The way of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The way of churches…The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches…

¹Secondly, It cannot be proved, that the Apostles or Evangelists baptized any but such as either were members of some visible Church before they preached to them, or else they gathered them into a visible Church estate, before they baptized them. ²The Eunuch in Acts 8. was a Proselyte to the Church of Jerusalem, for the Text saith, he came up to Jerusalem for to worship, Acts 8.27. Neither let any man object, that his membership at Jerusalem would not entitle him to Baptism, seeing Baptism is a Sacrament of the Christian ⟨p. 82⟩Church, not of the Jewish; ³for whatsoever member of the Jewish Church, as believed in Christ as the Messiah, and professed that faith, he was capable of Baptism; for such they were whom John baptized, Mat. 3.6. and Christs Disciples, Joh. 4.2. yea all the Israelites were baptized in the cloud and in the Sea, in the days of Moses, 1 Cor. 10.2. ⁴As for Lydia, and the Gaoler, and both their families, they lived together in the same City of Philippi, Act. 16.12. where was a company also of other brethren, ver. 4. and from the beginning of the Gospel (which doubtless was when he preached to them, Acts 16.) he speaketh of them as a Church; Know ye Philippians (saith he) that in the beginning of the Gospel, no Church communicated with me, as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only, Phil. 4.15