choice, and not only in compliance with the will of their parents? Yet is this no more, than the regeneration of infants by water and the HOLY GHOST importeth; that the SPIRIT of GoD should be habitually present, to make those reasons which God hath given to convince the world, that they ought to be Christians, both discernible to the understanding, and weighing down the choice; whereas, those that are converted from being enemies to God, (that is to say, at those years, when no man can be converted to GOD, that is not His enemy before), though the SPIRIT of GOD knock at their hearts without, striving to cast out the strong man that is within doors, and to make a dwelling for itself in the heart, are possessed by a contrary principle, till they yield GOD'S SPIRIT that entertainment which God requireth.

PEARSON, BISHOP AND DOCTOR.-Exposition of the Creed.

Article ix.

Being therefore we are that the preaching remission of sins belongeth not only certainly, but in some sense peculiarly, to the Church of CHRIST, it will be next considerable how this remission is conferred upon any person in the Church.

It is certain that forgiveness of sins was promised to all who were baptized in the name of CHRIST; and it cannot be doubted but all persons who did perform all things necessary to the receiving the ordinance of baptism, did also receive the benefit of the ordinance, which is remission of sins. "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." (Mark i. 4.) And St. Peter made this exhortation of his first sermon, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of. JESUS CHRIST, for the remission of sins." (Acts ii. 38.). In vain doth doubting and fluctuating Socinus endeavour to evacuate the evidence of this Scripture; attributing the remission either to repentance without consideration of baptism, or else to the public profession of faith made in baptism; or if any thing must be attributed to baptism itself, it must be nothing but a declaration of such remission. For how will these shifts agree with that which Ananias said unto Paul, without any mention either of repentance or confession,

"Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins :" (Acts xxii. 16.) and that which St. Paul, who was so baptized, hath taught us concerning the Church, that CHRIST doth "sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water." (Eph. v. 26.) It is therefore sufficiently certain that baptism, as it was instituted by CHRIST after the pre-administration of St. John, wheresoever it was received with all qualifications necessary in the person accepting, and conferred with all things necessary to be performed by the person administering, was most infallibly efficacious, as to this particular, that is, to the remission of all sins committed before the administration of this sacrament.

BULL, BISHOP AND DOCTOR.-Sermon vii.

"And besides this," &c. (2 Pet. i. 5.) As if he had said, You have now, God be thanked, escaped the pollutions of the world, and are truly, I hope, converted to Christianity, and in baptism have been regenerated by the HOLY GHOST (that he means by their being made partakers of the divine nature). This indeed is a very great achievement, and an invaluable mercy of GoD, vouchsafed to you; yet I beseech you, rest not here: but besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, &c.

COMBER, PRESBYTER.-Part iii. sect. iii. p. 201.

We must not presently turn our backs upon God so soon as the holy rite [baptism] is finished, but complete the solemnity by thanksgiving and prayer; and that we may do both, not only with the spirit, but with understanding, the minister doth here teach us what must be the subjects of our praises and petitions. I. Our praises must look back upon the grace already showed, and the benefits which are already given to this infant, which are principally two: 1. Internally it is regenerated; 2. Externally it is grafted into CHRIST's Church, for which we must give hearty thanks to ALMIGHTY GOD. To which we must add, II. Our prayers, which must look forward upon the grace which will be needful to enable it to live answerable to this estate into which it is admitted; and this we must beg of ALMIGHTY GOD also, or else the former blessings will be altogether in vain. Now all this is plain, that no more would need to be added, but only VOL. III.-76.

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that some with Nicodemus are apt to say, "How can these things be?" (John iii. 9.) Judging it impossible that so great a matter as regeneration can be effected so soon, and by so mean an instrument as they account it; whereas the effect is to be ascribed to the divine power of the Author, not to the intrinsic efficacy of the outward means: yet in regard we can never bless GOD heartily for a mercy unless we believe He hath bestowed it, we must labour to remove these scruples by a fuller account of this baptismal regeneration, that we may not withhold the divine praises, by our doubting and unbelief. The word regeneration is but twice (that I know of) used in Scripture; first, Matt. xix. 28, "Ye that have followed me in the regeneration;" where though (by altering the point-" followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man," &c.) it may signify the resurrection; yet as we read, it signifies the renewing of men by the Gospel and baptism. Secondly, (Tit. iii. 5.) "He saved us by the laver of regeneration, and renewing of the HOLY GHOST," which is a paraphrase upon that of our SAVIOUR, (John iii.) "Except a man be born of water," &c. And, because persons, come to age before their conversion, are first taught and persuaded by the Word of GOD, the language of Holy Writ enlarges the metaphor, and saith, Such as are begotten by the Word of GOD, (1 Cor. iv. 15.) and then born again or regenerated in baptism. In like manner speak the Fathers, who do constantly and unanimously affirm, that we are regenerated in, or by baptism. So that we must next inquire wherein this regeneration doth consist. And first, whereas both children and those of riper years are by nature dead in sin, so that they lie under the guilt and power thereof: our gracious FATHER doth here in baptism seal a covenant with us, wherei He promiseth to pardon us; and when this deadly load is removed, the soul receives as it were a new life, and takes new hopes and courage, being restored to the divine favour, and being set free from the sad expectations of unavoidable condemnation for former sin, original in infants, and both it and actual in those of riper years. Before this covenant we were dead in law, and by the pardon of our sins we are begotten again to a lively hope; and herein stands the first particular of our

regeneration, viz. in the remission of sins, wherefore both Scripture and antiquity teach us, that baptism is the means for remission of sin, and hence they join pardon and regeneration commonly together, because this forgiveness puts us into a new estate, and an excellent condition in comparison of that which our natural birth had left us in.

Secondly; But further, by baptism we gain new relations, and old things being done away all things become new, &c. . . . . . . Thirdly; Our corrupt nature is changed in baptism, and there is a renovation effected thereby, both as to the mortification of the old affections, and the quickening of the new, by the HOLY SPIRIT, which is hereby given to all that put no bar or impediment unto it. This was the Ancients' doctrine, who affirmed a real change to be wrought, and believed the SPIRIT to be therein bestowed as God had promised, (Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26.) "That he would sprinkle clean water," &c. And it is manifest that in the first ages of the Church there were abundant of gifts and graces miraculously bestowed upon Christians in their baptism, and no doubt if the catechumens of our days who are at age, would prepare themselves as strictly by repentance, fasting, and prayer, as they of old did, they should find incomparable effects of this sacred laver, if not in as miraculous measures, yet to as real purposes; that is, they should be truly regenerated, and their hearts changed by the influence of the Divine SPIRIT. But some may doubt whether infants be regenerate in this sense, because they are not capable of giving any evidences of their receiving the SPIRIT, nor doth there any immediate effects of their regeneration appear; hence the Palagians denied it, but they are therefore condemned by the Milevitan Council, Can. ii. and confuted by St. Aug. ad Bon. lib. iii. It is confessed they can show no visible signs of spiritual life in the operations thereof, no more can they of their having a rational soul, for some time, and yet we know they have the power of reason within them; and since all infants are alike, either all do here receive a principle of new life, or none receive it; wherefore I see no reason why we may not believe as the ancients did, that God's grace (which is dispensed according to the capacity of the

suscipient) is here given to infants to heal their nature, and that He bestowed on them such measures of His SPIRIT as they can receive; for the malignant effects of the first Adam's sin are not larger than the free gift obtained by the second Adam's righteousness. (Rom. v. 15, 18.) And if it be asked how it comes to pass, then, that so many children do afterwards fall off to all impurity? I answer, so do too many grown persons also, and neither infants nor men are so regenerated in this life, as absolutely to extinguish the concupiscence: for the flesh still will lust against the Spirit: but thus GOD gives the SPIRIT also to lust against the flesh. (Gal. v.)

KEN, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR.-Exposition of Church Catechism, p. 136.

Glory be to thee, O most indulgent Love, who in our baptism dost give us the HOLY SPIRIT Of Love, to be the principle of new life and of love in us, to infuse into our souls a supernatural, habitual grace, and ability to obey and love thee, for which all love, all glory be to thee.

Glory be to thee, O compassionate Love, who, when we were conceived and "born in sin," of sinful parents, when we sprang from a root wholly corrupt, and were all "children of wrath," hast in our baptism "made us children" of thy own heavenly FATHER by adoption and grace; when we were heirs of hell, hast made us heirs of heaven, even joint heirs with thy own self, of thy own glory; for which, with all the powers of my soul, I adore and love thee.

PATRICK, BISHOP.-On Baptism, p. 441.

The sum of all is, that hereby we are regenerated and born again. It is the sacrament of the new birth, by which we are put into a new state, and change all our relations so that whereas before we were only the children of Adam, we are now taken to be the children of God; such of whom He will have a fatherly care, and be indulgent and merciful unto. We have now a relation likewise to CHRIST as our Head, and to the HOLY