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is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit."-See also Matt. xxviii. 19. Gal. iii. 27, 28. To receive rightly, i.e. to confess, Matt. iii. 6. To repent, Acts ii. 38. To believe, Acts viii. 37.

B. [By Baptism,] the promises of forgiveness of sin are visibly signed and sealed.

1. Divine Testimony.

New Testament. Acts ii. 38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of JESUS CHRIST, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the HOLY GHOST."-See also Acts xiii. 38; xxii. 16. Rom. vi. 4. Ephes. i. 7. Col. i. 14. Tit. iii. 5. Heb. x. 22.

2. Human Testimony.

a. Fathers. August. de Nupt. et Concupisc. ad Val. lib. 1. 38, vol. x., "That in the laver of baptism, the pardon not only of sins already committed, but also of such as shall be hereafter committed, is obtained by the faithful in CHRIST."-See also Tertull. de Pœnit. c. vi. De Baptism. cc. i. vii. Barnab. Epist. c. ix. p. 235. ed Voss. Just. Mart. 1 Apol. c. lxvi. Theoph. ad Autolyc. lib. II. p. 109.

b. Councils. Council of Nice, see Concil. de S. Baptismo apud Gelas. Eyzian. lib. 1. c. xxxi. p. 173.

C. [By Baptism,] the promises of our adoption to be the sons of GOD, by the HOLY GHOST, are visibly signed and sealed. 1. Divine Testimony.

a. Old Testament. Ezek. xxxvi. 25, "Then will I

sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you."

b. New Testament. Acts. ii. 1-4; x. 44; xvi. Rom. viii. 14-16. 1 Cor. xii. 13. Gal. iii. 26, 27; iv. 5. Ephes. i. 5.

2. Human Testimony.

Fathers. Tertull. de Anim. c. i. " Baptism is the sign

or seal of our faith."

D. [By Baptism.] faith is confirmed by virtue of prayer unto
GOD.

a. Divine Testimony.

New Testament. 1 Pet. iii. 21, "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also even now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST."-See also Acts ii. 41, 42. Gal. iii. 27.

b. Human Testimony.

Fathers. Just. Martyr, Apol 1. 61, "And we in the water are made partakers of the forgiveness of our sins before committed." Apol. i. 8. Nicene Creed as enlarged by the Constantinopolitan Council. E. [By Baptism,] grace is increased by virtue of prayer unto GOD.

a. Divine Testimony.

New Testament. Luke xi. 13, "If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly FATHER give the HOLY SPIRIT to them that ask Him." See also Matt. vii. 7; xi. 24. Luke xviii. 1. John xiv. 13; xv. 7; xvi. 23, 24. Jam. i. 5, 6. 1 John iii. 22; v. 14, 15.

b. Human Testimony.

a. Father. Tertull. de Baptism. c. v.

b. Confessions. 1 Helvetic, Declaration concerning Holy Symbols. 2 Helvetic, c. xx. Westminster, c. xxviii. § 1. Wirtemburg, c. x.

Art. xxi. Gallican, xxxv.

Sueveland, c. xvii.

Scotland,

Saxony, Art. xiii.

PROP. IV. The Baptism of Young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of CHRIST. 1. The Testimony of Reason.

Whatever good is certain and undeniable, that it is the duty of parents to provide for their children, even though they be unable to will for themselves.

2. Divine Testimony.

From the typical relation of Circumcision to Baptism," Gen. xvii. 10, 12; Rom. ii. 28, 39; iv. 9; Col. ii. 11," Baptism is called "the Circumcision of CHRIST." From the promises of GOD, Gen. xvii. 7; Gal. iii. 1-9.

Infants capable of entering into covenant with GOD, Gen. xvii. 10, 12, 13; Lev. xii. 3; Deut. xxix. 10. Because young children are capable of regeneration, Jer. i. 5. Because regeneration, of which Baptism is a sign, is necessary for them, John iii. 5. Except one (r) be born, &c. Because of GOD's good will to them, Matt. xviii. 14. Because they have a right to it, Acts ii. 39. Because they are written in the covenant, Acts iii. 25. Because JESUS calls them, Luke xviii. 16. Because JESUS commands them to be brought to Him, Matt. xix. 14. Because they are part of CHRIST's Church, Ephes. v. 26. Because CHRIST died for infants as well as for persons of riper years, 1 Tim. ii. 6. Because CHRIST'S command is unexceptional, Matt. xxviii. 17, force of μaonτεύετε, "make disciples of," see Matt. xiii. 52; xxvii. 57; Act. D.D. Apost. xiv. 20. Because of the holiness of baptized children, 1 Cor. vii. 14.

Because they are reckoned

Because of the baptism

among believers, Matt. xviii. 2-6.
of numbers from which children are not said to have been
excluded, Acts ii. 41; viii. 12, 16. Because of the practice
of the Apostles in baptizing households,' Lydia, Acts xvi. 16;
Jailor of Philippi, Acts xvi. 33; Crispus, Acts xviii. 8;
Stephanas, 1 Cor. i. 16; Cornelius, Acts x. 48.

' Circumcision was the initiatory sacrament of Judaism. The following is the prayer used by fathers at the Circumcision of their sons: "Blessed be Thou, O LORD our GOD, King of the Universe! Who hast sanctified us with Thy Commandments, and commanded us to initiate him (the child) into the covenant of Abraham our father."-See Buxtorf. Synag. Jud. c. iv. p. 99.

3 Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph. c. xliii. maintains the analogy between Baptism and Circumcision.

4 1 Cor. vii. 14, quoted as referring to the baptism of young children by August. de Serm. Dom. lib. 1. c. xxvii. de lib. Arbitr. lib. III. c. xxiii.; de Perseverant. c. xii.; de Baptism. cont. Donat. lib. IV. c. xv.; Tertull. de Anim. cc. xxxix. xl.; Hieron. Epist. ad Let. Ep. 7.

5 Sense of oikos 1 Tim. v. 14, family-children. Exod. i. 21.

3. Human Testimony.

A. Jews. The custom of the Jews to baptize Proselytes, as
well children as their parents, Maimonides, Isuri Bia,
cc. xiii. xiv. Gemara Babylon, Chetuboth, c. i. fol. 11.
Children who had been exposed by the heathen when
found and adopted by the Jews, as also children taken
captive in war, were baptized. Maimonides, Helach
Aibdim c. viii. Hierosol. Jevamoth, fol. 8, 4. This
custom is alluded to John iii. 10.

B. Fathers. Orig. ad Luc. Hom. XIV. vol. I. p. 948,
"Young children are baptized into the remission of
sins." Comment. ad Rom. lib. v., "The Church re-
ceived the custom of baptizing infants from the Apostles."
Ad Lev. Hom. VIII. 3, vol. II., "Baptism is given to
infants by the usage of the Church."-See also Hom.
IX. ad Josuam. Tertull. de Baptism, c. xviii. Cyprian,
Epist. lib. II. Epist. lxiv. De Laps. circa medium,
quoted also by August. Epist. xxiii. ad Bonifac. Iren."
lib. II. c. xxii. § 4, p. 147, ed. Bened. and c. xxxix.
August. cont. Jul. Pelag. lib. III. cc. iii. and x. De
peccat. merit. et remiss. vol. x. lib. 1. 40. De Baptism.
cont. Donat. lib. IV. c. xxiii. Clem. Alex. Pædag.
lib. III. c. ii. p. 289. Apostol. Const. lib. VI. c. xv.
p. 344, vol. I.
Just. Mart. Apol. I. c. xv. Greg. Magn.
Epist. lib. XII. Epist. 31. De Peccat. Orig, cc. xvii. xviii.
De Gen. ad Lit. lib. x. c. xxiiii. Optat. Milevit. (A.D.
360) cont. Donat. lib. v. prope finem. Greg. Nazianz.
Orat. in laudem Basil. Orat. 20, comp. Orat. in Sanct.
Baptism. prope ab initio. Basil. Exhort. ad Baptism. see.
Theodor. Hist. Eccles. lib. IV. c. xxvi. Ambros. in
Luc. 1. lib. I. De Abraham. lib. II. c. xi. Chrysost.
Hom. XL. in Gen. tom. I. in Act. D. D. Apost.

6 "The baptising of Infants was a thing as well known in the Church of the Jews, as ever it has been in the Christian Church."-Dr. Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. on Matt. iii. 6.

Jerome's testimony that Origen held the baptism of Infants, Wall, c. xix. §26. The value of his testimony as born of Christian parents, Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. vi. c. xix.; Ruff. lib. vi. c. xiv.

The value of his testimony may be estimated from what he reports of himself in his epistle to Florinus; see Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. v. c. xix.

Hom. XXIII. Hieron. Epist. ad Let. Epist. VII.
Innocent. A.D. 417, (Pap.) Epist. 91, 93, 96, apud
August.

C. Councils. 2 Council at Milevi or Milenum, A.D. 416, 2
Can. 2. See Hard. vol. 1. p. 1217. Council at Gerundia,
517, Can. 5. See Hard. vol. II. p. 1044. Council of Ilerda,
Can. 13. 6 General Council, or Council in Trullo,
Can. 84. See Hard. vol. II. p. 1692. Council of
Carthage, 412. Council at Carthage, 253, sixty-six
Bishops present, Cyprian,' Epist. LXIV. ad Fidem.
Council at Elvira, Can. 22, 305. Labb. et Coss,
tom. 1. Conc. p. 967. 3 Council of Carthage, 397,
Can. 48. Labb. et Coss. tom. II. Conc. p. 1160.
Council of Carthage, 401, Can. 57, again A.D. 411,
417, 418, 419. Council of Hippo, 390. Rome under
Leo.I. 440.

D. Confessions. 1 Helvetic, Art. xxi. 2 Helvetic. c. xx.
Scotland, Art. xxiii. Bohemia, c. xii. Gallican, Art.
xxxv. Belgic, Art. xxxiv. Augsburg, Art. ix. Saxony,
Art. xiii. Wirtemburg, c. x. Sueveland, c. xvii.
Westminster, c. xxviii. § 4, 6.

E. Heretics. Pelagius, August. de Peccat. Origin. ce. xvii.
xviii.; Augustine here cites Pelagius as declaring that
he never heard of any wicked heretic who denied bap-
tism to infants.-See also de Heres. c. lxxxviii. Celestius
August. de Peccat. Orig. c. v. Celestius acknowledged
Baptism of Infants as the rule of the Universal Church.
Donatists, Labb. et Coss. Concil. tom. 11. p. 1240.
Arians, see Wall, c. xii. § 9, 10.

9 The letter of Cyprian is undoubtedly genuine. See August. Epist. 28, ad Hieron. cont. Duas Epist. Pelag. lib. iv. c. viii.; De peccat. merit. et remiss. lib. III. c v. Serm. xiv.; de Verb. Apost. Hieron. Dial. cont. Pelag. lib. III.

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