cause aleaged why there should be a necessity of faith in the right vse of Baptisme and not also in the right vse of the Lords supper Heere for proofe I might produce those generall speaches Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne i Rom. 14.23 and without faith it is impossible to please God k Heb. 11.6 But the maine reason is this the Sacraments are in their nature seales of righteousnesse l Rom. 4.11 and therefore it is absurd for a man to offer himselfe to receiue a confirmation of that thing which he hath not to haue a seal set as it were to a blanke to come to haue faith strengthened when perhaps there is scarce a right vnderstanding either of what is to be belieued or of what it is to belieue And then the ancient order of the Church heerin is not to be neglected For as touching the Sacrament of Baptisme the course taken with these whom the Apostles and their associates drew out of Iudaisme and Gentilisme into Christianity is apparant They vrged them to giue euidence and testimony of their faith and of their purpose to walke with God in newnesse of life So Iohn Baptist began m Math. 3. so the rest followed and the order of asking questions of the Baptized Doest thou belieue dost thou renounce is very probable to haue beene in vse euen in the Apostles time whereunto that saying of S Peter giueth a very good colour where speaking of Baptisme he mentioneth the Answer of a good conscience u 1. Pet. 3 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stipulation or engagement of the conscience the baptized giuing his word that thus and thus he beliueth and this and this he vndertaketh And in the primitiue Church ther was in the congregation a certaine forme or ranke called Catechumeni which were first trained vp in the knowledge of the grounds of Faith before they were baptized they being conuerts out of gentilisme which grounds what the chiefe of them were the Apostle relates Heb. 6. which points are there termed The doctrine of Baptismes because they were the particulars in which they which desired to bee numbered amongst Christians were instructed before they were baptized To this also agreeth that which is generally held that the Creed was digested into such a forme as seemeth to bee an Answer to a question The baptized was demanded what doest thou belieue his Answer was I belieue in God the father c. Thus for the Sacrament of Baptisme Now for the other Sacrament the rule of the Apostle is perpetuall and alwaies binds that who so commeth to it must examine himselfe o 1. Cor. 11.28 and seeing all search and examination aimeth at the finding out of some thing what should a Christian intending to partake that holy Mysterie examine himselfe about rather then about this whither hee be in the faith or no p 2. Cor. 11.5 How is it possible hee should bee a meet and a worthy receiuer if he want this Grace And thus I haue cleered the generall ground of this Doctrine Now I come to the limitation thereof Touching which this I say that in the Sacrament of the Lords supper it holds still that none ought to be admitted to it but such as are able to giue euidence for themselues that they are belieuers but in the Sacrament of Baptisme the case is not like For we must not hold that the sacrament of Baptisme can lawfully be giuen to none but to such as are able being vrged to giue testimony of their Faith because euen the Infants of belieuing parents haue a right to that Sacrament albeit as yet because of their present state they cannot in strait speaking bee said to belieue nor yet are able to answer a demand concerning Faith so that the point touching faith necessary to the Sacrament of Baptisme is to be vnderstood only of those which are admitted to it being of yeares As for example if a Turke or Iew or Pagan should come amongst vs and should desire Baptisme it were necessary he should first be instructed in the doctrine of faith yea and examined and dealt with and caused to giue publique Testimony of his beleeuing but we must not stretch this rule so as that we should exclude from this Sacrament the children of Beleuers Indeed the Anabaptists who dispute with the vtmost of their skill against the Baptisme of Infants doe much vrge the practise of the Apostles and this our text among others namely that they are not read to haue baptized any but such who by age were able to bee countable for their faith and from thence they would draw a generall conclusion that where there is no capablenesse of faith there ought to be no Baptisme Heerevnto diuers things might be replyed but these briefly That it is not simply an improper speech to call the infant of belieuing parents a beleeuer because although he do not now actually beleeue yet partly because for his parents sake he is within the compasse of the couenant partly because of that which may well be hoped for hereafter as it were hard to terme him an infidell so it were not harsh to call him a beleeuer And why not a beleeuer as well as a reasonable creature though yet there is in him no vse of reason no nor any certainty of ability heereafter to enjoy it And besides by the antient and most receiued doctrine of the Church the infants of beleeuers are reputed to haue a kinde of interest into their parents faith who by faith appprehend the promise of eternall life as appertaining to their children as farre forth as to themselues And what more inconuenience to terme such beleeuers in respect of their parents then to terme them holy through them as Paul doth q 1 Cor. 7.14 2 The argument is naught from the Apostles practize for that course which they tooke with one certaine age of persons cannot be stretched out to all without exception As when the Apostle deliuereth a law that he which doth not labour should not eate r. were it not a notorious absurdity yea and a wickednesse to keepe meat from infants vnder a pretence that they doe not worke And why because euery man conceiueth that the law belongeth onely to those which are of age and ability to labour and yet neglect it The same may be sayd of he Apostles proceeding in baptizing that it extendes onely to those that bee of yeares to subiect infants to the same condition with them were vnreasonable In Abrahams person the knowledge of the Nature of the Sacrament and an yeelding himselfe to liue vnder the Lords obedience went before the receiuing of circumcision yet in Isaac it was not so he was circumcised first and instructed after It was necessary in Abraham that a profession of Faith should goe before circumcision it was not necessary in Isaac the difference in their ages altered the case of the necessity 3 As concerning the Apostles practize it selfe there
about our Faith If that be not good what becometh of all our hope for life eternall And thinke what a wofull thing it is herein to bee mistaken I said Faith is the Tenure we hold heauen by Now put case a man hath continued a sute at law a great while trusting to a certaine piece of writing which he hath in a boxe if at the day of hearing that writing proue insufficient what becommeth of him wee know hee looseth all his former cost he is cast out of doores and misseth that which hee thought he should haue enioyed all his daies So in this A man maketh account he hath Faith sufficient to saluation hereupon he goeth on without feare of future euill at the day of reckning his faith proueth counterfet thinke then in what a wofull case is that man Wee may guesse somewhat herein by a speach of Christs Many shall say to mee in that day Lord haue we not in thy name prophecied c. and yet it shall be said to them Depart from mee c. k Math. 7.22.23 It seemeth these will bee very confident and make full account to be saued But now when for all this it shal be said Depart we may well tremble to thinke vpon their misery For the more sure a man is in his owne opinion the greater confusion vexation it will be to him to be disappointed of his hope How necessary a matter is this to be vrged in these secure times It would make a mans heart woe to thinke how exceeding carefull men be in other things but how desperate in this point concerning Faith Is this lease good is this bond good is this cloth for my garment good is this beast good is this ground good is this husbandry good is this corne which I haue chosen for my seed good Wee abound in these inquiries and are scarsely euer satisfied wee are still ielous and afraid lest it should not bee as wee desire But who amongst many makes a question touching his Faith who saith to himselfe Here is much speaking of Faith and it is taught that without it there can be no saluation what is my Faith which I promise myselfe I haue such as it ought to bee sure if it be not I can neuer be saued Who is it that thus communeth with his owne soule Who keepeth this priuy audite within himselfe I hearkned and heard and no man spake aright said Ieremy of old l Ier. 8.6 He would euen deliuer vp the like verdit of the men of this generation if he were now liuing It is the great pollicy of the Diuill to leade men on and to lull them a sleepe in their carelessenes it filleth his barnes and helps to encrease his kingdome A debating with a mans selfe touching his hope of a better life is a very first step towards heauen Sathan knoweth that if men should once put it to the question how their Faith is they should see such scantnes in themselues that way that the very sight thereof would make them looke about and begin a better course wheras now presuming al is well they run on headlong and will surely be in the pit before they be ware When thou art perswaded and called vpon to examine thy selfe whether thy faith be right and sound why man saith the diuell by and by vnto thee wherfore shouldst thou doubt it Hast not thou beleeued in God euer since thou couldst remember Hast thou done thus well hitherto and shouldst thou now beginne to make question of thy Faith Feare not doe not doubt but thou art euen as good a beleeuer as the best Thus with these and the like charmes this subtile enemy rockes men asleepe and encourageth them to feed themselues with vaine perswasions and to trust on lying words which cannot profit m Iere. 7.8 Let therefore the doctrine taught worke to the reforming of this common euill from which scarce one of many is able well to cleere himselfe We hope to be saued we say we haue faith we would take it for a wronge if any man should call vs vnbeleeuers Oh let vs remember that there is a faith which will deceiue a kinde of beleeuing which is but counterfet Let vs not content our selues with supposals with idle imaginations which haue no ground but let vs bring our faith to the touch-stone and let it be tried throughly whither it will hold in the day of account or no. There is nothing more contrary to Christianity then presumption nor any in worse case then they which are most secure and make themselues beleeue that all is with them as it should We read that Iacob in his dreamesaw a Ladder vpon the earth of which the top reached to Heauen n Gen 28.12 This Ladder betokened Christ as Christ himselfe hath reference to it in his speech to Nathaniel touching Angels ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man o Ioh. 1.51 Now to apply this to my present purpose we know that hee which climbeth vp a ladder is especially carefull of his footing and hold and looketh diligently and aduisedly to euery step So doth he which is in Christ and is by him and through him getting vp to heauen he is alwaies trying whither his standing be sure and whither his hold that he hath caught be such as will not deceiue him Thus he worketh out his saluation with feare and trembling p Phil. 2.12 and happy is he who is so busied And so I haue laboured to presse the vse of this necessary point In the matter of faith it is a dangerous thing to be deceiued If a mans faith be vnsound all his hope is ouerthrowen it is easie to be mistaken our Heart is deceitfull q Ier. 17.9 and in our owne cases wee are partiall iudges Sathan is cunning and will beguile vs with a shadow of Faith and there is a faith which is very like to true Faith but yet will deceiue vs what then can be more behoofull then to proue our faith that we may be sure it will not faile vs most when we shall need it most This is the summe And to the end wee may bee the better prepared for this duty of Triall I come now to the next doctrine as the Text giueth occasion to shew what kinde of Faith it is which is auailable to life eternall and which is therefore called the Faith of Gods elect r Tit. 1.1 because it streameth from Election and is a pledge thereof The 2. Doct. The next doctrine then is That onely that Faith maketh a man capable of saluation and giueth him an interest into life eternall which is with all thy heart This is direct out of the words If thou beleeuest with all thy heart thou mayst that is If thy beleeuing be sincere and thy faith vnfained thou mayst finde comfort in this Sacrament otherwise it will be to thee but an idle signe In all matters betwixt God and vs this is a chiefe thing
the father but by Christ and yet in the end to come short Let vs remember that the very life and glory of faith is to beleeue with all thy Heart that is in our beleeuing to let Christ haue the preeminence the full and the very all of our affections If wee can bring our soules once to this to value Christ more for his owne proper worthes sake then for owne saluations sake then are we beleeuers with all our Heart This is indeed singlenes sincerity of affection this is vprightnes of mind when my faith reacheth after Christ for Christ I account my owne saluation but the Bay the fruition of Christ the Maine These be two things I know which cannot bee sundered in enioying Christ and saluation but yet it is possible to giue the one the precedence aboue the other in desiring Let not this seeme strange vnto vs. Who amongst vs accounts him a friend worth the hauing whose chiefe end in seeking to be linked in with him in society is more his owne commodity or some credit like to accrew to him then the fruition of him to whom he professeth loue When we can say of a man professing friendship I know he respecteth mee for this or for that were it not for such a hope or the expectation of such a benefit I am sure he would regard me as little as another man will we iudge such an one an vnfained friend How then shall that be called an vnfained Faith which aimeth at Christ onely for this because there is hope of a kingdome by beleeuing This is a mercenary respect neither is that a true sauing faith which hath no higher scope Would I not draw towards Christ in my desire and affection if there were no saluation by his meanes is it onely to make a benefit of him that I do cast my selfe vpon him shal this be called faith No I doubt not but such respects as these may be found in many which yet shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of God And thus we may see how one thing followeth vpon another that maine matter of preaching must be Christ the supreame purpose of hearing must be to finde Christ * This was taught out of the 35 verse and so the principall intendement of faith must be to enioy Christ To be saued may lawfully be an inducement but sure we shall misse if it be the chiefest motiue If we will beleeue on Christ he will haue all the Heart or nothing And so much touching the quality of Faith which I commend to our best obseruation wish it may be well considered that we may not beguile our selues with an opinion of faith Let it bee remembred how neere counterfet faith commeth vnto true faith and wherein the maine difference doth consist Christ hath but halfe the heart if wee respect him onely for this that vpon his shoulders wee may bee carried vpwards into Heauen If we could thinke Heauen it selfe not worthy the hauing but onely for his sake that were excellent So far of the condition propounded by Philip now next of the Eunuchs vndertaking it Then he answered I beleeue that c. We haue here three things to note 1 That the Eunuch was able to giue an account of his Faith 2 That hee was ready so to doe 3 What the account was The first of these is very apparent for what is this speech but an account giuen by the Eunuch what hee beleeued and it was so sufficient that vpon it he was admitted to the Sacrament So that the doctrine hence is The 3 doct That it is necessary for euery good Christian to be able to expresse for himselfe what he beleeues This sufficiency of the Eunuch to returne an answer to the inquiry made into his faith is not to bee passed ouer without noting out of all question it was written for our learning that we might labour not to be to seeke in the things which doe concerne our soules This is that which Peter caleth a giuing a reason of that hope which a man hath g 1. Pet. 3.15 Paul termeth it a confession with the Mouth h Rom. 10.9 and maketh it a necessary companion of that Faith which brings to saluation and Let euery man be fully perswaded in his owne minde i Rom. 14 5. that is let him that is a beleeuer labour to conceiue distinctly what that is whereupon it is necessary for him to rest that he may be saued let him not satisfie himselfe with a kinde of reserment to the faith of others but let him see that hee himselfe doe apprehend that which is necessary The iust must liue by his Faith k Heb. 2.4 by that which hee conceiueth in his owne heart not by subiecting himselfe to the opinion of another This is life euerlasting to know thee the onely God l Ioh. 17.3 It is not imagination or supposall or some loose and vncertaine fancy some rauing coniecture that can guide a man to life it is vnderstanding it is knowledge such which the hauer is both able if need be to set downe determinately what it is and to giue a reason also thereof to Thus is it written and this I beleeue this is my Faith and this is the foundation thereof Why else is it that the Scripture teacheth grounds of the Christian Faith so exactly Why is it that there is any such necessity laid vpon vs which are called to the seruice of the Church to lay open the mystery of Christ Why I say should this be if it were not the duty of beleeuers to be able in heart to comprehend and with mouth also if occasion bee to declare whereupon they rest for the saluation of their soules Indeed what comfort can there be or what sweetnesse in vncertainty or what possibility to put Sathan to flight with some confused motion which a man hath catched vp he knoweth not how It is the glory of Christians to be fulfilled with Knowledge and spirituall vnderstanding m Col. 1.9 to haue the Spirit of wisedome and reuelation and to know what is the hope of their calling c. n Eph. 1.17.18 A shame to them to be children in vnderstanding o 1 Cor. 14.20 to be dull of hearing p Heb. 5.11 to be euer learning and yet neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth q 2 Tim. 3.7 These things may serue to prooue this doctrine The vse In the vse it giueth ful occasion to accuse the ignorance of the times in which so many of all sorts and of all degrees are vtterly vnable to giue a comfortable account of that which is necessary to be knowen vnto saluation Euery parish euery assembly euery congregation swarmes with such There is no Minister that laboureth to know the state of his flocke but can be a witnesse with me touching this Men speake of I know not what hoping well and of being of that which they call Gods