[NOTE]: *That John iii. 5 and Titus iii. 5 refer to immersion is the judgement of all the learned Catholics and Protestants of every name under heaven.

The authors and finishers of the Westminster creed - one hundred and twenty-one Divines, ten Lords, and twenty Commissioners of the Parliament of England - under the question 165, "What is baptism?" quote John iii. 5, Titus iii. 5, to prove that baptism is a washing with water and a "sign of remission of sins."

Michaelis, Home, Lightfoot, Geveridge, Taylor, Jones of Nayland, Bp. Mant, Whitby, Burkit, Bp. Hall, Dr. Wells, Hooker, Dr. G. Ridley, Bp. Ryder - but why attempt a list of great names? There are a thousand more who assert it.

Bp. White says, that "regeneration, as detached from baptism, never entered into any creed before the seventeenth century."

Whitby, on John iii. 5, says, "That our Lord here speaks of baptismal regeneration, the whole Christian church from its earliest times has invariably taught."

Our modem "great divines," even in America, have taught the same. Timothy Dwight, the greatest Rabbi of Presbyterians the New World has produced, says, vol. iv., pp. 300, 301, "to be born again is precisely the same thing as to be born of water and the Spirit." - "To be born of water is to be baptized." And how uncharitable! He adds, "He who, understanding the nature and authority of this institution, refuses to be baptized, WILL NEVER ENTER INTO THE VISIBLE NOR INVISIBLE KINGDOM OF GOD." Vol. iv., p. 302. So preached the President of Yale.

George Whitefield, writing on John iii. 5, says, "Does not this verse urge the absolute necessity of water baptism? Yes, when it is to be had. But how God will deal with persons unbaptized, we can not tell." Vol. iv, p. 355.

I say with him, We can not tell with certainty. But I am of the opinion that when a neglect proceeds from a simple mistake or shear ignorance, and when there is no aversion, but a will to do everything the Lord commands, the Lord will admit into the everlasting Kingdom those who by reason of this mistake never had the testimony of God assuring them of pardon or justification here, and consequently never did fully enjoy the salvation of God on earth. But I will say with the renowned President of Yale, that "he who, understanding the nature and authority of this institution, refuses to be baptized, will never enter the visible nor invisible Kingdom of God." By he means the kingdom of grace and glory. He adds on the same page, "He who persists in this act of rebellion against the authority of Christ will never belong to his kingdom." Vol. iv., p. 302.

John Wesley asserts, that "by baptism we enter into covenant with God, an everlasting covenant, are admitted into the church, made members of Christ, made the children of God. By water as the means, the water of baptism, we are regenerated or born again." (Preservative, pp. 146, 150.)