82 "IPPENDIX. Niimb.IV ' Prince of Peaceerects his Banner, and the Sons of Peace flock in apace: It is a ' theme to be the laft, but amifery to be none.God will bring his divided,difaraeted e Servants nearer together ; andit is Pity he Ihould be put to beardown any refif ing Saintsamong the Inftruments of Satan, and that any of their Carcaffes Ihould be ' found on theGround whenhe conquereth the Enemies of Peace. The Lord is ' about revealing to his Servants the Error of their Cenforioufnefs, Harffrnefs, Un- e charitablenefs, and Divisions, and how grievoufly they have wronged him and themfelves by departing fo far fromChriftianLoveand Unity.He will let them fee how much of the Caufe was fecret and undifcerned ; Pride and Self-conceitednefs and want of Holy Chriftian Love, while little was pretended or difcerned but ' Strietnefs and Obedience. He will Thew them more fully wherein the true Na- titre of Grace and Holy Obedience doth confift, and teach them by the Imprefs 'of his Spirit, what he fo emphatically commanded them by his Word, to go e learn what that meaneth, 1 wi l bave Merry, and nor Sacrifice : It's pity we Ihould 'not underftand the meaning of Words fo plain ; but it's in and Shame as well as ' Pity that we have ftudied them no better, after fuch a Memorandum and Coin- ' mend as this. But manyof God's Servantshave in the Points of Unity and Peace ' been like thofe miferableSouls, that are defcribed to bave Eyes and fee nor, Ears and bear not, Hearts and underftand nor, (theft bleffed Precepts of Love and Unity, e though none more plain , and frequent , and urgent ) for the time was < not come that they fhould be recovered and healed ; though this Defectionbe ' not in theEffence ofChriflianity,but theDegrees ; nor forPerpetuity,but aTime; ' yet it'$ fad that fuch a Spirit of deadnefs Ihould fo far prevail, that Men inquifi- ' rive after Truth, and zealous of Holinefs, Ihould leaft underftand the plainest, nearelt, frequent Precepts, and fo little feel their Obligationsto fuchweightyDu- ' ties, that the Lord is pleafed to liar upon their Spirit among others, is a great re- ' joicingto me. AndI hope I may tell you, that it is in vain, as I am fiare I may ` tell you it is no (mall Sinany more to refift and ftrive againft him. If theHand , of our dear and tender Lord be fetting you in joint again, Ihrinknot on account eofprefent pain, (much lefs Ihould you fear the Reproach of being in Communion ' with the Body) but impartially hearken untohim and yield ; but lay byall Tumults of Spirits and Paffions, and get out of the Noife of vulgar Clamours; for the t Voice of Peace is a Stiff Voice, and in Calmnefs muff be attended unto: And ' when you are reftored, if you find not the Sweetnefs and Advantagespf Peace ' (if you are indeed reftored in Mind as well as Praetice) the Lord hack not fpoken ' in this by me. I can hardly think that he that hath raifed thefe Thoughts with- ' in you, and begun thefe Convidïons, will let them die. Inorder to the Endsde. ' firedand hoped for, I limit offer you fo much of my prefent Thoughts, as your ` defcribed Cafe requires. And r. though I delire not to difpute the Cafe of In- fant Baptifm with you now, yetI may fay, we believe you live in a confiant ` Sin againft the Lord, in neglecting, denying and oppofing it, and that if you ' will by one erroneous Suppofitron draw on a Chain of hurtful Confequences, you ' are the Caufeofyour ownDiforders. At a fitter Seafon I fhould delire you but ' to anfwer me this one Argument : All that Ihould be facramentally or folemnly ' indeed into the Holy Covenant with God, as his People, fhould be Baptized (or ' at lean be taken as true Members of the Church, and their Entrance juli) but the ' Infantsof believing Parents Ihould be facramentally andfolemnlyentred into Cove- ' nant with God or his People; Ergo, dre. The Minor we give you the abundant ' Proof of Law and Promi[e for, before Christ. It was Abraham's Duty and ` viledge according to the Tenou`r of the Promife which was made with him be- ' fore the Law , to enter his Children facramentally and folemnly into the holy ` Covenant. It was all the Churches Duty after both Jews and Profelytes ; . both ' the uncircumcifed Females, and the circumcifed Males, and all the uncircumcifed 'Church in the Wildernefs, Deut. 29, ô-c. Tell me now how I Ihould anfwer it be- ' fore the Lord, if I tell Parents that they areabfolved from this Duty of folemn ' mining their Children into the Covenant, and are divefted of the bleffsd Privi -' ' ledge; efpecially when you here tell me well, that you know of none but his Bo-- dy that Christ is the Saviour of, and that the Church is this Body ; Ergo, you ' knowof no Salvation for Infants if they be not of the Church s Ergo, ExclufIion ' would be a heavy Cafè, Thall I fay that Chrift bath recalled this Law and Grant ? ' but how fhould I prove it? I Phew you the Law and Grant; do you thew me the ' Repeal, andwe have done. Chrift never fpeaks a word to repeal it, nor any of his Apoftles. Entring our Children into the holy Covenant, is not a Ceremony. If God fay to a Father, why didit thou not dedicate this Child to me, and y y `folemnly
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