673. It follows from this that acts of washing, and also baptisms, are no more effective, unless the person's internal is purified from evils and falsities, than the saucers and dishes cleaned by the Jews; and, as the passage goes on to say, than tombs which look fine outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness (Matt. 23:25-28). This is still more plain from the fact that the hells are full of satans who were people both baptised and not baptised. The value of baptism will be seen in the following pages. So without its uses and benefits it makes no more contribution to salvation than the triple crown on the Pope's head, and the sign of the cross on his shoes, do to his supremacy as pontiff. Nor does the red garment worn by a cardinal contribute any more to his rank; or the pallium worn by a bishop to the true discharge of his office; or the throne, crown, sceptre and mantle of a king to his royal power; or the silk cap on the head of a distinguished scholar to his intelligence; or the colours borne before squadrons of cavalry to their bravery in battle. In fact it could even be said that baptism no more purifies a person than does the washing a sheep or a lamb gets before shearing. For the natural man, if separated from the spiritual man, is purely animal; indeed, as I showed before, he is wilder than the wild beast of the forest. If therefore you wash in rain-water, in water from dew, in the waters of the finest springs, or, as the prophets say, if you cleanse yourself with soda, hyssop, shampoo or soap every day, still you will not be purified from your iniquities except by means of regeneration described in the chapters on repentance, reformation and regeneration.