Gold Refined, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Proving that Baptiſm is Dipping, Plunging, or Burying the whole Body in Water, In the Name, &c. from the Spiritual or Metaphorical ſignification of this Goſpel-Ordinance or Adminiſtration.
TO make it appear yet more fully, that Baptiſm is not ſprinkling, pouring, nor any other thing, than dipping, plunging, or covering of the Body in VVater, we ſhall proceed to examine what it was ordained for by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, to hold forth, or to be a Sign or Repreſentation of; for like as in the Holy Sacrament of the Supper, it behoveth us to know, what the breaking of the Bread, and pouring forth of the VVine ſignifies, or are Figures of; so in like manner we ought (with as great care) to endeavour to know what is held forth, or repreſented to us, as the Holy Signs of the Bleſſed Sacrament of Baptiſm; for as all true Chriſtians readily do confeſs and agree with us, that the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper is not, cannot be rightly nor truly adminiſtred, if the great Ends and Deſign of Jeſus Chriſt, in the Inſtitution of it, are not anſwered thereby, or▪ what it was ordained and appointed to ſignify, plainly held forth and repreſented in its adminiſtration; but it is contrarywiſe a great abuſe and prophanation of it; and from hence we, and all true Proteſtants, always ſay, Let us keep to the exact words of the Inſtitution, and manner of its firſt Celebration, that ſo the great Things ſignified, both by the breaking the Bread, and pouring forth the VVine, may clearly appear, and be repreſented in the Adminiſtration thereof.
Now then, this is that which we affirm, viz. That as the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was ordained to hold forth the breaking of Chriſt's Body, and the pouring forth of his Blood; So in like manner the Sacrament of Baptiſm was inſtituted and appointed, to hold forth Chriſt was really dead, buried, and that he aroſe again for our Juſtification. And that this is ſo, we shall not only prove it from the plain Authority of God's VVord, but by the joint Teſtimony of almoſt all famous VVriters and Divines we have met with, Ancient or Modern. And indeed we cannot but be much affected with the great Love and Goodneſs of our Bleſſed Saviour in the Inſtitution of theſe two great Ordinances, it being his gracious Deſign and Condeſcention, hereby to hold forth, or preach, as I may ſay, to the very ſight of our viſible Eyes by theſe fit and proper Mediums, the glorious Doctrine of his Death, Burial, and Reſurrection, which in the Miniſtration of the VVord, is preached or held forth to the hearing of our Ears, that ſo we might the better and more effectually be eſtabliſhed and grounded in the ſure and ſtedfaſt belief thereof; which is indeed abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation, as the Apoſtle doth plainly teſtify, 1 Cor. 15. 1. 2, 3, 4. Moreover, Brethren, I declare unto you the Goſpel which I preached unto you, which alſo you received, and wherein you ſtand, vers. 1.
By which alſo you are ſaved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unleſs ye have believed in vain, vers. 2.
For I delivered unto you firſt of all, that which I alſo received, how Chriſt died for our Sins, according to the Scripture, vers. 3.
And that he was buried, and that he roſe again the third day according to the Scriptures, vers. 4.
This being ſo, let none blame us for contending so earneſtly for this Ordinance according to the Primitive Purity, or its Original Glory, wherein, according to the gracious Deſign of Jeſus Chriſt we daily receive, in beholding the Adminiſtration of this Sacrament, (as well as in the Lord's Supper what is repreſented to us) ſuch a bleſſed eſtabliſhment in the Truth of the Doctrine of Chriſt's Death, Burial, and Reſurrection, as well as in many other Reſpects, the Profit and Use appears to us, no Ordinance being more ſignificant, or ordained upon more weighty and glorious Purpoſes and Deſigns: for certainly, if we conſider the grand Errors and Hereſies of the preſent Age, ſo boldly maintain'd amongſt us, (by thoſe deceived People who cry up the Light within to be the True Chriſt; or that the Light or Power in that Perſon, called Jeſus of Nazareth, diſtinct and apart from the Body that was Crucified, &c. is all the Chriſt they own) it will clearly convince us how gracious Chriſt was to appoint this Ordinance, beſides the Word to confirm us in the Belief, that the True Saviour was a Man, and that he did die, and was buried, and roſe again, which we ſee in a Figure repreſented before our Eyes, in the adminiſtration of this Ordinance, And that this is ſignified in Baptiſm, we ſhall now prove;
Firſt, From the Scripture.
Secondly, By the Conſent and Agreement of a Cloud of Witneſſes.
1. The firſt Scripture is Rom. 6. Therefore we are buried with Chriſt in Baptiſm: He ſeems,Pool's Annotat. ſay our late Annotators, to allude to the manner of Baptizing in thoſe warm Eaſtern Countries, which was to dip or plung the Party baptized, and as it were to bury him for a while under Water.
Cajetan, Cajetan.upon this place, ſaith, we are buried with him by Baptiſm into Death. By our Burying he declares our Death by the Ceremony of Baptiſm: becauſe he that is baptized is put under Water, and by this carries a Similitude of him that was buried, who was put under the Earth now, becauſe none are buried but dead Men—from this very thing that we are buried in Baptiſm, we are aſſimulated to Chriſt buried, or when he was buried.
The Aſſemblies Annotations on this place of Scripture ſay likewiſe thus,Aſſemblies Annotat. i. e. in this Phraſe the Apoſtle ſeemed to allude to the ancient manner of Baptizing, which was to dip the Party baptized, and as it were to bury them under Water for a while, and then raiſe them up again out of it, to repreſent the Burial of the Old Man and our Reſurrection to newneſs of Life: the ſame ſaith Diodat?
Tilenus, Tilenus in his Diſput. p. 886, 889 890. on Rom. 3. 4…a great Proteſtant Writer, ſpeaks fully in this caſe; Baptiſm, ſaith he, is the firſt Sacrament of the New Teſtament, inſtituted by Chriſt, in which there is an exact Analogy between the Sign and the Thing signified; the outward Rite in Baptiſm is threefold.
1. Immerſion into the Water.
2. Abiding under the Water.
3. A Reſurrection out of the Water.
The Form of Baptiſm, viz. internal and eſſential, is no other than the Analogical Proportion which the Signs keep with the Things ſignified thereby; for the Properties of the Water in waſhing away the Defilements of the Body, do in a moſt ſuitable Similitude ſet forth the Efficacy of Chriſt's Blood in blotting out of Sins; so dipping into the Water doth in a moſt lively Similitude ſet forth the Mortification of the old Man, and riſing out of the Water, the Vivification of the new Man: The ſame plunging into the Water, ſaith he, holds forth to us that horrible Gulf of Divine Juſtice, in which Chriſt, for our ſakes, was for a while in a manner ſwallowed up—abiding under the Water (how little time ſoever) denotes his Deſcent into Hell*Or Grave. even the very deepeſt of Lifeleſneſs, which lying in the ſealed or guarded Sepulchre, he was accounted as one dead; riſing out of the Water, holds forth to us a lively Similitude of that Conqueſt which this dead Man got over Death—in like manner, ſaith he, 'tis therefore meet that we being baptized into his Death and buried with him, ſhould riſe alſo with him, and ſo go on in a new Life.—
St. Ambroſe ſaith Water is that wherein the Body is plung'd to waſh all Sin away, Ambroſe.there all Sin is buried: we ſuppoſe he means 'tis a Sign of this, to ſhew that all Sin is buried.
Many other of the Ancient Fathers ſpeak to the ſame purpoſe,See Dr. Du Veil on Acts 2. as is obſerved by the famous Sir Norton Knatchbul in his Learned Notes printed at Oxford, 1677. (cited by Dr. Du Viel) the ſenſe and meaning of Peter (ſaith he) that Baptiſm, which now ſaves us by Water, that is, by the aſſiſtance of Water, and is Antitypical to the Ark of Noah, does not ſignifie the laying down the Filth of the Fleſh in the Water, but the Covenant of a good Conſcience towards God, while we are plung'd in the Water, which is the true uſe of Water in Baptiſm, thereby to teſtify our Belief in the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt; ſo that there is a manifeſt Antitheſis between theſe words by Water, and by the Reſurrection; Nor is the Elegancy of it diſpleaſing. As if he ſhould ſay, the Ark of Noah, not the Flood, was a Type of Baptiſm, and Baptiſm was an Antitype of the Ark, not as Baptiſm is a waſhing away the Filth of the Fleſh by Water, wherein it anſwers not at all to the Ark, but as it is the Covenant of a good Conſcience towards God by the Reſurrection of Chrſt, in the Belief of which Reſurrection we are ſaved, as they were ſaved by the Ark of Noah: For the Ark and Baptiſm were both a Type and Figure of the Reſurrection; ſo that the proper end of Baptiſm ought not to be underſtood as if it were a ſign of the waſhing away of Sin, altho it be thus oftentimes taken metonymically in the New Teſtament, and by the Fathers, but a particular ſignal of the Reſurrection by Faith in the Reſurrection of Chriſt, of which Baptiſm is a lively and emphatical Figure, as alſo was the Ark out of which Noah returned as from the Sepulcher to a new Life, and therefore not unaptly called by Philo, the Captain of the new Creature: And the Whales Belly out of which Jonas, after a burial of three days, was ſet at liberty: And the Cloud and the Red-Sea in which the People of Iſrael are ſaid to have been baptized; that is, not waſhed, but buried; for they were all Types of the ſame thing as Baptiſm, viz. not the waſhing away of Sin, but of the Death and Reſurrection of Chriſt, and our own; to which the Apoſtles, the Fathers, the Scholaſticks, and all Interpreters agree. The thing is so apparent as not to need any Teſtimonies. But becauſe there are not a few who do not vulgarly teach this Doctrine, it will not be ſuperfluous to produce ſome of theſe innumerable Teſtimonies, that I may not ſeem to ſpeak without Book; and firſt let us begin with St. Paul, Know ye not that ſo many of you that have been baptized into Chriſt, Rom. 6. 3, 4.were baptized into his Death? therefore we are buried with him in Baptiſm into Death, Col. 2. 12.&c. Elſe what ſhall they do that are baptized for the Dead, 1 Cor. 15. 29.if the Dead riſe not at all? As if he had ſaid, if there be no Reſurrection, Why are we baptized? In vain does the Church uſe the Symbol of Baptiſm if there be no Reſurrection. The like Teſtimonies frequently occur among the Fathers—*Ignat. Epiſt. ad Tral. id Epiſt. ad Philadelp. that believing in his Death we may be made Partakers of his Reſurrection by Baptiſm. Baptiſm was given in Memory of the Death of our Lord; we perform the Symbols of his Death and Reſurrection in Baptiſm.
We know but one ſaving Baptiſm, in regard there is but one Death for the World,Juſtin Martyr. and one Reſurrection from the Dead, of which Baptiſm is an Image.
Here Paul exclaiming,Baſil the Great. they paſs'd through the Sea, and were all baptized in the Cloud, and in the Sea†Baſil of Seleucia.; he calls Baptiſm the Paſſage of the Sea; for it was a flight of Death cauſed by the Water.
To be baptized,Chryſoſtom. Ambroſ. and ſo plunged, and to return up, and riſe out of the Water, is a Symbol of the deſcent into the Grave, and return from thence.
Baptiſm is a Pledg and Repreſentation of the Reſurrection‖Lactant. Bernard.; Baptiſm is an Earneſt of the Reſurrection; Immerſion is a Repreſentation of Death and Burial. Innumerable are the Teſtimonies which might be added. But theſe I think ſufficient to prove that Baptiſm is an Image of the Death and Reſurrection of Chriſt, (from hence we acknowledg the Myſtery of our Religion, his Deity and Humanity) and of all the Faithful who are baptized in his Faith, from Death to Sin, to newneſs of Life, which if they lead in this World, they have a moſt aſſured hope, that being dead they ſhall hereafter riſe to Glory with Chriſt:—Which things if ſo, what Affinity is to be ſeen between a Burial and a Waſhing, that Chriſtian Baptiſm should be thought to draw its Original from Jewiſh Lotions? for if it were true that the end of our Baptiſm were to ſignify a Waſhing, or Ablution; or if it were true, that the Jews of old did admit their Children or Proſelytes into their Church, by the adminiſtration of any diving, as it is aſſerted by many Learned Perſons of late Days; yet to prove that our Baptiſm is indeed an Image of Death, and Reſurrection, not of waſhing, enough hath been said. Thus far Sir Norton Knatchbul.
And indeed, what this great Man hath aſſerted, and clearly demonſtrated, doth fully detect our Brethren, who argue for their Childiſh Rantiſm, affirming, Though Dipping was the Baptiſm that was practiſed in the Primitive Time; yet it doth not from thence follow, that Dipping is eſſential to Baptiſm; they are the words of our late Annotators on Mat. 3. 6. The Reaſon they give is,See Continuat. of Pool's Annotat. on Mat. 3. 6. Becauſe, the waſhing of the Soul with the Blood of Chriſt, the thing, ſay they, ſignified by Baptiſm, being expreſſed by Sprinkling, or pouring Water, as well as by Dipping, or being buried in Water.
In Anſwer,St. Bernard. we ſay with St. Bernard, viz. Immerſion is a Repreſentation of Death and Burial.
But ſaith the famous Dr. Du-Veil, Dr. Du-Veil, on Acts 2. 38. p. 78. Aquinas.To ſubſtitute in the room of Immerſion, either Sprinkling, or any other way of applying Water to the Body to ſignify the ſame thing, is not in the Power of the Diſpenſers of God's Myſteries, or of the Church, for that, (saith he) as Thomas Aquinas excellently well obſerves, It belongs to the Signifier to determine what Sign is to be uſed for the ſignification; but God it is, who by things ſenſible, ſignifies Spiritual things in the Sacrament. To which let me add, Shall frail and ſilly Man ſeek out, or contrive new Rites, or Signs, having other ſignifications than ever the great Lawgiver appointed or intended, and call them by his Name, viz. Ordinances or Sacraments of Chriſt? Will God, I ſay, ever, think you, ſuffer any Man, to invent, out of his own Brains, new Signs or Symbols of Divine Goſpel-Myſteries, and father them upon him? What Ordinance hath he ordained to ſignify the ſprinkling of the Blood of Chriſt? this cannot cer…ainly ſtand with his Care, Wiſdom, and Faithfulneſs; you may as well, no doubt, and be as far juſtified, to contrive ſome other proper and fit Signs or Figures of other Goſpel-Myſteries, and call them Sacraments of Chriſt, as to change his Holy Inſtitution of Immerſion, or Dipping, deſigned and ordained by him, chiefly as it moſt clearly appears to repreſent his Death, Burial, and Reſurrection into Sprinkling, or Pouring, and make it repreſent waſhing in, or ſprinkling with the Blood of Chriſt, and then ſay, and not bluſh, It may ſerve as well.
Object. But do you not acknowledg Baptiſm to ſignify our being waſhed in the Blood of Chriſt?
Anſw. In Anſwer to this, we do ſay, in a more remote ſenſe, Baptiſm doth hold forth our being waſhed or bathed in Chriſt's Blood, which we doubt not but is ſignified in that of Titus 3. 5. by the waſhing of Regeneration; and in Heb. 10. 22. Yet certainly Sir Norton Knatchbul is in the right, The proper end of Baptiſm, ſaith he, ought not to be underſtood, as if it were a Sign of the waſhing away of Sin, although it be often-times taken thus Metonymically in the New Teſtament. This therefore, we ſay, Waſhing is not at all the main or principal thing, or ſuch as is immediately, or primarily, but only remotely, and ſecondarily signified thereby. But the Death, Burial, and Reſurrection of Chriſt, which is the Riſe and Root, the Original and Meritorious Cauſe of all the Good we partake of, is the principal Thing signified hereby. But what advantage is it to you that are only for Rantiſm, for us to own Waſhing is ſignified by Baptiſm, ſith Sprinkling can, as you uſe it, in no proper manner repreſent Waſhing? But ſuppoſe it did anſwer in that, yet it cannot be Baptiſm, becauſe it cannot, nor does it in any reſpect repreſent the Death, Burial, and Reſurrection of Chriſt; nor our death to Sin, and riſing again in a Figure, to walk in newneſs of Life; which Baptiſm we have ſhewed was appointed to do, and therefore can be no other but Immerſion, Dipping and Plunging, or covering the Body in Water, which doth reſemble, and moſt lively hold forth the Things ſignified thereby to our ſight.
Yea theſe Matters, viz. Chriſt's Death, Burial, and Reſurrection, are the cardinal or great Things to be conſidered; for as in the Lord's Supper remotely many Things may be signified to us, yet all the Things cannot plainly be repreſented to our Eyes; but ſuch Things that are the more immediate Significations of it are the proper Cauſe of all the reſt, viz. Chriſt Crucified, and our feeding on him by Faith, or the breaking of his Body, and the pouring forth of his Blood, are moſt lively ſet forth and repreſented to our viſible ſight: So in Baptiſm likewiſe, the main and more immediate Significations, which are the Death, Burial, and Reſurrection of our Bleſſed Saviour, with our death unto Sin, and vivification to a new Life, is clearly reſembled, though the Fruit of his Death, and Remiſſion of Sin, and Purging, &c. are conſequently gathered from it alſo.
Calvin ſaith,Calvin. l. 4. c. 16. Baptiſmum eſſe ſepulturam, in quum nulli mſi jam mortui mortuo tradendi ſunt; i. e. That Baptiſm is a form or way of Burial, and none but ſuch as are already dead to Sin, or have repented from dead Works, are to be buried.
Alſo Learned Zanchy, Zanchy.I find, writes thus on Col. 2. 12. Of Regeneration, ſaith he, there are two parts, Mortification and Vivification, that is called a Burial with Chriſt, this a Reſurrection with Chriſt; the Sacrament of both theſe, ſaith he, is Baptiſm, in which we are overwhelmed or buried, and after that do come forth and riſe again: It may not be ſaid truly, but ſacramentally, of all that are Baptized, that they are buried with Chriſt, and raiſed with him, but only of ſuch as have true Faith.
Now we may appeal to all the World, whether Zanchy doth not clearly and evidently teſtify the ſame thing which we aſſert, viz. that Baptiſm is and can be no other than Immerſion, or Dipping, ſith Sprinkling, all muſt confeſs, doth not repreſent, in a lively Figure, the Burial and Reſurrection of Chriſt, nor our dying, or being dead to Sin, and Vivification to Newneſs of Life, saith he, Sacramentally, i. e. Analogically; and in reſpect of the near Reſemblance, yet truly to be buried with, and raiſed with Chriſt. This, we ſay, cannot be ſaid of them that are sprinkled only; for if in reſpect of Mortification, and Vivification, they may be denominated, buried, and raiſed with Chriſt, yet that outward Rite and Ceremony cannot of it ſelf denominate them ſo much as Sacramentally buried and raiſed with Chriſt, for there is not ſo much as any likeneſs of ſuch Things in it. But in true Baptiſm, viz total dipping the Body in Water, and raiſing it again, it is in a lively Figure held forth to our ſight.
Moreover Chryſoſtom ſaith that the old Man is buried and drowned in the Immerſion under Water;Chryſoſtom. and when the Baptized Perſon is afterwards raiſed up from the Water, it repreſents the Reſurrection of the new Man to newneſs of Life, and therefore concludes (saith my Author) that the contrary Cuſtom, being not only againſt Eccleſiaſtical Law, but againſt the Analogy and Myſtical Signification of the Sacrament, it is not to be complied with.
It has been too long, God grant Men Light to ſee their Error, and do ſo no more.Prim. Chriſtianity, p. 320.
Alſo Dr. Cave ſaith that the Party baptized was wholly immerged, or put under the Water, which was the almoſt conſtant and univerſal Cuſtom of thoſe Times, whereby they did moſt notably and ſignificantly expreſs the great Ends and Effects of Baptiſm; for, as in immerging there are in a manner three ſeveral Acts, the putting the Perſon into the Water, his abiding under the Water, and his riſing up again, thereby repreſenting Chriſt's Death, Burial, and Reſurrection; and in our Conformity thereunto, our dying to Sin, the deſtruction of its Power, and our Reſurrection to a new courſe of Life. By the Perſon's being put into the Water, was lively repreſented the putting off the Body of the Sins of the Fleſh, &c. by his being under it, which is a kind of Burial into Water, his entring into a ſtate of Death, or Mortification, like as Chriſt remained for ſome time under the State or Power of Death; therefore it is ſaid, as many as are baptized into Chriſt, are baptized into his Death, &c. And then, by his Emerſion, or riſing up out of the Water, is ſignified his entring upon the new courſe of Life; that like as Chriſt was raiſed by the Glory of the Father, so we ſhould wal… in newneſs of Life.
We are ſaid (saith Paraeus)Paraeus upon Urſi…, p. 375. to die, and to be buried with Chriſt in Baptiſm—and further shews, that the external Act of being buried in Water in Baptiſm, is a lively Emblem of the Internal Work of Regeneration.
This,Auſtin. ſaith Auguſtin, ſpeaking of theſe things, is by a Sacramental Metonimy, and the meaning of it is, not that one thing is changed really into another, but becauſe the Sign doth ſo lively reſemble the thing ſignified.
Thus all Men may ſee how the Learned agree with us, that theſe Scriptures do hold forth Baptiſm to be a lively Reſemblance of Chriſt's Death, Burial and Reſurrection, and not of the spiritual things ſignified only, viz. our Mortification of Sin, and riſing to Holineſs in a way of likeneſs to Chriſt's Death and Reſurrection, but alſo the outward Rite or Form of Adminiſtration of the Sign it ſelf—to be done in a way of likeneſs or lively Reſemblance to them both; ſo that either our Brethren and other Pedo-Baptiſts muſt deny the Apoſtle ſpeaks here at all of the Ordinance of Baptiſm, or elſe confeſs they have no Baptiſm; I mean none of Chriſt's Sacrament of Baptiſm, their's not anſwering nor repreſenting any ſuch things that Baptiſm was appointed to do, and ſtill does among thoſe Chriſtians and Churches who have it according to the Primitive Inſtitution reſtored to them, and practiſed by them.
We are, ſaith Mr. Leigh [buried with him in Baptiſm unto Death:] Baptiſm,Annotat. on Rom. 6. 4. ſaith he, is an Inſtrument not only of thy Death with Chriſt, which is the killing of Sin, but alſo of thy Burial with him, &c. He alludes to the manner in which Baptiſm was then adminiſtred, which was to plunge them in Water; the plunging of them into Water which were baptized, was a Sign of their Death and Burial with Chriſt.
Dr. Jer. Taylor, late Biſhop of Down, Dr. Taylor, in his Book of Proph. p. 242.in his Plea for the Baptiſts ſaith, This indeed is truly to be baptized, when it is both in the Symbol and in the Myſtery; whatſoever is leſs than this, is but the Symbol only, a meer Ceremony, an opus operatum, a dead Letter, an empty Shadow, an Inſtrument without an Agent to manage, or force to actuate it.