"when they return again to us. He proves against the Donatifts, "That the Holiness "of the Minifter does not contribute to the "Validity of the Sacrament of Baptism; and "that, because the Effect of the Sacrament "is owing to God only; and in short, be"cause the Sacraments are Holy, and do "Sanctify by themselves. Yet he feems to think, "That we ought to Re-baptize those "who were Baptized by Hereticks; but does not make the fame Determination concerning those who were Baptized by Schif maticks.

"The Council of Eliberis, Anno 305, Ca"non 38, declares, That a Chriftian who is "neither Penitent, (i. e. not under Penance, nor a Bigamift, may Baptize in a "Cafe of NECESSITY, thofe who are on a "Journey, being at a great distance from a "Church, upon Condition that he present "him to the Bishop, if he furvive, to be “PERFECTED by Impofition of Hands.

Here it ought to be observ'd, that this Ancient Council was not a General one; and fo its Canon could not thus authorize all LayChriftians; it extended no farther than to the Subjects of thofe Bishops there affembled. And therefore our Lay-Baptizers cannot act by virtue of this Canon; especially confidering further, that this Canon was not made as Declarative of any Proper Inherent Right or Authority that Lay-Chriftians, AS SUCH, had

to

to Baptize: It only appointed Some to do this, who had not Authority to do it before of themfelves. Befides, it is plainly reftrain'd to fuch as were in Communion with, and Subjection to their Bishops; they were not to be under PENANCE, &c. And therefore if this had been a General Council, as it certainly was not, our Lay-Baptizers who act in Oppofition to Epifcopacy, could have receiv'd no Authority from this Canon.

"The Council of Arles, call'd by the Em૮૮ peror Anno 314, confifting of Thirty three "Western Bishops, Canon 8. determines the "famous QUESTION about the Re bapti❝zation of Hereticks, and ordains concerning "the Africans, who had ALWAYS Re-bap"tiz'd them, That if any one leave a Herefy, "and return to the Church, he fhall be ask'd "concerning the Creed; and if it be known "that he was Baptiz'd in the Name of the Fa❝ther, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, Im"pofition of Hands only, fhall be given him, "that he may receive the Holy Spirit: But if ❝he does not acknowledge the Trinity," I fippofe 'tis meant, if while a Heretick he did not acknowledge the Trinity, or if the Here tick who Baptiz'd him did not acknowledge the Trinity, (the latter is the most likely)" he "fhall be Re-baptiz'd.

By the way, in this Canon there is not one Word about LAY-BAPTISM: And as for the Hereticks who then Baptiz'd, they had al

ways, or at least most commonly, received Ordination from the Hands of fome CATHOLICK BISHOP or other; nay, generally the HERETICAL BISHOPS were Confecrated before they fell into Herefy, by CATHOLICK BISHOPS, or elfe afterwards by fome Trick or other, got private Confecration from them, that fo their Herefies might go down the better with the People: And the fame we find concerning Schifmaticks in those Days.

I defire that this may be more particularly taken notice of; because it effectually filences all Objections brought from this Council's allowing of the Validity of Heretical and Schif matical Baptifms. For fuch their Allowance is no ways favourable to the Baptisms we are now difputing againft; for they are not only Lay, but Anti-Epifcopal Baptifmes; which were not the Subject of this Council.

The Council of Nice, Anno 325, confifting of about 300 Bifhops, Canon 19, ordains, "That the Paulianifts (who, by the way, did not Baptize in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost)" fhall be Re-baptiz'd who return to the Church.

After the Council of Nice; It was a Prevailing Principle, "That thofe whom a Laick "Baptizeth are to be Re-baptized; for it was "the undoubted Principle whereby the Orthodox "confuted the Luciferians, who began their "Schifm, upon occafion of the Council of "Alexandria's allowing the Ordination of the

"Arian

"Arian Bishops: " For thus the Orthodox argued against those Schifmaticks: Thofe whom a Laick Baptizeth are to be Re-baptiz'd; but those whom an Arian Prieft Baptizeth, are not to be Re-baptiz'd; therefore an Arian Priest is not a Laick. And even Lucifer himfelf, the Author of that Schifm, granted the Major Propofition to be true.

In the Council of Carthage, Anno 348, before they proceeded to make Canons, the Prefident advis'd thus: "We must have fuch re"gard to this time of Peace, that we neither "weaken the Obligation of the Laws, nor "yet prejudice the prefent Unity by TOO "MUCH SEVERITY. Then the firft Head "propos'd was about Re-baptization; he "ask'd whether that Man ought to be Re"baptiz'd who at his Baptifm made Profeffi

on of believing the Trinity. The BISHOPS "answered, God forbid; We declare that "this Re-baptization is unlawful, contrary "to the Orthodox Faith, and the Ecclefiafti"cal Discipline.

St. Bafil Bishop of Cæfarea Anno 369, fays, "Thofe whom a Laick Baptizeth are to be Re"baptiz'd; he also maintains, that the Anci66 ents were perfuaded that the Baptism of "Hereticks was ABSOLUTELY void: As "for Schifmaticks, he likes well enough St. "Cyprian and Firmilian's fubjecting them to "the SAME LAW; because being SEPA"RATE from the Church, they had not the

દ્વંદ Holy

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holy Spirit, and fo could not give it; but "fays, he would not hinder the allowing of "the Baptifms of Schifmaticks, fince the Bi

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fhops of Afia had thought it convenient to "admit them: But tho' the Encratites were "Schifmaticks, he declares that their Bap"tifm ought not to be approved, and that "thofe ought to be re-baptized to whom "they had given Baptifm, because they gave "it with Precipitation, on purpose to HIN"DER the receiving of it from the Church; "nevertheless, if the contrary Cuftom [of al"lowing the Baptifm of Hereticks and Schifma ticks] were established, he confeffes it ought ઘડ to be followed."

The Council of Laodicea, between Anno 360 and 370, Canon 8. fays, "That they muff be 66 wholly Baptized anew who come from the "Sect of the Montanists."

The third Council of Conftantinople, Anno 383, in the laft Canon, concerning the Man ner of receiving Hereticks, who offer themfelves to return into the Bofom of the Church, it is ordained, "That the Arians, Macedonians, "Sabbatians, Novatians, Quartodecimani, Te “tratites and Apollinarifts, fhall be received "after they have made Profeffion of their

Faith, and anathematiz'd their Errors, by "the Unction of the holy Spirit, and the "Chrism wherewith they fhall be anointed on the Forehead, the Eyes, the Hands, the Mouth, the Ears, at the pronouncing of

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thefe