in a little Tractate be upon that occasion wrote on this Subject to justifie the antient and good practise of this sacramental Rite as Bucer calls it thus speaks Cap. 1. Confirmation is an antient Ecclesiastical custom of the Church used after Baptism consisting in Examination and Imposition of hands with effectual prayer for the Ilumination of Gods most holy Spirit to confirm and perfect that which the Grace of the same Spirit hath already begun in Baptism The benefits of this Confirmation are divers whereof the first is That men expecting Examination and tryal from their spiritual Fathers they might more willingly acquaint and carefully season themselves with the grounds of Christian Religion before malice and corrupt examples depraved their minds c. Secondly It serves that when they come to years of Discretion they should publiquely make confession of that faith themselves which others had promised for them in Baptism to the discharge of their sureties and the good examples of others Thirdly That by such confession they might make profession of difference from all Jews Turks and Infidels out of the Church Hereticks Schismaticks and prophane persons in the Church Fourthly That then especially when they first come to the use of Reason beginning to fall into sundry kinds of sin and being least able to resist for want of experience by Imposition of hands and prayer they might receive strength and defence against the temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil Fifthly That the Prelates and chief Guides of Gods family to whom the cure of souls belongeth finding upon due Examination some part of their own heavy burden discharged might from thence reap Comfort in beholding those fair Foundations already laid and glorifie God Whose praise they found in the mouths of Infants This kind of Confirmation were there no Authority to countenance it is in my Judgement so usefull in the Church of God that upon good reason it might be entertained among Christians But for further confirmation of it we are incompassed with a cloud of witnesses and that so plentifully out of all Antiquity as it might seem a kind of Ambition or lost labour to quote their names Wherefore I will only alledge the soundest of those who since the Reformation of Religion and clearer Light of the Gospel in their several Writings have approved and highly commended this antient custom And bringing in Bucer Melancton Zuinglius Chemnitius and others to speak to this Truth he cites Mr. Calvin among the rest in these words John Calvin in his fourth Book of Institutâ—on in theVpshot of the chapter of Confirmation Cap 19. Para. 13. not only commendeth the antient use of it but the abuse being removed heartily wisheth it restored And because his Authority is not without desert of great weight I will set down his words as I find them Would to God saith he we retained that custom which I have already declared to have been in use among the Antients before that abortive Vizard of a Sacrament was put upon it And a little after If this part of Discipline were now a dayes in force the slackness of many Parents would be much quickened who pass over the Institution or Instruction of their Children as a business nothing pertaining to them which then without some publique disgrace they could not omit Besides There would be less Ignorance and more concord in Articles of Faith among Christian people neither would they so easily be carried away with new and strange Opinions FINIS
as if the hand of God should do it So it is said John 3.23 That Jesus came into Judea and baptized and verse 26. The Jews say to John He to whom thou bearest witness behold the same baptizeth and again cap. 4.1 It is said That Jesus made and baptized more Disciples then John yet verse 2. We are told That Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples That which Officers and Servants do by Commission and Authority of their Master is accounted to be his Action And so First God receiveth us hereby into his family to be numbred among his people of whom he will have a special care â—o Chrysost speaks to the newly baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the seal as it were of God upon us his Mark and Caracter whereby he owns us for his sheep and knows us from all other so as to have a more particular inspection over us then the rest of the world that make not this profession to indow us with certain peculiar favours even before we are able to perform any part of our Duty unto him It is the door whereby we enter into the Church the Gate that lets us into Christs fold and the first step to fellowship with God and with his people Whence it was the Font you know used to be placed at the door or entrance of the Church V. August l. 2. de Catec rud cap. 1. to signifie that by this we come into the Congregation of Christs Disciples but yet that by Baptism we are brought but to the beginning of Religion and must make a further progress to perfection till we come to the holy place and into a nearer communion with God The Minister likewise used to take the Infants into his arms to signifie I suppose Gods receiving and embracing of them with a loving affection Yea he used to kiss them either to signifie that love of God to them or that they were now of that community and body whom the Apostle bid to salute one another with a holy Kiss And all this is supposed in the word Proselytes or Comers unto God which clearly argues some relative Action of his which is receiving and entertaining them graciously as those he will have in his favour But more particularly Secondly Hereby God receives us into a state of pardon and forgiveness He assures us that Adams sin shall not undo us and that every sin of our own shall not exclude us out of Heaven but that we shall have the benefit of Repentance and an allowance to retract our follies yea and Grace so to do if we will make use of it He admits us into that Covenant of Grace which accepts of Repentance in stead of Innocence and Amendment in stead of an unerring Obedience This is one of the special favours of the Gospel which by Baptism is consigned unto us that former Iniquities shall not be remembred and that every breach of our Covenant if there be a real chanâ—â— wrought in us shall not void it and make it null and ineffectuall unto us So in Mark 1.4 John is said to preach the Baptism of Repentance for Remission of sin And Ananias saith Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins And the Greek Church after Baptism sings those words three times Georg. Fhelavius Ib. Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven As those who came to the Baptism of John did thereby receive a distinguishing mark and character that they should not be-destroyed in the ruine of the Nation in so much that he saith to the Pharisees that desired Baptism Mat. 3.7 Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come So they that are baptized into Christ do thereby receive a pledge that no sin which they stand guilty of shall bring the anger of God upon their heads if they will keep his Covenant but all shall be crossed out which they are charged with and be like words writ in the water that are obliterated and vanished nowhere any more to be found Thirdly We receive hereby the Promise of the Spirit the Effusion of which Joh. 3.5 is likened to the pouring out of water and so is in Baptism most aptly signified and represented I will pour saith the Prophet waters on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground i. e. upon the Gentiles who were as a wilderness Isa 44 3 4 5. I will pour my Spirit on thy seed and my blessing upon thy Off-spring and they shall spring up as among the grass c. In which place that there may be a Prediction of Baptism it is very probable for thus much some of the Jews do acknowledge that the Prophet speaks of Gentiles that should be Proselytes and called by the name of Israel and we Christians know that we are Abrahams seed and that this Promise hath a respect to the times of the Gospel Rasi out of R. Nathan thus glosses upon the fifth verse There are four sorts of Converts here spoken of one shall say I am the Lords (*) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are they that are Proselytes of Justice or the most perfect Converts And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob (†) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the little Ones of the ungodly And another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord (‖) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the Penitents or the men that repent and surname himself by the name of Israel (*) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the strangers i. e. those that observed the Precepts of the sons of Noah and particularly renounced Idolatry and therefore this part of the verse is by another rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that fear God Where observe V. Raimund pug fidei par 2. cap. 14. that he calls one sort of these Converts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little ones who were not thought it seems to be unmeet to be made members of a Church and were not judged by their fathers admission to be received but were distinctly admitted by themselves by the decree as they tell us of the house of Judgement And observe likewise that all these Proselytes being said to spring as it were out of the water * So Chrysost calls the new baptized persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Orat. prima secunda de Resurrect these words may well be a Prophesie of Christian Baptism to which a promise of the Spirit is annexed which is very well signified by water for as that cleanses and purifies from filth so the Spirit of God called upon this account the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of Gods people purging and cleansing their hearts from all impurities This being therefore the great work of the Spirit so well represented by water we must conclude that when the Minister washeth us in Gods name God thereby promiseth that he will be assistant to us by the holy Ghost that he will send
is now sealed by Baptism to this particular person which receives it Therefore Sixthly The sum of all is that hereby we are regenerated and born again It is the Sacrament of the new birth by which we are put into a new state and change all our relations so that whereas before we were only the Children of Adam we are now taken to be the Children of God such of whom he will have a fatherly care and be indulgent and mercifull unto We have now a relation likewise to Christ as our Head and to the holy Ghost as the Giver of life and grace Yea herein he grants remission of sin and we are sanctified and set apart to his uses We being hereby given to him and he accepting of us do become his possession and proper goods and cannot without being guilty of the foulest Robbery sin against God We are made hereby the Temples of the Holy Ghost the place where he and nothing else is to inhabite and being by this consecrated to him â—â—e likewise then enters upon his possession and we are said thereby to receive the holy Ghost so that if we run into sin we defile his house and commit the greatest profaness and impiety and may be said very truly to do despite to the Spirit of God whereby we were sanctified Socrates in Plato well saith that every man is by his birth In Phaedon◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One of Gods freeholds and therefore concludes it is as unlawfull for a man to kill himself as a servant to run away from his Master seeing he is not his own goods nor can dispose of his life according to his pleasure In this second birth God is seized again of us he owns us in a special manner for his Children and we may not without committing a double murder sin against him and may be called twice dead if we do because in Baptism are the beginnings of a new life and the Spirit of life takes hold of us and as far as is agreeable to our age and condition we are renewed by the Holy Ghost For Baptism being a beginning of our performance of our duty God doth likewise in it begin proportionably to make good his promise We may call it therefore with Cyprian Genetalis unda aqua salutaris c. the Laver of Regeneration seeing as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12.13 By one spirit we are all baptized into one body c. whereby he intimates that the Spirit of God doth accompany this water and therefore we must be in a sort made other Creatures I see no cause to leave this antient language which may have a very good sense and none I suppose will deny but that at least a Relative change is herein made and so much Grace and Favour is conferred Apolog. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we stand upon better terms then meer nature did instate us in Justin Martyr relating the manner how Christians were made that the Heathens might not he offended so much at their Religion speaks of this matter When men are perswaded of the thing that we teach and promise to live accordingly they fast and pray and beg of God remission of sin and then we bring them to the water and so they are born again after the same manner that we were regenerated to this he applyes that place Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born again c. All things seem to grow out of water and it was not unfitly made by one of the antient wise men the first Principle of all so that it may well signifie another birth a new plantation in a better soil which is watered by daily dews and showers of Gods heavenly Grace and in it we may be said to have changed our Patents and all our relations so as after a manner to become new Creatures Li. paedag cap. 7. If Clemens Alex. his reading of that place Mat. 3.17 be right one would think that Christ was by Baptism admitted to his office and had a kind of a new birth in it Thou art my beloved Son this day have I begotten thee i.e. now have I appointed thee to thy office now of the Son of Joseph as thou art esteemed I declare thee the Son of God and make thee my Vicegerent That which was perfectly done at the Resurrection to which those words This day have I begotten thee are applyed Act. 13.33 was begun and done in sign at Baptism when the Holy Ghost likewise descended upon him and anointed him unto his office And so in after times they used to anoint the baptized person with oyl to represent I suppose that God took him to be his Son and did bestow upon him the Holy Spirit But because Clemens must be thought to have expressed rather the sense then the very words that were spoken let us consider only what succeeded our Saviours Baptism and it will tell us thus much that at that time it was that God first owned him openly for his Son and it may well teach us that in Baptism God takes us to be his Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are received under his shadow are and shall be indued with this Holy Spirit according as it follows in him Christ was our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemplar or Pattern and being baptized are illuminated and being illuminated we are made sons and being made sons we are compleated and being compleated we are made immortal There is nothing wanting after we are baptized to the injoying the whole of this but that we be faithfull in Gods Covenant and follow the conduct of Gods illuminating and holy Spirit till we be made Possessors of that Immortality unto which in Baptism we have a Title given us The antient Christians speak of high Illuminations wherewithall God pleased then to grace Baptism I make no question but they speak as they felt and that they talk not of a strange change then wrought which never was but if any say that those great Communications of the Holy Ghost were proper to that time when Christ did most notably attest to the Truth of his own Institutions for the conviction of Unbelievers I think so also for young plantations needed larger effusions of the heavenly dews to water and cherish them But yet we may conceive that there may be still some operations of that spirit in mens hearts at Baptism though secret insensible unto us and I profess my self one of those that labour to believe very highly of Christs presence with all his own ordinances though if any cannot savour this I will not contend nor fight in the dark but desire the other things may be entertained which are certain and then there will be sufficient ground to think that it is not indifferent whether we be baptized or no and that it is not a naked Ceremony that neither doth good not harm as some men seem to speak against the constant sense of the people of God And thus much may suffice concerning
this notion so far and our Saviour might not have respect to such things as these Yet this we are sure of John 3.5 that we must be born again of water and the Spirit and that our spiritual nourishment after Christ is conceived with in us is compared unto water also as you may see John 4.14 And I cannot but likewise think that he had some regard in appointing Baptism to the cleansing and cooling quality that is in water and that it excellently represents unto us the Spirit of God to be poured forth to the purifying and washing us from the filth of sin and the blood of Christ to the extinguishing our guilt and quenching the heat of Gods anger that might justly burn in our souls when we did remember that we were sinners But there have so many several § 6 winds of Doctrine blown upon these Waters of Baptism and strove together that they are become troubled and darkened so that one can scarcely see with any clearness to the bottom of them The great Controversies that have arose about the persons that should be baptized have so tossed and agitated mens thoughts that I doubt few have any calm and setled apprehensions of the nature and end of Baptism it self Most books that treat of this subject are so concerned in the quarrel of Infants that the use which men ought seriously to make of it is much forgotten If men thought more of its true ends they would lay aside their Disputes or not manage them so roughly and they would soon see that we are all baptized into the same Spirit and made of the same body and entred by it into the same society and community of holy and peaceable Ones What more cool then water What sooner puts out all our fires If the waters of Baptism next to the blood of Christ were sprinkled upon our intemperate heats they would asswage our boiling passions and we should contain our selves within the due bounds of a loving and gentle Zeal But as I said it is but little thought of for what Christ did institute this holy Rite Some look upon it but as a cold Ceremony and many speak of it as a thing that must be done because Christ hath commanded but cannot tell to what purpose and others glory in it as a priviledge but little understand any thing of duty that it requires of them L. 31. c. 2. Pliny tells of a water in Cilicia which is called he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mind because it will make their senses that drink it subtil and apprehensive Suidas on the contrary saith that it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or want Wit because it makes people foolish and takes away their understanding Such a different esteem do men seem to have of these waters of Baptism while some who seem wise despise them as of no efficacy and use them only in compliance with simple people and others make them such heavenly waters that they doubt not at all but being baptized they are wise enough unto salvation but both of them are agreed in this to understand no Engagement that is laid upon us by them and to expect that what they can do should be wrought alone by them without any help or assistance from our selves And we find the greatest multitude of that sort who do glory in Baptism as the Jews did boast of Circumcision who say in effect what Julian its like falsly makes Constantius say In his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That our Religion requires nothing of the greatest sinners but only this Wash and thou art clean from all thy foul crimes and if thou commit them again do but knock thy breast and beat thy head and all is well But Justin Martyr might have answered him and gives us all another lesson in his Dialogue with the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where he saith What good doth that Baptism that scours the skin only and makes the body white Baptize your selves from anger and from covetousness from envy and hatred and then behold your body is clean It is a sign and seal of Gods great blessings and so it is of our promise to him of Obedience upon condition then that we own this Covenant when we understand it and keep our selves strictly and religiously to the terms of it We may say of these waters as Euripides of the sea upon the accasion of Plato's recovery by the salt waters in Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They wash away and heal all the evil diseases of men Vitruvi L. 8. cap. 3. But otherwise they will be like some waters in Thrace in which whosoever washes he certainly dies I have therefore adventured to § 7 expose to the world a few of my green and unconcocted thoughts concerning this Argument and to represent what I conceive to be the true meaning of Baptism which is nothing different from the sense of the Church of God There are a multitude of Books I know in the world and men complain of it they that do may let this alone and of others I may easily obtain a pardon for putting my self into the crowd since I take up but a little room and make but a very short stop in their passage to better Authors Others it may be said might have been better allowed to have handled this matter I think so too and believe there are great numbers that understand better and multitudes that understand as much and some that can inlarge these things that are here said into more perspicuous and profitable discourses and I dare not so much as flatter my self that I am able to lead the way to any of them if I may provoke them to do better I think my labour well bestowed I am sensible that the images of truth make but a weak and waterish impression upon my mind but they may draw more lively pictures of themselves upon other souls and let them give us a Copy of their conceptions § 8 Since the preaching of this Sermon it came so strongly into my mind by taking notice of some discourses abroad to insert something of Confirmation that I could not well put away those thoughts and so I have let them take their place in the body of the Sermon by way of perswasion to a more hearty and open owning of the baptismal Covenant Thereby men will ascend from Water unto Wine from a weak estate to a more strong and manly constitution and God will not only sprinkle clean water upon their faces but even lay his hands upon their heads thereby taking more firm hold of them and apprehending them for his own and conferring his blessings more abundantly on them now that they put themselves into his hands to be directed and ruled in all things by him as those that are wholly in his power I dare not keep you any longer in the entry for fear you grow weary and loth to step over the Threshold of the next
leaf and look into the main Building And there I shall not stay your eyes long for my furniture being little it was not wisdom to make the house too wide and spacious S. P. ACTS 16.33 ult And was baptized he and all his straightway CHrist having given a Command to his Apostles to go and teach or disciple all Nations Mat. 28.19 baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost We find in this story of their Acts wherein some of their travels are related that as soon as they had perswaded any persons to be Christians immediately they received them into their fellowship by this Ceremony of washing them with water A Truth which among all the Disputes about Baptism one would think should never have been quarrelled yet there have been those busie phansies in the world that have called this into Question August de haeres 46. 59. and would perswade us that our Saviour in those words intended not any such washing with water and no other Baptism is to be owned but that of the Spirit But so men may say if they please that when Philip and the Eunuch went into the water Act. 8.38 he baptized him with fire If the Apostles could understand our Saviours meaning those men are sufficiently refuted by their practise for though our Saviour Baptized none that we read of but with the Spirit and the Papists will have a hard task to obtain this preheminence for Peter that he received the Baptism of water at Christs hands yet it will be needless pains to prove that his Apostles and their Successors after them did initiate and admit Disciples in that manner But notwithstanding this there are others that left the world should be quiet do start a new Question Whether that Command of our Lords extended any further then to the first proselyting of the Nations or ought now to be followed among Christian people who might have spared the labour of making such a doubt unless they could give us some ground to think that that part of their Commission was after revoked or then limited to such a time and likwise solidly expound those following words I am with you alwayes to the end of the world and shew us why the work of the new birth which the Apostle makes the signification of Baptism is not now as well as then to be shadowed and represented Yet others will not let their wits be at rest but make a further inquiry Whether the words of our Saviour include in them a Command or only a Permission because he saith only Baptizing not Baptize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though the constant practise of the Apostles in this Book related and of the Church afterward might well have been sufficient to have silenced these thoughts without any further dispute and the following words likewise Teaching them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 20. c. would have told such men that their inquiry was needless unless it can be thought that because he doth not say Go teach we may chuse whether we will give any further instruction to our people Taking it therefore for granted without engaging my self in such questions that the words now read do speak of Baptism by water still to be retained in the Church of God you may observe in them these three things 1. A Rite or Ceremony used and that is Baptism or washing with Water 2. The persons baptized The Jaylor and all his 3. The time of its Administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straight-way instantly at that hour of the night that the foregoing story was acted without any further delay From which I am invited to treat of three things First Of the Use and Intention of Baptism Secondly Of the qualities or dispositions of those that receive it Thirdly Of the time that is required to render them persons fitly qualified to receive it For the Explication of the first we need find no fault with the common language that saith Baptism in its general notion is an outward visible sign and seal of some inward and invisible grace and favour conveyed and made over thereby unto us But to difference it from the other Sacrament we must enquire what that grace favour and priviledge is and shew how it doth signifie and seal it between God and us And upon due consideration I believe we shall find that to be Baptized expresseth something on our part and something on Gods both which put together make it a foederal Rite whereby we and God enter into a Covenant and Agreement together and mutually engage to the performance of several things which are all to our behoof and benefit 1. As we present our selves to the Minister of this Sacrament and receive it so it expresses something done by us and then 2. As the Minister Gods Deputy or Embassadour doth receive us and wash us with this water by the Authority and into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost so it expresseth something done by God Both which it concerns us for the securing of our duty and our comfort also to be acquainted withall and therefore I shall shew you 1. What is the true meaning and intent of it on the part of the person baptized who offers himself or is offered to receive it which I will lay before you in these particulars First In the general notion of it it is a profession of a Religion whereinto we enter and to which we engage to be faithfull and constant Disciples It is a Ceremony whereby Proselytes are made and all that use it do thereby come into a new way and state forsaking all their old perswasions practises and relations wherein they were born and bred that are contrary to and inconsistent with these new Ingagements It is well observed by St. August In nullum nomen relâ—gionis seu vâ—râ—m sâ—u fâ—lsum coâ—gâ—tari pâ—ssant hâ—â—inâ—s niâ—â— al quo Signaculorum seu Sacramentorum visib lium Conoâ—tâ—o â—oll gâ—atur adv Faust l. 19. cap. 11. That men can be associated together in no Religion whether true or false unless they be combined by the common tie of some visible signs and Sacraments of their profession Which the world hath found by so long experience to be true that I need not be carefull to prove it The Jews it is manifest were differenced from others by Circumcision and as their Doctors tell us entred into Covenant with God not only by it but by Baptism also together with a sacrifice unto him And when a Heathen would become a Jew and undertake their Religion See Puxtorf Lex Rab. vocab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so repose himself as their phrase is under the wings of the divine Majesty he was to be circumcised baptized and offer Sacrifice for which Maimon as sundry Learned men observe out of him De prohibito congressu brings no other proof but that Num. 15.15 As ye are so shall the stranger be so supposing as a thing