Christ would convince the Sadduces of the Resurrection he told them They erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Matth. 22.29 and then makes out his assertion by Scripture authority Have yee not read that which was spoken by God unto you And then brings them the very Scripture words I am the God of Abraham c. vers 32. So when Christ would prove himself to be the Messiah he bids them Search the Scriptures John 5.39 You see therefore it is no disparagement to the spirit of God that there is a visible Standard and Rule manifest to all men to which we may have a constant and easie recourse in any doubt or controversie of faith or worship Obj. If any shal object further that though this be not a disparagement or a lessening to the spirit of GOD since the authority of God it selfe and the reason of the thing seems to vindicate it from this Yet the Scriptures are capable of senses and interpretations so various as we see in all experience as it will be difficult to make it a Sandard and Rule of Faith and Worship or a Medium to try the spirits by since it needs the assistance of the spirit to the right interpretation of it selfe Ans I answer that the ignorance or perversnesse of Interpreters can by no meanes take away that Honour from the Scriptures that it should not be the Standard and Rule in things spirituall no more then in civill things the ignorance or peruersenesse of a man in giving the interpretations of the Law should detract from the honour of its being the rule and standard of judging in things civill It is certaine that in respect of the things spoken or in respect of the Speaker the Scripture hath not various and uncertaine senses but it seemes to have so oftentimes in respect of our vanity or ignorance Which leads me into consideration of the second charge I lay to some perverse spirits of these times which by obscure and mysterious Allegories draw a vaile and cast thick Clouds betweene us and the Scriptures and then cry out that they are mysterious obscure darke and hidden but If our Gospel bee hid as the Apostle saith it is hid to them that perish in whom the God of this World hath blinded their eyes Pride or some evill lusting hath blinded their eyes and then they cry out that there is a defect on the part of the object that that is not visible and the way by which they would spiritualize and inlighten it renders it a thousand times darker whilst under a pretence of running far enough from the Letter which they judge carnall and killing they subject it to the vanities and dreamings of every addle head and make the holy Scripture Eccho to the sound that is already in their eares according to that English Proverbe As the foole thinketh so the Bell tincketh But first here they greatly mistake who in alluding to that place of 1 Cor. 3.6 Not of the letter but of the spirit thinke there is an opposition put betwixt the letter of the Gospel and New Testament and the spirituall sense of it for here plainely by Letter is meant the Law and by spirit is meant the Gospel or New Testament in the very letter of it as you have John 1. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Not as if the Jewes were onely under a literall externall administration which did not affect their spirits God knew how to speake to his in those times but that was not the office of Moses or of the Law which propounded rules of living with promises and threatnings therefore When the Law came sin revived and I dyed saith Paul But the Ministry of the Gospel he cals spirit because the things it declares are quickning enlivening and restoring and such as speaking comparatively also the spirit accompanies much more then it did the Law as being the instrument of the grace of Christ in his Ministry The mistake of this place made Origen first and since very many loose themselves and their auditors in senslesse and idle Allegories supposing that the allegoricall sense was spirituall and the literall killing whereas the literall sense in most scriptures is not onely a spirituall sense but the onely spirituall sense of it and if besides what sense I have given of this place of the Law and the Gospel it reaches further the letter and the spirit is not to be understood of the Exposition of the words but of the fruit and effect of it it then being onely received in the Letter when it affects not the heart nor workes saving changes upon us and then in the spirit when it indeed converts and turnes us and moulds us into that holy frame and forme to which God ordaines his people Now that these expressions of the Spirit and the Letter are meant particularly of the Law and the Gospel appeares evidently in the following verses 7 8 9. For verse 7. speaking of the Letter he calls it The administration of death written and engraven in stones which we know was the Law this hee proves glorious from the glory and shining of Moses countenance In opposition to this he cals the Gospel The ministry of the spirit verse 8. and shews in one point more the excelling glory of this Gospell beyond the Law that it is to abide and remain evermore whereas the other is done away and past verse 10 11. It is true that what the Law is of it self that the Gospel is by accident killing and destructive 2 Corinth 2 16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death c. But though the Gospel be the occasion of damnation to very many notwithstanding it may be called the Spirit or Doctrine of life for as much as God uses it as the instrument or vehiculum of our conversion or new life and that it holds out and offers free reconciliation to us with God whereas the Law taking it simply and alone as it is here taken is the Letter that killeth and the ministry of death prescribing onely an exact rule of life by which comes the knowledge and reviving of sinne which kills without shewing any releife or way to escape And thus have I briefly opened this place which hath been the cause to many of such grosse errings and mistakes But to proceed It is certaine the Scriptures have a plainnesse and easinesse in them to be understood and therefore are said to be A light to our feet and a Lanthorne to our paths and a light shining in a darke place Thy words they give light they give understanding to the simple And if this may be affirmed of the Writings of the Old Testament with much more reason may it be affirmed of those of the New For Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ They had many things formerly in Types and Allegories as things that concerned others more then themselves For it was revealed to them that
not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that Preacht the Gospell unto you 1 Pet. 1.12 Therefore Moses their Prophet was vayled to them But we with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed from glory to glory 1 Cor. 3.13 18. Nor will it be to any purpose to object here that which is affirmed by Peter 2 Pet. 3.16 That some things in Pauls Epistles are hard to be understood For even those things be made easie by diligence prayer to God communication and conference with others God hath made in all things indigency the bond of Society without we need one another we should not value and esteeme one another we should not have love nor converse one with another But who doth this difficulty or hardnesse here spoken of hurt Men unlearned and unstable whose sluggishnesse makes unlearned and whose corruption and depravement makes unstable men that are double in their ends and therefore unstable in their wayes as appeares by their wresting and destroying of the Scriptures which is there spoken of and not only those hard places but other Scriptures also to their owne destruction But if there be any difficulty in Scripture-expressions which God sometimes permits for holy ends as I have said will the way to helpe our selves be to fall a Figurizing and Allegorizing making the Word of God saplesse and fruitlesse by the vanity of our Traditions Or because as the men I complaine against use to doe there are some figurative and allegoricall expressions in the New Testament as when our Saviour calls himselfe a Vine or a Doore which figurative speeches are to ordinary eares as easie to be understood as the most literall shall we take liberty from hence to confound Heaven and Earth And upon every itching of our owne fancy to dissolve the whole Scripture and Word of God into Figures and Allegories Which in stead of inlightning brings us into clouds and darknesse that in that mist the Devill may use as he will I will not deny but some things are to be expounded allegorically The legall Ceremonies may be handled allegorically because they were shadows and types of good things to come as the Paschall Lambe of Christ Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ was the scope and Butt of the Old Testament and therefore the Paschall Lambe the brazen Serpent and a hundred other things are accommodated justly to him also severall Histories upon this account have their allegoricall use so there be a care had to preserve the Historicall truth stable and unshaken So our Saviour accommodates the History of Solomon and Jonas to himselfe as having besides the Historicall truth an use of typifying out him in his office and sufferings and if a man by way of allusion or similitude will allegorize a History as to say that as David overcame Goliah so Christ doth the Devill so the spirit doth the flesh if it be done pertinently may have its use But without all question the literall sense of Scripture especially of the New Testament is principally to be sought after as that you may safely build upon for Doctrines Exhortations and Conclusions Symbolica Theologia non est argumentativa except such as the holy Ghost propounds and interprets in which case wee may safely follow and conclude from Allegories I would not therefore expound any Scriptures allegorically except as before but such as could not be expounded literally as for instance When without the supposition of a type or figure the Scriptures would imply a falshood or when in a Gramaticall sense the words of the Scripture would imply an absurdity as that Christ is a Doore or a Vine or when the literall sense is contradictory to a rule of Faith as when we are commanded to pull out an eye or to cut off a hand or foot but to depart needlesly from the Gramatical and literall sense of Scripture to subtelize it with Figures and Allegories is that which destroyes the majesty and integrity of the Word of God makes it a Nose of Wax and subjects it to the fancies of every crasie and unsound braine so that as in another case one complaines they doe Verborum minutiis rerum frangere pondera And if it be objected as it is by some that if the literall and Gramaticall sense be the Scripture sense the naturall man may be very able in understanding Scripture I Answer that no question they may and to their greater condemnation but yet they want the glory and life of this understanding which is the spirituall impression affecting their hearts and making them God like Those things which are words of life and peace to one are but a dead letter to them there wants that infusion into the words which makes them mighty and converting Changing them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God to one it is the word of Men to others it is the word of God the power of God to salvation effectually working in them that beleeve Whereas those absurd Allegorizers we complaine of boast of the spirit and revelations and thinke they have got all when they have mudded and defiled and nonsensifyed a Scripture with their Figures and Allegories though they feele nothing of the spirit and life which should change and convert them into the forme of Doctrine delivered to them And according to this sense must severall Scriptures be accommodated particularly that 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned That which we translate the naturall man is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animalis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab anima the soule so as he is a naturall or an animall man which walkes according to sense or to the flesh that judges of things after a carnall and humane reasoning other things are foolishnesse to him so you have it in the 23. of the former Chapter We Preach Christ crucified to the Greeks foolishnesse And in the words of the Text The things of the spirit of God are foolishnesse unto him Yet the notion of Christ Crucified as it is layd downe in Scripture in plaine and significant words is certainely intelligible to an animall man but the spirituall reason of it which is the beauty and glory of it which should alter and convert and transforme by beholding that he sees not and therefore though custome and commonnesse have taken away the seeming absurdity of such a notion so as men can beare it and take it up and professe it with others yet the spirituall beauty of it which is the taking and converting thing they see not As the eye of sense sees the figure and superficies of a thing but cannot tell the reason of it for want of a principle to judge by so a naturall man that hath no other
words that the Scripture gives us nor to principles of right reason having this for an unanswerable cloake when ever they are driven to a wall that that is dictated to them by the spirit And I doubt not but that the evill and uncleane spirit is fertile of notions and supplyes by his suggestions the irrationality of their opinions and practices Quest If you aske now why God ordained such mediums as these things so unsuitable and unproportionable to the reason and wisedome of men Answ I answer That no flesh should glory in his presence 1. Cor. 1.29 Wherefore would God destroy Jericho by the blowing of Rams-hornes Joshua 6. If all the men of Warre had taken it by an ordinary siege they would have had the glory and God would have lost his but when the walls of a mighty City shall fall downe flat before the blowing of Rams-hornes and a little instituted ceremony of incompassing it in such a manner so many dayes God alone had the glory and no flesh could glory in his presence upon the same account in this great worke of salvation wherein if in any he would intirely have the praise and is especially jealous least his glory should be given to another God hath chosen foolish things and base things and weake things and things which are despised and things which are not to bring to nought things that are Verse 27 28 29. Such as Christ crucified is and all the seeming foolish weake and low Ordinances of Christ as Preaching Assembling Church-fellowship Baptisme breaking of bread c. But secondly God doth this because we are poore low and foolish creatures and God would have us by such things remembred of it continually Our bodies are one halfe of us our soules and bodies make but one person our bodies as well as our spirits are the temples of the holy Ghost and yet what pityfull languishing needy pieces are they how do they subsist in a continuall succession of fillings and emptyings how are they wound up by meate and drinke and lye fallow by rest so meane are they as the Apostle knowes no Epithite more proportionable to them then that of Our vile bodies so are our spirits weake and foolish things such as if they were let alone to runne to the utmost bounds of their owne speculations would runne out to the greatest vanities and extravagancies would be vaine in their reasonings and professing wisedome would become fooles therefore like fooles and children God deales with us And why doe we not pretend as well that our bodyes should live angelicall lives without the aydes of food and raiment as that our soules should not need such Ordinances and Institutions for there is the like reason of both and when our bodies shall not need those aydes but be as the Angels our spirits shall also bee freed from any such tracts or formes of worship as for the present God hath made our portion and blessing Though some I heare wisely in that making the notion go round say they are in a glorified state also in respect of the body and that they doe but seeme to eate or drinke or doe any other actions of life If you aske then what difference is betweene us and the Jewes who were under Moses who had ceremonies and mediate Ordinances I answer Very much as much as betweene open-facednesse and vailing betweene seeing in a Picture and seeing in a glasse Quod videtur in speculo non est Image 't is the thing it selfe not the picture or image of it and therefore the Apostle speaking of the difference betweene the Jewes and Christians The vayle saith he is over their hearts but we all with open face behold as in a Glasse the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 13.18 But the same Apostle speaking of our present state with the times that are to come sayes That we see as a childe and understand as a childe and that we see through a glasse and in a riddle but then face to face and the seeing on this manner is to continue till Prophecy shall fayle and tongues shall cease and knowledge shall vanish away I thinke in this life there is no body that will deny that there is use of ability in tongues of the gifts of science or knowledge and prophesie which are of great use to the people of God for the begetting them to the faith and for their building up as long as is use of faith or hope but when we come to live by sight and not by faith to be absent from the body and present with the Lord 3 Cor. 5.7 Then and not before tongues prophesies faith and hope shall cease together then wee shall know as we are knowne and not in part and shall see no longer through a glasse darkly but face to face 1 Cor. 13. That is all those eclipsing mediums which are proper and necessary to this state whilst we are in the body and in this earthly Tabernacle shall vanish together and there will be a seeing and converse with God more raysed and more divine then wee can now conceive of In a word every body will easily I conceive discerne the vast difference of these Ordinances from those of old by considering the difference of the two Covenants and the glory of the Gospell from what was that of the Law as for Prophesie or Preaching common to us with the Jewes it holds out the whole mind of God in Christ the great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh gives us that in history and accomplishment which the Jewes that lived under another Covenant had but darkly in predictions and types they but a shadow and not the image Heb. 10. Now we see the things have more then the image as I sayd that which is seene in a glasse is not the image 't is the thing and as this is true of prophesying or preaching so there will be found to be the same reason of other administrations those wee call Sacraments Baptisme and breaking of bread which is the administration of the same Gospell to us by the mediation of other senses therefore these Ordinances have the same advantage over the Sacraments of the Law that the Gospell it selfe hath over the Law confirmes to our faith by the mediation of other senses all the riches and glory of the Gospell and what ever revelation the spirit of God makes to us therein scales to us that in history and performed which was darkly before represented in types and God having made himselfe visible now at last in his Sonne makes his Son and all his beauties and glories visible to us in his Ordinances the holy Ghost speaking to our senses by the mediation of words or things or signes of the same efficacy with words set apart for that purpose the great mystery of the Gospell But lastly and particularly to those two Ordinances of Baptisme and breaking of bread which besides other things holds forth to us directly and immediately the death and sufferings of
which is administred to us by the mediation of Ordinances which are outward and subjected to our senses Answ 3 But then thirdly I would have these men consider the true nature and reason of this word spirituall as it stands in order to the discourse wee have in hand The notion of spirituall lies not in this that one is more raised and improved in parts then another as when the French say C'est vn homme bien spirituel they meane a man of good parts or of a raised spirit Though I very much feare that this goes farre for spirituall with many and a great deale of that language and converse which is called spirituall is nothing but the expressions of men of a more raised reason or exoticke and extravagant fancy which because the language is unusual goes amongst a great many ignorant and well meaning men for spirituall as appeares by their inordinate affecting certaine preachings and writings which a sober holy and indeed spirituall man would looke upon with other eyes Wherein the lucke is that such kind of Authors are best and most readily understood by those who as the Apostle saith are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth which suites very happily with such Teachers who as the same Apostle saith Know neither what they say nor wherof they affirme Spiritualnesse therefore lies not in the following or affecting such Preachers or Authors or wayes as come under a shew of raised or improved reason or fancy Nor doth it lye in this that such waies or worship are more proportionable or more suitable to the guise and fashion of the next or a more raised state If any one could by the spirit of prophesie or divine revelation peepe into another World and see what the converse of that shall be such a search would be of excellent use to us as it was to the Prophets of old who inquired and searched diligently after the times that were to come 1 Pet. 1.10 But would be no warrant to alter or change from the way of life or worship of the present state for then Jeroboam had hit it though not in his end perhaps yet in the thing who by altering the times and places of worship did but anticipate Gospell practice when it should be lawfull every where and at all times and seasons to offer up sacrifices acceptable and agreeable to God Then also it had beene more spirituall in the last state or times of the Jewes to signifie Christs death by breaking of bread then by slaying of Oxen or by worshipping God without Preistly adornments and ceremonies rather then with them Some of the Prophets Isaiah particularly and David saw farre into the way of that state that was then to come yet neither did the one nor the other nor any of the holy Prophets disswade from the practice of the ceremonies or ordinances of that time though such as the Apostle since hath called beggarly rudiments but incouraged and exhorted still to the constant persevering in them onely blamed them when they were alone without holinesse of life and conversation and faith in God which they all tended to and taught who of all the Prophets understood the way of a spirituall converse more then David as appeares by his frequent calling upon the spirit bemoaning the absense of glorying in the enjoyment of it and yet this excellent and spirituall David thought it not a carnall and unspirituall thing to converse with God in the Ordinances of that state wherein he lived though he saw so clearly and happily into another and better but longed after the ceremonious worship of those times and envied even the condition of the Sparrowes that found a resting in Gods house and by Gods Altar from which he was excluded And if we consider it particularly how absurd would such a thing be the wise God hath fitted the liquour to the vessell our way of converse with him in things spirituall according to our present receptive faculty how ridiculous would it be to suite the garment of a man to a childs body or because a child hath a principle in him that is rationall to labour in that uncapable age to improve that principle by rationall discourses and discipline So and much more absurd and vaine is it to suite and proportion the converse of a future and more raised state to the lownesse and incapacity of a former and more weake and childish one yet nothing is more frequently done by these men wee have beene speaking of by which meanes it fals out that being wholy unfit for the converse of a more excellent and future state and neglecting and sleighting that way of converse which God hath made their portion for the present they loose the blessing of their present state and all those influences which God conveyes to us by mediums of his owne fitting and in stead of increasing in light which they so much pretend to they grow vaine in their imaginations and have their foolish hearts darkened as their abominable and cursed opinion evidently makes appeare by that Prince of darknesse who transformes himselfe into an Angell of light So that to conclude it is the word of institution for the present state in which we live that gives the notion of spiritualnesse to Ordinances and actions and neither the vanity of our reasonings nor a pretended or reall sight into the state of those times that are to come Coroll To all this and as a Corollary to this discourse I would adde this That never any state or way of worship was changed without a very great visibility and notoriety to those whom it concerned When by the hands of Moses there was but a graduall change and a greater formalizing of the worship of the same Covenant no man will denie me but that it was by the appointment of God made so visible and so publike as there was nothing left of obscuritie or doubtfulnesse in it Moses the Minister of so great a change was a man who had his Letters of credence from Heaven written in the most visible Characters a man that wrought ordinarily many and great miracles that was owned by God by many heavenly apparitions and yet besides all this when the rule of life and worship was given God himselfe talked to them from Heaven as he sayes Exod. 20.22 and after the greatest preparation of the people for receiving those heavenly Oracles that there might be no doubt but that they were from God Mount Sinai whither the people assembled was altogether in a smoake because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoake thereof ascended as the smoake of a Furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly and when the voyce of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed lowder and lowder God answered him by a voyce Verse 18 19. Of which voice of God the people were so assured As they besought Moses that he would speake with them and that God might not speake with them least they
Christs Those of the reformed Religion on the other side are generally of opinion that the Ministry of John was the the same that was after delegated to the Apostles and that the Baptisme of John was the same which was administred after by the Disciples and Apostles of our Lord and which by the command of Christ was to be propagated into all the World and all Nations to be Baptized with it This controversie though in the tearmes of it it remaines much the same yet in sense and meaning it is exceedingly changed by some men of this generation who would have us beleeve that there is no use of Water in the Baptisme of Christ that belonging onely to Johns Ministry the last terme of which was the Ascention of Christ but that Christs Baptisme and the rule and Institution of it Matth. 28.29 Goe teach all Nations baptizing them c. is not to plung and dip them in cold Water as John did his Disciples But baptize them or dip them into the Name of God the Father Sonne and Spirit that is to use their owne words by the Ministry which shall be of the Spirit and not of the Letter You shall Baptize them or dip them or interest them into the Name of God who is the Father Sonne and Spirit or sprinkle his Name upon them that they may be holy just true mercifull righteous good c. The drift of all is as they affirme distinctly to exclude Water Baptisme in lieu of which as a thing contradistinct they would bring you in Spirit Baptisme To make this good they draw most of their best weapons out of the Popish Quiver in the disputes betweene us and them of the difference of Johns Baptisme from that of Christs though they manage them to a quite other purpose then they meant them for we and they differ about the efficacy of Baptisme by Water they the Papists affirming that Baptisme doth ex opere operato conferre grace that is by the force and vertue of its administration without any respect to the foregoing Faith and Repentance in the party baptized in which respect they preferre it to the Baptisme of John administred also by Water but these would have us beleeve that there is no such thing remaining to Christians as Baptisme by water When therefore I say they have helped themselves by these borrowed arguments to shew that the baptisme of Christ and that of John are two things and abused the Popish arguments to their owne ends then with many a specious flourish they acquaint you with the excellency of spirit Baptisme above water Baptisme wherein as in a Theame very easie they make a great flourish and shew us forsooth how much the efficacy of the spirit is more then water which for honour sake no doubt ever and anon they call cold water and so at length conclude with that which all the premises drive at that all outward and carnall and earthly things are put to an end in which number all outward administrations are contained by the inward spirituall and heavenly things of a better and second testament In which how little sincerely and faithfully they deale with holy Ordinances and the great Master and Institutor of them Jesus Christ by imposing their Apocryphall novelties upon the people under the specious title of a more raysed and spirituall administration as I have in part shewed already more generally in the preceding discourse so I shall endeavour more particularly in the vindication of the Ordinance of Baptisme to make manifest For my owne part I have thought that the difference of Johns and Christs Baptisme was not very considerable for we by the acknowledgment of all injoying Christs baptisme it was of lesse moment to know what the difference of the two Baptismes were if there were any But as it comes stated to us by new hands and it is the particular credit of errour that it is new there is nothing more considerable since by vertue of that distinction of Johns and Christs Baptisme they would utterly take away the Ordinance of Baptisme it selfe and by a like reason all the rest which with so much comfort and edification the Saints of God have knowne how to use as pledges of love and paths and tracts of Communion with God in Jesus Christ without adoreing them or putting them in Gods place though I confesse according to what our corruption is that is not without danger but it is the part of good and wise men to reform errour without overthrowing foundations on the other side folly ever rests in the extremities to which the Devill drives it That there is a Gospell New Testament Baptisme that these men will grant and that it is particularly held out in these places Matth. 28.19 20. and Marke 16.15 16. The words of Matthew are Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and so I am with you unto the end of the World To say here that Christ might mean baptisme by water of which ceremony there should be an end within a certaine time is to contradict the expresse words of the Scripture that sayes he will be with them in these things unto the end of the World and they may with as good reason prefix a time to the ending of Faith and Hope or any Christian grace or Ordinance according to their owne fancies or pleasures or to Preaching also since Preaching and Baptisme are here put together But some would Philosophate more subtlely and tell you that by baptizing here is not meant dipping or plunging in water in the Name of the Father c. But to Baptize them or dip them or interest them into the Name of God or sprinkling his Name upon them that they may be holy just mercifull righteous good But besides that this is boldly affirmed how ridiculous and absurd it is you will easily see boldly because in a thing of this moment upon a baâ—e affirmation without any proofe they goe against what hath been the sense of all ages and of all men if you will judge of their sense as we must needs doe by their preachings and by their practice but ridiculous I say also and absurd it is The words are wee know Goe teach all Nations or disciple them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then Baptize them that is first make them Disciples first make them beleevers and then baptize them therefore in Marke the place before quoted Hee that beleeves and is baptized shall bee saved According to this word of Institution and command yee have exactly the Apostolicall practice and this I dare affirme there can be no better way of finding out the nature of any Ordinance then by comparing the practice with the Institution The practice you will find in severall places particularly Acts 8.34 35. When Philip had Preacht to the Eunuch Jesus and the Ordinance of Baptisme as it appeares because the
his season Why not here he shall baptize for hee doth baptize that is hath this worke or office to baptize with the spirit Besides John 1.33 yee have it in the Present Tense affirmed of Christ This is he that Baptizeth with the holy Ghost Ob. But then it is told us out of Acts 1.4 5. he commanded them they should waite for the promise of the Father For John Baptized with water but yee shall be baptized with the holy Ghost not many dayes hence according to what John sayes of himselfe I Baptize you with water but hee shall Baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Therefore Johns baptisme was the baptisme of water and Christs the baptisme of the spirit and so not one but severall baptismes Answ Answer I doe not speake still of the efficacy of baptisme but of the Ceremony or Element It is certaine that here is not a distinction of baptismes but of Baptizers I Baptize you with water but he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost Therefore when John sayes I Baptize you with water hee doth not handle that point what his baptisme was but what hee was himselfe to the end that they should not attribute to him that which was proper to Christ for so ye have it Matth. 3.11 Hee that commeth after me is mightier then I whose shooes I am not worthy to loose he shall Baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire So here yee have what is the vertue of John or of the Minister in baptizing and what of Christ This distinction is common to the New Testament and runnes through the whole course of the Ministry I have planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase No Minister ever gave the holy Ghost ever baptized with the holy Ghost and fire that was Christs part So as when ever baptisme is administred the Power and Ministry are to bee distinguished The Power is Christs the Ministry Johns or any other man qualifyed for it The baptisme of the Minister is externall conferring but the signe that of Christ internall conferring the thing signifyed and because John who had so great an opinion amongst the Apostles was to decrease and our Lord to increase therefore Christ instances in him in this place of the first of the Acts in opposition to his part in the Ministry But last of all I aske any man whether men were not baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire before that time for first the Apostles were baptized with the holy Ghost before that the Saints and Beleevers were sanctifyed and regenerated and made holy before then which is all these men would have to be that Ordinance so as things were not annexed and affixed to that famous sending downe of the holy Ghost in the shape of fiery tongues but was before long during all the course of the administration of baptisme though perhaps not with that efficacy and fulnesse and glory as after for so it is true that the holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet gloryfied So as clearly this place of the Acts holds out the excellency and glory of Christs administration in respect of all under-Ministers and particularly in respect of John who being the first Minister of baptisme had a peculiar honour from it and the whole Church here was spiritually baptized as in a type the Apostles receiving eminently the holy Ghost not for themselves but for the Churches This extraordinary administration Luke as Calvin observes improperly that is out of the ordinary signification calls Baptisme for baptisme properly signifies Immersion to the end that the Antithesis and opposition between Christ and John might bee intyre by the same reason as Paul after hee had mentioned the Law of workes to the end that the Antithesis might lye on both sides faith The Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 After this wee have a new Interpretation framed upon Acts 19. where we are made beleeve that those twelve Disciples found to be baptized onely by Johns baptisme were baptized againe in the name of Christ and this baptisme into the Name of Christ he sayes was not the repeating of any water but meerely the gift of the spirit This as the rest is boldly affirmed but where lyes his proofe or how doth hee make it out It is most probable as it hath beene taken by all to this day that if this were another baptisme or a repetition of baptisme it was by water as well as in severall other places in the Acts where any are sayd to be baptized hee himselfe understands it by water why not as well here But truely I am of opinion with those that thinke that Paul did not here command any to bee baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus which were already baptized with the baptisme of John but rather taught that those who had received Johns baptisme were rightly baptized into Christ and therefore had no need of any new or other baptisme It is very probable notwithstanding that from this place did either arise or was confirmed in many the opinion of the difference of these two baptismes of John and Christ though as it is now stated to us by our namelesse Author hee for any thing I shall say to the contrary shall have the honour of the novelty of it But to consider the place a little particularly Paul being come to Ephesus found certaine Disciples which afterwards Ver. 7. are sayd to be about twelve he presently askes them if they had received the holy Ghost since they beleeved The sense must certainely be as it will appeare by what followes have yee received the gifts of the holy Ghost which ordinarily accompanied faith and baptisme in those dayes according to that in the Acts Repent and bee Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus which our Author will not deny I suppose to bee administred by water and yee shall receive the gifts of the holy Ghost and according to that Gal. 3.2 Received you the spirit by the workes of the Law or by the bearing of Faith also Verse 5. He that ministreth the spirit and worketh miracles among you where they are joyned together as things of a kind Besides being Christians and having beleeved they could not want the spirit of God regenerating and sanctifying for no man can say that Jesus is the Christ but by the spirit therefore it must needs be meant of those extraordinary gifts which were peculiar to those times as an effect of beleeving and baptizing and yet not common to all They answered simply as the thing was and particularly to his question that they had not so much as heard whether there were an holy Ghost or no. The sense whereof must cleerly be that they were ignorant of the holy Ghost or knew not whether there were any such thing or no to wit as he was then visible or exhibited to beleevers in miraculous and extraordinary gifts for else being Christians they felt the power of the holy Ghost and being Jewes as they