till the Day of Pentecost fifty Days after the Resurrection of Christ as it is Recorded in the Second of the Acts. This Spiritual Baptism was promised John xiv 16 26. xv 26. xvi 7. And the Apostles were commanded to tarry in the City of Jerusalem till it should come upon them Luke xxiv 49. 2. The Quakers allow that John did Baptize with Water and there is no other sort of Baptism here mentioned with which Christ did Baptize and therefore these Baptisms being spoke of both together there can be no Reason to interpret the one to be with Water and the other not It is said John iv 1. The Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more Disciples than John How cou'd the Pharisees hear of it if it was not an Outward and Visible Baptism For as before is said the outward and miraculous Effects of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost were not then given And since it Was an Outward it must be the Water-baptism for there was then no other Obj. But the Quakers start an Objection here That it is said John iv 2. Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples 1. Ans Tho Jesus himself baptized not yet it is said in the Verse foregoing that He made and baptized i. e. those whom His Disciples by His Order Baptized For if it had not been done by His Order it cou'd not be said that he had Baptized those whom his Disciples Baptized But because He that doeth a thing by Another is said to do it Himself therefore Christ himself is said to have Baptized those whom his Disciples by his Order did Baptize 2. Answ That Baptizing which Christ is said to have Administred himself John iii. 26. might have been at another Time than that which is mentioned in the 4th Chapter And then the consequence will only be this That at some Times Christ did Baptise Himself and at other Times he left it to his Disciples Tho as to our Argument it is the same thing whether he did it Himself or commanded his Disciples to do it For either way it is his Baptism his Onely his Disciples did but Administer what he commanded II. As Christ himself did Baptize with Water and his Disciples by his Commandment while he was with them upon Earth so did his Apostles and Others thereunto by them commissionated after his Death and Resurrection by vertue of his Command to them Matth. xxviii 19. after he was Risen from the Dead What is said above of the Etymology and true Signification of the word Baptize is of itself sufficient to prove that by Baptism in this Text the outward Baptism with Water is meant especially till the Quakers can shew any Contradiction or Absurdity in having the word taken in the proper and literal sense in this and the other Texts which speak of it And this will be very hard to do since as it is just now proved that Christ did Baptize with Water as well as John And what Absurdity or Contradiction can be alledged that his Apostles shou'd Administer the same sort of Baptism after his Death as he had Practised and Commanded during his Life Nay rather what Reason can be given why they shou'd not be the same since the same word i. e. Baptize is us'd in Both and no new Sense or Acceptation of the word is so much as hinted And therefore to put any new sense or acceptation of the word must be wholly Arbitrary and Precarious But as I promis'd I will Demonstrate yet more fully and plainly that the Apostles did Practise the Outward i. e. Water-Baptism after CHRIST's death Acts x. 27. Can any Man forbid Water that these shou'd not be Baptized Acts viii 36. As they Philip and the Eunuch went on their way they came to a certain Water and the Eunuch said See here is Water what doth hinder me to be Baptized And Verse 38. they went both down into the Water hoth Philip and the Eunuch and he Baptized him And when they were come up out of the WATER c. Acts xxii 16. And now why tarriest thou Arise and be Baptized and wash away thy sins And to save more Quotations the Quakers do own that the Baptism of the Corinthians mentioned 1 Cor. i. 14 17. was Water-baptism Therefore I will conclude this Point as undeniable That the Apostles did practise Water-baptism And the Argument from thence will lie thus The Apostles did practise that Baptism which Christ commanded Mat. xxviii 19. But the Apostles did practise Water-baptism therefore Water-baptism was that Baptism which Christ commanded Matth. xxviii 19. III. And as the Practise of the Apostles is a most sure Rule whereby to understand the meaning of that Command which they put in execution so the Practise of those who immediately succeeded the Apostles who were Cotemporaries with them and learn'd the Faith from their Mouths is as certain a Rule to know what the Practise and what the Sense of the Apostles were And thus the Practise of the present Age in the Administration of Water-baptism is an undeniable Evidence that this was the Practise of the last Age the same Persons being many of them alive in both the last and the present Age. For one Age does not go off the World all at once and another succeed all of perfect Age together but there are old Men of the last Age and young Men and Children growing up to another Age all alive upon Earth the same time and Mankind being dispersed into far distant Countries and Climates who know not of one another nor hold any Correspondence It is by these means morally impossible for any Man or Men to deceive us in what has been the Vniversal and Receiv'd Practise of the last Age to which the present Age is so linked that it is even a part of it I say it is impossible for all the Fathers of the World to be suppos'd willing or if they were to be capable of imposing upon all younger than themselves namely That they had been all Baptized and that this was an universally receiv'd Custom and of which Registers were always kept in every Parish of all who had been from time to time Baptized and that such Registers were publick and to be recurr'd to by all that had a mind to it Every Man's reason will tell him that it is utterly impossible for such a thing to pass upon Mankind And as certainly as the present Age is thus assur'd of the Practise of the last Age in a Thing of so publick and universal a nature so certainly and by the same Rules must the last Age know the Practise of the Age before that and so backward all the way to the first Institution to the Age of Christ and the Apostles The publick nature of this Water-baptism as now practised being an outward matter of Fact of which Mens outward Senses their Eyes and Ears are Judges not like Matters of Opinion which sort of Tares may be privately sown and long time
propagated without any remarkable Discovery And to this so publick matter of Fact adding the universal Practice of it through all the far distant Nations of Christianity I say these two Marks make it impossible for the World to be impos'd upon nor was it ever or ever can be impos'd upon in any such publick Matter of Fact so universally practised All this makes it undeniably plain That the last Age did practise the same outward Water baptism which is practis'd in this Age and that the same was as certainly practis'd in the Age before the last Age and by the same Rule in the Age before that and so onward as abovesaid to the Age of the Apostles I have made more Words of this than needed but I wou'd render it exceeding plain considering with whom I have to do And I beseech them to consider That all the Authority which they have to Over-ballance all these Demonstrations is the mad Enthusiasm of a Lay-Apostle George Fox a Mechanick so Illiterate that he was hardly Master of common Sense nor cou'd write English or any other Language and started up amongst us in the Year 1650 the Age of Schism and Rebellion and Damn'd as Apostates all Ages since the Apostles In all of which no One cou'd be found before G. Fox to bear their Testimony against this Water-baptism tho' it was constantly and universally practised and that Christians were then so Zealous as to contend against the least Variation or Corruption of the Faith even unto Death and the most cruel sort of Martyrdom Can any Man imagin that if Water-baptism were a Human Invention or Superstitiously either Continu'd or Obtruded upon the Church no One shou'd be found for 1650 Years to open his Mouth against it when Thousands sacrific'd their Lives for Matters of much less Importance But I have over-labour'd this Point to any Man who will give himself leave to make use of his Reason Therefore I will proceed to the next Section SECT III. That Baptism must be Outward and Visible because it is an Ordinance appointed whereby to Initiate Men into an Outward and Visible Society which is the Church THere goes no more towards the proving of this than to shew 1st That the Church is an Outward and Visible Society 2dly That Baptism was appointed and us'd for Initiating or Admitting Men into the Church 1st That the Church is an outward and visible Society Our Saviour calls it A City that is set on a Hill Matth. v. 14. The Quakers themselves are an outward and visible Society and so are all those who bear the Name of Churches upon Earth They cou'd not otherwise be Churches For that implies a Society of People and every Society in the World is an outward and visible Thing And as it is so has an outward and visible Form of Admitting Men into it For otherwise it wou'd not be known who are Members of it Every Society is Exclusive of all others who are not of that Society otherwise it cou'd not be a Society for that supposes the Men of that Society to be thereby distinguished from other Men And that supposes as much that there must be some outward and visible Form whereby to Initiate Men and intitle them to be Members of such a Society otherwise it cou'd not be known who were Members of it and who were not and it wou'd thereby ipso facto cease to be a Society for it cou'd not then be distinguished from the rest of Mankind as a River is lost in the Sea because it is no longer distinguish'd from it but goes to make up a part of it From hence it appears that the Church being an outward and visible Society must have some outward and visible Form to initiate Men and make them Members of that Society 2dly That Baptism was that outward Form All the several Baptisms that were before Christ's were all meant for Initiating Forms The Jews had a Custom long before Christ to initiate the Proselites or Converts to their Religion not only by Circumcision but by Baptizing or Washing them with Water The same was the meaning of John's Baptism to make Men his Disciples And the same was the meaning of Christ's Baptism to initiate Men into the Christian Religion and make them Disciples of Christ. Hence Baptizing Men and making them Disciples mean the same thing Thus John iv 1. it is said That Jesus made and baptized more Disciples than John That is be baptized them Disciples which was the Form of Making them such If any will say that he baptized them to be Disciples to John that will be answer'd Sect. VI. But as to the present Point it is the same thing whose Disciples they were made for we are now only to shew that Baptism in the general was an Initiating Form And when Christ practised it as well as John as this Text does expresly declare no Reason can be given that he did not use it as an Initiating Form as well as John especially when the Text does express that he did make them Disciples by baptizing of them as above is shewn And pursuant to this when Christ sent his Apostles to convert all Nations his Commission of Baptizing was as large as that of Teaching Matth. xxviii 19. Go TEACH all Nations BAPTIZING them c. i. e. Baptizing all who shall receive your word And accordingly it is said Acts ii 41. They that received the word were baptized Pursuant to what the Apostle had preached to them Verse 28. Repent and be baptized And accordingly we find it the constant Custom to baptize all that were converted to the Faith Thus Paul tho miraculously converted from Heaven was commanded to be baptized Acts xxii 16. And he baptized Lydia and the Jaylor and their Households as soon as he had converted them Acts xvi 15 33. And the Corinthians Acts xviii 8. And the Disciples of John who had not yet been made Christians Acts xix 5. Philip did baptize the Eunuch as soon as he believed in Christ Acts viii 37 38. And Peter immediately upon the Conversion of Cornelius and those with him said Can any Man forbid Water that these shou'd not be baptized Acts x. 47. It wou'd be endless to enumerate all the like Instances of Baptism in the New Testament And it was always us'd as an Initiating Form 3dly Baptism was not only an Initiating Form But it serv'd for nothing else For it was never to be repeated As a Man can be born but once into this World so he can be but once regenerated or born into the Church which is therefore in Scripture called the New Birth It is said of the other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as often as ye eat this Bread c. I Cor. xi 26. This was to be often repeated Baptism is our Admission Initiation or Birth into the Society of the Church and accordingly once only to be administred The Lord's Supper is our Nourishment and Daily Food in it and therefore to be often
tho' used by the Quakers to Invalidate BAPTISM are likewise insisted on by several of the Sects which I have named above to Lessen and Disparage it In which sense the following Discourse tho' it respects the QUAKERS Chiefly yet not them Only for it contains the joint Arguments of all the several sizes of the Opposers or Contemners of Baptism VIII But as to the immediate Occasion which engaged me in this Work it was upon the Account of a particular Person who had been Educated from his Childhood in the Quaker Principles and Communion And the Objections which are here considered against Baptism are these which at several conferences with other Quakers to whom that Person brought me were insisted upon At lâ—ngth after more than Twelve Months consideration of this single Point and diligently Reading over and weighing every particular which Rob. Barclay had wrote in his Apology against the Outward or Water Baptism it pleased God so to open the Eyes and perswade the Heart of this Gentleman that having Informed himself in the true Principles of the Christian Religion as contained in our Church Catechism he has lately with great joyfulness and satisfaction Received the Baptism of Christ as Administred in the Church of England And it was his Desire that this Discourse tho' wrote for his Privat Vse might be made Publick in hopes that it may have the like Effects upon others as it has had upon himself by the great Mercy of God And I knowing several others who have of late been Convinced and Baptised in the same manner as this Gentleman I have not Resisted his invitation to contribute my Mite towards the Recovery of so many Thousand souls as now for 46 years have thrown off the Sacraments of Christ's Institution and thereby as one main Cause have lest the Substance even Faith in the Blood of Christ outwardly shed for our Salvation as I have else-where shewn The Lord accept my mean Endeavours and make them Instrumental to His Glory and the Salvation of Souls Amen A DISCOURSE PROVING The DIVINE INSTITUTION OF WATER-BAPTISM SECT I. That Matth. xxviii 19. was meant of Water-Baptism THE Words of the Text are these Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Quakers will not own that the Baptism here mentioned was the Outward or Water-baptism Which I will endeavour to make very plain that it was and that in the first place From the Signification and Etymology of the word Baptize 1. The word is a Greek word and only made English by our constant usage of it It signifies to Wash and is apply'd to this Sacrament of Baptism because that is an outward Washing To Wash and to Baptize are the very same and if the word Baptize had been rendred into English instead of Go and BAPTIZE it must have been said Go and WASH Men in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost So that the outward Baptism with Water is as much here commanded as if it had been expressed in English words or as we can now express it But because the word Baptize was grown a Technical Term in other Languages whereby to express the Holy Sacrament of Baptism long before our English Translation therefore our Translators did rightly retain the word Baptize in this Text Matth. xxviii 19. and in other Texts which speak of that Holy Sacrament But in other places they translate the word Baptize as Mark vii 4. When they come from the Market 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except they are Baptized which we literally translate except they Wash And in the same Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Baptisms of Cups and Pots c. which we translate the Washing of Cups and Pots and Heb. ix 10. speaking of these Legal Institutions which stood only in Meats and Drinks and divers Washings and carnal Ordinances c. the word which we here translate Washings is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baptisms In Meats and Drinks and divers Baptisms And in the Vulgar Latin the Greek word is retained in both these Texts Mark vii 4. Nisi Baptizentur non Comedunt Except they are Baptized i. e. Wash their Hands they eat not And Baptismata Calicum c. The Baptisms of Cups c. And Heb. ix 10. In Cibis Potibus variis Baptismatibus i. e. In Meats and Drinks and divers Baptisms So that it is plain that the word Baptism and the word Washing tho' not the same word have yet the self-same meaning 2. It is true that the word Baptism is often taken in a Figurative and Allegorical Sense to mean the INWARD BAPTISM the Washing or Cleansing of the Heart But so is the word Washing also as often as Jer. iv 14 c. And there is scarce a Word in the World but is capable of many Figurative and Allegorical Meanings Thus Circumcision is very often us'd for the Inward Circumcision or Purity of the Heart And Fire is taken to express Love and likewise Anger and many other things But it is a receiv'd Rule for the Interpretation of Scripture and indeed of all other Writings and Words that the plain Literal Meaning is always to be taken where there is no manifest Contradiction or Absurdity in it as when a Man is said to have a Fire burning in his Breast it cannot be meant of the Literal Fire so when we are commanded to Wash or Circumcise our Hearts and the like But on the other hand if any Man will take upon him to understand Words in a Figurative Sense at his own will and pleasure without an apparent Necessity from the Scope and Coherence he sets up to Banter and leaves no Certainty in any Words or Expressions in the World Therefore I will conclude this Point of the natural Signification and Etymology of the word Baptize And unless the Quakers can shew an apparent Contradiction or Absurdity to take it in the Literal Signification in this Text Matth. xxviii 19. then it must be meant of the OUTWARD WASHING or BAPTISM because that is the only True and Proper and Literal Signification of the Word And it will be further Demonstrated in the next Section that there can be no Contradiction or Absurdity to take it in a Literal Sense because the Apostles and Others thereunto Commissionated by them did Practise it in the Literal Sense SECT II. I. That CHRIST did Practise Water-Baptism II. That the Apostles did it after Him III. That the Catholick Church have done it after Them I. THat Christ did Practise Water-Baptism It is written John iii. 26. And they came unto John and said unto him Rabbi He that was with thee beyond Jordan to whom thou barest witness Behold the same Baptizeth and all Men come to Him That this was Water-Baptism there can be no Doubt because 1. The Baptism with the Holy Ghost was not yet given For that was not given
Gratis Dictum here is not one word of Proof And they might as well say That the Apostles PREACHING was only in Compliance with the Jews and that it was the same with John's PREACHING for their Commissions to Teach and to Baptize were both given in the same Breath Matth. xxviii 19. Go ye TEACH all Nations BAPTIZING them c. Now why the Teaching here shou'd be Christ's and Baptizing only John's the Quakers are desir'd to give some other Reason besides their own Arbitrary Interpretations before which no Text in the Bible or any other Writing can stand Besides I wou'd inform them That the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Text which we Translate Teach signifies to make Disciples so that the literal and more proper reading of that Text is Go and Disciple all Nations or make Disciples of them baptizing them c. If it be ask'd Why we shou'd Translate the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. xxviii 19. by the Word Teach if it means to Disciple a Man or make him a Disciple I Answer That Teaching was the Method whereby to Perswade a Man to Convert him so as to make a Disciple of him But the Form of Admitting him into the Church and actually to make him a Disciple to give him the Priviledges and Benefits of a Disciple was by Baptism Now the Apostles being sent to Teach Men in order to make them Disciples therefore instead of Go Disciple Men we Translate it Go Teach as being a more Familiar Word and better understood in English Tho' if both the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Text were Translated Literally it would obviate these Quaker-Objections more plainly For then the Words wou'd run thus Go and Admit all Nations to be my Disciples by Washing them with Water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Here the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Teaching is plainly distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Disciple them tho' our English renders them both by the Word Teaching and makes a Tautology Go Teach all Nations Teaching them But as a Child is Admitted into a School before it be Taught So Children may be Admitted into the Pale of the Church and be made Disciples by Baptism before they are Taught Which shews the meaning of these two Words i. e. Discipling and Teaching to be different Because tho' in Persons Adult Teaching must go before Discipling yet in Children who are within the Covenant as of the Law to be Admitted at eight Days old by Circumcision so under the Gospel by Baptism Discipling goes before Teaching And that Discipling is only by Baptism But to return The Quakers are so hard put to it when they are press'd with that Text Acts x. 47. Can any forbid Water c That they are forced to make a Suppose without any ground or appearance of Truth That these Words were an Answer to a Question And that the Question was Whether they might not be Baptized with John's Baptism And that this proceeded from a Fondness the Jews had to John's Baptism And that the Apostle Peter only Comply'd with them out of Condescention as Paul Circumcis'd Timothy Ans 1. Cornelius and those whom Peter Baptized Acts x. were Gentiles and not Jews They were Romans and therefore cannot be supposed to have had any Longing after John's Baptism none of them having ever own'd it or having been Baptiz'd with it 2. The Gentile Converts to Christianity refus'd to submit to the Jewish Circumcision or any of their Law Acts xv And therefore it is not to be imagin'd that they wou'd be fond of any of the Baptisms which were us'd among the Jews 3. Even all the Jews themselves no not the Chief and Principal of them neither the Pharisees nor Lawyers did submit to John's Baptism Luke vii 30. 4. The Ethiopian Eunuch requested Baptism from Philip Acts viii And it cannot be suppos'd that the Ethiopians had more knowledge of John's Baptism or regard for it than the Romans or great part of the Jews themselves 5. There is no ground to suppose that St. Peter's words Can any Man forbid Water c were an Answer to any Question that was asked him The most forcible Affirmation being often express'd by way of Question Can any Man forbid Water That is No Man can forbid it And for the saying Then Answered Peter There is nothing more familiar in the New Testament than that Expression when no Question at all was asked See Matt. xi 25. xii 38. xvii 4. xxii 1. Mark xi 14. xii 35. xiv 48. Luke vii 40. xiv 3 4 5. xxii 51. John v. 17 19. 6. Granting a Question was ask'd and that Cornelius as well as the Ethiopian had desir'd Baptism why must this be constru'd of John's Baptism Especially considering that Peter in that same Sermon which Converted Cornelius Act. x. 37. told them that the Gospel which he Preached unto them was that which was published after the Baptism which John Preached What Argument was this for Cornelius to return back again to John's Baptism Or if he had desir'd it why shou'd we think that Peter wou'd have Comply'd with him and not rather have reprov'd him and carry'd him beyond it to the Baptism of Christ as Paul did Acts xix to those who had before receiv'd the Baptism of John 7. But as to the Complyance which the Quakers wou'd have to John's Baptism and which they compare to Paul's Complyance in Circumcising Timothy I will shew the great Disparity First The Law was more universally receiv'd than John's Baptism For many and the Chief of the Jews did not receive John's Baptism as above-observ'd Secondly The Law was of much longer standing John's Baptism was like a Flash of Lightning like the Day-Star which usher'd in the Sun of Righteousness and then disappear'd But the Law continu'd during the long Night of Types and Shadows many hundreds of Years Thirdly John did no Miracle John x. 41. But the Law was delivered and propagated by many Ages of Miracles 'T was enjoyn'd under Penalty of Death to them and their Posterities whereas John's Baptism lasted not one Age was intended only for the Men then present to point out to them the Messiah then already come and ready to appear And no outward Penalties were annexed to John's Law People were only Invited not Compell'd to come unto his Baptism But to neglect Circumcision was Death Gen. xvii 14. Exod. iv 24. The Preaching of John was only a Warning let those take notice to it that wou'd Whereas the Law was pronounced by the Mouth of God Himself in Thunder and Lightning and out of the midst of the Fire upon Mount Sinai in the Audience of all the People And so terrible was the Sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. xii 21. For from God's
Right Hand went a Fire of Law for them Deut. xxxiii 2. From all these Reasons we must suppose the Jews to be much more Tenacious of the Law than of John's Baptism and to be brought off with greater difficulty from their Circumcision which had descended down to them all the way from Abraham 430 Years before the Law Gal. iii. 17. than from John's Baptism which was but of Yesterday and never receiv'd by the Chief of the Jews And therefore there was much more reason for Paul's Complying with the Jews in the Case of Circumcision than in that of John's Baptism as the Quakers suppose When Christ came to fulfil the Law he did it with all regard to the Law Matth. v. 17 18 19. He destroy'd it not with Violence all at once but fulfill'd it leasurely and by degrees Vt cum honore Mater Synagoga sepeliretur The Synagogue was the Mother of the Church and therefore it was fitting that she shou'd be Bury'd with all Decency and Honour This was the Reason of all those Complyances with the Jews at the beginning to wear them off by degrees from their Superstition to the Law Tho' in this some might Comply too far And there want not those who think that Paul's Circumcising of Timothy Acts xvi 3. was as faulty a Complyance as that which he blam'd in Peter Gal. ii For that of Paul's is not Commended in the Place where it is mentioned And now I appeal to the Reason of Mankind whether Objections thus pick'd up from such obscure and uncertain Passages ought to overballance plain and positive Commands which are both back'd and explain'd by the Practise of the Apostles and the Vniversal Church after them All which I have before Demonstrated of Baptism 8. But however the Quakers may argue from Paul's Complyance with the Jews the Reader has reason to complain of my Complyance with Them For after all that has been said there is not one single Word in any Text of the N.T. that does so much as hint at any such thing as that Peter's Baptizing of Cornelius or Philip's Baptizing of the Eunuch was in any sort of Complyance unto John's Baptism This is a perfect Figment out of the Quaker's own Brain without any Ground or Foundation in the World And therefore there was no need of Answering it at all otherwise than to bid the Quakers prove their Assertion That these Baptisms were in Complyance with John's which they cou'd never have done Whereas it is plain from the Words of the Text Acts xvi 3. that Paul's Circumcising Timothy was in Complyance with the Jews It is expresly so said and the Reason of it given because tho' his Mother was a Jewess yet his Father was a Greek and therefore because of the Jews which were in those Quarters says the Text he Circumcised Timothy that these Jews might Hear and Receive him which otherwise they wou'd not have done Now let the Quakers shew the like Authority that the Baptisms of Cornelius of the Eunuch and of the Corinthians Acts xviii 8. For that too they acknowledge to have been Water-Baptism as I will shew presently let the Quakers shew the like Authority as I have given for the Circumcision of Timothy being in Complyance with the Jews let them shew the like Isay that the foresaid Baptisms were in Complyance with John's and then they will have something to say But till then this Excuse or Put off of theirs is nothing else but a hopeless Shift of a desperate Cause to suppose against all sense that these Gentiles Romans Ethiopians and Corinthians desir'd John's Baptism who rejected all the Laws and Customs of the Jews SECT VII The Quakers Master-Objection from 1 Cor. i. 14. I thank GOD that I Baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius And Ver. 17. For Christ sent me not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel FROM this Passage they argue That Water-Baptism was not commanded by Christ because here St. Paul says That he was not sent to Baptize and that he thanks God that he Baptiz'd so few of them But In Answer to this I will first of all premise That a bare Objection without some Proof on the other side does neither justifie their Cause nor overthrow ours For when a thing is Proved Affirmatively it cannot be overthrown by Negative Difficulties which may be Objected You must dissolve the Proofs which are brought to support it Nothing else will do For what Truth is there so evident in the World against which no Objection can be rais'd Even the Being of a God has been disputed against by these sort of Arguments that is by raising Objections and starting Difficulties which may not easily be Answer'd But while those Demonstrative Arguments which Prove a God remain unshaken a thousand Difficulties are no Disproof And so while the Command of Christ and the Practise of his Apostles and of all the Christian World in pursuance of that Command are clearly Prov'd no Difficulty from an obscure Text can shake such a Foundation But I lay down this only as a General Rule because this Method is so much made use of by the Quakers and others who never think of Answering plain Proofs but by raising a great Dust of Objections wou'd bury and hide what they cannot Disprove I say that I only mind them at present of this fallacious Artifice for I have no use for it as to these Texts objected to which a very plain and easie Answer can be given And First I would observe how the Quakers can understand the Word Baptize to mean water-Water-Baptism or no water-Water-Baptism just as the Texts seem to favour their cause or otherwise For there is no mention of Water in either of the Texts objected only the single word Baptize And why then must they construe these two Texts only of all the rest in the New Testament to mean water-Water-Baptism Why but only to strain an Objection out of them against Water-Baptism But will they let the Word Baptize signifie Water-Baptism in other places as well as in these They cannot refuse it with any shew or colour of Reason They must not refuse it in Acts xviii 8. where the Baptizing of Crispus mention'd in the first of the Texts objected is recorded And there it is not only said of Crispus that he was baptized but that many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized By which the Quakers cannot deny Water-Baptism to be meant since they construe it so 1 Cor. i. 14. Secondly We may further observe that in the Text Acts xviii 8. Crispus is only said to have believed which was thought sufficient to infer that he was baptized which cou'd not be unless all that believed were baptized Which no doubt was the Case as it is written Acts xiii 48. As many as were ordained to eternal Life believed And Ch. ii 41. They that received the Word were baptized And V. 47. The Lord added to the Church daily such as shou'd be saved So that this is