“‘And the Shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass’ (Luke ii. 15). The Saviour being desirous of weaning altogether the hearts of His own people from worldly glory, not only chose to be born in poverty, but to be announced _to_ poor folk, and to be proclaimed _by_ them. And this He chose lest the beginning of our faith should stand in human glory or wisdom, _which is foolishness with God_, whereas He desired that it should be ascribed to Divine grace only; therefore the Apostle says, ‘_After the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared_,’ &c. _Kindness and love_ in His conversation, and His nativity into this world, by taking our flesh; _of God our Saviour_, by His own vast clemency; _not by works of righteousness which we have done_, for _we were by nature children of wrath_, so that our works were not done in justice, nor could we gain safety by them; but _according to His mercy He saved us_ by present grace and by future glory, as _we are saved by Hope_; and it is _He who hath called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Ghost_, that is, by the washing of Baptism, which is a spiritual regeneration, for, _except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God_. Water cleanses the body without, and the Spirit purges the soul within. In Baptism man ends the old life which _was under the law_, that he may begin the new life which is _under grace_; so that he who believes is daily renewed more and more _by the Spirit, which is given us_ in Baptism; as says the Apostle, _Be renewed in the spirit of your mind_,” &c. Of a similar character are the sermons of Helmesius, and the simple; earnest, and thoughtful postils of Polygranus. There is another observation which I must make upon these venerable preachers. It is impossible to read them attentively without observing how different in tone they are to modern ultramontane theologians, and how sadly modern Romanism has drifted from primitive traditions, and how rapid has been its descent, when this is noticeable by ascending the stream of time but a few centuries. I am not prepared to say that there is nothing false and unprimitive in the doctrine of these great preachers, but that doctrinal corruption was not then fully developed. I suppose that an English priest would find it hard to select a sermon of the new Roman school, which he could reproduce in his own pulpit; but if he were to turn to these great men of a past age, he would meet with few passages which he should feel himself constrained to omit. The germ of evil had been slowly expanding through the middle ages; it flowered at the close, and now it has seeded, and become loathsome in its corruption.