tism is the means of remitting original sin[1], or of obtaining
- ↑ Zuingli declar. de pec. orig. f. 121.—"Original sin is taken away only by the blood of Christ, and cannot be taken away by the washing of baptism" (i.e., not even as the mode of applying it); and de Baptismo, f. 70, whence it is evident to all, that that outward sprinkling of water does not wash away the stains of sins, as we have hitherto falsely believed.—Nay, it has even come to be commonly believed, but falsely, that water-baptism washes away the sin of an infant, which yet has none;" and ad libelli D. Baltazar, f. 105, v. "Believest thou that water-baptism can avail the least towards remitting sins? If there is so much virtue in Baptism, that it can wash from sins, 'then is Christ dead in vain.' Gal. ii.—But, if sins cannot be washed away by this outward Baptism of water, then it is a certain outward rite and ceremony. P. Martyr, ad 1 Reg. c. 8. f. 72. v. The source of that superstition (exorcising at Baptism,) is, that those men [the early Church] thought that sins are first remitted through outward Baptism; but they err most grievously." And f. 73. v., he explains the order in which he supposes the remission of original sin to take place, and attempts to clear his view from involving a denial of it. "Yet it must be weighed, that it by no means follows, that original sin is altogether done away with. For we confess that all are born children of wrath, and corrupted by original depravity—then we add, that God, through Jesus Christ, cleanseth those whom He has elected and predestinated, so that the defect, which, of its own nature, would be mortal sin, is not imputed to them to death. Then he adorns them with His Spirit, and renews them; after this, the sealing of outward Baptism is added. They have, therefore, first election or predestination. They have the promise, and are born of the believing; and when they are already adopted in the covenant with God, and justified, then are they rightly dipped:" and Loci 4. 8. 9., he explains in the same way as Zuingli—that elect infants (to whom alone he holds Baptism to seal anything) have ori-
which are signs and tokens of some general promised grace, which always really descendeth from God unto the soul that duly receiveth them. Other significant tokens are only as Sacraments, yet no Sacraments; which is not our distinction, but their's." The distinction, however, between Sacraments, and "as it were Sacraments," (quasi Sacramentum), although abstractedly admitted, never occurs, where it is needed, in the statement of the Sacraments themselves. Zuingli attaches rightly much importance to this difference between "sacred signs" and Sacraments. "Would," (he says, de vera et falsa relig.) "that the Germans had never had this word Sacrament, unless it had been well explained, viz. because it presented to their mind a great and holy thing, which by its own power would free the conscience from sin." These last words are taken from Horantius (a Romanist), loci L. 7. c. 1. Chamier Sacram. 1. 2. 11.
