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A36663
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A treatise of baptism wherein that of believers and that of infants is examined by the Scriptures, with the history of both out of antiquity : making it appear that infants baptism was not practised for near 300 years after Christ ... and that the famous Waldensian and old British churches and Christians witnessed against it : with the examination of the stories about Thomas Munzer, and John a Leyden : as also, the history of Christianity amongst the ancient Britains and Waldenses : and, a brief answer to Mr. Bunyan about communion with persons unbaptized / by H.D.
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Danvers, Henry, d. 1687.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing D233; ESTC R35615
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154,836
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411
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part of Baptisme is the Ministers washing the person and the person first offering himself to be washed and after actually receiving it doth hereby signally profess his consent Now this washing doth essentially signifie our washing from our former filth of sin together with the guilt our putting away the old man which is corrupt according to our deceitful lusts being buried with Christ for all that are baptized must profess to be buried with him and to rise again signifieth a being dead to sin and alive to God to newness of life and not only an engagement of this for the future but a profession also of it at present which is made good from Col 2.11 12 13. Rom. 6.4 5 6 7 8 11. Yea he that readeth the whole Chapter with judgment impartiality will soon discern that true Repentance abrenuntiation of the service of sin was to be professed by all that would be baptized and thereupon they sealed their own profession and Covenant by the reception of Baptisme as Christ sealed his part by the actual baptizing of them Dr. Tayl. Concerning which you have Dr. Taylor very excellently Page 243. Baptisme saith he is never propounded mentioned or enjoyned as a means of Remission of sins or of Eternal Life but something of duty choise and â—anctity is joyned with it in order to the production of the end so mentioned Know ye not that as many as are baptized into Christ are baptized into his Death There is the Mystery and Symbol together and declar'd to be perpetually united All of us who were baptized into the one were baptized into the other not only into the Name of Christ but into his Death also But the meaning of this as it is explained in the following words of St. Paul makes much for our purpose For to be bapitzed into his Death signifies to be buried with him in Baptisme That as Christ rose from the Dead we also should walk in newness of Life that is the full Mystery of Baptisme For being baptized into his Death or which is all one in the next words into the likeness of his Death cannot go alone if we be so planted into Christ we shall be partakers of his Resurrection and that is not instanced in precise reward but in exact duty for all this is nothing but Crucifixion of the old man and destroying of the body of sin that we no longer serve sin And therefore it is that Baptisme is called The answer of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 Which can by no means be applied to the Infant And thereupon Dr Taylor again p. 244. That Baptisme which saveth us is not not only the washing with Water of which only Children are capable but the answer of a good Conscience towards God of which they are not capable till the use of Reason till they know to refuse the evil and choose the good Mr. Bax. And Mr. Baxter very fully p. 156. If saith he according to the institution the answer of a good Conscience must be joyned with Baptisme for the attaining of its end then we must admit of none that profess not the answer of a good Conscience but the former saith he is certain from the Text for Baptisme is said to save that is its appointed Vse yet not the External washing but the Answer of a good Conscience doth it Therefore this is of a necessary injunction and without it Baptisme cannot attain its Ends But it is to be administred and received only in order to the attainment of its End and theerefore never in a way by which the end is apparently not attainable What the answer of a good Conscience is the common Expositions fully confirm as I maintain The Assemblies Annotations saith he recite both thus viz. By the Answer of a good Conscience we may understand that unfeigned Faith whereof they made confession at their Baptisme and whereby their Consciences were purified and whereby they received the Remission of their sins The Fifth End of Baptisme is to be a Sign to the Believer of the Covenant on Gods part of washing away his sins by the Blood of Christ Fifth end to be a sign of the Covenant on Gods part to give Spiritual Life and Salvation Act. 2.32 3.3 Act. 22.16 1 Pet. 3 21. To which truth Mr. Perkins sets his Seal Mr. Perk. We see saith he what is done in Baptisme the Covenant of Grace is solemnized between God and the Party baptized and in this Covenant something belongs to God and something to the Party baptized And Bullinger Bullinger upon Act. 2.38 That Baptisme is an Agréement or Covenant of Grace which Christ enters into with us when we are baptized as well as a professing sign of our true Repentance A Sixth End is Siâ—th end to represent the union betwixt Christ the Believer That it might be a signal Representation of a Believers union with Christ called therefore a being baptized into Christ and a putting on of Christ figured out by such an Union and Conjunction with the Element as imports a being born thereof and and being clothed therewith Vpon which saith Dr. Taylor Whoever are baptized into Christ Dr. Tayl. have put on Christ have put on the new man This whole Argument is the very words of St. Paul The Major proposition is Dogmatically determined Gal. 3.24 The Minor in Eph. 4.24 The Conclusion then is obvious that they who are not formed in Righteousness and Holiness and Truth They who remaining in their iâ—capacities cannot walk in newness of Life they have not been baptized into Christ and then they have but one Member of the distinction used by St. Peter they have that Baptisme which is the putting away the filth of the Flesh but they have not that Baptisme which is the Answer of a good Conscience towards God which is the only Baptisme that saveth And this saith he is the Case of Children Mr Bax. And to this purpose also Mr. Baxter again p. 98. If it be the appointed use of all Christian Baptisme to solemnize our Marriage with Christ or to Seal or confirm our Vnion with him or ingrafting into him then must we baptize none that profess not iustifying â—aith because this is necessarily prerequisite and no other can pretend to union Marriage or ingrafting into Christ Both the Antecedent and the Consequent are evident in Gal. 3 27 28 29. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ ye are all one in Christ Jesus and if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and Heirs according to Promise Here we see that it is not an accidental or separable thing for Baptisme to be our Visible entrance into Christ Our putting him on Our admittance by solemnization into the State of Gods Children and Heirs according to Promise For as all own if we be truly baptized we are baptized into Christ then are we Christs and have put on Christ
and are all one in Christ and Abrahams Seed according to Promise A seventh End of Baptisme is Seventh End entrance into the Visible Church that the Baptized person may orderly thereby have an entrance into the visible Church and have a right given him to partake of all the Ordinances and Priviledges thereof For as Circumcision of old was the visible door of entrance into the Old testament-church and so essentially necessary thereto that without it none were esteemed either Church Members or were to Partake either of the Passover or of any of the Priviledges thereof all without being called the Uncircumcision So also was Baptisme such a Door and Visible entrance into the New-testament-church that none were esteemed Members thereof or did partake of its Ordinances before they were baptized being so Gods Hedge and Boundary that others were esteemed without And therefore as Christ had laid down the Order in the Commission first to teach then to Baptize and then to teach them all things viz. in the place of teaching his School or Church So did they practice accordingly as we read Act 2.41 42. Where after Peter had taught them it is said That they who gladly received his Word were bapt zed and the same day there was added unto them 3000. Souls and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine fellowship and breaking of Bread and Prayer So that after Baptisme not before the Believers were said to enjoy and partake of all the Church Priviledges And which is Christs directory and Standard for Rule and Order to the end of the world The Church of Corinth were said 1 Cor. 11.2 to have kept the Ordinances as they were delivered to them And it was the Apostles joy and rejoycing to see the Order and Faith of the Saints Col. 2.5 And therefore it is said 1 Cor. 12.13 That by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit viz. The same Spirit of Faith Regeneration and Holyness which gives right to Baptisme orderly lets into the Body and Church and so admits also unto the Supper which is the received sense of most interpreters upon the place And by this Order believers were said to be baptized into Christ and to be implanted together with him Rom. 6 3 Gal 3.27 For as publick Officers are invested into their trust by some external solemnity that passeth upon them at the time of their installment And as the Husband and Wife enter into their Relation by some solemn act done at the time of their Marriage Or as a Corporation by some publick act done doth receive its Members at their Enfranchisement Even so according to the import of these Scriptures mentioned do Men and Women receive that Relative being which they have in Christ and as Visible Members of that Spiritual â—orporation wherein Christ is Head and Chief from that solemn act of being baptized into him And as the Officer is not invested with his Authority Or Husband and Wife with that Power over each others Bodies as 1 Cor. 7.4 nor any Members with the Immunities of the Corporation by any prequalifications or actions preparatory thereto 〈◊〉 that be acted and done by way of Solemnity which immediately invests them with their several Respectâ— and Capacities In like manner mâ—n are to â—e esteemed capable of those priviledges which visibly do belong to the body of the Church upon the account of any precedaneous Qualification or Action whatsoever until first they have past through those spiritual solemnities in Baptisme upon which they are invested with the denomination and visible priviledges which belong in common to the Members of Christs Mystical body Which Order of Christ hath had such a sanction upon it that all or for the most part all that have profest Christianity whether Papists Prelatists Presbyterians or Independents have owned the same not communicating in the Supper with any they judged unbaptized In a word Baptisme hath been called of old amongst the Ancients and not without Reason Janna Sacramentorum the Gate of the Sacraments whereof they gave this Reason In all respects the Order of the Mystery is kept that first by Remission of sins a Medicine be prepared for their wounds and then the Nourishment of the Heavenly Table be added Ambrose Ambrose Which Truth is further witnessed unto and confirmed by the following Testimonies viz. Justin Martyr Justin Martyr in secunda Apologiâ pro Christianis speaking of the Lords Supper to which the new baptized person is admitted saith This food we call the Eucharist to which no man is admitted but only he that believeth the truth of our Doctrine being washed in the Laver of Regeneration for Remission of sins c. Vrsinus Vrsinus in his Catechisme Baptisme is a Sacrament of entrance into the Church whence it cometh that the Supper is presented to none except first baptized The Assemblies Catechisme â—ssemâ—lies Catechisme Baptisme say they is a Sacrament of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Chriâ—t not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the Visibit Church But c. Mr. Bax. Mr. Baxter in his plain Scripture proof p. 24. As a Souldier before Listing and a King before Crowning and taking his Oath so are we Church-Members before Baptisme But as every one that must â—e admitted solemnly into the Army must be admitted by Listing as the solemn engaging sign So every one that hath right to be solemnly admitted into the Visible Church must ordinarily be admitted by Baptisme proved thus If we have neither Precept nor Example in Scripture since Christ ordained Baptisme of any other way of admiting Visible Members but only by Baptisme then all that must be admitted Visible Members must ordinarily be baptized But since Baptisme was instituted we have no Precept or Example of admitting Visible Members any other way but constant Precept and Example for admittance this way Therefore all that must be admitted Visible Members must be baptized I know not saith he what in shew of Reason can be said to this by those that renounce not Scripture For what man dare go in a way that hath neither Precept nor Example to warrant it from a way that hath a full current of both Yet they that will admit Members into the Church without Baptisme do so I had thought to have been larger upon this Point and intended particularly to have answerâ—d a late piece of Mr. â—unions in contradiction hereto But â—eing so well replyed to by Mr. Paul in his serious Reflections so lately Printed I shall say thereto little more then what you find in the Sixth Chapter respecting the constitution of the Primative Churches Now may it not be referred to the Judgment and Conscience of the considerate Impartial Reader whether any but the believer can possibly reach or attain these Spiritual ends mentioned and how capable poor ignorant Babes are to answer