A30138:269
Differences in judgment about water-baptism, no bar to communion, or, To communicate with saints,…Differences in judgment about vvater-baptism, no bar to communion, or, To communicate with saints,…
Differences in judgment about water-baptism, no bar to communion, or, To communicate with saints, as saints, proved lawful in answer to a book written by the Baptists, and published by Mr. T.P. and Mr. W.K. entitled, Some serious reflections on that part of Mr. Bunyan's confession of faith, touching church-communion with unbaptized believers : wherein, their objections and arguments are answered, and the doctrine of communion still asserted and vindicated : here is also Mr. Henry's Jesse's judgment in the case, fully declaring the doctrine I have asserted / by John Bunyan.Differences in judgment about vvater-baptism, no bar to communion, or, To communicate with saints, as saints, proved lawful in answer to a book written by the Baptists, and published by Mr. T.P. and Mr. W.K. entituled, Some serious reflections on that part of Mr. Bunyan's confession of faith, touching church-communion with unbaptized believers : wherein, their objections and arguments are answered, and the doctrine of communion still asserted and vindicated : here is also Mr. Henry's Jesse's judgment in the case, fully declaring the doctrine I have asserted / by John Bunyan.
London: printed for John Wilkins, 1673
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.
Your third Argument, is, The practice of the first Gospel-Ministers, with them that first trusted in Christ, discovers the truth of what I assert. Certainly, they that lived at the spring-head, or fountain of Truth, and had the Law from Christ's own mouth, knew the meaning of his Commission ⟨p. 77⟩better than we: but their constant practice in conformity to that Commission, all along the Acts of the Apostles, discovers that they never arrived to such a latitude as men plead for now a-days. They that gladly received the Word were baptized, and they (yea they only) were received into the Church.
Your third Argument, is, The practice of the first Gospel-Ministers, with them that first trusted in Christ, discovers the truth of what I assert. Certainly, they that lived at the spring-head, or fountain of Truth, and had the Law from Christ's own mouth, knew the meaning of his Commission ⟨p. 77⟩better than we: but their constant practice in conformity to that Commission, all along the Acts of the Apostles, discovers that they never arrived to such a latitude as men plead for now a-dayes. They that gladly received the Word were baptized, and they (yea they only) were received into the Church.
Answ. How well you have proved what you have asserted, is manifest by my Answer to the two former Arguments. I add, That the Ministers, and Servants of Jesus Christ in the first Churches (for that you are to prove) were Commanded to forbear to Preach other Truths to the Unbaptized Believers; or that they were to keep them out of the Church: or that the Apostles, and first Fathers, have given you to understand by their Example, that you ought to keep as good out of Churches as your selves, hath not yet been showed by the Authority of the Word. The second of the Acts proveth not, That the three thousand were necessitated to be baptized in order to their Fellowship with the Church, neither doth it say THEY, yea they only, were received into the Church. But suppose all this, as much was done at the first Institution of Circumcision, &c. yet afterwards thousands were received without it.