means, the emerfion out of the water would be answered by the diffipation of it. But the face and head reprefent, as it were, the whole perfon; fo that what things are done in that part, may be accounted as done in the whole body; and as the face is covered with the water, the whole perfon may feem to be immersed; and with the running off of the water on every fide, the whole perfon may be accounted as taken out of it; and the communion in the thing fignified should not be rated by the quantity of the external fign. A very fmall portion of water may no less feal the abundance of the divine grace in baptifm, than a small morfel of bread, and a more sparing draught of wine in the holy fupper.

XXXI. Thus far concerning the rites of immerfion and emerfion; let us now confider the ablution or washing, which is the effect of the water applied to the body. In external baptifm there is "the putting away the filth of the flesh," 1 Pet. iii. 21. which reprefents the ablution, or washing away the filth of the foul contracted by fin, Acts xxii. 16. "Arife and be baptized, and wash away thy fins, calling on the name of the Lord." But the filth of fin may be confidered, either with refpect to the guilt, which is annexed to the filth or stain, and fo it is removed by remiffion, which is a part of justification; or with respect to the ftain itself, or fpiritual deformity and diffimilitude to the image of God, and so it is taken away by the grace of the fanctifying Spirit: and both are fealed by baptism. Of the former Peter fpeaks, Acts ii. 38. "Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chrift, for the remiffion of fins." Concerning the latter Paul writes, Eph. v. 25, 26. "Chrift loved the church, and gave himself for it: that he might fanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the word." And they are laid before us both together, 1 Cor. vi. 11. "but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, but ye are juftified in the name of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God.” "Ye are washed," facramentally in baptifm, which washing is a fymbol of the myftical washing: but the mystical washing comprehends both juftification and fanctification; both which is performed in the name of the Lord Jefus, that is, by the efficacy of his merits, and by the Spirit of our God, which effectually applies the merits of Chrift to the elect.

XXXII. But because we, who, while polluted with fins, were plunged in the water, come out cleanfed, and encompassed with the light of the Holy Spirit, as with a fhining garment; we are faid in that baptifm to put on Chrift, Gal. iii. 26, 27. "For we are all the children of God by faith in Chrift Jefus : for as many of you, as have been baptized into Chrift, have put

on

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 fon 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 shining garment, so that the native ftains and wrinkles of the old man may be covered, and instead of them piety and holiness shine forth in our converfa-· tion and lives. Thus the baptized are " like a flock of sheep, that are even fhorn, which come up from the washing," Canticl. iv. 2. 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 pass 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 baptifm, 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 those in white, were called Albati. Most of what we have faid Bafil bifhop of Cæfarea, has emphatically and briefly comprised in Exhortatione ad baptifmum, where he calls baptifm," the remission 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 baptiẩm, which is to admonish us of our duty: and that is threefold, towards God and Chrift, ourselves and our neighbour.

XXXIV. And as we are baptifed in the name, so we are confecrated to the worship and fervice 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 these 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 Chrift, 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 so 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 especially baptized into the communion of the death and refurrection of Chrift, both

which

which fet before us an extraordinary pattern, to the likeness of which we should be conformed. For as Chrift, when he suffered 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 cease from all those 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 stained with fin, to which we were given before our calling: as those things are urged by the apostle, Rom. vi. 3—6.

XXXVI. As to ourselves, we are reminded in baptifm; 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 fhould 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. Befides, feeing " by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body," I Cor. xii. 13. we are also 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 ourselves to that holinefs 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 Ghost. For thereby God the Father promises to those, who are truely baptized, that with refpect to them, he will fuffer nothing to be wanting, which they can reasonably expect from a most affectionate father: God the Son, in like manner promises, to execute in their behalf all the offices of a most perfect Saviour: the Holy Ghoft 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 elsewhere; but also bind themselves to filial obedience to God the Father: give up themselves to Christ, as a Prophet, to be his difciples as a King to ferve him; and as a Priest, 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 almost in the very fame words, I find in Gomarus Thefes. But which of these learned men firft 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 neceffity, with the Papists, who fhamefully prevaricate in a good caufe, to have recourse in this matter to unwritten tradition.

XLI. We readily acknowledge, that there is no exprefs and special command of God, or of Chrift, concerning infant-baptism: yet there are general commands, from which this special 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 should not be denied to thofe in covenant with him, when he faid, Gen. xvii. 13. “ And my covenant fhall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant." By these words, he. commands the fign of his covenant to be in the flesh of all the posterity 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

1

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 also their children, as we shall 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, μabntevoats, difciple all nations, baptizing them, &c. There Chrift commands difciples to be gathered into his ២៩. fchool, 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 difciples. Juft 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 expressly mention the baptifm 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 should 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 Chrift, 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 submit, but the promise 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 apoftle 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 justly affirm the laft: not only because mention fimply is made of children, without diftinétion of age; but alfo becaufe God ex

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