fect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." So in the Spirit's baptism, though it have the pre-eminence, and appropriateth some things as peculiar to itself, it doth not thereby destroy the use and end of water baptism, or any other ordinance in its pace; for water baptism is a means to increase grace, and in it and by it sanctification is forwarded and remission of sins more cleared and witnessed; yet the giving graces and regenerating and renewing is the Holy Spirit's peculiar. Consider Tit. iii. 5: "By the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost," baptism being the outward sign of the inward graces wrought by the Spirit, a representation or figure, as in 1 Pet. iii. 21: "The like figure whereunto baptism doth now also save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ," not excluding water baptism, but showing that the spiritual part is chiefly to be looked at; though such as slight water bap tism, as the Pharisees and lawyers did, (Luke vii. 30,) reject the counsel of God against themselves, not being baptized; and such as would set water baptism in the Spirit's place exalt a duty against the deity and dignity of the Spirit, and do give the glory due unto him, as God blessed for ever, unto a duty.

By which mistake of setting up water baptism in the Spirit's place, and assigning it a work which was never appointed unto it, of forming the body of Christ, either in general, (as in 1 Cor. xii. 13; Eph. iv. 5,) or as to particular churches of Christ, we may see the fruit, that instead of being the means of uniting as the Spirit doth, that it hath not only rent his seamless coat, but divided his body, which he hath purchased with his own blood, and opposed that great design of Father, Son, and Spirit in uniting poor saints, thereby pulling in pieces what the Spirit hath put together. "Him that is weak in the faith receive you, for God hath received him;" being such as the Spirit had baptized and admitted of the body of Christ, he would have his churches receive them also; whose baptism is the only baptism, and so is called the one baptism. Therefore consider whether such a practice hath a command or an example that persons must be joined into church fellowship by water baptism; for John baptized many, yet he did not baptize some into one Church and some into another, nor all into one Church, (as the Church of Rome doth;) and into what

Church did Philip baptize the eunuch, or the apostle the jailer and his house? And all the rest they baptized, were they not left free to join themselves for their convenience and edification? All which I leave to consideration. I might have named some inconveniencies, if not absurdities, that would follow the assertion; as to father the mistakes of the baptizers on the Spirit's act, who is not mistaken in any he baptized; no false brethren creep in unawares into the mystical body by him; and also how this manner of forming churches would suit a country where many are converted and willing to be baptized, but there being no Church to be baptized into, how shall such a church state begin? The first must be baptized into no Church, and the rest into him as the Church, or the work stand still for want of a Church.

Objection. "But God is a God of order, and hath ordained order in all the churches of Christ; and for to receive one that holds the baptism he had in his infancy, there is no command nor example for, and by the same rule children will be brought in to be church members."

Answer. That God is a God of order, and hath ordained orders in all the churches of Christ, is true, and that this is one of the orders, to receive him that is weak in the faith, is as true. And though there be no example or command in so many words-Receive such an one that holds the baptism he had in his infancy, nor to reject such an one-but there is a command to receive him that is weak in the faith, without limitation; and it is like this might not be a doubt in those days, and so not spoken of in particular.

But the Lord provides a remedy for all times in the text, "Him that is weak in the faith receive you;" for else receiving would not be upon the account of saintship, but upon knowing and doing all things according to rule and order; and that must be perfectly, else for to deny any thing or affirm too much is disorderly and would hinder receiving; but the Lord deals not so with his people, but accounts love the fulfilling of the law, though they be ignorant in many things both as to knowing and doing; and receives them into communion and fellowship with himself, and would have others do the same also; and if he would have so much in bearing apostles' days, when they had infallible helps to expound truths unto them, much more now the Church hath been so long in the wilderness and in

captivity, and not that his people should be driven away in the dark day, though they are sick and weak. And that it should be supposed such tenderness would bring in children in age to be church members, yea, and welcome, if anybody could prove them in the faith, though never so weak; for the text is, "Him that is weak in the faith receive you;" it is not he, and his wife, and children, unless it can be proved they are in the faith.

Objection. "By this some ordinances may be lost or omitted; and is it to be supposed the Lord would suffer any of his ordinances to be lost or omitted in the Old or New Testament, or the right use of them, and yet own such for true churches? and what reason can there be for it?"

Answer. The Lord hath suffered some ordinances to be omitted and lost in the Old Testament, and yet owned the Church. Though circumcision were omitted in the wilderness, yet he owned them to be his Church, and many of the ordinances were lost in the captivity. See Ainsworth upon Ex. xxviii. 30, &c., which showed what the high priest was to put on, and were not to be omitted upon pain of death, as the Urim and Thummim; yet being lost, and several other ordinances, the ark, with the mercy-seat and cherubims, the fire from heaven, the majesty and divine presence, &c., yet he owns the second temple, though short of the first, and filled it with his glory, and honoured it with his Son being a member and a minister therein: "The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple." So in the New Testament, since their wilderness condition and great and long captivity, there is some darkness and doubts and want of light in the best of the Lord's people in many of his ordinances, and that for several ages; and yet how hath the Lord owned them for his churches, wherein he is to have "glory and praise throughout all ages!" And so should we own them, unless we will condemn the generation of the just. It must be confessed that if exact practice be required and clearness in Gospel institutions before communion, who dare be so bold as to say his hands are clean, and that he hath done all the Lord's commands as to institutions in his worship? and must not confess the change of times doth necessitate some variation, if not alteration, either in the matter or manner of things according to primitive practice? yet owned for true churches and received as visible saints, though ignorant either wholly or in great

measure in laying on of hand, singing, wash. ing of feet, and anointing with oil, in the gifts of the Spirit, which is the Urim and Thummim of the Gospel? And it cannot be proved that the churches were so ignorant in the primitive times, nor yet that such were received into fellowship; yet now herein it is thought meet there should be bearing, and why not in baptism, especially in such as own it for an ordinance, though in some things miss it, and do yet show their love unto it and unto the Lord, and unto his law therein, that they could be willing to die for it rather than to deny it, and to be baptized in their blood; which showeth they hold it in conscience their duty, while they have further light from above, and are willing to hear and obey as far as they know, though weak in the faith as to clearness in Gospel institutions; surely the text is on their side, or else it will exclude all the former: "Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful disputation." Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind, and such the Lord hath received.

As to the query, "What reason is there why the Lord should suffer any of his ordinances to be lost?"

Answer. If there were no reason to be shown it should teach us silence, for he doth nothing without the highest reason; and there doth appear some reason in the Old Testament why those ordinances of Urim and Thummim, &c., were suffered to be lost in the captivity, that they might long and look for the Lord Jesus, the Priest that was to stand up with Urim and Thummim, which the Lord by this puts them upon the hoping for, and to be in expectation of so great a mercy, which was the promise of the Old Testament, and all the churches' losses in the New Testament. By all the dark night of ignorance she hath been in, and long captivity she hath been under in her wandering wilderness state, therein she hath rather been fed with manna from heaven than by men upon earth; and after all her crosses and losses the Lord lets light break in by degrees and deliverance by little and little; "and she is coming out of the wilderness leaning upon her Beloved; and the Lord hath given the valley of Achor for a door of hope," that ere long she may receive the promise of the Gospel richly by the Spirit, to be poured upon us from on high, "and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field become a forest, and then the Lord will take away the covering cast over all people and the veil that is spread over all na

tions; for the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Then Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." Thus will the God of peace bruise Satan under foot shortly; and one reason why the Lord may suffer all the darkness and differences that have been, and yet are, is, that we might long and look for this blessed promise of the Gospel, the pourings out of the Spirit.

Objection. "But many authors do judge that the weak and strong were all in church fellowship before, and that the receiving was but into mutual affection,"

Answer. It ought to be seriously weighed how any differ from so many worthy authors is confessed, to whom the world is so much beholden for their help in many things; but it would be of dangerous consequence to take all for granted they say, and unlike the noble Bereans. Though they had some infallible teachers, yet they took not their words or doctrines upon trust; and there may be more ground to question expositors on this text, in regard their principles necessitate them to judge that the sense; for if it be in their judgments a duty to compel all to come in, and to receive all and their children, they must needs judge by that text they were all of the Church and in fellowship before their scrupling meats and days, because that is an act of grown perBons at years of discretion, and therefore the receiving is judged by them to be only into mutual affection, for it is impossible for them to hold their opinion and judge otherwise of the text; for in baptism they judge infants should be received into church fellowship, and then scrupling meats and days must needs be after joining. Their judgments might as well be taken that it is a duty to baptize infants as that they can judge of this text rightly and hold their practice.

Objection. "But no uncircumcised person was to eat the passover. And doth not the Lord as well require the sign of baptism now as of circumcision then? And is there not like reason for it?"

Answer. The Lord, in the Old Testament, expressly commanded no uncircumcised person should eat the passover, (Ex. xii. 28,) and in Ezek. xxxiv. 9 that no stranger, uncircum

cised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, should enter into his sanctuary; and had the Lord commanded that no unbaptized person should enter into his churches, it had been clear; and no doubt Christ was as faithful as a Son in all his house as Moses was as a servant; and although there had been but little reason if the Lord had commanded it so to be; yet in God's worship we must not make the likeness of any thing in our reason, but the will of God, the ground of duty: for upon such a foundation some would build the baptizing of infants, because it would be like unto circumcision, and so break the second commandment, in making the likeness of things of their own contrivance of force with institutions in the worship of God.

The most that I think can be said is, that we have no Gospel example for receiving without baptism or rejecting any for want of it; therefore it is desired what hath been said may be considered, lest while we look for an example we do not overlook a command upon a mistake, supposing that they were all in church fellowship before; whereas the text saith not so, but "him that is weak in the faith receive you," or unto you.

We may see also how the Lord proceeds under the law: though he accounts those things that were done contrary to his law sinful, though done ignorantly, yet never required the offender to offer sacrifice till he knew thereof. Lev. v. 5, compared with 15th and 16th verses. And that may be a man's own sin through his ignorance, that though it may be another's duty to endeavour to inform him in, yet not thereupon to keep him out of his Father's house; for surely the Lord would not have any of his children kept out without we have a word for it. And though they scruple some meats in their Father's house, yet it may be dangerous for the stronger children to deny them all the rest of the dainties therein till the weak and sick can eat strong meat; whereas Peter had meat for one and milk for another, and Peter must feed the poor lambs as well as the sheep; and if others will not do it, the great Shepherd will come ere long and look up what hath been driven away. "He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs into his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”