to obey him in all things and to make open profession or confession of him And to such indeed the Lord will give a glorious and everlasting Name which shall not be cut off even a Name in his house better then of Sons and Daughters And this I conceive to be the speciall meaning of the Holy Spirit in this Scripture which is in no wise pertinent and proper for them to bear them out in their Church-covenant and their entrance into the Church by it only Thus much I conceived necessary to speak by the way Tryall Againe This that I have said concerning this priviledge which believers have in baptisme through Christ may serve as a fourth Touchstone for the tryall of Infants baptisme whereby it is discovered not to be of God but of men onely For if all baptized persons according to the Scripture were baptized into one body to wit the Church of God and all the priviledges thereof as hath been cleerly proved from the 1. Cor. 12.13 and Acts. 2.41 42. And doubtlesse there is but one and the same rule for all the Churches of Christ to walke by Then surely the unlawfvllnesse of Infants baptisme is hence also proved Are they meet subjects to be joyned or added to the Lords body who neither knew the Lord nor his body nor the priviledges of the same Are they meet to be added unto the body in baptisme who are no wayes meet to partake in the priviledges and liberties of the body Who are no wayes meet to walk with the body in doctrine in fellowship in breaking of bread in prayers and in other liberties And surely according to the scripture those who are added unto the body are added unto the present partaking and enjoyment of all the priviledges of the body Are they meet to be added to the body who are no wayes usefull helpfull and profitable unto the body Such who cannot care for the body nor suffer with it nor rejoyce with it nor perform any office of love or duty to the body Surely the body of Christ according to the scripture is not made up of such unequall unusefull unhelpfull unprofitable Members Hath the most wise God made all the Members of the naturall body proportionable and usefull And hath he not made the mysticall body the Church of Christ glorious in the proportion and usefulnesse of all the members I speak not now concerning the salvation of Infants for that Infants dying in their infancie may belong to the Election of Grace and be saved even the Infants of believers and unbelievers of Turkes and Indians who can deny it But the wise will understand what I say I leave the use of this Touchstone to their consideration And so much for this Touchstone and this priviledge Thirdly Another priviledge is this to wit Believers in baptisme through the faith of the operation of God have fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection by the power of which the strength of the body of sinne is more subdued and they are more enabled to walk in newnesse of life Rom. 6.3 4 5. Know ye not saith the Apostle that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so also we should walk in newnesse of life And agreeable to this is Col. 2.12 Buried with him in baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead In which two Scriptures acccording to the matter in hand I pray you take notice with me of these four things to wit First that in or by baptisme beleevers have a great ingagement lyeth upon them to walk like such as are dead to sinne to the world and to all humane traditions whatsoever in point of worship and to live to God in holinesse and righteousnesse and spirituall worship according to Christ in all things Seeing that in baptisme they professe themselves to be dead with Christ and to live with him they ought from thenceforth and from that time to be more diligent to live accordingly Thus the Apostle expressely speaketh Rom. 6.6 Where having relation to Believers burying and rising with Christ in baptisme in the 4 and 5. verses He saith in this verse that henceforth we should not serve sinne Minde that expression Henceforth And to to this purpose is that exhortation to the same believers and indeed concernes all professing or confessing Christ Let not sin therefore reign in your mortall body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof And as they have a great ingagement upon them from thenceforth not to be subject to sinne and the lusts therof so likewise not to be subject to any human traditions in point of worship you may understand some difference betwixt what I call sin and what I call humane traditions in point of worship though these are sinfull also I say Believers baptisme ingageth them from that time or from thenceforth to cast off all these things Thus the Apostle reasoneth Coloss 2.20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ that is seeing ye are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances after the Commandements and Doctrines of men Where he layeth down this conclusion that they are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world that is from all those things which were but Types and shadows of the Lord Jesus And he proves this from their profession in Baptisme verse 12. for unto that it is most evident he hath relation ye are buried with him in Baptisme And from this conclusion he presseth this exhortation by way of reasoning Why as though living in the world are ye subject to the Ordinances c. It is a dishonourable thing and altogether unanswerable for such as have the Name of Christ called upon them in Baptisme and therein professe themselves to be buried with Christ from thenceforth to serve any sinne in the lusts of it or to be subject to Types and shadowes of Christ or any Ordinances which are after the commandements and doctrines of men Whereas on the contrary it is an honourable and a glorious thing for believers to walk up to that engagement which the Lord Jesus hath laid upon them and they have taken upon themselves in that Ordinance Secondly by baptisme believers have a great ingagement lyeth upon them to seeke after and set their affections upon things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God Col 3.1.2 If ye then be risen with Christ that is Seeing then ye are risen with Christ set your affections upon things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God He here also layeth downe this conclusion that they are risen with Christ for so much the words imply And this he proves
likewise as he did the former concerning their being dead with Christ from their profession in baptisme vers 12. of the second chapter for unto that it is most evident he hath relation Buried with him in baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God and from this conclusion he presseth this exhortation upon them Seek after and set your affection upon those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God As if he should say seeing ye professe your selves to be risen with him you must ascend up with him also in your affection setting your mind upon those things which are above It is a dishonourable and an unanswerable thing for believers who professe themselves to be risen with Christ in baptism to set their affection upon things on the earth Whereas on the other side it is a glorious and an answerable thing for such to set their mind their joy and delight upon things which are above to live and converse with the Lord Jesus in the bosome of his Father Thirdly the Lord puts forth a glorious power to Believers in baptisme giving in unto their hearts in what proportion he pleaseth the power of the death and resurrection of JESVS CHRIST acting faith in them to receive the same whereby they are in some measure enabled to perform that which their baptisme doth engage them unto Rom. 6.4 We are buried with him by baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walke in newnesse of life This Scripture hath much in it for the comfort of believers Wherein this is layd downe for a certaine truth to wit that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so marke that expression even so we also should walke in newnesse of life that is like as the glory of the Father was put forth in raysing his Sonne from the dead even so the glory of the Father is put forth unto believers in baptisme crucifying the power of sin in them and raysing up their heart and minde as it were into heaven to sit with Christ to walke with him in a holy and heavenly conversation to live a new life which the Scripture calleth a newnesse of life And therefore those words even so we also should walke in newnesse of life doth not onely hold forth what is our duty but what is our priviledge also for they carry the force of a promise in them and are to be thus understood to wit even so we also through the glory of the Father acted in us in our baptisme shall walke in newnesse of life And so it will agree with the 5 and 6 verses of the same chapter For as we are planted together with him in the likenesse of his death we shal be also planted together in the likenesse of his resurrection And this is a greeable to that other place Col. 2 12. Buried with him in baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead Wherein I observe that the same operation of God which was put forth in raysing Christ from the dead is put forth unto believers in baptisme in such proportion as the Lord pleaseth acting faith in them through which they rise with Christ or pertake with him in the power of his resurrection in a glorious measure And this is so cleare a truth that Peter is bold to say speaking unto believers Baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ That is the baptisme of believers must not be looked upon with a fleshly and carnall eye as a washing of the flesh but with a holy and spirituall eye as a holy and pretious Ordinance of Iesus Christ in which Ordinance he puts forth the power of his resurrection unto believers through faith saving them more richly then before from the power of an inward pollution or filthynesse even a filthy polluted conscience with the accusations of it and working in them more abundantly an enlightned holy good conscience which answers or speakes good to them towards God And whether that Scripture in Heb. 10.22 may not agree much to this purpose I leave to the consideration of the wise Neither doe believers enjoy this fruit and benefit in the present administration of baptisme onely but this grace and power of Christ in baptism hath an influence into after times also even so long as they continue in the estate of mortality The 4th and last thing considerable to my purpose in the two Scriptures above named is this to wit Baptisme thus considered is part of that compleatnesse which believers have in the Lord Iesus Col. 2.10 Where the Apostle speaking to believers he saith And ye are compleat in him If ye ask in what manner or in what respects he tells us in all respects as it appeares in the following verses of this chap. and the beginning of the next And amongst the rest this is one ye are buried with him in Baptisme wherein also yeare risen with him And to the same purpose is that Rom. 6.5 Believers in baptisme are planted together with Christ mark that expression planted together with him in the likenesse of his death and in the likenesse of his resurrection also And surely herein is the compleatnesse of a believer to be planted together and grow together and live together with the Lord Jesus And therefore such do in part come short of their compleatnesse in Christ who do yet come short of being baptized as believers in the Name of Christ Thus much concerning the explication of the third priviledge which believers have in baptism Wherein I have been the larger that so I might as the Lord hath helped me and not without much comfortable experience through Christ cleare up the minde of God in it partly for the instruction consolation and incouragement of believers partly to be an Apologie for them and partly to be another Touchstone or tryall of Infants baptisme First partly for the instruction and incouragement of believers who are under the injoyment of this Ordinance upon profession of faith in their owne persons Much hath been spoken to this purpose in the explication of this priviledge as those that are spirituall may understand Exhortation I shall presse this forward upon my selfe and them with a word of exhortation I beseech you in the Lord that you receive not this Ordinance of CHRIST in vaine Endeavour to walk up to that ingagement which lyeth upon you by baptisme Let not any sin therefore reigne in your Mortall bodyes that you should obey it in the Lusts thereof Be not you subiect to Ordinances after the commandements and doctrines of men Be not ye in bondage to the rudiments of the world to
such things that are but shadowes of the Lord Jesus for ye are buried with him in Baptisme Endeavour to walk in newnesse of life in a holy and heavenly conversation at all times Walk like such as are risen with Christ Do you ascend up with him into heaven in your affection Set your affection upon things which are above and not on things on the earth Walk answerable to your profession that this Ordnance of the Lord Jesus be not justly blamed And for your incouragement be assured you shall have a renewed supply of strength from the Lord Jesus The glory of the Father the operation of God shall be put forth as need is on your behalf Therefore act faith daily in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is so richly made over to you in this Ordinance not for present use onely but for future profit and benefit also during the time of your sojourning in this present world Account your selves in all things to be compleat in Christ and that your Baptisme in his Name as Believers is part of that compleatnesse which you have in him Endeavour in the strength of Christ to walk answerable to these priviledges that the Name of the Lord Jesus may be exalted by you Apologie Secondly The explication of the former priviledge is partly to be an Apologie for baptized Believers reproachfully called Anabaptists truly called Christians against all those hard speeches and grievous accusations which ungodly men and many who are accounted religious also do falsly speak and charge against them and that not privately onely but in publike also How are they accused before authority How are they openly charged to be movers of sedition troublers of the State and such as the Land cannot bear Yea some are not ashamed to say and that openly that they are sensuall persons walking after the lusts of the flesh and many such like things as these are Surely if such men did know what an ingagement lyeth upon Believers in baptisme to cast off the service and obedience of sinfull lusts and to walk in newnesse of life having their conversation as becommeth Saints As also what strength they receive from the death and resurrection of Christ in baptisme which hath an influence into their whole life I say if they did rightly know the pretiousnesse of Believers baptisme in these and other respects they would be so far frō speaking against them that they would speak for them would say to thē we wil go with you walk with you for we have heard that God is with you Truly I will not deny but some who take this profession upon them do hold forth and maintain some things very erronious As free-will and power in corrupt nature to come to Christ As also a falling away from Christ after they have once received him or believed in him with other opinions also very dangerous But there are but few so erronious who are under this profession Neither dare the Churches of Christ under this profession hold communion with them For we utterly disclaim these opinions Neither will I deny but that some who are under this profession do walk scandalously loosely sinfully and altogether unanswerably to such a profession But we abhor their practises and disclaim fellowship with them who walk so yet not mentioning such things without grief But if Iudas prove a Traitor let not the eleven Apostles be so accounted If Ananias and Saphyra prove dissemblers and lye to the holy Spirit let not the rest of the Church who were of one minde and heart in the Lord be accounted dissemblers If some branches in the Vine prove fruitlesse let not all the branches be thought such If some Professors make shipwrack of that faith which they once professed let not all Professors be judged to be such Thus much for this Apologie Tryall Thirdly the Explication of this third Priviledge may serve partly to be as a fifth Touchstone of Infants baptisme whereby the unlawfulnesse and vanity thereof will be further discovered For according to this priviledge of baptisme through Christ I make this conclusion to wit Baptisme may lawfully be administred to none but such whom the Lord Jesus hath made meet to be partakers of such a priviledge in baptisme to have fellowship with him in baptisme through faith in his death and resurrection that they may walk answerably in some measure to such a profession and such an ingagement as they take upon themselves in baptisme having their conversation from thenceforth more holy and heavenly as becommeth such who professe themselves to be buried and risen with Christ in baptisme Let then the baptisme of Infants be skilfully and sincerely tried by this Touchstone Are Infants made meet to have fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection in this or any other Ordinance Do they know Christ or believe in him Do they know any thing concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ How then shall they have fellowship with Christ in this or any other Ordinance who neither know CHRIST nor believe in him Are any persons meet to have fellowship with Christ in any Ordinance but such as know him and believe in him I may therefore firmly conclude that as the knowledge of Christ and faith in him are necessary to a worthy partaking in the Lords Supper and a fellowship with Christ in that Ordinance So also they are necessary to a worthy and warrantable receiving of baptisme and a fellowship with Christ in that Ordinance And further are Infants made meet to have such an ingagement laid upon them as baptisme layeth upon all those who are under the profession of it according to Christ From thenceforth and from that time to shew forth Christs death and resurrection To walk like such as have professed themselves to be dead and risen with Christ in Baptisme Doth not this Touchstone with all the former cleerly discover Infants baptisme to be onely a device and commandement of men Thus much concerning this Touchstone which I leave to the consideration of the wise And so much concerning this Priviledge The fourth priviledge which is the last I shall name which the Lord Jesus gives to Believers in this Ordinance is this to wit In this Ordinance the Lord Jesus by his Spirit acting in a believers heart doth more richly seal up or confirm to him the free and full remission of all his sinnes through the bloud of Christ And therefore observe it Not onely the Name of the Father and of the Sonne but of the holy Spirit also is called upon believers in this Ordinance And this is the proper grace or work of the holy Spirit to witnesse or confirm to us by acting faith in us more assuredly to believe the remission of all our sins by Jesus Christ In baptisme as well as in the Lords Supper although in another manner the pretious death and resurrection of Christ is mystically yet clearly set forth before believers And the Spirit of