so the blood of Christ cleanseth us from the guilt and pollution of sin And there is no question but the bloud of Christ is the fountain of all the grace and good communicated to us either in this or any other Sacrament or mistery of the Gospel But that this should be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the counter part or thing figured by the water in Baptism I believe not because the Scripture which must be our guide and direction in this case makes it another thing to wit the spirit or holy Ghost this to be that whereby the soul is cleansed and renewed within as the body with water is without so sayth our Saviour to Nicodemus in John 3. Except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God And the Apostle in the words I have read parallels the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost as Type and Countertype God saith he hath saved us that is brought us into the state of salvation by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost Where none I trow will deny that he speaks of Baptism The same was represented by that vision at our Saviours baptism of the holy Ghosts descending upon him as he came out of the water in the similitude of a dove For I suppose that in that Baptism of his the Mistery of all our Baptisms was visibly acted and that God says to every one truly baptiZed as he said to him in a proportionable sense thou art my son in whom I am well pleased And how pliable the Analogy of water is to typifie the spirit will appear by the figuring of the spirit thereby in other places of Scripture as in that of Isay I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring where the later expounds the former Also by the discourse of our Saviour with the samaritan woman John 4.14 Whosoever saith he drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life By that also John 7.37 where on the last day of the great feast Jesus stood and said If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture saith that is as the Scripture is wont to expresse it for otherwise there is no such place of Scripture to be found in all the Bible out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this saith the Evangelist he spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive Nor did the fathers or ancient Church as far as I can find suppose any other correlative to the element in baptism but this of this the speak often of the bloud of Christ they are altogether silent in their explications of this mistery many are the allusions they seek ouâ— for the illustration thereof and some perhaps forced but this of the water signifying or having any relation to the bloud of Christ never comes amongst them which were impossible if they had not supposed some other thing figured by the water then it which barred them from falling on that conceâ—t The like silence is to be observed in our Liturgy where the holy Ghost is more â—â—en once paralleld with the water in baptism washing and regeneration attributed thereunto but no such notion of the bloud of Christ and that the opinion thereof â—â— noveâ— may be gathered because some 〈◊〉 Divines make it peculiar and proper to the 〈◊〉 Calâ—in Whatsoever it be it hath no 〈◊〉 in Scripture and we must nâ— of our own heads assign significations to Sacramental types without some warrant thence For whereas some conceive those two expressions of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sprinkling of the bloud of Christ and of our being washed from our sins in or by his bloud do intimate some such matter they are surely mistaken for those expressions have reference not to the water of Baptism in the new Testament but to the rise 〈◊〉 manner of sacrificing in the old where the Altar was wont to be sprinkled with the bloud of the sacrifices which were offered and that which was unclean parisâ—ed with the same bloud Whence is that elegant aâ—â—course of S. Paul Heb. 9. comparing the sacrifice of the law with that of Christ upon the Crosse as much the better And that whereas in the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almost all things are purified with bloud so much more the bloud of Christ who offered himself without spot to God cleanseth our consciences from dead works but that this washing that is cleansing by the bloud of Christ should have reference to baptism where is that to be found I sâ—ppose they will not alledge the water and bloud which came out of our Saviours side when they pierced him for that is taken to signify the two Sacraments ordained by Christ that of bloud the Eucharist of water baptism and not both to be referred to baptism I add because perhaps some mens fancies are corrupted therewith that there was no such thing as sprinkling or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in baptism in the Apostles times nor many ages after them and that therefore it is no way probable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Peter should have any reference to the laver of baptism Let this then be our conclusion thht the bloud of Christ concurrs in the mistery of baptism by way of efficacy and merit but not as the thing there figured which the Scripture tells us not to be the bloud of Christ but the spirit And so I come to my other Quaere from what property or use of water the washing therewith is a Sacrament of our new birth for so it is here called the washing of Regeneration our Saviour says to Nicodemus except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God For in every Sacrament there some Analogy between what is outwardly done and what is thereby signified therefore in this But what should it be It is a thing of some moment and yet in the tractats of this mistâ—ry but little or seldom enquired after and therefore deserves the more consideration I answer this â—â—alogy between the washing with water and regeneration lies in that custome of washing infants from the pollutions of the womb when they are first born for this is the first office done unto them when they come out of the womb if they purpose to nourish and bring them up As therefore in our natural birth the body is washt with water from the pollutions wherewith it comâ—s into the world so in our second birth from above the soul is purified by the spirit from the guilt and pâ—â—â—tion of sin to begin a new life to God-ward The Analogy you see is apt and
proper if that be true of the Custome â—hereof there is no cause to make question for the use at present any man I think knows how to inform himself For that of elder times I can produce two pregnant and notable testimonies one of the Jews and people of God another of the Gentiles The first you shall finde in the 16. Chapter of Ezekiel where God describes the poor and forlorn condition of Jerusalem when he first took her to himself under the parable of an exposed Infant As for thy Nativity saith he in the day 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 no eye pitied thee none to do any of these things unto thee to have compassion on thee but thou wast cast out in open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born Here you may learn what was wont to be done unto infants at their nativity by that which was not done to Israel till God himself toâ—k pitty on her cutting of the Navel string washing salting swadling upon this place S. Hierome takes notice but scarce any body else that I can yet finde that our Saviour where speaking of Baptism he says Except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God alludes to the custome here mentioned of washing Infants at their Nativity The other testimony and that most pertinent to the application we make I finde in a story related by Plutarch in his Questiones Romanae not far from the beginning in this manner Among the Greeks if one that were living were reported to be dead and funeral obsequies performed for him if afterwards he returned alive he was of all men abominated as a prophane aad unlucky person No man would come into his company and which was the highest degree of calamity they excluded him from their Temples and the sacrifices of their Gods it chanced that one Aristinus being fallen into the like disaster and not knowing which way to expiate himself therefrom sent to the Oracle at Delphos to Apollo beseeching him to shew him the means whereby he might be freed and discharged thereof Pythia gave him this Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What women do when one in childbed lyes That do again so maist thou sacrifice Aristinus rightly apprehending what the Oracle meant offered himself to women as one newly brought forth to be washed again with water from which Example it grew a custome among the Greeks when the like misfortune befell any man after this manner to expiate them they called them Hysteropotmi or Postliminio nati How well doth this befit the mystery of Baptism where those who were dead to God through sin are like Hysteropotmi regenerate and born again by water and the holy Ghost These two passages discover sufficiently the Analogy of the washing with water in Baptism to regeneration or new birth according as the text I have chosen for the Scope of my discourse exppesseth it namely that washing with water is a signe of spiritual Infancy for as much as Infants are wont to be washed when they came first into the world Hence the Jews before John the Baptist came amongst them were wont by this rite to initiate such as they made Proselytes to wit as becoming Infants again and entring into a new life and being which before they had not That which here I have affirmed will be yet more evident if we consider those other rites anciently added and used in the celebration of this mystery which had the self same end we speak of to wit to signify spiritual Infancy I will name them and so conclude as thâ—t of giving the new baptized milk and hony ad infantandum as Tertullian speaks ad infantiae significationem so S. Hierome because the like was used to Infants New born according to that in the 7th of Isay of Immanuels infancy A virgin shall conceive and bear a son butter and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse evil and choose good Secondly that of Salt as is implyed in that of Ezekiel thou wast not washed with water nor salted with salt That of putting on the white garment to resemble swadling all these were anciently especially the first used in the Sacrament of our spiritual birth out of reference to that which was done to Infants at their natural birth who then can doubt but the principal rite of washing with water the only one ordained by our blessed Saviour was chosen for the same reason to be the element of our Initiation and that those who brought in the other did so conceive of this and from thence derived those imitations Thus for Mr Mede From whom we learn these truths 1. That it not lawful to assigne significations to sacramental Types of our own heads without warrant from the Scriptures 2. That in every Sacrament there is the signe and the thing signified res terrena res caelestis 3. That in Baptism there is an Invisible and caelestial thing signified 4. That though the blood of Christ is the fountain and cause of all that grace and good we receive in Baptism yet it is not the thing signified by the water in Baptism but the spirit cleansing the soul from sin in the work of Regeneration according to Tit. 3.5 5. That in the Baptism of Christ the mistery of all our Baptism was visibly acted 6. That God says to every one truly Baptized as he said to Christ in a proportionable sence thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased 7. That there is a plain Analogy between water and the spirit confirmed by divers Scriptures But not so between the water in Baptism and the blood of Christ 8. That the Fathers and primitive Church did not suppose any other correlative to the water in Baptism but the spirit though they did allude to Christs blood for illustration thereof 9. That in our Liturgy the water in Baptism is made to signifie the holy spirit in our Regeneration But not the Blood of Christ 10. That there was no such thing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sprinkling used in the Apostles times nor many ages after 11. That the Analogy between washing with water in Baptism and Regeneration appears from the custome of washing infants from the pollutions of the womb when first born according to the practice of Jews and Gentiles 12. That the Fathers and ancient Church did use to give the new baptized Milk and honey and put white garments on them to signify their spiritual birth out of reference to that which was done to infants at their natural birth From all which you see that baptism is not so much a sign of purging our sins by the bloud of Christ though that concurs by way of merit and efficacy but is not the thing there signifi'd or figured then to what purpose are infants baptized Thus you
holy child Jesus 2. It was a type of the holyness of all Abrahams spiritual seed under the Gospel true believers who are made holy by believing in Christ Poed But we have heard that when the Jews were broken off their natural Children were broken off with them so when the Gentiles are grafted in their Children are grafted in with them Bap. You have heard that the children of the unbelieving Jews was not so broken off from the Gospel Church and covenant and excluded with their parents unbelief for if any of the children of the unbelieving Jews when they come to years and children when at years are the seed of their parents I hope if I say those unbelieving Jews children do believe the promise is so made to them that their parents unbelief cannot exclude them but if when at years they do not believe the promise is so made to believers and their seed as that the parents faith avails no further then to the ingrafting of himself but he cannot at all entitle his natural seed by his single faith to the Gospel Covenant or ordinances For if it be otherwise then the natural seed of those thousands of Jews that were converted in the primitive times have a birth priviledge and are holy to this day upon which they may claim admittance unto baptism as well as any for they may plead as you do and say Baptism is our right we are the posterity of those believing Jews mentioned Act. 2. And if the first fruits be holy so â—s the lump if the root be holy so are the branches Now we are the lump of these holy first fruits and the branches of the holy root yet for all this I believe you would not Baptize them unlesse they did believe in their own persons By which you do no lesse then grant what we contend for that the faith of Ancestors gives no right to their posterity to stand at all in the Gospel Church and Covenant but faith in the particular persons So that the Jews were broken off by unbelief and thou and thine O believing Gentile must stand by faith Yet not thy seed by thy faith but thou thy self by thine and they by their own faith Faith is that by which thou standing and not thy seed hast right to stand in the Church and not they But if thy seed have faith and thou hast none they have right to stand in the Church and thou shalt be kept out By which it appears that the root may be holy in a Gospel sence and not the branches and the branches may be holy and not the root so that your consequence from Rom. 11.16 if the root be holy so are the branches is false and the whole Argument vain and empty And if you still say for nothing will satisfy some persons that the natural seed may be counted holy with a denominative and dedicative holynesse I answer 1. That then the first born of every creature both of man beast is still to be called and counted holy for these were sanctifyed and holy by dedication as well as the seed Sanctify unto me all the first born of every creature both of man and beast they are still to be called and counted holy for these were sanctifyed and holy by dedication as well as the seed See Exod. 13.2 Sanctify unto me all the first born whatsoever openeth the womb amongst the children of Israel both of man and beast it is mine So that you may as well dedicate the first born still and count them holyer then the rest yea and that with better warrant then you can count the seed of believers only holy because as you say you dedicate them to God there being an inâ—titution for the first but none for the last For God no where saith that believers shall sanctify all their natural seed whatsoever openeth the womb for it is mine 2ly If the seed be to be accounted holy with a dedicative holynesse then you may as well count all things holy which were dedicated of old as Temples Altars Tables Garments Tapers Candlesticks yea the very windows Fonts Rails Copes Surplices c. But this you deny and have laboured hard both by pen and pulpit to make these holy things unholy Though those that own this dedicative holynesse still have more to say for Infant-Baptism then you who disown it in all things else but in the natural seed But pray Sirs let me ask you a few questions 1. Si aliquando quare non nunc If so once why not now If under the law why not under the Gospel The same question you put to us when we deny any birth holynesse in your fleshly seed So we say concerning Temples Altars Garments c. Si aliquando quare non nunc If so of old why not now 2ly Si aliquid quare non quicquid If any thing holy with a dedicative ceremonial holynesse why not every thing yea quare non aequaliter if you will Judaize why not in every thing alike as it was of old but I may expect an answer ad Gracas Calendas Poed But Sir may not Infants be capable of the main and principal end of Baptism which our Ministers tells us is the washing away our sins by the blood of Christ If so why may they not then be baptized Bap. There are not wanting learned men that are of another opinion and say that the blood of Christ is not the main thing signified in Baptism but that Baptism is a signe of our Regeneration and that is the principal end of Baptism And herein I will give you the opinion of Judicious and learned Mr. Mede upon that text Tit. 3.5 By the washing of Water and renewing of the holy Ghost and shall beg the Readers patience to read his entire sence upon that text He saith thus The words as it is easy to conceive upon the first hearing are spoken of Baptism of which I intend not by this choice to make any full or accurate â—ractation but only to acquaint you with my thoughts concerning two particulars therein one from what propriety analogy or use of water the washing therewith was instituted for a signe of new birth according as it is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the washing of Regeneration The other what is the Countertype or thing which the water figureth in this Sacrament I will begin with the last first because the knowledge thereof must be supposed for the explication and more distinct understanding of the other In every Sacrament as ye well know there is the outward Symbol or signe res terrena and the signatum figured and represented thereby res Caelestis In this of Baptism the signe or res terrena is washing with water the question is what is the signatum the iâ—visible and celestial thing which answers thereunto In our Catechetical explications of this mystery it is wont to be affirmed to be the blood of Christ that as water wâ—sheth away the filth of the body
upon the Banks of Eternity and do hope er'e long to enter into those sacred Mansions where all the Saints are of one mind where we shall possess not dispute our Unity wherefore I shall leave my Testimony for the unity of Charity and Affection amongst all that are Godly though of different perswasions and shall enforee it from these Considerations 1. From the work of Regeneration which some of all differing Professors can experience Indeed while in a state of unregeneration nothing is to be expected but Jars and Contentions for all Division comes from sin Scelera dissident It is so in the natural body one affection struggles in the Soul for mastery Ambition fights with malice and Pride with Covetousness the head plots against the heart and the heart swells against the head Reason and Appetite Will and Passion Soul and Body set the whole frame of Nature into a continual Combustion one Faculty moves contrary to the Government or Attraction of another and so as in a confluence of contrary Streams and Winds the World is turned into a maze of Contentions But when once we become Christians and are made conformable to Christ it presently maketh of two one and so worketh peace It slayeth the hatred and war in the Members of Christ against one another it reduceth to that primitive harmony and uniform Spirituality Yea Conversion layes an obligation upon Christians to love one another If we love him that Begat we cannot but love him that is Begotten 2. Because all things else agree The beams of the Sun though divided and distinct from one another have yet an unity in the same nature of light because all partake of one Native and Original splendor The limbs of a Tree though all several and spreading divers wayes yet have an unity in the same Fruit because all are incorporated into one Stock and Root The streams of a River though running divers wayes do yet all agree in the unity of sweetness and clearness because all issuing from the same pure Fountain Why then should not Christians though of different Perswasions agree in the unity of Love and Affection 3 Because by Division Discord and Rebellion the Apostate Angels lost their Heavenly Habitation and are for ever plunged into easeless and remediless Torments The Devil was Created an Angel of Light and stood a while in Unity and Harmony until he began to Jar and enter into Division and to chuse to be an absolute Nature of himself and would separate and break himself off from Unity by which he became viler than the vilest of Gods Creatures And so it is possible for persons by leaving the principles of Harmony Unity and Love to fall from the most glorious state of profession into endless misery and perdition The excellency of the unity of Charity appears further from those Notae quietis or letters of rest naturally imprinted upon the whole Series of Created Beings for if we survey the particulars of this stately Fabrick we shall find the image of peace and love impressed and imprinted as the Conservatory principle of their Natures stampt at first by the Divine Creator when out of a confused Chaos it pleased the Eternal parent or Radical principle of all things being not willing that so large a space should be Eternally bereft of his gracious influence or his bounty any longer frustrated from Communicating Happiness to so many millions of Creatures as might act upon this Stage to effect this Creation for when by his powerful Word he applyed himself to Create this sensible World out of so great disorder and confusion he effects it with so much symmetry and proportion that Nature seems to lose it self in the Harmony of such a Being And as the Crown and perfection of all doth so imprint peace and unity in it that to attempt the Extirpation of these from the Universe were to endeavour the reduction of this stately Engine into its Original Chaos and Confusion Besides we find when the great Creator began to make a division in this sensible World it was only of such things as were directly contrary and opposite to one another as light and darkness Gen. 1.4 And God divided the light from the darkness and God saw that it was good shewing us that it was never intended there should be any division in the World but between light and darkness things directly and essentially contrary Therefore in the next Division which was the Work of the Second day that was between the Waters and the Waters things of the same kind and nature and that work had no Blessing annexed to it because it was the first breach of Unity which number some say is branded with infamy Numerus Binarius infamosus est quia primus ausus est discedere ab unitate because it was the first that durst depart from unity And though there be a kind of war between the Elements yet some are of Opinion that it is more imaginary than real for we find sometimes they will forget their Natural stations and properties and to avoid vacuum will mutually pass into the room of one another yea not only lovingly to mix but to dwell with one another peaceably as fire and water will sometime dwell together as we see in Tempests Of Thunder Rain and Hail and also in Spirit of Wine and other things But especially things of the same Tribe and Kind do most earnestly affect one another from an Innate principle of Union as Water and Salt do mutually embrace each other And as the harmonious assent of things amongst themselves is admirable so the Heavens with the Lower Region is no less wonderful for in the whole frame of Nature there is such an admirable mixture that all the design is to maintain a Friendly Union and concatenation between themselves desiring only to gratifie the Supream Ruler and benefit each other Nature ordering and disposing all things to be carryed about in a most uniform Circulation And now is it not strange when the whole Creation doth as it were study peace and amity man should continue and practice the contrary And those that should be lead by the Spirit into Unity and Love should be sent to the meanest Creatures to learn their Lessons of peace and concord Lastly We may consider the Evils that Discord brings upon the Outward man it was discord division and contention that brought and still brings those Bodily maladies sicknesses aches paines and weakness upon the Bodies of Men and at last death it self For how came those things into the World but from the rebellious strivings and contentions of the Body with the Soul For as long as Adams mind was subject unto God and stood in Harmony and Union with him the inferior powers of the Soul were obedient unto Reason and the Body unto the Soul and this Union prevents all infirmities and sicknesses but he no sooner Rebels against God and breaks himself off from this Union and enters into Division but he presently