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but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the Resurrection of Christ. But the objectors are not less unhappy in their construction of this passage, than of that, mentioned above. The true, as well as obvious, meaning in this passage is the following: "Baptism, the Antitype of the water of the deluge, doth now save us by the Resurrection of Christ; not indeed the cleansing of the filth of the flesh, but that which is signified by it; the answer of a good conscience towards God." This passage is a direct recognition of the existence of Baptism, as an Institution in the Christian Church: and, therefore, instead of being a support, is a refutation, of the scheme in question.

Persons, who deny the doctrine of the Trinity, or the satisfaction of Christ, are, in a sense, constrained to deny Baptism also, in order to preserve consistency in their opinions, The command to baptize in, or into, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is a plain, unanswerable exhibition of the Doctrine of the TRINITY. The cleansing with water, also, is too unequivocal a symbol of our spiritual purification by the Blood of Christ, to suffer any rational denial, or doubt. It seems, therefore, scarcely possible for those, who deny either the Trinity, or the Atonement, to admit the Institution of Baptism, without a plain contradiction in their principles.

Others, still, have removed both Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, by the aid of Spiritual, or mystical, construction. These persons appear to build their scheme, especially, on the answer of John the Baptist to the Pharisees and Sadducees, who came to his Baptism. I, indeed, baptize you with water unto repentance: but He, that cometh after me, is mightier than I; whose shoes Iam not worthy to bear. He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. From this passage, chiefly, the Doctrine has been drawn, that Baptism with water was not intended to be, nor actually made, by Christ an institution of the Gospel. It is hardly necessary to remark, that this interpretation of the Baptist's words is wholly erroneous; and that they have no connection with the doctrine, to which they are here applied.

The proof, on which this Institution rests as a perpetual ordinance of Christ in his Church, is so entire, and so obvious, that every doubt concerning it is more properly an object of surprise,

than of serious opposition. In the text, Christ commands his Apostles, and all his succeeding ministers, to baptize those, whom they should make disciples. In obedience to this command, the Apostles accordingly baptized all those, who were made disciples by them. Those, who followed them in the ministry, followed them, also, in this practice. In this manner, the Institution has been continued in the Church, with the exception of a few dissentients, to the present time. Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. To be born of water is to be baptized. To be born of the Spirit is to be regenerated. The Kingdom of God is a phrase, used in the Gospel, in a two-fold sense; and denotes his visible, and his invisible, kingdom; or the collection of apparent, and the collection of real, saints. The indispensable condition of entering the former, or visible, kingdom, is here made by our Saviour Baptism. The indispensable qualification for admission into the invisible Kingdom is Regeneration: the great act of the Spirit of God, which constitutes men real Saints. Baptism, therefore, is here made by Christ a condition, absolutely necessary to our authorized entrance into his visible Church.

II. I shall now inquire into the Intention of this Ordinance. Washing with water is the most natural, and universal, mode of cleansing from external impurities; and is, therefore, the most obvious, and proper, symbol of internal, or spiritual, purification. Baptism denotes, generally, this purification; and, particularly, is intended to present to us the cleansing of the soul by the blood of Christ; and, still more particularly, by the affusion of the Divine Spirit. To this interpretation of it, we are directed by the Prophet Isaiah, in the forty-fourth chapter of his prophecy. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. The same explanation is given of it, also, by God, in the Prophet Ezekiel, chapter xxxvi. 25-27, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes. As both these passages refer to the Evangelical dispensation; there can be no reasonable doubt, that the application, here made

of them, is just; or that Baptism especially signifies the affusion of the Spirit of God upon the soul.

It is, however, to be very carefully remarked here, that, although Baptism is a symbol of this affusion, and of the Regeneration, which is its consequence, yet Baptism neither ensures, nor proves, Regeneration. The Church of Rome has long taught, that regeneration is inseparably connected with this ordinance; and that the ordinance is absolutely necessary, at least in all ordinary circumstances, to the existence of Regeneration. From that Church this scheme has spread, with some variations, through several Protestant Churches. I know not, that it is in my power to express, in precise language, the different views, entertained in the Christian World concerning this subject.

Often, if I mistake not, these views are given to us in phraseology, which is indefinite, and sometimes, perhaps, designedly mysterious. A distinction, unknown to the Scriptures, is sometimes made between Regeneration and Renovation. Baptism is sometimes said to be the cause, or the inseparable attendant, of Regeneration, and not of Renovation. What the word Regeneration, thus used, intends, I confess myself unable to determine. So far as I have been able to find, the Regeneration of the Scriptures is but one thing; and denotes, invariably, that change of character, or the cause of that change, by which sinners become holy. Christ has taught us, that to be born again is to be born of the Spirit of God. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. These two declarations, every person will see, are exactly parallel. To be born again, in the first of them, is precisely the same thing, as to be born of water, and of the Spirit, in the last. To be born of water as here intended, is, in my view, to be baptized; and is as absolutely necessary to our lawful admission into the vi sible kingdom of God: as to be born of the Spirit, is to our admission into his invisible Kingdom. That to be born of water, and of the Spirit, is the same thing with being born again, must be admitted by every one, who is willing that our Saviour should speak good sense, since he obviously mentions, in this whole

discourse, but one Birth; which he introduces to Nicodemus under the phraseology of being born again. What connection water, here in my view standing for Baptism, has with this subject, I shall further explain hereafter.

With these things premised, I shall now proceed to consider the Question, Whether Baptism ensures, or proves, Regenera-· tion?

The arguments, in favour of the affirmative answer to this question, are principally, if not wholly, derived from the following passages of Scripture.

First. Mark xvi. 16, He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Of this passage it is only necessary to observe, that the concluding clause refutes the supposition, which the introductory one is employed to support. Here Christ declares, that he who believeth not, whether baptized or not, shall be damned. This could not be true, if Baptism and Regeneration were thus connected.

Secondly. The same doctrine is argued from the passage quoted above. Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The account, given of the subject in this text, is exactly the same with that, contained in the preceding passage. To be baptized is to be born of water.

To be a believer is to be born

of the Spirit. He who believeth, whether baptized or not, shall be saved: he that is born of the Spirit, whether born of water or not, shall enter into the invisible kingdom of God. In exact accordance with this construction of the passage, our Saviour, in every other part of his discourse with Nicodemus, insists only on being born of the Spirit, as the great qualification for acceptance with God.

It is, however, to be observed here, that he, who understanding the nature and authority of this Institution, refuses to be baptized, will never enter either the visible, or invisible, kingdom of God. As he refuses to become a member of the visible, he will certainly be shut out of the invisible, kingdom. Considered with reference to a case of this nature, the passage may be justly construed in the literal manner. For he who persists

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in this act of rebellion against the authority of Christ, will never belong to his kingdom.

Thirdly. This doctrine is also argued from Titus iii. 5, According to his mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing ofthe Holy Ghost.

Whether the words, translated the washing of regeneration, denote Baptism, or not, according to the opinions of different Commentators, is, in my view, immaterial to the present question. If Baptin is denoted by these words; it is called the washing of regeneration, because it is symbolical of that change in the heart; and because Christ has established it, as such a symbol, in his visible Church. Beyond this, nothing can be pleaded from this passage in favour of the doctrine.

There is yet another text, to wit, Eph. v. 26, of an import, similar to that last quoted, which may be urged with somewhat less plausibility, as favouring the same scheme. It is this, As Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that He might sanctify, and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word. To this the same answer is obviously to be given with that, which has been already given to the passage last quoted.

These are the only texts, within my knowledge, which can be seriously alleged in favour of this doctrine. I shall now, therefore, proceed to show, that the doctrine is erroneous by the following considerations.

1. It contradicts the general tenour of the Scriptures, relative to this subject.

In the first place, Adults are in the Scriptures required to believe, antecedently to their Baptism.

In the text, the Apostles are directed to make disciples of all nations, and then to baptize them. That they understood their commission in this manner, is unanswerably evident from their own declarations. Repent, therefore, said St. Peter to the Jews, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus. When the Eunuch said to Philip, see, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip replied, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. Lydia was baptized after the Lord had opened her heart. The Jailer was baptized in consequence of his Faith. So was Paul. So were Cornelius and his house

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