Sun fwallows it up. And fo Johns baptism was of great use a little before Chrifts manifeftation to Ifrael, and continued till the time of his Afcention, and then, when Chrifts baptifm began, the fhadow was to give way to the fubftance, and the fign to the truth, and the Letter to the Spirit, and the Servant to the Son; fo that Christs baptifm put an end to Johns fire-baptifm, to water baptilm, and Spirit-baptifm, to creature-baptifm. For as all the Prophets were until John fo John was until Chrift; and John muft no more' exceed his bounds, than Mofes and the Prophets theirs; but as the Prophets gave up to John, so John must give up to Chrift. Johns temporary Ministry had a temporary baptifm; but the everlasting Gospel, (which is, that Word in our flesh) hath an everlasting bap tifm, which is the pouring out of the Spirit. So then John being a Servant and fore-runner of Christ, Chrift was not to take up his baptifm, but John was to refign up his baptifm to Chrift; yea, and as a Servant to deliver up all things into his hands, as Heir and Lord: And fo Johns water-baptifm was to last, but till Chrifts fire-baptism should come in, and then the fire fhould lick up the water; and as fpirit-baptifm fhould increafe, waterbaptifm fhould decreafe. So that Johns baptifm, or water-baptifm (which is all one) belongs not to Christs Kingdom, which is a Kingdom not of the letter, but of the Spirit, not of figns and fhadows, but of the truth, and therefore we leave it where we found it, even without the bounds and reach of Chrifts Kingdom; for Johns Office and baptifin reach'd unto Chrifts Kingdom, but hath no place in it; and to bring Signs and Ceremonies into the Kingdom for Truth, is (if rightly underftood) to act against Christ glorified. Object Object. But fome will fay, This is ftrange indeed, that Water-baptifm should have no place in but Ist the The Kingdom of Chrift; and therefore pray stay a it. Object. 1. Why, this would rob us of our Chri- Object.1 ftendom. Answer, No; for it is not Water but Spirit-Bap- Anfw. tifm that makes us Chriftians; and Water-Baptifm hath been an unlawful blending or mixing of the Church and World together, fo that hitherto they could not be well differenced from each other, to the great prejudice of the Congregation of Christ. Object. 2. But have so many Ages erred, that have O'ject.2. ufed Water-baptifm? Anfw. For the Errors of former Ages, and their Anfw. great mistakes in many of the Truths of God I have nothing to fay, but that of the Apostle, How unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways paft finding out! 3. Object. But you are the first man, for ought we Object.3. know, that ever oppofed it. Anfw. One fingle mean man with the word, Anfw. may very juftly and lawfully contradi& the whole world without it; Truth is not to be judged by Multitudes, or an Unity, but by the word. 4 Object. But Chrift himself was baptized with Objesh.4. water, and furely that perpetuates it in the Church. Anft. Chrifts being baptized with water under Answer. John, no more perpetuates Water-baptifm in the Christian Church, than his being Circumcised under Mofes, perpetuates Circumcifion in the Chriftian Church, or his fubmitting to other Mofaical Ceremonies perpetuates them; Chrift brings no temporal or carnal thing into his everlasting and fpiritual Kingdom, though himself submitted to them under their feveral difpenfations in the feafon of them. Object. 5. Object. But Chrift juftifies and commands Water-baptifm in Fob. 3. Except a man be born of water, &c. and Mat. 28. Teach and Baptize. Anfw. Anfw. I confefs thefe are places that many have mistaken to justifie the practice of Water-baptifm; but I fhall fhew you, that they do indeed mifunderstand them. For that first place, Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born ix idarC y avevμаTO, of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. I confefs many of the Ancients have by water here understood Material water, and have interpreted the place of external Baptifm, which was Johns only; and hereupon divers of them have exceedingly magnified water, and afcribed to it the washing of Souls, and the Regeneration of Christians in fome measure, they not confidering in the mean time what Chrift faith in the very next verse, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit; by which they might have learned, that outward and corporeal water can do nothing but outward and corporeal things, and can contribute nothing to the cleanfing of Souls and Confciences from Sin. So that this place cannot be understood of carporeal water; and I could produce the Teftimonies of many Godly men of good note to this purpose, but do forbear, because I would not have our faith built upon the Authorities of men; but the thing is evident from the Text is felf, for it faith, Except a man be born of water, which shows the water he fpeaks of, must be fuch, as is able to give a new birth, and to make a man a New, that is, a fpiritual, holy, heavenly Creature; and no water can do this, but the Spirit; and therefore Chrift adds to water the Spirit, by way of explication, as if he had faid, No man can enter into the Kingdom of God except he be born again of Water, but the Water 1 [peak of is no Material Water, but the Spirit which is a ble ble to produce in us à heavenly Nature, through which only we can have entrance into a heavenly Kingdom, feeing flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; fo that the Water Chrift means in this place is the Spirit: and many other places give witness to this, John. 4. 10. If thou didst know who it is that faith to thee, Give me to drink thou wouldst i have asked of him, and he would have given thee living Water: and Verf. 13. 14. Jefus faid unto her Whofoever drinks of this water (meaning the water of the Well called Jacobs Well) fhall thirst again; but whosoever shall drink of the Water that I fhall give him, 1 shall never thirst, but the Water that I shall give him, : shall be in him a Well of Water, Springing up unto everlasting life; and John. 7. 37. 38. Jesus stood and cryed faying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath faid, out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living Water; but this fpake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him fhould receive. Now by water in all these places, is not meant material water, but the Spirit, as Chrift himself explicates; and fure his Teftimony alone is fufficient. But again, if in this place, Except a man be born of Water and Spirit, you will needs understand material water, why then upon the fame ground, you muft needs understand that place in Matthew of material fire, where it is faid, Mat. 3. 11. He shall baptize you with the holy Spirit and with fire; which is abfurd to very reafon to think: but water and fire in each place, added to the Spirit fhew only the Efficacy of the Spirit; and fo you may as well bring in the ufe of Material fire in Baptifm, from the Text in Matthew, as of Material water, from the Text in John. So that this place in John proves no Authority of Now Now the other place, Mar. 28. 19. Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, is alfo of as little force as the former, to prove water-baptifm to be an Institution of Christ. Indeed I find, that where-ever men have met with the word Baptifm or baptize in the Scripture, presently their thoughts have defcended to material water; they not fo well confidering or understanding that Water which is the Spirit, which is the only Water that performs all the Baptifm in the Kingdom of God. Now for that place, Go teach all Nations, baptizing them, they understand it thus, Teach them, and Baptize them, with Material water, using this form of words, Ibaptize thee in the Name of the Father, &c. But herein they err from the mind of Chrift: for by these words Chrift leads his Difciples from Johns Baptifm to his own; as if he had faid, Fohn indeed baptized with water, and ye have hightherto ufed his Baptifm, but I fhall now fhortly baptize you with my own Baptism of the Spirit, and from that time I would have you go teach all Nations, and by the Miniftration of the Spirit, not baptize them, or dip them in cold water, (as John did in his own Baptifm, and you in his) but baptize them or dip them into the Name of God the Father, Son, and Spirit; and note that he faich not here, Βαπτίζοντες αυτες ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι, ἐπ the name, but eis To ŏroua, into the name of the Father, &c. and by the Name of God, is meant the power and vertue of God, or God himself, as Mark. 16. Chrift faith, In my name they shall cast out Devils, that is, in my power and vertue; fo that the fenfe lies thus, Teach the Nations, and baptize them into the Name, &c. that is by your Miniftry, which shall be of the Spirit, and not of the Letter, you fhall baptize them, or dip them, or intereft " them |