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waters of baptism, according to that of Tertullian,“ Nos pisciculi secundum ixov nostrum, Jesum Christum, in aquá nascimur, We fishes are born in water, conformable to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, IXOYZ;" which, as I have observed in another place, was an acrostic or technical name, made of the initial letters of our Saviour's several titles in Greek, Ιησές, Χριτός, Θεῦ Υἱος, Σωτήρ, which put together, make up the name IXOYZ, which signifies a fish, and is alluded to not only by Tertullian, but by Prospers and Optatus. Hence baptism had the name of Пadıyyevɛoía Yuxñç in Cyril's Catechism, the regeneration of the soul; and Yowp Zwns, the water of life, in Justin Martyr; and Fons Divinus, in Cassiodore, the divine fountain, whence comes our English name, font; with many other titles of the same importance. And because this new birth was wrought by the power and influence of the Spirit, therefore it was called the spiritual birth, whereby those who were born carnally to the world before, were now born spiritually to God. And so as Optatus words it,s God was hereby made Father of men, and the holy Church their mother. For till men were baptized, they were not perfect members of Christ's body, the Church, nor properly adopted into God's family, and consequently had as yet no right to call God their father, or the Church their mother. because the divine operations of the Holy Spirit, in sanctifying grace, are sometimes in Scripture called the unction or anointing of the Spirit, therefore baptism had also the name of chrism or unction, from this noble effect attending it. Gregory Nazianzen takes notice of this among many other titles of honour: "We call it " says he," " the gift, and grace, and baptism, and unction, and illumination, and garment of immortality, and laver of regeneration, and seal or character, and whatever else is precious or honourable." 1 Tertul. de Bapt. cap. i. 2 Book i. Chap. i. n. 2. 3 Prosper. de Prædict. et Promissis. Par. ii. cap. 39. 4 Optat. lib. iii. p. 62. 5 Cyril. Catech. Præfat. n. 10. 6 Justin. Dial. p. 231. 7 Cas-. siodor. in Cantic. cap. 7. 8 Optat. lib. ii. p. 52. Dum Trinitas cum fide concordat, qui natus fuerat sæculo, renascitur spiritaliter Deo. Sic fit hominum pater Deus, sancta sic fit mater Ecclesia. 9 Naz. Orat. 40. de

And

Bapt. p. 638. Δῶρον καλέμεν, χάρισμα, βάπτισμα, χρίσμα, φώτισμα, ἀφθαρσίας ἔνδυμα, λετρον παλιγγενεσίας, σφραγίδα, πᾶν ὅτι τίμιον.

And in explaining these terms, he particularly notes that it had the name of unction, because it was a sacred and a royal thing, as those things usually were that were anointed. Whence every man was in some sense made a king and a priest to God by Christ in his baptism, upon which account St. Jerom1 styles baptism, Sacerdotium Laici, the layman's priesthood, in contradistinction to the clerical priesthood, which was only conferred by ordination.

SECT. 4.-Orioμòs, Illumination.

Another effect of baptism was the enlightening men's understandings with divine knowledge. Hence baptism had the name of Pwrioμòs, Illumination, as it frequently occurs in Chrysostom, Nazianzen, Dionysius the Areopagite, the council of Laodicea, and many others. The reason of which name seems to be partly from the preceding instruction of the catechumens in their preparation for baptism, according to that of Justin Martyr,6" this laver is called illumination, because the minds of those, who learn these things, are enlightened." Then again, because it was the entrance on an enlightened state, and the introduction to divine knowledge, which grew by degrees to greater perfection: for Justin's words may be understood of the knowledge consequent to baptism. And so the reason is given by Clemens Alexandrinus,' and the author under the name of Dionysius,8 because it confers the first light, and is the introduction to all other divine illuminating mysteries, therefore from the effect, it was dignified with the name of illumination. Perhaps it might be so called in regard also that the baptized were now admitted to all the mysterious parts and recondite knowledge of religion, which by the discipline of the Church, were kept secret from them whilst they were

1 Hieron. Dialog. advers. Lucifer. cap. 2. Sacerdotium Laici, id est, baptisma. Scriptum est enim, ' regnum quippe nos et sacerdotes Deo et patri suo fecit.' Et iterum, 'gentem sanctam, regale sacerdotium, &c. 2 Chrysost. Hom. 13. in Heb. p. 1848. 8 Naz. Orat. 40. de Bapt. p. 638. * Dionys. Hierar. Eccl. cap. 2. 5 Con. Laod. can. 47. 6 Justin. Apol. 2. p. 94. Καλεῖται δὲ τῦτο τὸ λετρὸν φωτισμός, ὡς φωτιζομένων τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ταῦτα μανθανόντων. 7 Clem. Alex. Pædagog. lib. i. c. 6. p. 93. › Dionys. Eccl. Hier. cap. 3. p. 283. 'Eneidàv æpÚT8 PWTÒC μεταδίδωσι, καὶ πασῶν ἐτιν ἀρχὴ τῶν θείων φωταγωγιῶν, ἐκ τῶ τελεμένε τὴν ἀληθῆ τὸ φωτίσματος ἐπωνυμίαν ὑμνᾶμεν.

catechumens. And perhaps some regard might be had to the plentiful effusion of the Spirit in the gift of tongues, knowledge, and prophecy, which in the apostolical age was immediately conferred at baptism, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles.'

SECT. 5,-And Salus, Salvation.

Another effect of baptism, was eternal salvation, as it was the ordinary means, not only of obtaining remission of sins, but of bringing men by the grace and blood of Christ to the glory of the kingdom of Heaven. Whence, as St. Austin observes, it was very common among the Punic, or African Christians, to call baptism by the name of Salus, salvation; as they did the sacrament of the body of Christ, by the name of life, because these two sacraments were reputed necessary to the obtaining of salvation or eternal life. And upon this account Gregory Nazianzen, introducing a person pleading for liberty to delay his baptism, makes him speak after this manner; "I stay only for my father, or mother, or brother, or wife, or children, or friends, or some near relations, and then I will be saved,—τηvikaūтa ownooμa;" the meaning of which must needs be, that then σωθήσομαι; he would be baptized, in order to obtain salvation. Such honourable titles and appellations did the Ancients give to this sacrament of baptism, taken from the noble effects which it was supposed to confer on all those who were worthy partakers of it.

SECT. 6. From the Nature and Substance of it, it was called Mysterium, Sacramentum, and Zopayis.

Next, from the nature and substance of it, it had the names of Mysterium, Sacramentum, and Zopayiç. The two first of which are so common, and so well known to every reader, that I need not here spend time to explain them. Only I shall note, that the terms, mystery and sacrament, are sometimes taken in a larger sense, to signify any sacred ceremony,

1 Chrys. Hom. 54. de Util. Sect. Script. tom. v. p. 680. 2 Aug. de Pec. Merit. lib. i. c. 24. tom. vii. p. 294. Optimè Punici Christiani baptismum ipsum nihil aliud quàm salutem et sacramentum corporis Christi, nihil aliud quàm vitam vocant, &c. Naz. Orat. 40, de Bapt. p. 655.

or any part of religion that had any thing of spiritual or mystical signification in it: of which there will be a more proper place to discourse, when we come to treat of confirmation. The name Σppayiç, and Signaculum, the seal of the Lord, is a little more uncommon, as applied to baptism, and therefore has occasioned some errors among learned men, who often mistake it, either for the sign of the cross, or the consignation and unction that was used in confirmation. Thus in that famous discourse of Clemens Alexandrinus, intituled Quis Dives Salvetur? part of which is recorded in Eusebius,' and the whole published by Combefis, it is said that the bishop, to whose care St. John had committed a certain young convert, first instructed or catechized him, and then gave him the perfect phylactery or preservative ágainst sin, namely, the seal of the Lord,-v oppayida 78 Kupis. Now by the seal of the Lord, Christophorson, and Bellarmin, and others from him, understand confirmation. Mr. Seller, and some others, will have it to be the sign of the cross; but Valesius, and Daille,5 more truly expound it of baptism, which was called, the seal of the Lord, because in the very nature of it there is contained a covenant made between God and man; and baptism being the seal of this covenant, it was with the greatest propriety of speech styled, the seal of the Lord. In this sense the ancient author of the Acts of Paul and Thecla uses the name Eppayis, for baptism. "Give me," says Thecla to St. Paul, the seal of Christ, and no temptation shall touch me." And Hermes Pastor, in like manner, speaking of some that were baptized and gone to heaven, uses the same dialect: "They that are now dead, were sealed with the seal of the Son of God, and are entered into the kingdom Combefis, Auctarium Novissimum, p. 185. 4 Vales. Not. in. Euseb. lib. iii. 5 Dallæus de Confirmat. lib. ii. c. i. p. 110. 6 Acta Theclæ, ap. Grabe Spicileg. tom I. p. 106. Δός μοι τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ σφραγίδα, και εχ ἅψεται με πειρασμός. 7 Hermes Past. lib. iii. Simil. 9. n. 16. Illi igitur defuncti sigillo Filii Dei signati sunt, et intraverunt in regnum Dei. Antequam enim accipiat homo nomen Filii Dei, morti destinatus est; at ubi accipit illud sigillum, liberatur à morte, et traditur vitæ. Illud autem sigillum aqua est, in quam descendunt homines morti obligati, ascendunt verò vitæ assignati. Et illis igitur prædicatum est illud sigillum, et usi sunt eo ut intrarent in regnum Dei.

2

1 Euseb. lib. iii. c. 23, Seller, Life of Just. Martyr. p. 102. c. 17.

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of God. For before a man receives the name of the Son of God, he is consigned over to death; but when he receives that seal, he is freed from death, and consigned over to life. Now that seal is water, into which men descend bound over to death, but rise out of it, marked out or sealed unto life. This seal therefore was preached unto them, and they made use of it, that they might enter into the kingdom of God." In all this passage, there is no express mention made of baptism, but it is called the seal and name of Christ, because it sets the mark and name of Christians on us, and distinguishes us from Jews and Gentiles, and shows that we belong to the dominion and possession of Christ. Hence Tertullian frequently calls it, Signaculum fidei, the signature of our faith: and says we are distinguished from Jews by this signature in our bodies,* "because their signature was circumcision, but ours baptism." In like manner, Gregory Nazianzen, accounting for the reason of this name, says it was called the seal of the Lord, "because it was an indication to whose dominion we belong, and because it was the consignation of us to eternal life." In which respect, Constantine at the hour of death, desiring the benefit of baptism from the bishops that were about him, is said by Eusebius* to ask it in these words; "Now is the time for me to enjoy the seal of immortality; now is the time for me to obtain the seal of salvation." Whence it was also called the seal of the Spirit, because every worthy receiver was supposed, together with the outer element, to receive the earnest of the Spirit in baptism: according to that of Chrysostom, as a mark is set upon soldiers, so the Spirit is put upon true believers. And as the Jews had circumcision for their character, so we have the earnest of the Spirit. And this distinction between the internal and

1 Tertul. de. Spectat. c. 4.

Ad principalem auctoritatem convertar, ipsius signaculi nomen. It. c. 24. Hoc erit pompa diaboli, adversus quam in signaeulo fidei ejeramus. 2 Tertul. Apol. c. 21. Neque de ipso signaculo corporis, neque de consortio nominís cum Judæis agimus. 8 Naz. Orat. 4 Euseb. de Vit. Constant. lib. iv. c. 62. "Opa κι ἡμᾶς ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς ἀθανατοποιᾶ σφραγίδος, ὥρα τῆ σωτηρίς σφραγίσματος μετασχεῖν. 5 Chrysost. Hom. iii. in 2. Cor. in fine. Ka arep spaziúrai

40. de Bapt. p. 639.

σφραγὶς, ὕτω καὶ τοῖς πιτοῖς τὸ Πνευμα ἐπιτίθεται, &c.