SERM. feffion was then made. So that upon this form of CXXIV. baptifm appointed by our SAVIOUR, compared

with what is elsewhere faid in fcripture, concerning the divinity of the Son, and the HOLY GHOST, is principally founded the doctrine of the bleffed trinity, I mean in that fimplicity in which the fcripture hath delivered it, and not as it hath been fince confounded and entangled in the cobwebs and niceties of the schools. The fcripture indeed no where calls them perfons, but fpeaks of them as we do of feveral perfons, and therefore that word is not unfitly ufed to exprefs the difference between them, or at least we do not know a fitter word for that purpose.

By" baptizing them in the name of the FA66 THER, SON, and HOLY GHOST," is meant, the initiating of men by this folemn rite and ceremony into the chriftian religion, upon their profeffion of the neceffary doctrines of it concerning the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, and a folemn ftipulation and engagement to live according to those doctrines: which promise of a suitable life and practice was likewife made at the fame time, as Justin Martyr and others of the ancient fathers do testify.

But before I leave this head, it is very fit to take particular notice what ufe the anabaptifts make of this text, fo as in effect to lay the whole stress of their cause upon it; as if by virtue of this command of our SAVIOUR's, and the manner wherein it is exprefs'd, all infants, even thofe of chriftian parents, who are themselves already admitted into the new covenant of the gofpel, were excluded from baptifm, because it is here faid by our SAVIOUR,

"go

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“go ye, and disciple all nations, baptizing them;" S ER M. from whence they infer, (and very clearly and ftrongly as they think) that none are to be baptized, but fuch as are firft throughly inftructed in the christian religion, and made disciples, which infants are not, but only those who are grown to fome maturity of years and understanding: but the opinion and practice of the ancient church in this matter, is a fufficient bar to this inference, at least to the clearnefs of it. And indeed it cannot reasonably be imagined, that the apoftles, who had all of them been bred up in the jewish religion, which constantly, and by virtue of a divine precept and inftitution, admitted infants into that church, and to the benefits of that covenant, by the rite of circumcifion, and likewife the infants of profelytes by baptifm, (as I obferved before) I fay, no man can reafonably imagine, that the apoftles could understand our SAVIOUR, as intending by any confequence from this text, to exclude the children of chriftians out of the chriftian church, and to debar them of the benefits of the new covenant of the gofpel: the children of chriftians being every whit as capable of being taken into this new covenant, and of partaking of the benefits of it, as children of the Jews were of being admitted into the old. Unless we will fuppofe (which at first fight seems very harsh and unreasonable) that by the terms of the chriftian religion, children are in a much worse condition than the children of the Jews were under the law. So that the parity of reafon being fo plain, nothing less than an exprefs prohibition from our SAVIOur, and an exception of children from baptifm, can be thought fufficient to deprive the children of chriftians

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SER M. ftians of any privilege, of which the jewish were CXXIV. capable. For the plain meaning of this commiffion

to the apostles is, to go and "profelyte all nations "to the chriftian religion," and to admit them fo lemnly into it by baptifm, as the Jews were wont to profelyte men to their religion by circumcifion and baptifm; by which rites also they took in the children of the profelytes, upon promise that when they came to years they fhould continue in that religion. And if this was our SAVIOUR'S meaning, the apoftles had no reason from the tenor of their commiffion, to understand that the children of chriftian profelytes were any more excluded, than the children of profelytes to the jewish religion, unlefs our SAVIOUR had exprefly excepted them; for it is a favourable cafe, and in a matter of privilege, and therefore ought not to be determined to debar children of it, upon any obfcure confequence from a text, which it is certain was never fo understood by the christian church, for 1500 years together. I have done with the first part of their commiffion, which was to difciple or profelyte all nations to the christian religion, and to admit them into the chriftian church, by the rite or facrament of baptism. I proceed to confider the

Second part of their commiffion, which was to inftruct men in the precepts and duties of a chriftian life," teaching them to obferve all things "whatsoever I have commanded you." You fee how their commiffion bounds and limits them, they were to teach others thofe precepts which CHRIST had taught and deliver'd to them; they had no power by virtue of this commiffion to make new laws, which should be of univerfal and perpetual obligation,

CXXIV.

gation, and confequently néceffary to the falvation of SER M. all chriftians; they were only to be the publishers, but not the authors of this new religion. And therefore St. Paul, when the Corinthians confulted him about several things relating to marriage and virginity, he only gives his advice, but would not take upon him to make a law in thofe cafes that fhould be binding to all chriftians. And for the fame reafon christians do generally at this day, think themfelves abfolved from the obligation of that canon, which was made even in a council of the apostles, as to all those branches of it, the reafon whereof is now ceafed. But notwithstanding this, the authority which our SAVIOUR Conferred upon his apoftles to teach his doctrine, does in the nature of it neceffarily imply a power of governing the focieties of chriftians, under fuch officers, and by fuch rules, as are most suitable to the nature of fuch a fociety, and moft fit to promote the great ends of the chriftian religion for without this power of governing, they cannot be fuppos'd to be endowed with fufficient authority to teach; and therefore in purfuance of this commiffion, we find that the apoftles did govern the focieties of chriftians by fuch rules and conftitutions, as were fitted to the prefent circumftances of christianity. And as they did appoint temporary officers upon emergent occafions, so they constituted others that were of perpetual use in the church, for the inftructing and governing of chriftians, and that in fuch a fubordination to one another, as would be most effectual to the attaining of the end of government; which fubordination of governors, hath not only been used in all religions, but in all the well-regulated civil focie

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ties

SER M. ties that ever were in the world. And this may CXXIV.

fuffice to have spoken of the fecond part of their commiffion.

The third and laft thing in the text, is the promife which our SAVIOUR here makes for the encouragement of the apoftles in this work; "lo, I "am with you always, even unto the end of the "world;" that is, tho' I be going from you in perfon, yet I will still be prefent with you by my power and SPIRIT. And furely this 'muft needs be a great encouragement to have him engaged for their affiftance, "who had all power in heaven and "earth committed to him," as he tells them at the 18th verse.

I fhall endeavour therefore, as far as the time will permit, to explain to you the true meaning and extent of this promife. That it is primarily made to the apoftles, no man can doubt, that confiders that it was fpoken to them immediately by our SAVIOUR; and in regard to them, the meaning of it is plainly this, that our SAVIOUR Would fend down the HOLY GHOST upon them, in miraculous gifts, to qualify and enable them for the more fpeedy planting and propagating of the gofpel in the world, and that he would be with them, and affift them extraordinarily in this work.

And that this is the primary meaning of it, in regard to the apostles, will be very plain, by confidering how this promise is exprefs'd by the other evangelifts; Mark xvi. 17. inftead of this promife, you have these words, immediately after our SAVIOVR had given them commiffion to go and preach the gofpel, go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature: he that believeth and is

66

"baptized,