You tell us that nothing of it is written in the New Testament, but the Life of Christ by four Men, and a few occasional Epistles, &c. But do you think that Christ himself did not institute Christianity, and tell Men plainly what it was? Did not those four Men write Christ's Doctrine as well as his Life? And is he not the Author of our Faith? Did he not preach the Gospel? And do you not call these four Books the four Evangelists? And doth not the Gospel contain and describe Christianity? Did not Christ oft tell us what it is to be his Disciples? And were not the Disciples called Christians shortly after, as words of the same signification? But what place is there for any doubt, when Christ himself did institute Baptism, and describe it? and command that all Nations being Discipled should be Baptized into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; as being the Faith which Disciples must profess? And do not you to this day profess, that Baptizing is Christening, and that Baptism washeth away all sin, (supposing the Baptized to receive it as Baptism, by true Covenant-consent at least?) And doth not Baptism enter us into the true Church of Christ? Sure all this is past dispute; where then is the difficulty? Is not a truly baptized ⟨p. 6⟩Person a Christian? And was it then as hard a matter as you make it, to know what Faith was necessary to Baptism, (in the Person at age, or the Parent of Infants?) Surely then the Scripture, that mentioneth the History of so many thousands baptized, would have told us of that grand Controversy, and how it was decided. But no such Controversy was then debated, for ought we there find. If Baptismal Covenanting with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as our God and Father reconciled in Christ, our Saviour, and our Sanctifier, be not the Symbol or Badge of Christians, and that which visibly maketh them such; your own Church, and all the Christian World is deceived. And we know that it was not the Custom of the Apostles and Pastors of the ancient Churches, to make a mere Ceremony and dead Formality of Baptism, by baptizing those that would but say the words [I believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,] without understanding what they said: And therefore their ordinary Preaching was the Exposition of these three Articles: And the Creed called The Apostles, is the Exposition of these three Articles;
You tell us that nothing of it is written in the New Testament, but the Life of Christ by four Men, and a few occasional Epistles, &c. But do you think that Christ himself did not institute Christianity, and tell Men plainly what it was? Did not those four Men write Christ's Doctrine as well as his Life? And is he not the Author of our Faith? Did he not preach the Gospel? And do you not call these four Books the four Evangelists? And doth not the Gospel contain and describe Christianity? Did not Christ oft tell us what it is to be his Disciples? And were not the Disciples called Christians shortly after, as words of the same signification? But what place is there for any doubt, when Christ himself did institute Baptism, and describe it? and command that all Nations being Discipled should be Baptized into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; as being the Faith which Disciples must profess? And do not you to this day profess, that Baptizing is Christening, and that Baptism washeth away all sin, (supposing the Baptized to receive it as Baptism, by true Covenant-consent at least?) And doth not Baptism enter us into the true Church of Christ? Sure all this is past dispute; where then is the difficulty? Is not a truly baptized ⟨p. 6⟩Person a Christian? And was it then as hard a matter as you make it, to know what Faith was necessary to Baptism, (in the Person at age, or the Parent of Infants?) Surely then the Scripture, that mentioneth the History of so many thousands baptized, would have told us of that grand Controversie, and how it was decided. But no such Controversie was then debated, for ought we there find. If Baptismal Covenanting with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as our God and Father reconciled in Christ, our Saviour, and our Sanctifier, be not the Symbol or Badge of Christians, and that which visibly maketh them such; your own Church, and all the Christian World is deceived. And we know that it was not the Custom of the Apostles and Pastors of the ancient Churches, to make a meer Ceremony and dead Formality of Baptism, by baptizing those that would but say the words [I believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,] without understanding what they said: And therefore their ordinary Preaching was the Exposition of these three Articles: And the Creed called The Apostles, is the Exposition of these three Articles;
