Fides Catholica, or, The doctrine of the Catholick Church in eighteen grand ordinances referring to the Word, sacraments and prayer, in purity, number and nature, catholically maintained, and publickly taught against hereticks of all sorts : with the solutions of many proper and profitable questions sutable to to [sic] the nature of each ordinance treated of / by Wil. Annand ...

Quest. 1. Whether Dipping be essential unto Baptisme?

That dipping is lawful, is not questioned by the Church of Christ; but whether it be essential, that is, If Baptisme be not Baptisme without it; or whether none is, or cannot be baptized, without he be dipped, is the ground of our Quere. It is to be denied. Dipping is not essential to that Sacrament: for,

• 1. The word baptize, used in the Scripture for that Sacrament, signifies not onely dipping, but sprinkling, or any other kind of washing as hath been before discovered. To limit therefore the Ordinance of Dipping, is to diminish the very sence and mean∣ing of that Word 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by God to express that Ordinance, which is a wrong both to him and the sence of the word.
• 2. The word Baptize is used in Scripture, where the word Dip∣ping cannot nor ought not to be understood.* 1.1 1 Cor. 10.2. And were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea.

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  Now let the History of the Iewes passing though the red Sea be observed, and it will be found that not a man of Israel was dipped in either. Some drops out of the Clouds might, and questionless did fall upon the Tribes in going through the red Sea, but that they were dipped in the cloud, is non-sence to affirm in reason, or that they were dipped in the Sea, is false to affirm in History.

• 3. The word baptize is used in Scripture where it were incon∣venient to understand the word Dipped, Acts 16.33. Acts 8.38. At this time this Sacrament was performed in haste, and with all possible speed, and the Eunuch as soon as baptized, goes on his way rejoycing. Now Dipping requires deliberation; and provision both before and after, to put off clothes, & to put on fresh cloths, both for the baptizer and the baptized, requires that, which for this time cannot with conveniency be granted either for the one or the other
• 4. The word Baptize, joyned with the word River, doth not ne∣cessary imply dipping in Scripture; and we find the word Baptize spoken of, and no River mentioned in the Gospel, Matth. 3.6. Iohn 3.••3. Act. 16.33. Acts. 10.48. Act. 8.36.

  That place,* 1.2 Matth. 3.6. And Iesus when he was baptized went up straight way out of the water, holds not forth Dipping necessari∣ly, but rather that our Saviour was not baptized in Harvest: For in Harvest Jordan overfloweth all his banks, Ios, 3.15. at that time being much dried up, Iohn and Christ both, might be truly said to go down to the water, and to come from or out of the water, with∣out lying dipped over head and ears in it, and without carrying ei∣ther for dry cloaths, or dry shirt; we find him immediately driven to the wilderness, Mark 1.12. and I am prone to suppose that it had not been very healthy for Iohn to have stood up to the middle in water so long a time, and so much together, as the multitude of the baptized would require, if dipping must be necessarily un∣derstood in his Baptisme.

  And what though Iohn also was baptizing in Enon, because there was much water?* 1.3 Iohn 3.23. In the Original, it is many waters, being a convenient place (in respect water was not every where to be had) where he and his Disciples might in seve∣ral places baptize those multitudes that came to be baptized, which

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  possibly in other places, particularly at Iordan, could not so easily be done. Besides there is a great difference, between many waters, or much water, and deep water, or a river of water, none of which in Scripture is spoken of concerning AEnon; so that dipping is not necessary to be seen, or heard felt or understood about Salim, and therefore cannot stand without something else to hold it up, which is that grand errour that baptisme signifies onely dipping.

• 5. If dipping had been essential to to the Sacrament, that is, that none ought to have been held as baptized without being plunged in a river, without Question, the Holy Ghost would in some place or other have told us of it, and not to have left us a word of a large signification; the spirit of God that leads us into all truth would have informed us in so necessary a point of do∣ctrine; in no place is there so much as a breathing for dipping; yet we have sweet breathings of the spirit for that of sprinckling both in the Old and New Testament. For
  • 1. It is the usual sign of signification under the Law; when things are hallowed, or persons to be set apart for Gods service, it was done with blood sprinkling, Levit. 16.14. Levit. 4.6. Heb. 9.13, 14.
  • 2. It is a Gospel promise, I will sprinckle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean, which is the outward sign; and I will put my spirit within you, which is the thing signified, Ezek. 36.25.26 and again, I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, the outward visible seal: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed: the thing, inward invisible grace sealed, Isa. 44.3. both those Texts in Leviticus and these in the Prophets, have a shadow of good things to come, Heb. 10.1. &c.
  • 3. The Apostle makes inward graces to be strengthened and given by outward signs. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil consci∣ence; the inward grace; and our bodies washed with pure water, the outward sign: he outward sprinkling or washing with water, is an e∣vidence of our hearts being sprinkled with blood, with what blood? with the blood of Christ, which for that reason is called the blood of sprinkling, 1 Peter 1.2. Heb. 12.24. could but one such Text be produced for dipping, how might our adversaries boast? and

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  • since we have such sure footing for our sprinckling (besides the signification of the word baptize) let us never be ashamed.

As it is not necessary for men to swill themselves (with reverence it is spoken) or drink large draughts of wine at the Sacrament of the supper, a morsel being a sufficient sign of inward grace to remis∣sion of sin; so it is not essential for men to plunge or dip them∣selves in large rivers at the Sacrament of baptisme, sprinkling (or any other decent application of water) being a sufficient sign of our justification, if adult, of our regeneration being infant.

Further admit that dipping were essential to baptisme, (which it is not) yet we may Question whether they be baptized that are dipped among them; the water of baptisme being not applied to the flesh signifying the application of the blood of Christ to the soul. It is to be doubted whether it be applied to theirs, whose bodys are not washed with water, for they usually do it in rivers, wells, or horse-ponds; (as it is known for certain they have done) in their shirts, shifts, and drawers;* 1.4 and that ever the outward sign of baptisme was to be applied to such gear I suppose they will not affirm; the baptismal water ought immediately to be applied to the body, and the flesh washed with it, as it is Sacrimen∣tal; To say that Christ was so baptized, is hard to affirm, and the improbability of it hath already been handled. And to say that he and all that came to Iohn, were stripped naked, is easie to be de∣nied; baptized he was we are sure, and many others, but that they were all dipped we have no certainty.

To conclude this Question, dipping is not thought unlawful in the Catholick Church, (not that ridiculous kinde of dipping used by some Hereticks of this generation,) who dips sometimes the adult, by setting them upon their knees, and dipping their heads in the baptist••ry, pronounceth the words of the institution, and infants after the same manner, where without danger it may be done; witness the reformed Churches of Helvet. Art. 21. of Sax. Art. 13. The Assemblies direct, Chap. 28, and the Church of Eng∣land in her Rubrick or book of Common Prayer.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.2

  The word Originally is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from the water, which he might do in that being dip∣ped in the water.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.4

  a sweet Bath.