's Death and Refurredion ;
for thofe things were nofubftantial part of
the Covenant of Grace ^ for the Scripture
faith, they were hmjhadows of good things to
come ^ the Body is Chrift : All the Cere-
monies before the Law was given upon
Mount 5;W/, and after h va given forth
there, pointed unto Chrift ^ namely Cir-
G cumcifion.

r lA-^ )

cumcifion, the PafTeover-fprinklings with
Blood Altars, Utenfils, Priefts, and Sacri-
fices.did all pourtrav or point unro jelbs
Chrift our High Prieftand Paffeover, who
was iacrificed for us, i Cor. 5. 7. and
Chrift was enjoyed in them all, for hey
were their Typical Gofpel : And as the
Ceremonial Law bore the Image of Chrift
the Mediatour of the Covenant , even fo
theMoral Law beareth the Image of anAb-
folote God ; namely, a Tranfcript of God
abfolutely confidered in himfelf, without
a Mediator or Days- man, who is EfTen-
tially Holy, Juft and Good-, that will by
no means Acqijit the guilty , even fo the
Law is Holy, Juft^ and Good, and will
by no means Acquit a guilty Sinner ; that
is, not in Chrift, no more than God will ;
for God and the LawpafTeth one and the
fame Sentence upon guilty Chriftlefs Sin-
ners.

4. Pray tell us, What is the firR work
that God doth in the Converfion of a Sin-
ner ? Pray look imoHeb, 8. i o. and there
you may fee, 1^;^. / will pit my Lam in-
f) their rnindy and write them in their hearts^
and I mil be to them a God^ and theyjhall be
to me a People,

This is the very Marrow and Quintif-
fence of the Covenant of Grace ; Now

can

( H7 )
can it ever be imagined, that God would
Aboiifli this his Law without us , and yet
write it within us , ef en in our very
hearts ^ this is inconfiftent with the Wii-
dom of God.

5. The Moral Law, (which Mr. fJ. C.
will have to be a Covenant of \Aforks,
and therefore Aboliflied) is as much in ufe
and force now, as ever it was, when it
was given forth at Sinai ; that is , the
Morality of it ; Ay, and it was in ufe and
force before it was delivered unto Jfrael
upon Moimt Si id m all previous Ages of
the World ^ or elfe, Pray why did God
Excommunicate Cain from his prefence for
the breach of the Moral Law \ and like-
wife drown the Old World, and deftroy
Sodom and Gomorah by Fire from Hea-
ven ; why all this was for their difobe-
dience of this very Law.

6. That Man that can perfedly and
perfonally anfwer allthe Laws Demands,
and continually obey all its Commands
Ihall live of it ^ but that is out of the power
of meer Mortal Man, ever fince the Fall of
Adam ; But if he could, he would have no
need of Chrift, nor hisHighteoufnefs to
juftifie and fave him •, but there is no other
name under Heaven given among Men
whereby we muft be laved ^ neither h

G X there

r 14S )

there Salvation in any other, that is, by no
other Way, Means, Power, Authority,
or Appoiatment whatfoever.

7. None were ever Juftifyed and Saved
by their own Peribnal Obedience to the
Law in the time of the Old Teftament ;
and none (hall ever be laved without own-
ing and keeping it as a Rule of Life and
Obedience under the New Teftamenr,
that are adually capable of breaking of
it : Tet in many thwgs we ojftnd ali^ and
when we have ^one all that we can do^we are
hut unfYofit able Servants^ Luke in. 7, 8,
9,10. For when we would do good^ then
ivilis frefent with ns^ Rom. 7. u4nd there
iS not a^nft Man upon Earth that doeth
good and finntth?wt^ Hcclef. y. Iq.

8. The more Holyer and Spiritual any
Perfon is, the more Confcience that Per-
lon maketh of keeping the Moral Law ;
and can this Law be Abolifhed that is
written in their hearts and read in their
lives, think ye: And on the other hand.
Pray who are deeplier guilty of breaking
the Moral Law, than thofe very Perfons
are that exped to be Juftifyed and Saved
by it y as witnefs the [apift, and others :
But a Godly Perfon makes i: his great bu-
finefs to obey the Law : Nay, let me tell
ye, the Spirit of God will never be a wit*

neffing

( 149 J

nefTing Spirit in that Perfon that doth
not make Confcience of keeping the
Moral Law as much as pofTibly he can,,
and is grieved for that wherein he comcth
fhort ot it 5 for nothing hindreth the Spi-
rits bearing Witneis with the Spirit of a
Child of God, that he is a Child of God ;
io much as the Tranfgreflion of the Law of
Cod doth ; for that cauleth the Spirit of
God to withdraw from us, and lufpend
the bearing Witnefs in us , and punifheth
us, Pfal, 80, if his ChiUre-ri forfake my
LaW^ ^ndvpalkjiOt in my Jiidpnents.
If his Children, Whole Children ? Why
thrift sown Covenant-Children, as you
may fee in the foregoing Verles.

// they I break my Statmts, and keep mt
my Commandrt'cnts,

Then mil I vifit their Tranfgrejjlon with
the Rod^ and their Imo^mty with Stripes * ne-
^verthekfs my Lving-kindnifs will I not ut-
terly take from him^ nor f^jfer my fdthful'-
mfs to fall.

My Covenant mil I not hreaj^. nor alter
the thing that is gone oHt of my lips.

He hath pewed thee^ O Man what is
good^ and what doth the Lord thy God re-
quire of thee ^ h-Htto do y^ftly^ love Mercy
and walkj)nmbly with the Lord thy Cod,

G 3 " 9. And

( 150 )

9. And laftly , Chrifi is the end of the
Law for Righteonffiefs to nil that believe.

But how is Chrill: the end of the Law to
them, not \n point of Abolitiion , not to
d? (charge them from their Allegiance,
nor in point of Obedience thereunto, but
>!i point of his Obedience for them j for
he fulfilled all Righteoufnefs for them ,
and them only which God the Father gave
him ^ for Chrifi: did not come to deftroy
the Law, but to fulfil it ; for he obeyed
the Law perfed^ly and perfonally , both
Pi(X\ve and PafTive; by which he made
full fatisfaOion to the offended Juftice of
God for all the Breaches thereof made, or
that ever (hall be made by hischofen pe-
culiar people.

Thus you fee here is no Weight nor
Force in this Argument of Mr. H. C's, to
prove the Sinai Covenant to be a Cove-
nant of Works with his Redeemed Peo-
ple : Therefore I think \t would be in a
manner needlefs to proceed any farther in
giving an Anfwer to the reft of his Argu-
ments, ieeing they are all built upon this
Sandy Foundation which I have already
Razed by the Sacred Scriptures : But
however, now my hand is in, I will pro-
ceed a little further, and fpeak to a few
more of his Arguments.

Z, Saith

r 151 )

2. Saith Mr. //. C, There is a Law «;;-
to which Believers are dead to^ in point of
Jufiification and Life from it ; which can^
mt he the Covenant oj Grace^ but of Works ^
for Saints are not dead unto a Covenant of
Grace.

This Argument is built upon his old
Foundation, which is already judged and
condemned, and utterly deftroyed : I do
affirm that all Believers were as much
dead to that Law in point of obtaining Ju-
ftification and Life from it, under the Old
Teftament,as we are now under the new;
for Old Teftament Saints were no more
alive to the Moral Law of Works in
point of Juftification and Life in the
fight of God , than Believers are now ;
For they were juftifyed and faved in the
fame way, and by the fame means, as all
God's Eledt are now; namely, by the
Righteoufnefs and Merits of our Lord Je-
fus Chrift through Faith Infirumentally ;
for the Morality of the Ten Command-
ments are flill in force, and areftill as
binding now upon Believers as ever they
were unto them, when thev were given
forth upon Mount Sinai ; and our Saviour
faith, that he came not to defiroy the LaWy
hut to fulfil it. But Mr. H,C, faith ta-
citly • and confequentially, That Chrifl
G 4 came

( i5i ;

came to dedroy the law ; for .he affirms.
That the Moral Zaw was a Covenant of
Works in the time of the Mofakh^ Di-
fpenfation ^ and after many Hundred
Years ftanding b was broken, and total-
ly expired ; which muft be by the coming
of Chrid in the Flefh *, for there was no
ipace of time or vacation between the
Sind Covenant and ihQ Coming of Chrift ;
neither was the Church under any other
Difpenfatioiror Difcipltue between thefe
TwoDifpenfatiotis^ therefore h muft be
at the Coming of Chrift.

But 1 would fain have this Authour tell
us, if he can, w hen, or m what Age of the
World it was that Saints were alive unto
theiLawin point of Juftification and iife
from it, or in any one Age of the World,
fince xht Fall , which I am fure he cannot,
then this Argument fignifyeth nothing

3. Saith this Authour, ' ThatCove-

* nant which is repealed for the faultinefs

* of it, becaufe it could not juftifie, but

* was in that point weak through the
' Flefh ; that could not be the Covenant
' of Grace, for that will never beRepea-

* led, it muft be a Covenant of Works.

Now that Mr. H. C. doth count the
Moral Z^aw a Covenant of Works is plain,
in that he faith k was weak through the

Flefh,

C 153 )

Flefli ; therefore let us fee if that be Abo-
lifhed even from that very Text which he
alludes unto, viz.. Roku 8. 3,4. For what
the Law could not do^ %n that it wa4 weak
through the Fleflj^ God fending his own Son^
in the likenefs^of Jtnfhl fleflj ^ and for fin
condemned fm in the fltjh^ that the Right e-
Ohfnefs of the Law might he frlfilled in
Hi^ &c. Here you fee the law was io far
from being Repealed or Abolifhed,that the
Righteoulheis of it was fulfilled, and that
for all the Elecfb of God, as well as before
Chrift came and a^ually dyed.

3. Though Chrift condemned Sin, yet
he never condemned the Law ^ which he
mull have done, ifit had been Repealed:
But hejuftifyed the Law to be Righteous,
Holy and Good ,in that he did not come to
deftroy it or repeal it, but to fulfil it : And
pray mind the fame Apoftles words \nRom»
7. 1 2, 13. Wherefore the Law isFIoly^ and
the Commandment Holy and Jnft and Good,

2. The Law is not w eak,but it is the fiefti
that is weak, and ever hath been fince
jidams Fall ; but the Law in it felf is as
ftrong and powerful now, as ever it was.

Was then that which is Good made Death
itnto mCy God for hid J hat fin that it might
appear fin^ rvorking Death in me ky that
•which is Cood^ that fin hythe Command^
ment might become exceeding finfnL

G 5 So

( IS4)
So that this Argument fignifyeth no
more than any of the former ; for there
was no Covenant of Works made with
Abraham nor Mofes for Juftification and
Life: Rom. Therefore by the deeds of the
Law there fhall be no flejh juftifyed in hit
fight.

Gal, 3. II. Bnt that no man is j lift i-
fyed by the deeds of the Law in the fight of
Cod is evident^ for the Jnft flfalllive by
Faith.

Though he be a Juft Upright Man, yet
he fhal! not live by that ; no, it is his Faith
he mull: live by.

But how did the Saints live in Old Te-
lia ment time ? Why, They did not live by
the Works of the Law : O no, but by
Faith ahb^ as you may fee in fleb: 2,^,
Behold his SohI which is lifted «p, ^ not up-
right in him ; bnt the Juft fhall live by his
Faith,

GaL 3. 18. 21. For if the Inheritance
tame by the LaWy it is no more of Fromife ^
tnt God gave it to Abraham by Promife.

Is the Law then againfl the Fromife s of
Cod J God forbid: for if there had been a
Law given which conld have given Li/e^ ve-
fily Riahteoiifnefs flw^ld have been by the
Law.
Here you fee the Apoftle hath clearly

( 155 ;

demonftrated, that there was never any
Law given for Life and Juftification ; be-
caule he faith ^ If there had been a Law
given, which could have given life, &c^
But it may bequasried thus , Is the Z.aw
of no ufe then ^ to which I will fay, as the
Apcftle faid, God forbid ; for the Lvlw is
as much in ufe and force now, as ever k
was fince theTallof Adam : For the Apo-
ftle iaith, That by the Law is the knowledge
of Sifi^ therefore we conclnde^ that a Man is
jkfiijyed by Faith without the deeds of the
Law : The Law is not to come into the
Bride-Bed of Chrift with Faith in Juftifica-
tion, though it doth help to make the Bed
by Convicftion.

4. Saith this Authour, ' That Law

* which Grace is oppofed unto , muft be

* the Law of Works, Rom. 6. For ye are
rM nndtr the Law^ hut under Gr^ce,

To which I Aniwer, This is a Falfe
Glofs put upon the Text : For Grace doth
not oppofe theLaw,but Eftablifheth it^and
it is of the fame ufe now , as ever it was,
as 1 have already proved : Pray mind
the Scripture, ^0^.3^31. Do we then
make void the Law through Faith^ God
forbid ? Tea , we efiabiiflj the Law.

But how can this be ? For Mr. H, C,

faith, That the Xaw was broken , and

° totally

( i5<^ )
totally expired : ForEftablifhingthe Law,
as the Apoftlefaithj and Breaking the Law,
as Mr. C. I'aith, are oppofite and contra-
di(fiory one to the other ; Now if the Scrip-
ture be true, then Mr. H. Cs Notion is
Falle and Abfurd, but the Scripture is
True J therefore Mr. Cs Notion is faife
and abfurd : Rom.'jWhatfiall we fay then^
is the Lavp Jin j Godforhtd: Nay^ J had
vot k^ovcn fin hm by the Law ^ for J had
not known IhB^ except the. Law had faid^
ThoH (halt not covet »

I Ihail draw fome Inferences from what
the Apoftle hath faid in this Chapter.

1. If Grace be oppofed to the Law,
then the Law is not good • and fo it makes
void the i:aw, to which the Apoftle faith^ ,
God forbid; for Grace oppoieth nothing
but that which is evil.

2. If Grace be oppofed to the Law, then
the Law is Sin, to which the Apoftle alfo
faith, God forbid : For Grace oppofeth
nothing mort than ^'m,

3 . Grace is nor oppofed to the law of ^
Works, as our Authour fuggefts, becaufe *
ilie Law difcovers Sin, and maketh it ap-
pear to be exceeding finfui in the eye of a
poor felf-condemiiing Sinner that lyeth
under Convidion.

4. Giace

C 157 )

4. Grace is not oppofed to the /.aw,
becaule the Law is Spiritual, Rom. 7. 14.

5. The Law doth not hinder the Infu-
fionof Grace into the heart of a Sinner,
nor oppofe his clofing with Chrifl: ; But the
Xaw is a Schoohnafter to bring him to
Chrift, (7^/. 3. 24. therefore Grace is not
oppoied to the Law.

6. Andlaftly, Gra#e is not oppofed to
the Law, becaufe it doth not hinder nor
oppoie that Obedience which is due unto
God that made the Law : Thus you fee
this Notion totally Confuted and De*
ftroyed.

5 Saith Mr. H. C, That Covenant which
faith , Do this and live^ muft he a Cove'
nant of Works ; But the Covenant of Grace
jaith^ Believe^ and live j and he that com-
mands it ^ gives it ^ Heb. 12. 2.

To this I Anfwer; Ihis is true in it
felf ^ and it is what I my felf afTerted in
my Firft Book , in Anfwer to Mr. H, C.
And this is a clear Argument to me, to
prove that Dying Infants mull have Faith,
or they can never be faved ^ for unlefs
they have Faith, they cannot live, but he
that commands it, gives it, Heb, 12. 2.
Therefore , That which ■ he hath been
ftrugling for by al] his Miilaken Argu-
ments and Corrupt Notions j He hath gi-
ven

r 158)

ven away at once, and given it againft his
own avowed Principles, in this one Sen-
tence, viz.. Bat the Covenant of Grace
faith^ Believe and live^ and he th^t com-
mands it^ gives it.

This harh been the Emphafis and Main
Strefsofmy Arguments againft the An-
nabaftifts ^ namely, The Abiblure Ne-
cefficy of the Grace of Faith unto Eternal
Life and Salvation,both of Old and Young:
Nay, Saving Faith, though but in the Ha-
bit, is Eternal Life begun in the Soul : For
there muft be Habits and Principles, be-
fore there can be Adts : There mull be a
Tree before there can be Fruit.

2. There is God's Ability, and alfo his
Promife both of giving and working Faiih
in the Eled. And that is clearly to be
Inferred from the very Text he hath na-
med, Heb.M, 2. And God that commands
it^ giveth it ; For if Gdd had commanded
it, and not given it , they could never
have it.

2. God will fave none but the Living :
They muft be made alive unto God by
that Life that is in Chrift Jefus our Lord ^
for God is not the God of the Dead, but
of the ■ iving; and without Faith with-
out Spiritual Life ; and if fo, then are
they dead in 1 refpafles and Sins ; for

there

( 159 )

there is no Spiritual Life to be acquired,
but in the Covenantof Grace • and that
Mr. //. C^ owns : Therefore Dying In-
fants niuft be in the Covenanr of Grace ^ or
they cannot be faved ^ For hy Nature we
are all Children of IVrath^ and without
Chrifly and Strangers to the Covenants of
Promt fe^ having no hope^ and wlthom God
in the World.

3. He faith, He that commands it y
gives it.

God commands us to believe, but it is
hehimfelfthat giveth the Grace of Faith,
and worketh it in us.

For God is the Amhoiir and the Finiflier
of our Faith., Heb. 12. 2.

Therefore God can give the Grace of
Life to an Infant, and finifh it in him, as
well as unto, and in an Adult Perfon;
And where Saving Faith is infufed, there
are all the reft of the Graces of the Spirit
in conjundion with it , cohabitating in
the Soul.

4. That Covenant which faith, Dotht/s
and live J was that Covenant which God
made with Adam-^ which he was in be-
fore he fell ; that comes broken to all his
Pofterity ^ therefore it was not the Sinai
Covenant ^ for there was no Grace or
Mercy to be found, or hoped for in the

Covenant

( i6o )
Covenant of Works ; for that requireth
asperfeifi, perfonal, and perpetual Obe-
dience, as ever it did of Adam before the
Fall 5 which Man in a Fallen Eftate can ne-
ver .performe ; for that Covenant taketh
no notice of Mans difability to obey it;
therefore God hath laid help upon one that
is Mighty to fave ; namely, the Second
Adam^ our Lord Jelbs Chrift ; But there
was pardoning Grace and Mercy to be had
in the S\nd Covenant, therefore it was a
Covenant of Grace.

I . Is ic not Great Grace for the Moft
High God to dwell with a People, and to
be their God ? Why, it is the very Mar-
row and QuintelTence of the Covenant of
Grace it ielf, in the higheft degree.

Exod, 2p. 45 . And I mil dwell amongfi
the Children oflfraelj and will be their God*

Exod, 34. 6 J 7. And the Lord fajfed
by before him^ and procUimed^ The Lord^
The Lord God ^ Mercifully and Graciofu^
Long'fiijfmng^ and Abnndant in Goodnefs
and Truth,

Keeping Mercy for Thonfands^ forgiving
Iniquity^ and Tranfgrefjlon^ and Sin^ and
that will by no means clear the guilty.

Now can any Covenant of Grace that
ever was made before the Smai Covenant
was made, be fuller of Grace and Mer-
cy

( I^» )

cy than this was ; therefore the SwaiCo-
venant muft be a Covenant of Grace, and
not a Covenant of Works, as Mr. //. C.
would have it to be.

6. Mr. H. C, laith , That Covenant
which was given with Horrour^ Trerrjbling^
and jimaz^ement piyjt he the Covenant .of.
Works • hut fiich xv^vs the Sinai Covenant :
Pray take notice , that here he hath made
the Method which God uled in making the
Sinai Covenant to be the very Foundation
of his Argument, to prove it to be a Cove-
nant of Works : For ^ faith he^ That Cove-
nant which was given with Horrour^ Trem-
hling and Amaz^ement^ muft he the Covenant
of Works ^ hmfnchwas the Sinai Covenant ;
And therefore he concludes that it muft be
a Covenant of Works, without producing
any precedent for it m the leaft meafure
or degree.

I. He ought to have produced fome
precedent, wherein God did ever make a
Covenant of Works in this Nature, name-
ly with Horrour, Trembh'ng, and Amaze-
ment ^ for unlefs he could have given us
fome precedent for it , wherein God ufed
this Method in making a Covenant of
Works, the whole ftrefsof his Argument
is invahd ^ for here is a Conclufion without
any Premifes, a Building without a Foun-
dation

( 162 )

dation : There never was but one Cove,
nant of Works made with Man in this
\\' orld, and that was with Adam before
he fell. Therefore let us fee how that was
made: Pray mind C^ew. 2. And the Lord
God tooli the A.an^ and pit htm into the
Carddn of Eden to drefs Uy and to k^eep it..

And the Lord God commanded the Man^
J^ying^ Of every Tree of the Garden thofi
mayefl freely eat ;

But of the Tret of Knovi>lcdge of Good
andEvily thou jhalt not eat of it\ for in
the day that thon eatefi thereof^ thou jhah
furely die.

Here they might have eaten freely of
every Tree but one , and furely ^\e^ if
they eat of that one : But here was no
Thunder and Lightning ; nor no Hor-
rour, Trembling, and Amazement, at the
making of the Covenant of Works with
Adam in his Eii:ate of Innocency^ for
Adam had no Guilt upon him, therefore
he could have no Horrour in him : Now
had the Covenant of Works been given
forth to Adam^kh Horrour, Trembling,
and Amazement, to ufe his own words,
then he might have made it fome kind of
Argument to have proved the Sinai Cove-
nant to be a Covenant of Works.

2. This Authour hath Affirmed that

Cir-

( i<f3 )
Circumcifion was a Covenant of Works ;
therefore lee us lee for his Arguments
lake^ if that was given forth with Hor-
rour , Trerrjbling , and Amazement in
Cen, 17. 7, 10, II. And I wijl efla^
hliJI) my Cdvtrnvit between me^ and tloee^
And thy [ted after thee-f in their Genera^
tions^ for an Everlafting Covenant^ to be a
God unto thee^ and to thy feed after thee.

This is my Covenant which ye jhall keep
between me and you , and thy feed after
thee^ every Man'child among yon Jl7all be
circHmeifed,

jindye jhall circiimclfe the Fiefo of your
foreskjn^ anditjlja/ibe a Token of the Cove*
nant between me and yon.

Here you fee there was no Horror,
Trembling, nor Amazement in the Efta-
blifhment of this Covenant with Abraham^
which Mr. H. C fallacioufly hath affirmed.
That Circumcifion was a Covenant of
Works, when God faith it was but a To-
ken of the Covenant : And if it had been
a Covenant of Works, then according to
their Principle, none but the Male- Chil-
dren were in it ; for they urge this very
thing as an Argument againft Infants-Bap-
tifme ; for fay they, you ought to Baptize
none but the Male- Children, becaule the
Females were not Circumcifed; But I

have

( iH )

have fufficiently confuted this Abfurdity
already.

2. I will make it appear ro be inconfi-
ftent with the Wifdom and Goodneis of
(Jod to mak^a Covenant of vVorkswirh
Man in his Fallen !i{lare ab.:>ve Two
Thoufand Years after hf? made a Cove-
nant of Grace with Jidarp afrer the Fall,
Gen, 3. 15. For it was folcii.: from Gods
making it witli J.diZrn , un<.-.i ne Eftabli-
(bed the fame with -r^^r.?fcvi , : therefore
the making of Abraham'^s (> t-imnr could
be no prefidenc.

I. If Man could nor keep the Cove-
nant of Works when he was m a perfe^ft
State of Innocency, and Spiritually alive.
How was ic poffible that ever he could
keep it in a ftate of Death and Deprava-
tion ; this would have been infinitely
worle than to make Brick Vv'ichout Straw;
And God is no fuch hard Taskmafter :
For there is not a jnft man upon Earth that
doeth good^ and ftnneth not^ Ecckf 7. 20,
And the leaft fin is an irreparable breach
in a Covenant of Works ; for it knows no
Mediatour whereby fatisfadion might be
made for it ; And is this confident with
the Wifdom and Goodnefs of God , to
make a New Covenant of Works with
Fallen Man , when there was no pofiibili-
ty of his keeping the Old one. 2. They

( ^6'5 ;

2. They mult work for Life and Salva-
tion, when ar the fame time they are
dead in Treipafles and Sins, Eph. 2. 1.
for no Grace, no Spirirual Life j and how
can a Dead Man work ? For the Dead
cannot praile God :; and aM that are in a
Covenant of Works are "^piritisaily Dead j
lb that it is wholly inconfiftent with the
VVifdom and Goodnefs of God, to make
a New Covenant of Works with Man,
when he was not able to keep the Old one.

3. if any are "^aved in a Covenant of
Works, it muft be by a perfonal, perpe-
tual, perfe<ft Obedience to the Moral Law,
by and of themfelves ^ lor the Law of
Works accepts of no farisfadion made by
another, but every Tub muft ftand upon
its own bottom ; nay, that wil] not do
neither ^ for there muft be full fatisfacfiion
made to the offended Juftice of God for
the firft breach of the Covenant of W^orks
by our Firft Parents •, the guilt of which is
imputed to all their Pofterity ^ the guilt of
that Sin muft be Expiated, Removed, and
Taken away, or elle God's Wrath can
never be Appeafed, nor himfelf Reconci-
led unto us; and this can be done no way,
nor by no means, but by and through a
Mediator and Redeemer ; and there can be
no Mediator or Redeemer in a Covenant

of

( 1^6 )

ot Works, becaufe then rhere would be
Two Mediators, vtz^. one to a Covenant
of Works, and another to the Covenant
of Grace ; whereas the Scripture faith.
There is bnt one Mediator between God and
M(^^n^ the Man Chrifi Jefns^ i Tim. 2,
And look into i Cor. 10. 1,2, 3,4. And
there you may fee that Chriil was with
Jfrael : And what was he with them for ?
Why, He was with them as their Media-
tor and P^edeemer.

• Therefore the Sinai Covenant was not
a Covenant of Works, but of Grace ; for a
Covenant of Works hath no Mediator.

4. There is no Repentance nor Pardon
of Sin in a Covenant of Vv'orks , becaufe
that Covenant is without a Days- man, to
lay hands upon both ; namely, upon anof-
endedGod,and offending Man^toA tone and
Reconcile them one to the other in Peace
and Amity : For there is none to fpeak a
good word for a Sinner while he is in the
Covenant of Works, nor minifter any
Relief unto him 5 neither dan fuch Ipeak
for themielves, becaufe they are Spiritu-
ally dead ; and the La w is againft them , for
that condefnns them ; The . aw commands
them to do this and live, and becaule they
cannot obey it, the Law pronouncech Sen-
tence againft them. 2. The Gofpel is

againft

( '^7 ^
againftthem; for that Ibirh, He that he-
Itevethj jhijil he faied^ but he that helieveth
not^ fljail be cirtmtjcd: . nd no perfbn in
a Cover.anc of Works can believe lu'. hrjft
fo long ns he is inthar Covenant. 3. God's
Wrath hangeth ovei their heads, ready to
fall down upon them, and devour them.
4, And laftly, Chrift will never own nor
acknowledge them , but will fay unto
them, Defart f'lOm rne^ all ye workers of
InlqiiUy i?no EverUsfir/g Bti'fiwgs prepared
for the Devil and his u^?7gels : And what a
miferable Cafe and Condition will all thefe
be in ; yet fo it will be with all that \\vt
and die in the Covenant of Works : But
there was pardoning Grace and Mercy for
all Ele(ft Sinners wrapped up in the Sinai
Covenant, as I have proved, and there-
fore it was a Covenant (.f Grace.
' 5 There was never any Sinner what-
foever that was pardoned and acquitted
from the guilt of any one Sin, but by Faith
in the Blood of Ghrift • and this Grace
A^ofes did partake of in the Sinai Cove-
nant : For he was jaftifyed and Saved by
Grace, and fo likewife were all the Old
Teflament Saints before him from Aaams
day, and after Mofes^ to this very day ;
and fo it will be until all Gods Eltdi are
fafe Arrived in Glory, y^i^h 4. i iMeither is

there

r 168 )

tPjere Sahation in any other ; for then is
none other Name under Heoiven given a-
mofig Aie-n^ whereby we mufl befaved.

7/^.45.11. /, evenly ^amtheLord^
and be fide me, thfre is no Saviour,
Heb, 1 1' By Faith Mofes when he was come
to years^ refufid to be called the Son of
Pharaohs Daughter , chnflng rather tofuf"
fer affliUiori with the People of God ^ than to
enjoy the fie afar ey of Sin for afeafon^ ^ft'^C"
ming the Reproach of Chri[t greater Rtches
than the Treafiires of Egypt ^ &c.

By Faith he forfiok ly^gypt^ not fearing
the wrath of the Kmg'^ for he endured^ as
feeing him who is inviftble.

1. It appeareth plainly, That God in
Chrift was the only Objea of Mofes his
Faith and Love j For Faith always vvork-
eth by Love.

2. It is as plain that Chrift was the
Mediator of the Sinai Covenant, which
Mofes and Jfrael were then in ^ for God
in Chrift is not the Objea of Faith and
Love in a Covenant of Works, becaufe
there was no Mediatour belonging unto it
to Aft Faith upon, had it been poflible for
a Man to have it, while he was in that
Covenant . for that Covenant doth not re-
quire believing , but doing : For as the
Covenant of Grace faith, Believe ^andthoti

f^idP

r 1^9 )

fljalt btfaved^ fo the Covenant of Works
laith, Do this^ andlhe : Therefore Faith
is of no ufe in a Covenant of v\ orks ^ but
you fee Mofts had Faith, when he was iw
the Sinai Covenant, in which he lived, and
alfo dyed ^ and he did exercife \\\s Faith
upon its proper Object, namely upon God
in Ghrill: j for a Covenant of Grace knows
no other God j therefore the Sinai Co-
venant was not a Covenant of Works,
but of Grace.

4. Andlaftly We may obferve from
the Text aforefaid, What a great Mea-
fure and Degree of Faith and Self- Deny al
God gave unto /M>/ej,which he never gives
to any, but unto them which are Regene*
rated, and in the Covenant of Grace.

1. By Faith he difdained to be the
Adopted Son of a very great Frincefs : For
he would not fo much as fuffer himfeif to
be called her Son ^ or to be called by her
Name.

2. He defpifed and refufed to be in-
veiled with Worldly Honour, Dignity^
and Grandeur.

3. And laftly , He refufed and contem-
ned Worldly Riches, Profits and Plea-
lures ^ and did freely chule and prefer
Sufferings and Affii<ftions with the People
ofGod before it all j efteeming the Re*

H proach

( I70 ;

proach of thrift greater Riches than all
the Treafures of E<jyvt : .Vfofes preferred
the worft of Chrift before the bett of the
World.

And all this Mofes did by Faith in our
Lord Jefus Chrift , for his lake, atid by
his Spirit ^ for he iuffered and endured all
thofe Temptations and Try lis, as feeing
him by an Eye of Faith, who was invifi-
ble to an Eyeof Senie : For our Saviour
Chrift was yefterday under the Law, to
day under the Gofpel, and forevermore
the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace,
Rev. I 8. I ^m Alpha and Om€ga^ the
Beglmiwg and the Endings faith the Lord^
which is^ afid which was , and which is to
come^ the Ahntghty»

I fa. 44 6. Thus faith the Lord^ the
King of Jfr^el^ and his Redeemer the Lord
of tJofts , / am thcfirfi^ and I am the laji^
and be fides me there is no God,

By the way, take notice, That Chrift
was Ipraels King and Redeemer ; which
I ftiall make further uie of by and by.

6 Chrift was a Lamb f]ain from theFoun-
dation of the World; .hrift was Crucifyed
and Slain reprefentaiively and Myftically,
throughout all Ages of the vvorld, from
Aaam^s Fall to this very day : V Vhat did
all thofe Bloody Sacrifices, and alfo the

pafTeover

( I70

PafTeover, which latter was indltuted in
Mofts time, pourtray and fignifie unto all
the Old Teftatnent Saints, why they ex-
hibited the Crucifixion of our Lord Jefus
Chrift, darkly under a Vail unto them :
For as the Sacrament of the Lords Supper
doth (hew rhat Chrift our PafTeover did
come and was facrificed for us; i^o thofe
Sacrifices did (hew unto them, That Chrift
the Redeemer of the World was to come
in the Flelh, and be offered up a Sacrifice
for Sin.

I . For in thofe Sacrifices, Adam^ Noah^
Abraham^ Mofes^ and ail the Old Tefla-
ment Saints, enjoyed Communion with
Godin aCrucifyed Redeemer, which then
was to come ^ even as Gofpel Believers do
now he is come in the Sacrament of the
Lords Supper ^ For Chrift fuffered in the
time of the Gofpel, for their Sins paft,
which were committed under the Law, as
you may lee in Rom, 3.24,2s' ^^^^^
jiiftifyed freely by his Grace^ through the
Redem-^tion that is in Jefits Chrift , whom
Cod hath fet forth , to be a propitiation
through Faith in his Bloody to declare his
Rightcoupiefs for the Remjfwn of fins that
are pafl through the forbear ante of God.

That was, God did forbear that Debt

which was contracted under the Law, un-

H 2 til

r 172 )

til Chrift came in the Flefh , and adually
paid it'j but they were faved before upon
the credit of L^hrift,

Therefore the Sinai Covenant was not
a Covenant of Works, but of Grace.

7 And Laftly, To what end or pur-
pofe fhould God make a Covenant of
Works with Dead, Carnal Unbelievers,
who never were out of the Old One y
they are all in a Covenant of Works by
Nature, it is their Birth-right^ they were
born unto it : For Reprobates and Hypo-
crites can call nothing their own, ih truely
and properly as they may the Covenant of
Works.

2. For God to make a Covenant of
Works with his Redeemed People (as Mr.
jF/. C. affirmed) who were all in the Co-
venant of Grace by Regeneration, would
be for God to disfranchife and ftrip them
all of the greateft Bleding and Priviledge,
and lay them all under a very great Curfe,
Gal, 3. 10. For as many as are of the
workj of the Law are under a Cmfe ; for it
is written^ Cm fed is every one that continH"
€th not in all things which are written in the
Book of the Law to do them.

The Redeemed of the Lord can never
be turned out of the Covenant of Grace,
when once they are taken into it, though

rotten

( 173 ;

rotten hearted Hypocriresmay, and fhall
be turned out of it ; for they are in it, but
Externally , in outward appearance and
profeffion.

3. This Si?iai Covenant could not be a
Covenant of Works, but a Covenant of
Grace ^ which I fliall prove by an Invin-
cible Argument ; namely, By the Glori-
ous Titles which are given to Chriil irr
the Old Teftament • in ffa. 43. Thm faith
the Lord J yoptr Redeemer^ tbs Holy cm of
Ifra^l.

Here he is called Ifaels Lord, Fvedeb-
mer, and their Hoi v One, Jf<^. ^:\.. Thus
faith the Lord , the King of Ifa^l.^ mid
his Redeemer^ the Lord of Ho f..

Ifi. 33. The Lord is oHr King , he vpili
fa'vt US, '

Chrift is not King of thofe that are in a
Covenant of Works ; for they are fo far
from being his Subje^s , as that they are
his Enemies,

2. They are Satans VafTals and Bond-
flaves ; the Devil Reigns King over them.

3. You fee Chrift is Ryled Ifr^cls Re-
deemer ; and there was no Redeemer to
a Covenant ofWorks,

Thus you fee by Chrift's Titles, that

the Siarii Covenant was a Covenant of

Grace, and not a Covenant of Works, as

H 3 Mr./f.Co

( ^74 )
Mr, JH,C hath confidenrly affirmed that it
was ^ therefore I would advile him to ftu-
dy tRe Myfteries of the Coveiianr better,
and confider of what the Lord hath laid
by his Servant in FfiL 25 14. The fecrtt
of the Lord is with thtm that jtar hm^
and he rviil jherv them his Covenant; And
Jet him reirember that Chriil was Jfraels
Redeemer.

In thelaft place I fhal I produce a few
more Arguments from a better hand than
HTy own, for a full confutation of this
^rofs Error of Mr. //. C.
".Thefiril is this, viz. Adam m fooner
fell from God ont of or^e Covenant^ but God
graiioMJly toak^ him into another ; and that
was a Covenant with Chrifi^ which is mira^
cnloufly wrapped up in that Text^ Gen. 3.
I 5 . ^^nd I Will put Entnity between thee and
the Worn an ^ and between thy feed and her
fced'^ it Ih^Il brttife thy head\ and thou
fhdt brmfe his heel : ' That was, to die
^ for us ; and hence he \s faid to be a Lamb
' flain from the Foundation of the World ^

* becaule then in this Covenant Chrilt was
' foretold and promifed ; Now that Co-
' venant wherein there is a Promife of

* Chrift muft needs be a Covenant of

Grace.

2. Look

C 175)

2. Look further, namely, unto Abr/i-
hum , and lee the Covenanr God made'
with him, in 6'e;;. 17. 7. And I wUl efia-
bltjh my '\ovena.nt h'ttwten mt and thee ^
and thy [ted after thee in their Generations^
for an Ever Lifting Covenant,

' What Covenant this was is very ne*

* cefTary to inquire a little into, and the
' rather, becauie there are fome in our

* day to cut off the Seed of Believers from
^ the Covenant, and from Bapt'ime the
' Seal thereof , deny it to be a Covenant
' of Grace ; In this Covenant Chriil v;as
' promifed to Abraham^ I mil he a God to

* thee^ and to thy feed after thee.

*■ For God is a God to none but to them

* that are in Chrifl: ; for while a Perfon is

* out of Covenant, he is without Chrift ;

* and without Rope, and without God in
^ the World, Eph. 2. u, 12.

' Abraham is (lyled a Believer, Ay, the
' Father of all Believers, Rom, 4, 1 s.
' Andhowcamethat 10 pais? Why, It

* is upon the fole account of the Cove-
^ nant, that he is fo ftyPd, therefore it
' muft be a Covenant of Grace.

2. ' It is faid of this CoMenanf, that it

' was confirmed before of God in Chrifl r-

' The Law which was Four Hundred and

' Thirty-Years after, could not dilanul it:

B4 ^Pray

( 17^ ;

* Pray confider what Covenant the Apoftle

* fpakeof; it was the Covenant made

* with Abraham : Now if this Covenant

* which was made fo long before, and the

* Law could not difanul it, and confirmed

* of God in Chrift, then this mult be a

* Covenant of Grace.

2 ' let us make one ftep further, and

* there I miift pitch my foot, which is

* from Abraham to A ojes time. That

* there v/as a Covenant made with the

* Church is clear, in Exod. 19. 5. Now

* therefore^ If yt mil obey my voice indeed^

* a?j(i hep my Covenant^ then ye Jliall be a
^ fccHliar Trtafure Unto me above all people :
\ for all the Earth is mwe^ Exod. 34. 27.

* Bfift, 4. 23. ■

Now the great queftion will be, what
Covenant this was.

I . Mt could not be a Law that they

* expeded Life from': The Jews did ma-
' ny of them fet up a Legal Righteouf-

* nefs, and refted upon the Works of the

* Law for Life ^ but it was not the In-

* tention of God ^ and this is evident ; in

* that this Covenant was confirmed by

* Blood, Exod. 24. 7, 8. Now this Blood
' Tipifyed the Blood of ChriH:, therefore
^ it could not be a Covenant of Works,

for

C ^77" )•

* for that was never confirmed by ths:

* Blood of Chrifl:

2. ^ If the Sf^iai Covenant had been gi-
' ven as a Covenant of Works, then^ if
' once ir had been broken by any one Sin,
' it had cut olFall Jfrael from any Salva-
' tion by it , becaufe a Covenant of
^ VVorks preiently condemns upon the
*- offence committed ^ for it admits of
' no Repentance, nor no Satisfa(ftion done
^ by another •, but this Covenant had Mer-
*• cy for Sinners in it : There was room
^ for Mercy and Forgivenefs of Sin inthiST/
' Covenant , therefore- it could not be ' a:

* Covenant of VVorks.

^ Let me make it out to ye, Thaf^is".

* Covenant was a Covenant of Grace 9';

* though for the Manner of Adminiftra-^
' tion it much differed from the Cove-
*" nant of Grace now , yet for ibbflance-

* is much the fame ; God did deh'ver thar
*• Covenant upon Mount 5/;7^i, to let then:a-;
*^ fee the , Dreadfuinefs of Sin , and the
' Terrourof the Lawagainfl Sin withour
^ aMediatour y that this v;as the end for
^ which God did it, is plain enough ir.n
^ the Scripture,, the Law Entred, V Vhy ?
' That the offenct might ahoundy Ram, 3,.
*' 20; 6"^/. 3. 19^ 22. They being' IgTior ant:
^- of the Kigbtco^faefs of Chrifi^fopio-ht- txfi

H,5.. f#^j-

( 17? >

* €ftahli(lj their own Righteottpitfs, There-
^ fore God did fo order it, as to flop them

* ail from that, That Men might not have
' any confidence in themielves , but to
' bring theiTJ to Chrift, who is the end of

* the Law for Righteoufnefs to them

* which believe; they were very igno-

* rant of the Mifteryes of Chrift ; there-

* fore God fent them to School to the
^ Law to inftrncft them, GaL 3. 24.

4. *• Pray what is that Relarion the
*; Covenant of Grace fixeth between God

* and us ? Why, It is even this, I will be
* ; to them a Cod^ and they jh^ill be to me a

* People^ Heb. 8. 10. Now you (hall find
*• tbg fame Relation between God and
^ ^/lel of old, in Jer. 1 1. 3, 4.

* How can the Lord be a Covenanting

* God to Sinners, and how can Sinners be
^ a Covenanting People to God, but by

* Faith in Chrift alone , and thus this E-

* vangelical Covenant , you lee, doth
^ prove the Sinai Covenant to be a Co-
' venant of Grace.

5. ^ Do but compare the Preface of the

* giving the Law and the Firft Command
^ together ; and there you will fee it to.

* he a Covenant of C j race, Exod. 16. 2, 3..
^ JDtHt. $. 6, 7. I am the Lord thy God^

vhick hoj^ghj. thee out of the- Land of

* ^gy^h

(•• 119 y

' t^^yp^ifrom the hofift of Bonda^Q^ thou
' [halt have no othtr Gods before me.

*- ^garn, God never made a Covenant
' of V .'orks finre v'an finned and broke
' \ij and I will give ye ieveral Argu-
' meuts to prove it.

' I . Jmmediatelv afrer the Fall God did-
^ Eftabliili the Covenant of Grace, Gen,.
^ 3. 15. where you have a Promife of;
^ Chrift, the Seed of the Woman : Now

* a Covenant of Works, after a Cove-

^ nantof Grace is made is wholly incon-
^ fiftent^ for they are dePtrudiive oneof-
^ another, the Apoftlc fays in Rom. 1 1,6.

2. ' if God did make a Covenant of
^ Grace, and after that, a Covenant of

* Works, then he made it poffible and im*
' pofiible for a Sinnei^to be f aved by a Co-
' venant of Grace : But it is impoffible

* for a Sinner to be faved m a Covenant

* of Works; Now for God to make it
^ pofTible and impoffible, for a Sinner to be
^ faved, is a contradiction, and that is no
' ^ay becoming a God of Mercy ;
' For one faith , Believe^ and thou jhak
' he faved * and the other faith ^

* Do this- , and thou fl)alt Iho ^

* which is to Build up with one,

* hand'^ and pull- down with the other ;
f To offer Pvlercy freely , and then deoy

to give it j To give Life, and then take
it way again.

'3. This is to make the Covenant of
Grace void, which God hath made to
be Everlafting and Sure, and is no more
changeable than the prieilhood of Chriit
IS; which God have laid, Thou art a
Frieftfor ever.

' If God fhould fet up any fuch thing as
a Covenant of Works, it would root
out the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, there-
fore the Smd Covenant could not be a
Covenant of Works.
* 4. A Fourth Argument is, That the-
Law was given in luch a way and man^
ner, as that it plainly appeareth, that
God intended it to be a Covenant of
Grace ^ And thej^ are Two things, if
taken together, will make it appear to-
be fo.: Firft, The Terrible Manner in
which God appeared in giving the Law
upon Mount fe'^/ in Thunder and Light-
ning : .What was the meaning of this,
but that God might convince the People
that they were unable to deal with this
God, arid this Law, without a Mediu-
tor.

Z, This filled them with fuch Fear, as
that they cryed out for a Mediatour be^
tween God and them,, and Mo[t:i was

' the

C iSi )

* the Man, and thus God condefcended .-
' Now Mofes was the Type, and Chrift
^ the/Nntitype, Lent. 18. The Lord thy
Cod will TAife «p unto thee a Prophet ,
from the mtdjt of thee^ of thy Bmhren^.
like Hnto me ; uvto him jljall ye hearken
accordwg to all that thou defirejt of the
Lord thy CodinHoreb^ tn the day of the
Jiffe??7bly^ fayi'/^gj Let ?7ie not hear again
the voice of the Lord ^f^y God^ neither let me
fee this great Fire any more^ that I die not.

And the Lord f aid unto we^ They have
well ffoken that which they havefpoken,

Twlllraife them up a Prophet from amoyig
their Brethren^ like unto thee ^ and I will put
my Word in his Afo^th^ and he Jhall fpeak.
Hnto thenij aH that 1 jliall command him ^
and it fid all come to paf^ That whofoever
will not hearken unto my words which hejhaU
fpeak in my Name , / n/ill require it of
him.

This Argument hath quite deftroyed
one of Mr. //. Cs Topping Arguments
which he produced to prove the Stnd Co-
venant to be a Covenant of Works, and
hath fwallowed it up, even as Jarons
Rod fwaHowedup the Rods of Pharaoh's
Magicians; for faith he, ' That Covenant:,
^ which was given with Horrour, Trem-
' blingandAmaiementj niuftbeaCove-

* nam

r 182 )

mm of Worksj but fucb was the Shai
Covenant, &c.

«• 3. I^he Mutual Stipulation between

* God and Jfrael in this Sif7ai Covenant
' is the fame for Subftance with the Co-
' veiiant of Grace, and that both 011

* God's part, ^nd Ifracls : On Gods part
' there are Gratious Promifes, on JJ-iatls
' part V of Gofpel Duties. Firft, Do but
^ obferve, Gofpei- Mercies and Gracious
' promifes are made on God*s part, when
' this Covenant with //?\'^e/ was made.

*• I. He promifed to be their God.,
' Lcvit. 16. Exod. 20. j4nd this is the
^ highcft Gcfpel^ Promfe^t her e is not a higher

* Prorr/ife in all the Gofpei.-

' 2. He promifed ro own them as a pe-

* culiar Treafure to himfelf above all Peo-
^ pie befideiu the whole World, Exod,
^ 19. 5. 6.

Thus you fee this great Truth fplen-
dandy cleared and proved by thefe Argu-
ments, That I he c:ovenant which God-
Edablirhed with Abrahatn^nd his Pofteri-
ty. And 2 That which God made with
Affes \\\-ouh\o\mt Sin ai^ that they -were
borh of them the Covenant of Grace un-
d^T dififering Adminiftrations-.

' But f.ii[h Mr. CoIUks ^ This Opinioti of
j^ourji dcitf QA s fhe Dov^rine of the New

( ^h )

Covenant, and the Foundation of Gcfpcl Chur-
ches •, In Anfvverto that, vi^. it muft be undcrv
flood comparative ly, in a Two-fold Scnce.

1. The Covenant of Grace is a New Covenant,
withrefpcjftto tiie C.wen;int of Works j which
is an old ruinated Covenant j for there is no*
thing but old things in it , nor belonging unto
It i and the oldell is , Do this and iivi ■■, which
was in force before ever tiie Covenant of Grace
had a being •, But tiiere is nothing but New
things in the Covenant of Grace : Ail ^-U things
are done aivay, ctrd aH things are become rew. The
greateft New thing of all, is Faich in our Lord
Jcfus Chrift 5 fjr it is, he that believcth iliail be
laved : And this Liquor of Lite was fet abroach
jafi after the Fall of Ada:n, Gen. 5. 15.

2. The Covenant of Grace is called a New Co-
Tenant', not that it is another Covenint, but
the fame which God made at firft with Ada?r7,
and runneth with tlie fame CoelcTii;iI Liquor now
as it did when, it was firft Broached j though it
runs frelher and clearv.r now, with refped to th.Q
Old Adminiftration under the Law .-. But the
Liguor is the fame, and ever will be y for it was
he that believed iTiould be Juftifyed and Saved-
then ^ and fo it is now, and ever will be, to the
Worlds end : And the Foundation of the Church
is the iame now, as ever it was 5 i Cor. 5. 11,
For of her fotindxtion can no man lay, then- that ii
laid, which is Jefus Chrij}, If he can (ind no-
better Arguments than fuch astliefe, or any other
that ever I faw of his, their Opinion raufc fall to
the Ground , and be ]o(I -y. [and iiideed it is
better lofr than found.

Mr. H. C. hath moft Unworthily Ridirurdthat
Tate V/Orthy Divine Mr. F. M, of woithv Memo-
ry, concerning his Fifth Argiiraent iDhisEooIft

Vinfid^

( i84 >

V/ndid J?. Foederis, faith Mr. C. in page 15. of his
Sand) Foundation^ His Fifth Argumenfi wants
Crutches to uphold it •, Doih this Covenant free-
ly hold out the pardon of Sins to them in it ?

* I'his he faid,Beciufe Mr.i->/— 's Fifth Argument
' runs thus. vi:^. This is a Covenant that free-

* ly holds out, and, offers Pardon of Sin without
*- Works j. tl:creforc then it cannot be a Cove-
*^ nant of Works j it holds out pardon of fin free-
*- iy, by believing in-Chrifr, the Covenant of
' Works we know) holds forth no P^ydon of.
' Sin, no MerL7 to Tranfgrclfors, that violate and.
' breaK the frmlieft point of it, G*?/. 5. 10.

Now can any Man that hath but a grain of
Spiritual Sencc condenrn the aibrcfaid Argument,
and declare to the World publickly, that it wants
Crutches to uphold it ^ furely that Man mule be
very ignorant of New Covenant Mylkries that
dares thus to judge of it, b-r he wlio he will.

I raufl: confefs Mr. H, C. handled Mr. M — very.
roughly ; he hath been very liberal with his Un-
worthy Reii.ftions upon hira, and extraordinary
free and generous of his hard words againft him y
his words have been as hard as the Flint-ftone
comparatively •, but all hi^ Arguments are as foft
as Silk ; Thus i have, througli Divine AiUftance,
Confuted all his miflaken Notions and Arguments
about the Cov^enanis God EAablilhed with Abya-
ham and .Mofis , and proved tliem to be the Co-
venant of Grace, though midcr differing Admi-
niftratioiiS v snd that Circumciilon v^as not the
Covenant, but a Token thereof; for if Circumci-
iion was a Covenant of Works, and the Sinai Co-
venant a Covenant of Works, then there were,
three Covenants of Works in being at [<9;>c^] 5
for the Covenant of Works God made with^
Aduni is flillm being, though.it be broken, thi^-

is

( i85 )..

is theGennine Confequence of Mr. H. Ci. Argu-
ments ; whereas there is but one Covenant of
Works, no, nor but one Covenant of Grace ^
therefore I hope Mr. H. C. will fee himfcif nii-
Aaken , and be fo wife , asto.fubmit to thefe
great Truths j and contend no longer with
them ', for it is more Honour to repent of an
Error , than to hold it.

Brethren, Since I have been writing this Book,
I xeceived a Letter from an Unknown hand,
without either Name or Date, which is to
this £ffe<^.

IObferve^ Cfatth he) Tnat w your former BooJ^
you did Ajjert a Necejpty of Faith in Infants hi
order to J ujhf cation ^ for j<ty )ou , There is but one
way for the Jujlijicanon and Salvation of Infants and
Adult Ferjons^ and that is by Faith in Jefm Chrifl ^
and i' being your Judgment that Infants are not ca-
pable in an ordinary way to exercife the Grace of
Fai'hy there} ore you Ajfert in p.gi* of your Reply
to Mr. B. K. that it is not Mans acling Faith that
p.ftifeth him, but it is the Habit of Faith in the
Righreoujhejs of Chili that doth that: And the con-
trary of this )ou fcem to fuggej} , is not confijhtrt
with the Free Grace of God in Jf'ufiif cation : Your
own Divines fay^ That' though Faith piftifyeth not
as an .4//, yet h' is the AU of Faith that jujUfyerh,
To which I anfwer, I am much of the fame
Opinion with tliem , and by God's Affifknce I
will make it out ; and yet not contradidl that
which I have formerly delivered touching this
matter : And therefore in the mil place, I will
lay down all that relates to tiiis point in -page 31.
of my aforefaid Book, which bcginneth in' pc^ge
3 o. and then prove the point in hand, whichi
begun thui, a/f - 2. Ail

( m )

2. * All Children are Ele^ed and Ghqftn of
God that are faved dying in ti.eir liifuncy,
•(there is the point) and therefore tiiey fnuft
have the Grace of Paith to unite them to
Chrift, which is die Faith riiat is peculiar to
all Gods Ele'l:, Tit. i, i, For all M^iikind by
Nature are in a State of Unbelief ; fuf it was
that Sin Which broiiglr Man into a State of Con-
demnation i for h?d ,;L;r Kirfl Parents believed
God, when he told th.m, If they did eat of the
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Etil^ they flwald
furely dye \ Man had iKver fell into a State of
Condemnation : Now the OppoOte Grace to
the Sin of Unbelief is Faith, and Habitual Kaitli
by the povverfub Agency of the Bkifed Spirit
ot Grace, is fumcicnt to fubdue and conquer
Original Unbeli f, and to juftifie and Sanclifie
.them by the application of the Rightcoufnefs,
Blood and Merits of Jefus Chrift to their Souls ;
It is not Manb xlfrrng Faith that turtifytth
him, but it is Habituii Faith in the Righ-
teoufnefo of j^Tus Chrift that doth that 5 th.
Act of Faith in a Senfc, may be f.iid to be the
Creatures, but the Habit of Faith is Gods own
F>ce Aft in the Creature ^ wherefore if Man
cannot l>e Juflifyed without hisA^fting of
Grace , then Juftihcation depends on the
Ading of the Creature : Though a Believer
may be fai i to have a" hand in his ownSinftirr-
cation, yet lie hath none at a 1 in Iris Juftifi ca-
tion. And this iswhat I Aifcrted \([-pa^e -^o 51.
Now I would ask this Gentleman thefe Three
following Quell ions.

li I would ask him , Wliether it be poffiblc
for any Elcft dinner whatfoever, Old, or Young,
to be Uiiited to Chrift without the Habit or
Grace of Faith i for if he can, it ii contrary to

the

(187)

the Opinion of fome of the Anabapt'tfts them-
fdvcs, as I have ihcwn alrcatJy in this Booi<.

2. Whether it be pofTl%efor any Soul what-
foevcr to be JufrifNtd and Acquitted from tlie
Guilt of Adarns Firft 6'in 5 and fo be Eternally
faved without Union to Chiifl ; Tliis alfo is
contrary to t!:c Opinion of fome of, the Ana-
baptijJs thcmfelvcs^'-vvhich I have controverted
this point with.

5. And laftjy, Whether God hath conilituted
Two wavs of Juftifying and having his Chofen
People, as fome have, not without Ignorance
aff'nned, vi^. One for Eleft Dying Infants, and
another for Adult Perfons •, Tliefe Three Que-
flions I fhjil leave him to rnnfider \ and in the
mean time I fhall give you the Opinions of 1 wp
Learned Authours touching this Point.

1 . The firft fhall be Marttn Lu'her, who hath
thus faid, If Ch cumdfiou was valued upon the ac-
count of the Covenant^ and the Promifc canmt be re^
ceived, but by Faith : Then this follows^ That little
Children^ ly the co opera'ion of the Hd) Spirit, may
have Faithy and the Heart of an Adidt Perfn ii no
mare capable of changing hirnflf'han an Infant.

2. Mr. MarHial jaith in page 78. Further to the
Glory of the Grace of God, T/jat this Vnion is fully
Accompliffjed by Chill}, giving the Spirit of Faith in
the Reception of him ', becaufe^ by thii Grace orSpt-
rrt of Faith , the Soul ii inclined to an Aclive Re-
csiv'mg ofChrifi 5 and no d ubt Chriflii thm united
to many Infants which have the Spirit of Faith^ be*
caufe they arc not. come to the Tears of Vnder flan-
ding.

And thefe Two Authours I quoted in my Vin-
dicaiion of the Antidote againCt Anab-.rpffme , hi
pag. .2,?-, ^24. But Mr. B. K. faid in anfwer to me,
That Tfetay, (faith he) the fame thing with Wor-
thy

( t88)

thy Mr. MarOMl , as this Gentleman might have
feen how I charged him with abufing l^r.MarJIjal
in pag. 27- of my Rrfi to Mr.B.K.

2. Pray confidcr farther of that you charge me
with, in ray Reply to Mr B. K. and fee if you
cannot find that you are rniilaken in the Drift
and Scope of my Intention ; For when I fay
Habitual Paith doth juflifie 2 Perfon , I do liot
imagine that it lyeth in the Soul as a dead
lifcicfs thing*, for it is a Living A<-T:ive Principle
as it news from God. and influenced by his Spi-
rit •, for the Apvoflle calLth it, The Grace of Life,
of which the Eied are faid to be Ikirs 3 for it is
a Ray of the Divinr N ture, which when once a
Soul'is pairc'Tcdcf it,- he is made a p5rtak-;r of
the Divine Nature j it is j created (Quality or In-
Arument which God fonneth in the.Soul , even
in the work of Regenera' ion.

Pray hear what Mr. Samuel Winter faith in his
Book, p. 142. Faith may be [aid to be paffivein
oar JitjVifictitm^ hc-caufe the Hahit of Faith is paf-
five before it puts forth any aH '■, now rve are 'fulU"
fyed p foou as by the Habit of Faith ive are alive
in Chrill^ in thcjirfl Tiom^nt of our Converfion, before
. Faith puts forth any A^ •, Tons Cluiiren are JuiU-
fyed by the Habit of Faith : For m we were guilt) of
Adams 5*//?, which is imputed to us before we wei'e
aiiive in giving confert unto it, fo is the Righteouf
nefs r>f Chrid Imputed to Children, before they put
forth any Elicit A^ of Faith ^ therefore J fay they
are capable of that paffive Ordinance of Baptifme.

g. Faith abfolutely confidered in it fclf, doth
notiuflifieany Perfon, butlnftrumentallyin Con-
jund-ion vvith the Righteoufnefs and Merits of
Jefus Chrift it doth: If an Inftrument be made,it
doth not act of it fclf without a handtoufeit:
Faith is but a Creature or Inftrument, therefore

it

( '8p ;

it muil be ai^ed by the Agency of the Spirit of
Chrift : For it is the Faith of the Operation of
God, Colof. 2. 12. And did I not Afcribe it to
the Agency of thcBlelfcd Spirit of Grace in that
Head of my Book which this Perfon carps at.

4. And lafcly, The Apollie faith in Rom. 8,
Whojh.ill lav any thing to the charge of Gods Elcit /
If 'u God that jujtijyeth.

Who if be that condemneth^ it is Chrijl that dyed,
yea, rather that is rifcn again, who is even at the
Right Hand of God , n^'ho alfi maketh Inter cejjion
for U{.

Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto ^cfus the Authour and
Finijher of our Faith.

Ifa. 26. Lord, Thou wilt ordain Peace for us^
for thou alfi hafl wrought all our Wor\s in us.

Thus you fee in the Ger^ral, That the Jufiiff-
cation and Salvation of ah Eleft Sinner muft
be Intirely refolved into thefe Two things,
namely, God's Mercy, and Chrift's Merits.

2. More particularly : And firrcofalJ, I am
apt to believe, Tb.is Perfon holds that there is
more ways than one of juftifying God x Eleft j
even as Mr. H. C. held, ' that there isone way
' wherein God Juftifyed the Adult , and that is

* by Faith j and the other of Juftifying and
' Saving Dying Infants without Faith j or with
' Mr. B.K. which holds, Thatthere is one way of
' Juflifying and Saving theAdult-,but many ways
' to fave Dying Infants, which we know not of 5

* neither is it fit we fhould pry into it : Ar.d here
I fuppofe lyeth the Snake in this Grafs -, and this
is that which troubles him : But there is no Au-
thority nor Countenance for any fuch Diflindtion
or Conception to be found in the Covenant of
Grace, no, nor in all the Sacred Scriptures be-
fide j for there is but one way of Juftifying and

Saving

( ipo )

Saving all forts of Eleft Sinners, Old and Young,
Jew and Gentile , Kom. g. 58. Seeing it is one
God which f}}all]ul}ttie the ciimmcifion by Faith, and
Vncircumcifnn tmougn Faith.

2. As rhcre ss but one way of Juftifying all
Gods EL>^1, Old and Young, Jeivs and Gen iles,
fo there is but one Lord, apid one Faith, and one
Biptifme •, Epb. 4. 5. This one Lord is our Lord
Jefus Chrifi, who is Lord over .ill God's Eled't ,
Old, and Young •, i^or God the bather hath cho-
fen them from ail Eternity, and given them to
Ch;ift,to Redeem and fix in Glory, Eph. i. 4.
According as. he bath chofen min him^ before the
foundarlm of the IVorld, that wejJrMld be Holy,

ft is not faid we would be Holy •, No, But
that we Hiould be holy : Away with that Cur-
fed Doflrinv. of rrce Will in Man, that is, in
oppoiition to the Kree Grace of God in Mans Sal-
vation to Rowe^ from wl^tnce it came.

John 1 7. As tQ;U haji given him power over all
Fief}}, that he jhouid give Eternal Life to as many
as thou hdft gi en !>i>ru

I have :n tmfe'icd thy DJame unto the Men which
tboi* guvejl me out of the lV--ld j T/jinc they were,
andtooH guveilthem me. and they have k?pt thy
word: I pray for thfm, Ipray nn for tkeWorld^ but
fo r them which thou haft given me -, for they are
thine

And all mine are thine , and thine are mine, and
I am glo- ifyed in them.

Thus you f.e ChriH: is Lord over all the Eled •,
they are .^.!! j^iveii unto him of the Father, and
he mull lave theuj all ; r'oi he will fave none but
them vvhjch he Rci-.-.eth ovv:r; Fo Chrifl will
fay to the Wic-?ed, Sat tuofe mine Enemies which
would ml that I jhuld .'ieign over them, bring hi'
theVy and flay them before me.

2. Here

( '91 ^

2. Here is but one Faitli, and that is that
which is peculiar to all God's Eleift TjiHy t. i.

5. Here is but one Biptiloic, aiul that is for
none but the EkO- of God i For it is the Eap-
tif:ne of the iioiy Gliofl, ar.d wi^'h Fire, which
is the Interna] Bantifrii'. ; bur th.y .ire not Dip-
ped'into the Ho', Giioftand Fire*, b';t there is
the pouring forth of the Sr-irit, and (liedding
abroadof the Graces of the Spirit into heaits*,
fo that here Is but one Grd that juflifyeth, and
but one Faith to be juflifved b\\ and but one
Way in which ail rhe Eie<!l H^aJl be Gved, Ifa,
43. II. /, even /, am the Lvd ^ and he fide me
there is r.o Saviour j A>}s i r. 12; Kchher i^ there
Salvation in any other ^for there is none other Name
under Heaven given among men whereby n-e mujl be
favcd.

And th.at is by Faith in the Righteoufnefs and
Merits of JefusChriii.

Now if this Perlbn had known of any other
Way or Name whereby liifants mufl be faved,
ditfering Irom that Name and Way wherein rhe
Adult are Uvcd^ he inould have done well to
have informed us v for I muft ack.iowledge my
Ignorance thereof.

5. An Eleft Dying Infant mud be born again,
or he can r.evcr be ikved 3 for without Regene-
ration there can be no Salvation, either for Old
or Young, it is impo^Tible i for our Savioir faith
in John 5 Verily^ Verily^ I fay unto t.'jecy Except a
Mxn be horn again^ he cannn fee the Kingdom of
God: iejm Anjic^ered^ Verily^ Verily^ I fay unto
thee^ Except a Man be born of Water^ and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom fGod.

And if they cannot enter into the Kingdom
of God, they can never be faved.

6. Chrift

C 192 )

6, Chrifi muft be formed in every Soul that is
laved j There muft be a New Creation -, all Old
things mufl be done away , and all things raufl
become New ; Ail the Graces of the Spirit mufl:
be infufcd into them , and all their Sins muft be
wafhed away in the Blood of the Everlafling Co-
venant ; They muft be Born of God, i fobn 3. 9.
Whofoever is born of God doth mt commit Sin^ for hk
Seed remaimib in him^ and be cannot fin, becanfe
he is born of God.

Here you fee it is whofoever is born of God
doth not commit Sin j that is , Rich or Poor,
Male or Female, Old or Young ^ an Infant of
Days, or an Old Man fail of Years j whofoever
he be that is born of God , doth not commit
Sin; And why is it fo.** Why, Gods Seed re-
maineth in him-, and becaule he is Born
of God, this Seed of God is the Habits
and Principles of Grace which hath fubdued aiid
conquered the Dominion and Reign of Sin , and
he is now under the Dominion of Grace ; fo
that now he cannot totally and finally Apoftatize
nor Sin himfelf back a;gain into the Covenant of
Works, in which he was Originally •, that is, A
Carnal State in 5in and Unbelief*, for he is Born
of God, and he cannot be Unborn i^gain, nor
Annihilated and Reduced to nothing in point of
the Grace of Life ; For whereever that Coelertial
Fire is once kindled, it can never be totally
quenched nor extinguiihed by all the powers of
HqU and Inbred Corruption.

7. That Soul that is thus born of God , is Ju-
ftifyed j for you fee he is fully Acquitted and
Difcharged from the Guilt of Sin, and Eternal
Puniilimeat thereof; For this 6'eed of God that

re-

r I9J )

rem^ineth io him, hatli fo Sanftifyed and Clean-
fed him, as that the Filth and Pollution of Sin
(hall never deftroy him ; For as Juftification hath
fubdued the Dominion and Reign of Sin, fo San-
ftification doth Weaken and Enervate the Power
of Sin, and purge away the Filth and Pollution
thereof i fo as it fhall never hurt him, nor hin-
der his Eternal Salvation , no more than the
Bailaft that is in the Ship, to keep her ftiff and
fteady Ihall hinder her from Arriving fafe at her
Port ; For the Remainder of Sin that is in a
Believer keeps him HamWe,and from being over-
fet by Pride, his Sias fliall not have Dominion
over him •, And though Grace be but habitual,
yet it is durable -, though it be the Seed of God
remaining in him, yet there is a Prolitick Ver-
tue in it which fanftitieth the Soul, and fits him
for Communion with God : Habitual Grace may
fitly be compared to Leaven, which of it felf is
ofi defuiive Aftive Nature, as in Mat, 15. 53,
The Kingdom of ffeaven is like unto Leaven^ which
aWomantoof^, and hid in Three Meafnves of Meal
till the whole was Leavened.

Eveufoitis with the Kingdom of God, that
is in every Converted Soul : It doth diffufe it
(elf all over the Whole Man, it doth Leaven the
whole Lump v it fanftifyeth him throughout in
Body, Soul, and Spirit , the Plantation of Grace
in the Heart of an Eleft Sinner , is compared to
the moft paffive Dilpenfations and Tranfadions
that can be thought on. i.It is compared to
Seed that is Sown.' 2, To the Natural begetting
and Birth of a Child. 3. And laftly. It is com-
pared to the Refurreftion of the Dead : And
what can be more palTive than thefe ?

Pray, hear what that Late Famous lUuftrious

Divine of Worthy Memory Mr^ Cotton ot AVw

England^ Delivered in a Conference held by the

\ Elders

( 194 )

Elders of the Churches there.
< Saith he, Two things are meant by the word
Faith, and may be faid to be Padive in our Jufti-
fication in a double refped, becaufe * a habit

* of Faith may be called Paffive before it put-

* teth forth any A^, and we are juftifycd as foon

* as by an Habit of Faith we are alive in Chrift in
^ the firft moment of our Conver^on , before
' Faith hath put forth any Aft ; as we were all

* guilty of ^(/(iwj" Sin, before ever we were Aftive
^ to reach forth any confent unto it.

* Faith may be faid to be Paffive in our Jufti-
^ ficatioDjbecaufe it doth not lay hold on Chrift

* to fetch Juftification from him, till Chrift have

* firfl laid hold on us.

Thus you hear what the Opinion of this Great
Man was touching this great Point, and how well
Mr. Winter and he doth jump in their judg-ments.

8. And Laftly, faith our Opponent , There
'jDwik be Faith to apprehend Chrifi, and take hold
"ofhim, and cloie with him .- This is true, but it
is Truth begun at the wrong end j for the main
thing of all is emitted ; For tlie Apoflle faith,
That we are rather appreliended of Chrift ; that
is, Ghriil apprehends us fird, before we can ap-
prehend him. Pray mind three tilings, i . Chrift
faid unto his DifcipJes , Te have not Chofcn we,
but I have chofenyou 3 that was, Chrift had cho-
fen them f^rft j for every Regenerate Soul dotli
chufe Chrift 5 for it is faid of Mary that fhe had
chofen that better part that Qiould never be ta-
ken from her 3 that was, (he had chofen God ia
Chrift, for the Objctt of her Love and Faith,
and fo do every Regenerated Soul.

2. It is faid of Regenerated Souls, That" they
k>ve God, but it is becaufe he firft loved us.

5. So we apprehend Chrift, but it is becaufe
he firft apprehends i» ; He apprehends us iirft.by

Love,

( '9? )

Love, before we can apprehend him by Faith.

* For Faith (^as you heard) doth not Uy hold
* .on Clirift to fetch Juftification from him, till
' Chrift firrt Jays hold on us.

But Faith is the Uniting Grace.

2. The Soul mud be united to Chrin, and that
muft be done by Faith *, The New Creature muffc
be formed in the Soul of an Eled Sinner , and
the New Creature raufl have all his Lineaments
pcrfeft, compleat, intire, and lacking nothing,
there muft be an Eye to apprehend Chrift, or
rath'er to beapprehended by him j and there muft
be a hand to receive him , though he rcceiveth
us firft, before we can receive him ; For none
can come to Chrift, except the Father which
fent him draw them, and Chrift and the Father
are one.

. Chrift that is formed wijkn the Soul layeth
hold on Chrift without him^Faith 5 and unites
the Soul unto Jefus Chrift j in which aft of
God's he is fully and freely Juftifyed , and not by-
Mans Acting Faith j though the Afting of a Per-
(bns Faith by the Influence' and Agency of the
Spirit of God in him ; After he is Regenerated
and Born of God may be an Evidence of hisbcr
i-ng juftifyed, yet it is no part of his Juftificar
tion ^ for he is juftifyed freely by Grace ^ he is
juftifyed in the very firft moment of God's plan*
ting the Sctdi and Habits of Grace in him 5 and
I wonder how any Perfons dare deny this great
Truth .that do own the Scriptures j for it is as
clear as the Sun that fliinefh, Rom 8. 59. V/h<ii
jhalt la) any thing to the chofge of Gods Ele7^^ it ii
God. that jujiifyeth'. Can any thing be clearer
fpoken than this is ? And in this Great Truth lyes
all a Chriftians Ground of Hope and Comfort, as
he Apoftle faith, Chriji in yon, the hope of Glory;
and; fo this Union to Chrift is brought about
I 2 pafTively

( I9« )

ipaiTively with a refpeft to the Creature,but a^ivc
with a rdpeft to God -, who is the Authourof all
Grace *, For of his own will bath he begotten hs figaln
through Faith unto a lively hope : And where thea
is Free Will in Man, or foreteen F^iith in the
Creature ? as feme' poor deluded Souls dream
on ', but tliey may as well dream of this, as that
Chrift dyed as much for the Damned in Hell, as
for the Saints in lieaven.

2. Wemuft have the Spirit of Faith, before
nwe can aft the Grace of Faith : There muft be
the Habit of Faith before there can' be an Aft of
Faith j there muft he the tree planted, before
Fruit can be expcfted or produced : For there
can be noEffeft produced, before the caufe be
in being ^ for how can there be au Effeft without
a Caufe ? It is impoflible : For of our felvcs we
<:ando nothing :i|(e are not able of our felves
to think a good jIBught, and how then can we
aft Faith of our felves under all thefe Circum-
flancesjfo as to be Juftifyed in the fight of God :
Pray confult the 5acj:ed Scriptures for a clearer
Light into this great Important Matter, Epb. 2.
"8, 9. For b) Grace are ye faved through Faithy
and that not of your felves^ it is the Gift of Gody
not dflVorl^s, left any Man fljould boajh

If Man could be Juftifyed and Slaved by his
own Afting of Faith , he would have whereof
to boaft \ but you fee that boaftiiig in this point
is totally excluded from the Creature 5 Therefore
as I laid in my former Book, in page gi^ ' Ju-

• ftification is by the Habit of Faith, which. is

• God's own Free Aft in the Creature, and notv
« by Mans Afting Faith.

For it is God that juflifyeth ; And pray mind
what is written in the 5acred Word of God j
and there you may fee if you are not vilfiiily

^ blind

( 197 ;

blind at what door Juftifrcation and .S'alvatioir
*jfomcth in at, \n John i. i2> 13.' But as many as
'received him, to them gave he prver to become the
Sons of God, even to them that believe in his Name,

But how come thev to receive Chrift , fo as
to be inverted with this Great Power, and Glo-
rious Priviledge j as that thereby they become
the 5oiis of God, and beheve in him •, Is it by
any Precedaneous Inherent QLiaiifications, name-
ly, by fo^'efeen Faith or Works , or by the po-
wer of Free Will in Mm, as fome carnally and
corruptly maintain ; Ono, All thcfe are Exclu-
ded you fliall fe^ ; and therefore all you that are
of this Erronious Opinion, mind weU what is
faid in the following Verfe j for unto you it is
principally fpokcn *, for here we -have a full de-
monfrration how this Receiving and Be'icviiigin
Chrift is brought about j by which an Elcft Per-
fon Cometh to be juftifyed, verf. i :?. Woicb were
born not of8!o\i, nor of the Tvillofthe FkQ), nor
of the will of Mm, but of God,

Pray mind, It is faid, which were born ; That
is, They were boni of God at tiieir Receiving of,
and Believing in ChriA : Here you fee it is the
New Birth, which introduccth all thofe Glori-
ous Priviledge^ : Mow pray tell us , if you can,
"What can an Adult Perfcn do more in this Paf-
five Reception of Chpift fto which Believing is
annexedj tli^n a young Infant can -, for you fee
all Power and Free Will in Man is Totally Exclu-
ded from the Creature in the Work of Regene-
ration , in the vtry fame moment of which
Tranfaftion of God in the Soul Juftification ta-
keth place , and he is then acquitted from the
Condemnirg Power and guilt of ail his fjns Origi-
liafand Actual ; therefore the Creature hath no
hand in his own'Juflification ; And thus you may
I 3, fee

( 198 )

feeby the light of the Holy Scriptures , how all
the Eleft of God Old and Young are brought in-
to a Ihte of Grace and Salvation ■■, namely^ by tlie
powerful Operarion of God's own Ffce Grace in
the New Birth.

2. when a Perfon is Regenerated and brought
into a Jufrifyed, Sjnttifyed State, Can that Per-
Ibn ::ft Grace of himfeif by Vertue of his being in
that State ? O no 3 nor by the Power of his own
Free Will neither : But the North wwdmujiawdkei
and the South whd wufi come and blon> upon ChrijVs
Giirdeujbefore theSpices thereof can floro oHt.So\^^A6.

We cannot exercife Grace, though we are in a
State of Grace without frelli fupplyesof Grace ;
much lefb can a Perfon aft Faith in his own Juiti-
frcation, which is compleated in the firft Infufion
of Gracious Habits and Principles into his Soul s
fir Godii the Anthour andFmfl)er of om Faith : It
is God that ordains Peace for us, (but how doth
God do it) by working all our works in us ^
J[a. 26. 12. God will have all the Glory of Mans
Juflification and Salvation to himfeJf*, for. he
will not g^ve this his Glory to another , nor
his Praife unto Free Will in Man ; Bat of him are
ye in Chrijl Jtfus ^ who of God is made unto us
Wijdom^ and Right eoufnefs, and SanEtif cation and
Redemption^ i Cn, i 50.

4. Though Faith be the Inftrumental Juflify-
ing Grjce, yet allother Graces of the Spirit are
in conjundion with it; for when ever Saving
F^irh is exercifcd , it ever worketh by Love,
GaL 5. 5. It may be faid of !i*aith, and all the
reft of the Graces of the Spirit, as it is faid of t!i€
Living-Creatures, and the Wheels in E:^elitel\ Vi-
fion, in Chap.- 1. • When thofe- iven% thefewer^i ,
and rvhen tkofe fiood^ thefe flood -^ and when -thofe
rcere lifted up from the Earthy the Wheels were lifted

up

C 199 )

Iff) o<uer 'againft them, for the Spirit of the Living
Cfeatwi^s was in the Wheels.

Ev^n fo the Spirit of God is in all the Graces
of the Spirit, which are planted in the Soul in
the Work of Regeneration -, and the Grace of
Faith is the greateflWlieel among them ail •, it is
as a Wheel within a Wheel ; for as that moves^
fo all the reft of the Graces moves •, and if that
ftands, ail the reft of the Graces ftands ;and when
Faith is Elevated and lifted up , all the reft of
the Graces of the Spirit are Elevated, and lif-.
ted up alfo.

5. The Glory of God's preventing Love and
Free Grace is as clearly difplayed , and as much
feen in the Juftifying and Saving E\e^ Dying
Infants , as it is in Juftifying and 6'aving
Adult Perfons •, for thev have no more hand
in their ownjuftification and Converf!on,than an
Eleft Dying Infant hath in his. Pray, What hand
had St. Paul in his own Juftification 2nd Conver-
lion , when he was Riding poft (as it werej to
Damafcus with his Pockets ftuft v/ith Warrants
from the High Prieft, to feize upon all that pro-=
feft the Name of Chrift and fill the Jails with
them 'y Why, he had even as much Inherent Po-
wer'of himfelf, as dead Lazarus had in himfelf,
to rife up out of the Grave from the Dead , or
as an Infant hath in his ovvn begetting and com-
ing out of the Womb into the World, Jobn.i.i^,

Now that you may fee how far you are mifta-
kea in yoi r Judgment concerning mine, Pray look
into my Reply to Mr. f/.Cs laft jhnV as J caU
it, in. page 14. ' But I can do more than
' barely produce Scripture-Intimations to prove,
* That Children have had Faith; for they have
J .A * not

( 200 )

> n6t only bad the habit of Faith, but have

* a!fo exercifed it , Lkk_ei,^4. there is one,
f iTim. I. 5. there is another i and that there

* was Infant-Believers befides thefe , I reier to

* one of my former Heads,to thofe Children that

* were brought toChrift. Thefe were my words
verbatim. This was in 1^95.

Thus I have unfolded and explained my mea-
ning concerning Habitual Faith, vi^.'That it doth
not iuftifieany Perfon abfolutely corfidered in it
feK •, tor it is God that juftifye'^th , becaufe we
are jullifyed freelv bv his Grace ^ yet Faith doth
iuftifielnflrumentally and Habitually in conjun-
ftion with the Righteoufnefs and Merits of Jefus
Chrift.

For Firft. God tlie Father is the Primum JHo^
biU\ or firft moving caufe of our juftificatiotl
decretally, which is a Fruit of his Eternal Ele-
^ing Love of Good V/ill to Eleft poor Fallen
Sinners, John ^.16. Gal, 1.4. Eph. i. 4, 5.

2. God the Son is the Meritorious caufe of our
Jtiftification, i Cor. i. ^o. Rom. 8. 54.

?. God the Holy Ghoft is the Applicatorious
Caufe thereof \ It is the Spirit that applyeth the
Redemption purchafed by Jefus Chrift'^ for it is
l»e that taketh ol Chrift's, 'and fheweth unto us,
7«A«i6. 14.

4. And laftly. Faith is the Inftrumenta! caufe
in JuAif\ingand Saving all theEled, both Old
and Young ; Rom. g. ^o. Ram. 4. g. And thus,
Though Faith doth not juAifie as an Aft of the
Creature, yet it is the Aft of Faith that Juflify-
cth .--^ But, How is that ? God is the Authour of
it, and nothing of the Creature is in it ; For doth
not the Holy Scripture make a Teftimonial
Challenge upon this very account, Rom, 8. in
<■ - thefe

(201 )

tfiele words, %i^ Wiji jLUl lay any thing to the
Charge ofGocCs Elcvi Z it is Go.i that 'fjlifyeth : '

lVi}Q is be rbat Condc?niieth ? // is ChriJ that dyedy
yea rather that is rijen agaiiu rvho is even at the
ri^h hand of Go /, ^vho aljo maketb Inter ceffidn for us,

Goa is tiic /^utlrour ofour Faith, and alfothe
Finirtier thereof : Now, What is an Authourand
Finiiher of a thing, but the firft Inventer and
Pcrfecler of it j Or, as a Man that begins, and
fiuiilicth a thing of himfelf, without any Contri-
vance or Affiflance of another •, even fo God is
the foJe Authour of Eternal Salvation : And Faith
as it is of Gdd's own contriving, it is his own
Gift and Work in the Soul of a Convert -, (b
that God will have all the Glory of his own
Free Grace and Redeeming Love to himfelf •, he
will have no Co-partners with him in this won-
derful great Work, which is greater than that
was of making the World •, For Chrift never
Dyed to make the World, but fo he has to Re-
deem the Eleft part of the World , therefore
not unto us Lord, Not unto us, nor unto Free
Will in Man , but unto Thee alone be the
Vraife, and the Glory of Thy own preventing
Love and Free Grace.

Thus you fee I have given my Judgment
concerning habitual Faith •, and I find no caufe
to retraft what I faid in my Book of Reply to
Mr. 5. K, But I Ihall, leave that part to your'
felf, becaufe the Miftake is in you, and not in
me, for you was fo over and above eager upon
the matter, that you overlooked that which I
had written in the body of that Pofition , as ho» >
ping (I fuppofe) you had found fomething of-
Falje Dextrine whereof to Accufe me ^ but you ,
mrfl your Mark ^ for 1 did there own the A gen*
ey of dieSpiritjand I do alio owuthdoftfunidn^ ^
I .$ tality

( 202 >

talit5r af Faith in the Juftifyingaftd' Saving all
tht Ele<a of God, both Old and Young ', And this
you may fee is my judgment, and hath been,
by all my former Writings on this Subjeft j And
I have clearly proved, That there is but one way
oi)uflif)ingand faving all the EIe<^, vix,, both
Dying Elert Infants, and Adult Believers.

6. 'And Laftly, I am Beholding to this Gcn-
tlcman^be he who he vvill,w:^. becaufe he hath ta-
citly juftifyed my Reply toMr.B./C.In whrchEook
I Exploded the Principles of- the Amhaptijh very
fully, but he could find nothing amifs in it , but
this, which he thought was a flip,' which I have
proved to be Orthodox and 5ound, and I hope
to. his fatisfaftion, and the fettlement of his
Judgment , for it is according to the Declared
Word of God 5 For if he could have found
any other Flaw in it, I doubt not, but that I
fhould have heard of it fufficiently by him, or
by Mr. B. K. who is wholly filent in this Matter,
and for thiscaufe he ought to comply with it.

IN the Fifth and laft place, I challenge all thofe
that areagainfl Infints-Baptifmeand Church-
Memberfhip , either Learned , or Unlearned ,
Treacher, or Hearer -, who hath fo boldly and
confidently alferted, That Young Infa-nts are not
frspable of Receiving the Grace oi Faith in-
' ftrumentally , to Regenerate, and Sanftifie
thejTi by the Renewing of the Holy Ghoft: in the
Blood of ■Sprinkling , to tell us how they can
. pray finccrely and heartily to God for the ^alva-
' fion'oftlieir Dying Infants •, or what they would
defireGod to do for them, or with them, when
they are D^ing , with a refpe(^ to their Future
Eftate i feeing they will not allow them capable
tjf Receiying tlie Graces of the Spirit to fan^ifi^
* ' and

C ^Oi J

and change their Natures, and juftifie their Pettr
fons, and mjke them Partakers of the Divine Na-
ture, that fo they might be made meet to par*
take ot th^nlieritance with the Saints in Light.
Firfc of all, They cannot pray that God would
Illuminate their Dying Infants by his Spirit of Ik
lumination, becaufc they will not allow them to
be any ways capable of Receiving the Spirit of Il-
lumination , and therefore they quote one
D. Ta)hyi Corrupt Notion of Darknels , which-
they are very much enamoured with •, which is
this, vi:^. That Perfons were as good pray that
the spirit of God ftiould Illuminate a 5tone or a
Tree , as to pray that God would enlighten a
Young Infant.

2. They cannot pray to God to quicken their
Dying Infants, who are dead in Trefpaffes and
Sins, and by Nature Children of V/rath, even as
others y Eph, 2. g. Becaufe the Grace of Faith^
which they deny them capable of, is the Vital
Principle j it is that Grace which giveth Life
under God by the Powerful Operation of his Spi-
rit, and upholds and maintains it in all the Saints
on Earth j for it is that which they do live byv
Heb. 2. 4. Heb. 10. 58. Gal. 5. ii. Now ths
Juft (hall live by his Faith, and fo they did in
all Ages of the World ■, there is no alte^atioa as
to that.

3. Our Opponents cannot pray that God
would give their Dying Infants a Real Intereft in,
and Union unto bur Lord Jefus Chrift, becaufe.
that mufi: be do.ne by Perfonal Faith, which ex-
cludes Infants according to their own declared
Principles.

4. According to their Priricfpks, they C4nncw
pray that- God would free their Dying Infants
fr<>mths CondieraaJDgScjnteDce of Eternal Dam-

• natiou,

r 204 )

nation , bccaufe without Perfonal Faith, that
can never bc'done -jjohn $.24 Verily ^erUy^ I fay
wao you. He that bearstb my word^ and bdieveth on
hmthat Jent me, hath EvMaJhng Life^ and fljaU
not come into condemnation, but is pajfed from Death
unto Life, All Chrift's Sheep Ihall hear his
Voice, and they that hear, lliall live, John 10.

5. They cannot pray that God would be re-
ccncil'd to their Dying Infants , becaufe, with-
out Faith it is impoffible to pleafe God *, And
they affert, That Infants are not capable of Re-
ceiving the Grace of Faith.

6. They cannot pray that God would Juftifie
and Acquit their Dying Infants from the Guilt
of Adam\ Firft Sin, by the application of the
Righteoufnefs and Merits of Jcfus Chrift unto
their Souls, becaufe that is the Righteoufnefs of
Faith j and they cannet pray for one without the
other, becaufe they, always go together in jufli-
fy'ng an Eleft Sinner.

7. They cannot pray, That their Dying in-
fants may b* Regenerated and Born again ; be-
caufe that mud be done by the Grace of Faith,
which the Apoftle calleth Precious Faith,
2 Pet, I. I.

Here is precious Faith, and I ikewife precious
Promifes, and the Righteoufnefs of God, and
cur Lord Jefus Chrift, . and the Divine Nature all
in a Concatenation in Mans Juftification, Rege-
neration, and Salvation J and aje not to be parted
afunder.

8. They cannot pray that God would Re-
llore and Enftamp his Divine Image upon
their Dying Infants , which was loft by ouc
Firft. Parents UnBelicf in the Fail j and there-
fore it is in.po(r?ble that can be d@ne witli-
out the Grace of Faith.; h% Unbelief lof| it, To

Faith

( 205 )'

Faith Reftorcs it again-, ibt^^^^Urdtiilfp
preis his Living Im.igf upon Dead Sitiii^r'^,^'^b\it'
ail the Elert are Heirs of the Grjce of LMtJ
1 Pet, ^. 7. and they muft be poirefVcd of it
before they dye. . ^ "

9. And Laftly, Our Opponents cannot pray*'
unto God for the Salvation of their Dyin^g In-
fants, bccaufe they do not believe them to be
capable of being in the Covenant of Grace, the''
all Perfons may not be Saved that are in the Co-'
venant of Grace ; for there are many that are in
that Covenant Externally by PrcfefftOiT only, and '
enjoy the External Priviledges thereot ^ and will
plead them in the Great Day, whfvn Chrift will
never own nor fave *, but will fay unto them,
Depart from me all y^ worJ^crs of Iniquity , for I
^o(v yok riot^ Lul^e 13. 25, 25, 27. And yet not-
^ithftanding, there (hall not one Soul ever be
faved out of the Covenant of Grace •, for Chrift
knows all-his Eledt Sheep, for they hear his Voice,
and he will own and fave them all j But allthofe
who are in the Covenant of Grace oniy Exter-
nally, and die fo, Chrift will never oivn nor
fave them ; for they are none of his Sheep, they
never heard his Voice, neither do they belong to
his Fold *, but are of Sataiis Herd .* Thus you
fee our Opponents cannot pray for the Salvation
of their Dying Infants, becaufe they do not be-
heve that they are capable of receiving the Gra-
ces of the Spirit which is the Means of Salvation.

2. It may be queried by our Opponents thus;
1//:^. ' What good do the Prayers of Believing

* Parents do for their Dying Infants ? And what

* Priviledge or Advantage do either their Li-
' ving or Dyin^ Children receive by it >

To which I thus Anfwer *, It 'is a very great
Priviledge : For firft they being Members of the

Church

-. ( 206 )

ehurchwith their Believing Parents have an ln«
tereft and -Share in the Clmrches Faitli and
Prayers, fames 5. 14, i$.

2. The Fai th and Prayers of Godly Parents
for their Children are very prevalent with God :
Of which I (hall give you four undeniable In-
ftances for proof hereof.

Thefird is hiMarl^^, And behold there cometh
one of the Rulers of the Synagogue Jaims by name^
'and wh^n he favo him, he fell at his feet , and be-
fought him greatly y faying , My little Daughter ly-
eth at the pint of Deaths I pay tbeecome^ and
lay thv hands on her, thatjhe may be healed, and
Q)efl)all live, ^

And Jefwi, went with him, &c.

While he et Jpal^ , there came from the Ruler
of the Synagogues Houfe , Certain which [aid thy^
Daughter is dead. Why troublefi thou the Majler
any further.

As foon .'W ]fefHs heard the word that vms fpol^n^
He fairh unto the Ruler of the Synagogue , Be not
afraid ; only believe ; And he to^^ ttje Damofel by
the hand, and (aid unto' her, Talitha cmni , which
ky being interpreted , Damfel (I fay unto thee,)
Arife , and ftruigbtway the Damfel aroje ^ and
walked; For JJje wets of the age of twelve years , -
and they were aflonijhed with a great aflohijh'
ment,

2. A Second Inftance isinMirj^p. There was
a lyian that had a Son poffelfed of the Devil
from a Child. •

Verfe 21. Andheas^ed his Father ^ How long
k it ago Jince this came unto him ^ and he faid ^
of a Child,

And oft times it hath cafl him into the fire, and
into the waters to defiroy him : But if thou canji do
any things have compaffton on Hi^ and help mx.

fefm

( 207 )

Jefus fad unto him. If thou canfi belkxx ^ aii
things are pofjible to him that believetb.-

And Jhaightivay tbe^ Father of. the Child cned
^iit^ and [aid mi h Tears, Lord, 1 believe , help
thou mine unbelief

Tlie Father believed and prayed , and his
Child was healed : As you may fee in t\\z2$,
25, 27. verfts of the aforefaid Chapter.

3. A Third Inflancc is in Marl^-j. 26, 27,
28; 29, 50. Here you may fee that a Mother be-
lieved and prayed for her Daughter that was
polTeired with an Unclean Spirit, and ihe was
cured.

4. The Fourth and I aft Inftance is of a Noble-
man in /a/jn 4. the Nobleman faith unto him,
Sir come down. Ere my Child die,

Jefus faith unto him. Go thy rvay, thy Son Itveth :
And the man believed the ypord that Jefus had fpo-
l(ett unto him, and he went hii way -, and as he ivits
■.novo going down, his Servants met him ■, and told
him, faying, thy Son liveth : Then inquired he of
them the hour when he began to amend, and they
faid unto him, Tejierdayat thefeventh hour the Fea-
ver left him.

So the Father knew that it was at the fame hour^ ,
in the which Jefus faid unto him , Thy Son liveth^
and himfelf believed, and his whole Houfe,

Here are feveral things that did attend this
Miraculous Cure which ought to be obferved.

I . Here was the powerful Effefts of the Noble-
Mans Faith : He believed and prayed for his Child
that lay fick, even at tiie point of Death , and
God heard his Prayer, and anfwered him beyond
his cxpedation^ even in the very fame hour
when Chrift faid imto iiim, Thy Son liveth,

2, The

. ( 208 )

2. The Noblemans Servants that met him
•by the way , laid unto hhn the very fame
words as Chrift did, i/X- Thy Son liveth.

3. The Noblemans Faith procured Spritual
Lik alfo for his Child j For the Nobleman iiim-
felf beheved, and his whole Houfe ^ therefore
whatfoevcr Children lie had befides this on whom
the Miracle was wrought,whether .Older or Youn-
ger, were all made Believers at that time ; for
the Nobleman himfdf believed, and his whole
Houfe ; Faith and Prayers of a right kind doth
wonderful things in the World j nay , let me
tell you, it hatli a very great hand in governing
the World, efpecially in God's Providential King-
dom of Grace j Mat. 21. 22. And aU things
wbafjcever yf jhaU ai\^ in Prayer believing , ye
fl)aU receive.

Afart^ II. 24. Therefire I fay unto you ^ What
things pever ye defire when ye pray^ believe that
ye receive them^ and ye fljall have them*

Thus you fee in thefe Four Miraculous In^
fiances , what wonderful things Faith and
Prayers of Believing Parents have done for
their Children in Gofpel-times : And the Door
of Grace and Mercy is as wide now, as ever it
was , if our Faith vvas but as great ^ for there
lyeth our defed, even in onr Faith : God is the
fame God now as he was then •, Hechangeth,not 5
He is Yefterday, to Day, and for evermore the
fame v <jod may Will a Change, but he never
chan.,erh his Will,

God's Covenant Love and Grace is as Copious
and. iLXtenfive to Believers and their Children
now, as ever it was •, and God delights as much
in Mercy now as ever he did.

§. And laillv, The Breads of the Pforaifesof
Gods Govenant Love and Graccruns as frtlh

and

( 209 )

and as freely to Believing Parents and thei^
Children now, as ever it did ; and was but ou^
Faith as great and as ftrong as theirs then was»
we migl^t obtain as Signal Mercies as they did*
for there lyeth all the difference : For Chrift faith
now to us as much as he did to them that were
about him then, vt:^, Whatfoever things yc /hall ail(^
in ^rayer believing, ye Jhall receive them : And the
bcfi: thing we can beg of God for our Children,
is, that he would be gracioufly pleafed to infufe
Grace into their Souls in their Infancy ; for this
is the one thing neceffary , that better part that
(hall never be taken from them, either Living or
Dying; for if they have Grace when they are
young, they can never lofe it when they come to
be old .' Even as Solomon faith in anotiier parallel
cafe in Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child in the rvayy
heflmiddgOy and when he is old ^ he will not depart
from it.

If this be true, with a refpeft to Childrens Ci-
yil Education, how much more mufl it be true
of the Spirits Operation , after Grace is infufed
into them j for they (hall never Apoftate trom
it when they come to be old : John the Bapiiji
had it when he was in the Woiab , Luh i. 44.
Johns Father and Mother were both of them Be*
1 levers, and in the Covenant of Grace.

But our Opponents Affert. that the Children
of Turks and Infidels have as much Priviledge as
the Children of Chriftian Believers : But the Fal-
lacy of this Pofition appearcth in this *, namely.
That all Unbelievers and Infidels are fpiritually
dead, and therefore they cannot pray'for Spiri-
tual I.ife for their Children, before tlycy have it
themfeives ; fortheApoftlcSt. Pmil himfelf, who
was Spiritually alive faid , For we kp'fw mi what
we flmuld pray for as we ought, hut as the Sphit it

felf

( 2IO )

felf helpetb our Infirmities, Scd Rom, B, 25, 27..
So vhat the Children of Turl^ and Infidds have
net fo great a Vriviledge , as the Children of
Chriftian Believers : Hence we may obferve what
a Diabolic:]] Principle this is of the Antip&iobap-
nils, the like is not to be found among Chri-
ftians 5 for by their Principle you fee they can-
not pray for Regenerating, Renewing, Sanftify-
ing Grace for their. Dying Infjnts, to nuke them
meet to partake of the Inheritance with the
Saints in Light, they can only pray tha't God
would fpare their Lives, as they may for the
lives of their Korfes or Swine, when they are
like to Die.

But fay forne of the modeft fort of them , we
do dedicate ou • Children to God in Prayer for
them as fooi2 j. 'iorn \ but wh..t do this their
Dedicatioii tigtiifie , when at the feme time, they
decUre that there is no Coven- u.-Promife of
Gracr and Mercy belongeth uruo them, in their
Infa.icy, therefore they dedicate them in their
Unbelief, and likewife in their Childrens Origi-
nal ^ms, which is fuch a S-crifice as God ab-
hors •, for it is to offer up ui.to God a corrupt
thing, and no uncleaii thing fhall enter into Hca^
ven ; If God will not accept of the Lame,
Blind, nor Sick for Sacrifice, as in Mil. i. 8,
Much lefs will he not accept of the Dead for
Sacrifice ; for our Opponents do not believe
either that God can or will give their Children
the Grace of Life during their Infancy ; there-
fore they offer up their Spiritually dead- Chil-
dren unto' the Lord for SacrificCi which is fuch a
Sacrincc as. is repugnant to Divine luflitution ;
and therefore inftead of a Dedication , it is a
P/ovocation , and they are guilty of Superffcitionj
for unlefs they- come to God by Faith, in., the

Promife

(2tl)

Proraifc of Grace for their Ctiildren , accprding
to A^h 2. 9p. and fo offer them up to God
through Faith in the Righteoufneff V'6. Merits of
JefuE Chrift in the Covenant of Gri.cej it av;^*!-
cth them nothing, and wcrfe j for they do offer
up their own Unbelief and tlicir Cnildiens Origi-
nal Sins together, becaufe they do utterly deny
that there is any fuch thing as a Covenant Pro-
mife now under the Gofpel belonging unto them
in their Infancy j for they contemn and ridicule
the very Notion of it, as is plainly to bcfeen in
Mr. H. C's. Book, in Anlwer to me , in tliefe
words, vix_. ■

' I think Tranfubftantiatioo, Habitual Faithj
' and the infant Seed of oeiievtrs in the Cove-
' nant, are Terms equally allowable , and pro-
« bablv equally undtrftood among their various
« Profetfors-.

But the great Reafon why the Ambaptifts will
not allow that Young Infants are capable of re-
ceiving Grace in their Infancy, is, becaufe they
cannot make vifible Proftffion of their Faith '
But what though they cannot do th^t , yet they
aVe capable ot receiving and poffeffing of it ^ as
I have fufficiently cleared and proved.

Ldftly. It may be obje^ied, "That it is not a
fit time for us Proteftants to have differences
one with another j but we fhoiild all unite in
Love and Peace ; This latter would be very ac-
ceptable "indeed, provided it might be upon
True Gofpel-Grounds of Loveand Uni>n, which
the Scripture directs u? unto , namely, Peace
afnd Truth, which God hath joyned together *,
the. want of which is the caufe of this my pro-
ceeding, and alfo my Warrant for fo doing, i*/^.
to deteft and extirpate the caufe of our Differen-
ces and Animofitie? ; For what is the caufe of all-

thofc

(2,1)

tliofe t)iviiions and Commotions which are in the
Ghriftifn part of the World But Errours' and
Herefies j for it is that that lyeth .at the bottom
of- all i and how can this be 'remedied, but by
convincing People of the Danger and Eternal
Mifchief that doth attend them ; for if we could
but remove the Caufe, the Effeft would ceafe j
withdraw the Fuel of Errours , and the t ire
of Contention and Divifion will foon be Extin-
guiOied and go out ; there* are Scriptural Pro-
pheiies to be Accompliihed, and many Gracious
Promifes to be fulfilled, which thefe Errours and
Hereiies willh nder and obflruft, tijl they are
taken out of the way •, they are tumbling blocks
that lye in the way both of Jews and Carnal Ido-
latrous Gentiles ; and therefore it is high time to
bear a Teftimony againft them, becaufe the Lord
is at hind. ' . •

• I . Thcfe Errours and Herefics do hinder Union
in Mind and Judgment, i Cor. i. lo. Noiv I be-
fecch you Brethren, by the Name of our Lord J efm
Chrifly that ye ail fpeal^ the fame things and.that
there he no divifions'atn)^g you , but that )e be per-
fe^ly ]oyned together in the fame mind, and in the
fame judgment.

2. It obflrui^s Union in Love and. Affeftion,
and in Joy and Confolation ; Ph'iL 2. Fulfil ye
my py, ^hat ye he it\e-minded y having the fame
love ^' being (if one accord^ of one mind

3. Thefe differences in Opinion hinder us. from
glorifying God with one Mind , and with one
Mouth, as the Apodle exhorts us uiitp.

4. It hinders Union and Concord in the Wor-
fhip and Service of God, for we ought to fe^ve
the Lord with oneconfent, Zeph. 3. 9. '

<,. Thefe Differences hinder Union in Faith and
Edification, £/)^.' 4. 5., 6, 13, 14.

6. And

( uj ;

6. And laftly, Thefe Errours and Herefics do
hinder and obilruft the luttcr day Glory, and
will hinder the'fulfilling the i^rophefics and Pro-
mifes thereunto belonging, as Antichrift the
Great doth, till they are taken out .of the way :
/For there are Glorious Promifes Inveloped in
"the Prophefics, which do all belong unto Gods
Churches and People, Zech. 14. 5, 9.

Thus you fee in thefe Six Inftances, what a
pernicious, mifchievous thing thefe Errours in
Judgment are among the Churches and People
of God j fo that this Objection carryeth- no pro-
portion of worth or weight in it. Thus I have
unravelled our Opponents Principles, and totally
confuted them i fo that I have now done with
themj and I defire them all to confider fe-
rioufly of what I have faid , and alfo proved by
Scripture againft their Opinion --, and if any of
them (hall attempt to Reply to what I have writ-
ten, I defire them to give a plain Categorical
Anfwer unto the mod material points thereof,
without any Equivocation, Evafion, or Mental
Refer vation , and prove what they write by
clear Evidence produced from the Holy Scrip-
tures.

1 . I would defire our Opponents to lay down
the Covenant God Eftabliflied with Abraham
and his Seed j afid alfo that Covenant God made
with Mofes and I[rael upon Mount Sinai, fairly
at length as they are laid dowji in the Holy
Scriptures, which I find they generally emit j
and for what reafon I conceive, and they -them-
felyes very well know.

2. I would defire them if they can, to prove
by the Holy Scripture, that God did ever call
out and excommunicate the Children of Belie-
ving Parents out of the Church and Covenant

of

( 2.1A. )

of "Grace (ince Chrifl eamc in the Flefli, and
wjiat Aftual Sin they were guilty of which pro-
voked Gcd thereunto,

5. I detirc them to prove that Infants are not
capable of being taught of G'od now, as well
as they were under the Law.

4. I defire them to provcj that all the Privi-
ledges which Children enjoyed under the MofakJ(^
Law werie deftroyed by the coming of Chrifl; in
the new Difpenfation of the Gofpel.

$. I would defire them to prove by the Sacred
Scriptures, that God hath one way, wherein he
faves EleA Dying infants, and another way
wherein he faves Adult Believers.

6. I defire them to prove, that Dying Infants
can pofTibly be faved, without being Regenera-
ted and Born of God , and alfo without the
Grace of Faitn.

7. I defire them to prove that Dying Infants
m^y be Saved that are not ^^ledled -, becaufe if
ih^y. are Elected, then the Grace of Faith doth
of right belong unto them, Tit, i. i. Eph» 2. 8.

8. I defire them to prove ho\v Dying Infants
may be faved without an Interefi[ in, and Union
unto Jefus Chrift, feeing that cannot be Effected '
without the Grace of Faith, as they themfelves
hold and declare. .: •

p. I would defire them to (hew us, how Dy-*
ing Infants may be freed from the condemning
Sentence of the Law , without the Grace of
Faith, or befng in Chrift Jefus, Rom, 8. i.

10, I would defire thera to prove by the Sa-
cred Scripture, that the Righteoufnefs and Mct ^
rits of Jefus Chrift dotji Judifie and Save a i)y- :
ing Infant without the Grace of Faith^ as
Mr. //. C, hath afl^rmed, and indeed it muft befoi
according to their Principle, which is repugnant
to the Scripture. xi. I defire

( 21? )

11. I dcfire them to prove by -the Sacred
Scripture, that ever any Soul, Old , or Young,
Infant or Adult, was favcd without being in the
Covenant of Grace, and then let them tcH us
how Dviiig Infmtscan be faved without Grace.

12. And laftly , I defire them to flic vv •us
how they can pray for their Dying Infants ac-
cording to their Principles •,-fo as they may re-
ceive any fuving benefit by it.

A bull Candid Anfwer to thefe Twelve Points I
challenge ahd expe^fl from you ; or an Ingenuous
Complyance and SuloniiiTton thereunto ; One of
thefe two will be your Honour, and the con-
trary a Difgrace'. :

I pray God fandifie thefe Truths unto you all,
and give you all a good undcrfhinding in tl;efe
New Covenant Myfreryes, which is the v/orft
harm I wiili to any of you •, for I can truely fay,
Hove your Pcrfcns,though I hate your Principles,
becaufe they are abominable in the fight of God,
I defire, if the Lord fee good, that we may all be
of one mind,and one heart knit together in Love,
that we may fervv.* the Lord with one confent ,
for there is but One Lord, One Faith , Que Bap-
tifme, One God and Fathet of All, who is above
Ail, and through All , and in you All, that fo
we may keep the Unity of the Spirit in che Bond
of Peace.

Beloved in the Lord

IN this my Book," I have in thefirfl place given
an Anfwer tcfa Book falfly faid to be An Apo-
logy for Mr. Shute J which is mightily Admired
and Cryed up by the Ambaptilh\

2. I have Anfwered a Letter fent me the lad
Year, without Name or Date, by one of that
Leaven with the aforefaid Book inclofed in iu
• 2, 1 have

( 2.16 )

3. I have vindicated the Honour of that Late
Worthy Divine, Reverend Mr. f. Mencej by con-
futing Mr.,f{. Cs Topping Arguments which he
produced to prove the Abrahamiacal Covenant to
be but a Covenant of Circuracifion , or a Cove-
naftt of Woirks.

4. Wherein he laboured to prove the Sinai Cove-
nant a Covenant of Works, I have confuted him
alfo, by proving it to be a Covenant of Grace.

$. I have aifo anfwered a Letter fent" me this
Year by an unknown hand, about the Great Fun-
damental Doftrine of Juftification.

6. And Laftly, I have proved that by the Do-
ctrine and Principles of the Anabctptifts , Tiiat
noncof thofc Perfons that hold it, can pray for
the Juftification, Regeneration, and Salvation
of their Dying Infants any more than for their
Dying Horfes or Swine ^ which is only that God
would Ipare their Lives, becaufe it is inconfiftent
with their Principles -, for they utterly deny
that young Infants are capable of receiving the
means of Juftification, Regeneration, and Salva-
tion, vi^. The Graces of the Spirit of Chrift to
funftifie and change their Natures , and make
them partakers of the Divine Nature, therefore
I Challenge them in particular to Anfvvcr this one
fingle Point By giving us fome particular Inftan-
cesof any of their Miniftcrs, Teaching and Ex-
horting Parents to pray for Renewing , Sanfti-
fying, Saving Grace for their young Babes, or
when any of them did ever pray in this manner
for Dying Infants,either for their own or others j
for without Renewing Sanftif^-mi; Grace , they
can never be faved ^ as I have fufficiently pro-
ved .• And what a Monftrous Corrupt Opinion
muft this be, under thefe Confiderations that arc
offuch an Abominable Confequence : From
which Principles, Good Lord, Deliver us.
F J N I S.

POSTSCRIPT.

T FIND that this Anticovcnant Principle is but
•*■ ofa late Date herein England, as appeareth
by what Mr. Vjomat Wall luthwrkten con-
cerning them in his Book , Intituled, Ancient
Trut/j Revived, m page 1^6 (faith he) ' We read
' of one JohnSmirh, firfl a Minifter in England^
' after joyned himfelf a Member of the Eujliflj
' Church at Amjierdaw, where I/emy Ainftvorth

* was Teacher ^ and for Sin Smith was ca ft out

* of that Church ; Soon after, Satan drew him

* to deily the Covenant preached to ^^rrf/;rfw to

* be the Covenant of Grace, which led him to
' deny his Baptifrae received in his Infancy;

* And though there'were many more then of
' his Judgment, yet they knew not where to

* have an Adminiflrator to begin^Baptifme by

* Dipping 'y therefore as Satan had' begun to in-

* Airudt him, he added Sin to Sin , and Bapti-
' zed hirafelf : Then he Baptized one Mr. HelviJJ}

* and John M'Wton, wi^h the reft 5 and this is

* Teftificd by one Mr. Jofeph, who as he faith,

* was one of them j and after by Grace renoun-

* ced their Evil doiog, and writ a Book againfl
' them, Irttitled A bifcovery of the Erroys of that

* People in the Tear 1623. page6<,; likewife
' H. Ainjworth faith.Mr. .S/wzV/j Baptizeti liimfelf
' in his Book called Toe Defence of the Holy ScYip-

* r//re, vvritagainft 5W^/;, jtvz^e 69 82. So faith
' Mr. C/?f^^ in his Chriftian Plea ^^^\a(i Smithy
' p. 185. 224. Now let the Wife Judge in what.
^ abominably difordcr they retain their Baptifrae
' ever fiijce from Mr, S/wzW; ^ and whether it

' flmketli not in the Noftrils of the Lord, ever
K ' fiFiCe

* fince, as th« MinlAry ©f Cor4h apd his Com-
' pany did. In his Table of particulars , where

* in this palTage is direfted to itjis queryedjWho

* began Baptifrae by way of Dipping amofig the

* Englifl) People that calls themfelves Baptifts ?
' The Anfwer is , John Smith , who Baptized

* himfelf.

Thus you may fee upon what a rotten Foun-
dation the Principles of the Anabaptifts is built,
and at what Door that Anticovenant Doilrine
came in at among us in England y therefore it is
of the Earth, and b«t a Humane Invention j and.
ought to be abhpr'dand detefted by all Chriftian
People,

,^

"5;