late Clear and Rational Discourse concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God And Two following Admonitions has made it fully appear That not One in Ten of them do ever Receive this Sacrament in the whole Course of their Lives And the rest very rarely even now since this last Revolution And in the former Revolution of 41 he gives Vndenyable Instances that in several Churches even in Dublin after the turning out of the Episcopal Ministers the Lord's Supper had not been Administer'd till the Restauration 1660 that is in some Churches for Ten in some for Twelve Years together V. These Presbyterians in Dublin and in the South and West parts of Ireland were sent from England and had learnt the contempt of this Sacrament there Where even in Oxford it was not Administred in the whole University from the Ejection of the Episcopal Clergy in the Year 1648. to the Restauration in 1660. as is observed in the Antiquit. Oxon. So that the Quakers have only taken that out of the way which the Presbyterians had worn into Dis-use VI. And from all these Enemies and the subtle Insinuations which they have broached in Prejudice of Christ's Holy Institution of Baptism and likewise of the Lord's Supper for both are slighted by the same Persons and upon the same Grounds it is to be feared that several even of the Church of England have been wrought tho' not into a Dis-use or down-right slight yet into a less Esteem and greater Indifferency as to these Holy Sacraments than they ought and consequently receive less Benefit by them much less than if their Knowledge and their Faith were better rooted and more sublime Nay there is not any Degree of Indifferency but what is culpable in this case and may bring a Curse with it instead of a Blessing For whatsoever especially in Religious Worship is not of Faith is sin And according to our Faith it is to us in all our Performances of Religion VII For all these Reasons tho' this Discourse was wrote wholly on Behalf of the Quakers yet I hope it will not be unuseful to many others to see the strong Foundation Great Necessity and Inestimable benefits of Baptism and the Lord's Supper when Duly Administer'd and Receiv'd with Full Faith and Assurance in the Power and Love of God that He will not fail to assist His own Institutions when we approach unto them with sincere Repentance and undoubting Dependance upon His Promises And many of the Objections hereafter answer'd tho' used by the Quakers to Invalidate BAPTISM are likewise insisted on by several of the Sects which I have nam'd 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 consider'd against Baptism are these which at several conferences with other Quakers to whom that Person brought me were insisted upon At length 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 Private 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 Baptized 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 lost 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 Iustrumental to His Glory and the Salvation of Souls Amen A DISCOURSE Proving the DIVINE INSTITUTION OF Water-Baptism SECT I. That Matth. xxxviii 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 I. 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 Pontibus variis Baptismatibus i. e. In Meats and Drinks and divers Baptisms So that it
baptize cou'd not be the Baptism of John Tho' it be said John iv 2. That Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples For so the Apostles and other Ministers of Christ have baptized more into the Faith of Christ than Christ himself has done Yet here is no ground of Jealousie or Rivalship to Christ because the Administration of Christ's Baptism is all to the Honour and Glory of Christ And therefore Christ's baptizing more Disciples than John cou'd be no Lessning of John but rather a Magnifying of him so much the more if Christ had baptized with John's Baptism 3dly When John's Disciples had told him of Christ's out-rivalling him by baptizing more than he John answer'd He must increase but I must decrease John iii. 30. But if CHRIST did baptize with the Baptism of John then John still increased and CHRIST decreased For 4thly He is greater who institutes a Baptism than those who only administer a Baptism of another's appointment Therefore if Christ did baptize with the Baptism of John it argues John to be greater than Christ and Christ to be but a Minister of John 5thly All the Jews who had been baptized with the Baptism of John did not turn Christians therefore John's Baptism was not the Christian-baptism 6thly Those of John's Disciples who turn'd Christians were baptized over again in the Name of Christ of which there is a remarkable Instance Acts xix to v. 7.20 But the same Baptism was never repeated as is shewn above Sect. III. Numb iii. therefore the Baptism which the Apostles did administer was not John's Baptism 7thly The Form of the Baptism which Christ commanded Matth. xxviii 19. was In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost But that was not the Form of John's Baptism Therefore that was not John's Baptism See what is before said Sect. V. Numb ii of the Difference of Baptisms as to the Author the Form and the End of each Baptism And in all these Respects it is made apparent that the Baptism which was practis'd by Christ and the Apostles was not the Baptism of John To all these clear Arguments the Quakers without answering to any of them do still insist That the Water-baptism which the Apostles did administer was no other than John's Baptism That they had no Command for it only did it in Compliance with the Jews as Paul circumcis'd Timothy Acts xvi 3. And purify'd himself in the Temple Acts xxi 21 to 27. But this is all 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 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 Privileges 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 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 plainiy 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 Condescension as Paul Circumcis'd Timothy Answ 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 Baptized 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 ask'd 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
than wilful The Apostle was reproving some of the Hebrews for their slender Proficiency in the Knowledge of the Gospel And that he cou'd not lead them to the Higher Mysteries they hardly yet being well fixed in the very Rudiment and Fundamentals of Christianity As if one shou'd say That he would make an ill Doctor of Divinity who had not yet learned his Catechism For the Apostle in the former Chapter having treated of the Mysterious Parallel 'twixt Christ and Melchisedec he stops short Ver. 11 upon the account of their Incapacity of whom that is of Christ and Melchisedec we have many things to say and hard to be uttered seeing ye are dull of hearing For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God Then he goes on to provoke them to a further Proficiency in the words of the Text we are now considering Therefore says he leaving the Principles of the Doctrin of Christ let us go on unto Perfection not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from dead Works and of Faith towards God of the Doctrin of Baptisms and of laying on of Hands and of the Resurrection of the Dead and of Eternal Judgment And this will we do if God permit Here is the Doctrine of Baptism placed in the very Heart of the Fundamentals of Christianity yet the Quakers would filch it out from amongst all the rest and refer it alone to the Ceremonials of the Law spoken of in the former Chapter This was drop'd at a venture for the former Chapter treats only of the Melchisedecal Priesthood which was no Part of the Law and there are none of the Legal Types or Ceremonies so much as mention'd in it Yet Baptism in the next Chapter must refer to them There cannot be a greater Confession to Baptism than this Objection of the Quakers nor a stronger Proof for the Necessity of it than to see it rank'd with these most-acknowledg'd Foundations of Christian Religion and call'd one of the First Principles of the Oracles of God III. And as to the word Leaving upon which this Author lays so great a stress in this Text as if it meant Forsaking and Abandoning it is strange that he should bring in the Apostle Exhorting to Leave off and Forsake the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ But Leaving there is very plainly meant of leaving or intermitting as the Vulgar renders it to treat further at that time of these Principles which the Apostle is so far from forsaking that he fixes them as the Foundation which he says he will not lay again as supposing it laid already but built further upon it improve and carry up the Superstructure So that this Leaving is only leaving or ceasing to Discourse further upon these Principles Intermittentes Sermonem intermitting or breaking of the Debate Which is litterally according to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaving that Word or Subject of which he then spoke he went on to discourse of other things The Reader could not forgive this Trifling in me to prove things which are self-evident if he did not see that I am forc'd to it However this Advantage is gain'd by it to see the very slender Foundations upon which the Quakers build their Objections against Baptism which they must either grant to be one of the Principles of Christianity or that Faith and Repentance are not IV. But indeed it is frightful to say it I pray God they may seriously consider of it they have together with Baptism thrown off all the other Principles of the Doctrin of Christ See The Snake in the Grass 1st Part or Preface p. 313 314. 2d Part p. 40 41 61 62. which are mention'd in this Text. 1. Repentance Against this they have set up a Sinless Perfection which needeth no Repentance They never beg Pardon for Sin supposing they have none and mock at us for saying Lord have Mercy upon us and upbraid our Liturgy for having a Confession of Sin in it Edward Burrough pag. 32. of his Works Printed 1672 says That God doth not accept of any where there is any failing or who doth not fulfil the Law and doth not Answer every Demand of Justice Part 1. p. 330 331. 2. Faith towards God This is the Christian Faith or Faith in God through Christ But the Quakers say That they can come to God Immediately without the Mediation of Christ and therefore they do not Pray to Christ whom they utterly deny to be that Person who suffer'd for them upon the Cross as Mr. Penn in his Serious Apology p. 146. They make Christ to be nothing else than what they call The Light Within which they say is sufficient of it self without any thing else to bring us to God and that whoever follows it needs no other Help Now they say That all the Heathens every Man that is born into the World has this Light Within that is Christ and that this Light Within is sufficient for his Salvation without any thing else Whereby they take away any Necessity of an Outward Christ to dye for our Sins and make the Heathen Faith as good as the Christian And therefore they have taken away that Christian Faith towards God which is the Second of the Principles mention'd in this Text. The Third is Baptism which they openly disclaim The Fourth is the laying on of Hands that is the Ordination Confirmation and Absolution of the Church which are all perform'd by laying on of Hands And how much soever the Quakers and others do despise them yet the Apostle here reckons them among the Fundamentals For the Government and Discipline of the Church are Essential to it as it is a Society it could not otherwise be a Society Num. 16 17 Ch The Sin of Korah was nothing but concerning Church-Government And Aaron's Rod that Budded in confirmation of his Priesthood was ordained to be kept for ever in the Ark for a Token against the Rebels so are they call'd who Rebell'd against that Priesthood which God had then appointed by Moses and the Sin cannot be less to Rebel against that Priesthood which Christ himself appointed Which is shewn more at large in the Discourse mention'd in the Advertisement Now if Aaron's Rod that is Church-Government was one of the Three sacred Depositums which were ordain'd to be kept in the Ark why should we wonder to see it hear placed among the Fundamentals of Christianity Heb. ix 4. The Pot of Manna Aaron's Rod and the Tables of the Covenant were all that was kept in the Ark. Which shews Church-Government to be Necessary next to our Manna the very support of our Life and the best Guard to preserve the Decalogue i. e. our Duty to God and Man V. And tho' the Quakers cry down Church-Authority in others yet they magnifie it as much in themselves as any Church whatsoever The Ingenious W. P. in his Judas and
Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved Here both the Outward and the Inward are joyn'd together and both made Necessary For by Baptism Here cannot be meant the Inward Belief that wou'd make a Tautology of the Text and mean thus He that Believeth and Believeth Thus it must be if by Baptism in this Text the Inward Baptism or Belief of the Heart be meant But this being plainly meant of the Outward Baptism the Consequence from this Text is plainly this That he who doth not Believe and is not Baptized shall not be Saved Of which I adjure the Quakers to Consider most seriously For tho' they had the Inward Baptism as much as they Pretend to yet were the Outward necessary Peter thought Water necessary to give Outward Baptism to those who had already Received the Inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost Acts x. 47. And the Doctrine of Baptism is reckon'd among the Principles and Foundations of Christianity together with Faith and Repentance c. Heb. vi 1 2. But the Quakers like Naaman flout at the Means as too easie to be effectual and call Baptism in contempt Water-Sprinkling And I will answer them with Naaman's Servants 2 Kings V. 13. If Christ had bid thee do some great thing wouldst thou not have done it How much rather then when He saith to thee Wash and be Clean And as necessary as the Waters of Jordan were to the Cleansing of Naaman so necessary are the Waters of Baptism to the Cleansing of our Souls None dare say That GOD cou'd not have Cleansed Naaman otherwise But GOD having by his Prophet appointed that Means if Naaman had neglected it he had not otherwise been Cured How much more when GOD has appointed the Means of Baptism by his Son if we Neglect it shall we be Sav'd without it He that Despis'd Moses 's Law dyed without Mercy Of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Institution of the Son of GOD and counted it an unholy thing doing Despight to it Inventing Contemptible Names for it and Ridiculing the Administration of it But as the Spirit of God moved at first upon the Face of the Waters Gen. 1.2 to Impregnate them and make them Fructifie and gave a Miraculous Vertue to the Waters of Jordan of Siloam and Bethesda for Healing of the Flesh Why shou'd we Doubt that the same Spirit can and will Sanctifie the Waters of Baptism to the Mystical Washing away of Sin having the Positive Institution and Promise of Christ for it Acts II. 38. 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 This was not the Extraordinary Gift of Miracles which is here Promised and which all Baptized Persons did not Receive or Expect but the Remission of Sins And let me add That the Ordinary Saving Graces of the Spirit which work silently without Observation or Show are much Preferable and more Desirable than the Extraordinary Gifts of Miracles which for a time were Necessary at the first Propagation of the Gospel and held Men's Eyes in Great Admiration But were of Dangerous Consequence to the Possessors and a Temptation often to Vanity which had almost overset the Great Apostle 2 Cor. xii 7 8 9. and threw others into the Pit of Destruction Matth. vii 22 23. 1 Cor. xiii 2. and therefore were not to be Pray'd for or Desir'd We must be totally Passive in this Case and when sent being for the Conviction of others to Receive such an Extraordinary Gift with Fear and Trembling lest it Hurt our weak Minds not capable but by as Extraordinary an Assistance of Divine Grace to Bear such mighty Revelations and not to let in with it a secret Pride in our selves which spreads our Sails so wide that without a Proportionable Ballast of deep Humility we shall be driven from our Compass The Enemy throws in this strong Temptation with those Miraculus Gifts which vain Men do Ignorantly Covet and some falsly Pretend to to their own Destruction But much more Valuable are those Saving Graces which we are commanded Daily to Pray for and Daily to Endeavour Much more Available to us and Precious in the sight of God than all Miraculous Gifts is that Gift of The Holy Ghost the Remission of Sins which is Promis'd to the Due Reception of Baptism and enrolls our Names in Heaven Luk. x. 17 18 19 20. Behold said Christ to his Disciples who Boasted that even the Devils were subject to them through His Name I give unto you Power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and over all the Power of the Enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you notwithstanding in this Rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you But rather Rejoyce because your Names are written in Heaven To be added to the End of Sect. VIII p. 49. But R. Barclay argue in his Apology That the Baptism of which the Ark was a Type cou'd not be the Outward or Water-baptism because that it self is a Type viz. Of the Inward or Spiritual Baptism And he supports this Notion by a Criticism upon the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Text which he says is not rightly Translated in our English by The like Figure Because he says the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the thing Typify'd and not the Type But by his leave it signifies the quite contrary Heb. ix 24. not the thing Typify'd but only the Type For there the Holy Places made with Hands are called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Figures or Types of the True And that Word is not to be found except in these two Texts in the whole New Testament And therefore if one of these Texts must explain the other the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Anti-Type 1 Pet. iii. 21. must be taken in the same Sense in which it is used Heb. ix 24. because there it cannot possibly be taken to mean the thing Typify'd or the Archi-Type therefore neither ought it to be so strain'd as Barclay does to mean the quite contrary in the present Text. And our Translation is Justify'd which renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the like Figure as does the Vulgar Similis formae For both the Waters of the Ark and of Baptism are the outward and visible Signs but not the thing signify'd which is the Salvation of the Soul by the Regeneration and Washing of the Spirit And they are like Figures both signifying the same thing in a manner very like to one another That as Noah c. were sav'd in the Ark by Water from Corporal Death so are the True Believers sav'd by the Water of Baptism from the Death of Sin and Hell In which Sense the Ark was a Type of the outward or Water-baptism tho' both were Types but one nearer than the other And because the Baptism mention'd in this Text 1 Pet. iii.