glian or Calvinist school, and the early Socinians, on the subject of Baptism, no particular pains have been taken to select those in which there was most verbal resemblance: on the contrary, the writer recollects that he observed many passages in some principal writers of the reformed school, more exactly corresponding with the rationalist, or à priori, maxims of the Socinians, than those which he subsequently noted, and here exhibits: in other cases, he could not recover, without loss of time, the parallel passages to the Socinian statements, which had gradually drawn his attention to the similarity of the two schools. This appeared however of the less moment, and not worth a laboured research, inasmuch as it is the general similarity only of their mode of interpretation and their maxims, which is here held out as a warning: fuller identity, on this one doctrine of the Sacraments, might be established; but this, it is hoped, will suffice as a warning, and with that end only should such a parallel be presented. If the investigation is pursued as an historical subject, the interest which all inquiry, as such, involves, is likely to make the exhibition cease to be painful, and then it will probably be hurtful to those who engage in it.
| Acts ii 38. | |
Zuingli-Calvinists. Piscator ad loc. "'for the remission of sins.' A metonymy of the subject: For it is not to obtain the remission of sins by this mean or instrument; since faith alone is that mean or instrument, whereby in the Gospel we lay hold of remission of sins;" and ap. Gat. p. 111. That those words 'for the remission of sins,' do not mean to obtain by this act remission of sins,' one may judge," &c. Calvin ad loc.—"Although, in the order of words, Baptism here precedes remission of sins, in reality it follows, since it is nothing else than the sealing of those good things which we obtain through Christ, that they may be established in our consciences. Since Baptism is a seal, whereby God confirms this benefit to us, it may rightly |
Socinians. Quoted with approbation by Wolzogen ad loc. Socinus de Bapt. Aquæ. c. 7.—"Since it is most certain that sins are effaced by repentance and faith, and that each must precede the baptism of water, if rightly received, sins being washed away by water-baptism can mean nothing else, than that it is declared by baptism that sins are already removed, and this is publicly as it were sealed." "The words washing, purging, cleansing, expiating, remitting, &c. in Holy Scripture often mean not the thing itself, but the declaration of that thing; so F. Vatablus in many places of the Old Testament." "Peter by no means attributes remission of sins to that Baptism, or solemn ablution, but |
