the doctrine of baptism/chapter 21

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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.

OBJECTIONS FROM THE SEEKERS, QUAKERS AND OTHERS
AS TO THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT REPLACING
WATER BAPTISM

But some will say, I grant this: Baptizing of children is a mere tradition that is not to be practiced by Christians, and I do believe in the primitive times believers only had this Ordinance dispensed upon them, but I do conceive (says the Soul) I have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, therefore I need not that Ordinance of Baptism by Water, and the rather, because I think that was John's baptism and the baptism of the Holy Ghost being come, has put an end to that Baptism of water.

Then you deny in judgment any Ordinance of Baptism at all to stand in force. This is but sure an upstart opinion, exceeding cross, to the Doctrine of Christ in His Gospel. But let me, as warily as I can, answer this question.

First you do think it was John's baptism? It is true that John baptized or dipped into Water, those that came to him confessing their sins, and professing faith in him, that should come after him. But though this is true, John's baptism in this respect of pointing out Christ to come, is done away. Yet it is as true that the Lord has afresh, since His death and resurrection, entitled this ordinance of dipping believers into Christ already come and fully exhibited in the flesh, Matt. 28:19,20 with Mark 16:16 and Peter after the Holy Ghost was in that extraordinary manner powered down upon him according to John's Prophecy, to wit, with cloven fiery tongues, he does after this, by the direction of the infallible Spirit, command all his converts who were pricked in the hearts, Acts 2:38, "to repent and be baptized every one of them for the remission of sins, and they should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Those Who Already Had the Spirit's Baptism Were Also Baptized In Water As Well

Here you may see that this was baptism of water that he commanded all who repent to submit to, because the Holy Ghost had already come on them with those extraordinary gifts that did follow and witness unto, to wit, those gifts that Joel prophesied of. So in Acts 10 when Cornelius and his house had heard the word of God, the Holy Ghost fell upon them, and as an effect thereof, they spake with new tongues and magnified God. "And then saith Peter to them of the Circumcision, How should we forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we". So that this great Apostle was so far from this opinion, that he urges the contrary, that because they had received the Holy Ghost, and that in the extraordinary gifts, thereof, which John foretold, Christ should baptize them with, he says, "How shall we forbid water"; plainly holding forth that it is baptism by water that he here is speaking of, and in which verse 48 "he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," because they received the Holy Ghost. Therefore, they must not be denied that Ordinance of baptism by Water, clearly holding forth that the enjoying of the Holy Ghost was so far from being an argument as to why souls should not be baptized with water, that it is an argument that they ought to be baptized.

More especially this appears in Paul after his conversion, which I understand, was wrought by Christ immediately. For he says to Ananias, "Behold he is a chosen vessel to me, for he now prayeth" Therefore, say I, he was now converted as to the inward work of faith changing his heart. "But when Ananias came to him, he laid his hands upon him." There were two effects of this laying on of hands: "He received his sight, and was filled with the Holy Ghost and he arose forthwith and was baptized," that is to say, after he was filled with the Holy Ghost he arose and was baptized in water, Acts 9:17,18 compared with Acts 22:16. When Paul had received the Holy Ghost, Ananias says, "And now Paul why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, for the washing away of thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord."

Ananias Sent to Paul by an Immediate and Extyraordinary Commission
from Christ by Vision

Observe that Ananias had an immediate extraordinary commission from Christ by vision to come with Christ's message to Paul. Christ in a vision bids Paul to go to Ananias and he should tell him what he should do. Ananias, according to that Commission of Christ upon Paul's being filled with the Holy Ghost, also commands him to be baptized. This agrees with the Covenant of Grace in Ezek. 36:27 where the Lord says, "I will put my Spirit in them, and cause them to walk in my way," and Ezek. 11:19:

I will give them one heart, and will put my Spirit within them, and will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my Statutes, and keep mine Ordinances to do them, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Here you may see that God is so far from giving His Spirit to the end that souls should plead freedom from the practice of those commanded Ordinances of Christ, but that on the contrary, it is the end why God gives His Spirit to enable and to cause them to walk in His way and in His Ordinances, and in particular baptism.

Observe, the Apostles have not left us a bare example only that they did baptize after that Christ poured out the Holy Ghost. By the authority received from heaven they do command it to all who repent and believe and receive the Holy Ghost.

But again, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and fire, that John foretold of was extraordinarily given upon an especial ground and reason fulfilled in Acts 2. The Holy Ghost falling down in fiery cloven tongues in the sight and view of the bodily eyes, which was that outward sign and that clear light and fervent zeal and joy they had, in uttering the wonderful things of God in variety of strange tongues, was the inward thing signified. So that herein the baptism of the Holy Ghost was an outward sign, and an inward thing signified.

But there is now no man in the world who has this baptism. It is true that the Spirit, in the saving gifts of faith, repentance, and the like, is held to be essential to the Ordinance of Baptism of water, and He must be joined together with it so that without Him it cannot be said to be an Ordinance of God. There must be the inward grace as well as the outward sign.

This Baptism that the Apostle, according to Christ's commission, has left as a standing Command, cannot be John's baptism, his holding forth Christ to come and baptizing them in that doctrine. But in this, we baptize persons in Christ already come and fully exhibited.

Though it may be objected that the Apostles practiced some things that were abolished, as the circumcision of Timothy and the like, we also say that as they practiced it among the Jews, so the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles says, "if they be circumcised, Christ should profit them nothing, but they were fallen from grace," and we never find that circumcision was practiced among the Gentiles who were void of all Religion before they taught them.

It is evident in the New Testament that Circumcision is abolished as part of the Mosaical Covenant and yoke of bondage, Gal. 5:1-3, but the case in baptism is clean otherwise. The Apostle did press Cornelius' family to be baptized. He was a Gentile who was never acquainted with John's baptism, nor wedded to such a doctrine as that whereby we should think that Peter did baptize them to condescend to that error or weakness in their minds.

Again, he does not only simply baptize them as a Liberty that might be done or not done. He commands them to be baptized. He does in Acts 10 what he had commanded in Acts 2. It cannot be said that the Apostles commanded any duty to be done with a promise of blessing to the right performance of the same, after the Holy Ghost came down upon them, but only a solemn, standing Ordinance of God, that every soul, upon pain of the guilt and rebellion against Christ its head and King, ought to be subject unto.

But Baptism, has as aforesaid, has many standing Laws left in Holy Record. These speak to all who believe and repent, promising remission of sins and salvation to the right performance of the same. This proves it to be a standing Ordinance of the New Testament. Truly, with the same reason Souls may affirm that Christ has ceased to be a Mediator as to hold that the Law of dipping believers ceases. This much and no less is affirmed by the Soul who says that the Ordinance of baptism is an expired Ordinance. He may as well say, Christ is expired and abolished as a fleshly form, as some have had the confidence to say.

As in the time of Moses' Ministration, until there was a change of the Priesthood there could not be a change of the Law. It is even so now, that except there be another Christ and Savior come, or another Priesthood instead of this Priest and Minister of the New Testament, there cannot be a change of the Law. Assure yourselves that there can be no change of this Law, Heb. 7;12, 18. Therefore, such as pretend to profess Christ to be their Savior, Who came of the seed of David, and the same persons deny and slight this fundamental Ordinance of Baptism, they do testify that they reject Christ in their heart as abolished and have got some pretended fancy-Christ instead of Him. It is utterly inconsistent with the Faith of the Gospel and with true Religion, to hold baptism and the Supper to be two solemn Ordinances and Symbols of the New Covenant and yet to be abolished. In Eph. 4 the Apostle, pressing there a visible Church-union, lays down the main things wherein that union consists. he says they were called by one hope of their calling, one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism. This one Baptism cannot mean the Spirit because the Spirit is mentioned distinct. Baptism here must mean that standing, solemn Ordinance of God which is commanded to every one who believes.