A47448:232
A counter-antidote, to purge out the malignant effects of a late counterfeit, prepared by…
A counter-antidote, to purge out the malignant effects of a late counterfeit, prepared by Mr. Giles Shute ... being an answer to his vindication of his pretended Antidote to prevent the prevalency of Anabaptism, showing that Mr. Hercules Collins's reply to the said author remains unanswered : wherein the baptism of believers is evinced to be God's ordinance, and the baptized congregations proved true churches of Jesus Christ : with a further detection of the error of pedo-baptism : to which is added, An answer to Mr. Shute's reply to Mr. Collins's half-sheet / by Benjamin Keach.A counter-antidote, to purge out the malignant effects of a late counterfeit, prepared by Mr. Gyles Shute ... being an answer to his vindication of his pretended Antidote to prevent the prevalency of Anabaptism, shewing that Mr. Hercules Collins's reply to the said author remains unanswered : wherein the baptism of believers is evinced to be God's ordinance, and the baptized congregations proved true churches of Jesus Christ : with a further detection of the error of pedo-baptism : to which is added, An answer to Mr. Shute's reply to Mr. Collins's half-sheet / by Benjamin Keach.
London: printed for H. Bernard, 1694
Chapter 3: Proving that Infants of Believers, as such, are not in the Covenant of Grace God made w…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answer, By the Everlasting Covenant, you mean the Covenant of Grace, that God promised to Abraham. Friend, we say all the Elect Infants of believers, or of unbelievers were Included in that Covenant, and they are not, nor can they be cast out of it: But you mistake the Argument, `tis not about the Spiritual Seed, but the Natural Seed of Abraham; the Controversy lies not, about who are Members of the Invisible, but who are Members of the Visible Church in Gospel days; the Argument is about Children's Visible in Covenanting. I am sorry you distinguish no better, either you do not see where the Stress of the Point lies, or else will not see it.
Answer, By the Everlasting Covenant, you mean the Covenant of Grace, that God promised to Abraham. Friend, we say all the Elect Infants of believers, or of unbelievers were Included in that Covenant, and they are not, nor can they be cast out of it: But you mistake the Argument, `tis not about the Spiritual Seed, but the Natural Seed of Abraham; the Controversie lies not, about who are Members of the Invisible, but who are Members of the Visible Church in Gospel days; the Argument is about Childrens Visible in Covenanting. I am sorry you distinguish no better, either you do not see where the Stress of the Point lies, or else will not see it.
I ask you whether there was no Covenant made with Abraham, that belonged to his Natural Seed as such only? and whether Circumcision did not belong to that Covenant, and so a Covenant of Peculiarity? i. e. in which Gentile believers, and their Seed were no ways concerned; was not Christ to come only of Abraham and his Seed, according to the flesh? Besides, if this were not so, Circumcision could not be said to be an advantage to the Jews, (upon the account of the Law) above the Gentiles, Rom. 3. 1, 2. is it not said •nto them (that is, the Jews) appertained the Covenants, &c. Rom. 9. 4. is not here more Covenants than one? 'tis not Covenant, but Covenants: Now the Covenant of Circumcision that belonged to them, as they were the Natural Seed of Abraham, (tho' wicked Persons) and so did the giving of the Law and Service of God under that dispensation: but the Covenant of Grace belongs only to Abraham, Spiritual Seed. First such of them that proceeded from his Loins; and Secondly, those of the Gentiles, also that were comprehended in Gods Election of Grace; hence Christ saith, he was not sent, but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel, that is, to all that God hath given him among the Jews, not sent, that is not first, the promise runs first to the Jews, to the Jews first, and also to the Gentiles,