past recovery: nor indeed for the pardon of their sins, for these, they say, are pardoned upon con fession, which commonly is made before it; but chiefly, as themselves own, to procure composedness and courage in the hour of death: a purpose not only unmentioned by St. James, but in-. consistent with the purpose of recovery, which he doth mention, and very often impossible to be attained; for they frequently anoint persons after they are became entirely senseless. And yet, in spite of all these things, they will needs have this practice owned for a sacrament; which indeed is now, as they manage it, a mere piece of superstition.

Another thing which they esteem a Christian sacrament, is Matrimony: though it was ordained, not by Christ, but long before his appearance on earth, in the time of man's innocency; and hath no outward sign appointed in it, as a means and pledge of inward grace. But the whole matter is, that they have happened most ridiculously to mistake their own Latin translation of the New Testament: where St. Paul, having compared the union between the first married pair, Adam and Eve, to that between Christ, the second Adam, and his spouse the church; and having said that "this is a great mystery;"7 a figure, or comparison, not fully and commonly understood; the old interpreter, whose version they use, for mystery hath put sacrament: which in his days, as I said before, signified any thing in religion that carried a hidden meaning; and they have understood him of what we now call a sacrament. Whereas if every thing that once had that name in the larger sense of the word, were at present to have it in the stricter sense; there would be a hundred sacraments, instead of the seven, which they pretend there are.

7) Eph. v. 32.

The fifth and last thing, which they wrongly insist on our honouring with this title, is Holy Orders. But, as there are three orders in the church, bishops, priests, and deacons ; here would be three sacraments, if there were any but indeed there is none. For the laying on of hands in ordination is neither appointed, nor used, to convey or signify any spiritual grace; but only to confer a right of executing such an office in the church of Christ. And though prayers, for God's grace and blessing on the persons ordained, are indeed very justly and usefully added; and will certainly be heard, unless the person be unworthy: yet these prayers, on this occasion, no more make what is done a sacrament, than any other prayers for God's grace, on any other occasion.

However, as I have already said of Confirmation, so I say now of Orders and Marriage, if they were sacraments, they would be as much so to us, as to the Romanists, whether we call them sacraments, or not. And if we used the name ever so erroneously, indeed if we never used it all; 28 the Scripture hath never used it; that could do us no harm, provided, under any name, we believe but the things which Christ hath taught; and do but the things which he hath commanded; for on this, and this alone, depends our acceptance, and eternal salvation.

LECTURE XXXV.

Of Baptism.

HAVING already explained to you the nature of a sacrament; and shown you, that five of the seven things, which the Church of Rome calls by that name, are not entitled to it; there remain

only two, that are truly such; and these two are plainly sufficient: one, for our entrance into the Christian covenant; the other, during our whole continuance in it: "Baptism, and the Supper of "the Lord." However, as the word sacrament is not a Scripture one, and hath at different times been differently understood; our Catechism doth not require it to be said absolutely, that the sacraments are "two only;" but "two only, necessary "to salvation:" leaving persons at liberty to comprehend more things under the name, if they please, provided they insist not on the necessity of them, and of dignifying them with this title. And even these two, our church very charitably teaches us not to look upon as indispensably, but as "generally, necessary." Out of which general necessity, we are to except those particular cases, where believers in Christ either have not the means of performing their duty in respect of the sacraments, or are innocently ignorant of it, or even excusably mistaken about it.

In explaining the sacrament of Baptism, I shall speak, first of "the outward and visible sign," then of "the inward and spiritual grace."

As to the former, Baptism being intended for the sign and means of our purification from sin; water, the proper element for purifying and cleansing, is appointed to be used in it. There is indeed a sect sprung up amongst us, within a little more, than a hundred years, that deny this appointment and make the Christian baptism signify only the pouring out of the gift of the Holy Ghost upon a person. But our Saviour expressly requires that we be born of water," as well as "of the Spirit, to enter into the kingdom of "God." And not only John, his forerunner, baptized with water," but his disciples also,

1

66

by his direction, baptized in the same manner, even more than John.”3 When therefore he bade them afterwards "teach all nations, bap"tizing them;" what baptism could they understand, but that in which he had employed them before? And accordingly we find, they did understand that. Philip, we read, baptized the Samarians: not with the Holy Ghost, for the Apostles went down some time after to do that themselves: but with water undoubtedly, as we find, in the same chapter, he did the Eunuch, where the words are, Here is the water, what "doth hinder me to be baptized? And they went "down to the water, and he baptized him."7 Again, after Cornelius, and his friends, had received the Holy Ghost, and so were already baptized in that sense, Peter asks, "Can any man "forbid water, that these should not be bap"tized, which have received the Holy Ghost, as "well as we ?" When therefore John says that "he baptized with water, but Christ shall bap"tize with the Holy Ghost ;"9 he means, not that Christians should not be baptized with water, but that they should have the Holy Ghost poured out upon them also, in a degree that John's disciples had not. When St. Peter says, "The "baptism, which saveth us, is not the washing 66 away the filth of the flesh, he means, it is not the mere outward act, unaccompanied by a suitable inward disposition. When St. Paul says, that "Christ sent him not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; he means, that preaching was the principal thing he was to do in person; to baptize, he might appoint others under him; and it seems, commonly did ; as St. Peter did not baptize Cornelius and his friends himself, but

66

(3) John iv. 1, 2. (6) Verse 14, &c. (9) Matt. iii. 11.

1

"commanded them to be baptized:"3 and we real in St. John, that "Jesus baptized not, but "his disciples." 4

Water-baptism therefore is appointed. And why the Church of Rome should not think water sufficient in baptism, but aim at mending what our Saviour hath directed, by mixing oil and balsam with it, and dipping a lighted torch into it, I leave them to explain.

The precise manner in which water shall be applied in baptism, Scripture hath not determined. For the word, "Baptize," means only to wash ; whether that be done by plunging a thing under water, or pouring water upon it. The former of these, burying, as it were, the person baptized, in the water, and raising him out of it again, without question was anciently the more usual method; on account of which, St. Paul speaks of baptism, as representing both the death, and burial, and resurrection of Christ, and what is grounded on them, our being "dead and buried to sin;" rcnouncing it, and being acquitted of it; and our rising again to "walk in newness of life:" being both obliged and enabled to practise, for the future, every duty of piety and virtue. But still, the other manner of washing, by pouring or sprinkling of water, sufficiently expresses the same two things; our being by this ordinance purified from the guilt of sin, and bound and qualified to keep ourselves pure from the defilement of it. Besides, it very naturally represents that " sprink"ling of the blood of Jesus Christ," to which our salvation is owing. And the use of it seems not only to be foretold by the Prophet Isaiah, speaking of our Saviour, "He shall sprinkle many "nations," that is, many shall receive his bap

(3) Acts z. 48. (4) John iv. 2. (6) 1 Pet, i. 2.

(5) Rom. vi. 4, 11. Col. ii. 12. (7) Isaaiah lii. 15.