Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 4 · Chapter 15
Cap. 15. Of Baptiſme.
FIrſt hée ſpeaketh of the two ends of Baptiſme, of the firſt, from the 1. to the 12. of the laſt 13. Moreouer of the lawfull vſe thereof, and certaine other things that procéede thereof, from the 14. to the 22.
1 What Baptiſme is: it hath two endes, the firſt is, that it ſerue our faith with God,Mark. 16.16 and the ſame chiefly conſiſteth in thrée things, the firſt is, that it witneſſeth remiſſion of ſinnes.
2 What remiſſino of ſinnes hee approoueth by certaine places of Scripture.Ephe. 5.26 Baptiſme promiſeth no other clenſing, but by ſprinkling of the blood of Chriſt, which is figured by water.
3 Neither is it of things to come only,Rom. 3.25 but alſo of thinges paſt: but héere wee may not take leaue to ſinne afterwarde.
4 They which ſo diuide betwéene Baptiſme and Repentance, that they woulde aſſigne remiſſion of the former to Baptiſme, & the laſt to repentance, are fouly deceiued.
Rom. 6.35 The ſecond is, that we may vnderſtande that wée are grafted togeather with Chriſt into mortification & neweneſſe of life.
6 The thirde, that wée may knowe that we are ſo vnited in Chriſt,Matth. 3.13 that we might be partakers of all his goodneſſe: And the more plainely to approue theſe two laſt:Matth. 3.6 Luke. 3.16 firſt, he proueth that both are plaine and manifeſt, as well in the baptiſme of Iohn, as of the Apoſtles.
Acts. ….287 Moreouer to this ende the baptiſme of Iohn and the Apoſtles are one & the ſelfe ſame.
8 Neither maketh this any thing that more abundant grace of the ſpirite is powred out ſince the reſurrection of Chriſt, for the Baptiſme which the Apoſtles miniſtred while hée was on the earth, was called his, yet it had no larger plentifulneſſe, of the ſpirite then the Baptiſme of Iohn: yea, euen after his aſcention, the ſpirite was not giuen to the Samaritans aboue the common meaſure of the faithfull,Acts. 8.14 before the aſcention, although they were baptiſed in the name of Ieſus Chriſt,Matth. 3.11 till Peter and Iohn were ſent to lay handes vppon them.
9 Thirdly,1. Cor. 10.2 thoſe ſame are ſhadowed out to vsus in the people of Iſraell, by their paſſing ouer ye Sea, & refreſhing. The cloude was a ſigne of cleanſing for as then the Lord couered them with a cloude caſt ouer them, and gaue them refreſhing cold, leaſt they ſhould faint and pine away with ſo cruell burning of the Sunne: ſo in Baptiſme wée acknowledge our ſelues couered and defended with the blood of Chriſt,Num. 9.14 leaſt the ſeueritie of God, which is in déede an intollerable flame ſhoulde lye vppon vsus.
10 Wée may not agrée to thē which hauehave taught that we are deliuered by Baptiſme,Col. 5.19 from the corruptions of nature, and are reſtored to the ſame puritie of nature, which in the beginning Adam had before the fal. For the ſelfe ſame originall corruption remaineth.
11 And doth neuer ceaſſe in vsus, but continually worketh in vsus.
12 This laſt hée confirmeth both by example and teſtimony of ſcripture.
13 The other end of Baptiſme is to ſerue our confeſſion with mē, he ſheweth by what reaſon this is. Héerevnto had Paul reſpect,1. Cor. 1.2 when hee aſked the Corinthes, whether they had not béene baptized in the name of Chriſt: meaning that euen in this they were baptized into his name, if they vowed themſelues to him, ſwore to his name, bounde their faith to him before men, that they coulde confeſſe none other but Chriſt alone.
14 As touching this ſecond parte of the Chapter: firſt hee treateth of the vſe of Baptiſme,Rom. 7.14 14. 15. Moreouer of the vnworthineſſe, or worthineſſe of the miniſter, from the 16. to the 18. Thirdly of the Corruptions, wherwith this Sacrament hath beene defiled, 19. Laſt he ſheweth, to whom this adminiſtration belongeth, from the 20. to the 22.
14 As touching the firſt of theſe which are ſpoken of the ends of Baptiſme, hée taketh occaſion to teach what way we hauehave to vſe, and to take it firſt for confirmation of our faith.
15 Which he declareth by the example of Cornelius, and Paul: Moreouer,Acts. 10.4… for confeſſion of our faith.
16 There is nothing added or taken away from baptiſme, either by ye worthineſſe or vnworthineſſe of the miniſter: therefore they are not to bée baptized againe, which are baptized vnderunder popery. For Baptiſme is not in ye name of man, but in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt. Ioſias, Matth. 28.19and Ezechias when they had gathered out of Iſraell them that had departed from God, did not call them to a ſecond Circumciſion.
17 Neither is that argument ſtrong enough, which they ſéeme to draw as it were from the effectes, becauſe after Baptiſme we remaine certaine yéeres blinde, & vnbeléeuing, yet the promiſe it ſelfe continueth alwayes true and ſtedfaſt.
18 That ſame alſo is very weake which by the example of Paul they defende themſelues,Acts. 19.3 as though hée rebaptiſed certaine diſciples, which he ſheweth muſt otherwiſe bée vnderſtood, that is to ſay, the viſible grace of the ſpirite was giuen them by the laying on of handes, which may wel be expreſſed by the name of Baptiſme.
19 This ſacrament as touching the outwarde adminiſtration is manye waies and meruellouſly corrupted many ages agoe, with mens inuentions.
20 Of whome it ought to bée adminiſtred, that is to ſay, of the Miniſters of the Church, not by priuate men, or women,Gen. 17.10 & from whence this abuſe toke his force. There is no neceſſitie to driue any to the vſurping of that which belongeth not to them, for God promiſeth that hée will be a God to vsus, and to our ſéede after vsus.
21 Tertullian and Epiphanius hauehave not allowed this corruption: yea and wiſely doth impugne it.
22 The example of Sephora maketh nothing for them,Exo. 4.25 neither are infants depriued of the kingdome of heauen,Matth. 28.19 who paſſe out of this life before they are baptiſed, if contempt and negligence bée away. Sephoraes Circumciſing was not to doe ſeruice vntounto God: for ſéeing her ſonne in daunger, ſhee grudged and murmured, and not without ſtomaking, threwe the foreſkinne on the ground, and ſo taunted her huſbande, that ſhée was alſo angry with GOD, as appeareth by that ſhée ſayde ſhée was compelled to ſhed her ſonnes blood. It was alſo preſūptuous raſhneſſe, her huſbande being preſente to take it in hande. Again, it is vnlawfull to plucke aſunder thoſe thinges that God hath coupled.