charity, respecting those who had been consecrated to God in baptism ; and that our reformers studiously followed the Apostle, both in his spirit and language : and that, if we do not complain of the Apostle, or refuse to read his words, neither ought we to complain of our reformers, or refuse to use their words ; when their only fault has been, if fault it may be called, in adhering so closely to the example and the language of an inspired Apostle.
I make not these observations wantonly, to pro- voke controversy; but in a spirit of love, with a view to satisfy the minds of any, if such there be amongst us, who have been stumbled in any respect at the expressions referred to in our baptismal service. And I shall think my pains well bestowed, if I may produce in any scrupulous mind the peaceful con- viction which the foregoing thoughts have imparted to my own bosomq.
If it be thought that the foregoing observations are liable to abuse, they will be found effectually guarded by the Apostle himself, who proceeds to shew,
II. What in reality we possess, when once we become really Christ's —
" If we be Christ's, then are we Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Now, let us, for a moment, return to the Apostle's argument. He shews, that Christ being the Seed to whom the promises in the Abrahamic covenant were made, all who are in Christ must, of necessity, inherit those promises : and that, as Abraham partook of those promises simply by faith, whilst yet he was in an uncircumcised state, so all his believing posterity also are entitled to a participation of them simply by faith, without any legal observance whatsoever.
<J In this passage, precisely as we in our Baptismal Service, the Apostle uses distributive individuality, [If a person wish to prose- cute this subject further, he may compare the first answer in our Catechism with Rom. ix. 4 ; where the Apostle's language is the evi- dent ground-work of that which our Reformers have used.]