no sin. He was baptized, having done no sin, and justified sinners. He was washed, who needed not, and cleansed debtors. Praise to Him Who did all these things for us, and sanctified us by His Baptism for the remission of debts. Thou gavest gifts unto men.' Halleluia. Holy and Son of the Holy. Pure and undefiled, Who in the beginning was God the Word, came to Baptism to cleanse us, and sanctified water to justify us. And being by His Nature, and the Forgiver of debts, He was baptized by John in Jordan. Praise to His humility." Page 247. 1 Cor. x. 1. sqq. is a Baptismal Lesson in the Malabar Liturgy. (Ass. i. 187.) It is referred to in the revised Syriac, "Perfect them by the gift of Holy Baptism, which was typically expressed by Moses Thy servant, when He baptized the people in the sea and the cloud; and by dark hints and types, typified these our perfect and Divine things." Page 273. This and several other types are comprised in a passage quoted by Gerhard from S. Cyril. Alex. The reference is wrong, but the passage, whether Cyril's or some other's is, in spirit, ancient. "Let not the ordinance of the laver of Baptism be thought novel and arbitrary, which was prefigured by many figures of the Old Testament, and testimonies of prophets. For by the waters of the deluge, the sins of the whole world were expiated, and they who were laid up in the ark were saved by water, this was a type of Baptism, whereby all the defilements of sins are laid aside, and the decayed condition of life removed. Further, the people of Israel, led by Moses, passeth the Red sea dry-shod, the Egyptians being overwhelmed there, which conveyed to us, that through the recep tion of Baptism, the whole legion of diabolic pravity is removed and expelled from us, and we being regenerated in Christ, are by the grace of God, freed from his most hard oppression. What, moreover, did the people of Israel, conducted over the Jordan by the guidance of Joshua, where the waters stood on either side motionless, and yield. ed a road between, to the land of promise, signify other than that whoever, led by Christ, rightly receive the laver of Baptism, shall, at length, arrive at the land of the living? What that Naaman the Syrian, washed seven times in Jordan, was cleansed from his leprosy, other than that they who are washed by the Baptism of Christ, are forthwith cleansed from all leprosy of the soul, and from sin? What, lastly, does the water of expiation, and of sprinkling according to the rite of the ancient law, taking away uncleanness? This same water the Lord promised in Ezekiel (c. xxxvi.,) 'I will pour clean water upon you.' This water of Baptism the prophet saw (c. xlvii.,) ‘I saw the waters going forth from the temple,' &c. This the side of Christ poured forth; this the pool of Bethesda foresignified." Page 285. The following passage of S, Basil is quoted by Lipomann, "Whether by 'spirit' he mean, the air spread all around, which is breathed; or (which is the truer, and approved by our forefathers,) the 'Spirit of God' is the Holy Spirit, inasmuch as it hath been observed that Scripture speaks of Him eminently and chiefly, and calleth nothing else' the Spirit of God' but the Holy Spirit, Who completeth the number of the Divine and Blessed Trinity. If you admit this meaning, you will obtain more fruit from the passage. But in what way,' sayest thou, was He borne above the waters?' I will give you, not my own explanation, but that of a Syrian, removed from the wisdom of the world, in proportion to his nearness to the knowledge of truth. He said, then, that the Syriac was more expressive, and on account of its affinity to Hebrew, came closer to the meaning of Scripture.' The meaning then was this. The word 'was borne," the Syriac interprets, fostered, imparted to the waters a life-giving fruitfulness, after the image of a bird brooding, and imparting a certain force of life to the things fostered by it.' Such we assert to be the meaning of the words, that the 'Spirit of God was borne above the waters,' i. e. that the Holy Spirit prepared the nature of water for a life-giving fruitfulness. Whence what some wish to know, sufficiently appears, viz. that neither is the Holy Spirit without a share in the act of creating." END OF PART 1. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. ON THE PRINCIPLES NECESSARY FOR THE ATTAINMENT of Scriptural Truth, AND SOME OF THE OBSTACLES WHICH OF LATE HAVE PREVENTED MEN FROM RECEIVING THAT OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. p. 7-20. Man no judge beforehand of the effect of divine truth-danger of speak- ing of essential and unessential truths in the Gospel, p. 7-11. Individual holiness no test of religious truth-holding the truth in unrighteousness— blessing of being placed in Christ's Church-use of private judgment im- aginary-ministry not infallible because blessed-p. 11-15.-Greatness of Baptismal regeneration if held positively-who serves earliest serves best-p. 15-18. All restorations at first partial--recovery hitherto par- tial-Scripture evidence is for those who believe-object of the present CHAPTER II. ON THE MEANING OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, AND THE PASSAGES OF HOLY SCRIPTURE WHICH SPEAK OF, OR IMPLY THE GREATNess of Baptism, p. 21— 315. Meaning of Regeneration, p. 21-25. Preliminary observations, p. 25 --28. Position of John iii. 5. as a key to other Scripture, compared with other passages and with primitive interpretation, p. 29-76. (I.) Passages in which Holy Scripture speaks of God, moderns see only (II.) Passages in which moderns have appropriated to themselves the privileges of Holy Baptism, without thought of the means through which they are conveyed, p. 109–151. (II.) Passages implying the high dignity, essential office and large place of Baptism in the Divine scheme of Redemption, 151, sqq. (iii. 1.) Incidental mention of Baptism, p. 152-170. (iii. 2.) Indications of the importance of Baptism, arising from the mode in which Holy Scripture speaks of it, when conferred on individuals. The Ethiopian Eunuch- Lydia-The Jailor-St. Paul-Cornelius-Simon Magus-John's Bap- tism, p. 170-216. (iii. 3.) Indications of the dignity of Baptism arising from circumstances connected with our Blessed Saviour's Person, and from prophetic declarations and types of it recognized by Scripture, by the Ancient Church, or as derived from it by our own, p. 216-309. |