Theologicall axioms or conclusions publikly controuerted, discussed, and concluded by that poore English congregation, in Amstelredam: to whome H.C. for the present, ad-ministreth the ghospel. Togither with an examination of the saide conclusions, by Henoch Clapham. Here-vnto is added a litle tractate entituled. The carpenter.

Examination.

THat al infants (vnder the tuition of the faith full) are all within the Couenant / appeareth in Iehouahs pronunciate to Abraham / I am thy god and the god of thy seede. But no body douts that the faithfull) theyr infants vndes the lawe were within the Couenant: but how is it apparant•• that their seede vnder the Ghospell / is within the Couenant?

1. Thus: If the lawe (who was but a whipping schoolmaster vnto Christ) accepted of Infants / then muth more the ghospell.

2. Or thus: whome God once in truth accepts / them he neuer in truth reiects. These two arguments can by scripture neuer be gaynsayde.

But to speake playner: the former promise and couenant to and with Abraham and his seede is indeede ghospell and the strength of the Ghospell: Galat. 3.8. from whence I thus reason.

3. Whome the ghospell doth accept / the ghospell doth not reiect (except they will haue two Christs / and two ghospells: but cursed is he that so saith: Gal. 1.6.7.8.) And the Ghospell accepts / as before / etc.

But the Catabaptist will not sticke to graunt Children of the kyngdome and within the Couenant still: Yea / the Anabaptisticall sort of them / that all children in the world (by vertue of the second Adam) are within the Co∣uenant: but then they deny the seale of Baptisme vnto them all / vntill they haue Actual faith.

Only here concerninge the infants of and vnder the custodie of the faithfull: the former sorts of arguments that proue them to be within the Couenant / ••o also proue that they are in infancie capable of the seale / thus:

1. If the lawe sealed infants to mercy / then much more the ghos∣pell.

2. If God once accepted of infants to the seale of mercy / then etc.

3. If the Ghospell once sealed infants / it euer sealeth such infants? ex∣cept the ghospell (and christ the foundation of the ghospell) be yea and nay: But this is false: 2. Corrinth. 1.20.

Obj. Not being able to giue direct answer to these arguments / they thus wrangle: Som may bewithin the Couenant and yet vnsealed: for fe∣mals vnder the lawe were within the Couenant / yet vnseald.

Ans. To omit this / that femals were then sealed in the Male / vntill a virgin femall had brought forth a Male / for recouering that which He∣uah lost (for who knoes not that she was of Adams bone / and was al∣so called Adam) to passe by that / what ryme or reason is there in this ar∣gument:

Som infants haue bene within the couenant & vnseald: therfore all infants within the couenant are to be vnseald.

In Cambridge / this wold be called Tom Skuls argument. Som haue / therfore all are. From Som to Som / may be som conseqution: or from All to som. If because som then within the covenant were vnsealed: now som within the Couenant are to be vnsealed / then we pray them / le•• the seede of vnbeleiuers (whome they say are within the couenant) be those Som that are to be vnsealed.

Obj. For want of matter they giue vs moe words / and say: Cir∣cumcision was a sacrament of works / but Baptisme a sacrament of Faith.

Ans. Lyke lips / like lettuce: for our sauiour saith that Circumcision was not of Moses / but of the fathers (Ioh. 7.22.) and blessed Paul saith that Circumcision sealed faith: Rom. 4.11. and in the 13. vers. that it sea∣led that promise that was not by the Lawe (that is / by the works of the la∣we) but by fayth. And the tyme of the guifte therof (vz / after he beleiued / not after he wrought) makes the case playner.

Obj. Ey (saith the blynd Catabaptiste) after Faith they sholde be seald / because Baptisme seales faith.

Ans. So Paul hath taught that Circumcision only sealed Faith / yet I trowe it also sealed Infants of the faithfull that yet professed no faith but in and by the Parent: And therfore Abrahams children had faith Actuall in the

Parent (of whose loynes they were vntill they Apostated by rebellion) and faith imputed vnto them.

Hauing no reason they first ask / why the first day is not still kept? Secondly / what one president we haue in the newe testament of an infant baptized?

First / for the day I answer: That externall ceremonie is put away to∣gither with thexternall signe Circumcision. The day and the signe came in togither / no maruel then if they depart togither. Secondly / no man demeth it symply vnlawfull to baptise the 8. day. Thirdly / if that 8. day was partly a figure of the day. (after the 7.) wherin our Christ rose for our iustification (which is in a sense the 8. day. Ioh. 20.26.) and so the∣rewithall of our lords day / it may then teach / that the lords church (pro∣uided they be not in the vnconstituted wildernes) it is (that being the spe∣ciall day of Convocation) to be obserued for Baptisme.

For the other question / I will first answer with another question: Is nothing warrantable wherof there is not direct and expresse warrant in the new Testament? Indeed such teachers flatly reiect the old testament. May a man marry with his syster? No. How proues thow that by the new testament? The 1. Cor. 5.1. is of a mother / and I talke of a syster. It may be / that that Incestuous person was one of these madding spirits that thought nothing of the old might stand with the Newe / without ex∣presse warrant in the newe. Secondly / it is saide the whole housholde was baptised / Act. 16.15. et 33. as it is said that all Abrahams houshold was circumcised / Gen. 17.23.27. (the one ey looking to the other / for like∣nes of speach and action) shal we thincke that there was no infant / nor anie one but could professe true faith? It is absurd. Nay the Apostle telleth the Iaylor plainly / that if himself beleiue / his whole houshold (that is / such as were vnder his tuition) were within the compasse of saluation. He doth not say. If thou and all thyne houshold belieue: but / If thow beleiue. And indeed so it was with Abraham / he beleiuinge (the lord looked not if his houshold beleiued) togither with him / his whole housholde was sea∣led.

1. Let the Catabaptists knowe therfore / that with Herods servants (Math. 2.) they but butcher infants: denyinge that comforte now vnto the faithfull parents / which at first was giuen vnto the father of the faith∣full.

2. Nay let them knowe that Christ his comminge depriued none of for∣mer comfort / but indeede added vnto the same. The bloody cutting / he hath converted into an easy washinge. The female that before (after a sort) stood of / he hath now receiued in: and therfore now no difference betwixt

Male and female / for we are one in Christ: and if Christs / then Abra∣hams seede and heires by promise: Gallat. 3.28.29. and if hepres by promise / then to haue the seale of the promife / as before is proned.