towards God."* Now the existence of a stipulation implies the presence, or in some way the knowledge and acceptance, of the person to whom the engagement is made. It supposes, then, in this case, the presence or cognizance of the Son and the Spirit equally with that of the Father. From these premises, I think there is ground to conclude, that baptism "into the name" of the Father, or of Christ, or of the Spirit, implies and includes a measure of those mental affections and acts which constitute religious worship; and therefore may justly be considered as, indirectly and by implication, an act of worship.

Obj. 3. This reasoning is nullified by the fact that the Israelites "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea."+

Reply (1.) In this passage the phrase is used in the sense of a very remote allusion and accommodation. It might, with as much reason as is contained in the objection, be contended that there is no being who is truly and properly God, or that there is no ground for worshipping him alone, because Moses was "made god unto Pharaoh." The same figure is employed in both

cases.

(2) There is good reason for regarding the word Moses as being here put metonymically, for the institutes or religion of Moses; at it occurs

* 1 Pet. iii. 21. Enépτnμa was used as a term in the Greek treatises on the Civil Law, to denote a stipulation. See Grotius in loc.

+ 1 Cor. x. 2.

+ Exod. vii. 1.

in the subsequent epistle, "When Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart."* Thus the plain sense of the apostle's words would be, that the Israelites were, by their participation in the deliverance from Egyptian slavery, brought under a public and recognized obligation to obey all that God enjoined upon them, by the ministry of Moses. I think it highly probable that the expression "being baptized into Christ," which occurs twice,† has a similar signification; denoting, not any external act, but a mental and practical consecration to the influence of genuine Christianity.

(3) There are respectable grounds for the opinion that, by an ascertained, though not frequent Hebraism, the preposition is put to denote the instrumental cause; they were baptized by Moses,” as if it had been, διὰ τοῦ Μωυσέως. Thus the ancient Syriac translates the passage, using the phrase common to the Aramaan dialects, "by the hand ‡ of Moses."§

* 2 Cor. iii. 15. See also Luke xvi. 29, 3ł. + Rom. vi. 3. Gal. iii. 27.

Ex. xxxviii. 21. Josh. xxi. 2. Is. xxxvii. 24. Esth. i. 15. and other places: and it is of very frequent occurrence in the Syriac N. T. We have at least one example of eis used in this sense in the New Testament; Acts vii. 53, compared with Gal. iii. 19.

§ This interpretation is maintained by the great biblical orientalist Ludov. de Dieu, (Animadv. in loc.) by Pasor, (Gramm. Græc. N. T. pag. 477,) by Jo. Vorstius, (De Hebraism. N. T. pag. 220-222,) and by Keuchenius (Annot. in loc.) These critics are in the first rank, for learning, judgment, and mental independence. Of the first of them, the younger Rosenmuller

Obj. 4. "No inference of equality in rank or homage can be drawn from the association of different names in the same sentence."*

Reply. This is readily admitted, so far as that the inference could not be drawn from the fact of such enumerations alone. But when there are other circumstances which require us to understand an equality of powers or authority, of rank or homage, in the case supposed; the conclusion would stand upon different grounds. That this is the fact with regard to the passage before us, may I conceive be justly argued from the following considerations:

(1) The phrase, "into the name," is properly

observes," Inter præstantissimos literarum sacrarum interpretes De Dieu jure locum obtinet." Schol. in Jesaiam, p. xii. Of Pasor and Vorstius it is unnecessary to speak. The scarce work of the former, a Greek Grammar on a copious plan, expressly devoted to the illustration of the New Testament, is a treasure of criticism. It was published by his son, at Groningen, 1655. Of Peter Keuchenius, we have the testimony of an accomplished judge of literary merits, Alberti, the editor of Hesychius. "Præter animi virtutes, solidioris eruditionis cultus eum supra vulgus evexit. -Præter utriusque linguæ vicinarumque dialectorum notitiam, solidamque theologiæ cognitionem, rectum et candidum judicium, cum modestià certans, passim elucet, nullo partium studio, quo semidocti suique pleni homines misere ducuntur, contaminatum." Præf. ad P. Keuchen. Annot. Lugd. Bat. 1755.

* "See 1 Chron. xxix. 20, "All the congregation bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord and the king. 1 Sam. xii. 13, "The people feared the Lord and the king." -1 Tim. v. 21, " I charge thee before God, and Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things." Calm Inq. p. 364. To these texts may be added, Exod. xiv. 31. "The people believed the Lord, and his servant Moses."

applicable to persons only. Baptism into the name of a doctrine, or of a system of doctrines is a phrase unexampled in the language of scripture; and it presents an incongruous idea.* The expression in the text manifestly requires that the name of the Son, and that of the Spirit, must be understood, not of the doctrine of the one and the influence of the other, but with the same relation as the name of the Father, that is with relation to a personal subsistence.

(2) The phrase directs to these personal subsistences an act of religious dedication, which involves, as we have shewn, the peculiar affections of religious homage or worship.

(3) The expression being attended with these concomitants, a rational ground is laid for our understanding it as including and intending an equality in rank and homage; a conclusion to which the style of the enumeration plainly and naturally leads us. The observation of an unknown but early Christian writer, appears to me to be the dictate of reason, and the result of a just construction of the words: "Since in the doctrine of baptism, the one name has been

* The Rabbinical writers have the phrases, to be baptized into the name of a servant, into the name of a proselyte, into the name of a son of freedom, and into the name of servitude. This last indeed expresses a state; but it is very different from the notion of a doctrine, and is so evidently derived by association from the first formula, that it can create no difficulty. See these phrases from Maimonides and others, in Vitringæ Observ. Sacræ ; pag. 771.

unitedly delivered to us, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; what reasoning can set aside the existence of the Son and the Spirit in the Divine and Blessed Essence?"* Such, also is the opinion of very cautious and sagacious theologians, who were far removed from what some would call, orthodox prejudices. "The divine majesty and glory" says Limborch, are attributed to the Holy Spirit; since we are commanded to be baptized into his name, equally with that of the Father and the Son."+ "That the Spirit is put," says a late highly admired divine of Germany, "in the same degree of dignity as the Father and the Son; so that he is entitled to the same religious honour, and upon the same ground of certain evidence; follows from the institution of baptism, in which we are dedicated "to the name of the Holy Spirit," as an object of worship and confession. So that the very first entrance into the Christian religion shews, that the Holy Spirit is not a created being, but is God, equal with the Father and the Son."‡ Even Dr. Semler writes: "It is certain that the expression, to be baptized into any one, or into the name of any one, always refers to a personal ex

* Εἰ τοίνυν,—ἐν τῇ τοῦ βαπτίσματος διδαχῇ, συνημμένως ἡμῖν τὸ Πατρὸς καὶ 'Υιοῦ καὶ ̔Αγίου Πνεύματος ἐν ὄνομα παραδέδοται, τίς ἀφαιρήσεται λόγος τὸν Τιὸν καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα, μὴ τῆς Θείας ουσίας καὶ μακαρίας ὑπάρχειν ; Expos. Fidei, inter Opera Justini Mart. pag. 377, ed. Par. 1636. + Limborchi Theol. Christ. pag. 102.

+ Mori Comment. Exeg. Histor. in Theol. Christ. vol. i. pag. 264, Halle, 1797.