A TREATISE ON RE-BAPTISM. BY AN ANONYMOUS WRITER. Argument. — Tliattheywho haveoncebeenwashed inthenana of theLord Jesus Christ,oughtnot tobe re-baptized- OBSEEVE that it has been asked among the brethren what course ought speciallyto be adopted towards the personsof thosewho,al though baptizedin heresy,have yet been bap tizedin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,and subsequently departingfrom theirheresy,and fleeingas supplicantstothe church of God, should repentwith theirwhole hearts,and only now perceivingtl\econdemnation of theirerror,implore from the church the help of salvation: whether,accordingto the most ancientcustom and ecclesiasticaltradition,itwould suffice,afterthatbaptismwhich they have receivedoutside [thechurch] indeed,but stillin the name of Jesus Christour Lord, that only hands should be laid upon them by the bishopfor theirreceptionof the Holy Spirit,and thisimpo sitionof hands would affordthem the renewed and perfected sealof faith; or whether indeeda repetitionofbaptismwould be necessaryfor them, as if they should receivenothingif they had not obtained baptism afresh,just as if theywere never baptizedin the name of Jesus Christ. And therefore some things were talked about as having been writtenand repliedon thisnew question,wherein both sidesendeavoured with the greatesteagernesstodemolishwhat had been written by theirantagonists.In which kind of debate,as itappears to me, no controversyor discussioncouldhave arisenatallif each one of us had been contentwith thevenerableauthority 402