The Badges of Christianity, Book 2 · Chapter 12
Chap. 12. Of the first vse of baptisme.
HItherto we hauehave handled the parts of baptisme both outward and inward: now let vsus proceed to the vses, the last point to be obserued in this Sacrament. The vses of baptisme are in number aThree vses of baptisme.three: first to shew our planting, ingrafting, and incorporating into the body of christ: secondly, to seale vp the remission and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes: thirdly, to teach vsus to dye vntounto sinne and liue vntounto righteousnesse and true sanctification. These endes bRom. 6, 3 4, 5, 6appeare euidently by the wordes of the Apostle, Rom. 6. Know ye not that al we which hauehave been baptized into IESVS CHRIST, hauehave beene baptized into his death? We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death, that like as CHRIST was raised vppe from the dead to the glory of the father, so wee also should walke in newnesse of life. For if we be planted with him to the similitude of his death, euen so shall wee be to the similitude of his resurrection, knowing this, that our olde Man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serue sinne. In this place the Apostle setteth before vsus the former ends of baptisme expressely.
Touching the first vse, cThe first vse of bapt. i. to shew our ingrafting in to Christ.he sheweth that by it is signified and sealed our vniting, setting, d1 cor. 12, 13 Cal. 3, 27and inserting into the body of Christ, to remaine in him soreuer, as braunches in the vine, as 1 Cor, 12. By one spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be bonde or free: where he teacheth that by baptisme wee become one body with Christ. And Gal. 3, All ye that are baptized into Christ, hauehave put on Christ. This coniunction with Christ is not bodily or naturall, it is not by bāds in the flesh, it is not by neernes of blood, sor such as we see may be seprated, as the father from the son, the husband from the wife, the brother from the sister: but this is wholy mysticall and spirituall, aboue reason and aboue sence, because it is wrought, not by natural waies as by ioynts, sinnews, arteries, ligamentes, and such like, but by spirituall meanes, to wit, by the power of the spirit, and by vertue of faith: he sendeth downe his spirit, we send vp our faith. First, he must send downe his spirit, because all goodnes is of him. Indeed, we louelove him, but it is because he loued vsus first, giuing vsus eRom. 8, XVthe spirit of adoption to cry Abba father: Indeed, we come vntounto Christ to be eased and refreshed as he commandeth, but it is because fIohn, 6, 44the father draweth vsus. Indeed, we perseuer in faith and louelove, but this is, because he perseuereth in louing of us. Indeed, we repent and turn vntounto God, but this is because he g…, 36, 26 27taketh away our stonye hart, and giueth vntounto vsus an hart of flesh.
Secondly, as he putteth his spirit within vsus, so the faith mounteth vp to the heauens, and apprehendeth Christ sitting at the right hand of the father. And thus, his spirit discending, our faith ascending, and both of them ioyninge the members to the heade, the braunches to the vine, vsus to Christ, being once engrafted, hIoh. XV. 5. 6wee are neuer sepetated, as Ioh. 15. He that abideth in mee and I in him, the same bringeth foorth much fruite: for without me ye can doe nothing. If a man abide not in mee, he is cast foorth as a braunch and withereth, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire and they burne. No man can be partaker of Christs benefits to saluation, which is iWe are ioyned to Christ in spititual mariagenot made one with him. As a Woman cannot be partaker of the riches and honor of some great man, and hauehave interest in his person, except she be ioyned to him in mariage, that they become one body and one flesh: and as the members cannot draw life from the head, except they be ioyned with it: so there is no partaking of Christ, except thete be an vnion and communion with him, kIoh. 6, 53as himselfe teacheth vsus, Ioh. 6. Verily, verily I say vntounto you, except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his blood, ye hauehave no life in you. If Christ be present to vsus, life and all things accompanying saluation are present to vsus. If christ be absent from vsus, death is present, wrathlyeth at the doore, life and saluation are absent: so that we are neuer partakers of his graces, except webe as neerly coupled to his humanity, as meat and drink are coupled with our body, which of al other is a most neer vnion and inward coniunction.
Thus we see, we are seuered from the world to hauehave fellowshippe with CHRIST, and are set once in him for euer, l1 Ioh. 2, 19 Rom 8, 33, 34. 35, 37, 38, 39because he that commeth to CHRIST once, he casteth him not away, hee shall neuer hunger, he shall neuer thirst, he shall not be lost but hue for euer, as the Apostle saith, If they had been of vsus, doubtles they had continued with vsus, And paule to this purpose saith, Rom. 8, Who shal lay any thing to the charg of GODS chosen? it is GOD that instifieth, who shall condemne? Who shal seperate vsus from the louelove of CHRIST? shal tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakednes, or perill, or sword? in all the se we are more then conquerours through him that loued vsus: for I am perswaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor thinges to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vsus, from the louelove of GOD which is in CHRIST IESVS our LORDE. If once wee bee ioyned to him in spirituall Marriage, notwithstanding the difference and disparagement between him and vsus, nothing shall bee able to worke our deuorcement from him.
True it is, God … vsus wallowing mEzek. 16. 4, 5. 6in our owne filthines, polluted in our owne bloode, defiled by our owne vncleannes, he hath made an eternall couenant with vsus, he hath spoken peace vntounto oursoules, saying, Thou shalt liue, euen when wee were sunke downe in sinne to death, hee saide vntounto vsus Thou shalt liue: so that he will neuer turne from vsus to do vsus good, but we shall be his people, and he will be our God, he will giuegive vsus one hart and one way, that wee may feare him for euer, and that it may be well with vsus and with our children.
This made the Apostle to write, Ephe. 5. 30. 32. Wee are members of his bodie, of his flesh, and of his bones: this is a great misterie, but I speake concerning christ and concerning the church: Where he seemeth to allude to the nGen, 2, 21first creation of the Woman made of one of the ribs of the man, shadowing and … our knitting and coniunction with Christe, which we hauehave by faith, not by nature: by vertue of the spirit, not of the flesh.
Now as we hauehave shewed that this coniunction made by Gods spirit and by our faith which he hath giuen: so the meanes and instruments to worke it, are the word and sacraments. This is a dignity peculiar and proper, to the elect, to hauehave perpetuall fellowshippe with Christ, and to growe vp into one body with him, as he teacheth Iohn, 17 20. 21. I pray for all them which shall beleeue in me through theyr word, that they all may be one as thou O father art in me and I in thee, euen that they may be one with vsus, that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me. If then there be not an vnion betweene Christ and vsus, we hauehave no accesse to God the father, being quite cutte off from all hope of life and sa'uation. As then all the substaunce and nourishment of the tree commeth from the roote, and all the vitall powers of a true naturall body, come from the head: so it is betweene the sonne of God and vsus, we hauehave not so much as one drop of the heauenly life in vsus of our selves, oIohn 14, …CHRIST is the waye, the truth, and the life, no man commeth vntounto the father but by him.
To conclude this first vse, seeing such as come to this sacrament pMark. 16. 16must be christians before, it appeareth to be a very corrupt custome of the people, when they require Baptisme of the pastor for their children, to say, God hath giuen me a Pagan, I desire you to make him a Christian. For Baptisme cannot make a Christian, but signifie: the Sacraments cannot make that which is not, but assure that which is already made, as seales do not giuegive the right, but confirme it. Thus much of the first vse of Baptisme: the second followeth.