An exact collection of the works of Doctor Jackson ... such as were not published before : Christ exercising his everlasting priesthood ... or, a treatise of that knowledge of Christ which consists in the true estimate or experimental valuation of his death, resurrection, and exercise of his everlasting sacerdotal function ... : this estimate cannot rightly be made without a right understanding of the primeval state of Adam ...

CHAP. L.

The Rarity of that Rite of consecrating the Water of Sprinkling by the Ashes of the Red Heifer, an Emblem of Baptism and the Sin∣gularity thereof. Our Churches meaning in some expressions at the Administration of that Sacrament.

1. BUt although the frequent Use of the Sacrament of Christs Body and Bloud be needful or necessary by Precept, and a Means much available for strengthening of Faith, or for repairing those decayes or ruines which the subtiltie of Satan works in our soules; yet the Reiteration of the Sacrament of Baptism is neither Necessary nor allowable, much lesse Commendable for such purposes. And the Raritie, or rather Singularitie of It, was to my apprehension, Emblematically prefigured by the Sacrifice of the Red Heifer, or the Water of sprinkling, which was Legally sanctified or consecrated by her Ashes. The Law concerning this kind of Purification is not to be found (I take it) in Leviticus, at least not in that sixteenth Chapter wherein the Law of the Sacrifice of attonement is punctually set down; However the forementioned Glossarie upon the Romish Canon for consecrating Holy Water, either through negligence, or ignorance, or both, avouch that place for it. If the sacrifice of the Red Heifer had belonged unto the Feast of attonement, it must have been reiterated once every year, whereas the Hebrew Antiquaries affirm; that this solemnitie was not used above tea times during all the time of the Law, of the Tabernacle or Temple▪ And whether it were so often used may be questioned, because there is no Law or Precept for the Continua∣tion of it, but only for the use of the water of sprinkling (being once conse∣crated by it) so often as the occasion specified in the Law did require.

2. But unlesse the frequent use of the water, so mingled with the ashes, did wast or exhaust the ashes of that one sacrifice, which Eleazar not Aaron was commanded to offer, These might have been preserved without putrifacti∣on for a longer time then the Law of Ceremonies was to endure. For Ashes (as good Naturalists tell us) being well kept are immortal, or an Emblem of Immortalitie. But it may be that as soon, or as often, as the Ashes of any

such sacrifice were, by frequent use of the water of sprinkling, exhausted or wasted, the Legal Priests were bound by the Law mentioned to offer ano∣ther for consecrating the water of sprinkling, whose use was to continue as long as the reason mentioned in the Law did indure.

3. The chief use or End of the water of sprinkling mingled with the Ashes of this sacrifice, was to purifie such as had made themselves Legally unclean, or had casually fallen into such uncleanness. One branch of this uncleanness was the touching, or being touched by any Dead Corps. And unto this use of the water of sprinkling mentioned, Numb. 19. 11. that of our Apostle, Heb. 9. 14. hath special Reference, more then Allusion. How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge our Consciences from DEAD works? That this Legal Sacrifice for sinne was an Exquisite Type of Christs Bloudy Death and suffe∣rings, or an exact picture of his bloud, wherewith the heavenly Sanctuary or Holy places were purified, (although the bloud of this Legal sacrifice were not brought into the Earthly Sanctuary) no good Writers which I have read either deny or question. That the Water of sprinkling consecrated by the aspersion of the Ashes of this Legal Sacrifice, did truely resemble the water of Baptism, by which we are washed from sin, and consecrated unto God as clean persons, that is, made members of his Church here on earth, is so evident in it self, that it needs no Paraphrase or Laborious Comment upon the fore-cited Law. Yet to this purpose the learned Reader may find much pertinent matter, in Chytraeus his Comments upon the Book of Numbers, and in many others. It will be more needful or better suiting with my intentions in this place, to prevent the captious exceptions which some Anti-Papists have heretofore taken and now resume against the expressions of our Publick Liturgie in that Part of it which concerns the Administration of Baptism.

Almighty and everlasting God, which of thy great mercie diddest save Noah and his Familie in the Ark from perishing by water, and also diddest safely lead the children of Israel through the red sea, figuring thereby thy holy Baptism; and by the Baptism of thy wel-beloved Son Iesus Christ, did∣dest sanctifie the floud Iordan and all other waters to the mystical washing a∣way of sin. We beseech thee for thine infinite mercies that thou wilt mer∣cifully look upon these Children, Sanctifie them and wash them with the holy Ghost; that they being delivered from thy wrath, may be received into the Ark of Christs Church, and being stedfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity, may so passe the waves of this troublesome world, that fi∣nally they may come to the land of everlasting life, there to reign with thee world Without end, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Seeing now, dearly beloved Brethren, that these Children be regenerate and grafted into the body of Christs Congregation, let us give thanks unto God for these Benefits, and with one accord make our prayers unto Almigh∣tie God, that they may lead the rest of their life according to this begin∣ning.

We yeild thee heartie thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own Child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Congregation, and humbly we beseech thee to grant, that he being dead unto sin and living unto righteousness, and being buried with Christ in his death, may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin, that as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son, so he may be partaker of his resurrection, so that finally with the residue of thy holy congregation, he may be Inheritor of thine everlasting Kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

4. It is no part of our Churches Doctrin or meaning, that the washing or sprinkling infants bodyes with Consecrated water should take away sinnes by it's own immediate Vertue. To affirm thus much implies as I conceive a Contradiction to that Apostolical doctrin. The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good Conscience towards God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone into heaven &c. 1. Pet. 3. 21. The meaning of our Church intends no further then thus; That if this Sacrament of Baptism be duely administred, the blood, or bloody Sacrifice of Christ; or (which is all one) the Influence of his spirit doth alwaies accompany, or is Concurrent to this solemn Act. But whether this Influence of his spirit or Vertual presence of his body and blood be either immediatly or only terminated to the soul and spirit of the party Baptized, or have some vertual influence upon the water of Baptism as a mean to convey the Grace of Regeneration unto the soule of the partie Baptized, whilest the water is poured upon him, is Too Nice and curious a Question in this Age for sober Christians to debate or contend about. It may suffice to beleive that this Sacramental pledge hath a Vertual Presence of Christs Blood or some Real Influence from his Body Concomitant though not Consubstantiated to it, which is prefigured, or signified by the washing or sprinkling the body with water.

5. But it will be, or rather is Objected, but only by privat or some sawcy spirits; That if the Doctrin of our Church were true and sound, then all that be rightly Baptized should be undoubtedly saved, being once washed or cleansed from their sinnes. The Objection were of some force, if the Church of England did hold or maintain such Doctrin or Tenets, as they do which make or favour it, to wit, That the sins of the Elect only are remitted by Baptism, or, by the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood: or, That sins once remitted cannot be remitted afresh; or that the Partie which is once pardoned for his sins, before commited, cannot afterwards be condemned. The Ortho∣doxal Truth is, That albeit the Original Sin of Children truly Baptized in the name of Christ, or the Actual sins of young or elder men so Baptized, and the sins of their forefathers (so far as it concernes men of riper yeares to repent them of both) be so truly remitted in Baptism, that neither young men nor old may be Baptized again; Yet the Astipulation of a good Conscience, wherein the internal Baptism (as St. Peter tells) doth consist, may and ought by the Law of God and of Christs Church, to be reiterated.

And this Astipulation of every Christian, male or femal, though baptized after they have passed their Nonage for Civil contracts, ought to be resumed or re-acknowledged so often as they intend to receive the Sacra∣mental pledges of Christs body and blood, either privately or in the pub∣lick congregation. But for all such as have been baptized in their Infancie, the Personal Resumption or Ratification of that VOW, which their Fathers and Mothers in God, did make for them at the Sacred Laver, is to be exacted of them Ore tenus, in some publick Congregation, before they can be lawfully admitted to be Publick Communicants of Christs Body and Blood.

6. There is then no default or defect in the Church of England Doctrin or Lawes concerning Baptism, or Confirmation of such as have been ba∣baptized

in their infancie. But I dare not avouch so much for justifying the men unto whom the Execution of these Lawes is especially commended, whether they be of Lower, of higher, or of the highest Rank. It hath not been my hap to peruse very many Presentments of Church-Wardens or In∣feriour Priests in Visitations; Yet of those few or any, whereof I have had some Cognizance, I have observed but a very few, or scarce remember any tendred against the Parents, or such as were Sureties for Infants at the sacred Font, for not bringing them at convenient times to be Confirmed, or blessed by the Bishop of the Diocese, or against inferiour Ministers for not Preparing those, the Cure of whose soules was immediatly committed to them, to re∣ceive the Confirmation of their Faith, by the Benediction of the Diocesane; much lesse against Diocesanes themselves for not executing their office in this Great Service of the Church either in their own Persons, or by their Suffraganes.

7. Whether the solemn Baptizing of all Infants, which are the children of presumed Christian Parents throughout this Kingdom, without solemn Astipulation, that they shall at years of discretion personally ratifie their Vow in baptism in publick, in such manner as the Church requires, be not ra∣ther more Lawful or more tolerable then Expedient, I leave it with all submission to the consideration of Higher Powers. In the mean time I shall every day blesse my Lord God, as for all others, so in particular for this Great Blessing bestowed upon me, that I was in a Convenient Age, in a happy time and place, presented by my Sureties in Baptism, to ratifie the VOW which they made for me, and to receive the Benediction of the Bishop of the Diocese, being first instructed in the Churches Catechism by the Curate of the Parish, from whose Lips (though but a meer Grammar Scholer, and one that knew better how to read an Homilie or to understand Hemingius or other Latine Postills then to make a Sermon in English) I learned more good Lessons, then I did from many popular Sermons; and to this day remember more, then men at this time of greater years shall find in many late applauded Catechisms.

Notes

• See Chapt. 48 Num. 6.
• Though Bap∣tisme may not be reiter∣ated, yet The Astipulation of a good Conscience (or the En∣quireing to God) may dayly, and must often be renewed.
• No child or Infant Bapti∣zed may or ought to be admitted unto the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood before he have in his own person ratified that VOW, which his Sureties or spiritual Guardians did make for him at the Sacred Font, where Chrîst is as ••ruly present as at the Sacrament of the Altar, as some term it.