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A28310
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A soul-searching catechism wherein is opened and explained not onely the six fundamental points set down Heb. 6. I. but also many other questions of highest concernment in Christian religion : wherein is strong meat for them that are grown and milk for babes, in a very short catechism at the end, exceeding needful for all families in these ignorant and unsetled times / written by Christopher Blackwood.
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Blackwood, Christopher.
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1653
(1653)
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Wing B3101; ESTC R24658
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62,833
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92
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an high-priest in time of the law or that we must receive the Supper with unleavened bread because the passeover was so received Yet do these as well follow as baptizing of infants from circumcision of infants The true proportions flowing hence are these 1. none were circumcised but those commanded or exemplified so none ought to be baptized but such 2. As Abraham believing was circumcised and all the males of his house both men and children of eight dayes old both bond and free so now any man believing must be baptized with all his houshold both men and male-children of eight dayes old both bond and free The formal reason why Abraham and the Jews received Circumcision was Gods command concerning infants baptisme if any such command be let it be produced Q Whether are the children of believers in covenant together with their parents A. No for the children are oft out of covenant when the father is in covenant It 's said Gal. 3.7 9. that they that are of the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham but nowhere hath God made a promise to be a God of believers and their seed unless upon a presupposal that the Lord shall call the seed as well as the father Acts 2.39 If the natural posterity of Abraham were not in the covenant of grace by vertue of that promise Gen. 17.7 as appears Rom. 9.7 neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children and vers 8. These that are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed much less are the children of other believers children of promise by vertue of generation He that shall hear men preach that children of believers are in the covenant of grace and they that are in the covenant of grace cannot fall away may be apt to conceive himself in that covenant of grace without repentance and faith and shall be saved without any obedience And may not on the other side godly parents when they see their children live vitiously doubt whether they themselves be true believers because they see not their children in the covenant of grace There is a promise or calling home the natural seed of Abraham Rom. 11.27 but God hath not made any such promise to any much less to all the natural seed of any believing Gentile Q Are not the ordinances the outward part of the covenant and is not the title to this hereditary A. Is a box that conveyes a Jewel the outward part of the Jewel Is a conduit-pipe that conveyes water the outward part of the water is Aaron's pot the outward part of the Manna that it kept 2. Suppose the ordinances were the outward part of the covenant how is title hereto hereditary seeing that not only from particular persons but even whole Churches as Ephesus c. these ordinances have been removed long since Besides it is nowhere said in Scripture The childe shall be baptized by vertue of his beliving fathers being baptized or enjoy ordinances because his father enjoyed them 3. There is but one covenant now Heb. 8.10 11. the articles and branches whereof are inward and so is the seal thereof the Spirit Eph. 1.13 There can be no ouâ—ward dispensation of an uncertain thing now it is uncertain of any individual infant whether he be in the new covenant Q. But doth not Christ say Of little children is the Kingdome of God therefore they may be baptized A. 1. There 's two wayes of belonging to Gods Kingdome 1. By way of election which is secret 2. By calling which is manifest The Ordinance of Baptism ought not to be dispensed upon election or remission of sins which is secret but upon the manifestation thereof 2. Christ baptized not onely laid on his hands on them John 4.2 Had Christ used to baptize infants the disciples would not have kept them back 3. The Kingdome of God being taken for the Kingdome of grace the Kingdome of glory and the visible Church it would pose any man living to prove that the visible Church should be meant here 4. Besides Luke 18.16 they were not infants because Christ is said to call them Q. What further reasons have you against infant-baptism A. 1. The baptisme of Christ is a burial in waters the baptisme of infants is a sprinkling Rom. 6.3 4. Col. 2.12 2. Baptisme doth not causally effectively or actively I mean it doth not from the work done confer faith but refers to the new covenant in by and through the undeâ—standing therefore where it is dispensed there ought to be an understanding to conceive it 3. The same benefit confirmed in the Supper that this remission of sins is confirmed in baptisme therefore infants being excluded from the one for want of examination they are also excluded from the other for want of faith and repentance 4. Infant-baptisme hinders baptisme from being dispensed as John and other Apostles dispensed it they dispensed it upon profession of faith but no such thing can be in infants Q In what manner must baptisme be administred A. The subject must be right that is not onely taught but taught so long that he be made a disciple Mat. 28.19 2. Not by sprinkling but by burying Rom. 4.5 Col. 2.12 not of the brow or face onely but of the whole body Heb. 10.22 in much water Joh. 3.23 into which the baptizer and the person to be baptized are to enter Mat. 3.6 Acts 8.38 who is to be baptized into the name of Father Son and Spirit Mat. 28.19 in token of remission of sins Act. 2.38 the name of God being first called upon Act. 22.16 Q. Do you judge it better to defer baptisme till persons be able to make profession of their faith A. Yes Infants cannot give any ground to any dispenser of baptisme why he should dispence it to them The dispencing it to infants confounds the world and the Church together many hereby being made Christians in name who never made choice of Christ nor have any love to Christianity yea hereby the Churches are filled with rotten members many of which growing up persecute the true members By deferring baptisme till persons know Christ the Churches would in time come to have a right matter Q. Have not infants faith A. No they have not reason to discern good or evil Deut. 1.39 Jon. 4.11 had they faith they were presently to be admitted to the Supper faith is an act of the Understanding as well as of the Will Q. Whether is there any reason that Baptisme should succeed circumcision because that as circumcision signed the spiritual part of the covenant that is circumcision of heart so baptisme should signifie the same A. No for the Manna the water flowing out of the rock the sacrifices under the law and the sprinkling of blood signified the same yet will not any man say baptisme succeeded these because of the signification The Lords Supper signified the same yet will no man say
the Lords Supper succeeds Circumcision in respect of any use In nothing else that I know of is there a likeness betwixt Circumcision and Baptisme and therefore to draw infants baptisme from it is no consequence And so much more because the state of the Jewish Church is at an end which was national and we have Gospel-congregational-Churches Object Circumcision was a seal of Abrahams faith therefore baptisme coming in the room of it ought to be dispensed to infants A. 1. Then none should be baptized save those which have faith and the righteousness of faith Infants though they may have a righteousness yet they cannot have the righteousness of faith because they have no power to believe If there were any such succession then baptism should seal the righteousness in faith which it cannot in infants 2. It is absurd that baptisme should succeed Circumcision in respect of infancy not mentioned in the text and not in growth of stature which now Abraham had nor in qualification of the righteousness of faith which was the qualification of Abraham both which are mentioned in the text 3. Baptisme succeeds circumcision neither 1. In respect of subject some there were to be circumcised that are not to be baptized as bought servants and some to be baptized that were not to be circumcised as females 2. Nor in respect of society Circumcision was an inlet into the Jewish Church Baptism into the Christian Church 3. Nor in respect of use for Circumcision engaged Jews and Proselytes to the Jewish ceremonies but Baptisme is a declarative of remission of sins Q. Who hath the power of dispensing the ordinance of Baptisme A. It seems to me that 1. Apostles 2. Evangelists or Gospel-preachers have power herein Q. How prove you that there is any such Office in the Church as Apostles or Messengers for an Apostle is nothing but a Messenger A. 1. Because as God gave Pastors and Teachers so did he give Apostles Prophets and Evangelists for the perfecting of the Saints Eph 4.10 11 12 13. therefore it follows â—hat Till all the Saints be perfected till the body of Christ be built up this office is to remaine in the Church To distinguish that Pastors and Teachers are ordinary officers but the Office of Apostles and Evangelists is extraordinary or that the work of perfecting Saints and edifying Christs body lyes upon Pastors and Teachers and not upon Apostles and Evangelists is to put a distinction where the Scripture puts none the twelve Apostles were given before Christ his ascension but these Apostles Eph. 4.10 were given after see verse 8 9. 2. Secondly it appears from Gods own order 1 Cor. 12.28 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly teachers If he set them first what are we that we can either abolish them or set them in other places when God will give them 3. Thirdly we finde 2 Apostles in sundry of the Churches therefore they are a standing Office At Ephesus Eph. 4.10 at Philippi Phil. 2.25 the Greek word is Apostolos At Antioch Acts 13.23 at Jerusalem Act. 1.26 at Corinth 2 Cor. 11.13 See also 2 Cor. 8.23 or our brethren be enquired of they are the Apostles of the Churches So in the Greeke Gal. 1.1 Paul an Apostle not of men nor by man but by Jesus Christ to shew there were Apostles by men or of mens sending besides those sent by Christ Andronicus and Junia were Apostles in Rome or thereabouts Rom. 16.7 they were of note among the Apostles not onely because they were of esteem but because they did laboriously preach so were Barnabas Silas Timotheus Luke Mark c. though none of the twelve Fourthly Apostles are called to rejoyce at Babylons destruction Rev. 18.20 Now if there were no Apostles but the first twelve Babylon could do them no wrong seeing she was not in being till three hundred years after Christ therefore some Apostles must be meant to whom Babylon had done mischief Fifthly it appears from Reason there is as much need of Apostles for to gather persons from their natural and Babylonish estate as there was to gather them from Judaisme and Gentilisme Q. What is essential to an Apostle in these times A. 1. Abilities of grace and parts Rom. 10. Secondly the choice and sending forth of a Church 2 Cor. 8.19 the Messengers that went along with Paul verse 23. are said to be chosen of the Church Barnabas was sent by the Church of Jerusalem to go to Antioch Acts 11.22 Epaphroditus was thus sent by the Church at Philippi Phil. 2.25 Paul by the Church of Antioch Acts 13.2 Q. What is the office of such an Apostle A. 1. To bring the Doctrine of salvation Acts 1.22 13.26 28.28 Secondly to baptize Mat. 28.18 1 Cor. 1.16 Thirdly to lay on hands Acts 8.17 Acts 19.5 6 7. 2 Tim. 1.6 after Baptisme 4. Ordination of Elders and Deacons and to lay hands on them Acts 6.6 Acts 14.23 Titus 1.5 yea he is to have a great hand in Church censures 1 Cor. 5.4 1 Tim. 1.21 Q What is the difference betwixt the twelve Apostles called immediately of Christ and those called mediately of Churches A. The twelve or at least eleven were called personally of Christ the Apostles of Churches are called virtually by Christ his command or order Eâ—hes 4.10 He that can immediately make out his call hath enough to satisfie his own and other mens conscience though not called personally by Christ Some of the Apostles called by Christ personally were pen-men of Scripture and so were infallible 2 Pet. 1.21 yet were they not infallible in every thing Gal. 2.13 but had they so been yet is sending of a Church and giftedness the formal cause of Apostleship as was proved before and not infallibility Q. But were not miracles the signes of an Apostle 2 Cor. 12.12 A. No The Apostle saith not wonders of miracles were signs of an Apostle which many other believers could do but he saith the signs of an Apostle which was conversion of souls called the seal of his Apostleship 1 Cor. 9.2 were wrought by him in signes and wonders Q. Is not this Doctrine concerning Apostles set down very barely in Scripture A. The Doctrine concerning Apostles comparing it with the Doctrine of the Resurrection and last Judgement is not set down with such clearness but comparing it with the Assertions about the calling of Pastors and Elders as now practised in the reformed Churches as they are called there is greatness of light for the call of the Ministers goes upon one of these three heads 1. Succession of persons as that the Ministers have been ordained by them who have been ordained of others Now this is most uncertain having been interrupted so often and yet once were enough to make it a nullity Besides that having been no Scripture writ for above this fifteen hundred yeers all that men can have for it is onely humane testimony which is no ground to him that scruples By what power