in diftinction from the covenant of works; which is the fenfe in which it is commonly understood, and in which this writer feems to understand this covenant with Abraham; for of it, he says, p. 13. " it was the covenant of grace, "that covenant by which alone we can have any grounded hope of salvation :" But that it was the covenant of grace, or a pure covenant of grace, must be denied: For, 1. It is never called the covenant of grace, nor by any name which fhews it to be fo; it is called the covenant of circumcifion, which God is faid to give to Abraham, but not a covenant of grace; circumcifion and grace are opposed to one another; circumcifion is a work of the law, which they that fought to be juftified by, fell from grace. 2. It seems rather to be a covenant of works, than of grace; for this was a covenant to be kept by men. Abraham was to keep it, and his feed after him were to keep it; fomething was to be done by them; they were to circumcife their flesh; and not only he and his feed were to be circumcifed, but all that were born in his houfe, or bought with his money; and a fevere penalty was annexed to it: In cafe of neglect, or difobedience, fuch a foul was to "be cut "off from his people." All which favour nothing of a covenant of grace, a covenant by which we can have a grounded hope of falvation, but the contrary. 3. This was a covenant that might be broken, and in fome inftances was "; but the covenant of grace cannot be broken; God will not break it, nor man cannot: It is a covenant ordered in all things, and fure; it cannot be moved; it ftands firmer than hills, or mountains. 4. It must be owned, that there were temporal things promifed in this covenant, fuch as a multiplication of Abraham's natural feed; a race of kings from him, with many nations, and a poffeffion of the land of Canaan. Things which can have nothing to do with the pure covenant of grace, any more than the change of his name from Abram to Abraham, ver. 5. 5. There were fome perfons, included in this covenant made with Abraham, of whom it cannot be thought they were in the covenant of grace, as Ishmael, Efau, and others; and on the other hand, there were fome, and even living, at the time when this covenant was made, and yet were not in it; who, nevertheless, were in the covenant of grace, as Arphaxad, Melchizedek, Lot, and others; wherefore this can never be reckoned the pure covenant of grace. 6. The covenant of grace was only made with Chrift, as the federal head of it; and who is the only head of the covenant, and of the covenant-ones; whereVOL. II. Acts vii. 8. fore, Оо • Pfalm lxxxix. 34. Gal. v. 2—4. Gen. xvii. 9-14. d Gen. xvii. 14. it, is fince that time: And even at that time, there were fome, that continued in the practice of it; for Ludovicus Vives, who wrote in the said century, having obferved, that "formerly no perfon was brought to the holy baptiftery, "till he was of adult age, and when he both understood what that mystical "water meant, and defired to be washed in it, yea, defired it more than once," adds the following words; "I hear, in fome cities of Italy, the old custom is "still in a great measure preserved." Now, what people should he mean by fome cities of Italy, unless the remainders of the Petrobruffians, or Waldenfes, "as Dr Wall obferves", who continued that practice in the valleys of Piedmont: And it should be obferved, that there were different fects, that went by the name of Waldenses, and some of them of very bad principles; fome of them were Manichees, and held other errors: And indeed, it was ufual for the Papists in former times, to call all by this name, that diffented from them; so that it need not be wondered at, if fome, bearing this name, were for infant-baptism, and others not. The Vaudois in the valleys, are the people chiefly to be regarded; and it will not be denied, that of late years infant-baptifm has obtained among them: But that the ancient Waldenses practised it, wants proof. CHA P. IV. The Argument for Infant-Baptifm, taken from the Covenant made with Abraham, and from Circumcifion, the Sign of it, confidered. THE minifter in this debate, in answer to his neighbour's requiring requiring a plain scripture inftitution of infant-baptifm, tells him; if he would "confider "the covenant of grace, which was made with Abraham, and with all his feed, "both after the flesh, and after the Spirit, and by God's exprefs command to "be fealed to infants, he would there find a fufficient fcripture inftance for "infant-baptism:" And for this covenant he directs him to Gen. xvii. 2,4,7,10, 12. He argues, that this covenant was a covenant of grace; that it was made with all Abraham's feed, natural and spiritual, Jews and Gentiles; that circumcifion was the feal of it; and that the fame inftitution, which requires circumcifion to be administered to infants, requires baptifm to be also administered to them, that succeeding circumcifion, p. 10-18. Wherefore, First, The leading inquiry is, whether the covenant made with Abraham, Genefis xvii. was the covenant of grace; that is, the pure covenant of grace, in 1 Audio in quibufdam Italiæ Urbibus morem veterem magna ex parte adhuc confervari, Comment. in Aug. de Civ. Dei, Lib. I. c. 27. m Hiftory of Infant-Baptifm, part II. c. 2. p. 12. in diftinction from the covenant of works; which is the fenfe in which it is commonly understood, and in which this writer feems to understand this covenant with Abraham; for of it, he fays, p. 13. "it was the covenant of grace, "that covenant by which alone we can have any grounded hope of falvation:" But that it was the covenant of grace, or a pure covenant of grace, must be denied: For, 1. It is never called the covenant of grace, nor by any name which fhews it to be fo; it is called the covenant of circumcifion, which God is faid to give to Abraham, but not a covenant of grace; circumcifion and grace are opposed to one another; circumcifion is a work of the law, which they that fought to be justified by, fell from grace. 2. It seems rather to be a covenant of works, than of grace; for this was a covenant to be kept by men. Abraham was to keep it, and his feed after him were to keep it; fomething was to be done by them; they were to circumcife their flesh; and not only he and his feed were to be circumcifed, but all that were born in his houfe, or bought with his money; and a fevere penalty was annexed to it: In cafe of neglect, or difobedience, fuch a foul was to "be cut "off from his people." All which favour nothing of a covenant of grace, a covenant by which we can have a grounded hope of falvation, but the contrary. ત 3. This was a covenant that might be broken, and in fome inftances was "; but the covenant of grace cannot be broken; God will not break it, nor man cannot: It is a covenant ordered in all things, and fure; it cannot be moved; it ftands firmer than hills, or mountains. 4. It must be owned, that there were temporal things promifed in this covenant, such as a multiplication of Abraham's natural feed; a race of kings from him, with many nations, and a poffeffion of the land of Canaan'. Things which can have nothing to do with the pure covenant of grace, any more than the change of his name from Abram to Abraham, ver. 5. 5. There were fome perfons, included in this covenant made with Abraham, of whom it cannot be thought they were in the covenant of grace, as Ishmael, Efau, and others; and on the other hand, there were fome, and even living at the time when this covenant was made, and yet were not in it; who, nevertheless, were in the covenant of grace, as Arphaxad, Melchizedek, Lot, and others; wherefore this can never be reckoned the pure covenant of grace. 6. The covenant of grace was only made with Chrift, as the federal head of it; and who is the only head of the covenant, and of the covenant-ones; where VOL. II. Оо fore, Acts vii. 8. Gal. v. 2—4. • Pfalm lxxxix. 34. • Gen. xvii. 9-14. f Gen. xvii, 6, 8. d Gen. xvii. 14. fore, if the covenant of grace was made with Abraham, as the federal head of his natural and fpiritual feed, of Jews and Gentiles; then there must be two heads of the covenant of grace, contrary to the nature of fuch a covenant, and the whole current of fcripture: Yea, this covenant of Abraham's, so far as it refpected his fpiritual feed, or fpiritual bleffings for them, it and the promises were made to Chrift. No mere man is capable of covenanting with God, of tipulation and reftipulation; for what has man to reftipulate with God? The covenant of grace is not made with any fingle man; and much less with him on the behalf of others: When, therefore, at any time we read of the covenant of grace, being made with a particular perfon, or with particular perfons, it must always be understood of making it manifeft to them; of a revelation of the covenant, and of an application of covenant-bleffings to them; and not of any original contract with them; for that is only made with them in Chrift. To which may be added, 7. That the covenant of grace was made with Christ, and with his people, as confidered in him, from everlasting; for fo early was Chrift fet up as the mediator of it; the promise of eternal life in it was before the world was; and those interested in it, were bleffed with all fpiritual bleffings and grace before the foundation of it; now could there be a mediator fo early, a promise of eternal life fo foon, and bleffings of grace provided, and no covenant fubfifting? wherefore the covenant made with Abraham in time, could not, ftrictly and properly speaking, be the covenant of grace. But, 8. To fhorten this debate, it will be allowed, that the covenant made with Abraham was a peculiar covenant, fuch as was never made with any before, or fince; that it was of a mixed kind; that it had in it promises and mercies of a temporal nature, which belonged to his natural feed; and others of a spiritual fort, which belonged to his fpiritual feed: The former are more numerous, clear, and diftin&t; the latter are comprised chiefly in Abraham's being the father of many nations, or of all that believe, and in God being a God to him and them. Which obfervation makes way for the next inquiry, Secondly, With whom this covenant was made, so far tual things, or was a revelation of the covenant of grace; things of this covenant, it does not concern the argument. hands, that they belonged to Abraham, and his natural feed: But the question is, whether this covenant, fo far as it may be reckoned a covenant of grace, or a revelation of it, or respected spiritual things, was made with all Abraham's feed after the flesh, and with all the natural feed of believing Gentiles? This queftion confifts of two parts, as it refpected fpirias for the temporal It is allowed on all ift, Whether ift, Whether the covenant made with Abraham, fo far as it was a covenant of grace, was made with all Abraham's feed, according to the flesh? Which must be answered in the negative. For, 1. If it was made with all the natural feed of Abraham, as fuch, it must be with his more immediate offspring; and fo must be equally made with a mocking and perfecuting Ishmael, born after the flesh, the fon of the bond-woman, as with Ifaac, born after the Spirit, and the fon of the free-woman; and yet we find, that Ifmael was excluded from having a fhare in fpiritual bleffings, only temporal ones were promised him; and, in diftinction and oppofition to him, the covenant was established with Ifaac. Again, if this was the cafe, it must be equally made with a profane Efau, as with plain-hearted Jacob; and yet it is faid, Jacob have I loved, and Efau bave I hated *. 2. If it was made with all Abraham's feed according to the flesh, it must be made with all his remote pofterity, and stand good to them in their most corrupt eftate; it must be made with them who believed not, and whofe carcafes fell in the wilderness, and entered not into reft; it must be made with the ten tribes, that revolted from the pure fervice of God, and who worshipped the calves at Dan and Bethel; it must be made with the people of the Jews in Isaiah's time, when they were a finful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a feed of evil-doers, children that were corrupters; whose rulers are called the rulers of Sodom, and the people the people of Gomorrah', it must be made with the Scribes and Pharifees, and that wicked, adulterous, and hypocritical generation of men in the time of our Lord, who were his implacable enemies, and were concerned in his death; who killed him, perfecuted his apoftles, pleafed not God, and were contrary to all men. What man, that seriously confiders these things, can think that the covenant of grace belonged to these men, at least to all; and especially when he obferves, what the apoftle fays, they are not all Ifrael, which are of Ifrael; neither because they are the feed of Abraham, are they all children? Yea, 3. If it was made with all that are the feed of Abraham according to the flesh, then it must be made with Ishmaelites and Edomites, as well as with Ifraelites; with his posterity by Keturah, as well as by Sarah; with the Midianites and Arabians; with the Turks, as well as with the Jews, fince they defcended and claim their defcent from Abraham, as well as thefe. But, 4. To shut up this argument; this covenant made with Abraham, be it a covenant of grace, feeing it could be no more, at most, than a revelation, manifestation, copy, or tranfcript of it, call it which you will; it can never be thought to comprehend more in it than the original contract, than the eternal |