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portant that we should investigate the views regarding baptism, which he intended to convey by his clumsy allegories. There is an acknowledged allusion to it in the first vision of the tower,39 which is a wretched attempt to allegorise the metaphor of St. Peter.40 The tower, the erection of which is to illustrate the progress of Christianity, is founded in water;41 and the interpreter informs the dreamer, that it is thus built, "because your life is, and shall be, saved by water."42 Through this water, all the living stones that constitute the building must pass :—some of these, "appeared very desirous to roll into the water, but could not ;"43 the interpreter afterwards explains to him, that, "these were such as had heard the word and were willing to be baptized in the name of the Lord; but considering the great holiness which the truth requires, they withdrew themselves."44 He also saw that, after the stones had been passed by the angels who collected them, through the baptismal waters, and lay on the ground, they underwent a trial or ordeal, before they were fitted into the building. The round stones, that is, the rich, were hewn square;45 the rugged and cracked ones were polished and certain stones were even cut off and cast far away from the tower.46 He could not have laid down more plainly the scripture doctrine, that the inward grace of baptism is conditional, not upon the right administration of the ceremony, but upon the mental state of the receiver.

In the same spirit, I conceive, he elsewhere speaks of the repentance, or change of mind, that takes place, when we go down into the water and receive the "remission of

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our sins," for immediately afterwards he tells us, that "remission of sins is given to those only that believe."47 He also calls baptism a "great and holy vocation ;" an expression which harmonises perfectly with the notion of baptism as a token of external profession,

In the same place he states, that there is repentance for one sin after baptism, and only for one :48 an opinion so utterly at variance with the whole of the evangelical doctrine regarding the forgiveness of sins, that it is surprising it should ever have been entertained.-It could not be but that such an error should produce evil. At the time it is said to have had the effect of causing many to defer their baptism until the very article of death:49 but it inflicted a more permanent evil upon the church of Christ, in that it gave to the baptismal office a place in the Christian economy more exalted than that which the Holy Ghost had assigned to it. The following passage from the second vision of the Tower,50 which is a further attempt and more at large upon the same allegory as the first, is still more obnoxious to this censure: "And I said," (that is, the dreamer,) "Sir," (interpreter,) "why did these stones come out of the deep and were placed in the building of this tower, seeing that they died long ago?" He answered, "it was necessary for these prophets

47 II Hermas, Com. 4. § 3.

48 This opinion was believed in the church long afterwards. Tertullian maintained it.-De Baptis., c. 18. Clement of Alexandria certainly favours it: see his comment upon the passage of Hermas referred to in the text:-2 Strom., § 13.: though elsewhere he takes a different view of the subject. Sin, before baptism, he supposes to be remitted; sin, after baptism, to be expurgated by the chastisement of the offender.-4 Strom., § 24. That the error likewise prevailed nearly two centuries later; see Gregory of Nazianzum. Orat. Εἰς τὸ ἅγιον Βάπισμα. Ρ. 642. Α.

49 See Greg. Naz. ubi supra, p. 643. D., 647. A., 648. A., &c.
50 III Hermas, Simil. 9.

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and teachers to ascend by water that they might be at rest-for they could not otherwise enter into the kingdom of God; they, therefore, being dead, were sealed with the seal of the Son of God, which seal is the waters of baptism:"51 that is, the Old Testament saints were baptized after the coming of Christ, and therefore after their own death, in order that they enter into their rest. The tendency of this strange absurdity to aggravate the evil of the former error is sufficiently obvious.

The church, then, even at this early period, though perfectly orthodox in her doctrine upon the nature of the sacrament of baptism, had, notwithstanding, opened the door of error, by giving an unscriptural and unseemly prominence to the mere outward ceremony.

This mistake fell in exactly with the temper of the times that followed; and did not fail to take root downwards and bear fruit upwards. The sentiments of the fathers of the second century well illustrate its growth and progress.

Justin Martyr, the first professor of philosophical Christianism whose writings are still extant, gives the following account of baptism in his first Apology: "We will now explain the manner wherein we dedicate ourselves to God, being made anew52 in Christ Jesus. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach is true, and undertake to conform their lives to our doctrine, are instructed to fast and pray, and entreat from God the remission of their past sins,53 we fasting and praying together with them. They are then conducted to a place

51 § 16. This notion probably arose from a misapprehension of 1 Cor.

xv. 29.

52 καινοποιηθείς.

53 Ingressuros baptismum, orationibus crebris, jejuniis et geniculationibus orare opportet."-Tertull. de Baptis., c. 20.

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where there is water, and are regenerated by the same mode of regeneration as that wherewith we were regenerated; for they are immersed in the water55 in the name of the Father and Lord of the Universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Ghost."56 It is pleasant to find from this passage, that the early church required not only faith in the neophyte, but faith exercising itself in the devotional acts of fasting and prayer; and moreover, an express undertaking on his part to conform his future life to the Christian doctrine. Not a doubt, therefore, can remain, that she was perfectly correct in her apprehension of the necessity of faith in the receiver, before baptism could be spiritually profitable. We also admit, that under such circumstances, she had reason to hope that, in the majority of instances, the outward sign of baptism would be accompanied by the inward grace. But, nevertheless, there is a confusion, or rather identification, of the one with the other in the expressions here made use of, which is utterly destitute of scriptural authority. 58 Immediately afterwards also, he calls baptism "illumination,"59 a mode of speech which is liable to the same objection. There is not a more copious source of inconvenience and error than

54 ἀναγενησέως.

55 ἐν τῷ ὕδατι λετρὸν ποιῶνται.

56 Just. Apol. I., p. 93. D. e. s.

57 It will be observed that the agency of the Spirit is altogether overlooked in this passage; I lay no stress upon this omission in so loose and inaccurate a writer as Justin. He certainly was orthodox in his opinion upon this point. See Dial. 246. C. rís insíve rỡ ßarlíoμalos (that is, the ceremonial washings) χρεία ἁγίῳ πνεύματι βεβαπτισμένῳ ;

58 Potestatem regenerationis in Deum mandans discipulis dicebat eis: Euntes, &c., Matt. xxviii. 19.-Irenæus, adv. Hær. 3., c. 19.

59 Id., p. 94. D. Qarioμòs. I suspect that the views of Justin were in accordance with the Alexandrian school in regard of the double doctrine; which will account for his applying this epistle to baptism.-Vide infra, p. 92.

these departures from scripture phraseology, in treating upon matters whereof we know nothing but from thence. The grievous misapprehensions which have originated in both these instances we shall soon discover.

On

Irenæus writes thus upon the nature of baptism : "The pentecostal effusion of the Spirit was imparted that the gate of life might be opened to all nations; that in all languages a hymn to God might be sung in unison-the Spirit uniting men of distant tribes in one, and offering them to the Father, the first-fruits of all nations. this account also, the Lord promised that he would send the Paraclete who should make us one with God. For, as dry meal cannot be kneaded into one mass nor made one bread without moisture, so, neither can we, being many, be made one in Christ Jesus without the water which is from heaven: and as a dry and thirsty land if it have no rain produces nothing, so we, being by nature dry trees, can never bear fruit unto life unless the showers of grace descend upon us from heaven.61 For our bodies have received the unity of incorruption by baptism; our souls by the Spirit wherefore, both are needful, since both are profitable unto the life of God through the mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."62 Here, for the first time, so far as I know, we are told of a benefit to the body from the external rite of baptism, totally distinct from the inward grace.63 It is needless to observe that this opinion is altogether destitute of sanction from the inspired wri

60 Primum.

61 "Superna voluntaria pluvia ;" the LXX. rendering of Psa. lxviii. 9. Bpoxy inścia. Heb. 7) ow.

62 Adv. Hær. lib. 3. 19., p. 243. e. s.

63 Tertullian also entertained this notion of the incorruptibility communicated to the body by baptism.-De Res. Car. c. 47.

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