PART SECOND.

SCRIPTURAL QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY FOR BAPTISM.

CHAPTER I.

"To the Law and to the Testimony:

"If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in

them,

"And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry."

ISA. viii. 20, 21.

As the passage in Mark xxi. 15, 16, which says, that "he that believes, and is baptized shall be saved;" is thought by many to teach, that a man must be born of the Spirit, (by believing with a heart unto righteousness,) before he ought to be united to the visible church by water baptism.*

It will be shown that the expression, "he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved," so far from proving, or even intimating that the individual was first to believe with a heart unto righteousness, (thereby being born of the Spirit,) and then to be baptized; (for it says, he that believeth and is not shall be-baptized, shall be saved,) that the expression "is baptized," proves that he was already baptized; when he should be saved by exercising saving faith; and that he was already baptized when he exercised it will be fully shown, in the examination of parallel passages.

In the first place, the baptism having been mentioned last, is no proof that it was administered last; for we read in one of the epistles, that "we are chosen, by the sanctification of the Spirit, and the belief of the truth;" yet we find in Eph. i. 13, speaking of this very choice, that the sanctification of the Spirit

* A person is made a member of the visible church by water baptism, and remains one, until he has been regularly expelled.

took place last, although mentioned first. It reads, "in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed," [i. e. sanctified,] "with the Holy Spirit," and although the belief of the truth was mentioned last in their being chosen, (or elected ;) yet here is positive proof that it took place first; then certainly the expression "is baptized," which implies at least, that they were already baptized, is no proof that the baptism took place after they exercised the faith, that should save them.

So far from the text in Mark xvi. 15, proving that the persons referred to were already saved, by being born of the Spirit, when they were to be baptized; it proves that they were to be baptized with water previous to their being saved, and as a condition of salvation; for it says, (not he that is saved, shall be baptized, but) that he that "is baptized shall be saved." In Titus we find WHEN this salvation is to take place; it is not in the next world, but in this: for it says, (not who shall, but) "who hath saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the sanctification of the Spirit, which he shed upon us abundantly by Jesus Christ."

And in 1 Peter, i. 8, 12, in speaking of this salvation, it says, whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, (though now ye see him not, yet) believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving (the end of your faith even,) the SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS; of which SALVATION, the prophets, (who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you,) have inquired and searched diligently, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify; when it testifies before hand, the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow; unto them it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you, &c., with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things [the salvation of the soul by faith in the blood of Christ,] "the angels desire to look into," &c. Also Heb. xi. (after its having dwelt largely upon the faith of the church un

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der the law; it ends by saying,) " and these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise" (i. e. the baptism of the Spirit,) "God having promised some better things for us, that they without" (or before,) "us, should not be made perfect."

In Heb. ix. 8, 9, 13 and 14, it says, the Holy Ghost, [by] this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing, which" (first tabernacle) was a figure of the time then present (in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices,) that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to conscience," "for if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, (who offered himself without spot to God,) purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

Chap. x. 14, 17, it says," For by one offering he hath perfected for ever, them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost, also is a WITNESS to us: for after that he had said before, this is the COVENANT, that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more; now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin." See also viii. 8-12.

Matt. i. 21, it says of Christ, that they shall call his name Jesus, because he shall SAVE his people FROM THEIR SINS. And this undoubtedly is the meaning of the words "saved" and "delivered" in the following quotation from Luke i. 69, 75-" Blessed be the Lord and God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of the holy prophets, (which have been since the world began:) that we should BE SAVED from our enemies, (or from our sins by the salvation of our souls) and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his HOLY COVENANT, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that being DE

LIVERED out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him, without fear in HOLINESS and righteousness, all the days of our lives."

It will be seen that the text in Mark means, that if they should repent of their sins, and believe the evidence of the apostle that Jesus Christ was the Messiah which was promised by the prophets, and were then baptized; that they should be saved by trusting in the "blood of Christ, for the remission of their past sins," [and it is by this faith in the blood of Christ, that a man is born of God, by "being made a partaker of the divine nature."] And in examining the following passages this explanation will be found to be correct.

Ezekiel xxxvi. 25, where the purification by the "baptism of repentance," i. e. water baptism, is foretold in the 25th and 27th verses, where the purifying, or renewal by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is also foretold, the purifying (or baptism,) by clean water, is to be performed before that they should have a new heart, by having the Spirit put within them. This explanation of that prophesy is fully sustained in its fulfilment by the baptism of John, our Saviour, the apostles, and the primitive church.

And secondly, John, (when he was fulfilling "the sprinkling of clean water," prophesied in Ezekiel,) having informed the Jews that he was not the Messiah [which was to "put the Spirit within them," the Jews, supposing from the prophesy that the Messiah, "Elias, or that prophet" foretold them was to put the Spirit within them, and was the only individual that was to sprinkle the clean water upon them:"] they therefore asked him why he baptized them, if he was not the Messiah, &c.; he informed them that he was preparing the way of the Lord, and therefore he indeed (purified, or) baptized them with water, but that he, (Christ) that should come AFTER him, was to baptize (or purify) them with the Holy Ghost, &c.; i. e. "he should put the Spirit within them," which plainly shows that the Spirit (which was promised,) was given after their baptism by water.

Having thus shown, both by the prophesy and by its fulfilment, by John (as it was likewise by Christ and his disciples

before the day of Pentecost,) that persons were admitted or confirmed in the church by water baptism, before they were born of the Spirit by having it "put within them."

It will also be found to correspond with Acts ii. 38, where Peter said unto the convicted Jews and others, (not be born of the Spirit, and then be baptized, but) "repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ,") (not because of but) FOR the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Thus we see they were not to be baptized with water, after that they should be born of the Spirit, (by receiving the Holy Ghost ;) but both the Holy Ghost, and the remission of their sins, was promised unto them upon the condition that they should "repent and be baptized" with water, &c.

The expression in the 19th of the next chapter in connexion with parallel passages, shows plainly, that the Spirit was given after that they had received "the baptism of repentance," (which is water baptism,) it says "repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when, the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord:" This means, that they should determine to do the will of God, as revealed in the Scriptures, (which is repentance,) and embrace the doctrine of christianity, (which is conversion ;) and be united to the church by water baptism, that they might be born of the Spirit.

That the expression "converted," did not mean the forgiveness of their sins, and the new birth, (by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is shed upon those who are born by it abundantly by Jesus Christ,) but the embracing of christianity by water baptism, is evident; for the remission of their sins was to take place after their baptism by water; (when, they should be renewed by being born of the Spirit,) when, the times of refreshing should come from the presence of the Lord. It is therefore evident, that the " blotting out of their sins," by "the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, was to take place after (and not before,) their union to the church by water baptism.

It is further evident, from chap. xxii. 16, that penitent persons