Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression…

1. Then it seems, if a man believe sincerely and savingly, the main use of Baptism, as engaging, is past already. Must any sound believer then be Baptised? or only unsound believers and Infidels that will promise to believe hereafter? ⟨p. 85⟩But I will show the foulness of this error anon, and therefore let it pass now. 2. But you say, This is plain; to whom? all men have not the truth, that are confident that they have it; I see that you say, No man is bound to make good his Condition before engagement, &c. very dangerous: It is not our condition only nor principally, as to the efficient obligation, nor at all as to the Justification. Are we poor worms, our own Gods and Lords, that we should be disobliged till we will be pleased to oblige our selves? Our faith is Gods Condition as the Imposer; three several Bonds hath he laid upon us. 1. As Legislator of the Law of Grace, he hath commanded us to believe in, and accept an offered Christ. And is Gods command insufficient to oblige us, till we oblige our selves? then more happy are Pagans then I imagined. 2. As the Donor of Christ and Life, and the Author of the Promise or Deed of gift (and so Christ as Testator) he hath made our sincere faith the condition; saying, If thou believe, thou shalt be saved. Hereby we are bound to believe, as a necessary means to salvation. This is but a sanction of the first obligation. 3. The like may be said of the threatening, He that believeth not shall be damned; which God addeth as Legislator to this Law, so that every man is bound to sound Believing, as the necessary condition of salvation, before he doth consent himself, or oblige himself to it: even by an obligation which is ten thousand fold stronger then any that he is capable of laying on himself.

1. Then it seems, if a man believe sincerely and savingly, the main use of Baptism, as engaging, is past already. Must any sound believer then be Baptised? or onely unsound believers and Infidels that will promise to believe hereafter? ⟨p. 85⟩But I will shew the foulness of this error anon, and therefore let it pass now. 2. But you say, This is plain; to whom? all men have not the truth, that are confident that they have it; I see that you say, No man is bound to make good his Condition before engagement, &c. very dangerous: It is not our condition only nor principally, as to the efficient obligation, nor at all as to the Justification. Are we poor worms, our own Gods and Lords, that we should be disobliged till we will be pleased to oblige our selves? Our faith is Gods Condition as the Imposer; three several Bonds hath he laid upon us. 1. As Legislator of the Law of Grace, he hath commanded us to believe in, and accept an offered Christ. And is Gods command insufficient to oblige us, till we oblige our selves? then more happy are Pagans then I imagined. 2. As the Donor of Christ and Life, and the Author of the Promise or Deed of gift (and so Christ as Testator) he hath made our sincere faith the condition; saying, If thou believe, thou shalt be saved. Hereby we are bound to believe, as a necessary means to salvation. This is but a sanction of the first obligation. 3. The like may be said of the threatning, He that believeth not shall be damned; which God addeth as Legislator to this Law, so that every man is bound to sound Believing, as the necessarie condition of salvation, before he doth consent himself, or oblige himself to it: even by an obligation which is ten thousand fold stronger then any that he is capable of laying on himself.