heard it of his Father And the Apostle Paul Acts 20. 27. saith That he had declared the whole counsell of God But hee never revealed the Dipping of Infants Therefore the dipping of Infants is none of the counsell of God And therefore as the Jewes were brought by Ceremonies to know Christ so let Christians learne to know first as the Lord saith Isai 53. 11. By his knowledge shall my Righteous servant justifie many And Jere. 31. 34. all shall know me from the least to the greatest and Phillip 3. 3. we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Quest 5. But what is the true ordinance of the dipping of Christ and wherein doth it differ from childrens Dipping which is the best way to shew the truth and what benefit doth Beleevers receive by it Answ That Dipping whereof we speake is Dipping burying or plunging a Beleever in VVater he desiring of this Ordinance of an Apostle Prophet or Evangelist To whom Christ by his Church hath committed the Administration In the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Spirit Matth. 28. 19. 20. in which definition you may observe these two parts 1. The matter and that is a true subiect of a Beleever confessing sinnes and faith desiring the ordinance 2. Water the Element and so you have the matter for the true forme which is First Christs power putting life into the Ordinance in his owne Institution delivered in these words to the Apostles goe yee Thirdly the right verball forme of words in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Spirit Fourthly consider the ends the Lord aimeth at in giving this ordinance of dipping to the Apostles and so to the Church First he will have them all conformable to himselfe Rom. 8. 29. Matt. 10. 13. Mark 1. 9. Luke 3. 21. for before that hee went about the worke of God hee went to Iohn to be dipped of him so before we take on us to make publike profession of Christ or any part of the Gospel much more to preach wee must be Dipped and so put on the right profession of the Gospel Gall. 〈…〉 as many of you as have been dipped into Christ hav◠〈…〉 Christ Secondly God doth by this holy ordinance assure and manifest that he hath washed us from all our sinnes by the blood of Jesus Christ Acts 22. 16. And doth truly and visably receive us into the Covenant of grace whereby wee are partaker of all the Promises therein contained that doe concerne the planting us in Christ or forgivenesse of sinnes and Gal. 3. 26. Hos 14. 3. Gal. 4. 4. 5. 5. 6. receptation of persons both that wee being fatherlesse by nature God will be a Father to us for yee are all the Children of God by faith in Iesus Christ Againe we are lost in Adam therefore we are washed in the Name of the Son for he hath redeemed us that wee might receive the Adoption of sonnes and because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father who of God is made into us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Thirdly we are unable to will or to doe any thing that is good And therfore wee have the holy Spirit to begin all in and perfect all for us and to worke all our works in us Isai 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our workes in us And Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities And Col. 1. 29. whereunto I labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily And Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe all his good pleasure Fourthly Hereby the Beleever that was by nature afarre off a Farrenner and Stranger is by the blood of Christ made nigh Ephes 2. 12. 13. 14. And is by this Ordinance of Dipping in union with the whole body of God upon earth 1 Cor. 12. 13. And may challenge a right in the priviledges of the Gospel in any place wheresoever he commeth into the Communion of the Saints Acts. 9. 26 27 28. Fiftly this is Christs Livery by which Christians are knowne from all other and the Church from the world Gal 3. 27. Sixly if at any time any should aske us who reqâ—ireth us to walke in such a holy fellowship and communion wee are inabled to it by Christ and so assured of Countenance in it by the Lords Supper for hee that saith he is in Christ and hath fellowship with him ought himself so to walke even as he hath walked John 1. 2. 6. Seventhly That the person thus dipped is first visibly sealed to the day of Redemption Secondly he hath truely a right to Communion as being dipped into that one body whereof Christ is head 1 Cor. 12. 13. Thirdly that hee is mortified Rom. 6. 4. crucified dead and buried and risen againe with Christ Gal. 3. 2. 3 4 5. Eightly that the Beleever may in that day role away all the reproach of Egypt or Antichristianisme renouncing the marke of the beast in our right hands by holding or fighting for him or in our forehead Revel 13. 16. by dipping of Infants that false Constitution of Rome to beget grace thus it is cleere who is the true subjects of Dipping And who are not Now the Lord Jesus came not till the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. 5. and when he was come never undertooke any Administration though he were heire of all things Heb. 1. 3. but in an orderly way as hath been shewed nor will hee contract marriage with any though the husband of all his Church and members Hosea 2. 19. I will betroath them unto me in Righteousnesse And in Judgement and in loving kindnesâ—e And in mercy yet not with any that are so young and under age Gal. 4. 1. 2. 3. that they are not sencible of the want of Christ or any benefit they receive by him or what contract they make with him In short all those holy ends that God aimed at in true dipping are wholly made voide and of no effect in the dipping of Infants which the Lord Christ commanded not Jere. 7. 31. Revel 22. 18. Matth. 28. 19 20. nor came into his heart And cursed is he that shall adde to the Word of the Lord Deut 4. 2. 12. 31. Prov. 30. 6. If any man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the Plagves that are written in this book and therefore that â—very one would be incovraged to bring out their Talent and not to hide it in a napkin to the overthrowing of all the inventions of the man of sinne Psal 137. 8 9. Objection 1. NOW follow certaine answeres to divers objections As First Matth. 19. 13. 14. In which it is cleere children were brought to Christ therefore he dâ—pt them or it was
A Small Treatise of BAPTISME OR DIPPING VVHEREIN Is Cleerely shewed that the Lord CHRIST Ordained Dipping for those only that professe Repentance and FAITH 1. Proved by Scriptures 2. By Arguments 3. A Paralell betwixt Circumcision and Dipping 4. An Answere to some Objections by P. B. Psal 119. 130. By EDVVARD BARBER Printed in the Yeere 1641. The Preface To all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and his Appearing Ephe. 6. 24. 1 Gal. 8. 9. Matth. 24. 30. 1 Revel 7. 1 Cor. 9. 18. 2. 11. 4. BEloved Reader it may seeme strange that in these times when such abundance of Knowledge of the Gospell is professed in the World there should notwithstanding be generally such ignorance especially in and amongst those that professe themselves Ministers thereof of that glorious principle True Baptisme or Dipping Ephe. 4. 5. Instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ which aâ— that look for life and Salvation by him ought to be partakers of it being that onely which was received by the Apostles and Primitive Churches and for a long time unviolably kept and practised by the ministerie of the Gospel in the planting of the first Churches that the Lord should amongst some others raise up mee a poore Tradesman to devlge this glorious Truth to the worlds censuring but first inasmuch as the Lord notwithstanding my own unworthinesse hath in his Son accepted and counted worthy to suffer for his Name It being also by the Providence of God so much in question at this time we are therefore imboldened thereunto 2. The Lords usuall dealing it being to bring mighty things to passe by weake meanes as in Josh 6. 3. 4 5 20. 1. 1. where the walls of Jerecho fell downe by the blasts of Rams hornes 1 Sam. 16. 11. Amos 7. 14. And Judg. 7. The Lord gave that great deliverance to Gideon and 300. which he would not doe to him with 32000. verse 2. 7. And 1 Cor. 1. 27. 28. Chusing the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and weake things to confound the mighty Jer 49. 20. 50. 44. And base things and things despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are Zach. 4. 10. thereâ—ore looking only at the glory of God and love to the Truth for which being imprisoned 11. Moneths by meanes whereof I being taken off my Calling had the more opportunitie to search the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so not as they delivered by Paul but practised by the Priestes and Prelates so our times for Paul delivered no such things as by them is practised in many particulars as is cleerly showne in the following discourse 3. The reports of some who notwithstanding they never saw our faces and so by discourse trie the Spirits as John adviseth 1 Joh. 4. 1. yet behind our backs have reproached us and so as Saint Jude saith Speake evill of things they know not and as Jere. saith speak a vision of their heart and not from the mouth of the Lord Jer. 23. 16. 30 31. 32. I am against the Prophesies saith the Lord that steale my words every one from his neighbour I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that use their tongues and say he saith Behold I am against them that prophesie false dreames saith the Lord and doe tell them and cause my people to erre by their lies and by their lightnesse yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord. 4. Others affirming there was no plaine text of the Dipping of any VVoman by the which they discover much ignorance of or malice against the Truth striving to uphold the Traditions of men in stead of the glorions Institutions of Jesus Christ for the word saith Acts 8. 12. that when they beleeved Philip preaching the things concerning the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the Name of Jesus Christ they were dipt both men and Women and Acts 16. 14. 15. Lidia a seller of purple with her houshold being judged faithfull was Dipped And Gal. 3. 28. Male and female one in Christ 5. Considering the great burden this State and Kingdome lately lay under chiefly by those that pretended to be the heads of the Church as hath been manifestly proved by divers that were none of their Clergy to their eternal fame in that most honorable high Court of Parliament 6. Others that pretend to come neerer in witnessing against the Prelates yet durst not Moses-like stand to it Exod. 23. 32. who desired his owne ruine rather then the destruction of the people But these seeing the Wolfe comming hid themselves or fled beyond the Seas not standing up in the gap to make up the hedge for the house of Israel so as they might justly be compared to the Foxes of the Desarts Ezek. 13. 4 5. so that if the Lord should have sought for one to make up the hedge and stand in the gap for the Land that it should not be distroyed they were gone beyond the Seas or â—id themselves when If ever the Kingdome stood in need but herein they discovered themselves to be hirelings and not true Shepheards John 10. 12 13. or as much as in them is giving Christ the lye who saith his Desciples shall be brought before Kings and Governours for his sake whereas the fearefull and unbeleeving are set in the forefront of wicked ones Revel 21. 8. But the true Shepheard layeth downe his life for his Flocke and Nehimia the 6. 11. being in danger and perswaded by Sanballet to goe into the Temdlâ— saith should such a manas I flye and who is he that being as I am would goe into the Temple to save his life I will not goe in then he perceived that God had not sent him and Acts 4. 18 19. 20. The Apostles being command silence by Authority durst not obey but answereth whether it bee right in the fight of God to hearken to you more then unto God judge yee for wee cannot but speake the things wee have seene and heard And Matthew 16. 25 26. Christ saith whosoever will save his life shall lose it and hee that shall lose his life for my sake shall find it This we see fulfilled in these daies for some forsaking the cause of Christ have lost estates and lives whereas others who have stood boldly to it have saved both And if Meroz with the Inhabitants thereof was cursed with a bitter Curse Judges 5. 23. Because they came not forth to the helpe of the Lord And Paul thought not good to take Marke with him because he went not with them to the worke what may wee think of those that run from it And if by the Law a Souldeir that leaves his Colours is to dye the death What may bee thought of those that leaves their Countries leaving the cause of Christ thinking thereby to shun the crosse When if ever the Kingdome stood in need of helpe
But at this time which is to bee noted the Lord raised up divers Gentlemen Laymen as they call them to stand most boldly to the truth in respect of Church and Common-Wealth And as John saith Revella 12. 11. loved not their lives unto the death And Paul-like Acts 21. 13. was not only ready to bee bound but to suffer for the Name of Christ Againe others who pretend to come neerest in that way in separating yet hold the baptisme they there received though on no ground for iâ— they were truely baptised into that Church I conceive with submission to better judgements they ought to continue and to separate for corruptions as is clearly proved by B. Hall in his Apology against the Brownists shewing that either they must goe forward to baptisme or come backe againe to the Bishops and Church 7. Considering the great wrong done in putting out some Scripture as in the 14. Acts 23. where Election is left out by which meanes people are kept from knowing muchlesse injoying their priviledge put chased by the blood of Christ the causers thereof for so doing lying under the reproofe which the Lord speakes of in the 13. Chapter of Ezekiel Secondly some words left untranslated as in the 28. of Mat. 19. where the word may as well be Dipping as in Luke the 16. 29. And this is acknowledged by the Clergy in the booke of Common Prayer where the Minister is commanded to dip the child 8. There being now a yeare of Jubiâ—e such an Assembly as that most Honourable high Court of Parliament whose eares God hath opened to heare what ever by any shall be spoken for Gods glory and the good of this State Gamaliel-like Acts 5. 34. 35. weighing and considering things least otherwise they should be found fighters against God therefore with Ester 4. 16. desire to venture if I perish I perish conceiving if some should not now speake the stones of the street might cry wee having lately taken the Oath of Protestatâ—on against Popery and Popish innovation injoyned upon all the Kingdome ingenerall And sprinkling of children being an invention of men brought in neere three hundered yeares after Christ therefore in obedience to God and love to our native Country we desire to publish what truth the Lord betrusts us withall hoping that God will effect his pleasure by this weake meanes or make it a motive to stir up some of more ability who will as in Nehemia's time search the Regester and those that found not their Genealogy were as polluted put from the Priesthood and as Christ commands search the Scriptures John 5. 39. and so returne to his institutions 9. The great cause we have to admire the goodnesse and love of God to this Nation in King Edward the sixts daies for the great light that then broke forth and they imploying that talent they received for Gods glory yet now the light springing forth forth in such abundance according to the VVord of the Lord Isai 11. 9. we having received more talents or a greater measure of knowledge it cannot be but the Lord requires an answerable obedience according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. for he that had one talent was not blamed because he did not imploy two but because he imployed not that hee had so likewise had hee that received five beene guilty of the same reproofe had he imployed but one Matth. 25. 15. to the 30. looking at the Camelion-like dispotion of the Ministers of late times in King Henry the Eights dayes Papists in King Edward the Six dayes Protestants in Queen Maries daies Papists in Queen Elizabeths Protestants when the Bishops were in power and authoritie submit flie their Countries or hide their heads now that by the Providence of God they are in disgrace in part down oppose them with all their might whereas the true Ministers of Christ were ever the same not variable or changing Eph. 4. 11. 12. 13. 14. which times and estate Government looking only to God for direction from that great Prophet the Lord Jesus Christ Deut. 18. 15. Acts 3. 21. 22. 23. Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Revel 5. 5. Lastly It 's not unknowne that the faithfull servants of God who have indeavored most faithfulnesse have often gone under reproaches and slanders as Eliah was counted the troubler of Israel 1 King 18. 17. and Acts 17. 6. Paul and Silas was said to turne the world upside downe And Acts 24. 5. Paul was counted a pestilent fellow a mover of Sedition amongst the Jewes and a Ring-leader of the Nazarites insomuch that they were commanded not to preach in the Name of Christ Acts 4. 18. but verse the 19 20 they answered Whether it be right in the sight of God to speake to you more then unto God judge yee For we cannot but speake the things which wee have seene and heard from whence wee may observe the ministers of Christ could never have their mouthes stopt by men no not the majestrate much lesse the Prelates In like manner lately those that professe and practise the dipping of Jesus Christ instituted in the Gospel are called and reproached with the name of Anabaptists although our practice be no other then what was instituted by Christ himself withall desiring if there be any that from the VVord of God can shew that we walke in a false way or error in denying the dipping of infants that they would doe it for wee professe our selves such as desire the glory of God and eternall life after death being confident that our desire or endeavors cannot bring us thither but only Christ Heb. 10. 14. Coll. 1. 14. in whom wee have Redemption through his blood and verse 19. 23. withall walking â—n that only way which leadeth thereunto by him prescribed in his VVord Joh. 14. 6. 10. 1. Acts 5. 32. Heb. 5. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of of eternall salvation to all that obey him and Thesal 2. 1. 7. 8. when the Lord Jesus Christ shal be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flamâ—ng fire rendring vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ desiring therefore that these Scriptures may be well weighed considered of all those that feare God to the end we may be reformed if we erre in our judgements by mis-understanding the Scrâ—ptures and so be brought to acknowledge the Truth which wee shall willingly imbrace if not though wee walke in the way called heresie as Paul did Acts 24. 14. yet so worship wee the God of our Fathers and at the great day Every man must give account for himself Rom. 14. 10. and Matth. 15. 15. Christ saith Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up meane time all is to grow together though not in the Church yet in the world which is the field expounded by Christ himself Matth. 13. 38. Againe knowing