Eph. iv. 5. 1 Pet.iii.21 THE TWELFTH PROPOSITION. Concerning Baptism. As there is one Lord and one faith, so there is Rom. vi. 4. one baptism; which is not the putting away of the filth Gal. iii. 27. of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience beJohniii.30. fore God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And Col. ii. 12. this baptism is a pure and spiritual thing, to wit, the baptism of the spirit and fire, by which we are buried with him, that being washed and purged 1Cor. i. 17. from our sins, we may walk in newness of life; of which the baptism of John was a figure, which was commanded for a time, and not to continue for ever. As to the baptism of infants, it is a mere human tradition, for which neither precept nor practice is to be found in all the scripture. 1 Cor. x 16. 17. John vi. 1 Cor. v. 8. THE THIRTEENTH PROPOSITION. The communion of the body and blood of Christ is inward and spiritual, which is the participation of his flesh and blood, by which the inward man 32, 33, 35, is daily nourished in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwells of which things the breaking of bread by Christ with his disciples was a figure, which they even used in the church for a time, who had received the substance, for the cause Acts xv.20. of the weak; even as abstaining from things stranJohn xiii. gled and from blood; the washing one another's feet; James v.14 and the anointing of the sick with oil; all which 14. are commanded with no less authority and solemnity than the former; yet seeing they are but the shadows of better things, they cease in such as have obtained the substance. THE FOURTEENTH PROPOSITION. Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate, in matters purely Religious, and pertaining to the Conscience. 55, 56. Tit. iii 10. Since God hath assumed to himself the power and dominion of the conscience, who alone can rightly instruct and govern it, therefore it is not Luke is. lawful for any whatsoever, by virtue of any author- Mat. vii. ity or principality they bear in the government of 12. 29. this world, to force the consciences of others; and therefore all killing, banishing, fining, imprisoning, and other such things, which men are afflicted with, for the alone exercise of their conscience, or difference in worship or opinion, proceedeth from the spirit of Cain, the murderer, and is contrary to the truth; provided always, that no man, under the pretence of conscience, prejudice his neighbour in his life or estate; or do any thing destructive to, or inconsistent with human society; in which case the law is for the transgressor, and justice to be administered upon all, without respect of persons. THE FIFTEENTH PROPOSITION. Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &c. Seeing the chief end of all religion is to redeem man from the spirit and vain conversation of this world, and to lead into inward communion with God, before whom, if we fear always, we are accounted happy; therefore all the vain customs and habits thereof, both in word and deed, are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this fear; such as the taking off the hat to a man, the bowings and cringings of the body, and such other salutations of that kind, with all the foolish and superstitious formalities attending them; all which man has invented in his degenerate state, to feed his pride in the vain pomp and glory of this world; as also the unprofitable plays, frivolous recreations, sportings and gamings, which are invented to pass away the precious time, and divert the mind from the witness of God in the heart, and from the living sense of his fear, and from that evangelical Spirit wherewith Christians ought to be leavened, and which leads into sobriety, gravity, and godly fear; in which, as we abide, the blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in those actions in which we are necessarily engaged, in order to the taking care for the sustenance of the outward man. AN APOLOGY FOR THE TRUE CHRISTIAN DIVINITY. PROPOSITION I. Concerning the true Foundation of Knowledge. 3. Seeing the height of all happiness is placed in the true knowledge of God, (This is life eternal, to John xvii. know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent,) the true and right understanding of this foundation and ground of knowledge, is that which is most necessary to be known and believed in the first place. He that desireth to acquire any art or science, seeketh first those means by which that art or science is obtained. If we ought to do so in things natural and earthly, how much more then in spiritual? In this affair then should our inquiry be the more diligent, because he that errs in the entrance is not so easily brought back again into the right way; he that misseth his road from the beginning of his journey, and is deceived in his first marks, at his first setting forth, the greater his mistake is, the more difficult will be his entrance into the right way. to the true Thus when a man first proposeth to himself the The way knowledge of God, from a sense of his own un- knowlworthiness, and from the great weariness of his edge of mind, occasioned by the secret checks of his con God. Jewish and Phari- Christ. science, and the tender, yet real glances of God's light upon his heart; the earnest desires he has to be redeemed from his present trouble, and the fervent breathings he has to be cased of his disordered passions and lusts, and to find quietness and peace in the certain knowledge of God, and in the assurance of his love and good-will towards him, make his heart tender, and ready to receive any impression; and so (not having then a distinct discerning) through forwardness embraceth any thing that brings present ease. If either through the reverence he bears to certain persons, or from the secret inclination to what doth comply with his natural disposition, he fall upon any principles or means, by which he apprehends he may come to know God, and so doth centre himself, it will be hard to remove him thence again, how wrong soever they may be: for the first anguish being over, he becomes more hardy; and the enemy being near, creates a false peace, and a certain confidence, which is strengthened by the mind's unwillingness to enter again into new doubtfulness, or the former anxiety of a search. This is sufficiently verified in the example of the Pharisees and Jewish Doctors, who most of all resisted Christ, disdaining to be esteemed ignorant; for this vain opinion they had of their knowledge hindered them from the true knowledge; and the mean people, who were not so much pre-occupied with former principles, nor conceited of their own knowledge, did easily believe. Wherefore the Pharisees John vii. upbraid them, saying, Have any of the Rulers or Pharisces believed on him? But this people, which know not the law, are accursed. This is also abundantly proved by the experience of all such, as being secretly touched with the call of God's grace unto them, do apply themselves to false teachers, where the remedy proves worse than the disease; because instead of knowing God, or the things relating to 48, 49. |