'of operation; and yet not that of the work wrought, '(opus operatum,) as some men speak; which word as it 'is strange and unknown to holy Scripture, so it engen. 'dereth no godly, but a very superstitious, sense: but 'they that receive the sacraments unworthily, purchase 'to themselves damnation, as St. Paul saith.'* "The will and imaginations of man's heart is only to 'evil, and always subject to sin and misery, and bond 'and captive to all manner of wickedness: so that it cannot once think a good thought, much less then do a 'good deed, as of his own work, pleasant and accepta'ble in the sight of God; until such time, as the same 'be regenerate by the Holy Ghost, and prevented by 'the grace of God. For, as St. James saith, "Every good, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh "down from the Father of lights." And Christ saith, "Without me ye can do nothing:" and Paul saith, 'that "it is God which worketh in us both the will and "the deed, even of good will." Therefore until the 'Spirit of regeneration be given us of God, we can 'neither will, do, speak, nor think any good thing, that 'is acceptable in his sight. Let us therefore always pray 'to God, that he will make in us a clean heart and re'new in us an upright spirit.'-Did this good man deem no regeneration needful, except that which is common to all baptized persons?-Such as be bap tized,' (adults are meant,)' must remember, that repentance and faith precede this external sign; and in 'Christ the purgation was inwardly obtained, before the 'external sign was given. So that there are two kinds of baptism, and both necessary. The one interior, 'which is the cleansing of the heart, the drawing of the Art. xxvi. Edw. VI. On the sacraments Fathers, &c. vol. ii. p. 334, 335. Clement, who was preserved from being burnt, by dying in prison. Strype's Memorials. Fathers of the English Church, Vol. IV. p. 296. 'Father, the operation of the Holy Ghost: and this bap'tism is in man, when he believeth and trusteth, that 'Christ is the only actor of his salvation.'' Thus be 'the infants examined concerning repentance and faith, 'before they be baptized with water; at the contempla'tion of which faith God purgeth the soul. Then is the 'exterior sign and deed, not to purge the heart; but to confirm, manifest, and open unto the world, that this 'child is God's. A traitor may receive the crown, and yet be true king nothing the more: so an hypocrite and infidel may receive the external sign of baptism, and yet be no christian man, any the more; 'as Simon Magus and others.'*A man that is re'generate and born of God, (the which thing, that every ' one of us be, our baptism, the sacrament of regeneration, doth require, under pain of damnation; and therefore, let every one of us, with the Virgin Mary, say, "Be it unto me, O Lord, according to thy word," ' according to the sacrament of baptism, wherein thou hast declared our adoption;-) a man I say, that is regenerate, consisteth of two men, (as a man may say,) ' namely of the old man and the new.'-Did this eminent divine consider baptism as the only regeneration; or as uniformly and inseparably connected with it? To require of us, on pain of damnation,' is far different from conferring it on us at the time.' Note, p. lxxxvii. lxxxviii. from Dr. Nichols. Some 'writers of the last century run into this new-fangled phrase, to denote conversion, or a returning from a ⚫ lapsed state, after a notorious violation of the baptis'mal covenant.'-Whether the language here referred to, concerning regeneration, were new fangled,' and invented by the writers of the seventeenth century; the Hooper, bishop and martyr. Fathers, &c. Vol. V. p. 169, 170, 171 reader, after duly considering the preceding quotations from much more ancient authors, must judge. The writers referred to, by no means considered the persons of whom they spake, as lapsed, except as fallen in Adam: for they regarded them as mere nominal christians, unbaptized in heart, unregenerate, and needing regeneration quite as much as Jews and Gentiles do. P. xc, l. 5. ' In the, &c.'* 'Qu. What meanest thou by this word sacrament? Ans. I mean an out'ward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means ' whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure ' us thereof.'The outward sacrament then is a sign, a means, a pledge; and nothing more. In this both baptism and the Lord's supper are alike included.'Qu. • What is the outward visible sign, or form in baptism? Ans. Water, wherein the person is baptized, " In the "name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghost." Qu. What is the inward and spiritual grace? Ans. A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; for being by nature born in sin, and ' the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace.'-Here observe, that this benefit is annexed to the inward and spiritual grace;' and not to the outward and visible sign. He that had only the outward sign, without the inward grace, had only the exterior of the sacrament, and the shadow of the blessing: but he, who had the thing signified, had the substantial blessing itself, even if not partaker of the outward sign. And, however it might be assumed, that in most cases the outward sign and the inward grace went together; it is not here said, nor so much as clearly intimated.- In the Catechism it is said, that the inward and spiritual grace of bapitism is, a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; for, being ⚫ by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the • children of grace.' Qu. What is required of persons to be baptized? Ans. Repentance, whereby they forsake sin; and faith, whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God 'made to them in that sacrament.'-But supposing an adult should receive baptism, rightly as to the external administration; yet without repentance and faith, would he have the blessing? Let the question and answer concerning the Lord's supper resolve this enquiry.—' Qu. 'What is the inward part, or thing signified? Ans. The body and blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed ' taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's supper.'-But if the recipient be not a believer: then, verily, he eats and drinks his own condemnation. And what reason can be assigned, that there should be any difference in this respect, between adult-baptism, and receiving the Lord's supper? In the office, &c.'* P. xc. 1. 10. In the office, &c.'* If this refers to the rite of baptism, then future sins, subsequent to baptism, even to the time of confirmation at least, are for. given at baptism. This prayer is offered after the re'newal of the baptismal vow,' and assumes that the profession and vow personally made by those who come for confirmation, of those things, which were promised in their name at baptism, is sincere and cordial; they are considered as true believers; and, on that supposition, God is thanked in their behalf, as having regen. erated them by water and by the Holy Spirit, and as having forgiven them all their sins.' But, supposing the vow and profession insincere, will any say, that they are regenerate and forgiven all their sins? In the office of confirmation, the bishop, after the renewal of the baptismal vow, but previous to the laying on of bands, prays thus, 'Almighty and everlasting God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given them forgiveness of all their sins;''evidently referring to the rite of baptism.' P. xc. l. 17. In the collect, &c.'* This collect does indeed suppose, that the persons, who use it, as the desire of their hearts in prayer, have been regenerated, and made the children of God by adoption and grace: but it is totally silent as to the time or manner of their regeneration and adoption. Baptism is neither mentioned nor alluded to; and therefore something subsequent to it, and of a far more spiritual nature, than the mere rite of baptism, may be, and doubtless is, meant. P. xci. l. 3. • Whence, &c.'t The eulogium on our reformers meets our full consent: but surely the quotations already made from some of them, show that the subsequent proposition is by far too large and unqualified: and probably this will appear still more clearly in the sequel. P. xci. l. 13. 'In the ninth, &c.' Those who are regenerated, and those who believe and are baptized, are mentioned in this article: and doubtless all, who believe and are baptized, are regenerated; but it does not follow, that all who are baptized are regenerated. The article determines nothing, as to regeneration, as attending infant-baptism: but is rather unfavourable to the • In the collect for Christmas-day, again in allusion to our Christian baptism, and to a passage of Scripture already quoted, we pray to Almighty 'God, that 'we, being regenerate and made his children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by his Holy Spirit,'' here, "being regenerate,” is a translation of regenerati, having been regenerated by baptism.' † 'Whence we may conclude, that our reformers, who were perhaps more accurately acquainted with the doctrines and language of the New Testa⚫ment, than the divines of any other age or country since the days of the apostles, did not think it consistent with the principles of the Gospel to ' require regeneration from those who were already baptized. Nor do they ⚫ ever apply the word regeneration to any operation of the Holy Ghost, except at the time of baptism.' 4 In the 9th article, those that arc regencrated' and those "that be"lieve and are baptized” are mentioned as the same persons. The 15th • article speaks of all Christians as being "baptized and born again in Christ." VOL. I. C C |