tries, pouring the water is allowed, even when the person baptized is in health. And the particular manner being left at liberty, that is now universally chosen, which is looked on as safer: because were there more to be said for the other, than there is; God will have mercy, and not sacrifice *.

But washing with water is not the whole outward part of this sacrament. For our Saviour commanded his Apostles, not only to baptize all nations, but to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost †. Sometimes indeed the Scripture speaks of baptism, as if it were administered only in the name of the Lord Jesus ‡. But it fully appears §, that the name of the Holy Ghost was used at the same time; and therefore that of the Father, we may be sure. Now being baptized in the name of these three, may signify, being baptized by virtue of their authority. But the exacter translation is, into the name: and the fuller import of the expression is, by this solemn action taking upon us their name (for servants are known by the name of their master); and professing ourselves devoted to the faith, and worship, and odedience of these three: our Creator, our Redeemer, our Sanctifier. In this profession, the whole of Christianity is briefly comprehended, and on this foundation therefore the ancient Creeds are all built.

The second and principal thing in baptism the inward and spiritual grace, is said in the Catechism to be a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness: for that being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace. The former part of these words refers to the old custom of

*Hos. vi. 6. Matth. ix. 13. xii. 7 Acts ii. 38. x. 48. xix. 5.

+ Matth. xxviii. 19.

Acts xix. 2, 3.

baptizing by dipping, just now mentioned and the meaning of the whole is this: Our first parents having by disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit, corrupted their own nature; ours, being derived from them, received of necessity an original taint of the same disorder: and therefore coming into the world under the ill effects of their sin: and being, from the time of our entering into it, prone to sin ourselves; we are said to be born in sin. And they having also, by the same disobedience, forfeited their immortality; we, as descending from them, became mortal of course and inheriting by way of natural consequence, what they suffered as a mark of God's wrath; we, their children, are said to be children of wrath. Not that God, with whatever disapprobation he must view our native depravity, is, or, properly speaking, can be, angry with us personally, for what was not our personal fault. But he might undoubtedly both refuse us that immortality, which our first parents had forfeited, and to which we have no right: and leave us without help, to the poor degree of strength, that remained to us in our fallen condition: the effect of which must have been; that had we done our best, as we were intitled to no reward from his justice, so it had been such a nothing, that we could have hoped for little, if any, from his bounty: and had we not done our best, as no man hath, we had no assurance, that even repentance would secure us from punishment. But what in strict justice he might have done, in his infinite goodness he hath not done. For the first covenant being broken by Adam, he hath entered into a new one with mankind, through Jesus Christ in which he hath promised to free us, both from the mortality, which our first parents had brought upon us, by restoring us to life again; and

from the inability, by the powerful assistance of his Holy Spirit. Nay further yet, he hath promised (and without it the rest would have been of small use) that should we, notwithstanding his assistance, fail in our duty, when we might have performed it; as we have all failed, and made ourselves, by that means, children of wrath, in the strictest and worst sense: yet, on most equitable terms, he would still receive us to mercy anew. And thus the Christian covenant, delivering us, if we are faithful to it, from every thing we had to fear, and bestowing on us every thing we could hope, brings us into a state so unspeakably different from our former; that it is justly expressed by being dead to that, and born into another. And this new birth being effected by the grace or goodness of God, external and internal, we, the children of it, are properly called the children of grace. Now baptism is not only a sign of this grace (as indeed it signifies very naturally the washing off both of our original corruption, and our actual guilt); but the appointed way of entering into the covenant that entitles us to such a grace: the means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.

Indeed the mere outward act of being baptized is, as St. Peter, in the words already mentioned, very truly expresses it, the mere putting away of the filth of the flesh; unless it be made effectual to save us, as he teaches in the same place it must, by the answer of a good conscience towards God*: that is, by the sincere stipulation and engagement of repentance, whereby we forsake sin; and faith, whereby we believe the promises of God, made to us in that sacrament. For it is impossible that he should forgive us our past sins, unless we are sorry for them, and resolved to quit them:

1 Pet. iii. 21.

and it is as impossible that we should quit them effectually, unless a firm persuasion of his helping and rewarding us excite and support our endeavours. These two things therefore we see our Catechism justly mentions as necessary, in answer to the question, What is required of persons to be baptized? Both have been explained in their proper place, and therefore I enlarge on neither here.

But hence arises immediately another question: if these conditions are necessary, why are infants baptized, when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them? And as this difficulty appears to some a great one, I shall give a fuller solution of it than the shortness of a Catechism would easily permit. Repentance and faith are requisite, not before they are possible, but when they are possible. Repentance is what infants need not as yet, being clear of personal guilt and happy would it be, were they never to need it. Faith, it may be reasonably presumed, by the security given for their Christian education, they will have, as soon as they have occasion to exert it. And in the mean time, baptism may very fitly be administered: because God, on his part, can certainly express by it, both his removing at present, the disadvantages which they lie under by the sin of Adam: and his removing hereafter, on proper conditions, the disadvantages which they may come to lie under by their own sins. And though they cannot, on their parts, expressly promise to perform these conditions; yet they are not only bound to perform them, whether they promise it or not; but (which is the point that our Catechism insists on) their sureties promise for them, that they shall be made sensible, as soon as may be, that they are so bound; and ratify the engagement in their own persons: which when they

do, it then becomes complete. For it is by no means necessary, that a covenant should be executed by both the parties to it, at just the same time: and as the Christian covenant is one of the greatest equity and favour, we cannot doubt, to speak in the language of our Liturgy, but that God favourably alloweth the charitable work of bringing infants to his holy baptism. For the promise of the covenant being expressly said to belong to us and to our children *, without any limitation of age; why should they not all, since they are to partake of the promise, partake also of the sign of it? especially, since the infants of the Jews were, by a solemn sign, entered into their covenant: and the infants of proselytes to the Jews, by this very sign, amongst others, of baptism. So that, supposing the Apostles to imitate either of these examples, as they naturally would, unless they were forbid, which they were not; when they baptized (as the Scripture, without making any exception, tells us they did) whole families at once†; we cannot question but they baptized (as we know the primitive Christians, their successors, did) little children amongst the rest; concerning whom our Saviour says, that of such is the kingdom of God: and St. Paul says, they are holy §; which they cannot be reputed, without entering into the Gospel covenant: and the only appointed way of entering into it is by baptism; which therefore is constantly represented in the New Testament as necessary to salvation.

Not that such converts, in ancient times, as wère put to death for their faith, before they could be baptized, lost their reward for want of it. Not that such children of believers now, as die unbaptized, by

• Acts ii. 39.

↑ Mark x. 14.

+ Acts xvi. 15. 33.

§ 1 Cor. vii. 14.