The error of Zuinglius on Baptism.
Nay,
the Pelagians acknowledged, that baptism could at least give grace, and remit
the sins of the adult. Zuinglius more rash than they, ceases not to repeat what
has been already told of him, “that baptism takes away no sin, and, gives no
grace.” “It is the blood of Jesus Christ,” says he, “that remits sins,
therefore, it is not baptism.” Here an instance may be seen of that perverted
zeal the reformation had for the glory of Jesus Christ. It is more clear than
day, that to attribute the remission of sins to baptism., which is the means of
taking them away established by Jesus Christ, does no more injury to Jesus
Christ, than you offer to a painter, by attributing the fine colouring and the
beautiful touches of his picture to the pencil he makes use of. But the reformation
carries its vain reasonings to such excess, as to imagine it gives glory to
Jesus Christ, to destroy the efficacy of these instruments which he employs.
And to continue so gross an illusion to the utmost extremity, when a hundred
passages from the Scriptures were objected to Zuinglius, where it is said, that
baptism saves us, that it remits our sins; he thinks he has fully satisfied by
answering, that baptism is here taken for the blood of Jesus Christ, of which
it is the sign. (Jacques Bénigne Bossuet, The History and the Variations of
the Protestant Churches, 2 vols. [2d ed.; Maynooth: Richard Coyne, 1836], 1:67)
