iv. 2.

on Chrift." This putting on of Chrift, may be explained two ways; either as by the Spirit we are ingrafted into Chrift, and fo, by this our union with the only begotten and natural son of God, we become the fons of God by grace: or alfo by the Spirit of God we are inwardly renewed to a new life, and therewith encompaffed as with a fhining garment, so that the native ftains and wrinkles of the old man may be covered, and inftead of them piety and holiness shine forth in our converfation and lives. Thus the baptized are " like a flock of sheep, that are even fhorn, which come up from the washing," Canticl. And their cafe is the fame, as was formerly that of Joshuah the priest, whofe filthy garments were, at the command of God, changed for fplendid raiment; adding, “ Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pafs from thee," Zech. iii. 3-5. In token of this, the newly baptized among the ancients put on. white garments, which they wore the whole week after baptism, and did not put them off, till the eighth day after Eafter or Whitfuntide; which was therefore called Dominica in Albis, as the candidates, or thofe in white, were called Albati. Moft of what we have faid Bafil bishop of Cæfarea, has emphatically and briefly comprised in Exhortatione ad baptifmum, where he calls baptifm, "the remiffion of our debts, the death of fin, the regeneration of the foul, the fhining garment, the inviolable seal, the chariot conveying up to heaven, the procurement of the kingdom, the grace of adoption."

XXXIII. There now remains the third fignification of baptism, which is to admonish us of our duty: and that is threefold, towards God and Christ, ourselves and our neighbour.

XXXIV. And as we are baptifed in the name, fo we are confecrated to the worship and service of the holy Trinity, and renouncing the devil, the world, and the lufts of the flesh, are taught to devote ourselves wholly to God. Hence thefe things are joined together, Mat. xxviii. 19, 20. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

XXXV. And as we are especially baptized into Christ, we are alfo commanded to acknowledge him for our Lord, husband and head, and to frame the whole of our lives, in fuch a manner, that we may not be found a difgrace to him, with whom we are fo closely united, nor to his Spirit, the bond of that union but on the contrary, that the fanctifying efficacy both of his blood and Spirit may appear in the whole tenour of our converfation. In fine, as we are most efpecially baptized into the communion of the death and refurrection of Chrift, both

which fet before us an extraordinary pattern, to the likeness of which we should be conformed. For as Chrift, when he fuffered death, was deprived of the enjoyment of the light, and of the function of his fenfes, and of all the other operations of life, and thus was broke off from all commerce with the world, that he might have nothing farther to do with it. In like manner, it behoveth us, if we would have any true union with Christ, to ceafe from all thofe works, to which we were formerly addicted, and to renounce the world, almost as if we were dead. And as Chrift, when he arofe, commenced a new kind of life, quite different from that natural life, which he enjoyed in this world before his death; fo it becomes us, if we would have any communion with him in his refurrection, to rife to a new life, and altogether different from that life, which was corrupted and ftained with fin, to which we were given before our calling; as thofe things are urged by the apostle, Rom. vi. 3—6.

XXXVI. As to ourfelves, we are reminded in baptism; that, being once washed, we do not again pollute ourselves with the filth of fins; nor being baptized into Chrift, we do not again mix with, or immerse ourselves in the world: leaft" it should happen unto us according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again: and the fow, that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire," 2 Pet. ii. 22.

XXXVII. Besides, feeing " by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body," 1 Cor. xii. 13. we are alfo reminded, as members of one body, to love one another, and keep up brotherly concord; being careful to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: For, there is one baptifm, Eph. iv. 3, 5. In a word, as baptifm is the feal of God's covenant, by the fufception thereof, we bind ourfelves to that holiness of life, which becomes God's covenant-people.

XXXVIII. To all these things very great weight is added, in that baptifm it is administered in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. For thereby God the Father promises to thofe, who are truely baptized, that with refpect to them, he will fuffer nothing to be wanting, which they can reasonably expect from a moft affectionate father: God the Son, in like manner promifes, to execute in their behalf all the offices of a most perfect Saviour the Holy Ghost likewise appoints for them both, fanctification, confolation, indwelling and perptual confervation. And they, who are thus baptized, not only profess their faith in the mystery of a Trinity, which we have treated of more fully elfewhere; but also bind themselves to filial obedience to God the Father: give up themfelves to Chrift, as a Prophet, to be his difciples as a King to ferve him; and as a Prieft, for

the

the expiation of their fins. In fine, they bind themselves to the Holy Spirit, not to grieve him, but reverently toobey all his infpirations and motions.

XXXIX. What we have thus far faid concerning the fignification of baptifm, we have borrowed for the most part from Voffius's Difputations, which we have already often commended; as I likewife obferve others have done before me. Things alfo fimilar to these, and fometimes almoft in the very fame words, I find in Gomarus Thefes. But which of these learned men first led the way to fuch very accurate and folid conceptions, I cannot now fay. The other ufual difputes about baptifm, have been fully difcuffed by our writers, and are generally to be met with in their Loci communes, and unneceffary to be repeated here. Should any be defirous to know the rites of the ancient church about baptifm, they may confult Jofephi Vicecomitis Obfervationes Ecclefiafticus de Antiquis baptifmi ritibus: and among our writers, Voffius and Voetius's Polit. Eccl. p. 1. Lib. 2. Tr. 2. Forbefius, Lib. 10. and Hoornbeck in Difput. de baptifmo Veterum. Georgius Fehlavius ad cap. 24. Chriftophori Angeli de Statu hodiernorum Græcorum, has collected from different authors, the ceremonies ufed by the Greeks and Mufcovites in baptifm.

XL. There is one thing that, I think, ought not to be omited here, feeing it is of very great moment to our confolation namely, that baptifm is, by the will of God, to be administered not only to adult believers, but alfo to their children. The grounds for this, and thofe beyond all exceptions, are to be met with in fcripture: fo that there is no neceflity, with the Papifts, who fhamefully prevaricate in a good cause, to have recourfe in this matter to unwritten tradition.

XLI. We readily acknowledge, that there is no exprefs and fpecial command of God, or of Chrift, concerning infant-baptifm: yet there are general commands, from which this fpecial command is deduced by evident confequence. For to begin with what is most general; God declared to Abraham, that it was his conftant and unchangeable will, that the fign of the covenant fhould not be denied to thofe in covenant with him, when he said, Gen. xvii. 13. « And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant." By thefe words, he commands the fign of his covenant to be in the flesh of all the pofterity of Abraham, with which he had enterd into a covenant of grace. From this general injunction, he infers, ver. 14. the neceffity of circumcifion, because he then gave it as a fign of the covenant. When therefore upon the change of the economy, he fubftituted, in the place of circumcifion, another

fign of the covenant, in confequence of that general command, all thofe in covenant are bound to take upon them the new fign. Moreover believers under the New Teftament belong to the fpiritual pofterity of Abraham, and are, if we confider its fubftance, partakers of the fame gracious covenant, Rom. iv. 16, 17. not adults only, but alfo their children, as we fhall prefently fhew. Whence it follows, that the fign of the covenant in their body, is not to be denied to the young children of believers, any more than to believers themselves.

XLII. There is another command of Christ, Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and, uabntsvours, disciple all nations, baptizing them, &c. There Chrift commands difciples to be gathered into his school, and fealed, as perfons in covenant with him, with the feal of baptifm. But it is evident, when parents become the difciples of Chrift, their children are alfo accounted in the number of disciples. Just as among the Jews, together with the profelyte parents, their young children were initiated in the Jewish rites. It was not therefore neceffary, that Christ should exprefsly mention the baptism of infants. For, as it was a recieved custom among the Jews, that, together with the parents, who gave up their names to the God of Ifrael, their young children fhould be baptifed (as we have fhewn above,) the apoftles being fent to baptife the nations, and accustomed to the rites of their own country, could not but think, that together with the parents, who made a profeffion of the faith of Christ, they ought to baptize their infants, unless Chrift had repealed the received cuftom by a contrary command. Which as we no where read he did, we are abfolutely to conclude, that what we have now explained was our Lord's intention.

XLIII. Peter fupplies us with another argument, Acts ii. 38, 39, "Be baptifed every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins, and ye fhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft. For the promise is unto you, and to your children," &c. Where the apostle argues thus: they to whom the promise of grace was made, are to be baptifed, we fubmit, but the promife of grace was made not only to parents, but alfo to their children: it therefore follows, that not only parents, but alfo their children are to be baptifed. Both propofitions are the apostle Peter's. Now the whole difficulty confifts in this; who are we here to understand by the children, who partake of the promise of grace: whether adults only actually Called, who are capable of making a profeffion of their faith; or alfo younger children and infants? The Orthodox juftly affirm the laft: not only because mention fimply is made of children, without diftinction of age; but also because God ex

prefsly

!

prefsly promised to Abraham, to be the God of his feed, which he applies to an infant eight days old, Gen. xvii. 7, 12. We add as that Chrift permitted little children to come to him, laid his hands upon them, and declared that of such was the kingdom of heaven, Mat. xvi. 13-15. But whom Matthew calls aldas, little children, Luke, chap. xviii. 15. calls Beip, infants; which word, according to Euftathius properly fignifies a new born child at the breaft. Hence alfo Peter fays, as agrry: venta Beron, as new-born babes, 1 Pet. ii. 2. And here it appears we are, by all means, to keep to the propriety of the terms, both in the noun βρέφος, and the verb προσφέρων; when it is faid, προσεφερεν di avväràßgion, and they brought unto him alfo infants, they appear to have been carried in arms. It is therefore evident, that to infants are also made the promises of grace and falvation.

XLIV. Let the fourth argument ftand thus: It is unjustifiable to exclude from baptifm, thofe who are made partakers of the Holy Spirit: for, thus Peter, Acts x. 47. "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptifed, which have received the Holy Ghoft, as well as we?" True, indeed it is, that the Holy Spirit difcovered himself in those, of whom Peter there fpeaks, by fome extraordinary gifts, which of themselves were not faving: yet the principal argument for the right to baptifm cannot be drawn from hence. The apostle therefore confiders thofe extraordinary gifts, as the effects of the fanctifying Spirit, beftowed on all the elect; and as fpecial indications of the divine bounty towards them: whereby the truth of the gospel was fealed in them, and the fincerity of their faith adorned compare Gal, iii. 2. and thence, as from the thing fignified, he argues to the participation of the fign. We moreover fubfume: even the children of believers have received the Holy Spirit: for otherwife they could neither be holy, which yet Paul declares them to be, i Cor. vii. 14. nor be Chriff's, to whom none belongs, who has not his Spirit, Rom. viii. 9. nor fee the kingdom of heaven, to which none is admitted, but he who is born of water and of the Spirit, John iii. 5. Whence it follows, that water cannot be forbid, that infants fhould not be baptifed.

XLV. Fifthly, They who belong to the church of God, have a right to baptifm. The reafon is, because baptifm is the fign of affociation with, and feal of initiation into the church, Acts ii. 41. "they were baptifed; and the fame day there were added, namely to the church, about three thousand fouls." And then it is reprefented as the privilege of the whole church, that fhe is "cleanfed by Chrift with the wafhing of water, by the word," Eph. v. 26. But that infants belong to the church,. VOL. II.

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