for the Thing Signified as the Holy Ghost washing with the Blood of Christ Secondly 'T is taken for Doctrine (g) Mark 11 30. The Baptism of John was it from Heaven or from Men And it is called (h) Acts 13.24 The Baptism or Doctrine of Repentance Thirdly It is taken for Death whereof 't is a Figure (i) Matth. 20.22 23 Are ye able saith our Saviour 〈◊〉 the Sons of Zebedee to drink of the Cup that I shall drink and to be baptised with the Baptism that I am baptised with Here I intend not to engage in any Dispute against all that are in an Errour concerning Baptism my Design being upon some occasion given me only to Vindicate the Doctrin of Infant-baptism against Anabaptists And to state well the Question we say and own how men newly Converted that are come to Years of Discretion ought to give an account of their Faith before Baptism be administred to them We also own Children of Jews Mahometans and other Infidels must not be Baptised except God-fathers or the like promise before God and in presence of the Church they will cake Care to see them Bred and Instructed in the Knowledge and Fear of God But to deny Baptism to Infants born of Christian Parents 't is to deprive them of their Right to Despise the Ordinance of God to take away the Mark whereby they are distinguished from Children of Unbelievers to Cheat them of Christ's Livery and the Badge of Christian Profession 't is with Pelagius to deny them Naturally to be Sinners and not to need being Washed And 't is also to deprive Parents of the Comfort to see how God takes care to bring their Children within the Pales of his Church Before we proceed further into this matter to make it the Clearer it is necessary to go back and say something in general In order thereunto God hath not only made us Promises in his Word but to help our Weakness and strengthen our Faith hath also appointed Sacraments to Signify Seal and exhibit Things Promised for Sacraments do Seal that which the Word Promiseth Thus God works upon two of our Senses first upon the Ear (k) Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God And upon our Eye with the sight of those visible Signs representing invisible Graces Hence Augustin calls a Sacrament The Visible Word Thus God did with his Church under the Old Testament and thus he doth under the New and man must not pretend to be wiser than God and to alter the Rules he hath given And as the Church of Christ is formed by degrees and that daily some were and are added to it so there are Two Sacraments instituted one of Initiation whereby we are introduced and admitted into 't such was Circumcision under the Old and such is Baptism under the New Testament another to Feed Strengthen and Confirm such was the Passover of Old and now the Lord's Supper which Sacraments of the Old and New Testaments though they differ in some Circumstances yet agree in the Substance both these of the New Testament (l) John 19.34 Water and Blood came out of our Saviour's Side God is the Author of every Sacrament none but God who can give the Grace signified hath right to Institute a Sacrament wherefore God instituted those under the Old Testament and our Lord who is the same those under the New To every Sacrament belongeth a Precept and a Promise the Precept of Baptism is (m) Matth. 28.19 Baptise all Nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost the Promise is (n) Mark 16 16. Luke 22.19 He who believes and is baptised shall be saved The Precept of the Lord's-Supper is first to those who administer it this do that is take the Bread bless brake and distribute it so pour the Wine into the Cup and give it 2ly To those who receive it 't is Commanded (o) Matth. 26.26 27 28 to take eat and drink the Promise is this is my Body this is my Blood which is shed for many for the Remission of sins Now in every Sacrament the words of the Precept ought punctually and exactly to be observed without Addition Diminution or Alteration There are Four sorts of those whom Sacraments are administred unto for some have the Sign without the Thing Signified others have the Thing Signified without the Sign some others have both Sign and Thing Signified lastly some have neither Sign nor Thing Signified A Sacrament is an Ordinance of God wherein God under visible signs doth represent some invisible grace in and thorough the Mediatour therefore in the Sacrament are the visible and earthly part and the invisible and spiritual which some call the outward and inward parts of the Sacrament Then the Third thing is the Analogy and Relation between the Sign and Thing signified and the Acts outward and inward and except one doth understand this he can never have a right Notion of the Nature of a Sacrament To demonstrate it I shall insist only upon the Holy Sacrament of Baptism which is the only Point I handle in this Discourse Water is the Visible Sign in Baptism and the Blood of Christ is the Invisible Thing thereby Signified the Analogy and Conformity is this as poured or sprinkled Water washes the Filth and Uncleanness of the Body so the Sprinkling of the Blood of Christ upon our Souls doth Purify them for (p) 1 John 1.7 the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin Both these are mentioned elsewhere (q) Heb. 10.22 Having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and the body washed with pure water By this last the Apostle alludeth to the several washings under the Law as to the use of Water in Baptism Now the Minister doth administer the outward Sign and can do no more but the Holy Ghost gives the Thing signified and with applying it doth purify and sanctify us to this purpose saith John Baptist (r) Matth. 3.11 I baptise you with Water but he that comes after me will baptise you with the Holy Ghost Though this Water be a common Element yet being bestow'd upon so holy an Use as well as Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper it is thereby sanctified what I say is not to attribute so much to 't as if the use of the Sign could infallibly confer the Grace thereby signified but 't is to shew how Anababaptists are in the wrong to undervalue Sacraments in general and this of Baptism in particular as (s) 2 Kings 5.10 11 Naaman the Syrian did the Water of Jordan They are not bare Signs but 1st Signifying Signs for by those visible Signs are represented things not seen which we do believe 2ly They Seal not only the Analogy between the Signs and the Things Signified but also the Vertue and Efficacy of the Union of Sign and Thing Signified being duly and lawfully used is thereby Sealed 3ly As that
Heavenly Treasure offered us in the Word is really and spiritually tendered and represented by those Signs so thorough the hidden Power of the Holy Ghost Faith whereby we are united to Christ intervening his Benefits and the Holy Ghost are thereby exhibited to and derâ—â—ed upon us From this Sacramental Union of Sign and Thing Signified arises the Sacramental Phrase or manner of speaking used in Scripture whereby the Thing Signified is spoken of the Sign and the Sign of the Thing Signified thus (t) Gen. 17.10 11. Circumcision is called the Covenant which verse 11 is called the Sign of the Covenant that is the Sign and the Seal of it the Bread is the Body of Christ (u) Mat. 26.26 27 28 This Cup is my blood which is shed for many for the Remission of sins That is the Bread is the Sign and Seal of my Body the Wine is the Sign and Seal of my Blood Baptism is the (w) Tit 3.5 Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost That is the Sign and the Seal of Regeneration or of the Blood of Christ which cleanseth all our sins Many more such Expressions we find in Scripture Furthermore by Baptism we are incorporated into Christ made Members of his Body (x) 1 Cor. 12 13. for We are all baptised in one Spirit to be one body Jew or Greek bond or free (y) Eph. 5.25 26. The Church is Sanctified by the washing of Water and (a) John 3.5 Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God I know the visible sign of Water is not meant there 't is the thing signified 't is Regeneration the working of the Holy Ghost 't is a spiritual Water (b) John 4.14 A Well of Water springing into Eternal Life (c) John 7.35 Rivers of living Water (d) Isai 58.1 All that are Thirsty are invited to come to the Waters which are promised to be poured upon (e) Ezek. 36.25 even clean Waters This is that Love of God said to be (f) Rom. 5.5 shed abroad in our hearts Those Gifts of the Spirit promised Joel 2.28 and Fulfilled upon the Apostles Acts 2. 'T is that Baptism of the Spirit which our Saviour (g) Acts 1.5 commanded them to wait for though I say the Water in Baptism be not meaned here yet the Thing Signified is therefore it shews the Excellency of that Sacrament wherefore it must not be Despised or Neglected I say further (h) Gal. 3.27 All who are baptised have put on Christ at least outwardly and (i) Rom 6.3.4 As many of us saith S. Paul as were baptised in Christ were baptised into his Death thorough baptism and raised again to walk in Newness of Life These are the Three Parts of our Regeneration First The Death of Sin which clearly appeared in Christ's Death and because the Old Man doth not presently dye in us then comes the Second Part It 's Burial whereby and by Degrees it Wastes away After which is the Third Part We begin to raise in Newness of Life This I shall no longer insist upon having as I think said enough to shew how great a Reverence we ought to have for and what a high Account we must make of that Holy Sacrament for the Divine Ordinance and Glorious Attributes given it in Scripture This being thus Premised I proceed and fall to the Point I Argue thus First Under the Old Testament Infants were Circumcised therefore under the New they ought to be Baptised for there is the same Reason for Baptism under the Gospel as was under the Law for Circumcision which by St. Paul is called (k) Rom. 4.11 the Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which is a proper Denomination for Baptism by Circumcision the Jews the Seed of Abraham were distinguished from others who had no share in the Promises and by Baptism we are received in the Church and made visible Members of the Body of Christ Now Circumcision and Baptism in Christ we have (l) Colos 2.11 12. and find them both joyned together and as Circumcision is brought to the time of Christ so in some sense Baptism was very long before the Birth of our Lord (m) 1 Cor. 10.1 2. I would not ye should be ignorant saith St. Paul how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and passed thorough the Sea and were all baptised unto Moses I know they will say there is a double Circumcision so there is a double Baptism if I may call it so when we distinguish the Sign from the Thing signified one Circumcision is made with Hands [n] Coloss 2.11 the other without that of the [o] Rom. 2.29 Heart so there is an Outward and Inward Baptism one of Water the other of [p] Mat. 3.11 the Spirit and of Fire yet this doth not hinder but that the Circumcision with Hands was the Sign of that made without Hands as the Baptism of Water is the Sign and Seal of that of the Spirit We conclude therefore that all their Infants were Circumcised and all as well as the Parents were Baptised in the Cloud and Sea for all passed thorough so all Infants of Christians ought to be Baptised May be they will make the following Exception which is not to the purpose that according to this only Males and not Females are to be Baptised because only the Males were Circumcised but as to this the reason is different for Females as well as Males are capable of Baptism which was not of Circumcision Men must not dispute with nor be wiser then God who instituted Circumcision at first and now Baptism at last having then appointed that feal he commanded it to be applied to the part that was capable of it and the fittest for his end which was to shew the corruption of Mans Nature and the casting of that superfluity was the seal of his Promise to sanctify Abraham's Seed and we may say this seal was in some manner communicated to the Females Now I think 't is clear enough how under every Testament there hath been a Sacrament appointed by God to introduce those whom it is administred to into the Church Circumcision was it in the time of the Jewish Church as Baptism is in the time of the Christian this is the Key that openeth it for us whosoever doth not go in at this door which is the Ordinance of God when he may (a) John 10.1 He is a Thief that would break into the Sheepfold My Second Argument is from Christ's command to the Apostles (b) Mat. 28.19 To Baptise all Nations under which Men Women and Children must be comprehended and he who saith all excludes nothing When St. Paul saith (c) Rom. 5.12 By one Man Sin came into the World and by Sin death so death passed upon all Men none may deny but that Children as well as Men are comprehended under the Name all Men for
and Daughters of Whoredom and Adultery Therefore all imaginable Care must be had to put a Restraint upon such Evil Courses as lead into such Dangers Now as to Adultery if as we ought we have a regard to the Law of God the same Severity should be used to punish it as Treason and Murther for God who saith Thou shalt not Kill hath also said Thou shalt not commit Adultery Hence it is as I said before that by God's Law the Adulterer and Adulteress were put to death as well as the Murtherer A Thief for stealing from me the Value of Eighteen-pence shall be Hanged and he or she that Robbeth me of my Reputation and my own Blood of my Estate and Succession shall go free and be unpunished This indeed is very strange and un-equal As to the Laws of men I shall allow a Disproportion how with some Treason is a greater Crime than Adultery though with others both are Capital so let the Punishment be less not to reach to Life for Adultery as for Treason Murther and Theft However when we come to prove matter of Fact there is in some Cases for Adultery to fill up the Disproportion Shall not actual Attempts be Equivalent to prove a Fact as well as bare Words If Treasonable Words be proved against one he is thereby Convict of Treason and if a man be found alone in a suspected place with another man's Wife lockt up in a Room and upon Oath in such a dishonest and unbecoming Posture with such other Circumstances not fit here to be named which though they prove not rem in re yet are not only strong Presumptions but also clear Evidences of a Design and actual Attempt to commit Adultery much more when Fruits of such Meetings appear it may reasonably be concluded specially after a publick Noise in the World of such Intreagues that this is not the first meeting they had upon such an account When once Affections are Debauched and both Parties willing to meet they shall not want Occasion at one time or other though never so strictly observed to indulge their Lust much more if both Parties be free from any Watch set upon them After such Evidences doth not this cerrainly and justly deserve the Penalty of the Law namely a Divorce 'T is a sad and shameful thing that among such Christians as make a Profession of owning the Word or God's Laws especially those that are of a mixed Nature and regard in part Religion and in part Order and Preservation of Society should not as much as may be according to the Pattern of God's Law the Rule of all Equity but the Accident must be minded more than the Substance and the Shadow be preferred before the Body for want of one Circumstance And because such a Crime was committed within a Year or two before such a Time that is before the Offender was Prosecuted for it though proved Guilty yet must escape Is not an Adultery committed Seven Years ago an Adultery as well as that committed within these Four or Five Can that Circumstance alter the Nature of the Thing and make that not to be Adultery which is so indeed Shall we find Justice no where on the Right or Left-hand Above nor Below After this one may say 't is not to be found among us which way soever we turn ourselves to have it Then we must look up to God who in his due time will for certain render it and may be with a Witness against the Guilty and all that are Accessory to 't as are of all the Evil committed since those that spared and justified the Wicked The Law hath so well provided in Cases of another kind If a man hath spoken Threatning Words he is bound to his Good Behaviour An Attempt of Rape though not Executed deserveth Death though this may be as Unvoluntary as Adultery is Voluntary That party which giveth and exposeth that which is not her own ought to be Punished as well as he who taketh that which is not his own Now we know that (a) 1 Cor. 7.4 The Wife hath not Power of her own Body but the Husband Must the Husband be Betrayed and know that to be given to others which is his own and take great Care and Pains to get and preserve an Estate for a Stranger 's Blood and have his Bed daily Defiled without Help and Remedy 't is very sad indeed chiefly in a well governed State (b) Jerem. 2.24 A wild Ass used to the Wilderness that Snuffeth up the Wind at her Pleasure in her Occasion who can turn her away All they that seek her will not weary themselves in her Month they shall find her No wonder because she is Wild if during Rutting time and Madness none will take pains in vain to reclaim her yet there is a time when she comes to her self in her Month and shall there be no Time nor Way to Tame an Adulteress Must she run as far and as long as she pleaseth without Restraint in her Wickedness And must she be Indulged and Incouraged in her evil Courses Few such Examples can soon Infect a whole Countrey for Evil Ones are followed rather than Good If we have good Laws why are they not put in Execution If in this kind we want them or they be defective why should we not have them (c) Gal. 3â— 19. The Law must be added because of Transgressions When Transgressors are increased if Laws in being are not sufficient to Restrain them they must be Multiply'd if Old Ones be Dormant let them be Revived and put in Execution This doth depend upon the Prudence of Law-givers who from time to time as they see Cause for do Enact New ones yet this may be said none can be made more Necessary for the Glory of God and the Good of Civil Society than to prevent and punish Adulteries whereby Order Interest and Peace of Families are over turned Base and corrupt Blood being mixt with Noble it peopleth the Countrey with a Spurious Brood and makes the Nation to Degenerate from Vertue to Vice If this Evil ariseth out of Remissness in the Executive part there it ought to be Remedied and Punishment inflicted as well as upon Adulterers and Adulteresses who thorough Perjury and Breach of the Matrimonial Bond and by such abominable ways do what they can to Confound and Ruin Families which should deserve no less than Death so that Divorce is a great Mercy and thorough this gentle Punishment they have time allowed if God be pleased to give them Grace to Repent of their Lewdness But to some may be applyed what God saith (d) Jerem. 3.3 Thou hast a Whores Forehead thou refusest to be ashamed Here I suppose a Case A Husband upon Information given him and out of his own Observation findeth he hath Cause to Question his Wife's Honesty and that she is Unfaithful to him he knows the Person and is acquainted with several Circumstances of time and place and after
Repentance it doth not follow they must be deprived of Baptism for all this might be said of Circumcision and yet God commanded Children to be Circumcised and to oppose this as contrary to reason is to Dispute against God who would have Circumcision a Sacrament of Regeneration for as I observed before 't is called Circumcision of the Heart and without Hands to be administred to Children whereby we are taught 't is not always necessary the Truth signified in a Sacrament should go before the Sign sometimes 't is enough it should follow at least in part so that except one would make which were a kind of Blasphemy the Mercy of God less towards us and our Children than towards the Jews and their Seed we must not deprive them of Baptism the Seal of that Covenant no more than they were not deprived of Circumcision for by these Two Sacraments God did and doth separate some from others to offer them his Salvation They who have no right to the Promises must joyn themselves to Christ's Flock before they receive his Mark Thus God instructed Abraham in the Doctrine of Faith and in his Covenant before he gave him Circumcision but once having admitted him into the Church he ordered his Seed to be made partakers of the same benefit Out of what hath been said one would hope every Rational Man would be satisfied how Infants ought to be Baptised and the Sign not to be denyed those who may have the Thing signifyed But because I know (a) Matth. 13.11 'T is not given to all to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but only to those whom God is pleased to reveal it to for 't is not any man's Parts or Learning that can do 't (b) 1 Cor. 3.6 Paul may Plant Apollos may Water but God alone can give the Increase To him must be left the Success of things all I now can do is to beseech the Lord to open (c) Luke 24.45 the Understanding of those who are concerned As he did that of his Apostles that they might Vnderstand the Scriptures and open their Heart as that of [d] Acts 16.14 Lidia to attend unto the Things spoken Some other things there are relating to this matter wherein Anabaptists differ from us which we must not omit The First is about the outward Act used in Baptism They would have it done with Dipping whence they have gotten the Name of Dippers and 't is the signification of the Greek Word whence comes the word Baptism And though as much as we can we must close with the Ceremony of the Institution yet that outward Rite is not of the Essence of the Sacrament and that which is used hath the same Effect and Signification It doth not appear any where that they that were Baptised were dipped under Water for they had been in some Danger of being Drowned but that they went into the River or other Water and he who Baptised as John Baptist or other poured it upon their Head whereupon they were accounted to have been under Water as in some kind they had been but those who at that time were Baptised were persons come to Years and consequently more able to resist the Coldness of the Water in cold Weather in case any Quantity had been poured upon them which yet was but little But leaving aside the Difference of Climates Hot or Cold of Constitutions Weak and Strong of Age Childhood and Manhood or Inconveniency that might arise therefrom I say in the Church Sprinkling hath succeeded Dipping and not without Ground in Scripture for the word Sprinkling is used for the Thing signified and of this we have Two Witnesses St. Paul is the first (e) Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water There are Sprinkling and Washing And chap. 12.24 't is spoken of the blood of Sprinkling The other is St. Peter (f) 1 Pet. 1.2 Thorough Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ If the Thing signified be represented with Sprinkling so may the Sign be administred with Sprinkling and the Child lying upon it's back in man's Arms may be said to be under the Water sprinkled upon it's Face We also find in Scripture that the Administration of that Sacrament is both as to the Sign and Thing signified called Washing so that there is no certain and constant Obligation to the strictness of the Greek word and to the outward Rite of Dipping and Sprinkling Answers the end of the Sacrament and the Analogy between the visible and the invisible parts of it as well as Dipping and we see in the Lord's Supper there is no Obligation to any certain Posture so that provided there be no Superstition nor Idolatry it may well be received Sitting Kneeling or Standing Another thing we differ in is about Rebaptisation Hence they are called Anabaptists from baptising again those that were baptised before The Church of Rome doth not rebaptise those who from us turn to them nor we those who from them come to us but Anabaptists do all that come to them out of other Perswasions and though the Lord's-Supper be administred many times yet Baptism is not or ought not to be but once because Baptism is the Sacrament of Initiation and the Lord's-Supper of Nutrition and Increase Baptism is a Regenerating and the Lord's Supper a Confirming and Strengthening Ordinance Now as there is but one beginning of spiritual Life thorough Regeneration and there is but one Introduction and admission into the Covenant so the Sacrament of these things ought only once to be administred but as during our whole Life we need spiritual Nourishment so the Sacrament of it ought often to be reiterated as in our natural Life we are born but once but we must Eat often to preserve our Life I must resolve a Difficulty and then I have done 'T is said in one place [g] Ephes 4.5 One Lord one Faith one Baptism And in another 't is spoken of the Doctrines [h] Heb. 6.2 of Baptisms as of many There is certainly but one Sacrament of Baptism instituted by our Lord Jesus In that first place the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians to Unity for this reason that our whole Salvation is grounded upon it in it's Principle Progress and End One God One Lord One Faith One Baptism one Hope one Body and one Spirit whereby all these are united In consequence of this we find [c] Acts 4.32 the multitude of those that believed were of One Heart and of One Soul Philip. 1.27 and ought to stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind So that this admits of no difficulty But in the other place the Apostle exhorteth the Hebrews to tend to a perfection and make a further progress in the knowledge and way to Salvation the Principles thereof having been laid before whereof