Baptism as taught in the Bible and the Prayer Book — John Shaqi
Baptism as taught in the Bible and the Prayer BookHoare, Edward
Religion
Baptism as taught in the Bible and the Prayer Book
Hoare, Edward
Baptism
“And humbly we beseech Thee to grant, that he, being dead unto sin, and
living unto righteous, and being buried with Christ in his death (taken
from Rom. vi.), may crucify the old man, &c.”—_Baptismal Service_.
As in the Scriptures, so in the Prayer Book, this union with Christ in
supposed to lead invariably to the two changes above stated, viz., a
change of condition, and a change heart.
CHANGE OF CONDITION.
“They that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the
promises of forgiveness of sin, and of an 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.”—_Art._ 27.
“Regard, we beseech Thee, the supplications of thy congregation, sanctify
this water to the mystical washing away of sin (from Acts xxii. 16), and
grant that this child now to be baptized therein may receive the fulness
of Thy grace, and ever remain in the number of Thy faithful and elect
children, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”—_Baptismal Service_.
“We give Thee thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased Thee to
regenerate this infant with Thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for Thine own
child by adoption, and to incorporate him into Thy holy
Church.”—_Baptismal Service_.
CHARGE OF NATURE.
“What is the inward and spiritual grace?
“A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; for, being by
nature born in sin and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the
children of grace.”—_Catechism_.
“O merciful God, grant that the old Adam in this child may be so buried
that the new man may be raised up in him.”
“Grant that all carnal affections may die in him, and that all things
belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in him.”—_Baptismal Service_.
There is nowhere In the Prayer Book, any more than in the Bible, the
smallest allusion to the idea of a certain spiritual seed being implanted
at Baptism, which may or may not grow in after life. Both agree in
looking for the highest gifts, and the highest gifts alone. We do not
pray that the child may be put merely into a new position, which he may
use or not, as it may happen, but that he “may be born again, and be made
an heir of everlasting salvation.” We look for a permanent, lasting,
saving change; viz., adoption into God’s family, regeneration by the Holy
Ghost.
And as for the idea that the Church looks for baptismal justification
without a change of heart as its necessary and invariable accompaniment,
we would only ask the advocates of such a theory to explain, if they can,
the language of the Catechism, which says that “the inward and spiritual
grace is a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness.” Never,
surely, does the Church of England teach that there can be such a death
and such a life without an inward and sanctifying change by the Holy
Ghost.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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