And he takes it for blasphemy to say any such remaining so are members of his body what a member of Christ and a member of a harlot God forbid he that is joyned to the Lord to one spirit 1 Cor. 6.15.17 That is one spirit acts all the members of Christ as one spirit acts all our members Now here you will be put to your shists for either you must be forced to say all those abhominations which are done before gonver on are the actings of Gods spirit in them or else you must deny that the spirit of God acts them by his grace But if you say the spitit of God is not in them then saith the Apostle they are none of his Rom. 8.9 And so not justified But you play the sophister to prove that all our sinfull actions are moved by the spirit of God before conversion saying the act of beleeving is the fruit of the spirit Gal. 5.22 But this will not cover your naked nesse for that is the grace of faith yet all other graces are the fruits of Gods spirit because hee wrought them in us but the actings of those graces are partly from Gods spirit and partly from ours and cannot so properly be called the fruits of his spirit Againe what a damuable stuggard is the spirit of the Antinomians Christ to lye as a drone in their soules twenty or forty yeares and doe nothing well may they pull their shoulder from the law of God and from all workes of sanctification being led by such an idle spirit But the true Christ hath no idle members nor the true Vine no barren dead branches But you say if faith be a good fruit men must be good trees else we may gather grapes of thornes and sigs on thistles I answer Faith is the fruit of Gods spirit which is a good tree and cannot beare evill fruits But what a faith have these Antinomians that will not make the tree of their body good Againe you say he that hath the spirit of Christ hath Christ so I say too but you say you have the spirit before you beleeve and therefore have Christ before you beleeve but have what spirit you will you are no childe of God by adoption till you receive Christ by faith Iohn 1.12 And have what spirit you will it is not the spirit of adoption unlesse it make you cry Abba Father Galat. 4.5 6. He is called the spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 12.10 Which none can have before conversion But here I smell an empty trunck for their Christ to move in personally and he must move them as we move a stone according to their tenets But the true Christ makes us living stones to offer a living sacrifice aceptable to God 1 Pet. 2.5 But they will not come to him that they may have life Iohn 5.4 He that hath the sonke hath life and he that hath not the sonne hath not life 1 John 5.12 Then here is the cause why they still remaine dead stones and empty trunâ—ks A third stands up saying the Elect are justified therefore some that do not beleeve are justified before they beleeve your argument they that cannot be charged with any thing are justified but who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemne It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe Rom. 8.33 But will it follow because some of the elect are justified called and glorified that therefore all the elect are so Saith the true Christ Other sheepe I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring in John 10.16 Neither let them bring in their common divellish evasion saying that is meant of their owne apprehension but is it the voyce of the sheepe or the voyce of the shepheard that spake this Christ saith that they are not of this sold but I hope Christ was not mistaken through misapprehension saith the holy Ghost He that beleeveth not the sonne shall not seelife but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.36 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 Was not this chosen vessell here taxed with sinne And such were some of you saith the Apostle being mooved by the Holy Ghost and ye were carried after dumb Idols 1 Cor. 6.11 12.2 And saith Paul he that wrongâ—t effectually in Peter the same spirit was mighty in me Now by the same spirit he withstood Peter to his face because he was to be blamed Gal. 2.8.11 see 13 14. And saith the Angell thou shalt be dumb because thou beleevest not my words Luke 1.20.22 And sinne and death is passed upon all men Rom. 5.12 Then are the elect charged with nothing He that committeth sinns the servant of sin John 8.34 Till the Sonne of God make him free and then they are free indeed vers 36. A fourth stands up saying they that have their sinnes taken a way are justified but the elect have their sins taken away before they beleeve Ergo the elect are justified before they beleeve Your first part you say is proved that sins are taken away because David saith they are covered Psal 32.1 And the minor you say is proved because Christ is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1.29 And because the Lord laid on him the in quities of us all Isa 53.6 Himselfe bare our sinnes in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed Rom 6.6 But is coveâ—ing a thing the taking away the being of it Sin is compared to things most loath some but when such a thing may be covered yet it hath a being under that covering Deut 23.13 Gen. 9.23 And is Christ come hath begun to take away our sins Yet we are not free from sinne till death Rom. 6.7 Againe our sinnes were not taken from us and lofused into Christ no more then we have stript him of his righteousnesse buâ—by imputation they are accounted to be his although they remaine in us and his righteousnesse is accounted to bee ours although it remaine in him still and for what was laid on Christ was nothing but the guilt and punish nent He was woanded for our transgressions bruised for ur in quities and the chastisement of our peace 〈◊〉 on him and by his strepesâ—ve aâ—e bâ—aled Isa 53 5. But if our 〈◊〉 had beene infused into him they had been his and not ouâ—s and if his rigâ—teâ— suesse had beene infused into us it were ouâ—s and not his for sinne and punishment they goe together so that often he one is named for the other if thou dost â—ot well sinne lyeth at the doore that is punishment lyeth at the dooâ— for sin 〈◊〉 lay then within him â—en 4.7 see 13. Nay further although the â—â—gâ—ing power of none bâ— taken away yet the being of sinne is not taken away no not in the justified Thus hee runs into one ertour 〈◊〉
defâ—â—d another yet all is too little to make a falshood to be truth yet thus they doe in that den Then a fifth stands up saying wee were made sinners in the first Adam before that we had done either good or evil Therefore we are made righteous in the second Adam before that we have done either good or evil The consequence you say is proved Rom 5.18.19 As by the offence of one judgement came upon all to condemnation Even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon aâ— unto justification of life Now say you the Emphasis hes in these words us and so but why may not aâ—l be put in without feare to the universall gratious For as all men being in the first Adam by nature sinne and death came upon all men Even so all that are by faith in the second Adam the gift came upon all to justification of life Yet here is no universall grace for all men without exception but for all the faithful that are translated out of the first Adam and grafted into the second But you it seems can find no better man of your judgement then that Popish Beliarmin of stinking memory whom you bring in with his hellish Tenet saying that Christ may be put on without any proper act of the seule But if I would confiâ—â—ne this by men I could shew you one long before Bellarmin and of better crenite that said he that made thee without thee will not save thee without thee But this dead stone and empty trunke neither desires to â—e â—â—ed with grace nor delights in actuall motion but still remaines among the dead and as void of grace as an empty trunke A sixt comes and acts his part saying where there is full satisfaction made and the party offended accepting of that satisfaction and contented to rest in it there must needs follow perfect remission of sinnes But in Christ crucified before we beleeved was full satisfaction made and God was contented to rest in that satisfaction therefore there will follow perfect remission of sinnes Then you prove the fulnesse of Christs satisfaction from Heb. 10.11 12 13. And of Gods acceptation from Math. 3.17 Isa 53.11 But to what purpose you prove the fulnesse of Christs satisfaction or of Gods acceptation I know not For I suppose you never heard any of our Divines make any question of it the which if you could why did you not produce him that he may be ashamed of it and cleare your selfe of that which thousands know to be scandall to your eternall shame be it spoken Then here is your errour this argument is not rightly stated For all men were in the first Adam by nature and he standing as a publike person in the roome of all men so that what he did it was reputed to all men so by his sin all dyed So the second Adam standing as a publike person for all the elect as they are in him by saith so they are justified But as none is guilty of Adams sinne till they have a being in Adams nature so none is righteous by the second Adam till they have a being in him by grace and they must have a being in the first Adams nature before that they can have a being in the second Adams grace And while they were only in the first Adam there was no difference betweene the Elect and reprobate between us and them before faith Acts 15.9 Rom 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by faith in Iesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3.22 Wee which beleeve doe 〈◊〉 into rest but those that do not beleeve cannot enter in although the worke 〈…〉 the foundation of the world Heb. 4.4 A seventh 〈◊〉 up in the den and sets upon the faithfull messenger saying if 〈…〉 in the sight of God then we are hated of him for hee hateth 〈…〉 workers of unquity And if this be so absurdities will follow then God will 〈◊〉 to day and hate to morrow or hate to day and love to morrow I answer 〈…〉 properly God hates nothing but sin he loves his own worke in the very 〈…〉 reprobates Hence your inference is false to say that God wholly hates 〈…〉 his Creatures But thus it is is when the devills and reprobates have reâ—â—â—â—ed God to be their Lord and seeme to weare grace which is his livery in 〈◊〉 teasonable creatures but chuse to serve sin and to weare his livery and so yield themselves servants to sinne John 8.34 Now when God beholds sinne and â—â—ndes the heart affections of devills and reprobates incorporated in it he comes accidentally to hate them because where the hearts affections are there be those men and Devills Hence it is that their affections being so incorporated in sinne draw all their aâ—iâ—â—es to serve sin In this condition lay all men both the Elect and reprobate in 〈◊〉 fall of Adam As soone as they had any being the Divell and sinne set upon them and got their heart and assections incorporated into it till Christ comes who is strenger then this streng man who binds him and casts him out and spoyles his goods and turnes the streame of his affection upon himselfe so that although they slow but slowly that way yet now being incorporated or fixed on Christ So that when the Lord lookes upon his owne sonne in whom his soule delighteth 〈◊〉 findes there the affections of his people he comes to love them with the same 〈◊〉 that he loves his sonne although not so high in degree yet with the same kind 〈◊〉 because these affections being set upon Christ draw all the streame of 〈◊〉 obedience to serve him that he delights in although we have some interruptions which do much hinder the stream of our obedience yet he considers this as 〈◊〉 burden and infirmity and lookes not so much upon the worke done as upon the heart and affection where it is placed And finding them in Christ his holinesse and righteousnesse is put upon all our obedience and makes it acceptable and well pleasing to him But before when our affections were inclosed in sinne we were esteemed accordingly then as a slave to the Divell and a servant of sin and now as a childe of God For of necessity there must be a change in us from the 〈◊〉 of Saton to God Acts 26.18 The stony heart taken out and the heart of 〈◊〉 given to us For as there was a change from the state of innocency in which God loved us Geâ— 1.27.21 So there renst be a change into that condition 〈◊〉 God may 〈◊〉 Put for the present wee are not werthy to be beloved â—eph 2.2 Before the decree being forth then I will call them beloved which â—ere not beloved 〈◊〉 9.25 Yet as soone as we are borne we have 〈◊〉 thing 〈◊〉 God loves but not as his children by adoption till we have faith which knits 〈◊〉 Christ and makes us beloved The Apostle sets downe
yet all this hinders not the conditions of the new covenant and as we were all bound to the conditions of the first covenant so that when Adam fell we all fell in him and as soon as we had our being in nature we took that guilt upon us for the breach of that covenant so as soon as we are in the state of grace in the second Adam then we are bound to those conditions of the new covenant which is not another distinct and contrary to the first covenant but Christ hath fulfilled that first covenant which we had broke and now our conditions are made more easie for us to keep the first was made with a weake man therefore he soone fell and we in him but the second was made with him that was both God and man therefore he was able to keep the conditions of it and not onely so but to give us power to keep our conditions also which are these chiefly first repentance and all those graces that may humble us for that great sinne in breaking the first covenant and then faith to beleeve that Christ hath fulfilled for me in particular therefore the tenor of the Gospell runs thus Paul testified both to Jewes and Gentiles repentance towards God that was for the breach of the first covenant and faith in the Lord Jesus christ Acts 20.20 repent and beleeve the Gospell Mark 1.15 therefore the Apostles were sent to preach repentance and remission of sinnes Luke 24.47 and when men did repent of their sinnes then saith christ onely beleeve Mark 5.36 and when the Jaylor repented they sayd if thou beleeve in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31 whosoever beleeveth in christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3.15 and Christ blamed the Priests and Elders because they beleeved not in him though the publicans and harlots beleeved on him yet sayth he ye repented not when ye had seen it that ye might beleeve in him Mat. 21.31 so then we must repent for our breach of the first covenant and grieve and mourne for those sinnes for which our Saviour suffered and then we must beleeve that he hath fully satisfied the law for us upon these conditions we enter into the new covenant yet I grant that faith is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and that Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes Act. 5.31 yet all this hinders not but these are conditions on our part in the new covenant they are given as a Legacy by will or testarment to be imployed as conditions of the new covenant but saith Crispe it is called an everlasting covenant then saith he if it stood on these conditions we should daily faile and make it frustrate as Adam did and then it could not be everlasting except saith he man were so confirmed in righteousnesse that he could never faile on his part but this is not true for God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham Gen. 17. although he had his failing as well as other men and whereas he faith we should make it frustrate as Adam did I answ that we upon the conditions of faith and repentance cannot totally nor finally fall away for in this new covenant of grace we doe not performe them in our owne strength but in the power of christ and he hath put his spirit in us to cause us to walke in his statutes and his feare in our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.4 Ezek. 36.27 now those that want these inward abilities may be in the outward covenant as it was made with Abraham and his seed but if they have not faith repentance they frustrate the covenant of grace for he that beleeveth not shall be damned Mar. 16.16 except ye repent ye shall perish Lu. 13.3.5 But saith Crispe these things are by way of consequence after we are in covenant with God as fruits and effects of that covenant but saith he they are not true by way of antecedence page 124 this Lancaster affirmed also I ans man will not enter into covenant till he is agreed for there can be no covenant without agreement of the parties that are to enter into that covenant therefore the Lord sends forth his Ambassadours to beseech us to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 now mans heart is not fit to enter into covenant till he repent for the breach of the old covenant and beleeve that Christ hath fulfilled the new for him in particular therefore of necessity repentance and faith are antecedents and concomitants of this new covenant of grace for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse what concord hath Christ with Belial but God hath said in this new covenant I will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17 18. but saith Crispe because God gives all therefore nothing is required of man I answ the legacy or testament is wholly of God but the covenant that followes is not so and these may be cleerly distinguished although not divided in the legacy saith the Lord. I will have mercy on her that had not obtained mercy then followes the covenant I will say to them that were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God Hos 2.23 thus God in his great mercy puts his feare in our hearts and writes his lawes within us to enable us to enter into covenant with him and then he takes us into covenant with him and wherever you find this covenant mentioned between God and his people you shall alwayes find these gracious qualifications going before see Ezek. 36.25 26 27. then the covenant in the 28 ver and so in all the rest but saith Crispe and Lancaster both we may doe some duties and service to God but not as conditions of the covenant but he hath no proofe to confirme it so then when God takes us for his his people in covenant with him we againe take the Lord to be our God and as God binds himselfe to us to doe us all manner of good so we againe bind our selves to God to doe him all manner of service duty and obedience as when a Master makes a covenant with his Prentice he binds himselfe to find him all manner of necessaries and the Prentice binds himselfe to doe him all manner of service and wherefore serve our Sacraments but as seales of this covenant that is betwixt God and us and as often as we receive them we doe as it were renew our bond of obedience unto him The Doctor saith when men are justified then God hath made a covenant with them but saith he this was done before man could doe any thing before the children had done either good or evill it was said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated I answ that was not spoken before but a long time after by Malachy the Prophet Romans 9.13 but there is no such thing in
be known by their sanctification but by a revelation only Our Christ saith whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin Joh. 3.34 But the Antinomians Christ tells them if they act any sin that he is the author of it For alas they cannot sin they are dead stones and empty trunks Alas they doe nothing but what the spirit of their Christ leads them into See the tree of knowledg of good and evill Our Christ saith we that are in him are new creatures Old things are passed away al things are new 2 Cor. 5.17 We are passed from death to life made living stones to offer a living sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 But the Antinomians Christ loves his members aswel when they were slaves and servants to sin and Sathan as when they are set free and become his children by adoption he loves them aswel when they are prophane as when they are holy Nay he gives a charge to all his members that if one sin the rest must not tell him of it But comfort him for to mourn for sin is a dishonour to their Christ Our Christ saith when God sends forth the spirit of his son into our hearts we will cry abba Father Gal. 4.5 6. It is the spirit of grace and supplication Zech 12.10 And he greatly delighteth in their prayers Prov. 15.8 Cant. 2.14 But the Antinomians Christ tells them they need not pray For saith one of them nothing grieves me so much as the time I have spent in prayer and other duties that hath held me so long from my comfort Our Christ saith When you have done all that you can you are unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 You have done but your duty But the Antinomians Christ tells them that all Christian duties are but dirty dungy duties of sanctification Our Christ saith If ye beleeve not that I am he ye shal dye in your sins John 8.24 But the Antinomians Christ saith that faith is not absolutely necessary to salvation for it is but a worke of ours Our Christ saw nothing to love in us which moved him to redeem us Till he adorned us and made us lovely there was no difference For all have sinned and come shore of the glory of God Rom. 3.22.23 Saith Peter he put no difference between us and them purifying our hearts by faith Acts 15.9 But our Antinomians Christ saw some cause of love before he came even from all eternity which moved him to redeeme them Our Christ makes us righteous by his righteousnesse when wee are in him by grace as the first Adam made us sinners when we have a being in him by nature but not before But the Antinomians are made righteous by their Christ before they be in him by grace And Adam never made them sinners for they were justified from all eternity and alwayes as righteous as Christ Our Christ tells us that God pronounceth us just and faith applyes the righteousnesse of Christ to make us just and workes declare it But our Antinomians Christ cannot direct them where to place their faith in point of justification that it may not be exalted in the place of God nor abased in the place of workes But if their Christ were able to give them true faith hee could direct them where to place it Our Christ will not have his Temple defiled For the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1 Cor 3.16 17. He desires truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 But the Antinomians Christ regards not where he dwells It is all one to him if he live to a habitation of devills and the hold of every foule spirit and Cage of every unclean lust Revel 18.2 Our Christ himselfe bare the guilt and punishment of our sins and carried our sorrowes he alone trod the wine-pres of Gods wrath and there was none with him Isa 53.4.63.3 He saith I am he Therefore if ye seeke me let these goe John 18.8 But the Antinomians Christ comes sneaking a day after the faire brings them faith when they are just before and righteousnesse when they need it not and comes to helpe them when they have tryed their cause before the Judge and quitted before he comes Our Christ as God fills all places and his humane nature is in the third heaven till the restitution of all things Acts 3.21 So then as he is God he doth not move and as he is man he will not come till the day of judgement Therefore when it is spoken of his comming to us oâ— our comming to him it is the same thing onely the cause of this motion is us God and the motion it selfe in us for when he works faith in us by his spirit our faith takes hold againe and so we are drawn into unity and communion with him But our Antinomians Christ can come to them before that they have faith while that they are at a distance from him But how this can be themselves know not see Den's 7. arguments Our Christ saith If thou beleevest thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31 Yea hee saith only beleeve Mar. 5.36 But the Antinomians Christ tâ—lls them that hee will save them without any such conditions which saith he is the doctrine of legall teachers See counsell to Laodicea see Dr Crisp page 128. Our Christ tells us the only way to pacifie conscience is to exercise faith for it is the hand of the soule whereby wee receive all our mercies and comforts from Christ And it brings us into unity with christ and into obedience to the spirit of christ But our Antinomians Christ tells them that those which say we cannot be saved without faith do perplex the conscience and denies our mercies and resisteth the spirit of God and doth not consist with the right end for which faith was wrought in them see counsel to Laodicea Our Christ came preaching the Gospell of the Kingdome of God and saying repent and beleeve the Gospell Mar. 1.14 15. And he saith Doe unto all men as ye would they should do unto you even so do to them And gives a reason saying this is the law and the Prophets Math. 7.12 But the Antinomians christ will neither have them to beleeve nor repent as a duty nor do to others as we would have them do to us For say they this is legall teaching see counsel to Laodicea Our Christ saith humble your selves under the mighty hand of God Iames 4.10 And blessed are they that weep now for they shall laugh Luke 6.21 And blessed are they that mourne for they shal be comforted Math. 5.4 And our Christ said unto us The time will come that the Bridegroom shall be taken from you and then ye shall fast Luke 5.35 But our Antinomians christ teacheth them that they must neither humble themselves weepe not mourn last nor pray for sin or affliction see Crisp page 109.110.230 Our Christ gave the Sacrament the night before he suffered saying Take eate drinke do this in remembrance of
command 〈◊〉 Mat. 28.19 In the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost that being in the covenant and ingrafted into christ they may have perpetuall fellowship with him he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved Marke 16.16 Acts 2.38 May we baptize in no other name nor leave out any of the three persons in Trinity A. No christ is not divided nor Paul crucified for you neither were you baptized in the name of Paul I thanke God I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius least any should say that I did baptize in my own name 1 cor 13.14 15. Who are those within the covenant that are to be baptized A. They are of two forts first such as are growne in yeers and joyne themselves to the visible church testifying their faith and repentance and hold the foundation of Religion taught in the same church they are to be baptized in the Eunuch sayd to Phillip I beleeve that Christ is the sonne of God and so they went both into the water and he baptized him Acts 8.38 they were baptized of Iohn in Iordan confessing their sinnes Mat. 3.6 repent and be baptized everyone of you acts 2.38 if a stranger dwell with thee and will observe the Passover of the Lord let him circumcise all his males and then let him come and observe it and he shall be as one borne in the land for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof Exod. 12.48 Who else are in in the covenant and ought to be baptized A. Infants born of christian parents the unbeleeving husband is sanctefied by the wife and the unbeleeving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children uncleanâ— but now they are holy 1 cor 7.14 if the first fruits be holy so is the whole lumpe if the root be holy so are the branches rom 11.16 I will establish my covenant with thee and with thy seed after thee for an everlasting covenant to be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Gen. 17.7 How are children of christian parents in the covenant A. Not as they are the sinfull off-spring of the first Adam for so they beget them in their owne likenesse nor secondly as they are by grace the sonnes of God for they are not made the sonnes of God by naturall generation but by adoption yet they may beleeve for themselves and others according to the covenant of grace Gen. 17.7 as Adam did sinne both for himselfe and others and as parents in bargaines doe covenant both for themselves and their heires after them thus the parents being the first fruits sanctifies the whole lump of their posterity rom 11.16 What is it to be baptized In the name of the father sonne and holy Ghost A. It is to be made one of Gods family which is his church and to be made partaker of the priviledges thereof as Jacob sayd the Angel which hath delivered me from all evil blesse the lads and let my name be named upon them and the name of my fathers Gen. 48.16 in that day shall seven women take hold of one man saying we will eat our owne bread and weare our owne garments onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach Isa 4.1 What doe we learne from hence A. We learne that in this washing of baptisme is sealed a solemne contract and covenant between God and the baptized first of God the father who vouchsafeth to receive him into favour and of God the sonne to redeem him and of God the holy Ghost to purifie and regenerate him What doth the baptized bind themselves unto A. He promiseth to acknowledge invocate and worship none other God but the true Iehovah which is the father sonne and holy Ghost VVhat is the visible or externall matter of baptisme A. It is water for the Minister may not baptize with any other liquor but only with naturall water according to those examples we have in Scripture of the primitive church What is the externall forme of baptisme A. It is the ministers washing the baptized according to the prescrpt of God Suppose it was the ancient custome to dip or dive all the body of the baptized in the water must their example of necessity be followed A. No for the word baptize signifies sprinkling as well as dipping or diving and sayth the Lord I will sprinkle cleane water upon you Ezek. 36.25 againe by reason of some cold countries and the weaknesse of young Infants necessity and charity may dispence with ceremonies and mittigate the sharpnesse of them What resemblance is there between the element of water and the thing signified thereby A. As water washeth away the filth of the body so the blood of Christ Iesus cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 What doth the acâ—â—â— of the Minister waâ—â—ing the body of the baptized signifie A. This sealeâ— and I confirmeth a double action of God first the ingrafting or incorporating the baptized into Christ as many as are baptized into Christ 〈…〉 Christ Gal. 3.27 by one spirit we are all baptized into one body 〈…〉 secondly it sealeth to us our regeneration not he the worker 〈…〉 which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the 〈◊〉 king of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost â—â—tus 3.5 What doth 〈…〉 water or sprinkling it upon the baptized signifie A. It doth raâ—â—â— the shedding of the blood of Christ for the remission of all our sinne and the imputation of his righteousnesse arise and be baptiâ—â—d and waâ—â— away thy sinnes calling upon the name of the Lord Acts 22.16 and it signifies mortification of sinne by the power and death of Christ know ye not that all they which have been 〈◊〉 into Christ have been baptized into his death the 〈…〉 crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed rom 〈…〉 What doth the 〈◊〉 â—ancâ— in or under the water signifie unto us A. It signifies the buriall of sinne or a continuall encreaâ—â— of mortification both by the power of Christ's death and buriall we are buried with him by baptisme in oâ—â—is death rom â— 4 What doth the comming out of the water signifie unto us A. It concernes our spirituall vivification to newnesse of life in all holinesse and righteousnesse by the power of Christs resurrection for like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father so we all should walke in newnesse of life for if we be grafted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the 〈…〉 of his resurrection rom 6.4 5. What doth the action of the party baptized signifie when he offers himselfe before the Mâ—â—â—ter and the congregation to be baptized A. It signifies that he doth consecrate himselfe the Lord and that he utterly renounceth the flesh the world and the devill the like figure which now saveth us even baptisme not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God 1
Pet. 3.21 Suppose any question the lawfulnesse of his baptisme may he be re-baptized A. No for as in naturall generation a man is but once borne so he can be but once new borne therefore if a man be baptized be a Minister that is an heretick not yet degraded from his calling and if he observe the forme of administration In the name of the father sonne and holy Ghost it is a reall baptisme How may a man profitably use his baptisme all his life long A. First when any sinfull lust shall arise in thy soule then begin to meditate of that solemne Vow which thou did dest make to God in thy baptisme Secondly if through infirmity thou fall into any sinne still have recourse to thy baptisme for thy encouragement and comfort for although baptisme be but once administred yet that once testifieth that all thy sinnes past present and to come are washed away 1 Pet. 3.20 Eph. 5.25 26 27. it is called the sacrament of repentance Marke 1.4 lastly to make a profitable use of thy baptisme then thou must not rest till thou have a feeling of that renewing power fignified in baptisme namely the power of Christ's death mortifying thy sinne and the vertue of his resurrection renewing thy spirit soule and body in all holy obedience How is it that many feele not the fruit of their baptisme A. The fault is not in God but in themselves in that they doe not keepe the condition of the covenant to receive Christ by saith and to repent of their sinnes When shall a man see the effect of his baptisme A. When he receives Christ by faith though it be many yeers after then he shall feel the power of God to regenerate him and to work all those things which he offered him in baptisme What is done in the Lords supper A. The former covenant solemnly ratified in baptisme is renewed in the Lords supper between the Lord and the receiver What doe the elements of bread and wine signifie unto us A. They are signes and seales of the body and blood of Christ What doth the actions of the Minister about the same elements signifie unto the receiver A. They signifie unto the receiver foâ—re actions of God himselfe First his taking the bread and wine into his hands doth seale unto us the action of God the father who from all eternity did separate and elect his sonne to performe the duty of a mediatour between God and man mine elect in whom my soule delighteth Isa 42.1 him hath God the Father sealed Iohn 6.27 What doth the Ministers blessing of the elements with the recitall of the promises signifie and seale unto the receiver A. The blessing of them signifies that those elements are now taken from a common to a holy use and the recitall of the promises seales unto us that action of God by which in the fulnesse of time he sent Christ to performe the office of mediatour unto which he was fore-ordained What doth the breaking of bread and powring out of the wine signifie to the receivers A. This sealeth the action of God offering Chiist unto all but â—iving him onely to the faithfull for the encrease of their faith and repentance What doth the receivers action in taking the bread and wine in his hand signifie A. This sealeth a spirituall action namely his apprehending of christ by the hand of faith as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve on his name Ioh. 1.12 What doth his eating of the bread and drinking of the wine signifie A. This sealeth his application of Chirst by the same faith by a feeling of his true union and communion to encrease daily by faith as our bodies are strengthned by the bread and wine the cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ 1 Cor. 11.16 Is not the bread in the sacrament after consecration turned into the body of Christ A. No first because this sacramentall bread was eaten before the death of Christ therefore unpossible to be a corporall eating of his flesh secondly the bread is broken and distributed after consecration but the whole body of Christ is received by every single communicant thirdly the bread is the communion of Christ therefore not his very body fourthly the body of Christ was made of the substance of the Virgin Mary therefore not of bakers bread fiftly this bread is subject to mold that is left after consecration this shewes that it is will reall bread sixtly if the signe be turned into the substance then what signe remaines this would overthrow the sacramentall union between the signe and the thing signified But is not christs body corporally present in the sacament A. No this doe in remembrance of me 1 cor 24.25 secondly the heavens must receive him till the restitution of all things act 3.2 Thirdly the body of Christ can be but in one place he is not here come sâ—ee the place where the Lord lay mat 28.6 When are we fitly prepared to receive the Lords supper A. First if we bring a right knowledge of mans fall and a promised restoration into the covenant by Christ he is the mediatour of a better covenant which is established upon better promises Heb. 8.6 so often as yee shall eat this bread and drinke of this cup yee shew the Lords death till he come and we must by our knowledge discerne the Lords body 1 cor 11.26 29. Secondly we must have a true faith in Christ for we receive so much as we beleeve that we receive for unto us was the Gospell preached as well as to them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.2 Thirdly we must have true repentance for all our sinnes both originall and actuall being the state wherein we lay in the breach of the first covenant Fourthly we must bring renewed faith and repentance to testifie our thankfulnesse to God for his great goodnesse to receive us into a new covenant not of works but of grace wherein he promises to be mercifull to our righteousnesse and to remember our iniquities no more Heb. 12.13 and to testifie our love both to God and his people he so loved us that he gave his onely begotten sonne for us Ioh. 3.16 and Christ gave his life a ransome for us mat 20.28 therefore we should love him that first loued us 1 Ioh. 4.19 also our love must be to his people if thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave thy gift before the Altar and goe first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift mat 5.23 25. But what if I in part find these things in me when withall I find my heart exceeding rebellious and very corrupt A.