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work_n	cause_n	good_a	justification_n	9,619	5	9.5591	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74998	Some baptismal abuses briefly discovered. Or A cordial endeavour to reduce the administration and use of baptism, to its primitive purity; in two parts. The first part, tending to disprove the lawfulness of infant baptism. The second part, tending to prove it necessary for persons to be baptized after they believe, their infant baptism, or any pre-profession of the Gospel notwithstanding. As also, discovering the disorder and irregularity that is in mixt communion of persons baptized, with such as are unbaptized, in church-fellowship. By William Allen.	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1653 (1653)	Wing A1075; Thomason E702_12; ESTC R10531	105,249	135

principle of truth I conceive that the Apostle argues the insufficiency of the Law to accomplish the same end for which the Gospel is given viz. in that he did ordain and make the Gospel notwithstanding the being of the Law If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law Gal. 3.21 And again If that first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second Heb. 8.7 Upon the same account may we say If the same ends which God intends to bring about by Baptism could have been attained upon the same terms of wisdom and goodness by the Christian profession mentioned and by this only then he would never have leavied this other means of Baptism too for the same purpose it argues weakness and deficiency in those that out-match their ends with means And therefore to say that the ends of Baptism may be as commodiously attained without Baptism in the Christian profession as with it is to reflect a foul disparagement upon the wisdom of God in his instituting and making Baptism or giving it any being at all But let God be true and every man a lyar and let the foolishness of God be esteemed as indeed it is wiser then men and so let the shame and disparagement which some have unawares thus foolishly cast upon God fall upon their own hearts and faces in humiliation before him with whom they have been so un-becomingly bold But second I demand further how it comes to pass that Baptism and the profession of Christianity are divided and that Baptism is excluded the Christian profession For what do they else say in effect who say the ends of Baptism are attainable by the Christian Profession without Baptism For hereby they would make the Christian Profession intirely compleat as to the production of all its ends without Baptism and so consequently render Baptism no essentiall part of the Christian profession a thing directly contrary to the stream and currant of the Scripture which derives its petty-gree from the same Authour with and assignes its place and standing among other the principles of the Doctrine of Christ of which the Christian profession doth principally consist 3. I yet answer further by denying that the ends of Baptism are adequately attained by any continued course of profession whatsoever without Baptism and do say on the contrary that persons not having as yet been baptized though of the greatest attainments in religion otherwise do stand in need of Baptism as to the effecting the ends thereof and this I do assert upon these grounds and considerations following 1. Because as well Baptism as a mans entrance upon or progress in Christianity is appointed by God as a means of effecting the same end to wit salvation This hath been already made manifest from those Scriptures where persons have been directed to the use of baptism as well as repentance in order to their being faved Acts 2.37 38. The like conjunction is made between believing and baptism Mark 16.16 And between regeneration and baptism John 3.5 Tit. 3.5 and between a good conscience and baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 and all in order to the same common end salvation Now where several means are enjoyned men by God in order to the obtaining the same end there it is not safe for any that really desire that end to omit any one of those means upon any pretence whatsoever nor in case of such an omission does God stand obliged by any promise of his to confer the grace and benefit of salvation nor can such in that case with any sufficient ground of confidence expect it at his hands Effects depending upon the concurrance and co-operation of several causes are not to be expected upon the operation of part of them only As there are several syllables that go to the making up of one word so there are several things which by the appointment of God go to the making of a man regularly capable of salvation as repentance faith baptism obedience c. So that as he that propounds to himself the writing of such or such a word consisting of several syllables disappoints himself of his end in omitting any one of them so he that propounds the putting of himself into a regular capacity of salvation as his end and yet voluntarily omits any one of the means appointed by God for that purpose takes a like direct course to disappoint himself of this great and important end of his viz. his regular capacity of salvation If God shall please to save any man upon easier terms then those which he hath set as his ordinary and standing method and upon which he hath obliged himself by promise and covenant to save men I shall not so far as I know mine own heart be troubled at it but shall advise all men that prize their salvation not to trust to that but to expect salvation from God upon his own proposed terms that is in a way of doing that which he requires of men in order thereunto as David did saying Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy Commandments Psal 119.166 Faith obtains at the hands of God not simply by believing that God will do this or that good thing which he hath promised but by putting him in whom it is upon obeying God in the use of such means upon the condition or taking place whereof he hath made such promise as likewise by depending upon the power goodness and faithfulness of God for performance in a conscientious and obediential use of the said means It is said that it was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell down Heb. 11.30 but how not in omitting any one of those things which God enjoyned for that purpose though otherwise very despicable and unlikely to produce such an effect And it may very well be questioned whether those walls would have fallen down as they did if they had compassed the City but six times when he had enjoyned seven or otherwise had omitted the blowing of the same horns or any other piece of Solemnity which God had commanded as a Sacramental means of atchieving that great enterprise though otherwise there was no proportion of natural efficiency in those actions to produce any such effect when intirely performed But the faith and obedience of men to God is many times more seen in doing this or that at his appointment in reference to an end which in it self promises nothing towards such a production then it is in doing greater matters that seem more proportionate to their end because in such cases it is a signe that God is more eyed then the means Whereas doubtless it is a great temptation upon men and oft proves a stumbling block in their way to despise and so to neglect the use of such means as through the institution of God would richly conduce to their good because they promise so little in visible appearance This was the cause why the

Jews stumbled at Christ himself when they saw the lowness of his condition in the world this likewise caused them to prefer works before faith as to their justification This was the stone at which Naaman the Syrian began to stumble when he was commanded to wash seven times in Jorden for the clensing of his leprosie supposing that to be an unlikely thing to produce that effect I had thought saith he concerning Elisha that surely he would have come out me and have stood and called on the Name of the Lord his God and have struck his hand over the place are not Abana and Pharper rivers of Damascus better then all the waters in Israel c. 2 King 5.11 12. And indeed I much fear that the feet of many who other-wayes are godly and wise are taken in this very snare of under-valuing and disesteeming the Ordinance of Baptism because it is a thing which according to outward appearance is despicable and promiseth so little For from what else can those dimunitive expressions of some concerning it proceed who say that if it be a duty for Christians not to baptize their children and to be baptized themselves yet it is one of the least of duties among ten thousand And as it was from that low esteem which Naaman had of his washing in Jorden seven times and the improbability of it in his eye to effect his clensing that made him to say Are not Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus better then the waters of Israels So doubtless is it from the like low esteem which they have of this Ordinance of Christ that some conceive that the other parts of the Christian profession are likelier to produce the effects assigned to Baptism then Baptism it self is But as many times great weights do hang on small wyers so the wisdom of God hath put much as to the good of men in those very things which many times seem least in the eyes of men that the excellency of the treasure and benefit may so much the more manifestly be known to be of God by how much the vessel is earththy and weak in which it is brought And wherefore have I thus inlarged but to shew that Baptism by water however by mens mis-representation of the matter to themselves it seems to be numbred among the least of the Commands of God or rather excluded their number as to the professors of these dayes yet being enjoyned by the same Lord in the same Gospel in order to the salvation of men as well as repentance from dead works and faith towards God and that God doth no more exempt or priviledge any man from the one then he does from the other by any word of his or does any whit more ascertain his salvation in the neglect of the one then he does in the neglect of the other that therefore it is of mans weakness and vanity and not from any wisdom received from God to make such an election and reprobation among the Doctrines of Christ as some do who while they account the one absolutely necessary to salvation yet do in the mean while with another eye look upon the other as indifferent needless and superfluous as touching any such need which the salvation of men hath thereof yea judging them deeply culpable almost as much as they who said Except ye be circumcised ye cannot be saved that urge the practise of Baptism as necessary to salvation though in the doing thereof they put no other necessity upon it then what the Scripture hath put 2. As there is one common end of believing repenting Baptism growing in grace and persevering to the end which is salvation so there are subordinately several different ends of Baptism it self and there is also a gradual accession to those ends in both which respects Baptism is necessary in persons otherwise of the largest growth in religion For though it should be granted for arguments sake that some of the ends of Baptism may be prevented by a long continued course of profession preceding it yet that any should affirm that all the ends of Baptism are anticipitated by such a profession me thinks is strange For 1. Baptism in the use influence and operation of it runs parallel with a mans life and dayes so that though the act be transient yet the Spirit or obliging power of that act is or ought to be permanent and lasting For what ever a man by his baptism does ingage himself to this baptismal engagement of his if the intent of it be observed hath an influence upon him all his dayes to walk answerable to it And so we shall find the Apostle teaching the believing Romans to improve their Baptism which they had received long before unto their then present mortification and sanctification answerable to the true intent of it Rom. 6.2 3 4 5. As a wife ought all her dayes to remember and keep that engagement of fidelity to her husband into which she entred the day of her marriage so ought a Christian to make it his continual work and daily business to answer fulfil and make good that engagement of subjection and fidelity to Christ Jesus into which he entred at the time of his Baptism So that this then running parallel with a Christians profession influencing and acting the same it cannot possibly be prevented by such a profession 2. One end of Baptism is to confirm strengthen and increase in men that which in some good measure they had before they were baptized Men either do or ought to believe before they are baptized as hath been already shewed and yet they are to be baptized for the bettering and confirmation of that faith of theirs notwithstanding So men have some presence and operation of the Spirit before Baptism in as much as they are enabled to believe before For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord as they do that believe before Baptism but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 And yet Baptism is to be received for this end among others viz. that they may receive the Holy Ghost i. e. a greater measure and presence of the Spirit then before they had Acts 2.38 39. Now then unless that any professors can come forth and say that they have so much faith and so much of the Spirit that they need no more I cannot understand how their profession though otherwise never so substantial and real can carry them above their need of Baptism Certainly they have outstript Paul either in proficiency or in opinion of their own worth who can say they have attained to wit perfection of degrees Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect sayes Paul Philip. 3.12 Now that Baptism ought to be received in relation to some of its ends though others of them should be prevented by some precedanious work of grace or gift of God will appear 1. From the example of our Saviours Baptism who though he had no need of baptism in respect of some of those