A just vindication of the covenant and church-estate of children of church-members as also of their right unto bastisme : wherein such things as have been brought by divers to the contrary, especially by Ioh. Spilsbury, A.R. Ch. Blackwood, and H. Den are revised and answered : hereunto is annexed a refutation of a certain pamphlet styled The plain and wel-grounded treatise touching baptism / by Thomas Cobbet.

SECT. V.

4. THat Baptisme is now the onely initiatory visible seale of the covenant; which being once administred, there needs no more renewing of it.

First, it is a seale of the covenant, no bare badge of Christiani∣tie as some have said, albeit the more judicious of our opposites yeeld this, that

the covenant of grace is said properly to bee sealed in Baptisme, and that Baptisme since Christs incarnation, is the appointed seale of God to such as enter into covenant with him.

And it appeares so, 1. In that it agreeth in the essentialls with circumcision as an initiatory seale, Col. 2. 11, 12. whence baptized Gentiles are said to be of the circumcision, Phil. 3. and Jewes said to bee baptized, 1 Cor. 12. hence first instituted for a seale to the cir∣cumcised Jewes; to shew it was in the essentialls of sealing Abra∣hams covenant to them, but the same with circumcision in a man∣ner; onely as that sealed it to them visibly in Christ, as to come, this did it in like sort in reference to Christ as come: that was the seale of the righteousnesse of Abrahams faith, or that whereon his faith acted to righteousnes of justification, Rom. 4. 11. even the promise of grace in Christ, Rom. 10. 6, 7. with Deut. 30. 14. hence when Christ is called the Minister of circumcicision, it is thus explained by the end of the signe administred, scil. to confirme the promises made unto the fathers, Rom. 15. 8. Acts 7. 8. Gen. 17. 11. hence the pro∣mise premised, and then baptisme annexed as the seale, Acts 2. 38. hence that washing annexed to the word, Ephes. 5. 25, 26. 2. It's a Baptizing in the name or covenant fellowship of God the Father, Sonne and Spirit: hee having exalted his word above all his name, Psal. 138. 2. 3. It's a seale of remission of sinnes, and there∣fore of the promise tendering the same, hence joyned, Acts 2. 38, 39. Acts 22. 4. The nature of it sheweth the same, it being a Gospell Sacrament, and that is a visible seale, and the seale is to the cove∣nant, hence called by the name, Acts 7. 8. 1 Cor. 11. 25.

Secondly, it is an initiatory seale: as first, annexed to the Gos∣pell dispensed, with reference to covenant fellowship with God in Trinitie; not first, Disciple them, and then, let them come to my Table, but baptizing them, scil. so soone as ever brought into co∣venant and Church estate, and seale them up thereby unto cove∣nant fellowship with the Father, Sonne and Spirit. Hence repent and bee baptized, for the promise is to you; not, repent and come to

the Lords Table; for the promise is to you. Hence that order observed of communion in breaking of bread after they were bap∣tized, vers. 41, 42, 43, 44. there John began in any sealing way, Matth. 3. Marke 1. As of old circumcision long before the Passeo∣ver, hence called the washing of regeneration; metonymically at∣tributing the thing sealed, to the visible seale, Tit. 3. 5. the new birth is the first fruits of the spirit of promise: nor is this ascribed to the other Sacrament as that which is its proper Sacramentall worke initiatorily to seale; albeit after it bee thus initiatorily sealed by baptisme, the other doth also virtually confirme it.

Thirdly, this being once administred needs never bee renewed, as if two initiations or beginnings, or regenerations, or first ente∣rances into covenant, or first ingraffings into Christ, &c. as there was not Iterations of circumcision. It were but to take the name of God in vaine, and a wilworship indeed, if ever before dispensed in the truth of the essentialls of the ordinance, and it were unsafe to say, wee may renew that one baptisme, as wee may renue that one faith of ours, unlesse as many times in a day: and as in variety of occurrents, changes, services, sufferings, temptations, ordinan∣ces, businesses, &c. wee are to renue our faith, so wee should re∣nue our baptisme, nor will the 19. of the Acts beare out any such practise. Luke mentions Pauls discourse touching the manner of Johns baptisme, scil. to hold forth the duty which God required in reference to the Lord Jesus, and accordingly they were by John baptized into the name of Jesus, whom John held forth, as vers. 4, 5. compared shewes, and as the annexing of Pauls name, 1. to this declaration, vers. 4, 5. and then 2. to his act which hee then did, vers. 6. •…•…inceth: It's not said, then Paul baptized them, but then Paul laid his hands upon them. It's said of the other seale, As oft as yee doe this, 1 Cor. 11. But not a whisper that way touching being oft baptized. The Apostle in mentioning of one spirit, body, hope of our calling, metonymically put for the thing hoped for, even glory, which is but one essentially, as one faith: which I sup∣pose is taken, as oft in Scripture, for the doctrine of faith, which is but one, Gal. 1. 6. 7, 8. Jude 3. and so one Lord and one God: hee mentions one baptisme: and why doth hee not as well say one Lords Supper too, which albeit oft renewed to the same persons, yet it's but one institution and the same ordinance still: if no fur∣ther matter bee in that onenesse of baptisme, but to signifie, that it's one and the same baptisme indeed, but yet so as that it hinders

not, but it may often bee renued upon one and the same person warrantably, though it were before orderly administred to him.

Fourthly, that baptisme is the onely initiatory seale: I never heard this yet so much as questioned by any which deny it not to bee a seale, therefore I need not speake any further in confirmation thereof.