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head_n	body_n	church_n	invisible_a	4,247	5	10.9779	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81727	Gospel-Glory proclaimed before the sonnes of men, in the visible and invisible worship of God. Wherein the mystery of God in Christ, and his royall, spirituall government over the soules and bodies of his saints, is clearly discovered, plainly asserted, and faithfully vindicated, against the deceiver and his servants, who endeavour the cessation thereof, upon what pretence soever. / By Edward Drapes, an unworthy servant in the gospell of Christ.	Drapes, Edward.	1648 (1648)	Wing D2139; Thomason E472_27; ESTC R205811	164,938	187

built upon a mistake of their Epistles for they Sol. were not written to persons unbaptized but already baptized So that it was needlesse to urge Baptisme to them Yet we shall finde Paul in the Hebrewes telling them they had need to have the principles of the doctrine of Christ taught them againe of which Baptisme is one But if you looke into the Acts of the Apostles you will there finde Baptisme to be practised as much as any Ordinance for there are the travels of the Apostles and their doctrine to unbelievers registred where you shall finde thousands baptized Now Baptisme is part of the foundation in the house of God which must not be laid againe But yet some are ready further to object against Baptisme of water and say Object nothing enters into or hath a being in the Kingdome of God but that which abides for ever but water must perish therefore it cannot be in the Kingdome of God To which I answer if by the Kingdome of God you mean that Sol. invisible state of the spirit living with the Lord I shall shew you this is a mistake for is is said We are saved by hope which abides not alwaies for the thing hoped for being enjoyed hope ceaseth But if you mean the Visible Kingdome of heaven viz the Church of Christ behold you are much mistaken for tongues and prophesies were in the Church and shall not abide for ever for the Scripture saith Prophesies shall faile 1 Cor. 13. 8. But yet I say though that which is visible shall fade yet that which is represented by it viz the Fathers love in Christ Jesus shall never faile and our obedience shall ever be recorded with the Lord. That which you have said is true proves Saints may be baptized with Object water but yet it is an indifferent thing and so it is no great matter if it be left undone That which is neither commanded nor yet forbidden is left at Sol. a Saints liberty But know the commands of the Lord are not of so indifferent a nature the transgression of them or any of them is sinne Now to say Baptisme is such a thing makes void those Scriptures which command it to be preached and practised as I have proved from Math. 28. Marke the last with other Scriptures He that said to the Disciples Goe preach and baptize likewise saith to believers by the mouth of his Apostles Repent and be baptized So that I say againe whatever believer shall neglect this command sins against the great Lawgiver the Lord Jesus Thus have I endeavoured according to my talent to answer all those objections I have yet met withall of any moment hoping it will now appeare to thee that Baptisme of water is an Ordinance of the Lord Jesus and not to be so carnall as men suppose but a spirituall Ordinance whose author principle leading to it power enabling to performe it and true end of conformity to it are all spirituall which though in a sense viz as it is performed with water may be called externall or outward yet the spirit and life of it is like the Kings Daughter Psalme 45. All glorious within whose cloathing is of wrought gold And surely it is no more outward then charity which I suppose none but some old hard-hearted usurer will deny to have place in the Church of the first-borne and why may not Baptisme be admitted likewise into the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Some say T is a yoake and they say true but it is Christs yoake whose yoake is easy and his burden is light others say if they should submit to it they shall be in bonds and not have that liberty they enjoyed before they say true they shall be bound but to nothing but Christs lawes and be infringed of no liberty that may be truly called Gospell-liberty true it is they are like to be more carefully and narrowly watcht over then formerly that so they may walk more conformable to the true nature of Christs flock whose inheritance is the Kingdome of the Father But this surely to an honest upright heart who feares the Lord will be accounted as his great priviledge and happinesse Chap. VIII Sheweth that believers being baptized ought to be added to the Church and what the true Gospell-Church is THE first thing being made manifest that all believers are to be baptized I come to the second thing I promised to discover to you which The Saints baptized are to be added to the Church was the command of Christ for those that were baptized to be added to to the Church By Church I here understand some particular visible Church which every believer ought to be a member of and adde himselfe to it T is not enough to be baptized which visibly enrights him into any Church but he must be taught to observe all things commanded whereof this is one to joine himselfe to some particular Church or Congregation Therefore is it said Acts 2. 42. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers Marke it they were not onely baptized but walked in the visible fellowship of the Gospell And againe it is said verse 47. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved And againe Acts 17. 4. it is said Those that believed consorted to Paul and Silas they embodied themselves together and cleaved to the Apostles verse 34. That it is the duty of Saints thus to do I shall manifest by two Reasons 1. From the nature of the Saints they are all one in Christ Jesus they are Christs sheepe the nature of whom is to flocke togegether they are members one of another Now it behooveth the members to be fixed in their owne body they are the souldiers of the Lord who ought to be in continuall order But 2. It appeares from the nature of the doctrine of Christ which points at unity one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one Body whereof Christ is the Head God is one they are one the Gospell is one all which proclaimes it to be their duty to walke together as one in the Church which is Christs body But to make things appeare more plainly I shall shew you what the true Church of Christ is to which every believer being baptized ought to be added It is a company of people called out and separated from the What the true Church of Christ is world by the word of the Gospell to believe in Christ being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus walking together in mutuall agreement in the visible profession of the Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ their Head and King I am not now treating of the Church of Christ as it is invisible consisting of all Saints in all ages making up one body but of a particular visible society or congregation of people who are that Church I have before described in which description there are these things observable 1. That Christs Church consists of people

were added viz. to the church about three thousand Act. ● 41. this was a doctrine to be preached commanded to be practised and was observed by the Saints of old But doe you thinke there may not be a visible church of Christ without baptisme of water surely all the churches in the Gospell were not baptized persons To this I plainly answer First the Scriptures no where hold Sol. forth any church to us without being baptized for this we find as soone as they beleeved they were commanded to be baptized with water Acts. 10. and to Paul himself beleeving was it said Arise why tarriest thou and be baptized If we looke into the Acts we shall find there very many examples for it and not one to prove or tolerate any other practise Secondly I say there can be no true visible Church without it hath its bottome or foundation from Christ but there is no church consisting of others then baptized persons approved on by Christ for Christ giving forth a rule of visible dispensations bids his disciples first Teach and Baptize them afterwards teach them to observe all that he had commanded them Marke last 19 20. Again if we consider the nature of the Ordinance of baptisme and of the church of Christ it will be evident for the nature of the Ordinance is a cleer manifestation of putting on Christ therfore saith the Apostle Know ye not that as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and the nature of a true Church is of a spirituall nature visibly holding forth that government Christ our head hath in us Again baptism is the first act visibly representing our union with Christ which gives us a visible right to all other Ordinances of Christ But if any shall yet say there may be a true visible church of the Gospel approved of by Christ without a submission to this Ordinance let them produce their grounds from the Scripture and I shall more throughly consider the matter in the mean time let this suffice us that while men walke in other wayes doubtfully without a rule for their practise we walk according to the Scriptures in being baptized and added to the church wheras they say many churches were planted without baptism it is an easy thing to say so but hard for to prove I am very confident all churches were baptized else the disciples of Christ had very ill observed their commands Goe teach and baptize Fiftly It is not enough that Saints be baptized but likewise The Church of Christ is an united company they ought to joyn themselves together first to the Lord then to one another therfore is it that we find it recorded that the Saints are a body compact together and that when many saw the judgement of God upon Ananias and Saphira they durst not joyn themselves to them Now this joyning after baptisme is nothing but the mutuall consent of each other giving up themselves to the Lord and one to another to watch over one another and walke before the Lord in his own wayes which of necessity must be done or else the Saints would be disabled from knowing each other watching over each other and admonishing or reproving each other thus did Paul joyn himself to the churches at Ierusalem but this will appear more plain if you consider what I shall say when I come to speake of the true nature and divine excellency of this church which I have already in a measure described unto you Chap. IX Sheweth the true nature of Christs Church and the power and authority thereof HAving thus described to you what the true church of Christ is I will now shew you its excellent priviledges and duty which I shall unfold to you in eight particulars 1. The nature of this Church 2. The power of this Church 3. The duty of this Church 4. The gifts of this Church 5. The Ordinances of this Church 6. The Order of this Church 7. The Ministry of this Church 8. The Communion and fellowship of the Church The nature of this church I shall first handle which I shall demonstrate The nature of Christs Church It is the house of God to you from the severall names that God hath given it in the Scriptures as first it is called the House of Christ or of the living God 1 Tim. 3. 15. Paul gave many instructions to Timothy how to behave himself in the house of God God dwelleth in the middest of the church the church is Gods houshold Mat. 24. 25. Herein may we see the nature of the church to be a compact and united body a house of living stones 1 Peter 2. 4. 't is not a company of unpolished stones lying scattered up and downe but a house built up whose foundation is Christ yea Christ is the corner stone thereof 't is a houshold whose master is Christ who is the Lord of that family which is called by his name the children of this houshold are Saints those that appear in their wedding garment the servants are the Ministers of the Gospell who are placed there to serve the family their food is the word of God the body and blood of Christ Jesus from whence al unprofitable and wicked servants are tobe cast forth 't is a houshold wherein every son and servant is enrolled by the bond of unity Secondly 't is the City of God Psalm 46. 4. in which city every It is the City of God member is a fellow citizen Eph. 2. 19. 't is a spirituall city that descends from heaven 't is a flourishing city whose inhabitants are made glad through that river whose streames flow from the fountain of life 't is a City walled with the almighty power of the Lord Jesus 't is a City defended with an innumerable company of Angels whose merchandise is not of gold and silver but of bread and water of life of glorious garments of needle worke the cloathing of whose inhabitants is wrought gold 't is the city of Sion of which 't is said Walke about Sion and goe round about her tell the towers thereof marke yee well her bulwarks consider her palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following Psal 48. 12 13. 't is a city incorporated whose citizens have one and the same Charter from heauen whose head is the Lord Jesus whose foundation and gate of entrance is Christ in which mercy and truth meet together righteousnesse and peace kisse each other Thirdly The church of Christ is Christs body Christ is the churches It is Christs body head yea he is the very life and soul of the church 't is his Spirit which quickens all 't is Christs body consisting of severall members every one is placed in the body for the service of the whole therefore saith Paul We being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Rom. 12. 5. 't is a body fitly joyned together compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth

is an Ordinance of the New Testament of the Lord Jesus it is a part of Gospell spirituall and heavenly obedience whose use and end is First For the visible holding forth the death and resurrection It holds forth Christs death and resurrectiou of the Lord Jesus That Law-giver who hath given us tongues to speake of this mystery hath given us bodies to expresse it for what is our being overwhelmed with water but a lively representation of Christs being in the grave and our ascending out of the water what is it but a fit publication of Christs being raised from the dead Secondly It serves for the exercise of our obedience unto the ● exercises our obedience Lord Jesus If I be a King where is my honour saith Christ Arise why tarryest thou and be baptized is the Law gone forth from our High Priests lips to be faithfully observed of all believers Had we no ground but Gods command it is enough for us hereby may we manifest our obedience God hath not made our bodies in vaine but will be glorified in them For our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost Thirdly It serves for the exercise of our faith in the death of It exercises our faith Christ where we by faith see our selves dipped in the glorious mystery of his death Therefore are we said To be buried with him in Baptisme Some conceive that is onely meant spiritually but I say he speakes of the being baptized into his death by faith even in the visible Ordinance for in that may we by faith see Christ dead and our life hid in his death by faith in his death we see our selves dead to sinne it holds forth our justification by Christ the washing away of our sinnes in his death in his bloud So likewise it serves for the exercise of our faith in the resurrection of Christ for as we have beene baptized in his death so likewise by faith wee see the glory of Christs resurrection for as Christ died and rose from the dead so we who are buried visibly with him in Baptisme shall be raised by him even as certainly as we arise out of the water unto life eternall Fourthly We are likewise by Baptisme planted into the similitude We are planted by it into the likenesse of Christs death and resurrection of his death and resurrection for as Christ died and was surrounded with miseries so in this Ordinance by faith wee see our sufferings to be the dyings of Christ in us and as we suffer with him so are we planted into the likenesse of his resurrection Wee now by this see our selves planted into the similitude of his death whereby we dye to the world to sinne and vanity and likewise see our selves risen with Christ by faith unto the glory of God seeking the things that are above where Christ now fitteth at the right hand of God in the glory of the majesty on high We doe not onely by this hold forth Christs death and resurrection by acting faith in it that we shall receive virtue by it but see our selvs also planted into the same similitude of Christs sufferings and exaltations Fiftly It is a sweet and comfortable assurance of the resurrection It serves for the assurance of the resurrection of the body of our bodies from the grave We are buried with him and shall be raised from the grave by him as sure as our bodies are raised from the water shall our bodies be raised from the grave Sixtly By this they visibly demonstrate themselves to have put By this we visibly put on Christ on Christ Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ This putting on Christ is by faith by which we are the children of God but the visible demonstration of it is in Baptisme of water and by faith in this outward ordinance have we communion and fellowship with Christ having put him on as a garment to cover our nakednesse as an ornament to adorne our persons as a shield and buckler to secure us we are in this ordinance baptized into Christ under a two-fold consideration 1. In that we are baptized into the love life joy peace mystery and righteousnesse of Christ we by faith in that ordinance may see our selves encompassed about with a love and united to Christ For by one spirit are wee all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. We visibly demonstrate our selves by Baptisme to be of Christs sheepe as invisibly by the spirit we are dipped plunged or interested into that spirituall body whereof Christ is the head 2. In that by baptisme we visibly give up our names to Christ acknowledging him to be our Lord his will to be our law his law our life by this we acknowledge his soveraignty his excellency by this we resigne up our selves to him wearing his livery whereby he distinguishes his people in a speciall manner from the world Therefore saith Christ Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in or into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost That is to say by Baptisme we are consecrated or set apart unto the Father Son and Spirit and are visibly baptized into the profession of Jesus of the mystery and spirit of Jesus This Paul explaines where hee saith He thankes God he baptized no more of the Corinths lest they should say he baptized them into his name that is lest they should have Idolized him attributed that to him which is proper to God lest they should say they were his Disciples or his members or call themselves by his name Lastly the end of this as all other Ordinances is to glorifie By this wee glorifie God God God will be glorified by thy hands in ministring to thy owne or the Saints necessities by thy foot in carrying thee forth to preach For how beautifull are the feet of him that bringeth glad tydings by thy spirit in believing by thy soule and body in being baptized for we are not our owne but are bought with a price that wee should glorifie God in soule body and spirit Chap. IV. Discourseth of the Administrator and proper subjects of Baptisme IF you call to minde what I have already declared concerning Who are the true administrators of the Ordinance of Baptisme the ministry to the world you will see who are true Administrators but to speake a little more fully of this they are twofold First Such who are immediately stirred up by God to preach the Gospell of Christ those having a power to baptize into or in the name of Christ of this sort were the eleven Disciples Marke ult Philip who preached and baptized Ananias who preached to Paul and baptized him Peter who preached to the Gentiles and baptized them Paul himselfe who preached and baptized divers Acts 16. Secondly Such as are sent forth by the Church of Christ they may preach the Gospell and administer this Ordinance thus was Barnabas sent from Jerusalem