to a Particular visible Church 4. there is by the Apostle mentioned these things that are essential to a particular visible Church-union which are these First to be all called into one hope of our calling which the poor children which some admit into their society by sprinkling are not called to the same hope that believers are called into Againe One Body one Spirit one Faith one Lord and one Baptism one God and Father of us all Now it is impossible that a people should walk together acceptably that have not one hope of one and the same glorious Inheritance and that have not one and the same Spirit and assistance and guideance in his holy worship and that have not one and the same faith but in the doctrine of faith do mainly differ one from another and it is an essential difference inconsistent with Communion that the members of one Church should own two Baptisms the sprinkling of Infants and dipping of Believers and this Ordinance of baptism is one of the essentials of a true visible Church And lastly they are to own one God and Father of all Here you have from this Text a ground why such as are not inlightned in the Lords baptism cannot be admitted into Church-fellowship because in one and the same Fellowship there is to be owned as one Hope one Spirit one Lord one Faith so one and the same Baptism Again the main end of Church fellowship is That they there do practice whatsoever Christ hath commanded as you have heard before in Mat. 28.20 and as Cornelius saith in Acts 10. We are here saith he to hear whatsoever it commanded thee of God and saith Christ Ye are my freinds if you do whatsoever I have commanded you And this is without doubt that the true and lawfull Ministry in Christs Church is to see that all the members practice the observation of whatsoever he hath commanded and so to see all the Laws of Christ put in execution For that cause hath Christ given into his Church not only the key of doctrine but also the key of Discipline that if any soul in a Church shall be known wittingly or willingly to neglect any duty that the Lord hath commanded by his holy word especially a fundamental Ordinance of the New Testament as is Baptism and the Supper of the Lord it is without all question that such a soul standing out in that disobedience ought to be cast out of the Church speedily for the same without which the Church allowing or conniving at or tolerating a â—oul in one course of known disobedieÌ„ce do therby make the sin their own the whole people becomming really guilty of his sin and impiety And as the Apostle saith Thus will the whole Lump be leavened and that Church unchurched Amongst men he that concealeth murther and is privy and consenting to it and will agree to tolerate it is reckoned a murtherer in like manner in the case of theft Now the main end of Church fellowship and Ministerial power is to destroy sin and to execute the power of Christ against it and not to be fosterers and Countenancers of sin which you are if you agree to admit any person into your fellowship that refuseth to submit to Baptism that plain solemn Ordinance of the New Testament let his pretence be what it will be that person that is not brought over to yield obedience to whatsoever Christ hath commanded is not while so disobedient fit matter for a visible Gospel Church especially in those his fundamental Ordinances as Prayer Hearing Baptism and the Supper of the Lord Thanksgiving Contribution to the necessity of the Saints and maintenance of an official Ministery according to the ability that God gives them and by the same rule and upon the same ground that you will tolerate some members in the Church to live in the neglect of baptism you must tolerate such as neglect to hear the word and others that will not according to abilitie contribute to pious charitable uses and others that will not pray in half a year or at twelve moneth together under the pretence they are not moved to that duty and others that will in a gross manner neglect the duty of particular callings or relations which the Apostle in Thessal 2. doth give rule to be withdrawn from which is as the rest but the neglect of duty nay this practice lays a foundation for all disobedience and for gathering an Assembly of Rebels let me alone in my sin and I will let thee alone in thine But may some say is a godly mans omitting to be baptized or dipped a sin Yes certainly it is for 1 Joh. 3.6 the Apostle saith sin is a transgression of the Law Now you have heard several Laws of the New Testament do command that such as believe and repent should be baptized therefore to neglect is a transgression of those Laws and sincere obedience is universal obedience by this saith David I know I shall not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments But further consider if you receive a person into Communion Unbaptized persons not to be admitted into Church fellowship that doth not submit to the Lords baptism that soul justifies still a corrupt baptism that he had in his infancy and consequently is not ashamed of all he hath done amiss which Ezekiel speaks of but still stands in fellowship and Communion with a Church and Ministry which by the Bishops power dispensed the same and you receiving such a soul into Communion receive that Church and Ministery from which he had his supposed baptism and must certainly own all those Churches which that Ministery stood in fellowship with that so baptized him therefore it is a sad and serious matter who it is that is admitted into fellowship in the true Church of Christ and I would admonish souls to be careful that they do what they do in good order for God it is said made a breach upon Vzzah because he did not do what he did in due order Object But some may say Faith in Christ brings a soul into Son-ship and so to a right in all the privileges in Gods house Answ It s true Faith and Repentance doth intitle a soul but repentance according to the Gospel is a change of the heart a resolution to obey God in all his Commandments such a Repentance only the Church of Christ ought to own in those Members they receive And therefore though they ought to receive the weak in faith yet they have no rule to receive them but by faith and baptism So that though faith gives an interest to baptism yet faith and baptism are to prepare and fit a soul for Communion So many as gladly received the word were baptized and the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand souls and they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and prayer So here you see the word of Christ our Lord unto whom
When Paul had received the holy Ghost Annanias saith And now Paul why tarriest thou Arise and be baptized for the washing away of thy sins calling upon the name of the Lord. Observe that Annanias had an immediate extraordinary commission from Christ by vision to come with the message to Paul and Christ in a vision bids Paul go to Annanias and he should tell him what he should do and Annanias according to that Commission of Christ upon his being filled with the holy Ghost commands him to be baptized And this agrees with the Covenant of grace in Ezekiel 36.27 where the Lord saith I will put my Spirit in them and cause them to walk in my way and Ezek. 11.19 I will give them one heart and will put my Spirit within them and will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances to do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Where you may see that God is so far from giving his Spirit to the end that souls should plead thereby freedom from the practice of those commanded Ordinances of Christ that on the contrary it is the end why God gives his Spirit to enable and to cause them to walk in his way and in his Ordinances and in particular baptism And observe the Apostles have not left us a bare example only that they did baptize after that Christ powred out the Holy Ghost and that by the authority received from heaven but doth command it as you have heard to all that repent and believe and to all that receive the holy Ghost to submit to it But again the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire that John foretold of it is clear was extraordinarily given upon an especial ground and reason fulfilled in Act. 2. The Holy Ghost falling down in fiery Cloven tongues in the sight and view of the bodily eyes which was that outward sign and that clear light and fervent zeal and love they had in uttering the wonderful things of God in variety of strange tongues was the inward thing signified So that herein the baptism of the Holy Ghost was an outward sign and an inward thing signified but there is now no man in the world hath this baptism only it is true that the Spirit in the saving gifts of faith repentance and the like is held to be essential to the Ordinance of Baptism of water and must be joined together with it without which it cannot be said to be an Ordinance of God there must be the inward grace as well as the outward sign This Baptism that the Apostle according to Christs Commission hath left a standing Command for cannot be Johns baptism his holding forth Christ to come baptizing them in that doctrine But in this we baptize persons in Christ already come and fully exhibited And though it may be objected that the Apostles practiced some things that were abolished as the circumcising of Timothy and the like We also say that as they practised it among the Jews so the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles saith if they be circumcised Christ should profit them nothing but they were faln from grace and we never find that circumcision was practised among the Gentiles that were void of all Religion before they taught them It is evident in the new Tastament that Circumcision is abolished as part of the Mosaical Covenant and yoke of bondage Gal. 5.1 2 3. but the case in baptism is clean otherwise Whereas you hear the Apostle did press Cornelius his family to be baptized who was a Gentile never acquainted with Johns baptism nor wedded to such a doctrine as that whereby we should think that Peter did baptize them to condiscend to that error or weakness in their minds Again he doth not only simply baptize them as a Liberty that might be done or not done but commands them to be baptized and so doth as you heard before he did in Acts 2. and it cannot be said that the Apostles commanded any duty to be done with a promise of blessing to the right performance of the same after the Holy Ghost came down upon them but it must needs be a solemn standing Ordinance of God that every soul upon pain of the guilt and rebellion against Christ his head and King ought to be subject unto But this of Baptism hath as aforesaid many standing Laws left in holy Record speaking to all that believe and repent promising remission of sins and salvation to the right performance of the same which proves it to be a standing Ordinance of the new Testament And truly with the same reason Souls may affirm that Christ ceaseth to be a Mediator as to hold the Law of dipping believers ceaseth so much and no less is affirmed by the Soul that saith the Ordinance of baptism is an expired Ordinance he may as well say Christ is expired and abolished as a a fleshly form as some have had the confidence to say For as in the time of Moses Ministration till there was a change of the Priesthood there could not be a change of the Law no more now except there be another Christ and Saviour come or another Priesthood instead of this Priest and Minister of the New Testament assure your selves there can be no change of this Law as in Heb. 7.12 18. Therefore such as pretend to profess Christ to be their Saviour that came of the seed of David and the same persons deny and slight this fundamental Ordinance of Baptism they do therein testify that they reject Christ in their heart as abolished and have got some pretended fancy-Christ instead of him It is utterly inconsistent with the Faith of the Gospel and with true Religion to hold baptism and the Supper two solemn Ordinances and Symboles of the new Covenant to be abolished for in Ephes 4. the Apostle pressing there a visible Church-union layes down the main things wherein that union consists called saith he by one hope of their calling one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism this one Baptism cannot be meant the Spirit because the Spirit is mentioned distinct but baptism here must needs be meant that standing solemn Ordinance of God commanded to every one that believes Now the Apostle pressing here a Church Union doth mention these particulars that are essential to a visi lâ— Church-union without which they could not walk together if not in these things agreed and where a people in all these particulars are one no other thing coming should make a breach of their union Object But some other souls will object and say That Believers baptism is an Ordinance of God and he thinks they do well that are drawn out to practise it by a power from God But saith the soul I want a divine power upon my heart drawing me out to the practice of the same and that is the let and hinderance in me Answ This objection
THE Doctrine of Baptism And the Distinction of the COVENANTS OR A Plain Treatise wherein the four Essentials of BAPTISM Viz. 1. Who is a Lawfull Minister thereof 2. What is the true Form thereof 3. Into whose name it is to be administred 4. Who is a fit Subject thereof Are diligently handled As also the business of the two Covenants wherein is proved that the Covenant of life is not made to the seed of Believers as coming out of their Loins and therefore that the baptism of Infants is drawn from thence by a false Consequence By THOMAS PATIENT a Laborer in the Church of Christ at DUBLIN Acts 22 16. And now why tarriest thou Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling one the name of the Lord. Ephes 2.12 Being aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of promise John 3.5.6 Jesus answered verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit London Printed by Henry Hills and are to be sold at his house at Sir John Old Castles in Py-corner 1654. The Epistle to the Christian Reader to whom the Author wisheth all grace and peace from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. THere being but a small moment of time from the Lord alotted to men in this life to run that Christian race set before them And considering what Christ saith That whilest it is day we ought to work for the night commeth when no man can work And further considering that Christ Jesus is gone to fetch a Kingdom and to return having left his Servants several Talents to be accounted for at his comming when every mans reward or punishment shall be according to his works which ought to provoke and stir up every Christian to a consciencious and carefull improvement of his strength for Gods glory and the service of his generation in this pilgrimage These among many other motives prevailed with me to present this Treatise to thy view being also pressed thereunto by many of Gods People formerly in England and of late in Ireland who have heard me upon the same Subject deliver the substance of what is herein conteined both in England and in Ireland Beloved Reader I know the World is filled with many Books stuffed with very much of mans wisdome which though the Apostle saith is enmity against God yet we find such discourses most pleasing to the carnal hearts of men in our age Therefore if that be the thing that thy itching ears do thirst after thou maiest spare thy self that labour for thou wilt finde that with as much simplicity and plainness as possibly I could I have herein given out by clear Scripture-evidence what the Lord hath made known to me For the clearing of this weighty point which God by his mighty power hath subjected my heart to believe the which formerly by reason of my ignorance and error I was much averse unto For after it pleased God to reveal his Son in me and to work a change in my heart the great and weighty thing that God presented to me was to make my calling and election sure which I found to be a work filled with many difficulties considering how far Hypocrites might attain in the profession of godliness and that they might come to have the counterfeit of all the Grace in the Child of God And this the rather appeared more difficult because I found my own heart so desperately wicked and full of deceit as Jerem. 17.9 and also found the wiles and subtilties of the Devil to be various and I constantly under several temptations and deep desertions when God though for a little season withdrew himself and the light of his countenance from me At which time I judged it my onely thing necessary to prove whether CHRIST were in me and my faith right as also my sincerity to the Lord. At which time I found but little settled rest or peace till the Lord had put that great question out of doubt in giving me a sure and well grounded confidence of my interest in him till which time I found little disposition to search narrowly into other truths which I then thought to be too remote for me to exercise my self in having received so much spiritual benefit in communing with God and mine own heart and searching out the difference betwixt the speaking of Gods Spirit my own spirit and the spitit of Satan But when I came to some good measure of settlement in my confident and well grounded hopes that I was the Lords then presently was I tempted touching the main and material fundamental points in Religion Which temptations as they were a great cause of trouble and restlesness in my soul so they occasioned me with great eagerness night and day in use of the best means God presented to me to seek satisfaction in the same at which time the Lord did carry on my soul with much vehemency after him so with much unweariedness For usually as one case and weighty question was answered to my satisfaction and comfort another was stated in my soul too hard for me in which experiences I for many years was exercised with all in which time I was ignorant of the true way which Christ would have his people to walk in But presently being convinced of the unwarrantableness of the Government of the Lordly Prelates and the Liturgy in the Church of England and the mixed Communions in the Parish Assemblies I was resolved God willing to examine all Religion as well in worship and the order of Gods house as I had done in other points But I at this time being by the divine power of God converted from the Church of England though with a great deal of difficulty being well furnished with arguments from Pulpit and Print and divers able Disputants for the defence of that false way but God breaking in by the power of his Spirit with clear Scripture-light subjected my heart to the obedience of the truth so that I found my heart closing with those truths in the love thereof At this time many godly Christians going to New England and being come up in my judgment to the way of New England in Faith and order went over thither being not convinced of my error and great darkness in sprinkling the carnal seed of Believers But verily I thought I had good warrant for that practise having then in substance the same grounds for the defence thereof that generally to this day is urged for the same Yet having in my heart so clear a light discovering how shamefully in many things I had been deluded and that by those which I could not but have charity to think were the Lords own Servants and finding the danger of receiving truths by Tradition was resolved to examine that point of Baptism And so I
Papists hold that the Ordinance of baptism conveith grace by the very work done which is so generally confuted by all Protestant Authors that it is not worth the speaking of p. 25. The Covenant of life not made to the seed of believers as coming out of their loins and therefore the baptism of infants drawn thence by a false consequence ib. Two Covenants the one of Works the other of Grace or the one Old the other the New p. 29. Why though the Covenant of Grace be absolute yet the promises are held forth under a condition p. 35. Faith the gift of God p. 36. Repentance the gift of God ib. The Covenant of grace obscurely delivered to our first Parents p. 37. The New Covenant not entailed upon any fleshly line p. 38. What is meant by the blessedness promised to Abraham and to his seed page 39. Circumcision proved to be no covenant of eternal life but a typical and carnal Covenant p. 42. How the word Everlasting is taken in the Law ib. First argument to prove Circumcision a covenant of works pag. 44. Second argument to prove Circumcision a covenant of works p. 48. The sealing use of Circumcision proved to be peculiar unto Abraham p. 53. An Appendix to the second argument to prove circumcision a covenant of works p. 55. Third argument to prove circumcision a covenant of works p. 57. Fourth argument to prove circumcision a covenant of works p. 60. Fifth argument to prove circumcision a covenant of works p. 61. Sixth argument to prove circumcision a covenant of works p. 65. Seventh argument to prove circumcision a covenant of works p. 70. To say that the covenant of grace is entailed on the flesh overthroweth the main fundamental points of our religion p. 71. The third General Head p. 84. Somewhat offered to prove that God presently upon the Fall made an outward carnal covenant entailed upon the flesh ib. Why the covenant of circumcision made to Abraham and his seed and not to others p. 88. To defend a covenant of life entailed on the flesh is virtually to deny that Christ is come in the flesh p. 93. None have right to the Covenant of grace but such aâ— are united to Christ by faith p. 94. Answers to such Scriptures as are alleged to prove the Baptism of Infants p. 101. An answer to that text Acts 2.39 p. 101. An answer to that text 1 Cor. 7.14 p. 105. An answer to that text Rom. 11.16 17. p. 110. An answer to that text 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3. p. 119. Faith made not Israelites capable of performing the Ceremonies of the Law p. 130. An answer to that Text Mat. 19.13 p. 132. An Exposition of that Text Gal. 4.21 p. 140. Why the Ordinance of Baptism is administred but once the Ordinance of the Lords Supper often p. 168. What things are essential to a particular visible Church p. 169. Vnbaptized persons not to be admitted into Church fellowship p. 172. The Commands of Christ must not be disputed p. 177. THE Doctrine of Baptism AND THE Distinction of the COVENANTS OR A Plain Christian Treatise explaining the Doctrine of Baptism and the two Covenants made with Abraham and his twofold Seed ACTS 2.37 38. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins and you shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost THese words of my Text have a special dependence upon the words foregoing in the Chapter The occasion of the words in the Text laid open for in the beginning of the Chapter you shall find that the Apostles and the Church were all with one accord in one place when the Day of Pentecost was fully come And according to the promise that Jesus Christ commanded them to wait for and that John had foretold of That one should come after him that should baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire the which was at this time fulfilled for as the Author of the Acts here relates Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a Rushing mighty wind and it filled all the House where they were sitting and there appeared unto them Cloven Tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance Now this I understand to be the Baptism which John speaks of viz. that of the Holy Ghost and of fire which Christ should dispense as you may see was extraordinary and upon special occasion communicated to the Apostles they being now to give testimony of Christs Death Resurrection and Ascension The Lord in order to this work communicates to them the extraordinary Gifts of the holy Ghost and that in an extraordinary manner For here was outward signs which were cloven Tongues of fire resting on them and here was also the Holy Ghost with the extraordinary Effects of it as the inward things signified by the outward sign all which was I understand extraordinary for the fitting of these Apostles to that extraordinary work which God had to do by them First They were to be eye-witnesses of Christs Majestie in the flesh Secondly The Reasons why the Holy Ghost descended in an extraordinary manner upon the Apostles They were to be Master-Builders to lay a Foundation which all after Ministers to the end of the World were to build on they being Penmen of Scripture Thirdly They were now to overthrow all the Jewish Worship and all the Mosaical Administrations put to an end by Christs Death and to furnish them to this extraordinary work which Christ as an effect of his Session at the right hand of God pours down these gifts upon them as beforementioned this being noised abroad how they spake with other Tongues the multitude came together wondring at them and some thought they had been drunk but Peter standing up with the eleven began to lift up his voice to teach them And first The Contents of Peters Sermon to the Jews upon the descent of the Holy Ghost He proves by Scripture that these gifts of the Holy Ghost were formerly promised by the Lord and as an effect of his Ascension now given to them and he endeavours in this Sermon preached to prove First That Jesus was the Christ a man approved of God by Miracles and Signs that God did work by him amongst them Secondly He endeavours to prove by Scripture that he did suffer and dy according to the Counsel and Will of God Thirdly That he did rise again from the Dead which he from Scripture doth justifie And that in the fourth place God had exalted him by his right hand to be both Lord and Christ and he proves that by the visible gifts of the Holy Ghost which they did see and
over into the River or water to hold forth That now he must resolve to take up the Cross of Christ and suffer and not only so but this being raised and delivered out of the water again by the hands of the Minister doth hold forth that so shall such believing souls be saved and delivered from all their afflictions as in Psal 34.17 Many are the Afflictions of the righteous but God shall deliver them out of all And that this doth sign or signify our salvation appears in 1 Pet. 3.21 the like figure wherunto Baptism doth now save us and Mark 16.16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved So that Baptism is to sign and confirm signally our Sufferings and Afflictions with Christ so Salvation or Deliverance from them all the one in dipping and plunging him in Water the other in Raising him out again Into whose name Baptism is administred The third thing that is essential in this Ordinance of Baptism which I shall speak to will be what is meant by name of Father Son and Holy Ghost The Command is That the Mininister must dip them into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost the which the Lord Jesus commanding must be therefore essential to this Ordinance I shall therefore endeavour to shew you what is meant by name here That by which Father Son and Spirit are made known as a man is by his Name that is hereto be understood by the name Father Son and Holy Ghost we know the Gospel doth hold forth one God yet distinquished into Father Son and Holy Ghost the name here is to be understood that Gospel that doth so set forth God and describe him as the Subject Matter of our Faith Acts 9.15 But the Lord said unto Ananias Go thy way for he is a chosen Vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and Children of Israel for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake Now Name in this place and in the Commission is to be understood that heavenly mystery of the Gospel in which God is discovered and made known as a man by his name One part of the Gospel mystery consists of a Discovery of the name of the Father by which he is distinquishably made known from the Son and Spirit and that in these particulars First In ordaining the Son 1 Pet. 1.18 in choosing and electing the Son Isaiah 28.16 with 1 Pet. 2.5 in sending the Son Gal. 4.4 John 3.16 17 in sealing the Son John 6.27 in promising the Son Isaiah 9.6 in bruising the Son and putting him to grief Isaiah 53. and laying all our iniquities upon the Son and to justify and freely accept such as believe in the Son This I understand is the Name of the Father And by the Sons Name is to be understood that by which he makes known himself to the Sons and Daughters of men as to take Flesh Heb. 2.14 Rom. 9.5 1.3 He kept the Law in order to dy As that just one or as a Lamb without spot and his making his Soul an offering for sin as a perfect offering for the sins and transgressions of his people Heb. 10.12 14. Isa 53. and that he did not only dy for our Sins but rose again for our Justification Rom. 4.25 and ascended into Heaven and makes intercession for us Heb. 2.25 And pours down the Spirit and gives gifts unto men Zach. 12.10 Ephes 4.10 11 12. all this the Son makes himself known by as by a name distinguishably from the Father and the Spirit And in the last place the Spirit is made known in the Gospel as that which in the first place convinceth the world of sin John 16.8 and pricks men in their hearts with a sense of sin and the wrath of God due for sin Acts 2.37 29. And the work of the Spirit by which that is made known Is the revealing of the Father and the Son and those great Mysteries unto the soul of a poor convicted Sinner for as Christ saith the Spirit of God shall lead you into all truth it shall take of mine and shew it to you John 16. and so no man doth understand the things of a man but the Spirit of a man that is within him So none shall or can understand the things of God but by the Spirit of God for the Spirit of God searcheth out all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10. The Spirit doth not only discover mans misery and his lost estate by reason of sin but discovers a remedy which lies in the great love of God in Christ as before mentioned and worketh in the heart true faith and repentance disposing the heart to obedience This is the proper work or office of the Spirit by which he is distinguishably known from the Father and the Son And now when the Soul shall come to the Preacher and make known to him that the Spirit hath experimentally made known unto him his lost and damnable estate by sin and that he same Spirit hath discovered unto him the great love of God the Father in the gift of Christ to be a propitiation for sin as one dying for the chief of Sinners and that the Spirit of God hath made known all this to him and hath wrought faith in his heart to believe it and hath changed his heart from a Course of sin to renewed obedience for no soul can declare to a Minister the true work of Conversion but he must in so doing discover his knowledge of the work of the Father Son and Spirit and into this doth the Minister baptize him as in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And thus much for these three particulars In the fourth place The subâ—ect of Baptism we shall now come to the Subject that must be baptized and that as you have heard is one that is taught Teach all Nations baptizing them and as my Text saith Repent and be baptized every one of you which doth hold forth the person baptized to be a taught and repentant person But seeing the main thing in question hath alwaies seemed to be the Subject of Baptism who it is that is to be baptized this I shall therefore most insist upon wherein I shall endeavour to make plain to you first as I say that he is to be a believer a penitent person as appears Mark 16.16 Go preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved where observe That believing the Gospel is to go before baptizing and Matthew 28.19 Teach all Nations Faith and Repentance go before baptism baptizing or dipping them What them them that are taught or made Disciples by teaching and in my Text you find that Peter after Christ had poured down the Spirit upon them doth by that authority received from heaven when he had converted those Jews command every one of them to be baptized or dipped Repent and be baptized
Cain and his offering being not in faith God accepted not for all the thoughts of such a man are only evil and that continually till they believe as Gen. â— 5 and 8.21 All the imaginations of all believers till converted are evil and only evil continually Secondly their words are evil Matth. 12.34 O Generation of Vipers how can you being evil speak good word for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh an evil man out of the evil Treasure of his heart brings forth evil things and as their thoughts and words are evil so in like manner their actions are all evil natural actions as eating Job 20.23 When he is eating to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating thus you see natural actions are evil such as eating and drinking for satisfying his hunger and also civil actions are evil as Prov. 21.4 an high look and a proud heart and the ploughing of the wicked is sin if plowing then all his civil actions and also his best duties of worship as his sacrifice is an abomination to God Prov. â—8 9 15.8 Isaiah 1. with 66.4 Upon this ground it must needs be that the Covenant of Grace and eternal life cannot belong to any such persons that do not believe for it is impossible to be in a covenant of Grace and yet not to have persons nor any of their best actions accepted Yea further all mankind are compared to beasts till they believe Job 11.11 Vain man would fain be wise but man is born like a wild Asses Colt with Jeremy 2.23 24. Yea the Lord saith in Revel 21.8 That the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their portion in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Beloved therefore if any have been so deluded as to believe such a notorious error as this is to think that any ever hath been in the Covenant of life but such as are in Christ by faith I desire God may give you repentance for maintaining such a fundamental error as this is And now in the fourth place Answers to such Scriptures as are alleged to prove the baptism of infants I shall endeavour to answer such Scripture allegations and those especially brought in from the New Testament to countenance this error wherein I shall endeavour to take off those false and corrupt Glosses that are usually put upon them wherein men pretend to prove the covenant of grace among the Gentiles to run in the flesh and line of believing parents under the Gospel which I am sure was never yet since the world began nor never shall be with any neither parents nor children but such individual persons that particularly believed in Christ with their own hearts And first let me speak to that in Acts 2.39 An answer to that text Act. 2 39. which is usually pretended to be a proof of the covenant in the flesh the words are these The promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Now I pray you take notice how evident this Text makes against this error For this Text affirms only the promises to belong to so many even as God shall call and that is a fundamental truth if by promise you understand the gift of the Holy Ghost or remission of sins or both to be promised in this text It is most true that so many as God shall call have an interest both to Christ and all the promises in him and only they for saith the Text Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost So that remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost it is safe to understand here to be meant that promise that is said to belong to them to their children and to those afar off even so many of them and their children and of those afar off as the Lord our God should call agreeable to the words thus understood is Rom. 8.30 moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified So that justification or remission of sins is here given only to called persons with these agreeth that of Heb. 9.15 For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgression that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance So here you see that those that are predestinated to have a covenant of life and the blessing given in that covenant are first called as 1 Pet. 2.9 He hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light Now this text is plain to prove that those Jews and Proselytes that then heard him and their children and also the ten Tribes new afar off and also the Gentiles the promises did belong to so many of all these as God should call and except Souls be given up to a Spirit of Delusion will any dare to affirm that the promises of the Spirit remission of sins and eternal life do belong to any other Will any be so ignorant as to judge that those promises did belong to the Generation of the Jews whether they were called or not though they continued in unbelief and hardness of heart and impenitency Is not such a corrupt interpretation against Christs words to that very people John 8.24 Except you believe that I am he you shall dy in your sins speaking to these very Jews and doth not John the Baptist say to these John 3. last He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him directing this speech indeffinitely to the generation of the Jews the seed of Abraham such as were in the covenant of Circumcision But if by the children you understand so many of them as God should call whether then at that time or afterwards to the end of the world it is most true that to such of their children the promise of grace did belong But Beloved the Scripture is in nothing more full than in this that the promise of grace belonged not to any of those Iews seed but such as were called for God shuts them under unbelief and because of unbelief they were broken off Rom. 11. if unbelief excluded them from that external relation which before Christs death they then had in the Covenant intailed on the flesh and Christ coming in the flesh and fully exhibiting and putting an end to that covenant no other covenant standing in force in the Church of God but what Christ was the Mediator of these unbelieving Iews of necessity were broken off The promise of remission of sins was so far from running upon the
unbelieving Jews the true fleshly seed of Abraham that the Apostle Paul affirms the contrary Acts 19.9 But when divers were hardened and believed not but spake evil of that way before the multitude he departed from them and Acts 13.45 46. But when the Jews saw the multitude they were filled with envy and spake against those things that were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life Lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us and v 50. the Iews stirred up the devout and honorable women and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas but they shook off the dust of their feet against them and therefore Paul is plain in Rom. 11. saying That God had a certain number that were of the eternal election among the Iews those obtained right to the remission of sins and the rest were blinded and hardened but it should seem to be the general understanding of those that urge this Text for a covenant in the flesh That if they were the seed of the Jews though they were not called nor did not believe but were hardned in their continuance in unbelief yet this promise of remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost belongs to them and this interpretation that this Text must have to defend a covenant in the flesh which I leave to any intelligent man to consider how greatly erroneous it is to affirm that the promise of the remission of sins belongs to the unbelieving and hardened children of the Iews that God hath nor nor doth call So that you may clearly see that the truth lyes in this text that the promise is to no more of Fathers nor children nor those afar off but such as God by his especial grace doth call to be the Sons of of God by faith An answer to that text 1 Cor. 7.14 Another Scripture made use of or rather abused and wrested to defend this error is 1 Cor. 7.14 The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctifyed by the believing husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy whence is gathered by those of that opinion that this holiness is as they call it a federal holiness of a covenant holiness that is to say God having taken the believing parent with the child into covenant with himself the child is in this sense holy that is covenant-holy Now for the better understanding this Text I pray consider how and in what sense God takes persons into Covenant with himself and that as you have heard is two waies either he takes souls to himself in a typical covenant so he took Israel to himself in that covenant and in that sense they may be said to be separated from the rest of the World which separation of them from the rest of the World to himself is a holiness that the carnal Iew was only partaker of such a typical and legal holiness that people being separated from all other nations in the world to God in this covenant now the word holy signifies so much as separating or setting apart and in this sense the Vessels of the Temple were holy as also the Priests being by Law set apart from the rest of Israel to offer the bread of their God Now in the 2d. place there is also a new covenant or a covenant of life that God takes a people to himself which is to write his Law in their hearts in their minds to sanctify thē to justify them Now this internal holiness which God as an effect of that Covenant infuseth into the heart is only this new Covenant-holiness for there is no other holiness that relates to the new Covenant when the heart and the inward man shall be purified through faith And when the whole heart and affections are by the powerful work of Gods grace separated from sin and those vanities below to heaven and heavenly things this is the only holiness that the covenant of eternal life conveys to souls The Hypocrite may have this in appearance but the elect and chosen have this only in truth he puts no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith and he hath by one offering for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. this sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth goes alwaies together 2 Thes 2.13 Therefore it is impossible that this should be the meaning of the Text that all believers carnal seed are in a covenant of eternal life and so have their hearts purified and sanctified through the work of the Spirit and faith before they are born and in this sense are born holy I know no other sanctification the Scripture speaks of belonging to a covenant of grace and eternal life and for that external or typical holyness in an outward covenant it cannot be because that was abolished through Christs death as appears in Heb. 8.9 chapters therefore far be it from the Apostle to intend here the countenancing of any such erronious opinion as that every believers Child was by virtue of his first birth internally holy with that holiness of truth as the Apostle calls it Ephes 4.24 If you please therefore hearken to the true meaning of this text which is to this effect The Corinthians having sent several doubts and questions to the Apostle to resolve and answer as appears in the first verse of this chapter he answereth them particularly and it seems among the rest they had a Jewish question started grounded as we suppose upon Ezra 9. Deut. 7.2 where you find it was unlawful for a Jew to marry with a stranger therefore Ezra caused all those men that had taken them strange wives to put them away as not lawfully married because contrary and against the Law given to them therefore they were to put them away and the children born of them as illegitimate and unclean in an unlawful fellowship These Corinthians it seems did propound in writing to the Apostle this question whether such of them as had unbelieving husbands and wives yet reimaining in idolatry might lawfully abide with them in that fellowship in the marriage-bed and whether that fellowship were not unclean and unlawfull as in Ezra's time Unto this question the Apostle answers verse 12. To the rest speak I not the Lord. If any Brother hath a Wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with thim let him not put her away and the woman which hath a husband which believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him But also might they say why is not our marriage fellowship unclean Therefore in ver 14. saith he The unbelieving wife is sanctifyed as the Geneva Translation hath it to the believing Husband or else were your children
Teachers perswaded the Gallatians to be a Covenant of life and that they could not be saved without it which covenant the Apostle Paul called the flesh in Gal. 3.3 meaning that Covenant which God had established in their flesh for an everlasting Covenant as he so calls it Gen. 17.13 This shall be my Covenant in your flesh saith the Lord for an everlasting Covenant Therefore saith Paul in Rom. 4.1 What shall we say that Abraham our Father as appertaining to the flesh hath found if Abraham were justified by works Mark his Exposition of that Covenant appertaining to the flesh to be a Covenant of works which in â—â—e 10. verse he clears to be Circumcision in opposition to that Gospel promise which Abraham had before he was circumcised and so he doth all along in that Chapter Herein the 3. of Gal. he doth set the Covenant of grace and that of works in opposition the one he calls the Spirit the other flesh which he most evidently explains in Chap. 5.1 2 3. where saith he Stand fast in that liberty which Christ hath made you free and be not intangled again with the yoake of bondage Here observe again that he calls it as Peter doth Acts 15.10 a yoke of bondage which is evident that they were set at freedom and liberty from as that which was abolished and they freed from as a yoak which neither they nor their Fathers were able to hear as appears in Gal. 5.1 2 3. Behold I Paul say to you if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Nay in v. 3. For I testify to every one that is circumcised that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law and in ver 4. He sets it in opposition to the covenant of grace and this is explained more in Gallatians chap. 6.12 13. verses Now all this considered you may clearly see the Covenant of Circumcision made to Abraham and his seed in their Generation that he would give them Canaan with the blessings thereof and in that sense be their God to protect preserve and externally to privilege them with the means of grace and tenders of the Gospel and the external blessings of Canaan upon condition they would be circumcised and keep the Law All these things are typical this deliverance out of Egypt typing out the deliverance out of Hell That temporal Israel after the flesh that were redeemed out of Egypt typed out the spiritual Israel that were redeemed out of the spiritual bondage and as before hath been said Moses then a temporal Redeemer Mediator or Saviour typed out Christ the spiritual Mediator and Saviour therefore in the 1 Cor. 10.6 The Apostle tells us these were our figures or types So this being premised we have the sense of the Text here plain that as the spiritual disciple or Israelite when he believes and confesseth his faith thereby shewing his interest in Jesus Christ is baptized into Christ Jesus the Mediator of that Covenant which he is in by faith So the temporal Israel by birth or being bought with money or cohabitation in that family of Israel comming to have a right to the Covenant of Circumcision whereof Moses was the Mediator they were likewise baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea that being as real a confirmation to them of the temporal deliverance from Egypt into Canaan by the hand of Moses as our baptism is a confirmation to the spiritual Israel of their spiritual deliverance by Jesus their Mediator from death and condemnation to eternal life And whereas the Apostle calls that meat spiritual meat and that drink spiritual drink he here speaks figuratively as before affirmed Not that the Manna eaten by the whole Nation of Israel was in it self spiritual but it was a figure of the spiritual bread therefore Christ saith to the Jews in John 6.32 33. Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven Observe that word Giveth not did give but giveth for the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world And therefore saith he My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven that is the substance of that shadow and so that rock was Christ meaning a figure or type of Christ What is all this Beloved to the proving of a Covenant of life running in the flesh either then or now to the Gentiles under the Gospel seeing it is clear that all these Ordinances as the Apostle calls them Heb. 9. Carnal Ordinances did type out or figure out spiritual and substantial things For their sacrifices for sin typed out Christ but they were not Christ and their typical remissions which they had by their sacrifice That remission I say which the whole body of Israel had by offering up their sin-offering can be understood to be no other but typical A man might be under that typical Remission and yet ne under the wrath of God and be damned and a poor Gentile at the utmost part of the Earth believing as Rahab did in Canaan as truly justified though he had none of this typical remission and none of these before mentioned figures so that we conclude the whole Nation of the Jews had not a covenant of eternal life in the flesh made unto them though they had a temporal typical covenant as I have all along called it that is consisting of such Laws and privileges that had not Christ in them but did point at him to come therefore they are called in Heb. 9. Patterns of Heavenly things but not the very things themselves They are called by the Apostle Beggarly Elements or Rudiments of the World or a School-master to lead to Christ The Jews literal obedience to the Law typing out the obedience to faith Deut. 30.12 13 14. with Rom. 10. from v. 6. to the 10. ver Now beloved the literal obedience in it self performed by the carnal Jew though it figured out the substantial obedience viz. faith in Christ and though the Rest in Canaan typed out the spiritual Rest in Christ yet I hope no man will be so absurd but he will confess that this litteral obedience it was not the spiritual obedience and that this rest in Canaan it was but a shadow of that rest in Christ not the very rest it self But some may say so of baptism and the Supper that these are the signs of inward and spiritual things but it doth not follow that these are the spiritual things Beloved Observe warily for here lies the ground of this great mistake the want of distinguishing between these figures that type out Christ to come and these Sacramental signs that do confirm and ratifie his being already come Those typical signs and figures then which typed out Christ to come did properly belong to that typicall seed the body of Israel that typed out the spiritual seed to come But now these signs I say these Sacramentall signs that are instituted
the Priests looked upon him and behold he was leprous in his fore-head and they thrust him out from thence yea himself hasted to go out because the Lord had smitten him And Uzziah the King was a Leper to the day of his death and dwelt in a several house for he was out off from the house of the Lord. Thus you see the sad curse of God executed against such like inventions in the service of God that men set up in the room of Gods commands thereby justling out his Commands as the Scripture saith This is for a man to set up his Posts by Gods Posts and in a sense setting up himself in the place and room of God and flowes from abundance of Pride as here it is said of King Vzziah preceding this his sin his heart was lifted up to his own destruction Now most certain it is That man Moses was faithful in all Gods house as a servant in giving the Church then exact and perfect rules how they should serve God unto which they must not ad and from which they must not detract nor take away Diut 4.2 so Christ is every way as faithful over his house as a Lord Heb. 3.4 5 6. and rightly to this purpose is applyed that in Col. 2.8 with 20 21 22. For men to imbrace any worship to their God that they have not a rule for it is in that chapter condemned as will-worship and traditions of men and warily consider that it fosters men in a sinfull neglect of that holy and solemn Ordinance of Dipping believers Do not all our Protestant Authors in all their Disputations against the Papists defend that Faith and Repentance precede Baptism thereby confuting the Papists that Baptism is not to convey grace where it is not but to confirm Grace and strengthen it where it is and in that Catechism imbraced generally by all Protestants in the Common Liturgy in England this question being demanded What is required of them that are to be baptized The answer is Faith and Repentance which doth plainly manifest that it was the judgement of all those that were Protestants owning that Liturgy that none ought to be baptized but such as repent and believe not only so but that do confess faith and repentance because in Baptism there is as Peter saith The answer of a good conscience 1 Pet. 3.19 compared with Philip and the Eunuch Acts 8.38 If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest Saith the Eunuch I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God So in Acts 19. it is said They came to the Apostle confessing their deads Now consider that this doctrine in all those times was defended that faith and repentance must needs precede baptism why because they concluded it a seal of the new Covenant and therefore where persons were not in a Covenant by Faith did in apposition to the Papists defend they had no interest in baptism Now let any soul that is not blinded with the subtilty of Satan and by means of the stumbling block of iniquity set up in his own heart as saith the Lord in Ezekiel 14.4 Let such I say judge how cross to this Doctrine they do practice that do baptize visible graceless and Christless children so far as any man is able to judge Object But some will say I grant this baptizing of children is a meer tradition and that not to be practised by Christians and I do believe in the primitive time Believers only had this Ordinance dispenesd upon them but I do conceive saith the Soul I have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost therefore I need not that Ordinance of Baptism by Water and the rather because I think that was Johns baptism and the baptism of the Holy Ghost being come hath put an end to that Baptism of water Answer Then you deny in Judgement any Ordinance of Baptism at all to stand in force which is be sure an upstart opinion exceeding cross to the Doctrine of Christ in his Gospel but let me as warily as I can answer this question First you do think it was Johns baptism it is true that John baptized or dipped into Water those that came to him confessing their sins and professing faith in him that should come after him But though it is true Johns baptism in this respect pointing out Christ to come is done away yet it is as true that the Lord hath afresh since his death and resurrection intituled this ordinance of dipping believers into Christ already come and fully exhibited in the flesh Matth. 28.19 20. with Mar. 16.16 and Peter after the Holy ghost was in that extraordinary manner powred down upon him according to Johns Prophesie to wit with cloven fiery tongues he doth after this by the direction of the infallible Spirit command all his converts that were prickt in the heart Acts 2.38 to repent and be baptized every one of them for the remission of sins and they should receive the gift of the Holy ghost Where you may see that this was baptism of Water that he commanded all that repent to submit to because the Holy Ghost as those extraordinary gifts was to follow to wit those gifts that Joel prophesied of And so in Acts 10. When Cornelius and his house had heard the word of God the Holy Ghost fell upon them and as an effect thereof they spake with new tongues and magnified God And then saith Peter to them of the Circumcision How should we forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we So that this great Apostle was so far from this opinion that he urgeth the contrary that because they had received the Holy Ghost and that in the extraordinary gifts thereof which John foretold Christ should baptize them with saith he How shall we forbid water plainly holding forth that it is baptism by water that he here is speaking of and in which verse 48. he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus because they received the Holy Ghost therefore they must not be denyed that Ordinance of baptism by Water clearly holding forth that the enjoying the Holy Ghost was so far from being an argument why souls should not be baptized with water that it is an argument that they ought to be baptized more especially and this appears in Paul after his conversion which I understand was wrought by Christ immediately For saith he to Annanias Behold he is a chosen vessel to me for he now prayeth therefore say I he was now converted as to the inward work of faith changing his heart But when Annanias came to him he laid his hands upon him and there were two effects of this his laying on of his hands He received his sight and was filled with the Holy Ghost and he arose forthwith and was baptized that is to say after he was filled with the Holy Ghost he arose and was baptized in water Acts 9.17 18. compared with Acts 22.16