Collection of Discourses, Part 11 · Subpart 26
XXIV. OF BAPTISME.
1. Baptiſme is a ſacrament of the new teſtamēt, whereby Chriſt witneſſeth to the faithfull being baptized with water in the name of the father, & of the ſonne, and of the holy Ghoſt, that all their ſinnes are forgiuen them, the holy Ghoſt giuen vntounto them, and themſelues ingraſſed into the church and bodie of Chriſt: and they againe profeſſe that they receaue theſe benefittes of God, & therfore euer after will and muſt liue to him, and ſerue him. And this ſame baptiſme was begun by Iohn Baptiſt, and continued by the Apoſtles; this only was the differēce, that he baptiſed men into Chriſt which ſhould ſuffer and rize againe, but theſe into Chriſt which had ſuffered, & was rizē.
2. The firſt end of Gods inſtitutiō of baptiſme is, that God herby might ſignifie & witneſſe, that by the bloud and ſpirit of Chriſtl… doth clenſe thoſe that are baptized from their ſinnes, and engraffeth them into the bodie of Chriſt, and maketh them partakers of all his benefits.
3. The ſecond is that baptiſme may be a ſolēne receauinge or enroulinge of men into the viſible church of Chriſt, and a diſtinction therof from al other ſectes.
4. The third, that it may be a publique & ſolēne profeſſion of our faith in Chriſt, & of bindinge our ſelues to faith in him, & obediēce towards him.
5. The fourth, that it may be an admonition of our plunging into afflictions, and our riſinge and deliuerance out of them.
6. Baptiſme hath by Gods commandement & the promiſe of grace a certaine power to ſeale and witnes, annexed by Chriſt vntounto theſe rites rightlie vſed. For Chriſt by the hand of his miniſters bapt…zeth vsus, as by their mouth he ſpeaketh to vsus.
7. There is therfore in baptiſme a 2 fold water one external, viſible, & earthly, which is the elemētary water: the other internal, uiſible, & heauēly which is the bloud & ſpirit of Chriſt: there is alſo a twofold waſhing, the on external, viſible, & ſignifying nāely the ſprinckling or powring on of water, which is corporal, that is receaued by our bodily parts & … the other internal, inviſible, & ſignified, namely remiſſiō of our ſins by Chriſts bloud ſhed for vsus, & our regeneration by his ſpirit, & our bei… … grafted into his body which is ſpirituall, that is, is received in ſpirit, & by faith. Laſtly, there is a two fold miniſter of baptiſme one external of external baptiſme, which is the miniſter of the church, baptiſing vsus in water with his hand: the other internall of internal baptiſme, which is Chriſt himſelf, baptiſing vsus with his bloud and ſpirit.
8 Neither is the water turned into the bloud or ſpirit of Chriſt, neither is the bloud of Chriſt preſent in the water or in the ſame place with the water, neither are the bodies of ſuch as are baptized ſprinkled inviſibly therewithal, neither is the holy Ghoſt in ſubſtance or vertue more in this water then elſewhere; but in the lawful vſe of baptiſme he worketh in their heartes which are baptiſed, and ſpiritually doth waſh and ſprinkle them with the bloud of Chriſt, and vſeth this external ſigne as an inſtrumēt, & as a viſible word & promiſe, to vphold & ſtir vp the faith of ſuch as are baptiſed.
9 Therfore when baptiſme is ſaid to be the waſhing of regeneration, or to ſaue vsus, or to waſh away our ſins; it is meant; that externall baptiſme is a ſigne of the internall baptiſme, that is, of regeneration; ſalvation, and ſpirituall waſhing & that this internall waſhing is ioined with the external, whenſoever baptiſme is lawfully vſed.
10 Yet is ſinne an baptiſme ſo aboliſhed, that we are freed from the guilte of GODS anger and eternall puniſhment, and regeneration is begunne in vsus by the holy Ghoſt, & the reliques of ſin remaine in vsus to the end of this life.
11 But all and only the renued, or the regenerate baptiſed to thoſe endes for which baptiſme was inſtituted by Chriſt, do lawfully receiue baptiſme.
12 The church lawfully miniſtreth baptiſme to all and onelie thoſe, whom it ought to recken in the number of ſuch as be renued, and members of Chriſt.
13 Whereas alſo infants of Chriſtians are of the church, whereinto Chriſt would hauehave al that pertaine to him bee receiued and regiſtred by baptiſme, and therefore baptiſme is now in ſteede of circumciſion, whereby iuſtification and regeneration, and receiving into the church, were ſealed by & for Chriſt as yet to come, as in baptiſme by and for the ſame Chriſt already come, as well to infantes as to thoſe of riper yeares pertaining to the ſeed of Abraham: and whereas no man can forbidde water, that they ſhould not be baptized which hauehave receiued the holy Ghoſt clenſing & purifying their heartes, truely thoſe infantes muſt needs bee baptiſed which either are borne in the church, or together with their parents come over to the church.
14 As the promiſe of the goſpell, ſo baptiſme alſo receiued vnworthily, that is before converſion, is firme and procureth ſalvation to ſuch as repent, and the vſe thereof, before vnlawful is now made vntounto them lawfull.
15 Neither doth the wickednes of the Miniſter make the baptiſme vaine & of no force, if it bee done into the faith and promiſe of Chriſt: & therfore the church ought not to rebaptiſe evē thoſe that hauehave bin baptiſed by heretiks, but to informe them in the true doctrine of Chriſt and baptiſme.
16 And as the covenant once begun with God remaineth perpetually ſtedfaſt to ſuch as repent, even after their ſinnes from that time committed; ſo alſo baptiſme once receaved, confirmeth thoſe that repent in remiſſion of ſinnes for all their life, and therefore ought neither to be …terated, nor deferred to the end of life, as if on that condition onlie it did clenſe vsus from our ſinnes, if we cōmitted no more after we were once baptized.
17 But all that are baptiſed with water, vvhether infantes or aged, are not made partakers of the grace of Chriſt. For Gods eternal election and calling to the kingdome of Chriſt is free.
18 Neither are all excluded from the grace of Chriſt which are not baptiſed vvith water. For not the want but contēpt of baptiſme excludeth from the convenant made by God with the faithful and their children.
19 And whereas the adminiſtration of Sacraments is a part of the eccleſiaſtical miniſtery, they which are not called thervnto and eſpecially women, muſt not preſume to take vntounto themſelues authoritie of baptiſing.