Iv.] THE CHURCH'S BAPTISMAL SYSTEM. 239 restore the Catechumen system, bid men (at length) 'give evidence,' by recounting their feelings and their experiences, that they are spiritually Christians, before they are formally admitted and enrolled as His? 'Nay,' answers the Churchman, 'refuse (in my Master's name) I dare not: narrow I will not: bid men be already Christ's scholars, before I admit them to the school of Christ, I cannot,-lest I bring scorn and derision upon the very educational institution with which I am set in charge. But what I can do, I will do, and must do, for His sake. And this I can do: I can expend more toil and care and management on this vast subject; I can call to mind what the system of “sponsors" really means, what "catechising" really implies, and how the wisdom of antiquity knit up each diocese into unity by gathering all its threads into the Bishop's hands, and especially by calling on him to review and seal by "Confirmation" all the Baptismal admissions given by his priests and deacons in his absence. And if it be desirable (as it is most urgently desirable) to bring before my countrymen's very eyes-who have too long been enslaved to a mere bald and prosaic common sense—the beautiful and meaning rites of my Church, in their most plain and speaking forms, I will take advantage of the perilous and disgraceful fact, that thousands in every English town are actually unbaptized, to let down Christ's net visibly among them. I will seek them first by home missions. Those who offer themselves I will train previously as Catechumens. And then I will present before the assembled Church the spectacle of a Baptism in its highest and most normal form: not indeed by immersion,in that point the Church's freedom must be unflinchingly maintained, in order to teach the spirituality of the Lord's sacraments, by using the drop of water and the fragment of bread, to represent the "Regenerating Bath 51" and the Eucharistic Feast,-but by placing the adult and instructed convert before the whole "congregation of Christ's flock," and then admitting him publicly,—both by Baptism and (if possible) by Confirmation also,-to all the privileges of a Christian.' If the Baptists,—even by their deeply to be regretted and mistaken separation,—shall have taught the Church, or reminded her of, some of these truths, their testimony will not have been thrown away nor their sufferings in the olden time have been in vain. And if God would grant them, or those (at least) of them who are the most loosely attached to Calvinism, such grace of charity, humility, and brotherly-love, as should whisper in their consciences-'the Church of Christ thou mayest not thus lightly rend: not "he that defileth," but "he that destroyeth (p0elpei) the Church of God, him (saith the Apostle) shall God destroy:" and therefore to strengthen the Church with what thou hast to contribute of truth and earnestness, not to weaken it by withdrawing them and thyself from her service,-this is thy bounden duty to thy Lord, I believe that the return of such men to an honoured place within her ranks, would be as when brothers are reconciled after a long estrangement. The hands once clasped, the mutual confession of past sins, hasty words, of passionate deeds, once honestly made,—a thousand causes of misunderstanding would at once be cleared away. And-instead of bitter rivalry, and the devilish spirit of jealousy and hate, -union and concord might once more produce their miraculous effects upon the heathen, as of old; effects as dear to 51 The lavacrum regenerationis,' Iren. v. 15, 3. IV.] HOPES OF REUNION. 241 the heart of our Baptist brethren, as they are to our own, and expressly promised by our Lord Himself on condition of ecclesiastical unity, when He prayed 'that they may be ONE in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent ME 52' 53 John xvii 21. R APPENDIX G. The Baptist Confessions of Faith. [The first is a form drawn up, in 1646, by seven Congregations in London, 'for vindicating of the truth.. and taking off those aspersions which are frequently-both in pulpit and print-unjustly cast upon them.' The second Confession (modelled on the Westminster Confession') was published in 1677; and was afterwards reprinted, with approval and recommendation from more than a hundred congregations, in 1689. The former is to be found in Neal (Toulmin's edition), iii. 559: the latter was republished, in 1863, by Mr. Spurgeon. In both cases, I have only given what seemed of special importance or interest.] ... (I.) The Lord our God is but one God, whose subsistence is in Himself.. (II.) In this divine and infinite Being there is the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. . (III.).. God hath, before the foundation of the world, foreordained some men to eternal life through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of His grace: leaving the rest in their sin, to their just condemnation, to the praise of His justice (VIII.) The rule of this knowledge, faith, and obedience, concerning the worship of God,-in which is contained the whole duty of man,-is (not men's laws, or unwritten traditions, but) only the Word of God contained in the Scriptures; .. which are the only rule of holiness and obedience for all saints, at all times, in all places to be observed. . (XXI.) Jesus Christ by His death did purchase salvation for the elect that God gave unto Him; these only have interest in Him and fellowship with Him. . The free gift of eternal life is given to them, and none else.. (XXIII.) All those that have this precious faith wrought in them by the Spirit, can never finally nor totally fall away . (XXXIII.) The Church is a company of visible saints, called and separated from the world by the Word and Spirit of God, to the visible profession of the faith of the Gospel; being baptized into that faith.. (XXXV.) And all His servants.. are to lead their lives in this walled sheepfold and watered garden, . . to supply each other's wants, inward and outward .. (XXXVI.) Being thus joined, every Church hath power given them from Christ, for their well-being to choose among themselves meet persons for elders and deacons . . and none have power to impose on them either these or any other .. (XXXIX.) Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, given by Christ, to be dispensed upon persons professing faith, or that are made disciples; who, upon profession of faith, ought to be baptized and after to partake of the Lord's Supper . . (XL.) The way and manner of dispensing this ordinance, is dipping or plunging the body under water. It, being a sign, must answer the things signified; which is, that interest the saints have in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; and that as certainly as the body is buried under water, and risen again, so certainly shall the bodies of the saints be raised by the power of Christ, in the day of the resurrection, to reign with Christ. (XLVIII.).. We acknowledge with thankfulness, that God hath made this present king and parliament honourable in throwing down the prelatical hierarchy.. and concerning the worship of God, there is but one lawgiver.. Jesus Christ; who hath given laws and rules sufficient, in His Word, for His worship; and to make any more, were to charge Christ with want of wisdom or faithfulness, or both. . . It is the magistrates' duty to tender the liberty of men's consciences.. without which all other liberties will not be worth the naming.. Neither can we forbear the doing of that, which our understandings and consciences bind us to do. And if the magistrates should require us to do otherwise, we are to yield our persons in a passive way to their power (The conclusion.) Thus we desire to give unto Christ that which is His ... Also we confess, that we know but in part, and that we are ignorant of many things which we desire and seek to know. And if any shall do us that friendly part, to shew us from the Word of God that we see not, we shall have cause to be thankful to God and to them. But if any man shall impose on us anything that we see not to be commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, we should rather . . die a thousand deaths, than to do anything.. against the light of our own consciences.' ... The second Confession' (in thirty-two chapters): 1689. '(I.) The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.. Nothing is at any time to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that.. there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. . The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. . (II.).. In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences. . which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of |