The Life and Death of Sir Henry Vane, Part 2
Concerning BAPTISM, he writes thus.
THere are several Baptismes spoken of in the New Testament, and the Doctrine concerning them hath been so dark and mysterious, that there is little yet extant in the Writings of men concerning the same, that carries with it satisfaction.
There are two general tearms, under which all Baptismes mentioned in the New Testament, seem to be comprehended; that is to say, Of Water and of the holy Ghost and Fire.
Water Baptism is twofold, and so also the Baptism of the holy Ghost, There is a figurative outward Water Baptism, and a real or inward. In the first sense, it is an Institution which doth appoint the outward, man to be washed in Water, thereby to signifie the proper effect and operation of that washing with Water by the Word; which causes a renovation or restauration of man by his repentance from dead workes, and return to the service of the living God, in amendment of Life.
By this inward Baptism and real work of the Spirit on the hearts of men, they are but cleansed from the filthiness and pollution of their corrupted Nature, not regenerated and altered from their first make and constitution, that is attended with instability and liableness to apostacy.
`There is also a twofold outward Water Baptism mentioned.
1. Iohn's Water Baptism, which was the onelyonly outward sign that accompanied his Ministry, the Ordinance of that time and season, to prepare the way for Christ's coming in the flesh, and to signify the proper effect which his first appearance, as God manifested in flesh, was to have upon the hearts and natures of men, consisting chiefly in these two particulars, Repentance from dead Works, and Amendment of Life.
2. The second outward Water Baptism, was that which Christ himself instituted and committed to his disciples in his Life time, as the outward sign that was to accompany their first ministry, when he employed them much in the same nature as Iohn was, sending them before his face, as labourers into the harvest, to all places whither he himself afterwards intended to come.
Both these Administrations had their Known Administrators, and were dispensations, proper to that season they were ordained in, to prepare the minds of People to receive Christ in his first appearance, or coming in the flesh, and the fruits flowing there-from, in amendment of Life.
The inward or real Water Baptism, consisting in the washing of man's nature by the Word, unto Repentance and Amendment of Life, is capable of being administred three wayes, or by a threefold hand.
1. By the Ministry, Hand, or Tongue of Men, as by Iohn Baptist, through the preaching of the written Word.
2. By the Word as spoken by Angels, whereby inward abilities and dispositions are wrought in the minds of men, in some sort answerable to what is required by the Law of the first Covenant. Thus the Law is given by the disposition of Angels.
3. By the Word, as spoken by the Son himself, in his first appearance, Heb. 1. 2. which is yet but the preparatory work to the Baptism of the holy Ghost and of Fire.
The Baptism of the holy Ghost is either, a Baptism of Gifts onelyonly, or also of Fire.
1. The first is that wherewith the earthly man is capable to be Baptized, through the pouring out of the Gifts of the holy Ghost.
2 The second is that whereby the natural or earthly man is Baptized into conformity with Christ in his death, and is made to grow up into the incorruptible form of heavenly manhood.
Of these four Baptisms,
The two Water Baptisms have served their season, and are gone off the Stage.
The single Baptism of Gifts, or first Baptism of the holy Ghost, hath been of late somewhat remarkable amongst us; and the Baptism of the holy Ghost and of Fire is hastening upon us, as a general dispensation, wherein the Vision of God will be so plain, that he that runs may read it.
The declining of the two Water Baptisms, deprives not the Saints of these times of the true use of that Ordinance, which is kept up in the third, and comprehends all that is now useful in the other two, in a more heavenly and Spiritual way, leading us yet forward to the end they all aim at, which is the very thing it self, contained in the fourth and last Baptism, that of Fire.
So much in brief of his Judgement as to Baptisms.
He was for Breaking of Bread in a way of Christian communion, and any other useful Observations, could he have found them practicable in the Primitive Apostolical purity, spirit, and way, which what hopes he had of, in any visible Form allowed by man, while the true Church is in the Wilderness, cannot be difficult to conjecture.
Such Meetings as he found to approach nearest to the Apostolical Order, (as to liberty of Prophesying one by one, &c. 1 Cor. 14. 31.) he most approved, and frequented.