his first and chiefest Disciples nor for ought that doth appear ever after did For if he did he would certainty have done it before he made use of them to baptize others Partly because they were the first Disciples he had and partly because so they would have been more apparently qualified to have administred the same Baptism unto others If therefore Christ represented Baptism as necessary even before his baptizing in Judaea it is not unreasonable to think he had both instituted and administred it before Especially when the Disciples he before had cannot well be thought to have had it afterwards as in reason they must have had it if it were so necessary as our Saviour affirm'd it And possibly neither would they who are otherwise perswaded have in the least suspected the force of this argument had it not been for an opinion of theirs that our Saviour spake not in this place of Baptism but of Men's being born again of that spirit of God which hath the same cleansing quality with water So making that speech of our Saviour to be that which the Rhetoricians call an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consequently resolvable into a watery or cleansing Spirit as Virgil 's pateris libamus auro is into pateris aureis or golden Dishes Even as they suppose the Scripture (p) Matt. 3.11 meant when it affirm'd that Christ should baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is to say with that Holy Ghost which hath the purifying and warming qualities of that Element I will not now say though I might that that figure might have been more allowable here if that speech of Christ could have been so fairly resolv'd into a watery Spirit as pateris auro may be into pateris aureis Which that it cannot be is sufficiently evident from Gold's being the proper Material of those Dishes whereof the Poet speaks which water to be sure is not of the other But neither will I any more than say that Christ's baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with fire doth not make at all for this figure because it is certain that at the day of Pentecost which was the most notorious descent of the Holy Ghost and particularly referr'd to by that Baptism (q) Act. 1.5 Christ baptized his Disciples with a material fire as well as that But I say which is more material that there is great reason to understand our Saviour here of that Baptism by water which we have affirmed his words to import For so first as Mr. Hooker (r) Eccl. Pol. li. 5.9.59 did long since observe the Letter of the Text perswades and which we are not lightly to depart from unless we will make the Scripture a very uncertain Rule and indeed to prove any thing which wanton wits would have it So secondly as the same Hooker (ſ) Ibid. observes the Antients * Justin Martyr Apol. 2. p. 94. Tertul. de Bapt. c. 13. Cyprian Epist 73. without exception understood it yea he †Tertul. ubi supra who makes the Baptism now under consideration even the Baptism of Christ before his Ascension to be but of the same nature with S. John's So thirdly we have cause to understand Christ here because expressing what he here intended by a new birth from water which is the property (t) Tit. 3. ◠of that Baptism he afterwards commanded the Apostles to administer In fine so several circumstances both of the Text and Context perfwade and some too that are not so ordinarily taken notice of Of which nature I reckon as none of the least that which gave occasion to them even Nicodemus's coming to Jesus by night (u) Joh. 3.2 and there and then acknowledging to him that he was a teacher come from God and that he himself was induced to believe it by the miracles our Saviour wrought For that secret confession of his being not only not agreeable to that more publick one (w) Matt. 10.32 which our Saviour requir'd but as appears by the answer he return'd to it intimated by him to be insufficient because letting him know that except he was born again of water and the spirit he could not enter into the Kingdom of God Nothing can be more agreeable to our Saviour's mind than to understand those Words of his of Men's making a more publick confession of him in order to their Salvation if the Words can with any reason be thought to admit of it Which that they may is evident from hence that whatever our Saviour now understood by them the like expression (x) Tit. 3.5 became afterwards an usual periphrasis of Baptism which was a publick confession of our Saviour I say secondly that as the occasion of the words doth naturally lead to such a sense as will make them import a more publick Confession of our Saviour So it will consequently prompt us to understand them of such a new Birth as is perform'd by Water and the Spirit rather than of that which is perform'd by the Spirit alone That as it is a Birth which manifests it self to the Eyes of others which this cannot be supposed to do so being a Birth therefore which may publickly declare our Confession of him by whose appointment we are born again Agreeable hereto thirdly is the sense of the words themselves if those Jewes of whom Nicodemus was sometime a Ruler may be listned to in this affair They not only affirming their own Proselytes to have been admitted by Baptism but that Baptism also represented as a thing which gave them a new birth yea so far as to make them put off their old relations by it For what then can be more reasonable than to think that our Saviour when he spake to a Jew spake the same Language with them and consequently that as he spake of being born of Water as well as the Spirit he meant a like Baptism by it Especially when it is observable fourthly that our Saviour ask'd Nicodemus not without some amazement (y) Joh. 3.20 Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things For what was this but to intimate yet more that the new Birth whereof he spake was no stranger to themselves and consequently because he spake of being born of Water that he meant a Baptism by it Add hereunto fifthly our Saviour's affirming himself in the former Discourse to have spoken of earthly (z) Joh. 3.12 things and as one would think therefore of such a Birth which though influenced by God's Spirit yet had something of earthly as that is oppos'd to heavenly adhering to it As in fine the Evangelist's subjoyning to this Discourse of a new Birth by Water the mention of our Saviour's (*) Joh. 3.22 passing into Judaea and there baptizing There being not a fairer account either of that connexion or our Saviour's proceedings than that agreeably to what he had said concerning the necessity of Men's being so born again he went into Judaea and
things to be enquir'd concerning the first of these even the outward and visible sign of Baptism First what that outward and visible sign is Secondly wherein it was intended as a sign Thirdly how it ought to be applied Fourthly what is to be thought of those additions which were anciently made or continue as yet in being in the outward solemnities of Baptism 1. As touching the outward and visible sign of Baptism there is no doubt it is the Element of Water as is evident from the native signification of the word Baptism which signifies an immersion or dipping into some liquid thing from the matter of those Baptisms which were in use among the Jews and which our Saviour because making use of the same word to express his own Baptism by is in reason to be suppos'd to have so far conform'd it to but more especially from the account we have of the Administration of it both whilst our Saviour continu'd here and after his Ascension into Heaven For thus after S. John had said * Joh. 3.22 that our Saviour presently after his entring upon his Prophetick Office came into the Land of Judaea and there baptized he immediately subjoyn'd †Joh. 3.23 that John the Baptist also was then baptizing in Aenon near to Salim because there was much water there For as it is evident from thence as well as from other places * Matt. 3.6 13. that the Baptism of John was a Baptism by Water so the Evangelist mentioning John the Baptist as practising the same thing with our Saviour shews the Baptism of our Saviour to have been so far like it and consequently to have had Water for the Instrument thereof The same is yet more evident as to the practice of our Saviour's Disciples after his more general Command (a) Matt. 28.19 of Baptism and his own Ascension into Heaven For thus we find Philip and the Eunuch going down into a certain water (b) Act. 8.38 by which they pass'd in order to the Baptism of the latter As that too after the Eunuch had admonished him (c) Act. 8.36 see here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized And thus too we find S. Peter (d) Act. 10.47 48. before he gave order for Cornelius and his companies being baptized in the name of the Lord demanding of those of the Circumcision that came with him whether any Man could forbid water that these should not be baptized which bad receiv'd the Holy Ghost as well as themselves Thereby intimating or rather expresly declaring that our Saviour's Baptism was as to the outward and visible sign the same with that of John the Baptist and other the Baptisms of the Jews 2. Water therefore being no doubt the outward and visible sign of Baptism and so declared to be by the manner of its Administration The next thing to be enquir'd into is wherein it was intended as a sign which will appear to have been in these three particulars First in respect of that cleansing quality which is natural to it secondly in respect of that use which it was put to about new-born Infants thirdly in respect of that manner of Application of it which was first us'd and no doubt generally intended I mean the dipping of the Party baptized in it That the Water of Baptism was intended as a sign in respect of the first of these will need no other proof than Ananias's admonishing Paul to arise and be baptized and wash (e) Act. 22.16 away his sins calling upon the name of the Lord. For it appearing on the one hand that the Baptism to which Paul was invited even the Christian one was a Baptism by Water and on the other hand that it was at least ordained for the remission (f) Act. 2.38 of sins and so the putting away their guilt Nothing can be more reasonable than to think that when Ananias subjoyn'd to the precept of being baptiz'd that of washing away his sins he meant his washing them away by Baptism and consequently that the Water of Baptism was both a sign of something relating to the putting away of his sins and a sign too in particular in respect of that cleansing quality which is natural to it because that Baptism to which it belongs is describ'd as washing away the other But beside that Water was intended as a sign in respect of that cleansing quality which is natural to it There is equal reason to believe that it was also intended as such in respect of the use it was then put to about new-born Infants even the washing away of those impurities which they contracted from the Womb. We have as Mr. Mede did long since observe (g) Disc on Tit. 3.5 an allusion to this custome in the description which God gives of the poor and forlorn condition of Jerusalem when he first took her unto himself under the parable of an exposed Infant For as for thy Nativity saith he (h) Eze. 16.4 in the day that thou wast born thy Navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all Thereby intimating what was then done to Infants in their Nativity and particularly the washing them from their impurities And how generally receiv'd this custom was even among the Heathen may appear as the same Mr. Mede (i) Vbi supra hath observed from what was done to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were persons (k) Hesych in utramque vocem to whom the Rites of Burial had been perform'd as dead but did afterwards appear again in the World. For as these were look'd upon as born anew (*) Plutarch Quaest Rom. statim ab initio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the World so like new-born Infants they were to be wash'd with Water before they could be admitted to the conversation of Men or allowed to enter into the Temples of their Gods. But so that the Water of Baptism was intended for a sign is evident from its being stil'd the laver (l) Tit. 3.5 of regeneration or a new Birth and from the addition that was made to it in after times of giving milk * Tertul. de Coronâ c. 3. Inde nempe post immersionem suscepti lactis mellis concordiam praegustamus and hony to the new-baptized persons as that too to declare their Infancy †Idem adv Marcion li. 1. c. 14. Sedille quidem usque nunc nec aquam reprobavit creatoris qua suos abluit nec oleum quo suos uncuit nec mellis lactis societatem quos suos infantat c. For this evidently shews this second Birth to relate to the first and consequently that the Element of Water and the Regeneration by it though borrowed more immediately from the Baptism of the Jews yet was intended by our Saviour as I no way doubt it was also by the Jews as of like use with that
which was apply'd to new-born Infants and to represent alike washing away of natural pollutions One other particular there is wherein I have said the Water of Baptism to have been intended as a sign and that is in respect of that manner of application which was sometime us'd I mean the dipping or plunging the party baptized in it A signification which S. Paul will not suffer those to forget who have been acquainted with his Epistles For with reference to that manner of Baptizing we find him affirming (m) Rom. 6.4 that we are buried with Christ by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life And again (n) Rom. 6.5 that if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection To the same purpose or rather yet more clearly doth that Apostle discourse where he tells us (o) Col. 2.12 that as we are buried with Christ in Baptism so we do therein rise also with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the Dead For what is this but to say that as the design of Baptism was to oblige Men to conform so far to Christ's Death and Resurrection as to die unto Sin and live again unto Righteousness so it was perform'd by the ceremony of immersion that the person immersd might by that very ceremony which was no obscure image of a Sepulture be minded of the preceden death as in like manner by his comming again out of the Water of his rising from that death to life after the example of the Instituter thereof For which cause as hath been elsewhere (p) Expl. of the Creed in the words Aud Buried observ'd the Antient Church added to the Rite of immersion the dipping of the party three several times to represent the three days Christ continued in the Grave for that we find to have been the intention of some and made the Eve of Easter one of the solemn times of the Administration of it 3. The third thing to be enquir'd concerning the outward visible sign of Baptism is how it ought to be apply'd where again these two things would be considered First whether it ought to be applyed by an immersion or by that or an aspersion or effusion Secondly whether it ought to be applyed by a threefold immersion or aspersion answerably to the names into which we are baptiz'd or either by that or a single one The former of these is it may be a more material question than it is commonly deem'd by us who have been accustomed to baptize by a bare effusion or sprinkling of water upon the party For in things which depend for their force upon the meer will and pleasure of him who instituted them there ought no doubt great regard to be had to the commands of him who did so As without which there is no reason to presume we shall receive the benefit of that ceremony to which he hath been pleased to annex it Now what the command of Christ was in this particular cannot well be doubted of by those who shall consider first the words of Christ (q) Matt. 28. â—9 concerning it and the practice of those times whether in the Baptism of John or of our Saviour For the words of Christ are that they should Baptize or Dip those whom they made Disciples to him for so no doubt the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies and which is more and not without its weight that they should baptize them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Thereby intimating such a washing as should receive the party baptized within the very body of that Water which they were to baptize him with Though if there could be any doubt concerning the signification of the words in themselves yet would that doubt be remov'd by considering the practice of those times whether in the Baptism of John or of our Saviour For such as was the practice of those times in Baptizing such in reason are we to think our Saviour's command to have been concerning it especially when the words themselves incline that way There being not otherwise any means either for those or future times to discover his intention concerning it Now what the practice of those times was as to this particular will need no other proof than their resorting to Rivers and other such like receptacles of waters for the performance of that ceremony as that too because there was much Water there For so the Scripture doth not only affirm concerning the Baptism of John (r) Matt. 3.5 6.13 John 3.23 but both intimate concerning that which our Saviour administred in Judaea because making John's Baptism and his to be so far forth of the same sort (Å¿) Joh. 3.22 23. and expresly affirm concerning the Baptism of the Eunuch which is the only Christian Baptism the Scripture is any thing particular in the description of The words of S. Luke (t) Act. 8.38 being that both Philip and the Eunuch went down into a certain water which they met with in their journey in order to the baptizing of the latter For what need would there have been either of the Baptist's resorting to great confluxes of Water or of Philip and the Eunuch's going down into this were it not that the Baptism both of the one and the other was to be performed by an immersion A very little Water as we know it doth with us sufficing for an effusion or sprinkling But beside the words of our Blessed Saviour and the concurrent practice of those times wherein this Sacrament was instituted It is in my opinion of no less consideration that the thing signified by the Sacrament of Baptism cannot otherwise be well represented than by an immersion or at least by some more general way of purification than that of effusion or sprinkling For though the pouring or sprinkling of a little Water upon the Face may suffice to represent an internal washing which seems to be the general end of Christ's making use of the Sacrament of Baptism yet can it not be thought to represent such an entire washing as that of new-born Infants was and as Baptism may seem to have been intended for because represented as the laver (u) Tit. 3.5 of our regeneration That though it do require an immersion yet requiring such a general washing at least as may extend to the whole Body As other than which cannot answer its type nor yet that general though internal purgation which Baptism was intended to represent The same is to be said yet more upon the account of our conforming to the Death and Resurrection of Christ which we learn from S. Paul to have been the design of Baptism to signifie For though that might and was well enough represented by the baptized persons being
the Sacrament or our Saviour had professed to prescribe or direct the whole form of the Administration of it But as it is notorious enough that the Church of England doth not represent the sign of the Cross as pertaining to the Essence of the Sacrament because administring it after Baptism first given yea after the mention of the Minister's receiving the baptized person into the Congregation of Christ's flock So our Saviour is so far from prescribing the whole external form of its Administration that he hath left us to the general tenour of his Doctrine and the directions of our own reason even for those things that are more material yea for such as are directed (u) See the Directory in the Administration of Baptism by those very Men who cry out against us for adding to Christ's Institution For where I beseech you is there any prescription of other words concerning Baptism than what is imply'd in that short belief into which he commands to Baptize Where to admonish all that are present to look back to their own Baptism and to repent of the violations of the Covenant they made with God in it Where any directions for requiring the Parent of the Child to bring him up in the nurture of the Lord yea to require the Parents solemn promise for the performance of it Nay where which is of all others the most material any Prayer to Almighty God for the sanctifying of the Water he is going to make use of and which I no way doubt is necessary to the Consecration of it All that the Institution of Baptism represents to us being the baptizing those that offer themselves to it in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Now if our Saviour hath not professed to prescribe even as to the things before directed but left Men to the general conduct of his Doctrine and the guidance of their own reason What appearance is there as to his prescribing after what external form and order all these things were to be done and which if he hath not there is no doubt the Governours of the Church may order as they shall see fit yea do so without any fear of being thought to charge his Institutions with imperfection They being not to be thought to do so who prescribe rules concerning those things which the Institutions of Christ profess not to give perfect directions in The only thing which hath occasion'd Men's misapprehensions first and then their passing so severe a Censure upon humane prescriptions in this kind is an hasty opinion they have taken up of Christ's being as particular in directing the external management of sacred Duties as Moses appears to have been as to the services of the Law. For which yet they have had no other pretence than a misapplied Text of the Author to the Hebrews (w) Heb. 3.2 even Christ's being as faithful in that house of God which was committed to his charge as Moses was in his But beside that there appear not any such particular directions from God to our Saviour as there were sometime given to Moses and our Saviour therefore not to be look'd upon as unfaithful for not reaching out such particular directions to us Besides that if our Saviour did not furnish such particular directions yet he hath furnished his Church with a far greater portion of his Spirit and which may serve to it as a guide to fit those Services for its respective members Beside lastly that the Services he enjoyn'd because to be exercised among people of several Nations and humours were not capable as to circumstances of such strict limitations as that which was to be exercised in one single Nation only There is nothing more evident to those that read the Scriptures than that Christ hath given no such particular directions and all Arguments from Christ's fidelity therefore of no more avail in this affair than those which the Papists are wont to draw from the wisdom and goodness of God toward the proving of an Infallible Guide For as no wise Man will be perswaded by such Arguments against the Testimony of his own senses which assure him of the errours of those whom they would have to be Infallible So no considering Man will be perswaded by the other into a belief of those particular directions which are not any where to be seen nor which they themselves who maintain those directions have yet been able to shew For when they have said all they can toward the evincing of their Conclusion the utmost they are able to prove is that Christ hath given some general directions concerning the Administration of religious Offices and which as it doth not prejudge the giving of more particular ones so doth much less make them to reflect any imperfection upon the Institution of Christ because pretending not to concern it self about them One other Charge there is which is more peculiar to the sign of the Cross and that is its being a relique of Popery or giving too much countenance to the Papists abuses of it But as they who advance the former of these make Popery much more Antient than it is for the advantage of Protestantism to allow It being certain from Tertullian (x) De Coronâ— cap. 3. that this Ceremony was in use in his time in almost all the actions they set about So our Church hath taken care to prevent in its own Members all misapplications of it or the giving the least encouragement to those that are made of it by others Partly by confining the use of it to the Administration of Baptism and partly by representing it as only a token of Men's being not ashamed to own the Faith and reproaches of him who suffered upon it Which is certainly a more proper course to discountenance Popery than it can be thought to be to remove the use of it altogether Because at the same time we disavow the errors of that we shew by our Practice our allowance of the Ceremony it self and together therewith our accordance with the Primitive Church which is the only plausible thing the Papists have to boulster up their own cause or reproach us with the neglect of A DIGRESSION Concerning ORIGINAL SIN By way of PREPARATION TO THE Following Discourses The Contents Of the ground of the present Digression concerning Original Sin and enquiry thereupon made what Original Sin is Which is shewn in the General to be such a corruption of the Nature of every Man that is naturally engendered of the off-spring of Adam whereby it becomes averse from every thing that is good and inclinable to every thing that is evil The nature of that corruption more particularly enquir'd into and shewn by probable Arguments to be no other than a Privation of a Supernatural Grace That there is such a thing as we have before described evidenced at large from the Scripture and that evidence farther strengthned by the experience we have of its effects and the
some of the most eminent among them and which whosoever shall seriously consider will wonder how it should come to fall back to a naked and ineffectual sign For Justin Martyr (r) Apolog. 2. p. 93 94. speaking concerning those who had prepar'd themselves for Baptism affirms them to be brought by the brethren to a place where water is and there to be regenerated after that way of regeneration wherewith they themselves were Which what it was and of how great force he afterwards shews by affirming them thereupon to be wash'd in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost as that too conformably to what our Saviour spake concerning the necessity of men's being born again To what the Prophet Isaiah meant when he said Wash you make you clean put away wickednesses from your souls And in fine to procure their deliverance from that whether natural or habitual corruptions they were under the power of For these things shew plainly enough that as he spake of the Baptismal regeneration so he spake of it too as a thing which procur'd as well as figur'd the internal regeneration of them To the same purpose doth Tertullian discourse and particularly in his Tract de Baptismo Witness his calling it in the very beginning thereof that happy Sacrament of our water wherewith being wash'd from the faults of our present blindness we are freed into eternal life His affirming presently after that we the lesser fishes according to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or greater one Jesus Christ are born in the water neither can continue safe unless we abide in it That we ought not to wonder if the waters of Baptism give life when that Element was the first that brought forth any living creature That as the Spirit of God moved at the beginning upon the face of waters so the same spirit of God after the invocation of his name doth descend from Heaven upon those of Baptism and having sanctified them from himself gives them a power of sanctifying others For these and the like passages shew as plainly that that Authour look'd upon the outward sign of Baptism as contributing in its place to the production of our new birth or sanctification as well as to the representation of it But of all the Antient Fathers that have entreated of this affair or indeed of that Sacrament which we are now upon the consideration of there is no one who hath spoken more or more to the purpose than S. Cyprian or whose words therefore will be more fit to consider Only that I may not multiply testimonies without necessity I will content my self with one single one but which indeed for the fulness thereof will serve instead of many and be moreover as clear a testimony of our dying unto sin by Baptism as of our regeneration by it For when saith he (ſ) Epist ad Donat. I lay in darkness and under the obscurity of the Night When uncertain and doubtful I floated on the Sea of this tossing World ignorant of my own life and as great a stranger to truth I thought it exceeding difficult as the manners of Men then were that any one should be born again as the divine mercy had promis'd and that being animated to a new life by the laver of salutary water he should put off that which he was before and whilst the frame of his body continu'd the same become a new Man in his heart and mind For how said I is it possible that that should be suddenly put off which either being natural is now grown hard by the natural situation of the matter or contracted by a long custom hath been improv'd by old Age c. To these and the like purposes I often discours'd with my self For as I was at that time entangled with many errours of my former life which I did not then think it was possible for me to put off So I willingly gave obedience to those vices that stuck to me and through a despair of better things I favour'd my evils as though they had been my proper and domestick ones But after that through the assistance of this generating water the blemishes of my former life were wash'd off and my mind thus purged had a light from above poured into it After that the second birth had chang'd me into a new Man through the force of that spirit or breath which I suck'd in from above Then those things which were before doubtful became exceeding certain and manifest things which were before shut were then laid open and dark things made light Then that which before seemed difficult appear'd to help rather than hinder and that which sometime was thought impossible as possible to be done So that it was not difficult to discern that that was earthly which being carnally born did before live obnoxious to faults and that that began to be God's which the Holy Ghost now animated You your self verily know and will as readily acknowledge with me what was either taken from or bestow'd upon us by that death of crimes and life of vertues Which as it is an illustrious testimony of the force of Baptism in this particular and with what reason we have affirm'd it to be a means of procuring the former death and birth So I have the more willingly taken notice of it because it comes so near even in its expression to what our Catechism hath represented as the inward and spiritual Grace thereof There being no great difference between a death of crimes and life of vertues which is the expression of that Father and a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness which is the other's And I shall only add that as the Doctrine of the Church must therefore be thought to bear sufficient testimony to Baptism's being a means of our regeneration So its practice is in this particular answerable to its Doctrine and though in another way proclaims the same thing Witness what hath been elsewhere observ'd concerning its giving Milk and Hony (t) See Part 3. to the new Baptized person as to an Infant new-born its requiring him presently after Baptism to say (u) Expl. of the Lord's Prayer in the words Out Father Our Father c. as a testimony of his Son-ship by it And in fine its making use of the word regenerated to signifie Baptized As is evident for the Greek Writers from what was but now quoted out of Justin Martyr De vitâ B. Martini c. 1. Necdum tamen regeneratus in Christo agebat quendam bonis operibus Baptismatis candidatum and from Sulpitius Severus among the Latins Which things put together make it yet more clear that whatever it may be now accounted yet the Church of God ever look'd upon the Sacrament of Baptism as a mean of our internal regeneration And indeed as it is hard to believe that it ought to be otherwise esteem'd considering what hath been alledg'd either from Scripture or the declarations of the Church So it
more expresly signifies when he tells them that whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child he shall not enter therein Which suppos'd a way is opened for the inferring of that Baptism of Infants which this passage both now and of old was made use of to evince For it appearing from the premises that Infants have a right to the Kingdom of Heaven and upon and by vertue of that right to be brought to Christ also They must consequently have a right also to those means which are by the same Christ appointed to put them into the possession of his Kingdom Which Baptism certainly being and so that ordinarily at least none can enter into that Kingdom without (b) Joh. 3.5 being born again by it it cannot without injustice be withheld from those Children to whom the other doth appertain Neither will it avail to say though the Objection be not to be despis'd that by this rule our Saviour should either himself have baptiz'd or order'd his Disciples to baptize those Children that were now brought unto him for his blessing For beside that one Argument will not solve another and much less hinder the matter thereof from being true or conclusive There might be reason enough though the premises be allow'd for our Saviour's not baptizing or requiring his Disciples to baptize those Children who were now brought unto him for his blessing Partly upon the account of the incompetency of those that brought them and who being not Disciples themselves but as is probable of the multitude (c) Mark 10.1 Matt. 19.2 that followed him could not claim from our Saviour nor he so regularly bestow Baptism upon their Children And partly to let the World see that he was not ti'd to any methods himself in the dispensing of the graces of that Kingdom For that our Saviour by that blessing which he gave them gave those Children rem Sacramenti or the Graces of Baptism and so shew'd yet more the title Children have to it cannot well be doubted of by any who shall consider how zealous he was for their being brought to him as that too upon the account of the title they had to the Kingdom of Heaven For considering that zeal of his and the ground of it what can be more reasonable than to think that our Saviour agreeably thereto did by his blessing conferr upon them that Evangelical regeneration which was to fit them for the Kingdom of Heaven and without which considering the impurity of their nature and the necessity of being thus born anew they could not regularly obtain it And I have been the more particular in deducing and pressing the present argument Partly because led thereto by the meer force of the Text it self and the Authority of the Church that imployed it till by accident I fell upon those things I have before quoted out of Aretius And partly because I think it a better service to the Church of God to strengthen one old Argument than devise many new ones Such a course procuring the more respect to the Church's both opinion and practice as shewing it to proceed upon substantial Arguments and such as in themselves are not lightly to be refus'd My second Argument for the Baptism of Infants shall be taken from that holiness which S. Paul (a) 1 Cor. 7.14 attributes to the Children of Christian Parents yea where only one of them is such upon the account of their descent from them For S. Paul having before persuaded the believing party to continue with the unbelieving one supposing that unbelieving one to be as willing to continue with the believer as a motive to the doing of it alledgeth that the unbelieving party is sanctified by the believing and proves that sanctification again by the holiness of the Children that come from them as which otherwise those Children could not have in them but the contrary Now I demand what that holiness is which S. Paul supposeth to be the property of those who come from such a sanctified couple that is to say whether an inward holiness or an outward one If they who would avoid the force of this Text as to the Baptism of Infants say an inward holiness they say more than we desire or can with truth be affirmed because though Original Sin be traduc'd from the Parents yet inward holiness is not as being the product of the Spirit of God and his instrument Baptism But if they do however attribute such a holiness to those Children they say enough to evince that Baptism ought not to be deny'd to them For who as S. Peter spake (e) Acts 10.47 upon another occasion can forbid the water of Baptism to those who have receiv'd the Holy Ghost as to be sure all that are internally holy have It remains therefore that if the Children of such matches be not internally holy they are externally so and that external holiness therefore if it may be to be investigated by us Now I demand First what external holiness can be imagin'd in those Children but such by which they come to belong to God in a more peculiar manner than the Children of other matches do This being the nature of all things that are externally holy whether by the voluntary consecration of men or the Institution or choice of God. I demand secondly supposing those Children to belong more to God than the Children of other matches whether by their thus becoming the peculiar property of God they may not be suppos'd to be more dear to him than the Children of other matches are Every one naturally having an affection to such as belong to him suitably to that nearness wherein they belong to him I demand Thirdly supposing the Children of such matches to be more dear to God than the Children of others whether we are not to think he will take a more particular care of them than of others The care of any person being always suitable to the affection he bears to those who are the object of his care I demand Fourthly whether supposing such a particular care of the Children of such matches he will not take a more particular care of them as to their eternal welfare than he doth of the Children of other men All other care without this being of little value to the party cared for and beside that as experience shews equally extended by God to the Children of other matches as well as to the descendants of Christians I demand Fifthly supposing such a particular care as to their eternal welfare whether he will not also allow them more means toward the compassing of it than he can be suppos'd to allow to the Children of other Parents All care where it is reasonable and just employing sutable means to bring that care of its unto effect Now what peculiar means doth or can God allow to the Children of Christian Parents as to the procuring of their eternal welfare supposing them to die before they come of years as the
baptized and so made way for their entrance into God's Kingdom Such evidence there is of our Saviour's meaning a proper Baptism when he spake of the necessity of Men's being born again of water and of the Spirit And if our Saviour meant such a Baptism there is as little doubt of his having before both instituted and administred it yea even from the time of his setting up for Disciples There being not the least appearance of Christ's baptizing those first Disciples afterwards which yet he must have done considering the necessity thereof if they had not been baptiz'd before I will conclude what I have to say concerning the earliness of our Saviour's Baptism when I have added from a passage of Christ to S. Peter the farther probability there is of his and the other Apostles having receiv'd it and therefore if they did so of their having receiv'd it from the beginning of their Discipleship That I mean whereupon S. Peter's begging of Christ to wash not only his feet but his hands and his head if as our Saviour had told him he could have no part in him unless he wash'd him Christ is said to have made answer †Joh. 13.10 that he that had been wash'd even by a more general washing needed not save to wash his feet For as our Saviour intimates by that expression that he and the rest had passed under the former washing and consequently did not need such a general washing a second time so he may not improbably be thought to have meant the washing of Baptism and which though in it self an outward purification yet was attended with an inward and spiritual one Partly because it is certain that our Saviour had before this time made use of the Baptism of Water to purifie Men unto himself and may therefore be well enough supposed to allude unto it And partly because that Baptism or washing will be more directly opposed to that which our Saviour intended and which though design'd by him to signifie a more spiritual purgation even that of the affections or actions yet was performed by him by an outward washing For why then should we not think that the Apostles had that more general washing of Baptism Especially when we know that about this time Christ administred to them the Sacrament of the Eucharist and which as it is in order of nature after that of Baptism and may therefore not unreasonably be thought to have been preceded by theirs so is an evidence that Christ meant in some measure at least to conduct them by the same Rites and Ceremonies wherewith he intended to bring other Men unto himself One only thing there is which can any way prejudice the former Discourse even the silence there is in the New Testament of any Baptism by Christ before that in Judaea yea the silence there is of it in that very Evangelist who takes such particular notice of the other And surely such a silence would have been of no small force if it had been either a perfect silence or an unaccountable one But as that story cannot be look'd upon as perfectly silent which affords so many probable proofs of what it is pretended to be silent in so there may be reason enough given of its ascending no higher in its account of Christ's administration of Baptism than that which was performed by him in Judaea Partly because the Author of it had before acquainted his Readers with Christ's representing it as generally necessary †Joh. 3.5 to Salvation and from which and the following practice of our Saviour in making Disciples Men might reasonably enough collect his having so made the former ones And partly because he knew that what was defective in his account of our Saviour's Baptism might be abundantly supplied to posterity to whom he and the other Evangelists principally wrote by what those other Evangelists (a) Matt. 28.19 Mark 16.15 16. had said concerning Christ's giving command to his Apostles of baptizing all Nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost For that together with his own account of our Saviour's Baptism was enough to let them know and therefore enough for their own purpose that as Christ himself initiated Men by Baptism yea represented it as necessary to Salvation so it was his absolute will and pleasure that those to whom his Apostles and their Successors published his Gospel should be initiated by the same means if they meant to enter into the Kingdom of God. The outward visible sign of the Christian Baptism shewn to be the Element of Water and enquiry thereupon made wherein it was intended as a Sign Which is shewn in the general to be as to the cleansing quality thereof more particularly as to the use it was put to toward new-born Infants and that application of it which was first in use even by an immersion or plunging the Party baptized in it Occasion taken from thence to enquire farther how it ought to be applyed more especially whether by an immersion or by that or an aspersion or effusion Evidence made of an immersion being the only legitimate Rite of Baptism save where necessity doth otherwise require And enquiry thereupon made whether necessity may justifie the Application of it by an Aspersion or Effusion and if it may whether the case of Infants be to be look'd upon as such a necessity What is to be thought of those additions which were antiently made or continue as yet in being in the outward solemnities of Baptism Where the sign of the Cross in Baptism is more particularly considered and answer made to those Exceptions that are made against it as a Ceremony as an addition of Men to the Institution of Christ and as a supposed Relique of Popery or giving too much countenance to the Papists abuses of it BUT because whatever doubt there may be of the first Institution of the Christian Baptism Question What is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism Answer Water wherein the person is baptiz'd in the name of the Father c. yet there neither is nor can be any doubt of our Saviour's instituting it then when he was about to take his leave of his Disciples Therefore pass we on to the Sacrament it self which agreeably to the procedure of our own Catechism and the method before observed when I entreated of the nature of a Sacrament in the general I will consider I. As to its outward and visible Sign II. As to its inward and Spiritual Grace or the thing signified by it III. As to that relation which its outward and visible Sign bears to its inward and Spiritual Grace IV. As to the Foundation of that Relation For as the nature of the Sacrament of Baptism will be found to lie within these four so I no way doubt we shall be able to reduce to one or other of these generals whatsoever is any way necessary to be known concerning it Now there are four
Ubi supra was by what the Prophet Ezekiel * Ezek. 36.25 brings in God as speaking concerning the times of the Messiah Even that he would sprinkle clean Water upon them and they should be clean from all their filthiness and from their Idols For as it appears from what follows (a) Ezek. 26 27. even that God would give the persons there spoken of a new heart and a new Spirit take away their stony heart from them and put his own spirit within them that this whole passage was spoken more particularly with reference to the times of the Messiah Maimonides himself (b) Explic. Tract Sanh c. 10. apud Pocock Port. Mosis p. 160.1 so applying this and the like passages So we cannot therefore better interpret the sprinkling of clean Water upon them in order to it than of the Water of Baptism and which the Spirit of God expressing by the term of sprinkling of Water shews it to have foreseen a necessity of its being so administred oftentimes and his own allowance of it All which things whosoever shall consider will I doubt not see reason enough to think that necessity may justifie an Aspersion in Baptism and nothing more therefore left to enquire upon this Head than what may be look'd upon as such a necessity which will bring the question yet nearer to our selves Now as there can be no doubt of sickness being such and particularly such a sickness as fastens Men to their Beds So we shall therefore have nothing more to consider of than the case of Infants and to whom as Baptism is generally administred so it is also perform'd by an effusion or sprinkling With what necessity is the thing we are to enquire and so much the rather because the Greek Church useth immersion or dipping to this very day and the Muscovitish Church after its example For if the coldness of any Clime may be thought to make that Rite dangerous to such tender Bodies one would think they of the latter should find it to be such and therefore see a necessity of changing it For the clearing whereof we are to know that as they who use the Rite of immersion even in warmer Countries are so sensible of the tenderness of Infant Bodies that they make use of warm Water to baptize them So the Muscovites making use of it without any danger if yet they always do so will not make it cease to be such to Infants of other Countries There being as every one knows no small difference between the Bodies of Infants as well as those of Men and to some of whom therefore and in some Countries that may be exceeding dangerous which Infants of other Countries find no such inconvenience by And indeed as such an Immersion of Infants especially in these Northern parts cannot generally be thought to be without its hazard how warily and carefully soever managed As it may be yet more hazardous to weaker Infants and whom as it would not be thought fit to deny Baptism to so as little to do any thing to send them out of the World so I am apt to believe upon second thoughts for I have elsewhere (c) Expl. of the Creed in the Words And Buried spoken more harshly concerning it that that Rite came to be disused here after a sufficient proof of the inconveniencies thereof Because as Erasmus notes (d) Vid. Pamel in not ad Cypr. epist ad Magnum it was in use among us even in his time and the Liturgies that have been in force since not excepting the present one seem rather to perswade the use of it For our Fore-fathers being so strangely tenacious of that Rite and both they and their posterity not without a venerable opinion of it it cannot well be thought they should come at length so generally to disuse it but that they found by experience that it was not without its hazard and so more prudently omitted However it be our Church hath acquitted it self from all blame because manifestly licensing (e) See the Rubr. of Bap◠before the Words I baptize thee c. the sprinkling of Infants with respect to the weakness of their State And I have the more carefully noted both that and the ground of our practice the better to defend our selves from a retort of the Romanists when we charge them with Sacrilege in the matter of the Eucharist for taking away the Cup from the Laity For why not as they sometime answer as well as change the Rite of Immersion in Baptism into that of sprinkling Especially when a great part of the Symbolicalness of that Sacrament lies in the manner of the application of its sign Which Answer of theirs were not in my opinion easie to be repel'd were it not that we have that necessity to justifie our practice which they cannot pretend for their own Having thus said enough concerning the applying of the outward sign of Baptism whether by an Immersion or Aspersion which was the first thing I had to consider Enquire we in the next place how often that application ought to be made that is to say whether as many times as there are persons in the God-head into which we baptize or once for all into the three The ground of which question is not only that distinct profession of the Trinity which Baptism was intended to declare but the appearance there is of the Churches using a threefold immersion from the beginning For not to mention any other proofs Tertullian who flourished within an hundred years after the last of the Apostles doth not only mention the threefold immersion as a thing in use in his time but as a thing which was derived to them from * Tert. de Coronâ c. 3. Ergo quaeramus an Traditio nisi scripta non debeat recipi Plane negabimus recipiendam si nulla exempla praejudicent aliarum observationum quas sim ullius scripturae instrumento solius traditionis titulo exinde consuetudinis Patrocinio vindicamus Denique ut à Baptismo ingrediar Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquanto prius in Ecclesiâ sub Antistitis manu contestamur nos renunciare Diabolo pompae angelis ejus Dehine ter mergitamur amplius aliquid respondentes quà m Dominus in Evangelio determinavit Item adv Praxeam c. 26. Tradition and which considering the time wherein he liv'd cannot well fall short of an Apostolical one And thus much certainly ought to be allow'd to this and other testimonies that in or near the Apostolical Age the more fully to express that distinction of persons into the Faith of which Christ commanded to baptize Men were with the command or allowance of those who presided in the Church plunged into the Baptismal Water at the mention of each person's name But as that threefold immersion cannot be collected from the command of Christ because simply enjoyning to baptize into the Faith of the Trinity and which one immersion may declare as well as a threefold
Col. 2 12. with Christ therein through the faith of the operation of him who raised him from the dead For how come Men by reason of their being alive unto God through Baptism to be affirmed to have risen with Christ in it but upon the account of that Baptism of theirs being a representation of that new life or birth which we have by the means of it as well as of the Resurrection of our Saviour I will conclude what I have to say concerning the inward and Spiritual Grace of Baptism when I have taken notice of that which though it do not immediately tend to our spiritual and eternal welfare yet qualifies us for those Graces that do Even our union to that Body of which Christ Jesus is the Head and by means of which he dispenseth the other graces to us For that that is also signified by the outward visible sign of Baptism will appear if we consider that visible sign as having a relation to it and then as having the relation of a sign Of the former whereof as S. Paul will not suffer us to doubt because affirming all (x) 1 Cor. 12.13 whether Jews or Gentiles to be baptiz'd into that body So there will be as little doubt of the other from the general design of its institution and from what S. Paul intimates in the former place concerning it That expression of being baptized into the body of Christ importing our being receiv'd by Baptism within it as the body of the Baptized is within those waters wherein he is immersed Which will consequently make that Rite a true and proper sign of Our Union to Christ's Body and that union therefore a thing signified by it Such are the things which are by Baptism signified on the part of God and Christ or that I may speak in the language of our Church the inward and spiritual Graces thereof It remains that I also shew the things signified by it on the part of the Baptized even an Abrenunciation of their former sins and a resolution to believe and act as Christianity obligeth them to do But because both the one and the other of these will be more clearly understood if they be handled apart and whatsoever is to be known concerning each of them laid as near together as may be Therefore having begun to entreat of the inward and spiritual Grace of Baptism I will continue my Discourse concerning it and accordingly go on to enquire what farther relation the outward visible sign of Baptism hath to its inward and Spiritual Grace or Graces and first of all to Forgiveness of sin PART V. Of Forgiveness of sin by Baptism The Contents Of the relation of the sign of Baptism to its inward and spiritual Grace and particularly to Forgiveness of sin Which is either that of a means fitted by God to convey it or of a pledge to assure the Baptized person of it The former of these relations more particularly considered as that too with respect to Forgiveness of Sin in the general or the Forgiveness of all Sin whatsoever and Original Sin in particular As to the former whereof is alledged first the Scriptures calling upon Men to be Baptiz'd for the remission or forgiveness of sin Secondly the Church's making that Forgiveness a part of her Belief and Doctrine Thirdly the agreeing opinions or practices of those who were either unsound members of it or Separatists from it And Fourthly the Calumnies of its enemies The like evidence made of the latter from the Scripture's proposing Baptism and its Forgiveness as a remedy against the greatest guilts and in special against that wrath which we are Children of by Nature From the premises is shewn that the sign of Baptism is a pledge to assure the Baptized of Forgiveness as well as a means fitted by God for the conveying of it NOW as the outward visible sign of Baptism hath beside that of a sign the relation of a means fitted by God to convey the inward and spiritual Grace and of a pledge to assure the Baptized person of it So being now to entreat of its relation to that of the Forgiveness of sins we must therefore consider it under each of them and first as a means fitted by God for the conveying of it In the handling whereof I will proceed in this method First I will shew that it hath indeed such a relation to Forgiveness in the general Secondly that it hath such a relation to the Forgiveness of all sins whatsoever and particularly of Original That the outward visible sign of Baptism hath such a relation to Forgiveness in the general will appear from the ensuing Topicks I. From the plain and undoubted Doctrine of the Scripture II. From the consentient Doctrine and Belief of the Church III. From the whether practices or opinions of the unsound members of it or Separatists from it IV. From the Calumnies of the open Enemies thereof I. What the Doctrine of the Scripture is in this affair cannot be unknown to any who have reflected upon what S. Peter said to those Jews who demanded of him and his fellow Apostles what they should do to avert the guilt they had contracted and what Ananias said to Paul who was remitted to him upon the same account For to the former S. Peter made answer among other things that they should be baptiz'd * Acts 2.38 for the remission of sins Which shews what Baptism was intended for and what therefore if they were duly qualified they might certainly expect from it To the latter Ananias that he should arise and be baptized †Acts 22 16. and wash away his sins Which effect as it cannot be thought to referr to any thing but the preceding Baptism and therefore neither but make that Baptism the proper means of accomplishing it So can much less be thought to exclude or rather not principally to intend the washing away the guilt of them Partly because as was before observ'd that is the most usual sense of washing away sins and partly because most agreeable to the disconsolate condition Paul was then in as well as to the foregoing declaration of S. Peter II. To the Doctrine of the Scripture subjoyn we the consentient Doctrine and belief of the Church as which though it cannot add to the Authority of the other yet will no doubt conferr much to the clearing of its sense and of that Doctrine which we have deduced from it Now what evidence there is of such a consent will need no other proof than the Doctrine of her Creed †Creed in the Communion-serv and the use she made of the simple Baptism of Infants to establish against the Pelagians the being of that Original Sin they call'd in question For how otherwise could the Church call upon Men to declare that they believ'd one Baptism for the remission of sins Yea though she thought it otherwise necessary to inculcate Baptism as well as remission and the single administration of it as
the body of sin crucified with him For shall we say that S. Paul meant no more by all this than that the design of Baptism and the several parts of it was to represent to us the necessity of our dying and being buried as to sin and that accordingly all that are baptized into Christ make profession of their resolution so to do but not that they are indeed buried by Baptism as to that particular But beside that we are not lightly to depart from the propriety of the Scripture phrase which must be acknowledg'd rather to favour a real death than the bare signification of it That Apostle doth moreover affirm those whom he before describ'd as dead to be freed (d) Rom. 7.18 from sin yea so far (e) Rom. 7.18 as to have passed over into another service even that of righteousness and to have obeyed from the heart (f) Rom. 7.17 that form of Doctrine into which they had been delivered Which suppos'd as it may because the direct affirmation of S. Paul will make that death whereof we speak to be a death in reality as well as in figure and accordingly because Men are affirmed to be baptized into it shew that Baptism to be a means of conveying it as well as a representation of it Agreeable hereto or rather yet more express is that of the same Apostle to the Colossians (g) Col. 2.11 though varying a little from the other as to the manner of expression For having affirmed them through Christ to have put off the body of the sins of the flesh by a circumcision not made with hands and consequently by a spiritual one he yet adds lest any should fancy that spiritual Circumcision to accrue to them without some ceremonial one in the Circumcision of Christ even that Baptism which conformably to the circumcision of the Jews he had appointed for their entrance into his Religion by and wherein he accordingly affirms as he did in the former place that they were not only buried with him but had risen together with him by the faith of the operation of God who raised him from the dead From whence as it is clear that the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh which is but another expression for a death unto them is though accomplished by a spiritual Grace yet by such a one as is conveyed to us by Baptism so it becomes yet more clear by what he adds concerning Men's rising with him in the same Baptism even to a life contrary to what they had before deposited through the faith of the operation of God. For as we cannot conceive of that rising with Christ as other than a real one because there would not otherwise have needed such a faith as that to bring it about So neither therefore but think the like of that death which it presupposeth and consequently that that Baptism to which it is annex'd is a means of conveying it as well as a representation of it But so we may be yet more convinc'd by such Texts of Scripture as speak of this death unto sin under the notion of a cleansing from it Of which nature is that so often alledged one (h) Eph. 5.26 27. concerning Christ's sanctifying and cleansing his Church with the washing of water by the word For as it appears from what is afterwards subjoyn'd as the end of that cleansing even that the Church might not have any spot or wrinkle but that it should be holy and without blemish As it appears I say from thence that the Apostle speaks in the verse before concerning a cleansing from the filth of sin which is but another expression for the putting off the body of sin or a death unto it So it appears in like manner from S. Paul's attributing that cleansing to the washing of water that the outward sign of Baptism is by the appointment and provision of God a means of conveying that spiritual Grace by which that cleansing is more immediately effected and that death unto sin procur'd From that death unto sin therefore pass we to our new birth unto righteousness that other inward and spiritual Grace of Baptism and the complement of the former A Grace of whose conveyance by Baptism we can much less doubt if we consider the language of the Scripture concerning it or the Doctrine as well as practice of the Church The opinion the Jews had of that which seems to have been its type and exemplar or the expressions even of the Heathen concerning it For what less can the Scripture be thought to mean when it affirms us to be born of the water (i) Joh. 3.5 of it as well as of the spirit yea so as to be as truly spirit (k) Joh. 3.6 as that which is born of the flesh is flesh What less can it be thought to mean when it entitles it the laver of (l) Tit. 3.5 Regeneration and which is more affirms us to be saved by it as well as by the renewing of the Holy Ghost What less when it requires us to look upon our selves as alive (m) Rom. 6.11 unto God by it as well as buried (n) Rom. 6.4 by it into the former death or as the same Apostle elsewhere expresseth it as risen with Christ in it (o) Col. 2.12 through the faith of the operation of God who raised him from the dead In fine what less when it affirms us to be sanctified with the washing (p) Eph. 5.26 of it as well as it elsewhere doth by the influences of God's Spirit For these expressions shew plainly enough that Baptism hath its share in the producing of this new birth as well as the efficacy of God's Spirit And consequently that it is at least the conveyer of that Grace by which it is more immediately produc'd And indeed as if men would come without prejudice they would soon see enough in those expressions to convince them of as much as I have deduced from them So they might see yet more if they pass'd so far in the doctrine and language of the Church to confirm them in that Interpretation of them For who ever even of the first and purest times spake in a lower strain concerning Baptism who ever made less of it than of a means by which we are regenerated I appeal for a proof hereof to their so unanimously (q) See Part 2. understanding of Baptism what our Saviour spake to Nicodemus concerning the necessity of men's being born again of water and of the spirit For as all men whatsoever interpret that of our new birth unto righteousness and so far as the spirit of God is concerned in it of the means by which it is produc'd So they must therefore believe that if the Antients understood it of Baptism they allotted that its share in it and consequently made it at least a conveyer of that Grace by which this new birth is produc'd I appeal farther to the particular declarations of
the Profession thereof shewn by several Arguments to be the intendment of the Christian Baptism What the measure of that conformity is which we profess to pay to the Laws of Christianity and what are the consequences of the Violation of that Profession HAving thus consider'd the things signified by Baptism on the part of God and Christ best known by the name of its inward and spiritual Graces It remains that I give the like account of the things signified by it on the part of the baptiz'd or the things the baptized person maketh Profession of by it Which as was before observ'd are an Abrenunciation of sin a present belief of the Doctrine of Christianity and a resolution for the time to come to continue in that belief and act agreeably to its Laws That something is signified by Baptism on the part of the baptized as well as on the part of God and Christ is evident from what was before said * Of the Sacrament in general Part 2. concerning the nature of a Sacrament in the general and Baptism's †Ibid. relating as well to something to be perform'd by the baptiz'd as to those divine Graces or priviledges which we expect from the other That the things before mentioned are the things thus signified by it hath also been elsewhere * Expl. of the Aposties Creed declar'd and so that it would not be difficult for a diligent Reader to satisfie himself from thence But because what I have said concerning them lies dispersedly in my former Discourses and would therefore require more pains than I ought to impose upon my Reader to find it out and apply it to the present Argument I will here though very briefly consider them anew and if not which would be too tedious repeat all that I have said concerning them yet point him as I go to the particular places from whence they may be fetch'd That Abrenunciation of sin is one of the things signified by Baptism is not only evident from the manner of administring it in the Primitive times and which together with the form of their Abrenunciation and our own are set down in my account of the Preliminary questions and answers of the Catechism but also from the general tenour of that Religion which Baptism is an initiation into That requiring the renouncing of all sin and wickedness and therefore supposing the baptized person to do so when he takes that Religion upon him For which cause as an express Abrenunciation was heretofore requir'd and continues so to be to this very day So it was signified as by other Rites and particularly by the baptized persons putting off his cloaths in order to his Baptism as putting off together with them the Old Man and his deeds so by the Rite of Baptism it self He who submits to that implying thereby his looking upon sin as a Moral impurity and which therefore for the future he would not have any thing to do with The second thing signified by Baptism on the part of the baptized is his present belief of the Doctrine of Christianity more especially of the Doctrine of the Trinity As is evident from that Baptism's being commanded by our Saviour to be made in or into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost For to be baptiz'd into the name of those persons importing the owning of those persons as our Masters (a) Expl. of the Creed Art. I believe in the Holy Ghost and our selves as the Disciples of them To be so baptized moreover importing the owning of those persons as alike (b) Ibid. Masters of us and consequently because the Father cannot be own'd in any lower relation as partakers of the same divine Nature and Authority Lastly to be so baptiz'd importing the owning of them in particular by a belief of the Christian Doctrine that being the most signal instance of that Discipleship we receive by it The belief of the Doctrine of Christianity and of the Trinity in particular must be look'd upon as signified by Baptism on the part of the baptized and those baptized ones consequently as making profession of that belief by it For which cause as the rule of Faith or the Creed (c) Introd concerning Catechising c. was given to those to learn who were willing to be initiated into Christianity so they were particularly interrogated (d) Expl. of the Prel Quest and Answers as to their belief of the Articles thereof and then and not till then baptiz'd into it and the priviledges thereof The third and last thing signified on the part of the baptized is a resolution for the time to come to continue in the belief of Christianity and act agreeably to its Laws Both which will receive a sufficient confirmation from S. Peter's affirming Baptism to be the Answer or stipulation of a good conscience toward God and from what I have elsewhere (e) Ibid. said concerning it For as it is evident from thence that Baptism signifies on the part of the baptized a stipulation or promise of somewhat to be done by him So it will not be difficult to inferr from thence that it signifies also a stipulation or promise to continue in that belief of Christianity into which he is baptiz'd and act agreeably to its laws As will appear whether we consider that stipulation as having a good conscience toward God for the object of it in which sense I should think S. Peter ought to be understood or as I find many others to do as proceeding from such a conscience For a good conscience having a due regard to the several parts of that Religion which it makes profession to espouse He who with relation to Christianity stipulates from a good conscience or makes that good consoience the object of his stipulation must consequently be thought to stipulate or make a promise of answering the several parts of it and therefore also because they are parts of Christianity of continuing in its Faith and acting agreeably to its Laws And hence as was before (f) Expl. of the Sacrament in general Part 1. observ'd this and the other Institution of our Religion had of old the name of Sacraments as importing a Vow or promise to Christ of believing in him or obeying him And hence also that the Antients argued (g) Ibid. the unlawfulness of superinducing an humane or military Sacrament upon a divine one and answering to another Master after Christ Which we shall the less need to wonder at if we remember that that Baptism whereof we speak was copyed from the Baptism of the Jews (h) Expl. of Baptism Part 1. and particularly from that of John the Baptist For concerning the former of these it hath been observ'd (i) Ibid. that those three men that presided over it lean'd over the baptized persons as they stood in the water and twice explain'd to them some of the more weighty and lighter precepts of their Law. For
Profession of Baptism by a piety sutable to it must consequently fail altogether of the benefits thereof if that Christianity into which it entred them had not provided them of a remedy against the violations of their Profession Which though it will not make the case of those violatiors desperate yet will shew it to be so dangerous as to oblige all who have a care of their Salvation to prevent what they may such violations of it or endeavour to repair them afterwards by a speedy and severe repentance and a more fixed and setled piety Lest as it may sometime happen they be cut off before they can make use of the remedy propos'd or by reason of their former violations have not the grace given them to do it PART IX Of the right Administration of Baptism The Contents After a short account of the Foundation of the Baptismal relation and reference made to those places from which a larger one may be fetch'd Enquiry is made touching the right Administration of Baptism as therein again First Whether Baptism ought expresly to be made in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Secondly whether Schismaticks and Hereticks are valid Administratours of it Thirdly to what and what kind of persons it ought to be administred Fourthly Whether it may be repeated The two first of these spoken to here and first Whether Baptism ought to be expresly administred in the form propos'd Which is not only shewn to be under obligation from the express words of the Institution but answer made to those Texts which seem to intimate it to be enough to baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus only The Baptism of Schismaticks and Hereticks more largely shewn to be valid unless where they baptize into a counterfeit Faith and the several objections against it answer'd I Have hitherto entreated of the outward visible sign of Baptism of its inward and spiritual Grace or the things signified by it and the farther relation that outward sign beareth to them It follows that I entreat of the foundation of that relation the Fourth thing propos'd to be consider'd Now as the Foundation of that relation hath been shewn * Expl. of the Sacrament in general Part 2. to be no other than the Institution of Christ as that again not so much as deliver'd by him as appli'd to that water in which it is subjected So I have in the same discourse said †Ibid. Part 2 3. so much concerning the Institution of this and the application of that Institution to the outward visible sign thereof that I shall need to say the less here It may suffice briefly to observe from thence that when the Minister hath prepar'd the water of Baptism by a declaration of the end of its Institution and by imploring the Holy Spirit on it Christ who hath promised to be with him in that ministration of his gives it the relation of the Sacrament of Baptism and consequently makes it apt to convey the several graces thereof to those who are to partake of it Which will leave little more for us to consider as to the Sacrament of Baptism than the right Administration of it or what may without any violence be reduced to it Now there are Four things which are especially to be enquir'd in order to the clearing of that which is now before us I. Whether Baptism ought expresly to be administer'd in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost II. Whether Schismaticks and Hereticks are valid Administratours of it III. To what and what kind of persons it ought to be administred IV. Whether it may be repeated I. The ground of the first of these even whether Baptism ought expresly to be administred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is not any the least doubt of those being the express words of the Institution or of their not admitting consider'd in themselves of any variation from it but the accounts we have from the Scripture of the administration of that Sacrament either by the hands or at the command of the Apostles and other such inspired men Those seeeming to intimate it to be enough to baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus as comprehending within it an acknowledgement of the other two persons and indeed of all other the substantial Articles of his Faith in whose name we are so baptiz'd For thus when those Jews to whom S. Peter Preach'd on the day of Pentecost were wrought upon so far as to ask what they ought to do in order to their Salvation S. Peter's answer was †Acts 2.38 that they should be baptiz'd in the name of the Lord Jesus Which accordingly we may believe to have been done by those that gladly receiv'd the word because it is afterwards (a) Acts 2.41 said of them that they were baptiz'd that is as one would think in that and that only name which had been prescrib'd Thus again it is said (b) Acts 8.16 of those who had been baptiz'd by Philip at Samaria that they were baptiz'd in the name of the Lord Jesus without any the least hint of their being baptized in any other name As in like manner (c) Acts 10.47 that S. Peter gave order for the baptizing of Cornelius and his company after that the Holy Ghost had by his preaching descended upon them In fine thus we find that the Disciples of Ephesus (d) Acts 19.5 were who it seems till that time had not only no gifts of the Holy Ghost upon them but not so much as any knowledge whether there were any Holy Ghost or no. Which place is the more to be stood upon because those Disciples having before so little knowledge of a Holy Ghost one would think he that told the story of their taking upon them the Christian Baptism at the hearing of what was said to them by S. Paul should have express'd that Baptism of theirs by their being baptiz'd into the belief of the Trinity and particularly of that Holy Ghost which they seem before to have been ignorant of But as we are not lightly to think nor indeed without an irrefiagable reason that those first Disciples of Christ made use of or countenanc'd any other form of Baptism than what their Master had so clearly and expresly prescrib'd So there is nothing of any such moment in the places before alledg'd to persuade their making use of or giving countenance to any other On the contrary the Text last mention'd if taken in all its parts seems rather to persuade those Disciples having been baptiz'd in the very words of the Institution than only in the name of the Lord Jesus For S. Paul asking as by way of wonderment unto what they had been before baptiz'd if they had not as they said so much as heard of any Holy Ghost seems to intimate that all that then receiv'd the Christian Baptism could not but know from the very form
buried in Baptism and then rising out of it yet can it not be said to be so or at least but very imperfectly by the bare pouring out or sprinkling the Baptismal Water on him But therefore as there is so much the more reason to represent the Rite of immersion as the only legitimate Rite of Baptism because the only one that can answer the ends of its Institution and those things which were to be signified by it so especially if as is well known and undoubtedly of great force the general practice of the Primitive Church was agreeable thereto and the practice of the Greek Church to this very day For who can think either the one or the other would have been so tenacious of so troublesome a Rite were it not that they were well assured as they of the Primitive Church might very well be of its being the only instituted and legitimate one How to take off the force of these Arguments altogether is a thing I mean not to consider Partly because our Church (w) See the Rubrick in the Office of Baptism before the words I baptize thee c. seems to persuade such an immersion and partly because I cannot but think the forementioned Arguments to be so far of force as to evince the necessity thereof where there is not some greater necessity to occasion an alteration of it For what benefit can Men ordinarily expect from that which depends for its force upon the will of him that instituted it where there is not such a compliance at least with it and the Commands of the Instituter as may answer those ends for which he appointed it And indeed whatever may have been done to Infants which I no way doubt were more or less baptized from the beginning the first mention we find of Aspersion in the Baptism of the Elder sort was in the case of the Clinici or Men who receiv'd Baptism upon their sick Beds and that Baptism represented by S. Cyprian * Epist ad Magn. 76. In Sacramentis salutaribus necessitate cogente Deo indulgentiam suam largiente totum credentibus conferunt Divina compendia as legitimate upon the account of the necessity that compel'd it and the presumption there was of God's gracious acceptation thereof because of it By which means the lawfulness of any other Baptism than by an immersion will be found to lie in the necessity there may sometime be of another manner of Administration of it and we therefore only enquire whether the necessity of the party to be baptiz'd can justifie such an alteration and what is to be look'd upon as such a necessity And indeed though that Magnus to whom S. Cyprian directed the forementioned Letter seemed to question the lawfulness of such a Baptism and that Father as his manner is spake but modestly concerning it yet there is not otherwise any appearance of the Antient Churches disapproving the Baptism of the Clinicks because they were not loti but perfusi as S. Cyprian expresseth it For even he himself doth there intimate that they †Aut si aliquis existimat eos nibil consecutos eo quod aquâ salutari tantum perfusi sunt c. non decipiantur ut si incommoduâ— languoris evaserint convaluerint baptizentur Si autem baptizari non possunt qui jam Baptismo Ecclesiastico sanctificati sunt cur in fiâ—â— suâ Domini in dulgentiâ scandalizentur Cypr. ubi supra who liked not the Baptism of the Clinicks did not yet care to baptize them again He adds farther that they who had been so baptiz'd were known to have been delivered thereby from that unclean spirit which before possess'd them * Denique rebus ipsis experimur ut necessitate urgente in aegritudine baptizati gratiam consecuti careant immundo spiritu quo antea movebantur laudabiles ac probabiles in Ecclesiâ vivant plusque per dies singulos in augmentum coelestis gratiae per fidei Sacramentum proficiant Cypr. ibid. ,and after their recovery gave as good proof as any by their holy living of their being sanctified by that Baptism In fine that they who differ'd from him as to the rebaptization of Hereticks which was the sounder part of the Church in that particular did without any difference admit those who had been baptiz'd by Hereticks †Et tantus honor habeatur haereticis ut inde venientes non interrogentur utrumne loti sint an perfusi utrumne Clinici fint an Peripatetici Cypr. ibid. neither were scrupulous in enquiring whether they were wash'd or sprinkled Clinicks or Peripateticks Which passages alone are a sufficient proof that the generality of the Church look'd upon sprinkling as enough where there was any just necessity to constrain it But so to omit other proofs we may be satisfied even by that Canon (x) Cod. Eccl. Vniv can 57. cum not Just which was made against some of the foremention'd Clinicks The utmost that Canon pretended to do against them being the hindring them from being promoted to the Priesthood as that too not because of any unlawfulness in the manner of their Baptism but because there was sometime a presumption that that Baptism proceeded rather from necessity than choice or that they had as Tertullian (y) De Poenit. cap. 8. speaks deferr'd the receiving of it that they might in the mean time indulge to their sins as nothing doubting but their future Baptism would wipe off all There being therefore no doubt to be made so far as the judgment or practice of the Church can warrant us that necessity doth justifie a bare Aspersion in Baptism Enquire we for our farther confirmation in it what there was in the Scripture to induce them to it or establish us in the belief of it Which I conceive to be their understanding from thence (z) 1 Pet. 3.21 that though Baptism was the thing that sav'd yet it was not so much by its washing away the filth of the flesh as from that answer of a good Conscience which it did involve That though the external washing was also necessary in its kind and where it might be had in those circumstances also wherein it was instituted yet since God had declar'd * Matt. 12.7 That he would have mercy and not sacrifice there was reason enough to believe that he requir'd no farther a compliance in this particular than was consistent with the safety of Mens lives to afford especially when what was wanting in the application of the outward visible sign might be made up by the form of words wherewith it was administred and Men admonished thereby of those significations of Baptism which the visible solemnities thereof did not suggest For the several ends of Baptism being thus secur'd there was still the less reason to be scrupulous about the means or think God would be rigorous in exacting them But so they might be yet more assur'd as it appears St. Cyprian â€