Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BS2096.A1 1701 .P3

Ch. 28. The Apoftles. St. Matthew. Co/amino'''. Ch. 28. Dedication, (by thofe that have the difpofe of Church ; (upon their underftanding profeffed them for their good, and can covenant forthem faith and repentance, and dedication of their with men) and by Relation and Obligation. feed to me,) then congregate them in order God had never a Church on Earth, of which under faithful Pattors. And as you as gene- Infants 'were not Infant - members, fince there rai Teacher; to all the Churches, mutt deliver wereInfants in the World. to them all the commands which I have com- 6. To be baptized into the name of the Fa- mitred to your mull (by word and writing :1 ther, Son andHoly Gholt, is no lets than by fo thefe Parlors muff further inftrua them folemn Covenant to give up ones Pelf to God that they may grow up in knowledge of all the. Father, as ourFather reconciled by Chrift, our chief owner and ruler, and our chief Be- nefafeor, even as our God; and to Chrift as our Saviour, and the Holy Gholt as our San6iher. And meetly to content to learn of Ch'rilt, makes one a baptizable di- ièiple. 7. Baptifm is Chriftening, and is the Badge of thofe that mat love and take each other for Chritiians,and the terms of Church Unity, till ithe nullified by verbal or aánaal apoffafy. And it is Church Tyranny and Schilin, to make Canons which fhall exclude thofe from the Church of Chrift, whom he taketh in by baptifm ; before they impenitently nullify that Covenant in whole or in Tome effential part, viz. by proved denying effenrials of Faith, or forfaking fome effential part of obedience. 8. Baptifm making us Clariftians, is our slate of Regeneration, by which we may g. It implieth that his commands are the know our right to ]unification and Salvation ; univerfal Laws for his Catholick Church, And that is, He that confenteth heartily and unfeign- no man or men have authority to -make Laws idly to the Baptifmal Covenant is regenerate for the univerfal Church on Earth but he; and junified. and !hall be laved. -And he and to undertake ir, is to undertake the pre- that doth content but with the mouth and rogative of Chrift, and to be Vice-Chrin by outward figs, or leaveth out Tome effential ufurpation ; be it Pope or Councils. part in his heart-confent, is regenerate only g. Yet the precept of obferving his com- fecrar.entally, and a vifrble member of the mands, forbids not the obferving of the Church , but is not junitied, nor fhall be fa- commands of any lawful limited local Rulers ved. under him, not croffing his commands ; Pa- lo. Teaching them to obferve all rents, Matters, Parlors, Princes mutt beobey- , things whatfoever I have command- ed in their Provinces and Places ; even about ed you: and lo, I am with you Cyd's Worllttp. If men make fubordinate of alwa even unto the end of the Laws, Concord, Chrift's General Laws y, Love, Edifica[ion, Order, they mull world. Amen, beobeyed, (as e. g.) what translationofScrip - no. And when you have Baptized them, cure toufe, what Pfalms, Meeters, Tunes, Ge. and fo united them to me and my univerlal aures, Time, Place, and abundance fach like, thefe my commands: And in the performance of this charge, I fhall by the help of my Spi- rit and Protelion, be prefent with you and filch Parlors in their courfe, to the end of this World, (or age,) till I thall come in glary to the final Judgment. Tho you lee me not, I fall be as really affifting to you, and rcg rdful ofyou, even in all your labours and fulfèriv, as if you law me. Note, s . This general command of teach- ing all Nations Chritt's commands, includeth writing the Scriptures, without which they could not not teach Pofterity in all Nations his commands. 2. It maketh them his intrufeed Apoftles, Emu whole fidelity we may believingly re- ceive his commands: And therefore implieth the promife of his Spirit to make them nue and credible reporters. The

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