Baptism as taught in the Bible and the Prayer Book

by Edward Hoare

“They that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of forgiveness of sin, and of an adoption to be the sons of God, by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed: Faith is confirmed, and grace increased by virtue of prayer to God.”—Art. 27.

“Regard, we beseech Thee, the supplications of thy congregation, sanctify this water to the mystical washing away of sin (from Acts xxii. 16), and grant that this child now to be baptized therein may receive the fulness of Thy grace, and ever remain in the number of Thy faithful and elect children, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”—Baptismal Service.

“We give Thee thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased Thee to regenerate this infant with Thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for Thine own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into Thy holy Church.”—Baptismal Service.

CHARGE OF NATURE.

“What is the inward and spiritual grace?

“A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; for, being by nature born in sin and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace.”—Catechism.

“O merciful God, grant that the old Adam in this child may be so buried that the new man may be raised up in him.”

“Grant that all carnal affections may die in him, and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in him.”—Baptismal Service.

There is nowhere In the Prayer Book, any more than in the Bible, the smallest allusion to the idea of a certain spiritual seed being implanted at Baptism, which may or may not grow in after life. Both agree in looking for the highest gifts, and the highest gifts alone. We do not pray that the child may be put merely into a new position, which he may use or not, as it may happen, but that he “may be born again, and be made an heir of everlasting salvation.” We look for a permanent, lasting, saving change; viz., adoption into God’s family, regeneration by the Holy Ghost.

And as for the idea that the Church looks for baptismal justification without a change of heart as its necessary and invariable accompaniment, we would only ask the advocates of such a theory to explain, if they can, the language of the Catechism, which says that “the inward and spiritual grace is a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness.” Never, surely, does the Church of England teach that there can be such a death and such a life without an inward and sanctifying change by the Holy Ghost.