to the institution of Christ and Apostolical direction be had to the proper ends thereof in each particular Church and congregation of Christ under the Gospel Answ Iohn 16.19 And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heaven Iohn 20.23 Then Iesus said unto them Peace be unto you as my Father sent me even so send I you and when he said this he breathed on them and saith to them Receive ye the holy ghost Whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained Mat. 18.15 16 17 18. If thy brother trespass against thee go and tell him his fault betwixt him and thee alone if he hear thee thou hast won thy brother but if he hear thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed and if he wil not vouchsafe to hear them tell it to the Church and if he refuse to hear the Church also let him be unto thee as an Heathen-man and a Publican verily I say unto you whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven 1 Cor. 1.4 5. I verily as absent in body but present in spirit have determined already as though I were present that he that hath done this thing when ye are gathered together and my spirit in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that such one I say by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Iesus ver 13. With such a one eat not put away therefore from your selves that wicked person Quest Touching Baptism this is the end of this Chapter to destroy and overthrow the Ordinance and Institution of water-Baptism agreeing in this with such as of late have appeared to that and other such good ends for its a body of heresie we have to do with no wonder therefore if he takes every brother by the hand But how is this done first by bringing before us such Scriptures as tell us That John indeed baptized with water but he that came after him with the holy Ghost do those prove that water-baptism ceased with John or that Christ did that which John could not do namely wash us with his blood and Spirit doth not the Scripture therefore call Baptism the washing of the new birth and the forgiveness of sins Answ Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost Acts 2.2.16 Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sins Quest No wonder indeed then that John could not baptize as did Jesus whose shoe latchet he was not worthy to unloose since it is not the outward baptism of water but the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all sin since it is true also we are baptized into Christs death and it is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God that saves us these all proving baptism indeed to be a Sacrament and no more effectual then the Spirit makes it effectual which it hath made instrumental we confess it is not otherwise the thing signified but must affirm it to be the sign what testimony therefore have you for the use of that sign namely the use of water in Scripture Answ Mat. 18.19 Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Mark 16.16 He that shall believe and be baptized shall be saved Acts 2.38.4.1 Then Peter said Amend your lives and be baptized every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ then they that gladly received his word were baptized the same day were added to the Church 3000. souls Mat. 3.11 I baptize you with water to amendment of life Ioh. 1.31 33. Therefore am I come baptizing with water he that sent me to baptize with water Quest This indeed is our sufficient warrant from the significancy of the word baptizing and also from the express addition of water wherewith Iohn was sent expresly to baptize only the efficacy of that ordinance was then and is now acknowledged to be the work of Christ by his Spirit but if they should thus say This was indeed the baptism of Iohn but the Apostles did not baptize or if they did not so what testimony therefore have you that the Apostles did baptize and with the element of water according to the first institution of baptism and first give the example of Paul who though he make it a great work to which as an Apostle he was chiefly called to preach the Gospel and that he might clear himself of vain glory he rejoyceth he baptizeth not many yet he acknowledgeth that he baptized some 1 Cor. 13. to the 17. Were ye baptized into the name of Paul I thank God I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any should say I had baptized into mine own name I baptized also the house of Stephanus furthermore I know not wither I baptized any other for Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel Mat 8.36 to the end And as they went on the way they came unto a certain water and the Eunuch said See here is water what doth let me to be baptized and they went down into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him and assoon as they were come up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. Quest There needs indeed no more au hority yet to put it out of all controversie have ye no president of some baptized with the element of water even after they had been baptized with the holy Ghost Answ Acts 10.44 to the end While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word so they of the Circumcision which believed were astonished as many as came with Peter because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy Ghost for they heard them speak with tongues and magnifie God then answered Peter Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy Ghost as well as we so he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Quest One word more and then we shall leave it to whomsoever reads to judge whither we or our Master of Arts will more need to fly from plain Scripture to consequence or comment have ye therefore no example that the Lord Jesus Christ himself who did himself baptize with the holy Ghost yet for the honour of his own Institution and to confirm us in the truth that he might fulfill all obedience submitted to this
Lord Iesus Christ God is faithful 1 Cor. 10 13. God is faitful and will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will give with the temptation that ye may be able to bear it 1 Thes 5.23 24. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ faithful is he that calleth you who will also do it 2 Thes 3.3 The Lord is faithful which will stablish you and keep you from evil Phil. 1.6 And I am perswaof this thing that he that haeh begun this good work in you will perform it until the day of Iesus Christ 4 The Elect cannot fall 4. Mat. 24.24 For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. Rom. 8.29,30 For those whom he knew before those also he predestinated moreover whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 11.1 God hath not cast away his people whom he knew before vers 7. what then Israel hath not obtained that he sought but the election have obtained it and the rest have been hardned 5 Christ prays and is always heard 5. Luke 21.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not John 17.15 20. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou keep them from evil I pray not for these alone but for them which shall believe in me through their word Rom. 8.34 Who shall condemn it is Christ which is dead yea rather which is risen again who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request for us who shall separate us from the love of Christ John 11.41 42. And Iesus lift up his eyes and said Father I thank thee because thou hast heard me I know that thou hearest me always 6 The Saints pray and shall obtaen 6. Mat. 6. 13. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil 1 John 5.14 And this is that assurance that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 7 6 Saints are preserved in the faith 7. John 6.37.38 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I cast not away This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day Chap. 10.27 28. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall not perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand John 17.12 Those that thou gavest me have I kept and nore of them is lost chap. 13.1 Forasmuch as he loved his own which were in the world unto the end he loved them 8. 2 Cor. 1.21 And it is God which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath annointed us who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Ephes 1.13 14. In whom also ye have trusted after that ye heard the word of truth even the Gospel of your Salvation wherein also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Chap. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption Psal 9. Comparison of Believers in Scripture 1.3 For he shall be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of waters that will bring forth her fruit in her due season whose leaf shall not fade Mat. 7 24.25 I will liken him to a wise man which hath builded his house on a rock Luke 8.15 But that which fell on good ground are they which with an honest and good heart hear the word and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience 10. Rom. 6.2 8 10 Saints dead to sin 9 11. How shall we that are dead to sin live yet therein wherefore if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall live also with him knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominon over him likewise think ye also that ye are dead to sin but are alive to to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Iohn 3 9. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sin because he is born of God Chap. 5,4 For all that is born of God overcometh this world Rom. 8.35.37 to the end Who shall separate us from the love of Christ in all these things we are more then Conquerours through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Quest Our Saviour tels his Disciples hitherto they had asked nothing in his name was it because they prayed God without a Mediator without the name of Christ nay sure but they had asked nothing that is nothing comparatively to what they might have asked and God would give was there at any time even before Christs Incarnation any acceptance with the Father without him was not Christ the Centre of all those types Surely yes the Scripture is full Let it suffice us here to hear one Scripture proving that Christ was to them before his coming in the flesh as to us since though more darkly one Scripture proving that they did then pray the Father through his name even before his incarnation One Scripture that there is but one Mediatour for all men whether them before or us since his manifestation in the flesh let us hear them faithfully recorded Answ 1 Cor. 10.4.3 Moreover Brethren I would not have you ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ Dan. 9.17 Now therefore oh our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that lieth waste for the Lords sake 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus CHAP. XX XXI QVest It s of great comfor to the Church indeed that Christ her head hath the Keys of hell and death But hath not the Lord Jesus committed to the Church the power of these keys that the publike regular and due use thereof may according