Chapter Four: The Subject of Baptism

                                CHAPTER FOUR

                           The Subject of Baptism

In the fourth place we shall now come to the Subject that [who] must be baptized.

The subject (as you have heard) is one who is taught, "Teach all Nations, baptizing them." My text says, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you," which does hold forth the person to be baptized as a taught and repentant person.

Seeing the main thing in question has always seemed to be the Subject of Baptism or who is to be baptized, this I shall therefore most insist upon. I shall endeavor to make plain to you first (as I say) he is to be a believer, a penitent person, as appears Mark 16:16. "Go preach the Gospel to every Creature, he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved," where observe,

                  Faith and Repentance Go Before Baptism.

Believing the Gospel is to go before baptizing, Matthew 28:19 "Teach all Nations, baptizing or dipping them?" What them? Them who are taught or made Disciples by teaching. In my Text you will find that after Christ had poured down the Spirit upon them, Peter does (by that authority received from heaven) command every one of them to be baptized or dipped, when he had converted those Jews, "Repent and be baptized every one of you into the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins" So in like manner you shall find Peter commanded Cornelius and his family to be baptized, Acts 10:43. There he says to the six brethren who were with him, "How shall we forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we?"

     Peter Baptized as an Extraordinary Apostle with Special Authority 

By the great authority which (as an extraordinary Apostle) he had from Heaven, he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

                    Ananias Baptized in a Special Manner

So we find Ananias, in a special manner, sent to the Apostle Paul at his conversion to the faith, Acts 22:16. Here Ananias also, by the authority received from Christ, in verse 16 says, "And now Paul why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized, for the washing away of thy sins in calling upon the name of the Lord." Here you see the express command of God enjoining him (upon his Conversion) to be baptized.

                         The Succession of Baptism

In the next place, God has commanded His Ministers to baptize or dip Believers only. His Ministers (by virtue of that authority from Him) have left standing Laws and commands upon Disciples only to be baptized. So we find that they did practice that way and that way only of baptizing such as believed and repented, Acts 2:40-42. "So many as gladly received the word, were baptized, and the same day there were added to the Church, three thousand souls. And they continued in the Apostles' Doctrine, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread, and Prayer."

        The Apostolic Practice is First Conversion And Then Baptism

Here you may observe the practice of the Apostles who were guided by the infallible gifts of the Spirit. First they converted disciples and then secondly they baptized them.

In like manner you shall find in Acts 8:12, 13 that Philip was preaching to the people in Samaria, "But when they believed (he preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ), they were baptized, both Men and Women. Then Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered." So you see this was the continued course of Christ's Messengers who sent by Him.

          Baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

                     All Embraced in the Name of Jesus

First, they converted men by preaching and then baptized them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, or in the name of the Lord Jesus. Wherein the name of the Father and Spirit are included when only His name is mentioned. In like manner you shall find in the same chapter that Philip (by the Spirit of the Lord) being directed to the Eunuch who belonged to Candace, the Queen of the Ethiopians, having the charge of all her Treasure, had been at Jerusalem to worship and was returning and reading Isaiah the Prophet. Then Philip joined himself to his Chariot. Upon some discourse together he, from the aforesaid Scripture, preached Jesus unto him, Acts 8:32, etc. "And as they went on their way they came to a certain Water, and the Eunuch said, See, here is Water, what hindereth me to be baptized? Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart it is lawful, (implying that it was unlawful for a man [not believing] to be baptized), And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and he commanded the Chariot to stand still, and they went both down into the Water, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him, and when they were come out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that the Eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing."

             

Believers Should Offer Themselves to be Baptized.

From all these words you may observe that Philip is said to preach Christ unto this man. Upon their coming to the water he said, "What hinders?" Here you see, it is the duty of such as believe to offer themselves to be baptized. There is no let or hindrance to the Ordinance of Baptism but unbelief. Therefore, Philip says, "If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest," (or it is lawful as the word more properly may be read) plainly holding forth that all, both young and old, who do not believe, it is unlawful for them to be baptized.

              Family Baptisms Offer No Proof of Infant Baptism

You shall find several families also baptized upon their being converted, which many (through ignorance and lack of taking notice of what the Scripture speaks) say, it is probable that they had some infants in them. But to prevent mistakes in the minds of any that so think, I shall prove that these families were all converted Disciples so as to believe the

Gospel. As for instance,

                          Lydia and Her Household

First the Family of Lydia, Acts 16:14,15. "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city Thyatira, (which worshipped God) heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul, and when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye judge me faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide, and she constrained us." Here in this text only Lydia is mentioned as being converted. There is no mention made that her household was only that they were baptized. But in the last verse, viz. the 40th of that chapter, it is said, "That when Paul and Silas were put out of the Jailer's house, they went and entered into the house of Lydia, and when they had seen the Brethren they comforted them and departed." Here you may clearly see that Lydia's house consisted of brethren who were capable of being visited and comforted by Paul and Silas as well as Lydia, whose household they were.

                        The Jailer and His Household

Also, in the same chapter, you have mention made of the Jailer and his household, who were all baptized. In the 31-34 verses, upon reading you shall find this to be true, they spoke unto him the Word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. In verse 34, "He set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house."

Here it is plain that the Jailer's whole household heard the Word of God and rejoiced, and believed as well as the Jailer. They were all baptized. It is a clear proof that such hearing the Word of God, and believing, ought to be baptized and they only.

                        Stephanus and His Household

This will appear further by the house of Stephanus, comparing 1 Cor. 11:6 with the 16th chapter and the 15th verse of the same Epistle, where in the one place it is said, that Paul baptized the household of Stephanus, in the last place he speaks thus, "I beseech you brethren, Ye know the house of Stephanus, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of Saints, that you submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us and laboreth."

Here you see in the same Epistle (as he says) he baptizes this household. So he affirms they were the first fruits of Achaia. They were ministers. They addicted themselves to the ministering unto Saints. They did as the text notes, labor. He would have the Church submit themselves unto such. Therefore, they were not babes, or little infants, but all true Converts, believing and penitent persons.

                         Crispus and His Household

In Acts 18:8 for the further clearing of this matter in hand, "And Crispus the Chief Ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians believed, and were baptized."

                      Summation on Household Baptisms

So you see what a catalogue of clear examples we have to confirm unto us which way those infallible Apostles both taught and practiced according to the Great Commission given them by the authority of Christ from heaven:

first to preach the Gospel to every creature, and then, he that believes and is baptized, should be saved, and that they should make disciples through teaching, dipping them into the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

With all these you see both commands as you have heard, and plentiful examples for baptizing believers, but not the least color or show of any ground for sprinkling of infants.

              Infant Sprinkling is an Idol of Man's Invention

Now by the way, let me say, what a sad thing is this, that such a world of people (from custom and tradition) run headlong after this idol of man's invention?

 

                         CHAPTER FOUR [sic]

                   The Long Neglect of Believer's Baptism

This solemn ordinance of believer's baptism lies clearly as a duty under the express Law of Christ to every one who believes. This they (the ungodly) light and condemn as enemies to the same. Therefore, let such souls know that as Christ is a King, so this is one of His great Laws and a fundamental ordinance of the Gospel unto which He calls all believing and penitent persons to be obedient to, who are professed subjects to Him.

Now therefore let such tender souls who have the fear of God in them, lay

this to heart. The Ordinance of Baptism Has Been Long Neglected And An Idol Is Set In Its Room.

First, that this solemn ordinance for many hundred years has been neither

preached nor practiced by abundance of such, which (in charity), we cannot but judge might have many good things found in them. (Editor's Note: He is not talking about the baptized people but the supposed Godly men and ministers among the Papists and Protestants who knew that Believers' dipping was the primitive practice.

                         Infant Baptism is an Idol

But here lies that which makes the case sad and lamentable, that in the room of this precious Ordinance of God (which Christ confirmed by His blood) should be set up that Idol of sprinkling carnal infants.

                         Idol Defined in Two Kinds

Doubtless, if there be an Idol now practiced in the world, or set up amongst men, this must needs be one. I have learned, with others of the Saints of God, this to be an Idol, either:

                      the worshipping of a false god,

                                     or

             the worshipping of the true God in a false manner,

which I might largely insist upon to prove from Scripture.

                       Not an Idol of the First Kind

Though this be not an Idol of the first kind, it is, without doubt, an Idol of the second kind. It was a setting up man's invention instead of God's solemn ordinance.

This is a sin for which God plagued the people in Lev. 10:1,2.

It is an Image of true Baptism set up in the room of it, but not the same, and that in all the before mentioned essentials, a false Administrator, ignorant of the true nature of the Ordinance, instead

of a true minister; sprinkling instead of dipping; a carnal infant instead of a true believing man or woman; and all this done at the naming of so many words only; whereas the commission enjoins, that they should dip them, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. So that there is in this christening of children nothing of God's appointment or of what He commanded, viz. the minister wrong,the subject wrong, the form wrong, and also the naming of so many words only instead of dipping into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, whereas the commission enjoins that the true minister should dip a disciple into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Now let any Soul seriously judge whether God can own that which has nothing of His own appointment or commands, but in every particular is contrary thereunto.