10 name of Christ, was not the repeating of any wtitcr, but merely the gift of the Spirit; for Paul preached to them largely the doctrine of faith in Christ (for the text relates but the abstract of the thing) and laid his hands on them, and through his ministry the Holy Spirit came upon them ; and this was Christ’s baptism indeed, and no renewing of water at all, as the Anabaptist would fain enforce from this place. By these things it is evident, that Christ’s baptism and John’s are distinct; and therefore, as what God hath joined, no man ought to put asunder, so what God hath put asunder, no man ought to join; as if the baptism of Christ were insufficient and incomplete, except wc should add to it the baptism of John; which is exceedingly to eclipse the brightness of the Son of God, and to draw a veil over the greatest glory of the New Testament, which is the baptism of the Spirit. Object. If the ordinary objection shall be offered against this, to wit, “ That John’s doctrine was the same with Christ’s, and therefore his baptism also was the same with his.” I answer, it is most true, that John did preach Christ clearly, both in regard of his person and offices; but this was not his proper work, as he was the Baptist, but insomuch as he preached Christ in the Spirit, he belonged to the kingdom of Christ, which is spiritual, as also Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, and all the prophets, did in the same sense : but so far forth as he preached the doctrine, and administered the baptism of repentance, and both these not really and spiritually, but only in the letter and sign, so far he belonged to the Old Testament, rather thaTi to the New: here was John in his proper office. I say, so far as John preached Christ spiritually, he did not that as John the Baptist, but as John a believer : and so the same John, in regard of his Baptist’s office, belonged to the Old Testament; but according to the revelation which he had from the Father touching Christ, and his faith in him, and confession of him, he belonged to the New. And except we learn thus to distinguish of John’s doctrine, to wit, what he preached as Baptist, and in his proper office, and what
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