Alleg. 2.Secondly, They say, If this were not understood of Water-baptism, it would be a Tautology, and all one with Teaching.
Answ.I say, Nay: Baptizing with the Spirit is somewhat further than teaching, or informing the Understanding; How Teaching and Baptizing differ.for it imports a Reaching to, and melting the Heart, whereby it is turned, as well as the Understanding informed. Besides, we find often in the Scripture, that Teaching and Instructing are put together, without any Absurdity, or needless Tautology; and yet these two have a greater Affinity than Teaching and Baptizing with the Spirit.
Alleg. 3.Thirdly, They say, Baptism in this Place must be understood with Water, because it is the Action of the Apostles; and so cannot be the Baptism of the Spirit, which is the Work of Christ, and his Grace; not of Man, &c.
Answ.The Baptism with the Spirit ascribed to godly Men as Instruments. I answer; Baptism with the Spirit, though not wrought without Christ and his Grace, is instrumentally done by Men fitted of God for that Purpose; and therefore no Absurdity follows, that Baptism with the Spirit should be expressed as the Action of the Apostles. For though it be Christ by his Grace that gives spiritual Gifts, yet the Apostle, Rom. i. 11. speaks of HIS imparting to them spiritual Gifts; and he tells the Corinthians, that HE had begotten them through the Gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. And yet to beget People to the Faith, is the Work of Christ and his Grace, not of Men. To convert the Heart, is properly the Work of Christ; and yet the Scripture oftentimes ascribes it to Men, as being the Instruments: And since Paul’s Commission was, To turn People from Darkness to Light (though that be not done without Christ co-operating by his Grace) so may also Baptizing with the Spirit be expressed, as performable by Man as the Instrument, though the Work of Christ’s Grace be needful to concur thereunto. So that it is no Absurdity to say, That the Apostles did administer the Baptism of the Spirit.
Alleg. 4.Lastly, They say, That since Christ saith here, that he will be with his Disciples to the End of the World, therefore Water-baptism must continue so long.
Answ.If he had been speaking here of Water-baptism, then that might have been urged; but seeing that is denied, and proved to be false, nothing from thence can be gathered: He speaking of the Baptism of the Spirit, which we freely confess doth remain to the End of the World; yea, so long as Christ’s Presence abideth with his Children.
§. IX.
Answ.I answer, That it was the constant Practice of the Apostles, is denied; for we have shewn, in the Example of Paul, that it was not so; since it were most absurd to judge that he converted only those few, even of the Church of Corinth, whom he saith he baptized; nor were it less absurd to think that that was a constant apostolick Practice, which he, who was not inferior to the chiefest of the Apostles, and who declares he laboured as much as they all, rejoiceth he was so little in. But further; the Conclusion inferred from the Apostles Practice of baptizing with Water, to evince that they understood Matt. xxviii. of Water-baptism, doth not hold: How the Apostles baptized.For though they baptized with Water, it will not follow that either they did it by Virtue of that Commission, or that they mistook that Place; nor can there be any Medium brought, that will infer such a Conclusion. As to the other insinuated Absurdity, That they did it without a Commission; it is none at all: For they might have done it by a Permission, as being in use before Christ’s Death; and because the People, nursed up with outward Ceremonies, could not be weaned wholly from them. And thus they used other Things, as Circumcision, and legal Purifications, which yet they had no Commission from Christ to do: To which we shall speak more at Length in the following Proposition, concerning the Supper.