calling their washings of their cups 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Latin Interpreter frequently renders it as in S. Marke c. 7. a foro nisi baptizentur non comedunt as likewise in S. Luke ch 11.38 the Pharisie began to say Quare non baptizatus esset ante prandium the use being then to wash their hands and vessels before they did eate which appeares Luk. 2. to have been the Cause in Providing the many water pots at the Mariage of Cana according to the manner of the purifying of the Iews The word was afterward receiv'd into a Sacred use In which sense also there are diversities of baptisme a baptisme there is of water but it is of Teares the baptisme of Repentance with which that woman as some think was baptized that with her teares wash'd our Saviour's feet There is a baptisme of Affliction the baptisme of Martyrdome the baptisme of blood as the Ancients call'd it of which our Saviour speaks Mat. 20.22 can you be baptised with the baptisme that I am baptised There is a baptisme of Fire that is of the Spirit a powring out of the guifts of the Holy Ghost which sometimes is given before the baptisme of Water as appeares in the story of Cornelius where the hearers of the Word receiv'd the Holy Ghost Act. 10.44 and afterwards were baptised v. 48. There is a Baptisme also of the Flood as it is term'd a baptisme of water the Ordinary Sacrament which may be called also the baptisme of Blood since the power of it depends upon Christ's blood 1 Ioh. 1.7 The blood of Christ washes us from all sinne It may be call'd also the baptisme of Fire since Christ's blood is apply'd to us through Faith by the Holy Ghost Thus the inward baptisme is of the Spirit as the outward is of the Water Which last of Water the Spirit was before hand pointed out by many Types Foreshew'd it was in the Flood that drown'd the World preserv'd Noah 1 Pet. 3.21 Foreshew'd it was in the passage through the Red Sea in which Pharoah was drown'd and the Israelites Saved 1 Cor. 10.6 thus in this Baptisme is sinne drow'd and the soule preserved Foreshew'd it was in the Iraelites dwelling under the Cloud 1 Cor. 10.2 such protection there is to the true Receiver from the water of Baptisme Foreshew'd it was in the Leviticall Washings as the Apostle observes Heb. 9.10 By all which types besides the expresse Institution of our Saviour we may see the Element in which this Sacrament is to be performed is Water Perversely then did those which S. Austin speakes of baptize in Fire literally taking and so mistaking that Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire More subtilly also than soundly doe some Schoolemen question If the Element of Water as in case of necessity may not be had whether or no it may not be supplyed by Wine or Vinegar or Sand so vaine are man's Imaginations without God when in Divine matters Phansie shall be presciption where the Element is deny'd the Sacrament is deny'd though not alwaies the blessing of the Sacrament Presumptuously likewise do the Aethiopians first baptize with Water then with Fire It is an unreasonable practice yet were it lesse fond if it were senselesse too but they deliver this Sacrament of the Gospell as the Law was delivered with fire when as the practice in this Sacrament should be continued as it begunne in water only in water What wisedome is it then to put Salt into the mouth of the Infant though to figure out the salt of wisedome by which he must be cleansed from the putrifaction of sinne what wisedome to touch with spittle the Eare though to instruct us that they must be open to instruction what wisedome to use Milke and Hony though they shaddow-out his claime to the Substance and Possession of the truest Canaan which so excells the first that excell'd with these blessings what wisedome to adde Oile for the annointing of the Brow the Brest the Shoulders though to implye the baptised must be thence forth a Champion of Christ what wisedome to bring a burning Tapor to helpe the Baptized to see that he is translated from the Kingdome of Darknesse to Light what wisedome to use Exsufflation a puffing into the face of the Child though used sometime in ancient time yet not by the Priest but the person to be baptised to shew how he defied Satan his works as Tertullian tells us What wisedome then shall we say this is surely this is humane wisedome and at best but Ceremoniall wisedome None of these things 't is true are in themselves evill and some we grant were anciently in use and all significant Yet lookes not such a traine of Ceremonies more like the Pompe we should renounce than professe We must remember what God injoynes us to remember Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to doe it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it Wisedome it is and Modesty not to strive to be wiser then our Saviour Divine institution needs not Humane Addition Tradition quickly corrupting into Superstition Ezekiah brake the brasen Serpent though made my Moses when once the people began to worship it when the brasen Serpent began to doe more hurt than in Moses his time the fiery Serpents did though this were raised as a remedy against them They indeed kill'd but the body but this the Soule nay this did now kill the Soule which at the first heal'd the Body There is only one signe the memoriall of our Saviours Death which has longest lasted not as essentiall to this Sacrament much lesse for Adoration but for Commemoration the signe of an extended body from which it first receiv'd its forme worne once in the Banner of the Great Constantine attended with a great victory over the Enemies of Christ yet this also according to the late and diverse Judgements of divers Churches has been esteemed or Disus'd But the Element in this Sacrament is only water an Element out of which some ancient Philosophers held all things were made but surely by Water and the Spirit man is new made From which new life in water to the true receiver Tertullian call'd Christians Pisciculos Fishes agreeable also to the Sibyls verses wherein the Initiall letters of this title of our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ Gods Sonne the Saviour make in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fish as S. Austin Prosper and before them Optatus have it water also Cleanses makes Fruitfull allays the Thrist thus does God's spirit allay our immoderate thirst after earthly affaires And as we thus see the Element so may we see the use of it in the manner of the Action Anciently the Baptized had his whole body covered in the water this was Demersion for the conveniency whereof they were usually baptized in Rivers or Fountaines as afterwards in every Church a large vessell was provided called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Amplitude of it the word signifying Ioh. 5.2 a poole from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to swimme In after times the custome was only to Dippe the person lightly in the water According to which Rite when in S. Matthew 28.19 it is said Teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost the word being there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Cyprian in an Epistle to Celsus renders it by Tingentes Dipping them Tertullian also before him using the same word In which dipping the delay under the water signified the Mortification of sinne as the comming out of the water expressed a reviving to newnesse of life Besides in this manner of baptizing the Infant was sometimes dipt but once to signifie one God and one Death of Christ sometimes thrise to expresse the Trinity of the Persons into which he was baptised and the three days that our Saviour was dead At last in the westerne Church about the times of S. Gregory the Greate a thousand yeares since came in the frequent use of Aspersion or Sprinkling upon the consideration that the vertue of Baptisme consisted not in the plenty of the Water Which Rite was also though not frequently in the time of the Apostles as is conjectured from Act. 2.41 where mention is made of the Baptisme of about three thousand in a day which may seem to have been thus performed for expedition Which manner of baptizing was also defended by S. Ciprian about foure hundred yeares before it came into common practice Indeed it aptly agrees with the word in S. Peter 1 Ep. 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sprinkling of the blood of Christ which was shadow'd out in the Law Hebr. 9.13 Which figure of Sprinkling with our Saviour's blood may helpe us the better to understand the Nature of Baptisme which is here said to be into Christ And surely then we may see the Nature of it in the Necessity of it as the necessity in the Command Act. 2.38 Be baptized every one of you This is indeed the Apostles Washing of Regeneration Tit. 3.5 the true Receiver being in this Sacrament as truely washed in soule as in body not that Regeneration is a washing but as a washing Baptisme to the right Receiver is the powerfull instrument of Salvation the Morall instrument not the Naturall since what is meerly Naturall cannot produce what is Supernaturall It is to all a signe of outward communion it is to the best of all a signe of Inward also to those it is an entrance into the visible Church to these into the Invisible also No man can enter into the Kingdome of Heaven unlesse he be borne againe of water and the Spirit Ioh. 3.5 Necessarily of the Spirit lesse necessarily of the Water also the spirit not depending upon the water the water necessarily depending upon the Spirit The want of Baptisine Excludes not from Heaven the contempt excludes the want of Circumcision in the wildernesse did not exclude the Infant-Israelite from the Israel of God but being the Child of Godly parents he was reputed the Child of God Nor yet does this make void the value of Baptisme It is the Instrument of Salvation though not the only not the absolute instrument it is the Ordinary Instrument Preaching of the Gospell is the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 though the dying Infant of righteous Parents is admitted to Salvation without this Instrument of Salvation God shewing the difference of his power in the difference of age Some receive water and Grace those are right receivers some water and not Grace these are wrong receivers some receive Grace and not water these though not receivers are as happy as receivers To the right receiver Baptisme is not only a signe of cleansing but a cleansing but the wrong receiver is but a Blackmore whom Baptisme doth rather wash than whiten It is the saying of S. Austin Sacramenta in solis electis efficiunt quod figurant To these the Elect it is both a signe and a Seale of Remission of sinnes To these Grace is given sometimes before Baptisme sometimes in it To these Grace is augmented either in Baptisme or after it To these it is the key that gives possession of the House their Heavenly Mansion To these it is the turfe that gives possession of the Land the land of Inheritance the true Canaan To these it is the pure water the figur'd the blood of Christ Heb. 10.23 Yea it is rather vertually this blood than that water a blood that purifies all but those that are guilty of it Thus all that are inwardly baptized are baptized into Christ though never any were baptized by Him as S. John testifies ch 4.2 so that for a table not a story we may take that in Nicephorus lib. 2. c. 3. when he cites Evodius Bishop of Antiochia affirming that our Saviour baptized S. Peter The worke is ancient enough but the corruption is like the publishing of the work New enough and lookes more like the Art of a Correcter then the integrity of an Author since when our was reported to the Pharisies it is also added that it was by his Disciples Ioh. 4.12 but their baptisme was into Christ But Into Christ what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that receives a Prophet says our Saviour Mat. 10.41 in the name of a Phrophet Shall it here sound so He that has been baptised in the Name of Christ that is with Invocation of his name and of the other persons in the Trinity Indeed that is commanded in Baptisme Mat. 28.19 But every one that is so baptized puts not on Christ Into Christ Is it into the Profession of Christ but many that professe him put him not on they but professe him Into Christ It is into the Doctrine of Christ but many too many that have been Baptised into Christ's doctrine have not conformity to such Doctrine Yet is it into the Doctrine of Christ S. Paul finding at Ephesus certain Disciples new converts ask'd them if they had receiv'd the Holy Ghost and they answering that they had not heard of a Holy Ghost he asked them then unto what they had been baptized and they replyed unto John's baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into Iohn's baptisme that is into the Doctrine which he preach'd and seal'd with baptisme Into Iohn's Baptisme not into Iohn but By him he being the first that effectually baptized as afterwards other ministers into Christ Yet was Iohn's baptisme into Christ where it was attended with due forme and then necessarily with due knowledge and Sanctity it was into Christ But may it not seem to have been always without the Holy Ghost is it not his own testimony Mat. 3.11 I baptize you with water but he that comes after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost Truth it is yet not that none of them which were baptised by him were baptised also by the Holy Ghost but such baptising was not properly by Iohn but by the power of Christ working with him The outward ministry of Iohn could apply the outward element but it was the inward ministry of Christ that applyed the Holy Ghost Besides Iohn did new baptize them with water but
Speech of S. Gregory In natura humanitatis novit Christus diem judicii sed non ex natura humanitatis He knows it being man not as he is man But this day was a secret which he reveal'd not to his Disciples but to stay their curiosity told them It was not for them to know the times and seasons which the father had kept in his own power Upon which words saies S. Austin In vain is all search to know the end of the world since Truth it self had made known unto us thus much for truth that this truth is not to be known Dreadfull also is this judgment for the Sodainesse The former dreadfullnesse which was from the secrecy was in respect of our Knowledge but this from the Sodainesse shall be in respect of Preparation A man may be prepar'd against many things that shall come secretly but this shall also come sodainly the world shall not be prepar'd In such an houre as you thinke not the Sonne of man comes Matt. 24.44 The day of the Lord so comes as a theefe in the night for when they shall say Peace and safty then sadaine destruction comes upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thess 5.2 3. As in the dayes of Noah and of Lot there was water and fire though not to purifie but confound so shall it be by fire in the day of the Lord. Indeed when he comes what should stay his Judgment for when he comes shall he find faith on the earth As in the dayes of Noah but eight righteous persons were found and as in the dayes of Lot but halfe so many in the Cities which were then destroy'd so shall it be in the day of the Lord though not strictly so few yet but very few shall then escape the wicked becomming fuell in that fire and their number increasing it when therfore the signes of that day come the world shall be surpriz'd with fear and horrour with such feare and horrour as shall be their first Hell Dreadfull is this Judgment for the Preparation also there shall be preparation for it in the Heavens in the Aire in the Seas in the Earth Preparation in the heavens in the Sunne and Moone They shall now be signes not of comfort but of Judgment The Sunne shall be turn'd into darknesse and the moone into blood before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come Joel 2.31 Which gastly darknesse in the Sunne and Moone the wicked shall not be able to neglect And though they did in this life neglect the signes of Gods Mercy yet shall they not be able to neglect these signes of his Justice They shall not escape this darknesse by a figure taking the Sunne and Moone for the Church which in the time of Antichrist shall be Obscur'd or phantastically making the Sunne to signifie the Devill and the Moone the Reprobate as Origen implies though this last would be no comfort to them They shall not escape this darknesse by saying the Sunne and Moone shall Seeme to be dark'ned because they shall be Out-shind by the Glory of Christ at his comming no this darknesse shall be a signe before the glorious comming of Christ They shall not escape this darknesse by making it only a kind of speech to signify the Calamity of that time for this were to make the signes rather in the earth than in the heaven But our Saviour sayes expressely There shall be signes in the Sunne and Moone Now what signes were in them if there were no Change in them Nor shall they escape it by quarrelling with the manner of effecting it which shall not be as some have ridiculously phansied by the vast clouds of smoake that ascend from the burning of the world this darknesse shall be before that fire or els there would be no body left to see that darknesse but it is said that at that dreadfull sight mens hearts shall faile them Nor shall this darknesse be effected by an eclipse the Astronomers can tell us that by an eclipse the Sunne and Moone cannot both at once be darkned the Sunne being eclips'd by the interposition of the Moone between his light and our eie the Moone being eclips'd by the interposition of the earth between the Sunne and Moone Nor need we suppose the interposition of some cloudes or the like darke bodies in that day to hinder their light He is able to deprive those glorious bodies of their light nay which is a greater wonder he is able leaving them their light to take from them their power of sending-forth their light as he tooke away the power of burning from the fiery furnace into which the three children were cast But shall we define the wayes of the Allmighty and appoint him his Counsailes No more may we appoint the Continuance of this darknesse which whether it shall be longer then the darknesse in Aegypt which lasted three dayes or shorter then the darknesse at our Saviour's Passion which lasted but three houres we have no more use of such knowledge then knowledge of the Continuance But this we know that it shall be long enough to prove the instant approach of the Lord 's comming and to drive the wicked not into repentance but into desperation But yet there must be more preparation in the heaven whiles preparation in the Starres For the Starres shall fall from heaven Matt. 24.29 though Reason and the Astronomer will undertake to demonstrate that a starre is of that bignesse that the whole earth is not able to intertaine a starre or two Besides that the heaven is incorruptible and the starres fix'd in that incorruptible body Indeed there is no absolute necessity to understand this Literally but yet S. Austin thought it not improbable and S. Chrysostome not only thought it probable but alleadges also that of the Prophet Isaiah 34.4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll and all their host shall fall downe as the leafe falls off from the vine and as a falling fig from the figtree What is this sayes that Father the Starres shall fall from heaven as the leaves fall from the vine whiles the vine has fruite so long it requires the use of leaves to protect it but afterwards the leaves fall away so whiles there are inhabitants on the earth the Starres in heaven will be needfull for the earth but when night it selfe shall cease to be then likewise the Starres shall be no more Which interpretation does no way disagree either with the wonder of that day which shall be a day of wonder or with the omnipotency of God who can easily make them lesse and make them fall who of nothing made them into this bignesse Irreverent it were for us to examine whether he will doe it by a miraculous compression of the substance of a starre or otherwise who can performe it so many wayes beyond the feeble and ridiculous guesse of Reason
him to the defence of his own truth Or say of his truth as the Jews did of his Sonne Let him deliver it if he will have it If we discerne any that preferre the giddinesse of their own reason under the notion of sound Reason before the Sobriety of the holy writings and the Church shall we presently either reele out of the way or stagger in it About the eleventh year of this present Century of the Church a new starre-gazer one Fabricius in the upper Germanie publish'd at Witteberge by the vertue of a strange glasse a pretended discovery of strange spots in the Sunne about which time in the lower Germanie a like acute Novelist publish'd pretented spots in the best Belgique Church But as the clearest-sighted though of a lesse excellency then S. Stephen's eie judg'd those suppos'd staines through divine permission to have been by the grand Artist the devil juggled into the starre-wise glasse not into the Sunne so the best-sighted though not so wonderfull as Lyncius yet free from the Jaundice of Opinion discern'd through the right Optique of sacred truth the spots to be not in the Church but in the Novelist and so that his mistakes were the staines If then we see any departing from the truth shall not we depart from Them shall we not rather partake with the Prophet in his tears than with them in such backsliding as deserves such tears You see then enough yea too much cause of sorrow and yet you can not but see the little Effect it produces And must we not confesse this to bee very unnaturall that where there is so great cause there is so litle Effect where so much sinne so few teares for sinne O let us then with severity look upon our Own sinnes let us with compassion behold other mens and shall we make ourselves so unhappy as not to bewaile our own unhappinesse shall we weep for the death of our Friends Bodies and shall we not weep for the death of our Own Soules That being for them but to fulfill the Law of Nature but this being for us to violate the Law of God! When David and his men saw Ziklag burnt and their wives and children carried into Captivity it is said they wept untill they had no more power to weep 1 Sam. 30.4 And shall not we weep as much to see our Soule which is the City of God set on fire by vice and all the vertues and ornaments of our Soules to be lost to be Triumph'd-upon by the Enemies of our Soules Surely as the wind by gathering many clouds makes a shower so our mind by meditation collecting the many evils of our own lives and others will easily cause a shower of tears And indeed who would not willingly by a temporall sorrow scape eternall sorrow since in this life a few accepted teares can wash away the greatest sinnes that shall be remitted but after this life eternall teares can not wash away the least sinnes Let us then crie here for the guilt of our sinnes that we may not hereafter crie for the punishment of them Let us bemoan our selves like Ephraim repentant Ephraim in this our Prophet chap. 31.19 with a holy indignation Surely after that I was turn'd I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was asham'd yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Let us with the wise man Eccles 2.2 crie-out of mirth what does it crie-out of the madnesse of it The Septuagint term it there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the turning-about the Giddinesse of mirth Let us turn our hearts by Meditation towards Hell that they may never be neerer to it than by Meditation Can we remember how the Israelites mourn'd by the waters of Babylon and not imitate their mourning The waters of Babylon sayes S. Austin are the transitory pleasures of this world by which the Godly mourne as in a strange Country when they remember Sion the heavenly Ierusalem And what more powerfull Motives can we have for teares whether we consider our selves or God than Feare or love both which God has provided for us There are sayes S. Gregory two causes of tears the first for Fear of Punishment the Second for delay of our happinesse both which are intimated according to that Father by that double blessing which Caleb as it is Josh 15.19 bestow'd upon his daughter Achsah to whom he gave the upper and the nether springs the nether spring is Fear the upper Love To the same purpose did Nazianzen observe that Noah's flood came partly from the Earth and partly from Heaven so sayes he the purging flood of tears comes partly from the feare of Hel land partly from the desire of Heaven from the love of God And surely as waters which are distill'd from the rose by the force of fire yeil'd a sweet smell so much more sweet are the waters of the head which are press'd-out by the heat of divine Love It is indeed the Spirit of divine love that from the eies forces holy tears according to that of David Ps 147. Hee causes his wind to blow and the waters flow The same Prophet sayes Ps 104.3 God layes the beames of his chambers in the waters that is he covers the upper part of the heaven or air with water the just man is such a heaven whose upper parts his soule his head his eies are overflow'n with devout sorrow whose teares doe mystically fullfill that of the Psalmist Ps 148.4 The waters that are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord And more admirably doe these waters the tears of the just praise the justice the Mercy and goodnesse of the Lord Who will not then shed a few such tears that he may never shed any more tears And since our Soule is the Garden of God who will not provide a Fountain of tears to make it pleasant for his intertainment who will not labour who will not Rejoice to shed such tears as God himself will wipe away when he will change the darknesse of sorrow into the light of joy the dark eie into a cheerfull eie when he will work such a wonder in the Soul as he has in the eie by a marvelous raising of light out of darknesse out of the apple of the eie which the Hebrews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst other reasons from the blacknesse as the word also signifies expressing God's wonderfull work in the composition of the eie when as out of the apple of the eie which is the darkest part of it he raises light The apple of the eie being so black or dark that when in the Proverbs Cha. 7.9 it is said in the black and dark night it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if we should say in the apple of the eie of the night Yet out of the darkest sorrow God will at last raise the most cheerfull light From an eie darken'd with humble tears with innocent tears such as
that time should come when the Comforter should come And it specially alludes to the wonder at Pentecost when our Saviour baptised them Not with water but only with the Holy Ghost and with fire the fiery tongues But why then did S. Paul Act. 19.4 5. baptize those disciples that were said to have been baptized into Iohn's Baptisme Many are the Answers S. Ambrose his may satisfie Those converts thought they had been rightly baptised but so it was not they had not heard of the Holy Ghost Besides it is said that they were Now baptized in the name of Iesus implying that they were not so before so that in truth and effect they were not baptized before To be baptized then Into Christ what is it Is it not a Profession of his Doctrine and a promise of an Imitation of his Holinesse It is but more than a promise it is it is an Imitation of his Holinesse in a Conformity of Life with Christ It is to be baptized into the Death of Christ as S. Paul speakes Rom. 6. 3 4. that as our Saviour was raised to a new life so we to a newnesse of life We are by his death made partakers of the merits of his death To be baptised then into Christ is to be Sanctified to put on Christ so by an inward baptisme whiles we are covered with his Garment we shall also become a part of his Mystical Body Which sanctified estate some thinking to be attained only by baptisme even outward baptisme would bring in an Absolute and Indispensable necessity of it unto Salvation This perswasion occationed that custome with some even in the primitive times to baptize men after they were dead if they dyed without baptisme as appeares by the third Council of Carthage Can. 6. by which it was forbidden This occasioned also almost a like custome among the Marcionites who as Tertullian relates it in case that one dyed without baptisme some alive was baptized for him The like some tell us of the Iewes that if one of them dyed without expiation according to the Law Numb 19.12 Some of his kindred were purged for him But know we may and to our comfort that baptisme though so excellent and necessary in respect of God's command if it may be had is not absolutely necessary in respect of Salvation since this may be obtain'd though not ordinarily without baptisme Els should we be injurious to God himselfe and bind his mercy absolutely to outward means We should as some of more Opinion than Wisedome presumptuously and unmercifully esteem all Infants damned that die unbaptized We should pronounce the like also of all such Infants as dyed before Circumcision Which is so odious that the great Master of Theologicall Determinations Peter Lombard would in part help it by an over free conjecture thinking that in case of necessity they anciently circumcised the Child before the eighth day But this defence will not defend it selfe the Masters of Jewish rites telling us that it might not be performed before that day Besides what should we say then to all those that for forty yeares dyed in the wildernesse without Circumcision or all those Infants in the primitive times that died before baptisme which as Tertullian tells us for his time was usually celebrated but at Easter and Whitsontide And though we may grant exceptions in those first times in case of Necessity yet many doubtlesse dyed without baptisme And yet this custome continued in the Church eight hundred yeares even to the time of Charles the Great as appeares by Lawes made at that time about this Rite Which has been long continued since in some degree in Rome itselfe as the pascall Ceremonies of that place imply there being in the Laterane Church Constantines Font as they call it preserv'd for the yearly baptizing at those seasons such Jews or other Unbelievers as are converted to the Christian Faith In such cases then as before mentioned more charitably it is determined as among others eminently by Aquinas that Infants then have baptismum flaminis etsi non fluminis the baptisme of the Spirit though not of water Not the want but Contempt or Neglect of the Holy ordinance hurts He that is not Circumcised shall be cut off from the people of God Gen. 17.14 It is understood of those chiefely that were of age and so in effect it was he that Will not be Circumcised Thus he that is not borne of water the holy Spirit shall not enter into the Kingdome of God that is if he may have the water of Baptisme and will not The Thiefe upon the Crosse was not baptiz'd and yet he was Saved Nay we have no expresse testimonie that the Baptist was baptiz'd though he sayes indeed unto our Saviour that he had need to be baptised of our Saviour and yet we know the Baptist was sanctifyed in the wombe though some think that he baptiz'd himselfe for so we know that Abraham Circumcised himselfe and the Minister in the Holy Communion administers bread and wine unto Himselfe Yet as some may be sanctifyed which were never baptised so on the contrary not all that are baptized are sanctifyed Grace is not necessarily annexed to outward Baptisme Simon Magus had baptisme Act. 8.13 yet without Grace v. 21. Els we should make Simon and Judas the Iscariot Saints since Grace is an Immortall seed by which they that have it shall live for ever and as that which was once a member of a Naturall body shall at last rise againe a member of the body so who by Grace is once a member of the Mysticall body where of Christ is the Head shall at last arise a true member of the Mysticall body Grace then is not Physically annexed to baptisme the element it selfe being not capable of it that so it might impart it God only with the water at the libertie of his favour gives Grace S. Austin is cleare in the approbation of this high truth Lib. 6. contra Donatistas cap. 24. some says he put on Christ usque ad vitae sanctificationem some only usque ad Sacramenti preceptionem this says he is common to the good and evill that is proper only to the Good Some then according to his judgement put on Christ to Sanctification which only indeed is worthy of the bhrase to put on Christ Some only Sacramentally by an outward Profession which passage of S. Austin the master of the sentences not only alleadges but approves And surely S. Paul himselfe teaches us this distinction Rom. 2.29 saying that there is a Circumcision in the Letter and in the Spirit And with a like Reason may we not say there is a baptisme in the Letter and in the Spirit As certainly then as
both of S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose to move every Christian to an annuall celebration of that day by Holy meditations of this promise of God by fervent prayers to God and Charity towards men which moved the late great Cardinall Borromaeus a man eminent in his way of Devotion in the last Council at Millane to injoyn all his Clergie in that province of which he was Arch-Bishop to move the people under their charge to the holy celebration of the day of their Baptizing But if a love of God will not move us let the feare of God move us the Originall of this Institution presenting unto us our own unworthinesse baptisme being not a new thing before the time of our Saviour though by him amplifyed and advanced by a new Institution It was a custome before his comming among the Jews when any of the Gentiles were converted to the Jewish worship to baptize them so to expresse a purifying of them from Idolatry as their great Master Ben-Maimon teaches But when the holy Baptist came he called to the like purifying the Iews themselves implying them to be as foule in God's sight as the very Gentiles and therefore to have need of a like yet a better purifying Such is the happy receivers baptisme into Christ whereby though he finds not Miracle he shall find Wounder it being to such an Illumination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Fathers call it And speakes not the Apostle so Heb. 10.32 remember the former days in which after you were Illuminated ye indured a great fight of Afflictions whence S. Cyrill of Jerusalem calls his Instructions of Baptisme Catechismes of Illumination And as it is to such a purifying of the understanding so is it also a purifying of the Affections it is a cleansing without the mockery of a Pilate or the Hypocrisie of a Pharisie To such it is a Grace that bestows upon the soule a supernaturall being which is the beginning of spiritual operations and in its time truely powerfull To such it is Seale which he that sets upon the soule will own it is a Mystery which the soule more injoys than understands To such the calling unto Baptisme is a high calling a Spirituall Glory it is like the face of Moses when God had shined on him a brightnesse from a brightnesse To such it is also spirituall fruitfullnesse figur'd out at the Creation when the Spirit of God sate upon the waters to make them fruitfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word he sate as the Henne upon the egge which she does warme with a lively heate This was the type of baptisme God's Spirit bestowing a warmth of Grace a regeneration of water and the Spirit And since that such doe put on Christ grant O Lord that blessing to thine own Ordinance that we may never defile our Christian Roabe but at last through thy Mercy through thy bounty we may be cloath'd with those white robes of Glory and Immortality which thou hast prepared in Heaven for such as shall keep their covenant with Thee here on Earth To which our God that has bestowed Baptisme upon us the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in whose name it was bestow'd be ascribed all Holinesse Thanks for evermore FINIS OF The Bread of Life A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield 1657. Iohn 6.34 Lord evermore give us this Bread THE Lord as he is al-sufficient so is it He only that is al-sufficient yet has he made each creature and consequently man with a sufficiency but joyn'd with want the one being an act of his Bounty in the nature of the creature the other an act of his wisedome in the preservation of that nature For such want in man declares his perpetuall dependance upon God and such dependance makes him have perpetuall recourse to God For man then to aske of God is Naturall as it is most naturall to aske those things which most preserve nature Since then that God has given man Life Yet not without a conditionall necessity of Food it is as naturall to desire Food as to desire Life And since the desire of life is naturally perpetuall Man naturally would have both perpetuall life and perpetuall food Which food though it be always in the desire of Nature is never in the power of it all food of the Body which Nature knowes being as mortall as the Body Philosophy therefore never distinguished Men from Beasts by the appetite and nature of Food it being to the Philosopher beyond all Paradox to hold that a man may become immortall by Eating nay that he should be made more immortall by Food than by Fame No marvaile then is it here if the People as naturall men marvaile at our Saviour They could have said that Adam by Eating dyed but he only could say that man by Eating might Live for ever Yet this is the wonder which he tells them whiles he tells them of a Bread more wonderfull than the Manna which their fathers did eate That bread was the worke of God This bread was God This bread made that bread He that eate that bread Dyed he that eates This is made as immortall as the Author the Wonder At which news they call him Lord nor are asham'd to become beggars They saw it impossible that this bread should be sold since none that could provide it could have need to sell it nor if it could be bought could any be Equall to the price In this Marvaile we may see there marveiles the Giver the Lord the Guift in the Substance and the Excellency This Bread the Desire and the extent of the Desire Give us evermore of which the patron si the preface Lord. A strange request it may seem to beg a man of himselfe to make a patrone his own guift This implies that since our nature has been corrupted our naturall love of our selves is an unreasonable love of our selves when as for our own benefit we can be content that another we may say should be lost for us Our Saviour had said he was the bread of Life and yet of him they beg this bread that is Himselfe It was a bold request and yet a wise one They perceiv'd a wounder in it and they venter therefore to beg of Him that was able as they believe to performe a wonder He had indeed a little before performed a wonder a wonder in bread feeding five thousand with five loaves Manna was a wonderfull bread but every person had an Omer full when as here was but a loafe unto a thousand Then the miracle was prepared to their hands but now the miracle was performed in their hands nay in their mouthes then they were fed after the performance of a miracle but now they were fed with it They had before seen Corne grow but not till now beheld Bread grow This imbolden'd them to aske This bread of the Lord. And well might they orie Lord give us this bread for whom