the doctrine of baptism/chapter 16

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A Plain Christian Treatise, explaining
the Doctrine of Baptism, and the two
Covenants made with Abraham, and
his two-fold Seed.

But some may say of baptism, and the Supper, that these are the signs of inward and spiritual things, but it does not follow, that these are the spiritual things.

Typical Signs and Figures Showed Christ Yet To Come While
Gospel Signs Do confirm and Ratify that He has Already Come.

Beloved, here lies the ground of this great mistake, the lack of distinguishing between these figures that type out Christ to come, and these sacramental signs that do confirm and ratify His being already come. Those typical signs and figures then, which typed out Christ to come, did properly belong to that typical seed, the body of Israel, which typed out the spiritual seed to come.

But now these signs, I say, these sacramental signs that have been instituted since Christ came, for the confirming that He is come, these belong only to the spiritual seed, in whom Christ is already dwelling in their hearts by faith. Therefore, as Christ is a spiritual and substantial Mediator of a substantial and spiritual covenant, so these spiritual administrations of the spiritual covenant belong only to those who are in Christ and in His New Covenant by faith and who have Christ dwelling in them, as has been before manifested in the former part of my discourse.

In the New Testament, faith and repentance are required of them who are to be baptized, "Here is water what letteth? If thou believest with all thy heart it is lawful," Acts 8:38, implying it was unlawful to baptize any who did not believe with all their heart, at least in profession. So when Christ dispensed the Supper, He commands it to be received by His disciples, Matt. 26. He says to His disciples, "Drink ye all of this," and Paul says, "Examine yourselves and so eat of this bread, and drink of this Cup."

If you will not shut your eyes against the light, there is nothing more plain than this, that those administrations under the old covenant, did not require such qualifications, as are essentially requisite to be found in the persons who must partake of these substantial signs of the New Covenant.

As for Circumcision, it was not necessary for all who were circumcised, to believe and repent, or to have faith in Christ, or to be converted and made disciples by preaching, as necessary qualifications to partake of the Ordinances. But the institution in Gen. 17:13 says, "All born in thy house, or bought with thy money," though never so ignorant, carnal, or have never so wicked parents or parentage, yet such ought to be circumcised, this institution running upon that family.

But baptism is a confirmation of our regeneration already wrought in us, our new birth, and our union with Jesus Christ by faith. Therefore, it belongs only to those who are born again of water and of the Spirit.

The Passover was to be partaken of by the carnal Israelite after the flesh, viz. the captive, the slave bought with money, Heathen, Black Moor, or of the Canaanites. But the Lord's Supper only belongs to Disciples able to discern the Lord's body by faith. Without faith they bring judgment upon themselves and make themselves guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, except they are able to examine themselves, "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup." So that which the Apostle drives at in this chapter is this principally, that as the temporal Israel, the Church of God then privileged in that temporal Covenant upon their falls and sins, were visited by God and corrected to show to all the world that He would not countenance sin in them without sad reproof, so He concludes in this also that the Gospel-church professing the Covenant of Grace, and enjoying the privileges thereof, should not escape if they turn aside from God and sin against Him without checks, reproofs and sad admonitions from Him. Here lies the scope; and the rather might such caution be given to Gospel-Churches, because they were in a Covenant of Grace only by a visible profession and therefore, may possibly receive the greater danger by sin if their profession should not be right and saving.

But some may object, That there were some precious Saints then in the Old Testament, and do you think that they did not perform the Ordinances with spiritual hearts?

No question such did, as it is said of Abel, By faith he offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.Duties relating merely to the Covenant of Works performed from faith with an eye to Christ were then acceptable when so performed, though ceremoniously.

I would have you to observe that the carnal Israelite who was without faith, was as capable to perform every ceremonial Law required by the old covenant according to the express tenor thereof, as truly as the believer was.

So, in no wise can this also be said of the duties relating to the New Covenant, either then or now, as repentance, spiritual prayer, thanksgiving, and diverse other duties perpetually at all times, and universal to all Saints. I deny that the carnal Jews were capable of the true performance of these, I mean as to answer the rules or institutions given. For if you look to the Catechism in the Common Prayer Book, you shall find that it was a maxim received by all who own that liturgy, that no less than a profession of faith and repentance, was required of those who were baptized. Whence observe, they thereby confirm the doctrine that I have been pleading for, that none but such as have faith and repentance in their hearts, and do profess the same should be baptized.

But some may say, Did not some bring their friends to Christ to be healed, and Christ, seeing the faith of those which brought them, healed them? And if they believed for others, to the healing of their bodies, why not also then for the saving of their souls?

This is directly the Papists' argument with which some do close rather than part with their Idol. But to speak to this more particularly, there is nothing more plain than that God did give gifts of healing to many, as that the faith of one contributed to the healing of the body of another, as their servants and children, as in the case of the Centurion, in Matt. 8:7-9, and Jairus the ruler over the synagogue. But this is no way proves that one man should come to have union with Christ, and so to have justification and eternal life by the faith of another.

For in this case the Prophet says, "The just shall live by his faith," Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17. "He that believes not is condemned already," that is, every individual who believes not shall be condemned, and he who believes shall be saved. But some do bring in that text in the 7th chapter of the Hebrews, that Levi paid tithes in Abraham. Therefore, why should not souls believe and repent in their believing parents, as well as Levi paid tithes in his believing Father Abraham?

It seems to me that this Act of Abraham was performed as a public person, in his paying tithes to Melchisedec. Herein he represented his posterity; but not so in all the rest of his Acts. It does not follow that he believed and repented for all his posterity, for this were a notable ground indeed for Papists' implicate faith.

We know that Adam, in his fall, did act sin as a public person. By this, all mankind are said to sin, Rom. 5. But it does not follow that all the future acts that Adam committed, he did perform as a public person. For if all the posterity of a believing person so many generations to come, as Levi from Abraham, did believe and repent in their believing parents, then there is no ground to oppose, that all the world at this day are believers. They were all in the line of believing Noah, he being the father from whence all the world did proceed that are now living this day.

Again observe, that if the Covenant of Life belongs to all believer's seed, then we need not lack for Church-members because all the world are the children and off-spring of believing Noah. This argument carries the right of Covenant to all the world, being the children of a believer, viz. Noah.