2 Cor. v. 17. But every believer is "in Christ; " for, by faith, believers are united to him. Therefore every believer is a new creature, that is, born of God, or regenerate, whether he have been baptized or not.

Every one that loveth is born of God. 1 John iv. 7. But every believer loveth, for faith worketh by love. Therefore every believer, even before baptism, is born of God.

Every one that doeth righteousness is born of God. 1 John ii. 29. But Cornelius feared God and wrought righteousness before he was baptized. The inference is plain.

He that received the word of the Apostles, in the love and power of it, is declared to be of God, that is, born of God. 1 John iv. 6. comp. 1 John iii. 10. But St. Peter's converts, Acts ii. 41, "gladly received his word" before they were baptized. Therefore St. Peter's converts were of God, that is, born of God, before they were baptized.

We read, Acts xix. 1, &c. of certain persons at Ephesus, who are called disciples, who had been baptized with John's baptism of repentance, and who are said to have believed, whom nevertheless St. Paul directed to be "baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Were these persons regenerate or unregenerate before their second baptism? To say that they were unregenerate, would be to assert, that men may be disciples of Christ, repent

of their sins, and believe in his name, before they experience a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness. If it be allowed that they were regenerate, then it follows that men may be born again before they are "baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." 1

John's baptism was or was not attended with regenerating influence from above. If it was, why did St. Paul direct those who had received it to be baptized again in the name of the Lord Jesus? The notion of a second regeneration is out of the question naturally or spiritually, man can be born but once. If John's baptism was not attended with regenerating grace, how are we to understand the declaration, John i. 12. that to as many as received our Lord, to them gave he power (the privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name? For this assignment of right seems to be coeval with the first exercise of faith by the disciples, previously to the institution of Christian baptism, of which indeed we have no information when or how the Apostles were made partakers. The truth I believe to be, that neither the baptism of John, nor Christian baptism, necessarily conveyed

1 Joseph Mede, Disc. xxvi. Book i. quoting what St. Paul says of his preaching, that he had "testified both to the Jews, and Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards ou Lord Jesus Christ;" most truly adds, That is, the whole mystery of REGENERATION; whereby a man becomes the child of God, and a member of his kingdom.'

regenerating, that is, renewing grace. The former was a sign and outward profession, made by the person baptized, of repentance towards God; and the latter, both of repentance towards God and of faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. And, as God is a party in this solemn transaction, baptism is, on his part, a seal to the promises of pardon and salvation, made in his word to the penitent believer. Comp. Mark i. 4, 5.

purpose.

The case of Apollos, Acts xviii. is also to our He had been instructed in the way, or doctrine, of the Lord Jesus, was fervent in the Spirit, taught diligently the things of the Lord, and spake boldly in the synagogue, while as yet he had received only "the baptism of John." Is it possible that all this can be said of an unregenerate person; of one who is not "dead to sin and born again to righteousness?" Apollos was not only spiritually alive, but, fervent in the Spirit; and in spite of opposition, and at the risk of all that is valuable to man, reputation, property, liberty and life, he preached the Gospel of God our Saviour in the synagogues of the Jews. And yet, if regeneration be confined to the recipient of Christian baptism, this man must have been, at this very period, dead in sin, and a child of wrath; for he was not yet made by Christian baptism a child of grace.

It is asserted by St. Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 14, that the natural man receiveth not the things of the

Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Now, every man on the hypothesis of Baptismal Regeneration, who is unbaptized, is a natural man, (i. e.) unregenerate. No unbaptized person then receiveth the things of the Spirit of God, or can know them. But repentance and faith are things of the Spirit of God, both being effects of his grace on the heart. And repentance and faith are required, both by the Scriptures and our Church, as prerequisites to baptism.

It is moreover asserted by the same Apostle, that they that are in the flesh cannot please God; Rom. viii. 8. But Cornelius pleased God, before he was baptized. Cornelius therefore ceased to be in the flesh, that is, unregenerate (comp. John iii. 6.) before he was baptized. On the contrary, "to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Rom. viii. 6. Repentance and faith are acts, or rather habits of the spiritual mind. But repentance and faith are prerequisites to baptism. A spiritual mind, therefore, which is life and peace, is necessary as a prerequisite to baptism. And, surely, this spiritual mind is the very essence of regeneration.

U. Will you now, my dear Sir, proceed to the second inquiry you proposed to make, whether there are not instances of baptisms recorded, in which we may fairly suppose that no such change took place?

C. It is difficult to prove the negative side of the question, that baptized persons may be unregenerate, because this sweeping answer is made to every case which can be produced, that the baptized person, who is living in sin, has forfeited the grace conferred in baptism. If nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a thousand baptized persons were to be produced, who have not, and who never had any spiritual sensibility, or if an instance be given of one, who like Simon Magus, immediately after baptism, gives proof of a carnal state of heart; the reply would be,-They are fallen from grace communicated to them in baptism. But, surely, if it have appeared that regeneration may precede baptism, it will be easy to believe that baptism may be unaccompanied by regeneration. The onus probandi, therefore, in a case so improbable as that all baptized persons have been “ dead unto sin, and alive to righteousness," lies with those who assert it; and till this be performed, the assertion that the multitudes of baptized persons who are living without God in the world, practical a9εo

T Kooμg, have been regenerated, will have little weight.

Let us, however, see whether any evidence can be found or not, to prove that a baptized person may be unregenerate.

Is not the Apostle John speaking of persons who had been baptized, when he says, 1 Epist. ii. 19.