commentators, I feel a natural desire to give the reasons of my opinion at full length, and I think that the importance of the subject in the present day justifies me in doing so. In giving theee reasons I must decline entering into questions which are not directly before me. The value of the sacrament of baptism, — the right of infants to baptism, — the true meaning of the Church of England Baptismal Service, are matters which I shall not touch. The meaning of our Lord's words, " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit," is the only point to which I shall confine myself I believe that in using thess words our Lord did not refer to baptism, and I think so for the following reasons.
(a.) Firstly, there is nothing in the words of the text which necessarily requires to be referred to baptism. " Water," — " wash- ing,"— and " cleansing" are figurative expressions, frequently used in Scripture, in order to denote a spiritual operation on man's heart. (See Psa, li. 7-10 ; Isai. xliv. 3 ; Jer. iv. 14 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 25 ; John iv. 10; vii. 38, 39) The expression, "Born of water and of the Spirit," is doubtless very peculiar. But it is not more peculiar than the parallel expression, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." (Matt. iii. 10.) To explain this last text by the tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost, is an utterly unsatisfactory interpretation, and confines the fulfilment of a mighty general promise to one single act and one single dny. I believe that in each case an element is mentioned in connection with the Spirit, in order to show the nature of the Spirit's opera- tion. Men must be "baptized with the Holy Ghost," purifying their hearts from corruption, as fire purifies metal, and must be "born of the Spirit," cleansing their hearts as luater cleanses the body. The use of fire and water as the great instruments of purification, was well known to the Jews. See Num. xxxi. 23, where both are mentioned together. Chrysostom well remarks that " Scripture sometimes connects the grace of the Spirit with fire, and sometimes with water."
(h.) Secondly, the assertion that " water " must mean baptism, because baptism is the ordinary means of regeneration, is an assertion utterly destitute of Scriptural proof. It is no doubt written of professing saints and believers, that "they have been buried with Christ in baptism," and that " as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Rom. vi. 4 ; Gal. iii. 27.) But there is not a single text which declares that baptism i.j the only way by which people are born again. On the contraiy, we find two plain texts in which regeneration is distinctly a crib- ed, not to baptism, but to the word, (1 Pet. i. 23 ; James i. 18.) Moreover the case of Simon Magus clear iy proves, that in apos- tolic times all persons did not receive grace when they were baptized. St. Peter tells him a very few days after his baptism