Page:1644 Anabaptist Confession of Faith.djvu/19

 feffing faith, or that are Difciples, or taught, who upon a profeffion of faith, ought to be baptized.

A&ts 2.37,38. & 8.36,37,38 & 18.8.

The way and manner of the difpenfing of this Ordinance, the Scripture holds out to be dipping or plunging the whole body under water: it being a figne, muft anfwer the thing fignified, which are thefe: firft,the bwafhing the whole foule in the bloud of Chrift: Secondly, that intereft the Saints have in the death, buriall, and refurrection; thirdly,together with a confirmation of our faith, that as certainly as the body is buried under water, and rifeth againe, fo certainly fhall the bodies of the Saints be railed by the power of Chrift, in the day of the refurrection, to reigne with Chrift.

The word Baptizo,figni fying to dip under water, yet fo as with convenient garmentsboth upon the adminiftrator and fubject, with all mo deftie. a Mat. 3. 16. 3. Joh. 3. A&s 8.38. bRev. 1.5. &7. 14 with Heb.to. 22. cRom.6.3,4,5 di Cor.15 28,29,

The perfons defigned by Chrift, to difpenfe this Ordinance, the Scriptures hold forth to be a preaching Difciple, it being no where tyed to a particular Church, Officer, or perfon extraordinarily fent, the Commiffion injoyning the adminiftration, being given to them under no other confideration, but as confidered Difciples.

a Efa. 8. 16. Mat. 18,16,17 18, 19. John 4. 1, 2. Alts 20. 7. Mat. 26.36.

Chrift has likewife given power to his whole Church to receive in and caft out, by way of Excommunication, any member; and this power is given to every particular Congregation, and not one particular perfon, either member or Officer, but the whole.

Acts 2. 47. Rom-16.2. Math.18.17. I Cor. 5.4. 1 Cor. 3,6,7, 8.