290
RESEMBLANCE OF SOCINIAN AND REFORMED
| Heb. x. 22. (1 Pet. iii. 21.)—(Continued.) | |
| Zuingli-Calvinists. | Socinians. |
| "of the 'body washed with pure water' most understand of Baptism, but it seems more probable to me that the Apostle alludes to the old ceremonies of the law, and so under the name of water designates the Spirit of God, as in Ezek. xxxvi. 25. This is sanctification, not what consists in the visible pomp of ceremonies, but a firm faith, a pure conscience, cleanness of body and soul, which flows from, and is affected by, the Spirit of God. (Coll. 2 Cor. vii. 1.") Piscator ad loc. finds the same reference to legal ablutions only. Zuingli is, as usual, the source; (ad libell. D. Balthazar, f. 100.) He paraphrases thus: "If ye wash your hearts, and so your inner man, by purity and innocence, then are ye indeed washed and purified by a far better bath than those of old, (under the law,) who, washing away the filth of the body, neglected, altogether, the contagions and pollutions of the mind." The whole argument of Crellius is indeed what we have above (p. 98, 99.) seen in Zuingli, who also speaks of the water that is the heavenly doctrine." De Pecc. Orig. Opp. t. ii. f. 121. v. and the "spiritual water." Ad loc. "water is the symbol of doctrine and instruction." Id. t. i. P. 2. p. 404. and p. 142, 143. 172. "Baptism is teaching." De Bapt. t. ii. f. 61, 78. de vera et falsa relig. f. 201. v. | t. ii. p. 176. "There is no occasion, in this allegory, to suppose that any thing directly corresponds to pure water, since the sacred author seems to allude to the custom, under the law, of washing the body with pure water. But if any one seeks a fuller resemblance, the spirit and doctrine of Christ, or that spiritual water, wherewith Christ bedews His, not excluding His blood, will be to be understood. For by this water is it, that the filth of sins are washed away. For water-baptism is only an outward sign and shadowing of that ablution which the author here means; whereby neither our hearts can be sprinkled, nor the filth of sins be really washed away. That Spiritual Baptism then, which indeed saves us, is here to be understood: that, I say, which, according to Peter, is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, or the outward washing of the body, but the answer of a good conscience towards C, (1 Pet. iii. 21.) which is not effected by any elemental water, but by that heavenly and spiritual, whereof we spoke." So also Socinus de Bapt. Aquæ c. 12. Crell. Respons. ad Grot. Opp. t. iv. p. 218. "'To sprinkle from an evil conscience' is to free and purge the mind from sin, as to have 'the body washed with pure water' is to be pure from outward sins, which are done in the body." |
