One of the first and most important principle, insisted on by our theologians and the framers of our Confessions, is that a passage of Scripture is always to be taken in its natural, plain and literal sense, unless there is something in the text itself, or in the context, that clearly indicates that it is intended to convey a figurative sense. Again: A passage is never to be torn from its connection, but is to be studied in connection with what goes before and follows after. Again--and this is of the greatest importance--Scripture is to be interpreted by Scripture. As Quenstedt says: "Passages which need explanation can and should be explained by other passages that are more clear, and thus the Scripture itself furnishes an interpretation of obscure expressions, when a comparison of these is made with those that are more clear. So that Scripture is explained by Scripture." According to these principles, we ought never to be fully certain that any doctrine is scriptural, until we have examined all that the divine Word says on the subject. In this manner then we wish to answer the question with which we started this chapter: What is written as to the benefits and blessings conferred in baptism? We have already referred to the commission given to the Apostles in Matt, xxviii. 19. We have seen that in that commission our Lord makes baptism one of the means through which the Holy Spirit operates in making men His disciples. In Mark xvi. 16, he says: "_He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved._" In John iii. 5, he says: "_Except a man_"--_i.e._, any one--"_be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God_." In Acts ii. 38, the Apostle says: "_Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins._" Acts xxii. 16: "_Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord._" Romans vi. 3: "_Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death._" Gal. iii. 27: "_For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ._" Eph. v. 25-26: "_Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word._" Col. ii. 12: "_Buried with Him in baptism, wherein ye are also risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God._" Tit. iii. 5: "_According to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost._" 1 Pet. iii. 21: "_The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ._" These are the principal passages which treat of the subject of baptism. There are a few other passages in which baptism is merely mentioned, but not explained. There is not one passage that teaches any thing different from those quoted.