A confession of my faith and a reason of my practice

Besides I know not whether I Baptized any other. By this negligent relating, who were Baptized by him; he showeth that he made no such matter of Baptism, as some in these days do; nay, that he made no matter at all thereof, ⟨p. 112⟩with respect to Church-communion; for if he did not heed who himself had Baptized; he much less heeded, who were Baptized by others; but if Baptism had been the initiating or entering ordinance, and so appointed of God; no doubt he had made more conscience thereof, then so lightly to pass it over. For Christ sent me not to Baptize, but to Preach the Gospel. The Gospel then may be effectually preached, and yet Baptism neither administered nor mentioned. The Gospel being good tidings to sinners, upon the account of free grace through Christ; but Baptism with things of like nature, are duties enjoined such a people who received the Gospel before: I speak not this, because I would teach men to break the least of the Commandments of God; but to persuade my brethren of the Baptized way, not to hold too much thereupon; not to make it an essential of the ⟨p. 113⟩Gospel of Christ, nor yet of communion of Saints. He sent me not to Baptize: These words are spoken with holy indignation against them that abuse this ordinance of Christ. So when he speaketh of the Ministers themselves, which also they had abused; in his speaking, he as it were, trampleth upon them; as if they were nothing at all. Who then is Paul? and who is Apollo? He that planteth is not any thing; neither is he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase: 1 Cor. 3.5: 7. Yet for all this, the Ministers and their ministry are a glorious appointment of God in the World. Baptism also is a holy ordinance, but when Satan abuseth it, and wrencheth it out of its place; making that which was ordained of God, for the edification of believers; the only weapon to break in pieces, the love, the unity, the concord of Saints; then what is Baptism; then neither is Baptism any thing And ⟨p. 114⟩this is no new doctrine; For God by the mouth of his Prophets of old; cried out against his own institutions, when abused by his people: To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? saith the Lord, I am full of burnt offerings, of rams; and the fat of fed Beasts: I delight not in the blood of Bullocks, or of Lambs, or of he Goats: