I even wonder to see how Men run into Mistakes, through ignorance of some Texts of Scripture; As Mr. Joshua Exel lately, and 1very confidently and boldly hath asserted in print, That John the Baptist did certainly baptize all universally, even both Men, Women, and Children; because the Text says, That all Judea, Jerusalem, and all the Regions round about Jordan, went out and were baptized of him; which I have answered, and showed his weakness in asserting any such thing from thence: [All] there, no doubt, intends but a Part, and may be not the 20th Part of all the People of Judea and Jerusalem neither. Also how have some pleaded for eating of ⟨p. 256⟩Blood from hence, which is the Life of the Creature; which was forbid to the whole World in Shem, Ham, and Japheth, after the 2Flood, and before any Ceremonial Law was given forth; yea, and as soon as the Flesh of any Creature was given to Man to eat, (or he was allowed to eat the Flesh thereof); as also Blood is positively forbidden as Fornication and Pollution of Idols in the New Testament, Acts 15. 20, 29. Alas, how easy are Men led to abuse the Sacred Scriptures, to favour an Opinion they have received, for want of farther light. And as to the word World, 'tis evident that does not sometimes extend to all universally, but to a part. Moreover, all that are in Unbelief, or that believe not, though some of them may be given to Christ, yet they are (as I hinted before) as much the World as other ungodly Ones, until called out of it: I have chosen you out of the World. From hence it appears they were in, and of the World before, else they could not be said to be chosen and called out of the World. Now it was for this World Christ died, even all the ungodly World that were given to him and for all and every one of them, and no more, upon a Spiritual Account, viz. to save them, or die in their stead. Yet,
I even wonder to see how Men run into Mistakes, through ignorance of some Texts of Scripture; As Mr. Joshua Exel lately, and 1very confidently and boldly hath asserted in print, That John the Baptist did certainly baptize all universally, even both Men, Women, and Children; because the Text says, That all Judea, Jerusalem, and all the Regions round about Jordan, went out and were baptized of him; which I have answered, and shewed his weakness in asserting any such thing from thence: [All] there, no doubt, intends but a Part, and may be not the 20th Part of all the People of Judea and Jerusalem neither. Also how have some pleaded for eating of ⟨p. 256⟩Blood from hence, which is the Life of the Creature; which was forbid to the whole World in Shem, Hani, and Japhet, after the 2Flood, and before any Ceremonial Law was given forth; yea, and as soon as the Flesh of any Creature was given to Man to eat, (or he was allowed to eat the Flesh thereof); as also Blood is positively forbidden as Fornication and Pollution of Idols in the New Testament, Acts 15. 20, 29. Alas, how easy are Men led to abuse the Sacred Scriptures, to favour an Opinion they have received, for want of farther light. And as to the word World, 'tis evident that does not sometimes extend to all universally, but to a part. Moreover, all that are in Unbelief, or that believe not, though some of them may be given to Christ, yet they are (as I hinted before) as much the World as other ungodly Ones, until called out of it: I have chosen you out of the World. From hence it appears they were in, and of the World before, else they could not be said to be chosen and called out of the World. Now it was for this World Christ died, even all the ungodly World that were given to him and for all and every one of them, and no more, upon a Spiritual Account, viz. to save them, or die in their stead. Yet,
- 1A Minister in Glostershire, as I am told, of the Presbyterian Persuasion.A Minister in Glostershire, as I am told, of the Presbyterian Perswasion.
- 2Gen. 9. 4. To eat Blood, the Life of the Creature, unlawful.
