Numb. III. n l_ i E N'...t0 I X R. any vifible Church in the World (that we canprove) for fo'.'many Years t Wfivad they have held Communion with the Catholick'Church for a tbbiefind Year .tQ- ` gether, or would they not (ifthey had lived in thole times)?' If they would,? '"lren atr 's `why not with us alfo that are of the fame Judgment ?' Was it aDirt}i. then,')t s unlawful not? or are they l efpe&ers of Perfons ? If they would not in ati°tlyó(è Ages have held Communion with thevifíble Church, what'would they havedine s but feparated from the Body, and fo fromthe Head, and call off Chrift inallgris Members, and taken him to be a HeadWithout aBody, which is no heád; and fo no Chrift, what would they have done but deniedhis Power.,, and Love; 'and ` Truth, and confèquently his Redemption, and his Office ?' Hath he come athe `endof Four Thoufand Years(fine che Creation) toredeem the'World thaylá é `long in Darknefs, and path hemade fuch wood rful Preparations'fbr his Ch Fh by his Life and Miracles, and Blood and Spirit, err:Aid p'romiled that t i/' ear of Hell !hall not prevail agaiufi it, and that ha Asngdnm fhz'1{ bean'çvérlalilsrf ` dam, and bi, Dominion endureth "from Generation to Genetáribn acrd 5 et a`!'te7>< á u ` than he have a Church (even as the Seekers;fay) but for an Age or two doubtleL (tho' whereHeathens were the Neighbours of the Church; i a i ivelre r baptifed at Age, yet) no Man can name or' prove a Society. (or I think a againft infant Baptifm for One ThoufandTwo HundredYears Ay 1eÄ(}, door=re , Thoufand Four Hundred: And for many Ages no other ordm}atìly bapnz. ,b st Infants. If Chrift had no Church, than where was his Wrfdom b s Love And his Power ? What was becomeóf the Glory of his Retíeinptiont ati his Ciihjp, lick Church, that was to continue to the End? 'That Man that cäq'.bcbfy.e,ibst `Chrift had no Church for fo long time or'any one Age finoe his Afcehfioñ ' turn an Infidel and deny him to be Chrift, ifhe be a rational Ivfan; 'bid a f(' iffá Gofpel Preceptsof Love and Holy Communion ceafe, as Edon as'`Infant Baptïfúz `prevailed ? dauhdefs (though ithe be his Ordinance) Chrift novel' laid fq great a ftrefs on the outward Waffling as Dividers do. Whenever jiaprifin isprveri `- cloned inScripture, it means rTheEngagement of the 'Peden Co fees Miff_ `by foleinn Covenant, which Waffling is appointed toSolémNzej and r r ro a;. doth plainly mean [That one Holy Spirit, which is ufu Oven to the Bra* ` need, either inor near their outward Baptifm, clods inwardly Animate, 11 ae BP., `dy, and unite them and afftmilate themInd prove them fVfehilden j, Lo>t antr)sa the Great was the Glory of the Church in his Generatiorf 'diamtaitling ldelitie(À ` and Peace; when the Palters were fotneCorrupters, ant! foíne Dividers'raaçd ` would have broken all in Pieces but for him s' Ha ordinarily 11reache'd, (or made, Holy Prayers and Speeches in Meetings)and yet was never baptized all this 'While `till near Death, and none ever fcrupuled hisCommunion. I woü(dknow of the. `Dividers why they should thinkBaptifm more necefiary to be befieved than tjje, other Sactament, the Supper of the Lord: Yet it is certain that all the attcierv, Church did purp,fely conceal the Lord's Supper frour the Knowledge eif the. ` Catechumens ; by which it appears they judged not the Belief óf.it effentiaf ep ` a Church Member : Yet I know the great thing meant by the Word Baptifìn Scripture is effencial to the Church-Memberfhip of the Adult; that is the giving `.up our Glees to God the Father, Son, andHoly Ghofl in Covenant; but the Sign. `is only necefiaryas a Duty, but not as ameans without which the thing cannot be . had. This is voluminoufly proved against the Papille, with whom the contrary . `minded do comply. Circumcihion in theWildernefs was feparácedfrom, Church., ` Membership andCommunion. And is the outward part of Baptifìn morengCel Lary under the Gofpel, which fetteth lefs by Externals, and where God that le a Spiritwillbe worfhipped in Spirit and in Truth ; and whereneither CircumrVion nor Um UncircumosJion availeth any thing, but a new Creature, and Faith that heorheth b `Love. ` But our main Argument againft them is, That no true Definitidn cäbbe tvçn, ` ofBaptifm that will not agree with Infant-Baptifm, if it were granted to bd u34-. `lawful, were it proved an unmet Age, it will never prove the Baptifm -,But I dó but go hefides your Expectation, I fuppofe in all this; which is öccaliioneer by your Husbands Paper and the main Caufe. I !halt therefore come at Iait tó your Cafe. But will Mr. Lambe regard the Judgment of one that differeth fromhim as I ` do ?You know according to myjudgment what I mutt advilèhim to: but though `fäll it is my Judgment that Infants of Believers Isould be folemnly given up to ` Chrift by Baptifm; yet I !hall deal as impartially as I can, and put my !elf in. ` Mr. L.'sCafe, and (tipp piing I wereof his Opinion againft Infant-Baptifm, I (hall anfwet
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