that CHRIST with his own hand reacheth as it were from heaven, besprinkleth the infant with his blood to the remission of sins, by the hand of that man whom I see besprinkling him with the waters of baptism." So that I cannot choose but marvel how it comes to pass, that it must now be reckoned for a point of Popery, that the "Sacraments are instrumental causes of our justification," or of the "remission of our sins," or that it is a point of learning, of which neither the Scriptures, nor the reformed religion, have taught us anything. So easy a thing it is to last that with Popery, which any way doth contradict our own private fancies. ALLESTRIE, PRESBYTER.-Serm. ii. p. 23. In our Israel by our covenant there is as much of this required, for we were all initiated into our profession by washing, “ regenerated in a laver," and "born again of water," becoming so Tertullian's sanctitatis designati, set aside for holiness, consecrated to cleanness, and made the votaries of purity: how clean a thing then must a Christian be who must be washed into the name? nor is he thus washed only in the font, there was a more inestimable "fountain opened for sin and uncleanness." (Apoc. xi. 5.) "JESUS CHRIST hath washed us in his own blood;" and Heb. ix. 14. "The blood of CHRIST did purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God." How great is our necessity of being clean, when to provide a means to make us so, GoD opens his Son's side, and our laver is drawn out of the heart of CHrist. Yet we have more effusions to contribute to it. (1 Cor. vi. 11.) "But ye are washed," &c. and we must "be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire." A laver of flame also to wash away our scurfe as well as sallages, and beyond all these, some of us have been purged too with the fiery trial, and molten in the furnace of affliction, to separate our dross and purify us from alloy, that we may be clean and refined too, may become Christians of the highest carrect. BARROW, PRESBYTER AND DOCTOR.-Of the Holy Ghost. The memorial therefore of that most gracious and glorious dispensation, [of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, &c.] the Christian Church wisely and piously hath continually preserved, obliging us at this time peculiarly to bless GOD for that incomparable and inestimable gift conferred then most visibly upon the Church, and still really bestowed upon every particular member duly incorporated thereinto. I say bestowed upon every particular member of the Church, for the evangelical covenant doth extend to every Christian; and a principal ingredient thereof is the collation of this Spirit, which is the finger of God, whereby (according to the Prophet Jeremy's description of that covenant) "God's law is put into their inward parts, and written in their hearts!" inscribed (as St. Paul allusively speaketh) not with ink, but by the Spirit, &c.; not only as the Jewish law, represented from without to the senses, but impressed within upon the mind and affections; whence God's Spirit is called the Spirit of promise, the donation thereof being the peculiar promise of the Gospel; and the end of our SAVIOUR's undertaking is by St. Paul declared, "that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by faith;" that is, by embracing Christianity might partake thereof, according to God's promise; and the apostolical ministry or exhibition of the Gospel is styled "the ministration of the Spirit," and tasting "of the heavenly gift, and participation of the Holy Ghost," is part of a Christian's character; and the inception of Christianity is described by St. Paul," But we are bound to give thanks," &c. (2 Thess. ii. 13.) and our SAVIOUR instructed Nicodemus, that no man can enter into the kingdom of GOD (that is, become a Christian, or subject of God's spiritual kingdom,) without being regenerated by water, and by the Spirit, that is, without baptism, and the spiritual grace attending it, according as St. Peter doth in the words adjoining to our text imply, that the reception of the Holy Spirit is annexed to Holy baptism: "Repent (saith he) and be baptized every one," &c. . . . " for the promise (that great promise of ..... the Holy Ghost) is unto you," &c. . . . . . that is, the Holy Spirit is promised to all, how far soever distant in place and time, whoever shall be invited unto, and shall embrace the Christian profession. St. John also maketh it to be a distinctive mark of those, in whom CHRIST abideth, and who dwell in CHRIST, that is, of all true Christians, to have this Spirit; "Hereby [saith he] we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit," &c. . . . . and St. Paul denieth him to be a good Christian who is destitute thereof. "Now (saith he) if any man have not the Spirit," &c. . . . "and know ye not, (saith he to the Corinthians) that ye are the temple," &c. . . . . . . . that is, Do ye not understand this to be a common privilege of all Christians, such as ye profess yourselves to be? And the conversion of men to Christianity he thus expresseth," After the kindness and love of GoD our SAVIOUR," &c. (Tit. iii. 4.) . . . . And all pious dispositions qualifying us for entrance into heaven and happiness (faith, charity, devotion, every grace, every virtue) are represented to be the fruits of the Holy Spirit. And the union of all Christians into one body; the Catholic society of all truly faithful people, doth according to St. Paul, result from this one Spirit, as a common soul animating and actuating them: "For (saith he) by one Spirit are they all baptized," &c..... In fine, whatever some few persons, or some petty sects (as the Pelagians of old, the Socinians now) may have deemed, it hath been the doctrine constantly, and with very general consent delivered in the Catholic Church, that to all persons by the holy mystery of baptism duly initiated to Christianity, or admitted into the communion of CHRIST's body, the grace of God's Holy Spirit certainly is bestowed, enabling them to perform the conditions of piety and virtue then undertaken by them; enlightening their minds, rectifying their wills, purifying their affections, directing and assisting them in their practice; the which holy gift (if not abused, ill treated, driven away, or quenched by their ill behaviour) will perpetually be continued, improved, and increased to them; it is therefore by Tertullian (in his prescriptions against heretics,) reckoned as part of that fundamental rule which was grounded upon the general tradition and consent of the Christian Church, that "CHRIST had sent the virtue of the Holy Ghost, in his room, which doth act believers ;" to which that article doth answer of the Apostolical creed, in which we profess to believe the Holy Ghost, meaning, I suppose, thereby, not only the bare existence of the Holy Ghost, but also its gracious communication and energy. THORNDIKE, PRESBYTER.-Book iii. Chap. viii. It is demanded in the second place, what is that regeneration by the Holy Ghost, and wherein it consists, whereof infants that are baptized can be thought capable. For the wild conceits of those that imagine them to have faith in CHRIST (which without actual motion of the mind, is not), require miracles to be wrought of course, by baptizing, that the effect thereof may come to pass. And if the state of grace (which the habitual grace of God's Spirit either supposeth or inferreth) is not to be attained but by the resolution of embracing the covenant of grace, (as, by all the premises, it is not otherwise attended), it will be every whit as hard to say what is that habitual grace, that is said to be poured into the souls of infants that are baptized, being nothing else but a facility in doing what the Covenant of Grace requireth. But, if we conceive the regeneration of Infants that are baptized to consist in the habitual assistance of God's Spirit, the effects whereof are to appear, in making them able to perform that which their Christianity requires at their hands, so soon as they shall understand themselves to be obliged by it; we give reason enough of the effect of their baptism, whether they die or live, and yet become not liable to any inconvenience. For supposing the assistance of God's Spirit assigned them by the promise of baptism, to take effect when their bodily instruments enable the soul to act as Christianity requireth; if the soul, by death, come to be discharged of them, can any thing be said why original concupiscence, which is the law of the members, should remain any more, to impeach the subjection of all faculties to the law of God's Spirit? Or will it be any thing strange, that when they come to be taught Christianity, the same Spirit of GOD should be thought to sway them, to embrace it of their own choice, and not only in compliance with the will of their parents? Yet is this no more, than the regeneration of infants by water and the Holy Ghost importeth; that the Spirit of GoD should be habitually present, to make those reasons which God hath given to convince the world, that they ought to be Christians, both discernible to the understanding, and weighing down the choice; whereas, those that are converted from being enemies to GOD, (that is to say, at those years, when no man can be converted to GOD, that is not His enemy before), though the Spirit of GoD knock at their hearts without, striving to cast out the strong man that is within doors, and to make a dwelling for itself in the heart, are possessed by a contrary principle, till they yield God's Spirit that entertainment which God requireth. PEARSON, BISHOP AND DOCTOR.-Exposition of the Creed, Article ix. Being therefore we are that the preaching remission of sins belongeth not only certainly, but in some sense peculiarly, to the Church of CHRIST, it will be next considerable how this remission is conferred upon any person in the Church. It is certain that forgiveness of sins was promised to all who were baptized in the name of CHRIST; and it cannot be doubted but all persons who did perform all things necessary to the receiving the ordinance of baptism, did also receive the benefit of that ordinance, which is remission of sins. "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." (Mark i. 4.) And St. Peter made this exhortation of his first sermon, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of JESUS CHRIST, for the remission of sins." (Acts ii. 38.) In vain doth doubting and fluctuating Socinus endeavour to evacuate the evidence of this Scripture; attributing the remission either to repentance without consideration of baptism, or else to the public profession of faith made in baptism; or if any thing must be attributed to baptism itself, it must be nothing but a declaration of such remission. For how will these shifts agree with that which Ananias said unto Paul, without any mention either of repentance or confession, |