to God and receive according to the things done in their bodyes whether they be good or bad therefore no conscience ought to be forced in the matters of Religion because no man can beare out another in his account to God if in case he should cause him to sinne Ninthly I do beleeve the King is set upon his throne by God who hath given him power and authority to reigne and rule for God over all his subjects as supreame head over all persons in his Dominions in whom is resident all power to punish any that shall offend either against his royall person crowne or dignity and that all his Subjects are to obey him out of conscience to God and all in lawfull authoritie under him and wherein they rule wâ—â—l I am bound in conscience actually to obey and assist them to the utmost of my abiliaie both in my person and state and wherein they goe amisse that I cannot with a good conscience actually obey them as aforesaid I shall passively submit my body to suffer their pleasure according to the Word of God in what they shall inflict upon me without resistance this is my faith and the faith of all that I desire to have fellowship with And lastly I do beleeve that there is an holy and blessed communion of Saints that God of his grace calls suck as belong to life by election unto the fellowship of his Sonne by the Gospel of which matter God by his Word and Spirit joyns them together in his covenant of grace and so constitutes his Church as I have before shewed And as God hath thus built for himselfe an holy habitation of such pure matter and also after ho holy a manner even so hath he provided a way of preservation and safetie for the same as Isa 26.1 We have a strong Citie salvation will God appoint for walls and bulworks which Citie is said to have a wall both great and high and built upon twelve foundations great that none shall break through high that none shall overtop or get over and strong in the foundation that nothing shall shake it 〈…〉 5. 〈…〉 3. and God hath said that he will be a wall of fire round about and the glory in the midst of it and that he will keepe it and watch over it by night and by day that nothing shall hurt it and as God hath built himselfe a house after his own minde and is a guard to the same even so he also is said to beautifie the same with salvation 〈…〉 3. 〈…〉 and to make the place of his feet glorious and that he will lay all her stones with faire colours and her foundations with Saphires and her windows of Agaâ—s and her gates of Carbuncles and all her borders of pleasant stones and all her children taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of her children Which Citie and the streets thereof are said to be of pure gold like unto cleare glasse 〈…〉 11 whose light is like to a stone most precious even as a Jasper stone cleare as Crystall Of which Christ saith Thou art all faire my love and there is no spot in thee 〈…〉 and that the Kings daughter is all glorious within and her clothing is of wrought gold And as Christ doth thus signifie unto us the nature of his Church both in respect of her matter her forme her grace and comely order in him her head even so he holds forth his love to her and delight in her by these and the like sweet expressions of comfort and solace 〈…〉 The Lord hath chosen Zion be hath desired it for his habitation saying this is my rest and here will I dwell for ever And so faith the Apostle In Christ all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord 〈…〉 1 〈…〉 in whom you are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit and therefore God is said to love the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacob and glorious things are spoken of thee O thou Citie of God Which Citie is said to be Jerusalem which is above bo is the mother of us all And so the mountain of the Lords house is said to be established in the top of the mountains and to be exalted above the hils 〈…〉 6. For whose sake saith the Lord I will not hold my peace nor rest untill I cause the righteousnesse thereof to break forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth And so called by Christ and holy people the redeemed of the Lord a City sought out and not forsaken The name of which Citie from that day shall be 〈…〉 12 〈…〉 8. The Lord is there And further called his vine his plant his temple his flocke his pleasant portion his first borne his bride his Queene his Spouse his wife his body his love his dove his onely joy and place of Rest Consider Some were perswaded with the things that were spoken but some beleeved not Act. 28.24 ERRATA Faults escaped Page 8 line 5. Reade as for is p. 12. l. 4. r. therefore though the first c. p. 19. l. 45. 〈…〉
grafted in againe to their owne roote or Olive tree as at the first which is union and communion with God in his holy way of worship under the Gospel as of old under the Law And so much for the roote or Olive tree which must be understood of Christ mystically considered and not of beleeving parents as aforesaid Now a word of the branches which cannot be meant of Infants but beleevers onely in the Apostles sense being holy First They are branches onely in the same consideration as they subsist and grow in the roote or Vine and so beare the true nature of the same by which they appeare to be holy by the fruits thereof Christ as aforesaid being the roote or vine the branches can no way be said to subsist and to grow in him as their roote but onely by saith and he in them by his spirit without which there is no holines in the Apostles sence who speaks of such as holines as is produced in the branch by the holy roote in which ingrowes and so partakes of the nature of the roote by vertue of the union and communion it hath with the same all which is by saith as the Word reveales Secondly There is no branch that is alive in the Vine but partakes of the life and sap of the same by vertue of which the branch though never so young and small is discovered to be alive and inabled to bring forth in its season such fruit as by which the same may be discerned so it is here by these spirituall branches they cannot properly be called branches in the Apostles sence but as they partake of the life and grace of Christ their true vine and olive tree by which they appeare at the least to be alive in him by faith and inabled by the same to bring forth such fruits as may discover them to be in the Covenant of grace and so to be admitted unto the priviledges thereof as Joh. 15.1.7 Nature it selfe teaches as much for no man will admit of dead plants to be set in his vineyard or grafted into a stock but onely such as are capable to comply with the same in the sap and nourishment thereof to the end it may grow and bring forth fruit and so it is with Christ who comes not short of nature and therefore he admits not of any dead plants to be set in his spirituall vineyard or dead members to be joyned to his mysticall body but onely such as by faith capable to comply with the head Neither took he for himself a compounded body consisting of both living and dead members which all are that have not a living principle of grace faith in him which all beleevers Infants have not nor any at all untill they are borne againe of the Spirit as Job 3.5 6. The Church of God which is the mysticall body of Christ is not a mixt company but onely one substantiall and royall substance sutable to her head matter by which shee was produced being the immortall seed of the Word and therefore one holy spirituall uniforme compacted body both for nature and forme Cant. 6.9 Mal. 2.15 Eph. 2.14 to 22. Joh. 4.23 All which considered proves the body of Christ or Church of God under the new Testament not to consist of Infants neither in whole nor in part and so the branches aforesaid not to be understood of Infants but beleevers And if any object from the words of Christ Mat. 18.6 speaking there of some little ones that beleeved in him and from thence gather that Infants have faith c. The answer in a word is this That I am for all that beleeve and onely for them whether they be Infants or others so that their faith be visible as it may be discerned otherwise it concerns nothing the point in hand for we are upon visible things such as may be judged of by the Word of God Againe little children that beleeve in the Scripture sense are such as be little and weake in the faith and so babes in Christ as 1 Joh. 2.12 1 Cor. 3.1.3 Heb. 5.12 13. But it is said that the Church of the Jewes of old and the Church of the Gentiles now are one in nature as they are both the Church of God and so Infants in the one as they were in the other and the same priviledges to the one as to the other c. I have before shewed the large difference between the Jewes and the Gentiles in respect of their outward priviledges but a word or two more and so end The Church of God under the old Testament and that now under the new for nature are one in reference to the Elect of God called to the faith and by the spirit of grace united to Christ as the branches to their vine and so an holy plant of Gods planting of which indeed the true Church of Christ consists and therefore God did ever put a distinction in Abrahams seed even from Abraham to Christ as in Abraham between Isaac and Ishmael Gen. 17.20 21. Gen. 21.11 12 13. in Isaac between Jacob and Esau Gen. 25.23 Rom. 9.11 12. in Jacob between Ephraim and Manasse Gen. 48.13 14.16 17 18 19. And thus the holy Ghost figuratively pointed at a difference in Abrahams seed between the children of the flesh the children of God Rom. 9.6 7 8. and though God did thus distinguish in Abrahams posteritie yet there could not be the like dividing in the same they being nationall people consisting both of a Church and so spirituall and of a common wealth and so all under a civill worldly government Which nation God crowned with many outward priviledges as he never did any people in the earth they being the first people that God ever tooke into covenant with himselfe in such a way by whom he raised himselfe a name and same in all the world and so his peculiar treasure to whom he committed great matters of trust as Psal 135.4 Rom. 3.1 2. 9.4 Eph. 2.12 Of whom came Christ the Saviour of man and therefore salvation is said to be of the Jewes as Rom. 9.5 Joh. 4.22 In respect of which there was a blessed promise passed upon the Jews for the bringing forth of the Messias and the promised seed in whom all Nations should be blessed And therefore all of that nation were admitted to the outward priviledges as figures of him which that Nation was to bring forth so that a fruitfull wombe was counted a great blessing among the Jews not knowing who might be so honoured as to bring forth that blessed and all blessing seed And therefore God honoured the naturall birth among the Jews with such outward blessings and priviledges that belongs not to the Gentiles at all The Gentiles now are to look for their bringing forth of Christ according to the Spirit as the Jews did then according to the flesh and likewise their birth and their seed in all things sutable to the same As Joh. 3.3.5 6. Joh. 1.12
them what will such doe when more light comes they will then yeeld or else appeare to be wilfull opposers of the truth The Lord give them hearts to consider and to put their cause to the tryall of the holy and pure Word of God and to bring all his people into one unitie of faith and uniforme order of truth that God may have glory the Gospel honour the Saints comfort The subject of the former discourse hath been about the right subject of Baptisme and that the word of God hath discovered to be a beleever onely in the proving of which truth there in also disproved two sorts of persons and they are either beleevers Infants or such that received their Baptisme of Antichrist and yet all in their infancy both which are by the Scriptures disapproved the one being uncapable and so without any Rule from God for the same and the other also unlawfull and so directly against the word of God which disclaimes all communion with the man of sinne in any of his divine ordinances who receives nothing of the Lord and therefore all that he can administer unto any is both of himselfe from himselfe and for himselfe and so not to be justified nor retained as the Lords ordinance And this falling out so it followes that we are now to seeke for the Lords true Baptisme and for a case so difficult as some would make it two things in speciall are to be inquired into first how or where to finde it secondly how it may be obtained being found for the first if any ordinance of God should be so deceased in its constitution as that we doe not know where it is afoot in Gods way in the world so as to come by it with a good conscience A people in such a case being convicted of the truth and he necessitie of their obedience to God in the same and yet know not the way or manner how to accomplish their holy desires in the finding obtaining the same They are to goe as of old to Christ and his Apostles as the godly then did that is to the holy Scriptures which are the lively Oracles of God the Spirit speaking in them unto a beleeving heart so they stand in the place of Christ and his Apostles with the same abilitie authoritie to furnish a man of faith with all truth as these Scriptures compared together sufficiently prove 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. 2 Pet. 1.19 20. Rom. 16.25 26. Job 5.39 Mat. 22.29 Luk. 24.25.27.44 45 46. 1 Cor. 15.3 4. By all which we see that all things are contained in the Scriptures unto which the holy Ghost leads men to prove and finde all things concerning faith and obedience to God and man which are the Propheticall mouth of Christ that all must have recourse unto that will have any thing to do with him Act. 3.22 23. And the Rule by which all must be tryed though an Angel from heaven and the Apostles themselves as Gal. 1.8 9. So that the holy Scripture is the onely place where any ordinance of God in the case aforesaid is to be found they being the fountain-head containing all the instituted Rules both of Church and ordinances so that where or wheresoever any of these are wanting in their constitution and cannot be found in their outward orderly forme wee are to go directly unto its institution and recover the same againe from thence as Cant. 1.7 Isa 8.19 20. Rom. 10.6 7 8. And thus having found the place or subject wherein baptisme ever subsists as an ordinance of God we are in the next place to know how such as want it may come orderly by it for though that God hath joyned his word and ordinances together yet he hath also ordained an orderly way for his people to come to enjoy them which orderly way I conceive to be only in the Church of God wherein is the power of Christ to set afoot his ordinances as when God shall please to take a people to himselfe and by the power of his truth unite them to his Son and so into an orderly body among themselves now such a people so constituted have right unto all such priviledges ordained and appointed by God for their mutuall comfort and well-being as Rom. 8.17 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. By vertue of this union they have with their head Christ the body thus joyntly considered hath the power authoritie of Christ within her selfe to chuse and make use of any one or more of her members as occasion offers and authorises his or them to administer baptisme upon the whole body and so upon themselves in the first place as apart of the same Such may be truly said to be sent and authorized by Christ as of old by Christ in his humane body even so now by him in his divine and spirituall body for wheresoever a Church doth rise in her true constitution there are her ordinances and also power to administer the same and where a thing is wanting there must be of necessitie a beginning to reduce that thing againe into beeing And thus briefly I have shewed my judgement in case baptisme should be wanting where we should finde it and that is in the holy Scriptures of God Secondly How from thence to be obtained and that is by Gods calling a people into an holy fellowship with Christ from whom they have power to assume as a Church so the ordinance of Baptisme upon themselves I shall yet further cleare up this truth by shewing the manner of the foresaid constitution in the causes of it But before I can doe this I must give answer to two sorts of persons that oppose the aforesaid truth first such as stand for a personall succession secondly such as will have no Church before Baptisme and so make Baptisme the forme of the Church As for the first that hold Baptisme by personall succession they have received a sufficient answer in proving of that Baptisme administred by Antichrist to be none of Gods ordinance onely a word or two to such as hold a succession in the defection of Antichrist as they call it if they meane by defection the outward forme of worship and government Ecclesiasticall a I thinke they doe then all the power and authoritie that ever hath carried out any administration or constituted ordinance hath taken its beeing thence and depends upon the same and if so then the power and ordainer and the ordinance so ordained must be both of one and the same stamp as I have already proved if the one be Antichrists the other must be also Antichristian and to dreame of any approved Church by the word of God in or under this defection and yet a part of the same is to look for a man in the Moone and to suppose a Church to consist in such matter that is destructive to the forme and therein to hold a succession of truth is against the very light of nature and to keep the Pope upon the throne of
A TREATISE CONCERNING THE LAWFVLL SVBIECT OF BAPTISME Wherein are handled these Particulars The Baptizing of Infants confuted and the Grounds to prove the same answered The Covenant God made with Abraham and his seed handled how the same agrees with the Gentiles their seed The Baptisme administred by an Antichristian Power confuted as no Ordinance of God and the Grounds to prove the same answered If either Church or Ordinance be wanting where they are to be found and how recovered The Covenant and not Baptisme formes the Church and the manner how There is no succession under the New Testament but what is spiritually by faith in the Word of God With some other things examined and briefly discoursed By me J. S. Goe teach all Nations Baptizing them Mat. 28.19 He that beleeves and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.16 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 Prove all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 Lord God the strength of my salvation cover thou my head in the day of battell Psal 140.7 LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1643. The Epistle to the Reader CHristian Reader have a favourable construction of my so bold attempt of so great a worke upon such weake abilitie which may possibly seeme to savour as deeply of pride to some as Davids undertaking the challenge of Goliah did to his brother Eliab 1 Sam 17.28 But I am contented to walke naked before the world and to under goe the censure of men to performe any service to God or his people The occasion that pressed me on chiefly to this worke was by reason of some godly persons whose consciences were scrupled about the baptizing of children before they came to know what they doe in the same and others coming to heare of it did much insult upon them in a reproachfull manner with much reviling and despising of them as I understood by a Letter received from them and did as it were make a challenge upon them with certaine Reasons and Arguments gathered up against them Vpon which occasion the said Reasons and Arguments were sent to me from beyond the Seas to be answered and pressed me with Letter after Letter to the same which at length I intended to doe onely in a private way untill some here at home had published their evill affections in a reproachfull manner casting such unseemly aspersions upon the truth of God and godly persons for the truths sake to make the same hatefull in the eyes of all men in what them lieth And others also in resemblance of the truth going on in such a confused way both in respect of corrupt doctrine and as bad order by reason of which disorder the blessed name of God and his holy truth are exposed unto much suffiring And thus the glory of God and the honour of the Gospel of Jesus Christ lying as it were at the stake and his people grieving and suffering together with the same I thought in such a case that I was bound in conscience to come forth to the helpe of the Lord against the mightie and to free my selfe from the sinne of withholding the truth in unrighteousnesse and according to that abilitie Christ bath given to speake a word in the defence of his blessed truth against those ungodly aspersions cast upon the same And thus having shewed my courteous Reader the grounds forcing me to attempt so great a worke with so weake meanâ—â— I trust he will sparingly consider rather then rashly censure as the manner of too many is And to judge as he would be judged remembering there is a righteous Judge before whom we must all appeare and give account every one for himselfe as Rom. 14.10.12 2 Cor. 5.10 The subject controverted in the following Treatise one part of it is about Infants Baptisme And wheras I oppose the same as an unwritten tradition yet I would not be understood that I oppose Infants in respect of either their persons or age or salvation it selfe between God and them invisibly but honour them with all naturall respects desiring their safety and well-being here and glory here after but what their estate is in respect of grace that I doe not know but as the same appeares by some effect of faith untill which time as I condemne none no more dare I justifie all but leave them all unto the good pleasure of God that onely knows who are his And this I beleeve that God of his meere grace before the world was did elect and choose a number in Christ to salvation All which shall unavoydably come to glory as Ephes 1. Rom. 8.30 But who these be that I doe not know untill God reveales the same by some effect of his grace appearing in them And all that I intend by opposing Infants Baptisme is but onely to forbeare a while and waite upon God in the use of meanes untill faith appeares to meet with God in his holy Ordinance without which the same is voyd and of no effect but prophaned God provoked and the party indangered Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment take him c. Mat. 22.12 13. And also that Baptisme administred in an Antichristian Church and by the same power is no ordinance of God so that all such so baptized are to submit to the Lords ordinance of Baptisme whensoever God calls them to beleeve and receive the Gospel And yet not holding any rebaptizing for he that is once baptized with the Lords true Baptisme he needs no more Nor yet a new way of baptizing as some to please themselves so call it but onely that good old way which John the Baptist Christ and his Apostles walked in before us and left the same as a Rule under command in the holy Scriptures for such as will be followers of them to walke by And as it is recorded by the holy Ghost in the Scriptures of God even so it is the judgement of the most and best learned in the Land so farre as I have seene or can come by any of their writings As in all the common Dictionaries which with one joynt consent affirme that the word Baptisme or Baptiâ—o being the originall word signifies to dipp wash or to plunge one into the water though some please to mock and deride by calling it a new found way Yet truth was before error and what they please Indeed it is a new found truth in opposition to an old growne errour and so it is a new thing to such as the Apostles Doctrine was to the Athenians Act. 17.19 But this being no part of the following Discourse I shall leave it and turne such so mocking over to consider of these Scriptures Isa 28.22 Pro. 17.5 Isa 57.4 Act. 17.32 Heb. 11.36 Jude 18. Gen. 21.9 with Gal. 4.29 and I doubt not but the wise hearted Reader will thy and examine things of so high a nature by the Word of God and not to build upon darke
Gospel And now I come to give answer to some of the chief grounds brought for the proving of the foresaid baptisme in the hand of Antichrist to be the ordinance of God And first it is said that as Circumcision administred in Israels great apostasie remained still the ordinance of God so that when any of them did repent and turned unto the Lord they were received without being circumcised again and the like is now to be considered of baptisme in the apostasie of Antichrist The answer is first it is like to be a bad cause that must be maintained from the corruptions of other persons or states Is the order and government of Christs new state and kingdom under the new Testament more weak and imperfect then that under the old as we must go still unto Circumcision for a rule how to make out our baptisme Is the light of the Moon become now more brighter then the light of the Sunne and the heart vailed to see clearer then the face open and the servant to teach the Son Again it is worth our consideration from what church Antichrist did apostinate and go away from as the ten Tribes did under Jeroboam 1 King 12. But I passe this Secondly I answer that Circumcision was not confined in the hand of the priesthood then under the old Testament as the administration of baptisme is to the ministery of Christ now under the new Testament Thirdly Circumcision was then by them administred according as God had commanded the same to be both in respect of the matter and manner 1. The same order 2. A right subject 3. The due time 4. the true place And lastly a lawfull Minister But now the baptisme administred by Antichrist is contrary in all the foresaid respects which is by a false power upon a wrong subject by a false minister in a false body The like cannot be shewed in circumcision nor yet in baptisme and God approving of the same to be his ordinance And now to oppose this Zipporah the wife of Moses is brought for an example to prove that the baptisme administred by a false Minister may be true baptisme as circumcision was being administred by a woman Exod. 4.25 The answer is first that Moses wife was in the action the hand of her husband for the preserving of his life for had not Zipporah circumcised her son it seemes that God had slaine her husband as ver 24.25 26. compared together Secondly herein God sets forth his wisdom and justice in the subjecting of his creature to bring her so farre to submit unto his will in that ordinance as for to do the thing her self for whose sake it is like the same was so long neglected because there was nothing so contrary and opposite unto her the Circumcision Thirdly I see not but that in a case of necessitie a woman might lawfully circumcise she being no where prohibited And lastly what of all this say she did it unlawfully and in so doing she was a false Minister all which is more then God saith yet this was not done in a false Church upon a wrong subject authorised by a false power as baptisme administred by Antichrist is and therefore at the worst it makes nothing at all for that which it is pretended namely to prove baptisme administred by Antichrist the ordinance of God though the same be also administred by a false Minister Again it is said that the Scriptures are the ordinance of God which he hath ever preserved and still owns for his ordinance in hand of Antichrist and so doth God of baptisme there also To which I answer and say that God indeed doth preserve the Scriptures wherein is contained all Goâ—â— holy ordinances as they are therein comprehended and laid forth in their instituted rules and that in the hands of wicked men and so in the hands of Antichrist himself But never in their constituted order and forms out of the hand of Christ his Church and ministery And though that in many things Antichrist hath corrupted the Scriptures yet they remaine still in themselves the ordinance of God But for the false expositions glosses and doctrines they gather from the Scriptures with the Church ministery worship and government they build upon the Scriptures and so their ordinances which they seem to constitute by them now these I cannot see to be the ordinances of God any more the one then the other So that if baptisme with Antichrist as they say be Gods ordinance then why not upon the same ground the Supper Church and Ministery be Gods ordinances also seeing they have the Scriptures as well for the one as for the other And for baptisme as it is an institution of Christ and contained in the Scriptures as a rule for the Lords people to walk by in their obedience to him onely so considered it is an ordinance of God in whose hand soever the Scriptures are But now for a false Antichristian Church to constitute and administer the like out of or apart from the Scriptures Now so considered it is not the ordinance of God but mens invention composed from the Scriptures as a patern drawne forth in the likenesse or resemblance of Gods ordinance but not the same For God hath communion with none in his word but by his Spirit and faith neither of which hath Antichrist and therefore though he hath the written Letter of the Scriptures yet no communion with God in the same so as to receive his ordinance of him neither can any man constitute and so administer an ordinance of God without authoritie from Christ the Lord and King of his Church which authoritie Antichrist hath not and therefore Gods ordinance of Baptisme cannot be administred by Antichrist in his false Anchristian Church and State as some doe so affirme But it is said that there is but onely one Baptisme and having once received that though it be by Antichrist we need not to receive it any more for we can have but the same againe and that which we have is the same for substance with Christs institution which for the matter there is Water and for the forme there is the same words used as Christ instituted the same ordinance of Baptisme in The answer is first that there is but one true baptisme that is a truth and a man being once baptized by the same he needs not to be baptized againe this is also true for I doe not approve of rebaptizing But now to conclude from hence that there cannot be a resemblance of that one true baptisme and yet not the same this will not follow there is but one true Church and Ministery of Christ as the Word of God reveals But it will not follow therefore that Antichrist cannot resemble the same and set up one of his own like unto that or if that he doe the same must be a true Church and Ministery because God approves but of one But if Antichrist as you affirme may resemble the truth and set
Christ whether he will or no but to lay the chaine of succession of truth this way namely through the Popedome of Rome as all such must doe that hold a personall succession or a Church and ordinances to consist in the same from the Apostles untill now what will such doe and where will their succession of truth lie when the same comes to the woman Pope of whom the Papists themselves are ashamed for when we speake of personall succession of truth as in reference to Church and Church ordinances I looke upon this in the power and authoritie that beares the same and to hold a Church to be true and the ordinances there administred the true ordinances of God and to leave this and set up a way of worship apart from it and deny communion with it is in my darke understanding a meere schisme and the overthrow of all order in Religion so far as I have learned Christ men are to stand in their place and use all means to reforme and reclaime or disclaime by the word of truth and all being done and of necessitie I must by the word of God leave off communion with them I think by the same rule I must disclaime them and so separate away from them if they doe not repent and not to leave a true Church and true ordinances and goe apart and erect another Church ordinances and worship of our selves apart from it in opposition to it this in my judgement is as farre from any Rule in the Gospel of Christ as for a man to baptize himselfe neither of which doe I approve of Yet a word by the way because of such an error that some make and how far off from any rule or example for a man to baptize himselfe or to baptize others and himselfe unbaptized so thinking hereby to shut up the ordinance of God in such a strait that none can come by it but through the authoritie of the Popedome of Rome But for the opening of this cloud that seems so to darken the skie let the Reader consider who baptized John the Baptist before he baptized others and if no man did then whether he did not baptize others he himselfe being unbadtized if he was baptized whether it were not by an unbaptized person and all Scripture being written for our learning and this being one we are taught by this what to doe upon the like occasion And for the continuation of the Church from Christs words The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it c. I confesse the same with this distinction which church is to be considered either with respect to her instituted state as it lies in the Scripture in the Rules of the foundation or in her constitution or constituted forme in her visible order Against the first hell gates shall never prevaile the foundation stands sure but against the last it hath often prevailed for the Church in her outward visible order hath been often scattered through persecution and the like in which sense she is said to be prevailed against as Dan. 7. Rev. 12. Act. 8.1 Otherwise where was their Church before it came from under the defection Againe that which once was in such a way of being and ceaseth for a time and then comes to the same estate againe is and may â—ruely be said to have ever a continuance as Mat. 22.31 32. with Luk. â—0 38 In which sense the Church may truely be said ever to continue for though she be cast downe at one time yet God will raise her up at another so that shee shall never be so prevailed against as to be utterly destroyed And this way I suppose Christ may have injoy ever as good a wife as any can be preserved for him under the defection of Antichrist Though some have so wide mouths open against such as ever wished them well but I leave them to God to whom they shall give account of all their hard words against the Lord those that fear his name out of conscience obey him in that way as some please to call error in a reproachfull manner But men do in these dayes somewhat like to the tyrants in the ten persecutions whose crueltie was such that they exposed the Christians to be devoured of wild beasts and God so overpowred the creatures crueltie that at length they ceased to hurt them and when those bloudy tyrants saw that they put Beares-skins upon them thereby to insence and to stir up the nature of those beasts to fall upon them thus I have heard reported But whether this be true or not sure I am that such men can be little better minded that labour so to cover the godly with such filth as they vomit out of their own-selfe-sicke stomackes but I desire the Lord to passe by all and to give men more love and patience to beare one with another And to conclude I feare men put more in baptisme then is of right due unto it that so preferre it above the Church and all other ordinances besides for they can assume or erect a Church take in and cast out members elect and ordain Officers and administer the Supper and all anew without any looking after succession any further then the Scriptures but as for Baptisme they must have that successively from the Apostles though it comes through the hands of Pope Joane What is the cause of this that men can doe all from the Word but onely baptisme and that must come by man yea and that by the man of sinne But we are to know this that truth depends not upon Churches nor any mortall creature but onely upon the immortall God who by his Word and Spirit reveales the same when and to whom he pleases And for succession of truth it comes now by the promise of God faith of his people whom he as aforesaid hath taken out of the world unto himselfe in the fellowship of the Gospel to whom the ordinances of Christ stand onely by succession of faith and not of persons for the same power and authoritie the Apostles had in their time for direction in godlinesse the Scriptures have now in the hand of Christ as the head of his Church which make up but one body 1 Cor. 12.12.27 Eph. 1.22 23. Eph. 4.15 16. So that what the Church and the Apostles together might doe then the same may the head and body together with the Scriptures doe now the Scriptures having the same authoritie in the Church now as the Apostles had then the same Spirit being present now to reveale them as then to write them 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 2 Tim. 3.15 16. The Scriptures remaining in the place of the Apostles for us to have recourse unto and serve as the mouth of Christ to all beleevers 〈…〉 as the Apostles did before they were written Mat. 28.20 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. Rom. 10.6 7 8. And as the people of old conferred with the Prophets and Apostles about their great affaires so have
the Lords people now Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles in their writings as Luk. 16.29 30 31. Which are to us with the Spirit of life in them as effectuall as their personall presence if not more as Job 6.62 63. 2 Pet. 1.18 19. Rev. 11.3.5.11 And thus all succession from the beginning came to Christ and from Christ to the Apostles and from them to the Scriptures which are the head-spring of all to us so that all succession now is onely spirituall according to faith and follows not the personall succession of any but onely the word that gives being to all order and ordinances that is of God And so I come to such as will have no Church before Baptisme and so make Baptisme the forme of the Church I shall be briefe in this because the truth of this will appear in the causes constituting the Church This I thinke we all agree in that matter and forme constitutes a Church the matter is a company of Saints or persons professing faith in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and living accordingly that is in holines of life The forme is that by which these are united and knit up together in one fellowship and orderly body and that is the covenant of grace that lies between God and his people by which God visibly becomes the God of such persons and they his people above all other That this is the forme of a Church and not Baptisme I prove thus that by which God and a people become each others apart from all other people that is the forme of them but the covenant is that by which God owns a people for his and they him for their God therefore the covenant is the forme Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Act. 2. â—1 Gen. 17.11 Luk. 1.72 Act. 3.25 〈…〉 Secondly That which at the first was the forme of a thing ever remaines the forme of the same thing without alteration but the covenant was the forme of the Church at the first before ever any ordinance was annexed therefore the same still the Church remaining the same without alteration in the nature of it Thirdly That which both gives a beeing to a thing and ever keeps the same that must be the forme of the same thing but the covenant both gave a being to the Church ever keeps the same therefore the covenant is the forme Fourthly That which makes a member to be a member or no member of a Church that makes a Church to be a Church or no church and so that is the forme of it for there is the same reason for the whole that is for every part but the covenant is that which makes a member and so the rest as Esa 56.4.6 therefore the covenant is the forme Fifthly That which persons may have and yet be no church that cannot be the forme of a church but persons may have baptisme yet no church ergo not the forme the church being the greatest ordinance of God and the very center of all ordinances as Psal 87.7 with 1 Tim. 3.15 Cannot be formed by any particular ordinance no nor by any lesse then that which comprehends all the essentiall parts and properties of a church which is Gods gracious covenant that gives being to all true churches both first and last But some will say that the Word speakes of no church before Baptisme For answer to this I must distinguish in Baptisme between the truth in the doctrine of Baptisme and the outward administration of the same In the first sense Baptisme is one branch of the covenant as a truth to be revealed and by faith to be received as an essentiall truth together with other truths for the constituting of the church and no church according to the order of Christs new Testament either without it or before it But for the last namely the outward administration of Baptisme that ever follows the Saints joyning in fellowship by mutuall faith agreement in the doctrine wherein consists the stating of the Church in her conjoyning in covenant which ever goes before the administration of Baptisme and gives power and authoritie for the same So that in the first sense the Church is not before Baptisme but in the last sense the church is before Baptisme This distinction being observed I answer in a word thus we are not to deny a church to be a church untill the Word so calls it for the church in the old testament and most of the churches in the new Testament were churches sometime before they were so called And why may not the same be so here be a church before Baptisme be administred Againe a church is onely so a church before Baptisme as that the end of her union is for communion and so an immediate proceeding to the practise of the same truth shee agreed upon by a free and mutuall consent in her conjunction That which states a person or persons in covenant instates them in church-fellowship but faith and not practise instates a people in covenant for a people must first agree upon truth in judgement before they practise the same therefore faith and not practise instates a people in church-fellowship and so a church in covenant and fellowship before baptisme be administred A people are a church by covenant unto which ordinances are annexed to confirme and establish the same as Gen. 17.11 Ezek 16.8 9. Act. 2.41 as Eph. 4.5 So that here was a church before ordinances or that ever Baptisme was administered either by John the Baptist on the 〈…〉 Some say from Act 2.41 They were added to the Church after they were baptized To which I answer and say If it should bâ— so that they were after Baptisme added to the Church then they should neither put on Christ by Baptisme not yet be baptized into one body not to the true profession of the Father Son and holy Ghost c. directly against these Scriptures Gal. 3.27 1 Cor. 12 13. Mat. 28.19 And for Act. 2.41 the words are these Then they that gladly received his Word were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand soules which is nothing else but to shew how many they were that received the truth and so by the same were added to them holding Forth the power and goodnes of God in making his word so fruitfull in bringing in so many by one Sermon to the truth as Act. 2.47 which is onely a repeating over the number of Persons God at that time added to the rest Againe it may be said that Baptisme signifies our regeneration and new birth so that a childe must be first borne and brought forth in Baptisme before it can be mad a living Member in Christs body the Church Baptisme indeed is a signe of the new birth and so holds forth the same as a thing done and not as a thing to be done and therefore Baptisme requites the appearance of the same as faith and repentance to goe before the administration
thereof which cannot be untill a man be borne from above and such as are spirituall alive are the onely subjects of Baptisme This will be further cleared in the constitution of the Church which now follows which constitution is the orderly collection conjoyning of persons into the new covenant or visible union with Christ their head and so consequently into an orderly body among themselves wherein the Saints are the matter and the covenant the forme from which two concurring the Church ariseth and is by them constituted as Ezek. 16.8 Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Gal. 3.18.29 Heb. 6.17 Zech. 13.9 with Deut. 26.16 to 19 Deut. 29.12 13. Rom. 9.8 with Gal 4.28 By which it appeares that it is the promise or the covenant of grace that produceth a Christian and gives him a beeing in such an estate of grace as in Church-fellowship and so consequently the Church it selfe for that which is true in a part is the same in the whole Now for the constituting causes by which God ordinarily useth to effect this worke are these First the word of God which is to fit and prepare the matter for the forme Secondly the confession of faith which is to declare the fitnesse of the matter for the forme Thirdly the free and mutuall consent and agreement of the particular persons upon the practise of the same truth beleeved and confessed as aforesaid And lastly the Spirit of Christ uniting and knitting up their hearts together in and by the same truth and of each of these a word First of the Word of God sitting and preparing of the matter and this appeares in the ministery of John thâ—â— Baptist who was to goe before Christ in the spirit and power of Elias for to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient unto the wisdome of the just and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord as Luk. 1.17 Compare with this Luk. 3.4 5 6. where he is said to prepare the way of the Lord and to make his paths straight And now the manner how this is to be done is to fill up every valley and to bring down every mountain and hill and to make the crooked straight and the rough wayes smooth And so verse 6. by the valleys is to be understood of such as whose hearts were possessed with fear either of Gods displeasure against them for sin or fear of the dangers straits and difficulties that attends the Gospel of Christ in the true profession of the same From both which the hearts of such are to be freed that are fit to follow Christ and prepared subjects for his Kingdome Luk. 14.26 In which sense the Gospel is a preparative meanes to fill up such valleys by powring in the great abundance of Gods rich grace and free love in Christ towards all such as beleeve and his all-sufficiency to preserve such as suffer for his Names lake And for laying low the mountains and hills that is to humble and to bring downe the proud heart of man that exalts himselfe and cannot submit unto the simplicitie of the Gospel and to that low and meane condition of Christ upon his Crosse as Isa 2 11-22 with 2 Cor. 10.4 5 6. And for the crooked to be made straight that is the crooked and Serpent like nature wayes and evill dispositions of men these shall be changed and made conformable to Christ And so for the making of the tough smooth that is the hard and rough turbulent spirits of men that will admit of no rule order or peaceable societie at all shall by the word of God be made soft smooth and of such a meek temper of spirit as that all such shall live together in love innocent and harmlesse with unitie peace and uniformitie to Christ in all things as Isa 11.6 7 8 9. All which Christ himselfe often affirmed that except a man deny himselfe he cannot be his disciple All which change thus upon the hearts of men is by the power of the Word of God by which they as matter are sitted and prepared for the forme The second constituting cause is the confession of faith which declares the fitnes of the matter for the forme which confession of faith is produced by the power of the Gospel shining into the heart of man and drawes away the same after that which is by the Gospel revealed Which truth is of such a working nature that will not be kept in but like unto leaven which so seasons and sweetens the whole man that as fire at length it breaks forth and discovers it selfe or rather such as have it not onely so but it brings them together by which they come now to conferre about the same so that at length they come to be of one and the same minde and judgement in it and withall convicted of their obedience thereunto And upon this here follows a third constituting cause which is their free mutuall consent and agreement upon the practise of that truth so by God revealed and by faith received as his will in their obedience thereunto which agreement is between God and them in his truth who by his power subjects them to himselfe by the same and where this is in truth Now comes the cause in the last place which 〈…〉 and concludes the whole work and that is the Spirit of grace and power going forth in their hearts by faith uniting knitting them up together in one for the manifestation of their obedience to God in their practie all subjection to Christ in the said truth by them received and agreed upon as aforesaid and this is the Covenant that formes the Church which ever goes in order before the externall administration of any other ordinance then the matters joyning together for orderly practise for persons must be informed of the truth in judgement and bound by the same in conscience and agree upon the practise before the same can orderly be put into execution which foresaid union is the holy Ghosts conjoyning and uniting the said persons together in one and the same truth and so consequently into an orderly body among themselves immediately under Christ their head Which conjunction is called in Scripture the unitie of the Spirit Eph. 4.3 and the gracious covenant by which God becomes their God and they his approved people in such a visible relation Gen. 17. as Deut. 29.12 13. with Deut. 26.17 18. Ezek. 16.8 Ier. 31.3 This is called also joyning to the Lord as Ier. 50.5 They shall aske the way to Sion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyne our selves unto the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not be forgotten And the sonne of the stranger that joyns himselfe to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and to be his servant c. Isa 56.6 And bâ— that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 And of the rest durst no man joyne himselfe unto them Act. 5.13 And when Paul