A Christian, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. An explication of that place, Heb. 10.22. About waſhing the whole body with pure water; the improper application of it to their manner of baptizing by plunging the whole body.
AFter all ſtrainings and ſhifts of the Antipedo baptiſts, this place in Heb. 10.22. is forced in to give evidence for that manner of baptizing, formerly ſo much contended for. Let us draw near with a true heart in full aſſurance of faith, having our hearts ſprinkled from an evil conſcience, and our bodies waſhed with pure water; from hence they infer baptizing muſt be by dipping and plunging, or waſhing the body throughout.
Let us review it with it's context and we ſhall find they chew but upon a dry bone. For,
Firſt, the ſcope of the Apoſtle in all this chapter, is not in the leaſt to diſcover the manner of baptizing, but to open two things.
1. The fulneſs of the ſatisfaction and merit of Chriſts offering himſelf, and being a ſacrifice for remiſſion of ſins, in oppoſition to all Legal, and ſhadowy offerings, as appears from the 1. v. unto the 29. which was begun to be demonſtrated in the former chapters, eſpecially the 9. chap.
2. To encourage ſouls in their approaches to God on ſuch a glorious account now in the New Teſtament, ſo in the 19. ver. Having therefore boldneſs (foreign) or freedome, to enter into the holieſt by the blood of Jeſus, by a new and living way, &c. In this 22. v. he bids them draw nigh with a true heart, and ful aſſurance of faith, &c.
Secondly, that his ſcope or intent is not to open the manner of baptizing, is evident; for he writes to thoſe that were baptized already as theſe Hebrews were; for you have no controverſie in this Epiſtle about circumciſion and baptiſm, as in the Rom. Gall. Phil, Coloſ. but only concerning Chriſts prieſtly Office, eſpecially compared with the Levitical, Aaronical Prieſthood, and the virtue of Legal-ceremonial ſacrifices, and the ſacrifice of Jeſus Chriſt as High-prieſt, as any one that runs may read; now either they muſt ſay theſe were not baptized before, or elſe muſt conclude that his deſign is not to inform them (and that ſo tranſiently) of the nature or manner of adminiſtring of that Ordinance.
Thirdly, the Apoſtle here doth directly inſtruct the ſoul how to make confident addreſſes to God, viz. from the ſenſe of our juſtification and ſanctification together; for ſo by our hearts being ſprinkled from an evil conſcience, is meant, and can be meant no other then Chriſts blood ſprinkled on our ſouls, in the aſſurance of our abſolution from ſin, and the waſhing with pure water no more (but by this outward expreſſion) of the purity of our conventions, as to ſanctification, that we may not come with ſcandal of external unholineſs, when we pretend to be juſtified by Chriſts blood.
Fourthly, the uſual word is here left out which expreſſeth that Ordinance; and it is your bodies not baptized but waſhed (foreign) which is a clear alluſion to that of Levit 16.4. from whence it ſeems to be excerpted; when Aaron the high-Prieſt was to enter into the holy place, and before he was to be attired for that work, it is ſaid, He ſhall waſh his fleſh in water, and ſo put them on; the 70. tranſlate the words thus, foreign, He ſhall waſh his whole bodie with water, to ſignifie the holineſs he ſhould have in his perſon, as from external publick pollutions; the very ſame intent of the Apoſtle is here, that if we would be confident before God, when we approach unto God, we muſt come with Chriſts blood on our conſciences, and no known pollution on out converſations; and if we will follow their grounds from comparing theſe two places, we may conclude that baptiſm was as much an Ordinance of the Old Teſtament, as the New, for waſhing; the body was uſed in both.
Fifthly, it is a uſual phraſe in Scripture to expreſs the ſanctification of our perſons, from inward & outward defilements, by the waſhing of water and waſhing the body; & yet not in the leaſt to hint out the manner of baptizing by water, as into the ſpecial adminiſtration of that Ordinance; thus in Eſa. 1.16. when God ſaith to his backſliding people, waſh you, make you clean; muſt he needs mean, go and be baptized? but that outward expreſſion is put for the reforming of their wayes, and expounded by putting away the evil from their doings or works; thus in Ioh. 13. Chriſt expreſſeth juſtification and ſanctification, by waſhing in general, and then waſhing the feet; he that is waſhed, (which is not baptized; for Chriſt ſaith he muſt waſh, or elſe Peter could have no part in him; and Chriſt did not baptize) ſuch a one need no more but to waſh his feet, that is, walk holily; ſo that here is waſhing, and waſhing of the feet, and yet neither meant of baptizing nor waſhing: Thus likewiſe in the Corinthians it is ſaid, as to their ſanctification, Now you are waſhed, now you are cleanſed, now you are juſtified; he means not Now you are baptized, but of the ſpecial purification of their hearts, and lives from their former pollutions of fleſh and ſpirit; which though ſignified by baptiſm, yet ſo remotely, as no man can gather the conſtant method of external baptiſm from it.
Sixthly, he ſaith your bodies waſhed (foreign) with clean or pure water; now I hope, as to baptizing, none are ſo fooliſh as to ſtand on it, whether they be baptized after a rain when the water is puddled, or whether only in pure and cryſtal ſtreams, from an unpuddled ſpring or ocean; and yet they muſt be tied to the one as the other, if this Text be their preſident; and we may as well queſtion from this Text, whether they be rightly baptized, if there be any mud, or ſlime, or filth in the water, as whether we baptized if all our bodies be not waſhed; but now this expreſſion to ſet forth holineſs and ſanctification, is moſt apt and full of life: our hearts and converſations, in drawing nigh unto God, ſhould be as if externally they were waſhed with clean water, tranſparent and ſpotleſs before him, ſhining with an Evangelical brightneſs, and ſpiritual purity; for it will be very hard to draw nigh to God with a good conſcience, and a tainted and beſmeared body or converſation, with unholy acts, whereby God is ſo much diſhonoured; eſpecially to come as the Apoſtle ſaith in the former part of the verſe, with a true heart and full aſſurance of faith.
Seventhly, if he had meant by this waſhing of the body, baptizing, he would not have made ſuch a diſproportion (according to their own rule) between the ſign and thing ſignified; for he ſpeaks of the heart being only ſprinkled, and yet the body waſhed with clean water; now if baptiſm doth not ſignifie and ſeal juſtification, as well as ſanctification, it is not a ſeal of the Covenant of grace; and if it do ſignifie, it cannot go beyond the thing ſignified in expreſſion and outward repreſentation. And if Chriſts blood in Heb. 12.24. be called the blood of ſprinkling, and it be one of the main things ſignified and ſealed in baptiſm; well may we anſwer it by an outward act, without offence or ſin.
Eighthly, grant that by waſhing the body is meant baptizing here (which you ſee cannot be extorted by violence, or extracted by any chymical virtue) yet it will not ſerve their turns: For,
Firſt, the body is ſaid to be waſhed, when any one or more of the principal parts in ſight or uſe are waſhed; & what is done to any eminent or commanding part, it carries the denomination of the whole with it; for Maries annointing and waſhing of Chriſts head and feet in Luke 7.44.45. is interpreted in Iohn 11.2. for the anointing of the Lord, as much as if ſhe had done it to all his body throughout; though it is only expreſt in the former place of the anointing and waſhing his head and feet. This is moſt uſual in Scripture.
Secondly if they will go to the ſtrictneſs of the term of waſhing the body; then,
Firſt, it muſt be waſhed naked, or elſe it is not a a waſhnig of the body.
Secondly, it muſt not be a bare dipping or plunging into water, but ſome other act muſt be done with the body, viz. a rinſing or rubbing, as we do pots or cloaths which we waſh, which are not ſaid to be waſhed becauſe dipt under water, but ſo rinſed as the filth and dirt is taken out; I only urge this to ſhew the inevitable inconveniences theſe men will bring on themſelves by ſuch interpretations of Scripture.
Many other conſiderations might be added, if this Tract would bear the weight of them.