ESSAY ON BAPTISM 583

§ 19. Does it not appear from all this-and I do not state it dogmatically, but merely as proposing to you in clear terms, for your acceptance or rejection, what seems to me to follow from the considerations I have laid before you-that the change of heart in Man is brought about progressively, having certain marked places, of which the principal is that which removes him from a state of condemnation to a state of justification, commonly called Conversion or the new Birth. But that the Beginning of this Change-of which the Man himself and all around him may perhaps be totally unconscious-is as important a phase in the sight of God; and may more properly be termed Regeneration. Connected with this gradual change of heart is the Giving of the Holy Spirit, which it appears alike rash to confound with Conversion or Regeneration, or to limit to any particular time. Scripture is especially indefinite in its evidence on this point; for, observe, the Apostles received the Holy Ghost at Three several periods-once by the Breathing of Christ (John xx. 22), again at Pentecost, and again in answer to their first prayer under persecution (Acts iv. 31)-and on none of these occasions in definite connection with Baptism or conversion; and although on many occasions we find the Holy Ghost given after Baptism by the laying on of hands, yet both faith in God and Good Works are frequently found previously to this special descent of the Spirit (the very Stranger Jews who were baptized at Pentecost having been previously “devout persons”¹; and since faith and good works are supposed by the Evangelical Churchmen only to accompany conversion, and are by all Churchmen acknowledged to be the effect of the influences of the Spirit, it is no presumption to say that contests in the Church must be endless, unless it be admitted that while Regeneration and Conversion only take place once, the Holy Ghost may be given at different times, and for different purposes.

§ 20. If the view of Regeneration which I have above expressed be accepted, it will follow from it that we have no right to deny the fact of Baptismal Regeneration, merely because for some time after Baptism no signs of a change of Heart appear. But if to the Begun work of Christ the Evangelical Churchman insist, as I have supposed he will, upon attributing the same constancy and irrevocability which he attributes to Conversion, then no person who lives and dies unsanctified can possibly have been Regenerate in Baptism; and since it is admitted that many Baptized persons live godless to their deaths, we are compelled to consider next the Second interpretation of the Church’s words which have been above suggested.

§ 21. (II.) “That all persons are regenerate in Baptism, but that regenerated persons are not safe for ever.”

I know that many faithful Christians will recoil from this idea, and God forbid I should either doubt or disturb the assurance He has given to many of those who walk with Him that He will be their God even to the end.² But if, instead of rejoicing in this as a gracious special mercy, they claim it as an undoubted right; if they hold that God cannot desert them; and if on the strength of this supposed impossibility they proceed to dishonour his Resisted Spirit, to call the Grieved Spirit of God no Spirit of God, and

¹ [Acts ii. 5.]

² [Matthew xxviii. 20; Acts vi. 10; Ephesians iv. 30; Psalms xix. 13.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]