hands all one with baptisme in truth And therefore he saith further If then yee be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on those things above and not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory Col. 3.1 2 3. This is that first resurrection spoken of Rev. 20.5 wherein whosoever hath part the second death shall have no power on him This baptisme then which the Apostles thus preached and describeth and causeth these spirituall and heavenly effects must needs be that given them in charge by Christ Mat. 28. Mark 16. the same which Peter saith saveth us 1 Pet. 3.21 according to the words of Christ He that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved This baptisme is of necessity to life and salvation which that with water of springs and rivers is not this may be where it is not and it where this shall never be And concerning the Belief that goeth before this Baptisme it is that common Beliefe which any man may have upon the generall publication of the Gospel as it is said Goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospell to every creature And is the same kind of Beliefe that Judas and those Disciples had who when Christ told them that except they did eate his flesh and drink his blood they had no life in them were offended and walkt no more with him of whom he said there are some of you that beleeve not though they did beleeve in that common kind And this kind of beliefe every one most have in some measure before hee can repent and beleeve unto remission of sinnes and salvation before he can eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood by beleeving in him But he that beleeveth not that is to say he that rejecteth the word after he hath heard it and been convinc'd by it despising the counsell of God concerning himselfe as many of the Jewes and also of the Gentiles did and doe at this day hee shall bee condemned as Christ saith Mark 16. John 12.45 And so some mens sins goe before hand to judgment as it is written And whereas Paul faith There is one Spirit one Faith one Baptisme Ephes 4.4 5 6. he speaketh distinctly of those three speciall graces mentioned by Peter Acts 2.38 and by himselfe Acts 19.4 5 6. before observed whereof the birth from above and Baptisme spoken of John 3. Matth. 28. Mark 16. consisteth and calleth the baptisme of Repentance by the name of one baptisme as distinguishing it by that name from that one Spirit and one Faith which he doth also distinctly name as being all three speciall things peculiar to Gods elect agreeing in one So Ephes 6. he counteth them as principall parts of the Armour of God and calleth the baptisme of repentance The preparation of the Gospel of peace vers 15. And these are the three spoken of by John where he saith And there are three that beare witnesse in earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one 1 John 5.8 Meaning by the Spirit the Spirit of Adoption and by the Water the teares of repentance proceeding from an humble contrite heart and by the blood the mercy and love of God shed forth in the same heart by the Spirit and so enjoyed assuredly through Faith in Christ which is the garment dipt in the blood of the Lamb. And so they agree in one bearing witnesse to the truth And these three were in all the holy Fathers and Prophets from the beginning bearing witnesse with them to the truth And in that woman which washt Christs feet with her teares and with such spirituall affections of love kissed them and anointed them with oyle of all which Christ himselfe gives testimony and proveth by her much love that she had much forgiven her Whose example is recorded unto us all to this day to read and consider For although the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ was not then offered yet it was in account with God as the price wherewith they all of his chosen were bought and those graces purchased for them And therefore it being now accomplished the Disciple whom Jesus loved testifying of him and bearing witnesse also of the truth having those three witnesses in himselfe saith This is he that came by Water and Blood even Jesus Christ not by Water only but by Water and Blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse and the Spirit is Truth 1 John 5.6 For so had John seen it as he saith But one of the Souldiers with a Speare pierced his fide and forthwith came there out Blood and Water And he that saw it bare record and his record is true and he knoweth that he saith truth that ye might beleeve John 19.34 35. And so it is true indeed as John said That Christ came not by Water onely but by Water and Blood for both came forth of his fide with the speare He came by Water to purchase the Baptisme of Repentance for us in respect of our sins and by Blood that we might be washed therewith from our sins and by it and his resurrection jusâ—â—â—ied and by his life saved according as himselfe declared to his Disciples after he was risen from the dead Luke 24.46 47. and as Paul saith Rom. 5.10 Unto him therefore who is the faithfull witnesses and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth to him that hath so loved us and purchased these great things for us washed us from our sinnes in his own blood made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father was dead and is alive and shall never die more to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen NOw if all these things be so and that no man can be saved except he be born of water and of the Spirit and that this birth is not from below but from above of God and not by the will of the flesh nor of man as the Scriture saith Joh. 1.13 Joh. 3. Then no man can by his own will or power attain thereunto as some men teach and perswade who say that Adam with all in his loins was restored by the promise of the seed which is Christ to all that hee lost by eating the forbidden fruit and that there is therefore no originall sin to be supposed and that all children are conceived and born without any sin holy and good as Adam was in his first estate and that every child which dieth before it commit actuall sin is saved This kind of generall Redemption which some teach is not onely contrary to the Scriptures and so deceiving to the people but they doe hereby also make God to deal very unreasonably and unjustly in putting Adam and all in him
that speciall manner before declared it never was preached to any but the contrite hearted repentant sinners they have a speciall particular word of promise made unto them in particular whereon to ground their Faith which no sinner else hath and they fall not away they are built upon the sure Rock And their faith therefore is of another kinde differing from that which is common to all grounded on the generall publication or History of the Word called therefore by some and that rightly Historicall Faith or the Faith of knowledge and is distinguished from it and from that also called Miraculous by severall distinct names given it in Scripture as The Faith of Abraham The Faith which worketh by love The Faith of Christ The Faith of Jesus Christ The Faith of the Son of God The Faith of Gods elect their pretious Faith their most holy Faith and such like Which Faith being defined what it is in the true nature of it It is a full perswasion or assurance wrought in the heart of a Repentant sinner by the speciall grace and Spirit of God of forgivenesse of sinnes of peace of love of reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ according to that which Paul speaketh Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39. and Heb. 10.22 23. And as this Faith of Gods elect is distinguished in Scripture from Faith of other kindes So is that gift of the Spirit whereby it is wrought and the love of God sealed in their contrite heart distinguished from other common gifts of the Spirit by severall excellent distinct names as the Spirit of Christ The Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus The Spirit of his Sonne crying Abba Father The Spirit of Adoption The Spirit of Truth c. And this is that seed which remaineth in the heart of every one that receiveth it that holy Spirit whereby they are sealed unto the day of redemption And they are those branches in the vine and that good ground which bring forth good fruit thirty sixty an hundred fold And of such as these doth the Church of Christ consist against which the gates of hell shall not prevaile These are those lively stoues built on the chiefe comer stone Jesus Christ that spirituall house and holy Priesthood which offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable unto God by him and which God hath decreed and concluded in Scripture to be his Tabernacle and Sanctuary wherein he will dwell for evermore Now though a man should know all these things to bee true and all that the Scriptures have spoken yet if he have not his part in them if he be not baptized with the Baptisme of Repentance and the Baptisme of the holy Ghost before spoken of and so born 〈◊〉 above of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of GOD For so hath the eternall Word Jesus Christ the Sonne of God unrevocably concluded saying to Nicodemus and so to every man Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God John 3.11 And therefore it was that hee gave that great power and charge unto the Apostles when he was to depart from them saying Goe yee and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost c. Matth. 28.18 19 20. and Mark 16. Go yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature vers 15. according to that in Luke 24.46 47 48 49. and saying Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but hee that beleeveth â—ot shall be condemned Mark 16.16 What this baptisme is and what the beliefe is that goeth before it and what the not beleeving is in the last place are the things chiefly to be considered here The Baptisme can bee no other than the same before spoken of consisting of Repentance toward God and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with the speciall gift of the Spirit being the parts of the new birth from above described by the names of Water and of the Spirit such a Baptisme as whosoever is baptized therewith shall bee saved Not the doing away the filth of the flesh the washing with the element of Water as they of Rome would have it and doe so take it in both places using the form of words in Matth. 28. concluding that by the same action they are regenerate and that except the act be performed they cannot be saved But it is and must needs be that which the Apostles to whom the charge was first given performed As first when Peter preached saying Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Acts 2. and Paul Acts 19.4 5 6. In both which places the baptisme of Repentance toward God and of Faith in the Lord JESUS CHRIST and of the holy Ghost are expresly named according to the order and meaning of the words Matth. 28. And to the same purpose also Paul spâ—â—â—… Acts 20. where he saith That hee kept nothing back that was profitable but testified both to the Jewes and also to the Greekes Repentance toward GOD and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ verse 21. which to the Hâ—brewes he calleth the Doctrine of baptisme Heb. 6. This is the Baptisme of which he faith to the Christians at Rome Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so we should walk in newnesse of life Rom. 6.34 And to them of Galatia For ye are all the children of God by faith for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.26 27. And to them of Colossâ—â— Ye are compleat in him who is the head of all Principalities and powers in whom also yee are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God who hath raised him up from the dead Col. 2.10 11 12. These excellent effects and fruies of being dead to sinne and to the body thereof and to the world of walking in holinesse and newnesse of life so rising as Christ is risen and putting on Christ and being cloathed with him of being dead and buried and risen with him as it is declared in these severall places cannot be understood as caused by any outward baptizing with water of springs or rivers but onely by a power and operation of God from above For as circumcision in the flesh is not circumcision but that of the heart as Paul saith Rom. 2. So it is concerning baptisme and therefore he counteth circumcision made without
in him that is in his flesh as Paul saith Rom. 7. So then it is cleare and certain that whosoever is born of God are kept by the power of God and of Christ his seed the Spirit of Christ remaineth in them and they shal never perish And this is the true estate of every child of God that is born of him which if they who teach the contrary doctrine could attain they should discern the things that so truly differ and be able to distinguish truly between the speciall peculiar graces which they onely that are born of God partake of and those that are common to all Could they annoynt their eyes with that eye-salve of which Christ speaketh Rev. 3.18 19. Draw such water as they in Samuels dayes did powre it out before the Lord the tears of true repentance from an humble and contrite heart and confesse their sinnes unto him and desire mercy they should then be baptized with that one Spirit and beleeve in their hearts with that one faith and have that one hope of the Saints and see and know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven for unto such onely doth God reveal them as it is written Psal 25. Math. 11.25 Matth. 13.11 They would not then reject that first principle of Christ the baptisme of repentance as a needlesse thing to goe before in the heart of a sinner to prepare the way to the Faith of Christ which justifieth such sinners from their sinnes and call it a comming in by the back doore Nor judge such poore heavie loaden weary soules to bee at the farthest distance from Christ of any sinners in the world as some have done But would know that they are the bruised Reeds and broken hearted whom Christ was anoynted to preach the good tidings unto and to bind up those lost sheep whō he came into the world to seek out and to save let them therefore confider of these things and repent And let every one unto whom God hath given eyes to see eares to heare and a heart to understand beware of these false teachers and their doctrine And also and more especially of those who turn all Scriptures into Allegories Parables and conceited fancies which they our of their deep Philosophy have found out and teach as the great mystery of truth contained in them Their chiefe Author being one Henry Nicholas or H. N. as it stands in his books The main points of their doctrine being these following That CHRIST is now at this present come from the Right Hand of GOD and fitteth in his throne of judgment judging the quick and the dead 2. That they which sleep in Christ are raised from the dead the sting of death taken away and death swallowed up in victory 3. That all the promises of God and whatsoever is written in Scripture concerning the everlasting kingdome of Christ with all his Saints becometh now in this present last day as they call it fulfilled 3. That the seat of judgment is in the comminalty of the Family of Love 4. That Christ is a mysticall thing which they call Holinesse and the Antichrist Sin 5. That there is no other resurrection of the body than what is now in present brought to passe and in fulfilling mystically by the voyce of H. N. 6. That the Soule or Spirit when the body dieth goeth into the Being of God and the Body to the earth the principle from whence it came there to remain for ever and so both Soule and Body to be as they were before they knew they had a Being You shall see here some of his very words as in his Book intituled A joyfull Message of the Kingdome He inviteth all people in the world to entertain his message As first in his Preface he hath these words following Confider on the time O all ye people which love the truth of Jesu Christ Presently in this day of the love and of the appearing of the coming of our Lord Jesu Christ in the resurrection of the dead wherein the Law the Prophets and all what is written of Christ becometh fulfilled And in Chap. 1. thus it stands H. N. through the grace and mercy of God and through the Holy Spirit of the love of Jesu Christ raised up by the higest God from the dead according to the providence of God and his promises anointed with the holy Ghost in the old age of the holy understanding of Jesu Christ Godded with God in the Spirit of his love c. His quotations Esay 65. 1 Cor. 15. And Sent. 9. of the same Chapter For behold in this present day the glorious coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with the many thousands of his Saints becometh manifested which hath set himselfe upon the seat of his Majesty for to judge in this same day the whole world c. quot Mat 24. Mat. 25. Iude 1. And Chap. 35. Sent. 8. Behold in this present day according to the Scriptures the resurrection of the Lords dead cometh to passe presently in this same day through the appearing of the coming of Christ in his Majesty c. In which resurrection of the dead God sheweth unto us that the time is now fulfilled that the dead which are fallen asleep in the Lord rise up in this day of judgment and appeare unto us in godly glory c. His quot Dan. 12.4 Esd 7. 1 Thes 4. 1. Cor. 15 And Chap. 38. Sent. 2. Wherefore awake now all lift up your heads here and see the wonderfull acts of God and have regard unto the sound of the last Trumpet c. His quot Mat. 24. Luke 21. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thess 4. These and a thousand more such like sayings to the same purpose hath H. N. in his writings onely these I thought fit here to relate to the end that you unto whom God giveth eyes to see and a heart to understand may perceive upon what foundation those many Ministers and people that have fallen from one opinion and form of religion to another doe ground their new spirituall way called Familisme And that ye may beware of giving care thereunto it being a very cunning mystery of deceit much taught by Ministers and others publickly and privatly and much spreading in this Citie of London and in all parts of this kingdome now at this day And know ye that although it be true that Christ by his Spirit is now with his faithfull now in this present time during their pilgrimage here as he promised and that by the same Spirit of truth the wicked world is convinced of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgment as he said and that they are in the spirit of their mind and affection risen with Christ and have by faith an entrance into the rest of God and everlasting kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is also written Yet is not Christ therefore come in his glory to judge the quick and the dead to fit in the throne of his glory and reigne in his kingdom with all his Saints nor they raised up according to those Scriptures which H. N. quoteth for his purpose Neither doth the last Trumpet yet sound spoken of Matth. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thess 4. Rev. 11.15 Nay but Christ shall come and will come and that speedily and shall fit in the Throne of his glory visibly and truly the dead shall be all raised truly in respect of their body and every man shall be judged according to his workes the last Trumpet shall sound at his coming according to those Scriptures and his Kingdome and reigne with all his Saints shall be truly manifested to all His Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and from the River to the ends of the Earth they that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and the enemy shall lick the dust All Kings shall fall down before him and all Nations shall serve him as it is written Psal 72. God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reigne over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end as it is also written 1 Chro. 17.11 12 13 14. Psal 89. Dan. 7. Luke 1. And whereas there be some that would have ye look for new Apostles to teach you plant new Churches And others for another Elias to come and restore all things hearken ye not unto them but consider and know that as Christ said In those dayes ye have Moses and the Prophets so have we yea more we have the Apostles we have Christ and the Elias also that was to come insomuch as we have their word and testimony And if we shall refuse to heare them then will we not beleeve the Prophets and Apostles themselves in person if they should come And besides let us know for a certainty that we hive their word and that Christ prayeth for those that shall beleeve in him through their word John 17.20 And know also that as the Ministery and Baptisme of Christ remaineth to this day so doth the Ministery and Baptisme of Iohn who is that very Elias that was to come before the great and terrible day of the Lord. And that his voyce crieth out unto us all for repentance that we may have our sinnes purged away by the Baptisme of Christ and so become born from above of Water and of the Spirit without which what form of Religion or opinion soever we have we shall certainly perish for ever Let us therefore hearken to their voyce and the Lord give us hearts will and power so to doe that we may repent and beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved from his wrath in that day and so live and reigne with him in his kingdome for evermore Amen FINIS June 16. Imprimatur John Downame