Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

The Antecedent I think will be granted by many of the Papists, and it is the common doctrine of the Protestants; and therefore, as to them, I need not prove it; I confess, some of ⟨p. 72⟩the Anabaptists, and some few others, do question whether Baptism be a Seal of the covenant of Grace: But the quarrel is mostly, if not only, about the bare word [Seal]; for they confess that in sense, which we mean by sealing, and particularly, they confess that we do in Baptism enter into the covenant of God, and that it is a professing and engaging sign on our part, as well as an exhibiting, notifying, confirming sign on Gods part.

The consequence is thus proved: He that doth ore tenus, or by profession, enter into the covenant of God, doth profess saving faith; therefore if we must not baptize them without a professed entering into covenant, then nether must we baptize them without a profession of saving Faith. Only the Antecedent requireth proof: And if I prove either the Identity of profest covenanting and profest true believing, or else the inseparableness of them, I prove the Antecedent. But I shall prove the Identity or the inseparability; yea, I doubt not of the first, wch is the most full proof. And here we must first consider what the Covenant is we are to enter. 1. And it is confessed it is the covenant of Grace, and that there is but one covenant of Grace: This Mr. Blake acknowledgeth, for all the mention of an outward covenant. 2. It is also a confessed thing on all hands, that it is God that is the first Author and Offerer of the covenant; that it is he that redeemed us, who made the promise or covenant of Grace upon the ground of Redemption: and that this is frequently called a covenant in Scripture, as it is a divine Law or constitution, without respect to mans consent, (as Grotius hath proved in the preface to his Annotations on the Evangelists). Much more (out of doubt) it is, that it is called a covenant before man consenteth, as it is a covenant offered, and not yet mutually entered. In the former sense the word is taken properly, but in another sense, and for another thing then in the later. But in the later it is taken Tropically, viz. Synecdochically, it being but a covenant drawn up and consented to by God conditionally, and offered to us for our consent. 3. It is this same Covenant that is offered to us, and not another, that we are called to consent to or enter in. And we cannot be truly said to enter into the covenant