we might readily know how to deal with them: or would they but say, that the attributes of eternity, omniscience, omnipresence, &c. when ascribed to the Son, signify no more than a limited duration, knowledge, presence, &c. we should thank them for speaking plain, and for giving us an opportunity of confuting what they have to plead for such rash and blasphemous assertions. But since they are pleased only to express themselves indefinitely and uncertainly, we can give them no certain answer more than this; that, supposing those titles or attributes to be ascribed in a more emphatical and eminent manner to the Father, as first. Person, yet they are ascribed also to the Son in their utmost latitude and extent, and in the very same sense; (omniscience or eternity signifying neither more nor less than omniscience or eternity, whether applied to one or to the other;) and therefore the objection from the more eminent manner, according as it is understood, is either without truth, or without weight. The sum of all is only this, that the Father is Father, and the Son is Son; one first in order, the other second. Whatever consequences necessarily follow this concession, we are very ready to admit: and it would save us a great deal of trouble, if the objectors would but try the strength of their philosophy, and put the cause upon this single question, Whether it were possible for God to have had a Son of the same nature, coequal and coeternal with him? We shall be very ready to join issue with them upon this very point; and it seems to be both a fair and a short way of ending the controversy. But if they still delight in obscurity and darkness, declining a fair open examination of their tenets, running from the point in question, skreening themselves under general and ambiguous terms, insinuating what they will not say, and saying what they cannot prove: if this be the method they persist in, it will be easily seen that they seek not truth, but lie in wait to deceive; and are afraid of coming to the light, lest their errors should be made manifest.

Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all glory for ever. Amen.

CHRIST'S DIVINITY

PROVED FROM

THE FORM OF BAPTISM.

The eighth Sermon preached April 6, 1720.

Go

MATT. xxviii. 19.

ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

THE text contains the solemn form of baptism prescribed by our blessed Lord himself, as a perpetual standing law to his Church. As soon as he had run through the great work of redemption, having completed his conquests over death and hell by his rising from the dead, he acquaints his disciples with the commencing of his mediatorial kingdom. "All power was given him both in hea66 ven and earth." Then was fulfilled the prophecy of the royal Psalmist, who, speaking in the person of God the Father, says, "Thou art my Son, this day have I be"gotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the hea“then for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the "earth for thy possession," Ps. ii. 8. Our Lord having redeemed mankind, and thereby acquired a new and special claim to their homage and service, entered, as it were, and took possession of his purchased inheritance. The use he intended was, to bring all nations, now made his own by right of redemption, to the knowledge and worship of the true God. The honour of doing this was what

no prophet or ambassador, before him, was admitted to. It was reserved to the fulness of time, for the more illustrious manifestation and more pompous reception of the Son of God. And now, since Christ himself had undertaken to draw all men unto him, the first and principal thing which all the nations of the world were to have notice of, was the obligation they lay under to three Persons, of high character and distinction, and related to each other, called by the names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. In this consisted the sum of Christianity: on this foundation were the Apostles to erect a Church all the world over. Here, if any where, a right understanding would be highly necessary; nor could any one err more dangerously or fundamentally, than in an article of so great importance. The text informs us of the commission given to the Apostles; and we need not doubt but that it was every where faithfully and punctually executed, both by them and their successors. We have sufficient proof of the matter of fact from Church writers all along, and as high as Justin Martyr, who lived in or near the apostolic age, and wrote within forty years of it. It was then the constant practice of the Church to baptize in this

• Επ' ὀνόματος γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων καὶ δεσπότου Θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησᾶ Χρισοῦ, καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγία, τὸ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι τότε λετρὸν ποιένται. Just, Apol. i. cap. 79. p. 116. Ox. ed.

Potestatem Regenerationis in Deum dans Discipulis, dicebat eis: Euntes docete omnes gentes, baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Iren. lib. iii. cap. 17. p. 208.

Novissime mandans ut tinguerent in Patrem, et Filium, et Spiritum Sanctum, non in unum: nam nec semel, sed ter, ad singula nomina, in Personas singulas tinguimur. Tertull. adv. Prax. cap. 26. Vid. etiam De Baptism. cap. 13.

Dominus enim post resurrectionem Discipulos suos mittens, quemadmodum baptizare deberent, instituit et docuit, dicens; Data est mihi omnis potestas in cœlo et in terra: ite ergo, et docete gentes omnes, baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti; insinuat Trinitatem, cujus sacramento gentes baptizarentur. Cypr. Ep. lxxiii. p. 200. ed. Ox.

Quomodo ergo quidam dicunt foris extra ecclesiam, imo contra ecclesiam, modo in nomine Jesu Christi, ubicunque et quomodocunque gentilem baptizatum remissionem peccatorum consequi posse; quando ipse Christus gentes baptizari jubeat in plena et adunata Trinitate? Cypr. Ep. lxxiii. p 206.

form, pursuant to our Lord's commission; (a certain argument that this text of St. Matthew appeared in the copies then in use, as it is also now found in all the copies, and all the ancient versions ;) and there is no just reason to suspect, but that baptism had been constantly administered in that very form from, and in, the times of the Apostles.

There is indeed some ground of scruple, (which the heretics b of former times laid hold on,) arising from the history of the Acts, which no where tells us of the Apostles baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; but mentions only their baptizing "in the name of "Jesus Christ c," or " in the name of the Lord Jesus d," or" in the name of the Lord." St. Cyprian, in answer to this difficulty, seems to admit the matter of fact so far, that the Apostles did baptize some in the name of Christ Jesus; but Jews only; not Gentiles, whom, he thinks, the commission peculiarly respected, and whose circumstances were something different from those of the Jews f. Nevertheless it may be doubted, whether this was Cyprian's solution of the difficulty, or no; some passages 5 of the same epistle seeming to carry a contrary sense: and considering how unanimous most, if not all the other early writers h of the Church have been in denying the fact, that ever the Apostles baptized in any different form from what our Lord prescribed, one may incline to think that Cyprian was of the same judgment. The most pro

Vid. Cyprian. Epist. ad Jubaian. p. 205, 206. ad Pompei.

Acts ii. 38. Comp. iii. 27.

d Acts viii. 16. xix. 5. Comp. Rom. vi. 3.

e Acts x. 48. xxii. 16.

f Alia enim fuit Judæorum sub Apostolis ratio, alia est Gentilium conditio. Cypr. ad Jub. Ep. lxxiii. p. 205.

8 Jesu Christi mentionem fecit Petrus, (Act. ii. 38.) non quasi Pater omitteretur, sed ut Patri quoque Filius adjungeretur. Cyprian. ibid. p. 206.

Some doubt has been made of St. Ambrose as to this particular; of which see the notes to the Benedictine edition, Ambros. de Sp. S. lib. i. cap. 3. p. 607. See also Mr. Bingham's Antiquities of the Christian Church, b. xi. cap. 3.

bable and most generally received account of this matter is, that the Apostles baptized all, both Jews and Gentiles, in the same form; " in the name of the Father, and of the "Son, and of the Holy Ghost;" and that when they are said to have baptized in the name of Christ Jesus, the meaning only is, that they baptized into the faith and religion of Christ Jesus; in that method, and according to that form, which our Lord himself had prescribed i. The Apostles administered Christ's, not John's baptism; that baptism which Christ had appointed: St. Luke expresses it briefly by baptizing "in the name of Christ;" not because it ran in his name only, but because it was instituted by his authority. Thus the practice of the Apostles is reconciled with the commission given them. As to the practice of the Christian Church after the Apostles, there can be no doubt of it, considering how many and how early records we have of it. The main thing now to be inquired into is, the meaning, intent, or purport of that solemn form, " in the name of the Father, and of the Son, "and of the Holy Ghost." Baptism had been an ancient custom of the Jews, long before our Saviour's appearance in the fleshk. It was by baptism that they admitted proselytes into their religion, entering them thereby into covenant with the true God, in opposition to all the gods. of the nations. This very practice our blessed Lord took up, adapting it to the like purposes; only altering the form of it, now made to run in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost'. Had it run in the name of Christ

1 Τὸ μὲν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν βαπτισθῆναι, σημαίνοι ἂν τὸ κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ βαπτισθῆναι· τουτέσιν, εἰς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Εulogius apud Phot. cod. cclxxx. p. 1608.

In nomine Jesu Christi jussi sunt baptizari, (Act. ii. 38.) et tamen intelliguntur non baptizari nisi in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. August. contr. Maxim. lib. ii. cap. 17. p. 715. See Bull, Op. Posth. p. 850, &c. * See Mr. Wall's Introduction to his History of Infant Baptism.

1 The Jews baptized proselytes into the name of the Father; that is, into the profession of God, whom they called by the name of Father. It was proper among the Gentiles (to baptize) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that they might be hereby instructed in the