member thereof.

Sacraments serve as the instru ments of God to that end and purpose; moral instruments, the use whereof is in our hands, the effect in his; for the use we have his express commandment--for the effect, his conditional promise; so that without our obedience to the one, there is of the other no apparent assurance; as, contrariwise, where the signs and sacraments of his grace are not either, through contempt unreceived, or received with contempt, we are not to doubt but that they really give what they promise, and are what they signify. For we take not baptism, nor the eucharist, for bare resemblances or memorials of things absent, neither for naked signs or testimonies, assuring us of grace received before, but (as they are indeed 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 or signify."*

The preceding observations on the sacraments generally, will go to substantiate and to justify the charge, that the church of Rome perverts and corrupts sacraments of divine institution. How this is done, in reference to the eucharist, will hereafter be shown. Her unscriptural notions respecting baptism, here claim some consideration. To this sacrament, in common with the others, the church of Rome ascribes the inherent and super

* Ecclesiastical Polity, book v. sec. 57.

natural virtue of containing and conferring grace, (ex opere operato.) The Trent Council declares, that, "by the sacrament of baptism the merit of Jesus Christ is applied both to little children and adults,"" the guilt of original sin is remitted,"

baptism is an instrumental cause of justification;" also, "that a full and entire remission of all sins" is the consequence of it.* The Douay Catechism, declaring its effects, says " Baptism gives grace, by which we are made the adopted children of God, and freed from original sin, and likewise from actual, if guilty of it." In "The Catholic Expositor," in answer to the question, "What is the effect of baptism?" the reply given, is, "All sin, original or actual, however vile, obtains remission."

The church of England, though unjustly charged as symbolizing with the church of Rome in her doctrine on this subject, most decidedly, while she maintains the true dignity and intent of baptism, protests against the opus operatum notion of the church of Rome. In her 25th article, in which she speaks of the sacraments generally, she declares expressly, that "in such only as worthily receive the same they have a wholesome effect or operation." In her 27th article on baptism, she says-" Baptism is not only a sign of profession, whereby Christian men are discerned from others

*Decret. de Peccato Originali.-Sess. v. c. vii.-Sess. xiv. c. ii.

that be not christened; but it is also a sign of regeneration or 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 to God." On this article, the excellent commentator Scott remarks-"Baptism is said to be the sign of regeneration; but the sign and the thing signified are not the same, no, nor even inseparably connected. The promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption, are visibly signed and sealed,' not efficaciously bestowed. The expression, they that receive baptism rightly,' refers not to the right administration of baptism by the priest, but to the right reception of it by the baptized person. As faith is in this case confirmed, and grace increased, faith and grace must have been previously possessed by those who receive baptism rightly;' for, if they had no faith or grace, the one could not be confirmed, nor the other increased. And this is not merely by the opus operatum of baptism, but by virtue of prayer.' Though the church of England regards the sacrament of baptism as an ordinance of God, and as connected with gracious promises of spiritual blessings, by which those who receive it have their investiture into the privileges of the new covenant visibly signed and sealed; she looks for the benefits

of this sacrament, not to the bare performance of it, but to the blessing of God and the operation of his Holy Spirit. Hence, at the time of administration, she prays-"Give thy Holy Spirit to this infant, that he may be born again, and be made an heir of everlasting salvation." "We call upon thee for this infant, that he, coming to thy holy baptism, may receive remission of his sins by spiritual regeneration." Thus, the church teaches her members not to look upon the mere administration of this sacrament as efficaciously bestowing these blessings, but directs them to God as the only source of grace, through whose spiritual operation and gracious communications by his own ordinance, these blessings can be effectually and visibly signed and sealed to them.*

As confirming the above remarks, and as strengthening the protest of the church of England against the error of the church of Rome on this subject, many extracts might here be given from the writings of her reformers. One or two extracts will be sufficient.

Dean Nowell, in his Catechism, thus speaks of baptism- "Whereas by nature we are the children of wrath, that is, strangers from the church, which is God's household, baptism is, as it were, a certain entry, by which we are received into the church,

* See the Author's answer to the objections usually alleged against the baptismal service of the church of England—“ Reasons for Attachment to Church of England,” p. 133.

whereof we also receive a most substantial testimony that we are now in the number of the household, and also of the children of God; yea, and that we are joined and grafted into the body of Christ, and become his members, and so grow into one body with him.”

Frith (Martyr) says " The outward sign doth neither give us the Spirit of God, neither yet grace, that is the favour of God. For if through the washing in the water the Spirit of grace were given, then should it follow, that whosoever were baptized should receive this precious gift; but that is not so, wherefore I must needs conclude that this outward sign, by any power or influence that it hath, bringeth not the Spirit or the favour of God."

To the above, we may add the forcible declaration of a later and most distinguished divine of the church of England. Hooker says " The sacraments contain in themselves no vital efficacy; they are not physical, but moral instruments of salvation, duties of service and worship, which, unless we perform as the Author of grace requireth, they are unprofitable. They are moral instruments, the use whereof is in our hands, the effect in his; for the use we have his express commandment-for the effect, his conditional promise."

The church of Rome hath also further erred, and departed from the simplicity of apostolic times, in ordaining certain rites in the administration of the sacrament of baptism, unknown in the Scriptures