outward sign in baptism : especially in the case of infants; but the quotations here adduced manifestly prove that he did not think that the outward baptism was regeneration, or in all cases inseparably connected with it.

In such only as worthily receive the same,' (baptism and the Lord's supper,) they have a 'wholesome effect and operation: and yet not 'that of the work wrought,' as some men speak; 'which word as it is strange and unknown to holy scripture, so it engendereth no godly, but a very superstitious sense but they that receive the 'sacraments unworthily, purchase to themselves ' damnation, as St. Paul saith.' 2

'All the will and imagination of man's heart is only to evil, and altogether 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 acceptable 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 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." There'fore, until the Spirit of regeneration be given us ' of God, we can neither will, do, speak, nor think

1

Opus operatum.

2 Art. xxvi. Edw. VI: On the sacraments. Fathers, &c. vol. ii. p. 334, 335.

any good thing, that is acceptable in his sight. 'Let us therefore always pray unto God, that he ' will make in us a clean heart, and renew in us ' an upright spirit.'1-Did this good man deem no regeneration needful, or possible, except which is common to all baptized persons?

'Such as be baptized' (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

Father, the operation of the Holy Ghost: and 'this baptism is in man when he believeth and 'trusteth that Christ is the only actor of his sal'vation.'-' Thus be the infants examined con

cerning repentance and faith before they be baptized with water; at the contemplation of the ' 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 a hypocrite and infidel may receive the ' external sign of baptism, and yet be no Chris'tian man any the more; as Simon Magus and ' others.' 2

'A man that is regenerate and born of God, '(the which thing, that every one of us be, our

' Clement, who was preserved from being burned by dying in prison. Strype's Memorials. Fathers, &c. vol. iv. p. 296.

2

• Hooper, bishop and martyr: Fathers, &c. vol. v. p.

169-171.

'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 ' of the new man.'2-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.'

.

6

'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 baptismal covenant."

Whether the language here referred to, concerning regeneration, were new-fangled,' and invented by the writers of the seventeenth century; the 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.

• English church,' I shall annex two passages, of a very different kind, from 'the fathers' more generally so called.

Giving his disciples the power of regeneration to God, he said to them, Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, ' and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'1

Let us listen to the sacred oracles in appreciating this quotation: "I indeed," says John the Baptist, "baptize you with water, unto repent"ance :-He shall baptize you with the Holy "Ghost and with fire."2 "Ye," saith Christ, "shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not <6 many days hence."3 "By one Spirit," saith St. Paul," we are baptized into one body:"4 and, According to his mercy he" (God) "saved us, "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing " of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abun

dantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour."5 "Of his own will," saith James, "begat he us by "the word of truth." And Peter says, "Blessed "be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, "who, according to his abundant mercy, hath be"gotten us again." "Being born again, not of

corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the "word of God."" And again: "The like figure "whereunto, even baptism, doth now save us; "not the washing away the filth of the flesh, but "the answer of a good conscience towards God."8 Is nothing here spoken of, except what man can do by administering baptism? If there be, are we

1 Irenæus, Ref. 301.

4 1 Cor. xii. 12.

7 1 Pet. i. 3, 23.

Matt. iii. 11.
Tit. iii. 4-7.

1 Pet. iii. 21.

Acts i. 5.

• Jam. i. 18.

to adhere to "the oracles of God," or to correct our scriptural sentiments, on the authority of Irenæus ?

'There are two births, one is of the earth, the ' other of heaven; one is of the flesh, the other of 'the Spirit; one is of mortality, the other of eter'nity; one is of male and female, the other of 'God and the church. But each of these two 'takes place only once; neither the one nor the ' other can be repeated. Nicodemus rightly un'derstood the birth of the flesh. Do you also so ' understand the birth of the Spirit, as Nicodemus ' understood the birth of the flesh. What did Nico'demus understand? "Can a man enter a second 'time into his mother's womb, and be born?" "Whoever shall say to you, that you may be born ' a second time spiritually, answer him what Nico'demus said, "Can a man enter a second time ' into his mother's womb, and be born?" I am already born of Adam; Adam cannot generate 'me a second time; I am already born of Christ ;

Christ cannot generate me a second time. As 'the natural birth cannot be repeated, so neither 'can baptism.'1

The words printed in Italics are, I suppose, considered as very opposite to the tenets of Calvinism. But no Calvinist thinks that any one ought to be twice baptized, or can be twice regenerated. Some indeed consider infant-baptism as a nullity, and so baptize adults, though they have been baptized in infancy. Their opponents call them Anabaptists, or Rebaptizers, taking their own side of the ques

'Augustine, Ref. 421.