Chap. 3 2. The Old and New Covenant. the Eleecion would be as large as Vocation ; when Chrift faith, many are called, but few chufen. Secondly, When he faith , he that beleeveth and ú baptized, fñ,tll be limed ; bere Faith goes before Baptifine, and that nota common, but a laving Faith ; for here is hit one Faith fpoken ef, and that ù before Raptifine. I. This is the weakeft of all arguments to reafon for a prece- dency of one before another , from the order in which they are placed in Scripture.So we mayfay,7ohn baptized before he preach- ed the Baptifme ofRepentance; for his baptizing is mentioned before preaching of Baptifme , Mark r. 4. So we may fay, we muff have glory firft, and vertue after ; for fo they are placed by the Apoftle, 2 'Pet. i. 3. A11 that can be collected ,, is that we muff in Gods ordinary way of conferring falvation have both Faith and Baptifme ; though there be not the like absolute necef- fity of Baptifine as of. Faith; Baptifme being neceffary, neceffttate pracepti; Jefus Chrift having inflituted it, and commanded it; but Faith is neceffary both neceffitate medii, and pracepti; feeing Chrift not only commanded it, but falvation at no hand can be obtained (by men in capacity of it) without it ; And therefore it bath been well obferved that in the words following, the like flreffe is not laid on Baptifme as On Faith ; not he that is-not ba- ptized, but he that beleeveth not, füall be damned. 2. Let Peter where he fpeaks of Salvation by Baptifine, inter- pret thefe words ; Baptifme doth now alfo (faith he) fave us by the refurreElion of lefus Chrift, i Pet 3. 21. and then explaines himfelf; Not the putting away the filth of the flesh , but the an- fiver of agood conscience towards God. This anfwer or reftipulati- on, unto the outward adminiftration of Baptifme , is that which followes upon Baptifme ; but juftifying Faith is that reftipulati- on (at leaft a principal branch of it), and therefore there is no neceffity that it go before , but a necefity that it mull follow af- ter Baptifme. It is true that in men of years, juflifying Faith fometimes goes before Baptifme as in Abraham it went before Circumcifion but it is not of neceflity required to intereft us in a right, neither of Baptifme, nor Circumcifion. Thirdly, flat Faith to which the promife of Remi ton and In/lifi- (061erf. cation is made, it milli alto be felled to (or that Faith which is the con- dition of the Promise , ú the condition in foro Dei of the title to tie I i 2 feel )_
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=