they had been in the Church for some time seems to intimate that the Apostles themselves had no other apprehensions of those Conversions or many of them For we find them earnestly perswading those Christians to put away such practices the retaining of which could not well consist with a thorow and sound conversion Which argues that at least many of them had not yet put them off tho they had been for some time in the Church Thus Col 3.8 9. But now ye also put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth Lie not one to another seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds That is they had engaged to do so in Baptism See the like again Ephes 5.3 And 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid What know ye not that he that is joyned to an harlot is one body Chap. 10.21 22. Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of devils Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Devils Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie Are we stronger than he Chap. 15.33 34. Be not deceived evil communications corrupt good manners Awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame 2 Cor. 6.16 17. What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the living God Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you Chap. 12.20 21. For I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not lest there be debates envyings wraths strifes backbitings whisperings swellings tumults and lest when I come again my God will humble me among you and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleaness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed Phil. 2.22 All seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ So by the general Epistle which St. James wrote not to any particular Church but to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad it appears that he was very jealous and suspicious that the faith which very many of the Christians had was but a dead and unavailable faith and such as would neither justifie nor save them because it was but a barren and unfruitful faith such as did neither purifie the heart nor reform the life being hearers of the Word and not doers For for all their knowledge and their faith it seems by the tenour of his writing that their lusts remained still lusty and strong that warred in their members The love of pleasure their unworthy compliances to keep friendship with the World pride envy and grudging one against another strife and contention and uncharitable judging and condemning one another and provoking one another with their unruly Tongues and cursing and swearing and such like distempers it seems did abound among them And St. James by this Epistle to them endeavours their thorow Conversion and encourageth the sincere among them to endeavour it likewise saying If any see his brother err and one convert him Let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins And when we likewise find that there were but a few names in Sardis but what had defiled their Garments having indeed a name to live but were dead and nothing which our Saviour could commend in all the Church of Laodicea I say when we find this and consider all these things and more of like nature in the Apostles Writings we have great reason to think that many of those whom the Apostles baptized were not thorowly converted till after they were brought into the Church and yet many such were so after And indeed I do not know what other reason can be given why the Apostles made such haste as they did to baptize persons after they had once gained their consent to turn Christians without staying for any farther trial but that they thought their thorow Conversion was more likely to be effected within the Church than without It is one thing to be converted from a false Religion to a bare or notitional belief of the true and another thing to be converted from that to a right practical belief of it There were some who did believe in the former sense through the power of conviction and could do no otherwise who yet had no mind to become obedient to the Rules and Precepts of the Gospel in all things Such were those Joh. 2.23 and those Joh. 12.42 43. and such was Simon Magus and such were those of whom St. James speaks that had but a dead faith And thus it is with many that are of the Visible Church in these days who have no other faith for some time and yet afterward are converted to a lively practical belief of the Christian Religion And it is probable that the faith of most of the Apostles Converts went little or nothing farther than to a general belief of the truth of the Apostles Doctrine until after they were baptized they having so little time of learning before as generally they had but were carried on further to a more particular distinct and practical belief by after-teaching when they were in the Church And this is not disagreeable to what I have formerly noted from the words of our Saviours Commission to his Apostles touching a double teaching the one to make men become Disciples which went before Baptism the other to direct them how to live as Christians which followed after it Mat. 28.19 20. But however whatever thorow and effectual Conversions the Apostles might in an extraordinary way effect in men while they were without the Church for the first founding of the Christian Church yet we are sure that since that extraordinary way of Conversion has been discontinued abundantly more have been converted by their being in the Church and by advantage of the means of conversion which they have there enjoyed than have been among those without the Church And this is the first reason assigned why others should be admitted into the Visible Church than such as are of the Invisible or than are reputed to be so before such admission 2. Another reason why we may conceive Almighty God allows many others to be of the Visible Church than are of the Invisible is because so to do is more useful for the propagating and spreading of the Christian Religion in the World than the limiting and restraining the
such as should receive it was accordingly foretold by our Saviour and resembled by various Parables as it is here by the Wise and Foolish Virgins Thus we have it again in another Parable concerning the Marriage of a Kings Son to which both good bad were invited and did come and the Wedding was furnished with such guests Mat. 22. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares that sprang up amongst it The Parable of the Draw-net that being cast into the Sea gathered of every kind bad as well as good are of the same import And so is the Parable of the Sower and his Seed Wherein four sorts of Hearers or Professors of the Gospel are resembled by four sorts of ground into which the Seed fell of which there is but one thorowly good Mat. 13. Add unto this that our Saviour did not only fore-tell his Apostles by these Parables what different success the Preaching of the Gospel would meet with even among those that would receive it and how his Church would be filled with many bad as well as good but also told them plainly without a Parable That many would be called and yet but sew chosen Mat. 20.16 Wherefore and for what reason may we conceive did our Saviour thus instruct his Disciples touching what the state and condition of his Church would be which should be gathered by the Preaching of the Gospel but that they might not be disappointed in their expectations nor be offended when afterwards they should find it to consist of such a mixture or ever expect tho they should observe his rules for the purging his Church to find it otherwise until the end of the world the time appointed for a total gathering out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity And that the Apostles did not understand otherwise by our Saviours Parables and Doctrine but that the worser as well as the better Christians were of this Kingdom of Heaven the Visible Church their Epistles to such Churches in which there was such a mixture shew for they counted them and treated them as Christian Brethren in so much as St. Paul would not have such as deserved Church-censure and in some sort were under it to be counted as Enemies but admonished as Brethren 2 Thes 3.14 15. The Apostles then being thus thorowly instructed by our Saviour afore-hand touching the constitution of his Church of bad as well as good it is no ways likely that they would receive none into the Church but under the notion of such as were truly Regenerate 4. There are some circumstances relating to the Apostles receiving Persons into the Visible Church by Baptism which render it incredible that they did not so receive any but upon the reputation and esteem they had of being of the Church as Invisible First one thing was the doctrine by which they most prevailed with men to become Disciples Which doctrine was the Preaching that pardon of sin and the happiness of Eternal Life are to be had by Christs suffering for Sinners if they believe in him and the Preaching to the People that this Jesus rose from the Dead after his Enemies had put him to death and confirming the truth of what they said by astonishing miracles It 's true they did together with this Preach the necessity of Repentance also But the glad tidings of Pardon and Salvation by a Saviour so extraordinarily confirmed as it was being new and never heard of before especially among the Gentiles and being so hugely comfortable as it was did so strongly affect the People as made them instontly turn Disciples and to promise no doubt a reformation of life with an intent to perform while they were thus filled with joy But many of them after this transport of affection and newness of joy was over tho they held fast the comfortable part of their profession of faith in Christ and in his Death yet proved partial and defective in reforming their lives which rendred the work of Regeneration in them very doubtful at least or rather worse than so And the Apostles were fore-warned and pre-instructed by our Saviour that upon their Preaching the joyful news which the Gospel brings many would be so taken with it as readily and joyfully to become Disciples and turn Christian in profession who yet would afterwards when times of tryal came either Apostotize and fall off or foully faulter in retaining that profession by carnal shifts to secure themselves from Persecution For our Saviour had told them this by opening to them who or what manner of hearers he meant by those resembled in the Parable to the stony ground on which the Seed fell and said they were such as when they heard the word would immediately receive it with gladness but afterwards in time of temptation would be offended as not having root in themselves Mar. 4.16 All which considered it was no ways probable that the Apostles received all they Baptized under the notion of Persons already truly Regenerate but as Disciples only according to the tenour of their Commission Secondly another circumstance is the great hast the Apostles made to Baptize Persons when once they had prevailed with them to consent to it The same day of Pentecost they Preached to those mentioned Act. 2. they Baptized about three thousand of them And so Philip Baptized the Eunuch presently upon the Road after once Preaching to him And the Jaylor and all his were Baptized straight-way and in the same hour of the night in which Paul and Silas first Preached to them Act. 16.33 I think there can no instance be given of their delaying so much as four and twenty hours to Baptize any after they were willing to be Baptized This is another thing which renders it very incredible that the Apostles Baptized none but upon account of their being esteemed Regenerate or that they did Baptize Persons ordinarily by any other rule than that contained in the letter of their Commission which was to Baptize those that were Disciples as such If they had thought it necessary to Baptize none but whom they could prudently esteem to be of the Invisible Church they would in all likelihood have suspended the Baptizing of many at least until they had had some tryal of the constancy of their resolution and experience of their reformation And so much the rather because it is hard to make any good judgment of mens sincerity by what they do on a sudden under some transport of affection and before they have had some time in cooler thoughts to deliberate upon what they engage to do Thirdly their refusing none that were willing to be Baptized argues that they did not think none were to be Baptized before they were Regenerate or did seem to be so They refused none so far as appears that were willing to be Baptized and to come into the Church how notoriously bad soever they had been before Simon Magus is a famous instance of this nature And some were
Servants chap. 18.32 The title of Servants is given to such as these because they are of the Houshold of the great Lord and Master that is Members of his Visible Church which is his House And St. Paul saith in a great House and so in the Church he means there are not only Vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earth and some to honour and some to dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 And our Saviour hath said that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven but the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness Mat. 8.11 12. Having seen what evidence the holy Scriptures do afford to prove that God that Christ himself does own others to be part of his Visible Church than such as are of the Church as invisible I shall now proceed to take into consideration such Texts of Scripture as in the apprehension of some seem most to favour the contrary opinion I will begin with 1 Pet. 3.21 The like figure whereunto Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Whence it is argued that those who were received into the Church by Baptism were always supposed such as had the answer of a good Conscience towards God the inward qualification which answers the outward figure or sign in Baptism Death unto sin and a Resurrection unto a new life But the answer to this is very easie The Apostle in these words was shewing what is necessary in the parties Baptized besides their Baptism to make their Baptism available to their salvation but not what is necessary by way of condition to their being Baptized this Text meddles not with that so far as appears by any clause or circumstance in it And is much of the same nature and much like to that of St. Paul Rom. 2.28 29. where he saith That is not Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but that which is of the heart and in the spirit By which he does not mean that Circumcision which was but outward in the flesh served to no other ends but to signifie Heart-circumcision for it did engage the Circumcised in Covenant with God and initiate them and give them entrance into the Church and made them partakers of the Oracles and Ordinances of God there as he shews in the following words in the next Chapter But his meaning was that Circumcision in the flesh alone without Circumcision of the heart would not avail to any mans having acceptance with God So here that Baptism which consists in outward washing only the putting away the filth of the flesh will not save will not avail to salvation without the answer of a good Conscience towards God But then it does not follow but that it may avail as well as Circumcision in the Letter did to bring men into the Visible Church and to procure them the benefit of the outward priviledges of it Another Text is John 3.5 Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Some that are of the opinion which I am opposing by the Kingdom of God here understand the Church as well Visible as Invisible and then infer that none can enter into the Church without being born of the Spirit as well as of Water But the answer to this is very easie For if by Kingdom of God here we understand either the Church as Invisible or the Kingdom of glory it is granted that men cannot enter into to the Kingdom of God except they be born of the Spirit But then this does not at all oppose what I have been proving viz. That Men may be and many really are Members of the Visible Church and that in Gods account who yet are none of the Invisible Church by being born of the Spirit or internally Regenerated And that by Kingdom of God here cannot be meant the Visible Church is evident because many have entered into it who yet have not been born of the Spirit as I have as I think abundantly proved against all reasonable contradictions Our Saviour we see speaks here of a being born of Water and of a being born of the Spirit which are two distinct things And there are many that have been born of Water and thereby entered into the Visible Church that have never been born of the Spirit And there are many also that have entered into the Visible Church by being born of Water who have been born of the Spirit but not till afterwards not till some time after they have been in the Visible Church We must suppose this or else say there is no possibility of effectual conversion in the Visible Church which is a thing so absurd to imagine and so much against all experience as that no man I think has the heart to assert it which yet must be asserted if the other be denied It is further alledged from those words Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost I say it is hence alledged that since Baptism is called the washing of Regeneration that therefore those who are admitted to Baptism must be supposed to be Regenerated before or in Baptism Answer This follows not since Baptism may be called the washing of Regeneration for another reason and in another respect more probable and that is because men by Covenant are engaged to become new men and to lead new lives And it is from this engagement by Baptism that St. Paul so often exhorts and persuades Christians to mortification and a new life as we see he does Rom 6.2 3 4 5 6. Col. 2.12 3.1 2. As John the Baptist Baptized the People unto Repentance Mat. 3. â—â— So they are Baptized unto Regeneration that is they are thereby brought under a solemn engagement to repent and so to be Regenerate And in this respect Baptism is properly enough called the Laver of Regeneration Not that Baptism does inwardly Regenerate by the act done or suffered to be done tho it does engage to it but it is the work of the Holy Ghost as the principal agent and therefore is here called the Renewing of the Holy Ghost And its evident that the washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost are here mentioned as two different things as they are in their own nature Altho the Christians here spoken of were said to be saved according to Gods mercy by both yet it no ways follows that this end could not be attained unless they were renewed by the Holy Ghost at the same instant in which they were Baptized for the one might succeed the other in point of time as often it hath done And if so there can no necessity be inferred from hence of not admitting men to the one but upon supposition