IN this Chapter we have a Divine Dialogue between a most illuminate Doctor, and a blind Pharisie, Christ and Nicodemus: the Pharisees were chiefe a­mong the Jews, but Nicodemus was one of the chiefe among the Pharisees; he was a Teacher in Israel, ver. 10. a Ruler of the Jews, v. 1. The Pharisie had got the leading of all others in a three-fold re­spect: 1. In regard of the repute of their Learning Mat. 23.2. They sate in Moses Chair, and were ac­counted for their knowledge the onely Rabbins of those Times, 2. For their Piety, they were supposed to be the most religious and strict Sect: of this Sect was Paul before his conversion, Phil. 3.5. By [...] [Page 2]a Pharisie; yea, and Act. 23.6. a Pharisie, saith Paul, and the Son of a Pharisie. And Acts 26.5. After the most strict Sect of our Religion, I lived a Pharisie: For such was the peoples opinion of their Piety, though they were Arch-Hypocrites, painted Sepulchers, both proud and covetous, and the greatest enemies that Christ had among the Jewes. How often doth Christ pronounce woes against them, toge­ther with the Scribes, and brands them for their Hypocrisie, Mat. 23. no lesse then eight times; Woe unto Scribes & Pharisies, Hypocrites, 1. They shut the King­dome of Heaven against men, v. 13. They kept back from them the key of pure Religion that should have made way to enter, and stopped it up by their owne tradition. 2. v. 16. notwithstanding all their supposed knowledge, Christ calls them blind guides: they wanted the light of Gods Spirit to distinguish between Truth and Falshood. 3. But outwardly righteous, v. 28. 4. And lastly, they had more Authority in matters Ecclesiasticall, than any others had, John 1.24. the Jews sent them to examine John Baptist, they that were sent were of the Pharisies; and v. 19. those Pharisies that were sent, were Priests and Levites, and the chief of them had Officers to send out, John 7.45. Then came the officers of the high Priests and Pharisies; And v. 48. Do any of the Rulers of the Pharisies beleeve on him? yea, Nicodemus that was one of the chiefe Rulers, v. 50. yet though he was a great man, they began to fear him: when they per­ceived that his judgment was byassed with any good opinion concerning Christ, v. 52. Art thou also of Galilee?

After Nicodemus had been with Christ, though then full of doubting, and full of fear, being a great man, and then one that lived in great pompe and com­mand, and such men you know are put to it; when the question lyes, whether they will forsake their sinfull pompe, and follow Piety, or forsake Piety, and follow their sinfull pomp: they would go to Heaven, but they thinke ill to be persecuted for Christ, and Religions sake: Let such remember what Christ in­dured for them, what contradiction of sinners he suffered; let them set that be­fore them, and it may the more incourage them. This Nicodemus, I say, after he had bin with Christ, his journey was not altogether fruitlesse; he gained so much from Christ, as wrought upon him, and did so much change his minde, that all his life long he was afterwards better affected There is twice mention made of him after this Time, and this going to Jesus by night, is inserted in both places once, John 7.5. And Nicodemus said unto him, he that came to Jesus by night, &c in the next verse, doth our Law judge any man before it heare him, &c. And secondly, Job. 19.39. when Christ was to be buried, he also joyned with Joseph of Arimathea. There came also Nicodemus which first came to Jesus by night, &c. Joseph of Arimathea was a great man in the Civill State, a famous Counsellour, he was one of Jesus his Disciples, but secretly, for fear of the Jewes: Nicodemus a great Ruler in the Ecclesiasticall State, but came by night; both of them [Page 3]great men, yet afraid of the Jewes; But now after his death, both are more ma­nifest. Oh, the sweetnesse of true grace, where it is once infused, it will grow, and embolden such as have it. Joseph and Nicodemus grow better and better, and more emboldened, than at the first: You have heard, that both of them were great men, Starrs of a great Magnitude in their severall Orbes, yet not to great to learn the way to Heaven.

Secondly, all the knowledge they had without this knowledge of Christ, could not have made them happy. This may teach great men not to be too proud, to submit their necks to Christs yoke, and to labour for that wisdome in Gods Word, that the World cannot afford them, 1 Cor. 1.20. Hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolishnesse? Alas, the height of the wisdome of this world is but to teach a man how to live like a Politician, never how to dye like a Christian. So that he that hath no more then that, hath no more then Aristotle, and Plato had, and the very Heathen that knew not God. The Doctrine of Christ is usually more slighted of men that boast of their carnall knowledge, than any other men. Alas, poor soules, the greatest part of what they know, is the least part of what they know not: Nicodemus we hear, was a learned Pha­risie, and for contemplative knowledge in the Law, no doubt an able man: yet notwithstanding in point of regeneration a very novice; a child of seven yeeres old would scarcely have answered as he did: for when our Saviour told him of being born again, what? saith Niondemus, when he heard this, v. 4. Can a man be born again which is old, can be enter into his Mothers Wombe again and be born? And v. 9. How, saith Nicodemus, can these things be? Art thou a Teacher in Israel, saith our Saviour, and knowes not these things. 2. Tim. 4.2. Paul instructing Timothy how to preach, tells him, that he must rebuke, as well as exhort: Christ Jesus gives example for it; for he you see, rebuked Nicodemus, as well as else where instructed him what to do q.d. if thou be a Teacher in Israel, it behoves thee to understand such things as come within the compasse of thine office: Maye [...] thou not learn out of the Law, and the Prophets, that all men are sinners, and that sinne deserves Gods curse, and that there is no way to blot them out, bu [...] by the blood of Christ, and that applyed by Faith? hast thou not read in th [...] Scriptures, 2 King. 5.14. how Naaman did wash, and was cleansed of his Lepro­sie? Might not this have taught thee, that wee must bewashed in the Fou [...] ­tain of regeneration, before we can be ordinarily cleansed of the Leprosie [...] originall sinne? Hast thou not read, Ezek. 36.25. Ile power clean water u [...] ­on them, and they shall be clean, &c. hast thou not read, Zach. 13.1. how a fou [...] ­tain should be opened to the House of David, and the Inhabitants of Jerusal [...] for sinne, and for uncleannesse? Art thou a Teacher, and knowst not by th [...] places the necessity of regeneration? if thou be blind that art a Teacher, [...] should the people have light, Mat. 23.2. the Scribes and Pharisies [...]a [...]e in M [...] ­ses [Page 4]Chaire, and Rom. 2.19. perswaded themselves that they were guides of the blind, and a light of them that were in darknesse; but what a light art thou, that knows not this point? yet though Christ Jesus thus reproved him, of all the Pharisees that we read of, he did the most kindly and freely reason with him and instruct him, because he came honestly and plainly to learne of Christ how to be saved; but the rest came either to catch him in his talk, or else to reason with him out of envie to dishonor and disgrace him, and then he either answers not at all, as Mat. 21.27. he would not tell them by what authority he taught; or else answers sharply, so that they had no great mind to meddle with him, Mat. 22.18. Why tempt ye meye Hypocrites? and if he spoke what they understood not, they were too proud to be instructed in the meaning. Nicodemus was not so, John 2.19. when he bid them destroy the Temple, and that in three dayes, he would build it up againe: in the next verse they reply frowardly, 46. years was this Temple in building, &c. Thus he spoke of the Temple of his body, but they understood not, nor desired. And John 8.21. when he had said, Whither I goe ye cannot come. In the next verse they reply, what will he kill him­selfe, because he saith, whither I go ye cannot come, &c. thus when the speeches were dark, they never desired to know the meaning of them of Christ, as Nico­demus did: for when Christ had told him of being born againe, and he knew not the meaning of it; yet he behaves not himselfe like them, nor was to proud to learn, but never lets Christ rest untill he knew the meaning of it; and our Saviour seeing him bent to learn, was as willing to teach him, as here in the Text, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, that except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God, &c.

In the words of the Text we have these five particulars. 1. A vehement asse­veration, Amen, amen, dico tibi, Verily, verily, I say unto thee. 2. A change of Lifes spe­cification, except a man be born again. 3. The manner of it, of Water, and the Spirit. 4. The necessity of it, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God. 5. Lastly, the reason of it in the latter verse, that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh, and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit. In order, and first of the vehement asseveration, Iesus answe­red, verily, verily, I say unto thee. Jesus answered, that was more you have heard, than he would do to many of his fellow Rulers. 2. He answered him courte­ously, and that was more than he would do to any of them when he did an­swer. 3. He answers earnestly, and with a vehement asseveration, as arguing that he desired, to have him understand the Truth: for you shall never finde our Saviour using this asseveration but upon weighty businesse; and in the Gospell of Saint John more usually than any where else. Here its doubled, verily, verily, I say unto thee. Amen, Amen, The word (Amen) is in all the Cardinall Languages its Amen, in the Hebrew; Amen, in the Greek; and Amen, in the Latine; and we so continue it in the English in many places; the reason is this, [Page 5]The Septuagint who first translated the Hebrew Text into Greek, they left is untranslated. The Latine Interpreters finding it so left of them, they left it so to. Our English Translators finding it so left of the Latine, they left it in most places so too. Thus again v. 11. verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak what we know, and thou mayest beleeve what I say unto thee. I speake authoritative, by that au­thority which I have received from the Father; and therefore Mat. 7. two last verses, it's said, That when Christ had ended his word, the people were astonished at his Doctrine, For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes: the majesty and power of Gods Spirit appeared in his speeches, they felt the dint of them upon their Consciences, and were not able to withstand the power of the Spirit by which he spoke, John 7. from 45. forward, Then came the Officers of the High Priests and Pharisees, and they say unto them, why have ye not brought him? the Officers answered, never manspoke like this man. How happy was Nicodemus then to have this man speaking unto him; but the Pharisees said, are ye also deceived; q.d. we took you to have bin faithfull and firme Officers to us, to have executed our pleasure upon this deceiver. Nunquid et vos seducti estis; and are ye also deceived? Doth any of the Rulers of the Pharisees, beleeve in him? yea, Iohn 12.42. many of them, but durst not professe him, for fear of you; it was more than they knew: and here Nicode­mus one of them, Beleeves in him, yet durst not let them know as much, q.d. If he had been a true Prophet, and if his Doctrine had bin from Heaven, doe not you think, that many so wise, and so learned men, and so religious men would not have received him, and it: No, for Christ and his Doctrine were received of more poor men, then rich Rulers, and great Potentates of the World, Mat. 11.5. The poor receive the Gospel, Jam. 2.5. Hath not God chosen the poore, rich in Faith, 1 Cor. 1.26. Brethren you see your calling, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. And Jer. 5.45. as though the poor did not receive correction, nor turn unto God when they were smitten, yet the Prophet thought that the great men and Rulers understood more, had bin bet­ter educated, could conceive better of Gods Truth. I said of the other, that they were poor and foolish, and undestood not Gods way, but he supposed that the great men knew the judgments of their God, but they proved the worse; for they had altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. It was therefore an ill Argument, mone of the Rulers nor Pharisees beleeved on him; ergo, others might not lawfully do it, or his Doctrine was not of God. As for this people that know not the Law, that know not the meaning, nor interpretation of it, as we do, they are accursed: Thus basely and contemptibly they spoke of those that beleeved on Christ; these you see, are but a poor, base, and abject people, come of no great stock, nor bred in any famous Schools of the Pharisees, what great matter is it what they do: thus they vent their pride, and labour to block up the passage of Christianity: well, but Mat. 11.25. these things were hid from [Page 6]the wise and men of understanding, God opened them unto Babes; And if the people knew not the Law, the more shame for themselves that should have taught them. Again, if the people did but follow him that did not know the Law, it seems that it was but of ignorance that the people did sinne, if they had offended in following Christ. But many of themselves sinned of knowledge, and set malice, therefore by consequence they will excuse the People, and ac­cuse themselves. But it may be objected, Mat. 5.37. that our Saviour taught, That our communication should be yea, yea, and nay, nay, for whatsoever was more came of evill And Jam. 5.12. let your yea be yea, and nay, nay, lest ye fall into condemnation: but our Saviour seems to use more here; for he doth not simply affirme, but with a double asseveration, verily, verily, I say unto thee.

I answer, the meaning of the words is, that we should simply, sincerely, and truly affirm what we affirm, without dissembling, oaths, vows, or the like in our ordinary talk. And secondly, I answer, that this asseveration was but a more graduall Yea, and vehement than ordinary; or a more intensive Yea: And thirdly, this were upon a weighty point; otherwise Christ did not use it, and so in him it was no offence: he did not sinne, neither was any guile found in his mouth, 1 Pet. 2.22. Blasphemy therefore was that of the Pharisees, who said, that they knew that this man was a sinner, Iohn 9.24. Then Jesus answered, and said, verily, verily, I say unto thee, I am the way, the truth, and the life, John 14.6. and no man comes unto the Father but by me. I am the Way without wandring, the Truth without errour, the Life without death; yea, I am the Resurrection, and the Life, if any man beleeve in me, though he were dead, yet should be live. John 11.25. I that am the good Shepheard, that lay down my life for my sheepe, I say unto thee therefore, mark what I say, 1. Unto thee blind Pharisee that had too much conceit of the knowledge of the Law, or else thou might have had more knowledge of the Gospel. 2. A man ignorant of a main necessary Truth; namely, of the new Birth of regeneration, and continuing without this, might have dyed and bin damned in Hell-Fire. 3. Unto thee, halting between two opinions, between Moses, and the Messias, whether thou shouldest imbrace; wheras if thou had beleeved Moses, thou had beleeved me, for he writ of me: yet 4. unto ye, because though weak, yet mind­full to be made stronger: therefore, I will not despise thee, nor loath the tedious­nesse of teaching of thee; for thus it was prophesied of me, Esa 42.3. a bruised reed shal be not breake, nor smoaking Flax shall he quench; such art thou, and I will fulfill the Prophesie 5. Lastly, I say unto thee, though thou came unto me by night, when I should have reposed my self, and have taken rest, an unseasonable time, yet I upbraided thee not, nor stood upon it with thee, nor reproved thee for incivility, but seeing thou was so fearfull and weak, thou durst not come by day; I'le receive thee kindly, take pains with thee, and teach thee by night: this for the first part.

The second followes, the change of life specified, Except a man be born a­gain; this (again) notes once being born before; so that hence it appears, that there is a double Birth, as in Scripture we reade of a double death, the first and the second Death: The first is nothing but separation of soul from body: the second is a separation both of body and soule from God eternally, Revel. 2.11. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death; and what this second is, you may further see, Rev. 21.8. In the Scriptures we also read of a double Resurrection, 1. and 2. Rev. 20.6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection, of such the second death hath no power: The first Resurre­ction, I conceive, (as do many others) to be the resurrection from the dead e­state of sinne, to newnesse of life; so that the first Resurrection, is the second Birth, Ephes. 2.1. there is a spirituall Death, and from that, a spirituall Resurre­ction; And you hath he quickned, that were dead in trespasses and sins, and this quickning was in Christ, v. 5.1 Pet. 1.23. being born a n [...]w, not of mortal Seed, (for so is our Naturall Birth) So is our first Birth, but of immortall by the Word of God, who liveth, and endureth for ever: there is our second Birth, far more no­ble than our first, Luke 8.11. the Seed is the Word of God. In this Birth they have power to be the Sons of God, John 1.12. and they are said to be borne of God, 1 Io. 5.1. because they are born anew by the working of Gods holy Spirit in them: this is the change of life, being born thus again, except a man be borne againe.

1. This being born again, is that which few men eye, but at being borne, Claro de Stemmale of some noble race, o [...] b [...]oud, that pustes us up as if we were more than men. I remember I have somtimes read a passage between an upstart Gentleman, and a facc [...]tious Herald; the Herald perswaded this Gentleman of the first Head, that he was able to derive his Pedigree lineally from Adam; This parchment Gentleman was very importunate to have it effected; but up­on second thoughts, the Herald told him, he had better remain as he was: be­cause, the nearer (quoth he) that we come unto Adam, such poor men as I shall be found of kinne to you. Truly spoken, all mankind, rich, and poore, are made of the same Elements.

2. All of them have soules given them of God that are immortall. 3. All are born naked, there is no King that hath any other Birth. 4 All are equally sub­ject to death; the Poet truly observed as much, when he said, aequopede puisat mors pauperum tabernas regum (que) turres. 5. All are equally subject to be turned again in­to dust, and to be dissolved into their first principles, and what better dust do the rich make then the poore? The Scriptures tells us, that God made of one blood, all Nations under Heaven. Diogenes therefore to quell the pride of A exan­der, wh [...] bore himself so much by his discent, when he heard that be was to march that way, got him into the place wherein his, father Philip had bin buried, [Page 8]and busied himself in tumbling over dead mens bones with the end of his staffe; whom, when Alexander saw, he must needes know the reason of his im­ployment. I said Diogenes, am here seeking the bones of Philip thy Father, but they are so like to poor mens that I cannot know them. This might give Alex­ander an hint what his pride would come to after his death; Gen. 3.19. Dust thou art, and to Dust thou shalt return, belongs to all men alike; though in civill respects God makes a difference, as by qualification of mind, or exaltation to office, or by the meritorious managing of some humane affairs, &c. and herein honour to whom honour belongs. Yet alas, small advantage will this be to them in a­ny spirituall respect, or in matter of salvation; for in this sense, God is no re­specter of persons, Acts 10.34. Therefore, though they may own the former birth, yet let them labour for the second, and take more delight in it, and bee more thankfull to God for their personall worth, than for their lineall: the former may be advantagious for the next world, but the latter only for this; Nam genus, & proavos, & quae non fecimus ipsi, vix eanostra voco; as the Poet, That which our kindred, and fore-fathers have done, in which we have had no hand, we can scarcely own for ours.

So that as Christ said of food, I say of bloud; labour not for the food that perisheth, so labour not for the bloud that perisheth. It's a wonder to hear what hours ambitious men take up in wearying of mens ears, with relating from how many great personages they are descended, to how many such like they are of kindred; to how many allyed, &c. what famous acts these and these have done: it may be so, their times afforded them honour for it, and their posterity others esteeme for their sake: but in the meane time what have themselves done; Their Ancestors I feare, dyed without Executors of any of their Heroick Acts: the most that any of them have done, is to talk of them in a Tavern; to swear big at an Ordinary; to fight with sheild of Brawne; to flash shoulders of Mutton, and use the case shot of Olives, and Capers; to march under the colours of Sacke, and Claret, and to give fire upon their friends in a Tobacco pipe, egregias sane laudes & spolia amplarefertis. Surely, noble atchieve­ments, and high estimates to men of such Memorials, let them know, that God requires another kind of noblenesse, another kind of action to bring them to Heaven; not the first birth will do this, but being born again. Nisi quis natus fueritdenua, except a man be born again.

I come now to the manner of it; it must be of Water, and the Spirit; except a man be born again of Water, and the Spirit. Learned Interpreters are somewhat troubled about these words; especially, about the word (Water) all agree in this, that we must be born again, onely, de modo, de medio, or de necessitate medij, is the question, about the manner of our being born again, or the medium of it, or the necessity of the medium.

Some understand the word (Water) figuratively, for the grace of Gods Spi­rit, and it cannot be denyed, but that in Scripture it may sometimes so signifie, as Iohn. 4.10. He would have given the water of Life, and John 7.38. Rivers of water of Life. Yea, but the word (Life) is added to it, which more explicates it, as it is not in this place: Well, but John 4.14. it's not added there, Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst againe: Yea, but this is added (the water that I shall give him) and that is spirituall water, Esa. 44.3. is most like to favour this exposition, I will power water upon the thirsty, (there is no addition to Water) and floods upon the dry ground: in that place no doubt but (Water) may be taken for the spirituall Water of Gods grace. And some would illustrate this Exposition of the Text, by Mat. 3.11. He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; whereby (Fire) is meant the zealous and fervent grace of Gods Spi­rit, and is exegeticall or expositorie of the former word. Yea, but against this illu­stration it is excepted, that when a word is exegeticall it must follow the word it expounds, not go before it, as it doth here; not Water and the Holy Ghost, but the Holy Ghost and Water. 2. That it ought to be more plaine, then that it expounds, and not more dark, as here. I answer, some reason, and truth must be admitted in this exception. I conceive that it holds cata polu, but not cata panto's; it holds true very often, but not alwayes without any exception and in all pla­ces: for sometimes one, and the same thing, one, and the same truth may bee expressed in divers manner of speaking; metaphoricall and literall, and yet the sense aequipollente, and all one, and sometimes the latter more dark than the for­mer. Thus Lamen. 3.19. Remembring mine affliction and my mourning, the Wormwood and the Gall.

Here the manner of speaking is divers; the one sentence literall, the other metaphoricall; literall, my affliction, and my mourning; metaphoricall, the worme­wood, and the gall, yet the sense aequipollent, they come to one, and the same sense: yet the latter is more obscure then the former. 2. Take the place of Esaiah before quoted, Es. 44.3. Ile powre water upon the thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; then it follows, Ile powre my Spirit upon thy Seed, and my blessing upon thy Buds. Here againe, the manner of speaking is divers, metaphoricall and literall, in the words (Spirit) and (Blessing) yet the sense is aequipollent, one and the same thing is meant by both: so they think that the like may in this Text (Water) and the (Spirit) though the former be taken metaphorically, the latter literally; yet the sense aequipollent: of the Spirituall graces of God, and the Spirit present in those graces. This I have said, to shew the reasonablenesse of the Exposition of the Text in this sense, and I know that divers modern Divines so take it.

But now for the second opinion to understand the Water literally, and so of the Water of Baptisme. I conceive a difference betweene this speech, (Water) the Spirit, and this, Water and the Spirit: the former may note out one, and [Page 10]the same thing: the latter two distinct things. In the former instance where the words are expositorie, or meant of one and the same thing: they are spoken without any conjunction between them. The words run not thus, The affliction, and the mourning: (And) the wormwood, and the gall, but thus, the affliction, and the mourning, the wormwood, and the gall, without any (And) between them; and the like we may observe in the latter. Esa 44.3. Rivers and floods, my Spirit, and my Blessing. Not thus (Rivers and Floods) (And) my Spirit, and my Blessing; for that might have argued them to have been two distinct things. For further explication, or illustration, thus, Socrates Philosophus, And Socrates & Phi­losophus may admit of divers meanings; For Socrates Philosophus by apposition, may be meant of one, and the same man, being a Philosopher. But Socrates & Philosophus, Socrates & a Philosopher, may be meant of him, and of some man else that were a Philosopher. So Water, the Spirit, may be meant of one and the same thing; but Water (And) the Spirit may be meant of different things; And so Christ speakes here, except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit: of Water as the outward element, or medium of the Spirit, or of the operatings and in­ward graces of God. And this sense the most of the Ancients give of it, and take the word (Water) literally here, for the Water in Baptisme. And indeed this sense will agree with the like expresses of the Spirit of God in Scriptures, Act. 8.36. Here is the water, saith the Eunuch, what doth let me to be baptized, v. 37. more then water is required of those that are of ripe yeers, and that is actuall Faith. If thou belee­vest with all thine heart, thou mayest; the Eunuch answered Philip, I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; upon this he was baptized. And Ephes. 5.26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse, by the washing of Water through the Word, through his powerfull promise made in the Word to do so. This was required in Nicodemus, as well as the Eunuch, He was to be born again of Water and the Holy Ghost, Titus 3.5. This washing or second birth, or being born again, is called the new birth, by the washing of regeneration, & the renewing of the Holy Ghost. In this new birth we are washed ontwardly with water, but inwardly by the Holy Ghost: but God is pleased to use this as an Instrument, by which he will conveigh the graces of his holy Spirit. Some Divines think that the first grace is not given in baptisme but confirmed and sealed up. Indeed in men of ripe yeers it was so required; vve hear that Beliefe, or Faith was first required in them before they were baptized. Others might say so, and yet felt not the Faith they then professed; but God having given them a mind to be baptized, might convey grace to them in their baptisme. Its a great question between us and the Papists, whether the Sacra­ments be instrumenta Physica or moralia, whether they Physically convey grace to the soul, as elebore temperature cure to the mind against Drunkennesse, or any drug of medicinal power to the Patient; Or but morally, which he useth to concomitate [Page]according to his pleasure to make effectuall as he will: for as Saint Augustin said long agoe. All that receive the Sacraments of grace, doe not receive the Grace of the Sacrament. Simon Magus was baptized as well as Simon Peter, Act. 8.13. Simon himselfe beleeved also, and was baptized: He beleeved hi­storically the Doctrine taught; whereupon he was so far convinced, that hee received baptisme; but not salvifically, v. 23. For hee was still in the Gall of bitternesse, and Bond of iniquity: yet upon the outward confession of Faith, the Apostles not knowing the secrets of his heart, he was admitted to Baptisme. But it may be some of the newly minted will quarrell me, for say­ing that Simon Peter was baptized, and where I can prove it in the Scriptures? As they doe for baptisme of our Children. To which I answer, That all good Christians that oportunely might, were baptized. But Peter was a Chri­stian, and oportunely might; Ergo, Peter was baptized: this they must grant, except they will deny Peter to have been a Christian; and yet wee have no particular place, explicit, & totidem terminis in Scripture, to prove this: Even so, suppose we have no particular place explicit in Scripture, in terminis, to prove that Infants were baptized, yet we have such generall grounds for it, as out of which we may safely deduce particulars, as we shall shew hereafter. It was no small oversight in Reuben to devide himself from the rest of the Tribes, when the common enemies threatned them all, and for this his division there were great thoughts of heart. Its as little difcretion, for this too highly con­ceipted generation, who are all for prescribing of Laws to their brethren, but for the receiving of none; to divide themselvs from the rest of their brethren, and make a rent in the seamlesse coat of Christ, when the common enemies would take it away all, which hath been no small grief to such as do sapere ad sobrietatem, and are not byassed with that height of singurality, and con­ceipted infallibility: in stead of which, God grant unto them a greater mea­sure of discretion, and a more common expression of Charity. But I return, to the point, whole housholds were baptized; Anabaptists, or whosoever ex­cept against baptizing of children, cannot shew, that all these whole hou­sholds were without children, or that none of them had any in. 2. Where men­tion is made of Baptisme in Scriptures, they are no where excepted. Which in all probability they would have beene, if Christ had meant that they should not have been baptized. 3. In no other place, nor upon any other occa­sion are they forbidden. 4. From the Apostles times downward, these 1600. yeeres it hath been the practice of the Church of God. Origen upon Rom. 6. saith, That the Church received baptizing of Infants from the Apostles them­selvs. And therefore Cyprian in his Epistle adfidum, would have care taken for the baptizing of new born Infants. Cyprill upon Levit. 8. to the like purpose. Herom. lib. 3. contra Pelagianos. August. lib. 4. contra Donatistes, cap. 23.24. not [Page 12]from the authority of men, or councels, but from the tradition, or Doctrine o [...] the Apostle: what need more for so ancient and cleer a truth. 5. Mat. last, 19. Go and teach all Nations, and baptize them, &c. But again, this place the ex­ception is, that teaching and baptizing are there put together; and there­fore, they say, that none might be baptized, but such as were capable of tea­ching. To which I answer; that there is one consideration, de ecclesia constitu­enda; another, de ecclesia constituta; one consideration of a Church but in fra­ming, another of a Church already framed: The Church was but in fra­ming when the Apostles went first abroad; and then the Church was colle­cted of men and women of ripe yeers, all which were capable of teaching, and so of baptizing, and therefore are they conjoyned: and because they were then Heathens, and had never heard of Christ, it was needfull, that such should first be preached to, and taught, before they were baptized, to know what Baptisme was, what was required to it, what was the end of it, and the benefit that came by it; and then the immediatum subjectum baptismi in sacris were adulti, the immediate subject of Baptisme in Scriptures were men of ripe yeers: then, no Infants might be baptized, but of such men as had been first made Christians, and baptized themselves, and so being come within the Covenant themselves, their Infants were intraducible by vertue of that.

But now, if Christ had meant that Infants should first have been baptized, not men of ripe yeers, when the Church was but in framing, and was at first to be framed, and collected, and when the Apostles first went out to preach; then, no doubt, but Christ would have named them in particular, and sub [...]a notione, as well as others: but the Church was not first framed, and gathered of such, but of their Parents, and so they induce their priviledge: Yet they were but the secundarium, or mediatum subjectum baptismi; and therefore it will not follow: that because Teaching was joyned with Baptizing, when the Church was first to be collected of the Gentiles, and Heathen people, and men of ripe yeers; as then the immediate subject of it, that therefore none might afterward be baptized, but such as were capable of Teaching.

2 When our Saviour said, Goe teach, and baptize all Nations, he made no ex­ception of Infants in their Order, out of the Commission generall: as thus, Goe ye, and teach all Nations, and baptize such as are capable of Teaching, but no Chil­dren, or Infants, or none else: No, but thus, Goe, and teach all Nations, and baptize them, excepting neither small nor great, young nor old.

3 Goe th [...]refore and teach all Nations, as many as are capable of Teach­ing, and baptize them first, as the immediate subject of it, as you have heard, and then all others that are theirs by vertue of them.

4 The word in the origin all is matheteusate, to coyn a word Discipulate, make Disciple; now they might make Disciples, Baptismi administatione, as well as ver­bi [Page 13]praedicatione, by admitting them into the visible Church by baptisme, as well as by preaching unto them.

5 Illustrate it thus: Suppose a mighty Prince should send a Message into the West Indies, into all the parts therof, and make it known unto them, that he would be their King, and labour for their well-fare, maintain and defend them against all their enemies, and graciously accept of them for his subjects: Do you thinke that the people then of ripe yeeres, that were capable of the Message, and to whom it was immediatly sent, would conceive themselves concern'd in that Message, and Covenant, and none else? Surely no, but though they were the immediate subjects to receive it first, yet they would conceive that it should also extend as well unto their children, by vertue of them; even so, conceive it here.

6 The Jewish children were to be circumcised at 8. dayes old, and our Baptisme succeeds their Circumcision, Col. 2.11, 12. and why then not the like subject in the one, as in th'other? I know, the common exception; be­cause they say, there is an expresse command for the one, and not for the o­ther. I answer, that there is command in generall for the one, from which the particular may soundly be deduced, as well as for the other. 2. No good rea­son can be rendred why the Seal of the Govenant should not as soon be ap­plyed to the children of Christians, as to the children of the Jewes, they are under no lesse priviledge than they. 3. There is no hinderance in the subject of Christian children, but want of understanding, and that also was equally wanting to the children of the Jewes; and if that be the reason, it might as well have hindred them: But this, I conceive, it may be said of them, as Christ did of Peter, about the washing of his feet, John 13.7. What I doe, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know it hereafter. So, though what Christ doth to Infants, they know not then, yet they shall know it afterwards; for though the act of Baptisme be transient, yet the vertue is permanent. 4. The Kingdome of Heaven is theirs, and to such it belongs: and why then not Baptisme, as the way thither?

7. And lastly, We find in Scripture, Infants baptized; as thus, 1 Cor. 10.1, 2. All our Fathers were under the Cloud, and all passed through the Sea, and were all baptized unto Moses, saith Paul, in the cloud, and in the Sea. Now many hundreds of those that Paul calls Fathers, were then Infants, and children; yet all then baptized: But it may perhaps be replyed, that this Baptisme was extraordinary; never was the like before, nor shall be the like after. For answer, I say it may be so granted in a two-fold respect. 1. In re­gard of the Minister, which was Moses. 2. In regard of the manner, as in com­ming through the Sea, which was the outward Visible Sign: Their com­ming out of Egypt, might signifie comming out of the Kingdome of Dark­nesse, [Page 14]the drowning of Pharoah and his Host in the Red Sea; the drowning of all our sins in the Red Sea of Christs blood; to which Micah may allude, Micab 7.19. When he saith, that God will cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea. Yet in other two things it agrees with ours; in Water, as in the outward wisiblesigue; And in the end, which was for the remission of sins: August. tract. 26. in Joh: Sacramenta illa fuerunt in signis diversa, in rebus quae significabantur paeria. Wee are brought visibly within the compasse of that, when we are ad­mitted members by baptisme; except a man he born again of Water, and the Spirit.

Of Water, not that Water, I say, contains grace Physically, and conveyes it to the Soul Physically, but Morally; not inhaerenter, but concomitanter: not that grace is inhaerent in the Water, and there conveyed to the soule: but God waits upon the the outward meanes with his grace, to bestow it as hee will: Not ex necessitate, but ex libera voluntate; not of any such necessity, that whosoever receives baptisme by Water, must needes also receive the Holy Ghost, but of Gods free favour and will, to give the Holy Ghost with the wa­ter, or after it, where he thinks good, 2 King. 5.14. The Water in which Naaman washed, was not able to have healed him of his Leprosie, by any in­herent vertue in it selfe, so the Waters of Abana, and Pharpher, Waters of Da­mascus, might be as good as it: But when God had appointed it by the Pro­phet as a means, God was pleased so to wait upon it with his sanative powre, that so concomitantly he was healed by the use of this appointed Element. God could have healed Naaman without washing in Jordan, onely by a word of the mouth of the Prophet, but he would not: he would appoint a visible means, and must look upon that, and wait upon God in his way; that way he will blesse: so, he could regenerate us, and we might be born again without wa­ter, onely by the Holy Ghost, yet you see God is pleased to appoint the visi­ble signe, and will have us therefore wait upon it, as a morall Instrument to convey his grace by.

There are two extreams of this Doctrine, one maintained by the rigid Pa­pists, the other of the Anabaptists, and of later times some of the newly min­ted Separatists; but before them Auxentius Arianus, and his Sectaries; as also the Pelagi [...]ms & Petrobraisians, but upon other grounds. The rigid Papists attribute so much to the Water in Baptisme, as Physically to conveigh grace (as you have heard) and makes it so necessary, that none can be saved without it; and St. Augustin himself was once deeply enough engaged in this way, and by rea­son of this Text: Of the Anabaptists, and the other Sectaries which sleights it, and think too meanly of it; as if the Elect might bee borne againe of the Spirit without this, either Infants, or others. Theodoret lib. 4. cap. 11. writes, that the Messalians, and the Enthusiasts attributed the means of Salvation onely to the inward work of the Spirit, without any outward means; but this is not to wait upon God in his way, but to go to Heaven per saltum a nea­rer [Page 15]way than God hath taught us; wherein they erre, and are much to blame.

True it is, Deus non alligatur mediis, God is not tyed to meanes, nor to out­ward Elements, if wee respect his potentiam absolutam, or absolute Power; but if we respect, potentiam ordinatam, or that Power by which God ordained, he would most ordinarily work, then God usually works by meanes, and wee must wait upon the means, if we mean to have his grace: Yet though the ri­gid Papists hold as you have heard, the Sani [...]res Scholastici, or more moderate Schoolmen; as Bonaventure in this point, and others, upon the 4. of the Sen­tences: make not Baptisme of so absolute necessity, as if none could be saved without it. But whereas they make a threefold Baptisme; Baptismus fluminis, Baptismus flaminis, Baptismus sanguinis; a Baptisme with Water, a Baptisme with the Spirit, and a Baptisme with blood: a Baptisme with Water, as here in the Text; a Baptisme with the Spirit, Luke last, 49. & Act. 2.4. they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; a Baptisme with blood, Luke 12.50. I must be baptized with a Baptisme, and how am I streitghtned untill it be ended? Now they say that baptisme of blood may suffice, where a man is crowned with Martyrdom, ex motu charitatis, and cannot have the other. 2. With the Baptisme of the Spi­rit, Luke 23.43. The good Theife that was a Christian, that dyed so, was not baptized with Water, but with the Spirit; by which he beleeved that Christ was able to save him. 3. Voto, When a man hath an earnest, and hearty desire to it, and yet is prevented by death: Thus Valentinian the Emperour, sending for St. Ambros to baptize him, yet dyed before he taught him, being but in the way; Ambros was not afraid to say, that he was baptized voto, and was in caelo, in Heaven, to the same effect. St. August. lib. 4. contra Donatestas, cap. 22.23. and its worth our observation, Mat. 16.16. in this point, He that beleeveth, and is baptized, shall be saved. Some might object, what needs a man baptizing if he beleeve? The Scripture tells us he needs, and you have heard of many that beleeved before, & yet must be baptized, then it follows: but he that beleeveth not, shall be damned; Its not said, he that beleeveth not and is not baptized: So then, where the Text saith, except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit; we must not understand it absolutely, but in some respect; that is, when God offers it, and we may have it: if no, then he cannot enter. For as St. Bernard hath it, Epist. 77. its not omnis deprivatio baptismi, but contemptus, or palpabilis neglectus: not every deprivation of baptisme, but contempt, or palpable neg­lect, when God gives time enough, and we will not take it, the death of such a man without it is fearfull. 2. Consider to whom Christ speaks in this Text, to Nicodemus, a man of ripe yeers: The immediate subject of Baptisme, Ex­cept such a one be born of Water and the Spirit; in such a case as you have heard, he cannot enter: for Baptisme is alwayes necessary, necessitate praecepti, [Page 16]in regard that God hath commanded it, though not alwayes absolutely ne­cessary, necessitate medii: thus much for ripe yeers especially, and de ecclesia con­stituenda.

Now, de ecclesia constituta, of a Church constituted; wherein all that are of ripe yeers are actuall Christians: in such a Church, Infants themselves are the immediate subject of Baptisme: though I know, that in the primitive Times, or in the Times of the ancient Fathers, many men that professed Christ would not be baptized till neere their death; because they thought that by Baptisme all their sins were washed away, which they had commit­ted before it; and if they had been baptized sooner, they were afraid to have sinned again, not well considering the vertues of it afterward; this they did, de facto, but it was not commendable in them, nor should be imitable by us, though their intent was honest.

Now of Infants that dye without Baptisme, what shall we say of them? shall we account them all for damned that dye without Baptisme with Water, as rigid Papists do? or bury them on the North side of the Church, where no Sun can shine on them, to signifie that no Light of Heaven, nor Sun-shine of Gods countenance belongs unto them: Surely no, its an harsh an unchari­table opinion; for Gods eternall election cannot be over-turned for want of the outward element, where it cannot be had, God having deprived them of it, in taking them away by death; Its true, St. August. was of this opinion, Ep. 28. ad Hieron. and 106. contra Pelagianos. And lib. 1. de anima, cap. 9. dispu­ting against Vincentius Victor, urgeth this Text: To which I answer. 1. That St. August. was driven upon this rock of extremity by the Pelagians importu­nity, who denying that Infants were born in originall sinne, he had no better Arguments than Baptisme, for one, to shew the contrary; for if not uncleane, then they stood in no need of washing. 2. I answer, That St. August. did as vvell arre in the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper, lib. 1. de peccatorum meritis, cap. 20. that it was necessary also to salvation for Infants to receive, being mi­staken from John, 6. v. 53. See Maldonate in 6. Johannis, how long this errour re­mained in the Church: yet since the Councell of Trent hath condemned it, and the practice of the Christian World is to the contrary. But Rom. 11.16. If the Roote be holy, so are the Branches: If the Parents be holy, we are to thinke the best in charity of their Children, till they come to yeers of discretion, and declare the contrary, Gen. 17.7. God established a Covenant with Abrahams Seed, as well as Abrahams selfe, 1 Cor. 7.14. If either of the Parents be sanctified, the Children are said to be holy.

2. We know that the Infants under the Lavv vvere not to bee circumcised before 8. days old: novv vvho knovves not that many of them dyed before that time, and yet vve read not that they might be circumcised before it. [Page 15]Now if all had been damned that wanted circumcision, then had God beene unmercifull to his Creature to prevent this: but this we know he is not the like; we may conceive of Infants dying before they were baptized by water, Mat. 2.16. Herod slew the Males in Bethlem, and in the Coasts thereof, of two yeeres old and under, now its probable, that many of those were so young, that they were uncircumcised, yet the Papists acknowledge they dyed Martyrs in Christs cause and were saved.

3 Josh. 5.5. By the space of 40. yeeres in the wildernesse, they were not circumcised, because Moser still waited for removeall, and so they being sore, were not so fit for it: Now if all those that dyed there had been damned, Moses and Aaron had been guilty of an horrible sin.

4. And lastly, wee know that in the Primitive Times they baptized but twice a yeer, at Easter, and Whitsuntide, which they would not have done, if the Popish Divinity had been true: but this is no warrant forus to deferre baptisme when it may be had, but we are to use the means seasonably which God hath prescribed, & so Cyp. ad fidum, to take care for new born Infants Ep: 3.

The Element must be Water, none else; not Milke, nor Wine, nor Sand, nor the like. St. Aug: tells us of Seleucus and Hermias, two Heretiques, that baptized with an hot Iron, mistaking that place, Mat. 3.11. but that was ful­filled, Acts 2.3. when cloven tongues of fire fell upon the Apostles. Niceph. lib. 3. hist. eap. 3.4. tells us of one that was baptized with sand, but when it was known to the Church, he was further baptized. The former was not sufficient, be­cause it had not Christs prescription, for his was the Element of Water, who as it is the most common liquor to wash filthinesse from the body, so it most fitly resembles Christs bloud, to wash away all manner of filthinesse from the soule, Ezek. 16.6. God saw the people of Israel in their blood and in their filthi­nesse, in that corrupt state of nature that every man is born in; but verse. 9. Out of His meere mercy, He washed her with Water, and annointed her with Oyl, that was the gra­ces of his holy Spirit. So here, a man must be born again of Water, and the Spi­rit. As for the circumstances of Baptisme, they are not so much materiall, whe­ther the whole body be dipped in water, or it be sprinkled upon the Party. In the Primitive Times, and especially in those hot countries, the whole body was put in water, as now its buried under the ground; hence Rom. 6.4. they were said to have been buried with Christ in their Baptisme unto his death, and the taking of them up again, which presented our resurrection; concer­ning which, you may reade more at large in the Counsels of Laodicea, and Neocesaria. But we must know, that many of ripe yeeres were then baptized, that were able to indure it, and for Infants, the Country was hotter but now where Infants onely are baptized, and such as are in cold Countries, diving their whole bodies into the waters were enough to bury them indeed, o [...] [Page 16]cause them to dye, not onely to baptize them. Againe, in those times, some dipped them thrice into the vvaters, some but once: of those that dipped them thrice, some would signifie Christs three dayes lying in the grave, as Tertull, and Cypr. others, the Trinity, in whose name they were baptized: those that dipped but once, would signifie the unity in Trinity; but wee stand not upon these.

And even as a man can but be once born naturally, no more can he but bee once born spirituall, which in the Text is called (being borne again) grosse therefore is the opinion and practice of the Anabaptists, who re-baptize their prosylited into their errour. St. Cypr. fell about rebaptizing of Heretiques, a­gainst whom Cornelius did justly oppose himselfe, &c.

In this Baptisme, the Papist say, that originall sinne is so taken away, that after it, its but an occasion of sinne: but we say with St. Aug. whom all ortho­dox Divines in this point have followed, tollitur reatu, remanet actu; though the guilt of it betaken away in elect Infants; yet it remaines a sinne, as a Serpent remains a Serpent when his sting is gone, yet cannot kill, and its kept under, and diminished in the faithfull by degrees. Epiphanius compares it to a Tree growing in the Walls of some stately building, which may bee lopped, and kept under, but the root vvill never be pulled out, untill the Wall be pulled down; no more will originall sinne, untill the body and soule bee pulled asunder by death. Originall sinne, remains a sinne in the Elect, and regenerate after Baptisme: Yet secondly, the guilt of that sinne is taken a­way in elect Infants, And ordinarily in baptisme, where it is compleat. If I had not bin occasioned to the handling of these two points, I should not have fallen so fully upon them, but the most vvise God hath his providence in every thing I shall point a little at Originall sinne, and then come home to the point. And in it, we vvill first consider the quod sit, that it is; and second­ly, the quale sit, what it is; for the former, briefly; Ephes. 2.3. natura filii irae, and vvere by nature the children of vvrath; that is, by reason of our corrupt nature infected vvith originall sinne, and Rom. 7.23. There was a Law in Pauls members, rebelling against the Law of his mind, &c. by vvhich Lavv of his members is meant, vitiositas naturae, the corruption of his nature, which did inhaerere, stick in them, and as a Law irritated him, to what was evill. 2. The quale, what such it is, Its a defect of Originall justice, with an aptitude to all manner of evill, haereditarily come upon us, by vertue of Adams guilt. The Schoole Divines make two branches of it, and in it consider the materiale, and the formale; the muteriale, they conceive to be concupiscence; the formale, the defect of originall Justice, or privation of it: thus Aquinas, and his followers, who were both many acute and learned: though other wise carried [...]ay with the errours of their times. In his pr. sec. qu: 82. art 3. in corporit calce: [Page 17]thus in particular Cajetan, Alexander Alensis Durandus, this infected the whole man, both in all the faculties of the soule, or organs of the body, as instru­ments to vent & execute that inward corruption, and this is the Doctrine of all our Orthodox Divines. And Aquinas herein said well, in his pr. sec. qu: 82. art. 2. ad jum. in peccato originali virtualiter praeexistant omnia peccata actualia, sicut in quodam principio; In originall sinne, all our actuall sins do praeexist, as in a cer­tain common root, or principle; but I would be briefe in every passage. And seeing that this is an haereditary disease, or inhaerent corruption in our na­ture, not the substantiall nature it selfe; first hence, Illyricus was much to blame, who in his book de essentia justitiae, and injustitiae originalis, at (que) etiam in tractatu quodam adjuncto disputationi quam habuit cum Victorino Strigetio vivariae, held that originall sinne was a substance, a daemone factam, made by the Devil, which was viva, & essentialis ejus imago, his living and essentiall Image; not much unlike that of the Maniches, asserted by Augustine, Tom 7. lib. 6. contra Ju­lianum cap. 1. Aug. in quod vult Deum haeres. 88. who held that it was extranea ma­li naturanostrae naturae admixta. 2. Hence the Pelagians are condemned, who de­nied originall sinne in Infants, contrary to Rom. 5.12. 3. The Anabaptists Armenians, and Albaneuses, as Castrensis hath it lib. 12. haeres. And now I come to the point, that it remains in the regenerate as a sinne, even after baptisme, Amesius Tom. 4. lib. 2. Bell. enervati, cap. 3. affirmes it to be sinne in such properly. And in the Argument of that booke, in the name of the reformed Churches. 2. Mr. Rogers on the Articles of Religion, condcluded for the Church of England, whose, propositions thence deduced, were printed by authority Anno 1585. and 87. upon the 9. Art. concerning originall sinne, Proposition 3. Originall sinne remains in Gods children. 3. Perkins in the order of causes, page 98. Its the root of all actuall sinne, and therefore, even after baptisme, saith he, it must properly be a sinne. in the 9. Art before quoted it selfe, this infection of nature doth remain even in them that are regenerate, plainly a­vouched by the publique Doctrine of our Church, grounded on Scripture, which testimony ought to go beyond any particulars. And 5. how often doth Paul manifest as much in himself, Rom. 7. calling it, non bonum, malum odio habendum, crucifigendum, mortificandum repugnans legi divinae, destruendum miserum reddeus cui in est & ver. 14. Hee said hee was carnall, sold un­der sinne, and v. 20.21. Sinne yet dwells in me, and evill that was still present to hinder good, 6. Piscator in locum Obs. 8. this saith he, is corruptio naturae, the corruption of our nature; at (que) etiam Synec dochice, peecatum originis, originall sinne. And Obs. ultima, a quo renati perpetuo vexantur, of which the regenerate are continually troubled. See also v. 24. its a body of death, which he would gladly have been delivered from, it was out of measure sinfull, v. 13.2 Cor. 12.7. He had a thorn in the flesh, a Messenger of Sathan to buffet him; which though hee praid a­gainst [Page 18]often, yet God wold not remove it from him, but told him his grace was sufficient for him, Jam. 1.14. Every man is tempted, when he is drawne aside of his own lust, and enticed; and Jam. 4.1. Whence, are wars and contentions, are they not from lusts that fight in your members? which place the Gene­va note collates with the Law in our Members, Rom. 7.23. and so Piscator, in lo­cum 7. how plentifull is St. Augustine in this point, lib. 1. contraduas Epist. Pe­lag. cap. 1. as also in his Booke against Julian, and the like: what man of a­ny reading in him knows not, lib. 1. de nuptiis & concupiscentiis ad velerium, cap. 25. answering the qu: quomodo concupiscentia carnis maneat in regenerato, in quo universorum facta est remissio peccatorum, &c. ad haec respondetur dimitti concupiscen­tiam carnis in baptismo, non ut non sit, sed ut in peccatum non imputetur, Original sin remains after baptisme in the regenerate, but is not imputed to condemna­tion. So that though there be aliquid damnabile in renatis natura sua, yet not dam­nandum, because non imputandum. And quamvis reatu suo jam soluto manet tamen donec sanctur omnis infirmitas nostra; although the guilt of originall sinne bee taken away in the regenerate, yet it still remains sinne, till we be cured of all sinne by death; and lib. 1. ad valerium, cap. 26. illius concupiscentiae quando remitti­tur reatus aufertur; when the guilt is remitted, it is so taken away, that it can­not hurt or condemne us: and on the contrary, actuall sinne, though this be transient, yet so long as the guilt of them remaines untaken away in the rege­nerate, they are damnable: therfore, saith he, actuall sins, although praeterie­runt actu, yet manent reatu, in the wicked: but originall sinne, maneat actu, prae­tereat reatu, in the regenerate. The act of sinne may passe away, and the guilt remains in the unregenerate, but on the contrary, the guilt of originall sinne is taken away in the regenerate, and yet it remains a sinne. And cap. 30.31. he followes those passages at large mentioned, Rom. 7. Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, &c. and these are contrary; now except it remained a sin, though daily weakned by the power of the Spirit, there should be no com­bate. And lib. 5. contra Julianum, cap. 3. concupiscentia carnis adversus quam bonus concupiscit Spiritus & peccatum est, causa peccati, paena peccati, concupiscence of the flesh, against which the Spirit of God doth fight, is both sinne; the cause of it, and punishment of it, sinne, because it rebels against the Law of the Mind; Punishment, because it was put upon the disobedience, as its reward and de­sert; Cause, of all actuall, as we have heard: for omnia nostra peccata immediate proveuiunt a corrupta nostra natura, ac a diabolo, ipsa medianti, Polan. lib. 6.3 achoriston, inseparabile, nisi morte, all our actuall sinnes, do arise immediately from our corrupt nature, and upon that, the Devill works us to wickednesse. I might adde many more testimonies, both out of St. Aug. the Scriptures, and the learned of the reformed Churches, than out of all these I have done: but these make the point plain enough. To these I added the publique doctrine [Page 19]of our Church: to which, I adde the confessious of other Churches, as that of Basil, art. 2. of the Reformed in France, which is the same with that of Geneva, art. 11. of Saxony, art. 10. of Helvetia, art. 1. cap. 8. to which adde Aquin. himselfe, pr. sec. qu. 81. art. 3. ad jum. So that I hope its no blasphemy, to affirm that Origi­nall sinne, remains a sinne, even in the regenerate after Baptisme, the guilt of it having been taken away. But now to affirme the contrary, that it remaines no sinne after Baptisme, but that both the guilt and stain is taken away in it, is downright Popery. For so Councell of Trent, sect. 5. the Pontificians do hold, as Bellarm: greg. de valentia, lib. de peccato, originali, cap. 8. Estius in lib. 2. sent. dist. 32. sect. 3. lit. C. and so the rest, holding it a defect, or weaknesse, or a fitting the heart, or disposing it to sinne, as tinder, that is no fire, but disposed soone to receive it without much opposition, and is not causa peccati, nisi obediatur: but I answer, that nothing can be the cause of sinne, per modum habitus interni, by way of an internall habit, and not bee a sinne it selfe; for as an internall cause inclining to good, is good: so by the like reason an internall incli­ning to evill, is evill. Again, all unrighteousnesse is sinne; such is it. Againe, primi motus sunt illiciti, it differs from the rule of the Law: therefore sinne, and these are, ejusdem rationis cum peccato originali, of the same nature, with originall sinne. But they say, Rom. 8.1. there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ: so say we, yet there is some what worthy of condemnation in them, if God should impute it, but the guilt being taken away it is pardoned. Ob. 2. Deum nunquam remittere reatum, manente peccato, God will never remit the guilt, and yet the sinne remain, saith Bell. Amesius answers, and I am sure hee was no Papist, Deus quando remittit non judicat peccatum non esse, sed ex gratia judicat non esse vindecta pro se quendum, when God remits the guilt of originall sinne, hee doth not judge it to be no sinne, but of his grace, and favour hee so remits it, that it shall never be persecuted by divine vengeance. Ob. 3. Its no more, I, but sinne that dwells in me; that is peccatum naturae, the sinne of nature, non personae, not of the person. In the first sinne, persona infecit naturam, in the posterity, natu­rain fecit personam. And I answer, it was not he, comparative, in regard of his regenerate part, but it was he in the unregenerate part, Rom. 7.15. I allow not that which I do, v. 19. the evill which I would not, that doe I: For the whole man is principium [quod] both of good, and bad actions, but the principium [quo] of evill, is corruption; of good, Gods grace. Ob. 4. The guilt is insepara­ble from the sinne: I answer, its inseparabile quoad dignitatem paenae, but its se­parable, quoad ordinationem ad paenam, and that will serve to keepe us from e­ver comming into the fire of Hell. Obj. 5. What is properly sinne is taken a­way by the grace of Christ in baptisme, but defect of originall justice, not ergo, Ans. Non ut non sit, sed ut non imputetur. But I may not swell the bulk, this shall briefly suffice for the former point, that though the guilt of originall [...] [Page 21]be taken away in the Elects, yet remains it a sinne even in the regenerate, in­vitis Pontificiis, whether the Popish Divines, will or no.

To the second, that their guilt is ordinarily taken away in elect Infants, in baptisme: for the explaining of which, I must praemise the certaine proposi­tion as thus I deny not, but God may, and doth give his Spirit to elect In­fants, sometimes before Baptisme; for many such may dye before they at­taine it. 2. He may do it after, for Baptisme is as well sigillum gratiae accipien­dae, when it is once had, as acceptae. 2. When I say in Baptisme, I meane by it, as the Fathers do, Baptismum completum, which includes three things, signum, signi­ficatum, and analogiam; the sigu is outward, the signified inward, the analogie mixed of both; the resemblance stands us, that even as Water washeth the body, so doth Christs bloud the soule: and this union is made by the Spirit Christ, applying the one, in, and by the thother, as by an outward Instrument, and if any of these be wanting, the baptisme is not compleat, but onely there is an outward Sacrament of Baptisme; not the grace of the Sacrament. Am­bros de iis qui initiantur Mysteriis, lib. 4. tres sunt in Baptismate, Aqua, sanguis spiritus si unum borum detrahas, non stat baptismatis in Saeramen [...]um; that is in the sense you have heard: therefore when I speak of baptisme, to draw it onely to the Baptisme of Water, is an insipid conceipt, which no man, either of learning or ordinary braines could in probability bee so voide of reason as to affirme, being that I had said they were not Instrumenta Physica; not no Creature not devoid of common reason and charity, would have once offered for their own shame to have fastened upon a man. So that I cannot meane onely the act of Baptisme, or Institution without operation, nor the materiale of the Sacra­ment or the formale of words. 3. And lastly, though all the Fathers that I have read, speake of Baptisme, in definitly, yet I meane not of all in generall, both Elect and Reprobate; for the unregenerate and repro­bate never have the guilt removed, though they bee baptized: but of Elect Infants, to which I have said, God is not so tyed to meanes, as that he may not give it either before or after, yet having been pleased to set up a standing Ordinance of Baptisme in the Chureh, I say that ordinarily, he takes away the guilt of their originall sinne in this, or else it must bee an extraordinary thing to have the guilt of it taken away: Bulling lib. 6. adversus Anabapt. Infautes habeant rem signatam, gratiam Dei, & remissionem peccatorum. Now whereas I say, the Fathers speak indefinitely, we must know, that an indefinite proposition in materia contingenti, is but instar particularis, as Doctus est pius, this is contingent; therefore not universall, but animal est sensibile, this is instar univer­salis: because it is in materia necessaria. Yet now, and then, a man may gather by what hath fallen from the Pens of the Ancients, that their meaning is of the Elect, when they speak of the efficacy of Baptisme. Again, when it is said (in [Page 18]Baptisme, it may either point at the tempus baptizandi, or the virtutem baptismi; the time of baptizing, or the vertue, power, and efficacy of it: and howsoever, if we consider the outward Sacrament of the Elementary materials, and the verball formale, as no proxima, propria, or immediata causa gratiae & fidei, as not having grace physically in it, or absolutam aliquam causalitatem, ad dispositionem recipientis, or any absolute eausalitie, to dispose the receiver of it selfe, as Bo­navent. in lib. 4. sent. dist. 1. qu: 4. yet they do this as morall Instruments, per quan­dam assistentiam divinam, quae proprie est fidei acgratiae causa; they doe efficere grati­am, afford grace, or work it. So that in this sense, we say with Amesius, aque baptismum aliquo modo causam instrumentalem regenerationis esse non negamus; in some sort we deny not, saith he, the baptisme of Water, to be an instrumental cause of regeneration; for it is an Instrument of the proper cause, and of the effect of the cause, which is the grace of the Spirit of God, though you have heard not the proper Proxime, and emmediate cause. Yet I say, by this mo­rall Instrument, as Scotus, Durandus, Henricus, Bonavent. Alexan. Ales, and out­ward visible sign as the standing Ordinance of God in his Church, he gives grace ordinarily to elect Infants, or else it should be a prognostick of grace, or a sigillum onely: Dr. Featly in his Childrens Baptisme justified, pag 41. speaking of its neglect, saith, thereby they deprive them of that ordinary remedy of that originall malady, in which they are conceived and borne, or cata polu, but signum inane aut vacnum, or concerning whom I cannot but note what I reade in that learned, and worthy instrument of GOD in his Gene­ration, Mr. Taylor, in his Sermons preached in the University in Cambridge, and in the ears of men, guifted to judge in point of Divinity, and printed as a comment on Titus, 1612. page 642. towards the end, he thus writes, distinguishing Infants, into such as are elect, and such as belong not the election of grace: the latter receive outwardly the element, and not inward­ly washed; The former, (namely elect Infants) receive in the right use of the Sa­ment, the inward grace: Not that hereby we tye the Majesty of God to any time, or means, whose Spirit blowes when, and where it listeth, on some before Baptisme (as we have heard) who are sanctified from the Wombe, on some af­ter: but then marke what followes, but because the Lord delights to present himselfe gratious in his own Ordinances, we may conceive, that in the right use of this Sacrament, he [Ordinarily] accompanieth it with his Grace: here ac­cording to his promise, we may expect it, and here we may, and ought to send out the prayer of Faith for it. And page 643. to such as dye Infants, giving that Spirit which works either Faith, or some thing proportionable for their justification, regeneration, sanctification, and salvation; In the latter, which survive, and live to discretion, vvorking the seeds, and inclination of Faith. [Page 22]which in due time shall fructifie to Eternal Life. See Polan. lib. 6. cap. 55. quo promissa est gratia invisibilis, & exhibetur. Wallebius in com­pendio, Theol. lib. 1. cap. 23. Fidem non secus ac rationem habent, acsi non in fructu, tamen insemine & radice, &c. They have Faith, as they have Reason, though not in the act and exercise of it, yet in the Root of Seed or it; they have virtuall, petentiall, and inclinative Faith; and they have it in Actu primo, saith Walleb. seeing they have spiritum fidei, the Spirit of Faith, though not in actusecundo. Prosp. de vocatione gent. lib. 1. cap. 18. Originem verae justitiae in regenera­tionis Sacramento positam esse, ut vbi homo tenascitur, ibi etiam ipsarum virtutum veri­tas Oriatur; Yea, some moderne Divines have afforded them the habit of Faith, Polan. synagmat. lib. 9. cap. 6. though others cannot see how that should be; of which never after any shew without new instruction. Estius in lib. 4. Sent, d. 4. sect. 6. calls it habitum sopitum, or qualitatem quiescentem; which, saith he, constituat vere credentes, sperantes, diligentes, &c. although it cannot actuate ex­cept the impediment of the age be removed, and externall doctrine or instru­ction accede by the outward senses. I say thus, that if by an habit, bee meant an inchoat habit infused, it may be true; but not of a perfect habit, for then the former exception may take place: but an inchoate habit, and a disposi­tion to a perfect one, are all one: for Disposition and Habit thus differ not specie, but gradu, as tempor & fervor, and thus in effect: Its no more then what we heard before; the School-men that follow Aquin. part 3. qu. 69. art. 6. in corpore, say thus: for their perfect habit, the impotentia operandinon accidit pueris ex defectu habituum, sed ex impedimento corporali; even as men that are slee­ping, they have the habits of vertue, though whilst such they cannot exercise them, Taylor on Titus, page 939. in his doctrine in Calce God (in baptisme) not onelyoffers and signifies, but truly exhibiteth grace, &c. and that vertuall and inclinative beliefe in them, is acceptable to God in Christ, as actuall, in aedu tis; it savours therefore too strongly of an Anabapticsticall conceipt, to think that Infants are not capable of inward graces of baptisme, unlesse they had actuall Faith. St. August. To 3. in enchirid. ad laurent. cap. 54. Baptism itis munere, quod contra origin ale peccatum donatum est, ut quod generatione attractum est, regeneratione detrahatur, and a little after, unde incipit hominis renovatio, here mans renovation begins. And Tom. 7. lib. 1. de peccatorum meritis, cap. 9. speaking of the Pelagians, denying originall sinne. Hinc enim etiam in paroulis nolunt cre­dere per Baptismun solvi originale peccatum: they will not beleove that Origi­nall sinne is is taken away in children by baptisme, lib. 2. cap. 28. Although Law of concupiscence remain in our members; manente ipsa, reatus ejus solvi­tus, though it abide, yet the guilt of it is taken away, and then it followes: sed eisolvitur qui Saccamentum regeneration [...]s accaepit renov [...]i (que) (jam caepit) its taken away in such as have received the Sacrament of regeneration, and now have [Page 25]begun to be renewed, lib. 6. contra Julianum, ergo quia & parvuli baptizantur in Chri­sto, peccato moriuntur, & a potestate tenebrarum, ubi natura filii ira, fucrant erunutur, Children are baptized in to the death of Christ, and dye to sinne, and al­though by nature they were the children of wrath, yet are they hereby pluc­ked out of the power of darknesse, lib. 1. contra 2. Ep. Pelag. cap. 13. & ipsa carni [...] concupiscentiain baptisme sic dimittitur, ut quanquam tract a sit a nascentibus, nihil noceat renascentibus, concupiscence in baptisme is so taken away, that though it be contracted to posterity, yet it hurts not the party regenerate, lib. de nuptii [...] & cap. 23. haec in qu am concupiscentia, quae sola Sacramento regenerationis expiatur, &c. Martyr loc. com. clas. 4. cap. 8. sect. 2. cham. lib. 5. de Sacr. cap. 4. par. 6. Cal. Institutionum lib. 4. cap. 14. sect. 17. Gerar. voss. Thes. Theol. de paedo baptismo pant 1. Thes. 15. Musclai com. q. 1. sect. 8. Junius de paedo bapt. thes. 10. August. Tom. 3. lib. 14. de Tul. cap. 17. This concupiscence, which by the onely Sacrament of Baptisme is expiated, or purged; namely, front the guilt, and by the Sacrament (as you have heard) is then meant the thing signified, as well as the signe. Nazianzen in laudem Gorgonii, calls it, divinae bonum, the good of divine beginnings. Atha­nasius in his book of Questions, dedicated to Antiochus, qu. 2. propounds this, when a man may know that he hath beene baptized, and received the Spirit (in Baptisme) being but an Infant when he was baptized. Answ. osper oun en gastri labousa gune; even as a woman may know that she is conceived with child when there is life: Even so a Christian by the springing of his heart in solemn dayes of Baptisme and the Lords Supper, and by the inward joyes he then conceives, oti to pneuma to agion elabe baptistheis, that he received the Holy Ghost when he was Baptized-Chrysost. Hom. 1. in Acta: Oti to curiota­ten to pneuma esti di hou cai to vdor energei: in Baptisme the Spirit is the chiefe by which the water becomes effectuall, not as any proper cause, or any Phy­ficall Instrument, as you have heard, Basil de spiritu sancto, cap. 10. answers to the question, how Christians are saved; dia tes en too Baptismati caritos, by the grace he received in Baptisme. St. Hierom. lib. 3. dialogorum contra Pelagianos; asking in cavelling manner, why Infants are Baptized: answers, vt ijs peccata in baptismate dimittantur; that their sins might be remitted in Baptisme. See further St. Aug. Ep. 23. ad Bonifacium, and the godly and learned Mr. Prinne, in his Perpetuity, page 354. To which I adde, learned Dr. Whittaker, de Sacra­mentis ingenere, qu. 4. cap. 2. respon. ad testimonium septimum, Deus in Baptismo & sig­nifieat remissionem peccatum & sanae ita re operatur, & veritas cum signo conjuncta est in electis; God both signifies remission of sins in Baptisme, and indeed so works it in the Elect: yet the truth of the signe is joyned with it: this also Dr. Fran. White makes good against Fisher, page 176. God doth not use to mock his people with empty signes, but by his power inwardly makes good, what by the outward sign he represents unto us; and what have beene said of this [Page 22] [...] [Page 25] [...] [Page 26]of Faith in elect Infants you have heard, and how in time it fructifies. Dr. Fately in his Childrens Baptisme in page 59. saith, the effects of the Spirit are begun at our Baptism, &c. & p. 60. they have purg'd away the guilt of their sins, and Christs righteousnesse is imputed to them. Yet onely give me leave to re­late what St. August. saith of this, Ep. 23. ad Bonif. seme! perceptam parvulis Chri­sti gratiam non amittit, nisi propria impietate, si aetatis accessu tam malus evaserit, &c. this grace of Christ once received, the child looseth not; except by his own vilenesse when he comes to yeers, and then his actuall sins are not removed by his baptismall regeneration: sed alia curatione sanentur, they must be hea­led by actuall repentance; and yet as Mr. Prinne Obs. this will not follow: that therefore a converted child of God may fall, either totally or finally from actuall grace Our own Church Art. 25. printed 1562. they are called effectuall signes of grace? Now if God doe not effect grace in some sort by them, they are not effectuall. In our Forme of Baptisme in the Church of England, we have been taught thus to pray, That the child may be baptized with water, and with the Holy Ghost, be received into Christs Church, and made a lively member of the same, and that comming to baptisme, it may receive remission of its sins by spirituall regeneration, and give thy Holy Spi­rit to this Infant that it may be born againe: And after Baptisme, seeing now that this Child is regenerate, &c. and I do not quote this as any autho­rity of its selfe, any further then made good by Orthodox Divines, Ames. Tom. 3. lib. 2. cap. 3.75. page; though all Infants receive not grace in Baptisme: neither say we so, Deum tamen quibusdam cum baptizantur habitum, vel Principium gratiae in fundere, non negamus Davenant in Col. 2.12. Spiritum gratiae inbaptismo ac­ceptum, Dr. Featley, Part. 2. inward grace ordinarily accompanieth the out­ward signe: Except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit. Our Sa­viour, you see, begins at Baptisme with Nicodemus and the Spirituall Birth, when he would have him a Christian. And as in the Scriptures we reade of a twofold Circumcision, so there is a twofold Baptisme; a twofold Circumsi­od, Rom. 2. two last, For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that Circumsion which is outward in the flesh; that is, it is not that Circum­cision alone that makes a man acceptable to God, without the other, where­of that was a symbole, but he is a Jew which is one within, and the Circum­cision of the heart in the Spirit, not in the Letter, whose praise is not of men but of God: So hee is not an acceptable Christian to God, that is onely baptized outwardly with Water, but he that is one inwardly, baptized also with the Spirit: therefore our Saviour puts them both together, Except a man bee born again of Water and the Spirit. 2 Kings 4.31. When the Shunamites Child was dead, the Prophet sent Gehezie with his staffe to lay upon the face of the child, and to quicken it, but no life, nor motion did appeare by that, [Page 27]then vers. 35. the Prophet himselfe comes, and hee layes his mouth to the Childs mouth, &c. and then presently it begins to revive, and life was resto­red unto it. Thus we may lay Water alone upon the Body, but it can intro­duce no Spirituall life; but when the presence of Gods sanctifying Spirit [...]omes together with it, then life is infused into the soule.

And secondly, as a man can perceive nothing of the things of this life ex­cept he be first born into the world naturally; no more can he perceive any thing of the sweetnesse of the life to come, except hee bee first borne againe spiritually.

Thirdly, even as the Children of Israel when they came out of Egypt were first to goe through the Red Sea. 2. Through the solitary wildernesse. 3. To be fed with Manna. 4. To passe through Jordan. and then 5. and lastly, into the Land of Promise; even so are we first to passe through the water of Bap­tisme. 2. Through the Wildernesse of Temptation. 3. God therein affords the Manna of consolation. 4. After both, Death: and 5. and lastly, then that aeter­nall Canaan, or rest of glory.

Fourthly, our Saviour saith, not except this man, or that man be borne a­gaine, but speakes indefinitely, except a man be born againe; that is as much as except every man be born again that may: for the Logitians tells us (as you have heard) that in materia necessaria propositioni definita est instar vniversalis; though in contingenti, but particularis. In a matter necessary, an indefinite pro­position is as an universall, so that its not left to every mans judgement as a thing indifferent, whether he will be baptized, or no; but he must, if he may, if he mean to enter Heaven.

Fifthly, we may observe, that this is spoken to a Jew, a man that had been circumcised before; Amen, Amen, dico tibi, to ye, yet to circumsion he addes Baptisme, putting an end as it were to the one, and beginning the other; therefore, the Jewes do wrangle in vaine, contending for Circumsion to bee for ever, and never altered; because its said, Gen. 17.7. That God made an e­verlasting Covenant with Abraham, and his Seed, and Abraham believed be­fore he was circumcised, and afterwards received the signe of Circumsion, which is also called a Seale of the Righteousnesse of Faith, and to Ahraham it was given as a signe, that hee believed the divine promise of the Seed to come, Gal. 3.16. He saith not as to the Seeds, as speaking of many, but to thy Seed, as to one, which is Christ, in whom all the Nations of the Earth were to be blessed. Circumcision then was an open signe of the confession of this Seed to come: now the Seed being come, if any man should retain circumsi­on as still necessary, he should as much as signifie he were not come, Gal. 5.2. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing: So that to the Jewes objection out of Gen. I answer thus, faedus Dei cum populo [Page 28]sempiternum; but signumillud particul are non esset aeternum: although the Cove­nant of God with his people, was to be aeternall, yea their particular signe of circumcision was not to be so; for though the covenant held, yet the sign of the covenant was alterable: for circumcision was not pactum, but signum pacti; circumcision was not the covenant its selfe, but the signe of the cove­nant.

Its observeable in sacred Writ, quod Deus ter faedus suum cum homine renova­vit; renewed his covenant three times with man, and the sign was every time preximius & perfectius, the nearer to him, and the more perfect. First, he made a covenant with Noe, of not drowning the world again by Water, and his signe for this was his bow in the Clouds, Gen. 9.12, 13. This is the token of the Covenant which I make between me and you, &c. I have set my bow in the Clouds, and it shall be a signe betweene me and the earth. Secondly, with Abraham and his Seed; and promised Christ, Gen. 17.10. And that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed (as you have heard) and then he instituted the signe of circumcision. 3. And lastly, he renews the covenant in Christ to all belie­vers, and of this covenant, Baptisme was the more perfect than the former.

Sixthly, observe, that he joynes two things in the Sacrament together, that are valde dissimili, greatly dislike Water and the Spirit, the former cor­porall, the latter spirituall; the former visible, and the latter invisible: and herein answers to the two essentiall parts of man, his body and his soule; where of the former is visible, the latter invisible; the Water visible, the Spirit invisible: the Water washeth the body, the Spirit works upon the soule and minde, John 3.8. the manner of our regeneration is compared to the blowing of the winde, The winde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but thou canst not tell whence it comes, nor whither it goes; so is every one that is borne of God. Now in the winde two things are observeable. 1. we feel it blowing, but 2. we cannot see the wind that bloweth; for though it be a body, yet naturall Philosophy teacheth us, that it is corpus tam tenue, so subtle a body, that we cannot see it: even so it is here, we feel the sweet working of the Spirit, but we cannot see that spirit that worketh.

The Papists that hold the Sacraments Phyficall Instruments (as you have heard) they say that the body is no lesse sanctified by the Water, than the soule by the Spirit: and they instance thus, quemadmodum aqua viribus ignis in­tensius calefacta, non aliter quam ignis vrit, &c. Even as Water made very hot by the fire, doth no lesse burn then the fireits selfe, so the Water in baptisme by the operation of the Spirit of God adjoyned to it, doth cleanse the body of him that is baptized, as the Spirit its selfe: but as some of the sounder Schoole Divines have well considered, Water being but Creatura insensibilis, an insensible creature, its not capable to be the subject of any inhaerent grace [Page 29]as one body or element is capable of the heating by another. 2. You have heard that Spiritus, is not alwayes necessario sihi adjunctus, the Spirit is not al­wayes and of necessity joyned to it. 3. And lastly, the corporall substance of water cannot immediately touch or work upon the soule. But even as the meat is first digested inwardly in the stomack, and then by secret passage the spirit and vigour of it is conveyed to the outward parts of the body; even so grace first infused into the heart and mind of a man, spread it selfe into all the faculties of the soule, and then into all the parts of the body, so that the whole man is infected So grace when God doth infuse it, spreads it selfe as farre; thus in this sense in regard of parts, where sin hath abounded, there grace also may abound. And in what sense God may be said to have sancti­fied us by the water of baptisme, you have heard heretofore. But you will say, what need Christ water in baptisme, as any outward signe to sanctifie us by? cannot he sanctifie us by his Spirit without this? I answer, what needed our Saviour clay or spittle, or washing in Siloam to have opened the blinde mans eyes: could he not have done it onely by a word, and it should have served? Or, why did God create man of the dust of the earth? could hee not have created him of nothing? I answer yes, but he was not pleased so to doe, but would use meanes, to teach us not to despise the use of meanes, but to waite upon God in the use of them when he appoints them, Rom. 9.20. O man, who art thou that disputeth with God, shall thou teach him how he shall work his work, or by what meanes, Gen. 1. the latter part of the second ver. its said, That the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters, even so doth it up­on these waters to sanctifie us by them, as by an outward signe, giving us by that which we see, that which we see not, in what sense you have heard be­fore. This water in Baptisme is thought to have been typified, per aquam ex­piationis, by the sprinkling water mentioned, Numb. 19.9. But ver. 2. this water must have the ashes of a red Cow mingled, that which was without blemish; to note out that this water must have the red blood of Christ without sinne, to goe with it. As also by the Waters issuing out of the Sanctuary (as some will have it,) Ezek. 47. from v. 1. forward &c. as also by the Waters of the flood, Gen. 7.7. and this is plain by St. Peter, 1 Pet. 3.21.

Seventhly, he saith not, nisi quis baptizatus fuerit, sednisi quis natus fuerit, ne quis de solo externo baptismo gloriaretur; he saith not, except a man be baptized, but except a man be borne againe, least any man should glory onely of his out­ward baptisme, for outward baptisme with water you have heard will not serve, without inward baptisme with the spirit, by which the old man is put off, and the new man put on, or otherwise as many come through the red Sea, that afterwards perished in the Wildernesse, and never saw the Land of Pro­mise, so many may passe though the Water of Baptisme, that afterwards [Page 30]perish in aeternall misery, and never see the spirituall Canaan, no more then they did the temporall.

Eightly, As in naturall generation there is a concurrence of father and mother; even so in this spirituall generation, the Church, as the mother, she affords water: and God, as our Father, he gives his Spirit, and so a man comes to be born a child of Light.

9. And lastly, seeing that a man can but be once borne naturally, no more can he spiritually (as you have heard) therefore Donatus of old, and the Anabaptists of these latter times, have been much to blame, to baptize men over again, seeing that their former baptisme was by lawfull Ministers, and according to Christs prescription, both for matter and forme. Donatus upon conceipt that the Ministers were faulty in their lives that baptized them; as though the efficacy of the Sacrament did depend upon the bounty of the Instrument, and not upon GOD. Many that have been baptized by faulty Ministers prove good men; and on the contrary, many that have beene bap­tized by good Ministers, prove bad men.

But before I passe this point, I cannot but give you one collection from some of the Papists, out of this Text. You know they hold, that the Fathers dying before Christ came in the flesh, were not in Heaven, but in Limbo, and that because, say they, they were not thus baptized of Water, and the Spirit: or thus born again. Yet when Christ suffered, they say they were baptized with that water that came out of his sides, and so were conveighed to Hea­ven, at his comming out of Hell: but we must know, that this Text will af­ford them no such collection; for, first you have heard, that this Text is not meant of absolute necessity, but in some respect. 2. Though they could not go to Heaven by Water, yet might they by Circumcision, as the outward signe, or by the Sac [...]aments of the old Testament. 3 And lastly, this way to Heaven by Water, was a new way, and not ordinarily required, before the comming of Christ, this Sacrament was not restituted before his comming in the flesh: therefore, the Ancients could not be debarred Heaven, for want of being born again thus, as wee may. The Water as it cannot regenerate without the Spirit, so the Spirit ordinarily will not without this, where it may be had, and where it is contemned; therefore God is pleased to joy ne them together, in this sense also then, those things that God bath put together, let no man separate. Seeing God hath beene pleased to put together Water, and the Spirit, let no man separate them, Christ taught Nicodemus, that hee must be born thus of Water, and the Spirit; except a man be born againe of Water and the Spirit.

I now come to the next point, the necessity of it, He cannot enter into the Kingdome of GOD: except a man be borne againe of Water and the Spirit, be can­not [Page 31]enter into the Kingdome of GOD. He cannot enter, you have heard in some respect, there is an impossibility he cannot take this Kingdome of God by violence, as they did the Kingdome of God in another sense, Mat. 11.12.

The Kingdome of God is severally taken in Scriptures, as sometimes for the Administration of the Gospell, in which Christ did raigne in mens con­sciences, as a King in his Throne, or in his Kingdome; thus 1 Cor. 4.20. The Kingdome of God is not in word, but in power, which words St. Paul expounds, 1 Thes. 1.5. For our Gospel came not unto you in word onely, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, &c. In the former place its called the Kingdome of God; in this latter, the Gospell: into this Kingdome of Heaven, the Pharisees would neither enter themselves, nor suffer others, like Aesops Dog in the Hay, that would neither eat it himselfe, nor suffer the Cattle that would have made good use of it, Mat. 23.13. Wee therefore unto you, Scribes, and Pharisees, Hypo­rites, because ye shut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men, for yee your selves goe not in, neither suffer yee those that would enter to come in. 2. For the new estate of the Church, in the time of the new Testament, under Christ, Mat. 5.19. He that shall breake one of the least of these Commandements, and shall teach men so, hee shall be accoun­ted the least in the Kingdome of Heaven.

3. And lastly (to let other acceptions goe) its taken for the Kingdome of the blessed in the estate of glory; thus, Luke 12.32. Feare not little Flocke, it is your Fathers will, to give you the Kingdome: and that you may see in the next verse, is meant of the Kingdome of Heaven, Whither no Theeves can come to steal; and Mat. 25.34. This is the Kingdome prepared for you, from the foundation of the world. Acts 14.22. Through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God; that is, that aeternall Kingdome reserved for us in the Heavens, Gal. 5.21. ha­ving spoken of the workes of the flesh, he tels us, that they which doe such things, shall not in herit the Kingdome of God; that is, that Kingdome that is here spoken of in the Text, Ephes. 5.5. its called the Kingdome of Christ, and of God, not that these are two Kingdomes, but one and the same, so cal­led in severall respects, Christ merited this Kingdome for us, God gave us the Kingdome which Christ merited. And Luke 22.29. where our Saviour speakes of his Disciples, and how they continued with him in his Temptations: therefore, saith he, I appoint unto you a Kingdome, as my Father hath appointed unto me; and that is the Kingdome into which the faithfull shall all enter, but such as are not prepared for it, like the foolish. Virgins, may cry, Lord, Lord, long enough, and yet the gate of this Kingdome will be shut against them, Mat. 25.12. Christ will not know them, that will not know him, they shall not enter into this Kingdome of God; except a man be borne againe of Water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God.

He cannot enter, Hence observe, That regeneration, is of absolute necessity [Page 32]to salvation, John 3.3. except a man be born againe, he cannot see the Kingdome of God, Heb. 12.14. follow peace and holinesse, without which no man shall see God, for Mat. 5.8. its the pure in heart, that must see God. And Heb. 11.6. without Faith, its impossible to please God: now where God is not pleased, a man cannot be sa­ved, and where no regeneration is, there is no faith, and so by consequence no salvation. I stand not upon the manner of regeneration, whether it bee by Water as the outward signe, and by the Spirit and inward grace, as here in the Text: or it be by the Spirit without Water where it cannot be had: or it be sacramentally or habitually, or howsoever: yet there must be a regenera­tion even in Infants that dyes before they come to riper yeeres, some meanes to cleanse, and free a rationall nature from the guilt and damnable nature of originall sinne, as well as actuall in riper yeers, before there can be salvation: but before we proceed any further, let us propound two questions concerning this baptisme. First, whether the Water ought to be consecrated, in which we are to baptize, or no; or we may baptize in common water? I answer, if by consecrated water be meant that superstitious popish consecrarion, wee deny it, for that is thus performed. 1. By certain carefull crossings. 2. By secret words. 3. By some odde gestures. 4. By these breathing on it, as if like Christ these blind hypocrites would thus give the holy Ghost. 5. By taking a bur­ning wax Candle, and putting it thrice into the water, and saying, Let the power of the Holy Ghost come down into this plentifull Fountain, and let it make the whole substance of this water faithfull with the fruit of regene­ration: this they did upon that grosse conceipt, that water was a Physicall Instrument to convey grace, we have no such warrant in the Word of God, or direction for any such thing. But if by consecrated water, no more bee meant but water set a part for an holy use, and good end, and such as concerning which we use prayers about baptisme, and for no other use imployed than baptisme, this ought to breed no quarrell amongst intelligent Christians, nor to denominate any man superstitious: for the thus setting it apart, and revising of it, seeing that its used in no other manner, nor for any other end, than the Apostles used water in their times; for wee acknowledge no more inhaerent holinesse in this, than in other Water, as the Papists do: and in this sense, water in the Font, is no worse, than water in the Fountain, nor to be accounted more superstitious, being but thus used, though the Fonts have been abused: we know the Apostles, and Apostolicall men baptized in com­mon Water, and such as was most obvious for that occasion, devoy'd of any ceremonious consecration, Mat. 3.6. John baptized in Jordan, in the faire o­pen River, because he baptized many at one meeting, and those of ripe yeers, and Acts 8.38. Philip baptized the Eunuch in the Water by the high way side, [Page 33]as they travelled, and if we wanted other places as they did, we might also doe the like.

Secondly, where our Saviours mentions being borne again of Water, and the Spirit, but expresseth not in the Text who should apply it; the second question may be, who should administer baptisme? I answer, he that hath a lawfull calling to meddle in the Administration of the Church Sacraments, and to touch the people, and can shew the nature, the end of them, &c, Mat. last, 19. those that went out to baptize, went out also to teach, such as were capable of it: Yea, that's ordinarily; but in case of necessity, may not Lay­men baptize, or Midwives, &c. the Papists say they may: for whom thus much may be said in briefe. First, for private men to administer Sacraments, the master of every family killed the Passeover in his owne private house, Exod. 12. [...]. to 7. and distributed it to them: why may not private men now as well minister Sacraments? I answer, that when the Passeover was first ap­pointed, then the Aaronicall Priesthood was not instituted, but the eldest of e­very Family was a Priest, if not uncapable, and performed all Priestly duties, unto God: but after the Lord had chosen the Tribe of Levie, and setled the Priest-hood in that, then these things were done by them to whom it apper­tained, and not by others. 2. For Midwives, its usually urged, that Zipporah cir­cumcised the sonne of Moses, Exod. 4.24, 25. God met Moses in the Inne, and would have killed him for neglecting the Circumcision of his Child. Let negligent Parents take notice hence, how Gods anger will bee also kindled against them, if they neglect baptisme now, the like to their children: then Zipporah, Moses his wife, took a sharp knife, and circumcised her son, & then Gods wrath ceased. To which I answer. 1. That one example makes no rule, as one Swallow makes no Summer, Judg 4.4. Deborah a woman judged Israel, yet it will not honce follow for a rule, that any woman may be Judge; neither may we hence collect, like that wise man in Norfolke, who reading how Debo­rah judged Israel, would needs hence collect, that a woman might be a Justice of Peace: there are divers particulars in Scripture, out of which we cannot well draw generall Rules, if we do, we shall conclude many absurdities. 2. I answer, that this was an extraordinary example, and therefore can no more make a rule for ordinary actions, than Moses his baptizing in the cloud, and in the Sea, or his making of Aaron a Priest, Moses and Aaron among his Priests, &c. this might not be drawn into a rule, no more might Zipporahs. Objection, that neither doe they make this common rule, but in case of necessity, or in anticulomo [...]tis, in danger of death. To which I answer. 1. That they make it more common many times then they need, because they would be doing, and be accounted some body. 2. That there is no such absolute necessity, as to compell them to abuse the Ordinance of God, as if God had no other wayes [Page 34] [...]o save by, but by the powring on water by the hand of a woman, they are no such grace-wives, as to conferre grace thus. 3. Moses was then sick, when Zepparah circumcised the child, and was not well able to do it; yet what if Moses speak of this rather by way of indignation, then any point of Religi­on, or commendation of her. 4. She did it not in any love, or reverence to the Sacrament, but for by respects, she did not performe it in that reverend man­ner that Sacraments use to be performed, but very unreverently and furiously both in deeds, words, and gestures. In deeds, she threw the fore skinne in an anger at his feet. In words, a bloudy husband hast thou been unto me, grudg­ing against God that instituted the Sacrament, as well as Moses. In gestures, frowning, and looking disdainfully upon him. 5. And lastly, though God was pleased when the Child was circumcised, yet it followes not, that therefore he was content with the manner of it, or with the approving of the party that did it, and the case I say was extraordinary. Obj. 2. But howso­ever, they may apply the element, and use the right form of words, and better so, than no baptisme at all. I say that more is required to baptisme than wa­ter, and the words, and that is authority from God, and a solemn calling from the Csturch to do it, which they cannot have, and necessity is no suffici­ent authority to Priest a woman, though I know how some have cavelled a­mongst the reformed, as I have known such as have been baptized by them, afterwards brought to the Minister to be baptized of him; and wee know that the opinion of absolute necessity put them upon the point. But 1. Christ hath had a setled order of men, since the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel to do this, therefore no need of them, 2 Mat. 28. 19. Teach, and bap­tize, this is a Sacrament of the Church, and the Sex of a woman excludes her from Teaching, and by consequence from administring Sacraments, Joh: 4.2. Jesus baptized not, but his Disciples; which some understend exclusively, none but they did it; yet no doubt but many Children were then in danger, 2 Tim. 22. I permit not a woman to teach, that is, publiquely to instruct in the open Con­grcgation, 1 Cor. 14.34. Let your women keepe filence in the Church, for it is not permitted them to speake, their Sex deprives them of such Ministeriall functions, Tertullian de velgandis virginibus, its not permitted a woman to speake in the Church, much lesse to teach, or to baptize, or to offer; neither to take to her selfe the execution of any mans office, much lesse the Priests. And Concil. 4. Carth aginensi Epiphanius, disputing against divers Heretiques, and confuting Marcion, complained that he also gave women leave to baptize: he said the like of the Quintilian, and Pepatian Heretiques: and concerning the necessity of Baptisme by Water (you have heard before) that its not alwayes abso­lutely necessary respectu medii, but necessary in some respect, where God offers it, and men may have it. But this baptisme by the Spirit, or regeneration by [Page 35]some means, or other is absolute necessary, none ever was, or shall be saved without it, 1 Cor. 6.9. Know yee not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the King­dome of God, &c. The reason is, because no unclean thing shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven, Rev. 21. last, and there shall enter into it no unclean thing? Now we are all unclean by nature, Ephes. 2.3. and we by nature, saith St. Paul, were the children of wrath, as well as others; that is, by our corrupt nature, being born with Adams guilt upon us: so that wee may all cry, as the Lepers did under the Law, I am unclean, I am unclean, Lev. 13.45. and as the Lord said to Jerusalem, so may we say to you, O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made cleane, when shall it once be, and you have heard, how this cleansing must be by regenerati­on, 1 Cor. 6.11. having spoken of grosse sins, he addes, And such were some of you; but ye are washed, ye are sanctified. q.d. Without this washing, this sanctifying, this cleansing, yee had been in the same estate with the unrighteous, and so could not have inherited Heaven.

Well, is this so, that regeneration is absolutely necessary to salvation: this then may first afford us an Use of exhortation, for every one of us to use the means to be regenerate, if we mean to be saved: Be diligent in hearing Gods Word taught: reade good bookes of practicall Divinity, and of such men as have writ for thee that which they have found by experience in themselves: frequent Prayer, desire it from others to pray for thee, that God would come and make himselfe knowne to thee. God workes by means, and not by any means, but by such as are of his owne directing. If wee use these means, Gods blessing is ready to attend them, and make them effectuall to as many as he will save.

Secondly, If so, then an Use of Reproofe to such as dream of salvation, and say they hope for it as well as the best, when in the mean time, they la­bour not for regeneration: but hates the meanes God hath ordained to save them by and cannot indure those that use them, but revile them, and slander them, and persecute them, because they affect not any such goodnesse them­selves. Or else, 2. they use but the meanes in part, and have not a care to share in all the Ordinances of God: if they practice one, they will not another if they heare, they have no great mind to remember, or practice accordingly or to joyn prayer to it, that's a wearinesse to the flesh; before they durst not quando satis fuit criminis fuesse bonum, when it was matter enough of accusation to have been good, but now by Gods mercy they may; but because its weari­some to the flesh, though great comfort to the conscience, they decline if Or 3. if more amply, yet but of custome, and superficially, not as in consci­ence, and as in obedience to Gods direction, or in care to grow in grace, o out of any experimentall sweetnesse they have found in the Ordinances.

3. And lastly, if so, then an Use of Justification, of such as have a care [...] [Page 36]labour for regeneration, and experience of Gods love in Christ: so they must either do, or be damned, its a matter of no lesse consequence then life and death. Suppose a man had committed such a capitall Crime, as for which he knew by the Law he was to be hanged, or should suffer some shamefull kind of death: oh how would it break his sleepe? and how would he imploy all his friends? how would he ride and run night and day to procure his free­dome, or pardon, which his deeds had merited, and all this, but to free him from a temporall death: Well, and every unregenerate sinner in that estate, is in as great danger of Hells eternall Torments, for the sinne he hath done, as this man is of his temporall death. Oh! doth it not concern them thon to be disquieted in mind on the night seasan, to procure the prayers of all their friends: to fast, pray, cry, and what not, and say with those heart-pric­ked Jewes, Act. 2.37. Men and Brethren, what shall wo doe to be saved? who would raile against such a man as he saw to he troubled, or to run and ride to save himselfe from a temporall Death? yet so shamelesse are many wicked men, that they revile, and raile against such men as they see thus troubled to e­scapean eternall death. Fooles and blind, how long will it be ere they un­derstand the errour of their way, how long would they be taught? how should they see their errour, and cry mightily unto God for the pardon of it? Seeing then that regeneration is of absolute necessity to salvation; let us lay downe some motives to inflame our affections to be in love with that estate: First, God himself is much affected with it, if therefore we would sympathize with him, let us be so too. Great men what they affect, their servants either affect the like, or at leastwise make show of it; to the end, that sympathizing with their Lords, they may obtaine more favour from them: Well, and God I say is in love with this estate, 1 Thes. 4.3. This is thr will of God, even your sanctifieation, and Rom. 6.12. he would not have sinne to raign in your mortall bodies.

The second motive may be the reward that men shall have when the work is over, though this be painfull, yet the reward is gainfull, Rom. 8.13. If ye mor­rifie the deeds of the body, by the Spirit, ye shall live, not as Nestor tertiam aetatem homi­num, as long, as 3. men in this life present, but eternall in the life to come, 1 Tim. 4.8. Godlinesse is profitable to all things, which hath both the pro­mise of this life, and of that which is to come.

The third, that Christ may attaine his end in dying for them; Titus 2.14. which was, that he might redeeme us from all our iniquity, and purge us to be a peculiar people to himselfe, zealous of good workes, performe them not coldly, or outwardly, but zealously, and conscionably: for as St. Augustin and Bernard haze spoken, though they be not causa regnandi, yet they are, vi [...] [...]d regnum, though they be not the cause of reigning, yet they are the way hither; and the Apostle tells us, that we were created in Christ Jesus to good [Page 37]workes, that wee should walk in them. I now come to the last point in the Text, the reason of the other: for that which is born of the flesh, is flesh; but that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit. First, for the former branch, quod natum est ex­carne, caro est, that wich is born of the flesh, is flesh. Its worth our observation, that when our Saviour had told Nicodemus the necessity of being born againe of Water, and the Spirit, that he stayes not for Nicodemus his asking him a reason of this Doctrine, sed ipse ultro rationem raddit; he willingly renders a reason himselfe in this verse of the Text, That which is borne of the Flesh, is Flesh, which may let us see how a sound Teacher should render a good reason of his Doctrine, and not onely dictate, and afford no proofs, to establish the faith of his hearer. If the men that pretend so much now light would do so, it werewell, I have lately seen a little Pamphlet concerning Church offices in New-England, wherein it is reported, how that American Jezabel, one Hutchin­son, a Gentlewoman under the pretence of this new light, did exceedingly trouble the Churches, and yet of a long time could not cleerly discover the originall of it, that linnen prophetesse under pretence of new light, did so gull and infatuate old Professors, that they sleighted and undervalued their old Teachers in regard of it, whom they had followed by Sea and Land, and forsaken the places of their nativity for the love of them; which light, was indeed nothing else but a mere imaginary flash in the Pharisie, by which the Divell changing himself into an Angell of light, beguiled them, untill at length, her impostures were found out, she after long debate of the matter convicted, and adjudged to be banished, that their Churches might have rest; some of the beames of this light are extended to our Nation, there may bee such imaginary illuminates in it, but qua tales, wee know they are not of us. The enemy that too well loves his crosse rowes, is still in hand with his A. and his B. ANABAPTISTS and BROWNISTS; but they will not C. that the Church of England deselaims these Suppose the graces of Gods Spirit may be in such men, as are of the more tollerable temper amongst them: yet St. Paul would not forbear Peter, because of his graces, when he did wrong, but reproved him roundly for it: the peace of the Church should be valued at an high rate, of all such as do sapere ad sobrietatem, and such as speak not the words of sobernesse, as well as truth, deserve censure, as Paul said to Festus, Act. 26.25. Gen. 1.16. God made two great lights, the Sun to rule the day, the other the night, he made also the Stars, but these borow their light from the Sun. Now if any man should tell us of new light, and yet after that of more new light; be it of Candle, or Torch, or the like: I would aske what these were in comparison of the light of the Sun, Moon, &c. So god made other two great lights in the Firmament of the Church, the Old Te­stament to governe the Jewes; the New to governe both Jewes and Gentiles, [Page 38]that Lumen innatum, or light God lent from Heaven contained in them, wee willingly receive from them, and all the Stars of the Churches horrow their light from hence. Lord open their eyes, to distinguish betweeen this light to be drawn from it, and that lumen adventitium, or adventitiall light brought to it, Hos. 6. latter part of the 5. vers. thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth.

Now this adventitiall light in comparison of the innate light, is but as a Candle before the Sun, between which there is no comparison, and where the Sunne can have accesse, a candle is needltsse: so where the light of the Scriptures can take place, there is no need of this imaginary light of man. If a man should conceive that there were not innate light enough in the Sunne to illuminate our hemisphaere, but should devise some new light of Torches, to set upon every Beacon to illuminate the Ayre, and let men see how to tra­vell, would not all men laugh at him, knowing that this was but a superflu­ous conceipt, and that many ages had travelled well enough without any such light, as well as with them: even so here, If we shall boast of new light, and more light, which cannot be found in the Scriptures, nor drawne from them, and set up that, and magnifie it amongst men; as though the other contained not sufficient, may not men either think them proud, or ridiculous, in not being content to travell by that light, in which so many ages of the Church have gone to Heaven before them, surely yes. But they will say, that they have a greater measure of Gods Spirit infused to see, and interpret that innate light than hath been before them. I answer, 1. That divers points of their illuminate Doctrine cannot be made good by the Scriptures, neither are they according to the analogie of Faith. 2. That Light in the Scriptures, being the Light of Gods Spirit, if their Light agree not with that, it cannot be from God. 3. Many of Gods people that have the Spirit in as great a mea­sure as they have, and shew it by the effects, cannot conceive their opinions to be truth, as consonant to that sacred Truth of God, Es. 8.20. To the Law, and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them, let them boast of what they will, and Gal. 1.8. If an Angel from Heaven preach any other Dectrine, let him be accursed, 1 John 4.1. Try the Spirits, whether they be of God, or no, and beleeve not every Spirit, &c. that is, every Doctrine that is pretended to come from the Spirit; intimating, that there may not be Doctrines pretended from the Spirit, that are not of the Spirit, &c. This indeed, I willingly grant, that there may lye a truth in a text, which a carnall eye may travell over many yeeres, and not be discovered; thus the Rabbins of the Jewes, the Scribes, and Pharisees, did often reade over many Texts in Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalmes, which concerned Christ, and which they understood not: these very places, Christ himself and his Apo­stles, [Page 39]whose understandings he had opened to understand the Scriptures, Luke last, 49. did often quote against them, and confute them, Hos. 6.6. Its said, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: this, though often read, yet not understood of them; therefore, Mat. 9.13. Goe yee (saith our Saviour) and learne what that meaneth, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice: See againe, Psalm. 100.1. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, untill I make thy Foes, thy Foot-stoole: This place, though they had often read, yet they did not understand, as may appeare by Mat. 22. from 44. to the end, When those learned Pharifies were assembled, verse 41. our Saviour begun to pose [...]hose Owle-eyed Doctors, and moves his question upon these words, The Lord said unto my Lord, &c. whereas they had said be­fore, verse 42. that CHRIST was DAVIDS Sonne, he replyes; If be bee Davids Sonne, how doth he then call him Lord: but they could not answer him a word, neither durst any from that day forth, aske him any more questions; thus you see how a truth may lye in a Text, which carnall eyes cannot discover, though otherwise learned. But this will not hold; that because they before Christ could not; ergo, not wee. 2. That car­nall eyes could not; ergo, not those that are illuminated by Gods holy Spirit, and being the righteous to whom he reveales his secrets: these could never be so far over-sighted, but if the light came from the Scrip­ture, they would see it, as well as others: yet the most excellent of them cannot finde this new pretended light justified there: so much for that point.

I now come to the last, That which is borne of the Flesh, is Flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit. Our Saviour having showne Nicedemus the necessity of regeneration, stayed not (as you have heard) to see whe­ther hee would aske a reason of it, or no, but willingly renders one, as also the manner of it, of Water and the Spirit, without which you have, heard, he could not enter. Now if our Saviour had not said thus, man might have imagined that he might have gone to Heaven by his owne Wis­dome, or civill righteousnesse, or humane strength, or depth of Learning, or the like: nay, alas, whatsoever is in a man naturally, or from mans naturall strength will not do it, for so he is but flesh, Quod natum est excar­ne, caro est, That which is born of the Flesh, is Flesh.

These words are dark, we must therefore draw the vaile of them, and then we shall the more cleerely conceive of them; the [Flesh] in Scri­ptures is taken in severall senses: it vvill be our labour therefore, to finde out the true sense of it in this place.

First, the Flesh in Scriptures, is sometimes put for this present Life, 1 Peter 4.2. the Apostle would have men for the space of their lives, yet [Page 40]unspent, for as much time as remained in the Flesh, not to live after the lusts of men, but after the will of God, and 1 Phil. 1.24. Its better for you (saith the Apostle) that I abide in the Flesh; that is, in this present life.

Secondly, we are sometimes to understand the body of Flesh, the one essentiall part of man, Levit. 19.28. Yee shall not cut your flesh for the dead, nor make any print of a marke upon you, either by burning, la­shing, or flashing, as the Gentiles did. I have not thus taught you to hate your flesh, neither can this any way benefit the dead.

Thirdly, by the flesh, we are somtimes to understand the humane nature of CHRIST, 1 Peter 3.18. He was put to death, concerning the Flesh; that is, in his humane nature; for in his divine nature, he could not suffer, that supported his humane nature in his suffering.

Fourthly, for the unregenerate estate of a man when he is in his cor­rupt nature, which he drew from Adam, and in many actuall sinnes drawne from that unhappy roote: thus, Gen. 6.3. My Spirit shall not al­wayes strive with man, because he is but Flesh; that is, a corrupt and sinfull creature, naturally devoid of grace, and that which is born of this flesh, is flesh like unto it; for Job. 14.4. who can bring a clean thing out of filthinesse, there is not one but of sinfull nature, is born sinfull nature, Gen. 5.3. Its said, that Adam lived one hundred and thirty yeere, and be­got a sonne in his owne likenesse, after his owne Image, and called his name Sheth; that is, he was like him in Sex. 2. Humano specie, in humane shape, in all the members of the body. 3. And lastly, after his Image, in the corruption of nature; for he had corrupted, and defaced that Image of GOD, after which he was created, which was in righteousnesse, and true holinesse, Ephes. 4.24. for the most principall part of Gods Image did consist in these, and so did not beget a sonne in that Iniage, in which GOD created him, but in his likenesse, and after his Image: such a one as by sinning he had made himselfe, here was ex earne caro, flesh of flesh, quod natum est ex earne card est, that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh; thus againe, Rom. 8.5. they that are after the Flesh, doe savour the things of the Blesh; that is, those that are as yet in their unregenerate estate, they affect those courses the most, that suite the best with the corruptions of nature,, they are in love with them, and doe the most delight in them, and cannot endure to be crossed in them: yet verse 6. The wisdome of the flesh is death, not onely temporally, for so all dye, but eternally, yet how doe men beare themselves by their carnall wisdome; yea, so much, that it teacheth them how to sleight the wisdome of God, revealed in his holy Word, and will, and will be subject no further to it, then where it erosseth not [Page 44]theirs: but see the misery of their wisdome, verse 7. This wisdome is enmity against GOD, it is not subject to the Law of God: true, say some, that is de facto, but it may be, if it will; nay, the next words marre that, neither indeed can be; and verse 8. they that are in the flesh, cannot please GOD; that is, they that are in an unregenerate estate, in the pleasure of these sinnes, and have not had the guilt of repentance from God: they cannot in this estate please God, all they doe in point of Religion, are but splendida peccata, as St. Augustine termes them, guilded sinnes, or sinnes per accidens, sinnes in that respect, that the person is not justified, or sanctified that doth them: their cause therefore is lamenta­ble, the wrath of God abides upon them for sinne, though they will not be sensible of it.

5. And lastly, (to stand upon no more acceptions) the flesh is some­times taken for the unregenerate part of a regenerate man; for wee are but regenerate in part, either in faculty of soule, or instruments of body, we are not perfectly and wholly sanctified; so that no corruption, or sinne remains in us: therefore, in Scriptures that is in us, is called flesh, and the regenerate is called Spirit: thus, Rom. 8.1. you have them opposed, there is then no condemnation to those that are in Christ, that walke not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit; and thus againe, verse 4. that the righte­ousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled on us, who walke not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit, And Verses, 12.13. therefore Brethren we are not Daughters to the Flesh, to live after the Flesh; that is, to live after the motions, and cor­rupt imaginations of our owne corrupt heart, is minde, for of those can come no good, we are no debtors to the flesh; for any thing wee can doe after the wisdome of it, or the direction of it, but wee are debtors to the Spirit, who is still moving to goodnesse, and to put us forward in that way, which will save our poore soules. If we live after the Flesh, we shall dye, but if we mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit, we shall live: thus againe, Gal. 5.17. the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit lusteth against the Flesh: these are contrary one to another; that is, the unregeneracie that is in man, strives against the regeneracy that is in him, and these are so contrary one to another, even as fire, and water, that ye cannot do what ye would St. Paul found this by experience, you have heard, that hee per­ceived a Law in his members, rebelling against the Law of his mind, and when he would haved one good, yet evill was present with him, Rom. 7.21. and Rom. 7.18. I know that in me, that is in my Flesh, in me by nature; in me, in as much as such unregenerate, there dwells no good thing. In quan­tum renati, for as much, or in as much as we are regenerate: so farre forth, we both will, and do that which is good, but the defect in either is from [Page 42]the imperfection of regeneracie, or that unregenerate part that is in us; throughout the whole man, in the understanding, will, and affections, and in all parts of our bodies, and that which is born of the flesh, in this sense is flesh also; for we must know, that our children are ours, naturali propagatione, not spirituali regeneratione, by naturall propagation, not by spirituall regeneration, wee beget them as we are naturall, not as we are spirituall we can convey unto them, all that Adam by guilt, and generation conveighed unto us, but what spirituall grace God conveighed unto Adam, that was not in his power to convey unto us: it was Gods free gift to his person, not intayled upon his po­sterity, and lineally to descend upon them as was his nature; no more is grace then to any of us, or to the most holy men in the world, they can but convey what they have by nature, grace is Gods free guift, not any essentiall part of mans nature; and that is the reason why many good men have oftentimes had bad children; as Abraham had an Ismael; Isaac an Esau; David an Absolam, &c. because they were there by nature, not by grace. And before God bestowed grace upon their fathers, they were wicked, and walked, and swayed by sinne as well as others, and as they, though it may be in a more remisse manner. St. Aug. observes of the Jewes that though they were themselves circumcised, yet they begot children uncircumcised, because themselves were such by nature, even as the corn which if you winnow it never so clean, in fanning away the chaffe, yet if you sow it, it will grow with chasse on again as much as ever it had before, because it was naturally so, it was but by art; even thus conceive of the Text, that whether a man be in the flesh, as to tally unregenerate, uncircumcised, unfanned, or of regeneration; yet that part of unrege­neracie was naturall to him, and according to that estate he begets his children, even as the circumcised Jewes begot uncircumcifed children, as well as did the uncircumcised amongst the Gentiles, because uncir­cumcision was in both naturall: even so regenerate men beget unrege­nerate children, as well as unregenerate men do; because unregeneracie whether in part, or in whole, is naturall in both, and may bee called flesh in both, and in either of these accoptions, fles [...]; quod natum est ex carne, caro est, that which is borne of the Flesh, is Flesh: and thus by this time, I hope you may perceive that the vaile is taken from the sence of the Text.

Whence we may observe, that our Parents which begot us, can convey no spirituall abilities for regeneration, conversion, or salvation of us, unto us; that we have heard is beyond the power of nature, and by increasing, and multiplying, they can conveigh no more to us, but that; for if they could, we should stand in lesse need to be born againe: in which second [Page 43]birth, we have our abilities from God, Phil. 2.13. Its God that works in you both the will, and the deed of his good pleasure: your Parents can neither give you wills, nor good works, for the power of these come ab extra, from without, above the compasse of nature, 1 Cor. 2.14. The naturall man perceives not the things of the Spi­rit of God: the naturall man, that is, he that hath no more abilities then meer nature can afford him, such as he drew from the loynes of his Father, for they are foolishnesse unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritual­ly discerned; as if he should have said, a more naturall man wants the meanes, and the light of knowing of them, nature can afford him no such thing, Eph. 2.3. we are by nature (saith Paul) the children of wrath, as well as others: thus we have the Doctrine illustrated. This may first teach us, that as wee must have a second birth, as well as a first (as we have heard) that for this second birth, we must re­ly upon the Lord for ability, we must look higher than our Parents; not they, nor the Angels of God, nor any creature can be the Author of the grace of rege­neration, or conversion, onely God must do that, Acts 11.14 though Peter by his preaching was an instrument of conversion to those Gentiles that heard him; He shall speak words unto thee, whereby both you, and all thy house shall be saved; yet God was the Author of that grace they then received, v. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. And Lam. 5.21. Turne us unto thee, and we shall bee turned. 2 Tim. 2.25. proving if God at any time will give repentance, that they may know the truth. 2. If whatsoever be born of the flesh, be flesh; this may let us see what free will we have to any spirituall good by nature, or what grace to salvation by nature, from it we can receive nothing but nature. Mat. 7.19. do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of Thistles? No, we know that Thorns naturally bring out no such things, as Grapes, nor Thistles, Figs; even no more can we looke that corrupt nature should bring forth spirituals: no, but like its selfe, flesh, quod na­tum est excarne, caro est, that which is borne of the Flesh, is Flesh. It followes, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit: In the former verse, the words runne thus; ex­cept a man be born again of Water and the Spirit: In these no mention made of Water, or being born of Water; because, that without the concomitance of this, the other cannot do it, but whatsoever is born of the Spirit, is Spirit; because the efficiencie of the birth, proceeds from that, though Water be the outward visi­ble signe, which it pleased God to use in working; you have heard, that a man may be born again of the Spirit, and yet want water, but none can bee borne a­gain of Water onely, if the Spirit be wanting; therefore the birth of the Spirit is here mentioned, that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

The Spirit in Scripture is sometimes put for the soule of a man, but here the Spirit is not opposed to the Flesh, or body, as Heb. 12.9. where mention is made of the Father of our bodies, and how we gave them reverence; much more should wee bee subject to the Father of Spirits, Prov. 18.19. a wounded Spirit who can beare, and Eccles. 3.21. Who knowes the Spirit of a man that goeth upward [Page 44]but that cannot be meant here. 2. The Spirit is sometimes taken for the Divell, the evill Spirit, Mark 9.26. then the Spirit cryed, and rent him sore, but neither can that be meant here. 3. That Spirit is put for the holy and sanctifying Spirit of God, and that is meant in this place, as may appeare by the vers. going before; except a man be born again of Water, and the Spirit, and Ephes. 5.18. be not drunke with Wine, wherein is excesse, but be filled with the Spirit: the Spirit of God where it is in any speciall operation, is accompanied with the graces of it, which are also called the Spirit, and where the graces of God are, the essence of the Spirit is there also, to cherish and inrich those graces, as Gal. 3.2. received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law, &c. and whosoever is born of the Spirit, is said to be born of God (as you have heard) 1 John 5.1. that is, he is regenerate, and born againe by the vertue and power of the Spirit, upon his heart, minde, and soule; and so far forth, as he is regenerate, pure, gratious, and spiritually good; so farre forth is be born of the Spirit: for [...] [...]at good Spirit there can be no bad effects, but whatsoever is born of it, is of a spirituall, and holy nature; that which is borne of the Spirit, is Spirit: see what the Lord saith, Ezek. 36.25, 26. speaking of the re­turn of his people out of Captivity, and out of the Countries, into which he had scattered them, then (saith he) will I power clean Water upon you, and yee shall be cleane; yea, from all your filthinesse, and from all your Idols will I cleanse you: this cleane Water is expounded in the next words after; a new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your body, and I will give you an heart of Flesh; that is, I will take away your hard, and unregenerate heart from you, that nothing could work on, and I will give you [...] [...]eart sof­tened, with the oyle of the graces of my Spirit, and by the [...] wash a­way your filthinesse, Luke 11.3. If ye which are evill can give good gifts unto your chil­dren, how much more shall your Hea [...]ly Father give the Holy Ghost unto them that desire him: And so make you truly spirituall, being born of this Spirit, Quod natum est ex spiritu [...] spiritus est; that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit.