[M2.144L]                                                             [M2.144]								144
                                                                      
                                                                      		inconsistent, there in the Spirit not in the Letter:  but
                                                                      		when obedience is possible in both, it is required in
                                                                      		both, nor will any spiritual compliance with God’s word,
                                                                      		justify a literal disobedience of it;  (To keep Sunday
                                                                      		on the 6th instead of the Seventh day for instance. )
                                                                      		The Rite of Baptism is commanded as the sacrament or
                                                                      		instrument of blessing;  If therefore any Christian
                                                                      		dispense with that rite he is disobedient to God, and the
                                                                      		blessing would be refused to his child.  If therefore
                                                                      		Parents Sponsors Minister and congregation were all
                                                                      		servants of God, it would be possible if all were to unite
                                                                      		in prayer to God, that he would bless their child and
                                                                      		receive it as His;  and yet Omit the Material act of
                                                                      		Pouring water on the Child, while He has commanded;  their
                                                                      		prayers would be utterly vain:  The Act of Baptism and the
                                                                      		Faith in which it is performed, are alike inefficacious
                                                                      		one without the other.
                                                                      		And now let us finally ask what is the Kind of Blessing
                                                                      		to be expected in Baptism, and the Lowest degree of it
                                                                      		which can possibly be bestowed.
                                                                      		That lowest degree may be certainly defined as that which
                                                                      		is bestowed in answer to the effectual prayer of One
                                                                      		person and in proportion to the lowest degree of belief
                                                                      		which the person can have in Christ’s Promise
                                                                      		What is that Promise, and how is it to be understood.
                                                                      		Now there are evidently here two questions:  first, What
                                                                      		Christ’s

[Version 0.05: May 2008]