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*' internal Purgation which Baptifm was intended to r^
*' prefent. The fame is to be faid vet more upon the
^' Account of our conforming to the Death and Refur-
' region of Chrifi, which we learn from St. Paul to have
*' the defi^n of Baptifm to fignify •,
for tho that might
«' and was well enough reprefented by the Baptized Per-
*' fons being Buried m Baptifm, and their rifing out of it
« yet can it not be faid to be fo, or at leaft but very im-
« perteaiy bv the bare Pouring out, or Sprinkling the
" baptifmal Water on him. But therefore as there is fo
" much the more Reafon to reprefcnt the Rite of Immer-
" (ion as the only Legitimate Rite of Baptifm, becaufc
" the only one that cananfwer the Ends of its Inftitucion,
« and thofe things which were to be fignihed by it i fo e-
« fpecialty, if (as is well known, and undoubtedly of
*'
gre^t force]) the general Praftice of the Primitive
*' Church was agreeable thereto, and the Greek Church to
" this very day 5 for who can think either the one or the
** other, would have been fo tenacious of fo troublefome
« a Rite, were it not that they were well affured, as they
'' of the Primitive Church might very well be, of its bc-
** ing the only Jnftituted and Legitimate one ?
Thus you fee this Learned Man is forced to confefsagainft
himfelf, that the Inftitution of Chrift was to dip,
plunge, or bury the whole Body in the Water, and only
of fuch as made a profefTion of their Faith ; and that
Sprinkling could not be intended for the Baptifm of Chrifi,
nor that Infants could be the Subjedls of it.
And in the very next Paragraph tells you, " (yii-') How
« to take off the force of the Arguments altogether, is a
" thing I mean not to confider, partly becaufe our Church
** (fee the Rubrick in the Office of Baptifm before the
« words,/ baptise tkeyccm to perfwade fuch anlmmerfioni
«* and partly becaufe I cannot but think the forementioned
^ Arguments to be fo far of Force, as to evince the ne-
" ceffity thereof, where there is not fome greater neceffity
" to occafion an Alteration of it : for what Benefit can
«' Men ordinarily expcd from that which depends for its
** Force upon the Will of him that inflituted it, where
^* there is no fuch Compliacce at the leaft with it, and the
*• Command of the Inftituter, as may anfwcr thofe Ends
" for which he applied it ?
I