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Sermons on various subjects [ed. by E. Fowler].
Sermons on various subjects - ed. by E. Fowler Author:William Warde Fowler Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SEEMON IV. 1 Peter, iii. 21. "the Like Figure Whereunto Even Baptism Doth Also Now Save Us, (not The Putting Away Of The Filth Of The Flesh, But The Answer... more » Of A Good Conscience Toward God,) By The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ." IN calling your attention to this passage of Scripture on a former occasion, after showing the force and propriety of the Apostle's comparison, and the sense in which his assertion, that "Baptism doth now save us," is to be understood, I endeavoured to explain the nature and benefits of this Holy Sacrament, and to point out the difference between the highly privileged and responsible state into which every baptized person is necessarily admitted, and the inward spiritual change of heart and disposition, called spiritual regeneration, of which baptism is a means, as well as a sign or pledge, but which experience teaches us, does not always take place in baptism, although without it no one can enter the kingdom of Heaven. I proceed now to the second point proposed for consideration, viz., what is requisite on our part, in order th'it baptism may " save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." This the Apostle states to be, the "answer of a good conscience towards God." It was customary in the early Church, as it is now in the Church of England, to cause all persons presented for baptism to be solemnly questioned as to whether they were willing to renounce the Devil, the world, and the flesh, and to keep God's holy will and commandments ; and whether they believed all the articles of the Christian faith as held by the Church Catholic. And without an answer to these questions in the affirmative, and public profession of faith, either by the persons themselves if grown up, or by their sureties, if in the case of infants, the Church would not suffe...« less