Of Baptism, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Wherein is handled the fourth Question, propoſed to anſwer the argument drawne from Circumciſion, to wit, How farre the Iewes by vertue of their being the ſonnes of Abraham, could pretend to new Teſtament Ordinances, wherein alſo, beſides ſeverall others, that much agitated place is opened & conſidered of, Acts 2.38.39.
FOurth Queſtion: How farre the Iewes, by vertue of their being the ſonnes of Abraham, could pretend to new Teſtament ordinances; and if they by any ſuch birthright could not, then nor wee, by any ſuch birthright or carnall generation.
Firſt we will ſhew how farre they might pretend.
Secondly where the ſtop lay, and where they went equall with others. They had this great honour & advantage, that the Goſpel was firſt offered to them; the Iewes were brought neerer God then others, and therefore the advantage of the Ievv and circumciſion vvas much every vvay, becauſe to them vvere committed the oracles of God, Rom. 3.1.2. And this kind of diſpenſation God pleaſed to continue in the promulgation of the Goſpel, & therefore Chriſtin his firſt miſſion charged the Apoſtles, Not to goe into the vvay of the gentiles, nor into any city of the Samaritanes (which were as gentiles to them) but to the loſt ſheepe of the houſe of Iſrael, and preach the Goſpel to them, Matth. 10.5.6.7. This priority and advantage Paul mentions Rom. 2.10. Glory, honour and peace to every man that vvorketh good, to the Ievv firſt, and alſo to the Gentile; and after the aſcenſion of Chriſt in Peters effectuall ſermon, which was crowned with the converſion of 3000 ſoules, he keepes this method Acts 2.38.39. Then Peter ſaid unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Ieſus Chriſt, for the remiſsion of ſinnes, and ye ſhall receive the gift of the holy Ghoſt, for the promiſe is to you and to your children, and to all that are afarre of, even as many as the Lord our God ſhall call: In the way hee tooke to raiſe thoſe which were caſt downe, hee bids them, Repent and be baptized, that was the thing to be done on their parts, for their reſtoring and raiſing, of which hee tells them the effects; firſt the great and mayne one, that they ſhould receive remiſſion of ſinnes, and as a conſequence and earneſt as it were of this, proper for thoſe firſt times, they ſhould alſo receive the gift of the holy Ghoſt, that is, whereas they were amazed and wondered to ſee this befall the Apoſtles, why, ſaith hee, it is not to us alone, but to you alſo, that the prophecy and promiſe of Ioel foremētioned ℣. 16.17.18. is to be accommodated, yea to all who ever God ſhall call; but with this difference & by theſe degrees, that it is firſt to you which are Iewes, which are night, & then though you may wonder at it, to the gentiles alſo which are afarre of; and that you ſee in the event prooved a wonder, for it is ſaid Acts 10.45. that they of the circumciſion vvhichwhich beleeved vvere aſtoniſhed as many as came vvith Peter, becauſe that on the Gentiles alſo vvere povvred out the giftes of the holy Ghoſt. Now theſe gentiles are called afarre of, ſuitable to the expreſſion of Epheſ. 2.13. Yee, that is, the gentiles, vvho ſometimes vvere farre of, are made night by the blood of Chriſt; where the ſame expreſſions of nigh & farre of, are uſed that are here; now hee makes mention particularly of their children, (under which alſo he intends the childrē of the gentiles, when by calling they ſhould be made nigh) to accommodate to them more fully the mentioned place of Ioel; as if he ſhould ſay, thoſe are the laſt dayes, when this promiſe verſ. 16.17.18. is to be fullfilled, both to Iew and gentile, as a conſequence of their faith in the Meſſiah, that they ſhall receive that eminent gift of the holy Ghoſt, as a badge of their profeſſion, & the glory of God, by which they ſhall be able to doe ſuch thinges as wee have done, but with this difference, that according to what is foretold, the ſpirit will accommodate and vent it ſelf proportionable to their ſtates and capacity; ſome things are proper to old mē, they ſhall dreame dreames, others to young men, they ſhall ſee viſions, and according to the manner of their revelatiō, ſhall their gift be, and the venting of it by prophecy. But all, you and your childrē ſhall receive gifts of the holy Ghoſt, and ſo be made partakers of that illuſtrious promiſe: here therefore ye have that which might firſt and eſpecially comfort them, the remiſſion of their ſinnes, ſo as no man can object againſt Peter, for comforting them onelyonly with giftes.
Secondly as a conſequence of this, and as Chriſt elſewhere ſaith, a ſigne of them that beleeve, they ſhall have the ſame gift of the holy Ghoſt, both Iewes & Gentiles (in their order) that the Apoſtles had, & this ſhould be juſt accommodated according to the prophecy of Ioel to fathers and children, to young men & old, according to their proportions and capacities for prophecy.
Now that by the gift of the holy Ghoſt, and ſo conſequently the promiſe of Ioel, is meant abillity of ſpeaking tongues & prophecies, as it is cleare by the context in it ſelf, ſo according to the judgement of Calvin, who ſayes clearly, that this ought not to be underſtood of the grace of ſanctification, but of thoſe primitive gifts, vvhichwhich though vve novv receive not, yet vve have ſomething analogicall and proportionable to them.
Now as the gift was not the grace of ſanctification, ſo neither the promiſe by which it is made ours, for all gifts are ours by promiſe, this is the generall judgement of expoſiters, Proteſtant and others, and is moſt cleare by Acts 10.45.46. where ſayes hee, they of the circumciſion vvhichwhich beleeved, vvere aſtoniſhed, becauſe that on the gentiles alſo vvas povvred out the gift of the holy Ghoſt, for they heard them ſpeake vvith tongues &c. where the gift of the holy Ghoſt (the ſame words uſed that is here) is diſcribed by ſpeaking with tongues. Peter therefore calleth them that were pricked at their hearts, & were weary and heavy laden to repentance, and Baptiſme in the name of the Lord Ieſus, that they might receive and have ſealed up to them the remiſſion of ſinnes, which was the great thing they deſired, as a ſymbole and ſigne of which they ſhould partake alſo of the effect of that illuſtrious promiſe made in Ioel, and mentioned formerly, that they ſhould receive the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt; ſo as nothing could be ſpoken more to the harts of diſtreſſed men then this, nor nothing could more incourage them to repentance and Baptiſme, then the remiſſion of ſins ſealed to them in that ordinance, and yet more & further ſignified and ſealed by that famous promiſe of extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghoſt, which for that time, Chriſt himſelf made a ſigne and effect of beleeving to them that were nigh and farre of, that is, both to Iewes and Gentiles, and ſo you ſee the Iewes incouraged to repentance and Baptiſme, upon great, and noble, and moſt conſiderable grounds, with this diſtinction & difference, that the offer of all thoſe great things according to the way of God and the Goſpel, comes firſt to them, and after to them which are afarre of, that is, to the gentiles, who indeed were afarre of, being aliens and in the eſtimation of Peter, ſo farre, that God was forced to give him a particular viſion, as you ſhall heare Acts 10. to perſuade him to looke upon them as thoſe nigh.
And thus wee have what the Iew as a naturall ſonne of Abraham may pretend to Baptiſme, and new Teſtament ordinances, to wit, a priority in reſpect of the offer, whereby the way wee have taken occaſion to cleare that place that ſome have indeavored to bring to prove infant Baptiſme by, then which truely nothing ſeemes to be leſſe properly raiſed out of it.
The next conſiderable thing is, where the ſtop lyes, & where the Iewes goe equall with others. Now for that wee will conſider that place of Matt. 3. chap. ℣ſ. 7.8.9. VVhen hee ſavv many of the Phariſees and Sadduces come to his baptiſme, hee ſayd unto them, O generation of vipers, vvho hath vvarned you to flee from the vvrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruites meete for repentance. And thinke not to ſay vvithin your ſelves vve have Abraham to our father, for I ſay unto you, that God is able of theſe ſtones to raiſe up children unto Abraham. The Phariſees and Sadduces, men (eſpecially the Phariſees) ſtrict in their religion, come many of them to Iohns Baptiſme, upon this pretence and clayme, that they were deſcended from Abraham and were his children; that they come in this confidence and pretence, was manifeſt by what Iohn ſaid unto them: Luke hath it Luk. 3.8. Begin not to ſay vvithin your ſelves, that is, doe not take this ſubterfuge, to oppoſe to repentance, & change of heart, which onelyonly qualifies for Baptiſme, that you have Abraham to your father, Matthew ſayes, thinke not to ſay vvithin your ſelves, which notes a perſuaſion of a prerogative of carnall generation, that you have Abraham to your father; ſuch carnall and birth prerogatives ſtand you in no ſteed in this covenant, for of theſe ſtones God can raiſe up children to Abraham; that as when Iſaack was borne, who was the ſonne of promiſe, Abrahams body and Saraas wombe were dead as a ſtone; ſo thoſe which are now to be accounted the ſonnes of Abraham, God can raiſe from nothing, evē from ſtones, from the gentiles, which you deſpiſe, and for their hardnes, and diſtance, not in place, but in the knowledge of God, are as ſtones; of ſuch can God raiſe children to Abraham; for the ordinances I pretend to are not bottomed upon carnall generation, or priviledges, but thinges of another nature, namely true holynes, which is ſeene and manifeſted by the fruit it brings forth; Bring forth therefore fruit meete for repentance.
The next place conſiderable to this purpoſe is that Iohn, where hee ſhewes that this excellēt perſon the ſonne of God, that came to bring life & light, was rejected by the world, and after by his owne, not onelyonly the vvorld vvhichwhich hee had made, and in which he had ſhewed great & ſufficient evidences of himſelf, knevv him not, (by which the miſerable blindnes of corrupt nature appeares, they can doe nothing ſpirituall, but by a light of another kind then theirs is, to wit, ſpirituall and divine) But vvhen he came to his ovvne they received him not. The people of the Iewes were his peculiar; hee vvas in the vvorld, but hee came to them, that is, firſt hee preſented himſelf to them, they received him not, that is, though he were offered and ſhewed, they tooke him not to them, which ſhewes a great deale of mallice joyned to blindneſſe, by which they reſiſted the holy Spirit, offering to inlighten them by words and miracles; But leaſt Chriſt ſhould ſuffer as a perſon generally neglected and ſlighted, he tells you Chriſt came not in vayne, there were thoſe that received him, and made much of him, As many as received him; for now the hedge was pulled up, the partition wall brokē down; thoſe he magnifies wonderfully, they had this povver, that is, this dignity, this priviledge, as in the margent, given them to become the ſonnes of God; that is, though they were ſtrangers, and afarre of naturally, yet the honour of adoption was given them, to be made, & be the ſonnes of God. If you aſke now, but what was this receiving, or how came this about? Hee tells you this was effected by faith, by beleeving in his name.
But now whereas the faſhion of this world in adopting children, is to reſpect either the greatnes of their birth, or the excellency of their parts, or ſome glory of their actions, he tells you, nothing of all this mooved God, but his meere grace and will; which provoked him to doe this great good to the vyldeſt and unworthieſt, for ſayes hee, thoſe vvere borne not of bloods.
The Iewes pretended the dignity of their race, that they were the ſeede of Abraham, & becauſe they drew their originall from Abraham, by a ſeries of many ſucceſſions, & ſo they were more noble by their antiquity, therefore he ſayes, bloods; this blood (ſaith he) did them no good, and by conſequence the carnall generation from godly and juſt parents, will doe no good (ſimply conſidered) to intitle us to become the ſonnes of God, or conſequently to the ordināces, which ſeale up that ſonneſhip; therefore they vvere borne not of bloods, nor of the vvill of fleſh, nor of man, that is, no freewill, no reſolutions, no morall indeavours, though they ſhould ingage never ſo much, can effect this birth; Nor the vvill of man, no heroïcall workes, no excellency or dignity can effect this adoption, this title, but onelyonly God; this proceeds onelyonly from the will of God, Iames 1.18. Of his ovvne vvill bégate he us, by the vvord of truth, which (by the way) ſhould cauſe us to love God, who finding nothing in us, hath ſo freely loved us.
Here you ſee in the ſecond place, that in reſpect of adoption and ſonneſhip to God, of which baptiſme is eſpecially & in the firſt place a ſeale, the birth of bloods, the deſcending of ſuch parents, whether Iewes or gentiles (ſaving for the order of the offer as before) doth no good, but wee all in that matter lye open & expoſed to the free will and grace of God, ſo as whē a Iew comes to baptiſme, he muſt come even as wee, and bring other characters with them, then of having Abraham to his father, if hee will pretend to this, or any new Teſtament ordinance.
The equality in this reſpect will appeare by that place alſo of Acts 10.34.35. Then Peter opened his mouth and ſaid, Of a truth I perceive that God is no reſpecter of perſons: But in every nation hee that feareth him, and vvorketh righteouſneſſe, is accepted vvith him. God ſeemed formerly to have bene a reſpecter of perſons; ſome men, as ſome meates, were borne cleane, inſomuch as circumciſion & other ordinances were their due as a birth-right, thoſe which were Iewes by nature were holy, and thoſe that were gentiles, that is by birth, were accounted ſinners; now this acception of perſons, was not a vice in God, contrary to diſtributive juſtice, becauſe God was not obliged to diſpenſe his ordinances as in any certain manner, ſo nor to any certain men, or to all in generall, becauſe no man had right to them, or could merit them at his hands; but hee is free, as a rich man at a doale to give to whom he will, or a King to his ſubjects, ſo as the acceptance of perſons in this ſence was once juſt and according to the will and pleaſure of God; But now Peter was taught by God, by the meanes of the viſion hee had ſeene, to admit men to ordinances upon other conſiderations, then legall denominations of cleane, or uncleane, namely, upon fearing of God, and vvorking righteouſnes, and no other, which is a thing not generated and conveighed by birth, but by the new birth, and the ſpirit of the living God: Now this Peter expreſſes, I perceive of a truth, the word ſignifies, to gather or collect by reaſōs, ſignes and conjectures, as Calvin expounds it, to wit, the ſignes hee ſaw before, viz. that of the veſſell verſ. 11. Now then you ſee new qualifications to denominate a man accepted of God, & qualified for ordinances, & this in this covenant and way of worſhip was common to both, without any difference, for ſo you have it Acts 15.9. And put no difference betvveene us and them, purifying their harts by faith; the purity is not by birth as formerly. Thus you ſee the Iewes come to Baptiſme, and be called the ſonnes of God, not by their pretention to Abraham for their father, nor for the honour and advantage of their deſcent and blood; And the Gentiles they were admitted without any conſideration of perſons, or perſonall prerogatives in reſpect of their birth, but upon their fearing God, & working righteouſnes, and having their hearts purified by faith; therefore the old way & advantage of birthright, and in that reſpect of accepting of perſons, is ceaſed long agoe on both ſides alike.
To conclude in a word, all birth priviledge is by the title of Abrahams covenāt, if therefore the naturall ſeede of Abraham could not at all pretend to new Teſtament ordinances a right by that title, much leſſe the adopted ſeede by any ſuch way of naturall generation; but if you ſpeake of the ſpirituall ſeede and heires according to promiſe, then they and we pretend both alike in new Teſtament ordinances, with this difference onelyonly, to the Iew firſt and then to the Gentiles.