baptisme and consequently not mans but Gods baptisme and therefore neede not any seconde baptisme If it were Gods baptisme it conteined in it promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes mortification of the fleshe quickening of the spirit and partaking of Christ c. Question Seeing that wee sinne dayly and that our sinnes are done away by Baptisme why shoulde wee not desire and present our selues to be very often baptised Answere If the efficacie of Baptisme did reach only to the sinnes committed before Baptisme as for example in yong children to origmall sinne and in those which are of yeeres both to their original and actuall sinnes which went before their baptisme I coulde like well of them whiche for the cleare washing away of their sins eyther deferred their Baptisme vnto their dying day which was grosse ignoraunce or of such whiche in our time for the like reasō would desire to be often Baptised whiche is a palpable errour It is a certaine trueth in diuinitie that our sinnes committed after Baptisme do not abolish our bap tisme For Christes puritie is offered to vs in Baptisme whiche puritie of Christ because it is alwayes in force is not rased out by any sinnes of ours but clenseth vs from all filthines whatsoeuer The Galathians reuolted from that truth which Paul had taught thē Gal. 3. 5.6 chap. and were corrupt in their liues these were great sinnes after they had receiued Baptisme Paul notwithstanding reuiueth their faith by that Baptisme which before they had receiued Gal. chap. 3. verse 27. Baptisme must not be shut vp in straighter rome then Christ himselfe seeing that in Baptisme we put on Christ Rom. chap. 6. vers 1.2.3 and the efficacie of Baptisme is not lesse then the efficacie of Christes death vnto whiche Baptisme hath a singular respect To be once regenerate and to haue once entred into Christs Church is sufficient neyther is any of Gods electe cast out at any time for he that is once indewed with the spirit of sanctification is alwayes endewed with the same spirite of sanctification My reasons are these The giftes and calling of God Rom. chap. 11 verse 29. 1. Pet. chap. 1 verse 23. are without repentance The worde of God whereby we are regenerate is immortall seede that is to say neuer dieth in his children The shielde of fayth may be wounded but it can not be stricken through Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not 1. Ioh. chap. 3 verse 9. cap. 5. ver 18 for his seed remayneth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God The Apostle Iohn meaneth not that sinne dwelleth not in Gods chyldren but that it hath not dominion ouer them and therefore Paul saith not let not sinne dwel Rom. chap. 6. verse 12. 2. Sam chap. 11. verse 4.15 24. 2. Sam. chap. 12. vers 13. but let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies Dauid dealt verye strangely with Vrias and with the Lordes armie his faith seemed to be quenched but he was not cleane spoyled of all sparkes of grace there remayned as it were a quicke coale in the ashes other wise the Prophet Nathan had not so easily and speedily awaked him Christes resurrection is a notable piller of our faith and the very locke and kepe of all religion Iohn chap. 20. verse 25. The Apostle Thomas doubted so much of it that he vttered these wordes except I see in his handes the print of the nayles and put my finger into the printe of the nayles and put my hande into his side I will not beleeue it This sinne of Thomas was so grosse that it might he fealt with the fingers and yet faith was not cleane extinguished in him Iohn chap. 20 verse 28. as appeareth by his answere to Christe my Lord and my God They whiche thinke that they are vtterly voyde of Gods spirite in whom the fruites of the spirit do not alwaies appeare are like vnto thē which thinke there is no sire where there is no flame and that trees are dead in winter beecause they bring forth neyther fruit nor leaues in winter 7 Whether those children whiche are knowen to be base borne are to bee admitted to baptisme The children which are base borne amongst vs are not to bee shutte from baptisme for the parentes sinne if such as feare God present them to baptisme and promise faithfullye to see them brought vp in the feare of God Augustine had a base sonne but hee was baptised Aug. confes lib. 9. cap. 6. and verye Christianly brought vp 8 What time is fitte for the administration of baptisme Circumcision was administred the eyght day after the childs birth Gene. cha 17. verse 12. chap. 21. verse 4. Luk. chap. 1. vers 59. cha 2. ve 21 at that time Isaac Iohn Baptist and Iesus Christ were circumcised If the Sabboth was the eyght day after the childs birth hee was circumcised on the Sabboth day Iohn chap. 7. verse 23. That tyme is fittest for the administration of Baptisme wherein care is had that the infants die not vnbaptised if it may bee done without breache of Gods order and yet that their superstition which tie saluation to baptisme at no hande be fauoured The Lordes day is a very fit day for Baptisme euē in the presence of the congregation 9 What is required of them whiche are alreadie baptized when they are of yeeres It is required first that they beleeue aright secondlye that they mortifie the bodie of sinne Lastly that they walke in newnesse of life a principall branch whereof is to be at vnitie with the godly One God is father of all Ephe. chap. 4 verse 4.5.6 one Christ hath redeemed vs all one holye ghost doth sanctifie vs all one fayth and one baptisme is common to vs all there is but one hope of our calling I meane euerlasting life therefore it becomes vs to bee linked together in the feare of God Salomon sayth that a threefolde corde can not easely be broken Eccle. chap. 4 verse 12. if this sixefolde and golden chaine will not holde vs wee breake it not by the power of God Iudg. cha 16. verse 9. as Sampson did his cordes but by some other power which is not of God Many grapes make one cuppe of wine many cornes one loafe of bread wee are members of one body whereof Christ is the heade therefore we must be at vnitie with Christ by giuing great honour to him and with our fellow members by doyng good vnto them A table of such poynts as are contayned in the last part of this treatise 1 WHat the Lordes Supper is 2 Why two elemēts that is to say bread wine are vsed in the Lordes supper but one elemēt that is to say water in the Sacramēt of baptisme 3 Why Christ did celebrate the Supper at night 4 The essentiall partes of the Lordes Supper are not to be omitted but the accidentall may 5 None may presume to presēt
are glad of this and do therefore think very hardly of corrupt mē which will not be restrayned and reformed eyther by Gods and the Queenes both lawes and speech or by the woorthye example of Constantinus or by the testimonye of their owne consciences which cannot but both accuse condēne them They which present mē to ecclesiastical liuings are called patrons that is to say defenders of the church to keepe back either all or part of the church liuinges is not to be a shielde to couer the Churche and the Minister but a sworde to cut them and therefore they may iustly be called the schollers of Lysimachus the Churchrobber which was slaine for his villanies 2. Machab. chap. 4. ver 42. If a patrone preferre a minister for monye and corruption hee must needs thinke hardly and vily of that minister the minister likewise of that patrone for who can like a minister when he feeles his corruption and what minister though hee fishe with a siluer hooke wil accompt of that patrons friendship which he payes so deare for and what good men can like of eyther him that preferres or is preferred in this sorte will they not iudge them to bee straunge market men Ierohoam made Priestes of the lowest of the people which were not of the sōnes of Leui 1. Kings chap 12. ver 31. chap. 13. ver 33. but hee did it for monye For the like respect I feare manye haue beene preferred which cannot be allowed for Prophets because they neuer were the sonnes of the Prophets I haue handeled these poyntes I trust for the good of all that they which are guiltie of this sinne may make restitution and leaue the practise of it and that they which are not guiltie of it may take good heede that they fall not into that sinke of corruption If anye be offended with this I haue set downe it is their faulte and not mine for the seed which I haue sowen is very good but the ground which receiues it not is very bad but my comfort is this that I haue pleased almighty God and his seruauntes in this godly labour though this certayne truthe bee a shut booke as a sealed letter vnto graceles Cormorantes Question Whether landes and pensions giuen for the maintenance of Idolatrie may and ought to be conuerted to the seruice of God Answere They may ought for if mē should conuert them to their priuate vse it might bee iustly thought that in abolishing superstition priuate gaine is the marke which is louelled at and not the promoting of Gods true religion This is Augustines iudgement in a notable and learned Epistle Aug. epist 154 ad Publicolam and deserues to be greatly liked of To the Reader SInce the printing of the first part of my Catechisme I haue bin earnestly dealt with to write somewhat of the Sacraments The request was verie equall and I haue yeelded to it as appeareth by these Treatises The course I haue taken in them is plaine and short If they shall profite such as haue neede of instruction I will thanke God very humbly for it and hereafier by Gods assistance set downe another short Treatise of the Scripture and the Church and Confession for their further benefit These points are waighty but necessary arguments to be handled yet very breesly because the memories of the simple are verie shorte and long discourses are not easily digested by them God giue vs grace to increase in the knowledge of his truth and to frame our liues accordingly to his glorie and our comforte through Iesus Christ A Table of such poyntes as are contained in the first part of this Treatise 1 VVHat a Sacrament is 2 There are but two Sacramēts Baptisme the Lords supper the other fiue which went vnder the name of Sacraments are no Sacraments 3 It is not in any mans power to make a Sacrament 4 Whether the Sacraments of the olde and new testament are all one and howe they differ 5 The Sacramēts must not be administred at all aduentures to euery one 6 The signe must not bee confounded with the thing fignified in the Sacramēt 7 The Sacraments are not to be esteemed better for the worthines of the minister or the worse for his vnworthines 8 The Sacramentall signes offer grace vnto all but doe not of their owne nature conferre grace vnto all that doe receiue them 9 Why almighty God would haue the external signes in the Sacramēts to consist of very simple and vsuall things 10 The Sacraments are not naked bare signes 11 The Sacramentes must haue the word of God annexed to them 12 Gods Church hath neede of Sacraments so long as it is in this world 13 The Sacraments are highly to bee esteemed 14 The contempt of the Sacramentes is very daungerous 15 The Sacraments during the tyme of the action of Baptisme of the Lords supper are Sacraments but after the action is ended they are no Sacraments 16 What good we receiue by the Sacraments ⧠A Treatise of the Sacraments 1 What a Sacrament is A Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible grace 2 There are but two Sacramentes Baptisme and the Lordes Supper The other fiue which went vnder the name of Sacramentes that is to say Matrimonie Orders Pennaunce Extreme vnction and Confirmation are no Sacramentes SAynt Paule prouing that the Israelites were equal vnto thē of Corinth 1. Cor. chap. 10. ver 2. 3. and consequently of vs in the externall signes of Gods fauour nameth onelye Baptisme and the Lordes Supper wherein hee had dealt verie strangely if of seuen Sacramentes he had left out fiue Two thinges are especially ioyntly required vnto euery necessary Sacrament of the Churche First a sēsible outward element Secondly the word of institution the element in Baptisme is water the elementes in the Lords Supper are bread wyne the word of institution in baptisme is that which is pronounced by the minister I baptize thee in the name of the Father of the Sonne Math. chap. 28. ver 19. and of the holye Ghost the word of institutiō in the Lords supper is 1. Cor. chap. 11. ver 23.24.25 The Lorde Iesus the same night that he was betrayed tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks he brake it and sayde take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this do ye in remembrance of me After the same maner also he tooke the cup when hee had supped saying this cup is the new Testament in my blood this doe as oft as yee drinke it in remembrance of me Matrimony orders pennance haue the word of God but no outward element Extreme vnction and Confirmation haue neither word nor element Obiection for Matrimony For this cause shall a man leaue father Ephes chap. 5. ver 31 3◠and mother and shal cleaue to his wife they twayne shall be one flesh this is a great mysterie that is to say Sacramēt as the Church of
inestimable benefits which by the lauer of water purgeth vs in baptisme and by his flesh feedeth and by his blood refresheth our soules in the Lordes supper Our faith is confirmed and increased by the Sacraments we are by them stirred vp to performe great duetie thankfulnesse to almighty God we are seuered by the Sacraments as by a partition wall from all such as are not entred into the profession of Christianity we are by the Sacraments more surely lincked togither amongest our felues A table of such poynts as are contayned in the second part of this Treatise 1 VVHat Baptisme is 2 The Baptisme of infants is very lawfull 3 It is not lawful for women or priuate men to baptize for only the minister must doe it 4 All that dye before Baptisme are not dāned because we are Christians before we are baptized 5 Baptisme must not be deferred to◠long 6 Baptisme must not be iterated that is to say they which are once baptised must not be baptized againe 7 Whether those children which are knowen to be base borne are to be admitted to Baptisme 8 What time is fitt for the administration of Baptisme 9 What is required of them which are already baptised whē they are of yeares A Treatise of Baptisme 1 What Baptisme is BAptisme is a sacrament of regeneration consisting of water the spirite by the word of God whereby wee haue forgiuenes of sinnes euerlasting life according to Christes promise 2 The Baptisme of Infantes is verie lawful The Infants of the Israelites were circumcised whē they were eight dayes old Gen. chap. 17 ver 12. cha 21. ver 4 our baptisme is come into the place of their circumcision I cōfesse that wee are not tyed to the eight day for the baptisme of our infāts as the Israelites were for the circūcising of theirs neither are women children to be barred from baptisme amongst vs because their women children were not circumcised yet their women children were partakers of Gods promise for vnder the mankinde all were consecrated The children of the faithfull are holy 1. Cor. chap. 7. ver 14. Acts. chap. 2. ver 39. they are vnder Gods couenāt which couenant is contayned in these wordes I will be thy God and the God of thy seede therefore they may not be barred from baptisme which is a seale of Gods couenant Obiection He that shal beleeue and be baptized shal be saued Marke chap. 16. ver 16. therefore none are to bee admitted to baptisme before they beleeue which infantes doe not Answeare Christ speaketh onely of those which are capable of his doctrine and which were before alients from his Churche Such neyther were nor may be presented or admitted to baptisme before they beleeue in Christ Iesus This is manifest in the Samaritanes and the noble man of Ethiopia Acts. chap. 8. ver 12.37.38 chap. 16. ver 32.33 and in the Iayler of Philippos and in a Iewe baptized of late yeeres in London all which were taught and beleeued in Christ before they were admitted to baptisme so that Christs words doe no more barre Christian infantes from baptisme because they beleeue not 2. Thes chap. 3. ver 10. then Paules doe from meate because they cannot labour 3 It is not lawful for women or priuate men to Baptise for onely the minister must doe it No man may take honour to himselfe but hee which is called as Aaron was Heb. chap. 5. ver 4. to administer eyther the word or sacrament is a singuler honour in the churche of God therefore c. If aunswere be made that baptisme is necessarie I graunt it to be true when it may bee administred according to the order which God hath appoynted Gods order is that a publike minister shall doe it Saul had great reasons in mans iudgement for his sacrificing in Samuels absence 1. Sam. chap. 13. ver 11. 2. Sam. chap. 6. ver 6. ◠and Vzzah from staying the Arke which was otherwise like to haue fallen but because they tooke vpon thē that wherevnto God had not called thē they receiued a iust rewarde of their rashnes The Sacramentes are seales of the worde Math. chap. 28. ver 19. our sauiour Christ ioyned them togither when hee sent foorth his Apostles and prescribed a forme of Baptisme in these wordes goe and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye Ghost The selfe same men are authorized by Christ to baptize which are authorized to preach I meane that Apostles whom the publique minister succeedes in preaching the word administring the Sacraments This difference is notwithstanding betwene the Apostles and vs they were called immediately by Christ himselfe so are not we they had Gods giftes miraculously powred vpon them so haue not we they had all the world for their plough lande so haue not we seing the Apostleship was long agoe at an end If the Apostleship be ended what so much as colour of priuiledge hath the Pope for erecting a new Apostleship and sending heardes of susperstitious Iesuites and droues of Massing priestes into this realme of England I will say nothing of the religion deliuered by these new Apostles because their Apostleship and doctrine haue not Christes but the Popes hande and seale to confirme them The Pharisies did thinke it vnlawful and that iustly that any one without calling should administer baptisme their wordes to Iohn Baptist are manifest Iohn chap. 1. ver 25. If thou art not Christ nor Elias c. why doest thou baptize as if they should say vnto Iohn thou art not a publique minister therefore thou mayest not baptize The Pharisees deserue cōmendation for not allowing a priuate man to baptize but they were fowly deceiued in taking Iohn Baptist to bee a priuate man for Iohn Baptist was that Elias which the Prophet Malachie our Sauiour Christ spake of and therefore no priuate man as the Pharisees imagined The administration of baptisme by women Epiph. lib. 1. cont haeres Tertul. de prescript aduer haeret is a braunche of Marcious heresies and is condemned by Epiphanius and Tertullian To say that eyther a midwife or a lay man as we call him may administer the Sacrament because the minister is not then in place is as if we should allowe a priuate man to condemne a murtherer because the magistrate is not then at hand to doe it Obiection Sephora Exod. chap. 4. ver 25. Moses wife did circumcise hir sonne Answere Sephoraes fact was vnorderly and confused Exod chap. 4. ver 25.26 for shee did it first in a sodaine and angry fit as appeareth in the text secōdly in the presence of Moses which is sufficient to improue her doing euen by the Papists iudgement which thinke it vnlawfull for a woman to baptize when any man is in place 4 All that dye before baptisme are not damned because wee are Christians before we are baptized Abraham was iustified