Confirmation and Restoration Necessary Means, Proposition 14 – Proposition 15
Prop. 14. Though in Receiving Adult perſons out of Infidelity by Baptiſm into the Church; a ſudden Profeſſion without any ſtay to ſee their Reformation, may ſerve tu…n; yet in the receiving thoſe that were Baptized heretofore, into the Number of Adult-members, or to the Priviledges of ſuch, their lives muſt be enquired after, which muſt be ſuch as do not confute their Profeſſion.
VVE find in Scripture, that the Converted were ſuddenly Baptized, and they ſtayed not for any Reformation of life to go before. Indeed the Ancient Chrches aferwards kept their Catechumens long in expectation; but that was not to ſee their lives firſt reformed, but that they might have time to teach them the Doctrine of Chriſt, which they muſt know before they could be Converts indeed. The Apoſtles did ſuddenly Baptize, converted Jews and Proſelites,Leg. quae habet Grotius Diſcuſ. Apol. Rivet. p. 235. Cum antecedent…h. ex Anti…. & de ſuis. becauſe they had ſo much preparatory knowledg, as that a ſhorter teaching might acquaint them with the Chriſtian doctrine. But the Heathens muſt belong in learning ſo much as the Jews knew before Converſion.
Yet if the Catechumens did fall into groſs ſinne in time of their expectation and learning, they were ſo much the longer delayed, becauſe it ſignifyed, that their firſt profeſſed deſires of entering into the Church, upon Chriſts terms, were not right.
But the Baptized ſtand upon other terms: For 1. They are already in Covenant with God the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt; and have renounced the fleſh, the world, and the Devil, and promiſed obedience to God, and to live according to their Covenant. And this the Church hath ſtill required of them, as I ſhewed out of Juſtin Martyr,and others before*Read the whole order of Baptiſm in Dionyſius ibid. c. 4. Dionyſius (or whoever elſe) in lib: de Hierarch Eccleſ.ſaith, Ipſe autem ſe omnino ea quae tradentur, ſequuturum eſſe pollicetur: And Ex eo praeterea quaerit, num ita inſtituat vivere, cum promiſit aſſeverationibus, &c. upon which ſaithAlbaspinaeus, Quia ſcilicet fidem Chriſtianam, Chriſtianumque vivendi genus, & mores, ſeſe complexos perſequnturiſque jucabant, antequam baptizarentur. (in Tertul.de Paenit. pag. 289.) & Poſtea. Non accedebant ad Baptiſmum niſi de rebus fidei plane inſtructi, id eſt, de Dei magnitudine, & poteſtate rebuſque quae in Evangeliis continentur, uno excepto Euchariſtiae myſterio; neque baptizabantur, niſi poſt quam ea omnia ſe credere juraſſent, quorum fides a fide poenitentiae incipiebat,&c. Et in ſequ. Jucabant in Baptiſmo ſolennibus verbis, ſe nunquam*That is not to turn to an ungodly life, but to endeavour and perform ſincere obedience. Albaſpin. in Tertul. de Paenintent. cap. 7. Sexcent… locis, non dicam hoc capite; unam ait tantum a lavacro veniam ſupereſſe, neque ullam primis illis temporibus inter privatam aut publicam graviorum criminum diſcrimen invenient. Vide caetera. peccaturos; deinde renunciabant Diabolo & pompis ejus. Denique Cenſurâ, ſi peccarent poſt baptiſmum coercebantur.So that men that are engaged in covenant with God, muſt keep Covenant, or manifeſt themſelves Penitent, for the violation of it, before they are admitted to further Priviledges. There is a long time, in which they grow up from an Infant-ſtate to an Adult; and how they live in that time, muſt be enquired after.
2. Otherwiſe the Apoſtate would have equal Acceptance and Priviledges with the Faithfull.
3. And ſo Penitence and Abſolution would be excluded and confounded with meer Confirmation.
4. Moreover the Baptized are obliged to be reſponſible for their lives, being under the Government of Chriſts Miniſters, and among his Saints.
5. For the ſake of their own Souls, and of the Church and Ordinances, we muſt endeavour to preſerve them from Corruption, which lying Profeſſions would introduce; and therefore muſt not overlook, or neglect ſuch Evidence as is within our reach.
6. Elſe Miniſters that are by office to judg of their Profeſſion, would be unfaithfull Judges, and forfeit their truſt, if they ſhall wilfully neglect any Evidence within their cogniſance, by which they may be enabled to judge.
But yet it is not the certainty of inward ſaving Grace, that we muſt find out by mens lives; for no man can have ſuch certainty of another: but only that their lives be not ſuch, as Null and Invalidate, and confute their Profeſſion, and they live not in the perfidious violation of their Baptiſmal Covenant.
Prop. 15. It is not of flat Neceſſity that the Profeſſion of the Expectant be made in the open Congregation, or before many, in order to his Confirmation and Admittance.
PRoved, 1. It is not of Neceſſity, that Converted Infidels be admitted by Baptiſm into the ſtate of Adult-members, upon a Publique Profeſſion in a Congregation: therefore it is not of Neceſſity, that others be ſo admitted in Confirmation. The Antecedent is proved by the inſtance of the Eunuch, Acts 8. whom Philip Baptized in their way, and the Jaylour and his houſhold, Acts 16. Baptzed in the night at home. The Conſequence is proved by the propriety of reaſon and caſe.
2. If a man may by Confirmation be admitted into the Number of Adult Chriſtians, in the Church Univerſal, without being admitted into a particular Church, then his Profeſſion and Admiſſion need not (in that caſe) to be before the Congregation: But the Antecedent is true: as I prove thus. A man may by Adult Baptiſm, be admitted firſt into the Univerſal Church only: (As was the Eunuch, the Jaylour, Lydia, Sergius Paulus, and every firſt Convert in any City, where the Apoſtles came:) Therefore a man may by Confirmation be admitted into the Number of the Adult, in the Catholick Church only: For the reaſon is the ſame, and the former admitteth them into the ſame number.
The Conſequence of the Major is plain. For no one Congregation more then another, can claim the cogniſance of the Admiſſion of a member into the Univerſal Church, or Confirming them in it.
3. Scripture hath no where made ſuch Publique Admiſſion to be of conſtant Neceſſity: therefore it is not ſo.
4. Elſe none could be Admitted, or Confirmed when perſecution hindereth Church Aſſemblies.
5. The Church is to believe and truſt the Paſtours, to whom it doth by office belong to try and admit them.
6. General unfixed Miniſters may thus try, approve, and confirm, who are not Paſtours of any particular Church: (ſuch as Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, and others were:) therefore they are not alwaies to do it before a particular Church: Nor indeed did they alway do ſo.