An Exhortation to Peace and Unity | Page 6

this,
that some rules and orders must be observed for the founding all
society, which must be consented to by all that will be of it. Hence it
comes to pass, that to own Christ as the Lord and head of Christians is
essential to the founding of Christian society.
(2.) The Scriptures have declared, that this faith gives the professors of
it a right to baptism, as in the case of the eunuch, Acts viii. When he
demanded why he might not be baptized, Philip answered, that if he
believed with all his heart, he might. The eunuch thereupon confessing
Christ, was baptized.
Now, that baptism is essential to church-communion, I prove from 1
Cor. xii., where we shall find the apostle labouring to prevent an evil
use that might be made of spiritual gifts, as thereby to be puffed up, and
to think that such as wanted them were not of the body, or to be
esteemed members: he thereupon resolves, that whoever did confess
Christ, and own him for his head, did it by the Spirit, ver. 3, though
they might not have such a visible manifestation of it as others had, and
therefore they ought to be owned as members, as appears, ver. 23. And
not only because they have called him Lord by the Spirit, but because
they have, by the guidance and direction of the same Spirit, been
baptized, ver. 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. ii. 11, 12. "And let every one that nameth the name of Christ,
depart from iniquity;" 2 Tim. ii. 19. And James tells us (speaking of the
Christian religion), that "pure religion, and undefiled before God, is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep
ourselves unspotted from the world;" James i. 27. From all which
(together with many more texts that might be produced) it appears, that
an unholy and profane life is inconsistent with Christian religion and
society; and that holiness is essential to salvation and
church-communion. So that these three things, faith, baptism, and a
holy life, as I said before, all churches must agree and unite in, as those
things which, when wanting, will destroy their being. And let not any
think, that when I say, believing the Son of God died for the sins of
men is essential to salvation and church-communion, that I hereby
would exclude all other articles of the Christian creed as not necessary;
as the belief of the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment, &c.,
which, for want of time, I omit to speak particularly to, and the rather,
because I understand this great article of believing the Son of God died

for the sins of men is comprehensive of all others, and is that from
whence all other articles may easily be inferred.
And here I would not be mistaken, as though I held there was nothing
else for Christians to practise, when I say this is all that is requisite to
church-communion; for I very well know, that Christ requires many
other things of us, after we are members of his body, which, if we
knowingly or maliciously refuse, may be the cause, not only of