13,
"For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body," &c. I need
not go about to confute that notion that some of late have had of
this text., viz., that the baptism here spoken of is the baptism of
the Spirit, because you have not owned and declared that notion as
your judgment, but on the contrary, all of you that I have ever
conversed with, have declared it to be understood of baptism with
water, by the direction of the Spirit: If so, then it follows, that
men and women are declared members of Christ's body by baptism, and
cannot be by scripture reputed and esteemed so without it; which
farther appears from Rom. vi. 5, where men by baptism are said to be
"planted" into the likeness of his death and Col. ii. 12, we are
said to be "buried with him" by baptism. All which, together with
the consent of all Christians (some few in these later times
excepted), do prove that baptism is necessary to the initiating
persons into the Church of Christ.
(3.) Holiness of life is essential to church-communion, because it
seems to be the reason why Christ founded a church in the world,
viz., that men might thereby be watched over, and kept from falling;
and that if any be overtaken with a fault, he that is spiritual
might restore him, that by this means men and women might be
preserved without blame to the coming of Christ; and the grace of
God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live
soberly and uprightly in this present evil world; Tit.
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