[The axe laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of…[The ax laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of…

2. Tho' all boasting is excluded by the Gospel, i. e. of our own natural or acquired Parts and Abilities; yet we may glory in the Lord, and in his rich Grace bestowed upon us: will this Man say gracious Abilities to confess Sin, are excluded? then all Confession of Sin is excluded.

2. Tho' all boasting is excluded by the Gospel, i. e. of our own natural or acquir'd Parts and Abilities; yet we may glory in the Lord, and in his rich Grace bestowed upon us: will this Man say gracious Abilities to confess Sin, are excluded? then all Confession of Sin is excluded.

Obj. 5. No other Confession can be intended, than what would consi•• with all the Regions, Jerusalem, all Judea, all the People, and all the Multitudes

Answ. That is, I suppose, all the People, one or another; who could speak or say they were Sinners, might be baptized, and upon that Confession, their Children also; who could make no Confession at all: If ⟨p. 45⟩so, all the World by this Argument may be baptized, for no doubt, there were many Thousand Families that lived either in Jerusalem, Judea, or in the Regions round about that were not Jews; broad is the Way to Heaven, if this Man's Doctrine be true, or into the Church at least. The Man's mistake lies here, i. e. because great Multitudes went out either to see, or hear John Baptist; he therefore concludes John baptized them all, because 'tis said he baptized them, not observing the severe Doctrine he Preached, and what a holy Sight and Sense of Sin and godly Repentance he enjoined on all those he admitted to Baptism: for they he baptized, confessed their Sins, i. e. their hearty Sorrow for Sin, and were turned to the Lord; for that was his Work, and the grand Purport of his Ministry, — and evident it is, that there were but a few comparatively baptized by John, because Christ by the hands of his Disciples baptized more Disciples than he,