Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	call_v	church_n	holy_a	7,200	5	5.2401	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80854	The vertue and value of baptism: in which the dignity and duty of [baptism], the due right of infants to [baptism], and their right above that of grown persons by [baptism], the degrading and destructive principles and practices of [baptism] are / catechetically propounded, plainly preached, and now published as an antidote to the baptism-despising dictates of John Simpson. By Zachariah Crofton ... ; Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.	Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672.	1658 (1658)	Wing C7003B; ESTC R174314	79,234	315

Many as 1. Such as dictate to the unbaptized a liberty of access to God teaching that Baptism is not the ground of Communion with the Church visible but real Grace the answer of a good conscience and thereon do tender all the Ordinances to the unbaptized which is directly opposite to this use of the Ordinance and inverts the Ordinance of the Gospel giving God cause to complain as once in Israel Ezek. 44.7 Ye have defiled my Sanctuary by admitting into my Sanctuary the unbaptized in flesh and in spirit Q. Who are further to be condemned as contrary to this consecrating nature of Baptism A. Such as disown their Baptism in drawing nigh to God as do some Familists who deny all outward Ordinances and pretend to serve God altogether in Spirit as if divided man could draw nigh to God or the Lord would not be adored by the body he hath redeemed or true Grace could admit a contempt of any divine Ordinance Or the Anaebaptists who are so irrational as to renounce their Baptism because received in Infancy as if a corruption in circumstance if this were one had destroyed the essence of the Ordinance but indeed they do it out of ignorance or obstinacy de●ming Gods Institution Superstition and so run into the sin of Sacriledge Q. Is the denial of Infants Baptism the sin of Sacriledge A. Whilst it robs God of the children to him begotten the Church of Members to her born believing Parents of a ground of Faith and reason of hope and the Infants of their undoubted Interest in the Covenant I cannot but deem it sacriledg Q. Who else are to be blamed as repugnant to this consecrating nature of Baptism A. Such as disregard Baptism in its application to others as do Parents who pass over their childrens Baptism as a Civil Complement and meer Formality to please Friends but never compose themselves to it as an act of Religion and Ordinance of God pray not for a blessing on it nor praise God for the blessing of it nor instruct their baptized children in the benefit and use of it and people who attend with some shew of reverence on other Ordinances but rudely rush out of the Congregation when Baptism is administred as if it were some idle action and as if the sanctifying of a soul to God the sealing of the Covenant and admission of a Member into the Church were of no use to them nor worth their attendance Q. Who else are to be blamed as contrary to the nature of Bapiism A. Such as disesteem their own Baptism neither improving it against sin nor arguing to themselves the duty or dignity of their Baptism so as to make Baptism an Engagement against sin to holiness and encouragement of their Spirits in holy duties Q. Who also are to be blamed as contrary to the consecrating nature of Baptism A. Such as deny the Baptized the liberty of access to God in the Assemblies of his people as do the Independents who gather Churches out of Churches rightly constituted and call the Baptized into Church way as if they were out and prescribe a Covenant of their own whereby to admit Church members affect to distinguish themselves from others Baptized by the term of Saints Brethren Church and the like and deny to communicate with them as if Baptism did not incorporate into Christ his Body and prepare for communion with him in his Ordinances Q. To what course of life doth your Baptism bind you A. To depart from all iniquity to devote my self wholly to the Faith and Service of one God Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom I am dedicated and all my days to demean my self as a member of Christ his Church one in Covenant with God on whom holiness is stamped and that is sanctified for approaches to him Q. You spake of some benefit you reaped by your being Baptized in Infancy Is the early enjoyment of this Ordinance of any advantage A. Yes ve●y much in many things to be preferred before Baptism of grown persons wherein it is more profitable Q. What is the first benefit of Infant Baptism A. Infant Baptism expresseth clearly the sin of nature and engageth against it in that we are washed it is evident we are unclean but being so soon baptized doth witness our very nature is defiled for infancy did never admit us to be stained with personal guilt as are men at years and so Infant Baptism is an unanswerable argument of our inbred corruption against which we are bound to fight being baptized before it had spread it self into actual sin Q. What is the second benefit of Infant Baptism A. It explaineth the method and order of transmitting the Covenant and affecteth us with the benefit of Relation to a believing Parent That we are baptized speaks us in Covenant but that we are so soon baptized before we have in our selves any qualification for it shews us as branches we partake of the fatness of the olive and are of the same kinde with our Parents God hath graciously become the God of the Believer and his Seed and made grace to run through natures channel otherwise we had never enjoyed this Priviledge Q. What is a third benefit of Infant Baptism A. It enlargeth the bounds and establisheth the being of the Church Baptism is the band of union and Ordinance of ingrafting into the Church But Infant Baptism doth scatter the holy seed and send forth sprouting branches which succeeding into the room of old perishing stocks doth not only increase the number of the Churches Members but defend it from the wasting annihilating breaches of time Q. What is the fourth benefit of Baptism A. It exciteth Repentance representing sin in its Root and Original the pravity of nature and its gracious object the God of our Fathers and the God of our youth against whom we have offended Q. What is the fifth benefit of Infant Baptism A. It enforceth Faith not only in the sealing but also the extending of the Covenant to the seed of Believers a ground of Parental Prayer for Posterity and an early seizure of our souls before Satan could possess us or our own corrupt nature could betray us unto him Q. What is the sixth benefit of Infant Baptism A. It engageth duty Parents to Christian education and instruction of those who by their Authority are dedicated to the service of the true God children to the obedience of the God of their Father and of their youth who extended to them the Covenant and so soon set the seal of it in their flesh Q. What is the seventh benefit of Infant Baptism A. It encourageth under death the knowledge of the Covenant extended unto Believers and their seed hath prepared young children unto Martyrdom and interest in the Covenant can be the only ground of hope to the Parents under the death of their Infants who are born the children of wrath but by Baptism are put into the ark of salvation such as let go this must

the name of God exposing the holy God to irreverent rude approaches and his Seals and sanctifying Ordinance to scorn and contempt Nor is this guilt thus charged in the least extenuated by the qualifica●ion required and propounded as the ground of Communion viz. R●al Grace the answer of a go●d conscience by the Resu●rect●on of Christ from the de●d for I never yet found this propounded in Scripture as the ground of Church communion not is it discernable by every eye of every common believer who are to see such sanctified unto God to whom they do joyn themselves Nay the very Stewards of the mysteries of God have not that Spirit of infallible discerning the truth of grace Grosse hypocrites have been by the very Apostles of Jesus Christ Baptized and admitted into the Church and so will be by all that administer holy things for Hypocrites void of true Grace must be found in the Church when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come to Judgment And if it could be known yet by what authority is inward Grace divided from the outward Ordinance and opposed thereunto Those things which God hath joyned together shall any man dare to divide asunder and can true Grace consist with ignorance of the Doctrine of Baptism and neglect and contempt of the least Ordinance of Jesus Christ and inversion of the order of the Gospel But is not this most gracelesse Chymistry so to spiritualize Gospel dispensation as to Deifie every Minister that hath the charge of the Sanctuary Nay every believer that must hold communion in the Ordinances of the Gospel by making them Searchers of the heart and infallible discerners of Real Grace the ground of Church Communion and to justi●●e the washing of the body which God hath made the ground of confidence in accesse to him in the assemblies of his people Secondly The second sort to be reproved as contradictorie to this consecrating faith encouraging Ord●nance of washing the body with pure water are such as Disown and decline Baptism in their drawing nigh to God in the assemblies of his pe●ple Like Priest like People if men that ●all themselves Ministers ●●d Teachers shall with black mouths blaspheme Baptisme it cannot but meet with people that shall pr●fane contemn and cast off that holy Ordinance If Teachers shall dare in the Name of the Lord to declare That water-baptism is not the ground of communion with the Church visible no marvel if men do sl ght Baptisme in seeking such communion nay it were a marvel if some should not sinfully reject and renounce it for he is a mean man that draweth not some Clients after him A●e there not many in the midst of us that make their way to God by renouncing their Baptism when once their fancy doth but dictate to them a vanity in that outward Ordinance and their tongues are filled with vilifying invectives calling it beggarly Element carnal Ordinance outward and groundless Ceremony badg of Antichrist Superstitious administration their hearts are as full of joy as they can hold now they are full of courage can come with freedom and full assurance to God being as they pretend baptized with the Spirit and fire now they boldly joyn themselves to that assembly they call the Church of God and despising all outward Ordinances their formal admission must be by a full renunciation of their Baptism and all carnal acts of worship as they phrase it that they may serve God in Spirit This generation of men must needs appear most grossely ignorant or greatly deluded as to the method of approach to God and manner of worship to be done unto him Unto them I would demand If they be guided by Scripture directions not Enthusiasmes and pretended Inspirations whether Scripture doth not declare That divided man must make no aprroach to God the Spirit of all flesh will be adored with outward acts of worsh p wh●ch h● himself hath ap●ointed Hath God comm●nded Baptism to no use or end May bodies not consecrated come nigh to holy Presence Must not the Lords immediate attendants be distinguished from the rest of the world by some Livery that is obvious and to be seen by every eye Can the Spirit and Sacred Ordinances of God stand opposite one to the other and not consistent each with other And must sincere Gra●e share stakes with God giving m●n the Body and God the Spirit The Divel may be content with the half of man for he well knows by that means he doth possesse the whole for God will have all or none they that will draw nigh to his Sanctuary must love him with all their migh● heart soul and strength they that will wait on him must worship him in Body and Spirit They that walk as the redeemed of Christ must gloryfie him with Soul and Body which is their reasonable sacrifice Rom. 12.1 For both were bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 God will part with no part of his purchase and hath therefore prescribed outward acts of adoration to be bodily performed in the sincerity of Spirit and appointed the washing of the body with pure water to consecrate and stamp holinesse on the outward man as well as the sprinkling of the heart for the inward the exercise of the body ●n the outward acts of worship without the Spirit is plain hypocrisie and the exercise of the Spirit without the Bodies subjection to outward Ordinances is positive profanenesse such is the Souls influence on the Body that if it awfully apprehend Majesty it will make the bodily members to expresse it In vain is heart Subjection pretended where the yoke of outward Ordinances is broken from the neck What likelyhood of Loyalty from such as scorne the Livery Sad is that Sanctity that sets at enmity Gods Spirit and Sacred Ordinances Cursed is that cry of holiness that cryeth down Divine order and Ordinances Rebellious is that Assembly whose Incorporation is a renunciation of the matter and method of Gods Worship Dreadful must needs be Gods approach to th●t people that draw nigh unto him not duly consecrated to that end by Baptism and touch the holy things of God in his Assembly not having the body washed with pure water I have lost my little skill in Scripture-Calcuiation if such perish not in the gain saying of Korah and occasion not a P●rz-vzzah in Israel Whilest some disown Baptisme as an outward Ordinance by the Spirit of Familism disowning all outward administrations There are others that will joyn with us in condemning them and consent that God must be w●rshipped by bodily acts of Religion yet they find no way of accesse to God but by receding from the baptism they had received and disowning the consecrating Faith-encouraging use of the washing of their bodies in pure water to which they have been subject These are our Antipaedobaptist become actual Anabaptists who quarrelling at Infants interest unto Baptism and the Administrators thereof do disown all relation they have had to the Church and the priviledges

that such as were not first sanctified by Circumcision must not touch the Passeover and it is given in charge to the keepers of the Sanctuary that the uncircumcised enter not into it to pollute it unhallowed things much lesse unhallowed persons might not come nigh to God under the Law the holinesse of God is the same under the Gospell and therefore such as will come nigh unto him most be consecrated for he will have acceptable Sacrifice to be offered by a chosen Generation a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation 1 Pet. 2.5.9 Men must be brought out of the high wayes and hedges and in his house be cloathed with a wedding garment that with any confidence willex pect a welcome to his wedding Super Mat. 22. And the only Ordinance of Consecration to God is Baptisme This is the badg of distinction and bar of division between the holy and prophane if the Lord Jesus will present his Church to God he Sanctifieth it by the washing of water through the Word Ephes 5.26 And if ever we will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven we must be born of the water and spirit by Baptisme we are purified from the corruptions that are in the world through lust and solemnly dedicated unto the name of Father Son and Holy Ghost hereby we are separated from the world and added to the Church and the Baptized continue together in the Apostles doctrine in prayer and breaking of bread and all acts of worship so that being thus consecrated called out of the masse of mankind and constituted a peculiar and holy people to the Lord Let us draw nigh in full assurance having our bodies washed with pure water 3. Baptisme is an Ordinance of Confaederation with God two cannot walke together except they be agreed God is a consuming fire to man if he condescend not a Covenant as a shreene to prevent its scorching heat I will be your God and ye shall be my people is the onely argument of encouragement to Abraham to walk with God and assurance of Believers acceptance with God guilty man cannot come nigh offended God without some assurance that wrath is appeased and God Reconciled none since Adams fall can come nigh to God as a Creator and Redemption must be transmitted by a Covenant and the Administrations of the Covenant must be the onely pledge of assurance and encouragement unto access to God the Covenant of God with Levi is the onely liberty of the Priests entrance in the Sanctum Sanctorum the Covenant of Mediatorship is the confidence of Jesus Christ his intercession and the Covenant of Circumcision the Israelites title to the Passeover and freedom of the Sanctuary and the Covenant of Baptisme Christians Right to the Lords Table and freedome of drawing nigh to God the Baptized do confaederate with God you have heard before that they must be faederati in Covenant that are subjects of Baptisme the promise is to you is the ground and reason why any is Baptized Baptisme is the mutuall act of sealing the Covenant between God and the soule by this outward sign and pledge God assureth us he will be our God pardon our sin subdue our Corruption by the blood of Christ and we answerable stipulate with God that we will accept him to be our God in Christ we will be called by his name and become his servants so that Baptisme is an argument pleadable in prayer for the remission of sin and Sanctification and an engagement unto duty against all impiety to be urged under all temptation as it is a Sacrament it is a reciprocall bond between God and the soule when Paul would check the Corinthians schisme he doth it by this quaery were ye Baptized into the name of Paul importing you are to call your selves by his name with whom you confaederated in Baptisme so that the Baptized being Gods faederates the Covenant being in their flesh they must needs be qualified with confidence to come nigh to God having such a ground of faith whereupon to claime the promises as is the Seales of the Covenant the most encouraging argument that ever Gods people urged in access to God is Lord remember thy Covenant we are thy people We see then that if we will be guided in our drawing nigh God by the way of Christ his appearance to his Church or approach to his Father as a Mediator or if we observe the succession of Baptisme to Circumcision or nature of Baptisme as an Ordinance of confaederation with God consecration to God conjunction to the Church of God we must needs be convinced that Baptisme or the body washed with pure water is an especiall qualification that fits us for accesse to God And now we proceed to the application of the Doctrine The first use then that we should make of this point is of information and that teacheth us this Lesson Baptisme is an Ordinance of exceeding dign●●y and absolute necessity to be pursued and highly prized by the people of God that will draw nigh unto him for it is the especiall qualification that fits us with confidence to draw nigh unto him as it is an Ordinance of God it is the object of reverence and esteem and indispensably necessary by reason of Divine command no● to be sleighted by such as pr●fesse subjection to him but of much more value when considered as the Ordinance of incorporation into Christs body matriculation into the houshold of faith and consecration unto an holy God and so it doth not onely call for affection esteem honour and reverence but also it presents it selfe unto our reason and imposeth it selfe on our conscience as usefull and indispensably necessary whilst it appeares not onely as an act of worship but Organ of Grace and instrument of much good unto the soule the which though it doth doth not conferre opere operato by meer application as by any Physiciall power in it selfe yet it is a morall instrument offering matter to the rationall argumentations and discourses of a believing soule either to the encouragement of his faith or enforcement of duty and is by divine institution Gods method and instrument whereby he hath graciously confirmed these priviledges and so it is necessary not onely ratione precepti a commanded duty but also medii as a morall meanes to be managed by meditation and Divine method prescribed by the Lord as that whereby we may claime his promise and conclude a relation to and fitnesse for Communion with him and without which we cannot ordinarily expect his blessing and be accounted his people and what he doth in extraordinary cases where he providentially supersedeth an Ordinance as by untimely death and the like doth no way abate the dignity or abstract from the necessity of washing the body with pure water by the Sacrament of Baptisme the conviction of this truth will call for a constant and reverent attendance on Baptisme and conscientious use of it in all covenient opportunitie that God shall give us and check the

valid and of force the Grant of a cruel King and profane Prince will be by these men admitted as the substantial binding Charter of the peoples Priviledges we read often of the pro●anenesse of the Priests of Israel but never of a nonentitie brought upon Gods Ordinances in their hand If they be in Moses Chair though we must not do as they do we are bound to the attention and obedience of what they say It is not impossible for a man to preach to others and himself be a cast away I never read that the Baptism of those Baptized by the unworthy hand of Judas was ever pronounced void or null A pure Ordinance is unhandsome in a profane hand but yet its essence is not impaired it is Gods Ordinance effectual to its end So that if they were Baptized by Ministers though unworthy wherein I w●sh charity be not violated for that many know not who they were they do censure as unworthy nay some worthy men to themselves so known they now call unworthy it is a corrup●●on consistent with the essence of the Ordinance not any way destructive to its being The same is to be said for the annexed Ceremonies that they were profanely added but yet did not nullifie the Ord●nance but it stands in full force as a ground of confidence in access to God But secondly As they appear greatly irrational in inferring more then their premises will allow so they are Grosly ignorant nay I fear many wilfully shutting their eyes may be charged to be grosly obstinate They renounce their Baptism under the notion of Superstition not considering they run into the sin of Sacriledge charity must perswade us these men understand not the method and ministration of the Covenant of Grace otherwise they could never charge Infant Baptism with superstition which is the very application of Gods Ordinance to its proper subjects and so Sacrilegiously rob God his Church believing parents and their children of those holy duties and Dignities that belong unto them Have we not before noted that they who are in Covenant with God ought to be Baptized and is not this the principle wherein we all agree And if these men know any thing of the method and and ministration of the Covenant must they not needs confesse That the natural issue of one or both believing Parents are in Covenant as we have before proved and so fit subjects for Baptism that may and must be made partakers of the first initiating Seal of which God hath made them capable in their Passive age and estate Can any stand convinced that such infants are as soon as born the Lords Heritage Psal 127.3 The Lords servants Lev 25.42 Children beg●tten to him Ezek. 16.20 21. Holy ones Rom. 11.16 1 Cor. 7.14 Children of the Covenant Act. 4.25 To whom belongs the promise Act. 2.28 Interressed in the pr●viledges of the people of God Mar. 10 14. and withhold the keeper of the Sanctuary and Stewards of Gods houshold from setting of Gods mark in their flesh or withstand their dedication unto God Must not we give Caesar the things that are Caesars and God the things that are Gods Will not God account it a R●bbery t●at they which are his shall be withheld from him Again c●n any consider the issue of believing Parents to be the Churches Children begotten to the Lord Ezek 16.20 an holy seed scattered for her increase and yet snatch them out of her armes and cast them out of her bosome into the wide wildernesse of the world Shall not the Church lament and refuse to be comforted whilest she is bereaved of her babes and as a Bear robed of her whelps Will not such robbery prove her rui●e and the drying up her seed hinder her increase and make her b●rren and fruitlesse Again shall the children of such believing parents be borne members into th● houshold of Faith and not be incorporated by Baptism Shall Loyalty be their born duty and not Gods Livery their dignity Shall the Covenant of Grace be the Charter of their priviledge and the Seals not be applyed to them as t●ey are capable of receiving them Shall they be holy in their kind and the badg of distinction be denyed them If any thing would make a new born babe to speak sure this Sacriledge would do it there is reason for the real demand that is fabled of one Rumball Son to an English King at Brack●ly in Northhamptonshire that as soon as he was born he requested to be Baptized for that he was a Christian I● it not a cruel Sacriledge to shut out of the Ark of Salvation such whose title to entrance cannot be denyed Yet further is Baptism the only visible ev●dence God hath given to parents of the extent of the Coven●nt to their children and shall any deprive them of this reason of hope cause of joy ground of Faith in prayer and spur to duty in dedication to God and education of their children for God So that these things considered such as on this ground of being Baptized in infancy do renounce th●ir Baptism do out of ignorance of Gods Covenant commit most horrid Sacriledge by robbing G●d of his Heritage the Church of Children and the be●efits of the administration of Baptism to infants which by Gods grace I shall shew to be great the children of believing parents of their Seal of the Covenant of which they are capable and their Parents of that ground of Faith the administration of the Covenant doth award them And so they g ve us cause not only to charge them with irrationality in fancrying Gods holy Ordinance to be superstition but in the language of the Apostle to say Thou that abhorrest Idols dost commit Sacriledge Rom. 2 22. So that not only Groundlesly but even contrary to Divine method and order they disowning the regular washing of their body in pure water do divest themselves of that Seal of Sanctity and ve●ture of holinesse by which they were fitted for a confident approach to God and decline the assembles of Gods people in which alone the Lord is to be adored and joyn themselves to false assemblies where they are consecrated to and come before God in a way that is not of his appointment nor can expect his approvement how high soever false hopes and joyes may carry their s●irits For those to whom they joyn are divided from the Church of Christ and void of all commission to administer the holy things of God if you look at their constitution you shall find it is no other then se●f-congregation with the cry of all the Lords people are holy and invectives against Aaron and Moses as they which take too mu●h upon them the which I could never yet find warranted in Scripture but is remarkably condemned in the company of K●rah that were thus constituted Ministerial authority is no lesse essential to Constitute a Church of Christ then Magistratical to constitute a Corporation or Company my litt e skill in Politicks could never

informed in the first rudiments of the Doctrine of God even the Doctrine of Baptismes and to be convinced that the body washed with pure water is the qualification prescribed by a glorious God to consecrate such as with confidence approach before him and so the contempt of it must needs be prophane and dangerous nay too many in the midst of us open their black mouths and give their blasphemous tongues the liberty of decrying and vilifying this Holy Ordinance envying against it as a carnal base beggarly Element an Excrementious Ordinance and Antichristian Idol and piece of abomination so horribly profane and impudent do impostors grow by liberty that they will outface God and speak blasphemously of Divine institution and the appointed order of accesse to God in the assemblies of his people Nay what shall we say to the rude recession of people from the application of Baptism to others or their irreverent attendance on it as if it concerned not them or were no part of Gods worship and of those eminent pretenders unto Saintship who disown the relation of men Baptized to God and themselves as the people of God standing at a distance from the consecrated to the Lords service as if profane and altogether strangers to the Covenant and many other profane carriages that are insuitable to so holy an Ordinance But Generalia non pungunt not to confine my self to Generals which will hardly reach the heart and consciences Give me leave to take notice of those principles and practises that are inconsistent with this holy use and nature of Baptisme and do indeed profanely militate against this doctrine that teacheth you That Baptism or the body washed with pure water is the especial qualification of confidence in approach to God in the assemblies of his people and I shall Rank them into this order and make them known by these names They are such who 1. Dictate to the unbaptized a liberty of accesse to God 2. Disown and decline their Baptism in their approaches to God 3. Disregard Baptism administred to others 4. Disesteeme the priviledges conferred by Baptism 5. Declare not to theirs Baptized the dignity and duty of Baptism 6. Deny the Baptized the liberty of accesse to God in the assemblies of his people and use of his Ordinances Unto each of these this Doctrine doth speak Reproof and Blame as we shall note in the particular consideration of them And First If the washing of the body with pure water or Baptism be the especial qualification of confident approach to God in the assemblies of his people then Generally are they too blame who do Dictate to the unbaptized a liberty of accesse to God Many in this Remisse age of ours can make Baptism a matter of no moment in their Communion they can hold Communion with baptized or unbaptised and cry out Circumcision or uncircumcision is to them nothing as if this Ordinance of Baptism were rendred indifferent as the nullified Ordinance of Circumcision And they themselves complain of rigor and severity in such as impose Baptism as the ground of Communion in the Church and decline the administration of holy things to the unbaptized these call for inward grace the answer of a good conscience Real love to Jesus Christ and then they care not whether they ever passe under the outward Ordinance or be Baptized And herein the Lukewarmnesse of private men is not so much to be blamed for that the leaders of the people cause them to erre some that stand in the midst of you as guides and professe themselves Ministers of Jesus Christ and teachers of the truth have not been aff●aid if I may not say ashamed positively to affirm and in this Pulpit plainly to teach as the very mind of God Tha Baptism is not the ground of Church Communion but real Grace the answer of a good Conscience by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and therefore did offer and affirm That although a man were altogether ignorant of the Doctrine of Baptism and had never passed under that outward Ordinance yet he could own him as a member of the Church hold Communion with him and admit him to all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ and much to this purpose which stands in a direct contradiction to this truth and declared use of Baptism For if it be the qualification of accesse to God the door of admission into the assemblies of Gods people and way of consecration unto Communion in the holy things of God must it not needs be profanenesse to administer the holy things of God to such as are not thus qualified and presumption to invite such unto the participation of them But a little to expostulate with the asserters of this Baptism-subverting notion Will God be worshipped by outward Ordinaces and must these Ordinances be enjoyed in order some preparing for participation to others Is Baptism the first Ordinance of the Gospel Initiating Seal of the Covenant Door of admission into the Church and method of Matriculation into the houshold of Faith and way of consecration unto Communion with God and his people Is it not reckoned among the first principles of the Word of God to be learned by all Disciples entred into Christ's School And if so must it not be horrid profaneness to decry the knowledge of Baptism and its Doctrine To expose communion with God and his people to common hands never sanctified and by body washing separated from the heap of mankind on whom Baptism never stamped holinesse and grosse impiety to fling open the door of Gods house that dogs and swine may enter at pleasure there being no baptismal badge of distinction between them and the children of God Is it not great prodigality to offer the priviledges of the Covenant to every hand not having any Sealed interest whereon to claim Is it not grievous presumption to decline the directed order of the Gospel and dispence the holy things of God in a way and method contrary to that whereby Christ and his Apostles either injoyned or administred them Must not this needs be Superstition Will-worship a laying waste Divine directions and running from the Rule of Scripture and due method of holy things Must not God in his Jealousie needs arise and say to such Ministers as to the keepers of the Sanctuary Ez●k 44.7 You have enough of all abominations seeing ye have brought into my house the unbaptized in fl●sh and in spirit To what end do these men Baptize any or urge any to be Baptized In this assertion Baptisme is proclaimed a matter of indifferency nay a meer nullity an action of no advantage administred to no end for if it confer not outward Priviledges it will never conveigh inward Grace And thus the institutions of the Lord Jesus stands charged with folly and vanity and the Ordinances of the Gospel are made Complements and bootlesse Ceremonies but rather the Spirit of seduction is evidenced to be prophane notoriously wicked willingly withstanding Divine order and in