Now this certainly must be Unlawful to Give or Receive which hinders true Faith And what was this Hoâ—our but Salutations after the fashion of the Times As the Text shews Mat. 23. and for Calling and being Called of Men Rabbi Christ was so far from Commanding or Imitating them in such things that He expresly forbids it But the meaning of Christ's â—aying Mat. 5. And if ye Salute Your Brethren only what do ye more then Others do not even the Publicans so is this That in all Acts of Love Mercy and Goodness they were to Exceed the Practice of that time They were to take more notice of and to look more kindly and friendly upon All Men. But in another sense He that bid them Salute Enemies as well as Friends also forbids his Disciples to Salute any Man or call any Man Rabbi or Master for that One was their Lord and Master and they were all Brethren Mat. 23. 6 7 8. and Luke 10. 4. And between such Relations Worldly Honours were of no use as well as of no value And did a Primitive Spirit Prevail in those that so much pretend to be the Successors of the Apostles we should see them more Exemplary in Self-denial and Holiness Encouraging and not Undervaluing and Brow-beating the Serious and Conscientious But Trees are known by their Fruit for Grapes are not gathered of Thorns nor Figs of Thistles In the mean time if my Reader please to peruse the Ninth and Tenth Chapters of that Book Entituled No Cross No Crown he will I hope be satisfied that we are for Honour Respect and Civility according to Scripture tho' Non-conformists to the Empty and Troublesome Ceremonies of the Times left by us not of Rudeness but Conviction and forbore of Duty and no otherwise of Choice For Humanely Speaking that Contradiction to Custom cannot be Pleasant to us I have detained my Reader longer upon this Head than I expected or perhaps he desired I shall therefore proceed to the Bishops next Paragraph which contains his Exceptions to our Tenth Gospel-Truth about Baptism and the Supper and the â—ast he has to take notice of the Eleventh about Government being by him already granted in the beginning of his Paper He begins thus In your Xth Article you believe a Spiritual Baptism and a Spiritual Supper and Communion but acknowledge you disuse the outward Signs by us commonly called Sacraments Now did not Christ command water-Water-Baptism Go ye and Baptize all Nations Matth. 28. 19 20. He goes on The Baptism here commanded was water-Water-Baptism His reasons are first that Baptizing with the Spirit was God's work not the Apostles 2dly Primitive Practice Acts 10. 47 48. in Cornelius's Case Who can forbid Water But this is also gratis dictum For the first Reason is no Reason since it is not true And the second seems to me Defective and Short I am very sensible of the Disadvantage I am under and that I touch a tender Place and what I say upon this Head as also anon upon the Supper will be against Wind and Tide with the Generality But as I hope I shall express my self Reverently as well as Plainly upon this Occasion so I beseech my Reader for his Own sake as well as Ours not to Prejudge us as I am sure he will not if he be a Searcher after Truth and that I charitably suppose of him I say then The Bishop's first Reason is not true for God by the Apostles did Baptize Believers with the Holy Ghost It fell-upon them through the Powerful Preaching of the Word Thus Acts 10. 44. While Peter yet spoke these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word By which it is evident that Peter in that Sermon was the Minister of the Spiritual Baptism to Cornelius and his Company And Peter gives this account to those of the Circumcision at Jerusalem Acts 11. 15. And as I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell on them as on us at the beginning Then remembred I the Word of the Lord how that he said John indeed Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Spirit So that Peter evidently declares the Gift of the Spirit by the Ministry of the Gospel to be the Baptism of Christ or the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire which Christ promised at his Ascension into Heaven But the Apostle Paul puts this Matter beyond all Doubt in his Excellent Account â—e gives of his Conversion and Commission to King Agrippa Acts 26. where my Reader will find these words dropping from the Mouth of the Lord Jesus to Saul Delivering thee from the people and from the Genâ—iles to whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto GOD that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them which are Sanctified through Faith that is in Me Verse 17 18. Now if this could be done without the Holy Ghost let my Reader judge 'T was with the Holy Ghost that Peter's Hearers were Prick'd to the Heart and fitted to receive more of It And it was by the same Holy Ghost that Paul's Hearers had the Eyes of their Minds opened to see the Mysteries of God's Kingdom and by which they were Converted from Darkness to Light that they might receive the Forgiveness of their Sins and Inheritance among them which are Sanctified So that the very End and Benefit of the Apostolical Ministry was Converting that is Baptizing them into Christianity in the Nature Power and Life of It by the Holy Ghost Now for the Bishop's Second Reason viz. Practice I say it is granted that Water-Baptism having got place among them by John's Ministry the Fore-runner it held after Christ's Coming but that was Ex Gratia and of Condescention not of Commission for that properly ceases when his Ministration begins of which John's was but the Fore-runner For Moses and the Prophets were till John and John till Christ And this John the Water-Baptist tells us Mat. 3. 11. I indeed Baptize you with Water unto Repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I He shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire see Mark 1. 8. Luke 3. 16. Here 's a different Baptism and Baptizer the Servant and the Master the Water and the Holy Ghost One Transcient the Other Permanent One the End of the Jewish and the Other the Beginning of the Gospel Dispensation Wherefore says our Lord Jesus Christ the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is Greater than John Matth. 11. 11. Why is not John in Heaven No doubt of it at all and a Glorious Saint too But the Least in Christ's Dispensation viz. The Kingdom of God in the Soul the Work of Christ the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost and Fire is Greater than John as to the Nature of his Administration See John 3. 30 31. He must Increase but I must Decrease What! John decrease or his Ministration His
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost of which there is not one Instance in all the Scripture But that which further shews that Water cannot be understood to be meant in the Apostolical Commission is that one of the Greatest of the Apostles He that came behind and was added to by none of them denys It 1 Cor. 1. 17. to be any Part of his Commission for says he Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel And thanks God for that reason in the foregoing Verses that he had Baptized so few Which to be sure he ought not to have done but on the Contrary to have been sorry he had Baptized no more had Water-Baptism been Part of the Apostolical Commission Mat. 28. 19. Again this Eminent Apostle the Great Grand Father not to say God-Father of Gentile Christians delivered to them for Doctrine Eph. 4. 5. that there was but One Lord One Faith and One Baptism And if so That must be the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost which is Christ's Baptism and Proper to the Gospel Dispensation Now could any other make a Man a True Christian or a Child of God then nor can any be so now without It. That Baptism therefore without which a Man cannot be a True Jew or Christian or of the Circumcision made without hands that Worship God in the Spirit and hath no Confidence in the Flesh must needs be the One Baptism but such is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Therefore the Spiritual Baptism is the Apostles One Baptism Rom. 2. 28 29. Phil. 3. 3. Again the One Baptism must be Christ's Baptism but Christ is the Baptism of the Spirit therefore That and not Water Baptism must be the One Baptism that 's in force according to the Apostle As John was the Fore-runner of Christ so was Water of the Holy Ghost But that which Fore-runs in Nature Ceases and that which succeeds of course Remains Therefore the Baptism of the Spirit is the One Needful and Permanent Baptism Yet further If it be Gospel That he is not a Jew that is one Outward nor that Circumcision that is Outward in the Flesh but that he is a Jew that is one Inward and that is Circumcision that is of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God as Rom. 2. 28 29. Then unanswerably He is not a Christian that is one Outward nor is that Baptism that is of the Flesh But he is a Christian that is one Inwardly and that is Baptism that is of the Heart in the Spirit whose Praise is not of Men but of God For indeed in all Ages Men cry him down as a Slighter of God's Ordinances but his Praise however is of God let Men say what they will and this is the Inward Christians Comfort in all Undervaluings and Reflexions he meets with from Outside Christians For it 's not to be thought that the Apostle meant or designed to undervalue one Observation as that of Circumcision because it is Outward and set up another Outward Observation instead of it viz. Water-Baptism Again If in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature as saith the same Apostle Gal. 6. 15. Then by the same Reason neither being baptized with Water availeth any thing not being unbaptized with Water but a New Creature I will repeat the Apostles Discourse at large upon this Subject in the same Chapter because it is very Instructing and seems Discissive in this Case As many says he as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be Circumcised only least they should suffer Persecution for the Cross of Christ It seems they were Outside People that laid stress upon Outside things or something else instead of the Cross of Christ for they Temporized in this matter to shun the Shame and Persecution that then attended the Christians Cross Which stood partly in laying down of outward Observations and which they that desire to make a fair shew in the Flesh stand most for But the Apostle goes on For says he neither they themselves who are Circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you Circumcised that they may Glory in your Flesh They were not exact in the other parts of the Law it seems as strict as they seemed to be for this Sacramental Practice which is the Case of too many now Yet they prest it that they might glory and value themselves upon gaining others to be conformable to them whether to excuse their Compliance with Custom that they might avoid Persecution or out of love to Ceremonial Religion But says that clear-sighted and plain-dealing Apostle God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World If he rejoyced in nothing but in the Cross of Christ then in no other Elementary Rite Service or Ordinance any more than in Circumcision But he proceeds For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature That is to say for according to Christ Jesus or in the Religion of Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth but a New Creature a regenerate Soul One born again by the Spirit of God For the Apostle in these excellent Words not only strikes at Circumcision but all Outward and Elementary Observations Neither This nor That Outward thing availeth in the Christian Religion or according to Christ Jesus but a New Creature He does not say but Water Baptism as some would have it who tell us that It succeeds Circumcision by Divine Institution by no means But that which availeth with Christ and in the Relâ—gion of Christ Jesus is a New Creature a â—ew Man one Changed Regenerated or Born gain by the Word and Baptism of the Holy Ghost And says the Apostle to confirm â—hem in this Doctrine of Inward Circumciâ—ion that is of the Heart in the Spirit which â—s the same thing with the Baptism of the Spirit As many as walk according to this Rule Peace shall be upon them So that We the â—oor despised Quakers take Comfort in this Apostolical Benediction and can say to God's Glory his Peace has been upon Us in our Belief and Confession of this blessed Docâ—rine of the New Creature It is what we have Aimed at and has been the great Drift of our Testimony since we were a People and in order to it have directed all to the Gift of God's Grace in themselves that by believing in it and resigning up their Wills and Affections and whole Man to the Teaching and Conduct of it they may be leavened and sanctified by it throughout by which the State of the New Creature which is Christianity indeed will be Experienced though It was and is a Mystery to the World As for the Apostle Peter's Question Acts 10. 47 48. Can any Man forbid Water that These should not
in or that at least they needed a Sign or Token as that of the Supper to Commemorate Him But this Reason which is yet true does not Credit its Continuation for when the Spirit was come or Christ in his Spiritual Appearance their Eyes were opened and they saw then it was the Spirit that Quickens the Flesh profiteth nothing John 6. 63. 5thly Most certainly Christ meant no less when he Preach'd himself the Bread that came down from Heaven John 6. 31 to 52 and that they that would have Life Eternal must eat his Flesh and drink his Blood That is they must feed upon Spiritual Food Not the Outward but Inward Supper the thing signified and Substance it self For Christ opposes Himself who is the Bread of God to the Bread their Fathers eat in the Wilderness who were Dead which was of an Elementary Nature therefore it can never be that such Bread as perisheth should be the Bread of the Evangelical Supper when Christ by Companion undervalues it to the Bread he had to give them 6thly Our blessed Lord Mark 7. 18. taught That it was not that which went into the Man that defileth the Man because it went but into his Body and not into his Heart and if so the Argument is undeniable that it is not that wich goeth into the Man that is into his Body and not into his Heart that Sanctifieth the Man But Material Bread and Wine goeth only into the Body and not into the Heart therefore they cannot Sanctifie The Import of Christ's words is plainly this Meats and Drinks neither Defile nor Sanctifie they neither Benefit nor Harm any one upon a Spiritual Account Consequently Elementary Bread and Wine cannot be the Evangelical Supper but a Figure of It which is ended in Christ the Bread of God that cometh down from Heaven John 6. 31 32 48 49 50. That a Man may eat of and not dye The Substance of all Shadows for saith the Apostle the Body is of Christ and where that is our Lord tells us Luke 13. 37. the Engles are gathered together Where the Apostles Wise Men 1 Cor. 10. 15. seek for the true Supper which nourishes their Souls unto Eternal Life 7thly But the Bishop will have this Supper four times repeated in the Scripture of the New Testament besides that of the Apostle Paul which must be his mistake since there is no Command to practice it beyond that very Time but in Luke 22. 19. If there it self For tho' his Eating of the Passover is there related as also in Mark and Luke It was but once done and the Command this do in Remembrance of me is only Once Related among the Evangelists as well as it is but Once Commanded And would we be strict with the Bishop we need not allow him that Command to reach further than the present Time in which it was Given for This Do or Take Eat are Equally in the present Tence for thereby you shew forth my Death And the following words viz. I will Drink no more of This Fruit of the Vine until that Day when I Drink it New with you in my Father's Kingdom Mat. 26. 29. further explains it Thus Mark has it 14. 25. Verily I say unto you I will Drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine until that Day that I Drink it New in the Kingdom of God Luke 22. 18. gives it thus I say unto you I will not Drink of the Fruit of the Vine till the Kingdom of God shall come Now it is plain that Christ refers them to the Spiritual Supper which we Prefer and Practice and which is the Supper Signified by That of outward Bread and Wine that was to serve till the Kingdom of God came and then he would Communicate with them in a way Suitable to the Kingdome which Kingdom as before said is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost And as the same Apostle has it 1 Cor. 4. 20. The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power of which Power and its coming from on High upon the Apostles Read Acts 1. 6 7 8. For when they asked Christ Lord wilt thou at this time Restore the Kingdom again to Israel and that he told them 't was not for them to know the Times or the Seasons which the Father had put in his own Power He also adds But ye shall receive Power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and Judea and in Samaria and in the uttermost Parts of the Earth This Power was the Kingdom of God for it stands in Power says the Apostle but it seems he thought fit to wave their Question as to a direct Answer and left it a Secret to be revealed unto them when the Holy ghost should Come and the Power from on High should fall upon them And thus he takes his leave of them and is Immediately received by a Cloud out of their Sight Before I conclude with this Paragraph I would observe First that it was the Passover and Custom of the Jews which properly speaking we conceive hath no just plea to continue as a Gospel Ordinance or Institution since it was a Type of Him to come therefore ended as to Institution by his coming Secondly That the Evangelist John the Beloved Disciple that lay in the Bosom of Christ does not so much as mention It or Water Baptism as left by Christ to be continued by his Followers Concerning the Spirit 's Baptism tho' he uses not the word Baptism yet he is very full John 14 16 17. Chapters where he tells them that he would send them the Comforter the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth and that he would dwell with them for ever I say It seems very Improbable if not Incredible that what the Bishop stiles the Badges of Christianity in his 17th Paragraph should be wholly forgotten by so great an Apostle of Christianity 3dly And as the Beloved Disciple says nothing of these visible Signs which the Bishop calls the Badges of Christianity so neither are they made an Article of any of the Ancient Creeds Extant which certainly does not make for their Credit or Authority Since had they then been of that Importance they are now by some esteemed we cannot think they would have been forgot by the Compilers of those Creeds 4ly The Apostle Paul though he repeats the Tradition he received of the Lord's Supper that night he was betrayed does not Injoyn it but as often as the Corinthians did it he tells them they should do it in remembrance of Christ Which is far from commanding it as it would be for the Bishop if he should say to his Friend as often as he comes to Cork he should come and Eat with him obliges that Person to come often to Cork So that tho' the Apostle bids them that as often as they did it they should do it in Remembrance of Christ
known to deny and others of you only say It may be so And Lastly Tho' you acknowledge Everlasting Rewards for them that fear GOD yet nothing of the Everlasting Punishment of Wicked Men You mention Hell indeed in a very unnatural place viz. in your first Article of â—he Being of GOD but whether you mean thereby the Grave as most commonly in â—cripture is meant or a place of Temporal Punishment after this Life as some have â—one or a State of total Destruction and Annihilation as many now a days do no one knows Upon the whole As to the Sum of the Christian Faith which you have been pleased to set down there is not any one Article of our common Twelve that you have own'd intirely and Eight at least if not more of them that you have here totally suppressed or waved And how influential to a holy Life those which you have waved are and therefore how necessary to Salvation I must require and conjure you on your own Eternal Account to consider I will only mind you of two passages out of the Scriptures of Truth 1 Cor XV. 16 17. If the Dead rise not that is if there be no Resurrection of the Flesh then is not Christ Raised And if Christ is not raised your Faith is vain you are yet in your Sins Hence it appears All other points of Faith are in vain if this be not true The other is Rom. X. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy Heart that GOD hath raised Him from the Dead thou shalt be saved This Article alone is of such force and influence on Mensâ—Hearts that if believed as it should be such belief will save Men. But both Christ's Resurrection and Our own are by You in this Paper left out of your Faith I judge You not but judge Your selves lest you be condemned of the LORD Your V VI and VII Articles treat of what you call The Light of Christ within Man This You have never been able yet that I could find to make out what You mean by For You will not allow it to be either the Natural Rational Faculty or common innate Notions or Natural Conscience or Conscience Illuminated by the Preaching of the Gospel and the Operation of the Holy Ghost thereby Till You can make us understand your meaning or indeed till You understand it Your Selves that is till you are less confused in this the very Fundamental Principle or Rule of what you profess You must not think of Declaring or Publishing an Account of your Faith See you understand it first There are some Men who have a Faculty to speak things seemingly profound but in the End neither themselves nor others can make any distinct sense of what they have said This we usually call Banter And I must acknowledge as far as I can see your Discourse of his Light within is perfectly such Take notice We in our Preaching require People to look within as much as You do We strictly charge all to walk according to the Convictions and Light they have received We daily appeal unto Conscience but then we teach that Conscience opened by the Holy Spirit under the Ministry of the Word Acts XVI 14. does and must take in its Light from Holy Scripture The Commandment of the Lord is pure inlightning the Eyes Ps XIX 8. viz. of the Mind Ephes I. 18. Thy Word is a Lamp to my Feet and a Light to my Path. Ps CXIX 105. To the Law and to the Testimony If they even Men in their Consciences speak not according to this Word it is because there is NO LIGHT in them Isai VIII 20. Now these things are intelligible This Rule is fixt and certain nothing of which can be said of Your Light within In Your VIII Article You tell us Worship under the Gospel is Inward and Spiritual If You mean hereby that all Outward and Bodily Worship ought to be accompanied with an Inward and Spiritual Worship it is what we daily Preach and Practice and even in private press But if as it would seem You mean all the Worship GOD now requires is from the Inward Man or from the Spirit this is abominably false For Our Bodies are GOD's handy-work and Christ's Purchase as well as Our Souls on which reason GOD by His Apostle commands Glorifie â—OD in Your Body and in Your Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Plural Number that is both which are GOD's Not to tell You that You your selve now a days perform somewhat of Bodily Worship And indeed if there be not a worship of the Body as well as of the Spirit there can be no Publick Worship This Article therefore must also be mended to make it Christian In your IX Article You tell us of youâ— Denying all the vain Customs and Fashions of the World as also Excess in all things I know no sort of Christians who teach otherwise I wish I could say I knew none even of your selves that practice otherwise It is one part of the Catechism We teach our Children to renounce all these But there are many Innocent and laudable Customs which You call vain Would it not almost make a Mans Stomach turn to hear one forbear in point of Conscience â—â—ying You to a single Person because it 〈◊〉 improper and at the same time while â—e is speaking to his Superiour because Thou doest sounds a little rudely to soften the Thou and say Thee doest which is commonly Your Peoples Practice and much more improper Will You ever be able to prove the Primitive Christians â—sed a Dialect or Dress different from others of their Nation and Qualities and placed Religion in it Does not Christ require Saluting even those who salute not us And no doubt his and his Apostles Salutations were in the common form In a word There is more Vanity in Singularity and Affectation than in moderate following a common innocent Phrase Garb or Custome In your X Article you believe you say a Spiritual Baptism and a Spiritual Supper and Communion but acknowledge you Disuse the Outwards Signs by us commonly called Sacraments Now did not Christ command water-Water-Baptism Go ye and Baptise all Nations Matth. XXVIII 19 20. The Baptism here commanded was water-Water-Baptism For Baptising with the Spirit was GOD's work not the Apostles and tho the Baptism of the Spirit commonly accompanied Baptism with Water yet not always as in the Case of Simon Magus and many others Yet did not Christ promise to be with them Preaching to all Nations and Baptising to the End of the World Further Did not the Apostles in Obediencâ— to Christs Command both constantly practice and also require Water-Baptism to all Initiated Christians Can any Man forbiâ— Water that these should not be Baptised which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he Peter commanded they should bâ— Baptised Acts X. 47 48. Then as to the Outward use of Bread and Wine for the Lord's
Ministration certainly which he calls Earthly in Comparison of Christ's So that the Baptist in his Watery Dispensation did but Fore-run Christ in reference to the Kingdom that he was to set up in Men. He pointed to Christ and shewed what Christ was to do viz. to Wash Fan and Throughly Purge his Floor that is His People and Sanctifie them throughout by his Spiritual Baptism according to the Apostle in Body Soul and Spirit 1. Thess 5. 23. So that in short Practice Properly can be no Institution where the thing Practic'd has no Commission which I suppose the Bishop will not think fit to deny But says he It has a Commission Mat. 28. 19. which is under favour bur his say so and that I think it is no more I do with all Humility and Submission say First I cannot tell how to reconcile it to Good Sense or Common Usage in Sacred or Civil Matters that any thing should be in force by a Commission that is not so much as once named in the Commission I say to me it does not appear Congruous any more than Cogent or obliging And this is the Cause in hand For there is not a word of Water in the Text alledged for Water nor yet in the Context And unless there were no other Baptism than that of Water as there are several it must at least be allowed to be a Question what Baptism Christ meant in that Commission when he sayd Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost But it may be returned upon me nor does the Text say it is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and so the Bishop is upon equal Terms with me Grant it that the word Holy Ghost is not litterally joined to Baptizing any more than the word Water in that part But if I am able to shew that the thing is there and that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost was the Subject of Christ's Discourse when he gave that Commission at his Farewell I presume it will be granted me that Christ intended a Spiritual and not a Water Baptism and that is what I shall do I hope with much Clearness First the Fact and then my Arguments Matthew the Evangelist large in his History upon other Points seems short and abrupt in the Context of this Commission as the Reader may observe And as it is usual for one Evangelist to explain another which was the great Wisdom as well as Goodness of God that those Christian Memorials might come with less Suspition to the World of any Humane Contrivance So Luke supplies the shortness of the other Evangelist in his Context to this Commission Luke 24. 45 to 50. particularly the 47 48 49. verses And â—hat Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem And ye are Witnesses of these things And behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you But tarry ye in the Ciâ—y of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on High Where as it is plain that this Evangelist in his Account of Christ's Commission to wit the Work Christ gave his Disciples to do Names no Baptizing at all tho' that which it Implies in my Sense of the Word is there viz. the Promise of the Father which is the Power from on High They were to tarry at Jerusalem for So is there not one Word of Water here mentioned to induce us to think that Christ intended to give it any Place in his Commission In short it appears that the Disciples were to be Qualified before they were to go forth as His Witnesses and that this Qualification is the Promise of the Father that he would quickly send them Now I must desire my Reader to turn to the Acts of this Evangelist Chap. 1. 4 5. where he further opens the Manner and matter of Christ's Discourse and Farewell to his Disciples And Christ being Assembled with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but Wait for the Promise of the Father which saith He ye have learnt of me For John truly Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence It can be me-thinks no longer a doubt what Baptism it is that Christ's words Mat. 28. 19. refers to since we see not only that Christ distinguishes betwen John's Baptism and His own and between Water and Holy Ghost but also He assigns Water Baptism to John as his Baptism and not Christ's and thereby declares the Holy Ghost to be his own Baptism and none of John's and which yet is no more than what John had said before So that Comparing both Texts together Mat. 28. 19. with Acts 1. 4 5. we may see if we please that the Commission in the one is to be explained by the Qualifications in the other which was omitted by the first Evangelist There They are bid to Go here They are bid to Stay That is to say Stay before you Go and receive your Qualification before you go to Qualify viz. the Promise of the Father that is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost which is followed by the Power from On High verse 8. And indeed had we not this express force on our side from the Text it self the Word Therefore in the Commission referring plainly to the foregoing Verse as the Reason of what follows justifies our sense For whereas the Bishop has objected against our Assertion that it must not be a Spiritual Baptism because that was the work of God and not of the Apostles It is plain that our Lord takes off the force of his exception since the Reason why he bid them Go c. is because says he all Power in Heaven and in Earth is given unto me Verse 18. As much as if he had said Go do all that I have said unto you and be not Doubting or Fearful about the performance of It for All Power in Heaven and Earth is given unto me that bids you Go and Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Which need not have been said as an Encouragement to them in reference to Water Baptism since that was practised by them as well as by John's Disciples long before Nor is this all for the very Text duely considered will not have It to be Water since that could Baptize none Into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and so the Bishop knows the Greek Text runs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they that are Baptized Into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost must be baptized with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Since it is to become their Likeness and bear their Image which is Holiness And had not the Apostles understood their Commission as I render it when they had Baptized with Water they would certainly have used the Terms that bore the Force of their Commission viz. In the Name of the Father
Uncircumcision but a New Creature Gal. 6. Also the Fruits of the Spirit Chap. 5. among which there is not one word about Water Baptism or the Outward Supper with many more Passages that are Close and Cogent His 18th and last Paragraph tells us He will not judge us and yet his whole Paper is but one Continued Judgment of us But from God as he says and as his Minister he bids us Judge our selves First We thank God we are before-hand with the Bishop having Judged our selves and that by the Judgment of God upon us and so have right to Judge others according to that Judgment Secondly We have no proof that the Bishop speaks from God to us Nor can I tell how he should that does not acknowledge the Inspeaking Word of God in the Soul Thirdly For his being God's Minister he has not shewn us his Commission yet and I fear it will not be from Heaven when ever he does But if my Reader will take the pains of perusing this very Paragraph he will not only see a Judging Spirit but that the Bishop holds out abusing of us to the last rendring us as bad as bad can be viz. That we Subvert the Faith once delivered to the Saints and equal our Conceits to the Divine Oracles Using and Disusing what Parts of God's Instituted Worship we please adding I will not Interpose your making Gain your Godliness But as I have already taken ample notice of this Charge so I shall say no more of his Irreligious Slant at our Sincerity than this That I cannot pretend to tell the Bishop what Tribe of Men in Christendom it is that have long made Gain their Godliness and the Pretence of it their Worldly Inheritance since he has been so much more Sensibly instructed in this Affair than my self But one thing I am sure of that if Gain and not Godliness was our Motive to be the People we are we mightily Mistook our way when we left the Bishops For Afflictions Spoiles Prisons Banishments yea and Death it self have attended us since God was pleased to manifest his Truth to us And if under all those Calamitys that have followed us since we were a People for the sake of our Unfashionable Profession the Bishop or any else is so Unnatural as to envy us the Blessing of God upon our honest Industry and to render that which is an Effect of God's Goodness the Reason and End of our Religion God forgive them I could Enlarge upon this Topick but time would fail and the Discourse swell beyond Bounds as indeed it hath already beyond my Expectation for which I should Excuse my self to my Reader but that it was not Simply from the Regard I had to the Bishop's Sheet since that could not have deserved this Notice from me but might have been answered as Concisely as that was written had I only considered his Undertaking and Treatment and not my Readers Satisfaction in the better Knowledge of our so much Misrepresented Perswasion Especially in a Nation where of late I had occasion so Generally to Travel and the Bishop's Paper hath been I suppose as Generally Disperst I owe it therefore to My Profession to My Self and to the Country to Vindicate the One and to Express my Christian Regard and Acknowledgment to the Other having received a more than common Civility from the Inhabitants in General To whom I wish as to my own Soul the Saving Knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jesus That Christians Indeed and at Heart They may be to the Glory of God their Creator and the Eternal Salvatiou of their Souls through Jesus Christ the alone Redeemer and to whom with the Father by the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Thanksgiving and Praise World without End FINIS BOOKS Printed and Sold by T. 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