The New Covenant, Book 2 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of the ſecond vſe of Baptiſme.
BEing made one with Chriſt, wee are partakerss of the benefits of his death, to wit,aThe ſecond vſe of baptiſm is to aſſure forgiuenes of ſinnes. of forgiuenes of ſinnes, and of regeneration or new birth. So then the ſecond vſe of Baptiſme is to aſſure vsus of the remiſsion and pardon of our ſins, that we may bee vnblameable and acceptable to God. This is ſignified by the outward ceremony of waſhing and ſprinkling, to wit, the ſprinkling of our ſoules with the blood of Chriſt for the forgiuenes of all ſins,bActs 2, 38, & 22, 16. as appeareth, Acts 2. Then Peter ſaid vntounto them, Amend your liues, and be baptized eueryevery one of you in the name of Ieſus Chriſt, for remiſsion of ſins. And Act. 22. Ananias ſaid vntounto Paul immediately after his conuerſion, Ariſe and be baptized, and waſh away thy ſins in calling on the name of the Lord. So the Euangeliſt witneſſeth, Marke 1, 4. that Iohn did baptize in the wilderneſſe, and preach the baptiſme of amendment of life for the remiſsion of ſins. And the apoſtle maketh this vſe, Col. 2, 12. Ye are buried with him through baptiſme, in whom yee are alſo raiſed vp together through the faith of the operation of God, which raiſed him vp frō the dead: and you which are dead in ſins, and in the vncircumciſion of your fleſh, hath he quickened together with him, forgiuing you all your treſpaſſes. The meaning of theſe places is not that baptiſmcBaptiſme doth not of it ſelfe conferre grace. beſtoweth or giueth forgiuenes, but only ſigneth, ſealeth, and aſſureth our pardon: euen as remiſsion of ſins and the righteouſnes of faith were not in the old Teſtamēt by circumciſion conferred, but confirmed vntounto the faithful. The grace of pardon and forgiuenes of ſins, is not attained but by faith in Chriſt, ſo that the worke of baptiſme will not effect it. Moreouer we hauehave proued, that it is not lawfull to baptize ſuch as are in yeares, vnleſſe they make open profeſsion of their faith in Chriſt, and repentance from the works of the old man: wherefore they obtaine them not by the outward waſhing with water in baptiſme. So then we are no leſſe aſſuredly waſhed by the blood of Chriſt frō the ſpots of our ſoules, then outwardly we are waſhed with water from the filth of the body. For the force of his death hath that effectuall working in cleanſing our ſoules from the corruption and filthineſſe of ſinne, which naturall water hath in waſhing our bodies. By the merit of his death we hauehave full forgiuenes of all our ſinnes, not onelyonly originall but actuall, not onelyonly paſt but preſent and to come, whoſe blood is neuer drawne dry, but is euer freſh and ful of efficacy. Therfore, the words deliuered by the miniſter in baptiſme at the commandement of Chriſt, namely,eMat. 28, 19. I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy-Ghoſt, ſhould be alwayes in our eares, euen vntill the laſt gaſpe, and by them we ought to bee aſſured of the full forgiuenes of our offences againſt God. For the blood of chriſt by which we are once waſhed, can neuer bee drawne dry, but is euer freſh full of force and ſtrength, to the continual clenſing of our filthines and iniquities, ſo that they neuer come into the ſight of God, neither are imputed vntounto vsus. Wherefore it is like vntounto a ſealed charter, wherby is confirmed that all our ſins are blotted out. We are all taught by our baptiſm, that none of the enemies of our ſaluation ſhal be able to lay any ſin to our charge. Art thou tempted to thinke that Chriſts blood was not ſhed for thee? That thy tranſgreſsions are not pardoned? That thou ſhalt bee brought to iudgement for them? Doth Sathan tempt thy tender conſcience with thē? Thou maiſt as well doubt that thou waſt not baptized and waſhed with water, as doubt thy ſinnes are not blotted out: thou maiſt as well ſurmize thou periſhedſt in the water, as ſuppoſe thou ſhalt periſh in thy wickednes, the floods wherof howſoeuer they go ouer thy head: yet ſhall not be able to preuaile againſt thee fully, and ouercome thee finally.
This ſerueth to conuince diuers hereticks that are altogether ignorant of the right vſe of Baptiſme. The Meſſal…ans beleeued that baptiſme was onelyonly auaileable to take away former ſinnes.De diuin. decre. ca. de bapt. But Theodoret teacheth that baptiſme is the earneſt of future graces, not as a razor to cut away onelyonly the ſins that went before.
The Papiſts ſuppoſe no ſinne forgiuen by baptiſme in infants but one ſin only, which is originall. In thoſe that are baptized being of age (whereof there is ſmall or rare vſe in theſe daies) they inlarge and extend it thus farre, as that it taketh away both originall and actuall ſinnes before baptiſme onelyonly: wherein although they would ſeeme to open the Lords hand very wide toward vsus, yet they are indeed notable Church-robbers, who to maintaine their bellies & their luſts, do vtterly ſpoile vsus, not of a piece, but of our whole ſaluation in Ieſus Chriſt, whileſt they ſend vsus to our owne ſatisfactions, by prayers, faſtings, whippings, and ſuch like. Note therefore that our Sauiour ſaith, He that beleeueth and is baptized, Mar. 16, 16. Tit. 3, 5. 1 Pet. 3, 21.ſhall be ſaued. Saint Paul ſaith, Tit. 3, 5, that baptiſme hath ſaued vsus, and Peter affirmeth that it doth ſaue vsus, 1 Pet. 3, 21. Where the ſaluation that we hauehave (through faith) in baptiſme, being applied to the time paſt, preſent, and to come, that is, to all times; it is euident that baptiſme doth as well ſeale vp vntounto vsus the remiſsion of the ſinnes that wee commit at the laſt houre of death, as the in-borne ſinne wherein we were firſt conceiued in our mothers wombe. This Saint Auſtine ſaw, and therefore teacheth,Auſt. de nuptijs & concup. lib. 1. cap. 33. that by the lauer of regeneration and word of ſanctification all the euils of regenerate men are cleanſed, not onelyonly ſinnes paſt, but ſuch as are committed afterward by ignorance or infirmity, ſo that great is the pardon of baptiſme.
This then ouerthroweth the falſedConcil. Trid. ſeſſ. 5. doctrine of the falſe Church of Rome, the Mother of abhominations, which teacheth that by the grace of Chriſt receiued in baptiſme, all our ſinnes going before it, are razed and blotted out, and leaueth nothing in the party baptizedeBellar. lib. 1. de bapt. cap. 13. that hath the name and nature of ſin. But albeit our ſinnes be freely and fully forgiuen for Chriſts ſake, pardoned and not imputed, couered and remembred no more: yet the ſtaine, blot, and remnants of ſinne remaine (though not raigne) in our fleſh, ſo long as we liue in this world, which in the end of our dayes together with the mortality and corruption of our bodies ſhall be taken away and aboliſhed. Indeed the Scripture teacheth, that Chriſts blood cleanſeth, waſheth, gIob. 1.29. Pſal. 32.1.and taketh away ſin, Ioh. 1. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the ſin of the world: but this is not by an actual purging of vsus from all corruption, but in freely acquiting and truely diſcharging vsus from the guilt, offence, and puniſhment before God, as Pſal. 32, Bleſſed are they whoſe iniquities are forgiuen, and whoſe ſins are lightened, bleſſed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not ſin. Therefore, though they be forgiuen, yet they remaine,g1 Ioh. 1, 8. as appeareth, Iohn 1, 29. If we ſay we hauehave no ſin, we deceiue our ſelues and there is no truth in vsus. And Salomon in his worthy prayer ſaith, If any ſin againſt thee, 1 Kings 8, 46. Rom 7, 23. Eph. 4, 23. Col. 3, 3. Eſay 64, 6.for there is no man that ſinneth not. So the Apoſtle teacheth and toucheth this truth by his owne experience. Rom. 7. I ſee another law in my members, rebelling againſt the law of my mind, and leading me captiue vntounto the law of ſin which is in my members. We are all as a filthy cloth, the fleſh rebelleth againſt the Spirit, and in nothing we can do the things we would, ſo that if God enter into iudgement with vsus, wee cannot ſtand in his ſight. And if originall ſinne were extinguiſhed and vtterly aboliſhed in baptiſme, then they which are baptized, ſhould ſin no more: but we ſee they ſin againe after their baptiſme. To conclude, baptiſme is auaileable not onelyonly for ſins before, but it is a ſeale for confirmation of faith touching the remiſsion of thoſe ſins that are committed after baptiſme, as well as done before, as our bleſſed Sauiour teacheth, Marke 16, 16. Hee that ſhall beleeue and bee baptized, ſhall be ſaued, but he that will not beleeue, ſhall be damned. Faith then beleeueth the forgiuenes of all ſinnes paſt and to come, inaſmuch as the blood of Chriſt cleanſeth frō all ſins. And the apoſtle accordeth heereunto, Titus 3, 5, 7. According to his mercy hee ſaued vsus, by the waſhing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holy-Ghoſt: that we being iuſtified by his grace ſhould be made heires according to the hope of euerlaſting life. Where we ſee that the promiſe of iuſtification is generall againſt all ſinnes. Thus much of the ſecond vſe.