170							160
                                                                      
                                                                      	compare, etc passage at A p 155 close to end of p 156
                                                                      With these precautions let us approach examine the
                                                                      views stated above in order.
                                                                       1.  That all persons are converted at Baptism, but that
                                                                      conversion does not imply perfect safety.
                                                                      If this but the view of the Church, her idea of  Conver-
                                                                      sion is altogether different from that of many faithful
                                                                      Christians and the question is less of Baptismal regenera-
                                                                      tion than of the nature of Conversion itself.
	Now nearlynevery argument respecting Baptism is complicated          This question must be first cautiously approached and the
by this second question, and every approach to an under-              most necessary perhaps of all that can at present be
standing on our head, is baffled by renewed misunderstandin[g]        proposed.
or the other.  The two questions cannot be settled at                 Many experienced Christians look back to the time; and
once:  and yet they are so closely connected that it is               some to the moment, when they first became servants
difficult to reason out either of them without a side                 of Christ.  Doubtless whether remembered or not there has
reference and  to resoects to the influence which                     been such a moment for all christians.  This is mathema-
              its settlement is likely to have on the other:  The  hightically demonstrable at least unless rare souls are
Churchman will not think out the meaninf of Conversion                 Christ’s from their birth!  But if all those who were
but it should interfere with his notion of the efficacy               ever not Christ’s it is sure there was a time when if they
of Baptism and the Evangelical will not listen to                     had died, they had perished.  Another time when if they
any teaching respecting Baptism which appears likely to               had died they were safe:  There is no neutral ground;
diminish the importance he has attached to the idea of                            A man is either Christ’s or not½ There cannot be therefore
Conversion;  But let us try to get rid of this                        so much as an instant in which he is neither Christ’s
conclusion,  and conclusive fash on of looking at the                 friend nor enemy.  Therefore the change from being the
thing with one eye up and another down                                one or being the other is instantaneous.
                                                                       Now it is also true that a man must be either alive
			      vid. p 4 M.S.                                                or dead, and
                                                                      
                                                                      				  vid p 175

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