Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 45 – Section 47
§. 45. Of the contrarie extremes of Papiſts and Anabaptiſts about the neceſſitie and efficacie of Baptiſme.
There are two extremes contrarie to the forenamed points about baptiſme.
One in the exceſſe, which is of Papiſts that attribute too much thereunto, and make it a plaine Idoll.
Another in the defect, of Anabaptiſts and Libertines, which Papiſts attribute too much to Baptiſme. Bellarm. de Bapt lib. 1. cap. 4.derogate too much from it, and make it an idle ceremonie.
| In two things doe Papiſts exceed, | 1. In the neceſſitie | Of Baptiſme. |
| 2. In the efficacie |
They make it ſo abſolutely neceſſary, as if any die vnbaptized he cannot be ſaued: which doome they paſſe againſt infants, though they be depriued thereof without any fault of their owne, yea or of their parents, being ſtill borne. A mercileſſe ſentence without any warrant of Gods word: yea againſt his word & againſt the order which he hath preſcribed. He hath eſtabliſhed Gen. 17. 7.his couenant, & promiſed to be the God of the faithfull & of their ſeed: on which ground S. Peter ſaith, The promiſe is vntounto Acts 2. 39.you & vntounto your children: & S. Paul ſaith, your children are holy. 1 Cor. 7. 14.Shall all theſe priuiledges be made void by an ineuitable want Gen. 17. 12. Joſ. 5. 5.of baptiſme? if ſo, would God hauehave enioyned circumciſion (which to the Iewes was as baptiſme is to Chriſtians) to be put off to the eighth day, before which day many infants died? or would Moſes hauehave ſuffered it to be forborne all the time that the Iſraelites were in the wilderneſſe? If it be ſaid that baptiſme is more neceſſarie then circumciſion, I anſwer, the Scripture layeth no more neceſſitie vponupon it. If it were ſo neceſſarie as they make it, then the vertue of Chriſts death were leſſe effectuall ſince he was actually exhibited then before. For before it was effectuall for infants without a Sacrament, but belike not now. Had the ancient Churches conceiued ſo of the abſolute neceſſitie of baptiſme, they would not hauehave had ſet times for the adminiſtring thereof: nor ſuffered it to be put off ſo long as they did. aIn Theſſalia mos fuit vt paſchalibus tantùm d…ebus baptiſmus perageretur, Niceph. hiſt. lib. 12. cap. 34. Socrat. hiſt. lib. 5. cap. 22.Some Churches appointed it to be adminiſtred only at Eaſter. bNe quenquam Sacerdotes baptizent praeterquam in Paſc… a & Pentecoſle. L L. Pipi…. Carol. M. &c.Some at Eaſter and Whitſuntide. And though many who gaue euidence of their true faith died before they were baptized, yet cIuſtus quacun que morte praeuentus fuerit anima eius in refrigerio erit, dixit Ambr. Orat. de obit. Valent. Qui diem obij… antequam baptiſaretur.they did not thereupon iudge them to be damned. This practiſe and iudgement of the ancients hath made dRhem. annot. on Ioh. 3. 5.many Papiſts ſomewhat to mitigate that abſolute neceſſitie, and to ſay that, In this caſe, God which hath not bound his grace, in reſpect of his owne freedome, to any Sacrament, may and doth accept them as baptized, which either are martyred before they could be baptized, on elſe depart this life with vow and deſire to hauehave that Sacrament, but by ſome remedileſſe neceſſitie could not obtaine it. If remedileſſe neceſſitie can helpe the matter, what neceſſitie ſo remedileſſe, as for a childe to be ſtill borne.
Againe, they adde ſuch efficacie to baptiſme, as it giueth grace eEx opere operato, B… em. loc. citat.of the worke it ſelfe: wherein they equall it to the verie bloud of Chriſt; and take away the peculiar worke of the Spirit; and the vſe of faith, repentance, and ſuch like graces. What can there be more in the water of baptiſme, then was in the bloud of ſuch beaſts as were offered vp for ſacrifices? But it is not poſſible that the bloud of Buls and Goats ſhould take away ſin. Heb. 10. 4.They themſelues attribute no ſuch efficacie to the word preached, and yet they cannot ſhew where the holy Ghoſt hath giuen more vertue to baptiſme, then to the word. This text ioyneth them both together (that he might cleanſe it with 1 Cor. 1. 21. Rom. 1. 16.the waſhing of water through the word) What can be more ſaid of a meanes then that which is ſaid of the word? It pleaſed God by preaching to ſaue them that beleeue. The Goſpell is the power of God to ſaluation, &c.
On the other ſide, Anabaptiſts, and ſuch like Libertines, too Anabaptiſts extenuate baptiſme too much.lightly eſteeme this holy and neceſſary ordinance of God, in that they make it only a badge of our profeſſion, a note of difference betwixt the true and falſe Church, a ſigne of mutuall fellowſhip, a bare ſigne of ſpirituall grace, a reſemblance of mortification, regeneration, inſcition into Chriſt, with the like, but no more: Theſe indeed are ſome of the ends and vſes of Baptiſme: But in that they reſtraine all the efficacy thereof hereunto, they take away the greateſt comfort, and trueſt benefit which the Church reapeth thereby, as may be gathered out of the points noted *§. 41.before.
§. 46. Of the inward waſhing by Baptiſme.Ecce quia Chriſtus ſanctificat; ecce quia Chriſtus ipſo lauacro aquae in verbo vbi Miniſter videtur corporaliter operari ipſe abluit, ipſe mundat. Aug. contr. lit. Petil. l. 3. c. 49.
In that with this waſhing of water, Chriſt cleanſeth his Church, I obſerue that
Whoſoeuer are fully baptiſed are cleanſed from ſinne.
Fully, that is, powerfully and effectually, as well inwardly by the Spirit, as outwardly by the Miniſter.
Cleanſed, both from the guilt of ſinne by Chriſts bloud, and from the power of ſinne by the worke of his Spirit.
To this purpoſe tend the many emphaticall phraſes attributed by the Apoſtles to Baptiſme, as that we are baptiſed into Ieſus Chriſt, baptiſed into his death, buried with him by baptiſme; that Baptiſme doth ſaue vsus; that Baptiſme is the waſhing of regeneration, Rom. 6. 3, 4. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Tit. 3 5.with the like.
Vaine is the reioycing of many, who boaſt of their baptiſme, Vſe.and thinke themſelues by vertue thereof to be as good Chriſtians as the beſt, and yet liue and lie in their ſinne, being more beſmeered and defiled therewith then they were, when they were firſt borne. Iohn ſaith, Chriſt baptiſcth with the holy Ghoſt Matth. 3. 11.and with fire: the Apoſtle ſaith, Chriſt cleanſeth with the waſhing of water. If that fire of the holy Ghoſt burne not vp the droſſe of ſinne in thee, and this water waſh not away the filth of ſinne, thou wert neuer: fully baptiſed. It may be the hand of ſome Miniſter hath ſprinkled a little water on thy face, but Chriſts bloud hath not as yet beene ſprinkled on the ſoule: all the benefit which thou reapeſt by thy baptiſme is, that another day thou ſhalt dearely anſwer for the abuſe of ſo honourable an ordinance.
§. 47. Of ioyning the word with Baptiſme.
The other meanes of ſanctifying and cleanſing the Church here expreſſed, is the word. This being applied vntounto Baptiſme, and ioyned with it, muſt needs be meant of the promiſe of Grace ſealed vp in Baptiſme, which is Gods promiſe of iuſtifying vsus freely and ſanctifying vsus effectually, plainly made knowne and truly beleeued: This meanes being thus added to this Sacrament, we may well inferre that
It is neceſſary that the word and Baptiſme goe together: that Doct.where this Sacrament is adminiſtred, the doctrine thereof be truly, plainly, intelligibly taught, ſo as the nature, efficacy, end, and vſe thereof may be made knowne; and the couenant of God ſealed vp thereby, beleeued. So ſaith Chriſt, aMat. 28. 19.Goe teach all nations baptiſing them. So did the bLuk. 3. 3.Baptiſt, and the cAct. 2. 38. & 8. 12, 37. & 10. 47. & 16. 15, 33.Apoſtles, they preached the Goſpell to them whom they baptiſed.
1. A Sacrament without the word is but an idle ceremony: Reaſons. Detrahe verbum & quid eſt aqua niſi aqua? accedat verbum ad clementum & fit ſacramentum. Aug. in Ioh. 15. tract. 80.no more then a ſeale without a couenant: for it is the word that maketh knowne the couenant of God.
2. It is the word which maketh the greateſt difference betwixt the ſacramentall waſhing of water, and ordinary common waſhing.
3. By the word the ordinary creatures which we vſe are ſanctified, much more the holy ordinances of God, whereof Baptiſme is one of the principall.
Queſt. Is it not then lawfull to adminiſter Baptiſme without 1 Tim. 4. 5.a Sermon?
Anſw. Though it be a very commendable, and honourable manner of adminiſtring that Sacrament, then to adminiſter it when the word is preached, yet I thinke not a Sermon at that time to be ſo neceſſary, as it ſhould be vnlawfull without one, to adminiſter Baptiſme. For the ioyning of the word and Sacrament here ſpoken of is, that they who are baptiſed, or who preſent children to be baptiſed, and anſwer for them, or are preſent at the adminiſtring of Baptiſme, or liue in the places where it vſeth to be adminiſtred, ſhould be inſtructed in the Goſpell, and taught the couenant which Baptiſme ſealeth vp. Beſides, the liturgie and publike forme preſcribed for the adminiſtring of Baptiſme both in our Church and other reformed Churches, laieth downe the nature, efficacy, end, vſe, and other like points appertaining to that Sacrament, & plainly declareth the couenant of God ſealed vp thereby: ſo as in our and other like Churches where ſuch formes are preſcribed to be alwaies vſed, the word is neuer ſeparated from Baptiſme, though at the adminiſtring of Baptiſme there be no Sermon.
The Church of Rome doth directly tranſgreſſe againſt the Papiſts ioyne not the word and ſeale.forenamed rule of ioyning the word and Baptiſme together. For though they hauehave a publike forme preſcribed, yet it being in an vnknowne tongue, not vnderſtood of the people, nor expounded to them, it is all one as if there were no forme at all, no word at all: for that which is not vnderſtood is all one 1 Cor. 14. 9. &c.as if it were not vttered.
Much more hainous is their tranſgreſſion who liue vnderunder the Goſpell, where it is preached plainly to the vnderſtanding and capacity of the meaneſt, and yet are careleſſe in comming to it, or in attending vntounto it, and ſo remaine as ignorant as if they liued in places where the word is not preached at all, or in an vnknowne tongue. Such ignorant perſons if they were not baptiſed are not worthy while they remaine ſo ignorant to be baptiſed, nor yet to preſent their children to be baptiſed, or to be preſent at the baptiſme of others. As Miniſters that baptiſe ought to preach the word, ſo ought they who are baptiſed to be inſtructed in the word.