: Charge, when he was about to leave the World, and go to his Father, Mat. xxviii, 19. Go, teach all nations, baptifing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. Nor is this to be limited to newly taught and converted Infidels, but to be extended to all Nations; neither was it a temporary Command, only to continue until a Church was formed; but it is to continue while there is a Church, and ftanding Miniftry in the World: And fo much is plainly intimated in the Promife, ver. 28. And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the End of the World. 2dly, It is fo neceffary, that Minifters of Chrift are diligently and carefully to adminifter this. So was John the Baptift very much imployed, and the Apoftles and others, who were ordained to the Work of the Miniftry Tho' they had not this as their principal or main Work, 1 Cor. i. 17. yet they were always taken up in it, as their conftant and neceffary Bufinefs, as we may obferve from Acts ii. Acts viii. Acts x. Acts xxii 16. Acts xvi. 1 Cor. i. 14, 16. 3dly, If we confider the Ends and Ufes of Baptifm, as thefe refpect us, it is fo neceffary, that by God's Bleffing therewith, the Perfon baptifed reaps very great and peculiar Advantage thereby. We are guilty, unholy, weak, poor, naked and expofed Sinners; and Baptifm is that, whereby our Union to Chrift, and taking of the Virtue of his Death and Refurrection, for Juftification, Sanctification, Perfeverance and Glory, are fignified, made over, and fealed to us. Seeing then, that our Lord hath, in fo great Mercy and Grace, appointed this Or dinance, to ratify and confirm our Right to Covenant Bleffings, which we ftand fo much in need of, furely it is neceffary that we ufe its nor can we think that infinite Wisdom fhould appoint fuch a facred and folemn. Inftitution, and par and and yet leave it to the Pleasure of Men to ufe or difufe as they lift. 4thly, It is fo neceffary, as that it is not to be caufelefly delayed. And for this, the Nature of the Ordinance, the Command of our Lord Jefus, and the Practice of thofe recorded in the Word of God, do all strongly plead; and if we look into Acts ii. 38, 39Acts viii. 12, 13, 14, 36, 37, 38. Acts ix. 18. Acts x. 47, 48. Acts xvi. 15, 33. Acts xviii. 8. Acts xxii. 17. We will find, that the Perfons there mentioned, were all quickly baptifed upon their profeffing themfelves Difciples, tho' fome would think, that fometimes the Numbers were fo great, and the profeffed Converfion of others fo fudden, that their Baptifm might have been delayed for a Seafon: But this was not the Way of God, altho' to Men it may feem to point at the Purity of a Church. 5thly, Baptifm is fo neceffary, as that the rejecting of it is a very great and aggravated Sin: It is faid, Luke vii. 30. That the Lawyers and Pharisees, they rejected the Counsel of God against themselves, ing not baptifed of John. Where we may obferve, that it was their great Duty to have hearkned to John's Doctrine, and fo to have been baptifed of him, and that hereby they were rendred moft inexcufeable, because they rejected both. Yea, 6thly, So neceffary is Baptism, as that the Contempt of it is no less than Damning; becaufe, to flight and undervalue it, is to trample upon the Divine Authority appointing it to defpife the Obedience, Death and Refurrection of our Lord and Saviour, which are reprefented by it; to fet Light by the Perfons of the Glorious Trinity, in whofe Name it is adminiftred; and to difregard all the great and faving Bleffings of the Covenant of Grace, which are hereby ealed, and folemnly ratified: So, Gen. xvii. 14 the De " fpifer rorof fome mitive Times. fpifer of Circumcifion is faid to have broken the Lord's Covenant. Inferences From what has been faid of the Neceffity of from this. Baptifm, we may learn, First, The Error of The Er- that Practice, which not a little prevailed in the in the pri- primitive Times, when fome delayed their be ing baptifed, till they were upon their Deathbeds; because they reckoned, That as they were to be baptifed but once; fo they could not have the Pardon of Sin made over and feared to them, by any other inflituted Ordinance: And being tinctured (as fome fay) with the Novatian ErClinick ror, which was, That no Place for Repentance Baptifm, was to be allowed to the baptifed, if, after Bapthe preten- tifm they should fall away: Therefore, they' ded Rea- would not be baptifed too foon, left they fhould fons for it. fin after Baptifm, and confequently be damned. But as this Delay cannot be approven, and the pretended Reafons of it are weak and groundlefs; fo the fame may be faid of a Custom which prevailed fome Centuries after Chrift, when they did not baptife their Catechumens (or fuch as were to be inftructed and prepared for Baptifm) but at fome fpecial Seafons of the Year, particularly Eafter and Pentecoft. They did indeed by this openly declare their Faith, That Bap tifm was not abfolutely neceffary to Salvation elfe those who were to be baptifed, would not have so long put off the Participation, and the Church Guides the Administration, thereof. Yet, fo to confine an Ordinance of God at their Pure, to delay Favours to immortal Souls, when God prefently allows them, and to make Secondly, ོན། ། Secondly, From what hath been faid of the 2 The Neceffity of Baptifm, we may obferve the Fault Seat Faule of fome Parents, who delay the Baptifm of their Parents. Children, upon no other Account, but becaufe they have not Time to prepare for entertaining and feafting their Friends, or for worldly Pomp and Show; by which they give their Pride and Vanity the Preference to their Childrens Intereft, and their own Duty: And this is not a little aggravated by their fixing on the Lord's Day, to difplay their Magnificence, and make publick Entertainments, which are commonly attended with bad Confequences, Diverfions from neceffary and fpiritual Exercifes being inevitable, Excels in eating and drinking, Mirth and Jolity too ordinary, and a serious Chriftian Temper but rarely kept on fuch Occafions. Thirdly, from this we may fee the Duty of 3 Duty the unbaptifed, and who are come to Age, to of Parents have this Ordinance of Baptifm, which is fo nece and others fary, adminiftrated to themfelves; of Parents to ask it for their Children; and of Minifters to adminifter it to the proper Objects thereof fo foon as lawfully and decently it may be done For it is an Ordinance of the God of Heaven; the Author of it, who is infinitely wife, has ap pointed it for very great and noble Purpofes; he is gracious, ready to receive all that either come, or are brought to him. The Apoftles, and others mentioned in the new Teftament, never put off this Ordinance when there was juft Occafion for it; in which Circumftances, the Contempt and Neglect of it is highly dangerous: Yet fpecial Care is to be taken, that Pretence of Neceffity and Duty, give not an Occafion to Precipitancy and Formality; that this be not improven to difpence with Parents their preparatory Duty; give not an Handle to Papifts for their abfolute Neceffity of this Ordinance; nor an Allowance to fome to adminifter it, to whom God, who is abfolute Mafter of his own Houfe, infinitely gracious to his own People, and, beyond Expreffion, careful of every Thing that is for their Advantage or Comfort, never granted fuch Power and Authority. Abfolute what. SE CT. II. That Baptifm is not abfolutely necessary. Necefity BY abfolute Neceffity, in the Title of this Section, is underfood, Baptifm its being fo neceffary, as that there is no Salvation without it, but those who die unbaptifed, are excluded the Kingdom of Heaven. So fay the Council of Trent, Seff. 7. Can. 4 and 5. Ór, It is so neceffary, that none are faved without it, upon the or-. dinary covenanted Goffel Terms of Salvation. So fay fome Proteftants (1). In Oppofition to this, the Body of Proteftant Divines and Churches do, with our Confeffion of Faith, affert, That tho' it be a great Sin to contemn or neglect this Ordinance, (of which we have heard in the preceeding Section) yet Grace and Salvation are not fo infeperably annexed unto it, as no Perfon can be regenerate or Javed without it. ConfeffiArgu. on of Faith, Chap. 28. Sect. 5. And this will a- appear evident, if we fhall confider, First, That gainst it. previous to, and without Baptifm, Perfons may have all Things neceffary to Salvation; and if fo, then certainly they must be faved; they have the Spirit of Grace, Acts x. 45, 47. they have the ments (1) See the Practice and Doctrine of Presbyterians about Baptifm Examined, P. 7.` |