Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

about the mode of it, could he be attended to, though I fear he would be little regarded by persons of this man's complexion; for fince fo little regard is had to his doctrines, there would be very little fhewn to his fenfe, either of the mode or fubjects of an ordinance.

66

3. The time of baptifm is next confidered, which, with this writer, is but another word for the fubjects of it; for we have no controversy about the precife time of baptifm, the question with us, is not whether an infant is to be baptized as soon as born, or at eight days, or when a month old; but whether it is to be baptized at all or no; nor whether adult perfons are to be baptized at thirty years of age, or whether at Whitfuntide, or any other time of the year; but whether believers, and fuch that profefs themselves, and are judged to be fo, and they only, are to be baptized. This author fays, that "it is certainly very proper that parents devote their children to God; which they may do by prayer, without baptizing, for which they have no warrant; and that they "enter them as infant-difciples in the fchool of Chrift, in order to become his "actual scholars as foon as capable." But this is beginning wrong, and perverting the order which Chrift has fixed, that perfons should first be taught and made disciples, and then baptized; and not first baptized, and then made difciples. He afks, "Is it not as proper that this be done by the visible ceremony "of baptifm, as for the Jewish children to be entered into their church by cir"cumcifion?" He ought first to prove, that Jewish children were entered into their church by circumcifion; and then that it is the will of God, or appointment of Chrift, that infants should be entered into the chriftian church by baptifm; and that baptifm fucceeds circumcifion, and for fuch a purpose; neither of which can ever be made good. He further asks, "If parents make a "profeffion of the chriftian faith at the baptifm of their children, and alfo "enter into public engagements to give them a chriftian education, are not "as good ends, as to practical religion, answered by the baptifm of chriftians "children, as by the baptifm of adult perfons?" I answer, that parents may do these things if they please, without baptizing their infants; nor were these ever designed as ends to be answered by baptifm in any; a profeffion of faith should be made by the party baptized, and that before baptifm. After a little harangue upon the virtue of washing the body with water, intimating, that this cannot make a person one jot holier, or fecure from fin in future life, which no body ever affirmed, he owns, that " penitent confeffion of fin, profession of "faith in Christ, and engagement to a new life, were the conditions of baptism "to all Jews and Gentiles;" which, as we believe they are, we defire to have them continued fo; for this we contend.

This Dialogue is concluded with fome diftinctions about zeal, and fome cenfures upon the Particular Baptifts, and their preachers, for their blind, bodily, immodeft

immodest and uncharitable zeal; which, if guilty of, this man is a very improper perfon to be a rebuker, fince he has fhewn fo much intemperate heat against men, whom he himself owns to be the disciples of Christ; and against doctrines held by all the reformed churches. I wish he may appear of another spirit in his fecond part, which he has given us reason to expect.

I would fain perfuade this author, to leave this pamphleteering way of writ ing, and appear undifguifed. He feems to be fond of engaging in a controverly with the Baptifts upon the above points, which require a larger compafs duly to confider, than he has taken. I am a Baptift, he may call me, if he pleafes, a new Baptift, or an old Calviniftical one, or an Antinomian; it is a very trifle to me, by what name I go. I have published a treatise upon the doctrine of the Trinity, another upon the doctrine of fuftification by the imputed righte oufness of Chrift; and lately three volumes against the Arminians, and particu larly Dr Whitby; in which are confidered the arguments, both from fcripture and reafon, on both fides of the queftion; and am now preparing a fourth, in which the sense of the chriftian writers before Austin will be given upon the points in debate: if this Gentleman thinks it worth his while to attend to any, or all of them, and enter into a fober controverfy on these subjects, I shall readily join him; and, in the mean time, bid him farewel, till his fecond part is made public.

AN

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

TH

FREE WILL,

[ocr errors]

IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS,

PERSEVERANCE, AND
BAPTISM.

HE Birmingham Dialogue-writer has, at length, thought fit to publish the Second part of his Dialogue between a Baptift and a Churchman. Never was fuch a medley of things, fuch a parcel of rambling ftuff, collected together; he is refolved to be voluminous at any rate: If he thus proceeds, we may indeed expect to fee the works of the Confistent Christian in folio. I could wish he had answered to his motto in the title-page, taken from an apocryphal writer, Blessed is the man that doth meditate honeft (good) things by (in) his wisdom, and that reafoneth of holy things by his understanding; for the things he has meditated are neither good, nor boneft, nor holy; unless things contrary to the divine perfections, to the honour and dignity of Chrift, and the doctrine of the inspired writings unless to mifrepresent an argument, which he frequently does, and mifquote an author, as he has Mr Millar' particularly, can be thought to be fo. I fhall not disturb him in his vain mirth, but let him have his laugh out, at the theatrical behaviour, as he calls it, and geftures of preachers, and at myfteries in religion; only let him take care, left he should find by experience the truth of that faying of the wife man, As the crackling of thorns under a pot, fo is the laughter of the fool: this alfo is vanity. A man of no faith, or whose faith is worse than none, or good for nothing, may go on to defpife Creeds, Catechifms, Confeffions and Articles of Faith: the Right of private Judgment will not be difputed; both mipifters

■ Eccles. xiv, 20.

b Page 65, 101.

Eccles. vii, 6,

minifters and people have undoubtedly a liberty of fpeaking and writing what they believe to be truth, provided they do not abuse this liberty to the dishonour of God, the gratification of their own paffions, and the injury of their neighbours. What I fhall attend unto, will be the following things; the Divinity of Chrift, Election, Original Sin, Free-will, and Free grace, Imputed Righteousness, Perseverance, and Baptifm; things that were the subjects of the former part, and are now brought on the carpet again, and re-confidered in this. I begin,

I. With the Deity of Chrift. This writer very wrongly diftinguishes between true, real, and proper Deity, and abfolutely fupreme Deity; as if there could be true, real, and proper Deity, and yet that not be abfolutely fupreme; whereas Deity is either fictitious or true, nominal or real, proper or metaphorical. There are many who are called gods, that are not really fo; there are fuch who by nature are no gods, fictitious deities, the idols of the heathens; and there are fuch who are so only in an improper fenfe, as civil magiftrates: Now none of these are truly, really and properly gods; there is but one that is truly, really and properly God, and who is the only abfolutely fupreme God, Father, Son, and Spirit. To fay, there are more gods than one, who are really, truly, and properly fo, is to introduce the Polytheism of the Gentiles. To affert that the Father is the abfolutely fupreme God; that the Son is truly, really, and properly God, but not the abfolutely fupreme God; and that the holy Spirit is alfo really, truly, and properly God, but not the abfolutely fupreme God; is to affert one abfolutely fupreme God, and two fubordinate Gods, who yet are truly really, and properly fo. The arguments for and against the fupreme Deity of Christ, and his equality with the Father, are as follow.

1. This writer having afferted in his first part, that Chrift is God, or a God, because the Father hath given him divine perfections, the following argument was formed in anfwer to it: "If the Father has given to Chrift divine perfections, "for which reafon he is God, or a God, he has either given him only fome "divine perfections, or all divine perfections; if he has only given him fome "divine perfections, then he is imperfectly God, or an imperfect one; if he "has given him all divine perfections, then he must be equal to him." Now this was argumentum ad hominem, an argument formed on his own principles, and not mine, as any one who has the leaft fhare of common fenfe and underftanding will eafily obferve; and yet this man, either ignorantly or wilfully represents it as an argument proceeding upon my own principles; whereas it is he, and not I, that fays, the Father has given to Chrift divine perfections. I affirm, that all the Father hath are his; he poffeffes and enjoys all divine perfections,

[blocks in formation]

WRITER, PART II. fections, not by gift, but in right, and by neceffity of nature that no divine perfection is given him as the Son of God; though all power, dominion, and authority to judge, are given him as the fon of man. Hence the abfurdity of communicating any thing to the felf-exiftent fupreme God, and the felf-con-. tradiction of neceffity and gift, are impertinently alledged, and the argument, as formed on his own principles, ftands unanswered; which has brought him into a dilemma, out of which he knows not how to extricate himself: For if the Father has given him divine perfections, it must be either fome, or all; if only fome, then the fulness of the godhead does not dwell in him, nor can he be truly, really, and properly God; if all, and fo no perfection of Deity is wanting in him, then he must be equal to the Father.

2. Another argument against the subordinate Deity of Christ, and in favour of his equality with the Father, is this: "If the Father only is the most high God, and Chrift is a God, that is, a God inferior to him, whom he has com"manded all men to worship; then there are two distinct Gods, objects of religi"ous worship; directly contrary to the exprefs words of the first command, Thou Shalt have no other gods before me." This is an argument reducing to a manifeft abfurdity, and the Dialogue-writer's replies to it fhew him to be in the utmoft diftrefs; he is confounded, and knows not what to fay. First, he fays, that "if there be any absurdity, any contradiction here to the first command, "it falls not directly on him, but on Chrift and his gospel, from whence he "borrowed these truths." But does Chrift in his gospel ever teach, that the Father is the most high God, or even the only true God, distinct from, and exclufive of the Son; and that the Son of God is a God, inferior and subordinate to the Father? Next, he obferves, that the first command speaks of one person only to be worshipped as God fupreme, and not of more perfons than one. Be it fo. Since then, according to this man's principles, Chrift is a God inferior and fubordinate to the moft high God, he must be a diftin&t perfon from him, and confequently stands excluded from divine worship by the first command; wherefore the gofpel-doctrine of worshipping the Son, cannot be taken in confiftency with that: and, on the other hand, if Christ, a fubordinate God, is one perfon with the fupreme God, this would destroy his fubordination, and give him fupremacy, contrary to this author's notions. If this will not do, he goes on and tells you, "You may fuppofe that God himself, in commanding men. "to honour his Son, has repealed fo much of the first command as is inconfiftent "with the New-Teftament-command to honour or worship his Son." This is cutting the Gordian knot indeed! This man, I fuppofe, would not care to be called an Antinomian; and yet the groffeft Antinomian that ever lived upon VOL. II. T

h

the

Ibid.

• Answer, p. 14.

f Dialogue-writer, Part II. p. 28.

8 Page 29.

« AnteriorContinuar »