A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 37
CHAP. 37.
Of Baptiſme.
The Sacraments in ſpeciall, are
Baptiſme, wherein note the
Firſt, the
Deſcription.
Parts.
Perſons that are to receiue
They yt are of yeeres of diſcretion.
The children of the faithfull.
The Lords Supper. Chap. 38.
MATTH. chap. 3. verſ. 5. 6.
5. Then went out to him Hieruſalem, and all Iudea, and all the region round about Iordane,
6. And were baptized of him in Iordane, confeſſing their ſinnes.
MATTH. 28. 19.
19. Goe ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt.
Q. HOw many Sacraments are there?
A. To omit how many there were vnderunder the Law; vnderunder the Goſpell, there are but two onelyonly: viz. Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper.
Q. How may that be proued?
A. Firſt, becauſe we reade of no other Sacraments inſtituted by Chriſt in the new Teſtament, aMat. 3. 15. & 21. 25.but onelyonly theſe two.
Secondly, theſe two doe ſufficiently and fully ſeale vntounto vsus b1. Cor. 12. 13. & 10. 1. 2. 3. 1. Tim. 6. 8. Gal. 3. 27. 1. Cor. 10. 16.the couenant of grace, and all the benefits that God offereth therein; as our regeneration and ingrafting into Chriſt, and of our growth and continuance in him.
Thirdly, vnderunder the Law (when the number of Sacraments might hauehave been of more vſe), there were but two fixed and ordinarie Sacraments, viz. Circumciſion, and the Paſſeouer; vntounto which, Baptiſme; and the Lords Supper doe anſwere. And thoſe other Sacraments of the old Teſtament, which were temporarie and extraordinarie, hauehave alſo a correſpondence with theſe: for aGen. 7. 6.the paſſing the floud bExod. 14. 22.through the red ſea, and the cExod. 13 21.ſtaying vnderunder the cloud, were but a kind of Baptiſme. And Manna dExod. 16. 14. 15.from heauen, and water eIoh. 6. 31. Exod. 17. 6. 1. Cor. 19. 1. 2. 3.out of the Rocke, were but anſwerable to the Supper of the Lord.
Fourthly, Chriſt hath giuen precepts to his Miniſters for the aMat. 28. 19. 1. Cor. 11. 23.adminiſtring of theſe, and hath not appointed the adminiſtration of any other. Neither did Chriſt himſelfe partake of any other: therefore thoſe fiue other of the Church of Romes addition; viz. Matrimony, Orders, Penance, Confirmation, and extreame Vnction; the three firſt whereof, though they bee diuine ordinances, yet are not of the nature and number of Sacraments, and the two latter are meerly coyned by the Papiſts, as they are vſed by them.
Q. What is Baptiſme?
A. It is the firſt Sacrament of the Goſpell, wherein, Tit. 3. 5. Gal. 3. 17. Mat. 28. 19.by the waſhing or ſprinkling of our bodies with water, into the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt; our regeneration or new birth, or our entrance and ingrafting into Chriſt, & into the body of Chriſt (which is his Church) is repreſented and ſealed vntounto vsus.
Q. Why call you it the firſt Sacrament.
A. Becauſe our Sauiour Chriſt requireth of his Matth. 28. Exod. 12. 48.Diſciples, in that commiſſion which he gaue them to teach all nations; that after they hauehave taught men to beleeue, they ſhould bee baptized, and thereby (as it were) be enrolled amongſt thoſe of the houſhold of God; or entred into the number of the Citizens and burgeſſes of the heauenly Ieruſalem.
Secondly, to note an abuſe of the ancient Church, who vponupon an erroneous conceit, that thoſe which fell after Baptiſme, could not repent, and ſo bee ſaued, deferred Baptiſme till the houre of their death.
Thirdly, to note, that it ought to be adminiſtred but once onelyonly, at our firſt admittance into the viſible Church of Chriſt. For firſt, it is ſaid the Church continued Act. 2. 42.in prayer, and breaking of bread, not in baptizing. Secondly, it is a pledge of our new birth; now as a man being borne once, hath no need to be borne againe: ſo hee that is once baptized, needs not to bee baptized any more: and although (in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes) mention bee made of the doctrine of Baptiſmes; yet thereby is not meant that Chriſtians were then taught to be often baptized, but that they were to acknowledge and ſeeke for a double Baptiſme; the one outward of water, the other inward of the ſpirit; both which the faithfull receiue at one and the ſame time.
Q. Why is it required that we be baptized into the name Mat. 28. 19.of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost?
A. Becauſe by Baptiſme wee are conſecrated to Mat. 28. 19. Act. 11. 26. Gen. 48. 16. Eſa. 4. 1.God, to beare his name, as a wife beareth the name of her husband; or as a child beareth the name of his father.
Q. Is it neceſſarie that we that are baptized, ſhould bee ingrafted into Chriſt?
A. Yea: for being naturally, after the fall, cut off from God, wee muſt needs bee ingrafted into him againe as new plants, if we looke to liue by him euerlaſtingly.
Q. What force hath Baptiſme in this ingrafting?
A. It is a ſeale and a pledge of it, and not that, by which the ingrafting, or incorporation it ſelfe is effected; conſidering that wee are baptized, in the right onelyonly of being members of Chriſt before. Beſides, ordinarily ſuch of Gods elect, as are baptized at yeeres Mat. 3. 6. Act. 8. 36. 37. 38.of diſcretion, are (ſo farre as man can iudge) actually ingrafted into Chriſt, before they receiue this Sacrament: and ſuch of them as are baptized in their infancie (liuing till they come to yeeres of diſcretion), are ordinarily ingrafted into Chriſt afterwards, by the ſpirit, through faith, gotten by the hearing of Gods word.
Q. What fruit ariſeth from this ingrafting into Christ?
A. A new birth, of which alſo this Sacrament is a ſeale and pledge, and wherof we being once partakers, can neuer be depriued. Ioh. 3. 5.
Q. VVhat are the outward ſignes in Baptiſme?
A. Water, and the waſhing or couering with water the partie baptized.
Q. VVhat doth the water ſignifie and repreſent?
A. The ſpirit and the blood of Chriſt, applied by the ſpirit in the worke of our Regeneration.
Q. VVhat doth the waſhing or couering with water ſignifie?
A. Our Regeneration, and putting on of Chriſt, the couering of our ſinnes through the imputation of Gal. 3. 27.Chriſts death: our Righteouſneſſe by Chriſts obedience, Rom. 6. 3. 4. Coloſſ 2 12. 1. Cor. 10. 2.in the fulfilling of the Law. The buriall of the old Adam with our Sauiour Chriſt: and, as after the water is applied to the body, and it taken out of it, the body appeareth white and cleane, and (as it were) raiſed againe from the dead: ſo Gods ſpirit applying vntounto our ſoule the blood of Chriſt, by a liuely faith, worketh in vsus newneſſe of life: whence this Sacrament is called, the Baptiſme of Repentance. Mark. 1. 4.
Q. VVhat learne you hereby?
A. That although ſinne doth dwell in our mortall bodies, and many leaud motions riſe and rebell in vsus; yet if we be the children of God, we ſhall finde it mortified, by the death of our Sauiour Chriſt; and although we bee by nature ſluggiſh to good things, yet ſhall we find our ſelues quickened by him.
Q. VVhat perſons are to receiue this Sacrament?
A. All that by the Lawes of Charity, are to Act. 10. 47.be eſteemed within the Couenant of grace; of what nation, ſexe, or age ſoeuer.
Q. VVho are to be eſteemed to be within the couenant of grace?
A. Firſt, thoſe which (being of yeeres of diſcretion Mat. 3. 6. & 28. 29. Act 2. 41. Mark. 16. 10. Act. 8. 15. 37. & 10. 46. 47.) giuegive aſſent vntounto the doctrine of the Goſpell, and profeſſe faith, and repentance.
Q. How are thoſe that are at yeeres of diſcretion, to prepare themſelues to the receiuing of this Sacrament?
A. Firſt, they are to ſubmit themſelues to bee inſtructed in the aHeb. 6. 1.principles of religion, commonly called the Catechiſme. Secondly, they are to make ſolemne bMat. 3. 6. Act. 2. 41. Mat. 3. 6. Act. 8. 37.profeſſion of their faith, & confeſſion of their ſinnes, with faithfull promiſe to forſake them. Thirdly, As a teſtimony of their faith & vnfained repentance, after this they are to deſire Baptiſme, of them that hauehave the diſpenſation therof, and to procure the ſame, aſſoone as they can.
Q. Who elſe are to bee eſteemed within the couenant of grace, and conſequently to hauehave a title to Baptiſme?
A. The infants of thoſe Parents that are themſelues Act. 2. 39. Gen. 17. 7. Luk. 18. 16.within the Couenant, and hauehave been baptized.
Q. Is it neceſſarie that both the Parents bee in the Couenant?
A. No: it is ſufficient, for the intitling of the child 1. Cor. 7. 14.to baptiſme, if either of them be.
Q. How doe you proue that Infants are to be baptized?
A. There is the ſame vſe of Baptiſme vnderunder the Goſpell, that was of Circumciſion vnderunder the Law; and the Infants of Chriſtians are vnderunder the Couenant as well as theirs; and Baptiſme is a ſigne of the Couenant, as well as Circumciſion: if therefore aGen. 17. 12. Col. 2. 11. 12.Infants were circumciſed, and Baptiſme poſſeſſe the roome of Circumciſion, except there can bee ſhewed a ſpeciall prohibition or reſtraint in Gods word, it will follow that Infants alſo may be baptized. Further, the Apoſtles are ſaid to baptize aAct. 16. 15. & 18. 1. Cor. 1. 16.whole families, amongſt which it is ordinarie, that there be ſome children, and there is no reaſon to limit the words to them that are at yeeres. And this vſe hath continued in the Church ſince the Apoſtles times, and was neuer gainſaid by any but thoſe, that by the vniuerſal Church, hauehave been iudged hereticks.
Q. Is Baptiſme abſolutely neceſſarie to the ſaluation of Infants? or are we to iudge all thoſe damned that die vnbaptized?
A. Such a conceit is both vnchriſtian, and vncharitable, and without all ground, offering wrong to the grace of God, and the vertue of his Couenant, wherein he promiſeth that he will be the God of the faithful and their ſeed. And ſeeing this Sacrament is not the cauſe, but a teſtimonie and ſeale onelyonly of ſaluation; and the fault is not in the Infant, that hee is not baptized; and ſeeing in caſes of meere neceſſity, where there is no contempt of the means, but the party doth as much for the obtaining of them as he can doe, God doth not tie himſelfe to the meanes; but can (and often doth) giuegive the thing without the meanes: neither hauehave we herein more warrant, to iudge the Infants of Chriſtians damned, that (without any default of their owne) die without Baptiſme, then the Infants of the Iſraelites, that died before the eighth day, or whileſt they were in the wilderneſſe.
Q. What preparation is to bee required of Infants that are to be baptized?
A. None can be required of them, who in regard of age are but meere patients; but that which is to bee performed, is to be done of them that bring the child to Baptiſme, and that are preſent at the baptizing thereof.
Q. Who are they?
A. The Parent, or the reſt of the Church.
Q. What is the Parent to performe?
A. Firſt, hee is to conſider of the goodneſſe of God, that hath receiued not onelyonly himſelfe, but his Gen. 11. 17.child; and therefore to reioyce in this louelove and fauour of God; and then to confirme himſelfe in this hope, that as God hath quickened him after his Baptiſme; ſo will hee his child. Secondly, hee is to preſent 1. Sam. 1. 20. Luk. 1. 60. 63.the child. Thirdly, to giuegive, or to take order for the giuing of ſome ſuch name, as may put the child in remembrance of ſome good dutie, by the ſignification of it; or by ſetting before him in it, the example of ſome, whoſe faith and vertues are commended in the Scriptures. Fourthly, after Baptiſme, when the child Epheſ. 6. 4.is capable, he is to catechize, and to bring it vp in the feare and information of the Lord, or to procure it to bee done by others that are more able.
Q. What are the duties of the rest of the Church?
A. Firſt, to reioyce, and to giuegive thankes to God for the encreaſe of his Church. Secondly, to giuegive attendance to the doctrine, and to pray that the child may be made partaker of Chriſt and his benefits. Thirdly, when it commeth to age, to doe ſuch duties vntounto it, as one member oweth to another.