The New Covenant, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of the word Baptiſme, and what it is.
HItherto wee hauehave ſpoken of the Sacraments in generall; together with the parts, vſes, and number of them: now wee come to the firſt Sacrament, which is Baptiſme, being an honourable badge whereby wee are dedicated vntounto Ieſus Chriſt.aThe word bap…iſme is taken many waies. This word in ſcripture hath many ſignifications. Firſt, in the natiue & proper ſignification, it ſignifieth to dippe, to diue, and plunge vnderunder water, as Mat. 3, 16. Iohn 3, 22, 23. Acts 8.38, 39. Secondly, to cleanſe and waſh any thing with water, euen when this Sacrament is not adminiſtred, as Marke 7. where it is ſaide, the Phariſies did not eate, except firſt they waſhed. So Heb. 9, 10. the old tabernacle did conſiſt in waſhings. Thirdly, it ſignifieth the Croſſe, afflictions, miſeries, perſecutions, and inward vexations of the ſpirite, as Luke 12.50. where Chriſt ſaith, I muſt be baptized, and how am I grieued till it be finiſhed? And Mat. 12, 22. Are ye able to drinke of the cup that I muſt drinke of, and bee baptized with the baptiſme that I ſhall be baptized withall? Fourthly, it is taken for a liberall and plentiful diſtribution of the graces and gifts of God, as Acts 15. Iohn baptized with water, but ye ſhall bee baptized with the Holy-Ghoſt within theſe few dayes, that is, ye ſhall receiue a greater meaſure of the guifts of God then yee hauehave done before. Fiftly, the worde is taken for the doctrine of Iohn, which he deliuered before he adminiſtred the Sacrament of baptiſme, as Act. 18.25. Where Apollos is ſaid to be an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scripture, knowing nothing but the baptiſme of Iohn. Likewiſe Mar. 1, 4.Mar. 1, 4. it is ſaid, that Iohn preached the baptiſme of repentance vntounto remiſſion of ſinnes, that is, the doctrine of repentance, for otherwiſe how could he preach Baptiſme which properly is miniſtred not preached? Heereunto commeth the queſtion that Chriſt demanded of the chiefe Prieſts and Elders of the people; The Baptiſme of Iohn whence was it, Mat. 21, 25.from heauen or of men? whereby he meaneth the doctrine, as appeareth by the words following, for ſo they vnderſtood him, when they reaſoned among themſelues, ſaying, If wee ſhall ſay from heauen, he will ſay, why then d…d yee not beleeue him? Mar. 11, 31, 32for all men counted Iohn that hee was a Prophet indeed. The reaſon why his miniſtry & preaching is called by the name of Baptiſme, is becauſe his doctrine that he deliuered was firſt of all ſealed with that Sacrament, which none of the Prophets did or could do before him; ſo that as his perſon was called the Baptiſt, ſo his doctrine was called by the name of baptiſme, one part of his miniſtry being put for the whole. Laſtly, it is taken for the whole worke and action of the Sacrament of Baptiſme, as Math. 28, 19. Goe vntounto al Nations, teach and bapt…ze them: and in this laſt ſence we are now to ſpeake of it.
Let vsus therefore ſeebWh…t b…ptiſ…e is. what this Sacrament is. Baptiſme is the firſt Sacrament, whereby, by the outward waſhing of the body with water once into the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the Holy-Ghoſt, the inward clenſing of the ſoule by the blood of Christ is repreſented. This deſcription of baptiſme is to be opened and further expounded vntounto vsus:cThe deſcription of baptiſme proued. wherein fiue points are to be conſidered of vsus. Firſt, it is called the firſt Sacrament, both in reſpect of the other Sacrament of the Lords Supper, and becauſe when the nations were conuerted to the faith, and beleeued in the name of Chriſt, they were immediately baptized; as wee ſee the practiſe of the Church, Acts 2, 4. and chap. 10, 47. and chap. 8, 12. Where after imbracing the faith, we ſee the partaking of baptiſme, and the ſealing vp of their conuerſion.
Againe, it is ſaide there muſt be an outward waſhing of the body with water, becauſe thedEph. 5, 26. Apoſtle declareth therby the nature of the Sacrament of baptiſme, calling it the waſhing of water through the word; and it hath a iuſt proportion or relation to the ſpiritual waſhing of our new birth, Tit. 3, 5.Titus 3 5. Ma…. 1, 4. being alſo called the baptiſme of repentance and amendment of life for remiſsion of ſins. Dipping into the water is not neceſſary to the being of a Sacrament: ſprinkling of water is not neceſſary to the being of a Sacrament: but wetting and waſhing with water is neceſſary to the being of a Sacrament. Now whether the whole body ſhold be waſhed, or the face onelyonly: and whether it ſhould bee done once or thrice, is not greatly materiall, but left indifferent to the Church to decree and determine, what ſhal be thought fitteſt to be receiued and practiſed.
Thirdly, it is added in the former deſcription, that baptiſme is once onelyonly to be adminiſtred. For as in naturall generation, man is once onelyonly borne: ſo it is in ſpirituall regeneration. And as circumciſion was once only receiued in the fleſh, whereby the fore-skin was circumciſed: ſo is Baptiſme once onelyonly to be adminiſtred, not oftentimes to be repeated. Wherefore, the Apoſtle Eph. 4. ſaith, There is one fEph. 4, 5, 6.baptiſme, one faith. Againe, Chriſt willed the Apoſtles to miniſter Baptiſme, not Baptiſmes. Laſtly, in baptiſme the death of Chriſt is repreſented, & he dyed but once: ſo that as his death was not to be repeated, no more is baptiſme to be reiterated. Fourthly, the forme and manner of doing, is ſaid to be Into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy-Ghoſt. Whereby is meant, that we hauehave fellowſhip with God in three perſons (as a wife hath with her husband, who paſſeth into her husbands name to be ſubiect to him, to obey him, to acknowledge and call vponupon him, to worſhip no other God but the true Iehoua. This therefore is not to be vnderſtood onelyonly of vſing the name of the Trinity in baptizing, but by it alſo is ment, that the perſons baptized are receiued into the grace & fellowſhip of God, to become his people, and to bee partakers of his couenant to their ſpirituall comfort. Laſtly, in the deſcription before remembred, it is affirmed that the outward waſhing of the body, Repreſenteth the inward cleanſing of the ſoule by the blood of Ieſus Christ. This appearethgGal. 3, 27. Tit. 3, 5, 6. Rom. 6, 4. expreſly, Gal. 3. All that are baptized into Christ, hauehave put on Chriſt. And Titus 3, 5, 6. According to his mercy he ſaued vsus, by the waſhing of the new birth, and the renewing of the Holy-Ghoſt, which he ſhed on vsus aboundantly through Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour. So alſo the ſame Apoſtle, We are buried with him by baptiſme into his death Theſe teſtimonies ou… of the word of truth do euidently teach, that this is the principal ſcope and ende of baptiſme, to aſſure our conſciences by externall waſhing, of the inward clenſing of our ſoules by the blood of chriſt for remiſsion of ſins. This being the deſcriptiō of baptiſme, let vsus ſee what good vſes may be made therof, & eueryevery part in order, as they hauehave bin laid before vsus. And firſt touching thehThe vſe of the firſt part of the deſcription. firſt point mentioned before in the deſcription, that Baptiſme is the firſt Sacrament. This teacheth that ſuch as are gained to the faith, and children of ſuch as are in the profeſsioniActs …8, 8. are immediately to be baptized. So was the Eunuch when he was inſtructed: ſo was Paul when he was conuerted: ſo were the Iewes when they repented. And indeed this is a true ſaying, thatkAuguſt. cont Fa. … lib. 19. cap. 11. men cannot bee incorporate into any religion (whether it be true or falſe) vnleſſe they be combined together by ſome communion and fellowſhip of viſible Sacraments. Againe, Is baptiſme the firſt Sacrament of the new Teſtament? Then it followeth that he which is not baptiſed, is not to be admitted to the Lords table: he that hath not receiued the firſt Sacrament, is not to be made partaker of the ſecond. As in the old teſtament, circumciſion was the Sacrament of entrance & admiſsion, and none was admitted to eate the Paſſeouer but ſuch as were circumciſed,lExod. 12, 48 as wee ſee in Exod. 12. So none hath this right and priuiledge to come to the ſupper of the Lord vnleſſe firſt they be entred, and the doore opened to them by baptiſme. For a man muſt be knowne to belong to our family and houſhold, before he preſume to eate of the childrens bread, that belongeth not to ſtrangers. Touching the vſe of the ſecond point, to wit,mVſe of the ſecond part of the deſcription. that there muſt bee waſhing with water: wee learne that waſhing with water is of the neceſsity of Baptiſme, Indeed …here may be a waſhing without baptiſme, but there can be no baptiſme without waſhing. The nEphe. 5, 26.waſhing of water through the word. So that this waſhing is neceſſary, becauſe of the fit ſimilitude that is betweene it and our regeneration or new-birth. The water is apt to cleanſe vsus, and leaueth no filth behind: ſo is our iuſtification & ſanctification repreſented by the blood of Chriſt, as ſhall bee conſidered. Therefore ſuch as vſed ſand, or blood, or ſuch like matter not fit for waſhing, did not indeede baptize, but horribly prophane the Sacrament of baptiſme. The third point in the deſcription is,oVſes of the 3. part of the deſcription or Baptiſme. that baptiſme is once onelyonly to be adminiſtred, which affoordeth vntounto vsus theſe three vſes. Firſt, it ſheweth a difference betweene it and the Lords Supper. The apoſtle Paul ſpeaking of the Supper of the Lord, 1. Corinth. 11 ſaith,p1 Cor. 11, 16, 25, 23. As oft as yee ſhall eate this bread and drinke of this cup: and Chriſt our Sauiour, Do this as oft as ye drinke it, in remembrance of me, therefore it muſt be often receiued of the Church. But baptiſme once miniſtred, is not againe to be repeated. As we are once onelyonly borne into the world, but after our birth are daily nouriſhed: ſo we are but once baptized, but there is continual vſe of the Lords Supper, whereat we are fed to eternall life. Secondly, this teacheth that all rebaptizing is vnlawfull, as we ſee by the examples of the apoſtles,qAct. 2, 42, and 19, 1, 5. who baptized not the beleeuers and members of the Church the ſecond time. For Acts 2. it is noted, that ſuch as beleeued the Goſpell, continued in the apoſtles doctrine, in fellowſhip, in breaking of bread & prayer: but not in baptizing againe or being baptized againe: and chap: 19, 4.5. the diſciples which were baptized, and had not receiued the gifts of the Holy-Ghoſt, Paul inſtructed further in the doctrine of Chriſt, and doth not rebaptiſe them but layeth his hands vponupon them, and they receiue the viſible gifts of the Holy-Ghoſt. The reaſon is plaine againſt rebaptization, becauſe it ſignifieth and ſealeth vp our once beeing borne againe, our once ſetting and ſetling into the body of Chriſt,rEzek. 16, 8. Hoſ. 2, 19, 20. and our ſpirituall marriage once with him, who is the ſpirituall husband of his Church. Whereby we ſee, that ſuch as hauehave been baptizedſSuch as hauehave beene baptized by heretickes, are not to be rebaptiſed. by heretickes or other wicked Miniſters, are not to be rebaptized. It came in place of circumciſion: but none were twice circumciſed, therefore none to be twice baptized. Againe, it is a Sacrament that repreſenteth our ſpirituall incorporation into the Church: but it is ſufficient once to be ingrafted, and conſequently ſufficient to hauehave it once adminiſtred. This error of rebaptizing, aroſe vponupon a corrupt vnderſtanding and interpretation of the place, Acts 19. When they heard it, tActs 19, 5.they were baptized in the name of the Lord Ieſus. The difficulty of this place is taken away, if wee conſider they be the words of Paul continuing his ſpeech of Iohns baptiſme, not of Luke declaring what Paul did. But of this place we ſhall hauehave better and fitter occaſion to ſpeake further in the chapter following, where it is at large expoū ded. Furthermore, if baptiſme be adminiſtred once for euer, it ſheweth that he which commeth to Chriſt once truely and indeed, ſhall neuer be caſt away;uIohn 13, 1. Rom. 11, 29. whom Chriſt Ieſus loueth once, he loueth for euer, becauſe his graces and guifes are without repentance. What ſhall ſeparate vsus from Chriſt, when we are by his working adioyned vntounto him? Wherfore this outward waſhing, being not often repeated, but once onelyonly vſed, doth effectually feale vp our once ioyning vntounto God, who hath made an euerlaſting couenant with vsus, he ſhall neuer turne away from vsus, to do vsus good, we ſhall be his people, and he will be our God for euer. Indeed if we could cleane fall away from the grace of God, wee ſhould hauehave another regeneration, and another baptizing to bee the ſeale therof: but becauſe we are built vponupon the brazen pillar of Gods election, the gates of hell ſhall not preuaile againſt vsus; for this foundation remaineth ſure,a2. Tim. 2, 19.20. and hath this ſeale, The Lord knoweth who are his. ThisbPſal. 51, 10.11. appeareth in Dauid, Pſal. 51. He deſireth to hauehave a cleane heart, he prayeth that the holy Spirit be not taken from him: thereby declaring that the Spirit was within him, and that he had a ſenſible feeling thereof, howſoeuer the fleſh for a ſeaſon had gotten the vpper-hand. Heere then is a great comfort ſealed to all Chriſtians, in all tentations, againſt al the terrors and feares of conſcience, wherewith they are ready to be ſwallowed vp and ouerwhelmed. This muſt ſtrengthen and ſtay vsus vp, that although we may fall greeuouſly, yet we ſhall not fall finally from the eſtate of grace. He that is once a ſound and liuely member of Chriſt, can neuer be wholy cut off. True it is, ſinne may leſſen our coniunction and weaken our communion with Chriſt: but if we be truely in him, the band ſhall neuer be diſſolued,c1 Ioh. 2, 19. we ſhall neuer be wholy ſeuered and fall from him, as 1. Ioh. 2. They went out from vsus, but they were not of vsus, for if they had beene of vsus, they ſhould hauehave continued with vsus, but this commeth to paſſe that it might appeare that they are not all of vsus. Now if any man by falling into ſinne, were totally ſeparated from Chriſt for a time, ſurely in his recouery and riſing from ſinne hee were to be baptized the ſecond time: for baptiſme is the Sacrament of initiation and ingrafting into Chriſt, and an vniuerſall falling would require a new ingrafting. But it were moſt abſurd to ſay, wee ſhould be as often baptized as we fal into ſinne: and therefore howſoeuer Sathan may buffet, moleſt, tempt, and wound vsus greeuouſly, yet hee can neuer ouer-maiſter vsus wholy and ouercome vsus finally,d1 Ioh. 3, 9. as the Apoſtle declareth, 1 Ioh. 3. Whoſoeuer is borne of God committeth not ſinne, for his ſeed remaineth in h…m, neither can he ſinne, becauſe hee is borne of God. This aſſurance of our ſtanding for euer in the couenant, is the roote of all courage and comfort in trials and tentations, it helpeth vsus to fight manfully againſt ſinne, it preſerueth vsus from ſecurity, it nouriſheth vsus in good workes, it increaſeth in vsus a care to pleaſe God: and laſtly it confuteth the popiſh fancy of the forged Sacrament of Penance, whereby (they ſay) a Chriſtian being cleane fallen from grace is reſtored, finding no comfort in his baptiſme: whereas the true beleeuer neuer falleth finally from faith, neither needeth an outward ſeale to aſſure his pertaining to Gods fauour and louelove. Indeed eueryevery Chriſtian that is fallen through infirmitie, muſt riſe vp, repent vnfainedly, and ſhew forth the fruites thereof: yet the force and ſtrength of his baptiſme is not loſt, the fruite and comfort thereof remaineth for euer, and is extended as wel to the time to come as to the time that is paſt. So many therefore as affirme that the faithfull in their fals hauehave remedy in Penance, but no comfort by their baptiſme, do ſet vp themſelues, magnifying their owne dreames & deuiſes aboue the holy ordinances of God. The 4. part of the former deſcription of baptiſme, is the forme of baptizing into the name of the Father, of the Son, & of the Holy-Ghoſt. eThe vſe of the fourth part of the deſcription of Baptiſme.This teacheth that whoſoeuer is baptized, hath made a ſolemn promiſe to confeſſe & profeſſe the chriſtian religion, to be the ſeruant of Chriſt, to fight his battels vnderunder his bāner, againſt all the enemies of his faith & ſaluation, againſt ſin, againſt Satan, againſt the world: he hath vowed to renounce the workes of the fleſh, & to ſerue the true God. So often then as we are preſent at the adminiſtration thereof, wee muſt conſider the couenant into which we are entred, which we made in the preſence of men and Angels, which we are bound to keep for euer. Wherefore, let vsus learne daily to dye vntounto ſin, & follow a new life by the grace of ſanctification. Secondly, this forme of adminiſtratiō teacheth vsus to aſſure our own harts of Gods protection & defence,fGen. 20, 16. as a wife doth of her husbands tuition and preſeruation of her from al dangers. Let vsus looke for life, ſaluation, gouernment, and nouriſhment from him alone in Chriſt. For as he calleth vsus from the fellowſhip of Sathan, of ſin, and of the world to hauehave fellowſhip with himſelfe: ſo he promiſeth to bee our aide and defence in time of need, on whō we are in eueryevery eſtate and condition to depend. The laſt part of the deſcriptiongThe vſe of the laſt part of the deſcription of bapti…me. ſheweth, The inward cleanſing of the ſoule by the blood of Chriſt. This teacheth that they abuſe baptiſme, that in the outward worke ſeeke remiſsion of ſinnes, as though the force of waſhing away ſinnes were found in the elemēt of water. Baptiſme therefore is not the waſhing away of ſinnes: onelyonly the blood of Chriſt clenſeth vsus from all ſinne, 1 Iohn 1, 7. Againe, this declareth the perpetuall vſe of it in the Church, ſeeing it hath this effect to aſſure remiſsion and forgiuenes of ſinnes: vntounto this let vsus bring our children: of this let vsus make them partakers: frō this let vsus by no meanes keepe them: and in this let vsus continually renew our couenant with God.