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Question.
HOw will you declare this third Arti∣cle?
A. Three wayes.
First, by shewing what baptisme is.
Secondly, by shewing what God doth in baptisme?
Thirdly, by shewing what man doth in baptisme?
Q. What is Baptisme?
A. It is the Sacrament of regenerati∣on (Iohn 3.5.) by the washing of water
through the word (Ephes. 5.26.) and the renuing of the holy Ghost. Tit. 3.5.
Q. What doth God in baptisme?
A. God baptizeth or washeth a man from his sinnes two wayes: for as in the time of the law there was a twofold cir∣cumcision, * 1.1 one made inwardly in the heart without hands, (Deut. 10.16. Jer. 4.4. Coloss. 2.11.) and another made with hands outwardly in the flesh. (Gen. 17.11.) so there is also a twofold baptisme, one inward in the heart, and an other out∣ward in the flesh.
Q. What is the inward Baptisme?
A. It is the inward purging, purifying, and cleansing of the heart from sinne by faith in Christ, for when God calleth any effectually to sure and certaine hope of saluation by the outward ministery of his word, and by the inward working of his spirit, then he begetteth in them a liuely faith in Christ, and so purifieth their hearts by faith, as Peter speaking of Cor∣nelius and other Gentiles whom he had conuerted and baptized, Act. 10.44. &c. witnesseth, Act. 15.9. saying, And he put no difference betweene vs and them, after that by faith he had purified their hearts, for whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued.
Mark. 16.16. Iohn 3.16. And the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne, 1. John 1.17. And they that are once purged haue no more conscience of sinne, Heb. 10.2. And Christ saith: Blessed are the pure in heart. Math. 5.8. for this inward baptisme consisteth not in the putting (or washing) away of the filth of the flesh, but in that a good consci∣ence maketh request to God. 1. Pet. 3.••1.
This inward baptisme is proper to the elect onely, for no man knoweth it, but he that hath it. Apoc. 2.17. and a stran∣ger doth not intermeddle with his ioy. Prou. 14.10. The naturall man perceiueth it not. 1. Cor. 2.14.
Q. What is the outward Baptisme?
A. The answer may be deliuered more fully in these foure words.
First, it is the outward purging or wa∣shing away of the filth of the flesh with water, and an outward Sacrament of re∣generation, sealing vp the faith of him that before was inwardly baptized in his heart by faith in Christ, for as the out∣ward Sacrament of circumcision was vnto Abraham, a seale of the righteousnesse of faith which hee had when he was vncir∣cumcised.
Rom. 4.11. euen so outward baptisme, is a seale of the faith of him that before was inwardly baptized or pu∣rified in his heart by faith.
Secondly, outward baptisme is com∣mon to all that are in the visible Church, whether they be good corne or tares, wise or foolish virgins, sheepe or goates, true beleeuers or dissembling hypocrites: for Ishmael was circumcised as well as Isaak, and Esau as well as Iacob: Iudas the tray∣tour was baptised as well as the other A∣postles, and Simon Magus as well as the beleeuing Samaritanes.
Thirdly, outward baptisme is so necessa∣ry to all, and for all in the visible Church, that the Lord threatneth to cut him off frō his people that despiseth it. Gen. 17.14. because he hath broken his couenant; for as the Lord offereth and promiseth mercy, so hath he also ordeined the means of mer∣cy, & he that despiseth the means, despiseth also the mercy. Wherefore as they that were polluted and vncleane, washed them∣selues in water, that they might be cleane: as Naaman the Sirian washed himselfe in Iordan that he might be cleansed from his Leprosie: and as the blind man washed his eyes in the poole of Siloam that he might receiue his sight. Ioh. 9.7. so outward bap∣tisme
must be vsed that wee may haue the inward purification of the heart.
Fourthly, outward baptisme is not so absolutely necessary, that whosoeuer wan∣teth it, should also want the mercy of God for saluation: for it is not the bare want of outward baptisme which depriueth men of Gods mercy, but the contempt or neglect thereof when God requireth it and offe∣reth opportunity, that we may haue it. For then is the meanes of mercy despised, or little regarded, but when conueniently it cannot be had, no danger comes to them that want it, for the children which were borne to the Israelites, all those fortie yeares of their wanderings in the wilder∣nes, were not circumcised, till they came into the land of Canaan, as it appeareth. Iosh. 5. vers. 2.5. The reason thereof was, because the Israelites were not certen to rest any time whiles they were in the wil∣dernesse, but whensoeuer the piller of cloude by day, and of fire by night, re∣mooued then the Israelites, were to follow it as it appeareth. Exod. 13.21. and 40.36. Num. 9.29. But if their children had been circumcised, they could not haue beene fit and able to remooue, or to haue beene carried after the pillar of clouds before
such time as they had beene whole againe, as we may see by example of the Sheche∣mites whom Simeon and Leui slew when they were newly circumcised, and so vna∣ble to fight for their liues. Gen. 34.25. And God would not haue their children cir∣cumcised those forty yeares in the wilder∣nes, because it might haue beene dange∣rous to their liues: for the Lord will haue mercy and not sacrifice. Mat. 12.7. If a Christian woman be deliuered of a childe among infidels, the baptizing of the child must be deferred till there bee opportuni∣tie.
Q. What doth man in Baptisme?
A. Man doth three things.
First, he ioyfully and thankefully recei∣ueth the outward Sacrament of baptisme, as the seale of Gods couenant, and as the seale of his inward baptisme by faith.
Secondly, he is presently dead to sinne, and presently aliue, or raised vp vnto new∣nes of life, as it may bee shewed thus in these two sentences.
First, they that are regenerate, and made new or spirituall men in Christ, are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Eph. 5.30. and therefore:
1. They are crucified with him. Rom. 6.6.
2. They are dead with him. Rom. 6.8. Col. 2.20.
3. They are buryed with him. Col. 2.12.
4. Quickened together with Christ. Col. 2.13. & 3.1.
Secondly, the Apostle saith plainely. Rom 6. verse 3. know ye not that we which haue been baptized into Iesus Christ, haue beene baptized into his death.
Vers. 4. We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death, that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newnes of life.
Vers. 5. For if we be grafted with him to the similitude of his death, euen so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection. Hereupon, it is that the Apostlea litle after concludeth, that we are dead to sinne, but aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6.11. for they are passed from death to life. Iohn 5.24.
Thirdly, they that are thus presently dead to sinne and presently aliue to God in baptisme, doe for the rest of their life, afterwards continually put off the olde man, till the body of sinne bee destroyed. Rom. 6.6. and put on the new man till they become perfect men in Christ. Eph.
4.13. And because the true life of true religion standeth in dayly putting off the old man, and putting on of the new man, it seemeth requisite to shew in a word or twaine what the old man, and what the new man is.
The olde man. Ephes. 4.22. * 1.2 called also the naturall man. 1. Cor. 2.14. the flesh. Ioh. 3.6. and the body of sinne. Coloss. 2.11. Rom. 6.6. consisteth in these foure things.
1. Blindnesse in vnderstanding. Ephes. 4.18.
2. Frowardnes in will. 2. Pet. 3.5.
3. Boisterousnes in affection. Rom. 1.26. Act. 7. vers. 54.57.
4. Disobedience in actions, Rom. 1.29. Rom. 1.18. Rom. 2.8.
Some parts of the old man are mentio∣ned. Gal. 5. ver. 19. adultery, fornication; vncleannes, lasciuiousnes.
Vers. 20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sediti∣ons, heresies.
Vers. 21. Enuy, murthers, drunkennes, gluttonie, and such like.
Also these parts of the olde man are mentioned. Col. 3. vers. 5. fornication, vn∣cleannesse, inordinate affection, euill con∣cupiscence,
and couetousnes.
Vers. 8. Wrath, anger, maliciousnesse, cursed speaking, filthy speaking.
And these. Ephes. 4.31. bitternes, anger, wrath, crying, and euill speaking.
See more, Rom 1. vers. 29, 30. and 1. Cor. 6. ver. 9, 10. Tit. 3.3.
The mortifying, crucifying, subduing, killing, and forsaking of these and such like, is the putting off of the old man.
The new man. * 1.3 Ephes. 4.24. called also the spiritual man. 1. Cor. 2.15. hath;
1. Cleare vnderstanding, 1. Cor. 2. ver. 10.12.15.
2. A ready will Rom. 7.18.
3. Sanctified affection. Rom. 12.16. Col. 3.12.
4. Holy obedience. Rom. 6.17.
Some parts of this new man are menti∣oned. Gal 5.
Verse 22. Loue, ioy, peace, long suffe∣ring, gentlenes, goodnes, faith.
Verse 23. Meekenes, temperance, and such like.
Also these parts of the new man are re∣hearsed. Col. 3.
Verse. 11. Tender mercy, kindnesse, humblenes of mind, meeknes, long suffe∣rings.
Verse 13. Forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, and such like.
He that after baptisme followeth these things, and all other such like, putteth on Christ. Gal. 3.27. and putteth on the new man, which after God is created in righ∣teousnesse and true holinesse. Ephs. 4.24.
And whiles true Christians endeauour dayly to put off the old man, and to put on the new man, there is a continuall combate betweene the flesh and the spirit, as the Apostle sheweth. Gal. 5.17.
The combate, which is in the naturall man, is betweene reason guided by the light of nature, and the will ouerswayed with the violence of affections.
Baptisme thus briefly noted, is the very fountaine of regeneration. Tit. 3.5. where∣in is the true death of the old man, and the true life of the new man, the old man dai∣ly decaying till he be destroyed, the new man daily growing till hee come to per∣fection in Christ. For as when the Hen sitteth vpon her egges and warmeth them, the egge is daily more and more corrup∣ted, and the chicken formed and quickened till hee hath life and perfection; euen so when the spirit of God warmeth the hearts
of those that are regenerate and baptised, the old man daily dyeth and is destroyed, and the new man is quickened till hee be∣come a perfect man in Christ.
And when the power of baptisme was better knowen and practised in the purer times before contentions bred herefies, and before Popish darkenesse ouer-sha∣dowed religion, it brought foorth much holinesse of life in the Churches with great feare and reuerence, which Satan enuying sowed these two sortes of tares in the Church to hinder the growth thereof.
First, some professed so much holinesse that they said, that if a man sinne openly after baptisme, hee may not bee receiued into the visible Church againe, and bee counted to bee of the societie of the Saints.
This heresie partly then was, and yet is held of diuers.
Nouatus at Rome held it about the yere after Christ 220.
Meletius maintained the same in Egypt about the yeere 286.
The Donatist in Afrike fauoured this opinion about the yere 298.
The Luciferians in Sardinia were in∣fected with this opinion.
The Anabaptists at this day differ little from it.
But to answere those men in a word.
1. First, they dreame of a present per∣fection after baptisme, for which there is no warrant.
2. Secondly they consider not that Paul saith, Galat. 5.17. there is a continuall combate betweene the flesh and the spirit in them which are regenerate and bap∣tised.
3. Thirdly they consider not that there is remission of sinne after baptisme, as John saith, if any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father, &c. 1. Iohn 2. verse 1.
Secondly, other fearing to sinne after baptisme, would not bee baptized till they supposed death was at their doores to call them out of this life.
But these consider not:
1. That so they may die vnbapti∣zed.
2. That they incurre Gods displeasure, Gen. 17.14.
3. That they refuse to bee Christian souldiers, to fight Christs battell till it bee to late.
4. That there is remission of sinne af∣ter
baptisme. Zachar. 13.1. & 1. Ioh. 2. ver. 1.2.
5. That they deferre and neglect the meanes of grace.
Rom. 4.15. Rom. 2. ver. 28.29.
The old man.
The new man.