A23636:241
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession…
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pennsylvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pensilvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.
printed by Richard Pierce, 1690
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Introduction › Reflections on chapt. 10. of the Sacraments &c.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sect. 3. That Baptism with water properly belonged to John's Ministry, is easier said than proved: that It is expressly contra-distinguished from Christ's baptism, by John and Christ Himself; is an error; the outward Administration is distinguished from the Efficacy, which depends upon Christ, and not on the Minister: but not contra-distinguished, for these are two, but not contraries, but concomitants, as being indeed, two parts of the same Sacrament. And that it belonged not limitatively to John's Dispensation appears, because Christ gave order for the Continuance of it, Mat. 28.19, 20. Philip baptized the Eunuch with water, Act. 8. Paul baptized, 1. Cor. 1.15. Nor will he ever disprove the Baptizing with water, being appointed, Mat. 28.19. till he can prove that there is some other ministerial Baptism, for which he must run to his Revelations, Ten ⟨p. 141⟩thousand of which are worth nothing. And what an infatuation is it to tell us, there are no other words of institution, but the words of Institution? What more would he have? Nor doth he evade by telling us, they could baptize with the Spirit as well as beget sons and daughters to God; for this was done ministerially by dispensing the Ordinances, which Christ only can bless to that end, though He own His servants as workers-together with him in their place; but they ever renounced their doing any of these things by their own virtue. Yea, also Baptism is signified in Mat. 28.19. to be one way in which they made disciples of them: But he fore-saw that we would tell him, that the disciples under Christ's Dispensation, and after the Resurrection of Christ, baptized with water; & has provided a fine Evasion, viz. It was done by Toleration, as many things else by the Law; but we suppose that Infant-Baptism was not of the Law, but of the preparation of the Gospel: yea, an Institution which Christ Himself confirmed by his commands, and so, not a mere Toleration. And when Paul faith, he was sent to baptize, it is meant not so much to baptize as to preach; he was an Apostle & had diverse Ministers waiting upon him, who were ordinarily employed in baptizing