creeds, "the forgiveness of sins," and "one baptism for the remission of sins;" both are scripturally true.* The Apostles' creed proclaims the general forgiveness, the Nicene the particular or present forgiveness.

The general forgiveness is announced by Scripture in that it declares that Christ "died for all men," that the body of sin may be destroyed, and "death abolished." Christ died "to make an end of sin, and to bring in everlasting righteousness." But the full purpose is not wrought out here. The law of sin in the members, that is the law of sin and death, is permitted to operate with many to the abeyance of the law of God in the inner man. To the end of this time state dispensation will man as man, be subject to the law of sin in the members. Only with God's chosen and elect people, in whom the Spirit dwells, is the law of sin and death overcome. All others are under the supreme influence of the law of sin in the members. But when the mortal body becomes a spiritual body, that is, here quickened by God's Spirit dwelling therein, this law ceases to operate. We do not wish now to follow out the course of argument suggested by this remark. It pertains to the subject of life and death, to which a future paper will be devoted.

The particular forgiveness, "one baptism for the remission of sins," declared in the Nicene Creed, whether so understood by its framers or not, refers to the elect, who have here their sins forgiven. By spiritual union with Christ they have passed from death unto life, from a state of condemnation they have passed to a state of justification. As St. Paul declares "to the saints at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus," who, in times past, were as others, but now, by the grace of God, "even when dead in sins hath God quickened together with Christ" (Eph. ii). They have been made alive in Him, and are held to be sinless, and "they cannot sin because they are born of God" (1 John iii. 9). They

*Not that it is needful to assert the truth of the creeds. The creeds are not canon of Scripture. To receive them as canon of Scripture, is to add "to the things" of Scripture. (Rev. xxii. 18).

are those who have been baptised by the one Spirit into the one body. This body is thereby held to be pure, and declared to be without spot or blemish. The members have been admitted to the heavenly Jerusalem, where nothing entereth that defileth. Ritual baptism, which admits to the kingdom of mixed good and bad, cannot be the baptism meant. It is the baptism of the Spirit which makes truly a son of God; and if a son, then an heir, and joint-heir with Christ, and a true member of His immaculate body. True union with Christ has redeemed from the law of sin and death.

The false doctrine that ritual baptism washes away sin had an early beginning. By it, some towards the close of the third century deferred their baptism to the latest dying hour, hoping thereby that the whole body of their sins may be washed away. Having accepted the Gospel, and professed Christianity, they remained catechumens, and deferred baptism until a time when they expected they should sin no more. By the same false doctrine it is that infants, since infant baptism has been freely administered, are hastened to the baptismal-font, parents dreading lest their offspring should die before the Atonement could be made efficacious for them. Early Christians fostering this false doctrine instituted the anomalous practice of presenting a spurious, necessarily, because a proxy-faith.

Herein is a past fundamental error. Hereby the Atonement has been depreciated. The Scripture declaration that "Christ died for all men," has been read to mean that Christ died for the baptised. Christianity, following as it did, upon a levitical, ceremonial-religion, has not been understood. A religion wholly

of grace was too etherial, and too spiritual to be at once received in its pure form. The ritual baptism, as a consequence, became inseparably united in men's minds as a necessary precedent to an atoning efficacy. The "doctrine of baptisms," being at the same time not understood, some expressions connected therewith lent a further aid to misconception.

C

To understand aright "the doctrine of baptisms," it is needful that we have a clear comprehension of the whole Gospel scheme. We must know, not only what more immediately relates to baptism, but we must be conversant with all the great Gospel truths. Without this we shall be sure to misconceive the meaning of many portions of Scripture.

Some of the expressions, isolated, lead to the belief that water baptism cleanses from sin, or has a saving efficacy. Of such is the declaration of Peter, "Even baptism doth also now save us" (1 Peter iii. 21). This expression, so decisive, seems conclusive. And yet it does not mean that ritual baptism saves, or cleanses from sin, or has a saving efficacy from the consequences of sin. It exhibits baptism as a sign or symbol, as a means for the exhibition of faith, and as a means of warning to mankind, “just as was the ark while preparing, when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah." Baptism, as a sensible sign, is intended to draw men to Christ, just as the ark was, while preparing, to God; and as few, that is, only eight, persons were then saved by water, so here only a remnant are under saving grace by true baptism, of which water is the symbol, or, as Paul writes, "the like figure." And to explain that Peter uses the word baptism in a double sense-that is, in one as a figure, and in another as a reality; water baptism being the figure, and spirit or true baptism being the reality—he adds (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God). The baptism which saves is the baptism of "an answer of a good conscience towards God;" not a baptism of immersion by water which cleanses the flesh, but a baptism of God, who by His grace gives the assurance that we are the children of God, from which is derived "the answer of a good conscience towards God."

The opinion that "baptism doth save" gathers strength from the declaration of our Lord, that "Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of

God" (John iii. 5). And from the language of Paul also, who, writing of the love Christ hath for the Church, uses these words, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word" (Eph. v. 26).

These two portions of Scripture lead to the inference that water cleanses from sin, or has a saving efficacy. But are they really intended to declare it ? No; we do not hesitate to affirm that they are not. There is in both allusion to something greater than water. It cannot fail to be perceived that much, if not the greater part of Scripture language, is couched in mysterious. language, using terms with concealed meanings. Not that the meanings are wholly concealed, but they are concealed from the natural eye. Christ ever spake in parables and figures of speech, that seeing, all men should not see, and hearing, all men should not hear. Though conveyed in dark speech, yet is the whole within the limits of the Gospel or Scripture scheme; and the meanings are to be gathered by a knowledge of the scheme.

The declaration of our Lord we do not at present seek to explain. We think the explanation will come better hereafter. It appears to affirm that without water baptism no man can be saved, or, in the words of our Lord, "enter into the kingdom of heaven." And the inference is, that water baptism is needful to cleanse from sin, to fit us to enter heaven. This, however, is not the meaning of our Lord's words. The Gospel is opposed to such an interpretation of them.

With regard to the words of Paul, it will be observed, "the washing of water by the Word" involve an apparent contradiction, and hint at a mystery. The first impression is that the Church is cleansed by the water through the Word as the effect of appointment. But this is not the meaning of the passage. The Church is cleansed, not by ritual water, but by the Word. The washing of water herein mentioned is not ritual water. The whole Gospel proclaims that Christ's Church is cleansed by His own immediate act of sovereign grace, and that not through

a ritual, but by direct communion of His Spirit. "By grace are men saved through faith, and that not of themselves: it is the gift of God." Faith, the gift of God, saves here, as it will save hereafter, when every eye shall see Him. Faith unites here to Christ by the Word, and all thus united are cleansed with the washing of water by the Word. The Scriptures declare to us a pure river of the waters of life. It is in this river that men are washed and cleansed by the Word. Paul is writing of the sanctified Church, without spot or blemish, of which the new Jerusalem is the figure, or symbol. He could not be meaning Christ's Church was cleansed by ritual water, because experience proves that it has not the power to produce a spotless Church. The "glorious Church" which God "presents to Himself," is a Church cleansed by other than a ceremonial washing. glorious Church is cleansed by the washing of a purer water than that administered by men's hands. The cleansing is in the water of life, flowing out from the throne of God, and of the Lamb (Rev. xxii. 1). The Church without spot or blemish is washed by "pure water" (Heb. x. 22). It is by the water of life, or, in the words of Paul, "of water by the Word," that the new covenant is perfected. Or, dropping the figure, it is by God's immediate influence the Church is cleansed and perfected.

The

There are no passages which affirm that water baptism cleanses from sin. There are the few to which reference has been made which seem to imply it (Acts xi. 38). Not water, but blood, cleanses from sin. "Without shedding of blood is no remission." It is "the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, that purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God." The blood of Christ purges the conscience, not water baptism. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." Our Lord Himself declared, in vision to John, at Patmos,-"He washed us from our sins in His own blood." These Scripture declarations are positive, and