sins of men. 2d, That whoever believeth ought to be baptized. The
third thing essential to this communion, is a holy and a blameless
conversation.

(1.) That believing that the Son of God died for the sins of men is
necessary to salvation, I prove by these texts, which tell us, that
he that doth not believe shall be damned, Mark xvi. 16; John iii.
36; Rom. x. 9.

That it is also necessary to church-communion appears from Matt.
xvi. 16-18. Peter having confessed that Christ was the Son of the
living God, Christ thereupon assures Peter, that upon this rock,
viz., this profession of faith, or this Christ which Peter had
confessed, he would build his church, and the gates of hell should
not prevail against it. And, 1 Cor. iii. 11, the apostle having
told the Corinthians that they were God's building, presently adds,
that they could not be built upon any foundation but upon that which
was laid, which was Jesus Christ. All which proves, that Christian
society is founded upon the profession of Christ; and not only
scripture, but the laws of right reason, dictate 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.