Gold Refined, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Proving Believers to be the only true Subjects of Baptiſm, from the Apoſtles Doctrine, and the Practice of the Primitive Churches.
WE read that the Apoſtles, according to the Commiſſion Chriſt gave them, preach'd the Goſpel of the Kingdom, having received the Spirit from on high, and began at Jeruſalem as he had commanded them, and so endeavoured to make Men and Women Diſciples, i. e. bringing them to the ſenſe and sight of their Sins, and knowledg of their loſt and miſerable condition by Nat…e, as being unconverted and without Chriſt; and in Acts 2. where Peter preached the firſt Sermon that was preached after the Ascenſion of the Lord Jeſus, And when they heard this (the Text ſaith) they were pricked in their Hearts, and ſai… unto Peter and the reſt of the Apoſtles, Men and Brethren, what ſhall we do? then ſaid Peter, REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, for the Remiſſion of Sins, and ye ſhall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghoſt, &c.
And then they that gladly received the Word, were baptized; and the ſame day there was added to them about three thouſand Souls.
Pray obſerve the Footſteps of this Flock, I mean the manner of the Conſtitution of this Church, it being the firſt Church that was planted in the Goſpel-days, it was the Church at Jeruſalem, and indeed the Mother-Church; for evident it is, all other Goſpel-Churches ſprang at firſt from this, and hence ſome conceive the Apoſtle calls this Church Jeruſalem above, *Gal. 4. 26., being the Mother of us all, ſaid to be above, not only becauſe ſhe was in her Conſtitution from Heaven, or by Divine and Evangelical Inſtitution, but alſo might be ſaid to be above in reſpect of Dignity or Priviledg, being firſt conſtituted, and having the firſt Fruits of the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit poured out upon them; and beſides, having all the great Apoſtles at firſt as Members with her; and hence 'tis that all other Churches were to follow the Church of God that was in Judea, and were commended in so doing, and certainly 'tis the Duty of all Churches ſo to walk unto the end of the World.
But to proceed, Acts 8. we find Philip, being by the Providence of God caſt into Samaria, he preaches Jeſus Chriſt to them, and when they believed Philip,Act. 8. 12. preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, they were baptized both Men and Women: not till they were Diſciples, and did believe, were any baptized: [Men and Women,] not Children, not them and their little Babes; if Philip had ſo done, he had acted contrary to his Maſter's Commiſſion. In the ſame Chapter we find he preached Chriſt to the Eunuch alſo,Act. 8. 36, 37. And they came to a certain Water; and the Eunuch ſaid, See, here is Water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? ver. 37. And Philip ſaid, If thou believeſt with all thine Heart, thou mayſt. And the Eunuch anſwered, and ſaid, I believe that Jeſus Chriſt is the Son of God: And they both went down into the Water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him. There muſt be Faith or no Baptiſm, thou mayſt or thou oughteſt, 'tis lawful, or according to Chriſt's Law,Pools Annotat. on. Act. 8. 37. i. e. his Commiſſion. A Verbal Profeſſion is not ſufficient, ſay our late Annotators on this place. Philip in God's Name requires a Faith as with all the Heart, and not ſuch as Simon Magus had, who is ſaid to believe, and be baptized, verſ. 13. this was (say they) the only thing neceſſary, either then or now if rightly underſtood.
How was it known,Baxter on Confirmat. p. 27. ſaith Mr. Baxter, but by their Profeſſion, that the Samaritans believed Philip preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, before they were baptized both Men and Wome▪ and, ſaith …he, Philip cauſed the Eunuch to profeſs before he would baptize him, that he believed that Jeſus Chriſt was the Son of God.
Moreover,Act. 10. 45, 47, 48. in the tenth of the Acts we find Cornelius and thoſe with him were firſt made Diſciples by Peter's preaching, and the Spirit's powerful Operation, and then were baptized; Who can forbid Water (saith he) that theſt ſhould not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghoſt as well as me? And he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord Jeſus; that is, by the Authority of Chriſt according to the Commiſſion.Acts 16. 31, 32, 33. So in Acts 16. when the poor trembling Jaylor was made a Diſciple, i. e. did believe with his whole Houſe on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, he was with his whole Houſe baptized; ſo Lydia believed and was baptized, Acts 16. 14. the like in Acts 18. Criſpus believing on the Lord, Acts 18. 8.and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized.
The Chief Ruler believed with all his Houſe and were baptized, he believed, his Houſe believed, the Jaylor believed, all runs in their believing, all muſt by believing be made Diſciples, or not be baptized.
Luther ſaith that in Times paſt,Luther, Tom. 3. fol. 168. cited by Mr. Danvers, p. 8. on Baptiſm. the Sacrament of Baptiſm was adminiſtred to none except it were to thoſe that acknowledged and confeſſed their Faith, and knew how to rehearſe the ſame, and why are they now?
See Mr. Baxter in his ſixteenth Argument againſt Mr. Blake, Baxter's 2d Diſputation, p. 149.if there can be no Example given in Scripture of any one that was baptized without the Profeſſion of a ſaving Faith or any Precept for ſo doing, then muſt we not baptize any without.
But, ſaith he, the Antecedent is true, therefore ſo is the Conſequent.
1. I have, ſaith he, ſhewed you, John required the Profeſſion of true Repentance, and that his Baptiſm was for Remiſſion of Sins.
2. When Chriſt layeth down the Apoſtolical Commiſſion, the Nature and Order of the Apoſtles Work, it is firſt …o make them Diſciples, and then to baptize them in the Name, &c.
That it was ſaving Faith that was required of the Jews and profeſt by them, Acts 2. 38. is plain in the Text.
The Samaritans believed, and had great Joy, and were baptized, &c.
The Condition upon which (saith he) the Eunuch muſt be baptized was, if he believed with all his Heart.
Paul was baptized after Converſion, Acts 9. 18.
The Holy Ghoſt fell on the Gentiles before they were baptized, Acts 10. 44.
Lydia's Heart was opened before ſhe was baptized, and was one the Apoſtle judged faithful, Acts 16. 14.
So he goes over with all the Scriptures we have mentioned, proving they were Believers, and none elſe, that all along in the New Teſtament were baptized; 'tis ſtrange to me that the Man ſhould have ſuch clear Light and plead for the Commiſſion, and the Practice of the Primitive Chriſtians, and yet dare attempt to sprinkle Children, having neither a Command from Chriſt, or a Precedent from the Apoſtles for any ſuch thing.
Object. I know 'tis objected Baptiſm was adminiſtred only to Believers in the Apoſtles time, but that was the Infancy of the Church.
Anſw. I am not a little troubled to hear any Man to argue after this manner; for though it be granted in the Apoſtles days the Church was newly conſtituted, and ſo might be ſaid to be new born; yet to ſay that was the Infancy of the Church, (as Infancy imports in our common Acceptation, Weakneſs or Imperfection) is a falſe and fooliſh Aſſertion.
1. Becauſe that was in truth the time of the Churches greateſt Glory, Perfection and Beauty, and very ſoon after the Apoſtles fell aſleep, the Church, though ſhe grew older, yet ſhe decayed, and Corruptions crept in; the Church might in that reſpect be compared to a glorious Flower, that as ſoon as ever it is blown and quite put forth it is in its Glory, and let it ſtand a while and it ſoon fades, and loſes much of its Luſtre and Beauty; even ſo did the Church of God:Acts 20. and it was foretold alſo by the Apoſtles, it would ſo after their departure come to paſs, by the entring in of grievous Wolves who ſhould not ſpare the Flock, i. e. the Church;2 Theſſ. 2. 7. nay, the Spirit of Antichriſt, (Paul ſaith,) or Myſtery of Iniquity, did even then work in the Apoſtles days.1 John 2. 18. And St. John ſpeaks to the ſame purpoſe, Little Children, it is the laſt time: and as ye have heard that Antichriſt ſhall come, even now are there many Antichriſts, whereby we know that this is the laſt time: and indeed all generally believe the Church continued not a pure Virgin to Chriſt much longer than one hundred Years after his Death; now then ſhall any preſume to ſay that was the Infancy of the Church, as if the Church arrived to clearer Light, Strength, and Glory in after-Times.
But, 2. Had not the Goſpel-Church in that Age the extraordinary Apoſtles with it, like to whom never any roſe after to ſucceed them; nay ſuch who were converſant with the Lord Jeſus after he roſe from the Dead,Acts 1. 3. and ſpake to him mouth to mouth,Act. 10. 41. and did eat and drink with them? as Peter ſaith, Acts 10.
3. Had not the Church then extraordinary Gifts, nay, ſuch an infallible Spirit and Preſence of Chriſt with her, that her Sons could clearly diſcern Spirits, and know when they ſpeak, and when the Spirit ſpake in them? Now ſpeak I, not the Lord.
4. Was not that Church ſet up to be a Patern, or perfect Copy, after which all ſucceeding Churches were to write? can we think that others ever attained to the like, much leſs to greater Light and Knowledg than they? Theſe things conſidered, fully ſhew the folly and weakneſs of this Aſſertion and Objection.
But if Believers were the only Subjects of Baptiſm in the Primitive Time, and this was according to the Commiſſion of Chriſt and Practice of thoſe days, how came this Order and Adminiſtration to be altered and changed, I mean by whoſe Authority? nay, and which is worſt of all,… if that Infant-Baptiſm may be deem'd to be a Divine Rite, or an Ordinance of God, ſith 'tis not recorded in the Scripture, nor practiſed in the Apoſtles Time, it renders not only the Goſpel-Church weak and imperfect, but Chriſt himſelf unfaithful, or leſs faithful than Moſes, who was but the Servant, and yet leſt nothing dark or unwritten which God commanded him, but did do every thing exactly according to the Patern ſhewed him in the Moun….
Nay, and by the ſame Argument (since Infant-Baptiſm was not inſtituted by Chriſt, no… practiſed in the Primitive Church) and yet may be admitted as a Divine Ordinance of Chriſt, and ſo practiſed by Chriſtians▪ why may not all, or many other Rites and Sacraments owned and maintained in the Romiſh Church, be admitted alſo? But,
Object. I have heard ſome ſay, Is it my where forbid?
Anſw. To which I anſwer, where are ſuch things as Croſſings, Salt, Spittle, and Sureties, &c. forbid? At this Door what Inventions and Innovations may not come in, or be admitted, of ſuch a dangerous Conſequence is this, that it would undo us all!
Object. But ſay you at that time, i. e. at the firſt preaching the Goſpel and planting Churches, Adult Perſons were baptized only becauſe they were before they believed either Jews or Heathens; but when they believed and were baptized, their Children had a right to Baptiſm likewiſe.
Anſw. This is ſoon ſaid, but hardly, nay not at all to be proved. For it cannot be their Childrens right without Authority or Command from Chriſt: for if we ſhould grant all our Brethren ſay concerning Abraham's Seed, and of their Childrens being in Covenant, this will not juſtify their Practice of baptizing them, if they argue thus till Dooms-day, except Chriſt hath left them a Precept, or his Church a Precedent so to do; for Abraham's Seed, though they were ſuch a thouſand times over, had no right to Circumciſion until he received the word of Command to circumciſe them from the great God. Nor had Lot, and other godly Men in that day, any right to that Ceremony who were not of Abraham's Family, becauſe God limited his Command to himſelf, his Sons, and Servants, or ſuch who were bought with Mony, and ſo came into his Houſe.
Secondly, We deſ…re it may be conſidered that the Hiſtory we have of the Goſpel-Church in the Apoſtles days from the firſt planting of the Church at Jeruſalem, till St. John received his Revelations, contains more than …ifty Years, and there was no …ewer than three thouſand Perſons baptized at once in that firſt Church; ſo that we may conclude there were many thouſands of Believers who doubtleſs had many Children born unto them during the time of the Goſpel … in the Hiſtory we have recorded in the New Teſtament, and yet we read not of one of their Children upon the account of federal Holineſs, and their Parents covenanting with God, baptized; and can any be ſo blind as to think the holy God would have left this thing ſo in the dark without the leaſt hint or intimation, had it been any of his Mind or Counſel that Believers Seed should be baptized? I am ſure they cannot say it, without reflecting upon the Faithfulneſs, Care, and Wiſdom of God.