Truth Prevailing Against the Fiercest Opposition, Part 18
Your twentieth Conſideration for ſubſtance this: PEter being queſtioned for holding communion with Cornelius and his Company, by the Brethren of Jeruſalem, he juſtifieth it, by telling them, they had received the holy Ghoſt, as a teſtimony of their faith, and doth not ſo much as hint any thing of their Baptiſme in his juſtification, and with that account they were ſatisfied.
To which the Anſwer is ready: 1. It appeareth clearly, theſe perſons the Text ſpeaketh of, were baptiſed perſons, Acts 10.47, 48.
2. The Communion Peter had with them, was after their Baptiſme, for preſently upon the teſtimony of their faith, by Gods giving them the gift of the holy Ghoſt, Peter commanded them to be baptiſed in the Name of the Lord, which was the manner of Peter, and the reſt, in the courſe of their miniſtry.
Now if Mr. Goodwin could prove Peter broke bread with them between the time of their faith and Baptiſme, which is the matter Mr. Goodwin would prove lawfull by it, then it were ſomething to favour his cauſe, but not home to the point neither, becauſe an occaſional act with ſome few perſons will not juſtifie the conſtant proceedings of a Church.
But why doth Mr. Goodwin think, that this inſtance will prove mixt communion lawful?
Becauſe Peter in his juſtification, when queſtioned for eating with Cornelius, inſiſted onelyonly upon Cornelius, his having the holy Ghoſt, not his Baptiſme.
To which I anſwer 1. The Scriptures ſilence doth not prove, that he did not mention his Baptiſme, and inſiſt on it too, becauſe the Scriptures doth not contain all the Apoſtles ſayings, Acts 2.40. With many other words did he teſtifie and exhort, ſaying: So John the Baptiſt, Luke 3.18. with many other words.
2. There was no neceſſity upon Peter, for the juſtification of his eating with Cornelius, to mention his Baptiſme by name, though he could not have communion with him without it, becauſe in thoſe dayes, a beleiving perſon and a baptiſed perſon was preſumed the ſame.
Paul proveth they all beleived, becauſe they were baptiſed: Gal. 3.27.
And that 1. Becauſe by the Commiſſion of Chriſt all Beleivers were preſently to be baptiſed, Math. 28.19.
And 2. Becauſe none but ſuch was the regular ſubjects of it, Acts. 8.37.
And 3. Becauſe it was the conſtant practiſe of the Servants of God, to call the Beleivers to Baptiſme without delay, Acts 22.16. So that the Apoſtles and Brethren underſtood him ſufficiently, as to their Baptiſme, by telling them of their having the holy Ghoſt as a teſtimony of their faith. If they did not take that for granted, it muſt be, either becauſe they doubted his underſtanding of the Commiſſion of Chriſt, or elſe his faithfulneſs in executing it, or elſe their will to be baptiſed, but there was no cauſe to doubt either, nor Peters underſtanding the Commiſſion, or faithfulneſs in executing it, becauſe they had experience before of Peter, in the caſe of the three thouſand, Acts 2.41. who the ſame day that they gladly received the word were baptiſed; not their willingneſs,Acts 10.33 becauſe Cornelius was ſo ready to obey God in every thing, that he had but a few fellows, ſo that the mentioning of his Baptiſme would have been like a kind of an impertinency.
3. There was no neceſſity upon him to mention their Baptiſme by name, in his juſtification of eating with them, though he could not have communion with them without it.
Becauſe it is common both in Scripture language, and common converſe with men to include all appurtenances, in the mention onelyonly of ſome cheif part, ſee for this John 5.44. Galat. 3.23. Galat. 3.2. Roman. 10.8. Mat. 21.25. Acts 10.37. Johns Baptiſme put for his whole Miniſtry, Luke 7.30.
Calvin calleth Baptiſme an app…rtenance of faith, p. 207. of his Commentary of the Acts. And no doubt this language was well enough known and underſtoood by the Apoſtles and Elders, ſo that having mentioned the holy Ghoſts coming on them as a teſtimony of their faith, what need had he to draw it out in words at length, that they were baptiſed? and thus thou ſeeſt, good Reader, how Mr. Goodwin indulgeth every light appearance from the Scripture, being paſſionately deſirous to make that ſtrait which God hath made crooked.