Book IV. BAPTISM A BURIAL. f3•r.1•(•fL"" baptized in their Bed, were fuch as delayed ~heir Baptifm until their Death Beds, becaufe they believed it would take away all Sm, and that there was no Pardon if they (inned after receiving It; yet n~r danng to go out of the World With– out rhis great Badge of Chnfltantty, deferred It till they thought they were m danger of Death: And fince they could not wrthout pen! of Ltfe be d1pped, Spnnklrng was invented to ferve the turn. For a like Reafon, as was faid before, they changed the Mode of Adminifl:rarion wirh refpetl: to Infants, when their Baptifin was introduced, our' of regard to rheir render Confl:irurions, efpecially in cold Countries and Seafons. This was the Orig1nal of Spnnklmg, and fprun!S purely from the Abufe of Bapttfm, and the Want of the right Subject; as, by Dtvtne Ard, /hall be demonffrated m a particular Sheer, impartially, and from undoubted Authority. . One may with as much reafon be fatd to be boned, when Clay or Earth IS thrown upon his H ead only; as to be baptized, when Water is poured upoi> his Head or Face: And if the one be no Bur)"ing, it is as certain the other is no Baptifm. And he that affirms, that Sp-rinkling may reprefent or fymbolically exprefs the Death, Burial, and Refe~rrection of Chrifl:, does at the fame Time fpeak wirhout Colour of Trurb, ·word of Senfe, and againfl: all rhe Reafon in the World. As breaking of the facra– menral Bread, vi(ibly betokens that Chrift's Body was broke; and as the pouring forth of the r,cramenral Wine, reprefenrs the Gulhing forrh of his Blood: So the facramemal Dipping in Water, viz. Baptifm, reprefents his Death and Burial; and the coming from under the Water, his Hefurretl:ion, 1 Cor. xv. 2, 3, 4, &c~ METAPHOR. PARALLEL Ill. Burial precedes the RefurIII. The Immerlion of the Party baptized, redion, or railing of the dead Body precedes his Emerfion, or comino- our of the to a State of lmmorraliry. Water; which fymbolizes or aJ~fwers to two Things: 1. The Refurretl:ion of Chrift, 2. Our riling again to Newnefs of Life: Buried with him in Baptifm, wherein ye are alfo rifen with him, &c. as m the Text. N F E R E N C E ~ I. FROM the Whole we may rationally conclude, That the Adminifl:rarion of this great Ordinance by Sprinkling, (which comports nor with the literal nor meta– phorical Signification of the Word, nor rhofe great Myfl:eries reprefenred by it, viz. the Death, Burial, and Refurretl:ion of Chrifl:) is diforderly, and lhould be rectified. H. It is a Motive to excite us ro admire and reverence the great Grace and Good~ nds of Chritl, who hath given us fuch a vifible Symbol of his Death, Burial, and Refurredion; nor only w confirm our Faith, but alfo to prevent our being deceived by anv feducrng Sprnts. Ill. his not be wondered at, that fuch as d~ny the ~an Chrifl: Jefus, bur preach up the Lrght wtthrn to be a Savwr, lhould rejetl: thele two great Ordinances fl:ared in the Scnpture, viz. Bapttfin and the Lord's Supper, becaufe Ji.Jch as deny rhe Subflan~e, ~re necemrated to deny the Stgn.. Perlons of tillS Judgment may be eafily confurea: For when ever the Term Baptifm rs nwnrtoned, anJ God or Chrill: repre– fenred as rhc Agmt, it mull be underfl:oud of the Baprifm of the Spirit, in the Senfe before tpoken of. When ever Baptifm is mentioned as the Act of any Apofl:le or Minifl:er of the Gofptl, it d~nores VVarer- Baprifm, becaufe thefe have neither Power nor Commi!Tron to baptize with rhe Spirit, and with Fire. And when ever the Baptifm of Blood and Suffering is mentioned,. it mull: be underfl:ood of Perfecutors, or un.,odly Men, \\ho nour,her, defl:roy, or alllrct the Godly; for neither God without BI.:fphemy, nor good Men, wirhom a wron~ Applicarion of rhe Term, m~y be (aid to baptrze that way. So that wh<n we meet wtth the Act of Baprifm, as the .-\Cl: of a gocd Man, we mull: of nece!Trry underfl:and it of Warer-Baprifm, in the fame Method anJ Mode of Adminifl:ration, as was pratl:ifed by the Apofl:les and primitive Chrif– tians; and that being a pofirive lnflirurion, with refpetl: to the Subject and Manner of Admtnrfl:ratwn, IS nor to be devrated from, upon any Pretence wharfoever, unlefs we will fuppofe the Laws of the Almighty to be in the Power of Man, fo as that he may difpenfe at pleafure with ·them; which is not to be done withour futficienr Amhority from God him!df, which is no where to be found. IV. If the Laws of the great unerring S?vereign of all Things ought to be obferved without vanauon, unkfs lt be by Ius exprds Diretl:ton; then we are to conform exactly 2 to
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