Section II.

THE ARGUMENT.

The word of the Gospel is Spirit and Life. This, with the water, constitutes Holy Baptism. Hence it is a rich flood of grace, &c.

Baptism is not simple water only ; but with it the word of God is connected. It is " the washing of water by the word." Eph. 5, 26. Thus it may properly be called a visible or elementary word. Without the word, it would be no Christian baptism. Now since the word is the principal thing in it, the conclusion must be, if the gospel-word possess a regenerating virtue, baptism possesses the same ; because without the word it would be no baptism. If I deny baptism to be a means of regeneration, I must also deny the word as being the same ; for the word and the water in baptism are not to be separated.

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