Gold Refined, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Shewing what Baptiſm is from the literal and true genuine and proper Signification of the word Baptiſm.
IN ſhewing the ſignification of the word Baptiſm, we will, with all Impartiality, give the Judgment of the Learned; 'tis a Greek word, therefore let us ſee what the Learned in that Tongue generally have, and do affirm to be the expreſs ſignification thereof: And ſuch hath been our care and pains, together with a Friend of mine, (some time ſince deceaſed*Mr. Delaune., who was several months in my Houſe) as to examine the Writings of divers eminent Men upon this Account, amongſt which are Scapula and Stephanus, Paſor, Minſhew, and Leighs Critica Sacra; Grotius, Voſſius, Caſaubon, Selden, Mr. Daniel Rogers, Mede, Chamiers, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Cave, Hefychius, Budaeus, Beza, Eraſmus, Buchanan, Luther, Illyricus, Zanchy, Glaſſius, &c. who with many other Learned Men, nay all indeed who are impartial, agree with one Voice, that the primary, proper, and literal ſignification of foreign, Baptiſo is mergo, immergo, ſubmergo, obr…o, item tingo quod fit immergendo, that is, in Engliſh, to immerge, plunge under, overwhelm, as alſo to dip, which is done by plunging.
True in a leſs proper or remote ſenſe, becauſe thing that are waſhed, are commonly dipped or covered all over in Water, it is put for waſhing, Luke 11. 38. Heb. 9. 10. Mark 7. 4. And we dare modeſtly aſſert, that no Greek Author of any credit, whether Heatheniſh or Chriſtian, has ever put Baptizing for Sprinkling, or uſed thoſe words promiſcuouſly; the Greeks have a peculiar word to expreſs Sprinkling, viz. foreign, Rantizo, which as a Learned*S. Fiſher. Author obſerves, is ever uſed in Scripture by the Holy Spirit, when he ſpeaks of ſuch a thing as … yea, 'tis uſed three times in one Chapter, viz. Heb. 9. 13, 19, 21. and is always tranſlated Sprinkling: Neither is there, ſaith he, any one place of Scripture, wherein the word foreign is rendred to baptize, or uſed to ſignify baptizing: Neither is there one Scripture wherein the word foreign, Baptizo, is rendred Sprinkling, or uſed to ſignify ſuch a thing as Sprinkling. This being so, and certainly ſo it is; How ſtrangely hath the World, and many Godly Chriſtians, been deceived, thinking they have been Baptized, when in truth they never were to this day, but only Rantized.
We have had many long and tedious Diſputes, and perplex'd Controverſies, about the true. Form or Manner of Baptizing, whereas the thing in difference, is properly not the Manner or Form of Baptizing, but what Baptiſm is; for, as one obſerves, A Man may ride many ways, viz. Eaſt, Weſt, &c. backward, forward, apace, or ſlowly, &c. yet all this is riding ſtill, whilſt the Man moves to and fro on Horſe-back, becauſe the very formality of that Action of riding, conſiſts is being carried by a Beaſt; but while he moves upon his own Legs up and down, you cannot at that time denominate him riding. In like manner a Man may be Baptized [Anglicè, Dipped] or put under the Water many ways, viz. forward, backward, ſideway, towards the right Hand or Left, with a quick or ſlow Motion, and yet all the while be Baptized; if he is put under the Water, for in ſuch reſpect the Form or manner of Baptizing, i.e. Dipping, doth conſiſt: the manner of Baptizing is one thing, and the manner of Rantizing is another: Sprinkling is Sprinkling, let it be done how you pleaſe, but it never was, nor never will be Baptizing.
And that Baptiſm is any thing elſe than Dipping, or Waſhing, which is by plunging or dipping, we do utterly deny; for as the cutting off a little bit of the Foreſkin of the Fleſh, and not the twentieth part round, is not Circumciſion;Circumciſion, … cutting the fore-Skin round about quite off. so ſprinkling a little Water on the Face is not Baptiſm: As it would be ridiculous, and very abſurd to call that Circumciſion, ſo it is as falſe and ridiculous to call Sprinkling, Baptizing.
If Accidentals, or meer Acceſſaries, be wanting unto Baptiſm (saith one) there may be right Baptiſm notwithſtanding, but abſtract the abſolutely Neceſſaries, 'tis not only none of the Baptiſm of Chriſt, but truly not any Baptiſm at all.
Object. But the word foreign, though it ſignifies not to Sprinkle, yet not only to Dip and overwhelm in Water, but alſo to Waſh, and so 'tis rendred in the Lexicons, as muſt be acknowledged by you.
Anſw. If the word foreign do ſignify to waſh, yet it is a real total waſhing, only ſuch a waſhing as is by Dipping, Plunging, or ſwilling the Subject in Water, and that ſignification is far off from Sprinkling: Can any thing be ſaid to be truly waſh'd, that hath only a little Water sprinkled upon it?
The beſt Lexicons, and moſt eminent Criticks,Danvers Treatiſe of Baptiſm, 2d. Edit. p. 182. as well as the holy Scripture, do moſt plainly decide the Controverſy, as Mr. Danvers and others obſerve.
Scapula and Stephens, two as great Maſters of the Greek Tongue as moſt we have, do tell us, in their Lexicons, that foreign, from foreign, ſignifies mergo, immergo, obruo; item tingo, quod ſit immergendo, inficere imbuere, viz. to dip, plunge, overwhelm, put under, cover over, to die in colour, which is done by plunging.
Grotius ſays it ſignifies to dip over Head and Ears.Grotius.
Paſor, An Immerſion, Dipping, or Submerſion.Paſor.
Voſſius ſays, It implieth a waſhing the whole Body.Voſſius.
Mincoeus in his Dictionary, ſays,Mincaeus. that foreign, is in the Latin Baptiſmus, in the Dutch Doopſet, or Doopen Baptiſmus or Baptiſme, to dive or duck in Water; and the ſame with the Hebrew Tabal, which the Septuagint, foreignor Seventy Interpreters, render by foreign, Baptiſo to dip, as theſe Texts in the old Teſtament ſhew, Gen. 37. 31. Exod. 12. 22. Lev. 4. 6. and 17. 14. Deut. 33. 24. Num. 16. 18. 2 King. 5. 14, &c.
This, ſaith Caſaubon, Caſaubon.was the Rite of Baptizing, that Perſons were plunged into the Water, which the very word Baptizo ſufficiently demonſtrates. Which as it does not extend ſo far as to ſink down to the Bottom, to the hurt of the Perſon, ſo is it not to ſwim upon the Superficies—Baptiſm ought to be adminiſtred by plunging the whole Body in Water.
Alſo I find our late Famous,Dr. Du-Veil. Learned, and Reverend Dr. Du-Veil, in his Literal Explanation of the Acts, Chap. 1. vers. 5. citing the ſame Author in theſe words, The word foreign, says Caſaubon, is to dip or plunge, as if it were to dye Colour.
Leigh in his Critica Sacra, Liegh.ſaith, its native and proper ſignification, is to dip into the Water, or to plunge under Water, Mat. 3. 6. Acts 8. 38. and that it is taken from a Dyer's Fat, and imports a dying, or giving a freſh Colour; for which alſo he quotes Caſaubon, Bucanan, Bullinger, Zanchy, Spanhemius: He ſaith withal, that ſome would have it ſignify Waſhing; which ſenſe Eraſmus, he ſaith, oppoſed, affirming that it was not otherwiſe so, than by Conſequence; for the proper signification was ſuch a dipping or plunging, as Dyers uſe for dying of Clothes.
Salmaſius ſaith,De prim. papae, p. 193. that that is not Baptiſm which they give to Children, but Rantiſm.
Beza, Beza.on Mat. 3. 11. ſaith, the word Baptizo ſignifies to dye, by dipping or waſhing.
Selden ſaith,De Jure Nat. &c. l. 2. c. 2. That the Jews took that Baptiſm wherein the whole Body was not baptized, to be void.
Mr. Daniel Rogers ſaith,Treatiſe of Sacr. par. 1. c. 8. p. 177. That the Miniſter is to dip in Water, as the meeteſt Act the word Baptizo notes it, for the Greeks wanted not other words to expreſs any other Act beſides Dipping, if the Inſtitution could bear it. What reſemblance of the Burial and Reſurrection of Chriſt is in Sprinkling? All Antiquity and Scripture confirm, that it was Dipping.
If you would, ſaith Dr. Taylor, Rule of Conſcience, l. 3. c. 4.attend to the proper ſignification of the word, Baptiſm ſignifies plunging in Water, or dipping with waſhing.
In the Synod of Celichyth, An. D. 816.where Wolfred Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury preſided, as 'tis cited by Dr. Du-Veil, it was ordered that the Presbyters should take heed, that when they adminiſtred the Sacrament of Baptiſm, they ſhould not do it by pouring Water, but always by plunging, according to the Example of the Son of God, who was plunged in the Waters of Jordan.
The ſame Learned Author affirms, this was the conſtant practice of the Univerſal Church, till the time of Clement the 5th, who was crowned Pope, ſaith he, Anno 1305, under whom firſt of all the Second Synod of Ravenna approved the Abuſe introduc'd into ſome Churches, about an hundred Years before that Baptiſm, without any Neceſſity, ſhould be adminiſtred by Asperſion. Hence, ſaith he, it came to paſs, that contrary to the Analogy, or intended myſtical ſignification of this Sacrament, all the VVeſt, for the moſt part in this Age, they uſe Rantiſm, that is, Sprinkling inſtead of Baptiſm, as Zepper speaks, to the great ſcandal of the Greeks and Ruſſians, who to this day plunge into the VVater thoſe they Baptize,Conc. Flor. §. 9. c. 9. & lib. of Infant Baptiſm, p 693. and deny any one rightly baptized, who is not plung'd into the VVater, according to the Precept of Chriſt, as we may find in Sylveſter, Sguropalus, and Caſſander; the Cuſtom of the Ancient Church was not Sprinkling, but Immerſion, in purſuance of the ſenſe of the word Baptizo in the Commandment, and of the Example of our Bleſſed Saviour,Ductor Dubit. l. 3. c. 4. Reg. 15. Num. 9. St. Martins Life, N. 16. ſaith Dr. Taylor.
The Greek word Baptein, (saith Salmaſius) ftom which the word Baptizein derives, ſignifies Immerſion; nor did the Ancients otherways Baptize.
Mr. Joſeph Mede ſaith,Diatribe on Titus 3. 2. that there was no ſuch thing as Sprinkling or Rantiſm uſed in Baptiſm in the Apoſtles Days, nor many Ages after: He had spoke more proper if he had ſaid, there was no Rantiſm uſed in the Apoſtles Days but Baptiſm, than to ſay no Rantiſm uſed in Baptiſm, ſith he could not be ignorant but that they are two diſtinct Actions, and it cannot be Baptiſm at all if it be only Sprinkling or Rantiſm as is now uſed, Dipping or Immerſion being the very Thing, not an Accident, but an Eſſential, ſo abſolutely neceſſary, that it can't be the thing without it.
The ancient Vſe of Baptiſm,Pan. Cathol. Tom. 4. l. 5. c. 2. saith Chamier, was to dip the whole Body into the Element, therefore did John baptize in a River.
Neither is it amiſs to give you what Dr. Annotat. on John 13. Mat. 3.Hammond speaks upon this account in his Annotations upon John 13. 10. where he ſaith, that foreign ſignifies an Immerſion, or waſhing the whole Body, and which anſwereth to the Hebrew Word foreign uſed for dipping in the Old Teſtament, and therefore tells us upon Matth. 3. 1. that John baptized in a River, viz. in Jordan, Mark 1. 5. in a Confluence of Water, as Aenon, John 3. 23. becauſe 'tis ſaid there was much Water; which he further makes out by the Name by which the Greeks called the Lakes where they uſed to waſh; alſo the Ancients, he ſays, called their Baptiſterions, or the Veſſels containing their Baptiſmal Water, Columbethras, viz. ſwimming or diving-places, being made very large with Partitions for Men and Women.
To all theſe famous Authors, it may do well to add our late Annotations, begun by the Learned Mr. Pool, newly printed,Pool's Annotat. ſee what they ſay on Mat. 3. 6. A great part of thoſe who went out to hear John were baptized, that is, dipped in Jordan, and on Mat. 28. 20. ſay they, it is true, the firſt Baptiſm of which we read in holy Writ, were by Dipping the Perſons baptized.
The Dutch Tranſlation, according to their Language, reads Dipping.
Matth. 3. 20. Jeſus ge doopt zijnde, is terſtont opge-klommon uit het Water.
And when Jeſus was dipp'd he came out of the Water; hence they, for John the Baptiſt, read John the Dipper; and for he baptized them, he dipp'd them. Why our Tranſlators, who have been ſo faithful and exact generally in all things (as is acknowledged by all Learned Godly Men in the tranſlating the holy Bible) ſhould leave the word Baptiſm (it being a Greek Word) and not tranſlate it into our Language, as the Dutch have done into theirs, I know not, unleſs it were to favour their own Practice of Bantiſing or Sprinkling, which the word Baptize will in no wiſe bear, as is confeſt by a whole cloud of Witneſſes.
Mr. Ball in his Catechiſm renders it waſhing by Dipping.Ball.
See alſo Dr. Ames in his Marrow of Divinity.Book 1. Cap. 40.
Mr. Wilſon Wilſon.in his Dictionary ſaith, to baptize, is to dip into the Water, or to plunge one into the Water.
Alſo in the Common-Prayer-Book dipping into the Water is given as the proper and primary Signification of the word.
We will leave this to the Conſideration of all thinking Men, it being ſo, i. e. that Baptiſm is Dipping or Plunging the Body all over in Water, whether Infants can be the Subjects of it, sith their tender Bodies cannot bear being plunged thus into the Water in cold Climates, without palpable danger of their Lives.