CH,,,P. II.] BAP'rmu. ?$ The ?;r?f is, if an infidel should beco.?e acquainted with Christianity and embrace it, and yet be in such circumstances as not to have an opportunity of baptism, his desire of receiving it would supply the place o( actual baptism, and, dying in such circumstances, he would certainly be saved. Se?condl?/, If any person shall suffer martyrdom for the faith Christ before he had been able to receive baptism, this would supply place. In the last case the person is 8a/d to be batgibed in ?is own b/ood; in the other case, he is sa/d to be ba/)t/zed in deere. � In opposition to the rigid doctrine of the Church of Rome re* .npecting the absolute necessity of baptism, the following proofs are furnished: (1.) The principal text which they bring to support their doctrine does not prove it. This is, "Unless a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,"John iii, 5. But water seems to be added here, to represent the operation of the Spirit, as fire is added in another place: "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire,"Matt. iii, 11. It is acknowledged that baptism is necessary; but not more so than the other sacrament. Both are neces- sary as helps and mean8 of grace; but not so necessary as that with- out them it were impossible to be saved, when there is manifested no neglect or contempt. (2.) The exceptions which they make to this necessity overturn their exposition of the tex/. These are martyrdom and perfect contri- tion. If our $aviour spoke of baptism in the Roman Catholic sense, there is no privilege for martyrs, for all must be baptized in order to be saved. Nor can satisfaction, or penance, or Perfect contrition, avail if the/r doctrine be true, and therefore the thief on the cross cannot be among the saved, as he was not baptized. Their two except/ous, therefore, of martyrdom and perfect contrition, overturn their sense of John iii, 5. (3.) Children, at least of pious parents, are represented as in a state, even before baptism, which is inconsistent with a state of damnation. '["ney are within the covenant, and to them also belongeth the promise. The Lord 8aith, "I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed," Gen. xvii, 7. And St. Paul saith that the children of the faithful are Aoly, that is, proper, or j?t, to be devoted to God, 1 Cot. vii, 14. If, then, children are in covenant with God, and if they are holy, how can they perish, though they die unbaptized ? (4.) Circumcision was as necessary to the Israelites as baptism is to ua: but their children which died before the eighth day, or before their ?rcumcision, Perished not. David said respecting his child who died on the seventh day, "I shall go to him, he cannot return to me," 2 Sam. xi/, 18, 23; and therefore he believed that the child should be saved, though not circumcised. It is acknowledged that the children whom Herod slew were not circumcised; yet they are all counted 5moco?, and therefore saved. Consequendy, children dying without baptism are saved. {5.) The Holy Spirit may be given before baptism; therefore, life eternal may be had without baptism. For Cornelius and his friends received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized, Acts x, 47. !
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