5 Fo r5 20 25 3o 35 the Epillle te the Galatians. Chap.3. It is obieEted, that themale child, which is not circumcifed mutt (byGod commandement) be cut ofifrom thepeople of God, Gen. 17. r4. and thereforehe that is not baptifedmutt alto be cut off. An/2The text is tpoken and meant not of in- fants, but of men ofyeares , whoboring till then vncircumci- fed, defpife the ordinance ofGod, and refufe tobe circumci. fed. And this appeares by the reafon following : for he bath mademy cc,aenant vvid: now infants doe not this , but their pa- rents, or flirt: ofyeares. Secondly, the (peachoíChrill is obieeted,Ioh.3.5.Except4 manbe borne ofwater and the holy Ghogl , he cannot enter into the knndome ofGod. Anf. Chrift alludes to the waíhingsofthe old teftamcnt,Ezech. 36.25. and withal! glues an expofition of them, on this manner. Thouart a Pharifie , and Ioueft much wafhing, but if thou wouldeff enter into the kingdome of heauen, thoumuff bewafhed with cleanewater, that is, borne anewby theholy Ghoft. Againe I anfwer, that ifthe words be meant of baptifine, they Carrie this fente. Thekingdome of heauen doth not lignifie hfe eternal? , but theChurch of the newTeßament, and that in his vifible cftate, Mark.9. I.and baptifine makes men vifiblemembers ofthe Church , and re- generationby thefpirit, makes them trueand liucly members. Here then baptifine is made neceffarie , not in refpcft ofeter- nall life, but in rcfpeft of our admiffion and entrance into the Church, whereof it is now the onelymeanes. The feauenth point, is touching theCircumftancesofbap- tifme, which are flue. Thefirfl , concernes the perlons which are to adminilter baptifine, ofwlaome I propound loure que- thong. The fsrfi is, whether not onely Minitiers oftheword , but alto la,-perfons(as theyarc callcd)or meere private men, may adminifler baptifine ? AnfMinifl'ersof' the word onely. For to baptize is a part of the publike Minifterie, Matth. 28. r 8. Toe teachallnation, baptizing them. And marke how preach- ing, and baptifinr are royned together: and thingswhich God bath ioyned , no manmay feparate. Againe, he that mutt per- forme anypart ofthepubíìkc Minifterie, muff haue acalling, Rom. io. 14. Hebr. 3. 5. but meere private perlons haue no calling to this butines. Andwhatfoeuer isnot offaith,is finne: now the Adminiffration of baptifine by private perlons is Kk s withflut 257
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