Evadgelio Domini noftri Jefu Chrifti. How a perfon is baptized with the baptifm, which is in the gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift, diftinguishing between John's and Christ's baptifm, ingeniously writes, the baptifm of the former was introductory, or initiatory; that of the latter perfective. 3dly, In that God communicated therein a more sparing measure of the Spirit; whereas in the beginning of the gofpel, the gift of tongues and prophecy, which in fcripture comes under the appellation spirit, was conferred on very many, who were baptized with Chrift's baptism.

XII. But we are principally to treat concerning this baptifm, which has Chrift for its author. For the fuller understanding of which we are diftinctly to explain. I. The external fign. II. The fpiritual thing fignified. In the fign we are to distinguish between the element and the ceremony, or facred rite employed about the element. The element here to be used, is true, plain, natural water: fuch as John baptized with, Mat. iii. 6, 16. John iii. 23. the apoftles and others, as Acts viii. 28. and Acts x. 40. Accordingly Eph. v. 26. it is called the washing of water. The facred rite confifts. I. In the application of the water to the body of the perfon to be baptized. II. In pronouncing a certain form of words.

XIII. Concerning the former it is queried, whether baptism may be duly administered by immersion only, or alfo by effufion of the water out of a veffel, or by afperfion or fprinkling? To which we answer in the following pofitions. ft, It is certain, that both John and the difciples of Chrift, ordinarily ufed dipping: whofe example was followed by the ancient church: as Voffius, Difput. 1. de baptifmo, Thef. 6. and Hoornbeck de baptifmo Veterume, Sect. 4. have fhewn from many teftimonies both of the Greeks and Latins. 2dly, It cannot be denied but the native fignification of the words, Car and Carl is to plunge or dip : fo as to be altogether fomething more than one, to float on the furface; but lefs than duvav, to go to the bottom and perish: as Voffius remarks, Thef. 1. ibid. However, I have observed, that the term naroducts, going to the bottom, is frequently used by the ancients in the matter of baptifm Athanafius, Queft. 94. rè καταδύσαι τὸ παιδιόν ἐν τῆ κολυμβήθρα, &c. the going down or dipping of the child in the bath. And Sozomen, Lib. 6. c. 26. has charged Eunomius with a heresy, for teaching, that "the facrament of baptifm ought to be performed by once dipping." Similar examples are every where to be met with. Salmafius, in his obfervations on Sulpitius Severus, de Vita Martini, c. 15. has made the following obfervation, Bánla, from which Barrigu, "fignifies immerfion, not afperfion: nor did the ancients baptize any but by dipping, either once.or thrice: except clinicks, or perfons con

fined to a fick bed, because these were baptifed in a manner they could bear; not in an entire font, as they who put their head under water, but their body was fprinkled all over." Cypr. 4. Epift. 7. "Thus when Novatus in his fickness, received baptifm, he was but fprinkled all over, Euseb. 6. Hist. c. 43. Nor are we to conceal. 3dly, That there is a greater copiousness of fignification, and a fuller fimilitude between the fign and the thing fignified in immersion: as we shall shew, when we come to that point. 4thly, Nay, that immersion may be performed in cold countries, without any great danger of health and life, appears from the example of the Ruffians, who plunge the children that are to be baptized three times all over: not believing, that baptism can be duly performed any other way; and never use lukewarm water, but for perfons infirm. As the Mufcovite writers relate at large, in Georgius Fenlavius Annotationes ad Enchiridion Chriftophori Angeli de Statu hodiernorum Græcorum, p. 470, Seq. 5thly, But that if cold water should be thought more inconvenient or dangerous, it may be warmed: which the faid Chriftophorus Angelus teftifies, c. 24. is done among the Greeks. The Greeks," fays he, "keep in their churches a kind of large veffels called baptifteries, that is, veffels fo large, as are fufficient to admit the infant to be plunged all over therein." When therefore any child is to be dipt in this font," the relations of the infant first of all warm the water with some odoriferous herbs." And if the water was in like manner, warmed in our climate, there would seem to be no fuch great hazard in the dipping of perfons to be baptized.

XIV. 6thly, But then we are not to imagine, that immersion is fo neceflary to baptism, as that it cannot be duly performed by pouring water all over, or by afperfion; for, both the method of pouring, and that of afperfion are not without arguments for them. ft, Though we find the apoftles dipped, it does not follow they always obferved this method. It is more pro

Nor

bable, the three thousand, who were baptized in one day, Acts ii. 41. had the water poured or fprinkled on them, rather than that they were dipt. For it is not likely, that men, who were fo much employed in preaching, as the apoftles were, could have leifure for fo tedious an immersion of fo many thoufands. is it probable, that Cronelius, Lydia and the Jailor, who were baptized in private houses, with their families, had baptifteries at hand, in which they could be plunged all over. Instances of pouring the water over perfons are brought from antiquity by Voffius Difput. 1. de Baptif. Th. 9. Which Joshuah Arndius, without mentioning Voffius, has inferted in the fame

order in his Lexicon Antiquitat. Ecclefiaft. p. 66. 2dly, Though Barra properly fignifies to plunge or dip, yet it is alfo more generally ufed for any wafhing, as Luke xi. 38. Well therefore fays Dominicus a Soto, Diftin&t. 3. Queft. un. Art. 7. “ In baptifm there is fomething effential, as the wafhing," according to Eph. v. 26. where the apoftle calls baptifin the washing of water: "fomething accidental, namely, the washing in this or the other manner." 3dly, The thing fignified by baptifm is explained both in the Old and New Teftament by the terms of pouring water over, and of afperfion. Concerning pouring water over, fee Ifa. xliv. 3. concerning afperfion, Ifa. lii. 15. Ezek. xxxvi. 25. Heb. xii. 24. 1 Pet. i. 2. I deny not, that, in thefe quotations, there is an allufion to the Levitical sprinklings; yet from them it appears, that the application of the blood and Spirit of Chrift, which believers of the New Teftament enjoy, is properly fhadowed forth by the rite of afperfion. To this the apoftle leads us in exprefs terms, Heb. ix. 13. 14. " for if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the afhes of an heifer, Sprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more fhall the blood of Chrift purge your confcience from dead works?" 4thly, We add, that the whole nature of the New Teftament, which is wholly made up of mildness and liberty, frees the tender age of infants to be baptized, especially in northerly climates, from the neceffity of being stripped naked and plunged all over. Though that poffibly might be done without hazard of life, yet not without fome other inconvenience. 5thly, Others add that in ancient times, in which candour and fimplicity flourifhed more, the perfons to be baptized were, without any indecency, stripped naked: yet afterwards, as the lewdness of others, fo of those, on whom it was incumbent to administer baptifm increased, experience clearly testifying it to the whole world, this could no longer be done with decency: and therefore, for five centuries back, that cuftom has been gradually difcontinued almost all over the weft. See Voffius in the place already quoted. Who has this from Jofephus Vicecomes, de ritibus Baptifmi, Lib. 4. c. 10, 15. To whom however Gifbert Voetius, a divine of immortal memory, opposes his learned confiderations, Polit. Eccles. T. p. 690, proving, by no con-. temptible arguments against Vicecomes and Voffius, that perfons to be baptized, quite naked, did not obtain in the ancient church. But though this act of ftripping fhould be more referved and modeft, than is usually reprefented by painters; yet on account of the depravity of men, the rite of effufion or afperfion feems to be fafer, for which no fuch naked expofure of the body is requifite. From all which we conclude, that the Latins

were

were very unkindly, and therefore without reafon, called by fome Greeks in the council of Florence, Abaptifts, because they did not go into the water and were plunged. See the hiftory of that council, Sect. 9. c. 9.

XV. Whether immerfion or afperfion be done once or thrice, I take not to be material: as we have no precept of our Lord concerning this. Yet the trine immerfion was more ufual among the ancients: who also therein placed fome mystery. For thereby they would have it to fignify. 1ft, A confeffion of the adorable Trinity, in whofe name baptifm was fubmitted to. 2dly, "The death and refurrection of Christ after three days," as Athanafius speaks, Queft. 94. 3dly, Ambrofe adds a third reafon but of lefs weight, Lib. 2. de Sacram. c. 7. "Thou haft plunged for the third time, that the third confeffion might wipe away the manifold failures of thy former life." But afterwards in Spain, while the Arians numbered the immersions, in order to divide the divinity, Leander, bishop of Seville, confulted Gregory II. bishop of Rome, about the queftion concerning the trine, or fingle immersion; who answered, that though the church of Rome dipt thrice, yet the church of Spain would rather be content with a fingle immersion: and it was decreed in the fourth council of Toledo in the year 633, that it should be fo; where Canon 5, or according to another edition, Canon 6, both is accounted right, and both irreprovable in the holy church of God. Yet one religious ceremony of a fingle facrament is preferable; that every one may fee the unity of the Godhead, and the trinity of perfons therein. The unity, when we dip once; the trinity, while we baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghoft: See Voffius Difput. 2. de baptis. And Forbes, Lib. 1o. c. 5. §. 48. Seq.

XVI. Indeed, it is not proper to adminifter baptifm without fome words, by which the mystery of it may be briefly explained according to that well known faying of Augustin, "take away the word, and what is the water but water only?" Yet we are far from thinking, that Chrift prescribed a form of words, which all were to make ufe of at all times, and in all places. Chrift, indeed, commanded to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but not precisely to fay, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, &c. The apostles are faid " to have baptized in the name of Jefus," Acts ii. 38. and Acts viii. 16. Acts xix. 5. and yet it does not follow, that they used this form, I baptize thee in the name of Jefus, But

as

This I apprehend, is the fenfe of the author, whofe words are, fimpli tamen myfterium facramenti præfertur.

as baptifm ought, by all means, to be performed in the name of the facred Trinity, to whofe obedience and worship we are confecrated by the washing of water, it also seems neceffary, in the administration of it, to make either an explicit, or at leaft an implicit mention of the Trinity. Nor is it to be doubted, but he maintains fome mischievous error, who refufes to follow a cuftom received by all the Chriftian world, and probably derived from apoftolic example. But I dare not abfolutely condemn the baptifm administered and received in the name of Chrift, without any mention of the Father and Holy Spirit, both because the baptism of the Apostles is described in those words by Luke, and becaufe, as Bafil has ingeniously obferved, de Spiritu Sancto; " to name Chrift is to confefs the the whole Trinity: for this fets forth both God who ancints, the Son who is anointed, and the unction, even the Holy Ghost." We have fomething like this in Ambrofe, de Spir. Sancto, Lib. 1. c. 3. quoted alfo by Peter Lombard, Sentent. Lib. 4. Diftinct. 3. where he treats of the form of baptism. Neither is it an improper obfervation, that there is fome difference in the cafe of baptized perfons, who from Judaism, and of those who from Gentilifm embraced Christianity: for, is it proper, that the Gentiles, who are converted from idols to the true God; to that God, I fay, who, by the diftinction of the three perfons in one effence, is difcriminated from thofe that are not God's, fhould be baptized into the express confeffion of the Trinity: but as the God of the ancient Ifraelites and of the Chriftians is one and the fame, the profeffing the Lord Jefus feems to have been fufficient in the baptifm of the Ifraelites. And it is poffibly for this reafon, enjoined Mat. xxviii. that the Gentiles fhould be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft; but the Jews either such by birth, or formerly become fuch by profeffing the Jewish religion, are faid to be baptized in the name of Jesus.

XVII. Peter, 1 Epift. iii. 21. gives us to know, that baptism is a kind of type or figure, which fignifies to commemorate and teach fomething more heavenly and fublime. And therefore having explained what is external and fenfible, we are now to treat of the Spiritual thing fignified; which may be considered either generally, or particularly.

XVIII. The thing fignified by baptifm in general is the recep tion into the covenant of grace, as administered under the New Teftament. As circumcifion was the fign and feal of the Old Teftament, Gen. xvii. 11. fo baptifm, which fucceeds circumcifion, Col. ii. 11. is the fign of the new covenant, and as Bafil fpeaks, the inviolable feal thereof. Moreover that reception into

the