and even Heathens have been sensible of a Fall though they have been ignorant of the manner of it and means to recover from it and yet as before they generally used washing or sprinkling for Purification I believe they had it from Orpheus as he from the Phoenicians and they perhaps from Jacob. And it is no less certain that we all feel the Effects of this original Guilt tho' there may be difficulties in the manner of its propagation For no modest good Man can be insensible of an inward strong propension to Evil And the Scripture plainly asserts That we were shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did our Mothers conceive us Psal. 51. 5. That we were all by nature Children of wrath and dead in trespasses Ephes. 2. 1 3. and sins That none can bring a clean Iob 14. 4. and 25. 4. thing out of an unclean That in Adam all died 1 Cor. 15. 22. That by one Man's disobedience many that is all Rom. 5. 10 12. were made Sinners By one Man Sin entred into Rom. 3. 10 23. the world and Death by Sin which came upon all Men for that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Nay this almost in express Terms as to Infants who if they had not any Sin at all no original Sin How come they to die and what need would they have of a Saviour since they have no actual Sin But 't is said That Death reigned from Adam to Moses even in those who had not sinned actually according to the similitude of Adam's transgression Rom. 5. 13 14. which can relate to Infants only which Texts are allowed by all but Pelagians to be clear Proofs that the whole Race of mankind are obnoxious both to the Guilt and Punishments of Adam's Transgression To the Punishment as well as the Guilt of it which doubtless was not only temporal Death but extended likewise to spiritual and eternal The Scripture having concluded all under Sin as the Iews under Unbelief that God might have mercy upon all Gal. 3. 22. Rom. 11. 32. Which takes off any mistaken Imputation on God's mercy or his Iustice since the Remedy is as wide as the Wound the Obedience and Death of the second Adam have repaired the Ruins which were occasioned by the Crime of the first and brought mankind into a possibility and capacity of Salvation And as by the offence of one Iudgment came upon all Men to Condemnation so by the Righteousness of one the Free-Gift came upon all Men to Iustification of Life Rom. 5. 18. Which virtue of Christ's Death and Resurrection are applied to us in Baptism Rev. 1. 5. For he loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood He gave himself for the Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Ephes. 5. 25 26. namely by Baptism as an Instrument of our Iustification as our Church fully asserts in the Office of Baptism That all Men are conceived and born in Sin First Exhortation before Baptism in the old Adam Ministers certifying after private Baptism in original Sin and in the Wrath of God and prays That the Person to be baptised may be washed and sanctifyed with the Holy Ghost and delivered from God's Wrath and by Baptism receive Remission of Sins and enjoy the everlasting Benediction of God's heavenly washing and again That the Water may be sanctified to the mystical washing away of Sin Prayer immediately before Baptism and teaches us That those who are born in original Sin and in the Wrath of God are by the Laver of Regeneration in Baptism received into the Number of God's Children c. And accordingly does upon good Ground affirm in the Rubrick at the end of the Office That it is certain by God's Word that Children which are baptised dying before they commit actual Sin are saved and this is agreeable to the unanimous Opinion of the antient Fathers St. Cyprian Theophylact. Lactant Greg. Naz. Origen St. August St. Ambrose St. Ierom c. and of the Primitive Church which differ'd from the Pelagian Hereticks in this very point those Hereticks pretending that Children were baptised only that they might be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven whereas the Orthodox held that they ought to be baptised especially in case of danger for the washing away the Guilt of original Sin § VII Another Benefit of Baptism is that we thereby enter into Covenant with God without which as has been said on the other Sacrament What has a sinful Creature to do with his offended Maker Into that everlasting Covenant which he has commanded for ever Psal. 109. 11. that New Covenant which he has promised to make with the spiritual Israel To give them a new Heart and a new Spirit new Principles new Inclinations to sprinkle clean water upon them that they may be clean and to remember their Sins and iniquities no more In short to be their God as he promised to Abraham in the Evangelical Covenant which he made with him and all his spiritual Offspring Gen. 17. 7 8. That Circumcision was then the way of admitting into Covenant with God and that Baptism is the same now I suppose none deny who own any Sacraments Baptism being also stiled in Scripture the Stipulation Contract or Covenant of a good Conscience as good Interpreters translate that place in St. Peter already mentioned § 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stipulatio Luther Beza Grotius c. Our part of the Covenant which includes an Oath and a Vow is to renounce the Devil to believe what God has revealed to observe what he has commanded God's part to give us his Grace to perform what we promise and unspeakable Rewards for our imperfect Obedience § VIII By Baptism we are admitted into the Church and consequently made Members of Christ the Churches Head The Iews were admitted into the Church or made Proselytes by Circumcision the Christians by Baptism For as many as are baptised into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. that is are mystically united to him and made one with him For by one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. namely the Church which is called the Body of Christ Ephes. 4. 12. whence the Fathers stile Baptism the Door of the Church and the Sacrament of our initiation or entrance into Christianity From which vital more than political because spiritual mystical and sacramental Union with Christ proceeds the Influence of his Grace on those who are baptised the Honour and Exaltation of our Nature the Benefit of his Protection and Intercession for us with the Father as from our Union with the Church a share in its Instructions in its Privileges in all the Promises Christ has made to it in its Intercessions and Supplications and in the other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as soon as we come to Age and Understanding to receive it § IX By Baptism we are made the Children of God who were
St. Iohn Ver. 53. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Si praeceptiva locutio c. If says he the Expression forbid any wicked action or command a good one then 't is not figurative but if it appears to command any Wickedness or forbid any Good it must be figurative Thus he goes on that expression Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood you have no Life in you seems to command a very wicked thing it must therefore be understood in a Figure and the meaning of it is that we are to communicate in our Lords sufferings and to lay it up in our Remembrance that his Flesh was crucified and wounded for us And when any Romanist fairly answers this we may safely promise them to believe Transubstantiation § XVII But if Christ be no otherwise in the Sacrament than figuratively in the Symbols as they are a Commemoration of his death and spiritually and effectually present to the faithful Reeeiver Where is then it may be asked the Mystery which all acknowledge in this Sacrament and which is so often called by ancient Writers the venerable the awful and the tremendous Mystery or Mysteries of our Faith In answer We do own that as in general great is the Mystery of Godliness so there is something which far transcends our Reason in this Sacrament and in the manner of our Saviours acting on our minds therein though the Fact it self be clearly revealed in Scripture The manner I say is still mysterious how it becomes to us the Body and Blood of Christ How the inestimable Benefits of Christs Death are communicated to us by the reception of the humble Signs how we are thereby united to him and he to us this as the Apostle says perhaps on the same occasion is indeed a great Mystery * Ephes. 5. 32. and we can no more give an account thereof than we can of ' the Wind which ' bloweth where it listeth We ought therefore firmly to believe it we ought to adore the depth of the divine Wisdom in it without going about so fruitless an attempt as to fathom and comprehend it But to go on with our description of this Sacrament § XVIII By the eating this Bread and drinking this Wine continuing thus in their proper substances tho' Grace is added to them by their being taken and blessed or set apart to this sacred use we do most solemnly and Sacramentally renew our Covenant with God God made a Covenant in Paradice with all Mankind in our first Parents which was called The First Covenant the Condition whereof was Do this and live the Sanction In the day thou eatest of the Tree of Knowledge thou shalt surely dye or become obnoxious to Death both Temporal and Eternal Adam broke this Covenant by his Disobedience and being the Head and Representative of Mankind by him Sin and Death entred into the World he lost his original Righteousness and became the Parent of a sinful and a miserable Offspring and in him all died †1 Cor. 15. 22. or were obnoxious to the same Curse which he was to suffer § XIX Yet God who is rich in Mercy did not leave him to despair but immediately made another Covenant with him called the Covenant of Grace or the Second Covenant established on a better Security and on better Promises which was briefly contained in those Words Gen. 3. 15. The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents Head ‖ See the excellent Discourse of these Two Covenants in the Preface to the Whole Duty of Man that is Christ the promised Seed should destroy the Principality of the Devil rescue lost Mankind from his Slavery and again reconcile us to God This was yet more clearly reveal'd to Abraham that in his Seed that is in Christ should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed * Gen. 22. 18. 'T was farther illustrated in the Types and Figures of the old Law but the full and compleat discovery thereof was reserved to the Times of the Gospel which is called the New Covenant containing the most perfect Revelation of the Divine Will the Promises of God and those Conditions on which he accepts and forgives us Which were on Christs part his suffering in our room as our Surety and a Sacrifice for us to attone his Fathers Anger * Heb. 9. 12. 10. 10. as on our part Faith †St. Mark 16. 16. Repentance and not a Sinless as in the First Covenant but a sincere Obedience ‖ Acts 3. 19 25 26. § XX. This General Covenant is first applyed to particular persons by Baptism wherein we are now admitted into it as Abraham and his Posterity were by Circumcision into the same Evangelical Covenant * Gal. 3. 17. and are thereby actually dedicated to Gods Service and renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and because there are none who come to age without having been guilty of some Breaches of this Covenant we do after we have taken it upon our selves in Confirmation renew it again at the Holy Communion Of which we shall still have a clearer notion if we consider it as 't is a Feast or as 't is a solemn Oath and on both accounts a federal Rite or a Token Pledge or instituted Sign of our being actually in Covenant with God without which what right had we to approach unto him or how could we expect any Mercy from him § XXI Let us consider the Holy Communion as a Feast a sacred Feast which was used among the Ancients at the Confirmation of Covenants in token of Amity and Friendship between the Guests Thus in that noted Instance at the ratifying the League between Isaac and Abimelech Isaac made a Feast and they did eat and drink and sware one to another †Gen. 26. 30. But this was more than an ordinary Feast there was generally a Sacrifice added to it at which they believed God himself present a Partaker thereof and a Witness of their Agreement Thus when Iacob and Laban made a Covenant Iacob offered Sacrifice upon the Mount and called his Brethren to eat Bread Gen. 29 54. And the Passover was both a Feast and a Sacrifice and 't is the Character which God himself gives of his Saints or those that were relatively or federally holy that they had made a Covenant with him with Sacrifice Psal. 50. 5. And the Apostle speaking as 't is very probable of this Christian Banquet the Holy Communion which comes in the room of the Passover exhorts the Corinthians to keep the Feast not with old Leaven c. * 1 Cor. 7. 8. Thus 't is called the Table of the †1 Cor. 10. 21. Lord and the Wine the Cup of the Lord. And God vouchsafes therein to come in unto us and sup with us nay to kill the fatted Calf for us and feast us with his own Sacramental Body
That there is such a thing as this original Guilt or Stain of our Natures see Section VI. where it is also proved that it is in it self damnable as it must certainly be if it makes us the Children of Wrath and if the Offence of the first Adam has rendred all Mankind obnoxious to Iudgment to Condemnation and to Death It is true the second Adam has found a Remedy by his own Death but the Merits thereof are only to be applied in the use of those means he has appointed the chief of which are the Sacraments All good Christians believe one Baptism for the Remission of Sins we being therein born again not of corruptible Seed but of incorruptible 1 St. Pet. 1. 23. Baptism is the ordinary way to which God has tied us tho' he may not have tied himself Where it is not to be had indeed the Case is different but what are extraordinary Cases against a certain standing Rule That original Sin is really washt away in Baptism has been already proved and that the same has been the unanimous Opinion of the antient Churches And on that account we think we have great Reason to baptise Infants as did the Holy Fathers of old that they may thereby be made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven § XVI A second Argument for the Lawfulness of Infant 's Baptism is because they are capable of making a Covenant and were and still are under the Evangelical Covenant and consequently have a right to Baptism which is the entring Seal there of That Infants are capable of entring into a Covenant I prove from God's own Words to the People of Israel Deut. 29. 10 11 12. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains c. with all the Men of Israel Your Little Ones your Wives and thy Stranger c. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God God would never have made a Covenant with Little Ones if they had not been capable of it 't is not said Children only but Little Ones such as Christ particularly orders his Disciples to suffer to come to him of which more below and is translated in the Greek by a word that signifies Infants or Innocents Ezek. 9. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word that is used in those antient Constitutions ascrib'd to the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptise your Infants The Custom of Nations and common Reason of Mankind does also prove that Infants may enter into a Covenant and may be obliged by Compacts made in their Names by others and may receive Advantage by them The Apostle argues from a Man's Covenant which he says cannot be disanull'd to God's Covenant Galat. 3. 15. and surely we may follow his Example Infants may be still as they were of old in Circumcision actually obliged to perform that for the future which they cannot actually perform at the Time of their entring into such Obligation The Infants of Believers the true Children of faithful Abraham always were under the Gospel Covenant They were included in it they had a right unto it and to the Seal of it as an Heir has right to an Estate an Infant Prince to a Crown tho' there are some Solemnities required to give them Investiture and actual Possession of them The Covenant with Abraham was a Gospel Covenant The Condition the same namely Faith which the Apostle tells us was accounted unto him for Righteousness Gal. 3. 15. the inseparable Fruit of which Faith was Obedience for by Faith he left his Country and offered his Son Heb. 11. 8 17. The Benefits were the same for God promises to be his God and the God of his Seed after him Gen. 17. 8. and he can promise no more to any Creature for this includes all Blessings of this Life and a better The Mediator the same for it was in his Seed that is in Christ Gen. 22. 18. Gal. 3. 16. that all the Nations of the Earth were to be blessed on which account the Apostle says that the Gospel was preached unto Abraham Gal. 3. 8. The same Promise that was made to him the same Covenant that was made with him was made with his Children after him for so it is expresly said Gen. 17. 7. Gal. 3. 7. and upon that account it is called an Everlasting Covenant In this Covenant Children were obliged to what they knew not to the same Faith and Obedience which Abraham performed or else no Benefit by it It reaches beyond the Law for the Apostle expresly distinguishes this from it Gal. 3. 17. 'T is true there was something legal that was a sort of an appendage unto it namely a temporal Promise of Canaan to Abraham and his Posterity Gen. 17. 8. To thee and to thy Seed after thee will I give the Land of Canaan But this was but like a Codicil annexed to a Will not the chief or main part of it for neither Abraham nor the Patriarchs did actually inherit Canaan but as the Apostle argues God had prepared better Blessings for them even Spiritual and Heavenly for which cause he was not ashamed to be called their God Acts 7. 5. Heb. 11. 10 14 16. Now to Abraham and his spiritual Offspring were the Promises made in Christ and the same which are of Faith the same are the Children of Abraham and blessed together with him Gal. 3. 7. Rom. 4. 13. Circumcision was the Seal of that Covenant and therefore 't is it self figuratively called the Covenant Acts 7. 8. The Children of those who profess'd the true Religion were hereby admitted into the Covenant which God then made with his People and obliged to the Conditions of it as when the Law was added to the Observation of that also for he that is circumcised saith the Apostle is Debtor to the whole Law Gal. 5. 3. that is was obliged to fulfil it when he came to age as being thereby made a Member of the Iewish Church and bound to observe all its political and ceremonial Constitutions as were the Proselytes of Iustice who were circumcised whereas the Iewish Writers tell us that the Proselytes of the Gate who were admitted by Baptism only were only obliged to the seven Precepts of Noah And this St. Paul very well knew having been bred a Pharisee and well acquainted with their Traditions When therefore the old Seal of Circumcision was taken off this of Baptism was added by our Saviour in its room one positive Institution succeeding another A new Seal to Abraham's Covenant the Seals differred but the Deed was the same only that part of it struck off which was purely polical relating to the Iewish Nation and temporal Canaan only And that Baptism did really come in the room of Circumcision we may learn as well from the clear Reason of the thing as from the Apostle's Argument Col. 2. 11. 12 13. where after Circumcision he mentions Baptism as that wherein God has forgiven us our trespasses to which he adds
the highest Thankfulness and Love For how can a Rebel be fit for Pardon if he is not thankful when 't is offered him 'T is therefore necessary that we should so long so seriously remember the exceeding great Love of our Master and only Saviour thus dying for us even before we come to the Solemn Sacramental Commemoration of it till our Hearts burn within us as did the two Disciples that we may thereby be in some measure fitted to meet our Saviour and that he may make himself known unto us as he did unto them in breaking of Bread St. Luke 24. 32. But we must take care that this Remembrance have a future lasting influence on our Lives Ill Men may remember Christ's Death but it 's certain that whatever they may pretend they do it presumptuously not thankfully because it is not productive of a Holy Life It makes them nothing better but rather encourages them to go on in their Sins whereas true thankfulness will naturally produce unfeigned Obedience And to make us both obedient and thankful one would think there should need no more than to consider deeply from what Evils Christ has saved us by his Death no less than the Power of Sin the Wrath of God and everlasting Misery And what Benefits he has obtained for us by it the Pardon of Sin the Favour of God Grace to serve him and eternal Happiness some of which are actually conveyed as all of them are assur'd and seal'd in this blessed Sacrament to every penitent faithful grateful Receiver § XV. The last thing necessary to a worthy Communicant is Charity To be in Charity with all Men. When we bring our Gift to the Altar we must be first reconciled to our Brother We must offer it and sincerely desire and endeavour it and if he refuses to be reconciled the Fault is on his side nor ought another's Crime to keep us from our Duty and Happiness This Charity must also show it self in an universal Love to Mankind wishing praying for endeavouring and as much as in us lies promoting their temporal and spiritual Welfare But especially this Holy Love is to be acted and exercised towards all Christians and particularly towards those with whom we communicate not forgetting the Poor whom we are to relieve as well at the Offering which ought not to be neglected at the Sacrament as any other way that lies in our Power The exercise of this Divine Grace is more eminently necessary when we approach to this blessed Feast because 't was one great End of its Institution it being designed to increase Christian Unity and Holy Love among the Faithful who herein communicate both in temporal and spiritual good things who Feast and make a Covenant with each other as well as with the great Inviter and being many are hereby made one Body and one Bread 1 Cor. 10. 17. We are therefore carefully to examine our selves before we come thither whether we heartily forgive our Enemies and are ready to render Good for Evil Whether we feel this Divine Flame in our Hearts and dearly love all those that bear the Image of the heavenly And in order to produce in us both parts of this Grace one would think we should need do no more than consider seriously how many Talents our Lord has forgiven us how much he has done and suffered for us even while we were his Enemies and that we are all Members of one Body whereof Christ is the Head § XVII And thus have we finished what relates to our Preparation for the Sacrament and those several Graces concerning which we are to examine our selves before we approach unto it Repentance attended by good Resolves Faith Thankfulness and Charity Not that we should forbear to come thither if we do not find all these in the utmost perfection but where we find any of them weak and languid we must strengthen the things that remain and be humbled for our Imperfections and endeavour earnestly after higher degrees of Grace and consider the means appointed to encrease them especially the Holy Sacrament wherein they are to be all exercised and renewed as will appear in the next Chapter And in the mean time most humbly and devoutly to fall upon our Knees and in the following or any better Forms * See the excellent Devotions added to the Whole Duty of Man or those in the Christian Sacrifice of Prayer thus address our selves to the Giver of all good things for a Supply of our Necessities A Confession when we are Preparing for the Communion ALmighty and most merciful Father who mayst for my Sins be most justly displeased with me for ever cast me off from thy presence and condemn me to Everlasting Misery I am ashamed O Lord and blush to lift up my Face unto thee for all my misdeeds are before thee and my most secret Sins in the Light of thy Countenance I was shapen in Iniquity and conceived in Sin by Nature dead in trespasses and sins averse to Good and violently inclined to Evil ignorant of God and an Enemy to him in a lost and undone Condition and utterly unable to help and to deliver my self And I have added to this Original Sin many hainous actual Trangressions Here let the Penitent repeat those Sins whereof on the former Examination he has found himself guilty The Remembrance of all which I desire may be most grievous as their burden is most intolerable unto me for I have done all these abominations with many aggravating Circumstances which have highly encreased the Guilt of them without regard to thy tender Mercies or to thy terrible Judgments or to my own repeated Vows and Resolves of Repentance and Obedience O make me to abhor them and my self for them and to repent in Dust and Ashes I know that my sorrow for them is no satisfaction to thy offended Justice yet since thou dost require it of me to render me capable of thy Mercy work in me I beseech thee by thy Holy Spirit such a true and unfeigned Remorse for them that I may entirely forsake them and come Pure and Holy to thy Heavenly Feast O God be merciful to me a Sinner who cry unto thee in an acceptable Time and in the Day of Salvation O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Three Persons and One God have mercy upon me a miserable Sinner O God the Father of Heaven who didst send thine Only Son out of thy Bosom to tast Death for every Man that we might not die eternally accept his Attonement accept his Intercession and be reconciled unto me thro' his Blood In my Father's House is Bread enough and to spare O let me not perish with Hunger O Son of David have mercy on me and if thou canst do any thing since thou canst do all things help me By thine Agony and bloody Sweat by thy Cross and Passion by thy precious Death and Burial Good Lord deliver me I desire not to be saved from the Guilt of my Sins only or
places in the Sacred Scripture which make it very probable they did wash or sprinkle as well as dip or plunge the baptised and we have Instances of it in the known Practice of the antient Churches Iohn's Baptism in some things agreeing with our Saviour's in others differing from it cannot certainly be proved from Scripture to have been performed by Dipping Not that St. Iohn 3. 23. of Enon near to Salim where there was much Water for this might relate to Breadth rather than Depth since a narrow place would not have been sufficient for so great a multitude Ierusalem and all Iudea c. St. Matt. 3. 5. that is a great part if not the generality of them Nor any of our Saviour or his Disciples Baptisms nor even that of Philip and the Eunuch Acts 8. 38 39. tho'they both went down into the Water for that going down may relate to the Eunuch's Chariot when they descended but implys no determinate Depth of Water it might be to their Knees it might not reach their Ancles The words Baptise and Baptism do not necessarily conclude for Dipping because they are used in other Senses in several places of Scripture Thus we read that the Iews were all baptised to Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea 1 Cor. 10. 2. in neither of which were they plunged the Body of the Water not touching them tho' the Egyptians were dipt indeed when they sank like Lead in the mighty Waters Exod. 14. 28. 15. 10. they could therefore be only sprinkled by Drops of the Sea water and refreshing Dews from the Cloud while in the Wilderness which seems not obscurely hinted in that of the Psalmist Thou sentest a gracious Rain upon thine Inheritance and refreshedst it when it was weary Psal. 68. 9. Again Christ said to his two Disciples that they should be baptised with the Baptism that he was baptised with St. Mark 10. 38. namely the Baptism of Blood or Martyrdom but neither he nor they were dipt but only sprinkled or washed with their own Blood Again we read in the Gospel St. Mark 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Washing 't is in the original Baptisms of Pots and Cups and brazen Vessels and Tables or Beds Yet Pots and Cups are not necessarily dipt when they are washt but Water is often poured upon them Nay the Pharisees washt the outsides of them only St. Luke 11. 39. and as for Tables or Beds none will suppose they could be dipt but only sprinkled or at most washt over Here is the word Baptism not in a figurative but natural Sense taken otherwise than for dipping namely for washing or cleansing and that this is the true meaning of the word Baptise is the Opinion of the greatest Scholars and most proper Iudges in this matter Hesychius Stephanus Scapula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lavo to wash So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lavatio ablutio Washing which may be done without dipping 'T is true we read of being Buried with Christ in Baptism but we cannot argue with any certainty from such a figurative Expression which if it held exactly seems as much for sprinkling as plunging because in Burials the Earth is sprinkled on the Body not the Body plunged through the solid Substance of the Earth and a Man is not buried tho' he is put into his Grave till he is covered by thus casting or sprinkling the Earth upon him and on the other side we read that Baptism is called Tit. 3. 5. the washing of Regeneration And as there is no certain Proof of dipping from sacred Scripture so there is very great probability from the History of the Apostles that great Numbers were baptised by the Apostles themselves without any such dipping only by washing sprinkling or pouring Water upon them or some part of them sufficient to a ceremonial Washing St. Iohn 13. 10. and clearly representing the inward part of the Sacrament or cleansing from Sin not the quantity but the quality being chiefly considerable as 't is not much or little of the Bread and Wine but the Substance of them only which with the Grace of God makes the other Sacrament The Iaylor and all his House were baptised in the Prison Acts 16. 33. Cornelius and his Friends at home Acts 10. 48. and several Housholds But is it likely they had all of them Ponds Pools or Rivers in or near their Houses sufficient to plunge all these I think the contrary is far more probable And the same even of the 5000 at one time and 3000 at another which were converted and baptised by Saint Peter in Ierusalem Acts 2. 41. 4. 5. where they had none but the gentle Waters of Siloam as some think the same with Gihon which were by Hezekiah brought into the City 2 Kings 20. 20. Fuller says there were no Water-Mills in Jerusalem because no Streams large enough to drive them Pisgah Sigh't Lib. 3. p. 329. 'T is true it was an antient Custom to dip the baptised which was rather refreshing than dangerous in the warm Eastern and Southern Countries But the case is otherwise in our cold and frozen Climate where oftentimes we have no Ponds or Rivers unfrozen to dip in and if we did it would endanger the Health or Life both of sick and weakly grown Persons as some of those who practise it cannot be ignorant and especially of tender Infants and be more hard to them than Circumcision it self and as the antients did undoubtedly baptise the Clinics or sick Persons on their Beds by washing or sprinkling not dipping them so may we do with Children or others in these Northern Parts where the danger seems much the same since God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice especially when he has not determined any thing concerning it in his Holy Word Tho' where adult Persons are baptised or Children are able to bear it our Church is not against dipping Vid. Rubrick in publick Baptism nor can this therefore be any valid Objection against it or just Cause of Separation from it I shall close this Head with an Observation concerning the Hebrew word which signifies to baptise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which a Reverend Person who was as well acquainted with that Language as most in Europe Dr. Lightfoot's Appendix to his Life Vol. 11. p. 16. has largely proved to imply no more than sprinkling not plunging or dipping challenging all those who are of a different Opinion to produce any place in the Old Testament where the word when it is used in Sacreds and in a transient Action is not taken for sprinkling only § VI. The first of the Benefits we receive by Baptism is the washing away the damning Guilt of original Sin by the application of the merits of Christ's Death That we are all born under the Guilt of Adam's Sin and that all Sin deserves eternal misery has been the unanimous Sense of the Primitive Church as well as it is positively and strongly asserted in the Ninth Article of the Church of England
Mercy we having need of it because all born Sinners and that it was free for all Persons to receive it Iust. Mart. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore he must include Infants as well as others And to the same purpose Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons in France who was partly cotemporary with Iustin Martyr both of them flourishing near the middle of the Second Century for he mentions Infants Children young and old as born again unto God by Christ Now 't is notorious that by being born again or Regeneration the Fathers understand Baptism which is called in the Scriptures also as has been already observed The Laver of Regeneration Nor is it any valid Objection that several in the Primitive Church did delay their Baptism and some of them to the Hour of Death since this proves more than the Objectors would have it who are not for delaying it till this time and besides they did this upon particular Reasons See this elaborately handled by Mr. Walker in his excellent Treatise of Infant-Baptism some because they thought all Sins damnable which were committed after Baptism others because they were of Opinion that Baptism purg'd away all Sin original and actual and it may be more than either because they were unwilling to leave their Sins and live a strict and an holy Life but this no more shows the deferring of Baptism to have been the received Doctrine of the Church than it is the Doctrine of the Church of England that People may without Sin absent themselves from the other Sacrament because too many actually do it and 't is to be feared for the same Reason namely lest they should be obliged to forsake their Sins and lead a better Life But this we affirm that there is not one Instance to be found in Antiquity of any Orthodox Christian who denied Baptism to Children when brought to be baptised and believe we may be positive that not one of the Fathers or antient Writers for the first Eight Hundred Years at least ever held it unlawful And that it has been the Practice of all the regular Churches ever since is as clear and manifest whereas we know that whenever the Popish Errors were brought into the Church they were neither early nor universally received For not only our own Ancestors when first converted to Christianity not only all our European Churches but the African too formerly did and still do baptise their Children both the Coptis in Egypt and the Abyssines in Ethiopia as well as the Churches of Asia and even those of St. Thomas who had for many Ages scarce any Correspondence with our Parts of the World The Matter of Fact being thus cleared we may reasonably conclude from it that since Infant-Baptism has been generally received and practised by the Church of God in all Places and Ages since we can track it up as high as those who lived in the purest Ages of the Church and were almost cotemporaries with some of the Apostles for Polycarp who was Irenaeus his Master lived in some part of the First Century for these Reasons we cannot think it unlawful we must believe as St. Austin says that it was certainly handed down from Christ and his Apostles and that as it has now continued without interruption in the Church of God for near Seventeen Hundred Years so it will by God's Grace continue therein in like manner to the End of the World Whereas on the contrary it would follow that if Infant-Baprism were not true Baptism there has been yet no true Church since our Saviour since there has been none which did not baptise Infants no entire Church which has thought it unlawful though some private Persons should have had private Opinions Not even those of Piedmont though it is true they often delaid Baptism when they could not have it without the superstitious Appendages of the Romanists and if there were any sheltered amongst them who did wholly deny Baptism to Infants they also denied Baptism it self and the other Sacrament I shall close this Head and the whole Argument for Infant-Baptism with this one Remark That if there be no true Church but that of the Antipoedobaptists that Promise has never yet been fulfilled That Kings should be nursing Fathers and Queens nursing Mothers to the Church for they never had but one King and Queen of their Opinion and those they do not love to hear of Now we are not to think that God has forgotten this Promise for 1700 Years together nor will they affirm it there having been many excellent Kings and Princes Protectors of Churches which have baptised Infants and have been in their Infancy themselves baptised whence it it follows that Infant-Baptism is true Baptism and that tthose are true Churches who use it if there ever yet were any since our Saviour § XXI To sum up the Evidence for Infant-Baptism If outward Baptism be generally and in an ordinary way necessary to Salvation if Infants may be saved as well as others and we ought to neglect no means to save them If our Saviour commands such to come to be brought unto him and did himself put his Hands upon them and bless them and called them Believers and says That of such is the Kingdom of Heaven and was angry with those that would have kept them from him and said It was better for any to have a Mill-stone tied about his Neck and be cast into the Sea than to offend them and it be the greatest Offence to keep them from Baptism which is the Gate to the Church and so to Heaven If the Children even of one believing Parent have Holiness federal Holiness by their Parents Charter and may have the beginnings of real actual Holiness wrought in them by the Holy Ghost because they have had extraordinary Gifts and are therefore much more capable of the ordinary if they are capable of making a Covenant or having a Covenant made for them by others with Privileges and Obligations annexed if they have right to be Members of a Church if they were in the Iewish Church and even in Abraham's Covenant which was a Covenant of Faith an Evangelical Covenant and were never excluded by Christ who would rather give them new Privileges than lessen the old if supposing our Saviour had designed that Children should not be baptised he must have expresly and formally excepted them from Baptism and have forbidden his Apostles to baptise them which otherwise they would certainly have done because the Iews did admit Children to be Proselytes by Baptism as well as grown Persons and yet 't is not so much as pretended that he ever did thus forbid them nay he commanded his Apostles to make Disciples out of all Nations by Baptism as the Iews did before them if it is highly probable even from the Letter of the sacred Scripture that the Apostles did baptise Children because they frequently baptised whole Housholds and it would be strange if there should be no Children among them and
us our Profession which is to follow the Example of our Saviour Christ and to be made like unto him that as he dyed and rose again for us so should we who are baptised dye from Sin and rise again unto Righteousness continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt Affections and daily proceeding in all Vertue and Godliness of living And would to God all who are baptised would but act according to these Directions which would prevent the unspeakable Scandal which is given by the bad Lives of Christians the high Dishonour of God and their own eternal Ruine § XI And this Baptism is to be perpetual to last as long as the Church into which it gives Entrance to the end of the World It must doubtless be highly necessary since without it in an ordinary way there is no Entrance into the Church or into Heaven The outward Baptism is thus necessary as a means to the inward as was outward Circumcision to the Circumcision of the Heart nor would it have availed the Iews to plead that they had the inward and that was sufficient because whoever had not the outward too that Soul was to be cut off from among his People he had despised he had broken Gods everlasting Covenant by despising and neglecting the Seal of it Gen. 17. 14. A Seal must be something visible a Sacrament must consist of something outward as well as inward The very nature of a Type implys the same The Seal of Circumcision was to last among the Iews as long as the Ceremonial Law lasted whereunto it obliged them making them Debters to the whole Law Galat. 5. 3. and when that was abolished and Baptism came in its Room that must also last by Parity of Reason as long as the Gospel Covenant into which it admits and whereunto it obliges all Nations There is no doubt but our Saviour's Commission was to make Proselytes by baptizing with Water for so the Apostles did which they dared not have done had not it been contained in their Commission and this of Gentiles as well as Iews as is undeniably clear from the Acts of the Apostles nay they did not only permit but command and exhort to outward Baptism Thus Ananias to St. Paul Arise and be baptised and wash away thy Sins Acts 22. 16. Thus St. Peter to the Iews Repent and be baptised Acts 2. 38. And to the Gentiles and that with Water Can any man forbid Water that these should not be baptised And it follows he commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord which was certainly more than a bare Permission or Condescension Acts 10. 47. And as long as the Commission to the Apostles lasted as long as Christ promised to be with them in the Execution of it so long doubtless were they to exercise it and to baptise as well as to teach for the Commission is to both as the Promise is to both But Christ hath promised to be with them that is by his Spirit in their lawful Successors till the End of the World Which explains that Expression of the Apostle concerning the other Sacrament that therein Christians were to shew forth the Lords Death until he come that is till he come at the last day to judge the world personally and visibly in like manner as his Disciples saw him bodily ascend into Heaven Acts 1. 11. which cannot therefore relate to his coming at Pentecost by his Spirit nor his coming to destroy the Iewish City and Nation which was by his power not his person Nor can the End of the world be here restrained to the Destruction of Ierusalem because that was but about Forty Years after Christs Ascension and we are not to think the Commission was then voided or that he has forsaken his Church ever since which was rather much confirmed by this terrible Destruction which he had foretold should befal his enemies and crucifiers Besides that there 's another word added always Lo I am with you always St. Matt. 28. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which strengthens and explains that Expression to the end of the World And accordingly we are sure that as well the Apostles as their immediate Successors did receive all Nations into the Christian Church by Baptism and none without it and have continued to do the same ever since and doubtless will do so to the End of the World Nor therefore are those to be heard who deny the necessity or perpetuity of outward Water-Baptism § XII But there 's a yet greater Difficulty concerning the Subjects of Baptism whether only adult Persons who can make a personal publick Profession of their Faith and Repentance or the Children also of Believers who are brought unto it on account of the Faith of their Parents and Sponsors or Sureties and may have the beginnings of Faith and Holiness wrought in them by Gods Spirit § XIII And here before I enter upon this Argument I think it may not be inconvenient to declare that I do it not for Argument's sake only I would have no Controversie with any Christian but who should be most charitable nor would I willingly provoke any but to Love and to good Works But yet I am obliged to do what I can to preserve any that are under my Charge from what I my self am convinced is an Error and such is I am satisfied the denying of Baptism to Infants and I shall be very glad if these mean Papers may be useful to any others on the same Occasion Wherein I shall first lay down the Grounds of Infant Baptism taken from Scripture Reason and Primitive and universal Custom And secondly Endeavour to answer the Objections against it § XIV Our Grounds for Baptising the Infants at least of believing Parents are such as these 1. Because all Children are guilty of original Sin and consequently cannot be saved in an ordinary way unless that be washt away in Baptism 2. Because such Children are capable of making a Covenant and were and still are under the Evangelical Covenant and consequently have a right to Baptism which is the initiating Seal thereof 3. Because they may and ought to come to Christ are capable of being admitted into the Church of God and of solemn sacramental Dedication to him 4. Because the Iews did make Proselytes of Children by baptising as well as by circumcising them and consequently our Saviour commanding his Disciples to make Proselytes out of all Nations by Baptism and not forbidding them to receive Children they must needs baptise them also 5. It is very probable if not positively certain from the Acts of the Apostles that the Apostles did baptise Infants 6. As it is certain that the first Christians did so and the Church of God have continued to do it in all Places and all Ages § XV. The first Argument for Infants Baptism may be taken from their being guilty of original Sin and consequently in an ordinary way they cannot be saved unless that be washed away by Baptism