"time, it had obtained among the antients, "to ufe the words regenerated, or regenera"tion, for baptized, or baptifm." [s]—'Tis pretended (ibid) "the paffages in Tertullian, and Clemens of Alexandria, concerning

goes on;

being born in water, and begotten of the "womb of water [t], are too late." But how can they be too late; when both these writers, though younger men, lived at the fame time with Irenæus? - The Doctor befide, the one is to be interpret"ed of the grace of God compared to wa"ter; this is clearly Tertullian's fenfe; for, " he adds, "nor are we otherwife fafe, or faved, than by remaining in water, which furely can never be understood literally of "the water of baptifm." But if he had not been in too much hafte, to confider the fenfe, and defign of the words, the Doctor might have clearly perceived his own miftake. For, Tertullian is there expressly treating of water baptifm, which fome perfons, as he fays, were for laying afide [u]. This was the cafe of one Quintilla, who, as he tells us, "deftroyed baptifin according "to her nature; for he calls her a venomous

viper; and obferves, that fuch kind of "creatures frequent dry unwatery places." Then follow the words before us;

" But

[t] See Pædo-bap. p. 79.

[u] Tertul. de baptifmo, which book begins thus, Felix

[] Antipado, p. 15..

facramentum aquæ, &c.

we are born in the water like little fishes, "after the example of Jefus Chrift, &c." Therefore, by remaining in the water, is plainly meant retaining the falutary use of water-baptifm in the church. Accordingly Pamelius obferves, "that these words are "to be chiefly remarked against thofe, who deny the neceffity of water in baptifm." [w] To the fame purpofe fays De la Cerda [x], "Obferve the neceffity of water in baptism "against the Paulicians." This laft writer refers to a parallel place [y], where Tertullian fays, "There is one kind of flesh of birds, that is, the martyrs, who foar to "the higher regions; another of fishes, that is, thofe, whom the water of baptifm "fuffices." But there are other paffages, which plainly fhew, that Tertullian confidered baptifm as a kind, or mean, of regeneration; and fo made ufe of this word to exprefs baptifm. Says he [z], "the law "of baptizing is enjoined, and the form prefcribed. Go (fays he) teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fa

66

'

ther, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. "Parallel to this law is that definition, Ex"cept a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he fhall not enter into the king dom of heaven." And again [a], "Bleffed

"are ye whom the favour of God attends, "when you afcend out of the most holy "laver of the new birth. [novi natalis]".

་་

Dr. Gill is as far wide of the truth, in faying, (p. 16.) "as for Clemens [b], he is fpeaking not of regeneration, but of the natural generation of man, as he comes "out of his mother's womb, &c." For, Clemens is allegorizing, in his way, upon the words of fob [c], Naked came I out of my mother's womb; and naked fhall I return. "Not naked (fays he) of poffeffions, for "that is a small and common thing; but, "as a juft man, he returns naked of vice, " and wickedness, &c. For this is what is faid, Unless ye be converted as little chil"dren, pure in body, and holy in foul, by 'abstaining from evil works; the wing that " he would have us to be fuch, as he begot us of the womb of water. For, generation fucceeding to generation, will advance uş "to immortality." Now, in this allegorical difcourfe, the womb of water plainly anfwers to the mother's womb; and fo, these cannot fignify one, and the fame thing, without deftroying the allegory, and lofing the whole fpirit of the difcourfe. Therefore, when Clemens fpeaks of Chriftians being begotten, or born, of the womb of water; he must intend fomething else, than the natural generation of man; and what

[6] Strom. lib. 4.

[c] Job. i. 21.

can

can that be, but baptifm? that generation. fpiritual, which fucceeded the generation natural. And what muft that generation be, which fucceeded another; but a regeneration? - Befides, there are other paffages in Clemens, which may be seen in Dr. Wall, [d] where he speaks of baptism under the notion of regeneration. Thus, e. g. he speaks of Chrift himself being regenerated, in difcourfing of his baptifm [e]. This may perhaps feem a very odd notion; but Cyprian alfo fays [f], "the mafter himself submit"ted to be baptized by his fervant; and be, who was to confer upon us the re

iffion of fins, vouchfafed to be washed "in the laver of regeneration." All which agrees with Tertullian's faying before, "We "are born in the water like little fishes, af"ter the example of, or conformably unto,

Jefus Chrift." [g] And in what other fenfe could Chrift be faid to be born in the water, or regenerated; but with a reference to his baptifm?

It was obferved [b], "a like notion Ter"tullian mentions [7], as maintained by the "heathens, no doubt long before the time of "Irenæus." Upon this, fays the Doctor, p. 16. "To have recourfe to heathens, to af "certain the name of chriftian baptifm, is

[d] Defence. Appendix, p. 7. [e] Pædagog. lib. 1. c. 6

"monftrous."

[f] De Bono Patientiæ,

[g] Secundum ixiv noftrum Jefum Chriftum.

Pado-bap. p. 79.

[i] De baptifmo.

"monstrous." But, where is the wonder, if persons, just converted from Paganism, did not immediately change their language with their religion, but still retained fome of their old terms, (if not their tenets) and applied them to the Chriftian mysteries? Priefts, facrifices, altars, &c. are words very familiar with the antient writers, when they fpeak e. g. of the other Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.-If the Doctor had as much of a difpofition, as he had reason to retract, what he faid about the custom mentioned by Barnabas, of giving milk and boney to perfons juft baptized; he would at leaft have dropped that matter. For, as this ceremony was used by the antients in token of fuch perfons being new-born; [k] it is plain, they confidered baptifm as a new-birth, and a kind, or way of regeneration. It is therefore perfect trifling, to infert," that the words regeneration, and re'generated, are neither of them mentioned

by Barnabas;" nor can it anfwer any other end, but to discover, how well fome perfons are fkilled in the ingenious art of equivocation or evafion. The question is not, whether Barnabas ufeth those words; but, whether in Irenæus's time it had obtained among the antients to use them for baptized, and baptifm. Now, if fo much earlier than Irenæus, as the time of Bar

[k] See Pædobap. p. 80.

nabas,