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A87722
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A short treatise of baptisme. Wherein is declared that only Christs disciples or beleevers are to be baptised. And that the baptising of infants hath no footing in the word of God, but is a meere tradition, received from our forefathers.
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Killcop, Thomas.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing K440; Thomason E1113_1; ESTC R210166
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5,025
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17
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A short TREATISE OF BAPTISME Wherein is declared that only Christs Disciples or beleevers are to be baptised And that the baptising of Infants hath no footing in the word of God but is a meere tradition received from our forefathers To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader I am very briefe in a matter of great concernment though I know too well that the opposers of this truth are very large bringing in in stead of Scripture their far fetcht consequences though by such consequences as they bring I finde that many of the grossest errors that can be are held out as free will falling away and the like and what makes so many differences of Religion among those that seeme to bee guided by the word but their holding of points by consequences for the word is one and the same and therefore I desire thee and all Gods people to sticke to Gods naked truth laid down in his word and not by consequences to overthrow plaine Scriptures Farewell Thomas Kilâ—â—p John 4.1 Iesus made and baptised more Disciples then Iohn BY Disciples is meant all in whom the worke of grace is wrought as appeares Act. 1.13 14 15. and 2.41 47. and 6.1 compared together By Baptisme is meant the baptisme of water Iohn 3.22 23. Baptisme is a Greek word and most properly signifies dipping in English and therefore the parties baptised are said to be baptised not at but in Jordan Mark 1.5 9 10. and in Aenon Iohn 3.23 Act. 8.38 39. Math. 3.16 Then note That the baptising or dipping in water belongs to Christs Disciples and none else The Text tells us that Jesus meaning his Disciples by his commission made and baptised more Disciples not more children then Iohn Iohn baptised many and Christ baptised more But all that Iohn baptised were Disciples and all that Jesus baptised were also disciples They were disciplized by the teaching then baptizing according to Christs commission Matth. 28.19.20 Mark 16.16 which is all one commission they must first be disciplized by teaching for so the word in Matth. signifies and then be baptised or first beleeve and then bee baptised Mark 16.16 want of faith doth hinder baptisme in Gods account but nothing else Acts 8.36 37. the Eunuch beleeving with all his heart was admitted to baptisme otherwise he could not and they that had the Holy Ghost given to them whereby they manifested repentance unto life could not rightly have baptisme denyed them otherwise they might Act. 10.45 46 47. and 11 15. And this is every where the tenure of the Scripture as in Mat. 3. all over Mark 1.4 5. Luke 3.3 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. in all which places wee may plainly see two things Iohns preaching and the peoples practise the heads of his teaching were that they should repent and be baptised for the remission of sin In the peoples practice wee may see first they came out of all the Regions where he had taught to Jordan secondly they confest their sins thirdly they were inquisitive about the minde of God Luke 3.9 10 11 12 13 14. fourthly they were baptised of Iohn in Jordan The like preaching did Peter preach Act. 2.38 saying repent and be baptised every one of you for the remission of sinne The Apostle would have every one to bee baptised but first he would have them every one to repent And the same practice was practised by Gods people there for they that gladly received the word were baptised ver 41. the like preaching was preacht by Philip. And the like practice was practised by those that were converted by him For when they beleeved Philip preashing to them the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were baptised both men and women Acts 8.12 The like preaching was preacht by Paul and the like practice was practised by the Jayler and his houshold Act. 16.31 32 33 34. in which see three things First Paul spake the word of the Lord to him and all his secondly hee and all his beleeved on God thirdly he and all his were baptised straightway The like preaching he preacht to Crispus and other Corinthians Act. 18.8 and the like was practised by them for they hearing beleeved and were baptised The same was preacht to Lidias and hers and the same was practised by them Acts 16.13 14 15. the same might bee seene by the Eunuch by Cornelius and his friends and consequently by all Gods people Observe also 3. arguments First Christ gave his Disciples commission concerning baptisme to baptise beleevers Mark 16.16 and this reacheth to the end of the world Matth. 28.19 20. therefore not to baptise them or they not to bee baptised is to disregard his commission and to baptise others especially so knowne is to goe beyond his commission Secondly want of faith or of the new birth is the onely bar to baptisme therefore they that enjoy these things may also enjoy baptisme but none else Acts 8.36 37. and 10.45 46 47. Thirdly the Scripture holdeth out no other baptisme in any place but of such as have faith or repentance wrought in them therefore they being not baptised Gods word is taken from them and to baptise others is to adde to it the danger of which see Revel 22.18 19. Application This informes us of a great mistake about baptisme even among Gods people themselves Some are for it as it is in the publicke assemblies with all the appurtenances being so taught 2. Some finde the signing of the partie with the crosse to bee mans invention and if that were left they thinke it were right 3. Some finde sureties no where spoken of in Scripture and if that were remedied they thinke it compleat baptisme not minding perhaps the blasphemous speeches which is worse then any of them as that the childe thus baptised is regenerate and borne anew and that Jesus Christ hath sanctified the river Jordan and all other waters to the washing away of sins which is horrible blasphemy attributing that to water which is peculiar to the blood of Christ 1 Iohn 1.7 Also in regard of the subject there is great mistake Some think being so taught that the children of al professed Protestants are to be baptised Some thinke the children of beleevers others thinke only the children of such beleevers as are members of some particular Church are to be baptised and none else whereas if they would but search the Scriptures and embrace this truth all these newfound and scripturclesse baptismes would fall to the ground at once Secondly they that baptise children or any that cannot manifest faith are guilty of the prophanation of Gods ordinance T is not their descent from godly parents will serve turne as appears Luke 3.8 9. though the Iews had high thoughts of themselves in this respect Iohn 8.44 and the Gentiles were â—â—â—…ly swaid that way as 1 Tim. 1.4 the which opinion is sharply reproved by Iohn by Christ and by Paul in those Scriptures Thirdly hence we learne that
they that are fit subjects of baptisme I meane they whose hearts the Lord hath toucht with his feare and yet keepe off from baptisme are guilty of the neglect or contempt of Gods ordinance the danger of which see an example of in the Pharisees and Lawyers for when the Publicans justified God and were baptised with the baptisme of Iohn they rejected the counsell of God against themselves and were not baptised of him Luke 7.29 30. Fourthly this may teach Gods people to beware of judging and censuring the professors of this truth as if they were too nice or too precise for this discovers in them though Gods people the remainders of the old man for naturally we are all given to speak evill of the things wee know not or have not formerly been brought up in the open prophane people speake ill of Puritans as they call them because they run not with them in the same excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.3 and those called Puritans speak evil of Brownists so called for they out strip them and they speake evill of us we going one step higher to wit in point of Bâ—pâ—isme thus did Praisgod Barbon of late his sin being open I may give him open reproofe 1 Tim. 5.20 who in stead of proving the lawfulnes or baptising infants taking on him so to doe in the meane time derides us and leaves that undone Much like to peevish Ionah 4.2 who in stead of praying to God fell a quarrelling with God But my earnest desire is that I and Mr. Barbon and all Gods people though differing in judgement might not differ in affections but that there may be love and tender affections among us seeing we are brethren and that we use no such violent speeches to one another or to any sith wee have learned that the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God Iam. 1.10 and that the wisdome from above is pure and peaceable and easie to be intreated and that the fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse c hatred debate emulations wrath c are the works of the flesh Gal. 5 21.22 You deride us in your booke about the rise matter and manner of baptisme the two last are clearely proved by Scripture already the rise of it being once lost is the only thing to clear of that therefore a few words Our baptisme received in our infancy being corrupted is notwithstanding true or false if true though corrupted as you hold then needs must the other ordinances be true the Church also true for nothing I conceive is more corrupted if so much as baptisme as in the first use and then it followes that you doe ill in leaving true ordinances and true Church state and should then returne againe Ob. We shift off the corruptions only Ans Then should you goe to the root and strike at the greatest corruption first which is I conceive in the subject Your onely course then would be to let your infants remaine unbaptised and then such as you and others upon triall judge to be in covenant and precious in Gods account you might safely baptise by vertue of your baptisme if yours be true though corrupted as you hold it is not doing so you go a wrong way to work to root out corruption But for my part I beleeve Christ will at no rate own the baptising of infants for his baptisme and therefore not true And then it followes that it being false is to be renounced as wel as the Church state being false and true baptism as well as true Church state is to bee erected except we turne Familists and Libertines to let all alone and live loosly which opinion is held out for ought I know only by such as are given up to their own lusts Ob. But where is your warrant for so doing I answer That every Scripture that gives you warrant or any of your judgement to erect a Church state gives us the same warrant to erect baptisme sith the one cannot be done without the other for none can put on Christ that is visibly by outward profession but such as are baptised into Christ that is into the way or profession of Christ for so is the meaning Gal. 3.27 So that as a certaine company of you agreeing in one may become a body with every ones mutuall consent just so might we or you take up this ordinance too I mean if it be so that otherwise wee cannot partake of it as once it was and also know that Christ puts not impossibilities upon us and we are no where so enjoyned that if we cannot know absolutely a people that hath upheld it ever since John then not to partake of it but we are absolutely enjoined to be baptised Mark 16.16 Which is an impossibility if that must needs be a tye Againe if Christ had so tied us then would you bee put to a great strait to prove that baptisme that you have partakt of to bee so upheld which thing I beleeve you cannot possibly doe you must take the Popes word for it or else some Historie or other which I dare not credit as I doe the Bible After this you affirme many things I think unsound desiring the Reader to judge of three things especially First you affirme that all the children lineally descending from the faithfull are in the everlasting covenant of God and are the children of the promise and many such expressions but the word saith if ye be Christs then are yee Abrahams seed and heires by promise Gal. 3.29 and the children of the flesh are not the children of God but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed the children of the promise are there put in opposition to the children of the flesh But to bee briefe weigh also these places following Gal. 3.7 9 14. Rom. 9.6 7 8. 2 Cor. 1.20 1 Tim 4.8 Againe you say that the children in the Church at Colosse were baptised is plaine Col. 3.20 21. I am sure it is plaine that those words doe not say so But I thinke you meane there is a plaine consequence as thus There were children in that Church Col. 3.20 21. but no Church doth consist of unbaptised persons therfore those children were baptised I grant this fully that a Church cannot consist of unbaptised persons and that some there had parents living and were children in this sense sith the Apostle there writes to children but I think the Apostle doth not write to infants which you drive at though I think ashamed to expresse it For any man indued with reason might gainsay that and I wonder that you being so exceeding large in the foregoing matter should so passe this place over as you doe 3. You affirme that Jesus Christ gave plaine and expresse order and command to baptise children which you will make appeare thus whole nations were to bee baptised but children are a part of nations therfore to be baptised by the same ground it appeares that you do unbeleevers and their children wrong excluding them sith they are a part of nations But if Christ did plainly command that children should bee baptised as you say he did Math. 28.19 you need not goe so to worke to make it appeare A plaine command will appeare to every ones view that reads it But I desire you henceforward to father your errors your selfe and not because they should passe say the Scripture plainly sayes it for so doing you wrong the Scripture and double your sin FINIS Yorke