A26886:59
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending them against several sorts of opponents, especially against the second assault of that pious, reverend and dear brother Mr. Thomas Blake / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1658
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.
The first Disputation. Quest. Whether Ministers may admit persons into the Church of Christ by Baptism, upon the bare verbal Profession of the true Christian saving faith, without staying for, or requiring any further Evidences of sincerity? Aff.
IN almost all our controverted Cases, the Church still findeth the mischief of Extremes: and among the rest, in this about the due qualification of those whom we must admit to the Sacraments. Some will not look after saving Faith at all; but have found out a Faith of another species, which they call Dogmatical, which they take to be the Title to both the Sacraments. Others, while they look after saving faith, will not take up with that Evidence of it (a bare Profession) which God in Scripture hath directed them to accept; but they must either pretend to search the heart, or stay for some better Evidences of Regeneration. The confuting of these last, shall be the business of this Disputation; and the confuting of the former, shall be the matter of the rest.
We here suppose that Baptism is a standing Ordinance of Christ, and that the use of it is to be the sign of our Entrance into the Church of Christ; not only solemnizing our Covenant with God, in which upon our consent we were before secretly ⟨p. 2⟩entered, but also investing us in our Church honours and privileges. For as the Prince doth by a sword confer the order and honour of Knighthood (which he might do before by private Grant) or as a man doth by a Key deliver to a Tenant the possession of a House; or by a twig and turf, the possession of Lands: so doth God by Baptism deliver to the true Believer the honourable order of Christianity, and power to be a member of Christ and his Church, and a son of God, and therewith he delivereth him the pardon of his sins, and other Privileges of his people: Though to them that come without this saving faith, there is only an Offer of the Internal Benefits from God, and no Delivery of possession; and only a Ministerial delivery of the possession of the external privileges, without that Title which before God will warrant their Claim and Reception; though there be enough in the Ministers Commission to warrant his delivery upon that Claim.