First, it confoundeth the Catechumens with the Christians, and maketh all Christians who are but willing to learn to be Christians. Secondly, it maketh the Christian Church to consist of such as are no Christians: As that person certainly is not, who consenteth not that Christ be his Teacher, Priest and King: For to such a one, he is no Christ; seeing these are the essential parts of his Mediatory office. And the new device of distinguishing Christs Apostolic and Mediatory offices, & so the Church congregate and the Church regenerate accordingly, will not seem to defend this conceit. For as Christ is not divided, so his office for which he is called Christ is but One, which entirely is called the office of a Saviour, or Redeemer, or Mediator, which are all one: And the essential parts of it are, first his Priestly, second Teaching and Ruling offices or works: And this which is called his Apostleship, is but the same which is called his Teaching or Prophetical Office, and is a part of his Mediatory or saving Office. And he is no Christian, nor is that any Congregated Christian Church, which professeth not to take Christ for his Mediator his Priest and King, as well as for an Apostle a Prophet or Teacher. Thirdly, they therefore who hold the aforesaid doctrine, do introduce a new sort of Christianity. Fourthly, and a new sort of Baptism, which the Church of Christ never knew to this day. And therefore they do ingenuously profess their dissent from our form or words in Baptism, because we put the baptized to renounce ⟨p. 48⟩the flesh the world and the devil, and to use such covenanting words as must signify special grace. But through the great mercy of God, Baptism is still the same thing in all the Christian Churches in the world, the Reformed, the Roman, the Greek, the Armenian, yea and the Ethiopian too, for all their seeming reiteration of it. And Baptism among them all, is the same now as it hath been in all Generations, from Christs institution of it. So that we fully maintain as well as the Romans, that Christianity hath by this sacred Tradition been safely delivered down to us to this day. What a Christian is, and what Christianity is, may be most certainly known, by this which is commonly called our Christening; In which the profession and covenant which maketh men Christians is so express and unchanged from age to age.
First, it confoundeth the Catechumens with the Christians, and maketh all Christians who are but willing to learn to be Christians. Secondly, it maketh the Christian Church to consist of such as are no Christians: As that person certainly is not, who consenteth not that Christ be his Teacher, Priest and King: For to such a one, he is no Christ; seeing these are the essential parts of his Mediatory office. And the new device of distinguishing Christs Apostolike and Mediatory offices, & so the Church congregate and the Church regenerate accordingly, will not seem to difend this conceit. For as Christ is not divided, so his office for which he is called Christ is but One, which entirely is called the office of a Saviour, or Redeemer, or Mediator, which are all one: And the essential parts of it are, first his Priestly, second Teaching and Ruling offices or works: And this which is called his Apostleship, is but the same which is called his Teaching or Prophetical Office, and is a part of his Mediatory or saving Office. And he is no Christian, nor is that any Congregated Christian Church, which professeth not to take Christ for his Mediator his Priest and King, as well as for an Apostle a Prophet or Teacher. Thirdly, they therefore who hold the aforesaid doctrine, do introduce a new sort of Christianity. Fourthly, and a new sort of Baptism, which the Church of Christ never knew to this day. And therefore they do ingenuously profess their dissent from our form or words in Baptism, because we put the baptized to renounce ⟨p. 48⟩the flesh the world and the devil, and to use such covenanting words as must signifie special grace. But through the great mercy of God, Baptism is still the same thing in all the Christian Churches in the world, the Reformed, the Roman, the Greek, the Armenian, yea and the Ethiopian too, for all their seeming reiteration of it. And Baptism among them all, is the same now as it hath been in all Generations, from Christs institution of it. So that we fully maintain as well as the Romans, that Christianity hath by this sacred Tradition been safely delivered down to us to this day. What a Christian is, and what Christianity is, may be most certainly known, by this which is commonly called our Christening; In which the profession and covenant which maketh men Christians is so express and unchanged from age to age.
