..... .... the Holy Ghost) is unto you," &c. . . . . . that is, the Holy Spirit is promised to all, how far soever distant in place and time, whoever shall be invited unto, and shall embrace the Christian profession. St. John also maketh it to be a distinctive mark of those, in whom CHRIST abideth, and who dwell in CHRIST, that is, of all true Christians, to have this Spirit; "Hereby [saith he] we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit," &c. . . . . and St. Paul denieth him to be a good Christian who is destitute thereof. "Now (saith he) if any man have not the Spirit," &c. . . . . “ and know ye not, (saith he to the Corinthians) that ye are the temple," &c. that is, Do ye not understand this to be a common privilege of all Christians, such as ye profess yourselves to be? And the conversion of men to Christianity he thus expresseth," After the kindness and love of GoD our SAVIOUR," &c. (Tit. iii. 4.). . . . And all pious dispositions qualifying us for entrance into heaven and happiness (faith, charity, devotion, every grace, every virtue) are represented to be the fruits of the Holy Spirit. And the union of all Christians into one body; the Catholic society of all truly faithful people, doth according to St. Paul, result from this one Spirit, as a common soul animating and actuating them: "For (saith he) by one Spirit are they all baptized," &c..... In fine, whatever some few persons, or some petty sects (as the Pelagians of old, the Socinians now) may have deemed, it hath been the doctrine constantly, and with very general consent delivered in the Catholic Church, that to all persons by the holy mystery of baptism duly initiated to Christianity, or admitted into the communion of CHRIST's body, the grace of God's Holy Spirit certainly is bestowed, enabling them to perform the conditions of piety and virtue then undertaken by them; enlightening their minds, rectifying their wills, purifying their affections, directing and assisting them in their practice; the which holy gift (if not abused, ill treated, driven away, or quenched by their ill behaviour) will perpetually be continued, improved, and increased to them; it is therefore by Tertullian (in his prescriptions against heretics,) reckoned as part of that fundamental rule which was grounded upon the general tradition and consent of the Christian Church, that " CHRIST had sent the virtue of the Holy Ghost, in his room, which doth act believers ;" to which that article doth answer of the Apostolical creed, in which we profess to believe the Holy Ghost, meaning, I suppose, thereby, not only the bare existence of the Holy Ghost, but also its gracious communication and energy. \ THORNDIKE, PRESBYTER.-Book iii. Chap. viii. It is demanded in the second place, what is that regeneration by the Holy Ghost, and wherein it consists, whereof infants that are baptized can be thought capable. For the wild conceits of those that imagine them to have faith in CHRIST (which without actual motion of the mind, is not), require miracles to be wrought of course, by baptizing, that the effect thereof may come to pass. And if the state of grace (which the habitual grace of God's Spirit either supposeth or inferreth) is not to be attained but by the resolution of embracing the covenant of grace, (as, by all the premises, it is not otherwise attended), it will be every whit as hard to say what is that habitual grace, that is said to be poured into the souls of infants that are baptized, being nothing else but a facility in doing what the Covenant of Grace requireth. But, if we conceive the regeneration of Infants that are baptized to consist in the habitual assistance of God's Spirit, the effects whereof are to appear, in making them able to perform that which their Christianity requires at their hands, so soon as they shall understand themselves to be obliged by it; we give reason enough of the effect of their baptism, whether they die or live, and yet become not liable to any inconvenience. For supposing the assistance of God's Spirit assigned them by the promise of baptism, to take effect when their bodily instruments enable the soul to act as Christianity requireth; if the soul, by death, come to be discharged of them, can any thing be said why original concupiscence, which is the law of the members, should remain any more, to impeach the subjection of all faculties to the law of God's Spirit? Or will it be any thing strange, that when they come to be taught Christianity, the same Spirit of GOD should be thought to sway them, to embrace it of their own 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 that 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, "6 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. D 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 enquire 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, wherein 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 |