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QUERY IV.

TOw and when is the Covenant between God and men entred into, by which People are externally United to Chrift, and visibly made Members of

his Church?

This Covenanting is transacted when People are Baptized. For Baptifm is a Sacred Rite inftituted by Chrift, by which the Covenant we speak of, is folemnly entred into.

As for Almighty God, he has prevented men on his part, in Covenanting with them, and ftands openly declared in his Word, to be a God to all thofe, to pardon and fave them, whoever they be, that shall become a People unto him,by believing in him, and ferving him: And not only fo, but he has alfo Authorized his Minifters to tranfact with men in his Name, according to that declaration, by bringing them into Covenant with him by

Baptifm,

Baptifm, and thereby to receive them into his Church: For to that end are the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven delivered to them, viz. to open the door,and to let fuch into the Church; and this they do as Stewards of God's Houfe.

Now whenever men take hold on this Covenant of God, and openly and publickly Covenant with him to become a People unto him, and to perform the condition of his Covenant with them, in order to the obtaining the benefits promifed on his part, then and by that means is their visible Relation to God, to Chrift, and to his Church, conftituted and made. And all this a being visibly Baptized in his Name, doth imply.

For this I conceive is the meaning of their being Baptized into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Mat. 28. 19. Not only that they are Baptized in their name, as that fignifies its being done by their Authority, but alfo into their name, as that fignifies their being brought into a special

Relation

Relation to them as their God, whom they Covenant to worship and serve. And therefore from thenceforth they are called by that name into which they are Baptized; like as a Wife is called by the name of her Husband, from that very moment in which the Marriage Covenant is compleated, Isa. 4. 1.

Hence it is that S. Paul . ith, That as many as have been Baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift, Gal. 3. 27. For by that they put on his Name,and put on their Relation to him. For this Vfible Membership we fpeak of, is nothing else but a Vifible Relation to Chrift the Head of Chriftians, and to all those that are vifily related to him. By Baptifm they are planted into Chrift, Rom. 6. which is another me taphor by which our External Union with Chrift by Baptifm is fignified. And by it they are Baptized into one body, 1 Cor. 12. 13.

Those words of St. Peter fhew likewife that there was a Covenanting with God in Baptifm, when he fays,

The

The like figure whereunto Baptifm doth now fave us, not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good Confcience towards God, by the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift, 1 Pet. 3. 21. I find that which is here tranflated, The answer of a good Confcience, is rendred by others, the promise or ftipulation of a good Confcience, and by fome the question or questioning of a good Confcience. Now ifthe Greek will bear or countenance these several readings, Anfwer, Stipulation, Questioning, yet the matter may be thus well accommodated. The Answer of a good Confcience here spoken of, was an answer to fomewhat proposed, or put questionwife to be refolved, or anfwered to by them, who were to be Baptized; and that the Answer to it, was of the nature of a Promise, Stipulation or Covenant, in reference to God. As when it was propofed, or put questionwife to the party to be Baptized, whether he did believe Jefus Chrift to be the Son of God, and Saviour of the World? and whether

he

he would reform his finful life, and in hope of Salvation by Jefus Christ, henceforth live unto God according to his teaching in the Gofpel: The anfwer to this was affertory and promiffory Covenant-wife made,viz. that he did fo believe, and that through Gods affiftance he would fo reform, and fo live; to the performance whereof he bound himself by being Baptized in his name.

Now when fuch a promiffory answer as this proceeded from fuch a frame of mind as did produce, or would produce effects futable to fuch an anfwer or undertaking, it might very well be called the answer of a good Confcience towards God. And St. Peter might well fay, as here we suppofe he does, That the entrance into the Church by Baptifm, when accompanied with this anfwer of a good Confcience, would as certainly be Salvation to them through the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift, as ever Noah & his Families enterance into the Ark, was the means of their escaping perish