Holy Baptism. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 1. The Divine Gift of Human Reason, or "Common Sense," may be appealed to as an intelligent witness to the wisdom of God's arrangements, and the felicitous adaptation of means to ends in His dealings with mankind. 2. Christ describes Himself variously, as (a) Creator. Ps. c. 2; Acts xvii. 28; Rom. ix. 21; Rev. iv. II. (b) Lord and Master. S. John xiii. 13. (c) Shepherd. Ps. xxiii; S. John x. 11. (d) Captain. Josh. v. 15; Heb. ii. 10; 2 Tim. ii. 3. (e) House Owner. S. John xiv. 2. (f) Physician. Ps. ciii. 3; Jer. viii. 22; Mal. iv. 2; Rev. xxii. 2. 3. It is the unquestionable prerogative of a Creator to do what and as He wills with His own; of a Lord and Master, to lay down the terms upon which He will admit new servants into His household; of a Shepherd, do. sheep into His fold; of a Captain, do. recruits into His army; of a Houseowner, to fix the conditions of tenancy; of a Physician, to prescribe for his patients. 4. What Christ has done in these several characters is to enact, that after His creatures have been summoned to His service by Proclamation, or "Preaching the Gospel," they shall, on assenting to the summons, whether as soldiers, servants, tenants, patients, &c., be first Washed with pure Water, and then Fed with Bread and Wine; i.e. they shall be treated Sacramentally, the soul being operated on through the body, for the present 'safety" and future "salvation" of both. THE CHURCH'S SACRAMENTAL SYSTEM AGREEABLE TO REASON. Question. Sacrament?" Answer. "What meanest thou by this word " "I mean an outward and visible SIGN of an inward and spiritual GRACE given unto us there and then. Obs. No stop in this sentence. Question. Sign ?" 66 What is the use of the Outward Answer. "It was ordained (appointed) by Christ Himself as a means whereby we receive the Inward Grace, and a pledge to assure us that we do there and then receive it." 1. Man is himself a kind of Sacrament, inasmuch as he consists of two distinct elements, material and spiritual; the Body being "outward and wisible," the Soul "inward and invisible." 2. Like a Sacrament, also, the two elements must go together to make "Man ;" just as a Handle and a Blade must go together to form a Knife; neither being the complete whole without the other. 3. These two opposites are so intimately united, so singularly blended, and so mutually inter-dependent, that they act and re-act upon each other in joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, health and sickness, &c.; while separation involves Death. 4. The Soul receives impressions from persons |