ESSAY ON BAPTISM 585

same, does “the Evil” or evil one stand only for the power of Satan to annoy or tempt, but not to destroy?

(10.) How do you understand the “leaving the first love” of Rev. ii. 4, and what punishment is signified by “moving the candlestick out of his place,” in the 5th verse; what dread should we, as Christians, feel of having our “candlestick moved out of its place?”

(11.)What may we suppose the Church of Sardis had “received and heard,” in Rev. iii. 3, before it stood again in need of repentance? With what judgment is she threatened when Christ says in the same verse He will “come upon her as a thief”?

(12.) Throughout these chapters of Revelations, what is the sense of “overcometh”? Does not the reward promised to him that overcometh imply that some who had entered the combat might be overcome?

(13.) What is the meaning of a man’s name being written in the Book of Life, and blotted out of it?¹

(14.)In John v. 14, and viii. 11, is there no spiritual meaning beneath the literal one? Did Christ mean, in the first of the two passages, to countenance the idea which on other occasions He had expressly reprobated, that temporal misfortune was a punishment for moral delinquency; or if not, what is the “worse thing” which the healed man had to dread?

(15.) Could you spare out of the Bible without missing them the following texts-Matt. xii. 31, 32; Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6; Heb. x. 26, 29, 38; 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21, iii. 17?

I will suppose that after the due weighing of such of the above questions as you may not have considered before, your conclusion is still that the Grace of Regeneration is irrevocable.

Then is there only one more manner of accepting the words of the Church yet to be submitted to you.

§ 22. (III.) May not the efficacy of the Rite of Baptism be dependent on the faith of the Receiver, or, in infant Baptism, of the Sponsor?

This supposition has lately been denounced as heresy.² Of those who thus denounce it, I would fain be permitted to ask one or two questions on my own account.

Suppose in Nero’s time some Roman spy, desiring to do secret service in the catacombs, had with that intent professed belief in Christ, and obtained baptism of St. Paul, would such a man have received the Grace of Christ, and the Inspiration of His spirit?

Or if with no mischievous intention, but at the persuasion of his relations, some young Pagan Pliable³-as ready to believe in Christ as in Jupiter-had asked for baptism as a matter of form, would the rite have been efficacious in this case?

Or if in these days some Heathen, not understanding the English language, but hoping to get money or clothes from an English missionary, were to learn the responses of the Baptismal service by rote and ask to

¹ [Psalms lxix. 28.]

² [In the Gorham affair: see above, Introduction, p. lxxvii.]

³ [See, again, The Pilgrim’s Progress for Christian’s neighbour, Pliable, who went with him as far as the Slough of Despond and then turned back.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]