hurtful pleasures, not only do they cease to be temples of God, but become even ruins, in which evil demons dwell, whom they begin to worship and to serve, and 'to them,' as was said, 'the last state becomes worse than the first.' Wherefore, ye who have 'been born again of immortal seed,'" &c. (Sermo 353, in die octavar, Infantium, T. 5. p. 1374); and again he thus concludes a sermon preached on the day of a public Baptism, with a prayer for those who had just been baptized.
"O Lord, hear us! make us, for Thou hast made us. Make us good, for Thou hast made us men enlightened. They, in white apparel, enlightened, hear Thy word through me. For, enlightened by Thy grace, they stand by Thee. 'This is the day which the Lord hath made.' But let them labour and pray, that when those days are gone, they may not become darkness who are now made the light of the wonders and goodness of God." (S. 120. in Joann. al. de Divers. 84. fin.) The solemnity of the warnings of the fathers are proportioned (as is natural) to the greatness of their conception of the gift bestowed upon us all.
This view is remarkably confirmed by the Baptismal Liturgies of the Antient Church, wherein the title for the newly-baptized is the elect "the newly-elect," as in the Latin Church (Assem. Cod. Lit. T. i. p. 110, sqq.), and Greek (T. ii. p. 133). Election to Baptism is also implied in the Armenian (ib. p. 194. 199, 200) and the Coptic (ib. T. i. p. 149. 160. 167.). They felt the blessedness of being elected to be members of Christ, and sought no further.
Note (O), on page 161.
The holiness, which we learn, from 1 Cor. vii. 14, to belong to the infants of a Christian parent, is, by the Fathers, generally understood of "baptismal holiness;" actual holiness conferred upon them in Baptism: by the school of Calvin, generally of a covenant-holiness, and so of a title to the privileges of the covenant. The two interpretations nearly meet, except that the antients regard, more prominently, God's institution, as the means whereby Christian holiness is first conferred upon us; these moderns regard children as being holy by the will of God, whereof Baptism is the seal or attestation only. Yet, though the expression used by some moderns, "those born of faithful or believing parents," would be in itself ambiguous, it seems certain, that, under this name "believing," all are generally meant to be included who are, by profession. Christians; and so this holiness would belong to all children of Christians. This is, in fact, only to say, that moderns, when expressly commenting on this passage, have not ventured to limit the universality of St. Paul's declaration. The antients, as was said, universally explain this "holiness" of the benefits of Baptism. Thus, Tertullian—"So, truly is no birth, at least, no
