till the Day of Pentecost fifty Days after the Resurrection of Christ as it is Recorded in the Second of the Acts. This Spiritual Baptism was promised John xiv 16 26. xv 26. xvi 7. And the Apostles were commanded to tarry in the City of Jerusalem till it should come upon them Luke xxiv 49. 2. The Quakers allow that John did Baptize with Water and there is no other sort of Baptism here mentioned with which Christ did Baptize and therefore these Baptisms being spoke of both together there can be no Reason to interpret the one to be with Water and the other not It is said John iv 1. The Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more Disciples than John How cou'd the Pharisees hear of it if it was not an Outward and Visible Baptism For as before is said the outward and miraculous Effects of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost were not then given And since it Was an Outward it must be the Water-baptism for there was then no other Obj. But the Quakers start an Objection here That it is said John iv 2. Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples 1. Ans Tho Jesus himself baptized not yet it is said in the Verse foregoing that He made and baptized i. e. those whom His Disciples by His Order Baptized For if it had not been done by His Order it cou'd not be said that he had Baptized those whom his Disciples Baptized But because He that doeth a thing by Another is said to do it Himself therefore Christ himself is said to have Baptized those whom his Disciples by his Order did Baptize 2. Answ That Baptizing which Christ is said to have Administred himself John iii. 26. might have been at another Time than that which is mentioned in the 4th Chapter And then the consequence will only be this That at some Times Christ did Baptise Himself and at other Times he left it to his Disciples Tho as to our Argument it is the same thing whether he did it Himself or commanded his Disciples to do it For either way it is his Baptism his Onely his Disciples did but Administer what he commanded II. As Christ himself did Baptize with Water and his Disciples by his Commandment while he was with them upon Earth so did his Apostles and Others thereunto by them commissionated after his Death and Resurrection by vertue of his Command to them Matth. xxviii 19. after he was Risen from the Dead What is said above of the Etymology and true Signification of the word Baptize is of itself sufficient to prove that by Baptism in this Text the outward Baptism with Water is meant especially till the Quakers can shew any Contradiction or Absurdity in having the word taken in the proper and literal sense in this and the other Texts which speak of it And this will be very hard to do since as it is just now proved that Christ did Baptize with Water as well as John And what Absurdity or Contradiction can be alledged that his Apostles shou'd Administer the same sort of Baptism after his Death as he had Practised and Commanded during his Life Nay rather what Reason can be given why they shou'd not be the same since the same word i. e. Baptize is us'd in Both and no new Sense or Acceptation of the word is so much as hinted And therefore to put any new sense or acceptation of the word must be wholly Arbitrary and Precarious But as I promis'd I will Demonstrate yet more fully and plainly that the Apostles did Practise the Outward i. e. Water-Baptism after CHRIST's death Acts x. 27. Can any Man forbid Water that these shou'd not be Baptized Acts viii 36. As they Philip and the Eunuch went on their way they came to a certain Water and the Eunuch said See here is Water what doth hinder me to be Baptized And Verse 38. they went both down into the Water hoth Philip and the Eunuch and he Baptized him And when they were come up out of the WATER c. Acts xxii 16. And now why tarriest thou Arise and be Baptized and wash away thy sins And to save more Quotations the Quakers do own that the Baptism of the Corinthians mentioned 1 Cor. i. 14 17. was Water-baptism Therefore I will conclude this Point as undeniable That the Apostles did practise Water-baptism And the Argument from thence will lie thus The Apostles did practise that Baptism which Christ commanded Mat. xxviii 19. But the Apostles did practise Water-baptism therefore Water-baptism was that Baptism which Christ commanded Matth. xxviii 19. III. And as the Practise of the Apostles is a most sure Rule whereby to understand the meaning of that Command which they put in execution so the Practise of those who immediately succeeded the Apostles who were Cotemporaries with them and learn'd the Faith from their Mouths is as certain a Rule to know what the Practise and what the Sense of the Apostles were And thus the Practise of the present Age in the Administration of Water-baptism is an undeniable Evidence that this was the Practise of the last Age the same Persons being many of them alive in both the last and the present Age. For one Age does not go off the World all at once and another succeed all of perfect Age together but there are old Men of the last Age and young Men and Children growing up to another Age all alive upon Earth the same time and Mankind being dispersed into far distant Countries and Climates who know not of one another nor hold any Correspondence It is by these means morally impossible for any Man or Men to deceive us in what has been the Vniversal and Receiv'd Practise of the last Age to which the present Age is so linked that it is even a part of it I say it is impossible for all the Fathers of the World to be suppos'd willing or if they were to be capable of imposing upon all younger than themselves namely That they had been all Baptized and that this was an universally receiv'd Custom and of which Registers were always kept in every Parish of all who had been from time to time Baptized and that such Registers were publick and to be recurr'd to by all that had a mind to it Every Man's reason will tell him that it is utterly impossible for such a thing to pass upon Mankind And as certainly as the present Age is thus assur'd of the Practise of the last Age in a Thing of so publick and universal a nature so certainly and by the same Rules must the last Age know the Practise of the Age before that and so backward all the way to the first Institution to the Age of Christ and the Apostles The publick nature of this Water-baptism as now practised being an outward matter of Fact of which Mens outward Senses their Eyes and Ears are Judges not like Matters of Opinion which sort of Tares may be privately sown and long time
propagated without any remarkable Discovery And to this so publick matter of Fact adding the universal Practice of it through all the far distant Nations of Christianity I say these two Marks make it impossible for the World to be impos'd upon nor was it ever or ever can be impos'd upon in any such publick Matter of Fact so universally practised All this makes it undeniably plain That the last Age did practise the same outward Water baptism which is practis'd in this Age and that the same was as certainly practis'd in the Age before the last Age and by the same Rule in the Age before that and so onward as abovesaid to the Age of the Apostles I have made more Words of this than needed but I wou'd render it exceeding plain considering with whom I have to do And I beseech them to consider That all the Authority which they have to Over-ballance all these Demonstrations is the mad Enthusiasm of a Lay-Apostle George Fox a Mechanick so Illiterate that he was hardly Master of common Sense nor cou'd write English or any other Language and started up amongst us in the Year 1650 the Age of Schism and Rebellion and Damn'd as Apostates all Ages since the Apostles In all of which no One cou'd be found before G. Fox to bear their Testimony against this Water-baptism tho' it was constantly and universally practised and that Christians were then so Zealous as to contend against the least Variation or Corruption of the Faith even unto Death and the most cruel sort of Martyrdom Can any Man imagin that if Water-baptism were a Human Invention or Superstitiously either Continu'd or Obtruded upon the Church no One shou'd be found for 1650 Years to open his Mouth against it when Thousands sacrific'd their Lives for Matters of much less Importance But I have over-labour'd this Point to any Man who will give himself leave to make use of his Reason Therefore I will proceed to the next Section SECT III. That Baptism must be Outward and Visible because it is an Ordinance appointed whereby to Initiate Men into an Outward and Visible Society which is the Church THere goes no more towards the proving of this than to shew 1st That the Church is an Outward and Visible Society 2dly That Baptism was appointed and us'd for Initiating or Admitting Men into the Church 1st That the Church is an outward and visible Society Our Saviour calls it A City that is set on a Hill Matth. v. 14. The Quakers themselves are an outward and visible Society and so are all those who bear the Name of Churches upon Earth They cou'd not otherwise be Churches For that implies a Society of People and every Society in the World is an outward and visible Thing And as it is so has an outward and visible Form of Admitting Men into it For otherwise it wou'd not be known who are Members of it Every Society is Exclusive of all others who are not of that Society otherwise it cou'd not be a Society for that supposes the Men of that Society to be thereby distinguished from other Men And that supposes as much that there must be some outward and visible Form whereby to Initiate Men and intitle them to be Members of such a Society otherwise it cou'd not be known who were Members of it and who were not and it wou'd thereby ipso facto cease to be a Society for it cou'd not then be distinguished from the rest of Mankind as a River is lost in the Sea because it is no longer distinguish'd from it but goes to make up a part of it From hence it appears that the Church being an outward and visible Society must have some outward and visible Form to initiate Men and make them Members of that Society 2dly That Baptism was that outward Form All the several Baptisms that were before Christ's were all meant for Initiating Forms The Jews had a Custom long before Christ to initiate the Proselites or Converts to their Religion not only by Circumcision but by Baptizing or Washing them with Water The same was the meaning of John's Baptism to make Men his Disciples And the same was the meaning of Christ's Baptism to initiate Men into the Christian Religion and make them Disciples of Christ. Hence Baptizing Men and making them Disciples mean the same thing Thus John iv 1. it is said That Jesus made and baptized more Disciples than John That is be baptized them Disciples which was the Form of Making them such If any will say that he baptized them to be Disciples to John that will be answer'd Sect. VI. But as to the present Point it is the same thing whose Disciples they were made for we are now only to shew that Baptism in the general was an Initiating Form And when Christ practised it as well as John as this Text does expresly declare no Reason can be given that he did not use it as an Initiating Form as well as John especially when the Text does express that he did make them Disciples by baptizing of them as above is shewn And pursuant to this when Christ sent his Apostles to convert all Nations his Commission of Baptizing was as large as that of Teaching Matth. xxviii 19. Go TEACH all Nations BAPTIZING them c. i. e. Baptizing all who shall receive your word And accordingly it is said Acts ii 41. They that received the word were baptized Pursuant to what the Apostle had preached to them Verse 28. Repent and be baptized And accordingly we find it the constant Custom to baptize all that were converted to the Faith Thus Paul tho miraculously converted from Heaven was commanded to be baptized Acts xxii 16. And he baptized Lydia and the Jaylor and their Households as soon as he had converted them Acts xvi 15 33. And the Corinthians Acts xviii 8. And the Disciples of John who had not yet been made Christians Acts xix 5. Philip did baptize the Eunuch as soon as he believed in Christ Acts viii 37 38. And Peter immediately upon the Conversion of Cornelius and those with him said Can any Man forbid Water that these shou'd not be baptized Acts x. 47. It wou'd be endless to enumerate all the like Instances of Baptism in the New Testament And it was always us'd as an Initiating Form 3dly Baptism was not only an Initiating Form But it serv'd for nothing else For it was never to be repeated As a Man can be born but once into this World so he can be but once regenerated or born into the Church which is therefore in Scripture called the New Birth It is said of the other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as often as ye eat this Bread c. I Cor. xi 26. This was to be often repeated Baptism is our Admission Initiation or Birth into the Society of the Church and accordingly once only to be administred The Lord's Supper is our Nourishment and Daily Food in it and therefore to be often
repeated And as of our Saviour's so of other Baptisms of John's and the Jews they being only Initiating Forms they were not repeated The Jews did not baptize their Proselites more than once And John did not baptize his Disciples more than once So neither were Men twice baptized into the Christian Faith more than they were twice Circumcised or Admitted into the Church before Christ. Thus having proved 1st That the Church is an outward and visible Society 2dly That Baptism was the Initiating Form of Admitting Men into that Society 3dly That it was only an Initiating Form I think the Consequence is undeniable that this Baptism must be an outward and visible Form Because otherwise it cou'd be no Sign or Badge of an Admission into an outward and visible Society for such a Badge must be as outward as the Society Again Acts of inward Faith are and ought to be often repeated Therefore this Baptism which cou'd not be repeated cou'd not be the inward but the outward Baptism And thus having prov'd that Baptism commanded Matth. xxviii 19. to be the outward that is Water-baptism 1st From the true and proper Etymology and Signification of the Word 2dly From the Practise of CHRIST and his Apostles and the whole Christian Church after them And 3dly From the Nature of the Thing Baptism being an Ordinance appointed only for Initiating Men into an outward and visible Society and therefore never to be repeated Having thus prov'd our Conclusion from such plain easie and certain Topicks I will now proceed to those Objections such as they are which the Quakers do set up against all these clear Demonstrations And shall accordingly in the first place take notice of their groundless Pretence in making that BAPTISM commanded in the Holy Gospel and proved an ORDINANCE external and visible to be understood only of the Inward and Spiritual BAPTISM not with WATER but the HOLY GHOST SECT IV. Quakers say 1 st That the BAPTISM commanded Matth. xxviii 19. was only meant of the Inward and Spiritual Baptism with the Holy Ghost THey say this and that is all They neither pretend to answer the Arguments brought against them such as these before-mentioned nor give any Proof for their own Assertion Only they say so and they will believe it and there is an End of it And truly there shou'd be an End of it if only Disputation or Victory were my Design For to what non plus can any Adversary be reduc'd beyond that of neither Answering nor Proving But because the Pains I have taken is only in Charity for their Souls I will over-look all their Impertinency and deal with them as with weyward Children humour them and follow them thro' all their Windings and Turnings and submit to over-prove what is abundantly proved already Therefore since they can give no Reason why that Baptism commanded Matth. xxviii 19. shou'd be meant only of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and wou'd be content that we shou'd leave them there as obstinate Men and pursue them no further but let them perswade those whom they can perswade By which Method unhappily yielded to them they have gain'd and secur'd most of their Proselites by keeping them from Disputing or Reasoning and by perswading them to hearken only to their own Light within To Rescue them out of this Snare I will be content to undertake the Negative though against the Rules of Argument and to prove that the Baptism commanded Matth. xxviii 19. was not the Baptism with the Holy Ghost For 1st To baptize with the Holy Ghost is peculiar to Christ alone For none can baptize with the Holy Ghost but who can send and bestow the Holy Ghost Which is Blasphemy to ascribe to any Creature Christ has indeed committed the Administration of the outward Baptism with Water to his Apostles and to Others by them thereunto ordained and has promised the inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost to those who shall daly receive the outward Baptism But this cannot give the Apostles or any other Ministers of Christ the Title of baptizing with the Holy Ghost though the Holy Ghost may be given by their Ministration For they are not the Givers that is Blasphemy And pursuant to this it is observable that none is ever said in the Scripture to baptize with the Holy Ghost but Christ alone The same is he who baptizeth with the Holy Ghost John i. 33. And therefore if that Baptism commanded Matth. xxviii 19. was the Baptism with the Holy Ghost it wou'd follow that the Apostles cou'd baptize with the Holy Ghost which is Blasphemy to assert 2dly It is written John iv 2. That Jesus himself baptized not but his Disciples If this was not meant of Water-baptism but of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost then it will follow That Christ did not baptize with the Holy Ghost but that his Disciples did This in short may suffice in return to a meer Pretence and proceed we next to consider if their main Argument also prove as unsupported and precarious SECT V. The great Argument of the Quakers against Water-Baptism is this John's Baptism is ceased But John's Baptism was Water-Baptism Therefore Water-Baptism is ceased This their Learned Barclay makes use of But 1st IT is so extreamly Childish that if it were not His no Reader wou'd Pardon me for Answering to it Yet since they do insist upon it let them take this easie Answer That John's Water-baptism is ceased but not Christ's Water-baptism All outward Baptisms were Water-baptisms as the word Baptism signifies See Sect. I. The Jews Baptism was Water-baptism as well as John's And by this Argument of Barclay's the Jews and John's may be prov'd to be the same Thus. The Jews Baptism was Water-baptism but John's Baptism was Water-baptism therefore John's Baptism was the Jews Baptism And thus Christ's Baptism was John's and John's was the Jews and the Jews was Christ's and they were all one and the self-same Baptism because they were all Water-baptisms So without all Foundation is this great Rock of the Quakers upon which they build their main Battery against Water-baptism 2 ly It will be proper here to let them see if they be not wilfully ignorant What it is which makes the Difference of Baptisms not the outward Matter in which they are administred for that may be the same in many Baptisms as is shewn But Baptisms do differ 1. In their Authors 2. In the different Form in which they are administred 3. In the different Ends for which they were instituted And in all these the Baptism of Christ does differ vastly from the Baptisms both of John and the Jews 1. As to the Author The Baptism of the Jews was an Addition of their own to the Law and had no higher Author that we know of But John was sent by God to baptize John i. 33. And it was Christ the Lord who was the Author of the Christian Baptism 2. As to the Form Persons were baptized unto those whose Disciples
Gratis Dictum here is not one word of Proof And they might as well say That the Apostles PREACHING was only in Compliance with the Jews and that it was the same with John's PREACHING for their Commissions to Teach and to Baptize were both given in the same Breath Matth. xxviii 19. Go ye TEACH all Nations BAPTIZING them c. Now why the Teaching here shou'd be Christ's and Baptizing only John's the Quakers are desir'd to give some other Reason besides their own Arbitrary Interpretations before which no Text in the Bible or any other Writing can stand Besides I wou'd inform them That the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Text which we Translate Teach signifies to make Disciples so that the literal and more proper reading of that Text is Go and Disciple all Nations or make Disciples of them baptizing them c. If it be ask'd Why we shou'd Translate the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. xxviii 19. by the Word Teach if it means to Disciple a Man or make him a Disciple I Answer That Teaching was the Method whereby to Perswade a Man to Convert him so as to make a Disciple of him But the Form of Admitting him into the Church and actually to make him a Disciple to give him the Priviledges and Benefits of a Disciple was by Baptism Now the Apostles being sent to Teach Men in order to make them Disciples therefore instead of Go Disciple Men we Translate it Go Teach as being a more Familiar Word and better understood in English Tho' if both the Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Text were Translated Literally it would obviate these Quaker-Objections more plainly For then the Words wou'd run thus Go and Admit all Nations to be my Disciples by Washing them with Water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Here the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Teaching is plainly distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Disciple them tho' our English renders them both by the Word Teaching and makes a Tautology Go Teach all Nations Teaching them But as a Child is Admitted into a School before it be Taught So Children may be Admitted into the Pale of the Church and be made Disciples by Baptism before they are Taught Which shews the meaning of these two Words i. e. Discipling and Teaching to be different Because tho' in Persons Adult Teaching must go before Discipling yet in Children who are within the Covenant as of the Law to be Admitted at eight Days old by Circumcision so under the Gospel by Baptism Discipling goes before Teaching And that Discipling is only by Baptism But to return The Quakers are so hard put to it when they are press'd with that Text Acts x. 47. Can any forbid Water c That they are forced to make a Suppose without any ground or appearance of Truth That these Words were an Answer to a Question And that the Question was Whether they might not be Baptized with John's Baptism And that this proceeded from a Fondness the Jews had to John's Baptism And that the Apostle Peter only Comply'd with them out of Condescention as Paul Circumcis'd Timothy Ans 1. Cornelius and those whom Peter Baptized Acts x. were Gentiles and not Jews They were Romans and therefore cannot be supposed to have had any Longing after John's Baptism none of them having ever own'd it or having been Baptiz'd with it 2. The Gentile Converts to Christianity refus'd to submit to the Jewish Circumcision or any of their Law Acts xv And therefore it is not to be imagin'd that they wou'd be fond of any of the Baptisms which were us'd among the Jews 3. Even all the Jews themselves no not the Chief and Principal of them neither the Pharisees nor Lawyers did submit to John's Baptism Luke vii 30. 4. The Ethiopian Eunuch requested Baptism from Philip Acts viii And it cannot be suppos'd that the Ethiopians had more knowledge of John's Baptism or regard for it than the Romans or great part of the Jews themselves 5. There is no ground to suppose that St. Peter's words Can any Man forbid Water c were an Answer to any Question that was asked him The most forcible Affirmation being often express'd by way of Question Can any Man forbid Water That is No Man can forbid it And for the saying Then Answered Peter There is nothing more familiar in the New Testament than that Expression when no Question at all was asked See Matt. xi 25. xii 38. xvii 4. xxii 1. Mark xi 14. xii 35. xiv 48. Luke vii 40. xiv 3 4 5. xxii 51. John v. 17 19. 6. Granting a Question was ask'd and that Cornelius as well as the Ethiopian had desir'd Baptism why must this be constru'd of John's Baptism Especially considering that Peter in that same Sermon which Converted Cornelius Act. x. 37. told them that the Gospel which he Preached unto them was that which was published after the Baptism which John Preached What Argument was this for Cornelius to return back again to John's Baptism Or if he had desir'd it why shou'd we think that Peter wou'd have Comply'd with him and not rather have reprov'd him and carry'd him beyond it to the Baptism of Christ as Paul did Acts xix to those who had before receiv'd the Baptism of John 7. But as to the Complyance which the Quakers wou'd have to John's Baptism and which they compare to Paul's Complyance in Circumcising Timothy I will shew the great Disparity First The Law was more universally receiv'd than John's Baptism For many and the Chief of the Jews did not receive John's Baptism as above-observ'd Secondly The Law was of much longer standing John's Baptism was like a Flash of Lightning like the Day-Star which usher'd in the Sun of Righteousness and then disappear'd But the Law continu'd during the long Night of Types and Shadows many hundreds of Years Thirdly John did no Miracle John x. 41. But the Law was delivered and propagated by many Ages of Miracles 'T was enjoyn'd under Penalty of Death to them and their Posterities whereas John's Baptism lasted not one Age was intended only for the Men then present to point out to them the Messiah then already come and ready to appear And no outward Penalties were annexed to John's Law People were only Invited not Compell'd to come unto his Baptism But to neglect Circumcision was Death Gen. xvii 14. Exod. iv 24. The Preaching of John was only a Warning let those take notice to it that wou'd Whereas the Law was pronounced by the Mouth of God Himself in Thunder and Lightning and out of the midst of the Fire upon Mount Sinai in the Audience of all the People And so terrible was the Sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. xii 21. For from God's