Truth Prevailing Against the Fiercest Opposition, Part 10
Your eleventh Conſideration followeth, and for ſubſtance this: THat Baptiſme is no conſtituting principle of a true Church, yea probably, no part of Churchſhip, or the viſibility thereof, and that the Apoſtles did not ſo look upon it as being either. 1. Becauſe in his inſcription to the Churches, be mentioneth their ſanctification, calling to be Saints, &c. but not their Baptiſme. 2. It is not mentioned by way of commendation, either of Church or perſon, more than the obſervance of other Ordinances.
That Baptiſme is ſo eſſential to a right raiſed Church of Chriſt, that without it there can be none in the right order of the Goſpel, I have proved already in my Anſwer to your third Conſideration.
To the Reaſons you give, why the Apoſtles did not look upon the Baptiſme of the Churches as any part of their churchſhip or viſibility thereof, I ſhall now addreſs my ſelf to make anſwer: Your firſt is, becauſe in the inſcription of his Epiſtles to the Churches, he mentioneth their faith, with divers other things, but not their Baptiſme.
If this be ground to preſume, that the Apoſtles looked not upon their Baptiſme, as any part of their-churchſhip or viſibility thereof, then neither was their preaching, or hearing the Word, nor breaking bread, nor watching over one another, nor admonition in caſe of ſin, neither is the great duty of prayer, any part of their churchſhip or viſibility thereof, for there is none of all theſe mentioned by name in the inſcriptions of his Epiſtles to the Churches; but I know it is farre from Mr. Goodwin to ſay, that theſe duties were no part of their churchſhip or viſibility thereof, and if theſe were not, I marvell what were: This therefore is ſo farre from being a reaſon, that it hath ſcarce the appearance of one.
But 2. You ſay, it is not mentioned in Scripture by way of commendation more than other Ordinances.
Here Sir, but (with reſpect to your gravity, and my own obligation of reſpects to you) I muſt crave leave, for the truth ſake, to ſay, that our affirming there can be no true raiſed Church without Baptiſme, doth not force us to find, that Baptiſme muſt be commended in Scripture above other Ordinances, nothing lieth upon us, but to ſhew what ſervice Chriſt hath appointed it to, and not what preheminence of commendation the Scriptures give to it above other Ordinances; neither doth Chriſts choiſe of this Ordinance, for the ſervice we ſpeak of, neceſſarily imploy the ſuperexcellency of it above others; no more than faith, its juſtifying us and not love, proveth faith to be a more noble grace in the nature of it than love, love is ſaid to be greater than either faith or hope, 1 Corinth. 18.13. love being a giving grace, having the whole world for its object; but faith a receiving, yet notwithſtanding the honour of that high and excellent ſervice of our firſt juſtification is given to faith, and not to love, Rom. 5.1. Gal. 2.16.
So here, though Baptiſme ſhould be found a leſſe noble act of obedience than ſome others, yet it will not follow from thence, that its not the Ordinance of initiation into the viſible body of Chriſt. For a Souldier to behave himſelf worthily as a Souldier, more commendeth him to God and men than his liſting himſelf, yet is he not reputed a member of the Army without it: Let this therefore ſuffice to be ſpoken againſt all the inſinuations you give throughout your book againſt Baptiſmes, having the honour of entring perſons into the viſible body of Chriſt, becauſe of the meanneſs of it, leaſt you be found reproveable for objecting againſt Baptiſme for the bodies viſible incorporation, as the Jews was againſt faith for juſtification, becauſe to them works ſeemed more ſightly and agreeable to their reaſon.