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B03480
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Four tracts. I. A short discourse about divorce and its causes, fornication and adultery. II. A charge to judges, juries and witnesses concerning oaths. III. About infant baptism. IV. A letter to a lady, who hath forsaken [t]he Protestant religion for the Romish. / By J. Gailhard, Gent.
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Gailhard, J. (Jean)
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1699
(1699)
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Wing G121A; ESTC R202025
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118,480
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174
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for the Thing Signified as the Holy Ghost washing with the Blood of Christ Secondly 'T is taken for Doctrine (g) Mark 11 30. The Baptism of John was it from Heaven or from Men And it is called (h) Acts 13.24 The Baptism or Doctrine of Repentance Thirdly It is taken for Death whereof 't is a Figure (i) Matth. 20.22 23 Are ye able saith our Saviour 〈◊〉 the Sons of Zebedee to drink of the Cup that I shall drink and to be baptised with the Baptism that I am baptised with Here I intend not to engage in any Dispute against all that are in an Errour concerning Baptism my Design being upon some occasion given me only to Vindicate the Doctrin of Infant-baptism against Anabaptists And to state well the Question we say and own how men newly Converted that are come to Years of Discretion ought to give an account of their Faith before Baptism be administred to them We also own Children of Jews Mahometans and other Infidels must not be Baptised except God-fathers or the like promise before God and in presence of the Church they will cake Care to see them Bred and Instructed in the Knowledge and Fear of God But to deny Baptism to Infants born of Christian Parents 't is to deprive them of their Right to Despise the Ordinance of God to take away the Mark whereby they are distinguished from Children of Unbelievers to Cheat them of Christ's Livery and the Badge of Christian Profession 't is with Pelagius to deny them Naturally to be Sinners and not to need being Washed And 't is also to deprive Parents of the Comfort to see how God takes care to bring their Children within the Pales of his Church Before we proceed further into this matter to make it the Clearer it is necessary to go back and say something in general In order thereunto God hath not only made us Promises in his Word but to help our Weakness and strengthen our Faith hath also appointed Sacraments to Signify Seal and exhibit Things Promised for Sacraments do Seal that which the Word Promiseth Thus God works upon two of our Senses first upon the Ear (k) Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God And upon our Eye with the sight of those visible Signs representing invisible Graces Hence Augustin calls a Sacrament The Visible Word Thus God did with his Church under the Old Testament and thus he doth under the New and man must not pretend to be wiser than God and to alter the Rules he hath given And as the Church of Christ is formed by degrees and that daily some were and are added to it so there are Two Sacraments instituted one of Initiation whereby we are introduced and admitted into 't such was Circumcision under the Old and such is Baptism under the New Testament another to Feed Strengthen and Confirm such was the Passover of Old and now the Lord's Supper which Sacraments of the Old and New Testaments though they differ in some Circumstances yet agree in the Substance both these of the New Testament (l) John 19.34 Water and Blood came out of our Saviour's Side God is the Author of every Sacrament none but God who can give the Grace signified hath right to Institute a Sacrament wherefore God instituted those under the Old Testament and our Lord who is the same those under the New To every Sacrament belongeth a Precept and a Promise the Precept of Baptism is (m) Matth. 28.19 Baptise all Nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost the Promise is (n) Mark 16 16. Luke 22.19 He who believes and is baptised shall be saved The Precept of the Lord's-Supper is first to those who administer it this do that is take the Bread bless brake and distribute it so pour the Wine into the Cup and give it 2ly To those who receive it 't is Commanded (o) Matth. 26.26 27 28 to take eat and drink the Promise is this is my Body this is my Blood which is shed for many for the Remission of sins Now in every Sacrament the words of the Precept ought punctually and exactly to be observed without Addition Diminution or Alteration There are Four sorts of those whom Sacraments are administred unto for some have the Sign without the Thing Signified others have the Thing Signified without the Sign some others have both Sign and Thing Signified lastly some have neither Sign nor Thing Signified A Sacrament is an Ordinance of God wherein God under visible signs doth represent some invisible grace in and thorough the Mediatour therefore in the Sacrament are the visible and earthly part and the invisible and spiritual which some call the outward and inward parts of the Sacrament Then the Third thing is the Analogy and Relation between the Sign and Thing signified and the Acts outward and inward and except one doth understand this he can never have a right Notion of the Nature of a Sacrament To demonstrate it I shall insist only upon the Holy Sacrament of Baptism which is the only Point I handle in this Discourse Water is the Visible Sign in Baptism and the Blood of Christ is the Invisible Thing thereby Signified the Analogy and Conformity is this as poured or sprinkled Water washes the Filth and Uncleanness of the Body so the Sprinkling of the Blood of Christ upon our Souls doth Purify them for (p) 1 John 1.7 the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin Both these are mentioned elsewhere (q) Heb. 10.22 Having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and the body washed with pure water By this last the Apostle alludeth to the several washings under the Law as to the use of Water in Baptism Now the Minister doth administer the outward Sign and can do no more but the Holy Ghost gives the Thing signified and with applying it doth purify and sanctify us to this purpose saith John Baptist (r) Matth. 3.11 I baptise you with Water but he that comes after me will baptise you with the Holy Ghost Though this Water be a common Element yet being bestow'd upon so holy an Use as well as Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper it is thereby sanctified what I say is not to attribute so much to 't as if the use of the Sign could infallibly confer the Grace thereby signified but 't is to shew how Anababaptists are in the wrong to undervalue Sacraments in general and this of Baptism in particular as (s) 2 Kings 5.10 11 Naaman the Syrian did the Water of Jordan They are not bare Signs but 1st Signifying Signs for by those visible Signs are represented things not seen which we do believe 2ly They Seal not only the Analogy between the Signs and the Things Signified but also the Vertue and Efficacy of the Union of Sign and Thing Signified being duly and lawfully used is thereby Sealed 3ly As that
Heavenly Treasure offered us in the Word is really and spiritually tendered and represented by those Signs so thorough the hidden Power of the Holy Ghost Faith whereby we are united to Christ intervening his Benefits and the Holy Ghost are thereby exhibited to and derâ—â—ed upon us From this Sacramental Union of Sign and Thing Signified arises the Sacramental Phrase or manner of speaking used in Scripture whereby the Thing Signified is spoken of the Sign and the Sign of the Thing Signified thus (t) Gen. 17.10 11. Circumcision is called the Covenant which verse 11 is called the Sign of the Covenant that is the Sign and the Seal of it the Bread is the Body of Christ (u) Mat. 26.26 27 28 This Cup is my blood which is shed for many for the Remission of sins That is the Bread is the Sign and Seal of my Body the Wine is the Sign and Seal of my Blood Baptism is the (w) Tit 3.5 Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost That is the Sign and the Seal of Regeneration or of the Blood of Christ which cleanseth all our sins Many more such Expressions we find in Scripture Furthermore by Baptism we are incorporated into Christ made Members of his Body (x) 1 Cor. 12 13. for We are all baptised in one Spirit to be one body Jew or Greek bond or free (y) Eph. 5.25 26. The Church is Sanctified by the washing of Water and (a) John 3.5 Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God I know the visible sign of Water is not meant there 't is the thing signified 't is Regeneration the working of the Holy Ghost 't is a spiritual Water (b) John 4.14 A Well of Water springing into Eternal Life (c) John 7.35 Rivers of living Water (d) Isai 58.1 All that are Thirsty are invited to come to the Waters which are promised to be poured upon (e) Ezek. 36.25 even clean Waters This is that Love of God said to be (f) Rom. 5.5 shed abroad in our hearts Those Gifts of the Spirit promised Joel 2.28 and Fulfilled upon the Apostles Acts 2. 'T is that Baptism of the Spirit which our Saviour (g) Acts 1.5 commanded them to wait for though I say the Water in Baptism be not meaned here yet the Thing Signified is therefore it shews the Excellency of that Sacrament wherefore it must not be Despised or Neglected I say further (h) Gal. 3.27 All who are baptised have put on Christ at least outwardly and (i) Rom 6.3.4 As many of us saith S. Paul as were baptised in Christ were baptised into his Death thorough baptism and raised again to walk in Newness of Life These are the Three Parts of our Regeneration First The Death of Sin which clearly appeared in Christ's Death and because the Old Man doth not presently dye in us then comes the Second Part It 's Burial whereby and by Degrees it Wastes away After which is the Third Part We begin to raise in Newness of Life This I shall no longer insist upon having as I think said enough to shew how great a Reverence we ought to have for and what a high Account we must make of that Holy Sacrament for the Divine Ordinance and Glorious Attributes given it in Scripture This being thus Premised I proceed and fall to the Point I Argue thus First Under the Old Testament Infants were Circumcised therefore under the New they ought to be Baptised for there is the same Reason for Baptism under the Gospel as was under the Law for Circumcision which by St. Paul is called (k) Rom. 4.11 the Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which is a proper Denomination for Baptism by Circumcision the Jews the Seed of Abraham were distinguished from others who had no share in the Promises and by Baptism we are received in the Church and made visible Members of the Body of Christ Now Circumcision and Baptism in Christ we have (l) Colos 2.11 12. and find them both joyned together and as Circumcision is brought to the time of Christ so in some sense Baptism was very long before the Birth of our Lord (m) 1 Cor. 10.1 2. I would not ye should be ignorant saith St. Paul how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and passed thorough the Sea and were all baptised unto Moses I know they will say there is a double Circumcision so there is a double Baptism if I may call it so when we distinguish the Sign from the Thing signified one Circumcision is made with Hands [n] Coloss 2.11 the other without that of the [o] Rom. 2.29 Heart so there is an Outward and Inward Baptism one of Water the other of [p] Mat. 3.11 the Spirit and of Fire yet this doth not hinder but that the Circumcision with Hands was the Sign of that made without Hands as the Baptism of Water is the Sign and Seal of that of the Spirit We conclude therefore that all their Infants were Circumcised and all as well as the Parents were Baptised in the Cloud and Sea for all passed thorough so all Infants of Christians ought to be Baptised May be they will make the following Exception which is not to the purpose that according to this only Males and not Females are to be Baptised because only the Males were Circumcised but as to this the reason is different for Females as well as Males are capable of Baptism which was not of Circumcision Men must not dispute with nor be wiser then God who instituted Circumcision at first and now Baptism at last having then appointed that feal he commanded it to be applied to the part that was capable of it and the fittest for his end which was to shew the corruption of Mans Nature and the casting of that superfluity was the seal of his Promise to sanctify Abraham's Seed and we may say this seal was in some manner communicated to the Females Now I think 't is clear enough how under every Testament there hath been a Sacrament appointed by God to introduce those whom it is administred to into the Church Circumcision was it in the time of the Jewish Church as Baptism is in the time of the Christian this is the Key that openeth it for us whosoever doth not go in at this door which is the Ordinance of God when he may (a) John 10.1 He is a Thief that would break into the Sheepfold My Second Argument is from Christ's command to the Apostles (b) Mat. 28.19 To Baptise all Nations under which Men Women and Children must be comprehended and he who saith all excludes nothing When St. Paul saith (c) Rom. 5.12 By one Man Sin came into the World and by Sin death so death passed upon all Men none may deny but that Children as well as Men are comprehended under the Name all Men for