pressed in the same words in Col. ii. 12, and the same application of that teaching in Col. iii. 1-10.

In Col. ii. 11, 12, the whole Colossian Church is assumed to have been buried with Christ in Baptism, and in Col. iii. these same persons are all assumed to have risen with Christ, and (ver. 3) to have a hidden life treasured up for them in their risen and exalted Head, and yet (ver. 5) they are bidden to mortify their members which are upon the earth-fornication, evil concupiscence, and covetousness.

The very same assumption of a sacramental death is required to reconcile the third and fifth verses in this chapter with one another, which is required to make several expressions in Rom. vi. consistent with one another, for in the third verse the Colossian Christians are all assumed to be dead (or to have died) to sin, and in the fifth they are bidden to mortify fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness.

(6.) In 1 Cor. x. 1—10, it is assumed that all baptized Christians have in baptism experienced a deliverance analogous to that of the Israelites at the passage of the Red Sea. The greatest deliverance of the ancient Church is thus made to symbolize one supposed to take place in Baptism.

If there be any analogy between these two deliverances, then the one in Baptism must be participated in by the whole body of the baptized, for the salvation at the Red Sea, which was a type of it, was participated in by the whole Israelitish Church; and the Apostle fastens attention on this very feature of the type, when he says to the Corinthians, "I would not that ye should be ignorant how that ALL our fathers were under the cloud, and ALL passed through the sea; and were ALL baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." And St. Jude, in drawing precisely the same lesson from the same chapter

of Old Testament history, notices that God saved the people of Israel, but afterwards destroyed them that believed not. But this benefit, though betokening such present love on God's part, could be received, and was received, in vain. The great bulk of those who were saved effectually at the passage of the Red Sea were lost in the wilderness. They who were brought out of Egypt in order that they might possess the Promised Land, were hindered by their own sin from entering into possession. And the Apostle brings the example of their first deliverance and final doom as a type of God's dealings with Christians in order to keep them from sin.

But the reference to the Israelitish Baptism and the deliverance therein, loses all its point if there be no corresponding blessing in Christian Baptism.

(7.) In 1 Cor. xii. 12, the Fathers and the Divines of the time of the Reformation, without exception, find a reference to water Baptism as the outward and formal means by which the Holy Spirit grafts men into the mystical body of Christ.' This text can only mean this, for St. Paul, as the whole context shows, is evidently speaking of a something which pertains to the whole Corinthian Church and to every individual member of it.

But the moral state of this Church was such that they could not be said to have all been baptized into one body, if this Baptism was a work of the Spirit which had made each one, so baptized, spiritually religious; for the whole Epistle shows that very many among them were not this.

1 It is so understood by Calvin, Hooker, Jeremy Taylor, and Wesley. For references to, and extracts from these writers, see my "Second Adam," page 36 (fourth edition). Wesley's paraphrase is, "For by that one Spirit which we received in Baptism, we are all united in one body, whether Jews or Gentiles."

(8.) In Gal. iii. 26, 27, the Apostle asserts that all those who had been baptized into Christ had put on, or had been clothed with, Christ, and so were God's children by faith: "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus: for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

(9.) In Eph. v. 26, Christ is said to cleanse the Church in Baptism; for "He gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." Observe here that Christ is said to have given Himself for the Church, not to cleanse it without, or apart from, ordinances, but to make one ordinance at least efficacious for its cleansing.

(10.) In Titus iii. 5, the "bath of New Birth" is along with the "renewing of the Holy Ghost " asserted by the Apostle to be the instrument by which God saved us. Nothing can be clearer than the reference to the baptismal bath or font in the original words, διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας. How the renewing of the Holy Ghost is connected with Baptism I do not now stop to inquire. What I ask the reader to observe is, that God associates Baptism with it in the matter of our salvation.

The last place is 1 Pet. iii. 22; "The like figure whereunto," [i.e., to the salvation of the ancient Church by water in the ark] "even Baptism, doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

1 This place is understood as referring to Baptism by every early Christian writer who cites it; and among modern writers by Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, Jewel, Hooker, Mede, Jeremy Taylor, Barrow, Bishop Hall, Beveridge, Wesley, Alford, Howson, Wordsworth, and Eilicott.

2 I follow here the English Bible. No other rendering affects the reference to Baptism.

The assertion "Baptism doth now save," taken in connexion with the limiting clause, "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God," means, of course, that Baptism saves only when received in repentance and faith; for no man can give the answer of a good conscience towards God"

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except he repents and believes.

We gather, then, from this place, if it has any consistent meaning, that the believing adult is saved, not before, but in Baptism. God has some wise reason for linking the communication of Salvation with Baptism; so that, if we adhere to the teaching of the Spirit, we cannot account the believing catechumen saved before Baptism.

The limitation," not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience," shows that the Apostle recognised that God ordained Baptism for the salvation of those whom man in his presumption declares to have already received salvation, because they already believe. The Apostle, on the contrary, asserts that those who can return the answer of a good conscience towards God are saved in Baptism by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, i.e., they receive the grace of His risen life in Baptism. (Compare Rom. v. 10, vi. 4; Col. ii. 12, 13, iii. 3.)

A very little consideration will serve to show that the sacramental interpretation of this text is in reality the most evangelical of any which can be suggested. It has been said,1 in order to get rid of any reference to the sacrament, that the Apostle, after expressly mentioning that Baptism saves, means to undo in the very next sentence the plain meaning of his own words, by asserting that he means by the word "Baptism," not the Christian ordinance, but simply the "answer of a good

1 Dr. McNeile, Dean of Ripon, in his pamphlet, "Baptism doth fave."

conscience," independently of Baptism. But if so, then he affirms that something of our own, on which we can rely, and on which self-righteous men do rely, viz., the answer of a good conscience, saves us, which is of course contrary to the first principles of Evangelical Religion.

But no one can suppose that such a thing as Baptism has, of itself, any saving efficacy. It can only be said to save because it is a means whereby the Saving Blood of the Redeemer is applied to the penitent. The Sacrament in itself is too insignificant to be relied on--it cannot eve seem, of itself, to have any saving power; whereas, if a good conscience saves, it seems to save because of its own intrinsic merit or excellence. The Sacrament can have no such glory: it is a passive instrument in the hands of One Who alone saves; but then, if we are to believe His words, it is His instrument, or at least His token that He works in us a certain work needful to salvation.

Such are the statements of Scripture respecting the benefits which God is pleased to make over to a man, when he duly receives the rite of initiation into the Church of Christ.

It is clear that no Baptismal Service which professes to set forth Christian doctrine on this matter, can for a moment be accounted "Scriptural," unless it is in harmony with these 66 Scripture statements;" which it cannot be, unless it leads the Christian to expect to receive, or to believe that he has received, some great benefit or benefits in this Sacrament,

Any service, or formulary, or confession of faith, which would lead men to regard Baptism as a mere edifying rite, or as a solemn dedication, or as a means whereby we merely profess an acceptance of Christ's salvation, is unscriptural, if, that is, to be "Scriptural" means to be in accordance with express Scripture statement.