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The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

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Let us look at the representations of the New Testament. I. MARK<br />

xvi. 16. "He that believeth, AND IS BAPTIZED, shall be saved; but he<br />

that believeth not shall be damned." (<strong>The</strong> Saviour does not repeat the<br />

allusion to Baptism in the second part of this sentence, because he that<br />

does not believe is already condemned, whether baptized or not.) Here is<br />

something mentioned as a MEAN, to wit, Baptism, <strong>and</strong> salvation is IN<br />

SOME SENSE conditioned upon it. When men read: "He that believeth,<br />

<strong>and</strong> is not baptized, shall be saved," they separate what God has joined,<br />

<strong>and</strong> contradict our Lord. But here, doubtless, our Lord draws the<br />

distinction in which our Church follows Him: faith is ABSOLUTELY<br />

essential to salvation, baptism ORDINARILY essential only.<br />

2. ACTS II. 38. "<strong>The</strong>n Peter said unto them, Repent <strong>and</strong> BE<br />

BAPTIZED, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the<br />

remission of sin, <strong>and</strong> ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Here<br />

Baptism is represented as one mean, <strong>and</strong> for those who could have it, as<br />

the indispensable mean, to the remission of sin, <strong>and</strong> the receiving of the<br />

Holy Spirit.<br />

3. ACTS XXII. 16. "Arise <strong>and</strong> be baptized, <strong>and</strong> wash away thy sins,<br />

calling on the name of the Lord."<br />

4. ROMANS VI. 3. “Know ye not that so many of us as were<br />

baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into His death? <strong>The</strong>refore we are<br />

buried with Him by baptism into death."<br />

5. 1 COR. XII. 13. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one<br />

body." Here the agency of the Holy Spirit in Baptism, <strong>and</strong> the fact that in<br />

Baptism rightly received we are ingrafted into the one body of Christ, are<br />

distinctly taught.<br />

6. GAL. III. 27. “For as many of you as have been baptized into<br />

Christ, have put on Christ." Baptism, in its whole compass <strong>and</strong> intent, is<br />

not meant to introduce into mere outward relations, but bears with it a<br />

grace by which he who rightly uses it is invested with the righteousness of<br />

Christ. 7. COL. II. 12. "Buried with Him in Baptism, wherein (i. e. in<br />

Baptism) also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of<br />

God." 8. 1 PETER III. 20. "<strong>The</strong> ark....wherein few, that is, eight souls, were<br />

SAVED BY water. <strong>The</strong> like figure whereunto

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