CHAP. XI.

CHAP. XI.

CHAP. XI.

The three-fold Covenant considered. 2. The Law pressed upon Israel was not a Covenant of Works, but a darker dispensation of Grace. 3. The three-fold Covenant of Arminians refuted. 4. Divers considerations of the Law and the Gospel.

There be who hold that there be three Covenants. 1. A  Covenant of Nature, whereby God as Creator required per H

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perfect obedience from Adam in Paradise, with promise of life, and threatening of death.

2. The Covenant of Grace, whereby he promises life and forgiveness in Christs Blood to believers.

3. A subservient Covenant, made 1. With Israel, not with  Adam, and all mankind. 2. For a time with Israel, not for ever, as the natural Covenant. 3. In Mount Sinai, not in Paradise. 4. To terrify and keep in bondage (the other from an inward principle required, obedience.) 5. To restrain Israel from outward sins, to prove the people, that the fear of God might be before their eyes, that they should not sin. So they expound Exod. 20. 20. the other Covenant was to restrain from all sin. Yea, and so was that on Mount Sinai, to do all that are written in the Book of the Law, Deut. 27. 26. Deut. 28. 1, 2, 3, 4. c. to that same end, to love God with all the heart, and with all the soul, Deut. 10. 12. Deut. 5. 1, 2, 3. Deut. 6. 1, 2, 3. Deut. 5 29. Deut. 6. 5. With all the heart, with all the soul, with all the might, which is expounded by Christ, Matth. 22. 37. Luke 10. 27. in as full a height of perfection as ever was required of Adam. 6. It was written to Israel in Tables of stone: The natural Covenant was written in the heart: so was there a circumcised heart promised to Israel, Deut. 30. 6. though sparingly. 7. It was (say they) given by the Mediator Moses, as that of Nature was without a Mediator. Yea, Moses was the Typical Mediator of the young Covenant of Grace.

The differences between the subservient Covenant, and that of Grace.

1. In the subservient, God only approves righteousness and  condemns sin; in that of Grace he pardons and renews. Ans. Acts 15. 11. We believe through the Grace of the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved even as they under that Covenant, Acts 10. 43. To him gave all the Prophets witness, that through his Name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins. Abraham and David were justified, in that sin was not imputed to them, not by works, Rom. 4. 1, 2, 3,—6, 7, 8, 9, c. Gen. 15. 6. Psal. 32. 1, 2, 5. I said I will confess my transgression, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Isa. 43. 25. I, even I am he that blots out

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thy transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sin.  So David was a man according to the heart of God. So Asa, Josiah, Jehoshaphat, Samuel, Baruch, Gedeon, Daniel, the Prophets, under that subservient Covenant (except they be under a fourth Covenant) were renewed, justified, saved by faith, Heb. 11. as under a Covenant of Grace.

2. The former was, do and live, this was, believe and live. Ans. Doing and living was but a shutting them up under the Law, that they might flee to Christ in whom they believed; else the fathers must be saved and justified by works, contrary to Rom. 2. Rom. 4. Heb. 11.

3. In antiquity, the former came in as added 430. years after the promise of grace, Gal. 3. 17.

Answ. True, but he speaks of the Covenant in Sinai, according to the strict Law part, which could not save, and so its different. But that proves not two Covenants.

4. In the former is compulsion and the Spirit of bondage, in this heart inclining freedom and the Spirit of Adoption. Answ. Yet the differences are accidental, there was a legal awing of the hearts, as if they had been Servants, yet Heirs and Sons they were, Gal. 4. 1, 2. The whole Book of the Proverbs spake to the Godly as to Adopted Sons. They were believers, Heb. 11. Rom. 4. Acts 10. 43. and so Sons as touching a spiritual state, John 1. 11, 12. In regard of Economy, it was somewhat more rigid and legal, they were restrained as Servants; Yet it was the Covenant of Grace, by which believing Jews were justified and saved, Acts 15. vers. 11. Acts 10. 43.

5. In the former man is dead, in this man is humbled for sin. Answ. Legally dead, except they would flee to Christ, and legally condemned, but there was true humiliation for sins under that Covenant: As David, Josiah, Hezekiah, and all believers then, as now, were pardoned and justified.

6. In the former there are commands, not strength, but here there be promises and grace given? Answ. The full abundance of grace and of a new heart, was reserved until now. And the Law could not make perfect nor give pardon, in the blood of beasts; as touching that legal dispensation: But both Grace, the Spirit, H2

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pardon, righteousness and life were received and believed; by looking on Christ to come.

7. In the former, Canaan was promised, in this, Heaven. Ans. Canaan is promised only but Sacramentally, and that was a paedagogical promise for the infancy of that Church, but a type which was then in that Covenant, and is not now, make not two Covenants, one then, and another now? Except ye say, there was then a Lamb in the Passover, which was a type of Christ to come, and there is now no such Type, because the body is come, and Christ the true High Priest offered himself. Therefore there are two Christs, one then to come, another now who hath come already. The Lords dispensation with Israel is often called a Covenant, now it must either be a Covenant of Works, or of Grace, or a third Covenant.

But the truth is, the Law as pressed upon Israel was not a Covenant of Works.

1. The Law as the Law or as a Covenant of Works is made with perfect men who need no mercy; But this Covenant is made with sinners, with an express preface of mercy: I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, c It is made with  stiff-necked Israel, Deut. 29. Deut. 30. c. 31. c. 32. and that is called a Covenant from the end and object, as motions are denominate from their end: for the end of the Lords pressing the Law upon them was to bring them under a blessed necessity to seek salvation in their true City of Refuge Christ Jesus, who redeemed them out of the spiritual bondage of sin. 2. It was the Covenant  made with Abraham, which was a Covenant of Grace: and though it be called, Deut. 29. 1. a Covenant beside that which was made in Horeb: Because 1. Renewed again after their breach. 2. Repeated a little before the death of Moses, Deut. 31. 28, 29, 30. (3.) Because there were some additions of special blessings, cursings, ceremonial commands, that were not in the formerly proposed Covenant, Exod. 20. yet the same it was in substance, to love the Lord with all the heart, Deut. 2. 10, 12, 13, 14. The same with that of Abraham, Deut. 8. 18. That he may establish his Covenant, which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day: When he is to deliver them out of Egypt, Exod. 2. 24. And God

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heard their groaning, and remembering his Covenant with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. So the Lord expones it in his appearing to Moses, Exod. 3. 6. Jer. 31. 32. Not according to the Covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the Land of Egypt. Now that was the Covenant which God made with Abraham, of which Circumcision was a seal, Gen. 17. not of a temporary Canaan only, but of heart-Circumcision, Col. 2. 11. For the Lord expressly tells them, when he took them by the hand, as his married people, to bring them out of the Land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage, Exod. 20. He meant no other Covenant then he made with Abraham of believing, Gen. 15. and of walking before him, and being perfect, Gen. 17. 1, 2. which is somewhat more legal, as Moses and the Lord himself expounds it, Exod. 2. 24. Exod. 3. 6. Exod. 20. 1, 2. And he shows them, Levit. 26. if in their enemies land they repent and shall come out and meet the rod, and their uncircumcised hearts shall willingly accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 24. Then (saith the Lord) I will remember my Covenant with Jacob, and also my Covenant with Isaac, and also my Covenant with Abraham, will I remember; Besides there are not here three Covenants, but one, there is no word of the subservient Covenant with Israel in Sinai. Except that when he mentions the one, he excludes not the other. For to walk before the Lord required in Abrahams Covenant, Gen. 17. 1. is to walk in all the ways of the Lord, to fear and love him, Deut. 10. 12, 13. and Samuel, 1 Sam. 12. 22. Joshua, Josh. 24. 22, 23, 24, 25. And Mary, Luke 1. 55. And Zachary, vers. 70, 72, 73. refer to the Covenant made with Abraham, and Deut. 6. the Covenant at Horeb the Lord made with Abraham to give Canaan to his seed, vers. 10. Deut. 7. 12. If thou hearken to these judgements to do them, it shall come to pass that the Lord thy God will keep unto thee the Covenant of mercy that he sware unto thy fathers, c.

3. This Covenant hath the promise of a circumcised heart, Deut. 30. 6. and of the word of faith that is near in the mouth, and of the righteousness of faith clearly differenced from the righteousness of the Law by doing. For so Paul, Rom. 10. 5, 6, 7, c. expones, Moses, Deut. 30. 11, 12, 13, 14.

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4. The Covenant of Works taught nothing of the way of expiation of sin by blood typifying the Ransom of blood that Christ was to pay for our sins, as this Covenant, all along had sacrifices and blood to confirm it. Exod. 24. 8. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, behold, this is the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you, concerning all these words. Now the words were the ten Commandments. See Heb. 9. vers. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. (5.) This Covenant is made with Israel only, Exod. 20. Deut. 5. c. 6. Deut. 6. 5, 6, 7, 12. The Covenant of Works is made with all mankind. (6.) No people under the Law can be justified and saved thereby, nor have their sins pardoned, Rom. 3. 9, 10, 11. -19, 20. Rom. 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Rom. 9. Rom. 10. Psal. 130. 3. Psal. 143. 2. Gal. 3. 1, 2, 3. -10, 11, 12, 13. But in this Covenant, Abraham, David, Gen. 15. Psal. 32. Rom. 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. And the Jews by faith, have remission of sins and salvation, as also the Gentiles have, Acts 10. 43. Acts 15. 11. (7.) The Lord minds to lay aside the Law as inconsistent with the Covenant of Grace, Gal. 3. 18. If the Inheritance be by the Law, then it is not by promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise: For to live by this Covenant, is a life of promises, all being here  promised, both faith the condition, and perseverance therein, and a new heart, righteousness, pardon, and life. A man that hath his estate in papers and in good words that are transient things, may seem a poor man, but to live by promises here is the rich life of the heirs of hope, this is strong consolation under deadness, absence, faith working under-ground in the dark, Gal. 3. 21. If there had been a Law which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Law.

Though he commanded them to do the Law, it was not that  they should live thereby, and though he commanded us the same, it is another command, as it were, it is not so much now that we obey from the Authority of God Law-giver under the pain of damnation (though that be not laid aside, but urged in a Gospel intention upon heirs) as from the love of God, Grace-giver; as also there is an intrinsical amaenity in Christ drawing, and obedience now becomes connatural, free, delightful. Let these consider, to whom the yoke of obedience is a torment and man-mill.

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8. The Passover and Circumcision, Gen. 17. 7. all along were Seals of the Covenant, as Baptism one with Circumcision in substance,  Col. 2. 11. is the Seal of the same Covenant, Acts 2. 29. 40, 41. Now the Law required no Circumcision, no shedding of blood, no repentance, no new heart, but eternal condemnation followed the least breach thereof. Paul saith indeed, Gal. 5. 3. If ye be Circumcised (as the false Apostles would have, that thereby you may be justified and saved) you are debtors to keep the whole Law perfectly, as the only way to life, and by no other Covenant can you be justified and saved, now Abraham was not circumcised that way, circumcision did bind Abraham to keep the Law, as a ceremony and seal of the Covenant of Grace commanded of God. But the Law as a Covenant of Works doth command no ceremony, no Sacrifice, no Type of Christ Mediator at all.

Its true, that first Covenant had Moses for its Mediator, but as  he was a Type of Christ, so Christ yesterday and today was the real Mediator, but veiled. The new Covenant hath better promises, Heb. 8. 6. Heb. 7. 22. its a better Covenant, Heb. 7. 22. hath a better, real, not a Typical surety, a better Priest who offered himself through the eternal Spirit, Heb. 9. 14. a better Sacrifice, because of the plainness, John 16. 29. 2 Cor. 3. 18. because the real promises are made out to us, because of a larger measure of Grace, 2 Cor. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. And the first Covenant is faulty, Heb. 8. 7. not because there was no Salvation by it, the contrary is Heb. 11. but that is comparatively spoken: because the blood of beasts therein could not take away sins, Heb. 10. 1, 2, 3, 4. because forgiveness of sins is promised darkly in the first Covenant, but plainly in the other, because Grace is promised sparingly in the former, but here abundantly, the Law being written in the heart, John 7. 39. Esay 54 13.

And it is true, Gal. 4. 22, 23, 24. c. they seem to be made  contrary Covenants: But Paul speaks, Gal. 3. of the Law as relative to that people, and so it pressed them to Christ, and keeps them as young Heirs under nonage. 2. He speaks of the Law absolutely, as contradistinguished from the Gospel, Gal. 4 21. so it is a Covenant of Works begetting children to bondage: 2. Who come short of righteousness and the inheritance, and shall not be

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saved. 3. Who are casten out of the Kingdom of Grace. 4. Who persecute the Godly the Sons of promise, so is the Law as it was in Aadms days, and is now to all the Reprobate; so the Godly are not under the Law and the Covenant of Works. The Covenant urged upon Believers is to prove them, when they stand a far off and tremble, Exod 20. 20. Fear not (saith Moses) God is  come to prove you (not to damn you) and therefore Calvin solidly observeth that Paul, 2 Cor. 3. speaks with less respect of the Law then the Prophets do, for their cause, who out of a vain affectation of the Law-Ceremonies, gave too much to the Law darkeneth the Gospel, and saith the one was 1. Literal. 2. Written in stone. 3. A Sermon of death and wrath. 4. To be done away and less glorious, whereas the Gospel is Spiritual. 2. Written on the heart, 3. The Ministry of life. 4. And glorious: and praises put upon the Law, agree not to it of its own nature, but as it was used by the Lord to prove them, Exod. 29. 20. and chase them to Christ.

The Arminians also (especially [Episcopius]) make three Covenants.  1. One with Abraham, in which he requires sincere worship and putting away strange gods: Beside 2. Faith and Universal obedience, and promised Canaan to his seed and Spiritual  blessings darkly. 2. One in Mount Sinai in these three Laws, Morall, Ceremonial, and Judicial, with a promise of Temporal good things, but to no sinners promise of life Eternal. 3. A Covenant of Grace, with a promise of pardon and life to all that believe and repent, to all mankind: but he denies 1. All infused habits, contrary to Isa. 44. 1, 2, 3. Isa. 59. 20, 21. Zach. 12. 10. John 4. 14. John 7. 37. John 16. 7, 8. 1 John 3. 9. he sayeth that 2. all commands are easy by grace. 3. That the promise of earthly things in their abundance is abolished, in that we are called to patient suffering. 4. That there is no threatening in this Covenant, but that of Hell fire. But the Covenant made with Abraham is that of Grace made with all the Seed, Deut. 30. 6. Deut. 7. 5, 6, 7, 12. Levit. 26. 40, 41. and made with all Believers, who are Abrahams children, Gal. 3. 13, 14, 18, 19. Rom. 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Luke 19. 9. yea with the whole race of man without exception. (2) The second Covenant which promiseth only blessings is made rather

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with beasts, that are well fed, then with men, contrary to Psal. 73. 25. Isa. 57. 1, 2, 3. Psal. 37. 37. and it must build some chalmer in hell, where the fathers were before Christ, a dream unknown to Scripture. The third Covenant makes the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works, and holds out life and pardon, upon condition that free-will repent and believe and stand on its own feet, for there is neither faith, nor a new heart, nor repentance promised, contrary to Deut. 30. 6. Ezek. 11. 19, 20. Ezek. 36. 26, 27. Isa. 59. 19, 20, 21. Isa. 44. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Zech. 12. 10.

CHAP. XII.

1. All are to try under what Covenant they are. 2. Threatnings under the New Testament are more spiritual. 3. Desertions under both are compared. 4. Considerable differences of such as are under the Covenant of Works, and such as are under the Covenant of Grace. 5. Of legal terrors. 6. Of convictions compelled, free, legal, c.

Quest. 1. Whether should not all try under what Covenant they are?

Answ. Self-searching is a reflect act upon the state (and such acts are more spiritual, then direct acts (and therefore it should be the work of all, to try, under what reign they are, whether of the first or second Adam. And whereas Angels cover their faces  and their feet with wings, Isa. 6. before God, and are full of eyes, as without, so also within, Revel. 4. 8. We may hence learn, such come nearest to the nature of these pure and heavenly Spirits, who have eyes within to see what they are, and their blackness of face and feet, when they compare themselves either with the Holy God, or his Holy Law. 2. The carnal man is a beast, Psal. 49. 20. and beasts have no reflect acts upon their own beastly  state. 3. The more of a spiritual life is in any, the more stirring in communing with their own heart, the Law makes, the more of life that is in the worm when trampled on, the more stirring it makes: deadness and stupidity in not being versed and well read and skilled in ourselves and our own heart, argues little of the l

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Spirit, and estrangement to a spiritual Covenant, nor can any lay hold on the Covenant of Grace in a night-dream.

Quest. Whether are there rarer threatenings of Temporal evils under the New Covenant, then under the Old?

Answer. It cannot be denied, except the threatenings of the Sword, Famine, Pestilence on Jerusalem, and the desolation upon  the Jews, Matth. 23. Matth. 24. but in place of all the diseases of Egypt, Levit. 26. and the long Roll of dreadfull judgements and curses temporal. Deuter. 28. denounced against the transgressors of the former Covenant, Christ and the Apostles are more sparing in denouncing temporal plagues in the New Testament. Christ sayeth the worm never dieth, the fire never goeth out, the Hypocrite is to be bound hand and foot and casten into utter darkness, Matth. 22. 12. and the Holy Ghost, such shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, 1 Cor. 6. 9. Ephes. 5. 5. the Apostate is near a curse, his end burning, Heb. 8. 6. he is to look for judgement and fiery indignation, Heb. 10. 27. to some is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever, Jude 7. the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, Revel. 21. 8. Because 1. Temporal blessings and curses are more legal and more easily believed, when the light was dimmer then now, when light is larger, convictions stronger, and men are more apt to believe Everlasting wrath. 2. Its a more Gospel way to bear  in the threatening of Everlasting wrath then of Temporal rods. 3. Desertions and trials under the Law were more legal and sharp and sad upon David, Ezekiah, Job, Jeremiah, Heman. Psal. 6. Psal. 38. Psal. 77. Psal. 102. Psal. 88. Isa. 38. Jer. 20. But it is to be thought, that in regard the day now hath dawn, the Gospel desertions caeteris paribus for the abundance of light, are more sharp nearer to despair; See 2 Cor. 1. 8. We were pressed out of measure above strength, in so much that we despaired even of life, having received the sentence of death. Its a doubt if Paul should be so pressed by a sentence of temporary death. Though there be a larger measure of faith, to bear up the soul under the New Testament: but it would appear there is more of hell now then under that dispensation, and that the Gospel despair of Judas and of these that cry for mountains and hills to cover them,

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Luke 23. 29, 30. is more intolerable under the Gospel. (4.) There  is a more numerous company of these who have not loved their lives to the death, and the Martyrs that suffered more exquisite torments for Christ, under the persecuting Emperors and reign of Antichrist, then ever before; the constraining love of Christ, which is stronger then Death or Hell hath so swallowed up all temporary sufferings, the Spirit hath such influences on the flesh. (5.) When the world seeks wisdom, 1 Cor. 1. and the Rabbis of the Jews and learning and arts abound all the world over, as the  profound Philosophers of the Gentiles, the wonders of nature prove, yet not many wise are called, 1 Cor. [1.] 21, 26, 27. and unlettered and ignorant, are in number, for Godly spiritual knowledge, far beyond the Godly learned; and make that true, Esa. 11. 9 The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea, and Isa. 30. 26. And the light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun shall be as the light of seven days, so hath the Lord darkened carnal learning, though of itself the good gift of God, with the shining of spiritual wisdom in the fools of the world, for so are they judged, 1 Cor. 1. 27.

Quest. 3. What are the special differences of one under the Covenant of Works, and of one under the Covenant of Grace?

Ans. 1. The dominion and kingly power of sin, to condemn judge to eternal wrath, and also to command against all shadow of reason, such crying sins, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. Rom. 1. 29, 30. Gal. 5. 20, 21. Eph. 4. 17, 18, 19. Col. 3. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 9. Revel. 21. 8. Revel. 22. 15, 16. without exception makes an universal slave; for as far as the lusts of sin go, as far goes the dominion of sin, and this is to be under the Law, Rom. 6. 14. (2.) There is subjection to the Law when men are agents in resigning giving themselves over, or offer themselves as sacrifices at the altar, or servants that tender their service to their Masters, Rom. 6. 16. to sin, which hath strength from the Law to condemn, 1 Cor. 15. 56. and to be a captive is not intended, but comes on by occasional force, Rom. 7. such are patients as it were. But 3. Then they are sins servants, when there is a Law of sin and a Covenant, as there is between a Master and a Servant; And 2. full consent, and men give themselves, l2

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and willingly commit and deliver themselves (the word spoken of Christs willingness to offer himself for us, Eph. 5. 25.  and to God the Judge, 1 Pet. 2. 23.) to commit filthiness ἐν πλεονεξία in abundance, with greediness Esa. 9. 17. when the renewed part enters not a spiritual protestation on the contrary, see Rom. 7. 19. the carnal protestation entered by natural reason is not the protestation of the renewed will and affections against the will and affections, but will against will makes a division of the practical act, and division weakens, the half is less then the whole, especially when half and half are contrary, half fire and half water makes the burning less, half light, half darkness makes twilight, its not perfect daylight, yea, and it not only lesseneth, but weakeneth, yea and alters the kind of the moral act; no reason can admit that when a merchant cast his goods in the sea for fear of shipwrack, that he does an act of prodigality or wastry: It wants delight and full consent. Herods killing of John Baptist, though he did it with sorrow, yet was no compelled nor divided action between renewed affection and unrenewed affection. And so it was no protestation in favour of the Law of God, for he was not grieved, because murdering of the man of God was against the honor of God, but because not murdering of him was against his supposed credit, he should appear before men perjured, and to kill was a torment of conscience, it was then a protestation in favour of his own credit and conscience natural. Hence the formal objects of action and action, show the clear difference between the combat between sense reason, or between a natural conscience and the flesh (for a natural conscience cannot plead for, and protest in favour of the spiritual Law of God) and the combat between  the flesh and the Spirit. 2. The second special difference is in the Law convictions and the Gospel convictions, convictions under the Gospel, are stronger and more solid, for they have more of sanctified reason: 2. Will. 3. Inclination of heart and affection: A believer accuseth himself and joins actively with the Spirit to convince himself, and heightens his own guiltiness, Psal. 51. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Dan. 9. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20 but a Law conviction comes upon Devils and they tremble, John 2. 19. and upon such as are under the Law, and are unsent for, by resultance from a

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natural conscience, as heat from fire, light from the Sun: Compelled convictions speak a Law-state.

2. It is easier to be sound and Orthodox, then to be Godly, Satan  in a manner soundly believes there is one God, James 2 19. and that Christ is the Son of God, Luke 4. 34. and so doth the carnal Jew teach that it is not lawfull to steal, to commit adultery, Rom. 2. 21, 22. But in the Old and New Testament, Devils never accuse themselves of sin, but tempt to it, and challenge the Law and God. Gen. 3. 4, 5. of unjustice, never themselves; Devils are most properly under the Covenant of Works, and by no command is the Gospel preached to them, and next to them are such as are sound in the letter of the Gospel, but never convinced of sin: Such are most under the Law, as have least Law-work and Law-condemnation upon their Spirits, these that are under the Law most, as touching their state, are most under the letter, least  under the Spirit, as touching any penal awaking. To be under Law bondage is, a more punishment to devils men under a Law state, for legal terrors are upon Devils, Matth. 8. 29. James 2. 19. and Cain, Gen. 4. 14. punishment as such neither maketh, nor denominateth any gracious, it is but accidental to prepare any for Christ, many tormented with the Law have believed such a case to be the pain of the second birth, when it was but a mere Law- fever,  and have returned to their vomit and become more loose and profane. 1. Because the Law as the Law can convert none. 2. Wresthng with Law-bondage without any Gospel-Grace is but a contradicting of God, and his justice; and God recompenseth opposing and blaspheming of him in hell, with more sinful looseness. 3. Law-light under legal terrors shines more clearly, and the guiltiness in not making use of rods of that nature is so much the more grievous. Ye that have been scadded and burnt in this furnace, and are come back from hell, are taught by sense to believe there is a hell, and though hell torment can convert no man, yet it renders men more unexcusable: Humbling, wakening, and sanctifying Law-bocomedndage is more then a work of the Law when it brings forth confession, praying, believing, humble submitting to God, in Job, David, Hezekiah, Heman, and what a Physician is Christ who can heal us with burning and coals of hell.

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3. A man under a Law-work may give a legal and dead assent,  to both the truth and goodness of the promises liberally conceived, as temporaries do, and Simon Magus wonders, but Saul, Acts 9. the Jailor trembles, Acts 19. but that is in regard of the conviction out of the mind only, but of the conviction of affection and the yielding to what shall I do? But Foelix trembleth, but only in regard of literal conviction on the mind, but neither he nor Magus comes to what shall I do? they differ as the burning light of a fire, which both casts light with it a shining heat also, and the light that precious stones cast in the night, which is both little and hath no heat. Fiery and piercing convictions are good, there is a dead conviction of the letter that doth not profit.

4. There is a strong Law-conviction that vengeance followeth  the scaddings of Sodomy, and the killing of Parents, because natural instinct kindles and fires the soul with Law-apprehensions, when the mind hath engraven sharpness to discern undeniable principles, but the conscience is more dull in apprehending that spiritual vengeance followeth such spiritual sins as unbelief, because until there be some supernatural revelation, we are dead to the Gospel truths, and Gospel sins, but when a common Grace hightens the soul to a supernatural assent, that Christ is a Teacher sent of God, Joh. 7. 28. Joh. 3, 2. the conviction is more strong: But because it is more supernatural, and in stead of kindly affection of love which it wants, it is mixed with hatred and anger, and so degeners into fiery indignation against the Holy Ghost, as John 15. 24. compared with Matth. 12. 15, 26, 31. cleareth. 5. Conviction  which is no more but conviction, is no godly principle, nor makes any heart change, yea, it goes dangerously on to wonder and despise, except it send down coals of fire to the affections. 6. He who is under the Covenant of Grace findes a threefold sweetness in obedience.  1. An inbred sweetness in the command. 2. In the strength by which he acts. 3. An inbred sweetness in a communion with God. No man is any other way under the Law, then under a yoke, what is only written seems the oldness of the letter, Rom. 7. and is dead of itself, and lays on a burden, but gives no back to bear. He that is under Grace finds sweetness of delight in a positive Law, though the thing commanded be as hard

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to flesh and blood as to be crucified, Joh. 10. 18. yet it obtains a sweetness of holiness from Gods will, Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will, O God, (even to be made a curse and crucified) Thy Law is within my heart, and he would but fulfill all righteousness, even that which seems to be the outside of the Gospel, to be sprinkled with water, Matth. 3. 15. and this Christ would do as under the Covenant of Grace.

2. The stirrings and breathings of the Spirit makes the work sweet, hearing brings burning of heart, Luke 24. 32. willing gladness, Acts 2. 14. and some sweetness of stirred bowels comes  from the Lords putting in his hand through the Key-hole of the door of the heart, Cant. 5. 4. whereas to a natural man under the Law, to lift up a Prayer is to carry a milestone on his back, every syllable of a word is a stone weight which he cannot bear. 3. Were there no more in praying, but a communion with God, how sweet is it? when Christ prayeth, the fashion of his countenance is changed, Luke 9. 29. There is a heaven in the bosom of Prayer, though there were never a granting of the suit, sure there is a sin in making heaven a hire, and in making duty a relative thing, a horse for a journey, a ship for a voyage to fetch home gold, where as there is heaven in praising God before the Throne, such as is both work and wages, and so in spiritual duties here.

7. Suppose there were no letter of a command, because there is suitableness between the Law engraven in the heart, and the  spiritual matter commanded, a child of Grace under Grace sets above duties, so that (in a manner) there is no need to say to David, Get thee to Jerusalem, and to the House of God, for he sayeth, Psal. 122. 1. I was glad when they said, Let us go to the House of the Lord. As there needs no command that the Father love the child, nor is there need to exhort the Sea to eb flow, or the Sun to shine: nor are any more arguments useful to press the mother to give suck to the child, nature stands for a law here, the strength of the engraven Law in the heart, overpowereth the letter. So the new nature, the indwelling anointing, as a new instinct putteth the child of Grace to act. But here we are to beware, that we separate not the Word and the Spirit, the Father of Spirits loves to work with his own tools, and sow with his own seed the Word of

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God, these three agree in one. 1. The Spirit acting. 2. The habit of Grace acted upon by the Spirit, who blows away the ashes, and 3. The word of exhortation: nor do we extol dead letters and liveless forms, as Libertines say, for we take in with the letter the quickening sense and convincing meaning of the Word, and its considerable that the Spirit draws sweetly after him, the nature, faculties of will, mind and affections, and they need no other allurement but the Word, the Spirit, and the new nature. But when they barbarously slew their children, and made them pass through the fire, they must put out of their ears and hearts the crying and howhng of the murdered Babies, with the noise of the beating of drums; nature serves the Devil often weeping, and Satan deadens nature, Grace so mortifies, as the consent of delegation goes alone, Psal. 1. 2. Psal. 119. 72, 97.

CHAP. XIII.

There are two sorts of Covenanting, one external, professed, visible, conditional, another internal, real, absolute, and the differences between them. 2. Infants externally in Covenant under the New Testament. 3. Some Questions touching Infants.

Persons are two ways in Covenant with God, externally by Visible profession, and conditionally, not in reference to the Covenant, but to the thing promised in Covenant, which none obtains, but such as fulfill the condition of the Covenant: For consent of parties, promise and restipulation whether express, by word of mouth, Deut. 5. 27. We will hear and do, Josh. 24. 24. And the people said unto Joshua, the Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. Or yet tacit and implicit by profession. I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, make parties in Covenant. The keeping or breaking of the Covenant, must then be extrinsical to ones being confederate with God. And 2. Infants born of covenanted Parents are in Covenant with God, because they are born of such Parents as are in Covenant with God, Gen. 17. 7. I will be a God to thy seed after thee.

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(2.) The Covenant-choice on Gods part is extended to the seed,  Deut. 4. 37. And because he loved thy Fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them. Deut. 10. 15. Only the Lord had a delight in thy Fathers, to love them, (and) he chose their seed after them, (even you (Fathers and Children) above all people, (as it is) this day. And the Covenant-choice of seed is extended to the seed in the New Testament. Act. 2. 29. For to you, and to your children is the promise made. He speaks in the very terms and words of the Covenant, Gen. 17. 7. καὶ βαπτίσθητω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν, every one of you be baptized, he saith not every one of you, old and young, Parents and Children, repent. For that command of Repentance is given only personally to them who moved the Question, What shall we do, Men and Brethren? 37. For we are under great wrath, and crucified the Lord of Glory. The Answer is, you aged, Repent. 39. True. But ah, we prayed, his blood be upon us and our children. He answers to that, every one of you be baptized. Why, that must be every one of you who  are commanded to repent? No. It must be every one of you to whom the promise is made, but the promise is made ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν. Observe the very two pronouns that are, Gen. 17. 7. Deu. 4. 37. Deut. 10. 15. to thee and thy seed. To you and your seed, and children. Now the Answer had been most impertinent, if he had mentioned their children, except in order their Baptism, and their being in Covenant. For 1. their Children crucified not the Lord Jesus; Nay by Anabaptists grounds, their Children not being visible in Covenant with their Parents, and not capable of actual hearing of the Word, of actual mourning for, and repenting of their sins, as Zech. 12. 10. Mat. 3. 8, 9, 10. they were not concerned either in the evil of their Parents, who crucified the Lord of glory, nor in the good of their Repentance more then stones.  So that (every one of you be baptized, for the promise is to you and to your Children) should be inpertinent, and so false; for Covenant promises are more made to Children, then to stones, say the opposites of Infant Baptism. Yea also, as the Lord in the Old Testament, calls Israel his people. My people old and young. Saul shall be Captain of my people. David shall feed my people, old and young, and shall punish with the sword the murdering of Infants. 2. Because he chose (with a Covenant-choice) the K

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Jews and their seed, Deut. 4. 37. Deut. 10. 15. Gen. 17. 7. then he must be the God of their seed. But he chooseth with a Covenant choice, and calling all the Nations, Isa. 2. 2, 3. All the kindreds of the earth under the New Testament, Psal. 22. 27. All Egypt and Assyria under the New Testament. Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hand, Isa. 19. [25.] All the Kingdoms of the world are the Lords, and his Sons, and he reigns in them, by his Word and Gospel, as the seventh Angel soundeth, Revel. 11. 15: All the Gentiles are his, Isa. 60. 1, 2, 3, 4, Mal. 1. 11. All the ends of the earth, and the heathen, Psal. 2. 8, 9. Psal. 72. 7, 8, 9, 10 Now if they be not his by visible and externally professed  Covenant, they must be the Lords Kingdoms only, because some in these Kingdoms 1. Are come to age. 2. Profess the truth. 3. Give a signification that they are converted and chosen, and so baptized. But so infants and all the rest of these Kingdoms who fixedly, in a Church, hear the Word, profess they are followers, and by so doing are witnesses against themselves that they have chosen the Lord to be their God, and have consented to the Covenant, as Joshua saith, Josh. 24. 22. must be under the New Testament cut off from the Covenant, and a place must be shown where God hath now under the New Testament, broken the staves of beauty and bands, and hath laid this curse upon all the Infants of Egypt, Assyria, of all the Kingdoms of the earth, that the Lord is now no God to them, and feeds them no more, and therefore that which dies, let it die, and that which is cut off, let it be cut off, as it is, Zech. 11. 9. And the like must be said of all that are come to age, and not baptized, or as good as not baptized. And Covenant-promises are not to the Children of Believers, contrary to Acts 2. 39. nor to the aged, until they be converted visibly and Baptized; This then hath never yet been fulfilled, that the Gentiles and Heathen are become the Lords people. Surely it is (2.) and was a mercy for the seed to be in Covenant, Exod. 20. 6. I am the Lord showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments. Psal. 89. 28. My mercy will I keep with David and his seed. What mercy? My Covenant shall stand fast with him. Hence we are called the sure mercies of David. Isa. 55. The Lord following the seed of the Godly

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with real mercies (so that it cannot be called the favour of a ceremony and instituted or positive privilege belonging only to the Jews) as that his seed is blessed, Psal. 37. 26. Psal. 112. 2. This mercy must be taken away either in mercy or in wrath: but that a real mercy of a blessing should be taken away in mercy, except a spiritual mercy of saving grace in Christ were given in place thereof, cannot be said, far less hath it any truth that a real mercy can be removed in wrath from Infants in Jesus Christ, in whom the Nations are blessed. And we see, Deut. 28. the blessing of an observed Covenant, and the curses of a broken Covenant are extended to the fruit of the body to the sons and the daughters, v. 4, 18, 32. Job 21. 19. Job 29. 14. Job 18. 15, 16, 17. And that this is not a New Testament dispensation, who can say? And that outward positive favours are bestowed on Infants, is clear. (1.) That Christ laid his hands on them and blessed them, making them a fixed copy of the indwellers of his Kingdom. (2.) The promises of the Covenant are made to them, Act. 2. 39. (3.) They are clean and holy by Covenant-holiness, 1 Cor. 7. 14. which cannot be meant of being born of the marriage-bed. For Paul, Rom. 11. 16. saith the same of the Jews, root and branches, Fathers and Children: And no man dreamed that Paul, Rom. 11. intends to prove that the Jews shall be insert in again, because they are free of bastardy Father and sons. Now Infants understand no more any of these to be blessed by the laying on of the hands of Christ, and to be such as have title to the promises, Acts 2. 39. and to be Covenant-wise holy, 1 Cor. 7. then they understand Baptism. (4.) The same Covenant made with Abraham is made with the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Which is prophesied of the Gentiles under the New Testament, Ezek. 11. 17, 18, 19, 20. Ezek. 34. 23, 24, 25. Jer. 31, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. Jer. 32. 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. Zech. 13. 9. Hos. 1. 10, 11. 1 Pet. 2. 9, 10. And it is made to the Gentiles with an eke of a new heart, and a larger extent of the Covenant under the New Testam. for which cause it is called a better Covenant, hath better promises, Heb. 7. 22. Heb. 8. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Now that were a strange eke and excellency of the New Testament Covenant above the Old, to forfeit, without farther process, all Infants under the New Testament K2

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of all Covenant-right, which was due to them of old under the Covenant which the Lord calls faulty: Egypt shall be my people, except their 1. Infants 2. And except their aged, and their non-Saints. (5.) Infants in the former Covenant had right by birth to the means of salvation, to be taught and Catechized in the Law of the Lord, because born of Covenanting Parents within the Visible Church, and so had title to Covenant-calling, and GODS Covenant-choosing, Mat. 22. 4. as is clear, Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham will command his Children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, Exod. 20. 10. Deut. 6. 6, 7. And thou shall teach them diligently unto thy Children, Exod. 12. 26, 27. Psal. 78. 4, 5, 6. Now if Infants be without the Covenant as the Infants of Pagans, then they have no more Covenant-right to the hearing of the Gospel, and a treaty with Christ, and Covenant, then Pagans have. Its not enough to say their Fathers owe that much natural compassion to their souls, as to teach them, it being a Parents duty; Yea, but what warrant hath a Father as a Father to make offer of a Covenant of Grace in the Name of GOD to one pagan more then to another, since all are equally without the Covenant, if there be a Covenant-call warranted to them, where is the fathers command to propone and engage the Covenanters consent, if the Children be Pagans? but as they have a right by birth to the call, they being born where the call soundeth, they must have some visible right to the Covenant itself, more then other Pagans. Its but of small weight to say that, Rom. 9. Paul expoundeth that in the New Testament, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, only of the spiritual seed, such as Jacob, who was predestinated to Glory, not of those that are carnally descended of Abraham, otherwise it should follow, that these that are in the Covenant, might believe that they should be saved, though  void of Faith and Repentance. Answ. The purpose of the Apostle, Rom. 9. is to Answer a sad Objection: if the Jews be cast off, and rejected of God, as Paul, by his extreme desire to have them saved, insinuates, then the Word of God takes no effect, and his calling and choosing of them for his people, takes no effect, v. 6. He Answers, it is not failed, though the body of Israel be rejected. For there are two kinds of Israelites, some only carnal and born

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according to the flesh: others sons of promise, and chosen of God. Now the word of promise takes effect in the latter sort, to wit, in the chosen, and in the sons of promise, for they are not cast off of God, and so the Word of God takes effect, v. 6. (2.) But the truth is, if there be none Covenanted with God, but the chosen under the New Testament, then there is no such thing as an external and visible Covenanting with God, under the New Testament, then must all the Nations, Isa. 2. 1, 2. Kingdoms of the World, Rev. 11. 15. all Egypt, Assyria, Isa. 19. 25. all the Gentiles, Isa. 60. be internally Covenanted and sons of promise, and predestinated to life? And that, 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, under the New Testament, must infer, that all in Covenant under Christ must be spiritually in Covenant, and the visible Church of Corinth, and of all the Kingdoms of the world, Rev. 11. 15. must be the invisible and chosen Church, and as many as are called, must be chosen, contrary to Mat. 22. 14.  Hence. Q. 1. Have Infants now under Christ no privilege nor Covenant-Grace external by their birth and descent from believing Parents? Answ. Sure they have. For Acts 2. 39. the promise is to you and to your children. Either to all children, or to some, the Text makes no exception. If it be said to all conditionally, if they believe, not absolutely? Answ. That must be an internal covenanting proper to the elect, and the promise is not made to the aged but conditionally, so they believe. And yet the promise shall be made to Infants and Children, but not while they come to age. 2. To be cut off and casten out of Covenant is a dreadfull Judgement, Zecha. 11. 9. Hos. 2. 3, 4, 5. Rom. 11. 20. well, because of unbelief they are broken off. Then because the Jews believe in Christ already come, all their children, for no fault, but for the belief of their Parents, muscomedt be cut off. (3.) Whereas Paul makes it a misery that the Ephesians, 2. 12. were strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God, without Christ. And Peter, that the Gentiles were no people, 1 Pet. 2. then that misery lies upon the Infants of Christians and all within the visible Church, until they be converted and baptized, and the Gospel is no favour to them, that they are within the net, and in the office-house of Grace the visible Church,

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where the word is Preached to children, who are to be taught, Gen. 18. 19. Deut. 6. 7. Exod. 12. 26, 27. Psal. 78. 1, 2, 3, 4. 5, 6, 7. 2 Tim. 3. 15. and the Lord reckons it among the favours, that he bestows not on every Nation, but only on his own Covenanted Israel, that the Word of the Gospel to gather them and their Children, Matth. 23. 37. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Psal. 78. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. and his Statutes and his Judgements are declared and preached to them, Psal. 147. 19, 20. Deut. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4. c. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7. Psal. 81. 4. and that the Oracles of God, and the promises are committed to them, Rom. 3. 1, 2 Rom. 9. 4. the promises and the giving of the Law, the Covenants and the service of God. And that this is a special blessing in the New Testament  to old and young is clear from Acts 13. when Paul turned from the blaspheming Jews to the Gentiles. 47. I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the end of the earth. Now this Covenant-salvation is, Isa. 49. 6. I will give thee to restore the preserved of Israel. -8. I will give thee for a Covenant to the people to establish the earth. -9. That thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth, c. Now if it be said, it was indeed a singular privilege to the Jews, but what places of the New Testament make it a Covenant privilege to the Gentiles and their seed, if the Word of the Covenant Preached to the aged under the new Testament, can the same ways, by accident, be preached, and promises come to the ears of the unbaptized Children, now growing to be capable of hearing the Gospel, Acts 2. 39. 2 Tim. 3. 15. as to Pagans, and such as are no less strangers to the Covenant, and void of all right by the Covenant made with their Parents, then Indians and their children who worship Satan? Paul not without a command Preacheth the Word of the Covenant to the discerning Gentiles, Acts 13. 47. from Isa. 49. 6, 9, 10. must not the fathers have command to speak the Gospel to their children? Or doth not the warrant that Parents and Pastors have to take within the Covenant the fathers, warrant them to preach the same Covenant to the children? whereas, otherwise the Apostles should have said, we have no warrant to offer the Covenant to any or to Preach Christ a given-Covenant to any: But 1. To such as are come to age. 2. Such as are Converts. 3. To such as can

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give signification by confession, that they are not only visible but also invisible and chosen confederates, and they should have said all children are now by Christ excluded as profane Gentiles and heathen from the Covenant of Grace, because there can be none (say Anabaptists) but real Believers under the New Testament in Covenant with God.

Yea but the New Testament offers Christ a Covenant, in the preached promises, alike to fathers and sons. Matth. 4. 16. The people (fathers and sons) that sat in darkness saw great light, c. Matth. [21.] 43. Therefore I say unto you, the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And is it not a punishment to be deprived of the Kingdom? If the Kingdom of God come where the Preached Covenant is, Matth. 3. 2. Matth. 12. 28. and the Bridegroom among them, and so cause of joy, Matth. 9. 15. and the Golden Candlesticks be there and the Son of God walking in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks, Rev. 1. 20. c. 2. 1. sure this is much to children. If it be said, it is very nothing, for children understand nothing of this. What then is meant by the Prophecy of the incoming  of the Gentiles, Psal. 87. 3. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. 4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me; behold Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia, that man was born there. 5. And of Zion it shall be said, this and that man was born in her. 6. The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. And Christ Prophecying of the desolation extends the judgement of a depised Covenant to the children and the house. Matth. 23. 37, 38. Luk. 19. 44. Luke 22. 24. how should there be under the New Testament Covenant wrath, for the fathers Covenant breaking derived to the children, if in their fathers the sucking children brake not the Covenant, then they have been in Covenant with their parents, especially since a Visible Covenanting, by borrowed allusions to altars, speaking the language of Canaan, offering incense, swearing by the Lord, is spoken of Egypt and of five, that is, of many cities of Egypt, and of all the Gentiles, Esa. 19. 18, 19, 20. 2 Mal. 1. 18. and Covenant blessings shall be derived from fathers to children. The Lord shall say, 25. Blessed be Egypt my

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people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. It must be a narrow blessing of Covenanted Egypt, Assyria, Israel, if it be a blessing of these come to age. 2. Professing the faith. 3. And baptized. How can the Lord say, blessed be Egypt, and though the whole seed be visibly in Covenant, old and young, yet it followeth not, that therefore every promise that is absolute, that is, that of a new heart is made to all and every one within the Visible Covenant: for it is promised Deut. 30. 6. to the Jews, and was given to them and undeniably the visible body of the Jews, and their seed were the chosen and externally adopted and Covenanted-people of God, Deut. 29 10, 11, 12, 13. Deut. 7. 6. Deut. 10. 19. and the Lord calls them those whom he delivered out of Egypt, his people, Exod. 3. 7. I have seen the affliction of my people, Ezek. 37. 12. O my people, I will open your graves, as many as Saul and David did feed, whether they have a new heart or not, the Lord calls them his people, 1 Sam. 9. 16. 2. 2 Sam. 7. 8. See Psal. 50. 7. Hear O my people, Psal. 81. 13. Jer. 9. 26. and so the Church of Corinth [1] Cor. 16. is called his people, and the Kingdoms of the world the Lords Kingdoms in Covenant, Rev. 11. 15. and there were many of them uncircumcised in heart, Jer. 9. 26. Isa. 1. 10. Amos 9. 7. and with many of them, God was not well pleased, 1 Cor. 10. 5. and so it is most false that none are in Covenant under the New Testament, but only Believers; For Judas, Demas, Simon Magus, and all the externally called (for they cannot be baptized but as in Covenant with God) Matth. 22. 10. are by their profession in Covenant externally, as the Jews profession saith they accepted of, and consented unto the Covenant of Grace, for 1 Cor. 10. 7. Be not ye Idolaters, as some of them, commit not fornication, tempt not Christ, murmur not, as some of them, v. 8, 9. these and the like say we are the same way in Covenant as they were, and our Visible Church, now, and the Visible Church then are of the same constitution.

Q.And may we not say, that the same Covenant of Grace, we are under, is the same in nature and substance with that Covenant made with Abraham? Answ. The same Christ was their Mediator, as ours, Heb. 13. 8. their Rock and our Rock, Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Joh. 8. 56.

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(2.) We are justified as Abraham, and David. Rom, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Gen. 15. 6. Psal. 32. 1, 2.

3. They are saved by Grace, the Gentiles as well as they, Acts 15. 11. by faith, Acts 10. 43. Heb. 11. 1, 2, 3, 4. 13. c.

4. There is no more reason to say, it was a civil Covenant made  with Abraham, because it distinguished Abrahams seed from other Nations, and an earthly Covenant, because Canaan was promised to them, not to us, then to say there be two Covenants of Works, one made to Adam, with a promise of an earthly Paradise, and another Covenant of Works to the Jews, with an earthly Canaan; And a third to these who in the Gospel-time are under a Covenant of Works. Yea upon the same account, the Covenant of Grace made, Psal. 89. 2 Sam. 7. with David, having a Throne promised to him, should be yet another Covenant different from the other two; And since a Covenant here is a way of obtaining salvation upon condition of obedience, John Baptist should be under another Covenant of Grace, then the Apostles: For to their faith is promised the working of miracles, Mark 16. 16, 17, 18. But John wrought no miracles, and many thousands of believers work no miracles, and they must be under a third Covenant: For though Canaan was promised to Abrahams seed, there is no reason to call it an earthly Covenant, or another different covenant, for to all believers the blessings of their land are promised, Ezek. 36. 25, 26, 30, 31. Jer. 31. 31. compared with 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43. Math. 6. 33. Luke 12. 31. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Heb. 13. 5, 6. 5. What if we say the Covenant made with Abraham, Exod. 3. proves by  our Saviours reasoning, Mat. 22. 31, 32, 33. that Infants shall not rise again and be in Angel-state and saved, otherwise if Infants and all believers in the Sadduces time be not under the same Covenant with Abraham, no Infants shall have a Covenant-Resurrection, nor a Covenant-Salvation; Or then there is some other salvation for Infants that are saved, to wit, some Pagan heaven without the Covenant, either none of them are saved and chosen to life. Contrary to Christ, Mat. 18. 2, 3, 4. Mark 10. 13 14, 15, 16. and the Anabaptists grant. Or there is a salvation 1. without a Covenant, and so without the New and Old Testament. 2. without L

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the Name of Jesus and the Blood of the Covenant: Contrary to Acts 4. 12. 1 John 1. 8. Rev. 1. 5. (3.) they shall be saved without the visible Church, the way that Pagans are saved.

Q. 3. Are they not saved all of them? Is not this enough? But because the Kingdom of Christ is spiritual, the Element of water can do them no good, except they believe?

Answ. If his Kingdom be not spiritual, because his wisdom hath appointed external signs, then no promise (which is but good words) shall be made to Children, contrary to Acts 2. 39.  for they can do them no good until they believe. 2. Then should there be no preaching of the Gospel to all Nations, as Matth. 28. 20. for impossible it is that all Nations can be profited by the Gospel. 3. The doubt supposes that it is legal servility and Jewish to be under the Gospel preached and the dispensation of signs and seals, even to the aged, such as are Baptism, the Supper, rebukes, censures. 4. To be a visible member, and visibly in Covenant, and to be baptized, except all be sound believers, must be Jewish. Now certain, it is a new Testament Ordinance that Ministers preach and baptize all nations, though the greatest part believe not.

Q. 4. If faith sanctify as faith, then an unbelieving where might  be sanctified by a believing fornicator: For faith will do its formal work in every subject?

Answ. Paul never meant that faith doth sanctify in every subject, but in subiecto capaci. Faith sanctifieth not incest and sin, they are not capable to be separated to a holy use: If fire as fire burn, then might all the water in the Ocean be dried up with the least sparkle of fire. If prayer as prayer obtain all things, shall it obtain that the sacrificing of your son to God, shall be accepted of  him as holy and lawfull worship? Mr. Baxter saith excellently upon this subject. A thing must be first lawfull, before it be sanctified; God sanctifieth not sin in, or to any. See the Argument, 1 Cor. 7. learnedly and solidly vindicated by him, so as the dispute is at an end now.

Q. 5. What holiness is it that is called federal, or Covenant-holiness which is in Infants?

Answ. It is not so much personal holiness (though it may so

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be called, because the person is a Church member, separated from  the world to God) as holiness of the seed, Society, Family, or Nation, which is derived from father to son, as if the father be a free man of such a City, that privilege is personal, as it is by the Law hereditary freedom derived from father to son, if the father have ius ad media salutis right to the means of salvation, so hath the son. Hence this was first domestical, God made the Covenant with Abraham and his family: I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed, Gen. 17. it was extended to him, not as a father only, but as to be the head of the family; the children of Servants born in Abrahams family were to be circumcised and to be instructed as having right to the means of salvation. Gen. 17. 12. He that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man-child in your Generations (so it is Generation-holiness) he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, that is not of thy seed. So God shows clearly that in Abraham he chosed the Nation and the house, Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham, that he will command his children (that is too narrow a Church Visible) and his household after him, that they shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Afterward he choosed the Nation to be a peculiar people holy to himself, Deut. 7. 6, 7. but not with an other new distinct  Covenant, but in the same Covenant. 8. But because the Lord loved you, and would keep the oath that he had sworn to your fathers, to wit to Abraham. Deut. 10. 15. He chose their seed after them, even you, above all people, not above all houses. Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the familes of the earth. So the external Church Covenant and Church right to the means of grace is given to a society, and made with Nations under the New Testament, Isa. 2. 1, 2, 3. Psal. 2. 8, 9. Psal. 22. 27. Psal. 87. 2, 3, 4. Rev. 11. 15. Matth. 18. 19, 20. And not any are baptized in the New Testament, (except the Eunuch, and Saul, Acts 8. 39.) who are baptized firstly, but they are baptized as public men representing a seed; also societies are baptized. All Judea, Mat. 3. 3. All the land of Judea, Mark 1. 5. All the multitude, all the people, Luk 4. 7, 21. Sure the fathers were so Christianed and Baptized as their children had right to the same seal. So John 3. 22, 23, 26. Cornelius his house and with him were baptized L2

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Acts 10. 33. 47. Three thousand at once, Acts 2. 39, 40, 41. The Jailor and his house, Acts 16. 33. servants and friends. The household of Stephanas, 1 Cor. 1. 16. was Baptized. And this 3.  is holden forth as the Church, as the household of Narcissus which are in the Lord, Rom. 16. 11. Aquila and Priscilla, and all the Church at their house v. 5. The Church at the house of Philemon, Phil. v. 2. which teacheth that the Covenant-holiness is of societies and houses under the New Testament as in Abrahams house, and as Abrahams house was Circumcised, so are whole houses under the New Testament Baptized. 4. Paul aptly calls it the holiness of the lump, or Nation, and the first fruits, root-holiness, the holiness of the root and the branches. Of the Olive Tree and the branches, Rom. 11. 16, 17. (5.) The special intent of God in sending the word of the Covenant must evidence this; he sends not the Gospel unto, and for the cause of one man, to bring him in, but to gather a Church and his elect ones, by a visibly and audibly Preached Covenant to a society, to a City; to Samaria Acts 8. To the Gentiles, Acts 13. To all Nations, Mat. 28. 19, 20. that they and their children may have right to salvation and to the means thereof, and to the Covenant, and therefore we are not curiously to inquire, whether the faith of the father be real or not, if the Gospel be come to the Nation, to the House, to the Society. The Lord in one Abraham, in one Cornelius, in one Jailor, (whom he effectually converts as far as we can gather from the Scriptures) chooses the race, house, society, nation, and gives  them a Covenant-holiness, the mans being born where the call of God is, does the turn, as much as the faith of the Parent. For by the root is not necessarily meant the Physical root the father. For Abraham was not the Physical root and father, nor Cornelius of all the servants and friends in the house. But if a friend be in the house, or society, and profess the Gospel, he and his obtain right to Baptism and the means of salvation. But as touching real holiness, it is not derived from a believing father, to make the son a believer, Scripture and experience say the Contrary. Nor 2. is internal and effectual confederacy with God, that, by which one is a son of promise, Rom. 9. and predestinate to life, a national fao--. For 1. no man is chosen to life in his father, because the father is

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chosen: A chosen father may have a reprobate son. 2. Election to life is not of nations, or houses, or societies, but of single persons. It is not said, before the nation had done good or evil, I chose this nation all and whole, not this, but I loved this man, not this man.

Q.What is the formal reason and ground that any hath right to Baptism?

Answ. If we speak of a passive right, if the Eunuch believe, Act. 8. and if such have received the Spirit, Acts 10. they may receive baptism, The Eunuch moves not the Question whether Philip should sin in baptizing him or not? The Eunuch was troubled to make sure his own, not Philips Conversion. They who bring  that Argument, ἔξεστι Acts 8. and that, Mark. 16. to prove that only such should be baptized, who believe actually and are come to age: They prove that the Church sinneth, if they baptize any, but such as are predestinated to life and really believe. For the faith that Philip asked for, was real, with all the heart, not as the faith of Simon Magus: And the faith, Mark 16. 15. is real saving faith, that brings salvation; he that believes is saved. 2. It cannot be visible faith only; for that is in Simon Magus, he doth visibly so believe and is baptized. Yet upon that faith he was not saved, being in the gall of bitterness (3.) He that believes not is damned. The meaning must be, he that believes not savingly is damned: Or then he that believes not visibly, as Magus, and Judas, is damned, but this is most false, for Peter believes not as Judas, and yet he is not damned: Or then the meaning must be, he that believeth both really, savingly, and also professedly and visibly, is saved. And that is true, but it concludes that none are to be baptized, but both real and visible believers. 4. If it be true that none are to be baptized but Covenanted ones, as Acts 2. 39. And if none be Covenanted ones under the New Testament, but real believers and such as are predestinated to life, as our Anabaptists teach from Rom. 9. then must the Church without warrant of the Word baptize Magus, Demas, Judas. (5.) Then must also all Judea, all the Generations of vipers baptized have been both real and visible believers, for they were all baptized, Matth. 13. 3, 4. Mark. 1. 5. Luke 1. 7, 21. Let Independents consider this, and what D. Fulk, and Mr. Cartwright,

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Paraeus, Calvin, Beza; and our Divines speak on these places against the auricular confession of all the huge multitude. (6.) It is a wonder that any man should dream that the Eunuch made a case of conscience, Acts 8. whether it was lawfull to Philip to baptize, and not whether he himself did believe and could worthily receive the seal, Act. 8. 36. here is water (saith he) τί κωλύει μὲ βαπτισθήναι. (7.) So none can warrantably baptize any but persons dying in faith, and its not certain these have the faith that  is, Acts 8. 37. Mar. 16. 16. But for the formal warrant of such as baptize: neither are the aged as the aged, nor Infants as Infants to be baptized; for so all the aged and all Infants even of Pagans are to be baptized. Nor 2. are all in Covenant, to be baptized: For such as are only really and invisibly in Covenant, and do make no profession of Christ at all, are not warrantably by the Church to be baptized. Only these whether old or young that are, tali modo visibili federati, such as professedly and visibly in Covenant, and called, Acts 2. 39. are warrantably baptized. Hence they must be so in Covenant, as they be called by the word of the Covenant, for they cannot be baptized against their will, Luke 7. 29. 30.

Q.What warrant is there, Act. 2. 39. for Infant Baptism?

Ans. I shall not contend for the actual baptizing of them at that instant. But every one of you be baptized ἕκαστος father and sons. Why? the promise is to you and to your children, break the Text into an hundred pieces, and blood it as men please, the Genuine Thesis which cannot be neglected, is, These to whom the promise of the Covenant does belong, these should be baptized, ἐπαγγελία. But the promise of the Covenant is to you and to your children. Ergo,  you and your children should be baptized. The assumption is the express words of Peter and the Proposition is Peters. Every one of you be baptized, ὑμῖν γὰρ ἐστιν for to you is the promise of the Covenant. Calvin, Bullinger, Brentius, Gualther clear it. 2. Who they are, who are in the nearest capacity to be baptized, he explains, when he showeth, that the Covenant promise is made to those who are far off, to the Gentiles, who the Lord shall call, then all that are under the call and offer of Christ in the preached Gospel, as Prov. 9. 1, 2, 3, 4. Matth. 22.

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bid them come to the wedding, Luke 14. 16, 17, 18. c. are externally in Covenant, and such to whom the Covenant is made, and should be baptized, its presumed they give some professed consent to the call and do not right down deny to come, else they should be baptized against their will. 3. Calvin shows Acts 2. 39. that the Anabaptists in his time, said, the promise was made to Believers only, but the Text saith, it is made to you and to your children, to infants, to the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant made with the fathers, Acts 3. 25. Now what ground do Anabaptists give that all infants believe, or that some believe, since to them, their children were as Pagans without Christ, without the Covenant? if to the children when they come to age and shall believe? but what need to add, and to your believing Children? for these are not children but men of age, their fathers and they both being believers. Now Peter sets down two ranks, the aged who heard the word with gladness, and were pricked in heart, v. 37. 41. and the children, and to both the promise is made, and what ground is there to exclude sucking children? for the word, Acts 2. 39. is Matth. 2. 18. 1 Cor. 7. 14. where sure the word is taken for sucking children of whose actual faith the Scripture speaks not. 2. The promise is to you and to your children, can have no other sense  then, the promise and word of the Covenant is preached to you and to your children in you, and this is to be externally in Covenant, both under the Old and New Testament. If it have another sense it must be this, the Lord hath internally Covenanted with you the 3000. who have heard the word and with your children, and you are the spiritual seed, and sons of promise, predestinate to life eternal: as Rom. 9. they expone the seed in Covenant: But 1. Were all the 3000. Ananias and Sapphira and their children the spiritual and chosen seed? for he commands all, whom he exhorts to repent, to be baptized: And 2. Now to Simon Magus and Demas, and numbers of such, Peter could not have said, the promise is made to you and to your children, if it be only made to real and actual believers, as they say, Peter therefore must own them all whom he exhorts to repent, as the chosen seed. But if the former sense be intended (as how can it be denied?) to wit, the word of the Covenant is preached to you, an offer of Christ

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is made in the preached Gospel to you. Then it cannot be denied, but the promises to all the Reprobate in the Visible Church whether they believe or not, for Christ is preached; and promises of  the Covenant are Preached to Simon Magus, to Judas and all the Hypocrites who stumble at the word, to all the Pharisees, as is clear, Math. 13. 20, 21, 22, 23. Acts 13. 44, 45. Acts 18. 5, 6. Math. 21. 43. 1 Pet. 2. 7, 8. (3.) The promise, I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, must be one way expounded in the Old Testament, to wit, you are externally only in Covenant with God. But in the New Testament, it must have this meaning, I will be your God, 2. Cor. 6. 16. that is, you are all predestinate to life, and the sons, by promise, and the spiritual seed, to whom I say, I will be your God: But so it may well be said, there were no internal Covenanters in the Old Testament, and there be none but only internal Covenanters in the New Testament, so that when the Lord sayeth, Rev. 11. 15. The Kingdoms of the earth are mine, and my sons. He must say, the Kingdoms, Egypt, Assyria, Tyrus, Ethiopia, c. are chosen and the spiritual seed, and these Covenanted Nations and the Kingdoms of the Gentiles are all internally and effectually called, and there are no Visible Churches in the New Test. but only all invisible and saved. 4. If these words, The promise is to you, and to your Children, be limited, to as many as the Lord shall effectually call, either fathers or children: But Mr. Stev. Marshall judiciously observes; there is no more a Covenant-favour holden forth to their children, then to the children of Pagans; for the children of Pagans, if God effectually call  them, have the promises made to them. 5. Its clear that external Covenant-holiness, is to these men ceremonial holiness now out of date; and then external calling the only means of internal and effectual calling, Math. 22. 14. 1 Cor. 1. 18. 23. 24. Luke 15. 1, 2. and the fixed Church-hearing of the Preached Gospel is a ceremony. 2. That God should be the God of Infants of the seed  of the Jews, a mercy to fathers and sons coming from free love, Deut. 10. 15. Gen. 17. 7. Deut. 7. 6, 7, 8. and Prophesied as a mercy

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to the Gentiles by all the Prophets was a ceremony removed now in Christ. Yea 3. External covenanting and adopting, and choosing of Israel is no mercy, except that a Pedagogue of the Law is a mercy for a time. 4. The promise is to you and to your Children, must be in a contradictory way expounded, to wit, the promise is no more made to your Children so long as they are Infants, then to Devils. Yea Fathers and Children not believing, though chosen to life, are excommunicated from visible Adoption, calling, hearing the Gospel-promises, for there is no covenanting now under the New Testament, but only internal covenanting of  the Elect. 5. Young Timothy and children of believing Parents, and all the aged within the visible Church, have no right to hear the preached Gospel, before they believe and be the holy seed, more then Pagans. Yea 6. They can have no command of God, to hear the Gospel, nor any covenant or Gospel warrant, until they be believers, for if there were no promise made to hearing and considering the word, if they shall believe, while as yet they believe not, and until they be effectually called, there can be no command, and no Law, to hear the Gospel and the covenant offer made in Christ. It shall then be no more sin for unconverted persons to turn away their ears from the Law, and not to hear the Gospel. 7. It were non-sense to say to men under the externally proposed covenant, repent, hear the Gospel, use the means, receive the seals, and yet you have no right to hear, nor have we any warrant to baptize you, until ye believe; for there is no promise made to you, nor to your seed and Children, until first you believe. And it must say there was no threatening to Adam. Gen. 2. 17. before he sinned, and no promise to Adam nor to any now, do this and live, until Adam first sinned, and first obeyed the covenant; and so, if John covenant to labour in Peters Vineyard, and Peter promise to him four pence, so he work twelve hours, otherwise he shall not pay him 4. pence, though John accept of the covenant, and work but one hour, whereas his covenant is to work for twelve hours, then no man can say to John (work, for there is a promise made of four pence to you) the other might deny; no such promise was made to me, except I work twelve hours. It were, sure, unfaithful dealing to John to say M

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so. For the four pence ought not, by this Covenant, to be given to him except he work twelve hours: but he cannot without palpable falshood, say, I have broken no Covenant, in not working twelve hours: For though I consented to the covenant, and  began to work an hour, yet the promise was not to me simply, but to me as working twelve hours; but there is neither face nor faith in this Answer: For the fulfilling of the covenant is only to give four pence to John, if he work 12. hours; but the promise and covenant was made to him and he hath foully broken. Yea a conditional covenant agreed unto and accepted, is a covenant, if we shall (as in reason we ought) distinguish between a covenant, in its essence and nature, and a covenant broken or fulfilled, a covenant or threatening, is a covenant and threatening obliging Adam, fit shall be agreed unto by silence, as Adam accepted the threatening, Gen. 2. 17. by silence, and Professors within the visible Church, by their professing of the Doctrine of the Gospel or covenant of grace, their receiving of the Seals and professed hearing of the Word, are under the covenant of Grace, and engage themselves to obey commands, promises, threatenings, and therefore promises are as properly made to them, Act. 2. 39. As commands, and threatenings, exhortations, invitations, and Gospel-requests are made to them. But though the Anabaptists ignorantly confound the promise, and the thing promised; the covenant, and benefits covenanted. The promise is to you, and so are the commands, and threatenings, whether ye believe or not, the command is to you, and lays an obligation on you, whether ye obey, or obey not, and the threatenings are to you, whether ye transgress or transgress not. It is true indeed, the promise, that is, the blessing promised, righteousness and eternal life is not given to you until you first believe. Object. Is not the promise made the same way to the aged as to the children; and the same thing required of both: The promise is to you and to your Children. But the promise is made to the aged only, if they actually believe. Ergo, the promise is made to the Children only, if they actually believe, and so not to Infants. Answ. Neither proposition nor assumption can bear weight. For the proposition when God saith, I will be thy God O Abraham, and the God of thy seed. Is it needful

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that God require the same conditions, that is actual believing that he may save Father Abraham, also actual believing from hearing the word of the covenant preached from all Infants born of Abraham and dying in Infancy, or then all these Infants so dying must be eternally damned? nay, we believe many Infants (we reserve to the holy and glorious Lord his liberty of election reprobation, Rom. 9. 11. 12) among the Jews were saved by the covenant of grace, though they died Infants. And this we condemn in Anabaptists, that they show no revealed way of God of saving  Infants of believing Parents dying in Infancy, more then of saving Pagans and their Infants, for to them both are alike without the covenant of grace and without Christ; and therefore believing Parents have no word of faith, or of the Gospel to pray for the salvation of their children dying in Infancy, for such prayers have neither warrant in the covenant of Works, nor in the covenant of grace by their way. And yet that we are to pray, is to be gathered from Gen. 19. 18. 2 Sam. 12. 16. Job. 1. 5. Mark 10. 16. Psal. 28. 9, and if we pray for their salvation, they must be saved by either Law or Gospel Its not enough, to say that we may pray for savages that never heard of the Gospel, nor of the covenant of grace, that they may be saved. For seeing there is no name under Heaven by which men may be saved, but by the name of Jesus, Acts 4. 12. John 14. 6. There is no other warrant of praying for such, then that God would send them the Gospel, and since Christ prayed for Infants and blessed them, which is a praying for them, Gen. 48. 15, 16 Deut. 33. 1. 6, 7, 8. c. Eph. 1. 2. Gal. 1. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 3. See Mar. 10. 16. he must own them as blessed in Christ, in whom all the Nations of the earth are blessed, and so covenanted with God in Christ.

2. It is false that the promise is made only to the aged, upon  condition of actual believing. 1. It is made to their children expressly in the Text, and for the way of their believing, we leave it to the Lord. Nor is it true, that the promise is made to the aged, upon condition of believing. The promise is made to them absolutely, whether they believe or not. But the blessing of the promise and covenant of grace is given and bestowed only conditionally, M2

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if they believe. The promise is absolutely made: its called conditional from the thing conditionally given.

Obj. But is not this an approven distinction, that persons are within the Covenant, either externally, professedly, visibly, or internally, really, or according to the intention of God? Ergo, such as are externally within the Covenant, are not really and indeed within the covenant of grace.

Ans. The Adverb (really) relates to the real fruit of the fulfilled  covenant, and so such as are only externally within the covenant, are not really within the covenant, for God never directed, nor intended to bestow the blessing covenanted, nor grace to perform the condition of the covenant upon them? but they are really covenanted and engaged by their consented profession to fulfill the covenant. And as the commands and threatenings of the covenant of grace lay on a real obligation, upon such as are only externally in covenant, either to obey or suffer, so the promise of the covenant imposes an engagement obligation upon such to believe the promise, but sometimes, we say the promises of the covenant of grace are not really made to the Reprobate within the visible Church, because God intends and decrees to, and for them, neither the blessing promised, nor the saving grace to fulfill the condition or to believe. And therefore these words are figurative, Heb. 8. 10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, I will write my Law in their minds, c. that is, this is the special and principal covenanted blessing, I will give them a new heart: which must not be called a simple prediction, though a prediction it is, but it is also a real promise made absolutely to the Elect, which the Lord fulfills in them: And this is called the Covenant. Because 1. They are no better then nonCovenanters upon whom the Lord bestows not this part and blessing of the covenant. 2. The truth is, the promise of a new heart is not made to the visible Church, which is only visible: but to the Elect invisible Church. And if Anabaptists shall expone these words, Acts 2. 39. The promise of a new heart is made to you and to your Children, upon condition that you and your Children believe, which they cannot do until first they have a new heart, its as good as Peter had said, God promiseth to you

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and to your Children grace to believe, and a new heart to obey him, upon  condition that you first believe. And that is, Gods promise to you to believe upon condition that ye believe, which is ridiculous, and therefore we cannot say that this promise of a new heart is made to all that are commanded to believe and repent and be baptized. For Elect and Reprobate, and all are under these commands, if they be members of the visible Church. But the promise of a new heart is not made to all within the visible Church.

Quest. How then? Must the promise of a new heart be here excluded? And shall nothing be meant in the word, but a  promise of forgiveness and life is made to you and your Children.

Answ. I should judge it hard, to say, that were the only promise here made, the promise of a new heart is made to you all, therefore repent and be baptized. The Antecedent is not true. 2. Therefore because Peter speaks unto, and of a mixed multitude, Fathers, Children, Elect and Reprobate, who must first understand, the promise of life and forgiveness is made to you. Ergo, all come to age, repent and be baptized. And because the promise is made to your Children, therefore let them be baptized. And 3. the promise of a new heart is not to be excluded, because there were in the company to whom, and of whom the Apostle Peter speaks, many Elect, in whom the old Prophecy, Jer. 31. Ezek. 11. was to be fulfilled; for he saith, The promise is made to as many as the Lord shall call; to the Gentiles, it were a sense too narrow, to exclude that promise, and therefore, as the great promise, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed (which chiefly is meant, Acts 2. 39.) requires not the same condition in Fathers and Infants, nor the same condition in Fathers, Wives, hewers of wood, Officers and Commanders, little ones, and such as were not born, Deut. 29. with whom the Covenant is made. For the same faith in Fathers in Infants, and faith working in the same duties cannot be required of Husbands, Wives, Magistrates, and hewers of wood) so neither is the promise made the same way to Fathers, Children, Jews near hand, and Gentiles far off, to Elect and Reprobate.

Quest. How can the promise of the Covenant, to write the Law in

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the heart, be made absolutely, and not to the Reprobate, but to the Elect only? For the Elect are only these to whom that promise is made, and yet the Reprobate is really in the Covenant of Grace, and the promise is made to them as hath been said.

Answ. It is no inconvenient that the Reprobate in the visible  church, be so under the covenant of grace, as some promises are made to them, and some mercies promised to them conditionally, and some reserved special promises of a new heart, and of perseverance belonging not to them. For all the promises belong not the same way, to the parties visibly and externally, and to the parties internally and personally in covenant with God. So the Lord promiseth life forgiveness shall be given to these who are externally in the covenant, providing they believe, but the Lord promiseth not a new heart and grace to believe, to these that are only externally in covenant. And yet he promiseth both to the Elect.

Hence the covenant must be considered two ways, in abstracto  and formally, in the letter as a simple way of saving sinners, so they believe, so all within the visible Church are in the covenant of grace, and so it contains only the will of precept. 2. In the concrete, as the Lord carries on the covenant in such and such a way, commensurably with the decrees of Election and Reprobation; As the Lord not only promises, but acts and ingraves the Law in the heart, commensurably with his decree of Election, so the Elect  only are under the covenant of grace. The word tells of no condition or work, or act to be performed by any, which if he do he shall have a new heart: and therefore the promise of the ingraven Law in their heart, is not a simple promise made to the covenanters as covenanters, for so it should be a promise to all visible covenanters (for visible covenanters are essentially covenanters) but it is both a promise and a prediction, yea a real execution, or an efficacious way of fulfilling the decree of Election to such such chosen, specially loved of God Covenanters.

2. A new heart hath a twofold consideration, one as a duty command. 2. As a blessing promised, as to the former, Ezech. 18. 31. make you a new heart and a new spirit, Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your heart to the Lord, take away the foreskin of your

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heart, ye men of Judah, Eph 4. 23. be renewed in the spirit of your  mind, Eph. 4. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and rise from the dead: these are either bare commands, without any Gospel strength given to obey, and so they are legal commands in the latter obliging all visible covenanters to obedience, and so, all Letter, all Law, no Gospel-strength to perform speaks poor unmixed Law. In this case God repeats and craves back again from broken men a sound heart, which they sinfully lost in Adam, and may justly seek heart-conformity to his holy Law from all men. Or then these commands are backed with Gospel-strength to obey, and so they are both commands and blessings promised, as Jer. 31. 33. This my Covenant (a covenant and something more) shall be—I will  put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts—34. Ezech. 11. 19. Ezech. 36. 26. Heb. 8. 6. 10, 11, 12. so the more strength promised the more Gospel. Neither is there any inconvenience, to say that the Reprobate visible covenanters are not thus, as touching the special promises of a new heart and perseverance of the Saints, really in the covenant of grace.

Q.Who are they, who are to believe God shall give them a new heart?

Answ. No man is positively to believe it, while God work it in him; for no man is to believe that he is predestinated to glory, while he first have the effects thereof in him, the hidden Manna, the white Stone, the new Name. But no man is to despair or to create fatal inferences that he is Reprobate, since God begins kindly with him with a Gospel-call.

CHAP. XIV.

Considerations of the Arguments from Gen. 17. Mark 10. 15, 16. Luke 18. Matth. 19. Rom 11: for Infant-Baptism.

If God be the God of Abraham of his seed, Gen. 17. therefore every male child shall be entered in the covenant, by the

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initial seal of Circumcision, and so women also who eat the Passover, which the uncircumcised might not do: and Peter was sent to the Circumcision, that is, to all the Jews men and women, and so the women is some way in the men, any they might be circumcised  in them upon the same ground, because the same promise is made to fathers and to children, must infants be baptized, Acts 2. 39. 1. This is the Lords own Argument, Gen. 17. 7. there were multitudes of differences between Circumcision and Baptism as we grant, but in the substance nature and Theological essence, and in the formal effects they are the same. We grant that Christ revealed in Types, Sacrifices, to come, darkly offered may differ from Christ as clearly offered, Preached without these already abolished shadows and who is now come. Yet he is the same Saviour to them who believed in him then and now, Acts 10. 43. Acts 15. 11. And we 2. argue not simply from the letter of the Covenant. I am your God. Ergo, be baptized, for one might reply, I am your God, Ergo, offer such beasts to me, it shall not follow, But I am your God, and the God of your seed offering to you the same Christ and righteousness that was offered to Abraham in the same Covenant: Ergo, all of you be baptized who are under the same Covenant. For,

1. Circumcision of the flesh was a seal of the Circumcision of the heart promised in the Covenant of Grace, Deut. 30. 6. and of the cutting of the foreskin thereof, Jer. 4 4. Jer. 9. 26. Ezech. 36. 26, 27. and Baptism is the same, Col. 2. 11, 12. Tit. 3. 5.

2. Circumcision is a seal of the righteousness of faith, Rom. 4. 11. so is Baptism, as 1 Pet. 3. 21. Rom. 4. 24.

3. Circumcision is a seal of the Covenant, and by a metonymy called the Covenant of God in the flesh, Gen. 17. 7, 13. so is baptism, a solemn installing of all Samaria, Acts 8. in the Christian Covenant, and so Acts 2. 39.

4. Circumcision is a solemn way of instituting any in the Church of Israel, so we are by one Spirit baptized into one body, 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13.

1. The command of Circumcising is as large as Covenanting, but that is with Abraham the father, and his seed, Acts 2. 39. makes the command of being Baptized, ἕκαστος every one of you be Baptized,

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as large as the promise of the Christian Covenant, and call: For the promise is to you and to your children, and to as many as the Lord shall call.

2. The command supposes that all the Circumcised, the males of eight days old understand not the promise of the Covenant,  the nature, use, signification, and end of the seal, and the command to be baptized, supposeth that the children to whom the Covenant promise is made do not understand the same as touching baptism and the Covenant-promise, Acts 2. 39.

3. If the positive command be general, that all these in Covenant should be marked with the initiatory seal of the Covenant: As Gen. 17. 7, 8. I am thy God, and the God of thy seed: Therefore old and young be Circumcised, then there was no other command in particular, to baptize old or young, but the institution of Baptism in place of Circumcision needful. As touching the application of it to persons, old or young, except the ground of external Covenanting stand as warranting to administrate the seal to all, so Covenanted; Yea, and if there be a positive command and warrant in the New Testament to tender the Seal of Baptism to none but to the aged, that can give an account of their faith, and do actually believe; then should there be an express command in the New Testament concerning Baptism as concerning the Lords Supper,  that every one before they be Baptized, try and examine themselves, whether they savingly believe or not, before they be Baptized, otherwise they receive their own damnation, as in the Lords Supper, for self-judging and self-examination, if actual believing and being internally in Covenant, as these in whose heart and inward part of the Law of Grace must be ingraven, be the necessary condition required in all these to whom the Church can warrantably tender Baptism as the seal of the Covenant: And we require a positive command in the New Testament, see that ye Baptize none though they profess they be in Covenant, except such as can try and examine whether they savingly believe or not: and here Anabaptists must flee to the consequences of the Word and reasons drawn from the Covenant of Grace, as well as we, and an express command they cannot flee unto, nor is it in Old or New Testament: It should not move us, that Infants understand neither command N

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nor seal, nor Covenant, for the Argument is against the Holy Ghost, and they are obliged to answer it; for Infants are as ignorant of the promises, the special mysteries of the Gospel, as of Precepts of the Gospel. And yet the promises of the Covenant of Grace are expressly to Infants of the New Testament Acts 2. 39. promise ἡ ἐπαγγελια, The Gospel-promise made to Abraham, Gal. 3. 16. The Gospel and promise of righteousness of the Spirit of Life, Gal. 3. 17, 18, 22, 23, 28. Gal. 6. 2. Rom. 4. 13, 16, 20. Rom. 9. 8. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Heb. 4. 1. Heb. 6. 12, 15. Heb. 8. 6. Heb. 9. 14. 1 John 5. 1. is made τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῖν to your children of the New Testament, to your Infants, if they believe (say they) 1. Can Infants actually believe? 2. Is not the promse so made to the Turks, if they believe?

But it were an easier way to Anabaptists to say, infants under the New Testament are externally in Covenant, whereas Parents believe, and members of the Church are [followed] with Covenant- mercy, only because they understand not, and the adminstration is more spiritual under the New Testament, and faith more urged  God requires not the dipping of Infants in Rivers (a ceremony more onerous, more, truely in women with child, virgins, diseased persons, in winter, in cold countries, against the world, the second Command, the third, the fourth, the sixth, the seventh, then that it needs be refuted) it being only a ceremony which they may well want. But now Infants of believers are casten out, for no fault, of the Covenant of Grace.

(2.) From Covenant-mercy to the thousand Generation. Contrary to Gen. 17. 7. Exod. 20. 5.

(3.) From Covenant-prayers and Church-prayers: Contrary to 1 Sam. 12. Psal. 28. 9. Psal. 67. 1, 2. Psal. 103. 4, 5.

(4.) From the blessing of the Lords Covenant-presence, who dwells in the Nation, in the Kingdom, Ps. 135. 21. Ps. 132. 13, 14. Rev. 11. 15. Isa. 19. 25. Isa. 2. 1, 2, 3. 2 Cor 6. 16. I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and be their God, and they shall be my people. 18. And I will be a father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Though this be spoken to all the Covenanted people of God, yet are Infants casten out of the bosom of a Covenant Father and God?

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(5.) Infants are debarred from Covenant-calling and gathering in under the wings of Christ: Contrary to Matth. 28. 19, 20. Matth. 23. 37. Psal. 147. 19, 20. and excluded from Gods Covenant- choice; Contrary to Deut. 7. 6, 7, 8, 9. 13. 14. Deut. 10. 15. and left being heirs of wrath, a prey to Satan.

(6.) They are Excommunicated from Covenant-blessings earthly, and the tabernacle-protection promised in the Old and New Testament: Contrary to Deut. 28. 4. Lev. 26. 6, 7, 8, 9. Psal. 37. 18. 22, 25, 26. Psal. 9210. Psal. 112. 1, 2, 3. Ezech. 34. 24, 25, 26. Ezech. 36. 29. 35, 36, 37. Ezech. 8. 7, 8. And in the New Testament, Matth. 6. 27, 28. 33. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Heb. 13. 5, 6. which were nothing if our Heavenly Father provide bread, protection, safety; dwelling in the land, and our houses, to the fathers, but the children had no charter but to beggery, to the sword, to be devoured by wild beasts and the diseases of Egypt: And the Infants have nothing from the Covenant but what Infants of Amaleck, and Babylon, 1 Sam. 15. 1, 2. Psal. 137. 5. and of Sodom have, Gen. 19.

(7.) they are members of Satan, of the Kingdom of the Prince of darkness, not members of Christs Body, since there be but two Kings, two Gods, Satan, 2 Cor. 4. 4. Eph. 2. 1, 2. Eph. 6. 12. Matth. 12. 29. and Christ the King and Head of his body. And it is known that Infants within the Visible Church, suffer incursions of Devils, dreadful diseases, death; and being without the Covenant, as Pagans; these evils must either be acts of revenging justice, and preparatory to the judgement of eternal fire, or blessed in Christ: But if the former, they are damned, if the latter, what blessing is there without Christ?

(8.) Being without the Covenant. 1. Infants cannot be chosen and predestinate in Christ to salvation, Eph. 1. 4. Rom. 9. 11. nor given to Church to be saved Covenant-ways, as John 17. 2. John 6. 39. nor loved, from eternity, nor in time, as Arminians teach, and so must be carried in Christ to Heaven or Hell, or rather to a  mid place, without God or providence, or decrees, or fore-knowledge, or council of God. 2. They being without the Gospel Covenant, cannot be redeemed by Jesus Christ his Blood, but some other way: Contrary to Acts 4. 12. 3. If Infants be born without sin, as Anabaptists teach, they die, and go either to Heaven, N2

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and so Christ took not on him their nature, and is not their Saviour:  or they go to everlasting torment, and yet never sinned, which is repugnant to Divine justice: Or to some third place of which the Scripture speaks not. And yet the word saith, Rev. 20. 12. that the dead small and great shall stand before God, and shall be judged. And the Scripture saith Infants are capable of punishment, and of being cut off, and the Parents punished in them, and they bear Covenant-wrath in their Parents: As is clear in the seed of  Jeroboam, of Achab, of others, Exod. 20. 5. Gen. 17. 14. 4. Neither remission of sins, justification, nor life eternal, nor Sonship, nor adoption in Christs suffering death, and in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant, can belong to Infants if they be without the Covenant.

9. Nor can children be capable of being blessed of Christ, or of his laying on of his hands, As Mark 10. if they be not under the N. Test. capable of Covenant grace: And it is to be minded, that Covenanting Parents, Luke 18.

1. Such as came to him to be cured of their diseases, and believed him to be Messiah, the Son of David, as the blind call him, Mat. 20. and the woman of Canaan, Mat. 15. Luk. 18 15. προσέφερον brought to him little Children, as Mat. 8. 16. Mat. 9. 2. Luk. 4. 40. they brought the sick.

2. The children were not diseased, nor possessed: And the Parents being desirous they might be blessed, as the event proved, it is clear they were not children of heathen, but members of the Visible Church.

3. Τῶν δε τοιούτων Of such is the Kingdom of God, Luk. 18. 16. we cannot think that his meaning is of such as such, is the Kingdom of  God, as if all Infants of Jew and Heathen, belonged as subjects to the Visible Church, for then the Infants of all Heathen should be Covenanted members of the Visible Church, and yet their Parents are without the visible Church, and when they grow to age, they should without any scandal be Excommunicate, which were monstrous,  nor can the Invisible Kingdom of God be of such, as if all Infants, because Infants were saved. Nor,

4. Can the taking of them be a mere Embleme that such were blessed, for so, beside that Doves and Lambs, for meekness are

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capable of being taken in the arms of Christ, and blessed, Christ bids them, in all times coming, be suffered to come, and not forbidden. v. 16. which saith he desired the whole species of Infants of the Visible Church to be brought to him. Nor doth Christ make acts of Emblems ordinary, but he will have children at all times to come to him: forbid them not; He once cursed the fig-tree, that was an Embleme: and did but once wash his Disciples feet, and that was an Embleme. And,

5. He could not mean, that only Infants predestinate to glory should be suffered to come: For he saith indifferently ἀφέτε τὰ παιδὶα, suffer little children to come: Now he should then have given marks to discern predestinate children and suffer them. (2) And receive them only as Disciples, in my Name, Mar. 6. 36, 37. (3.) He should have laid his hands upon some Infants, as predestinate to glory, and forbidden others to come. And the Parents should have known what children are predestinate to life, and should come, and what not.

6. The Text evidences that the disciples had a prejudice and a carnal one, at Infants, thinking they understood nothing of Christ and of the Kingdom of Grace. the Disciples ἐπιτίμησαν rebuked these that brought them: as Anabaptists do. And Christ rebukes them, and instates infants of believing Parents as members of the Visible Church.

7, Nor was it extraordinary, when Christ said suffer little Children to come, but he would have the species instated members of such a Kingdom. Ergo, some of the kind must be saved, and examples must be verified (saith Mr. Cobbet judiciously) in some particulars.

8. Of such is the Kingdom of God, of such in Covenant-relation is the Kingdom of God, of such subjects. For if Christs reason be, of such for humility, meekness, want of malice, and envy, as 1 Pet. 2. 1, 2, 3. Matth. 18. Psal. 131. 1, 2. is the Kingdom of God: he must mean by the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Glory the triumphing Church, this sense is refused by Anabaptists. 2. The Infants of Pagans, and of all men, by nature, within and without the Church, are as well marked resemblances of converts, as they. And we must say that Christ would have taken

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in his arms, and blessed all the Pagan-Infants, and when they grow to age they should be for no fault, but for age only, Excommunicate from the blessing, for Pagan-Infants as well resemble humility and harmlesseness (if only the personal qualification of  converts, and heart-converts, not the Covenant and Church-holiness of visible Professors, be here meant) as Infants within the Visible Church.

6. There was no other design and purpose in Christ, in that emphathic expression, forbid them not to come πρὸς μὲ Mat. 19. 14. πρὸς μὲ Luke 18. 16. to me their Saviour, as well as the Saviour of the aged, but to hold forth the common interest of the whole species of infants (τὰ παιδία) within the visible Church, their Covenant interest in Christ, for there is no imaginable reason, but the conceit of want of understanding (the prejudice of Anabaptists only) why the Disciples should have aimed to debar them or any poor sinners from access to the Saviour of sinners.

10. Christ took them in high arms, layed his hands on them, blessed them. Now this was a personal real favour bestowed upon infents, had infants been mere symbolic and doctrinal resemblances of the humility of real converts, and the young ones as much  without the Covenant as Pagans, and as uncapable of Covenant- grace and covenant-seals, because void of actual faith now under the new Gospel-administration, as horses or beasts, let the apposites of their Baptism show what sort of blessing it was, that Christ bestowed upon them, if it be not: 1. Of more value then Jacobs  blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, or at least as real, and certain, Christ the Lord from heaven must as Sovereign, who had power to curse the figtree and it withered, by his sovereign power have blessed, in them the whole race of infants in the Visible Church, and declared them Covenanted Church members under the new Testament in this eminent act of blessing the children and in commanding that all such might have free access to him as King, since the young ones were Subjects of the Kingdom of God, as well as the aged, and expressly forbids, that in time to come, they be hindered to come to him, Mark 10. 14. Luk. 18. 16. Matth. 19. 14. and three Evangelists are three sufficient witnesses, (2.) Christ the Lord is the Supreme and Sovereign Lord of blessing and cursing:

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for in him all the Nations of the earth, and with them, young ones a considerable part of the Covenanted Nations, must be blessed. (3.) If Isaac blessed Jacob, and he must be blessed, Gen. 27. 29, 33. and Jacob blessed the twelve Tribes, Gen. 49. 28. and Moses the man of God blessed Israel, before his death, Deut. 33. 1, 2. c. with Counant-blessings, and they were really blessed; Christ must as really with Covenant-blessings, have, in this, blessed the whole race of infants of Covenanting-parents, except Anabaptists say that it was some complemental salutation, for the  fashon that Christ bestowed upon infants, when the Evangelists say, he blessed them, Matth. 19. 13. καὶ προξευζηται Mark 10. 16. ἠυλόγοι αὐτά. 4. by the gloss of the adversaries. Christ blessed them symbolic and doctrinal resemblances of the humility and docility of real converts, and they were blessed as mere signs, as the Ele ments in Sacraments are blessed, or as new made crucifixes are  blessed and dedicated to divine worship, as resemblanes of Christ crucified; and as Popish Images are symbolically blessed, a strange device, or rather a strong delusion. 4. If Christ prayed for infants as Matthew sayeth the mothers or parents sought that of him, Matth. 19. 13. his prayers must be grounded upon the word of the Covenant, and what could he seek for infants peace in these, but Covenant-mercies and salvation: for Christ was not to work a miracle upon them, and he satisfied the desires of these, who brought them on their arms, and therefore could not go on their feet, nor give a confession of their faith, they were born as the man sick of the palsy, Math. 9. 2. (5.) Now as Christ is always heard  in his prayers, John 11. 42. so his blessing he bestowed upon them (though Anabaptists will have them without Christ and the Covenant and under the curse of God) must either be a blessing of the Covenant of Grace, or Covenant of Works, for a third sort of blessing the Scripture knows not: Moses takes all blessings up in these two. Deut. 27. 12, 15, 16. Deut. 28. 2, 3, 15, 16. Deut. 30. 19. I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, and so doeth Paul, Gal. 10, 13, 14. Heb. 6. 7, 8, 10, 15. But Christ could not bestow the Law blessing of Works upon these infants, for they had not fulfilled the Law in their persons, nor can infants or any flesh be justified by the Law, Rom. 3. 20. therefore must Christ

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have bestowed upon them the blessing of the Covenant of Grace, Gal. 3. 14. Heb. 6. 14 let it be the blessing of remission and life, or real right to the Kingdom of God, it is a blessing of the Covenant. 6. The faith of the parents that brought them is holden forth, Matth. 19. 13. Then were little children brought unto him, that he might lay his hands on them and pray: then had they faith in Christ, that his praying and blessing should be available to infants, its a conjecture that they came with a may be, or as Mr. Cobbet well sayeth, a faith grounded upon a possibility of Election separated from the Covenant, that is secret, and the Covenant revealed, and so this, not election abstracted from that, can be the ground of faith, Deut. 29. 29. and when Christ saith, Matth. 18. 4, 10. that little ones Angels behold the face of his Father, and the Holy Ghost saith, Heb. 1. 13. that Angels are Ministring Spirits διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν, For these that shall by heritage or lot enjoy salvation. Its cleare, infants have their share of salvation, and by Covenant it must be. As also the blessed seed is promised to Adam before he have a child, and to his seed: To Seth, Japhet, Isaac, Jacob, Abraham, when Cainan, Cham, Ishmael, Esau, Abrahams Idolatrous house, to David, when his brethren are refused, and to these as heads of Generations, when contrary Generations, and the houses of Cainan, Cham, Ishmael, are rejected: Hence the house of Israel, the seed of Israel, the seed of Jacob, and there shall be added to the Gentiles, Isa. 49. who shall bring in to the Church their sons and their daughters upon their shoulders, 22. Isa. 54. 1. Sing O barren—for more are the  children of the desolate then of the married wife, saith the Lord, Isa. 60. 4. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see, all they gather themselves about, they shall come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy sons shall be nourished at thy side. Israel marying and Israel according to the flesh is the holy seed, Neh. 7. 61. Neh. 9. 2. the holy seed have mingled with the heathen. 1 Chron. 16. 13. O ye seed of Israel his servants, ye children of Jacob whom be hath chosen, be mindfull of his Covenant. And this holiness by external Covenanting is extended to the Gentiles, 1 Cor. 7. 14. But now are your children holy; and its holiness the Jews to be called in, Rom. 11. 16. If the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy:

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and if the root be holy, so are also the branches. So it is prophecied, Isa. 61. 9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their off-spring among the people: All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed. 6. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord, (holy by Covenant as was Aarons house, because in Covenant visible with God) men shall call you the Ministers of our God: Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles; and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves, Isa. 62. 2. Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord hath named. v. 12. And they shall call them the holy people, the Redemed of the Lord: And thou shalt be called, Sought out, A City not forsaken. Isa. 65. 22. As the days of a tree, are the days of my people: and mine elect (by calling) shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Sure he prophesies of a visible Covenanted-people under the New Testament: For he adds, v. 23. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth in trouble: for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their off-spring with them. Now to any godly Reader, there is here. 1. a Prophecy to be fullfilled of the Gentiles brought is, as is clear, Isai. 61. 1, 2, 3, 4. Christ, Luke 4. applies that Text to himself. And 9.  Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles. Isa. 62. 2. The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness. And for Chapter 65. 1, 2, 3, 4 Paul expounds it of the in-coming of the Gentiles, Rom. 9. 24, 26. Rom. 10. 20. Eph. 2. 12, 13. Rom. 15. 20. (2.) He speaks of a Visible Church and of their seed, known among the Gentiles, all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed, Isa. 61. 9. But they did not see the white Stone (the seal of their election) and a new Name which none can read but he that receives it, Rev. 2. 17. And they see them a seed and off-spring of the Covenant people of God. Isa. 62. 12. They shall call them the holy people: then they must judge them a Visible Church. But a Church of such as are predestinate to glory, they cannot see them to be. (3.) Isa. 55. They are a Visible Church. 21. They shall build houses and inhabit them- 22. They shall not build and another inhabit, They shall not plant and another eat. And the reason is 33-כי Because they are (they shall be, its a Prophecy under the new Testament) the O

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seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their off-spring with them. Jer. 23. 22. As the Host of Heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of David. What seed? The Visible seed: And the Levites that Minister unto me will I multiply: He alludes to the promise made to  Abraham, of multiplying his seed, Gen. 13. 15. Gen. 15. 5. Gen. 2. 17. And this promise made to Abraham (saith Calvin) belongs to them all, and he would have them not to doubt of the restitution of the people to their own Land. Now the people and Levits, and house of David were never so multiplied in the Jews, after the deliverance from Babylon, and therefore must be extended to the New Testament. And if God establish Davids seed for ever, Psal. 89. 4. And the seed of his people shall possess the gates of their enemies, Gen. 24. 60. And if he power his Spirit upon the seed of Jacob, Isa. 44. 3. and Circumcise the heart of the seed of his people, Deut. 30. 6. and put his words in the mouth of the seed of his people, and their seeds seed for ever, Isa. 59. 21. And the  seed of the righteous be blessed on earth, Psal 37. 26. not simply because they are a seed (for the whole seed of man should be blessed, if so) but because they are the seed of his servants, Psal. 69. 36. of the Jews, Esther 6. 13 the Children of his servants, Psal. 102. 28. See Jer. 31. 35. 36. 37. Isa. 6. 13. because the seed of Abraham, and in the covenant made with Abraham, Exod. 2. 24. 2 Kings. 13. 23. Psal. [105.] 8, 9. Psal. 111. 5, 9. Gen 17. 2, 7, 9. Lev. 26. 42, 45. Ezek. 16. 60. Luke 1. 72. Exod. 6. 4. Deut. 8. 18. c. Then must the Covenant be established under the new Testament with the Visible seed; and if there were an abridging and contracting  of his favour to the Elect only, it would have been showed, and the Charter of reservation and exception must have been penned in the Old or New Testament. 2. Otherwise the seed of all Gentiles called in to Christ by the Preached Gospel, must be visibly cursed of God, cut off from the people of God, separated from the Lord from the Congregation of his people, not to the tenth Generation only as the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Bastard, Deut. 23. 1, 2, 3, and Excommunicated out of the Camp as unclean, nor should Christians marry or Covenant with them As Deut. 23. 14. Lev. 13. 43, 44, 45, 46. Deut. 7. 1, 2, 3. Exod. 34. 15, 16.

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1 King. 11. 2. Ezra. 9. 2. 12. Nehem. 13. 23. Judg. 3. 6, 7. Judg. 4. 2. 3. Except there be some middle between a cursed and a blessed seed, a seed in the Church, and in Covenant, and the seed of the Serpent, of Heathen, without the Covenant. 2. A middle between the Kingdom of darkness, of Satan and the Kingdom of God of his dear Son: Contrary to Eph. 2. 2, 3, 4, Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 13, 14. 1 Pet. 2. 9, 10. Eph. 5. 8. which is unknown to Scripture. Yea the Covenant is made to Christ and his seed, Gal. 3. 16. and the same blessing of Abraham, comes on us Gentiles, Gal. 3. 13, 14. But he and all his seed were blessed and in Grace by the external call of the Covenant. Ezek. 16. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Deut. 7. 7, 8. Rom. [9.] 25. I will call them my people that were not my  people, and her beloved which was not beloved. And this external calling is of Grace and so Grace, no merit, as well as predesti nation to life is grace, or for grace. For whosoever are called, not because Elect, but because freely loved of such a God and without merit called, Father and Son, they are in a state of grace: But so are all within the Visible Church. If any object, by Christs comming all the Nations old and young are not become the Nations of the Lord and of his Christ, but only true Believers, even by our Doctrine.

Ans. They are become the Kingdoms of the Lord, not only because they are truely converted, but because they are the chosen of God in the Office-house of Christ, and Christ reigns over them by the Scepter of his word whom he is to convert. And external Covenanting with God is of itself free Grace and a singular favour bestowed of God, Psal. 147. 19, 20. Deut. 5. 1, 2. Mat. 21. 42, 43. Luke 14. 16. 21.

2. It is free Grace that God will have hypocrites and real infidels  to beget children to him that are internally in Covenant with him; and fills up the number of the Elect by Reprobate Parents who are instrumental to the in-coming in the world, and into the Visible Church, of many Heirs of Glory: and in so doing there is a Church-right communicated from Reprobate Parents to their Children, that are Heirs of Glory.

3. External Covenanting goes before internal Covenanting, as the means defer the end, and the cause before the effect: for O2

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faith comes by hearing of a sent Preacher, Rom. 10. 14. and the Preaching of the Gospel is a saving means of begetting a new heart and of a new spirit: Hence 1. All must be first externally in Covenant, before they can be internally and really in Covenant. 2.- God is a God simply to some, and no more but a God to them in regard of outward Church-privileges, as the Word, Seals, Protection, Peace, Hedge of Discipline, his planting and watering by a Ministry. But he is, to speak so, more then a God to others, Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea I will betroth  thee unto me in righteousness, in judgement, and in loving kindness, and in mercy. Now the Lord is joined to back-sliding Israel, in an external marriage-Covenant: But Jer. 3. 14. not in righteousness, in loving kindness and mercy, in reference to the rotten party. In regard of which he saith, v. 2. Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband. Zech. 8, 7. Thus saith the Lord, I will save my people from the East Country, and from the West Country. 8. And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Then he is not to all a God in truth and righteousness, fulfilling the first and substantial promise of ingraving the Law in the heart, not that he keeps not Covenant even to external confederats, to wit, the conditional Covenant, for if they should believe they should be saved; but he promised not a new heart, and faith to them. 3. Because he is a God external to the Elect, and that of free Grace, therefore he is a God in truth and righteousness, to ingrave his Law in their hearts. But external confederation is not the adequate cause, for then he should give a new heart to all, with whom he externally Covenants, but the adequate  cause is consederation external tali modo, out of his discriminating love and free grace he is a God to some. 4. He is a God to his Elect, that he may ingrave his Law in their heart and inward parts; so that the promising to be a God, tali modo, is the cause, and the ingraving of a new heart is the effect. Jer. 31. 33. Jer. 32. 38. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. That is the cause. 39. I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever; for the good of them and of their children

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after them. See the same order, Ezech. 11. 19, 20. though the words lie not in that order there and here. And Heb. 8. 10. 5. God is not then a God to any, because they have a clean heart, and the Law ingraven therein, for then they should be in Covenant, before they be in Covenant; And so this is true (because he is our God in truth and righteousness, therefore we believe) but this is not true (because we believe, therefore he is our God) except we argue from the effect to the cause.

But to return: Calvin on Matth. 19. 14. We hence gather that the grace of Christ is extended to Infant-age, for whole mankind  had perished. Beza, Infants are also comprehended in the free Covenant. Pareus, its unlawfull to debar these from baptism and the Church, whom Christ bids come to him, c. Obj. But Christ commands not they be baptized. Ans. Nor doth Christ in this place command the Parents to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: Nor speak the Evangelists of any Parental duty; shall we from that conclude, it was not Christs mind that the Parents take care of the fourth fifth Command? Pareus saith, it was neither time nor place. Matt. 28. 19. he bids baptize all. 3. He who prayed for them, blessed them, laid his hands upon them, invited them to bring Infants to him (of all which Infants were as uncapable, as of the use and ends of Baptism and of actual confession of sin and of believing) judged they  ought to be Baptized. 4. Its never to be found where any are Baptized, but the head of the Family is Baptized: And when we read that houses were Baptized, 1 Cor. 1. 16. Acts 16. 33. There is no more ground to say Infants are not Baptized, then to say when the Lord saith to Abraham, Gen. 12. 2. I will bless thee, and make thy name great. And 22. 17. in blessing I will bless thee. And when the Lord saith, Isai. 19. 25. Blessed be Egypt  my people; he should mean, he would bless Abraham, not his seed, and that he minds to bless the aged of Egypt and of Assyria, but not their seed and infants, because they understand not what a blessing of God means, and yet the fruit of the womb and the seed are said to be blessed, Psal. 37 26. Deut. 7. 13. and God so entreated to bless Israel, and to bless Davids house, Psal. 28. 9. Psal. 67. 1. Deut. 26. 16. 2 Sam. 7. 29. the meaning should

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not be that God would bless the young Infants and Children in Israel and in Davids house: And when Jacob is said to provide for his own house, Gen. 30. 30. And the believer to provide for his Family, 1 Tim. 5. 8. the meaning should be that they should provide for the aged of the house, who understood what provision is, but should not provide for the young ones, who can not know what it is to be hungry tomorrow. To say young ones are not capable of Baptism, is to beg the Question. For (1.) all Israel were Baptized in the Sea and in the Cloud, old and young, 1 Cor. 10. 1, 2. (2.) All Israel old and young are capable of the blessing Covenanted, Psal. 28. 9. Psal. 67. 1, 2. and so of the seal: Anabaptists grant (as they must) if infants be in Covenant, they ought to receive the Seal of the Covenant Lastly, how is it that by baptized houses, must be meant only these come to age who can actually believe?

The Jews, Rom. 11. 16. are holy root and branch, first fruit and lump, fathers and children, and the Jews shall be brought in again. Why? The Generation to come in is holy, for the Covenant  made with their fathers. Well say Anabaptists, but notwithstanding of the federal holiness you talk of, Rom. 11. 16. that gives not right to the casten off to be Baptized, and admitted to Church- privileges; for the casten off are no Church, and have no Church- privilege, your federal holiness then must be a dream?

Ans. But these to come in, and to be re-ingrafted are holy,  intentionally, in the decree of God, because of their beloved fathers, and when God shall call them, the same Covenant made with Abraham gives them right; and these branches not in being, and the unborn Generation are only intentionally holy by this federal holiness, and they shall be actually holy, when they shall be born, but it followeth not, but the present Generation not broken off through unbelief, as Paul and others called by the name of election, Rom. 11. 7. have right, because of their fathers. For God hath not cast off his people, whom he hath fore-known. For I am an Israelite (saith Paul, v. 1, 2. of the seed of Abraham, and there are thousands of Jews now hid, as in Elias his time, who bowed not their knee to Baal; but the body of them the great bulk is fallen away and out off. Hence the Jews are holy federal,

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and not holy, beloved of the fathers federally, and not beloved federally holy and keep Church-right to Baptism, and ordinances in regard of the sounder and invisible part: And not holy federally, nor having any Church-right to Baptism, in regard of the wilfully broken off body, that crucify Christ and stand to their fathers bloody deed, these have no more Church-part nor portion to Ordinances, then Simon Magus, Acts. 8. notwithstanding of their carnal descent from Abrabam.

And when God made the Covenant with Abraham, Gen. 17. and renewed the same, Deut. 29. he made it with these who were not there standing v. 14. 15. not with you only, c. but vertually, radically with us Gentiles, who were not then born, as touching the substantials, for Priest-hood, Law-service, Types, Sacrifices,  Circumcision, yea Baptism, the Lords-Supper, Pastors, Teachers, Elders to rule, Deacons were all accidents, to the substance of the Covenant, to wit, to believe in Christ and to obtain righteousness life by Christ: As the same way to the same City hath other hedges, way-marks, bridges, this year which it had not 500. years ago. And look as a father that knows he shall beget so many hundred sons who shall all be Kings, and have the same royal inheritance, writeth a Charter intituling them all before they be born, to the same inheritance: They have all virtual and radical right, ere they be born, with the first heir; And when they are born, he makes not another Covenant with them. So Deut. 29. 14. 15. he sayeth not, He shall make another Covenant with these when they shall be born: but I make a Covenant with you, and with these that are not here, not born. Hence by way of excellency he calleth it the Covenant, the Covenant of the Lord, Jer. 22. 9. Deut. 4. 23. Josh. 23. 11. My Covenant, saith the Lord, Gen. 17. 7, 9, 10. Exod. 19. 5. Psal. 50. 16. His Covenant, Psal. 105. 8. He remembered his Covenant for ever, Psal. 111. 5. He will remember his Covenant for ever, 5, 6. His Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 2 King. 13. 23. When Hazael King of Syria oppressed Israel, in their saddest afflictions, Levit. 26. 42, 43. The Scripture is called the Book of the Covenant, Exod. 24. 7. 2 King. 23. 4. 2 Chron 34. 30, 31. The Question is easily determined, it can be the Book of no Covenant, but of that made with Abraham, the

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oath unto Jacob, 1 Chron. 16. 16, 17. Psal. 105. 10. Jer. 11. 5. Dan.  9. 11. Luke 1. 73. Heb. 6. 1, 17. and to the fathers, the everlasting Covenant, Gen. 9. 16. Gen. 17. 9, 13. which relates to Adam also, Levit. 24. 8. 2 Sam. 23. 5. made unto David, 1 Chro. 16. 17. Psal. 105. 10. Isa. 61. 8. Heb. 13. 20. which cannot be, if there be so many Covenants, as some speak of: the new Covenant and the better Covenant, Heb. 8. 8, 13. Heb. 12. 20. Jer. [31.31.] Heb. 7 22. which newness and excellency is all expounded of the Mediator now God, the Word-made Flesh, Heb. 7. c. 8. c. 9.

And we would remember that Rom. 11. Paul proves 1. God hath not casten off the Jews wholly. 1. Arg. Because I Paul am  a Jew, and he hath not casten me off: Ergo in one the Covenant may stand. 2. From his unchangeableness, God hath foreknown them. 3. From the example of the Church in the days of Elias. By way of preoccupation, it is true many are fallen off: but as then seven thousand were in Israel who bowed not their knee to Baal, so now; Because the election of grace doth not fall now, or then. Then saith he, not of works. He reconceals that he saith with what before, by a preoccupation. And have all the Jews fallen short of righteousness? and he answers, All are not fallen short. The election, that is, the elected have obtained righteousness, the rest not. 2. To make way to exhort the Gentiles to walk worthy of the place and room of the Jews. He speaks some more of the doctrine of Reprobation, as he spake, Ch. 9. of eternal predestination, and of 2. The casting out of the Jews, and of their blinding and hardning. They have fallen in Gods decree, not that they may utterly fall. 2. That the Gentiles may be provoked by their fall.

Hence by diverse Arguments he proves that the Jews shall be brought in again to Christ 1. From four ends of the Jews fall, v. 11. (2.) To provoke them to come in, v. 11. (3.) That some may be saved. 4. For the riches of the worlds salvation. Whence the magnifying of Pauls Ministry, v. 13, 14. 2. Arg. From the great fruit; If their fall be the riches of the world, their incoming again must be the resurrection from the grave of the buried unbelieving world, v. 15.

3. Arg. They must be brought in. These who are holy separated

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from the world, for the Covenant call of God must be brought in again: But so is Israel. The Assumption he proves by parts. 1. The mass and root of Israel is holy, the Fathers were the Covenanted visible stock, line, root, as all the Old Testament saith: then the posterity, the first fruits, the branches partly born, partly to be born, must be holy Covenant-ways: The tree, root and branches are holy and of the same nature; Therefore the branches have right to Christ, to the Covenant, to Baptism and the seals. Hence Anabaptists, without all reason, say that he speaks not of federal and external holiness, but of real, internal and true holiness, only of the invisible body predestinated to life: for though invisible holiness cannot be excluded, except we exclude the holiness of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who were without doubt a part of the root: yet he must be taken to speak of that holiness of the Covenant and Church, as made visible, and of the visible collective body of the Jews, not of only real and invisible holiness.  1. Because this was true in the days of Elias, If the root be holy the branches are holy; And it is a New Testament-Truth of perpeall verity, If the Fathers be holy, so must the Sons. The Fathers have Church-right to Circumcision, to Baptism, to the Passover, and to the Lords Supper, so have the Children: but it is most false of the invisible mystical body and root only, and of real and internal holiness; For neither in Old or New Testament is it true, If the Fathers be predestinated to life, justified, and sanctified and saved, so must the Children be, Ishmael, Esan, Absalom, and all the world of Hypocrites called from their profaneness; Sodom and Gomorrah, Isai. 1. 10. uncircumcised in heart, as Egypt, Moab and Ammon, Jerem. 9. 26. as the Philistines, Amos 9. 7. Then should that (2.) Distinction of Jews in the heart, and inward, and of Jews in the flesh, Rom. 2. 28. and of the children of the flesh, that are not of the spiritual seed, and of the children of the promise, Rom. 9. 7, 8. and of the persecuting children of the bond-woman not justified by faith, and of the children of the promise, Gal. 4. 23, 24 c. fall to the ground. Yea 3. If by the root and the lump be understood only Believers and chosen to life, the whole Israel, which is as the sand of the sea, should be saved, whereas the Word of God saith, a remnant only shall be P

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saved, καταλείμμα. LXX. Tecla. A part taken out shall be saved, Rom. 9. 27. Isai. 10. 22, 23. Hos. 1. 10. 4. By the branches must be meant all the visible body of the Jews, old and young. Now if Anabaptists give us a Visible Church of the Jews of all real believers, even the branches and Infants, (which shall hardly be proved by the Scripture) these infants at least being visible Believers may lawfully be baptized, being both internally and visible, and externally in Covenant. For this Scripture is expressly expounded by them of real and inherent holiness, and so Infants must be real Believers and in Covenant. Ergo they must be baptized: What can be replied is not imaginable: but they have not actual faith, and possibly that is not known to the Church. But this Scripture saith, that the branches and root both are holy. 2. It shall be new Divinity, that none are to be baptized but such as are under the actual exercise of their faith, a thing that cannot be discerned by the Church, in these that are come to age. 5. Here shall also be this new Divinity, that predestination to life and glory must be propagated and derived from the lump to the first fruits, from the root and parents to the branches and children.

5. Its against the whole current of the Text, that Paul spake abstractly of the only invisible body really sanctified, and not of the visible body. For 1. The body invisible is an elect seed that cannot fall away; But the body that here he speaks of are such, of  which a part are hardened and blinded, and under the spirit of slumber, and a part elect and chosen. 7. The election have obtained, the rest are hardened, and of such a body, compared with the body in the time of Elias, of which multitudes fell away, slew the Prophers, digged down the Altars, and a good number were believers, that bowed not their knee to Baal, and so is the body now, saith Paul, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. αὐτως οὔν καὶ οὔν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ which is a mixed body. 3. He speaks of the body that is fallen and stumbled, v. 11. and these whom he preaches unto, to provoke them to a holy emulation, to come in to Christ, by the incoming of the Gentiles, v. 13, 14. which is sure a visible body, and which shall be ingraffed in again, v. 23. which includes a visible body of diverse generations. 4. Yea, he must speak of national election and eternal calling, as Deut. 7. 7, 8, 9. Deut. 10. 15. Psal. 132. 13. Isai. 41. 2. Not

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of a personal election of some certain persons who fell, were blinded, rejected fully and totally in their persons, and received in and ingraffed as sound believers again: for the scripture speaks of no such boating in and out, but of a huge numerous body of which some fell, some stand and includes diverse generations. 5. The collective visible body of Jews and Gentiles are such as Paul preacheth unto, v. 13, 14. such as are ingraffed in the room of the Jews, and ingraffed into the Olive of the Visible Body, and partake of the fatness of Ordinances, Baptism, Covenant-comforts, promises. Now if any say that this proves not that Infants are ingraffed,  then must they say that Infants of the Jews before Christ partaked of no fatness of the Covenant, Circumcision, Blessings, Presence, Protection. 2. That they were not broken off with their fathers, and so that they now stand. 3. That the Infants of the Jews are not holy branches, as the root is holy; as v. 16. and that none but the fathers shall be ingraffed in, and only 4. The aged and the Baptized actual believers of the Gentiles are the ingraffed ones, not their infants, they are all Heathen and Pagans as well as the casten off Jews. 5. that the Jews ingraffing in again shall be to their great hurt, so as God was long ago their God, but shall no more in time coming be their God, then of the Pagans and the lately cut-off fathers: Nor can the Adversaries say that Jewish Infants were broken off through unbelief, because they are capable neither of belief neither of unbelief to them. Then they remain in the Olive tree, members of the Church as before, and God must be still their God, when the fathers are cut off, vers. 17. And again, when the fathers shall be reingraffed and they made Christians, the Infants shall be out of Christ, and have no more Covenant-right or Church-right to Baptism, then the Infants of Egyptians and Philistines had to Circumcision.

Obj. Shall not by this means, all the Infants of all the Gentiles be ingraffed in and baptized?

Answ. The Text warrants us to say it only of the Children of the ingraffed and called Gentiles, that they have right to Baptism.

Obj. This Text is spoken of these that have hereditary Covenant-right, from their natural Father Abraham. We Gentiles P2

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have not that natural relation to Abraham, nor are we his natural sons, nor branches?

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