them into the Name of God, who is the Father, Son, and Spirit, as he hath discovered Himself in in his laft and moft glorious difcovery of himself in the Gospel; you fhall (I fay) dip them into his Name, or sprinkle his Name upon them, that they may be holy, just, true, merciful, righteous, good, &c. that is, your Miniftry, after you have received the Spirit, fhall have fuch efficacy, that it fhall cloath men with the Name of God, and transform them into his very Nature.

So that this place cannot be understood of Water, but instead of baptizing in Material water, as John, he tels them, they fhould baptize into the Name of God, in fuch fort that they that were before finfull, corrupt, and evil men, fhould now be taken up into the glory of the Name of God. Neither can this place be understood of à form of words which the Apoftles and their Succeffors fhould ufe in baptizing, as moft men have thought and taught, feeing no place of Scripture can be named, wherein the Apostles in baptizing, used this form of words, faying, I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, Son and Spirit; which they had undoubtedly done, if Chrift, had commanded it as an abfolute form. And because many will presently be ready to be enraged at this affertion, I will a little cool their heat with what Zuinglius faith of this place, who was one of the greatest enemies to the Anabaptifts that was in his time, Chriftus Jefus (faith he) baptifmi formulam qua uteremur, his verbis non inftituit, quemadmodum Theologi hactenus falfo tradiderunt. Zuing. lib. de Bapt. p. 66. tom. 2. Oper. that is, Jefus Chrift did not in these words inftitute a form of Baptifm, which we fhould use, as Divines have hitherto falfly taught: and he affirms it upon the fame ground I have mentioned before.

Again, if this place, Go teach and baptize, be meant water-Baptifm, Paul did very ill obferve the command of Chrift, who baptized but two or three believing Families at the moft with Water-Bapifm, and yet preached the Word in a circuit from Jerufalem to Illyricum Act. 15. 19. through many Kingdoms, Countries, Villages People; but I fay, Paul though he used not Water-Baptifm, yet did punctually fulfill the command of Chrift, and did teach them and baptize them into the Name of God. So that no question, there were many Churches planted in Pauls time, who believed in Chrift and received the Spirit, and walked in fellowship with the Father and the Son, and with one another in the Father and the Son, who never were washed at all with Water-baptifm; for Paul knew well, that no outward thing is of any account in the Kingdom of God, and that as circumcifion and uncircumcifion were nothing, fo neither water-Baptifm nor the want of it, were any thing, but a new creature is ALL; and if there be Faith and the Spirit, they are fufficient to the Kingdom of God, without any outward ceremonies whatfoever.

Object.

6.

Answ.

So that neither of thefe two places prove any Inftitution of water-Baptifm of Chrift, but that ftill remains Johns Baptifm and not Chrifts.

6. Object. The laft, and that which feems the ftrongest Objection is, that the Apostles practifed Water-Bartifm, not only before Christs Baptifm came in, but after; and this is most evident in very many places in the Alls of the Apostles.

Anf. I answer, True indeed, the Apostles did practife Water-baptifm, but not from Chrift, but from John, whofe Baptifm they took up; and an Outward Ceremony of Honour and Account is not eafily and fuddenly laid down; and hence fome of the Apoftles ufed Circumeifion, and that after the Afcention of Chrift; for Circumcifion was an honora

ble

I

ble ceremony ufed from Abrahams time, and fo they could not (no not in the time of the New Teftament) fuddenly and abruptly leave it off, but they did use it for a time for their fakes who were weak, well knowing that the Circumcifion without hands, would by degrees put an end to the Circumcifion made with hands. For Ceremonies are best laid down, and old customs best laid aside, by the efficacy of the Spirit and power of righteouf nefs. And fo in like manner the Apoftles ufed the Baptifm of John, or Water-baptifm, it having been of high account in the dawning of the day of the Gospel, and for the prefent ftill continuing fo; but they knew, that Spirit or Fire-baptifm would by degrees confume water-baptifm, and lick up all the drops of it; for fo John himself intimates faying, He must increase, but I must decrease; that is, the Truth must eat out the Ceremony, and the Subftance the Sign, and the more his Miniftry and baptifm come in, mine shall go out; and the Ministry of the Son fhall fwallow up the Miniftry of the fervant, as the Sun-light; doth the Moon-light; and the baptifm of fire fhall devour the baptifm of water; and his Spirit-baptifm, by degrees fhall put an end to my water-baptifm: And therefore Paul (as you have heard) after he had used this baptifm twice or thrice quite forbore it, and yet planted many Churches of Chrift; and fo probably by degrees did other Apoftles too; for they knew, that Chrifts baptifm included Johns, and was fully fufficient of it felf without it; and therefore we find Paul teaching in Chrifts Kingdom but One baptifm, and this the baptifm of the Spirit, Ephef. 4. from which the Church of the New Teftament, both of Jews and Gentiles, was to take its beginning, and not from outward elements or water-washing.

Wherefore seeing these things are fo, the Anabaptifts have extremely mistaken, who have made Ff 4

theis

Chrifts
Baptifm or

tijm.

their water-washing fo effential a work of the New Teftament, that they would neither hear the Word, nor have Chriftian Communion with any one that was not so washed; yea though they were convinced touching them, that they had received the Spirit: this, I fay, hath been the great error of very many honeft and well-meaning people through mifunderstanding the Word, to make washing with material water fo neceffary a thing in spiritual worship, yea and more effential to the communion of Saints, than the very Spirit it felf, whom I do not therefore judge, but pity.

And this much for water-baptifm, which was Johns, and belonged only to that middle Ministry, betwixt the Prophets and Christ.

Now the other Baptifm I am to speak of, is fire Bap Chrifts, which is Spirit or Fire-baptifm; and this is the one and only Baptifm of the New Teftament, as we find Paul affirming, Eph. 4. 6. where he faith, that in Chrifts Kingdom, where is but one Body, and one Spirit, and one hope of our Calling, and one Lord, and one Faith, there is alfo but v fáliopa, one Baptifm; and this is the Baptifm of the Spirit, as the Apostle elsewhere fhews, faying, I Cer. 12. 13. For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body, and have been made all to drink into one Spirit.

When it be

Ben in the

Church.

Now this Spirit-Baptifm did not go along with Chrian Johns water-Baptifm, but followed it about four years after (as you have heard) and as appears by the fore-mentioned place of Christ, Acts 1. 5. where he tells his Difciples, faying, John verily baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence; and this Promise of Chrift and of the Father was fulfilled at the day of Pentecoft, when the Apostles being all met together, there came a found from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind and it filled the house where they

were

were fitting, and there appeared unto them, cloven tongues like as of fire, and it fate upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Spirit, &c. Here was the first beginning of Chrifts, or Spirit-Baptifm, for it began not till after the Afcenfion of Chrift into heaven, and his fitting down on the Throne of God; The proand John the Apostle alfo witnesses to this Chap. Brefs of it. 7. faying, The Spirit was not yet given, because Chrift was not yet glorified; but as foon as he was glorified, then did he begin to baptize with the Spirit, not the Apoftles only, but also the Jews and Gentiles, and all forts of people that did believe in his Name through the word of the Gospel: So that then Chrifts Baptifm began to take place, and to prevail, as you may fee Acts 8. When the Apostles that were at Jerufalem had heard that Samaria had received the word of God by the preaching of Philip, they fent unto them Peter and John, who when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he was fallen on none of them; (only, faith the Text, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jefus, i. e. they had only been baptized with Johns Baptifm, who only baptized with water, faying, that they fhould believe on Chrift that was to come after: for Johns Baptifm was yet ufual, inafmuch as Chrifts Baptifm was but new begun :) Then did the Apostles lay their hands on then, and they received the holy Spirit: So that here now was the Progrefs of SpiritBaptifm. And after, when Peter preached to Cornelius and his family and friends, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, Act. 10. And Peter gives this account to thofe of the Circumcifion at Jerufalem, A&t. 11. 15. And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the the beginning;

then

remembred I the words of the Lord, how that he faid, John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized by the Holy Spirit: So that Peter evidently de

clares