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A Treatise on Re-Baptism by an Anonymous Writer

Anonymous

Section 2

About this work

Author: Anonymous

2. To such, then, as approach to a

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

discussion

of

saving

and

modern

,

that

is

,

of

spiritual

and

evangelical

baptism

,

there

occurs

first

of

all

the

announcement

universally

well

known

,

made

and

begun

by

John

the

Baptist

,

who

,

somewhat

departing

from

the

law

,

that

is

,

from

the

most

ancient

baptism

of

Moses

,

and

preparing

the

way

of

the

new

and

true

grace

,

both

preoccupied

the

ears

of

the

Jews

gradually

by

the

baptism

of

water

and

of

repentance

which

for

the

time

he

practised

,

and

took

possession

of

them

with

the

announcement

of

a

spiritual

baptism

that

was

to

come

,

exhorting

them

,

and

saying

,

“

He

that

cometh

after

me

is

mightier

than

I

,

whose

shoe’s

latchet

I

am

not

worthy

to

unloose

:

He

shall

baptize

you

with

the

Holy

Ghost

,

and

with

fire

;

”

and

for

this

reason

we

also

ought

to

make

a

beginning

of

this

discourse

from

this

point

.

For

in

the

Acts

of

the

Apostles

,

the

Lord

after

His

resurrection

,

confirming

this

same

word

of

John

,

“

commanded

them

that

they

should

not

depart

from

Jerusalem

,

but

wait

for

that

promise

of

the

Father

which

,

saith

He

,

ye

have

heard

from

me

;

for

John

truly

baptized

with

water

,

but

ye

shall

be

baptized

with

the

Holy

Ghost

not

many

days

hence

.

”

And

Peter

also

related

these

same

words

of

the

Lord

,

when

he

gave

an

account

of

himself

to

the

apostles

,

saying

:

“

And

as

I

began

to

speak

,

the

Holy

Ghost

fell

upon

them

as

on

us

at

the

beginning

;

and

I

remembered

the

word

of

the

Lord

,

how

that

He

said

,

John

indeed

baptized

with

water

,

but

ye

shall

be

baptized

with

the

Holy

Ghost

.

If

,

therefore

,

He

gave

them

a

like

gift

as

to

us

,

who

believe

on

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

who

was

I

,

that

I

could

withstand

the

Lord

?

”

And

again

:

“

Men

and

brethren

,

ye

know

how

from

ancient

days

God

made

choice

among

us

,

that

the

Gentiles

by

my

mouth

should

hear

the

word

of

the

Gospel

,

and

believe

.

And

God

,

who

knoweth

the

hearts

,

bare

them

witness

,

giving

them

the

Holy

Spirit

,

even

as

He

did

unto

us

.

”

And

on

this

account

we

ought

to

consider

what

is

the

force

and

power

of

this

saying

.

For

the

Lord

says

to

them

who

would

have

to

be

subsequently

baptized

because

they

should

believe

,

that

they

must

be

baptized

not

in

like

manner

as

by

Him

in

water

,

unto

repentance

,

but

in

the

Holy

Ghost

.

And

of

this

announcement

,

as

assuredly

none

of

us

can

doubt

it

,

it

is

plain

on

what

principle

men

were

baptized

in

the

Holy

Spirit

.

For

it

was

peculiarly

in

the

Holy

Spirit

Himself

alone

that

they

who

believed

were

baptized

.

For

John

distinguished

,

and

said

that

he

indeed

baptized

in

water

,

but

that

one

should

come

who

would

baptize

in

the

Holy

Ghost

,

by

the

grace

and

power

of

God

;

and

they

are

so

by

the

Spirit’s

bestowal

and

operation

of

hidden

results

.

Moreover

,

they

are

so

no

less

in

the

baptism

of

the

Spirit

and

of

water

.

They

are

so

,

besides

,

also

in

the

baptism

of

every

one

in

his

own

proper

blood

.

Even

as

the

Holy

Scriptures

declare

to

us

,

from

which

we

shall

adduce

evident

proofs

throughout

each

individual

instance

of

those

things

which

we

shall

narrate

.

Notes

5
Matt. iii. 11.
6
Acts i. 4, 5.
7
Acts xi. 15–17.
8
Acts xv. 7, 8.
9
There is something needed to make the connection of this passage complete.