A tint ®teo%ta/ ft 7^ PRINCETON, N. J. *^ Presented by (C\ . C5^ . C/ ~^\^ rD. Division Section THE V 9 No. I. E^SAX OX liaTTlSMi. <\'ri:':L.y. •tUf H Thi" Elder unto the elect lady and her children whom I love in the trutli. 3 JOBV 1 ricumond: from tbc irranWin IDtess, W. W. Gray, Printrr 1819. PREMONITION. The (lesi.qn of the publl* ution Uovc roiniiK^nced is, in a series of pivmplilrts, to iiw.iUcii the attention of tlic public lo several siilijects wliicli it is (liuiiglit have not been suffi- ciently examined. The Discipline, Doctrine and Order of the church of Jesus C'.irist will be discussed with a view to christian practice, and the true, interests of society con- nected with ti:eni. In these discussions, there will fre- quently occur a statement of points, in which christians differ. But if any expect to find the fierce and acrimoni- ous spirit of a polemic they will be disappointed. Indeed although the object of the publication, in some of its parts, is to afford an exposition and vindication of the discipline and order of a particular church, it is intended at the same time to show tliat the (lifTerences which exist among chris- tians ought not to prevent their holding communion toge- ther as disciples of a common Lord. In fact the great pur- pose is to promote trutli and charity. The intention of the Editor is pure — What his success may be, he pretends not to predict. Yov this he looks to Heaven; and as to the merit of the work, he leaves it to the public to decide. No regularity in this publication can be promised — The Nos. will appear as suits the convenience of the Editor: regard however, will be paid to the demands of the public. Uniforn)ity in page, i)aper and type will be preserved, so that the several numbers may be hound in volumes as the proprietors may like best. SCHEME OF THE FOLLOWING ESSAY. L The terms Baptism and Baptise are explained. And it is shown that, in general usage, they are indeterminate in signifirationj but tliat in a religious sense, they com- prehend both an external rite, and the discipline, with its effects on the heart and in the life represented by that rite, pa. 1-8. II. It is proposed to show that baptism is to be adminis- tered to those who profess faith in Christ, and obedience to him; and that infants descending from parents, either both or but one of them professing faith in Christ are to be baptised, pa. 10. — Proposition 1st — briefly considered, because no dispute on the subject, pp. 10-11. Proposition 2d — namely, that the child of a believing parent ought to be baptised, considered at large, and proved, 1. By the analogy between the constitution of nature and of the church; the cmdition of children in each case being con- nected w ith that of their parents, pp. 11-13. — 2. By show- ing that the church was organized in the family of Abra- ham, that the initiatory rite from the beginning had a spi- ritual signification, that this rite was applied to the chil- dren of church-members, and that when the church was placed on its christian foundation, no change was made in this respect, pp. 13-27 — 3. By examining the commission given to the apostles, when christian baptism was insti- tuted, and enquiring into the extent in which they would receive and execute it; from which it appears that the apos- tles, having always been accustomed to see children ad- mitted into the visible church, would naturally apply bap- tism as an initiating ordinance to them, pp. 28-34. — 4. By examining the record concerning the practice of the apostles, from which it appears to be a positive and unquestionable fact that they baptised the families of believers; and indeed, that such baptism was a common occurrence, and that, in circumstances renderingit utterly incredible that there were no young children — particularly it is shown, that the word i-endcrcd household was the tliroct, proper, and unequivo- cal term to oxpn'ss rliililren; and that the sense of it in tljc coniii'Ction in whi(li it stands, makes it more clear that they were haptised, than if it had heen said, the apostles hap- tised Lydia and her cliiidren, pp. 34-6.1. — 5. By the ex- press and repeated testimony of the primitive Fathers of the Church, that they received the practice of haptising children from the apostles, pp. G4-69. — It is then proved from scripture, particularly tlie passage 1 Cor. vii. 14, that if one of the parents is a heliever, the baptism of the chil- dren is authorised and required, i)p. 70-7 4. III. In the concluding part of the work the mode of ad- ministration is considered, and it is undertaken to be proved that. Dipping the person into the water is not ne- cessary; but that baptism is rightly administered by pour- ing or sprinkling water on the person. This is prov- ed, 1. By showing that the original word is indeter- minate as it is used by Greek writers in general, and that Lexicographers give to it sc'/^ n different significations. 2. By an examination of every passage in the N. Testa- ment in which the words baptise and baptism occur; from which it appears that in no single instance it is evident that baptism was performed by immersion, and in some instan- ces it is manifest that this was not the case, as in the bap- tism of Paul and the Jailor, pp. 74 to the conclusion. In this Essay the utmost care has been taken to avoid harsh expressions, and every thing that could reasonably give offence. Tlie words to plunge, to submerge, and sub- mersion, have been several times introduced merely be- cause it has been supposed by some that immersion does not adequately express the idea intended to be conveyed by those wlio use it, and contend for that mode of adminis- tering the rite under consid<'ration. This remark is here introduced to prevent the supposition even, that there was any intention of speaking lightly concerning any manner of administering so holy an ordinance. The Author is m- cnpahlc of any attempt to turn into ridicule thai which his M fellow christians esteem sacred, however he may disapprove of their practice. He respects their feeling-s, when he dif- fers from their opinions; and while he wishes to show their error, he prays that grace, mercy and peace may be multi- plied unto them, " and all who call on the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours." (0*' In looking over the pages of the following pam- phlet as they came from the printer, we have seen several lit- tle things which we wish altered. They are noted here that the reader may see them, and make the changes if he thinks proper. There is a sentence. Introduction pa. ii. line 12 and on- wards, which does not clearly express the meaning intend- ed: let it be understood thus — '« When religion is prevalent, and opinions and rituals, jjresented as its doctrines and in- stitutions, are received without due inquiry, and without that collision of sentiment, which exercises the understand- ing, &c. Page 6, line 10, insert and, before referred. Page 7, line 4 from bottom, for right, read rite^ Page 8, line 5, for he read he. Page 9, line 15, erase any. line 4 from bottom, for nor read or. Page 18, line 18, erase the comma after, and insert it before, is. Page 27, line 6 from bottom, for implied read implies. Page 37 — The reference on this page to « Facts and Evidences,** &c., is to be regarded as a marginal refci'ence, and the reader will pass over it as though it w:'«s not there; the sentence immediately following it, being a continua- tion of that which immediately precedes it. Page 47, line 19, for lease read leave. Vll In \is\s;c 51 — Sliotilil the iTader enquire how the Jailor rejoiced with his family if they were infants; let him an- swer how it was that God, out of the mouths of babes and sucKLi.VGs perfected praise? Matt. xxi. IG. Ill pai^e 52, line 12 from the bottom, Thcssaloma is prin- ted instead of Thessalonicn. Paj^e 55, line 20, for heferc read before. Ta'^q. GS. — Rcspeetiii.u; the household of Stepiianas, it oucfht to have been remarked tliat as this e|)istle was written to the Corinthians several years after the baptism of Stephaoas* fanjily, it is \^\"s jjossible that some at least of the membere, who were baptised when yoiin.^, miglit hav»^ been old enoij.2;h at this time to render offices of kindness to the saints. If the jijercding explanations fail then, our argii- miMit is not invaji(hited. Pa.^e 73. — The members of the Corinthian church might very well raise a doubt wiiethee they should continue, after conversion, to live with idolatrous 'husbands or wives. There wei;;>many Jews amongst them; and we all know what the Jewish law and the Jewish prejudices were on this subject. Let the reader compare the argument on this page with the ix. and xth chapters of the book of Ezra. He will sec at once the reason of the doubt; and that the declaration of the apostle that the "children are holy,'* that is a seed consecrat»Ml to God, settles the question at once. Page 74 — line 8 from bottom, for cousidering read consi' dering. *< The Christian religion every where," Sec. It is not intended here to insinuate that the ordinances of the church, whi( h may very properly be termed external observances, are trivial; that is, that it is a trifling question whether a man shall observe t'lem or not — But that the outward form or manner of <»bservance is a small matter; Thus whether we sing the version of Sternh dd and Hopkins, of Brady and VMv, of R.iuse, or Watts, is no atfair which ought to separate churclies, ^:c. vm Page 78, line 6 from bottom, in some copies for lia e read fiave. Page 84, line 7 for the people read they; namely, the mc- thodists. Page 85, No. xxxv. in some copies bajytised occurs instead oi' baptising. Page 87, line 3 from bottom, read " And the high priest arose and said." Page 92 Additional remark on Rom vi. 4, and Col. ii. 11, 12. The rite of burial is different in different countries and in different ages. The Greek and Romans buried their dead bodies and laid up the ashes in urns: The an- cient Egyptians embalmed them; and deposited them in buildings prepared for the purpose. The ancient Jew* hewed sepulchres in the solid rock, as mentioned in pa. 93. The Hindoos burn their dead, and, if tliey can, throw the ashes into the Ganges. Now, [(burial in baptism expresses the mode of administral'on, what mode is that? It is easy to see that the manner of burying will suggest entirely dif- ferent ideas to different people. AK ESSAY OS 'smmi^'TM,^ iB^ip^asaa, INTRODUCTION. ALL that concerns the administration of the kingdom of Christ is worthy of attention. The various appointments of the great Head of the Church, are made in wisdom. No institutions are arbitrary; none intended for mere parade and show. Every thing has a reference to practice, and a bearing on the great interests of morality. It is then the duty of Christians to examine for themselves, and ascer- tain the will of God, respecting the discipline, as well as the doctrine of tlie Christian Church. The fact, that on these subjects there is a diversity of opinion among Christians, furnishes no valid objection to the discussion of the points of difTerenre; but rath<*r an argument in favour of such investigation as tends to pro- mote knowledge of the truth among all parties. It is true, that while temperate discussion is at all times proper, it is peculiarly so whenbnthreri differ; and differ too, on points which it is alike the interest of ail to determine. But this does not imply that, because men cull themselves Christi- ans, they ought not to engage in argument on the peculiar- ities which separate them. Nor can we see how tliis sen- timent, prevalent as it is, can be supported on any, but 11 such principles as follow. Either, all pailies are right,- even when tliey hold opposite opinions: or the suhjects oi difference arc utterly unimportant, and unworthy of the trouble of enfiuiry. The first case involves the absurdity, that opposite opinions are true: and the second implies, that the institutions of our Lord arc trivial in their nature; a sentiment which no Christian can for a moment admit. Wliile, then, the fierce contentions of ane,i"y jjolemics are' to be condemned, liberal enquiry and fair investigation ought to be encouraged. Another view of the subject ought not to be unnoticed. When religion is prevalent, and its doctrines and institiN tions are received without due enquiry, and that collision of opinion, which exercises the untlcRstanding, the great body of the people soon get into the leading strings of their ministers, their consciences are placed under human con- trol, and they are disposed to yield to tiie demands of eccle- siastics, what ought to be yielded only to tlie Lord of con- science. Religion then becomes corrupted, is made an in- strument of avarice and ambition, and fiom the best af heaven's gifts, is pervei-ted to one of the deadliest evils.— ^ As a friend to true religion, to human liberty^ and to hu- man liappiness, this writer wishes to sec a spirit of free and enterprizing investigation prevail; and is sorry to ob- serve a disposition to brand with the odious name of contro- versy, every thing that brings into q«estion any sentiments adopted by any who call themselves christians. It is readily admitted that every individual has a perfect right to his own opinions on the general subject of religi- on, and on all its modes and forms. It is a matter between him and his God, as long as he kee])S it to himself. But the case is changed as soon as these opinions are made public. Every man then has a right to animadvert on them, and shew them to be false, if he can do so by fair ar- gument. A»id, indeed, if I know a man's private senti- ments, and am persuaded that they afe injurious to him, if. 1U Vn t!.« way ol mcckiioss ami duuily I ran ronvinrc l.im of liis orror, ami '.iPi'suadr liim lo rcnounrc it, Nvhal harm is u.i,'I.Uo be said, is niaile with a strong fecline: of dislike to ;«11 obtrusive and impudent at- tempts to convert men fi'am what is supposed to he the er- i-oi- orthiir ways; an utter disMpprohation of that blind and l.eadlon.s; /enl, which is ever ready to denounce its blusteriiia: anathemas against every man that it designates as a sinner. Meekness and ejcntlcnr ss ought to ciiarac^er- ize all attempts to prmnot<« religious knowledge. Truth is coMsrious of her own strength, and advances with all ihc dignity of calmness and tranquility to tlic accomplish- ment of her purposes. In this Essay, an attempt to promote the truth shall be regulated by the principles stated above. No ill-natured and contentious remarks shall be made on any denomina- tion of christians. What is believed to be agreeable to the will of God, shall be dispassionately stated; and the deci- sion left to every reader. Should the writer bucceed in producing strong arguments, and any under tlieir pressure should be disposed to raise a cry of persecution, the candid pf all parties will know how to appreciate this; and will not pass censure on one who only vindicates the truth, aas to be error. And should the effort be feeble— fr/um imbvll- sine. n/»— he hopes that no offiiu e will be taken, at an honest attempt to prf)motc t!.e truth, by those who agree with him; and surely his bretliren. who differ in sentiment, will §ivc him credit for all the kindness which he may express, an«l will not be offended at iii'^ failure! The author of thiii Essay does not preteml that it i original work; but rather a ( ompilation. Use Iwis freely made (.f various writers on the subject, to w". . fin-ence will be ma sign of the little work heie offered to the public, is t . bodv some of the best remarks that have been made oi. IT much contpoverfed subjcrt; arrange t!iem in perspicuous order, and pr sent them in narrow compass and cheap form, for the benefit of those who may please to read. Especial- ly, it was intended to present a manual to christian fami- lies, that have not the means of extended research on the subject, and fo afford to young t^nquirers a view of the doc- trine and practice, which he judges to he scriptural. The writer wishes thi^t the public may favourably re- ceive his humble attempt; a,nd he prays that it may be ac- companied with the divine blessing, which he knows can alone give success to the labours of man. Richmond, 25th Mgust, 1819. ES8AY ON BAPTISM. IN prosecutinj* this suhject, the obsorvations to be made, shall be distributed into three parts, f. Th • Nature and Design of Baptism. II. The Subjects of Baptism. III. The Mode of Administering the Ordinance. To which may probably be added, some practical remarks as a conclusion. PART I. THE NATURE AND DESIGN OF BAPTISM. Baptism and baptise arc Greek words with an Eng- lish termination. The originals have not been trans- lated in any version of the scriptures to which recourse can now be had. The Vulgate uses baptismus and baptizo; the French translation, la baptemc and baptiser; the Italian, battesimo and battezzare; and tho English bap- tism and baptise. Tlie reason why these various transla- tors have chosen to retain the original words is, because they could find none in their languages adequate to the id<»a of the original. For, in regard to the exteriud ordinance, the word baptism expresses the application of water or any other fluid in a manner so undeterminate, that none of the terms that are thought to be correspondent to fhe orii;inal, are equally general and comprehensive. And it is unjus- tifiable to restrict the meaning of a general word to a par- ticular application. But besides this, there is another reason why these terms have not been translated. Tiieir signification extends be- yond the mere designation of an external ordinance, and embraces the great object of that ordinance, as it respects purification from moral defilement, and embuing with the principles of true holiness. Now, neither washing, nor sub- iQersion, nor pouring, nor sprinkling, nor any other known term, except the original, comprehends Ihcac several idcas^ It is wise, therefore, not to attempt to translate them by a single wortl, as many are ready to do. For confirmation of these remarks, let us examine the original — TJie primitive word is /SaTtrid and tlie prima- ry idea of this is, to staiji, to dye, that is tp produce such a chaiigc of texture, as produces a.clia»?ge of colour. Of this Hse of the word, many examples might he ^fifordcd: a few may suffice. E^aTtTeto h'ai^an "ki^iv^ the pool was ting- ed with blood. Homer. /?a7i7£t xau avBc'^ei tyiv x^^9^^ ^^ stains and renders florid tlie hand, Aristotle. l^aliov 6s6afi(isvov aifjari. Rev. xix. 13. In conformity to this signification, woi'ds appropriate to t!ic art of dyeing are de- rived from this theme; thus fSa^ri is the act of dyeing, ^a^n^g is a dyer, /^a^)^;©^ is the art of dyeing, d6ap)g is un- dyed, A(6'ad)0$ is twice dyed, &c. Hence it appears that, to stain or dye, is the radical idea of the Ayord, To this may be added, that to stain or dye is more extensive than to dip or plunge, because thn operation of staining may be performed by yai'ious modes of applying tlic colouring mat- ter, as, by sprinkling, effusion, dipping, or subniersionj but dipping is one simple action. It is true, however, that as a change of colour is most commonly produced by a long continued immersion, the word l^antcd caiije to signi- fy to immerse, to dip, to plunge. But then it acquired va- rious other significations, and became very indefinite in its application, signifying as suits the sense to stain, dye, dip, wet, wash, purify. From this word is derived that (^^anli^o) which is used to express the performance of the sacred rite of baptism. This, as its primitive, is of very general sig- nification, as will appear from the following examples: — 1. from the Septuagint. 2. Kings v. 14, And JNaaman went down, mi. sSanliaalo iv ra lopSav/: £7ildxig, ^nd wash- ed himself at (or in) the Jordan seven times. This trans- lation is thus justified. In the 10th verse wc read that. KHshii sent 11 ui. ^:sciis;er to him sayinej, fio, (^^imgcu snlaxig ti> roi hobdiv;) waslv seven times at oi* in tlio Jordan; and (lie Instni'ian ad'.ls. In', went; and did \v!i:it? Washed, cer- tainly- Here, then t!ic general word, ?^(,> to wash, and SaTtlii^id to bapti/o, arc equivalent. It may l)C thought by 9(>ine, however, tijat the latter word is intended to desig- nati^ the piirUciiIai* mode in which tlic Syrian general exe- cuted the i>rop!jct's command, namely, by dipping o»' ptntig- ing seven times in the Jordan. But on tlii^ it is obvious to remark, that the prophet has allusion to tlio manner of cleajising a leper, prescribed in t!ie Jawisli Law. « Now there were two ways of applying water enjoined by tliat law; both alike commanded and necessary to his cleansing^ viz. batldn^i and sprinkling: the former to be used bwtonce; the latter to be done seven times. Lev. xiv. r, 8. Hence it is probable that the prophet did not direct the Syrian captain to immerse or plunge himself seven times in the Jordan, but to peiToi-m his ablution in the customary wayj that is, by sjn-iukliiig. The next passage in the Septuagint, wliere the word oc- curs, is Isai. xxi. -4: the literal version of which is, <• And ini([uity baptiscth me." This language is so highly iigu- rative, that no prudent reasoner will make any use of it in determining the literal signification of the word. There is a j)assagc, however, in the book of Judith, xii. 7, iu which it clearly signifies to wash. "■ And she went out by night to the valley of Bethulia, and washed herself at a fountain of water in the camp." (xaj. eSavSli^elo sv ryj) Tta^s^Sokri 87x1 ry;g n/jyyjg T» vSaro^.) Here, iis was said, we can only render the word by the English term, to wash. — And it seems evident that this washing was not jjerformed by immersioji. The same observations may be made on Ecclesiasticus, xxxiv. 25: " He that washeth himself af- ter touching a dead body, if he touch it again, what avail- ethhis washing?" {[SaTtriiotjBvog dno i-Expn.) 2. In the nexl niaro^ some passages in tlwi New Testa- 4 ment will be considered, with a view of asceitaiuing tlie proper meaning of the word, baptism, which, wc remind our readers, is a Greek word — Mark vii. 4. « And wlien they come from market, unless tliey wash, [^anlidoivrai) they cat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to liold, as the washing (SaTttLdusg) of cups ajid pots and brazen vessels, and of tables — Luke xi. 38. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he Ijad not first washed [e6anHinByi) ''^fore dinner." These citations shew that the word is used in various passages, where the leading in modes of expression adopted by the sacred writers. They very commonly use such phraseology as this for instance. Acts xix. 3, 4. " Into, (or unto) what were ye baptised then? They said, into John's baptism. Ami P.iul said un- to them, John indeed baptised the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe," &c. Now if we limit the words to the slgnificatiou of a mere exier- nal rite, and suppose that baptism has a restricted signifi- cation, say immersion or submersion, what will b" the meaning? Paul in this case asks, « Into what then were 5 ye innncrsrtl." When \vc c.vpcct tlic disciplos to answer most iiatiiiMlly, <• Tut.) wati*;*'* — we arc utterly disappoiut- ctl, and arc told tlicy wrw iinniersed into .loliii's imnu'i'- siori. But this is most nr.iiiilV'stly, neitlier sense nor Kuv;- lisli. The ocrasion of haul's (|ii.'sM(»n may help us out oftiiLs difficulty. He had asked if th.' discipleiei had received the Holy Spirit. They re|)Iy tliat tliey had not heard of the Holy S|)irit. — He immediately asks, into what were ye then baptised; with what doctrines were your minds embued, that you arc isjnorant of the Holy Sj)irit? 'i'hey answer, wc were baptised into Juhn's Kaptisin — We received the rite from him, and learned his lessons. Paul observes, *»' John baptised the baptism of repentance," &.c. — Now, here, baptism includes, not (July the ordinance administer- ed by Joim, but the system of doctrine taught by him, with which be imbued the minds of his disciples. This reminds us of one j^reater than J(»lin. — When our Lord instituted biiptism, he used lan,e;u;ige which 1 can in- terpret in no other way, than in that just stated. — *• Go,'* said he, ** and make disciples of all nations, baj)tising them into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy- Ghost, teaciiin.i^ them," Ace. Now, here a similar (j[ues- tion occuis. — Baptisinu; — plunginic — them into what? Con- fining the word to mere matters of external observance, would not every reader suppose that the fluid into which all nations should be jilunged, would be stated? But no: they are to be baptised into the name of the Father Son and Spirit. But who does not see that it is absurd to talk of being immersed into a name? The word, dmibtlese liere includes the idea of instruction. — Teach them the ex- istence, attrihutes and ollices of F'ather Son and Spirit, of the effects of whi( h instruction, the ordinance of baptism is a happy representation. The particular words (iSanliCuo^ ii"<' ^anlt^id.) Baptism and Baptise, were used to desig- nate the sacred ordinance under consideration, because, ip their primary sense, they bigi»ify to dye, in imbue, and B 6 hence the application of a fliiid in any manner, suited to tlm purpose to be accomplis'ned. The process of dycinj^, Iiown ever, implies a previous cleansing ui the thing to be dyed from every extraneous matter, and an application of the coloui-ing substance to it in a state of purity. Now, these complex ideas cannot be expressed by any single term in the English language^ the translators of the Bible, then, did well not to render the words by immerse and immer- siofi, wash and washing, or any sitigle terms. They wise- ly left the word uittranslate;!; referred the true explana- tion of it to the industry and learn' ng gf those whose office it is to expound scripture. These remarks will hf^lp us to the true import of this or- dinance. Baptism as an external rite, is the application of water to a fit subject in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. By this ordinance we. are taught, 1. That man is a sinful being, and that he must be freed from the rnoral defilement of sin. 2. That by the blood of Christ and by the sanctifying influences of the Hol}^ Spirit we are to be freed from sin and made holy. 3. That this event is to be ac- complished by the instrumentality of truth communicated to the baptised in the ordinary way of instruction. And to this view of the subject we are lead by the terms used by our Saviour in instituing the ordinance^ " Go, and make dis- ciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Fa- ther Son and Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." There is another view of this subject which ought to be taken. Baptism is not only a sign, by which the things mentioned are represented to our senses; but it is a seal by which the things promised in the word of God are as- sured to us. It is « a seal of the righteousness of faith*" Now the righteousness of faitli is called God's righteousness; and the phrase implies that glorious plan according to which God enlightens the benighted sinner, grants him repentance. iinto life, pardons his sins through Jesus Christ, justifies his ptTson, Sanctifies hlM wliolc nature, and iUs him for iliavoii. Now wlion this seal is applied to anyone, it is not for a testimony that that person truly believes and is ei(ti{I;-;l to tlie blessioajs of the ronvoriajit of mercy — for who then would adventure V) aduiiuistrr haptism, witluiut bein;^ first invested v.ith tiie i)rerogative of searchinj; the heart? But if is (io.i's seal: it is fur a testimony on the part of God, that !le will |)erf(>rm all that lie has promised, that he will j*ive ellieary to the means of his own appoint- ment. The ordinance is intended to confirm the faith of the rhurrh in the divine promised, and assure the people of God that the discijjline of his church shall not he ineflioient for her moral purification; and for imbuing with principles of h(di!iess all> who sjbmit with a teachable tcinjicr to this disripline. The Word baptism may also signify the effect produced by tiic truth which the oi'dinance represents. In this sense the a|)ostles use such phrases as the fdlowing, «• We arc buried with him by baptism unto death," &c. Rom. vi. 4, In whom also ye are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, being buried with him in baptism. Col. ii. 12. The antitype to which, baptism, (not the put- ting away of the filth of the flesh, but the stipulation (an- swer) of a good conscience towards God) doth now save us." 1 Pet. iii. 21. Here the thing signified by baptism is called by the name of the rite itself. Tliis is expressly declared by Peter. He had spoken of the deluge, and of the preservation of eight persons by means of water; »» In this particular point of view," says he, " there is a resemhl.in -e between baptism and the deluge. — Noah was preserved by water — We are saved by baptism; but I do not mean tlic external right here, but the thing signified by it; 1 meaa the stipulation of a good conscience, a sincere engagement to be the Lord's. Phis saves us by the ns'irr'- tmn of Christ from the dead. As surely as ISouli aud his lawUj 8 were borne up by the waters and preserved from ruin; as surely as Christ died and rose again, so surely shall they, who are cleansed by liis blood and sanctified by his spirit (the thij)§* sif^riificd by baptism) be saved." Hence v/e sec tliat baptism is intended to he used in the Church of Jesiis Cbrist for tlic purpose of representing the great truths of Christianity, and strengthening the faith of t!ie Cliurcli. It is thus calculated to encourage ti»e diligent use of that di3ci|)Iiiie which has been established in the church of the Lord Jesus, and the faithful instruction of all who have been initiated into the school of Christ. These few remarks, while they serve in some degi-ee to explain the nature and design of baptism, show that it was intended to be perpetual. We are as much under the in- fluence of the objects of sense, as the primitive christians were; these objects, when used to represent spiritual things, are as well calculated as ever, to bring them home to us with a powerful impression; and in this day, we as much need the benefits of this ordinance as they did of old. The reason of the institution, then, still continues. — Besides, to the words of institution, our Saviour annexes a promise, which shews that he had in view, not only the apostles, but those who should succeed them; " Lo, I am with you, always, even unto the end of the world." But further, the apostles, during the whole course of their ministry, at least as far as the record goes, administered baptism; and there is not an intimation in scripture that the rite should be discontinued. In one case, (see Acts x. — ) we know that Peter baptised a company of persons after the Holy Spirit had descended on them. And this shows that the ordi- nance was not a mere emblem, to be used only until the doctrine of the Holy Spirit should be more fully understood. In truth, every man who is authorised to go forth and preach the gospel, as a minister of Jesus Christ, is authorised to adnunister baptism. And if it is his duty to do this, it is the duty of the people to submit to the ordinance. But it ou2:lit to be understood, t!iat there is no mystcn- oils viitiic in this rite, in constfjucnce of which grarc is bestowed. A person in a state, of condemnation, iminedi- aloly before baptism, is in a state ofcondemnation immcdi- utely after. In other words, baptism does not confer j^race. This is evident, in the case of Simon Magus — al- tliongh l)apti«ed by the hands of an apostle, he was aftcr- \Aards declared to be *< in tlie giill (jf bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity." Baptism is a part of that great sys- tem of instrumentality which God lias appointed for the re- covery of man from sin, and his everlasting salvation. — And when employed, according to the intention of the Head of the Church, there is reason to expect his blessing. This remark is offered, bccunsc superstitious notions concerning the efficacy of any external observances have done, and are calculated to do unspeakable mischief in tho world and in the church. Mere outward things arc sub- stituted for repentance, faith, and holy-living; a vain confidence is generated, and men bLJieve that they are re- generated, and in the favour of dxl, when in fact— they have only complied with a cerc:;j(>ny! But it ought to be laid to heart, that nothing will sc( u;c our salvation, but that regeneration and purity w hicli baplisn: represents. We must be born of the Spirit, or wc never sb&ll seethe kingdom of God. We may administer and receive ordinances in the true apostolic mode, (if that can be ascertained,) and yet have no part nor lot in the salvation of God, For saith our blessed Saviour, *' Verily, vorily, I say unto you, un- less a man be born again^ he cannot enter into tho kingdom of Heaven.'' 10 PAllT IL THE SUBJECTS OF EAPTISM. Having very briefly enquired into tlic nature of baptism/ the next question is, " To whom is baptism to be adminis- tered?" The answer given to the question in the Assem- bly's Catechism, contains what is believed to be the truth, accordin.^to scripture: " Baptism is not to be administer- ed to any that are out of the visible church, and so stran- gers to the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but infants descending from parents, either both or but one of them, professing' faith in Christ and obedience to him, arc, in thivt respect, within the covenantj and are to be baptised." Respecting the first general proposition contained in the answer, it is observed, that it is supported by the practice of the a])ostles: They appear to have required a profes- sion of faith of all rvho applied to them for baptism; at least what was equivalent to a profession. No difference was made between Jews and Gentiles. The cases of the tjunuch, of Cornelius, of Lydia, and of the Jailor are all in point. To this it may be added, that as far as the lan- guage of otir Saviour goes on the subject, He supports the doctrine, that nt)ne who are capable of believing, ought to be baptised without a profession of faith: " He that be- lieves and is baptised shall be saved." But farther, the proposition is supported by the vie\r ^ which has been given of the nature of baptism. It is the initiatory ordinance of the church; and pledges ti»e recipi- ent to submission to that course of instruction which th© head of the church has appointed. Now faith regards Je- sus Christ as the great prophet of God, and is a necessary- element in that docility and humbleness of mind required of a scholar in the school of Christ: Man, however, can- not judge the heart. A credible profession then, that is a profession not contradicted by any thing in the general tenor li of the conduct, is all that a minister of the gospel or a chiirrh can require. As tliis doctrin<^ is not a matter of dispute or doubt, it is wnnecftssary to emph.y farther time in its sui)po!t. It i? well, howovcr, to caution those, who undertake to deter- mine whether a candidate for baptism ought t(» be received, not to be too percmntory in their decisions. Great injury may be done to ignorant and inconsiderate persons, by the supposition, that the vote of a church or a church-session, or the declaration of a minister of the gospel, authorative- ly decides that thev are believers. It may induce a secu- rity and self-confidence, fiital to the best interests of th* soul The next proposition contained in the quotation, froTP the Assembly's C;\techism, may be thus briefly expressed— The child of a hdicvbi'; parent on^ht to be baptised. The reader is requested to consider the following view of the subject; to compare tho whole with the scriptures: and with hum:.le praver to Almighty Gr.d for direction, to Judge for himself. As the subject, however, is disputed between sincere christians, let no one be precipitate and dogmatical.-This caati..n is given, while it is known, that in omo irably the majoritv of christians embraces the doctrine vindicated in the following pages. The caution proceeds from no doubt resting on the writer's mind; but from a love of modera- ion I .d bu nilitv. a;. I a dislike of their contraries. Before proceeding directly to the proof of the proposi- tion, an observation or two will be offered on the analogy between the consitution of nature, and the doctrine ot the Bihle on this subject. When God established what is call- ed t!ie Covenant of Works with Adam, the condition of all his posterity was connected with his conduct. We km»w that he sinned, and that all died in him; (see Rom. v. 12- 19.) And there is every reason to believe, that had Adam obeved, all would have lived through him. Mow, although i2 this covenant has been abolished, yet there is a Hjost intir mate connection between the nalui-fil, civil and moral con- dition of parents and children. This remark niii^ht be il- lustrated by innumerable instances. Ordinarily, the chil- dren of weak, sickly parents, are themselves weak and sick- ly; those of ignorant parents grow up in ignorance. Tihe children of the poor, are poor; of the profligate, are abandoned; of the degraded, are despised; of the honoura- ble, are respected; and so on almost witliout end. There is wisdom and benevolence in this appointment. It is in- tended to make use of tiie parental affection — perhaps the strongest and most inextinguishable affection of the hu- man heart, in support of virtue and piety. This connec- tion is. apparent in the affairs of religion. Ordinarily, the children of heathens, aie heathens; of Mahometans, arc Mahometans; of Jews, are Jews; and of christians, are christians. The word christians here is used in the gene- ral loose and comprehensive sense of the term. Yet, while the idea that religion is propagated by ordinary genera- lions is rejected, it is maintained that there is a great and very perceptible difference between the moral condition of the children of truly pioiis parents, and of nominal profes- sors, who want only just religion enough to carry them to heaven. Now, considering tlie analogy which subsists be- tween nature and revelation, it is not at all to be wondered at, if the great Head of the Church, wlio is also the au- thor of nature, has made use of the intimate connection, which subsists between parents and children, in subservi- ence to his purposes of mercy; and has made the condition of parents, in relation to the Church of Christ, to bear on tlie condition of children. Why should it be thought metre wonderful or unreasonable, that children should be parta- kers of superior advantages, or entitled to higher privileges, because their parents are members of the church of Christ, than that their civil or intellectual condition should be bet- ter, (as iu fact it is) because they are descended of parents 18 iiistin.cfiiislicd in tin' state, or ricivatcd by e howcvrr, arc hints thrown ont for the consiiK-ration »»f the reader. It is to tlie bible that we look for information and authority on this nuuli a.qitated question. And here the original constit ution of tlje Church of God deniunds attention. By the church of (iod we m-^an what isordinarily called thewsiftfeciiurch; namely, that associa- ti.)n into whicli persons are admitted who are recognized as churcli members. The N> estminster cunfession says that « it consists of all those througliout the world, tiiat pi'ofess the true religion, together with their childi't'ti.'* (Cii. XXV. §. 2.) Now such an association must have some mode by which members should be initiated, and some rules for thrir regulation and good government. This is too obvious to require illustration. And it may help in di'- tcrmining the question — When was the cliurcii organiz ul? In looking into the New Testament we find that the term Church, when first introduced is, used without explana- tion, in a way that shows it to have been quite familiar to the people of that time. Matt. xvi. 13. ♦* 'I'hou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church," 6cc. xvii. 17. «« And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." It seems manifest from this phrase(dogy that the word Church conveyed n«» new idea to the disciples of our Savour. This appears too, from the words of Stephen, (Acts, vii. 38.) « This is he that was hi the church in the wilderness." In fact, the Greek word rendered church {exxTy-aLO) corresponds with the Uebrew term — (^Hp) I'cndered congregation^ and occur- curring so frequently, that an enumeration of the passages would be tedious. And the English phrase. Church of God is a liberal rendering of the Greek exxTyiCia Sea; which is, again, a literal translation of the Hebrew niH* /Hp. C 14 In fact, a great part of the phrasenlo.^y of tlie New Tes- tament is derived from the old; ami it is inipossiiile to read many passages of the former intelligibly, without an inti- mate acquaintance with the latter. The complex idea con- Teyed by the word church, cannot be adequately under- stood without reference to the old scriptures. This wiU appear strange to thi)se who have taken up the opinion that the church was organized by our Saviour when oi earth. That this is not true, fi)l!ows from what has been said. — But the apostle Paul decides the point, when, speaking of the casting off of the Jews, and the admission of the Gen- tiles into the church of God, he says, Rom. xi. 17: " And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive-tree, wert grafifed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree; boast not against the branches." The wild olive here represents the gentiles; the native branches, the Jews. Of these «* some were broken off;" and " among them*^ the wild olive was « graffed." Were not the gentiles brought into the church by this engraffing? If so, what was the condition of the '* natural branches" among which they were graf- fed — Were they not also in the church of God? But as few deny that God liad a church before the incarnation of Christ, this subject will not be insisted on. — The question then re- curs, when was the visible cliurch — that is a church admit- ting members by external rites, and adopting some princi- ples common to every association that is to be held toge- ther — when was this church organized? It was not by John the baptiser. He pretended to no such authority; and in truth, was a Jew, conforming, during the course of his ministry to the Jewish ritual, and embodying no distinct society. — It is not imagined that any of the prophets or- ganized the church of God. In a word, we first find the institution in the days of Abraham. God entered into co- venant with him; constituted him the father of the faithful; and he received ^^ drcumcision) as a seal of th^ righteous- 15 WEss OP FAITH." From the brgimiing, there was only one way of salvation — thai is throiiji^h the Lord Jesus Christ. But there was mi risihlc church until God had a|)jK)intcd a visible si^n and seal of that riijhteousness by whic li he would pronounce a sinner just; and glorify himself in his salvation. It was tlien, that Clod enj^aged to be a God to Abraham ami his seed; and appointed him a fatherofmany nations — But on this subject the fcdiowing raham's seed comprehends all those of whom he is the father: but he is the fatlicr «)1' many nations; therefore, these many nations are to be accounted as his seed. Again: the covenant was made with Abraham and with his seed: therefore, the covenant embraces these majiy nations who are included in his seed. This covenant was afRrmed in an extra(»dinary manner; viz. by the rite o( circumcision: this saith God, is my covenant ■which ye shall keep betireen me and you, and thy seed after tliee^ every man child among you shall be circumcised. The uses of this rite were two. *' First. It certified to tlie seed of Abraham, by a token in the flesh of their males, that the covenant with their great progenitor was in force; that they were under its 16 lull opprntion; and entitled to all thtJ benefits iinmediately derivi'd from it. But circumcision iiad a further use; forj Secondly, The apostle Paul informs us that it was a seal ©/■fAe RIGHTEOUSNESS OT THE TAiTH wJiicIi Mraliaju Jiud being yet undrcumcised, that he might be the father of alt them that believe, thoughthey be not circumcised; that righte- ousness MIGHT BE IMPUTED unto thevi also. Rom. iv. 11, In this connexion it certified, " That Abrahacn was justified hy faith: f< That the doctrine and the privilege of the "righteous- ness by faith," \Aere to be perpetuated among his seed by the operation of God's covenant with him: *« That the justification of a sinner is by faith alone: « ri,ij;htousness'* being '< imputed" to « all them that be- Ueve,''' and to them only; who by the very fact of their he- lieving, become, in the highest sense, children of Abraham, and pre accordingly blessed with him. <* While, therefore, the sign of circumcision was in every circumcised person, a seal of God's covenant with Abra- ham and with his seed, it was to all who walked in the faith of Abraham a seal of their personal interest in that same righteousness hy which Abraham was justified. «« From these general premises the conclusion is direct and ir^-efragable, that the covenant with Abraham was de- signed to assure the accomplishment of the second great promise made fo him while he was yet in Ur of the Chal- dees; and that the effect of it was to bring him and his family, with all who should join them in a kindred profes- sion, into a church estate, i. e. was a covenant ecclesiastical, by which Jehovah organized the visible church, as one dis- tinct spiritual society; and according to which all his after dealings with her were to be regulated. Hitherto she had been scattered, and existed in detached parts. Now it was the gracious intention of God to reduce her into a com- pact form, that she might be prepared for the good things to cume. Since Abraham was designated as the man from 17 wliom llio MRSSIVH was to spritii^; sinrc lie Imd sicjnally glDi'ilicd the liOi'il's veracity, not sta^-.^eiiuy; at liis pro- niis<' tliroiijL:;h unbelief, he selected this his servant as tho (avoiiied man in whose family he would coinnjence the or- ganization of that ( hnivh in which he designed to perpe- tuate the I'ighteousness of faitli. With this church, as witli the whole^ composed, in the first instance, of Abraham's family, and to he encreased aftei-wai'ds by the addition of all sucii as slionid own liis faitli, was tlic covenant made. Tills is tjiat covenant after which we are cnr|uiring. ** I his covenant has luwei' been annulled. The proof of the atlirmativc lies upon the alHrmer. When? Where? antl by wh<»m was the act for annulling it promulgated? TIm' ** vanishing away" of the ceremonial law has nothitig to do with the Abraliamic covenant, but to illustrate, con- firm, and diffuse its blessings. "J'lie foi-mer was a tempo- rary constitution, superadded for the purpose of giving ef- fect to some |)rnvisions of the latter, smd expired by ifs own liinitation. The apostle Paul refistes the notion that the introduction of the ceremonial law, coul«l at all prejudice the pre-existing covenant with Abruhan); Gal.Wx. 15-17. Ajid if not its commencement, why its termination? And if the abolishing of the ceremonial law docs not infer the ces- sation of the Abraliamic covenant, there is not a shadow of cither proof or presunijition that it has ceased. If there is, let it be produced. But not to rest the matter here, we may observe, « Ist. That the promise of Abraham's being a father of many nations, who are, therefore, his seed, never was, nor could be fulfilled, before the Christian dispensation. The apostle Paul was certainly of this mind; for he proves the calling of the Gentiles from Abi*aham's covenant; and if the calling of the Gentiles to be fellow-heirs in the clairch of God with ihc literal descendants of the patriarch, was grounded upon this covenant, this, again, shows that they 18 belong to that seed with whimi it was ma(i(^ ami, con- sequently, it is in full force and virtue to this hour. The apostle presses this point with great ai-dour; and places it before us in various lights. If ye be CltrisfSf says he '» then " are ye Mrahani's seed; and heirs according to the iwomiseJ^ "What promise? Not simply the promise of eternal life in Christ. There was no necessity u^ Wm^iv^ being Abraham's seed to inherit this promise — but manifestly, the promise of Abraham's covenant to which they were entitled in vir- tue of their being liis seed: i. e. the promise /wi7i he a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. If, then, they who are Christ's are Abraham's seed; and being so are heirs ac- cording to the promise; the covenant, containing the pro- mise, is in full virtue, as they belong to the seed with which it was made. " 2d. If the Abrahamic covenant is no longer in force, the church of God, as a visible public society, is not in any sense, connected with him by covenant-relation. This may weigh light with those who discard the doctrine of a visi- ble Catholic church; but it draws much deeper than they suspect. The whole administration of the covenant of grace proceeds upon the principle that there is such a church. All the ordinances are given to it; all the promis- es arc made to it. To the elect, as such, they are not, can- not be given. The application of them would be impossi- ble without a special revelation: and the whole administra- tion of the covenant of grace, by visible means would be at an end. Nor is a single instance to be found, excepting in virtue of immediate revelation, in which the Lord ever gave an ordinant e or a promise to particular churches. — They always receive their piivileges in virtue of their be- ing parts of the church universal. Now this church uni- versal which is the body of Christ, the temple of his Spi- rit, the depositary of his grace, stands in no coveilant re- lation to God, in her public character, if tiie covenant with Abraham is annulled. For if she does, then another 19 covenant lias l»ccn nuulo with her. But no such covenant has bet'ii niade. 'I'lic new covenant which the Lord promised to make with her at the introduction of the evanj^elical dis- pensation, was to siijii icede, not the Ahrahamic, hut tiie Sinai covenant. It is so far from setting aside, tliat it im- plies, and ewtahlishes tlie former; for it is promised to her as that rhiirc h whidi was organized and perpetuated un- der Abrahanrs covenant. If, therefore, that covenant is removed, and no other has replaced it, the church, in her social capacity, is further off from God tlian she was under the law; and all the mercies to which, in that capacity, she once had a claim, are swept away. But this is impossible. In fact, the scriptures uniformly suppose the existence of such public federal relations: and abound with promises gi'owing' out of them. Thus speaks the prophet — " Tiie redeemer shall c*)me to Zion, and unto them that tuin from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord: my Spirit that is upon thee, ami my words which 1 have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the m;>uth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever." — Is. Iix.21, 22. " This is a prediction of JNew Testament times: so the apostle applies it. Hum. xi. 26, And he aj)plies it to the recovery of the Jews, winch has not yet happened. The covenant, therefoi'e, is in force, and it operates through the medium of Gentile Converts; the Lord's Spirit has long ago departed out of the mouth of the Jews. But the prom- ise was made to tlie churcli, in her covenanted character; her members in constant succession arc the " seed" out of whose mouth the divine Spirit shall not depart; and when the J«'W3 arc restored, they will be brought into this very covenanted church, and be again recognized as a part of the »< seed." But why multiply words? There is no ex- plaining of the frequent recurrence of the inspii-ed writers m to tlie covcnJint of Abraliani, nor any propriety iil their rea- soning, if it is not of perpetual operation. " 3tl. In discussing the great question concerning the re- jection of the Jews, the vocation of the Gentiles, and tlie fu- ture restoration of tlic former, the apostle reasons upon principles which are most false and impertinent, if the! Abrahamic covenant has ceased. Rom. xi. 17-24. " He tells the Gentiles that, they were *« a wild olive tree;" and that the Jews were the <' good olive tree" — This cannot refer to their natural state as sinners before God; for in this respect there was no « difference" — nor to their state as sinners saved by grace; for from this state there is no excision; it can refer to nothing but their visible church estate; i. e. to their public relation to Go«l as a co- Tenanted society. What, then, was tiiis •'« good olive tree," from which the Jewish branches were '• broken off;" while the Gentiles were " grafied in?" Evidently, the visible church organized nnder the covenant made with Ahiaham. There was no other from which the Jews could be cast off. The ceremonial law was superceded. It was no excision at all to be cut off from a constitution wdiich did not exist; nor could the Gentiles be introduced into it. But what says the apostle? That the " olive tree" was cut down or root- ed up? That it had withered trunk and branrh? Or was no longer the care of the divine planter? Nothing like it! He asserts the continuance of the olive tree in life and vi- gour; the excision of some worthless branches; and the in- sertion of new ones in their stead. *' Tiiou," says he, ad- dressing the Gentile, " partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree. " Translate this into liss figurati\e lan- guage, and what is the import? That the church of God, his visible church, taken into peculiar relations to himself by the Abrahamic covenant, subsists without injury through the change of dispensation and members. Branches in- deed may be cut off, but the rooted trunk stands firm, and other branches occupy the places of those which arc lopped 21 away. The Jews arc cast out of the church, but the church perished not with thcni. Tiicrc was still left tlic trunk of the olive tree; tlicre was still fatness in its roots; it stands in the same fertile soil, the covenant of God: and the ad- mission of the Gentiles into the room of the excommunica- ted Jews, makes them a part of that covenanted churchy as branches graffed into the olive tree and flourishing in ita fatness, are identified with the tree. It is impossible for ideas conceived by the mind ofman, or uttered in his language, to assert more peremptorily the continuance of the church under that very covenant which was established with Abra- ham and his seed. And this doctrine, understood before the apostleship of Paul, was maintained by John the Bap- tist; " Think not^^^ cried he to the multitudes who crowded around him, " think not to satj within yourselves^ We Iiave Abraham to our father: for verily I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Mraham. The hearers of the baptist, like many modern professors of Chris- tianity, supposed that the duration of the covenant with Abraliam, and of the prerogative of the Jews as God's pe- culiar people, were the same. It is a mistake, replies tlie second Elijah,* you may all be cast off; you may all perish; but the oath to Abraham shall not be violated. God will be at no loss to provide " seed" who shall be as much with- in his covenant as yourselves, even though he should create them out of the stones of the earth. The threat was vain: it was empty noise; it was turning the thunders of God into a scarecrow for children, if the covenant with Abraham was not to survive the law of peculiarity, and be replenish- ed with other seed than that which sprung from his loin§ according to the flesh." — [V'ol. I. pp. 14G-153.] Having shown that the church of God was organized in the days of Abraham, we next state the fact that children were recognized as members of that church. This fact will not, and indeed cannot be disputed. The whole tenor of the history, from the time when the circumcision oflsaar D 2% was recorded to the coming of our Saviour, shows that this was the case. During this long period infants were admit- ted into the chur( h hy the rite of circumcision. « That this rite had a spiritual signijicatian may appear, if any douht is yet entertained on the subject, from the following passages of scripture." Deut. x. 16. «« Cir- cumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiif-nerked," Deut. xxx. 6. *< And the Lord God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to lote the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.'* Jer. iv. 4. « Circum- cise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusa- lem, lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, bee ause of the evil of your doings." It may also he remarked, that the term uncircumcised is frequently used in scripture to express the opposite of this circumci- sion of tlie heart — As in Leviticus, xxvi. 41,42. « If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they ac- cept of the punishment of their iniquity; then will I remem- ber my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remem- ber." «< In similar language, Jeremiah says, « Behold their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken." vi. 10. Again, ix. 26. He says, *' And all the house of Israel, are uncir- cumcised in heart." The same expressions are found in Ezekiel xliv. 7, 9. «•' With these passages of scripture let us compare some in the New Testament. Rom. ii. 28, 29, " For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spi- rit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men but of God. iii. 1,2. « What advantage then has the Jew? And 96 what ])rofit is there of circiirncision? Much every way; chiefly because that unto thcui were romuiitted the oracles of God. 30th vcr, " Seeing that it is one God who shall justify the circumcision htj faithy atui the uncircumcision thrit* faith.'* Rom. iv. 11-12. «' And he received the sij:;u of circumcision, a seal of the I'it^hteousncss of the faith which he had bcin,!^ yet uncircumcised; that he might be the fa- ther of all them that believe, though they be not circumcis- ed,* that righteousness might be imputed to then) also: and the father of circumcision, to them who are not only of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, whicli he had being yet uncircum- cised." Phil. iii. 10. •« For we are the circumcision, which worship G')d in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jc«us, and have no confidence in the flesh." Col. ii. 11. " In whom ye also are circumcised, with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ." It may also be remarked thai, in the New Testament, the term unciicumciscd is used in the same sense as in the Old; as in Acts ii. 51. " Ye stifl*- necked, and uncircumcised in heart and sanctifying grace of God. So that a man truly circumcised in the full scriptu- ral sense of the term is a true member of the church of God. 35 he worships God in tlic spirit, rejoices in Christ Jesus, and puts no confidence in tije flesh. « Again, we observe that circumcision is a seal of the righteousness of faitii. This is evident from the express declaration of the apostle Paul, Rom. iv. 11. " He receiv- ed the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had, being yet in uncircumcision, k.c. The righteousness of faith is that righteousness, by which a sin- ner is justified in the sight of God. This is sometimes call- ed « the law of righteousness" — llom. ix. 31. It is else- where called ♦* the righteousness of God" — Rom. i. 17, and X. 3. And in Phil. iii. 9, it is described as, " the righte- ousness which is of God by faith." This is a righteousness pointed out by God, wrought, and freely conferred by him as the God of all grace. It is received by the sinner, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the time when circumcision was instituted, an epitome of the gospel was given to Abraham; by the grace of God he had been ena- bled to believe; and God to encourage and strengthen his faith, added circumcision as a pledge of his own faithfulness in the performance of his promises; and as a sign and seal of that righteousness of faith, of which Abraham had been made partaker, and through which it was the divine inten- tion to justify every one who should be saved. Thus was the gospel, the very identical gospel in which we believe, preached to Abraham. And thus did God give evidence, for the comfort of the church, that the Messiah, who ac- cording to carnal descent was then in the loins of Abraham, in the fulness of time should come, and be cut oft' for the sins of the people. The ancient Jewish Doctcn-s under- stood this spiritual design of circumcision, as appears from their customary saying, « A proselyte from the time tliat he becomes a proselyte, is like a new born infant." And hence, when Nicodemus wondered at the doctrine of our Lord concerning regeneration, our Saviour asked, " Art tliou a Teacher in Israel, and knowest not these things?'' m « Farther, it will appear that circumcision was a seal of the covenant of grace, by adverting to the text before quo- ted. It was a seal of the righteousness of faith, says the apostle. And the righteousness of faith, is the righteous- ness which God bestows according to the covenant of grace and which entitles us to its blessings — But circumcision was the seal of the covenant which God in Christ made with x\brahani, therefore the Ah rah am ic covenant was the cove- nant of grace. « Farther, according to the preceding account, circumci- sion implied, and required the exercise of faith. Of this there can be no reasonable doubt, since it was the seal of the righteousness of faith. To deny this would be to affirm that circumcision was the seal of that which was not true. Accordingly, when a Jewish parent offered a child for cir- cumcision, that parent did of course make a profession of faith in the covenant promises of God; and when a prose- lyte applied for this rite, it would have been perfectly cor- rect to address him in the identical words which Philip ad- dressed to the Eunuch, " If thou believest with all thine heart, tliou mayest.'* <« Another remark of importance is, that circumcision w'as the initiatory ordinance into the visible church of God under the former dispensation. << When God called Abraham and established the church in his family, circumcision w^as instituted. The child of every Hebrew was, according to divine command, to be circumcised. When any person became a proselyte, this rite was to be adminstered to him, and his offspring — so that in no case whatever, was an uncircumcised male con- sidered a member of the congregation of the Lord, that is of the visible church. The result of the whole may be thus stated — God established a visible church in the family of Abraham: circumcision was, « 1. The initiatory ordinance into that church, and im- plied »7 « 2. Depravity of luiinan nature, amUiabiUty to punish- ment. " 3. Tlic necessity of pardon [throui^ii the blooil of thc Messiali] and of santifiration [throui;li the Spirit.] " 4. It was a seal of the rigliteousness of faith; and of course '< 5. Of the covenant of grace. And as such oblii^od the subjects of it to a life of holiness and new obedience: It therefore represented a death unto sin and a life unto holi- ness." Virginia Evangelical and Literary Magazine, vol. I, pp. 151-155. This subject has been urged at sucii lengtli, and almost the same idea has been repeated, because it has a most im- portant bearing on the great question under consideration. It was, then, the appointment of God tliat the initiatory rite of the church should be ajiplied to infants, from the or- ganization of the cluirch, until the coming of Christ. Our blessed Saviour, it is granted, made changes in the exter- nal form of the cliurch, and particudarly in the initiatory ordinance. But wliere is the evidence of a change in this particular? What law of our Saviour's kingdom excludes from it those wiio had been previously admitted? An ex- press precept cannot be pointed to by those who most ve- hemently contend for positive commands on this subject. And all the inferential reasoning that has ever been brought forward, as far as it proves any thing, proves that infants ought no more to have been admitted in former times than under the present dispensation. Is is said that faith is ne- cessary to baptism? — Surely it was as necessary in the case of circumcision, which was a seal of the righteousness of I'aith. Is it said that baptism implied regeneration; and il is impossible to determine whether infants arc regenerated or not? The same was the case with circumcision. — Tlit whole argument then comes into a short compass. By the APPOINTMENT OF GoD, INFANTS WERFi RECOGNIZED AS UEMBEBS OF HIS CUIJRCU: BUT THIS APPOINTMENT 2» HAS NEVER BEEN ABROGATED^ THEREFORE THEY ARB STILL TO BE RECEIVED. But let US, in the next place, examine some passages in the New Testament, which directly bear on the subject of Christian Baptism. And here, we begin with the institution of this ordinance. This is recorded in Matt, xxviii. 19-20. " Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghostj teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." — Tliis was the institution of christian baptism. It is true that a rite thus designated, was used before this time. But it could not have been the initiatory ordinance of the christian church; because the church in its christian form had not been organized. Our blessed Lord, regarded as to his human nature, lived and died a Jew, conforming to all the appointments of the Mosaical ritual,* and the Jewish economy was not abolished until Jesus Christ, having accomplished his wurk by rising from the dead, ap- peared as the head of his church, and ordained new laws for its go\ prnmeut and discipline. The baptism applied to Jewish proselytes, could not have been the initiatory or- dinance into the church of God; for circumcision was used for that purpose. — John's baptism could not have borne that character. 1. Because John was a Jewish believer, and pretended to no authority to make new ordinances in the church. 2. Because his baptism made no recognition of the Holy Spirit. (See Acts. xix. 2-3.) 3. Because the church in its christian form had no existence in the days of John. — The baptism administered by our Saviour and his disciples, previous to his resurrection, was not the christian baptism as afterwards instituted by Christ. 1. Because it required, as far as we can judge, only a profession of be- lief, that Christ was the Messiah. 2. Because, of course, it made, as in the case of John's baptism, no acknowledge- ment of the Holy Ghost. 3. It made no abolition of th« 29 temple service, <»r any part «»f tlic Jewish ritual. Until our Savidiir c^avc tlic A|)()stk's tlicir ("oni.nissioii, the Conn of the rluirrh was unchan2;pfl. It w.ls theiu that appliration of water, hy an authorized ministry, in the narm? of tlic Fa- ther, and the Son, and the Holy (ihost, introduced persons into the school of Christ, that there they mi.^ht he taught to ohsorve all thinc^s th.it lie had conitnnndod. *« Go^ says our Lord, make all nations disciples, baptising them. How arc we to understand this conininnd? How did they understand it to whom it was addressed? In order to niake this discovery, wc should not only study the import of the words themselves. I)ut also the education, the opini- ons and even t!jc prejudices of the apostles; for prejudices they certaitdy had at that lime, and stron.i^ ones too. In a word, we should labour to place oui'selves, as it were, in their very position, surrounded with all the circumstances in which they stood when they received this injunction. In proportion as we succeed in this attcuijjt, we shall be likely to ascertain how they understood the commission of their Lord; and their understanding of it will exhibit its infallible meaning, unless subsequent evidence shall arise to prove that they were mistaken. 1 lay this down as a general rule for the explication of all those parts of ancient records which consist of addi'esses from one person to another If the reader have any doubt of its correctness, I invite him to pause and examine it carefully before he proceed farther. Such an examination, I am confident, will convince him that the rule is a just one, and of great importance in the interpretation of the scriptures. " The apostles, then, could not be ignorant that in all the important affairs of life it was common for parents to act and engage in behalf of their children; heads of families in behalf of their households. They knew that it was common for children to he comprehended with their parents, in those covenants which God had at various times made with men. But farther; they were Jews, members of the Jewish church. 30 tlie adniissiuii ol' families into which cliurch was a ftiMda^ mental principle and an invariable practice. From the founding; of that church in the house of Abraham, the chil- dren and servants of Hebrew believers were uniformly re- ceived and inclwded within it. And whereas a law had been given, for the admission into that church of proselytes from other nations, they knew that by the law the households of professing proselytes were ailmitted with them, and were equally subjects of the initiating ordijmnce. Nor had they, so far as we can discover, ever heard from their master any intimation that he intended any change in this matter. " I have f.'uther to observe that it is a fact well-established by ancient testimony that it was a>i universal custom amongst the Jews to baptize, at the same time that they cir- cumcised proselytes, both parents and children.* That this practice existed before the coming of our Lord appears certain; as, besides the testimonies which prove it, it is ut- terly incredible that the Jews should have assumed the rite in imitation of tlie Christians whom they rancorously hated and despised. This fact accounts in the best manner for the reception which John's baptism met with from the Jews. It is remarkable that they express no surprise, nor ask any questions, about his baptizing with water as a religious rite. They only inquire for the autliority of his commission. f This is inconsistent with baptism's being a novelty among them as a sign of entering into a new religious relation^ and concurs with the other evidence to prove that it was a constant practice. "It may be objected that this Jewish baptism^ not being founded or at least clearly ascertained by their law, should * " No one is a proselyte until he be circumcised and baptised " This was a standing rule amongst the Jews. "If, says Maimonides, an Israel- ite find a heathen infant, and baptise him in the name of a proselyte, be- holdi he is a proselyte." I Johni. 25. ^ind they asked him, and said unto him, why baptisest tfmt^ then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias neither that prophef? 31 iiotlic supposed to have any infliiciuc on tlie minds of tht Apostles in the nnderstandins: of their ronuuission. Kul this conclusion I cannot admit. It was a matter of fact vith which they must have, hcen'well arfpiaintod; and wc do not find that our Lord ever condemned it. It would, therefore, have its influence on the minds of the Apostles. It is not true, that every Jewish institution of which wc do not find t!.c divine authority in their law, was implicitly con- demned hy our Lord. When and by what authority were the Jewish synagoj^ues instituted? On this subject the. Old Testament is altogether silmt. Yet our L..rd s;■A^(^ them liis unequivocal approbation, by constantly ofilciatins in them. Nay, the government and modes of worship of the christian church were in a great ipeasure conformed to the model of the svnagogue. « Another remark, of no little weight, presents itself here. It was a custom amongst the Jews to conclude the ce- lebration of the passover by eatingbread and drinking wine. Of this wc need no other evidence than the account given of the last passover celebrated by our Lord with his Apos- tles.* Now this very Jewish custom our Lonl solemnly ap- pointed to be. a standing ordinance in his (iiurch. When, therefore, the command was given to make disciples and baptize, would not the Apostles naturally understand it as an adoption of the Jewish baptism? Are not the two cases strongly analogous? Considering then the circumstances of the Apostles, and the views of things which they nmst have had, let us sup- pose them to have been divinely commissioned to go forth to all the nations, and make them disciples to Moses, init.a- ting them into that state by circumcision. Would they tiot kave thought themselves b..uud to receive ami < ircumciso the children with their parents, the household with their • Luke xxii. 19, 20. .tnd he took bread, and gave thank,, lie Liknnse also the cup qfter siipper, L^c S2 believing heads? I think it perfectly evident that they would. Now only substitute the name of Christ for that of Moses, and baptism for circumcision, and it becomes the very commission contained in the text. Considering this, together with what we have seen concerning Jewish bap- tism, must we not conclude that tlie commission contejnpla- ted the baptism of the household of believers as well as of themselves, and that the Apostles so understood it? *< Siiould it be objected, tfiat so far as any conclusion can be formed from circumcision to baptism, it would only warrant the baptism of males, as none but males were cir- cumcised: I answer that the efficacy of circumcision was considered as extending to females alsoj* that females are as capable of being baptised as males; that they are disci- ples, and all discijdes are by the text commanded to be baptised; and finally, that care has been taken to inform us expressly that baptism belongs equally to both sexes.f " Supposing the Apostles to have understood their com- mission rightly, there still remains to be answered an ob- jection against our conclusion, I'his Is founded on the meaning of the word disciple. It has often been asserted by our brethren, and that with much confulence, that little children being incafjable of being taught, cannot be made disciples; nay, that discipleshin necessarily implies not on- ly a capacity of instruction, but actual previous instruction. But is this assertion true? I acknowledge that the term disciple has a relation to instruction. But it by no means implies universally, that he who is called a disciple must have been previously instructed. A disciple is one who puts himself or who is put by otiicrs under the authority of " Exod. xii. 4. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neig'hbour next unto his house take it, and according to the mimber of the souls, &c. Compared with v. 45.— for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. ■)■ Acts viii. 12. — They -were baptised, both mat and women 38 a Tcnclicr. The word applies e«iiially to boili ciibts. Wt at^ree that ul' adults no longer under the coiitrcjul ersuading the christian converts, tiiat they must needs be circumcised and keep the law. It is evi- dent that they wished to but den them with the whole law of Moses; and insisted particularly on circumcision as the ground work, and that which could give a binding force to the rest. Now this matter being proposed to the Apostles and brethren, it was asserted by Peter, and afterwards de- termined by them all, that it was not necessary to impose this yoke upon the neck of the disciples.* Uad the false teachers gained their object, it is certain that the heavy yoke of circumcision would have fallen principally on the infantile age. So it had been in the Jewish church; and 80 it would have been in the christian church. Little chil- dren, therefore, arc here called disciples. We may re- mark inoi-eover, that this text affords an obvious and strong proof of our main point, that the children of profes- sing believers were received with them into the church. " Should any besitate about infant disciplesliip, I will propose to their consideration this question; is there any thing moi-e strange in the denominating of little children • Acts XV. 10. S4 disciples, than in their entering and being taken into cove* nant with God, of whatever nature the covenant may be? Yet this latter cannot be denied to have taken place. Be- sides the great covenant made with Abraham,* Moses has left on record a most striking instance of it which took place under his administration.! On the whole, therefore, I conclude that t\\e Apostles mast have understood their commission to enjoin the reception as disciples, aiid conse- quently the baptism, of the household of the believer, as well as of the believer himself." Virginia Religious Maga- ine, Vol. III. -pp. 35-40. This view of the commission given to the apostles pre- pares the way for a consideration of the practice pursued by them in reference to the subject of baptism. This prac- tice we state to have been thus: — When an unbaptised adult presented himself as a candidate for baptism, he was re- quired to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ; and on this profession he was baptised: and if he had children^ they were baptised also. The former part of the proposition is not disputed; the latter is established by the following scripture facts. There is a passage in Peter's sprech, recorded in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, which many truly pious and learned men have thought of great weight on tliis question. We only cite the passage and pass on. Acts ii. 39. *' For the promise is to you, and to your chil- dren, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." An argument of much strength might be derived from this text, in favour of the application of • On this point the reader is requested to read Gen. xvii. carefully throughout. f Deut. x.\ix. 10, 11, 12. Ye stand this day all of you be/ore the Lord your God, your captains of your tribes, your elders and your officers, ■with all the men of Israel; your little ones, your -wives, and the stran^ei' that is in thy camp, from the heioer of thy -wood unto the drawer of thy -water; that thou shouldst enter into covenant -with the Lord thy God, and into the oath ivhicfi She Lord t/iy God maketh luith thee thia day. 35 baptism to children — but tiio discussion must not bo pi*o*- lont;ed. Let us proceed, then, to the case of Lydia, i^ecorded in the Acts, xvi. 14, 15. That this case may be undcrstf)od, it ouqht to be known that Thyatira, tho birth place of Ly- e enter, first say, IVare be to this liouse.^* Acts ii. 36, " Therefoi-e let the whole house of Israel assured- ly know," kc. Acts x. 2, « A devout man, that feared God with all his housci** &.c. Here Cornelius is distin- guished from his (dixog) family. Acts xi. 14. ** Who shall speak words unto thee, by which thou shalt be saved, and all thy house.'* See also xvi. 31, xviii. 8, 1. Cor. i. 16. — ** I baptised also the house (oixov) f>f Stephanas." Refer- pcnces on this subipct might be extended much farther; but these are all siifHcient. This use of tlic term house in the sense of family, as be- fore remarked, is metaphorical,' and is derived from the term iiouse in the sense of building; that is a fixed, perma- nent and lasting residence: [Extracts from a pamphlet, entitleiU Facts and Evidences on the subject of Baptism^ <^'c. In Three Letters, ^'c. By the Editor of CatmeVs Dictionary y «§"c.] "Now, as we are able at all times to recur to the proper use of this term, we are equally able to correct any mis- take that may occur in the metaphorical use of it: and since we find the term used metaphorically in several languages, we may be sure, that there is such a correspondence and similarity between the original objict. and thesignifi'"ativC application of the term, that with a little prudence and pa- tience our enquiries into its real meaning, cannot fail of satisfactory success. Give rae leave, therefore, to set be- fore you the plan of a house, as such buildings are common- ly constructed in Greece; and as we have every reason to believe, they were commonly constructed, in ancient ages> F 38 Certainly, I do not mean to infer, tliat every bouse corre- sponds to this plan: but I submit it, as enabling you to form' a general, an ordinary, or leading conception, of such an establishment, sufficient for every useful purpose when you wislhto bring a proposed idea to the test of matter of fact. GARDEN or GROUJSDS. HOUSE. FAMILY. ENTRANCE, or GATE. « The first remark on this figure is, the separation of the out-houses from the principal dwelling. It is evident that, correctly speaking, the house cannot be said to include the grounds and out-houses: the home might be built up, or pul- led down, enlarged, or diminished, without affecting the out- houses, in the least. But, the out-houses may be said, without any force on language, to include the house: — aiuS" 39 certaieily, the whole may be expressed by one comprchcii. sivo term, establishment — premises — nsideiice — place — buildings, ^:c. >Vc have oidy to suppose that the house is built of Btoiies; or permanent materials in combination; (not so the out-h«>uses) to complete the conception, suffici- ently lor our purpose. «< Such is the proper and real application of the term houses our ^)resent business is to trace the conformity of the ineta- phoncal application of the term, to this reality. 1 suppose, there cannot be equal authority on this subject, much less can there be superior, to that of Aristotle, the famous pre- ceptor of Alexander the Great, and quite as good a critic in Greek as no matter, who. In writing on the polity of cities, Aristotle thus defines a [l ral distinction and distiibution of them, is reduced to mat- ter of fact, and appears to the conviction of the eye. «< Now, give me leave here, to beg your consideration. Sir, as to what Aristotle himself, had he met with the term house in reading the N. T. Mould have understood by it— n or rather — what would any " plain unlettered (Greek') man having only the Greek N. T. in his hand," have understood^ when reading in his native language, — «< We baptized Ly- dia, with her society connected together, according to the course of nature, for long continuance:'^ " >Vc baptized the Jailor, with ALL those who eat from the same cupboard as himself^^ " I baptized those who sit around pie saniefire side with my va- lued friend Stephanas-.-'UVf if yon prefer the corrected reading — <* I baptize those who sit around the same table with my honoured friend^ I found my opinion on these and similar passages, when I say, a Greek reader must have understood this term — Iwuse — in a very extensive ^jense: including not only ALL the children in every stage of life, but — something more. « But, the elegance of the last definition (tho"gl> conjee- lural) ♦< those who sit around the same table,'* reminds mo of the exquisite comparison of the Psalmist — " Thy wfe shall be like a fruitful vine, by the side of thy house; thy children like olive plunts round about thy table." <* And, this again reminds me, that, though writing in 41 Orcck, ihe ApoRtlcs wcit HcbiTws by dfMccnt; that they were piTfortly familiar with the Hebrew Si i-iptures, and with the Uobrrw langua.^e, as spoken by their nation, and that, beyond a doubt, they used the term iious^ in the same sense as it was used by tlie Old Testament writers, '['his will not be denied: and if it is not denied, we have only to consult Moses and the Prophets, and rest our enquiry oh their answer, as the termination of our labours. <• We have seen three Grecian Philosophers propose throe different ideas (thouj^h all co-incident) on the meta- phorical signification of the terra House; we are not, then, to wonder, if we find amoni* the Hebrews a fourtli deriva- tion, entirely distinct from either of the former, but equally ingenious, and much more plausible. « According to the Hebrews, tlie metaphorical derivation of the term Uonse,f was, from the circumstance of a dwell- ing-house being built — bullt-lp — of stones, fur instance. A vietapliorical House, therefore, — a family — was a build- ing of liring stones. Ask yourself, tiien. Sir, which are the proper living stones to build up a family or house? — are they the seniors or juniors? — is the infantt born to-day, or the man of a hundi-ed hears old who dies to morrow? And here I will not compound with you. Sir; I will not allow you to say, *' the term limise^ as used in the O. T. implies tiic Elders of a family, strictly and properly; but the infants accidentally and improperly.'* " No, Sir, 1 willingly hazard the utmost severity of ct-n- sure, when I affirm on the contrary, that the directs strait forwards exjilicitf and unquestionable, leference of tlie term ffousc is to the Infants, primarily and properly; and to the seniors or even to the Parents, if at all, accidentally, tm- properly, and occasionally only. The proof of this may safely rest on the following passages: — and first, of the me- taphor Building. " 1 Sam. vii. 27. Thou, O Lord God of Israel, hast i-e- vealcd to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a 42 uoisE, i. o. will establish thy family. Coinp. 1 CuRON. xvii. 25. »< 2 Sam. vii. 11. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will MAKE ihee a house. « £9. Now let it please tliee to bless tlie hoiise of thy servant — and with thy blessing let the Iimise of thy servant be blessed ftirever." i. e. his/a7n- ily. Compare the same promise to Solomon; 1 Kin^s xi. 38. " ExoD. i. 21. «< And it came to pass, because the mid- wives fenrcd God, that he made them houses," i. c. he j2^avcth<*m niimerous/ajmVi^s. Gen. XXX. 1,2. « Before reading the following, con- sult the history of Jacob and Rachel; " Give me children, or else I die," says the disappoi^jtcd wife: — her husband replies, *< am I in God's stead, who hath with held from tliee the fruit of the 7Vomh?'* *' Psalm cxxvii. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. — *< Lo cniLDRE^, are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the tvomh is his reward." « The Hebrew, very remarkable here, fixes the sense to issue: *' those who labour to build the house, in it." •' That this etymological derivation of the term house — as importing a metaphorical huildingf continued, and was ADOPTED 6^ the JpostleSf may be shown from various pas- sages of N.T. Eph. ii. 19, 21. "Now, therefore, ye are no more stran- gers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints and members of the house-hold establishment of God; and arc BUILT on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being thechief corner stone; in whom nil the BUILDING fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in t!»e Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 4a 1 l*ct. ii. 4, 5. " Coming to the I.ord« as to a living [life-giving] stoiio, y a aUo, an livins stones are uuilt cp a spiritual house [family, as that «f Aaron,] a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices," tVc. Tit. i. U. "They subvert. — overturn, — turn topsy- turvy AvuoLE HOUSES," — liiniilies: the very reverse of building up: vn-bHilding. « These passages are decisive. " In proof that house imports children— distinct from their parents. <» Deut. XXXV. 9. Tiien shall liis brothri-'s wife .... spit in his face and say, so shall it be done unto that man who will not build up his brother's house," by obtaining children — iufants—U-oik his widow. ♦* Gev. xvi. 2. And Sarai said unto Abraham, the Lord hath restrained me from child-bearing: I pray thee go in unto my maid; it may be that / may obtain (infant J children by her;'—** be builded by her." Margin and Hebrew. L XXX. 3. Rachel said to Jacob, behold my maid Bilhah— slic shall bear upon my knees, that /may also have f infant J children by her," — be build- ed by her." Margin and Hebrew. •< Gen. vii. And the Lord said to Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark. <♦< The parent is distinguished from his family. ^ 1 Rings xvii. 8, 16. The widow woman of Zarepta did according to the saying of Elijah;— and 1, she, 2, he, and 3, her house, did eat many days." — Her son must be her house, distinct from Itis mo- ther; as there were but three persons, concerned in the history. « Gen. xlvi. 26, 31. Jacob and all his seed came into Egypt, his sons, his sons sons, his daughters and his sons daughters— all his seed. JiU the squU 44 'ivhich came out of his loins — all the souls of the HOUSE of Jacob were three score and ten."— — The phrase those which came oiit of Hie loim of Jacob, must exclude Jacob himself. «"' Numb, xviii. 11. The heave olTerin.^s have 1 given to thee and thy sons, and to thy daughters with thee, every one that is clean in thy house. The pa- rent is, evidently, not comprised in the term house. « Dbut. xxvi. 11. Thon shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given thee, and un- to thine house." The distinction is preserved here also. ^ 2 Sam. xiii. 11. I will raise up evil against thee, (Da~ Tid) out of thine own /wwse;" — *' from among thy children. See story of Absalom, &c. «* That this distinction between parents and children, ooNTiNUED, and was adopted by the Apostles, is manifest, from the passages already adduced: — Lydia, and her house: — ^the Bishop, and his house: — the Deacon, and his house: — the family of Stephanas, separate from himself: — the famikj of Crispus, separate from himself: — the family of Onesiphorus, separate, &c. « In proof, that house means infaivts, explicitly. « Num. xvi. 27* 22. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. — And the earth opened her niouth and swallowed them up, and their houses." — Their little chil- dren then, were \\w\r houses <•* Job XX. 28. The increase of his house shall roll awayj shall flow away as a torrent fl->\vs, in the day of his wrath." Tliat the term «< increase of a house," means a family. See 1 Sam. ii. 3. *• Psalm Ixviii. 6. God setteth the solitary fmanj in families:^' in a house, i. e. infants. Mar. and Heb. 45 «' Psalm cxiii. 2. God makcth tlio baiTon ^vornan to sit in lu*i- HOUSE— /a7uHy; thcjojful mother of cAi^ dretif*' INFANTS. ** Isaiah xiii. 6. Their children shall be dashed to pieces before their e>es» their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravislied. Tlic Medes shall not re- gard silver, nor delight in gold.— Their bows siiall dash the young men to pieces: They shall have n(» pity on the Jruit of the womb: tht-ir eye shall not spare children.** << It was not the dwelling liouses which the Medes were to spoil, for they regarded not silver nor gold; which is the natural spoil of dwelling houses; but houses in the sense of Jumilies— the Jruit of the 7Vomh, i. c. infants. " House means Infants, before they are conceived— Consequently, when they »re not present. •« Gen. xviii. 19. "I know Al'raham, that he will com- mand his children [plural] even his house, after him." Here Isaac is spnken of as house to Abra- ham, in the close of the is sufficient to establish the proposition that the term house in Old Tcstaiuent language must mean an infant. The idea recurs repeatedly in the passage. 1. The building up the house of Israel is iji/aw^-child-bearing, undoubtedly^ 2. Thy HOUSE — that is, the*' s. ed which the Lord shall GIVE THEE of this young woman," must mean an infant', and this is the national and acknowledged language, used by « all the people that were in the gate;" and not by the vulgar only, but by those well instructed also; by the elders; and this took place before Boaz was married: for it fol- It)ws — So Boaz took Ruth to wife." The rest of the story we know. *' Thus we see that an infant is expressed in Old Testa- ment language, by the term house, both by father's side and mother's side, before it is begotten or conceived: — that the same usage of the word was continued and adopted by the Jpostles, is clear fi-om the instance of the young women,^ in Timothy, concerning whom the Apostle says, as of an event yet future, he would have them « marry — bear chil- dron—despotize their house." nv family; in exact conform- ity with the wishes of the Elders and the people, in behalf of Boaz and Rutti. »< We need extend our enquiries no further: — Ictus re-, ducc the result to conclusive evidence. ** By what was Sarai arid Rachel huilded up? By In- fants. «» AVhat does the term Souses imply? Little chil- dren. *« In what house does God set the solitary man? — In an i?NF AN T family. «« In what imise docs God set the barren woman? In an wajSANT family. 47 ^* What in the increase of a Imise? Infants. •* NVhat is a liojise in the beiise ul' fruit of the womb? IK- KANTS. ♦• \N hat was to he commanded, as his Ilauiie, hy Ahra* ham? His expected infant, iHaac. "What limse was the seed which shall proceed out of thine own bowels? An Infant. ♦ » >\ hat house was the seed which the Lord suall give thee of this y(»ung woman? An Infant. »' In these ten instances, (and twenty might he added) the term house mlst signify infants: — it can sigiiify notliing else: and, moreover, it signifies infants, tlioiigli ml actuallij present. «• With tliese ten instances of the signification of the term house in Old I'estament hinguage, l)efore your eyes, and with every demonstration of tin- continued sense and ADOPTION of the term hy the Apostles, to the same [import, and iiitenti(»n, and without variation, in the jN. T. give mc lease to ask yoa, Sir, " What did the Apostles baptize, wuen tuey SAY they BAPTIZED HOUSES? «' The question a(hnits hutof one answer: in giving that, let Conscience and Common sense do their duty. " To conclude;'* — what would a pious Uehrew Christian reading the New Testament have understood hy the term House, in the Apostles' days, when he found it in various parts of their (sacred) writings? Coiild he, ;)oss?6/?/, have separated tlie idea of Infants from it? — And, if he had been told that it was to be taken as excluding Infants, would he not have complained of the deception practised on him? Would he not have said, •♦ If the N. T. writers use this word in a sense never before used in our nation, a sense en- tirely new, and contradictory to common and popular ac- ceptation, why did they not tell us so? Ilow are we to un- derstand them, if not hy the language they usr?— And, how arc wo to understand their language, if not in its popular^ 48 customary, and Jixed arccptation; — the same as that in which it has uiiintci'uptedly been employed, from the days of our father Abraham, t(» this day; — and, in fact, in which it is employed, at this very day?''* Now, what term more decisive and unequivocal could have been adopted by the sacred writers, for the purpose of assuriuj^ us that the Apostles baptised children: TJie Greek words Flat?, /3p£(?)og, ^^e^vTJ^liw, TexvoVy and their corresponding words, in Latin, itnlian, French, and Eng- lish, such as puer, pueruluSf infmite, enfant^ infantf child, &c. are ambiguous. If then, the historian had said, «* The apostles baptised men, women and children;" or <* When X.ydia and her children were baptised'* — this might per- jhaps have satisfied some who now doubt on the subject of baptising children. But it would not have satisfied pre- judice. It would be easy in this case, to quote such pas- sages as these, « The childe of the age of fourteen yere.** « The last will and testament of tiie little infant Civfantu- his J Adald; aged eighteen — Gen. xxxvii. 30." *» Thec/w7d (Joseph) is not; and I, whither shall I go?" [Note. Jo- seph at this time was sixteen years old,] Gen. xliv. 20.— f And we said unto my Lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little onCf &. — [TIjIs is spo- ken of Benjamin, sou of Jacob, then upwards of thirty years old,] and hundreds of others from various langua- ges, of the same import. From all which, the conclusion might be drawn, that the children mentioned as baptised by the apostles, were in all probability such children as Jo- seph and Benjamin in the texts quoted above. Hence the subject would have been as unsettled as can be imagined. — In this ambiguity of language, the sacred histoi-ian has chosen a word more determinate and settled in its signifi- cation, than the word children. He has told i:s that the apostles baptised (6ix«$) Families. But the positive and decisive fact, that the apostles bap- tised young children, may be set in a still clearer light, by 4» a farther examination of the sacred record. The evidenct already adduced, apiwars to me amply suflicient; yet in a subject that has been so much controverted, it is well to brinj^ forward abundant testimony. For this purpose, wc turn from the history of Lydia*s baptism, to that of the Jailor, recorded also in the l6th chapter of the Acts. Ver. 27-34. »» And the keeper of the prison awakinjj; out of his sleMice in favour of what is commonly called infant baptism, than if it had been said in express terms, that the Jailor and his little ones were baptised. For, in this case, as we have before seen, it might be said, Joseph was called a child at the age of sixteen; and Benjamin, a little one when more than tliirty years old — and who can tell but tliat the Jailor's little ones were such as these. But when we see the Jail- or driving headlong with youthful ardour, and springing with an elasticity and vigour, that we know do not belong to old age, and at the same time have unequivocal evidence in the use of the words, all his, that he had a numerous family, the matter is put out of all doubt. The life of man, at that time, and long before, had been reduced to three score years and ten; as is tlie case now. But we know ■what the course of nature flow is. We know that a man in the vigour of life now, with a numerous family has young children. And we are assured that the Jailor had young cljildren too, not by doubtful phrases, but by the Tiniformity of the course of nature. Should any doubt be entertained respecting the word (TtavoLxi) translated, rviih all his house, ver. 34, it may be observe the last, tiic word ohdav. Our translation rendtrs both by the same word, liouse. But surely the difference made in the original ought to be preserved in the version. The sense in which Paul used this last word may be learned from Phil. iv. 22, ♦♦ All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household (oixiat;;) ■• e. Cjesar's domestics: And how he used the term olxog may be learned from 1 Tim. iii. 4. A bishop must Uo, *' one that ruleth well his own iioi si:, havine: his children in 58 subjection with all gravity. In speaking then of the bap- tism of the house {ovxb) of Stephanas, Paul means his chil- dren; in speaking of the kindness of the house of Stepha- nas, and their attendance on the brethren, he means his domesticSi ihosr of his liotisehold. But it ought to be un- derstood that (oma) household includes perhaps tlie (0(^x05) house, or family. Now there is a question, to what ser- vice did the oixid devote themselves? It is entirely a gra- tuitous assumption that they were ministers of the gospel. The word AIAKONIA means any kind of service, for in- stance, serving at the table, procuring food, affording sup- port, rendering offices of kindness, distributing alms, per- forming the service of a religious teacher, &c. Now, out of all these significations, it seems to me strange that any shouldvfix on the last, and assign that office to the house- hold (domestics) of Stephanas. I confess, however, that this passage, as it stands in the original, presents difficul- ties in its grammatical structure, which I do not know well what to do with, 1 speak here, not as a theologian or po- lemic, but simply as a grammarian. And, adopt what sys- tem of doctrine I may, the difficulty presses on mc: nor do I stand alone in this case. The harshness and «!ifficul- ty of the original has embarrassed every commentator that I have seen. The best solution of the sentence that I have met with, is to be found in the Pamphlet already quo- ted, under the title of Fads and Evidences on the Subject of Baptism; and it is here presented to the reader. « The mischance that our translators should have used the terms hoiise and household interchangeably, though scrip- ture preserves the distinction, is glaring in the instance of the family of Onesiphorus, which in one text is rendered house, in the other household, notwithstanding the same word is used in both places; and the same persons are cer- tainly intended. But, it has proved much more unfortunate. 59 Miat oup traifslittos's have used one woi'd, households to ex- press botU the Jamil If and tlic household of Stephanas, though Scripture uses rvfoxcords in order to mark the dis- tinrtion, ami certainly docs not mean the same persons. This has produced confusion, and has given occasion lo various weak and inconsistent arguments. The passage that alludes to the. famihj of StephaJias, lias no dniculty: — but that respecting tlie household of Steplianas, is a tissue of dillicultics. The first remark on it is, that, as it stands, it is neither Greek, grammar, nor common sense: — it can- not he regularly construed; ail commentators have felt this, and have attempted to force it into sense by supplementary words. Whitby paraphrases « I beseech you brethren [seeing] ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of [tfic gosqxi in] Achaia, and that they have [ever si7icc] addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints; that you submit yourselves to such [giving Reverence and IIo- nour to them] and to every one that heli)eth with us and la- boureth." Doddridge renders, <» And I beseech you bre- thren AS ye know the Household of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and as they have set themselves to ministring to the Saints, that you subject yourselves to such, and to every associate in that good work and labour." Bishop Pearce, with a greater share of critical sagacity than the former, renders *< And 1 beseech you, brethren, HAVE REGARD to tlic family of Stephanas [because they ARE the first fruits of Achaia, and have set themselves about the work of ministring to tlie saints) that ye would submit yourselves unto such, and to every one who work- eth with them and laboureth.^ The Bishop saw clearly that " IT 19," in the singular^ will not construe with « THEY are" h\ the plural. He saw too, that the pbrase «« 1 beseech you brethren" — must have an immediate sub- ject; and theref<»rc he renders " 1 beseech you have re- gard." In his notes ho gives as bis reason for this version ^ frhat many MSS. read " they are the first frifits" — and to qualify this plural, 1 add, some copies read (vide Pagninus, and all the Latins) — " Steplianas and Fortunatus who ire" others read << Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, who are" Those are sufficient proofs of con- fusion, without seeing otiiers: and Justify dissatisfaction with the passage as it stands. To prepare our minds for a correct view of the place, we must first enquire, what is the Apostle's intention in writing it? and to answer this question we must consider the wliole of the Apostle's theme,* and begin our enquiries sor.ic way back. "The first thing remarkable is, the Apostle's discrip- tion of Timothy, verse 10, *« He rOorketh the work — erga- csetai ERGON, — of the Lord, as I also di)!" the next is that St. Paul desires their submission to co-workers — sijn&R- doNTi." There seems, therefore, to be a mutual reference between these words; which leads us to infer, that he who ffworkcth tlje work, as \also do," must be a co-worA'fr, i. e. co-worker T//'i7/i 7)1^. This is implied in the \is of our trans- lators: but it dismisses the ** associate \n that g»od work" of Doddridge; and it dismisses the »* worketh with them'" of Bishop Pearce. Let us see, now, whether by bringing these words somewhat closer togetlier, we may not disco- ver their true station. " If Timotliy come to Corinth, take care that he be with- out fear [or vexation fi'om your party disputes] among you; for he worketh the work of the Lonl, as 1 also do: Let no one, therefore, despise hiiJi, but accompany him on his journey, tliat he may come to me in sufety; for I and the brethren expect him. And as to Apollos our brother, I and the brethren exhorted him much to come unt > you; but he was by no means inclined to come now [durlngyour party dissentions] yet, he will come, when he hath a con- venient season. And 1 beseech you, brethren, that ye sub- mit yourselves unto such [as Timothy and Apollos; but 61 Timotliy, especially,] and to every one co-working tvWi me, and labouring.*' Uerc every thing is in its proper place, and reicrencr: and to induce their greater care of Timothy, when he arrived, the Apostle reminds them that the household of Stephanas had set themselves to do acts of hospitality and kindness to Christian ministers and bre- thren — suppose on their journey: — at once an example and a stimulus! AVhy did not St Paul, then, recommend Ti- motliy to lodge at that residence? — Probably, for a reason already suggested; that Stephanas resided not in Corinth; but at some small distance from it, in Achaia. The Co- rinthian Church, then, was not exhorted to submit itself fo the household of Stephanas; the notion is unreasonable: the. cause assigned is absurd. What! Crispus and Gaius, with the whole ciiurch, submit themselves to the servants of Ste- phanas, because tliesc servants very readily and cheerfully oflTcred their kind assistance to travelling brethren! Wlicrc Is the congruity between cause and effect? But that Cris- pus and Gaius, with the Corinthian Church, might shew all deference and honour to Timothy, might lodge and en- tertain him respectfully, and bring him forward on his journey, with every mark of christian attention, is exactly coincident with what the apostle had requested before. ** It is well known that the concluding chapter of other epistles — that to the Romans, for instance, is composed of memoranda, addressed by the Apostle to his Christian friends; and when introduced into tlie text, not placed pre- cisely in due order. — The same is the case here; and the reference to the household of Stephanas, is neitlier more nor less than a marginal note. It could occasion no con- fusion, in the original, from the manner of writing it.— An instance, in point, as practised by the modern Greeks, may be seen in a facsimile, given in Uobhouse's Trarch in Albania, kc. ^ Tho whole, I conceive stood thns^ I 62 " Now, if Timotheiis come, see that he may be with you witljout fear; for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also work. Let no man, there- fore, despise him; but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me, for 1 look for him with the brethren. As touching our brother Apollos, I g-rcatly desired bim to come to you; but his will was not to come at this time; but he Tom know will comc wbcn he shall have convenient time. — toid^Tsi'e ^^ •'^*^'' y^> stand fast in the faith; quit you like phunas,[in- mcM: be strong. Let all things be done 'with he"is^the charity, [and] I beseech you, brethren, tbat ye f.rst fniits submit youeselvcs to such, and to every one that of Achaia] that they helpeth With nie and laboureth." have set themselves " I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and to do sei'vi- Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was a)mmo"ia'. lacking ou your part they have supplied. For tion fto jiiey J, aye refreshed my spirit and yours: there- jiiacoxize) fo the saints, forc ACKNOWLEDGE them that are such." " Strange, surely! were it true that the Apos- tle should command the Corinthian Church, to SUBMIT to the servants, but only to acknowledge the master: only to acknowledge the brother who had refreshed his s})irit, and the spirits of the Co- rinthians, to wijom he writes; but to submit to his servants, whose kindness, though extremely laudable, terminated on strangers, from whom neith«>r tlie Corintliians nor Paul had received the same «* rcfrcslmient*' as they had from Stephanas. To complete this absurdity, observe, that Ste- phanas: as a member of the Corinthian Church, is com ^sanded by the Apostle, among others, to SUBMIT (^^ giving Reverence and Honour y' as \V hithy paraphrases) to his own servants/ And this becomes absolutely monstrous, if it be 63 insisted on, tliat these were the sons of Stepiianns; for then, tliat eminent Christian, a hrother, a deputy from the Church, the Jirst fruits of JlchaiUf is commanded to submit TO HIS OWN cuilukkn!!!" The haptism of tl»c family of Cornelius has not yet been mentioned, because it is not expressly noticed in the his- tory. There can, however, be no reasonable doubt on the subject. The family with which Cornelius was accustom- ed to worsliip God, woidd surely be assembled by him to hear the divinely commissioned apostle who came to show the way of salvation; to speak words by which lie and all his bouse (dixog family) should be saved, Acts xi. 14. We therefore, fearlessly put down the family of Cornelius as another instance of family baptism. The family of Onesiphorus, on which the apostle invokes blessings, 2 Tim. i. 16; and which he aflTcctiouatcly sa- lutes, 2 Tim. iv. 19, may, in ail probability, be udtled as another; but this we shall not urge. Now, without again insisting on the decisive evidence before produced, respect- ing the direct and pi-oper signification of the word OIKOS we would ask any one to take as many families as are re- carded in the New Testament to have been baptised, abore him or below him on the street where he resides, or in the pew which he occupies in church, or in tlie neighbourhood where he lives, and ascertain wjietlier he can iitid as many in succession, or taken promiscuously, in which there are no children. Let him calculate the probabilities on the subject: in other words, let him calculate the chances that, as the course of nature is, six households may be taken promiscuously, and no infants be found in Auy of them, or rather not one infant found among them all! It is not ex- travagant to say, that there would be thousands and thou- sands to one against it. The evidence then against the sup- position that the apostles did not baptise infants, as it ap- pears on the records of their proceedings, is irresistible. In counectioii with the testimony of Scripture respecting 64 the practice of the apostles, it may not be amiss to present a brief account of the most direct and explicit testimonies of the Fathers. And for this purpose we present the fol- lowing extract from The Virginia Religious Magazine, Vol. II, pp. 206-211. « Origen, a man of most extraordinary genius and learning, was born towards theclosc of the second, and died about the middle of the third century. From his wi'itings we have three clear testimonies in favour of infant baptism. Tiie first is in his 14th homily on Luke " Little ones, arc baptized for the remission of sins." And again in the same discourse " By the sacrament of baptism, the pollutions of our birth are put off, and therefore infants are baptized." — « What reason can be given for the practice of baptizing infants, except thisj that none is free from pollution, no not if he be but a day old." f< The second testimony, of this eminent man, is in his 8th sermon on Leviticus, where he has these words «< Let it be inquired, since baptism is given for the remission of sins, why, according to the usage of tlie church, that bap- iisnif is given to infants." « His third testimony, is found, in his discourse on the epistle to the Romans, where we have these remarkable •yvords *•' The church hath received a tradition from the Jipos- Ues, to give baptism imto infants." " Cyprian, was made bishop of Carthage, in the year 248, and ten years afterwards received the crown of mar- tyrdom. The year before his death (viz. 257) he sat in council with sixty-six bishops, wliose decrees may be seen in his Epist. (58) to Fidus, which is still extant. Fidus had proposed the question whether it was lawful for infants to be baptized on the second or third day; or whether it was necessary to wait until the eiglith, as was directed in the case of circumcision. By the way, it may be observed, that the propounding of such a question, shews that at that time, it was commonly believed that baptism held the same 65 l)!acc in the New which circiimciBion occupied in the Old dispensatiun: and that no doubts were at that time enter- tained of the right of infants to baptism. But if this truth were not sulliciently evident from merely proposing such a question to a lunncrous council of bishops, tlieir unani- mous answer, will remove every shadow of doubt. They determined without a dissentint^ voice, *< Tliat the mercy and grace of God ought not to be denied to any infant, however young — that if anj were to be kept from baptism, it should be rath«M- those of full age who have committed great sins: but since these, when they embrace the faith, are not prohibited from baptism, much more ought not the in- fant to be forbidden who being new-born hath no sin but that which he hath derived from .Vdam by his birth" — In the conclusion they say " that as none were to be refused baptism, so especially this was to be held and observed with respect to infants and new-born children." ** Here then, we have tlic testimony of a whole council, ronsistihg of above sixty bishops in favor of infant baptism; and as tliey were not brought together to decide this ques- tion, the unanimity of sdch a number, may be considered as decisive evidence, that in the time of Cyprian, there was but one opinion and one practice in the wh«»le Christian church, with respect to infant baptism. If they had been collected, to determine whether infants ought to be bap- tized, it would have furnished evidence, whatever their de- sign might be, that tlicrc were some antipedobaptists at that time, for it was not usual for councils to meet, for the consideration of questions, not disputed. But as the ques- tion before them was, whether infants might lawfully be baptized before the eighth day; whilst they gave their opi. nion upon this point, they implicitly teach us, not ofily, that they all believed in infant baptism, but that nobody else doubted of it. ** As to the authenticity, ;>nd genuineness of the Epistle of Cyprian, which contains the decrees of this council, wc 66 Jiave the fullest satistaction. It is quoted by Jerome, in his dialogue against the Pelagians; and Augustine cites it more than once, and sets it down almost entire, as a testi- mony of great weight against Heretics. In his 28th epist. to Hieronymus, he says, «* Blessed Cyprian decreed with ^ number of his fellow-bishops, that a child new-born, might be properly baptized, not thereby making any new decree but retaining the faith of the church, before most firmly established." *< About the same period, lived the author, whose work goes under the name of l)i<»nysius the Areoj)agite. In his discourse concerning the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, hepropo- seth it as a question; " why children who cannot yet under- stand, arc notwithfitanding made partakers of the saered Mrth from God." By wliich baptism is undoubtedly in- tended. In answer to this question, he says, " Many things of whicli we do not now see the reason arc worthy of God — We affirm of this the same things, which our divim pddes have handed down to us." Again, «* Our divine guides appointed that infants should be admitted after the sacred manner." By divine guides, saith Maxentius, "is fineant the Apostles." Which is evident enough. It ouglit not to prejudice the testimony of this writer, that his book has been falsely ascribed to Dionysius tlie convert ui' St. Paul at Athens; for this iias come to pass in all pro- bability, through the ignorance of transcribers, who finding llie author's name to be Bionysius, hastily supposed that lie was the very person mentioned in the Acts. It is agreed by all, that the writer was a very learned man and his an- tiquity will appear from this circumstance, that as early as the year 420 Theodorus debated the question, whether or not the author was Dionysius the Aregopagitc. " Gregory Nazianzen, flourished about the middle of the fourth century. From him we have the following tes- timony: " If thou hast an infant, let not iniquity get time, but let it be sanctijiedi let it be consecrated to the Spirit: and 67 wliereas the llctithcus use rharins, ahd anmlets to secure their children, ^h^ you hrstow on them the Trinity, that great and .qood phyhutei-y or preservative."— O rat. 4, on Baptism. In the same discourse he says; «< What shall we say concerning those that arc yet children, and neither know the loss, nor are sensihlc of the i;race of haptisra? Shall we also haptize them?" To whi( h lie answers; " Yes by all means, if any danger i»ress, they should be sanctified, when they have no sense of it, that they may not die un- sealed and uninitiated." In proof of this he observes, that, circumcision, uhich was a sacramental seal [^xxflocri C^ioayi^) was used to those that had no exercise of reason. After this, it is true, he proceeds to give his own privat<^ opinion, that tliosc children who were in no danger of death; miglit defer it, until about three years of age, when they might be taught to answer something, although they did not understand the meaning of tlic words. «< In the same century, lived Ambrose: speaking of those who made Adam's sin no otherwise hurtful to posterity than by the example, he presses them with this absurdity, that their opinion, " nullifies tlic baptism of infants, which in this case, would be capable of adoption, but not of par- don." He says in another place, " Ky Jordan's being driven back, are signified the mysteries of baptism, by which the little ones that are baptised are cleansed ^from the sin of their natural state." « In tlic close of this age also, lived Chrysostom, whose deatli is placed in -407 — one of the most celebrated preach- ers of anti(iuity. In his homily to the Neophyti, he has these words, «< For this cause we baptize children although they have no sin." These words deserve to be particular- ly noticed, because the Pelagians made a great handle oi them in the dispute about original sin. They inteq)reted the words, as though Chrysostom had said, that infants were free from original sin; But Augustine confuted them. 6B by referring to the word (ccfiaplyifmla) used by Chryaos- tom, which properly signifies actual sins. Again, in his 4th homily on Genesis speaking of baptism as the christi- an circumcision, he says, « It liath no determinative time but is lawful in chilhood, middle life and old age." *•' Jerome, was born in 342 and lived until 420, and is esteemed one of the most learned of the Fathers. In his 9th Epist. to Lata, he says; »' Unless you believe that those children of Christians who receive not baptism, are the guilty persons, and not their parents who neglected to bring them to Christ's embraces," &c. <* In his dialogue against Pelagius; (lib. 3) the question being a.skcd by Crito; Why infants are baptized, Atticus answers; " That their sins may be pardoned" — And again *< the infant is freed in baptism from the bond of Adam's sin." *< Paujinus, was cotemporary with Jerome, from whom we have this testimony; *< The Priest brings the infant out of the font, white as snow, in body, in heart, in habit." *< Next comes that great champion of Orthodoxy, St. Augustine, who was born in the 4th, and died in the 5th century. The passages in his writings in which infant baptism is expressly mentioned and vindicated, are too numerous to bo (quoted. But he atTirms that it had been the perpetual doctrine of tlie whole church in all ages be- fore him, expressly including that of the apostles. *' In his discourse concerning baptism written in oppo- sition to the Donatists Lib. 4. c. 23, he has these words, « This is held as tradition by the universal churclh when « little infants are baptized which certainly are not yet « able to believe with the heart, or confess with the mouth, <* and yet no christian will say that they are baptized to *» no purpose." He then proceeds to observe, that as in the case of Isaac the seal of the righteousness itself fol- lowwl in riper age, so also, " In baptized infants the sa- crament of regeneration precedes, and if they hold fast t>9 dtristian piety, conversion in the heart follows, the mys- tery whereof hath been already received in the body." " Speakinij;, in another place, of infant ba])tism he says, *« The doctrine itself gives ns no trouble, being long since « establislicd in the christian ciiurch, by the highest au- thority." Again, " The question between them and ns is not whether infants are to be baptized; for that infants should he baptized nobody donhfs; and although they con- tradict us on the question which relates to its benefit, yet of this they entertain no doubt." « In this dispute with the Pelagians, he says, " Doth Christ profit infants that are baptized, or doth he not? — He must needs say, that he doth profit, because he is prest with the authority of the church our mother" — "If they « say that Christ does not profit infants baptized, they of <' necessity affirm that infants are superfluously baptized, « but this, tliese very heritics dare not say, for they fly to « this evasion, that they are not baptized for salvation, but •' for tiie kingdom of heaven." »' Epist. 59. " The baptism of infants is not superflu- ous, in order that by regeneration they may be freed from the condemnation received from Adam." " Enchiridion c. 42. « From the infant new-born to dccrepi»' ture, that it comes to every unprejudiced understanding with great force. Having now, as seems to me, fully established the doc- trine, that, according to divine appointment, the sacra- mt*nt of cliristian baptism is to be applied to the families of believersj it may be well to consider some what particu- larly that part of the general proposition laid down in the Confession of Faith, which states that, " Infants descend- ing from parents either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ and obedience to him" are to be baptised. And here it may be remarked, that in the instances adduced from scripture, there is, perliaps, not one, in which more than one parent is mentioned. Farther, in every instance of the baptism of a family, it is clearly ascertained, and generally, expressly stated, that the parent presenting children for baptism, believed. In the case of Lydia, al- though not a syllable is said of the faith of her family, it is said, in very emphatical terms, that the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things which were spoken by Paul. — And with this declaration, is connected the account of her baptism and that of her children. The stress is laid on the circumstance of Lydia*s heart being opened, or her believing. Hence, while the narrative authorises and requires indeed, the baptising of children, it requires faith in the parent. In the case of the Jailor, too, the belief of only one pa- rent is mentioned. And in general, it may be laid down as a rule founded on apostolic practice, that either both or one of the parents, should, as it is expressed in the cate- chism, profess faith and obedience. But there is a passage of scripture, which, while it, in Tery strong terms, sanctions the particular application of christian baptism which we are vindicating, has a decisive bearing on the particular question under consideration. 1 Cor. vii. 14, « For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife^ and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by th« 71 husband: else were your cliildrcn unclean; but now arc tlicy holy." The primary and proper meaning of the word (AriAZSl) ^^^^ rendered, sanctify, is to separate from a common and profane, and to consecrate to a particular and sacred use; and the word rendered holy^ (f^yiog) derived from the verb, signifies, that which is thus separated and con- aecrated; and when applied in the scriptures to persons, IS uniformUj limited to those ivho are visibly the people of God, and received into his church. ♦' Thus the Jews, with their children, were called a holy nation,* not because tiiey all truly loved and served God; for this they did not: but because they were his pro- fessing, visible people, separated to be such from the other nations of the earth. Thus visible Christians are denomi* nated holy, or saintsjf and aracnigst them the Apostle in- clu wash; Awu oi" Avnla to plunge; kc. &c. Now, had our blessed Lord designed to prescribe a particular mode of administering I)aptism, it seems fair to conclude, that a word designating that mode, would havi; been used. Instead of this, we find constantly employed, a word which has cr)ufcssedly seven varieties of signification. Does not this justify tlic conclusion, tliat our Lord intended, that the mode should be left indifferent? And if so, arc we at liber- ty to limit and tie down to a particular manner, that which Jesus Christ has left undetermined? Attempts to do this, have produced more than half the rents and schisms, that have divided and disturbed the church. But perhaps it may be tiiought by some that, although the word baptise is thus general in its signification, it is so limited in the New Testament usage, as to rcrpiire submer- sion, to complete the rite. Let us examine. And here every one ought to lay aside the prejudices of the partizan, and enter the investigation with the coolness of an impar- tial critic. The word ^anli^iJ occurs in various forms in the New Testament, sixty-four times. As it is intended to do full justice to the subject, these passages will be recited; and such remarks offered as the occasion may suggest. No. I. Matt. iii. 5, 6. " Then went out to him [John] Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan; and rKo(I7t7<- ^Ovlo EV TW looodVI^) were baptised of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." This is as strong a passage as any produced from the N. Testament in support of the opinion that baptism was per- formed by immersion. But does it warrant the conclusion which has been drawn fron) it? First it is observed, I. That the account here given respects the baptism of John, which was a local and temporary institution; and therefore cannot ccrtaiidy decide concerning an ordinance L 78 equally intendpd for th o/roaeii regions of Greenland and tlif thirsty ()lalns of AMca; for the healthy and the sick. 2. The word iSanli^cd is, as wc have seen, a general, inori of these words. Did the Kvangelist mean tirat all the peo- ple of the places specified, went out to be baptised. Then the multitudes must ha e been immensely great. One may well believe this, who recollects the statement of Jo- sephus, that eleven hundred thousand peisons were taken or slain, when Jerusalem was taken by Titus, But if the words are not to be conslrued literally; we must suppose, to justify the figiirati\ e language of the Evangelist, that a large 79 proportion nj the people fluckfd (o tlip banks oC Jordnii for baptism. Now il' Jolin baptised oiil} oin' lenlli pari i^f Hit popiilafion mciiticnied b} tbc bistposiiis^ that be did tbis by siibincrsion. and that bi' baptised one in tlie space of every tbrec minutes, be must bave stiiod eigbt hotifs per day in tbe water lor tbne yearn to bave arcom- plisbtd liis work!!* I'trsons m:iy smilf, soni<' may perhaps scoft', on this idea beinj; first prcsi'nted ti» their minds. But we refer tbeni t<» tbe words of the hlviinj^elist, and tbe stalements (if (be Jewish historian. *'i// must either mean tbe 7r/io/r, or a gri'ater part, a Iari;e propmtion. And if 1,100,000 persons were destroyed in Jerusalem, it is surely not extravgant to state the population at two millions. Let any one make tbe calrulation for himself, and be will find that there is nothing ridiculous in our conclusion. If it were intended that we should believe as great an impro- bability as this there was need of a much stronger and more decisive word than (^anli^id) baptise, to exjircsss tbe tiling. For myself, when 1 apply tlic ideas of common sense, and evei-y day practice to tbese subjects, I cannot but believe that John stood on the batik of the river, near to Jordan, and being furnished with w ater by his liisciples baptised tbe crowds by perfusion, in a very summary way. No. II. Matt. iii. 11. "I indeed baptise )ou vith -water; fei'vSaJl) but he that cometh after me is more miglity than [; whose sliocs I am not wortliy to bear; lie shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire;' [ev nvEviioliy dyio) xai nifi.] In this passage, the same preposition is used as in tbe preceding quotation. And bere it is manifest that tbe sub- stance used in baptism is designated, and not the mode of applying it. Jcdin used rvater — in Messiah's baptism, fhe Spirit is a|)|)lipd. If any thing can be learned respecting tbe ntodc of administration from tb is text, it is all in favour of affusion or jmuring. Because, the promise which (iod lias made of giving tlie Holy Spirit, is almost al\\a>s couched * Note.— Did John's ministry last more than three years 80 hi the phrase, " I wiW pour out my Spirit," Accordingly the people of God universally pray for the cnit-pounng of the Spirit. Now surely after this usage sanctioned hy God himself, we ought not to affii'm that the word, baptise, means properly to immerse^ or suhmergei and to read here, " 1 indeed immerse you in water, hut he thatcomcth after me, shall immerse you in the Holy Spirit.^' Would any person venture to pray, that he might he thus immer- sed? Nos. III. IV. Matt. ill. 13, 4. " Then cometli Jesus from Galilee t(/ Jordan unto John to be baptised of him. But John forbad him, saying", I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me.'' This passage affords no room for remark. No. V. Matt. lii. 16. " And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened un- to him," &c. The Gi'eek here is oiTto 7a vSaJog translated out of the water. The going up of Jesus out of the water is thought to afford conclusive evidence that he was immersed. We deny this — 1. Because, going into the water (supposing that he did so) is not baptism; that is to be performed after the subject is in the water, and it then may be performed in various ways. But 2. I deny that Jesus went into the water. The word here rendered out of, in its ordinary natural meaning signifies /roni. It is so used verse 13. See above No. Ill, Jesus cometh from Galilee [aTto.] A hundi'ed other instances might be adduced, such as. He came /rom [aTto] the field — He departed /j*om them — Deli- ver us Jrom evil, &c. &c. almost without end. We say then, that the words do not necessarily imply more than that our Saviour went down to the margin of the river to be baptised,- and when the ceremony was performed, he went up from the water, that he might be seen by the multitude, when the Spirit visibly descended on him, that this testimony that he was sent by the Father, might be as public as possible. Nos, VI. VII. Matt. XX. 22, 23. "Are ye able to drink of the cup thai 81 I bijall drink of, ami to be baplised with tlie baptism that I am bap- tised withi" Tlicy say unto bim, We are able. And hv saith unto Ihcm, Ye shall «h-iiik indeed of my ctip, and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised willi," &c. The term here has rcfciTnce to the sufTcrinj^s endui-cd by our blessed Lord, when tl)c divine fury was pnured on his head, and he was baptised with his own bloody sweat in Gethscmane; and more copiously with his own bh)od on the cross. Nothing as to the mode of christian baptism then can bo determined from this metaphorical use of the word. No. Vlir. Matt, xxviii. 19. " Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name," &.c. This passage determines nothing, except what has been before observed respecting the intended universality of the christian religion. No. IX. Mark i 4. "And John was baptising in the wilderness, and preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Here the Greek words arc (^^anll^uv evln epynjjuj,) rcn- dcrcd baptising in the wilderness. The preposition follow- ing the verb, clearly designates the place where baptism was administering, viz. in theivildcrncsSf and not the man- ner of baptising. And why may not the same purpose bo .served by it, when it is connected with the river Jordan. As it would be ridiculous to assert that John plunged his disciples into tlie wilderness, although the text says he was baptising in the wiklerness, [^p 7>7ep>7ao]; why sliould it be thought sound criticism to determine that he put them under the water of Jordan, because it is said e§an- lijCpvlo TV 7g) Iop<5a^"]p. Js'o. X. Mark i. 5. " And they were all baptised in the river Jordan confessing their sins." Parallel to No. I. No- XI. Mark i. 8. " I indeed baptise 30U with water, but lie shall bai)- tise you with 'he Holy Spirit." Parallel to No. II. No. XII. Mark i. 9, ID. " And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of (■alilec, and was baptised of John in Jonlan." We of course read this, at or near to Jordan. See No. III. [Remark however, that in many passages f/g, the prepo- sition here used isputforfjr. See Matt. ii. ys. •' He dwelt 82 III the city (sl<; 7(o?llv) called Nazareth." Mai*, ii. 1. John i. 18. Ads viii. 40, &c-] No. XIII. Mark vii. 3, 4. " For the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the eld- ers. And when they come from market, except they xvash tliey eat not. And many other things there be which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups and pots, brazen vessels and ta- bles." [couches.] Here the word is rendered waah; and has reference to the ceremonial purifications of the Jews, many of which •were performed hy the sprinkling of water on him who was legally impure. — This passage has been before adduced to prove that baptise does not always mean immersion nor submersion, dipping in nor dipping tinde7\ Nos. XIV. XV. Mark x. 38, 39. " Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?" &c Parallel to Nos. VI. VII. No. XVI. Mark xvi. 16, " He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved," &c. This has nothing to do with the mode of administering baptism; nor indeed with any point in dispute in the whole subject. No. XVII. Luke iii. 7. " Then said he to the multitudes that came forth to be baptised by him, O generation of vipers! Who hath warned," &c. This decides nothing. No. XVIII. Luke iii. 12. " There came also publicans to be baptised, and said to him, master what shall we do.'" This also has nothing to do with the question. No. XIX. Luke iii. 16. " I indeed baptise you -with 7vater; but one migh- tier than I Cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; he shall baptise you -with the Holy Spirit and with jire" Parallel to No. H. No. XX. Luke iii. 21. " Now when all the people were baptised, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptised," &c. There is nothing here that bears on the subject. Nos. XXI. XXII. Luke vii. 29, 30. " And all the people that heard him, and the publicans justified God, being baptised with the baptism of John. But the Pharasees and lawyers rejected the counsel ef God against themselves, being not baptised by him." 83 This can have no influriK c on the question liow these persons worr baptised. No. XXni, Luke xi. 38. " And when the Pharisee saw it he marvelled th:it lie liad not first ivushnl /"y^ sSoiTlllCEV) before dinner." Ilei'e wo know that baptise does not signify to immerse or submerge. No. XXIV. Luke xiii. 50. «« But I have a baptism to be baptised with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished.'"' See Nos. VI. VII. Nos. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVni. XXIX. John i. 23, 26, 28, 31, 33.— " And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptisest thou, then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet — John an- swered them, saying, I baptise -with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not, 8iC. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptising — And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptising with water — And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptise with water, the same said unto me. Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he tliat baptiseth with the Holy Ghost." These passages either express or imply a comparison between the baptism of John, and that of the Mes.siah; and therefore are referred to No. II. No. XXX. John iii. 22. " After these things came Jesus and his c'isciples into the land of Judea; and there he tai'ried with them and bap- tised " Nothing concerning the mode here. No. XXXI. John iii. 2, 3. « And John was baptising in Enon, near to Salem, because there was much water there; and tiiey came and were bapiised." On this pas.sage, it is remarked, in the first place, that John liad attracted grewt attention; that great d'owds Hock- ed to him for baptism; that the land of Jud-a is a liot and thirsty land; that in all rliniatcs, and esj)ecially in one so warm, multitudes i»f people w itli their cattle require a largo supply of water J'or drink. At the ca7H/> meetiMs;s which arc held in this country, wht're two or tliree thousand people assemble, attention to this circumstance is entirely- necessary. Now, suppo.se that an advertisement published by some of our Methodist brethren should contain this. 84 among other statements, that there was at sucli a camping' ground an abundance of water; and suppose titat tiiis notice should be preserved fo;* some ages, and finally fall into th€ hands of a people practising baptism by immersion, and ignorant of the tenets of the Methodists — Why then, accor- ding to the mode of reasoning applied to this passnge of scripture, it would at once be concluded that the people br^ptised by immersion: In other words, that the Metho- dists were Baptists! Hence we see t!ic fallacy of the reason which concludes, that John immersed those that came for baptism, because he selected a place where there was much water. This miglit have been done, for any thing that we know, for tlie accommodation of the crowd, that all might have enough to quench their thirst. Again, all that we know about Enon amounts to very little " It is near to Salim, eight miles south of Scytho- polis." By its name it imj»orts to be a single spring; the fountain of On. This fountain flowed in many streams [7to7i?[a vSoila; the true rendering of the words used by the Evangelist; and not, miich water, as in our translation.^ This subject is well illustrated by a celebrated traveller. — « In 2 Rings, ii. 20, The elders of Jericho complaijied to Elislia, " the water is naught," as it is in our translation; but t!ic words are plural in the Hebrew; and the Greek rcnilering is plural also — [ra vSata Ttovy^^ the streams are bad.] Now, what says matter of fact to this? Maun- drell sliall inform us. " Its waters are at present received ill a basin, about nine or ten paces long, and five or six broad: and from thence issuing out in good plenty, divide themselves into several small streams, dispersing their re- freshment to all the field, between this and Jericho, and rendering it exceedingly fruitful" — The fountain of On was probably, then, sufficiently copious to allow its waters to be divided into a number of small streams, (7to/U«. (j^ra) which, running in different directions, afforded a 85 supply of water fbr the humbcrs which nttendot) on John's ftdministrations; anilivith the water of this fountain he bap- tised them — not in i(, for then it would not have been use?os. XLII. XLIII. Acts viii. 36, 38, 39. <' And as they went on the way they came to a certain water (7l {>&0p, as vague and general an expression as language will admit) and the Eunnch said, behold! here is water; what hindereth that I should be baptised? — And he commanded the chariot to stop; and both Philip and tlie Eunuch went down into leig to] the water, and he baptised him — And when they went up out of [e;c from] the water," &c. This passage requires particular observation; and 1. We arc utterly uncertain what water was intended, whether well, fountain streamlet, creek, or river: "NVc only know that the country was called desert; and this warrants the belief that there was no great stream of water; perhaps a M 86 streamlet, perhaps a spring. 2. But if tliis were not so; if tlirrc was a river in the desert of Judali, towards Gaza, wliicli has escaped the notice of the geographers, then I would ohsprve that tlic language of our translation docs not require the helief that the Eunuch was immersed in water. For let it be considered that the feet and legs were generally naked in the ancient mode of dressing, ex- cept the soles of the feet which were protected by sandals, and that Philip and the Eutmch would have less difficulty in stcjiping into the water, than two gejitlemen equipped in modr-rn dress; that the Eunuch was travelling, and, for all that appeals, he stopped on the road side; that the mode of immersion required a change of raiment, which from the delicacy of eastern men respecting the expo- sure of their persons, would have been extremely un- pleas;\nt to this Ethiopian lord; and one will hesitate exrecdingly to decide that he was submerged by the Evangelist. 3. But what is the meaning of the two prepositions (^ig am! ey) translated into and out of? For the first, (eig) I find that it has fifteen different mean- ings. Tlicsi- need not be sjiecified. Among them arc these, to, unto, at. For instance. Matt. xv. 24, «' I was not sent save to (eig) the lost sl-eep of the house of Israel." Matt. xxii. 4. «« All things ace ready; come ye to (f^g) the marriage." Jolin xi. 31, " She goeth to (ftg) tlie se- pulchre, that she may weep there." Verse 32, " Seeing liim, she fell at (sig) liis feet." John xiii. 1, "Having loved his own, he loved them to (ag) the end." Matt ii. 1. *< ^yise men came from the East to (ag) Jerusalem." Verse 8, <» And sending them to Bethlehem, he said," &c. Verse 12, *' They returned to their own country." Mark xiii. 14, " Then let those in Juden, flee to the mountains." Matt. v. 1, " And seeing the multitude, he went up to a mountain, (aveSri eig 16 opog, very similar to the phrase in the text xate^naav eig to i&jpO Now, why not. »7 accoidinp^ to these numerous examples, rendor tlirse words thus, T/ieij went donvn to the water? As lor (lio jncposi- tioii (fx) rendered out oJ\ anioiii; its various si,u;uirications, we tVeijuently find from. Matt. xii. 42, « The queen of the south shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: hecause she r ame/ro?u (ex) tlic utter- most part of the earth to hear the wis(h)m of Solomon,'' &c. Matt. xiii. 49. ** And they (the angels) shall separate the wicked /roni (fx) the mif circumstances, and the meaning of the Greek words, it seems to me that the natural and easy and fair interpretation of the passage is this: — Philip and the Eunuch went from tlic carriage down to the water; and haptism having hecn administered, they went up from the water, (prohahly a fountain near the road) to the carriage again. It must be assumed then that haptism was performed hy immersion, hcfore immersion can he found in the haptism of the Eunucli. But this is the point in controversy. No. XLIV. Acts ix. 18. " And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales, and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptised." [xoi aiuataq kSaTVCiaOri-] In tilis passage, the woi'd taken in its connections, and the various circumstances, lead to the belief that Paul was, baptised in a standing posture. Let any person whq can read Greek, turn to Matt. xxvi. 62, and construe literally the words [xcu dmCTag 6 dp;^; 91 No. LXIU. 1 Cor. XV. 29. " Else what shall tht y do, who arc bapti-scci for the dead'" No iTinui'k. No. LXIV. Gal. iii. 2/. " As many of you as were baptised into Christ, have put on Christ." Here is !i(» j)ra(»f for or against iminehsion. The words (Somliajia aiid ^anlLU^iog, baptism, occur in the following passages. \o. LXV. Malt. iii. 7. ♦' Seeing' many of the scribes and Pharisees com- ing to his baptism," 6c,c. No remark. Nos. LXVI. LXVII. Matt. xx. 22, 2S. Before quoted. See Nos. Vr. and VII. No. LVIII. Matt. xxi. 25. " The baptism of John whence was it," Stc No remark. No. LXIX. Mark i- 4. " John was baptising in the wildcrncsi, and preaching the baptism of repentance." Determines iiotliiiii^. JVos. LXX. LXXI. Mark vii. 4, 8. " And many other things which they have received to hold, as the washings (baptisms) of pots, of cups_, of brazen vessels, and tables. — And again, washings (baptisms) of pots and cups." Here the word means washinj;, and that in an indeter- minate manner. Certainly, however, not by iininer.sion in the case of tables or rourhes. Nos. LXXII. LXXTIT. Mark x. 38, 39. These passages are preeisoly pa rallel to LXVI. LXVII, and need not be quoted. No. LXXIV. Mark xi. 30. Parallel to LXVIII. No. LXXV. Luke iii. 3. " Preaching the baptism of repentance for thfe remission of sins," No remark. No, LXXVI. Luke xii. 29. «« Being baptised with the baptism of John,*- No remark. No. LXXVII. Luke xii. 50. " I have a baptism to be bapti ed with and how am I straitened," Sic. No remark. No. I>XXVni. Luke xx, 4. See No. LXVIII. No. LXXIX. Acts i. 22. " Begining fi-oni the baptism ot Jolm.*' No remark. Vo. LXXX. Acts X. 37. " After the baptism which .'oha pr-:ach<;d." 92 No rciiuirk. No, LXXXI. Acts xiii. 24. " John preached, before his coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people." No remark. No. LXXXH. Acts xvlii. 25. " Knowing only the baptism of John." No remark. Nos. LXXXIII. LXXXIV. Acts xix. 3, 4. « Andhe said unto them unto what then v/ere ye baptised? And they said, unto John's baptism.. And Paul said, John indeed baptised the baptism of repentance," &c. Let us try how the word immersion will do here. — Into what were ye immersed? Into John's immersion — John immersed the inmicrsion of repentance. — What strange and harsh language is this? Note, there is no Greek word an- swering to the withf before baptism in Paul's remark, as it is in the common version. No. LXXXV. Rom. vi. 4. " Therefore wc were burled with him by bap- tism into death, that as Christ was raised from the dead, even wc alsosliould walk in newness of life." See No. LXXXVII. No. LXXXVI. Eph. iv. 5. " One Lord, one faith, one baptism." This determines nothing. No. LXXXVII. Col. ii. 11, l2. " In whom ye also are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting' off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." This passage and the one referred to it above, are supposed strongly to favour the mode of immersion; because there is is an allusion to the burial of Christ; and to bear nut this allusion, it is thought that there should be a resemblance between t!ic administration of baptism, and the manner of burying. Let us take nothing on trust, but examine for ourselves. I remark, 1. Tlie manner of burial among ourselves, by letting a corpse down into the grave, may perhaps influence the judgment of many in this case. But the interment of our Lord's bodv was diflTerent. There are at this time, and 93 probably ntiII be to the end of the world, many ancient tonib.s in the neigliboui-liood of Jerusalem, wliicli suiricicnt' ly show the manner of burial formerly practised.* Cham- bers are excavated in liic solid rock; and in the side walls of these Chambers, niches of proper length and breadth arc formed for the reception of dead bodies. After the death of our Saviour, his body was wrapped in clean linen, and depo- sited in one of these niches. JNow, what analogy exists be- tween such a burial as this, and the sudden immersion of the body in water? What, between a corpse lying three days in a niche in a chamber hewn out in a rock, and a living bo- dy plunged for a moment in a stream of water? Really the resemblance is so remote, that I cannot persuade myself that the apostle had it in view. Did he not rather allude to the washing of the body which was always a part of the funeral ceremony? 2. The language liere is figurative; by all rules of inter- pretation then the figure ought to be kept up; that is one part c)ijg!it not to be made literal, and the other figurative* If we must be literally immersed in water, why not unto death? But this would bean adherence to a doubtful inter- l)rctation not to be expected. Suppose, however, tiie pas- sage should be translated as some would have it, <* We arc buried with him by immersion into death" — what then does it mean? Immersion into death! Buried with Christ, by immersion into death! I cannot understand it. 3. The apostle addressed this letter to the adult members of the churc h, who as the cliiireh was recently organized, of course were received on a profession of their faith. In the woi'd baptism, as seems to me, he included the instruc- tion received by the membci*s of the church, and conse- quently all tlio spiritual trritii signifieil by the term. [See our explanation of its meaning part I.] Ba[)tism into the • Note — TItis explains the acrount of the demoniacs mentioned, Mati viii. 28. Mark i. 8. F.uke viii. 27, Who Came «>.i