such ablution can be effected in no other way, then we should be forced to admit that Paul's sins had not been remitted until he was baptized. But as this would contradict the plainest teach- ings of Scripture ; as Paul himself says that God called him by his grace, and made him a true Christian by revealing his Son in him, by opening his eyes to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, which revelation attended the vision he had on his way to Damascus ; and as the effect of that spiritual revelation was to transform his whole nature and lead him to fall to the ground, and say, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " no one can believe that he was under the wrath and curse of God, dur- ing the three days which intervened between his conversion and his baptism. He did not receive baptism in order that his sins should be washed away ; but as the sign and pledge of their for- giveness on the part of God. He was to be assured of his for- giveness in the ordinance of baptism ; just as a Gentile proselyte to Judaism was assured of his acceptance as one of the people of God, by the rite of circumcision ; but circumcision did not make him a child of God. This passage is perfectly parallel to Acts ii. 38, where it is said, " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, cfe a</>€(nv afjLapTtCjv." The remission of sins was that to which baptism was related ; that of which it was the sign and seal. John's baptism was €is fieravoiav unto repentance. This does not mean that his baptism made men penitent. But it was a confession on the part of those who received it, that they needed repentance, and it bound them to turn from their sins unto God. In Luke iii. 3, it is said, John came " preaching the baptism of repentance for the remis- sion of sins." No man understands this to mean that his baptism secured the remission, or the washing away, of sin in the experi- ence of all the multitude who flocked to his baptism. Neither does the Bible anywhere teach that Christian baptism effects either pardon or regeneration in those still out of Christ.
Direct Arguments against the Doctrine of Baptismal Regenera- tion. It has been shown in the note on the preceding page that the word regeneration in the phrase " baptismal regeneration," is used in very different senses. The sense usually attached to it, in our day, is that inward change in the state of the soul wrought by the Holy Spirit, by which it passes from death unto life ; by which it is born again so as to become a child of God and an heir
600 PART ffl. Ch. XX. — the means of grace.
of eternal life. The doctrine of baptismal regeneration is the doctrine that this inward saving change is effected in baptism ; so that those who are baptized are the subjects of that new birth which Christ declares to be necessary to salvation ; and those who are not baptized have not experienced that new birth and are not in a state of salvation.
1. The first, the most obvious, and the most decisive argument against this doctrine is, that, so far as any work or act of the sin- ner is concerned, the Bible everywhere teaches that the only in- dispensable condition of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up : that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John iii. 14-16.) u He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him " (ver. 36). " I am the bread of life : he that cometh to me shall never hunger ; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John vi. 35.) " This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life : and I will raise him up at the last day " (ver. 40). " He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live : and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John xi. 25, 26.) These are the words of Jesus. This is the gospel which the Apostles preached, going everywhere and saying to every sinner whom they met, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts xvi. 31.) "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." (1 John v. 1.) " Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God ? " (ver. 5.) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but these words can never pass away. No man may add to them, or detract from them. Whosoever believes on the Son hath ever- lasting life. This stands firm. It matters not to what Church he may belong ; it matters not whether he be Jew or Gentile, bond or free, learned or unlearned, good or bad, baptized or unbaptized, whosoever believes shall be saved.
Not every one, however, who says he believes is a true be- liever ; not every one who believes as the devils believe ; but he who has that faith which works by love and purifies the heart, the precious faith of God's elect, every such believer is sure of