in like manner used to express Christ's baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire as in that same Text Luke 3.16 Now that cannot be so understood that Christ should dip or dowze Men into the Holy Ghost but the usual way of Expression is that the Holy Ghost with his Gifts and Graces was poured upon them thus Act. 2.17 18. I will pour out in those days of my Spirit upon them And Acts 10.45 On the Gentiles also was poured out the Gift of the Holy Ghost And Tit. 3.6 The renewing of the Holy Ghost which is shed or poured on us abundantly And why should we not understand the baptizing with Water in Proportion and Similitude to this So that I can see no reason to conclude that it was our Saviour's Will and Intention that Baptism should always be by Dipping from the Use or Signification of the Word II. It cannot be necessarily inferr'd or concluded from the Examples of Persons being baptized that are mentioned in Scripture For in those Examples that seem to be most express for Dipping the most that can be concluded is only a bare Probability of it And in some it is highly improbable and the Probability is rather on the other side And if it could be demonstratively and satisfactorily made out by Scripture-Examples that the usual way of Administration of Baptism then was by Dipping yet that would lay no necessary Obligation upon us to the like 1. I say that in those Examples which seem to be most express for Dipping and therefore are most commonly urged for the Proof of it there is at most but a bare Probability of it and hardly that in some but there is no demonstrative Proof can be made from any of them either from the express Words or Story of those Examples or by just Consequence from them There are three Texts of Scripture that are usually urged to this purpose I shall consider them severally The first is Mat. 3.13 16. which sets forth the Baptism of our Saviour by John Baptist at Jordan For ver 16. Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the Water But what then Can it be necessarily inferr'd from hence that he was dipp'd in it or under it If he went into it as the manner usually was in that Country to wash their Feet that were dirty or soul with travelling and so there was baptized yet was there no way to have this done but by Dipping But indeed this Text if rightly interpreted doth not so much as prove that our Saviour went into the Water at all For in the Greek it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he came up from the Water not out of it And so he might be very well said to do if he only went to the side or brink There being some little Ascent at least from the Water to the dry Ground But however there is not determinate manner of our Saviour's Baptism in it exprest nor can be necessarily or demonstratively inferr'd And therefore at most that particular Form which the Anabaptists insist upon is but a meer Probability Another Text that is urged is Joh. 3.23 That John was baptizing in Enon near to Salim because there was much Water there And because of the numbers of those that went to John to be baptized it was most convenient that it should be in such Places where there was Plenty of Water But can any one prove hence that they were baptized by dipping into it or under it Is this any thing more than a Conjecture tho he baptized there where there was much Water yet the manner of baptizing there is not stated or determined So that this which is so much insisted upon at most from hence is but a Conjectural Probability and therefore can be no matter of Faith nor can lay any Obligation upon Practice For besides in that place it is not said that there was much Water together but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many Waters that is many Streams or Rivolets which were not very common generally in that Country And thus there might be tho there were not Water of a sufficient Depth to dip a Man in it But let that be how it will there is no determinate Manner exprest or to be certainly and evidently concluded as ought to have been to build a Consequence of such a Nature upon as to infer an Obligation to such a determinate Manner Lastly that of Acts 8.36 useth to be insisted upon concerning the Baptism of the Eunuch by Philip. For ver 38. it is said They went down both into the Water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him and when they were come up out of the Water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. Yet neither here is the particular Manner of the Administration exprest nor yet to be certainly collected It is no strange thing that they did go down into the Water in that warm Country that they might do and yet Philip not dip the Eunuch in it but take up Water with his Hand to pour it upon him And yet the words in the Original may be as conveniently interpreted that they both went down to the Water as the Eunuch was journying upon the Road by and came up from it only For so the Particles here rendred into and out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Matth. 15.24 Luk. 1.71 are often expounded And if so then this Text doth not so much as prove that they went into the Water but only to the Bank or Side of it And besides that Water if they did go into it is reported by those that have travelled into and viewed those Parts to have been only a Rise or Fountain so small or shallow as that a Man could not be dipp'd in it St. Jerom saith De Locis Hebraicis tom 3. J. G 's Catabaptism p. 51. it was Fons ad Radicem montis ebulliens a Fountain bubbling out at the bottom of the Hill Et ab eâdem in quâ gignitur sorbetur humo and forthwith drank up by the Earth that produced it as it is expressed by Sandys in his Travels speaking of the same Place and therefore it is not likely to be of any considerable Depth And so the Expression in the Story of the Acts seems to intimate ver 36. they came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto a certain Water or somewhat of Water enough to baptize the Eunuch tho not by dipping But from none of these Relations of Baptism can the particular or determinate manner of the Administration certainly he gathered and therefore much less the Necessity of any Form be concluded So that at most all that these Places amount to is a meer Probability of the thing that it was done in that manner and no more And yet these are all the Places from Example that use to be produc'd to prove the Necessity But how short doth all come of a demonstrative Proof 2. In some of the Examples or Instances
of speaking with Tongues and thereby magnifying God which the Apostle acquiesced in as an Evidence of God's distinguishing Respect to them Now forasmuch as it also appears though by other Evidence as hath been shewn that little Children in like manner owned and respected by God as it appears that these were by this that was extraordinary How can any Man then forbid Water that they should not be baptized For seeing God hath given them the like Gift as he did unto them who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ what are we that we should withstand God If the Evidence of their Sonship and Relation to God be as certain and firm though not in the same way why should they not then likewise be baptized for the like Reason For the Gift of the Spirit it self was for their Admission or Entrance into the Body or Church of Christ as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body And this being a Means and Evidence of their Admission into this Body to this therefore the Baptism with Water was annex'd as the visible Token or Ceremony thereof on the Churches Part. Now forasmuch as it appears that Children are likewise of the Body of Christ there is same Reason that they should be baptized as well as those that were so who were by the Spirit baptized into this Body For it appears likewise by the Apostle elsewhere that Baptism doth belong in common to all those that are of Christ's Body and upon that very Account of their being so so that as it doth belong to others that are of this Body so likewise it doth to Infants as being of the same Body Eph. 4.4 For there is one Body the one holy Catholick Church of Christ one Spirit that by his Gifts and Graces moves quickens and rules it one heavenly Inheritance to the Hope of which they are called that are of this Body one Lord that governs it one Doctrine of Faith for the Rule of it one Baptism for a sacramental Admission into it one God and Father of all who owns and receives the Members thereof as his Children So that all that are of the Body of Christ as Children are are to be baptized that they may be owned to be of the Number and may be distinguish'd from all others that are not So that as in the Old Testament those within the Church are expressed by Circumcised and those without by the Vncircumcised See Rom. 3.30 ch 15.8 Eph. 2.11 Judg. 14.3 Jer. 9.25 26. so by Proportion those within the Church as some Infants are are to be baptized and so to be reckoned of the Church and they who are not baptized to be accounted as out of the Church Even Faith it self is to bring us into the Relation of the Children of God as the Apostle intimates Gal. 3.26 For ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus So that we may reasonably conclude that it was upon their Faith as the Means and Evidence of their Adoption that Believers themselves were baptized And forasmuch as it appears that little Children do partake of the Divine Adoption without Faith as well as if they had Faith there is the same Reasons for their being baptized as there was for the baptizing of those that did partake of the Adoption through Faith the Reason why they were baptized being their partaking of the Adoption of which Faith was the Means and Evidence and Baptism it self was but for the sealing of this Adoption to them and of the Covenant that God makes with them and for the visible intitling them to the Blessings thereof 4. There may at least a probable Argument be taken for the Baptism of Infants from the Account that we have of the baptizing of whole Housholds of all those that are spoken of by Name that are said to have had Housholds when once the Master or Mistress of the Family were baptized When the Master or Mistress of the Family were called and owned by God and brought into the Church it seems that all theirs were received likewise who did not reject the Counsel of God against themselves as Infants could not do It hath been observed Mr. W. A's Address to the N. C. that there are but nine in Scripture mentioned by Name to have been baptized besides our Saviour viz. Simon Magus the Eunuch St. Paul Cornelius Lydia the Jailor Crispus Gaius and Stephanus Among these whether Simon Magus had any Houshold is not mentioned But the Eunuch was baptized on the Road and so had none there St. Paul was not married and it is certain had no Houshold where he was baptized And whether Gaius had any when he was baptized is uncertain But for all the other five whose Housholds are mentioned it is likewise express'd or may be clearly inferred that their Housholds were baptized with them As Cornelius and his Houshold Acts 10. Lydia and her Houshold Acts 16.15 The Jailor and his ver 33. Crispus and his Acts 18.8 And the Houshold of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1.16 For God is pleased to have Respect to the Houses of those that are his and do believe in him as our Saviour said of Zaccheus Luke 19.9 This Day is Salvation come to this House For the Seed of the Righteous is blessed Psal 37.26 Now the baptizing of whole Housholds muâ—â— needs import the baptizing of all within the House And it is strange if in aâ—l these Housholds there should be no Person under Years of Consent to testify or profess their own Faith And if when Abraham and his Houshold were circumcised his Infants were likewise comprehended so when the Housholds of all those Persons are mentioned to be baptized that are said to have had Housholds why should we not as well conclude that their Infants likewise were baptized with them as being comprehended in the same Appellation And this need not seem strange when we find how quickly and readily the Apostles baptized many Persons upon the smallest Expression of Consent to the Faith of Christ being willing to give all kind of Encouragement to their coming into the Church of Christ when they had the least probable Hope of their future persisting therein as we see in their baptizing Simon Magus and the Jailor and his Houshold the same Night and many thousands the same Day that they first express'd their Consent And therefore I say it need not seem strange that they should baptize the Infants likewise or those that were under the Age of Consent in these Housholds seeing they might conceive as fair a Probability of their imbracing and professing the Christian Religion afterwards by Means of their Parents Care in their Education because they use to bring up their Children in the same Religion they profess themselves But for a further Confirmation of this and of the Use and Practice of Infant-Baptism in the time of our Saviour and the Apostles there are two considerable Points of History taken notice of
their Infant-state but it may come to affect them as soon as any thing else can that is of such a Nature that is as soon as their Reason comes to be of use to them Whereas if this had not been done for them betimes there would have wanted this Argument to deal with them And it may be it would have been very long before they themselves might have been brought to consent to enter into such an Obligation as we read it often was among may that yet were brought to the Profession of the Christian Faith in the Primitive Times Dr. Walker 's Preface to his Plea for Infant-Baptism Some staying off for this some for that carnal Reason or Fear for a long time to the great Scandal of their Profession Some keeping off for fear of sinning after Baptism and so forfeiting the Grace of it as they thought thereby Some from the Love of the World and the Pleasures thereof being loth to part with their Sins and their vain Pleasures which they were sensible this obliged them to notwithstanding they owned themselves Christians Some again deferring it out of want of Leisure Some pleading the Inconvenience of the Time and others because they could not have it done in the Place they desired or by the Person they most affected Some taking Exception at the mix'd Company they were to be baptized with And some delaying it for fear of Perfecution from the Heathen And some for fear lest they should be accounted Tritheites Some on pretence that their Relations were not present And some hanging back because of the little Charge they did use to be at at that time These things gave Occasion to such vehement and sharp Expostulations of the Fathers of that Age to reprove their Slackness as are to be found in their Writings And how many do you think upon one or other of these Pretences there would be that would put it off in like manner still if they were not baptized in Infancy and it may be some would hardly ever bring themselves into so near a Covenant-Engagement to God at all Whereas this being done for them so early in their Infant-state it may be a powerful and prevailing Motive to engage them betimes to a sincere and upright walking with God which otherwise they might not probably have been brought so soon to If it be objected that this would be more apt to prevail with them if it had been their own Act when they came to Age. It is plain by Experience that those that are sincere or have any Sense of Honour or Gratitude among those that have been baptized in their Infancy do hold themselves as much obliged by it and do stand to the Obligation that they were then brought under and as faithfully discharge it as any of those that are baptized at Age and do look upon it a great Blessing that they were brought under so early a Pre-engagement And those that are not sincere that are baptized at Age do as little perform or discharge the Obligation that they brought upon themselves by an Act of their own as any of those that were baptized in Infancy Object 2. That Infants are not capable of performing those Acts or having those Conditions that are pre-required in Scripture in Persons that are to be baptized For asmuch as they cannot learn or be taught or confess their Sins or believe or repent or make any visible Profession of their doing so And yet these things are required in Scripture of Persons that are to be baptized and were always performed by Persons before the Apostles did baptize any According to these and the like Texts Mark 16.15 16. Go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Matth. 3.6 They were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their Sins Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ And ver 41. They that gladly received his Word were baptized Acts 8.12 When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God they were baptized Ver. 13. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized And ver 36. The Eunuch said See here is Water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayst Acts 18.8 And many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized From these and such like Texts it is argued that here is a Prohibition laid and a Bar put against Infants Baptism because they have no Reason or Vnderstanding about what they ought to be or do and can neither hear learn repent or believe or make Profession of either in their Infant-state and therefore are not capable of Baptism before the Administration of which these things are required and used to be done Answ 1. That it is by vertue of that Covenant-relation to God as his People and Children which God is pleased to admit Infants to though themselves do not believe they being the Seed or Pupils of profess'd Believers with whom this Covenant is made and with their Seed and Family that Baptism is to be administred to them The Ground then which I build the Baptism of Infants upon is God's Election or choosing of them together with their believing Parents or those that shall undertake for them to be his own peculiar Covenant-People as likewise their Parents or Susceptors are For this was always God's Method and the way of his Grace to own and receive the Children of his Covenant-People into the same Covenant with their Fathers and so to treat with them and to seal the Covenant and Promise to them in the same manner and by the same Rite as he did to their Parents So that it is not the Childrens own Faith or Profession that qualifies them for Baptism but it is God's Election or Choice of them for his People though they have not actual Faith or Repentance of their own upon their descending of such Parents or being taken into such Families or undertaken for by such Persons as stand in a Covenant-relation to God And out of Respect to them and in Prospect of that Religious Education that they shall afterwards receive from them God is pleased to own them for his and to confirm his Promise and Covenant to them So that their Parents or Susceptors Faith is as it were vicariously imputed to them for a while till they come to Years and is reckoned accordingly for their Good though they do not yet actually believe themselves because hereafter they are to do it through their Parents Instruction As the Children of the Levites of a Month old are said to keep the Charge of the Sanctuary Numb 3.28 because they are so designed and are to be brought up to it and are in a near Capacity for it And Levi is said after a Sense to have paid Tithes in Abraham being in the Loins of Abraham when he paid it to Melchizedek Heb. 7.9 And why should these things
Cause of Offence that those of the contrary Perswasion have taken against Infant-Baptism For what wonder is it if that be counted a Nullity that there is so little good use made of And to what purpose is the sprinkling or washing Children with Water if there be no care taken to instil into them and to bring them up to that Christian Purity in Heart and Life that is signified thereby They are bound indeed afterwards however when they come to Understanding to reflect upon the Obligations that in their Infancy they were brought under But there can be little Expectation ordinarily as we see by sad Experience that ever they will do it if their Education and Instruction be neglected in their younger Years Indeed it is to be doubted that the Baptism of Infants with many is turned into a meer Formality And the Charge that is so solemnly and particularly undertaken by Godfathers and Godmothers is never thought of afterwards to any purpose But many Parents think that they do their Duty sufficiently if they bring up their Children to some Art or Trade or provide Portions and Estates for them whereby they may be able to live in the World And Godfathers and Godmothers if they do but give them something as a Token of their Respect in some small Gift But that they may be brought to lead a truly Christian Life that they may deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present evil World which is the great End of Baptism Ordinances Gospel and Life it self How little is that reflected upon by many as if it were none at all of their Concern and Duty A right practical Improvement of our Infant-Baptism by our selves and a Religious Care taken in the Education of our Children sutably to the Obligations thereof will be a better Vindication of the Usefulness of Infant-Baptism than all the Arguments that can otherwise be brought for it tho never so good which will seem all but Noise and Sound to many unless the Practical Influence and Power of it be made more to appear in real Benefit and Fruit. Now the God of Peace which brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen AN APPENDIX Wherein is shewed That it is not necessary to baptize by Dipping HAving dispatch'd the Controversy of Infant-Baptism I shall here add a few Words of the Manner of Administration of Baptism and shew That it is not necessary that Baptism should be administred by Dipping or Plunging or Dowzing into the Water If it be necessary that Baptism should be always administred by Dipping this Necessity must arise from the Will and Intention of our Saviour some way declared to us in the Institution of Baptism or in the Administration of it left to us in Scripture And there must be some Notices or Evidences by which this Intention or Will of our Saviour may be made manifest to us from which we may necessarily infer or conclude that this particular Form of Administration is determinately prescribed by him And this I think can be collected no otherwise but by one or other or all of these three ways viz. Either from the Use and Signification of the Words by which this Ordinance is express'd or from the Examples of the Administration of it that are left us in Scripture or from the Nature and Ends of the Ordinance it self And if it cannot be necessarily inferred from all or either of these Considerations that it was our Saviour's Will and Intention that Baptism should always be administred by Dipping then I suppose it will be allowed that Dipping is not essential to Baptism Now I shall endeavour to prove that it cannot be necessarily inferred any of these ways I. Not from the Use or Signification of the word Baptize which is not used to signify Dipping but washing or cleansing by Water which way soever it be For 1st It is to be observed That whenever the Holy Ghost in the New Testament hath occasion to mention the Act of Dipping it is never expressed by this word that signifieth to Baptize but by another Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have but four times in the New Testament viz. Luk. 16.24 Joh. 13.26 Mat. 26.23 Rev. 19.13 But whenever the Act of Baptizing is exprest it is always exprest by another word J. G 's Catabaptism p. 47. and not by that which is commonly used to express the Act of Dipping From whence we may probably infer a difference in the Signification not a Sameness For if they were both of the same Importance or Signification it is most likely that they would be used promiscuously 2dly I say the word Baptize or Baptism is often used to signify any kind of washing or cleansing by Water by the Application of Water any way to the Thing and not only by dipping of it into Water which in some cases was not customary nor likely As when it is said Mark 7.4 The Pharisees eat not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except they wash In the Greek it is Except they be baptized And Luke 11.38 the Pharisees marvelled that our Saviour had not first washed before Dinner In the Greek likewise it is that he was not first baptized Now the manner of washing in that case seems usually to have been by Aspersion of Water on the Hands And therefore this is to express the Office of a Servant to his Master 2 Kings 3.11 Elisha poured Water on the Hands of Elijah And the same word is used to express their frequent Ceremonial Washing of Beds or Tables as likewise it is in that Text Mark 7.4 In the Original it is the Baptism of these things And it is no way likely that this should be ordinarily done by Immersion or putting them all into or under Water but rather by pouring Water upon them and thereby to cleanse them And Heb. 9.10 we read of divers Washings that they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Greek divers Baptisms many of which were Sprinklings Therefore there can be no Argument for Dipping c. solidly grounded upon the bare Signification of the word Baptize because that is used to signify any kind of Washing without Dipping as well as by it 3dly It is sometimes to be observed that the Act of Baptizing is so exprest that it would be very uncouth and improper to understand it of Dipping As when it is express by baptizing with Water not by baptizing into Water or under Water as Luke 3.16 I indeed baptize you with Water And so Acts 11.16 it would be very uncouth and improper to say that a Man is dipp'd with Water 4thly Again this same word that is used to express Water-Baptism or baptizing with Water is
of Persons baptized in Scripture it is very improbable that the way of the Administration of Baptism was by Dipping and the Probability is rather on the other side that it was not by Dipping but rather some other way As when we read of such vast Multitudes baptized by John which the Evangelist giveth us an Account of Matth. 3.5 6. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Region round about Jordan and were baptized of him This great Conflux of People to him seems to be chiefly at the Beginning of his Ministry though that continued but a little time neither at most And we have no Account that John had any Assistance in baptizing any for we do not read that his Disciples baptized though the Disciples of our Lord did So that the whole Work must lie upon him in baptizing so many thousand People as it is likely there were that came to him day by day And what a tedious and dangerous Drudgery must this be for him if he must stand so many Hours or whole Days together in deep Water and must take all this Company one by one to bury them under Water and take them up again after the Mode How unlikely or improbable therefore is this And so when we read of three-thousand Persons that were baptized and added to the Church the same Day Acts 2.41 For it seems that they were baptized the same Day that they heard the Word and were converted to the Faith of Christ And this Work it cannot well be supposed that they could go about before Noon at soonest For St. Peter began his Sermon but about nine of the Clock in the Morning or the third Hour of the Day ver 15. And after that there must needs some time pass in Discourse c. before they could be ready for the Work of Baptism And how unlikely is this that all this could be done and so many Persons dipp'd after the Mode by so few as there were to do it in an Afternoon And that in the City Jerusalem wherein there was no Water of Depth there being only the little Brook Cedron running by And as for Cisterns or other Receptacles of Water where should they find them to dip such a Multitude in and that upon a sudden The most of that Nature we may suppose were about the Temple for the washing and bathing of the Priests but it is not likely there could be so many as to serve for such a Multitude nor that they should have leave to use those that were And the Water-pots that were in private Houses were commonly less as serving chiefly for the washing of their Feet when they came in from Travel And there is not the least Intimation of their going out of the City to perform this Work And if they had that would have taken up more time than what could have been spared in an Afternoon And yet as Geographers report there was not any Water near the City of that Quantity that could be sufficient for this Performance neither And besides was all this done and were they baptized naked or in their Clothes If naked where was the Modesty that became such an Ordinance in the dipping of such a vast mix'd Multitude as it is likely of Men and Women together at Noon-day If in some Clothes must they all go home first and fetch Clothes to change or must they walk to their several Habitations it may be a considerable space in their wet Clothes Which way soever Mens Imaginations may work to form a Supposition how strangely improbable is all So when we read of baptizing a whole Houshold in the deep of the Night in a private House in a City without the least Intimation or Likelihood of their going forth to a River or any Water out of the House for it As we read in the Story of the Jailor Acts 16.33 For he took them the same Hour of the Night and washed their Stripes that is of Paul and Silas and was baptized he and all his straightway viz. in the very Prison and then brought them into his own House which was probably joined to the Prison and set Meat before them This is not very likely in these Circumstances to be done by Dipping neither And what an unlikely thing is it that St. Paul when he was in that weak Condition through Fasting and that great Consternation of Spirit that he was in by reason of his Vision should be baptized by Dipping in cold Water in his private Lodging as the Series of the Story seems to intimate to us that he then was Acts 9.9 He for three Days was without Sight and neither did eat nor drink But ver 18. when Ananias came and spake to him he received Sight forthwith and arose being it is likely before upon the Bed through Weakness and Trouble and was baptized And when he had received Meat which it seems was not till after his Baptism he was strengthned Considering these things therefore if we consider the bare Relations of the Scripture it seems highly improbable that in these Instances Baptism was administred by Dipping but it seems more probable that it was done some other way by Aspersion or Application of Water not by Dipping So that if in the former Instances there was a Probability that Baptism was by Immersion or plunging in the Water though in some of them we have seen it hardly amounts to that neither yet in these now mentioned there is a Probability at least on the other side So that here is Probability against Probability And I will appeal to any Man that is not prejudic'd whether those Accounts of Baptism that we have in the former Relations can ever be rationally supposed to contain a demonstrative Evidence and Proof of the Necessity of Dipping as being essential to Baptism when there are such Probabilities in others of a quite different Administration 3. But I shall add this further that if it could be demonstratively proved by Scripture-Examples that the way of Administration of Baptism in those times was by Immersion or Dipping under Water yet could it lay no necessary Obligation upon us to the like unless it could be proved that this determinate manner was appointed by Christ's Institution which it is impossible to prove by these Examples alone if the thing be capable of being performed otherwise For our Saviour might give out the Command of baptizing with Water in general without determining the manner of Administration but leaving the particular Form or Mode indifferent and to be used ad libitum this way or that way And they might take up this Mode of Immersion if they did do so as most sutable to their Apprehensions or Inclinations or Customs But it doth not follow therefore that we must needs observe the same Manner if the same Thing can be done another Way and to the same Ends and Use Therefore unless they can prove this Particularity by the Institution or such Texts as are clearly