repentance from dead works and faith and been baptized into Christ aâ—…d thereby listed your selves visibly under him as his Souldiers and are hereby become Servants to righteousnesse therefore now you must not let sin have dominion over you This verily is the very meaning of the Apostle in the whole chapter yea and in those very words know you not that as many of us as have been baptized viz. not to have us suppose that but some of them had been baptized but to give them to understand that as all of them had been baptized so as many as are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death in token ofit that they should now all become new creatures if we speak his mind in a Syllogistical form it runs thus viz. As many of us as are baptized must know this that we are baptized into Christs death and therefore must dy to sin and live holily But we have been all baptized or buried with Christ in baptism into his death Therefore we must all dy to sin and live holily If this were not his sense but we must take the words as many of us as have been baptized to be conclusive of himself and but some of that Church and exclusive of the rest of them as to baptism then I testify they are much more exclusive of many of them from that duty of dying to sin which he there presses upon the whole Church by the consideration of their being baptized yea if that phrase as many of us as have been baptizd doth intimate to us that not all but some only of the believing Roâ—…s had bin baptizd then it must needs intimate to us that not all but some of the believing Roms were engaged by their baptism and pressed by Paul in that chap. from the consideration of their death and burial with Christ in baptism to dy to sin and live to righteousnesse which no rational man can imagine but rather as they were all urged by an Argument drawn from their baptism to live to God so they had assuredly been all of them baptized And the same may be said of that same phrase as t is used to the Galatians Gal. 3. to whom Pauls drift was to prove what he had said of them all in the verse above v. 26. viz. that they were all the children of God by faith in Christ and how doth he prove it that they were so no otherwise but by this Medium viz. that they had been all baptized you are all the children of God by faith in Christ for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have visibly put him on and thereby declared you have faith in him which having you are the children of God in form his Argument runs thus viz. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and are thereby apparently declared to be the children of God by faith in him But you have been all baptized into Christ c. Ergo c. This must needs be his sense here too or else if the term as many of you as have been baptized must not be taken as conclusive of all the Galatians to whom he writes but exclusive of some of them from baptism it must be exclusive of the same persons from being proved by Pauls Argument drawn from their baptism to to be the children of God as many as received him to them gave he power to be come the Sons of God is as much as to say he gave power to become the sons of God to no more then such as received him so as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and are thereby visibly declared to be the children of God by faith in him though it do not signify that all the Galatians had not been baptized but some of them onely yet it signifies this however that no more then such as had been baptized into Christ had put him on and were thereby declared to be Gods children and consequently that if but some of the Galatians were baptized but some of them onely appeared to be Gods children which were absurd to think and would render Paul as contradictory to himself in the verse above where he saies ye are all the children of God so very ridiculous in his Argument and render his proof as pedling as if he had said thus by way of position viz. you are all even every one of you the children of God and then by way of proof thus viz. for some of you have been baptized and by that baptism of yours are declared so to be though the rest are not Ranterist You make baptism I perceive very needfull but the Apostle Peter who very well understood the Commission given to him and the rest of his follow Apostles Matth. 28 29 20 Mark 16 15. 16. when he speaketh of the baptism that saveth 1 Pet. 3. 21. leâ—…st any should think that he meant the baptism of water whereof we speak by which the filth of the body is put away he excludeth the putting away the filth of the flesh and places baptism wholly in the answer of a good conscience towards God neither can any man truely say that by putting away of the filth of the flesh is here to be understood the putting away of the filthy works of the flesh for then could it neither be excluded from salvation which is promised them which mortify the deede of the flesh but walk after the spirit Rom. 8. 1. 17. nor opposed to the answer of a good conscience which springs from the putting away of dead works such as the works of the flesh are for he only is truly said to have a good conscience who is not conscious to himself of walking according to the flesh Baptist. That by the words putting away the filth of the flesh is meant that bare outward dispensation of water I freely do and every one must grant and therefore what is spoken by you in proof of that might well have been spared also that the bare submâ—…ssion to that outward dispensation of water is not that which simply of it self and abstract from the inward i. e. the answer of a good conscience doth save us must needs be granted also but what of this will it therefore follow that it is to be omitted and not made use of at all in reason surely it cannot be so assertter for as the bare outward hearing of the word without doing it will do us no good but rather hurt yet that outward hearing is an ordinance at no hand to be neglected but necessarily to be used in order to the doing of the word without which we had beuer never heat for we shall not save but deceive our own souls Iam. 1. 22. and shall perish in the end Mat. 7. 26. and as bare outward fellowship in breaking of bread is so far from saving that we eat and dâ—…ink judgement to our selves unlesse withall we dâ—…cern the Lords body and be pattâ—…kers
of the thing signified and yet that outward service is needful to be performed so though water baptism doth not save us ex opero operaâ—… and unlesse it be answered wiâ—…h in by the answer of a good conscience yet what consequence is there from hence that it need not be done at all neither doth Peter altogether exclude the patting away the filth of the flesh as not to be practâ—…sed and place the business of baptism wholly in the answer of a good conscience as you here say he doth but rather places the baptism that saves in both these not in either without the other yea in that he saies thus baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience he includes the baptism with water as that which is to be done but not to be rested in as available to salvation without the other Ranterist There is no man sent by Christ to baptize so that were I never so willing to be baptized yet there is none to baptize me for though it should be granted which neverthelesse is false and cannot be evinced out of the Scripture that the Apostles were sent to baptize with water yet this doth not waâ—…rant others to do so likewiâ—… unlesse they can prove that whatsoever was spoken to the Apostles was spoken to them and by this account they must go into all Nations and make them disâ—…iples having first stayed at Ierusalem â—…ill they have been â—…dued with power from on high for both things are injoined to the Apostles by Christ. Baptist. That the Apostles were not sent to baptize in water in such a sense as Paul sales 1 Cor. 1. Christ sent not him to baptize in i. e. to dispense that ordinance necessarily with their own hands so but that when they had preacht and converted persons to the faith others might help â—…o administer it I granted above but that they were not sent to preach the Gospel i. e. the baptsâ—… of faith and repentance for remession of sâ—…s among all Nations as far as they were capable and that baptism in water was not a part of that Gospel ministration which was committed to 〈◊〉 to command all Nations to observe and to see dispensed on all that should be discipled therein this I utterly deâ—…y and the contrary to it is so clearly â—…vinced in the word that he that runs may read it for either Christ commandeâ—… them Mat. 28. to teâ—…ch bapâ—…izing not with the spirit but in water or 〈◊〉 Pâ—…ter miserably mistook his commission that in obedience thereto presses 1000 of people at once enquiring what they should do to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus promising onely that so doing they should not from him sorely 〈◊〉 from Christ receive the holy spirit Act. 2. 39. and also concerning a people that were already baptized with the spirit asks who can forbid water why these may not be baptized commanding them who were ready to hear no more then what was commanded him of God to deliver to them Act. 10. 23. to be baptizâ—…d in the name of the Lord and if by the Apostles you mean the eleven onely that were within hearing when Christ spake as t is to him that is not afraid of cold water undoubtedly true that these were so as uâ—…deniable it is that others were sent to baptize in water as well as they viz. Philip that baptized the 〈◊〉 and Euâ—…uch Paul that baptized so many of the Corinthians as he did and Ananias that baptized him or else they made and preacht a Gospel of their own heads another Gospel and not Christs which if they did they made more hast then good speed to themselves for such as teach for doctrines of Christ their own traditions and run before they are sent do both worship God in vain and shall neither of them have any thank from him for their labour and that what was spoken to those 11 Apostles themselves as to the point of baptism was spoken also to us even to such in all Nations as being once discipled are after that enabled from God to preach the Gospel is no lesse evident then all the rest Matth. 28. 19. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you among which water baptism was one v. 18. and whereas you say upon this account we must go into all nations and make them disciples who doubts but that t is our duty so to do to the utmost of our power and they could do no more for that 's commanded and baptism too to be observed to the end but for their staying at Ierusalem till they were indued with power from on high and beginning first to preach there that did concern them only as a special circumstance for that time not pertaining to the substance of the service nor required of all the Apostles themselves and administrators of baptism then for if it had Ananias Philip Paul began at the wrong end of their businesse when one of them began to preach the Gospel at Samaria the other at Damascus not going up to Ierusalem first Gal. 1. 17. and if not of them why it should be of us I know not Neverthelesse as to the substance of that command I grant that every one is to tarâ—…y till he be indued more or lesse with power i. e. boldnesse wisdome knowledge utterance resolution self denyall c. before he goes out as Christs Messenger to preach to the nations but being so indued and furnished must out for ought I know among all people as he hath ability and occasion beginning at the place where he is and proceeding to spread the Gospel afar off if he find not woâ—…k enough neerer home Ranterist Could it be proved as it cannot that there are some sent to baptize yet even then will it not follow that I and such as I am ought to be baptized by â—…hem for we do not read that any of the Apostles or Apostolike men did ever baptize any but such as are newly converted to the Christian Religion but I and such as I am have from our infancy imbraced the Christian Religion and 〈◊〉 â—…er now if our Adversaries did rightly infer that because there is neither pâ—…cept noâ—… example in Scripture for baptizing of infants therefore it is a needlesâ—… thing in like manner I may as truâ—…y conclude for as much as their is neither precept nor example in Scripture for baptizing such as have been bred up in the Christian Religion and never professeâ—… any other I and suâ—…h as I am have no need at all to be baptized Baptist. That some are sent to baptize is proved above and sure enough if it be as we see t is Act. 2. 39. 10. 47 48. mens duty to be baptizd or else Christ hath required a service of every man and that sub poena too and yet though never so willing to be baptized left them in no possible capacity to perform
either Mr. Blake or Mr Baxter in that particular and will not by any meanes read it as the other do viz. they went down into the water nor yet as t is in the text they came up out of the water but runs it over more smoothly in a phrase sutable to his own purpose viz. they went down to the water and came up from the water but I hope he'el condescend freely to be corrected for the same fault and with the same rod of reproof with which himself hath corrected others or else his partiallity will so appear as to deny him to have any of that wisdome which is from above Iames 3 the last wherefore as he checks A. R. most sharply for offering to alter and vary from the wisdome of interpreters so as to English the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by in which they thought good to English with p. 12 in these words viz. I would demand of you whether you think that our Translators and most or all others who have englished it with knew not how to render the original in its proper signification as well as your self So I must take the boldnesse sith our Translators and most or all others but himself do read Act. 8. 38. thus they went down both into the water and ascended out of the water to demand of him in his own words to A. R. whether he think that our Translators and most or all others who english those passages by into the water knew not how to render the originall in its proper signification as well as himself As for the other two viz. Mr. Blake and Mr. Baxter they foreseeing no doubt it would be no safe handsome acceptable nor advantagious way to take upon them as they saw Mr. Cook did to correct the Translators and mend their constructions they are more wary then Mr. Cook in that particular and so thus incidit in Scillam qui vult c. to decline the Rock of insolence they drop into the gulf of nonsence owning the original to be rightly rendred and reading them according to that rendition viz. into the water and up out of the water yet denying those phrases they descended into the water and came up out of the water to sound out any more then Mr. Cook saies the Greek words do viz. to and from the water But I must intreat those two Parallels in that opinion to consider what imparalleld improprietie it is to expresse no more then going to the water side and comming from it again by these phrases viz. going down into the water and comming out of the water for they imply necessarily a being in the water and not only at it he descended into hell is more then being at the brinks of hell he descended into the lower parts of the Earth is more then bare being on the superficies of the Earth and so he descended into the water is necessarily more then being at the side the situation of the water below in the bottoms will not salve the absurdity of such expression concerning being at the water only and returning for he descended to it and ascended from it is enough for that but to expresse that only by into it and out of it is superfluous and superlative simplicity whatsoever element or place in any element we are said to go down into and come up out of we were once in or else we are fowlly belied had it been said of Philip and the Eunuch they went down both to the water or into the bottoms they descended into the vallies where the water was as Mr. Cook prates by a Periphrasis and when they came up out of the valley or bottom from the water then it had shewed somwhat like the sense these men like best and long to have it in but into the water and out of the water expresse not only a bare being in the bottomes where the water was but in the water also for whatsoever place or element is put after the prepositions into and out of is a place or element that the persons denominated to go into and out of were once really and truly in Daniel was thrown into and taken up out of the Lyons den does not that shew plainly enough that he was in it the Swine ran into the sea were they not then in it I threw it into the fire saies Aaron of the molten image he made and there came out this calf will any say that the mettals he made it of were only warmed at the fire side they went down both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and came up out of the water Iesus was baptized of Iohn into Iordan Mark 1. 9. and when he was baptized went straitway out of the water Math. 3. 16. can any man say that these two persons Iesus and the Eunuch of whom also Dr. Featley grants that they were baptized in the River were never in it at all but only wetted at the water side But that Philip and the Eunuch went into and were in the water and not unto it and at it only is evident by what I have hinted once already viz. in that it is said they were come unto the water before and therefore this mustneeds be into it or else either the Spirit Tautologized or they tautopoiized and came unto the water twice over but never into it at all Two more odd conceits and emblemes of the emptinesse of their apprehension in this point two a piece I mean in Mr. Cook and Mr. Blake I shall take notice of briefly in their fore-cited shuffles and so passe on to the rest First how peartly doth Mr. Cook squitch up A. R. with a question or two as if he would catechise him in that which he hath yet need to be further chatechisd himself Must they not go down to the water saith he if they would use it would the water come up to them in the Chariot any sooner for sprinkling then for dipping In answer to which question I intreat Mr. Cook to ask his conscience this question whether if they had used the water only for sprinkling there was such necessity of going down to it as he seemes to intimate would not the water have come up to them in the Chariot sooner by far for sprinkling then for dipping yea verily both Philip and the Eunuch might have sat still in the Chariot and commanded water enough for sprinkling to be brought up to them thither in the hollow of the Chariot drivers hand if there were no bigger a vessel to bear it in but for dipping enough could never possibly be brought up into the Chariot at all Secondly he must saies he of Christ go down and come up from the water but here is not the least hint that John doused Christ over head or under water nay rather that conceit of yours saith he to A. R. is here confuted for if our blessed Saviour had been plunged of John into the water then it would rather have been said
blushing at the lives of those men who stiled themselves their successors I have done with the câ—…uses of his heresies and come to his design The design of the Heretick even this Heretick of Hereticks the CCClergy is to propagate his Error and as his grounds are wicked so are his manners in mannaging of them intrat ut vulpes regnat â—…tleo he pretends verity but intends onely vctory that he may reign over the kings and people of the earth and that they might all stoop to his commands directions and under pretence of verity at first he did get victory at last over the whole world so that Pape Oh strange the whole world wondered after him and doted upon him as their Lord God and became slaves in chains to his Priestly will yea as he loved to be supreme and overcome so the lord let him for a time that he might manifest his own power the more in the overcomming him for ever in the end yea power was given him to make war by the beast that bears him even all nations of Christendom which he overcame first against the Saints and to overcome them also and so to be filled with his own inventions he gives out when any disputes against him that his desire is to be satisfyed by disputing and so perhaps he would but t is with riches more then rightousnesse with tith more then truth for in truth he seemes if he must meet with such as charge him with error in his doctâ—…ine of baptism tith forced maintenance forcing conscience as if he would renounce his opinions and practises in these points if any can prove them to be corrupt but seeks onely opportunities to spread his odd opinions of what sc'â—…ism and sacriledge and robbing of God it is if submission be not acted and tithes be not offered to him among the vulgar among whom his Ghostly pretences produce a kind of aweful affrightment and dread of doing any thing against what he saies being resolved before hand never to be convinced of the truth as t is in the word for that overturns him in all his preferment projects and plucks him up from all the profits of his present princely posture which is such a right eye to him that he hath not faith enough to believe that it can possibly be more profitable to him to part with though Christ himself till him tis then to preserve and perish with it His disciples are for the most part not such as the noble Beraeans that would take nothing upon trust from the very Apostles mouths but searched the Scripture dayly whether the things were so or no not onely men but honourable women too not a few but rather meer idle implicit forefather faitht men simple and weak women who try nothing but keep their Church and believe as their Church believes and as their good churchman saies led away with diverse lusts and pleasures leaning onely on their Priests understandings pinning all their Religion upon their sleeves adoring all that their Orthodox divines deliver at a venture ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as t is in the word whose honest ignorant devotions he hath won to himself by his cunning artifice of pretended piety voluntary humility seeming zeal to the truth long prayers or rather multitudes of short prayers and praises Pater Nosters Miserere Meâ—…'s Magnificats Te deums Gloria Patri's per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrums and such like devoutries and being once gained are so carried on with the streme of corrupt custome present fashion foolish affection that no reason in the world can reclaim them he deterreth lay people as much as may be from reading expounding or too much prying into the Scripture alledging unto them the perils they may incur by misinterpretations he hath laid his foundations so firmly in the dark consciences of men women by perswading them of his own infallibity Ecclesiastical Authority his Ius Divinum in the Government and guidance of the Church as here in Britain and even of his Temporal jurisdiction too as at Rome over both heaven and earth hell and purgatory of his power in the agony of mens souls to forgive sin that men and women are becharmed into beleif of him he hath woven himself so far into their credulity that all his sayings are received as oracles all his doings as divine all his traditions as truth it self all his Adminstrations as Apostolical all his doctrines as Orthodox all his Arguments though confessed by himself to be weak as unanswerable and all others Administrations Actions Answers Arguments though never so consentaneous to the true sense of Scripture valued at that price which he sets upon them as if the holy chaire of Papall determination Episcopal Convention Synodical constitution could not possibly be mistaken yea the Scripture it self is but a nose of wax with him of what shape soever the CCClergy casts it into of no more authority then Aesops Fables with the Papists if the Pope say the word so as to disdate digrade it or put any part of it out of commission of no other sense then the Bishops and Synod seem to say is the sense on 't with their good Protestants so altogether Oraculous is the Pope among his the Bishop among his the Presbyter among his and even all the three several CCClergies among their three several sorts of CCCreatures that their different ipse dixits are ipso facto divine directory and discharge enough too for these different doters on them insanire cum ratione to dote to and fro by Authority so as to do and undo and do and undo and do by In a word he is too bold to be born down not so much from such things as mae the righteous witnesses to truâ—…h as bold as Lioâ—…s before God and men viz. the goodnesse of his cause for that is stark naugh and rotten nor the clearnes of his call â—…ther to his Clerical function or any actions he goes about by vertue and in persuance thereof for t is clear enough that his orders emission commission as to the external etymology of them are more from the Pope then Christ and the true Church nor any good answer of a good conscience for either his conscience is so cloudy that he cannot or so cowardly that he dares not or so resolved that he will not see or else so clear that he is condemned of himself wâ—…en tâ—…uth shines plainly upon his face but rather from either his great interest in or directive authority over the civil power that hath long back as well as bellyed him as in England or his having it all in his own hands and dispose as at Rome where â—…e duo gladii both swords are in the Clergyes clutches so that he can quickly correct those that conâ—…radict him he is too clamorous to be silenced calling out with such a heavy noise and divine ditty against the truth and condâ—…ing it with such an