Hoadly - BX5136 H6

OfCONFORMITY. Faith of Chrifi crucified ; but to glory in it amidil all the (corns the profeffion of this Religion can expofe Him to. I am not apprehenfive that here is any con- firaint put upon the words ; nay, they ap- pear to me to be incapable of any other meaning. The things to be confidered here are, not fo much thefign oftheCrofs it felf, as the Jigning the Infant with that fign (for that it is that was deign 'd to betoken what follows) and the thing fig- nified by thatfigning ofthe Infant; which is, that, as He is a Baptiz'd Chriftian, He is obliged to profefs manfully the faith of Chrift crucified. Now, as far as I can fee, Here is not the leaft tittle of grace attri- buted to thefign of the :rofs, or to thefign- ing of the Infant with it. For the thing fignified by this fgning the Child with the crofs, is not, as youfay, Chrif crucified, with the Benefits of his crofs (tho' what the Ca- non Pays may be true, that under the name of the Grog in Holy Scripture they are often fignifi'd, which is quite a diftine confderation) but: the thing fignified by it is, that the Infant is a Chriftian Bap- tiz'd, and, as fuch, the difciple ofa Cruci- fied Saviour. Nor is the Image of the crofs appointed to work this grace by way of exciting

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=