The Old and New Covenant. Chap 18! to hire with their tongues for their hearts were not right with him, neither were they liedfafl in his Covenant. Therefore they pretend not barely to a Covenant , bdt the Covenant which they enter, is their pretence for God , and their breach of Covenant argues I them guilty of hypocrifie before the Lord.. (2.) A ccording to thefe, fuch pretend to the ftage, but are never admitted on it., They pretend to ad the part of a Servant of God , but never fo much aft it ; fo we may fay, they pretend to hypocrifie butne- ver are in the honour to be many capacity of it. 3. If the Covenant be with this limit, only to Regenerate peril 1 foils, then no Minifter in any Church,no ChurchOfficer,nor any I other Church- Member (in cafe you wiltrnake it to be their work), may baptize any perfon. That Difcples are to be baptized , is. out of queftion with all that acknowledge fuch a handing Ordi- nance as.Baptifine; It being in the Apohies Commiffion, to difci -. pie"Nations,. and baptize them. Thefe are broughtinto the bond of the Covenant, as Ezeh 20.37. But thofe only paffing for Di- fciples, and men in Covenant that are Regenerate , they can by no eye of any Minifter,. Church - Officer, or Member be difcerned.. This is that work that cometh not with obfervation or outward Phew, that men fhauld /a3, Lo here,or lo there, Luk,i7.20,21. Chrift might indeed- have baptized in his own perfon at pleafure , feeing he knew What was in man, John 2 z ;. He could have diftinguifhed." a Beleever from an unbeleever, a Saint from an unfandified -; man, a Chriftianrfrom him that is no Chrihian, a Difciple from. one that is no Difciple, taking theft titles in the fenfe of . thefe perlons; fo can no other man. It is the PrerogativeRoyal of God to fearch the heart; If Paul could have difcerned falle Brethren by a fpirit of infallibility he had never been in that danger, 2 Contr. 26 But Chrift baptized none , but left all to his Difciples, lohn 4.2. And . they being thus tied up to baptize none, till they be difcipled ; (of which according to this.Tenent: they could be no competent Judges),. It muff. needs .follow that, none at all muft be baptized.. If any fay, thofe are -to be baptized, that in the judgement. of. charity we- judge to be Difciples , on whom we have grounds of hope that this work is wrought; as I know it is fail by many, I -(hall give heed to them when they can fhew that Chrift "bath laid it that he bath made known that the inward work, is alone thc true ground, on,which thisprivi ledge.:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=