Light Broke Forth in Wales Expelling Darkness, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Proving that Jeſus Chriſt hath not commanded Infants to be baptized; in Anſwer to what Mr. Owen affirms in the ſixth Chapter of his Book, concerning Chriſt's Commiſſion, Mat. 28. 19, 20.
YOU begin with the words of Chriſt's Commiſſion, Mat. 28. 19, 20. thinking that he hath there commanded Infants to be baptized. We will read the words of the Commiſſion, viz. Go ye therefore, and teach all Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt: Teaching them to obſerve all things that I have commanded you, &c.
In theſe words, you ſay, Chriſt commandeth, 1. To teach the Nations. 2. To baptize them. 3. To teach them.
Here is; ſay you, a twofold Teaching, one before Baptiſm, the other after Baptiſm, unto the Adult among the unbelieving Gentiles: Teaching precedes Baptiſm, but to the Children of ſuch Baptiſm preceded Teaching; in the ſame manner as Abraham, being the Father of the Gentiles, was taught before circumciſed, but his Children were circumciſed before they were taught.This youſay is the Signification of the word, as appeareth.
Anſw. 1. I anſwer, you would have the form of the Commiſſion to run according to your Scriptureleſs Practice of baptizing of Infants, as you call Sprinkling; but that the Commiſſion is wreſted and abuſed by you to ſerve your turn, will appear,
1. They that are the only Subjects of Baptiſm according to the Commiſſion, are, firſt to be taught, or, as the Greek word is, diſcipled, or made Diſciples, and then baptized: and I will appeal to your Conſcience, whether they are not the ſame Perſons that were to be taught before baptized, that our Lord commands to be taught afterwards all other things that he hath commanded baptized Believers to obſerve and keep. You would have the Parents converted from Heatheniſm to be taught before baptized, but the Teaching afterwards not to refer to them, but to their Children baptized before taught, or in their Infancy. O what abominable Abuſe is this of the great Commiſſion of our bleſſed Saviour!
1. The Commiſſion runs, Teach them in all Nations, whether Jews or Gentiles.
2. Baptizing them that are taught, or made Diſciples by teaching.
3. Teaching them, i. e. the ſame them that were Diſciples, baptized.
Dare you invert, nay ſubvert the ſacred Commiſſion, and ſo make void the Command of God to uphold your own Tradition? Sir, tremble at the thoughts of it!
Anſw. 2. That this which we ſay is the true Purport of the Commiſſion, is acknowledged by Mr. Perkins, Mr. Baxter, and other Pedo-baptiſts. Take Mr. Perkins's own words, Firſt of all, ſaith he, 'tis ſaid, Teach them, that is, make them Diſciples by teaching them to believe and repent: here, ſaith he, we are to conſider the Order which God obſerves in making a Covenant with Men in Baptiſm. Firſt of all, he calls them by his Word and Spirit to believe and repent; then in the ſecond place, he makes a Promiſe of Mercy and Forgiveneſs, and thereby he ſeals his Promiſe by Baptiſm: They, ſays he, that know not, nor conſider this Order which God uſed in covenanting with them in Baptiſm, deal prepoſterouſly, overſlipping the Commandment of repenting and believing, which is the cauſe of ſo much Profaneneſs in the World.
Doubtleſs he ſaid right; for you who baptize Infants that are not capable to repent nor believe, make a multitude of profane Chriſtians in the World, as they are called: Who knows which of the Infants you baptize God will call, and ſavingly work Grace in, which ſhould indeed be wrought in all, before they are, according to the direct Order or From of the Commiſſion, or ought to be baptized? O what profane Wretches doth your Practice bring into your Church, if all you baptize you make Members thereof in their Infancy! Mr. Perkins doubtleſs did not foreſee how by his honeſt Expoſition of the Commiſſion he overthrew his Infant-Baptiſm and Church-Memberſhip. Moreover, take Mr. Richard Baxter's words, ſpeaking of the Commiſſion Chriſt gave to his Diſciples, Mat. 28. 19, 20, viz.
Their firſt Task (ſaith he) is to make Diſciples of them, which are by Mark called Believers.
The ſecond work is to baptize them, whereto is annexed the Promiſe of Salvation.
The third work is to teach them (that are baptized Believers) all other things which are after to be learned in the School of Chriſt. To contemn this Order (ſaith he) is to contemn the Rules of Order; for where can we find it if not here? See Mr. Baxter's Right of Baptiſm,pag. 144, 150.
This Man, tho a Pedo-baptiſt, yet durſt not be ſo bold as to invert the Order of the Commiſſion, nor do as you do, viz. affirm the Teaching mentioned after Baptiſm, refers not to Believers baptized after they are made Diſciples, but to their Infants baptized, of which the Commiſſion ſpeaks not one word, nor can it by any colour of Reaſon or Conſequences be drawn therefrom. But to prove your falſe Expoſition of the Text, you proceed to do it, Firſt from God's Promiſe to Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, that in their Seed ſhould all the Nations of the Earth be bleſſed, Gen. 18. 18. & 22. 18. Chriſt came, ſay you, to confirm the Promiſe unto the Fathers, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his Mercy, Rom. 15. 8, 9. If God is not a God to the Gentiles and their Seed, according to the Promiſes made to the Fathers, then, ſay you; Chriſt weakeneth and not confirmeth the Promiſes: God forbid we ſhould think ſo, &c.
Anſw. 1. God forbid that you ſhould reſt always under ſuch dark and cloudy Conceptions of the Covenant and Promiſes made to the Fathers touching the Gentiles; for the Covenant and Promiſes made to Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob were, that the Gentiles, through Faith in Chriſt, ſhould be Fellow-heirs with the Jews that believed in him, and with the …s that b…ed alſo. And thus runs the Covenant of Grace to Abraham, &c. and thus it runs to believing Gentiles, that all of them, and their Children that believe, or are in the Election of Grace, ſhall be ſaved: And 'tis thus that all the Nations of the Earth are bleſſed in Chriſt, whether Jews or Gentiles, i. e. all ſuch in all Nations that believe, and are called by the preaching of the Goſpel.
2. But becauſe Chriſt's Church does not now in Goſpeldays take in whole Nations and whole Families, as the Jewiſh Church under the Law did take in the whole Nation of the Jews, and all their Families, doth Chriſt weaken the Promiſes? Sir, that external Legal Covenant erected a Typical Church, which Church ceaſed at the Eſtabliſhment of the Spiritual Church, which is only Congregational under the Goſpel, as I fully proved before.
But furthermore; You ſay, the Apoſtles underſtood Chriſt's Command unto them in this ſenſe, and therefore they have preached Salvation to thoſe that believed, and all theirs, &c.
Anſw. The Apoſtles underſtood Chriſt's Command and Commiſſion no doubt, but it appears you underſtand it not. Did they preach Salvation to Believers, and to all their Children, as ſuch, whether elected or not, called by the Word or Spirit, or not? For this you muſt prove, or you ſay nothing; and how abſurd would that be ſhould you affirm any ſuch thing? Peter ſpeaks of no Promiſe made to Jews nor Gentiles, and to their Children, but to ſuch of them that the Lord our God ſhall call. And 'tis directly ſaid that the Goaler and all his believed; therefore if you will ſtill affirm, that the Apoſtles apply'd, as you intimate, Abraham's Covenant among the Gentiles unto the Seed, the fleſhly Seed of Believers, as ſuch, you do aſſert an Untruth, and caſt a Lie upon the Apoſtles through your Ignorance. Prove, if you can, they were to baptize any Perſon, Adult or others, that believed not, or made not a Confeſſion of their Faith. Children, you ſay, are part of the Nations; for if the Apoſtles were to baptize all Nations, then they were to baptize Infants alſo, for Children are a great part of the Nations, near one half.
Anſw. 1. 'Tis evident that our Saviour in his great Commiſſion, enjoineth no more to be baptized but ſuch who are firſt taught, or made Diſciples, and this agrees with his own Practice; John 4. 1. He made and baptized more Diſciples than John: he firſt made them Diſciples, and then baptized them; nor were there any in the New Teſtament baptized, but ſuch who firſt made a Profeſſion of Faith in Chriſt. Do you read that thoſe Jews, Acts 2. that believed and were baptized, were commanded to baptize their Infants, or that any other baptized Believers among either Jews or Gentiles were commanded ſo to do? or have we no perfect Rule left us in the Goſpel? for ſo it will follow if the Infants of Believers ought to be baptized.
2. If the Commiſſion be ſo extenſive as you affirm, then all the Heathens and Pagans in all Nations that believe not, are to be baptized, and all their Children too, and all Unbelievers Children in Chriſtian Nations. Sir, are not theſe part of the Nations? Noble Britains! ſee the nature of the Pedo-baptiſts Conſequences and Inferences for baptizing Infants. This Inference proves that all People and Nations in the whole World ought to be baptized from the Commiſſion: But I will, as I once did to another Miniſter, appeal to Mr. Owen's Conſcience, as he will anſwer it at Chriſt's Tribunal, Whether he believes the Commiſſion authorizeth Chriſt's Diſciples to baptize any but ſuch who are firſt taught, and made Diſciples, whom St. Mark calls Believers, repeating the words of the ſame Commiſſion, Mark 1…. 16.
3. Sir, are the Infants of Believers near one half part of the Nations? I am afraid you are miſtaken, this is the way to make Chriſt's Flock a great Flock; but the truth is, you have as much Reaſon to aſſert all the Infants of Heathens, Pagans and Unbelievers are to be baptized from the Commiſſions, as the Infants of Believers, and then it may be as you ſay, viz. they may be near one half of all Nations. But to proceed. Sir, you ſay,
When God threatens to cut off the Nations from before the Iſraelites, the Children were included; for the Children were not ſpared any more than the Fathers. On the other ſide, ſay you, when Chriſt commandeth to baptize the Nations for their Salvation, he meaneth the Children as well as their Parents. If a Man would command a Shepherd to ſhear all his Sheep, and to ſet on them an Ear-mark to know them from other Sheep; altho the Shepherd had ſheared the Sheep and marked them, if he leaves out the Lambs without marking of them, he performeth not his Duty: If he ſays to the Maſter, the Lambs were too young for ſhearing, true ſaith the Maſter, but they were not too young for marking, you ought to mark them, for they are a great part of my Flock.
If little Children, ſay you, cannot receive Inſtruction, they can receive Chriſt's Mark, even Baptiſm, by which Chriſt's Sheep are divided from the Goats of the Devil: The Church of Chriſt is his Flock, is there no Lambs in this Flock? Chriſt is the good and faithful Shepherd, who giveth his Life for his Flock, John. 10. 11. and will he not care for his Lambs and Weaklings of his Flock? yea certainly he ſhall gather the Lambs with his Arms, and carry them in his Boſom, &c.
Anſw. 1. I anſwer; 'tis a bold Aſſertion from your Inference and abſurd Conſequence, drawn from the Commiſſion (as I have ſhewed) to affirm, when Chriſt commandeth to baptize the Nations, that he meaneth Children, viz. because they are part of the Nations, but I have anſwered that already; when Children do believe, they ought from the Commiſſion to be baptized, but not till then.
2. As to your Similitude, 'tis much the ſame with that Mr. Burkit, a Pedo-baptiſt, hath in his Book which I lately anſwered. I will recite my Anſwer to him, which fully anſwers you both, and all others who talk after this ra…e; he argues from the Commiſſion as you do. Take his Words and my Anſwer in order, viz.
The true Reaſon, ſaith he, why Chriſt bid his Diſciples firſt teach and then baptize, was becauſe he was ſending his Apoſtles forth among the Heathens to convert them to Chriſtianity; in which work we all know, that preaching of the Word muſt go before the Adminiſtration of the Sacraments.
Should, ſaith he, the King of England ſend his Miniſters into Foreign Plantations to convert the Indians to Chriſtianity, they ought not to be baptized before they are taught and inſtructed; but when the Parents are proſelyted, and make a viſible Profeſſion of their Faith, their Children may be baptized, and afterwards inſtructed; as the Children of the Jewiſh Proſelytes were firſt circumciſed, and then taught: For tho Abraham was firſt taught and then circumciſed, yet Iſaac was firſt circumciſed and then taught: ſo that the ſenſe of our Saviour is this, Teach ſuch as are capable of teaching, and baptize ſuch as are capable of Baptiſm.
Anſw. 1. I anſwer, firſt, how inconſiſtent is this with the words of the Commiſſion? By virtue of the Commiſſion none ought to be baptized but ſuch that are firſt taught, or do believe; and therefore ſome Pedo-baptiſts pretend that Infants have Habitual Faith, Faith in ſemine, &c. but you plead they may be capable of Baptiſm without Faith, and alſo contradict the Order of Words in the Commiſſion. Do you not confeſſ by the Order of the Words in the Commiſſion, Teaching ought to go before Baptizing? Sirs, 'tis a ſign of a very bad Cauſe that puts you thus to try your Wits, and after all confound your ſelves.
2. I ask you how Abraham (whom God commanded to be circumciſed, as a Seal of the Righteouſneſs of that Faith HE had before circumciſed) could know he ought to circumciſe his Son Iſaac, &c. who had no ſuch Faith, had not God given him an expreſs Command to do it? Beſure if he had, he had ſinned in doing that which God commanded him not. So, and in like manner, ſince our Lord Jeſus expreſly in his Commiſſion, commanded none to be baptized, but ſuch who are firſt taught, unleſs he had added, as in Abraham's caſe, viz. when an Heathen is converted to the Chriſtian Faith and baptized, you may baptize his Infants alſo; How dare you make ſuch Additions to Chriſt's Commiſſion without his Authority, and ſo make the World believe, if you could, our bleſſed Saviour gave forth an imperfect Commiſſion to his Diſciples, which all Men muſt confeſſ is the only Warrant and Rule of all Miniſters to act by in the caſe of baptizing to the End of the World? And doth he not ſay, Add thou not to his Word, leſt he reprove thee, and thou art ſound to be a Liar; by fathering that on Chriſt which he never ſaid nor intended?
When a King, ſay you, by his Charter or publick Writing ſets at liberty the Inhabitants of ſome Town, are not the Children Partakers of the Charter altho their Names be not particularly in it? So, it is here, the King of Heaven is through the Charter of the Goſpel, making of us, that were Strangers and Foreigners, to become Fellow-Citizens with the Saints, Eph. 2. 19. and to that end commanding to receive all Nations through Baptiſm into the Liberty and Privileges of the City of God; and will he not receive the Children into the Privileges of their Parents?
Anſw. I anſwer, if it be ſo, as you ſay, in all National States, Governments and Conſtitutions, and Civil Societies, what doth this prove touching the caſe in hand, unleſs you dare undertake to affirm, the Goſpel-Church is National and not Congregational? Doth the Conſtitution of the Spiritual Goſpel-Church run as in Human and National Conſtitutions? Prove it, for I utterly deny it. Beſides, if your Infants, as ſuch, are Fellow-Citizens with the Saints, and are to partake of all the Privileges of the City of God, why do you deny them the Lord's-Supper? your Similitude proves no more their right to Baptiſm, to one Privilege than another. I never yet could underſtand what Spiritual or Temporal Privileges any Infant receives in Baptiſm: What good doth that do them that have not the Things ſignified in Baptiſm? There are great Benefits received in ſuch a Grant you ſpeak of in an external Charter; but as God hath not commanded Infants to be baptized, ſo not any Benefits can be proved they receive thereby. In this you argue as Mr. Burkit hath done before you. Reader, take his Similitude, viz. I demand, ſaith he, whether, according to the Mind of God gathered from the words of the Commiſſion, the Remedy preſcribed ſhould be adminiſtred only to grown Perſons, becauſe they only are capable of underſtanding and believing the Virtue and Efficacy of it? Sure every Rational Man among you would conclude his Child capable of the Remedy as well as himſelf, altho ignorant of the Virtue that is in it, and only paſſive in the Adminiſtration of it; and that it would be Cruelty, yea Murder in the Parent to deny the Application of it to all his Children.
Reply. I ſtand amazed at ſuch Ignorance and Folly! Does it follow, becauſe Children are capable to receive a Medicine againſt the Plague, or Bodily Diſtemper, are they therefore capable of Baptiſm and the Lord's Supper? If capable of one, ſay I, of the other alſo: For as a Man is required to examine himſelf, and to diſcern the Lord's Body in the Lord's Supper, ſo he is required to repent and to believe in Chriſt that comes to Baptiſm.
I would know how they prove Baptiſm to be the Medicine appointed to cure the Soul of the Plague of Sin (or, as Mr. Owen ſays, for their Salvation)? Is not this to blind the Eyes of the poor People, and make them think that an external Ordinance ſaves the Soul? if not thus, how can it be Cruelty, yea Murder in Parents to deny the Application of Baptiſm to their Children (as Mr. Burkit ſays)? The Antient Fathers from that in John 6. 53. Unleſs a Man eat the Fleſh of the Son of Man, and drink his Blood, he hath no Life in him, gave Infants the Lord's Supper, thinking our Saviour (like as the Papiſts do) meant that Sacrament, when indeed he meant only of ſeeding by Faith on Chriſt crucified. But however, their Argument for giving Infants one Sacrament, was as good as yours for giving them the other. But when they are as capable to repent and believe, and are helped ſo to do, as they are, and do eat Bread, or receive a Medicine for a Bodily Diſtemper, let them have both Baptiſm and the Lord's-Supper; and till then, if God's Word be the Rule of our Faith and Practice, (and not our own Fancies) they ought to have neither: yet the Remedy or Medicine, which is Chriſt's Blood, we deny not but dying Infants may be capable of, tho the way of its Application we know not as to them, that is a Secret as to us. You know the Church of England poſitively affirms, Repentance, whereby a Perſon for ſakes Sin; and Faith, whereby he ſtedſaſtly believes the Promiſe of God made to him in that Sacrament, are required of thoſe that are to be baptized, nay and of little Babes too; therefore the Sureties anſwer for them, that they do believe and repent, or forſake the Devil and all his Works, &c. the Child anſwers by Proxy. The Church of England baptizes no Child but as a Believer, and a true Penitent Perſon. All that are proper Subjects of Baptiſm are comprehended in the Commiſſion, and muſt be as ſuch, whether Adult or Infants, who profeſs Faith and Repentance. But you, it may be, foreſaw the Snake in the Graſs, viz. That Godfathers and Godmothers is a Tradition, and none of God's Appointment; nor are they able to perform thoſe things for the Child which they promiſe for him, and in his Name: And therefore make uſe of another Argument, and would have them baptized without Faith, or upon their Parents Faith, of which the Church of England ſpeaks nothing.
As to your Compariſon it is not worth mentioning: Baptiſm, as I have told you, doth not cure the Soul of Sin, or ſave any Perſon, but it's the Blood of Chriſt applied by Faith. Not that we ſay no Child can have the Benefit of that Soveraign Remedy, becauſe not capable to believe, by reaſon Men and Women muſt receive it by Faith, or periſh.
God, as Dr. Taylor obſerves, may have many ways to magnify his Grace, through Jeſus Chriſt, to them, which we know not of, who die in their Infancy; yet have we no Authority to baptize them any more than to give them the Lord's-Supper.
Pedo-baptiſts talk at a ſtrange rate, as if they regarded not what they ſay or affirm, while they bring Similitudes to teach People to believe Baptiſm is the Balm to cure the Contagion of Sin, and as if the Application of it ſaved a little Babe from Hell, and they guilty of murdering the Souls of their Children who deny to baptize them. I had thought they would not have laid greater Streſs upon Childrens Baptiſm, than on Childrens Circumciſion, ſince they would fain have them run Parallel-wiſe.
Pray, what became of the Jews Female Infants, were they damned? and what became of their Male Infants, who died before eight days old? for they broke God's Law if they circumciſed them (tho ſick and like to die) if they were not full eight days old. Let ſuch bluſh for the ſake of their precious Souls, and take more care for the time to come, to what they write and preach.
I am grieved to ſee my bleſſed Maſter's great Commiſſion thus inverted and abuſed. Suppoſe the King ſhould ſend you with a Commiſſion into a remote Plantation, and command you to act and do exactly according to the expreſs words of the Commiſſion, not to add to it nor diminiſh from it, on pa… of being caſt out of his Favour, and incuring his Wrath and Curſe, durſt you do otherwiſe in any thing, under pretence it was his meaning; whereas he plainly and fully in his Commiſſion expreſſed in the Affirmative, how and what you ſhould do in all Matters and Things, and forbad you to add thereto? Read Rev. 22. 18. For I teſtify unto every Man that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this Book, If any Man ſhall add unto theſe things, God ſhall add unto him all the Plagues that are written in this Book. Who told you what you ſay is the ſenſe of our Saviour? Can any Man once think, ſince the Commiſſion of Chriſt is a pure Goſpel-Commiſſion, and contains meer poſitive Laws and Rules, no ways referring to, nor depending on the Law or Command God gave to Abraham, that what you ſay can be true, and the Concluſion ſafe, certain and warrantable? May not another ſay, with as good Authority, that our Saviour commands his Diſciples to baptize all Nations both Parents and Children too, whether they will or not, whether they believe or not, whether Jews or Gentiles, Turks or Pagans? I wonder you are not afraid who take liberty after this ſort, to ſport (as it were) and play with, invert, alter and add unto the ſacred Commiſſion of the jealous God, and great King of Heaven and Earth!
1. You confeſs Chriſt's Sheep came up from the waſhing, whereof every one bear Twins, and there is none barren among them; Cant. 6. 6. Let therefore the Lambs, ſay you, be waſhed, as they are a great part of the Flock.
I anſwer; Infants, as ſuch, by your own words cannot be Chriſt's Sheep, nor Lambs; for all his Sheep and Lambs that are waſhed are fruitful, and none are barren among them. Are Infants fruitful to Chriſt? Can they bring forth Twins? Sir, Metaphors go not on all four, (as we uſed to ſay); the Lambs of Chriſt, viz. weak and young Chriſtians, may be as fruitful in Holineſs as Sheep, viz. old experienced Chriſtians. But how can you prove Baptiſm waſhes your Infants from Sin? actual Sin they have none: Doth it waſh away Original Sin? dare you ſay that? The antient erring Fathers that brought it in, affirmed that Baptiſm did waſh away Original Sin in Infants; but do you believe that they ſpoke Truth in ſo ſaying? Chriſt's Lambs, you ſay, are capable to be fed by the Word and Sacrament. Are Infants capable to hear the Word, and partake of the Sacraments? If of one, of both. Sir, Chriſt's Lambs are new born Babes, not new born by Natural Generation, but by Regeneration, as I have ſhewed.
You ſay, that the Gentile Church ſhould not come ſhort of the Privileges of the old Jeruſalem, or Jewiſh Church; and that the deſolate hath more Children than ſhe that hath an Husband, Gal. 4. 27. and hence affirm, if Children of the Chriſtian Church enjoy not the Privilege of their Fathers, ſhe hath many leſs Children than the old Jeruſalem-Church had.
Anſw. I anſwer; the Gentile Church according to God's gracious Promiſe may be more than the Jewiſh was, when the Fulneſs of the Gentiles are come in, and yet no Infants Members of it.
Nay, there is ground to believe in the Primitive Times there were more converted among the Gentiles, than were amongſt the Jews; but ſtill I find you harp on the old String, i. e. that if the Goſpel-Church be not National, and enjoy as many outward and external Privileges as the Jewiſh did, her Privileges are leſs: but you conſider not the Nature, Quality and Glory of the Goſpel-Church, and wherein her Privileges excel the Legal Church of old Jeruſalem.
You ſay, when Chriſt commandeth to teach all Nations before baptized, and after that their baptizing, his meaning is, teach and baptize to plant the Church, and baptize and teach to continue the Church planted among the Gentiles.
Anſw. 1. I am grieved to think how bold you are in aſserting that to be Chriſt's meaning which you affirm, which can no ways be gathered from his Commiſſion, but 'tis directly contrary to the expreſs words thereof, and alſo to the Nature of the Goſpel-Church's Conſtitution. But you affirm what you pleaſe, and prove nothing.
2. It appears by your words, the Goſpel-Church in its firſt Conſtitution, or firſt planting, was by Regeneration, conſiſting only of believing Men and Women, baptized on the Profeſſion of their Faith, or after they were made Diſciples; but after its firſt Conſtitution, or firſt Plantation, it was to conſiſt of the Fleſhly or Carnal Seed, and ſo made National, yea and to be made up of whole Nations. Pray, Sir, ſince the great Commiſſion, Mat. 28. 19, 20. proves nothing of this, nor hath the Lord Jeſus given out another Commiſſion to nullify his firſt; What ground have you to affirm ſo preſumptuouſly any ſuch thing? Dare you add and diminiſh to God's Word, nay alter Chriſt's laſt Will and Teſtament in his grand Commiſſion? Tremble at the thoughts of what you endeavour to do! Sir, the New Teſtament about Church-Conſtitution, &c. is a perfect Rule to the End of the World; and as the firſt Goſpel-Church after Chriſt's Aſcenſion at Jeruſalem, was conſtituted, ſo ought all Churches to be conſtituted, and ſo to continue unto the ſecond coming of Chriſt. The Ordinances are to be kept, as to the Subject and Mode of Adminiſtration, as they were firſt delivered to the Saints: See 1 Cor. 11. 2. Now I praiſe you, Brethren, that you remember me in all things, and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you.
Therefore in direct Oppoſition to what you ſay in the cloſe of your ſixth Chapter, I affirm from the Authority of Chriſt's Commiſſion, and from the nature of the Conſtitution of the Goſpel-Church, that as Teaching went before Baptizing for the planting of the Church in the Primitive Time, ſo Teaching is to go before Baptizing in planting and continuing of the Church unto the End of the World; and that the Teaching that is mentioned in order of Words in the Commiſſion after Baptizing, doth not refer to Infants of Believers, or any other Infants; but, as Mr Baxter obſerves, to ſuch baptized Believers, who, after they were baptized, ought to be taught all other things in the School of Chriſt, which he commanded his Diſciples to obſerve, and to which, if they thus act, he ſubjoined his gracious Promiſe, Lo, I am with you always, to the End of the World; Mat. 28. 20.