Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.-Titus iii.

Few, that is, eight souls were saved in the ark by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.-1 Peter iii.

Testimony of the Church.-I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.-Nicene Creed.

Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration of new Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God.Article xxvii.

In the Baptismal service, prayer is first made that the child may be washed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, that he being delivered from God's wrath may be received into the ark of Christ's Church, and "that this infant coming to holy

Baptism may receive remission of his sins by spiritual Regeneration." The words of Christ are then read which he spoke when he took little children up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. The congregation is then charged to "doubt not but earnestly believe that God will likewise favourably receive this present infant, and embrace him in the arms of his mercy." Prayer is now again made "to give the Holy Spirit to this Infant, that he may be born again." Promise is then made by the sponsors that the child shall be brought up in Christian faith and obedience and afterwards prayer is made that "this water may be sanctified to the mystical washing away of sin, and that the child may receive the fulness of God's grace." When he has been baptized, the people are desired, "seeing that this child is regenerate; to give thanks unto Almighty God, and to pray that he may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning." After the Lord's prayer, the priest shall say as follows. "We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church." In conformity with this service, the Church refuses Christian burial to unbaptized children.

In the Catechism, the Church puts these words in the child's mouth. My Godfathers and God

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mothers gave me this name in my Baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. I heartily thank our heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of Salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. And I pray unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life's end." The child is afterwards instructed in the nature both of the outward sign and the inward grace of his baptism.

OBLIGATIONS OF BAPTISM.

The Scriptures so uniformly urge the necessary duty of obedience on baptized Christians, that it is only needful to mark in particular the following chapters. The sermon on the mount: Rom. xii., xiii. 1 Cor. xiii. Gal. v. Eph. iv., v., vi. Phil. ii., iii., iv. Col. iii. 1 Thes. iv., The Epistles to Timothy

and Titus: Heb. vi. x.

v.

The Epistles of St. James,

St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude.

The Church Prayer Book is no less uniform in its teaching. It will suffice to give the words of Baptism. "We receive this child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do sign him with the sign of the Cross, † in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner, against sin, the world, and the devil; and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto his life's end. Amen.

MEANS OF OBEDIENCE.

Scripture Doctrine.—Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.- -If a son shall ask bread of any of you which is a father, will he give him a stone ?- -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.-St. Luke xi.

Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.-St. Matthew xxvi.

Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.-Eph. iv. Pray without ceasing, in every thing giving thanks. Quench not the Spirit.-1 Thess. v.

Church Doctrine.-We have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will.—Article x.

HOLY BAPTISM.

It separates us from Adam and engrafts us into Christ. It is a resurrection from sin to grace. It discharges us from the debt owing to the justice of God, by our own sins, now fully satisfied by our faith in the sufferings and death of Christ. It cancels the law of death and malediction which was against us. Bp. Wilson.

Now we begin to be reckoned in a new account:

God is become our Father; Christ our elder Brother; the Spirit the earnest of our inheritance; the Church our Mother; our food is the body and blood of our Lord: faith is our learning, religion our employment, our whole life is spiritual, heaven the object of our hopes and the mighty prize of our high calling.-Bp. Jeremy Taylor.

We take not Baptism nor the Eucharist for bare resemblances or memorials of things absent, neither for naked signs and testimonies assuring us of grace received before, but (as they are in deed and in verity) for means effectual, whereby God when we take the sacraments, delivereth into our hands that grace available unto eternal life, which grace the sacraments represent and signify.We receive Christ Jesus in baptism once, as the first beginner, in the Eucharist often, as being by continual degrees the finisher of our life.— Hooker, book v., sec. xliv.

Why are we taught that with water God doth purify and cleanse His Church? (Eph. v. 26.) Wherefore do the Apostles of Christ term baptism a bath of regeneration? (Tit. iii. 5.) What purpose had they in giving men advice to receive outward baptism, and in persuading them it did. avail to remission of sins? (Acts ii. 38.) The grace which is given them with their baptism, doth so far forth depend on the very outward sacrament, that God will have it embraced, not only as a sign or token what we receive, but also as a mean or