though in English the natural order, if this were the meaning, would be "visibly signed and sealed by the Holy Ghost," yet against this must be set the fact that in the edition of 1571 there stands a comma before as well as after the words, thus: "the promises . . . of our adoption to be the sons of God, by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed," which does not look as if the translators intended them to be taken closely with the preceding words. Further, whatever may be the case elsewhere, in the instance before us the Latin is unquestionably the original, and in this there is nothing unnatural in the order of the words "per Spiritum Sanctum visibiliter obsignantur." The words, then, should apparently be taken as a definite recognition of the action of the Holy Spirit in Baptism. By Him the promises are visibly signed and sealed. The "new birth," as our Lord Himself teaches us, is one of water and the Spirit" (S. John iii. 5); and as S. Paul says, "By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. xii. 13). It is clear, then, from the teaching of Holy Scripture that a new relation is formed between the baptized person and the Holy Spirit who is the instrument of his regeneration, and that in some sense the Holy Spirit is "given" in Baptism.

As

comma after sons of God," our adoption to be the sons of God, by the Holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed." Of the published editions in this year the Latin (Daye) has no stop till after obsignantur; the English (Jugge and Cawood) punctuates as follows: "our adoption to be the sons of God, by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed.” (4) The English reprint of 1628 with the Royal Declaration prefixed to it adopts the same punctuation as in the edition of 1571 by Jugge and Cawood. But (5) in a reprint of 1662 we find the modern punctuation. "Our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed." I cannot say whether it ever occurs earlier than this, but this is the earliest edition in which I have discovered it.

"Ev évì πveúμari denotes the means, and the els (into one body) the result attained," Godet in loc.

Hooker puts it with his usual accuracy, "Baptism was instituted that they which receive the same might thereby be incorporated into Christ, and so through His most precious merit obtain as well that saving grace of imputation which taketh away all former guiltiness, as also that infused divine virtue of the Holy Ghost, which giveth to the powers of the soul their first disposition towards future newness of life." 1 But it is a further question whether it is right to say precisely that the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is given in Baptism apart from Confirmation. On the one hand, the gift of the Spirit is apparently definitely connected with Baptism (with no mention of Confirmation) in Acts ii. 38. On the other, though the action of the Holy Spirit might well be predicated, it is difficult to assert definitely the existence of the indwelling gift in the face of Acts viii. 15-17 and xix. 1-6, where the gift is distinctly connected with the "laying on of hands" which followed (in one case at least after some interval) after the actual Baptism. The question cannot be dealt with further here, as it is not directly raised by the terms of the Article. Indeed it appears to require a fuller consideration than it has yet received in the Church.2

There remain some other words of the Article of which it is hard to say what is the precise significance, faith is confirmed: and grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God (vi divinæ invocationis). No Scriptural authority can be urged, as in the case of the statements already made, for connecting these blessings with the administration of Baptism. Moreover, the Article contemplates the Baptism of

1 E. P. V. lx. 2.

2 Reference should be made to A. J. Mason, The Relation of Confirmation to Baptism.

infants, in whose case faith cannot be looked for; and yet the expression before us is "faith is confirmed and grace increased"-words which of necessity presuppose an already existent "faith" and "grace" which can be "confirmed" and "increased." The difficulty is a real one, and is not easily solved. But, on the whole, it appears to the present writer that the best solution is to understand the words as descriptive of that which takes place in the baptized, and subsequent to Baptism.1 So in the Baptismal Office, the baptized persons present are taught to use these words, which correspond in a remarkable manner to the expression before us: "Almighty and everlasting God, heavenly Father, we give Thee humble thanks, for that Thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of Thy grace, and faith in Thee. Increase this knowledge, and confirm this faith in us evermore." It is not claimed that this explanation of the words is altogether satisfactory; but it appears to be more free from difficulty than any other which has yet been suggested.2

1 The following arrangement of the Article may serve to bring out the view taken of it in the text:

Baptism is not only

(a) A sign of profession, and

(b) Mark of difference, etc., but is also

(c) A sign of regeneration or new birth, whereby, as by an instrument, (1) They that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church. (2) The promises of the forgive

ness of sin, and

by the Holy Ghost are visibly (3) Of our adoption to be the signed and sealed.

sons of God,

Faith is confirmed; and grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God.

2 Cf. Britton, Hora Sacramentales, p. 185: "The Church ends her description of the graces conferred by the sacrament with the word 'sealed'; and here speaks of the wholesome effect of her ritual upon the persons present." The clause is considered by Bishop Harold Browne in his work on the Articles, p. 667, where it is stated that "the Latin arad English do not correspond, and appear to convey different ideas. The former would indicate that the invocation of God, which accompanies the

Since in some minds there appears to exist a certain amount of confusion on the subject of this Article, and a prejudice against the Church's doctrine of baptismal Regeneration, largely due, it is believed, to a misunderstanding of the term, it may be well if, before the subject of Infant Baptism be considered, a few words are added on the distinction between regeneration, conversion, and renewal. Regeneration, as we have seen, is the Church's name for the special grace of Baptism, and in the Church's formularies is never used for anything else. What those blessings are has been already stated, and they need not be further described here. Conversion is in the Prayer Book spoken of but rarely: once the term is used of what we call the "conversion" of S. Paul;1 once of a change of religion, the turning from heathenism to Christianity; 2 and once only in a more general sense of a turning from a life of sin to God. It is in this sense that it is popularly used now; and the word well expresses an experience which is needed by all save those who, like the Baptist, have been sanctified from their mother's womb. The difference between it and Regeneration may be expressed in this way. In Regeneration God gives Himself to the soul; in Conversion the soul gives itself to God. It may be illustrated from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. All the time that he was

act of Baptism, confirms faith and increases grace. The latter would imply that the prayers of the congregation might, over and above the ordinance of God, be blessed to the recipient's soul: so that, whereas he might receive grace by God's appointment, whether prayer accompanied Baptism or not, yet the addition of prayer was calculated to bring down more grace and to confirm faith."

1 The Collect for the Festival of the Conversion of S. Paul: "Grant that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance."

2 Preface to the Book of Common Prayer: "The baptizing of natives in our plantations, and others converted to the faith."

3 The third Collect for Good Friday: "Nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live."

in the "far country" the prodigal was still a son. So the man who has once been regenerated in Baptism is still a "child of God," even though, like the prodigal, he has wandered away from the Father's house, and is spending his substance in riotous living. And that which in the parable is represented as the "coming to himself" of the prodigal, when he realised his condition and determined to arise and go to his father, and confess his sin, that in the spiritual reality is Conversion. Thus there is no sort of inconsistency in proclaiming both Regeneration and Conversion. It was just because the prodigal was a son that he could venture to arise and go to his father, and say, Father. So also just because a person is a child of God in virtue of his Baptism, he can venture to arise and, confessing his sin, yet call God by the name of Father. Renewal, the third term mentioned above, should be distinguished from both Regeneration and Conversion, as that which, owing to man's natural infirmity, is constantly and even daily required in all Christians even after they are "converted." It is that for which we ask in the Collect for Christmas Day, in which we pray "that we, being regenerate and made [God's] children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by [His] Holy Spirit"; and again in the "Order for the Visitation of the Sick," even after the sinner is absolved there is a prayer that God will “renew in him whatsoever hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by his own carnal will and frailness." If the language of the Book of Common Prayer in the various passages that have been here referred to be carefully attended to, it is believed that confusion will be avoided, and that the distinction between these several terms will be clearly apprehended.