Vindiciæ Legis et Fœderis
by Rev. John Flavel  

OR, A REPLY TO MR. PHILIP CARY'S SOLEMN CALL;

Wherein he pretends to answer all the Arguments of

MR. ALLEN,
MR. SEDGWICK,
MR. BAXTER,
MR. ROBERTS,
MR. SYDENHAM,
AND DR. BURTHOGGE,

For the Right of Believer's Infants to BAPTISM.

By proving the law at Sinai, and the Covenant of Circumcision with Abraham, were the very same with Adam's Covenant of Works, and that because the Gospel-covenant is absolute.

Preface:
A friendly PREFACE to the AUTHOR of the Solemn Call, and the more discreet and charitable of the Party concerned with him in this Controversy.

Christian Friends,

WHEN we open our Bibles, and read that text, 1 Corinthians 1:10. we have cause to deal with it as Origen once did by another scripture, even close the book and weep over it, in consideration of the weak and feeble influences such melting words, delivered with such a pathos, have upon the hearts of professors this day. “Now, I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.”

I beseech you] He dips the nail in oil, that it may drive the easier. I beseech you, brethren] A compellation breathing sweetness and affection, and should drop from our lips into each others ears with the same effect that word once did upon the ears of Benhadad's servants, My brother Benhadad. Sirs, (said Moses to the striving Israelites) ye are brethren. O when shall the church become a true Philadelphia?

I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, or as you love Jesus Christ, ut quantum ipsum amant tantum studeant concordiæ, saith Calvin; Be as studious of concord as you are free in professing love to Christ.

That there be no divisions, or rents among you; a Scismar, schism, or rent in the church, is much the same, and altogether as dangerous as a sedition in the commonwealth, and harder to be cured. For as the Lord Verulam truly observes, Differences amongst persecuting enemies and the church, are like the strivings of the Egyptian with the Israelite, which Moses quickly ended by knocking down the Egyptian; but dissensions in the church are like the striving of one Israelite with another; and all that Moses can do to quiet and part these, is only by fair and gentle words, and reminding them that they are brethren.

Great is the mischief of divisions among Christians; and the less the grounds and causes are, the greater always is the sin and mischief of them. In the primitive church contentions grew fervent about meats lawful and unlawful, which did not profit, the meaning is, it greatly damnified them that were occupied therein, Hebrews 13:9. Practical religion among them grew cold, as disputations about these trifles grew fervent.

The readiest way to cool such heats is, by discovering the trivial nature of the matter contended about; as Demosthenes appeased the tumult among the people raised by a small occasion, by relating to them the story of a man that hired an ass to carry him a journey, but the sun shining fervent, he was forced to quit her back, and betake himself to her shadow; the owner withstood him, alleging, that he had hired the body of the ass, but her shadow was not in the bargain; and so the contention between them grew as hot as the sun. Many such trifles have raised great contentions in the world, witness the great contention betwixt the Eastern and Western church about keeping of Easter.

Other points there are of greater moment, about which good men contend, and yet these oftentimes are magnified much above their true intrinsical value. So I am sure it is in the controversy before us. Mr. Cary tells us, that these things will be found at length to be of highest concernment unto us, and must therefore be our most serious practice, p. 243. If so, then the proper subject of baptism must be one of those that is of greatest weight, and the profession thereof the very Schibboleth to distinguish one person from another in matters of religion. No wonder therefore the fires of contention are blown up to such a vehement heat, even in such an improper season; much like the contentions among the English fugitives at Frankfort, when their brethren were frying in the flames at Smithfield. Just so we must be scuffling, whilst thousands of our brethren are bleeding in Ireland. Had we a true sense of the quality of the subjects, or the unseasonableness of the time, it should certainly allay those heats among us. Did we see who stand by, and look with pleasure upon our follies, it would quickly allay our hearts. Tertullian tells the Christians of his time, that they were like the Funambulones, or men that walk upon hopes, the least tread awry might be their ruin, so narrowly did their enemies watch them.

Sirs, the peace, safety, and honour, of the dissenting interest are things of too great value to be hazarded amongst the hands of our common enemies. You may fancy they will neglect the advantage you give them; but if they do, the devil will call them fools for it. Hr. Herle tells us of a king's fool, who wrote down the king himself in his table among his brother-fools, because he had trusted an African stranger with four thousand pounds to buy Barbary horses. The king asked him how he would make him amends, if the stranger should come again? Why then (said he) I'll blot your name out of my table of fools, and write down the African in your stead. Think not our enemies are such fools to neglect the advantage we cast into their hands. It is a weighty note of Livy, Consilia non dant homines rebus, sed res hominibus; Men do not counsel things, but time and things counsel men. Methinks the postures of times and affairs give us better counsels than we seem to be governed by in such work as this. Divisions of forty years standing and more, about infants baptism, have eaten up the time, wasted the spirits, and alienated the hearts of English professors, divided them both in society and love; by reason whereof God's pleasant plant in this resembles the bramble, which taking root at both ends, by reason of the rencounters of the sap, commonly withers in the middle. Your brethren, in their Narrative from their General-Assembly, make a sad and sensible complaint of withering in the power of godliness. And truly we as well as they may complain with the church, We do all fade as a leaf: The Lord help us to discern the true cause, whether it be not the misplacing of our zeal, our being cold where we should be fervent, and fervent hot where it should be cold; and whether the eating up of so much time and study about baptizing of infants, have not kept us these forty years in the infancy of our graces?

I well remember that blessed time, when ours and yours were terms almost unknown amongst professors in England. When their affections and prayers melted and mingled together sweetly in days of humiliation, and other duties of edifying and heavenly communion; and then churches began to flourish, and the graces of Christians every where flourished, and became fruitful: but no sooner did the saints divide in society and affection, but these pleasant blossoms were nipped by it, as by a frosty morning, the church formed itself as it were, into two armies set in battalia against each other. It was now with us much like as it is said of the amphisbena, that hath an head at either end, of which neither can well move without the consent of both; but, if each move a contrary way, the body tears in the middle. I doubt not but many that differed from us belonged to Christ, the same head with us; and yet it is past doubt, that many who seemed to be of us were headed by Satan; and quickly discovered themselves to be so, by running farther than we first, or you next, imagined, even into Quakerism, Socinianism, Ranterism, and the foulest puddle and sink of complicated errors; of which an imperial stranger, under the name of Honorius Reggius, anagrammatikwv, Georgius Hornius having heard the report in his own country, came over on purpose into England for his particular and perfect information, and hath given the foreign churches a full and sad account thereof in a Latin narrative, which I have by me; whereby I find, that, if the Lord in mercy to us had not let in a third party with the common calamity upon us all, we ourselves must in all probability have mutually ruined each other. But God saw other hands fitter for such dirty work than ours; and now it was time to reflect upon former follies, and renew our ancient acquaintance in the common goals. And, through the goodness of God, this did somewhat allay the heats of good men, and gave us fresh hopes of an hearty and lasting redintegration. We hoped the furnace might have purged our dross, and melted our hearts into unity, both by discovering the evils for which the Lord afflicted us, and the sincerity of the sufferers hearts under those trials. “Christians, (saith Mr. Jenkins) if we must die, let us die like men, by an unanimous holy contention against the common enemy; not like fools, by giving him our sword, and destroying one another by schisms in our own bowels.”

But alas! alas! no sooner is the rod off our backs, and a respite from sufferings given us, but we are presently sounding an alarm to the battle again, and, to my sorrow, myself unavoidably engaged therein.

Friends, I have a witness in many of your bosoms, how peaceably and respectfully I have always carried it towards you, even to such a degree as began to bring me under the suspicion of some of your party, that I was inclining to their opinion, though I did not openly profess it. But the true reasons of my moderation in this point were, (1.) That I ever did, and still do look upon many of you as Christians, sound in the other great doctrines of the gospel. (2.) That there are difficulties in this controversy which may puzzle the minds of well-meaning Christians. (3.) I highly value the peace of the church, and durst do nothing that tended to keep open the breaches upon a controversy of this nature, you being for purity in doctrine and worship in most other controverted points, as well as we. (4.) I observed how rare a thing it is for engaged parties to give ground.

Qui velit ingenio cedere, rarus erit.
'Mad disputants to reason seldom yield.'

(5.) My head, heart, and hands have been filled with better employments, from which I am extremely loath to be diverted. If Bellarmine turned with loathing from school-divinity, because it wanted the sweet juice of piety, much more may I turn from such perverse disputes as these: Sure I may find as fair expositions of scripture, and as accurate and legitimate distinctions among the school-men, as in Mr. Tombes' Examen and Apology; or (which for the most part is but a transcript of both) in Mr. Cary's Solemn Call. But I see I must not be my own chooser; I cannot now be both silent and innocent; for in this Solemn Call I find the great doctrines of God's covenants abused by my neighbour; the books dispersed into many families related to me in this place, one of them delivered to me by the Author's own hands, with a pressing desire to give my judgment upon it: Several objections which I privately and seasonably sent him to prevent the sin and folly of his attempt, pretended to be answered from p. 164. ad p. 183. Thus I am necessarily brought into the field of controversy: whither I come not a volunteer, but a pressed man; not out of choice, but necessity. And now I am here, I resolve to be only Adversarius litis, non personæ, an adversary in the controversy, not to the person, especially of my friendly neighbour. Neither would I have appeared thus publicly against him, if differences, could have been accommodated, and the evil prevented, in a more private way; in order thereunto, I have punctually observed and kept the rules and measures of friendship.

It is possible some may judge my stile against him to be too sharp; but if they please to read the conclusion of his Call, and my Answer, I presume they will find enough to make atonement for that fault, if it be a fault. It is from the nature of the matter before me, not from defect of charity to the person or party, that I am forced to be so plain and pungent as I am.

To conclude, I suspect this very preface may be also censured for its plainness and tediousness. I confess, when times are busy we should be brief; and I am persuaded a sufficient preface may be contracted into four words, aneu proemiwn kai paqwn, without preface or passions. However, I have a little eased my own heart, by discharging my duty to my differing brethren, and pleased myself, if not them.

The God of peace create peace in all the borders of Sion, beat our swords into plow-shares, and our spears into pruning-hooks; I mean, our polemicals into practicals; that Jerusalem may once more be a city compact, and no more terrible to herself, but only to her enemies, as an army with banners. This, brethren, is the prayer, and shall ever be the endeavour of,

Your Friend and Servant in Christ;
JOHN FLAVEL.

PROLEGOMENA

BEFORE we enter into the main controversy, it will be necessary to acquaint the reader, why I begin with the middle of the book; and it is because I there find these three principles or positions, on which the other parts of his discourse are superstructed; and these being destroyed, his other discourses are but arenæ, sine calse. I properly therefore begin with the foundation.

Next I shall shew how far we are agreed in the matters here controverted, and where it is in each of these that the controversy indeed lies betwixt us. And as to

I. Position, viz.

That the Sinai law is the same with Adam's covenant of works, made in paradise.

The difference betwixt us here is not (1.) Whether both these be called covenants in Scripture? Nor (2.) Whether there was no grace at all in both, or either of them; for we are agreed, it is grace in God to enter into covenant with man, whatever that covenant be. Nor (3.) Whether the Sinai law be not a covenant of works to some men, by their own fault and occasion? Nor (4.) Whether the scriptures do not many times speak of it in that very sense and notion wherein carnal justiciaries apprehend and take it; and by rejecting Christ, make it so to themselves? Nor (5.) Whether the very matter of the law of nature be not revived and represented in the Sinai law? These are not the points we contend about. But the question is, Whether the Sinai law do in its own nature, and according to God's purpose and design in the promulgation of it, revive the law of nature, to the same ends and uses it served to in Adam's covenant; and so be properly and truly a covenant of works? Or whether God had not gracious and evangelical ends and purposes, viz. By such a dreadful representation of the severe and impracticable terms of the first covenant, instead of obliging them to the personal and punctual observance of them for righteousness and life, he did not rather design to convince them of the impossibility of legal righteousness, humble proud nature, and shew them the necessity of betaking themselves to Christ, now exhibited in the new covenant, as the only refuge to fallen sinners. The latter I defend according to the Scriptures, the former Mr. Cary seems to assert and vehemently argue for.

2dly, In this controversy about the Sinai law, I do not find Mr. Cary distinguish (as he ought) betwixt the law considered more largely and complexly, as containing both the moral and ceremonial law, for both which it is often taken in Scripture, and more strictly for the moral law only, as it is sometimes used in Scripture. These two he makes one and the same covenant of works; though there be some that doubt whether the mere moral law, may not be a covenant of works; yet I never met with any man before, that durst affirm the ceremonial law, which is so full of Christ, to be so; and to this law it is that circumcision appertains.

3dly, The moral law, strictly taken for the ten commandments, is not by him distinguished (as it ought to be, and as the scripture frequently doth) according to God's intention and design in the promulgation of it, which was to add it as an appendix to the promise, Galatians 3:19. and not to set it up as an opposite covenant, Galatians 3:21. as the carnal Jews, mistaking and perverting the use and end of the law, and making it to themselves a covenant of works, by making it the very rule and reason of their justification before God, Romans 9:32,33. Romans 10:3. These things ought carefully to have been distinguished, forasmuch as the whole controversy depends on this double sense and intention of the law; yea, the very denomination of that law depends hereon: for I affirm, it ought not to be denominated from the abused and mistaken end of it amongst carnal men, but from the true scope, design and end for which God published it after the fall: and though we find such expressions as these in Scripture, “The man that doth them shall live in them;” and, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things,” &c. yet these respecting the law, not according to God's intention, but man's corruption and abuse of it, the law is not thereby to be denominated a covenant of works. God's end was not to justify them, but to try them by that terrible dispensation, Exodus 20:20. whether they would still hanker after that natural way of self-righteousness; for this end God propounded the terms of the first covenant to them on Sinai, not to open the way of self-justification to them, but to convince them, and shut them up to Christ; just as our Saviour, Matthew 19:17. puts the young man upon keeping the commandments not to drive him from, but necessitate him to himself in the way of faith.

The law in both these senses is excellently described, Galatians 4. in that allegory of Hagar and Sarah, the figures of the two covenants. Hagar, in her first and proper station was but a serviceable handmaid to Sarah, as the law is a schoolmaster to Christ; but when Hagar the handmaid is taken in Sarah's bed, and brings forth children that aspire to the inheritance, then saith the Scripture, “Cast out the bond-woman with her son.” So it is here; take the law in its primary use, as God designed it, as a schoolmaster or handmaid to Christ and the promise, so it is consistent with them, and excellently subservient to them; but if we marry this handmaid, and espouse it as a covenant of works, then are we bound to it for life, Romans 7, and must have nothing to do with Christ. The believers of the Old Testament had true apprehensions of the right end and use of the law, which directed them to Christ, and so they became children of the free-woman. The carnal Jews trusted to the works of the law for righteousness, and so became the children of the bond-woman; but neither could be children of both at once, no more than the same man can naturally be born of two mothers. This is the difference betwixt us about the first position. And as to the

II. Position.

That Abraham's covenant, Genesis 17 is an Adam's covenant of works also, because circumcision was annexed to it, which obliged men to keep the whole law.

The controversy betwixt us in this point, is not whether circumcision were an ordinance of God, annexed by him to his covenant with Abraham? Nor (2.) Whether Abraham's ordinary and extraordinary seed ought to be, and actually were signed by it? Nor, (3.) Whether it were a seal of the righteousness of faith to any individual person, for he allows it to be so to Abraham? Nor (4.) Whether it pertained to the ceremonial law, and so must cease at the death of Christ? But the difference betwixt us is, Whether (1.) It was a seal of the covenant to none but Abraham? And (2.) Whether in the very nature of the act, or only from the intention of the agent, it did oblige men to keep the whole law, as Adam was obliged to keep it in innocency? (3.) Whether it were utterly abolished at the death of Christ, as a condition of the covenant of works? or being a sign of the same covenant of grace we are now under, it be not succeeded by the new gospel-sign, which is baptism? Mr. Cary affirms, that it was in itself a condition of the covenant of works, and being annexed to God's covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17 it made that a true Adam's covenant of works also. This I utterly deny, and say, Abraham's covenant was a true covenant of grace. (2.) That circumcision was a seal of righteousness of faith, and therefore could not possibly belong to the covenant of works. (3.) That as it was applied both to the ordinary and extraordinary infant-seed of Abraham, during that administration of the covenant, so it is the will of Christ that baptism should take its place under the gospel, and be applied now to the infant-seed of all Abraham's spiritual children. These are the things wherein we differ about the second position. And lastly, as to the

III. Position.

That neither Moses' law, Exodus 20 nor God's covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17 can be any other than an Adam's covenant of works, because they have each of them conditions in them on man's part; but the gospel-covenant hath none at all, but is altogether free and absolute.

The controversy here betwixt us is not (1.) Whether the gospel covenant requires no duties at all of them that are under it? Nor (2.) Whether it requires any such conditions as were in Adam's covenant, namely, perfect, personal, and perpetual obedience, under the severest penalty or a curse, and admitting no place of repentance? Nor, (3.) Whether any condition required by it on our part, have any thing in its own nature meritorious of the benefits promised? Nor (4.) Whether we be able in our own strength, and by the power of our free-will, without the preventing as well as the assisting grace of God, to perform any such work or duty as we call a condition? In these things we have no controversy; but the only question betwixt us is,

Whether in the new covenant some act of ours (though it have no merit in it, nor can be done in our own single strength) be not required to be performed by us, antecedently to a blessing or privilege consequent by virtue of a promise? And whether such an act of duty, being of a suspending nature to the blessing promised, it have not the true and proper nature of a gospel-condition? This I affirm, and he positively denies.

These three positions being confuted, and the contrary well confirmed, viz. that the law at Sinai was not set up by God as an Adam's covenant, to open the old way of righteousness and life by works; but was added to the promise, as subservient to Christ in its design and use, and consequently can never be a pure Adam's covenant of works. And, secondly,

That Abraham's covenant, Genesis 17 is the very same covenant of grace we are now under; and, (2dly,) That circumcision in the nature of the act did not oblige all men to keep the whole law for righteousness. And (3dly,)

That the new covenant is not absolutely and wholly unconditional, though notwithstanding a most free and gracious covenant; the pillars on which Mr. Cary sets his new structure sink under it, and the building falls into rums.

I have not here taken Mr. Cary's two Syllogisms, proving Abraham's covenant to be a covenant of works, because I find myself therein prevented by that ingenious and learned man, Mr. Whiston, in his late answer to Mr. Grantham. Neither have I particularly spoken to his twenty-three arguments to prove the Sinai law to be a pure Adam's covenant, because frustra fit per plura, quod fieri, potest per pauciora: I have overthrown them all together at one blow, by evincing every argument to have four terms in it, and so proves nothing. But I have spoken to all those scriptures which concern our four positions, and fully vindicated them from the injurious senses to which Mr. Cary (following Mr. Tombes) had wrested them.

These things premised, I shall only further add, that if Mr. Cary shall attempt a reply to my answer, and free his own theses from the gross absurdities with which I have loaded them, he must plainly and substantially prove against me,

(1.) That the Sinai law, according to its true scope and end, was promulgated by God for man's justification and happiness in the way of personal obedience; and that the Jews, that did accordingly endeavour after righteousness by the works of the law, did not mistake its true end and meaning; or if they did, and thereby made it what God never intended it to be, a covenant of works to themselves, that the Sinai law ought rather to be denominated from their mistake and abuse of it, than from its primary and proper use, and God's design in its promulgation.

(2.) He must prove against me, with the like evidence of truth, that circumcision discovered no more of man's native corruption, nor any more of his remedy by Christ; nor sealed to any person whatsoever the righteousness of faith, than Adam's covenant in paradise did; and that it did in its own nature oblige all upon whom it passed, to the same terms of obedience that Adam's covenant obliged him. And,

(3.) That there is not to be found in the new covenant any such act or duty of ours, as hath been described and limited above; which is of a suspending nature to the benefits therein granted. And,

(4.) That the respective expositions he gives of the several texts to be explained and vindicated, are more congruous to the scope and grammar than mine are, and more agreeable to the current sense of orthodox expositors; and then he shall be sure to receive an answerable return from me, else it is but labour lost to write again.

A REPLY TO MR. PHILIP CARY'S SOLEMN CALL, &c.

THE book I have undertaken to animadvert briefly upon, bears the title of a solemn call; but I am not so much concerned with the solemnity, as I am with the authority of this call. Not how it is, but whose it is. If it be the call of God, it must be obeyed though it be to part not only with the privileges, but lives of our dearest children; but then we had need to be very well assured it is the call of God, else we are guilty at once of the highest folly, and basest treachery, to part with so rich an inheritance, conveyed by God's covenant with Abraham, to us believing Gentiles, and our seed, at Mr. Cary's call.

You direct your Solemn Call to all that would be owned as Christ's faithful witnesses.

Here you are too obscure and general: do you mean, all that would be owned by you, or by Christ? If you mean, that we must not expect to be owned by you till we renounce infants baptism, you tell us no news, for you have long since turned your back upon our ministry and assemblies: yet, methinks it is strange, that we who were lately owned as Christ's faithful witnesses, under our late sufferings, must now be disowned by you, when we have liberty to amplify and confirm our testimony in the peaceful improvement of our common liberty.

But if your meaning be, (as I strongly suspect it is) that we must not expect to be owned by Christ, except we give up infants baptism; then, I say, it is the most uncharitable, as well as unwarrantable, and dangerous censure that ever dropt from the pen of a sober Christian. It is certainly your great evil to lay salvation itself on such a point as the proper subject of baptism, and to make it articulus stantis vel cadentis religionis, the very basis on which the whole Christian religion, and its professors salvation must stand. I hope the rest of your brethren are more charitable than yourself; but however it be, I do openly profess, that I ever have, and still, do own you, and many more of your persuasion, for my brethren in Christ, and am persuaded Christ will own you too, notwithstanding your many errors and mistakes about the lesser and lower matters of religion. Nor need your censure much to affect us, as long as we are satisfied you have neither a faculty nor commission thus solemnly to pronounce it upon us.

But what is the condition upon which this dreadful sentence depends? why, it is our attendance or non-attendance to the primitive purity of the gospel-doctrine.

Sir, I hope we do attend it, and, in some respects, better than some great pretenders to primitive purity, who have cast off not only the initiating sign of God's covenant, (this did not Abraham) but also that most comfortable and ancient ordinance of singing Psalms: and what other primitive ordinance of God may be cashiered next, who can tell?

We have a witness in our bosom, that the defense of Christ's pure worship and institution hath cost us something; and as for me, were I convinced by all that you have here said, or any of your friends, that in baptizing the infants of believers, we did really depart from the primitive purity, I would renounce it, and turn Anabaptist the same day.

But really, sir, this discourse of yours hath very much convinced me of the weakness and sickliness of your cause, which is forced to seek a new foundation, and is here laid by you upon such a foundation as must inevitably ruin it, if your party, as well as yourself, have but resolution enough to venture it thereupon.

And it appears to me very probable, that they intend to fight us upon the new ground you have here chosen and marked out for them, by the high encomiums they give your book in their epistles to it, wherein they tell us, your notions are of so rare a nature, that you are not beholden to any other for them; and it is a wonder if you should, for I think it never entered into any sober Christian's head before you, that Abraham's covenant, Genesis 17 was the very same with Adam's covenant made in paradise; or that Moses, Abraham, and all the elect of God in those days were absolutely under the very rigour and tyranny of the covenant of works, and at the same time under the covenant of grace, and all the blessings and privileges thereof; with many other such rare notions, of which it is pity but you should have the sole propriety.

I am particularly concerned to detect your dangerous mistakes, both in love to your own soul, and care of my people's, amongst whom you have dispersed them; though I foresee by M.E's epistle to your book, what measure I am like to have for my plain and faithful dealing with you: for if that gentleman, upon a mere surmise and presumption that one or other would oppose your book, dare adventure to call your unknown answer, before he ever put pen to paper, a man-pleaser, a quarreler at reformation, and rank him with the Papists, which opposed the faithful for their non-conformity to their inventions; what must I expect from such rash censurers, for my sober, plain, and rational confutation of your errors?

As to the controversy betwixt us, you truly say, in your title page, and many parts of your book, and your brethren comprobate it in their epistles, that the main arguments made use of by the Pædo-baptists, for the support of their practice, are taken from the covenant of God with Abraham, Genesis 17 You call this the very hinge of the controversy; and therefore if you can but prove this to be the very same covenant of works with that made with Adam in paradise, we shall then see what improvements you will quickly make of it.

Ay, sir, you are sensible of the advantage, no less than a complete victory you shall obtain by it: and therefore being a more hardy and adventurous man than others, put desperately upon it, (which never any before you durst attempt) to prove Abraham's covenant, which stands so much in the way of your cause, to be a mere covenant of works, and therefore now abolished.

My proper province is to discover here, that part of the foundation (I mean Abraham's covenant) whence our divines with great strength and evidence, deduce the right of believers infants to baptism now. Next, to evince the absurdity of your assertions, and arguments you bring to destroy it: And, lastly, to reflect, briefly upon the answers you give in the beginning of your book, to those several texts of scripture pleaded by the learned and judicious divines you oppose, for the justification of infants baptism.

(1.) Those that plead God's covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17 as a scripture-foundation for baptizing believers infants under the gospel, proceed generally upon these four grounds or principles.

(1.) That God's covenant with Abraham, Genesis 17 was the same covenant for substance we Gentile believers are now under; and they substantially prove it from Luke 1. from the 54th to the 74th verse; which place evidently shews the sameness of the covenant of grace they were, and we are now under; and from Matthew 21:41,48. the same vineyard and kingdom the Jews then had, is now let out to us Gentiles; and from Romans 11 that the Gentile Christians are grafted into the same olive-tree, from which the Jews were broken off for their unbelief; and that the blessing of Abraham cometh now upon the Gentiles, Galatians 3:8,14,16. And in a word, that the partition-wall betwixt them and us is now pulled down; and that we, through faith, are let into the self-same covenant, and all the privileges they then enjoyed, Ephesians 2.13.

(2.) They assert and prove, that in Abraham's covenant the infant-seed were taken in with their parents, and that in token thereof, they were to have the sign of the covenant applied to them, Genesis 17:9.

(3.) They affirm and prove, That the promise of God to Abraham and his seed, with the privileges thereof to his children, do, for the substance of them, descend to believers now, and their seed, Acts 2:38,39. and though the external sign, viz. circumcision, be changed, yet baptism takes its place under the gospel, Colossians 2:11,12.

(4.) They constantly affirm, that none of those grants or privileges made to the infant-seed of Abraham's family, were ever repealed or revoked by Christ or his apostles; and therefore believers children are now in the rightful possession of them; and that therefore there needed no new command or promise: In Abraham's covenant we find our duty to sign our children with the sign of the covenant; and in Abraham's promise we find God's gracious grant to our children, as well as his, especially since the apostle directs us, in this very respect, to the covenant of God with Abraham, Acts 2.38,39.

These, sir, are the principles on which we lay (as you say) great stress, and which to this day you have never been able to shake down; here therefore you attempt a new method to do it, by proving this covenant is now abolished; and this is your method, in which you promise yourself great success: Three things you pretend to prove;

That the Sinai covenant, Exodus 20.

That Abraham's covenant, Genesis 17 are no gospel-covenants; and that because,

The gospel-covenant is absolute and unconditional.

How you come to hook in the Mosaic covenant into this controversy, is not very evident, unless you think it were easy for you to prove that to be a covenant of works; and then Abraham's covenant, Genesis 17 being an Old Testament covenant, were the more easily proved to be of the same nature. I am obliged to examine your three positions above noted, and if I evidence to the world the falsity of them, the cause you manage is so far lost, and the right of believers infants to baptism stands firm upon its old and sure foundation. I begin therefore with your:

I. Position.

That the covenant made with Israel, on Mount Sinai, is the very same covenant of works made with Adam in innocencey, p. 122, and divers other places of your book, the very same.

Now, if you prove that this assertion of yours doth naturally and regularly draw many false and absurd consequents upon you, which you are, and must be forced to own, then this your position cannot be true; for from true premises, nothing but truth can naturally and regularly follow; but I shall make it plain to you, that this your position regularly draws many false conclusions, and gross absurdities, upon you; some of which you own expressly, and others you as good as own, being able to return nothing rational or satisfactory in your own defense against them.

(1.) From this assertion, that the Sinai covenant was a pure covenant of works, the very same with Adam's covenant, it regularly and necessarily follows, that either Moses and all Israel were damned, there being no salvation possible to be attained by that first covenant; or else, that there was a covenant of grace at the same time running parallel with that covenant of works; and so the elect people of God were at one and the same time under the first, as a covenant of death and condemnation; and under the second, as a covenant of grace and justification.

This dilemma pinches you. To assert, that Moses, and all the elect of God, under that dispensation, were damned, you dare not; and if you had, you must have expunged the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, and a great part of the New Testament, together with all your hopes of sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. The latter, therefore, (seeing you cannot avoid) you are forced upon, and in plain words yield it, p. 174,175. 'That Moses and the whole body of the children of Israel, without exception of any, were under, yea, absolutely under the severest penalties of a dreadful curse; that the covenant they were under, could be no other than a covenant of works, a ministration of death and condemnation;' when yet it is also evident from the same holy scriptures of truth, that at the same time both Moses and all the elect among that people were under a pure covenant of gospel-grace; and that these two covenants were just the opposite the one to the other; but to this you have nothing to say, but with the apostle in another case, O the depth!

Here, sir, you father a pure and perfect contradiction upon the holy scriptures, that it speaks things just opposite and contradictory one to the other, and of necessity one part or member of a contradiction must be false: this all the rational world knows; but so it is, say you, and fly to the infinite wisdom to reconcile them; for you say, You know not what to say to it. Just so the papists serve us in the controversy about transubstantiation, when they cannot reconcile one thing with another, they fly to the omnipotent power to do it.

But, sir, I wonder how you hold and hug a principle that runs naturally into such gross absurdities: Do you see what follows from hence by unavoidable consequences? You must, according to this principle, hold, That Moses, and all God's peculiar elect people in Israel, most, during their life, hang mid-way between justification and condemnation; and, after death, between heaven and hell.

(1.) During life, they must hang mid-way between justification and condemnation; justified they could not be, for justification is the soul's passing from death to life, 1 John 3.14. John 5.24. This they could not possibly do, for the ministration of death and condemnation hindered. He that is under condemnation by the law, cannot, during that state, pass into life. And yet to be under condemnation is as impossible on the other side; for he that is justified, cannot at the same time be under condemnation, Romans 8.2. John 5.24. What remains then, but that during life they must stick mid-way betwixt both, neither justified nor condemned; and yet both so and so. Justification is our life, and condemnation our death, in law: Betwixt these two, which are privately opposed, there can be no medium of participation, and yet such a medium, you here fancy.

(2.) And then after death they must necessarily hang betwixt heaven and hell; to heaven none can go that are under the very rigour and tyranny of the law, a pure covenant of works, as you say they were.

To hell they could not go, being under the pure covenant of grace: What remains then, but some third state must be assigned them? and so at last we have found the limbus paturim, and your position leads us right to purgatory: a conclusion which, I believe, you yourself abhor as much as I.

(2dly,) This hypothesis pinches you with another dilemma, viz, Either there was pardon or repentance in Moses' covenant, and the Sinai dispensation of the law, or there was none; if you say none, you directly contradict Lev. 26.40,46. if there were, then it cannot be Adam's covenant of works.

You answer, p. 179. 'That God promiseth pardon for the breach of Moses' covenant, and of Adam's covenant too, but neither Adam's covenant, nor the Jewish legal covenant, promised any pardon upon repentance, but rather threatens and inflicts the contrary.'

Reply. Either this is a direct answer to my argument, to prove the law at Sinai cannot be a pure Adam's covenant, because it had a promise of pardon annexed to it, Lev. 26.40. but Adam's covenant had none. If your answer be direct, then it is a plain contradiction in saying it had, and it had not a promise of pardon belonging to it. Or else it is a mere evasion, and an eluding of the argument; and your only meaning is, that the relief I speak of is not to be found in any promise belonging to the Sinai dispensation, but in some other gospel covenant or promise. But, sir, this will not serve your turn; you see I cite the very promise of grace made to the Israelites on mount Sinai by the hand of Moses, wherein God promiseth upon their humiliation to remember his covenant for their good. Now, sir, you had as good have stood to your first answer, which is less contradictory, as to this which is no less so; as will evidently appear, by a nearer and more particular view of the place, and gathering up your own concessions about it. That this text, Leviticus 26:40. hath the nature of a gracious promise in it, no man will deny, except he that will deny that God's remembering of his covenant, for the relief of poor broken-hearted sinners, is no gospel promise pertaining to the covenant of grace: That it was made to the penitent Israelites upon mount Sinai, and there delivered them by the hand of Moses for their relief, is as visible and plain as the words and syllables of the 46th verse are to him that reads them. Let the promise then be considered both ways. (1.) In your sense, as a plain direction to the covenant of grace made with Abraham for their relief; for you say it was, p. 180. or let it be considered absolutely, as that which contained relief in itself for the penitent Israelites that should live towards the end of the world, after they should be gathered from all their dispersions and captivities, as you there speak, and more fully explicate in your accommodation of a parallel promise, p. 111-113. First, let us view it in your sense, as a relative promise to the covenant of grace made with Abraham, Genesis 12 to which, say you, it plainly directs them; and then this legal dispensation can never be the same with Adam's covenant, for to that covenant no such promise was ever annexed, which should guide and plainly direct them to Christ and pardon, as that star which appeared to the wise men directed their way to Christ. If there be any such relative promise belonging to Adam's covenant in paradise, as this which I plainly shew you was made on mount Sinai, be pleased to produce it, and you end the controversy; but if you cannot, (as you know you cannot) then never say the legal dispensation at Sinai, and the covenant of works with Adam in paradise, are the very same covenant. Secondly, Let us consider this promise absolutely in itself, and then I demand, was there mercy, relief and pardon contained in it for any penitent sinner present or to come? Yes, say you, it extends relief to penitents, after God shall gather them from all their captivities at the end of the world; very good. Then it is a very vigorous promise of grace, which not only reaches 430 years backward, as far as the first promise to Abraham, but also extends its reliefs and comforts many thousand years forwards, even to the purest times of the gospel, just before Christ's coming to judgment: And can such a promise as this be denied to be in itself a gospel-promise? Sure it can neither be denied to be such, nor yet to be made upon mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. This dilemma is as pinching as the former.

Perhaps you will say, This promise did not belong to the moral law given at Sinai, but to the ceremonial law: If so, then I should reasonably conclude, that you take the ceremonial law (of which you seem to make this a branch, p. 181.) to be a covenant of grace, seeing one of its branches bears such a gracious promise upon it. No, that must not be so neither; for say you, p. 151, the ceremonial covenant is of the same nature with the covenant of works, or law written in tables of stone: Whither then shall we send this promise? To the covenant of grace we must not send it, unless only as an index or finger to point to it, because it was made upon mount Sinai, and delivered to Israel by the hand of Moses: To the gospel-covenant we must not therefore annex it; and to the legal dispensation at Sinai you are as loath to annex it, because it contains so much relief and grace in it for poor penitents; and that will prove, that neither the moral nor ceremonial law (place it in which you please) can be a pure covenant of works as Adam's was.

Moreover, in making this the promise which must relieve and comfort the distressed Israelites in the purest gospel-times, towards the end of the world, you as palpably contradict yourself in another respect; for we shall find you by and by stoutly denying, that the gospel promises have any conditions or qualifications annexed to them; but so hath this, which you say relates to them that shall live at the end of the world, “If their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and if they accept the punishment of their iniquities, then will I remember my covenant,” &c. But be this promise conditional or absolute, two things are undeniably clear: (1) That it is a promise full of grace, for the relief of law-transgressors, verse 40. (2.) That it was a mount Sinai promise, verse 46. And such a promise as you can never shew in Adam's covenant.

Besides, it is to me an unaccountable thing, that a promise which hath a double comfortable aspect 430 years back, and some thousands of years forward, should not cast one comfortable glance upon the penitents of the present age, when it was made, nor upon any till near the end of the world. What think you, sir, of the 3000 Jews pricked at the heart, Acts 2. had they no relief from it, because their lot fell not late enough in time? Were the penitent Jews in Moses and Peter's days all born out of due time for this promise to relieve? O what shifting and shuffling is here? Who can think a man that twists and winds every way, to avoid the dint of an argument, can possibly have a moral assurance of the truth of his own opinion?

(3.) You say, page 134, 'That through Christ's satisfaction there is no repugnancy, or hostile contrariety, betwixt the law and promise, but an agreement betwixt them, and that they differ only in respect of strength and weakness; the gospel is able to go through-stitch with it, which the law cannot do.'

Reply. Well then, the law considered as a covenant of works, whose terms or condition is, “Do this and live;” and the promise or gospel, whose condition is, “Believe and thou shalt be saved;” are not specifically different, but only gradually, in point of strength and weakness: and the reason you give is as strange, that this comes to pass through the satisfaction of Christ. Good sir, enlighten us in this rare notion. Did Christ die to purchase a reconciliation betwixt the covenant of works as such and the covenant of grace, as if both were now by the death of Christ agreed, and to be justified by works and by faith, should after Christ's death, make no odds or difference between them? If it be so, why have you kept such a coil to prove Moses' and Adam's covenant, yea, Abraham's too, being a covenant of works, can never consist or mingle with the gospel-covenant? And then I say, you contradict the apostle, who so directly opposes the covenant of works as such, to the covenant of grace, Galatians 3.18. and tells us they are utterly inconsistent and exclusive of each other; and this he spake after Christ's death and actual satisfaction. But,

(4.) That which more amazes me, is the strange answer you give to Mr. Sedgwick, p. 132,133. In your return to his argument, 'That if the law and the promise can consist, then the law cannot be set up as a covenant of works.' You answer, “That the law and the promise having divers ends, it doth not thence follow, that there is an inconsistence betwixt them, and that the law, even as it is a covenant of works, instead of being against the promise, tends to the establishment of it. And p. 133. that by convincing men of the impossibility of obtaining rest and peace in themselves, and the necessity of betaking themselves to the promise, &c. the law is not against the promise, having so blessed a subserviency towards the establishment thereof.” Here you own a subserviency, yea, a blessed subserviency of the law to the promise, which is that Mr. Sedgwick and myself have urged to prove it cannot be so, as it is a pure Adam's covenant, but that thereof it must come under another consideration; only here we differ; you say it hath a blessed subserviency to the promise, as it is the same with Adam's covenant; we say it can never be so as such, but as it is either a covenant of grace, though more obscure, as he speaks; or though the matter of it should be the same with Adam's covenant, yet it is subserviently a covenant of grace, as others speak; and under no other consideration can it be reconciled to the promise.

But will you stand to this, that the law hath no hostile contradiction to the promise, but a blessed subserviency to it, as you speak, p. 173. where you say, 'That if we preach up the law as a covenant of life, or a covenant of faith and grace (which are equipollent terms) let us distinguish as we please between a covenant of grace absolutely and subserviently such; then we make an ill use of the law, by perverting it to such a service as God never intended it for, and are guilty of mingling law and gospel, life and death together.'

Reply. Here, sir, my understanding is perfectly posed, and I know not how to make any tolerable orthodox sense out of this position: Is the law preached up as a pure covenant of works, (that is, pressing men to the personal and punctual obedience of it, in order to their justification by works) no way repugnant to the promise, but altogether so, when preached in subserviency to Christ and faith? This is new divinity with me, and I believe must be so to every intelligent reader. Do not I oppose the promise when I preach up the law as a pure covenant of works, which therefore as such must be exclusive of Christ and the promise? And do I oppose either, when I tell sinners the terrors of the law serve only to drive them to Christ, their only remedy, who is “the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth,” Romans 10:4. Are works and grace more consistent than grace with grace? Explain your meaning in this paradoxical expression, and leave not yourself and others in such a maze. I read, Galatians 3:19, for what end God published the law 430 years after the promise was made to Abraham, and find it was added because of transgression, proseteqh, it was put to, not set up by itself alone as a distinct covenant, but added as an appendix to the covenant of grace; whence it is plain, that God added the Sinai law to the promise, with evangelical ends and purposes. If then I preach the law to the very same evangelical uses and purposes for which God added it to the promise, do I therein make an ill use of the law, and mingle life and death together? But preaching it, as a pure covenant of works, as it holds forth justification to sinners by obedience to its precepts, do I then make it blessedly subservient (as you speak) to the promise or covenant of grace? The law was added because of transgression, that is, to restrain sin in the world, and to convince sinners under guilt, of the necessity of another righteousness than their own, even that of Christ, and for the same ends God added it to the promise. I always did, and still shall preach it, and I am persuaded, without the least danger of mingling law and gospel, life and death together, in your sense.

It is plain to me, that in the publication of the law on Sinai, God did not in the least intend to give them so much as a direction how to obtain justification by their most punctual obedience to its precepts, that being to fallen man utterly impossible; and beside, had he promulged the law to that end and purpose, he had not added it, but directly opposed it to the promise; which it is manifested he did not; Galatians 3:21. “Is the law then against the promise of God? God forbid.” And verse 18. makes it appear, that had it been set up to that end and purpose, it had utterly disannulled the promise; for if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more by promise. What then can be clearer, than that the law at Sinai was published with gracious gospel-ends and purposes, to lead men to Christ, which Adam's covenant had no respect or reference to? And therefore it can never be a pure Adam's covenant, as you falsely call it, neither is it capable of becoming a pure covenant of works to any man, but by his own fault, in rejecting the righteousness of Christ, and seeking justification by the works of the law, as the mistaken carnal Jews did, Romans 10.3. and other legal justiciaries now do. And upon this account only it is that Paul, who so highly praises the law in its subserviency to Christ, thunders so dreadfully against it, as it is thus set by ignorant mistaken souls in direct opposition to Christ.

(5thly,) And further, to clear this point, the apostle tells us, Romans 10.4. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Whence I argue, That if Adam's covenant had an end, namely, the justification of men by their own personal obedience; and the law at Sinai had a quite contrary end, namely, to bring sinners to Christ by faith for their righteousness; the one to keep him within himself, the other to take him quite out of himself, and bring him for his justification to the righteousness of another, even that of Christ; then that Sinai law cannot possibly be the same thing with Adam's covenant of works. But the antecedent is true and plain in the forecited text, therefore so is the consequent.

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. Take the law here either more strictly, for the moral law, or more largely, as it comprehends the ceremonial law, still Christ is the end of the law. The moral law shuts up every man to Christ for righteousness, by convincing him (according to God's design in the publication of it) of the impossibility of obtaining justification in the way of works.

And the ceremonial law many ways prefigured Christ, his death and satisfaction, by blood, in our room, and so led men to Christ their true propitiation; and all its types were fulfilled and ended in Christ. Was there any such thing in Adam's covenant? You must prove there was, else you will never be able to make them one and the same covenant.

(6thly,) It seems exceeding probable from Acts 7:27,38. that the Sinai covenant was delivered to Moses by Jesus Christ, there called the angel. “This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel that spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles to give unto us.” Now, if Christ himself were the Angel, and the precepts of the law delivered by him to Moses were the lively oracles of God, as they are expressly affirmed to be; then the law delivered on mount Sinai cannot be a pure Adam's covenant of works: for it is never to be imagined that Jesus Christ himself should deliver to Moses such a covenant, directly opposite to all the ends of his future incarnation; and that those precepts (which, if they were of the same nature, and revived to the same end, at which Adam's covenant directly aimed) should be called the lively oracles of God; when contrariwise, upon your supposition, they could be no other than a ministration of condemnation and death: but that they were lively oracles, viz. in their design and intention, is plain in the text; and that they were delivered to Moses by Jesus Christ, the angel of the covenant, seems more than probable, by comparing it with the former verses.

(7thly,) Neither is it easy to imagine how such a covenant, which by the fall of Adam had utterly lost all its promises, privileges and blessings, and could retain nothing but the curses and punishments annexed to it, in case of the least failure, could possibly be numbered among the chief privileges in which God's Israel gloried; as it apparently was, Romans 9.4. “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.”

These things considered, with many more (which the intended brevity of this discourse will not now admit) I am fully satisfied of the falsity of your position, and so may you too, when you shall review the many gross and palpable absurdities with which I have clogged and loaded it, with many more, regularly and fairly deducible from it; which I could easily produce, did I not suspect these I have produced, have already pressed your patience a little too far; but if ever I shall see (which I never expect) a fair and scriptural solution of these weighty objections, you may expect from me more arguments against your unsound position, which, at the present, I judge needless to add.

To conclude: These premises (as before I noted) can never be true, from whence such, and so many gross and notorious absurdities are regularly and unavoidably deducible. For ex veris nil nisi verum, from true premises nothing but truth can regularly follow.

Had you minded those things which I seasonably sent you, you had avoided all those bogs into which you are now sunk, and been able fairly to reconcile all those seeming contradictions in Paul's epistles, with respect to the law at Sinai: But, however, by what hath been said, your first position, That the Sinai covenant is the same covenant of works with Adam's in paradise, vanishes before the evidence of scripture, truth, and sound reason.

But yet, though what I have said destroys your false position, I am not willing to leave you, or the reader ignorant, wherein the truth lies in this controverted point betwixt us; and that will appear, by a due consideration of the following particulars.

(1.) It is plain and uncontroverted, that Adam's covenant in paradise, contained in a perfect law and rule of natural righteousness, founded both in God's nature and in man's; which, in its perfect state of innocency, was every way enabled perfectly to comply therewith: For the scripture tells us, Ecclesiastes 7:29. That God made man upright; and his punctual complying therewith, was the righteousness by which he stood.

(2.) This covenant of works being once broken, can never more be available to the justification and salvation of any fallen man. There was not now a law found that could give righteousness: The broken covenant of works lost immediately all the blessings and privileges which before it contained, and retained only the curse and punishment; in token whereof, cherubims, with flaming swords, turning every way, were set to keep the way of the tree of life, Genesis 3:24.

(3.) Soon after the violation of the covenant of works, God was graciously pleased to publish for the relief of mankind, now miserable and hopeless, the second covenant, which we call the covenant of grace, Genesis 3:15. which is the first opening of the grace of God in Christ to fallen man. And though this first promise of Christ was but short and obscure, yet it was in every age to be opened clearer and clearer, until the promised seed should come. After the first opening of this new covenant, in the first promise of Christ, the first covenant is shut up for ever, as a covenant of life and salvation; and all the world are shut up to the only way of salvation by Christ, Galatians 3:23. It being contrary to the will of God, that two ways of salvation should stand open to man at once, and they so opposite one to another, as the way of works, and the way of faith are, Acts 4.12; John 14:6; Galatians 2:21.

(4.) It is evident, however, that after the first opening of the promise of Christ, Genesis 3:15. God foreseeing the pride of fallen man, who naturally inclines to a righteousness of his own in the way of doing, was pleased to revive the law of nature, as to its matter, in the Sinai dispensation; which was 430 years after the first promise had been renewed, and further opened unto Abraham, of whose seed Christ should come: And this he did, not in opposition to the promise, but in subserviency thereto, Galatians 3.21. And though the matter and substance of the law of nature be found in the Sinai covenant, strictly taken for the ten commandments; yet the ends and intentions of God in that terrible Sinai dispensation were twofold; (1.) To convince fallen man of the sinfulness and impotency of his nature, and the impossibility of obtaining righteousness by the law, and so by a blessed necessity, to shut him up to Christ, his only remedy. And, (2.) To be a standing rule of duty, both towards God and man, to the end of the world. But if we take the Sinai covenant more largely, as inclusive of the ceremonial with the moral law (as it is often taken, and is so by you, in the New Testament;) then it did not only serve for a conviction of impotency, and a rule of duty; but exhibited and taught much of Christ, and the mysteries of the new covenant in those its ceremonies, wherein he was prefigured to them.

(5.) Whence it evidently appears, that the Sinai covenant was neither repugnant to the new covenant in its scope and aim; “The law is not against the promise,” Galatians 3.21, nor yet set up as co-ordinate with it, with a design to open two different ways of salvation to fallen man; but was added to the promise in respect of its evangelical purposes and designs; On which account it is called by some a covenant of faith, or grace, in respect of its subserviency unto Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness, Romans 10.4. and by others a subservient covenant, according to Galatians 3.23,24. And accordingly we find both tables of the law put into the ark, Hebrews 9.4, which shews their consistency and subordination with, and to the method of salvation by Christ in the new-covenant.

(6.) This design and intention of God was fatally mistaken by the Jews, ever since God promulgated that law at Sinai, and was by them notoriously perverted to an end quite contrary to that which God promulged it for, even to give righteousness and life, in the way of personal and perfect obedience; Romans 10.3. “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Hence Christ came to be slighted by them, and his righteousness rejected: For they rested in the law, Romans 2:17. were married to the law, as an husband, Romans 7:2,3. and so might have no conjugal communion with Christ. However, Moses, Abraham, [and all of the] elect, discerned Christ as the end of the law for righteousness, and were led to him thereby.

(7.) This fatal mistake of the use and intent of the law, is the ground of those seeming contradictions, in Paul's epistles. Sometimes he magnifies the law, when he speaks of it according to God's end and purpose in its promulgation, Romans 7:12,14,16. But as it was fatally mistaken by the Jews, and set in opposition to Christ; so he thunders against it, calls it a ministration of death and condemnation: and all its appendant ceremonies weak and beggarly elements. And by this distinction, whatsoever seems repugnant in Paul's epistles, may be sweetly reconciled; and it is a distinction of his own making, 1 Timothy 1:8. “We know that the law is good if we use it lawfully.” There is a good and an evil use of the law. Had you attended to these things, you had not so confidently and inconsiderately pronounced it a pure covenant of works.

II. Position.

Secondly, You affirm with like confidence, That the covenant of circumcision is also the same; viz. the covenant of works made with Adam in paradise.

This I utterly deny; and will try whether you have any better success in the proof of your second, than you had in your first position. And to convince you of your mistake, let us consider what the general nature of this ordinance of circumcision was; what its ends were; and then prove, That it cannot be what you affirm it to be, the very same covenant God made with Adam before the fall, but must needs be a covenant of grace.

1. Circumcision, in its general nature, was, (1.) An ordinance of God's own institution, in the 99th year of Abraham's age; at which time of its institution, God renewed the covenant with him, Genesis 17:9,10. (2.) That it consisted (as all sacraments do) of an external sign and a spiritual mystery signified thereby. The external part of it (which we call the sign) was the cutting off the foreskin of the genital part of the Hebrew males, on the eighth day from their birth. The spiritual mystery thereby signified and represented, was the cutting off the filth and guilt of sin from their souls, by regeneration and justification, called “the circumcision of the heart,” Deuteronomy 10.16. And though this was laid upon them by the command, as their duty, yet a gracious promise of power from God to perform that duty, was added to the command; Deuteronomy 30.6. “The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart to love him,” &c. just as promises of grace in the New Testament are added to commands of duty. (3.) Betwixt this visible outward sign, and spiritual mystery, there was a sacramental relation; from which revelation it is called the “token of the covenant,” Genesis 1712. “The sign and seal of the covenant,” Romans 4.11. Yea, “the covenant itself,” Acts 7.8.

2. Next, let us consider the ends for which circumcision was instituted and ordained of God: Of which these were the principal.

(1.) It was instituted to be a convictive sign of their natural corruption, propagated by the way of natural generation: For which reason, this natural corruption goes in scripture under the name of the uncircumcision of the heart, Jer. 9.26.

(2.) It also signified the putting off of this body of sin, in the virtue of Christ's death, Colossians 2.11.

(3.) It was appointed to be the initiating sign of the covenant, or a token of their matriculation, and admission into the church and covenant of God, Genesis 17:9-11.

(4.) It was ordained to be a discriminating mark betwixt God's covenanted people, and the Pagan world, who were strangers to the covenant, and without God in the world. And accordingly both parties were, from this ordinance, denominated the circumcision and the uncircumcision, Colossians 3:11.

(5.) It was also an obliging sign to Abraham and his seed, to walk with God in the uprightness and sincerity of their hearts, in the performance of all covenanted duties; in which duties, Abraham, and the faithful, walked obediently, with God, looking to Christ for righteousness: but the carnal Jews resting in, and trusting to those duties and ordinances for righteousness and justification, made it a covenant of works to themselves, and circumcision itself a bond of that covenant.

(6) Now, forasmuch as circumcision prefigured Christ, who was to come of this holy circumcised seed of Abraham, and his death also was pointed at therein, Hebrews 2.16. Colossians 2:11. of necessity this ordinance must vanish at the death of Christ: and accordingly did so.

These things duly pondered, how irrational is it to imagine this covenant of circumcision to be the very same with the paradisical covenant? Did that covenant discover native corruption, and direct to its remedy in Christ, as this did? Surely it gave not the least glimpse of any such thing. Did that covenant separate and distinguish one person from another, as this did? No, no; it left all under equal and common misery, Ephesians 2:3.

Had Adam's covenant a seal of the righteousness of faith annexed to it, as this had? Romans 4:11. “He received circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith.” The righteousness of faith is evangelical righteousness; and this circumcision sealed. Say not it was to Abraham only that it sealed it; for it is an injurious restriction put upon the seal of a covenant, which extended to the fathers as well as to Abraham, Luke 1:72. But you admit, however, that it sealed evangelical righteousness to Abraham: but I hope you will not say, that a seal of the covenant of works ever did, or could, seal evangelical righteousness to any individual person in the world. So then, turn which way you will, this truth still follows you, and will fasten upon you, that the covenant of circumcision was not a pure covenant of works, but a gospel-covenant. Which I thus prove:

Argument I.

If circumcision be a part of the ceremonial law, and the ceremonial law was dedicated by blood, and whatsoever is so dedicated, is by you confessed to be no part of the covenant of works; then circumcision is no part of the covenant of works, even by your own confession. But it is: ergo,

That it is a part of the ceremonial law, was never doubted, or denied by any man: that it was dedicated by blood, and therefore no part of the moral law, you yourself not only acknowledge, but vehemently plead for it, page 148, where you blame Mr. Sedgwick with some sharpness, and unbecoming reflection, for making no distinction betwixt the ceremonial covenant, which was dedicated by blood, and the law written in tables of stone; which was not so dedicated, and therefore could not be the same with the moral law, which you make the covenant of works; telling him, that this dedication by blood ought to distinguish it from the moral law, or Sinai covenant of works, as you say it doth, and ought to do; how then can circumcision be the same with, and yet quite another thing from the Sinai covenant? Was the ceremonial law dedicated by blood? Yes, the apostle plainly asserts it, (Hebrews 9:18,19.) from Exodus 24:7,8. 'Moses took the book of the covenant, and read it in the audience of the people; and took the blood, and sprinkled it upon the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you, concerning these things.' But what kind of covenant then was this covenant that was sprinkled with blood? You tell us, p. 147, it could not possibly be the law written in stones, (which you make the covenant of works;) but was indeed another covenant, delivered at a distinct season, and in a distinct method. What covenant then must this be, seeing it could not possibly (as you say) be the Sinai covenant written in stones? It must either be the covenant of grace, or none. No, say you, that it was not, neither; for it was of the same nature with, and is no other than a covenant of works, p. 151. It was the same, and yet could not possibly be the same.

Mr. Sedgwick, that learned and grave divine, is checked, p. 148, for confounding the ceremonial law that was sprinkled with blood, with the moral law (which you call the covenant of works) that was not sprinkled with blood; and say you, p. 147. It could not possibly be the same. And then, p. 151, you say, It is clear, these two, viz. the moral and ceremonial law, were both of the same nature; that is, no other than a covenant of works. How doth this hang together? Pray reconcile it if you can. You say, It is an ungrounded supposition of Mr. Sedgwick's, that that covenant which was so confirmed by blood, must of necessity be confirmed by the blood of Christ also: p. 148. But, sir, the truth you oppose, viz. That the book of the ceremonial law was sprinkled by typical blood, and therefore confirmed by the blood of Christ, for the time it was to continue, shines like a bright sun-beam in your own eyes, from Hebrews 9:14,23. Was not the blood that sprinkled this law, the figure or type of Christ's own blood? Whose blood was it then, if not Christ's? How dare you call this an ungrounded supposition? Was not that blood typical blood? And what, I pray you, was the antitype, but Christ's blood? And did not the Holy Ghost signify the one by the other? Hebrews 9:8. I stand amazed at these things! You distinguish, and confound all again. You say, it could not possibly be the same with the law written in stone; and you say, it is clear both were of the same nature, no other than a covenant of works. At this rate you may say what you please; for I see contradiction is no crime in your book.

Argument II.

If circumcision was the seal of the righteousness of faith, it did not pertain to the covenant of works; for the righteousness of faith and works are opposites, and belong to the two contrary covenants.

But circumcision was the seal of the righteousness of faith; Romans 4:11. “He (i.e. Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith.” Therefore it pertains not to the covenant of works, but grace.

A man would think it impossible to evade so clear and scriptural an argument as this is. The major proposition is even self-evident and undeniable; the minor, the plain words of the apostle.

And what is your reply to this? Certainly as strange a one as ever I met with; p. 105, you say, It is true, circumcision was a seal of the righteousness of faith to Abraham; but it was so to him only in his extraordinary circumstances; but it was not so to any of his natural seed in its ordinary use.

I cannot deny but I have met with such an assertion before in Mr. Tombes; and I can tell you too, that Bellarmine invented it before Mr. Tombes was born, and that Dr. Ames fully confuted it in his third tome, p. 27. proving, that there was no extraordinary cause on Abraham's account, why God should justify or seal him more than any other believer; and that Abraham had nothing to glory in before God. But to restrain as you do, the public seal of a covenant, that comprehended and equally concerned the whole church and people of God, to one single person; so that neither Isaac nor Jacob, who were by name enrolled in that great charter, should have any right to the seal of it, is such a conceit as amazes an intelligent reader. We know Abraham was the first that received it, but utterly deny that he received it only for himself; but he received it as the father of all them that believe; whither Jews or Gentiles, as the very next words tell us, “He received it, that he might be the father of all them that believe;” that is, for himself, and all his spiritual children. One half of this sacrament of circumcision you allow, p. 205, to the rest that were under it, viz. to be a sign of the covenant; but the other half you cut off, and say, it was only a seal to him. What good vouchers have you for this exposition of the text? Have you the concurrence of orthodox expositors? Or is it the rash and bold adventure of your own head? I am sure it no way agrees with the drift and scope of the apostle's argument, which evidently is to prove, that both Jews and Gentiles are justified by faith, as Abraham was; and that the ground of justification and blessedness is common both to the uncircumcised Gentiles, and circumcised Jews; and that Abraham and all other believers, have but one way of justification, and salvation, and that how great soever Abraham was, in this case he hath found nothing whereof to glory, verses 1,2. And is not your exposition a notable one, to prove the community of the privilege of justification, because the seal of it was peculiar to Abraham alone? Rectify it, and better consider it.

Argument III.

In the covenant of circumcision, Genesis 17 God makes over himself to Abraham and his seed to be their God, or give them a special interest in himself.

But in the covenant of works, God doth not, since the fall, make over himself to any, to be their God by way of special interest.

Therefore the covenant of circumcision cannot be the covenant of works.

This is so plain and clear, that none can doubt or deny it, that understands the nature of the two covenants. And now, sir, what course do you take to avoid this argument? Such a one sure as no man that ever I met with took before you, and that is this; you boldly cut Abraham's covenant, Genesis 17 into two parts, and make the first to be the pure covenant of grace, which is the promissory part, to the ninth verse; and the restipulation (as you call it, p. 205.) to be as pure a covenant of works. What hard shift will some men make to maintain their opinion! You say truly, p. 205, that at the seventh and eighth verses was their restipulation: why then do you say, p. 224, that at verse 7th he proceeds to speak of another covenant than what he had been speaking of before? Does the promise and the restipulation make two covenants; or are they just and necessary parts of one and the same covenant? You also tell us, that the covenant, Genesis 17:1-4. was a plain transcript of several free promises of the gospel under the denomination of a covenant. But why then don't you take the restipulation, verses 7-10. to be a part of it? O no; there is something required on Abraham's and his posterity's part; they must be circumcised, and that spoils all. Why but, sir, if the requiring of circumcision alters the case so greatly, as to make it a quite contrary covenant; how comes it to pass, that in the covenant to Abraham, he himself was first required to be circumcised? Why, this is the reason; here is somewhat required on their part as a condition; and a condition quite alters the nature of the covenant. Very well; but tell me then why you say, p. 223, and in many other places, that the covenant made with Abraham, in Genesis 12. was a gospel-covenant; and yet there Abraham is obliged to walk before God, and be perfect? Does not that also there alter the nature of the covenant, as well as here in the seventeenth chapter? You also grant, the covenant made with Abraham, Genesis 22. was a pure gospel-covenant; or if you deny it, the apostle proves it, Hebrews 6:13. And yet there is more appearance of respect to Abraham's obedience in that covenant, than is in submitting to circumcision: see Genesis 22:16,17. “By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord; for because thou hast done this thing, &c. That in blessing, I will bless thee; and in multiplying, I will multiply thee.”

I will trouble you, on this head, but with one query more: if the four first verses of the 17. of Genesis contain a pure gospel-covenant, as you say, and the restipulation in the following verses make a covenant of works, because it thereby becomes conditional; then tell me, if you please, whether what God graciously granted to Abraham in the former verses be not all nulled, and made void again by their restipulation? Does not this seem harsh? Here you have brought Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the believers of Abraham's race, just into the same case you brought Moses and all the Israelites before, under two opposite covenants, where one cuts off all that the other granted.

But there is a stronger reason urged than the conditionality of the covenant, to prove it a covenant of works; and that is, circumcision is made the condition of Abraham's covenant; and that is the worst of all conditions, for it obliges a man to keep the whole law, Galatians 5:3. it is the yoke of bondage, and to whatsoever covenant it be so annexed, it makes it become a bondage legal covenant. “If we be circumcised, Christ shall profit us nothing.” Thus it was in the covenant, Genesis 17.

Great use is made of this in many parts of your discourse. But, sir, you are greatly mistaken in applying these texts to the purposes you do; for the apostle all along in that epistle to the Galatians, argues against the false teachers, who taught and pressed the necessity of circumcision, as a bond obliging them to the strict and perfect obedience of the law, in order to their justification thereby, or at least to join it with the righteousness of Christ, as a con-cause of justification; see Galatians 2:4,5, and 3:1. Now against this abuse of circumcision, it is that the apostle argues thus, and tells them, that in submitting to it on that account, they made the death of Christ of no effect, and obliged themselves by it to the whole law; for circumcision did not simply and absolutely in the nature of the work or action, oblige men to the whole law in the way of justification by it, but it did so from the intention of the worker, and the supposition of such an opinion of it, and design in it; for in itself, and with respect to God's design in the institution of it, it was to be a seal of the righteousness of faith, Romans 4:11. and so it was an excellent, useful, instructive ordinance to all believers, as long as the ceremonial law stood: and even when it was expiring, as the gospel began to open more and more clearly, there was yet some kind of toleration of it to such as were born of Jewish parents: Thus Paul himself circumcised Timothy, his mother being a Jewess, Acts 16:1,3. but Titus, being a Greek, was not circumcised, and that because of these false teachers, that would make an ill use of that their liberty, Galatians 2:3,4. This Paul could never have done, in case circumcision, in the nature of the act, had bound Timothy to keep the law for justification. By which it appears, that the action in its own nature did not oblige to the keeping of the whole law, but from the intention of the agent; and therefore, as the apostle rightly argues, if a man be circumcised with a design to be justified by it, he would thereby bind himself to the whole law, and frustrate the death of Christ to himself; but it was now to have its funeral with all other parts of the ceremonial law, which vanished, and were accomplished in the death of Christ; and it falling out that such a vile use was made of it at that time, the apostle thus thunders against it. Had this been observed, as also the like abuse of the moral law, you would have known how to have reconciled the apostle's encomiums of them both, with his sharp invectives against the one and the other. But being ignorant of these two great and necessary distinctions of the law, according to God's intention in the promulgation of it at Sinai, and the carnal Jews sense of it, as a pure covenant of works, against which the apostle so sharply inveighs in the places by you cited, all your 23 arguments from page 183, to page 187, fall to the ground at one stroke; your medius terminus having one sense in your major proposition, and another in your minor; and so every argument had four terms in it, as will easily be evinced by the particular consideration of the respective places from whence you draw them.

So in like manner, in your arguing here against circumcision, as a bond to keep the whole law, and as such vacating the death of Christ, is a stumble at the same stone, not distinguishing as you ought to have done, betwixt an obligation arising out of the nature of the work, and out of the end and intention of the workers; and this every learned and judicious eye will easily discern. But we proceed to

Argument IV.

That which in its direct and primary end teacheth man the corruption of his nature by sin, and the mortification of sin by the Spirit of Christ, cannot be a condition of the covenant of works; but so did circumcision in the very direct and primary end of it.

This ordinance supposeth the fall of man, points to the means and instruments of his sin and misery, and also to the remedy thereof by Christ: (1.) It singles out that genital part by which original sin was propagated, Genesis 17:11. Ps. 51:1. To this the sign of the covenant is applied in circumcision, for the remission of sins past, and the extirpation of sin for the future. (2.) Therefore it was instituted of God that men might see both the necessity and true way of mortifying their lusts, in the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, whereof baptism that succeeds it, is a sign now, as circumcision was then; as is plain from Colossians 2:11,12. 'In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who raised him from the dead.' It is clear then that circumcision directed men to the death and resurrection of Christ, as the true and only means of mortifying their lusts; and if it did so, sure it was not the covenant of works, for that gives fallen man no hint of a remedy. (3.) It was also a discriminating sign, or token, betwixt the church and the world: God's people, and the heathens, who were accordingly denominated from it the circumcision and the uncircumcision, the holy seed and the Gentiles; and now under the New Testament, the children of Abraham by faith, and the children of the flesh: This also shews it cannot be the covenant of works; for in that covenant all are equally and alike concluded under sin and misery, Ephesians 2:3. and there is no difference made by that covenant betwixt person and person, state and state.

If this be not enough to evince, that the covenant of circumcision is a covenant of grace, I promise you many more arguments to prove it, as soon as I shall find these refuted, and your contrary assertion well discharged from the gross absurdities with which it is clogged and loaded. You see how genuine, natural, and congruous to scripture the notion of it as a covenant of grace is, and all the world may see how harsh, alien, and repugnant to scripture your notion of circumcision, as a covenant of works, is. You see into what bogs you are again driven in defense of your opinion: Exemp. gra.

That circumcision is a part of the ceremonial law, which was dedicated with blood, and therefore could be no part of the moral law or ten commandments, which was (say you) the covenant of works; and yet that it is of the same nature, and that it is clear it is no other than a covenant of works: do you not there distinguish and confound all again, blame and check Mr. Sedgwick without cause, and commit a greater absurdity presently than you charged him with? Do not you question whether that covenant was typically sealed by Christ's blood? Pray, sir, consider wherever God commands typical blood to be applied, it relates to Christ's blood spiritually applied, or to nothing.

Are not you forced, in defense of your erroneous thesis, to say with Bellarmine, That circumcision was extraordinary in its institution, and applied as a seal to none but Abraham himself? It excluded even Isaac, the type of Christ, and Jacob, a prince with God. O what will not men venture upon in defense of their darling opinions!

Are you not forced, for your security from the danger of the third argument, to cut one of the same covenants made with Abraham just in two, and of the pure promissory part to make a covenant of grace; and of the other part, which you yourself call a restipulation, to make another quite opposite covenant? Do not you magnify the bounty and grace of God to Abraham in the first four verses, and then destroy it all, by putting him at once under a contrary covenant, and so cut off all capacity to enjoy one of those mercies?

Do not you make circumcision, in its own nature, without respect to the intention of the person, an obligation to the whole law, and that which frustrates the death of Christ, and yet must grant, that Paul himself took Timothy, and circumcised him, and yet thereby brought him under no such dangerous obligation to the law? In a word,

You reject all those covenants as legal, that have any conditions in them, or respect to any thing that is to be done by us, and allow Genesis 12 and Genesis 22 to be pure gospel covenants of grace; and yet in the first, Abraham is bound to 'walk before God and be perfect;' and in the other God saith, 'For because thou hast done this thing, surely blessing I will bless thee.'

And so much for Abraham's covenant.

III. Of the conditionality of the new covenant.

Come we next to consider that opinion of yours, which led you into these other gross mistakes and absurdities, and that is this, that the covenant of grace is absolute; and whatever covenant is not so, but hath any condition upon our part, must needs for that reason be a covenant of works. See page 229. It is observable (say you) that as the covenants mentioned Genesis 2. Exodus 20. &c. were all conditional, and therefore legal covenants, requiring strict and perfect obedience, as the condition propounded, in order to the enjoyment of the mercies contained in them, which are all therefore done away in Christ; so on the other hand we see, that the covenant God made with Abraham, Genesis 12:2,3, and Genesis 17:2,3. and Genesis 22:16-18. was wholly free and absolute, and therefore purely evangelical, &c. We will review these things anon, and see if you truly represent the matter; but in order to it, let me tell you,

First, What we mean by a gospel-condition.

Secondly, Prove that there are such in the gospel-covenant.

Thirdly, Shew you the absurdity of your opinion against it.

(1.) What we mean by a condition in the gospel-covenant. By a condition of the covenant, we do not mean in the strictest rigid sense of the word, such a restipulation to God from man of perfect obedience in his own person, at all times, so as the least failure therein forfeits all the mercies of the covenant; that is rather the condition of Adam's covenant of works, than of the evangelical covenant: nor do we assert any meritorious condition, that in the nature of an impulsive cause shall bring man into the covenant and its privileges, or continue him in when brought in. This we renounce as well as you: but our question is about such a condition as is neither in the nature of an act perfect in every degree, nor meritorious in the least of the benefit conferred, nor yet done in our own strength. But plainly and briefly, our question is, Whether there be not something as an act required of us in point of duty, to a blessing consequent by virtue of a promise? Such a thing, whatever it be, hath the nature of a condition, inasmuch as it is antecedent to the benefit of the promise; and the mercy or benefit granted, is suspended until it be performed. The question is not, whether there be any intrinsical worth or value in the thing so required, to oblige the disposer to make or perform the grant or promise, but merely that it be antecedent to the enjoyment of the benefit; and that the disposer of the benefit do suspend the benefit until it be performed? Thus an act or duty of ours, which has nothing at all of merit in it, or answerable value to the benefit it relates to, may be in a proper sense a condition of the said benefit. “For what is a condition in the true notion of it, but1 the suspension of a grant until something future be done?” “Or, as others to the same purpose, The adding of words to a grant, for the future, of a suspending quality, according to which the disposer will have the benefit he disposeth to be regulated?” This properly is a condition, though there be nothing of equivalent value or merit in the thing required.

And such your brethren, in their narrative, page 14. do acknowledge faith to be, when they assert none can be actually reconciled, justified, or adopted, till they are really, implanted into Jesus Christ by faith; and so, by virtue of this their union with him, have these fundamental benefits actually conveyed unto them; which contains the proper notion of the condition we contend for.

And such a condition of salvation we assert faith to be in the new covenant grant; that is to say, the grant of salvation by God in the gospel-covenant is suspended from all men, till they believe, and is due by promise, not merit, to them as soon as they do truly believe. The notes or signs of a condition given by civilians, or moralists, are such as these, If, if not, unless, but if, except, only, and the like. When these are added in the promise of a blessing or benefit for the future, they make that promise conditional; and your grammar (according to which you must speak, if you speak properly and strictly) will tell you, that Si, sin, modo, dum, dummodo, are all conditional particles; and it is evident, that these conditional particles are frequently inserted in the grants of the blessings and privileges of the New Testament. As for example; Mark 9:23, ei dunasai pisteusai, “If thou canst believe.” Acts 8:37, ei pisteueiv ex olhv tha kardiav, “If thou believest with thy whole heart thou mayest,” &c. Romans 10:9. oti ean, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, and believe with thy heart,” &c. “thou shall be saved.” Matthew 18:3, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Mark 5.36. monon, “Only believe.” Mark 11:26, ei de umeiv ouk afiete, “But if ye forgive not,” &c. with multitudes more, which are all conditional particles inserted in the grants of benefits.

(2.) Having shewn you what the nature of a condition is, I shall, I hope, make it plain to you, that faith is such a condition in the gospel-grant of our salvation; for we find the benefit suspended till this act of faith be performed; John 3:36. “He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” And most plainly, Romans 10:9. having shewn before what the condition of legal righteousness was, he tells us there what the gospel-condition of salvation is; “The righteousness which is of faith, speaketh on this wise; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart, that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” I ask you, sir, whether it be possible to put words into a frame more lively expressive of a condition than these are? Do but compare Mark 16:16. “He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned:” Do but compare, I say, that scripture-phrase with the words of Jacob's sons, which all allow to be conditional, Genesis 43:4,5. “If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down; but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down;” and judge whether the one be not as conditional as the other: more particularly,

Argument I.

If we cannot be justified or saved till we believe, then faith is the condition on which those consequent benefits are suspended.

But we cannot be justified or saved till we believe; Ergo.

The sequel of the major is evident; for, as we said before, a condition is the suspension of a grant till something future be done. The minor is plain in scripture; Romans 4.24. “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that righteousness was imputed to him; but for our sakes also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe.” Oiv mellei logizesgai, quibus futurim est ut imputetur, to whom it shall come to pass, that it shall be imputed, if we believe: And Acts 10:43. “Whosoever believeth on him, shall receive remission of sins.” John 3:36. “He that believeth not, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him;” with multitudes more. Now, sir, lay seriously before your eyes such scriptures as these, that promise salvation to believers, and threaten damnation to all unbelievers, as Mark 16:16, doth, and then give a plain and clear answer to this question; either the positive part of that text promises salvation absolutely to men, whether they believe or believe not, and consequently unbelievers shall be saved as well as believers; and the negative part threatens damnation absolutely to sinners, as sinners; and consequently all sinners shall be damned, whether they believe or not: or else, if you allow neither to be absolute, but that none can be saved till they believe, nor any damned when they do believe; is not that a conditional promise and threatening?

Argument II.

If God's covenant with Abraham, Genesis 12.2,3. and that Genesis 172,3. were (as you say) pure gospel-covenants of grace, and yet in both some things are required as duties on Abraham's part, to make him partaker of the benefits of the promises; then the covenant of grace is not absolute, but conditional.

But so it was in both these covenants; Ergo.

The minor only requires proof; for which let us have recourse to the places, and see whether it be so or not.

(1.) For the first you instance in as a pure gospel-covenant made with Abraham, Genesis 12:2,3. I must confess, as you dismember the text, p.229, by choosing out the second and third verses, and leaving out the first, which was the trial of Abraham's obedience, in forsaking his native country, and his father's house; I say, give me but this liberty to separate and disjoin one part of a covenant from the other, and it is easy to make any conditional covenant in the world to become absolute; for take but the duty required, from the promise that is made, and that which was a conditional, presently becomes an absolute grant. Suppose, sir, that Abraham had refused to leave his dear native country, and dearest relations, as many do; think you that the promised mercies had been his? I must plainly tell you, you assume a strange liberty in this matter, and make a great deal bolder with the scriptures than you ought: and the very same usage the other scriptures hath.

(2.) For when you cite your second covenant with Abraham, you only cite Genesis 17:2,3. and then call it an absolute gospel-covenant; when indeed you make it so, by leaving out the first verse, which contains the condition or duty required on Abraham's part; for thus run the three first verses; “And when Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk thou before me, and be thou perfect, and I will make my covenant between me and thee,” &c. Here an upright conversation before God is required of him, at God's entrance into this covenant with him; but that is, and must be omitted, and cut off, to make the covenant look absolute, I am really grieved to see the scriptures thus dealt with to serve a design!

Argument III.

If all the promises of the gospel be absolute and unconditional, requiring no restipulation from man, then they cannot properly and truly belong to the new covenant.

But they do properly and truly belong to the new covenant; therefore they are not all absolute and unconditional.

The sequel of the major is only liable to doubt or denial, namely, That the absoluteness of all the promises of the New Testament cuts off their relation to a covenant; but that it doth so, no man can deny, that understands the difference between a covenant and an absolute promise. A covenant is a mutual compact or agreement betwixt parties, in which they bind each other to the performance of what they respectively promise; so that there can be no other proper covenant where there is not a restipulation or re-obligation of one part, as well as a promise on the other; but an absolute promise binds only one party and leaves the other wholly free and unobliged to any thing in order to the enjoyment of the good promised. So then, if all the New Testament promises be unconditional and absolute, they are not part of a covenant, nor must that word be applied to them; they are absolute promises, binding no man to whom they are made to any duty, in order to the enjoyment of the mercies promised: But those persons that are under these absolute promises, must and shall enjoy the mercies of pardon and salvation, whether they repent or repent not, believe or believe not, obey or obey not. Now to what licentiousness this doctrine leads men, is obvious to every eye. Yet this absoluteness of the covenant (as you improperly call it) is by you asserted, p. 229, 230. There is (say you) no condition at all, it is wholly free and absolute, as the covenant with Abraham, Genesis 12:2,3. Genesis 17:2,3. Thank you, sir, for making them so; for by cutting off the first verses, where the duty required on Abraham's part is contained, you make them what God never intended them to be. And the same foul play is in Deuteronomy 30. where you separate the plain condition contained in verses 1,2. from the promise, verse 6. Or if the condition, verses 1,2. be not plain enough, but you will make it part of the promise, I hope that after, in verse 10, is too plain to be denied. As to the other texts, more anon; mean time see how you destroy the nature of a covenant.

Objection. But say you, page 233, to impose new conditions, though never so mild, is a new covenant of works with some mercy, but not a covenant of grace, properly so called.

Solution. It is true, if those works or acts of ours, which God requires, be understood of meritorious works in our own strength and power to perform, it destroys the free grace of the covenant; but this we utterly reject, and speak only of faith wrought in us by the Spirit of God, which receives all from God, and gives the entire glory to God; Ephesians 2:5,8.

Objection. But you will say, If faith be the condition, and that faith be not of ourselves, then both the promise and the condition are on God's part (if you will call faith a condition) and so still on our part the covenant is absolute.

Solution. This is a mistake, and the mistake in this leads you into all the rest; though faith (which we call the condition on our part) be the gift of God, and the power of believing be derived from God, yet the act of believing is properly our act, though the power by which we believe be of God; else it would follow, when we act any grace, as faith, repentance, or obedience, that God believes, repents, and obeys in us, and it is not we, but God that doth all these. This, I hope, you will not dare to assert; they are truly our works, though wrought in God's strength? Isaiah 26:12. “Lord, thou hast wrought all our works in us;” i.e. though they be our works, yet they are wrought in us by thy grace or strength.

As for Dr. Owen, it is plain from the place you cite in the doctrine of justification, p. 156, he only excludes conditions, as we do, in respect of the dignity of the act, as is more plain in his treatise of redemption, p. 103,104. in which he allows conditions in both the covenants, and makes this the difference, That the Old required them, but the New effects them in all the fœderates.

I know no orthodox divine in the world, that presumes to thrust in any work of man's