VII Mat. 21.25 26 27. 25. The Baptism of John whence was it from Heaven or of Men And they reasoned among themselves saying if we shall say from Heaven he will say unto us why did ye not then believe him 26. But if we shall say of Men We fear the People for all hold John a Prophet 27. And they answered Jesus and said we cannot tell I Note That some Men tho in the days of Christ disowned the Doctrine of baptism upon Repentance and John the first Preacher and Administrator of it Because there was as they thought a peculiar saving Priviledge unalterably annexed to the Children of Abraham tho when grown up were impenitent Joh. 8.33 but it was but a pharasaical thought Many that are not in love with Christ discover it by not being in love with his Ordinance for his sake And some again are willing their own Invention may serve for his Ordinance And it appears John 2.23 that this baptism of John was in much Water and therefore he abode and preached in a place near much Water but if a little Water would have done then he might have Travel'd and Preached and Sprinkled in the Hill Countrey all over the Land but to baptize or Dip he must be where is much Water and therefore abode at Enon a place by the River Iordan because there was much Water there Behold our Jesus indisputation sheweth that Diping after repentance is from heaven but Sprinkling before signs of Repentance is of Man's invention CHAP. VIII Matth. 28.19.20 19. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptiking them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the World Amen I Note That here is the Commission of Believers Baptism given by our Lord Iesus Christ King of Saints and Law-giver to his Church And that the Ministers of his Gospel are to preach first upon the success of their Ministâ—y baptize only those who believe the Gospel Therefore unless Infants hear the Word preached and become thereby convinc't of sin and the excellency of a Saviour they are not within the reach of the commission for baptism but that Infants do not do and therefore they that sprinkle or baptize before preaching set up their own folly against the wisdom of God by doing the last first just contrary to the Commission Moreover to baptize either Infants or Men or Women before they believe is to make all seem Church and no World or rather continue all World and make no visible Church but our Saviour will have a Church out of the World And therefore he saith to his Church Ioh. 15.19 I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hates you and accordingly believers are appointed to be baptized to distinguish them from the World See more pag. 15. Again This promise of Christ's presence with his people is upon condition of observing the method of baptizing after preaching for preserving his visible Church from mixing with Unbelievers CHAP. IX Mark 1.4 5. 4. John did baptize in the wilderness and preach the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins 5. And there went out to him all the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem and were all baptized of him in the River of Iordan confessing their sins I Note that this Evangelist also relates that baptism was administred not at a river but in a rivâ—â— by dipping of persons that went out not carried out and upon confession of sins which Infants cannot do Again Tho the Pharisees that thought they knew the Law did not receive Baptism yet God found a people that did upon confession of sins and therefore let not us that are sincere for Christ and his Gospel be afraid of the reproach of some Ecclesiastical Persons but value the love of God for the text saith Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulitrous and sinful Generation c. Mark 8.38 Matth. 10.32 Again I wonder how the Infant Sprinkling Ministers dare say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost I baptize thee c. When they do but Rantize or Sprinkle and not Baptize or Dip. If they will sprinkle in some bodies name and not in their own it is then to my understanding more proper and safe for them to say In the Name of the Fathers Popes and religious Men I spriâ—kle thee according to the declared Will of the Milevetan Council in this case It is our Will that c. and of the 5th Council of Carthage An. 416. We will that c. but this is not God's Will and then they 'l put no fallacy upon God's Ordinance of baptism nor speak untruth in the name of the Trinity And let me here speak directly to some Christians that are for Infant Sprinkling what tho you believe personal Election is there therefore a necessity that you must sprinkle your Infants believing that that election runs only in your Line by natural Generation Tho it may be you can say as a great many can That truly I do not know whether there be another christian of my Generation or no for they all by their Lives discover Ignorance and Unbelief of the Lord Iesus or at most make but a Laodiccan profession and then my brethren what incouragement have you to reckon that Election will run to your Generation after you and that your Infants should be sprinkled Moreover personal election is a secret residing only in God then how can you personally apply Election before their personal believing Furthermore election gives no right to baptism until the elect person be taught or called according to the commission of preaching baptizing God's order of working about the salvation of a sinner is God elects and his Ministers calls and the spirit going with the Word regenerates and upon that comes a bending to obedience and profession Or thus God elects and Man preaches and then God regenerates and Man baptiseth God works first First Is the decree of salvation 2dly The publishing of it 3dly The change made in the soul 4thly The sign thereof and a profession which by the will of God ought to be done by dipping see p. 27. as a lively Emblem of cleansing in the merits of Christ the River of Water of Life As God in order of time hath placed Election before Sanctification so he hath placed teaching before baptizing CHAP. X. Mark 1.9 10 11. 9. And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized of John in Jordan 10. And straight way coming up out of the Water he saw the Heavens opened and the Spirit like a Dove descending upon him 11. And there came a Voice from Heaven saying thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I Note That the Evangelist Mark as well as
That one may be baptized by anothers faith 4. That National Churches are more agreeable to the Gospel than Congregationâ—l 5. That a carnal Seed hath a spiritual Right 6. That aâ— Antichristian hath Authority to administer Christian Baptism 30. Of believers baptism God will not say Who hath required these things at your hands But of Infant Sprinklirg he may say so 31. Believers Baptism will stand as long as God's Word stands because supported thereby Matth. 5.18 But Infant Sprinkling must fall for want of it 32. Believers baptized do believe repent examine themselves make judgment of things love one another take up Christ's Cross Watch and Pray c. and therefore are fit Members of a Gospel Church â—ut Infants sprinkled do not do so and are not fit 33. Believers baptism hath God's word for it But Infant Sprinkl hath only human consequence 34. That bâ—lievers were baptised by the Apostles all Christians may affirm But that Infants were sprinkled by them none can 35. In Believers Baptism when the Minister dippeth and saith I baptize thee c. he speaketh Truth But in Infants sprinkling when the Minister sprinkleth and saith I baptize thee c. he speaketh an untruth at least 36. Believers baptized are taught of God and made his Disciples Mat. 28.18 Acts 15.10 But Infants sprinkled are neither 37. To Believers baptism submitted the L. Jesus But to Infants Sprinkling never any like him 38. Believers baptism introduceth no Error nor false Doctrine into the world But Infant sprinkliâ—g introduceth many Errors 1. That it taketh away Original sin 2. That it worketh grace and regeneration 3. That it effects salvation by the work done 4. That it is an Apostolical Tradition 5. That Infants have Faith 6. That Infants are Dâ—sciplâ—s of Christ 7. That only believers children are in Covenant 8. It polluteth the Church with Mingling the World and Church together 9. Many deceitful and crafty Inventions of Antichrist as Gossips Bishoping Crossings c. 10. It hath made contention in the Church 11. It hath caused the bloodshed of Saints Christian People's Self-Contradiction by Infant Sprinkling T Is strange that a people my Brethern in oâ—her Doctrines that have proved and contended for the Scriptures to be the only Rule of Faith and worship and in other cases wi l say where is it written should be fond of Infant Sprinkling for which they cannot find in Scripture any word Command nor Example for to give it the Reputation of a Church Ordinance I profess I must give away my Understanding if I consent to a Scriptureless Ordinance under the Name of a Scripture Ordinance Never lâ—t me nor other Christians pretend to bear a Testimony to the Truth by suffering Persecution if Scripture must not be my Rule of Understanding and Faith take away this and take all I have or all themselves have said in order to Christianity or relating to Regeneration and Salvation Can any Man speak against Popery or Superstition that will form a Principall Ordinance in the Church without Scripture Authority for it 't is self Contradiction so to do 'T is but pulling down one Babel and Building another Let him that would find the truth of Baptism search the Scriptures and there he may find that 't is believers Dipping A sight of a Believer at Baptizing When you see a believer at baptising you may know that Now he devides the time of his Life that whereas from his birth to this time of his Baptism he lived without giving this Gospelly appointed Sign of Believing in the Lord Jesus But now he will live so no longer He till now lived as the Ignorant Infant sâ—rinkled World that gives no signs of special believing by special obedience to this call of the Lord Jesus in the Gospel But now the Believer is baptized that of choice in obedience and according to his Lord Jesus's requirement he declares to every body that he is a believer a believer in the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus to save and that he will no longer live as the Unregenerate do without the further Sign of his Faith by his Gospel Obedience But will as you see by baptism divide the Time of his l fe that he may now say let the time pâ—st suâ—â—â—e for a vain Coâ—verâ—â—tion a careless fearful anâ— disobedient Conversation And may also from this time say the life that I â—â—w live is by Faith in the Son of God My baptism upon beliâ—ving is a doing that the Gospel requires for a beginning of a Visibility of this â—ife of Faith undergoing the Reproach of the world for the sake of my Lord the â—ying Jesus of Nazareth our exalted Saviour Of Reproaches and Sufferings HIstorâ— affords Relations of many people in all Ages since the first plantat on of the Gospel that have suffer'd Contempt Reproach Scandal Lyes disgrace cruâ—ll â—â—ocâ—ings misery Imprisonment Death and puâ—â—ick Maâ—tyrdom â—ot only for the saâ—e of profâ—ssing the Doctâ—iâ—es of the Gospel in general but in paâ—ticular for the Doctrinâ— of believ rs Baptism And that which seems more strange is that those Men who have been the most bitter Enemies to the purity of the Gospel have in all Ages been persons not slighting or dispising Religion but those that have made great pretentions to Religion all of the same Spirit as were the Scribes and Pharisees that under a show of Sanctity lamented the sufferings and Death of the Prophets and paid a kind of Devotion to the place where they were laid and built their Sepulchers and yet as their Fathers did so did they still go on with Persecution And ever since the severe minded People upon account of Religion have been the Priestly People Nay what is worse a Reformed People have been as Ridgid as the former Behold a Wonder a Bush burning and not consumed Exod. 3.3 and Moses said I will turn aside and set this great sight c. God's lively Emblem of the Aflicted Persecuted Church of Christ The Dignity of the Lord Jesus that Baptised Believers obey The Mighty Jesus is the God man saith God the Father The Man that is â—y Fellow Zach. 13. 7. His Name shall be called the wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Isaiah 9.6 Who is the Iâ—age of the Invisible God the first born of every Creature Col. 1.15 16 17 18 19 20. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him He is before all things and by him all things consist And he is the head of the Body the Church who is the beginning the first born from she dead that in all things he might have the preheminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell And having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things to himself Beware lest
arose to the water And thus tho God hath an Ocean of Grace and that this grace is free as a River Ps 78.20 Iude 3. Isa 33 21. yet saith Goâ— of his people They shall come weeping and mourning Isa 48.18 And so tho his Ordinance of water be free yet his people shall come to that and not a little of that brought to Sprinkle as if they were afâ—aid of too much and as if too much water Psal 36.8 would signify too much grace or us if could they but have grace or sanctity enough to carry them to Heaven they would not have a drop more Now Believer if it come to pass by thiâ— or any other means that thou art wrought to a solid desire publickly to profess thy self Religious Mar. 10.32 A believer on the Son of God for Salvation by an obediential submitting to this Gospelly settled Ordinance of believers baptism and yet thou findest in thy self frailty and inability to live a perfect holy Life as becometh such a professor and therefore thinkest with thy self to delay baptism till thou art stronger fortified against Corruption and better qualified for baptism If so then rest on thy Lord Jesus Eph. 5.26 and conclude to live thro the gâ—ace of God as well as thou caâ—st if not so well as thou wouldest so resolve to be baptized If thou believâ—st with all thy heart thou may'st be baptised Believing or Faith is an heart qualifying grace and doth and will bring forth the good fruits of an holy conversation tho much of corrupt Nature still remaineth Then what hinders thy obedience to thy Saviours appointed believers baptism Observe That the Jaylor Acts. 16. falling out of love with his sins speak like a man of sense and reason What shall I do to be saved And then the Apostle directs him higher than sense or reason even to act as a man of Faith too If thou wilt do then believe do that without staying for thy own Acts of Rigteousness believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Do that first and then thou art right to do more Faith is the Root of other Sanctified Obedience and also gives right to baptism If thou believest is the point that the Gospel stands upon art thou poor art thou vile nay art thou the vilest of sinners if thou believest art changed there 's no Objection against thee There 's no Qualification like believing in the Cruâ—ified Iesus of Nazareth that hath undertaken to Sanctifie Sinners Godly Parents and all the Forms of Worship are not to be compared to believing with all the heart Thus If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest be baptized Acts 8 37. Art thou a Gentile Person Then behold the Noble Ethopian Minister of State Acts 8. riding in his Chariot with his Courtly Attendence commanding all to stand still while he gâ—es down into the Water with Philip to be obedient to his Saviours dispised Rule of dipping whereby he sets himself against a Kingdom Ethiopia and then he went on his way rejoycing at the greatness of his Priviledge according to Phil. 1.29 Acts 5.41 Again But it may be thou hast been a Persecutor That indeed is a dreadful thing thou hast hereby made War upon God and his Son Jesus that should be thy Saviour and all the Saints and if thou mightest had thy Will thou wouldest have done strange things But yet see the kindness of the Lord Jesus to Saul And when Sauls Convictions made him cry out Lord what wilt thou have me to do He was then taught and sent to Ananias who said to him Why tarriest thou arise and be baptized Acts 22.16 And now to turn the stream of his Labours the Lord Jesus will have Saul become Paul the Preacher of the everlasting Gospel and a sufferer for it too Hear what the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah saith of the fullness and freeness of the grace of the Gospel to the poor and vile sinner Isa 55.1 2. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters the grace of the Gospel he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine Milk without Money without price Wherefore do you spend your Money your desires for that which is not Bread and your labour for that which satisfies not The Son of God confirmeth this John 7.37 38. In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Water the Spirit and Grace of the Gospel And again This exalted Saviour winds up his New Testament discovery of his Grace by his Proclamation in Revelations 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever will let him take the Water of life freely What wouldst have more O Sinner that seest thy pollutions and art under the sense of their deserts tho thou canst not by thy best Obedience answer the demands of a holy severe Law yet thou canst by believing with all thy heart answer the call of a holy reconciling Gospel that freely offers Christ for thy acceptance and injoyns Believers Baptism as a tryal of thy saith And so if thou believest in the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus with all thy heart thou mayst be baptised FINIS An Appendix If any be offended at this Treatise Then of them I Query Query 1. HOW comes it to pass that Liberty of Conscience is not a Christian's Priviledge now As much as it was when the Men of your perswasion hotly contended for it Query 2. Are you an Infallible Judge of a Christian's Reason Why he believes and obeys Gods Will in Scripture Tho never any Papist or Protestant could find a Iudge so safe for Salvation as the Scripture Query 3. Is it not safest for a Christian in the Conduct of his Life to Follow the Exemplary Practice of Christ and his Apostles Query 4. Wherein do Persons by sprinkling Infants follow the Practice of Christ his Apost Query 5. The Apostles by Dipping Believers only did faithfully discharge the Baptismal part of their Commission Then I Query by what or whose commission are Infants now Sprinkled for I never heard of another commission by Divine Authority Query 6. Infants being Sprinkled without Christ's commission for it How doth it appear that Infants Sprinkling will be accepted by Christ instead of believers baptism Query 7. Do not the Judgments on a Nation often come for want of Reformation from Popery and the Image of it in the Churches Query 8. Am not I in obeying and defending Forty New Testament Texts more excusable than some others that with Non-sequitors Crown the many more Learned that have pretended to defend Infant Sprinkling Query 9. Is it not safest for the finding of a New Testament Truth Baptism to compare all the New Testament
sprinkled first and never believe after as a great many are Why shouldst thou think that the same God and Father that work't about thy salvation before thou thoughâ—â—st of thy self and hath by his grace effectually called thee should not also have a design of saving grace upon some Unbelievers Children as well as upon thine nay it may be it is upon theirs and if any be rejected not upon thine for it was not for any Worthiness in thee that thou wast called and therefore what 's in thee that thy Children should be more than others when others are of the same lump with thy self And thy Corruptions too much work up notwithstanding grace hath been at work upon thee that still 't is a miracle that thou art saved Nay thou wouldst never be saved if grace did not eveâ—â— dâ—â— abound and mercies great and manifold mercies follow thee every where and all thy life long so that 't is by grace ye are saved and the s me grace in the Text is free to as many as the Lord our God shall call And when called then are they accordingly proper Subjects for baptism Let men make the Covenant as firm as they please or as now a days make what alterations they will and put who they will into it yet that gives Infants no right to Baptism until signs of Regeneration for all things in God's Worship must have a Warrant from God's Word Lev. 10.1.2 chap. 9.24 chap. 16.12 And baptism is always in Scripture annexed to signs of Regeneration He that doth not blind himself may see by experience that neither the Children of Believers nor Unbelievers give signs of being in the Covenant until they are grown to Years of understanding and the most never do it at all how then according to your own reckoning should they have right to baptism And tho you sprinkle them upon a supposition that they are in the Covenant yet you will not admit them to the Lords Table upon that supposition until they shew signs of Regeneration then why sprinkle them Is their growâ—ng to be Men a growing out of their Priviledg â—ut indeed they were never in that CHAP. XXIII Acts 8.12 But when they of Samaria believing Philip's Preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ they were Baptized both Men and Women I Note That believing in Jesus Christ hath a Spiritual tendency to obedience Believers baptism tho in our degenerated Age many Converts motions thereto are stifled by seeming Truths Again How express the Text is both Men and Women were baptized but yet not a word of Infants for they indeed were never baptized nor intended for it because they were incapable of believing or answering the Call of the Gospel When the Men and Women believed they then were baptised and this is compleatly according to the Commission of teaching and baptising Mat. 20. Mark 16. And indeed baptism in the best kind could not be an Ordinance of God but by vertue of his Royal Commission I have read that a Learned Doctor of the Church of England saith thus I have seen what my Learned and worthy Friend Dr. H. Mr. B. and others says in defence of Infants Baptism and must confess I do not a little wonder that Men of so great Parts should say so much to so little purpose for I have not seen any thing like an Argument for it Dr. Bar. to Mr. T. Believing and Baptism are joyned together Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved What God hath joâ—red together let no Man put asunder for thâ—â—e is no dissolving the Native Unâ—oâ— tho disunion of living together hath been suffered because hardness of â—â—â—rt Matt. 19.18 CHAP. XXIV Acts 8.36 37 38 39. Philip by the Spirit preached to an Ethiopian Eunuch as he was riding in his Chariot 36. And as they went on their way they came unto a certain Water and the Eunuch said see here is Water what doth hinder me to be baptized 37. And Philip said if thou believest with all thy heart thou mayst and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God 38. And he commended the Chariot to stand still and they went down both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptised him 39. And when they were come up out of the Water the spirit of the â—od caught away Philip. I Note That they went down both into the Water and they came up out of the Water which plainly proves that standing by the water was not enough though much Water then how should standing by a Bason of water be enough or taking a handful be enough but both must go into the Water And the Text to be sure to fasten the going down into the Water upon our minds doubles the expression and names the persons particularly by Name both Philip and the Eunuch went down into the Water But why doth the Holy Ghost make this repetition but to shew that much Water is essential to baptising dipping must be essential to dipping and is not a Circumstance Dipping and Baptizing being all one Baptize is Greekish and Dip is English At my writing on this Text I being in comâ—any with one of the Dissenting Ministers in in London that practiseâ—h Infant Sprinkling I put one Question to him viz. Whether much water was not needful for the right performing of Baptism And after a little pro and con he said I will grant you that it was the Primitive Practice in baptizing to dip for 't is foolery said he for any man to deny it and he also acknowledged that the Greek word baptiso had our Translators put it into Engâ—ish must have been dip Tho he contradictingly said That dipping was but a Circumstance and might therefore at discretion be astered to Sprinkling that carrying the same signification in it as dipping doth but I answered That Dipping was not a Circumstance but essential to baptism It 's irrational nay it s making a thing to destroy its self to say That Dipping is not essential to Dipping And who is the Man that may at his discretion alter God's Ordinance Man must neither add to take from nor change the Institutions of Christ without Infalibility It is one of the boldest presumptions Man can aspire unto to innovate in the Worship of God nothing can be more affronting to his Sovereign Authoâ—ity Wisdom and Puriâ—y then for â—oor creatuâ—es to mix their own contrivances with his most â—ure Appointments Deut. 12 32. Ch. 18.20 Jer. 26.2 Prov. 30.6 Lev. 10.1 2. Again 'T is not another but thou thy self that â—elievest that is to be baptized yea every oâ—â— is to act for himself an other mans doing will not excuse thee CHAP. XXV Acts â—â— 18 Ananias put his hands on Saul and spake 18. And there immediately fell from his eyes as if it had been scales and he received sight forthwith and arose and was baptized I note That here is a miraculous Conversion of