Gold refined, or, Baptism in its primitive purity proving baptism in water an holy…Gold refin'd, or, Baptism in its primitive purity proving baptism in water an holy…

So that it is no Absurdity to grant that the Jews might have Privileges in some things more than we; and yet our Case and Condition with our Children, to speak simply, better than theirs, tho the Covenant of Grace is not enlarged nor lessened in respect of the substance of it; the Promises of Grace are still belonging to the Elect, to those that were given to Christ, to Believers, and to no other, nor never were; but the Privileges we have above them do abundantly recompense the defect of those Privileges of theirs, whether real or supposed: And the truth is, Privileges are so arbitrary and various, depending so much upon the Sovereignty of God, that he gives them as he thinks good, and oft-times takes them away without assigning any special Reason of it; so that no Arguments can be drawn safely, as our Brethren do, viz. God gave such a Privilege to the Jews, therefore we must have such a Privilege too, except we can prove it is God's Will it should be so. This Argument therefore is of no force, without an Institution, here we are again, and here we will stand; Circumcision wholly depended upon a positive Law; 'tis in vain therefore to attempt to prove, that because the Jews had a Privilege to circumcise their Children, therefore we must have a Privilege to baptize ⟨p. 123⟩our Infants, sith they had a Command to do what they did, and we have none; besides, we have showed there is no Scripture that proves the Baptism of Infants is a Privilege granted by the Lord in lieu of Circumcision, it being indeed no Duty or Privilege at all.

So that it is no Absurdity to grant that the Jews might have Priviledges in some things more than we; and yet our Case and Condition with our Children, to speak simply, better than theirs, tho the Covenant of Grace is not enlarged nor lessened in respect of the substance of it; the Promises of Grace are still belonging to the Elect, to those that were given to Christ, to Believers, and to no other, nor never were; but the Priviledges we have above them do abundantly recompence the defect of those Priviledges of theirs, whether real or supposed: And the truth is, Priviledges are so arbitrary and various, depending so much upon the Soveraignty of God, that he gives them as he thinks good, and oft-times takes them away without assigning any special Reason of it; so that no Arguments can be drawn safely, as our Brethren do, viz. God gave such a Priviledg to the Jews, therefore we must have such a Priviledg too, except we can prove it is God's Will it should be so. This Argument therefore is of no force, without an Institution, here we are again, and here we will stand; Circumcision wholly depended upon a positive Law; 'tis in vain therefore to attempt to prove, that because the Jews had a Priviledg to circumcise their Children, therefore we must have a Priviledg to baptize