good Secondly I obserue negatiuely what saueth not namely the outward washing of Baptisme water of it selfe being readier to drowne then to saue seeing of old they baptized with their bodies vnder the water Act. 8.38 Matth. 3.16 and not sprinkled alone which yet was indifferent as appeareth Act. 9.17.18 Act. 16.33 Cyp. lib. 4. epist 7. Thirdly that it is necessarie and fit to bee had if it may bee had after Christs institution So that the Prince Minister or parent or whosoeuer he bee sore offendeth by whose negligence or meanes it is omitted or cannot be had For the first all scripture aimeth onely at this poynt Iesus to be the Christ all the sacrifices of the old Testament did foresignifie it Iohn did poynt at him This lambe takes away the sinnes of the worlde GOD proclaimed it from heauen by an apparition of a Doue with a celestiall oracle when he was crowned with the holie Ghost This is my welbeloued sinne in whom I am well pleased that is Matth. 3.17 I am not pleased in the Prophets in any holie men or women not in thee nor in thy people O my seruant Iohn Baptist nor in this water of Iorden but in him I am well pleased euen for all other that beleeue in his name 1. Iohn 2.1.2 of him saith Iohn If any sinne we haue an aduocate with the father and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Act. 4.12 There is no saluation in any other no name vnder heauen by which we may be saued no name neither of person as Angels or Saints nor yet of other creature as Water Bread or Wine This I neede not to stande vpon among Christians the meanes of application to vs must bee thought vpon rather which is by faith vnfained which maketh the questioning of a good conscience towards God here a good conscience well examined is mentioned But to Timothie and to the Hebrues it is thus expressed vnto Timothie thus 1. Tim. 1.5 * The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure hart from a good conscience and faith vnfained Againe to the Hebrues thus Heb. 10.22 * Let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience Then what sanctifieth the conscience faith Now a good conscience is here described to bee such an one that maketh such an enquirie into it selfe by straight examination as in Gods presence examination of a good conscience to God-ward tho men mislike So that that is not an ill conscience that sinneth for then who is free but that which suffereth sinne to lie vpon it selfe vnexamined that flattereth it selfe that bolstereth sinne in it selfe and others Paul would bee one among them that stoned Steuen Act. 7.58 Act. 22.20 at least he would keepe their garments if it should come to voyces he would giue a voyce Act. 9.1.2.3 yea he put himselfe to paine to molest men women that loued the trueth Act. 23.1 Act. 24.16 and yet when he had beleeued in Iesus Christ he professed before the Councell that he had serued GOD in a good conscience Therefore that is not an euill conscience alwaies that hath been defiled but that which lyes in the defilement For if thou risest from sinne this rising sitting at the right hand of God this ascension this subduing of heauenly powers are for seruiceablenes vnto thee they bee as a bunch tyed together to besprinkle thine heart Thou art cleane euen as Dauid professeth of himselfe after he had been bathed in pleasure and been dyed red as scarlet in the bloud of Vrias that if God wash him Psalm 51.7 bloud it selfe and adulterie shall bee as cleane washt off as though they had neuer been A man so scoured shal be as white as snowe in his cleanenes from the clowdes a man so spotted shall bee as cleare as the picked the smooth and cleare transparent glasse when the sunne beames do shine vpon it Yea but some wil say though with God it bee so that my sinnes bee taken away Psalm 51.3 yet my sinne is alwaies before me it runnes in my mind I can haue no rest for it Yet againe remember as the scripture sayth 1. Ioh. 3.20 Though thy heart condemne thee yet this Christ so rising so ascending so sitting in glorie that Angels that do homage vnto him euen as he is man is greater then thy condemning heart to saue thee And therefore beloued to the man or woman whom sinne or sathan hath deceiued his owne flesh or the world I say let not sinne lye vnexamined vnquestioned with neuer examining the hart and raines but rather still as sinne stealeth vpon thee search it out as with tents wee search the bottome of our sores lance the wound 1. Cor. 11.31 sit in commission vpon thy selfe cast thy selfe and damne thy selfe and thou shalt bee saued if thou doest thus thou hast the right vse of Baptisme of the Supper of the Word of Prayer and all the good that can come to a man by Christes death resurrection ascension sitting in glorie and power ouer Angels thou shalt stop the mouth of Sathan Apoc. 12.10 He is an accuser of the brethren Doe thou therfore step to God before him when sathan seeth that thou hast done so much against thy selfe by accusing thy selfe as he desired to doe he will depart confounded Lastly it appeareth that a man that beareth with his own soule in sinne or with others that winketh at it that lends thē countenance of letter cloth good word excuses colours shifts that neuer calleth himselfe to question whether he stand in state of grace in what case hee is with God being frosen in his dregges this man hath no part with Iesus in the holie citie his Baptisme washeth him not his bodie sprinkled towards men but not his conscience to God Christ rose from death he lyes still in sinne Christ sits at Gods right hand he sits vpon the seate of wickednesse Christ ascended he descendeth downward to hell Christ hath Angels vnder him he diuels aboue him The 2 part Now by the way of passage of speech to the next part euen out of this place I reason thus He that saueth vs must haue risen from death ascended into heauen sit at Gods right hande Angels also to adore him but no Angel nor holie man or woman euer did rise for vs or ascēded for vs Baptisme hath no such power to raise frō death nor hath it selfe mounted to heauen nor hath any place at Gods right hand nor do the Angels worship it Therefore no saluatiō of necessitie depēdeth vpon Baptisme though it should bee most holilie ministred The Popish Church hath two errors in it the one Concil Trid. censur Colon. in dial 7. de Sac. that sacraments by the work wrought by the receiuing of them bring grace to the receiuer vnles some enormous sinne be vpon him which they tearme mortall Another that children infants innocents if
God receiueth into couenant and then sealeth Men possesse their cattel and instruments and then marke them they chuse and leuie souldiers then giue them prest money And yet as with a good landlord the right of my tenement ceaseth not hauing the promise of a faithfull man though the father should die without sealing vnto mee seeing an honest sonne commeth in place who will be a seale vnto his fathers words so though GOD the father should preuent vs of baptisme yet in that he hath promised a state of life to me and mine in his sonne hee will seale it to vs for him hath the father * Ioh. 6.27 sealed An honest souldier will venture his life in the battailes of the lord though hee had not his prest money The clayme of the owner is good though no actuall marke should bee vpon his good This is the marke of Gods children Beza confes c. 4. s 48. de bapt infant Chytreus Bern. ser 66. in Cant. Au l. 1. de peccat meritis Pet Martyr lo. com clas 4. c. 8. sect 7. Zuinglius de Baptismo pag. 68. tom 2. The Lorde knoweth who are his Nowe if children in the wombe as Iohn Baptist or before baptisme and in their infancie haue faith as diuers think or haue the spirit of God as others seeing they are partes of the Church as woe all professe and members of the body of Christ as wee all say howe can they perish none can take his sheepe nay not the least lambe of a day olde Iohn 10.29 nay not yet eaned nor brought into the world out of his hande though Sathan should stande by to deuoure it vpon the verie birth Apoc. 12.4.5 as he did once for the child the verie sonne of God which was taken vp to Gods throne And why may it not be that as in earthly paradise so in the heauenly Church Gen. 1.11.12 As there are some trees and hearbes seeding some budding some bearing fruite so in the heauenly paradise on earth the Church some of Gods seruants in the wombe some budding out some new washt as it were from the pooles If the first Adam could bring an euerlasting taint vpon them shal not the baptisme and death of the second Adam wipe it out The infant cannot reason yet it hath the seed of reason as it hath a soule though it know not so much of it selfe Thus some argue May it not haue faith shed in the heart of it Ephe. 3.17 for who can tell how God dwelleth in the heart of the elect Rom. 8.9 He that hath not the spirit of God is none of his Is not this the glorious impression and stampe of that heauenly seale that the child is assumpted into the association and fellowship of the blessed Trinitie Matth. 28.19 into whose name it is baptized Childrē must come to Christ Mark 10.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Luk. 18.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What children Little ones they that are come to little reason but that they abuse in trifling yet theirs is the kingdome of God If theirs be the kingdom of God then are they cleane Apoc. 21.27 for no vncleane thing maye come in his pure sight Now what maketh cleane but faith and Gods spirite their hearts being purified alike by faith Act. 15.9 The working of Gods spirite is like the insensible pearcing of the winde Ioh. 5.8 which getteth in no man knoweth how And may it not get in into the hearts of little children if their children bee holie who can sanctifie them but the sanctifier 1. Cor. 6 11. why may not Gods spirite his winde get into them and if they bee sanctified then not damned Wherefore these speeches of the childe vnbaptized It is an heathen an infidell it is damned I would not haue my child in the like case for millions are speeches indeede heathenish full of infidelitie of rash iudgement vncharitablenes not onely by damnatorie speeches against the dead but against the liuing God that hath taken them away as he would Doth not the spirit speake better things Luk. 6.37 Iudge not and thou shalt not be iudged condemne not and thou shalt not be condemned nay acquite assoyle deliuer and thou shalt haue a measure of such mercifull construction measured vnto thee not as thou vsest to doe sparingly streight by the brimmes of the measure but with a measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer And yet Protestants speake so So naturall a thing is Poperie so quickly doe wee drinke in error before wee bee taught it Ephe. 4.20 Haue we so learned Christ are his lawes so ful of ruefulnes Of Draco the lawgiuer it is written that al his lawes were death death if thou doe this death if thou doe not that still the fatall noyse of death ended the lawe Therefore they note the pen to drop crueltie the inke and writing to bee bloud But Christ is no Draco a Dragon Ioh. 1.29 He is a lambe that takes away the sinnes of the whole world a world of sinnes much more this lambe of God to heale these little lābes of his flocke His lawes are not lawes of Draco they speake peace Heb. 12.24 his bloud crieth better things then the bloud of Abel for that crieth vengeance vpon Cayne his brother Gen. 4.10 But Christs bloud crieth with a strong voyce as of a mightie Angel my bloud for all bloud Rom. 5.10 my bodie for all sinne euen of mine enemies This were to make Christ an Herode for Herode sent out his men of warre to sley and murder most butcherly infants from two yeares old downward Matth 2.16 among whom were some vncircumcised then Rachel in Rama lifts vp bitter voyces of lamentation no cōfort they are not Indeede if Christ were not a Herauld of peace rather then a Herod and that hee sent out his messengers of warre as death and graue to deuoure the diuell and hell to damne the vnbaptized then indeede might Rachel lift vp her voyce put on her mourning weede then euery mother and father sister and brother might howle and weepe and answere one an other with dolefull ecchoes and remediles complaints no comfort no consolation because they are not nay because they are that is they are in endles sorowe for better it were not to bee at all But blessed bee God who hath sealed a better couenant Gen. 17.7 With thee and thy seede I make my couenant blessed bee God who hath cleared our comfort 1. Cor. 7.11.14 Esay 9.6 Your children are holy Blessed be God that concerning the childe borne in Esai hath caused heauen and earth to heare a better melodie from an armie of heauenly souldiers Luk. 2.14 Glorie to God on high peace on earth belowe good will towards men Doe I speake this alone doe not likewise the generall voyce and language of Canaan Nehe. 13.24 Esay 19.18 I meane the Israel of God speake so
Cor. mil. l. x. contr Mar. Hiero. ad Lucifer and milke and hony in Baptisme not to wash all the weake after Baptisme as nyce men wash not after the trimming a while from the barber Euen Constantine the good Emperour superstitiously desired to be baptized in Iordan as Naaman would carie some earth from thence whereas he should haue caried water rather 2. King 5. â—7 but that superstition is foolish which yet Constantine obtained not but was baptized at Nicomedia feared by death to deferre it further Hence it came that they deferred Baptisme till death that al sins might be forgiuen at once and grewe to baptizing by * De consec dist 4. ca constat in seq lay people women sometime to approue Baptisme with sand and yet the story of a Iew Baptized with saÌ„d Niceph. l. 3. c. 37. who after had water added to him auoweth their feare to depart from the institution So good a thing is it to sticke to the pure vnmedled beginning of word and sacraments to looke to the originals and cleere fountaines God ordained it pure and in simplicitie without mixture of additaments Eccle â— 31 but men fouÌ„d out many inuentions as the scripture speaketh in another case howe good then is it to giue that vnto God which is due vnto God that vnto the creature which is due vnto it that vnto Baptisme which appertaineth vnto it The Synod of Neocaesaraea noteth these errors by the consent of 17. Bishops he that is baptized in sicknesse not to bee admitted to the office of any * Ad Presbyterium Euseb l. 6 c. 43 ministration in the Church * Epist 77. ad Hugo Bernard in a long Epistle proueth in his time that this trueth continued vntill his time prouing that not the absence but contempt of Baptisme condemneth And this is not onely the voyce in Sion Babilon heard of it the strength of the truth hath made diuers of them to yeelde and hath prouoked one against another Tho. Par. â— q. â—8 art 3. Their Thomas who sayde more for Popery then them all though as pitch hee defile holy Baptisme and many other holy thinges wherewith he medled yet sayth hee a man expecting the set time of the Church for Baptisme though he bee preuented by death he is saued Bellarmine Reader of Rome Quaest de Baptis in his Dictates is greatly troubled not with answering vs but with Caietane the flowre of their Cardinals with Gerson Chancellor of Paris with Titleman a deuout Papist that as Christ wroong out testimonie from Sathan so hath the trueth in this poynt set falsehood vpon the racke and made it confesse Nay these Papists being vrged but by their owne consideration of the matter they leaue a sound testimonie So doth Biell a great schooleman So doth Alzimoney discourse Tract de Baptis a diligent learned writer on their side saying Necessary is two-fold either absolute as meate for life or as conuenient and fit to atchieue our purpose as the horse for the end of our iourney Baptisme is necessarie this last way So that the aduersarie giues iudgemeÌ„t on our side so great a consent hath this truth such a peale of voyces God hath raised to repeale the bloudie Herodian decree of Rome so strong a crye of Churches neere and farre off at home and abroade of later and more ancient of Scriptures Councels and Fathers friends and enemies crying out vpon them that menace hell and death and wrath to the babes vnwashed who measure so hard a measure to poore infants as because they enioy little of this life they must leese al the next life not heauen but a hell no honour of buriall but to bee buried separatly as though they should infect the rest And yet see pitifull hearts in the middest of crueltie some drop of mercie Limbus infantum an easie hell a brimme of hell not so bad as the damned is the hell for these forlorne innocents a hell not so bad as for the actuall sinners Who sayth so Bellar de purg lib. 2. ca. 6. col 790. A. in maior â—olum Bellarmine Florence Councell Innocentius the 3. the Schoolemen but no more and these be their proofes As if one should say a corrupt vpstart Iudge his court bench and a packe of false Notaries but none of them hauing any gray haire of antiquitic This admiration of the effect of Baptisme and thus to be enamored vpon the element made the heretikes Marcion and his Tertul. lib. 1. 4. in Marcion Philastr and the Cataphrygians and theirs to baptize euen the dead euen as the Papists baptize euen bels and that not by meane Ministers but euen by Bishops O foolish mad generation But haue they no reason for it Yes they make a shewe of miracle of Scripture of Fathers That they may seeme to bee mad with reason Scripture Fathers miracles Miracles out of Euodius Scriptures especially 2 Iohn 3. Mark 16.16 Fathers among the ancient especially Austin I my selfe haue in this argument alleadged Fathers contrarie to my ordinary vse seeing indeed Gods voyce alone shuld bee heard 2. Cor. 10 13. But to let you see the line of exposition that I goe not alone in a singularitie but haue the coÌ„sent of the Pastors of other ages and Churches Alanus Cope telleth a fabulous miracle to prooue it A woman whose sonne dyed vnbaptized brings him dead before the memorie of S. Steuen moaning that she had lost her child in this life and in the life to come Suddenly life enters into him a Priest is sent for the childe was baptized and presently dyed againe O spirite of witchery which maketh them to trust lying fables for first of al himselfe letteth fall somewhat that staineth his witnesse he saith in Austins sermons of late imprinted at Iouaine The booke not written by Eudius â—ut to him two clauses to too vnindifferent to condemne millions of infants The miracle a night witnesse Alanus Copus Dal. 3. cap 25. the testimonie vpstart Why of late printed Why at Louaine Secondly herein they bewray that the voyce of God hath nothing against these babes seeing as Christ sayd to the woman when none durst condemne her Iohn 8. Neither doe I condemne thee So when Christ condemnes them not that they must set testimonies from vauts sepulchers and from the withered bones of the dead men But yet these little ones their bones are not brused Mark 10.14 theirs also is the kingdome of God For thirdly why did not the mother carrie it to his owne graue and not to S. Steuens tombe or rather why did she at all bring a damned carkasse within hallowed ground against their custome and good reason if for euer it be Gods enemie a damned miscreant why should it haue the honour of buriall Fourthly if it were damned before the soule gone to hell is there redemption from hell against all trueth and their owne
for Austen it is true that hee in the matter of the sacraments necessitie yea in both of them made it an exigence of necessitie both to be performed so that as vpon this place he groundeth though falsly as vpon a foundation of water the necessitie of Baptisme so vpon the next place Ioh. 6.53 Vnles ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his blood yee haue no life in you Not only hee but Innocentius al that age almost ground a necessitie of the Supper insomuch that they gaue it to infants contrary to the rule of Paul Let a mā examine him selfe c. the meaning of this place which is of the spirituall receiuing of Christ and incorporating into him by the spirite in generall and in particular by the meanes of the spirite working in the worde in Baptisme or in the Supper or in whatsoeuer Fitly is it sayd to this purpose by Saint Hierome in Psalm 147. When we heare the worde of the Lorde the flesh of Christ and his bloud is powred in at our eares Let vs now come to the vse The third and last part comfort ende and necessitie of Baptisme which though it be not absolutely simply necessarie yet in his due place and time if it may bee had according to Christs institution cannot bee neglected without great sinne For herein of diuers men there are diuers extremities as of the most of the Papists who make it absolutely necessarie so of the Manichees on the other side who generally cut off al signes Aug. in Faustum lib. 19. because they making God not to be the author of these sensible and earthly things thereupon inferred that the worship by these earthly things could not bee gratefull to him So the Cathatists who because God is a spirit and men must worship him in spirit reiected all helpe of earthly meanes And last of all Aug. haer 88. the Pelagians who because they exempt men from originall sinne doe thinke Baptisme needles to purge that which is not wherein you may first see the notable wilfull and spitefull malice of the Rhemists who in Iohn 3.5 ioyne the Caluinists and Pelagians together as both promising alike life eternall to children dying without Baptisme when as they differ as hell and heauen in the causes of saluation For Caluin acknowledgeth children to bee vnder originall sinne Pelagius did not yet Caluin thinketh not the elect of God to perish if in some case they bee preuented of outward Baptisme Lastly of Anabaptists who would not haue infants baptized but them of yeares against whom at this time beside that which is sayd aboue this may be sufficient that seeing childrē haue sin they ought to be washed and seeing they belong vnto GOD they ought to bee sealed As for the Manichees seeing wee acknowledge the same Lord Creator of heauen and earth one God maker of both the same almightie and most holie spirite to haue made the greatest Angell and most despised worme and that hee made al things good and to a most excellent end that therefore both against them and the Catharists 1. Tim. 4.8 though it be true that bodily exercise profiteth little as washing by water taking of bread and wine much reading much repeating of prayer much hearing and sitting by it to heare much preaching also vnles the spirit also concurre and our inwarde desire yet as God made bodie and spirit and therefore must be glorified in both so seeing he made both visible and inuisible things both spirituall and corporall things both serue for his glorie both are helpers of our faith if first wee remember that we vse them when wee haue the expresse word of God for them As because the Lorde biddeth vs baptize with water therefore in doing so we build vpon the rocke and we thinke wee should tempt GOD if when he should teach vs the washing away of our sinnes in Christ by the powring on of water wee should refuse such a comfortable and liuely representation and deserue to heare the check that K. Achaz had Esai 7.11.12 who being in weaknesse of faith when Ierusalem was besieged would not aske a signe when the offer was made in Christ but was reproued as one not that despised the minister and bringer of the signe but had grieued the God of the minister and author of that signe Is it a small thing to grieue men Esay 7.11 but you must also grieue my God sayth Esay The defeating of Baptisme seemeth to come three waies one by open contempt and despising of Gods wisdome in it Heathenish and prophane men cannot tell what to make of the sprinkling of water nor of the blessing of it in the name of the blessed trinitie as the Infidels and Atheists and Paynims doe vnto this day being ignorant that Christ Matth. 28. when he ordained Baptisme sayd Al power in heauen and earth is giuen vnto me goe and baptize I am with you for euer So that here is not naked water or the bare clemēt or a few words repeated but here is the power of God with it his wisedome to establish it his constancie to auowe it his holines to sanctifie it his mercie to blesse it so that as an odde thing or new thing they which despise it despise not mās aduise but Gods counsel against them selues Luk. 7.30 as did the Pharisies And hee that will not followe Gods counsell how shall he thriue though all the heads in the world should deuise for him Another disappoyntmēt of Baptisme commeth by negligence as in the people of Israel intermitting circumcision for 40. yeares Exod. 4.24 as in Moses who no doubt acknowledged Gods ordinance for circumcision and yet either hauing learned Aegyptian or Midianitish manners or to please his wife deferred to do it so that God had like to destroyed him in the Inne for it Which I would haue parents consider that defer their childrens baptisme from Lords day to Lords day and from one time of assemblie to another for no end but to get such and such witnesses such and such furniture of their houses and such other complement and outward circumstances till death strike their children which sinne though the Lord may remit thē yet their comfort cannot be so great as if they had taken the due time which the Lord offered them seeing by their meanes it commeth to passe whē Minister and place and time and all did concurre they only were wanting by the sinne of omission which thing gouernours Ecclesiastical are to looke vnto lest that if euery man by this example should defer if death should intercept Anabaptistrie might creepe in and scarse any child be baptized The Primitiue Church suffered them to want an honourable buriall Concil 1. Braccar who deferred their baptisme Of the third defeatement of Baptisme by vnauoydable necessitie wee haue spoken at large when either the child is preuented by death in the wombe or out of the wombe either by negligence or contempt
in parents and friends as in these two last cases or when parents and minister and all are willing death creepeth in and preuenteth both Such occurrents may bee matter of meditation to parents and Ministers and the whole people of the suddennes of death of the vncertaine ioy and stay of posteritie that he suffereth vs to beget but not to possesse to haue a sight of our babes and then suddenly taketh them to himselfe of Gods almightines that he doth what he will and that sometimes hee saueth with meanes sometimes without meanes as sometimes damneth with meanes sometimes without meanes but yet not so that any of these accidents ouerthrow the election of God What then establisheth the substance of Baptisme what ouerthroweth it Here wee must consider the institution Matth. 28. Goe Who The Minister Do what baptize that is powre on the water or dippe it in water Whom all nations that is men not bels c. How not in the name of the water or power of it or any other name in heauen or earth but of the blessed Trinitie So that a Midwife to baptize or a priuate man to whom it was neuer sayd Goe and baptize likewise to vse sande as sometime hath bin or some other licour * As oyle and water by Haeret Iâ—â—n ib. 1. cap. 18. also to applie it to bels then forsooth Bishops alone must do it as the Papists vse and lastly not to doe it in the name power and vertue of the Trinitie I take it to bee the violating of the Lords institution in which kinds wee ought to refuse it But if other circumstances onely be annexed or not accompanie it Eccle. 7.31 as it may be truly sayd of this sacrament God made it simple and righteous and vncompounde but man founde out many inuentions these things may a little exercise our zeale and faith and patience but they cannot abridge the counsel of God in thee and thine and therefore if thou maist haue it without the additamentes of men the better it is if not yet the seale of God remaineth sure they shall beare their iniquitie of stubble so meane a matter built vpon so good a foundation that haue brought it vp or maintaine it vntil God purge them by his triall of fire as in the worde so in the sacrament * 1. Cor. 3.15 when as the stubble shall vanish but the good foundation shall saue them Doe thou as much as thou canst communicate with God in his institution for as we are to desire not onely the milke of the worde 1. Peter 2.2 but the syncere milke of it so in the Lords seale wee ought rather to take his engrauing alone then any characters of man And to drawe to an ende I would not onely haue men peremptorie for the Sacrament but for the word also which is the life of the Sacrament what is water without the worde but water therefore if the neglect or the contempt of the Sacrament bee a sinne is not the despising of the word and neglect of it a sinne also because many are wonderfull passionate The necessitie of the word to be thought on as of Baptisme if God himselfe preuent of Baptisme but themselues for themselues and others are nothing compassionate making no care nor conscience of their assiduitie and diligence to heare the word Surely the worde hath saued without Baptisme but baptisme without the worde neuer Ioh. 15.3 You are cleane because of the word and that you may knowe the words despising hath power to damne also consider what the scripture saith Ioh. 12.48 The word shall iudge you and againe Hee that despiseth the worde his prayer is abominable Prou. 28.9 and againe Math. 10.40 He that reiecteth the Preacher reiecteth him that sent him which is the Lord and againe Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.14 Rom. 14.23 which faith alone pleaseth GOD. Christ Math. 23.16 calles the Pharisees blind guides fooles and blind because they counted it sinne to sweare by the gold of the Temple but by the Temple to sweare was nothing so to sweare by the Aultar nothing but by the offering vpon the Aultar a sinne Now fooles and blind which is greater gold or Temple Altar or offering For the Temple conteineth God that dwelleth in it the Altar that is God worshipped at it So let the despisers of the word either vanish wonder Act. 13.31 for Gods work vpon their blindnes that can see a mote of contempt in Baptisme and not the beame of contempt in the worde or else acknowledge their blindnes Baptisme is as gold it is as a holy offering but yet the word sanctifieth it and if it be not offered as it were vpon the holy Altar of the word this golde becommeth drosse because there wanteth Gods word as fire to trie it though it bee the offering of the fruite of thy body thine owne flesh to the Lorde yet vnles thou doe it as the Lord hath commanded there is a sauour of death in it and not of life The propoâ—tion must be kept Leuit. 17.4 In sacrifices disobedience is as murder and why not in sacraments Wherefore beloued let vs not despise Baptisme let vs not despise the word Baptisme is good and holy and comfortable with the word the word is wholsome and comfortable in his place with Baptisme and without it let vs get a spirite of discerning spirits to distinguish betweene outward washing and inwarde betweene the leauen of poperie who sowre the sweete water of baptisme make it Marah let vs rather season it with casting in some part of the tree of life 2. King 2.21 as Eliza did to the waters of Iericho and healed the land from vntimely birth Let vs preserue a good conscieÌ„ce by communing with our hearts dayly examined so shal neither we nor our church haue vntimely birth for saluation as they had in Iericho so shall not Baptisme be vnfruitfull to vs but be laden with all the benefites of Christs resurrection ascension glorie at Gods right hand and dominions ouer Angels and then neither death nor life Baptisme nor not Baptisme neither things past present nor to come shall separate vs from the loue of Iesus Christ Rom. 8.38 which shal bring vs vnto God Errata In the epistle to the reader page 4. line 27. for insancicida reade infanticida p. 45. l. 18. for Secondly r. Seuenthly p. 59. l. 17. for that is God r. God thatâ—s