ARTICLE XXVII.

OF BAPTISM.

BAPTISM IS NOT ONLY A SIGN OF PROFESSION AND MARK OF DIFFERENCE, WHEREBY CHRISTIAN MEN ARE DISCERNED FROM OTHERS THAT BE NOT CHRISTENED, BUT IT IS ALSO A SIGN OF REGENERATION OR NEW BIRTH, WHEREBY, AS BY AN INSTRUMENT, THEY THAT RECEIVE BAPTISM RIGHTLY ARE GRAFTED INTO THE CHURCH, THE PROMISES of the forgiveness of sin, OF OUR ADOPTION TO BE THE SONS OF GOD BY THE HOLY GHOST, ARE VISIBLY SIGNED AND SEALED, FAITH IS CONFIRMED, AND GRACE INCREASED BY VIRTUE OF PRAYER TO GOD. THE BAPTISM OF YOUNG CHILDREN IS IN ANY WISE TO BE RETAINED IN THE CHURCH, AS MOST AGREEABLE WITH THE INSTITUTION OF

CHRIST.

THIS Article consists of three parts: I. It declares the nature of baptism; II. It declares the ends of baptism; and, III. It approves of the practice of infant baptism.

I. The Article declares the nature of baptism. "It is not only a sign of profession, and mark "of difference, but it is also a sign of regenera"tion."

This will appear evident by considering, 1.

Its institution. The rite of baptism was understood in the Jewish Church before the coming of our Saviour. For, when John the Baptist began first to baptize, the Jews were not surprized at the novelty of the rite; and when, in answer to their question, "who art thou?" he said that "he was not the Christ, or Elias the prophet;" they asked, "why baptizest thou, then?" (John, i. 25.) Hence it appears not only that they had clear ideas of baptism, but also that they thought that if John had been any of the persons alluded to, he then might have baptized. Again, St. Paul says, that "the Jews were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea ;" (1 Cor. x. 2 ;) which seems to relate to some opinions held by the Jews, that by the cloud and the passing through the sea, they were purified from Egyptian defilements, and prepared to become Moses' disciples. There was also a practice among them, for which we find no warrant in the Old Testament, of receiving a male proselyte by baptism, circumcision, and sacrifice, and a female by baptism and sacrifice only. From these circumstances it is plain, that the Jews were not unprepared for the adoption of baptism in the dispensation of the Messiah. Accordingly we find that St. John baptized those who came to him confessing their sins, and announced to them

that "the kingdom of heaven was at hand." (Matt. iii. 2.) The Apostles too, until our Saviour's resurrection, seem to have administered baptism on the same declarations and promises, since the dispensation of the Messias had not as yet been fully revealed, and those who received it could therefore only declare their repentance of their sins, their expectations of Christ's immediate appearance, and their purposes of submitting to his commands. And hence our Saviour thought himself bound to partake of this rite as administered by John, and thus "fulfil all righteousness;" for though he had no sins to confess, yet he came to profess his belief of the dispensation of the Messias that was then approaching.

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Considered, however, as a rite of the Christian Church, the institution of baptism must be dated from the commission that our Saviour gave to "go, preach and make disciples to him in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever "I have commanded you." (Matt. xxviii. 19.) Here two distinct degrees of teaching are alluded to; one preceding and the other following baptism. The former consists in convincing mankind that Jesus is the Christ, and sent by God to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. When any person acknowledged this, they were

to baptize him; which was performed by first laying him in the water, almost naked, as a person is laid in his grave, and they pronounced these words: "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;" and finally, they raised him up again, and clean garments were put on him. From these ceremonies originated the phrases of "being baptized into Christ's death," " of being buried with him by baptism unto death," (Rom. vi. 3, 4,)" of our being risen with Christ,” (Col. ii. 12, iii. 1,) “ of putting off the old man, and putting on the new." (Col. iii. 9, 10,) and "of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. xiii. 14.) After the baptism was performed, the baptized person was to be fully instructed in all the particulars of Christianity, and in all the rules of life enjoined by Christ.a

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The ceremony of baptism, thus instituted, differed from that of St. John in three particulars: 1st. In the latter, there was only a general profession of belief in a Messiah, who was to come; in the former, Jesus was acknowledged to be that Messiah; 2nd. In the former, the condition is the belief of the whole Christian religion; in the latter, it was only repentance; for it was not until after the resurrection of Christ, that he appointed repentance and remission of sins to

a See Wall's History of Infant Baptism, par. 2. c. 9.

be preached in his name among all nations." (Luke, xxiv.47.) 3rd. Those who received the baptism of Christ, were to be instructed in the mystery of the Trinity, whereas those who only received St. John's baptism had not so much as heard that "there was any Holy Ghost," that is, any extraordinary effusion of the Holy Ghost; (Acts, xix. 2 ;) and when St. Paul explained to the latter the difference between Christ's and John's baptism, they were immediately "baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." These differences point out the spiritual nature of the baptism instituted by our Lord.

2. The nature of baptism appears from Christ's explanation of it. He told Nicodemus that " ex

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cept a man were born again he could not see "the kingdom of God." (John, iii. 3.) And when Nicodemus expressed his astonishment at this assertion, our Saviour explained himself further: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, ex

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cept a man be born of water and the Spirit, "he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The meaning of which seems to be this, that except a man were renewed by an ablution, such as the Jews used, and importing the outward profession of a change of heart, and except he were inwardly changed by the Spirit, which should reform his nature, he could not become one of his disciples, or a true Christian, the