And the first inspired preacher of repentance and remission of sins in the name of Jesus, has furnished a faithful and instructive comment on his master's words, when to the guilty consciences of his trembling audience he offered, on the condition of their repentance and faithful acceptance of that holy name, to apply, by baptism, the balm of forgiveness, and the unction of the Spirit :-" Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Nor may we limit to the first disciples the offer of this gracious gift, or understand St. Peter's words only in reference to the extraordinary communications which were vouchsafed for a short time; for his words are of too extensive a signification to be circumscribed within the limits of so narrow an application. "For the promise," says he, "is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Accordingly, St. Luke narrates that many were baptized and added, and immediately: "the Lord added to the Church daily those who (as of a present gift) were made partakers of salvation” (προσετίθει τοὺς σωζομένους τῇ εκκλησία). And the chosen vessel to the Gentiles yet further speaks repeatedly in a past sense of that title to salvation already acquired; connecting with this divine ordinance the gifts of forgiveness and regeneration, i.e., redemption and sanctification, owrev ñμâs dià λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας, καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύματος ἁγίου.” God of his free mercy in Christ Jesus has made us partakers of salvation through the laver of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. But what need we further than our Lord's own words, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit," if, instead of forcing on them a figurative

2 Acts ii. 41, 47.

+ John iii. 3, 5.

'Acts ii. 38.

3 Titus iii. 5; Eph. iv. 32; Col. ii. 13; Rom. iii. 25.

interpretation, or separating that which he has connected, or unnaturally constraining one distinct term into a sense merely exegetical of the other, we would be content to receive them in that literal and obvious sense, in which the Christian Church from the beginning, received and delivered them? "This," to cite the words of a learned divine, who well weighed the testimony of antiquity, "is the baptism of our dearest Lord. His ministers baptize with water: our Lord, at the same time, verifies their ministry with giving the Holy Spirit. They are joined together by St. Paul: We are, by one Spirit, baptized into one body;" that is, admitted into the Church, by baptism of water and the Spirit. This is that which our blessed Lord calls a being born of water and the Spirit. By water we are sacramentally dead and buried: by the Spirit we are made alive."

The testimonies borne by the Fathers' to this truth, are too numerous to be cited; but no one of us can have enquired, with a very moderate research, into their pages, without becoming familiar with the terms absolution, indulgence, grace, regeneration, water of life, initiation, and investiture with Christ, and many such expressions applied to baptism; denoting that, to worthy receivers, this sacrament is remission of sins, and regeneration, and adoption, and reception into a covenant of grace, which has an abiding promise of forgiveness, and renovation, and eternal life.

And if we turn from ancient Fathers to our modern Reformers we find them, who piously and jealously guarded the great doctrine of justification by faith, consenting to

1 1 Cor. xii. 13.

2 Jer. Taylor, vol. ii. p. 250. (Ed. Heb.)

3 Ibid, p. 234 et. seq., where see abundant references to the Fathers. See also Bingham, vol. iii. p. 397.

this indisputable truth.

The author of that Homily,'

whose only object is to do homage to the Saviour of men, acknowledging that "every man of necessity is constrained to seek for another righteousness at God's own hands," immediately declares that "by virtue of that sacrifice and satisfaction which Christ has made, infants, being baptized, and dying in their infancy, are, by this sacrifice, washed from their sins, brought to God's favour, and made his children, and inheritors of his kingdom of heaven; and they which, in act or deed, do sin after baptism, when they turn again to God unfeignedly," he does not speak of the possibility of another regeneration; but―" when they turn again, they are likewise washed by this sacrifice from their sins in such sort that there remaineth not any spot of sin that shall be imputed to their damnation." And again, ascribing all merit to the blood of Christ, "we must trust only in God's mercy, and that sacrifice which our High Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of God, once offered for us upon the cross, to obtain thereby God's grace and remission, as well of our original sin, in baptism, as of all our actual sin committed by us after our baptism, if we truly repent, and turn unfeignedly to him again." And afterwards this sacrament is called expressly " the sacrament of our regeneration or new birth," and "the fountain of our regeneration."

Let it be maintained throughout, that faith is the condition of the covenant. "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness." "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved,"-shall be placed in a state of salvation, in which continuing he shall be finally saved: "but he that be

1 Hom. iii. "Of the Salvation of mankind, by only Christ our Saviour, from sin and death everlasting."

2 John xii. 46.

C

lieveth not shall be "1. -; yea, as it is written in another passage," he is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Therefore, faith is the condition. Repentance and faith, or to speak concisely, faith only, to which repentance is necessary; faith in the efficacy of the atonement, which implies necessarily a belief in the grand doctrine of the resurrection, which is the declaration of God, that the great atonement has been accepted.

But with regard to the baptism of infants, who offer no impediment to grace, and on whose behalf the promises and faith of the Church are acceptable, that they are capable of the covenanted gifts of forgiveness and holiness, we shall not now recognize a doubt, but earnestly believe: suffice it for our present purpose, that to assert the contrary would imply that the baptism of infants is not "agreeable with the institution of our Saviour Christ;" which God forbid. Rather let us reverently adore the goodness of God, who, having in the morning of our infancy sprinkled us with the bright dew of a heavenly birth, provides memorials of his unchanging love, and the increase of grace ever-freshly flowing from the fountain of all strength and holiness.

4

The written word, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; " the Christian's prayer, which has the promise of the Spirit, "your heavenly Father shall give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him; "-these are made to us blessed instruments of grace. But yet in a higher

2 John iii. 18.

1 Mark xvi. 16. 3 Forgiveness of original sins; for in respect of actual sins, they are innocent. "He exhorteth all men to follow their innocency."-Bap. Service. Why, it may be asked, may not God extend an act of his own power and goodness to those who have never personally offended him, as well as to those who have? And why should his Holy Spirit refuse to dwell in the pure and spotless tabernacle of the infant heart?-Burton, vol. i. p. 54.

4 Art. xxvii.

Eph. vi. 17.

6 Luke xi. 13.

sense, and in a more express and appropriate manner, does Christ our Lord convey himself to us with abundance of grace in the mystery of the eucharist; to our whole souls uniting himself as our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. The cup of blessing which we bless, is the communion of the blood of Christ; and the bread which we break, is the communion of the body of Christ.1 Of how transcendent a mystery are we herein made partakers and dispensers! How awfully conversant are we brought with the great doctrine of atonement! By significant emblems, to this purpose consecrated for ever by our great High Priest, we plead the virtue of the one perfect oblation, once offered on the Mount Calvary, and by an eucharistical commemoration, we re-exhibit the circumstances of the bitter death and passion of our blessed Saviour; his body broken, and his blood shed, for our redemption. As stewards of the divine mysteries, we offer, like the ancient Church, "holy things to the holy;"" to all3 who, with repentance, and faith, and charity, will commemorate the sacrifice, and be partakers of the benefits of the death of Christ, we dispense the consecrated elements, which are to the faithful, his body broken, and his blood

shed; yea, the very true body and blood of himself their Redeemer, which are really present, when apprehended by faith: vere et realiter, verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful; joining them to himself in a mystical union, and in himself to his Father, and their Father; his God and their God; thereby assuring their souls of eternal life, and their bodies of an immortal resurrection. "Thus," in the words of the Homily, " much more the faithful see, hear, and know, the favourable mercies of God sealed, the

Bingham, vol. v. p. 69, who cites from the Constitutions. 4 Ridley, p. 274.