such things that are but shadowes of the Lord Jesus for ye are buried with him in Baptisme Endeavour to walk in newnesse of life in a holy and heavenly conversation at all times Walk like such as are risen with Christ Do you ascend up with him into heaven in your affection Set your affection upon things which are above and not on things on the earth Walk answerable to your profession that this Ordnance of the Lord Jesus be not justly blamed And for your incouragement be assured you shall have a renewed supply of strength from the Lord Jesus The glory of the Father the operation of God shall be put forth as need is on your behalf Therefore act faith daily in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is so richly made over to you in this Ordinance not for present use onely but for future profit and benefit also during the time of your sojourning in this present world Account your selves in all things to be compleat in Christ and that your Baptisme in his Name as Believers is part of that compleatnesse which you have in him Endeavour in the strength of Christ to walk answerable to these priviledges that the Name of the Lord Jesus may be exalted by you Apologie Secondly The explication of the former priviledge is partly to be an Apologie for baptized Believers reproachfully called Anabaptists truly called Christians against all those hard speeches and grievous accusations which ungodly men and many who are accounted religious also do falsly speak and charge against them and that not privately onely but in publike also How are they accused before authority How are they openly charged to be movers of sedition troublers of the State and such as the Land cannot bear Yea some are not ashamed to say and that openly that they are sensuall persons walking after the lusts of the flesh and many such like things as these are Surely if such men did know what an ingagement lyeth upon Believers in baptisme to cast off the service and obedience of sinfull lusts and to walk in newnesse of life having their conversation as becommeth Saints As also what strength they receive from the death and resurrection of Christ in baptisme which hath an influence into their whole life I say if they did rightly know the pretiousnesse of Believers baptisme in these and other respects they would be so far frō speaking against them that they would speak for them would say to thē we wil go with you walk with you for we have heard that God is with you Truly I will not deny but some who take this profession upon them do hold forth and maintain some things very erronious As free-will and power in corrupt nature to come to Christ As also a falling away from Christ after they have once received him or believed in him with other opinions also very dangerous But there are but few so erronious who are under this profession Neither dare the Churches of Christ under this profession hold communion with them For we utterly disclaim these opinions Neither will I deny but that some who are under this profession do walk scandalously loosely sinfully and altogether unanswerably to such a profession But we abhor their practises and disclaim fellowship with them who walk so yet not mentioning such things without grief But if Iudas prove a Traitor let not the eleven Apostles be so accounted If Ananias and Saphyra prove dissemblers and lye to the holy Spirit let not the rest of the Church who were of one minde and heart in the Lord be accounted dissemblers If some branches in the Vine prove fruitlesse let not all the branches be thought such If some Professors make shipwrack of that faith which they once professed let not all Professors be judged to be such Thus much for this Apologie Tryall Thirdly the Explication of this third Priviledge may serve partly to be as a fifth Touchstone of Infants baptisme whereby the unlawfulnesse and vanity thereof will be further discovered For according to this priviledge of baptisme through Christ I make this conclusion to wit Baptisme may lawfully be administred to none but such whom the Lord Jesus hath made meet to be partakers of such a priviledge in baptisme to have fellowship with him in baptisme through faith in his death and resurrection that they may walk answerably in some measure to such a profession and such an ingagement as they take upon themselves in baptisme having their conversation from thenceforth more holy and heavenly as becommeth such who professe themselves to be buried and risen with Christ in baptisme Let then the baptisme of Infants be skilfully and sincerely tried by this Touchstone Are Infants made meet to have fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection in this or any other Ordinance Do they know Christ or believe in him Do they know any thing concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ How then shall they have fellowship with Christ in this or any other Ordinance who neither know CHRIST nor believe in him Are any persons meet to have fellowship with Christ in any Ordinance but such as know him and believe in him I may therefore firmly conclude that as the knowledge of Christ and faith in him are necessary to a worthy partaking in the Lords Supper and a fellowship with Christ in that Ordinance So also they are necessary to a worthy and warrantable receiving of baptisme and a fellowship with Christ in that Ordinance And further are Infants made meet to have such an ingagement laid upon them as baptisme layeth upon all those who are under the profession of it according to Christ From thenceforth and from that time to shew forth Christs death and resurrection To walk like such as have professed themselves to be dead and risen with Christ in Baptisme Doth not this Touchstone with all the former cleerly discover Infants baptisme to be onely a device and commandement of men Thus much concerning this Touchstone which I leave to the consideration of the wise And so much concerning this Priviledge The fourth priviledge which is the last I shall name which the Lord Jesus gives to Believers in this Ordinance is this to wit In this Ordinance the Lord Jesus by his Spirit acting in a believers heart doth more richly seal up or confirm to him the free and full remission of all his sinnes through the bloud of Christ And therefore observe it Not onely the Name of the Father and of the Sonne but of the holy Spirit also is called upon believers in this Ordinance And this is the proper grace or work of the holy Spirit to witnesse or confirm to us by acting faith in us more assuredly to believe the remission of all our sins by Jesus Christ In baptisme as well as in the Lords Supper although in another manner the pretious death and resurrection of Christ is mystically yet clearly set forth before believers And the Spirit of
of the Kingdome of glory which is more then a foederall holinesse yet it was in no wise warrantable or lawfull to baptize such a one till afterwards in time the Lord did teach him to know himselfe and he did professe and declare himselfe to believe in the Lord Jesus And this likewise may in part give satisfaction to such who plead for Infants baptism from those words of our Saviour Of such is the Kingdome of God I conclude therefore that it is necessary that all such doe know the Lord and know their duty and ingagement and priviledge who are to be baptized in the Name of the Lord. And so much for this Touchstone and this priviledge A Second priviledge which believers have by Christ in their baptisme is this to wit by baptisme they do enter into the fellowship of his Body that is his Church with all the priviledges and liberties of the same Baptisme is that onely orderly entrance which God hath appointed for believers into the fellowship of the Church of Christ 1. Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body whether we be Iewes or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drinke into one Spirit In which words we have these two things proved to wit first that believers baptisme is their entrance into one particular Body Church or Congregation of Christ By one Spirit speaking of Believers we are all baptized into one Body That is We that are Members in particular diversely gifted and fitted by that one the self-same Spirit are all baptized into one body or fellowship for the mutuall profit and benefit of each member according to the proportion of grace given and divided to us by that one Spirit And secondly as Believers by baptisme do orderly enter into the Body or Congregation of Christ so likewise into all the priviledges of that body And that is expressed in the latter clause of this verse and in the verses following In this verse saith He We have been all made to drink into one spirit That is We as Members of One body are all made to drink into one spirituall benefit or into one spirituall Communion which believers have from Christ in his Supper According to that 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which he blesse is it not the communion of the bloud of Christs And in the verses following of the 12. Chapter He mentioneth other priviledges of the Body which all the Members thereof do share in saith he they are all helpfull to each other and do all take care of each other they suffer and rejoyce one with another And as this Scripture holds forth this priviledge which believers have in baptisme So doth that likewise in Act. 41.42 Then they that gladly received his Word were baptized and the same day there were added about 3000. soules Where it is clear that the entrance of all these believers into the union and fellowship of the body was by baptism they were added by baptisme or in baptisme And so we are to understand Acts 2.47 and 5.14 and 12.24 For God hath appointed but one way for the joyning or adding of believers unto his Body Which sometimes is called an adding to his Church and sometimes an adding to the Lord both which commeth to one and the same thing for to be added to the Church of the Lord or the body of the Lord is to be added to the Lord himself in a mysticall externall union And the same Scripture likewise declareth that as they entred by baptisme into the union and fellowship of the body so likewise unto the enjoyment of all the priviledges of the body For so it followes And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers Instruction Hence I may take occasion to instruct believers who have entred into the Lords body in the Lords way that they endeavour to walk closely with the body in all love helpfulnesse carefulnesse tendernesse and usefulnesse as becommeth the Members of Christs body Secondly hence I may take occasion to satisfie such if the Lord please as are opposites unto believers baptisme and their entrance into the Church by baptisme and contend much for their entrance into a Church-estate by Covenant or Contract without baptisme Indeed there ought to be a sweet and firm consent harmony agreement or contract both in judgement and affection according to the Lord amongst all those who are one body in the Lord and as it is unquestionable so it is a desirable a good and pleasant thing and I shall plead for it as much as any But that such a consent or covenant amongst persons is an entrance according to Christ into the body of Christ without this one baptisme upon profession of this one faith in this one Lord Jesus is not clear to me from the Lawes and Statutes of this Law-giver That Scripture Esay 56.4 and 6. verses so much alledged for that purpose by men of that way whom in other things I much esteem where the Lord saith to the Eunuches and the sonnes of the stranger that serve him and keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of his Covenant that he will give them a glorious setled Name in His house c. Where they understand an entering into a Church-estate by Covenant onely I say I conceive this Scripture which is indeed a Gospell-Scripture will without any violation admit of other interpretations more spirituall and more sweetly agreeing to the Gospell of Christ then their interpretation is Why may we not say without wrong to this or any other Scripture that by taking hold of the Covenant here may be understood in part believers obedience to Christ in baptisme For whatsoever Christ commandeth to his servants may in a true sense according to the Scripture be called his Covenant But if we come up to the spiritualnesse of this Scripture I conceive that by Covenant in this place we are to understand Christ himself For as I said this Scripture is a Gospel-scripture Therefore by Sabbath here we are to understand the Lord Iesus only who alone is the Sabbath or Rest of Believers under the Gospel And to keep this Sabbath from polluting it is to believe in him onely unto righteousnesse For to do any work I mean to seek righteousnes or peace or reconciliation with God by any work is to pollute this Sabbath or this Rest by whom alone such as believe in him do and shall enjoy a glorious an everlasting rest So likewise by Covenant here we are to understand Christ himself and so he is called in the same Prophet Esay 42.6 I will give thee speaking of Christ for a Covenant of the people for a light to the Gentiles And chapter 49.8 I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people Therefore to take hold of his Covenant is to believe in Christ onely to embrace him to cleave close to him
to obey him in all things and to make open profession or confession of him And to such indeed the Lord will give a glorious and everlasting Name which shall not be cut off even a Name in his house better then of Sons and Daughters And this I conceive to be the speciall meaning of the Holy Spirit in this Scripture which is in no wise pertinent and proper for them to bear them out in their Church-covenant and their entrance into the Church by it only Thus much I conceived necessary to speak by the way Tryall Againe This that I have said concerning this priviledge which believers have in baptisme through Christ may serve as a fourth Touchstone for the tryall of Infants baptisme whereby it is discovered not to be of God but of men onely For if all baptized persons according to the Scripture were baptized into one body to wit the Church of God and all the priviledges thereof as hath been cleerly proved from the 1. Cor. 12.13 and Acts. 2.41 42. And doubtlesse there is but one and the same rule for all the Churches of Christ to walke by Then surely the unlawfvllnesse of Infants baptisme is hence also proved Are they meet subjects to be joyned or added to the Lords body who neither knew the Lord nor his body nor the priviledges of the same Are they meet to be added unto the body in baptisme who are no wayes meet to partake in the priviledges and liberties of the body Who are no wayes meet to walk with the body in doctrine in fellowship in breaking of bread in prayers and in other liberties And surely according to the scripture those who are added unto the body are added unto the present partaking and enjoyment of all the priviledges of the body Are they meet to be added to the body who are no wayes usefull helpfull and profitable unto the body Such who cannot care for the body nor suffer with it nor rejoyce with it nor perform any office of love or duty to the body Surely the body of Christ according to the scripture is not made up of such unequall unusefull unhelpfull unprofitable Members Hath the most wise God made all the Members of the naturall body proportionable and usefull And hath he not made the mysticall body the Church of Christ glorious in the proportion and usefulnesse of all the members I speak not now concerning the salvation of Infants for that Infants dying in their infancie may belong to the Election of Grace and be saved even the Infants of believers and unbelievers of Turkes and Indians who can deny it But the wise will understand what I say I leave the use of this Touchstone to their consideration And so much for this Touchstone and this priviledge Thirdly Another priviledge is this to wit Believers in baptisme through the faith of the operation of God have fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection by the power of which the strength of the body of sinne is more subdued and they are more enabled to walk in newnesse of life Rom. 6.3 4 5. Know ye not saith the Apostle 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 even so also we should walk in newnesse of life And agreeable to this is Col. 2.12 Buried with him in baptisme wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead In which two Scriptures acccording to the matter in hand I pray you take notice with me of these four things to wit First that in or by baptisme beleevers have a great ingagement lyeth upon them to walk like such as are dead to sinne to the world and to all humane traditions whatsoever in point of worship and to live to God in holinesse and righteousnesse and spirituall worship according to Christ in all things Seeing that in baptisme they professe themselves to be dead with Christ and to live with him they ought from thenceforth and from that time to be more diligent to live accordingly Thus the Apostle expressely speaketh Rom. 6.6 Where having relation to Believers burying and rising with Christ in baptisme in the 4 and 5. verses He saith in this verse that henceforth we should not serve sinne Minde that expression Henceforth And to to this purpose is that exhortation to the same believers and indeed concernes all professing or confessing Christ Let not sin therefore reign in your mortall body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof And as they have a great ingagement upon them from thenceforth not to be subject to sinne and the lusts therof so likewise not to be subject to any human traditions in point of worship you may understand some difference betwixt what I call sin and what I call humane traditions in point of worship though these are sinfull also I say Believers baptisme ingageth them from that time or from thenceforth to cast off all these things Thus the Apostle reasoneth Coloss 2.20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ that is seeing ye are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances after the Commandements and Doctrines of men Where he layeth down this conclusion that they are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world that is from all those things which were but Types and shadows of the Lord Jesus And he proves this from their profession in Baptisme verse 12. for unto that it is most evident he hath relation ye are buried with him in Baptisme And from this conclusion he presseth this exhortation by way of reasoning Why as though living in the world are ye subject to the Ordinances c. It is a dishonourable thing and altogether unanswerable for such as have the Name of Christ called upon them in Baptisme and therein professe themselves to be buried with Christ from thenceforth to serve any sinne in the lusts of it or to be subject to Types and shadowes of Christ or any Ordinances which are after the commandements and doctrines of men Whereas on the contrary it is an honourable and a glorious thing for believers to walk up to that engagement which the Lord Jesus hath laid upon them and they have taken upon themselves in that Ordinance Secondly by baptisme believers have a great ingagement lyeth upon them to seeke after and set their affections upon things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God Col 3.1.2 If ye then be risen with Christ that is Seeing then ye are risen with Christ set your affections upon things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God He here also layeth downe this conclusion that they are risen with Christ for so much the words imply And this he proves