I. First, I propofe to treat of Regeneration, fhewing what it means, and what it contains, and what Relation it bears to Christian Baptism, called the Laver, or Fountain of it. Regeneration paffively confider'd, is but another Word for the new Birth of a Chriftian: And that new Birth, in the general, means a fpiritual Change wrought upon any Perfon, by the Holy Spirit, wrought in the ufe of Baptifm; whereby he is tranflated from his natural State in Adam, to a Spiritual State in Chrift. The Name, or the Notion, probably, was not altogether new in our Lord's Time: For, the Jews had been used to admit Converts from Heathenifm into the Jewish Church, by a Baptifm of their own; and they called the Admiflion or Reception of fuch Converts by the Name of Regeneration, or new Birth; as it was fomewhat like the bringing them into a new World. Such Profelytes were confidered as dead to their former State of Darkness, and born anew to Light, Liberty, and Privileges, among the Children of Ifrael, and within the Church of God. The Figure was eafy, natural, and affecting; and therefore our Lord was pleased, in his Conference with Nicodemus, to adopt the fame kind of Language, applying it to the Cafe of admitting Converts both from Judaism and Paganism into Chriftianity; transferring and fanctifying the Rite, the Figure, and the Name to higher and holier, but ftill ftill fimilar Purposes: fuch is the Account given of this Matter by many learned and judicious Writers. It appears extremely probable, from the Authorities commonly cited for it; and it is particularly favoured by thofe Words of our Lord to Nicodemus, expreffing fome kind of Marvel at his flownefs of Apprehenfion; Art thou a master of Ifrael, and knoweft not these things h? Some Doubts have been raised on this Head, and fome very learned Persons have exprefs'd their Diffidence about it: But, all Things confidered, there does not appear to be fufficient Reason to make Question of it. So much for the Name and Notion of Regeneration, and the Original of it, together with the Occafion of our Lord's applying it to this Cafe. Indeed, he improved the Notion, by the Addition of the Spirit: Selden, de Jur. Nat. & Gent. 1. 2. c. 2, 3, 4. Wotton, Mifcellan. difc. vol. 1. p. 103, &c. A../7/81 Others referr'd to in Fabricius, Bibl Antiq. p. 386. Deylingius, Obferv. facr. Part 3. Differt. 34. p. 323, 324. Weffelius, Differt. 15. de Bapt. Profelytorum, p. 444, &c. n John iii. 10. i The very learned Wolfius feveral times fpeaks doubtfully of it, Car. Critic. Vol. 1. p. 53, 815. Vol. 2. p. 445. But it will be proper to compare Weffelius, who has appeared fince, and who has profeffedly treated this Argument, and done it in a very accurate way, recapitulating all that had been urged on both fides the Queftion, and at length deciding in favour of what I have mentioned. The Title of the Book is, Jobannis Weffelii differtationes Academica, ad feletta quædam loca V. N. Teftamenti. Lugd. Batavorum. A. D. 1734. Spirit: And he enlarged the Use of the Rite, by ordering that every one, every Convert to Chriftianity, every Candidate for Heaven, should be baptized k Every one must be born of Water and the Spirit: Not once born of Water, and once of the Spirit, fo as to make two new Births, or to be regenerated again and again, but to be once new born of Both, once born of the Spirit, in or by Water; while the Spirit primarily or effectively, and the Water fecondarily or inftrumentally concurs to one and the fame Birth, ordinarily the Refult of Bothm, in virtue of the Divine Appointment. Hence it was, that the ancient Doctors of the Church, in explaining this Article, were wont to confider the Spirit and the Water under the lively Emblem of a conjugal Union, as the two Parents; and the new-born Chriftian as k "What Alterations were intended to be made by our Lord, " he himself declared: He told Nicodemus, that except a Man, (ris, i. e. every one, without Diftinction of Sexes) be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. He there "fhews that Baptifm was inftituted for all Mankind, in oppo"fition to their Doctrine who taught that Children of Profelytes, born after Profelytifm, needed not to be baptized. "Wotton, Mifcell. difc. Vol. 1. p. 111. 66 Vid. Marckii, differtat. Syllog. ad N. Teft. differt. 21. m Neque enim Spiritus fine Aqua operari poteft, neque Aqua 乙 a. Leo. 1. ferm. IV a as the Offspring of Both". The Holy Spirit L'h Solemn, nativit; was understood to impregnate, as it were, the Waters of the Font (like as he once overshadowed the Bleffed Virgin) in order to make them conceive and bring forth that Holy Thing formed after Chrift; namely, the new Man. Whatever Aptness or Juftness there may or may not be in the Similitude (for Figures of Speech ought not to be ftrain'd to a rigorous Exactnefs) yet one Thing is certain, that the Ancients took in Baptifm to their Notion of Regen ration. A learned Writer has well proved at large, beyond all reasonable Contradiction, that both the Greek and Latin Fathers, not only used that Word for Baptifm, but so appropriated it alfo to Baptifm, as to exclude any other Converfion, or Repentance, not confidered with Baptifm, from being fignified by that Name; fo that according to the Ancients, Regeneration, or new Birth, was either Baptism it felf See my Christian Sacrifice expl. Append. p. 12, 13. and facramental Part of the Eucharift expl. p. 6. And to the Authorities there referr'd to may be added Theodorus Mopfuestenus, Apollinarius, and Ammonius, cited in Conderius's Greek Catena on John iii. 5. p. 89. Some confider'd the Church and the Spirit as the two Parents, as St. Auflin often does, and Leo the firft, and others: But ftill the Notion was much the fame, because the Church was fupposed to be a Parent only in and by the Ufe of Water-baptifm. • Wall, Inf. Bapt. Part 1. xcv. 22, 25, 28, 29. 30. Defence, P. 12, 34,41, 277, 318, 323, 327, 329, 333, 343. Append. p. 4, 6. Comp. Archbp. Sharp, Vol. 3. Serm. 13. p. 80, &c. Suiter. Thefaur. Tom. 1. p. 243, 396, 639, 1352. T. 2. p. 278, 549, 554. Cangius, Gloffar. Græc. p. 1084. . Four States. according to Scripture and Antiquity. 91. Mate Liter. 2. Sub Lepe. rabia, 4. Sub pace plena, :bur preterita univer felf (including both Sign and Thing) or a Change 3. of Man's Spiritual State confidered, as,wrought by the Spirit in or thro' Baptifm. This new to mm beint alabon Singulum quinty prominen Birth, this Regeneration could be but once in a graha Nasenérationis in Christian's whole Life, as Baptifm could be buterent, ibi ti remittur. once: And as there could be no Second Baptifm, Sa peccata, et reading fo there could be no Second new Birth. Rege- ile nascendo contractus neration, with refpect to the regenerating cendo distoler bur. Agent, means the first Admiffion, and with am multum on let refpect to the Recipient, it means the first En- Spiral, ut quidem se= trance into the Spiritual or Chriftian Life: And:cundam illam Servitur there cannot be two firft Entrances, or two Ad-2tem Sub Lege non no miffions, any more than two Spiritual Lives, or to theipiant adjutorium two Baptifms. The Analogy which this new hatere divinum, enchi Spiritual Life bears to the Natural,demonftrates on 231 castion be the fame Thing P. There are, in all, three fe- esoneratio, nifi veral Lives belonging to every good Chriftian, quia vitiosa eft be. i nerabio. PS.50.7. and three Births of Courfe, thereto correfpond- Auench, C. 46. ing". Once he is born into the natural Life, p. 214. Tom. VI. born of Adam; once he is born into the Spirits eft, de cut gene Regeneratio Spiritua tual Life, born of Water and the Spirit; and: rasio carnalis und ist once also into a Life of Glory, born of the Re-Austin in Joh. Tr. XV. furrection Baptismi finis est, ut : C averint, Sed cum menda. 2 tid. p. 24 Colin non he.. bet, quia tele eft Signa ac Firillum nor Resene rationis, sed nutritionis P Cum ergo fint duæ nativitates una est de terra, alia Sighet et offignet Spirtu de cœlo; una eft de carne, alia de fpiritu; una ett de mortalita-alam natirtatem nos-1 te, alia de æternitate; una eft de mafculo & fæmina, alia de Deoran, sive Insitionem. & Ecclefia. Sed ipfæ duæ fingulæ funt; nec illa poteft repeti, tionem in semiliam wallum in xtum, et Recog nec illa. Jam natus fum de Adam, non me poteft iterum 2545. in llen facra generare Adam Jam natus fum de Chrifto, non me poteft iterum generare Chriftus. Quomodo uterus non poteft repeti, fic nec Baptifmus. Auguftin. in Johan. Tract. 11. p. 378. Tom. 3. Par. 2. Edit. Bened. Conf. Profper. Sentent. 331. p. 246. apud Auguftin. Tom. 10. in Append. Aquinas fumm. par. 3. Q66. ac Alimoned Spiritualis, Art. 9. p. 150. Augustin, in Joh. Tract. XII. 9 Vid. Gregor. Nazianz. Orat. 40. p. 637. Origen in Matt. Orat. 9. f. 23. Lat. Ed. p. 391. Ed. Huet. Auguftin contr. Julian, 1. 2. p. 540, 541. o Pedag. L. 1. C.XI. p. 49o. Tom. X. Wall. Ing. Bapt. part. 1.10. defence.. Append. p. 14 non fildens initi, fes Can burua bi - -femel Sap basmum nafi caram rubrim 2 mur sed sape fur 71. Voss. T.VI. 320. |