The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

3. Words of commandment, and so, his charge concerns either the doctrine they should teach, or the sign by which they should confirm it, viz. Baptism. As for their doctrine, Saint Matthew saith, Go teach all Nations; Saint Mark saith, Go preach the Gospel to every creature. The observations are divers, that if many times God did not send the Gospel to us, we should perish, before we would go and seek it. Secondly, that preaching is the ordinary means to conquer the world to God. Thirdly, that all Nations need to be taught, and every creature of every Nation. They that think they can find the way to heaven without teaching, ⟨p. 472⟩are certainly in the direct way to hell. Fourthly, that the principal work for the highest Ministers in the Church to do, is to preach the Gospel. Fifthly, that the doctrine of our Reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ, is the principal doctrine to be taught or learned. Sixthly, that grace and mercy in Jesus Christ from God, is offered to every creature upon condition of faith and repentance: None is excepted. Thus of their doctrine. The sign by which they should confirm their doctrine, was Baptism, which was added as Gods broad seal to assure us the good things promised in the Gospel, and in particular, if they did believe, as certainly as the water did wash away the filth of the body, so should the blood of Christ wash away the sins of their souls. About the form of Baptism the Trinity must be expressly mentioned, it must be done in the name of the Trinity, both in respect of Authority, to signify that they were authorised to baptise by all the Trinity, and in respect of Confession, that no salvation could be had without the belief of the Trinity, and especially in respect of fellowship with the Trinity, as a fruit of faith and Baptism, for they had power to signify to true Christians, that in Baptism they were married to the Trinity, and received into an everlasting fellowship with the Father, Son, and holy Ghost. As the wife at her marriage receives the name of her husband; so all Christian souls are transferred from the names of their own natural condition, to a glorious fruition of the name of God; and therefore in the Original the Preposition, rendered, in, hath the force of into, as well as in. Baptise them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

3. Words of commandement, and so, his charge concernes either the doctrine they should teach, or the signe by which they should confirme it, viz. Baptisme. As for their doctrine, Saint Matthew saith, Go teach all Nations; Saint Marke saith, Goe preach the Gospell to euery creature. The obseruations are diuers, that if many times God did not send the Gospell to vs, we should perish, before we would go and seeke it. Secondly, that preaching is the ordinary meanes to conquer the world to God. Thirdly, that all Nations need to be taught, and euery creature of euery Nation. They that thinke they can finde the way to heauen without teaching,