not in any outward thing. Hereof saith Cyprian, "Remissio peccatorum, sive per baptismum, sive per alia sacramenta donetur, proprie Spiritus Sancti est. Verborum solemnitas," &c. "The remission of sins, whether it be given by baptism, or by any other sacraments, does properly appertain to the Holy Ghost. The solemnity of the words, and the invocation of GoD's holy Name, and the outward signs appointed to the ministry of the priest by the institution of the Apostles, work the visible outward sacrament. But touching the substance thereof, it is the Holy Ghost that worketh it." St. Ambrose also saith, " Vidisti fontem, vidisti sacerdotem," &c. "Thou hast seen the water, thou hast seen the priest, thou hast seen those things which thou mightest see with the eyes of thy body, and with such sight as man hath but those things which work and do the deed of salvation, which no eye can see, thou hast not seen."

:

"Such a change is made in the sacrament of baptism. Through the power of God's working the water is turned into blood. They that be washed in it receive the remission of sins; their robes are made clean in the blood of the Lamb. The water itself is nothing; but by the working of GoD's Spirit, the death and merits of our Lord and Saviour CHRIST are thereby assured

unto us.

"A figure hereof was given at the Red Sea. The children of Israel passed through in safety; but Pharaoh and his whole army were drowned. Another figure hereof was given in the ark. The whole world was drowned, but Noah and his family were saved alive. Even so in the fountain of baptism, our spiritual Pharaoh, the devil, is choked his army, that is, our sins are drowned, and we are saved. The wicked of the world are swallowed in concupiscence and vanities, and we abide safe in the ark: God hath chosen us to be a peculiar people to Himself; we walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, therefore we are in CHRIST JESUS, and there is now no condemnation unto us.

"Now touching the minister of this sacrament, whether he be a good man or an evil man, godly or godless, an heretic or a Catholic, an idolater or a true worshipper of GoD: the effect is

all one, the value or worthiness of the sacrament dependeth not of man, but of GOD. Man pronounceth the word, but GoD settleth our hearts with grace; man toucheth or washeth us with water, but God maketh us clean by the cross of CHRIST. It is not the minister, but CHRIST Himself which is the Lamb of GOD that taketh away the sins of the world." p. 266.

Ibid.-Reply to M. Harding's Censure, p. 249.

And forasmuch as these two sacraments, being both of force like, these men [the Romanists] to advance their fantasies in the one, by comparison so much abase the other: and specially for the better opening of Chrysostom's mind, I think it good, briefly and by the way, somewhat to touch what the old Catholic Fathers have written of GoD's invisible working in the Sacrament of Baptism. Dionysius generally of all mysteries writeth thus: "Angeli Deum," &c. "The angels being creatures spiritual, so far forth as it is lawful for them, behold Gon, and his godly power. But we are led as we may, by sensible outward tokens," (which he calleth images) "unto the contemplation of heavenly things." The Fathers, in the Council of Nice, say thus: "Baptism must be considered, not with our bodily eyes, but with the eyes of our mind. Thou seest the water; think thou of the power of God, that in the water is hidden. Think thou that the water is full of heavenly fire, and of the sanctification of the Holy Ghost." Chrysostom, speaking likewise of baptism, saith thus: "Ego non aspectu judico ea, quæ videntur, sed mentis oculis," &c. "The things that I see, I judge not by sight, but by the eyes of my mind. The heathen, when he heareth the water of baptism, taketh it only for plain water: but I see not simply, or barely, that I see; I see the cleansing of the soul by the Spirit of GOD." So likewise saith Nazianzenus: "Mysterium baptismi) majus est, quam ea quæ videntur;" "The mystery of baptism is greater than it appeareth to the eye." So St. Ambrose: "Aliud est, quod visibiliter agitur; aliud quod invisibiliter celebratur:" "In baptism there is one thing done visibly to the eye; another thing is wrought invisibly to the mind."

Again he saith, "Believe not only the bodily eyes (in this sacrament of baptism): the thing that is not seen, is better seen the thing that thou seest is corruptible; the thing that thou seest not is for ever." To be short, in consideration of these invisible effects, Tertullian saith, "The Holy Ghost cometh down and halloweth the water." St. Basil saith, "The kingdom of heaven is there set open." Chrysostom saith, "God Himself in baptism, by his invisible power, holdeth thy head." St. Ambrose saith, "The water hath the grace of CHRIST; in it is the presence of the Trinity." St. Bernard saith, "Let us be washed in his blood."

"By the authorities of thus many ancient Fathers, it is plain, that in the sacrament of baptism, by the sensible sign of water, the invisible grace of God is given unto us."

HOOKER, PRESBYTER AND DOCTOR.-On Ecclesiastical Polity. Book v. 60.

Unless as the Spirit is a necessary inward cause, so water were a necessary outward mean, to our regeneration, what construction should we give unto those words wherein we are said to be new born, and that 1⁄2 üdaros, even of water? Why are we taught, that with water GoD doth purify and cleanse His Church? Wherefore do the Apostles of CHRIST term baptism a bath of regeneration? What purpose had they in giving men advice to receive outward baptism, and in persuading them it did avail to remission of sins? If outward baptism were a cause in itself possessed of that power, either natural or supernatural, without the present operation whereof no such effect could possibly grow, it must then follow, that seeing effects do never prevent the necessary causes out of which they spring, no man could ever receive grace before baptism: which being apparently both known, and also confessed to be otherwise, in many particulars, although in the rest we make not baptism a cause of grace; yet the grace which is given them with their baptism, doth so far forth depend on the very outward sacrament, that God will have it embraced, not only as a sign or token what we receive, but

also as an instrument or means whereby we receive grace, because baptism is a sacrament which God hath instituted in His Church, to the end that they which receive the same might thereby be incorporated into CHRIST; and so through His most precious merit obtain, as well that saving grace of imputation which taketh away all former guiltiness, as also that infused divine virtue of the Holy Ghost which giveth to the powers of the soul their first disposition towards future newness of life. There are that elevate too much the ordinary and immediate means of life, relying wholly upon the bare conceit of that eternal election, which notwithstanding includeth a subordination of means, without which we are not actually brought to enjoy what GOD secretly did intend; and therefore, to build upon God's election, if we keep not ourselves to the ways which He hath appointed for men to walk in, is but a self-deceiving vanity. When the Apostle saw men called to the participation of JESUS CHRIST, after the Gospel of GoD embraced, and the sacrament of life received, he feareth not then to put them in the number of elect saints; he then accounteth them delivered from death, and clean purged from all sin. Till then, notwithstanding their preordination unto life, which none could know of, saving GoD, what were they, in the Apostle's own account, but children of wrath, as well as others, plain aliens, altogether without hope, strangers, utterly without GoD in this present world? So that by sacraments, and other sensible tokens of grace, we may boldly gather, that He whose mercy vouchsafeth now to bestow the means, hath also sithence intended us that whereunto they lead. But let us never think it safe to presume of our own last, and by bare conjectural collections of his first intent and purpose, the means failing that should come between. Predestination bringeth not to life without the grace of eternal vocation, wherein our baptism is implied. For as we are not naturally men without birth, so neither are we Christian men in the eye of the Church of GOD but by new birth; nor according to the manifest ordinary course of divine dispensation new born, but by that baptism which both declareth and maketh us Christians.

In which respect, we justly hold it to be the door of our actual entrance into God's house, the first apparent beginning of life, a seal perhaps to the grace of election before received: but to our sanctification here, a step that hath not any before it.

Ibid. 64.

Were St. Augustine now living, there are which would tell him for his better instruction, that to say of a child, it is elect, and to say, it doth believe, are all one; for which cause, sith no man is able precisely to affirm the one of any infant in particular, it followeth that precisely and absolutely we ought not to say the other. Which precise and absolute terms are needless in this case. We speak of infants as the rule of piety alloweth both to speak and think. They that can take to themselves in ordinary talk, a charitable kind of liberty to name men of their own sort God's dear children, (notwithstanding the large reign of hypocrisy,) should not, methinks, be so strict and rigorous against the Church, for presuming as it doth of a Christian innocent. For when we know how CHRIST in general hath said, Of such is the kingdom of heaven, which kingdom is the inheritance of GOD's elect; and do withal behold how His providence hath called them unto the first beginnings of eternal life, and presented them at the well-spring of new birth, wherein original sin is purged, besides which sin there is no hindrance of their salvation known to us, as themselves will grant; hard it were that having so many fair inducements whereupon to ground, we should not be thought to utter, at the least, a truth as probable and allowable in terming any such particular infant an elect babe, as in presuming the like of others whose safety, nevertheless, we are not absolutely able to warrant.

ANDREWS, BISHOP AND DOCTOR.-On the Holy Ghost. Serm. viii.

Now CHRIST is baptized. And no sooner is He so, but He falls to His prayers, Indigentia mater orationis, (we say) want begets prayer: therefore, yet there wants somewhat a part and that a chief part of baptism is still behind.

There goes more to baptism, if it be as it should be, than