Gold Refined, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Proving Believers, or Adult Perſons, only to be the Subjects of Baptiſm, from Chriſt's great Commiſſion, Mat. 28.
WE having clearly evinced and proved what Baptiſm is, and that Rantiſm is not the Ordinance, 'tis clearly another Act; nor is Baptiſm any other thing than Immerging, Dipping, or Plunging the Body all over in Water: And this being ſo, we may from the whole infer, that all thoſe who have been only ſprinkled, whether as Children, or Adult, are all Unbaptized Perſons, and will certainly be ſo found in the Day of the Lord; let their Teachers affirm or ſay what they will for their calling it Baptiſm, does not make it to be ſo: for ſuppoſe the Jews, or the Off-spring of Abraham, to whom God commanded Circumciſion, inſtead of doing that Act, should have deviſed ſome other Thing in the room of it, as the pairing off the Nails of their Children at eight days old, and have given that Act the name of Circumciſion, would that have made it Circumciſion? And truly, they might have as good a Plea, no doubt, for ſuch an Invention, conſidering how dangerous and grievous a thing Circumciſion was to little Children, as the firſt Inventers of Sprinkling a little Water on the Face of a Babe could pretend unto, in changing Baptiſm into Rantiſm.
Now, in the next place it behoveth us to enquire, who or what kind of Perſons they are, that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath required to be baptized; and there is no better way certainly to know this, than to go to the great Commiſſion, Matth. 28 19, 10. All Power, ſaith Chriſt, is given to me in Heaven and Earth. Go ye therefore, teach all Nations, baptizing them, &c.
1. Firſt obſerve, that this Commiſſion was given forth by Chriſt, juſt as he came out of the Grave, or roſe from the Dead. Certainly what he said at other times, ſhould with all care be minded, he being the Son of God; but much more now at this time. If God ſhould have ſent a Saint from the Dead, to let us know what we should do, would we not give all diligent heed to him? but much more to Jeſus Chriſt.
2. In the ſecond place, eſpecially conſidering the Power and Authority he teſtifies the Father had given to him as Mediator, viz. to be Head and chief Governour of his Church; or King and Lawgiver in all Spiritual Things and Matters over the Souls and Conſciences of Men, all Power to diſpoſe of all things in Heaven and Earth, or Power over Men and Angels, i. e. Power to make and give forth Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances, how, and after what manner God ought by us to be worſhipped in Goſpeldays, a Power that is given to him alone, whoſe Laws and Appointments none have any Power to diſpenſe with, nor change or alter the Adminiſtration of to the end of the World; Go ye therefore, teach all Nations, baptizing them, &c.
3. Obſerve what is Antecedent to Baptiſm, Teach all Nations; there muſt be teaching, they muſt be firſt Taught, or made Diſciples, for the word foreign, as is well known and confeſs'd by all, doth ſignify, to diſcipulize, or make Diſciples, and next baptize them. And this alſo we find was his own practice, firſt to make Diſciples, and then to baptize them; John 4. 1, 2. Jeſus ('tis ſaid there) made and baptized more Diſciples than John; it is not rantize them, and then teach or make Diſciples of them, as the manner of ſome now-adays is, and for a long time has been.
Lord, that ever Men ſhould be ſo bold and preſumptuous, as once to attempt to alter or change any thing of this Holy or Great Commiſſion, or adventure to do Things contrary to what is given forth here by Jeſus Chriſt, as King and Law-giver of the New Teſtament. What will they ſay when God riſes up? What will they anſwer him when he viſiteth them? Job 31. 14.
4. Note the Extent of the Commiſſion here given by Chriſt to his Diſciples, Go teach all Nations, baptizing them, Mark 16. 15.Go into all Nations; or, as Mark has it, Into all the World, Eaſt as well as Weſt, North as well as South, into Cold Countries as well as Hot, and make Diſciples whereever you come, and Baptize them, &c. not Rantize them; not dip them in hot Climates, and sprinkle them in Cold.
5. Obſerve in whoſe Name they are required to baptize, viz. in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt; into the Name, ſo the Greek: In the Name doth not only import the naming of the Names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but in the Authority, and into the Profeſſion of the Bleſſed Trinity, of the one Divine Being, dedicating the Perſons baptized (saith our Annotators) to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt. But how dare any preſume to Rantize a Babe that is uncapable to be taught or made a Diſciple by teaching? In the Name of the Glorious Trinity, can they ſay and prove it, Chriſt hath given them any ſuch Authority? I am ſure they have no Warrant nor Authority ſo to do, from this Bleſſed Commiſſion of Jeſus Chriſt—It was by dipping of Adult Perſons then—But it was in an hot Country, Object.ſay our late Annotators, where at any time, without the danger of Perſons Lives, it might be ſo done.
Doth not our Bleſſed Saviour's Words immediately following fully anſwer this Objection,Anſw. and, lo I am with you always to the end of the World? Has not Chriſt Power to preſerve, protect, and uphold all ſuch Perſons which he commands to be Baptized? Nay, can we think Chriſt would inſtitute an Ordinance to deſtroy the Lives of any Perſons? Beſides, we know he has preſerved thouſands in this cold Climate; nay, and never did I hear of any one Perſon that received the leaſt Hurt or Damage by being Baptized according to the Commiſſion of Chriſt; though ſome have gone into the Water in the time of the great Froſt, and at other Times of bitter Froſt and Snow; nay, and Perſons very Aged, and of both Sexes, and ſome that have been very weak and ſickly—though our Adverſaries have falſly reported to the contrary. But can they be ſo … left to themſelves, to think this will be a good … for them, for changing this Ordinance of Jeſus Chriſt, when he comes to call all Men to an account? certainly they will find themſelves deceived.
But ſay our late Annotators, Pool's Annotat. on Mat. 28. 20.Where it might be, we judg it reaſonable, and moſt reſembling our burial with Chriſt, by Baptiſm into Death, but we can't think it neceſſary, for God loveth Mercy rather than Sacrifice.
Anſw. Sirs, wherefore do you judg it reaſonable, and not neceſſary? Is it not neceſſary for you to do what Chriſt hath commanded, and when at no time there is any danger of the Lives of Perſons? If you will follow your Maſter's Command, and only Baptize such who are made Diſciples, viz. believing Men and Women; is it not neceſſary for you to do Chriſt's Work, as Chriſt has required? Is it neceſſary you ſhould alter any of his Holy Laws, and make void one of the great Sacraments of the New Teſtament by your Traditions? I pray, my dear Brethren, conſider more ſeriouſly of it.
From hence it is evident, that thoſe who ought to be Baptized, are Diſciples, and none elſe; and that a Diſciple is one that is a Believer, one that is taught, or has learned of Chriſt; The Diſciples were firſt called Chriſtians in Antioch,Pool's Annotat. on Acts 11. 26. Acts 11. 26. Not only, ſay our Annotators, as Scholars were called amongſt the Greeks from their Maſters, viz. Platoniſts, Pythagor…ans, to teach us whom we profeſs to learn of, and be inſtructed by, but to mind us of our Unction, for Chriſtians are Anointed ones, 1 John 2. 2…. Such Diſciples are the true Subjects of Baptiſm.
Yea, Chriſt (saith Mr. Baxter) in his Commiſſion,Baxter on Confirmation and Reſtauration, pag. 27. directeth his Apoſtles to make Diſciples, and then baptize them, promiſing, That he that believeth, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved.
And in another Book of his, ſpeaking of the same Commiſſion,See Mr. Tomes's Book, call'd Felo de ſe. Baxter's Diſpute of Right to Sacraments, p. 149. This, ſaith he, is not like ſome occaſional mention of Baptiſm, but is the very Commiſſion it ſelf of Chriſt to his Diſciples, for Preaching and Baptizing, and purpoſely expreſſeth their ſeveral Works, in their ſeveral Places and Order.
Their firſt Taſk is, To make Diſciples, ſaith he, which are by Mark called Believers.
The ſecond Work is, To Baptize them; whereto is annexed the Promiſe of Salvation.
The third Work is,See Danvers on Baptiſm, p. 2, 3. To teach them all other things, which are after to be learned in the School of Chriſt. To contemn this Order, (saith he) is to contemn all Rules of Order: for where can we expect to find it, if not here? I profeſs my Conſcience is fully ſatisfied from this Text, that there is one ſort of Faith even Saving, that muſt go before Baptiſm, the profeſſion whereof the Miniſter muſt expect: What can any Baptiſt ſay more?
Let Mr. Baxter tell us what difference there is between contemning that Order Chriſt hath left in his great Commiſſion, and a direct derogating from it, or acting quite contrary to it: And is not this ſo, viz to Rantize or Sprinkle, inſtead of Baptize and Sprinkle firſt, before they are taught or made Diſciples? nay, and ſuch too, who are not capable to be taught or made Diſciples of: Is no… this to flight, iſ not to contemn Chriſt's Order in his Commiſſion? for ſith Chriſt appoints ſuch, that by Teaching are made Diſciples to be Baptized, he excludes all other the inſtitution of Chriſt in this his Commiſſion, being doubtleſs a perfect Rule; and thoſe who do otherwiſe, follow their own Inventions.
I find Mr. Danvers cites Mr. Perkins, Danvers Book of Baptiſm, p. 3, 4. Perkins.(I have not that Book of Mr. Perkins) ſpeaking to this purpoſe, on the words of the Commiſſion, Teach all Nations, baptizing them, &c. I explain theſe Terms, ſaith he, thus: Mark, firſt of all it is ſaid, Teach; that is, make Diſciples, by calling them to believe and repent. Here we are to conſider the Order which God obſerves in making with Men a Covenant in Baptiſm.
Firſt of all he calls them by his Word, and Commands to believe, and to repent. In the
Second place, God makes his Promiſe of Mercy and Forgiveneſs. And,
Thirdly, He Seals his Promiſe by Baptiſm. —They, ſaith he, that know not, nor conſider this Order which God uſed in Covenanting with them in Baptiſm, deal prepoſterouſly, over-slipping the Commandment of Repenting and Believing.
It appears to me as if God will ſometimes make Men ſpeak the Truth whether they will or no, and confirm his own bleſſed Order, though they contradict their own Practice thereby.
Paraeus (the ſame Perſon ſaith) upon Mat. 3. 5. ſhews,Paraeus. that the Order was, that Confeſſion as a Teſtimony of True Repentance go firſt, and then Baptiſm for Remiſſion of Sins afterwards.
What Commiſſion our Brethren have got, who sprinkle Children, I know not, let them fetch a thouſand Conſequences, and unwarrantable Suppoſitions for their Practice, it ſignifies nothing, if Chriſt has given them no Authority or Rule to do what they do in his Name. Natural Con…sequences from Scripture we allow, but ſuch which flow not naturally from any Scripture we deny; Can any think Chriſt would leave one of the great Sacraments of the New Teſtament, not to be proved without Conſequences. For I am sure there is no Baptiſm to be adminiſtred before the Profeſſion of Faith in the Commiſſion, nor no where elſe in Chriſt's New Teſtament; and that Faith is required in the ſecond place as pre-requiſite unto Baptiſm, is very plain from Mark 16. 16. They muſt be Believers, none are fit Subjects of Baptiſm, but they that believe, and are capable to believe; He that believeth, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved, &c. not he that is baptized, and then believes. Take heed you do not invert Chriſt's Order; and if there is no Baptiſm to be found in the New Teſtament to be practiſed before Faith, much leſs Sprinkling or Rantiſm is there required.