able, penitent and regenerated, I would sooner die by the grace of God, than to baptize such an impenitent and sensual man. For where there is not renewing, regenerating faith, leading to obedience, there baptism should not be administered. Even as Philip said to the Eunuch: If thou believest with all thy heart, then mayest thou be baptized. (Acts 8.) But nevertheless, you ought to know, should the person to be baptized, come with a hypocritical heart, under semblance of faith, that his hypocrisy would not be imputed to the baptizer as a sin, but to the dissembler; for no man knows the heart of man, save the spirit of man which is in him. (1 Cor. 2.)

It appears to me, that you might readily conclude that we desire no other water, than that which the Lord commands. For since we believe, that Christ is the true Messiah, to whom the law and the prophets directed, whom all the righteous patriarchs and prophets desired, that he came from heaven and testified the truth, and that his command is eternal life, we must, therefore, hear his voice and obey his. word; if not, we actually show that we do not believe, but that we reject his counsel and word, and are ungrateful towards him, for his love.

I know well, that many of you will say: We were once baptized in the name of God, and with that we are satisfied. To which we reply: If you fear God with all your heart, and acknowledge that his word and ordinances are just and good, you must be judges yourselves whether you are baptized in the name, or against the name of God. It is true, that the adorable, high name of God was pronounced over you, but not otherwise than it is pronounced over church-bells, chapels, altars, consecrated water, tapers and palms.(a) All antichristian idolatry and abominations, are peformed under the semblance of the divine name; although they are not done by virtue of but against his name, (Exod. 20) for they are done contrary to his word and will.

My beloved reader, reflect well upon these words, and judge them by the word of the Lord, and you will find that your baptism is instituted and invented of men, without the conmand of God, and must be accursed of God, who will himself

(a) Non erit immunis a peccata, qui nomen Dei sui assumpserit in vanum, i. e. He will not be absolved from his sins, who assumes to himself the name of God in vain.

rule and govern his church. (Gal. 1.) Would you rejoice in the promise and be partakers of the church of Christ, you must believe the word of the Lord, be obedient to, and follow his counsel, will and ordinances. But if you refuse, and follow your own, and not the Lord's counsel and will; you cannot comfort yourselves with any scriptural promise.(a) For he that believeth not, says Christ, is already condemned. (John 3.)

Therefore, do no longer comfort yourselves with such vain comfort, and say, we have been once baptized. You are still unbelievers, rebellious and unclean. Your whole life is earthly and sensual, and your baptism is anti-christian, and is without the sanction of the word of God. Therefore, awaken, repent, believe in Christ, seek, fear and love God with all your heart, then the word of the Lord and his unc tion, will teach you what is proper for you to do in this matter. And say not, as some do, I will renounce the church and idolatry; I will serve my neighbor, &c.; but I do not wish to be baptized.

O you blind men! Do you think that the Lord is pleased with your staying away from the church, or with your alms, or any thing of the kind, if you reject his counsel and word? No! no!! He desires your obedience, but no sacrifice, (18am. 15.) He desires the whole heart, the entire man. With him, neither church nor alms will avail, neither words nor deeds, as long as you are unrenewed. For in Christ Jesus, says Paul, neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but faith which worketh by love, (Gal. 5) and a new creature, (Gal. 6) and the keeping of the commandments of God. (1 Cor. 7.)

And whosoever is renewed in Christ and born of God, he liveth no more, as Paul says: but Christ lives in him. (Gal.1.) In all his ways he conforms to the word of the Lord, for the powerful, active faith constrains him to all obedience, and to every good work. But where this new principle is not, there fair words may indeed be, but in truth, nothing else than unbelief, disobedience, presumption, and perverseness.

I hereby entreat and admonish you, beloved reader, not to be so obstinate against the Lord, and say: what can water

(a) Qui sibi vivit, et not Christi, infidelis est, et a permissiones alienus. He who liveth to himself and not to Christ, is an infidel.

avail us? But do reflect that Christ Jesus himself was baptized, (Matt. 3) though he was without sin, and in his mouth guile was not found; (1. Cor. 1.) yea, righteousness himself, the way, the truth and life. (John 4.) Say then, what could water avail Christ, who was all in all things? The disciples at Ephesus were re-baptized of Paul, because they knew nothing of the Holy Ghost, although they were baptized with the baptism of John. (Acts 19.) If Christ himself was baptized, who was without sin, (Matt. 11) and others were re-baptized of Paul, who were baptized with the baptism of John, which was also from heaven? Why do you then despise the Lord's baptism, you miserable, poor sinners, who were baptized without knowledge and faith, with the baptism of the dragon and the beast?

Cyprian, the martyr, with his council, in Africa, resolved that those who were baptized of heretics, should be re-baptized with the christian baptism, (a) and they, therefore, maintained that heretical baptism could not be the baptism of Christ. Reflect a little, kind reader, who they were that baptized you; of whom they were sent; what kind of faith they had; what kind of lives they led; with what doctrine and usages you were baptized. If you will seriously reflect thereon, I hope by the grace of God, if you desire the true peace and liberty of conscience, you will soon be aware that you never knew either the external or internal baptism, much less received it.

Behold, beloved reader, here you have the true foundation and scriptural instructions of the baptism of Christ, and an explanation of the baptism of Antichrist.

Pray the Lord, the Most High, for a sound and clear understanding, that you may know the right and blessed truth, might believe and in the fear of the Lord, faithfully observe all things. Quit all useless disputing and gainsaying; for whosoever will dispute and gainsay with the determination to remain in the broad way, will ruin his soul, and will never walk honestly, and with a good conscience before God; and he will always find occasion to dispute and wrangle.

Therefore, do examine, believe, and obey the word of God, with a sincere and devout heart, and be not deceived by fair

(a) Carthagenian Council.

speeches under disguise, and you will certainly obtain the sure ground of the saving truth, and the consoling promise of grace. The Lord Jesus grant, and give you his grace thereto,

Amen.

THE LORD'S HOLY SUPPER.

You know, beloved sirs, friends and brethren, that every where much is written, preached and said concerning the Lord's supper. (a) But with what knowledge, in what manner, with what faith, love, peace, and unity, they celebrate it, is evident. It is true, the Lord commanded, in the New Tes tament, the breaking of bread, or the last supper, but not to be celebrated as you do. Your Lord's supper is common to all, no matter who they are; the avaricious, the proud, the gay, drunkards, wranglers, idolators, debauchees, whoremongers and rogues, celebrate with you. It is also used in an abominable, offensive, pompous, hypocritical and idolatrous manner; and besides, it is dipensed by such ministers, who, in truth, seek but the world, honor, ease, to serve their flesh and body, alas! as may be seen in many places.

Since so many of you are so zealous about the Lord's supper, but not according to the scripture, as you shall hear; for your table is more, the devil's table, than the Lord's, (I Cor. 20.) I would, for Jesus' sake, that you would in the true fear of God, (b) reflect and enquire for whom, why and wherefore, the Lord instituted, ordained and left, this his supper, in the chruch, so that it may prove to you a living and an effecting sign; that it might be impressed upon, and bring to your mind the Lord's abundant kindness, the peace, the love, and union of his church, the communion of his flesh and blood; and that you may die to unrighteousness, and every other ungodly work; to live to righteousness and godliness:

(a) The world boasts much of the Lord's Supper, but with much ignorance. (8)The supper of the world is not the supper of the Lord.

and renounce the devil's table; and that you may sit down at the Lord's table in the church of Christ, with true faith, and unfeigned love, as pious, penitent and regenerated. (a)

Thus saith Paul: I have received of the Lord, that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it and said: Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me., After the same manner, he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me. (1 Cor. 11.) . Here you have Paul's explanation of the words of the Lord's Supper, instituted by Jesus Christ, (Matt. 26; Mark 14; Luke 22;) concerning which words, the learned taught and disputed much; and alas, some of them, through their idolatrous misunderstanding, if we may call it such, and not pride, disputed at the expense of much innocent blood (b); and what holy Paul says, (Rom. 1,) concerning them is fulfilled. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. For they disputed most about the sign, which avails little, but they touched not the thing signified which avails much.(c) In my opinion, they are indifferent what the qualification of the guests or communicants should be, in order to sit with Christ at his table, to celebrate this holy sacrament.

There is not a single word in the scriptures, that should give cause for dispute concerning the visible and tangible sign: The spiritual judge all things spiritually, (1 Cor. 2.) For whatever that may be in the substance, it can be handled, seen and tasted. But it is more important for us to perform as much as we can, in our weakness, what is signified-the thing which is set forth to all true and christian believers.

On this account, we will not trouble the well meaning and pious reader, with jarring, fruitless disputing, as the learned do; but we only desire, by the help and grace of the Lord, by the power of the divine word, to point out to you, for whom, and why Jesus left and ordained this supper, so that we do not prefer the visible sign to the reality of the thing signified, and depart from the truth to images.

(a) Observe why we should celebrate the Lord's supper. (b) The pride and misunderstanding of some of the learned is the cause of much bloodshed. (c) Not the sign, but the thing signified avails,

F